-Chapter 183-
Sonic Christmas Blast
Knothole
It was Christmas Eve, and the Freedom Fighters were gathered in the war room, discussing plans. Sonic is all serious for once, a grim expression on his face.
"So... Let's go over the plan one more time, just to be sure everyone's tracking," he began. "Tails, you and the brains have got the illumination duties. We've been skulking in the dark long enough."
"Roger that," Tails replied.
"Knuckles, you and the Chaotix are the security detail. We're countin' on you to handle anyone who gets outta line."
"I'd like to see 'em try," Knuckles smirked, punching his fist into his palm.
"And last but not least, Sally... It's your job to keep it all coordinated. Once we cross that line, we're gonna need someone in charge to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. That's you."
"I'm on it," Sally promised.
"Okay. We all know what we have to do, so…" He grinned. "Let's make this the greatest Christmas party ever!"
Everyone grinned, splitting off to begin their tasks.
"Hosting a Christmas party to celebrate the last of the repair efforts was a great idea," Amy agreed. "We could all use a little Christmas cheer after everything."
In a greenhouse-style shack built for Cosmo, Cream and the kids were explaining the holiday to the resident alien.
"What exactly is Christmas?" Cosmo questioned. "You've been talking about it since we got back from Soleanna."
"It's a yearly holiday to celebrate togetherness and family," Keith began.
"We come together, exchange gifts, sing carols," Chris added.
"Basically, it's a time to celebrate what you have and the people you love," Kat concluded.
"And on the night before Christmas, we're visited by Santa Claus, the spirit of the holiday." Cream remarked.
"Santa?" Cosmo questioned. "You mentioned him once or twice. Who is he?"
"Oh, he's a nice man," Cream assured. "He lives in a workshop with hundreds of happy elves at the North Pole, making toys for all the nice little girls and boys. And every year on Christmas Eve, he flies around Mobius, coming down the chimneys and giving presents to them."
"And if you're naughty?"
"You get a lump of coal," Hope said.
Kat snorted. "Oh Eggman's gonna have a whole coal factory when he's done."
That got a laugh out of everyone.
Mobotropolis
As their efforts got underway, Sonic was at his house, pacing nervously with his parents and uncle there. He stopped, taking a seat and petting Muttski.
"Penny for your thoughts, son?" Jules asked.
"I have no clue what to get Sally for Christmas," Sonic confessed.
"Haven't you always had that agreement that you don't get each other anything for Christmas?" Uncle Chuck questioned.
"We usually do," Sonic admitted. "But then she gets something for me while I take it seriously like a goon."
"Oh Sonic, you're overthinking things," Bernie insisted. "As long as it comes from the heart, Sally will like anything you give her."
"Mom, that is the least helpful thing you could say," Sonic deadpanned. "Yeah, anything I get her... that's why it's so hard!"
"You'll figure it out, sonny," Uncle Chuck assured.
"Yeah... I'll think of something. I always do." Sonic stood up. "For now, I gotta help get Knothole ready for the party."
Area 99
Shadow was talking to Rouge and Omega in their shared barracks, the latter putting birdseed in a birdhouse made for his Flickies.
"You're going to what now?" Rouge asked.
"Don't give me that, it could work," Shadow told her. "I've already gone through all the procedures, done all the necessary tests, and it's been cleared."
"I detect hesitation and fear," Omega spoke up. "What is the issue, Shadow?"
"It's just… I'm scared. This is... a massive step, and a huge change for us. I mean… I want to go through with it, but what if she doesn't like it? What if-"
"Shadow, Hope loves you, and you love her," Rouge insisted. "While your plan is surprising, I've got a feeling it will be the best gift Hope's ever received."
"Yeah…" Shadow sighed. "You're right."
"And hey, at least you've worked out what you're getting her," Rouge added. "From what I've heard, it's Christmas Eve and Sonic still hasn't worked out what he's getting Princess Sally."
Shadow rolled his eyes. "Of course he hasn't."
Knothole
Back in Knothole, the group was hard at work. The Brain Trust had an enormous quantity of electric Christmas lights and were hanging them up around the village.
"How are we going to power all these without risking a blackout?" Rotor wondered.
"I've got it covered," Keith assured him. "Mom helped me rig up a few Power Ring capsules for this."
"Gotta love ring power," Chris said with a grin.
