Dedicated to the ShadowSong Discord squad <3

---

Side note: the ShadowSong world wouldn't exactly have a Christmas exactly like ours, but we're gonna go ahead and call it that anyway because its a not-legit so dammit its not-legit.

For anyone curious, their holiday would likely be the day attributed to the day when Skypillar came down and trapped the Other, sorta like a yay-the-war-is-over day of rest and partying with those they cared for.

----

Standing outside the door to Olivia's house, Jason was terrified.

He was completely and utterly terrified, and he could not do this.

Jason pulled his hand away from the door where his fist had been poised to knock. He ran that hand through his hair, tugging on the roots, closing his eyes and trying to find the courage to knock.

He could hear people inside. Quite a few people, if the volume of the conversations were anything to go by. They were mixed with music, reminding him of the temple's festivities, but unlike the temple, this music was different. It was bouncy and filled with something Jason could only describe as happiness.

Jason glanced at the present tucked under his arm. Maybe he should just leave it at the doorstep and leave, then--no, that would be rude. It would be proper to at least step inside, to deliver the gift personally, then excuse himself with some various duty.

He didn't have a duty, of course. This was the one day of the year where no one had any duties, twenty-four hours to themselves that could be spent as they saw fit.

It was christmas.

In previous years, Jason had spent it at a large gathering in whatever location his mother had hired for the night. A hundred people, none of which he knew, yet all of which he was expected to play the perfect host to. There'd been a list. There'd been specific gifts and words that he had been required to say, lest his mother pull him aside to correct his behaviour.

He had absolutely no idea how christmas was supposed to work.

Jason went to knock again but stopped.

What if he just ruined it? What if his present wasn't right? Olivia had said that her family had something for him, and despite his best efforts, she'd refused to tell him. Would they hate him if they gave him something wonderful, only to be disappointed with his in return?

Jason stood outside the door for another agonising minute.

He glanced at his Liaiser, just pulling himself short of pacing outside in the alley up the side of her house. He should have arrived six minutes ago. He'd been standing outside here for ten.

I just need something, he thought, looking around. A reason, just something...

His tattoo went cold.

Jason didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed.

Sae changed from the icy cuff on Jason's ear back into his usual bird-like self with a poof of snow. "Well, looks like someone just got bailed out."

Jason stepped away from the door, glancing around the alley. "I suppose it was fortunate that I hesitated, else I'd have to excuse myself from the celebrations."

"Mhm. Hesitated. Of course."

Jason drew in a long breath through his nose.

Sae just gave him a look. "Oh it's not like you were going to spend the next half an hour out here trying to knock on the door anyway, right? You were definitely just about to knock right then. That darn Manifested."

"Oh, shut up," said Jason. "Ascend, Frost of Skypillar!"

Sae flapped his wings in protest as the transformation began to suck him into Jason's tattoo.

"Hey wait nowthat'scheatin--!"

Cryo's transformation froze around Jason, sweeping him away in a flurry of white powder. Before it'd settled around him, Cryo flared his wings and launched himself up into the sky.

The Manifested was in outer Sylrael, not a too distant flight from Olivia's home.

Cryo circled the open space below to scout the situation. From what he could tell, the Manifested had a group of people bunched up in the centre and was circling them like some kind of game, though more were being led out of a nearby house by the Manifested, and--

Cryo blinked, unsure if what he was seeing was correct.

He landed on a nearby rooftop, his taloned feet digging in to give him a firm grip as he counted the small, red-and-green dressed figures scattered across the area below.

One... two... three... four? Cryo's eyes went wide. There's another, that's five, six! How many--

A Shadow flitted beside him as she landed on the roof, surefooted as she always was.

"There's at least nine," said Banshee as she drew Joy and flipped the dagger in her hand. "Maybe ten. Not too sure."

"It shouldn't be possible to have nine Manifested active at the same time," said Cryo. "Are they perhaps simply wearing costumes and the real Manifested is hiding?"

