(I do not own Soul Eater, Soul Eater NOT!, or any other related names. All rights belong to Manga Entertainment, Madman Entertainment, Square Enix, and Atsushi Okubo)

Do not forget to read, review, favorite, and follow.

- Chapter Four -

The Second of the Ghosts

1:59 in the morning...

Arachne's eyes shot wide open and then she shot herself upwards until she sat on her bed. Beads of sweat cascaded down her brow and she breathed heavily as she gazed frantically around her bedroom. She saw that her room had remained undisturbed since after she had left. Left? Or was it all a dream the entire time? This, Arachne did not know, but she hoped it was the latter. She looked about and saw that her own bathrobe still hung on the coat hanger where it was before. Seeing this made her relax a little bit more. So, it really was a dream after all. And yet it was so real. Arachne simply shook her head at all of this. Perhaps a goodnight sleep would do her good. Once Arachne leaned back into her bed, she pulled the covers of her blanket closer to her and rested peacefully into her pillow. Though she tried to sleep as much as she could, she found herself unable to, for the alleged dream had made her restless.

Abruptly, her grandfather clock suddenly rang in her room, causing her to wake up again in seconds. Here, a terrible feeling came over her as she remembered the very next thing that was going to happen next. Expect the second ghost at two o'clock. Woosh! The fire in the fireplace lit up all by itself. Arachne sat back up at this unexpected action. And then, a powerful and mighty voice called out to her.

"Arachne Gorgon!" it said. Arachne turned and saw a face appear near her bedroom doorway, the face of a rugged yet handsome-looking older man. The man appeared to be much older, possibly closer to his forties, had a full-grown beard and long hair. He was garbed in a full-length robe, which covered the remainder of his body. In completion, the man also wore a long triple-wrapped scarf, which terminated in a spherical bead and various tassels at the end. Her bedroom had completely changed. The walls and ceiling were hung with living green, with holly and wreaths, mistletoe and ivy.

Arachne was even more surprised when she saw that the man was surrounded by an overabundance of food; ranging from minced and apple pies, roasted turkeys, suckling pig, clean-cut slabs of cooked ham with raspberry mustard, platters filled with an assortment of fruit, plum puddings, standing crust meat pies, chestnuts, fruitcakes, strawberry cheesecakes, beef wellington, cranberry sauce, large bowls of punch, you name it. These were all the things Arachne saw. She could not believe that there was so much food in one place. It was possibly enough to feed over thirty people at least.

"Come!" called the man, who sat on a chair with a straightened posture. "Come closer and know me better, woman!" At first, she hesitated, but finally made up her mind and she got up softly from her bed, put on her robe, shuffled in her slippers, and carefully walked up to the man.

"I do not think I need to ask you who you are, right?" she asked. The man nodded with a smile.

"Quite right, my dear Arachne," he said. "You see, I am the Ghost of Christmas Present."

"I see..." Arachne muttered, intrigued by the ghost's appearance.

"You have never seen the likes of me before, have you?" the ghost asked.

"No, I have not," Arachne answered. "You look quite different than the last ghost. Alright then... Um... I do not suppose you have a name as well?"

"Eibon," he simply said.

"Right," she uttered. "Eibon, if I may ask of you, before we leave... well, it is just that... this food." Eibon smiled.

"Spectacular, isn't it?" he asked. "Truly, one of the many greatest things to enjoy in life."

"But where did this all come from?"

"From the heart, Arachne." Eibon answered. "This is the food of generosity. That which you have long denied your fellow men." Arachne shot him an offended look.

"Generosity?! Bah!" she barked, turning her back on Eibon and crossing her arms. "Nobody has ever shown me generosity!" The ghost rose from his seat.

"That's because you've never given them a reason to," he argued, which Arachne could not deny was the cold and hard truth. Eibon's voice softened. "And yet, there are those who still find enough warmth in their hearts for the likes of you." Arachne shook her head and frowned deeply before turning back to Eibon.

"I seriously doubt that," she grunted. "I assure you."

"Oh, we shall see," said Eibon.

