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A whistle sounded out through the gym, interrupting the students that were practicing their dance routines.

“All right, let’s take a quick break.”

A young girl of about seventeen years slumped down onto the bleachers at the teacher’s words, reaching in her bag and pulling out a small hand towel. She wiped the sweat off her face, brushing aside wisps of her silken white hair that seemed to have plastered themselves onto her forehead in the course of the dance class. She pulled out a small water bottle from her bag, uncapping it and taking a long sip. Once she was satisfied, she capped the water bottle again, placing it back into her bag. She would need it for cheerleading practice with the Shinko Squad right after this class.

As she placed the bottle back into her bag, her hand gently brushed against a hard piece of paper. She turned her eyes towards it, a slight bit of sadness creeping into her eyes as she saw what it was. She had almost forgotten. It was so easy to forget after going through another routine day at Shinya High School.

SHINKANSEN STATION, DECEMBER 21, 2007, 8:00 PM

She sighed, taking her bag and closing the zipper. The train ticket disappeared from view as the zipper closed, and she placed her bag back onto the bleachers as the teacher blew the whistle again. December 21, Friday…today.

Christmas again…

* * *

“Okay, let’s try that routine one more time!”

Music blared out from the speakers, but as the other seven girls around her scrambled to get into position, she stood still, looking off to the side. She didn’t notice that the other girls had started practice again. She had even forgotten to complain about the Shinko Squad’s uniform skirt being too short and the fact that they had to wear a skirt in the first place. Today, she just stood there, lost in her own little world, a sad look in her eyes.

“Chizu, what’s wrong?” asked a voice from beside her.

She didn’t even move. It was as if she had not heard her. Only when a hand reached out to touch her arm did she turn around, her ruby red eyes meeting Kaede’s brown ones. The music came to an abrupt halt, and she didn’t need to look behind Kaede to know that the rest of the squad was looking at her.

“Ah, it’s nothing,” said Chizu, forcing a smile on her face, “I was a little bit distracted. Let’s start the routine again?”

“Are you sure you’re all right?” asked Kaede, “You’ve been really quiet all practice. Did anything happen?”

“Nothing happened,” said Chizu, “I’m fine.”

Lying and concealing her emotions seemed to be one of her talents. She watched as the other girls got back into position, the music beginning to play again. She counted silently, waiting for their cue to start. As it came, she began the routine, her mind drifting off as she settled into the familiar rhythm.

…the school closes for the holidays tomorrow…

* * *

Downtown. Everyone seemed to be out and about today, doing shopping for Christmas. It was snowing lightly now, small snowflakes landing on her dark-colored winter clothes. She stood against a nearby wall, looking at the crowd in front of her. She was supposed to be looking for someone, but seemed to have forgotten this at the moment as she watched as two children threw snowballs at each other, their mother yelling at them to hurry up.

“Chizu-senpai, which way did he go?” asked a voice from beside her.

“Huh?” asked Chizu, turning her head, “Who?”

“Takeshi Sato,” replied Jameson, “Who else?”

Takeshi Sato…high school student…comes home late at night every night…younger sister worried…SOS…Shit!

Chizu’s eyes widened slightly as she remembered the reason she was downtown in the first place. She had been following Takeshi Sato! She turned her head, face falling as she realized she had lost him in the crowd of people.

“I…uh…lost him in the crowd,” she muttered, “But I’ll find him, don’t worry.” 

She turned in the direction she had last seen him, running off as quickly as she could. He had not passed by that long ago. If she was not too late, she might still be able to catch him.

…everyone’s excited for the break…

* * *

The club room in the auxiliary building was quite full of students. The Shinko Sports Society, had, after all, acquired a lot of members. The meeting was all but solemn, with everyone talking excitedly over what they would do for the Christmas break. Even Nao seemed to have given up on having a meeting, and was now discussing Christmas plans with some other members. Only a few people were not talking about the break or about anything, and she was one of those people.

She sat by the window, propping her head up in her hand as she looked out at the frozen school grounds. She barely noticed anything that went on around her, not even when someone moved to sit by her. In fact, she only noticed the person beside her when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around sharply, relaxing when she saw that it was only Coryn, wearing his usual black cloak. 

“Are you okay, Chizu?” asked Coryn.

“I’m fine,” said Chizu, forcing a smile on her face again as Nao announced the end of the meeting. She rose to her feet, taking her bag with her.

“I should get going. I have to work. I’ll see you later.”

