Blank Slate

by DrWriter21

After his first mission, Axel gave some very vague instructions about the corridor of darkness. Now stranded in a new world, Roxas needs to learn how to deal with people who passionately express their emotions, even though he lacks them. Read as this empty shell begins to understand and desire the power of a heart. And who knows, maybe even gain one himself.

25. Chapter 25: Christmas Special

Authors Note: Hey everyone! The support on the last chapter was astounding! Thank you so much. This chapter is purely a Christmas special! Let me be clear about something though. This is NOT the next chapter of Blank slate, rather an event that happens later on in the story, so that's why the day is XXX. Despite it not being the next chapter, I hope everyone can enjoy it all the same.

Please leave a review for this chapter…because I overhauled the HELL out of it after writing over 6k words. I didn't like how the chapter was turning out, so I took it in a completely different direction. I like this result much better. Before, I had a simple gift exchange where everyone sat around the living room handing out presents. The problem I had with this style was that it didn't feel personal. It was boring because there weren't any little moments between the characters and made the writing feel shallow.

So instead, I went with the mini anthology approach where Roxas gives each of his friends a present of some kind and their reaction to said present. There will be lots of shenanigans that ensue, so I hope you enjoy. By the way, this chapter is nearly 100% fluff, but give me a break! It's Christmas…well…new year's!

I hope you enjoy the special. Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Please give me the gift of a review and help me achieve my goal of 1000 Reviews! Thanks!

---

Blank Slate

Christmas Special

Day XXX

The concept of Christmas is a strange one when you only have a few months of life under your belt. In fact, the only understanding Roxas had of the holiday was a recent memory of Sora when he discovered Christmas town.

Talk about a strange event. Jack Skellington of Halloween town had discovered the enchanting place and invited Sora on a little adventure in order to remove the heartless and stop them from stealing Christmas presents. They even got to meet Santa when returning said presents.

Speaking of gifts, Roxas did notice the insane amount of marketing that occurred this time of Year. Everywhere he went, deals were posted in store windows, advertising was on every TV station, and endless amounts of Christmas music played from every radio channel. Even if the Nobody didn't understand the hype around Christmas, that didn't stop him from feeling some kind of holiday cheer. It was pretty much impossible not to.

Since Japan didn't start their winter break until the day after Christmas, school was still in session. Roxas was listening to the soft sound of the snow crunch under his shoes as he walked in the direction of Polt's house. It snowed the night before, leaving a small layer of white on the ground and trees. There was something peaceful about the first snowfall of the year. Everything was absolutely beautiful to look at…

Until you got to the more crowded places in the city. After that, the untouched snow turned into disgusting, oily slush.

Roxas and Xion made their way to Polt's house to pick up Yukiko and Pyra before heading to school.

Pyra was acting indifferent about the holidays because Christmas wasn't celebrated in Hell. In fact, most residence of the underworld hated it because of what it represented. Pyra didn't have any hard feelings though and tried to act as if she didn't care. But as they made their way to school, Xion, Roxas, and Yukiko noticed the way her tail waved back and forth, or how her ears flickered whenever a holiday jingle played. If they didn't know better, they would've suspected that she was excited for her first Christmas celebration. There was a happy tone in her voice when she complained about Polt dragging a huge tree into the living room and enlisting Yukiko and Pyra help in decorating it as a family.

Yukiko on the other hand was ecstatic for Christmas. Her family celebrated the holidays every year with massive parties, tons of relatives and friends, and enormous feasts. Sadly, she would not be going home until after Christmas when the school vacation started. As a surprise for Yukiko, her parents gave her an early Christmas present. One that involved the rest of her friends.

"So, are you sure it's ok if we come too?" Roxas asked the Yeti as she bounded about in the snow. Yukiko was thrilled for it to finally be winter. She danced around the white mounds, grabbing handfuls of snow and tossing them into the air joyfully. When he asked the question, she turned to him with a huge smile.

"Of course, it is! My family's been dying to meet you guys forever! So, they gave me three more plane tickets to the Alps. The bigger question is if you guys are alright to join me and my family for the party?" she asked, taking a moment to give them the cute puppy eyes. "That's alright, isn't it?"

"It shouldn't be a problem for Me and Roxas." Xion said with a smile. "We've been wanting to meet your family too."

"I talked to Auntie, and she said she'd allow it." Pyra said. "Though she also tried to get herself a ticket in order to join us. I had to stop her because she has a gym to run. There's going to be a lot of people who need to work off their massive Christmas meal."

Yukiko giggled in delight when she realized her plan was coming together perfectly. "I can't wait! My parents weren't too happy when I told them I wasn't going to be home for Christmas. And don't get me started on Yukimi and Kukiko. They said they wouldn't forgive me unless I bring something for them when I come home. Everyone is going to be thrilled to finally meet my friends though."

"Yeah…Sorry about that Yukiko." Roxas scratched the back of his head. "Kimihito wanted us to spend Christmas with everyone here."

"Don't sweat it Roxas!" Yukiko smiled, skipping up to them. She was in extremely good spirits this morning. "I wanted to spend Christmas with all my friends too. I love my family to death, but I would be pretty lonely without you guys."

"Awe!" Pyra patted Yukiko on the head, a patronizing grin on her face. "Our little Yeti is so cute! What's wrong? Can't stand being away from us for more than a couple days?"

Yukiko batted Pyra's paw away. "N-No! I just want to be with my friends for Christmas! Is that so bad?"

"Nah!" Pyra threw an arm around her shoulder. "You're just too much fun to tease though."

Yukiko smile and reached her paw around Pyra's back as if she were going to embrace her, but planted a handful of snow down the back of her shirt instead. The hellhound shrieked and jumped away, frantically shaking her uniform to rid herself of the frozen liquid.

"Y-YOU!" Pyra howled.

Yukiko stuck her tongue out at the Hellhound. "Watch'a gonna do about it? I'm a yeti! We don't get cold in the snow."

Roxas and Xion watched Pyra chase Yukiko around as they continued to walk to school. It was fun seeing them banter with each other. It brought a peaceful feeing, one that the former members of organization 13 wished could last forever. Hopefully it would, after they defeated Xemnas.

"Christmas…" Roxas murmured to himself as he glanced over at Xion. "This will be our first Christmas…wont it?"

"Oh, that's Right!" Pyra said jogging up to them. The hellhound finally caught Yukiko and planted her face into a nearby patch of snow. Yukiko already recovered though and had a large smile on her face despite it being covered with droplets of water. "You guys have never had a Christmas before either."

"I keep forgetting." Yukiko said, walking up to them while wiping the excess snow off her face. "This must be pretty confusing…huh?"

"It's really confusing." Xion admitted. "But it also looks like it makes a lot of people happy."

The four friends looked around the see numerous people smiling as they carried on with their daily activities. Most of the time, everyone was in a rush to get to where they needed to go. But recently, everyone seemed to slow down and smile more often. The atmosphere was much more pleasant and people were happier.

"Why is that?" Roxas asked. "Why is everyone acting this way for the holidays?"

"You're guess is as good as mine." Pyra said. "We don't celebrate Christmas in Hell."

"What!?" Yukiko gasped. "Why not!"

"Think about it for a moment." Pyra said with a sarcastic smile. "Christmas was originally a way to celebrate the birth of Christ. And why would the residence of Hell celebrate something like that?"

"Ah…" Yukiko scratched the back of her head bashfully. "Good point. But does that mean you hate Christmas?"

"Not really." Pyra shrugged. "I just don't have an opinion of it. So far, it feels like the only reason it exists is to give and get presents."

"It's not just about that!" Yukiko said. "It's about spending time with the ones you care about! It's about family, and love, and…"

"Sounds a little mushy for me." Pyra crossed her arms. "Can I skip it?"

"Polt would kill you!"

"…you're not wrong." Pyra said with a grin.

"So…that's the meaning of Christmas? Being with the ones you care about?" Roxas asked, his eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "But we do that every day? How is Christmas any different?"

"Um…Well…" Yukiko honestly didn't know how to answer that. She knew Christmas wasn't all about gifts, decorations, and Santa…but how was she supposed to explain it to her three friends, who had no experience with the holiday at all. "I…don't…Christmas is…it's hard to describe."

"Ah…" Roxas said, pausing for a moment. "So, what's the true meaning of Christmas?"

Ah, the age-old question. One that's asked every single year by many.

"It's different depending on who you are." Yukiko said finally. "Some people celebrate the birth of Christ, while others use it as an excuse to see family again, and some just like the atmosphere of Christmas."

"So, there's no definite answer." Pyra concluded with disappointment. "Awe man, and I was a little interested in this aspect of human culture."

"I think it's something you have to figure out on your own." Yukiko said, though she just said that because she didn't know how to explain it properly. It was a bit sad to see that three of her friends had no clue what Christmas was supposed to mean.

"And what about the presents?" Xion asked. "Why do people give gifts on the holidays?"

"That…is for a lot of different reasons." Yukiko said.

"Such as?" Pyra asked.

"Well…to make others happy I guess." Yukiko tried to explain. "Lots of people are happy when they make others happy. Since Christmas is a time of giving, a lot of people emulate that by giving presents to others."

"So…does that mean we should all give gifts to each other?" Roxas asked, looking over at his friends. The thought of giving a present to his friends wasn't a bad one.

"Oh, no! I didn't mean it like that!" Yukiko waved her arms frantically. "I'm just happy to spend time with everyone. That's enough of a gift for me."

"Same with me." Pyra said with a nod. "So, lets agree right now. If we don't get any presents from each other, there won't be any hard feeling, ok?"

"…Are you just saying that so you don't have to get anyone anything?" Xion asked flatly.

"Damn…Saw right through me." Pyra grinned

---

The entire day, Roxas was thinking about what Yukiko said. After they dropped her and Pyra off at Polt's for the night, he lay on his bed and wondered what Christmas was supposed to mean. Everyone was much happier around this time of year, but why? What was it about this holiday that made everyone so cheerful?

Sitting up, Roxas decided to talk to the person he usually went to for answers. Surly Kimihito would know more about the subject. The Nobody left his room and was about to walk to the kitchen before the door to the attic burst opened and a stream of webs shot out. They snagged Roxas around the midsection and hoisted his struggling form into the dark abyss like some horror movie. The door slammed shut right behind him.

"Why?" Roxas asked, struggling against his restraints. "Why can't you just ask me to come up here?"

"That's no fun." Rachnera said, showing off her sharp teeth with a grin. "There's always something special about seeing a big, tough kid completely helpless in front of me. I get bored tying up Honey because it's too easy. I mean, I'll never improve my art if I don't have a challenge every once in a while."

Rolling his eyes, Roxas stopped struggling. "So, what is it this time?"

"Oh, the publisher read over the manuscript for your next book and was impressed. He wants to publish it." Rachnera said joyfully as she turned to her laptop. "The first one sold better than expected. You should be proud of yourself Roxas. Not many people can say they've had this much success on their first story."

"Yeah…I noticed." Roxas said, referring to his bank account. It surprised him how much he was getting in royalties. It wasn't an overwhelming amount, but it was pretty impressive.

"They want to get the sequel printed and released near Christmas to increase sales. A lot of people may want the book as a Christmas gift after all."

"A gift huh?" Roxas hummed. "Hey Rachnee?"

"Yes?"

"What's the meaning of Christmas?"

Rachnera paused for a moment as she turned to look over her shoulder. She blinked her six eyes and shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not really sure myself. Every year, I watch people crowd into stores, buy, spend, and purchase anything they can."

"Why is that?"

"Because they want to find things on sale, or at a discount. Some want to give gifts, other want to receive things…it's just a never-ending cycle of corporate benefit."

"Is that all? Why do people give gifts on the holidays?" Roxas asked, leaning forward eagerly. He really wanted to understand what this was all about. Yukiko described it a little, but the concept was still new for the Nobody.

"For a couple reasons, I guess. Some do it because they genuinely care about someone else. Other's do it for self-validation…there's no all-encompassing answer." She responded. "Some just get others what they ask for and call it good."

"…What do you want for Christmas?" Roxas asked curiously. In the time he'd know Rachnera, she never asked for anything. Her hobbies included things like tying people up, embarrassing Kimihito and the rest of the tenants, reading books, BDSM. But those weren't things you could usually find gifts for…unless you looked in some very questionable places.

"Oh, are you turning into a mini Santa?" Rachnera grinned. "Planning on getting a present for lil' ol me? Do I need to sit on your lap and ask you what I want for Christmas?"

"…How would that work?"

Rachnera simply laughed as she turned away from the young boy. "I don't want anything particular for Christmas." She said. "Maybe…I'm the kind of person who likes being around friends for the holidays."

That's exactly what Yukiko said. Roxas was struggling to find how it was different from usual. What made spending time together on Christmas different from spending any other day together?

After signing some papers for the publication company, Roxas left the attic more confused than ever. Rachnera didn't want anything for Christmas. Rather, she wanted to spend time with her fellow tenants and host instead. What made things different?

The more he thought about it, the more it confused him. What was the meaning of Christmas? Why did people give each other gifts? If someone were to ask him, what would he want for Christmas?

That question caused him to pause for a moment. Truthfully, there wasn't anything he really wanted other than to…

Spend time with his friends…

Roxas blinked a few times when he realized he just answered his own question. He literally could not think of anything else he wanted…so maybe that was the same reasoning as Rachnera and Yukiko.

That being said, the thought of giving a gift to all his friends was an appealing one. After remembering Sora's little adventure in Christmas town, he remembered them talking about what a gift represented. For a lot of people, a gift was a way of giving your heart to someone else. It was a way of showing that you cared for another, and that you appreciated them.

And Roxas really appreciated all of his friends and housemates. Since Christmas was just a week away, he wanted to do something for them to really show how much they meant to him.

But what?

What would make them happy besides simply spending time with them? What could he give them that they'd really like?

Instead of seeking out Kimihito, Roxas returned to his room and started to brainstorm some things. He thought back on the time he had spent with his friends. He thought about their hobbies, what they liked, things they talked about…some hint that could lead him in the right direction. Each of his friends had different interests, things that defined who they were.

It took a while, but after thinking about it, he wrote down a few things that each of his friends liked. Hopefully more inspiration would come to him after a bit of grinding.

Standing from his desk, he stretched his arms to the sky. After throwing on his coat, he felt determined to get the best Christmas presents he could for the people who mattered most to him. This holiday season, Roxas Kurusu was going to let those people know just how much they meant to him. With only had a week until Christmas, he'd need to hurry if he was going to make it on time.

So, with that, he opened the corridor of darkness and stepped through. Little did he know, Xion had the same idea.

---

The week leading up to Christmas was a strange one. Both Roxas and Xion were extremely busy, even more than usual. Yukiko and Pyra noticed immediately and asked about it on a few occasions, but the two just said it was a secret. After school, they didn't hang out much, which was really disappointing for the two girls.

Yukiko wanted to walk around the town and enjoy the Christmas atmosphere, but she ended up just going with Pyra and Suu instead. The Hellhound and the Slime were great company, but it always felt incomplete when Roxas and Xion had to take off early. For a long time, it had always been the five of them.

But now Roxas and Xion were busy the entire week, both before and after school. They did hang out a little here and there, but always had to leave early to do whatever it was they were doing. What were they doing? Why were they so busy? It was almost Christmas and they were always gone!

Pyra was thinking the same thing. She noticed how busy Xion and Roxas were during the week leading up to Christmas, but didn't pester them about it much. It was clear they were up to something, but their efforts didn't coincide. They weren't working together because they were surprised to see that the other was super busy as well.

It was suspicious behavior, but Roxas said not to worry about it. Damn it though, was she getting curious.

Currently, it was Christmas Eve. Pyra and Yukiko were sitting at the dinner table with Polt and eating a delicious feast. Of course, Roxas and Xion were invited, but they both declined, saying that Kimihito insisted on having them spend Christmas Eve with him and the rest of the tenants. It wasn't that big of a deal, since Polt, Pyra, and Yukiko were going to be spending all day at his house tomorrow.

