Ok, here's a Holiday-themed chapter. I know I missed it by a few days, but, you know, come on, give me a break.

Enjoy and I don't own anything.


Setting the scene...

At years' end, the icy winds made their way to the world that didn't truly exist. A chill night, and the clouds gathered and blocked out the stars. Soon, the black city became blanketed in white and nearly matched the floating white castle in the distance. The castle had a nice coating of water on most, if not all, of its surface. The temperature dropped so suddenly that the castle took on a glimmering sheen to it due to the sheet of ice, glistening slightly whenever Kingdom Hearts managed to peek out from behind its silver veil of clouds.

Attention turns to the interior...

The white castle was quiet, save for the deformed white husks that patrolled its long passageways, its true denizens were sound asleep after a normal day's work. The Superior and Lord of this Castle was no exception, though it could be argued about how much work he put in on a daily basis. Some days he'd just stay in bed and hand out edicts via text message. Xemnas, the Superior, was a light sleeper. Not because he was on his guard, for a man of his massive amount of power didn't need to be, but because his mind was just as active in the day as it was at night. Quite honestly, he found it exhausting, as if he had two minds constantly at work, 24/7.

Suddenly turning over, Xemnas jostled himself awake slightly, catching a quick glimpse of his room before closing his eyes again. His room was much bigger than the rooms of his lesser comrades, it even came with its own second-level balcony, full bathroom and an area filled with books, journals and a computer. On another whim, Xemnas turned over again, waking even more. It was cold so he pulled his black covers up closer onto his body. Xemnas's room was the only bedroom with a separate heating system, he could easily warm up his room, but he preferred the cold.

Unfortunately, it was too late to salvage what little sleep he had and he soon found himself awake and staring up at his blank, metallic white ceiling.

He slowly sat straight up in his bed, just as the temperature seemed to drop even more, and suddenly Xemnas found his breath wafting in front of his nose. He took a whiff, nearly gagging, "Gross." He murmured. He had only been sleeping for a few hours and he already had morning breath.

The temperature dropped even more and the Superior began to shiver. "Perhaps a fireplace would fit nicely in here." He thought, "The cold is fine, but this is ridiculous." Xemnas only wore long night pants in bed, and so was bare chested. Reluctantly, he forced his half-nude form out of bed and into the unforgiving cold to find the thermostat.

He silently chanted curses frantically as he tiptoed across the freezing floor to the farthest wall to the thermostat. He reached the small device and wiped off the display as his visible breath caused it to fog up.

"'54 Degrees'!" He read the display. He quickly pressed the temperature buttons until it read 80 Degrees. But still the room remained cold and freezing. Something was amiss. "This is unnatural. My thermostat is undeniable..." For a moment, the thought of Vexen infiltrated his mind. If it weren't winter, Xemnas would think it was his doing. But not only was it winter, Vexen was also as dead as a doornail.

Suddenly, a foreboding presence made itself known to the Superior. An obscuring mist seeped in through the bottom of the main doorway. Something was coming. Something had the nerve to challenge the Superior of Organization XIII.

Xemnas was not unnerved at this. If anything, he was more irritated that the Dusks hadn't been doing their job and let an intruder enter the Castle. He would be forced to dispose of this threat himself. He would show no mercy and, in case this something wasn't alone, he would use his full strength to obliterate this nuisance and make an example out of them.

But first he needed to find his shoes. For one thing his toes were freezing, and second, if he were going into a fight, he'd fight like a man. A man with his shoes on.

Quickly he made his way back to the side of his bed and slipped on his black slippers. Then Xemnas braced himself, just as the slightest hint of a shadow drifted in front of his door.

Xemnas spoke as calmly as always, "I know you are there. Show yourself."

Without warning his door erupted open and his room filled with an obscuring, ghostly mist. Xemnas could see nothing, but the sound of damned wailing and rattling chains filled the air.

For an instant, this thought ran through Xemnas's head, "Xinck, I shit you not, if this is your doing, I will rip your spine out through your nose."

A horrible voice pierced through the mist, like nails grinding on metal. "Ebenexemnas! Ebenexemnas!" A figure shimmered though the mist, slowly taking the shape of a transparent, floating man bound in endless chains. His face had yet to form completely.

"A ghost? Xinck's playing with the dead again. Always with the dead, that boy..." Xemnas thought. "Begone, spirit!" He commanded, "You have no business here."

"Oh, but I do, Ebenexemnas-"

"Not my name..." Xemnas muttered.

"For I am your old partner!" Finally, his face came into view as long, wild dreadlocks flopped to his shoulders, "It is I!" The ghost shouted, "Bob Marley!"

"The...reggae singer Bob Marley?"

"Buffalo Soldah, mon!" The ghost exclaimed, "I come as a warning, mon! For tonight, you shall be visited by 'tree' spirits, mon! Each-"

"Did you say tree spirits? I have no interest in nature beings, spirit, one of them screwed me over some time ago."

"Tree spirits, mon! Tree! The numbuh 3!"

"Oh." Xemnas said, "Three. I could not understand, you have a bit of an accent, Mr. Marley."

