It was your average chaotic morning at the pre-school where Mona worked. The children dashed about like busy little elves, decorating, or at least trying to. The Christmas season was everywhere, as were the garlands and holly. The pre-school would end up looking like some one blew up a tinsel bomb, but the kids thought it looked perfect. It was a tradition they all agreed to support, no matter the cost. Eventually the hour which poor slightly middle-aged Mona cringed at was upon her. So she took a deep breath, and headed for her position by the door, minding the low hanging sprig of mistletoe didn't get caught in her hair.
First, as always, came a familiar young girl with long black hair and bountiful assets, bouncing, literally, into the room. In her arms is an overly cheerful, drooling baby girl, dolled up in her holiday jumpsuit.
"Hello Mom!" The brunette cries. "Happy Holidays!"
"Happy Holidays Naga." Mona replied, taking the girl's permission slip and baby. "And for the Love of Christmas Naga, Don't Laugh!"
"Oh ok! Well Bye-bye sissy! enjoy your last day!" Naga waved and bounced right off again.
"Hello Mrs. Metallium. Happy Holidays to you too little Xellos."
"Hi Mom!" Xellos pipes, "Where's my beloved Lina-chan?" He gushed, in his usual manner, as he wandered off.
Mrs. Metallium handed over Xellos' permission slip with a grin. "So, where you planning on taking them this year? After they've destroyed this place with their decorating?"
"Down to see Santa at the mall." Mona informed her, and with promises to 'see her on new years' Mrs. Metallium departed.
"Hello Mrs. Gabriev! Happy Holidays Gourry!"
"Hi Mom!" Gourry smiled and gazed curiously at the plant over the door. "What's that?"
"Hmm.. Oh. Mistletoe." Mona replied, collecting his permission slip.
"Hello Mr. Rada. Happy Holidays Sylphiel."
"Did I hear mistletoe?" Mr. Rada mused noticing he and Mrs. Gabriev both were caught under it.
"Hi mom hi Gourry!" Sylphiel murmured, blushing as the two adults shared a small kiss.
I'll have to explain it to them later. Mona vowed, smiling.
"Ah Hello Mr. Garv! Happy Holidays Val!" she greeted the next arrivals.
Val snorted and stomped over to the young demon boy, his father giving Mona a saucy grin, under the mistletoe. Bending the blushing woman over backwards he proceeded to kiss her socks off, and slide Val's permission slip down her blouse.
"Ok.. see you new years.. then." she breathed and sighed as the yummy Mr. Garv departed and Rezo the red priest arrived with his young charge Zelgadis.
"Hello Mr. Rezo. Happy Holidays Zelgadis." Mona said, beginning to recover.
"Hi ..Mom? What's that plant doing up there?" Zel asked softly before moving out from under the door, curious as to why his grandfather/great grandfather suddenly grinned villainously like that.
"Oh that's just some mistletoe." Mona answered as she was then captured by Rezo's lips as well. Having collected yet another slip from her shirt, and rubbing the sore spot on her bottom, where she'd just been pinched, she decided the stupid green thing had to go. "now I get the whole grandfather/great thing."
"Ah, H.. hello Ms. I..Inverse. H.. happy Holidays."
"Hi Mom. Mistletoe? That wise?" The purple haired waitress answers.
"Apparently not." she said groaning.
Luna nodded, a small smirk of amusement fluttering on her lips, as she hands over two slips of paper. "Lina behave.. ". She commands the bouncy young red head, who gulps and begins to slink off. "AND take care of your cousin!"
"Okay, Luna." Lina sighs as another little red head shuffles up next to her. Lina's little cousin was dressed in a cute little green dress, with a fuzzy white trim and a charming little stuffed Rudolph. She, and her cousin Lina, looked identical; almost like twins.
"OH My, Hello Liny! Welcome back!" she greeted the lovable red head sincerely.
"Happy Holidays!" Liny curtsied before scampering off with Lina.
"Well that's everyone." Mona declared.
She turned to the happy scamps and announced their last day of pre-school Christmas excursion. "Guess what children! I'm going to take you all to see Santa Clause!"
And there was much rejoicing, from the little ones.
A few hours later, the building was a bright and hideous Christmas mess and the sitters decided to just face the inevitable. "Ok kids! Lunch Time! And afterwards Santa!"
All hell broke loose, as it does everyday, only more so seeing as how it was the last day of school. The children ravished their meals like greedy urchins. One particular group was super hyper, especially due to more sugar in their diet, and the added bonus of jolly old St. Nick. Xellos attempted to share his fruitcake with everyone, though Lina seemed to be the only one who'd actually eat it. Lina and Liny gave their beaux a sample of the sugar cookies they made the other day, and Val and Zel spent the rest of the lunch hour trying to bite the sweet treats without breaking a tooth. Of course the lovely red heads had plenty of holiday goodies, and that wasn't counting the giant candy canes in their fists.
