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A StarFox Christmas Carol


Asper Sarnoff

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I had hoped I would be able to finish this little fanfic for Christmas. But it seems I'll have to break it up and post it in induvidual chapters as I keep writing them trough the weeks after Christmas. You have probably all heard the original story, and knows exactly how it will end.

So here goes, the first part of my StarFox adaption of Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol". Enjoy!

A Cornerian Christmas Carol

Based on Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol”

The snow slowly fell over the Cornerian capital. Covering everything in a soft layer that hid the dirt below from the eye.

On a street corner sat young, gray dog. He tried to cover himself as best as he could from the snow with a ragged, filthy carpet. Shivering under the cold burden of winter.

He had wrapped some dirty rags around his sore, bare paws to protect them from the biting ice. From time to time, he mumbled to the passer-bys. “Please, a few coins. It’s almost Christmas.”

Some stopped and let a few coins slip down into a cup he had placed in front of himself. But most just ignored him and hasted on, on their way to the shops or their workplaces.

The dog lifted his head up from his chest and spotted a tall figure coming from down street. Dressed in a spot free, black suit with a long coat, shining black shoes and a top hat. He was clearly a made man.

“Please sir. A few bucks for Christmas.” He said as the man walked by him. The rhythmic footsteps stopped. The man turned around and came back to him, bent slowly over him.

The child stared pleading up at the chameleons face. “Please. Sir.” The chameleon raised his steel shoed cane up, as he was about to hit the dog. “Money!” he hissed. “How should you deserve them? Have you worked?” He stood up again, shadowing over the whimpering child.

“No. You haven’t. Scum.” He noted, as to himself before he turned around and continued down the street. The dog followed him with sad eyes as he disappeared in the crowd.

Leon Powalski gave out a loud snort of irritation. The beggars where getting more and more pushy. Parasites! He would make sure to tell the police chief to intensify his campaign against them. He wouldn’t protest, not as long as he still owed Leon a considerable amount of money.

The tight crowd of people opened up in front of him as he marched on. Everyone knew him, everyone had loaned money from his company. And they all knew he could raise their interests as he pleased, and crush them under the weight of an enormous debt.

“Merry Christmas Mr. Powalkski!” some of the said to him as they passed by, hoping they could get on a more favorable footing with Lylats largest moneylender.

Leon snorted in reply. “Christmas... Hah, humbug!” He hated Christmas. It was a celebration created by the business community as a way to drain money out of people.

Not that he had anything against that. But they were draining the money many would otherwise use to pay off their debt to him!

He had now reached the centre of Cornerias financial district. The economical powerhouse of Lylat. And towering above the rest of the skyscrapers stood the Powalski building. A symbol of his success and triumph. Made of hard, cold concrete and steel. Its facade of dark windows was meant to make any visitors feel puny and unimportant.

“Welcome Mr. Powalski!” The door guard said politely as he opened the front door for his employer. Leon made his way over the black marble of the lobby and into one of the many elevators that went all the way up to the 150th floor.

Leon walked in and pressed one of the countless buttons, the one leading to the 73rd floor, which he had his office. The elevator doors closed and the elevator started to accelerate rapidly up to its top speed. But after only a couple of seconds, it started to slow down again and stopped at the 22nd floor. Leon furrowed his brows as he leaned onto his cane and stared at the elevator doors as they opened, revealing a short, green frog holding a large bunch of papers and documents in his arms.

The frog stretched his neck, barely able to look over the pile of papers. His eyes suddenly widened in terror as he spotted Leon inside the elevator.

“Oh, sorry sir! I’ll take the next one!” it burst out of him in an annoying voice. Shrinking under the cold gaze of the chameleon. Leon let out another snort as he reached out his hand and pushed the button to the 73rd floor again.

A bunch of softies, that was what everyone were these days. He remembered how his late partner, Pigma Dengar had been. He had been efficient and merciless, the perfect moneylender. The company had flourished, until Pigma passed away several years ago. A heart attack that came from the unhealthy life he had led.

Luckily, Leon had managed to keep the company growing even after that. But he missed someone likeminded to rely on sometimes.

As the elevator door opened again, this time on the right floor. It was almost like a wall of busy noise hit Leon. He walked out of the elevator and into a large room crammed full of clerks typing frantically on their computers. Around a dozen were walking around with bunches of documents till and from the workstations.

As Leon walked by, the clerks somehow managed to increase their typing speed. Leon liked this. The fear he could instill in someone simply by walking past them made him feel like a minor god, a good of money and power. The thought of it caused a smile to flicker over his lips for a split second.

One of the workers, a tall, lanky ape in a cheap suit made his way towards him.

