Greatest Time Of The Year

Chapter Three: The First Noel

Miyu carefully placed a Christmas table decoration on the small table in the entranceway of the front door. Suddenly, the front door slid open and Kanata rushed inside. She looked up and smiled pleasantly.

"Oh, Kanata it's you. Your back a little earlier than I suspected––hey!" She yelled as he ran passed her and to his bedroom without even bother taking off his shoes

She watched him run with a confused look on her face. "Kanata?" She muttered questionly. She slowly walked toward his bedroom, only to have him pass by her again as he ran. She looked at him still confused.

He looked over his shoulder and yelled back at her, "Be right back!" Then, he disappeared around the corner.

She pouted. "Where in the world is he going?!" She wondered out loud. "He just doesn't run off to places all the time!" She walked into the living room where boxes and boxes of Christmas decorations were scattered about the room. "And what was with that smile?" She walked over to a box and pulled out a small stocking. She looked at it with care and sadness for on it was in fancy, glittery gold letters: Ruu. "Ruu…." She whispered as a tear came her eye.

A voice made her jump. "What are you doing Madam?" It asked. Miyu had jumped like 3 feet in the air, before she looked down and saw a little red headed girl with a red jumper with little pale-yellow purse hung around her shoulder.

"Oh Momoka. It's only you." She said as relief swept over her. "Well, I was decorating the house with Christmas decorations." She said with a smile.

"Christmas decorations!" Momoka exclaimed with glee.

"Yes. Momoka, would you like to help?" Miyu asked her.

"Yes, please!" Momoka said with an angelic smile.

Miyu, who was bending down to Momoka's height, smiled sweetly at the little girl. She stood up and turned to the box of decorations and pulled out a fake wreath with a smaller box of decorations for the Christmas wreath. She placed them in front of Momoka. "Here," she began she neatly sat Indian style, "let's decorate this first. Then, we can decorate more of the house."

Momoka threw her hands into the air as she exclaimed, "Yay!"

Soon, they decorated the wreath beautifully with winterberries, presents, little Christmas teddy bears and toy soldiers, and holly; they hung it on the front door.

Momoka ran around the house as she brought and placed different Christmas items around the house. She came back into the living room, where Miyu was. "Madam? What's next?"

Miyu, who was digging through a box, looked out of the box and at her. "Well, there's nothing in this box. Maybe in this one?" She kept moving around to different boxes and checking them. But nothing was it them. "There seems to be no more."

Momoka looked on the couch and a saw and white box, which was taped and had a few stamps on it. She walked over to the couch and picked up the box. "What's this one, Madam?"

Miyu looked at her, and then at the box. "Oh, that's a package from my parents that I got this morning. I must have forgot a put it there." She laughed slightly at her forgetfulness. She took it from Momoka to open it.

Miyu took a seat on the couch and Momoka joined her. "Let's see." Miyu said as she ripped the top open carefully through the packaging tape. She reached inside and pulled out a frame, it seemed, of a barn. She set the down beside her, as she balanced the box on her lap. She pulled out a wrapped thing. She unwrapped it to find out that it was an image of Joseph. "Oh! This is our manger scene!" Miyu exclaimed.

Momoka looked at Miyu strangely. "Madam? What is a 'manger scene'?" She asked.

"A manger scene is the final scene of Jesus' birth. You see, about 2,000 years ago. It was prophesized that a Messiah would come and save us, because we are unholy and can't got to heaven without being pure, however, everyone of us have sinned. We can't go to heaven. That why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ through the Virgin Mary," Miyu pulled out the figure of Mary, "and well, here let me read you what happened." Miyu pulled out a little black New Testament Bible out from the box. She opened it and read:

" 'And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

" 'And the angel came in unto her, and said, 'Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.'

" 'And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

"And the angel said unto her, 'Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.'

" 'Then said Mary unto the angel, 'How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?'

" 'And the angel answered and said unto her, 'The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.'

" 'And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

" 'And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.'

" 'And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.'

" 'And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

" 'And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.'

" 'And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'

" 'And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, 'Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.'

