The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds

by Kamahido

CHRISTMAS EVE SPECIAL - Chapter 15 - Through the Chimney

Hammer nods. “What do you need me to do?”

“Drive across the street and park in the bank’s lot.”

“Okay.”

Putting the Jeep in reverse, Hammer backs out of the parking spot by the door, turns back the way they came, and across the street to the bank. Parking again she turns to Arc.

“Now what?”

“Just stay here and keep the engine running. I have a little… shopping to do.”

Carefully picking Scootaloo up with his magic, Arc turns and lifts her over the back seat and into the cargo area with the presents. She stirs slightly and opens her eyes as Arc calls out to her telepathically.

“Go back to sleep and don’t make a sound. I’ll be back soon.”

Scootaloo wordlessly nods and does as she is told. Gently pushing Shelly and Lily to rest on their respective windows Arc leans forward and whispers to Hammer.

“If they wake up, tell them I’ll be right back.”

Hammer nods as Arc looks up at the awning of the bank. Concentrating, he Blinks onto the roof as Cherry calls out to him.

“What’s the plan, Arc?”

“We’re getting those supplies.”

“But I thought you said that store was the only one open.”

“It is, yes.”

“Then how are you planning to…?”

Arc chuckles. “By taking a page from Frank’s old playbook.”

Cherry sounds confused. “What do you…?”

“Take what you need.”

Calling forth Eidolon’s Ward, Arc pulls a magic cloak from his ring and puts it on as well. Cherry calls out to him again.

“What about your grandfather’s armor?”

“I’d rather be seen in this right now. After all, if anyone sees me in that I might still be able to talk my way out.”

“And if you can’t?”

Arc sighs. “I’m sure my reputation isn’t exactly the greatest after Minerva’s broadcast went out. Just adding one count of breaking and entering won’t make it any worse.”

“If you say so.”

Blinking across the street to the store’s roof, Arc looks around. Spotting a roof hatch he walks over to it. Standing on top of it, he Blinks down to the room below.

“This is a pretty strange looking store.”

Arc chuckles. “It’s just the mechanical room.”

“The what?”

“Where the air handlers, boilers, electrical panels, and whatnot are. But let’s get this over with.”

Spotting a door with his True Sight Enchantment Arc heads for it. Turning the knob he gives it a pull and steps into the store.

“They left the lights on?”

Arc nods. “It’s a safety thing. That way the employees can get around when leaving for the day as well as when coming in for the next shift.”

Walking to the front of the store, Arc retrieves a cart and heads for the ‘baking needs’ isle. Grabbing bottles of sprinkles, chocolate syrup, nuts, canned whip cream, and a few other things he heads for the dairy isle.

“Need some milk.”

“For home, Arc?”

Arc shakes his head. “Nah. Some of the kids get thirsty from all the sweets. That and it’s good for them”

“Anything else we need?”

“Just ice cream.”

Heading to the next isle they grab half a dozen gallon buckets of ice cream. As Arc closes the door to the freezer however he feels a heavy smack to the top of his helmet. Instinctively activating his magic blades he turns to face his assailant.

“Hey! What’s the big…?!”

Spotting a very surprised female clerk holding a now broken broom, Arc quickly recalls his energy blades and takes a step back.

“Oh! Um… hi?”

“Are… are you… the Hero of Light?”

Arc nods. “Yeah. Sorry about…”

Her eyes light up and she squeals excitedly.

“You’re here! You’re here! You’re really here!”

“Um…”

“Wow! This is SO exciting! Hi, I’m Lorna! My brother and I are your biggest fans!”

Arc tilts his head to one side, confused. “I have fans?”

Lorna nods excitedly. “Of course you do, silly!”

She turns and calls out to someone.

“Pietro! Get out here! We have a very special customer!”

A young man steps out of the back room carrying an armful of boxes.

“What are you talking about? I locked the front door over two hours ago. Were they in the restroom or…?”

He stops talking as he spots the tell-tale white helmet under the cloak. The man’s face breaks into a grin.

“Lorna! Is that…?!”

Lorna gasps. “Pietro, the boxes!”

Arc calls out. “I got them!”

Stretching out an arm Arc casts a Telekinesis Spell to carefully levitate the boxes a short distance away. Pietro gasps as he does so.

“That power! It’s really you!”

Arc nods. “Yup.”

Lorna grins. “Can I get a picture?!”

“Sure.”

Lorna pulls a cell phone from her store apron and hurries over to Arc. Her brother frowns.

“Hey! I want in on this too! How’s my hair?!”

Lorna rolls her eyes. “Oh, you look fine! Just get over here!”

They pose in front of Arc as he raises a gauntlet to wave. The camera function clicks as Lorna and Pietro reposition for another shot. Arc allows them to take a number of pictures in order to satisfy them. Eventually Cherry calls out to him telepathically.

“We really need to get moving, Arc.”

“Yes, I know. They just look so happy.”

He looks to Lorna.

“Sorry to cut this short, but I really need to get going.”

“Oh, okay! We’ll bag this up for you as fast as we can!”

Pietro nods. “Right!”

“Thanks. Just let me grab a few more buckets of ice cream first.”

Opening the glass freezer door he levitates a number of ice cream buckets into the cart. Lorna watches intently.

“It’s just like on the news!”

Pietro turns to him. “How do you DO that?!”

“Magic.”

Lorna looks him over. “Is it your armor?!”

Arc shakes his head. “Nah, I can cast spells without it.”

Pietro appears hopeful. “Can you do anything else?!”

“Quite a bit, yes. But I’m in a bit of a hurry. I just stopped in to get a few things for a Christmas Eve party.”

“Yes, of course! Right this way!”

She and her brother lead Arc to the front of the store. They unload his cart and begin putting things in bags. Arc raises an eyebrow.

“Uh, I think you need to scan that first.”

Lorna shakes her head. “Oh, no! For the Hero of Light’s supper, it’s on us!”

“But won’t you get in trouble?”

Pietro chuckles. “With ourselves maybe. It’s our family’s business. We’re supposed to take it over in a couple weeks.”

“While I thank you for your generosity, I’d still feel much better actually paying for my groceries.”

Lorna smiles. “If that’s what you want, then sure!”

She scans each item and passes it down the lane to her brother whom bags it and puts the items back in the cart.

