Chapter Text
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“Are you sure about the beard?”
Entrapta carried on tinkering with the electronics hidden beneath the purple sleigh. Gold metalwork spun webs of sweeping coils along the edges like vines encroaching upon a wall, the three cog insignia of Dryl nestled upon the panels on either side. Golden rails ran wide and solid to keep the pace swift. The tech was intricate, finely balanced and yet robust enough to counter any obstacle but she needed reassurance. He knew this and placed a firm hand upon her shoulder.
At the touch she blinked back from introspection and turned, lifting herself from the ground on prehensile pigtails. Her face blossomed into a smile and she squealed in delight. A thin book emerged and she flipped through it to show him in a hair hand.
“Hordak, you look amazing! It’s just like the picture!”
“But does it have to be so… fluffy?” he peered around her shoulder, “And why are we using pookas to pull the sleigh?”
“Robots can’t fly silly. The pooka are amazing. With just a liiitttle genetic engineering and gene splicing I’ve increased productivity by 350%. I’ve really learned a lot about epigenetics in this project.”
“I see… and the branches attached to their heads are for…?”
“Antlers of course! See, the picture says the pookas need antlers.”
“Some of them have leaves on them. That one can’t see where it’s going.”
She waved him off with a hair hand.
“Oh don’t you worry, with my Dryl to Space transfer technology we won’t get lost at all on this trip, you have nothing to worry about!”
Hordak did worry but he would trust her unto the ends of their eternity on Etheria. He glanced at the picture still dangling from lilac tresses. Her attention had wandered to Kadroh whom she welcomed with a hair hug and a bright smile. Hordak shuffled slightly, his dignity degraded somewhat but she was right. In the fluffy red suit trimmed in white, the large black belt to fasten it in place (and keep the pillowcase in position) and black shiny boots he certainly looked the part. His hat even folded in the middle so the pompom fell over his right ear, tickling it slightly. Only the beard was amiss. Too wide for his face it left gaps along his cheeks. He had to concentrate on his ear movements so as not to dislodge the hooks which held it in place. What was it even for? What was any of it for?
Entrapta, despite her enthusiasm, wore no costume except a red velvet hat trimmed in white, the requisite white pompom bouncing around with her nervous energy. A white beard graced her small round face making her appear older and wiser. She wielded the book she had ‘borrowed’ from Bow’s parent’s library as a talisman of her faith in research. If the book said this was Etherian tradition then so be it she would make it so. She giggled in the excitement of the social research they were about to conduct. An Etherian custom she had hitherto not encountered before was something to relish. Emily sauntered into the courtyard at that moment layden with a sack full of bulging objects. Entrapta cackled in glee and spun somersaults on her hairtails. She extended several strands of hair to help Emily lower the sack into the back of the sleigh.
From the depths of the sack, a movement. Then Imp, mischievous look upon his toddler-like features, emerged layden with identical tiny gifts all wrapped in crisp purple and silver paper, garnished with red ribbon. He flew off with his treasure towards his hideout in Crypto Castle to shouts from Hordak, beeps from Emily and cacking glee from the small scientist who waved him off and said,
“Oh, let him go have some fun. I made plenty.”
“You made them all the same?”
“Of course! I mean… I did, but… there’s individual gifts too. It’s just easier to bulk produce the same thing and the robots are much faster than I could ever be. Look, I made the prototype!”
She held out a tiny robot, a miniature version of her friend Emily, that fit into the palm of her hand. It blinked a tiny purple light in the centre of its outer shell, pinged once and opened a door at the back. A tiny cupcake with red and purple icing and little silver edible stars emerged. She offered it to her lab partner with a huge smile.
Hordak looked at the tiny creation in awe.
“Entrapta, that is a beautiful gift, however I do not consume sugar in such copious amounts.” He extended his arm to Kadroh who took it eagerly.
“Oh, my appreciation, knows no bounds. I will treasure this always and…” Kadroh made a choking sound as Hordak accidentally bumped his arm and the miniscule cupcake ended up in his mouth.
“OH! The blessed flavour of the bread of heaven. The frosted cupcake to whet my palate and carve my destiny. I shall forever know joy and good fortune with a morsel such as this.”
Entrapta squealed at Kadroh’s appreciation of her gift while Hordak glared at the clone in distaste. He clambered aboard the heavily layden sleigh and settled down amongst the soft blankets and cushions, watching as Entrapta waved to Kadroh and Emily who beeped anxiously.
“Oh, Emily!” She laughed at the robot’s impatience, “There’s no need to be impatient. You and Kadroh can have your gifts now.”
Kadroh’s eyes lit up as the promised gifts were handed to himself and Emily, filling with tears of joy as the wrappings were torn off. Emily beeped in excitement as her tiny robot followed and danced around her. They raced around the courtyard in a game of chases that made Entrapta giggle. Kadroh unwrapped his gift to reveal a small soft toy of a clone. It wore black robes with a red bat emblem on the front and a long black cape adorned the back. Kadroh adored it immediately.
“Oh my, a Hordak Plushie!” he squealed in excitement. He cuddled the toy tight to his chest. Hordak’s eyes widened and he froze in place unable to fathom what was happening.
“I’m so glad you like it,” Entrapta enthused. She glanced at the time on her datapad and gasped.
“Oh, we better get going, we have a schedule to keep to. Kadroh, don’t stay up too late or the Horfather won’t come!” She climbed aboard the sleigh next to Hordak and found her seat.
“The Horfather has already been, Starlight,” Hordak grumbled but he couldn’t bear to say it loud enough for her to hear. He pulled on the reins and looked dubiously at the pooka ‘reindeer’ before him.
