Ho ho ho!
How are my favorite readers doing? This is a small Christmas story I decided to publish in honor of the wonderful holiday! It's not going to be too long, I hope. I'm not very good at ending stories, as you might have noticed, but I'm determined that this once shall be finished before New Year.
I'm not having a white Christmas this year and I'm absolutely heartbroken over that. Last year it snowed on Christmas Eve and then everything melted away on the 26th. Perfect don't you agree?
Ah well, I'll continue on and don't forget to be on the lookout for updates on my other stories! I have high hopes on being able to finish off some off them!
Enough of my babbling! Enjoy and don't forget to review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters.
Entering The Christmas Spirits
Chapter 1
She trudged along the street ignoring the lights and the fake Santa Claus chuckling merrily. Christmas had come; her all-time favorite season but this year there was something missing, something that she couldn't really put her finger on. Today was the last day of school and normally she would have been jumping with joy but as was mentioned before, something wasn't right.
Her blue eyes were thoughtful as she entered the Arcade still not caring for all the noise around her. She plopped down on a chair all the while ignoring her surroundings. What was wrong?
The dark haired man sitting beside her shared a confused glance with the owner of the Arcade at this unusual display. His ocean blue eyes took in her small form that always radiated so much happiness, but not today. 'That's strange,' he thought. 'Isn't she supposed to be bursting with joy since it's almost Christmas?'
"Odango! What's the matter with you today?" he asked teasingly.
"Shut up Baka!" she murmured. She was not in the mood to deal with him today or in fact anyone.
"Aw! I'm hurt! Aren't you supposed to be nice around Christmas?" Mamoru replied as he tried to provoke a reaction out of her, but she didn't take the bait.
"Why on earth should I be nice to a jerk like you?" Usagi retorted. She perked up a bit at the sight of the triple-chocolate sundae placed in front of her and a small smile of gratitude was bestowed on Motoki.
"Why the long face Usagi?" Motoki asked as cheerfully as always. "Have you bought all your presents yet?"
Usagi made a face and contemplated if she should state her reason but then Mamoru-baka would certainly also hear it. Finally she gave in and the words just poured out of her mouth in typical Usagi-style.
"I don't know why! It's just that Christmas is in just a few days but it doesn't feel like it!" she whined. "It feels like in the middle of November or something! I've bought all the gifts but I'm still not in the holiday spirit! I don't know what's wrong with me!"
The two guys just stared at the young girl after her admission before Mamoru started to chuckle. 'This girl is just too much' he thought amusedly.
"What are you laughing at Baka!" Usagi asked crossly.
"You've got to be kidding me!" He managed to say through his chuckles. "This is why you're down in the dumps? Because you're not in the Christmas spirits?"
"Oh shut up! Just because I'm not used to being a Scrooge like you!" she yelled furiously.
"Oh forgive me the almighty celebrator of Christmas!" He rolled his eyes although the amused twinkle never left his eyes.
Usagi turned her furious eyes to his gaze and faltered for a second. Time seemed to stop as the eyes of the enemies locked on to each other.
"Just wait a second!" Motoki interfered before Usagi could retort something that would unfailingly lead to another one of those famous verbal battles. He sighed at the almost disappointed look in Mamoru's eyes. Honestly when would he learn! Last time this had occurred Mamoru had been awarded with a sundae dumped on his head! "I don't want you to go biting each other's heads off now before Christmas!"
An enormous wail erupted from Usagi before Mamoru could answer his best friend's comment.
"See!" she cried. "I told you that it doesn't feel like Christmas or I would have been too happy to bother with that jerk!" Having said that she promptly burst into tears and escaped from the arcade leaving the two guys staring after her.
"She's really taking this hard isn't she?" Motoki asked slightly worried.
An indefinable look was present in Mamoru's eyes and he slowly turned his gaze away from the doors.
"Don't worry. She'll be over in it no time. You'll most probably see her tomorrow laughing and having forgotten why she was so upset today."
Motoki shrugged and figured that Mamoru was probably was right. His best friend had an uncanny ability to read Usagi's feelings and reactions, not that he ever used that skill for anything good. The only thing he ever did was find the exact buttons on which to upset the poor girl.
Mamoru returned to drinking his coffee and tried to restore the tranquility of his mind but something was tugging at his thoughts and demanding his attention. That "something" presented itself in the form of a mere slip of a girl with long golden hair and impossibly large eyes.
'Those eyes,' he pondered. Something was definitely up. There was a look in them that he had never seen before in them. He wasn't exactly sure what it was but it was tugging at his heartstrings causing an unfamiliar dull ache.
'This is ridiculous!' he thought! 'Why on earth am I thinking of that feather brained Odango?' Yet the thoughts continued to haunt his mind.
Usagi ran as if trying to run away from something, and she was. She was trying to get away from that weird throbbing in her chest. It tore at her causing her to run even faster. 'Why doesn't it stop!' she thought desperately.
Finally she had to stop and she collapsed at the nearest bench totally out of breath. A sob escaped her lips as she tried to tackle the foreign emotion raging inside her. It seemed to try and suffocate her and all she was aware of was trying to keep her lungs working. The feeling was strange, something that she had never encountered before. It was as if a dam had burst and the water just welled out destroying everything it encountered.
She shook her head as she attempted to clear her mind. 'What is the matter with me?' she thought mournfully. 'Christmas is in merely four days and yet here I am totally swamped by sadness! I should be happy and putting up Christmas decorations and hanging out mistletoes!'
Yet the feeling lingered and nothing she said or thought could help her dispel it. Her surroundings went completely unnoticed and so did the cold. Usagi slowly slipped down from the bench and onto the ground. She instead used the bench as a table as she rested her arms on it and letting them cover her face.
She let her eyes rest and soon she drifted off to sleep and finally broke away from the pain that had been torturing her all day. The tears that had slipped down and frozen to small cold diamonds on her pale cheeks were the only reminders of her inner torment…
The wind that blew through the city was icy cold leaving the people shuttering in their thick jackets and scarves. The children gazed dismally up towards the sky where not even a single cloud was to be found. What if there was no snow this year! The parents tried to console their kids but they too feared the same thing. They knew that it was too cold for any snow to fall.
The freezing temperature caused many a persons to hurry home or into some cozy warm little shelter to have a nice cup of hot chocolate. Only a small figure remained completely still in the bustling world, totally unaware of the cold even though it was slowly turning her into a cold statue; the statue of a forlorn girl calling out from the depth of her soul to something, or rather someone without even knowing it.
And far away from Usagi the anguished call was heard as Chiba Mamoru was suddenly awoken from his thoughts as the insistent tugging on his heartstrings intensified. His hand went up to his chest and suddenly the picture of Usagi appeared in his mind. Something wasn't right. He sprinted out of the arcade not really knowing what direction only that someone was calling…
There! Finished! Well not finished but you get my point! Now be nice and I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as possible as a Christmas present!
Leave me comment, review or opinion to tell me what you think and if I should keep on going or write another story. A New Year's story sounds nice doesn't it?
Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!
Cathy Daine