Star vs The Forces of Evil

Beautiful Christmas

Disclaimer: Star vs The Forces of Evil was created by Daron Nefcy and is owned by Disney. I own no part of Star vs.

Chapter 9: Beautiful Christmas

Original Postdate: December 23, 2019

Christmas Eve

The day of the party finally arrived. Everything was set. It was make or break time for Star and the gang. This party was either going to be one for the scrapbook, or it would be a complete disaster. Star, Marco, Jackie, Chloe, Tom, Janna, Pony Head, and Mr. Dunlap, as well as the Butterfly clan and the Diazes all stood at the entrance to the park, awaiting the arrival of those who RSVP'd.

"You okay, Star?" Marco asked his girlfriend, taking note of her shaking nerves.

"Oh yeah, totally, totally..." Star said loudly and quickly. "I always shake uncontrollably when I'm calm and totally not nervous like I am right now."

"It's all gonna work out. We've done everything we can. Everything in there looks amazing."

"You guys really outdid yourselves."

"Us? Girl, we all know this wouldn't have come together like this without you." Janna smiled, reaching over and lightly punching Star's arm.

"Guys..."

"You know she's right." Jackie chimed in, getting Star's face to turn red.

"But what if something goes wrong? What if...what if they hate it?"

"Yo, girl, if they got a problem, that's on them." Pony Head exclaimed. "You guys put your backs into this party and, like, everything in there is like the most beautiful party I've ever seen! Are you sure you destroyed all the magic, cuz that's the only way you could put something like that together."

Star and Marco got a laugh from that. "Nah, magic's got nothing to do with it. It's good old fashioned teamwork and camaraderie."

"You have a pretty good team with you, hard to deny that." Mr. Dunlap remarked, tusseling Star's hair before turning back to Pony Head. Pony Head's mere existence baffled him. "So...how do you...how do you exist?"

"What's that mean?"

"...You're a floating head."

"...Yeah."

"No arms or legs."

"...so?"

"H-H-How do you do things, how do you exist!?"

Pony Head could only raise an eyebrow, for before she opened her mouth, a large crowd of people and monsters came down the street heading towards them. "Ooh, they're coming!" Star pointed out, getting excited at the sight. "Get ready guys, we get one shot to pull this off!"

Mr. Dunlap patted Star's shoulder and stepped in front of her. "Let me take the lead here." He said, clearing his throat and preparing to utilize his thunderous voice. The crowd approached them and slowly came to a stop when they were in striking distance. "HOW'S Y'ALL DOIN'!?" He shouted at the top of his lungs. The crowd cheered in response, albeit awkwardly. "Hope you're all ready for the biggest holiday party Echo Creek's ever seen!" More enthusiastic but awkward cheering. "Come on in!" He led the kids and the crowd into the park, showing off the gigantic party that had been set up for them. Glistening, glowing lights surrounding nearly every corner of the park, engulfing the place in a Christmas-esque atmosphere that rivaled only cheesy rom-coms.

Tables with only the finest holiday cuisines populated every quadrant. The tables representing the orphanage and the animal shelter were filled to the brim with babies, animals, and representatives from both happily waiting for their acknowledgement. Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanza decorations & knick-knacks scattered everywhere, lighting up the park in a way that could only be captured in fairy tales. There was a magnificent, over-sized Christmas tree right next to the giant stage, with presents galore scattered underneath it, more than enough for everyone to have at least one.

There was noticeable reservation among the crowd, especially in regard to the non-Christmas decorations. But the longer they all took to observing the area, the more people began to warm up to them. Some of the non-Christmas decorations & set pieces were even earning singing praise from some of the toughest skeptics among the large group. "Don't be shy!" Star shouted to them. "

"...What do we do first?" One of them asked, visibly nervous. He resembled a deer in headlights. "...Where do we..."

"Where do you go? Well, you can go wherever you want! The whole park is your oyster!" She shouted gleefully, turning to Mr. Dunlap. "Am I saying that right?"

"Not even close."

"I don't know...this always used to be a Christmas party."

"It used to be a lot of things." Star replied firmly but calmly. "But times change."

"Isn't that kind of a weak excuse to just fix something that wasn't broken?" He barked back, turning his attention to Mr. Dunlap. "You weren't even a big part of the party planning this year, what's up with that? Y-You just let her run rampart on this place? You and the misses poured your hearts into this every year! What does she think of all this?"

Dunlap took a moment to silently formulate his response. He shrugged and pointed towards the sky. "I don't know, why don't you look up to the sky and ask her yourself?"

