This story starts with a series of bookshelves, but one book seemed to fly off right off and it seemed to be a holiday story called How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. It seemed to touch the floor and then opened up to a page with a snowflake and a voice began to narrate, speaking in rhyme, as it was a Dr. Seuss storybook after all with people wandering about as it was a cold December day near the dead of the season of winter.
"Inside a snowflake, like the one on your sleeve there happened a story you must see to believe," The narration began. "Way up in the mountains, in the high range of Pontoos lay the small town of Whoville: The home of the Whos. Ask any Who, And they'll have this to say: 'There is no place like Whoville around Christmas Day'. Every window was flocked, every lamppost was dressed and the Whoville band marched in their Christmasy best."
And naturally, our main group of kids were in Whoville at the time, bundled up in winter gear. There seemed to be muffled, almost Darth Vader breathing, before one of the kids pulled down his scarf to peek his head out.
"I can't breathe in this thing!" Vincent gasped as he poked his head out.
"Well, Vince, that's whatcha get for picking such a thick scarf," LJ replied. "I don't wanna catch a cold, but you don't see me cutting off my breathing!"
"I didn't pick this scarf! Grandma Elizabeth knitted it just for me!" Vincent complained.
"I guess at least it isn't that green scarf that Jenny mailed you once." Estelle said.
"That is an ascot." Vincent clarified in a Fred Jones fashion.
"Which is a scarf for women." LJ added.
"It is not!" Vincent replied. "Fred Jones from Mystery Inc wore one!"
"Yeah, that helps your case." Zofia deadpanned.
"Still a woman's scarf!" LJ added. "Look it up, it's true."
"Hmph." Vincent huffed, crossing his arms.
Akito and Estelle couldn't help but snicker to their older brother's misfortune.
"Merry Christmas!" The Whos smiled to each other. "Merry Christmas!"
"Let's see... According to this, we should go to the post office." Zofia said as she took out a paper that was given to them.
"Post office, alright," LJ replied. "Aw, c'mon, Vincey, you know I didn't mean it!"
"Whatever..." Vincent rolled his eyes. "And don't call me 'Vincey'. No one calls me 'Vincey'."
"Tigger does." Akito and Estelle retorted.
"No hard feelings, right, Vince?" LJ asked hopefully. "Look, I'm sorry, okay?"
"Hmm... I'll think about it..." Vincent replied.
"Fine..." LJ replied as they headed to the post office.
They excused themselves a bunch of times as they passed the Whos who were caught up in their Christmastime festivities.
"Man, it's as busy as the Plaza Hotel around here for the holidays." Akito commented.
"No kidding." LJ replied.
Eventually, they made it into the post office and looked around for a bit. Of course, it was busy there as it was time for the holidays.
"Arbor Day was fine, and Easter was pleasant and every Saint Fizzin's day, they ate a Fizz pheasant. But every Who knew, from their twelve toes to their snout they loved Christmas the most, without a single Who doubt." The narrator continued as they were walking along until they ran into a young girl who was with her father.
"So... They have six toes on each foot... Damn..." LJ commented.
"Well, this is a different world from our own." Akito nodded.
The shops were just as busy as money was exchanged while presents were wrapped.
"Christmas just makes the adults even weirder." Zofia commented.
"No doubt about it." LJ nodded.
They looked in through the windows of the shop to see a girl with her father as they were shopping.
"We got a snoozlephone for your brother Drew and a snoozlephone for your brother Stu, a muncle for your uncle a fant for your aunt and a fandpa for your cousin Leon," The adult male Who read aloud from a list before looking around as he seemed to had lost his daughter. "So, we just need-...Cindy? Cindy Lou?"
"Wow, everything sounds ridiculous in this world." LJ commented.
"It's a Dr. Seuss world." Akito reminded.
"Yeah, I guess..." LJ shrugged.
"Cindy Lou, huh?" Zofia asked as she held her paper about their Christmas mission. "She's the one we're supposed to help. It says so right here."
"Alright then," LJ nodded. "Let's get to helping!"
"If we can find her, I suppose." Zofia replied.
"I think I may have found her." Akito said as he saw a pair of tiny legs behind a huge present pile.
"Yeah, that's the kid, alright." LJ commented.
