Chapter 38 (Christmas Special)

*Mantis vs La Calavera vs Black Swan vs Kyoko Natsumi*

Four wrestlers stood in the holiday-themed squared circle: Mantis, La Calavera, Black Swan, and Kyoko Natsumi. They stood in different corners looking at the large Christmas tree in the center of the ring. It was covered with lights and ornaments, and it stood about 15 feet tall. Sayuri Rogue stood at the base of the tree holding up an attachable Christmas star.

"This fatal four-way match is what I call a Christmas Star match. It's like a ladder match, but in reverse. Whoever takes this star, climbs up to the top of the tree, and places it around the top wins. Try not to break it, or it will be ruled no-contest. Are you girls ready?" All four girls nodded while their boss placed the star at the ring floor. "Then begin!"

DING-DING!

Sayuri left the ring while the four girls circled the tree for the star. Black Swan was the first to grab it, but La Calavera dropkicked her making her drop the star. She caught it, but so did Kyoko Natsumi at the same time. They wrestled for control of it until Mantis got between them and knocked them both back with a split kick. She caught the star they dropped and started climbing the tree.

Mantis had just started to climb the tree, when suddenly, Black Swan grabbed her ankle and pulled her down dropping her back to the mat. She took the star and leaped up. La Calavera got back up and climbed up the tree from somewhere else. She caught up with Black Swan and planted her feet on a strong branch. She balanced herself before grabbing her arm. She pulled her in for a lariat which sent the star to another branch. Black Swan fell down, but grabbed a branch before hitting the mat.

Kyoko Natsumi had a similar idea to La Calavera's. She climbed up the branches to intercept the luchadora. La Calavera tried to punch her, but her attack was blocked by Kyoko's muscular arms. The kabuki bent herself backwards and kicked La Calavera back. The Spanish fell onto another branch.

Kyoko picked up the star, but she was struck with a surprise kick from Mantis who hung on a branch above. Kyoko was caught by surprise, but she stood her ground. Her martial arts rival continued to barrage her with kicks to knock the painted woman off. Eventually, though, Kyoko grabbed Mantis' legs and threw her off. The bug-themed martial artist fell back onto the mat.

Kyoko managed to pick up the star, but immediately after, Black Swan leaped out of nowhere and wrapped her legs around the kabuki's head. She dropped down and threw Kyoko with a high Frankensteiner. The star fell to the mat and it started to crack. Black Swan didn't want that. So with Kyoko nearly unconscious from the throw, she went to get it. That's when she was intercepted by La Calavera.

"Feliz Navidad, birdbrain!" La Calavera shouted as she ran to the ropes. She jumped off of them and headed back to Black Swan. She connected with a strong kick that sent the black masked wrestler down.

Feeling confident, La Calavera picked up the star and climbed up the tree with surprisingly no resistance. She was within arm's length of the top. She raised the star to place it on. Then, at the last second, Mantis appeared in front of her in the blink of an eye literally. The luchadora just blinked and there she was. She was so surprised, that it left her open to Mantis' double-footed kick that sent her not just off of the tree, but out of the ring. She landed ringside while Mantis caught the star. With her three opponents still down, nothing stopped her from hooking the star on top of the tree.

DING-DING!

"And that's the match, ladies and gentlemen!" Sayuri announced when Mantis jumped off the tree and landed right next to her. "Mantis is the winner! I'll be honest: I bet Ryuji that La Calavera would win. Hehe. Anyway, the match is done and Mantis has just nominated herself as a potential MVP. See you in a few hours. Now, onto the next match!"

*Clementine Cirrus vs N-Bomb*

The buff cowgirl and the super-obese woman stood near the center of the ring. At the top of each corner post, there were bells handing above them. Sayuri Rogue entered the ring and tied a single rope to Clementine and N-Bomb's wrists.

"This is what I call a Jingle Bell Strap Match! It's like a regular strap match, but with a special bit! As you can see, a bell is hanging above each corner post! There is only one way to win this match: all four bells must be rung! Are there any questions? …No? Then let's get started!"

