Of Psychic Powers and Baseball Bats

Christmas Special

Part 2

Ninten gasped at the scene in front of him. "Here you go, Lucas," Tracy said, giving the psychic a present wrapped in a beautiful green wrapping.

"Thank you," Lucas nodded. "Um, how do I open this with all the paper on it? Are you sure I should open this?"

Tracy giggled. "Of course you do! It's Christmas! Just rip the wrapping paper."

"Um, t-thank you!" He began to rip the wrapping paper off and saw a box. "Uh, do I o-open this?" Tracy nodded. He opened the box and his eyes shone in wonder. It was a yellow and orange stripped scarf. "Wow, thank you T-Tracy!"

"Stop stuttering, it doesn't suit you well," she recommended.

"R-Right...sorry."

Tracy laughed again before being interrupted by a scream of dispear. "NOOOOOOOOO!" Ninten cried, falling to his knees. "I don't believe this! MY CHRISTMAS IS RUINED!"

"NINTEN! MY HOUSE!" Ness yelled, stomping up the stairs. "YOU DESTROYED MY HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER! IT'S FREEZING!"

"Shut up Ness, I'm in sorrow!" Ninten cried, covering his face with his hands. "Why...?"

"MY HOUSE!" Ness shrieked again, tackling Ninten to the floor.

"Ness, my room!" Tracy screamed. "Get out," she said, crossing her arms. Ness had pinned Ninten to a wall and was strangling him. If he was Ninten, he probably would've choked him until he turned every color of the rainbow, but he wasn't Ninten, he was Ness; Ness was a logical person (for the most part).

So, he threw Ninten out the window. "You owe me money to fix my wall!" Ness yelled out the window, glaring at the other capped-boy who lay in the snow.

Ninten stood up, shaking his head. "No..." he whispered, realization hitting him. "I'm...I'm in Santa's naughty list..." he looked up with a determined look on his face. "No, I still have time!" He glanced at his wristwatch, seeing the time. "It's still 7:34, I still have time!" He ran back to Ness' front door and knocked on the door again. "Ness, I need your help!"

Ness opened the door, glaring at him. "What?"

"I need to get out of Santa's naughty list!" Ness slammed the door in Ninten's face in response.

"...Fine! I'll do it myself!" Ninten grinned, knowing exactly what he needed to do.

Ness stared at the people who had gathered in front of his house. "Hi Ness!" Paula greeted, smiling at him. "I heard the party is here!"

"...what party?"

Paula's smile dropped. "Ninten-"

"Of course!" Ness screamed, interrupting Paula. "Where is he?"

"Um, at the back of the crowd." Ness groaned and began to push his way through the crowd, pushing past Lloyd and Jeff discussing science-y things, past Flint who appeared to not even care, rushed past Lucas and Tracy who were making a snowman, past several Mr. Saturns stacked on top of each other, causing them to tumble onto the snow, and past even more of the cast. Soon, he found Ninten staring nervously at his wristwatch.

"Ninten!" He yelled, glaring at his look-alike. Ninten's head snapped up at Ness' voice.

"Oh, hey Ness," he greeted, waving his hand and grinning at the Onett boy.

"There's a hole in my wall, and you invite all of these people?! What is wrong with you?!"

"I'M HERE TO SPREAD CHRISTMAS JOY!" Ninten yelled, making everyone turn to him. "I WANT PRESENTS THIS YEAR, I DON'T WANT TO BE ON SANTA'S NAUGHTY LIST!" Everyone just stared at him for a few awkward moments.

"Uh...Ninten, I hate to break it to you, but you-" Lloyd was interrupted by another cry from Ninten.

"Not now Lloyd, I'm not done angsting!" Ninten fell to his knees. "I just want presents this year, like every other year, and I don't really care what I have to do to get them. So I deserve them, don't I?" Ness didn't say anything, resisting the urge to blast him with several dozen Pk Rockin's. Ninten stood up. "So, do you understand my position now?"

Ness turned around to face the crowd. "Everyone, let's have a party somewhere, there's a giant hole in my house and it's pretty cold. Anyone else have a place where we can party?"

Paula raised her hand. "My house is all right!"

"To Twoson, and Ninten's not invited," everyone cheered, even Ninten. Though he stopped when the last of that sentence hit him.

"What?!"

Everyone was in Paula's house, dancing around to a song playing on a radio as they also ate from a snack table. A Christmas tree was in the corner, and lights decorated the entire room.

Ninten pressed his face against the window, glaring at everyone who was partying inside while he was stuck outside, a large frown on his face. He gave up as his head dropped and walked through the snowy streets of Twoson. He looked at his wristwatch again. 9:45, it was December 24th, and the 25th was coming up soon. It would be Christmas in just a few hours. Ninten felt his eyes feel hot, and his heart broken. "Worst. Christmas. Ever." He continued to walk, extremely disappointed.

"Excuse me, sir?" Ninten turned his head to the side, seeing who was taking to him. He was only two pairs of legs. He looked up to see an extremely tall man, wearing a white beard, glasses, and a top hat. "Hello, I'm looking for a Christmas party, do you know where it is?"

Now, Ninten, as you know, is a bit of a jerk. He could've told Leder here to go jump in a ditch or direct him to a well, but felt like Leder, not that he knew his name, deserved to have some happiness this day. "Do you know the preschool? That's where the party is?"

"Oh, thank you! My name is Leder, what's yours?"

"Ninten," he replied, flatly.

"Well Ninten, I have something for you," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box wrapped by a red ribbon. "Merry Christmas."

Ninten's gasped, a smile in his face. "Thank you!" He grabbed the box and untied the ribbon and opened the box and pulled out... "a music box, huh..." he stared at it for a moment. "Thanks," he said, looking up, but Leder was gone. He stayed silent for a few moments before opening the box, and a familiar melody hit him. He gasped, but then closed his eyes and began to sing.

"Take a Melody...

Simple as can be!

Give it some words and

Sweet Melody.

Raise your voices...

All day long now,

love grows strong now.

Sing a melody of love...

Oh-oh Love!"

Leder smiled, seeing the boy walk away, singing his great-grandmother's lullaby. "Merry Christmas everyone," he said to no one in particular.

Ninten woke up, rubbing his eyes as he got out of bed. He went downstairs and his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at the amount of presents under the tree. He grinned, and grabbed the closet present, a moderately large box wrapped in a duck pattern, and read the note attached to it.

Thanks for directing me to the right place.

-Leder

Ninten read the note over and over again, and began to think. "Was he...Santa?" For Ninten, everything changed.

As for Lucas? Did he ever learn the true meaning of Christmas? Well...he didn't really care. He just enjoyed being together with his friends and giving each other presents, and the pretty decorations.

Maybe that is the true meaning of Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone! Sorry if this was late, but who cares? I sure don't, and neither should you. Happy Holidays, and let's have a merry New Years. A new Earthbound game is in development? Didn't you hear? It's not a sequel, so it's a remake or a re-release, but who cares?! A new Earthbound game is in the horizon, and that might just be the greatest present this Christmas a fan of this series could have.

-TheImperfectDarkOne's heart filled with Christmas Joy.