Digimon Christmas Carol Final Chapter
Matt looked at the cloaked person. He was tall and his face was covered by the hood.
"You are Koji, the ghost of Christmas yet to come, right?" Matt asked. Koji gave no answer, he just nodded and pointed.
"You're going to show me things that have not happened, yet will later on right?" Koji just pointed, Matt was anxious yet nervous about what he was going to see.
"Spirit of the future." Matt said. "I fear you more than any other spirit. But I know your purpose is to do good, and as I hope to live to be a new man. I'm want to be with you, but will you not speak to me?" Koji gave him no reply and continued to point.
"Lead on spirit." Matt said. Koji started walking and Matt followed him to what looked like the city, but it looked darker and there were people all over the town. Koji pointed to two people who were talking and Matt approached them to hear what they were saying.
"No." The first person said. "Don't know much about it. All I know is that he is dead."
"When did he die Willis?" Another asked.
"Last night I believe." Willis said.
"What was the matter with him?" Asked a girl who just entered. "I thought he'd never die."
"God knows Rika." He said.
"What has he done with his money?" The second guy asked.
"I haven't heard Lou. Probably left it too his company, all I know is that I didn't get it." Everyone laughed after that remark.
"It's likely he had a very cheap funeral." Willis continued. "Of coarse I don't know if anybody's going to it. But I suppose we could volunteer and have a party for him."
"As long as there are snacks there." Lou said, causing more laughter.
"Well I am the most disinterested in this subject." Willis continued. "We never really were close friends. Well, bye." Then everyone left. Matt turned to Koji for an explanation. But Koji continued to say nothing and led Matt onto another street with two people on it. Matt knew that those people were Ryo and Jim, two great business men.
"How are you?" Shin asked.
"Fine, how are you?" Ryo returned.
"Well, I heard that old scratch has got his own at last."
"So I have heard. Cold isn't it?"
"Seasonable for Christmas. So are you a skater."
"No. Well, good morning."
Then the two of them left without saying another word. Matt had no idea why Koji wanted him to listen to these conversations. He thought that they were no importance to him. But he wondered what they could be. He thought they might have something to do with Tai Kamiya, but he knew that it was the past and not the future. And he couldn't think of anyone else he knew who was like that. But he remembered everything they said and waited to observe what he would be like in the future.
Then Koji took the slums of the streets, where the lower class, poor, and drunks hanged out. They approached a low class shop that was filled with all kinds of junk. Running it was a man with reddish brown hair. And soon three women approached.
"Well Davis." The first one said. "We picked up some stuff from that miser."
"Excellent." Davis said to them. "We should get a good deal for it. Why don't we enter the parlour." Matt and Koji followed Davis and the women as they entered the parlour to his place.
"So Jun what did you pick up?" Davis asked.
"Just some odds and ends." Jun said as she emptied her stuff. The items that were inside were some sheets and towels, two silver spoons, a pair of sugar tongs, and some old boots. Davis looked at all of the objects.
"Well, there's a lot of junk, but I can never say no to a lady." Davis said. "And I would've expected better from him. So what did you get Nikki?"
"All I have is inside here." Nikki said as she handed him a bundle. Davis picked it up and opened it.
"So these must be his bed curtains?" Davis said.
"Yes." Nikki said as the women started laughing. "His bed curtains."
"You don't mean to tell me that you took them, rings and all, with him just lying there?"
"Why not, he doesn't need them anymore."
"You'll do well in this business Nikki." Davis said to her. "So what did you get Ayaka?"
"His blankets." Ayaka said.
"Those are his blankets?" Davis asked.
"Yes, who else could those have belonged too. And he isn't likely to catch a cold without them."
"Well I hope he didn't die by catching something." Davis said, looking up.
"Don't you be afraid of that!" Ayaka told him. "I wasn't so fond of his company that I'd loiter around him for such things, if he did. His shirt was so great you couldn't find a single hole in it. It was the best he had and a fine one too. It would have been wasted if it wasn't for me?"
"Wasted?"
"They would have buried him in it. And somebody id, until I took it off. Besides, he couldn't look uglier in it then without it."
Matt watched in horror as the four of them laughed at all the things they said.
"Spirit." Matt said as he shuddered. "I fear the case of this unhappy man might be my own. My life tends that way now. Merciful heaven, what is this!" Koji still didn't say a thing and took him some streets that were familiar to him. When they arrived at a house, he expected to see himself in it, but instead he only found the Matsukis. Matt looked inside, but he only found Jeri and the kids resting around the fire. The house was very quiet, all of the joy that was inside the kids had faded. Mako was just reading a book and Jeri and the girls were only sewing.
"The colour hurts my eyes." Jeri said.
"The colour." Susy said. "Poor Tommy."
"They're better again. It makes them weak by candle light and I don't want to show your father my weak eyes when he comes home. And besides, I think his time has almost come too."
"Past it rather." Mako said. "But I think he has walked a little slower than he used to these few nights."
"I remember walking with him." Ai said. "He walked very fast with Tommy on his shoulder, very fast indeed."
"I remember walking with him too." Susy said.
"And so have I." Mako added.
"He was very light to carry." Jeri said. "And your father loved him so, he was no trouble. And he's coming right now."
