Twas the night before Christmas
And all through the house
Not a creature was stirring
Not even a-...okay, what is this? I could write a poem with much more appeal and glamour than this 7 year old's narrati-....Oh uh, come in!...What is it now, Star? Can't you see I'm bu-....oh....oh is it that time already?.....well...if I must....ah, there you all are!
....oh, I'm sorry. Did you not know? It's me!....um...Glossaryk?...wait, really? You couldn't tell it was me at all?.......ahhhhh. Of course. You can't hear me. You're reading all of this. Well, no matter. I am here on a more important note. All of you are here for a story; a tale to enlighten the imagination and festive 'twinkle' within you. Am I right? That is what typically happens around this time of year for all of you, isn't it? I don't know much about this "Christmas-time" most of you celebrate. Holidays occur much differently back on Mewni.
However, Star and Marco informed me about all of your holiday traditions. They only insisted that I tell a story since I apparently have 'the voice for it'...whatever that means. I'm a magic master; not a narrator....sorry, I'm uh...going off-topic. Still, I feel that this story is something that might bring all of your minds at ease. It's quite a touching and heartwarming tale. How about we get back to it, shall we? I'll surely make it sound more interesting than this poem I was just reading.
Ahem. Well, Where did I leave off?
Ah. Right.
Christmas; a holiday that never fails to be full of fun, fellowship, merriness and cheer. Friends and family come together from all over, celebrating timeless traditions as they spend the holidays sharing their love of the season and each other. No one loved Christmas more than the Diaz family in the wonderful world of Earthni. The Diaz family always went above and beyond for holiday traditions. The decorations, the dinners, the games and festivities; all of them were made sure to be the most spectacular and more and more dazzling every year, especially with a one Star Butterfly being around for Christmas.
Star and Marco resided in the Diaz residence, keeping warm by a lit fire in the fireplace and smelling the sweet aroma of pine coming from the Christmas tree standing at the corner of the room. The couple was playing with Mariposa in the living room on the floor while making sure that she doesn't get a hold of anything dangerous, such as a wire or a lit candle. Mariposa was holding a soft, stuffed Santa Claus plushie. Marco's parents came into the room from the kitchen. Mr. Diaz, wearing oven mitts on his hands, held a tray of freshly baked snickerdoodle cookies.
"Who wants Christmas cookies!" Mr. Diaz expressed with glee. Star and Marco turned around, seeing a smiling Mr. and Mrs. Diaz offering them a treat before the night was done.
"Sure!" Marco replied as he happily reached for a cookie.
"Ooo! They're shaped like trees and bells!" Star said as she took not one, but four.
"That's not all." Mrs. Diaz told them. "We made these just for you!" She revealed from behind her back a plate of multi-colored heart and narwhal shaped gingerbread cookies.
"Aww! Stooop. I'm blushing!" Star told them. ".....Well, no need to wait I'll take that plate now thank you." She spoke without pausing for breath, holding her hands out as she took the plate. Marco shook his head in amusement.
"You better share, you know. I want this to be the day that Mariposa tries her first helping of cookies!" Marco told her, excited to show Mariposa all the joys of a freshly baked cookie.
"Please. Would I eat all of these?" Star asked him with a cheeky grin.
"....yes. Yes you would." Marco responded with a straight face.
"Anyway, we're going to head upstairs." Mrs. Diaz told her son and his girlfriend. "Oh! I've got an idea! Why don't you tell Mariposa a Christmas story before she goes to bed!"
"Oh, yes! Her first Christmas story!" Rafael started to sniffle. "¡Dios mío! I'm having a papi moment!"
"Come on, honey. Let's let the two of them think of something." Mrs. Diaz told her loving husband as she wrapped an arm around him, leading him up the stairs. She turned her head for a minute. "Don't stay up too late with the story, okay?"
"We won't, mom." Marco replied with a reassuring smile as he and Star watched the Diaz parents make their way up the steps to bed. "Okay. Story...story...story..." Marco pondered to himself. "Got any ideas?" He asked as he looked over to Star, who had her face stuffed with cookies. "Star? Share." Marco spoke. Star quickly swallowed the cookies.
"Come on. You know I can make them with a snap of magic." Star replied to him.
"Without them exploding or lighting on fire?" Marco asked. Star blankly stared at him for a few seconds.
"Uhhhhh....okay. Uh-huh. So what story are we telling Mariposa?" Star said, deviating from the previous subject.
"Oh! Uh...hmmm...see, I don't want to tell her something cliche." Marco told her.
"Cliche?" Star repeated.
"You know, like Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer or...Frosty the Snowman." Marco explained to her.
"Okay, what kind of stories are those?.........besides, we all know reindeer noses are purple." Star said. Marco scratched the top of his head in confusion.
"Who told you tha-...you know what? Nevermind." Marco said, realizing that Star is usually this random anyway. "We need a thrilling story. She lived in the neverzone for more than a decade, for crying out loud! She needs a story with some excitement!" Marco exclaimed.
"Oh, oh! We could tell her that one story Janna told us about the elf and the-" Star started before Marco interrupted.
"No no! No! That'll give her nightmares...like it gave me." Marco told her, getting chills from the mere thought of it. Marco thought to himself for a quick minute, trying his hardest to come up with a story that his little sister would thoroughly enjoy. He searched around the house for an idea, looking at every object he laid eyes on in order to think of some sort of idea.
