Thank you for checking this story out! Christmas is a very special time of the year for me, and I wanted to write something short and (very) sweet about Krystal's first experience with it. This is an implied sequel to Free At Last, the last one-off I did. Admittedly, I did not proof-read this story as much, and there really isn't any conflict. It's just a few thousand words of fluff, but maybe that's a good thing sometimes. I hope you enjoy it!
Krystal's eyes fluttered open as a beam of the late morning sun shone through the window.
She yawned as she cupped her hands over the cold tips of her ears. Starting the day was difficult when her bed was much warmer than outside, especially when a certain warm-bodied and handsome fox was sleeping next to her. Her first few nights together with Fox were only to ease her trauma from Krazoa Palace, but as the nights passed her fears were replaced with compassion and comfort. Now she and Fox shared a bed for wildly different reasons. She sleepily reached for him under the covers, but all she found was more blankets. Sighing, she stretched again and got out of bed to find her slippers.
Fox was in the kitchen already, whipping something up in a large mixing bowl. His light brown ears perked up as he heard Krystal's slippers tapping from the hallway behind him.
"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Fox offered a hug after setting down the bowl.
"Morning," Krystal responded dreamily, but the warmth of his embrace distracted her from asking why he woke up so early. She was usually the early bird! What was he up to? And why did he seem even warmer than normal this morning? She only had more questions by the time she pulled away from the hug. "Uh, Fox. What are you wearing?"
The blush on Fox's face was as red as his sweater. "Oh, this? It's a Christmas sweater. I, uh, just wear it to get into the spirit, you know? Besides, Peppy would kill me if he found out I didn't wear it at least once during the season." He tried to awkwardly turn so his sweater was harder to see, but Krystal still noticed the cute Arwings, trees, and lights that were knitted into the fabric.
"It's very cute," Krystal smiled.
"Well, would you like one too?" Fox laughed. "Peppy told me his goal in life is to make sure everyone in the Star Fox team is properly outfitted for the holidays. That goes for all team members, past and present!"
"Is Christmas a Cornerian holiday?"
"Oh. Uh..." Fox's eyes went wide as his ears drooped to match Krystal's. "Do you know much about Christmas?"
"Well, I know it seems to involve cute sweaters," Krystal giggled. "What else is there?"
"Wow." He leaned against the counter and scratched his head. "Where do I even begin?"
"Why don't you tell me while you make those cookies?" She sniffed the air and licked her lips.
…
"So," Fox continued after taking a bite out of a fresh-baked cookie, "no one really knows where it started, but I know of a bunch of cultures that celebrate it. We had Christmas back on my home planet, and every Cornerian I've met celebrates it too."
"That's fascinating!" Krystal grasped her cup of hot cocoa as her turquoise eyes sparkled. "Gift giving, tree decorating, and all?"
"Yeah, more or less," he nodded. "Some people I know make their own traditions out of it. Like Peppy's family always sends us a ton of photos with their latest sweaters. And Slippy's family loves to go caroling."
"I never took him for a singer," Krystal giggled.
"Well, he's not, but he puts in good effort." Fox smirked and they both laughed.
"I'd love to hear him sing," Krystal said genuinely. "I'd love to see everyone, actually."
"Peppy already invited everyone to his place for the usual Star Fox party. It's next week."
"Then we need to start preparing now!" Krystal stood up from the table, revealing her wagging tail. "Don't we need to buy gifts for everyone? And bring homemade food? And we need to decorate more, too! And the tree! Can't forget that! Oh, do you have any stockings we can hang up?" She was talking a mile a minute.
"Yes, I have some stockings!" Fox laughed.
After the kitchen was cleaned, the two foxes returned to the bedroom to put on their heavier clothes. Krystal wasn't usually enthused about going out into Corneria's busiest cities when the weather was so cold, but the excitement about Christmas motivated her. Besides, she had a Fox and his cozy coat to keep her warm if she needed it.
The city streets were even more populated than normal because of the holiday. Normally Krystal preferred Sauria's more open spaces (and smaller population), but this time she didn't mind. Every store had its own set of sparkling lights and festive decorations. Buildings that were normally gray and uninteresting were instead covered in wonderful reds, greens, and golds. She lost count of the number of Christmas trees she saw, partially because of how much her other senses were being stimulated.
There was a pleasant smell around every corner; every bakery had its own unique scent to demand her attention, but so did the incense stores with their Christmas-themed candles burning just outside the entrance. Pleasant music played everywhere, and even though she heard a few songs more than once, there was so much variety that it didn't bother her. Going into each store not only introduced her to that particular store's aesthetic, but also gave her a break from the cold wind that brushed her ears. She was a bit cold despite her coat, but Fox was still as warm as ever and perfect for plenty of hugs as he showed her around. She didn't want to close her eyes in fear she might miss something.