“I’m really sorry for barging in like this. The doors were locked, of course. But I really needed this stuff.”

“That’s fine!”

“Right! If the Hero of Light needs something from our store, we’re happy to help!”

“I was planning on leaving the money on the counter. Wasn’t expecting anyone to still be here, after all.”

Pietro looks back toward the aisles. “We were just trying to get a head start on making the store look presentable for the day after Christmas.”

Lorna nods. “It’s always pretty busy and we’ll still be tired from the day before. That’s why we’re still here.”

“But we’re glad to be able to help out a star like you!”

Arc chuckles. “Oh, I don’t think I’m that popular.”

Lorna gasps. “Are you kidding?! There’s products featuring you all over the place!”

“There are?”

Pietro nods. “T-shirts, mugs, Halloween costumes a couple months back…”

Lorna giggles. “Apparently they’re selling nationwide!”

“That and action figures!”

“Those I did see in the toy store the other day.”

Lorna gasps. “They had some?!”

“Yeah. Quite a few actually.”

“It’s supposed to be the hottest toy line this season!”

“They must’ve gotten a late shipment, or something!”

“Guess it was a good idea for me to do my shopping early that morning. It was really cool seeing myself depicted in plastic like that. They totally nailed my armor depiction. Well… pre-damage, that is.”

Pietro looks at Arc’s exposed gauntlet. “So what exactly happened to your armor?”

Lorna frowns. “I don’t remember it looking like that on the news.”

“It was heavily damaged during my flight from the military.”

Pietro chuckles. “We did see that live on television.”

Lorna shudders. “That was one heck of a battle!”

“Yes, it was. But there was another fight I got into sometime later. They were able to finish demolishing this armor. Smashed it into quite a few pieces.”

Pietro gasps. “Are you alright?!”

“I am now, yes. But that one really hurt. In any case, the reason my armor looks kinda funny is because of an unsuccessful reforging of Eidolon’s Ward.”

Lorna tilts her head to one side, confused. “Eidolon’s… what now?”

“It’s what I call my armor. Whatever spell was used against it a while back really messed up the material somehow.”

Pietro nods. “You should probably replace it then.”

“Right. It doesn’t appear battle ready as-is.”

“Already have actually.”

Pietro grins. “Can we see?!”

“I guess so.”

Turing away, Arc recalls Eidolon’s Ward and calls forth his new armor. Turning back to the pair he pulls off the magic cloak and tosses it over his shoulder. Lorna and Pietro gasp in astonishment.

“It’s incredible!”

“That looks amazing!”

“What’s it called?!”

Arc shrugs. “This armor doesn’t actually have a name, as I just got it.”

“Where from?!”

“Inherited from my grandfather.”

Lorna grins. “Was he also a superhero?!”

“Kinda. It’s a very recent development.”

Lorna finishes scanning the items and tells Arc his total. He pulls some money from his ring and hands it to her.

“Please keep the change.”

“Are you sure? I mean… the superhero gig doesn’t usually pay much.”

“If anything!”

Arc nods. “I do alright. In any case I’ll just put these away.”

Walking over to the cart Arc picks up each bag one by one and stores them in his ring. Pietro looks confused.

“Where’d they go?!”

Arc holds up a gauntlet. “I’m wearing a magic ring under here. It allows me to store items in it.”

Lorna steps away from the cash register. “Can we have one more picture please?!”

“Sure. “

They walk toward a wall and line up. Lorna takes out her phone again and holds it as far away as possible. Arc turns to her.

“Want me to take it for you?”

“But then you wouldn’t be in it!”

Arc holds out his gauntlet. “Trust me.”

Handing him the camera, Arc casts a Telekinesis Spell. Levitating it, he presses the shutter button with his magic. After taking several shots from different angles he returns the phone to Lorna. Pietro looks to his sister.

“I can’t wait to see those shots!”

“Me either!”

She turns back to Arc, happily.

“Thank you, sir!”

“We’ll treasure it always!”

“No problem. But I need to be off now.”

He waves and hurries toward the front doors.

“Merry Christmas!”

Lorna and Pietro wave too and call out in tandem. “Merry Christmas!”

As Arc approaches the door he Blinks through it. The siblings hurry over to it and look outside. Pietro points.

“There’s his footprints on the others side!”

Lorna looks around. “Yes, but it looks like he just reappeared and then vanished again!”

“How do you suppose he did that?!”

Lorna giggles. “Magic I would guess.”

“Yeah. Well we’re pretty much done stocking for day after tomorrow. You ready to head out?”

Lorna nods. “That I am. But I need to do something real quick. Can you grab my coat from the back room please?”

“Sure. See you in a few minutes.”

The pair part ways. A short time later Pietro returns to the front wearing a coat and carrying his sister’s. Looking around he calls out.

“Lorna! You ready?!”

She calls out from behind the photo counter.

“Just a sec!”

A moment later she runs over to him with something in her hands.

“What do you have there, sis?”

“Check it out!”

She hands it over. Pietro gasps as he looks at a framed picture of them with Arc in his new armor.

“He got a great shot!”

Lorna nods. “That he did! I’m sure glad he took a few though, as some of them were kinda out of focus.”

“Where should we put it?”

“How about in the office?”

“It would look nice there, yes. But then only we’d see it. After all, it was a big deal having a celebrity here.”

“The entryway?”

“Perfect!

“We’ll hang it up properly when we get back.”

“Sounds good to me.”

They set the picture frame on the counter and head out the door together. Meanwhile, Arc stands atop the building and watches them leave. Cherry calls out to him telepathically.

“You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

Arc chuckles. “Was it that obvious?”

“Yes.”

“I suppose everyone likes being told they’re doing a good job. Especially when what they do may not be exactly popular.”

“The altercation with the military?”

Arc sighs. “At least no one was killed. On either side, I mean. But let’s get back to the others.”

Putting on his magic robe and cloaking again Arc Blinks across the street to the center of the bank’s roof before walking to the edge and Blinking down. Looking around carefully he recalls his armor and puts it away before jogging quickly around the building. Heading for the Jeep, he sits down next to it and Blinks back into his spot between Shelly and Lily. Hammer turns to him and grins.

“How’d it go?”