" 'And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things, which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.' "

Miyu turned to another passage as she said, "There's one more part to the story." When she had found it she began to read again,

" 'Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.'

" 'When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

" 'And they said unto him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet: And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.'

" 'Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, 'Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.' '

" 'When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

" 'And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

" 'And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, 'Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.'

" 'When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 'Out of Egypt have I called my son.'

" 'Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.' "

Miyu closed the Bible gently. She stood up with the box in her hands and said, "Come over here, Momoka." Momoka nodded and followed Miyu over to the Christmas tree. Miyu sat on her knees as she set the box down next to her as Momoka sat down on the other side of her. Miyu fixed the frame of the barn underneath the tree; then she carefully took out the Mary and Joseph figures and placed them next to each other under the barn frame. Miyu took another wrapped figure out of the box and handed it to Momoka. "Momoka, you open this one this time. But be careful."

"Okay." Momoka said as she began to unwrap the figure. It was a donkey. "Madam this is a donkey. The story didn't talk about a donkey."

"No, it didn't, but it was most likely that Mary rode a donkey to Bethlehem because she was pregnant and could walk to far. " Miyu answered.

"Oh." Momoka said as she set the donkey figure in the corner under the barn frame.

Miyu took another figure out and unwrapped it. It was a little shepherd boy. "Momoka do you know what this is?"

"It's a shepherd boy. Isn't it?"

"That's right. It is. Do you know what he's holding?" Miyu held it up to Momoka's face to see.

Momoka looked at it. "It's a lamb."

"Yupp. It's a lamb. The lamb is very symbolic, because Jesus is the Lamb of God."

Momoka nodded as she watched Miyu place the shepherd boy in the scene.

Miyu took another wrapped figure and gave it to Momoka to unwrap, which she did. Momoka's figure was an angel. "Madam, this is an angel!" Momoka exclaimed.

Miyu laughed lightly. "Yes, it's Gabriel, the angel who told Mary that she was going to have Jesus."

Momoka smiled cutely. Then, she looked down to find a place to put him, but could decide where. "Madam? Where should I put him?"

"Well, my parents and I put him on the side of the scene, because he wasn't there at the time. You could choose which side."

"Okay! I'll pick… the right side!" She said as she placed him there.

Miyu smiled at Momoka as she picked up another figure and unwrapped it. It was wise man, bending down with a small treasure box in his hands. She held it toward Momoka as she said, "Momoka this a one of the wise men. Do you know what he's holding?"

Momoka looked at it puzzlingly. "It's a treasure box filled with… gold!"

"Yes, that's right." Miyu said as she set it down in the scene.

Miyu handed Momoka another figure to unwrap. Momoka unwrapped it. "This one's another wise man, right?"

Miyu nodded. "Hmmm! What is he holding?"

"He's holding a little chest thingy."

"It's frankincense."

"Oh!" Momoka said as she placed this wise man next to the other.

Miyu pulled another out of the box and unwrapped it. In her hands was, the other wise man. "What is he holding?"

"It's a little bottle."

"That's right. In the little bottle, there's myrrh. Myrrh is a perfume."

"I see." Momoka said as she watched Miyu set the 3rd wise man down next to the other 2.

Miyu dug around through the packaging peanuts and pieces a torn paper in the box and pulled out the last wrapped figurine. She handed it to Momoka. "Here Momoka, you can open the last one."

Momoka nodded with a smile as she took it. "Okay!" She unwrapped the paper and looked at what she held. It was a little baby, wrapped in some cloths, in a little manger. "It's a baby!" She exclaimed.

"Yes, It's baby Jesus." Miyu replied.

Momoka placed the manger with baby Jesus inside it in the center of the crowd of figurines. She looked up at Miyu. "Is this everything, Madam?"

Miyu thought for a moment; then replied, "Yupp, it is, but now we can make Christmas cookies!"

Momoka's eyes grew as wide as a giant Christmas cookie. "We can make cookies!"

"Yeah, I wanted to make some for Kanata and I. Oh, and for the Christmas party too."

"You guys are having a party and you didn't even invite me!!" Momoka gasped, hurt.

"Oh, Momoka! I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you. You may come, if you like."

