Mace went into the commissary and found some more Hothan salt, the second to last ingredient needed to complete the potion.
"Okay, now." Mace began sprinkling the salt very carefully. "Got to be very precise to get this potion just right. My present to the galaxy, a world without Life Day."
"Doesn't sound like a good present if you ask me." said a new voice.
Mace looked around again. He didn't see a spirit anywhere. At first, he thought he must have just imagined it. But then he spotted a big box in the room. A red and white candy-striped box with a big green bow on it, and a card that said, To: Master Scrooge, the most important gift is the present.
"What?" Mace was perplexed.
Curious, he pulled on the ribbon and took off the lid, and out sprung a green alicorn with curly hair and dressed in red with a crown made of a wreath and jingly bells on it.
"Merry Life Day!" Comedia cheered.
"Who are you supposed to be?" Mace said, looking around. "Agh! Just look at this mess you've made!"
"Lighten up, I'm just spreading some Life Day cheer. Presents are one thing that everyone looks forward to every year."
"And that's just the problem. Presents are more than just things you buy on sale at the market or make a list of."
"What do you mean?"
Comedia wrapped a rope of garland around Mace and flew him out into town, where there were people having a great time at their various holiday parties with family and friends, giving each other all kinds of great gifts. A wrapped box with a fun surprise inside, candy canes, a card with a specially written message, or something as simple as a rock with a happy face painted on it or a big teddy bear hug. The scent of sweet holiday treats acooking, the laughter of children, and the harmonious sound of people singing carols, everyone having a smile up on their face.
Comedia:
Take a look at everything around you
All the smells that surely will astound you,
Open up your heart, it will surround you!
In the magic of this Life Day Eve
The little things that make it better
Little children spreading cheer
Give a toy, a hug, a sweater
Memories that last all year
Memoria took Mace all around and showed everyone gifting each other something special, making each other so happy. Sometimes it was a big gift, sometimes it was small. But no matter what its size, everyone seemed to have their hearts warmed up with flames of love. Even a simple origami swan or a flower was enough to make someone smile this Life Day Eve.
The present's always filled with presents
Large, medium, and small
Sometimes the most important things
Aren't very big at all
Comedia stopped to join Dance Step in a tap routine.
Looking around the party, Mace began to see a lot of people having a lot of fun like he used to with other people when he was younger, before he lost his holiday spirit.
What a party, there's so much to see here
Can't believe you didn't want to be here
You'd have had a blast, I guarantee here
This is the spirit of this Life Day Eve
Cider's flowing, this is living
Come on and feel the beat
Life is better when you're giving
Each time you do it feels so sweet
Comedia stood on her back legs and got Mace to join her in a little dance. And she showed him the homes of many Jedi who'd left the order to start families of their own, and just like Comedia said, they gave each other presents of all sizes, and all of them looked so happy too.
The present's always filled with presents
So come on, open your eyes
Spend time with ponies just like you
And watch your spirits rise
Comedia presented Mace with a box, and when he lifted the lid off, Comedia burst out with mistletoe hanging from her horn, and she licked Mace's cheek.
The present's always filled with presents
Take a look around
The reason for the holiday
Is quite easily found
Yes, the reason for the holiday
Is quite easily found
And the reason is to be with your friends!
And confetti burst everywhere.
"There are lots of kinds of presents to give." Comedia said. "Fun presents, pretty presents, even yummy presents. But the best present of all is the time you have with people you love. Unlike any object, you can't buy your family or friends at a store. And believe me, I've met kids who wished they could exchange the most annoying siblings for another sibling like they're damaged goods."
"I did have a woman once." said Mace. "But I doubt she'd want me now even if she isn't married."
Comedia brought Mace to one house, which happened to be the home of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his wife Satine's family. Satine and her sister Bo-Katan were setting the table for dinner while Obi-Wan was helping the children Korkie and Olivia finish decorating the tree.
"Careful now, Olivia." Obi-Wan said, holding his little daughter up as she placed another ornament on the tree.
"I told him inviting that Scrooge was a waste of time," said Bo. "But nooo."
"Sister, please." Satine said. "Obi-Wan was merely trying to spread Life Day spirit. But I do agree, it appears asking was useless."
"That man doesn't have a kind bone in his body." Korkie said. "If it were up to him, none of us would have Life Day at all!"
Mace couldn't believe what Obi-Wan's family was saying about him. All such awful things about him.
"Well, he's right about one thing." Mace said. "The world will be without Life Day soon enough."
"And how is that a present to anyone?" Comedia asked. "Look at these people. They all came together tonight, worked hard to make this dinner possible, and are sharing thanks for peace in the galaxy and wishes for good days ahead."
Mace looked at the family as they sat together at dinner and said thanks for their many blessings. They had a lovely home, enough to eat, a safe and warm place to sleep, and most importantly, they had each other. Their family looked small, but it was wealthy in love. Something Mace never had.
But that wasn't the only home Comedia had to show Mace.
Comedia brought Mace to another house. An apartment somewhere in the city. Not the nicest one though.
"What's this place?" Mace asked.