“Oikonny. Have you finished calculating our financial statements for this quarter?” Leon hissed as he passed by, heading for the door to his office on the opposite side of the room.

Andrew Oikonny barely kept up with him, fondling trough his papers. “Yes Mr. Powalski. Our income has increased by 5.78 percent since last year.”

“That is good. Have you prepared the list of those who haven’t paid their installments? I want their eviction papers on my desk today, and them on the street, tomorrow.”

Andrew put up a shocked expression. “Tomorrow? But sir, it is Christmas tomorrow!”

Leon turned his head slightly and gave Andrew a cold gaze. “Then give the papers a nice wrapping.” He said with a sly grin over his face.

Leon turned around again and walked inside his office and slammed the dark oak door behind him. Leaving a confused and sad ape on the other side. Oikonny stood there for a couple of seconds before he pulled himself together and moved on. There was a lot of work that needed doing.

Leon took a quick pause from his work and took a look at his watch. It was almost six in the evening, but he was almost done with the paperwork for today. The squeaking of the office door caused him to look up in irritation. A large figure dressed in black had entered and closed the door behind him.

Wolf O’Donnell ran a hand trough his hair, dropping flakes of half-melted snow on the floor. “Merry Christmas!” He rumbled as he walked up to Leons work desk. Leon stared at his blood brother and former wingmate, cocking one of his brows. “Why do you seem so pleased?” Wolf sent him a grin. “Why shouldn’t I? Business is going splendid, my daughter was just chosen to represent Corneria in the intergalactic air show, and my wife finally approved one of the architect’s plans for the manor. I came by to ask you to invest some more of my money” Wolf took out a card from within his long coat and sent it to Leon, which popped it inside a slit under his desk. “How much?” He asked as the computer screen built into his desk hummed to life. “Just a minor deposit for now. A million Cornerian credits. Skim the top ten percent of the profit as usual.” Leon typed it in on the touch screen before he took out the card and handed it back to Wolf. Wolf hid it again under his coat before he started talking. “And by the way. Come and eat Christmas dinner with us tomorrow.”

Leon snorted loud again. “Why the heck did you get married?” Wolf gave out a hearty laugher. “Why? Because I fell in love!” Leon chuckled lightly in response. “Now that is the only thing worse than Christmas! I’ll be to busy, I’m afraid.” He added at the end.

Wolf shook his head in response. “You’ve got to take some time off from all that work. It’s killing you.” He opened the door. “Well, have a nice Christmas, and a happy new year.” He walked outside and closed the door behind himself. Leon stared at the closed door for a moment before he added. “Christmas, hah! Humbug!” Then, he bent down over his work and started writing again.

Only a few minutes later, a series of knocks on his door caused him to stop again. Leon furrowed his eyebrows in irritation over being interrupted. “Come inn.” He hissed.

The door opened to reveal a couple of amphibians, two frogs to be precise. Two frogs Leon had hoped he would never have to meet again.

“Merry Christmas Leon!” Said the green, short one in a squeaky and annoying voice.

“Ah. Mr. And Mrs. Toad. What can I do for you?” Leon asked in a put on polite tone.

The other frog, a tall, pink female, giggled in response. “You don’t have to be so formal Leon. It is Slippy and Amanda to you!”

Leon bent forward, resting his elbows on his desk. “Again, what can I help you with? Mr. And Mrs. Toad.” He said again, putting a bit of pressure on the last part.

Slippy grabbed a couple of chairs by the door and put them in front of the desk, without asking Leon. He gently held one out for his wife before he clumsily jumped backwards up in his own.

“You see Leon. We, and a couple of other people, felt that something needed to be done. With all the poor homeless around on the streets.” Amanda started to speak, letting her right arm sneak out and join with Slippy’s left discretely.

“That was just what I thought as well.” Leon answered tonelessly, to which Amanda broke up in a warm smile. “That is great! Thank you Leon! We have already started a foundation that will provide these poor people with food and a safe home. Now that you want to aid us financially, we could start working right away.”

Leon held up his hand in a signal for her to be quiet. “I think you misunderstood. Mrs. Toad. I have no desire to sponsor these lazy loafers with a single cent! I will however support any attempts to deport them to an other planet, or a prison space station.” He hissed out.

A shocked gasp escaped from both Amanda and Slippy. “But Leon, I mean, Mr. Powalski. What you suggest is horrible! Most people would rather die than leave behind their home planet like that.” Slippy stuttered.

“If they want to do die, then perhaps they should! And thus contribute to reduce the over-population!”” Leon hissed as he stood up and leaned over the desk, pointing at them with a clawed finger.

