Wiggin Academy and the Forbidden Curse

Mako and Aiden had made it to the gingerbread-making contest, but it wasn’t a contest at all. It was just a fun class with baking cookies and decorating them with candies and icing. But that didn’t stop Aiden from building the Wiggin Academy castle because he was competing with the senior classmates. Mako gave up on her own broken-down house and helped Aiden at the end. She woke up on Christmas Eve today and all day they have been baking cookies to serve at the dinner tomorrow, which wasn’t so bad once she got the hang of all the frostings and ovens.

“This is spectacular,” amazed Vigo- the head chef of the school. “You two did a remarkable job.”

“You really outdid yourself, Aiden,” complimented Bard.

“It’s not done yet,” said Aiden and he continued to pipe the roof with white frosting, that was specially made by Vigo.

Mako snacked on a frosted cookie she just made as she viewed Aiden, who had beads of sweat running down his cheek, even on such cold day. His black hair was wet and glued to his forehead, which Mako was sure that Penelope would have made fun of a lot because it looked like seaweed. They especially missed her today; she would have had the same drive as Aiden to turn this baking session into a competition with the rest of the students. Mako knew that even though Aiden and Penelope always bickered back and forth, they were definitely cut from the same cloth.

“This should be our centre piece for the Christmas dinner, Vigo,” Bard suggested.

“I was thinking exactly that,” Vigo gave a hearty laugh. “You wouldn’t mind, dear boy?”

Aiden was caught off guard, but he nodded. “Sure, that would be cool.”

That concluded the gingerbread-making class with a blast. Mako and Aiden were famished and made their way to the lunch table for some pie and hot chocolate.

“Don’t you get hot in that sweater, Aiden?” asked Mako. “You were sweating buckets near the oven, but you never reached to take the turtle-neck off.”

Aiden stiffened as he was wiping down the sweat from his forehead. “I like turtle-necks, that’s all.”

“I understand that,” she said, “but what’s the reason that you never part with it or try something else?”

Aiden kept his eyes on his hot chocolate that had big marshmallows bobbing on top. He tapped his fingers on the porcelain, like he was contemplating for a long while. “I have to hide something,” he revealed.

Mako frowned. “Hide what?” she asked. “A really bad birth-mark, perhaps.”

Aiden black eyes hollowed into pits of an empty abyss. “Scars,” he said, “I have scars.”

Mako froze in her seat. “How?” she asked carefully.

Aiden shifted in his seat. “My family wasn’t really on the kind side,” he said. “My parents had a very different way of showing discipline to me.”

Mako’s jaw hardened. “They hit you?”

“Not anymore,” said Aiden. “You see, they all died in a car crash.”

“So, who do you live with then?” she asked.

“I live at my house still,” he said. “But my uncle visits just to check on me.”

“No one else?” she asked tensely.

Aiden nodded. “I’ve been on my own for almost year now,” he shared.

Mako frowned. “Isn’t that hard?”

“Er- I can’t really be picky now, can I,” he remarked with a fake chuckle.

“That’s why you didn’t want to go home for Christmas,” she said. “But Aiden-” he looked up from his plate and met her eyes- “shouldn’t you have family living with you?”

“My uncle is my guardian,” said Aiden.

“Then why don’t you live with him?” she asked.

“He doesn’t like me around his family,” he mumbled with a heavy breath. “He handles my finances and the house for me, just until I reach legal age.”

“I didn’t know, I’m sorry,” said Mako.

Aiden shook his head. “How would you, I never told anyone before,” he smiled for her sake. “I’m happy in my house by myself. No one bothers me or invades my space. I have the television all to myself and a whole kitchen to eat whatever I want. It’s pretty good back home.”

Mako bit back the threat of tears. She didn’t want to show sadness for him, especially on Christmas Eve. She could only imagine how Aiden coped at his house all alone. He had no one to run to when he was scared of the storm or excited about a new book or movie. She wondered who took care of him when he was sick or too tired to cook dinner. How did Aiden live in a big house all by himself? she thought to herself. But the answer was clear as day to her; it was because he was strong and brave.

