Chapter 2:

She managed to cross about 10 blocks before her legs began to give in to the elements. The upper half of her body, a jacket covering her rather light soccer uniform, was at least something, but her lower half was only covered by mere soccer shorts; if she knew that homelessness was going to come quick, she would've definitely invested in some more prevalent winter wear. She didn't even have boots on, instead only having her athletic shoes to comfort her feet.

Her hair was completely covered with snow particles, which began to stick all too well to her freezing head. Her breaths were far more subdued, and she huddled within herself as close as possible, honestly looking like an old, shriveled woman. Even when breathing whatever she could into her hands, it was no match for the decreasing temperature around her. If she didn't find any heat soon, she was surely going to freeze to death.

She only saw one car on this very night, a family of four with their two children sleeping in the back. Thanks to the conditions of the road, they had to drive as slow as possible, and the wife saw the young soccer girl. Unfortunately, the snow obscured her vision; if she saw that it was Winnie, she probably would've made her husband stop, but unfortunately, she passed the soccer legend off as just another homeless person that would probably hurt them. Such is the stigma on the less fortunate.

Eventually, she had to take a break, and chose to sit down right on the sill of a rather large window. On the other side was a display of big TV's, each showing some strange advertisement for a wide variety of products to get over the holiday season. Even with Christmas literally two days away, they still found it necessary to advertise to the very last minute. Even though the lights generated energy, and thus should've been a great source of heat, the window prevented a lot of the radiation, and thus Win was left with nothing but frost.

As she sat there looking at the dark buildings of businesses sleeping the night away, she began to realize that throughout her walk, all she could think about was her own safety, rather than her plan to get into the Basilicom. To some people, it would make sense to prioritize your own safety over your own desires, but to Win, she thought it meant she was becoming a selfish simpleton; have no idea how she arrived at that conclusion. Now here she was, sitting alone in the dark, with only the illuminating lights from the window and the occasional streetlights to keep her company.

She looked down the path she came, her footsteps already becoming obscured underneath the new blanket of snow. Staying out here any longer would be a dumb idea, so she thought about going back to the drum; honestly, she shouldn't have strayed too far out to begin with, but I guess she lost the track of time on her tiny journey. She wanted to feel the warmth of the fire so much, hear the chatter of her newfound friends (even the ones that insulted her), and even cuddle up with that mother and her child. She found that she felt the warmest when she was near them, and she hoped that right now, they were okay.

But she knew that she couldn't go back now. If she tried, she would only collapse underneath the barrage of snow falling down. Hell, she began to think, she couldn't even continue in any direction, and if she sat down like this any longer, once more, collapse was inevitable. It was a terrible situation to find herself in, and sadly there wasn't any clear way out of this. It saddened her, but at least she kept Isabel and her mom warm. That was all that mattered.

Trying desperately to keep herself warm, the TV's behind her quickly changed to an ad, starring none other than the CPU of Lastation herself. The background was filled with all things the holiday season, with colorful lights dancing all around a gigantic tree, with ornaments both and off its beautiful branches. Trinkets of gold and silver were on a reddened table, with a gigantic object sporting plenty of lit candles resting on top of its mantle. The Lady herself was sitting on a chair adorned with garland of all sorts covering the back, with what appeared to be mistletoe and berries sitting on the edges. The Goddess was wearing a strange form of a "female santa" outfit, complete with the red color and even a hat. She had a warm smile, one that melted Win's heart when she turned to face her.

"Greetings to all of you. I am CPU Black Heart, ruler of the wondrous nation Lastation. I am here to simply wish you all a great holiday season. I understand that the weather is certainly not the best to behold, but even throughout all this, I know all of the joy in the land will shine through the heavy thicket. Please, even though this is a time of happiness and relaxation, I want all of you to be careful while on the road and on the trams. I wish you the best wherever you go, and I hope you have a grand time this Christmas. Thanks to all who put their faith in me, and I promise you all that when the next year comes, I will continue to be the best leader I can be..."

