With King's birthday right around the corner, Purple and Gold scheme to make his birthday his best one yet. With the help of some friends, they set out to do just that. But even the best laid plans can go haywire. Will King enjoy his surprise, or will one bad move send the whole surprise crashing down?
Part 1: The Plan is Set (Gold)[]
“OK, Dad, we’re heading off.” Purple said, heading for the trapdoor.
“We’ll be back soon!” I called, following Purple.
“Alright, kiddos. Have fun!” Dad called after us.
“We will!” Purple and I replied in unison. I opened the trapdoor, Purple leapt through it and I followed.
“We got the OK.” Purple said to some of our friends whom we invited over for this occasion.
“Let’s go!” I exclaimed, bolting for the portal, turning it on, and stepping through it.
It was the morning before Dad’s birthday, and Purple and I were determined to go all out for him. Now that we had access to Minecraft, and the infinite possibilities that come with it, we could really go crazy, in all the best of ways. This was going to be Dad’s best birthday ever, it was going to be perfect, and Purple and I were determined to make it as such. However, with plans as grand and massive as ours, we knew we needed help, so we got a couple extra pairs of hands–and a pair of paws–to join us on this exciting event.
“Where are we off to, guys?” Perrito–the aforementioned pair of paws–asked.
“We’re off to get the Gang.” I answered.
“Oooh, it’ll be nice to see them again.” Candy said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to their home before.”
“You’re gonna love it, Candy.” Magenta insisted. “Ever been inside of a computer?”
“Is that where we’re going?” Candy asked. Magenta nodded yes. “I can’t say I have, no, but I am intrigued. Might give me some ideas for some new Tiger Tech creations…”
“Grab a seat, everyone.” Purple said, gesturing to the line of minecarts. We all took seats, Purple helped Magenta into hers, and after he got seated, we took off down the track.
I would’ve preferred to fly there, but Perrito isn’t the biggest fan of heights, so we agreed to take the safe option and use the minecart train. While not nearly as fast, it still makes good time and after a short ride across multiple biomes, we stopped at the end of the track, another portal standing before us.
“Here it is, guys: The door to the Gang’s PC.” Purple said proudly, getting out of his cart and strolling over to Maggie. “Let me help you up, Maggie.”
“Thanks, Purple, you’re so sweet.” She gushed. Purple blushed, and the rest of us pulled ourselves out.
“So… Do we just walk in, or…?” Perrito asked nervously. “I can’t say I’ve been here before, either.”
“Yeah, we can just step inside and ‘knock.’” I explained. “Follow my lead!”
I raced through the portal, my friends right behind me, soon finding myself in the Nether Portal’s folder in the Gang’s home.
“Anyone home?” I called. I could hear them nearby, they were sparring, but they quickly stopped when they heard my voice.
“Guys, look!” SC exclaimed, pointing at us. “Goldy!”
“It’s not just me.” I said. Purple, Maggie, Candy, and Perrito stepped out of the portal after me.
“Oh my…” SC gasped. The other FSF strolled up behind him.
“Guys! Welcome, welcome!” Blue shouted, racing up and building a staircase leading to the taskbar. Once we all reached the ground, we exchanged hugs, especially Red, who was all too eager to get involved in the hug fest.
“Candy! It’s so good to see you!” He exclaimed.
“You as well, my favorite furry.” Candy teased.
“And Perrito, too!” Red continued. “Awwww, look at that adorable tail wag!” Perrito glanced behind himself, and I looked as well. Sure enough, his tail was wagging quickly.
“Let’s just say… It is good to see a friend.” Perrito replied. “Or, five, in this case.”
“What brings you to our humble abode, my quintet of visitors?” Yellow asked.
“Your minecarts, Yellow.” Perrito joked.
“Oh my gosh…” Green muttered. “What is the reason for this, dudes? We weren’t expecting all of you, not at all.”
“To put it simply, Dad’s the reason.” Purple explained. “His birthday is tomorrow and we want to do something really special for him.”
“Purple and I have been making plans for weeks to set this up, but we cannot do this alone.” I added. “We’d not only appreciate your help, but we’d love to invite you to this celebration for Dad.”
“No doubt he’d love to have you there as well.” Purple continued. “You know how much he loves all of us.”
“Perrito and the girls have already accepted our invites.” I said. “How about you guys?” It didn’t take long for them to answer.
“I’d love to!” Red answered.
“Affirmative.” Yellow confirmed.
“I’m with you, dudes.” Green added.
“Sounds sweet, I’m in.” Blue replied.
“It’s unanimous, because my answer is yes.” SC said. “What’s your plan, Tango kids?”
“We’ve been thinking about making a cozy mansion for Dad.” Purple explained, pulling out some ideas we sketched on various paper sheets. “Right next to my and Gold’s treehouse.”
“Something massive that puts woodland mansions to shame.” I added. “Just so long as it’s nice and comfy. Dad enjoys relaxing.”
“Very ambitious, I can see why you wanted us to help.” SC noted, nodding. “But I believe we can make it happen.”
“With my staff, massive structures can be created in mere seconds.” Yellow said proudly.
“Not to mention my speed potions.” Blue piped up. “That will increase our efficiency.”
“And my skill and expertise.” Green added. “What good is speed if not done right?”
“And my pets!” Red squealed, getting looks from all of us. “What?” He said defensively. “Pets are adorable! How can you build without them?”
“I suppose he’s got a point.” Purple said, smiling. “Anyway, we were thinking a wooden mansion with a variety of different rooms, inside would be bright colors of wool carpet and walls, his favorite things, all of it for Dad.”
“You had me at ‘bright colors,’ Prince.” Maggie said. “I’d love to help build and decorate!”
“I wouldn’t mind that either, if that’s OK.” Perrito added. “I’ve been getting into drawing lately. I’m nowhere near your level, Maggie–nor my roommates, come to think of it–but I like to try.”
“Really?” Maggie asked, surprised. Perrito nodded yes. “You’ll have to show me your drawings, sometime. I’m sure they’re great.”
“I’ll make a note of it.” Perrito replied.
“If you two want to, we appreciate it.” I said to them. “SC, Green, you’re a couple of great builders, yourself. Want to join the building team?”
“We’d love to.” SC answered. Green gave us a confident nod and smirk as well.
“If you dudes want, I can share with you my many versions of Happy Birthday.” Green added. “I remixed the song into a bunch of different genres, and have made it a total BOP!”
“Wait, really?” Purple asked.
“You bet, bros.” Green answered, smirking. “My personal favorite is the dubstep version.”
“Wait wait wait, hang on…” Candy began, “you made Happy Birthday… dubstep?”
“Honestly, that sounds kinda cool.” Perrito noted to himself. “I love me some sick beats. And shapes… Just shapes and beats.” He chuckled.
“For sure, Candy.” Green answered. “One of my better songs if I do say so myself.” He paused for a moment. “Hmm… Hey, Purple, maybe you can find a genre that King likes, and then perform it for him! You’re a great singer, and you know your dad better than I do. You’d be a perfect vocalist for it, dude!”
“You should go for it, Prince!” Maggie urged. “Your voice is so sweet and soft! Your dad will love it if you perform for him!” Purple glanced at me.
“Care to join me, Goldy?”
