A Christmas Carol: Tsubasa Style
Chapter 3: The Ghost of Christmas Present
You know the drill no flames I don't own a Christmas Carol or Tsubasa.
Enjoy!
BONG! BONG! BONG! The clock tower struck three. Kurogane woke up to the tolling of the bells. "I guess I'm not gonna be visited by the other two ghosts." He mused. "After all it was just a dream."
"That's where you're wrong Scrooge!" a chipper voice rang. A head popped up on his bed. "Boo!" Kurogane jumped off the bed. His eyes were wide in surprise. The head giggled before it moved to reveal the body of a teenage girl. She had silver hair and purple eyes. The girl made a peace sign. "Yo!"
When the shock wore off he was confused. "What's up with this?" he patted the girl's head. "Sending a kid to do 'change my ways'."
The girl's eye twitched at being called a kid. "Hey if kindness measured your age I'd be an adult and you'd be a fetus!"
"Give him a break, Ryuusei." Another voice said. Then a transparent version of Fai appeared. "You are quite young that's all he meant." Ryuusei huffed and crossed her arms.
Kurogane looked at his dead partner again for the 2nd time in the night. "Fai you idiot why'd make me have to see these things?!" He didn't enjoy his time with Yuuko and was not looking forward to that brat.
The two ghosts looked at each other. "He doesn't know does he?" Ryuusei asked. Fai nodded. "Should we let him know?" Again Fai nodded. Silver hair swirled as Ryuusei turned her attention to Kurogane. "Okay Kuro-oni (1) let's get 2 things straight." She put up 2 fingers to emphasize her point. Her pointer finger then stood alone. "First don't call me kid or anything related to it." The other finger came back up. "Second that is not Fai. This is Yuui-kun, Fai-kun's twin."
The stingy man twitched. 'The idiot had a twin' he thought. 'And from the looks of it their personality are alike. Great, just great.' Then he saw Ryuusei walked over to the window and opened it wide. A draft and some snow flew in. "What the hell?! It's cold out why the hell are you opening my window?!" he demanded.
She smiled "To be able to travel of course." Ryuusei put her arm over Yuui. "Whether you like it or not we are your Ghosts of Christmas Present!"
"Shoot me now" Kurogane mumbled. He could tell that this experience would be too troublesome. 'We haven't left and I already want get rid of them.'
Ryuusei and Yuui were at the window. "So Kuro-oni are you ready?" Ryuusei questioned. "We do have a time limit you know. If we don't get to this deadline then you'll have to see Yuuko-san again."
That caught his attention. He only needed 3 visits. An extra visit would drive him mad. Reluctantly Kurogane came to the window. Both ghosts seized his hands. "Okay let's go!" Yuui enthusiastically cried. They were flying high above the town. It was extremely…terrifying. Kurogane thought he would be sick.
"Oh look Kuro-oni's scared!" Ryuusei exclaimed. That's when the stingy man of Japan finally caught onto to the teen's pet name for him.
Kurogane yelled "You gaki (2)!" The black-haired man struggled in the 2 ghosts arms. Unfortunately he made their grips slip. Kurogane started falling. Yuui caught him first.
He was grinning like the Cheshire cat. "Hyuu that would've been bad if you landed, Kuro-mu."
"What the hell is hyuu?! If you wanna whistle, whistle XXXX it!" Kurogane's temper was flaring again.
Yuui shrugged. "I would if I could Kuro-wan wan."
That did not help the ghost. "I'm not a dog! I don't bark XXXX it!" His red eyes glared at the look alike of his former partner.
"Yuui-kun we can put him 'down'" Ryuusei informed. Fai nodded and let his arm become astral. Kurogane slipped through. Kurogane was freaking out, think he was doomed to crash. When he didn't hear his body not shatter his eyes surveyed the sight. Ryuusei was holding him. "Have fun?" Kurogane started throwing punches at the girl and they just phased right through the teen's body. "You do know you can't hurt anything that isn't solid ne (3)?" the silver-haired- teenager queried.
He ignored her words and punched until Yuui came and noted "Kuro-pon you're being loud and unlike us who are ghosts people can still hear you." That shut him up. He couldn't be called crazy or else he'll lose his paying customers.
Kurogane folded his arms. "So where did you take me, spirits?" Yuui gestured to the door. Ryuusei pulled Kurogane through the door. He was about to yell again when the girl put a finger to her mouth. Then she cocked her head towards the room. Kurogane turned his head in the direction. There he saw his nephew, Miharu, along with his wife, kid, and other family members.
Miharu glanced in the direction of Kurogane and the ghost but he couldn't see anything. "I thought you said I was visible" he said.
"You're only invisible because Yuui and I are holding onto you." she answered. "Now shh! You need to see this."
Miharu turned away from the door. He played with the food in front of him. His wife coiled her arms around him. "What's wrong, honey?" she asked.
Kurogane's nephew turned to his wife. "I really hoped for uncle Kurogane to show up." The brown-eyed man admitted. "He always spends it alone in his house instead of with his family. I was hoping that he would just at least once come, Kikyo."
Kikyo wrapped her arms around him tighter. "I'm sorry that it didn't turn out the way you wished." Kikyo consoled him. "Maybe he enjoys his time alone. Miharu, just accept your uncle's decision. We could visit tomorrow after Naoto opens his presents." Miharu nodded.
"Poor Miharu." Ryuusei commented. "You don't have to be present to ruin people's Christmas. I can't believe you don't spend time with your family. You have a family yet you ignore them." Ryuusei fumed. "Sachiaru teme (4). He the stingiest man and he still has everything that I want."