“Thank you for becoming my friend, Aiden,” she said surprising him. “I’m proud to be by your side.”

The tension left his eyes and was replaced with gentleness. “I should be saying that to you,” he smiled. “I didn’t think that my first year here would result in becoming friends with you and Penelope. Actually, I hadn’t planned on making any friends at all…but now-”

Mako chuckled and proudly declared; “You have us until the very end.”

Aiden chuckled with her. “That’s good to know,” he said before he was interrupted.

“Guess whose back!” A loud voice boomed from the entrance of the great hall. Mako and Aiden turned their heads and found that short blonde-haired water alchemist holding her arms in the air proudly. It was none other than Penelope Primrose dressed like an elf.

“She’s so embarrassing,” groaned Aiden after he noticed all the people staring.

Mako got out of her seat and dragged Aiden with her towards Penelope. “How did you make it back here so quickly?” asked Mako.

Penelope’s bright smile resembled the star on top of the massive Christmas tree. “I asked Professor Wiggin to portal me in.”

“How’d you convince him?” asked Aiden.

“I just kept sending him Willows,” chuckled Penelope. “And I told him that I’d keep sending them until he listened to my request.”

“Well, it’s good to have you back,” said Mako. “We missed you a lot, didn’t we Aiden?”

Aiden crossed his arms and looked away. “You shouldn’t have left if you were going to come back,” he scolded her.

“I can’t believe I missed you-” Penelope shook her head- “but, now we get to spend Christmas together.” Penelope forgot about her suitcase and hugged both of her friends. “We should stay up all night and drink my mom’s eggnog,” suggested Penelope. “I even took my dad’s radio, so we can listen to music too.”

“We’ll have to ask Professor Grimaldi for permission to let Aiden into our dormitory,” proposed Mako.

“I already asked before coming here,” said Penelope. She switched her booming voice into a hushed whisper. “She told me to just grab Aiden’s hand when jumping into the portal. It’s a secret trick, so she told me not to tell anyone.”

They returned to the water dormitory and used the trick Professor Grimaldi told Penelope and it worked. No one was here to see them and it was safe. The sat in front of the Christmas tree inside the dormitory, the hearth was lit up bright. Mako brought blankets and pillows, so they could sit on the warm rug all night watching the snow fall outside the massive window beside them. Penelope poured them warm, sweet eggnog her mom made for them. And then, she played the radio only for the entire dormitory to fill up with sweet jingles of Christmas. The three kids soundly fell asleep on the rug in front of the comfortable fire, just before midnight.

-Christmas Day-

Mako woke up with a start. Penelope, Aiden and she had stayed up drinking eggnog, listening to music and watching the snow-blizzard. But now, it was a bright and early morning. Outside, the mountains and fields were covered in thick blankets of snow, with the sky a bright grey that was almost blinding. The fire in the hearth had died out. She turned to find herself alone on the rug, she got up and rubbed her eyes.

“Mako!” Penelope came running. “Merry Christmas.”

Mako got out from under the blankets and hugged Penelope. “Merry Christmas, Penelope. Where’s Aiden?”

“He’s gone to change his clothes and brush his teeth,” she said.

“I should do that too,” Mako ran up the stairs and quickly brushed her teeth before she returned to Penelope’s side, who was busy looking through a big red bag. “What’s that?” Mako asked.

“I’ll tell you soon,” she said. “Let’s go get Aiden first.”

They both jumped out the portal to find Aiden, who was returning to the water dormitory.

“Aiden!” The girls shouted.

Aiden was dressed up in all black as usual unlike Mako and Penelope who looked like elves. Penelope was too excited to notice that Aiden’s eyes were puffy and red. Mako froze where she stood and wondered what had happened to him. But she didn’t think it was wise to pry right now.

“Merry Christmas, Aiden,” said Penelope with a boastful hug.

“Merry Christmas, Penelope,” said Aiden as he hugged her back.