"This is the home of your underappreciated, underpaid former fellow Jedi Anakin Cratchit." Comedia explained.
And that was when Anakin arrived and entered the house, where inside was his wife Padme, and their three children Boba, Omega, and the youngest child Gabriella.
"Happy Life Day, everyone." Anakin greeted.
"Dad!/Daddy!" The children exclaimed, running to greet their father.
"Alright, kids. Give Daddy some space." Padme said, the woman looking like she was very pregnant. "Lady with a baby coming through."
Padme and Anakin shared a kiss with each other.
"You're back early from the Temple, Ani." Padme said.
The look on Anakin's face didn't signal that anything good happened.
"I'm afraid I'm back for good now. And not for a good reason." Anakin said.
Anakin told everyone about how he left the order, finally having had enough of Mace's lack of holiday spirit, and deciding to use the money that was supposed to go into giving the younglings toys into giving the Temple facilities that would likely never get used due to the number of Jedi leaving as soon as they were old enough to live on their own.
"Ugh! That Master Scrooge!" Padme said angrily. "If I could have him here and now, I'd really give that man a piece of my mind!"
"Does he have any idea what the rest of us go through every day?" Boba said. "Or how bad it is that Dad gets paid so badly he's had to starve himself to be able to feed us?"
"It's just not fair!" Omega said. "Why does he hate the holidays so much? Aren't Jedi supposed to be peacekeepers?"
"Yes, Omega. They are." Anakin said. "Sadly, Master Scrooge has forgotten what it means to truly have peace, and he doesn't understand what it means to have a family either."
Mace was surprised to see that the Cratchits were very poor too. The children's clothes looked like old rags from a thrift store or garbage bins, their Life Day tree was a little house plant with barely any ribbons on it, and their dinner didn't look very lavish either. All they had was canned soup cooked over an open fire. But, Padme mixed in some spices to give it a little more flavor.
"Is this really all we have to eat?" Boba said.
Padme sighed sadly. "I'm afraid so, Baby. It was all we could afford this year."
Omega took a whiff of the soup.
"It still smells delicious though, and at least none of us will starve tonight." She said.
"Life Day isn't about big fancy dinners, anyway." Gabby said. "It's about family, sharing and caring."
Boba gave a sad smile and said, "I'm sorry I was being ungrateful, Mom."
"It's okay, Boba. I do see what you mean, though. Some of the more fortunate folks could stand to be a little more generous to those with less."
That was when a knock came at the door.
"I'll get it!" Omega said, going to the door with Anakin.
Anakin and Omega answered the door, and in came a face familiar to Mace.
"Brenda!" Mace gasped.
"Happy Life Day, Cratchits." Brenda smiled. To make the visit sweeter, she was carrying a pie that looked and smelled delicious.
"Brenda, good to see you." Anakin smiled. "Happy Life Day."
And Brenda wasn't alone either. In with Brenda came a young girl who looked about fourteen years old. She looked a lot like Brenda, but shorter, her hair in two pigtails, and eyes like Mace.
"Happy Life Day to you too, Myra." Anakin said.
"Happy Life Day, Uncle Anakin." said Myra, hugging Anakin.
"Brenda did get married, didn't she?" Mace sighed sadly.
"Not exactly." said Comedia, shaking her head. "How long ago did you and Brenda break up?"
Mace thought back to that day, and he calculated the time in his head and remembered just before he broke up with Brenda, they had a really romantic night together when things got a lot hotter than could be said.
"I have a daughter?!" Mace gasped.
"Yes! You do." Comedia said.
"But- But, why didn't Brenda ever tell me?"
"She tried to tell you." Comedia looked angry at Mace this time. "but you dumped her before she even had the chance to tell you she was pregnant. What males you think she would tell you later, especially after you decided to put money into sprucing the temple instead of making the children's Life Day happy as it was intended?
"The pie smells yummy, Aunt Brenda." Gabby said, the little girl coughing.
"Oh, Gabby!" Anakin said, worriedly picking up his youngest child and wrapping her in a blanket.
"What's wrong with the little one?" Mace asked.
"She's been sick for a long time." Comedia said. "Treatment is expensive these days. Cratchit gave up so much to be able to pay for her treatment. He and the rest of the family had to sell everything they had. Their old house, all of Mrs. Cratchit's family heirlooms, even the twins sold their toys to be able to pay for their sister's treatment. But still, the illness persists. Brenda proved herself a very strong woman too. On top of being a single mom raising her daughter all by herself, she started her own business and a non-profit organization to help needy families. And this is a family she helps personally because she knows for a fact you would never have helped this family in the spirit of Life Day."
"But... but if she's sick... I would've...!" Mace stammered.
Comedia shook her head sadly.
"It's sad, isn't it? And even if you weren't erasing thing holiday, if things don't change, I'm sad to say it'll be little Gabriella's last Life Day ever..."
Ever... ever... ever...
Comedia's last word echoed as she disappeared into a cloud of gray and white fog.
"Spirit! Wait!" Mace begged. "Don't go! What's gonna happen to Gabriella?!"
Featured song:
Pinkie's Present from My Little Pony FIM