And the final chapter of this year is here.
The November was a very busy month for me. Work was exhausting, had some personal things to attend and a businesstrip to Poland.
One of the many reasons I couldn't write.
But I hope you could wait for this chapter to be released.
Right now I focus myself on being better at drawing.
I don't know if I will post them or not.
Anyway see you next year. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Until then
Santa stared coldly into the yellow, amber eyes of the creature sitting on his office chair. His feelings shifted from fear to panic to uncertainty. The bearded fat man, who everyone waited for and sometimes feared when it came to the lists he kept, now felt fear himself. His hands trembled despite the thick gloves. Who or what was the thing in his office? He wondered, looking questioningly at the thing while his eyes wandered to Lucifer. From the outside, the two figures looked similar. Both were mostly covered with fur, had two pairs of horns on their heads, a long thin tail with a spade-like end, and sharp claws at the end of their hands and feet. Santa looked back and forth and had an uneasy feeling about his visitors.
This feeling was only intensified when the uninvited visitor grinned at him, while Lucifer immediately knew who or what the visitor was. Santa couldn't fail to hear the growl that was initially heard softly. "Ho-ho, hello." Therefore, the bearded old man tried to start the conversation with the creature in a relaxed manner to avoid any confrontation. "Goodness, what a hairy boy you are." The creature didn't answer him but grabbed the trident that was lying on the chair next to him and floated over the table. "Oh my." Santa replied before the "thing" flew at him and Lucifer. The latter didn't hesitate to protect Santa.
"Who are you?" Santa asked curiously while Lucifer tried to interrupt him with a friendly tone. "I'll make this quick, Santa." However, the being was faster than Lucifer could open his mouth. "I'd like to inquire about this nice list of yours." It slowly descended and wanted to ask Santa even more when its eyes finally caught sight of the furious Lucifer. "What the... WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" he roared. 'I could ask you the same!' Lucifer replied with a demonic tone at the end of his sentence. It was more than obvious that both disliked each other and were on the verge of coming to blows with every sentence. They were like two predators defending their territory.
Head to head, the two stared at each other and didn't let insults and the like go for long. "You want to prevent me from getting on the Nice list!" the creature growled. "You on the Nice list? After all you've done to my beloved Alicia, hardly!" Lucifer countered back as best he could. 'Be glad that I don't turn you into ashes right here!' Lucifer hesitated to use his own trident. Actually, he didn't even need it. Nevertheless, they both glared at each other until Santa interrupted them. "Ho-ho, take it easy, you two." Confused, they both looked at him. "No need to fight about it. After all, it's almost Christmas." Lucifer nodded sympathetically and let go of his hatred.
He didn't want to make Santa angry. "So you're both here for the Nice List?" Lucifer and the creature nodded. "Was that so hard to ask?" Both stared at each other in amazement before Santa sighed loudly. Like his previous answer, they both seemed confused by his sigh. But before Lucifer could say anything to the creature that looked suspiciously like him, Santa turned his attention to the latter. "Oh-ho-ho. I see. This is about a present." The confused look on the face of both the creature and Lucifer was hard to miss. It was hard to miss the fact that Santa showed neither fear nor anxiety. "Well, just whisper into Santa's ear what you want.", 'Really?' they both said at the same time while Santa waited for the wish and at the same time for an answer.
However, the creature hesitated. It didn't know what to say. Was it really that simple? Just ask Santa without any consequences or the like? It nervously clasped its hands together and said, "Aren't you gonna, you know..." Lucifer lowered one of his eyebrows while Santa just looked down at the creature in confusion until he realized what was going on "Oh! Ho-ho-ho-ho. Of course." Santa replied before leaving the creature alone with the still confused Lucifer to return with a small stool on which Santa sat down. "Oh boy..." sighed Lucifer as the creature sat on Santa's lap in delight.
No matter how much the two looked alike, Lucifer still couldn't understand how the creature had its role. Both were known for things that others feared. Even the mere appearance brought fear and shivers. Not for nothing was there a saying that had long been used on the other Inkwell Isles: "Don't Deal with the Devil." A phrase memorized by every inhabitant. Here, however, it didn't seem to exist as the devil from this world just sat on Santa's lap like a little six-year-old child whispering his wish (which hopefully isn't what Lucifer hopes for).
"You want a tutu?" Lucifer covered his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. "Sure! Santa will bring you a tutu." The creature's smile dropped to an annoyed pout. His brow dropped as well. "Not a tutu." the creature shook its head in annoyance 'I said choo choo.' it corrected while Santa realized his mistake and laughed shamefully. Lucifer was still silent and watched as his counterpart saw it as easy to ask for something he wanted. Luckily for him, it wasn't his wife the devil was asking for, but a toy train? What does he need... Lucifer didn't give it a second thought. He was here for something else anyway.
"I guess I'll be on my way, then." With the trident in his hand, the devil stood up and walked past both Santa and Lucifer. He paid no more attention to either of them. There was neither a growl against Lucifer nor any insults or accusations. A neutral presence was created between the two demons "Let me just find your name on the nice list." which disappeared immediately with Santa's words. Both turned around and looked at Santa, who was standing in front of his desk with two rolls of parchment on it. He took one in his hand and opened it before using a quill to search for the name of the creature that was still nameless to him.
Lucifer and the devil looked over Santa's shoulder while he looked up the name with his little reading glasses. Lucifer's yellow eyes caught sight of his name on the list. Of course, behind him in brackets was The Devil. He stared at the list with a nervous, anxious but also worried expression on his face that said from afar that nothing good was going to happen to him. "What is your last name?" Santa asked him. "Devil." replied the devil. His eyes wandered down the list. But unfortunately there was no devil on it (with the exception of Lucifer). But Santa didn't give up and continued to search the entire list, giving Lucifer time to look for familiar names on the list. He immediately spotted the names of the three cups. Elder Kettle, Blood, Varian, Nyx and Eira were also on the list. But there was no sign of Alicia. No matter how many times he looked down the A row with his eyes, he couldn't find her name. "I'm not seeing anything. What's your first name?" asked Santa.