She turned around, leaving the room behind her. It never occurred to her that she was the first to leave the room, a rarity since she would have usually stayed behind to talk to some of the other members, particularly Coryn or Nao.

“Chizu!” called a voice from the hallway as she walked. She turned her head, seeing Nao running towards her. Chizu opened her mouth to warn Nao of the spill in the middle of the hallway, but before she could say anything, the golden-haired girl had already slipped in it, skidding down the hallway. Chizu quickly ran over to her, grabbing onto her and steadying her.

“Thanks,” said Nao as she came to a stop.

“No problem,” said Chizu, forcing another smile onto her face, “Did you need something?”

“Ah, iie, I just wanted to give you your present,” said Nao, digging in her pocket. She produced a small, wrapped gift, handing it to Chizu. Chizu stared at the gift, feeling a tightness in her throat at the gesture.

“Thank you,” said Chizu, taking the present, “You didn’t have to.”

“I hope you like it,” said Nao, “It’s not much.”

“I’m sure it will be great,” said Chizu, “Thank you.”

She tucked the gift in her bag, turning around and continuing to walk down the hallway.

…they’re all giving and receiving presents…

* * *

Chizu stood behind the snack counter, cleaning the tabletop with a rag as the Shinya Bowling Institute closed for the day and for the holidays. Her eyes were downcast as she focused on her work, continuing to clean. Once in a while, she glanced up at the clock, noting that it was already 7:00 PM.

Only one hour left…she thought, going back to her work and barely noticing the voice popping up beside her until its owner began shouting.

“Chizu! Chizu?!? Are you in there?” asked Sy, waving her hand in front of Chizu’s face. Chizu snapped out of her reverie, turning towards the red-haired girl. Her eyes widened slightly as she recognized her.

”Sy, how long have you been there?” she asked.

“About ten minutes,” said Sy, “Are you okay?”

For the nth time that day, Chizu faked a smile.

“I’m fine,” she said, “Do you need anything?”

“Yeah, do you know where ToTo is?” asked Sy.

“Touya’s up in his office,” said Chizu, continuing to clean, “Up the stairs. You can’t miss it.”

“Chizu, Touya left half an hour ago,” said Kaede, her voice taking on a very concerned tone as she faced her friend. Chizu looked up at Kaede in confusion before turning to Sy.

“Right, he left half an hour ago,” said Chizu, sighing slightly as she placed the rag back in its place, grabbing her bag. “I should get going too. See you all after the break.”

With a slight wave to Kaede and Sy, Chizu slipped on her coat, leaving the Institute and heading towards Shinkansen Station.

…and going home to spend Christmas with their families…

* * *

Shinkansen Station was packed with people as everyone arrived for the last train of the day. Most of the people around her chattered excitedly about seeing their families again, talking about what they would do as they arrived. She sighed, holding onto her bags as she looked around for the train.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” asked Coryn, turning to her. “You haven’t said anything the whole walk.”

“I’m fine, really,” said Chizu, smiling as the 8:00 train pulled into the station, “I’ve just got a lot on my mind. Thanks for walking me here.”

“It’s no problem, Chizu,” said Coryn as she began walking towards the train, “Have a good Christmas.”

“Yeah, you too,” said Chizu, smiling as she boarded the train, “Have fun with your mother and Damon.”

As the doors of the train began to close, she caught sight of Coryn waving goodbye on the platform. She forced another smile, raising her hand and waving goodbye as well as the doors of the train closed.

…but I’m alone again…

* * *

Chizu lay on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. One leg hung off the couch, and one arm was tucked behind her head as the other lay draped across her waist. Her bags lay on the floor in a heap as she stared listlessly above her. The only sound in the room was the steady tick-tock of a clock, reading 11:30 PM. This year would be her second Christmas alone.

She sighed, her hand getting out from under her head and groping around on the coffee table in front of her for the remote. She found it, turning her head to the side and pressing the power button. The TV flashed on, showing a movie about a family spending Christmas together. She sighed, changing the channel. The next program showed a group of friends playing in the snow. She flipped the channel again, and this time it was a romantic movie. Family, friends, and loved ones…the people you were supposed to spend Christmas with.

Chizu changed the channel again, not wanting to be reminded of what she was missing out on. A familiar theme song filled her ears, After Dark by Asian Kung Fu Generation. She watched as the opening credits of Bleach rolled in. Watching some anime would be better than thinking about what she was missing at least. Five minutes into the show, she turned off the TV in disgust, placing the remote back on the table and looking up at the ceiling again. Another filler…just great.