Arc gives her a thumbs up as he pulls a bucket of ice cream from his ring. “Mission accomplished.”

“Good! Uh… is that thing a freezer?”

“My ring?”

“Yeah.”

Arc shrugs as he puts the bucket back. “If it can keep my cupcakes fresh, I assume ice cream will stay frozen.”

Scootaloo peeks over the seat from the back. Arc motions for her to rejoin him. Carefully stepping over the seat she sits back down in Arc’s lap. Putting his arms around Shelly and Lily, they again snuggle up to Arc as Hammer puts the Jeep in reverse and turns back onto the road. A short time later they pull into the mostly empty orphanage parking lot. Looking to his friends Arc gently shakes them awake.

“Shelly… Lily… we’re here.”

Lily slowly opens her eyes and looks at Arc groggily.

“Is this… a dream?”

Arc chuckles. “Not last time I checked.”

Lily blushes as she realizes her error.

“Oh! Um… I just…!”

“It’s okay, Lily.”

Derpy turns to Dinky as the little girl rubs her eyes. “Let’s see about getting Shelly’s wheelchair out, Daisy.”

“Okay, mom.”

Hammer grins. “I’ll give you a hand.”

Getting out of the Jeep, they walk around to the back and pull out the wheelchair as Lily lowers her voice and looks to Arc sheepishly.

“Sorry.”

“Huh?”

“Embarrassing you in front of your family like that.”

Arc chuckles. “I’m not worried about it. You must’ve been having a really nice dream.”

Lily blushes. “That I was.”

Arc smiles at her as he gives Lily’s hand a quick squeeze.

“Let’s get Shelly inside where it’s warm.”

Nodding, Lily gets out and walks around to the other side of the vehicle as Arc pats Shelly’s cheek.

“Shelly? It’s time to wake up.”

Groaning, the young woman awakens. Looking around for a few moments, her eyes eventually focus on Arc.

“We’re here already?”

“Yup. You ready to go inside.”

Shelly smiles and nods. “Yes!”

Arc nods to Lily and Hammer standing outside the door. They open it and help the young woman into her wheelchair as Arc gets out himself and motions for the others to follow him. While Lily gets Shelly covered with a blanket the others walk over to the still open back hatch. Arc covertly removes the ice cream and condiments purchased earlier and sets them in the back of the Jeep.

“Alright, everyone grab a bag or two and let’s get moving.”

Picking up bags and buckets of ice cream they head for the door as Lily pushes the wheelchair. Entering the building they walk up to the receptionist’s window. Knocking, Arc announces them.

“We’re there to see Miss Kulara.”

“Yes, she told me to admit all of you immediately.”

Pressing a button, the door next to her clicks as the lock disengages. Opening it, Arc and the others walk through as the receptionist turns to them.

“Miss Kulara is currently waiting for you in the Day Room.”

“Thank you.”

Leading the way, Arc walks down the corridor. Everyone looks around at the pictures on the walls. Hammer is the first to speak.

“Looks like we’ve got some pretty talented artists living here.”

Arc nods. “Yup. Miss Kulara does her best to encourage the orphans to find activities here that stimulate them.”

Derpy appears confused. “Stimulate?”

Shelly smiles. “Brings them joy.”

Lily nods. “Right. Other than going to school, doctor’s appointments, and court appearances, the orphans aren’t typically allowed to leave the building and it’s grounds.”

Scootaloo frowns. “Why not?”

Arc sighs. “Because the staff here are responsible for them and their well-being.”

Dinky turns to Lily. “So no sleepovers or going to the park?”

Lily shakes her head. “No. That was a tough part of orphan life for all of us back then.”

Shelly nods. “Right. Every Friday at school we would hear other children talking about what they were going to do after class with friends. Slumber parties… going to the mall… heading to the stadium to catch a game…”

Arc chimes in. “There were occasional exceptions, mind you. When Miss Kulara took over she began organizing special trips for us. We’d be taken to indoor play-places for a few hours every so often.”

Lily sighs. “Yes. But she and a couple staff members would have to sit at the entrances to make sure no one tried to leave.”

Derpy looks to Lily. “Why would anyone want to get away?”

“Some kids were habitual runaways. They’d take any opportunity to try and get back to their original home.”

Dinky gasps. “Did anyone ever make it?”

Arc puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Just one that I can remember. Dooley was his name.”

Shelly giggles. “I remember him. He was always trying to escape when he first arrived.”

Lily nods soberly. “One night he actually made it though.”

Scootaloo looks to Arc. “What happened?”

“He hid behind some boxes that were on the loading dock while the weekly delivery was made.”

Shelly looks out a window as they pass. “While the truck was being unloaded he slipped out the overhead door without being seen. No one noticed he was gone until mealtime.”

Arc sighs. “Yeah. Then the staff had to search the entire facility. When he wasn’t found the police were notified and started interviewing us.”

Lily nods. “We all said about the same thing to them though.”

Hammer grins. “What was that? A cover story?”

Arc shakes his head. “No. That he was heading for his mother’s place.”

Dink gasps. “He was taken away from her?”

Arc frowns. “Yes. You see, she was a full blown alcoholic. Very abusive and mean whenever she drank. So much so that the state stepped in and took Dooley out of there.”

Dinky looks nervously to her father. “Was she like Angel’s mom?”

“Yes, sweetheart. Almost exactly the same. She had lost her job, had no money, and was living in a filthy trailer while spending every moment that she could completely drunk.”

Lily sighs. “But even so, he was fiercely loyal to her.”

Shelly smiles sadly. “I suppose every child is, after all.”

Arc groans. “Right. He didn’t realize that her behavior wasn’t normal though.”

“So did he make it there, Big Brother?”

“Yes. You see, no one knew where his mother lived as she would move her trailer from place to place to try and avoid paying her bills and other creditors.”

Lily nods. “That’s why the police couldn’t find her. He never told anyone the spots she would move to.”

Shelly turns to Arc and grimaces. “Remember when he got back?”

“Yeah. He had a black eye.”

Hammer frowns. “Got into a fight with mom?”

Arc nods sadly. “Dooley told us that when he got to the trailer she hit him in the face and told him to go back to the orphanage.”

Dinky gasps. “What?! Why?!”

Lily shrugs. “We don’t really know for sure. But it’s likely that she was drunk and out of her mind at the time.”

