"Okay guys, what are we doing here?" Gabriel asked, being led around by Team Dream Keeper. "And what's with the blindfold. My birthday isn't for another three months!"
"Just wait a moment," Brooklyn said, opening the doors to the House of Mouse. "Okay, you can take of the blindfold now!"
Gabriel did as he was told, then gasped as he saw what was inside. The entire show floor was covered in Christmas decorations, with the Co-Dream Keepers and Dream Defenders all gathered on stage with big smiles. "Merry Christmas, Gabriel!" they called.
"Merry Christmas," Jasiri said, going up to her boyfriend with a gift in hand. "We put together a party for you and your family to enjoy, and I want my gift to be the first you open."
"Thanks, Jasiri," Gabriel said with a smile. He opened up the box and pulled out an artsy bird necklace. "Woah, nice necklace!"
"It's a Thunderbird. The entire team pitched in to buy it for you," Sisu explained.
Gabriel put on the necklace right away. "Thanks everyone. My family should be here in about an hour, so why don't we get our gifts out of the way first? And remember, one gift per person only on Christmas Eve!" The raven started by pulling out four small boxes and handing them to Logan, Rachel, Adam, and Silver. "I think it's best to start with you four."
Logan opened his first, revealing a pin with Destiny and Dory on it. "Sweet! Now I have my own Harmony Pin!" the young man cheered.
"I think the rest of us can guess what we'll be getting then," Rachel mused. She opened up her pin box, revealing one of Maleficent in her dragon form, capturing the moment of her defeat at the sword of Prince Phillip.
Adam's pin was that of Stitch dressed as the Phantom, playing his ukulele alongside the singing busts, while Silver's pin was that of a key with Cinderella's pumpkin carriage as the handle. "Thanks Gabriel!" they all said.
"We got you something as well!" Toren said, bringing out a box. "From the Dream Defenders to you."
When Gabriel opened it, he was surprised to be tackled to the ground by a plush tiger! "Hey Tigger…" Gabriel greeted. "I should have guessed getting pounced was the first thing that would happen when we met. Because if there's one thing Tiggers are good at-"
"It's pouncing and bouncing, buddy-boy!" Tigger laughed.
"Nice to see you again, Tigger!" Kessie greeted.
"Same to you, Kessi-rino," the stuffed tiger replied.
"Well, glad to see we were on the same wavelength with gifts," Aline mused, coming up with Double D and Beth. She giggled before pulling out a hat and reaching her hand into it, pulling out a nervous looking pig plush.
"Piglet!" Kessie cheered, flying down to give her friend a hug.
"You guys really didn't have to do this for me…" Gabriel said. "I could have found the pages on my own."
"Yeah, but that plotline was really starting to drag," Logan said, giving and amused look to the Fourth Wall. "Man, I really need to stop letting Deadpool talk me into stuff…"
For the Co-Dream Keepers, Gabriel got each of them shiny new emblems they could pin to their clothes to show their status, seeing as each of them already had a Harmony pin. Other gifts were exchanged as well, such as Lena revealing that she had found Lumpy, while Staghart got Silver a fancy ring to wear. The gargoyle then had to have explained to him the significance of rings in human culture, as Silver fainted on the spot when he saw the item.
"I don't think I'm ready for that kind of commitment," Silver sighed when he recovered.
Other couples exchanged gifts as well: Destiny got Logan a new wrestling outfit (owl themed, of course), Poe gave Rachel a magic cape that could reflect elemental magic attacks, Melanie got Adam a new jacket with new SEA patches on it, and Aline got Binx a collar that held locket with a picture of himself and his sister inside (Binx would deny that he started crying after seeing it).
"Hey Toren, what did you get for a gift?" Logan asked the Jaquin.
"Oh! Soren and Nico wanted to give it to me tomorrow, actually," Toren replied. "It has something to do with their dad, I think. They were a bit light on the details, but It'll be so cool to meet the king of the Jaquins in-person!"
