A VU Christmas - by Travis
A fire burned slowly in a fireplace mantle of the room. Two kids were both playing with wooden toys, apparently dueling each other, and almost breaking the toys. They were yelling and laughing and were very jolly on that Christmas eve.
"This is going to be the best Christmas ever!" one of the children exclaimed, throwing the toy into the air.
"Yeah!" the other boy joined in. "Think of all the fun there will be tommorow!"
"Fun, you say?" a ho*beep* voice came from the corner, as an old man walked into the room. The old man sat onto an armchair, and began to speak to the children.
"I don't know if there is possibly such thing as having another best Christmas ever, compared to one I remember a long, long time ago."
"Tell us, tell us!" the children demanded of the old man.
"Oh, hold your horsefeathers," the old man chuckled. "I'll tell you the tale of three great men. Tell me, have you two ever heard of... roleplaying?"
"Roleplaying?" the children wondered.
"Yes, roleplaying. Let me see, I think I had that book around here so- ahh, here it is."
The geyser grabbed a large old tome, and opened the covers, stirring a bit of dust up into the air.
"Let's see, pag one, no, page two, no, here we are," the old man replied. "Now then, the first of them of a man named Valan Septim. He was a great fellow he was. In his eyes, he saw the roleplaying forums as a fun and prosperous place, and helped in making it that way."
The old man turned the page.
"Michael Deallus, Septim called him Mikey, was an exception RPer, and a mod, to the disapproval of Sp@malot, but he was still a great lad. He helped bring the forums back to the light."
The old man turned the page once more to the page of Travis Leiondon.
"Um, yes," the old man closed the book, "the lads were great Roleplayers."
"But what are you rambling on about!?" the older child smirked.
"Oh, I'm 'rambling' about a bunch of things, nowadays. But as of now, I am rambling about these three men, and a Christmas long, long ago..."
***
Three men stood in a large dining hall, decorating for Christmas.&nb*beep*an with a headband was setting up the tree, a swordsman was putting up reefs everywhere, and a man in blue hair was on the ceiling, his feet stuck to the ceiling.
"Wow," Septim said. "I never thought we would get all of VU to go to a banquet in Sp@malot."
"I know," Michael said as he was having trouble getting a reef to stay up. "This will be th best Christmas Eve ever, and tommorow will be even greater!"
The man hanging on the ceiling putting up hanging decorations began to speak, "This will be the best Christmas-"
The man fell from the ceiling and landed onto the floor on his back. "Ever."
***
A dark fortress loomed over the Lake of Hatred. Shadow after Shadow consumed the evil castle as Christmas Eve went on. Inside, a study had a single candle lit.&nb*beep*an in dark robes was meditating on the ground.
"Everysingle Christmas, people are jolly and happy," he sneered. "They should be afraid, terrified, for I ahve entered the realm. Every Christmas it is the same..."
The dark man stood up and turned to his desk, where reports of events were scattered across the table.
"However, this Christmas, I finally have the perfect moment to strike. A great east will be held in Sp@malot shortly, and I will end all of the players of VU, for they have all agreed to leave their weapons behind, the fools. They will never know what hit them. However, they will know who I am, and fear me. They will now... that I... am the Shadow Sage!"
Evil laughs drifted from the sage's mouth, as he quickly began to prepare for his attack.
***
***
Much jolly laughs and happy faces were seen at the banquet at Sp@malot. Hundreds of chickens, sp@m tins, biscuits, puddings, fruit tarts, and many more delectable goods were piled onto the table, and the guest immediantly devoured most of it already.
"And then, I was there, and I was like, 'No, you can go do your crap somewhere else!", and then I kicked his ass," Septim was telling Seloc. Travis was helping himself to as much of the chicken and sp@m as he could. Michael was in a deep conversation with Scientist.
The night would have gone perfectly, if not for one small detail.
A dark man kicked the massive dining hall doors open, and then locked them when he walked in. He was wearing a black cloak, and a long staff was in his hand. Most of the guests presumed this to be Shemzu, and merely went back to their fun.
The sage conjured a spell, and sent a fireball blasting towards the ceiling of the banquet hall. Then, the guests presumed this to be Fizban, and gave him a dirty look.
"What are you doing Fizban?"
The sage sighed and pulled his hood back, to show a pale face with jet black hair, and blood red eyes.
"I am not Fizban," the man proclaimed. "I am more powerful than all of your powers combined! I am... the Shadow Sage!"
Archer Orc stood up and looked at the sage.
"What kind of name is Shadow Sage? That's about as lame as-"
The evil sage shot a fireball at Archer Orc, and the man began to run around, and try to put himself out. Several men began to scream and leave the table, but one man replied, "Are you sure you aren't Fizban?"