“Emm, how do we start?”
Entrapta looked up from her datapad and consulted the thin, worn book once more. She smiled and her eyes narrowed in anticipation of the excitement to follow. She cackled in glee, spinning so high from her hairtails that Hordak was glad they were still on the ground.
“This is gonna be so much FUN!” she muttered, eyes like saucers, glittering with an intensity only known to the infinite depths of the cosmos. “Ok, come on girls, it’s time to get this show on the road! On Nipper, on Muncher, on Clamper, on Pincher, on Snacker, on Gnasher on Butch!”
“Butch? Starlight, whatever method do you use to name these… barbaric creatures? And why is the nose of this ‘Butch’ painted red?”
She laughed hysterically, hairtails lifting her high into the air as the pookas ran across the ground to soar into the sky above. They travelled so fast that Hordak couldn’t do anything but hang on for dear life. They climbed higher and higher into the stratosphere before levelling off. The air was still up here above the clouds, the daymoon dipping below the horizon leaving a deep blue/black skyline in its wake. Entrapta bounced excitedly on her pigtails while Hordak clutched the reins tighter, face furrowed and staring straight ahead.
“Don’t look down,” he muttered to himself, “Just don’t look down.”
“Aw silly,” his lab partner chided softly, “It’s perfectly safe up here!” To demonstrate she jumped overboard, disappearing over the edge in a flash of purple. Hordak yelped and reached to grab for her but she had already gone. Before he had time to recover, she swung back up on the other side of the sleigh where she landed in his lap. He stared at her in horror.
“Oops, my bad, I thought you’d move.” She began to move on hairtails but he pulled her back into his arms.
“I think you should stay right here.” He grinned, fangs showing behind the too-large beard, a hint of mischief in his dark red orbs. She heaved a breath as he clutched her tighter and her voice grew sultry.
“Oh, Hordak, you really are The Horfather. Let me help you with that list now…”
“You mean this one?”
“Oooh yes.”
“Where do we start?”
“Let’s start at the top.”
“A good place to start.”
“It’s very nice to touch.”
“Mmm, that’s… very good.”
“It’s so thick.”
“It is indeed.”
“I used quality paper.”
Hordak coughed and began, “Alphabetically, Brightmoon: Adora, naughty, Catra, most definitely naughty, Bow, naughty, Queen Glimmer, naughty, Micah, very naughty, Dryl; Emily, a little naughty, Entrapta, very naughty (she giggled), Imp, naughty, Kadroh, hmmm, Plumeria; Perfuma, naughty, Scorpia, slightly naughty, Salineas; all naughty, in fact…”
The Horfather scribbled ‘naughty’ beside every name on the list, threw the paper to the side and kissed Entrapta before he could change his mind. The pooka knew what to do and the onboard navigation system was in full swing. They were just melting into each other’s arms when the control panel spluttered to life and a crackle of static protruded from it.
“Ground control to Hor-sleigh One, do you read me?” Entrapta was up in a flash to press the microphone button.
“Hor-sleigh one to Ground Control we read you loud and clear.”
“You’re coming up on your first destination.”
She thanked Kadroh and signed off with a click. She motioned to Hordak and pointed to the planet surface. The Kingdom of Snows lay far below in a haze of white, grey and soft blue. She took up the reins of the sleigh and gently guided the pooka down towards the city and the castle high on the mountainside.
Wasting no time Entrapta opened a mini portal into Frosta’s bedroom where the sleigh stopped at the foot of the young princess’s bed. The reindeer pooka fidgeted and whimpered until she reached out to feed them tiny snacks of mincemeat and dried fruits.
Hordak stepped out of the sleigh and looked around the room.
“What happens next?” he asked, his dulcet tones sounding perhaps more gravelly than usual. Entrapta consulted her book.
“You leave a gift under a plant of some kind. They’re supposed to leave out a drink or snack as a thank you.”
They both looked around the room until Entrapta spotted something.
“Aha!” A small silver tray lay next to the Snow Princess upon which sat a tiny glass of something bubbly and a tiny cake under a potted plant.
“This must be it!” Entrapta pulled the Horfather over to the table where he laid the gift under the plant and sipped at the drink. He spluttered and shook his head, bubbly liquid spattering on his red suit.
“The fizzy wine must be for you,” he surmised with a strained voice.
They finished their task and were about to reboard the sleigh when there was a movement from the bed. Frosta groaned and sat up to find the Horfather and his assistant frozen in place like ice sculptures.
“What…? Who are you?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“He’s The Horfather,” Entrapta stage whispered, very loud. “I’m his assistant.”
Frosta looked at Entrapta, incredulous, “Oh come on Entrapta, it’s just you and mmmh!”
Entrapta silenced the girl with a hair strand. She opened her book to show the ice princess the picture and pointed out the caption below.
“Wait, so… he’s the Horfather? And he gives presents to kids?” Frosta caught on fast, her eyes glittering.
“Kids who are sleeping… and who Believe.”
Frosta’s eyes flicked between Entrapta and Hordak and she came to a rapid decision laying back into her sheets to get back to sleep as fast as she could. Entrapta lifted the small princess in two massive pigtails and rocked her gently to and fro.
“Entrapta, come on,” Hordak urged, “We don’t have time for this.” He was particularly concerned about being caught in Frosta’s bedroom at night with a lack of an adequate excuse.
“We have to do things properly,” Entrapta responded, “It’s the only way to do this scientifically. If we cut corners the data won’t mean anything and the illusion is gone.”
