Wolves in Yuletide

Wolves in Yuletide is a 2019-penned one-shot fanfiction written by EmperorPeacock as a Chrismas present to Cerisefan03 for the wikia FanSa/Secret Santa of that same year.

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‘Wolves don’t do Christmas.’ The statement echoed inside Timber’s head, between her two wolf ears.

The words, uttered by her grandfather, her guardian, were not untrue. The holiday was an affair seemingly meant for humans, by humans. A time to celebrate humanity as a concept, as it would be.

Maybe with the odd angel, fairy creature, or dwarf involved. But even then they were often destined (with or without the Book of Legends) to serve humans, and perhaps didn’t count towards any real push for inclusion or acknowledgement.

It was a “submit or be shunned” kind of culture, as the wolves perceived it, and they would sooner perish than glorify any human-centric convention. It went without saying: there was no place for wolves in Yuletide.

And thus, they did not partake, ignoring the season almost entirely. They didn’t really have many of the same excuses as the other animals. They did not hibernate (‘there’s too much prey out there, little one’), or have any alternative holidays of their own. In fact, the wolves were notable for their lack of celebration at the outset.

And so, it was always rather obvious and infamous that they were shunning Christmas in particular, and the citizens of the magical realms hated them for it. Well, they hated them for plenty of (rather unfounded) reasons, but this was the seasonal one.

Timber knew all of this. She never actively disagreed with the views her grandfather adopted in his time, and certainly never chose to question them. But she did wonder one thing: if it was so important to stay as separated from the festivities as possible, then why did he leave her to be exposed to them all winter long at Ever After High?

Yep, she was stuck on campus for winter break. According to Cried, the winter back home was far too severe, even for a seasoned wolf like himself, to trek through. Not to mention, he’d have to bring her through it on the way back home.

Timber sighed. He still saw her as the little wolfling left at the den, abandoned and clinging to the man who found her. He saw her this way, and he would always see her this way.

No, it was “better” if she stayed in school during winter break. No danger there. That is, except for indoctrination into the festive season. But he encouraged her to stay strong, and stay hidden, as a wolf ought to be.

Timber was not one to argue with the man who took her in. Even now.

She walked through the sprawling hallways of Ever After High. They were sparsely-filled, for once, given the majority of the student body were off at their palaces, townhouses, farms, or otherworldly realms. With their families, of course.

Tinsel monstrosities lined the high ceilings, and wreaths were on almost every other locker in sight. Though she had made an effort to not acknowledge it, there was the positively massive tree in the main entrance hall as well, decorated to the core by the little pixies who populated the school’s gardens.

Timber was on her way to her dorm, where, fortunately, her roommate remained. She was grateful to not be left entirely alone to brave the holidays.

Sonia’s mother was a lunch lady, who opted to stick around for the break to feed any students who couldn’t make it home (the Wonderlandians clung to her for this reason). It helped that she and Ms. Fieldmouse had no one else to go home to, except for a rather creepy neighbor who went by Mr. Mole.

After some time, but not a long time given her canine walking-speed, she arrived at their dorm. It was near the first story, which served both Timber and her roommate very well, being ground-based animals.

Maybe the school was considerate enough to take this into account when they assigned rooms. But Timber didn’t want to give the faculty too much credit now.

She shoved open the door, the way she usually did. It was a fairly small room with Timber’s half, cave-like and full of furs and brutal art posters, towards the left. It contrasted immensely with Sonia’s welcoming and homey half on the right.

Like its occupants, the two halves of the rooms were different, but not incompatible; they met in the middle comfortably.

Spotting Sonia, Timber led herself to her bed and sat down, looking up at the field mouse.

Sonia waved hello to her roomie with a smile. She was wrapping presents at her little desk.

“Hey Sonia,” Timber spoke up, replying to the welcoming gesture. “What’s up?”

“Ooh, I’m so glad you asked!” Sonia stated, excitedly. “My mom and I got some presents, you know, for the students who won’t be getting any except from maybe Santa himself.”

She said this with a hint of sadness for those people. She couldn’t imagine having no one who’d want to gift you anything. But that’s why they were here, at least. To bring that warmth for Christmas, among other things.

“So, I’m just wrapping up my half of the lot. There’s a ton, but it’s easy work,” she said with a slight giggle. “But what are you up to? You seem a little down.”

Sonia was soft, but direct, and had no reservations about pointing out whenever her roommate was looking a bit more unapproachable than usual.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Timber replied, “I guess I’m just not used to the festive environment right now. I mean, it’s all pretty foreign to me. But that’s all,” she said, offering an explanation but also attempting to dismiss the inquiry at the same time.

Unfortunately, Sonia was never up for dropping a subject if it involved one’s feelings.

