Preface: Happy holidays, everyone! I hope whichever one you celebrate, it's safe and full of family, fun, and food. This one-shot is a little quickie I cooked up for the season, set between my Halloween one-shot Raid on Halloween and Freedom Pack, so let's get right into it!

The Perfect Gift

[Character Selected: Spawny]
[Current World: Minecraftia]
[Current Location: Public World, Maniacs' House]

[BGM: Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus is Comin' to Town]

Snowflakes fluttered past the window, nearing the end of their long downward journey. Some got stuck against the glass, others successfully touched the ground. In the real world, kids everywhere would be waking up to see that first magical touch of cold of the season.

And in this particular Minecraft world, a young rabborg was doing just that.

"(Ooo…)" said Spawny, almost in a trance as he watched the snowfall. "(This first day of winter…and only four days until Christmas.)" The second part of that line seemed a little more bitter, as Spawny was more apprehensive about the holiday. On the one hand, like any kid, he enjoyed the thrill of waking up early, opening his presents with his friends, seeing everyone else open theirs, and all the other fun that came with this time of year.

"(It is quite beautiful, right?)" Spawny heard his sister say. That was the other hand - he could never figure out what to get Spawnette. How does one gift a princess, and a rather grateful one, after all?

"(Yeah…)" said Spawny, delighted by the sight. "(As soon as Danny, Liam, and Kevin come, I'm gonna race outside and make a bunch of snowballs!)" Just then, an oink sounded across the room as Pork Chop marched in, carrying the mail on his back.

"(Oh, why thank you, Pork Chop,)" Spawnette politely said as she took the mail. Through bills, magazines, and advertisements, she found something that caught her eye: an envelope with a paw icon on it. "(Oh, again?)" she thought aloud, putting the rest of the mail on a table to hold the book in both hands. Based on past events, this envelope was an invitation to a big event in another dimension.

"(We must be pretty popular,)" Spawny said with a chuckle. "(Why else do we get invited to all these cool parties and stuff?)"

"Did someone say 'party'?" a new voice chimed in. To his left, three cubic, humanoid figures that Spawny knew too well appeared. "I'm down for another party!" said Liam, finishing his initial thought.

"(Well, we don't know if it's a party invitation,)" said Spawny as Kevin was handed the book. "(We just got it in the mail.)" Kevin nodded, opened the envelope, and read the letter it contained aloud:

"Dear Danny, Liam, and Kevin,

I cordially invite you to a special holiday celebration today in Whisker Haven. There shall be refreshments, games, gift-giving, and holiday movie showcases. Your friends from Mobius will be there as well. As with my invitation to our celebration of Sonic's birthday last year, please toss this letter on the ground to open the portal to Whisker Haven if you wish to attend.

Sincerely,

Ms. Featherbon"

"Whoa, Whisker Haven!" said Danny, hearing the familiar name. "We haven't been there in forever!"

"Whaddya say, guys?" asked Liam. "Wanna cut back for a little while?"

"Why not?" said Kevin. "We've been working on the Cave of Experts for a while. We deserve a break."

"(Throw the letter! Throw the letter!)" shouted Spawny, excitement growing. Obliging, Kevin tossed the letter onto the ground. Just like with the birthday letter, the piece of paper tore to shreds, and in its place, a tear in the fabric of reality appeared, leading the way to a rather bright and colorful palace. "(Yay!)" shouted the rabborg, running through.

"Well, somebody's excited," said Liam, laughing. He and the others, accompanied by Pork Chop, eagerly walked through the portal, which closed behind them as they took in their surroundings - Christmas lights hung around the room, adding to the festive vibe. In a corner, a fantastically-decorated Christmas tree was set up, and on a table directly across from it, a menorah and kinara sat on a table for those who celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanza. Paper snowflakes hung from the ceiling, wreaths made the windows extra-decorated, and, of course, a big pile of gifts was present, though marked "DO NOT TOUCH UNTIL THE TIME IS RIGHT!"

"(It's so pretty,)" said Spawny, looking all around the room. Inside, he could tell it was going to be a fantastic party.

A blue hummingbird wearing a Santa hat and red dress in place of her usual garb flew up to the group to greet them. "Season's greetings, Danny, Liam, and Kevin," said Ms. Featherbon, happy to see the Chaosverse heroes again. "It has been quite some time, hasn't it?"

"Certainly," said Danny. "We've been pretty busy in our own world…well, as of late, anyway." He held his hands out. "But this looks great! Like a holiday version of Sonic's party!"

"Ms. Featherbon and I are good party planners," came a new voice. Twirling into the room while wearing a red-and-green tutu, Pumpkin did a lively pirouette to the players. "Hi, Danny! Liam! Kevin! Spawny and Spawnette!"

"(Good to see you again, Pumpkin!)" said Spawny. "(Hey, didn't the invitation say Sonic and his friends will show up?)"

"What can I say? Sometimes I like being fashionably late," came another familiar voice. Stepping out of another portal with his friends from his own world, Sonic the Hedgehog waved to the group. "Long time no see, eh?"

"(Certainly,)" said Spawnette, curtsying. "(I am sure you are just as excited as we are.)"