“Hmm?” Frosta said. She was too tired to really care and the soothing motion soon had her drifting back to sleep allowing The Horfather to resume his midnight mission.
In the silence of the Ice Princess’s room a glint of moonlight found its way across the surface of an ice axe and the rails of a toy sled next to her bed.
*****
One by one The Horfather slipped down chimneys, his partner’s Pocket Portal Technology giving them all the time in the world to complete the task in the allotted timescale. In each household a gift was left beneath potted plants, tiny trees or wintery wreaths. Softly slumbering the dreamers were unaware of the festive pair who drank fizzy wine and whisky between them, feeding treats to the pooka reindeer.
They covered the land in methodical order, Salineas was silent, Plumeria perfectly peaceful, the Crimson Wastes were wonderfully weary, and no-one noticed them at all.
High above Etheria the sleigh travelled until Entrapta looked over the side and saw something fun.
“Oh! A social experiment! Can we go? Pleeease?”
The Horfather grunted and shook his head, “It’s not on our route.”
She looked at him, pleading and he found himself steering the sleigh towards the ground.
“Five minutes,” he grunted.
On the ground the sleigh stopped outside a large tent full of merriment and colour. The tent door opened wide and Elberon welcomed their new… guests.
“Welcome to Elberon.” The Mayor’s voice was warm and inviting. Many children crowded round to see the fancy sleigh and the Jolly Fat Man within. He smiled warmly, red fangs glinting in the moonlight, large red orbs impenetrable, cold. A silence fell upon the crowd as they took in the sight of Hordak and the pooka reindeer whose single staring eyes and teeth like knives turned to stare at the children without blinking.
“HO! HO! HO!” The Horfather said, remembering his lines.
A child screamed. Most of them ran away. Only one little girl in a pink dress and butterfly wings remained. She giggled excitedly and rushed up to see the Horfather.
“Ooh, who are you meant to be?”
“I am The Horfather.” Hordak’s voice was deep, effortlessly traversing the small clearing in the forest. Entrapta held out her book once more and Hordak read his lines. “How old are you, Flutterina? And what would you like from the Horfather?”
“Oohh! You know my name!” Her eyes sparkled and she jumped a few times to show she was giddy with excitement. “Please, I’d like a ray gun with real life red dot targeting, sling shot capabilities and reusable poison darts!”
In the background, Entrapta’s eyes lit up like stars and she had the weapon created in the blink of an eye. She passed it to the Horfather who presented it to his small admirer to the horror of the adults nearby.
“You can’t give her that!” the mayor gasped, “It isn’t safe!”
“Of course it isn’t safe,” Entrapta chimed in, “It’s a weapon!” Her eyes sparkled in pure joy and she clasped her hands together as she stared at the gun.
The mayor, angered by the response, walked up to the sleigh and grabbed the gun away from Flutterina who looked disappointed.
“She’s a child!” the mayor was increasingly becoming an irritation in Hordak’s opinion.
“It’s educational,” he responded.
“What if she injures herself? Or someone else?”
“That will be an important lesson.”
The mayor stood, dumbstruck, mouth open as Entrapta reclaimed the weapon in a hairtail and held it out to Flutterina once more.
“Are you really The Horfather?” The small girl quizzed, “Your beard doesn’t fit and your pillow just fell out of your suit!”
“Of course I am…”
“I don’t think so. I think you’re an imposter!” She reached out to take the gift but Hordak pushed her away.
“Imposter! You’re the imposter, Double Trouble!” Suddenly her request for a weapon made perfect sense. Double Trouble was here to assassinate him. They must be stopped at all costs. He grabbed at the small child and hauled Flutterina up into the air, “I have been waiting to talk to you Double Trouble…”
At that moment Double Trouble sauntered past them and lifted a gift from the sack in the back of the sleigh. They studied the gift tag with a non-chalant air and addressed the Jolly Fat Man without looking at him.
“Oh, hello Hordak! I see you found your missing princess, congratulations. Hope it wasn’t too taxing on the old brain there what with figuring out the truth and all. Wouldn’t want you to strain anything. What are you up to these days? Terrorising children or handing out gifts? I can’t keep up anymore. Who’s side is whose? Which side is the right side? Oh well, looks like you’re having fun anyway, you Delicious Devilish Bat Beast.”
Hordak roared with anger and glared at the shape shifter. He was ready to tear them apart until a soft pigtail landed on his shoulder reminding him why he was there. Slowly the realisation dawned on him that he was currently holding a small child in the air by an iron clawed fist. The people of Elberon watched on in stunned fear as he gently lowered Flutterina to the ground and patted her head.
Double Trouble padded over with a toothy smile on their face. They held up the label on the gift they held so Hordak and Entrapta could see it had their name on it. The paper was ripped away without them taking their eyes away from Hordak, the smile ever condescending.
“Let’s see what the great Horfather brings to the people of Etheria then. I bet it’s something to control us al….”
Double Trouble’s smile fell away as the paper dropped to the ground. The clink of gold coins filled their hands as their eyes filled with tears of joy. For once, they were speechless.
“It is coinage,” Hordak stated.
Double Trouble looked up and glared at him, “This is enough for me to retire on. What’s the catch?”
“There isn’t one,” Entrapta interjected. She lay across the back of the sleigh beside the toy sack, her legs waggling lazily in the air above her, her head in her hands. “The Horfather brings gifts to everyone.”
Double Trouble looked at her in astonishment, “You organised this right? I knew you were different from the other princesses… but,” they smiled, this time with a nod of respect towards the Princess of Dryl, “We should do lunch together darling. I’d love to hear all about your time on Beast Island. I might even write a play about it. I’m buying of course.” The coins disappeared into a pocket with a swift and practised manoeuvre.
