A Crossover Christmas
***Not consistent with Heart of Darkness***
Madeline Walz and Chloe Walz
“Remind me again the point of this holiday?” Horus asked.
“Come on, Horus,” Aldric said, exasperated. “Everyone’s explained it. Multiple times. For the last two thousand years.”
“A fat old guy breaks into people’s houses to give gifts to kids because of a baby being born two thousand years ago in a barn in nowheresville, Israel?”
“Exactly,” Alruccabah said, gesturing to Horus. “What is the point? It sounds like fun, but the reason for it is so strange.”
“This is the second time I’m saying this,” Abena sighed. “The creator of the universe became human–we all know how some of you feel about humans–”
“Stupid humans,” Horus grumbled under his breath.
“--to save the people of the universe from themselves,” she finished, shooting Horus a dirty look.
“It is a rather impressive idea,” Toiora said, “that anyone would be willing to give up so much for people they don’t know.”
“Clearly we’re not going to get everyone to agree on this anytime soon, so how about we move on to something we all can agree on?” Arkeda said.
“Finally!” Yaw said, high-fiving John. “Present time!”
Kwadwo grinned. “Oldest to youngest?”
“Oh, hell, no,” Zac said. “Then I’d be last!”
“Exactly,” Kwadwo answered. “I’d be first.”
“Or we could just pass them all out and do a free-for-all,” James suggested. “Since there’s so many of us.”
“And none of us ‘young’ people want to wait for you old farts,” John added with a grin. “Ow!” Aldric had just punched him in the shoulder with a burst of air.
Tupaarnaq pulled out a leather-bound book. “Was I supposed to do that paper-wrap thing? Anyway, I made a copy of Aunt Isis’ journal for you. It has all those amazing childhood stories you love.” She held it out, but it fell open on the floor.
Horus snatched it up immediately and closed it. “Thank you, Tupa.”
“Love that page!” Tupaarnaq said happily. “Three-year-old faceplant chasing a butter-butt-fly.”
John laughed. “Butter-butt? Wow. And I thought my little-kid mispronunciations were bad.”
Horus glared at him. “Toddler. Social isolation. I was stupid!”
“Okay, moving on,” Alex said. “John, contain yourself.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” John asked.
“Maybe because you can’t do it,” Zaivyer said.
“I can when I want to!”
“Apparently you don’t want to today,” Zaivyer said with a grin.
“Me!” Yaw yelled. “My turn!”
“It’s about the giving, little brother,” Abena said.
“Yeah, yeah. Give to me!” Yaw responded.
Rob held out a box. “Christine found this in the women’s section. She showed it to me because it looks, well, you’ll see. But I figured you’d like it.”
Yaw ripped the box open and held up a shiny rainbow fringe jacket. “Oh. My. God! This is amazing!”
The Kimberlys glared at Rob. “How dare you,” Kwaku finally said.
Yaw had the jacket on already and couldn’t stop shimmying. “I will wear this every day!”
“No!” his siblings yelled.
“Next!” Abena said. “Before I feel the urge to burn that jacket.”
Yaw pulled it tighter around himself. “No!”
James gave Arkeda a large box. “I found this a few weeks ago. Thought you’d like it.”
Arkeda inspected the Otran writing on the label. “Your handwriting is getting better.”
“That took forever,” James admitted. “Speaking it is a lot easier.”
Arkeda tore off part of the paper, then stopped and gave James a flat look. “Really?”
James started laughing as Arkeda unwrapped it the rest of the way, revealing a hoverboard.
“Really? This thing doesn’t even hover. This is hovering.” He rose a few inches into the air.
“That’s exactly why I got it,” James grinned.
Arkeda just shook his head. “If I try to use this how you’re supposed to, without levitating over it, I’m going to hurt myself.”
“Then you need to practice.”
“Okay, who’s next?”
After many more presents, laughs, and glares, Julia spoke up. “How about some Christmas music? I know we have at least three musicians here.”
“Four.” Kwaku nodded at Zayvier. “Carol of the Bells?”
“With you?” Zaivyer said. “No, thank you. You’ll start speeding up and make me look bad.”
“You’re with Abena then,” Kwaku shrugged, sitting at the piano.
“Sure,” Zaivyer said. “That would be amazing.”
“You start fanboying, I’m throwing something at you,” Abena said.
Kwaku started playing. He started slowly, then sped up and added more and more flourishes until his fingers were flying across the keys. His eyes were closed and all traces of anxiety were gone from his face.
No one spoke as the last notes faded to silence. Finally, Alruccabah spoke. “I think I understand now.”
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