The devil hesitated at first but answered the question with a slightly shaky voice "The?" But Santa found nothing there either. "Hmm." Santa thought and rolled up the list he had looked through while his eyes fell on the other one "Let me check on the other list." he reached for it, opened it and dodged the bats that came out of the list before reading it "The Devil, the Devil..." the list was quite shorter than the other one. So it didn't take Santa long to find the name. "The Devil?!" he shouted, looking at the devil while the list with all the names on it was visible.
"You're the Devil?" His name came first out of all the others. His name was written in red ink while all the other names were written in pine black. "You're number one on the naughty list." And it looked like Alicia was in twentieth place. Lucifer and the devil saw her name immediately. Neither of them knew why Alicia was on this list and not the other. She didn't belong there. She was sweet, kind, caring, looked after others and was almost like a big sister to the three cups. So why was she on the naughty list? That's what the two demons wanted to know. The devil also wanted to know if it was bad that he was on the naughty list.
The question answered itself. Santa walked in circles several times, grabbing his head and thinking about what he should say next while his two guests waited for an answer. "I'm afraid it's time I turned my attention to something I've been suppressing for far too long." With these words, Santa turned to a cupboard. A cupboard that was bordered by two large side drawers. One side was labeled with a male sign, the other with a female one. He opened or pulled out the latter and a mountain of snow globes were stored between several open drawers.
Under each snow globe there was a first name with just the first letter of the surname. The snow globes were all different sizes and decorated. Some looked beautiful and antique. Others were new and others had cracks in the glass. Santa's gloves wandered past the individual snow globes until they stopped at Alicia P. "There she is." He grabbed the snow globe. "My little angel of innocence." Santa whispered before turning his attention to the others. The snow globe that belonged to Alicia was the only one that wasn't marked like the rest of the world. No, it was realistic, as was the house inside the snow globe. It wasn't a particularly old house like the ones in Inkwell City, but more modern. Slowly Santa shook the snow globes and covered the small house in snow while he explained why and why Alicia was on the naughty list despite her good character.
"You must know that the Nice and Naughty list is not just for distinguishing good and bad children..." sighed Santa as he continued to shake the snow globe gently and gently, filling it more and more with snow until the whole globe was full from the inside. Lucifer and the devil were initially confused by the statement as well as what was going on with the snow globe. No normal snow globe fills itself with snow, let alone starts to glow. "It distinguishes people from those who believe in the spirit of Christmas and those who have long since forgotten it..." with these words, the snow moved away from the glass. The house was visible and seemed to show life. In any case, Lucifer and the devil saw shadows running past the windows before the snow globe showed a memory.
A memory of the day Alicia lost the spirit of Christmas.
It was Christmas morning. It was quiet and peaceful in the Powell family home. All the family members were fast asleep in their beds. Almost everyone except young eleven-year-old Alicia, who jumped out of bed with Christmas joy. "It's Christmas!" she shouted with joy. She reached for her coat, grabbed her slippers and went to the door of her bedroom to go quietly but gently down the stairs. The living room was not far from the stairs. She walked gently down the last few steps. She didn't want to wake anyone. After all, it was a family thing to open presents and well, since the move from Wyoming to Arizona a few months ago, her parents and her brother John were the only family members.
Her maternal aunts lived in New York and Florida. Her two uncles also lived far away. One lives in Alaska and the other in France. Her grandparents still lived in Wyoming but would move to live with their children in New York and Florida in the following years. On his father's side, his grandparents lived in Utah until his grandfather's death. However, in order to be closer to her family, her grandmother moved to Illinois where Alicia's father's sister and older brother lived.
The only contact the two siblings had with the rest of the family at that time was by telephone. The reason for this was John and Alicia's parents. Both had been very absorbed in their work since the move. So much so that they not only had little contact with their relatives but also with their own children. School events were forgotten, visits to the park were briefly scheduled with business meetings and general family activities became fewer and fewer. All this within just six months.
Both siblings quickly felt neglected. Both John and Alicia didn't want their parents to ignore them. Especially not at Christmas. This day was an important day for both siblings. Contact with their parents was nothing like it was now. That's why Alicia only wanted one thing this year: To celebrate Christmas Day with her parents.
No toys, no sweets, no clothes.
Alicia's wish was just that nothing else mattered. That's why she ran down the stairs in anticipation, storming into the living room only to see it not decorated with Christmas decorations and no presents under the Christmas tree. "Uhh..." Alicia said as she slowly walked into the living room and looked around, hoping that her wish would still come true and not be swallowed up like sand in an hourglass. Sadly, on that day, her children's eyes saw their parents abandoning them and their brother. "Alicia..." she heard her brother's voice behind her. With a neutral but sad look on her face, she turned to him and saw the message in her brother's hand. "You should read this." Without argument, John handed her the note written by their parents.
"This message was the beginning of Alicia's hatred of Christmas." The snow globe refilled with snow until nothing could be seen. A second later, the snow receded and the little house could be seen. Surrounded by snow and ice. Santa's gloves caressed the glass before he put the snow globe back in the drawer from which he had taken it. "And that's why I had to put Alicia on the naughty list..." With a big sigh, he pushed the drawer back into the shelf and sat down on his chair, drinking his hot chocolate out of sadness rather than joy.
Lucifer and the devil noticed his sadness. They wanted to cheer him up, but didn't know how otherwise. Both were here for different reasons. The devil knew that, Lucifer knew that, and Santa knew that. The latter turned to the two of them after taking a hearty gulp of hot chocolate and spoke in a neutral yet serious voice. "So you both wanted something from the Nice List?" Lucifer winced a little. He just wanted to help Alicia get her joy back for Christmas. As for the devil, Lucifer didn't know. He guessed that he would go so far as to burn the Nice List. But Santa's words said something different.