Entrapta grinned and nodded enthusiastically, “It’s a date!”
“Hordak.” Double Trouble nodded curtly and strode off before anyone could change their minds about giving them money as a gift.
Flutterina stood before the Horfather, her eyes pleading as she stared at the gun. Hordak handed it to her without a word and she ran off, grasping her new toy triumphantly.
“You can’t be serious!” the Mayor of Elberon suddenly interjected, having recovered from her earlier tantrum, “A child can’t be given a weapon! It’s not moralistically correct!” The Horfather turned to stare at her with empty red orbs.
“It is what she asked for.”
In moments there was a queue of children before the sleigh all asking for gifts and receiving them with excitement and joy. Before long the clearing was filled with toy trains, soldiers, nutcrackers, trucks, dolls and sweets. Candy canes and chocolate were everywhere. One little boy and girl played with an enormous castle with a moving drawbridge and flying bats around the turrets, another had a castle filled with traps and robots. One girl had a toy ware-rabbit, white with red eyes and black dripping eyeshadow, a gold ring in its ear. Another child cuddled a plushy pooka its single eye wide and large, grey fur matted but soft. It had a grin like a cheshire cat and teeth as sharps as knives. Everywhere there was joy and playfulness and the aura of community spirit.
Entrapta sighed, contented, as Hordak nodded to her in a silent message. It was time to go. Reluctantly she urged the pooka back up into the sky as the Horfather waved to the crowds below. There was still a lot of houses to attend to.
“Merry Hordesmas to all, and to all a good sleep!”
*****
“Ground control to Hor-sleigh One you are nearing the Fright Zone. Brother Entrapta, please be advised there is inclement weather patterns onscreen, over.”
“Copy that Ground Control,” Entrapta’s finger left the intercom and she hugged her lab partner with a squeal of delight, her body pressed tight against his, “Oh, Hordak, we’re almost back home!”
He chuckled and wrapped his arms around the small princess as her hair wrapped itself around his red padded arms and legs.
“Just think! We can see Scorpia, and hang out… Oh, we can do tiny cocoa!”
She jumped into the air on frizzed-up pigtails, excitement emanating from her. She extended her arms and legs in joy at the thought of seeing her friend again. The winds were growing stronger, creating waves in her hair that cascaded down the lengths and made her position precarious. The pookas lurched to the side without warning and she was thrown backwards.
“Entrapta be careful,” Hordak scolded. He grabbed her arm, pulling her back from the edge before she fell, but she hardly noticed and waved him off once she was safely back on board again.
“Oh Hordak, it’s just a little storm system. My inbuilt geospatial altimeter will get us through easily,” she replied, pulling her goggles down over her eyes and bracing herself against the winds that were becoming decidedly stronger. “Oooh! If we get in trouble, I can try out the red alert system! It’ll be so much fun! It connects with Dryl’s distress beacon and… Ahh!”
She yelped as the sleigh twisted and turned in the air, rain lashing down on all sides. If it weren’t for her twin pigtails securing her to the rails, the reins clutched fast in her hands, she would have been thrown clear of the sleigh. She called encouragement and directions to the pookas who were trying their best but still the sleigh lurched from side to side. Hordak gripped so tight to the front of the sleigh, the metal railing buckled beneath his fingers.
“Can we slow down?” he shouted.
“What?”
“Can… we… slow…down?”
She screamed as the sleigh jolted to the side once more, throwing her to the floor. The impact crushed the air from her lungs and she lost her grip on the reins which flapped away into the dark. The winds grew stronger, the rain yet heavier, pulling the pooka off course so they veered in all directions. She struggled to her feet, Hordak extending a hand to assist her. She perched beside him upon the soaked seat, her hair so wet it was now a sodden mess, heavy and slow.
“Entrapta give me the reins.”
“I don’t have them, but don’t worry, I just need to … Uh, oh.” The sleigh rumbled. The wooden planks rattled against the metal framework. It was a well-built sleigh but not designed to withstand several very strong and willful pooka all flying in different directions.
“Quick Hordak, put your hand here!”
“But that is your…”
“I’ll just… put my foot… here, and then… is that ok?”
“It fits perfectly.”
“Oh good! Okay now grab your joystick and we can land safely. I’ll switch to manual.”
“This way?”
“Pull it up and down fast.”
“Entrapta this is not the time for…”
“Not like that, like this!”
“Oh, I see…”
The sleigh rattled on like a minecart in distress, the pooka panicked and yowling at the moons. The rain became sleet, hitting with the projectile force of shrapnel. While Hordak’s red velvet suit and hat shielded him from most of the wind and rain, hers did not. Her mask took the brunt of the weather but her clothes were thin and she had no coat. Her goggles misted over, her vision now shrouded in a white mist. She couldn’t see the control panel. He pulled her in against his body to shield her as much as he could, one arm and leg on either side of her.
“Hordak, you need to steer. Pull down on the stick!”
“I am pulling,” he grunted. The sleigh dived down, too fast. They were going to crash.
The wind and rain buffeted the pair as Entrapta reached forward with a soggy hair tendril to type rapidly into the console. At the same time she reached up with both hands to remove her misted goggles. Before she could do so the sleigh lurched once more and bounced on the icy surface of the Fright Zone skidding to the left. The entrance to Horror Hall had been left open and Hordak aimed for the doorway eager to get out of the storm. As they turned, Entrapta lost her grip on the now sleet-covered floor of the sleigh and her feet slid on the slippery floor. She fell, her body twisting as she did so, onto her hands and knees between Hordak’s legs causing her head to land in his lap. She pulled away only to discover her long hair had inadvertently caught onto one of the Horfather’s beautifully designed gold buttons. She squealed and muttered as she tried to untangle the wet tresses but it only stuck tighter. With her goggles still over her eyes it was hard to see.