As they worked, Johnny turned to Rotor with a playful smirk.
"So Rote, you finally inviting that special someone?"
Rotor paused his work, looking away.
"I'm not sure…"
"Come on, Rote," Johnny insisted. "You've been going on and on about them for weeks."
"Yeah," Tekno agreed. "We wanna see the lucky lady you ran into."
"Well…" Rotor sighed, bracing himself. "They're not exactly a lady."
"Oh," Porker let out, not even phased in the slightest. "Who's the lucky fella then?"
Rotor blinked in surprise
"Wait... that's it? Just an oh?"
"C'mon, Rote," Tails insisted. "Who cares if you're gay?"
"Hang on," Kat interjected, sticking her head in. "Who's gay?"
"Rotor," Keith explained.
"Oh cool. Got a boyfriend yet?"
"How..." Rotor was utterly flummoxed. "How are you all just… taking this so calmly?"
"Considering the company we all keep every day, you think we're gonna judge you?" Hope insisted.
Rotor turned red, rubbing the back of his head
"Sorry... I've been getting flack for it all my life. It's why I came down here."
"Dude, you're a hero," Kat pointed out. "Who cares who you wanna date? And for that matter, why does their opinion matter?"
After a minute, Rotor sighed again, smiling this time.
"I met him on Angel Island while we were making the Azure Lake garden. His name's Cobar."
Kat perked, recognizing the name.
"I know him. He's part of the science division of the Echidna Security Team."
"Yeah," Rotor nodded. "He also helped me install the Sunshine Ball. It started out professional. Working out inventions, discussing science projects. Eventually, one thing led to another."
"Congrats, man," Porker said. "Happy for you."
"Thanks," After a minute, Rotor gave a small, decisive nod. "You know what, yeah. I'll see if Cobar's willing to come down."
"Sweet," Kat said. "You can hitch a ride back with me. I got work to do myself."
"Seriously?" Keith asked.
Kat grinned. "Eyup."
Angel Island
At Echidnaopolis, Lara-Le showed Kat how to weave, a scarf design on the table before them..
"Ugh…" Kat sighed. "Why is this so hard?"
She snapped a set of weaving tools in her hands.
"Oh yeah, that's why."
"You'll get the hang of it," Lara assured. "You just need a little more practice."
"But I need to finish this by tonight, and I've already broken two looms," Kat objected.
"And you won't get it done any faster by getting frustrated," Lara pointed out. "Consider this a lesson in patience and a gentle hand."
Kat took a deep breath. "Right… patience and a gentle hand…"
Just then, the door was thrown open as Charmy and the Chaotix barged in. They were talking over one another, trying to get Kat's attention for something. The girl's eye twitched before she sighed, standing up and holding up a finger. She walked out of the room before letting loose.
"CAN I HAVE ONE DAY OF SILENCE WITHOUT ALL THIS AURORA-DAMNED NOISE SO I CAN FOCUS?! IS THAT TOOK MUCH TO FREAKING ASK?!"
She let out a very long shriek before coming back into the room, red-faced but composed.
"Feeling better now?" Julie-Su asked, largely unphased save for ringing ears.
"Yes, actually," Kat replied as she turned to the Chaotix with an eerie calm. "Would you kindly leave so I can work? Please?"
"Uh... yeah, sure," Vector replied. "Come on, guys."
He had to pick up a stunned Charmy up off the ground.
"See you at the party, I suppose," Epsio told her.
They walked off as Kat ran her fingers through her hair, sat down in front of the loom, and picked up her tool.
"Patience, and a gentle hand."
Station Square
At the Thorndyke Mansion, Chris and Keith were discussing gift ideas while Cream and Vanilla had joined Ella in the kitchen, making fruitcake.
"Do we really need fruitcake?" Keith asked. "Last I checked, nobody likes fruitcake."
"You haven't had it the way we make it." Vanilla said simply.
"Well, it's gotta be better than the one Mom made last year," Chris said. "You could've clubbed someone out cold with that thing."
"Or smash a Swatbot," Keith added.
Both laughed.
"What are you two working on?" Cream asked.
"Gift ideas for Helen and Kat." Chris replied.
"Any luck?"
"Honestly?" Keith began. "No, not at all."
"Ditto here," Chris agreed. "I don't even know where to begin."
