Happy Holidays Part 1

Fog hovered above the ground and swirled between the trees, hiding the forest's secrets from prying eyes. The night was calm and crisp; the only noises to be heard were the occasional disembodied crunch of footsteps on fallen leaves or faint echoing whispers.

The wind began to howl and race through the murky darkness; it converged and swirled with fervor. Within the swirling whirlwind, a gentle white glow was emitted, and from it, a flurry of snowflakes danced and sparkled as they floated towards the forest floor. A figure emerged from the spontaneous blizzard, and just as fast as it appeared, it vanished, leaving behind only snowflakes and the forest's new guest. The mysterious figure that emerged was a deer, its clean white pelt shining in the moonlight. The deer's rack was white and red, much like candy cane stripes, and it swirled upwards to form an immaculate set of antlers. The deer's emerald green eyes scanned the surrounding forest, its bright red tail flicking in anticipation. Seeing nothing of immediate danger, snow began to appear once more and swirl around the creature. When the flurry dissipated, in place of a mystical creature, stood an unusual-looking, handsome young man.

The white-clad man took a step forward but stopped when he heard a faint echoing giggle. The gentleman paused as his green eyes swept over his surroundings but saw nothing in the dense fog. His nose upturned and he frowned as he stormed away, glaring down the path towards his destination. Around him, faint bursts of light pulsed silently in the fog, but he no longer paid attention to the mysteries of the forest.

Shifting through the mist, a structure began to take shape and loom over the pale figure and the surrounding trees. The white-suited man paused once more, looking up at the intricate Victorian mansion from the bottom of the stone steps. He began to climb the winding steps, inspecting the landscaping on either side of the stairs as he went. Accompanying the stairs on both sides, was the rocky terrain of the small mountain the mansion sat on, and through it weaved two rivers that would pool at multiple terraces on the way up. As the man's spotless white shoes brushed against the ivy that decorated the landscape, he appreciated the smoky mist that slowly drifted with the water's current and curled around his ankles.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he came to a plateau, and leading to the massive front door was a garden. Suddenly the terrain became illuminated; the water that streamed beside the steps glowed a bright green and the trees and flowers in the garden displayed their beauty with pride. Admiring the harvest flowers, the gentleman strode up to the front door, adjusting his red tie. Soft purple light cast down on his lavish white and red suit as he pulled the chain hanging from a gargoyle's mouth. As he waited, he heard the shuffle of multiple footsteps behind him, "Christmas!"

The white-haired man turned at the call of his name, finding a small white-haired girl with bunny ears leading a group of people through the garden. She waved and smiled, her pink and white dress sparkling in the moonlight.

"Hello, Easter," Christmas said, smiling fondly at his little sister.

As the group caught up with him, one of the members commented, "Early as ever I see Chris?"

"Nice to see you too, Thanksgiving."

Thanksgiving wore traditional Native American clothing, his feathered headdress complimenting his long black hair, "How long have you been waiting?"

"Not long. But I thought the door would have been answered by now."

As soon as Chris made the comment, the tall doors creaked open to reveal the mansion's butler. The man wore a tux, and his expression seemed to droop as though depressed, "Welcome."

The butler moved to the side to let the group in, and as they all shuffled inside, they wearily inspected the mansion's interior. The windows were stained glass, most of them having a purple hue and a spiderweb design adorning their arched tops. Chris looked at the stairs that spiraled up toward the second floor balcony. His eyes then landed on the massive chandelier that hung from the ceiling above him. It too was stained glass, and it created multiple tiers of various creatures, the centerpiece being a horse as it reared on its hind legs.

"Is that kelp in your hair?"

Chris turned to see his little sister motioning towards the butler's strange hair. Looking closer, the man did appear to have kelp in his hair, not only that, but it seemed to be dripping. Chris stood next to Easter, ready to step in, when the butler responded unenthusiastically, "Yes. Are those bunny ears on your head?"

"They are," Chris moved his sister behind him, glaring at the gloomy butler, "Would you mind showing us to the proper room to meet our host?"

The butler blinked and turned, "This way."

As they walked through the mansion's warmly lit halls, the butler showed them into a room that was covered wall to wall with bookshelves. In the center of the looming collection was a set of Victorian couches and armchairs that sat unoccupied by a roaring fire.

"Please make yourselves comfortable while you wait." The butler said.

Christmas frowned, "What do you mean 'wait'? Where's Halloween?"

The butler sighed, his brow furrowing, "He had some business to take care of. He will return shortly. For now, you may wait here while I bring all of you tea."

The butler exited the room and shut the lavish doors behind him. The group shared silent glances before they all moved to occupy the cushions. They sat in silence for a moment before a voice spoke up, "Are we not going to talk about it?"

Everyone turned to face the man who had spoken. He had blonde hair, red eyes, and wore a red, pink, and white suit that was encompassed by a flowing cape attached to his shoulders.

"What are you talking about, Valentine?" Thanksgiving asked.

"Don't play dumb with me," Valentine smirked, "We're all wondering about Halloween. I mean, he's supposedly gone through a change, right? What do you guys think he might look like?"

Another guest scoffed, "Of course all you think about it looks."

Valentine whipped his head towards the person who had ridiculed him. He glared, "Shut up, July!"

July glared back, her sparkly red eyeshadow sharpening the edges of her eyes, "I advise all of you be easy on our host. It's not easy going through something like this and I have a feeling he's changed drastically."

