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When most people think of spring, the first thing that comes to mind is a bright sunny day
Clear skies, perfectly moderate weather that's warm enough to have officially left winter but not so warm as to have become "hot" just yet
Fluffy white clouds and skies so blue that even the oceans were jealous
And when most people thought about Easter, they thought of those beautifull, perfect spring days
So, as Moxxie stared at the giant, dark clouds full of rain and the sporatic bursts of lightening that poured down from the sky, an immeasurable sense of dread and sadness began to engulf him
"Are you kidding me?" he breathed, eye twitching, nose wrinkling
"...Don't worry sweetie, it'll be ok," Millie assured him gently, reaching out to pet his arm comfortingly
Moxxie shook his head slowly, the sadness beginning to shift into rage as he stared at the forecast, watching the little rainclouds pour down over the bright, beautifull, April 9th circled on the calendar, the little bunny sitting inside the calendar square- rightfully- covering it's head and staring up at Moxxie as if somehow knowing that the Easter Bunny himself was watching
Moxxie felt bad for it, even though it was just a magically generated image...
"He's doing this on purpose..." Moxxie growled, his eyes narrowing, his emotions so tense and tangled up that- without quite meaning to- his rabbit ears had sprouted atop his head
Millie wrinkled her nose, staring at the forecast and watching as particularly vicious bolt of lightning shot down towards the rabbit
..Yikes....
"I mean..... yeah, he probably is...."
"I'm going over there,"
Millie sighed, rubbing the back of her neck anxiously
"Mox, you know I ain't ever one to buck the idea of confrontation, but... is this really the best idea...?"
"Yes," Moxxie decided firmly
"I can't let him ruin Easter!"
"Ok then," Millie nodded, taking her husband's hand and giving it a tight, reassuring squeeze
"I've got your back sugar, let's go,"
~+~
"Well well, if it ain't Peter Cottontail, what's got you hoppin' down my bunny trail? Isn't your little eggy holiday tommorrow?"
Not only were Moxxie's ears out now, but so was his tail, his eyes blazing with a fire of anger as he marched down the dark woodsy trail towards his adversary
"REALLY Striker? Storms tommorrow in EVERY country that celebrates Easter?!"
"Oh.... did I do that?" Striker grinned, knowing full well what he had done
"Well shucks, sucks to be you then don't it?" he chuckled, a twig of wheat twirling between his teeth as he leaned back against the tree behind him, clearly quite proud of himself
"'Course that ain't no different than usual I guess,"
"Don't you think it's a little immature and selfish to use your realm's powers to settle some childish grudge!?" Moxxie huffed, earning an unimpressed shrug from Striker
"Maybe,"
"Does this actually make you feel better!?"
"Yep,"
Moxxie's eye twitched as Striker pushed away from the tree, tilting his cowboy hat up a bit as he stepped towards the smaller man
"I gotta correct a little misnomer ya' seem to have though- this ain't settlin' nothin', it's just fun,"
"Now listen here you sleezy snakeman!" Millie suddenly shouted, jumping between them and aiming a dagger at Striker's throat- Striker, for his part, atleast had the decency to look surprised, even if still unimpressed
"Moxxie never did nothin' against you, I don't care what twisted up idea you have about it, he don't deserve this!"
"Well I guess that's for me to decide, now ain't it?" Striker grinned back, carefully setting his fingernail against the blade and edging it away from his throat
"'Sides, I can't do nothin' about it anyway, my job is to oversee the harvest, people start plantin' shit in spring for said harvest, so that makes this my jurisdiction, and my sworn duty as the Harvest Spirit to make sure things go smoothly for my people- by any means necessary, that also means that there ain't a damn thing you all can do about it neither- I checked,"
Now Moxxie wasn't the one having the problem controlling his temper- Millie was, and she looked like she was about to commit a murder
....Wich definitely wasn't good or legal....
"You smarmy ass-lickin' honky-tonk pile o' shit!!"
Suddenly, Moxxie was really beginning to rethink this confrontation thing, eyes wide as the potential bloodbath started to play out in his mind like a horror movie
So before Millie could turn into the type of bloodthirsty killer the likes of Freddy Kreuger and Jigsaw would be proud of, he hurried to snatch her up and start dragging her towards the exit of Lughnasadh Town, peering over his shoulder at Striker- who looked thrilled to death with the outcome of this little visit- and narrowed his eyes
"This isn't over Striker!!"