"ENOUGH, MON!" The ghost wailed, "For I come as a warnin'! You will be visited by 1,2,3 spirits tonight! Each more terrible dan the last! You best change your ways, Ebenexemnas!"

"I'm going to go ahead and shoot you now."

"What?"

"Nil!" The thought that the ghost may be intangible never crossed Xemnas's mind. When he fired his quick shot, the energy collided with the ghost's leg, exploding on its shin. Immediately, the ghost fell to the floor, the mist around it evaporated and its accent was no longer present in its wails, oddly replaced by a slight surfer accent.

"Xigbar?"

"AGGGHHH!" The Freeshooter cried out, cradling his bleeding knee.

"What are you doing?" Xemnas asked, unmoving or phased.

"My motherfucking leg!"

"You're bleeding all over my floor. Quit it."


The Superior carried two cups of coffee over to the kitchen table. He placed one in front of the Number II, then strolled over to the other side of the table, sat and began sipping his own drink.

"How's the leg?" Xemnas asked.

"It's pulsing and I think I'm bleeding internally. My healing sucks, but I'm cool with it!" Xigbar exclaimed, producing a flask from his black coat. He emptied its contents into his coffee and took a long sip. "Tis the season!"

"Ugh." The Superior lazily rested his chin on his hand after taking a sip and rolling his eyes, "Is this at all necessary? December is nothing more than another cold month, yet you and the rest of them find some sort of satisfaction in partaking in this...thing."

"Well, what do you expect us to do?"

"Your job. Go forth, and bring me more hearts."

"See there, that's exactly why we do this every year." Xigbar explained, " Maybe we'd like something fun to do around here every now and again. Just because we don't have hearts, doesn't mean we don't feel boredom."

"What about that tournament I stated before Castle Oblivion? Was that not fun?"

"Everyone knows that was just an excuse for you to beat up on us."

"Come to think of it, I did have fun." Xemnas replied. He turned his gaze away from Xigbar and out the window, taking in the snowy-topped towers of his Castle, "So, I'm just going to address the elephant in the room. What possessed you to come into my room and act like a ghost?"

"What? You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"You've never heard of A Christmas Carol? Dude, that shit has been done up every way possible, you'd have to be an idiot not to know about it!"

"Braig, I'm going to shoot off your kneecaps now." Underneath the table, Xigbar could hear the crackling of energy in Xemnas's palm.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" He chanted his reply, scooting his legs out of from under the table, "Okay? Sorry, that's not what I meant. Its just that, everyone and their mother knows the Christmas Carol like the back of their hand. Hell, even Roxas knows it."

"Obviously, I'm far too busy to waste time on carols of Christmas. It's bad enough I lost the wager and must tolerate this..this holiday nonsense, but if its that much of a distraction I'll have it nowhere near this Castle."

"Christmas nonsense, actually. Fuck the P.C. Crap. And, sorry, dude, but the Christmas Carol thing has already started and can't be stopped."

"Excuse me?"

"It's a spell." Xigbar explained, "One person is picked and is basically the subject of The Christmas Carol. That's the spell in a nutshell. And, shockingly, it was a unanimous decision to have you the subject of the spell."

Xemnas blinked, quietly observing Xigbar's face before finally saying, "Braig, I'm going to shoot off your kneecaps now."

"No! No! No! No!" Xigbar chanted, "Not my fault, not my fault, dude! Xinck cast the spell, but, you know, he didn't want to, but he had orders."

"D'oh!" Xemnas grunted, "I swear, Demyx takes this too far. Just like last year when I told him not to string up lights in the Southwestern towers. Now he has me entangled in this idiocy" Xemnas took in a long sip, completely downing the rest of his coffee, "Why couldn't he celebrate Chanukah? The Hebrews don't have to put up with this Santa and Frosty nonsense. Just some candles and a candlestick holder for eight days. Simple and clean. But Christmas lasts for the entire month of December, and all you get in the end is an overdrawn bank account and horrible, horrible gifts that you can't even exchange at a pawn shop. Or better yet, why not Kwanzaa? Why doesn't he celebrate Kwanzaa? No one even knows what the hell that is."

"Ha Ha!" Xigbar laughed, "Man, it's not Demyx this year, but he's just as eager. Saix is all over this year's festivities."

"Impossible." Xemnas spat back.

"No, man, really. Saix is the one who told Xinck to find the Christmas Carol spell. X-face planned the whole thing out. Gift-giving, caroling, snowball fights, decorating a tree, visiting the mall to have pictures taken with Santa...all that crap."

"I don't believe you." Xemnas said.

"Fine, don't believe me. More alcohol for me and Luxord."

Xemnas scoffed, "I knew it. There had to be some reason, some way that you would find an easy way out of this."

"I'm not looking for a way out of this." Xigbar downed the rest of his drink, "Being intoxicated and doin' all this 'Merry, Merry Christmas' crap sounds like a great alternative to working all day."

"So, while I'm forced into cavorting around with tree spirits, you all will be out singing gaily like the Happiest Littlest Elf ?"