But in the middle of the meal, Yukiko couldn't help but voice her concern.

"What do you think they've been doing?" Yukiko asked curiously.

"Beasts me. But I better get an answer tomorrow, or I'm gonna be pissed." Pyra said.

"You don't think…they've been avoiding us, do you?"

"No at all." Pyra shook her head. "They've been up to something though."

"C'mon you two!" Polt said with a happy smile. "Whatever they've been doing, I bet they have a good reason. Have some faith in your friends."

"…You're right." Yukiko said, her usual cheer returning. "Tomorrow's Christmas! I'm so excited!"

"Yeah…" Pyra agreed. "Me too."

---

Kimihito

Roxas was leaning back on the sofa, playing video games with Suu. He was exhausted and just wanted to rest after a weeks' worth of grinding. Franky, he was surprised he managed to get everything he needed for tomorrow and hoped that everyone would be happy with their gift.

His stomach was full of delicious food prepared by Kimihito. The Christmas Eve feast was an enormous chore for the man, but he pulled it off like usual. Even after everyone was finished, he was still working hard in preparing for tomorrows banquet. The other tenants had decided to retire for the night as they all needed to hibernate after such a meal.

The Nobody jerked his controller to the side, sending Mario spiraling off the track before giving a sigh. Suu had once again destroyed him in the race and was doing her happy dance. When she fired up another game, Roxas began thinking about what tomorrow would bring. He was more stressed than anything because this was the first time he was going to give a gift to anyone. And it wasn't just one person, but everyone in the household. What if they didn't like it? What if all his hard work was for nothing? He gave up spending time with Yukiko and Pyra to grind out the items needed for these gifts. That was a large sacrifice on his part.

Apparently, Kimihito was exhausted as well because he stumbled into the living room and flopped down next to Roxas. He was massaging his eyes and resting his head against the back of the couch.

Roxas couldn't blame him because he was hard at work preparing for tomorrows feast. He was brining turkeys, marinating steaks, pre-making salads, preparing batter for pancakes, cakes, pies, and so much more. When did this guy ever take a break?

The answer? Never.

"You ok?" Roxas asked, glancing over at the overworked man.

"Yeah…" Kimihito responded with a drawn-out yawn. "Just tired…and stressed."

"Stressed?"

He nodded and looked over at the young boy. "This will be the first Christmas I spend with everyone. I want to make it one worth remembering…but it's a lot of work."

"I know…I've been watching you." Roxas said with a kind smile. "You're seriously going to work yourself to death at this point."

"As long as everyone has a great Christmas, I can die happy then…" Kimihito said as he closed his eyes. "I just need a breather before heading back to the store to get a few more thing. I don't think my cookware is going to survive tomorrow…but I hope it does."

Roxas's ears perked up when he heard that. He glanced at Kimihito, an almost excited look on his face. "Really?"

"…yeah…" Kimihito responded, shooting the boy a suspicious gaze. He had no idea why Roxas was happy to hear that bit of information. "My pots and pans have been in constant use ever since I became a host."

Roxas nodded his head as he pondered for a moment. This sounded like the perfect opportunity. "Hey, Kimihito…Can you wait here for a second?"

"Um…Sure?" Kimihito responded as Roxas tossed him the controller and leaped from the couch. His hurried footsteps echoed through the living room before disappearing down the hallway. The host played with Suu for a few moments before Roxas came back into the living room carrying a large box wrapped in Christmas paper.

"I know it's early, but I think this will come in handy tomorrow." Roxas said, excited and nervous. "Merry…um…Early Christmas."

"Roxas…This is for me?" Kimihito asked, genuinely surprised and touched. He wasn't really expecting anything from anyone, especially not Roxas since this was going to be his first Christmas. But here the kid was, holding out a large package for him. He even wore a cute little Santa hat. How adorable. "I…don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, just open it."

Kimihito took the package from Roxas and felt that it was decently heavy. He carefully tore the paper off to see a brown carboard box inside. The host then scraped off the tape before opening the lid.

Instantly his eyes widened.

"Roxas…This…"

"I know how much you cook and I thought you could use some better cookware." Roxas explained quickly. "I didn't know what else to get you to be honest."

It was better cookware indeed. Kimihito was looking down at some of the most exquisite pots, pans, and cooking utensils he'd ever seen in his life. All of them had this black sheen to them, as if something as sticky as melted sugar would slip right off. Gingerly, he picked up one of the pans, testing the weight and found that it was perfectly balanced and lighter than he expected.

"Wow…Where did you get this set?" He asked in amazement as he pulled out another pan.

"Well…" Roxas said, feeling elated that Kimihito liked the gift so far. "I might have harvested some materials from the heartless on…other worlds…and had a Moogle synthesize them for me."

"Other worlds…" Kimihito froze, his gaze slowly turning to the Nobody. "You went off world to make these for me?"

"Yeah." Roxas nodded. "The materials that made the cookware are incredibly durable and should last you a few lifetimes. They can't be found on this world, so don't lose the cooking set…or let anyone know where they came from."

Kimihito stared owlishly at the box of cookware again. This set would probably be worth a fortune if what Roxas was saying was true. To use metals from different worlds and craft them into pots, pans, and utensils just for him…that's quite the gift.

"Roxas…" He said. "This is an amazing gift. How can I repay you? I…didn't get you anything."

"What are you talking about?" Roxas said, looking at Kimihito as if he was crazy. "You've done more than enough for me. You gave Xion and I a place to live, you cook our meals, you single-handedly take care of everyone and ask nothing in return. You…You've been there for me whenever I needed you, answer my questions, gave advice, helped me whenever you could. When I showed up with Xion, you didn't hesitate to make room for her. If anything, this present is just a small way to repay you…and even then, it's not enough." He paused for a moment. "Thank you…Kimihito. Thank you for everything you've done for me."

Kimihito just stared, his eyes wide. He looked back at the gift and bit his lower lip as he felt a small lump in his throat. He never did expect any thanks for what he did around the house, but it was always touching when someone expressed their appreciation for his hard work.

He didn't trust his voice, so he simply reached over and ruffled Roxas's hair. After a second, he realized he could speak again. "Anytime Roxas. I don't think I could've asked for a better gift. I really like it."

Roxas felt a bit of weight lift off his shoulders and it was replaced with joy. Kimihito's gift made him happy, and in turn, made Roxas happy. He just hoped that everyone else had the same reaction.

"Don't tell me you went off planet and got everyone gifts." Kimihito said, putting the pans back in the box.

Roxas gave a sheepish grin. "I just hope they like what I got them."

"They will." Kimihito assured him.

"How do you know?"

"Roxas." Kimihito shook his head and ruffled his hair again. "No matter what you get them, they'll appreciate it. It's not just about what is in the box, but the fact that someone made an effort to make another person happy. For a lot of people, that is even more precious than the gift itself."

"…Yeah?"

Kimihito nodded as he continued. "To me, that's the reason gifts are so popular in the Christmas season. It shows that someone is willing to make an effort in order to make someone else happy."

"…Like how you put so much effort into taking care of everyone?" Roxas asked.

"Exactly."

"It works." Roxas nodded in understanding. "You've succeeded in making a lot of people happy, including me."

"Well…" Kimihito scratched the back of his head. "I'm glad it worked. There's lot of effort needed tomorrow, so hopefully that will make everyone happy."

"It will." Roxas said, realizing it was his turn to assure Kimihito.

---

Kii

It was early in the morning when Roxas sat up from his bed. Suu was still sleeping in her pool, so he didn't wake her up as he silently slid off the mattress and got dressed in his Organization coat. The piece of clothing was was a pretty warm for the cold winter mornings. He opened the corridor of darkness and walked through, appearing in Kii's forest just a moment later.

The Nobody didn't really know if dryads celebrated Christmas, but he was about to find out. Walking through the forest, Roxas waited for Kii to appear like she usually did…but she didn't show up yet.

Continuing to wander, the nobody couldn't help but look around at the healthy forest. They finished cleaning it a while ago, but that didn't stop people from illegal dumping their garbage. Every week or so, someone would throw their trash into the forest, and they'd have to clean it up. Thankfully, it wasn't that big of a deal anymore and the forest was looking heather than ever.

And so was Kii.

She'd changed quite a bit from before. The first time Roxas met her, she downright hated humans. Now she was a little more tolerant. She didn't even attack Polt when the Kobold entered her domain for some training, or when Kimihito and Tio went on their little date.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Roxas realized there was a place he'd yet to check. He started walking in a certain direction before approaching in on a new place Kii enjoyed spending time at. The air was a bit thicker and more humid as he continued forward.

Eventually he found it. A hot spring discovered by Kimihito, Polt, Tio, and Kii. Apparently, they stumbled onto it when the three decided to help Kii clean up some garbage from her forest. As he suspected, he found Kii was sitting at the edge of the spring, her feet submerged in the water and her eyes closed in contentment. It was something she did more often in order to keep warm through the winter months.

When he approached, her deep blue eyes locked onto his and she gave a nod. She gestured for him to come over and patted the spot next to her.

Silently, Roxas walked over to her before kicking off his boots and placing his feet into the warm water.

"Ahh…You sure you don't want to turn this place into a hot spring resort?" Roxas asked with a smile. "It would help humans learn more about Dryads."

"Positive. I've been very lenient lately about humans entering my dominion." Kii said. "I am not ready for more. Until they prove to me that they are interested in learning about my kind by not polluting my forest, I will have no interest with further interaction with them."

Roxas nodded in understanding. The Dryad had taken leaps and strides when it came to who she let into her forest, but there was a limit to her tolerance.

"Shall we begin training?" Kii asked.

"…Not today." Roxas said. "I just wanted to stop by and wish you a Merry Christmas."

"Christmas…" Kii said. "Dryads have no attachments to such a human tradition, so it's a pointless notion to wish me such."

"Oh…" Roxas said. He had an inkling that Kii might feel that way. "Do Dryads celebrate anything?"

"We celebrate the wonders of nature, as it is the mother of all." Kii said simply.

"That…is true." Roxas agreed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little package. "But I still wanted to give you something."

"I do not require a worldly possession, though the gesture is appreciated." Kii said with a nod, a sliver of a smile on her lips.

"It's…not a worldly possession." Roxas said. "It's something I…um…thought you'd like. Maybe you could even nurture into something someday."

Kii was now intrigued as she reached her wooden hand and grasped the package. She undid the paper and looked around for a moment, causing Roxas to chuckle. He reached out and took the trash from her before pocketing it. It wouldn't do for a Dryad to litter in her own forest after all.

Kii opened the box, staring down at the object before looking at Roxas with raised eyebrows and wide eyes. "What…are these?"

"Seeds."

"Yes, I realize that, but of what manner of seeds are they? I do not recognize them…and that is impossible for me as I have knowledge of all plant life that grows on earth."

"…They're…not be from this world." Roxas said cautiously. He didn't know if brining these seeds was a good idea because they should not exist on this planet, but if anyone could cultivate this tree, it was Kii.

"Not of this world…" Kii said in disbelief. "You…have brought me seeds from another world." He held the package as if it were the most valuable treasure she'd ever received.

"Was it a bad idea?" Roxas asked, the feeling of dread building up in his stomach. "I just…I thought you'd like it. And I really wanted this tree in our world."

"It…is a good thing you brought it to me as I can prevent it from becoming an invasive species." She said. "I am…excited to see what a tree from another world would look like."

Roxas felt relief again as Kii looked at the seeds with an expression he rarely gave. He couldn't blame her either because she would be the first Dryad to actually cultivate a tree from another world. It was difficult not to get excited from something like that, especially if you loved mother nature.

"I have to ask though…" Kii said, tearing her eyes away from the valuable treasure. "Why give me this?"

"It's a Christmas present." Roxas said. "I know you don't celebrate it, but I still wanted to give you a gift…as thanks for being my friend and helping me get stronger."

Kii stared at the boy before looking down at the seeds. A tiny smile on her face. "I will cherish this gift, Roxas. Just like our relationship that started as a seed of mutual respect and grew into friendship, I shall cultivate these seeds, which shall sprout forth and grow into a strong tree." She finished, plucking the tender seeds from the box, and handing the empty box to Roxas. "What is the name of these seeds?"

Roxas pocketed the trash and looked up into the sky. The sun was barley rising, scaring away the darkness and lighting up the sky in a warm glow.

"Paopu seeds." Roxas said. "It's said that if people share a Paopu fruit, their lives are intertwined forever. They will always be connected, no matter how far away they are."

Kii looked back at the seeds in her hand and gave Roxas a soft smile. "Then I shall grow a tree until it bares fruit. When the time comes, I hope to share it with the ones who have become my friends…because…" Kii actually paused for a moment, looking away from Roxas. She scooted over until she was leaning against his side. Unless it was the full moon, which it was not, she was never one for any kind of physical contact. So, this was a little surprising for the nobody. "I have come to treasure the connections I've made."

"…Me too…"

---

Breakfast

It was the morning of Christmas and everyone was seated to a massive breakfast feast prepared by Kimihito. His hands moved with majestic grace as he used his new cookware to churn out massive helpings of food to hungry mouths.

It was quite the crowd that gathered, which included everyone in the Kurusu household, Polt, Yukiko, and finally Pyra. MON was supposed to be there, but Xion got a text from Axel informing her that everyone had a bit too much to drink last night and were recovering. He did mention that they'd be arriving for dinner though, which would be just as extravagant. All in all, there were about eleven people in the house, gorging on a delicious Christmas breakfast.

Kimihito was using Roxas's gift to the fullest as he continued to turn out food, which was being consumed at an equally fast pace.

As Roxas ate from his own plate, he looked around and noticed how wonderful the atmosphere was. Everyone was cheerful and happy. Even the tragedy-obsessed mermaid wouldn't have it any different.

Glancing over at his host, Roxas saw he was humming happily as he flipped another pancake, took a roasted ham out of the oven, cracked a few dozen eggs, and fried tons of greasy bacon. Even doing so much work, he still had a smile on his face. It was seriously impressive how much joy he was brining to the house by simply serving others.

Kimihito noticed Roxas's gaze and shot him a smile while continuing to work. "Roxas, this cookware is amazing! It makes everything so easy! What are they made of again?"

"I…um…It's made of…stuff." Roxas said slowly, noticing a few people shooting them curious gazes. Luckily there was so much conversation around the table that everyone was easily distracted. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to explain what the cookware was made of. After all, they were made of metals and gems that weren't even on this world. He grinded a lot of heartless in order to get the materials required for the Moogles to synthesize the perfect cookware for his host.

"Either way, I really appreciate it. I never thought I'd be able to cook this much food in so little time." he said with a huge smile.

A warm feeling budded up in Roxas's chest as he nodded his head. It felt wonderful to make his host happy, like he was finally giving back after Kimihito had done so much for him. Even now when Roxas was making his own money and trying to be a little more independent, Kimihito still worked hard to provide for them.

After an hour or so, everyone was filled to the brim with food. Fun and Activities would occur later, but now was a designated time to call family and talk to them for Christmas. Since everyone decided not to go home, some were a little homesick because they didn't get to spend Christmas with their family.

People like Miia, Centorea, Papi, Rachnera, and Yukiko had family to call and wish a merry Christmas too. Even Polt dragged Pyra away in order to call some relatives she'd yet to talk to.

---

Xion

Since Roxas, Xion, and Suu didn't have anyone to call for Christmas, they were sitting on the couch, playing video games while everyone else was talking with family. Yukiko went to Xion's room and Kimihito supplied Pyra and Polt with his room. Polt dragged the Hellhound away kicking and screaming in order to chat with some of her relatives. Pyra tried to resist, but was eventually overpowered by the excitement her aunt embellished, especially since this was the first opportunity Pyra had to talk with other family.

Roxas twisted and turned his remote, trying to control Mario as he drifted along the track. Xion did the same, but shoved Roxas with her foot when he was about to pass her. The little puppet had gotten a bit of a competitive streak as of late.

"Hey!"

"Move over!"

"Your cheater!" Roxas exclaimed as he pushed his back against the puppet, trying to throw her off balance.