"Really?" Striker hollered back
"Seems pretty over to me!"
Millie gave a low growl, clearly itching to run back through the woods and tear the other spirit limb from limb- a sentiment Moxxie could very much appreciate in theory, but had to decline in practice
After all, he'd prefer they both stay in charge of their realms and not be imprisoned for the next several centuries if it could be helped....
~+~
"Try not to worry sweetie, there've been rainy Easters before!"
Moxxie only sighed solemnly, staring at the calander and realizing with dread that their little visit had only managed to make things worse- the thunderstorms had turned into an outright monsoon....
The only creatures that would be comfortable celebrating Easter this year, it seemed, would be fish
"What's this fucker's problem with you anyway?"
Millie paused, glaring over her shoulder at Sallie May, who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere to do seemingly nothing but sit in the middle of the feild and pet rabbits
Millie couldn't quite blame her- the rabbits were easily Easter Town's biggest perk
"What're you doin' here?"
"Saw the forecast for tommorrow, decided to come over so I could point and laugh at your husband's misfortune," Sallie May grinned back, scratching behind the ears of an adorable black and white rabbit
Millie rolled her eyes so hard she could swear, for a breif second, she saw the back of her own head, but decided not to give in to the temptation of reading her sister the riot act
Not now, anyway, maybe later, maybe at family dinner when she could throw a biscuit at her....
"Anyway, what'd you do to piss off the harvest guy anyway? He always seemed pretty chill,"
"Oh he's mad at me because his dumb horse died!" Moxxie screeched back, finally turning away from the calander and letting himself fall to the ground, hugging his legs miserably to his chest, ears drooping sadly as his wiskers- wich were now also on display thanks to his emotional distress- twitched and tickled his nose
"....Uhh.... I'm... sorry....?"
"His favorite horse died last year," Millie explained with a sigh, moving to sit next to her husband and wrap him up in a tight, reassuring hug
"He wanted Moxxie to bring it back to life but-"
"It don't work that way," Sallie May concluded with a moment of sincere sympathy
"I tried to explain that to him but he doesn't believe me!" Moxxie huffed with distress, rubbing at his face, little tufts of white fur beginning to sprout against his skin
"That's always the problem with newbies, they don't get shit like that," Sallie May sighed, eagerly welcoming a second rabbit- this one a soft mocha brown- into her lap as the first began dozing off to sleep
"He thinks Moxxie had some arbitrary reason for sayin' 'no', and I bet his pride is also hurt 'cause he made this big elaborate plea about it.... but that don't mean he gets to ruin Moxxie's entire holiday over it!"
Every holiday spirit- no matter how old or new, how important or replaceable, how serious or playfull- knew that messing with someone else's holiday was- wile not actually illegal- highly frowned upon, as it was the beleif and celebration of any given holiday that fueled a Holiday Spirit and their entire town in the first place
Sure, Easter was a pretty big and widely celebrated holiday, one year of people being cooped up indoors wasn't going to kill anyone, but it would still put a pretty big damper on things, especially as Easter had started to slowly fade in popularity a couple of decades ago anyway....
Moxxie just didn't need any help making it fade any faster, he needed all the celebration he could get, and for people to establish good, happy memories during Easter so that they could continue to pass down the tradition to their children, rather than deciding not to bother or to even stop celebrating it all together
Holiday Spirits always had their reasons for wanting their particular holiday to go well each year, but fueling the desire in others to keep celebrating it and passing it on to the next generation was something they all had in common
"Well shit, sucks to be you, glad I don't gotta worry about people 'celebratin' the solstice for my livelihood to happen,"
Millie growled, her teeth bared in aggravation as she glared at her sister
That seemed to be the tipping point too, the thing that finally drove Moxxie's anxious, aggravated, distressed emotional state over the edge
With a quiet *POP*, Millie found herself no longer sitting next to her husband- well, not her husband's human form anyway
Instead there was a little white rabbit in his place, who had somehow managed to look just as upset as Moxxie had moments ago, despite, you know, being a rabbit
"See? SEE what you did?" Millie huffed, picking up the rabbit and cradling him in a loving hug
"It's ok Mox, it's gonna be alright, ya' don't gotta go bunny on me..."