He then extended his hand out to her. Of course, Arachne knew what that meant, and with ease, she placed here slenderous hand cautiously into his own and without further ado, off the two were in a blinding field of light. After the light had died down, Arachne realized that she and Eibon now stood in the middle of a bustling marketplace. Arachne looked around as every stall and store were lined with customers. It was now bright and sunny, and every person was happy and joyful. Arachne finally understood. It was now Christmas morning in Death City.

The children shouted with joy and ran around in the streets and sidewalks, playing in the snow, or sliding across the ice-covered streets. The people strolled on carrying stacks of presents for their friends and families, and a church bell rang in the distance. One of the markets, Arachne noticed, had a large turkey hanging at the front window, while a goose hung next to it. Other folks were passing around flyers for tonight's Christmas church service. In the center of the marketplace was a tall decorated Christmas tree that was more than three stories high.

Encircling around the tree was a massive chorus of people who all sang Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, along with musical instruments playing in the background. It was as if the London Symphony Orchestra had come to town. At seeing all of this, at seeing everything right before here, Arachne could not help of smile impressively, and felt a little choked up inside. Truly, all of it was beautiful, very beautiful indeed. Was this what Christmas looked like? Full of happiness and cheer, full of miracle and wonder? With beauty and contentment?

If so, then her eyes must have been closed pretty tight.

"You see, Arachne?" Eibon asked. "This is the true meaning of Christmas; peace on earth, goodwill toward man. A time when others give willingly of their hearts without the thought of their own gain. This is the gift of giving. Christmas is more than just what you find underneath a tree. It is about what you find in your own heart."

A nostalgic sigh escaped from Eibon's lips. "Everything always look so wonderful at this time of year. Have you ever noticed that?" Arachne's smile turned into an ashamed countenance.

"To tell you the truth," Arachne said with a sheepish expression, "No. Perhaps I have never understood about it."

"Before the day is over," Eibon said with a smile, "you will."

With a single snap of his fingers, the pair were enveloped in a ray of light and then found themselves in a different section of the city. The day passed on as the sun was now in a different position in the sky. Arachne asked Eibon what the time was, and the ghost said that it was now a quarter passed five. Eibon led Arachne down a quiet lane in a small, 50's style suburban neighborhood, where each and every house was decorated with multicolored lights and other assortment of Christmas decorations.

Santa snowmen were set in the front yards, plastic reindeers and Santa's slays were fixed on the top of every roof, with adult-sized candy canes and nutcracker soldier men placed near the front doors and side fences. Some of the lights twinkled on and off while others did not. But there was one specific house, Arachne noticed, that barely had any decorations. Sure, there were a few lights here and there, but that was just about it, and this almost threw Arachne off. She turned to Eibon.

"Why have we come to this part of town?" she asked curiously. Eibon pointed to the barely decorated house.

"Don't you recognize this house?" he asked. "This is the home of Spirit Albarn, and his wife, Medusa, your sister."

Arachne stared at the ghost disbelievingly. This was where Medusa lived? This was indeed her own house? Just as she was about to ask another question, a car suddenly pulled up to the driveway and parked closely in front of the closed garage door, and out came a redhaired man with bags of groceries in his arms. The man, whom Arachne recognized as Medusa's husband, was named Spirit Albarn. He was a tallish man, though only an inch or two taller than Arachne. He appeared to have an average-looking build about him, and he had long shoulder-length red hair, blue eyes, and was aged thirty-one years old.

He was dressed in a black wool jacket, a grayish-green t-shirt, and a scarf around his neck. He also wore bright blue Levi's and brown boots. Arachne watched as Spirit made his way into the front door of the house, had short difficulty getting his keys out, unlocked the door, and walked inside, and was greeted by the excitement of his two children, his stepson, Crona, who was now fifteen years old at this point, and his daughter, Maka, who was two years younger than Crona.

Crona, as was just mentioned, was fifteen years old and he appeared to be androgynous-looking, was quite thin, had pink hair and lavender eyes. His hair was quite short, with several long, large clumps sticking out in several places. His bangs were straight-cut and ended above the eyebrows, but did not stay very uniform. Two long pieces of hair extended from the bangs and hang low over his face. Maka Albarn, Spirit Albarn's daughter, as was also mentioned before, was two years younger than her stepbrother, making her thirteen years of age. She had long wheat-blond hair tied into two pigtails and olive-green eyes. She was also a few inches shorter than Crona. They gave Spirit hugs and kisses, as they were very happy that he made it to help set up Christmas dinner. Medusa walked up to Spirit and planted a kiss on his check.