"Get off me!" Xion said, forcing herself against Roxas, twisting her remote to prevent Princess Peach from flying off the track.

Suu was humming along casually because she was so far ahead in first place that it didn't matter anymore. She crossed the finish line way before anyone else. That didn't stop Roxas and Xion from competing for second though.

"You won't beat me!" Roxas said.

"Watch me!"

The two were neck in neck just as they each grabbed an item. This was it. Whatever they would get, it would determine the victor. The Nobody watched in anticipation as the slot played its jingle and spun, but his face dropped a second later when he got a single red mushroom. He instantly activated it to push ahead…

But when he looked over at Xion's screen, he realized his mistake.

"You're mine now Roxas!" The puppet said, activated the golden star in her slot. Her character turned into a flurry of rainbows and slammed into him. Mario was sent flying off the track and into the ocean below, forcing him to wait until the Lakitu reeled him in so he could continue. But by that time, it was too late and Xion crossed the finish line in second place.

"Yes!"

"Ugh…" Roxas groaned as he finished in sixth. "This game sucks."

"Sore loser!" Xion said, shoving his shoulder. "Another round?"

"Nah, maybe in a bit." Roxas said as he put his controller down. He glanced over at Xion, who was smiling smugly at her victory. She'd changed quite a bit since she first got to this world. The puppet was much more outgoing and cheerful than she use to be. Sure, she was a little shy around new people and those she didn't really know, but she wasn't afraid to joke around with her friends or just have fun.

"What's up Roxas?" Xion asked when she noticed him staring.

"I'm…just reminiscing." He said with a smile. "You've changed a lot since you first came to this world."

"I have?" Xion asked, also starting think about it.

"Yeah. When we first played games together, you wouldn't say a word, let alone goof around."

"Hmm, I have, haven't I?" She said with a smile. "I guess both of us are…adding content to our own empty documents, huh?"

"We are." Roxas said as he pursed his lips. He felt a little nervous as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small package wrapped in Christmas paper. "Um…Merry first Christmas."

Xion stared down at the small package for a few seconds before glancing up at Roxas, her eyes wide in surprise. "You…you got something for me?"

"Yeah…I know we agreed there were wouldn't be any hard feelings if we didn't get each other anything…but I just wanted too because…well…it's our first Christmas after all." Roxas said, extending his hand. "And I really wanted to get you something."

Carefully, Xion reached forward and took the small packaged that barely fit in the palm of her hands. She studied the gift like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Understandably too because this was probably the first time anyone had given her a gift before.

Suu was also watching curiously. When Roxas was busy the entire week, she'd been wondering what he was up to, but now she understood. The slime bounded up to the couch and sat down next to Xion, wondering what Roxas could have gotten her.

Slowly, Xion took the paper off the package to find a small, white box underneath. She gave Roxas one more glance before opening the box tenderly.

"…"

There was a moment of silence as they stared down at the little item. It took only a moment for Xion to recognize what it was, but Suu was just excited.

"So Pretty!" Suu said, a wide smile crossing her face.

Xion couldn't agree more as she looked down at the contents of the box. Inside was a silver chain necklace with a glittering pendant in the shape of a Thalassa seashell. It was absolutely gorgeous to look at. The shell itself was lined with gleaming silver…mithril probably, and had a pinkish tint near the top, which faded down to gold at the bottom. Because the craftsmanship was beyond excellent, Roxas must have enlisted the help of a Moodle to synthesize something like this.

Just like she did.

Now it all made sense as to why Roxas was so busy the week leading up to Christmas, why he didn't spend much time with them, or why he would leave right after school, only to come back late in the evening. He was grinding heartless and collecting items for the Moogles to synthesize.

This was prof of it.

She looked back up at Roxas, who was looking really nervous at the moment. His expression was telling her how much he hoped she would like it since this was his first attempt at giving a gift to her.

His hope was not in vain.

"Roxas, it's beautiful." She said, pulling out the necklace and turning it over in her hands. She felt her heart beat a little faster when she realized Roxas did all this for her. He knew she loved the ocean and collecting seashells was one of her hobbies. He put so much thought and effort into this little gift, just to make her happy. "I love it."

"Oh, I'm glad." Roxas said, feeling relieved and ecstatic. It…made him happy to see that she liked it, unbelievably so. He watched her turn the necklace around in her hands, taking in every detail before looking back at him.

"Can you…help me?" She asked, holding out the necklace to him.

"Sure." Roxas said as he took the necklace from her and unclipped it. Xion paused for a moment before standing up and turning her back to him. The Nobody raised an eyebrow and was about to stand as well so he could put the necklace around her neck. But she stopped him by sitting down on his lap.

"…Um…"

"It's easier this way…" Xion said, though her face burned with embarrassment. Her heart hammered against her chest because it was still unfamiliar territory being intimately close with anyone, especially Roxas. She'd seen actions like this on television a few times and it was always between two people who were comfortable with each other.

And she wanted to be comfortable with Roxas.

Speaking of the Nobody, Roxas's face grew hot he felt Xion against him. Her body was warm and soft, leaving him a bit distracted for a few seconds until he remembered what he was supposed to do. Carefully, he slipped the necklace around her neck and clipped the latch, letting the pendant rest list below her collar bone.

Instead of getting up after the act was done, Xion hesitated for a second before leaning back against his chest. Her body weight forced him back against the sofa. She then reached down and grabbed Roxas's wrists before pulling them up and crossing them over her waist, securing her in place.

The position was…surprisingly comfortable. The Puppet could feel Roxas's warmth all over her body and she couldn't describe how relaxing it was.

Roxas felt much the same way. Xion was petite and light as a feather, so the position didn't bother him. There was a certain comfort that always came from being this close to his friends like this.

"Thank you Roxas." Xion said as she pinched the pendant between her fingers, looking at it with a soft smile on her face. "I really do love it."

"…You're welcome." Roxas said. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Xion said as twisted her torso slightly so she could look him in the face. She licked her lips nervously before leaning forward and pressing them against his. The puppet was still new to feelings like this, so she could only let the kiss linger for a second before pulling away. She quickly returned to their original position with a satisfied sigh.

Roxas's heart was pounding now, about to burst out of his chest. No matter how many times it happened, kissing was still a new and strange experience for the Nobody. Especially when it was with Xion as they were both extremely inexperienced.

"Xion's necklace is so pretty." Suu said, smiling at the two of them.

The two jumped a little because they almost forgot Suu was there. They glanced over to see the Slime smiling up at them with her big, emerald eyes.

"It's Suu's first Christmas too, isn't it?" Roxas said.

"That's right, it is!"

"Suu?" Suu cocked her head to the side.

Roxas reached over and patted her on the head. "I got you something too, Suu."

Instantly, Suu's face lit up in a huge smile. "You got Suu something for Christmas?"

"I did…but you'll have to wait for a little bit because Yukiko and Pyra should be around to see it."

"What is it!?"

Roxas gave the little slime a wink. "It's a secret…And no reading my mind!" Roxas batted the feeler away from his head.

Suu gave the cutest pout in the history of cute pouts. Her emerald eyes got so big that it was almost scary and she stuck out her lower lip a little.

"Pwease?"

Roxas nearly caved at the sheer cuteness being displayed by the slime. But he mustered the strength to resist. "Nope. You have to wait."

"Awe!"

Xion giggled as she snuggled back into Roxas. She had no idea how he resisted such a puppy dog pout, but he did. "Hey Roxas?"

"Hm?" Roxas hummed, turning his attention back to the girl on his lap.

"Can we stay like this for a little bit?"

"…for a little bit. I have a few more presents I'd like to give out." Roxas said, leaning back again and enjoying the warmth shared between himself and Xion.

"You got gifts for everyone?"

"Yep,"

"What did you get them?"

"It's a secret…Stop it Suu." Roxas batted Suu's feeler away from his head again, only to elicit another adorable pout from the slime.

Xion giggled again as she closed her eyes. This atmosphere was wonderful. Little did Roxas know, she had a gift for him too…but he'd have to wait until later. Her gifts were more of a group gift and would make more of an impact if everyone were around for it.

---

Papi

"You guys are playing video games!?"

Roxas and Xion's moment was interrupted by a flying, feathery blur as it crashed into them. The three bodies were sent sprawling to the ground while an excited harpy snagged one of the controllers.

"Papi wants to play too!" Papi said, bouncing up and down on the couch.

"Ugh…" Roxas pushed himself off Xion and into a sitting position. Xion did the same, looking over at the excited harpy.

"You're already done talking with family?" Xion asked.

"Family? What family?" Papi asked, cocking her head curiously. "Oh! Papi remembers! Papi's Mother said she was flying to Daddies home. It was weird because we talked for a little bit, but then her voice was getting quieter and quieter before she hung up on me. She didn't call Papi back after that."

"…" Both Xion and Roxas sweat dropped because they realized Papi's mother probably dropped the phone while flying. Harpies were extremely absent minded after all.

"But enough about that! Let's play some video games!" she said, eagerly waving the remote around.

Roxas smiled as he stood from the floor. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Papi asked, looking a little disappointed because she wanted to play with her friends.

"Don't worry, I'll only be gone for a few moments." Roxas assured her.

Xion seemed to realize what was going on, so she placed a hand on Papi's shoulder to stop her from following the Nobody. "Hold on Papi. Suu and I will play with you until Roxas gets back."

"…Ok!"

Roxas chuckled because the Harpy already forgot about him in favor of the others.

The only competition was between Suu and Papi because they played video games almost every day when everyone was busy. Xion tried to keep up, but failed miserably. They only managed to get one race done by the time Roxas entered the living room again with a medium-sized package in his hands.

Papi didn't even look over in his direction until she crossed the finish line.

"Yay! Papi won again!" she cheered enthusiastically.

"It's because you know all these levels by heart." Roxas said.

"Papi knows, but there aren't any other Mario kart games to play on the Wii." Papi responded, finally looking over at the Nobody. "Oh, Ruck-sack. You're back!"

"Um…" Roxas rolled his eyes because it was useless trying to correct her. She would get it right every once in a while, but the harpy was never good with names. "Yes I am."

"What's that?" Papi asked, pointing at the package.

"Oh this?" Roxas said, extending the package to the Harpy. "Here, it's for you. Merry Christmas!"

"…"

This was probably the first time Roxas had ever seen Papi speechless. It was as if her little birdbrain couldn't process what just happened.

"For me?" she asked, pointing to herself.

"Yes you."

"Really?"

"Yes…"

"Really, Really?"

"…"

Roxas noticed how Papi's excitement levels were increasing with each word. Her entire body was shaking with eagerness as her brain started to comprehend that the present in Roxas's hand was actually for her. If she didn't get her mitts on the gift soon, she would literally explode into a flurry of feathers.

"Here…" Roxas said, extending the package to her.

"A PRESENT!" Papi exclaimed. Just like the Nobody suspected, she erupted and launched herself at the boy. She wrapped her wings around his neck and her tiny body slammed into his. He nearly dropped the present, but managed to hold it in the air to prevent the item from breaking. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She said over and over, rubbing her cheek against his.

"Y-You're welcome…" Roxas said. "But aren't you going to open it?"

"Oh yeah! Papi forgot because she was so excited." Papi said sheepishly, unwrapping her wings and taking the present from him. She ripped off the paper and saw the little logo on the box, causing her eyes to literally glow with excitement.

"A…A…A NINTENDO SWITCH!" She screamed out in happiness.

Indeed, the box showed the logo of the most recent of the Nintendo consoles. Roxas knew Papi probably played the heck out of the Wii and was due for an upgrade. Even though it was a little expensive, he was willing to make the purchase in order to make the Harpy happy.

And boy did it pay off.

She almost dropped the new console as she crashed into Roxas again, gushing her gratitude and how excited she was.

"Papi…why don't we set it up?" Xion asked, trying to provide a little relief to Roxas.

"Yeah, we should! Right now!" Papi exclaimed, completely forgetting all about Roxas as she bounded up to the TV. It took all of five minutes to set the switch up and Papi was already sitting back on the couch with the new remote in hand.

"Let's play! Let's play!"

"…We need a game to play." Xion said.

"Oh…" Papi's entire world seemed to crumble as she realized they were missing one of the most important parts of any gaming experience. The game. Without the game, they couldn't play the switch. If they couldn't play the switch right now, then Papi would be devastated. "No…"

Papi had actual tears peaking the corners of her eyes. "Y-You mean Papi can't play the switch right now?"

Oh no! Such sadness could not be tolerated on Christmas! Who could save this poor damsel from the crushing reality of not getting to play with one's own Christmas present?

"Of course you can."

Instantly, everyone looked over their shoulders to see Kimihito standing there. He swooped into the living room like a superhero, a rectangular package in hand in order to save the day. Roxas and Xion swore they could hear the superman theme song playing in the background. "Merry Christmas Papi.

"…"

Again, Papi was speechless as she stared at the present. Her world was about to come to an end, but her host had once again saved her from the debts of despair. Instead of hesitating this time, she took the package and ripped the paper off. Again, her eyes glowed with excitement as she saw cover art.

"MARIO KART 8 DELUXE!" she screamed with excitement, throwing herself over the couch and into Kimihito's arms. "Yes! Papi wanted this for so long! Papi is so happy!"

"You're welcome…" Kimihito gasped. "But why don't you let Xion help you start up a game."

"That's a great idea! Papi almost forgot." She jumped off Kimihito and bolted over to the switch, handing Xion the game.

"Whew…that almost ended in disaster." Roxas grinned at Kimihito. "Cutting it a little close there."

"I didn't have time to wrap it yesterday! I was busy!" Kimihito exclaimed, throwing a wink at the Nobody. "It was a good idea though, she seems happy."

"What are you guys talking about?" Xion asked, sitting down on the couch. Papi and Suu were too enraptured with the new game to pay any attention to them. "And how did you know Roxas was getting Papi a switch?"

"Oh, simple. He told me." Kimihito chuckled. "We kind of coordinated our efforts here. Roxas told me his plan and we agreed he'd buy the switch if I bought the game. That way, we could get what Papi wanted without overspending…" He threw Roxas and uneasy look though. "But I still feel bad about making you pay for the switch."

Roxas waved him off. "It's not a problem. I make enough with book sales."

"I keep forgetting about that…" Kimihito chuckled before glancing at Papi and Suu. "But it looks like they're happy."

"That's…what Christmas is about…Right?"

"Of course."

Xion looked over at Papi and Suu, who were playing away at the game with excitement in every movement. She saw how happy the gift made them and could only hope her gift could do the same for her friends.

---

Mero

Mero was lounging in her pool after she finished talking with her family over the phone. Her mermaid tail swished back and forth in the water as she reminisced in the memories of the past few months. This was her first Christmas away from home and it was a little strange. Sure, she could try and take advantage of the situation by turning it into a tragic tale of not being able to visit her family for the holidays, but that thought process was getting old.

She wanted to spend Christmas with her friends and host this year. So many things happened in the time she entered the exchange program. Mero developed relationships with a lot of people, had some seriously fun adventures, and even experienced a tragedy or two…or many.

Her stance on the encompassing tragedy fetish was probably one of the biggest changes Mero had experienced so far.

Sure, she still enjoyed the emotional impact of fictional tragedy, but her desire to emulate it in real life had…dimmed quite a bit. There were a couple reasons for this. The first was because of her interactions with Roxas and his friends. After what she said about Yukiko, the mermaid had experienced tragedy after tragedy such as losing friendships, having people avoid her, and even temporarily destroying the pleasant atmosphere of the household. After going through so many things, she finally realized something.

Tragedy wasn't making her happy. In fact, it was making everything miserable.

It was hard for her to understand why until nearly everyone took a trip back to her kingdom. During that trip, she learned that relationships between humans and mermaids were difficult because of the tragedy culture most mermaids enjoyed. Not many humans or Liminal wanted relationships where one partner was only interested in the breakup.

Mero was beginning to understand how this was a problem because she started to realize that tragedy was only good if it was in a fictional story. Real life misfortunes were not enjoyable. After all, she had plenty of experiences in the past few months and none of them were memorable.