"Hey, I ain't getting gay with no elf, man!" Xigbar slurred, obviously mishearing Xemnas's words.

"Mm-mm. Right, of course." With that, Xemnas pushed out his chair and walked over to an opening Corridor of Darkness, "Have fun on your booze-laden Holiday cruise-"

"Booze-laden Christmas cruise." Xigbar corrected.

"I'm going back to my room. And if you see Saix or Xinck, tell them-"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll shot out their kneecaps for putting a spell on ya. Got it."


Saix had declared that the Gray Area would be the center of everything in terms of decorations. Both Axel and Xinck were assigned to the long, seemingly never-ending hallway that let out into the Gray Area.

"...I mean, yeah, 'Saturday Night Live' is funny and Andy Sanberg is great,"Axel said, stringing up lights and streams of holly along the walls, "But if I saw him in real life, I would have to punch him in the throat."

"I totally agree." Xinck huffed. He laid on the floor next to the ladder Axel was using, holding onto the long string of Christmas lights. "Personally, I'd do the same thing to Cody Simpson. What gives him the right to claim to be so famous, huh? So, he's on the iTunes store, who gives a crap! And, to make things worse, he took Bart Simpson's name."

"You just don't like him because he's Australian." Axel murmured.

"He's Australian!" Xinck snapped, effortlessly producing a pen and a pad of paper from his coat, "Oh, he is so on my list, right between Kenan Thompson and Justin Beiber."

"Who?" Axel asked.

"Justin Beiber, the singer."

Axel looked at Xinck, confused, "What?"

"Justin Beiber! The singer? Hit teenage sensation? Kinda looks like a girl? Come on, everyone has at least heard of Justin Beiber."

Axel blinked, none of this information registering with him, "I'm sorry, I'm not hearing you right, are you saying Justice Beaver?"

"Justice Be-"Xinck exclaimed, but stopped halfway and relented, "Yeah, sure, Justice Beaver. He's a superhero animal, flies around, defeating evildoers with his special Dam-building powers. Chucking wood is his specialty."

"Oh. Whatever."

Casually not looking where he was walking as he left the shadows of a Corridor of Darkness, Roxas, with his nose in a thick magazine catalog, stopped suddenly just before walking into Axel's ladder. "Hey!" He said suddenly, "What are you guys doing?"

"Stringing up lights." Axel replied, Well, I'm stringing up lights, fat boy down there's just sitting and doing nothing."

Xinck cleared his throat and presented Axel his middle finger, "You see that? You just bitched yourself out of my help!"

"What are you doing?" Axel asked Roxas, ignoring Xinck.

Roxas called attention to his magazine catalog, "I'm trying to figure out gift ideas for everybody, but guys like Saix and Xaldin are hard to shop for. Ugh, I didn't have this much trouble finding gifts for you two."

"Oh, watcha get me?" Xinck bounded off the floor and next to Roxas, peeking over his shoulder and into the magazine.

"You can't look!" Roxas quickly shut the paper, "It'll ruin the surprise!"

"Hey!" Xinck protested.

"Wait, lemme see." Axel descended from his ladder and gently moved Xinck away as Roxas re-opened the magazine. "Oh, he's gonna love that!" He exclaimed.

"I know, right?" Roxas replied, "I mean, I just saw this and I thought, 'this is totally Xinck'!"

"What is it, you sons of bitches!" Xinck bellowed.

"Dude, don't worry," Axel said, a bright grin lad across his face, "You'll definitely like this."

"No I won't!" The Deviant shouted, "I hate everything AND YOU FUCKING KNOW THAT!" Xinck stood opposite Axel and Roxas, breathing heavily through his nose and seething.

"...O..kay.."Roxas murmured, "Something...on your mind?"

Axel scoffed, "He's just cranky."

"Christmas is just another cold day." Xinck retorted coldly, "All this happiness, joy and quote, unquote 'Good tidings'. Its a damn bloody tragedy if you ask me." He stopped, looking off past his friends, as if remembering traumatic. He quickly snapped out of it, "Besides, no one ever gets what they really want. No matter how much they beg, plead...or deserve it."

"Oh, man, Xinck" Roxas started, "I..I didn't know."

Axel sighed and readily gripped the bridge of his nose, "Xinck, shut up! You're just being difficult, which is one of your favorite pastimes, plus, I have you on a video recording saying how Christmas is your favorite holiday because its an excuse to not only get a bunch of presents but also a chance to scam orphanages out of their money!"

"Damn you, Axel, and your run-on sentences, damn you!"

"Hey, yeah!" Roxas said, "And last Christmas you said those Apocalypse Ponies I got for you were the best present you had ever gotten."

"Um...uh..No I didn't!"

"Yeah, you did." Axel said, "I even caught you playing with them in the tub. You had Death Pony killing a Barbie and Ken Doll with Pestilence Pony making out with Famine Pony, while War Pony watched."

"What did I say about your run-on sentences!" Xinck shouted.

"That wasn't a run-on, you sick fuck," Axel roared, "That was compound! Compound!"