It wasn't until they left the last store on the street and sat down at a coffee shop that a wave of exhaustion washed over her. She never realized how tiring it could be to simply walk around and have all of her senses stimulated constantly, but she was grateful for the chance to rest when it was over.
"We shopped until we dropped!" Fox laughed.
"You're right!" Krystal sighed, "but we still need a tree, don't we?"
"Of course, and I know just the place!"
Krystal found herself mostly tired for the rest of the week, but her excitement kept her going throughout. Every day was a new Christmas experience. She ended up going out to shop and observe the sparkling streets several more times, and she came back with more lights and decorations for their apartment each time. The decorations in their humble space weren't as lavish as the buildings in the heart of the city, but Krystal loved them all the same, and being able to decorate near Fox made it even more enjoyable.
When Christmas Day finally arrived, she was shocked to see that the decorations on Peppy Hare's household were even more magnificent than any of the city's offerings. The lights hanging from the roof and windows were far beyond modest, and the decorations in the expansive yard were so abundant and flashy that Krystal needed to look away for a moment to adjust her eyes. Meanwhile, the interior's decorations were more relaxed. Instead of bright neon, the indoor lights were mostly provided by fragrant candles and antique lamps. Every shelf was full of Christmas photos and figurines, and Krystal stopped to admire them all.
She daydreamed of having a home like this with Fox one day. She could picture it all in her head: a modest house with a beautiful view, and an expansive yard filled with more types of plant life than a botanical museum. A tranquil interior, with warm lighting and tons of mementos from their epic space adventures. A home where she and Fox could live peacefully and happily, away from the busy Cornerian apartments.
"Everything okay, Krys?" Fox asked as he heard her sigh.
"Oh, yes!" She blinked. "Just… admiring the decorations. Very lovel– pretty."
"Yeah, they're pretty decorations," Fox smirked. "Are you ready for dinner? The others are waiting on us."
Dinner was fantastic. The food–consisting of ham, turkey, potatoes, cranberries, and many other things– was already divine, but it was even better thanks to the company that she got to spend it with. Everyone she had come to know sat at the table with her: Peppy, Slippy, Falco, Katt, and even a few others like Miyu and Fay who, even though she didn't know them as well, they were so friendly to her that they could have been long-lost sisters. And of course, her dear Fox sat next to her.
They talked and laughed for hours about previous parties and earlier Christmases, and about some of their past adventures among the stars.
"Remember that guy piloting the Meteo Crusher?" Fay laughed. "What was his problem, huh?"
"No idea, one minute he was acting like he didn't care, then he was suddenly pissed off. I could never get a read on him!" Falco responded.
"Good thing I had his shield analyzed for ya," Slippy bragged, "I knew he was hiding something when you had no idea!"
"Yeah, and remember the time when you tried taking on that Spyborg thing by yourself?" Falco laughed.
"Oh yeah, well, I totally did some serious damage to it!" Slippy grinned. "Fox only beat it cuz of all the smartbombs I threw at it before it hit me!"
"Yep, swat you like a fly." Fox giggled.
Krystal didn't have much to say, but she earnestly listened to everyone and laughed at all the jokes. No matter how much she ate, she kept finding herself coming back up for more. Everyone at the party had brought their own food with them. She and Fox brought no less than three different kinds of cookies, but all three of them were a great compliment to the punch that Slippy brought. Falco even brought along two homemade snack mixes, although the first was, according to Katt, just for him.
They moved into the main hall after dinner and dessert ended, and Krystal's attention was snagged by the elaborate Christmas tree and all of the presents underneath it. Each one was wrapped with bright and cheerful paper, or decorated with cute designs just like Fox's sweater. Her mind went wild with trying to figure out what was in each box, even though her knowledge of typical Cornerian gifts was still limited. She continued to wonder about the gifts as the mingled continued around her.
"Oh, did Falco ever tell you all about the dreaded Anglar empire?" Katt nudged his shoulder.
"No, I sure didn't," Falso said the words quickly to stop from laughing again.
"Anglar empire?" Fox raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah, get a load of this." He hunched over and gestured with his hands. "So General Pepper gave me clearance to try a new flight simulation program since he wants me to start teaching the younger pilots, right? So I hop in the sim, and who do you think the enemies are?"
"Andross's army?"
"No, see, that's what I thought too. But no, instead they're called Anglars. And let me tell you. They're ridiculous."
"Are they?" Krystal laughed.