The sleigh drifted to a halt in the middle of Horror Hall, the pooka reindeer shaking their fur and whining mournfully to each other. The warmth of the room calmed them and they settled onto the newly carpeted floor for comfort still shivering and crying for snacks. Hordak sat in the middle of the sleigh, his red suit and hat a distinct sight for the two princesses currently in the room. There was no sign of Entrapta.
“HO, HO, HO!” said the Horfather with a macabre air.
Perfuma stared at him in horror but then stepped forward with welcoming arms, carefully avoiding the vicious looking pooka reindeer, “Welcome to the new Scorpion Kingdom, do you like what we’ve done with the… Oh!”
She covered her eyes as she drew nearer, realising where Entrapta was and why Hordak’s face was as red as his suit.
Mermista, lounging on pillows and blankets amidst tiny snacks stood up to see what was going on. “This better be worth getting up for,” she muttered to herself but soon regretted her actions as Entrapta came into view.
“Gruuuh… Get a room!” she grumbled, moving back to her seat, “Goddess knows what she sees in him, I have no idea.”
“Aaah, mmm… ,” Entrapta said, her voice muffled somewhere between Hordak’s masculine thighs, “My hair is stuck, every time I move it gets tighter. Could someone, maybe… help get me out?”
Perfuma, a strained smile on her lips, edged forwards to help but she had no idea where to put her hands.
“Um, Hordak… maybe you could…?”
“My talons are too long, I don’t have the dexterity to…”
“Oh… right. Well… heh… let’s see what can be done here.”
Perfuma reached over and tentatively moved a strand of hair to see better. It was immediately apparent that Entrapta was so tightly caught on the button, any wrong movement would only further exacerbate the situation. Stuck on her hands and knees on the floor of the sleigh, the tech princess had her head thoroughly ensconced between the former warlord’s thighs. With her hair so wet and unmalleable, she had to rely on Perfuma to guide her out of the mess. Luckily Perfuma, educated as she was in building wind chimes and basket weaving, managed to release the pair with a few practised moves and Entrapta gratefully stood up to survey the newly created Scorpion Kingdom.
Horror Hall was lit up with coloured lights and decorations in every corner, a large tree decorated with baubles and silver scorpion ornaments stood behind the throne. Mermista lay among countless cushions and blankets, her head propped up on an arm. She waved at the newcomers with her other hand and grumbled,
“Welcome to the Fright Zone or whatever.”
Entrapta jumped from the sleigh in excitement, realising there were tiny snacks and fizzy juice on display.
“I’m sorry we’re a little late, there’s a storm outside and…”
“Urrgh, we get it. I made that storm you know. I am the princess of water. I kinda control the rain…”
She waved her hand lazily in the air and Hordak, infuriated by her indifference stood to his full height.
“How dare you interfere with our progress and scientific pursuits! Entrapta could have been…”
“Hey, I just wanted to make tonight more interesting.” She gave him a glassy stare. “You guys love a challenge, right? Well I was bored.”
“Mermista, how could you?” Perfuma, shook her head at her friend, incredulous, “These are our… friends and… we need to be kind to our… friends. We do NOT create storms in their path that could cause destruction and injure people!”
At that moment Scorpia and Sea Hawk entered the hall layden with yet more food platters. With a squeal of recognition Scorpia threw the food in the air and ran to pull Entrapta into a bear hug.
“Entrapta! You made it! Don’t worry I kept a whole batch of tiny cupcakes just for you and that homemade brew I used to make back when we were super pals.”
Entrapta hugged her friend and then watched, studiously, as Scorpia’s eyes lit up. The Scorpion woman shrieked, dropping the tech princess to put her claws to her face. Her smile was wide as she leapt forward to hug the Horfather with all her might.
"It's you! You finally come. I knew you were real!
“Uh, it’s just Hordak with a suit on,” Mermista yawned.
"Sandy Claws! You're just like my moms described. You even have the real claws and the sand belly and everything! Oh I'm so glad I finally met you. I still have my scorpion plushie you brought me when I was little.”
“Uh, what is she talking about?” Mermista grumbled.
Entrapta bounced on her pigtails and waved her arms about as she hair typed rapidly into her data pad.
“Oh this is so exciting. Yet another part of the puzzle to add to my research.” Her recorder appeared in a hair strand.
“Horfather log 72. It seems there is another component to add to my research on the origins of this newly discovered winter celebration. Princess Scorpia has just used the term Sandy Claws. It appears that this rendition has claws and a sand-filled belly alongside the red clothing. What this means in terms of mythology is yet to be uncovered. Scorpia… tell me everything.”
Scorpia let go of Hordak and stepped back down from the sleigh, Hordak following. She scratched the back of her neck as she considered things.
“Well… my moms told me he only comes once a decade, like Princess Prom. He sneaks into kids’ bedrooms and then checks his list. If you’re good he takes a toy you leave out and gives you a present. But if you’re bad he steals… you.”
Entrapta, Sea Hawk and Perfuma gasped in horror while Mermista checked her nails and Hordak took in the new décor.