DING-DING!

Clementine ran to get an early start on the bells. Unfortunately, despite her size, N-Bomb planted her feet and prevented the cowgirl from getting near the corner. N-Bomb grabbed the rope and pulled her opponent in. She grabbed her and dropped her in a belly-to-belly suplex.

N-Bomb lifted Clementine from the ground and hit her with a shocking headbutt, then another, then one last more before punching her across the face. Clementine fell, but she was caught by N-Bomb who hung her over her shoulder. N-Bomb proceeded to walk over to the corner and ring the first bell earning her the first point. Unfortunately, Clementine discovered where she was and swung her foot back ringing the same bell earning her a point too.

"Hey!" N-Bomb shouted. "You don't get to do that!"

N-Bomb jumped and landed on her butt which wretched Clementine's gut over her shoulder. She obese wrestler let her go and let her fall onto the mat. She got up and turned to the second corner. But before she could reach it, Clementine opened her eyes and quickly grabbed N-Bomb's ankle. She used her leg to stand back up and jump up at her delivering a sleeper hold.

"Yee-haw!" Clementine declared as if she's riding a mechanical bull. "Get along, not-so-little doggy!"

N-Bomb dropped to her knee trying to get Clementine to let go. She did, but of her own choice, because she raised up her fists before dropping them to her back knocking her to the ground. Clementine reached the second corner and rang the bell. She was now halfway done.

Clementine turned to head to the third corner. She was reaching out to ring the bell, but she couldn't. The rope was just stretched out as far as it could. Clementine grunted as she went to drag N-Bomb just a little closer. Unfortunately, N-Bomb got he drop on her by quickly scooping her up and dropping her back down. N-Bomb was just close enough to ring the bell Clementine was getting to. She was also close enough to ring the second bell the cowgirl rang.

"Just one bell left." N-Bomb said. "But first…" She lifted Clementine to a sitting position and used the rope they had to choke her. "I'm about to knock you out until New Years."

Clementine choked as she struggled to breathe. She quickly turned herself left and right to loosen the hold. After a minute, Clementine broke out by grabbing N-Bomb and tripping over backwards. N-Bomb felt the impact, but Clementine used her opponent's giant stomach as a pillow. She then rolled backwards over her to get the bell she missed earlier. It was only one bell left for either one of them.

Clementine grabbed N-Bomb's arms to drag her to the last ring, but the obese wrestler kicked her away and stood back up. The two of them clashed together in a test of strength, their hands gripping each other trying to gain ground; Clementine's buff cowgirl physique against N-Bomb's super heavy girth. The two of them exchanged headbutts to try and gain the advantage, but it was getting difficult for either to.

In the end, Clementine won the test by tossing N-Bomb into the corner. N-Bomb fell to a seated position while Clementine slowly got to the center of the ring as far as the rope would allow. She turned around and, using the rope as a slingshot, launched herself to N-Bomb dropping on her with her signature bronco buster. She bounced for a bit before resting on N-Bomb's exhausted body. She still sat on top of her when she rang her final bell.

DING-DING!

Sayuri entered the ring and untied Clementine and N-Bomb's wrists. She raised Clementine's hand up while the ringside staff put the ugly sweater on N-Bomb. This one clearly took a long time to sew.

"Here is your winner, Clementine Cirrus! N-Bomb certainly wasn't shy about throwing her weight around, but this high-spirited midwestern rung both the ring's bells and N-Bomb's in the end! I will see you later, Clem! And now, for our main event!"

*Jasper Jones vs Freya vs Midnight vs Neko Girl vs Sam Hamilton*

This final match didn't take place in a ring. Six wrestlers stood at the Christmas tree in the hub of the mall. Sayuri Rogue stood in between these six and presented them all as well as the match.