She straightened up, getting up from the couch and walking over to the phone. They would probably still be at the Dorms, in which case, she could call them. She picked up the phone, holding it to her ear. She frowned again, her shoulders slumping as she only heard static on the other end. Right, when was the last time she had paid the phone bill? With a dejected sigh, she practically threw the phone back onto the cradle, going up the stairs. If she couldn’t even pay the bills, how was she supposed to buy presents for everyone?

Where are you going, Chizu?, asked Aether as she began walking up the stairs.

Sleep…replied Chizu, There isn’t much else to do here.

…I can’t even afford presents. Some Christmas this will be.

* * *

She lay awake in bed, the warmth of the blanket covering her as she flipped through the names on her cellphone, a cellphone that was virtually useless as a phone anyway, since calling anyone would be too much of a strain on her phone bill, and text messages took forever to get a reply to, so it wasn’t much help anyway. With a sigh, she placed the phone back onto her desk, turning over and turning out the light. All she had to do was get through Christmas, and then school would resume again and she wouldn’t need to be alone.

* * *

December 22, 2007

Chizu leaned against the wall of the living room, sighing to herself as she sank down into a sitting position. It had been a long morning, but the living room was finally spotless again. It was amazing how much dust built up after just a few months of being away. The rag in her hands fell to the floor as she stared out at the house in front of her…an empty house. She wondered what they were doing now—Sy, Kaede, and Coryn. Probably all sharing Christmas with the people they cared about. Even Sy had her father to spend Christmas with.

I should be used to it by now…thought Chizu, closing her eyes and tilting her head back so that her head leaned against the wall as well. Looking out at the living room was beginning to get too painful for her. She could still see herself and her sister seated on the couch on Christmas Eve, blankets wrapped around them as they sipped hot chocolate and watched TV while waiting for the clock to strike midnight.

“Onee-san…” muttered Chizu, feeling her voice starting to get a little shaky. It was always like this whenever she returned home, especially during Christmas…

She was shaken out of her thoughts by the sudden ringing of the doorbell. Chizu got to her feet and dusted off the warm clothes she had worn to clean the house, a puzzled expression on her face. Nobody ever visited. She doubted anyone in town even knew Chizu lived here. She walked over to the door warily, wishing she had her kunai with her in case it was some sort of attacker. The blade was upstairs in her room, and she doubted it would be a friendly way to greet a well-meaning neighbor. At least, she hoped it was just a well-meaning neighbor. Slowly and carefully, she opened the door.

A girl around nineteen years old stood outside, wrapped up in winter wear to fight off the cold. Her hair was long and black, falling nearly up to her waist, and her eyes were a deep brown color. In her hand, she carried a plastic bag with what looked like a box inside it. She seemed unable to meet Chizu’s eyes, instead staring off at the corner of the door.

Chizu’s eyes widened as she recognized the girl. She had seen her before, but that had been three weeks before she left for Shinya. The last time she had seen this girl, it was on the other end of one of Chizu’s punches, and she had gotten suspended for it. She was one of the reasons why Chizu hated using the term ‘senpai’.

“Karin…” muttered Chizu, her hand falling away from the doorknob and hanging limp at her side as she stared at the girl in front of her in shock.

“Ah, Yamamura,” said Karin, “I heard you were in town so I…um, decided to pay a visit.”

“Is that so?” asked Chizu, still in shock. Karin had never decided to visit her before, in fact, the older girl had tried her best to pretend that Chizu did not exist, so what brought about this change now?

“Yeah,” muttered Karin, “They told me you were here earlier in the year, but I was at college so…”

Karin sighed, shifting uncomfortably. Again, she was unable to meet Chizu’s eyes. This wasn’t anything like the Karin Chizu remembered. This was certainly not the Karin that had made her freshman year hell.

“Listen, Yamamura,” said Karin, still unable to look at Chizu, “Back then…that day…about your sister…I didn’t know…I’m sorry.”

I’m sorry…

It was amazing how two words could have such an impact on a person. Chizu remembered that day like it was yesterday. It was the week after her sister’s death, and she had been sitting on the school steps, broken and listless. Karin and her group had been juniors back then, and they practically ruled the school. Chizu had been their favorite target. That day, she ignored them as they taunted her, but then they started talking about her sister. All Chizu remembered was seeing red, and the next thing she knew, she was on the ground punching Karin for all it was worth. Suspension followed after that, but she never went back. Instead, she packed her bags and moved to Shinya.

