Goodwill, Chapter 5:

A few hours after Lin dragged me and Mia to BLADE Tower and out, we proceeded to help decorate the Commercial District. Along the way, all sorts of silly antics are occuring. One of the least surprising examples was at a pizzeria called Army Pizza. Such a place was initially not-so-popular amongst humans. But when the Ma-non came, its popularity suddenly exploded... in more ways than one. Long story. Let's focus on the now.

Apparently, the Ma-non wanted to know what a Christmas dinner is like by having Army Pizza make a flavor based on it. And we happened to drop by to witness it.

"Hmm..." Lin started thinking.

"What's up, Lin?" Mia asked.

"A pizza themed after a traditional Christmas dinner..." Lin continued to ponder, fingertip on her chin.

"What would it be like?" I started pondering as well.

"If I had to guess... Chicken or turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and carrots. That's probably what the Ma-non are trying to sample." Lin assumed.

"Well, if we were to eat pizza at all today, we'd probably just go for traditional pizzas, like what Smile Pizza Kitchen has to offer." I stated.

"Besides, Shallot looks like she's gonna be very busy, judging by the Ma-non over there." Mia commented.

"Welp, I think we should go someplace else for lunch." I said while scratching my head.

"How about... How about Rosemoss?" Mia pointed out at the restaurant to our right.

"Good point, Mia! Maybe we can grab a bite to eat there, and maybe help decorate it." I smiled at Mia's suggestion.

"Maybe Tatsu can join, too!" Tatsu was gleefully hopping around.

"I wonder where Elma is, though?" I pondered.

"We'll find out in a while, possibly. Right now, let's get something for ourselves." Lin said as she opened the door.

"Lin's right, Chief. I'm sure Elma's getting lunch somewhere while decorating it." Mia commented as she entered, to which the rest of us did along the way.

"Hmm? What's this about me?" We heard a familiar voice, but we turned to the direction of a certain xeno, whose presence caught us off-guard.

"Elma?! We... We didn't expect you to be here." I was startled especially.

"No, that's fine. To be fair, I didn't expect you guys to come here either. I was coming here for lunch, and then I'll help decorate Rosemoss for the party. The fact that you guys ended up coming here made things more pleasant." Elma reassured us.

"Whew... Elma almost gave Tatsu heart attack. Meh!" Tatsu sighed.

"Give her a break, Tatsu. She already said she didn't expect us to be here either." Lin proceeded to scold Tatsu.

"Ah! Elma, it appears your teammates have come as well." said Pauline, the owner of Rosemoss.

"Indeed, they have. Even I didn't expect them to arrive." Elma nodded.

"Lin, I've got someone who wants to meet you soon." Pauline informed Lin.

"Oh? Who might that be?" Lin asked.

"You'll see in a moment. I've got a surprise for you." said a deep human voice. When we turned, we saw Doug, a professional Harrier who helped us through a few missions. He was dressed up in a rather decorated sweater while he held up some cups of cocoa.

"Oh! Hi, Doug! Fancy meeting you here!" Lin waved at Doug.

"Indeed so. I've got something for you." Doug said as he handed Lin a warm cup.

"Is this... hot cocoa?" Lin asked as she received the cup.

"Yep. And it's from your favorite place, Lin. Merry Christmas." Doug smiled.

"Wow..." Lin placed the cup on a nearby table, then proceeded to give Doug a big hug, before saying, "...Thank you."

"Oof!" Doug reacted because of how strong Lin's hug was, but then he calmed down and said, "...You're welcome, Lin."

"You did great, Doug. Now Lin won't have to worry about buying a drink here." I smiled while giving a thumbs up.

"Thanks, Cross. I have a debt to pay to Lin, and I intend to do it. And Christmas was the perfect opportunity to continue it." Doug nodded.

Shortly, Lin let go of Doug before turning to me and the others. "Alright," she said. "Let's say we make our order! Elma, did you get something to eat?"

"Not yet, Lin. I was figuring out what to order when you guys came." Elma shook her head.

"Then let's order together. I'll pay for everyone's orders." I said as I pulled out my debit card.

"Even Tatsu's?!" Tatsu asked in anticipation and excitement. I nodded in response, and he had grew an overjoyed expression on his face.