Shelly thinks for a moment. “There weren’t any other attempts to escape after that if I recall.”

Arc nods. “Right. Nowhere else for him to go.”

Scootaloo appears hopeful. “Any idea what happened to her?”

Lily shakes her head. “None. But after that Dooley started making friends with the other orphans and put down some roots.”

Shelly smiles. “I think that incident taught him that she really didn’t want him around. Or at the very least that drinking was more important to her than he was.”

Derpy turns to Arc. “Was he ever adopted?”

“Yes, he was. His grandfather took him in when the state located him. However, he fell deathly ill one winter less than a year later. Fortunately, Dooley was taken in by his grandfather’s employer.”

Hammer appears surprised. “Who was that?”

Lily smiles. “Father Timothy Kavanaugh of Lord’s Chapel.”

Shelly nods. “Dooley didn’t have anyone else to care for him back then. It was either that or back to the orphanage.”

Arc chuckles. “His grandfather signed off on the idea and Father Tim became his guardian.”

Lily turns to Shelly. “I wonder what happened to him.”

“So do I.”

“He went to medical school to became a large animal veterinarian. Does a lot with farm animals now. At least that’s what Marshal Raynor told me when I asked him.”

Hammer grins. “Sounds like he’s doing alright then.”

Arc shrugs. “More or less. I mean, we all have our own problems, after all.”

They arrive at the Day Room. Dinky looks around along with Scootaloo.

“Everyone here looks pretty happy.”

“If I didn’t know they were orphans I would say they didn’t have a care in the world.”

Arc sighs. “Yes, well…”

A familiar voice rings out behind them.

“Hello again, Arc!”

They turn to see a woman walking toward them. Arc smiles broadly.

“Hello, Miss Kulara. As promised I’ve brought Lily and Shelly with me today.”

With great difficulty, Shelly carefully stands. Taking Arc and Lily’s hands she slowly walks toward Kulara. Giving the woman a hug which she returns.

“It’s good to see you again, ma’am!”

Lily giggles. “That it is!”

Kulara smiles as she hugs them. “And it’s good to see you three together as well.”

Arc grins. “How’ve you been?”

“Very busy. We’re trying to organize plans for an addition.”

Shelly appears surprised. “Addition?”

Kulara nods. “Yes. An investigation showed that we’ll outgrow this facility in less than five years. So the state is working to allocate funds to add on to the building.”

Arc looks around. “Where will everyone stay during construction?”

“Here. The new section will be blocked off with heavy duty temporary walls during that time for safety purposes. A separate entrance will also be cut in the perimeter fence for construction traffic too.”

Lily sighs. “Sounds like things will be getting busy here soon.”

“That they will. But probably not for another six months or so.”

She turns to Arc before continuing.

“Now then, why don’t we head to the kitchen and put the ice cream in the freezer?”

“Good idea.”

Heading back down the hall, Arc turns to Kulara again.

“Oh! I didn’t introduce my other friends. Miss Kulara, this is Dawn along with her daughter Daisy whom I’ve adopted. And this is Scarlet, another adoptee from a nation across the sea.”

Derpy smiles. “Hello.”

Dinky grins. “Hi!”

Scootaloo looks up at her. “Good evening, ma’am.”

“And this is a new friend of ours, Hammer. She used to work for Frank.”

Kulara nods happily. “It’s very nice to meet all of you.”

Hammer looks to Kulara nervously. “Hey, uh… ma’am?”

“Yes?”

“I was just wondering something.”

“What is it?”

“Is it true that Frank Fontaine was raised in this very building?”

Kulara smiles and nods. “Oh, yes. He along with your other friends were inseparable for many years before aging out of our system.”

“What kind of person was he?”

“Very… driven. He would become angry when someone bullied others.”

Arc nods. “That he was. Although he usually answered such things with force.”

Shelly shudders. “It was sometimes scary to watch!”

Kulara sighs. “Thankfully he’s been able to move past that and focus his energies on more positive endeavors.”

Hammer frowns. “But he didn’t really…”

Arc interrupts her. “…stray too far from his beliefs. After all, he still wants everyone to be able to live their lives in peace.”

Kulara nods. “A noble goal, yes.”

They come to the kitchen and put the ice cream in the freezer. Dinky turns to her father.

“Are we going to bring in the presents now?”

Arc shakes his head. “No, sweetheart. They’ll be fine out in the Jeep.”

Hammer frowns. “But what if someone tries to steal them?!”

Kulara points out the window. “Our maintenance worker just went outside to close the gate for the day. It’ll be quite secure.”

Arc nods. “Right. That and I had something else in mind for them.”

Derpy appears confused. “Oh?”

“What’s that, Big Brother?”

“You’ll find out later.”

Returning to the Day Room, Kulara beckons them to follow her.

“There’s someone who wanted to see you when you arrived.”

Arc appears genuinely surprised. “Who?”

“This way.”

She leads them to a partitioned off area in the corner. Entering, they see various young children playing with appears to be baby toys. An older child hurries over to them smiling happily.

“Hello everyone!”

Arc grins. “Hi, Angel!”

Dinky looks to her. “What is this place?”

“This is a play area for the special needs kids. You see, they need special toys to help then grow and learn.”

A voice calls out from behind a large dollhouse.

“That they do.”

Stepping forward, Arc spots Cybil sitting on the floor with two toddlers on her lap. She smiles happily at the sight of him.

“It’s been a while, Arc.”

“That it has. You look like you’re doing well, Cybil.”

“I am, yes. Much better than last year when you found me, that is.”

Hammer raises an eyebrow. “Found?”

Cybil nods. “Yes, miss…?”

“Call me ‘Hammer’. I’m here with Arc.”

“Well, Miss Hammer… last year about this time Arc found me as I was getting fired from my job for coming to work drunk yet again. He took me into his home and sobered me up enough to tell me that my daughter’s father had died in an apartment fire.”

Arc winces as she continues.

“I stayed with him until his trip here on Christmas Eve. Identifying myself as Angel’s mother, I was prepared to give her up to the state.”

Angel grins broadly. “But you didn’t, mom!”

Cybil smiles as she sets the toddlers down and walks over to her daughter. “Right. And now I’m so glad I didn’t.”

