It was quite easy for Mandy to settle into her new home, as the owners were very loving and caring to her. Joseph especially tended to whatever needs she had, which made her happy. He really wanted to make up for her accident in any way that he could, but it soon became clear he was getting a little too overprotective. So Cassandra had to drag him away so Mandy could have her space, which the raven haired girl couldn't help but chuckle at.

She loved the look and architecture of the castle, much to Alcina's delight. But since she was in a wheelchair, she couldn't go upstairs yet and had to stay in the Countess' room for the time being until they could work out a solution for her. Joseph proposed the idea of remodeling the stairs to put in a chair lift for her, and both her and Alcina loved it. Heisenberg even volunteered to help with the renovation.

The Dimitrescu sisters were easy to get along with too. Cassandra was especially kind and caring for her, and was super easy to talk to. It was no wonder Joseph fell in love with her. Bela was very smart and reminded her of the 'responsible big sister' attitude she used to have when she was younger. Also like her, the blonde was a kid at heart, but never wanted to show it to others, something Mandy made a mental note to help her with later on. Daniela was just plain fun. She was the one Mandy got along with the most, mostly due to her cheery and positive attitude, which wasn't much different from her own. They ended up talking for hours during Mandy's first night, and it didn't take long for them to become friends.

It was Christmas Eve, and right now Alcina was with Heisenberg at his factory going over plans for the new chair lift, while the maids were preparing dinner. Mandy was bored, so she decided to go to the oprah hall as she heard there was a grand piano there, and playing the piano was one of her favorite hobbies.

As she wheeled closer though she could hear that someone was already playing on the instrument, and she recognized the song too. It was the '1812 Overture' by Pyotr llyich Tchaikovsky. When she opened the door, she saw Daniela playing on the piano, who looked to be completely focused on what she was doing. Mandy was surprised. She knew Bela liked to play the piano, but she didn't know Daniela did too. And while the redhead wasn't quite as talented as her sister, she was no slouch herself when it came to music.

Mandy waited until her friend was finished before wheeling over to her.

"Wow, Dani. You're pretty good at that."

This made Daniela yelp and turn around.

"Oh, Mandy! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!"

The raven haired girl just laughed.

"It's fine. I also get like that when I play. It's weird too, almost like I'm in a trance."

Daniela gasped.

"You play too?! Oh, that's great! What songs do you know?"

"A lot. It's been a hobby of mine since I was little. Do you mind if I give it a shot?"

"Of course!"

The redhead moved the chair to allow Mandy access to the piano. The raven haired girl pondered for a moment what she would play, but then she decided to play her favorite, 'Bloody Tears' from the Castlevania series.

She cracked her knuckles and began to play. Daniela wasn't familiar with the song, but that didn't make it any less stunning to her. It was fast paced, elegant, and full of energy, and Mandy was performing it flawlessly. It wasn't a short song either. It went on for nearly four minutes. All the while, the redhead was just staring at Mandy perform while her jaw was on the floor. She had never heard anyone play like that before, not even Bela, and she couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

When Mandy finished the song, she heard a round of applause coming from above her. She looked up and saw Joseph, Cassandra, Alcina (having just returned from Heisenberg's factory), and Bela all clapping with huge smiles on their faces. The Countess in particular looked impressed.

"Marvelous! Absolutely Marvelous!" She shouted as the group made their way downstairs.

Mandy couldn't help but blush at the compliment she got as Joseph walked over to his sister and gave her a fist bump.

"You still got it, sis!" He said with a smile.

Mandy smiled back.

"Of course I do! This girl never rusts!" She said as she flexed her arms causing everyone to chuckle.

"You're so positive all the time, just like Joseph!" Daniela said.

The raven haired girl raised her eyebrows.

"Where do you think he got it from? I'm the OG!"

The redhead turned to Joseph, confused.

"I thought Master Hisashi taught you to be positive."

Joseph shook his head.

"No. He taught me discipline, self control, and self confidence. Positivity and kindness? That was all Mandy."

The redhead gasped and turned back to Mandy.

"So I'm friends with one of Joseph's teachers?! That's so cool!"

Mandy giggled.

"That's not the word I would use, but I appreciate the compliment." She said as she gave Daniela a high five.

Joseph chuckled and shook his head. They only knew each other for a few days and they were already becoming best friends.

Suddenly, Bela spoke up.