“Yeah, he puts you in a sack and drags you off into the night. The night he came I was five years old and terrified,” she laughed lightly, “Oh, that was a fun night. Actually, now I come to think of it…” she glanced at Hordak’s red suit, beard and hat, “I think I saw my grandfather dressed just like that once.” There was a pause as her mind caught up with her, “Wait, you don’t think… Was he the real Sandy Claws? Did my grandfather take my toy and give me my plushie?”
Scorpia smiled at Entrapta, then they both squealed with excitement at the revelation, while Mermista groaned.
“Oh my stars,” Scorpia stopped suddenly, placing her pinchers at each side of her face in shock. As her world slowly came into focus Perfuma put an arm around her.
“What toy did you leave out for him?” she asked, gently diverting her partner’s thoughts away from sad things. Scorpia smiled as she remembered.
“A toy brick,” she chuckled to herself. “Oh, I loved that brick. Took it everywhere with me. I drew a yellow crayon smile on it and pulled it round with a string. Called it ‘Brickie’. It was sad to give him to Sandy Claws… but then I got my plushie and it was so soft and cuddly.”
Her face darkened. “It wasn’t long after that…” she glanced at Hordak who froze for a moment, and then she shook off the old memories.
“So, how’s the old research going, Traps?”
Entrapta, once more fully immersed in her data pad, looked up with a blank stare,
“What? Oh, right…”
The purple princess leapt to her feet, her hair tendrils digging deep into the Horfather’s sack and bringing gifts out for her friends. She handed them out to cries of delight and excited chatter. Sea Hawk and Scorpia opened a pair of robot ducks that quacked and waddled across the floor alongside the requisite miniature cupcake bots for everyone and an extra-cuddly Horde plushie teddy bear for Scorpia with black fur and red horde insignia.
“Oh, I LOVE it Traps. Did you make this?”
“I made all of the gifts! Well, except Perfuma’s, that was Hordak, aaand the teddies, and most of the bots. But I made the prototypes, and I made yours Scorpia.”
Scorpia’s eyes welled up and she sniffled as Sea Hawk said,
“But why a robot duck?”
“Remember our first mission to rescue Glimmer and Bow? I saved you Sea Hawk from Scorpia by sending you a message! Scorpia just looked sooo cute when she looked for a duck that wasn’t there… I just HAD to get you guys one each. It just made sense!”
In her excitement she rose up on her pigtails and laughed hysterically while Mermista groaned. Sea Hawk held out her gift to her and she took it lethargically to open it.
“What is this? Uurgh, bath crystals and bath bombs… that’s… so totally not… bad.” The faintest of smiles crossed Mermista’s lips for a moment in time.
Scorpia turned to her partner in unbridled enthusiasm.
“Why don’t you open yours Perfuma?”
The flower princess’ gift was in a huge box that Hordak lifted from the back of the sleigh in one great clawed arm. He placed it carefully in front of the princess with great reverence and stepped back. Perfuma smiled graciously and opened the parcel to find a rather macabre set of bones pulled together with thick hide, a skull set into an array of ribs and cartilage aligned in a row from smallest to longest and the oddest set of windchimes she had ever seen. They were made from what appeared to be hollowed out finger bones and scrap metal remnants. A first ones crystal swung helplessly in the centre, tinkling morosely as it touched each chime in turn. A pair of wooden sticks sat in the middle of the pile waiting to be picked up.
“It’s a drumkit and xylophone!” Entrapta proclaimed, “Hordak found a new hobby, isn’t it great? And you like drum circles so he spent hours making it for you, do you like it?”
Perfuma’s mouth dropped open in speechless horror as she took in the gifts before her. She looked at Entrapta who lay casually on her pigtails, legs in the air, chin in her hands, eyes staring right into her soul, waiting expectantly for praise for her partner. Hordak, his red suit and hat still damp from being outside, stood tall and stoic, hands folded characteristically behind his back, but Perfuma could make out a hint of uncertainty in his unsmiling face. This interaction was important. Possibly ‘fate-of-the-world’ important. She took a deep, slow breath and picked up the drumsticks to beat out a rhythm.
“It’s… uuh… a beautiful gift,” the smile glossed over her true feelings. ‘Just breathe Perfuma’, she told herself, ‘you don’t have to use it.’
Hordak released a breath and Entrapta placed a pigtail on his shoulder for reassurance.
“See, I told you she’d love it!”
Perfuma forced the smile higher and stood up, folding her hands together in front of her in a practised move. It created a barrier between herself and her audience in a bid to keep herself focused and calm.
Hordak held his head a little higher, “Starlight, time is moving on and so must we.”
“Oh, right! There’s still so many houses to visit.” Entrapta held out a hair strand to touch Scorpia’s arm, “Thanks for the invite Scorpia, I loved your party.”
Scorpia smiled, “Wait, I almost forgot!”
She pulled out a large parcel from behind the old Scorpion throne and handed it to Entrapta.
“I know no-one else does this but… I’m supposed to give Sandy Claws a gift in return and since you organised this whole thing…” she shrugged as Entrapta ripped off the paper and gasped in amazement.
“My own suit!”
“Yeah, it’s green coz Sandy Claw’s helper always wears green.”
Entrapta opened out the green assistant outfit and eagerly put it on over her overalls. It fit like a glove and felt warm and comfortable. She smiled shyly as she looked up at Scorpia.
“Thanks,” she said. What she didn’t say was how much it meant to her that someone else cared enough to return her gesture of kindness, to remember her at all.
Without another word the pair climbed once more upon the sleigh and guided the pooka back towards the night air. With a wave and flurry of movement they disappeared back into the darkness.