"They're like some kid's fanfiction come to life!" Falco looked at Krystal. "They're big ugly fish dudes from a poisonous sea where nothing else can survive. The sim says they're even more evil than Andross and they have weapons to capture Corneria in seconds, but they look like they were designed by a toddler. I could design better bad guys and I don't have a single artistic feather on my body. Oh yeah, and they sound like frogs that smoke. No offense, Slips."
"Whatever, Falco," Slippy laughed.
"It's just funny," Falco continued. "Because apparently they've been hiding out in Venom's 'vast and poisonous sea' for years, before we even beat Andross's face in. Which is a problem."
"Yeah," Fox piped up. "Venom doesn't have any water…"
"EXACTLY!" Falco squawked. "Venom's as dry as Miyu's humor!"
"Eh?" Miyu stopped her conversation with Fay and looked over.
"But seriously. It's all just dust and rocks over there. And there's not even any water underneath the surface. It was just Andross's lair, and his big dumb head."
"That does sound ridiculous," Krystal nodded.
"SO ridiculous," Falco said after calming down. "You're lucky you have Krystal to convince you to take a vacation. After the critique I gave, I don't think anyone's gonna be seeing the 'great Anglar empire' again. I told 'em they should make the bad guys just look like Aparoids or something."
"Good!" Fox sighed with a grin. "Eh, sims aren't my thing anyway."
"Anyway," Peppy spoke up. "Are y'all ready for some gift opening?"
"Of course!" Fox replied.
"Well good, because I know exactly what's gotta be opened first." Peppy said as he looked at Krystal.
"Sorry Krystal, I can't spare you, either," Peppy winked as he handed her a rectangular box with striped wrapping and a cute ribbon on top. Krystal's mind swirled with questions until the present was unwrapped and she held up a sky-blue sweater covered in little Arwings, snowflakes, and other cute patterns. Her eyes lit up brighter than the lights on the tree nearby.
"Aw, Peppy, it's so cute!"
"Well, I'm glad you like it," Peppy chuckled. "I knew as soon as there was a new member of Star Fox that–" but before he could finish, Krystal was already scurrying off to a different room to change. She was back a short while later, sporting the sweater comfortably wrapped around her upper body.
"Good, I'm glad it fits." Peppy scratched his head.
"Yeah, you look amazing, Krystal!" Fox blushed.
"Why, thank you, Fox," she said in a teasing manner as she did a twirl. Her smile grew wider as she saw him look at the carpet.
She only grew happier as the night continued. More gift openings and more tales from old and new adventures kept the atmosphere bright, even as the night grew late and Krystal caught herself yawning and leaning into Fox's warm shoulder more often. She received more nice things from her other friends. Slippy gave her a pair of ice skates, which she was unsure of at first but quickly warmed up to when she realized she had seen some people skating downtown. Falco gave her a mug, which was about the same as the mugs he gave to everyone else. Everyone started giving him a hard time once Miyu brought it up, but Krystal loved her mug all the same. But it wasn't until after the party that she received her favorite gift.
At first she was sad to return to her smaller and less magnificent apartment, but being in a quieter place with Fox was comforting to her, and it gave Fox the chance to finally give her the gift he had picked out. They were both resting on the couch when Fox suddenly picked up a small wrapped gift from behind the tree and set it in Krystal's palm.
"It's not much," Fox kept saying, as if trying to downplay it. But Krystal knew she'd love it, just because of the person who gave it to her.
The small box revealed a necklace glistening with blue and white gemstones. In the center was a snowflake just like the ones she saw on the morning windows, but studded with diamonds and sparkling like a star as it reflected the light of the fire. Krystal's eyes sparkled to match.
"Oh, Fox," she said quietly. "It's beautiful…"
"Do you like it?" Fox asked.
"Of course I do," she said as she returned his gaze. "Thank you so much."
"Here, let me put it on for you," he offered as he held out his hand. He carefully took the necklace and draped it around Krystal's neck.
"It's beautiful," she repeated as she looked down at it over her bosom.
"Well, it matches you," Fox said quietly as he looked away.
"What was that?" She smiled as her tail flicked behind her.
"Oh, nothing," Fox blushed. "I just… you're very beautiful, you know."
A great joy washed over her at that moment. Even without the beautiful necklace, she was overjoyed to spend this new holiday with so many people that cared about her. The days of scavenging and living alone were long behind her. Instead of staying trapped in a cold crystalline prison, she was instead surrounded by warmth, comfort, and love. Fox was certainly the best gift she could ask for, and she wrapped her arms around him a moment later.
"I love you," she said as she squeezed him tight. "Thank you for making my first Christmas so special."
"I love you too, Krystal," Fox said happily. "Merry Christmas."