“I don’t know how to sing…” I confessed.
“I can teach you, dude, no problem.” Green insisted. “Your voice will be the perfect contrast to Purple’s soft tones. Besides, you can’t be any worse than SC.”
“That thrown shade was uncalled for, Green.” SC said, rolling his eyes.
“SC, bro, I love ya, but you almost knocked me out with a giant ‘LA.’” Green replied. “Anything that doesn’t literally make my face or ears bleed is better than your singing.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose!” SC protested.
“You still did it.” Green quipped.
“Ouch, Green, you pull no punches.” Candy pointed out. “There’s no way that actually happened though, right?”
“Dude, I promise you, every word is true.” Green swore.
“Hey, SC, could you do that to Green again?” Perrito asked sneakily. “Seeing that would be even more hilarious in person.” SC shot him a look, and a playful smile.
“Thanks a lot, bro.” Green said sarcastically. Perrito chuckled.
“Don’t worry, Green, it’s not happening.” SC said.
“It was worth a shot.” The dog-stick hybrid shrugged.
“Anyways, Gold, are you down for a few singing lessons later?” Green asked. I gave it a moment of thought before I came up with my answer.
“I’m down for it, Green.”
“I think that would make Dad’s day.” Purple said thoughtfully. “Let’s do it! You can be our lead, Green!”
“Actually, bro, it would mean more to King if you two were the main singers.” Green said.
“Whoa whoa whoa, Green taking a backup singer role?” Red gasped. “I never thought I would see the day…” He added sarcastically.
“Don’t get used to it, bro.” Green quipped. “For once, I’m swallowing my pride and allowing someone else to take the lead in a song.” He turned back to me and Purple. “It is for your dad’s birthday, after all. It would mean more to him if you two did it, rather than me.”
“We appreciate it, Green. Thanks.” I said gratefully. “He’s gonna love it.”
“I’m sure he will, dudes.” Green confirmed. “Because it won’t be from me. It’ll be from you.”
Purple and I smiled at him. I could definitely feel tears fill my eyes, I’m not so sure about Purple. I didn’t check. However, he was quick to recruit Yellow’s services.
“Yellow, do you think you can set up the redstone components throughout the mansion?” Purple asked. “With it being such a big project, we cannot have mobs spawning inside.”
“Are you required to ask? 100% affirmative, definitive, absolutely.” Yellow confirmed. “I have been anticipating using the new copper bulbs and their new oxidation states in a fresh creation. Ooooh, such a multitude of redstone components! I’m more stoked than a blazing inferno!”
“Calm down, Mellow Yellow.” Blue said soothingly, calmly rubbing a soft hand on Yellow’s back. Yellow breathed deeply, his excitement slowing down.
“Gracias, Azul, mi mejor amigo.” Yellow said gratefully in his multilingual way. “Thanks, Blue, my best friend.”
“My pleasure… Amarillo.” Blue replied. “Hey, if this is a birthday celebration, there should be cake.” He licked his lips hungrily.
“That was next on the docket.” I said. “You wouldn’t mind being our chef, would you, Blue?”
“Food is my love language. I’d be honored.” Blue answered. “Mmmm, I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.” He pulled out some Netherwart and began chowing down on it. “Ooh, could I make my famous Netherwart frosting for it?”
“I… think we’ll pass on that idea.” Purple answered slowly. “Dad’s content with plain white frosting on a chocolate cake. You know him, not too big on massive celebrations. This is the only way we can go all out for him.”
“And vanilla ice cream, too.” I added. “Nothing too hard for our resident chef… right?”
“Not at all, guys. Homemade is the best way to make things.” Blue answered. “I’m eager to get started!”
“Just don’t eat it ahead of time, Cookie Monster.” Green joked.
“Cease the teasing, el Verde.” Yellow reprimanded. “True Blue has pushed beyond that negative habitual action.”
“Besides, I’ve only done that once!” Blue protested. Green gave him a look in response. “Twice…?” Blue continued, more slowly. Green only leaned in closer. “Four times…”
“There it is.” Green smirked. I stifled a laugh as best as I could.
“Whoa whoa whoa, four times?” Perrito asked, baffled. “H- How does that happen?”
“I did it once for each of my brothers…” Blue explained, barely loud enough to hear. “I just love cake so, so much… I made them replacements, though! They all got their cake! And I promise I won’t do it again.”
“And we ate it, too.” SC teased. Perrito shrugged and nodded, seemingly rolling with it.
“Anyway… What do you want us to do?” Candy asked, referring to herself and Red.
“We could definitely use the help building,” Purple considered, “not to mention your leadership skills are invaluable, Candy. If you two want to help building or decorating with some bright birthday decorations–balloons, presents, things like that–we’d appreciate it.”
“Anything we can do to help.” Red confirmed.
“And as for us, we’ll be helping any way we can.” I insisted. “This project is huge, and we intend on getting our hands dirty as well as trying to lead the best way we can.”
“I personally am confident that Dad’s gonna love it.” Purple said. “But we have no time to waste! Follow us!”
He took off for the portal, Yellow grabbed his staff, and the rest of us followed him. Upon stepping into the Nether, we each got into our own minecarts and rolled to another portal, our portal, one Purple and I made for ourselves to just chill and hang out in our shared treehouse. After we arrived, we stepped through the portal into the dense jungle. This was to be the starting point of Dad’s gift.
Part 2: The Construction is Completed (Gold)[]
We arrived in a dense jungle biome, home of my and Purple’s treehouse. It was soon to be the home of a spectacular birthday gift for Dad: A massive mansion worthy of a King, somewhat literally. However, for a project this massive, we needed and got a lot of help. The Stick Gang, Maggie, Candy, and Perrito were willing to help us with the project, and we were especially grateful. Even then, it was looking like a tough task.
“Yikes, this place is dense.” SC noted.
“We can still clear it, thanks to Yellow’s staff.” I pointed out. “Yellow, can you make some room for us?”
“Easily, mis amigos.” Yellow replied, whipping out his staff. In an instant, he didn’t remove all the trees, but he did lay a one-block tall stone foundation for the mansion, essentially making the perimeter of it. It was impressive, not gonna lie.
“That should be a solid, albeit temporary, start.” Yellow said. “It’s the precise dimensions you described on your schematic, young Tangos.”
“Thanks, Yellow.” Purple replied. “That’s a big help. We’ll start with the walls and windows and work our way inside.”
“We’re gonna need lots of acacia wood.” I noted. “Those are orange, just like Dad. Yellow?”
“My pleasure.” Yellow replied, spawning stacks and stacks of acacia planks and stripped acacia logs. He tossed tons of stacks to each of us, turned the stone foundation to planks, and even made a pillar for how tall the mansion is to be. “I’ll remove the vegetation from the surrounding area. The rest of you, the time has arrived to build.”
With that, we all got to work. In separate areas, we placed layer upon layer of wooden planks on the foundation. It didn’t take long for Yellow to remove the jungle trees and plants from the area, but when he was done, it was even smoother sailing thanks to his staff. When the outer walls and windows were built, it was on to the next step: The inside of the mansion.
Blue was quick to clean up the extra jungle saplings and various flowers that were scattered around the area, and once those were out of the way, the walls of the rooms were built up. However, we were taking so long, even with Yellow’s staff, that the sun began setting. Evidently Perrito and the two reds noticed and brought it up to me and Purple.