"And Pauline? Why don't we help decorate this place after we eat?" Elma offered to Pauline.

"But of course. We're having a Christmas party in this entire district, are we not? I believe Rosemoss should take advantage of this, too." It didn't take Pauline very long to agree.

And so, we placed our orders at the cashier. Elma had ordered chicken strips with medium fries and a glass of cola; I ordered a bacon chicken sandwich, medium fries, and a glass of orange creamsicle soda; Lin ordered a bacon double cheeseburger with medium fries, but no drink, due to the hot cocoa that Doug gave her earlier; Mia ordered a double decker hamburger, medium fries, and a glass of lemon-lime soda; and Tatsu ordered... well, I can't remember what he ordered. Point is, we ordered a lot, and by the end we were stuffed beyond belief.

Once we finished eating, we helped decorate Rosemoss in case anyone wants to eat here during the Christmas party, for any reason or another. I've been hanging some circular plants called "wreaths" that are also decorated, themselves. Some contain round ornaments, others containing ribbons... some even containing both! Due to my amnesia, I have no memories if I ever had celebrated Christmas, so this was all such a new experience to me.

Eventually, our decoratings came to an end, but there was still a bit of time before the sun starts setting. As the sun starts to set, the Director General will present a speech of ideas given by particular BLADEs, such as Lin. Although Lin's is supposed to be a surprise, and one near the end of the party, too.

As we came back to East Melville Street, we were in for a surprise... The Director General himself is approaching near the tree.

"Is the sun setting already?" I asked in confusion.

"It's getting there, Chief, judging by the looks of the sky." Mia pointed out.

"Why don't I ask him a question?" Elma asked us.

"It's up to you, Elma." Lin replied. "You've got the best chance with him that we don't." Mia and I nodded in agreement.

"Alright, then." Elma sighed before going to meet Chausson. "Hey, Director General Chausson? It's rare to see you out here. May I ask...?"

"I know what you're going to ask, Elma. I'm just preparing myself for the speech. Especially since it's about the plans for the party." Chausson anticipated what Elma was going to ask him.

"So... as soon as the sun sets... that's when your speech begins?" Elma asked.

"Indeed. I will make sure everyone can hear me, and..." Chausson was about to make a statement, but Elma politely interrupted him.

"Pardon me for interrupting, Chausson, but I have a suggestion, myself." Elma spoke up.

"Oh? What would you suggest?" Chausson asked in a curious tone.

"Why not leave the speech to Nagi instead? He's just as good at making such things. Not to mention, he's better at making public speeches, whereas your specialty is announcements. You recall when New LA was attacked?" Elma informed him.

"I do recall that, but even so, that's your suggestion?" Chausson appeared to be slightly confused.

"Yes. I suggest you continue doing work in BLADE Tower. That's all I have to say." Elma nodded.

Chausson thought for a moment, but seeing that Nagi had secretly followed him, he decided "...Very well. I see you have a point, Elma. Nagi, I trust you can perform the public speech on my behalf?"

"Of course. As Elma said, public speeches like this are my specialty. Just leave this to me." Nagi nods.

After that, Chausson leaves, trusting Nagi with the speech about BLADE's first Christmas party.

"That... was an interesting move." Lin commented as my jaw dropped at Elma's suggestion, to the point where Mia comically tried to close my mouth by raising my jaw.

"I figured it'd be better if Nagi handled this instead of Chausson. More people trust Nagi, especially since he handled the public speech hours before New LA was attacked." Elma stated.

"I can't remember where I was when New LA was attacked. Was probably out of the city at the time at Oblivia or something." Mia said, putting her hand on her chin, in thought. "Eh, whatever. Let's focus on the now."

"Yes, you're right about that." Elma nodded.

"Either way, the sun looks to start setting in a few minutes." I said as I looked at the sky.

"Then I will begin the speech soon. I have the microphone, and I'll try to make sure everyone in New LA hears me." Nagi nods as he approaches the Christmas tree that Rock helped set up earlier.

This time though, the Christmas tree looked much different than before. What used to be a plain green tree was now adorned with a multitude of lights and small ball-like things. I could also make out some figures hanging from the tree too.

"You know what, guys? It appears the tree has been decorated since we last saw it." I pointed out.

"That's right, Cross. Decorating the tree is part of Christmas traditions. All that's missing is the phogrium star." Elma nodded.