“When did you find out?” asked Chizu.

“The day you left, the principal called me in,” muttered Karin, “He told me about your sister. I…I’m really sorry. I didn’t know.”

She held up the bag she brought with her.

“My mom made some brownies,” she said, trying to smile, “You want any?”

Chizu sighed, before opening the door fully and stepping back inside the house. She held the door open for Karin, turning to the older girl.

“It’s freezing,” said Chizu, “Come inside.”

“Does this mean I’m forgiven?” asked Karin, turning to Chizu.

“It’s Christmas, Karin,” said Chizu, “Get in here, and I’ll find a plate for those brownies.”

* * *

It was a strange feeling, sitting down in the middle of the living room and eating brownies with someone you had once considered to be your worst enemy. Since coming to Shinya, Chizu had learned that enemies could be worse than Karin, but she had never expected this to happen at any time in her life. It felt nice though, as if everything was finally beginning to fall into place.

“So, where’d you transfer school to?” asked Karin, taking a sip of the hot chocolate Chizu had prepared.

“Shinya High School,” said Chizu, taking a bite out of the brownie. “These are good.”

“Thanks,” said Karin, “Shinya High School? Isn’t that the school for frea—kids with powers?”

“You were going to say freaks, weren’t you?” asked Chizu, taking a sip of hot chocolate, “It’s all right. I don’t mind. I’m used to it.”

“It just slipped out,” said Karin, taking another bite of a brownie, “So, do the kids there really have powers? I’ve heard some rumors, but I’ve never met anyone who goes there.”

“Why don’t you see for yourself?” asked Chizu, raising her hand towards Karin.

The wind around her began to move, swirling around the other girl and lifting her hair up in the air slightly before going back to its original motion and allowing her hair to fall back down. The aeromancer smirked at the stunned expression on her face, taking another sip of hot chocolate.

“W—What was that?” asked Karin.

“The wind,” said Chizu, “It’s what I control. At Shinya, they call me an aeromancer, someone who can manipulate the wind. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg when you think about what kind of powers the others have.”

“Really?” asked Karin, still looking a little shaken, “I didn’t think they were telling the truth when they said Shinya kids had powers.”

“One of my friends is an aquamancer,” said Chizu, “She controls water. Another one controls earth—terramancy, and there are a lot of people running around with psychic powers or powers that are completely something else.”

“Wow,” said Karin, taking another brownie, “And here I thought going to college was interesting. So…any boyfriend?”

Chizu turned a deep shade of red at that, taking another gulp of hot chocolate. As it turned out, she drank it too quickly, and it burned her tongue. She winced, setting down the cup.

“S—Sort of,” said Chizu, her face still flushed, “I guess you could call it that.”

“Does he have powers too?” asked Karin.

“He’s a vampire,” replied Chizu, “But he doesn’t take blood from people. Strange as this sounds, he gets it from a blood bank.”

“You guys have vampires too?” asked Karin, “Sounds like Shinya is something straight out of a manga. So, why isn’t he here? Don’t tell me he just let you go and spend Christmas by yourself?”

“He’s at home, in Ireland,” said Chizu, sighing, “Probably spending Christmas with his cousin and his mother.” 

“Ireland? He’s foreign? You get foreigners there? When can I transfer?” asked Karin with a small laugh as she took another sip of hot chocolate, “So, are you going to get this guy a gift or what?”

Chizu frowned at the mention of a gift, remembering that she still had not managed to find gifts for any of them. She sighed, clasping her hands on her lap.

“I’m…well, I’m still looking for a gift,” said Chizu, “Money’s hard to find and well…I only work part time, so I don’t have much.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find something,” said Karin, draining her cup of hot chocolate and getting to her feet, “I should be going, I promised Mom I’d be home soon.”

“I’ll show you to the door,” said Chizu, getting up as well, “Thanks for coming. Tell your mom that the brownies were good.”

“I’ll tell her,” said Karin as they walked towards the door. Before she left, she placed a hand on Chizu’s shoulder. Chizu looked up in surprise, turning to her.

“If you’re feeling lonely, don’t think twice about dropping by,” said Karin, “The house is pretty crowded for Christmas. All my relatives are there, but I think we can squeeze in an extra space.”

“Thanks,” said Chizu with a smile, “I’ll be fine. Merry Christmas.”

“It’s not Christmas yet, but same to you,” said Karin, slipping her shoes on and leaving the house.

