Christmas Love
A/N: Skyblue Half-Demon here! Christmas Love is part of my new Advent one-shot series which will (hopefully) be completely released by Christmas Day. Advent is the season of waiting Christians like me go through starting the four Sundays before Christmas. We are anticipating the birth of Jesus Christ. It'd be more correct to release one story each Sunday, but it's kind of late for that now.
Traditionally, the Candle of Love is lit second, so this will be the second one-shot I release. Please keep your eye out for more! I released Christmas Hope yesterday, which you can find by clicking on my profile.
Even if you're not Christian and you don't celebrate Christmas, you may find something a little inspiring about this story. Please read and review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away. I do not make any money off my stories.
"Race you home, Chihiro!" called Asuka.
Chihiro grinned at her friend. "You can race me, but you won't win!" Chihiro was the fastest girl in her class, thanks to the hard work she was required to do in the Spirit World. However, Asuka never backed down from a challenge.
"You're on!" shouted Asuka. Both of the girls lined up at the stop sign. "On, your mark, get set… Go!"
The girls dashed through a bustling crowd of people as the gliding snowflakes skimmed the girls' cheeks. Asuka nearly slipped on a slick sheet of ice, but Chihiro simply glided over it. Chihiro laughed as Asuka crashed into a couple holding hands. She looked ahead and could see the stop sign of her neighborhood just in her view. Once again, Chihiro was going to win…
Except then, something sea-green caught her eye…
Chihiro looked to her right, and sure enough, there was a young boy with pale skin and beautiful green hair. Could it really be him? Chihiro thought, is that really Kohaku?
Chihiro dashed across the street, nearly getting hit by three cars in the process. When Chihiro shouted for him, the boy didn't stop. Finally, Chihiro was close enough so that her fingers brushed the boy's shoulder and he turned around.
"Oh, hi, Chihiro!" the boy said. He wasn't Kohaku. His name was Kazuki, and he was a boy in Chihiro's class who was rumored to have a crush on her. And no, his hair wasn't green; he was just wearing a green headdress.
Kazuki noticed Chihiro staring at his headdress. "You like?" he asked cheerfully. "I'm playing a shepherd in my church's Christmas pageant. It's at eight tonight. Do you want to come see it?"
"Um, I'll ask my mom," Chihiro answered absentmindedly.
"Cool!" said Kazuki, beaming.
"Chihiro!" Asuka cried from across the street. "I won!"
Chihiro looked across the street and sure enough, there was Asuka, one hand on the stop sign.
"Good job, Asuka!" Chihiro called with a fake smile plastered to her face. It wasn't that she was a poor sport, but she'd gotten her hopes up way too much, only to be let down yet again. You said we'd meet again someday, Kohaku, but when?
"So I'll see you tonight?" Kazuki asked, interrupting Chihiro's thoughts.
"Maybe," Chihiro responded. She darted across the street nearly getting a hit another good four times. But this time it wasn't because of excitement. It was because she was blinded by tears.
"Did you have good day at school, honey?" Chihiro's mother asked when her daughter walked in the door.
"Fine."
Chihiro's mother could easily tell by her daughter's tone of voice that everything was anything but fine. "What's the matter sweetheart?" her mother asked kindly.
But Chihiro simply shook her head. How was she supposed to explain Kohaku to her mother? And most women don't fancy hearing they were literally transformed into a pig after eating too much.
"Alright, if you don't feeling like telling me, that's fine," Chihiro's mother said gently, "but don't hesitate to talk to me if you want to."
"K," muttered Chihiro. "Oh, and Kazuki's in some Christmas pageant he wants us to go to. It starts at eight."
Chihiro's mother beamed. "That sounds wonderful! Why, I haven't been to a Christmas pageant since I was a little girl! We should all go. I'll call your father and tell him about it right now."
As Chihiro's mother darted over to phone, Chihiro sauntered up the stairs and into her bedroom. Whenever Chihiro was feeling down, she'd always look out the window of her bedroom. Her family's house was fairly high up on a cliff, so there was always lots to see, some things good, others bad. All she saw now were some Christmas lights, but it wasn't always like that. Once she saw two long-lost brothers reunite near the road to the Spirit World. It was probably one of the most joyful sights she'd ever seen. However, there was also a time when Chihiro witnessed a teenage girl dump her boyfriend. Usually, this was an everyday thing, but this couple must have been together for a very long time, because the boy was absolutely heartbroken. Chihiro wondered if he had ever recovered.
There was also a river in Chihiro's view. Every now and then, she could swear she saw pure white scales flash across the river's surface.
Chihiro felt like nothing without Kohaku. Some days, she found herself wishing she'd stayed in the Spirit World to be with him, even if it meant being a slave.
Some days, she wished her name was still Sen.
The sun had disappeared over the horizon and the sky had turned on its Christmas lights, which were twinkling brightly. Everyone was either in a cozy, warm house or headed to the local church to witness the Christmas pageant. Chihiro's family was part of the latter group.
"Come on, Chihiro!" her father cried up the stairs. "It'll be fun!"
"Yeah," Chihiro muttered under her breath. "That's what you said last time."
Soon Chihiro and her family were on their way to the church. Snow sprinkled the rooftops of houses and the cross that shot up in the air.
Chihiro was too busy noticing her feet to realize how beautiful her surroundings were. In fact, she was so occupied with her feet that she failed to notice that someone was in front of her before she ran into him.
"Oh, I'm so sor-" she cut herself off when she looked up at who she was talking to.
"Kaonashi?"
The No Face spirit made an all too familiar moaning noise before disappearing in the crowd.
Chihiro shook her head vigorously. I must have imagined it, she thought.
"Let's go, Chihiro!" her mother called. "We're going to be late!"
"Coming!" Chihiro called back, trying to shake the image of Kaonashi out of her mind.
The pageant started only moments after Chihiro's family found their seats. Kazuki spotted Chihiro in the crowd and waved to her. Chihiro shyly waved back.
And then the pageant began. Chihiro hardly paid attention at first. She had already occupied her mind with thoughts of Kaonashi.
But then the boy who played Joseph began to speak.
He looked nothing like Kohaku. His hair was short and brown. His skin was tan and he was unusually tall for his age. But his eyes made him look exactly like Kohaku. Though they were a different color (dark brown) they held the same magic Kohaku's eyes had possessed. And the same power. And the same rebelliousness.
And the same love.
"'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' Those were the words John wrote over 2,000 years ago. It means that God loved as so much, that as long as we believe and trust in Him, he will give as a second chance and a life in heaven all because he gave us his only son, Jesus Christ."
Chihiro smiled to herself. She was sure that this was God giving her a second chance. Thank you so much, God. You've been here with me all this time. Thank you for my second chance. And thank you for the best Christmas present you could ever give me. Your son, Jesus Christ.
I love you too, God.
A/N: What do you think? I know there are quite a few Christian messages in here, but I still find it inspiring.
My next Advent piece will be called Christmas Joy. If I stick to my original plan, it will be Sonic the Hedgehog themed. Just check my profile and it will (hopefully) be up by tomorrow.
Please give me the Christmas present of reviews!
Merry Christmas!