“Hey guys, it’s getting dark.” Red pointed out.
“Reddy Bear and I were wondering if you needed some… security, you might say.” Candy replied, smirking.
“There are few things we enjoy more than kicking butt together.” Red added. “With all these mobs spawning, we can’t let them interfere. Besides, you and I both know my building skills are not nearly as good as everyone else’s. Let me get out there and fight! Puss in Boots and Master Tigress back in action, and Purrito lighting the way!”
“DreamWorks nerds unite.” Perrito joked. “Unless you need me in here.”
“I think we’ll manage. Yellow’s staff is a life-saver, I tell ya.” Purple answered.
“Go get them, you three.” I added. “But be sure to set your spawn point.”
I set a bed down, and the two reds and Perrito did just that. With that settled, the three of them left to go decimate some mobs. Inside, we put up some temporary torches so we could see and continued working on our tasks. It wasn’t long before we finished with the walls, but even by then, Green and Magenta were putting some color and detail in some of the rooms that were already finished. It was coming together great so far, and by the time morning broke, we were nearly done with the mansion’s construction. We just needed to polish the finer details, and we’d be golden. Pun intended.
However, with morning breaking, we were getting two sets of hands and one pair of paws back to help. The two reds put up party decorations while Perrito joined Maggie, Green, and SC in the rooms decorating with various colors of wool and carpet. Maggie had the idea of using purple and dark yellow as much as possible, which was really thoughtful.
Soon enough, the main building was finished. Yellow outfitted each room with waxed copper bulbs to light everything up, we helped the reds with the final decorations, and gifts, Blue made and stored several cakes for all of us and amazingly… we were finished… and it was perfect.
After finishing, we met back up outside to gaze at our work. Perrito’s tail was wagging again, so I know he was enjoying it. We took a moment to celebrate with high-fives.
“Well done, everyone!” Purple praised.
“I agree, you guys did amazing. Thank you all.” I added.
“You guys did incredible. Great work.” SC said. “King’s gonna love this.”
“Hey, I have something of an idea.” Perrito piped up. “Yellow, could you make it happen?”
“That varies. May I, perchance, ask what this idea is?” Yellow asked.
“Could you line the route from the portal to the door with a line of dispensers shooting fireworks straight up?” Perrito asked. “It’ll look like King’s walking through a light show and I think it’ll be quite the spectacle.”
“That should be easy.” Yellow figured, spinning his staff around. Instantly, he fulfilled the request and lined the walkway with dispensers and put two pressure plates in front of the Nether Portal. “Observe, mis amigos.” Yellow said, stepping on one of the pressure plates. Instantly, fireworks shot out of the dispensers, exploding in the air as if they were doing the wave.
“Show-off.” Green teased.
“Wow, coming from you, that’s impressive.” Perrito quipped. Yellow refilled the dispensers.
“Once anyone applies pressure to either of those plates, they’ll be met with a colorful and explosive surprise.”
“Nice edition, Perrito.” I complimented. “I like it a lot.”
“Thanks, buddy.” Perrito replied.
“I believe our work here is done.” Purple said, breathing deeply. “Let’s head back to the Nether.”
We all agreed to that and, with everything all built and set up, we stepped through the portal back to the Nether. Once we all made it through, I spoke up.
“Not a word of this to Dad. Purple and I want this to be a total surprise.”
“Your secret’s safe with us.” SC promised.
“King’s gonna love it!” Red squealed. “Castles can only dream of being that amazing.”
“It’s truly fit for a King.” Blue agreed.
“Hey dudes, wanna head back to our place and chillax?” Green offered.
“We all could use a pause.” Red added. “And who better to relax with than my poofy pets?”
“I’m always down for that, Reddy Bear.” Candy confirmed.
“It might drive off suspicion from Dad.” I pointed out. “We did say we’d be hanging out with you guys, being back after such a short time will prove sus.”
“My bro being mischievous, I like it.” Purple complimented.
“I’d love to chill with you guys, especially you, Purple.” Maggie professed. Purple blushed a shade of pink.
“I might as well join you guys, then.” Perrito shrugged. “I just don’t want to get left behind…”
“Perrito, trust me, we’ll never leave you out.” Purple promised. “Not on purpose, at least.”
“That’s when it hurts the most…” Perrito replied distantly, his tail drooping.
“Don’t worry, Purrito, no one’s getting excluded.” SC promised. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“Besides, your fur is too poofy to not hug!” Red gushed. We all chuckled.
“OK, guys, you’ve convinced me. Let’s head back.” Perrito confirmed, his tail rising and wagging again. “I do love the way you scratch that sweet spot behind my ears, Reddy Bear.”
“And I love the feeling of your fur on my fingers.” Red replied, getting more excited with every word. “Your adorable widdle puppy dog snout and watching your widdle tail wag?? IT’S JUST SO CUTE!”
“Red, what have we said about boundaries?” SC said gently.
“I do value my personal space.” Perrito pointed out. Red turned a bright pink.
“Sorry, buddy… I got a little carried away…” He apologized, no doubt embarrassed.
“It’s fine, buddy.” Perrito replied. “To be honest, Reddy Bear… I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Thanks.” Red sighed, relieved.
“Ya know… I should introduce you to my friends–my roommates–Cat, Dragon, Spacey, Winter, and Wolfy.” Perrito continued. “If it’s friendship and fluffy fur you want, you’re hard pressed to find better than Team Friendship. Except for Wolfy. They’re more… poofy than anything.”
“With a name like Team Friendship, I know I’m going to love them.” Red said.
We laughed, returned to the minecart train and rode back to the Gang’s portal. Stepping through it, we returned to their computer and were quickly offered things to do from each of them. One thing we all agreed on, though: Playing with Red’s pets. He spawned several cats and dogs for us and we all had a great time playing with them. I forgot how much I loved it… and how much I wanted one… but until I could get one, I had to settle for Red’s fuzzy friends. It was a lot of fun, playing with the animals and the guys as well. We even buried Red and Candy with our pets. That was Maggie’s idea, and a really funny one at that.
We spent most of the day with the guys and pets, playing with them, gaming, making music, whatever the guys call fun. Green even shared his version of Happy Birthday with us, and after a few tweaks from Purple to better fit Dad’s tastes, the song was perfect. The two of them even taught me to find my song and the three of us practiced in front of our friends. They were all impressed and applauded us, praising and cheering for us. It was all coming together great. Perfect even, but I still felt a few butterflies about it. Thankfully, Red had the perfect distraction.
Red begged to watch Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, while Candy and Perrito had his back. We all caved, and it was as good as the three of them claimed. Maggie especially loved it, claiming she got so much inspiration from it, especially the dog Perrito nicknamed himself after. Yellow and Perrito even spent some time reading baseball stats as the season was just getting started. The two of them are a match made in nerd Heaven, but after a while, Yellow pointed out the clock in the corner.
“The end of the day is drawing near.” He pointed out. “You five should probably be heading back.”
“You’re right, you’re right.” Purple sighed. “Let’s head back, guys.”
“Be sure to join us for our celebration.” I urged. “I’m hoping we can get there in the late morning, early afternoon. We’ll be sure to text you guys updates.”
