Disclaimer: Trinity Blood was created by Sunao Yoshida. I do not own the song that this chapter is based on; the one about the kid wanting a hippopotamus for Christmas.

Here it is: the final chapter of this fanfiction. Many thanks go to all those willing to read this despite my lateness.

Merry Christmas, and I hope you've enjoyed the ride.

Zebra

She wanted a zebra.

How was he supposed to get her a zebra for Christmas when they were miles above the Earth? She might as well have asked for expensive jewelry or a huge diamond while she was at it.

Abel sunk against the pillow, wondering many things. He wondered why Seth wanted a zebra to begin with. He wondered why he was even doing this stupid Christmas present exchange in the first place.

Oh yes, Lilith…

The young teenager pulled the small box out from under his pillow. Behind the cheap plastic window a black toy horse stared at him mockingly, rubbing the fact that it wasn't a zebra in his face. He had spent every last penny in order to have that stupid toy shipped up here with the last supply shuttle, thinking that Seth was still into horses.

But she had decided that zebras were more her thing, as many young children often changed their minds.

How was he supposed to give her a zebra when he had no money left?

He thought about asking Cain about what he should do, but decided not to. Cain might have him do something embarrassing in exchange for an idea that might not work. He couldn't ask Lilith because she was with Seth. And he certainly couldn't ask anyone else--no one would trust someone as negative as he normally was.

Abel threw the box across the room he shared with Cain, letting it smash into the wall with a frown on his face.

Stupid human traditions… He growled in his mind. He was about to leave when something caught his eye.

A small bottle of waterproof whiteout sat on Cain's bed. Having fallen out of the other teen's bag when he dropped off his books earlier, it had the gears in Abel's head turning. He would need to pay Cain back for this later, but…

The silver-haired teen was nowhere to be found as the presents had long since been unwrapped. Lilith seemed a little mad that he had decided not to attend the function after all, though she barely let this show as she helped Cain and a few others clean up.

Cain noticed him just as Lilith did, already steeling himself for the scolding that was about to take place.

She had no chance at all to get very far, Abel completely ignoring her to walk over to the little black-haired girl playing with the leftover ribbons. She stopped when Abel kneeled down next to her, his hands hidden from her behind his back.

Both Lilith and Cain looked shocked at the gift he held, which had now been revealed to a very happy Seth.

It was a horse, completely painted with stripes of whiteout fluid to look just like a zebra.