HEY LOOK ANOTHER CHRISTMAS-Y NOT-LEGIT.

Indigo's world doesn't have Christmas--they have Chroma's Day. It's basically the same thing--families and friends will get together, gifts will be exchanged--except it's a day that celebrates Colour, and instead of santa, 'Colour fairies' will come during the night to leave the good children gifts. The whole thing has been commercialised a fair bit, but the spirit of it still there.

...Especially when you throw Zoe into the mix.

*+*+*+*

When Zoe opened the door to Athira's room and dragged a sack three times the size of her body in behind her on Chroma's eve, Athira knew she wasn't going to finish the book she was currently halfway through reading tonight.

Athira reached for her bookmark and slipped it between the pages of her book. "Zo, what are you doing?"

Zoe raised a confused eyebrow. "What do you mean what am I doing?" She finished dragging the sack through the door, stuck her head into the hallway outside, and then quickly shut the door behind her. She then turned to Athira with a hand on her hip. "We talked about this like, two weeks ago."

"You tend to say a lot of things. 'Two weeks ago' is a lot of content to sift through."

"Chroma's Day!" said Zoe, throwing her hands in the air and bouncing over to kneel on the end of Athira's bed. "Remember? I said that it'd be cool if we could do something for the kids, like throw a party or something at the base, and then you said 'why don't we just slip in through the windows and leave them stuff while we're at it'."

"I was kidding."

Zoe pointed a finger towards Athira. "I asked if you were kidding when you said it, and you said you weren't."

"I believe my exact words were 'Me? Joking about something so serious? Never' before Shift came into the room and asked if we wanted milkshakes."

Zoe scooted a little further forward, leaning forward and putting her hands on Athira's knees. "And you would neeeeever lie to me, would you, Thira?"

"Absolutely not, so you can believe me that whatever you've cooked up, I'm out."

For some reason, Zoe's smile only doubled at that as she bounced off the bed and over to the sack she'd left lying on the floor.

"Okay, so!" said Zoe, pulling the mouth of the sack wide open to reveal a bunch of boxes Athira couldn't quite make out. "The plan is, we're gonna deliver all of these tonight. Kione helped me come up with a list of a bunch of kids whose parents don't meet the pigment level required to sustain basic living, but they're pretty spread out so we're gonna have to be pretty efficient to get them all delivered tonight before the sun comes up."

Athira reached out a tendril of Black, intending to pick up one of the boxes inside the sack to examine it, but Zoe smacked it away with a Yellow-lit hand.

"Hey, no!" said Zoe, still swiping at the air where the tendril had been, even after Athira pulled it back. "If you wanna look, you get your butt out of bed and pick it up like everyone else! I don't want your Black breaking them!"

With a scowl, Athira stretched her legs out of bed and shuffled over towards the sack. With a quick show of hands to prove to Zoe that she wasn't about to break things, Athira reached out and grabbed one of the things inside the sack.

It was the board game, 'Rainbows'.

Athira's heart got stuck in her throat. How many nights had she, Zoe, Raph, and Miela spent playing this? It seemed like forever ago, but even now, she remembered how to throw the receptacles to intercept Raph's straight-lined throws, how to read Miela's expression, how to lure Zoe onto her team with the promise of teamwork. The flicker of contentment whether she won or lost.

Realising she'd been staring at it for far too long, Athira dropped the box onto her lap and looked at the ceiling. "So, what? You want me to come around with you, knock on doors, and say 'Happy Chroma's Eve!' with you for the next few hours? Because if so, we're leaving Shift behind. I'm not dealing with his fanclub."

"Weeeeeell," said Zoe, and Athira's gaze instantly snapped into attention. Zoe's expression was too-perfectly innocent, her green eyes wide and conveniently looking everywhere but Athira. "It's definitely going to be just you and me!"

Athira narrowed her eyes. "... But what?"