“We got you dudes.” Green assured us.
“We’ll be there with hand-drawn gifts wrapped up and waiting for King on the table.” SC promised.
“‘Hand-drawn?’” Maggie asked. “What do you mean by that?”
“Let’s just say… I have access to a magic pencil.” SC answered. Maggie chuckled.
“You guys will never cease to amaze me.” She said, shaking her head and smiling. “Thank you.” SC smiled back at her. “You had better show me this ‘magic pencil’ of yours.”
“We promise we shall when you return for an additional visit!” Yellow insisted. “We adore your company, Magenta, and I am certain that Purple does in addition to us.” Purple blushed from second-hand embarrassment before returning to our friends.
“I’m on Spring Break this week.” Maggie explained. “I fully intend on returning soon. Just the thought of it is making me as giddy as a little girl!”
“Knowing your skills, I’m also eager to see what you come up with.” SC replied, smiling.
“Thank you guys for your help.” Purple replied gratefully. “Oh, one more thing… Red, could I borrow something from your pig Reuben?”
“Sure, I guess. What do you have in mind?” Red asked. Purple leaned over and whispered something to him. Red’s face brightened instantly. “Oooh, great idea, Purple! Of course! I’ll get it for you!”
Red ran off, Purple right behind him, and the two of them soon returned.
“What’s going on, Purple?” Perrito asked.
“A little birthday surprise for Dad.” Purple answered vaguely. “I think I’m ready to head out now, assuming you all are.” The girls, Perrito, and I nodded.
“Thanks for your help, guys!” I called as we headed back toward the portal. “Bye!” The two reds exchanged a hug, before Candy followed us.
“See you soon, guys!” SC shouted. He and the FSF waved us good-bye as we stepped through the portal. Each of us got into our minecarts, and rode home, scheming on the way back. We stepped through the portal and climbed up the ladder back into our living room. Surprisingly, Dad wasn’t sitting on the couch waiting for us.
“Dad?” I called.
“In the kitchen, kiddos!” Dad shouted back. We found him cooking dinner for us. “Welcome home, kids.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Purple replied.
“Hey, Dad, we were talking and… Could Perrito and the girls spend the night tonight?” I cautiously asked.
“That depends. Do you three have anywhere to be?” Dad asked.
“I don’t have a social life.” Perrito shrugged. “I’m available.”
“I’m on Spring Break.” Maggie added. “I’d love to spend a night with my Prince.”
“The chessboards at Tiger Tech are great at their jobs.” Candy said. “Bishop especially. They’ll make sure things are humming along.”
“It’s unanimous. Can we, Dad?” Purple begged. “We even got materials for beds while we were over at the Gang’s PC.” Dad gave us a kind smile.
“You two have thought of everything, haven’t you?” He teased, gesturing to me and my brother. “OK, if it’s fine with your friends, it’s fine with me, though a part of me thinks there’s something deeper behind this…”
“What do you mean, Dad?” I asked.
“You’re scheming. You’re dreaming. You have that twinkle in your eyes when you’re plotting something.” Dad observed, playfully leaning in closer. “Not to mention my birthday is tomorrow… It’s the perfect storm.”
“Well, Goldy?” Candy teased. “Are you plotting something?”
“Knock it off, Candy.” I muttered to her. She snickered in response. “I’m just excited to spend the night with some friends.” I answered Dad. “And we all want to be here to celebrate you tomorrow.” Dad chuckled.
“Awww, thanks. I look forward to it, too.” Dad and I hugged each other. “Hey, have you shown our guests around? Break out one of your games or something while I finish dinner for us.”
“We will. Thanks, Dad!” Purple exclaimed eagerly.
“Oh, and Purple…” Dad began. Purple seemed to know what Dad was getting at ahead of time.
“Don’t worry, Dad, Maggie has her own wool and planks.” Purple replied.
“I thought so, just making sure.” Dad said, smiling. “Alright, have fun, kids! Dinner will be done soon.”
“C’mon, guys! Let’s see what piques our interests.” I squealed.
“I’m always down for a fun game night.” Perrito confirmed, his tail wagging again. We all found something and began playing it until Dad finished dinner for us. We all ate like kings and queens, Dad’s a great chef, though we probably won’t be having leftovers since there was almost nothing left after the six of us got finished with it. We played some more games well into the night until Dad eventually went to bed. After that, we stayed up for a little while longer hanging out in my bedroom, talking quietly amongst ourselves.
“Do you think your dad’s going to enjoy it?” Candy asked me.
“He’s gonna love it.” I confirmed. “I just hope it goes perfectly.”
“Even if not, he’s gonna deeply appreciate the effort you put into it.” Perrito added. “Not to mention it’s from you. I doubt you could do anything that could stop him from loving you.”
“I would agree, he’s a great dad.” Maggie said.
“My stomach is also in knots.” Purple confided. “Dad deserves the best, especially after all he’s done for me. He adopted me, became the father I needed most… I hope it goes well.”
“It will, Prince.” Maggie said comfortingly. “I’m sure of that.”
“I’m confident that this is one birthday your dad will never forget.” Candy assured me and Purple. “Truly the Kung Fu Panda 2 of birthdays, it’s gonna be so sweet and pretty hardcore.”
“You mean The Last Wish of birthdays.” Perrito corrected. “As sweet as the puppy I nicknamed myself after and as bad-asphalt as the Wolf.” Candy rolled her eyes.
“The Boss Wolf, yes.” She jokingly retaliated.
“Either way, it’s gonna be great.” I reasoned, sighing deeply. “But I guess we’ll see soon. Dad’s the final judge.”
“If nothing else, Gold, we all poured all our effort into it.” Purple said. “We all love it, and I’m positive Dad will as well.” I smiled at him.
“Hey guys, it’s getting late, and we’ve got an exciting day tomorrow.” Perrito yawned.
“He’s right.” Maggie confirmed, pulling out a crafting table and placing it in the middle of the floor. She promptly and literally made her bed with magenta wool. “I think I’m going to turn in.”
“You can sleep in my room, Maggie.” Purple offered.
“Thanks, Prince. I’d love to.” Purple smiled and escorted her off.
“I’ll stick with you two.” Candy said, also yawning. Perrito helped her make a red bed and made a brown one for himself. The two of them placed their beds, and Perrito curled up into it like a puppy.
“Night, guys.” I said. “Thanks again for your help.”
“You’re welcome, Gold.” Perrito replied. “Thank you for inviting me over.”
“Yeah, thanks, Goldy.” Candy added. “I’m excited to celebrate tomorrow.”
“Me too, Candy,” I said, turning off the lights. “Me too.”
I curled up into bed and soon dozed off, excited and anxious for Dad to see his surprise tomorrow.
Part 3: The Surprise is Revealed (King)[]
I awoke early the next morning–I tend to wake up earlier than the kids–and got my daily routine started. I have to start my day with my daily devotions, building my faith, and being the parent of two excitable kids doesn’t leave me time to do much else. I love them to death, but they can be a real handful, especially my Golden Boy. Purple as well, but to an admittedly lesser extent.