As she walked out onto the street, she turned around and offered Chizu a slight wave. Chizu waved back, closing the door. She sighed again, heading back towards the living room. Her eyes fell onto the table with the box of brownies, a small smile appearing on her face as she began to pack them up.

* * *

Chizu sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter as she carefully pulled off the oven mitts, wiping the sweat off her forehead. She glanced at the clock, noting that it was already 2 o’ clock in the afternoon. The young aeromancer bent down in front of the oven, checking the thermometer to make sure that the temperature was just right. This oven had a strange tendency to get hotter than it should, and she didn’t think burnt cookies would be a good Christmas present for Karin.

At least I have a present for somebody…thought Chizu, straightening up and stretching.

The smell of cookies in the oven was already beginning to invade the kitchen, and as Chizu waited for the cookies to bake, she couldn’t help but remember making Christmas cookies with her sister. Everything around her was almost the same as it was back then, and when she looked at the table where all of her baking tools lay spread out, she could almost see her ten-year old self kneeling on a stool as Kaida methodically began stirring batter. She could almost see Kaida looking away for a moment, and then herself trying to sneak a finger into the bowl, only to get rewarded for her efforts by a hard rap on the knuckles with the wooden spoon.

Chizu suddenly felt like a weight had decided to settle somewhere in her chest, and she moved forward, slowly beginning to clean up everything on the table. She missed those days…she really did. Her eyes drifted up to the refrigerator, where a small picture of Kaida had been posted up. Her sister had always been beautiful, even on the day of her funeral. As she cleaned up, she felt her eyes begin to water.

Not now…she told herself, clenching her fists, Not now…

She took a deep breath, calming herself down as she took the bowls and measuring cups over to the sink, cleaning the table with a wet rag. She had gone through the motions so many times at the Shinya Bowling Institute, that she didn’t even have to think while cleaning up, which was a bad thing, since it allowed her mind to wander.

Ting!

The sound of the oven’s timer shook Chizu out of her thoughts, and she put the rag away, slipping the oven mitts back on and taking the tray of chocolate chip cookies from the oven. From the looks of things, they weren’t burnt, which would mean that Chizu wouldn’t have to make another batch. She placed the tray on the counter, using a pair of tongs to carefully take them from the tray and put them on a plate. Once that was done, she placed the tray in the sink as well, leaving the plate of cookies on the counter to cool. She hung the mitts up, ready to get started on the dishes when she saw someone approach the house from the window.

Chizu never hated the color blue so much in her life as when she saw the blue-clad mailman stick a few envelopes into the mailbox…envelopes that looked suspiciously like bills. She stepped out into the living room, grabbing her coat and walking out into the snow towards the mailbox. As soon as she pulled out the stack of letters inside it, she knew exactly what they were. She let out a heavy sigh, carrying the bills inside and spreading them out onto the kitchen table. It looked like she knew where her paycheck would be going. By the time she was done allotting money for each of the bills, she only had enough extra money left with her to buy one person a decent present. One, only one, and she had so many people to buy gifts for. Her shoulders slumped as she placed the extra money back into her pocket, placing the cookies in a box. She would deliver them over to Karin now. Maybe the walk would be enough for her to clear her head.

* * *

It was evening by the time Chizu returned from Karin’s house. Snow fell lightly from the sky as she walked through the streets, hands in her pockets. Everything she could see around her was decorated for Christmas, as shops began bringing out their finest decorations to entice people into shopping for gifts there. She glanced through one shop window as she passed, looking away as she saw the price of the items displayed there. She couldn’t afford anything. How was she supposed to buy Christmas presents for everyone? She sighed, her breath misting in front of her face as she continued to walk.

“Beads…” croaked an elderly sounding voice as she passed, “Beads and cloth…”

She turned her head, seeing an old woman seated on a chair on the sidewalk, a small table spread out in front of her. She was huddled up in a shawl, her hands tucked in close to her body to keep her warm. On the table were various beads, ribbons, and a few pieces of cloth, all at a very cheap price. Chizu frowned slightly. She could afford these…so maybe…

* * *

Well, that went better than expected…thought Chizu as she exited a nearby bakery.

The beads and cloth she had purchased from the old lady were tucked away safely in her bag, leaving her with enough money to buy something to warm her hands with. She had not yet prepared dinner, not expecting to be out this late, and the bread was fresh at the moment, still hot. She took the roll out of the paper bag she had with her, raising it to her mouth.

