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Sir MountCastle: Dragon double-jointedness is another headcanon of mine, though it's more self-serving this time. What if I want some cool action? I can't let something stupid like anatomical limitations get in the way of that!

Activates Ace Attorney RP Mode You keep saying Male-douche this, Male-douche that, but do you have concrete evidence? I'm not fessing up to anything unless you can prove it beyond the shadow of a doubt! Deactivates Ace Attorney RP Mode

Whoa! You didn't have to shoot Xavier like that! It's a good thing I keep a healthy supply of clones in the basement, but sheesh!

My alchemy is the best kind of alchemy: whatever I want it to do for the story.

Spyro will come back ASAP, but it might be a little while until he learns how to break the space-time barrier.

Austin: You're throwing a lot of references at me. You must watch a lot of shows — more than me, in any case. ^^;

You people keep saying it's Malefor causing these nightmares, but how can you be so sure? Have you ever touched a crystal from another world before? I assure you, these are simple side effects. You need to relax. I'm the author; would I ever lie to you? :)

Don't worry about the pizza. Xavier remediated the situation by ordering pineapple-less pizza at a later date.

That's a funny story. Meanwhile, I am completely indifferent to Spynder and shipping in general.

Let's get some stuff cleared up right away: Xavier and Cécile's parents do exist. They're out on a business trip and will be returning soon™. Look forward to that chaos. If anybody comes into the house unprompted, the humans will hide the dragons in the basement. Also, are you inside my walls? How did you know I had a babysitting chapter planned?

Hm. Guess it's time for some world-building. Spyro and Cynder don't have a standard natural odour. The excess mana they release carries a signature unique to each individual and can only be perceived by awakened beings. And perceiving is not limited to smelling. Hearing, seeing, or even feeling works, although people often choose one method to specialize in, usually the one that comes easiest for them.

The humans have school, but they're on summer break right now. The dragons appeared in their house around mid-June. What will happen when we get to the school arc is a secret I'll keep close to my chest.

Your other suggestions have been heard and jotted down. Thank you for the feedback.

Linkuser2: I'm not making anything up. Dragons have always been comparable to pets. And don't look at me like I'm trying to gaslight you. Deep down, you know the truth.

I will not tolerate your slander. I am not some sadistic writer who tortures his characters for the sake of it. Cole simply stubbed his toe before bed, and that affected his psyche.

Oof. First, he got shot, and now this? Xavier is not having a good Friday.

Special Chapter - The Christmas Special

...

"Wow, guys, can you believe it?" Cécile said, starry-eyed. "Christmas, just a week away! I am so excited by this information! Christmas, just a week away. Oh wow, it came by so quick! Christmas, just in a week!"

"Cécile, December has barely started," Xavier said, unpacking a box of decorations.

"It's my mantra. If I keep saying it, it'll come true."

Xavier sighed. "How about you make yourself useful and help me set up the Christmas tree?" He glared toward the window. "And stop staring outside, you two! Someone could see you!"

Spyro and Cynder were too focused staring out the window from the couch to register his words. A coat of snow almost completely covered the streets outside, rendering it nigh unrecognizable.

"It's like a whole new place — even the mood is different. And all it took was such a tiny change." Spyro chuckled. "Imagine Warfang covered in snow, Cynder. How cool would that be? I bet Cyril would be thrilled."

Cynder hummed. "A bit of snow would be fine, but I fear what would happen to the bipeds if it started piling up."

"We have enough Fire dragons. We could melt it and create pathways."

"True. Still, I imagine it wouldn't be fun if the snow ever got inside houses."

Xavier wedged himself between them and slung his arms over their backs. "Yes, that's great and all. Now, how about we handle the tree before anything else, yeah?"

With everyone's help, decorating the tree took no time at all. Xavier put the final decoration — a star — on top of the three. He wiped his brow in relief. "Phew! The Christmas tree is complete."

Spyro examined the fully decorated tree with a curious look. "It looks nice, but… what was the point of doing this?"