As the party went on and everyone waited for Gabriel's family to arrive, Kessie couldn't help but feel like something was missing. No matter how hard she racked her brain she couldn't say what it was, and it was starting to get her down. Looking around at everyone smiling and laughing, the little bluebird sighed and quietly slipped away outside, flying into the snow and landing on a nearby roof.
"Why don't I feel that Christmas spirit everyone is talking about?" Kessie wondered out loud. "I'm pretty sure I've celebrated Christmas before, but I don't know what it is I'm missing?"
"You okay, Kessie?" Gabriel asked, floating himself up to where the bluebird was. "I noticed you left and was wondering if you were doing okay."
"I'm fine, Gabriel. Just a little blue," Kessie sighed.
"You're always a little blue, Kessie," Gabriel chuckled, making his friend smile a bit.
"Yeah, I guess I am. But I feel like I just don't understand what Christmas is to me," she said. Looking up, the two just gazed out at the sky, watching the stars twinkle as snow softly fell around them. In her heart Kessie felt a song swelling, and with a nod from Gabriel she began to sing.
I'm wishing on a star
And trying to believe
That even though it's far
He'll find me Christmas Eve
Gabriel let Fantasia flow as she sang, making snowflakes twinkle like stars as they fell.
I guess that Santa's busy
'Cause he's never come around
I think of him when Christmas comes to town…
"You know Kessie, the season is about being with those you love, not just Santa and his gifts," Gabriel said before he began to sing himself.
The best time of the year
When everyone comes home
With all this Christmas cheer
It's hard to be alone
Gabriel smiled as he thought of his family and all the fun Christmases they'd had over the years.
Putting up the Christmas tree
With friends who come around
It's so much fun when Christmas comes to town…
As the music swelled, Gabriel and Kessie harmonized as they sang together.
Presents for the children, wrapped in red and green
(All the things I've heard about but never really seen)
No one will be sleeping on the night of Christmas Eve
Hoping Santa's on his way…
Gabriel held Kessie in his hands as they looked up, watching Fantasia make fantastical and festive shapes in the snow.
When Santa's sleigh bells ring
(I listen all around)
The herald angels sing
(I never hear a sound)
Gabriel produced a sleigh bell from his pocket, holding it up for Kessie to hear. The raven then fastened the bell to her scarf, adding a festive look to the bluebird.
And all the dreams of children
(Once lost will all be found)
That's all I want when Christmas comes to town
The two birds touched foreheads, smiling as they sang the last line together.
That's all I want when Christmas comes…. to town
"Thank you, Gabriel," Kessie said. "I'm starting to feel better now."
"Then let's go rejoin the party," Gabriel said. The two went back down to street level and reentered the House of Mouse… only to find the party was now completely trashed! The tree was knocked over, various things had been set on fire, and Rachel looked to be on the verge of a panic attack. "What happened!?" Gabriel exclaimed.
"Well, funny story…" Logan said, chuckling nervously. "You see, one of the gifts we'd gotten you was the Hundred Acre Wood page that had Pooh Bear in it, but then he got loose and climbed up the Christmas tree to try and find honey. He got stuck up there and we all tried to get him down, but…"
"My feathers tickled Logan's nose, which made him sneeze and accidentally use his super strength to knock over the tree," Toren explained. "That sent all of the food flying, and when Adam tried to use his robot arm to catch the plates, some eggnog fell on it and made his arm go crazy, shooting lasers everywhere!"
"I never accounted for eggnog to be so powerful as to get through my waterproof robotics," Adam cursed.
"I'm very sorry for the trouble I caused," Pooh apologized.
"It's fine, Pooh," Gabriel said.
"No, it is definitely not fine!" Rachel exclaimed. "Gabriel's family is going to be here soon, and there's not enough time to-"
As the sword mage panicked, it was then that Gavin, Gilda, and Gray all entered the building, looking a bit confused as to what exactly was going on. "Hey bro, you didn't tell me it was going to be a Apocalyptic Christmas Party," Gray joked.
"Noooooooooo…" Rachel groaned, slumping over on a table.