Marco then took a glance at the Santa Claus plushie that Mariposa was embracing.
An idea suddenly came to mind.
"I got it." Marco said to himself. He cleared his throat and corrected his posture as he sat up straight, ready to tell the story.
"Once upon a time..." Marco started.
Mariposa's eyes lit up at those four words. She loved storytime, especially the ones Marco would tell; true stories that are filled with magic and wonder.
"There was a young girl named Star Butterfly..." Marco began.
"Ooo this story's about me!....hoooold it right there, Marco. What's this story about?" Star asked.
"I was uh...just getting to that." Marco answered.
"Oh. Sorry. Go on." Star replied with a guilty smile.
"Anyway...Star lived in a magical faraway land called Mewni as princess of Butterfly kingdom. One day, after she turned 14, Star was sent to Earth to learn how to control her magical abilities." Marco added.
"Oh! Then I won a fight against that drinking fountain!" Star exclaimed in excitement.
"Star? That's not what this story's about." Marco told her before he was about to continue. He hesitated. "Oh, and another thing? You started that fight. The drinking fountain was just...you know...being a drinking fountain." Marco added.
"Look. I didn't know what a drinking fountain was. I thought it was attacking me with it's poisonous saliva, okay?" Star explained.
"Poisonous saliva......alright." Marco shrugged, merely accepting the 'randomness'. "Anyway, it was nearing the holidays here on Earth, which meant it was Star's very first Christmas." He continued.
....pretend this is a flashback. Alright?
It was late morning in the Earth dimension. Star was walking down the stairs of the Diaz household, holding her cleaved wand in her hands, wearing her blue pajamas, and yawning quite loudly after having a good night's rest. Suddenly, her face ran into something made of paper. Her eyes opened wide now, waking up from the sudden light impact. Star slowly opened her eyes, seeing a paper snowflake hanging from the ceiling. She then observed the house, seeing the first floor decked out in decorations of red, green, and gold. A Christmas pine stood in the corner of the living room, being decorated by Mr. and Mrs. Diaz nicely and delicately. Star could smell pine-scented candles that were lit in the kitchen, creating a pleasant aroma throughout the home. Her pupils formed little stars as she became mesmerized by the glistening decor.
"Ooooooooo! Are we having a party? Who's birthday is it?" Star asked as she slid down the railing of the steps. Marco came into the living room from the kitchen, seeing Star standing in front of the stairway in complete confusion.
"Oh, uh...nobody's! It's Christmas!" Marco told her.
"Soooooo it's Chris' birthday?" Star asked.
"No, no, no, Star. Christmas. It's a holiday here on Earth." Marco explained to her.
"Uh huh...what now?" Star spoke, still completely lost at what Marco was getting at.
"Wait, Mewni doesn't have Christmas?" Marco asked.
"Uhhhhhh...no. We have Stump Day." Star told her best friend. Marco blankly stared at her, wondering what in the world she was going on about. "You know! Drink some punch, feast a bunch, play some games and laugh too much around the stump?" Star spoke, quoting one of Mewni's Stump Day songs. She then gasped. "WAIT! Are you an..." She gulped. "...un-believer?!" She shook, pointing to Marco.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Marco asked. Star relaxed herself.
"Oh. Hmm...you must've never been told the story of the Stump. I'll tell you all about it later." Star looked left and right, then up at the ceiling. "Long live the stump." She whispered.
"Huh?" Marco sounded.
"Nothing. Anyway, back to what we were talking about. What's uh...'Christmas' again?" Star asked, still waiting for an answer.
"Christmas is one of the most wonderful times of the year, Star." Mrs. Diaz said as she was handing a red ornament to her husband.
"Oh, yes! It's a time for family and festivities and food and-" Mr. Diaz continued as he hung the ornament on the tree.
"Oh! And Santa!" Mrs. Diaz added.
"Santa?" Star asked, wondering who in the world that is..
"You don't know who Santa is?" Mr. Diaz asked. Star shrugged in response. Mr. Diaz turned to his wife. "Honey? This is a travesty." He sadly added
"Wait. Why is it a travesty exactly?" Star asked, confused. "Because I don't know this Santa guy?"
"Ignore him. He's passionate about the holidays." Marco said to her.
"You should see him on Valentine's day." Mrs. Diaz spoke.
"But honey...you're acting as if you don't like the gifts I give you!" Mr. Diaz told her.
"You gave me a box of chocolates the size of our front door." Mrs. Diaz replied.
"Okay. Can someone pleeeaase tell me about Santa before I go out and find out myself." Star asked desperately. Marco jumped. He didn't want the banagic wand incident happening all over again.
"Okay okay! Well...let's just say that hopefully you've been good this year." Marco told her. Star's eyes went wide.
"That's a little discomforting for some reason." Star asked.
"Oh! That reminds me of one of my favorite carols!" Mrs. Diaz started to sing. "Ohhhhhhh you better watch out!"
"You better not cry!" Mr. Diaz continued.
"Oh please don't sing." Marco whispered, putting up his hood and hiding his face with it.
"You better not pout I'm telling you why!" Mr. and Mrs. Diaz sang together. "Santa Claus is comiiiiing...to TOWWWNN!" They sang extremely loud, making Marco cover his ears. Marco took off his hood.
