What can I say? It's the Spirit of this Holiday, Merry Freakin' X-Mas Everyone!

I don't own Kingdom Hearts

A Christmas Carol: Kingdom Hearts Style

The snow falls gently down in the city, it's Christmas time and there is cheer and merriment in the air as people all over are hurriedly running place to place making sure that all is ready for the dawning of Christmas morning.

The customers are buying and the merchant are selling, all is going well in this center of commerce. We go now to two such men at their fruit stand trying avidly to sell their merchandise at "Terra's and Ven's".

"Fresh fruit!" the older man called out, his brown hair reached the base of his neck in the back and was styled into rather messy, vertical spikes and bangs that frame his face though these are mostly covered by his tilley winter hat. He was dressed appropriately and snugly for the winter, with a wool winter jacket and cotton pants, finished off with wool gloves and butte boots.

"Best in the city guaranteed!" The younger man called out. He was a golden blonde, the front of his hair concentrated the spikes on the right side of his head as if windswept, and the back is smooth and flaky. He wore an identical attire as his friend, but different colors and wore an ushanka instead of a tilly winter hat. "Get them while they last!" he called out taking a bite into an apple.

"Well they won't last long the way you're eating them!" the older man reprimanded.

"Hey! I'm creating scarcity, drives up the prices up!" the younger man argued.

"Ven! You can't just…" the older man stopped before looking up. "Well, Hello! Welcome to 'A Christmas Carol: Kingdom Hearts Style'! I am here to tell the story!"

"And I am here for the food!" Ven added.

"My name is Charles Dickens." The older man said.

"I'm Ventus, or Ven for short." Ven stopped short looking to the older man. "Hey wait a second Terra, you're not Charles Dickens."

"I am too."

"A keyblade-wielding Charles dickens who hangs out with his roommate selling fruit?"

"Absolutely." Terra replied.

Ven shook his head. "Charles Dickens was a nineteenth-century novelist, a genius."

"Oh, you are too kind." Terra replied with a grin.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Well…" Terra started. "Because I know the story, A Christmas Carol, like the back of my hand."

"Prove it."

"Alright." Terra ungloved his hand and showed the back to Ven while looking away. "Um, there's a mole a little off from my ring finger, and a scar on my wrist from when I…"

Ven shook his head again. "No, no, no. Don't tell us your hand, tell us the story!"

"Oh, right, thank you, yes. Ahem." Terra said turning to the front. "Xigbar was dead, to begin with."

"Pardon me?"

"That's how the story beings Ven, 'Xigbar was dead to being with'." He answered turning to his friend before turning back. "As dead as a doornail."

"That's a good beginning, it's creepy and kind of spooky." Ven said.

"Thank you Ven." Terra said bowing nodding his head to his companion.

"You're welcome, 'Mr. Dickens'."

Terra turned back to the front. "In life, Xigbar had been friends and business partners with a shrewd money-lender named Ebenezer Xemnas, you will meet him as he comes around that corner." Terra said motioning to his side at a street corner a little ways off.

"Where?"

"There."

"When?"

"Now." Terra said, and true as his word man with hair long and silvery, some of it falling over his shoulders rounded the corner walking towards them, his attire speaking of comfort and wealth, and his face speaking of indifference and age. "There he is, Mr. Ebenezer Xemnas." The man passed them and Ven shivered.

"Say, is it getting colder out here? Brr!" He said rubbing his arms to keep himself warm, Terra motioned for Ven to follow as Terra continued to narrate. "Xemnas liked the cold, he was hard and sharp as a flint, secret and self-contained, as solitary as an oyster." He said following behind Xemnas as Ventus kept up in the waves of the crowds. Eventually Xemnas walking into a the lobby skyscraper, he walked past the employees ignoring the "good mornings" of those around him as he passed, taking the elevator to the top floor, his office.

Terra and Ventus followed behind until they were stopped by the receptionist, a large "Xemnas and Xigbars" sign behind her. "Hello gentleman, do you have an appointment?"

Ven nudged Terra. "Uh yes, we're the…" he looked to his wrist. "The nine o'clock."

The receptionist raised a brow. "You're Boris Belinsky?"

"Uh, 'da'?" Terra responded in a Russian accent. Ven smacked his hand against his forehead and shook his head.

"And who's this?" the receptionist motioned toward Ven.

"My uh, Brother-in-law?" Terra responded. Ven, once again, smacked his forehead.

The receptionist raised a brow then waved them in, a look of relief on Terra's face, while a look of disbelief was worn on Ven's. They arrived on the top floor and sat down in a waiting room peering over to Xemnas down the hall his office door open and he sat typing away at his computer and writing down information methodically.

"Jeez, what an unpleasant guy." Ven said, observing Xemnas' cold indifference to everyone around him.

"Yes." Terra agreed before narrating once more. "He was a tight fisted hand at the grindstone, Xemnas. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, clutching, covetous, old sinner." Xemnas got from his office and walked down the hall past rows of cubicles and into the large waiting room on the top floor where Terra and Ven observed as Xemnas looked about the room, taking in everything until his eyes fell on a poorly dressed man across the room. He then turned to his assistant who was also busy writing down numbers and working on his computer. "Cloud Cratchit."

"Yes, Mr Xemnas?" Cloud responded a spikey golden haired individual dressed for business and little else.

"Who is this?" he asked pointing towards the man with his cane.

"It's Mr. Applegate sir, he's here to speak to you about his… mortgage." Cloud said before tuning his head back to his work, not wanting to be dragged into the conversation anymore then he had to be.

"Please Mr. Xemnas!" The man begged. "I know you're very angry about this, I didn't mean to fall behind in the payments, Lord knows it being Christmas and all. Oh please don't shout at me sir, that and of course little Gwen, her lungs aren't quite right, the doctor takes his share, don't he? I mean you can yell and scream me alright but it won't do no good!"

Xemnas walked over to Cratchit's deck and reaching underneath the counter pressing a button.

"Because I'm stone, and you can't squeeze blood from and that's the truth." He said before looking to the elevator as two security guards came up and Xemnas pointed towards the man who was grabbed by both arms and picked up off the floor. "Thank you for not shouting at me." He said as he was dragged off into the elevator.

The rows of cubical employees' leaned out from their spots, watching the entire scene. Xemnas then turned with a cold gaze back towards his office as they returned to their work in haste. "Let us deal with the eviction notices for tomorrow Mr. Cratchit." He said as he passed his head employee.

Cloud got from his seat and walked down the aisles as Ven and Terra peered around the corner, straining their ears to overhear. "Tomorrow is Christmas, sir."

Xemnas huffed. "Very well, you may gift wrap them." He said motioning to a stack of papers on his desk.

Cloud strained picking up the stack. "My, there certainly are a lot today aren't there?" he huffed before a few employees got up and walked over.

"Let us help you with that Cloud." One said taking a portion of the papers with him as four more did the same walking back to their desks with handfuls of paper until Cloud's hands were empty.

"Christmas is a very busy time for us Mr. Cratchit." Xemnas said addressing him. "People preparing for feasts, giving parties, spending their mortgage money on frivolities, one might say that December is the foreclosure season." He said looking up, smiling wickedly. "Harvest time for the money lenders."

A few of the employees from before got up and pushed Cloud forward, whispering. "Go on, ask him."

Cloud swallowed. "If you please Mr. Xemnas, it's gotten colder, and the staff would like you to raise the thermometer temperature."

"Yeah!" One employee piped up "We can't work like this!"

"Our fingers are suffering from frost-bite!" another complained.

"Our 'ass'ets are frozen!" another yelped.

"Really?" Xemnas said pushing away a paper he was writing on. "How would the staff like to be suddenly…UNEMPLOYED!?" He shouted as the employees scuttled back to their desks with lightning speed, leaving Cloud by himself in the office with Xemnas.

Cloud looked around him. "I believe you've convinced them once again, Mr. Xemnas." Cloud said frowning as his back-up turned tail.

"Now back to work." He snapped. "Before I'm forced to conclude that your services are no longer required."

"Yes, sir." Cloud said before returning to his desk.

Terra then looked to the front, again narrating. "At that moment who should arrive at the office but Xemnas' only nephew Riku? His only living relative."

Ven looked around. "Nephew Riku? I don't see him."

Just then on cue, a decently dressed gentleman stepped out from the elevator, he was quite handsome with a smiling face and long spiky silver hair that fell on his shoulders and down the length of his overcoat. "Uncle?" he asked peering down the hall to Xemnas.

Ven crossed his arms. "You're very good at that 'Mr. Dickens.'"

"Merry Christmas, Cloud." Riku said smiling at the man.

"The same to you, Riku." Cloud replied with a small smile before Riku walked pasted him and down the hall, Cloud watching as he went.

"Merry Christmas, Uncle!" Riku announced stepping into his office beaming. Xemnas looked up for a moment then returned to his work, remaining silent. "I said 'Merry Christmas' Uncle."

Xemnas looked up, chuckled. "Humbug." He said returning to his work once again.

"Christmas? A humbug Uncle? Surely you don't mean that." Riku said his smile growing slightly smaller.

"I do. What right have you to be merry? You're poor enough." Xemnas snapped.

"What right have you to be depressing? You're rich enough." Riku countered.

Ventus nudged Terra. "He's got him there. The old boy's speechless."

Xemnas set his paper down, now giving Riku his full attention. "What's Christmas? But a time for buying… things, which you have no need, no money. Time for finding yourself a year older, and not an hour richer. Heh, if I had my way, every idiot who went around saying 'Merry Christmas', should be boiled in his own pudding." He said his small grin erupting into a full grown laugh at his own idea. "And buried with a Christmas tree shoved up his ass!" he said now full blown laughing in his chair, wiping as small tears of amusement escaped his eyes.

"Well, not quite speechless." Ven observed.

"Come now Uncle…" Riku said a small frown on his lips.

Xemnas stopped laughing. "You keep Christmas in your way and let me keep it in mine." He finished turning back to his work.

"Keep it? But you don't keep it." Riku argued.

"Let me leave it alone then." Xemnas snapped back. "Much good it may do you, much good it has done you."

