Chapter 1

Trevor Scrooge

It has been a little over 10 years since Trevor Holtzworth's mother died. Did he know she was dead? Of course he did. Very mush so, in fact. The day she died was the worst day in his entire life. It turned his once carefree self into a miserable, Christmas-hating brat. Every year on that holiday, he would sit in his room and look out the window... as if he were waiting for something.

Not very recently, the former Vice President, Jacob Leyram had passed. This gave Trevor the opportunity to move up the corporate ladder, allowing him to work alongside his father. Many saw this as a cruel act of a vain, unnerving devil of a teenager. But he didn't care. He had dreamed of working for the VBA's elite ever since he were little.

It was Christmas Eve, and the VBA was on rush hour. Especially Trevor. His father gave him the task to give each employee a $50 gift card acceptable in local stores. "(I hate this!)" he thought, as he went from office to office, floor to floor. Then, his final destination was at one Robert Crachitt, a simple office worker with short blue hair and a very wrinkled suit. Trevor then asked "It seems a little warm in here. Did you crank up the AC again, Crachitt?"

He answered "No, sir! Honest! I've been too busy!"

"Hmph. If you say so. Here." I gave him a gift card.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Vice President!"

"Don't mention it, ...ever!"

He was about to walk away, until "Um... sir?"

Trevor sighed. "What is it?"

"Um... I know I'm suppose to have that report in on your desk by tonight. But, can I turn it in after Christmas? I just want to spend time with my family."

"...If it were any other day, I'd say no... However, I guess I can let you off this once. But it's going to come out of your pay! Understand?"

Robert flinched. "Y-y-yessir!"

A familiar face came in the office. It was his uncle on my mother's side, Frederick. He wasn't anything special. He was rather average. The one thing that stood out other than his pale brown suit was his white hair. "Nephew! Merry Christmas!" He attempted to hug me.

Trevor backed away. "Christmas?! HAH! What a joke!"

He gasped. "Surely, you don't mean that."

"Hmph. All Christmas is is a free pass for lazy bufoons to empty the pockets of hard working people on the 25th of December!" He glared at Robert and returned his attention to his uncle. "What the hell are you doing here anyway?"

"I've come here to invite you and your father to dinner tomorrow!"

"You can gladly prepare a seat for my father. But don't expect me to even get involved in your farce! What reason are you so merry for? You're not exactly wealthy."

"Whart reason for you to be angry? You're not exactly poor." He laughed.

"Hmph. What's christmas to you than paying bills with money you don't have; finding yourself a year older, yet not one minute richer? If it were up to me, I'd see to any idiot that says Merry Christmas be boiled in his own pudding, and be buried with a stake of holly through their heart!"

"Nephew!"

"Uncle! You keep Christmas in your way, and leave it be in mine."

"You can't exactly keep what you don't have."

"Then let me leave it alone then. It's not as if it's done you any good."

Frederick sighed. "Nephew, I've always seen Christmas as joyful and charitable time: the only time in the year where everyone can open their hearts, and treat others with overwhelming kindness. Yes, I've never profitted from it. But I believe it has done me good and will do me good. Therefore, I say God bless it!"

Robert started clapping.

Trevor growled in Robert's direction, causing him to cease. "More of that and my other Christmas gift to you will be unemployment!"

Fred then said "Don't be mad, Trevor, my boy! Come to dinner tomorrow."

"Hah! I'd sooner see myself in Hell!"

"Why, Trevor?"

"I don't know. Why did you get married recently?"

"I fell in love."

"Love?! Hah! Good night, Fred."

"But-"

"I said GOOD. NIGHT!"

"Very well. Merry Christmas." He went to the downward elevator. As it closed, he waved as he added "And a Happy New Year!"

Robert then said "That uncle of yours seems like a nice guy."

"...Yeah, I guess."

Mason and Abbey came in. For the past week, they had been helping a local charity that was helping the homeless in putting a roof over their heads for the holidays.

Mason said "Hey, Trevor! Is your dad in?"

Trevor asked "What for?"

Abbey explained "We're collecting to help some of the needy, remember? This will give them food, water, and some way to get warmer."

Trevor asked "Are there no, soup kitchens prisons or factories?"

Mason said "The prison is still here, dude. And the factories are still up. Though I wish I could say they weren't running."

"And the poverty laws are still in effect?"

Abbey answered "Yeah! But-"

Trevor interrupted "I was afraid something went wrong."

Abbey and Mason exchanged glances.

Mason then said "Look, dude. We're trying to help people out. No one deserves to spend the holidays in the cold streets. And we hoped you can help us out. So, how much are you gonna donate?"

Trevor answered "Nothing."

Abbey then asked "So, you want to be anonymous?"

"I want to be left alone. We're taxed for the facilities I have mentioned before, and I can't afford to make idle people merry. Those who are that badly off might as well go there."

Abbey then exclaimed "But many of them can't go there!"

Mason then added "And a lot would rather die."