"For you, um, I'm afraid this means you won't be getting that tutu after all." This annoyed the devil. Not only because he had no chance of getting a present, but also because his actual present was a toy train and not a piece of clothing to wear to the ballet. "Choo! Choo!" accordingly, the devil complained like a small child who didn't get a lollipop or a new toy. "No tutu. No choo choo." Santa admonished, wagging his index finger. The matter was serious and the devil knew it. "Henchman was right. I'll never get on the nice list." With his trident dragging on the ground, the devil sat down on a pile of letters addressed to Santa that he had already opened.
Santa sensed his sadness. "Oh." He almost felt sorry for himself until he thought of one thing the devil could do. 'Tell you what.' The devil's bleak, almost hopeless eyes opened and looked over at Santa, who tried to please the devil with his next words. "If you can be a good boy till the stroke of midnight, I'll put you on the nice list." The devil immediately accepted this offer, shaking Santa's hand in gratitude while cheerfully announcing "You have a deal, Santa. I won't let you down. You'll see!". Before Santa or Lucifer could say anything, the devil disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving them both alone.
This gave Lucifer and Santa time to talk about why the former was here in the first place. "I know why you're here Lucifer." sighed Santa before sitting down in his chair 'I know you only want the best for your wife and queen but I can't take them off the naughty list.' he sighed again. Lucifer didn't really like the answer. He hoped that Santa would at least grant him this wish. But unfortunately he had made a mistake. "Can't you turn a blind eye and put her on the list? She's nice and good. Those are perfect qualities to get on the Nice list, aren't they?" Lucifer begged Santa.
But the bearded man was against it and shook his head. "Even if I want to, my hands are tied, Lucifer," Santa answered his request. "I know that Alicia has a good heart and that she cares a lot about others and never shows favoritism, but unfortunately I can't put her on the Nice list like everyone else." Lucifer's begging look changed to a sad, almost defeated expression. He knew that he had tried everything and that there was no chance of putting Alicia on the Nice list.
Or was there?
"Maybe there's a way for my little innocent angel to get on the Nice list." Lucifer looked confused at Santa. The latter stared at him cheerfully, raised his right index finger, slowly opened his mouth and almost uttered the first word when suddenly a cloud of smoke enveloped them both, from which a nervous, almost humble-looking devil emerged. Like a child standing in the principal's office, the devil held his hands behind his back. Santa stared at him in disappointment before asking loudly, "What happened?". Lucifer could already guess what had happened. "It looks like my doppelganger couldn't keep his end of the bargain," Lucifer explained, leaning slightly against Santa's office chair.
Santa didn't like that at all. Even when the devil said it was going well, "Yeah, for, like, ten seconds." Santa just sighed with more frustration. He gave him a chance to do something good, to get on the Nice list and what happened? An elderly lady was turned into gunpowder when she asked for donations. "Santa needs a drink." All this frustrated Santa so much that he had to have a drink to avoid saying the wrong thing. Lucifer remained silent next to his chair and just stared at the devil in annoyance. The latter imitated him but wanted to know from Santa whether his progress hadn't improved at all or whether it was all for nothing.
"At this rate, You'll be on the naughty list forever." Lucifer could already guess the answer. However, he feared that the same would happen to Alicia. One thing Lucifer was reluctant to avoid. Just like the devil himself, who would love to do anything to get on the Nice list. "I'm sorry! I just wanted that tutu!" he begged with shaky arms while hanging on to Santa's coat like his life depended on it. "Choo choo." Lucifer corrected him 'Right.' growled the devil in a grumbling voice before his eyes wandered up to Santa. "Well, if you and Lucifer's wife really want on the nice list, there is one way, but it comes at a cost.". No matter what the thing was that Santa was talking about. Both demons accepted the offer. "I'll do anything!" the devil pleaded even more dramatically while Lucifer just rolled his eyes.
Fa-la-la-la, fa-la-la-la…
Chanting could be heard in Santa's workshop, which was no longer bright and decorated with bright colors. The elves themselves wore long dark green cloaks instead of their traditional clothing. The toys were also gone, leaving a large area open. Some elves approached this area and formed a circle around them with licked candy canes and continued to chant. Santa, Lucifer and the devil stood on the sidelines and watched the whole thing. Both demons were confused while Santa just looked neutrally and without any facial expressions. Lucifer was about to ask what exactly was going to happen when two elves took both him and the devil by the hand and lured them towards the circle while the rest of the elves continued to chant.
Once in the circle, Lucifer and the devil stared at each other, shrugging their shoulders in confusion and questioning until the elves lifted their hoods from their heads and candles placed on candlesticks were visible. The elves continued to sing and both demons were only more confused until Lucifer sensed someone behind him. Both his and the devil's pupils retracted when they saw Santa Claus behind the circle of elves, dressed just like the elves. He too wore a red coat that covered his entire body except for his head.
Decatus seasonem, holly jolly, om.
He spoke in a deep, almost resounding voice. His usually cheerful voice, for which Santa was known, disappeared the moment he opened his mouth and began the ritual in which the devil and Lucifer were initiated.
Decatus seasonem, holly jolly, om.
At the moment, however, her eyes were fixed on the elves around her, who followed Santa's words without missing a beat. Whatever this ritual was, it seemed to be something big. Not for nothing would all the elves suddenly be dressed like this and volunteer to take part in the ritual.
Decatus seasonem, holly jolly, om.
The ritual chanting continued and became more intense and louder with every second. The devil was sweating with fear and nervousness while Lucifer was getting more and more uneasy. Of course he wanted to help Alicia get on the Nice list, but he had imagined this help to be different.
Decatus seasonem, holly jolly, om.
Suddenly Santa opened his eyes, which were now brightly lit. Lucifer and the devil saw this and flinched slightly before Santa breathed on them. From his mouth came a cloud of white smoke that not only extinguished the candles but enveloped the entire room until all that could be heard was an echo of Santa saying "Ho-ho-ho." shouted. Nope, it made both demons cough. "huh?" the devil asked, coughing slightly as he waved the smoke away and looked around. The room was lit up again but there was no sign of Santa. Lucifer, who had inhaled the most smoke of the two, coughed even harder and was oblivious to what was going on around him.
