---- As Christmas Eve approached, the group of friends were invited to a Christmas party by Pinkie Pie, where gifts would be exchanged and other Christmassy activities would be performed.
The others gathered around the Christmas Tree, happily sharing the gift of Christmas with one another. Snow was falling outside, the first time that Crimson has seen some, and everyone was enjoying the festivities. Now, it was time for presents!
Crimson tore open the wrapping as his eyes went wide, as a smile soon appeared on his face before getting all giddy. For someone like him, seeing him so happy was almost a rare sight. "Oh Pinkie! You really shouldn't have!" Crimson beamed happily.
In his hands, he held a boxed copy of Blade Runner on Blu-Ray. "I heard you were a movie lover, so I got you this!" Pinkie Pie said.
Crimson happily pulled his girlfriend into an affectionate hug, beaming happily before suddenly holding out a small box. The pink haired girl took it with a smile before opening it. What she got made her gasp. "Crim!" Pinkie said in shock. "D~Did you~ In her hands was a brand new IPad, but with a pink custom case. Crim looked away bashfully. "I...wanted to say thank you to helping me settled down in Canterlot. It means plenty to me...
"Wow, I was wanting to get a replacement iPad for a while, but I guess now I can spend that money on other things! Like more gifts!" she replied happily. "Which reminds me, Rainbow Dash, your gift is next!"
Rainbow cheered. "Yes!" Pinkie Pie handed over her present, to which it was fairly bulky. Rainbow eagerly took it and opened it up, soon finding something cool under the wrapping... "Oh wow!" Rainbow cheered. "A skateboard! Thanks Pinkie!
Pinkie nodded happily, while Rainbow Dash turned to Circuit. "Here you go," she said as she handed Circuit a gift.
The wrapping was opened and inside was something that was worth a treat. Inside was an old SNES with two controllers, decorated with a bright red ribbon. But inside was a bundle of games, maybe 15 inside, delicately place inside for space. "I hope you enjoy it, you goof~" Rainbow said happily, trying to hide her blush from her and the rest of her friends.
"Wow," said Circuit, nerding out in every sense of the word, "Killer Instinct, Super Street Fighter II, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Kart, Star Fox... This is AWESOME!!" "Figured you'd like it!" Dash replied happily, brushing Circuit's hair. "By the way, here's your gift," said Circuit, handing her a box. She opened it eagerly to find a Colorado Avalanche hockey jersey. "Ooh, even custom named!" she said excitedly.
"Ooooooh Criiiiiim~" Pinkie said excitedly. "I've got another surprise for yoooooou!~" Crimson looked curious. "Oh! Um....I don't.....you didn't have to get me anything else Pinkie" "Bag humbug" Pinkie laughed. "I wanted to get you another gift. I didn't want you to feel guilty about not affording anything else, I mean, you already did get me something expensive. Now....I've got you something expensive as well~"
Crim opened up the box to find... "A PS4 with the VR headset?!" he shouted happily, "ARE YOU BLOODY SERIOUS?!"
Rainbow Dash's mouth merely dropped at the enormous box containing the console. The others gasped happily as Crimson couldn't contain his excitement, it was almost as if he'd seen his role model. He'd never been given anything that nice before. Especially to where he used to live in his old broken home. He was lucky to have such amazing group of friends, and even luckier to find beyond amazing to settle down. These two things used to be dreams, and only dreams.... Now they are coming true, and Crimson was almost about to cry~
Pinkie patted Crim on the back happily. "Wow... you're acting like this hasn't happened to you before, dear," noted Rarity.
"It....hasn't" Crimson said sadly. "Not like this...." Ponk's expression suddenly turned almost into horror at the realisation that this could have been Crimson's first proper Christmas. She suddenly latched onto him, feeling bad for believing that she was spoiling him. "Have you ever had Christmas? Like in Australia?" Pinkie asked. Crimson shook his head. "I did, but it was only between me and mum. We only gave presents to each other and that was it. I had no other family but her and...well...." He then looked at the growing concern in the room. "I've never had friends before now really... "
Circuit's jaw dropped, as did those of the others. "What... what was it like?" asked Fluttershy nervously.
Crimson still hung his head low as Pinke cringed onto his arm. "Well..." he started. "I was born and grew up in a place in Australia called Sunshine Valley. The whole city was designed and founded in the early 1950's to help accomodate the post-war baby boom. Manufacturing, tourism, very cheap housing and land. Everything. Then during the 1980's, after what I'd call a golden age, the economic centre of the city virtually collapsed and left for a better place in the larger cities. Many were unemployed, the population virtually halved almost overnight as people left, and as things got worse, those worse affected turned violent. By the time I left, this place would have made Detroit look like a kindergarten" "Most of the city didn't do well financially, especially the kids. At least 30% of them were affiliated in street gangs because at least then, they had a chance of survival. Safety in numbers, so to speak." Crimson paused before choosing his words carefully. "My.....mother is a police officer in the most violent city in Australia. A high ranking one as well....so naturally, I was hated by virtually every kid who knew me Crimson pulled up his sleeve to show a small yet heavily faded scar on his wrist. "This was the first one that I ever got. I was only ten years old. I was ambushed by a group of older kids, robbed and then got a small cut right here to serve as a reminder. Unfortunately for them, I'm a fast learner..." "The next time they tried to rob me, I was ready, and I threw them into the curb. All three of them. But the problems got worse, and my life turned to something horrific. I learnt how to defend myself overtime, and I eventually became very good at what I did. When I was old enough, I took care of the problem directly and removed the source of my troubles before it even become one. I seen "friends" get beaten because they tried to hang out with me....I...even thought that if I was to vanish, maybe my mother could have been better without me..." "Which is why..."Crimson looked sadly at the others, voice almost breaking. "For the first time....i....I~" Crimson was on the edge of tears. He didn't know if he was able to continue, he seemed to have been pretty shaken up about it. He knew what he wanted to say, "thank you" or show the gratitude he didn't really know to show the first true friends that he's ever had. He didn't need to say anymore fortunately, as a moment later, everything was to work out for him in the end....
"J... Jeez..." said Circuit, almost unable to comprehend how Crimson could survive such a wretched hive of scum and villainy, let alone escape. Though Circuit had also moved here, his life was very different from Crimson's. As a child, Circuit grew up under the care of his adoptive father, Rugburn, who had rescued him from a dilapidated, rundown orphanage in Bakersfield. For the first seven years of his life, Circuit was forced to endure cluttered and unsanitary living conditions, a horribly strict and neurotic matron, and loud music from the adjacent nightclub. Once Rugburn finally adopted him, Circuit managed to adjust pretty well to his new life. But Circuit had never once had to injure anyone to survive, in fact, his physique was barely competent enough for jogging a couple meters or lifting 30 pounds. "...how... do you live with that?"
"I...didn't want to." Crimson said tearfully, now slightly showing his more emotional side. "I've never killed anyone because I knew how to hold myself back." Pinkie looked at Crimson. "Would you kill if you are forced to?" Crimson remained quiet. He didn't say a word...
