fhightimes | THE FANDOM HIGHTIMES: Volume 4, Tenth Edition!

RIKKU SPEAKS:

It's our last paper of the semester, and things are so exciting! We have finals this week, and then we get a couple weeks off for break! Plus we get that really neat Christmas holiday where people give each other gifts and everyone acts all cheery and it's so cozy. Everything feels festive and there's a zing in the air.

Then we get the New Year! It's a chance to put your best foot forward and start things off with a clean slate. Lots of people make resolutions of things they want to do differently, or not do any more at all. Has anyone else been thinking up resolutions? I have, but I don't think you're supposed to tell anyone, or they won't come true. (Or are those just birthday wishes?)

One thing that won't be different: we'll still be here, bringing you all the news that's fit to print, week-in and week-out. At least, I will be, and I hope all of my trusty reporters come back next semester, too. Maybe we'll even get some new faces in! And as great as it'll be to go back home for break, I know I'll be dying to get back here, to see all of you again.

Happy Holidays, Fandom!

by Lee Adama

Christmas, The Blue Gremlin

Once upon a time, there lived a little blue gremlin named Christmas. Christmas the gremlin, who, yes, was named after the holiday, was ostracized because of her color and her demeanor. You see, Christmas, only wanted to do good. She believed in a philosophy of non biting and non violence. She believed that humans and gremlins could live together in harmony.

This, of course, would not be tolerated. Esmerlanna, the evil green witch who ruled the gremlins, refused to even listen to Christmas's pleas for peace and understanding. Esmerlanna even went as far as canceling Christmas and blaming it on Christmas. She brainwashed and influenced the legions of green gremlins in the worst possible way.

Christmas was made into a virtual stranger. Her family disowned her and her friends turned their backs. She was alone. She was alone, without any way to solve her problems. It looked like all would be lost. Esmerlanna would propel their prosperous island into a place of gremlin manual labor and unhappiness.

The only thing that could save their magical island would be a miracle. And Christmas, whose life had been turned upside down, was beginning to believe miracles didn't exist. If someone got punished by being good, then obviously there was no good in the world.

Not even before those thoughts had left her mind, a bright light flashed in front of Christmas, sparks twinkling and lighting the dark room Christmas had taken to living in. When the lights dissipated, a brightly colored deer stood in front of her.

"What...are you?" Christmas asked, lower lip trembling.

"I...am your fairy teal dear. And I am here to help you." The fairy teal deer's voice was smooth, deep and authoritative. Christmas had no other choice but to believe this magical creature in front of her.

"H-help me?" Christmas muttered.

"Together," the fairy teal said, "we will bring Christmas and, most of all, happiness back to this island. Together."

"I have a fairy teal deer?" Christmas asked, still stuck on that. "Why have you never visited before?"

"Because, my dear," he answered, "you have never needed help more than you do now. Your thoughts are troubled and you are unable to lean on anyone. Lean...on me."

And Christmas, trusting and yearning for a friend, did just that. "We can save Christmas?"

The fairy teal deer nodded and, with Christmas on his back, took off into the night sky.

Working throughout the night, Christmas and the fairy teal deer delivered presents to every single gremlin on the island. The presents weren't bribes or an attempt to buy anyone's forgiveness; they were just gifts from the heart. They were gifts that Christmas believed everyone deserved to have.

They worked until Christmas fell asleep, clinging to the fairy teal deer's back.

And, when the sun rose and the gremlins woke to find their presents, a change seem to come to the island immediately. The gremlins, once previously believing that Esmerlanna had their best interests in mind, saw what they were missing. They saw the love and the happiness that being nice could bring them and they realized they'd been duped.

They descended on Esmerlanna's lair, legions of gremlins marching with purpose. Esmerlanna stood tall, glaring at her minions. "You dare try and overthrow me?"

The gremlins didn't speak. Instead, they stood aside, making a path. Christmas, who had previously been hidden, walked through the newly created path, present in hand.

"Everyone deserves a gift on Christmas," she said, handing over the gift.

Esmerlanna eyed the little blue gremlin before she opened the gift. The gift exploded into an orb of yellow light, enveloping Esmerlanna in it's grip. For one last moment, the gremlins were able to see Esmerlanna's shocked face before the orb disappeared and took the evil witch with it.

The lair was quiet.

Christmas turned to the legions of gremlins. "That's how we do it, gremlin style," she finally said, triumph in her voice.

A mighty noise was heard as the gremlins cheered and hugged. Today was a good day. Today was a new day. Today was Christmas day.

by Warren Peace

Once upon a time, there was a kid who didn't have a heck of a lot of reason to worry about going home for the holidays. His dad was never coming home, his mother wasn't really ever around anyhow, and... for all that everyone boasted about decking the halls and fa-la-la, he refused to buy into it. He'd sooner deck the people who looked at him wrong, anyhow.

And then he set foot in Fandom.

I hate the holidays. I was never given any reason to think on them much, anyhow. When you're convinced the whole world is going to look the other way, there's nothing resembling the "most wonderful time of the year" about them. They're lonely.

But for some reason, things are different, here. It might have something to do with the island trying to shove festive joy right down my throat with its miniature snowmen and its living garland, or it might be something different entirely.

This Christmas, I'm staying on the island. And I'm not going to try to ignore the holiday. Because, this once, I'm not afraid that it's going to be a lonely one.

There are people here, guys. If I can find them, everyone can. And, if you think you are going to be stuck around here for the holidays... Look around. Ask someone. Hop into the nearest common room and find out who's going to be sticking around.

Not going home for Christmas doesn't mean that Christmas has to suck. We all deserve better than that, Fandom. Let's get out there and take it.

And for now, I'll just shut my chestnuts-roasting-on-an-open-fire trap.

Saggitarius
November 23 - December 21
Take a risk, go sock-free this week. The cold is like, good for you or something.

Capricorn
December 22 - January 20
Tell the annoying and demanding people to back the f*** off. You so don't need their drama, or their stinky feet, around.

Aquarius
January 21 - February 19
Dude, don't get all busy with power struggles. Take the submissive role, it's hot, I promise.

Pisces
February 20 - March 20
Phew! That pregnancy scare is all over. Wake up and remember to like, wear a protective bootie, people.

Aries
March 21 - April 20
Everything is going according to plans. If you can keep the momentum going, things will come nicely.

Taurus
April 21 - May 21
Oooh, you've got some excellent flexibility. Use it to your advantage and try some new positions.

Gemini
May 22 - June 22
Ew. Arguments about school are just not worth it. For once, just be quiet and let the other person be right.

Cancer
June 23 - July 23
When your self-centered friend makes it all about them again, totes ignore them and their insecurities. You are so better than that.

Leo
July 24 - August 23
Aww, love troubles. All your emotions are like a melting pot of cheese without the little bread and long forks - a big hot mess. Get some space to deal.

Virgo
August 24 - September 23
You are a winner! Use the temporary high to your advantage and like, keep in mind you might not be a winner tomorrow.

Libra
September 24 - October 23
When others look to you to fix their problems, tell them no and focus on yourself. They suck and need to learn to cope.

Scorpio
October 24 - November 22
New challenges in dating are headed your way. Get yourself ready and look into buying a new pair of boots. There's snow in your future.

Coffee Pin-Up

credits:

editor: Rikku
words: Lee Adama, Toby Moraitis, Warren Peace, Rikku
pictures: The fabulous Chloe Sullivan, the amazing Rory Gilmore, the marvelous Peter Parker, and the humble Rikku
adviser: Ghanima Atreides

Questions? Concerns? Got a hot tip? Send a letter to the editor: letters.fhightimes@fandomhigh.edu!