"I can't believe it!" DG said with delight. "It's not damaged." It was a handcrafted wooden chest and like DG's motorcycle it had weathered the storm and was mostly undamaged.

"What is it," Azkadelia asked quizzically.

"My Memory Box," it was made of polished wood (made from the Cedars of Lebanon claimed the carpenter) and carved on the lid was an exquisitely carved lighthouse guarding a raging ocean.

"It's beautiful," Az ran a finger over a swelling, frothing wave. "How do you open it?" There was no discernible latch or keyhole to be found.

DG smiled, "It's a puzzle." Carefully she pressed a sequence of waves and the lid popped open. She pushed back the lid. The contents smelled of dried lavender, inside were many of her most prized childhood possessions and memories from earth.

Az peered in, "May I?"

DG nodded, "Knock yourself out."

Az reached in and pulled something largish out that was wrapped in white tissue paper. Inside was a china doll in a pale blue dress with black hair and dark lavender eyes.

It bore a striking and startling resemblance to Azkadelia as a child.

DG shrugged under her sisters penetrating gaze. "Her name's Ariel. I wasn't much into dolls when I was little…but I loved this one." Her voice was low, "I guess I missed you…even if I didn't remember you."

Az pulled her in for an impulsive hug.

DG pulled out a small red stripped box with a red bow. She laughed aloud. "I remember this like you'd remember a dream.

It was a silver bell that reflected that shone in the candlelight like a star. It made a sound like angels heard on high.

Azkadelia reached out and touched the bell with one finger her face was a study in wonder as it pealed out load, happy and triumphant, "There's magic here." She caught a glimpse of snow and hot chocolate. "Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see," Az found herself whispering.

DG pulled something that glittered gold out of box. It was a ticket for something called 'The Polar Express,' it had a pattern of punch holes that spelt out 'Faith Manages.' DG could have sworn that she could hear a train in the distance or perhaps it was only the memory of a train.

----

Thus far they'd unearthed a small push lion, a kaleidoscope, three My Little Ponies (Az made fun of her for that), a geode…

Next was a white and red orchid corsage that had shriveled in its plastic container, with a soft smirk Az waved her hand over the withered blossom restoring it to beautiful life.

"Niko gave that too me on the senor prom," DG smiled nostalgically.

Azkadelia scowled at the mention of DG's ex-boyfriend.

"No, you may not castrate him," DG sniffed the revived blossom. "Just because things ended badly with him doesn't mean I don't still have a lot of good memories."

Az huffed. "What's a prom?"

"Big formal end of the school year dance, I wore heels and drank to much raspberry schnapps."

DG pulled out a wooden scarecrow puppet and danced it about. It vaguely reminded her Glitch.

"The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Anderson," Azkadelia read aloud. It was a thin volume that was illustrated by Isaac Mendez.

"It's always been one of my favorite stories," DG said peering over Az's shoulder to look at the artists mad, brilliant illustrations.

"Will you read it to me?" DG asked.

Azkadelia blinked at the request. As a child, even after she could read for herself, DG'd clamber into Az's bed with a book. "I think I can manage that."

A moment latter they were curled up on a pile of plush pillows in front of a merrily crackling fire as Azkadelia read to her little sister in the first time in fifteen annuals.

There were once five-and-twenty tin soldiers. They were all brothers, born of the same old tin spoon. They shouldered their muskets and looked straight ahead of them, splendid in their uniforms, all red and blue.

The Polar Express is a totally great Christmas movie. I just re-watched and it crept in…

The saying 'Faith Manages' is from Babylon 5

Excerpt from The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Anderson

Isaac Mendez is the dead future seeing artist guy from Heroes