"Dad?" The cute blonde girl piped up.
"Yeah?" Her father replied.
"Doesn't this seem like a bit much?"
"This is what Christmas is all about!" The man smiled to her. "Can't you feel it?"
LJ nodded. "Clearly these people have a nasty case of commercialism-itis. Very nasty case, luckily it's only contagious around Who adults."
There was an older Who couple who were together with their three grandchildren as they were also shopping for the holidays.
"Oh, uh, h-hi, Cindy..." The Who boy with glasses waved shyly to the blonde Who girl.
"Hi, Euchariah." Cindy Lou greeted her friend.
"Another Who kid?" LJ commented. "Didn't account for this..."
"It's Whoville." Zofia deadpanned.
"Well, Cindy Lou was the only kid they actually focused on," LJ retorted. "At least for the most."
Zofia just stuck her tongue out at her brother.
They were soon outside of the store as there was a big buzz over Christmas in Whoville.
"Pull in your tongue, unless you hope to catch flies," LJ retorted. "Cripes, I hate Christmas shopping..."
"It's scary enough when it's the day after Thanksgiving." Zofia added as they walked along town.
Cindy Lou soon looked over, curious of the other kids who came into town who seemed like they weren't from around here. "Euchariah, do you know who those guys are?" she then asked.
"Uh, no, I-I-I haven't seen them around here before," Euchariah told her. "I'm not sure if we can escape the Christmas shopping to go and see them though."
"Yeah, same here," LJ replied. "This stinks like yesterday's garbage."
Cindy Lou shushed her friend and soon took his hand as she set the presents down by her father and went to sneak over with him to go and see the other kids.
"I think it's probably that." Vincent said as he found a garbage dump that seemed to go to a place called Mount Crumpit.
"Mt. Crumpit? Clever, but I was saying this situation sucks." LJ replied.
"Excuse me?" Cindy Lou spoke up.
The kids turned over to see the girl along with her friend.
"My name is Cindy Lou Who, and this is my friend, Euchariah," The blonde girl said with a small introduction. "I don't think I've seen you guys around Whoville before."
"Oh, we just moved here a few days ago." LJ replied.
"Well, welcome to Whoville," Cindy Lou said. "Sorry it's a little crazy around here."
"It's Christmas, what can you do?" Zofia shrugged modestly.
"Such as life." LJ added.
"Yeah... Christmas is pretty extreme around here..." Cindy Lou frowned. "Sometimes I wonder if it's worth celebrating sometimes, it seems like all anyone cares about is the presents and decorations. I mean, my mom's even trying to enter a Christmas Light competition with one of the neighbors."
"That's got to be murder on the electric bill." LJ commented.
"You have no idea..." Cindy Lou sighed as she rolled her eyes.
"My grandparents get caught up in the holidays too," Euchariah added with a small frown. "They're mostly concerned about parties and stuff like that."
"Yeah... That sucks." LJ replied calmly.
"Welcome to Whoville, I suppose." Cindy Lou told them.
"Thank you, Cindy Lou." The others replied to the Who girl.
Euchariah blinked and looked over to the mountain not too far off from Whoville. "I think I found your brother, Cindy."
"What are those two up to now?" Cindy Lou sighed about her older brothers.
"Well, judging from the context, I'd say, trouble as usual." LJ replied.
"They're always getting into trouble." Cindy Lou pouted as she crossed her arms about her older brothers.
Cindy Lou's father soon came out looking for her as she had wandered off and they still had lots of shopping to do.
"Sorry you have to be suffocated by the constant grasp of commercialism." LJ commented.
"Uh... Cindy Lou... Maybe if you aren't too busy... We could go ice-skating... Or something... I mean..." Euchariah stammered nervously.
"What?" Cindy Lou asked. "I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the music."
"Um... Uh... Never mind..." Euchariah sighed like a coward.
"Cindy Lou, come on, we have to get going." Mr. Lou Who told his daughter.
LJ sighed. "Well, best of luck, Euch," he replied, pronouncing it as "Uke" of "ukulele". "You, my friend, are clearly smitten."
"Huh? What?" Euchariah blinked. "W-W-What do you mean?"
"I've seen the symptoms before, and they all match up," LJ explained. "You, my friend, have got it bad for Cindy Lou!"