Riku addressed his Uncle fully. "There are many things from which I might have derived 'good' from, when I haven't made a cent, Christmas being one of those thing especially. I've always thought of Christmas as a good time, a kindly, forgiving, charitable time. A time when men and women see their one concerns as opening their shut-up hearts, freely to their fellow creatures." He paused. "And so Uncle though it has never put even a cent into my pocket, I do believe that it has done me good, and I say God bless it." With that a round of applause rounded the hall as employees in the cubicles leaned out and clapped, long and hard, Cloud leading them all in the applause as he stood right behind the Silver-haired man.

Xemnas tuned his icy gaze to them. "And how does one celebrate Christmas in the UNEMPLOMENT LINE!?" he bellowed and they were all instantly silenced.

Terra watched and narrated. "Now in these times it was customary for well-meaning gentlemen to call upon businesses, collecting donations for the poor and homeless."

Again on cue the elevator opened and out popped two gentlemen each had bright blonde hair but one had it long and down to his chest while the other had it spiked like a mullet, each was dressed neatly and for the season. They walked down the hallway and entered his office. "Mr. Xemnas I presume?" the long-haired man asked.

"Who are you?" Xemnas asked now addressing yet another pair of intruders into his office.

"I am Vexen and this is my colleague Demyx. We represent several charitable organizations and would like to speak to you about a donation." The man said, introducing them.

Riku's smile grew wide. "Ah, welcome! This jolly old gentlemen here is Mr. Xemnas, he's very generous to charities."

Xemnas scowled. "Riku…"

Vexen and Demyx pushed themselves past Riku now standing in Riku's former position front of Xemnas' desk. "At this festive season of the year, Mr. Xemnas, many of us feel that we must take care of our poor and homeless."

Xemnas now smirked looking to the two gentlemen. "Well, have all the prisons been torn down?" he asked.

"No, sir." Vexen replied, not sure what it had to do with the donation he was asking for.

"And the poorhouses, I assume they are still in working order?"

"Yes sir, and we have plenty of them both." Vexen informed with a smile.

"Oh, excellent, for a moment I was worried!" Xemnas said with sarcastic relief.

"Some of us are endeavoring to raise a fund for the poor and the homeless, what might I put you down for?" Demyx asked as he raised a clipboard, ready to begin writing.

"Nothing." Xemnas replied flatly.

Vexen raised a brow. "You wish to remain anonymous?"

"I wish to be left alone." Xemnas corrected. "I do not make merry myself a Christmas."

"That certainly is true." Riku agreed.

"And I can't afford to make idle people marry." Xemnas finished.

"That is certainly not true." Riku argued.

Xemnas then turned to his nephew. "You're a good speech-maker it's a wonder you don't try politics. But don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Sadly, I do Uncle. So I shall make my donation." Riku said giving a twenty to Demyx. "And leave you to make yours."

"Thank you so very much!" Vexen said with a warm smile.

Riku nodded and addressed his Uncle one last time. "But do and come dine with us tomorrow."

"Dine? I'd sooner eat subway garbage." Xemnas replied with a chuckle.

"It would mean a lot to me." Riku said. "And to my wife."

"Yes… your wife, Xion." Xemnas said his mind drifting off as he thought of the short-raven haired woman, whom Riku had shown a picture of once. "I'm told she brought very little to the marriage, a poor girl."

"I love her." Riku said sternly, Xemnas looked up from his work. "And she loves me."

Xemnas scoffed and shook his head. "'Love', good afternoon nephew."

Riku frowned and leaned in close. "I want nothing from you. I ask nothing of you. Why can't we be friends?"

"You are wasting my time." Xemnas replied coldly.

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Riku said turning to leave. "We've never had fights as long as I can remember, and so I shall keep my good disposition and wish you a Merry Christmas."

"Goodbye." Xemnas said.

"And a happy new year!" Riku finished.

"Goodbye!" Xemnas said louder reinforcing his previous statement.

As Riku passed Cloud he flashed the man a smile. "And how's that family of yours Cloud?"

Cloud smiled. "Fine sir, all fine."

"Good." Riku said, still beaming. "And you'll give them my best wishes?"

"Yes sir, I will." Cloud replied. "Thank you for remembering."

"Goodbye Cloud."

"Goodbye sir."

"And a Merry Christmas!" Riku called over his shoulder as Terra and Ven watched him board the elevator.

Vexen and Demyx remained standing silently in Xemnas' presence. Demyx then spoke up. "Now then sir about the, um, donation?" he asked.

Xemnas eyed them coldly, then got from his seat. "Well now, my taxes go to pay for the prisons and the poor houses, they can go there if they want food or shelter."

"Many can't go there." Vexen replied.

"And many others would rather die." Demyx added.

Xemnas then walked back over to his seat and sat down again. "If they would rather die, perhaps they'd better do so and decrease the surplus population." Xemnas then pointed down the hall, now there's the door gentlemen now go about your business before I have to force you to."

Vexen and Demyx looked to each other and frowned. "Very well, sir. I see we are wasting our time, come along Demyx." With that they too descended the elevator.

Then the elevator door opened again as a large bearded man stepped out with the secretary and a pair of security guards. Terra and Ven both widened their eyes as they looked to the secretary pointing at then to the stairwell and back to each other again. "Uh, Ven?"

"Yes? 'Mr. Dickens'?" Ven replied.

"I think it's time to go." Terra said getting from his seat.

"Right behind you." He replied getting from his seat as well before they both bolted to the door and ran, the clamor of security right behind them.

Hours later…

Xemnas finished another piece of paperwork when Cloud walked into the office his co-workers pushing him forward. "Uh, sir? It's closing time."

Xemnas looked to his watch and sighed. "Very well. See you at eight tomorrow."

"Uh, tomorrow's Christmas, sir." Cloud uttered.

"Eight-thirty then." Xemnas replied.

"If you please sir, half-an-hour off hardly seems customary for Christmas day." Cloud said.

Xemnas looked up to him. "How much time is customary then Mr. Cratchit?"

"The… uh… the… whole day." Cloud said as his co-workers nodded their heads.

"The entire day?" Xemnas asked more exasperated than angry. The employees shock their heads violently.

"If you please sir, why open the office tomorrow?" Cloud asked. "Other businesses will be closed you'll have no one to do business with. It'll waste a lot of heat and electricity."

"It's a poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every December the twenty-fifth." Xemnas replied as Cloud and the employee's spirits dampened. "But as I seem to be the only one who knows that… take the day off." The employees and Cloud whooped and hollered at their boss' resignation. "Will you stop that!?" he shouted, and they quieted, and scatted except for Cloud who stood there nervously.

"Um… thank you… Mr. Xemnas." Cloud said before going to his work station to wrap things up.

Xemnas grabbed his coat and walked down the hall pressing the button for the elevator. "Be here all the earlier the next morning!" he called to them before descending down the first floor. Walking past the lobby out the door and to his limo.

Terra peered around the corner with Ven, huffing and puffing for air. "With their employer gone at last, Cloud and the staff immediately began that most pleasant of activities the celebration of Christmas." Terra motioned for a cab and entered scooting to the far side as Ven slid in next to him. "Follow that limo."

Xemna' transport traveled out of the city to its edge, there loomed a mansion, as solitary and imposing as its sole resident. The large property was surrounded at the property line by a large metal fence. Terra and Ven got out at the same time a little down the ways. "Sorry Ven looks like we got to jump the fence."

Ven looked at him incredulously. "You can't be serious."

"Sure I am!" He said boosting Ven over the fence as Terra shimmied up and over himself landing on the other side.

Ven checked his pockets, feeling a hole and looked back over the fence. "Crap! I left my jelly beans over there! Let's see." He said before squeezing through the bars and grabbing his bag, then squeezing back through and looking to Terra, who was now the new owner of the incredulous look. "What?"

"You could fit through those bars the entire time?" Terra asked pointing at the fence.

"Yeah? So?"

"You are such an Idiot."

"What? What?" Ven asked as Terra began to follow Xemnas continuing to narrate.

"The building that Xemnas now lived in had once belonged to his old business partner, Braig Xigbar." Terra continued.

"Want some jelly-beans?"

"Not while I'm working."

"Suit yourself." Ven said taking another handful.

Terra continued. "The building was a dismal and dark, now once again I must ask you to remember that Xigbar was dead and decaying in his grave." Terra said watching as Xemnas stepped up to his porch. "You must remember that, or nothing that follows will seem wondrous." Terra said quietly.

"Why are you whispering?"

"It's for dramatic effect."

Xemnas stepped up to his door and looked to the lock reaching into his pocket to grab his house keys. He grabbed the ring of keys trying to find the right one before he heard a slight moaning coming from his door knocker. He watched curiously as it morphed into the face of Xigbar.

"Braig Xigbar?" he asked.

The face simply opened its mouth and uttered a loud wailing moan which caught Xemnas by surprise and fright as he tripped back and landed on his rear. Then he slowly got up eyeing the door knocker again, it was now as it had always been.

Terra continued to narrate and drew nearer to the house as Xemnas walked in and closed the door behind him. "To say that Xemnas was not startled would be untrue, but still the moment had passed and the world was as it should be." Terra said continuing as Ven ran up behind him. "Xemnas made his way up the staircase caring not even a little for the darkness, darkness was cheap and Xemnas liked it. But the incident at the door had made Xemnas weary, before he shut himself in for the night he checked his rooms."

"Alright that does it!" Ven exclaimed crossing his arms.

"What?"

"How do you know what Xemnas' doing, we're done here and here's up there." Ven said pointing to a dark window.

"I keep telling you, storytellers are omniscient. I know everything." Terra explained.

"Well, well, excuse me Mr. God-like smarty-pants." Ven replied.

Terra sighed, forced to once again prove his point. "To conduct a proper search, Xemnas was forced to turn on the lights for a better inspection." Terra said and like that the window Ven had pointed to was now glowing softly with light.

"How does he do that?" Ven asked.

Xemnas walked through the rooms with a cane, peering into each one before moving into his upstairs foyer.

He felt a draping on his shoulder and he grabbed it tossing it down to the ground and striking it with his cane. He did this several times before realizing that he was only striking his late evening ware. "It's only my bathrobe." He said realizing his folly and chuckling lightly. "No harm done." With that he went to his bedroom and shed his clothes putting on the robe and pajamas, then he went downstairs and grabbed some cheese and bread before returning upstairs to his foyer and starting a fire.

