Chapter 395 (2/2)
TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS
LOL Owned
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
We now return you to our scheduled program, brought to you by Dolly Parton-Madison Cupcakes and Children's Books in partnership with Mi'Luki Genuine Moo-Moo Milk Ice Cream!
P'Thok tossed the last present out and leaned back. His arms and shoulders, even his bladearm shoulders, were aching with the effort, but at last the back of the sleight was empty, only a sleeping miniature human curled up under and empty bag made of red cloth with white fuzz.
”It's almost midnight, Mister P'Thok,” Windy-Wu yawned. ”We have to get Baby New Year home and beat the clock.”
The Rigellian female nodded, snapping the reins, and P'Thok felt himself pushed back by the sudden accelleration. His chitin began to ripple and flap like rubber as the wind whipped by and the stars blurred, undergoing color-shift due to the speed.
”HAPPY NEW YEAR!” the baby yelled out again. P'Thok looked at it, shaking his head and wondering if all Terran infants were so loud.
The sleigh slowed down, descending rapidly, to splash into the snow, coming to a stop, the reindeer standing relaxed and placidly.
”We're here,” Windy-Wu said, pointing at a brightly lit shack. ”They're there.”
The snow exploded next to P'Thok and a furry green creature, lean and evil, with glowing yellow eyes, popped out of the snow.
”I'M EVERYWHERE!” it roared.
”IT'S THE GRUNCH!” cried out SqeeWark, putting her forearm to her forehead and collapsing back in a near faint, her oiled muscles rippling in the light from the cabin as her eyelashes fluttered in a near faint.
”You can run near and far,” the Grunch said, capering about in the snow, ”I'll stick with you like shoes and tar.”
”How many times do I have to kill this thing?” P'Thok asked, pulling out his pistol and firing five times, since four didn't seem to work.
”It can only be defeated if we sing!” Windy-Wu warned.
”HAPPY NEW YEAR!” the infant repeated, hitting P'Thok on the side of the head with a rattle.
P'Thok jumped out, chasing after the green thing as it capered through the snow, diving into large drifts only to peek around a tree meters and make faces at P'Thok. The plasma pistols fired sparkles and sparklers, quarkers and barklers, spinners and grinners, and whirring plasmaglobers.
Windy-Wu and Hannah Somme began to sing as P'Thok chased it. Once the Grunch threw down a dark circle at its feet, jumping in and vanishing, only to reappear on the other side of the clearing, leering at P'Thok from behind a tree. P'Thok followed and dropped into a snowbank, managing to pop off a shot at the Grunch that hit it in the buttocks, making it screech and run around in circles, trying to put out the fur that had caught on fire.
As P'Thok struggled out of the snowdrift the Grunch put its buttocks in the snow, a cloud of garlic smelling steam billowing up. By the time P'Thok got over to the cloud, the Grunch was gone. P'Thok came around the corner and the Grunch was holding up a picture frame.
”Wait, P'Thok, you should see how you look,” the Grunch said, holding up the picture frame in front of his own face. ”You should see yourself like the children I took!”
P'Thok frowned, moving closer, wondering why the Grunch was holding up an empty picture frame in front of his own face.
Before P'Thok could ask a question the Grunch punched him in the face, making stars and tweeting birds appear over P'Thok's head. The Grunch gave a laugh and dove into the snow, reappearing on the roof where he capered and danced doncha know?
”Mister Grunch, there's a gift left!” Windy-Wu called, holding up the almost empty bag.
The Grunch stopped dancing and moved slowly up to the sleigh. P'Thok leaned against the tree gasping and wishing he hadn't skipped leg day.
Windy-Wu pulled out a gift, giving it to the Grunch, who was only used to other people's half eaten thrown away lunch. He unwrapped it, his face all sour, he expected nothing, his Christmas was dour.
A sparkling orange did appear, held aloft by the Grinch, who'd been naughty all year. A small gift it was, but chosen with care, by Windy-Wu, and Baby New Year.
The Grunch felt his heart swell three times right there, he grabbed Windy-Wu while P'Thok stood and stared.
”I no longer feel bad, I feel only good,” the Grunch exclaimed, as P'Thok aimed his pistol at the back of his head.
P'Thok pulled the trigger, expecting a plasma shot, but got only a jaunty tune instead.
'And you, P'Thok, who discovered ice cream so yummy,” the Grunch said, cartwheeling and somersaulting to where the Treana'ad stood. ”I have for you something for your tummy.”
It was a mug of hot chocolate, a warm drink for the cold. The Grunch gave it to P'Thok for the warrior to hold.
The door of the cabin opened wide and a woman waved them inside. P'Thok followed them all, wondering what was next with a sigh.
The cabin was cheery, decorated and warm, with cookies and moomoo milk and ice cream galore. The Grunch cut the roast beast, Windy-Wu yawned and began to snore.
At the stroke of midnight baby New Year laughed and sparkles filled the air.
”Wait, there's one gift left to give,” called out Hannah Somme. ”Mister P'Thok, I checked the tag, it's for you.”
P'Thok turned and looked, wondering who had left him a gift, question marks appearing over his head.
It was a shining glittering ball, swirling stars and dancing specks.
”Take it, P'Thok,” Windy-Wu yawned. ”It's made just for you.”
”You should have a Happy New Year too,” said the Grunch, smiling with yellow teeth.
P'Thok touched the ball and everything whirled.
”Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!” cried out his new friends.
With a flash P'Thok appeared back in deep space. His helmet and spacesuit back in their place. He turned around slowly, looking around, but no trace of Windy-Wu or the Grunch did he found.
He saw his own ship, the crew waiting with fear, but P'Thok wasn't afraid, his ship was quite near.
Using thrusters that jingled out a tune while the flames were different hued, P'Thok made his way back to his spaceship to the relief of the crew.
Once aboard the ship, P'Thok shook his head. Surely what he'd seen had been a dream instead.
But as he took off his helmet from his head fell a clue.
A Santa hat that said it was all true.
>MANTID FREE WORLD CLAPS
TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS
SO, did it happen or not?
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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS
It happened and we'll fight anyone who says otherwise.
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TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS
All right, all right, no need to get excited.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
>MANTID SNIFFS AND WIPES A TEAR
MANTID FREE WORLDS
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.