"Sorry it took long," he said. "I had to drive through every store just to find the right kinds of cranberry."

"Well, I guess we're just lucky then, aren't we?" Medusa said with a smile.

And so, in about almost two hours, the table was all set up nicely and was filled with food. Although, it was not very impressive-looking like all the other Christmas dinners, Arachne realized, as she examined what they had. All there was on the table was a simple cooked goose, a large bowl filled with peas and carrots, another large bowl filled with homestyle mash potatoes along with a side of homemade gravy, and of course, the cranberry sauce, which Spirit worked very hard to find. Arachne saw all of this with a raised eyebrow, turned to Eibon, and said,

"Not exactly what I would call a traditional Christmas dinner. And not to mention, the goose looks a little bit small."

"It was all Spirit and Medusa could afford," Eibon informed.

The way the ghost had said those words made it sound like he was trying to make Arachne feel guilty for not distribution some of her own money to help her remaining family, about what she could have done to help them have a much better meal than what they had right now, had she stepped in and become involved in their lives. It was as if he was really saying, "They are poor and have very little money to keep themselves afloat, no thanks to you," which was exactly what Eibon was intending for it to sound like. Arachne continued to watch, and despite how the food was and how smallish the goose itself appeared, Medusa and her household still beamed with contentment and gratefulness. As the Albarn's sat down for their meager-ish feast, Arachne, for the first time in forever, at last understood how much more important love was than money. She remembered how sad and alone her own life was, at how little joy her money saving, and Christmas hating had brought her.

Before dinner had begun, Medusa, Crona, Maka, and Spirit stopped for a moment and said a word of prayer. And so, they all bowed their heads, closed their eyes, and folded their hands. Medusa was the first to speak.

"O Lord," she started, "we pray tonight and thank You for the happiness You brought into our family. We pray and thank You for giving us a wonderful Christmas and remembering Your Son's birth into this world. We pray that this food will be a blessing to the nourishment of our bodies, and we ask that the hands who prepared it be blessed as well. Thank You so much for giving us a splendid 2017, and hope that next year would be good as well..."

Medusa paused for a moment, and then continued.

"And please, Lord," she went on, but this time, there was a hint of sadness in her voice. "... help my sister, Arachne, for her soul is lost in the darkness and needs Your light to guide her. I'm asking, no, begging from the very bottom of my heart that You would save her, and deliver her from the black abyss that shrouds over her. Please, help her to realize how lucky she is to have a family that still loves her and cares for her. Please, let her know that she is not alone, and never will be, and that she doesn't have to be. And help her to understand the true meaning of Christmas, and all that it stands for. I pray that You will help her see the light in the dark and the error of her ways. Have mercy on her, Lord, and save her before it's too late. In Your Son's name I pray to You, Amen."

And with a unisoned "Amen," the family dug into the food and ate peacefully and talked, while Arachne stared absolutely stunned by what she had just listened to. She truly could not believe what she was hearing, could not grasp at the amount of broken heartedness that Medusa had carried within her as she prayed those genuinely heartfelt words. Arachne had no idea that her own loving, caring, and cheerful-natured sister was hurting this badly. Her heart sank deeply into her chest, and she felt undeniably regretful at how she treated her the other day. Just before dinner was over, she begged Eibon to show her a more pleasant scenario, and with a wave of his hand, time had sped up to eight thirty-five in the evening.

The Albarn house was now filled with more people. Friends of the family had come over from different parts of the city and played some fun-looking games. Sitting in the living room couch were the Thompson sisters, Liz and her younger sibling Patty, along with a white-haired boy named Soul Evans, and there was also Tsubaki Nakatsukasa and her older brother Masamune, who stood behind said couch. To Arachne's initial surprise, her former schoolmates, Joe Buttataki and Yumi Azusa, were here as well. Even Medusa's former high school sweetheart, Franken Stein, whom was also a childhood friend of Spirit Albarn's. Throughout the entirety of this little get-together, everyone continued to play games such as Marco Polo, Name that Carol, an Ornament guessing game, Yes and No, Pin the Nose on Rudolph, and of course, Charades, a long family favorite. Sure, everyone could love charades, but not as much as this family.