Sitting down in a nearby armchair he began to dine, until…

Ding, ding.

He heard the ringing of the dinner bell he had for it was an old house, it was used by the staff to alert the master to food and the master to alert the staff of want of food. But no one was here to pull on it, no staff in the kitchen to prepare him anything, so he simply accounted the short ringing to a gust of wind and began to dine once more until…

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.

Xemnas was now growing anxious. That was clearly not the wind, and he was beginning to become afraid. The fire grew cold until it was no more and Xemnas was left in the darkness of his house.

Rattle… Rattle… Rattle… Rattle… Rattle… Rattle… Rattle… Rattle…

Xemnas heard the long clanking of something heavy being dragged from behind him, he got up from his chair and looked to the door, it was locked, until the key inside it moved and the door was thrust open.

In came an eye patched man dressed very finely but he glowed a faintish blue and could be seen though, he was long chains and weight boxes all tied to his person.

Xemnas looked at the specter expectantly. "What do you want with me?"

The being looked at scrooge with a dead gray eye and opened its mouth. "Much." It replied.

"Who are you?"

"Ask me who I was." The ghost corrected.

"You're particular for a ghost, who were you then?" he asked.

"I was your partner, Braig Xigbar."

"Can you sit down?"

"I can."

"Well, do it then." Xemnas said motioning over to a chair. The specter complied and sat down.

"You don't believe in me? Do you?"

"No I don't."

"What more proof do you want of me being here then that what your senses are telling you? "

"I don't know."

"Why do you doubt your senses?" Xigbar asked.

"Because a little affects them, you could be bad meat or an underdone potato, perhaps wine that went down the wrong tube. No, I think there's more gravy then the grave about you." Xemnas said slightly smiling, albeit nervously.

Xigbar then stood up suddenly and bellowed a most awful moan, startling Xemnas and causing him to hide behind his armchair, now fearfully aware of his current reality. "Mercy, dreadful aspiration. Why have you come to torment me?"

"Man of worldly wealth… DO YOU BELIEVE IN ME OR NOT!?" the ghost bellowed.

"I do!" Xemnas said quickly. "I must. Why do ghosts now walk the earth?"

"Everyone who chooses not to walk among his fellow man side by side in life, must strive to do so in death. Such a person is doomed to walk the Earth and witness what it can never share in." Xigbar explained with sadness.

Xemnas then took a look to the chains and weights. "Why do you have those chains?"

Xigbar looked to it. "These are the chains that I formed in life, I made this link by link and weight by weight, is it really such a surprise? You have one just like it. Although yours has grown seven years longer than mine, how you must have labored over it."

Xemnas looked to his wrists and ankles. "I don't have any chains."

"Mine were invisible until I died, as yours shall be."

Xemnas then leaned forward in his chair towards Xigbar. "Braig, tell me more, speak comfort to me."

"I haven't anything to say involving comfort unfortunately." He said with a bitter laugh. "In life I never roamed beyond business and poured my life into making money."

"No doubt." Xemnas replied. "You always were a good at business affairs."

"Business?" Xigbar asked. "Mankind was my business, the common welfare was my business, charity, the poor, the homeless were all my business, the dealings of my trade were just a drop of water in an ocean THAT WAS MY BUSINESS!" He bellowed with anguish.

Xemnas frowned. "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, my fate is sealed, but as part of my penance, I have come to warn you Ebenezer." He continued. "I've come to tell you that tonight you shall be visited by three spirits, with the hope and chance of escaping my fate."

"Three spirits?" Xemnas asked. "Is that the chance and hope you mentioned?"

"It is."

"Well, in that case, I think I'd rather not."

"Expect the first tonight." Xigbar continued. "When the bell tolls one."

"Couldn't they all come at the same time and get it over with?"

"Expect the second on the stroke of two," Xigbar continued ignoring Xemnas now. "The third will appear to you, when he appears to you." Xigbar then walked towards the window. "Don't look at me anymore, only look to see what is past and remember my fate should you doubt your own." With that the window opened and he disappeared, a chorus of agonizing screams sounding in the distance as Xemnas went to look, seeing only the trees and the dark grove of his property below.

He closed the window. "Humbug." Xemnas then shook his head. "Something I ate, definitely something I ate." He went off to bed as Terra and Ven continued climbing up a tree.

"This has got to be your worst idea yet." Ven complained.

"I don't know, I've come up with some pretty bad ones in the past." Terra said now eyeing the window Xemnas had closed. "He forgot to relock it! Quick, let's shimmy it open!"

"Why?" Ven asked.

"You'll see." Terra replied as he reached out and little by little opened the window before jumping off the nearby tree and into the room, motioning for Ven to do the same, he caught Ven by the arms as Ven jumped and helped him into the room, closing the window.

"Great, breaking and entering charges, this is just what I needed." Ven said standing up and dusting himself off.

"Come on Ven, it's for the sake of the readers." Terra assured.

DONG

A bell sounded inside that house. "Whoa, we don't want to be late." Terra said finding Xemnas' bedroom.

"Wait for what?" Ven asked.

"The magic to happen." Terra answered, walking over and peering through a keyhole as Ven hunched down beside him.

The bell sounded in the house and Xemnas was roused from his sleep he noticed a bright light coming from all around his room and shielded his eyes. The light faded as a girl with a long white gown and a long golden hair appeared before him, her ocean blue eyes staring into his amber ones. Her entire face appeared to be glowing, in one hand she held a drawing book and pencil and in another she held a giant candle snuffer.

"Are you the spirit whose coming was foretold to me?" Xemnas asked.

"I am." She replied.

"But… but you're just a child." He said looking down on her small appearance.

"I can remember over two thousand years. I am Naminé, the Ghost of Christmas Past." She said introducing herself.

"The long past?"

"No, your past."

Xemnas squinted still as he struggled to look at her in the face. "Perhaps you'd do me a favor and place that cap you hold on your head."

Naminé looked to the snuffer and back to him. "I bring the light of truth, would you use this to put it out?"

Xemnas was slight taken back. "I beg your pardon I meant no offense."

"None taken."

"So, what business brings you here?"

"The business of your welfare of course." She said matter-o-factly.

"I can think of no better welfare for me then uninterrupted sleep." Xemnas replied.

"Be careful, Xemnas. I'm talking about your reformation here." She warned.

"Well, in that case. Let's get it over with." Xemnas said standing from his bed and tightening his robe.

Naminé smiled and turned her drawing pad towards him, a small private school, a winter scene, children playing and laughing. "Come then, to the past." Xemnas felt an odd sensation filling his body as he and the spirit were sucked into the drawing, Terra and Ven burst into the room.

"Come on Ven, let's go!" Terra shouted.

"Oh my GOOOOOODD!" Ven shouted back as he and Terra were sucked back into the drawing too.

A winter scene was all around the place was depicted just as the picture was, a cold landscape and a happy atmosphere permeated the very air of the place. Terra and Ven dropped a little behind Xemnas and the Ghost, watching as the talked. "And so they arrived in Xemnas's childhood."

"That was the worst trip of my life." Ven complained.

"Yeah, well, it's over now." Terra replied. "It was the afternoon of Christmas Eve and Xemnas was connected with a thousand odors each one connected with a thousand thoughts and hopes and joys and cares, long, long forgotten."

Xemnas looked to the school. "This was my old boarding school." Xemnas remembered. "I was a boy here."

"I know. That's kind of the point Xemnas, it is your past, nothing more or less."

Xemnas watched as a small boy ran past. "I know him, that's Cid!" he pointed to another child and another. "And that's Tellah and Auron! Hello boys!" He said waving to them but they did nothing and continued on their way.

"Sorry Ebenezer, these are only shadows of the past, no interaction whatsoever." Naminé explained. "Come, let's go inside." With that she and Xemnas walked into the building as Terra and Ven followed close behind.

Terra continued narrating. "And what a flood of memories came back to him as Xemnas beheld his old classroom."

"I know it all so well spirit, the smells of books and pens and the chalk, it's all so nostalgic." Xemnas said a small smile upon his face. "I chose what to do here and now, what I would do for the rest of my days."

The ghost motioned to her side. "And is he familiar too?" she asked.

Xemnas looked to where she was pointing and beheld a boy sitting all on his own, studding and reading books. Terra continued narrating from the doorway. "Xemnas beheld a small boy, a boy he knew very well indeed."

The elder man looked to his former self. "I was often alone, more time for reading and study, the Christmas holiday was a chance to get some extra work done. A chance for solitude, he never went home because he father has a grudge against him."

"And what grudge was this?"

"His mother died in child birth… his birth."

"You are allowed to cry you know, I won't tell anyone."

"No, after all he had his friends even all alone." Xemnas said walking over to the boy.

"Books and Papers, perhaps. But not a single real person to talk to." She reminded.

"He made due. He always knew how."

Naminé raised a brow. "Indeed, let's see another Christmas day." She said

"What does it matter? All these were very much the same for me back then." Xemnas said now smiling bitterly.

"Well, you've changed at least." She reminded, he looked to her then down at the floor.

The scene around them changed Terra continuing to narrate all the while. "Xemnas watched as the years preformed their terrible dance and in an instant his entire childhood had flashed before him. The classroom descending into decay."

The boy Xemnas saw vanished, being replaced with a teenager. He heard as sudden foot fall and a woman with bright blonde hair burst into the room. Xemnas turned to look around. "Larxene…"

Larxene walked over to a teenage Xemnas and tapped him on the shoulder as he was busy writing down more information for his studies. He turned to look at first annoyed, the overjoyed as he turned around and hugged her around her legs, lifting her up and spinning around before setting her down.

Larxene embraced him once more then they broke apart holding each other's hands. "I've come to bring you home dear brother, home!"

The teenager's smile disappeared as he sat down on a bench. "Home?"

"Yes, home for good this time." Larxene reassured him sitting down next to him. "Dad's become much kinder than he used to be, so much that I wasn't afraid to ask him if you could come home, and he said yes! He sent me right away to bring you back!"

The teenager stood up looking to his sister. "You are quite the woman now, Larxene."

