A warm harthwarming eve story
The snow outside was thick as the old fallen oak's trunk, and more was lazily drifting down as though the snow knew it would land, and was simply taking it's time about it. The old shack that was Beta's home had been expanded by two rooms to accommodate his mates.
Lounging back on the couch, Beta stretched his long bare paws, stretching the claws on his toes and exposing his pads to the warmth coming from the gentle, crackling fire, at the same time he stretched his back and arms out to his hand-paws, flexing his sharp claws. He let out a long, relaxed, joyous yawn, his sizable fangs tinted by the firelight, as well as his buck teeth, showing his mixed lapin and vulpine heritage.
"Let me tell you a story." Beta said with a strange smile. "I'm going to tell you about the one mission I ever failed." they both looked at him curiously.
"But.. it's... " Sigma started unsure if this was the time for such a story. Most of his missions were very bloody.
"You always get so worked up when you talk about those Beta dear" Apple Berry added, nodding at Sigma. She was glad they agreed on this.
Beta chuckled a little, genuinely grateful to his mates. He knew what they were thinking. "I promise" he started, lifting his paws in a surrendering gesture. "I promise... this isn't like those other stories. This takes place the Christmas after Alpha... left."
"What's Christmas?" both asked in unison. Beta smiled warmly, 'of course, no religion here aside from Celestia' he mused.
"It's a ... holiday in winter where people exchange gifts and kindness." Beta explained as kindly as he could, keeping his own thoughts about the theology and other .. issues, he had philosophically around the holiday. Still, he enjoyed the sense of kindness and hope most people have about the time of year. "It's a time to spend with family. most years I spent Christmas at the lab. Not exactly home and family... but all I knew." he conceded.
"It was generally the policy of the overlords of the furry assassin project gave us Christmas off... well the lab workers in general." He continued as Apple Berry prepared apple cider on the fire.
"Well I have the season off" Sigma said puffing his chest out, his coat looking glossy and beautiful, having recently been brushed out. His armor packed up. He so rarely got to enjoy time outside his armor that his coat was often a matted mess. It had taken Beta and Apple Berry hours to brush out all the clomps and such. The very frequent 'breaks' the three of them took during the process didn't help either.
"How long will the cider take my dear Berry?" Sigma asked Apple Berry. In the guard full names often took too long in combat to bark, so only one part of the name was used. Sigma had no second name, being a child of Celestia, now Luna. He has asked Apple Berry what she preferred, and she had told him 'I like just Berry, actually.' so he and Beta had called her that since, at least when they were in private.
"Just a little bit Siggy dear." She replied. She had grown to truly care for Sigma. He was no longer a competitor for Beta';s heart. She understood how much Beta loved them both completely. She had come to care very dearly for Sigma as well.
"I could.. move things along..." Sigma suggested, smiling slyly "I do love your cider"
"And you love it so much" Apple Berry replied, smiling, rubbing Sigma's horn with her hoof once she'd set the iron pot over the fire "Because I use real fire and not magic to warm it up!" Sigma blushed very red from the attention and Beta felt the need to interrupt his lover's conversation before they had yet another 'break'... not that he wouldn't want one in a little bit himself.
"As I was saying my darlings" He started, caressing both his lover's long necks and muzzles "They had decided to make me work this one Christmas... I was quite livid about it too..."
The Lab is a top secret installation buried in a national forest in the United States. It is hundreds of square miles in size and quite secluded. Anyone who gets too close is usually the 'unfortunate victim of a bear, or a cougar' or whatever else they could think up. On this normally quiet day a very loud argument was going on, on the roof.
"I don't give one good God Damned WHO I'm supposed to kill, it's FUCKING CHRISTMAS!" Beta Roared. He was furious that he was expected to work on Christmas, the one day of the year recognized internationally as a day of peace. Even wars stopped for periods of time on this day, regardless of religious beliefs. "I'm supposed to have at least FIVE days rest and counseling between assignments on top of that!" he argued. Truth be told physically and mentally he wasn't ready for another mission. The last mission cost him most of his team. Gamma had to be officially retired because of the wounds he'd taken. The twins had sacrificed themselves to create a portal, a new experimental technology using worm holes, to evac Beta and Gamma. They had lost the Alpha clone, and the new Omega was blown to pieces. In truth Beta wanted to walk away from everything.