"We are so very sorry, Gabriel's parents and brother," Adam said. "A series of unfortunate events led to the party getting trashed. We understand if you want to get mad at us…"
"Why would we be mad?" Gilda questioned. "Just because you messed up, doesn't mean we have to cancel the party."
"Yeah, we can all work together to fix this," Gavin nodded. He looked to Gabriel with a smirk. "You're the leader of this crew, right? So why don't you show us your leadership skills?"
"That I can do, Dad," Gabriel nodded. "But I will need your help as well. How about a family sing-along to get us through this?"
"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you something!" Silver suddenly said. "Gabriel, we all noticed that your family all have some form of Fantasia, but I thought that kind of magic was rare."
"Yeah, the only people that know it are you, Aline, Mickey, and Yen Sid," Logan said.
"And Chernabog," Gabriel corrected. "But yes, my family members know Fantasia as well, though they each have something a bit different about it. Gray has his Instant Crash abilities, my dad uses technopathy, and my mom has psychic abilities. So respectively, they have Fantasia: Tempo, Fantasia: Ohms, and Fantasia: Connection."
"Does your Fantasia have a fancy name?" Toren asked
Gabriel shook his head. "No, my Fantasia wasn't anything special, at least until our adventure through the Mirrorverse. You could say that unlocking the Harmony pins changed it to Fantasia: Harmony. Either way, how about we get to fixing this place up. You ready, fam?"
"You know it, brother!" Gray nodded.
The four birds lined up, with Gabriel doing some conducting motions before they all combined their Fantasia to start a catchy Christmas beat. The family sang, invigorating the Dream Defenders as the work to fix the party began.
Fa-la-la-la (Oh-uh-oh-oh)
Fa-la-la-la (Oh-uh-oh) (Deck the halls)
Fa-la-la-la (Oh-uh-oh-oh)
Fa-la-la-la (Oh-uh-oh) (Deck the halls)
The first order of business was putting out all the random fires in the room. Logan and Destiny took care of that, using ice and water magic to extinguish the fires.
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)
Gray started off the song, leading the younger Dream Defenders in the singing as they safely gathered up the presents away from the fallen tree.
Don we now our gay apparel (Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la)
Troll the ancient yuletide carol (Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la)
(Deck the halls)
With a high-five Gray passed off the song to Gavin, the eagle using his technopathy to take control of the fallen lights and repairing them.
Up on the rooftop, reindeer pause
Out jumps good old Santa Claus
Down through the chimney with lots of toys
All for the little ones Christmas joys (Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la)
"Wow, he's good at this tech stuff," Adam said. "Almost as good as me!" Melanie gave a stern cough, making her husband look sheepish. "Okay, just as good as me…"
(Ho, ho, ho!) Who wouldn't go?
(Ho, ho, ho!) Who wouldn't go?
Up on the rooftop (click, click, click!)
Down through the chimney with good St. Nick
Gavin and Gilda sang together, the two dancing as they used their magic to put the tree back in place.
Deck the halls, he's up on the rooftop
Deck the halls, he's up on the rooftop (Deck the halls)
Deck the halls, he's up on the rooftop
Fa-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
"Now that the tree is fixed, let's get this party started!" Gabriel said, dramatically throwing his arms out as Gilda sang her part of the song.
First comes the stocking of little Nell
Oh, dear Santa, fill it well
Give her a dolly that laughs and cries (Deck the halls with boughs of hollyy)
One that will open and shut her eyes (Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la)
The flamingo pulled out a large sack of gifts, setting down plates on the table to reveal that she had brought enough food for everyone to enjoy.
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Troll the ancient yuletide carol
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la (La-a-a-a)
(Woah!)
The Dream Defenders all were drooling at the smell, happily taking a seat at the tables as they dug into their Christmas feast.
Deck the halls, he's up on the rooftop (Woah, ooh!)
Deck the halls, he's up on the rooftop (Deck the halls!)
Deck the halls, he's up on the rooftop (Yeah)
Fa-la-la-la, la-la-la-la (Deck the halls)
Gabriel's family all gathered on stage, singing and dancing together. Gabriel even called on the rest of Team Dream Keeper to join in the song with them!