Soon lunch was over, and the toddlers were grouped together, eagerly awaiting Mona.
"Okay kids. Now we're going to go to the mall to see Santa, but I want everybody to stay close to me and hold hands. This time of year its quite hectic in the mall, and I DON'T want to loose ANY of you!" Mona decreed, and everyone quickly clasped each other's hands. Having picked up baby Amelia Mona caught Gourry's palm and marched the long line of munchkins out of the door, to their transportation waiting outside. Next Stop... The MALL!
"Alright! Santa!" Lina crowed in triumph.
"This is the best trip EVER!" Val grinned.
"You know? Mom's such a nice lady. Maybe we should get her a present?" Liny queried.
"How about at the mall?" Sylphiel supplied, ganging everyone's attention.
"That sounds like a great idea! It'll be our Christmas present to her." Zel replied sincerely.
Sylphiel nodded, smiling sweetly. Lina clapped with joy, and everyone else grinned.
"Then we'll have to make a break for it." Xellos decreed, earning some frightened glances. "it's the only way we can go shopping without mom finding out."
"But the Mall's Dangerous!" Liny squealed in fright, holding her reindeer close to herself.
"I'll protect you Liny!" Val blurted eyes all glassy as he gazed upon his long time crush.
"I'm not afraid of some dumb mall!." Lina announced, though she too shifted herself closer to Zelgadis. "All you have to do is make sure you don't get lost.. and no talking to strangers."
"What do we use to buy the present with." Wondered Gourry. "We need money and.. I don't have any."
"None of us do!" Lina moaned and the others followed. After some time riding, the mall was in sight. Soon they'd be at their destination.
"I have it!" Xellos smiled his tell tale smile! "We get a job!"
"A Job?" Sylphiel asked. "What kind?"
"Whatever kind we can get!" Lina announced and they all debarked and entered the mall.
They traipsed into the mall, in a long connected line. Shoppers awned at the cute sight they made, walking hand in hand. About five feet in, Lina gave the nod to Xellos. grinning all the while, he stuck out his foot, farther than was good, and tripped up Liny. Liny stumbled and latched onto you Val for dear life. Blushing and off balance, Val tumbled forward, causing the domino effect, which ended with Gourry slipping from Mona's grasp and face planting the floor.
Before Mona could finish turning around, they were up and running, leaving behind a stunned sitter, holding a giggling baby Amelia. "AHHH!!!!!" she finally screamed and ran full speed to security.
Somewhere else in the mall they re-grouped, and pondered their situation.
"Okay, where are we gonna find a job so we can make some money to buy Mom's present?" Lina mused.
"There's a bulletin board over there?" Sylphiel pointed out helpfully.
The children ran over and took turns jumping in order to read the postings. Eventually they gave up and got Xellos to float up there and take some down. Soon enough the kids were discarding pamphlets left and right, until there were only 2 remaining. One for a talent contest being held in the mall, and the other and add for Santa elves.
"I think it'd be wise to try for both." Zel commented. "That way we have two chances to make money."
"But who among us is talented enough to think up something and enter the contest?" Val remarked.
The two red heads blushed and stared at the ground, then each other. As if coming to a telepathic agreement they sighed and nodded. "We'll do it."
"HUH?" the others blinked.
"Liny and I used to sing together all the time at Christmas.." Lina began.
"So we can enter and do our song. We just need costumes." Liny finished.
"Alright then! Lina and Liny will enter the contest and the rest of us will go be elves." Zel said.
They all shook hands and split up, promising to meet up again at Santa's place.
The party of five scurried over to the photo store, where the elf job was. The lady at the store looked at them strangely but shrugged. "At least Someone Applied." she murmured and took them into the back room so they could change. "Ok people. Your job is to get the little kids and babies to smile for their pictures. Think you can handle that?"
"YES!" the now green clad youngsters cried. And so Job # 1 began.
The Inverse girls arrived at the food court, and found the stage. They hurried over and signed up their names. Finding out they'd be the last ones on, they rushed about, trying to find something to wear as their costumes.
"Hey Lina-chan!"
"What Liny-chan?"
"That toy store there has costumes!"
"They're sailor moon costumes!!"
"The best thing we've seen so far!"
"Okay. Lets see if they have some in our sizes."
Many outfits later, they found two sailor suits that fit.
"I'm Sailor Mars!" Lina grinned.
"And I'm Sailor Mercury!" Liny smiled.
"And TOGETHER! We shall win contests and buy Mom her X-mas Present!" they chorus, posing Senshi-like, mush to the enjoyment of the shoppers in the store. The store clerk, sniffed at their choice of words and decided to give them the costumes, free of charge. With many happy Christmases, the duo ran off to perform, with some of the toy shoppers following close behind.