"You're thinking too hard," Cream insisted. "They'd like anything you gave them."
"Cream, older girls are much harder," Keith said.
"Well, what do they like?"
"Well, I know Helen likes cute things," Chris recalled. "Especially bunnies and Chao. That... kinda narrows it down."
"And Kat…" Keith tapped his chin. "Well, she likes baseball."
"Then why not get her a bat?" Chris questioned.
"She keeps breaking them. Unless…" He paused, getting an idea. "Unless she couldn't. If Tekno could spare some Megatal, I might be able to do something."
"Well, sounds like you have a plan," Chris remarked. "As for me, I need to make a trip to the toy store."
Out in the streets of Station Square, Sonic was wandering around, looking up and down different stores and wracking his brain for gift ideas.
"Come on, think!" he spat. "Has to be something good. Something special. Something... I don't know, something!"
As he walked, he perked, hearing off-key singing in a familiar voice down the street.
"Jingle Bells, Sonic smells, Tekno laid an egg," Cubot's voice came. "The Egg Mobile lost a wheel, and Dr. Robotnik got away!"
"Alright. First off, how could he get away if the Egg Mobile lost a wheel?" Orbot asked.
"Second, it doesn't even have wheels, you metal moron." Robotnik chimed in.
"Oh, right. Hang on a sec…" Cubot snapped his fingers. "I got it!"
He made a sound almost as if clearing his throat.
"Jingle Bells, Sonic smells, Tekno laid an egg. The Sky Patrol fell in a hole, and Robotnik got away! Hey!"
Robotnik nodded. "Much better."
"We'll have to agree to disagree," Sonic chimed in.
They perked, turning to see him standing there.
"Well, wasn't expecting to see you guys. What're you doing out here? Some evil scheme to steal Christmas?"
"Actually, last minute shopping for Agatha."
Sonic raised an eyebrow. "You don't strike me as the festive type."
"Sonic, we've had a long and trying year," Robotnik pointed out. "I think we've both earned a reprieve from all the fighting and chaos, don't you? Especially considering just last month, you died?"
After a minute, Sonic nodded. "Okay, fair point."
"Actually, I'm glad I ran into you," Robotnik said. "I was going to have these mailed, but this saves me time."
He dropped a fair sized brown sack in front of Sonic. "These are some gifts for the children. The ones for the Thorndyke and Kent boys are fragile, so be careful."
Sonic blinked, looking over the sack.
"Uh... what is this? Another Tails Doll scenario? Yuletide chainsaws? Gift-wrapped machine guns? Holiday flamethrowers?"
Robotnik rolled his eyes.
"Sonic... it's Christmas. I may be a devious mastermind, but even I can appreciate the spirit of the holiday."
"Well…"
"Please Sonic," Robotnik's voice was softer. "For me?"
Sonic blinked, meeting Robotnik's eyes. For the second time since the ROCC incident, a little piece of Julian was peeking out. It ended as quickly as it happened, but that was all it took. Sonic took the sack.
"Y'know what, sure. 'Tis the season."
"Very good then," Robotnik coughed, straightening. "Now... just need to figure out what to get-"
"Toy store's that way. Take a left at Honey's."
"Thanks."
"So what brings you out?" Orbot asked. "Looking for a gift for your girl?"
'Yeah. But I have no clue what to get her."
"I'm sure the Princess would like anything you gave her. It's the thought that counts," At his look, Robotnik shrugged. "The Bro Code comes before the whole 'sworn enemy' thing."
"Right…" Sonic nodded. "This is so weird, isn't it?"
"Incredibly," Robotnik confirmed.
"Girls like shiny things," Cubot remarked. "And jewels! Get her shiny jewels!"
"Jewels…" Sonic perked. "You know, that might work. Thanks Cubot!"
Sonic then sped off.
"Did I have a good idea?" Cubot asked.
"Well, even a broken clock is correct twice a day," Orbot remarked.
Knothole
By this point, the group was putting on the finishing touches for the party. Big was mingling as well, while Charmy looked into the fridge.
"Okay, we've got eggs covered," he said. "Where do we find nog?"
That was when Uncle Chuck came over and grasped the bee around his middle.
"Leave the eggnog to the adults, Charmy," he insisted.
He escorted Charmy out, looking around the kitchen alongside Isabella and Coco.