Kulara speaks up. “Miss Cybil has been volunteering here a few times a week to be able to see her daughter more often.”

Angel nods. “It’s been great!”

Cybil sighs. “Sadly I’ve yet to have custody of Angel restored.”

“But we’re still together!”

Kulara smiles. “And much improved I might add.”

Arc turns to the headmistress. “Did you tell the court that, Miss Kulara?”

“It was in my report, yes. She’s much more stable than that night you brought her here.”

Cybil bows her head. “Back then I thought giving up my baby was the best I could do for her. But thanks to Arc, my new coworkers, and the AA meetings, I’ve learned that I can give her a better life myself.”

“When do you think we can go home, mom?”

“Not this year, sweetheart. The judge wasn’t convinced that I’ve changed completely.”

Derpy sighs. “We’re sorry to hear that.”

Scootaloo looks her over. “You look okay to me.”

Dinky nods. “What was the problem?”

“He said that I need to show more distance from my old life.”

Arc raises an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”

Cybil shrugs. “I don’t really know. Hopefully with enough time I can convince him that I’m not the same woman I used to be.”

Dinky appears hopeful. “Can we help?”

Cybil smiles and pats Dinky on the head. “I don’t think so, dear. It’s enough for me that your mother and father went out of their way to give Angel and I a perfect Christmas last year.”

Angel grins. “Last year was a lot of fun!”

Arc sighs. “I’m sorry we couldn’t do more. But for now the issue lies with the court system.”

Kulara nods. “Indeed. It’s out of our hands.”

Derpy looks around. “Why don’t we do our part to make it the best Christmas we can for these little ones today then?”

Hammer gives them a thumbs up. “Yeah! Let’s give em a day they’ll remember!”

Arc turns to Kulara. “Can we do story time again?”

“That would be a very good idea for Daisy here, yes.”

“Me?”

“The children love to hear from others their own age, along with their parents.”

Lily nods. “Shelly and I can help in the kitchen making lunch.”

“Yes indeed!”

Arc chuckles. “The kids here would probably love getting some food that’s made by those with their skills.”

Kulara sighs. “I’m sure they would. But remember that we buy our food in bulk via the same suppliers the school system uses.”

Arc grimaces. “Kinda hoped that had changed.”

Derpy appears hopeful. “What about some special desserts?”

Kulara nods. “We do have some base ingredients that could be used for that purpose, yes.”

Lily smiles. “Shelly and I will give it our best.”

“That we will.”

Hammer frowns. “That’s all well and good for them, but what about me?”

Kulara puts a hand to her cheek and thinks. “Hm…”

Arc turn to the headmistress. “What about the older kids?”

“We have board games and cards to play. But not much else in the way of entertainment, I’m afraid.”

Hammer looks toward the tables the older children are sitting at before turning to Arc.

“I have an idea. But I need to borrow your Jeep to make it happen.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Just trust me on this one!”

Arc nods and tosses her the keys.

“Alright.”

“Thanks!”

She hurries away as Dinky grabs his hand.

“Come on, dad! I want to read to the other kids!”

Derpy giggles. “Me too.”

Arc chuckles. “Well, let’s get started then.”

Scootaloo looks to Arc. “I’ll stay with Angel and Miss Cybil.”

Kulara nods. “Very well.”

She looks after them as they make their way to the reading corner. The little ones all run after Arc and his daughter as they do so. Kulara smiles as she watches Dinky pick up a book and begin to read.

“I’m glad they were able to make it through the snow. The children do love visitors.”

Arc and company read to and play with the orphans for a solid two hours. Kulara approaches him sometime later.

“I just received a call from the front desk. The receptionist says that your friend Hammer is back with quite a few things.”

“She is?”

Kulara nods. “Yes. Would you please come with me to investigate?”

“Sure.”

Standing up, Arc follows Kulara to the front. They find Hammer standing triumphantly next to a flatbed cart stacked high with boxes and covered with a large sheet. Arc turns to her.

“What’s all this?”

“Entertainment for the older kids.”

Kulara looks at the covered boxes. “What exactly…?”

“It’s supposed to be a surprise! I just need to set it all up!”

“I do understand that. However, I need to know exactly what’s coming into the facility.”

Hammer steps aside. “Take a look.”

Kulara looks under the sheet and gasps.

“I’ve been trying to convince the state to get something like this for years!”

Arc appears hopeful. “So does that mean we can set it up?”

Kulara nods fervently. “Yes, of course!”

Arc turns to his friend. “Need help with this, Hammer?”

“Actually, yeah. It’s really a two person job.”

They head back to the Day Room with the cart. Kulara calls out to everyone.

“Attention! We’re going to have some outdoor time now! Everyone bundle up and head to the playground!”

The children both young and older stand up and head out of the room. Kulara turns to Arc as the others approach them.

“How long do you need?”

“About an hour or so.”

Hammer shrugs. “Something like that.”

Dinky hurries over to him and looks at the cart. “Dad? What’s going on?”

“Hammer has a surprise for everyone. We just need some time to set it up.”

Derpy giggles. “Can we help?”

Arc shakes his head. “Not really. It’s kinda technical.”

“We could go outside and play, mom.”

Hammer nods. “That’s a good idea.”

Kulara smiles. “I’ll come get everyone when it’s ready.”

Arc grins. “Perfect.”

Derpy and Dinky leave the room with Kulara as Arc and Hammer get to work. Opening up box after box they remove components, assemble them, and set them up. A little over an hour later they stand back to admire their work. Hammer grins.

“I love it!”

Arc nods. “It does look nice, yes.”

“Do you think the kids will like it?”

“I guarantee it.”

Kulara enters the Day Room and walks over to them. Looking at their progress she smiles widely.

“I can’t thank you enough, Miss Hammer! This will be quite the blessing to our children!”

“Don’t mention it!”

Arc nods. “I think we’re ready for everyone to come inside now.”

Hammer grins. “Sure are!”

Kulara smiles. “Very well. I’ll head out there now and blow the whistle.”

“We’ll wait here then.”

Kulara nods and walks away. Arc and Hammer look over the setup. Hammer wrings her hands together happily.

“They’re gonna LOVE this!”

“That they are.”

She slips a hand around Arc and into his back pocket.

“Like I love this.”