Let's just say that she sounded extremely robotic and fake; did Kei write the script, many had to wonder? Her voice sounded lovely, but everything came out wrong, and judging by her seating posture, she didn't seem very comfortable doing this. The strangest part, naturally, was that this was playing literally before midnight, though it was probably just a replay of a broadcast made, who knows, probably a few hours ago now eternally on a loop. In the end, it was kind of clear that Noire is definitely a great CPU, but she was never the one for a grand speech...

...and yet Win loved it. She watched her Goddess speak, listened to every individual word that escaped her lips, allowing their meanings to soak in. Even when almost an icicle at this point, she suddenly felt a lot warmer than before, feeling a rising sense of hope building within her tiny frame. Even when the screen shifted back to showing some weird old farmer spraying a dark chemical over his crop, she felt at peace, the cold feeling of freezing not a worry upon her mind any longer. For a moment, it was as if thousands of flames did their beautiful dance around her.

"She is a great leader," she suddenly said in the darkness, her voice still filled with life against the frozen air around her, "She is. I know she is."

Her friends from the drum thought otherwise, but she knew that they were wrong (or at least heavily judgmental); hell, if she had the guts to do so, she would love to say that she was the most benevolent of all the CPU's of the land. There are homeless in the nation, yes, but that was just something that unfortunately couldn't be avoided. She still wished them the very best during the Holiday season, she still treated them as citizens of society, and she still thought of them as more than just a simple dogoo. While her beliefs could be correct, in full honesty she was only basing this off of the few things Noire had recently said. Oh well, whatever kept her hopes up.

The clock on one of the TV's listed the time as 11:11, and as soon as she saw it, Winnie felt as if a sleepy spell was casted over her. Her eyelids became heavy, her head began to nod back and forth, and suddenly the environment felt less impactful than ever before. The hope coming from Noire was her blanket, and the darkness gave her the wonders of what was once her nice bedroom within her nice abode.

But as she began nodding off, she immediately punched herself square in the face. "What are you doing? You can't go to bed yet!" she yelled, her voice groggy but her mind somehow still in the picture. As if on cue, her warm feeling finally drifted away, instead leaving her a Popsicle inside this unforgiving world. The dreadful frost once more returned to her features, and a lone sneeze brought back the harsh reality she nearly forgot.

Should she fall asleep now, who knows if she would ever wake up. Her mom said that falling asleep in the dastardly cold like this could essentially, well, kill her unless there's an ample fire nearby. Right now, in the condition that she was in, falling into a slumber would definitely be the last thing on her "to-do" list.

"Gotta...get warm somehow," she said, struggling to stand up, her feet feeling like cement slowly hardening her bones to a still. Once she stood, she immediately wrapped her arms around her frail body, walking slowly as her teeth began to chatter. The warmth of Noire left her behind very quickly, and she wondered if she would ever experience it again. The thought of getting into the party was now just a lingering memory at this point.

As she walked, she passed by one of the many businesses in the area. Dubbed "The Generic Card Shop with Generic Cards," The doorway was already closed off by iron bars, with the only to unlock them being a key to be placed in the middle (appeared to be a two-way thing). The owner, a tall woman maturing at a fast rate, sat stationary behind a checkout counter, reading a newspaper with barely a hint of light nearby. Besides the car with the family, this was the only other person she saw awake at this hour, though it was clear that even she was about to go to bed (I guess she lived there, considering the second floor and all).

For some reason, Win found herself staring at the woman for the longest time. As the snow drifted and found a home on her, her body began to quiver again, not being able to withstand these conditions that much longer. The room was barren within, but it looked much more hospitable than the pitiful excuse the streets gave. With her breath as equally frosty as her tired soul, she made the realization that she would definitely not make the trip back. She would not make the trip forward.

But she could make the trip towards the building.

Using the last of her energy, she ran up to the locked door, placing her fingers through the small openings of its fine architecture. Naturally, the door refused to budge open, but that didn't stop Winnie from constantly shaking it. She probably was only doing it because her mind was subconsciously begging her to get to warmth, but it was the loudest ruckus the woman ever heard. She placed the newspaper down as she looked at the young soccer player. To her, Win looked like a frozen-over zombie.