Momoka crossed her arms and looked away. "It's too late now!" She snapped, but deep inside that was a "yes".

Miyu understood what she meant and giggled lightly at her behavior.

Miyu and Momoka, who both wore an apron, were busy in the kitchen rolling the oily lump of yellowish dough into a flat pancake like shape with a wooden rolling pin. When they had accomplished that, they pushed different shapes of cookie cutters into the flat dough. Candy canes, stars, snowflakes, snowman, teddy bears, toy soldiers, presents, wreaths. They made them all.

After they had placed a bunch on a cookie sheet, they stuck it into the oven to bake. Miyu looked down at Momoka. "Hey Momoka, do you want to sing something?"

"Sure, I like singing! Especially Christmas songs!"

"All right, let's sing… The First Noel."

"Okay!" Momoka exclaimed as she pumped both fist into the air.

Miyu started as she placed icing on a star cookie,

"The first noel the angel did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay."

Miyu finished icing that one and smiled down at Momoka

Momoka sung the next part as she handed Miyu another cookie.

"In fields they may keeping watch over their sheep, on cold winter's night that was so deep."

Together they sang the chorus as Miyu placed icing on a snowflake cookie,

"Noel, noel, noel, noel.

Born is the King of Israel"

Momoka began the second verse,

"They all looked up and saw a star,

Shining in the east beyond and far."

Miyu placed her knife down on the counter and left the snowflake cookie on the plate as she looked down at Momoka and sang,

"And to the earth it gave great light,

And so it continued both day and night."

Kanata walked up to the front door of his house. He smiled at the wreath on the door. He slid the door open, and he smelled fresh baked cookies and heard singing: a beautiful second soprano voice and a cute little girl's.

"Noel, noel, noel, noel.

Born is the King of Israel"

He looked around as he whispered, "I'm home." His house decorated with Christmas decorations. Gold and silver garland hung across the ceiling like streamers, a Christmas table decoration was placed on the side table next to him, and pot of fake Poinsettias. He took off his shoes and drop off the brown paper bag, which had Miyu's presents in it, in his room.

"They entered in those wise men three,

Full reverently upon three knee."

He walked into the kitchen as Miyu twirled around, the skirt-part of her simple red dress flowed around her legs. She looked at Momoka and sang in her beautiful second soprano voice:

"They offered there, in his presence,

Their gold and myrrh and frankincense."

Kanata leaned his back against the fame of the doorway to the kitchen as together Miyu and Momoka finished:

"Noel, noel, noel, noel.

Born is the King of Israel.

Noel, noel, noel, noel.

Born is the King of Israel."

Miyu and Momoka curtsied to each other and laughed.

"I see you two like to sing and bake." Kanata said as he stopped leaning on the doorway frame.

Miyu jumped at his voice. She looked over and saw him. "Oh, Kanata, you scared me. I didn't think you were home yet."

"Well, I'm back now."

"Yeah Kanata," Miyu started, but was stopped by Momoka,

"Kanata onii-chan!!! Madam and I made cookies!!!"

"Oh, did you? I hope you helped Miyu not to burn them."

"Excuse me, Mr. I-think-I-know-everything, but we didn't burn them and even if Momoka wasn't here I wouldn't have burn them." Miyu crossed her arms.

Kanata sniffed the air. "Yeah? Well, it looks like you're burning them now."

Miyu smelled the burning smell and spun around toward the oven, "Ah!! The cookies!!" Kanata just rolled his eyes at her.

Miyu wiped the table with a wet washcloth. She stopped, when it was done, and walked over to the sink. She placed the washcloth next to the sink. She sighed and left the kitchen.

She came into the living room to see Momoka watching a kids anime and Kanata reading a manga. She took a seat by Kanata on the couch and looked at the clock on the wall. It read: 7:30. She glanced over at Momoka and caught her yawning. She looked at Kanata. "Hey Kanata, could you walk Momoka home? Momoka looks tired and it's getting late."

"All right." Kanata said as he set his manga down and stood up. "Come on Momoka, let's go home."