“Hammer…!”

“They won’t be back for a bit. Gives us a few minutes alone.”

Pushing Arc down on a nearby couch, Hammer jumps on top of him and plants a kiss on his lips. Kneeling back, she grins sheepishly at him.

“Sorry about that. But working side by side with you got me all hot and bothered.”

“It’s… okay. Um… can I get up though please?”

Hammer lays down on him and whispers in his ear.

“Sure. Let’s find an nice quiet spot somewhere else once we get everyone situated.”

Arc rolls his eyes. “Hammer…”

Hammer groans. “Fine.”

Standing up she reaches out a hand. Helping Arc stand, she and him step aside as they hear the sound of feet running toward the room from down the hall. The younger kids look at the setup, clearly confused, as the older ones hurry over to have a look. Kulara walks over to Arc and Hammer as she blows a whistle to get everyone’s attention.

“All of this is a gift to the orphanage from a friend of one of our former orphans. Miss Hammer saw that there wasn’t much for the older generation to do and has seen fit to provide this equipment to us. What do we all say?”

“THANK YOU MISS HAMMER!”

Hammer grins. “You’re all welcome.”

“Now then, this is for the older kids primarily. But I’ll come up with a schedule in a few days on who gets to use it and when.”

Arc nods. “Play nice.”

Kulara turns to Hammer. “Do you want to tell the kids anything?”

Hammer laughs. “Yeah! Let’s play!”

The older kids run over and each grab controllers as Hammer turns on the Xbox consoles. Arc presses the ‘power’ button on a remote and the screens come to life.

“I got football, basketball, and soccer! Take your pick!”

She steps back as the older kids each grab one of the sixteen controllers from a nearby table nestled in their charging stations. Arc turns to Kulara.

“The charge on those controllers won’t be too long at first. But if they charge them when not in use it’ll work out.”

Kulara nods. “I’ll mention that to everyone later. Thank you again, Miss Hammer.”

“No problem.”

Derpy, Dinky, and Scootaloo enter the room and head for Arc. They look over at the sight before them.

“What is it, dad?”

“Xbox.”

Scootaloo raises an eyebrow, confused. “Boxes with lights?”

Arc laughs. “They’re video games.”

Hammer nods. “Each Xbox has four controllers for a total of sixteen. They’re each playing a sports game together.”

Derpy marvels at the sight before her. “It looks like a very complicated game!”

Dinky nods. “But they all seem to already know how to play.”

Scootaloo frowns. “How though? We were only a couple minutes behind them.”

Arc chuckles. “Kids pick that stuff up pretty quickly.”

A few hours later they eat a nice supper together in the cafeteria before returning to the Day Room to play. As the sun goes down Arc looks out the window before turning his attention to the wall clock. He looks at Dinky who is playing with a few of the younger children together with Angel.

“Daisy, can I see you for a moment?”

“Yeah, dad.”

Standing up, they head out of the Day Room and down the corridor together. Looking around to be sure they’re alone, Arc pulls a bag out of his ring and quickly hands it to Dinky as he points.

“There’s a bathroom just over there. Get changed and head over to the Jeep to start the next phase of the plan.”

Dinky grins and hurries into the bathroom as Arc looks out the window to watch the gently falling snow. A short time later Dinky runs out in a small, black cloak. She gives her father a thumbs up before running toward the main entrance. Returning to the Day Room, Arc looks for Derpy. He walks over and whispers in her ear.

“Dinky’s changed into her other outfit.”

“Is it almost time already?”

Arc nods. “Yes. Don’t want to wait too long now.”

He looks over to Kulara and nods. She blows her whistle and addresses the orphans.

“Attention everyone! It’s time to read a story together!”

The little ones cheer and run to the story corner. Kulara nods to Hammer who walks over to the older children playing video games.

“Alright! You heard the lady! Let’s go!”

Herding the group to the place in front of the chair, Hammer takes a spot in the back as Kulara picks up a book, sits down, and begins to read aloud.

“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring. Not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.”

She gestures to the old fireplace before continuing.

“The children were nestled all snug in their beds. While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads. And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled down for a long winter's nap. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter.”

A crash outside rings out. Scootaloo turns to Derpy.

“What was that?”

Derpy giggles. “Probably nothing, dear.”

Lily smiles. “Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

Shelly shushes her friend as Hammer looks out the window.

“Snow falling off the roof.”

Kulara looks to Arc and nods. Turning, he opens the window as she continues reading.

“I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash. Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the crust of the new-fallen snow, gave a luster of midday to objects below. When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer. With a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment he must be Saint Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, and he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name.”

A voice from outside rings out.

“Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer, and Vixen! On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen!”

Kulara grins and raises her voice. “To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!”

The voice from outside continues. “Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

“As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly. When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky. So up to the housetop the coursers they flew. With the sleigh full of toys, and Saint Nicholas too. And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof. The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.”

The sound of something thumping along with sleigh bells is heard overhead as Kulara continues reading.

“As I drew in my head, and was turning around. Down the chimney Saint Nicholas came with a bound.”

Kulara looks to the chimney as Arc looks out the window and nods. With a small flash, a portly man in a red coat lined with white fur, black boots, and a stocking cap appears with what appears to be an elf next to him and a large sack over his shoulder. The children turn and smile widely as one of them calls out.

“Santa Claus!”

“And one of his elves!”

They stand and run over to him happily as he sets down the sack and opens it. Handing out presents to everyone whom approaches. Soon the bag is empty as more children turn to Santa waiting for a gift.

“Oh my! It appears I didn’t bring enough presents this year!”

The children hang their heads for a moment before Santa continues.

“It’s a good thing I brought help!”

His elf runs to the doorway and motions for someone to enter. Three large elves enter with large sacks over their shoulders walk in. They hurry over to Santa and place the sacks at his feet as he continues giving out presents. Kulara keeps reading.

“He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot. And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of toys he had flung on his back. And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes how they twinkled. His dimples, how merry! His cheeks were like roses. His nose like a cherry. His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow. He had a broad face and a little round belly that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf. And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.”

As Santa finishes giving out the gifts he motions for the elves both tall and small to surround him.

“A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work. And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk. Laying his finger aside of his nose and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.”

In a flash of light, Santa and his elves vanish.