"Well, when the star goes up, that's when the party begins." Nagi commented.

Just then, Celica and Rock showed up, finishing their stroll from before. "We're ready to do our part, Nagi." Celica said while saluting.

"That's good to know, Celica." Nagi smiled. "And by the way, you don't have to salute here. It's a time for celebration and relaxation, not rigid customs. Anyhow... by the time you two do your part, that's when the party begins."

"Forgive me. I understand what you're saying. I shall do my part all the same." Celica apologized.

"Wait, you have a role in this, too, Celica?" I asked while scratching my head.

"Of course. I'll be plugging the lights in. See that outdoor outlet?" Celica said as she pointed at an outlet outside one of the towers.

"I see. Also, lights?" I asked as I looked at the tree.

"They're all around the tree. Notice the pattern like a swirl going up to near the top of the tree? Kind of like a drill?" Lin asked.

"Yes, I see it." I nodded.

"Well, Chief, those are Christmas lights. Once the sky's dark, the lights will look pretty." Mia smiled.

"And, of course, Rock will be putting up the star, right?" Elma asked.

"That's right. I don't even need to lift my heels just to have my arms reach the tree's top." Rock nodded.

"I'm not surprised, Rock. You did help put up the tree earlier today, so I'm not surprised you can do that, too." I smiled.

"Yeah! What friend said just now!" Tatsu hopped and started hovering next to me. He didn't last too long in the air, as his bag weighed him down before too long. "Oof!"

"Well, in a few minutes, the speech will begin." Elma looked at the sky, for the sun was slowly looking like it's going to set soon.


Once the sunset has begun, Nagi began tapping the microphone, hoping all of the Commercial District could hear. "Is this thing on? Hello? Testing, testing." he said, hoping to have his voice echo... to which it did. "Could those who are going to celebrate BLADE's first Christmas party please come to the joint between Center and East Melville Streets, please? All cars have been barred from the Commercial District."

The next few minutes were about the BLADEs and citizens approaching the joint area, especially since all cars are barred from the Commercial District due to the party. Once it was confirmed that everyone has appeared, Nagi cleared his throat as he begins his speech.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome to BLADE's very first Christmas party. A lot of BLADEs, myself included, have come up with such wonderful ideas for such a party. And I'm ready to reveal them. But first, I know some of you expected the Director General to make such this speech. But the fact that I'm here was actually the idea of our good friend, Elma."

Elma reacted rather modestly as the crowd waved at her, to the point she nervously waved at them, nervous smile and all. The sight of her being nervous was admittedly fairly amusing. She could stare down a large indigen with no trepidation, but up front of a crowd she's out of her element. ...Or at least that's what I think.

"Anyways, first, we'd like to announce a few activities across the Commercial District that'll be happening across the party. First, we will be having a snowball fight near the Nopon Bazaar. Apparently, humans and Nopon share a common love of snowball fights, for this was suggested by Nan, leader of the Nopon Commerce Guild." Nagi gave the first part of the speech. The crowd started clapping out towards Nan, who was happy for the reception. Nagi continued. "Worry not, as these 'fights' are for sport and we partake in them with the intent to enjoy ourselves and have a laugh. Remember that we do not condone violence amongst each other here in NLA. We stand strong by the rules."

"Nan's Nopon team help build two snow forts. Feel free to join at no additional cost!" Nan shouted with glee. The crowd cheered, excited for the festivities. Nagi waited for the crowd to simmer down before continuing with his speech.

"Next, there will be an ice skating rink down below the city. As you all know, the cushioning gel below the city has become frozen solid since the first day of snowfall. One of our BLADEs, Alexa, suggested skating on the frozen gel. Much like snowball fights, this is also another one of our pastimes from Earth, where we would glide across ice. It's tricky at first and requires some balance, but once you get used to it, the experience is certainly very unique and enjoyable. Some use ice skating as a way to perform on the ice rink as well. I'm getting ahead of myself, however. If anyone wants to leave the ice rink, Alexa can use her Skell to quicken the process. She's also hired a few back-up BLADEs to assist her. Our Outfitters have also seen to it that ice-skates made for all races are available. Let's give it up for Alexa!" He gestured towards Alexa and the crowd rooted for her, who happily waved out.

