Merry Christmas From Karen and Valerie!!!

Thanks to  Gawayne for the wonderful story and  Jakkal for the lovely illistration!!

---

Merryweather village usually lived up to it’s name, but this winter that was not the case as Karen and Valerie strode into town, the small little hamlet bustling with Christmas festivities.

Valerie and Karen had were both dressed up warmly and were only going to be passing by for the time being. The houses were simple, but cozy, contrasting the chilling snow outside. The duo of girls were continuing their journey to find out a bit more about Karen’s necklace and the cure to its curse.

Karen’s necklace had a spell put on it that would slowly turn the wearer into a horse physically. The curse would apply mentally as well, but the necklace warded off that effect so long as the wearer kept it on. Since Karen had it, she had been on a long, very interesting journey to undo the hex. Along the way she had encountered a number of amazing individuals, and among them was her friend and companion Valerie.

Valerie, much like Karen, was a bounty hunter and the duo became fast friends. For the past six months they had been travelling companions, and during this time they had grown closer. Valerie had shared in many of her close friend’s experiences, but this was her first time seeing how winter affected Karen.

During the winter, the special blue flowers that enabled Karen to stay human had become rarer and less plentiful, lying dormant as autumn gave way to winter. As the flowers were slumbering until spring, the girls had to save as many as they could to make it through winter, though it meant Karen would have to spend longer periods as a horse to space things out.

On this particular day Karen was in that form. She carried Valerie into town to keep up appearances and keep people from questioning why she walked her into town. Even though Karen couldn’t speak, Valerie had become adept at reading her facial expressions and general mood. Karen admitted that almost 90% of the time Valerie was spot on in her guesses.

As Karen trotted through the snowy road, she had to stop as two young children passed by. They were running through the street, catching a ball and barring the girls’ path.

“Excuse me, but we need you to move please.” Valerie said to them, bundled up in warm winter wear. The older of the two kids answered them.

“Sorry, we were just trying to play a little.”

“It’s fine kids. Just didn’t want Karen and me to accidentally hurt you, right Karen?”

Karen nodded and looked at the kids gently. The two of them went close to her.

“Wow, a horse! She looks awe-inspiring!” the younger boy said, the older of the two nodded. Karen gave them a pleased look and neighed for show, to which Valerie chuckled.

“Karen likes you guys too. You don’t see horses much, do you?”

“Not up close, and the ones we do see are kinda bland.” The older boy said. “I’m Rick and this is Roy, we’re brothers.”

“Nice to meet you both.”

“Hey Rick, do you think we’ll see a reindeer this year? Like the kind St. Nicholas has?”

“Probably not, they don’t live around here.” Rick said, to which Roy looked down sadly. Looking at them in concern, Karen then looked at Valerie, prompting her to inquire further.

“So your little brother wants to see a reindeer?”

“Yeah, it’s his Christmas wish. I only saw a picture of one in a book once though, I don’t even know what a Reindeer looks like. They’re like horses with horns, right?”

“Slightly.” Valerie said before getting off Karen’s back and going to her necklace. At first Karen was concerned, but she didn’t move. Instead she held still as Valerie beckoned the children move in closer. Digging into her back pocket, Valerie pulled out a small red stone, a couple twigs, and some twine.

“A reindeer is a lot smaller than a horse with a small tail. They do have two horns, and live in colder places.” Karen said as she tied on the horns to the necklace charm. “They’re too small to ride, so they usually carry St. Nicolas’ sleigh. One special one of his has a distinct red nose, like this, “ Karen said as she held up the red stone and tied it on as well, “but most don’t. St Nicolas’ wear jinglebells and deliver goodies to all the kids who behave.”

“Wow, I’d love to see one. That would be awe-inspiring!”

“It would, but they live in the far north, and St. Nicholas is said to live even farther north, all the way to the north pole. Still he somehow manages to get his gifts to all the boys and girls.”

“Wow, do you think he’ll come here?”

“Only if you kids behave.” Valerie said with a giggle. Karen herself couldn’t help but smile. Rick and Roy both seemed like good kids and she felt a softspot for them. Though she knew that St. Nicholas wasn’t real, or if he was that he was no longer alive, she felt like the children deserved something kind for all of their hopes and dreams. The two of them couldn’t be any older than ten, but they still had their deep love of the holiday season and a pure belief in St. Nicholas. Still, Karen had no idea how they could get them a reindeer. With a short sigh though, she let Valerie know she was ready to move on.

“Well kids we have to go, but it is getting late. Which way is your home?” Valerie asked them. Rick pointed to a house a few yards away. “That’s our house. We’re going to go there in a little bit. Just wanted to play a little while.”

“Alright kids, well have fun.” Valerie said as Karen and she departed for the inn. It was a busy time of year and there were many who had taken residence there. As such there was no room to go in. The girls tried time and again, over and over to find a residence they could stay in, but none of the inns were open. After a time the girls found refuge in an abandoned barn.