The mermaid was interrupted from her musing when she heard a knock on the door. Since she was comfortably just lounging about in her pool, she didn't feel like getting dressed and crawling into the wheel chair.

"Come in." Mero called politely, wondering who it could be as she rested her arms on the edge of the pool. She suspected everyone was still chatting with their families. Since other activities wouldn't be starting for another couple hours, she couldn't think of who would want to visit her.

Surprisingly, the person who walked through the door was Roxas. Out of everyone, she probably had the weakest relationship with him and Xion. There wasn't any hard feeling between them anymore, but that didn't mean they talked much. It was still a little awkward to interact because of the past.

"Oh, Roxas." She smiled kindly, resting her chin on her folded arms. "What can I do for you?" She had no idea why Roxas was here. Didn't he have other friends to talk to? Not that she minded him paying her a visit. He did look adorable with the little Santa hat on.

Roxas walked into the room, closing the door behind him. One of his hands was behind his back and he looked a little nervous, like he couldn't think of anything to say. Again, there interaction was kept to a minimum besides saying a brief hello every once in a while. The only thing Roxas really knew about Mero was that she was a princess of the mermaids and she had a thing for tragedy. It was hard to form a conversation with someone he knew almost nothing about.

"I…Um…"

"Is something the matter?" Mero asked.

Seeing no reason why he should delay anymore, Roxas walked over to the edge of the pool and brought his hand out from around his back. A package wrapped in Christmas paper was presented to the mermaid and she could only stare at it, completely perplexed.

"…Merry Christmas." Roxas murmured awkwardly.

"…"

There was no way Mero could have expected this. In fact, this was the last thing that came to mind when Roxas walked into her room. But here he was, holding out a present for her.

"For…me?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Y-Yeah…" Roxas said. "Listen, I…I know we've gotten past our differences, and…that we don't talk much…but I just wanted to give you something. As thanks for always treating Xion and I nicely."

"But…" Mero looked him in the eyes with some concern. "I haven't always treated you nicely…when I said those things about Yukiko…"

"I-I got mad and I almost hurt you." Roxas said, still a little ashamed for his actions. "I think…we both have faults we need to work on. But even if you said some things I didn't like, you were still always respectful and kind to me and my friends. So…" He held out the present again.

This was very surprising. It was a nice gesture, so she couldn't bring herself to say no, not after he went through all the effort to get her something. Carefully, Mero pulled herself out of the pool and sat herself on the edge before taking the present from him. It was a small box, barely big enough to hold with two hands. Looking back at the boy, she could see he was a little nervous.

"I apologize, but I didn't get you anything in return."

"I know…but when I asked anyone what they wanted for Christmas, they all said they didn't want anything, and I thought you'd say the same…but I just…wanted to get everyone a little something...I guess"

"It's very thoughtful of you, Roxas." Mero said as she delicately pulled off the wrapping paper.

She blinked a couple times when she found a blue and gold box inside, the lid shaped like a seashell, as was the rest of the porcelain box. The design was extravagant, as if crafted by the hands of professionals. She glanced at Roxas before opening the lid. Instantly, the room was filled with somber music as two golden mermaids circled around each other.

The melody was beautiful, yet sad. It made her heart heavy to hear a tune so full of emotion.

"A…Music box…" Mero whispered.

"There's actually story behind that music box." Roxas said, sitting down next to Mero, who was enraptured by the melody. He remembering the story Arial told him when he visited Atlantis to find mero a present. It took the young nobody a while to convince Arial to allow him to borrow the music box in order to make a replica. Since the box had so much sentimental value, the young mermaid was very hesitant to part with it for a few moments. However, when he told her about Mero's…fascination with tragedy, she was a little more willing.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for the Moogles to figure out the blueprint and send him on a scavenger hunt to find the right materials for synthesizing a replica. They weren't able to get the magical properties of making the golden mermaids appear when the box was opened, but they got the job done in making it look similar.

"Yes?" Mero said, tearing her eyes away from the beautiful music box.

"In an ocean far away…" on another world. "The king of the ocean had this music box made for the queen on their anniversary. When she passed away, it left a hole in his heart that never fully closed. He kept the music box as a way for him and his daughters to remember her. The melody that plays is a sad reminder of what they lost, but also a way to reminisce in the wonderful memories they shared."

Mero swallowed as she listened to the tune. Indeed, it was full of love…and sadness. She could just imagine the kind of pain someone would go through if they lost a love one. Sure, it was appealing to feel the emotional impact from a fictional standpoint. But imagining what it would be like to see Sir Kimihito pass away, never to see him again…To never to witness his smile, or feel his gentle touch, or listen to his soothing voice…

It was too painful to think about. No kind of tragedy would be worth something like that.

"Do you like it?" Roxas asked.

Looking back at the beautiful golden mermaids twirling around each other in an eternal dance, Mero felt herself smile at the thoughtfulness of this young man. Since she was a princess, she could have almost every worldly thing she wanted. But Roxas put so much thought into this gift that it astounded her. Why would he do something like that for her? Their relationship wasn't that strong…or at least, she didn't think it was.

"It's wonderful." She whispered, setting the music box down by the poolside. The way she was currently feeling was beyond what a tragedy could give. It was a feeling of someone that cared about her enough to give her such a wonderful gift. Only sir Kimihito had shown such kindness before, kindness that would melt her heart into a puddle.

"I'm glad you like it." Roxas said in relief. Truthfully, he was a little nervous because he had a hard time trying to figure out what to get Mero for a Christmas present. He knew full well that they didn't have the strongest relationship, but he wanted that to change. She was part of his family now, and he…cared about her. Seeing her happy stirred a feeling of warmth in his heart. He was beginning to understand why people gave gifts during the holidays. "Merry Christmas."

Smiling, Mero reached over and cupped his cheeks. Very delicately, she pressed her lips against his forehead in a sisterly fashion before pulling away. That was the most intimate moment they ever shared before. It was nice because it was almost like saying that anything that happened in the past was now behind them. Now they could move forward in hopes of a better future.

"Merry Christmas."

---

Centorea

Centorea was blushing up a storm as her imagination went wild. Despite being the most Chivalrous of knights, her mind could have a perverted streak every so often. Kimihito had just dropped off her Christmas present and she couldn't be more grateful to have him as her master. He was such a wonderful man, cheerful, courageous, kind, dedicated, all the things she wanted in a husband. And he'd just given her a present.

A sword polishing kit.

It was easy to tell how much thought he put into the gift and it was just another reason she loved him so much. She even broke out the kit after he left her room and began to polish one of her swords. She was not allowed to carry her real one in public, but that didn't stop her from taking care of it.

Currently, the centaur was daydreaming about the day she and her master would get married and have a beautiful daughter, where she would teach her about being a chivalrous knight. Centorea and Kimihito would take their daughter to the park; take pictures as a family, and so much more. Just thinking about it brought a soft and warm smile to her face.

She couldn't wait for that day indeed. The day where her master would choose her over her rivals and they would ride triumphant and married into the sunset.

A sudden knock on the door viciously ripped her from her fantasizing. She glanced over in curiosity, wondering who it could be this time. Her master had already given her his gift and was now on a mission to give gifts to everyone else in the house, so it couldn't be him…unless there was more he had to tell her.

Instantly, her imagination returned in the form of a scenario where he declared his everlasting love for her. They would get married, and raise a child and…

Knock Knock

Clearing her throat, Centorea laid her imagination to rest. It was not honorable to keep her master waiting when he had important matters to discuss with her.

"Enter." She said, waiting for the man she loved to re-enter the room. However, instead of seeing Kimihito and his signature smile, she saw a person who she least expected to visit.

Roxas enter the room with a large package under his arm. It was so unexpected that she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that her imagination would not come to pass. However, she was intrigued as to what the boy would want. They didn't have much interaction with each other besides a bit of small talk here and there.

"How may I help you, young man?" Centorea asked as she continued to polish her blade.

"…What are you doing?" Roxas asked curiously as he walked into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Master hath given me a noble gift for which I may care for my sword." Centorea responded happily.

"Oh." Roxas said, admiring the smooth polish on the steel. Centorea knew what she was doing. "I've always wanted to ask, but do all centaurs carry around swords?"

"The practices of Knighthood have always been a part of Centaur culture, young man." Centorea said. "In fact, I just finished talking to my mother. She was once again victorious in the annual Christmas jousting this year."

"Christmas…jousting?"

Centorea gave a small sigh as she placed her sword down. "I have participated in the jousting ever since I was a young steed." She said with a heavy heart. "Though this year I chose to remain here to be with my master and with my friends."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Roxas said. He could sense the disappointment in her voice at missing such a family tradition. Despite not understanding much about them, people tend to cherish their traditions.

"Do not apologize for things that are not your fault." Centorea chided softly. "I chose to stay here because I wish to spend Christmas with the friends I have made. It was my choice and I stand by it."

"What is…jousting?" Roxas asked curiously.

Centorea turned to the young man, her eyes lighting up a little as she explained the noble sport of jousting to the young boy. How each centaur would charge each other with dramatic passion, armed with non-lethal spears and shields in an attempt to tag the other. She seemed very passionate about it, as it if were something she enjoyed immensely.

"The secret to jousting is not in the use of the spear, but of the shield." She explained. "To win, you must make use of your defenses to deflect your opponent's spear before thrusting with your own. That way, you are nearly guaranteed victory." Centorea said before giving a sigh of longsuffering. "Sadly, I did not have room to take my shield along with me as I chose my sword instead. I will have to make due with the sword alone in order to keep my master safe."

Roxas glanced down at the package under his arm before looking up at her. "Jousting sounds like fun."

"It is very enjoyable." Centorea agreed with a smile. This little conversation was very nice and Roxas was a captive audience, but she still didn't know why he was paying her a visit. "But tell me, why have you come here?"

"Oh yeah…" Roxas said. He was so caught up in listening that he forgot about his present. He held up the large package for Centorea, who stared at it in confusion. "Merry Christmas."

"…"

Centorea blinked a few times as she looked down at the present in Roxas's hands, not sure if she heard him right. "This is for me?" she asked, reaching down and taking the package. "Whatever for?"

"Because I wanted to." Roxas responded simply. "I think this will look good with your sword."

Again, Centorea was confused because she didn't think her relationship with Roxas was strong enough to warrant a gift. Now she felt bad because she didn't get him anything in return. Nevertheless, she felt it would be a great dishonor to herself if she rejected a gift simply because of her own feelings. Carefully, she ripped open the paper to find a large, white box inside. She opened it and her eyes widened in awe.

Inside the box was a gleaming, silver shield with a golden trim. It was absolutely stunning, and from what Centorea could tell, expertly crafted. Something like this was beyond the blacksmithing ability of the Centaurs, so she could only wonder where he got it.

"Roxas…It's…"

"I…had a friend make it for me." Roxas said, scratching his cheek. He didn't want to go into too much detail about how he grinded the heartless in order to get materials for the Moogles to synthesize that shield. Most of the tenants didn't know about other worlds yet. "I thought it would complete the whole…Knight look."

Flipping the shield over in her hands, Centorea tested the weight before slipping it on her arm. It was the perfect fit. How he did that, she'd never know. The Centaur couldn't identify the material because it was light like steel, yet hard as iron. How in the world could he afford something like this?

She desperately wanted to ask, but it was dishonorable to inquire much about a gift costed as it would undermine the efforts of the one who gave. If nothing, she was a proud centaur with unquestionable honor.

"It's perfect." Centorea said, glancing down at Roxas with amazement in her eyes. "I don't know who those friends you're talking about are, but they have a gift for smiting." She gave a small thrust forward to test the shields weight again and found it flawless, even better than the one she had at home. "How can I ever repay such generosity?"

"You don't have to." Roxas said with a smile. "I got it for you…because your part of my family. I just…wanted you to be happy."

Centorea lowered the shield, a somber look in her eye. How could she ever mistreat such a gentle and kind soul. Sure, he got mad at Mero a long time ago, but that was the distant past when he was still learning after having Amnesia. His progression was astonishing if he was now at the point of giving such meaningful gifts.

"Young man…" Centorea said, slipping the shield off her arm and she stepped toward him. She reached out her arms and pulled him into a soft hug…but with the size of her chest, it was more like suffocation.

Poor Roxas.

"I don't remember if I've said it enough, but I am so sorry for how I scorned you in the past. How I regarded you as a threat and treated you as such."

"It's in the past Centorea." Roxas muffled through her shirt, though his face was burning red. He didn't have many intimate moments with Centorea after all. He was happy she liked the present, but she was cutting off his air supply. "So, don't worry about it anymore. I'm just happy you like it."

"I do…and I feel very honored to be surrounded by such generous people as you and my master." Centorea said, stepping away. "Merry Christmas, young man."

---

Lala

"…Why have you invaded my domain, Nothing?" Lala said, her arms crossed as she sat on her bed. "You continue to deny me my purpose and you have the gal to interrupt my meditation."

Roxas had gotten use to Lala's attitude towards him. No matter what he tried to say, she always thought he was something that should not exist. And she was right, but that didn't make it any less annoying. But after spending some time with her, he began to realize that this was her way of trying to look intimidating. She was a Dullahan after all, a being that was very sensitive to spiritual matters. She knew something was off about him and wanted to claim it was her duty to return balance…or something like that.

Even though she called him a Nothing, they were civil with each other and occasionally had some decent conversations about existence, life, death, light, and darkness. If nothing else, Lala was someone he could talk to in order to get some perspective on the meaning of life…

When she wasn't constantly asking if she could destroy him, that is. At this point, it was more of a habit than an actual threat.

"Do Dullahan's celebrate Christmas?" Roxas asked. Despite having a few conversations in the past, Roxas knew practically nothing about Lala. She was the most recent addition to the house and didn't talk about her past at all. She didn't talk about her family, if she had one, or where she came from, or anything. She was the most reserved by far.

"Not really." Lala said. "Christmas was originally to celebrate the birth of Christ, how the son of God was brought into this world. But Dullahan's are focused on Death, so it is pointless to celebrate life."

"Did you talk to any of your family?"

"That is none of your concern." Lala said, her voice showing signs of annoyance. "If there is nothing else, please leave me. I must ponder were a soul that was never supposed to exist goes after it departs the plane of the living."

Roxas gave a sigh because his attempts at conversation were turning out like they usually would when he tried to understand Lala a bit more. She was so reserved about herself that no one knew much about her. Instead of pressing for more information, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little box before holding it out to her.

"What is this?" Lala asked suspiciously.

"Um…A present, I guess."

"Humph, I will not be swayed by such attempts in getting in my good graces." Lala said stubbornly, even though she was eyeing the gift with interest.

"That…wasn't my intention." Roxas said, wondering if it was mistake in trying to get her something. "I just wanted…to get you something, I suppose. Since you weren't going back to family for the holidays…or don't really celebrate Christmas, I thought I could get you something because you're a part of this family now…"

Roxas had no idea what he was saying, but he was trying. Truthfully, he didn't know why he got Lala a gift. Their relationship was next nothing…but he didn't want that to last forever.

"Kurusu said something similar." Lala said, glancing over at the drawer. Roxas followed her gaze to see a scythe polishing kit, similar to the one Centorea had. "While the gesture is appreciated…it is not necessary. Dullahan's are agents of death, and as such, have no interests in practices of the living."

"…Oh…I see." Roxas said with disappointment. This whole thing felt like a huge waste of time.

Seeing the look on Roxas's face, Lala actually felt a little bad for being so stubborn. All he was trying to do was give her a gift and she was being a bit unreasonable. When she saw he was retracting the gift, the Dullahan bit her lower lip and had a little internal battle with her pride. To be honest, she was grateful he even thought to get her something, but her stubborn nature was preventing her from being honest with herself.

"But…"

Roxas looked up at Lala, seeing an embarrassed blush on her face. She extended her pale blue hand and looked away from him.

"Since you went through the trouble. I guess I shall accept the gift if nothing else."

"…Sure." Roxas actually felt a little better as he placed the small package in her hand.