"Mom! Dad! Ears??" Marco exclaimed.
"Oh...sorry." Mrs. Diaz whispered. She and her husband started singing real quietly.
"He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake." They sang softly together. "He knows if you've been bad or good so be good for goodness sake." Their voices faded as they made their way to the kitchen. Marco let out a sigh.
"Well, that's over. Anyway, Star? Santa is-" Marco turned around.
Star was gone.
Star ran as fast as she could into her room, shutting the door behind her and locking it. She turned to face it, taking her wand and pointing it at the door.
"Chocolate Malt Mega-lock!" Star conjured a spell, covering her door in an indestructible shell made out of chocolate malt. She ran over to all of her windows, hitting them with the same spell, conjuring it over and over. When she was all finished, she began to pace back and forth in her room. Thoughts were racing in her head. She tried her best to contemplate them all.
"It's just like the stump! You better be good for goodness sake? You better watch out? He's out to get me! He knows my every move!" Star stopped. "He knows everyone's move." She said quietly. This 'Santa Claus' character really made Star nervous. She wasn't sure exactly what to think of this guy. There was only one way to correct that problem.
Star wanted to know more.
Star reached into her dress pockets and took out her red dimensional scissors, cutting a portal in the air. She then took her hand and led it through the portal. On the other side was Marco's room. Star felt around the room, making sure that she made the portal just above his desk. She moved her hand around a little more until she found Marco's laptop.
"Ha! Gotcha!" Star spoke in glee. Star grabbed the laptop in her hands and took it out of Marco's room, leading it through the portal and back to her room.
Star took the laptop to her bed and opened it up, turning it on and bringing up a search engine. She began typing on the keyboard.
"Santa...Claus." She said as she typed out his name. Star pressed enter, making a long list of search results appear. Star skimmed through them, still making sure not to miss important details about this newfound enemy of hers. "Hmm...red suit...round...jolly...bringer of gifts...." Star closed the laptop. "...OF PAIN!" Star glanced over to one of her windows. She got up from her bed and walked over to it, lifting her wand up as she faced towards one of the windows.
"Laser beam blast!" Star exclaimed. A laser beam shot from the wand, penetrating the chocolate malt wall covering the window, creating a small incision just enough to peek through. Star lowered her wand and ran closer to the small hole, looking through it as if it was a little peep hole usually seen on doors in hotel rooms.
Star observed her whereabouts outside. She saw decorations laid out and set on the neighbors' houses surrounding the Diaz residence. One house had a Santa blow-up on their chimney. Another had a lit up sleigh on their roof. There was also a house that had a brightly-lit landing pad for Santa's sleigh. There was even a sign that read "SANTA! LAND HERE!"
"It's worse than I thought." Star said to herself. She turned around and plastered her back to the window, feaeful. "They're under his control! They're scared stiff!" Star's eyes peered. "Santa's going down." She said in a deep raspy voice. Star held up her wand, about to conjure yet another spell.
A half hour went by. Star took out her mirror and began to dial a number. She then waited for an answer.
"Hello?" Janna Ordania answered on the other end of the call. She was sitting at a table at Britta's Tacos, experimenting on what looked like a wish-bone in a jar of purple, bubbling liquid. Who even knows what she was doing.
"Janna! I need your devious and insidious ways!" Star exclaimed.
"Insidious? Well, that's a long word." Janna replied, pouring a vile of green liquid in the jar.
"Oh, thank you. I learned it in english cla-waiiit a minute! Focus! This is important. I need your help. You know about...Santa Claus...right?" Star asked, whispering his name.
"White beard, big belly, red suit? Yeah. Why? And why are you whispering?" Janna asked, taking some baking soda and pouring it onto the jar...that seemed to be lit on fire from the green liquid.
"He might heaaarrr meeee." Star whispered again.
"Star? If he were anywhere, he would be at the north pole right now. You don't have to whisper." Janna told her as she began to put on a pair of heat-resistant gloves.
"Oh...well I don't need to be in here then." Star said as she sat in a magically created panic room submerged in a giant tank filled to the top with water that stood within her room. A poof of magic dust appeared and dissolved, making an anxious Star appear in its place.
"So what's going on?" Janna asked. Star took a deep breath in and out.
"We're going to trap Santa." Star spoke.
Janna shed a mischievous grin upon her face.
"Count me in." Janna said, smirking.
Star and Janna opened the door to the Diaz residence, set and ready to come up with a plan to dupe Santa into their grasp. Star was prepared to stop him from 'unleashing terror' upon the peoples of Earth, making it so Christmas could be enjoyable for every little boy and girl in the world. Janna didn't realize that was Star's motive for trapping Santa. However, she was more than thrilled to kidnap a magical being that many people believe to be a complete myth and legend.
"Marco and his parents should be out caroling about now." Star told Janna.
"That means the house is ours." Janna spoke, rubbing her hands together in a sly manner. Star and Janna walked over to the counter in the kitchen. "So I've come up with a few ideas. Tell me which one's better." Janna reached behind her and took out a blueprint, laying it across the counter. Star looked closely at the blueprint, trying to understand what Janna's plan was. However, confusion washed over her.
"Wait but-...I don't get it." Star said, scratching her head as she glanced at Janna's blueprints.