As I was wrapping up my daily devotions, I caught a whiff of a familiar scent. It was the smell of something that I cannot live without, the thing that somewhat literally gets me out of the bed in the morning. I was confused, so I followed the scent out of my room into the dining room. Much to my surprise, I found the table set nicely with a steaming breakfast plate along with a fresh cup of coffee in my favorite mug, a mug reading, “#1 Dad” that Gold got me for Father’s Day when he was younger. It was the coffee that I was smelling, and I knew it instantly, having been “addicted” to it since my college days. I chuckled to myself.
“I wonder who did this.” I quipped somewhat loudly. I figured I knew who was behind it: my kids, and I wanted them to hear me. Sure enough, I was right. They popped out from behind the couch.
“Happy birthday, Dad!” They exclaimed, catching me quite off-guard.
“Happy birthday, King!” Three more voices shouted. I turned around, and there was Perrito and the girls running up to meet me. I was soon wrapped in a hug from my sons.
“We made you your favorite breakfast!” Gold proclaimed.
“And coffee! We know how much you love it.” Purple explained.
“Made just the way you like it.” Gold added.
“Lots of cream and sugar, made special for you!” Purple continued.
“Sons, my beloved sons…” I hugged them back, crying lightly. “Thank you so, so much. I couldn’t ask for better kids.” We soon released each other. “Now… Give me my coffee. I need my coffee.” I said playfully. We all got a laugh out of this.
“That’s what it’s there for.” Perrito said.
“We hope you like it!” Candy added.
“Get together, guys! I need a photo of the birthday boy!” Magenta insisted. We all gathered around and she took some photos. “Ooooh, I cannot wait to enhance this! Give it the old Magenta flare.”
“I look forward to seeing that.” I said, nodding and taking a seat at the table. I took a sip of my coffee–which was perfectly made, props to the kids–and indulged in the food they made for me.
“So, Goldy…” I began, “what else do you and Purple have planned?”
“Me? What makes you think I had anything to do with it?” Purple asked playfully.
“Because I know you, my little Prince. I know how huge and soft your heart is, especially for your family. Besides, you’ve done this sort of thing before, pretty much every one of my birthdays since I adopted you.” I smirked. Purple tried to contain a smile.
“Maybe there is something planned, maybe there isn’t.” Purple said. I knew something was up, and I knew just how to squeeze it out of my kids, but not yet. I had to finish breakfast first, so I decided to play dumb.
“OK… OK…” I nodded. “Thanks, kids, the breakfast is delicious.”
“Only the best for you, Dad.” Gold said. “I love you.”
“I love you too, kiddo. All of you.” I professed. “You all are my family, and I can’t imagine my life without any of you.”
“Awwww, that’s so SWEET!” Magenta gushed.
“Thanks, King, that means a lot to me.” Candy replied. “It truly does.”
“Indeed, thank you, King.” Perrito confirmed. I smiled at the two of them and finished up my breakfast and coffee. Once I finished, Purple and Gold were quick to clean up, while Perrito and the girls stayed back with me. While my sons were in the kitchen, I leaned over to the others.
“Perrito, girls, can you do something for me?” I asked.
“What is it?” Magenta asked.
“Keep Purple contained while I give Gold some noogies.” I explained, a childish smile crossing my face. “Purple will be noogied after him, and I can’t be chasing my little Prince around. I’m hoping one of them spills the beans about what they have planned.”
“Of course, that sounds hilarious.” Candy said.
“This is going to be fun.” Perrito said in his best “Death” voice.
“Thanks, kids.” I replied, getting up. At that moment, my sons returned from the kitchen.
“How was it, Dad?” Gold asked.
“It was delicious, thank you dearly.” I answered. “Now that I’m hopped up on coffee, there’s only one thing I can do.”
“What’s that?” Purple asked, a little nervously.
“Some thank you noogies!” I exclaimed, playfully restraining Gold and noogie-ing him.
“Ow! Hey, cut it out, Dad!” Gold protested while laughing.
“Not until you spill the beans.” I teased. “What do you have planned?”
“You’ll have to wait and see!” Gold insisted, still laughing. “Ow! Stop! Do Purple! Why me?”
“Because I love you, my First Prize.” I joked, continuing to noogie him until his bright golden blonde hair was sufficiently mussed up. Once that was done, I turned to my other son. “And don’t you worry, Purple, I’ve got noogies for you too.”
“Ohhhhhh no…” Purple said, backing away from me, only to get stopped by Perrito and the girls. “Guys, what are you-?”
“We were given orders, Purple.” Candy said teasingly. “Bring the panda to him.”
“This is gonna be hilarious.” Magenta snickered. Perrito lit up his paws with his light elements.
“No one’s escaped me yet.” He said in his Death voice.
“Come here, Purple!” I said playfully, grabbing him and giving him some noogies as well.
“Ow! Hey! Stop it, Dad!” Purple laughed.
“It’s only fair, baby bro.” Gold teased. “No Tango can escape it.”
“It is a Tango family tradition, after all.” I pointed out. “My dad used to do the same thing to me for his birthday, and mine. Now, what are you scheming, my little Prince?” I asked playfully.
“You’ll see! Ow! Ow! So much noogie-ing!” Purple laughed. After I felt like he had enough–which is to say, after his plum-colored hair looked like it had never been in contact with a comb before–I let him go. Magenta examined her phone.
“I got it all, Prince.” She giggled, showing us all the fact that she recorded me giving Purple noogies. Purple’s face turned a hot shade of pink. “I’m going to replay this every day of my life.” We all got a chuckle out of that.
“Oh, Dad… I got this for you.” Purple began, pulling out something that I never would’ve expected: My old crown from my days as a king. While I deeply regret what I did, even years later, I wouldn’t have met Purple and the Gang if not for it, so some good came out of it.
“My old crown…” I gasped.
“Let it be known that you’re royalty to us.” Purple said humbly.
“For a day, you shall truly be getting the royal treatment.” Gold added.
“Thank you, kiddos.” I said gratefully, hugging them both. After releasing, Purple handed me my old crown and I put it on.
“It feels weird wearing this again…” I noted distantly. “It brings back memories…”
“Memories of what, King?” Candy asked.
“My past… and the tragedy that brought Purple into my life…” I answered distantly, “but that’s another story for another day. As for today… What do my beloved sons have for me?”
“Weeeeeeeeeell…” Gold began, “We do have a surprise waiting for you, and it’s in Minecraft. Can we show it to you?”
“Of course, my Golden Boy.” I answered. “Lead the way.”
Gold and Purple escorted me into the basement, Perrito and the girls following us, and through the Nether portal. I had to remember to duck as I stepped through it, but once we did, we each took seats in our minecart train and rolled down the track. My curiosity was overflowing inside of me, and it only piqued even higher when we finally stopped at a different portal. I knew it well, it’s where my kids and I built their treehouse, I was just wondering what was on the other side.
“We’re here, everyone!” Purple proclaimed. “Dad, we want you to step through it first.”
“OK, kiddo.” I said. I didn’t know why, but I felt a little uneasy. I just wasn’t sure at all what to expect on the other side of this glowing purple doorway, but I entered the portal regardless. When I saw what was on the other side for the first time, it took my breath away.