Takato entered the house and Jeri and the kids came to greet him. Takato praised Jeri and the girls for their work and rested.
"They would be long before Sunday." Takato said to Jeri.
"Sunday, you went today Takato." Jeri said.
"Yes my dear. I wish you could have gone. It would have done you good to see how green a place it is. But you'll see it often. I promised him I'd walk there on a Sunday."
Takato started crying at the thought of it and the family came to comfort him. In the corner Matt noticed a stool by the fire, and a crutch without an owner. Matt's heart was heavy at the sight of that.
Then Koji pointed to a churchyard with an iron gate. They walked over there and Koji pushed the gate open. Then he stretched out his arm and pointed to something. Matt looked and saw that it was a tombstone, a grave far from others.
"Spirit." Matt said. "Before I look upon that stone to which you point, please answer this one question. Are these the shadows of what will happen, or are these shadows of things that might happen?"
Koji still said nothing and continued to point. Matt walked over to the stone and slowly read the name on it. Matt was shocked by what he read, Matt Ishida. Matt fell to his knees.
"Am I the one who laid upon his bed and died alone?"
Koji just pointed to Matt and back again.
"Spirit hear me!" Matt cried as he grasped Koji's cloak. "I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been for this intercourse. Why show me this if I am past all hope! I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the past, the present, and the future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh tell me I may sponge away with the writing on this stone!"
Matt continued to hold on the Koji's cloak and had his hands in prayer formation. Then the cloak collapsed and turned into a bed post.
Matt found himself back in his room, everything was there. Matt was overjoyed at the sight.
"I will live in the past, present, and future." Matt said. "The spirits of all three will strive within me. Thank you Tai, heaven, and Christmas time." Then he looked at his stuff.
"My bed curtains are here." Matt said as he held one. "I don't know what to do, I'm just so happy. Merry Christmas to everybody and a Happy New Year too. I don't know what time it is, but it is still a time to be merry."
Matt looked out his window and saw clear weather. He noticed Cody down there too.
"You there!" Matt called down from the window. "What day is it today?"
"Why it's Christmas day!" Cody called back.
"It's Christmas day!" Matt said to himself. "I haven't missed it. The spirits have done it all in one night! But they can do anything. Hello my young friend."
"Hello." Cody called back.
"Do you know where the Poulterers is?"
"I sure do."
"Great! Do you know if they've sold their prize turkey that was hanging in the window?"
"The one that's as big as me?"
"Yes that's the one."
"It's there right now."
"Here, take this shilling and buy it. Then tell them to bring it back to me and I'll tell them where to send it. Come back in five minutes and I'll give you half a crown."
"I will sir." Cody said as he rushed to the store.
"I'll send it to Takato." Matt said. "Boy will he and his family be surprised."
Then Matt wrote the address down and shortly after that, the turkey arrived. Matt gave them the address, but told them not to tell Takato who sent it.
Matt went about the streets greeting everyone he saw. They were all surprised because they knew who Matt was, but were still willing to greet him. He had not gone far when he noticed Joe and Henry on the streets. He ran over to them when he saw them.
"Good day gentlemen." Matt said. "How do you do? I hope you succeed in your fund raiser. And Merry Christmas."
"Mr. Ishida?" Henry asked.
"Yes that's my name. I know it's has a bad reputation, but I'm here to bring good will towards men with this." Matt said as he whispered something to them.
"Mr. Ishida are you serious?" Joe asked.
"Sure am." Matt said. "And not a farthing less."
"Sir, I don't know what to say?" Henry said.
"Don't say a thing please." Matt said. "And come and see me later on."
"We will" Joe said as Matt continued along the way. Then he approached the house of his nephew and knocked on the door. TK and Kari both answered this.
"TK, how nice it is to see you!" Matt said.
Both were shocked to see Matt like this.
"Uncle?" TK said.
"That's right, I've come to tell you that I want to dine with you. Will you let me?"
"Sure thing." TK said.
"Thanks." Matt said. And Matt did, he dined with them and played all the games with TK, Kari, and their friends.
The next morning came and Matt waited outside of his counting house and waited for Takato. Takato arrived and saw Matt, not looking very happy.
"Hello." Matt said to him in a gruff voice. "What business do you have by coming at this hour?"
"I'm very sorry sir, I am behind my time." Takato answered.
"I have noticed." Matt said. "Step this way sir."
"It's only once a year sir, it shall not be repeated."
"I will not tolerate this any longer! I'm going to increase your salary."
Takato was nervous about what Matt was going to do with him, until he heard the last part.
"A Merry Christmas Takato." Matt continued. "I'm going to raise your salary and help with your struggling family. We'll discuss it this afternoon at lunch. And another thing, why don't you buy some more coal for your fire too."
______________________________________________________
Matt was better than his word. He did it all and infinitely more; and to Tommy, who did not die, he became a second father. He was a good friend to everyone in town and as good as a man could get. People wondered what changed Matt around, but Matt didn't care, he knew it wasn't something on Earth that changed him.
Matt never had another intercourse with the spirits, but lived up to what they wanted him to be. And he knew how to keep the morals within him. And as Tommy observed, God bless us, everyone!
The End.