Up on the rooftop (Oh-uh-oh-oh)
Up on the rooftop (Oh-uh-oh)
U-up on the rooftop (Oh-uh-oh-oh) (Fa-la-la-la)
Up on the rooftop (Oh-uh-oh) (Fa-la-la-la)
Gabriel led his family in the song, before slowing down and creating a harp to play a few notes on.
See the blazing Yule before us
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Strike the harp and join the chorus
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, (la-la-la!)
Jasiri leaded up against the raven, the two sharing a moment as they briefly kissed.
Follow me in merry measure (Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la)
Sing we joyous, all together (Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la)
Gabriel's family then surprised the raven with a gift box. When he opened it, it was revealed that Gopher was inside of it! "I think you guys were almost too coordinated in this effort," Gabriel chuckled.
(Ho, ho, ho!) Who wouldn't go?
(Ho, ho, ho!) Who wouldn't go?
Up on the rooftop (click, click, click!)
Down through the chimney with good St. Nick
"I have a gift for you guys as well," Gabriel said. He clapped his hands, a side door in the building opening to reveal Spider-Man, Mary Poppins, and Chewbacca, each of them in festive attire. "I got you exclusive meet-and-greets with your favorite characters!"
"Ha-ha! That's by big bro for you!" Gray laughed.
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la (La-la-la!)
'Tis the season to be jolly
As the song came to an end, Gabriel used Fantasia to make the entire room sparkle with festive cheer, the raven conducting up a storm as he did so.
Hear the bells of Christmas calling (Hear the bells!)
Deck the halls with boughs of holly (Deck the halls!)
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
Gabriel's family gave a bow to their audience, getting a standing ovation from everyone. "Thank you, we are the Aquila family!" Gabriel said.
"That's what your last name is!" Silver exclaimed.
"Isn't that Latin for "Eagle"?" Brooklyn asked.
Gavin nodded. "Yes, yes it is. Why do you think I became and eagle here in the Magical World?"
"And for the final part of the night, we have some special gifts to give out," Gabriel announced. He snapped his fingers and made three gift boxes appear. "Guys, my friends worked really hard to get you these gifts, so I hope you enjoy them."
Gray opened his first, revealing a bulky silver bracelet inside. "No way… the Spider Bracelet!?"
"We heard that you liked anime and Spider-Man, so I thought getting you a piece of Japanese Spider-Man merch would be fitting," Logan said.
Gray smiled wide, putting on the Spider Bracelet and doing a few poses. "Oh yeah, this is cool, alright!"
Gavin opened his next, revealing a set of music CDs. "It's a collection of the band Star Waver, the most popular rock band in the Galaxy Far, Far Away," Double D explained.
"I'll have to give them a listen when I get back home," Gavin nodded.
Gilda was last, pulling out a whistle with the Dream Eater symbol on it. "Just give it a blow to receive your gift," Aline explained.
Gilda did was she was told, the whistle making a noise that opened up a small portal. Out of it bounced a Meow Wow, which bounded over and jumped into the flamingo's arms. "Woah, what kind of dog are you?" she asked, giggling as the Spirit licked her face.
"That is a Dream Eater, a spirit that fights off nightmares," Silver explained. "We have a friend that raises Spirit Dream Eaters, so we had him make a whistle so you can call on this Meow Wow."
Gilda smiled. "Thank you for the gift. As for this guy, I think I'll name you Gaius." Gaius barked happily at his new name.
"I see she kept with the "G" names," Jasiri whispered, laughing a bit.
"Finally, I have gifts for my fellow members of Team Dream Keeper," Gabriel announced. He started with a small box for Lop. "For the Lepi with a heart of gold, a personal invitation to train with Luke Skywalker to hone your Jedi abilities."
"Thank you, Gabriel-san!" Lop said, giving a huge bow.