Lala rolled the gift over a few times before picking off the paper. She then opened the small box to reveal a beautiful pendant. It wasn't a necklace, as that would be foolish to give to a Dullahan, rather it looked as if it could be clipped onto a keychain, or something similar.

"What is this?" She asked, pulling out the little accessory. Now that it was in the palm of her hand, she got a better look at it. The object was shining silver, in the shape of a scythe. It had a beautiful pattern engraved on it. Lala was trying to keep her face unreadable but her eyes were sparkling.

"It's called Full Bloom." Roxas said, thinking back on the insanely difficult synthesis materials needed to make that item. He was lucky Sora managed to swipe the recipe from Marluxia's room when he attacked Organization 13 a long time ago. "It's supposed to attach to a keychain of some kind, like on your phone, or at the end of you scythe." He continued, deciding not to mention the items ability to increase attack power.

"It is…acceptable." Lala said, trying to save as much dignity as possible. The Dullahan was giddy as all hell because she'd never received such a beautiful piece before. "I thank you for the gift."

"Um…no problem. Merry Christmas…" Roxas said, his eyebrow raised. For a split second there, he thought he saw the faintest of smiles on Lala's face before her mouth was covered by her black scarf. Just that little bit of confirmation was all the nobody needed to feel like his efforts weren't wasted.

"…This cannot stand," Lala said suddenly as she stood from the bed. She quickly looked around her room as if she were searching for something.

"Um…What?"

"I will not be in your debt. As per my duty as an agent of death, your soul must be reaped to return balance. Therefore, I must find a suitable gift that shall alleviate me of any hesitance as a result of your gift."

"…You really don't need to."

"I must insist…Ah, this will do," She said as she reached to her desk and picked up an item. She then turned quickly to Roxas before thrusting it at him.

Roxas blinked a couple times as he took the item and looked it over.

It was a simple peppermint Candy Cane.

"…Thanks?"

"Now we are even. Be grateful I even considered giving such a gift." Lala said as she gazed at the Full Bloom in wonder. It was an incredibly beautiful item and she simply couldn't understand why he was giving it to her. "Tell me, what inspired you to get me something like this?"

"I couldn't think of anything else to get you." Roxas said simply, pocketing the candy cane for later.

"Your soul would be nice."

"Besides that!"

---

Rachnera

"That was so weird…" Roxas said as he exited Lala's room. He knew she liked the gift, but interacting with the Dullahan was always a strange experience. They could never have a normal conversation with each other as it always devolved into her asking to take his soul. Couldn't she tone it down for Christmas at least?

Walking down the hall, Roxas barely passed Rachnera's attic door before it burst open and webs shot out. They snagged the back of his shirt and he was yanked through the dark opening before it slammed closed. At this point, the Nobody was getting use Rachnera's method in wanting to talk to him about something. She favored the aggressive approach, waiting for him like a hunter stalking its pray. Once he was in range, she would spring her trap and string him up to her lair. In the end, he would be sitting in front of her completely tied up and she would grin upon her pray in victory.

Why she chose to do this? Roxas had no idea.

"…"

"What? No comical retort? No complaining about being tied up?"

"I'm getting used to it."

"Well, that's no fun!" Rachnera lamented as she turned and started typing on her computer. "I just wanted to share the good news with you. We have a Christmas paycheck headed our way."

"Good news? A Christmas Paycheck?" Roxas asked, standing up with his arms still tied behind his back.

"Yep! Your second book is selling great so far." She said, giving him a smug look. "Seems I was right when I said we should publish around Christmas time. A lot of people pre-ordered the book as a gift. We outsold the first book by over 50%."

"That's…Awesome." Roxas said in wonder. He never considered publishing his dream journal in the first place, but seeing that so many people liked it felt great. Even if he was kinda stealing Sora's life story, Roxas would find a way to make it up to his Somebody. "Was this the story of wonderland, or Deep Jungle?"

"Wonderland." Rachnera said. "I have no idea how Sora survived such a crazy place, but it was interesting to read about. I just added a few details here and there for continuities sake, but overall, it was a fun book to edit."

"I see…Thanks Rachnee." Roxas said, genuinely grateful for all her help. Without the spider woman, he wouldn't have even thought to publish this story. But now it was being spread through the world. It made the Nobody feel a little strange because it felt like he was spreading the secret of different worlds to everyone…if only they knew how true those books were.

"You're very welcome." Rachnera said with a fanged smile. "This is a mutual partnership though, so when you make money, I make money. Everybody wins!"

"Still, I really appreciate all you've done for me."

"Eh, stop being all sappy." Rachnera said, roughly rubbing the top of his head with her sharp fingers.

"I mean it though…Thank you." Roxas said before he snapped the webs that bound his arms. He ignored Rachnera's annoyed look as he fished something out of his pocket and held it out to her. "Merry Christmas."

Rachnera looked at the little package before looking back up at Roxas, as if she couldn't believe what just happened. Her smug smile was replaced with a look of playful irritation. "You little twerp! Are you actually giving me a Christmas present?"

"…Yes?"

"But you know I said I didn't want anything, right?" Rachnera crossed her arms stubbornly. She wasn't expecting a gift from the kid, so it threw her for a loop to watch him hold one out for her.

"I know…but I couldn't help it. It's my first Christmas and I wanted to get something for my friends…as a way to show my appreciation for them." He extended the present to her again. "So please take it. It's the only thing I could think of as a way to say thanks for everything you've done for me."

…Well, how could Rachnera say no to that? It was difficult being a sadistic bitch when someone was being that earnest with you. Shaking her head, the Spider-Liminal snatched the box out of his hand and ripped off the paper. She wasn't expecting much because there wasn't really anything materialistic she enjoyed. She liked to read, she enjoyed BDSM, and she liked teasing her fellow tenants. Looking at the box, she thought it would probably be something simple, like lipstick or a hair clip.

How wrong she was.

When Rachnera opened the box, her six eyes widened. The spider-woman stared at the objects for a couple seconds before glancing over her shoulder at her abdomen. She then looked back at the item in the box.

It was a pair of earrings in the shape of an exact replica of the insignia on her abdomen. The metal was almost glowing silver with iridescence and the two black stones in the eye sockets gleamed in an almost scary way. Whatever these earrings were, they were extremely valuable. And since it was in the shape of her insignia, there was no way he just walked into a store and bought it. No, this was custom made.

Looking down at Roxas, she couldn't form words. This must have cost a fortune to have made…or maybe he had another method, she didn't know. All she knew was he put thought and effort into this gift.

"Where in the hell did you get these?" Rachnera asked.

"…Around."

Rachnera rolled her eyes as she looked back down at the gift. Of course, he wouldn't tell her. It would defeat the purpose of the gift if he did. Still, she really wanted to know how he managed to get her insignia just right for these to be made. It was no easy feat to get a jeweler to make something like this.

"Geeze…pulling out all the stops, huh Roxas?" Rachnera said, a stubborn blush on her face. She pulled out the earrings and tucked her hair behind her ears. Taking out the old pair she was currently wearing, she slipped the new ones in.

Roxas blinked a couple times as he watched Rachnera's hair fall back into place, hiding the earrings from view. That's when he realized a little problem with his gift.

"Oh…Sorry. I didn't think they'd be concealed by your hair." He said, feeling a little disappointed.

"No, this is perfect." Rachnera assured him, moving over to her desk to place the old earrings down. She looked at her new ones in the mirror, a soft smile on her face.

"It is?"

"I don't like showing off jewelry…much." Rachnera said, showing off her sharp teeth in a smile.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't wear them to impress other people." Rachnera said simply. "Besides, do you really think the first impression people will have when they seem me is 'wow, look at those earrings!'"

"…No." Roxas admitted.

"You see?" Rachnera said with a shrug. "I wear earrings for my own sake. I can feel beautiful when I wear them I the privacy of my room and in the company of my friends since they…know how to look past my other features."

"Other…features…"

Rachnera paused for a moment before chuckling to herself. To Roxas, she didn't have any special features. In fact, none of his friends did. They weren't a type of Liminal, or had a certain body type he had to be aware of. They were just friends to him. Everyone was the same no matter what they were.

It was just like how Honey saw all of them.

"Never mind twerp." Rachnera said with a soft smile. She walked over to Roxas and placed a hand on his head again, rubbing his skull roughly. "Never change Kid…ever…and thanks for the earrings."

"Do…you like them?" Roxas asked, peaking up at the woman. "You never told me what you wanted for Christmas…so I had to improvise."

Instead of answering, Rachnera's soft smile transformed into a sinister grin. She gripped the back of his head before forcefully yanking his face right into her cleavage. The Arachnera wasn't gentle about it either because she needed to make him pay for making her get all soft and mushy. She was Rachnera the Arachnera after all, a sadistic spider that thrived upon the suffering of others.

"It's a wonderful gift and I appreciate it…but you need to be punished for tugging my heartstrings like this! It seems you and Honey forget that playing with a young maiden's heart is not a good idea!" She said, gripping his head so he couldn't escape. Her webs tangled around his body, restricting his movements and made the poor nobody a perfect target for her certain brand of torture.

Geeze, these two boys were really making it hard to be a bitch during the Holidays. They were too damn nice for their own good and needed to be taught to tone it down. Either that, or Rachnee was going to get them and make them pay.

---

Miia

"Mom! I told you why I didn't come home for Christmas already." Miia said, resting comfortably on the bed as she held the phone to her ear.

"I know, but you should've just brought Darling home with you. I'm positive he would've had a splendid time here with us." A sultry voice responded over the phone.

"By splendid, you mean gang rape, right?" Miia rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry mom, but Darling Is mine and mine alone!"

"It sure didn't seem that way when I came to visit." Miia's mother said smugly. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure I saw you battling for his affection among the other tenants."

"Ugh!"

"I wish for your success, but I am a little disappointed that you won't be bringing home a communal husband for those not fortunate enough to get into the exchange program." Miia's mother said.

"…"

Miia didn't say anything because her mother was right. The whole purpose of her entering the exchange program was to find a willing male she could bring home and make a communal husband for the other Lamia in her tribe. Because Lamia were an all-female race, they had to rely on males from the outside to reproduce. There previous customs for attracting the opposite sex was outlawed by the exchange bill, so they had to find another way.

That's were Miia was supposed to come in.

"I apologize…" Miia's mother said after a few moments of silence. "It was an untasteful jest on my part. You do not have to worry about brining home a communal husband for a while."

"…Really?" Miia asked, feeling a little better.

"Why yes! After all, our Christmas party attracted a lot of curious men to our village. Let's just say we had a splendid time with them and a few decided to stick around." Miia's mother said joyfully. "But not everyone is lucky enough to have there very own husband, so fight hard for Darlings affection, alright?"

"Yes mother." Miia said with a happy smile. The fact that she abandoned her original purpose for entering the exchange bill had weighed on her mind. In a way, she felt selfish for deciding to keep Darling all to herself while her sisters had to share a communal husband…but she really didn't want to share him. She wanted him to be hers and only hers.

All that stood in her way was the other tenants. She would have to win Darlings affection and have him chose her over them. The Lamia was determined to make it happen.

"If you want to keep your darling all to yourself, you better move quickly my dear." Miia's mother said.

"…What do you mean?"

"Miia…since the exchange bill passed, all-female races such as the Lamia and the Harpy have joined human society. In a lot of countries, human women already outnumber human men. With the addition of races like the centaur starting to prefer human men, it means the gap between the number of men and the number of women has increased dramatically. I wouldn't be surprised if they passed the law where a single man can wed multiple women in the future."

This little information hit Miia like a bomb. It was completely true though. Most Liminal races had far more women than they did men, meaning that competition was going to get more and more fierce in the future. That was a frightening thought.

"Do you really think that would happen?"

"Of course, and it won't be because men demand it, but women." Miia's mother said. "Just think of it like this. Would you rather share darling, or lose him forever to another woman and die alone?"

Again, Miia's stomach dropped because she didn't want either. She wanted Darling all to herself and no one else. But just thinking about losing him forever was horrible.

"That's why you better act fast while he's right in front of you." Miia's mother continued.

"Yes Mother…thank you for the advice." Miia said somberly. She needed to make a move soon, or else she just might be forced to share the man she loved with her rivals.

Hearing a knock on the door snapped Miia out of her thoughts. "Hold on for a sec mom." She said. "Come in!"

Roxas entered the room much to her surprise. The young boy paused when he saw Miia holding the phone to her ear.

"Oh, is this a bad time? I can come back later."

"No! It's ok. I'm just about done." Miia waved him off.

"Oooh, is that the young boy from last time?" Miia's mother asked through the phone. "Roxas right?"

"Yes Mother…before you ask, he is still too young." Miia said flatly.

"Nonsense! Isn't the age of consent in Japan 13 years old?"

"…Mother…" Miia said with a warning tone in her voice.

"Awe, but he was so cute when I saw him last. Just give him a few more years and bring him back with Darling, Ok?"

"Not going to happen Mom." Miia growled. "I'm hanging up now. Tell everyone I said Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas sweetie. AND MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU CUITIE PIE! COME VISIT ME IN A FEW YE-" Miia quickly hung up the phone as she gave a sigh of longsuffering.

"Sorry about that, but you know my mother." Miia said, laying her phone on the nightstand.

"Yeah…she's…something else." Roxas said, trying to find the kindest way to describe Miia's mom. The one time they interacted didn't go over well.

"You can say that again. She was a bit disappointed when she learned I wasn't coming home for Christmas. She usually throws a huge party to attract some unsuspecting males for…" She stopped herself. "Never mind. So, what's up Roxas?"

"Oh, right…I just wanted to um…" he held out a small package for her. "Here. Merry Christmas."

Miia's eyes lit up and a smile stretched across her face. "For me?"

"Yeah. I wanted to get you something as a way to say thanks for…um…everything." Roxas said, giving her a kind smile.

"Everything? But I haven't really done much." Miia said, cocking an eyebrow.

Roxas scratched the back of his head as he tried to find the right words. Why was giving gifts so difficult? Why did he always have to explain the reason for the present?

"Well…Ever since I first came to this house, you were always kind to me. When Xion came, you treated her just as nice as you did me." He said. "You took it upon yourself to look after us, always acting like the older sister we never had. I probably don't say it enough, but thank you. It means a lot to me…and…um…I hope you like the present."

"Awe…" Miia said happily. She wanted to gush because of how adorable Roxas was being right now. She always wanted a young brother and projected that desire on him a little, but he was ok with that. Seeing him hold out a gift for her while wearing that adorable Santa hat made her want to strangle him with affection.

But she wouldn't do that right now because she had a gift to open.

Looking down at the present, Miia reached out and took it. She pealed back the paper to reveal a white box. Because she didn't know what to expect, she hesitated for a moment before opening it.

The sight of a pair of sparkly objects caused the Lamia to gasp and nearly drop the package. One hand went to her mouth as tears peaked the corners of her eyes. Inside the box was an absolutely GORGEOUS pair of D-shaped hairclips. They were glistening with sparkly silver iridescence and had a beautiful golden trim around the outer edge. By comparison, they made her current clips look like a cheap, yellow knock off.

Just gazing upon them, she couldn't believe Roxas was simply giving them to her. At just a glance, she knew how incredibly expensive they must be. After all, She and all the other Lamia favored this style of hairclip. She'd seen thousands of them before, but never a pair of this quality. Where did he even get them? How did he get them?

As Roxas watched her admire his gift, he was starting to get the wrong idea. The last reaction he expected were tears to stream down her cheeks. Did he do something wrong?

"Miia, if you don't like them, you don't have to keep them." Roxas said in a hurry, reaching over and resting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry if I hurt-"

Roxas was cut off when he found himself crushed in a restrictive embrace. Miia's large tail wrapped firmly around his body in a tight hold as she hugged the life out of him. She managed to drag him to the bed so he wouldn't fall on the floor.

"What are you saying? I love them!" She gushed, showering his face with sisterly kisses. "I absolutely love them! ThankyouThankyouThankyou!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pulled away and gave him the widest smile he'd ever seen on her.