"Sorry kid, but we're closed till the 27th. Go back home, it's freezing out there!" she yelled in a rather shrill voice, picking up her newspaper once more. Win sneezed again, still shaking the door, trying to find any words that could use. Another sneeze escaped her lips, causing the woman to once more look right at her. "Look kid, get outta here or I'm calling the police. If ya want something, maybe your parents got it for you. Seriously, get lost!"

Feeling slightly agitated at being called a kid (she was surprisingly older, though this is coming from her and her only), Win felt a tear slide down her cheek as her voice began to choke. "P-Please, ma'am, m-may I come i-in. Only for a sec!"

The older woman rose an eyebrow, vexation prevalent on her face. "I'm sorry, what? Did you seriously just ask me if you can come in? Kid, look, do I appear dumb to you? Beat it, already!" With that, she flung her hand at Win and continued to read. The soccer player, feeling her fingers growing ever so numb, did not let up on her advances.

"Please, please l-let me in! I'll pay you if I h-have to. I don't have m-much, but I can! I...I don't have a h-home..." the depression leading out of her character was quite poignant, but it was all true. No home, no place to call her own...she had some credits on her, yes, but really, the amount she had wouldn't be able to afford even one card from this shop.

The lady sighed and shook her head. "So you're homeless? Look kid, I'm sorry, but I can't help you. I have a reputation to uphold here, ya know, and if any of the other businesses around here see that I'm allowing a streetwalker like you into my store, I'll look like a buffoon! Sorry, but look elsewhere!"

Win felt as if any hope she was holding onto was just scraped away, all gone in a split second. She knew it was futile to even try and convince this lady, but dammit, she didn't expect to be kind of insulted. It was a lost cause for sure.

Still, Win was not yet willing to give up.

She dug deep into her pocket, hoping for something to get her out of this mess. She pulled out an old wrapper, her "card" that forever held no value, and even some pocket lint on the side. She checked her other pocket, praying that even the small amount of cash she had was actually still on her person. The woman behind the counter shook her head, and rested her hand on the phone, just in case the police needed to get involved.

At last, Win felt the feeling of metallic copper greet her fingers. A tiny smile rested upon her face; a prayer to Noire was all it took for her to accomplish this. "Thank you, milady..." Win whispered to herself, holding up the credits to the opening in the door. "Here! This is what I have! P-Please, Please take it!"

In her hand was the total value of, well, 10 credits. It could, if she was lucky, buy her a potion or something from a marketplace, but prices always tend to go up, especially within the holiday season. Still, even with the potion, the value was essentially useless, and the soccer player wished that she was able to save up just a few more; maybe she could've gotten out of this mess.

The lady looked at the money, and with the roll of the eyes, slammed the paper down. "Okay, okay! You're money's no good, all right?" her words still sounded very venomous, and the newfound hope within Win began to be purged. However, just as soon as her hand grew too tired, the woman continued her speech. "Still, I...I can't just let you suffer out there. Just make sure you don't tell anyone I did this, okay?"

Win's eyes brightened up to the point that even the woman behind the counter had to squint. The young soccer player nodded her head vigorously, feeling pretty good. The snow that covered her body quickly became meaningless, and the tired feeling of possible death finally eluded her. Finally, in this damned night, she could finally rest in peace.

"Thank you thank you thank you! I can't thank you enough! You're a really kind woman!" her words were filled with beauty and kindness, though even she still felt some pain at the woman. Still, she should at least have the ability to survive the night; that was all that mattered. She would then be able to wake up tomorrow and find the mother and Isabel. She really wanted to hug the two of them right about now.

The woman finally made it to the door, snatching the credit out of Winnie's hand. Placing it into her pocket, she then began to unlock the door, but a slight tilt of her head allowed her to look at the Soccer player closely for the first time.

And as she did, anger fueled within her.

"Hey, wait a minute," she began, stopping herself from unlocking the door, "aren't you Win-chan, the soccer girl for Lastation's team?"

Win felt cold as she saw the key leave the lock without unlocking it. "Well, um...y-yes, yes I am! I know it looks weird, but um, I-I have a good explanation for this!"

