Hey guys! Here's where our stars celebrate Christmas Eve. :D
So, I do NOT own Ben 10, Star Wars, Winx Club, Johnny Test, Xiaolin Showdown, W.i.t.c.h., or any other cartoons and such involved in this story. They are owned by their respective owners. I ONLY own the plot and my OCs' so please enjoy.
Ch 4. Christmas Eve
I looked inside the store's window display as it played "Welcome Christmas" inside. There were tons of red, golden, and silver tinsel hanging over along the window and ceiling. Tons of figures were moving like snowman, reindeer, elves and Christmas lights were illuminating the scene. In the center, the Nutcracker prince and a ballerina were dancing together and as he twirled her around, I gazed more and smiled sadly at the beautiful sight. It made me want to cry again.
I was still troubled at Anakin not coming today, or tomorrow for that matter, and I tried to shove it behind. But I couldn't. His hold over my mind was overbearing, I couldn't stay here any longer. All I see are happy smiles and faces; it made me want to hid in the shadows and not come out again.
RING! RING!
I jumped; startled when I realized it was my phone in my jacket pocket. I answered on the fifth ring. "Hello?"
"Hey Ge! It's me, Ben. Where are you?"
"Eh, I'm just looking at some window display, nothing much. What do you need?"
"Well, I need you to come to the base, right now." The base?
"Why? Is something wrong?"
"Well, you won't know until you find out. Now, hurry up."
"Okay, okay, I'm going! I'll be there in a few." I hung up and started making my way there, away from the pretty display. I just wish I knew what was going on…
Omi was waiting patiently for the timer to DING! He just wished it would do it already, for the last thirty minutes and so.
DING!
"Ah! At last! They are done!" Omi put on the oven mitts and he opened the oven, seeing golden well-baked cookies ready to be served. Omi jumped for joy before he pulled the tray out and he put them on the table before he closed the oven. At the same time, Kimiko came in with Dojo when she saw the cookie-filled tray. "Hey Omi, are those cookies?"
"Yes, they are Kimiko. They are for Santa Claus." Unknown to them both, Dojo slithered up to the tray, eyes hungry for some cookies. "Ah! I see you want to set up some cookies and milk for the big guy, aren't you?" Omi nodded, pleased with it, "Ah, of course so, Kimiko! Why, I am about to pour the glass of milk right now-DOJO!" Kimiko looked and gaped when they both saw this: Dojo's mouth was stuffed with Omi's freshly-baked cookies.
"DOJO! THOSE COOKIES WERE FOR THE SANTA CLAUS! YOU SPIT THEM OUT RIGHT NOW, YOU SNEAKY LIZARD!" Omi yelled, charging and tackling Dojo down to the floor and they both rolled away, screaming and arguing when they crashed into Raimundo and Clay who just came in the kitchen.
"Oops! My apologies, my friends. Not you, Dojo!" Dojo gulped as the four warriors stared at him seriously. "Um, sorry?"
I walked up the pathway to our HQ, the chilly wind blowing at me and I finally made it inside. "Okay Ben. I'm here. Now, what's wrong...now." My breath was taken away. Why? Well, because of this...
In the center of the living room was a big, tall pine tree covered in tinsel of Christmas colors, ornaments like angels and snowflakes and mini presents, and the Test siblings were still decorating it, with Dukey eyeing the newly-wrapped presents under the tree, and so was Johnny from time to time.
The W.i.t.c.h. girls, in their guardian forms, were covering the walls, ceiling, and other bare spots in the base with green tinsel decked with red leaves and berries with matching ribbons, tinsel with lights that sparkled along the tops of the wall. They were laughing when Irma 'accidentally' dropped a box of tinsel on Cornelia. "UGH! IRMA! GET BACK HERE!" Irma mocked laughed at the blonde, flying away from her while Will used some spare magic dust from Stella to make a chandelier to appear on the ceiling, sparkling pearl white.
The Winx girls, along with the Xiaolin team, baked some extra Christmas cookies when they were done with the Christmas feast, prepared to eat warm. The other pastries and sweets were on glass serving plates for us to dig in off of. Gwen and Kevin were preparing the dining room for dinner when they saw and waved at me. I waved back when I heard the front door close behind me. I turned just in time to see Ben up against the door, the cold wind giving him a quick chill. A traditional wreath hanged on the door behind him. He was smirking, like he always does when he knows he did a good job.
"Oh no you didn't." He smirked wider.
"Oh yes I did." He walked up to give me a warm cup of hot chocolate. "So, I believe a big thank-you is in order." I rolled my eyes at him but I still gave him a one arm hug.
"But how did you get the time to do all of this?" He shrugged like it was no big deal.
"Oh, it wasn't that hard when I have back-up." I knew that he meant he had the others help him shop for all of this...it was too good to be true.
"I-I don't know what to say." He touched my hands while they held my warm cup, making a nice chill run up my spine.