"Ya' know, if it's really that big of a deal, why don't'cha just give 'im a fake horse and tell 'im his real one'll come back to life in three days or whatever? Ya' know, pull a Jesus an' all that?"
"He can't do that," Millie huffed, rolling her eyes again
"....Why not?"
Millie opened her mouth, preparing to answer.....
Before coming to the somewhat startling conclusion that there was no good answer to be had
Why couldn't he?
Yes, it would be cruel, but Striker was threatening Moxxie's very existance here! And if he was reall going to buy into that bullshit to begin with.....
For a long moment- a very long moment even- all was quiet, before finally, Millie spoke again
"Where would we get a horse like that?"
~+~
"Lemme get this straight..... you want me to make a realistic toy horse to fool the Harvest Spirit into thinking that it's going to become a real one in three days so he'll cancel the rain for Easter?"
"That's what we're askin'," Millie confirmed with a nod
"That sounds cruel and unusual and extremely unethical.... but fuck it, I can't say 'no' to you, I'm in!" Blitz beamed, grinning from ear to ear
"Thanks Blitz," Millie sighed with releif, arms wrapped around a still bunny-fied Moxxie
"I really appreciate this, and I know Mox does too,"
"Sure, no problem! It's the off season for us anyhow so alot of us are taking on little hobbies and side projects," Blitz noted with a shrug
"I'm happy to help, you really think it'll work though?"
"I.... honestly, I'm not sure," Millie confessed, sighing as she settled down into the big plush cand-cane print chair behind her
"But it's about the only thing we can think of,"
"I'm confused about something," noted Stolas as he looked up from the toy alien he had been sculpting all morning
"This Harvest person... does he control all weather...?"
"No, just anything that could affect the harvest within said harvest season,"
"So any time that isn't winter, essentially," Blitz interjected, earning a confirming nod from Millie in response
"Technically the weather is controlled by an entirely different realm, but because Striker controls the Harvest, he's allowed to put his dumbass opinion into things and get the weather changed around if he sees fit,"
"I see...." Stolas mumbled slowly, pursing his lips
"Can't you just consult with these weather people yourself then?"
"'Fraid not," Millie said with a loud sigh
"Holiday Spirits don't really have access to things the Heavenly Realms, they're a step above us, all 'cept for special instances like Striker's,"
"Is that always true?" Stolas asked curiously, tilting his head
"For the most part," Blitz nodded
"There are some very specific realms that some very specific spirits have access to, like how Striker has access to the weather people and Millie has access to the Tree Of Life, Moxxie should have some access to the Reincarnation Pipeline but that's about it,"
"Reincarnation... Pipeline?" Stolas repeated slowly, tilting his head
"Yeah, see, when you die, you initially spend time in the Heavenly Realms- in the afterlife, but after a wile you might choose to reincarnate somewhere, that starts ya' down the Reincarnation Pipeline, wich is mostly controlled by angels, but because Moxxie rules over Easter- wich is a holiday all about rebirth and new beginnings and shit- he has some access to it, though it's more about making sure that the souls get distributed where they're supposed to than actually making any decisions,"
"And that's where alot of the confusion is," Millie added with a nod
"Moxxie can't choose to bring somebody back from the dead or force somebody to reincarnate in any way- and animals? Forget that shit, animals are one-lifers, they head to their designated realm for one life and then they get to chill the rest of eternity in spirit realms,"
"I see.... but couldn't he ask these reincarnation freinds of his to just get help from the weather people?"
"Striker has jurisdiction," Blitz provided boredly, resting his head on his hand and swirving in his chair
"In this case, because he controls the harvest, he outranks any favors that might get pulled, think of it like.... if you get pulled over for a speeding ticket and flirt with the cop, you'd usually get out of it, but if that cop has his supervisor in the car? Good. Fucking. LUCK. Then you'd have to flirt with the supervisor to get out of it, ya' see what I mean?"
"Yes..." Stolas pouted, leaning back in his own chair and sighing, his nose wrinkling in thought as Millie and Blitz started to exchange thoughts and ideas concerning the toy horse- details and the like
But Stolas wasn't as comfortable with this decision as they were- besides the cruelty of it, he just didn't think it was going to work, and there had to be an easier solution out there....