"Everyone of you, prepare to die!" The Shadow Sage began to cast a spell upon the dining hall, and everyone was frozen in thwie places.
"This... will be the end of VU! Muahahaha!!!"
"Not on my watch," Septim said as he let go of his hands from Travis, who was on the celing again, and landed ontop of the sage, knocking him to the ground.
Michael unsheated his sword and ran towards the Shadow Sage, preparing to strike this insane magician dead.
The Shadow Sage laguhed and used his powers to pull Michael's sword out of his hand, and attack it's owner. He pushed Septim to the wall and held him up. Travis fel loff of the ceiling and landed ontop of a table.
"Strange," the sage said. "I don't remember using a spell on you."
"Oh, that was just my bad," Travis said.
"...okay."
The Shadow Sage turned his attention back to Septim and Michael, began to creat a giant fireball.
"Prepare to roast alive, roleplayers!"
Then, a bright light entered the room, and Septim, Michael, and Travis disappeared from the hall, leaving the Shadow Sage fuming.
***
Far away, in a bright field, Septim and Michael appeared, lying next to a tree.
"God," Michael said, catching his breathe. "Where are we!?"
"Don't ask me," Septim replied. "Hey, Travis should be nearby, where is he?"
Travis fell from the sky, landed ontop of the tree, and then crashed onto Septim and Michael.
"You know," Travis said, "I am starting to get used to falling down from high places."
Septim and Michael stood up, and helped Travis get up, and then looked around.
"Where the hell are we?"
Suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of them, a familiar light, one they all recognized.
"ZeTa," they all said in unison, and bowed to him.
"Hello," the light said. "I see you are ina bit of trouble."
ZeTa formed another pool of light, showing Sp@malot.
"As you can see, Sp@malot has fallen to the Shadow Sage, and he is bent on attacking all of VU. He wishes to destroy the entire land."
"Well, what are we going to do?" Septim said. "He was tough enough already, and all he used was basic magic."
"I was defeated by gravity," Travis said.
"Well, I have selected you three because I need you on a special mission. Septim and Michael, you were chosen for your bravery, and are needed for the mission I ahve in plan."
"Why did you bring me?" Travis said.
"Erm," ZeTa mumbled. "I just wanted my heroes to be in a group of three."
Travis grumbled, and sat down.
"Anyway, the only way we can defeat him is with the combined power of three legendary weapons or trinkets. Septim, your sword please."
Septim handed over his sword, and took a few steps back.
"Michael, when your grandfather vanquished Dark Lord Zurmon, the crystal he used broke into fragments. You do not need to find them, for I have already collected them."
"Now, all we need is another legendary object."
ZeTa, Septim, and Michael turned to Travis, who shrugged.
"...ummmmmm."
Travis rumages in pockets, and pulled out what he found.
"I have some pocket lint from the very pants I fought the Devarian high general with, does that count?"
ZeTa sighed, and conjured a amulet that belonged to someone important in VU.
The three components combined, and created a new sword, which had light shining on it.
"If you want your old sword back to the way it was, I'll change it back," ZeTa told Septim.
"Now then, one of you must stab the sword into the Shadow Sage's heart, and he will be vanquished.
"Who would like to do the deed?"
Septim and Michael looked at each other, and back at ZeTa.
"Uhhh..."
ZeTa sighes again.
"...my mother said to pick the best one and you are it."
The random choosing was set on Michael, who took the sword.
"Now, I must leave you for now, and I will give you strength to win this battle."
Each of the men felt a warm sensation in their bodies, and felt battle-ready. Then, the bright light vanished, and was replaced with the dark hallways of Sp@malot.
"Alright," Michael replied, gripping the sword in his hands. "Let's do this."
The three men ran down the hallways, while Septim was telling Michael, "Do you mind to use that sword a little more carefully? That IS my sword..."
***
The old man in the armchair sighed, and looked at the clock on the wall.
"Why, it's midnight! I must get you boys to bed!"
"Ahh, grandpa? Finish the story first. Please?"
The kids gave Grandpa the baby look, and Grandfather easily fell to it.
"Ohh, alright," he said. "I'll continue."
"The three adventurers were treavelling down the hallway, to the banquet hall of Sp@malot, where the Shadow Sage was..."
***
"I'm telling you, it's this way," Travis said.
"Hey, I built this castle, and I am telling you the banquet hall is this way!" Septim yelled.
"We've been traveling through the castle forever, and you've been the one telling us where to go! I say this way."
"Guys," Michael said, " I don't think that matters much anymore. Look!"
The Shadow Sage walked down the corridor, heading towards the three men. "Well, well, well, look what we have here!" the evil man yelled. "Three adventurers all alone in a corridor, looking for me, I am thinking?"