"I ain't talking about the clouds, I'm-" And then it set in. The news of the passing of Mr. Dunlap's wife was kept mostly secret, only a select few knowing, Star herself included. "Wait...when?" It soon started sinking in for the rest off the people in the large crowd; loud murmurs could be heard coming from as far as the back of the group.

"Few months ago. Fact is there wasn't even going to be a party this year had it not been for this girl." He proudly patted Star's shoulder again, causing her to blush with pride.

"Aww...but come on, it wasn't just me. I got me an awesome pack of friends and family that stepped up with me." She turned and gave each and every one of her friends & loved ones the recognition she felt they deserved. "Marco and his folks cooked up pretty much every single plate of food that's waiting in there for you. All of it piping hot! No frozen foods for anyone tonight!" She looked over at Jackie, waving to her and smiling. "Jackie and I did this awesome PR campaign to get the word out about this party! It was not easy, but man was it fun!" She had a slight blush going as she giggled in an effort to ease her elevating tension. Getting past her gay crush on Jackie was a work in progress, but a work she didn't mind taking its time either. "Tom & Janna are responsible for tonight's kick-butt entertainment that's gonna rock all of your worlds!" A brief pause, the gears in her head turning as she herself turned to the two of them. "Speaking of which, where are they?"

"Oh don't worry, they're here. Let's just say they're lurking in the shadows waiting to make a big entrance, waiting to make themselves present." She sneered, giving Star a rather smug side eye and hoping she would catch on. She did not. "...presen-"

"She's not getting it." Tom said bluntly.

"Yeah I can see that. Okay they're in a giant life-sized wrapped present settled in the park waiting for their cue to bust out."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Jackie asked her.

"Nah, there's air holes and everything. They're good." She turned to Tom. "Right Tom?"

The completely flabbergasted look on his face immediately rose red flags for Janna. "...air holes?"

"...oh my god." And without a second's more hesitation she dashed right past him into the park towards the life-sized present where the entertainment was settled, prompting Tom to follow her in a panic.

"WAIT WHAT I'D DO WRONG!?" He screamed as he hustled out of sight following her. Star burst into laughter.

"Oh I'm terrible for laughing at this, but that is classic Tom." She managed out in between heaving from the laughter. "I love that boy." She turned her attention back to the group, where some of them were still restless.

"I don't know..." One of them spoke up. "Our family's Hanukkah traditions are sacred. I'm not sure I'm comfortable sharing those traditions with hoodlums looking for a fight."

Someone else in the crowd stepped out to face him; he was clearly not pleased. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"N-Nothing, j-just that I don't expect everyone to understand how we celebrate the holiday. It's nothing personal."

Amid the opposer's rising fury, Star, arms crossed and deadpanned looking at them, spoke out. "Are you sure about that?"

Her questioned sparked confusion among the two as well as the group at large. "What's that supposed to mean?" The Hanukkah celebrating man asked.

"From where I'm standing it sounds like you're assuming he's just going to be super ignorant of your culture and your ways & dismiss it without even giving it a chance."

"Wh-no! That's not it at all! It's just that our traditions are...are-"

"Are no better and no worse than any other holiday." Her answer, as well as how committed she was to that answer, was what spurned even more confusion & murmuring from the crowd.

"Not to defend him, but...I actually don't understand...you know, Hanukkah or any of the other..."

"You know what? That's not even important." She turned around and started to walk into the park, signaling to the group to follow her. She led them to the stage, where she climbed up onto it and turned to face them. "Let me ask you all something: what's one thing Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa...really, all of the holidays have in common?" Everyone murmured among themselves for a brief moment. Nobody had a clear answer. "I'll tell you what they all have in common: love. Holidays are - or they should be - about spreading love and joy to everyone around you! Regardless of your race, regardless of your gender, and especially regardless or your culture."

"What does that mean?"

"I know a bunch of you guys out there don't celebrate Christmas. I know some of you celebrate Hanukkah. Well guess what? I want you guys here with us! Same with the people who celebrate Kwanzaa! The party is open to you all as well! And heck, some of you might not even celebrate anything around this time of year! Well you know what? You're still welcome at this party! Each and every one of you!"

"...Even the monsters?" One not-so-brave soul asked from the back.

"Yes, even the monsters. When I say everybody, I mean it."

One of them deep into the crowd raised their hand. "Why are you doing this?" She asked Star; her tone wasn't derogatory or bitter or angry, merely curious. "The party was fine the way it was before. Why fix something that wasn't broken?"

"I'll answer your question with one of my own: how do you know that it wasn't broken? Just because you say it wasn't?"