Karen couldn’t help but think of how the place reminded her of the farm she grew up in and how her father would spend it with her. She remembered they would go there and open presents as well as tend to the livestock. Karen remembered in particular the Christmas where they spent it opening presents and she got her beloved doll. It was a small one her father had sown modeled after Karen herself named Karrie. It had blue buttons and brown hair like Karen, as well as a smile. Though initially she was not overly fond of the toy, in time it came to be something she continued to have with her until she lost it one day at the age of twelve. She had lost it when her father had taken a few mares to auction and had sold them.

She had searched high and low for hours, but never found the doll. It was sad because she had grown close to it since her father had spend so much time making it. Though the memory still brought an air of sadness to her heart even so many years later, she simply tried to focus on her time with her new friend. Looking down at the charm with the additions tacked on, Karen looked at Valerie for a moment, who was laying out sheets and getting out a massive blanket for Karen.

“I know you want those off, but I’ll have to do that tomorrow. I have something important to do for the moment.”

With a quizzical look and staring close, Karen saw Valerie pull out a piece of parchment and begin writing. With her neat, fixed style she wrote a letter to the boys.

‘Dear Rick and Roy,

I know you two have been very good boys this year and I wanted to wish you a merry Christmas. I am sorry I was unable to come in and speak with you personally, but I had many gifts to deliver. Instead I have decided to do my best to make sure your Christmas wish comes true and I will do all I can to ensure that you both have a good year.

- Sincerely,

St. Nicholas’

Reading the note, Karen couldn’t help but smile a bit before she laid down in a comfortable pile of hay. Valerie draped the Blanket over her friend once she finished the letter and folded it up. Taking out her own blanket and the special bag that Karen’s blue flowers were kept in. The flowered which enabled her return to humanity were quite rare in nature. There were but five left, three of which were dried.

The dried ones would guarantee a single day of being normal at best, and the two that were still well preserved might last for three. Because of this and the scarcity of the rare flora during normal seasons, they were virtually nonexistent during the winter. Karen lamented her situation, but grew used to it, and at least it would be the first Christmas since her change that she didn’t spend alone.

As she fell asleep, her mind couldn’t help but wander to the pair of brothers.

‘I wish I could do something to help them….’ Karen thought.

As she and Valerie slumbered, the thoughts they had channeled themselves though Karen’s necklace, the charm reacting with the tied on pieces and the beyond magical meaning of Christmas to perform a very kind miracle.

The next morning when they both awoke, Karen noted she felt strange. As she rose she could tell her body was still quadrupedal ,but she felt lighter and closer to the ground. She still had hooves, but her tail was smaller and lacking the horselike hairs, and she felt as if her fur was thicker, more insulated against cold. She also felt a small set of horns on her head, while she lacked her main. Karen wondered if she had been cursed and walked to a water filled trough to check the damage, only to see a reindeer doe’s face staring back at her. Karen was startled at first, but upon seeing her own blue eyes and the starlike mark her horse form had, she was certain it was herself.

Eagerly Karen went over to Valerie, trying her best to rouse her.

“Oh Ken, just wait a bit, I wanna warm up first….” She said as she giggled. Karen just looked at her in a deadpan manner before nudging her again for Valerie to wake up.

This time the dark skinned girl did and gasped.

“Oh, what’s….Karen? Is that you?”

Karen nodded happily and tried to speak, only for Reindeer noises to come out. When she realized she still couldn’t talk, she looked incredibly exasperated.

“You must’ve been changed by a Christmas miracle of some kind. To be honest, I expected you to be able to talk too.” Valerie said. “Can you fly or anything?”

Figuring that would be another disappointment, Karen just mindlessly humored Valerie by jumping. She continued to look bored until Valerie pointed at the ground.

“Um….You’re floating.”

Looking down, Karen saw she was indeed flying. She gasped and found her flight was controlled by a combination of her will and emotions. It was purely based on her thoughts and feelings. When she was shocked she floated higher, and when she wanted back down, she went back down. With a sigh of relief she looked at Valerie.

“If my hunch is right, this is probably partially because of the dodads on your charm and will undo once Christmas is over. In the mean time I think you’re supposed to use this to help the boys get their Christmas wish.”

Karen nodded. She realized that tonight would be Christmas eve and that the boys would be sleeping. She had to practice flying soon, otherwise she couldn’t be a convincing Reindeer.

“You just try to practice Karen, I’ll do a bit of Christmas shopping.” Valerie said. “You may look the part, but I want to make sure you have all the right finishing touches.”

Nodding in agreement, Karen went off to practice fling in the woods so she could control her flight. It was scary at first, but in time she grew used to it. It was as if it was second nature. Though she needn’t move her legs, she pranced in the air as if she was galloping, as that was what the storybooks said the reindeer did.