I stepped through the portal and the first thing to meet my eyes was a massive mansion made of orange acacia wood nearly matching my hue. It must’ve been three stories tall and so wide and deep it almost disappeared in the jungle surrounding it. I gasped in awe. The kids made all of this… for me? I felt my heart skip a beat or two, until five friendly, familiar voices snapped me out of my trance.
“Happy birthday, King!”
I jolted, startled, but saw the Stick Gang standing before me. Red, SC, Yellow, Green, and Blue were joining in, with Green holding his phone out, no doubt recording every second of this.
“Kids…” I gasped. “How…? You…? You did all of this… for me?”
“Purple and Gold planned this.” SC explained. “We just worked together to make it happen.”
“Purple and Gold?” I repeated, turning around. The kids were right behind me, exiting the portal themselves.
“We wanted to make it special.” Gold explained. “You deserve it after all you’ve done for us.”
“Especially me, Dad…” Purple professed. “Words cannot express my–well, our–love for you.”
“Kiddos… Come here…”
I dropped to one knee and extended my arms wide. Both my beloved sons wrapped me in a warm, tight embrace, and I did the same for them. I felt myself start bawling, tears of joy streaming down my face like waterfalls, and I think my sons were weeping as well.
“I love you, Dad…” Both my kids said in unison.
“I love you too, kiddos.” I cried. When we released, I noticed that we weren’t the only ones who let the waterworks flow. Red was a mess, melting down into a metaphorical puddle.
“Reddy Bear, you OK?” Candy asked, rubbing her hand on his back.
“It’s all SO SWEET!” Red wailed. “My heart can’t handle this level of cuteness! I feel like Perrito about to faint from seeing Puss’s and Kitty’s cute battle!! I LOVE THIS!!!!”
“King, would you like the grand tour of your new home away from home?” SC offered. I looked at his gentle eyes and smiled at him.
“I’d like that very much.”
I took a few steps toward the door, unknowingly stepping on a pressure plate. Suddenly, a line of fireworks shot into the air on either side of me in bright oranges, yellows, and purples, the fireworks in the very back, closest to the wooden mansion, shot the most and brightest, even in the daytime. I gasped in awe once again.
“Wow kids…” I gasped. “Yellow, was this your idea?”
“Actually, Perrito is responsible for the concept.” Yellow answered. “I simply constructed it after achieving the green light from your children.”
“You kids never cease to amaze me.” I praised. “Kids, lead the way. I can’t wait to see what you have for me.”
“Believe me, no one is more excited than I am.” Gold squealed, eagerly bolting ahead. “It’s perfect…” We all followed him underneath a shower of lit firework sparks. I brushed a few off of me, not expecting their heat at first, soon entering the main floor of the kids’ gift to me.
Once inside, my eyes met a massive hallway. It was so big it had its own pieces of furniture, from dressers to full-on easy chairs and sofas. It was very well-decorated with bright colors, intricate designs, and even a few small plants. I figured Magenta, Green, and Blue were behind the construction of this.
What followed was a short tour around the first floor. The kids showed me everything, especially their own contributions to the place. Red showed me a large, open indoor gym for sparring. Yellow showed off the library. Green–no longer recording by this point–made a music-themed room. Blue showed off his kitchen. SC showed off the bedroom, including a “king-sized bed,” in his words. Magenta made a brightly-colored room that was essentially a giant art piece made out of brightly-colored wool. It was very pretty, it kinda looked like me and my family. Candy made a home movie studio with all our favorite movies. Perrito showed off the textbook definition of a man cave: sports merch, games, a giant TV… I got a good chuckle out of that.
After all that, Purple and Gold prepared to show me the “crown jewel” of the first floor. They made the ultimate Tango family room. Pictures of us littered the walls, from recent pictures to Gold as a young child–when he was small enough for me to carry on my shoulders–to old photos of me and my late wife, Neon. The room itself was all brightly decorated in all of our colors, a vibrant rainbow of hues, along with soft furniture. It was lovely, it was beautiful… It was my family… and looking at some of the pictures… It drew tears from me.
“This is one of my favorite rooms…” Magenta said. “Painting it with such bright colors brought me so much joy.”
“You all have brought me so much joy…” I said, shocked. “Thank you… Thank you all…”
“You’re a great friend, King.” SC complimented. “A great father.”
“To all of us!” Red squealed.
“Indeed, you mean an immense amount to all of us.” Yellow confirmed.
“Our bond is music to my ears, dude.” Green added.
“And our friendship is sweeter than cake.” Blue said. I smiled at him.
“Shall we explore the second floor?” Gold asked. I looked at him and nodded.
He and Gold led me up a flight of stairs to the second floor, but as we reached the top of the steps, Blue and Perrito slowed down behind us. Candy was the first one to notice.
“Blue, Perrito, what’s up?” She asked.
“I’m catching a whiff of something…” Blue noted.
“My doggy snout is also picking up on something.” Perrito piped up.
“We should check it out.” Blue determined. “Perrito? Care to join me?”
“I suppose so.” He shrugged in response. “I hope you guys don’t mind…”
“No, not at all.” Purple said. “We’d be willing to wait if need be.”
“Thanks, guys.” Blue said gratefully. Perrito gave us a farewell nod and followed Blue upstairs.
“So, Dad, are you enjoying it so far?” Gold asked. “Is it perfect?”
“I am, immensely so, and yes, it is perfect. Thank you kids, this has been my best birthday yet.”
“Don’t jinx it, dude.” Green warned.
“El Verde, you superstitious sports fanatic.” Yellow teased.
“Sports jinxes are real, dude.” Green argued playfully. “But of course a numbers nerd like you doesn’t believe in them…”
At that moment, Blue and Perrito bolted down the stairs, a potion in Blue’s hand, Perrito in absolute panic mode.
“Guys! Guys!” Blue exclaimed, out of breath.
“Whoa, Blue, what happened?” Red asked. “What’s going on?”
“The top floor…” Perrito gasped frantically. “It’s in flames!”
Part 4: The Celebration is Started (King)[]
The kids and I gasped upon hearing the news from Perrito and Blue. After a split second, my instincts kicked in and I raced up the stairs to see what was happening, blowing right past Blue and Perrito in the process. The kids followed me until I stopped atop the stairs. Most of the walls and rooms were ablaze, the wool and wood being perfect kindling for a massive fire. I extended my arms on either side of my body, hoping to keep the kids behind me.
“Oh… my… gosh…” I gasped. “Kids, we gotta get out of here! NOW! I’m not risking anyone’s life!”
“No need, King.” Blue replied. “Huddle up! Fire Res potion incoming!”
We all bunched up and Blue slammed a potion on the ground. Bubbles started appearing around us in a circle, and then spawned in front of each of us.
“We got eight minutes. Split up and douse the flames!” Blue ordered. “I got water buckets!”
“And I possess an all-powerful staff.” Yellow replied coolly. I instantly pulled out his staff and pointed it above the flames. Instantly a blanket of snow and ice blocks spawned above the fires, sending frigid cold onto the flaming blocks, smothering the flames instantly. Once all the visible flames were out, he stepped out from behind me.
“Stay cautious, mis amigos.” Yellow insisted. “I am unaware if there are any more flames in another section of the mansion. Obtain buckets of dihydrogen monoxide from True Blue and separate, investigating every location for flames. Quickly, while the potion effects remain.”