"Welcome, Jasper Jones, Freya, Midnight, Neko Girl, and Sam Hamilton, to the final match of the Christmas Special! I give you all… THE HOLIDAY SALE RUSH! The rules are as follows! Somewhere in this mall, there is a present with a Xtrema World Championship belt replica inside The other ninety-nine presents have random stuff you can use however you'd like or just leave it if you think they're useless! I will wait at a cash register! Whoever finds the belt and purchases it where I am first wins! Any questions?"

"Just one." Sam asked as she presented her skimpy elf costume. "Can we take the belt from whoever finds it?"

"Yes! After the gift is unwrapped, the other wrestlers are free to take it! But that all ends once the transaction is complete! NOW, BEGIN!"

DING-DING!

Neko Girl kicked Midnight in the stomach and ran up the escalator. The rest of the girls ran off in different directions. Each of them found red presents wherever they went and they started to rummage through.

At the perfume department, Sam found two presents; one between a couple of aisles and one at the back. She found a teddy bear and plastic jar of silly putty, but no belt. Freya checked the hardware store and found only one present under shelves of electric drills, but instead of a belt, she only found a wooden baseball bat. She kept it on her in case she would need it. Neko Girl found fresh socks in the convenience store. Midnight found pepper spray in the liquor store that she kept along with a model train set.

Jasper Jones made it to the toy store that was set up like a carnival. She groaned. "How am I supposed to…" Her eyes darted to the Christmas tree display at the corner with a bunch of fake presents. She noticed one of them was red which raised her suspicion. "I suppose the best place to hide is in plain sight."

Jasper knelt to the red present and removed its top. She smiled when she saw the belt replica sitting there. She prided herself for finding it and picked it up. Unfortunately, as soon as she picked it up, she released a pressure plate that was weighed down by the belt. As soon as the took out the belt, an alarm sounded that echoed across the mall. The other wrestlers heard it and followed the sound to the toy store.

Sayuri took a sip of hot chocolate as she explained. "Yeah, I rigged it to alarm after someone picked up the belt. That way, no one can try to sneak it to me without a fight."

Jasper quickly ran across the hall with the belt in her hands. She turned to the corner only to find Midnight standing there waiting for her. Before Jasper had time to react, Midnight raised the pepper spray she found and shot it right at her face. Jasper yelled and covered her face, which gave Midnight the time she needed to hit her head with the model train set she found before connecting with the Darkest Hour. The vampire took the belt and rode the escalator downstairs.

As soon as Midnight found herself on ground level, she was tackled by Sam Hamilton, who made her drop the belt. The two of them struggled to gain the upper hand on the floor while Neko Girl snuck past them, swipe the replica, and run off with it.

"Hehe. Idiots." Neko Girl said. She eventually found the cash register where Sayuri Rogue was, but Freya stood in her way with the baseball bat. "Oh, crap."

"Language, young lady." Freya warned. "Now, unless you want a spanking, hand over that belt."

Of course, Neko Girl was nervous. But she wasn't about to let Freya know it. So she put on a confident smile, placed the belt behind her, and confronted the Arctic giantess.

"You want the belt, Frosty?" Neko Girl asked as she raised her claws. "Take it!"

"All right." Freya said. "Just remember. You asked for it."

Freya swung her bat, but the cat girl dodged it barely. Neko Girl got behind Freya and raked her claws down her back. Freya winced, but she reached back to grab Neko Girl's wrists. She ran backwards and slammed her to the pillar. Neko Girl felt the impact right when Midnight and Sam Hamilton started racing in. Freya dropped Neko Girl and made a mad dash for the belt on the floor.

Freya, Midnight, and Sam grabbed the belt at the same time and struggled for control. Freya was bigger, so it was clear she was getting the advantage. That's when Midnight reached her face to her and bit her on the neck. Freya yelled in pain and let go of the belt to punch her in the face.

"Bad vampire!" Freya shouted. "No one's allowed to bite me but my wife!"