"W-What?! N-No!" Euchariah gasped and blushed. "Erm... I mean, she's one of my best friends!"
"Relax, I won't tell anyone," LJ replied. "Consider it a Christmas gift, from me to you!"
Euchariah blushed as he looked over to Cindy Lou.
"Guys, I think we have to follow Cindy Lou," Zofia said as she looked at her paper. "According to this letter from Drell, she's the one that we have to help... He also said 'Don't complain, it was either this or sending you to an airport on Christmas Eve to help six kids named Spencer and Katherine Davenport, Charles Goldfinch, Donna Malone, Timothy Wellington, and Grace Conrad'."
"I don't know who any of those people ARE!" LJ yelled.
"Exactly," Zofia told him. "Now calm down. We better help Cindy Lou."
The kids then walked off while Euchariah watched them, looking shy and bashful as he really did have a crush on Cindy Lou.
"Oh, that kid," LJ chuckled. "Anyways, let's move it."
They then began to follow after Cindy Lou as a strange figure appeared in town who seemed to be wearing a mask which was obvious, even to the kids, but the people of Whoville didn't seem to really notice or care.
"Boy, nothing beats Christmas, right?" Mr. Lou Who smiled to his daughter.
"Yeah, sure," LJ shrugged. "Either nobody noticed, or they have and they just don't care. I'm thinking the first one."
"Yeah... I guess..." Cindy Lou added.
"You guess?" Mr. Lou Who asked her.
"It's just... Look around at you and Mom and everyone getting all kerbobbled," Cindy Lou sighed. "Doesn't this seem... Superfluous?"
"As in, unnecessary?" LJ asked. "As my uncle would put it... 'Eeyup'."
"Dad!" A voice called out.
Everyone soon looked over to see what looked like teenaged Whos who were rushing over in a panic.
"What happened to you?!" Mr. Lou Who frowned to his sons.
"It was THE GRINCH!" One of the boys told him.
Suddenly, everyone gasped.
"Whatya want?" asked the masked guy. "I mean, the Grinch? Oh, no!"
"Yeah, that's plenty suspicious." LJ commented.
"Can't be more suspicious than Robbie Rotten on an average day in Lazy Town." Akito replied.
"I never watched that, but... Yeah." LJ agreed.
Eventually, someone came out who seemed to be in charge.
"That must be the mayor." Vincent guessed.
Everyone else agreed as that seemed very likely.
"Did someone just say 'Grinch'?" The Who demanded.
"Hello, Mr. May Who, sir." Mr. Lou Who smiled nervously.
"Yeah, those two say they just saw him." LJ replied, pointing to the two teenage Whos.
"Hmm..." Mayor May Who nodded and beckoned to the father. "Lou?"
Cindy Lou's father soon came towards the man.
"I don't need to remind you that this Christmas marks the 1,000th Whobilation." Mayor May Who whispered to him, but Akito listened in with his super-hearing.
"Whoville's most important celebration!" Another Who added.
"And the Book of Who says, very clearly..." Mayor May Who nodded as the other Who brought out a book. "'Every size of Who we can measure knows that the Whobilation is a time we must treasure'. Now, please tell me that your boys were not up in Mount Crumpit provoking that one creature within a billion bilometers of here who hates Christmas!"
"They probably were." LJ commented.
"But it was the Grinch!" The teenaged Whos cried out.
"No, no, no, sir," Mr. Lou Who smiled nervously as he tried to shut his boys up in front of the mayor. "The boys didn't see any Grinch. They... I think they were just up on the mountain, playing with matches or defacing public property."
"Oh, well, that's a relief," Mayor May Who smiled then before announcing to his citizens. "All right, you heard the man! There's no Grinch problem here!"
"That's what they think." LJ grumbled.
The Whos soon felt relieved and carried on with their celebration, and soon, someone shot a spitball at the mayor.
"Ooh, good shot!" LJ chuckled.
"That wasn't very nice... But I have to agree," Akito replied. "I don't know what it is, but I don't like this mayor guy."
Cindy Lou soon followed her father into the post office, which was why the kids had to go there, because her father worked there, and she usually helped him out.
"Yeah, he's a jerk," LJ replied. "We got that covered."