"It's a yearly tradition. It stems from ancient people and their belief that the winter solstice marked the beginning of the recovery of the sun god." Xavier smirked. "Now, it's the mark of capitalism, which, speaking of…" He disappeared into his room and came back with presents that he deposited under the tree.

Spyro's eyes lit up "Ooh! That one has my name on it!" He reached for it, only to get his paw slapped by Xavier. "Ow!"

"No touching until Christmas day."

"And when is that?" the purple dragon asked as he nursed his paw.

"On the 25th."

Spyro gawked, dejected. "I have to wait that long? No way!"

"Yes way. In the meantime, you can think about what gifts you'll give everyone."

Cynder shot him a dull look. "With what money? We're broke and jobless."

"It's not about the price. It's about the intent," Cécile replied. "For example, if you could gift me a potion that, I don't know, gave me flight powers, I wouldn't mind. Just saying." She gave an innocent look.

"I wouldn't trust you with any kind of power," Cynder deadpanned.

Xavier rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If you have no money to give, you could always give your time volunteering. I know a few places." He nodded to himself. "We also have things that we can gift to charity. Let me gather it up. Then, it's disguise time."

He pulled out a pair of fake dog and cat ears, smirking.

Spyro grimaced. "You take great pleasure in my suffering, don't you?"

"No idea what you're talking about."

The gang delivered the goods to the local orphanage: toys, non-perishable goods, and all the like. The manager thanked them for their hospitality. Xavier proposed that Spyro and Cynder play with the children there, an idea that the manager loved. The orphans were delighted to play with the "strange-looking cat and dog." Unfortunately, their excitement meant they were unintentionally harassing Cynder specifically. She felt smothered when the kids pulled and prodded her every limb, which was not fair because Spyro got all the pets, hugs, and cuddles. Why'd she have to get stuck with the rowdy ones‽ It took all her self-control not to lash out.

Once they were finished and everyone returned to the car, Cynder promised she would give Xavier nightmares for a week straight.

The month continued, with the gang implicating themselves with the community at various volunteering jobs. In the meantime, Xavier and Cécile sent invitations for the Christmas party. This made Spyro realize that he had no way of inviting his friends and family, which made him sad and homesick.

Soon, it was Christmas Eve, and the gang put their heads together to prepare a feast. They set everything up so that most of the food was ready or waiting to be cooked the next day. During the evening, they went to church.

That night, as Spyro went to sleep, he silently mused. Tomorrow's supposed to be a big day to celebrate, but without my friends and family except Cynder, can I really call it a celebration? He sighed. I wish they could be here with us…

Sleep overtook him soon after.

As Christmas dawned, it became obvious that none of the invitees would come.

Most had already made plans for that day; some hadn't even bothered replying to the invitation; and the few that did came up with last-minute excuses not to come.

Xavier sighed as he flopped down onto the couch. "Man, Christmas with no guests. That sucks. And after all the trouble we went to prepare a feast…"

"That suits me just fine, actually." Cynder flashed her fangs. "A dragon's got a big appetite."

"Are you sure it's not just gluttony?" Xavier asked dryly.

"Excuse you!" she snapped. "Do you have any idea how much energy a dragon expends on a daily basis? It's out of necessity!"

Xavier gave a wry smile. "Yeah, see, that sounds like an excuse to me."

Cynder growled. "Why you little—!"

Spyro chuckled at their antics. It made him think about how Sparx loved to tease him. His gaze went down to his paws. It was another cruel reminder that he was separated from his loved ones and that he wouldn't be seeing the—

The doorbell rang, cutting his thoughts short.

"I'll go get it!" Cécile answered the door, but when she opened it, something zipped inside.

"Ah, warmth! Sweet, sweet, warmth!" it said.

Spyro's eyes widened. He recognized that voice.

"Oh, sorry to barge into your house, strange creature, but I woke half-buried in the snow, and let me tell you, that's not good for a dragonfly's health. Oi, Mom, Dad! Don't just stay outside! Get in!"

