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The Visitor

Voices caroled through snow filled air while shoppers dashed from store to light covered store. Bells jingled, ribbons twirled, and bright packages only dimmed when compared to the smiles on the faces of everyone around. It was clear that the holiday season had arrived on Gaia. Through this crowd slipped a redhead, snugly swathed in a tan coat with shopping bags slipped over both arms. Normally, Lucky adored Christmas. It had been one of her favorite Gaian holidays since she followed her star prince of a brother here years ago. Now, she was over it. Or rather, she was bored with it. Other times it had been in increments. She would come, see the lights, hear the sounds, and then be gone, back home among the ethereal glittering stars in the Star Kingdom's Observatory. This time she had seen it from the start and the artificial lights were already starting to hurt her eyes. It was time to call it a day.

Taking her leave of the city, she began her venture back into the suburban areas of Barton. Sidewalk was replaced by white covered lawns, asphalt by dirt roads. A frozen fountain signaled where another neighborhood began. Her boots crunched in snow as she passed one of these places, coming to a neighborhood that was vacant save for one house. Lucky paused. She was certain there were no lights on when she left that afternoon. Yet through the windows she could clearly see a sparkling light. A couple actually. They were moving about in an almost swaying motion, as if connected to an invisible string and set to swing like a pendulum. She shook her head and unlocked the door.

Almost immediately the source of the lights zoomed towards her, two young stars flickering in excitement at the new arrival. At her feet, the dark, sparkle dusted fur of Sirius came into view as the star puppy yapped in greeting. She couldn't help but smile, lifting the bag out of reach as the pup's nose caught whiff of some of the items inside. "It is good to see you, too. Though, you know you lot shouldn't be here." She turned her gaze from them to the last member of the room. "Especially you."

"It shall remain between us." The Starlight Prince had seated himself near a lamp, though with how he still adorned his silver travelling cloak, he likely had just arrived and did not plan to stay long. "Pardon the visit without a proper calling."

"A proper calling would have sent you back home," she replied, brushing past him to set her bags on the coffee table. The stars bobbed over the bags curiously before being ushered away by Lucky's hand. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I not appease a simple wish to see my own sister?"

"No, you may not," she replied, then added before he could interject, "and you and I both know that is for good reason."

The prince frowned. "I intend to have the issue revisited as soon as the Observatory is repaired."

"I wish you luck with that. The council never was too fond of me to begin with." As she spoke, Lucky methodically sifted through her shopping bags, memories of only a short time ago when battles between the Gaians and Zurg had brought her to Gaia. She went into that thinking her kitten stars were partially to blame for the mess. By the end though? It was clear she had been fooled, and by a star at that. What it wanted, why it wanted it, all of that was still unclear. But, the image of the star palace, the Observatory, once white and shining like a star itself completely coated in black with the light within siphoned away in what looked like a quasar blasting over the stardust falls would stick with her for a long time. "How is it?" she finally allowed herself to ask.

"Amazingly, not as bad as it could have been."

She nodded, "Well you certainly made it out."

He agreed, " believe it may have been attracted to the Falls. By the time it dissipated we had lost about half of our stardust reservoir."

He paused.

She waited.

He continued. "As for the victims, the kitten stars have recovered physically, but mentally? It is as if they were never stars. No power, no connection into the cluster. The others, however..."

The prince trailed off, but Lucky did not need him to finish that thought. Unconsciously, her eyes trailed to a small wooden box, smooth and finished in a dark stain and latched shut with a silver clasp. The star that went out before her, the one that the dark star drained of its light, lay in there, having never recovered in the past months.

"Though some came out unscathed." Lucky was brought out of her thoughts as he continued. The puppy star yapped at her feet as the prince spoke. "Sirius was with me at the time, yet showed no signs of losing his light. The same could be said of those two shining about you."

"They are lucky," she mused aloud.

The prince chuckled, "Quite so, considering they are wishing stars."

"Speaking of which, you are pushing your own luck. You won't be overlooked for long," she stated, giving her brother a knowing glance. As the Starlight Prince, Astraeus was given a good deal of freedom, so long as it was during the time when he was meant to be looking over the stars. But if the council caught whiff of him not tending to his work, or should he not be accounted for after his designated work time, it would be a matter of moments before they determine where he was, who he was with, and how to punish the pair accordingly.