"Don't think so," said Banshee. She pointed below, where one of the small, red-and-green dressed figures leaped into the air and did a backflip before proceeding to hover slowly back towards the ground, much to the delight of the other two watching it. "Unless you think regular kids can do that."

Cryo frowned. It was rare for children to Manifest. "We may have our work cut out for us."

Banshee gave him a small smile. "Always so serious. I have a feeling that these ones are gonna want to talk instead of fight. Shall we?"

Cryo inclined his head and gestured, to which Banshee took as the signal to sheathe Joy and jump down from the roof to land right in the middle of it.

Cryo swooped down after her.

At their arrival, every single one of the nine Manifested stopped what they'd been doing and turned to look at them.

Banshee was right: they were all kids, and they were all dressed in similar outfits of green and red, trimmed with white fur. Each one of them had something slightly different about them, but none of them had the typical "monster" characteristics that Cryo had come to associate Manifested with.

They just looked like nine, regular kids in christmas outfits with the ability to float and zip through the air and completely overpower adults.

"Hey!" said Banshee, waving a hand. "What's going on here, can we join in?"

"Go away!" said Manifested #1, a little boy with a pointed, fluff-topped hat that hung half-off his head. "We're gonna make them all have a party and you can't stop us!"

"Ooooh, a party, eh?" said Banshee, stepping closer and sitting cross-legged on the ground a few metres away from them. "I was just telling Cryo that I wish there was a party going on. Is the party here?"

Manifested #2, a girl with long, blonde hair and DragonFae-esque wings, shuffled on her feet. "It's gonna be here! We just... we just gotta set up for it first because they were all too busy yellin' at each other to do it."

One of the adults in the rounded-up group leaned forward. "Hey! Banshee, Cryophoenix! Hurry up and do something! They're just kids, they don't know--!"

Manifested #3, another girl with a long, red cloak and a tiara flew over to the adult. "Shut up! You're not gonna be talking anymore until we have the party!"

She waved her hand, and with that, the adult's mouth disappeared, leaving them more than a little shocked.

Banshee, however, didn't seem particularly bothered by this show of power. Instead, she leaned back on her hands, glancing around the area. "Well, what do you guys need help setting up for?

Manifested #4, a third girl with dark hair and what looked like a mermaid tail under her dress put her hands on her hips. "We need to decorate the tree!"

The other eight Manifested kids excitedly agreed.

"That sounds like a great place to start!" said Banshee. "Where's the tree? Are we bringing it outside?"

Cryo watched on in amazement as the nine Manifested kids turned into Banshee's best friends, zipping around through the air and grabbing at her hands, pulling her inside so she could carry the tree out.

Just as she went through the door, Banshee turned back to Cryo and gave him a meaningful look that slowly slid over towards the adults sitting on the ground in a circle.

Cryo approached the adults, none of which who had bothered to move.

"Are you all okay?"

"Oh we were fine," said one of the older women whose hair had started to grey. "Right up until Carol's kid started crying, and then she just wouldn't shut up, and then--"

"So now it's my fault?" said another woman who Cryo presumed to be Carol. "All three of your kids decided to Manifest right along with mine, Sally! Don't you dare try and blame it on me like all those decorations--"

"--Well maybe if you'd remembered that you were supposed to bring the food--"

"--We did bring the food, it's not our fault if you don't like--"

"--Your kids obsessed with the decorations on the tree? Why couldn't you have just had it done like a normal family before--"

Cryo reached up to place a hand on his forehead. "I believe I can understand exactly why the kids Manifested if this is how you treat each other."

Another adult, one who'd been watching the other two fight with a look that said please freeze them for me chimed in. "This is normal. The kids are all friends, but they don't get to meet up often because of this."

It caused a fourth to chime in. "Sure. Once the Luminary shows up, you're all mister innocent, right? Like you weren't screaming at everyone about things that happened in the past. Figures."