"I'm complicated, alright!" Xinck collapsed to the floor, a hand over his face as he feigned wailing.

Roxas and Axel had known Xinck long enough to understand that sometimes they just needed to go along with whatever was going on with him. At first, it was fun because Xinck's wild imagination made it interesting, but eventually, it got very creepy. So they saw fit to just ignore him in some situations. This being one of them.

"So, I thought I'd get this for Demyx." Roxas flipped through a few pages in his magazine.

"Eh, I don't know. That's a bit expensive for Demyx."

"It's not good?"

"WAAAHHH!"Xinck cried, "Oh, Woe! Woe is me! AGGGH!"

"Well, yeah, its good, its just I wouldn't spend that kind of money on Demyx." Axel said, "Just get him a cheaper version from Wal-mart. He'll never tell the difference."

"Jesus!" Xinck bellowed in Spanish, "Por Que!"

"Alright, that makes sense. But I gotta go to a mall to get everything else on my list."

"Oh, yeah? I'll come, too. Might as well get some stuff crossed off my list."

Roxas groaned, "Fine, but when I start shopping for you and Xinck, you gotta get lost. Got it memorized?"

Axel scoffed, "Cheeky."

Just as Xinck began reaching the climax of his childish episode, Roxas gently began nudging the Deviant in his ribs with his foot, "Hey, crybaby, we're going to the mall. Are you coming or not?"

"Oh!" Instantly, Xinck was up on his feet, "Yeah, sure, I'm game."

"Christmas shopping, are we?" Another being was born from the shadows of a Corridor of Darkness. A long, red stocking hat with a white trim and white poof-ball on the end sat uncharacteristically on his blue head. Saix had just the slightest hint of a smile on his face. The three stared, jaws agape, at the Number VII, the normally apathetic and cruel Number VII. The red hat and smile, while very small hints of holiday joy, were too much, too soon to see on the Luna Diviner.

"Whatever bodes well for Saix..."Xinck murmured in awe, "Bodes ill for us all..."

"Are we gonna die?" Was the first thing to come from Roxas.

"And what is that supposed to mean, friend?" Saix asked.

"Oh! Nothing, nothing at—wait, what did you call me!"

"I called you friend, friend." Saix quickly made his way to Roxas before the former could react. The Diviner reached into his black coat and produced an identical white and red Santa hat and placed it on top of Roxas's head, letting the white poof ball dangle in front of his face. "Happy Christmas, friend."

"Uh...thank...you?"

"So, friends," Saix went on, "What is this I hear of a mall trip?"

"Well, Santa's Little Helper from Hell, we were just headed out to the mall to finish up some shopping." Axel said.

"Excellent!" Saix proclaimed, "I approve."

"You do?" Axel chocked back a gasp.

"Of course! Why not, Axel?" Every word that spewed from Saix's mouth couldn't possibly be his, "Christmas is nothing without something under the tree, and I will have no one disappointed come the morning of December 25th."

"This is it." Xinck cowered, noticeably shaking in place, "The gypsy was right. This is how it ends..."

"WHO ARE YOU?" Roxas screamed before Axel quickly covered his mouth.

"O..okay, well...uh..we'll just be leaving then." Axel said, his words stumbling from his mouth as he opened a portal.

"Oh, wait! My friends!" Saix called, stopping them in their tracks, "I want you to make the trek to the mall in civilian clothes."

"Why?" Roxas asked.

"We have heard rumors that there is someone posing as a member of the Organization, wearing a black coat like ours." Saix said, "These are only rumors and, as of this moment, have no real merit, but we should not take any chances."

"An imposter?" Roxas scoffed, "No way."

""Interesting..."Xinck murmured to himself, briefly displaying shifty eye movements.

"As you know,"Saix said, "Many replicas of our coats exist, but these coats are a shiny black leather, as opposed to ours, which are a non-reflective black. Therefore, I want you all to be vigilant while you shop."

"Dress in regular clothes, look out for imposters, Got it memorized. Okay, guys, come on." Axel hurriedly spun himself, Roxas and Xinck around and headed for a portal, while whispering, "Let's get the hell outta here!" They had just gotten into the darkness, when Saix called out to them again, "What?" Axel answered.

Saix stood there, still in the whiteness of the Castle. His mouth opened, and from its depths a sound unheard from the Diviner was born, "I'll have a bluuuuueeeee Christmas without yooouuu..."He sang, "I'll be so bluuuuueee, thinking...about yoooouu..."

"Every man for himself!" Axel shouted. He knocked Roxas and Xinck to the ground and bolted into the darkness. The pair quickly tried scrambling to their feet, but at the same time pulled each other down in order to get ahead faster. Xinck quickly elbowed Roxas in the gut and ran for the safety of the Corridor.

"You're in my thoughts and prayers!" The Deviant shouted back.

"Wait!" Roxas pleaded, "Don't leave me here!"