"If we're making eggnog, we'll need to make a non-alcoholic batch for the kids." Isabella insisted.
"But who's to say we can't make a special one for us?" Coco asked, smirking.
Outside, a stage was being set up. Mina stood off to the side, wearing a knee-length red Santa dress and hat with a microphone in hand. She was visibly nervous.
"Why did I let you guys talk me into this?" she asked. "The singing, this costume... the skirt's too short!"
"Now all we need is a trampoline." Johnny quipped.
Mina gave him a dirty look. "Excuse me?"
"I said, 'the hem looks really keen'," Johnny claimed.
"Nice save," Porker remarked.
"I-I'm not sure if I can do this…" Mina admitted. "I've never sung in public before."
"Mina, relax," Shorty assured. "You can do this. We're all your friends, and we know you have the best voice out of all of us."
Mina perked. "Really?"
"Really really," Shorty assured.
With that done, the group finished up the stage. As they looked it over, Amy noticed something sticking out of the foundation.
"Hey, what's this?"
She reached for it.
"No, don't!" Tails cried. "That's a load bearing-"
Amy pulled it out, and the entire stage collapsed.
"...banana." Tails finished.
Amy looked between the banana in her hand and the stage, turning on them in annoyance.
"Who builds with a banana?!" she demanded.
"I ran out of nails!" Sticks snapped as she picked up the banana. "Five-second rule."
She began peeling it as Amy facepalmed
"Alright... let's try this again."
The group got back to work building the stage. Eventually, it was completed, just as Sonic came into the village hefting the sack Robotnik gave him.
"Looks like I got back just in time," he said.
"Hey Sonic," Sally greeted before glancing at the sack. "What's with the-?"
"Donations from a friend," Sonic said quickly. "I'm gonna stick them under the tree."
"Great," Sally smiled. "You're a regular Sonic Claus."
Sonic chuckled a little in response as he set the presents under the tree. Just then, Isabella headed out, carrying a bowl of eggnog and setting it on the table.
"Everyone," she called out, "this is the kid-friendly bowl. Make sure everyone under eighteen drinks from this one. "
"Lemme guess," Bunnie spoke up, "your recipe called for rum?"
"Maybe…" Isabella gave a wink, putting a finger to her lips. "It's a secret to everyone."
"Read ya loud and clear."
Off to the side, Shard was sitting and enjoying the night. After a moment, Nicole appeared, taking a seat next to him.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked.
"Not at all."
The two tech-based freedom fighters sat back and chatted, enjoying one another's company. As this went on, Rotor was standing next to an Echidna wearing a lab coat over the usual tribal attire.
"Knothole, this is Cobar," he introduced. "Cobar, everyone."
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Cobar told them.
"Welcome, Cobar," Porker greeted.
"Nice to finally meet you," Tekno added.
"Hey Cobar," Knuckles grinned, slapping his fellow echidna on the back. "Glad you finally found someone."
"Thanks," Cobar replied, leaning into Rotor and smiling.
Keith leaned over to Kat.
"Considering all we've heard about Echidna society, I was expecting Cobar to be... well…"
"Shunned? Persecuted?" Kat offered, getting a nod from Keith. "One thing in the Echidnas' favor is that they're neutral to same sex relationships. Your personal and love lives are your own business, not theirs. Step up from the bigotry in Chun-nan."
Meanwhile, Mina was looking around, seemingly trying to find someone.
"Hey Sugar, looking for someone?" Bunnie asked.
"Yeah," Mina nodded. "He said he'd be here…"
"Who?" Bunnie asked.
"My boyfriend, Ash."
Everyone turned to her in surprise.
"You have a boyfriend?" they all asked.
Mina shrugged. "Well, I do have a life outside of Knothole and Freedom Fighting, y'know."
Murmurs of acknowledgement sounded.
"When did this happen?" Antoine questioned.
"After the Black Arms invasion. We met while we were helping Breezie's crew clean up Empire City."
"Huh…" Bunnie remarked. "Guess with all the craziness, we never noticed."
"Well, there was the De-Roboticizer and all of time nearly being eradicated, so I can see why it would slip your notice," Mina said.
At that moment, they heard a motorcycle engine approaching. Everyone perked up at the sound.
"Is that Shadow's bike?" Chris asked.
