Christmas Carol ch 2

Years have passed since Casey Jones' death and things in Cartoon City have either changed or stayed the same. Of course, one of these places remained the same at a certain business place of Raphael & Casey, though the sign is rusting as the 'C' came loose.

It was night, as Raphael is at his desk counting up his money, as in another small room, someone is trying to warm his hands… or rather hand, since he was an imaginary friend with one arm, one eye since the other was crooked, a blue '1' on his chest, long white socks with black sneakers and a blue/white/red wristband; this is Wilt. He tried to warm up with the candle he had and stared with a frown at the one piece of coal in the fireplace next to him. He peeked at the large box of coal and took noticed of the key on Raphael's desk. The turtle looked up as Wilt went back to his work.

Just then, the door opened with someone coming into the place. He is a red echidna with purple eyes, a tan muzzle, a moon mark on his chest, long dreadlocks, white gloves with spikes on the knuckle area, and he wore red shoes with green socks, a brown vest and a brown hat like Indiana Jones'. He is Knuckles the Echidna, Raphael's step brother.

"Merry Christmas, Raphael." Knuckles said, tipping his hat to his adopted brother, "God save you, as well."

"Humbug." Raphael muttered sourly.

"Humbug, on Xmas?" Knuckles rolled his eyes, "Surely, you don't mean that, brother?"

"I always do, and stop calling me Shirley!"

"Just saying."

The turtle groaned, "Why bother being so merry, you're poor enough."

"And why so dismal, you're rich enough?" Knuckles only wanted to prove that Raphael doesn't have to be like this, not even on Christmas.

"Humbug!"

"Raph, come on, just this once, could you not be so stubborn?" the echidna asked.

"Can you blame me for the way these idiots act?" Raphael frowned, "What is this Christmas to you anyhow? In my opinion, it's the time to be paying bills without money, finding yourself a year older and no penny richer! If it was my choice, any idiot that goes by with the words so much as 'Xmas' on their lips should be boiled inside their own pudding, and buried with the stake of holly through his heart!"

"Raphael!"

"Knuckles, listen here." The turtle groaned, "Keep Christmas in your own way and I'll keep it in mine."

"Keep it? As if!" Knuckles said in disbelief. As Wilt is watching what's happening, the latter continued, "You hardly even keep it, let alone considering the very facts!"

"Then how about just not bothering me with it?" Raphael snapped. Knuckles just stared at the small fireplace, "Besides, what good has it ever done besides brain-washing?"

"Hey, there's a lot of things that maybe I didn't deserve and hardly ever got the cash. Christmas is a rather good example. I always believed the holiday as a kind, cherished time, and it's the only time that men would open these shut-up hearts of theirs and think of others as travelers to the grave, nothing even close to creatures on just another journey. In other words, Raphael, despite it never put gold or silver in my pocket, I'd say it's done me every good and I say 'God Bless it all'!"

Wilt smiled at this, replying, "Very nice touch of speech, if that's okay."

"Hey Foster!" Raphael frowned at the imaginary, "One more sound and you can just consider stopping working here." Wilt quickly went back to his work as the turtle answered his young step-brother, "Powerful speaker, aren't you? I'm surprised you're not even in poetry."

"Quit being so upset, Raph. Look, how about this? Just promise that you'll come and dine with me tomorrow, including my wife Julie-Su and my friends, the Sonic Heroes." Knuckles insisted, "It would please us if you did."

"Maybe if I went to Hell first!"

"Must you be so cold-hearted, brother?"

"Answer me this first…" Raphael stared at him, "Why did you have to get married?"

Knuckles smiled like this was an odd question, "Simple… because I fell in love."

"Because…. You fell in… love?" The word seemed like a curse to Raphael, and he headed back to his desk, "Good afternoon, kid."

"Look, all Julie-Su and I want is nothing from you. I'm asking for nothing over here, couldn't we just be friends for once?"

"Good day, the exit is on your right."

Knuckles knew Raphael wasn't in any good mood, "Fine, sorry about that. You know, about nagging like that, but I've still made the trial from Amish to Christmas and therefore, a Merry Xmas, brother."

"Good afternoon!" Raphael was getting more annoyed by the minute, waiting for his step-brother to leave the building already.

The echidna smirked, "And a Happy New Year."

Raphael groaned loudly and covered his ears, "I can't see you now! I can't hear you now! You're not here now! La-la-la-la-la-la-la!"