"Who in the HELLS can be such a fucking danger that you have to send me NOW... TODAY of all fucking days!?" He roared again, holding back the tears at the memory of his fallen comrades.
"It doesn't matter WHO I send you to kill subject Beta" Dobsin replied calmly, with more than a little cruel malice in his voice, "only that you OBEY and carry out your orders!" he finished sharply. Beta hated Dobsin with ever fiber of his being. He was over bearing, and cruel and...
"beta darling..." Apple Berry;s lilting voice broke into the story.
"Master, honey... " Sigma's voice joined Apple Berry's, concern plain from both of them.
"You're growling and clenching your fist" Apple Berry had said, getting used to the new word for a ... hand with.. fingers curled up into a hoof... fist.
Beta smiled loving at them both, and kissed each in turn on their noses. "Sorry... anyway, I was told that it was an insurgent leader and that my orders were to go in alone, find where he was, kill him and everyone in the base."
Beta was climbing into the chopper as his father ran up to him holding a strange box in his hands. "Beta, you need to wait" he called. Beta pause and looked at his father and smiled.
"Come to wish my off Father?" Beta asked smiling. He loved his father, and that love was why he was so angry. He normally spent the entire day in his father's office or quarters curled up in his lap murring happily while his father pet his body, ears to tail. With the other furries dead or in the hospital it was ALL Beta had to look forward to on christmas.
Michael Naspha smiled affectionately at his son. "That too my dear boy. But also to give you this" he said as he held up the box with assorted flashing lights and a pair of short needles protruding from it. "Where you are going is very cold and your regular nannite armor won't protect you effectively enough. Not even your natural furr is meant for minus 50 and below" He added darkly. "These thermal nannites will reenforce your skin against the cold. But be careful they ony last 84 hours."
"Don't you mean 48 hours father?" Beta asked quizzically.
"No I mean 84 hours. That's how long our tests have shown they will survive in hard sub zero. However your own nannite colony might extend this. We don't know why, but these nannites die after three and a half days." His father then smiled wickedly "Now turn around and drop your pants, these have to be injected into your ass."
Beta complied and lifted his tail "is that good enough father?" he asked teasingly. His father had a strange sense of humor as did he.
"You STILL have a strange sense of humor my love" Apple Berry remarked giggling as Sigma stood in front of Beta and Apple Berry, presenting and wiggling his flank at them both.
"Is that good enough Master?" he asked teasingly himself, looking back at Beta, seeing him blush.
Beta swatted Sigma's flank, but smiled. "Yes my dear, and for later to be sure." Beta began to wonder if vapors from the Midnight Cider warming over the fire were beginning to affect them all. He doubted it. They were all a rather... affectionate bunch.
Beta stepped onto the chopper, rubbing his sire bottom. "That rather hurt" he said to no one in particular as the helicopter began for it's destination, an air field some hundred miles away. From there, he would be flown via a special kind of stealth jet to his final destination. Eventually he arrived.
"This is where I drop you off commander Beta" The pilot said. For assorted reasons, Beta held the rank of Lieutenant Commander. That made it easier for the pilots to take orders from a four foot, five inch humanoid rabbit fox furry thing. but not by much. Still the pilot was glad it was this animal going out into the weather and not him. His order were to return in thirty hours exactly. If there was no beacon, he was to abort pick up and leave Beta to die. Beta only knew he had a little over one day to carry out his mission.
"So I started asking around" Beta said, one paw caressing Sigma's cropper mane.
"How do you mean asking around?" Apple Berry asked.
"Remember, humans can't talk to animals.. I can being that I am one." Beta explained simply. Both his mates looked at him quizzically. "Think... talking to Fluttershy's rabbit Angel. Does he actually speak to you in clear language?" He asked. He had, of course, done just that, and nearly killed the foul mouthed little bastard too. He hated how Anger mistreated Flutter shy most of the time, but he had to admit Angel did a remarkable job looking after his mistress when she was down.