July's royal blue eyes shifted towards Christmas and Easter, "You two should know how that feels the most."

Chris held his stare as Easter looked at her hands.

"As for me, my concept has stayed relatively constant. The only thing that changes frequently is-"

"Yes, yes, we know. You often change between a figure that's inspired by Uncle Sam or Lady Liberty," Valentine waved her off, rolling his eyes.

"What I'm saying is," July slowly pronounced in anger, "My looks may change but my personality hasn't changed much. The publics' perception of Halloween has changed drastically. Not only will his looks be different, but so will his personality. His change will be much greater than any of ours."

Easter hesitantly spoke up, "But Chris and I went through a drastic change. Christmas is now associated with Santa and elves and whatnot whereas Easter is associated with bunnies and eggs."

"True, but people still celebrate those holidays as they were originally intended. All that other stuff was just added. Halloween is less of the winter solstice and fearing the escaping spirits and is more about people having fun being someone else for a night."

"So... You think Halloween will have more of a fun demeanor now?" Easter asked.

"Hmm, I certainly hope so. He was so gloomy before," Valentine smirked.

Before July could retort, the doors to the library creaked open. The butler wheeled in a tray of six tea cups that surrounded a silver teapot and coffee pot. The suited man gently placed the tray on the coffee table; he then reached towards the bottom shelf of the cart and revealed a three-tiered tray filled with snacks to compliment the tea. Without another word, the butler turned and began to exit the room when Easter stood, "Uhm! Excuse me?"

The butler halted and turned to face the shy young lady, "Yes?"

"Would you mind showing me where the restroom is?"

The butler gave a nod and turned towards the door once more, "This way."

Easter quickly walked after the sullen man, not wanting to get lost in the large mansion. After a couple of turns the butler stopped in front of a discreet door, "Do you think you can find your way back on your own, or would you like me to wait for you?"

Easter smiled shyly, "No, I think I'm okay."

The butler nodded and continued to walk down the hall and out of sight.

*

"I'm surprised you didn't go after your little sis," Valentine commented as he watched Chris prepare himself a cup of tea. When Chris was finished he sat back in his seat, "If he tries something, he'll experience something worse than death."

Chris took a sip of his tea and his eyes widened at the taste.

Valentine only laughed and reached for the teapot. As Valentine poured himself a cup, everyone gasped. The color of the tea changed to a blood-red, a stark difference compared to the color of Chris's brown tea. As Valentine inspected his tea, Thanksgiving poured himself a cup, curious if another change would take place. As the tea was poured, everyone stared intently, seeing that the tea had turned a burnt orange.

"How strange..." Thanksgiving mumbled as he took a sip.

"What does it taste like?" Valentine asked.

"Pumpkin spice," Thanksgiving smiled.

Valentine then turned to Chris, "What about yours?"

Chris stared at the cup in his fingers, "White chocolate peppermint."

Valentine quickly took a sip of his tea, licking his lips to savor the taste.

"What about yours?" July asked.

Valentine smirked, "It tastes like a thousand broken hearts."

"Asshole," July scolded as Valentine laughed. She took a sip of her tea and smiled at the familiar taste of watermelon.

"How is it?" The gentleman to her left asked.

"Quite nice. Did you try yours New Year?"

"I prefer to stick to coffee," Said New Year, his gold eyes and hair twinkling as he smiled at the young woman before him. He wore a silver and gold suit, preferring to wear his collar unbuttoned, his tie loose, and the cuffs of his sleeves pushed up.

Before any more conversation could ensue, a horse's ghostly whine echoed through the mansion as every light flickered. As quick as the haunting noises came, they disappeared, and the library remained engulfed in an eerie silence.

"Remind me again why we let Halloween host?" Valentine shivered.

*

Easter appraised herself as she looked in the mirror, fiddling with her hair's pink tips. Easter was indeed a spring version of her brother, Christmas. Where her brother's hair faded from white to red at the ends of his hair, Easter's white hair faded into a soft pink. Their eyes were even different shades of the same color, emerald green, and jade green. Easter rubbed her fluffy white ears subconsciously when suddenly a whine permeated the walls and the candles around her flickered. Panic raced through Easter as she hurriedly looked around the elaborate bathroom. Finding herself alone, Easter peeked outside the bathroom door and into the hallway. Sighing Easter decided to make her way back to the others. As Easter walked through the hall, she gradually picked up on the sound of muffled voices. Curious, Easter's ears perked up in attention and rotated towards the sound of voices. After gliding around a few turns, Easter found herself back at the front of the mansion. Silently peeking around the corner Easter observed the butler with a newcomer.

"How did things go?" the butler asked, taking the dark cloak off the guest's shoulders.

"Troublesome as usual. How are the guests?" The mysterious man turned around to face the butler, revealing himself to Easter. He had bright orange hair and a black military suit that was embroidered with orange thread, creating a twisting pattern of leaves on his shoulders, collar, and sleeves. Easter blushed as she continued to listen.

"They seemed to have settled in," The butler stated before worry began to creep into his voice, "You're not wounded anywhere are you?"

The orange-haired man laughed, "Nothing I can't deal with Kelpie! It's only a couple of bruises."

The gentleman smirked as he walked towards the stairs, "Besides, I think you should be more worried about my opponents than me. Now, if you don't mind, please reassure the guests that their host will be with them shortly."

Easter retreated and quickly walked back the way she came, pondering if who she saw was just a guard or Halloween himself.