.

- The Dawning

Pass me those lanterns, would you?" Eva said. "And that wrapping paper. There's so much left to do."

"They drive their Sparrows on the edge of the abyss, not looking at that Darkness... laughing..."

"Laughter can be better than food. We must make time to celebrate, even when we are surrounded by Darkness. Or we lose hope. And hope is important: it brings us together and keeps us marching through the freezing cold."

"So much pretending, Eva. I can't pretend. Those days are gone."

"Do you think I spent a week coaxing Ikora into making the Dawning Crystal just to pretend? Who will save us from the Darkness? The despairing Guardian or the joyful one? Love and joy, Eris—that will save us. This is how I show my love."

"Then I wish you a happy Dawning, Eva."

"I wish that for all of us."

Snow fell gently through the air, covering the tower in a layer of white powder. Icicles hung from railings and from overhangs, glistening with water-slicked ice in the bit of light that managed to break through the cold fog around the city.

On such a day, Ash was beginning to stir from a peaceful sleep in bed. Her optics began to slowly power up as she 'blinked' out of habit, and allowed her processors to warm up. Smiling, she rotated her head to look next to her say hello to-

-No one?

The other side of the bed was empty, absent of her usual partner. She looked around the room, wondering if Matt was just getting ready or performing morning tasks, but he was completely gone from the room.

Puzzled, she eased herself out of bed and began to put on some clothes. She was about to pull on her usual black undersuit, but noticed a chair with something on it. Curiously, she moved to examine it. It was a slim but warm jacket, a nice burlywood color with blue highlights that matched her eyes. Definitely her style. She noticed a pair of new blue pants as well, ones with intricate markings and decorative patterns.

Knowing the only person who could have left these here, she smiled and began to pull them on. Within a minute or so, she looked at herself in the mirror, admiring the new garments. He definitely knew her tastes, that was for sure. Satisfied, she walked out the door to fulfill her second objective of the day.

She stepped across the hall, and knocked on Aria's door. It wasn't too long before the Awoken girl opened it, revealing herself to also be dressed in festive clothing. "Matt?"

"Matt," Ash confirmed, answering her question as to who had left the new apparel in their rooms.

Aria examined herself and her new white coat with maroon accents. "I don't even know how he got in, let alone how he did so without waking me or Echo up."

Ash shrugged cheerfully. "He's a Hunter. It's kind of his job to be unseen and mysterious." Beckoning towards Aria, she began to walk out of the hallway. "C'mon, let's go find him."

The Warlock followed her, and together they made their way towards the courtyard. Upon exiting the Guardians' chambers, they found a peculiar sight awaiting them.

Guardians were all over the courtyard, looking up and around the plaza in awe. As the two followed their gazes, their own jaws dropped.

Strings of lights had been strung from the tops of the vaults, swirling around like little tornados of joy. That stretched above the air of the courtyard as well, connecting with the second level balcony above the chambers. Yellow and white lanterns hung in the air, floating with the snowy breeze and breathing new life into the frosty air. Ribbons of pristine white and gold were wrapped around the railings of the main veranda, with little bells attached under them, making a pretty chiming sound every time the wind blew.

"Liking the decorations, huh?" Both Ash and Aria jumped at the voice of Matt right next to them. Turning to look between them, he had sandwiched himself between them without either of them noticing. He was wearing his normal warm apparel, though she noticed it was noticeable more covered with snow.

"Did you do all this?" she asked, gesturing at the fantastic display of decorations that the other Guardians continued to marvel at.

He grinned. "I may have had a hand in it. Merry Dawning!" He pulled both of them in for a big hug, while simultaneously shaking his head. "Nope, that just… that just doesn't sound right."

Ash laughed, and looked around again. "It's beautiful." Indeed, the array of color was enough to lift anyone's spirits, and Matt's face lit up with joy from her praise.

Aria looked at the two of them and smirked knowingly. Deciding that their time might be better spent alone, she shyly slinked off to join the mass of Guardians in the courtyard.

Ash nestled herself into him, each of them feeling the warmth of the other radiating off them, and contently watching the childlike wonderment of the others. She was proud of him; he seemed to do something different for the Dawning every year, but he'd topped himself this time around. He said it was his favorite holiday, and it sure showed.

Unexpectedly, he snapped his fingers loudly. "I knew I forgot something! One second, it's in our- my room," he corrected, quickly spitting out the words. She giggled slightly at his embarrassment upon noticing his slip-up, but said nothing else. Truthfully speaking, she'd be blushing if she weren't made of metal. Little did he know that she liked what he'd just called it.

"Here, follow me." He took off without her, leaving her curious as to what he could possibly be getting. Deciding to play along, she jogged back towards his room. He had just disappeared into it when she arrived, and she swung the door open to see him sitting with a grin on the bed.

She tilted her head in confusion, and walked several steps forward. "What did you-?"

He held up a hand, and she stopped moving. "Ah, ah, ah, I'm afraid you've stepped into an ancient trap from centuries ago." He pointed at the ceiling.

Following the direction of his finger, she saw something hanging on the ceiling that hadn't been there when she'd woken up. It was a little snippet of a plant, not much more than a few leaves and white berries. A small red bow was tied to it, keeping it attached to a string hanging from the ceiling. "What is that?"

He shrugged with a sly smile. "Mistletoe. Instead of the Dawning, we had Christmas in my first life. Kind of similar, but not really. Anyway, there was an old tradition that surrounded it."

She looked coyly at him. "And what would that tradition be?"

"It's said," he explained while standing up from the bed and walking over to her, "that when two people walk under mistletoe, they're supposed to kiss."

She noticed him now standing next to her, and she made a 'tsk' noise as she understood the gist of what was happening. "Oh dear, look at where you've stepped. I suppose there's only one way out from under here?"

"Only one way that I know of." He leaned in close, and she closed her eyes eagerly, enjoying the cute moment between them that he'd set up. They shared a kiss, and then locked gazes with one another. She smiled warmly.

"I love you."

He nodded. "Oh, I know."

She waited for a few moments before rolling her eyes and punching him playfully on the arm. "Oh, come on! You can't do that!"

He laughed, but relented. "I love you too, Ash." He leaned in again, and planted another kiss which she enthusiastically received.

"Merry Dawning."

A/N: I know you're still waiting on The Taken War to arrive, but with the new update and general holiday spirit, I felt that I had to at least write something for you guys. So here's a short (but sweet) chapter to tide you guys over the holiday season. Merry Christmas, everyone! And a [insert festive adjective] Dawning, Guardians!

Until the next time,

- Matteoarts