“Ptehhh!!”
SG2 spat a few times, having gotten a mouth full of snow as she popped out of the hole. She pulled herself to her feet, only to stumble and fall face-first into more of the fluffy white stuff.
“Ptoo!! Ugh, it’s like being xL on a Saturday...no, on any night!!”
Of course, this was the entire reason she decided on underground travel...but that was only reliable when you were in familiar territory. When she had no idea where she was or where she was going, it wasn’t terribly practical...still, this amount of snowfall was way too much to be close to IGNO City. The forecast called for snow, but nearly three feet of it? Cursing her stature, she managed to trudge through the chest-deep powder a decent ways until she happened upon a cozy-looking inn.
“I’ve never seen this place before...maybe they have a phone? Would be nice if I could call someone to pick me up...er, though I guess I’d need to be able to tell them where I am......”
As she pondered over the situation, a familiar man opened the door and stepped out of the inn.
“...Bones?” “SG2? What are you doing here?”
They both spoke at the same time, equally surprised to see the other.
““What is this place?””
“Ah, I suppose we can figure that out later. I was just about to see if this place had a phone to--”
“It’s no good. I tried already...the phone works, but for some reason it’s not connecting to any of our numbers. I tried my castle, Peach Out, LG’s radio hotline...nothing but a dial tone. Even if there was someone there to pick up, we wouldn’t be able to get through.”
“That’s odd...where do you suppose we are, anyway? It looks so peaceful and perfect...I kinda hate it already.”
“Who knows...this sorta thing just tends to happen to us.”, Bones says nonchalantly, brushing back his hair as the cold wintry wind whips it about. “Well, guess we should get moving.”
“Where to? We don’t even know where this is...or how far we may be from civilization!!”
“U-um...”
The two turn around to see Linda, the inn girl, standing in the doorway.
“You walked out before I could tell you...but there’s a map at the train station, in town square...if that would help you find your way back home...?”
“Oh...thank you. I’m, uh, sorry about...earlier...”, Bones mutters, sheepishly looking at his feet. Linda blushes, shaking her head and waving her hands around frantically.
“O-oh no, that was my fault!! Please don’t apologize!! ...a-anyway, if you just keep travelling straight down this road you’ll eventually come to a crossing...there should be a signpost there. Turn right and keep going straight and you’ll eventually reach town square...it’s all decorated for the celebration tonight, so you can’t miss it!!”
SG2 cocks her head in confusion as Bones thanks the girl and waves goodbye before the two begin their walk down the shovelled cobblestone path. SG2 climbs up the Konungur’s leg and sits comfortably on his shoulders. He grunts, but says nothing - considering how short and stubby the tiger’s legs are, not having to pause every few steps for her to catch up would get them there faster.
“...soooo...something happen between you and that girl...?”
“Ah...nothing in particular.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a lengthy walk through the quiet countryside, SG2 and Bones finally reach town square. There, in the midst of the lightly falling snow, was quite a sight to behold...it was like something straight out of an old-fashioned Christmas postcard. Snow-covered cottages and quaint little shops dot the feathery white landscape. People bundled up in warm, vintage-looking clothing bustle to and fro, waving to one another. They stop to make chit-chat with their neighbors, asking how they have been, while the children run off to throw snowballs at each other. A horse-drawn carriage passes through, the sound of hooves clattering on cobblestone and jingle bells filling the air with a delightful melody. ...actually, was there music playing?
Delicious holiday smells wafted out from a cozy little bakery, its walls decorated in a simple yet welcoming style with some holly wreaths. And in the middle of it all...was a massive Christmas tree towering in the center of the square, with a shining star hanging upon the highest bough.
“...holy shit...” was all Bones could manage.
SG2 knew that they had come here for a reason, however. Using her high vantage point atop Bones’ shoulders, she scanned the area until she found it - railroad tracks, and a bit further along, the train station. It was just a little ways from their current position.
“Hey, I know it’s pretty impressive, but we’ve gotta keep moving”, the tiger said, tapping him on the head to snap him out of his daze.
“R-right...”
