Hope
[The scene opens with a shot of the mountains, a gush of wind blowing and wisping the snow about, transitioning to a different view overlooking the narrow gauge railway, and finally to a shot of a cave situated somewhere near the bottom of the mountain, the sound of someone shivering being audible as the camera slowly pans inside the darkness. The shivering is revealed to be a silhouette shaking in front of a small bonfire, a closer inspection reveals the figure to be Geoffrey. He's wrapped up in a rather ragged looking cloak, holding his knees together, and his eyes are closed as he quivers from the bitter cold, seemingly only getting a small bit of warmth from the makeshift fire he's made]
Geoffrey: Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…bloody hell, it's freezin' in here…I need more wood…
[Geoffrey reaches over to a small pile of sticks, pieces of bark, and branches, grabbing one of the latter and chucking it into the fire, causing it to spark before settling. The skunk looks toward the entrance to the cave, the wind can be heard howling from outside, and snow is carried along the breeze into the cave]
Geoffrey: Brrrrrrrrrr…I need ta' install a door in this place…might keep the draft out…
[Geoffrey huddles in the cloak to try and make himself warmer…his stomach then growls, causing him to look down]
Geoffrey: Awwww, crumbs…I need to find some food…but there's nothin' ta' eat in this forest, not until next spring…damn it…I guess…I gotta take a risk…even if it kills me…
[Geoffrey slowly stands up from the ground and begins to make his way out of the cave. The skunk shuts his eyes as the wind blows in his face, sending a bit of snow on it]
Geoffrey: BAH! PHOOEY! Bloody wretched snow…[sighs]...better find food and fast…before the cold does me in…
[Geoffrey begins to trudge through the snow, even for December, the ground is covered with a thick layer of white, his boots crunching as he walks. The trees above slightly shake about in the wind, Geoffrey pays little mind to this, until a bit of snow from a tree drops and lands on his head]
Geoffrey: OH! For God's sake, I hate winter! Haaaaaaaaaaugh, never mind. [wipes the snow from his head] Best keep moving…and hope no one passes by…
[Geoffrey is shown continuing his walk through the snow, different angles covering his tracks through the forest before the scene transitions over to an aerial view of Pine Station where everything is quite contrary to Geoffrey's situation; Gordon and Sir Handel are on their respective platforms for standard gauge and narrow gauge with a rake of coaches each; the station has been decked out in all sorts of Christmas decorations, and passengers walk about the platform awaiting their trains; Loopy, Alice, Ratigan, and Maleficent are shown reading the timetable, Dylan, Octavia, Fox, Wolf, and Princess Bubblegum are shown waiting on the benches, and Badgerclops, Bean, and Derpy are shown taking Christmas treats from plates held up by Sayaka, Kyoko, and Mami]
Sayaka: Thanks, enjoy!
Mami: You know, it was a nice idea to serve treats to the community.
Kyoko: Ain't half cold, is it?
Mami: Oh, come now, you'll warm up soon enough.
Sayaka: I didn't think a bit of cold would hassle a big strong warrior like you.
Kyoko: Oh, haha, very funny, besides, I'm hungry too and I didn't make these treats for nothing.
Mami: You'll get to snack after we finish our rounds.
Kyoko: [sighs] Fine, but if we don't make it to the party, I'm blaming you.
[At that moment, the girls hear a COUGH and look in the direction of what appears to be a cloaked figure, hunched over and feebly sitting down on one of the benches]
Sayaka: Oh…that doesn't look good…[begins to walk towards the stranger]
Kyoko: Sayaka…?
[Sayaka approaches the figure who coughs again and moans]
Sayaka: Excuse me…are you alright?
[The figure lifts its head up a little bit, its eyes covered by a set of dark lens glasses, and speaks in a raspy voice]
?: Oh, oh don't worry about me, dear, I'm just-[coughs]-going to catch a train up to the town.
[The figure tries to stand up, but he almost instantly falls back in his seat]
?: Ooooooh, oh dear…
Sayaka: Oh, you poor thing, lemme help you up. [puts the sweets tray down on the bench]
?: Oh, no, please, young lady, ya' don't have to fuss about an old man like me, I-[coughs]-I'll be fine…
Sayaka: Come on, someone like you shouldn't be sitting out in the cold, let's get you inside.