"I'm surprised Alexa, of all people, suggested ice skating on the frozen gel." I stated.

"Knowing her, it'd put her Skell to use for those who want to leave." Lin theorized.

"As those happens, there will be more special events, such as a group of Nopon making what we humans call Santa hats. ...Like this one." Nagi said as he pulls out a red floppy triangular hat with a white fluffy sphere on the top, with the bottom being surrounded by white fluff.

...It's kind of tricky to describe it's appearance.

"Is that a Santa hat?" I felt puzzled.

"We'll explain after the speech." Mia nodded.

"This idea was suggested by Loma, Nan's aide." Nagi announced, and the crowd was cheering for Loma, who humbly bowed while smiling.

"Also, there will also be some fireworks later on. The four Nopon caravans across Mira are once again working together, this time for some holiday themed fireworks. The Dodonga, Dorian, Dopang, and Drongo Caravans will all be working together, this time to create some Christmas fireworks. This was suggested by an up-and-coming Nopon Merchant named Tora." Nagi commented.

Tora started waving to the crowd as they cheered for him. The only one who didn't look happy at Tora's involvement... was Tatsu.

"Meh meh meh! Fireworks all Tora's idea? And how did Tora convince Dodonga Caravan?!" Tatsu questioned.

"Hey, Tatsu! Tora thought, from what Tora learned about Christmas, Tora decided to put rivalry with Tatsu aside just for this holiday. Tora thought to convince Dodonga Caravan for this very reason." Tora told Tatsu as the crowd continued to cheer.

"Meh... Tatsu wish Tatsu can disagree... But Tatsu see Tora's point this time." Tatsu scratched his head.

"Chief, do you recall that time we helped Tora meet his parents?" Mia asked me.

"Of course. Tatsu literally clenched his teeth the whole time. He apparently doesn't like the idea of helping Tora." I nodded.

"Thank you, Tora, we are looking forward to that. The next event that'll be happening... is actually my idea." Nagi commented, which intrigued the crowd. "It'll be an eggnog drinking contest. Our predetermined competitor... is none other than Commander Vandham."

And just as Nagi mentioned Commander Vandham, the latter showed up.

"I dunno how you dragged me into this, Nagi, but I will do my best." Vandham said as he flexed his muscles. The crowd cheered for Vandham and Nagi.

"Eggnog? What's eggnog?" I asked.

"It's a kind of drink. It's made from milk, cream, sugar, whipped egg whites, and egg yolks. Some versions even have alcohol in it." Elma explained.

"That's... That sounds like a most unusual drink. I'm not sure if I can handle it." I felt more repulsed by the idea than I was letting on.

"You don't have to participate if you don't want to." Lin commented.

"Splendid, Commander Vandham." Nagi continued. "Now, if anyone wants to participate in this contest, you're more than welcome to. In addition, to keep things lively, we will be playing Christmas songs. And finally, we do have a special surprise waiting at the end of the party. So far, only me, Vandham, Chausson, and those who suggested it, know what it is. But it shall be a pleasant surprise."

The crowd started murmuring about what it might be. I grinned, listening into the speculation, knowing full well what it was already. In the corner of my eye, I saw Lin grinning too. I guess she was thinking the same thing as I was.

"Elma's gonna be especially surprised about this. I'm just gonna have to keep it between me, Cross, Mia, and Tatsu." Lin thought in her head while smiling.

"All the restaurants and shops are open for this party, welcoming all guests. Just remember to be courteous, especially to people who celebrate a different holiday and come to the Commercial District just to shop. Finally, I have one more announcement before we start. Since the sun is almost completely down, now is the perfect time." Nagi said as he briefly turned towards the tree.

That's when Celica and Rock prepare to get in their places. Rock carried the phogrium star, while Celica was preparing to plug the lights.

"This was suggested by Celica, for she intends to plug the lights, while having her friend, Rock, intending to put a star on top of the tree. Would you two care to do the honors?" Nagi asked them.

"Of course." Celica nodded before plugging in the lights, and boy, were they nice and pretty. I can understand the crowd's amazement at the lights, and all the different colors they were at, for how pretty they are. "Now, Rock!" Celica ordered Rock.

Rock didn't even need to lift his heels to get the phogrium star on the tree. And wow, was the star bigger than the phogrium crystal it previously was. I was curious about how they did that, even.