After a few hours she had mastered flight and had landed on several rooftops almost imperceptively. By the time she was done, she saw Valerie placing a tree near Rick and Roy’s home.

Valerie saw her and waved as she carried a bag filled with things to the barn. It was just after nightfall when everyone was inside and with their families that Karen saw Valerie with a small, manageable bag and a set of jingle bells for a harness. As Karen looked at her Valerie smiled and explained.

“All the stories mention jingle bells, but we don’t have any. So I had to buy you some. You just have to put them on for tonight only.”

Sighing, she stood still so Valerie could put the jingle bells on. Quickly and with little fuss, Valerie did her job, humming a carol until most of it was on, then she remembered something.

“Oh right, the boys need decorations for their tree.” Taking those out, she explained as she put them on Karen’s antlers. “I forgot to put these on the tree because I figured it would be more fun for them to do it with you, but this is the last thing.”

With a glare, Karen stared down Valerie who merely laughed.

“Come on Karen, where’s your Christmas spirit?”

Putting on the last jinglebell set, Karen was done.

“Okay, just take the letter and this bag to the boys and their Christmas will be perfect.”

With a nod, Karen wished her friend a farewell and flew off. Karen flew overhead and went to the top of the house. When she did she tried to make the bells jingle, just enough to awaken them. At first she was worried she was making too much noise as she heard whispers, but a moment later Rick and Roy came out.

“You hear that Rick?”

“Yeah, sounds like bells!” the brother said, “It must be St. Nick.”

“Oh boy! Where do you think he is?”

Right on cue, Karen jumped down from the roof and landed in front of them. Both of the siblings looked awestruck, despite Karen’s extraneous ornaments.

“A reindeer!” they said in unison. Going over they touched her bells and gawked.

“I can’t believe it!”

“Yeah, she’s awesome.” Roy said, “I think it’s a girl anyway.”

With an affirmative nod, Karen let Roy know he was right. Roy smiled as Karen pointed out her bag. Rick opened it and read Karen’s letter out loud, to an amazed Roy.

“What’d Santa leave us?”

“A buncha gold coins and some shiny marbles!” Rick said, holding up two precious gems that were the “marbles.” Each one could buy their current home ten times over. Karen didn’t expect them to know the value of the gems yet, but hopefully their parents would be responsible and use them well to help their sons.

Motioning for the boys to follow, Karen took them to the tree and kneeled her head down so they could decorate the small tree. Happily, the boys did just that and Karen stayed with them for a long time, playing tag with them, giving them rides that let them hover a couple feet in the air, and even watching Karen jump from house to house.

By the time they were done, it was Christmas day and Karen went home. The boys waved as Karen flew off into the rising sun and made it to the barn. Once she landed, Karen felt her body begin to slowly change back to normal. She was growing taller and her horns were falling off as her fur thinned and turned back to its usual rich brown coloration.

Within an hour she would be back to normal. Karen sighed a sigh of relief as the little stick and stone on her charm fell to the ground, but the moment it hit, Karen saw that both turned to sparkling dustnot unlike snow and materialized as presents next to Valerie’s sleeping body.

Not believing her own eyes, Karen nudged them with a hoof, then woke Valerie who groggily got up.

“Oh Karen, how were the boys? Did they enjoy their Christmas gift?”

Karen nodded, but pointed out the two gift boxes and asked Valerie to open them. Valerie did just that and in the first box she found a bouquet of the blue flowers, at least a dozen within.

“Talk about a good gift. I wonder who put these here for us? St. Nick maybe?” Valerie asked as she took them out of the box, only to see that there was another gift below. Picking it up, Val looked confused. “Karen, I think this is for you.”

Putting it in front of Karen, the girl saw a doll that looked much like her human self, exactly the way it had been the day she lost it. It was the toy her father had made for her. She felt a few tears of grateful joy come to her eyes as she saw it. Though Valerie didn’t know the whole story, she could tell it meant a lot to her friend and gave her a moment before Valerie opened her own present. Inside she found a letter.

‘Dear Karen and Valerie,

You’ve been very good girls this year by trying to help others this Christmas. I am glad you had the time nad kindness to do for two strangers you met and give your time and efforts for their happiness. It is so easy for us all to forget the one who gave for us first during this time that celebrates His birth. Please continue to do good and be better people. Remember the principles of goodwill, peace on Earth, and goodwill towards all men. I know you did not want anything this year Valerie, but I hope my message makes you both happier, much like the flowers and long-lost toy for Karen. I also wish to tell you that the solution to Karen’s problem is someplace where snow can be found.

God bless you both and merry Christmas.

- The spirit of St. Nicholas.’

Smiling softly, Valerie went to her friend, who was by now a full horse again and hugged her tight, thankful for the time they had.

---

Karen is Mine :)

Valerie belongs to  Gawayne

Art by  Jakkal

Story by Gawayne