The two stood nervously as the final contestant finished playing. "ooh she's good." they gulped as their names were called.
"And now ladies and gentlemen. Kids of all ages. Here are Lina and Liny Inverse, the Christmas Senshis!"
Taking deep breaths the pair trudged onto the stage and announced they would sing 'A Maiden's Prayer'.
"Ooooh yeah!!! OOOh oooh ooooh!" they began. "To this small girl loving is wonderful, my darling "
"A glistening rouge," Lina trilled.
"a longful dream," Liny followed.
"a pink peach." Lina answered.
"I want to reach for it -- a maiden's prayer." they sang together.
"I float to the night sky -- the silver of this happiness.
I like to shake the waves of darkness.
my little heart is aching so profoundly.
let my heart leap into your origin. "
"I beg you, let me reach, it's this maiden's will
It's all I am, this pretty me." They paused taking breaths. "oooh
yeah! oooh ooh oooh!"
"To this small girl loving is wonderful, my darling!" they began the next chorus.
"I'm giddy, that cologne," Liny chimed.
"a beautiful dream," Lina accompanied.
"a light blue parasol," Liny completed.
"I wish it would come true -- it's this maiden's will!" they sang together once more.
"I float to the night sky - the silver of this happiness.
I like to shake the waves of darkness.
my little heart is aching so profoundly.
let my heart leap into your origin."
"I beg you, let me reach, it's this maiden's will,
the last kiss is a boomerang;
this boomerang is a ticket for a one way trip!" they sang, gesturing and
dancing along to the music.
"It's all I am, this pretty me!" Liny mewed blowing a kiss into the crowed.
"I feel like I'm on top of a white Pegasus!" Lina purred winking at their fans.
"Delivering the jigsaw of love's last piece!" they closed together in perfect harmony.
The music faded into applause and the two curtsied prettily. The showman smiled as he awarded the two their prizes. "We won third place!!!! We're RICH!!!" they cried and ran to find the others.
Meanwhile Mona FINALY made it to the front desk, after being smooched and pinched again thanks to the mistletoe hanging over the services archway, to report she was missing seven little imps. With more time spent on descriptions, and loosing baby Amelia as well, something she'll never understand how it happened, as both she and the officer had been watching; Well right up to the point where the baby managed to grab onto some low hanging Christmas cable and speed climb her way up to the mall rafters, they finally got into action. Alerting all mall security to hunt down the missing toddlers, Mona and the officer in charge ran about screaming "AHH BABY AMELIA!! NOOO!!".
Zel, Val, Xellos, Gourry, and Sylphiel breathed deeply, as their boss announced they could go. She was grinned like the Cheshire cat, at the good job her new elves did. True mostly they fought, fell asleep, or cried, but the kids whose picture was to be taken seemed to enjoy it, and each photo was a smashing success. Giving each exhausted elf child their pay in cash, she waved as the green things shlumped their was to the center of the mall to meet up with their friends.
Halfway there they all crashed into each other. Trapped in a giant pile of squirmy limbs they struggled to right themselves.
Val's face was burning when he discovered his beloved Liny was dressed up as his now favorite sailor Senshi, Sailor Mercury. He saw her delicate ankles, shins, and knees, all the way up to her filmy blue skirt. The site of all that lovely white skin sent the blood rushing to his head and caused him to faint.
"Oh NO! There he goes!" Lina shouted as everyone caught under him groaned in pain.
"Ah Val-chan!! Are you Dead!?" Liny panicked over the downed boy's side.
"Nope.. but when he comes too.." Lina moaned as she managed to free herself and part of Zel from the pile.
And like magic, the young boy twitched, sat up quickly, eyes popping open, and horn catching the blue skirt of Sailor Liny's fuku. Val awoke to the sight of Dear Sailor Mercury Liny Inverse's undies, little gold stars and all.
With a soft happy groan, and a small stream of blood trickling down his nose, Val collapsed in a swoon, once more, and re-squished all those trapped below him.
"AHHH!!" Liny squealed.
"MOM!!" Lina Yelled out of habit. "VAL FAINTED AND HE'S BLEEDING!!"
Somewhere in the mall Mona looked up and swore she heard the other kids. But that was short lived as baby Amelia continued her high wire trek through the mall. "She's Headed for Santa's house!" and she and security continued their headlong sprint.
Having managed to fix Val, the group walked along, eyeing store after store trying to find 'the perfect gift'. They stopped near a brightly-lit window, and gapped in awe at the splendid object before them. It was a delicate picture frame, decorated elegantly with never-ending gold and silver spirals, looping around gemstones of various colours. It was like a sparkling Christmas treasure, and indeed the perfect gift, as it was currently on sale now. They spared little time as they raced inside the stuffy store and cornered a poor salesman.
"WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT SHINEY FRAME IN THE WINDOW!!" they shouted desperately.