"...I don't-"

"If there's one thing that my endless research of these festivities has taught me, it's that Christmas - and I mean this in the nicest way possible - Christmas is freaking EVERYWHERE. I'm sorry, but it's kind of exhausting going into every story in town and seeing Christmas just dominate everywhere. I actually feel really bad for the people that don't celebrate it: it must be pretty exasperating to have to go into commercial stores and see a holiday they just aren't interested in being thrown all around like it's a toy. What about the people that celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa? Don't they matter too? Everything doesn't have to revolve around Christmas!"

"Do you celebrate those holidays?"

"You know what? I don't know! I mean it, this is my first winter holiday on Earth! I come from an entirely different world that no longer exists. I have to figure out who Star Butterfly on Earth is! You know, maybe I will embrace all that Christmas has to offer! There's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas, but there's also nothing wrong with celebrating other holidays too. I'm not here to say 'This holiday is just for the people that don't embrace Christmas.' No, this party is for EVERYONE! Why should it bother you that people who are having a good time at this party want to celebrate the other holidays? Are they really hurting you?"

The woman didn't have an adequate response to her rebuttal. None of them in the crowd did. "Okay but like, do we have to share the park with...you kn-"

"The monsters? Lady, we've been co-existing for six months like this. If you still have a problem with that, I'm sorry to hear it, but that's how it is. And you know what? You'd be surprised to find out how many people actually don't agree with you there. They are all just as productive of members of society as anyone else. For example...you know that new cornball league that opened up in Echo Creek over the summer? The one that everyone - even the humans - loves." She pointed out into the park, over to the big wrapped present that the entertainment resided in, noting Janna & Tom trying to open it, with some help from Buff Frog. "You can thank that frog guy for orchestrating it all: Buff Frog.

"Oh, and that new 'Big Brother Big Sister' program for the underprivileged monsters & kids in Echo Creek?" She pointed out to the crowd, specifically to Ludo, who was standing off to the side with Dennis. "That was all Ludo. Thanks to that guy and his story, lonely monsters & kids all around town can all grow up with each other. Nobody has to be alone. And I'm just scratching the surface here, but I don't want to be here all night. But are you seriously saying that those are the people you don't want to celebrate your holiday with?"

Once again, no feasible rebuttal from anyone.

"I think a lot of us have forgotten what the holidays are supposed to really be about. Well, maybe I'm just a naive little girl, but if you ask me, they're about love. Giving love, receiving love, spreading love...they're about bringing joy into other people's lives. They're about celebrating your life and other people's lives, reminiscing about how far you've come and all the cool things you did over the year."

One of the people in the crowd stepped forward with her hand raised. It was a young woman whose face read that she had quite a bit of bad luck befall her for some time. "What if...what if you didn't do any cool stuff this year?"

Star read her face like a book and immediately formed a bond. She extended her hand out, and the woman inched closer to her. "Let me guess: you've had a tough year and a lot of things didn't break your way?" The woman hesitated before nodding quietly. "I know that feeling. I was...I am in those shoes right now. But hey, you made it." The woman got close enough where she gently grabbed Star's hand and held it in her palm, a big smile crossing her face. "Sometimes the most important accomplishment we can have in a year is just getting through it. I'm glad you're here with us tonight."

The woman nodded as a tear fell from her eye. "I almost wasn't...thank you."

As the woman departed, Marco, Pony Head, Jackie, Chloe, as well as Star & Marco's families and Mr. Dunlap all climbed the stage and crowded around Star, showing her with the love she wanted to give back to everyone in Echo Creek. "Hey, all y'all!" Pony Head roared, startling everyone in the crowd and the ones around her. "You all oughta give this girl a little bit of respect! Have you all forgotten that like it's thanks to her that we're not all fried to a crisp at the hands of a Nazi lunatic who was stuck in the not-so-glory days!"

"Pony Head, don't relitigate that..." Star quietly begged.

"What? They deserve to know what you did for them and why they should be kissing your feet, girl!"

"I don't want them to do that. First off that'd disgusting. Secondly I just want us all to have a good time."

"Well, I'll tell you one thing..." Mr. Dunlap intervened. "There might be something all of these people here can agree on celebrating after all..."

"Oh?" Star asked rather curiously & playfully. Mr. Dunlap led the ones on the stage minus Star towards the tarp, each grabbing an edge.

"On my signal...PULL!" They all joined together to pull the tarp off. Underneath the tarp was a sight that could only be seen to be believed: a magnificent cake four layers tall with drawings of Star done in filling featured on each layer, a long, long dining table big enough to fit a few dozen people with presents scattered all around the table, and two tall columns - one on each side of the cake - holding a banner which read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY STAR BUTTERFLY" in big bold letters.

