Magenta was looking forward to Heartmas/Life Day this year.
She'd really begun to change a lot since going under Master Yoda's care. Just like Queen Reigna and so many others said, he was very wise and very patient. He'd really come up with a lot of helpful ways to help her become the best version of her.
Yoda guided her through meditations, sometimes with a little help from Indira and Hunter. He had her sit by the tree in the Temple courtyard to reflect on who she wanted to be and what the people around her really meant to her. He even encouraged her to write down her feelings and relax.
Now that she and Remix were friends again, they were finally going to celebrate the holidays together.
"Remix is going to love his present." Magenta smiled as she placed Remix's present under the tree.
"A wonderful present, you have already given." said Yoda. "No greater gift than family there is."
Magenta smiled and said, "I couldn't have said it better myself." He playfully snorted on her rider.
Since Remix and their cousins were spending the holiday with the Skywalker-Jinn family and the Bad Batch, Magenta was joining them, along with Yoda of course.
"You know, I'm glad I get to celebrate with family this year." Magenta said. "Back when I was a singing diva, all my Life Days were spent alone in a recording studio. I should've known then that it would've been wise to go back to my dad and my brother and apologize. The only thing my producers cared about was me getting to rehearsals on time or collaborating with other stars. They never once asked me what my plans were for Heartmas. They just gave me a fruitcake and wished me Merry Heartmas and left me alone. I don't even like fruitcake."
Yoda chuckled and said, "Not a fan of fruitcake either, am I."
"My grandpa didn't like fruitcake either. You know, you're starting to remind me of him. We were so close when I was little."
Magenta picked up a picture frame with her magic and showed it to Yoda. In the frame was a picture of Magenta when she had to be about eight years old, and she was with an older stallion with glasses who was laying on his stomach, Magenta laying on his back, the two of them laughing together.
"Before Mom died, he was the only family from her side we had." Magenta sighed sadly.
"That's a pretty stocking, Ryoo." Gabby complimented her cousin's Life Day stocking. "Yours too, Pooja."
"I hope Santa got me the doll I asked for." Pooja said.
"Galaxy girl dolls are almost impossible to get, even for Santa." said Ryoo.
"You never know." Gabby said. "I still don't have the original Carolina Jane doll, but Daddy made me a doll that looked like her for my birthday. She turned out to be even better."
"Mom says it's the thought that counts." Boba said, hanging up his stocking and making sure it was all empty. "And I know from experience that the best gifts are gifts of love."
Boba cuddled Fuzzy, the first present he'd ever received from his family.
Pinto hung up his stocking on the section for the horses' stockings. It was a long line of stockings for all the family this Life Day/Heartmas. Stockings for the Skywalkers and Jinns, stockings for the Naberries, stockings for the Bad Batch, even stockings for the horses.
"Tell me again why we're hanging socks over the fireplace?" Wrecker asked, looking into a stocking with his name on it.
"It's not a sock, Wrecker." Gabby said. "It's a stocking. Santa Claus stuffs them with treats when he comes to visit at night while we're sleeping. As long as you've been good."
"It doesn't seem logical though," said Tech. "Traveling to so many spaces in one night to deliver gifts."
"Get with the spirit, Tech." Teatra said. "Anything is possible. There's more to life than cold hard facts and logic. Besides, is it logical for equines to be able to talk to humans?"
Tech thought and said, "I suppose you make a good point."
"Oh, Santa's real alright." said Boba. "I saw him with my own eyes."
"Yeah. And Santa also has a system to check his list twice." Gabby said. "Like the song says, he knows who's been naughty, and who's been nice."
"What happens if you're on the naughty list?" Wrecker asked.
"Then you don't get any presents." Estrella said. "Instead, you get a stocking full of lumps of coal."
"What if someone asks for coal?" Omega asked.
"I guess the stocking would just be empty." said Gabby. "Or they just get the note that says to try harder next year."
Omega looked at the stocking Shmi made for her as her first Life Day present.
"If Santa goes to all the worlds in the galaxy, why didn't he ever come to Kamino?" Omega asked.
"You know," said Boba. "I always wondered that too. Back when I lived there, the Kaminoans always told me Santa wasn't real. I asked my dad about it, and he always changed the subject."
That got Gabby and Lamenta feeling sad. They looked at the Batchers. They all confirmed that Life Day was not a big deal back on Kamino.
"Then we'll just have to make this your best Life Day ever." Lamenta said.
"She's got that right." Maybelle said, licking Crosshair.
"Maybelle!" Crosshair scolded.
"Don't look at me, yer the one standin' under the mistletoe."
Speaking of mistletoe, Tech picked up a present he'd wrapped for his girlfriend. It was their first holiday together, and he was going to make sure he gave Mila the best present ever.
"I hope Mila likes the tool kit I got her." Tech said.
"You got your girlfriend tools?" said Echo.