The further the two traveled through the square, the more unreal this all seemed. It was the perfect vision of Christmas - the exact opposite of the stressful holiday rush seen in IGNO City. It was as though Bones’ wish for the ideal Christmas was granted overnight...though, there was still one thing missing…
“Hey, look over there!! Isn’t that...it is!! Bones, over there!! C’mon!!”
Bones looked in the direction the tiger was pointing, and sure enough, it was them. ...it was everyone. He counted their heads - Karma, Reese, Bradios, xL...LG, MTS, Hamel, Tim...and the new faces he’d come to know recently, Iris and Azaran. With him and SG2, their total was twelve. Something very strange was going on, but there was no use thinking about that now. Dashing through the snow, they arrived just outside the train station where their friends were busy discussing how they found themselves in this situation. No doubt they, too, had come in search of a map to tell them where they were.
“...she gave me some cookies and milk and this warm scarf, then told me how I could get to the station”, says LG, adjusting the muffler around his neck.
“Odd, that’s very much like what happened to me”, Karma chimes in. “I woke up in a strange bed that was definitely not in Blood Castle. A kind young couple said they found me passed out in the snow. Their little girl was so worried, they said she stood by my bedside the entire time. She gave me a great big hug when I finally woke up...normally I’m not that fond of children or physical contact, but it was very sweet.”
“Well, I woke up right over there...”, xL says, pointing to a nearby bench. “But I know that I did not fall asleep on a bench, not last night at any rate!! I hooked up with a gentleman friend, and let's just say we spent all night having wild sex...if you know what I mean.” Everyone groaned at xL’s lack of subtlety, urging him to get to the point. “Anyway, when I asked a passerby how to get back to IGNO City, he just shrugged and told me there was a map inside the station. That’s when I saw you guys coming.”
Everyone else nodded, saying that they went through something similar. Their stories all shared a common thread - though they remembered falling asleep in their own bed, they woke up somewhere unfamiliar. A kindly stranger informed them that they had been found unconscious in the middle of a snowstorm. Not everyone had access to a telephone, but those who did were unable to reach any familiar numbers. When asking for directions on how to return to IGNO City, they’d say they had never heard of such a place, but inform the traveller how to reach the train station where they would find a map.
“Wait...they told you they’d never even heard of IGNO City...? How can that be?”, Bones asks, joining the others in the crowd.
“Ah, Konungur Bones and SG2!! We were wondering why you two weren’t here”, says Tim. “So what happened to you?”
“I woke up at an inn...tried the phone, couldn’t get through. Was on my way out when I bumped into SG2.”
“Wish I had as comfortable a welcoming as the rest of you...I was apparently sleeping in a tree, and got rudely awakened when the branch snapped under the weight of the snow and threw me to the ground...”, SG2 says, rubbing her shoulders. “Almost drowned in the snow, too. Decided that travelling underground would be safer, so I just tunnelled aimlessly until I happened to pop out in front of that same inn. Oh, and before anyone asks - no, I did not fall asleep in a tree last night, and no I do not make a regular habit of sleeping in trees. It’s just as much a mystery to me as why you guys woke up in unfamiliar beds.”
“So SG2 was in a tree, xL was on a bench...and the rest of us were apparently passed out in the snow”, LG says, recounting the way all of this started. “...that means we were all outdoors, at first. And I was told that it was the middle of a blizzard...do you think we got caught up in it and washed up here?”
“It was a blizzard, not a tidal wave, idiot”, MTS says, bonking LG on the head.
“Well, wondering how we got here won’t do us any good”, points out newcomer Azaran. “As much as I’d love to know how I wound up lumped in with you idiots, we should focus on trying to find a way back home. ...I have people waiting for me."
Bones grimaced - he didn’t like this kid, but he did have a point.
“Alright, let’s head inside.”