The third turned back. "Well at least someone here has to tell him what happened, because I sure as Skypillar don't want my kid to be fighting a Luminary! Yours on the other hand--"

"Okay!" said Cryo. "We're all going to be quiet before I bring that girl with the tiara back to make all your mouths vanish."

They landed the last few barbed insults on each other, but to Cryo's surprise, they actually shut up--though maybe it was due to their nervous glances in Banshee's direction as she emerged carrying the tree.

Cryo just looked at them and lowered his voice. "Can't any of you control yourselves for even a few hours for the sake of your children? Are you honestly all selfish enough that you'll both ruin christmas for them, and keep myself and Banshee away from our own celebrations to ensure your children don't rightly put you all in your places?"

None of them answered, sitting there in their sullen silence as Banshee and the kids returned, their chatter and various zooming noises instantly overpowering the heavy atmosphere. Three of the kids were 'helping' her carry the tree, and a fourth that was hanging around shy at the edges joined in to help as Banshee 'stumbled'.

"Okay, you guys want it here, right?" said Banshee. "Okay, on three! One, two, three!"

A few minutes more, and the tree was up. The other five kids had brought some chairs and a table with them, setting up a little area in a semi-circle around the tree.

"Now we need decorations!" said the girl with the tiara.

"We don't have them, though," said Manifested #5, a boy with hair down to his shoulders and a pair of Wyvern-like horns on. "They didn't bring them."

"We need decorations!" said #4.

The kids devolved into dark mutterings, and nearby, the adults started to look rather nervous.

"Psht, who wants old decorations anyway?" said Banshee, clapping her hands together. "It just so happens, I have something better!"

Cryo raised an eyebrow, curious to what it was.

She looked straight at him, holding out her hands towards him.

"I have a Cryo!"

*+*+*+*

Ten minutes later, the Manifested kids and the group of adults were all sitting around the tre, happily playing in the snow as Banshee and Cryo stood off to the side, watching them.

Every so often, a couple of people in the group would come over to Cryo, carefully holding out something that they'd sculpted from the snow. With a touch, Cryo would freeze the softer snow into hard, clear ice, and then Banshee would poke a small hole in it with Joy's tip before threading a string through and passing it back to one of the kids to hang on the tree.

Cryo glanced at the tree that was just a little overloaded with decorations. Everyone present had one to represent themselves on the tree, including two figures that hung next to each other right near the top, the left with a small pair of daggers, and the right with icy wings.

"What a clever idea that was," said Cryo. "You did well to diffuse the situation."

Banshee smiled. "Thanks, Cryo. You're the one who came up the idea of them making their own decorations, though. I was just gonna cover the tree in shiny ice pieces. This is much better."

Cryo looked at the area around him. He'd released his aura just enough to cover the ground in enough snow for all of them, but he'd misjudged it and covered a lot more than he'd intended. "You don't believe that the snow everywhere ruins the way this holiday is supposed to be?"

"Nah," said Banshee, bending down to scoop up a handful of snow. "The weather isn't what makes this holiday special. It's about this, all of these guys coming together." She gestured to the group, then threw the snow into the air, letting the pieces drift down, where she caught them on her tongue with a laugh. "Besides, I kinda like it. It's magical, y'no?"

Cryo softened. "I believe I might."

Banshee tilted her head and looked at him. "Do you have somewhere to be tonight?"

"I was invited," said Cryo quietly. "But I'm somewhat afraid I might ruin the atmosphere, or that my gift might be unsatisfactory."

"Are they people you care about?" said Banshee. Cryo nodded. "Then it won't matter if you turn up with nothing but yourself. They'll be more than happy to have you there, trust me. It's all about the people and spending time with them, not about presents or anything else."

Cryo hesitated.

Banshee nudged him in the arm with her elbow. "And if for whatever reason, it all goes wrong and you make a complete featherbutt of yourself, double tap your tattoo, and I'll come. Probably the biggest cliche in the book, but no one should be alone on christmas, and I'm sure as starlight not going to let my partner get ditched."

