Chapter Text
It had always felt unnaturally dark in and around the Holiday home; even during the day, the shadows always seemed bigger than they should be. However, looking up at the house she hadn't seen in years, thought she would never see again, December Holiday thought it was the most radiant thing she had ever seen. After being trapped in the darkness for so long that her sense of time and self had melted like glass, she was surprised that anything still remained of her. She doesn't know the details yet, but that group of Kris, a dinosaur girl (who had called herself... Susie?) and a goat girl that looked a lot like the Dreemurrs, had all managed something incredible enough to free her from that place.
December is honestly just thankful and surprised to still be alive despite everything, even though she barely remembers or understands what happened. Not like any of the details matter, anyway. She's finally home, isn't she? Back to the house full of the family she cared about, even if she would never admit out loud that she even tolerated her mother's presence.
Still struggling to move her body, she barely managed to reach the doorbell before collapsing back down onto the welcome mat, a loud and slightly off-beat rendition of 'Jingle Bells' ringing throughout the house. She giggled to herself as she laid there, then fully burst out laughing despite how much it hurt. Of course her mother never changed it, why would she? It had only been what, seven years? She rolled her eyes as she laid there, silently hoping that someone would have woken up by now so she didn't have to get up and ring it again.
It takes a few more moments, but soon there's the familiar soft padding of slipper-clad hooves coming down the steps. Dess is silently grateful that anyone but her mother will be the first family she's seen in years.
Noelle looks around confused as she cautiously opens the door. "Kris, if you're pulling this prank at 2 am AGAIN you're gonna- huh?" Noelle only manages to get halfway through her berating before finally looking down, seeing her long-lost older sister laying there with a smirk on her face.
"H-hey dork~"
"...Dess?"
"Yeah, I'm-"
"DESS!?" Noelle's eyes practically jump out of her head. She can barely believe what's right in front of her, her sister that had vanished without a trace all those years ago is now simply laying at her doorstep. "I-is it really you!?"
"That's what I was just say-"
"Oh my ANGEL I missed you so much! W-where were you?? What happened after That Day??" Noelle immediately hugs her sister as tight as she can, not caring that she's laying down.
"Woah, easy there Elly! I'm not exactly in top shape after all this time, y'know?" Dess winces, but still happily hugs her back. "Heh, on second thought, hug me tighter. I missed ya too much to want anything else right now." Noelle's grip never loosens, holding her sister tighter than she's ever held anyone or anything before, loudly bawling as her tears splatter across the favorite shirt Dess had disappeared with all those years ago.
Dess can't help it as her own tears start flowing down her cheeks, she hugs her sister back with all the strength she can muster. Despite the cold autumn air all around them, nothing could hope to stop the release of seven years of repressed fear, frustration, and anxiety, or the embrace of long-lost sisters. The two stay like this for what feels like hours, neither wanting nor needing anything else in this moment except each other’s warmth.
About ten minutes after the tears finally subsided, the sisters opened their eyes again, their eyes still watery and the fur on their faces soaked with dried tears, but the happiest they've ever felt. “I… I-I missed you more and more every day, sis… it felt like my life was incomplete without you…” Noelle stuttered out, barely able to speak.
“Same, Elly… thinking about one day seeing you again was the only reason I was able to keep persevering, despite everything…” Dess managed to crack a warm smile as she said this, her expression unsteady but undeniably happy.
“We should… probably get you inside soon, I-I'm not strong enough to lift you up but I could support you up the stairs to your room?” Noelle said, shakily standing back up.
“Heh, you're probably right, not the best idea to stay out here for much longer, I can feel the cold even through my winter coat.” Dess reached out and took her sister's hand, leaning on the younger doe’s shoulder once she's finally back on her hooves.
“Say, Dess, since when was your hair so long?” Noelle inquired, slowly helping her sister up the first step.
“Wait, what? I didn't notice it had gotten longer?” Dess stops her ascent and takes a few moments to run her fingers through her hair, gasping lightly as her hand doesn't find the usual end of her hair at just below her shoulder. Instead, her fingers keep travelling down and down, her eyes widening as she realizes her hair just keeps going and going, all the way down to her thighs. “Woah… I guess it just kept growing all this time?? I've never had it this long before, didn't even know hair could grow that long…”
Noelle giggles softly to herself at her sister's obliviousness before speaking up again. “I-it's a good look on you, I think!”
“You… really think so? Hey let’s stop at the bathroom first, let me take a look at it.”
“Oh, sure thing sis!” Noelle slowly and carefully helps her sister ascend the last step, supporting her as she heads into the bathroom. Noelle quickly turns on the light and then steps out of the way of the mirror, giving her sister the chance to view her reflection.
“Woah…” Dess gasps as she looks into the mirror, the doe looking back at her appearing significantly different from those previous hazy memories of her face. Her antlers were larger, and a much more vibrant shade of blue than they once were. She had only been on HRT for a bit over two years before her disappearance from Hometown, but it looked like her body had been growing as if nothing was wrong and had completely matured into a grown woman's. Her face was rounder, her chest fuller, and her thighs and rear were more shapely as well.
The most striking difference, however, was, of course, her now extremely long hair. It was still pitch black and messy like always, but now it was at least three times longer than it used to be, maybe even four. It was bordering on comically long, but 7 years of unchecked hair growth would probably do that, she guessed.
“I guess it… isn’t that bad, huh? It probably would have fit my previous look just as well too…” As Dess muses this over, Noelle uses the time to fully take in her sister's new appearance.