"Come on, Star. Everyone knows Santa has but one weakness." Janna said. Star looked at the blueprint one more time, observing it closely.
There were cookies depicted sitting on a plate on the blueprint.
"...cookies?" Star asked.
"You got it." Janna said.
"Really?" Star asked.
"Right. You're not from here." Janna said. "Listen. Every year, before families head to bed, they leave a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa. When they wake up in the morning, the cookies and milk are gone." She explained.
"That makes no sense. How can Santa eat all that?" Star asked.
"You wonder why he's so round?" Janna asked.
"Good point. Anyway, whatcha got?" Star asked, excited to see what Janna's schemed up for good ole Santa Clause.
"First option? You taint the cookies with a spell that puts Santa in a deep sleep." Janna said.
"Noooo no no no. He needs to be awake." Star asked.
"Why?" Janna asked.
"I have a few questions that need answering." Star replied with a stern expression.
"So you want to interrogate him?" Janna asked.
"Mm hm." Star answered.
"So scrap this one then." Janna asked.
"Yeeaaahhh." Star replied. Janna threw the blueprint behind her. She reached behind her again, taking out another blueprint, spreading it out on the countertop like the last one. "Plan B. I put superglue in his hairbrush and-" Janna stopped, looking closely at the blueprint. "Woah wait. Sorry that's for uh...someone else." She said as she immediately rolled it back up.
"...that's a prank for Marco...isn't it?" Star asked with a straight face.
"..........I mean, we could always-." Janna started.
"Janna? No. Bad girl. Down." Star told her. Janna let out an annoyed sigh.
"Fine. Anyway, plan C. Santa picks up a cookie. It triggers a spell that traps him where he stands." Janna spoke.
"Oooo I like this one!" Star said, jumping up and down in excitement. "So wait. What spell's going to trap him?" Star asked.
"Well, that's where you come in. I'm not as great at coming up with spells as you so you'll have to help me think of something." Janna explained. Star stroked her chin in thought for a minute until she came up with a perfect spell for the trap.
"I got it." Star spoke. "Bring me the cookies." She added. Janna walked over to the oven, where a baking sheet of freshly baked christmas cookies sat on the stove. Janna took about four from the sheet and placed them on a plate that was sitting right next to it. She then brought it over to the kitchen counter and sat it down, getting out of the way so that Star could conjure a spell on them.
"Go for it." Janna spoke.
"Alright." Star replied as she took out her wand and let out a breath. "Ticking Tocking Icing Enclosure!" She proclaimed. A magical beam came from Star's wand to the cookies, enveloping them in a magical light. The light then diminished, being sucked up by the cookies.
The spell was now in place.
"What spell was that?" Janna asked.
"That, my friend, will trap Santa in a ginooouuurrrmous clump of icing as soon as he touches one of those cookies." Star smirked, pointing at the cookies.
"Cool." Janna said as she and Star bumped fists.
It was now 11 PM. Marco and his parents were fast asleep. However, Star and Janna were ready for some action.
The time had come to set the trap for Santa.
Star carefully placed the place of cookies on a table next to the Christmas tree in the living room before walking over to Janna, who was hiding behind the couch for when the trap was activated. They both made sure to stay quiet incase Santa came down the chimney as well as preventing to wake up anyone upstairs. Janna was filled with excitement, even though you really couldn't see it behind her relaxed expression. Star, on the other hand, was ready to end Santa's 'terror' once and for all.
"Now all we do is wait." Janna said.
"Uhhhh...whaaat's going on?" A voice from nearby asked. Star and Janna turned around, seeing Marco coming down the steps.
"Marco! Get over here!" Star whispered in a stern tone. Marco quickly made his way over to their hiding place, sitting on his knees.
"I thought you were asleep!" Star whispered.
"I had some winter break extra credit work to finish for algebra." Marco told them.
"Seriously, who does that?" Janna asked in her usually snarky tone.
"Someone who wants to have a successful future? Point?" Marco asked.
"Whatever." Janna shrugged.
"Anyway, what's going on?" Marco asked as he took a look around the room, wondering what in the world Janna and Star had done.
"Oh, we're trapping Santa Claus and stopping him from overthrowing your dimension." Star said flat out. Janna didn't hear any of what Star said. Marco, however, blankly stared in shock.
"Okay. Uh...first of all...wow? Second of all...should I be concerned with what's going on here?" Marco asked, a little scared of what he was about to witness. It seemed as if Star was in one of her extreme moods again.
"Pfft...nah. Once the world is safe from Santa's wrath and destruction, it'll be fine." Star told him. Marco did a double take. Wrath? Destruction? What is Star talking about? Still, he didn't think there was any way for her to trap him anyway. According to Marco, Santa isn't real.
"Aaaaand if you don't catch Santa because he's nothing but fiction and fable, can I say I told you so?" Marco asked all smug with his nose in the air.
"Dude, why do you have to be such a buzzkill? Who are you? Mr. Scrooge?" Janna asked.
"I'm not Mr. Scrooge!" Marco exclaimed.
"Then why are you so against believing Santa's real?" Janna wondered.
"I uh...well, I-" Marco started. Suddenly, a bit of dust and dirt came trickling down in the fireplace. Star, Marco, and Janna all turned their heads, noticing that there was movement within the chimney.