“He sprang to his sleigh. To his team gave a whistle. And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight…”

Santa’s voice rings out from overhead as the sound of sleigh bells and thumps ring out.

“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Kulara closes the book as the orphans run to the window and look at the sky. She puts it down and walks over to Arc and his friends.

“That was most impressive!”

Arc nods. “Agreed. Frank and his guys really outdid themselves there.”

Hammer gasps. “Wait! That was FRANK?!”

Lily nods. “Yes. Shelly and I ordered the costumes.”

“And I filled the coat with stuffing to make him look fat.”

Derpy giggles. “Daisy made a very cute little elf.”

Hammer chuckles. “Her I recognized. But where did Frank go?”

Arc points down the corridor. “A bathroom on the other side of the building. He’ll send his guys back to their place before joining us.”

Derpy raises an eyebrow. “Who were the elves?”

“Snake, Jackal, and Wolf.”

Hammer nods. “They did look familiar. Well, at least Jackal did.”

She leans in close and lowers her voice.

“Uh… so why didn’t they come after me? I mean, I KNOW they all saw me with the kids.”

“I told Frank that you would be here and to pass it onto his guys. The last thing we needed was a fight breaking out between Santa and you, after all.”

Hammer appears relieved. “Thanks! I mean… I’m not sure I could have taken all of them on my own. Well, maybe if Stingray and Mio were…”

“Hello again, lieutenant.”

Turning, they see Frank walking toward them with Kulara, his signature cane in hand. Dinky follows him closely.

“How’d I do, dad?!”

“Great, sweetheart!”

Derpy giggles. “The other kids looked really happy!”

Kulara nods. “It was certainly the high point of the celebration. Thank you all for helping put on that special Christmas skit.”

Frank bows respectfully. “You are most welcome, Miss Kulara.”

Shelly smiles. “You did great, Frank!”

Lily giggles. “That you did! Your entrance was perfectly timed!”

Frank chuckles. “I had Arc to signal me.”

He looks over at the new televisions and Xbox’s lined up before turning his gaze back to Arc.

“Although it appears someone else was more generous than I.”

Arc shakes his head. “That wasn’t me.”

“Oh?”

Hammer raises a hand. “I did that.”

Frank nods approvingly. “Did you now?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Might I inquire as to why?”

Hammer turns to look at the kids making their way back to their games. “When I arrived I noticed that the bigger orphans didn’t have much to do around here. It just seemed like the right thing to do.”

“Very conscientious of you. There may be hope for you yet, lieutenant.”

“Thanks! Hey!”

Arc clears his throat. “In any case, why don’t we get the ice cream and other snacks out here before the night gets too late?”

Kulara nods. “Oh, yes. That’ll be quite the undertaking, serving all the ice cream.”

Shelly giggles. “It won’t be as hard as you think, Miss Kulara.”

Lily appears suddenly happy. “Yes. We had an idea to make that a bit more special as well.”

She turns to Arc and Derpy.

“Can we get your help carting them over here please?”

Arc nods. “Sure.”

“No problem.”

Dinky grins. “Can I help too?”

Arc laughs. “Sure. Scarlet, can you come as well?”

“If you need me to, yes.”

Hammer appears suddenly nervous. “I’ll stay here with Frank and get the tables set up.”

Frank chuckles. “Indeed.”

Kulara motions for the pair to follow her. Unlocking a nearby storage room she opens the door and points to a stack of long folding tables.

“I think we’ll need at least six of these. After all, everyone will want a place to sit and eat their treats.”

“Good idea, Miss Kulara. We don’t want anyone to not have a seat.”

“Thank you. But if you two will please excuse me, I need to return to my office to take care of a few things.”

Hammer grins. “Don’t worry. We got this.”

Kulara leaves the room as Hammer grabs one of the tables. She turns to see Frank looking at her.

“Something wrong?”

Frank wordlessly uses his magic to close the door. Hammer frowns as she sets down the table and cracks her knuckles.

“We doing this?!”

“Having a conversation, yes.”

“Oh… uh… what about?”

“Arc.”

“What about him?”

“Your relationship.”

Hammer narrows her eyes. “Let me guess. You think I’m trying to get close just to hurt him?”

“The thought had crossed my mind, yes.”

“I’ve had plenty of chances already.”

“He appears fine. But I still wonder what your angle is.”

Hammer makes air quotes. “My ‘angle’, as you put it, is that I want something I’ve never had before.”

“And what is that?”

Hammer turns away and sighs. “A family.”

“Oh? What about your sisters?”

“They don’t approve of this at all. I’ve tried innumerable times to contract them without so much as a note back. But Arc and his crew are just so close to one another. It’s just… such a nice feeling being around Derpy, Dinky, Scootaloo, Sereb, Shelly, and Lily. They all accepted me without so much as a second glance.”

“Arc is a bit easy to allow others into his life.”

Hammer grins. “Into his bed too.”

Frank sighs. “You would know better than I.”

“I’m sticking with him! And there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”

“Very well. However know that if harm should befall Arc that comes from you, no force on this Earth or any other celestial body would save you from the wrath of the Shards.”

“Fine. Just remember that you yourself aren’t exactly trustworthy.”

“I’ve changed, Hammer.”

“So have I!”

“Let me guess. Arc gave you a second chance?”

“How’d you know?!”

Frank chuckles. “It’s his way.”

“He really is a great guy.”

“That he is.”

Hammer grins as she blushes. “And I want to get to know him more… intimately.”

“Be wary, Hammer. Know that being Arc’s friend comes with certain risks.”

“Whaddya mean?!”

“Someone like him has made many friends in the past, as well as enemies. I merely thought you should understand that.”

“Then I’ll watch his back.”

“Fine. But we should probably get these tables over to the Day Room.”

“Right. Arc and the others will be back soon.”

A short time later Arc and his friends return. Arc and Derpy push carts containing bowls of already served ice cream. Dinky and Scootaloo follow carrying the various sprinkles, chocolate syrup, cherries, chocolate chips, and other assorted condiments. Lily brings up the rear with Shelly who is carrying two extra tubs of ice cream on her lap for refills. They make their way over to a small table where Kulara hands out the ice cream as Arc and his friends apply the desired condiments to the children whom approach. Half an hour later they sit down to ice cream themselves. Hammer grins as she eats.

