Stave 2

Matt awoke when he heard the church bells ring. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve? It was past two when he went to sleep. He hadn't possibly slept through the whole day! Harty was very frightened about seeing Omni. Was it a dream or not? It kept bothering him. The hour seemed to fly past. Omni had told him the first spirit would appear at one.

Ding Dong!

"One." He said softly. The curtains on his windows were drawn back, it seemed, by a hand. The spirit hopped in, and went to Harty's bed. This figure was quite strange. It wore a white gown, with small orange and grey flowers on the trim and belt. It was almost transparent, and it almost seem to shift in shape, having wings, stripes, four legs, one leg, but usually seemed to look as a girl, with red hair, and light blue eyes. A light seemed to appear from its head.

"Are you...Are you the spirit that was sent to me?" Harty asked. "I am." Her voice was soft, calm, and high. "Who and what are you?" He demanded. "I am the Spirit of Christmas Past." She almost sang. "Long past?" He asked. "No. Your past." She said.

"Why are you here?" Matt asked. "For your welfare." The spirit stated. "Now, rise and walk with me." She motioned to the window. "But I am mortal, you cheese pooey Dido fan! I can't fly, like you!" This was ridiculous, thought Harty. "Take my hand." Harty clutched the ghost's fingers and she yanked him through the wall. But, instead of seeing Neopia, all he saw was grey mist. Then, he saw white snow upon the ground, and it was a clear winter day.

"What? This is where I grew up! I was but a newbie here!" Matt said with amazement. "You're sweating. What's that on your cheek? O.o" The spirit said, giggling. It was a pimple. Harty just muttered angrily. He walked over, with the spirit to the school playground. Many children were playing. He was able to name every one. "There's Nepu! And oh, look! Aqua!" He saw them all, and a small child, the only one not playing.

A tear rolled down Matt's cheek. The young boy was reading, and no one was playing with him. "Ali Baba..." Scrooge said nogalstically. "And Robinson Crusoe...the parrot, the green parrot, and...Oh...Poor boy!" "It is time to go to yet another Christmas." At those words, the young Matt grew, and the room changed.

A small girl came running up to Matt, and kissed him on the cheek. "Mattie! Oh, dear brother! I have come to bring you home!" "Home, Casey?" Matt said. "Yes. Father is nicer now. It's like heaven! Come home with me, brother!" Casey exclaimed. "We can spend Christmas together!"

"She was fragile. A breath could have withered her, but a large heart she had." The Spirit of Christmas Past said sadly. "Yes...I miss her." Harty said, frowning. "She died a woman." The ghost said. "And had, I believe, children." "One child." Matt replied. "Your nephew, Night."

The time shifted again, and now they were on a bust street. They stepped into a large warehouse. "Why, oh my god, it's Shadow! My old Professor!" Shadow looked up at the clock. "Mathew! Dick! Come over here." "Look!" Matt said to himself, "It's the old Dick!" The Spirit snickered. Matt glared at her. "It was his NAME, you K-PAXian slime." "No more work tonight," ShadowEater said, "Christmas Eve, Dick, Harty." As they finished up, many people entered. Dancers, good friends, strangers.

It was Shad's annual Christmas Eve Dance. Fiddlers fiddled, pianists(say that fast) played, and young couples danced. "Oh Mr. Shadow Eater Sir! Wonderful! Splendid!" Dick sang. "The Oitiest! Yes!" Young Matt added. "Nonsense...He only spent a few neopoints of mortal money on this party. Maybe 500, at the very most." The Spirit pointed out.

"It's more than that..." Matthew Harty said, for the first time for ages acting like his previous self. "He worked so hard, and it really was a blast...It didn't matter to us how much it cost, no, not then..."

Again, forward in time, Matt was older, and next to him stood a dazzling young lady in a blue gown, glimmering under the spirit's light. She was crying. "Matt... It seems that an idol has replaced your love for me." "What do you mean, Kaitlyn? I love you!" "You love your gold more than me. I have little, but I loved you so dearly. I am sorry, but I must leave you, Matt. Your greed is too large. What happened to the Mathew Harty I fell in love with?" "We were children when we fell in love. Things have changed." "It seems so..." Kav sobbed, "Goodbye, Mr. Harty." "I loved her so... Gold blinded me. But I did love her, and still today... Poor Kav." Harty sighed.

"It is time I must leave you," The Spirit of Christmas Past said. Her form shifted to that with wings, and she glided off. Matt threw himself into bed and fell fast asleep. Just two more, he thought. Two more spirits.