Spyro rushed to the entrance. He didn't want to believe it, but his eyes didn't deceive him.

Sparx was fluttering near the entrance. Following him were Flash and Nina.

When Sparx noticed him, his face lit up. He barreled into the purpled dragon's chest. "Spyro! I don't believe it! Is that you? What are you doing here!" He broke off and barraged his snout with weak punches. "And how dare you me worry like that! Do you have any ideas how long I went worrying my butt for you?"

Spyro was still in disbelief. But there was no mistake. This was Sparx in the flesh. He pulled him into a hug, careful not to hurt his fragile, dragonfly brother. "Sparx, I've missed you... I'm sorry for not sending a message sooner. I haven't quite figure out how to send one through different realms yet."

Sparx's annoyance melted, and he sighed as he hugged Spyro back. "Alright, fine, we'll say you owe me one, purple lug." He pulled away and fluttered over to Cynder, scowling. "And you!"

She gave him a dull look. "Yes?"

He clenched a shaking fist. "For keeping Spyro safe from harm, I want to say thaaaa... I want to say thaaaa..."

Cynder smirked. "Go on, Sparx. You can do it."

He sighed. "Thank you," he said through gritted teeth.

"There. Wasn't too hard, was it?" the black dragoness, beaming as she purred.

He wheeled away from her, arms crossed. "Shut it."

Flash and Nina fluttered over to Spyro as Cécile closed the door behind them. "Spyro..."

His look softened. "Mom, Dad..."

Flash gave him a cursory scan. "You've grown bigger since the last time we saw you. And you seem to be in good shape. How was your journey? Did you find the answers you were looking for?"

He nodded. "I've learned more than I ever thought I would." Whether good or bad.

Nina fluttered over to Cynder. "Who is this? Friend of yours?"

"Mm-hmm. Cynder, meet Mom and Dad. Mom, Dad, meet Cynder." Spyro grinned. "We saved the world together."

She awkwardly bowed her head. "I-it's a pleasure to meet you."

Spyro's parents recoiled in surprise. Flash laughed. "Whoa, my son's a hero! You'll have to tell me all about your adventures!"

"You've fought together and kept each other safe, yes?" Nina asked.

Spyro nodded.

She gave Cynder a cursory scan, sizing her up, then nodded to herself. "Very well. I can see the loyalty in her eyes. Your relationship has my blessing."

Cynder blushed. "W-what‽ M-ma'am, we're not d-d-dating!"

Spyro cocked his head. "Huh? Of course we're not eating dates. We have a much better feast awaiting us."

Cynder sat on her rump and buried her face in her paws, groaning.

Nina put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Spyro can be thick-headed sometimes, but he's got a big heart. Don't miss your chance. I'm sure you can get him."

"What are you whispering about, Mom?" Spyro asked.

"Nothing. Now give it here! A group hug is long overdue!" Nina wrapped her tiny arms around Spyro's neck. Sparx and Flash joined in. The familial warmth of his family made Spyro smile. He hadn't realized how much he had missed the feeling. But one person was missing...

He outstretched his wing. "Come here, Cynder."

She was surprised. "Huh? But I wouldn't want to intrude. This is between you and your family." The black dragoness shuffled her paws, gaze downcast.

"And who said you weren't a part of my family?"

Cynder blinked multiple times. A smile stretched across her face, and she joined the hug. "You're such a dork, you know that?"

He chuckled. "Not the first time you called me that."

"Awwww..." Cécile's heart was melting from wholesomeness overload.

Xavier was hit with the wholesomeness too, but there was something he needed to ask. When the group pulled back from the hug, he asked, "This is a great surprise and all, but how did you get here?"

Sparx crossed his arms. "You see, that's the strangest part. I was going out for some air, when some strange-looking locomotive rammed into me." He brandished his fist. "Don't locomotives need rails to move‽ It looks like this one was rolling on wheels!"

"Wait, you too?" Flash looked concerned. "The same thing happened to Nina and me. The next thing we knew, we wake up in front of this house."

