It was just a snowy Christmas Eve in Peak Country. The whole town was decorated, and so was Slither Scale's house. Feathers and his siblings had worked together to decorate it, with the lights and such. As for the tree, they had bought it with their allowances, and they decorated it as a team.
Slither came home from shopping and gasped to see his house decorated, and he went inside to see the group with the Christmas tree. "Oh, my!" He exclaimed. "Look at this! You all did this?!"
"Yes, sir. We worked together as a team," Feathers said. "I decorated the house, the others decorated the tree."
Slither smiled. "I'm so proud of you all. You all knew how to work together."
"We were just returning the favor after you brought us in," Otis smiled.
"Yeah, you're our best guardian," Bess said.
Slither had nothing else to say, but just smiled proudly. The following day, Otis and Feathers had brought in firewood they had chopped, a chore Slither had given them. They stacked the pile next to the fireplace, as Feathers fixed his diaper.
"Boy, oh, boy, I look forward to my first Christmas with my whole family," Otis said.
"I can tell you are," Feathers smiled, "and this is my thirteenth Christmas with Slither."
Skylar was sweeping the floor. "You know, Slither did tell us how he found you, and how you've been in his care for thirteen years," she said. "You must've been so lucky to have him."
"Not just lucky. Happy. I know, because he has a heart that told me love made us family."
Just then, they saw Ince walking in the living room, and he sat on a chair.
"Hey, little brother," Otis smiled.
But Ince wasn't smiling. He was looking down, feeling very sad. The three noticed it too, and Feathers could only know why. He walked to Ince. "What's wrong, Ince?" he asked.
"Hey, Feathers," Ince said in a depressing tone. "I'm just feeling all blue."
"You seem to look like it. You had helped us with the Christmas decorations earlier today. You were so happy. What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing. It's just that... that..." His eyes tear up as he choked. "Oh... I'm lovesick!" He covered his eyes, crying. "I just can't help how much I miss my parents, knowing this would be my first Christmas without them! I miss them, and I loved them so much! It just isn't fair I had lost them so soon! Oh, mom... dad... why?!"
Feathers felt very sad for his little brother. He didn't know what to say. He just got up and walked away, leaving poor Ince crying. Otis felt terrible to see Ince cry, and so did Skylar. But they had nothing to say. They then left, following Feathers.
Later, Feathers was with Otis, Bess and Skylar in the bedroom, talking about Ince.
"That poor Ince," Otis said. "He's taking his reality pretty hard."
"I know what you mean, Otis," said Feathers. "That poor pup missed his parents so much. It hurts me to know this'll be his first Christmas without them."
"I know how that feels," Bess said. "He even told me how much he loved them, and how he'd always remember them. He did enjoy living with us, but he just... couldn't help remembering his parents."
"I just wish there's something we could do to help him," Skylar said. "Couldn't we just do something?"
"That won't be easy, Skylar," said Feathers. "Ince lost his parents from a terrible storm. What could be far worse than that?"
Skylar groaned as she hit her paws on the floor. "But that's not right! Nobody should be alone on Christmas!"
"Calm down, Skylar, we know what you mean," Otis said. "But still, this is so traumatizing for the poor pup to lose his parents in a worst way possible. I just wish there's something we can do."
"Could we perhaps get Ince a Christmas present?" Bess asked.
"Well, it is possible," said Feathers, "but even I don't think a gift could cheer him up." He sighed. "I really wish I knew a way to cheer him up."
Otis pondered and then grinned. "You know, there was something one of the delinquents had told me some time ago," he said. "Christmas wasn't about presents or food. It was about family and love. I think a surprise might help him get over his trauma, to show him we are his new family."
Feathers blinked at this, and slowly smiled. "Otis? That... is... a... brilliant idea!" He beamed. "We just have to show Ince we're all here for him, as his family, with love, support, and kindness, even guidance!" His tail wagged with his diaper crinkling. "That'll make him happy again like he was when he and I first became brothers before you guys came!"
"But how can it work?" Bess asked.
"I'll ask Slither. He'll know what to do!"
Later that night, Ince had woke up from his nap, rubbing his eyes. He sighed and got out of his bed he shares with Bess, and left his room to get a drink of water. He yawned as he said, "I could use a drink of water. I think I felt thirsty." He walked down the dark hallway, and he entered the room, but it was so dark. "So dark in this room. Is anyone here? Feathers? Otis? Slither? Anyone?"
"Surprise!" Feathers' voice rang out as the lights came on.
Ince gasped to see the Christmas tree lighting up, and he saw Feathers, Otis, Skylar, Bess, and Slither at the fireplace. "W-What's this?"