She looked into the woman's eyes, and all that hope, all that warmth, all that joy that she just got through experiencing, all gone within that instant. She didn't expect a warm reception from the other woman, but to see what she thought was pure hatred and rage instilled fear upon her weary body. The tired feeling began to sink in.

"So you ended up homeless, eh?" the venom being produced from the woman's mouth scared the ever-loving hell out of the young soccer girl. Cautiously, Win nodded. A laugh came from the woman, anger growing evermore prevalent. "Well, I don't want to know how this happened, okay? What I want to know is where were you during the last few games?"

Win's mouth felt frozen as she tried to speak. "I-I...I was..."

"Because of you, Win, I lost out on a lot of money! You led the team on a winning streak, and I was becoming rich! Seriously, before you just suddenly walked out on the team, I could have bought all of these businesses and still have enough to survive for the rest of my life! You were my darling Winnie. And then, I bet all my winnings on the match you left. The team lost so badly, and I blame it all on you.

"So with that, I nearly became homeless! My shop here nearly closed down, and I nearly lost my goddamn mind! I'm just glad it's Christmas time, because if this happened like in October, I would be finished! Hell, I'm still in a deficit, and it is all thanks to you, kiddo. Because of you, I essentially became, what, less than nothing?

Win felt like she was about to cry. "I'm...I'm s-so sorry, madam. I really a-am! I didn't re-realize I caused so much-"

"Oh, screw off!"

With that, her credit was taken as the woman shoved Winnie to the ground, making her land hard on the unforgiving snow-covered street. "After all you did for me, I wouldn't mind if you froze up! Have a great night, you little bitch!"

And thus, the woman left Win behind, walking up the stairs presumably to her bedroom, never to be seen for the rest of the night. Win just sat there in the cold, looking at the locked door in disbelief. Soon, the lights went out, and once again she found herself in the cold, dark, despairing world.

Somewhere in the city, a big bell began to sound off. Five minutes until midnight.

The young soccer player, with little to no strength left, huddled close to herself, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry," she kept constantly telling herself, her voice getting shakier and shakier by the minute, "I'm so sorry! I sh-should have never let you down! I'm so s-sorry!"

Overcome with guilt she most likely didn't deserve in the first place, Win managed to stand right back up, and keeping her arms close to her, she continued on the path. She decided against going back towards the mother and Isabel; even if she could make the journey, she didn't want them to see her like this.

As she walked, the elements began to finally weigh in on her. Her mind became hazy, and at some points, she felt as if she randomly blacked out, if only for just a second. There was no one out on the streets; it was only her, and anyone else that was too afraid to step out into the light. All the lights in the buildings were completely out, and only the faint hum of the TV's from before broke the barrier of silence the snow created.

In some regards, Win felt as if she was goner, and yet she didn't care anymore. All hope was lost, and even praying to her lady would probably only damn her further. She let down a soul; a fan of hers that relied on her skills. A fan that became the happiest soul in the city thanks to her. A fan that now held barely the amount to live off of.

She let that woman down.

Isabel was still her great fan, but Win just couldn't think about that. She never viewed herself as good, but she knew people liked her. She loved seeing everyone happy, and in the case that someone wasn't happy, she did her best to get them into a state of bliss. That was probably her weakness, in all regards; she wanted to please every living soul on the planet, which from the experience of pretty much everyone, was impossible to accomplish. If even one person remained sad or disappointed because of her, she would never live it down.

That was why whenever she got her big paycheck, the majority of it went to every charity she could think of. If she got roughly 2 million credits, more than half of it would leave and go to the less fortunate. Some people despised her for it, believing she did it only for selfish gain, but no matter what, the smiling faces of those who needed some happiness in their lives was all she needed. If she could please the naysayers, well, that would be even better.

She sometimes did resent her charity, though. It probably lead her to being in this position in the first place. Still, it was the least she could do for the world.