Arachne noticed Patty Thompson and a young blonde-haired boy around her age, whose name was Hiro, standing at the living room doorway talking and laughing, and flirting? Well, it was mostly Patty doing the flirting. The two then looked up, and noticed a mistletoe hanging above. At first, Hiro blushed shyly, but Patty smiled slyly, and with nothing to stop her, connected her lips to his until the two were now firmly locked in a tender kiss. Patty wrapped her hands around Hiro behind his neck, while Hiro placed his hands on her cheeks, and the two pulled each other closer to try and deepen the kiss, which worked. A sudden wave of passion consumed the two. And just when it looked like things were about to heat up, a sudden wolf whistle almost resonated throughout the house. Patty and Hiro immediately pulled away and felt awkward and looked bashful as everyone watched them with smiles and clapping and cheers and encouragements for them to do it again.

Deciding why not, Patty and Hiro pulled each other back into the kiss until it became passionate.

Spirit eyed the young Soul Evans and warned him not to do the same thing to his precious Maka, as any father would do out of protection for their loving daughter.

Arachne watched, and sighed dreamily with a smile at this beautiful act of young love between Patty and Hiro, but then frowned sadly at how much this scene resembled what had happened between her and... Free. Arachne looked away with closed eyes. Oh, how she deeply missed him and the times they spent together. If she had the power to turn back time to the moment just before he left her, she would tell him right away how much she truly loved him and would not let anything come between their affection. If only such a power were possible. After everything had eventually calmed down, Medusa made an announcement, that her son, Crona was going to sing for them all. Arachne was a little confused by this. Crona could sing? How come no one told her of this? But then, she remembered who she was to everyone. After everyone had gathered around, Crona, who stood in front of the Christmas tree, could not help but feel a bit nervous. But eventually, he mustered up the courage and spoke.

"I would like to dedicate this song to my beloved aunt Arachne," he announced. "I really wish she was here to watch."

At first, this caught everyone off guard. Mostly at the unexpected mention of the most feared and despised woman in Death City. They were all mostly surprised when he put her in the category of "Beloved." But for Arachne, what Crona had said made her feel like she had been struck by a mallet straight to her heart. It was truly something she could not believe. In spite of who she was, no matter how terrible she acted, no matter how much of a monster she was to everybody, Eibon's words rang true, there actually were those with love in their hearts for a wretch like her. Arachne stood quiet as Crona cleared his throat. Once Soul Evens began playing the piano, upon Medusa's request, Crona sung the lyrics to Away in a Manger.

What followed suit was something Arachne did not expect at all. While everyone watched on happily, she felt completely slack jawed. She never even once knew that her nephew's voice could sound so melodic, so heavenly. Not once did Crona go off key or lose pace, he sang it all so wonderfully and yet flawlessly perfect. A voice that would make even the likes of Simon Cowell fall to his knees and cry with jealousy. Crona continued on with his singing and sang the last verse of the song.

Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay

Close by me forever, and love me I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,

And take us to Heaven to live with thee there.

Once after he had finished, everyone in the room clapped with joy, even Arachne, who still stood by silently with Eibon next to her, clapping slowly and softly with a proud smile on her face. Once everyone had settled down, Crona said the most wonderful thing Arachne had ever heard.

"God bless us, everyone!" But the excitement for it all was too much for him, and he started coughing. Everybody became concerned and asked him if he was alright. Crona basically brushed this off and said that he just needed some water. At seeing this, Arachne had a sudden terrible feeling about the future, that something was not quite right with Crona. Unseen, she walked up and lightly bent down closer to the boy.

"Eibon," she said, worry filling her voice. "Please, tell me. What is wrong with Crona? What is happening to my nephew?" The ghost was not happy then, and looked down at the boy with a sad expression.

"Much, I'm afraid," he informed grimly. "For you see, the boy is becoming sick. Neither he nor his family know it. Heed this warning, Arachna; if the coming events remain unchanged, if the future is not altered, I see an empty chair where Crona Gorgon Albarn once sat." Dread came over Arachne like wildfire, a look of horror written on her face, and the most terrible idea came her to head.