Xavier frowned. "Wait. Strange vehicle, woke up in another world — did you guys get run over by trucks‽"

The dragonflies gave him confused looks.

"Is that what they're called? I can't confirm it, but I guess so." Sparx shrugged.

Xavier was more than befuddled. He sighed. "I don't even want to think about the implications."

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, what are you?" Nina asked. "You're certainly no ape, but I've never your species, Sir..."

"Xavier. I'm a human." He gestured his hand toward Cécile. "And this is my sister, Cécile."

She waved. "Hi!"

"We've been taking care of Spyro and Cynder while figuring out a way to get them home."

"I see." Nina bowed curtly. "You have my thanks."

The doorbell rang.

"Hm? Who could it be now?" Cécile wondered.

Spyro opened the door, only to look surprised. "Flame? Ember?"

The red dragon beamed. "Spyro! It is you! I had a feeling. Where are we? You've been cooped up here all this time?"

He smiled sheepishly. "It's a long story. Come on in." Spyro scooted to the side to let his friends through.

"Fancy place you've got here," Ember said as she observed her surroundings. "I've never seen architecture like this back home." She noticed Xavier and Cécile and gasped. She dropped into a battle stance. "Watch out, Spyro! There's a pair of disgusting apes in the house!"

"Did you say apes?" Flame growled. "Lemme at 'em! I'll tear their jugulars out!"

The humans recoiled in shock. Spyro rushed in front of them, waving his paws frantically after rearing up on his hind legs. "No, wait, guys, they're not apes! They're cool!"

Flame and Ember seemed dubious, but they calmed down. "Alright, if you say so."

Ember gasped. "Cynder, you're here too!"

She gave a wry smile. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

The pink dragoness giggled. "And so is Sparx! Looks we're all back together. When that strange locomotive slammed into Flame and me, I wasn't expecting to wake up right outside of here."

"Wait, you too?" Sparx asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Sparx relayed the prior conversation.

Ember tilted her head to the side. "Huh. I don't think it's a coincidence, you know? It's almost like we were sent here."

Cécile nodded. "Yeah! Now we have enough people to celebrate Christmas with!"

"I find this concerning," Xavier said with a concerned frown. "I can't be the only one."

"You are the only one," Cécile replied with a smirk. "Now come on! Let's get this party started!"

"The food isn't finished cooking yet." Xavier's face scrunched up in thought. "I'd say we have time for one more bit before it's ready."

A ring came from the door.

"What excellent timing," Xavier deadpanned. "Come on, everyone, we can get you seated in the kitchen while Cécile answers the door."

Everyone left for the kitchen while Cécile opened the door. A human and two dragons — one blue, one black — stared back. "Hello?" Were these also Spyro's friends? But that made no sense with the human in there. Spyro had told her he'd never seen a human before. But perhaps it was better to save that question for him.

The human in the group froze upon noticing her. The blue dragoness peered out from behind him, gasping. "Oh, hey, Nova! There's another human!"

The black dragoness — Nova, most likely — in the group flanked the human of their group, looking Cécile over curiously. "Ancestors, you're right. But that doesn't make any sense, we're not—"

"This isn't my home, either," Mystery Human interjected. "This is an entirely new world."

Cécile giggled. "Oh, you're not the first to visit from another world. Are you friends with Spyro too? You're the third group of relatives to arrive." She moved to the side, opening the door wider. "Come in."

He seemed unsure, but the blue dragoness released an excited squeal. "Wait, what? You've got more visitors and Spyro here!? C'mon, let's go!"

Mystery Human threw out his arm in alarm. "Shimmer, wait! We don't know—"

But she was already bowling her way past Cécile. His shoulders sagged as he gave a defeated sigh.

Nova nudged him with her wing. "I guess there's not much of a reason to stay out here, is there, Kiran?" She shrugged. "I know you're worried, but I don't think we're in any danger. If Dad is here, we should be fine. He probably knows what's going on, so let's go talk to him."

Defeated, Kiran could only nod and follow Nova as she stepped into the house.