“Well, talk to me, roomie! What’s your specific sort of funk? Do you feel more uncomfortable, or homesick, or like, confused and unprepared?” She punctuated the ideas listed with circular hand gestures, like she was rolling off a recipe. She was quite the chef, after all.

Timber sighed. Sonia was not going to let this go, so she engaged her friend. “I just… don’t feel like I’m supposed to be here, you know? Not just at school, but anywhere that celebrates Christmas, to be honest,” she admitted, reluctant but also relieved to get this off her chest.

“I mean, have you ever seen a wolf in a Christmas photo? It’s ridiculous. I just wish I could go home until it’s all over, because I hate feeling this way. Being alone always… felt like a personal choice, but now not so much. It doesn’t help that my grandpa’s advice amounts to ‘be lonely’.”

Concluding her admission, Timber fell back onto her bed with another sigh.

“I’m sorry, Timber,” Sonia said, pursing her lips with concern, getting up from her chair and approaching her roommate. “I think your thoughts are totally valid, but remember you don’t have to mind what anyone else thinks.” She ran her fingers through Timber’s coarse hair affectionately.

“I mean, look at me! I’m a mouse, and not even a fancy one, and I’m wrapping presents! Do you think I’d be doing this if I let anyone tell me how to respond to a holiday? No, I love Christmas, I love holidays, and I’ll celebrate how I want to. Openly.”

Timber sat up to reply. “Well, no offence, Sonia, but… it kind of makes sense you would support Christmas, you know? You’re a player, a servant in some tiny person’s story. Thumbelina might be small, but she’s essentially human, and December 25th is all about humans.”

She gazed up at the ceiling and waved her hands in a gesture, as if illustrating a picture of all the human protagonists involved in every single Christmas story.

Sonia looked solemn, and Timber worried she’d been too harsh on her roommate for answering the question honestly. But as she spoke up again, she learned she was upset for a different reason.

“Is that what you think Christmas is all about?” she asked genuinely, before leaning closer to Timber. “Just humans using the magic of other species to light up their own world? Here, I’m gonna let you in on a secret. What you just said. It’s bullcrap.”

Timber looked at Sonia’s face with uncertainty. She knew her roommate had no qualms about brutal honesty if it came to it, but she couldn’t quite see where she was going with this.

Sonia stood up and walked back and forth at the foot of the bed. “Christmas isn’t owned by the humans. Not by a long shot. It’s not even about them. You know what it is about? Family. And I mean real family. The kind of stuff that transcends all races in the Fairytale World. Look at us! You’d have eaten me if you didn’t love me, and I know you know love me, tough girl.” Sonia smirked with the statement.

“Even your grandfather knows this!” she interjected. “He took you in, and I can tell you’re his whole world. I mean, you’re always telling me wolves live and die in packs. How is that not the spirit of Christmas? Come on, you guys give each other the best gift of all: loyalty. Undying, sweet hearted, blessed loyalty.”

At this point, Sonia had gone into passion mode. “No one’s saying you gotta put up the tree, or a menorah, but don’t beat yourself up about some ‘not belonging’ nonsense. Christmas is a moral spirit, and I think you’ve already got it down pat. I believe it’d do you lots of good if you adopted it, and maybe if you brought some home with you when you can.” She sat down next to Timber, and rubbed her shoulder.

“Whatever you do, I’m here. But as your friend, please stop being such a Scrooge. That story’s not a good look on you.” With that, she stuck her tongue out at her friend.

Timber pondered Sonia’s message for a moment. Maybe… her grandfather was actually wrong about this one thing? To be fair, he’d almost never ventured outside their den or interacted with other kinds (’the only ones you can trust are wolves’), and there was no one to show him another perspective. Certainly not a culinary-inclined field mouse.

As much as Timber felt she owed the man who took her in her entire mind, she had to be her own wolf at this point in her life. It was hard, since she loved to cling to everything she was raised with. It was all she knew, and all she had, since her parents left her with nothing. And weren’t the parents who abandoned her humans?

But maybe Christmas has nothing to do with them. She didn’t consider them family, and wasn’t that the message? Christmas equals family? Embodies it? You share yourself with the people who keep you around because they love you as you love them? It was a lot to take in for the young wolf.

It really took a wolf’s courage, but eventually, she decided to take the leap of faith and internalize Sonia’s words. She was going to let herself enjoy Christmas, and maybe send word home to her dad that things are going well for her at school now that she’s decided to include herself. Maybe she could convince him to open up one day.

Timber stood up and surveyed Sonia’s desk, taking in all the colorful wrapping paper, supplies, bags, and even the little toys and items she was going to be gifting. She turned to her roommate, her family, and asked: “Need some help?”