"But, well, I uh, was kinda thinking it'd be more magical for the kids if we delivered them as, well, Colour fairies!"

"... Colour fairies?"

"Yeah!" said Zoe, skipping forward. "You know, like when you're young, and the adults tell you that the presents under the rainbow in your house are from the Colour fairies? And it's all magical and mysterious and cool to wake up and boom, presents in different wrapping paper!"

Athira's gut tightened. She'd spent every Chroma's Day kneeling on the floor in the monastery as an endless procession of monks recited one ancient text after the next, half of which were in dead languages. "So... you want to break into people's houses using my Colour to leave them presents?"

"For a good cause!"

It probably should have bothered Athira a little more that Zoe had known exactly how to manipulate her into helping, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to be mad about it. "Well, I've already been a villain once, what's a little break and entering on top of that?"

"We aren't breaking anything," said Zoe, snatching the Rainbows box from Athira and putting it back in the sack. Zoe then straightened and cleared her throat, a smaller bag in her hand. "But uh, I thought it'd be a good idea to make sure we can't be recognised if we're caught."

Zoe opened the bag, and Athira saw what was inside.

"I am not wearing that," said Athira.

*+*+*+*

An hour or two later, Athira was indeed, wearing that.

'That' was a pair of gaudy Chroma's Day outfits--one in yellow, and the other in dark purple. Both outfits consisted of striped leggings, ankle boots, a full sleeved, thigh-length dress with a free-flowing skirt gathered at the waist with a rainbow striped belt, complete with more rainbows disguised as wrist-cuffs and a collar.

Zoe's final touches had been wigs in their respective colours, some backpacks with iridescent bug-wings poking out the sides, and a rainbow-coloured mask shaped like a butterfly for both of them. She'd also managed to locate a pair of triangular floppy hats with pom-poms on the end, but pom-poms was where Athira drew the line.

And so, after their excuses were made to the team and Zoe's pom-pom hat was firmly secured to her head, Athira grabbed the sack in one hand, Zoe in the other, engulfed them all in Black, and flew through the wall out into the open night air.

"Where are we heading first?" asked Athira.

Zoe pulled out a map--a physical map--in response, and shoved her finger somewhere in the area north of them. "That apartment block! There's three kids in this one."

Still wondering how she'd been tricked into coming out into public dressed as a rainbow fairy elf, Athira flew them the direction she was told. Zoe's map markings were excellent, with floor numbers and which side of the building to enter on artfully noted in colourful pencil. It didn't quite translate over into reality, as it took them a solid few minutes to work out which window exactly was the 19th floor, and eventually Athira made an executive decision, flying through the wall about where she guessed the hallway would be.

Her guess was correct, and they came through the wall to find themselves standing in a narrow, dimly lit hallway with dark red doors lining the sides.

"You got lucky," grumbled Zoe. The Black dropped from her form as she released Athira's hand, revealing the gaudy colours in their full glory once more as Zoe stalked over to the elevator and checked the sign. "Floor 19. I told you."

"I flew up one floor from where you thought it was."

Zoe just stuck out her tongue and found door 19-A. "Over here."

Athira drifted over, bringing the sack with her. "What's the plan here? We just float through the door, hope no ones awake, and you awkwardly explain yourself if they are?"

"It'll be fine, Thira. Stop being a grumble butt."

"I'm just saying that in my experience of entering houses uninvited, they tend to attack first and ask why you're dressed in a ridiculous outfit later."

"That's because the houses you enter belong to the Underground villains, and you're dressed as the Owl."

"Ah yes, entering uninvited to a civilian's home dressed in something that looks like a rainbow threw up on us is much better. We definitely won't be spending our Chroma's Day looking for ourselves."

"Shut up and let's go, or I'm putting the pom pom hat back on you."

Athira narrowed her eyes, grabbed Zoe's hand, and stuck her head through the door.