I didn't notice until now, but she seems a bit taller and her horns are bigger, right? Not to mention her… chest area is a bit larger too, a fair bit bigger than mine, despite me also being on HRT for a long time. W-woah wait, this is my sister I'm talking about, this is Dess! Get a grip, Noelle! You gotta get used to having a pretty punk woman around that's related to you! N-not like that idiot, it sounds like you like her appearance!!
“-ly?”
Well it's not like she looks bad or anything, she's a fine woman but I don't view my sister in that kind of li-
“-Earth to Noelle? Little sis?”
“H-huh!? O-oh sorry, I um… almost dozed off there haha, still a bit sleepy!” Noelle silently hopes that her sister doesn't comment on her flushed cheeks as she focuses her attention back onto her sister's words instead of her appearance.
“Oh makes sense, you must be pretty tired ever since I woke you up, huh? Well we should both get to bed then, I'm pretty clearly exhausted too.”
“Yeah we should, but shouldn’t we tell everyone you're back first? I mean, I'm sure everyone would be happy to know you're finally back safe, maybe even mom, fahaha!” The girls take some time to laugh together at that before continuing.
“Hah, as if! Though, seriously, I gotta sleep first, you can parade me around town or whatever when it's no longer the middle of the night and I'm not exhausted,” Dess explained.
“Ah well that does make sense, your room should be about the same way you left it so you can probably get a good night's sleep, yeah?” Noelle asked, as she carefully helped her sister walk towards it.
“The same, huh?” Dess quietly pondered this as she was carefully supported to her room. “Heh, it really is the exact same, huh? Same pile of crap on the side and everything!” She quietly chuckled to herself, not noticing the tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
“Hey, sis..? Are you… okay? You're crying, and it doesn't seem to be from laughter…” Noelle nervously questioned, staring urgently at her sister's face.
“Huh? Oh, I… I am crying, huh?” She lets out a frustrated sigh and tries to reign in her emotions momentarily before continuing. “I guess… it's better than everyone moving on and being completely forgotten, but at the same time it's almost like I never left! Like nothing at all happened, like everything I went through in those seven years was just… a bad dream, or something!” Her voice is getting louder and louder as it starts to audibly fill with frustration.
Noelle hugs her sister tightly as her emotions start to rise again, slowly and carefully helping her over to the bed. “Well you have all the changes to your body as proof, right? You can make sure everybody knows that time has passed because you're different, in ways they can't ignore.” Her voice held an unusual conviction, one that was rarely found in her voice, but at the same time didn't feel out of place.
Dess takes a moment to steady her thoughts again as she carefully lays down in her bed. “That… does make sense, thanks sis. Nobody can pretend nothing happened if I come back wildly different, huh?” She took a deep breath as she tried to relax back onto her bed, but she soon noticed something strange about it. “It… feels different… Despite looking the same, it feels different to lay on. I guess that's because it hasn't been used in about seven years, huh?” Dess pondered this difference out loud, mumbling to herself for a minute or two before catching herself. “Oh that's right, you've gotta get some sleep too, duh! Sorry sis, I'll save these thoughts for tomorrow, I know it's late.”
“I-it's okay sis, I don't mind, really! I'm sure a lot must be going through your mind right now, but you really should sleep soon. You need some rest too, way more than I do, I'm sure.” Noelle turned to leave as she finished saying this, but stopped herself before she even took a step back towards the door. “Um… sis?” She nervously turned around again. “Are… are you really going to be okay alone again?” Her eyes fell to the floor, full of guilt at the idea of even considering leaving her lonely sister all alone again.
“Hey sis, don't worry about me, okay?” Dess tried to lay confidently on the bed as she said this, made more difficult by the aching of her entire body. “I didn't exactly survive this long by not being able to handle it, you know!” Her voice is full of yet more confidence, but Noelle knows better than to take it at face value.
“Sis…” Noelle said meekly. “I… can tell something is up. You don't really want to be alone again so soon, do you..?” Their eyes finally met, and Dess couldn't help but acknowledge that her sister had truly grown up since she last saw her.
Dess took a few more moments to try and think of a reason to deny her sister's words, but found herself unable to when staring into her sister's eyes. “I…” she sighs, before finally giving in. “You're right, Ells… do you think you could do your big sis a favor and keep her company tonight, please?” She tried not to look too downtrodden, but in truth just making her way here had taken most of her energy.
“Oh um, of course, Dess… I'll be honest, I wasn't sure I would be able to handle leaving your side either.” Noelle admitted, looking at the ground with a slightly shameful and embarrassed look on her face.
“Well hey, if we both want to stick together, what's the harm in it, right?” Dess did her best to put on a smile, until she realized her vision was starting to blur. “Oh I really did need to sleep, h..huh…” She barely manages to get these words out before she's out cold, her exhaustion finally overwhelming her as she falls asleep, back in her room for the first time in a long time.
“D-Dess!?” Noelle frantically rushes over, making sure her sister is okay.
Okay well, I can't seem to find anything wrong thankfully, her pulse and breathing seem fine based on my admittedly limited medical knowledge from looking after dad. Yet… I can't bring herself to leave her side, to abandon someone lost in the dark for seven years to another night of loneliness would be downright cruel, right? Plus, Dess had already said it was okay to keep her company tonight so… Wait, what am I saying? Why would it be weird to lay next to your sister? I… must just be overthinking it as per usual, I guess.
She sighs before carefully getting into bed next to her sister, soon realizing that she's asleep like a log in the middle of the bed and it doesn't look like Noelle can safely move her over much.
Well, I guess I can just…
She carefully wraps her arms around her sister, hugging her tightly as she rests her head on the older woman's arm. “Goodnight, big sis… I missed you so, so much, December…” Noelle's eyes flutter closed as the last words leave her mouth, holding the person most dear to her as she drifts off to sleep.