"Thank you," said Cryo with a small smile. "It means a lot."

Banshee touched two fingers to her forehead. "I gotchu covered, partner. Now, how about we see about getting these fragments back so we can get you to that place you were invited to, eh?"

Cryo watched the kids, still zipping through the air with their newfound powers. "They don't seem particularly willing to part with their fragments."

"Oh, they gave me their condition earlier," said Banshee.

"Which was?"

Banshee just grinned at him.

*+*+*+*

Cryo refused to be the treetop decoration alone.

As per her promise, Banshee was obligated to join him.

Together, they made the best damn treetop decoration that the City had ever seen.

*+*+*+*

Banshee landed on her balcony in a flurry of shadows and, after checking her room to make sure Ericka or someone hadn't followed her upstairs, ducked inside.

"Shadow of Skypillar, return!"

The shadows fell away, leaving Olivia standing in her bedroom once more. Viri spiralled out from her chest, landing in Olivia's waiting palms. With a quick kiss to the top of Viri's head, Olivia offered the shadows of her breast pocket to her Ascended, who ducked inside.

Olivia changed her skirt for shorts and ran down the stairs as quickly as she dared.

Ericka was still waiting in the kitchen, talking with Ella.

Considering they didn't usually get along, Olivia considered it nothing short of a christmas miracle that the two of them were managing to stand within the same five square metres without arguing.

"I told you guys not to wait!" said Olivia. "Go back to the party!"

"We did!" said Ericka. "Then we got concerned that you'd been kidnapped or something so we thought we'd come up and check!"

Olivia hesitated. "And did you?"

"What do you mean, 'did you'?" said Ella. "Of course we didn't, or we'd have walked in on you doing whatever it was that took you so long. You hiding a boy up there or something? If so, drag him to the party so we can interrogate him!"

"Uh, not quite," said Olivia. "Sorry for taking so looooong guys! C'mon, let's--"

Over the music, she heard a knock at the door.

"--Nevermind! I'll get the door and be back shortlyyy!"

"Liv, if you disappear again I swear--"

"No disappearing!" said Olivia. "Shoo, begone! Both of you!"

Ericka and Ella disappeared down the stairs and back into the restaurant. Olivia followed after them, but instead turned right towards the door and opened it.

Jason stood in the doorway with a present under his arm, looking just a little like he'd forgotten how to breathe.

"Hey, Jase!" said Olivia, bouncing forward and dragging him into a hug. To her surprise, he actually hugged her back, so she squeezed him a little harder before letting go. "Happy christmas!"

"Merry christmas to you, too," said Jason. He held out the present. "This is for you and your family. I wasn't sure what I should get you so I just thought that something--"

Olivia shook her head with a smile. Dork.

"Whatever it is, Jase, it's perfect," said Olivia, grabbing his wrist instead of the present and dragging him inside. "I was worried you weren't gonna show up. C'mon, everyone is waiting!"

Olivia led Jason to the restaurant, which just for tonight, had been transformed into one, giant space for the fifty-odd people that were mingled throughout the room.

The chairs were all pushed to the edge, the tables rearranged to hold drinks and food. Ella stood there, having located Ariel and Lucian who stood unobtrusively at the edge of the room despite their height, each holding a drink. Ericka had made a straight line for the music, where Olivia's dad was attempting to change it, and among it all, there was still ample space for dancing that Olivia fully planned to make use of later, as well as an area with a variety of fun little party games.

But first, Olivia had a mission to accomplish.

"Come with meee!" said Olivia, pulling Jason after her towards a table. "Hey, Mum, Jason's here! I'm gonna give him the thing!"

"Oooooh, wait for me! I wanna see his reaction!"

"Really," said Jason. "You didn't have to get me anything. I'm more than--"

"Nope, no complaints!" said Olivia. "This is tradition. Initiation, one might say!"