The lights inside appeared to be off, which was a good start. Athira brought herself, Zoe, and the sack the rest of the way through. She kept the Black around them as they floated deeper into the small apartment, far too tense for what was supposed to be an act of charity.

"Over there!" squeaked Zoe, obviously attempting to contain her inevitable Yellow glow as she pointed her finger towards the corner.

The family had a basic, traditional rainbow set up. The stripes of colour glowed in the dark, leading to a small pile of neatly wrapped gifts on the floor. There were a few decorations around the house--window stickers, a few pieces of art clearly drawn by a kid or two.

Zoe tugged the sack out of Athira's hand, causing a small shower of ebony crystals to scatter across the floor.

"Hello, evidence," muttered Athira, kicking at the crystals.

"Don't worry," said Zoe, waist-deep in the sack. "I planned for that." She pulled out three gifts--one box of the Rainbows board game, and two other wrapped things that Athira assumed were toys. She set the three items down on the sofa, unfolding a paper rainbow from her backpack and laying it over them. "What do you think looks better--like this, or like this?"

"Didn't you say something about limited time to get this done?" said Athira. "Pick one, and let's go."

Zoe shot her a look, but quickly settled on an arrangement after that. She then reached into her backpack, laying an envelope sealed with a shiny rainbow sticker on top of the presents. "Okay, just make a few Black shards over them, and we're good to go."

Athira didn't question it. "Done?"

"Oooooone last thing!" Zoe pulled out a container full of glitter, confetti, and various other shaped sparkles from her backpack, grabbed a handful, and sprinkled them over the gifts. Her glow flared for a few seconds before she sucked in a breath, biting down on her smile before she turned and nodded at Athira. "Okay, next floor!"

They managed the other two apartments in the block without being discovered, which settled Athira's confidence a little, but not entirely. Her wish to remain undiscovered was not so much about the consequences of being found in the middle of the night in someone's living room, as it was about avoiding anyone except Zoe ever being able to claim witness to this ridiculous outfit.

They quickly fell into a routine: Athira would poke her head through the doors or the walls first, bringing Zoe and the ever-lightening sack through when the coast was deemed clear. They would locate the household's rainbow--and if they didn't have one, pick a spot to lay out their own--then lay their gifts with the envelope, sprinkle the Black crystals, dust everything with glitter and zip out of the house before Zoe's glow became bright enough to be seen from space.

Aside from a close encounter on their thirteenth house with someone getting up to use the bathroom, things went rather smoothly. Athira attempted to tell Zoe that it was far too smoothly, but Zoe just said something about the universe repaying them for doing a nice thing.

And then, on house fourteen, Athira's conclusion that everything was going too well and the universe did not, in fact, care about what they were doing, was proven all too true.

They entered the apartment through the eastern wall after Athira had glanced about the room and found it dark and quiet. They quickly found the family's rainbow on top of the dining table and headed over.

Zoe was reaching down into the sack to retrieve the gifts for this house when something in the corner moved. Muffled whispers erupted from underneath a blanket in the corner, quickly silenced by two, much louder, 'shush!'es that were enough to draw even Zoe's head out of the sack.

Zoe and Athira locked eyes, a silent conversation passing between them. Their observers were obviously kids, so with any luck, they could finish leaving the gifts and be out of here without another--

"You can't shush me!" said one of the moving things under the blanket, right before crawling out from under said blanket and marching straight up to Athira.

Well, there went that idea.

"You're Colour fairies!" said the kid, pointing an accusatory finger in their direction. He was maybe seven, with dark hair and glasses that looked a little too big for his face. His finger redirected to the floor, where what looked like a rainbow had been drawn and cut out from paper and laid in a complete circle on the floor around the dining table. "We caught you!"

Athira shared another look at Zoe, who was indeed, completely inside the rainbow 'trap'. "Oh no. A paper rainbow. Whatever will we do."

