Note: Some AU/OOC will be in order.

An Azumanga Christmas Carol

Chapter 2a

Yukari was still snoozing. The teacher who had gone through so many mid-life crises, only to snuff them out with an "Oi, Baka," was still snoozing. On a whims she listened for the hour. Not like she cared, but for the first time in her life, she was afraid on the inevitable coming too soon. Amazing for a first time.

Looking at her alarm clock, Yukari watched it rapidly go from six, to seven, to eight all the way to twelve. "Eh? My clock's not working. Damn piece of crap." She laid it back in its place and went back to sleep. In his fleeting slumber, the thought of Kimura's ghost continued to penetrate her mind. She was thinking silently if this was a dream or not. Yukari remembered Kimura, and knew that in spite of his quirks, he was a very good teacher, but to have his life taken away, in some way, it was like shrapnel tearing at her insides. No, it must be the ghost. Shrapnel talking to her? Yukari wrestled these thoughts in her head.

Then the chimes rang, followed by an hour bell. "DONG!" At that point, Yukari woke up slowly, to the sight of light flashing up in the room. Yukari was amazed at what she saw.

It was a figure that looked too familiar, but yet too different. It was womanlike, and its hair was arranged in twin light brown ponytails, and the face bore a rather smug countenance, but also gentle and welcoming. Its skin was white, thought slightly tanned, as if it had been throwing itself to the sun for so long, the arms and legs were long and muscular, and its bosom was, rather, developed well enough for it to reach motherhood. The dress it wore was a white tunic, almost like a miniskirt, around its waist was a belt of solid gold, and it dress was trimmed with white daisies and sunflowers. The spirit held a branch of holly in its right hand, and a peace sign on its left. It was smiling rather brightly.

Yukari knew this figure was familiar. She had grown to be a young, beautiful girl. She then whispered, "Ch-Ch-Ch…Chiyo-chan?"

The spirit shook its head, saying in a rather British-like tone, "No, my name is not Chiyo."

"Then you are…the Spirit that was going to come here?"

"Mmm-hmmm."

Yukari was amazed at the sight. This figure, which could pass for a former student that was one of the most academic alumni ever, once a penguin, always a liability in the sports festivals with a certain girl from the Kansai, was in front of her. "Who, and what, are you?"

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past."

"Long past?"

"Nope. Your past."

Yukari studied the figure, as if to say, "Jesus Christ, I wanted to get some sleep, and now someone who looks like the super-cute child prodigy is waking me up at this time of night. What do you want?"

The Spirit, reading her mind, said, "I am here to show you who you were, for your own sake now. Come on, Miss Yukari, let's take a walk!"

"O…okay…" Yukari took the Spirit's hand, and they were both rising. Yukari, trembling, said, "I don't wanna fall!"

"Hold my hand tight," she said, "and off we go! Wheeee!"

As she spoke those words, they passed through the wall, and were on a road, many miles away from Tokyo. In fact, the Tokyo scenery was nowhere to be seen. There was only snow, and some trees, and even a few mountains.

"Do you remember this place?" the Spirit asked Yukari, as they walked along the road.

It took her only a few seconds, but Yukari realized where she was. Her eyes began to widen as her lips began to quiver.

"Your lips are trembling," the Spirit said. "Do you remember?"

"I could walk through this place with my eyes closed," Yukari replied.

"Well, well, how's that for forgetting it for so long! Come on, let's go."

Yukari was a little bit surprised that this Spirit was walking like a toy soldier, even spinning a little bit as the two of them went on their way. Maybe that would be an idea for the next big doll: a Chiyo-chan Barbie™. The concept was swiftly brushed aside as Yukari recognized every house, tree, and izakaya. She even saw one izakaya that her parents used to socialize at. The girls and boys dressed in winter kimonos were playing in the snow, and music could be heard around every corner. It was a small town, after all.

"Remember, these are shadows of what were," reminded the Spirit. "They don't know who we are."

As Yukari saw each of the travelers, naming them one by one, they stopped by an elementary school. In the classroom, a little girl with long brown hair was sitting down on a chair, looking straight at the blackboard.

"It looks like a little girl is left along, alone, all, all alone, still," the Spirit said. Yukari knew who that person was, and sobbed.

The two of them continued going around the town, and they stopped at what looked like a deserted house. Inside, Yukari saw her apparent younger self, reading a story from Arabia. Suddenly, what looked like a foreigner from that place (or was it Lebanon) appear outside the window of the house. He wore a bullwhip on his belt, and a huge grin with bared teeth, pearly white. Not only that, he was flexing his muscles like a bodybuilder of the modern era.

"Oh my god, it's Sheik Yerbooti!" Yukari exclaimed with a squeal. "It's the one and only Sheik Yerbooti! One Christmas, when that little lonely girl was left her all alone, he did come, just like that, and swept her off her feet. Poor girl!" She noticed two guys running down the hall. "And Kei and little brother Shinsuke, look out, there they go. And what's her face, who was put down in the carriage, asleep, at the Gate of Ding-Dang-Dong, don't you see her! And the Cherry Bomb turned upside down by the genie, there she is upon his head. Serves her right. What business had she to be married to Ben Doba!"

The Spirit laughed hesitantly, "Eheheheh…" She didn't know what Yukari was trying to say, but she assumed she understood what she was talking about. Or perhaps she was excited in the thrill in the moment, remembering what had happened.

In a split second, Yukari said, "I wish this could have happened again…but it's too late."

The Spirit, who smiled, said, "Okay, let's see another Christmas!" She waved her hand, and the former self of Yukari grew larger.

"Where are we now?" Yukari asked the Spirit.

"Look." They were back at the school, but this time, a young boy, dressed rather smartly, too smartly for Yukari's taste, came forward. He threw his arms around Yukari and kissed her several times, saying, "I have come to bring you home, sister! Home, home, home!"

Wiping her face, smiling, the girl said, "Home, little Rei?"

"Yep. Mom and Dad are so cool this year. Dad asked me if I should bring you home, and I said, 'Sure,' and he sent me in a taxi to bring you over here. So now we're off and going for one hell of a Christmas, my dear sister!"

"Man, I can't wait. Let's go!"

Voices down the hall said, "Bring down Master Tanizaki's box, there," and Yukari's homeroom teacher shook hands with her. Nodding, The younger Yukari carried Rei on her back as the two of them headed for the taxi. The two of them waved good bye as they got on the taxi, speeding off for the Tanizaki household.

Yukari and the Spirit watched the car drift by, and the Spirit said, "He was a kind person, but he had a huge heart."

"No kidding," she agreed.

"Died a man, and had children."

"One child," returned Yukari.

"True, and he was a younger brother of your friend!"

Yukari internalized this, saying, "Yep." Minamo Kurosawa did have a younger brother. Yukari shed a few tears a little bit, in semi-bitter remorse.

End Part 2a