"You are going down, you monster."
Michael unsheathed the new sword and pointed it at the Shadow Sage. "Prepare to be defeated!"
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Sean Connery jumps out of a room and attacks the Sage.
The sage merely chuckles and sends a fireball at the man, burning him to a crisp.
"I'll do that to you as well!"
<Travis> The man roared, and fire erupted from his mouth, and hurtled down the corridor. Travis, Septim, and Michael ran the hell out of the corridor, and prepared to attack the man.
<Travis> "Alright, Travis, you go out into the corridor as a distraction, I'll go and try to keep a hold on him, and then you can send the final blow to him, Deallus."
"Woah woah woah," Travis replied. "Why am I the distraction!?!"
"Just go," Septim said. "You'll be fine."
Travis left the corridor and headed towards the Shadow Sage.
"He's dead, come on, you go around to the other side of the hallway."
Septim ran out into the corridor to find Travis hanging from the ceiling again.
"You know, this is actually kinda gettng relaxing..."
Septim charged foward towards the Shadow Sage, and attempted to knock the man over. The Sage merely pushed Septim aside, and threw him across the hallway.
"None of your powers can comapre to mine, you fools!"
On the other side of the hallway, Deallus came charging forth, sword in hand. Again, the Shadow Sage pushed Michael aside and threw him down the hallway as well. The sword went flying, and hit Travis in the face, knocking him off of the ceiling onto the ground.
"Now, it is time," the Shadow Sage said, and a dark glow came from his red eyes, as he began to rise from the ground. "I HAVE ALL THE POWER IN THE WORLD!!!"
The three men got up, and Travis, sword in hand, threw it in the air.
"Deallus, Septim, catch!"
"All I have now are three loose ends; you three men! Merry Christmas, heroes. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!"
Both Septim and Deallus couldn't catch it, and the sword continued to hrutle through the air until it pierced the sage's heart.
"...m-my heart...."
The halls of Sp@malot began to tremble, and the sage imploded, destroying the corridor.
"Good job, Deallus!" Travis yelled.
"That wasn't me," Deallus said.
"Ohh, Septim, good job!"
I could use the glory, Septim thought, and he grinned. "Yeah, I did it!"
Deallus facepalmed, knowing Septim was lying, and began to speak, "It was you, Travis!"
"Yeah, sure, like I did that," Travis said sarcastically.
"I know," Septim said. "I mean, didn't you see me do that?"
Deallus snorted, and the three men walked back to the banquet hall. "Hey, has anyone seen Firengard?"
***
"Yes, that was the best Christmas ever! They partied until New Year's, and all puked after eating that much sp@m."
"Yup, that was the best... HOLY CRAP, IT'S 5 o' CLOCK!!! We need to get you two to bed!!!"
In the bedroom, the grandfather tucked the little boys into bed, and almost left the room, when the youngest boy said something.
"Grandad, will Christmas really be great tommorow?"
Septim stroked his beard, and smiled at the two boys.
"I'm sure it will, boys. I'm sure it will..."
***Christmas Day, Sp@malot***
Septim stood outside, next to the great fountain of Sp@malot. He had a pipe and was smoking it.
"Hey there Septim!"
Two men began to walked up to Septim, one with grayish-blue hair, and another being held up by Travis, helping him walk.
"Hello Travis... Michael."
"Good to see you Septim," Travis answered.
"Hey Septim!" Michael said.
"You need some help there, Deallus?" Septim said.
"Oh no, I just need to sit down. When you are this old, it's hard to get around, you know?"
"Yeah," Septim said. "My legs have started to say the same thing."
"So, merry Christmas, Septim."
"Ahh, merry Christmas to you too Travis."
Septim smoked his pipe for bit more, and turned back to Travis and Michael.
"Say, you two don't remember the Shadow Sage, do you?"
"Ahh, that bastard," Travis said.
"He just wanted to make sure no one had fun, but it could never happen. Fun happens everywhere!" Deallus spat onto the ground. "He was still a bastard though."
"Yeah, he was," Septim said.
"Hey, Septim, look what I found!"
Travis got up and pulled out a sword, Firengard.
"Hey, there it is!"
Septim grabbed the sword and waved it around.
"Hmm, it seems a bit more wobbly. Maybe it's worn out?"
"It's yer arm that's worn out, that's what!" Deallus said, and the three of them laughed.
"Well, merry Christmas fellows, merry Christmas." Septim walked off, back into Sp@malot, to spend the rest of his day with family. Travis walked off, heading back to his home in the Reveritt Republic. Deallus was still on the bench, sitting there.
"Wait, guys!? Guys, I can't walk you know! Guys? Oh come one, someone help me get up!"
*The End of A VU Christmas*