We each grabbed water buckets and spread out. I was worried about them, but the Fire Res potion was still in effect, and it remained that way when we met back up a short while later.
“No more flames, the fire is extinguished.” Yellow updated us. “We lost the majority of the third floor, but not much else, thankfully. I just question how that happened.”
“There was no source of sparks or flames up here…” SC pointed out. “What could’ve started it?”
“All our hard work…” Magenta cried. “Gone…” Purple hugged her.
“It’s OK, Maggie.” He consoled her. “It’s rebuildable. Plus, we’re still alive, and we still have each other. That’s all that matters.”
“You don’t think the fireworks could’ve had something to do with it?” Candy guessed. “I don’t know this game like you do, but I do know that fireworks are explosive.”
“From KFP, right?” Red teased. Candy snickered and gave him a playful sock in the arm.
“Minecraft fireworks don’t start fires, dudes.” Green pointed out.
“Anyone have a better guess?” Perrito asked in a shaky voice.
“Dad… I’m so, so sorry…” Gold cried, hugging me.
“It’s not your fault, kiddo.” I insisted.
“No… It’s mine…” Perrito began. “The fireworks were my idea! If I hadn’t come up with it, none of this would’ve happened!” He was clearly getting riled up, grabbing at his fur and ears. “Oh my gosh I’m spiraling… I’m spiraling…”
“You OK, Perrito?” SC asked gently.
“No! I- I-” Perrito stammered frantically. Before any of us could react, he clapped his paws together twice in rapid succession and instantly he was gone.
“Wh- What happened to him?” Candy asked.
“He’s a Stickmanimal.” Yellow explained. “That’s a stick figure-animal hybrid that comes with elemental powers. Perrito has light powers, he can take on the properties of light, which includes things like hyper speed and…”
“Turning invisible…” Purple finished. “He must’ve been so shaken by the whole thing… Oh no…”
“We’ve got to find him.” I determined. “This can wait, I assure you kids. Family and friends come first. Head outside and spread out.”
“How are we supposed to find an invisible stick?” Green quipped.
“I… don’t know.” I admitted. “Maybe he’s visible now. I don’t know. But we’ve got to try. We’ve got to help him!”
Nothing more needed to be said. We headed downstairs and fanned out in all different directions deep into the surrounding jungle. I climbed over blocks, small trees, piles of leaves, trekking through the deep jungle landscape while passing jungle wolves, ocelots, and a few parrots. After a short period of searching with no luck, I heard something.
It sounded like music.
I followed it and found a now visible Perrito crying, his tail drooping between his legs, singing along to his music clearly in an attempt to calm himself down. I quickly sent a text to the kids, telling them I’d found him and to double back to the house. I intended to bring Perrito back as soon as I could. But I needed to soothe him, first.
I slowly emerged from behind him as his song finished.
“I like your singing.”
Perrito jumped, startled.
“Oh my gosh, King…” He began, “I am so, so, so sorry! I’ve ruined this! I never should’ve done this! I-”
“Shhhhh…” I gently hushed him and hugged the poor puppy-stick hybrid, stroking his soft fur. “You didn’t ruin anything, Purrito. It’s not your fault.”
He couldn’t respond. I figured he was too frazzled from the whole thing, and considering his bicolored fur, I couldn’t blame him. I did my best to calm him down, and I knew just how to do it. He has a sweet spot behind his ears that Red loves itching. I aimed for that region and gave it some soft scratches, and as soon as I did, I could see a small smile cross Perrito’s face. He glanced at me, and I smiled back, but his smile quickly faded.
“Thanks, King… But I’m so, so sorry…” Perrito repeated. “I never meant for this to happen.”
“It’s OK, Perrito, I forgive you.” I replied. “It can be rebuilt and no one got hurt. That’s all that matters to me.”
“It just happened so fast…” Perrito tried to explain. “I’m freaking out right now. This was supposed to be your best birthday… We wanted to make it perfect…”
“But it is.” I insisted. “I greatly appreciate all of what you and the kids have done for me today. It means the world to me knowing how much I am loved by all of you, but never forget that you are loved too. By all of us. And nothing could ever change that, no matter what.”
As I was talking, a jungle wolf emerged nearby, sniffing around us before seeing Perrito. It strangely began whimpering, even though it was untamed, and stroked its body against Perrito, who flashed a small smile in response.
“Thanks, King, I appreciate you coming to find me. It means a lot, even with my bicolored fur.” Perrito confessed. “Evidently this wolf cares as well.” The wolf yipped and leapt onto the blocks we were sitting on. It curled up in Perrito’s lap as Perrito stroked its fur.
“Multicolored or not, it doesn’t matter to any of us.” I insisted. “We love you because you’re our friend. You’re funny, intelligent, and as loyal as a dog. You value us greatly, just as we value you.” Perrito looked back at me and smiled a small smile, but I wasn’t done yet. “Let this be known, Perrito: You’re truly loved by all of us. Not metaphorically, rhetorically, poetically, or theoretically. You’re perfectly loved. Straight up.”
That line caused Perrito to chuckle. I know him well enough to know how to lift his spirits, and no doubt a line from The Last Wish–one he uses a lot–would help, and sure enough, it was. Even the wolf in his lap yapped twice, its tail wagging furiously. I could see Perrito’s own tail start to wag as well.
“Thanks, King. I greatly appreciate it.”
I extended my arms and we exchanged a brief hug before releasing.
“It is odd how an untamed wolf so casually walked up to us.” I pointed out.
“That is weird. I wonder if I could tame it.” Perrito said thoughtfully. “Wolves like meat. Do you have any meat, King?”
The wolf growled at this proposition, catching us off-guard. Something had clearly upset him, so we quickly backtracked.
“OK, OK, no meat.” I insisted. The wolf stopped growling, and I shook my head. “This day just gets weirder and weirder.”
“Maybe it likes carrots or something.” Perrito considered. The wolf began panting and wagging its tail. The two of us looked at each other, clearly confused.
“Never met a vegetarian wolf before.” I pointed out, the wheels turning in my head.
“Neither have I.”
“Hey, we should head back. I texted the kids telling them I found you and to return.”
“That explains the phone ping.” Perrito pointed out. “Don’t ruin my vibes.”
“There’s the Perrito we know and love.” I laughed. The two of us headed back, the wolf following us. We both found it a bit strange, but neither of us were complaining. It wasn’t harming us, so we let it follow like a lost puppy.
When we returned, we met back up with most of the kids. The only one missing was Red.
“Perrito! Dad!” Purple exclaimed, hugging both of us. “Are you two OK?”
“I’ll be fine… now… Thanks to your dad.” Perrito replied. “Purple, Gold, I deeply apologize for what I did.”
“It’s not your fault, Perrito.” Gold insisted. “Actually, it might’ve worked out for the better.”
“Indeed, we were capable of cleaning up some somewhat careless mistakes we made beforehand, mi amigo.” Yellow explained. “That probably wouldn’t have happened if not for the accident, and rebuilding it was relatively simple.”
“It’s a good thing you never leave home without your staff, buddy.” Blue praised, wrapping an arm around Yellow.
“Hey, where’s Red?” Candy asked. “He didn’t show up, was he with you?”
“In a sense.” I answered, gesturing to the wolf. “Candy, your bear has become a wolf.”