She smirked as she saw Jason's suspicions immediately shoot into the danger zone.

Olivia passed Jason the crudely wrapped present that flopped in his hands.

Jason's eyes flicked to it, then back to Olivia.

She just gestured at him. "Open it! Aaaaand by the way, you're obligated to wear it. As I said, tradition."

Jason opened it.

Even after three weeks of being wrapped, the complete and utter ugliness of the red, green, and white sweater vest now in his hands had not depleted.

Olivia's mum leaned over, and in a loud whisper that suggested she'd probably had a bit to drink in the time Olivia had been out, said, "I even made the collar nice and stiff for you!" She leaned back off Olivia's shoulder and wandered back towards the crowd. "Byyyyyyye, you two! Behave yourselves!"

Jason just kept staring at the sweater vest in his hands.

Olivia licked her lips. "I know you said that you don't like wearing warm clothes since you overheat pretty easily. So I asked Mum if she could get one without sleeves. I figured it'd make it all special and stuff, just like you, but, uh, yeah I mean if you don't like it, that's kinda the point but if you're already too hot then--"

"It's perfect," said Jason, holding it a little higher in his hands. "I've never had anything like this before."

Olivia bit down on her smile. "I can tell. Most people usually run away screaming from the ugly sweater tradition. You're doing amazingly well. You gotta wear it for at least an hour, by the way."

Jason raised an eyebrow, lifting up the sweater vest to look at its full, ugly glory for the first time. "I'm not sure I can survive an hour in this alone." His eyes slid sideways towards her. "I might need someone to share the burden with, if this tradition is as strong as she claims and she also owns one."

"Oh, I am not wearing mine again."

"You wouldn't want me to be alone in agony, would you?"

Olivia narrowed her eyes at him. "You're evil. You know that?"

"I believe you've given me enough 'You never let a friend do something alone' speeches that it's sunk in at this point, really."

"That is not the intended context and you know it!"

Ten minutes later, Olivia had her ugly sweater on.

*+*+*+*

The night went on.

Dancing, drinks, and games of all varieties were had by everyone in the room.

Both Olivia and Jason had been mocked ceaselessly about their ugly sweaters, and had fallen into a competition about whose sweater was actually the ugliest. Most people agreed that Jason's won that title, if only because of the way a collar had been badly sewed onto his, complete with what seemed to be two, plastic lumps underneath it.

Whatever the joke was, Olivia's mum seemed to find it absolutely hilarious, and every time she pointed it out, Olivia was pretty sure Jason turned a little redder.

Olivia continued to drag Jason into every activity she could manage, whether it was dancing or one of the many games. Slowly, his hesitation had melted away, and though he was still the Jason she knew, still pretty formal and proper, he was having fun and enjoying himself.

...and who'd have known, thought Olivia as she watched Jason dancing to some popular song with Lucian. Though Lucian wasn't exactly hard to watch, it was Jason that held her attention as she sat there, her cheek resting in her hand. The boy can dance.

After the song ended, Jason and Lucian took a rather temple-like bow and made their way off the dance floor towards the drinks table. Lucian's eyes locked onto Ariel with Ella across the room as he headed over, and to Olivia's surprise, Jason came over to sit beside her in the corner of the room.

"How are you finding it?" said Olivia with a small smile. "Still scared?"

"I was worried I was going to ruin it," said Jason softly. Somehow, he was nowhere near out of breath, even after what she'd just witnessed. "I was standing outside the door for a while before I managed to knock."

"I figured," said Olivia. "You're never late anywhere."

Jason gave a small laugh. "I should have figured you'd work me out. Thank you for inviting me, Liv."

Maybe it was just the buzz in the room, or maybe it was just the way his expression seemed to be melting her right now, but on the spur of the moment, Olivia went with her impulse and leaned over to kiss Jason on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Jason," she said.

*+*+*+*

A/N - Have a happy holidays guys <3