The elves turned back to their work, leaving both confused looking demons alone. After all, there was still a lot to do before it was time to deliver the presents. "What the heck was that?" Lucifer asked as he coughed out the last of the smoke from his throat. He didn't get an exact answer from his adversary as he had already disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Only Lucifer remained behind and wanted answers to what had just happened. The elves (now wearing their traditional clothes) wrapped the last presents in colorful wrapping paper and took them out of the workshop.
Lucifer knew where to go. To Santa's sleigh. There he would certainly find an answer to his question if four elves of all people didn't surround him. Each of them was holding an object that a tailor would normally use to prepare a new item of clothing. One held a tape measure and measured out Lucifer's body, another cut the matching colored fabric, another held a needle and thread ready to sew it together, and another slid a clothing frame into the workshop. It was more than clear that the elves were preparing a coat similar to Santa's to Lucifer's body size and measurements.
But why? "I'm happy to answer that question," a nasal voice rang out and pushed its way between the four elves who were in the process of adjusting the cloak so that it would fit Lucifer perfectly. Lucifer didn't know who this nasal voice belonged to. But the devil would know soon enough, just like the thing he and Lucifer were involved in.
In the throne room of the underworld, you could hear the whirring of a vacuum cleaner sucking up every speck of dust or small piece of rock lying on the long carpet. Henchman continued to vacuum with the vacuum cleaner while Amnon helped him with his feather duster to wipe away the dirt and dust on the pillars and armrests of the throne. The fact that it was quiet in the underworld when the devil wasn't present didn't bother the two demons much. They also completely ignored the fact that the trident was leaning against one of the two pillars right next to the throne. Cleanliness was more important.
Even the grunting of a certain someone who tried to approach the trident with all his might was ignored until Amnon suddenly tipped the trident over with a clatter. "Oops!" Amnon stuttered as he and Henchman stopped their work abruptly and looked at the toppled trident. But that wasn't the worst thing the two demons saw. Rather, it was what slowly emerged from behind the throne.
They both gasped when they saw well, whatever it was behind the throne. Whatever it was, they both approached the throne slowly and carefully. After all, there could be a creature lurking behind the throne. However, when Henchman looked behind the throne, his pupils widened and he gasped again. Amnon, in turn, covered his eyes with his shaky left paw until it was removed by Henchman and he saw for himself exactly what was standing in front of them. Well, it wasn't a creature. But both demons immediately recognized who or what was sitting behind the throne. The red clothing, the black boots and the red cap with a white headband and pompom made it hard to miss that this had to be nothing other than "Santa!". Both demons screamed with joy when they saw him, ignoring the horns coming out of his cap, the claws and the obvious devil's tail. Anyone could say it was Krampus but then the story would be very different.
But it wasn't Santa or Krampus standing in front of them, but their boss? Both demons widened their eyes as if they hadn't expected it. Well, on the whole, nobody expected it. Not even the devil. Because while Lucifer had hardly changed physically, the devil had become a one-to-one copy of Santa Claus. Only his face, horns, claws and tail remained to show his original identity. But why was the devil Santa? Something wasn't right. Henchman and Amnon wanted to hear the answer. The devil knew this, which is why he explained it to both of them in a gentle way.
"No, I'm not Santa, you idiots! Santa's the one who did this to me!" the devil roared angrily as he pulled at his beard, hoping it would fall off. But unfortunately it stuck to his skin like his clothes. "You mean you met Santa?" but neither Henchman nor Amnon were interested in how this all came about as the latter asked the question. "Yeah. He's a psycho." confirmed the devil. The joy increased in the eyes of Henchman and Amnon. Both wanted to know more. "Ooh! We have so many questions. Does his eyes twinkle? Is his nose like a cherry?" asked Amnon with a shaky voice. "Does he shake when he laughs, like a bowl full of jelly?" "Henchman, Amnon!" the devil interrupted, annoyed by the questions the two were asking him. It was bad enough that he had transformed into such a grotesque figure. He didn't need any annoying questions about the man who was responsible for it in the first place.
However, the question still remained as to why the devil spoke so nervously to Santa. Nobody knew that the devil wanted a toy train. Not even his two helpers, who were a little surprised by this. He could simply conjure up a toy train with his trident. Or could he? "If you want a train, why not just make one appear?" asked Amnon. "You know, with your trident?". "Henchman, Amnon, getting a present isn't the same unless someone else gives it to you." the devil countered before getting up with difficulty, 'Now, I am going back to the North Pole immediately.'. This news delighted both demons. Their tails and wings wagged with joy, and they asked valiantly, "Oh! Can we come too, boss?" The devil wasn't quite sure. But he couldn't resist the googly eyes, and instead rolled his eyes in annoyance before announcing loudly and irritably, "Ugh, fine.".
At the North Pole itself, everything was going normally. The elves sang and carried the finished presents to the veranda where the sleigh with reindeer was already waiting to go. Lucifer stood in Santa's office and used the Nice list to check that all the presents were there before they left.
"Okay, are these all the presents?" standing next to the elves, who were once again wearing their traditional clothing, was Lucifer, who, in contrast to the devil, was not fat and bloated and wore a beard, but rather just a Santa suit that fit his size and no boots.
He was spared the horrific transformation that the devil had to undergo. But despite this, his spirit as a leader was still the same as ever. He continued to command the elves as if they were his own imps and demons, with the difference that he praised them for their work. "Good work! The last gift is in the bag." The elves were delighted at the news and ran joyfully to Lucifer to be stroked by him. Of course Lucifer giggled nervously but also happily. But only until a cloud of smoke suddenly appeared behind a group of elves who were just waiting to be stroked by Lucifer. The elves looked curiously at the cloud of smoke and saw the devil transformed into Santa Claus with his two companions Henchman and Amnon.