Knuckles laughed a little but understood Raphael wanted him gone already. The echidna decided to take his leave as he shook the imaginary's hand, saying, "And a Merry Christmas to you, Mr. Foster."

"Merry Christmas to you as well, sir." Wilt said as Knuckles walked out the door, leaving the building. He only hoped his step-brother would at least visit for Xmas-dinner with him and Julie-Su, sadly it might never happen.

"Just another clerk, making 15 shillings a week, and already has a wife and friends." Raphael grumbled, going back to his money, "Merry Xmas indeed, too tired even to maybe bet."

Once again the door is opened; someone else is entering the building. As Raphael tries to work, two dragons, a purple dragon named Shelby and a red dragon named Breaker walked inside.

"Afternoon, sir." Shelby greeted, "If we may have the permission to speak to either Mr. Raphael or Mr. Casey?"

"Right in there," said Wilt, pointing to the turtle. The two dragons entered the office.

"Sir, are we either speaking to Mr. Raphael or Mr. Casey?"

"Casey Jones, he's been dead for about 7 years now." Raphael said frowning.

"Well, then I guess we have no doubt his generosity is presented by his still-living partner." The purple dragon spoke, "I am Shelby, and this is Breaker. And at the most festive time of the year, Mr. Raphael sir, we would gladly accept what we can do for the poor and homeless."

She held a card out as the turtle took it, looking carefully as Shelby continued, "Any thousands that would want in comforts and…"

"Aren't there prisons?" Raphael holds the card over his candle, burning it in the flame but Shelby grabbed it, shaking the flame out.

"Uh, yeah, we have prisons." Shelby said.

"And union work houses?"

"Still there too, even though people would not accept that." Shelby added, confused by Raphael's questions.

"Treadmill is bigger?"

"Put new workers in there from last week!" Breaker chimed in, as the purple dragon frowned at him. "Hey, I hardly got a line here! Besides, unemployment was pleading in our city!"

"Oh good, and to think something would cease them being useful for once in their lives." Raphael didn't only feel grumpy, he had no care towards the discomfort.

"Well, anyhow, me and Breaker are raising enough money to buy food and clothes for the poor and needy." Shelby got out a document and a pen, "And we should put you down for how much, sir?"

"Nothing."

"Oh… you want to be anonymous?"

"I WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE!" Raphael snapped, angrily startling them. "I can't make myself merry at Xmas and I can't do that for other people either! And the establishments I mentioned earlier? I happen to support them and anyone who is bad deserves to live there even!"

Shelby and Breaker looked uneasy. The turtle actually wants people to suffer. "But there's so many people, children included, wouldn't go there, they'd rather die!" Shelby exclaimed.

"Then get it over with! At least it'll stop the increase of the population and that goes for your egglings too, Miss Shelby!"

This made the dragons looked horrified, especially Shelby. This man wanted people to die… "Now then, good afternoon."

"Uh, it's night…"

Shelby grabbed him by the ear, "That's it, Breaker. You asked for it and now you have to watch the special 24-hour edition of 2 girls 1 cup."

"Wait, wait! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Breaker yelped, getting dragged out the door. Raphael sighed, at least they were gone.

Raphael looked at his pocket watch and sees it's almost closing. He noticed Wilt looking at him hopefully, knowing what he wanted to ask.

"You want day off tomorrow for Christmas, don't you?"

"I'm sorry but it is only once a year and I have a family to celebrate it with." Wilt said.

"Not the best or fair in my opinion. By then, you would've been thought to be unuseful."

"True, but there's other businesses closed as well."

The turtle sighed, "Just some excuse for pick-pocketing on the 25th." Wilt got his jacket, frowning that Raphael might not give him the day off until Raphael said, "I suppose you can have the whole day, but be here early by the 26th morning, understand?"

"Yes sir, very much, sir." Wilt nodded smiling. At least now he can spend more time with his family.

As Raphael closed up the shop for Christmas, the imaginary grabbed the turtle's hat and outside.

Raphael then locked up the door with many locks and after testing to see if it would open but it stayed shut, he turned to Wilt, taking his hat and walked off the other way. Wilt chuckled to himself as he headed off too. He stops to watch some Happy Tree Friends slid down on the icy road. He watched as a green bear, Flippy, slid down and grabbed the pole just in time.

"A merry Christmas to all!" Wilt shouted, laughing as he slides down the ice with the HTFs watching. He grabbed the pole and fell tumbling to the sidewalk. Everyone laughs as Wilt smiles while laughing himself.