"Then that means," she said dreadfully, her bottom lip beginning to tremble, "he will... Oh, please no. Please, God in Heaven, have mercy on his innocent soul. He does not deserve to die." Eibon then turned to face her, and his expression hardened.

"Oh, but why do you care?" he remarked unfriendly-like. "After all, you said it yourself; he is much better off without you in his life, and certainly you are better off without him in yours, right Arachne?"

Listening to her own venomous words pour out from Eibon's lips made Arachne feel even worse and more remorseful. She clenched her hands into fists, bit the bottom of her lip, and tightly closed her eyes shut, as a single tear cascaded down her left cheek. The terrible thing was that she had meant those words. But now, she wished that she could take them back and show her nephew how much he meant to her. She was desolate, and her time with Eibon was almost about to come to an end. An hour or two later, after everyone had left, Medusa, now dressed in a white, short-sleeved shirt with blue hems and a pair of tight-fitting pale-blue jeans, sat peacefully next to the front room window, sipping on a mug filled with rich hot chocolate. As she peacefully gazed out at the calm snow-covered yet lit up neighborhood, Spirit walked up and sat next to her with a mug of hot chocolate of his own.

"How ya doin', hon?" he asked. Medusa nodded her head and said that she was alright. However, Spirit sensed otherwise, and easily figured it out. He sighed and lightly shook his head.

"Why do you waste your time trying, Medusa?" Spirit asked. "Let's just face the facts, alright? She's never coming over. You might as well stop staring out the window looking for her."

"Spirit, please," Medusa said. But Spirit did not relent.

"And even if she did come," he said but with a hint of disdain in his voice this time, "the first thing I'd do is give her a good piece of my mind, that's for sure."

"Sweetheart," she tried again. "Please, calm down."

"How can I, when people like her exist?" Spirit asked after sighing frustratingly.

"I know that Arachne's not perfect," was Medusa's answer. "None of us are. But she is still my sister, and I love her." Spirit closed his eyes and lightly shook his head.

"I still think you're wasting your time," he said. "And why should I show compassion to such an abhorrent, bitter, black-hearted, devil-woman like her?"

"Because it's what God would've wanted you to do," she stated. "If you talk like that, then you're no better than she is." Spirit remained silent for a moment, sighed, and spoke again, but in a much calmer tone this time.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he said, gently placing his hand tenderly on top of hers. "It's just that she really frustrates the ever living heck out of me. I just can't understand how someone like her could be so... so... You know what I mean." Medusa sat down her hot chocolate and rested herself on Spirit's chest. Spirit wrapped his arms lovingly around her.

"Just be patient, Spirit," she muttered, but still loud enough for him to hear. "She'll come around. Just wait."

"Let's hope so," he agreed. "Cause only God knows where she's headed if she doesn't wise up." And that was something Medusa very much feared the most. Spirit gently pushed her up to that he could face her, placed both of his hands on her cheeks, and planted a soft and comforting kiss on her lips. Medusa returned her lover's affection and helped deepen the kiss. After a couple more passionate kisses, the two separated and stared lovingly into each other's eyes.

"Come to bed?" she whispered as she rubbed her nose against his. Spirit gently caressed her blonde hair and smiled at his wife.

"Sure thing, babe," he responded. And so, Medusa grabbed her hot chocolate, grabbed Spirit's free hand, and stood back up on her feet while pulling him up to his own feet as well. Just before the couple went for the stairs, she got up to his face, almost nose-to-nose, and flashed him a sultry smile and gave him a quick smooch.

"I hope you're ready for tonight, big boy," she said with a seductive giggle. "Because I've got a very special Christmas present just for you upstairs." Spirit flashed his wife a naughty-looking grin.

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it," And so, Medusa, still holding her husband's hand, led him to the stairs. As the pair ascended upwards, she mischievously swung her hips left and right in a sensual manner, while also making sure that she walked up at a certain level, so Spirit could have a nice view of her sexy heart-shaped rear and get him more excited. After the two disappeared once after reaching the top of the stairs, Arachne stood by and lightly snorted with a tiny smile. She was always quite a naughty girl when it came to men, she thought.