"Is the the the star on the tree?" said a Ma-non voice, communicating with Celica via headset.

"Yes. Aim both searchlights on the star." Celica requested, and the two Ma-non on each tower aimed the spotlights on the star before turning them on. And wow, did the star shine bright.

"Now that the announcements are done... Let the very first Christmas party for BLADE begin!" Nagi announced in excitement, and everyone cheered before they got to have fun. So much had happened, so I'm going to reveal only some highlights.

We had some snowball fights, for starters. But my favorite one was when I barely dodged a Prone's massive snowball, and then proceeded to retaliate with a good shot. He did congratulate my team for such fun, even though the snowball he threw at me was literally larger than my head.

I had a bit of difficulty with the ice skating. I'm not sure how the frozen gel became slippery, considering it's not the case with the gel that's surrounding the city. But I managed to get the hang of it. Although... Elma struggled even more, for she slipped a few more times than I did, but she tried to shake it off every time. Eventually, Alexa and one of her fellow Skell pilots got us back up to the city itself.

While I was watching some Nopon making Santa hats, I learned that they're named after a man of Christmas legend, named Santa Claus. I almost feel like I actually remember that name, which is kind of impressive for an amnesiac. Nonetheless, I learned that on Chrismas Eve, which is apparently December 24th, is when he flies around the whole world, delivering presents. Some people are hoping that he managed to escape the Earth's destruction, so to say.

Eventually, the fireworks had arrived, and everyone was in awe at what we were witnessing. They were very Christmas themed this time. No doubt, the Nopon Caravans across Mira have worked hard on those fireworks, so we made sure to enjoy them as much as possible. Even Tatsu forgot about his rivalry with Tora, even while knowing the fireworks was Tora's idea. As this happens, Mia and I looked back at when we helped Tora reunite with his parents, which happened a few days after we recovered the Lifehold Core.

After some more fun, we came to Barista Court when it was time to compete in the eggnog drinking contest. As Nagi mentioned, the main opponent was Commander Vandham. Nagi paid all the grocery stores on Mira for plenty of cartons of eggnog, and once the contest is over, he aims to give all the used cartons to the Zaruboggan, who intend on using the voltant, as they call it, for their nutrition.

"Alright, now, who wants to compete in the eggnog-drinking contest?" Nagi offered.

"How about I join first?" The first person to join was an Interceptor named Frye Christoph.

"Heh. Not surprised Frye went first." said a once-overambitious Pathfinder named Hector Birtwhistle, better known as HB.

"Yeah. I still recall bribing him with alcohol in order to get him to come with us to Weeping Whitewood." I pointed out in agreement.

"As do I, Cross. Using alcohol to convince Frye, predictably, always works." HB stated.

"What about you, HB? Want to prove your superiority?" I asked, but surprisingly, HB shook his head.

"I appreciate the offer, Cross, but I think myself above silly antics. I am interested to see how it fares, that said. How about you?" HB asked, but was surprised to see a look of subtle disgust on my face.

"From what I was told... it sounds like a most unusual drink. I am not interested in competing in such a thing." I grimaced.

"I see." HB said.

"How about I give it a go?" said an eager Reclaimer known as Yelv.

"Interested in joining our contest, Yelv?" Nagi asked.

"Well, of course. I aim to show Eleonora I can handle things myself." Yelv smiled.

"Very well. Anyone else want to join?" Nagi asked... yet nobody replied. "Very well. I'll join, myself."

"You... You sure about that, Nagi?" Vandham asked out of surprise.

"Why not? That's the real question." Nagi said before joining. "Shall we get started, now?"

Four cups were given to the competitors, and a few cartons of eggnog are to be given to each competitor.

"The rules are, whoever drinks the most before giving out is the winner. Best of luck." Nagi explained.

And this, the contest had begun. We can hear all four of them each getting rooted for by fans. I was intrigued by the possibility of who the winner could be. But before I could find out who could possibly be the winner, I was asked a surprising question from Irina.

"Hey, Cross? Do you know where Doug might be?" Irina asked me.

"W-Why ask me? I thought he's with us." I was confused. Then it hit me - we actually never seen him around the party at all. A sense of worry grew in my stomach as my mind raced thinking where he could be now, of all places.

