"Heh heh ha! Hya hya ha!"
Around the distant Christmas tree, the Uma Musume joined hands, forming a circle as they began dancing a strange little jig around it.
"Pfft hahaha! What in the world is that? Looks like some kind of primitive tribal dance."
Tamamo Cross, who was busy grilling skewers with Nearl nearby, burst into laughter at the sight.
"They're swaying like a bunch of gorillas. Is this how they're choosing to spice up the annual Christmas party?"
"I believe Dicta Striker started it," Nearl chimed in, pausing to glance at the charcoal she'd set aside to cool.
"She thought our usual Christmases were too bland and suggested we do something more fun." She added, "I hear they're even planning to do 'caveman makeup' later."
"What the heck is that even supposed to be?" Tamamo Cross retorted without a hint of mercy.
"Margaret, is the meat ready?"
Suddenly, a question, tinged with what could only be described as 'ravenous desperation', came from the side, followed by the appearance of a grey-haired figure.
"Knew it. I was wonderin' where you'd disappeared to," Tamamo Cross said, turning around with a bright, toothy grin. "Oguri Cap, where were you hidin' before?"
"Eating," Oguri Cap stated plainly. "Nearl made pan-fried flower fish, squid rolls, and nori rice balls this time. They were very delicious."
As Oguri Cap vividly described the appearance and taste of the food, Tamamo Cross felt her mouth watering uncontrollably.
"Alright, alright, that's enough! You're makin' me jealous. Here, try my grilled beef tongue."
Confidently, she pulled a skewer from the bunch in her hand.
"Never could afford fancy dishes like this when I was a kid, but grilled meat is grilled meat. With these dips, it's hard to go wrong."
"Mmph, good."
In one bite, Oguri Cap cleared the entire skewer of meat. It's worth noting this was meat specifically sourced for Uma Musume, with chunks so large a normal person couldn't finish one in a single mouthful.
"Eh, guess it was naive of me to expect some profound critique from you," Tamamo Cross shook her head with a wry smile.
Picking up the plate laden with all the grilled skewers, she called out to Oguri Cap. "C'mon, let's take these to the others. They've been foolin' around all this time; they must be starvin'."
"Mhm. Hunger is the enemy," Oguri Cap declared solemnly, patting her stomach which she felt was only about seventy percent full.
"You're the last one who gets to say that! If you're hungry, then there'd be nothin' left for any other Uma Musume!"
Tamamo Cross's sharp complaint hit its mark.
"Heh."
Nearl smiled, watching the two figures head towards the boisterous group.
The scene before her was so wonderfully perfect, it made her cherish this moment all the more.
There was Norn Ace, Fujimasa March, and Dicta Striker dancing away; Mini the Lady trying to climb the Christmas tree with Rudy Lemono desperately pulling her back. And there was Berno Light, and now Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap walking towards them—a picture of friendship slowly unfolding before her eyes.
Nearl's gaze was as gentle as a spring, its surface shimmering with golden light in the clearing under the pleasant afternoon sun.
'This is the world I live in. This is everything to me. I will give my all for them, to ensure they can live happily, always.'
This was Nearl's silent, heartfelt wish.
Just then, flecks of pure white began to descend from the sky. The very first snowflake landed right in the palm of the hand she had unconsciously extended.
Curling her fingers closed, Nearl looked up at the night sky with a face full of wonder. There, the snow fell in a thick, swirling curtain, as if poured straight from the heavens by some divine hand.
No, perhaps it literally was being poured down by a god?
"Snow really does suit Christmas best, doesn't it? No wonder I felt like something was missing earlier."
Clapping her hands together lightly and then smoothing back her long hair, Nearl took a quick survey of the surrounding ingredients and grilling equipment, letting out a slightly helpless sigh.
"But we need to get the shelter up quickly. If the snow gets heavy, they won't even have a place to take a break."
'Right, first the shelter. There are fewer than twenty Uma Musume here, so one should be enough. I'll put up an umbrella over the grill afterwards.'
Nearl jogged over to the empty space at the back where supplies were stacked and gathered several support poles and a folded tarpaulin.
'We have plenty of firewood left over for the grill. I was planning to return it, but it looks like it'll come in handy for a firepit now.'
Muttering this to herself, her hands never stopped moving. The skeleton of the shelter quickly took shape.
After finishing the assembly, Nearl glanced back in the direction of the others.
"Heh, just as I thought. They seem to be having a great time."
At least, that's what she believed.
"Hey, don't grab my skewers! Oguri Cap, stop eating them!"
"Mini! If you stuff any more snow down my clothes, you're done for!"
So, she chose to believe it.
"Whoa, the snow's getting really heavy! This is bad!"
Dicta Striker looked at the layer of snow already accumulating on her body, a chill beginning to seep into her bones.
"Isn't there somewhere nearby we can take shelter?"
"Nope," Berno Light chimed in, currently busy brushing snow off Oguri Cap.
The grey-haired glutton had gotten a little too excited upon seeing the snow and had promptly rolled around on the ground. "This area is usually closed during rain, so no one ever built any proper shelters here."
"Tch, that's a problem," Dicta Striker clicked her tongue in frustration, her eyes anxiously scanning their surroundings. And then she spotted it.
"Look, over there! Isn't that Nearl working on something? Looks like she's already put up a tent!"
"You're right! She's so reliable, Nearl!"
Feeling immensely relieved, the group hurried towards the shelter, queuing up to file inside one by one.
The moment they stepped through the entrance, a collective sigh of relief went up. Freed from the pressure of the falling snow, they finally had time to tidy themselves up.
"This is a great spot. The frame is really sturdy too, no need to worry about it collapsing under heavy snow," Rudy Lemono observed, carefully inspecting the supports and feeling reassured.
"They've even prepared a firepit, firewood, and a rug! Let's get this set up ourselves. We can't trouble Nearl for everything," Tamamo Cross suggested, peeking outside at Nearl, who was still busy setting up an umbrella over the grill.
A faint twinge of guilt for the blonde Pegasus tugged at her heart.
Naturally, her suggestion was met with unanimous agreement. By the time Nearl returned, the inside of the shelter had been properly arranged.
"Margaret."
The first to latch onto her was Oguri Cap.
"So, what does everyone think of the gathering?" Nearl asked, distributing another portion of food to the group as she addressed the Uma Musume now huddled inside the shelter, watching the snowstorm blanket the mountains outside.
"It's wonderful! Just this final scene of snow-covered beauty makes the trip completely worth it."
"That's right! We had a blast today, and the grilled skewers were delicious too!"
Hearing this, Nearl smiled. If her efforts could bring the Uma Musume happiness, then it was all worth it.
"Then, let's end this with one word."
"Mhm!" *n
"Merry Christmas!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.