The prince knew this as well as she did, yet he still lingered, turning his gaze to the snow frosted windows. It had turned to night in the short time he was there, and the lights hung by the city caused a warm and colorful glow beyond the snow flurries. Lucky pulled an item, a gag gift for a friend, from the bag and shook it in the prince's direction. "Go. Or I will use this on you and deliver you as a perfectly wrapped gift to the palace.

He turned his gaze to her and raised an eyebrow, amusement showing in his grey eyes. "Is that a transformation potion?"

"From the 'I Am' series," she replied, "Bacon bits."

He blinked, "You would turn me into bacon?"

She smiled sweetly, "And send you back to the palace wrapped in white paper with a pretty yellow ribbon. Any star that comes to visit will get the same treatment."

The prince chuckled, though he did take a cautionary step back in case the threat happened to hold some truth to it. "Well, I suppose if I must turn into anything, I would rather become something that is notorious for being loved by everyone-"

"You're stalling, Astraeus," Lucky interrupted. He paused, and seemed to sober. She shook her head, knowing why. She could count the number of times on one hand that she had called him by his name. She had used it often in addressing him formally, but to his face, in a casual setting? It felt...foreign. Wrong. Yet it had to become the norm.

The prince regained his composure. "Perhaps," he agreed, his trademark warm smile soon gracing his lips. "And I will heed you advice, without being transformed at that. Though I doubt I have need to worry about that in the first place."

"Why?" she asked quizzically, an eyebrow raised.

Rather than answer, he moved away from the window, closing the distance between the pair. Before Lucky would speak, he lowered his head, placing a kiss upon her forehead. "I miss you as well."


She blinked, and within that moment, he and the stars were gone, leaving only traces of stardust in the air. Lucky sighed.

Yip. YAP!

The redhead nearly jumped out of her skin at the sharp sound near her feet. She looked down to find Sirius sitting there, tail wagging. "He left you behind?" she asked incredulously. Sirius yapped, eyeing the bacon. She held it up out of reach. "None for you. This gives a whole new meaning to the saying 'you are what you eat'." She glanced at the label, "...Or get on your skin somehow- you know what? We will just keep this one under lock and key."

She placed the potion vial in her jacket pocket before turning to the bags, sifting through what was every day items, and what needed to be hidden away until wrapped.

Then the house went black.

I am the Christmas Cardinal visiting to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. And always remember-

I am white and fluffy just like snow
No one could resist my cuteness
So Santa said lets go.
I mingled and played with all your gifts
So some of the wrapping paper could be shredded to bits.
Santa just giggled and we went on our way
So have a Merry Christmas
Happy Holidays! ={^.^}= Kitty Claws

e:
Ignoring the chill of glass under your touch, you leaned closer to the window and stared out into the night. Snow. In a silent and gentle breeze, snowflakes drifted down from the moonless sky. It must have been snowing for quite a while since the streets and yards were fully covered in the white substance. A few inches at least from what you could see. Your breath fogged the window and you quickly wiped at it to restore your view. It was a beautiful sight that was made even more special by the fact that it was the first snow of the season. To think your need for a glass of water in the middle of the night was what had led you to be able to see this.

Excitement quickened your heart as you impulsively grabbed your phone and hurried to the closet. After nimbly putting on a pair of boots, you snagged the heaviest coat you could find. It was in the middle of the night and all of Gaia was asleep. You were not worried about how fashionable you looked with your pajamas and snow gear mixed together. Zipping up your coat, you slipped through the house and outside.

Winter's chill immediately embraced you as you stepped out into the crunch of snow. You had been right earlier; the snow was a few inches thick. Your already big smile widened as you watched the snow gently fall from the sky. It stuck to your hair and jacket as you stared upwards. It took some maneuvering, but you caught a snowflake on your tongue. Gloves probably would have been a good idea. Despite not having any, you gathered a snowball into your hands and threw it at a tree. It hit with a satisfying splatter and you grinned. Tomorrow would be a great snow day.

With hands in pocket, you walked into the middle of the street and down the lane. The only sound tonight was the soft breeze blowing through the snow-covered branches. Pulling out your phone, you began to take some photos. Turning onto the next street, you tried to get a good angle on a frozen statue in someone's yard. You were distracted enough with getting the lighting right that at first you didn't even hear the small jingle of bells. When you did, you frowned, turned around to search for the noise, then immediately shrieked and fell back onto the snow.