"Santa!" the elves shouted at the sight of the devil as if they had not forgotten that the man they were calling Santa was the lord of the underworld. Only fatter, with a white beard and a Santa Claus costume. "Ew. No! Back! Get away!" but the devil was less than pleased. He wasn't exactly a pussycat and pushed the arriving elves away with his trident as if they were burrs. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Krampus," joked Lucifer as he enjoyed the sight of his revenant. This statement was met with a loud growl from the devil: "I'm not Krampus! I'm not Santa. I'm looking for Santa." the devil explained annoyed while he pushed more elves off his legs that were clinging to him. "Ehm..." the nasal voice that followed the devil's statement and question sounded very familiar to the devil and his two companions. Too familiar, you could say.
Her eyes snapped wide open as a more than familiar figure emerged from the crowd of elves surrounding Lucifer. "Excuse me!" or rather the hand that appeared behind Lucifer and slowly crept through the crowd to reveal the devil. "Santa has one too?" gasped the Devil, Henchman and Amnon simultaneously as they caught sight of the elven version of their accountant. "I'm afraid you and Mr. Lucifer here are Santa. Mm.". The devil couldn't believe what he was hearing. He and his copy and his nemesis were sharing the role of Santa Claus? That wasn't the plan! The devil thought to himself.
Santa's plan or idea was to get both the Devil and Alicia on the Nice list. It was not planned that he and Lucifer would suddenly take over the role of Santa Claus. "According to the bylaws of paragraphs three through seven, subsection 17C, you and Mr. Lucifer are Santa." Elvstickler confirmed with his statement and opened his book to show a Vitruvian representation of Santa Claus. The devil didn't like this "How do I get back to normal?" the devil wanted to know. "You must deliver presents to all the persons on the nice list. Together with Mr. Lucifer." was the answer. An answer the devil didn't want to hear.
"Oh. I won't be doing that." The devil casually drops the poor accountant and smiles gleefully. "Then you and Ms. Powell can say sayonara to the nice list." the latter countered while adjusting his glasses. "Plus, if you and Mr. Lucifer do not succeed, you'll stay Santa Claus for all eternity.". The devil calmed down a little until he realized what that meant. If he didn't hand out all the presents in one night, he would be as he was now for all eternity. The icing on the cake was that he would be together with his arch-enemy. Not only did the devil not like the statement, but also Lucifer, who found it difficult to be separated from Alicia forever.
The size was too big for both demons. Neither of them wanted to risk taking on the role of Santa Claus forever and ever. "Would you stop that? You're freaking me out." But what bothered the devil more at the moment was the accountant's constant repetition of the same word. However, he had not yet said the last word. "And, of course, there are rules." Whether Santa Claus or not, he also had to abide by the rules.
"Rule number one." On a podium surrounded by elves, the accountant stood and enumerated every single rule Lucifer and the devil had to abide by while they were Santa and distributed the gifts. "You must recite the reindeer roll call." was the first rule. A simple one that everyone should understand. "Pardon me?" Well, almost everyone except the devil. "Uh, it's when you list all the reindeer." but luckily the devil had his two helpers with him to explain what was meant by that. Santa's reindeer were well known to everyone. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen were the names.
So it shouldn't be difficult for the devil to forget that. At least Lucifer hoped so. "Rule number two. Santa must remain jolly at all times, must not ever, ever, ever lose his temper." Lucifer seemed a little annoyed when the accountant waved an admonishing finger in his face. A low growl could be heard from him, but nothing more. "Quit wagging that finger in my face!" It was different with the devil, who was smoking like a boiled teapot with anger and pointed his trident at him and fired a fireball at the accountant.
Unlike his counterpart in the underworld, Santa's bookkeeper did not wear an invisible, impenetrable sweater and was completely obliterated by the devil. The elves gasped and paced hysterically as they hid behind Lucifer. "Ugh! See no. That right there that's excatly the kind of thing you can't do, boss." Amnon tried to communicate while the devil himself understood what he had done wrong. "Oh, right. Right." His anger dissipated and with the stomp of his trident, the accountant returned as if he hadn't just been cut into a million pieces.
"Rule number three." Without further ado, the bookkeeper went on with the rules and opened a scroll of parchment that was the Nice list "Every kid on the nice list must receive their presents.", "Fine. How many nice kids can there be anyway?" groaned the devil, unaware that the list was not exactly short but long. Very long to be precise. So long that it rolled out of the workshop and over the many hills around the village, seemingly never ending. The devil didn't like this and was about to burst into flames with rage again if Lucifer didn't push him against the wall. "Listen to me. You and I are in the same boat. We're both Santa Claus for tonight. There's nothing you can do about it." Lucifer explained in a serious voice while the 'Devil stared at him without any expression of emotion.
"We can complain about it as much as we like - in the end, none of us will benefit." Lucifer's frustration was felt and heard by everyone. He had kept it all inside but seemed to have finally had enough of the way his counterpart was behaving "You won't be on the Nice List, nor will I ever see my beloved Alicia again if you don't pull yourself together. Do you understand that?" The devil just nodded and stared into Lucifer's glowing red eyes before he let go of him. "Rule number four. All milk and cookies left for Santa must be consumed." the accountant mentioned in passing before Henchman and Amnon had a little fun with their boss and grabbed his fat belly. "Don't touch." growled the Devil in response to their question and "fun".
Amnon swallowed nervously while Henchman innocently raised his arms in the air as if they had just been caught stealing cookies. "Lastly, rule number five." the bookkeeper mentioned with a nasal expression as he reached for the devil's hand, or rather claw. "You two must deliver all presents by midnight." Neither Lucifer nor the devil needed to ask twice what would happen if they failed to do so. The bookkeeper made it clear to both of them once again what would happen if they failed. "Don't be silly." laughed the devil with a nervous tone that clearly said he was more than overwhelmed by the tasks.