Since Saix had initiated this year's festivities, the Nobody had completely put off his duties of handing out missions. This meant that everyone else had more free-time on their hands, and, for Luxord anyway, he spent this free-time doing his second favorite activity: imbibing as much alcohol as possible. In truth, gambling had become his second favorite activity ever since he had played and beaten everyone in the Castle at least five time over. So, drinking now became number one and its powers were already in full effect on the No. 10.

"God rest ye merry gentlemen..." Luxord stumbled along aimlessly through the Castle, somewhere near the Eastern trail of bridges and walkways that interweaves in and out of the fortress. Of course the spirits in his veins kept him plenty warm. "...Let nothing you dismay, la la la la..something..somethin'..." Taking his time, the Gambler of Fate walked out onto a snow-covered walkway, the Dark City under a white blanket in the distance. Cold winds nipped at him, but Luxord paid them no mind because he was drunk.

Luxord was not a sloppy drunk and, at this point in time, with his extra large flask filled to the brim with Peppermint Schnapps-enriched eggnog, was not truly drunk. He was in that sublime state between bliss and fearlessness, boldness and foolishness.

"Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand!" He proclaimed, "Just like that river twistin' through the dusty land!"

"Must you be so loud?"

"Dah!" Luxord shrieked, and in his tipsy state lost his balance and fell in the snow. He nearly dropped his extra large flask, but caught it just in time. He looked all around, but saw nothing. Immediately, his gaze turned to his flask, "I must stop drinking this stuff...Or, better yet, drink more until my senses turn numb. Yes, that's the ticket." With that, he turned his flask upward and down whatever was left of its contents.

"Leave me, now." The voice sounded again, "Before you draw attention to me."

"I cannot hear you, voice." Luxord burped and stood up, "For I am drunk-ish."

"Ugh." The voice scoffed, "I'm over here, fool." Finally, Luxord locked on to where the voice was, which was directly behind him. Luxord stood in the snow, slightly wobbling, as his eyes tried to focus and see the puff of visible breath that regularly wafted through the space in front of him.

"Wait a tick." Luxord said, "Someone is there!" As his eyes finally focused, the outline of a white coat come into view, followed by the shape of a man. But then, Luxord blinked, and the image seemed to disappear for a moment until he refocused. It was indeed the outline of a man wearing a camouflage, snow white version of the Organization's black coat.

Xemnas lifted his hood letting his hair cascade down his shoulders and ending the camouflage. "Intoxicated again, I see. Well, at least you are consistent in your ways, unlike Sai-"

"Hey! It's Xemnas! The Superior!" Luxord proclaimed, "Oi, how's it been, mate?"

This was a characteristic that Xemnas found fascinating about Luxord when he drank. He had absolutely no fear or apprehension when he spoke to his Superior. The alcohol inspired foolish bravery. As foolish as it was, Xemnas found it respectable.

The Superior released a reluctant sigh, "I suppose I am fine."

"What-what...what are you doing out here?" Luxord asked, cradling his extra large flask, "Bloody cold out here, I'm freezing my nips off."

"You haven't heard?"

"Heard wha'?"

Xemnas scoffed, "Saix, perfect in his perfidy, has inflicted a curse on my head. It was started just the other night, and since then I have done my research. It is called 'The Curse of the Carol'. Have you heard of it?"

"Naw, man. What it do?" Luxord asked.

On normal circumstances, Xemnas would usually only tell half-truths, keeping vital information to himself just in case. But in Luxord's inebriated state, he found no harm. "In my research I learned that the spell was created by a man named Charles D. Kins in attempts to write better novels. The nature of this curse requires several volunteers and several days in the month of December. Kins created the curse and tested it out on his neighbors and recorded the results, which, of course, was the novel A Christmas Carol."

"Kelsey Grammar was amazing as Scrooge." Luxord said.

"Indeed." Xemnas continued, "Anyway, I have read the Christmas Carol and studied the nature of the curse from the spell book from which Xinck cast it. Unfortunately, the spell is absolute and cannot be broken or revoked once cast. It will end after all three spirits have visited me, or when Christmas or December ends, I forget which one comes first."

"That's stupid, you're stupid." Luxord muttered. Xemnas eyed the Gambler, but he was unfazed and stared back at his Superior. Luxord smiled and sang,"You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch..."

Xemnas rolled his eyes and turned away from Luxord with his hands behind his back, "Whatever. Luckily for me, I found a loop hole. The spell only takes effect when I sleep. So, I have cut out all sleeping in hopes of riding out the clock. So, that is why I am out here, hiding, more or less."

"...Your Heart's an Empty HO-OH-OOLE!"

"Ugh. I don't know why I even bother." Xemnas threw his hood over his head, once again blending in with the surrounding whiteness, "And, Luxord,"His disembodies voice said, "Forget you saw me."

For a split second, a reminder flooded into Luxord's mind. Then, despite cradling it like a lost child, had suddenly become aware of the weight of the extra large flask. Although Xemnas blended in quite well with the whiteness of the snow and the Castle, he still left footprints, and Luxord, slowly and silently followed these footprints, careful to step in them to keep the snow from crunching underneath his feet. He wasn't surprised he was so stealthy and coordinated while slightly intoxicated. He was surprised, though, that Xemnas went down so easily after 5 hard knocks to the back of the head with the extra large silver flask.