"Moxxie escorts reincarnated souls to their proper places?" he asked suddenly, unintentionally interrupting the conversation
"...Well, yeah, more or less," Millie confirmed slowly
"He and his realm make sure that the eggs get where they're s'posed to go an' all that,"
"What about new life?" Stolas asked curiously, brows raising
"That.... is a way more complicated thing," Blitz noted carefully, honestly not even wanting to get into the conversation, it was alot of alot and he didn't even have the patience to listen to that conversation, much less participate in it
"But the short answer is that you can't just crap out a new soul and give it to somebody, if that's where you were going with this," Blitz added with a quiet sigh
Stolas's shoulders sagged sadly, a pout on his face
"Oh..."
He really had wanted to help...
He may not have known Moxxie or Striker or really anyone but Blitz in this situation, but Stolas was just a helpfull person and he had hoped to provide something...
"That's it!"
Millie screeched in surprise, putting a hand to her chest as if to slow her racing heart as Moxxie suddenly popped out of bunny form, a bright grin on his face as he stared at Blitz, eyes sparkling
"I can't do anything about a new soul or a reincarnated soul...... but there is one kind of soul I could have some sway with.... if I had a freind who I could maybe ask one little favor from....?"
Stolas, confused, glanced at Blitz, who had instantly started going pale
"Oh no.... no no no no no no no-"
"Please?" Moxxie begged, putting his hands up in front of him, giving Blitz the best puppy eyes he could manage
"I would owe you hugely!"
"What even makes you think this shitty plan is going to work? No, I vote we stick with the Trojan Horse idea- ha, get it, Trojan Horse? God I'm funny..."
Sadly, no one else seemed as amused as Blitz did
...Except for Stolas, who was trying to stifle a laugh into his hand as he knew the tone in the room didn't seem overly appreciative of humor at this time
"Actually I think Mox has a wonderfull idea," Millie insisted with a grin
"I think it'll work! Striker ain't messed with anybody like Moxxie before, I gurantee it,"
"And what if it doesn't? Then you've totally blown your wad with trying to do anything to influence him and you're going to be fucked out of a sunny Easter," Blitz pointed out
The two spring spirits exchanged glances, quiet, communicating without words, before Moxxie turned back to Blitz, a streak of confidence now on his face
"That's a risk I'm willing to take,"
"And we'd both owe you SO BIG," Millie insisted quickly
Blitz, finally worn down it seemed, heaved a massive sigh, hanging his head as he slowly climbed out of his chair, hands up in surrender
"Fine- fine, but yeah, you're right, you DO both owe me big and I am SO cashing in on that with something good,"
"....Can I ask what on earth is going on?" Stolas finally blurted out, thoroughly confused for what felt like the hundreth time in the last few months
Blitz only sighed, glancing at his partner over his shoulder and taking Stolas's hand in his own
"C'mon mi vida, we're gonna go visit my sister,"
~+~
"You're really gonna ask Barbie for a favor after what happened?" Fizz asked with uncertainty, giving Blitz a hesitant look as they walked
"Yeah.... well, I'm gonna get paid back for this, I have a fucking Guardian who owes me now," Blitz insisted, rubbing his arms anxiously for warmth, despite his leather jacket being quite warm it's self and the cool air of Halloween Town having absolutely nothing on the frigid cold of Christmas Town
"Still..." Fizz mumbled, his expression sympathetic
"They have no idea what happened between you two.... do they?"
Blitz swallowed, glancing ahead at the M&Ms as they walked cheerfully alongside Stolas and Ozzie- the group's escort through Halloween Town
"No..." Blitz confirmed slowly
"But it's-.... it is what it is, 'sides, it ain't like I'm asking Barbie for that big of a favor..."
"Yeah but you know how she is," Fizz cautioned worriedly
"If she gives you a dollar, you'll owe her five..."
"I know," Blitz muttered under his breath, swallowing hard as they arrived at the door, the very appropriate sound of a crow cawing as it flew by adding a higher dose of anxiety to the general atmosphere
"I know..."
"Here we are cuties," Ozzie smiled, gesturing dramatically to a single wooden door carved into a dark, wilted hillside
The door was simple compared to the usual ornate affairs that they were used to, with nothing but some withered vines and a single skull in the center to act as "decor"
It was.... honestly kind of intimidating, the simplicity only serving to make it feel even more dark and unnerving...