Something tugged at her coat and she turned her head. A small child stood shivering on the sidewalk beside her, clutching the remains of a tattered winter coat around him. He was looking at the roll in her hands, eyes wide. The hand on her coat was trembling, and Chizu could see that she was shivering. She sighed inwardly, her eyes softening as she smiled at the child. Wordlessly, she passed the roll over to him. The child’s eyes widened in happiness as he accepted the roll.

“Arigato gozaimasu, onee-chan!” said the boy, taking the roll from her. The look of absolute joy in his eyes made Chizu’s heart ache slightly.

“Ah…you’re welcome,” said Chizu, turning around and beginning to head home. She would find something to eat in the house. It wouldn’t be warm, but it would be better than nothing.

* * *

Nine o’ clock PM. It was a little bit late to start making gifts, but it was better than thinking about everyone else and how they were spending time with their loved ones this Christmas. Chizu sat on her heels at the coffee table, all the beads and cloth spread out in front of her, along with a sewing kit that she had unearthed from her room. With a sigh, she took the beads and sewing kit, and began to work on making her gifts, her friends’ faces passing through her mind as she worked.

Midnight found her slumped over the coffee table, fast asleep amongst several unfinished gifts…

* * *

December 23, 2007

It was cold. It was so cold that the chill seeped through the warm clothes she wore, chilling her to the bone as she sat on her heels in front of her sister’s grave. Snow covered the ground where she sat, falling down from the heavens and landing on her shoulders and hair. Her head was bowed, her crimson eyes downcast as she faced the grave.

“Merry Christmas, onee-san,” muttered Chizu, her hands folded on her lap, “It’s been a long time since I came to visit. I’m doing all right at Shinya, better than I thought I would be doing. I…I’m on the cheerleading squad, and my grades aren’t that bad either…”

She paused for a moment, looking up at the grave in front of her. Her eyes misted over with tears as she stretched out a hand, fingers lightly brushing against the kanji that represented her sister’s name—Yamamura Kaida. When she opened her mouth to continue speaking, her voice broke, as if she was on the verge of tears.

“I miss you, nee-san…” said Chizu, “I’ve made a lot of friends at Shinya—Kaede, and Nao, and you already know about Coryn. I…I wish you were here, though. It’s…it’s not Christmas without you.”

Her hand fell away as a single tear escaped her eye, trailing down her cheek and falling onto the snowy ground around her. She wiped her eyes quickly, as if she was afraid anyone would walk into the cemetery and see her crying, but the tears continued to come. No matter how many tears Chizu would wipe away, more continued to trail down her face. She lowered her head, white hair forming like a curtain around her as she gave up and allowed the tears to escape.

“Gomenasai,” she muttered, after a while, wiping her tears again, “I know onee-san doesn’t like to see me like this. But I’m okay, nee-san, so don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay…”

Chizu paused for a little while longer before rising to her feet and brushing away the stray snow from her clothes.

“I’ll come back soon, onee-san,” she said, lowering herself into a bow before turning around and leaving the cemetery.

The snow fell on her as she walked down the frozen streets, her hands in her pockets to ward off the cold. It was already late morning, and it was a long walk back home. The wind blew, her silvery hair falling around her as she continued to walk. Once or twice, she raised up a hand to brush a stray strand of hair away from her forehead.

She was passing by the river now, walking alongside its banks. As she walked, Chizu turned her head towards it. The river was frozen from the cold, and the banks were covered with snow. She looked at it, remembering a similar river in Shinya where she had sat down with a friend after a long day. She could still remember when she had told that friend everything about her past, and when that friend had done the same for her. On that day, she had promised to always be there for that friend.

Kaede…thought Chizu, staring out at the river. She could almost see the two of them sitting there, Kaede asking her about her summer, and Chizu responding that it had been her sister’s death anniversary. She wondered what Kaede was doing now. She had heard that Kaede had chosen to remain at Shinya for the break.

Maybe I should have stayed at Shinya as well…thought Chizu, continuing to walk.

She turned, leaving the river behind her and going deeper into the town itself until she reached the park. Cutting through the park would make her walk much shorter, so she turned, entering the small park. There weren’t as many people around as there might be in spring, most people deciding to stay home on such a cold day. The trees were bare, the wind making an eerie sound as it whistled through their leafless branches, and as Chizu walked, she found herself in another memory.

This time, the one Chizu remembered was a red-haired girl playing her guitar underneath a tree. Up until that time, Chizu had thought of that girl as an enemy, but that day had changed it. They talked, and realized that they were more similar than they thought. Advice had been exchanged that day, and they had parted friends.