"Hey... Maybe he's at that parking station?" Lin asked.

"Feel free to check it out and see if he's there. I doubt he'd miss something like this." Gwin suggested, to which Irina nodded in agreement.

As Lin and I were making our way through the crowd, we started searching for a path to the parking area. In that particular place, I once spoke to Doug when he had obtained a sports car, while he was off duty. So I figured he must have a reason for coming here.

"I wonder what Doug's thinking about? Surely, he was in a good mood when he got me the hot cocoa from my favorite place." Lin wondered.

"I'm curious, too." I nodded in agreement.

Eventually, when we got there, we found the Harrier himself. However, he looked glum for the moment. Then, in a bit, we decided to ask why he's looking glum out here by himself.

"Excuse me, Doug?" I asked, to which he barely turned his head around.

"...Hey, Cross. And Lin." he glumly said before looking back up at the sky north of New LA.

"You look like you're feeling unhappy." I noticed, before realization struck my face. "Let me guess... You're thinking about... him again, are you not?"

"Is it that obvious?" Doug pondered.

"Irina and Gwin were wondering where you were. I'd say... judging from your face, you truly are thinking about Lao again." Lin frowned while guessing.

"...Yep. You got me there. I know about what Lao did, but I wish he were here to celebrate Christmas with us. Surely, he's probably out there somewhere. I just wish he were here with us to join us in celebrating Mira's first Christmas." Doug explained.

"...I understand how you feel, Doug." Lin lowered her head.

"Hmm?" Doug turned around.

"But think of it this way, Doug. We recovered the Lifehold Core. Maybe when Lao does come back, we'll be able to celebrate the next Christmas with him." Lin explained.

"Good point, Lin. Lao still has a lot of mistakes to make up for, and I recall him promising some tea for you." I commented.

"Heh. I almost forgot about that." Doug smiled. "All the more reason for him to get his butt back here and fulfill that promise. Even I did when I gave you that hot cocoa, Lin. Remember?"

"Yeah. We'll all be by his side when he returns to redeem himself." Lin smiled as well.

"Too right. Anyways, thanks for cheering me up, I need some Christmas cheer in my life again. I'll return to the party." Doug said as he prepares to head to Barista Court.

As Lin and I were about to head back, we saw Mia and Tatsu, both trying to wave at us.

"What are Mia and Tatsu doing over there?" I asked in confusion.

"I don't know. I guess whatever it's about, I think we'll be missing out on who wins the eggnog contest." Lin commented.

Nonetheless, we came to approach Mia and Tatsu, wondering what they wanted.

"What's up, Mia? And Tatsu?" I asked.

"Just you and Linly, friend?" Tatsu whispered.

"Yes. We helped comfort Doug in regards to Lao's disappearance." I replied.

"He's on his way back to Barista Court." Lin said.

"Well, this is just between the four of us, but before the contest started, Nagi handed me this. It's the lyrics to the song that you suggested earlier, Lin." Mia revealed as she grabbed some papers.

"Oh? The lyrics to 'Hark! The Herald-Angels Sing'?" Lin asked.

"Yep. That the song Linly suggested, remember? Not that Tatsu know of it until soon." Tatsu nodded.

"Alrighty. What do you think, Cross?" Lin asked.

"Well... to be honest, I feel very nervous. I've never sung in front of a crowd, at least as far as I can remember." I said as I shook my head.

"How about this, Cross? We'll all take turns singing. That way you can get an idea of the melody." Lin suggested.

"Yeah. And you can sing last, in order to give you an even better idea." Mia agreed.

"...Alrighty, then. Where would be a good place to sing?" I asked.

"Tatsu have thought of good place. Tatsu think of friends doing it near Mall Cruz. Tatsu even suggest it to Nagi after speech." Tatsu was hopping around.

"So THAT's where you went, Tatsu! That's very considerate of you." Lin smiled.

"Anytime. Let's memorize lyrics and melody before we start." Tatsu suggested.

"Right. We'll need a bit of time to prepare. Then we'll sneak the entrance to Mall Cruz and let Nagi introduce the surprise." Lin nodded.

"I hope things go well..." I nervously smiled.

"It'll be fine, Chief. Do you want to let Elma down?" Mia asked.

"N-No! Of course not!" I insisted.