Hope was spared the effort of an answer when a biker came riding in, parking near the garage containing the Tornado and other vehicles. He removed his helmet, revealing the face of a male mongoose with yellow fur like Mina, black hair, and blue eyes. He stepped off the bike and they took in his appearance; he was wearing a white jacket, a black frowning "smiley face" shirt, studded wristbands, and baggy blue jeans with a hole at the right knee, along with red-tinted, round glasses. His ears were pierced with multiple studs. His arms also bore multiple tattoos, seemingly symbolizing things meaningful to him.
"Ash!" Mina called out.
She rushed over at her top speed, hugging him tightly. He returned the hug with a smile, then they shared a kiss.
"Sorry I'm late," he apologized when they broke for air.
"I'm just glad you made it."
Introductions abounded. When Ash saw Sonic, his expression seemed to darken even as they shook hands. Mina held up a finger, taking him off to the side
"Ash, calm down. I told you Sonic and I are just friends. Don't forget he's the reason my mom and I aren't Robians slaving away at Robotnik's base right now."
A tense moment passed before Ash softened, nodding.
"Sorry. Had too many girls cheat on me with more 'popular' Mobians."
"Ash, I'd never do that to you, ever. Besides, Sonic's happily taken, and he's not my type."
With that settled, everyone got to mingling. Eventually, it was time. Mina got up on stage, microphone in hand as she took a deep breath.
"Thank you all for coming to the first annual Knothole Christmas party... and my first concert."
Off to the side, Tails was fiddling with the speakers, giving her a thumbs up. She returned the nod then, turned back to the crowd.
"I'm gonna start us off with one of my personal holiday favorites."
She began singing "All I Want for Christmas is You," hesitantly at first, but as the song began to pick up, her confidence grew. As she belted out the chorus, she looked right at Ash, who was smiling and clapping. When the song was over, Knothole exploded with cheers, clapping, and whistling.
"That was incredible!" Cream cheered. "Mina, you sing like an angel!"
Mina blushed. "Well, not to toot my own horn. But it's not over yet."
"How about a classic, my little songbird?" Ash requested flirtatiously.
Mina's blush became deeper.
"Sure. Next on the list was Santa Claus is Coming to Town."
As the singing went on, Sally slid over to Sonic.
"So, who are those presents really from?" she asked.
"They're good, Sal," Sonic assured, not about to spill. "I promise."
The song concluded, more cheers erupting.
"And now, the final song of the evening…"
Mina cleared her throat, singing Have a Holly Jolly Christmas. When the song completed, Mina smiled, basking in the applause before stepping down from the stage. Vanilla then took the stage, smiling.
"Alright everyone, we have a special guest tonight!" she declared. "That jolly man in red we all know and love... Santa Claus!"
Right on cue, they heard the familiar laugh. A sled came flying over Knothole, landing nearby with several reindeer pulling it. From it came Chuck Thorndyke, donned in the usual red suit and beard, and a very convincing fat suit.
"Ho ho ho!" he laughed. "Merry Christmas, boys and girls!"
Charmy, Saffron, and Cream were all completely excited. They rushed forward, hugging "Santa" as he took a seat in a large arm chair situated by the tree.
"Alright, have you all been good boys and girls this year?" he asked.
"Oh most certainly, sir!" Cream exclaimed.
"Well then, I have presents for everyone! Even you big kids! Gather around and let Santa pass out the gifts!"
Everyone immediately gathered around. He began passing out toys to Charmy, Saffron, and Cream. When it came to Cosmo, he smiled.
"Cosmo, right? I have a very special gift for you."
He pulled out a small box topped with a bow, small holes poked in it. He opened it up before pulling out the green Chao that comforted her during the Black Arms raid on Azure Lake, a little red and green ribbon around its neck. Cosmo gasped, a hand covering her mouth at the sight.
"Meet little Rosetta," 'Santa' told her. "This little darling was quite eager to come live with you. She even put the ribbon on herself so she'd look her best."
Rosetta displayed her ribbon proudly as Cosmo took her in hand, happy tears in her eyes.
"She's beautiful…" she let out. "Thank you."
She hugged Rosetta tightly as 'Santa' looked down at the tree to see the presents from Robotnik. They had very simple paper and bows, but were clearly labeled.