"For Rocket, an archive of all of your greatest adventures, from the comics, movies, cartoons, and everything else in-between," Gabriel said, handing a book bag to the racoon that was bigger on the inside. The raven then knelt down and whispered, "Also, I put in a call to have a special someone waiting for you when you get back home tonight."
"Lady?" Rocket asked, getting a nod from Gabriel. "Heh, I don't deserve a friend like you, kid, but you make a genetic freak of nature like me feel welcome."
"Next, Brooklyn!" Gabriel called, getting the gargoyle's attention. He handed over a booklet to Brooklyn. "Tickets for you and your friends to the next Mary Janes concert that comes to NYC. I know you and Gwen are friends, so I thought it'd be nice for you to get to see one of her shows in person."
"So long as villains don't crash the party, it's sure to be a rocking time," Brooklyn grinned. "Or let them crash it. Gives me an excuse to throw down and deliver some justice."
"Kairi, a collection of Keychains for Destiny's Embrace," Gabriel said, handing a box to the Keyblade Wielder. "I went to the original Princesses of Heart and got you copies of their Keychains for you to use in battle."
"I'll make sure to put them to use in my training," Kairi nodded. "I wonder if I can get new Keyblade Forms from them…"
"Sisu!" Gabriel called. He gave a hug to the dragon before revealing a large present. "A mystery gift!"
"What's a mystery gift?" Sisu asked, taking the present.
Gabriel shrugged. "It's a mystery! You won't know what it is until you open it. I figured that since you're all about gift-giving that you'd enjoy the surprise of not know what you got until you opened it."
"I'll make sure that Raya and others back home enjoy whatever is inside as much as I will!" Sisu cheered.
"For Lena, a book from the library of the Sanctum Sanctorum," Gabriel said, giving an old book to the teenage sorceress. "You can expand your spells with this tome from Dr. Strange himself."
"I have made some friends in the Marvel universe, so we can all learn together," Lena said.
"And Jasiri, the love of my life," Gabriel said, taking the hyena by the paw. "The love we share is a gift enough, but I did manage to find something special for you." The raven carefully pulled out a black and purple bead and added it to Jasiri's necklace, the new accessory glowing slightly. "Queen Shuri made this special Kimoyo bead to interface with your necklace. It can heal injuries, make phone calls, and even amps up your magic. I know you'll make good use of it."
"The Wakandans sure do make amazing tech," Jasiri giggled, giving Gabriel a kiss on the cheek.
"Finally… Kessie," Gabriel said, the bluebird looking up in surprise. Gabriel pulled out a simple sheet of paper and looked at it. "While you guys were setting up this party, I did have some time to track down a page of the Hundred Acre Wood book. I want you to be the one to place the page in, Kessie, as this one is special."
Gabriel set down the book and let Kessie take the page, which depicted a house in a tree with a garden outside. The bluebird put the page in, and with a burst of magic made a yellow rabbit appear. "R-rabbit?" Kessie said, a bit shaken.
"Good heavens, where was I?" Rabbit fretted. "I hope Tigger hasn't bounced all over my garden while I was gone…"
"Rabbie!" Kessie cried, rushing into his chest and crying tears of joy. "I knew there was a hole in my heart that wasn't filled, and it was you all along that was missing!"
"K-Kessie!" Rabbit exclaimed, hugging the bluebird back. "Oh my goodness, you look just like when you were a kid again!"
"What?" Kessie said in confusion looking at her wings. "I look different? How so?"
Gabriel gave a sound of understanding. "Wait, that's what was bothering me! Kessie, while you did have many adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood, eventually you did leave on migration and come back as an adult- or, young adult, I suppose. There was a whole emotional episode with you and Rabbit about the idea of kids growing up and everything."
"But… I'm a kid again," Kessie said, still confused. "How did that happen?"
"Perhaps when the pages of the book fell out, some of the story got scrambled as well," Gabriel suggested. He held up the now-complete book and pointed it at Logan, Rachel, and Kairi. "Guys, how about you put your Keyblades to use and finally repair this story?"