"Mila's an inventor, remember?" Banjo said. "Not all girls are into jewelry. Just look at my sister."
Maybelle started digging into some sugar plums, and getting a little messy doing it.
"Good point." Echo chuckled, petting Banjo's muzzle.
Diamond flew up to her spot on the fireplace and hung her stocking next to Kara's.
"I hope Santa leaves watermelon chewies in my stocking." Diamond said, licking her mouth.
"As long as you've been a good filly," said Kara, petting Diamond's head. "you'll find a nice surprise Life Day morning."
"What did you ask Santa for?" Boba asked his twin.
"I had a really hard time choosing." Omega said. "But in the end, I asked Santa for video games."
"I'm hoping I get that purple unicorn like the one Lamenta got." Gabby said.
"You're still obsessed with that?" Boba chuckled.
"It's a really special toy." Gabby said. "She's sparkly, she's cuddly, and she makes magical sounds when you squeeze her hoof."
"I'm sparkly and cuddly," said Carousella, putting Gabby. "I also make music from my horn, and you can ride me."
Carousella trotted around, playing "Jingle Bells" from her magical horn.
Gabby giggled. It was kind of amusing to see Carousella jealous of a toy.
"Don't worry, Carousella. No toy could take your place." Gabby said, petting her equine friend's mane. "Especially since most toys can't cuddle you back."
"No, but we always can." said Shmi, approaching her granddaughter and giving her a kiss.
"Grandma!" Gabby hugged her grandmother.
It was Shmi's first Life Day with a new family too. So, her grandchildren were determined to make this a great holiday for her too. They all pitched in to get her a great present. They couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she opened their gift.
"Do you have a special Life Day wish, Grandma Shmi?" Lamenta asked.
"What more could I wish for when I already have all of you?" Shmi smiled.
"Hey, kids." Anakin called. "Grandpa Qui-Gon and Papa Ruwee are gonna tell stories."
"And probably gonna compete to see who tells them best." Lamenta joked, making the other kids laugh.
The kids all gathered around as their grandparents read some holiday stories to them.
Sure enough, the two grandfathers had to have a little contest to decide who read to them first.
"Arm wrestle for it!" said Wrecker.
"That wouldn't be fair," said Ruwee. "Didn't Anakin say his father has super strength or something?"
"He definitely has the muscles." Shmi purred, kissing Qui-Gon's cheek.
"He is correct, though." Qui-Gon chuckled. "Perhaps we shall do it the way the children settle it?"
Rock, Paper, Scissors, shoot!
Qui-Gon had paper, Ruwee had...
"Paper covers rock." Qui-Gon smirked.
"No fair! Best two out of three! That's the rule." Ruwee whined.
Everyone laughed at how childish the oldest members of the family were behaving. While they kept playing Rock, Paper, Scissors, Carmine and Anakin prepared some hot cocoa for everyone.
"Why don't you read a story together?" Gabby suggested, getting a book out. "We already had enough time to decide which story we wanna hear."
Ruwee and Qui-Gon looked at each other and agreed to get on reading.
A Life Day Carol was one story the kids never got tired of hearing.
"I love a story with a happy ending." Omega sighed happily. "Scrooge finally got a family to celebrate the holidays with."
"Heartmas is famous for miracles after all," smiled Magenta, cuddling Remix under her wing and nuzzling him.
"That's what the holidays are about." Lamenta said. "Being with family and friends. My parents and I used to spend them in a lot of different places, but it didn't really matter where we were because somehow, we always got a visit from Santa, and more importantly, we celebrated together."
"And it's even better because you have more family to celebrate with." Gabby said, hugging her cousin. "A wise man once told us there's no better gift than family."
"Only two more sleeps until Life Day," said Jobal. "And I believe it's time the children got to tonight's."
The kids all groaned.
"But I'm not sleepy yet!" Diamond whined.
But, they didn't know that things were about to take a serious turn for the worst.
Mariverde chuckled as she looked into her magic mirror. Initially, she believed she might as well take a vacation, as the holidays were the happiest time of year, filled with smiles, laughter, and easy cheer. However, she soon found via magic mirror that there were those with fear and anger within them.
"A royal mare abused by her disgraced family. The sister of my apprentice formerly known as Silly Filly, no less. And a young mare fearful of Krampus as well. Such fine targets." Mariverde chuckled, calling two butterflies to her to make a couple of mariclavas.
But then, Mariverde came up with another idea.
"Why should I settle for two victims when I can create a grave sadness during this time of year?" Mariverde smirked as her idea came to mind. "And what better way to create that deal of grief and sadness by removing the one thing everyone looks forward to all year long? So many broken hearts, so many easy targets, and a great army to help me defeat the royal family once and for all."
The two mariclavas flew out to get Mariverde's two victims, and then, she began to devise more details for her master plan.
"Let's see who's on what lists this year." said Mariverde. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, show me the lists with names of all."