"Totally!" said Sonic, looking around. "I even made my own mix of holiday specials and movies to show!" His smile seemed to drop a little. "Although, Tails has been kinda apprehensive lately."

"Oh, dear," said Ms. Featherbon. "Has he said why?"

"Nah, he keeps dodging the question," said the hedgehog. "Like me when I started feeling super-guilty over that war."

"Eh, I say he'll tell you when he's ready," said Liam. "For now, we've got a party to enjoy!"

"Of course!" said Ms. Featherbon. "And since everyone seems to be here, I can officially say…let the holiday party commence!"

By the early afternoon, the party was in full swing. Berry's baking, as usual, was the big centerpiece of the refreshment table, holiday games like Pin the Carrot on the Snowman and Indoor Snowball Fight were enjoyed by the patrons of all ages, and projected onto the wall was various classic Christmas specials like Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, interspersed with fifteen minutes of holiday music by everyone from the Jackson 5 to Bruce Springsteen.

[BGM: Tchaikovsky - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker Suite)]

Spawny certainly enjoyed himself out of everyone. His anxiety over what to get Spawnette seemed to vanish as soon as he heard about the party, and it didn't show any signs of coming back. And that excitement continued as he lifted his blindfold to find that he had won another game of Pin the Carrot on the Snowman. "(Yes! Five in a row!)"

Miles "Tails" Prower shook his head. "I just don't get it," he said. "I kept doing the calculations in my head, and I still missed!"

"You don't always need science, y'know," said Treasure the kitten. "Sometimes, you just gotta let your mind take you where you wanna go."

As the showing of Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer ended, Ms. Featherbon came into the middle of the room. "Attention, everyone!" she announced. "If I may have your attention, it is now time for the Secret Santa part of the celebration." She took out a ball of paper slips. "When these enchanted paper slips go into the air, they will travel to the person of their choosing. And you must find a gift to give to the person written on the slip, which will be opened later tonight. Are you ready?" Just about everyone nodded. "Now…go!"

As soon as the hummingbird fairy tossed the ball into the air, it split apart and the slips began traveling through the air. They all fluttered this way and that, traveling to whoever they deemed was best for them. Amy Rose got Petite. Sultan got Ray. Danny got Kevin. Sonic got Liam. But as for Spawny, when he saw the name on the slip that came to him, his heart just about dropped.

"(Oh, no…)" he groaned. "(I got Spawnette!)"

"And I got Sonic!" said Tails, similarly worried.

"Now that you all have assigned Santas," Ms. Featherbon continued, "the gift-grabbing can begin! You can take them from the big pile or make your own at the craft table. Now, go and get the best gi-whooooooaaaaa!" The bird was essentially trampled as everyone dashed to the gift pile to grab the first ones they came across.

"(Whaaa!)" cried Spawny. He ran to the pile in an attempt to grab a present, Tails following behind him with his namesakes. But with all the people grabbing the boxes in excitement, Spawny found that he was too slow to get any, even with Sonic not using his signature super-speed to make the competition a little more fair. Tails found similar trouble, feeling he was almost buried under the pile.

Before long, the pile was no more. "(Awww…phooey!)" cried Spawny, sitting down on the floor. "(Now I've got nothing to give to my sis…)"

"And I don't have anything for Sonic!" said Tails. "I was worried about this. Sonic's the coolest guy I know, so I can't just give him any old thing! It has to be special!"

Spawny nodded. "(Now you know how I feel each year,)" said the rabborg. "(My sis practically has everything she really needs. What do I have to give her that can really show how much she means to me?)"

Hearing the conversation, Treasure walked over. "You scallywags," she said, teasingly, "sounds like you forgot the true meaning of Christmas!"

"Oh, no way," Tails protested. "I've seen enough annual specials commercializing Christmas to know that whole 'better to give than to get' mumbo-jumbo." He turned to Sonic, chatting with Berry over her confectioneries. "But how do you give the most famous hedgehog in the world something that really makes him feel special?"

Treasure smiled. "Remember what I said about Pin the Carrot on the Snowman?" she said. "Sometimes, you just gotta let your mind take you where you wanna go." She motioned for the two to follow her to the craft table. "Now come on, go and make something here!"

Reluctantly, the cyborg rabbit and two-tailed fox sat at the table. "You sure about this?" said Tails, and Treasure gave a sure nod. "Okay…let's give it our all."

Spawny nodded. "(Let's do it.)" Anyone watching the two after that just couldn't take them away from the action. Using whatever coloring utensils there were, Tails used his wide, scientific mind to come up with a drawing to give to Sonic. Meanwhile, Spawny used some scissors to create a special paper doll for his sister.

Some time had passed, and the two put down their supplies. "(Done?)" Spawny asked his partner.

[BGM: Winter in Whisker Haven BGM}

"Think so," said Tails. "Let's take a look…" The two held up their creations to inspect it. Despite mainly being made out of crayons and colored pencils, Tails' drawing was a rather impressive picture of him and Sonic triumphantly standing on top of a defeated Dr. Eggman. As for Spawny's creation, when opened, it made the illusion of him and Spawnette dancing with each other. "Hmm…it looks good, but is it enough?" Tails said, still unsure.