Wonder what Sy’s doing…thought Chizu, remembering that the red-headed terramancer had said something about visiting her dad. She sighed, realizing that she had stopped walking entirely. She continued to walk, reminding herself that she needed to get home.

What’s the rush…she thought after a while, There’s nobody there.

She continued to walk anyway, barely glancing around her as she made her way through the park. She was now passing a grassy area, or at least, an area that had once been grassy before the snow set in. As she passed it, her mind went back to the first civil conversation she had had with a certain one-eyed sophomore in a year. It was the day when she announced that she had quit Kyrios.

Jameson said he was remaining at Shinya as well, thought Chizu, about to continue walking when a snowball smacked her in the back of the head. She turned around, brushing the snow off her head as she searched the area for whoever threw that. A group of kids stood there, looking at her sheepishly. Chizu glared at them.

“Sorry, onee-san,” one of them said, “It was an accident.”

She sighed, brushing the last bit of snow off her head.

“It’s all right,” said Chizu, “Be more careful next time.”

“We will,” said another of them, a little girl, “Does onee-san want to play with us?”

“Sorry, can’t,” said Chizu, “Maybe some other time.”

“Oh, all right,” said the little girl as Chizu walked away.

She heard them begin playing again behind her, continuing to walk away. Their laughter echoed out as she walked, and she found herself remembering those times when she would play in the snow with her sister. She would always end up losing, but it had been so much fun. She sighed, pausing in her walk as she remembered throwing snowballs around with her sister, and how happy that had made her.

Chizu bent down, scooping up snow in her hands and forming a snowball, as she turned around to face the group of children…

* * *

She curled up on the couch, a blanket covering her as she sipped at a mug of hot chocolate. It was nearly sunset now, and she had only gotten home a few hours ago. She smiled slightly as she remembered her snowball fight with the children earlier. She had been winning, until more children joined in and attacked her at once. After getting home and taking a nice hot shower, she had fixed herself some instant noodles for lunch and was now watching TV.

Chizu leaned over, placing the mug onto the table in front of her as she turned her eyes to the screen. The main character of the movie had been chased down by the police, and they were now surrounding him, pointing their guns at him. As she watched it, she couldn’t help but think about that scene outside the Bowling Institute, when Coryn had gone berserk and tried to attack the blood-covered Tsukiko, and the police had arrived.

She sighed, turning the television off. She was thinking about them again. Every time she thought of them, she ended up feeling lonely, and that was never good. Chizu threw off the blanket, placing the remote down on the table and continuing to make gifts. Finishing them would give her something to do and help her take her mind off the fact that she was alone.

It was around eleven o’ clock in the evening by the time she finished everyone’s gifts. She leaned back from her seat on the carpet, placing her arms in the air and stretching. Her eyes drifted towards the nearby window. The curtains were slightly open, and from where she was seated, she could see that the sky outside was dotted with stars, just like it had been on the Hokkaido trip when she had been sitting in the hot springs with a certain golden-haired girl, completely unsure of her feelings.

Nao…must be having a good time right about now…thought Chizu, the memory changing to another time on the Hokkaido trip when she had seen those stars. She was sitting down on a bench on the porch at that time. It was the time when she had revealed her feelings for a certain vampire…

Coryn…

A sigh escaped Chizu’s lips as she rose to her feet, shaking out her legs a bit to restore the feeling in them. Sleep…she needed to sleep right now. She turned out the lights in the living room, making her way up the stairs and towards her bedroom.

* * *

December 24, 2007

It was already ten o’ clock in the morning by the time Chizu woke up and went downstairs to find herself some breakfast. She looked at the calendar as she entered the kitchen, eyes widening as she saw the date. It was already the 24th? Tonight would be Christmas Eve. Perhaps she should call her friends on her cellphone and take the risk of her bill skyrocketing? But then again, where would she get the money to pay for those calls? She sighed softly, popping some bread into the toaster. She would have to wait until school started again to greet them.

She carried her toast out into the living room where it was slightly warmer, her eyes falling on the gifts that lay on the table from last night. Chizu placed the plate onto the table, picking up each gift. As she looked over each one of them, she remembered the person she had made them for.

The first gift was for Kaede. It was a hair ribbon she had made by cutting off a piece of blue cloth. At one end of the ribbon, Chizu had placed two beads. One, which was blue streaked with white, had the Japanese character for ‘water’ written on it. The other, a white bead, had the character for ‘friend’.