The three nodded, summoning their Keyblades and firing a beam of light into the book. It lifted into the air, the sound of a lock being heard before Gabriel caught it. With the Hundred Acre Wood now restored, Kessie's body started shimmering with golden light, marking the start of a change. The bluebird grew a bit bigger, her feathers puffing out with age and her head feathers gaining some styling in the front. Once Kessie landed, she looked at her new body with wonder.
"Woah, I'm bigger now… and my voice! It's way deeper!" she exclaimed.
"Either way, you're still my little Kessie," Rabbit chuckled, a bi of sadness in his eyes. "Of course, you'll probably be leaving again, with the seasons changing…"
"Actually, I think I want to stay in the Hundred Acre Wood, Rabbie," Kessie said. "We had so many adventures when I was kid, and while travelling the Magical World is fun, I think I want to have a few more stories with you, Pooh, Tigger, Owl, and everyone else at home. I can stay at your house, right? My old birdhouse is a bit small now."
"Of course you can stay, Kessie," Rabbit smiled, hugging her again. "You're my daughter, and my door is always open to you. Just promise that next time you leave that you never forget where you came from."
"With three Keyblade Wielders securing the book, I don't think the Heartless will be destroying so easily this time," Logan assured.
"And when I do leave, I want to join Gabriel and his team!" Kessie announced. "We had so much fun together, and I want to help out even more, especially since I have my true form back now."
"Maybe we can see if you have some magic of your own," Gabriel suggested. "But I won't push you, Kessie. Let's just take this all one day at a time. Speaking of which…" The raven clapped his wings, making the lights go out before turning back on, Gabriel now on stage alongside Brooklyn, Lena, and Jasiri, all of them with instruments. "One final Christmas song! This one is a favorite of mine: The Twelve Days of Christmas, Relient K style!"
The lights started flashing like a dance floor as the quartet started playing a rock beat, with everyone getting onto the dance floor as Gabriel began to sing. The doors to the House of Mouse opened, and soon enough may characters poured in to join the party.
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
A partridge in a pear tree
Kessie found a perch on top of the Christmas tree and bobbed along to the music.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
Gavin and Gilda showed the kids some of their old-school moves straight out of a high school 80's summer flick, much to Gray and Gabriel's embarrassment.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
Staghart uncovered a plate on the food table, only to be confused to find the Duck triplets that had already eaten the food inside. "What? We were hungry?" Dewey said.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
"Owl bros?" Jameson asked, holding up a fist to Logan.
"Owl bros," Logan nodded, returning the first bump.
"Owl bros!" Gray cheered, putting his own first in.
"Only after we have a talk about the intricate lore of Kingdom Hearts!" Logan said.
Gray shrugged. "Fine, but I get to explain Spider-Man lore to you."
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
Five golden rings!
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
"Mr. Rocket, where did you get that new jewelry?" Lop asked.
Rocket twirled a (stolen) ring in his hand and shrugged. "You know it just… fell into my lap."
What's a partridge, and what's a pear tree?
Well, I don't know so please don't ask me
But I can bet those are terrible gifts to get!
"Oh, there's a chorus in this version!" Silver said.
"Yeah, that's why it's the best one!" Gabriel called.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
Six geese a laying
Five golden rings!
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
"Why would you need so many geese?" Adam wondered.
"Once goose is enough trouble," Melanie sighed. "And if you thought a real goose was bad, wait until you meet a ghost goose…"
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
Seven swans a swimming
Six geese a laying
Five golden rings!
Four calling birds (Partridge…)
Three french hens
Two turtle doves (Pear tree!)
And a partridge in a pear tree
Jasiri created illusionary swans to float above the dance floor, performing various ballet moves.
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
Eight maids a milking
Seven swans a swimming
Six geese a laying
Five golden rings!
Four calling birds
Three French hens
(Two turtle doves)
Gabriel and Brooklyn switched instruments as they shared a nod to each other.
And a partridge in a pear tree
"Again, why would you need that many maids, or that much milk?" Adam questioned.
