As Long As There's Christmas

Christmas in Golden Sun Form

By: Vilya (Kaede, Norli, and Avaria were various Adept inspirations. There are rumors of a fic about a Djinn Christmas…)

Disclaimer: Ok, the title of the story is also the title of a wonderful and tear-producing song, which I do not own.

A/N: However, the title is perfect for the story. You'll see why…in the end. And this'll be a short one, not long like ALWHI. Maximum five chapters here. No connection to ALWHI, JA, or anything else we've written so far.

One last note: One BIG thank you and a good deal of praise goes to Feonyx for giving me some GREAT scene ideas and being able to listen to me ramble on about this fic for about an hour. Also to everyone who reads this, because you took the time to do so. And Lea—*sly smirk* be prepared.

Chapter One: Isaac's Wonderful Idea

         Snow fell softly on the village of Vale. It was a quiet day, the sun having only just risen, and the clouds had moved in shortly after dawn. Already the ground was covered and the drifts were piling.

         "Kind of reminds me of Imil on a good day," Garet commented to Isaac, who, lost in his own thoughts as he stared out the window, nodded distantly.

         "And what would merit a reminder of Imil on a bad day?" Jenna asked.

         "More snow, and bigger; icy ground; frozen river…a very annoyed and rather outspoken Mercury Adept who we left in Imil recently…and possibly having to climb Mercury Lighthouse all over again. Though that would be an added minus."

         "It can't have been that bad, Garet! I was there, remember?"

         "But you didn't have to fight Saturos, now did you?"

         "My own good luck, I guess. But it does get kind of boring with only you, Isaac, and Felix to talk to."

         "Excuse me?! You're the one who went and got yourself captured by those freaks! You could have come with us to help get the Stars, but no, you had to send us boys after them instead! If it weren't for us you wouldn't even be here right now!"

         "That wasn't my point, Garet! Ugh! You are impossible!!" Jenna screamed, storming into the other room. At the slam of the door, Isaac was shaken from his musings and looked up at Garet, who was glaring at the closed door across the room.

         "You Mars Adepts have such tempers," he commented, and Garet turned on him furiously, only to see his friend's sly grin. "Or perhaps there's another reason for the way you two are always going at each other?"

         "I wouldn't be talking, if I were you," Garet muttered. "I'm certain that you never had a bad day in Imil, or anywhere or anytime afterwards, until we had to leave that last time. Or maybe that day in Jupiter Lighthouse when—" Garet stopped when the smile only widened on Isaac's face. "Ok, I give up. Why are you so cheerful?"

         "Christmas comes in a month," he replied, his eyes getting their characteristic 'I have a plan' sparkle.

         "I know that. We get to eat a big dinner and everything. But why are you smiling now?"

         "I actually was listening to you and Jenna having it out, and I had already been thinking about it. What if we brought everyone here to celebrate the holidays?"

         "Everyone?!" 

         "Oh, you know what I mean. Sheba, Ivan, Mia, Picard…maybe Megan and Justin, Feizhi, Master Hama…"

         "How long will this list get?"

         "So we've met a lot of people. The point of Christmas is to be with family and friends. As far as I'm concerned, the eight of us are family. And everyone else, in one way or the other, is family to a certain degree."

         "Next he'll want to invite Tret and Laurel," Garet mumbled as he looked skyward.

         "You can't deny the fact that all of us together again is a good idea."

         "No, I can't. But what if none of them want to come?" Isaac gave Garet a cynical look, and Garet sighed. "Ok, you're right, they'll want to come. But we'd better get busy—we've only got a month to work everything out."

                                             ~*~

         "Ivan, could you run this message to the docks for me?" Hammet asked. Ivan sighed. It would mean another run through town, and everyone would call out to him and some of the tourists would ask him plenty of questions he wasn't up to answering.

         "Honestly," he muttered to himself as he left Hammet's Palace, "I preferred being unknown and alone than famous and pestered to no end."

         "Hello Ivan!" "Good day Ivan!" "How are you, Ivan?" "Aren't you one of the kids who saved the world?" "What was it like?" "Were you afraid?" "Ivan!" Ivan looked up at the last one, having frustratingly dismissed all the others. This voice, however, was a familiar one, and Ivan smiled as the letter carrier approached him.

         "Good morning," Ivan said cheerfully. The one person in all of Kalay who treated him like a normal human being. Well, as normal as he could be.

         "I got a letter fer ya, Ivan!" the man said, fishing an envelope out of his heavy bag. "Got yer name on it, anyway. Mightn' ye be knowin' the name o' the sender?" Ivan took the letter and studied it, grinning.

         "It's mine, thanks. From Isaac, a friend of mine. Thank you very much," Ivan repeated, running for the docks again while reading the letter.