"SURPRISE!" Came a thunderous yell from those on the stage as well as a few scattered voices - The Diazes & Butterflies, and Ludo included - from the crowd. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY STAR!"

Despite having suspicions of what she could expect from tonight, she was left jaw-dropped and blown away at the sight before her. The Butterflies & Diazes all joined them on the stage; Star couldn't bring herself to turn around and face them. "...F-F-For me?!"

Marco went over and bear hugged her. "And the best part is...there's no Stump to ruin it for you this time." He glanced over at her face only to find streams of tears falling from her eyes and a massive smile forming on her face. "Those are tears of joy, right?"

She slowly turned to face him, nodding twice as slowly. "I can't believe this. In all my wildest dreams I could've never predicated any of this!?"

"I don't kow, I feel like we undersold...wait..." His face slowly fell. "Awww man, you knew about it, didn't you? Alright, who squealed?" He leered in an unimpressed manner over at Mr. Dunlap, who took offense to the accusation.

"I said 'Happy Birthday' to her, how was I supposed to know that would give it all away!?"

"She's not very consistent in her ability to read between the lines." Moon explained. "I think she got that from us."

Star turned to face the lot of them, eyes still soaking in tears. "I...I don't even know what to say...w-why-"

"It was past time for you to have a proper birthday celebration on your birthday." Moon said to her.

"That destructive, monstrous Stump is no longer of this world. He can't hurt any of us anymore." River continued. "And he can't push your birthday aside any longer."

Mr. Dunlap smiled, though a blank smile. "I still have no idea what the hell any of you are talking about."

"You guys..." She sniffled back tears. "You didn't have to do this for me."

"No, we...we did." Moon argued. "Allowing that infuriating Stump to police how we celebrated your birthday was an act I'll never forgive myself for! But thankfully, that's all in the past. It's a new age! Let's embrace it together!"

"I like the way you think! Thank you...all of you."

"Oh it's not just us, sweetie." Eclipsa barged in, pointing out Ludo in the crowd.

"...Ludo? Really?" Star smiled as Ludo sheepishly nodded.

"He really went to bat for you." Marco added.

"...Did he now?" She gestured for Ludo to join them on the stage, a gesture that Ludo was overwhelmed by, though he didn't hesitate to accept it, with Dennis following close behind. "Thanks, Ludo." She lovingly ruffled the top of his head. "I'm sure you and everyone else here'll get a kick out of this cake. It looks amazing!"

"Them? But Star it's your birthday cake." Marco reminded her.

"Dude, that thing is huge. There's no way I'm finishing that by myself. Besides, what good is a tasty birthday cake that's bigger than Globgor if you can't share it?"

"I want a corner piece!" Globgor joked, getting everyone around to laugh.

"Perhaps we can dine on that delicious delectable with a side of those fascinating meat products on the other side of the park." Ludo jumped in, referring to the tables advertising the animal shelter and the orphanage.

"...No, Ludo. Those are stray animals and children. We don't eat them. We adopt them."

"...oh..."

"Adopt?" One of the bystanders piped up.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Follow me!" She leaped off the stage and raced over to the two tables, where all of the children were being tended to and distracted by the workers and all of the stray animals were being cared for. A light snow began to fall from the sky. "These beautiful children and pets need a forever home. Some of them have been stuck in limbo for years." A few of the children happily babbled at the group, waving towards them excitedly. Some of the animals excited started getting restless and leaping all over the place. "But hey, if you can't swing it, don't feel bad. They could also use some playmates, and there's plenty of room in this park to run around and go nuts, even with the snow fall."

The same lady from earlier stepped forward, eyeing one of the little kittens, who meowed and slowly edged towards her. At the same time, both Meteora and Mariposa managed to wiggle their way out of their respective parents' grips and dashed towards the babies from the orphanage, who instantly started babbling in delight. Before anyone knew it, it was a baby free-for-all, and an adorable one at that. It elicited very loud "aww's" from the crowd at large, especially when Mariposa and Meteora reunited and hugged each other.

"You see that? That's what I want us all to make. That undying, unconditional love foe everyone that wants it! And if I can do that for one day - hell, even just for one person - then I've done my part. So what do you guys say? Are you willing to try? Just for one night?"