"And you are a man now, Ebenezer." She replied. "And never come back here." She reached out for his hand, "Let's go! We shouldn't keep dad waiting." With that he grabbed her hand and went outside, the four time-travelers following close behind. The teen saw his father standing next to a car as luggage was being loaded onto it.

The teenager looked to his father and for once smiled at the man. "Dad!"

The stern man held up his hand and the teen stopped. "Hold on now, let's take a look here." He said taking note of the boy. "Well they haven't been overfeeding you that's for sure."

"I've grown… I think.' the teen protested.

"Yes… boys tend to do that over a few years." The man replied snidely. "Larxene has told you that you won't be moving back here."

"Yes sir."

"It's time you made your way in the world, I've arranged an apprenticeship for you." His father explained. "You'll move into Mr. Luxord's establishment in three days' time."

The teen frowned as Larxene looked from her brother to her father. "Dad? Three days? I had hoped to have him home longer."

"Longer?" he scoffed. "Three days is more than enough, don't you think Ebenezer?" He asked turning to his son.

"Yes sir." He replied quietly. "Quite long enough."

"You ready back there?" the stern man asked the loader.

"Yes, sir."

"Good, let us go then." He said opening the car door and stepping in, the two sibling complied as they also got inside and drove off.

Xemnas watched with bitterness as the car drove off. "Larxene pleaded for more time, but my father's mind was… stubborn, heh, Larxene."

"She died a young woman."

"She had such a generous nature. Yes, too young."

"Old enough to bear a child." She reminded once again. "Riku, your nephew."

"Yes, Riku."

"He bears a striking resemblance to his mother and I'm not talking just about how he looks." She added.

"Does he? I've never really noticed." He replied honestly.

"You've never noticed? I'm beginning to think you've gone through your entire life with closed eyes. Time for the next stop then." The ghost announced as she held up her new drawing and the scenery melted away a small factory workplace replacing the scene.

Naminé spoke as the scenery around them set into place. "Tell me Xemnas, do you recognize this place?"

"Recognize it? My first job was here. This was Luxord's old factory." Xemnas replied watching as his old co-workers finished the last of their jobs. Once again Terra and Ven remained off to the side, Terra continuing his narration. "A moment later Xemnas found himself standing on a city street looking at a building he hadn't seen in years. Once again it was Christmas Eve, night was falling, and the city lights flickered in the darkness."

A well-dressed blonde man stepped out into the cold looking into the street with a smile, his expression speaking of warmth and good-will. "There he is… old Luxord himself."

"Come everyone!" He yelled back into the building. "Night has fallen and the lights have gone on, it's Christmas ve for certain."

"What an employer he was." Xemnas mused. "As hard and as ruthless as a rose petal." He said remembering his old workplace with fondness.

"It's time for the party to begin!" he announced going back into the building.

"The Luxord Christmas Party!" Xemnas said stepping with the spirit into the factory as Terra and Ven followed close behind.

The factory indie was large and spacious the machines had been pushed to the sides and party tables had been set up in their place along with Christmas decorations adoring every nook and cranny in the building.

Xemnas noticed Xigbar as he was when he was a young man and pointed to him. "It's Braig as a young man, my old partner."

Luxord tapped on the microphone he was holding and everyone quieted. "Welcome to the Luxords' annual Christmas Party!" He announced "At this time, it's a little tradition of ours to have a little speech."

"And it's a tradition for us to take a little nap!" Xigbar called out, the room erupting with laughter.

Luxord continued to smile and waved it off. "Pay no attention to him folks! Now my Christmas speech!" He continued pulling out reading glasses and a paper putting on the glasses. "My speech, here it is…Thank you all and Merry Christmas!"

The crowd was silent for a minute till Xigbar spoke up. "That was the speech? It was dumb! It was obvious! It was pointless! It was… short…" he paused. "I loved it!" The crowd erupted into another round of laughter.

Luxord's wife, a beautiful brunette got up next to her husband grabbing the mike. "I'm bored with speeches! Let's dance!" With that the musicians played, loud and festive as pairs got together and danced on the floor.

Terra and Ven made their way to the side of the room. "Hey look! There's a buffet over here!" Ven said pointing to the food. "I'm kinda hungry." He looked to the food, it was covered with many colors and came in a variety of shapes. "On second thought maybe not, mom always said never trust food that glows in the dark."

A younger Xemnas walked into the room making his way through the crowd and tapping Luxord on the shoulder as Luxord turned from his guests and addressed him. "Excuse me, Mr. Luxord. Sir, I've been going over the accounts do you know how much money the firm is spending for this party?" he asked handing Luxord a sheet of paper.

Luxord took the paper glancing at it and then turning to the young man placing a firm grasp on his shoulder. "Mr. Xemnas, this is Christmas! It's a time for generosity! Stop working and cut loose will you?" He replied turning the young man around and pushing him into the crowd.

The young man stumbled and accidently bumped into a young woman, they both collapsed to the floor. Luxord noticed this and help them both from the ground with a beaming smile. "Excuse me." Xemnas apologized to the woman before looking into her face, she was beautiful with ocean blue eyes and hair. "Excuse me." He repeated, now slightly blushing.

Luxord smiled widely looking between the two. "Aqua. I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Ebenezer Xemnas, the finest young finical mind in the country." He said to the girl, then turning to the young man. "And Xemnas, this is Ms. Aqua Leonhart, a friend of the Luxord family."

Aqua put her hand out and smiled kindly. "I'm pleased to meet you."

The younger Xemnas took the hand and kissed it. "The pleasure's all mine."

Xemnas and Naminé watched the conversation. "Do you remember this meeting?" she asked him.

Xemnas turned to her. "Remember?" he turned back. "Yes, I remember."

Naminé frowned. "There was, of course, another Christmas Eve with this young woman, years later."

Xemnas' face became hard as he realized what she was speaking of. "Oh please," he begged her. "Don't show me that Christmas, I couldn't bear it."

The spirit frowned before she revealed her sketch pad once more and the scenery of the party melted away, being replaced with a small park in winter, two people a man and a woman stood a ways off facing each other. Xemnas, the spirit and the two tag-alongs drew nearer as the couple spoke.

"Another year till our wedding, Ebenezer." Aqua said crossing her arms, looking away from him.

"It can't be helped Aqua." The young Xemnas reassured, trying to hold her only for her to move away from him. "If we marry now, there's not enough between us now for a decent home. My investments haven't grown as they should."

"You said that last year."

"Business continues to be bad, it can't be helped." Xemnas argued trying once again to draw near to her.

"You're a partner in your own firm now." She reminded, looking to him.

"We're barely clearing expenses." Xemnas replied, now walking slightly away from her.

"You said the partnership was the goal." She said looking to him sadly.

Xemnas turned to her and grasped her hands firmly. "This is for you, I love you Aqua." He said with a small smile.

She returned the smile but her eyes spoke of sorrow as she slowly moved her hands out of his grasp. "You did…once." She replied stepping back from him. "Ebenezer I release you, you are a free man, I let you go with a full heart. I hope you find some happiness in the life you have chosen." With that she turned and walked away from the young man who after a moment clenched his fists and turned in the opposite direction and walked off.

Terra and Ven watched with a frown. "So sad." Ven commented, Terra nodded.

Xemnas sighed watching the shadows of his past. "I almost went after her." He mused.

"'Almost' means nothing, not in life or death." The spirit commented. "Especially when it comes to the heart." She turned to him. "And you did have a heart, didn't you? Why didn't you try and win her back?"

Xemnas thought back. "On his death, my father, left me a small inheritance. Aqua insisted that we use it to be married, insisting that we could get along on very little, but I wanted something more… for both of us. So, I leant out that money, laid the foundations for financial success, which I have achieved I might add."

Naminé smirked. "Congratulations."

"I'll thank you not to sneer." Xemnas replied. "Spirit show me no more, take me home."

Naminé shook her head. "You've explained what you've gained, now I will show you what you have lost." She held up her sketch pad one last time, the scenery changing once more. This time they were near the city on the outskirts where an older woman sat on a bench in winter snuggling with her baby.

Xemnas recognized her instantly. "Aqua."

"Yes, Aqua." The spirit confirmed. Xemnas, the spirit, Terra and Ven watched as a half-dozen children crowded Aqua as she smiled to them kindly.

"And those are her children." Xemnas noticed. "Lord, what a brood."

They watched as a car circled around and a man with long blue hair stepped from the car, the children gathering around it. "Hello, kids." He said as the children gathered around. He looked to Aqua. "Hello, my dear." He said leaning over and kissing her cheek.

"Hello Isa." She replied.

"Papa! Where's my present?" asked one girl.

He leaned down to her. "You will have to wait until tomorrow, all of you." He said looking to them all. "Presents only on Christmas day, as usual."

Xemnas took in the scene with some mild amusement. "Heh, they might have been mine." He said thoughtfully.

"I was thinking the same thing." Naminé replied.

Isa walked with Aqua linked at the arm. "I saw an old friend of yours in the city this afternoon."

"Who was it?" she asked.

"Guess." He teased, she gave a smile at that.

"Oh, I don't know." She said slapping him lightly on the chest playfully. "Ebenezer Xemnas?"

"Mr. Xemnas it was." Isa confirmed. "I passed by his office, and there he was in the lobby looking out into the city, I hear his partner Braig Xigbar, is very sick. And there he was just standing looking out, looking so very alone."

Aqua frowned thinking of her old beloved. "Poor Ebenezer, poor wretched man."

Xemnas scowled. "Spare me your pity!" he shouted at her. "I have no need of it!"

Naminé smirked. "They can't hear you."

Xemnas turned to her snatching away the candle snuffer. "And as for you, I've had enough of your pictures from the past! Leave me! Haunt me no longer!"

Naminé looked to him with a vacant expression. "Do what you will, but you know your own sins. The truth lives! The truth lives! THE TRUTH LIV-" She bellowed as he brought down the snuffer on her head and the world turned to darkness.

Xemnas awake to find himself on the floor, picking himself from it he dusted off his clothes and returned to his sleep.

Terra and Ven found themselves just as they had been before outside Xemnas' bedroom. "And Xemnas was left alone in his bed, exhausted and drifted off to sleep and thus he remained until the nearby clock struck the hour for two."

DONG…DONG

A bell sounded once more inside the house.