Lucifer didn't seem to care. He knew what he had to do, what he had to pay attention to and what his goal was. To be reunited with Alicia and add his beloved wife and queen to Santa's Nice list. "This will be the best Christmas ever." Lucifer added and got into the sleigh first. The devil followed him but seemed to panic suddenly and sought advice from his assistant. Or rather, he gave both demons a good shake while his claws clung to their collars. "You can do this." Henchman gently encouraged his boss to complete the task.
Somewhat reassured, the devil prepared to set the sledge in motion. "Fly!" he shouted, full of energy and hoping that the sledge would take off at any second. But nothing happened. The reindeer stood motionless, still waiting for their command to fly off. "Why isn't this working?" the devil whispered to his helpers while Lucifer just rolled his eyes and muttered quietly to himself. "Ya gotta do the roll call." Amnon whispered back. The devil only remembered now. It was the first rule the bookkeeper had given him. No wonder the reindeer stood there like statues while nothing happened. Their names were not mentioned. Santa would never forget that.
"On Sleazy, on Stinky, on Larry, and Fatso." "Um excuse me?" Lucifer's eyes widened as the names came out of his counterpart's mouth. "You do realize that the reindeer have different names?" The devil looked a little confused at his helper Santa Claus, who also snatched the reins from his hand, giving Lucifer control of the reindeer. He cleared his throat and pronounced the names correctly "On Dancer, On Dasher, Now Prancer..." as Lucifer went about his business with passion the reindeer not only lifted their heads but the devil smuggled his two helpers onto the sleigh as it picked up speed and lifted off the ground.
The sleigh flew through the snowy night until the first lights of the town could be seen in the distance. The first houses were within reach. The reindeer headed for the first house without any problems and landed gently on the roof without making a sound. After all, nobody was supposed to hear that Santa was there. "Uh, boss, you're gonna make so many kids happy tonight." Henchman rejoiced while Amnon, list in hand, reached for the presents that were for the house and its inhabitants. "Y-y-yes the kids w-w-will be very h-h-happy." stuttered the husky demon before handing the presents to his boss. Meanwhile, Lucifer remained sitting in the sleigh, stretching his legs and enjoying the view while the reindeer snorted and showed their breath clearly.
"Uh, careful with those." Lucifer mentioned in passing while he enjoyed the sight of his counterpart trying to fall through the chimney with his fat belly to put the presents under the Christmas tree as usual. But his belly was far too big for that, so he had to rely on his trident to get into the house. Of course, the devil growled because the last thing he heard before he disappeared into the house was Lucifer sniggering. It was one thing that he was now annoyed to play the role of Santa Claus. But being played by his counterpart, his copy as he said, was more humiliating. The devil didn't want to know what would happen if the cups saw him in this outfit. No matter what, he had a job to do and completed it while Lucifer, Henchman and Amnon waited for him on the roof so they could go to the next house. "Fatso. Onward!" the devil declared as he appeared out of a cloud of smoke next to Lucifer on the sled. Of course, none of the reindeer moved but merely looked annoyed at the devil before Lucifer took the reins. They obeyed Lucifer more than the devil himself.
Arriving at the next house, the devil was about to get out before Lucifer put the reins in his hands and fell down the chimney with a pile of presents. Unlike the devil, the presents remained intact and were not covered in ash or even broken. They remained whole and there was also something left of the cookies and milk. What the devil didn't know was that Santa didn't have to eat and drink everything. A bite and a sip was enough.
Grinning confidently, Lucifer walked out of the chimney and sat down in the sleigh. "Is everything okay with you Mr. Lucifer?" Henchman asked him while the devil and Amnon looked at Lucifer in questionable confusion. His cheeks had a slight red tint, his eyes sparkled like Santa's and his entire posture and facial expression had changed. "I'm fine." Lucifer replied in an almost holiday-like voice as he ordered the reindeer to fly to the next house.
The distribution of gifts changed with each house. Sometimes Lucifer went in and handed out the presents without making a sound or breaking any rules. The devil, on the other hand, seemed to get into more trouble. Not only with eating the cookies and milk but also with some of the residents. "Uh, nice doggies." he chuckled nervously before they pounced on him like a group of wolves on a deer. "Remember, jolly!" Lucifer added salt to the wound while the devil's cries of pain could be heard from outside. Meanwhile, Amnon and Henchman took care of the list, crossing off one name after the other.
With every house they visited, the list got shorter and shorter. But not the growling of the devil's stomach. The cookies and milk gave him a hard time. Soon he could no longer see any cookies. Especially after she came from a house that had nine children. Each one left Santa a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. So all in all, the devil ate nine times as much as usual in that house. No wonder his stomach wouldn't keep up for long. Lucifer, however, seemed to look much happier with every house they passed. None of those present knew why. Perhaps it was the holiday fever, as they said.
No matter what it was, after what felt like half an eternity, they approached the last house. Or rather cottages. "What a relief." sighed the devil as Lucifer continued to hold the reins. But to the devil's shock, the last house was the one that belonged to the cups. "Agh! You have got to be-" his fur or rather his coat was already on fire when Henchman and Amnon calmed him down with their gentle words. "Uh-uh-uh. Jolly." both demons grinned as the sled came to a stop on the roof of the cottage. Henchman and Amnon were ready to hand over the gifts left in the sack to their boss when Lucifer snatched them out of their hands and disappeared into the cottage without a word. "Uh...", 'Don't say his name, or I'll throw up.' the devil interrupted Henchman as he stretched his legs and was glad not to have to go into the cottage.
Although he would love to see his bride Alicia asleep. Well, you can't have everything and it wasn't long before midnight arrived. All the presents had to be distributed by then.
The fire crackled in the fireplace in the living room. The Christmas tree was no longer lit, but its decorations glittered in the glow of the fireplace. Alicia was lying on the sofa in front of the fireplace with Nyx in her arms. Both were fast asleep and didn't realize that they were no longer alone in the living room.