The second one, Nao’s, was similar to Kaede’s, except that instead of being blue, it was pink. A pink and white bead hung at the end, and since Chizu didn’t know what Nao’s powers were, she had written the character for ‘energy’. Nao always seemed to be so energetic and happy, which was why Chizu had chosen that character. Underneath that was the same white bead as Kaede’s, with the character for ‘friend’ on it.

Sy’s gift had not been a hair ribbon, because Chizu remembered that the red-headed girl had short hair. Instead, Chizu had threaded some beads onto nylon string, forming a bracelet. The bracelet was made of small brown beads, with one big brown bead streaked with white at the center and the character for ‘earth’ written on the bead. Beside it was a white bead, also with the character for ‘friend’ on it.

Jameson had not gotten a hair band or a bracelet, of course, but Chizu remembered the arm band he wore in the park with Amorette. She had made him a similar one, out of light blue cloth since she remembered that he liked the color blue. She had sewn small dark blue beads onto it, forming the character for ‘dragon’. He really seemed to care for his pet dragon Amorette, so Chizu thought it would fit.

After debating with herself for some time, she had decided to get Nickle a present as well. She had used the same cloth as Jameson’s armband, since she remembered that Nickle used blue lightning. Instead of dragon, however, she had sewn the character for ‘storm’ onto it in dark blue beads.

And finally Coryn’s present. It was a bracelet made in the same style as Sy’s, but with black beads instead of brown ones. At the center of the bracelet were three white beads, two smaller than the other one, which was at the center. The two smaller beads had characters written on them. One meant ‘protect’ while the other meant ‘courage’. On the big white bead in the center, she had carefully written the character for ‘love’.

She placed Coryn’s gift down, continuing to eat her breakfast. Maybe she would go over to Karin’s house today and see if they needed help with their Christmas preparations, since there really wasn’t much else to do at home.

* * *

It was night by the time Chizu returned home. She walked down the street towards her house, hands in her pockets as usual as she made her way down the street. Everywhere she passed, lights were on in the houses and sometimes, she could hear the voices of people going around and celebrating Christmas. She reached her house, leaving the sidewalk and walking towards it.

Chizu paused in her walk when she realized that something was wrong. The lights of her house were on. She was sure that she had turned everything off before she left, so why were the lights on? Could it be that she had gotten the wrong house? Her eyes drifted to the number. No, it was definitely the right house. Something wasn’t right here.

She opened the door slowly, careful not to make a sound. Chizu took off her shoes, creeping down the small hallway. She pressed herself against the wall and listened for a moment. There were definitely voices in her living room. She clenched her fists, taking a deep breath. It was now or never. She stepped out from her hiding place and entered the living room.

“Chizu! There you are!” said a voice, one that sounded strangely like Kaede, “We were waiting for you!”

Chizu blinked in surprise, unable to comprehend what was going on here. Kaede, Nao, and Coryn were in her living room?!? What...? How…?

“What are you guys doing here?” asked Chizu, still in shock.

“We came to spend Christmas with you,” said Coryn.

“We remembered you didn’t have anyone to spend Christmas with, so we came over,” said Nao, smiling.

Chizu was silent. They had come to spend Christmas with her? Even though they had other plans? She didn’t know what to say…didn’t know how to react. This was the first time that anybody had done this sort of thing for her. Finally, she looked up, slightly teary-eyed.

“Arigato…” she said.

The rest of the evening was spent reliving memories of the past year and exchanging gifts. Nao’s phone was ringing off the hook as various Triple S members called in to wish her Merry Christmas. A few, Jameson and Sy in particular, had the phone passed around when they called so that they could talk to everybody. By the time the night ended, Chizu was feeling content, and truly happy for the second time that year…

* * *

December 25, 2007

Chizu opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling of her living room. She rubbed her eyes, throwing the blanket off of herself and getting up. The living room had been completely transformed as the couch and coffee table were pushed against the wall, making room for futons for herself, Nao, Kaede, and Coryn. She looked around, noting that the other three were still asleep. She turned her eyes to the window, making sure that the curtains were completely closed for Coryn’s sake. Once she was sure that no sunlight would be entering the room and roasting him, she lifted one of the curtains, peeping out. Outside, the sun was just beginning to rise. She watched the sunrise, smiling as she remembered doing this with her sister. It was Christmas, and she wasn’t alone. She left the curtains, turning around to face the three sleeping people.

“Merry Christmas…” she whispered, “…my friends.”

THE END