*****
Giggling and the odd crash emanated from Brightmoon’s royal gamesroom. Catra, tired from a long day lying on Adora’s lap next to a roaring fire, had come downstairs for a warm milk before bed. The sounds within the room beyond had her on high alert. Gingerly she opened the door to find The Horfather and his assistant hard at work on the games table.
“Oh no…” she groaned as she took in the sight. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to dispel the image she’d just witnessed, “Not tonight, pleeease, not tonight!”
“Hiiiii Catra!” Entrapta jumped off the table, her new green velvet outfit ruffled where Hordak’s wayward hands had been, and waved, nonplussed, at her comically distressed friend who groaned. Hordak smoothed back a tussle of unkempt blue hair with a small, smug smile and replaced the luxurious red velvet hat on his head.
“What are you doing?” Catra groaned behind her fingers.
“We’re conducting experimental scientific investigations!” Entrapta raised a hair finger into the air to illustrate her point then lowered it to tap her chin, “At least I think we are, the song wasn’t very clear about where the mistletoe should go, or what a mommy is. In fact, I’m not sure about who’s doing the observations either hmmm… but… there was definitely a kiss involved, at least I think there was…” she checked her book, “YES! Momma definitely wants her Santa Claus to kiss her.”
“Right, so you’re basing a scientific investigation on a song you’ve only just heard?”
“Right! Catra, I knew you’d understand,” Entrapta beamed, swaying slightly.
“And who’s he supposed to be?”
“HO, HO, HO!” said the Horfather. He grinned in an effort to bestow cheeriness and yuletide blessings but red fangs and pupilless eyes presented a macabre sight.
Entrapta leapt forward on happy pigtails. She did not land, so much as totter, to wrap her arms around Catra’s shoulders, her head languishing upon a now rigid shoulder. The feline felt unnerved and sniffed the air as a purple sparkle filled the space beside her.
“Entrapta, are you drunk?”
“You’re my beeestestest friend ever Catra.”
“What’s up?” Glimmer yawned and stretched her arms. She opened her eyes and yelped at the sight of the tall red-clad entity holding a bulging sack.
“Hordak! Tell me you’re not stealing from Brightmoon! This is a new low even for you.”
“He’s not stealing,” Entrapta whined, trying her best to stay focussed. She clung to Catra, her head swimming in fog, her eyes closing. “He’s the Horfather.”
“The Horfather?” Bow entered the games room with Adora beside him.
“Hordak, take her home, she needs sleep.”
Adora laughed at the sight of the small scientist asleep on her girlfriend’s shoulder. Entrapta’s hair hung in lazy spirals around her shoulders, cascading to the floor in endless lilac tresses as Catra held her upright. She knew Catra would hate being called out for caring about someone.
“Catra, they’ve turned you into the responsible one!” she said.
The best friend squad laughed and chanted, “Catra is a mom!”
“I am not, stop laughing.”
Catra let her friend fall to the floor with a thud as the purple princess finally lost her grip. Hordak glared at Catra but she waved at him, daring him to challenge her. She had an image to maintain after all.
“What’s going on anyway?” Bow asked.
“We are recreating an ancient Etherian tradition for the winter season,” Hordak offered.
“It was the night before…” said the floor. The rest was muffled under an arm shaped pillow and a faint snore took over. A purple pigtail held up a thin red book above the prostrate purple scientist. Bow took it.
“Entrapta! This isn’t a book of Etherian legends. It’s a book of fairy tales from other worlds thousands of years ago! My dad’s used to read them to me when I was small. Don’t tell me you’ve been recreating this all night?”
Suddenly the head snapped up and she grabbed the book back from him.
“It is? This is incredible! Imagine, stories from across the galaxy and a distant past long since gone. And we’ve been bringing them back to life!”
Bow groaned, “You’ve been doing this all night? Don’t tell me you’ve been drinking the fairy tea the kids leave out mid-winter! No wonder you’re drunk.”
A yawn escaped her and she felt her eyelids begin to close again.
“Starlight perhaps it is time for us to retire for the night?”
“Or, you could stay here for a sleepover!” Catra’s sly nod and wicked grin received a horrified response.
“I have never been one to do ‘sleepovers’!”
“Ooooh, a sleepover!” Entrapta said at the same time, “Like the ones you and Scorpia used to do in my lab back in the Fright Zone?”
Catra’s smirk fell away as her eyes grew wide, “Um, no, not like that… I mean…”
“What do you mean Catra?” Glimmer’s tone was teasing, slightly mocking her feline friend with its innocent undertones.
“Nothing, Sparkles. I don’t remember anything about that.”
“Oh Catra, you remember… you and Scorpia used to sit up all night and play games like, whose got the biggest…”
“Oh, look at the time! Entrapta you and… the Horfather... better get back to delivering those gifts. It’ll be morning soon.”
“Oh, wait. I didn’t give any of you, your gifts!” Entrapta dug deep into the now almost empty sack and pulled out four lilac and silver boxes with red ribbon and handed them to each of her friends.
Bow tore off the paper and his eyes lit up in excitement, “Oh Entrapta, it’s so cute and tiny!”
“The miniature bow and arrow set is fully functional and can be used by your Tiny Bow figurine. The tiny cupcake bot is just for fun!”
“I love it Entrapta, thank you.”
Adora had ripped off the paper before Bow but she stood, confused trying to figure out her gift.
“It’s a new saddle,” Entrapta smiled encouragingly, “For your bird-horse! He seems nice buuut I think he needs somewhere to store things, like apples. He told me he likes apples. There’s panniers on either side and a feed bag. The saddle part is for you. It’s more comfortable than riding bareback. Of course, if you don’t like it, I can change it…”
Adora looked up at her, stars filling her eyes, “Entrapta… I love it. Guys I’m gonna go find Swift Wind and…”
Catra screamed. She had been holding her gift to her ear and now threw it across the room and dived under a table.