"Medusa always did have a caring heart," Arachne said to Eibon, after remaining silent for a short spell.

"Indeed," he agreed. "You should count yourself lucky to have such a wonderful sister like her, who has shown you nothing but the compassion that which you have scorned." This made Arachne feel even more terrible than before, and she hung her head low in shame. All those things she had said to Medusa the other day, she wished she could take back, wished that she did not treat her own sister in such a poor and resentful manner. What had Medusa done to deserve Arachne's antipathy? Nothing, Arachne concluded. But there was another thing that bothered her. Eibon noticed this and asked what was the matter.

"Nothing," she said. "It is just about what Spirit had said earlier. Just the other day, I met a woman with a group of friends from the Death City Charity Foundation. She called me those exact same words when I crudely refused to give a donation. Thinking about it now, I wish to have a few more words with her and her friends, that is all."

"I see," he said. And so, with another wave of his hand, Eibon spirited both he and Arachne away until they now stood in the middle of the darkened city plaza, now completely empty, devoid of life. Arachne gazed around confusingly and looked at the ghost.

"Why are we back here in the city plaza?" she asked.

"Come with me," he beckoned. "There is one last thing I must show you."

And so, Eibon took the rich woman a nearby, open-spaced alleyway, and Arachne saw practically shocked her. The alleyway was filled with people, living inside tents and dressed in raggedy clothing. Most of them tried to keep themselves warm by a homemade fire in one of the steel barrel drums. A few men and women sat outside, sitting on filthy bed mattress while trying to stay warm from the bitter cold with torn up blankets. A few more men and women rummaged around some of the trashcans in search for whatever thrown away food they could find. There was a lone mother holding a small and crying infant in her arms. Arachne could not believe what she was seeing. She turned to Eibon.

"What is this horrible place?" she asked with despair in her voice.

"This is where the homeless live," he said grimly. "When society is too caught up in their own lives, they become blinded to those who are much less fortunate than us. People whom the world had abandoned and forgotten; families who were forcefully evicted from their own homes, veterans returning home from war unable to live a civilian life, children eating nothing but scraps, others who waist their lives on drugs and alcohol, and employees who got terrible screwed over by their bosses."

Still, this was all too much for Arachne to take. Was this what it was like to be poor? To have nothing and could only live on whatever scraps they had? This all looked like a bad dream. No, this was more than a bad dream. This was more like a living nightmare. Arachne turned to Eibon.

"Is there no better refuge for these people?" she asked. "Are there no proper homes or living conditions for them?"

"Well, why don't they go work in the factories?" Eibon remarked, almost venomously. "Or better yet, nice and warm prison cells where they belong? After all, you said it yourself, Arachne. They are not worth it."

"Again, you use my own words against me," Arachne said. "I understand, Eibon. I truly do. What I said was unforgivably horrible and I take it back. I take it all back. And–" She stopped for a moment and noticed something strange happening to the travelling companion. She pointed this out to him and the ghost explained.

"It's three quarters passed eleven," he informed. "At the strike of twelve, I will depart from this world and return to Heaven."

"What? No, please!" she begged. "Please, do not go! I have learned so much from you! Please, do not leave me!" Eibon only shook his head.

"I'm afraid I must,"

"No, please!" she pleaded again. "Do not leave me alone here in this place!" And just like that, a nearby church bell rang in the distance. Arachne knew what that meant. Twelve o'clock, midnight.

And so, Eibon, the Ghost of Christmas Present disappeared into a cloud of glittering dust, leaving the miserable Arachne Gorgon all by herself.

So far, so good. This story is turning out really well, and I hope you guys are liking it. And also, I hope you guys liked the little Patty x Hiro I included this chapter. I don't know why, but I thought that they would make a cute couple. My other reason for including Hiro was because the poor guy does not get enough love. He only had ONE episode in the anime and that was it. I would've loved to see him grow more as a character in the show.

Oh, and you all might want a to brace yourselves for the Ghost of Christmas Future. I've written him to be very terrifying. He is not a nice person, and he is not gonna hold any punches when he show's Arachne what will happen if she doesn't change her ways.

And so, without further ado, please, enjoy this week of December and have a wonderful winter. ;)