Roxas simply looked up in shock. While this was better than tears of sadness, he still didn't expect a response as passionate as this. Looking more carefully, he realized the tears were actually tears of joy. He still had a hard time recognizing the difference, but he was getting better.

Miia didn't release her hold when she took off her old hair clips and slipped on the new ones. They looked absolutely stunning on her and she let out a squeal of excitement after seeing her reflection in the mirror. A lot of people would admire these hair clips if she started wearing them around town.

Turning back to her captive, the Lamia gave him another wide smile before throwing her arms around his neck again. "All my sisters will be so Jealous!" She beamed. "I don't know what I did to get such an awesome younger brother."

"Well…" Roxas gasped for breath, his face turning blue. He was struggling to breath because of how tightly he was being constricted. "I should be…saying the same thing…I'm glad you like it though. It makes me happy…but could you please…loosen up a little…"

Miia blinked a couple times as she looked down at her own coils. She was so excited about the gift that she forgot to restrain herself and was actually putting some strength into her squeeze. If this was Darling, she would've crushed him in half by now. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, relaxing her grip a little.

Roxas gasped for breath as he felt sweet relief. He felt lightheaded because blood began to rush back into his limbs. "Thanks…"

Shaking her head, Miia planted one more kiss directly on his cheek before pulling away again. "No, Thank you Roxas. And Merry Christmas."

---

Pyra

"No more Auntie…No more." Pyra begged, but Polt had already started dialing up another number. For the past few hours, the Kobold had been calling up every relative she could think of and forced her niece to talk to them.

Pyra was losing her damn mind. If she had to talk to another half-cousin's mother's uncle, she was going to go on a rampage. The Hellhound was already apprehensive about talking with people she didn't know, but chatting with unknown relatives was even worse. Every single one of them asked the same things like, 'how is school?' 'What's hell like?' 'How did you escape?' 'Who are your friends?' And so many more redundant questions that Pyra wanted to rip her own ears off so she didn't have to listen anymore.

But worst of all was how most of them knew her mother. When talking to them, nearly all of her relatives had this undertone where they expected Pyra to act as her mother once did simply because she was her daughter. It…was getting old, and really destroying her personal spirit of Christmas.

Polt was a bit oblivious to this because it wasn't outright mentioned, so the hellhound didn't hold it against her. She was simply happy her niece was interacting with family for the first time.

Kimihito had given them the master bedroom so they could talk in peace, but Pyra had opened the door a while ago, hoping someone would walk by. That way, she could find an excuse to escape the torment of awkward family interaction.

Finally, after what felt like eternity, her prayers were answered by the best person possible. She caught a glimpse of blond hair and her eyes made contact with the person walking by.

Roxas looked pretty relaxed and casual as he stepped into view, a peppermint candy cane hanging out of his mouth and a Santa hat on his head. Pyra tried to nonverbally convey that his assistance was required, but he just gave a small smile and a simple nod from the doorway after seeing she was busy. He then walked back out of view.

No, it couldn't end this way. She needed to do something and quick.

"Auntie! I need to ask Roxas something."

"Awe! But Buddy is next on the phone. He's the cousin to your second uncle's wife." Polt said, listening to the phone ring.

"Sorry Auntie, it's really important." Pyra said, standing up and bolting from the room.

"Hey! We still have about fifteen more calls to make."

Yeah…that was not going to happen. Pyra escaped the room and ran down the hallway after Roxas. She practically jumped on his back when she saw him, causing the boy to stumble forward a few steps.

"Act natural!" Pyra hissed in his ear. A good thing too because Polt just exited the room, looking down the hall at them suspiciously.

"Oh, you're free now?" Roxas asked.

"Yes! Yes! For the love of God, YES!" Pyra said, grabbing his arm. Now it was time to throw off her aunt's suspicion. "Oh! It's in your room? Let's go then!"

"Um…Wh-" Pyra slapped a paw over his mouth and yanking him out of Polt's sight. She dragged him away from the master bedroom before roughly shoving him into his own room and closing the door. Once they were safe on the other side, she gave an enormous sigh of relief. "Thank whatever heaven was listening to the prays of this sorrowful hellhound!"

"…What?"

"Nothing, just nothing!" Pyra said. "Auntie has me talking to everyone in the damn phone book. I can only take so much Roxas, do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I…um…Yes?" Roxas nodded, though he didn't have a clue. He bit off the end of his candy cane, crunching it between his teeth. "I'm guessing Polt has a lot of family."

"You have NO idea." Pyra rubbed her eyes.

"And by extension, you have a lot of family."

"That…is true too." Pyra said somberly. "It's just really weird talking to Aunts, Uncles, and Cousens I had no idea existed before today. I learned a lot about my…mother from them. I had no idea she was so popular with the family."

"…Is that a bad thing?"

"Well…" Pyra paused for a moment and started pacing around the room. "Not really…It's just…"

"Just what?" Roxas asked, raising and eyebrow at Pyra's tone.

Pyra glanced over at Roxas for a brief moment before sagging her shoulders. She didn't like being vulnerable in front of anyone…but she knew he wouldn't judge her.

"They're expecting me to act like she did. Apparently, my mother was about as outgoing as my Auntie. And I'm…not." Pyra explained, playing with her hair awkwardly. "All of them are surprised when they realize I'm reserved around new people. They get all weird when they find out I have a pretty foul mouth if you piss me off."

"A pretty foul fist too…" Roxas mused, causing Pyra to laugh. She walked over to his bed and sat down.

"I can hear it in their voices, even though they try to conceal it." Pyra said. "They're all really sad my mother passed away…and it kinda feels like they expected me to emulate her since I'm her daughter. A lot of them were under the impression they had my mom back now that I was out of hell." Pyra flopped backwards, resting her paws behind her head.

"But…you're not her." Roxas said, scrunching his eyebrows because he could relate to this situation pretty well.

"No, I'm not, and I never will be. It just gets kinda annoying when all of Aunties relatives expect me to be." Pyra concluded before sitting up and looking at him. "But you understand that completely."

"More than I care to admit." Roxas said, crunching on another piece of candy cane.

"…Do you think it would be better if I did act more like my mother? Do you…mind that I'm the way I am?" Pyra asked curiously.

"Not at all,"

"Why?" She asked. "I'm…not outgoing or nice like the rest of my family…or like Yukiko…or Kimihito…or Xion…"

"And you don't need to be," Roxas said. "True, you like to punch me in the face when I make you mad…"

"Ugh."

"You like to curse, you have a short temper, and like getting violent…"

"Mmmm…" her shoulders sagged more.

"And you always find joy in relentlessly teasing everyone around you for your own amusement…"

With each word, Pyra's ears drooped a little. Normally she wouldn't mind his bluntness, but with recent conversations with her distant family still fresh in her mind, she was letting it affect her a bit more. Her gaze dipped so she wasn't looking directly at him.

"But you also have a strong personality, you're loyal to your friends, you can be kind and caring…at times. You're funny, witty, intelligent…beautiful…I could go on and on. If I had a choice, I would never want you to change who you are." Roxas said with a kind smile, walking over to his desk and fishing something out.

Pyra's ears shot straight up and her face burned in embarrassment. Her heart began thumping against her chest violently as such an honest opinion of her was shared by the boy she liked. And…did…did…he say beautiful? Did he think she was beautiful? She thought of herself as a lot of things…but beautiful?

Looking up at the boy, she noticed there was a package in his hands, extended directly at her. He held his candy cane between his teeth and gave her a grin.

"I could never imagine you as anyone else because…well…you're one of my best friends." He said, holding out the gift. "Merry Christmas Pyra."

Pyra's eyes locked onto the gift as her eyes slowly trailed up to meet Roxas's. His face was so adorable with that little peppermint treat in his mouth and the Santa hat on his head.

"You…weren't supposed to get me a gift." She said, reaching out and taking the present from him. It was the only coherent sentence she could form at the moment because her heart was racing too much.

"I know…but I wanted to anyway. You mean a lot to me, and I hope what I got you conveys that."

"…" Again, Pyra's face burned like the surface of the sun as her eyes locked onto the package in her lap. She used her red claws to rip off the paper before opening the black box inside.

"…Holy…Shit." She cursed as she gazed down at the item. This was probably the furthest thing she expected him to get her for Christmas. How did he even know Hellhounds like this accessory? The design was almost perfectly replicated.

"It…was really hard to think of something you'd like." Roxas said. "I did a little research on Hellhounds and found that a lot of them wore something like this in their pictures. I don't know what it means exactly, but I thought you might like one."

"Like it…" Pyra pulled out the item. It was a black choker with four small spikes on the collar. The pendant was a gleaming skull with beautiful, deep red eyes that seemed to glow. The metal was unlike anything she'd seen before, neither were the red crystals in the eye sockets. In all her life, she'd seen many Hellhounds wearing these chokers, but never one of this quality. She ran her paw over the skull pendant and was surprised to feel some warmth emanating from the red crystals. "This is amazing! Where did you get it?"

"Well…" Roxas scratched the back of his head. "You know how I was busy this week?"

"Yeah…"

"I was fighting the heartless. I don't know why, but when you kill certain heartless, they drop some very rare items used for synthesizing."

"You…went to another world to get this?" Pyra asked, staring down at the choker in her paws. "And you fought heartless to get it?"

"Kind of. I farmed some items from the heartless and asked someone to use those items and make the choker." Roxas said. "The skull is made of an alloy of Orichalcum, Mithril Christal, and Dense Chrystal, while the eyes are carved from pure Blaze Crystal. All of which are…pretty difficult to come by."

"Mithril? As in the mythical material used in fantasy?" Pyra asked, her eyes wide. "I thought that stuff didn't exist."

"Maybe not on this world." Roxas said with a grin.

Again, Pyra looked down at the beautiful choker. It was truly a wonderful gift, one made especially for a hellhound in mind. Not only that, but he risked his safety to get her something so special…

And valuable…

This accessory would probably be worth millions upon millions of yen. Nowhere on earth were there any of the materials Roxas just mentioned. She'd need to keep that tidbit of information a secret, otherwise her present would be stolen instantly.

Looking up at Roxas, she didn't know what to think. A gift like this not only had effort put behind it, but serious thought at well. True, her interests lie in things like reading, long walks, hanging out with her friends, and recently, video games. All of which were not really good hints for gift giving. But Roxas had figured something out by looking into Hellhound culture. It was true what he said about most hellhounds having a choker like this. It easily cost a small fortune to have one made in hell, and it was the one thing Hellhounds, especially female Hellhound, wanted.

Her paws started shaking as she turned her back to him and held out the choker. She couldn't form words right now, but Roxas got the idea, especially since he helped out Xion with the same task. He took the gift from her and unfastened the latch before putting it around her neck, locking it into place. The skull pendant rested comfortably on her collar bone. Already, Pyra could feel the comforting warmth radiating off the blaze crystals.

When he finished, Roxas took a step back. Pyra turned around to show it off, still not looking up to meet his eyes.

"How…does it look?" she asked quietly.

"It suits you." Roxas said with a nod.

Pyra didn't say anything else as she suddenly stood up from the bed. Her bangs covered her eyes so Roxas couldn't fully see her expression. She was biting her lower lip as her mind and heart raced. With the combination of his earlier statements towards her and the exquisite gift…the hellhound only had one thing on her mind.

She was going to make him pay for making her heart beat this wildly. It wasn't fair she was the only one to feel this way. He always did this to her. Made her feel weak, like a pathetic, love-stricken princess waiting for a knight in shining armor to sweep her off her feet.

That wasn't Pyra the Hellhound. She was a torturer of the damned! A strong, independent, feisty girl who could kick ass and take names. A girl who couldn't be tamed by anyone or anything.

No…Roxas wasn't going to be victorious here. She'd make sure of it.

Speaking of the Nobody, Roxas was wondering why Pyra was just standing there. He couldn't see her expression, but her body was starting to shake. Without warning, tiny licks of fire burst from her eyelashes. Every other time that happened meant she was emotional about something, which gave Roxas a reason to be concerned.

"Pyra? Is something wrong!"

"You…Fucking Asshole,"

Roxas barely had time to process her words because Pyra rushed him. She grabbed two handfuls of his shirt and slammed him against the wall, viciously pressing her lips against his. The candy cane in his mouth snapped because of the forceful impact and clattered to the floor as the hellhound relentlessly attack his lips. She pushed her entire body against him, making sure he wouldn't be able to escape her wrath.

Not that he was trying because the Nobody's brain was going haywire. His heart started pounding against his chest when he was finally able to process what was going on. Pyra had kissed him before, but not this passionately.

Lucky for him, it didn't last too long before she pulled away. She had a grin on her lips when she saw the redness and confusion on his face. This was going to be fun.

Before she could continue, she felt something hard click against her teeth. Blinking a couple times, Pyra pushed her tongue against the inside of her cheek before finding a piece of candy cane in her mouth. Savoring the sweet flavor of peppermint for a moment, she crunched down on the treat while pondering Roxas's punishment. Was this enough? Did he learn his lesson?

Of course not. She was just getting started.

"Tasty." The Hellhound said before dragging the Nobody over to the bed and throwing him on top. He didn't even get the chance to sit up before she pounced on his stomach, straddling his hips to make sure he wasn't going anywhere.

"P-Pyra!" Roxas stuttered before he found his lips sealed by her paw. Her eyes were ablaze with passion and her face supported a huge smirk. More tongues of fire burst from her eyelashes.

"You…over and over again, you do this to me…" She said, grinning down at him.

Roxas tried to push against her shoulders, but she caught his hands and forced them back down on either side of his head so her face was hovering above his. This situation was completely unexpected, so the Nobody didn't know how much force he was supposed to use. He didn't want to hurt her, even though she was starting to freak him out a little.

"No…you don't get to escape me." She said hungrily. "You weren't supposed to get me anything, but you did. Now it's time to face the consequences."

The Nobody was honestly a little worried. He'd rarely saw Pyra this intense. Her breathing was labored, her eyelashes were ejecting tongues of flames, and her tales was swaying back and forth almost hypnotically. He felt like a rabbit after being cornered by a wolf.

"C-Consequences?"

"Yep." Pyra said, leaning forward and pressing her lips against his for a searing kiss before pulling away just seconds later. "Yukiko would kill me if I went too far, so I'm glad you're starting to understand how to kiss back. You better get that cure spell ready because…" She released one of his hands and lightly poked his lower lip with her claw. A tiny blotch of blood started to build up around the small puncture wound. "By the time I'm done with you…well…you're gonna need it."

Roxas didn't get the chance to ask what she meant before she slammed her lips onto his again. Her entire body weight pressed down on him, sealing off any chance of escape.

---

Yukiko

Being nearly the exact opposite to Pyra, Yukiko was having a great time talking with all of her family. For the past few hours, she'd been chatting with her parents about every little thing that happened during her time in the exchange program. She told them about the festival, about the funny interactions with her club, exploits she had at school, and then some adventures with the other members in Kimihito's household.

Yukiko loved her family with all her heart and was torn when she made the choice to spend Christmas here. She would've loved to take her friends with her back home for the holidays, but they had family here that wanted to spend Christmas with them. Eventually, she decided to stick around this year with her friends in order to create more cherished memories.

Her family was understandably disappointed, but accepted her reasoning. They made a deal that she would come home for the winter break and had to bring her friends with her, which they already agreed to anyway. The Yeti was excited about this…but also very nervous.

"Big sis, I can't wait to see you next week!"

"I'm excited to see you too, Yukimi." Yukiko smiled warmly at the phone. Her family was on face time and it warmed her heart to see them. They were all dressed up for the holidays in various Christmas attire and smiling happily into the camera.

"Will you bring presents?" A little voice said, her tone full of hope.

Yukiko smiled at the youngest little girl, who was sitting on her father's lap.

"For the cutest little Yeti in existence? Of course, I can." Yukiko smiled fondly at her youngest sister…well, soon to be second youngest based on the large swell in her mothers' stomach.