Mako came closer and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Merry Christmas, Aiden.”

Aiden’s blank eyes softened when he found her eyes that already understood his heart. “Merry Christmas, Mako.”

Penelope hopped in excitement. “I got all of you something special.” she said with a large bag clutched in her hands. They didn’t know where to sit so they naturally went to find Professor Wiggin’s room.

Professor Wiggin was still in his pyjamas when he answered the door. “Ugh. Why are you here so early?”

“Merry Christmas, Professor,” said Penelope and Mako, but he didn’t move to let them inside.

“We brought food and drinks,” lied Aiden and somehow that convinced their Professor to move to the side. They all huddled in a circle as Penelope gave out neatly wrapped gifts to each of them.

“I made them all myself,” she said proudly.

Mako opened hers and found a bright blue scarf which had her initials ‘MH’ stitched in gold embroidery. “Thanks, Penelope,” said Mako happily as she wrapped it around her neck.

Penelope smile was broad and full of teeth. “You’re welcome!” She then turned to Aiden.

Aiden very carefully unboxed the red and green wrapping, he untied the bow and saved it on the side. His nimble fingers opened the box which revealed another bright wool scarf, but this time it was crimson red and it laid perfectly folded inside. It had his initials ‘AP’ in in gold as well.

“I made us all matching scarves. Mine is green,” said Penelope. “Do you like it?” she asked Aiden who had grown quiet.

“No one’s given me a gift before,” he mumbled.

“You two are always so poorly dressed for the winter, so I thought you guys would always stay warm with these on,” said Penelope.

“Thank you,” said Aiden faintly.

Penelope grabbed his hand. “You’re welcome,” she said. “Professor, I got you something too.”

“Me?” He pointed at himself.

Penelope grabbed the small bag and handed it to him. “My dad helped me buy it, since I’m too young to even go in that store.”

Professor Wiggin’s eyes widened when he saw what was in the bag. “No way.”

“What is it?” asked Mako eagerly.

“It’s a cigar from Madame Ignite’s shop-” Professor Wiggin pulled out a thick bronze cigar, that had a golden insignia of a fire carved into it- “Thank you,” Professor Wiggin genuinely smiled. “I feel bad for not preparing anything.”

Penelope collected the garbage. “I’m just happy you all like the gifts,” she said. “Especially, Aiden.”

Aiden closed the box and walked out the room with his scarf, although he forgot everything else.

Penelope winced. “Did I say something again?”

“No,” said Mako.

“So, why?” asked Penelope.

“Aiden hasn’t celebrated Christmas like you have Penelope,” said Professor Wiggin. “He’s an outcast, even outside of this school.”

Mako and Penelope grabbed all their stuff and waved their Professor (who was already smoking the cigar) goodbye before finding Aiden. It wasn’t hard to find the small boy in black clothes with a red scarf. He was sitting on their usual boulder- that had become their spot when they had to meet Professor Wiggin for training.

Penelope climbed up next to him and circled her arm around his slumped shoulders. “When I went home, I missed you guys so much that I wanted to come back right away. But I knew couldn’t until I finished your gifts. It took everything out of me to makes the scarves, I even cut myself multiple times. See-” she showed her bandaged fingers.

“Why did you try so hard?” asked Aiden.

“My whole family asked me the same thing too,” she said. “But I just told them that I found the world’s best of friends, and I had to give them something special. So, all night, I knitted and knitted away. One night, I found my mom wrapping the gifts for me. She asked me who my friends were, and I proudly told her; Aiden Phoenix and Mako Hawthorne.”

Aiden stiffened in the middle. “What did she say?” he asked hesitantly.

“She hugged me,” said Penelope. “My mom told me that she couldn’t be prouder of me. She told me that everyone is worthy of having friends and family. So are you, Aiden.”

Mako’s eyes stung and they filled up with hot tears. So did, Aiden’s. Penelope tied the scarf securely around Aiden’s neck. She smiled warmly even though his tears made her feel sad.