The group all silently exchanged looks for a while. No words, only awkward murmurs. But slowly those murmurs turned to optimistic outbursts, pleasing Star. In her joyous state, she unconsciously looked back over to where Janna & Tom were, seeing that the wrapped present was nearly open. "Oh, the entertainment!" Star shouted as she hustled over to their place, with everyone else following behind. With Buff Frog's help, they were finally able to get the box open, spilling out both the entertainment - a four person boy band - and a larger-than-normal-sized robot-like toy. The boys began panting and wiping sweat from their foreheads.

"Are you guys okay!?" Janna asked in a huff to one of them, who leered at her and clearly was not happy.

"No we're not okay!" He shouted, pausing for a moment before picking up the toy, which was damaged in the fall. "You guys ruined a perfectly good Metallic Manny! What's the matter with you!?"

Janna turned to everyone in the crowd. "Yeah they're fine."

The four of them dusted themselves off and straightened themselves out, dismissing Janna entirely as Star ran up to them in a huff. "Sorry about that, guys. Hope it wasn't too much of a hassle."

"Nah it's cool, we've been through worse."

"Well!" She clasped her hands and turned to the crowd. "That's everything. We've got awesome food, babies & animals up for adoption, and lots and lots of presents under the tree for everyone here! The party is a go!" The crowd, having decided to play along & give in to the madness of the holiday season, cheered. Mr. Dunlap made his way around the crowd and approached Star again. "So...do you think your wife would like this?"

He smiled proudly & nodded. "Barbara would love it. And she'd be proud to have you on board."

"You really trust me with all of this?"

He nodded again. "I think we're in good hands." He turned to the crowd and cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentleman, I am proud to announce that as of right now, the annual Echo Creek Christmas p-I mean, Holiday Celebration Extravaganza is under new management!" More cheered elicited from the crowd; Star had to cover her face to avoid showing the tears of joy falling, but that proved fruitless once she was bombarded by her friends & family and showered with hugs & kisses in front of everyone.

"We're very proud of you, dear!" River exclaimed.

"You did a great job with everything!" Globgor agreed.

"Thanks guys, but I couldn't have pulled any of this off without all of you!" The last one to hug her was Marco, who kept his embrace on her longer than anyone else by far. "You all mean the world to me. This holiday wouldn't be anything without you."

"D'aww, Star." They shared a kiss. "So, uh...how in the heck are you going to top this next year?"

She playfully shrugged. "I'm sure I'll think of something." She let out a giggle while taking one more survey around the park. But in her survey, she noticed something off about the giant tree near the stage. "Oh shoot!"

"What?"

"That tree!" She pointed to the top of the tree. "I forgot to put a star on it."

"We don't need one, we have the perfect 'Star' right here." He joked, wrapping an arm around her. She saw right through the joke and playfully flicked his nose in response. "Ow."

"That was terrible."

"I know."

Star ran over to the gigantic pile of presents and shifted through them, discovering the star meant for the Christmas tree on the bottom of the pile. "I could've sworn I had this put up, but I guess not."

"It's not a big deal. Everything else looks so good I don't think anyone'll care."

"I will." She darted her vision around and found Globgor again. "Hold that thought." And then she raced over to him, whispering something into his ear, something that he appeared totally on board with. So he took the star and picked Marco up.

"Wait what's happening!? What are you doing?" Marco understandably expressed confusion and concern, but quickly caught on to what was happening as Globgor grew himself to the same size as the Christmas tree, and then holding Marco out so he could put the star on. The boy looked down at Star, and she responded in kind with an enthusiastic thumbs up. Slowly he turned back to the tree and slowly inched his hands towards the top, settling the star right on it. Once he was sure it was staying on, he squealed in delight, as did Star on the ground. She and Mr. Dunlap went behind the stage, where a long surge protector with a bunch of plugs in every socket was located.

"Would you do the honors?" Mr. Dunlap asked her. She smiled.

"Nah, why don't you do it?" She counter-offered. "If you're sure this is your last hurrah, you might as well soak it all up."

He looked at the surge protector, then back at her. "You sure? You've earned it."

"Hey, there's always next year."

Accepting her logic, she hugged him tightly for a long moment before pulling away and enthusiastically flipping the switch. In a moment's notice, thousands upon thousands of lights plastered all around the park lit up, shining gorgeous, glistening lights onto the ground and completely engulfing the park in a holiday atmosphere. Whatever remaining dampened spirits were left among the group were faded away as the entire place erupted in a loud cheer, completely in awe of the sight. The two of them reappeared from behind the stage and found themselves bombarded with hugs from Star's friends & loved ones.

One by one, they broke from the embrace, until at the end it was just Star & Marco left hugging each other. "Happy birthday, Star."