Xavier and Cynder were setting the plates down on the table, and Spyro was conversing with everyone else when Shimmer barrelled into view. Xavier was shocked by the sudden appearance. "Whoa! Another friend of yours?" he asked Cynder.

The black dragoness frowned. "No... I don't recognize this dragoness. Maybe Spyro does?"

The purple dragon had noticed the newcomer and broke away from his group to greet her, a curious twinkle in his eye. Another dragon in his age range? But he'd never seen her before. "Hello. Who are—"

"Whoa, Spyro, Cynder, what happened to you two?" she asked, cocking her head to the side, though her smile never faded. "You're so small! Did something happen? Wait, wait, is this some kind of prank? Or joke? Wow, Nova won't believe it when she sees this!"

Shimmer continued the barrage of questions, not letting Spyro get a single word in. When Kiran and Nova entered the living room and spotted the two, they stopped, eyes going wide.

"Nova…" Kiran said, his voice low.

Nova felt her body tense, eyes narrowing. "I know."

Kiran let his chakra pour out and fill the room, brushing past everyone until touching Spyro and Cynder, the latter of whom was joining Spyro's side. He sucked in a sharp breath, scowled deeply, and threw his arms up in defeat. "Alright, I'm lost. They're... who they say they are. There's no mistake."

"You're kidding." She glanced at him disapprovingly. "Mom and Dad are adults. Not teenagers. They have to be imposters, or... something."

Cynder regarded the new arrivals with a frown. Who were these people? And why did Cécile let a human inside the house? And for the love of the Ancestors, could Icicle Junior stop with her questions‽ One CC was already hard enough to deal with.

She clamped Shimmer's mouth shut. "Hush. I'm asking the questions, now. Do you mind explaining who you three are?" She frowned when her gaze focused on the other black dragoness. There were other black dragons out there? What did this all mean? Wait... Cynder sniffed the air. There was no mistaking it. The mana emanating from that other dragoness felt familiar. But why? "Let's start with you, if you don't mind," she told Nova.

Shimmer wrenched herself free of Cynder's grip and huffed. "Rude! I can't believe—"

Nova clamped Shimmer's mouth shut and shot Cynder a wary, uncertain look. "I think that might be difficult to explain, given the circumstances."

"Nova's right." Kiran shoved his hands into his pockets and found a wall to lean against. "But, if you'd like your head to explode, then sure, we can dig into this."

Spyro and Cynder shared an amused smirk. "We've fought a corrupted, evil dragon with the power to destroy the world. I'm pretty sure we can handle whatever you have to say," she said with a twinge of pompousness.

Kiran and Nova shared a glance. They had an almost imperceptible mental conversation before Nova motioned a wing toward him. "Go ahead. I don't want this headache."

"If you say so." He stood upright from the wall he was leaning on and nodded to Cynder and Spyro. "Ok, here's the simple version: I'm from another world, and Nova is your daughter." He took on a pensive stance. "I'm not sure how this world ties into everything, but I have a sneaking suspicion those strange lights and horn had something to do with it."

Spyro and Cynder's jaws practically dropped to the floor. "D-did you just say..." one started.

"Daughter?" the other finished.

Kiran nodded.

"Spyro, I need you to pinch me."

"What?" he exclaimed. "I need you to pinch me!"

"Fine! We'll pinch each other."

They poised themselves to pinch each other's cheeks. Cynder sucked in a gulp of air. "On three. One, two, three!"

The two dragons pinched each other and cried out in pain. That confirmed it. They weren't dreaming.

Cynder started losing it. Her eye twitched as she paced around the living room, rambling. "This can't be real. My daughter from the future, visiting us? Spyro, my mate? I'm not ready for this! We're not even old enough to get married!" She started tottering. "This is way too much! I need time to process! Time to adapt! Time to…" She promptly fainted.

Spyro couldn't rid himself of the blush on his cheeks. "A-are you sure you're not mistaken? I mean, I consider Cynder a great friend, but a mate?" His gaze went down to his paws.

