Chapter 7: Christmas Eve Launch
Aladdin was in precision on his flying carpet, a bag of gits balanced behind him. His flyers getting into their vehicles. Jasmine came into the station for one last send off. "Good luck Aladdin and fly safely." Jasmine said.
"We will Jasmine." Aladdin replied.
Jasmine kissed Aladdin on the cheek, and then left the room to watch Aladdin and his flyers fly off around the kingdom giving gifts to all of the residents. Aladdin stood up tall on his carpet. "Roll call!" He called across the room. Each of his flyers answered one by one from their own unique vehicles.
"Shen." Shen was in a blue limo decorated with Chinese style drawings of peacocks with strong eagle wings covered in peacock feathers pultruding out of the top, ready to fly.
"Hades". Hades was in a blue and black hellish chariot flew by cold blue flames. His assistants Pain and Panic were by his side, ready to throw gifts down the chimneys of the residents.
"Fred". Fred was waving at Aladdin from the Mystery Machine, his usual gang replaced with heaps of gifts. Ironically Fred's vehicle was the only one that did not fly.
"Batman". Batman was in the bat mobile the wings of the fantastic black shiny car stretched out ready.
"Scar." Scar was in a flying chariot made out of bones with jars containing fairies and fire flies which remained trapped in their every Christmas Eve to light the night sky for Scar and the hyenas which would fly with magic dust provided generously by Tinkerbell.
"Felicia." Felicia was riding on a large flying shadow which was lit up by the demon's glowing eyes.
"Shrek". Shrek was in a magical Cinderella carriage lead by three blind horses (the blind mice undergoing a one night only transformation by the Fairy God Mother) for Shrek to direct, also spelled with fairy dust from the Fairy God Mother herself to enable it to fly. Shrek's wife Fiona had provided the Christmas lights to light it up and Donkey and Dragon had made and provided the luminous head lights.
"Z9." Z9 answered from the shuttle which his son had been playing in just two weeks prior.
A draw bridge was opened by Richard Waterson with help of his 16-year-old son Gumball who was sporting a cool leather jacket and pants which he had superglued red and green flashy Christmas lights on.
The citizens cheered with delight and excitement as the vehicles exited the station one by one. Within the audience was Tyranhee who was holding Marvin's hand. "Look Marvin, look at your father's ship up in the air." Tyranhee pointed out, pointing at the sky.
"I can't see mom." Marvin whined, jumping up and down as high as he could attempting to allow himself to see. Sighing with frustration Marvin wandered around the crowd to get a spot where he could see over the heads of the taller and older toons, being careful not to stray too far from his mother's side. Tyranhee did not notice Marvin had moved, she was too focussed on the vehicles in the sky and the now 20-year-old girls' coloured lights circling around and dodging the vehicles. Fred had even stopped his van for a second to allow the four young ladies to sit on the bumper and fire off a rainbow.
Marvin quickly found a large hill of snow which he climbed up and watched from a height. He could momentarily see the magic, but he slipped down the hill on his bottom and landed by the feet of Lauren Cunningham who had her daughter Lilly on her shoulders. Lauren glared down, wondering what had just hit her feet, but smiled when she saw Marvin waving up at her. Lilly's father, Graham, picked Marvin up and put him on his shoulders. Lauren managed to catch Tyranhee's eyes to let her know Marvin was with them. Tyranhee gave a thumb up, acknowledging this as her son waved at her from a short distance. "My dad's up there." Marvin whispered to Lilly.
The high school choir began to sing "Wonderful Christmas Time" by Paul McCartney as the vehicles left the viewing ground. The citizens began to chase them along the run way for fun, including Marvin and Lilly who had been since let off Lilly's parents' shoulders. Marvin fell a little behind. Knowing he was not going to catch up he watched the light show that Babs, Shirly, Mary and Fife were putting on as his father's ship flew out of sight. "One day I will fly up there too." He whispered to himself. Then noticing he was alone decided to have some fun. "Ladies and gentlemen Aladdin presents the medal of valour to his newest flyer, Marvin Martian!" He yelled, clapping his hands as loud as he could and rapidly moving from one foot to the other. "Thankyou! I am honoured! I would like to thank mom and dad for always believing in me, and Aladdin too for making all of this possible. But most of all, I'd like to thank the girl of my wildest dreams, Lilly."
Suddenly Marvin heard a girlish giggle from behind him. He whooshed around. Lilly was right behind him; she must has noticed he'd gone missing from the run and went to find them. "Oh dear." Marvin groaned, his cheeks blushing purple and his eyes glowing red with embarrassment.
"Don't be embarrassed." Said Lilly.
"I-I-I- di-di…didn't know you were th-there." Marvin stuttered
"I liked being mentioned in your speech."
"You did?"
"Of course. Want to take a walk?" Asked Lilly holding out her hand. Marvin accepted and walked with Lilly through the snow. "I enjoy being your friend Marvin."
"You're the only kid who does not mind being seen with me." Marvin sadly admitted.
"I don't care what those other jerks think."
"What about my, you know?"
"I think your eyes are wonderful, they're unique, just like you."
"I never thought of them my way. I don't know if it was real or a dream, but I remember my father's friends calling them demon when I was little."
"Well that's not true, they're wonderful." Lilly then looked up and noticed the two of them were under a tree growing mistletoe. Her heart started to race with excitement, but also slightly with fear. "Marvin, look we're under mistletoe." She exclaimed pointing up as Marvin's eyes followed. "You know what that means? You're supposed to kiss me!" She squealed.
Lilly approached Marvin as he stood still in disbelief, part of him excited, but part of him nervous. He closed his eyes and just waited for it, ready to go with the moment until a horrible and all too familiar voice called from a short distance.
"Hey whaths going on here?" It lisped. It was Daffy in the distance wearing a home-made Santa suit. "I think a certain two martians are going on my naughty list." He spat as he approached the pair.
"I hope you don't mean yourself." Lilly said back.
"We were just talking." Marvin added, sticking up for himself.
"No need to be jealous Daf, we're just friends." Lilly mocked.
"Why would I be jealous of Marvin the red-eyed reject?" Daffy asked angrily, causing Marvin's eyes to glow red with fury.
"He's not a reject!" Lilly snapped back.
"You just keep thinking that Lilly!" Daffy retaliated, getting into Lilly's face, causing Marvin to nervously stagger back.
"Daffy!" Called a gentle, female voice in the distance.
"Coming mother." Daffy sweetly replied back. "You got lucky this time martians!" Daffy hissed before running into the direction of the voice.
"What a meanie." Commented Lilly when Daffy was out of ear shot.
"Yeah he makes me angry." Agreed Marvin.
"Well, I better go, my parents will be looking for me. See you Marvin." Lilly waved as she went in the opposite direction of Marvin.
Marvin watched her go off into the distance, silently wishing she would look back at him one last time, which she did, giving him a wave. Marvin smiled and waved back and gave himself a secret "yes" whilst punching the air when Lilly turned around.
He then heard his mother calling his name. He ran straight to her and she walked him home. She then gave Marvin a red ozonize with reindeers on it ironed and warm and then put him to bed once he had it on. Tyranhee then read him a Christmas story, handed her son a large chocolate coin and his flask filled with alcohol-free eggnog, turned on his night light and left him alone to fall asleep.
Marvin toddled out of his bed one last time and stood on a small stool to get to his bed room window. He opened his black astronaut curtains slightly to see if he could see his father flying in the sky. He was greeted to nothing but stars, he smiled as the beautiful painting above him and then slid back into his bed and under the covers. He drank his eggnog and allowed his chocolate coin to melt in his mouth before falling asleep with his teddy bear in his arms.