"Hey, I-I heard what went down with Anakin." Well, that would explain some things. "And since Christmas already passed in our worlds, we figured-well, I figured, why not celebrate it again...with you. So, tada! What do you think?" I took a quick look around again before I turned back to him.
"You, Ben Tennyson, are unbelievable."
"I'll take that as a thank-you." I crushed up against him as he hugged me, keeping me from falling down in utter shock...and joy.
I huddled up next to Ben on the couch while the others, except the Winx since they were still preparing, joined us around the fireplace that Will summoned with the last of Stella's magic dust. We were on the couches and the floor when we heard a sound.
BANG!
"What was that?" I asked as I looked out the window to see a big shadow on the snow-covered ground. Wait a minute! Snow? "Guys, is that...snow?"
The gang looked out the windows too and we all smiled at the sight. "Oh yeah! It worked! Let's go, guys!" Raimundo jumped off the couch and grabbed his winter gear. "Hey, wait for me!" Kimiko followed him, with Omi, Clay and Dojo joined them. "Us too!" Pretty soon, all of us were outside, playing in the snow that suddenly appeared. I mean, it wasn't there when I arrived here. Well now, it was snowing and everyone was having fun. And right now, we were having the biggest snowball fight ever!
We were all against one another and there was laughter, screaming at how cold the snow is, and running away from incoming snowballs meant for us. Clay put snow under Raimundo's jacket, causing him to jump and shriek for being so cold. "AY! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Clay, Kimiko and Omi fell over laughing to death while they watched Raimundo running all over the place with snow going down his pants.
Bloom chased Flora and Musa with two magic snowballs in her hands, laughter breaking the air. Tecna and Stella kept firing at Irma and Taranee while they fired back, and Cornelia, Hey-Lin and Will ran away from Johnny and Dukey who had a big, gigantic rolled up snowball coming their way as the two best buds ran right on top of it. Dojo watched from a tree branch, in earmuffs and a scarf, drinking his thermos filled with warm cocoa because he wanted to take a break from the fight.
And me? Gwen and I charged up our balls and we threw them repeatedly at the guys. Kevin hid behind a snowbank and he kept trying to hit us but he was failing. But where is Ben? I hid behind a snow-covered tree when I felt a strange, yet strong chill come up my spine. That's when I got hit on my back and I fell in the snow. I groaned, looking up to see Big Chill becoming tangible before me.
"Hello. Did I startle you?" I raised my brows at him. "Uh, yeah! Especially if you're a ghost."
"Well, technically, Big Chill is not really a ghost, even though he can be intangible, invisible like a ghost."
"Oh, whatever!" He changed back to his regular human self and he helped me back up.
"I want to show you something. Come with me." He pulled me beside him and I grinned, following back into the base. Eventually, we ended up outside on one of the balconies we have. I could see the others still playing in the snow. Bloom was making a snow angel with Stella and Kimiko helped Omi put a hat on top of their snowman. I could see the full moon and the stars at once, their white pure glow making this night seem...pristine.
"So, what did you want to show me?" I looked next to him and he grinned. "This." Then, at that exact moment, something started to fall. Snow.
Tiny, more than millions of snow bits, fell down from the sky. They covered ourselves and the others down below, adding a white perfection to the snow-covered grounds of our base. I gazed all around to see our base get covered in snow as well, but not as much as to cover it completely. That's when I saw something sparkle up above us. It was metal. "What is that?" Ben followed my finger pointing up at it.
"Oh, that. It's a snow machine that Susan and Mary invented last night. Since it doesn't really snow that much in Pocket City, I thought: Why wait for snow when you can make snow? So, tada! What do you think? You like?" I grinned more.
"Do you even have to ask? It's...so pristine. I've actually never seen real snow back home, actually, not in all my life."
"Really?" I nodded, "Yeah. But, this is almost like the real thing." He moved closer to me, his warmth bringing butterflies into my stomach. "So, you like it?"
"It's wonderful! I just...I wish Anakin and the others were here. But I know that there was a slight chance they could come. Still...it's just...not the same way I thought this would be." I could feel him frowning. "But, it's so beautiful! I can't thank you enough for doing all of this to cheer me up." I thumped him in the arm and he grinned, chuckling as he did it back, when I saw something. A snowflake.
"Hey. I bet you never seen a snowflake before, have you?" I shook my head, "Nope!"
"Well, I bet you never caught a snowflake before either, especially with your tongue!" Catching snowflakes...with your tongue? "Here, watch me." He stuck his tongue out just in time as a small snowflake floated down. It landed on his tongue, melting on instant. "See?" I gaped, amazed.
"Here, you try." I nodded and copied what he did. I stuck my tongue out just as another snowflake came down. Once it landed on my tongue, I shivered at how cold it was but it melted and became water, wetting my tongue. "Mmm. That was...nice. Can we do it again?" He nodded eagerly and we kept catching snowflakes for a few more minutes until Gwen called us back down and we were laughing at how much fun we had.