?: Oh…will ya' now…thank ya', that'd be much appreciated…
[Sayaka pulls the elderly man up from the bench while balancing the cookie platter on her other hand, helping the man up the stairs while Mami and Kyoko watch from a distance, the latter quirking a brow in confusion]
Kyoko: Who's the old bag?
Mami: Kyoko! That man looks like he needs help, we should assist.
Kyoko: Suuuuuuure…
Sayaka: Help me get him inside.
[Mami opens the door to the station cafe as Sayaka leads the cloaked man inside, before she and Kyoko follow the two indoors. Quinn, Rainbow Dash, Nala, and Tiger are sat down on different seats as the girls lead the man to a table and sit him down]
Sayaka: There you go, is that better?
?: Well, it's-[coughs]-it's better than bein' out there in the cold, that's for sure, hehehe-ACK-ACK! Oh, many pardons, my dears, got a nasty cough goin' on, ya' know how it happens.
Mami: Of course, is there anything we can get you, sir?
?: Oh, I wouldn't wanna intrude on you three, would make me feel rather-[coughs]-greedy takin' advantage of your kindness.
Sayaka: Oh, it's no trouble at all, we can get you anything, you hungry?
?: Well, in that case…if ya' wouldn't mind sparin' a few of them cookies you've got…oh, and if ya' can, some decent coffee wouldn't go amiss.
Sayaka: Sure thing. [pushes the tray to the man]
Mami: I'll be back with the coffee.
[As Mami walks away, Kyoko stares at the man with intense suspicion, her eyes narrowing]
Kyoko: So…if you don't mind me asking…who are you and where did you come from?
Sayaka: [clears throat] Kyoko, don't make him uncomfortable.
?: Oh-[coughs]-I live up in the mountains, my dear…and my name, well…it's-[coughs]-Jeremiah Jones…
Kyoko: Interesting…I don't think I've heard of you before…makes me wonder why…
Sayaka: Um, excuse us a minute? [pulls on Kyoko's arm] We'll be right back.
Jeremiah: Oh, d-don't worry about a-[coughs]-thing…
[Sayaka pulls Kyoko away from the table and into a corner]
Sayaka: Just what do you think you're doing?
Kyoko: I don't trust that man. Something about him just rubs me the wrong way.
Sayaka: He's just a poor old man in need of help, what's so hard to understand?
Kyoko: Sayaka, this is a small island, there's not that many names to memorize, and I've never heard of a "Jeremiah Jones" before.
Sayaka: [scoffs] You sound just like Homura.
Kyoko: And both you and Mami are a little too trusting of a man you've only just met.
Sayaka: Oh, honestly, Kyoko, have a heart and help someone out, for all we know, this man could have been stuck out there for ages and really needs some help…plus, it's Christmas, a time meant for helping anyone in need…
[Kyoko turns back to see Mami having fetched Jeremiah's coffee and seemingly wrapped in an in-depth conversation with him before turning back to Sayaka]
Kyoko: [sighs] Fine, I'll relent…
[The two girls walk back to the table]
Mami: Oh, good to see you again, Mr. Jones was in the middle of telling me one of his stories.
Sayaka: Really? What was it?
Jeremiah: Oh, it was back in the 70s, I'll never forget the time I went abroad and-[coughs]-came back a different man…the things I saw were not what anyone should-[coughs]-go through…twenty-five of us went into the jungle that night…only five came out…it was a sight-[coughs]-I'll never forget…
Mami: …I'm sorry you had to go through it…
Jeremiah: Oh, don't worry yourself, dear, at least you're-[coughs]-safe in these current times…and you've got people who…care about you…
Kyoko: What are you…saying…?
Jeremiah: Ya' know, I might not be able ta'-[coughs]-make up for the mistakes I made in the past…but if you three can give me some help when I need it…[coughs]...maybe there's hope for me too…
Kyoko: …Mistakes?
Jeremiah: Oh yes…the bridges I've burned in the past…makes me wish I could take it all back…guess it took gettin' ta' be-[coughs]-an old man to see the full picture, hehe, heeeeeh…
Kyoko: …Do you have any family?