Stolas found himself awestruck by it, but Blitz had stepped through it before and wasn't nearly as impressed
"This is where Fizzie and I leave you, but just send a raven when you get back and we'll help you find your ways back to the exit,"
"Sure thing Ozzie, thanks," Millie smiled appreciatively, leading the charge as she opened the door and stepped inside
The door- much to Stolas's surprise- didn't lead to another realm, it lead to another hall of doors
But this one was unique from the other- there were significantly less doors, for one thing- still quite a few, but... less, and for another, wile the other hall had been brightly lit and featured a generally welcoming atmosphere, this hall was darker, the air stuffier, less pleasant to be in
"What... is this place...?"
"The Hall Of Death," Blitz answered, arms wrapped around his chest, face downcast
"There are so many holidays that specifically have to do with death, pretty much every culture has atleast one, for practical reasons they have their own hall, it's just easier for the spirits involved that way,"
"Plus, the rest of us aren't usually welcome in those realms," Millie added as they walked
"It ain't the fault of anybody who runs 'em- well most of the time anyway- but see... holidays connected to death usually have a direct connection with the afterlife it's self, think of it like... bein' a few branches down on a family tree from eachother,"
"And because of that, living entities- wich we still count as- aren't especially appreciated there, you're not really supposed to get a good look behind the curtain, if that makes sense, not unless you work there,"
"Sort of like in school how you're not supposed to be in the teacher's lounge," Moxxie provided
"I... see..."
Stolas had so many questions that his head hurt- and not the least of wich concerned how Moxxie was familiar with the concept of school when that as an entity didn't seem to exist in the holiday realms, but before he had the chance to further inquire, the group stopped at a door
It was mostly a plain door, with one very big noticeable difference to make it stand out from the rest
Much like all other holiday doors, it had a symbol on the front to identify it- a beautifull, rustic looking marigold
"Here we are," Blitz said with a sigh, wasting no more time in grabbing the handle and pulling the door open
Stolas hadn't been sure what exactly he had been expecting, something darker- that much he knew, darker and less welcoming and perhaps even frightening....
But he hadn't been expecting this
The world around him was beautifull- filled with bright colors and flowers and upbeat music, the weather felt like a magnificently breezy summer night and the air was filled with the smell of food- sweets, mostly, it seemed, but he could also pick up on some heavier scents like peppers and spices and even some tequila....
He wanted to stay for a wile and get a proper look at things, explore a little, soak in the sheer beauty of the world around him, but it was clear that wasn't agreeable to the rest of the group- or atleast not to Blitz, who was quite quick to hurry them all along, making his way to the front of the group and heading across a long, beautifully decorated bridge, full of the same strikingly colored flowers as the rest of the realm seemed to be
"You... said we were coming to see your sister?" Stolas asked slowly, tilting his head as they walked, earning little more than a quiet "Yeah" from his boyfreind
"Is she the ruler of this realm?"
"That's right,"
"How.... did that happen? I mean.. were you both born as elves or-?"
"It's a long story, let's just say that she got a promotion and leave it at that,"
Stolas's expression pinched slightly, unsure what to do with Blitz's much colder demeanor, shouldn't visiting his sister be a good thing...?
Before he could voice any of these questions, however, a shadow suddenly appeared before them, slipping elegantly into veiw before it filled out, taking the form of a beautifull young woman, sporting a similar height and build to Blitz, with long black hair cascaded around her face- wich was painted like a sugar skull, little gems and colorfull stones adding for even more decoration across her makeup, and marigolds peppering the hem of her long red dress
She was gorgeous.... but she looked pretty displeased to see them
"Blitz, what are you doing here?"
"I need to ask you for a favor," Blitz replied with some clear level of hesitance
Stolas glanced at Moxxie and Millie, as if to get some clue as to what the hostility between the two was about, but they seemed just as confused as he was
"A favor?" she huffed in disbeleif
"You're asking me for a favor?"
"Actually, we are asking you for a favor," Millie spoke up, taking a step forward and now standing between Blitz and his sister
The woman slowly raised a brow, glancing down at Millie utterly unimpressed, before something akin to recognition began flickering across her face and she gave a chuckle
"The Guardian Of Spring...." she said slowly
"What could you possibly need from Santa Muerte?"