Xemnas's unconscious body twitched in the snow, but otherwise was completely still.

For a second, Luxord seemed to regain his most common demeanor "Sorry, mate. Saix made me do it." But then as quickly as it came, it ended, and Luxord proclaimed to the heavens as he stood over his Superior's body, "YOU! SHALL NOT! PASS!"

"Alright, calm down, you lousy drunk." Another voice called. Shadows gathered next to Luxord, swirled into a single mass, then ripped open to reveal the , Xaldin. The burly lancer eyed the body of his Superior and shook his head. "I simply cannot believe He fell so easily. Perhaps he dropped his guard due to your..drunkenness."

"I'm here, I'm not queer, just drunk, get used to it!"

"Whatever. Help me get him to his room so I can get my part over with." Xaldin moved down pulled Xemnas's arm over his shoulder, Luxord did the same for the other arm and the pair began their walk for an open Corridor of Darkness.

"Her name is Rio and she dances on the Sa-a-a-a-and!" Luxord sang, entering the darkness.

"Stop that, you might wake him!" Xaldin whispered gravely.


The sound of a ringing hand bell glided past the ears of every mall patron as they walked by the Salvation Army volunteer in a Santa Hat. The volunteer was a young man, perhaps a few years older than Axel, with a slight goatee and a smile of pure joy as he greeted every single man, woman and child who entered the mall. He would smile and nod to all, and when they actually donated money into his red can that hung underneath his Salvation Army Sign, he would smile even wider and surprise them with a "Happy Holidays and God Bless!".

"Someone's a little enthusiastic about their job." Axel said, walking between Roxas and Xinck as they made their way to the farthest door away from the volunteer,"It's cold out here and He's not even getting paid." Following Saix's orders, they dressed in civilian clothes. Axel wore a dark red, form-fitting aviator's jacket with the fur collar turned up to block out the cold. He wore baggy, dark-colored khaki pants, black shoes and black gloves with tear drop flames on the hands. Not caring at all for the cold, Axel dressed in layers.

"Prick." Xinck spat coldly, "What gives him the right to be so merry!" The Deviant, preferring the cold, wore simply a form-fitting black dress shirt with the wrists unbuttoned and the front only buttoned half way, exposing his black undershirt and the top of his chest. He wore baggy, dark blue jeans and black shoes. Over his ears, were a pair of white, wireless headphones that he used to keep his hair back and his ears warm.

"Who's he collecting money for?" Roxas asked. Roxas wore gray shoes underneath blue jeans and a cobalt blue hoodie zipped up underneath his collarbone. A black scarf wrapped itself around his neck and swayed in the cold around around him. He squinted his eyes and craned his neck to get a better look at the sign. He read, "'Sal..vation..Army? What's that, some kinda of war going on?"

"No, Roxas," Axel answered. The trio stopped, and stood to watch as more people donated money and entered the mall, "The Salvation Army is a charity group. It's like an Organization that helps poor people, sick people, homeless people, you know, the less fortunate and stuff like that. Of course, the Salvation Army itself is broke, so they go out and ask for donations all the time. Most of the time people donate old clothes, or food to help others survive the winter. Around Christmas, though, they come out to shops like these and ask for cash donations for the homeless."

"Tch!"Xinck scoffed, "I don't believe in 'homelessness'. They're just modern, urban cowboys. Roughing it in the urban jungle and occasionally getting set on fire by jerk-off assholes. Or me, if I'm strung out on morphine."

"Should we donate something?" Roxas asked, "I mean, that guy keeps glancing over here, and if its for a good cause, you know, maybe we could use the karma?"

"Oh, you know what karma is, but you had no idea what the Salvation Army was?" Xinck asked.

"I spent a few days in New Delhi on a mission." Roxas replied, ""I got to ride a cow, but then people started screaming at me, saying I was dishonoring their god or something."

"Well, you know, "Axel started, "If you wanna help someone not as lucky as you, go right ahead. Not everyone gets to live in a nice, warm, impenetrable floating white Castle in another world."

"Yeah...yeah, you're right!"

"No, Roxas!" Xinck protested, "Don't you-!" But it was too late. Roxas had departed the group, his some of his money already out of his pocket, and darted through the crowd to the volunteer. Halfway there, he turned around.

"You guys coming!" He shouted.

"Of course not!" Xinck replied.

"Xinck, come on, dude. Dig deep." Axel said, his wallet already out of his pocket. "You know, you have so much stuff, it wouldn't hurt to give up some of it for someone who has nothing."

"Yes, Axel, it would hurt. IT WOULD STING WITH THE FURY OF A THOUSAND WASPS...on my scrotum. Yes, I have a lot of things, but I worked hard for my things, my room, my giant castle in the sky. Why would I give away what I've earned?"

"You haven't earned any of those things!" Axel shouted back, "Xemnas let's us stay in his giant floating Castle, and he gave you your room. Plus, you stole or killed to get most of the things you have."