Jeremiah: Once…a long time ago…but now…[coughs]...I'm on my own…
[Kyoko pauses, seemingly reflecting on the man's words…and realizing the irony in them]
Kyoko: I know the feeling…
Jeremiah: Oh…don't feel bad for me…I can see you've got something that I'd very much treasure myself…people by your side…who care…
[At that moment, Gordon's whistle sounds from outside the cafe]
Jeremiah: Well, that'll be my train…[coughs]...thank you all for the chat…it was a pleasure talking with you…
[Jeremiah weakly gets up out from his seat and heads toward the exit]
Sayaka: Yeah…it was nice talking with you too…
[As Jeremiah steps out the door, he pauses to look back]
Jeremiah: Oh…and have a Merry Christmas…
Sayaka: Yeah…Merry Christmas!
Mami: Merry Christmas.
Kyoko: …Merry Christmas.
[As Jeremiah shuts the door and heads over to Gordon's train, he stops by the luggage van to inspect it. It then cuts to the guard's whistle being blown, the green flag waved, and Gordon whistling as he sets off from the station, Sir Handel departing as well with two toots from his own whistle in the opposite direction before cutting back to inside of the cafe. The shot lingers on Kyoko watching from the window before looking back to Sayaka and Mami]
Kyoko: …Think we should get them a gift for tonight?
Sayaka: Hmmhmmhmm, now you're talking sense.
Kyoko: Hmmmmmmmm, shut up. [smirks]
[The scene cuts to a shot of Maple Station with footprints leading away from the building, right into the forest and right up to the cave seen at the beginning. The camera then cuts to a cloaked man taking his glasses off, revealing it to be Geoffrey as he sets them down on the floor. A soft piano tune begins to play as the skunk sets about making a new fire to warm himself up before it cuts to various shots of people inside their homes; Madoka, Homura, Sayaka, Kyoko, and Mami decorating their tree with a gift having been unwrapped by the latter, revealing a crystal ball, Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy are shown with the latter helping the former put up the tree topper on their tree, Top Cat, Benny, Choo-Choo, Fancy-Fancy, Spook, and Brain are clinking mugs of hot chocolate in their bin which is actually an underground house, the Berenstain Bears are baking cookies as Mama Bear pulls them out from the oven before it cuts back to Geoffrey's cave, looking as it did in the beginning, dark, cold, and lonely. Geoffrey curls himself up around the fire and looks outside to see light flakes of snow gently falling to the ground before looking back to the fire]
Geoffrey: Well…Merry Christmas to myself, I guess…
[Geoffrey shuffles about to make himself more comfortable until a loud THUMP can be heard outside. The skunk stands up to investigate before seeing a crate sat in the snow, walking over to inspect before pulling it inside the cave. Upon breaking the box open, he finds an array of decorations and even food inside…Geoffrey looks up to see where the crate could have fallen from…no one else is out besides him, nor can he hear the sound of a plane or helicopter…the skunk looks back towards the crate before shrugging, cutting to a little later where the cave looks less dreary than before, bits of garland hung up on ledges, a stocking hung up on a rock, a small Christmas tree sitting in the corner, and a turkey dinner being rolled around over the fire…Geoffrey briefly stops rolling before looking out at the snow once more…he manages a small smile as the camera pans out from the cave before panning up to the snow falling from the sky]
Character Guide:
Geoffrey St. John, Bean - Sonic the Hedgehog
Sayaka Miki, Koyko Sakura, Mami Tomoe, Homura Akemi, Madoka Kaname - Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Alice - Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Augie Doggie, Doggie Daddy - The Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy Show
Badgerclops - Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart
Dylan - 101 Dalmatians (1961)/101 Dalmatian Strret
Fox McCloud, Wolf O'Donnell - Star Fox
Maleficent - Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Nala - The Lion King (1994)
Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Brother Bear, Sister Bear - The Berenstain Bears
Princess Bubblegum - Adventure Time
Rainbow Dash, Derpy Hooves, Octavia Melody - My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Ratigan - The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Quinn Morgendorffer - Daria
Tiger - Kipper the Dog
Top Cat, Benny, Choo-Choo, Fancy-Fancy, Spook, Brain - Top Cat
Gordon, Sir Handel - Thomas and Friends