"Merry Christmas, Marco." She wiped the falling tears - unsuccessfully - from her eyes before returning to the crowd. The snow was now falling even harder. "ALRIGHT, ENOUGH SAPPY! The park is all yours! Grab a plate, grab some food, grab some presents, and let's get this party started!" More cheers from the group. She turned to the boy band. "Boys, get up on that stage and make with the party music!"

"HEY!" Came a booming voice from the crowd. A fancily dressed, portly man wearing black sunglasses stepped out from the crowd and approached Star. "I'm their manager, I GIVE THE ORDERS!" Star glared rather annoyed at him, as he turned to the four boys. "What the birthday girl said." And that frown turned upside down as the boys got themselves fired up and soared onto the stage. The crowd en mass began scattered all around, finding something for each and every one of them to soak in about the party. The music cued up. Within seconds, it was rockin' like nobody had ever seen before.

Put down video games,
Pick up some candy canes
And hang a wreath on your door (Hey!)

Give back to those who need
Bring peace and harmony
Cause that's what Christmas is for

Star's first rockin' dance of the party came with both Jackie and Chloe. And true to Jackie's word, Chloe was quite flirtatious with Star, who didn't hesitate to return the favor. Of course, she found herself much more comfortable when she ended up dancing just with Jackie, who also acted quite flirtatious with her, finding humor in getting Star flustered & embarrassed. She was not making it easy to get over her, but it was all in good fun, and they all loved every second of it, Star especially when their dance ended with Chloe & Jackie each kissing her on the cheek, causing a major blush.

Marco and Pony Head decided to team up and help out with the animal/baby adoptions, and much to everyone's surprise, they proved to be immensely popular, with both going at surprisingly fast rates. And Marco & Pony Head got along really well, even after a mix up that almost saw Mariposa get adopted by a stranger.

And this Christmas, this Christmas
We'll celebrate a wonderful year

Oh this Christmas (it's Christmas) this Christmas (it's Christmas)
We'll decorate the halls with love and cheer

The food turned out to be a monster - no pun intended - hit with everyone. Despite the fact that Angie & Rafael made tons of extras to account for the possibility they would be a hit, they still found themselves fighting to keep up with the demand. Moon & River stepped in to help keep up the pace and keep everyone satisfied.

Interactions between the monsters, mewmans, and humans went off mostly well. While not everyone expressed the heightened optimism & love that Star and her friends did, all of them did manage to be a good sport and put on at least some sort of facade of good will. They were all willing to put up with the arrangement and try to have fun with the set up. And they did.

Gifts under the tree were distributed to everyone at a relaxed pace. None of the packages had names on them, so it was essentially a present lottery. And the people that didn't like or didn't need the gifts they opened were free to exchange them with whoever they wanted. Turns out everyone found much more joy in exchanging gifts than with actually opening them. Whatever worked. Even Ludo got into the fun of it, managing to get himself a brand new basketball coming from none other than Star herself, who took joy in thanking the little cretin that stood up for her.

We can make a beautiful Christmas
We can make the world shine bright
As long friends and family are with us
Every star will shine tonight

The word "star" got Star's face to light up, and Marco took no pleasure in having to tell her that, no, the song was not written with her in mind.

We can make it beautiful (It's Christmas)
We can make it beautiful (It's Christmas)
We can make it beautiful (It's Christmas)
We can make a beautiful Christmas

Out in the park, there was a giant mistletoe hanging from one of the trees. Underneath you could find Eclipsa & Globgor, Jackie & Chloe, and Star & Marco were busy making out underneath it like it was nobody's business. Meanwhile around them, the snow was rapidly piling up, allowing for some intense snowball fights between bunches of the kids & adults. Tom & Janna were easily dominating the lot, and occasionally snuck in a quick kiss while doing so.

Let's party in the snow
Under the mistletoe
Girl I've been waiting all year
(All year) Hey...

The kids that weren't participating in the snowball fight were building a snowman. But not just any snowmen; it was a snowman with Buff Frog as the skeleton. A willing skeleton at that. Even his kids were having a blast making a Buff Frog snowman. Snowboarding was also starting to pick up around them, and once they were done making out, Jackie & Chloe got in on it, with Star & Marco electing to join in the snowball fight and Eclipsa & Globgor rejoining the dance floor, taking Meteora along for the ride.

