Holiday Parade Includes Music, Floats, Monster Attack

The SpinDizzy Holiday Parade, organized by BunnyHugger, devilbunny, was held in Downtown SpinDizzy on December 11 at noon.  Although it ended in mayhem as the chromophage, also called the color beast, made an appearance, there were no serious injuries and most spectators seemed to have a good time.  A holographic video of the parade was taken and shown in the evening for those who missed the afternoon event, and is also available through the SpinDizzy News.  (Parade Movie)

BunnyHugger first introduced the parade’s Grand Marshal, Mayor Jax E. Neurocyon (commonly known as Jaxen), fox, who waved to the crowd, showing off a beautiful dress donned for the occasion.  Then the parade commenced, starting with NBC, peacock, who bears a curious resemblance to the logo of an Earth television network.  NBC strutted proudly while carrying the parade’s official banner, stopping briefly to turn around and show the crowd his flashing red and green feathers.

Up next was the Neopolis Construction Company Beaver Marching Band, heralded by BunnyHugger through a megaphone as “the pride of Neopolis.”  The all-beaver band marched through downtown, stopping to play “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” before proceeding on their way.

After the marching band came Mischa, as a parade balloon version of Princess Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin.  Mischa’s handlers were a small herd of Jellicle reindeer, the result of PatchO’Black duplicating himself.  Mischa smiled to the crowd as she floated through the parade route, and the reindeer did some showing off as well, tap-dancing and singing “A Whole New World.”

Skyler gets ready for the holiday parade. (Image by Skyler)

Following Mischa was a colorful float carrying Jimun, bat; Skyler, bunny; and some of their cartoon friends.  The float bore a sign reading “SpinDizzy’s cartoons wish you an ink-and-paint holiday!” and depicted a mechanically-animated chipmunk, squirrel, and mouse opening their holiday presents.  Cartoon characters on the float threw out cookies and candy to the crowd, and Skyler threw paint that caused Dawnrider, tigress, to temporarily turn into a cartoon teddy bear.  Jimun painted in the air, causing some small cartoon bats to appear.  The display ended in a bit of chaos as Skyler fell off the float, leaving no one steering it.  It careened off into the distance with Jimun’s nearsightedness leaving him confused and Skyler chasing after the float.

Austin, coati, followed behind the out-of-control float, doing a lion dance, a common element of Chinese New Year celebrations.  Austin performed the front half of the stylized lion costume, shaking the papier-mache head back and forth to glare at the crowd, while the rear end — usually performed by a second person — was fixed to a set of roller skates.  He accompanied his fierce performance by playing a drum.

The last marcher in the parade was Beltrami, in the form of a forty-foot-tall fairy human.  Evidently not

Jimun rode a cartoon-themed float alongside Skyler and other 'toons. (Image by Chippy)

needing handlers, she walked slowly but lightly through the downtown street.  She wore Dolly as a sparkling, lighted bodysuit, and Mischa as a strand of Christmas lights.  She finished her performance by breathing ice crystals into the air, which then drifted down like snow.  BunnyHugger commented through the megaphone, “Gentlefolk, I think Beltrami is going to show us some of the dragon magic she inherited from her mother.  Yes indeed!  What better way to end the holiday parade than with downtown SpinDizzy’s first snow of the year?”

Just as the parade seemed over, a strange cloud of color appeared at the rear, following the procession.  It was the chromophage, one of two that were inadvertently released from an alien artifact.  The other had been trapped in a pocket dimension by Ali, fox, but this one’s whereabouts had previously been unknown.  BunnyHugger used the megaphone to yell, “Oh, no, it’s the chromophage, run!”  In the ensuing confusion, some fled, while others stayed to help trap the creature.

The first target of the creature was NBC, due to his bright, flashing colors.  He quickly changed them to black and white, and the creature lost interest, turning instead to Dawnrider, who fired red bolts of energy from her hands to keep its attention.  Beltrami also attempted to use the colors of her operator palette to pacify the creature.  Eventually it was lured into a gate inscribed on the ground by Ali, and transported into a pocket dimension.  Ali fell into the dimensional portal with it, but was able to escape again back to our world, leaving the creature trapped.

Once the threat was past, BunnyHugger brought the parade to an official close, saying, “Thank you all for attending the Holiday Parade, even though it ended a bit excitingly.  And thank you once again to our ceremonial Grand Marshal, Mayor Jaxen, and to all our performers!”

Afterward, various people began discussing what to do with the trapped creatures.  Some suggested permanent means of destroying them, and others advocated releasing them into a refuge if a suitable one could be found or devised.  Azure, fox, expressed a desire to study them.