What!?!?

You gaped up at the creature that towered over you. It gazed at you with mild interested and a large nose lowered and sniffed at you. It took you a few moments to realize it was a reindeer. At least, you think it was... You stared at it with wide eyes as you tried to figure this out. Its entire form was transparent and tinted green. Aside from that, it was absolutely a reindeer. Still staring, you watched as it sneezed, shook its head, and caused a chorus of bells attacked to the harness to ring out. A harness? Your attention finally switched away from the ghostly reindeer. Wobbling slightly, you shakily rose from the ground. The reindeer was pulling a wooden, yet elegantly carved sleigh. Unlike the reindeer, the sleigh was corporeal. Glancing at the creature again, you saw that the harness was as well. How was that possible?

"Are you all right?" A voice asked.

Startled, you realized that someone had been trying to speak to you. In the sleigh, you spotted two people. The first, the one who had spoken, was a man in his mid twenties. His hair, cut militarily short, was brown and his emerald eyes were softened with concern as they looked you over. He wore an old military uniform, from centuries ago, that was crisply ironed and polished. Like the reindeer, the man was transparent with a greenish tint. Through his standing form, you could see a streetlight behind him. The snow drifted through his form and onto the sleigh. Were you dreaming? You stared blankly at him as your mind tried to process all this.

"I do not see any apparent injuries," The second person spoke.

You looked to them and saw it was a girl in caroling clothes that of ages passed. Her hair, as white as the snow that was falling, was partially hidden under a hat with holly pinned to it. Her eyes were so light a blue that you wondered if it was simply a trick of light. Like the other two, she was as transparent as could be. Unlike the others, however, her form had a soft white glow to it instead of green.

The uniformed man floated through the door of the sleigh and walked over to you. "Are you all right?" He asked once again.

You blinked and nodded. These had to be ghosts. There was no other explanation. Well, you could be going crazy. Then again, didn't brain tumors cause hallucinations? Or maybe you were in a coma dream. That was a thing, right? You stifled a groan when you realized that none of the other explanations were actually appealing.

"What are you doing out here at this time of night? And with snow nonetheless?" The man's frown deepened, "Are you sure you are well?"

"Surely they were just taking photos of the snow." The phantom girl answered, her words tilted with a slight accent, and her gaze on the cellphone in your hand.

You nodded once again, then, realizing they were waiting for more, explained your story to them. Now that the adrenaline from the surprise encounter with the reindeer had passed, you were starting to get cold. Your pajamas were thin and falling in the snow had quickly chilled you. You rubbed your frozen hands and thrust them into the pockets of your coat again.

"It is not safe to be alone out here at night in such poor weather conditions." You winced at the girl's statement. Her words were not scolding in nature, but you felt embarrassed nonetheless. Probably because you knew the ghost was right.

"Would you care for a ride home?" The man offered. He paused and then sent a questioning glance to his companion. She nodded and his gaze returned to you. "It is the least we could do after the unintentional fright our reindeer gave you. Moreover," He glanced at the falling snow and shifted uneasily, "It would comfort me to know you got home safely."

A ghost was offering you a ride. It sounded like the beginning of a joke. You hesitated as you looked from them to the sleigh. Accepting a ride from a stranger made you uneasy. On the other hand, the odds of ever getting this type of opportunity again in your life were slim. It was a reindeer drawn sled. Through a snowy night! You stared hard at the reindeer as you weighed the pros and cons. Honestly, after all the things that had happened in Gaia, this really shouldn't have taken you by great surprise. Seconds passed before you finally buckled up and accepted his offer. If you had refused, you knew you would have regretted it for the rest of your life. Carefully, you made your way through the snow and into the sleigh.

You ended up sitting between the two ghosts. Although they had no physical presence, you could feel a cold spot where they sat. Your heart sped up when the reindeer began to walk at the man's urging. You were in a sleigh! The silly grin from earlier returned to your face. The entire event felt like something belonging in a dream.

"My name is Joshua, by the by." The man spoke as he turned the reindeer onto the street leading to your house. "My friend here is called Phantom."