"I think you're thinking to hard about this, kid," Tony Stark sighed.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a milking
Seven swans a swimming
Six geese a laying
Oooh, Weee-Ooooh-Ah…
As the lights dimmed, the Christmas tree lit up with color, illuminating the room like a disco ball.
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
"I think we have more than nine ladies here tonight," Kairi mused.
"Dance off to see who's best princess!" Sisu called. "My money's on Belle: that ballroom scene is legendary!"
What's a partridge, and what's a pear tree?
Well, I don't know so please don't ask me
But I can bet those are terrible gifts to get!
"I would rather take a gift card than an entire tree," Gray said.
"What!? You mean you would accept a gift card!?" Toren shouted, giving a pointed look to Double D.
"Eh, everyone has different standards, I guess," the crow chuckled nervously.
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
Ten lords a leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a milking
Seven swans a swimming
Six geese a laying
Dof-men-gose-reens!
"I have no idea what they just said, and I've studied many arcane languages," Poe said, scratching his head.
Four!
Everyone clapped their hands.
Three French
Goofy popped open a champagne bottle.
Two!
They all clapped again.
Doves!
And a partridge in a pear tree
"Do we have that many lords?" Silver wondered, before the music cut off as Gabriel led everyone in a classic rendition of the song for the next line.
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
Eleven pipers piping
Ten lords a leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a milking
Seven swans a swimming
Six geese a laying
Five golden rings…
Gavin held a low note while Gilda held a high one, impressing everyone. The song then went back to its rock and roll tune.
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
"Last day, everyone!" Gabriel shouted.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
(Twelve!) drummers drumming
The dalmatian puppies all took turns banging on drums.
(Eleven!) pipers piping
Peter Pan and the Lost Boys (and girls!) pulled out pipes and played a note.
(Ten!) lords a leaping
Silver and the Disney Princes all took a big jump.
(Nine!) ladies dancing
Almyra and the Disney Princesses all did a fancy twirl.
(Eight!) maids a milking
Luisa Madrigal used his super strength to effortlessly pick up eight cows.
(Seven!) swans a swimming
Jasiri hopped in the air as she had her magic swans spin around.
(Six!) geese a laying
Logan ran away in a panic as geese started chasing him. "Why are they so vicious!?" he shouted.
Five golden rings!
Brooklyn shredded out on his guitar as Gabriel created five golden hoops to fly through for Sisu.
(Four!) calling birds
Blue, Nico, Pedro, and Rafael all sang a small harmony together.
(Three!) French hens
Aline took a bow with Duchess and Marie.
(Two!) turtle doves
Gavin and Gilda shared a kiss.
And a partridge in a pear tree!
Gabriel held out the last note of the song, ending the Christmas Party on a high note as merriment was shared all around.
Author's Note
Merry Christmas, everyone! I hoped you enjoyed this extra-long chapter, as a lot of stuff happened in it. Hope you like all the gifts everyone got as well!
First, I'd like to give credit to the songs featured here. Gabriel and Kessie's song is "When Christmas Comes to Town" from the Polar Express movie, a classic Christmas film that I hold dear to my heart. The song brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it. The second song is "Deck the Rooftop" from the Glee Christmas Album. My mom was big fan of the early seasons of Glee and we would listen to this CD in the card every December when driving to and from school. Finally, Gabriel sings "Twelve Days of Christmas" as performed by the band Reilent K. It's my favorite Christmas song ever and you should really give it a listen.
Other than that, most of the plot was standard Christmas affairs, with gifts and party mishaps that get solved with everyone helping out. Most importantly, Gabriel has now completed the Hundred Acre Wood book, meaning he can start his Keyblade Exam! Kessie was definitely the heart of this chapter, and after the Exam arc she will be joining the main cast as a travelling companion with Gabriel and friends.
This will be the last chapter of 2022, as I'll be skipping next week to take a writing break. I have some fun stuff planned for 2023, though, especially seeing as Disney is turning 100 next year! Until then, stay tuned!
Next Chapter: Gabriel prepares himself for his Keyblade Exam while Toren makes a special announcement.