Another kid, a boy that looked a little older than the glasses kid, crawled out from underneath the blanket holding the hand of a girl with pigtails who couldn't have been older than five. "Henry, we said we were gonna wait til we were sure they couldn't get out!

"Everyone knows that to trap a Colour fairy, you have to catch them inside every Colour!" The glasses kid, Henry, puffed out his chest, grabbing a 50 box of crayons from under the couch. "I used every colour in this box, and I was super careful! There's no way she's getting out!"

"There's two of them!" said the second kid. "What if she just lets the other one out?"

They both looked towards Athira, who had wandered over to the kitchen counter with her plastic backpack wings bobbing behind her. She leaned against the table top, picked up the purple cookie laying on the plate, and took a bite. "Oh, don't worry about me. She's gotta get out of this one on her own. Colour fairy rules and all that."

Zoe turned and gave Athira a look, but somehow, with the pom pom hat covering half of Zoe's face, Athira just couldn't find her usual terror of Zoe's ribbon-based threats.

Instead, Athira just smirked, gesturing with her half-eaten cookie towards Zoe. "So, kids, can I ask why you'd want to trap a Colour fairy on Chroma's Eve?"

"Everyone knows that if you trap a Colour fairy on Chroma's Eve, they have to give you a wish!" crowed Henry.

"A wish," said Zoe, deadpan as she flicked the pom-pom off her face. Her Yellow glow was dangerously dim as she straightened the straps on her winged backpack. "Since you're an expert, you also know that any selfish wish granted by a Colour fairy tends to backfire, right?"

"Of course we do," said Henry, a little more subdued than before. He turned back to the older kid, shooting him a nervous glance. "We made sure that we worded it properly and--"

It was then the five-year-old girl with wisps of blonde hair tied into pigtails bounced forward, fists clenched together. "You have to make our dad better!"

Both boys cried out and reached for her. "Susie, shh!"

"Your dad?" asked Zoe softly.

"He got Grip a few weeks ago," said the older boy, pulling the pigtail girl a safe distance away from Zoe. "He came back from the hospital last week and said he was fine, but he hasn't got out of the wheelchair yet and the Colourformer system isn't recognising his pigment."

Henry shook his head. "He said the Colourformer panel in our house was just broken--"

"Aunty used it fine three days ago," replied the older boy. "It's just him."

The room was silent for a long moment, as even Athira paused in her cookie-eating, until Henry drew in a deep breath and turned to face Zoe with awkwardly squared shoulders.

"That's our wish!" said Henry, bravado back in his voice. "We want you to heal our dad's Colour!"

To Athira's surprise, Zoe's glow brightened a little.

"I'm not that kind of Colour fairy," said Zoe. "But there's another way I can grant your wish." She took a step, then glanced down at the paper rainbow beneath her foot. "Assuming you decide to let me out, of course."

*+*+*+*

On the morning of Chroma's Day, Shift woke up, took a few minutes to stretch his way to consciousness, and headed downstairs in his pajamas with a healthy amount of suspicion.

Shift took the stairs slowly, checking every corner for a Yellow glow before he walked past it. When he made it to the common room without being ambushed, his suspicions shot through the roof. Just as there'd been the night before, the presents were still under the rainbow, but surprisingly, the seven coloured cookies hadn't mysteriously disappeared from the plate like they did every other year.

Shift approached Raph, who was sitting on the couch with his mug full of coffee. "Happy Chroma's Day, team leader!" He narrowed his eyes and looked behind him. "Now where's Zoe and why haven't I been attacked yet?"

"Still in bed, as far as I know," said Raph, taking a bleary sip of his coffee. "I was surprised when I woke up to my alarm, but at least I don't have to clean glitter out of my sheets for the next week."

Shift tapped his chin. No hug-attack wake up on Chroma's Day, and no missing cookies.

What, exactly, had Zoe been up to last night?

Raph drained the last bit of coffee from his mug and stood up. "Either way, we have a big day today. Zoe's organised a Chroma's Day celebration for kids with low pigment families, so in a few hours, we'll have a bunch of kids running around the training room."