"Well, seems we have some more to hand out," He picked up one with a fragile stamp on it. "This one says it's to... you, Chris.'
Chris began unwrapping it, gasping in delight at what he found.
"No way!" he exclaimed. "An advanced chemistry set! Ours was starting to get worn out!"
"Sweet!" Keith exclaimed.
'Santa' picked up one that was smaller, but a bit heavy. "And here's one for Keith."
Keith took it, unwrapping the present. He found it was a leatherbound journal, one that was stuffed with notes, blueprints, sticky notes, and so many schematics. There was no title or name, but the initials J.K. were embossed on the front.
"Whoa… Chris, come look at this!"
The two boys looked it over.
"Chaos research, power stations, nature-powered purification systems. Imagine all the good we could do with this!"
They looked through some of the notes, then back at the initials. Hope was beginning to put it together herself.
"Hold on a sec…" Chris perked. "Call me crazy, but I think this is all Julian Kintobor's research. Projects and plans he was working on before the ROCC accident."
"Yeah," Keith nodded. "Hey Sonic, where did these gifts come from?"
"An old friend," Sonic said cryptically.
"Sonic, that doesn't narrow it down at all," Kat pointed out. "You know that, right?"
Sonic shrugged. "Too bad. It's all you're gonna get from me."
"Well Miss Winters, seems you've got one too," 'Santa' said.
Kat blinked as 'Santa' held out a small box. She took it and opened it, revealing a pair of thick golden bracers. There was a folded paper on top of them, which she took. The message was typed out, and there were no signatures.
"Chaos Regulators specifically tailored to your unique Chaos signature. These will help prevent unwanted flair ups, and aid in maintaining control of your latent Chaos Force."
"Huh…" Kat said.
She picked one up, then pushed the many bracelets she had up so she could slide the bracer on. She did the same with the other wrist, then took a look.
"How do they feel?" Knuckles asked.
"Good, actually," Kat admitted.
She closed her eyes and focused. While her Chaos Shard necklace started glowing, her hair did not. She nodded in satisfaction as 'Santa' picked up one last gift.
"And this is for Miss Kintobor."
Hope approached and took the gift, opening the box. Inside sat a fair-sized Shadow doll, one that seemed to have been meticulously stitched and crafted. There was a small tag attached to his neck that said "To: Hope, From:" with the letter J that had been heavily crossed out. Seeing the single letter made Hope gasp before she hugged the doll tightly. After a minute, she and Sonic shared a glance. Hope's question went unanswered, and Sonic just nodded.
"Thank you…" she whispered.
Sonic just smiled as Uncle Chuck took the stage.
"And now, the gift exchange."
Everyone spread out, handing out presents. Kat and Keith went first. Keith opened his present, finding that he had a long, handmade scarf with a pattern identical to Kat's headband.
"You like it?" Kat asked. "Took me a couple tries… and four looms."
"It's beautiful, Kat. Thanks."
With that, he handed her his own. She unwrapped it to reveal a solid metal baseball bat with the Chun-ese characters "机器人破碎机" inscribed on it.
"Got some help with Tekno for that. Solid Megatal. You can swing and smash all you want. That bat's never gonna break."
"Whoa…" Kat felt the characters with her finger. "'Robot Crusher'? I like it."
"Nicole helped with the translation, and Shard with the inscription," Keith explained.
The two hugged, both smiling at their gifts.
Chris approached Helen, who was playing with Cream and Cosmo.
"Uh… hey, Helen. I got you something.
"Really?" Helen asked.
He handed her a small box. She opened it, gasping in delight as she pulled out a stuffed Light Chao doll.
"Chris, you shouldn't have!" She exclaimed.
"I just wanted to give you something nice."
Helen smiled, then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I love it."
Chris turned red, holding his cheek and grinning like an idiot. Sonic headed over to Sally, handing her a little wrapped box.
"Wracked my brain long and hard about what to get for you, Sal," he admitted. "Here you go."
Sally quickly unwrapped and opened the box. Inside was a silver necklace, one decorated with seven small, brilliant cut gems. They were all a different color, with a dark blue one resting in the middle.
"Sonic, it's gorgeous," she let out. "How did you-?"
'You'd be amazed what kinda discounts you can get when you're a famous hero." He remarked. "That and alot of help from Uncle Chuck."