Cécile slapped his back, making him wince. "What are you so embarrassed about? Congratulations!"

Shimmer escaped Nova's grip and zipped to Spyro's side, away from any more paws that could grab her unexpectedly. "Yeah, no mistake! Nova is your daughter, and you have a super amazingly cute son named Ignitus!" She slung a wing over his back. "Now, just so we're clear, I'm his favorite and one of Nova's best friends. We're basically family at this point." Shimmer beamed, and her body trembled from sheer excitement. She shifted so she could get a direct look at the purple dragon. "Ooh, this is so cool! I always wanted to meet you when you were young! You're so different and quirky, though it is weird to see you not being snuggly with Cynder."

"Hold on, hold on, let's backtrack a bit." Xavier walked up to the group. "Strange lights and horn? Did you also happen to get hit by a truck?"

"A truck?" Shimmer closed her eyes and tapped the side of her head in thought. "What is that?"

Nova and Kiran just shared a puzzled look.

Xavier scratched his head, looking uncertain. "It's kind of like an advanced vehicle. Big, sturdy, great for causing interdimensional transportation…"

"Interwhat kind of transportation?"

"Ahem! Anyway, the point is, you're here, but you shouldn't be — because the Spyro you're familiar with is different from this one. Maybe it's a glitch in the matrix, two parallel universes that weren't meant to interact with each other."

Cécile scoffed. "Don't tell you buy into that matrix crap."

"Hey, Spyro and Cynder's arrival threw every notion I had about reality right out of the window! I'm just citing possibilities."

"The hell is a matrix? Or a parallel universe?" Kiran asked, exasperated with the unfolding situation. "You know what? Nevermind. I don't want to know."

Nova curled her tail around her forelegs, her eyes watching her should-be father intently. "All that aside, we're not… stuck here, are we?"

"You shouldn't be," Cécile said. "We're actively looking for a way to get Spyro and Cynder home. If they made it here, there has to be a way back too. It only makes sense." She hummed. "While you're here, want to celebrate Christmas with us? We were just about to start feasting."

"Ooh, Christmas? What's that?" Shimmer asked.

Xavier smiled. "Oh, it's a great holiday. We gather in families and celebrate the birth of the Lord. We exchange gifts, eat a feast, and a whole bunch other stuff. It's the best kind of party, basically."

Kiran let his shoulders sag and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Well… great. I guess if we're stuck, we may as well try to make the best of it."

A wing pulled him into a hug, whose warmth dissolved his funk. "We may be stuck, but at least you're not alone." Nova's eyes were heavy, but she smiled regardless. "We've got each other. This is a strange situation, but I'm glad you and Shimmer are here."

Kiran smiled at that and gave her a half-hug back. "Okay, you've got me there. This would be way worse if I was alone."

They enjoyed each other's warmth for a moment before breaking off.

"So, could you run that Christmas stuff by me again. You're celebrating… your Lord? Is that like the leader of your village or something?"

Xavier smirked. Oh yeah, Bibling time.

It was a lively, festive day at the household of the Beaumonts. A most unusual gathering of people enjoyed a great feast. Kiran was initially tense, but as the festivities progressed, he was able to loosen up and enjoy himself.

After the feast, there was supposed to be a gift exchange, but Xavier realized that wouldn't work with the number of impromptu guests who didn't have presents prepared. Cécile proposed that they all sing Christmas karaoke songs instead. Everyone's astounded reactions to human technology never lost their lustre.

Laughs were shared, and memories were made. It was a jovial day of celebration.

At some point, Cécile decided she wanted to be devious. Mistletoe-on-a-stick in hand, she held it over Spyro and Cynder, who happened to be sitting next to each other.

"Why are you waving that stick above us?" Spyro asked.

"You guys don't know? It's tradition for people to kiss under a mistletoe." She gave an eager smile. "Go on, now."

"WHAT‽" Cynder recoiled in shock, blushing furiously.

Spyro's eyes widened. He blinked repeatedly. "H-huh? Did I hear that right?"