Just when they thought they couldn’t be surprised anymore, there it was. Inside the simple, unimposing train station was a huge, archaic steam engine. It looked exactly like the sort of toy train a young child may unwrap on Christmas morning, sitting majestically atop the tracks. You would never see something like this anymore, outside of an antique museum...and this was no antique. There was no sign of rust or wear, and the heavy metal exterior shining like new. The faint hiss of steam could be heard escaping...suddenly, great plumes of white streamed out from beneath the behemoth of a machine. The stack atop its great metal head was steadily puffing as the wheels began to spin like immense gears. The blow of the whistle was alarmingly loud as it echoed within the station walls, signifying the grand locomotive’s departure. It was simultaneously primitive and revolutionary, a fascinating relic of days gone by - and the IGNOites had never seen its like.
When at last the heavy rumbling had faded out along the tracks, the station was quiet. The sounds of children laughing and music playing from outside could be heard once more. Tim chuckled nervously, releasing his hands from pinning down his sensitive ears.
“Well, guess we ought to check that map now, huh?”
They crowded over to the wall, where hung the sort of old map you might see in a fantasy board game. And, perhaps unsurprisingly at this point...there was not a familiar sight to be found. It depicted a zoomed-in view of a landlocked mass, with small pictograms illustrating important things like buildings, forests and lakes. Intersecting lines depicted simple roads, nothing like the scribblesque nightmare you’d find on a map of IGNO City. Perhaps the most curious thing about it, however, was that none of the roads seemed to exit the confines of this closed circle. Clearly, this was a map of whatever village they had found themselves in and would offer no insight as to the surrounding areas...but surely, at least one of these roads must LEAVE the village, right? So why didn’t that appear to be the case? What was going on here...?
“Great...this map is useless. So much for getting home in time to have the Christmas party...”, Bones laments. “Not that it matters, anyway. I pretty much destroyed everything.”
“Hey...”, SG2 ponders, taking another glance around the square. “Why don’t we set aside the issue of getting back for now...and just enjoy Christmas here?”
Bones folds his arms and looks down at the tiger sceptically.
“What?”
“No, I mean, it’s perfect, right? You even heard the girl from the inn, they’re having a celebration in town square here tonight. Look around!! They’ve got everything already!!”
Everyone took another look at their surroundings...it’s true, this was literally the perfect little Christmas village. And the gang was all here. It’s not like they couldn’t try to find their way back home after enjoying the leisurely holiday celebration, right?
“Think about it, My Leige...you were making yourself a nervous wreck trying to set up for that party. You do it every year, and we love you for it...but it, well...it kinda brings out your inner asshole.”
“Hey!!”
“And your outer asshole, too”, adds Reese. “...nodisrespectmeantmyleige...”
Bones laughed...taking SG2 and the others by surprise. They were sure he’d get at least a little angry at basically being told he was an asshole all the time, but it was true. All the stress of his rulership had been building for a long time, and ‘taking a nap and letting the leprechauns handle it for a few hours’ didn’t really constitute a legitimate vacation. Perhaps this was a good idea…
“Well...I guess it wouldn’t hurt to take in some of the local festivities for now. We can always try to get back home tomorrow...it’s not like it’s going anywhere.”
“Right? I mean, a day off isn’t going to kill you...isn’t going to kill any of us!!” SG2 shouts happily, looking at her friends in the crowd. “I mean, Karma, you’ve got a pretty competent vampire butler. I’m sure he can handle Blood Country affairs for a day!!”
“I suppose that’s true, I do tend to leave him in charge when I go on my Wanderings...”
“Iris!! What are the chances people are going to need pastries at the bakery today?”
“W-well, it’s true that everyone’s Christmas orders have already been picked up...”
“And LG!! You are one of the hardest-working citizens in IGNO City, but will you really be needed today? School is out for winter break, so you’re off your professing duties...people will be too busy watching Christmas specials and listening to carols on the radio to tune into your shows, and Peach Out was already gonna be closed for the day because like Hell I’m gonna be working on Christmas!!”
“Always nice to see someone else with a healthy work ethic”, LG says dryly.
“As for you, xL...your gas station is already a disgusting, run-down mess. How much worse could it possibly get in your absence?"
“If anything, it will be less depraved without me there!!”, xL chimes in confidently.