Shift had a brief flashback of Zoe asking where he'd bought the backpacks with the bug wings. He'd offered her his--but she'd said she needed two.

Shift's gaze wandered up to the ceiling, his amusement growing immensely with the realisation of which other Keeper was also still asleep in her bed.

*+*+*+*

Midday came, and Athira's worst nightmare came true as about fifty children arrived at Indigo base and stampeded their way into the training room, which had been decorated with a variety of shiny Chroma's Day decorations and loaded up with snacks, toys, and other activities intended to keep them amused for the next three hours.

Watching Zoe prance around and play with the kids, Athira wasn't quite sure how Zoe had the energy to function after getting a grand total of two hours sleep. Despite their deadline of 'done before dawn', they'd still been zipping from apartment to apartment as the sun crept over the horizon. There'd been another close call, but this time, Athira had grabbed Zoe by her pom pom and dragged her into the bathroom to hide before they were spotted.

It'd been a few tense minutes hiding behind a shower curtain, but at least they hadn't been 'trapped' a second time.

When most of the kids had arrived and were well into terrorising Shift, Raph, and Kione, Zoe somehow slipped out of the circle of kids singing Chroma's Day songs at the tops of their lungs and came over to where Athira stood by the door.

"Have they come in yet?" Zoe said quietly, chewing on her lip.

"Not yet," said Athira.

"I hope they can," said Zoe. "But maybe they had trouble getting here, or maybe I should head over to make sure they can--"

The door opened, and in came three children--a girl with wispy blonde hair in rainbow-ribboned pigtails, a boy with glasses, and another, slightly older boy who was holding their hands--closely followed by a man in a wheelchair.

Zoe leaned down, hands on her knees as she gave the kids a wide grin. "Happy Chroma's Day, guys! You're just in time for the song circle!" She somehow managed to take the three of them by the hands and led them over, leaving Athira standing next to the man in the wheelchair.

"Should I ask?" said the man.

Athira raised an eyebrow. "Ask what?"

"I make a point of knowing the abilities of my local Keepers," said the man, resting his elbows on the sides of the wheelchair. "When my kids came into my room this morning with a new board game and stories about two Colour fairies who glowed and went through walls, I had my suspicions."

"Colour fairies, you say?" said Athira, her eyes on Zoe. "Kids do have rather wild imaginations."

"Especially these ones," said the man. "I was more surprised when a message came through earlier today, offering me assisted living, and a spot in a trial program for adults who have been affected by Grip. It seems a strange coincidence that I be accepted the night after two 'Colour fairies' visited our home, especially since I'd been declined for the spot only last week."

"You know what they say," said Athira. "Colour fairies grant wishes if you trap them, and your three seem quite sharp."

The man smiled. "I think we both know that no amount of crayons are going to trap a Colour fairy."

The corner of Athira's lips tugged upward as she watched Zoe introduce the three kids to the rest. "I think you'll find that certain Colour fairies are definitely susceptible to paper rainbow circles, especially when they're drawn with such pure intentions."

"It would appear so," said the man softly. "Thank you."

*+*+*+*

Later that night, when the training room had been cleaned up and the base was eerily quiet, the Indigo Keepers were slumped about the common room in various states of exhausted.

Presents had been opened--a little later than usual, given their other activities during the day. Wrapping paper and glitter littered the floor despite Raph's best attempts to keep it contained. Zoe's handmade trinkets were leaking all kinds of sparkle over the table, floor, and clothes, but no one seemed to mind.

In fact, Athira thought, eyeing her new books and the Owl plushie beside the dreamcatcher Zoe had made her. The glitter was the sign that their own little Colour fairy had indeed pranced through the halls.

"Wasn't that great!" squeaked Zoe, bouncing in from the kitchen with a mug of hot chocolate. "We should do it again next year!"