A fat, bearded man approached the Christmas tree and placed several presents under it. One present was two books, a brand new radio, a bag full of various ingredients that could be used to make potions with a matching recipe book, a small box with a strawberry symbol on top and a small toy train. It was the same train that the devil had seen in the toy store and longed for. This was addressed to Cuphead while Cuppy got a small box. The only resident or residents who didn't get anything were Lucifer and Alicia.
But the bearded man wasn't done handing out presents yet. His sack was still full. Full of presents and hope. Hope that was reflected in his eyes when he saw the sleeping Alicia. His lips curled into a smile, "Wake up...". Alicia's eyes twitched as her ears heard the deep but cheerful voice. She didn't know why, but the voice sounded familiar. But who did this voice belong to? "Wake up my little Alicia." Her eyes snapped open the moment she realized who the voice belonged to. She recognized the white beard in the glow of the fire burning in the fireplace and the red coat.
Could it be? Alicia asked herself as she got up from the sofa, waking Nyx up rather unintentionally. "Is it morning already?" the Sprigon asked in a sleepy voice as it rubbed its paw against its eye to get rid of the sleep and tiredness before its eyes caught sight of the man standing in front of them. "S...Santa?" the man nodded. "Yep, that's me." Santa smiled and gently stroked a strand of hair out of Alicia's face. Alicia's frightened face slowly changed to a happy one. One that she hadn't shown since she was a child. "Really what? You're Santa Claus?" Nyx asked. The sprigon couldn't believe what it had just heard.
"Ho-ho-ho, Nyx no need to worry, I'm the real Santa Claus." Santa laughed before turning his eyes to Alicia and asking her why she was sleeping down here in the living room when there was a bed available for her. Well, the question was easy to answer. Before Lucifer left for the North Pole, the three cups (especially Cuphead) asked if Alicia could sleep in the living room that night to keep an eye out for Santa. Of course, Alicia couldn't say no to the googly eyes and agreed to sleep in the living room while Nyx kept her company.
Night fell quickly and soon the human and the sprigon fell into a deep sleep until Santa woke them up. "Well it looks like you got me." Santa laughed bravely. "Yes, then I can go back to sleep and tell the three cups that you were there and-" Before Alicia could lie down, let alone cover herself up, she felt Santa's glove on her shoulder. "Okay, what's going on here?" she asked herself and looked nervously at Santa, who was now not looking at her happily but sadly. "I'm not only here to deliver presents my dear." he sighed, confusing the young adult and Sprigon even more than before "I'm also here because I want to talk to you about something, my sweet little innocent angel Alicia.".
Santa sat down on the sofa next to Alicia. The young adult was confused. Why was he sitting next to her and why was he calling her an innocent angel? Normally only Sally Stageplay from the book called her an angel. But innocent angel was new. Just like some of the other nicknames she had been given since she had been stranded here with Cuppy and Lucifer. "I know you haven't had a good experience with Christmas since that one Christmas Day when you were just eleven years old." His words made Alicia cry. "I...", 'I know you're a good girl.' Santa interrupted her with his soothing voice.
He assured her that she was not responsible for anything. "I know your parents haven't been able to have a proper Christmas since you moved." Nyx wiped Alicia's tear away with her paw while Santa gently stroked her back "However, I don't see you as a bad or naughty person." Alicia looked up at him, her eyes still filled with tears slowly falling down her cheek. "That's why I think it would only be right if I gave you this." Behind his back, Santa took out a small gift wrapped in black wrapping paper with a red bow.
Alicia's eyes widened when she saw the gift. She couldn't believe it. "Is that..." Santa's nod confirmed her question. The gift was meant for her. Not for the three cups or Nyx. But for her. Alicia accepted the gift carefully, but also cautiously, and was about to open it when Santa put his hand on the box. "If I were you, I wouldn't open the present until you need it the least." Need it the least? Huh? Alicia was confused. She realized that it was rude to open your own presents before everyone else, but what did Santa mean by that? Was Alicia's present something special? She didn't get an exact answer because Santa had already set off again not too far away. Of course, he wished her and the others a wonderful holiday and disappeared in a puff of smoke from the living room where Alicia and Nyx were alone again. "What do you think is inside?" Curious, the Sprigon tried to open the box of presents but Alicia put her hand on it and reminded Nyx that Santa had told them not to open the present until Alicia needed it the least. Whatever that might be.
"What's taking so long?" grumbled the devil. The reindeer waited just as impatiently for Lucifer's return. Some sat on the ground while the rest of the reindeer stood normally in front of the sleigh, ready to fly back to the North Pole. Henchman and Amnon looked through the list again to make sure no child had been forgotten. "And all in the green, no child has been forgotten," Henchman announced proudly as Lucifer appeared. The sack hung down behind his back, indicating that all the presents had been delivered. The devil and Lucifer have done their job. "Do you two realize what that means?" Henchman gasped.
"The nice list!" Lucifer mentioned and looked at them together with the others. The last names had already been crossed out. A sign that the people had already received gifts. However, the Nice list lit up and two new names appeared. The devil and Alicia Powell. The task had been completed. Both demons and their companions were more than happy about it and happily got into the sledge to start the journey to the North Pole. After all, they had served their purpose. So why stay here any longer?
When they arrived at the North Pole, the elves and Stickler's elf variant greeted the group. "Thank you. Thank you, everyone." the devil thanked everyone for their applause and cheers. Lucifer, on the other hand, rolled his eyes in annoyance and only wanted one thing: to get out of his Santa suit and be reunited with his beloved Alicia. "Masterfully done." applauded the accountant in a monotone voice and without any kind of applause. "Why, thank you, Stickler Elf. I find that when I set my mind to something and I truly believe in myself, I can do anything I want..." the devil continued until his two assistants interrupted him, 'Boss!' they did so for good reason. Unbeknownst to the devil, some kind of magical clouds appeared at his feet.
Lucifer's eyes lit up brightly as his mouth opened of its own accord. A cloud of smoke also came out of it, enveloping not only him but also the devil, while a deep laugh could be heard. Both clouds disappeared, leaving behind not only the original appearance of Lucifer but also that of the devil, who was now back to his old self. "I'm back! I'm me again!" The devil liked it so much to be himself again that he not only hugged himself but also kissed himself while the real Santa Claus appeared in front of him and his nemesis.