“Exactly!! What are the chances that we’ll come back to find IGNOLand in ruins just because we decide to take one day off? What kind of monster would do anything bad on Christmas of all days? All we’re missing is right here for us already - snow, festive decorations, music, and most importantly...lots of food!!”
“Don’t you mean it’s most important that we’re all here to spend it together...?”, Iris asks timidly.
“Oh right, that too. But you all see what I’m saying!!”
“Ah, what the Hell. Let’s do it!!”, says Bones, showing a rare smile.
All the IGNOites cheer loudly and high five, though none of the passersby seem to take notice. The group - many of them bundled in warmer clothing than usual thanks to their benevolent caretakers - step out of the station back into the square. Snow continues to fall lightly, but the sun is shining high in the sky. There are lots of local sights to take in, and they hardly know where to begin.
“Alright, let’s get going. This is gonna be the best Christmas ever!!”
And so, the IGNOites ran through the village they had found themselves in, engaging in every conceivably cliched Christmas activity. You may even say they montage’d right through them!!
There was much playing in the snow, laughing and building forts to block and dodge the variety of snowballs...often magically enchanted to do extra damage. Of course, once Reese and Hamel teamed up - and the snowman that Iris and Tim had been innocently building on the sidelines got caught in the literal crossfire - that quickly stopped being quite so fun. Azaran chased after the principal offenders, shooting ice bolts at them, for a considerable time afterwards.
After that, they headed over to the tree farm, lined with more rows of beautiful evergreen trees than the eye could see, each one topped with a festive helping of snow. They perused the fields, pointing out their favorites despite knowing that they wouldn’t be taking any of them home. Then they made their way to the nearby reindeer corral, which functioned as something of a petting zoo...the creatures were quite docile and friendly, especially to those who came to them with a handful of feed. In particular they took a liking to Tim...perhaps sensing a kindred spirit with an existing fondness for four-legged creatures.
Next up was joining some jolly carollers, walking door to door and singing joyous songs and spreading good cheer. Of course, the five who made up the popular IGNOLand boyband, The Straight Experience - LG, xL, Tim, Bradios and Azaran - couldn’t help but steal the show with their soulful spins on the classics, and a little dancing for added flair. Iris played accompaniment on the banjo she’d kept strapped around her neck...at least until the others begged her to stop.
As they walked along, they came upon the same steam train again. They decided to go for a ride, taking it past a few stops until they found themselves in front of the local theatre, which was running a showing of a Christmas classic. The story told of a young girl who receives a wooden toy from a relative on Christmas, and is shrunken down to their world where she witnesses a great battle between the toy army and menacing rodents. After that they journey to a land where delicious sweets perform fantastic dances. It was all so over the top and ridiculous, the IGNOites couldn’t help but laugh through the entire show. Being shrunk down to the size of a toy and dancing around in a Christmas wonderland? How absurd was that?
By the time the play ended, the sun had already set. Of course, it got so much darker in the winter...and colder. The IGNOites huddled up as the townsfolk gathered around the gigantic tree in the center of town square, each one hanging their own personal ornament upon its boughs. Of course, the IGNOites had not come prepared for such a tradition...but a kindly old woman opened up her bag and handed each one of them a small, handcrafted charm so they could join in on the festivities. After everyone in the crowd had done their share, it was time for the grand lighting of the tree. A small, portly man - most likely the mayor based on his top hat, monocle, and sash reading ‘mayor’ - flipped a switch, and all at once the square was alight with festive twinkling. The perfect combination of red and green, of blue and white, of all the homemade ornaments illuminated by the glow.
After that, the revelry truly began. The townsfolk all gathered in the town hall, where a huge banquet spread was already set up. Several rows of long dining tables with simple white tablecloths were absolutely loaded to the brim with food - a turkey here, a goose there, glazed hams and fish. Cranberry sauce and candied yams, potatoes in both mashed and roasted varieties. Baskets overflowed with freshly-baked bread, accompanied by plates full of stuffing and bowls loaded with assorted nuts. There was green bean casserole, stuffed mushrooms, butternut squash and brussel sprouts; there were pigs in a blanket and mincemeat pies, steamed carrots and smoked salmon. Tall glasses spilled over with an abundance of beverages, from eggnog and hot chocolate, hot mulled cider and fizzy fruit punch to seasonal beers and sparkling white wine.
