441
The town of SeaWorthy was heavily decorated in Christmas colors. Amara was dressed up as an elf helping out putting the finishing touches on the town. Kids were running around screaming and having fun as their parents were in the stores buying gifts for their families.
With the spirit of this time of the year it felt like nothing bad could happen. The town though had Horde soliders in costume lurking about. Some snatching things from crowded stores and others lying to kids faces about Santa.
Amara had heard a lot of kids crying and saying, "Santa is real, right?" to angry parents. She was too busy to look into this right now. Her new job had her running around like crazy. She didn't need this part time job, she just wanted to make some money on her own.
She read in a book given as a gift a few years ago that Etheria was a sister to another planet. It had been called Earth. That's where most of their own holiday's had come from. She'd also read in another book that after Earth's sun burned out that it had slowly been reborn like a Phoenix bird from its own ashes. The people that had been lucky enough left on space crafts. They had come back to Earth not long after. They formed new life, ways and renamed it Etheria when they found magic on it.
She remembered other planets had once been in the same orbit as Earth and that people had set out on a mission to bring life to other places. Some of them had found ways to open portals to other worlds. In one mission they found a planet called Eternia.
Amara loved to seek out information like this from local book thrift stores and libraries.
442
Over in Bright Moon Princess Glimmer was stringing lights with her mother. It was a tradition for them to do this together. "Twenty days until we can give gifts!" She said loudly and so excited. "I've already wrapped two for you." She said, looking to her tall and lovely mother.
Queen Angella smiled at her. "And I can't wait to see them!" She smiled and that smile faded as she thought of her husband. King Micah was gone. He had been for many years. The Horde captured him in battle and disposed of him.
"Me too." Glimmer said sadly. "I miss him every second of every day."
Angella went to hug her. "This time of year is never easy."
Glimmer hugged her back. "You've got that right."
They spent the next hour decorating a very tall light pink tree with pink, purple and white decorations.
*
All of Etheria was getting ready for Christmas. Some were already done decorating.
Princess Frosta of Snowz had ice sculptures of snow flakes, sea animals, and other wintery themed items all over her kingdom. Snow Angels were frozen in places from kids around the other smaller towns from there too. Snowmen littered all areas with their noses of sticks, stones, food items and more.
Frosta even wanted to throw a huge Christmas party, but since it was already late in the year she would save it for the next. Invitations would go out to everyone except the Horde and other villians like them.
443
Hues of blue, gold and sea greens graced Mermista's palace. Her multicolored tree matched her outfit and the ocean as well. A lot of gold tinsel swirled around her tree top to bottom. Marista had helped her with it.
She wanted to have this even though her cousins were not allowed to come home anytime soon. Marista and Paulie would be heading for SeaWorthy in the coming days to be with them. Mermista would be alone. She hoped her father would show for at least a few hours on the day of or the day before the holiday.
She knew she had promised Sebastian they'd go on that gondola ride the day after the holiday, but now she wasn't sure. Maybe she could switch it to another day. Her head kept telling her to cancel it, but her heart really wanted to go.
The new hole in the sea gate was the hard no right now. Yet again the bone heads from the Horde had blasted it again. "Whhhyyyy?!" She frustratingly rubbed her forehead. Knowing why, it was a huge gateway to SeaWorthy and many other desirable items under the sea. Ships that had wrecked in the past still had valuables on them in sunken chests. Yet the serpents of the sea protected them so no one could get to them. Many had tried and had perished in doing so. Even the Mer people stayed away fearing they'd also be attacked.
Mermista was very upset. "Yeah, I guess Christmas is cancelled in Salineas." She said to one of her guards as she looked at the damage left by the Horde. "UGH! I hate them!" She grew sadder with new tears in her eyes looking at the damage to her precious sea gate.
Her guard also had tears in his eyes. "Why now, princess? Why is the Horde doing this after all these years?"
"Spies of the deep may have found out that daddy stepped down from the throne. Or word of mouth in SeaWorthy. The Evil Horde thinks I'm weak, Ottiso." Her sad eyes slanted into an evil stare at the gate. And in a deeper tone she said, "They've messed with the wrong Mermaid."
444
My ship was decked out in multicolored tinsel, fun ornaments and glow in the dark lights. I even had a sad hunched over tree tied to the foremast. Yeah I'd cut the tree down myself four days ago and brought it here. Everyone told me to get a faux one, but my hard head didn't listen.
Ole Bubs needed to go sadly so.
"SeaHawk." Moe said, shaking his head. "You need to get Bubs off yer ship matey. I'll help yee if you need me to."
I shook my head. "Thanks." Together we got the tree off and hauled it to the woods.
"Now go over to Peppermint Lane and get a new fake tree. They really don't cost much." Moe said to me.
Peppermint Lane was only open during November, December and the first two weeks of January. "I'm going now." I told him and jogged off. It was less than three minutes away.
Inside was the most joyful experience anyone could ever have. The music, lights and mood was enough to make you feel like a kid again. Rows of puzzles, dolls and toy cars filled shelves. And those shelves were slowly being emptied out.
All the workers were dressed in green and red for the season.
"Hey, Sebastian!"
I whirled around to see Marika and her huge belly. "You might get an early present." I laughed, pointing at her belly.
445
"True. Andrew might come early." Marika said and smiled. "Are you going home this holiday?"
"I might go I haven't made up my mind yet." I told her.
Marika nodded. "You're welcome to come over to my house. It's about half a mile from here. Just enter the woods and stay on the path til the dirt road forks and go left. We're the fourth house on the right."
"That's so nice of you. Thanks for offering. Like I said I don't know what I'm doing that day." Marika could tell I was feeling down about Mermista.
"I know you miss her like crazy. She needs to protect her kingdom though." Marika said to me. "I'm gonna go pay for my things and head home."
I was worried. "You're not walking alone are you?"
"Jordan's outside somewhere waiting for me. He went to get some groceries."
"Good. Take care and I'll see you soon." I said and lightly hugged her. I then went searching for a decent tree. My options were not great. That was until I spotted one in the corner. It was out of the box and in the back against the wall. It was a pretty seagreen color with tiny white bulbs all around it.
"Yeah those don't light up." A girl said behind me. "It's on sale for twenty five bucks."
It reminded me of Mermista's outfit. "It's perfect. I'll take it." I said, picked up some white tinsel and went to pay for it all.