He greeted the two demons cheerfully with a hearty "Ho-ho-ho." Henchman's and Amnon's eyes retreated when they saw Santa and couldn't believe they were looking at him. "Santa!" Henchman gasped like a happy little child. Amnon wagged his tail back and forth like a happy dog. "Very well done you two." Santa praised both the devil and Lucifer for their service as substitute Santas. "Well, Santa, I delivered all the presents." Lucifer stared at him from the side, annoyed. It's not as if the devil had delivered all the presents himself.
"It's a Christmas miracle." Santa laughed heartily and patted his stomach. The devil was happy to hear that. It meant only one thing to him: "And now I get my choo choo." he said, rubbing his hands together with joy. Lucifer, on the other hand, suddenly didn't seem to be feeling very well. His head hurt, but he didn't know why. Surprisingly, he couldn't remember anything since he had gone into the second house to give out the presents. All he could remember was disappearing in a puff of smoke. Nothing more. Except the same fog that Santa had breathed on him and the devil.
"Oh no. Your present is even better than a choo choo.", "Better than a choo choo?" the devil gasped, while Lucifer only looked worried and angry at the same time. He already suspected that the devil wished Alicia belonged to him alone. Lucifer was absolutely not going to tolerate that. Alicia belonged to him. She was his wife and queen. "Oh yes. And that present is..." Lucifer approached the devil with an angry expression on his face, his eyes shining with joy like a small child unwrapping presents. "...the joy of being nice!" only the devil's opinion quickly changed when Santa said this statement. Lucifer, on the other hand, calmed down and exhaled with relief as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
Henchman, Amnon and the elves were again pleased with the statement. "Oh! The joy of being nice. This is so..." the devil paused his rage and let it out the next moment like a bullet from a gun. "...stupid!" he pointed at Santa and his elves, annoyed and on fire "You are all a bunch of idiots! Henchman, Amnon, we're leaving." Without a word the two demons let themselves be dragged away by the devil. "Bye, Santa!" waved Henchman 'Bye, Mr. Lucifer.' waved Amnon to Lucifer while the devil only growled more. His hand reached for his trident in the sled and teleported away from the North Pole.
Santa, his elves and Lucifer looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and didn't know what to say themselves. Well, the latter didn't know what exactly was going on anyway. Had he really put Alicia back on the Nice list? Or was it all just a fever dream? Well, Santa answered his questions in one sentence. "Well, the reason why your memory is foggy is because I gained control of your body for a while." Lucifer's eyes widened in shock when he heard this. Well, that explained a lot. Why the elves dressed him like Santa Claus and why his stomach was suddenly full even though he hadn't eaten for hours. However, Santa reassured him that everything was fine and that Alicia was back on the Nice list. With that, Lucifer's job was done. He was able to return home and thanked Santa warmly for his help and wished him a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year before heading home.
He arrived home early in the morning. Alicia was still asleep in the living room with Nyx in her arms. They were both fast asleep until loud stamping footsteps came down the stairs. It wasn't hard to guess that the footsteps were Cuphead's and Mugman's while the ones that followed definitely belonged to Elder Kettle. All three went down the stairs beaming with joy to look for the presents under the tree. The guest room door also opened. Blood and Cuppy entered the living room to join the group.
Everyone enjoyed the presents. Elder Kettle immediately switched on his new radio, Cuphead played with his toy train, Mugman read his books, Cuppy opened the small box containing several bottles similar to these from his world. Whether he could use them, however, was another question. Blood seemed to be just as happy about his present as the others. So much so that he immediately started to try out a potion. Nyx's gift was a small box of strawberries. Big, juicy strawberries that Nyx devoured immediately. Meanwhile, Alicia just stared at her present which, as Santa told her, she couldn't open. She didn't know why. But she followed his instructions. Only open it when she needed it the least. Only then could she open it. So she took her present to the guest room and left it there while she spent Christmas Day with the others. Not annoyed or frustrated or full of hate, but as joy. She felt the joy of Christmas again. Something she hadn't felt for years.
But whoever sensed something was the devil. In his belly. All the cookies and milk weren't doing him any good, so he looked for something hearty and decided to take a sandwich out of Stickler's food packaging in the fridge. He ate it and felt his stomach complain. One more reason why the devil went to his throne. "Even when I do everything I'm supposed to, I still don't get what I want," sighed the devil until laughter and joy made his sad mood disappear. His ears pricked up and he saw how not far from his throne his Imps were surrounded by gifts and opening them.
His eyes snapped open. Why had his imps and demons been given gifts? He asked himself, already guessing what Silk and the others had wished for. The photo frames more than clearly showed the likeness of himself. A shudder went down his spine followed by disgust. His heart belonged only to Alicia and no other demon. However, his heart seemed to be more than broken because everyone but him had received a gift. Or maybe not?
The train whistle could be heard more than clearly and seemed to be very close to the devil. Confused, the devil looked around until he noticed tracks around his throne. A small toy train was chugging along on them. The same one that the devil had seen in the toy store was now in his possession. "Santa got me a choo choo after all!" he announced proudly as he followed the train, unable to contain his joy. So much so that he decided to change his appearance and now looked like a train conductor. Or rather, he wore such a costume. "I can't believe it!" he grinned and squealed with delight as the train whistled 'And this one makes an even better noise!' without further hesitation the devil shrunk himself so he could play with his train. "All aboard!" he shouted and jumped onto the first carriage 'Chugga-chugga, chugga-chugga choo choo!' the otherwise bleak and terrifying atmosphere in the underworld changed to joyful laughter and merriment.
Despite the fire and brimstone, it seemed to be snowing in the underworld just like on the surface. Apparently there was a Christmas spirit everywhere on the Inkwell Isle's. Everyone was happy and content with their presents or enjoying time with family and friends.