"I hate to change topics suddenly, but what song was that you played Mandy? I've never heard that one before."

Mandy turned to face the blonde.

"No worries. It's called 'Bloody Tears', and it's from a video game series called Castlevania. It took me years to master, and I'm proud of myself for doing so." Mandy said.

"As you should. A song like that requires an expert set of hands to play, and you clearly have them." Alcina said with a smile .

Mandy blushed again. Her brother chuckled.

"Castlevania was one of our favorite video game series growing up. Some of them were hard as hell, but they were really fun nonetheless." He added.

"Are those available for the Switch or PS5? If so, maybe we can get them!" Cassandra said.

Joseph sighed.

"I doubt it. The people who made those games, Konami, are just a bunch of idiots who just sit on their big franchises and don't do anything with them, despite the fact that people clearly want them."

His girlfriend made a face at that.

"Wait, they do nothing with them, like whatsoever? Wow. I knew business could make stupid choices, but I didn't think they could be that stupid. What were they all dropped on their heads at birth?"

"You would think so." Joseph said with a laugh.

Mandy gave a warm smile and looked between the couple.

"Actually, you guys are in luck. They released two collections of some of the older games for the Switch recently, and many of our old favorites are on them, little bro."

"Wait, really?!" Joseph asked with surprise. "That's awesome! We should totally get them!"

"Definitely! I want to play some more piano first though if that's okay."

"Yeah, of course!"

"I would certainly love to hear some more music from you." Alcina said.

Joseph's eyes lit up as he got an idea and turned to Mandy.

"Hey, it's Christmas Eve right? Why don't we do that carol that we used to sing for the family when we were kids?"

Now Mandy's eyes were lighting up.

"That's a great idea! You remember the lyrics right?"

"What, are you saying I forgot them?"

"You have ADHD, little bro. You tend to forget easily."

"Hey!"

The rest of the group laughed and Cassandra decided to add to her boyfriend's teasing.

"Oh, I did notice that. Did you have to help him remember things often, Mandy?"

The raven haired girl snickered.

"Oh my god! I used to make lists of things for him to remember all the time, and I had to make him carry them around! He had the memory of a goldfish back then!"

"Mandy!" Joseph whined as he blushed furiously, causing the group to laugh harder.

As she was still laughing Mandy then pulled her brother into a hug.

"It's alright, Joseph. Siblings tease each other, remember? I do it because I love you."

That made her brother choke up a bit. Hearing his sister say she loved him after all this time meant everything to him.

Cassandra noticed and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"It's okay to cry, Babe. After all you and Mandy have been through, you deserve to shed a few tears."

Joseph smiled, but decided not to turn into a bubbling idiot as he let go of his sister and recomposed himself.

"Anyway, shall we begin?"

"Hell yeah! Just like old times!" Mandy said with excitement.

She flexed her fingers and began playing again. This time, it was a song that the Dimitrescu family recognized, and as the music began, the two siblings began to sing.

'Hark! The herald-angels sing,'

'Glory to the newborn king,'

'Peace on earth and mercy mild,'

'God and sinners reconciled'

As they sang, the Dimirescu family looked on in wonder with big smiles. The two siblings looked like they had not spent a day apart from each other, like the last few years never happened. Their bond was undeniable, and while Mandy's terrible accident had severed it for a time, love binded it back together again. In fact, they looked more happy than ever.

Alcina knew the rest of the lyrics to the song so she signaled her daughters to sing with her. Even Olivia, who had overheard the singing, had called the maids she was with to join in.

'Joyful all ye nations rise.'

'Join the triumph of the skies,'

'With the angelic host proclaim,'

'Christ is born in Bethlehem,'

'Hark! The herald-angels sing,'

'Glory to the newborn king.'

When they were finished with the song, they all clapped amongst each other. As Joseph clapped, he couldn't help but look around to everyone in the room. Olivia, Daniela, Bella, Alcina, Cassandra, and now, Mandy.

He couldn't hold back his tears anymore and hugged his sister, who gladly hugged back with tears in her eyes as well.

Joseph couldn't be any happier. After all this time, all the pain and suffering, he had found happiness again. He had a family, a beautiful and caring girlfriend, and now, he had his big sister back.

That was the moment Joseph knew that it didn't matter what challenges the future held in store. They would face them and overcome them together, because they could survive anything life threw at them.