The dessert table was no less impressive, loaded with all manner of delicious-smelling baked goods and sweets. Pies of apple and pumpkin sat beside towering chocolate and spice cakes, figgy pudding, chocolate logs and fruitcakes. The staggering variety of lovingly-decorated Christmas cookies alone could have filled a whole table if spread out instead of piled up high upon festive-looking trays. Cupcakes cheesecakes brownies tarts, holiday staples like gingerbread men and candy canes, fancy looking things covered in festive sprinkles and colorful marzipan. The spread truly had to be seen to be believed - they’d never had anything quite this extravagant in IGNOLand.
At the far corner there was a line forming...people wearing tattered clothing were gathering as other citizens spooned hearty bowls of soup for them, and lead them to the long rows of tables. These people were the first to be seated and begin this lavish meal...and there was plenty to go around. Bit by bit the rest of the hall filled, and people sat beside those they had never before met. Everyone was kind, sharing their food and drink and stories of happy memories with people who may well have been perfect strangers. If there was a feast like this in IGNO City...everyone would be pushing and shoving others violently, trying to ensure they could fill their own plates before anybody else. Bones couldn't help but stare at the scene before him, almost longingly, reminiscing on his boyhood holidays back in the Nordlands...
“There’s still some available seats over there. C’mon”, said SG2, tugging on Bones’ pantleg and snapping him out of his reverie.
The IGNOites gathered around either side of one such table and quickly set to work on their heaping plates. They made idle conversation with their friendly neighbors between mouthfuls of food, laughing and telling what must surely have seemed like tall tales to the villagers about their fantastic adventures in IGNOLand. Eating delicious meals, drinking warm holiday beverages, and being merry with friend and stranger alike - this was the true meaning of Christmas. Bones sat in a contemplative silence, a faint smile gracing his lips in place of his typical permanent scowl. He was generally a quiet sort in times like these, and listening to his friends share happy stories, and the cheerful holiday music playing, made him happy enough.
As the meal finally drew to a close and everyone finished what they could of their desserts - the mind willing, but the body simply too stuffed to get up and grab seconds - the mayor who lit the tree earlier came to the podium at the forefront of the town hall, announcing that it was time for the Secret Santa exchange. The IGNOites, of course, had nothing to exchange...having been transplanted to this land overnight, with all the Christmas gifts they had bought for one another stuff lying under the tree in Knochenstadt. They hung their heads in despair, feeling like all the buildup of the holiday was meant to lead to this moment...that’s when Bones spied some children playing in the corner. They had just unwrapped their shiny new presents - a set of building blocks, a cute toy train, a spinning top, and a xylophone. However, these toys were quickly forgotten as the children began to laugh and play together...eventually running outside to play in the snow. Their gifts simply sat there, barely touched at all. To those children, the gifts weren't as important as spending time laughing and playing with their friends.
As everyone muttered half-baked apologies to their fellow IGNOites for not having gifts to exchange, Bones finally spoke up. It was the first anyone had heard from him in some time.
“I still don’t understand where we are, or how we wound up here...but I feel like we were brought here for a reason. We needed to be taught a lesson...Christmas isn’t about getting the best presents for your friends, even if it means mowing down other people in order to get it. It’s about family, and friendship...about simply enjoying the time you spend together with your loved ones.”
He looked at SG2, Reese, and Karma in turn.
“I’m sorry it took me until now to realize that I was being such a jerk...I got so caught up in making things perfect that I lost sight of what really matters. We might not be home, but we still got to spend Christmas together...and for that, I’m happy.”
The IGNOites stared at him in stunned silence.
“H-hey, what’s with the sappy speech?”, SG2 laughed nervously. “You ARE still Bones, right? The mighty Konungur of IGNOLand? What’s gotten into you?”
“She’s right...you’ve been acting kinda weird all day”, added LG. The others nodded in agreement...Bones merely looked down, closed his eyes and smiled.
“Heh...you’re right. Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”
Reese stood up from the table, slapping the Konungur on the back.