Ven yawned. "Uh, what time is it?"

"Two o'clock" Terra informed.

"Is it too early for breakfast?" he asked.

Terra sighed. "Yes."

Ven smiled. "Oh good, supper time."

Terra shook his head. "Xemnas knew that the second of the ghosts was due to appear, yet now as the clock finished striking…"

Xemnas looked around his bed. "Nothing. Well Braig, where's this spirit of yours, you said at the two didn't you?" Xemnas began to return to his sleep. "As mistaken in death as you were in life, old partner."

"EBENEZER XEMNAS!" A voice called out. Xemnas looked to see that a light was coming from an adjoining room. "EBENEZER XEMNAS!" It called out again. The elderly man got from his bed and walked over to the door. "COME IN!"

"I intend to." Xemnas replied to himself as he opened the door and was blinded by a tremendous light, he held up his hand to shield his eyes.

"Come in and know me better man!" The voice erupted into laughter as the light began to dim revealing a man with a widow's peak, rather small eyebrows and thick, shoulder-length, bright red hair styled into slicked-back spikes. He wore a large green robe and carried a torch of fire, a crown of mistletoe was adorned around his head.

The room was adorned with food and decorations, things Xemnas had been sure were not there before. "I am Lea, the Ghost of Christmas Present, my mind is full of the here and now, and right now, it's Christmas!" He looked to Xemnas who had a puzzled look on his face. "You've never anyone like me before have you?"

"That's true enough." Xemnas replied entering the room.

"You've never seen any of the younger members of my family?"

"No. Not that I remember." Xemnas replied honestly.

"Not any of my elder brothers born these recent years?"

"No, I don't think so… do you have many siblings?"

The spirit erupted into another round of laughter. "Over two thousand!" He replied losing himself in laughter.

"Over two thousand?" Xemnas asked. "Imagine the grocery bills."

Lea smiled wide and laughed loudly. "Not bad, I wasn't sure you had it in you." He got up draping an arm over Xemnas' shoulders "Have you ever noticed everything's so wonderful at Christmas?"

"In all honesty spirit? No." He answered looking to the rather cheerful spirit. "Perhaps I've never really understood Christmas."

"Before we're though you will." He assured, walking over to a window and opening. "We're going out into the world. Grab my robe." Xemnas did as he was told and Terra and Ven from the doorway followed, quite literally, on their coattails.

Xemnas found himself in the city's main square, but it was empty and dark. "What day is it now?" The miser asked.

"Don't you know? It's Christmas Morning!" Lea announced.

Xemnas watched as suddenly there was motion all around them as the district was lit into day. The commotion of commerce swirled around him. "There's a lot of buying isn't there?" He asked.

The spirit looked to him and shook his head. "Oh Xemnas, is that all you can see? Follow me and I can show you where these good people can do you some… good."

Xemnas eyed the torch in his hands. "Is there some kind of power in that torch?" He asked.

"Yes indeed." The spirit answered and with that the four were transported to a shabby looking building. "Do you know this house?"

"No, I can't say I do." Xemnas answered, unimpressed by the building's shape and appearance.

"It is the home of Cloud Cratchit, your head employee." The spirit informed.

Xemnas looked at the home. "He's not doing too badly for the wages I give him."

"Shall we go in?"

"I wouldn't want to disturb them."

"As with Christmas Past, we are both invisible and unheard."

Xemnas paused for a moment, but then nodded and the four found themselves inside.

Tifa, a long-haired brunette woman whose hair was tied into a bun and wore an apron, was setting the table for her family making sure the room was set for the holidays. "I wonder what's keeping your father." She asked one of her children named Selphie, another brunette girl with medium gravity defying hair that swept up as it reached her collar bone.

"He probably just stopped to chat with someone." She assured.

Tifa looked over to Sora, a brown, spiky-haired boy, who was busy licking the spoon for the icing on the cake she was baking. "Sora! Save some for the rest of the family."

"Just testing the cooking, mom."

"I'm sure it will be just fine without your help."

Just then two more of her children walked in from the cold, it was Roxas, a golden blonde, the front of his hair concentrated the spikes on the right side of his head as if windswept, and the back is smooth and flaky and Kairi, a long straight-haired red head. "Hello Mom." They said in unison.

Roxas looked to Selphie. "You smell that cake? Makes my mouth water!"

"Mine too." She agreed.

Tifa smiled at her children. "Well, you'll just have to wait."

"Why does that kid look like me?" Ven asked. Terra put a finger to his lips, shushing him.

Roxas looked out the window and smiled. "Here they come!" He shouted and his mother smiled wide at the news.

Cloud walked in with a small brown short-haired boy on his shoulders. "Merry Christmas everyone!"

The family exchanged greetings as Cloud kissed his wife, setting the small boy down.

"Had a talk with the minister." The boy informed.

"Thought as much." Tifa said leaning down and kissing the boy on the forehead.

Roxas and his little sister Marlene, almost as small as Denzel with shoulder-length brown hair cut in a bob with a straight fringe, walked in smiling at their little brother. "Come on Denzel! You got to smell the cake!"

"Go along with your brother and sister, Denzel." Cloud said and the boy hobbled away on his cane, his brother and sister helping him on the way.

Husband and Wife stood next to each other whispering a small conversation. "How was he in church?"

"As good as gold and better."

Xemnas watched the boy being helped along the way by his siblings. "Look how they support him."

Lea looked to him. "What did you say?"

"Nothing… just… nothing."

"He thinks of the strangest things." Cloud mused. "He told me that he hoped that the people in church saw him, so that they would remember who it was that made the cripples to walk and the blind to see, it seems that he gets stronger every day, that he's in better spirits all the time."

"Yes Cloud, I'm sure you're right." Tifa replied. "He is getting stronger."

"We're all here. That's the most important thing." Cloud said.

Tifa smiled at him and turned to her daughter. "Kairi. Help me with the cake."

Cloud looked to his son's cane and set it to the side to hand.

Cloud then looked to his son Sora. "Sora!" He said. "Good news, by chance I met a gentlemen by the name of Riku Hollywell, the nephew of Mr. Xemnas and he remembered that you're old enough to work now and that he could start you off with ten dollars an hour."

Sora widened his eyes. "That much?"

Cloud nodded. "Yes, so if you want you may start work next Monday."

Sora's face brightened. "So now I can help you and mom!"

Cloud nodded again putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "More importantly Sora, I think it's time you began a great career of your own."

Xemnas shook his head. "Start a boy at ten an hour? No wonder my nephew has never put by a single cent."

"Perhaps he's put by more than money." Lea replied.

"Riku? Pah." Xemnas leaned close. "He's doing this to spite me. Hiring the son of my employee at such a large wage."

Tifa came in with her children and smiled as she set down on the table a tray and revealed a small cake, to which the whole family smiled at the sight.

"You've outdone yourself mom!" Roxas exclaimed.

"Yes!" Selphie agreed. 'Let's hurry and cut it!"

Cloud took his spoon and pounded it on the wood table, gathering everyone's attention. "Haven't we forgotten something?" With that the family joined hands. "Lord, we thank you for the bounty you have placed before us. We thank you for this day of love and joy, for allowing us to be together and share together with you the fullness of our hearts on this special day. Amen."

"Amen." Tifa repeated.

"Amen." The children echoed.

"Amen." Xemnas almost whispered to himself.

"What?" Lea asked looking to Xemnas. "You say something?"

The elderly man shook his head. "No."

"Oh, well I thought that-" The spirit began.

"I said nothing." Xemnas said sternly, the spirit nodded his head, returning his attention to the family feast.

Cloud passed out their meager amounts of food to everyone at the table. "Very little to eat isn't there?" Xemnas observed.

"It's all he can afford." Lea reminded.

"A Merry Christmas to us all." Cloud said smiling at his family. The whole family agreed saying 'Merry Christmas' to each other.

Denzel spoke up. "And God bless us, everyone." Cloud smiled at his smallest son before eating his food.

Xemnas walked closer to the boy, observing him closely. "Tell me spirit, will he live?"

Lea frowned. "I see a vacant place at this table, and a crutch without an owner carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the future, the child will die."

Xemnas got up, turning to the spirit. "No, say he will be spared."

"If there shadows remain unaltered by the future no one else in my family will ever find him here." Lea paused, a mirthless grin upon his face. "But if he is to die, then let him die, and decrease the surplus population."

Xemnas smiled bitterly. "You use my own words against me."

Lea continued to smile at him. "Yes, so maybe in the future you will shut up, until you have discovered what the 'surplus population' is, and where it is. It could very well be that in the sight of God and Heaven you are more worthless and less fit to live than the millions like this pour man's child."

Tifa then brought out the small amount of homemade pudding. Cloud took a spoon and tasted it, everyone waiting in silence as he sampled it in his mouth. He turned to his wife and smiled. "It's wonderful, dear." He said and everyone applauded, taking their share of the pudding.

Xemnas turned to leave. "Well they are done with their feast, let's move on."

Lea held up his hand. "Not quite yet, one last ceremonious moment to be had here. Look"

Cloud raised his glass. "Now I would like to make a toast, to Mr. Ebenezer Xemnas, the founder of the feast." Xemnas felt a small flicker of pride as everyone stood up to join Cloud in the toast all except for Tifa who scowled at the thought of the man.

"The founder of the feast indeed." She scoffed. "I wish he was here so I could give him a piece of my mind to feast upon, and I hope he would have a good appetite for it."

Cloud frowned. "My dear, it's Christmas Day…"

"Oh, it would be Christmas Day when one would drink to the health of such a stingy, odious, mean, hard, unfeeling man as Mr. Ebenezer Xemnas." Tifa spat, Xemnas shifted where he stood.

"My dear, have some charity." Cloud whispered.

Tifa sighed, standing up. "Fine, I'll drink to his health, but for yours and the day's sake, not for his. A long life Mr. Ebenezer Xemnas, a Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year, I have no doubt his Christmas will be very merry. "

Cloud raised his cup. "Mr. Xemnas." The whole family repeated the toasting around the table and sat down again.

"He's made a point, you know." Xemnas began. "Without me, there'd be no feast no food at all, my head for business has given him employment."

Lea frowned at him. "Is that all you've learned from watching this family on Christmas Day?"