Yukiko way laying on her back on Xion's bed, one paw behind her head as she chatted away with her family. She'd already talked to a bunch of distant relatives that passed by for some face time and was about to wrap it up with her parents. After all, she could nearly smell the delicious feast Kimihito was starting to prepare for their Christmas Dinner. There was no way she was going to be late for that.

Her head turned sharply when she heard a knock on the door. Looking at the phone timer, her eyes nearly budged out when she realized how long she'd been talking. It had almost been four hours. If she didn't stop soon, all her data would be gone for the month.

"Hold on a sec mom." Yukiko said, sitting up on the bed. She listened to a few joints pop because of how long she'd been lying there and turned to the door. "Come in!"

Instantly, her face lit up when she saw Roxas appearing in the doorway. Though there was something a little different about his demeaner. His eyes were glazed over and his face supported a few small bruises and cuts while his shirt had holes in a couple places. The Santa hat was an adorable addition, but it was strewn to the side of his head. It looked like he fell down the stairs. What the hell happened to him?

"Oh, Roxas!" Yukiko said with a smile.

"What! Roxas? Let me see, let me see!" Shouted a voice over the phone.

Yukiko realized that her family was still on face time and caused her stomach to drop a little. She was a bit embarrassed to admit it, but none of Yukito friends had talked to any of her family yet. Her parents badgered her over and over again, but she always found an excuse to say no because she was extremely nervous about introducing her family. What if her friends didn't like them? What if her parents said something that embarrassed her?

"M-Mom…" Yukiko said, trying to hold the phone out of view, her thumb dangerously close to the end call button.

"Don't you dare hang up this phone, young lady!" Yukiko's mother growled over the line.

"You better listen to your mother Yukiko. She's been wanting to talk to your little friend for a long time." A male voice said through the phone. "Plus, I'd like to see the young man who's been taking care of my daughter."

"Daddy!" Yukiko's face lit up in embarrassment. Why did he have to say that when Roxas was standing right there?

"…Should I come back later?" Roxas asked. He could see Yukiko was a little uncomfortable and thought it might be a good idea to let her finish talking with her family. That didn't stop him from being a little curious about his friend's family though. He did want to meet them one day.

"NO! Get your face over here right now so I can see what you look like! My daughter won't even show me your picture young man!" The female voice demanded.

"Oh no…" Yukiko was dreading this. Her family was going to embarrass the hell out of her, she just knew it. But, might as well rip off the band aide. Either that or have her family do much worse when he visited next week. "Hey Roxas…um…come here really quick."

Roxas paused for a couple seconds before he approached the bed. Yukiko was still holding her phone just out of view, but she hesitantly held it out for him, her face still burning red. "H-Here…"

The Nobody reached out and took the phone before turning the screen and camera towards him. Instantly, he saw four faces eagerly staring back at him.

"Oh my goodness, such a handsome young man." The oldest woman said with an enthusiastic smile on her face. She was clearly Yukiko's mother because Yukiko was spitting image of her. She had snowy white hair that was tied in a loose pony tail over her shoulder. Her bright turquoise eyes and wide smile showed that she was clearly happy to finally see him. Her skin was the same shade of brown as Yukiko's and her facial structures were more mature, emanating a soft, kind, and motherly aura. One of her paws was gently stroking her swollen belly. If Yukiko was cute, then this woman was…beautiful. "My name is Kimiko! It is so good to finally meet you."

"Big sis has been talking nonstop about this guy?" One of the younger girls said loudly, causing Yukiko to grown. The little girl also looked a lot like her sister, but her hair color was just a shade darker and her skin was a little lighter. She looked more like the only male in the group instead. There was a little bit of red on her cheeks, but she turned her face away from the camera and stuck her nose in the air. "Humph, I'm not impressed. My name is Yukimi, so you better not forget it!"

"Oh god…" Yukiko whispered, burying her face in Xion's pillow. This was too much for her to witness. Why did her family have to do this to her?

"You-You're Roxas?" The youngest murmured. Roxas saw the littlest one and realized she had the lightest shade of white hair among all of them. It was almost glowing. Her eyes were wide and innocent as they met his and she had the cutest little expression of wonder on her face. It morphed into a small, shy smile. "I'm Kukiko."

"Yeah…um…it's nice to finally meet you all…too," Roxas said awkwardly. He had no idea what to say to Yukiko's family. He'd never met them or talked to them before and it was weird being the center of attention.

The grown man smiled at Roxas. From what the Nobody could see; Yukiko's father was a large and heavily muscled Yeti with darker fur. His eyes were deep blue and he had a very kind, yet intimidating smile on his face.

"My name is Yukito. And it's good to finally meet the person who risked his life to save my daughter,"

Roxas felt his stomach drop when he heard those words come out of the male yeti's mouth. Wasn't that information supposed to be kept under wraps? No one was supposed to know what he did.

The large man let out a deep and rumbling chuckle. "I can tell by the look on your face that we're not supposed to know about that." He said, reaching over and wrapping his large arm around his wife. "But our daughter was a victim in that incident. There's no way her own family could be kept in the dark about such a matter."

"Oh…Um…I understand." Roxas said, scratching the back of his head. How much did Yukiko tell them exactly? Did they know he could use magic? Did Yukiko tell them about his past? Did…they know he killed people to save their daughter? Would they be bothered by that the same way Kimihito was?

"Worry not, young man. We understand the consequences if people knew what you did." He said, causing Roxas to blink a couple times. His demeaner suddenly shifted and his face morphed into rage. "Even though it's complete bullsh-"

"Darling! Not around the children." Kimiko said with an apologetic smile. "Don't worry Roxas, my husband is just grateful for what you've done. We never got the chance to thank you for… returning our daughter to us…"

Roxas's heart almost broke when he heard Kimiko's voice crack a little. He watched Yukito's gentle expression return and he began to gently rub his wife's shoulder. Kimiko looked like she was on the verge of tears, but quickly wiped them away. They were…really thankful for what he did, even if it meant ending lives to make it happen.

"I had too." Roxas said finally. "Yukiko is my friend and…I would've done anything to save her."

The family blinked a couple times as Yukito and Kimiko glanced at each other, each supporting a large grin. It felt like there was a silent message conveyed between the two, but Roxas couldn't comprehend it. Thankfully, the previous atmosphere returned.

"I'm glad she has friends like you." Yukito said with a smile. "I know you already would, but please continue to look after her. She's our precious daughter."

"She's precious to me too." Roxas said. To him, it was a simple statement, but for some reason, Kimiko got way too excited and gave a small squeal.

"Awe! That's so adorable!" She gushed. "We won't take up much more of your time since you're going to visit us soon. But thank you again for being there for our daughter. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas." Roxas said warmly. He liked this family already. They seemed like very nice people.

"Alright, that's enough!" Yukiko said, leaping off the bed and snatching the phone away from Roxas. "I can't wait to see you next week. Merry Christmas!" Yukiko said in a hurry, steam pouring out of her ears. The poor yeti had listened to the whole conversation and didn't miss the part where Roxas said she was previous to him. Why did he have to say that directly to her family? They weren't going to forget about this EVER!

"Wait! What about your other friend-"

Yukiko ended the call, her face still burning up. Of course, her family had to embarrass her in front of Roxas. What else did she expect them to do?

"They're…really nice."

"They're embarrassing!" Yukiko countered, dropping her phone into her pocket before covering her face with her paws.

"You looked like you enjoyed talking with them though."

"Of course, I did." Yukiko lowered her hands to glance at the boy. He actually looked really adorable with the little Santa hat on. "But enough about that, what's up Roxas? Did you need something?"

"Yeah, I did!" Roxas said before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small package. "Merry Christmas Yukiko."

Yukiko's eyes widened as she saw the little package. She thanked the heavens she wasn't talking to her family anymore because they would have lost their minds knowing Roxas got her a present.

"You got me something? But I thought we all agreed we weren't going to do that." Yukiko protested, automatically feeling bad because she didn't get him anything in return.

"I know…Pyra said the same thing…" Roxas blushed when he remembered how she reacted to her gift. "But I just had to. It was the only way I could express how grateful I am to have you as a friend."

Like usual, the yeti's face burned red. No matter how many times he did it, it still surprised her whenever Roxas was so blunt about expressing how he felt. She looked down at the box again, beginning to get excited about what it could be.

Roxas wasn't done though. "You were one of my first friends. You always know how to put a smile on everyone's face and make them happy, especially me." He laughed. "That's impressive considering…well…what I am."

Yukiko giggled a little, but her brain was firing so many signals that it was difficult to focus.

"You're always cheerful, happy, kind, smart, and beautiful…You accepted me for what I am without so much of a second thought." Roxas continued, failing to notice the steam starting to roll off poor Yukiko's head. "I will always be grateful I met you that day in the mall, where you became my first official friend. I wanted to do something for you…and this was all I could come up with."

By this time, Yukiko's heart was full of emotion. Tears threatened to stream down her burning cheeks. She knew Roxas didn't really hide how he felt, but it never got old to hear how much she meant to him.

"Yukiko…are you alright?"

"Oh…yes…I'm fine." Yukiko said, wiping her eyes quickly. "I'm just…so happy!"

Hearing that made Roxas happy as well. He really hoped she liked this gift. Just like Pyra's, it took a lot of grinding to get the materials needed to synthesize it. So far, his gifts had been successful, but it didn't make this any less stressful to present one to someone he cared about. Even so, he held it out to her.

Yukiko gingerly took the present out of his hand and tore the paper off. She had no idea what to expect from this gift. She knew he had a decent amount of money because of his book sales, so he could easily go out and buy something. If that was the case, she would still be ecstatic.

However, when she opened the little box, she felt a lump in her throat and tears in her eyes.

It was a pair of beautiful snowflake earrings. Each snowflake was an enchanting sliver that seemed to almost glow. On the end of each snowflake petal was a small, baby-blue crystal imbedded in the metal, while the center had a much deeper blue crystal that gleamed like something she'd never seen before.

"Roxas…" She whispered as she took the earrings out of the box. She was surprised to feel a cool chill from the blue stones in the center of each earring. "There gorgeous. How did you get these? They must have cost a fortune."

Roxas felt an enormous weight off his shoulders, which was replaced by an unbelievable feeling of warmth to see her so happy. Throughout the entire day, he was beginning to realize why people gave others Christmas presents, especially if it made others this happy.

"I had them specially made." Roxas said, getting an inquisitive look from Yukiko. "The reason I wasn't around much last week was because I was grinding heartless for materials. I had someone synthesize these for me."

"These…" She stared at the earing with wide eyes. "Are made of materials from a different world?"

Roxas nodded. "The metal is actually a mixture of Orichalcum…umm…Mithril…and twilight crystal. The stones on the end are frost stones and the ones in the middle is pure frost crystal. I thought…you'd like them."

"I…" She was actually speechless. These earrings were truly a priceless artifact from someone who spent a lot of time and effort to obtain. This was beyond what she thought Roxas would get her.

Without saying anything else, she reached up and slipped the new earring into her ear lobes, instantly feeling the cooling effect of the frost crystals against her neck. In a very comforting way, it reminded her living in the mountains, where she would feel the chilly wind against her neck. It was…simply incredible.

"How…Do they look?" She asked, sitting down on the bed and tucking her hair behind her hear.

Roxas leaned forward to get a better look before giving a smile. "They look good on y-"

He didn't get to finish because Yukiko grabbed his head and pulled it forward into a crushing hug. She leaned back and Roxas's body followed until they were both laying on the bed facing each other.

Yukiko had a death grip on his head while her legs wrapped around his midsection to hold him in place. Tears streamed down her cheeks. There were no words to describe how happy she was. Such a wonderful gift, such wonderful words, such a wonderful friend. What did she ever do to deserve someone like this in her life?

Roxas…could still breath thankfully, but was dangerously close to not being able to. He knew this was Yukiko's way of showing affection, but she was doing this a lot more than usual lately. Don't get him wrong, it was nice, but her grip could rival Miia's when she was excited.

Luckily, the crushing grip only lasted a couple moments after she got her fix. The Yeti loosened up a little, but not enough for him to pull his face out of her chest. She began to gently stroke his hair in a comforting way, enjoying the closeness of her first love.

"I love them Roxas." She said warmly. "And I'm also happy to have met you. I'm glad you're my friend. You always stood up for me, was kind to me, and was there for me…when I needed it most…" She said before her body started to shake a little.

Because of his position, Roxas could easily notice. He pulled away slightly so he could meet her gaze. "Is…it still bad?" he asked, rolling over slightly so his face was hovering over hers.

"Sometimes…" She murmured, though her shaking increased a little when she realized Roxas was looking down at her. Fear started building up in her eyes and she bit her lower lip. Before it could get any worse, she grabbed his shoulders and flipped them over so she was on top now.

"It's…I…

"What's wrong?" Roxas asked.

"I…I…It's a phycological thing…" She tried to explain. "Ever since that night at the bay…I've been…afraid of feeling helpless."

"I know…" Roxas said, reaching up and curling his arms around her. "You told me about it already. You don't need to justify it to me."

She lowered herself until she was resting her body directly on his, relaxing the side of her face against his chest. Her body was still trembling a little, but not nearly as bad. It helped that Roxas was gently stroking her hair now. "It's funny, because most Yeti women actually like being on the bottom. But I can't stand it anymore…because it makes me feel vulnerable…helpless…controlled…"

"Um…"

"Oh, sorry, that probably doesn't make any sense." She said apologetically. "Just…be patient with me, Roxas…Please?"

"Of course." Roxas nodded. He didn't belittle the Yeti for having minor PTSD from her experience. Hell, he only found out recently that the whole ordeal still bothered her and gave her nightmares on occasions. Pyra had been a huge help because there were some nights Yukiko would wake up screaming and the Hellhound was there to comfort her.

"Thanks…for everything." Yukiko said, giving a grateful sigh as she closed her eyes. "I love my earrings,"

"You're welcome. I'm really happy you like them."

They lay there for a couple moments, allowing Yukiko to fully calm down before she raised her head to meet his eyes. She pulled herself up a little and gently locked lips with his. Kissing Yukiko was pretty much the exact opposite to Pyra. While Pyra was vicious and passionate, Yukiko was gentle and sensual. Her lips moved deliberately in order to make both of them feel comfortable in each other's embrace, while Pyra wanted nothing but a rigorous make out session.

Each were completely different, but equally enjoyable. Yukiko reached up to cup his cheeks, but accidently brushed against one of his bruises. The Nobody gave a tiny gasp of pain, but it was enough for Yukiko to pull away. She frowned suspiciously at the little injuries.

"By the way…" Yukiko said. "What happened to you? Did you fall down the stairs or something?"

"Oh, I forgot about those. Cure…" A green glow encompassed his face before all the scratches and bruises were gone. "I don't know why, but Pyra asked me to wait to heal those until you saw them."

"Ok…so…Pyra did that to you…Why?" Yukiko asked. She had a sinking feeling in her gut.

"…She was a bit enthusiastic about her gift." Roxas admitted.

A few gears clicked in Yukiko's mind and she grit her teeth.

"That…Bitch!" Yukiko growled when she realized something. Pyra got to Roxas first again. Not only that, but she made sure to let Yukiko know she beat her to the punch by allowing Roxas to walk into her room without healing those…make-out wounds. Yukiko could almost see Pyra smug grin right now, feeding off her jealousy.

"Yukiko?"

"Shh!" Yukiko said, leaning down and pressing her lips to his again. She pulled back and cupped his uninjured face. "I'm not going to lose to her, so no more talking until I say so." She brought her lips to his again, silencing any form of talk.

---

Suu

Christmas was a very strange concept for Suu. Like Roxas and Xion, this would be her first time experiencing the holiday. So far, she thought it was amazing. Everyone was so happy, enormous amounts of food was eaten, and the decorations around the house were pleasing and fun. All in all, she really enjoyed the atmosphere.

But the one thing on her mind right now was the surprise Roxas had for her. She desperately wanted to take a peek into his mind in order to find out what it was, but he avoided her every attempt. It was grating on her mind because this would be one of the first times she received a gift for Christmas.