Rudolph can take a break
Frosty can melt away
As long as I got you here

And this Christmas (it's Christmas), this Christmas (it's Christmas)
We'll celebrate a wonderful year

By the stage, adjacent to the tree, there was another stack of presents - this stack did have names on them. Starfan13 pulled out one of the boxes that was addressed to her. She ripped it open, and inside rested an authentic devil horns headband - similar to Star's signature headband - as well as a package of heart-shaped stickers, presumably for her cheeks. The girl squealed in delight and immediately took them with her as she dashed into the field and found Star, patting her shoulder rapidly to get her attention, showing off the headband and stickers. Before she could even react, Star found herself being tightly embraced by the delighted Starfan13. She didn't hesitate to return it.

Oh this Christmas (it's Christmas), this Christmas (it's Christmas)
We'll decorate the halls with love and cheer

We can make a beautiful Christmas
We can make the world shine bright
As long friends and family are with us
Every star will shine tonight

On the dance floor, in addition to Eclipsa & Globgor, Moon & River had a ball dancing with Angie & Rafael. Considering that it was a foregone conclusion that Star & Marco were going to marry one day and legally unite their families, they saw fit to have as much interaction with each other as possible. Not that anyone was complaining, they always had fun with each other. And the party was no exception.

We can make it beautiful (It's Christmas)
We can make it beautiful (It's Christmas)
We can make it beautiful (It's Christmas)
We can make a beautiful Christmas

At one point during the festivities, Mariposa and Meteora found themselves left to their own devices, and like the little adorable toddlers they were, they saw to it that they reunited with each other. Mariposa in particular had a gift she wanted to give Meteora. Granted it was a simple drawing of the two of them together, but it was cute nonetheless. She managed to find her drawing under the batch of presents and started crawling towards Meteora, who was with Eclipsa & Globgor now at one of the food tables. Meteora caught wind of Mariposa trying to find her way to her and began tugging at her mother's dress. She looked down at her daughter, then in the direction she was pointing in, and it didn't take long for the dots to connect.

So Eclipsa grabbed her little daughter and carried her over to Mariposa, who began babbling loudly & joyously as she saw her best friend inching closer to her. She put her down next to Mariposa and watched in awe as she handed her friend her gift to her. But before Meteora could grab it, a strong wind came into the scene and blew the drawing out of her hands, carrying it out of the park. Maripos was devastated. She began whimpering, realizing she couldn't give her gift now. Meteora, sensing her friend's distress, reached her arms out and extended a hug to her friend, which instantly rose her spirits. The beautiful scene started to draw the attention of people scattered around, and not even the coldest of hearts or the most cynical of minds could stay frozen at the sight of two young babies consoling each other in the cutest possible way.

It even drew the attention of Star, who was over by the adoption tables with her friends and Mr. Dunlap, who was finishing up the paperwork to adopt a young kitten. "Kids. Aren't they just the best?"

"They are." He nodded in agreement.

"Did you ever have children?" She asked him. He shook his head.

"Nah. Barbara and I were never in a good position to raise kids. Besides..." He held up his cat. "Cats are much more manageable."

She giggled, all while Moon & River approached them. "I don't know. I'm kind of a sucker for kids. They're just so cute and innocent!" She turned to the adoption table and took note of Miles, the young child with Down Syndrome, building himself a tiny snowman in the snow. The boy watched many of his close friends at the orphanage get adopted that night, yet he was still his optimistic, happy self, seemingly no worse for the wear. "Hey little guy..." Star knelled down next to him, drawing his attention and getting happy babbles from him. He reached his arms out for a hug, which everyone loudly aww'd at. "I'm sorry you don't have a forever home yet. I was hoping tonight would be the night."

Miles had difficulty speaking, an unfortunate side effect of his condition. But that didn't stop him from trying. "H...H...Hi S-Sta!" He said. She gasped in delight.

"That's the first time he's said my name!" She squealed happily, hugging him tighter. "Well, close enough, at least." This interaction, a microcosm of the past few months that Star had spent as a volunteer at the orphanage, got Moon & River to formulate an idea. "Hey, don't you worry. You might not have a forever home, but you've got a forever friend in me." She kissed his forehead, getting more giggles from the boy.

"Love you!" He shouted just coherently enough to be understood.

"Love you too, buddy."

Star found herself being tapped on the shoulder by her folks. "Actually Star, we have great news." Moon said happily. "It turns out this little tyke does have a forever home now."

Her face lit up. "Really? That's great! Who is it?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Moon handed her a stack of papers. Star began reading before even looking it over.

"Adoption Proceedings: Miles Doe to Mr. & Mrs. River and Moon Butter-" She didn't even finish.