Who knew catching snowflakes with your tongue could be so fun? Well, now I know.
After we all played more in the snow, making snow angels and making snowman, which was my first time doing all of it as well, we went inside to get warm and we started eating our Christmas dinner. There was turkey, salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, buns, even Christmas pudding! It was a nicely-cooked dinner, the best one I've ever had after all the Christmas dinners I've had all my life. After we cleaned up, we all sat around the fireplace, roasting actual chestnuts and marshmallows, enjoying each other's company.
That's when we all started singing to a song we all know...
~Deck the halls with boughs of holly~
~Fa la la la la, la la la la~
~Tis the season to be jolly~
~Fa la la la la, la la la la~
~Don we now our gay apparel~
~Fa la la la la, la la la la~
~Troll the ancient Yule tide carol~
~Fa la la la la, la la la la~
We stopped singing and we all laughed at how we sounded, not too bad but eh, we were still amateurs at the whole singing thing, even me.
I had a feeling the team knew how sad I was, depressed even, but I had no idea they would do all this for me. Being here with them, my good friends I'm proud to call my teammates, on Christmas Eve, and with someone I'm so happy to call my best friend, sitting right here next to me, it's amazing. Even if Anakin couldn't be here to enjoy this with me, at least I still had them to share it with me. And I couldn't ask for anything else.
"Johnny, what are you doing now?" Dukey noticed Johnny putting something in one of the Christmas tinsels. It was a camera, to catch Santa in the act and to see what else he would get this Christmas.
He froze on the spot. "Um...uh...n-n-nothing." He cleared his throat and pushed Dukey to the stairs, "Uh, come on, boy. Let's get ready for bed! We don't want to be sleepy when morning comes and we have to open our presents." Dukey grew more excited as they went upstairs.
Omi was putting his brand new bash of cookies on a plate with a glass of milk on the table near the un-lit fireplace. "Omi, what are you doing?" He turned to seem Kimiko walking to him.
"Well Kimiko, I am only setting up treat for Santa when he gets here. Bloom said that he loves cookies and milk to eat when he visits houses and puts the presents under their trees."
She nodded, "Ah, I see. Well, come on little guy. We better get ready for bed. The sooner you sleep, the sooner Santa will come." She took Omi's hand and took him upstairs, right before she snatched Dojo away from the table before he could eat Santa's snack too.
"Aw, I just wanted to see what it was, that's all!"
"Sure, you did! Come on, you sneaky dragon!"
Right before I went to bed, I looked out the windows to see a bright big star up high in the night sky. It wasn't snowing anymore since the Test twins turned off the snow machine.
I gazed up and felt totally silly for what I'm about to do. " I cannot believe I'm doing this." I sighed and looked up, praying.
"Starlight, Starbright. First star I see tonight."
"I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I have tonight."
I sighed again and made my wish in a whisper, "I wish...I wish my friends: Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and Anakin could be here with us tomorrow for Christmas."
I saw it glint colorfully for a second but then it went away. I turned back and headed straight for bed, happy that the team would be staying here with me for the night. I just hoped my wish really did come true.
It would be a Christmas miracle.
Back on Hoth, the head honcho of the Separatist base was in cuffs and the rest of the droids were basically just scrap metal. Right now, the troops were bringing the bad guy in one of the Republic cruisers. Turns out there was a machine creating the snow storm to stop them from leaving, but also to test it out so they could use it on other planets, for nefarious purposes (ones I have no idea what they are).
Ahsoka walked up next to her master, as he looked up at the cloudy white sky. "Are you okay?" He looked down, holding his hands in his lap. "No."
While Obi-Wan was talking to Rex on loading the rest of the equipment onto the ships as they preparing for departure, she and Anakin felt like they were the only two people there. "I need to get back, like right now. But if we went at our top speeds, even if we make the jump to lightspeed, it would still be too late. I...I let her down, Snips. I messed up...badly." He hid his face in his hands.
"It's never too late, Master. We could still make it, we could!"
"Oh really? How can you be so sure?" She bent down in front of him and pried his hands away and looked up at his face. "Because I have hope. And that's what you need right now the most."
Suddenly, as if by chance at the right moment, a pure white glow appeared. "Uh Ahsoka? What the heck is that?!" She looked back and saw the light too.
"Uh, I don't know. Master Kenobi? Rex? Anyone?!" But no one could hear them.
Then, the glow came at them at break-neck speed and covered them, blinding them. They both covered their eyes when the glow covered the whole area, capturing them all, when it died...leaving nothing but a trace.
I wonder what that glow was on Hoth? Could it be because of the wish? Hmmm, maybe...
So, what do you think of this part? The last one will be up right away, hopefully on Christmas Day. Let me know what you think of this chapter, REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW me and this story, and I will be back with Ch 5, the finale!
Happy Holidays and have a great Christmas Eve! Bye guys! ;)