Their outburst attracted the attention of Shimmer, Ember, and Flame, who watched the scene unveil with keen eyes.

Cynder averted her gaze. "I-I mean, I don't mind kissing the purple dork, but this is a little too sudden, you know. Can't I have a bit of time to prepare?"

Cécile nudged the black dragoness with her shoulder. "Come on, just a little smooch on the cheek. Can't be that hard."

"Yeah, unless you're scaaared," Flame said teasingly.

Cynder snorted. "Don't you dare insinuate such a thing. I'm fear incarnate!" She planted a peck on Spyro's cheek. Both their faces went bright red. "There, happy?"

Cécile grinned. "Excellent. Now Spyro can return the favour."

"Do... do I have to?" he asked.

Cécile, Shimmer, Flame, and Ember stared back eagerly. "Yes."

He groaned. Tentatively, he gave Cynder a smooch on the cheek. Both dragons blushed harder than ever before. "There. Now please leave us alone."

The gremlin squad rejoiced.

"Say, who should we do it to next?" Ember asked.

"Ooh, ooh, I know just the pair of people." Shimmer gave a wicked grin. "Gather around."

The quartet huddled together, and she whispered her plan. When they broke from the meeting, they were all smirking deviously.

The gremlin squad located their targets in the kitchen. They were conversing with Xavier. Cécile sneaked up behind them and hovered her mistletoe-on-a-stick over Kiran and Nova. "Alright, let's see it."

Xavier quirked an eyebrow. "Cécile, what are you doing?"

Kiran and Nova noticed the mistletoe dangling overhead and the mischievous gremlin who held it. "What's the stick for?" The former asked.

"For getting two people under it to kiss. Now pucker up."

Kiran looked at the plant as if it was poison. "You're making that up, aren't you?"

"Nope, it's tradition."

"What kind of bogus tradition is that? Why would anyone follow it?"

"Kiran, you're being rude," Nova said. "There's no need to make a big fuss out of nothing."

Kiran shoved his hands in his pockets, huffing. "I am not. I just want no part in the weird thing she's asking of us."

"Well, you're still under the mistletoe, so you have to do it," Cécile said.

His eye twitched. With a flick of his hand, he cut the offending plant into two pieces.

"No!" Cécile cried, horrified. She dropped to her knees and cradled her beloved, broken instrument.

Nova shot Kiran a frown. "Seriously? That was too much. You've gone too far."

"Oh, so you're going to betray me, now? She was pestering me," he replied, crossing his arms.

She rolled her eyes. "Ah, yes, asking to give a little peck was truly worth this retribution." A smirk stretched across Nova's face. She dove forward and licked his face, leaving a trail of saliva.

Kiran recoiled in disgust. "Ew, what are you doing! That's gross!" He fetched a towel to fervently wipe himself clean. "Ugh, you got your slobber in my ear!"

Meanwhile, Cécile recovered from her funk thanks to Nova's stunt and stood back up. "That was awesome! You're truly one of us." She high-fived Nova and invited her to the gremlin squad.

Once the party was nearing its end, Xavier gathered everyone around so he could pray.

"Heavenly Father, every day is a gift; it's why we call it the present. Thank you for giving us your son Jesus Christ so that we may have eternal life. Give us strength so we may live our lives in service of others, giving without expecting anything in return. In God's name, Amen."

AN:

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays in advance, dear reader! And if you don't celebrate it, um, have a nice Wednesday, I guess?

The PU tag in this chapter stands for Parallel Universe. It's not canon to the main story, but it's one of the endless pathways I could have steered the story through. These specials won't be happening frequently, so you don't have to worry about me taking too much time off the main story.

But I digress. I will be back after the holidays on the 10th of January. Yes, it's a three-week wait, but in my defence, let me enjoy my holidays too, please. XD

As always, thank you to the amazing Linkuser2 for being my beta-reader! Check out his story, Daybreak, after this. He's cooking a fine story.

That's all from me. See you guys in a month minus one week!

Author-san, signing out.