He pulled it out and Sally turned around, lifting her hair so he could clasp it.
"Thank you," she let out, smiling.
They shared a hug and kiss. "Santa" stood up.
"Well, it's been fun, boys and girls, but I need to get going," he said. "I've still got the rest of Mobius to deliver presents to."
He shared hugs with the younger kids before getting in the sleigh. With a crack of the reins, the reindeer sprang to life and he flew off with a laugh.
"Merry Christmas, one and all!" he declared as he flew into the night.
-X-
Sometime later, Chuck returned in his normal attire, carrying some fresh cookies, and a faux disappointed look.
"Aww, did I miss Santa?" he snapped his fingers. "Gosh darn it."
After a minute, he shrugged. "Oh well. There's always next year."
As the party continued, Shadow stood up, tapping on his eggnog glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention.
"Everyone, may I have your attention, please?" he called. "I have one last gift to give out."
He turned to Hope, reaching into his jacket. He hesitated for a moment, took a breath, and pulled out a single red envelope.
"Shadow, you didn't have to give me-" Hope began.
"Please... open it," he requested.
Hope paused, then opened the envelope, pulling out the paper inside. She gasped when she unfolded it.
"Certificate… of adoption?" she let out.
"Got it finalized today," Shadow said, kneeling down in front of her chair so he was looking her in the eyes. "Hope, we're family. Have been ever since the beginning. We're all the other has, and I want you to know that I will always be there for you. Not just as your friend, but as your partner, your protector… and now, your new father."
Hope started crying, smiling before hugging him. He returned the hug, everyone else smiling at the look. Vector downed his eggnog, bawling himself in happiness.
"Best Christmas ever, guys…" he slurred. "Don't you just love happy endings?"
They looked at him, seeing his eyes bleary and him wavering slightly.
"Oh boy…" Espio sighed. "He must have gotten the eggnog bowls mixed up."
"For an ace detective, he's really dumb," Charmy deadpanned.
"Hey, watch how you talk to your boss, Charmy," Vector pointed at him. "Besides, it's a party. Live a little."
Everyone just laughed as the party continued, dancing, drinking, and talking late into the evening. Soon, everyone began dispersing, heading home to families and warm beds. Vanilla insisted on Vector staying in Knothole, not wanting him accidentally wandering into Azure Lake. With that, the Freedom Fighters headed for bed, hanging up stockings and setting out milk and cookies out of habit beforehand.
Robotropolis
The next morning, Eggatha was happily going through her stocking, coming across spare parts for her experiments while Robotnik was combing through a sizable pile of coal from his.
"Well… saw this coming," he sighed. "At the very least, I can find some use for all this."
"Have them pressed into diamonds," Eggatha offered. "We can sell them to make up for lost revenue after the multiple failures and psycho-interventions."
"Yes," Robotnik nodded. "Good idea."
As he went about planning how to do that, Eggatha got a message in her inbox. She opened it, seeing pictures from the Christmas Party, including the kids with their gifts, and one of Hope and Shadow proudly displaying the adoption certificate, ending with the words "Merry Christmas, Aggie!" Eggatha smiled, typing her own Merry Christmas message back.
"Congratulations, Hope. Shadow'll make a great dad."
Author's Note:
Merry Christmas, everybody! Or Happy Holidays. Whatever.
Ash is from Archie, as is Cobar, though his backstory is altered from the 25 Years Later universe in which he appeared. Surprised I made Rotor gay? I got the idea from one of Ken Penders' own plans when he was writing those stories; Penders had Rotor in a relationship with Cobar, but Sega mandates forced him to keep it subtle. I, however, am not bound by any of Sega's crazy rules or executive meddling.
I also toned down Ash's rivalry with Sonic, for good reason. Mina has never been in a relationship with Sonic or had any interest beyond close friendship. Ash has no reason to be jealous of Sonic, and if he was a jerk to the guy who saved her and her mom, Mina would dump him.
Voice cast for this chapter:
* Ash - Jensen Ackles (Jason Todd in Batman: Under the Red Hood, Dean Winchester from Supernatural, C.J. Braxton from Dawson's Creek)
* Cobar - Neil Patrick Harris (Dr. Blowhole from The Penguins of Madagascar, Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother, Music Meister from Batman: The Brave and the Bold)
Please R&R. Until next time!