"Stealing is hard! It's hard work, Axel! I almost broke a nail trying to steal the HD Plasma Screen in my room. And I almost tripped on the sidewalk when I stole the baby booties I got for Xercivio. Yup, stole 'em right off an infant's little baby toes."

"Oh, my god..."Axel sighed, grabbing the bridge of his nose and trying to hold back a laugh, "Alright fine Xinck. I know you're a greedy bastard, but, I also know that you can't help but follow the crowd." With that, Axel grinned while waving his wallet in Xinck's face, then took off towards Roxas and the Salvation Army volunteer, leaving the Deviant alone.

"Ha! Well, go ahead! Go ahead and waste your money ON POOR PEOPLE!" Xinck laughed loud and proud, drawing the attention of several on-lookers. Xinck paid them no mind. Instead, he found himself holding out his wallet and joining his two friends. "Damn it all." He cursed, amazed at Axel's prediction.

"So, how's it feel knowing you're helping a little girl get a gift this season, huh?" The Volunteer asked Roxas, just as he dropped a few folded bills in the red tin.

"'How's it feel?'" Roxas asked himself. He wasn't sure how to answer that. Dropping the money in didn't do anything to rouse some type of feeling inside him, he knew that. But, then the thought of somehow helping someone else.."It feels great!" He answered eagerly as Axel dropped in his few bills.

"Well, God Bless and Happy Holidays!" The volunteer said. Axel donated some of his money as well, "Ad the same to you, sir!"

"Yeah, thanks, you, too." Axel replied.

"Here!" Xinck said, forcing a few bills into the small red slit at the top of the can, "Do you want my blood as well!" Xinck hollered at the now laughing volunteer.

"No, no, that isn't necessary, though I think the Blood Drive wouldn't mind a visit from an eager beaver like you!"

Xinck made a horrible face at the volunteer, then turned to his two friends, "Let's go."

"God bless and happy holidays!" The volunteer said.

Xinck stopped, his body twitching noticeably as he turned around to face the volunteer. Oddly, he feigned an odd smile. "Ha ha, uh, I think you may mean, 'Merry Christmas.'"

"Nope." The volunteer's smile did not waver, "Happy Holidays!"

"It's Merry Christmas!"

"Happy Holidays!"

Roxas chimed in, "Xinck, come on, it's not-"

"No! No! It is important!" Xinck fully turned on the volunteer, "It's Merry Christmas, idiot!"

"Sir,"The volunteer finally said, "There are different holiday celebrations other than Christmas. Its wrong to assume everyone celebrates Christmas when they might celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or-"

"Ha! Shows what you know! No one even knows what Kwanzaa is! And, lighting candles and keeping them lit for eight days sounds like a friggin' fire hazard to me! Besides, you fucking hypocrite, you have a Santa hat on your stupid, fat head! Now I demand you give me what I want and wish me A MERRY FUCKING CHRISTMAS!" Xinck was nearly on the man, inches from his terror-stricken face when finally Axel and Roxas grabbed him by the back of his shoulders and restrained him.

"Xinck, just calm down!" Roxas struggled, nearly straining himself in pulling Xinck's large frame back.

"Stop overreacting!" Finally, Axel dug in his feet and hauled a screaming, growling Xinck away. He pulled open the mall door, and with the help of Roxas dragged Xinck inside.

"Agh!Aaaaggghhh! Say Merry Christmas! Say it, dammit!" Xinck grabbed onto the mall doors as Axel and Roxas pulled on his torso, "I'm gonna eat your children!"

"Happy Holidays, sir!" The volunteer called.

"AGGHH!" The Deviant cried in agony, his two friends finally throwing him into the shopping mall.


"...emnes..." A voice called on the wind. It was a whisper, but it was not soft,more like a gruff voice attempting a falsetto.

"Uh..." The Superior moaned, his eyes clenched tight and his head throbbing horribly.

"...xemnas...Ebenexemnas..."

"Oh, no, not this..."

Then, another voice shouted abruptly, "Wake up, you wank!"

Xemnas shot up abruptly and found himself in his bed and immediately greeted by the visage of Xaldin standing in the corner, arms folded behind his back. Xemnas's eyes narrowed to slits. He opened his mouth, a single word on his lips, "Treachery."

"No, no, no!" Xaldin said, "Hold for a second and let me explain!"

"Die." Xemans bounded form his bed, still fully dressed, and a single energized ethereal blade. Gracefully, as if in a dance, he spun and flew over to Xaldin's corner and readied to strike. He brought down his blade on a cringing Xaldin, and the red energy rebounded off of thin air, the force of which threw Xemnas's arm in the opposite direction.

"What is this?" Xemnas didn't wait for an answer, attacking the invisible forcefield with no effect.

"If you had listened to me as opposed to leaping into action all willy-nilly,"Xaldin said, "you'd know that the nature of the spell protects against all acts of violence." The Superior spat a curse and his blades vanished. He then eyed the Lancer with slits for eyes intensely. Suddenly, Xemnas reached to Xaldin's face and callously gripped his nose between his index and middle fingers, wringing it wildly. "Agh! Agh! My nose! Quit it, Quit! Agghhh! You're going to bruise it! Agh!"