"Uh, its very expensive.." the man murmured, shocked that he was surrounded by ankle biters that probably really did bite.
"We don't care! We need it!" they persisted and handed him all of their hard earned cash.
He sighed at the messy wad of bills shoved at him, and took it over to the cashier. After counting they glanced at the eager little glowing faces and shrugged. "You want a gift box to go with it?"
"YEAY!!" they cheered as they had just enough money for the gift. The frame was nestled gently into crisp white tissue paper and sealed into the pretty purple box. With the final touch of a tasteful white Christmas bow on top, their present was ready.
"Now.. Off To See SANTA CLAUSE!!" they decided, and hid the present in Xellos' pocket.
The gang had finally made it to Santa's home away from home, in the center of the mall. The line moved rather quickly, and the seven hell raisers were soon standing military fashion before the jolly fat man.
"Oh HO HO HO!" St. Nick chuckled, "And what do you kids want for Christmas?"
"I want to be stronger, cause I promised to protect Lina from Xellos." Zel said.
"I want to be the most POWERFULL and BEAUTIFUL sorceress in the universe!" Lina crowed.
"I want an easy bake oven, so I can bake cakes and stuff for Gourry dear." Sylphiel murmured.
"I want a sword! A really neat one!" Gourry exclaimed.
"I want pet, like a kitten or a bunny." Liny sighed.
"Um.. I want.. to.. erm.. MarryLiny-chanWhenIGrowUP!" Val blurted.
Still smiling as only a jolly Santa could he turned to the last child and asked, "And what do you want for Christmas little man?"
"That.. is a secret!" Xellos grinned.
Their desires explained they all clambered upon Santa's lap for their complementary photo. As luck would have it, just before the camera clicked, baby Amelia finally tumbled from above and landed with a plop on the old man's head. Still smiling, the flash flared, and they received their group shot as Mona and all of mall security arrived.
Mona was handed the very cute photograph, and they group was hearded as fast as possible, out of the mall and back to their bus. With a deep and heavy sigh, Mona and her charges returned to the pre-school.
Thank all that's holy that this day is almost over! she thought relieved, as they returned in time for the children to be picked up.
A familiar young girl with long black hair bounces, literally, into the room. She holds out her arms for a grinning and drooling baby girl.
"Hello Mom!" The brunette cries. "How was your trip?"
"Don't Ask." Mona sighed, handing baby Amelia over.
"OH well I've gotta run. Bye-bye Mom! Have a Nice Holiday!" Naga grinned and took off.
As Mona watched them bounce away, remembering to take down the offensive mistletoe, she was startled to see the familiar group of play mates surrounding her.
"Wha?" she mumbled as they held out their present.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MOM!" they cried as she took the gift, and each gave her a great big hug.
"Awn.. thank you kids." she sniffed happily, as the rest of the parents arrived.
"Hello Mrs. Metallium."
"Hi! how were they?" Mrs. Metallium asked.
"Perfect." Mona smiled, handing Xellos over.
"Hello Mrs. Gabriev."
"Hello! My, they were too troublesome were they?"
"Never." Mona smiled, handing Gourry over.
"Hello Mr. Rada."
"Good Day! Hmm Mistletoe gone?"
"Afraid so." Mona smiled, handing Sylphiel over.
"Ah Hello Mr. Garv!" she greeted the next arrival, still smiling happily.
Garv looked her over and grinned his killer grin. "Too bad the plants gone." he winked. "Though I'll definitely see you on new years."
".. um.. k.." Mona breathed, quite flushed at the bishy Mr. Garv's flirting. Leaving love-lorn looks behind him, Val left with his father.
"No more mistletoe." Luna pointed out, as Rezo's face fell somewhat.
"Hmmm." Mona smiled, nodding slightly.
"See you nest time Zel!" Lina bellowed, and gave him a swift bear hug.
"Ok Lina!" Zel answered as he waved goodbye to Lina, who did the same. "Have a great Christmas."
"Did you guys have fun with Santa today?" their families asked.
"oh.. sure." they replied, giving each other conspiring smirks.
"Bye kids!" Mona said amused.
"BYE MOM! " They answered.
Why do they call me that? Mona sweatdropped, but kept smiling. She walked over to her small desk and lay the present upon the scarred wooden surface. Giving into curiosity she opened it and gasped. Inside was THE most glorious frame she'd ever seen, not to mention expensive. She slightly mused over how they could've possibly afforded such a touching gift, and promptly decided 'she Didn't want to know. With a truly sincere grin, she opened the back and slid inside the photograph of Lina, Liny, and Sylphiel seated comfortably on Santa's lap, with Zel and Val perched on the armrests, Xellos grinning his special grin from Santa's shoulder and little Amelia plopped happily upon the suited man's head.
She placed the lovely frame on her desk and gazed, mistily at the door.
::sigh:: "I can't wait till January comes again!"