Xemnas shifted his foot position. "Well… not all, but one must speak up for one's self, one's life."

Lea held out his arm. "We have some time left, take my arm." Xemnas did and the four were whisked away again this time to another part of town, less shabby then before but not of any great neighborhood of wealth.

"Where are we now?" Xemnas asked.

"Just a street, any street!" Lea announced lifting his arms. He then pointed to a nearby house. "This home, we'll go in here! I think it might amuse you."

Xemnas frowned. "I'm in no mood to be amused." The spirit only laughed as they found themselves inside a nicely furnished home, guests were everywhere as people were smiling and laughing all the while.

Terra and Ven sat on chairs a little behind Xemnas and the spirit watching the room, Ven noticed a bowl of fruit. "Hey look free food!" he said biting into an apple.

Terra looked at him. "You know that fruit is wax right?"

Ven stopped mid chew and spit it out. "Oh yeah, I was wondering about the texture."

A raven haired woman whose hair fell just to her shoulders played the piano while a silver haired man walked and talked with everyone, the woman suddenly stopped and turned to the man. "Riku, do you really find my playing all that amusing?"

Riku smiled at his wife. "Sorry Xion, I was just thinking about my Uncle, he said Christmas was a humbug, he believed it to."

A man walked up to Riku. "I want to meet your uncle to see if he's really just as you say he is."

Xion walked up to Riku kissing him in the cheek. "Oh he is, all Riku says and much more."

"Don't insult him dear, his faults carry their own punishments." Riku whispered to her.

"I hear he's very rich." Another woman spoke up.

"Oh, he is." Riku confirmed. "But his wealth is of no use to him, he does nothing at all with it, not even make himself comfortable.

Xemnas walked up to his nephew. "If by 'make myself comfortable' with you mean 'squander it', then yes."

Lea looked to him. "It's no use arguing with them you know, no interaction whatsoever, remember? It's also quite tactless of you."

"Tact is a quality I despise." Xemnas replied.

"That I can believe." Lea said rolling his eyes.

"I have no patience with him." Xion huffed.

"Well I do, and I feel sorry for him." Riku replied.

"Hmph, sorry? For me?" Xemnas said incredulously.

"Who suffers from his ill whims? Himself, always." He said standing next to his wife. "He takes it in his heart to dislike us and not come and dine with us."

"And he loses a great opportunity indeed." Added another female guest.

"The reason why I go on about him so is because my mother, God rest her saintly soul, was very fond of him, she loved him." Riku said with a very sad smile.

Xemnas smiled bitterly as well at the thought of his sister. "It's true. Larxene loved me, and I her. Dear Larxene, if only she were alive today."

Lea looked to Riku. "Riku looks a lot like her, and I'm not talking about appearances only here."

Xemnas looked to his nephew, seeing the shadow of his sister's face in his nephew's features and actions. "Yes, I've been reminded of that just recently."

"But it doesn't matter, I do feel sorry for him because while he keeps to himself, he loses all the pleasant moments he could be sharing with us. Which is why I plan to give him the same chance every year." Riku continued holding Xion tightly. "Whether he likes it or not."

"And every year he'll say 'Christmas? Bah. Humbug!'" Xion finished as the guests roared with laughter.

"Now we must see to our guests!" Riku announced and the small party was underway again.

Xemnas paced. "I can't hear myself think with all this nonsense in my ears."

Lea looked to the people in the room. "They all seem to be happy."

Xemnas huffed. "I suppose free food and drinks are usually a source of pleasure, especially at the cost of others."

"I meant happy in each other's company."

Riku clapped his hands together. "All right everyone we shall play a game called 'Simile' everyone knows how to play right? You have five seconds to come up with the answer to the question I pose to you, if no reasonable answer is given in the amount of time, you are out and have to stand behind your chair, the last person in gets a prize."

Xion smiled at him. "Riku, just get on with it."

"Alright then." He walked around to a seated woman. "Proud as…"

"Proud as a Peacock." The woman answered. The crowd murmured with their acceptance of her answer.

Riku walked to the gentlemen next to her. "Dry as…"

"As a bone." The man answered. The crowd once again giving their approval.

Riku continued walking around to another man. "Plum as…"

"My wife!" the man said causing a smile and laughter to appear on the faces of all present. His wife looked at him with a frown, and he apologized. "As a partridge."

Riku nodded continuing the game going to another woman. "Quick as…"

The woman paused thinking. "Wind?" she asked. A round of disapproval came from around her. The time ran out as the first loss of the game was marked.

Xemnas snorted. "'A wink' you idiot."

"Ebenezer…" Lea said disapprovingly. "Shush."

Xemnas turned to him. "You said they can't see or hear us."

Lea thought on this for a moment. "That's true. Sorry, even I forget the regulations sometimes. After all, I do not come back very often."

"Shush." Xemnas whispered back. "I'm trying to listen to the game."

Riku walked over to Xion. "Tight as…"

Xemnas huffed. "'A drum' anyone knows that."

Xion continued to think and Riku frowned. "Tight as…" he repeated.

Xemnas shook his head. "Not very bright my nephew's wife."

Xion gave a wicked smirk. "Tight as your Uncle Xemnas' wallet straps!"

Xemnas gave a small mirthless smirk as the audience of people laughed.

Riku smiled, but shook his head. "Sorry my dear but that's wrong, and your time is up, you have lost and must stand behind your chair, 'tight as a drum' was what I was thinking of."

Xemnas nodded. "Good for you, Riku." He turned to the spirit. "Boy's got a good head on his shoulders and as for the laughter at my expense, I'll overlook at it considering the general satire of the party."

Lea looked to Xemnas. "It's now time to leave this pleasant scene, you know the drill." He said holding out his arm. Xemnas nodded and the cherry scene vanished, Xemnas soon found himself in a rather cold and dark desolate place.

Xemnas looked over to a few small families by their own fires under a bridge huddling for warmth. "Where are we now?"

"The name would mean nothing to you." The spirit said leading him closer to the people by the lights. "It's a place, like many in this world, where the homeless, the shelterless and the desperate come to roost." Xemnas watched as the families struggled merely to keep warm, wearing nothing but rags.

One family stood next to their small fire, huddling together for warmth. "Do we have enough wood for the night?" she asked her husband.

The man frowned, gazing into the fire. "It'll last the night, at least there's still a few free things in this country."

The woman leaned down to her children who were busy roasting hotdogs over the small fire. "That's enough they're cooked."

One of the children a boy nodded, looking from the food to his father. "Where did you get these Dad?"

The man scowled at his son. "I didn't steal them, if that's what you're saying!"

The woman frowned at her husband. "He didn't say you stole them, Ben."

He continued to furrow his brows. "He should have some respect."

"Don't berate the boy." She said looking to her husband who turned away from them. She then looked to her children. "They came from a truck that left them behind."

The man turned back to his son. "Your father's not a thief, boy." He walked away from the fire, hands at his waist and a pained expression painted on his face. "Not yet." He muttered.

Xemnas frowned. "Why are there people out here?" he asked looking them all. "Men and women wearing rags, children eating scraps, aren't there places they could go?"

Lea gazed at Xemnas with little expression. "Have you ever been to one of those places? The workhouses and prisons you talk about so often?"

"No." Xemnas replied taken slightly aback by the suggestion. "I get taxed for them, isn't that enough?"

The spirit raised a brow. "Is it?"

The woman walked over to her husband. "Ben, come back to the fire."

The man raised his hands. "Look at these hands, they're hard hands, they've done hard work. I wanna work. I wanna have bread for my children, it's not right that there's no work." He said visibly saddened.

The woman smiled weakly placing a hand on his shoulder. "We're together as a family, that's the important thing."

The man turned to his wife. "I love you Megan, I love the children, too. Tomorrow take the children and go to the Parish Poorhouse."

"No!" she replied turning him around and looking him in the eye. "I'd rather be dead then go through one of those places and be all separated forever."

"Just until I get work." He assured.

"No!" she replied adamantly. "We're a family, we stay together. Come back to the fire." She said finally as they walked back to the fire.

Xemnas frowned walking forward. "Why are you showing me this? What does it have to do with me?"

Lea's face became hard and lined. "Are they not of the human race?" Xemnas turned to him. "Look here! Beneath my robe!" Xemnas looked and saw two ugly creatures clinging underneath Lea's robe.

One was entirely black and humanoid looking except for three-digit claws for hands and two-pronged feet, and eyes that glowed yellow with no pupil in sight.

The other was entirely gray with a thin, sinuous body. It has a large, cylindrical head with a flat with a zipper mouth, its arms and legs were very thin. The sides of its body were lined by a black line. Its feet and hands were pointed and lacked digits, and its hands each sport two black bands around them.

"Look at them!" The spirit barked.

Xemnas was speechless for a moment then looked to Lea's face. "What are they?"

"They are your children." He answered. Xemnas gave a bewildered look as Lea went on. "They are the children of all who are on this planet and are unseen. The black one is 'Ignorance' and the gray is 'Want', beware them, for they spell doom for whomever has them. They are the downfall of you and all who perpetuate their existence."

Xemnas gave a disgusted look. "Haven't they any refuge or resource?"

Lea smiled mockingly. "'Aren't there any workhouses? Aren't there still prisons?'"

Xemnas smiled mirthlessly. "Cover them, I don't have any desire to see them."

"I thought as much." Lea replied letting his robe fall back in front of him. "They are hidden, but they are still very much alive."

Ven looked to Terra. "Did you know he had those under there?" Terra only shrugged.

Lea looked to the sky and smiled. "My time here is over. I gotta leave you now."

Xemnas took a surprised look. "Leave me? Here? Wait! Take me back to my home! I don't know where I am!"

Lea smirked shaking his head. "It's too late." He said as he began to laugh.

"Please don't leave me here." He pleaded.

But the spirit only continued to laugh before there was a bright light and the spirit was gone, his laughed the only thing being left behind as it faded into nothing.

Xemnas winced as the light brightened then died down looking around him he was all alone, even the families he had just seen were gone, the only sound being his breath and the sound of water dripping in the distance. "Spirit?" he called.

Ven watched as Xemnas continued to stumble around in the darkness. "What's gonna happen now?"

