Making Fantasia (KF Prequel): The Nightmare After Christmas

Chapter 8: Do You Hear What I Hear?

Chapter 8: Do You Hear What I Hear?

The hair accessories drastically improved Melody's mood. With Jon's help, she colored her hair then sprayed the ends with North's Unicorn Snot. The overall effect was a shimmery ombre.

She looked great, and somehow, Jon thought, more like herself.

The party had a dress code, which Melody broke out of spite and Jon broke out of protocol. Melody wore a fluffy Christmas sweater. Jon wore his military dress blues.

No one was going to fault Jon for wearing his uniform, and no one wanted to incite Melody, so the siblings ate amongst a table of Prada tuxes and Dior gowns.

Melody found the party entertaining – she could have ridden the carousal all night – but Jon felt hollow.

Admiral Triton forced him to have pointless conversations with pointless people. Gossip flowed with the vodka. The aluminum Christmas tree was hot pink. No one was dancing.

 Jon gazed listlessly across the ballroom. His mind drifted to the past, as often happened when he wasn't busy. He thought of Wendy and Peter – they danced on the Second Star every night. He thought of Gwendolyn, his little shipmate, and how their parents used to make them dance. Gwendolyn would always try to take the lead.

He thought of his mother, yanking his father out of bed for midnight dance offs. They'd share earbuds, blast music, bang their heads around like a couple of punks–

Jon detached from the wall. This party was awful for so many reasons; but worst of all, it was a reminder of the family he didn't have.

And Jon thought, walking toward the exit his friends who hadn't come. Titania was probably in the barracks with Aelius (the solider they'd befriended), playing beer pong and –

Suddenly, as if by a magical summons, Titania appeared.  Her pixie cut was curled into finger-waves. Her gown looked like sparkly peanut brittle. Her wings glittered with gold henna. 

His jaw stiffened as she approached.

"Hey Jarhead." Contritely, Titania folded her wings. "Look...I'm sorry your sister got upset at the mall."

Jon glimpsed Melody on the carousal.

"You're sorry she got upset?" Jon shook his head. "No. That's not a real apology. Try again."

"For fuck's sake." Titania fiddled with a sparkly pleat. "You are way too emotional for a marine."

"You hurt my sister." He nodded at the carousal. "You should say sorry because you mean it, and you should say it to her."

"Okay fine. Just..." Titania backed him through the exit. Drawing him to a corner, she plucked mistletoe from her bosom. "Let me apologize to you first."

The mistletoe hung from her fingers. Jon felt the oval leaves against his cheek as she drew him for a kiss.

Jon wasn't certain if he wanted to, but the closer they became, the less lonely he felt. Titania's lips were full, puckered with gold gloss –

Jon leaned. He tilted his head.

As they touched, two strangers burst through a second-story window. Snow dusted the hallway as they landed, massive compound bows in their hands.

One intruder was a fox, and the other was a woman, but both clearly meant business. Hastening to the ballroom, they bypassed the teenagers until Jon demanded, "Stop, who are – "

The fox notched his bow faster than a python strike.

Holding a golden arrow to Jon's face, he growled to his accomplice.