But now none of that mattered. Instead, she focused only on that woman who snapped at her. Her money was long gone, and Win was responsible for it. She knew the team could carry its own without her, but perhaps it was the sudden disappearance that made them suddenly go from being the top team, to being a little more than average. It wasn't her fault for leaving the team, but she would never accept that fact. Instead, she placed all the guilt upon herself, a look of depression glazed over her tired eyes.

She didn't disappoint Isabel, at least not initially, but knowing that her legs were about to give out, she was probably not going to see her again. How would the little girl react when she hears that the young soccer player froze to death? It chilled Winnie to the bone, and the tears began to fall once again.

But worst of all, at least in her faith, she let her lady down. Noire watched her in those few games, and she wondered if, now that the team was starting to lose its dominancy, the CPU of Lastation was annoyed at her, probably being like the woman and blaming her as well. That made her shudder, almost to the point of falling to the ground. How could she let the one she prayed to down like this? More tears were produced.

Honestly, she thought, she must deserve this then. She didn't deserve any kindness if she couldn't reciprocate it. If she was to freeze out here, then fine. Unfortunately, her mind was fraught with chill and fatigue, to the point that even her own conscience was beginning to fail her. You see, if she was to die tonight, then she wanted to be in a dark alley somewhere, just so the police couldn't find her and scare Isabel. She knew the young child would already be worried, but she didn't want her to know her useless fate.

Of course, her mind didn't really rationalize this, as instead of heading into an alleyway, she began heading towards a park that finally came into view. For some reason, perhaps because her body knew it was giving up, she began to run towards the park with the fitness of her heyday.

Unlike the rest of the city, the park was completely lit up, with thousands of lights and decorations surrounding each and every tree. Big snowmen and Holiday dogoos dotted the landscape, with even hundreds of Santa-tomes appearing everywhere. Big gumdrops and Candycanes with peppermint rope surrounded the pathways in and out, and even the big lake in the middle was brightly lit for the holiday season.

But perhaps the biggest attraction of this park was the humongous evergreen tree, the largest in all of the land. From the top all the way to the bottom, each branch had some sort of decoration for every holiday known to man. Bulbs of different sizes and lights of different magnitudes radiated off of its majestic form, illuminating the surrounding perimeter with the spirit of the season. Just by looking at could send someone's heart to their happy place.

If Win-chan was in the right state of mind, she would have immediately fallen in love with the splendors around her. She actually did frequent this park a lot during her life, but never did she actually visit it during this time of year. Oh, if only she could see the beauty, perhaps she could forgive herself of the sins she never made, but alas, it appeared that her time was finally coming up.

She wasn't even thinking about where she was at this point, and everything she saw was a blur. All the decorations were irrelevant when death was creeping up along the way. For the most part, she merely looked at the gravel road below her as the snow continued to fall, as if taunting her failing body.

However, as soon as her body was ready to collapse, her nose picked up the scent of smoke, indicating that somewhere nearby was a fire. She instinctively looked up, and through the bluriness, through the harshness of the lights and weather mixing together, she saw a bright flame roaring against the sea of white.

The fire, made in the style campers would make, was there for what appeared to be a show for people to watch. Around the flames were the four CPU's of the land (statue's of course), with a tiny horsebird sitting within a blanket. It was the classic tale of how all the four nations banded together to help the poor creature (who's wing, I believe, was injured from a bad fall) survive the night in the wild, until the herd finally came back and claim it. Every nation told the story, and it quickly became a holiday staple in recent years.

Unlike everything else there, the fire was completely real, though how it continued to burn without anything fueling it was always a mystery. Still, Win's body detected the heat, and perhaps in a last ditch effort to remain alive, she quickly ran up to it. Her mind, still in shambles from the cold, began wondering if anyone was around, though seeing as how everything was quiet, it seemed that she was perfectly and unfortunately alone.

With that, she let out a groan as her legs finally gave up. She fell onto the grass with a thud, her eyes peering at the dancing flames before her. She tried to think, but alas, her mind eventually forced her to a state of slumber. The last thing she could think of is whether or not she would see the sun tomorrow.

Thus, there she was, surrounded by the CPU's, never once getting a chance to think of how she was going to join that party. At this point, everything just felt so insignificant.