"This is it, people." Star announced quietly.
"Oh, come on. It's probably a bird or squirrel or something." Marco said.
"Uh huh. A bird or squirrel rustling in the chimney close to midnight on Christmas Eve while everyone's asleep? That makes total sense." Janna replied sarcastically.
"Guys! Shush!" Star spoke. More movement started to sound again from the chimney. Star, Marco, and Janna turned their heads again to the sound in curiosity. The rusling sounded as if it was getting closer and closer, like something was climbing down the chimney.
"It's him." Star and Janna said together. Janna reached behind her and took out her phone to record a video.
"No. It's not." Marco replied.
All of a sudden, a pair of boots descended from the chimney and onto the fireplace floor.
"He's here." Janna said in a creepy tone. The trio watched as a large man came out of the chimney, wearing a red suit and sporting a long white beard. Janna started a video recording on her phone as she saw Santa walking around the room.
"Who's fiction and fable now, huh?" Star said, smirking at Marco. Marco gave Star a straight look back.
"This is all an act. You'll see. It's all going to bite ba-" Marco said before Star put a hand on his mouth, silencing him. Marco tried to speak, but was muffled. He took Star's hand and removed it from his mouth. "Hey!"
"Shhhh. He's going for the bait." Janna told him. The three of them watched Santa glance over at the irresistable plate of cookies. The smell, the taste, the beautiful design; Santa couldn't resist. Santa walked over to the plate of cookies, slowly reaching his hand towards them.
"Come on. Come ooooooon." Star whispered, eager for the trap to activate.
Santa grabbed a cookie in his hand. Suddenly the cookie glowed. Then, the icing on the cookie expanded, engulfing Santa in an enormous clump of sugary sweetness. Star jumped out from behind the couch.
"HA! We caught you, Christmas destroyer!" Star exclaimed.
"Okay. Even though he's probably a robber...this is embarrassing." Marco spoke, taking his hoodie and covering his head, hiding his face.
"Ho Ho! Why hello, little girl! Looks like you got me! Ho ho ho!" Santa spoke, also amused at the fact that Star called him a 'Christmas Destroyer'.
"Don't play dumb with me, bub! Cut the act!" Star spoke.
"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I'm confused." Santa replied.
"You know very well what I'm talking about, Santa! I know how the song goes! You better watch out? You better not cry? Better question! How do you know when people are sleeping or awake!? Oh! I know! You spy on every single person in this dimension!" Star explained sternly.
Marco then realized what was going on. His parents singing 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' and Marco saying those things about Santa? He and his parents were somewhat responsible for all of this.
"Wait. Is that why this is happening?" Marco asked. He shook his head in amusement. "Star? You completely misunderstood what we told you about Santa. Actually, you didn't even let us finish what we were going to tell you about Santa. You just ran off."
"What more is there to tell, Marco? Santa's out to get all of you! He's going to entangle you in his roots and end your lives!" Star exclaimed again.
"Santa...um...Santa doesn't have roots." Marco spoke.
"Perhaps I can help explain things to you, Star." Santa told her. "If you could just let me free...I could show you." Santa told her with a soft smile. Star raised an eyebrow, debating whether she should trust his words. She let out a sigh, taking her wand and removing the icing from around Santa.
"I got my eye on you." Star told him with peering eyes as she lowered her wand back to her side. Santa nodded his head before walking over to his red sack, which seemed to be filled with toys near the fireplace. He picked it up and walked over to Star, opening it up.
"What's he doing?" Janna wondered as she watched closely.
"Reach inside." Santa happily said to Star. Star looked inside the red sack. However, she saw nothing; absolutely nothing in it at all. All she could see is an endless darkness.
"....there's nothing in there, dude." Star told him, pointing at the red sack.
"Trust me." Santa told her. "Go on." Santa Star looked back and forth between Santa and the sack. She peered her eyes at him.
"One wrong move and I narwhal blast you into next Christmas. You got that?" Star told him before looking back at the sack, reaching inside it. She suddenly felt an object in her hands; something familiar to her. She took the object out of the bag.
It was her mirror phone.
"Huh? I...I don't get it. I already have a mirror. It's over-..." Star said as she turned around, about to point to her phone nearby her.
It wasn't there any longer.
"What the-" Star spoke. She was absolutely befuddled. How did her phone get in the bag? It was over on the table next to the sofa. Santa hasn't even been near it.
Suddenly, the mirror phone suddenly started to ring. Star looked at her phone, seeing who was calling.
...
It was her mom.
"Why is..." Star spoke to herself.
"Answer it." Santa told her with a rosy-cheeked smile. Star took a hard look at Santa, wondering what kind of evil magic he was performing on her at that very moment. She glanced back at the mirror, taking her thumb and pressing the answer button.
"Uh...hey, mom." Star spoke.
"Hello, Star. I'm...I'm sorry for calling you so late at night. I hope that doesn't bother you at all." Moon spoke to her.
"It's uh...it's okay." Star replied. "Everything good? You sound upset."
"Oh um...yes. I just...I don't know. I woke up from bed with this feeling; a feeling that...I had to call you and talk to you." Moon explained.
"Okaaaaaay? What is it?" Star asked.