“This is the best time I ever had!”

Derpy smiles. “Serving others is always fun to me.”

Scootaloo turns to her. “Why is that?”

“I see it as trying to make things just a little bit nicer for those around me. While I won’t be changing the world with my actions, it’s nice to know that I can still do something.”

Shelly nods. “That’s why Lily and I opened the restaurant.”

“Right. We wanted to fill the void left in the town by Mister Hooper.”

Frank chuckles. “Arc and I come here every Christmas at this time for similar reasons. We want the orphans to know that they have not been forgotten.”

Arc grins. “Right.”

Scootaloo appears confused. “Forgotten?”

Arc sighs. “That’s how we felt as children. Like the world had continued on without us.”

Frank nods. “It was as if we didn’t matter to anyone for the longest time. That was before Miss Kulara took over here though.”

Cybil and Angel walk over and sit down. Arc smiles at them.

“Got the special needs children to bed?”

Cybil nods. “That we did.”

Angel giggles. “Most of them wanted to stay up and play all night.”

“Right. But they were also falling asleep.”

Hammer nods approvingly. “How’d you convince them to go to bed?”

Cybil smiles. “We just kept playing with them. One by one they nodded off.”

“When they did my mom carried them to bed. We just put the last little boy down in their dormitories.”

Dinky appears suddenly nervous. “What if they wake up though?”

Arc puts a hand on her shoulder. “Not to worry. There’s designated staff available to see to their needs at all hours of the day and night.”

Frank looks around the room at the happy children. “Well, these little ones may be up all night with all the sugar we just pumped into them.”

Derpy giggles. “At least until they crash.”

Angel appears confused. “Crash?”

Dinky nods. “Eating too much sugar makes you hyper. But after a while you get REALLY tired.”

Arc look around. “That should be happening soon. At least for the younger kids. Now it’s the waiting game.”

Scootaloo turns to Hammer. “What should we do in the meantime?”

“How about we watch some sports? The older kids are really getting into it.”

Lily nods. “That they are.”

“I’ve been watching them from here for some time. It’s just fun to see their reactions whenever someone scores.”

Arc grins. “Well then, let’s get closer and see who’s winning.”

Standing, Arc leads his friends over to the televisions. Pulling up chairs they look over the various games playing out. Every so often a child nearby would nod off, requiring Arc or Hammer to pick them up and carry them to bed. Around midnight Kulara returns and walks over to the televisions.

“That’s enough for one night. Everyone head to bed.”

Groaning, the kids do as they are told. A few minutes later Arc and his friends are the only ones left in the room. Kulara smiles at them warmly.

“I just wanted to thank all of you for helping make this Christmas especially happy for everyone.”

Arc laughs. “We were happy to do it.”

Frank nods. “Indeed. These children need more happiness in their lives.”

Dinky giggles. “They looked really happy tonight!”

Scootaloo look at the Xboxes. “Yeah! Those games were COOL!”

Derpy smiles. “That they were. But we should probably get back home soon.”

Hammer nods. “It’s quite a drive, after all.”

Shelly yawns. “At least it stopped snowing.”

Lily puts her hands on Shelly’s shoulders. “You can sleep on the way back. I know you’re very tired.”

Angel looks to the headmistress. “Miss Kulara? Can my mom stay here with me tonight?”

Kulara shakes her head. “No, dear. Legally, only residents and staff can do that. I had to get special permission for everyone to be allowed here after normal visiting hours.”

Cybil gets down on her knees as Angel sighs.

“I’ll be here again in the morning, dear.”

Kulara grimaces as she speaks. “We… aren’t open to the public on national holidays, Miss Cybil. I’m very sorry, but those are the rules.

Angel begins to cry. “You… you mean I can’t be with my mom on Christmas Day?!”

Kulara shakes her head sadly. “I’m sorry, but no.”

The night receptionist walks into the room and over to the headmistress.

“Miss Kulara, I just noticed this in the incoming mail tray. While I’m not sure how it was overlooked, it appears important.”

“Thank you.”

She accepts the envelope and looks at the front, wide eyed. Frank appears nervous.

“What is it, Miss Kulara?”

“An official letter.”

Quickly opening it, she reads it silently. Her hands shake slightly as she looks up.

“Oh my! This is quite a shock!”

Arc gasps. “Is something wrong?”

Kulara smiling. “Quite the opposite actually.”

She looks to Cybil who is still trying to console Angel.

“Miss Cybil, a week ago I sent a request for a redetermination in your case. This is the reply.”

Cybil looks to her nervously. “What… what does it say?”

“That your parental rights are being restored.”

Lily grins. “Really?!”

Shelly smiles. “When?!”

“It says here ‘effective immediately’.”

Angel gasps. “So I can go home with my mom?!”

Kulara nods happily. “Yes. Your mother and I just need to sign the enclosed form first.”

Pulling a pen from her pocket, she hands it to Cybil. Signing the document through her tears she gives it back to Kulara. After signing her name, Kulara looks it over a moment.

“With this, you’re free to take Angel home tonight.”

Cybil grabs the woman’s hand and shakes is as she cries happily. “Oh, thank you ma’am! I promise I’ll be the best mother ever!”

She and Angel embrace and cry together happily as everyone watches and smiles happily.

Comments

[The final eclipse]

11094622
Good to know also sidenote I had thought of a ridiculous scenario where Ark just charge through the front doors of the throw room in the tank saying a movie line along the lines of “ do I have your attention now?”

[Kamahido]

11094685
The Hero of Light driving a tank. Classic Arc.

He's bringing the THUNDER!

[Munro]

awesome spezial

jackal wolf and snake in that getup was a little funny to think about. nice picture too

the ending and comback with cybil was a nice touch too

[Kamahido]

11094985
Glad you enjoyed it. Tomorrow I'll release the CHRISTMAS DAY SPECIAL - VOLUME FINALE, so stay tuned.

[The final eclipse]

Merry Christmas everyone

[VeryDeadlyBee]

I have finally returned to reading this story.
And it's just as good as I remember it.
I still remember calling out Silver Spoon (or was it diamond tiara?)'s stroke.

[Kamahido]

11873459
Welcome back! It appears you have quite a bit of reading ahead of you now.