Terra's face was lined and hard, as if bracing himself for something. "Prepare yourself Ven, it's about to get very… dark."

Xemnas continued to look around him. "Spirit? Come back. I wish to TALK!" He yelled his voice echoing off the walls and reverberating back to him. "I have made mistakes. I said some things about stuff which I didn't give any great thought to and about stuff I didn't know about. But surely we can come to some sort of give-and-take here, I'm a reasonable man after all. SPIRIT!" He yelled into the nothingness, only silence answered.

He sat down on a cold hard concrete bench. "Have pity on me. Don't leave me all alone. What have I done…to be abandoned like this?" He whispered quietly. "What… what… what?"

A street light in the distance was illuminated and caught Xemnas' attention. Standing directly underneath was a hooded man in a dark leather coat with a great zipper up the middle, the face obscured from view, wearing black gloved and boots.

Xemnas began to approach cautiously. "Are you the last of the ghosts?"

The figure bobbed its head forward and back in a long nod. "Then you must be the Ghost of Christmas yet to come." The figure repeated the same long nod. "I don't suppose you have a name do you?" The figure remained still. "So now you show me the things that will happen in time, am I right?" the figure remained still.

Xemnas still kept a small distance. "I fear you, more than any other specter I have seen, but I know you're here for a reason and I am prepared to go with you, will you not speak to me?" The specter once again remained still. "Very well then, lead on. My time is precious to me." The figure raised an arm and beckoned him forth, Xemnas did so as he drew close the world around him seemed to melt away and then reshape until he found himself on another dark street, but much this one more familiar to him.

Xemnas looked around, it was the market district again, but it was cold, dark and raining.. "I know this place very well, it's like my home away from home. Why are we here?" The figure pointed into a building and Xemnas entered, finding three businessmen in a conversation. "I recognize those men. They're some of the people I do business with." The four travelers got close to listen.

"So, when did he die?" the first man asked the other two.

"Last night I believe." Answered the second.

"What happened to his money?" asked the third.

"Left it to his company's accounts." Answered the first. "Probably going to be a cheap funeral."

"Don't know a single soul who would go." Added the second.

"I might go." Said the third drawing looks from the other two. "If lunch was provided!' the three broke out into laughter as Xemnas scowled.

"Jeez…" Ven whispered. "Talk about speaking ill of the dead." Terra nodded in agreement.

"Do these men have no respect for the dead?" Xemnas asked, but the figure remained stoic and silent. "Why was I privy to that conversation? What purpose could it have for me?"

The figure still did not answer and in another moment they were in a house all too familiar to Xemnas. "We're in my house? Why?" the figure motioned to its side and there was a covered form of a body, lying completely still on a bed.

"Spirit, this is a fearful place, please let us leave." The spirit only responded by pointing at the body with more force.

Ven looked closely and squinted. "Is that…?" Terra remained silent.

Xemnas with great effort slowly reached for the cover of the man's head then stopped short. "No, I will not. I say I understand you and that is enough for now, this may look a lot like my home but it is not." He said striding around to the figure. "Furthermore, there must be someone in the city who feels some… emotion because of this man's death, I demand to see that person!" the spirit raised a hand and in a another flash Xemnas, the Ghost and the two tag-alongs were transported to another location.

Xemnas soon found himself in a dark and dirty part of the city, the air stunk of alcohol and disease, people were in the streets drinking and smoking, among other things.

Xemnas looked to the spirit. "Why are we here? Did you take a wrong turn?" The spirit pointed to a shabby building and giving one last look to it, Xemnas went inside and watched as a man in rags was conversing with a woman clearly trying to be discrete, a woman Xemnas recognized. "Wait a minute… I know her. She's one of the cleaning ladies I have come over to my house every so often. What's she doing here?"

"Well, open up the bag, I don't pay for anything I haven't seen." The man said, addressing the maid.

The woman was cautious. "Don't ask me how I got these."

The man smirked. "'Every person has a right to take care of himself', that's my motto."

"I brought a few things over from the house." She said taking out silverware that Xemnas immediately recognized as his own. The man inspected each one, lifting them up to his eyes.

"Perhaps he might have lived longer had he a friend or two, but no. When he got sick there was no one to look after him and he died, gasping out his last breaths, all alone." She continued, the man grunted in response, picking up a rolex from the bag and inspecting it with interest.

Xemnas drew close to the man and the maid. "Those are my things." He looked to the maid. "She's stolen my things! I'll have her arrested, the little thief!"

The man then looked inside the bag and pulled out a long cloth with rings on the top. "What are these? Bed curtains?" She nodded. "You took them down?" She nodded again and smiled.

"Had to get everything I could." She responded as he picked up another cloth. "Careful, those were his blankets."

He put them down suddenly wiping his shirt. "I hope he didn't die of anything contagious."

The woman smirked. "Perhaps, disease after all was the only thing that actually wanted to be in the same room as him." She said and they laughed.

Xemnas grimaced. "Those… are not my things. Yes they are similar…but the person she speaks of… that couldn't be me." He whispered to the spirit.

The man picked up the watch and the clothes again. "Three hundred for the watch and fifty for everything else." The man said.

The maid frowned. "Is that all you can give me Joe? Even for me?"

The man smiled. "I'm always kind to the ladies, it's how I ruin myself." He said and they both broke out into laughter again.

Xemnas furrowed his brows. "Why are you showing me this? I asked to see some emotion, but I didn't mean greed and contempt for the dead. Show me kindness, show me tenderness." The figure raised a hand and in they were whisked away once more.

Xemnas then found himself in front of Cloud's home once more. "There must be a mistake, the last spirit already brought me here." The specter merely pointed towards the door and he and Xemnas entered, followed closely behind by Terra and Ven, now looking upon the Cratchit family once more, but they were mush less cheerful then before and missing two members the father and the youngest son.

Roxas was reading a book aloud to his siblings as Xemnas listened in. Tifa sniffed and the children looked to her as she smiled back at them sadly. "I'm sorry, there's something in my eyes." She said rubbing them. "I wouldn't show your father red eyes, not for the world.

Roxas stopped reading. "He's late from church, and I think he walks… slower then he used to." He said quietly.

"Yes, I remember when he used to walk home so merrily with…" she paused. "With Denzel on his shoulders."

"So do I." Roxas replied.

"Me too." Sore agreed.

"Me three." Selphie said.

"Me four." Kairi said.

"Me five." Marlene added.

"He did like carrying him, and your father loved him so much." She said quietly.

Cloud just then entered, taking off his coat and looking to his wife with a weary smile. He walked over to his wife kissing her. "Hello, Tifa." Then looked to his children. "Hello kids." They responded giving a "Hello dad/daddy" response back.

Tifa looked to Cloud. "You're late, we were worried about you."

Cloud smiled, sitting down and taking Marlene onto his lap. "The reason that I'm late, is because I walked by there today."

Tifa frowned. "Today?" she asked as Xemnas raised a brow.

"I couldn't keep away." Cloud admitted. "It's so quiet and green, you should see it on Sunday, we'll all go, I promised him every Sunday I would..." he stopped short as he began to weep once more.

Sora walked over to his father. "Dad, don't be like this, Denzel wouldn't want it like this."

Clod looked to his son then to the rest of his children. "I'm sorry, I still have all of you, and that's a blessing in and of itself." He said placing Marlene down and picking himself up. "Do you know who I saw in the streets today? Riku, nephew to Mr. Xemnas. He greeted me in his usual cheerful way and saw that I was a little sad. When he asked me why and I told him… he said that he was very sorry… and that… um…"Cloud trailed off as he turned away from his kids.

Tifa walked over to her husband and put an arm over his shoulder. "Cloud, Denzel's part of all of us, and for his sake we must go on, so long as we love one another, he will always be here."

Cloud wiped his eyes and embraced his wife. "Yes." He turned back to his children. "And I know no matter what happens or where we are in the future we will never forgot poor Tiny Den." The children agreed with a round of "nos" and "nevers".

Tifa spoke up. "And when we remember how patient he was, we will not so easily fight among ourselves."

Clod smiled. "I am… a happy man. A truly… happy man." He said.

Xemnas paused. "I asked for kindness and tenderness. You have shown me that. I don't need to see anymore, take me home." He said quietly and the world around Xemnas turned to darkness before light found its way to his eyes again, this time finding himself in a snowy graveyard.

"Then this must be…" Ven trailed off and Terra nodded.

"What is this? I thought we agreed you would transport me home." The spirit walked over to a tombstone and pointed to it.

"Specter, is there something else I must know?" He walked toward the spirit slowly. "There is something I must ask. I'm afraid to, but I must. Who was the man whose death brought so much happiness to others?"

The specter pointed to Xemnas then back to the tombstone, the letters were covered by snow and appeared blank. Xemnas drew nearer still and reached out for the grave but stopped short. "Answer me this then, are these the shadows of the things that will be or may be only?"

He drew near and stopped short again. "These events can be changed. A life can be made right." He said before bending down to the stone and with much hesitation wiped away the snow until the words he feared to see revealed themselves to him.

EBENEZER XEMNAS.

"Ebenezer Xemnas." He said quietly before beginning to sob, turning back to the figure. "Oh, please spirit, no! Hear me! I'm not the man I was! Why would you show me this if I was past all hope?"

The figure, as always, remained silent.

"I will honor Christmas, and try to keep it in my heart all year round, I will live my life in the past, present, and the future, and I will not forgot the lessons I have been taught! Just tell me I may erase the writing on this stone!" He said through sobs, breaking down on his knees he grabbed the coattails of the spirit. "Oh please spirit, speak to me." He said beginning to weep, and the world faded to darkness once more.

Xemnas found himself sobbing into a pillow, his pillow, he looked around, he was in his house and it was morning, Christmas morning. "My room… I'm alive." He raised his head. "Thank you, spirits! I will keep my promise, I will live my life in the past, present, and the future, and I will not forgot the lessons I have been taught." He clasped his hands together. "Heaven and Christmas time be praised."

Xemnas walked over to his window and opened it, a young man ran past and Xemnas called out to him. "You there! Boy! What day is it?" he called out.

Today? It's Christmas!" said the boy with a smile.