"Anyway, I talked to the local animals and I found the operation no problem." Beta continued. "The problem was that they all wore monk's robes."
Beta snuck into the temple, for that is what it actually was, and found his target... the Dalai lama! Not the one on TV or making speeches but the ACTUAL Lama... a small boy no older than nine. He was sitting in the Lotus position, both feet, heel up, resting on his folded legs looking serene, calm, at one with the universe, and oblivious about the murdered in his midst sent to kill him.
"But I couldn't'" Beta Said miserably. "I kill murders, corrupt politicians, drug lords, warlords... BAD PEOPLE" he said, tears coming to his eyes "But I don't kill CHILDREN!" He was on the verge of tears when both his mates but arms... fore legs around him to embrace him lovingly. "shhhh my love, you're safe" they both said quietly.
Beta dropped to his knees, his palms open, facing up and testing on the ground in a position of supplication. "i... I can't" he whispered. The boy smiled a very tiny bit.
"and why is that, mister assassin?" The Lama asked.
"I... I won't kill a child. There's no way you are a danger to anyone" Beta replied "... except China..." He then realized the true purpose of his mission. "Master Lama" Beta started but the boy, eyes still closed, turned towards Beta and held up a small hand.
"Do not worry mister bunny, We are quite safe." The Lama said. When he opened his eyes, the expression of a small boy, say nine years of age, seeing a giant rabbit, fox man before him. He stood and moved so gracefully to Beta that Beta was sure he was gliding. "You are a troubled soul" The boy said simply, marveling at the beauty of Beta's body.
"Y... yes master Lama." Beta said, not moving, his ears having fallen along his back in defeat.
The boy extended a hand to caress and pet Beta's head, as any child would do, but as soon as the boy's hand touched Beta's head a jolt went though Beta.
"It was like... the exact opposite of electric.." Beta said, closing his eyes to try and remember the feeling "it was like... tranquility was so much a part of his being, that his very touch could send someone into a state of complete tranquility, balance, and rest. Beta then touched both his mate's heads as he concentrated on not concentrating.
He sent to both of them that same sense of tranquility and peace with the universe. for many minutes they all say there, embraced lovingly, and in a complete state of Zen.
"He... he healed me" Beta said tiny tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Tears of happiness and release. "I was no longer in pain over my friends' deaths. I was a t peace because i knew their suffering as over. that their souls would move on to the next life." Beta explained "and that's what I've shared with you just now. The greatest Christmas gift I've ever received so far. So I share it with the most important people in my life... Sigma and Apple Berry... you are my beloved mates. Love is truly the greatest gift of all, and you two have given that to me in spades... I only hope..." Beta faltered with emotion and both mates kissed him.
"We love you Master" Sigma said
"You have given us both more love than we have known in our lives so far... and we are thankful to you for that" Apple Berry said. She rubbed her swelling belly, smiling. He had also given her a miracle.
Sigma then smelling the cider finishing up levitated over three cups and then the tea pot to fill each cup in turn. "There, all the flavor, none of the alcohol for an expecting mother" he then said smiling at Apple Berry.
After they all had at least one warm cup of cider and cuddled together on the large couch in front of the fire Apple Berry asked "So what happened after you met this Dalai Lama?"
Beta smiled "Nothing. I returned to meet my ride out and reported that the mission was a complete waste of time. That the temple had been cleared out before I got there." Beta explained simply. "I showed some disintegrating bit of old robe and that was that. I got another week off and then I was on another mission. but that will wait for another day. I .. I just wanted to share this one happy memory with you two on this wonderful Hearth Warming eve.
And they sat there in front of the fire, holding each other in blissful happiness until sleep claimed them all, that twin brother of death.
And I wish to you dear reader a Merry Christmas, Solstice, winter Fest, Festivus, or whatever you are celebrating this time of year. Family is where you find it. And yes... friendship IS Magic.