“Well, I think we can all agree that today was a nice change of pace. It’s getting pretty late now, though...we should probably find somewhere to spend the night, and get back to looking for a way back home tomorrow.”
“Actually...I know exactly where we can go. Follow me, peasants.”
Bones’ cape flowed behind him as he rose from the table, leading his subjects out of the town hall and back into the cold night. Snowflakes continued to flutter through the air...had they let up even once since they’d been here? The sky was dark, but clear...stars twinkled in the distance, unobstructed by the light pollution so common in the city. The only thing illuminating the darkness was the soft glow of Christmas lights decorating the houses along the way, lighting a path for them as they trudged through the crunchy snow.
Before too long, they’d made it back to where it all began that morning - the local inn. Of course, only Bones and SG2 had been here before...Bones approached the door and gave a light knock, and in no time at all his call was answered.
“A-ah!! You came back!!”
It was Linda, the girl he had a somewhat embarrassing encounter with this morning - well, embarrassing for her, at least.
“Sorry to trouble you so late...but my friends and I were looking for a place to stay, and...”
“Oh, not at all!! That’s what we’re here for!!” She gave a gentle smile. “If you follow me, we can prepare rooms for you all shortly...”
“Are you sure it’s not too much trouble? There are a lot of us...”, LG pointed out, trying to be considerate. Linda giggled as she shook her head.
“What kind of inn would we be if we couldn’t accommodate cold travellers on a winter’s night? Come on in, you can wait in the foyer while we get everything ready...”
Linda lead the lot of them into the waiting area before heading behind the counter and into the back room...a moment later, a man and two women, one of whom was much older, had joined her. While Linda and the older woman headed upstairs, the man stepped forward, addressing the group.
“Welcome to the Good Hoof Inn!! We may not be the fanciest place, but we’ve got soft beds and plenty of warm apple cider and hospitality to go around!!”
“Thank you...how much does it cost for one night...for twelve people?”, asked Bones, reaching for his wallet and hoping the people of this isolated village still accepted payment in Kok.
“Oh, nonsense, it’s Christmas isn’t it? We’ll put you up free of charge.”
The IGNOites looked at one another...free of charge? Even on Christmas, such a thing was unheard of back in IGNOLand!! And on top of that, the younger of the two women brought out a lovely plate of cookies and glasses of the aforementioned cider, setting them on the table for everyone to enjoy. They were so welcomed by this town, despite being total strangers.
“Please, make yourselves comfortable here, and if there’s anything else we can get you, let us know!!”, said the woman with a smile.
Finally, Linda and the older woman returned as the IGNOites were enjoying their snack.
“Your rooms are ready whenever you want them, dears”, the woman said, before giving Linda a slight nudge. “Go on, now.”
Linda was pushed forward, holding her arms behind her back...she looked at Bones, so he stood up from his position on the couch and took a few steps forward to meet her.
“U-um...I was, hoping you might come back...s-so I...it’s not much, but um...”
Bones cocked his head as she stumbled over her words before finally thrusting her arms out from behind her back...in her hands she held a small gift box, delicately wrapped with a cute ribbon tied around it. Bones wasn’t sure what to say...so he just took the box from Linda’s hands and carefully unwrapped it.
“...A...snowglobe...?”
“Y-yes, it’s been my treasure since I was a little girl...I thought, since you were stranded here on Christmas, you should at least...get a gift...”
She kneaded her hands, rubbing her index fingers together in embarrassment. Bones peered inside the globe...inside was a quaint, old-fashioned village with wooden cottages, cobblestone streets, and white-capped pine trees. There were tiny, hand-crafted figures sculpted with meticulous detail walking down the streets, chatting with one another...there was even a small carriage drawn by teeny horses. He could also spy a steam train sitting on the tiny train tracks that wound through the village in a loop. And in front of one building in particular stood a family of four - a young girl, a man and a woman who were likely her parents, and a grandmother. And next to the girl…
“Wait a minute...is that...me?”