"Well...Star? This might sound a little...random...but...I just wanted to tell you that...um...I know that sometimes I can be a little...what's the word? Um...rough around the edges when it comes to your queen in training sessions and reminding you of your responsibilities." Moon told her.
"A little?" Star repeated, knowing that her mom meant a lot.
"Alright. Maybe I'm a bit hard on you but...I just really want you to know something really important." Moon added.
"What? Another responsibility as a royal?" Star asked sarcastically. The last thing Star wanted to hear was more queen training stuff.
"...I wanted to tell you...how proud I am of you." Moon spoke.
"Huh?" Star sounded. She wondered if she even heard that correctly. Moon was proud of her? Was her own mother actually saying these words to her?
"Star? The woman you are becoming;...the person you have become already? Although I force many things on you when it comes to acting like a true queen, I want you to be true to yourself. I don't want you to act like someone that tries to fit the mold. When I was your age, I was the same as you. I guess I've just...I don't know...lost that side of me. Hard times happened when I was your age." Moon said to her.
"You mean when grandma went to the grandma farm?" Star asked. Moon never told her what happened to her grandmother yet; how Toffee slain her when Moon was but a child. She wanted to tell her daughter but...now was not the time. Maybe someday when she was ready, she would.
"Yes...that...along with many other things. The point is...I'm so proud of you. I may not say it often...or even at all but...I am so, so proud of you for the person you are growing up to be. I feel tremendously lucky that you are my daughter." Moon told her.
Star was on the verge of tears. The one thing she wanted to hear; the few simple words she wanted to hear from one specific person? This was it. Star has wanted her mom to be proud of her for ages. She's wanted to hear how happy Moon is that Star is doing her best and trying to be a good person through and through, even with all of the hardships she has faced since having the power of the magic wand.
And now...her wish has finally come true.
A tear went down her cheek. Star took her hand and wiped it from her face.
"Thank you, Mom...for telling me that." Star said with a soft smile.
"I should've told you that long ago, Star. Thank you for giving me the chance." Moon replied, smiling back at her. "Well, I should get back to sleep." Moon stopped speaking for a moment. "I love you, sweetie."
"Hah...love you too, mom." Star said back before taking her thumb and pressing the end call button. She stared at her phone for just a few seconds with joy before looking back up at Santa. "So you don't ruin everyone's Christmas...do you?" Star asked.
"I'm here to spread joy, just like you're able to do each and every single day." Santa told her. Star let out a slight chuckle.
"Dude...he's the real deal." Janna spoke. Marco shook his head in disbelief.
"No. Nope. I'm not buying it." Marco said coming out from behind the couch.
"I'm sorry?" Santa asked.
"Look, man. I've seen a lot of things in the past years. I mean, you could be a magical evildoer from another dimension. I've been to a few. There's some crazy stuff out there." Marco spoke. He hesitated for a minute. "Besides, Santa doesn't exist anyway." Santa chuckled quietly to himself.
"Marco Diaz...the boy who stopped believing." Santa spoke. Marco crossed his arms. "If there are so many 'crazy things', as you say, then why am I impossible?" Santa asked. Marco tried to defend his belief, but couldn't. Santa had a point. If there was such a thing as dimensional travel, magic....even cats with faces....Marco really knew why he didn't believe in Santa.
Marco walked closer to Santa, looking down at his feet.
"....I sent you letters. I did for years. Every year, I asked for the same thing. I made sure the letters had stamps and the right address and everything. There were no typos. I definitely wrote them right." Marco told him. He felt somber in his heart. He looked up at Santa. "...but you never gave me what I wished for. So...how am I supposed to believe in Santa, a guy in a red suit with a white beard who's supposed to give people what they ask for and bring joy to all?" He looked to his side. "You never did for me."
Santa did just one thing.
He said the same thing he said to Star.
"...reach in the sack." Santa told him.
Marco's eyes lit up. He glanced at the red sack, lifted his hand, and began to reach inside it. He hesitated a second out of a feeling of doubt and dismay.
Suddenly, Marco felt something in his hands. He took it out, revealing a closed envelope.
"Wha? But...but I don't understand. How is this going to make me feel be-" Marco started.
"Now, now. Why don't you open it." Santa told him. Marco looked back at the envelope. All that was written on the front was 'Marco Diaz'. Marco took his fingers and cleanly opened the envelope, revealing a note inside. He slipped it out of the envelope, unfolding it and reading it.
He didn't say a word or read what was on the letter aloud. After a few seconds, he lifted his head in deep thought.
He glanced over at Star.
He then turned his gaze back to Santa, still in a state of wonder. Santa didn't say a word back at him. All he did was smile.
"Well, I must be off. There are a lot of little boys and girls expecting some wishes to come true tomorrow morning." Santa finished as he pulled the golden tie on his sack of toys, picking it up and slinging the sack over his shoulder. He stopped in his tracks all of a sudden. "Ah, almost forgot." He spoke.
Santa snapped his fingers. A whiff of magic red, green, and gold dust came from his glove. The dust made its way to the nearly decorated Christmas tree in the corner of the room, swirling around it like a whirlwind. The dust then flew away from the tree, revealing about a dozen colorfully wrapped presents. Marco and Janna were amazed at the sight. Even Star found Santa's magical abilities pretty awesome.
"Wait. If you can do that, why have the sack of toys?" Janna asked in wonder.