"Well, then, join us. We think Elma would especially love this." Lin offered.

"...Alright. I'll give it a go. Now, what's the melody like?" I asked.


An hour later, the crowd was bustling, now that the contest was over. Unfortunately, I never heard who was the winner, but as long as everyone enjoys the surprise, I'd be fine with that. In the meantime, Nagi was approaching Mall Cruz.

Knowing we have arrived in secrecy, Nagi tapped the microphone, hoping to gather the audience's attention. "Could I have all of the party's guests come to the front of Mall Cruz, please?" he asked, his voice echoing throughout the city.

And within a few minutes, everyone who has attended the party were gathering around Mall Cruz, wondering what Nagi wants. Elma, as far as I can tell, was especially curious.

"Is everyone enjoying this Christmas party, so far?" Nagi asked, to which everyone replied by cheering. "That's good to hear. Earlier, I mentioned this party will conclude with a special surprise. Well, the time has come. We have a trio of girls who would love to sing a traditional Christmas song to us all. And they will be coming out of Mall Cruz immediately." And then he stepped aside.

Coming out of the doors were me, Lin, and Mia. Our presence has surprised everyone for sure, especially Elma.

"They're responsible for the surprise? I wonder what they're up to?" Elma thought in her head while smiling.

"Ms. Koo, I'm going to hand the microphone to you." Nagi said as he did exactly that.

"Thanks, sir. Hello, I am Lin Lee Koo, hosting the last event of BLADE's first Christmas party. Accompanying me are Cross and Mia, and together, we'll be singing the traditional Christmas song called 'Hark! The Herald-Angels Sing'. I've always loved that song, to be honest, and I felt it was best sung in a heartwarming tone. I'll sing the first verse, Mia will go next, whereas Cross will sing the final verse." Lin announced.

The crowd was cheering, very impressed by what we were giving them. And so, some workers prepare to play an instrumental version of the song as Lin gives one more speech before she starts singing. "Before I start singing, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas."

And thus, Lin began singing the first verse of the classic song. It was clearly made with the religion in mind based on some of the lyrics.

Hark! The herald-angel sings

"Glory to the newborn King!

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled"

Those were the first lyrics that Lin ended up singing. When she repeated the first two lines in a high tone, she handed the microphone to Mia afterwards. From there, Mia sang the second verse, which had more religious tones than the first verse.

Hark! The herald-angel sings

"Glory to the newborn King!"

Once Mia got to this part of the song, she proceeded to hand the microphone to me. Lin and Mia sang the song in such a heartwarming tone, that I knew I would repeat such a tone. ...Apparently, my singing tone was even more heartwarming than what Lin and Mia delivered, not that their's wasn't any . Elma was especially smiling at my efforts.

Hark! The herald-angel sings

"Glory to the newborn King!"

And so, I concluded the song at this very moment. Everyone was applauding at our efforts, especially at the way I concluded. Elma came to the stage, and proceeded to hug me. "Well done, Cross. I'm amazed you could sing like that. And moreover, you, Lin, and Mia certainly surprised me with this choice of a song. I'm proud of all three of you." Elma smiled in a heartwarming way.

"Elma, can Mia and I join your hug?" Lin asked.

"Of course. Tatsu can join, too." Elma nodded.

And just like that, Lin, Mia, and Tatsu joined our hug. The crowd was in awe at our heartwarming hug.

"Merry Christmas, girls. This is going to be the best Christmas I've ever had." I smiled.

"As is will be mine, Cross. And I know the rest are going to say the same thing." Elma smiled.

Even if I had completely forgotten all Christmas Days back on Earth, I will forever remember this Christmas, with my new friends, who are like a true family for me. I've certainly come a long way from being an amnesiac, for I now fully remember the Christmas cheer. And this is where I will end my first Christmas story.


I would like to thank the Post-Miiverse Lifehold community on Discord for helping me with some wonderful ideas and suggestions to this holiday tale. They are wonderful people who are very understanding, and I'm glad to be part of such a strong community.

I would especially like to thank the user known here and there as "Evil Lucario" for suggesting some changes to help the story be better told. He's working on an EarthBound fanfic, by the way, so if you want to read it, he'll be fine with it.

Anyways, I would like to thank all those who helped me in writing this fanfic. I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas.