This takes place just after the events of A Christmas Carol.
'Oh Kazran, this is amazing!' shouted an endearing Abigail, clinging on to her love's aging shoulder like she was fused with it. Her sky ride was both extravagant, yet thrilling. She couldn't think of a better way to live before her imminent end. Kazran kept looking across at her, in the same way he did when he first knew how much he loved her. As he hugged her tight with his left arm, the reins tugged on his right, suddenly swinging the creaky sleigh into a closely packed row of buildings, barely below them. He knew that she was close to death, he counted down the minutes. They had been in the sky for two hours at least, and the Doctor took her out half an hour before that. Only 21 hours left…
Seven hours later.
Abigail had been treated with so much. She had danced on the singing Ice Lake on the other side of Ember; she had dined at the restaurant where she first discovered Neigwing Soup and Brin Bread; she even got to witness her family at Christmas once again, now years older and yet still so merry. They might have been halfway out of the dark, but Abigail was close to touching it.
'What do you want to do now, Abigail?' asked an endearing Kazran, smiling only because she was. What she requested was nothing like what he expected at all.
'Kazran, dance with me.'
She walked over to him, unaware of her non-existent surroundings, like he was the gravity holding her to Ember like an insatiable pull. Her hand slid gently onto Kazran's left side, but she never let her eyes leave his for fear of losing them forever. As for him, he knew he couldn't dance from his appalling attempts at wedding receptions: he didn't care now, as the only thing that mattered to him was Abigail.
They may have been in the complete isolation of Christmas night, but the chill and hostility were charmed away by the delicious sound of Abigail's singing. With a slowbeat tempo, they began to dance like lovers, only keeping each other in mind, making every move like a professional. The singing created more vibrations in the Ice Clouds, releasing a sea of small fish that swam around in the air like dancing stars around the couple. Progressing through the song, a delicate scatter of snow began to glide down, creating a beautiful picturesque scene usually reserved for art galleries and the folly of dreams.
Soon, too soon, her song was over, their dance stopped. However, they stayed holding each other, as though they were one.
'Thank you Kazran. You've been there all my life, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.' she whispered in his ear. A single tear fell, as she spoke the last sentence of her thanks.
'I love you.'
Nine hours later - Kazran Mansion, The Grand Hall
After the dance, Kazran took her back to the mansion. He made her some chocolate which steamed and smelled rich and full of flavour. Together, they relived the memories of her eight Christmas Eve's, one by one, until, they reached this one. He made her a feast of Christmas dinner, which they ate together, all the while stealing loving glances at each other.
As he looked over at the clock, he saw five hours left.
'Abigail?' he called.
'Yes Kazran?'
'I want you to know… that I love you. I think I have loved you since you first left the ice all those years ago. But I don't want you to go, Abigail. Not now, not after all this. I can't bear a life without you now.'
Her face ever so slightly crumpled, as one by one, the tears rained. She ran over and threw her arms around him, as she told him she loved him too.
It was at that time that they both began to prepare.
Four hours and 50 minutes later…
The last hours on this planet were happy for Abigail. She and Kazran spent the last four hours together, almost completely. They walked around the mansion, occasionally kissing or sharing a close moment. But it was late, and poor Kazran was getting closer to sleep. They both lay on the bed, atop the cover, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes, sharing so much intense emotions in no words.
Kazran fell asleep first. When she decided now would be safe to move without rousing him, she carefully left the bed, and went to the desk. She wrote him a letter, her final letter. As she scribed down her words, the memories of her Christmases began to flood her mind, causing her to leak tears onto the paper. After a while, she signed her name, went back to bed. She held Kazran's hand in her own, leaned over to kiss him gently. Her final spoken words hardly penetrated the darkness.
'Goodbye Kazran, my Christmas love.'
A hushed sigh silenced the room.
Sunrise.
Kazran sluggishly awoke, to the sight of a sleeping Abigail. He asked her name, to be met with the silence she had sung about not a day ago. Paper crumpled in his hand, secretly placed there by his love. As he opened it out, he anticipated.
'My Dearest Kazran,'
He smiled gradually larger as the letter progressed, happy that she was in the end. Even though the last words stopped his smile, he was still immensely happy, yet more deeply saddened than he ever thought possible. But he knew he would hang onto those words like a prayer, like he actually believed it would happen:
'I'll be waiting for you in the silence, my love.'