"Ho ho! I have to maintain my 'trademark image'!" Santa chuckled. "Oh, and one more thing." Santa said before snapping his fingers. Suddenly, Janna's phone stopped recording.
"What the-" Janna spoke, noticing the recording stopped. She opened her video folder on her phone, seeing if it saved. Alas, the video was deleted. "How though??" She asked herself.
Santa chuckled again like the happy man he is. He turned back around and began walking back to the fireplace before he heard Star's voice behind him.
"Santa?" Star called.
Santa turned his head, giving her a side glance. Star smiled at him.
"Merry Christmas." Star told him.
"And to you, Star Butterfly." Santa said before taking his free hand, pointing his finger, and tapping his nose. Santa suddenly dissolved into a flurry of sparkling magical dust, flowing into the fireplace and up the chimney. Star, Marco, and Janna could hear the echoing ho ho ho's as the magical dust flew farther and farther up the chimney.
"Kids?" A male voice from the staircase called. The three friends turned around, seeing Mr. and Mrs. Diaz standing there, a little sleepy.
"Everything okay?" Mrs. Diaz asked. Star let out a small chuckle.
"Everything's....perfect." Star told them.
"Star looked back at that chimney, taking in the moment that made her first Christmas the best Christmas she had ever had." Marco finished, bringing the story to a close.
"The end." Star and Marco said together. Mariposa clapped and cooed with a humongous smile on her face.
"Well, I think she liked it." Marco said. Star took his arm and hugged it, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"I know I did." Star told him with a smile.
"Well, duh. You were there." Marco replied, chuckling before Star did the same. Star and Marco suddenly heard footsteps coming from the staircase. They turned, seeing Mr. and Mrs. Diaz peeking their heads from behind the wall. Marco turned back around, amused.
"Mom? Dad? Did you enjoy the story too?" Marco asked. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz came out from behind the wall, realizing they've been spotted.
"Sorry, honey. We just couldn't resist." Mrs. Diaz said to her son as she and her husband walked down the steps. "Here. Let me take Mariposa to bed. We'll give you two some alone time for the rest of the night." She added as she held her hands out, carefully and gently taking Mariposa in her arms.
"Wait. So...did that really happen? Did you actually meet Santa?" Mr. Diaz asked.
"Rafael? Of course they didn't. That's impossible. Santa has some sort of...oh, I dont know...some way of making it so no one sees him in person." Mrs. Diaz responded.
"But what if it did happen?" Mr. Diaz asked.
"Come on, Mr. Inner Childlike Wonder. Let's leave the two of them alone, hm?" Mrs. Diaz told him. She turned to Star and Marco. "Night, kids."
"Night!" Star and Marco said together as Mr. and Mrs. Diaz made their way back to the stairs.
"You can't help but wonder, can't you?" Mr. Diaz asked his wife.
"Whatever you say, honey." Mrs. Diaz replied as they disappeared behind the staircase wall. Marco shook his head once more, finding his parent's childlike personas hilarous. Star let out a breath, gazing over at Marco.
"So, what now? Movie? Board game?...cuuuuuuddles?" She asked with a grin. Marco looked down at the ground before looking at her with a soft smile, gazing into her diamond blue eyes.
"Actually...come here. I have a surprise for you." Marco said as he looked at her left hand, taking it in his.
"Huh? What's going on?" Star asked, confused. Marco helped her up on her feet, guiding her to the couch. He had her sit down as he walked over to the tree, reaching behind it. In his hands was a box wrapped in metallic sky blue wrapping paper, tied with a bright pink bow. Marco made sure he wrapped the gift in Star-like fashion. He brought it over to the couch and sat close to her. Marco gestured for her to take the gift.
"Hold up. You know the rules as well as I do. No presents until Christmas day." Star said with a raised eyebrow. "Actually, you taught me that. That's hypocritical."
"Well...consider this a Christmas Eve present." Marco responded, putting the gift on her lap. She looked at it, about to take the ribbon and pull it.
"Oh, wait!" Marco said suddenly. Star looked at him with a straight face.
"You tell me to open it and now you tell me not to open it?" Star told him with her hands on her hips.
"Oh no no! I just wanted to uh...give you this first." Marco said as he reached in his pockets and took out an envelope, handing it to her. Star was confused as she stared at it.
"What's this?" Star asked.
"It's um...it's the note that Santa gave me that night." Marco told her. Star's eyes lit up.
"Woah. And you've kept it all this time?" Star asked.
"Well, yeah. Wouldn't you?" Marco asked. Star carefully took a look at the note again, now knowing how old it is. It was a little bit crinkled which was understandable since he was given it years ago. She couldn't help but feel confused though. She looked back up at Marco.
"Wait. I don't get it. Why are you giving it to me?" Star asked. Marco let out a sigh, about to explain.
"You know how I asked Santa for something for years that he never gave me?" He hesitated. "I um...well...I asked him for a sign; a sign that could tell me who I belong with. I mean, I did have a crush on Jackie at the time but...I wanted to know for sure who I would be with. I know. I know. It's crazy that I was asking Santa out of all people for that but...I mean, who else was I going to ask?" Marco explained.
"Yeeeeaaah. I get that. When I was little I asked a unicorn named Potato for the ability to make corn muffins appear whenever I went cross-eyed." Star told him.