Happy holiday, spread the love on Christmas day, (Singing)
happy holiday, we can make a beautiful Christmas

Her jaw nearly hit the ground as her brain put the pieces together. She looked up slowly at her two parents, who were beaming in delight, while her friends around her slowly also came around to what was happening and shared in her delight. "Mom...Dad...is this...but why?"

"Miles always asks for you." Reggie explained. "Every single day. The days that you're not volunteering with us can be a bit annoying because of that. No offense."

"You're a little closer to him than you are to any of the other kids." Greta agreed. "We all know it."

"This new world we're in is all about new beginnings." Moon continued. "Your father and I are too old to...to-"

"Make one yourself?" Star quipped, getting laughs from everyone, especially Marco.

"But that doesn't mean we can't make a new addition."

"It's always worthwhile to keep people in your love whom you love, especially if they're children." River added, smiling widely as Miles continued to happily babble.

Star was stunned silent. "I...I don't know what to say..."

"Star..." Marco piped up. "I don't know if this means anything, but I think you'd make a wonderful sister."

Her eyes lit up even further at her boyfriend's high praise. She gave the papers back to her parents & picked Miles up. "What do you think, Miles? Do you want to come live with me and my family?"

Now it was the boy's turn to have his eyes light up. He began cheering loudly and waving his arms around. "YAY STA!" He blurted out as he tightly hugged the girl again, prompting Star to return it.

Happy holiday, spread the love on Christmas day, (Singing)
Happy holiday, we can make a beautiful Christmas

She was greeted with hugs by all of her friends. "Congrats, Star!" Tom exclaimed.

"Way to go, girl. I always thought you'd make a good sister." Janna agreed.

"Thanks, guys. This is turning out to be one amazing holiday."

"Wouldn't have happened with you." Jackie chimed in. "You really pulled it off." She was greeted with a playful arm punch and then a warm hug, causing more blushing from the girl.

"Nah, we pulled this off. Thanks guys. For everything." In a moment of blank mindedness, she gave Jackie a quick peck on her cheek before turning to Marco and embracing him in a full on kiss.

"Hey, there's a boatload of presents on stage waiting for you." Marco said, pointing to the stage. "Not to mention that enormous cake just sitting there."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's dig in!" She shouted triumphantly as she and every last one of them (minus Reggie & Greta who had to stay behind for the table) raced towards the stage, getting lost in the magic.

We can make a beautiful Christmas
We can make the world shine bright
As long friends and family are with us
Every star will shine tonight

We can make it beautiful (It's Christmas)
We can make it beautiful (It's Christmas)
We can make it beautiful (It's Christmas)
We can make a beautiful Christmas

Star took a good look out into the crowd and saw everyone managing to find something about the party to get lost in. All while the gorgeous snowfall continued. She looked over to her loving boyfriend. "Hey Marco..."

"Yeah?"

"I had a thought. If...When...we get married-"

"You want our wedding day to fall on Christmas?" He interrupted her.

"How'd you know what I was going to say?"

We can make a beautiful Christmas

He shrugged and brought her in close. "Because I had the idea first." They smiled and shared a kiss. "But are you sure you'd want something else overshadowing your birthday? I would've thought you'd be sick of that with the Stump and all."

"Yeah, but this time, it's me making that choice, not some stupid Mewni legend."

A laugh between the two. "I'm so glad that damn Stump is dead."

"Me too. Merry Christmas, Marco Diaz."

"Happy birthday, Star Butterfly." The two brought each other in close and had themselves an incredible Christmas kiss, all while their family & friends watched with joy around them.

We can make a beautiful Christmas

Happy holiday, spread the love on Christmas day, (Singing)
Happy holiday...

And thus, the first Echo Creek Christmas - excuse me, Holiday - Celebration Extravaganza on Earth-Mewni was a rousing success. The possibilities for the future were endless, and Star & her friends looked forward to opening even more doors for peace & love to reign supreme.

We can make a beautiful Christmas!

The End.

And thus, my third (technically fourth in chronological order) fanfiction in my Star vs post-finale series is complete. And hey, made it before Christmas! Of course it helps that I got a new laptop for my birthday which works great!

And now with this story done I can finally focus all of my undivided creative attention on "The Ballad of Earth-Mewni." I don't expect to get another update done before the end of the year but hopefully the next episode gets done by early January. And yes, Star's new little brother Miles will be a prominent part of the story, but as I mentioned, this takes place about six months into "Ballad of Earth Mewni' and chronologically we're not there yet as of this writing. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this story and I hope you'll give all of my Star vs stories a chance. For those that have stuck around since the start, I humbly thank you.

A always, reviews would be greatly appreciated.

And have a happy holiday, whatever you celebrate :)