"We need a horse," Millie replied firmly
A beat passed, quiet, stiffling, before slowly, Santa Muerte raised a brow, clearly more confused than anything
"...A... horse? You came to me for a horse?!"
"A dead one," Moxxie piped in, wich only seemed to throw her off even further
"It's a long story but my husband's holiday is in a little bit of trouble, we know you have access to the afterlife, we wondered if you could maybe.... pull a few strings and get us a horse's spirit? We have an idea-"
"Blitzo," Santa Muerte interrupted, turning to her brother in disbeleif
"Is she serious?"
"Yeah, she's serious, like she said, it's a long fuckin' story,"
Santa Muerte chuckled, a grin splitting across her face, a light shimmering in her eyes
"I could do that.... but you know it'll cost you, right?"
Stolas bristled, not enjoying the way she was looking at his boyfreind
"Yeah, Barbs, I know, I know it'll fucking cost me, nothing is ever free with you-"
"Well after what happened-"
"Look I'll pay you back, just grant the fucking favor!"
"So bitter," the other spirit sighed, seemingly satisfied with herself
"I guess it's the least I can offer you as a consolation prize... alright, get the fuck out of my realm, and I'll have your horse delivered to Easter Town by tonight,"
"Este lugar también debería ser mío, ya sabes, no puedes poseerlo," Blitz said quietly, expression seemingly more somber than defensive now
"Well that's your opinion," the other spirit said simply, before vanishing into the shadows again
Blitz sighed heavily, rubbing his arms before turning and starting to lead them back the way they came
"C'mon, we got what we came for so let's go,"
Stolas pressed his lips into a thin line, hurrying towards his boyfreind's side and placing a hand in what he hoped was a comforting gesture on Blitz's shoulder, offering a gentle squeeze
"Are all death-related spirits.... like that?"
"Nope," Blitz said simply
"Just Barbie, just with me,"
Stolas wanted to press further, he wanted to know more, but looking at the expression on Blitz's face.... he quickly thought better of it, instead only giving a small nod and falling quiet as they made their way home
~+~
"So, back again are we?"
Millie bristled, having to hold herself back from charging forward and wiping that smarmy look off of Striker's face
Oh how she itched to rip his tongue out and shove it right up his-
"We have a peace offering," Moxxie noted simply, earning a moderate look of surprise from the other man
"Peace offerin'?" he echoed, clearly skeptical
Moxxie only gave a nod, clearing his throat and holding the little brown basket he was carrying out towards the Harvest Spirit
Slowly, Striker approached, as though he were expecting a bomb or something, and took the basket, tilting his head as he looked down in it
".....An egg?" he huffed
"You think some dumb lookin' painted egg is gonna-"
"It's what's in the egg jackass!" Millie snapped from behind her husband, succeeding in getting Striker to snap his mouth shut
"I can't.... choose to bring someone back to life, or be reincarnated, and animals... animals can't reincarnate at all," Moxxie began carefully
"But... well.... I understand how badly the loss of your horse hurt you... and... well.... inside that egg is the soul of another horse, not Bulletproof, but... well... um... another horse who had passed on but was willing to come back to a.... well, to live in another realm, a-and since it's already dead, it can't die again so it's-"
"Like a zombie?" Striker guessed
"...I was going to say 'immortal'...." Moxxie explained carefully
Striker still didn't seem to believe him, but after a moment or two of silence, finally stepped towards Moxxie
"So how do I bust this thing open?"
"You don't," Moxxie warned quickly
"Just... give it an hour or two and... and if you're happy when the egg hatches then.... just.... please, reconsider making it rain tommorrow,"
"....That's it?" Striker asked, face scrunched up in confusion
"That's it," Moxxie confirmed, giving an awkward wave before turning, taking Millie's hand, and moving towards the exit of the realm
Striker stayed silent for a few moments, waiting until they were gone before glancing down at the colorfully painted egg in his hand
"Not Bulletproof huh..... what would I even name this thing then? Bombproof?"
...Actually that didn't sound like a half-bad name.....
~+~
When Moxxie woke the next morning, Easter having finally come, he anxiously made his way towards the calander, swallowing hard as he glanced down at the day's forecast
To his shock and releif, he saw nothing but sunny skies all around