         Dear Ivan,

Garet, Jenna, Felix and I were planning to get everyone together again for a big Christmas party here in Vale. We were hoping you would be able to come. Bring anyone that we've forgotten in our long list of people we've met. In fact, we have forgotten to invite Hammet. Bring him along, if you want. Hope you can make it!

         ~Isaac

PS- Make it here in one piece, please.

         "Wonder what he meant by that," Ivan mused as he neared the docks. "Of course I'm going, though. Anything to get away from this place." He stopped his babbling as he approached the docks themselves. Hammet's message was for the man who ran the ticket counter, so Ivan went inside and delivered the message, stoically putting up with the stares, whispered remarks, and outright questions.

         Rather disgusted now, Ivan shook his head to clear it as he left the building.

         "Ivan!" called a voice, and Ivan fought the urge to scream and run at sonic speed for the next continent. "Hey, Ivan, where're you going?"

         "Far away from here," Ivan muttered, instantly regretting it as the face of the owner of the voice brought itself forward into his mind. "Aw, Sheba!" he yelled, turning around and waving. "You know I'm sick of people here!"

         "We're lucky we caught you," Sheba said, and she and a familiar blue-haired Lemurian hurried to catch up to him. "We thought you might've left already."

         "Left? Oh, you mean for Vale. Well, I was about to go pack, actually…I only just got the letter today."

         "Then it's good we caught you," Picard said, amusement in his voice. "Isaac did ask that you make it in one piece, and knowing you, Ivan, it won't happen any time soon."

         "Oh very funny. I see you've kept your little sense of humor. But come on…and does one of you happen to have some kind of Invisibility Psynergy? Because if not you won't like the walk back."

         "Is anyone else from Kalay going?" Sheba asked. "I mean, are you inviting Hammet or anyone?"

         "No. I'll leave a message that I've gone for the holidays. And I'll go. Hopefully today. Judging by this letter, it was sent a week ago, and if mail takes that long to get from Vale to Kalay, imagine how long we'll take."

                                             ~*~

         "Anything to escape this darn Imilian winter!" Megan said fervently, and Justin nodded his agreement. Mia sighed. Vale would be a nice vacation of sorts, and she was very much going to enjoy seeing everyone again.

         "Are you both ready?" she asked, and the younger children nodded. "Alright then. Let's go."

         They walked for a while in silence, enjoying the crisp winter air and the shining sunlight. With three weeks left until Christmas, there would be plenty of time to catch up with one another before the holiday.

         A pass had been excavated between Bilibin and Imil, as the cave had become unsafe. "Unsafe my foot," Mia grumbled. "We're the ones who passed through it when it was really dangerous." Goma Cave, however, was still the only way between Bilibin and Vault.

         In nearly complete silence they traversed Goma Cave, only really speaking at the onset of Trolls, Zombies, or the other inhabitants of the cavern.

         Upon leaving, considerably more tired and weather beaten than they had been when they started, they were enjoying the slightly warmer weather when Mia spotted a pair of familiar faces.

         "Well would you look at that," Mia stated, waving to the two violet-haired figures approaching her. "Feizhi! Master Hama! Nice to see you again!" Mia had told Megan and Justin about the majority of her journey, and these two had been mentioned at least twice each.

         "Likewise, Mia. Though I dread thinking of what you had to put up with while passing through that Sol-forsaken cave," Master Hama said, and Megan and Justin giggled.

         "Where are the two of you headed?"

         "To Vale," Feizhi said excitedly. "What about you?"

         "We're going to Vale too. For Isaac's Christmas party. Is there anyone else coming from your direction that we should wait for?"

         "Not that I know of. Hsu was invited, but he has other work to do this winter." Feizhi would say no more, and none of the others asked her to. They knew how she felt about Hsu.

                                             ~*~

         The mountain range between Imil and Vale had no formal name. It appeared on most maps as an unmarked stretch of mountains, and few knew or cared about it. Of course, the citizens of Vale cared, for their own Mount Aleph was part of this chain. And the Imilians cared, because these mountains were their borders to the south and west.

         Deep under these mountains, however, lay hidden a dark and dangerous secret. That secret was emerging now, after a thousand years, waking from its long slumber with a taste for human flesh. It scented its prey on the slight breeze that seeped through the cracks in its mountain dwelling.

         Silently it lifted its head and opened its glowing eyes. It had waited a millennium for this. It could wait a few more days.

                                             ~*~*~

Vil: So there's chapter one. The Christmas ficcy is under way!

Norli: She won't even tell us what she's planning! It isn't fair!

Vil: I don't want to ruin your surprise. Now sit, be quiet, and wait for chapter two!

Oh, and I have a comment about reviews. Not to complain, and honestly I don't mean to, but reviews along the lines of "GOOD! CONTINUE!" and "MORE SOON!" or even "this sucks" don't really give me insight into what you thought was so good, so suspenseful, or so terrible. So please, when you review, point out things you liked and didn't, and anything you think I can improve upon. Till next time! ~Vil

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