"(I hope so,)" said Spawny. "(I dunno if making another would help. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to-)"

But before the rabborg could finish his thought, Ms. Featherbon gave another announcement. "Attention, everyone! I would like to thank you for such a splenderiffic night!" the fairy said. "But now, it is time for the Secret Santas to give their gifts to everyone. So, get giving!"

Spawny and Tails nervously looked around, seeing everyone unbox their gifts. Danny, Liam, and Kevin were generally pleased with their gifts - Danny got an ugly Santa sweater that gave him a good chuckle, Liam got a box of energy drinks, and Kevin got a journal to write down any invention ideas he came up with. They all look so happy, Spawny thought. All poor sis is getting is this paper doll.

Tails similarly looked around. Mighty and Ray managed to get matching hot spring towels, while Amy got her own little doll of Sonic. And what do I have but this silly drawing, the fox thought. Disappointed, the two threw their creations on the ground and sat down, feeling sorry for themselves.

Seeing the commotion, Sonic and Spawnette headed over to the two. "You alright, little bro?" the hedgehog asked Tails. "You look especially glum."

"(So do you,)" said Spawnette. "(What is wrong?)"

Spawny and Tails eyed each other and sighed. Reluctantly, they picked up their creations and gave them to their siblings (or sibling-like friend, in Tails' case). "Merry Christmas," they mumbled as the receivers took their gifts.

"I'm sorry, Sonic," said Tails as Sonic eyed the picture. "I wanted to give you something great, but I couldn't."

"(Me too, sis,)" Spawny admitted. "(That's why I always give you crummy gifts each year - I can never figure out what to give you.)"

But both receivers just smiled. "No, bud. I love it," said Sonic, picking up Tails and giving him a hug, as Spawnette did the same with Spawny.

"You used the L-word, and giving me a hug?" Tails said. "You must be serious!"

"Of course I am!" said Sonic, putting Tails down. "I'm putting this in a frame! This is probably one of the best presents I've ever received!"

"Even better than your Power Sneakers?"

"Hey, just because Unc made them for me doesn't make them gifts!"

"(What about you, sis?)" said Spawny. "(You really love it?)"

"(Of course I do,)" said Spawnette, nodding. "(Spawny, you'll never have to give me something to show how much you love me. You do that every single day, just by being the bravest person I know.)"

"(You really think I'm brave?)"

"(Admitting you are always nervous is rather brave, isn't it?)" Spawnette looked up and saw a small green plant hanging from the ceiling. Recognizing what it was, she leaned in and kissed Spawny's cheek.

"(Aww…)" said Spawny, smiling bashfully. He turned around and saw the movie that was playing on the screen. "(Hey! A Christmas Story's starting! And I think they're showing Home Alone afterward!)"

"(Ooo, shall we watch?)" said Spawnette. The two walked over to sit by the players, and passed Sonic and Tails sitting together. "(I am glad everything worked out,)" said Spawnette.

"Totally," said Sonic, still holding the drawing in his hands. "I'll be sure to remember this Christmas forever."

The rabborgs sat next to Danny, proudly wearing his sweater. "So, you guys enjoy the gifts you got?" he asked.

"(Especially mine,)" said Spawnette. "(I believe it could truly be the best gift I have ever received.)"

The End

Credits:

Voices:
Damien Laquet - Spawny, Spawnette
Dee Bradley Baker - Pork Chop
Willy Blanq - Liam
Neville Napoleon - Kevin
Alfred von Any - Danny
Anne Halli - Ms. Featherbon
Bailey Gambertoglio - Pumpkin
Issac Ryan Brown - Sonic
Kate Higgins - Tails
Sanai Victoria - Treasure

Music:
Bruce Springsteen
Tchaikovsky
Disney Soundteam

Additional Music:
Ed Sheeren, Elton John - Merry Christmas (Trailer and Credits Music)

Written by: Alfred von Any

Edits by: Jesus von Any

Postface: And there you have it! I decided to write this story for the holiday season, just for fun, as well as to give Spawny a little bit of focus. Plus, I decided it would be fun to have Whisker Haven come back after being absent so far in this batch, plus have Spawny and Tails interact a little. But it was also important for me to not go into that "true meaning of Christmas" bit that most stories use - I'm pretty tired of those. So I decided to make a story that had the characters already be aware of it, but feel they can't live up to it properly. Also, fun fact: Tails' little storyline was inspired by this one fancomic I saw where he gives Sonic a bit of a childish drawing, and Sonic loves it.

That should be it! Please read, review, and share around, and I'll see you all in the new year. Stay diamond and happy holidays, everyone!

-Alfred

~Minecraft and everything related to it are properties of Mojang Studios and Xbox Game Studios. The Palace Pets and everything related to them are properties of The Walt Disney Co. Sonic the Hedgehog and everything related to him are properties of Sega Corp. No copyright infringement with any of these companies nor financial gain was intended in the making of this story. Any resemblance to real-world people or events are either coincidental or done fictitiously.~