Xemnas released the nose then wiped his fingers off on his coat, turning on his heels away from Xaldin, "Apparently not all acts of violence. Now get out of my room, fool."

" As much as I'd love to, Superior, I'm afraid I cannot." Xaldin winced, lightly gripping his nose.

"And why is that, Dilan?" Superior had the habit of referring to both Xaldin and Xigbar by their true names whenever he meant to intimidate them. "I don't entertain the idea that you may speak to me after rendering me unconscious."

"Superior," The lancer sighed, "Luxird did that. When we are finished with this, I will be more than willing to hold Luxord down while you put a cigarette out in his eye."

"...Interesting..." Xemnas murmured.

"But...for now..."

"For now what?" Xemnas was never angry, having no heart, but this Curse placed on his head was beginning to rouse something he could only liken to Irritation. Suddenly, a flaming light destroyed the darkness of the Superior's room. A warm, hearth-like glow prompted Xemnas to turn back around to the lancer. "What the hell is this, Xaldin?"

Xaldin stood there, glowing, his dreadlocks flaming with white light and his eyes set ablaze, but his fiery aura did not burn his new form-fitting white robe that seemed to end in a tail instead of an opening for his legs. He was floating, bare-chested, eyes and hair flaming, with a ghost-like tail as white and murky as wax. "Behold, Ebenxemnas!" He proclaimed in a booming, obnoxious voice, "Do not fear, for I bring you tidings of great joy!"

Xemnas could only stare, his face stuck between 'impossible' and 'this dumbass is not serious'. "Huh?" Was all he managed to say.

"For on this night," Xaldin continued, "A child is born-"

"Wait, you fool, that's the Nativity, not the Christmas Carol."

"Huh?" The lancer stopped abruptly, "No, no, I think I have it right."

"The scriptures say an angel came to shepherds laying in fields to announce the birth of The Christ, not a...half-naked, floating man-candle with arms."

"Uh..." The lancer looked panicked, his eyes darting about as if looking for assistance, "I am the Nihilistic Ghost of Christmas Past But From The Future!"

"Of course you are." Xemnas replied with a roll of his eyes.

"...I am a candle..."

"I can see that."

"...With arms."

"Get out of my room, now." Bearing the awkwardness of this situation no longer, Xemnas turned away for his bed. Xaldin appeared in front of him instantly, his tail and flaming deadlocks wafting about him weightlessly.

"You can go nowhere, Ebenexemnas-"

"That is just bad writing.." Xemnas murmured.

"For I am here now, and I will show you the folly of your ways, you scrooge." Xaldin's flaming eyes seemed to grow in intensity, forcing the cold of Xemnas's face to retreat to the back of his neck. Xaldin was obviously committed to the role, this was odd because Xemnas never knew him for his acting abilities.

"There is nothing in my past you can show me, spirit. Now begone!" Xemnas waved him away, but the Lancer grabbed his arm in mid-swing.

"Look." He started in a hushed tone, "I'm floating here on Fire, my eyes are on Fire. This spell is screwing me over way more than you. I would give anything to be in your position, to just sit back and see a bunch crap you've already seen. So, the quicker we go, the quicker we can finish and you can get some sleep and I can go outside and dunk my head in a snowbank."

Xemnas made a grimacing face, "Oh, so your eyes actually..."

"Yes, it is indescribably painful. Saying its like pouring gallons of sand and hot sauce into your open eye sockets does not even come close." Xaldin said. Painful as it was, he didn't seem entirely affected by it. Why Xaldin would even agree to to this was beyond him, Xemnas thought. But the thought of revenge against those who cursed him to endure this asinine venture piqued his interest. For now, he would just have to play along. He had taken the time to read A Christmas Carol ever since Xigbar warned him, so he should know what to expect.

With a heavy sigh of irritation, The Superior relented, "Lead on then, Spirit." And the power of The Nihilistic Ghost of Christmas Past But From The Future began, and Xemnas and Xaldin did the Time Warp. Again.


There was the oddest tingle in Saix's spine as he finished writing out his activities schedule. He looked upon his own work and, for a moment, wished he could feel pride, for only a true genius could construct such a fool-proof piece of Machiavellian art. With the faintest of smiles, The Luna Diviner tucked the activities sheet into his black coat and got up from his desk. He strolled over to the door, the faint hum of The King's A Blue Christmas playing on his lips and grabbed his extra-long Santa hat. He placed it gently on his head, the white-poof ball falling all the ay to the small of his back.

With all his might and willpower, Saix mustered a tight-lipped smile. This charade would have to endure for a little longer, but it was worth it. Just before he opened the door, he looked into his mouted wall mirror and gently re-adjusted his hat. He smiled a true smile to himself. "It will indeed be a Blue Christmas this year." He turned sharply on his heels and bolted out the door and loudly proclaimed for the entire Castle to hear, "Time to go Caroling!"


Second part is coming up later in the week, then we will be getting back to Veridis Quo in January.