"You alright Hazel?" Rachel Oliviero asked.

"Huh?" Hazel Abernathy said snapping out of her thoughts, "Oh, I'm fine."

"Really?" Rachel asked as they entered The Great Hall, "Cause you've been pretty quiet lately."

Hazel looked down at her shoes. It had already been about three months since she killed Isabella Dark, as she raised her head, she saw that Matthew had been right about Chancellor Nevermore planning on decorating The Great Hall on December the first and that meant two things to her; that the holidays were only a few weeks from now and her birthday was only a few days later.

"Rachel's right you know." Ace Oliviero said distracting Hazel from her thoughts, "You've practically been living in your room."

Hazel looked at the star on top of the tree to think.

'You know their right, Hazel.' She thought to herself.

She had been shut up in the room Chancellor Nevermore had given her and Gabriel after the party and she had been pretty distant with everyone.

"Yeah, your right." Hazel said turning to her friends.

"So, care to tell us why you've nearly been living in our room?" Gabriel asked as they ascended the stairs to their room.

Hazel bit her lip carefully choosing her words.

"I've just had a lot on my mind." Hazel said as they reached the second floor.

"That seems alright." The twins said but Gabriel didn't look to convince.

"You sure that's all?" Gabriel asked as they entered the Olivieros' room.

"Well...." Hazel said but trailed off.

"Well, what?" Rachel asked as she and her brother sat down on their beds.

(A/N: Their room looks like the boys' dormitories in Descendants only with neon blue beds.)

But Hazel only sat on the ground.

"Don't worry Hazel, we won't judge." Gabriel said smiling gently before sitting beside her.

"I guess it’s also because my birthday's only a few days away." Hazel said staring at the ceiling.

"What!?" Gabriel and the twins exclaimed in unison.

"You said you wouldn't act like this." Hazel said now turning to their shocked faces.

"Your birthday's only a few away and you didn't bother to tell us!?" Rachel exclaimed.

"Let's see balloons, cake, and new decorations." Ace muttered writing on a small notebook.

"Ace what are you doing?" Gabriel asked.

"Planning Hazel's party of course." Ace replied smiling.

"No, no, mega no!" Hazel said standing up and folding her arms, "We are not celebrating my cursive birthday."

"Okay, okay Hazel just calm down." Rachel said arms up in surrender.

"Sorry." Gabriel said, "It's a bit surprising finding out someone like you hates birthdays."

"Don't be ridiculous Gab." Hazel said, "I just hate mine, not anybody else's and I don't really celebrate it."

"How long has it been since you last celebrated it?" Rachel asked.

"Nine years." Hazel said.

"But that's how long your parents have been-" Ace said before stopping upon seeing Gabriel glaring at him.

"Hello there." Eve Nevermore said entering the room.

"Eve what are you wearing?" Ace asked.

Hazel could see why Ace was asking. Instead of the usual pink dress Eve normally wore on a day-to-day basis a red and green dress took his place.

"Uncle thought it'd be nice if I wore something more festive." Eve said before spinning around.

"What brings you here anyway?" Ace asked standing up.

"Matthew wanted to see you four." Eve said as she stopped spinning and Hazel got to her feet.

"Let's not keep him waiting then." Hazel said before opening the door.

"Hazel over here!" Matthew said waving at her after she entered the second-floor railing that over looked The Great Hall.

"Coming!" Hazel said as her owl Luna perched on her shoulder.

"Hazel wait up!" Gabriel said as he and the other three caught up to her.

Hazel laughed as they all made their way down The Great Hall.

"Hi Matthew." Hazel and Gabriel greeted him.

"Did you need something?" Rachel asked seeing the bare tree beside him.

"I just have a favor to ask." Matthew said as Gabriel's pet raven Josh perched on one of the tree branches.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

"Sure, what is it?" Hazel asked.

"Chancellor Nevermore just wants the four of you to help with the decorating." Matthew said as Eve left the room, "Since none of you are going home."

"Sure." The twins said as Gabriel and Hazel nodded.

"Great, we'll start here then the hallways." Abbey Gunn said as she and her Kumppani, James Snow emerged from the hallways.

"Thank God the four of you are helping, with nearly everyone planning on going home for the holidays nobody bothered to help us with this stuff." James said as he and Abbey dropped boxes of Christmas ornaments.

"Well, we're happy to help." Hazel said before she picked up a red ornament and hanged it on the tree.

"Can you imagine if Jack the Skeleton came?" Gabriel said hanging a blue ornament.

(Thought it'd be nice to add one of my many favorite Christmas movies here. Don't @ me!)

"Who's that?" Rachel asked hanging a yellow ornament.

"It's an old Monster Hunter Christmas story." Gabriel explained, "Said he was the Guardian of Christmas and is in charge of keeping The Grinch in his own dimension."

"I love that story." Hazel said, "And why is the star already on the tree?"

"Every year the hunters fight over who gets to put the star on the tree, so Matthew cast a spell so it permanently sticks on the tree." James explained as he and Abbey hung red ribbons from door to door.

"No wonder everyone hung stars in their rooms." Hazel said remembering Chancellor Nevermore complaining about stars in the hunters' rooms as Luna joined Josh on the tree branch.