“Wait, what?” Candy asked. Red the Wolf barked excitedly and ran up to her.
“Reddy Bear?” Magenta asked. Red nodded, confirming this. “Oh my gosh you’re so cute as a little puppy!”
“I always knew he was a furry.” Candy teased, garnering chuckles from all of us, except for Red, who playfully growled at her. “Awww, you know I’m kidding, Reddy Bear!” She bent down and scratched Red’s stomach. Red panted happily in response, and I think I heard some doggy laughs from him as well.
“I never knew Red was my ‘therapy dog.’” Perrito pointed out. “Thanks, buddy.” Red looked back at him and barked and panted happily.
“You know how much he loves us, dude.” Green observed. “But how did you figure it out, King?”
“He turned down meat in favor of carrots.” I explained. “Name any other wolf that doesn’t eat meat.”
“Yeah, that tracks.” Green said thoughtfully.
“Hey King,” SC began, a little sheepishly, “we’re sorry about what happened.”
“We worked so hard…” Purple added. “We wanted it to be perfect…”
“Especially after all you’ve done for us…” Gold continued. “You deserve only the best.”
“Oh, kiddos…” I said, starting to tear up. I dropped to one knee and hugged my sons. “I already have the best gift possible: you two. That’s all I need.” We released each other. “It’s not the size of the gift that matters. Rather, the size of the heart behind it. And I know my sons have two of the biggest and sweetest hearts I know.”
“Stop it, Dad…” Gold replied shyly. “You’re embarrassing me.”
“Both of us.” Purple added. “But… I’m not complaining too much.”
“You know a parent’s main job: To embarrass their kids.” I teased. “I love you, kiddos.”
“We love you too, Dad.” Purple and Gold said in unison.
“And to the rest of you kids…” I continued, “I love you all. Bring it in.”
“Awww, we love you too, King.” SC replied. He and everyone else joined in the biggest, warmest, and tightest group hug I’ve ever been in. I couldn’t wrap my arms around all of them in return, there were too many. When we finally separated, I rose to my feet.
“Thanks, kids, for an amazing birthday. All of this… I’m blessed beyond words.”
“You’ve blessed us all, King.” Magenta said. “Thanks for raising a sweetheart of a guy.”
“Awww… I love you too, Maggie.” Purple replied.
“Hey, can we put the rest of the tour on hold?” I asked. “I’m in the mood for a lot more cake and ice cream and a lot less excitement.”
“Yes yes YES!” Blue exclaimed. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this! It’s a miracle I didn’t eat it again.”
“‘Again?’” I repeated. “What do you mean-”
“Did I say ‘again?’” Blue wondered. “Uhhh… Never mind. It’s time for cake and ice cream!”
“Tour break for cake!” SC proclaimed. We all followed him back inside to Blue’s grand interpretation of a kitchen and he quickly pulled several cakes out from an actual, working fridge. He placed one in front of me, Yellow set and placed a couple of number candles “spelling” my age on it and lit them. My sons even performed a unique interpretation of Happy Birthday for me–with Green, the main composer, evidently, on backup vocals–and I can definitely say it was music to my ears. It was even sweeter coming from my sons, it truly melted my heart. Once they were finished, I blew out my candles. Blue was quick to serve us all slices and we all dug into the sweet treat.
“Delicious, Blue!” I confirmed, licking frosting from my lips. “I love chocolate.”
“And that vanilla frosting is S-tier, dude.” Green added. “Respect, bro.”
“Thank you both.” Blue said gratefully. Red barked happily as he dug his wolf snout into his cake slice.
“Look at Reddy Bear.” Magenta pointed out to Purple. “He’s so funny!” Purple snickered.
“He’s a little kid wrapped in a teenager’s body.” Purple laughed. “And we all love him for it.”
“Hey, SC, how did Red turn himself into a wolf?” Candy asked. “I know he loves animals, but loving them so much to become one?”
“Blue can answer that better than I.” SC conceded. “He’s the chemist of the group.”
“I taught him how to make Potions of Transformation.” Blue explained. “Just think of the animal or object you want to turn into and chug it. You shall turn into that animal for a few minutes.”
“Ooh, that sounds cool!” Candy exclaimed. “Hmm… Do you know if it works for DreamWorks characters? I would LOVE to become Master Tigress! She’s such an awesome character!”
“I’ve never tried movie characters before, so I wouldn’t know.” Blue shrugged. “I suppose there’s always a possibility, and I know Red and Perrito would be bouncing off the walls if that could happen.” I snickered to myself before glancing at my kids, seated at either side of me.
“Purple, Gold, thanks for all of this. I appreciate all of it.”
“Happy birthday, Dad!” They exclaimed. “We love you!” We exchanged hugs and kisses.
“I love you, too. You are royalty to me.” That comment gave me an idea. “Hey Yellow, do you think you could duplicate this with your staff?”
“I can definitely make an attempt.” Yellow said, pulling out his staff. I took off my crown and he zapped it with his staff. Instantly, the one crown got a twin. “Impressive, it even works on non-Minecraft items. You excelled at this machine’s creation, King.”
“Thanks.” I replied, handing each of my sons a crown. “These are for you, kiddos.”
“Dad…” Gold gasped. “Thanks.”
“We greatly appreciate it.” Purple added.
“You’re welcome.” I replied. “Hey… Can we make more? One for each of us?”
“Certainly, Majesty.” Yellow replied, copying a crown and handing one to each of the kids, himself included. “By the way, there are no ulterior motives behind this gesture, are there, El Rey?”
“Not this time, Yellow and Blue. I promise.” I swore. “I just want to do something back for all of you. All you kids are the jewels in my crown.”
“Compared to who you were when we met you, King,” Blue began, “it warms my heart to see the true you shine.” I smiled at him.
“It feels weird holding this again, dude.” Green pointed out. “I haven’t had this since… Well, that event, Purple.”
“No need to remind me, Green.” Purple said. “This time, I know who my family is, and it’s all of you.”
The kids all seemed grateful, if only after a short adjustment for some of us. However, none were more surprised and honored than Perrito.
“Thank you, King.” He said gratefully. “It means the world to me having people in my own little corner. Having tasted loneliness and isolation…” His voice trailed off.
“We’ve been welcomed into the family of Christ.” I replied. “Welcoming you into my family is the least I could do, and my love for all of you will never die.”
“Just like the Legend, eh, Purrito?” Red–now back to stick figure form–joked.
“The real legend isn’t an orange cat… he’s an orange stick.” Perrito said. “Thanks again, King.” I smiled at him.
“Awwwwwwwww!” Red gushed. “I love you all.”
“To the Rainbow Squad,” SC proclaimed, raising his bucket, “and the love we share.”
“To the Rainbow Squad!” We all replied in unison.
Now adorned like kings and queens, we all clinked our buckets and devoured our cakes, greatly enjoying it. Once we finished, the kids wrapped up the tour, I unwrapped some amazing birthday gifts, and by the end of the day, I felt more loved than almost ever before. This was probably the best birthday I’ve ever had, it made me feel like a kid again, and I can’t wait for my kids to somehow top it again next year.
But even if they don’t… I know it’ll be perfect, and I couldn’t ask for a better birthday gift than a day spent with them.
THE END