"It's a Christmas get-together for you, Ince," Feathers smiled.
"Indeed," Slither said. "Feathers told me how lovesick you are, and I agreed to help you. So we came up with the Christmas get-together to show you that you're not alone."
"We know how sad and lonely you felt on Christmas, regarding your tragic loss," Otis said, "but we're all here to show you that we're all here for you, no matter what. We may be stuck in diapers, but we have each other."
"And I may be a tough hyena, but I do have a soft side, especially for kids like you, little guy," Skylar said.
"And you're just the perfect one who deserved to be happy," Bess said, smiling.
"Yeah, and this get-together is to show you, Ince, that you're family, and we want you to be happy. Your parents would have wanted you to be happy, for them," Feathers said. "And it is our dedication to show how much we love you, as our little brother."
Ince was speechless. "You... you all did this... for me, Feathers?"
"Of course we did, Ince. We wanted you to be happy, with all of us as a family. Nobody should be sad and alone on Christmas. Even Slither Scale would agree that someone like you deserves to have the best of Christmas."
Ince teared up a lot, sniffling. "F-Feathers..." he hugged Feathers, and Feathers hugged back. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome, Ince," said Feathers warmly.
The next morning, it was Christmas in Peak Country. Feathers was asleep in his bed, snoring with cute chirping sounds.
"Feathers, wake up! Wake up, it's Christmas!" Bess's voice called out.
Feathers snorted as he woke up, blinking. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and looked out the window. He then realized what Bess had said. "It's Christmas!" He exclaimed. He ran out of the bedroom and approached the living room, where he saw his whole family by the tree, with presents by the tree.
Slither poured some hot chocolate into mugs when he saw Feathers. "Good morning, my boy. Merry Christmas," he said warmly.
"Merry Christmas, Slither," said Feathers. "I can see Santa left us gifts."
Slither chuckled. "Yes, he surely did. Since it's Christmas, why don't you all enjoy a little gift opening?"
"Would I!" Feathers beamed.
The group opened their presents, and they all got scarves, while Bess got a pink sweater, and Skylar got a denim jacket, and Otis got a new green T-shirt.
Feathers had opened his present and saw it was a picture of him, his siblings, and Slither. "Wow! This is for me?!"
"Not just you, Feathers," said Slither. "Everyone. I may be your guardian, but you're all family to me, and I'm proud to have you all."
"Aw, Slither. You didn't have to." He then hugged Slither, and Slither hugged back.
Ince noticed a present for him, and he opened it. He saw it was a box, but the moment he opened it, he gasped. Inside the box were his teddy bear, a picture of his parents in a locket, and a diary.
"This is my stuff!" Ince cried. "I thought they were lost in the storm!" He then noticed a note. "A note?"
He picked up the note, and it read, "Dear Ince, I am very sorry for your loss. Losing a family is very tragic. No one deserves to lose their parents so soon. Your parents might have been gone, but you're still here, alongside your new family. Your belongings were found in the wreckage and spared. It was time they are back in your paws. Warm regards, Slither Scale."
Ince's eyes tear up as he looked at Slither. "Sl-Slither... you didn't have to...!"
"That little get together we had for you last night was only the beginning, Ince," said Slither. "The rangers had been through what was left of your house a few weeks ago, and they found your stuff still intact. They came to my house and asked me to give them to you, and I felt this was the perfect opportunity to give them to you for Christmas."
Ince sniffled and hugged Slither. "Thank you so much, Slither. You're the best."
"Merry Christmas, Ince," said Slither, tousling Ince's head.
"Merry Christmas, Slither, and Merry Christmas, everyone. This is the best Christmas I ever have!"
Everyone else gathered to hug Ince, as Ince wagged his tail, his diaper crinkling.
Later, Ince was in his room, checking his diary, everything he had written from during his time with his parents, and the fun times he had. He then turned pages to the blank one. "Dear diary," he wrote, "It had been a terrible night for me to lose my parents in that awful storm that destroyed my house. I can still feel the trauma from that night, but then one day, I came across a house where an anaconda, Slither Scale, raised a gryphon, Feathers. He later adopted me, and I was happy to be Feathers' little brother. Then about a few weeks later, we met Otis the horse, Bess the fox, and Skylar the hyena, and they all became family. And this Christmas became the best Christmas where I am happy to be family again, with my brothers Feathers and Otis, and my sisters Bess and Skylar. I hope my parents are watching me from the sky, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for all of us." He then heard a knock on the door.
"Ince, time for breakfast!" Slither said from behind the door.
"Coming, Slither!" Ince called. He put his diary on the shelf and left the bedroom to join his guardian and siblings for breakfast.