“It’s ticking! It’s gonna blow, get down!”
Entrapta tapped her on the shoulder with a hair strand and retrieved the gift at the same time with her other pigtail.
“Oh, Catra, it’s not a bomb. Look.” She opened the gift and handed the feline girl a small robot mouse with rotating ears. “Isn’t he cute,” the tech princess gushed. Catra took the robot in a hand, numb with shock. “I noticed you always were attracted to my pig bot back in the Fright Zone. You squeezed it like a stress ball so… I made you a new one!”
Entrapta stepped back and Catra cautiously crawled back out from under the table, the small robot still in her hand.
“But… but it was ticking!”
Glimmer giggled at her friend’s mistake, “Catra, you really thought it was a bomb?”
Catra stuck her tongue out at Glimmer, “Yeah, a sparkle bomb!”
“I added the sound so you could track it. I’ve been studying your behaviour and you like to track things. The ticking sound will help you do that!”
Catra squeezed the mouse robot playfully. She smiled. She looked up, “Thanks.”
Glimmer opened a single glittery glove and a tiny bot that ran over her palm and pinged once.
“It makes cakes!” she yelled in excitement, popping it into her mouth, “This tastes heavenly. This is the best winter festivities ever!”
“We should do this every year,” Adora added with a grin. She couldn’t wait to go find Swift Wind.
Hordak groaned, “I do not think the Horfather will be available next year.”
“Oh, Hordak. You know you’ve enjoyed it so far.”
Entrapta yawned again and he led her back towards the sled still parked in front of the roaring fireplace and tucked her into the blankets and pillows where she promptly closed her eyes. With a grunt and a tug of the reins he opened the portal and urged the pooka onwards.
“Merry Hordesmas!” he said as a final touch.
“Merry Hordesmas? Is that the best you could do?” Adora and Catra asked at the same time. They glanced at each other and giggled but Hordak ignored them as the sleigh vanished into the night.
Back in the air once more, Hordak gently placed an arm around his assistant. As he held her, she opened her eyes.
“Did we do it?”
“We did Starlight.”
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“You know, your eyes are like rubies in the moonlight. Tonight was beautiful.”
“As are you,” He replied.
She blushed at his words, for once stealing her thoughts away. A short silence followed as they enjoyed the coolness of the open air, the sound of the pooka reindeer exerting themselves against the elements whilst pulling the sleigh along and the density of stars twinkling all around them in the cloudless skies. Etheria, it seemed, was the best place in the universe to be right now. As wonderful as this moment was, it couldn’t last.
“Hordak?”
“Yes, Starlight?”
“You do believe right? In the Horfather?”
He nodded sagely. This was not the time for deep thinking or discussions and he knew what she was really asking. It was not about the Horfather but about her research. She was asking if he believed in her.
“Of course, Starlight. There will never be a time when I do not.”
She sighed, contended and squeezed her arms around his midriff, her head cuddled into his chest. They were headed home again, to Dryl, and tomorrow was just another day.
“Entrapta?”
“Hmm?”
“There is one more gift in the sack.”
“There is?” she sat up, curious, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “But I made just the right number for everyone. Did we miss someone?” Her eyes widened in alarm.
He chuckled softly and held a large hand in front of her. In his palm sat a box wrapped in black and red with a Horde logo on the side. Entrapta noticed her name printed carefully in gold lettering on a little black tag. She gasped,
“Oh, it’s for me?” her eyes sparkled as she reached for it but she hesitated, reaching into her pigtail to pull out a small parcel bound in purple paper. The Dryl symbol on the tag surrounded Hordak’s name in black. She placed it directly into the palm of his hand and excitedly took her own in its place.
They looked into each other’s eyes then, without a word, turned to open their gifts simultaneously. Entrapta gasped, eyes alight with stars. Hordak froze, his face a picture of genuine astonishment. In his hand he held a large brass key for a heavy door.
“Entrapta, the key to your castle…? This is too much… it is…”
She shushed him with a hairtail. “It’s not! I should have given it to you sooner but I thought tonight, with you being the Horfather, you deserve a key to your own home. But…”
She held up the six-sided hex wrench in her hand, a small smile on her lips. She was filled with curiosity about his gift to her.
“… this is yours, right?” He placed a hand over hers, the wrench between them as they had done with the first ones crystal some time ago.
“Not any longer. I was going to make you a new one but this one… it is the reason we met. It seemed appropriate on a night such as this.”
As the sleigh travelled through the air steady and solid, he knelt before her on one knee and held her hand in his own.
“Hordak, what are you? …oh!”
“Entrapta I should have asked this of you long ago, however, this night, alone with you amongst the stars, is the most ideal setting for a question such as this.”
“Yes!” she gasped and threw her arms around his neck. Tears formed in their eyes as they relished the moment and he hugged her in return.
“I did not yet ask the question,” he muttered quietly but he didn’t have to. They knew, without words, what the other meant and that was enough.
“Thank you, Hordak. Tonight was perfect.”
“I thought you did not believe in perfection.”
“I don’t, but this is as close as it gets.”
He held her lovingly, nestled in his arms, as they made their way home, the pooka reindeer exhausted but contented, in the knowledge of a job well done.
“Maybe next year we can make the pooka sing?” Entrapta said with a yawn.
Hordak chuckled, “Perhaps, starlight…perhaps.” They travelled onwards into the magic night and then, like stardust, they were gone.