Freya turned and saw Sam starting to run to the register. Luckily for her, she grabbed her ankle and tripped her. She picked up the belt only for Jasper Jones to appear out of nowhere and jump on Freya's back and apply a sleeper hold. Sam, Midnight, and Neko Girl got up from the ground and tackled Freya grabbing different parts of her body; Midnight grabbing her waist and the others taking her legs.

The four wrestlers tried to take the belt from Freya's hand, but the Arctic woman reached it just outside of their hands. Unfortunately for her, she was in no position to go anywhere. Thankfully, she had a plan. Freya quickly winded the belt back, aimed it, and threw it like a frisbee. It was incredible odds, but miraculously, the belt landed right at the register. Unfortunately for her, the bar code didn't hit the scanner. Sam Hamilton saw her opportunity, pushed Freya on top of the others, and charged to the register. She pushed the belt underneath the scanner and it beeped.

DING-DING!

"Huh. Quick thinking.." Sayuri said getting up. The other four wrestlers were upset at their loss, and even more so when they were given their sweaters. "Congratulations, Sam Hamilton! You just proved yourself the superior Christmas shopper! And as a bonus, you get to keep the belt replica for free! I'll see you on the stage when I announce the MVP of the Christmas Special!"

*MVP*

One hour later, after casting their votes, the crowd surrounded the festive stage with the day's winners on display. Sayuri Rogue stood at the center of the stage with an envelope in her hand.

"Thank you, thank you, and thank you all for your support for this Christmas special! We've had some challenging contests tonight, but it's time for one of these lovely ladies to go home with a free gift of their choosing and a big Christmas paycheck courtesy of yours truly! Now, let's look at our nominees!

"Platinum Mask, you won the standard match! Your opponent, the Skunk, is known for humiliating her opponents, but you certainly got the last laugh! Freia Kagami, it's no secret that you've totally decimated Kaito Marx during your mistletoe match! And then, you wish for your MVP gift to have him for the night! I have no judgements! Queen Bee, you've sent Mercy packing in the Miracle on 34th Street Fight and shown why you are the ace of Xtrema! Scarlette, not only did you defeat Mewlie without cheating, but you did so while she was cheating! Not to mention, you gave a pretty inspiring Christmas speech! Carly X and Thunder Mana, the two of you became the winners after taking Team Spirit's flag and claiming it! I wish the two of you could be MVP, but unfortunately, the honor only goes to one! Mantis, against high flyers and martial artists, you came out on top, literally, and placed the star on! Clementine, despite having the girth disadvantage, N-Bomb came up short one bell when you completed your set! Lastly, Sam Hamilton, you had four wrestlers racing against you in the Holiday Sale Rush, but with your quick thinking, you managed to outwit your opponents, complete the sale, and win the main event!

"The results are in! Every holiday and Xtrema fan casted their votes and I am about to announce them!" Sayuri opened the envelope and read the paper inside. "In third place… Freia Kagami!" The visitor groaned in disappointment. "In second place… Queen Bee!" The ace didn't mind as she knew Kaito was safe. "And in first place… SCARLETTE!"

"What?" the red masked wrestler asked.

"You certainly won the crowd over! Congratulations! You are this Christmas Special's MVP! Now, before we do anything else, tell me, what would you like for Christmas?"

Scarlette thought for a moment. She was surprised, and she smiled as she knew what to ask for. She leaned in and whispered into Sayuri's ear. The CEO smiled.

"I think we can arrange that! Thank you, ladies and gentlemen! Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!"

Scarlette refused to tell the rest of the locker room what she asked Sayuri for. No one did figure it out. However, on Christmas Day, a boy named Jason Mancini got a mysterious package from Xtrema. Inside the large box he received, he found one of every type of merchandise in Xtrema signed by a different wrestler. It was one of the best Christmas Days of his life.

Author's Note: And that's the last of my Christmas Special. Tell me what you think. I'll return to writing the main story after New Year's. Until then, Merry Christmas!

Any and all comments are welcome.