Shift gave Zoe the side-eye. "What, throw a big party?" His gaze slid over to Athira. "Maybe next year we could dress up like Colour fairies. What do you think, Thira?"

"I think you'd have to kill me before I ever agreed to that."

"Oh, I dunno," said Shift, draping an arm over the back of the couch. "I bet Zoe could convince you. Isn't that right, Zo?"

Zoe clutched her mug with both hands under her chin, her mouth pulled into a guilty, flat line as her eyes went from Shift to Athira. "I um, nope. Don't think I could do that. Hey guys!" She placed her mug on the table and ran over to the shelf, pulling out a well-used box that Athira recognised. "We haven't played our traditional game of Rainbows yet!"

"Are you kidding me?" said Kione. "Do you have any idea how many kids I taught how to play that game today?"

"Good!" said Zoe, already unpacking the box. "Then you'll be well versed on the rules this year! Maybe you won't get your butt kicked so badly by me and Raph!"

"Ex-cuse me," said Shift, giving Athira one last smirk before turning his full, undignified attention towards Zoe. "I do seem to remember that it was I who was doing the butt kicking last year."

Zoe stuck her tongue out. "Only because Raph was losing to me and decided to help you win. That's cheating."

"I will agree with you, only if you agree that the loser of this year has to dress up like a Colour fairy next Chroma's Day."

"Done!" said Zoe.

Raph looked at her. "I don't think you're the only one here who has to agree to--"

"Are you saying that you think you're going to lose, Raphael?" said Zoe, placing a hand over her heart. "I never thought I'd hear the day that you'd admit that--"

"I never said that!" said Raph. An evil grin spread across his face. "But you'd better have that Colour fairy outfit ready again for next year, firefly."

"...Again?" asked Zoe.

Kione cleared his throat through a smile. "Nice pom pom hat, by the way. Too bad Athira didn't have one."

Zoe buried her face in her hands as Raph, Kione, and Shift all burst out into laughter.

Shift nudged Athira with an elbow as she continued to set up the game in a calm, efficient manner.

"Not even a death threat?" he asked. "I thought you'd be a little more distraught at being caught in something so adorable."

"Literally dying on the inside," said Athira. "But I'm comforted by the fact that next year, I'll have a lovely photo of you, Raph, and Kione on my bedside table to make me feel better."

"We only agreed to the loser dressing as a Colour fairy," said Shift, raising an eyebrow. "How do you expect to have all three of us in said photo?"

Athira kept her eyes on the game in front of her as she finished setting up the game. "If all three of you lose equally, then you're all going to be prancing around with bug wing backpacks next year, turtle boy."

Shift snorted. "Oh I'd like to see you manage that."

"The only threat to victory here is Raph," said Athira, giving Shift an innocent smile. "And I seem to recall that Zoe and I kicked his behind many times in the past." Zoe lifted her head and caught Athira's gaze with a determined grin. "Between the two of us, it shouldn't be too hard to keep you three under control."

"I knew you two were teaming up against me," muttered Raph.

"Us?" said Zoe innocently, reaching for her spheres. "Never, Raphy."

The three boys suddenly looked very nervous as they each selected their first sphere.

Athira leaned forward and pressed start.

"Happy Chroma's Day, my soon-to-be Colour fairies," she said, and the game began.

*+*+*+*

The following year, there was a gift under the tree, half wrapped in yellow, and half wrapped in dark purple.

Its recipients were delighted when they opened it to find a rainbow-framed picture of three individuals, dressed in traditional red, orange, and green Colour fairy garbs, complete with ankle boots, striped leggings, backpack wings, and triangular hats with a pom-pom that dangled over the side.

It is rumoured that the picture now lives on a bedside table, a reminder to a certain three individuals about what happens if they ever speak of the Chroma's Eve when two Colour fairies snuck out during the night and covered far too many living rooms in glitter.

*+*+*+*

Happy Chroma's Day <3