"Ryu-chan can you wait outside before you kill Kuro-sama?" Yuui asked. Ryuusei snorted before phasing through the door. "She died at the age she is now. According to her she was taken away from her family and was never given to another." Yuui told him. "For you to be greedy and still have a loving family pisses her off, but I see no reason for that. Most people have tried to reach to you, and after sometime they give up." His sights turned back onto Miharu. "I give it 3 more tries before he gives up too." The blonde man told Kurogane.
Kurogane looked at the party that went on in front of him. The people were happy to be with each other. Children were running about the house. Husbands and wives danced along with the music. Older adults chattered amongst themselves. Decadent delicacies were on the table. Evergreen hollies, wreathes, and even mistletoe were hung up. A bright, vibrant Christmas tree stood proudly within the window. Present were stacked neatly under the Christmas tree, waiting to be opened on Christmas day. Overall the atmosphere was inviting.
Everyone was happy. It looked like it was fun. There were some old faces that he could distinguish. Others were ones were new faces that he had never seen. Had he really missed out on so much for all these years? He wanted to be with them laughing and having fun. Had his greed really made people give up trying to enjoy life?
Ryuusei's head phased through the door. "Yuui-kun we gotta get going." She said. Yuui nodded. The blue-eyed man led Kurogane from the scene. They outside in the cold again.
"I'm not flying again." Kurogane told the Ghosts of Christmas Present. Both looked at each other and shrugged. Yuui and his assistant grabbed his arms and glided along the streets. Kurogane thought the flying was terrifying but the gliding was a nightmare. They were going at ungodly speeds and when he thought he would run into something it freaked him out that they phased through it.
When they reached their destination Kurogane's heart was racing. "What the hell were you thinking?! I could've had a heart attack!" he yelled at the spirits.
"But you didn't" Ryuusei brushed off his complaint.
"Where are we now?" Kurogane demanded. The ghosts gestured to a window. He peered through the streaked window.
The inside of the house was bare and the house itself was unfit to house people. What little furniture that was inside was broken or very defective. A small tree stood in the corner of the room, and various items decorated the tree. It was, what Kurogane deduced, a Christmas tree. A small fire burned in the fireplace.
Kurogane could see a woman, look alike daughter, and son were setting a table. Both girls had auburn hair and emerald green eyes, and the son had black hair and grey eyes. When their task was done the children sat at the table. Their mother went to get the food. It was only one tray with peas and enough chicken to only feed one person.
"Is that all they have?" Kurogane asked the spirits. Yuui nodded. "That must be some joke. It's barely enough to fill one person much less a family."
The ghostly man explained "That's all your assistant can pay for, Kurogane."
"Even when he worked overtime!" Ryuusei chimed in. She twisted Kurogane's head towards the window again. "Now stop questioning and look."
Syaoran walked down creaky stairs. In his arms was a child that was obviously his son. "Otou-san (5)" The boy said. "Please allow me to walk by myself." Syaoran nodded. He set his son on the ground and gave him a makeshift cane. Syaoran stayed by his son's side. The boy however didn't feel comfortable "Otou-san I can walk by myself. Please sit. I will join you in a minute."
Reluctantly Syaoran left to the table. The young child limped where his family was waiting for him.
Outside the house Kurogane watched the event unfold. "Oi baka (6), gaki, what's wrong with that kid?" he questioned.
"A lot" Yuui replied. His lanky figure leaned against the window. His blue eyes gazed back at the family "Although he never seems to complain about his situation"
"Nor does he want pity, or sympathy" Ryuusei added.
The family were all at the table. They quietly munched on the food. Syaoran's wife broke the silence. "Syao how has work been?" she asked.
Kurogane's head tilted to the side slightly "Well it's been the same as always."
"Otou-san why is Kurogane-san so mean?" his raven-haired son asked.
The man scratched his head. "Kurogane-san isn't mean, Watanuki," he explained "he's just a little-"
"Stingy?" his only daughter, Cherri, chimed.
"Heartless?" Watanuki said.
"Different." Syaoran finished.
Sakura nodded. "Besides it's because Kurogane-san we have a meal here." her gentle voice reminded.
Both parents saw Watanuki and Cherri roll their eyes. Their other son, Shaoran, retorted "C'mon nee-chan, nii-chan (7-8), its Christmas Eve, please let's not be cruel towards anyone."
"What a sweet child." Ryuusei commented "Being sweet to an oni." Her face went serious. Her purple eyes trailed to the sky "And it's a shame that such a person may not live long."
Kurogane's eyes narrowed "What's that mean?"
Silver hair blew in the wind. "Without the proper medical treatment" Ryuusei explained. "Within a few years I'll have a subordinate."
Kurogane's eyes widened.
BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG!
Ryuusei scratched her cheek. She grinned "Oops! I guess we went over our time!"
Yuui nodded. Blue spheres met red. "Kurogane you only have one more spirit that will visit you," the twin informed him. "If you cannot change after your visit I'm afraid there will be nothing that can."
His assistant jumped onto his back. "Daijobu desu (9)!" she exclaimed. "He'll be fine! No one has ever not change with him!"
Yuui chuckled "That is true."
Both ghosts turned to Kurogane. In unison they said "Ja ne (10) Kuro-oni!" Then they vanished from sight.
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Kay thanks to all that reviewed. It's hard to type during the holidays.
Translations:
(1) Kuro-oni: It's another nickname but oni means a loud rude person.
(2) gaki: a kid or brat
(3) ne: right? Ex: You want some, ne (right)?
(4) sachiaru teme: sachiaru means lucky and teme means bastard
(5) Otou-san: Father
(6) baka: idiot, fool
(7) Nee-chan: older sister
(8)Nii-chan: older brother
(9)Daijobu desu: It's alright
(10)Ja ne: See ya
Yuui and Fai are really twins and Ryuusei is me! Can you guess who the Ghost of Christmas Future is?