She looked extremely eager, almost bouncing on the balls of her feet as Roxas held out a lumpy package to her. It was later in the afternoon and everyone was finished contacting their families. Games, food, and other Christmas activities would be starting soon, so now was the best time to present Suu with her gift. Especially since Xion, Yukiko, and Pyra were all sitting there, waiting to see what it was.

"Merry Christmas Suu." Roxas said with a soft smile, holding out the much-anticipated Christmas present.

Suu reached out and took the gift, flipping it over in her hands. It was a floppy package, as if the material inside was made of something soft.

"Well? Aren't you gonna open it?" Yukiko asked, almost as anxious as the slime. It had to be something pretty special because Roxas had told them to gather together. All the other gifts were given personally, but this must be something unique if everyone had to be here for it.

Suu nodded as she gingerly picked at the wrapping paper and pealed it back. Inside was a set of clothing in a plastic casing. There were a few other things in the casing, like papers and documents, but the cloths really caught her eye because she'd seen them before.

It was a school uniform.

Suu looked up at Roxas, her feeler curled into a question mark. "Why is Roxas giving Suu a school uniform?"

The Nobody gave a soft smile to the slime. "Because after the Christmas break, you're going to need it when attending school with us." He said as he reached over at patted her head.

The information hit the slime like a freight train. She looked down at the uniform, her emerald eyes wide before looking back up at Roxas. Her mouth couldn't formulate a coherent sentence because of the swell of emotions she was feeling.

"What?" Pyra gasped. "You enrolled Suu in school? How the fuck did you do that?"

Scratching the back of his head, Roxas chuckled. "It wasn't easy. Since Slimes aren't a part of the cultural bill, the government doesn't cover their schooling expenses. Because I've been making enough money from the book sales, I decided to cover the cost so Suu could come to school with us. I've already talked to headmaster and his wife about it and they agreed because it might help the community learn more about slimes."

"That's amazing!" Yukiko said, her excitement levels going through the roof. "But isn't there a ton of paperwork that needs to be filled out? How did you get it all done so quickly?"

"Smith helped a lot." Roxas admitted. He didn't tell them about the part where he bribed the coordinator with some off world heartless drops to enlist her help. She was able to get the correct paperwork and have it signed by all the needed people in order to get Suu admitted. It was a complicated process, but it was all worth it in the end. "She said something about the headmaster being pretty excited because this would be the first school to enroll a slime. And Smith would get credit for having her enrolled. It's…apparently good for publicity."

"That's our coordinator for you." Xion said with a laugh. "Always looking for an opportunity to get her name out there."

"Suu gets to…Suu gets to go to school with her friends?" Suu asked, her voice one of disbelief. Her little feelers were shaking as they held the uniform like it was her lifeline.

"Do you want to?" Roxas asked.

"YES!" Suu exclaimed, leaping from her spot and tacking her four friends in an all-encompassing hug. "Suu's wants to! Suu want's to! Suu has wanted to go to school with her friends for so long!" Her feelers circled around all of them, squishing them together into a very uncomfortable pile of bodies. "Suu is so happy! Thank you Roxas!"

"S-S-Suu…You're crushing us…" Yukiko gasped. Usually that was her job, but Suu was giving her a run for her money.

"And, is Suu in the same class as everyone?" Suu asked loosening her grip a little.

"I made sure of it." Roxas responded. "You have a lot to catch up on, so they decided it would be best if you were in our class so we could help you."

Suu stared at her friends in disbelief. She swallowed a little and tears leaked out of her eyes before being quickly absorbed back into her skin. "Suu…Suu is…Crying?" Suu asked. "W-Why is Suu crying. Suu is too happy to cry."

"It's because you're happy Suu." Yukiko said with a soft smile. "Sometimes, people are so happy that they can't help but cry."

"Suu…" She hickuped as she connected her feelers to each of her friend's heads "Suu loves her friends so much."

"…"

Anything said after that would have lessened the impact of the moment. A moment where a group of friends felt a connection to each other that would never be severed. A powerful bond that would never be broken. They simply sat there, relishing in the feeling of closeness and friendship.

---

Everyone

It was a bit later in the afternoon when Kimihito pulled out a few snacks and placed them on the counter. He'd finished talking on the phone with his family a while ago and was back in the kitchen. The poor man hadn't stopped working since the morning, but he didn't seem to mind. Making the food was part of his Christmas gift to everyone after all.

By this time, nearly everyone was done talking with their families and all piled into the living room and kitchen to hang out with each other. Games were taken out, food was consumed, beverages were drunk, and company was enjoyed. It was a wonderful time to be a part of the Kurusu residence. Even a few of the other family members were showing off their gifts and bragging to one another.

The party was apparently big new because there was a knock on the door right after it started.

"Xion, could you answer that for me? I'm a little busy at the moment." Kimihito said with a longsuffering smile. Currently, he was in a three-way tug of war between Miia, Centorea, and Papi. They were debating on who was going to sit next to him when playing the new Mario Cart on the switch.

Xion gave the man an understanding nod before walking over to the door and opening it. Instantly, there was a rough feeling on the top of her head as a familiar red-haired figure reached forward and ruffled her hair

"Axel! You made it!" Xion said, her face lighting up in a smile as she reached forward and wrapped her arms around his stomach.

"Of course, we made it." Axel said with a grin. "It just took a while to get everyone in the car."

"…Why?"

Axel thumbed over his shoulder to the five people who stumbled out of the van. Tio looked as cheerful as ever, wearing as Santa outfit that was barely able to keep her massive chest from spilling out.

The rest looked half-asleep and completely drunk. Smith dragged her feet over to the door, reaching out and grasping Axel's shoulder for support.

"…What happened to everyone?"

"To much hard eggnog." Axel chuckled. "They threw quite the party yesterday for Christmas eve."

"Ugh…Don't mention that stuff again Axel." Smith said, looking absolutely wasted. "Darling better have some real food for us."

"There's plenty in the kitchen."

"Good…" Smith said, pushing off the nobody and giving a drive-by pat on Xion's head as she walked past.

"Food…" Zombina slurred as she also entered the building. It actually looked like she was an authentic undead zombie at this point.

"Merry Christmas!"

Fortunately, Xion didn't have much experience with Tio's infamous hugs…but unfortunately, she found herself understanding what made them so scary. One second, the young puppet was standing in front of Axel, the next she was lifted off her feet and her face was shoved into a huge cleavage. Tio's massive arms constricted around her torso as the Ogre gave off a cheerful squeal.

"Tio…I think she likes it, keep it up." Axel said with a slight grin on his face. It was funny seeing Xion struggling to get out of the ogre's grip.

"You really think so?" Tio asked happily.

"No!" Xion managed to push herself away from the ogre and slug Axel in the stomach.

"Ooof…ok maybe she didn't. But do you know who will?" Axel asked, winking at Xion.

"Who?" Tio asked, clearly excited to hear that someone didn't have a fear of her horrifying embrace.

"Roxas would just LOVE a Christmas hug. I bet he's been waiting all day for it."

"Cutie? Really? Well I can't let him wait any longer! I must find him right now! Where might he be?"

"…in the kitchen." Xion said, a small grin crawling along her face. They watched Tio clap her hands in joy and enter the house. "That was really mean Axel."

"Yeah, it really was." Doppel said, crossing her arms. She didn't look hung over either. "Listen Axel, just because you were the first to receive her Christmas hug doesn't mean you need to spread the cheer."

"Of course, it does. If I have to suffer, then so does everyone else!" Axel grinned. "Got it memorized?"

"It can be quite scary." Manako whispered, pushing past everyone and moving into the house. She was quickly followed by Doppel.

Axel and Xion stood outside the house for a couple moments before Axel shivered. "I hate the cold." He said, about to enter the house before Xion grasped his sleeve.

"Hold on…" She said, fishing something out of her pocket.

"What's up?"

"Here!" Xion said, holding out a little package. "Merry Christmas."

"…"

Axel swore he felt a little surprised by the sudden act…Nah! That was impossible.

"A gift? For me? Awe, you shouldn't have." Axel said in his sarcastic voice. "What is it?"

"Why don't you open it and find out?"

Axel took the present from Xion and juggled it in his hands. He glanced down at the puppet to see her eyes locked directly onto his eagerly and hopefully. This was the first time the poor girl had given a gift to someone and really wanted to see how it went.

It was adorable and sad at the same time.

Ripping off the paper, Axel stared down at the object in his hand. He didn't have a clue as to what it was supposed to be.

"What's this?"

"I'll tell you…"

---

It was a few moments later that Axel and Xion entered the kitchen, only to see Roxas flailing like mad to get out of Tio's grasp. She was laughing joyfully, completely oblivious to his suffering as she twirled him around before coming to a halt. That did give Roxas the chance to escape and bolt into the living room. Tio simply smiled happily as she went down the line of people and also gave them her specific brand of holiday cheer.

The rest of the day was just as fun. With the addition of MON, the place became even livelier…if that was possible. The party went on until late in the evening when everyone was stuffed full of food and drink. No one had any energy anymore, so Kimihito had the idea to plop in a Christmas movie so everyone could watch and relax.

By this time, MON had left after the food was gone, so it was just the Kurusu residence that remained. Polt had decided to retire early because she was opening the Gym tomorrow for anyone who wanted to work off their Christmas dinner. Pyra and Yukiko lagged behind, probably to spend the night as they were too full and tired to move.

Since everyone was on the verge of a food coma, it was easy for most of the household to fall asleep during the movie. Roxas, Pyra, and Yukiko also dosed off, sleeping comfortably on the couch before the show could end.

When the movie was finally over, everyone except Suu, Xion, and Kimihito were asleep. Kimihito was working to put everyone to bed, while Xion retreated to her room to grab a few things. After all, Roxas wasn't the only one who grinded the past week to get presents for everyone.

She waited until Kimihito was done taking everyone to their rooms before she pulled out her presents. After she was done, she plucked Roxas's Santa hat off his head and placed it on her own before calmly waking her three slumbering friends. Suu was sitting by, just watching.

"Huh…what?" Yukiko rubbed her eyes as she sat up from the couch. She gave a long yawn and stretched her arms to the sky.

"Who *Yawn* What's up Xion?" Pyra asked, also sitting up from her comfortable position. "What are you waking me up for?"

Roxas's eyes fluttered open before he rubbed the sleep out of them.

Xion looked a little embarrassed and shy as she held out four packages to them.

All four friends stared at the presents for a few seconds before glancing up at Xion. She had a soft smile on her face as she nodded. "Merry Christmas."

"So, not only did Roxas get us all something, but you did too?" Pyra accused, as she reached out and took the package with her name on it.

"I thought we agreed that we wouldn't get each other presents." Yukiko said as she took hers.

"No…we agreed that no one would have hard feelings if we didn't get presents for each other." Xion reminded. "No one said anything about not getting presents period."

"This was why you were busy all week…" Roxas said, looking down at the packaged in his hands.

Xion nodded bashfully. "We were both busy."

"Wow…" Yukiko glanced over at Pyra with a challenging smirk. "It's on next year! I'll get everyone the best gifts ever!"

"It's not a competition." Pyra laughed as she juggled Xion's gift in her paw. "But seriously, you two really set the bar high."

"Suu get's another present!? This is the best day ever!" She said, taking the package with her name on it. Xion held one last present in her hand, which was actually meant for herself.

Roxas looked at his package before slowly tearing off the paper. Suu, Pyra, Xion, and Yukiko did the same. With the paper out of the way, a star-shaped object landed in each of their hands. They were all identical in shape and design, but their colors were different. Each star was made out of stained glass and had a silver trim that connected each piece. The middle of the star had a beautiful design.

Pyra's was black, Yukiko's was white, Suu's was deep blue, Roxas's was green, and Xion's was purple. This little trinket actually looked very familiar to Roxas, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. Where had he seen this before?

"Wow…" Yukiko said, gazing down at the little white star in her hand.

"What is it?" Pray asked curiously. It was really pretty, especially the design in the middle of the star, which was encrusted in gleaming silver.

"They're called Wayfinders." Xion said. "I don't know why, but the design really stuck out to me."

That's when Roxas's eye lit up. He remembered seeing similar Wayfinders in his most recent dreams of someone other than Sora…someone who looked exactly like Roxas. These new memories were much vaguer and more scattered that his memories of Sora, so it was difficult to piece together what they meant.

Glancing up at Xion, he also knew that she received fleeting thoughts and memories of the same things because she was a puppet designed to copy him. To a point, she also saw the things he saw, but it was much, much more limited.

Looking down at the Wayfinder, he was surprised how accuracy she got the design down. She must have also asked the Moogles for help too.

"I wanted…" Xion said, looking down at her own Wayfinder. "I wanted all of my friends to have one. I even gave one to Axel…and Kii…Even though Kii didn't really want it…she eventually took it after some convincing."

Suu was staring at hers and something clicked in her mind. "It looks like the Paopu fruit." She said with excitement.

"The what?" Yukiko asked.

"It's actually based off of that…I think." Xion said, scrunching her eyebrows.

Roxas also knew this because of the new memories, but this was Xion's present. It would be best for her to explain.

"According to legends, there is a certain fruit that if shared between two people, their lives are connected…forever." She said warmly as she looked up at her friends. "I made these because…our friendship is precious to me. So, no matter what happens, or where Roxas and I might go in the future…" She paused, allowing them to understand what she was talking about. "We'll always be connected and find our way back."

"…"

By this time, tears were sliding down Yukito's face as she looked back down at her beautiful Wayfinder. It wasn't just a piece of stained class with sliver trimming, but a symbol of their friendship. An unbreakable bond she shared with the rest of her friends who brought her out of the darkness of her own despair.

Pyra was trying to remain strong, but even she had to look away to save her dignity. Did she ever think she'd have this strong of a connection with other people?

No.

In Hell, no one formed strong bonds with each other. But on the surface, there were people who cared about her. People who loved her company. People who would consider their group of friends incomplete if she wasn't around. This little trinket was proof of that.

Words could not describe how happy Suu was. This was her first Christmas and already she was so happy that she was about to burst.

Roxas bit his lower lip became he also found his eyes wet. After believing it was impossible to feel at all, it was still amazing to realize he too could be overcome with emotion. This little item in his hand felt like the symbol of his connection, and proof that he really did exist.

"Geeze…" Pyra said, rubbing her eyes. "Is bro cutting onions in the kitchen?"

"X-Xion…" Yukiko said, her eyes big and watery. She flew off the couch and tackled the puppet to the ground. She squeezed the life out of her. "It's perfect! Thank you so much!"

"Y-You all like it?" Xion asked. She felt a swell of happiness when she realized how her gift was affecting the others.

"We do." Pyra said quietly. "This, is nice…"

"Thank you Xion…" Roxas said, giving her a grateful smile. "It's awesome."

"Suu loves hers too! Suu never knew she could be this happy." The Slime said, joining Xion and Yukiko for a group hug.

Pyra and Roxas glanced at each other before giving a small chuckle. They also stood from the couch and joined in.

For the remainder of the night, this little group of friends simply enjoyed the remnants of their first Christmas together…

One of many that would come throughout the years…

…Hopefully…

---

Authors Note: What is wrong with me? This chapter is huge…HUGE. 27k words! 61 damn pages for a Christmas special! It took forever to write! AUGHH…Well, it took me hours and hours to write, but I think it came out in a timely manner, even if it's now after Christmas. I just couldn't stop and had so many ideas floating around in my head of what this chapter could be like. So, this chapter is my present to you, the readers. I hope you enjoy it!

And add to the fact that I wrote a 14k word chapter for My Hunter Academia this month and I've totaled about 41k words for the month of December …that's like half a novel for two damn chapter! Holy crap, what is wrong with me?

If you hadn't notice, this chapter was pretty much all fluff and sappy dialogue. But what do you expect from a Christmas Special? Sorry if some of it seemed redundant, but it's hard coming up with so many scenarios without a couple overlapping in some parts. Forgive me! I'm tired!

Thank you all for another wonderful year of Fanfiction. Now, would you honor me with the gift of a Review? That would be the best Christmas present ever! 1000 Review Goal!

Merry Christmas and happy new year!