Trevor told them "If many would rather die, I'd say let them. The less people on the planet, the better. Now go bother my father."

Abbey looked down and Mason scowled.

As they left for the upward elevator, Mason said "I don't know what your problem is, but you might as well get over it! There's no room for pricks during this time of the year." They both got in the elevator and it closed.

"...Robert."

He jumped. "Yes-s-s-sir?"

"I suppose you'll want all day tomorrow."

"Y-yessir. It is Christmas after all."

"Hmph... Very well. But be here an hour early the next day. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yessir!" He got on a coat, mittens, and a stocking hat. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Holtzworth." He went to the downward elevator.

A little while later, at Fighter Central, the rest of ED4 and their friends were talking about how bad Trevor's attitude was.

Mason then said "And he said they might as well die!"

Everyone gasped.

Kotetsu stated "That's awful!"

Kalulu then asked "Our Trevor said that?"

Jerry added "Yeah, that's just not right!"

Anna and Charley came in to the store, wearing Santa hats.

Charley said "Merry X-mas, peeps! Whazzap?"

Anna noticed everyone's negative expressions. "I... think they just got a helping of Trevor's Scroogey side."

Sai said "Mason and Abbey did. We had to hear about it! How can someone hate this holiday?! It's great! There's presents, there's decorations, you get to see kids smile just by mentioning Santa!"

Anna then said "It's not entirely his fault, you know. If memory serves, his mother died about a week before Christmas when he was little."

Charley added "And the holidays after that were anything but jolly."

Katherine said "If only there were a way to get him to see that Christmas isn't all bad."

Lupa suggested "There... might be a way to do that, you know."

Sai asked "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's usually for pranks. But there's a powder produced at our villages that allows your spiritual existence to exit your physical body for a fixed amount of time. It can even be used to create the past, present, and even glimpses of the possible future."

Abbey then asked "Do you think it'll work for this?"

"I used to use it on Raiden. So, it should be able to be used in this situation too."

Raiden snarled.

James stated "Do you happen to have some with you?"

Lupa nodded. "I always stock up on the stuff. You never know when it's a good time to scare someone!" She snickered.

Jerry snapped his fingers. "I got it! We can Charles Dickens this mother!"

Ron and Mike said "Yeah!"

Brock nodded.

Lupa was confused "Charles... Who now?!"

Sai whispered in her ear.

"Oh! That could work! But... who will we choose to do this?"

It was quiet for a little while, until Mason got up. "I'll worry about his past."

Kazu then exclaimed "Trevor's too good a kid to be this angry! Count me in!" He laughed loudly, causing everyone to close their ears.

After that, Lupa said "Then you can handle the present. But... who shall do the future?"

Trevor's Study

Trevor had already gotten ready for bed. However, he decided to have a granola bar left in his mini-fridge. He had sat down and watch a Megadome fight on his flatscreen. The fighter, Isacc "The Wrecking Ball" Johnson, was in the lead at 3-5. "Huh. This guy gets better every time he fights. No wonder he has such a ridiculously accurate nickname." He munched on the granola bar.

A feint voice then said "Tre-vor-r-r-r..."

He cringed. "Who-who-who's there?!"

"Tre-vor-r-r-r!"

"G-g-go away!"

"TRE-VOR-R-R-R!"

He turned to find "No! It- ...It can't be! Jacob Leyram?!"

A grey-haired, balding man, all in white, shackled with a ball and chain approached him. "In life, yes!"

Trevor's expression of fear turned into doubt. "Ha! What a joke!"

"Do you doubt my being here?!"

"Very much so. You could be a simple hallucination brought down upon me from food poisoning by this granola bar!" He threw it at Leyram, only to have it pass through his body. "That, or I could just be so tired that I'm starting to lose it!"

The apparition then shouted "RAAAAHHH!"

Trevor backed away, hiding himself under his covers. "What the hell do you want from me?!"

"Do you or do you not believe me real?!"

"I believe! Okay?! But why are you here?!" He brought his head out. "And why are you shackled?!"

"These chains... I forged in life. I forged them every single day. It represents the sins I have commited towards others! The mistakes I have made!"

"Why are you telling me this?! You worked alongside my father! Surely your life's work hasn't been devalued simply because I took your place!"

"My life's work?! The people were to be my life's work! Charity, mercy, benevolence! Those were all my life's work!" He then held up his chains. "I don't wish this to be your fate!"

"What do you expect of me?! How can I prevent it?! Tell me how I can make up for all my wrongs!"

"Tonight... three spirits shall visit you. Listen to then, learn from them."

"Can't they come all at once?"

The spirit shook his head. "Expect the first to arrive within the hour... Be warned! This is your first, and only chance! Don't blow it! Farewell, my boy!"

"Wait!"

He began to fade. "Farewel-l-l-l-ll!" He was gone.

"...I can't believe this!"

And so, Trevor began to wait for the first spirit to appear, pondering as to how his night will turn out.