Small drops of angry tears started to run down Amanda’s cheeks, but she was still the first one to open her mouth and come with a fitting reply. “You know what Mr. Powalski? I feel sorry for you. You think you are the wealthiest man on Corneria. But in fact, even the poorest of the homeless is richer, just as long as he has a friend to share Christmas with. Something that YOU will NEVER have!” She answered with a voice shaking with anger. “Come dear. We’re done here!” She mumbled to her husband as she turned around and started to walk away from Leon’s desk. Slippy seemed a little fumbled, but also a bit proud as he ran past her and opened the door for her. “Thanks dear.” She mumbled as she walked out with her snout high up in the air. “Have a nice Christmas!” Slippy stuttered before he hurried out and slammed the door behind him.

Leon tried to calm down his raging hyperventilation. All these people couldn’t be good for his blood pressure. He dumped back down in his chair before he reached out a finger and pressed down the communicator button on his desk.

“Oikonny to office, now!” He spoke into the speaker before he let go of the button. Only a few seconds later the ape came barging trough the door. “Yes sir?” he asked as he moved the chairs the Toad couple had moved, back to their rightful place.

“Due to all these interrupters, I won’t be able to go trough and sign the eviction papers till tomorrow.” Leon said as he started to tidy up his work desk.

“Tomorrow? But the office is closed tomorrow. All the workers have a day off.” Andrew answered a bit confused.

“How could I forget?” Leon grumbled. “If it weren’t for that stupid health and safety humbug, you would all have been here on Christmas as well. I’ll pop by the office tomorrow and work a bit myself anyway.” He stood up and walked up to the clothes rack and put on his coat and his top hat. “See to it that everything important is done before you leave.” Leon said before he opened the door and walked out.

It was a cold evening. Gushes of harsh, cold wind blew trough the streets, whirling up the snow into white gusts. The streets were almost empty. Most people stayed indoors this late, and when the winter storms raged like this. The only noise one could hear that was not created by the wind was the rhythmic thuds of Leon’s shoes and his cane.

He walked into a dark side street, the houses here were big, dark and old. Built several hundreds of years ago for the industrialists and factory owners of that time.

That suited Leon just fine. He could never live in mansion out on the countryside like Wolf did, or in one of the trendy roof flats Panther constantly moved trough. A discreet address in the middle of the city’s commercial area was perfect.

A few minutes later, he walked up to the staircase leading up to his house. He put down his suitcase and started fumbling trough his pocket in search of the keys.

Where were they? They couldn’t have fallen out. As he felt his hand brush over the cold metal of the keys, he noticed some slight movement in the corner of his eyes. He pulled his hand out of the pocket and raised his head, looking at the door, from where the movement had come from.

As he watched, the brass doorknocker started to slowly twist and warp in front of his eyes. In a couple of seconds, it now resembled an all to familiar face. “Pigma Dengar!” Leon spoke out, fear shaking trough his voice.

The pig sent him a sly smile before he opened his mouth and let out an ear-piercing howl at Leon. The chameleon stumbled backward in terror, slipped on the icy staircase and fell backwards into a large snowdrift. Disappearing completely under the powdery snow.

Seconds later, Leon broke the surface, spitting snow and flinging curses around himself. As he looked back up at the doorknocker, he saw it had turned back to its ordinary form again.

Leon got up from the ground and walked slowly up the staircase again. He bent down and inspected the doorknocker closely. “Hah! Humbug!” He coughed out as he realized that his mind had probably been playing him a little trick. He fished his keys up from his pocket, unlocked the door and walked in with his suitcase. As the house was very cold, he didn’t bother to take of his coat. But he made sure that he locked the outer door, and bolted it shut, just like he always did.

End of first part. More to come!

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Guest Julius Quasar

SWEET! :yes:

"Greetings, Angry Video Game Nerd!  I've come to take you back to the past!"

AVGN: "To play the sh*tty games that suck @$$?"

also...

Todd: "Somebody's asking for an anti-trust lawsuit...."

Lola: "Or a computer virus, courtesy of Slippy, Akasha, and Silas..."

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Haha, cute! This should be pretty great, keep 'er coming!

SWEET! :yes:

"Greetings, Angry Video Game Nerd!  I've come to take you back to the past!"

AVGN: "To play the sh*tty games that suck @$$?"

also...

Todd: "Somebody's asking for an anti-trust lawsuit...."

Lola: "Or a computer virus, courtesy of Slippy, Akasha, and Silas..."

Thanks! I had planned to get this finished today. But it's just been so great to just relax and don't do anything for now. So I bet it probably won't be finished til next Christmas now! :lol:

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Guest Julius Quasar

Thanks! I had planned to get this finished today. But it's just been so great to just relax and don't do anything for now. So I bet it probably won't be finished til next Christmas now! :lol:

you're welcome! 

good luck!

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