Xemnas looked to the sky. "Christmas morning, I haven't missed it. Spirits did it all in one night, they can do whatever they like, course they can." He turned back to the boy. "Do you know the butcher's place in the next street over?"

"Hard to miss, sir." He responded.

"An intelligent boy, remarkable." Xemnas said to himself with a smile. "Do you know the prized turkey they have hanging in the window?" he asked.

"The one as big as me?"

"Yes, that's the one!"

"It's hanging there now."

"We'll go get the butcher to bring it around to my house, come back and get five dollars, come back in less than five minutes and I'll give you a twenty!" he called out and the boy was gone in a flash. Xemnas shut his window and kicked off his slippers walking into his closet and getting on his clothes. "So much to do! I must hurry!" he said to himself. "I'm as light as a feather." He said getting on his own bed "Merry Christmas to everybody! And a happy New Year to the whole world!" he yelled in his empty house.

There was a knock at Xemnas' door as the boy and the butcher waited outside.

"If this is a prank boy…" the butcher started holding the turkey under one hand.

"He just told me to do it. I swear!" the boy replied.

Xemnas walked out now in his usual attire. "This boy here says you want to purchase this turkey?"

"That's right." Xemnas said turning to the boy. "And a twenty for a service well done." He said.

The boy took the money with a curt "Thank you, sir." and ran off.

The butcher and Xemnas walked over to his truck. "Now here's your money and bring this turkey to this address." He said giving him the money and a piece of paper. "Say only that it comes from 'a friend' it must be there in time for Christmas dinner. And here's something for your trouble." He said tipping the man who took the money with a 'thank you' and drove off.

Xemnas rode over to his company and arranged for the staff to get a substantial Christmas bonus, and even worked up the courage to write to Aqua, he then left the building to walk the streets. As he was walking he noticed the two gentlemen from before, Vexen and Demyx, and walked over to them.

Terra and Ven watched as Xemnas walked on with a change of heart. "Hello folks! Told you we'd be back!" Ven greeted.

Terra nodded. "Everyone was out and about this fine Christmas morning! And Xemnas saw two familiar gentleman and walked to them."

Vexen and Demyx looked to Xemnas with a mild amount of contempt. "Mr. Xemnas." Vexen greeted.

Xemnas smiled at them. "Yes. I fear you do not wish to hear that name and I beg both your pardons, but I would like to donate now for… um…" he whispered into each of their ears, earning a small gasp from them both as they drew back.

"That… much?" Vexen asked slowly.

Xemnas nodded. "Not a penny less, a great many back-payments are included in it, and I aim to repay."

Vexen and Demyx looked to each other. "I… I don't know what to say. I just wish there was something we could give you."

Demyx paused, then took off his scarf. "Here, for you, a gift." He said to Xemnas.

Xemnas took the scarf and wrapped it around his neck. "Thank you, thank you very much." He said then waving as he walked away.

The butcher knocked on the door and Cloud answered. "Cloud Cratchit?" He asked, reading from the note.

Cloud raised his brows at the man. "Yes?"

The butcher handed him the turkey. "Here you are then." He said walking away.

Cloud looked at the bird then back to the man. "I didn't order this!"

"It's was bought and paid for by a gentleman and paid to be delivered in time for Christmas dinner!" He called getting back into his truck.

"Who was he?" he called out.

"Anonymous. He wishes to remain Anonymous." The butcher called out as he drove away.

Tifa looked at the large bird on her table. "Anonymous?"

"That's what he said." Cloud said.

"Maybe it's a mistake?" Roxas suggested.

"It's got our name and address on it though." Selphie countered.

Tifa smiled to all of them. "Well, I say we cook it and eat it, and have the best Christmas dinner we've ever had!"

Cloud smiled. "And I say Mrs. Cratchit, what a wonderful idea."

Denzel spoke up. "And God bless us all, everyone."

"And God bless us all, everyone!" the family repeated.

Xemnas walked down the street saying "Hello" to people as he passed. He then walked up to Riku's house.

Xion opened up the box and found a golden bracelet on the inside. "Oh Riku, its way too expensive." She said admiring the gift."

"You like it?" Riku said with a smile.

"I love it." Xion replied putting it on and admiring it. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Riku kissed her hand. "It belongs on your wrist. Merry Christmas, my love."

"Oh Riku," Xion said kissing him. "I do love you, and not just for this."

"I know, I know." Riku said leaning in and kissing her more.

There was a knock at the door. "Who could that be?" Xion asked.

"Don't know, I'm not expecting anyone." He said walking over to a window and looking out. "My God, it's Uncle Ebenezer."

Xion raised a brow. "Your Uncle? What does he want?"

Riku shrugged going to the door. "I don't know." He said opening it up.

Xemnas looked to his nephew with a small smile as Riku and Xion exchanged confused looks. "Riku…" he said softly.

"Uncle Ebenezer." Riku said, still reeling from the shock

"May I come in?" He asked.

Riku nodded, snapping back to reality. "Yes of course, please." He said stepping to the side as the older man walked through the doorway and Riku closed the door.

Xemnas walked into the living room and smiled at Xion who only looked at him with mild suspicion. "Merry Christmas, madam." He said.

Xion returned the greeting with some hesitation. Riku stepped between them. "Uncle this is my wife, Xion. Xion, this is my Uncle Ebenezer."

Xion nervously smiled at him. "It's a pleasure."

Xemnas smiled at her with some hu8mor. "More like a surprise wouldn't you say?"

Xion nodded, smiling nervously. "Well, that too."

Riku also nodded. "That's true, I… we are both surprised at you being here, Uncle." He paused. "Yesterday, you made it quite clear to me you wanted nothing to do with me, and that you had no intention of accepting my annual invitation."

"I made other things clear too didn't I?" Xemnas said with a weak smile. "That Christmas was a humbug, a waste of time and money, a false and commercial holiday, devoutly to be ignored."

Riku nodded. "Yes, basically."

Xemnas nodded. "I have come for three reasons. First, to beg your pardon for you and the things I said about Christmas, that was the real humbug, Riku."

"Was it?" Riku asked.

"Yes, I didn't know it then but I know it now." Xemnas continued, he then turned to Xion and walked to her. "Secondly, I've come to meet your wife."

"Well, here she is." Riku said.

"Yes, and she is very beautiful." Xemnas observed with a kind smile.

Xion blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her head. "Thank you."

Xemnas nodded turning back to his nephew. "I… uh… I was in love once. Could you believe that?"

Xion nodded. "Yes."

Xemnas smiled mirthlessly to himself. "But, I possessed neither the courage nor the optimism, and perhaps not even the depth of feeling that you two have." He paused. "Thirdly, if that invitation to join you to dine is still open, I accept."

Riku beamed at this and grabbed his uncle by the shoulders. "Of course it is! I was sure I'd get you to come around one day."

"You were sure?" Xemnas asked. "Well, I guess you were right."

Xion smiled. "You'll be more than welcome."

Xemnas walked over to her. "You like games don't you?" hH said putting an arm over her shoulder.

"Yes I do, as a matter of fact." Xion answered,

"You ever play 'Simile'?" he asked.

"One of Riku and I's favorites." Xion answered.

"I'm pretty good myself, and should we play it and the phrase 'tight as…' be thrown out, the answer is 'drum'." Xemnas continued.

Xion nodded. "So it is."

Xemnas nodded turning to his nephew and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Forgive me for saying this, but I see the shadow of my sister in your face, Riku. I loved her, and for a time I had forgotten just how much, perhaps I chose to forget." He paused. "Well now! If it isn't too much trouble could I sample some of your drink?"

Xion smiled at him. "Of course. You've made us both very happy Uncle Ebenezer."

"Have I?" he asked.

Riku nodded, and Xemnas put an arm around each one of their shoulders. "God forgive me for the time I've wasted." They each smiled to him and he returned the smiles with all of his heart.

The next day…

Xemnas walked into his office to the happy smiling faces of his workers as they talked in their cubicles and going to his own desk he observed the absentness of Cloud. "Nine o'clock, late again, eh Cloud?"

Said blond haired man was running out of the elevator and quickly ran to his desk. "CRATCHIT!" a voice bellowed and Cloud cringed but flowed the source to his employer.

"Yes sir?" he asked.

"You know what time it is?" Xemnas asked his face set in stone.

"Yes sir." Cloud said.

"What time is it?" he asked.

Cloud looked to his watch. "Eighteen minutes past the hour, sir."

Xemnas scowled. "Eighteen and a half minutes past the hour, why are you so late?"

"Sorry, sir. My family and I… we were celebrating a lot yesterday, and I lost track of the time." Cloud replied.

Xemnas stood from his desk. "I will not stand for this any longer, Mr. Cratchit. Therefore, I'm going to be forced to RAISE YOUR SALERY!" he said slamming his fists on the table.

Cloud cringed until the actual words hit him and he turned to his employer with an astonished look. "Raise… my… salary?"

Xemnas smiled wide. "Yes, Cloud. Merry Christmas!" He said walking around and embracing Cloud who was still stuck in a state of shock. "I'll raise your salary for a start and endeavor to help your family anyway I can. Denzel will walk again and grow stronger and stronger." He turned to the rest of his employees "And that goes for the rest of you too!"

The employees jumped from their work stations with joy as Cloud reeled from the shock, Xemnas looked at him. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"Nothing sir… nothing." He said with a wide grin.

Xemnas smiled. "And let's raise the temperature in here! Before you hit another key!" The whole building rejoiced as Terra and Ven watched through binoculars from an adjacent rooftop building.

Terra looked forward. "And Xemnas was as good as his word and better, he did it all and infinitely more."

Ven looked to the older man. "And Tiny Den?"

"And Tiny Den, who did not die!" Terra announced.

"Well isn't that swell?" Ven asked.

Terra nodded. "To Denzel, Xemnas became a second father, he became as good a friend, as good a mentor, and as good a man as the good old city ever had. It was always said that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge, and may that be said for all of us. And so as Tiny Den observed 'God bless us, everyone.'"

"Nice story, 'Mr. Dickens'." Ven said.

"Thanks, if you like this you should read the book." Terra replied

"Or the movies!" Ven added.

THE END

So, that's the story folks, I hope it was a good retelling, and if you KH fans like this you might be interested in my other story. Merry Christmas! And A Happy New Year!