"Matthew can I - um - talk to you for a sec?" Gabriel asked.

"Of course, you can." Matthew replied.

"Did you know that Hazel's birthday is only a few days away?" Gabriel asked as they were far away enough to not be over heard.

"How long have you known?" Matthew asked sternly.

"What?" Gabriel snapped, "You knew that Hazel's birthday was only a few days away from now and didn't tell me?"

"Yes, alright." Matthew said quickly, "Please don't talk about Hazel's birthday to anyone other than the twins, please?"

"Alright, fine." Gabriel said rolling his eyes while folding his arms, "I won't discuss Hazel's birthday with anyone other than the Olivieros."

"Good, now we better hurry." Matthew said laying a hand on his shoulder, "The others will be needing our help."

"Are the two of you going to be talking all day or are you going to help!?" Abbey exclaimed.

"But what about The Back Entrance?" Gabriel asked as they joined them.

"Only a handful of people know about The Back Entrance so Chancellor Nevermore didn't think it was necessary to decorate it." James explained rolling his eyes.

"Ace, Hazel, Gabriel, Rachel my uncle called for you." Eve said from the upper landing.

"Alright." Hazel said before turning to Abbey, "Can the three of you finish without us?"

"Don't worry about us." James said, "Just go see what Chancellor Nevermore wants."

"Okay." Ace said before they set off for Chancellor Nevermore's office.

Twenty minutes later Hazel, Gabriel, and the twins were sitting in the Chancellor Nevermore's office.

"You needed something sir." Rachel said folding her arms.

"Yes." Chancellor Nevermore said standing up.

"What is it then?" Hazel asked leaning into the arm chair she was sitting in.

"There have been reports of the *ahem* Grinch going from town to town." Chancellor Nevermore said, "Jack has already informed me that he's once again plotting on stealing Christmas."

"We'll take the mission." Gabriel said quickly before sighing, "I didn't sign up for this, what next? Santa?"

"I wanna see Santa." Hazel said stars in her eyes.

"Oh, brother." Ace said rolling his eyes as they all stood up.

"Why do I feel like we're fighting Christmas now?" Rachel asked as they were about to leave.

"May I have a word Gabriel?" Chancellor Nevermore asked.

"Alright then." Gabriel said before turning to the other three, "You three go ahead, I'll catch up."

"Okay." Hazel said as she and the twins headed to their rooms to get ready.

"Is something wrong Chancellor?" Gabriel asked.

"You are aware that in a few days’ time Hazel will be having her seventeenth birthday, am I correct?" Chancellor Nevermore said.

"Yeah, pretty much." Gabriel said rolling his eyes to the fact that everyone but him already knew that Hazel's birthday was close.

"Have the four of you talked about celebrating her birthday?" Chancellor Nevermore asked.

"Obviously." Gabriel said rolling his eyes again.

"Did she react to it in anyway?" Chancellor Nevermore asked.

"It was anything but pleasant." Gabriel said.

"I thought so." Chancellor Nevermore sighed before standing up and walking to a nearby shelf.

"I thought you didn't know her until three months ago." Gabriel said narrowing his eyes as he turned to his superior.

"I've known Hazel Abernathy just as long as Matthew has." Chancellor Nevermore said as he searched for something.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Gabriel asked.

"While you hunt for the Grinch, I need you to give Hazel this on her birthday even if you four are still on the mission." Chancellor Nevermore said before giving Gabriel an elegant box, it had elegant water designs with carved lotus flowers on the border of the lid and a yin-yang symbol at the top.

"Who made this?" Gabriel asked carefully inspecting the box after Chancellor Nevermore gave it to him.

"Hazel's parents did." Chancellor Nevermore said before sitting back again.

"They made this?" Gabriel asked in awe.

"They made it for Hazel to remember them." Chancellor Nevermore explained.

"I'll do whatever I can." Gabriel said before leaving with the box safely in hand.

"Good luck, young Pasi." Chancellor Nevermore whispered before glancing at the portrait of both Hazel and Gabriel's parents.

Ten minutes later Gabriel reached the bedroom he shared with Hazel.

(A/N: Again, it's like the boys' dormitories in Descendants but with white beds.)

"It's about time you showed up." Hazel said putting 'Revealing with Monstrous Secrets' on her bedside, "You should start packing, we're leaving in thirty minutes."

"Alright then." Gabriel said gently placing the box on his bedside.

"What's that?" Hazel asked trying to get a better look at the box.

"Just something my parents gave me." Gabriel lied before placing it gently in his backpack.

Thirty minutes later the two of them and the twins were on the stone steps leading to the first gate.

"Who wants to open it this time?" Hazel asked as they reached the first defense of The Hideout's defense system.

"I'll do it." Ace volunteered.

"You know what to do, right?" Gabriel said.

"Duh.' Ace said before inserting the tip of the blade in the crack, "Mahan jvalamukhi main tumase poochata hoon mere liye apne rahasyon ko kholone kay liye."

As always, the wall disappeared as the sword fell with a loud clatter.

"God, it's freezing!" Ace said picking up his sword as they stepped out before the wall appeared again.