"Wait, what?" Marco asked, making sure he heard that correctly.
"Nothing. Sooooo again. Why are you giving it to me?" Star questioned.
"Heh...well why don't you take a look." Marco replied with a smile. Star looked back at the letter, taking it in her hands and opening the envelope carefully. She took out the note inside the envelope, putting the envelope at her side before unfolding the note. She read the words inscribed on it.
I'm afraid I cannot give you what you're asking for. However, even if I could, there's no need. I think that sign is now right there with you.
Her eyes lit up once again. She looked at Marco.
"I can't even tell you how many times I read that letter and wondered what he meant by that. I thought I knew what he was trying to tell me but you know me. Safe kid. I was skeptical. It's in my nature." Marco chuckled. "But after a while...after a long while, actually..." Marco shrugged as he looked to his side. "...I realized..." Marco looked at Star and took her hand.
"...he meant you." He finished softly.
"Aww." Star smiled back at Marco with sparkling eyes. Marco took his hand and stroked Star's hair, gently brushing it behind her ear. Star let out a small giggle. "Even Santa shipped us. Who would've thunk it." Star laughed before Marco did the same.
"Anyway, you can uh...you can open the present now." Marco said to her, pointing at the present.
"Pfft. Finally." Star joked with a grin. She took the ribbon in her hand and pulled it, undoing the bow on top. She then took the wrapping and began to rip it. Marco flinched.
"What's up with you?" Star asked.
"Careful with the paper!" Marco spoke.
"Nooooo. You're not one of those people that save wrapping paper." Star groaned.
"I can use it for another present! It's a money saver!" Marco told her. Star raised an eyebrow, taking the wrapping paper in her hand and making a big rip in it.
"Now you can't." Star smirked.
"Uuuugh. Fine." Marco said with a slight chuckle.
Star ripped the last bit of wrapping paper off, revealing a wooden jewelry box. Star couldn't believe how beautiful the box looked. It was made with a maple wood, bearing intricate detail around the edges. She looked closely at the lid, noticing some words inscribed on the top.
"And you'll always be mine..."
Love, Marco
Star blushed with a smile as she took her finger and stroked the inscription. Marco watched as Star's face lit up with joy.
Star then lifted the lid to the jewelry box.
It wasn't just a jewelry box.
It was also a music box.
Star tried figuring out how it played. She turned the box around, noticing a crank in the back. She turned it, making it so the music started to play.
...
She began to hear one of the most beautiful tunes she's ever heard.
....
Starshine played in a wonderful time.
Every note was a blessing to her ears. Star began to hum each and every note. She brought the music box to her heart, holding it close as she took in the harmonious melody. Star couldn't help but tear up a bit. She sniffled before taking her hand and wiping her eyes and nose.
"Do you like it?" Marco asked. Star's lips quivered.
"...this is one of the most thoughtful and amazing gifts I've ever gotten." Star told him. She looked at her boyfriend with glossy eyes. Star put the music box down as the music continued, taking Marco's hands in hers. She then leaned her head in close, resting her forehead on his. They looked deep into one another's eyes, smiling from ear to ear.
"Merry Christmas, Star." Marco told her.
"Merry Christmas, Marco." Star said back. Marco took his hands and cupped Star's face, pulling her in for a soft, sensuous kiss. As Star and Marco sat close on the couch and their lips touched, a magical glistening dust swirled around in the fireplace, lighting a warm crackling fire as the two lovebirds ended their Christmas Eve night with a moment that will be one of the most magical Christmas moments ever.
And with that, our Christmas tale comes to a close. Now, wasn't that much more entertaining than that dull, simplistic poem from earlier? Maybe I should write a novela.
Now, before I leave you, let me tell you something very important. Consider this one of those 'life lesson' sort of deals.
Magic is everywhere. You may not see it, but it is indeed there. It's all around you. Magic isn't simply a means of creation or a weapon specifically for self-defense. Magic isn't just an object. Simple actions of kindness, love, compassion, generosity, and friendship; those moments that lead a person to complex emotions of happiness, self-worth, calmness, love for others. Those moments contain the most powerful magic of all; the power to make someone feel and remember for the ages.
They don't have to be overly extravagant. You could perform something as simple as giving a homeless man a pair of gloves to stay warm. There could be a child who is terminally ill that you could spend the day with. That could end up being one of the greatest days of his or her life. You could write a handwritten letter for your significant other, expressing your love and how much you care, bringing him or her to tears.
Magic is a powerful force; a force that can create an everlasting memory. While you celebrate this holiday, you may give gifts, bake cookies and decorate with glistening lights and festive decor. You may think that those holiday traditions make the season magical. However, it is the moments that you share with your loved ones and those you have yet to meet that truly create magic.
Now, I must get going. There is a batch of homemade pudding that has my name on it. Living with the Diaz's really has some benefits. Plus, I simply cannot let it go to waste...or let anyone else eat it for that matter. May I wish you the greatest and happiest holiday season you could ever have.
Keep those moments close to you. Hold that magic tight. Have those memories last forever.
...
I'll be bathing in a large bowl of delicious pudding if you need me. - Glossaryk
Hi everyone! Hope you all liked this cheesy Star Vs. Christmas story! Merry Christmas!! 🎄🎄🎄