There was a small figure, dressed in the same traditional-looking clothing as the rest, standing beside the girl with his arm around her shoulder. It was difficult to tell, because the figures were so small, but the height, the hairstyle...and what looked like a small circlet on his head...even in this form, the resemblance couldn’t be denied.
“O-oh, no!! It’s just a coincidence...but when I first saw you, it um...it reminded me, of this...so I thought...maybe if you took it with you...you’d...remember me...”
Bone was still not sure if he should be touched, or heavily creeped out by this gesture. His thought process was quickly interrupted, however, as the old woman laughed.
“Oh go on already ya silly kids, or haven’t ya noticed yer under the mistletoe?”
“G-Grandmother!!”
Linda’s face flushed red. Bones looked to the ceiling - sure enough, a sprig of mistletoe hung from one of the beams by a red ribbon, directly above their heads. Did she plan this...? From behind, the IGNOites sitting on the couch giggled and made teasing faces.
“Go on, Konungur Bones, it’s not like you to keep the ladies waiting!!”, LG chuckled.
“You’re not gonna ignore her Christmas wish, are ya?”, laughed Bradios.
Now it was Bones’ face turning red...he had forgotten that his idiot entourage was still here. He took a deep breath and conceded - leaning in a giving Linda a gentle peck on the cheek. He didn’t want to embarrass her any further by doing more than that...he was a gentleman, after all. The IGNOites cheered, and you could almost hear the steam coming out of Linda’s ears under shouts like ‘thatta boy!!’ and ‘I ship it’ coming from the peanut gallery. One ‘silence or I will destroy everything you know and love’ glare from Bones was all it took for a hush to fall over the room. After a long moment of both parties awkwardly shuffling about, Linda finally spoke.
“I-it’s getting late...if you don’t mind, um...”
“No, it’s okay. We should all be retiring to bed, too. We’ve got a long day ahead of us...RIGHT, GUYS?”
The IGNOites nodded obediently, having gotten a bit too comfortable with Bones’ Christmas niceness to remember that they should fear him. Linda’s face fell when she heard these words.
“That’s right...well, I wish you good luck...finding your way back home tomorrow...um, well, if you don’t need anything else, I’d better be off to bed myself...g-good night!!”, she stammered, running into the back room behind the counter in a hurry. Bones wondered if he’d said something wrong.
“Well, if we want to get an early start tomorrow we really should head to bed”, said MTS, rising from the couch hoping to encourage the others. “Especially when it gets dark so quickly this season.”
The others followed suit...they’d been having so much fun they had been able to ignore the tiredness creeping through their bodies, but they had certainly had a long day...they could definitely use a good night’s rest. With luck, they’d be able to explore the village tomorrow and figure out where it was, and how far away they were from home...so, with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, the IGNOites headed upstairs to the rooms that were so quickly prepared for them, tucking themselves in for a blissful night’s sleep. It truly had been the best Christmas ever.
Bones was the last to reach his room, having sat alone on the couch in the foyer for a bit after all the others had left. As he sipped on the lukewarm cider, he thought back on everything that had happened today...it was truly perfect. Almost alarmingly so...why had they all ended up in this strange place? It was rather convenient that, just as he’d hoped for the perfect Christmas, they were all suddenly caught up in some supposed blizzard and found unconscious here…
“Heh...I don’t suppose some wish-granting pixies heard my wish and granted it...”, he laughed dryly, polishing off his glass before slamming it firmly down on the coaster. “Guess it doesn’t matter how it happened, long as we can get back...”
And with that, Bones finally rose from the couch and headed to the upstairs area himself, finding that the only unoccupied room was the very one he’d awoken in this morning. He set his snowglobe down on the nightstand before undressing and crawling under the covers...though he paused a moment before closing his eyes.
All he had done was put the globe on the table...and yet, a soft, melodic tune flowed from it even though he hadn’t turned the crank. It was the sort of song you might hear from a music box, and it had almost a lullaby-like effect on him. As his eyes began to drift shut, he thought it sounded strangely familiar...but those thoughts were quickly forgotten amidst the wave of sleepiness that overcame him, and he floated into holiday dreamland.
Tomorrow...was going to be a very busy day…