"But the show isn't over yet!" She protested.

Miyu had gotten up to fetch Kanata and Momoka their coats. She gave Kanata's his and walked over to Momoka. "Come on, Momoka, it is getting colder out and dark." She said as she helped Momoka stood up. "And you are tired." She added as she slipped Momoka's red coat on.

Momoka yawned. "I'm not tired!" Miyu zipped up Momoka's coat on her. Momoka gave her a glare. "You just want to be alone with Kanata onii-chan. Don't you, Madam."

Miyu twitched and turned red. "Wha-what?! No, I don't!"

Kanata, who was also blushing at Momoka's statement, came to her rescue. He gently pushed Momoka toward the hallway to go to the door as he said, "Come on, Momoka, let's go," he turned his head toward Miyu, "I'll be back soon, Miyu."

"Okay." Miyu, who was still blushing, said as she watched the two of them leave. She looked around the living room. Manga and papers were scattered around the couch and coffee table, a plate with cookie crumbs and icing and two cups that used to have milk in them sat on the coffee table as well, and crayons and papers were on the floor where Momoka had been sitting. "They made such a mess, didn't they? Now, I am the one who has to clean this up!"

Miyu reached down and picked up the drawing. Tears came to her eyes. It was a childish drawing of herself, Kanata, Momoka, and Ruu and Wanya. Miyu held the picture to her chest. "Ruu… Wanya…" She stood up and walked over to the kitchen. She hung the picture on the refrigerator with magnets. She smiled sadly at the picture.

She returned to the living to clean up. First, she picked up all the stray pieces of paper and mangas and placed them in a neat pile on the coffee table. Then, she picked up all the crayons on the floor and put them back in their box; she placed them on the coffee table as well. She picked up the two empty cups and plate and took them to the empty sink in the kitchen.

She washed the two cups and plate quickly; then returned to the living room. She hadn't turned the TV off yet, so she grabbed the clicker to turn it off, but then letterings came across the bottom of the screen:

Warning: serve case of thunderstorms along with freezing rain is coming into the Heiomachi area from around 8:00pm – around 8:30 pm. Please stay indoors throughout this storm. For more information turn to channel 17.

She turned off the TV as she heard the harsh wind wail. "I hope Kanata makes it hope all right."

Kanata walked down the sidewalk with is hands in his pockets. The harsh wind whipped him, but he continued to walk on. He stopped next to a store where they sold TVs. They had the news on. He looked and saw a lady reporter on the TV screen. He read the subtitles:

Hello, I'm Nanaka Takashi. I'm here with Heiomachi's News Broadcast with urgent news. We have just been informed that a serial kidnapper and has recently killed his last two of his abductors. Here is his picture.

The serial kidnapper's picture came on to corner of the screen. It was a gruff looking young man, who had a scar down the side of his left cheek, with black colored hair and narrow maroon eyes. The reporter continued:

If you see this man, please inform the police right away. Good night.

Kanata's eyes grew wide at the report. "I have to get home to Miyu, right away!" He said as he ran down the sidewalk.

Miyu impatiently sat on the couch as she waited for Kanata to return home. Thunder sounded as lightning struck. Miyu jumped a bit in her seat. The lighting in the house flickered on and off, and finally, goes off for good. She looked around the dark room scared to death. She heard someone open and close the door. She stood up as she gasped, "Kanata!"

She ran go of the living and into the hallway. Standing in the entrance hallway was a dark figure. "Kanata, is that you?"

The dark figure approached her. Beady maroon eyes glared at her with a crazy look. The figure held something in their hand. They came closer and closer to Miyu.

"Kanata, answer me! You're scaring me, Kanata­––" a sack was thrown over her head and she let out a blood curdling scream. The person picked her up and swung her over his shoulder.

Kanata was half way up the steps when he heard a scream. His heart ached at the sound. Lightning flashed behind him as he yelled, "Miyu!!" He began to run up the steps to his house.

Next Time on Greatest Time of The Year: Chapter 4: Not This Year

Miyu is kidnapped. Kanata goes to save her. Freezing rain and a thunder storm. One hell of a December night.