At the mention of her name, the Phantom smiled and slightly bowed her head in greeting. "I can tell that you have questions." You nodded at her words and she continued, "We are out and about giving gifts to celebrate the season! Our ghostly forms can cause a fright, so we have been giving the gifts in a less direct way. Hence the midnight hour." She turned in her seat and motioned to the back of the sleigh.

You followed the motion and was startled to see a large pile of presents. The presents came in an assortment of shapes and sizes. They were clearly wrapped by a well practice hand and all were finished off with a lovely bow of ribbon. It must have taken the two ghosts ages to complete so many presents. You watched as snow continued to drift down and dust the top of the presents. The Phantom saw this and frowned. Being immune to the effects of snow, neither of the spectral beings had considered its effect on the presents.

"Speaking of," You turned to face the front as Joshua spoke once more, "Would it displease you if we made two stops before dropping you off at your house? There are two houses we have to gift that are along the way." He glanced at you. "Bear in mind that I do not wish to pressure you. It is only a minor inconvenience if we travel straight to your house. Neither of us would be upset or annoyed by it."

You looked down the street as you considered. Your house really wasn't that far, and although you were cold, you barely noticed it given how surreal this entire experience felt. You were along for this ride and you wanted to enjoy it. You told Joshua to go ahead and make the stop.

The reindeer slowed to a still in front of a pleasant looking two-story house. Christmas decorations filled the yard; ironically, there were light up reindeer. You had the sudden impulse to take a picture of the ghostly reindeer with one of the decorations. You silently groaned when you immediately realized that the ghost would not even show up in the photo. So much for that plan.

Joshua got out of the sleigh and made his way to the presents. With the Phantom's guidance, he chose a few presents. How he was able to hold the presents while be a ghost was beyond you. You had heard of ghosts being able to touch physical objects, but seeing it in action was something else altogether. The ghost began to straighten the ribbon lines for each present until they were perfectly symmetrical. He was so very serious and meticulous about it that you almost felt bad about being amused by it.

You tried not to laugh when the Phantom suddenly reached over and tugged at a line to make it crooked. Joshua shot her a glare and fixed the line. He then swatted at her hand when she dared to reach out again. She sighed, giving you a shrug, and let the man continue in peace. With presents in hand, the ghost finally floated to the house.

"We have been taking turns putting the presents underneath the Christmas trees for random Gaians this year." The Phantom explained as you both watched Joshua stop in front of the front door. Weird. You had expected him to float right through... You immediately chided yourself for the thought. The presents were physical. He could not take them through a wall with him. Instead, you watched as he juggled the presents onto a single arm and used his free hand to reach through the door. His face became determined as he searched the other side of the door for the lock. He smiled suddenly and the front door opened. Within seconds, he had disappeared into the house.

"I tried, to no avail, to convince him to take the chimney." The Phantom longingly looked towards the roof, "It would have been perfect. I had found him a Santa outfit and everything." She frowned, "He refused stating some nonsense about embers and actual fire in the fireplace. I think it was just an excuse to not wear the costume."

You chuckled at her words. You were going to have to side with Joshua on this one. The ghost would have been fine moving through fire; the presents, meanwhile, would have definitely been scorched. Just as you began to reply, Joshua appeared in the doorway.

"Phantom! Grab the reins!" His face was taut as he quickly closed the door and locked it. He rushed to the sleigh and practically dived in. "Go!!"

The Phantom, as bewildered as you, obeyed and sent the reindeer into a quick gallop. "Whatever is wrong, Joshua! Did someone see you?" She risked a glance at him before focusing back onto the road. Houses passed by quickly as the sleigh slid across the snow

"A foul beast was inside that house." Joshua grimaced, "I just barely got out before it saw me."

A foul beast? What was he talking about? After a moment's hesitation, you voiced your confusion.

"A dog." He explained through gritted teeth. The ghost stared off to the side, his expression hard.

The Phantom nodded solemnly and eased the reindeer back down to a walk. There was more to this than you were seeing. You wanted to ask about it, but the Phantom caught your eye and shook her head. Joshua must have had a bad experience with a dog. At least, that was the only explanation you could think of. There was an awkward tension in the sleigh as a full minute of silence passed. You shifted uneasily as you tried to figure out what to do. Clearing your throat, you decided a subject change was in order. Glancing to each of them, you asked how many years they had been giving out gifts.

"Well, I have been doing this for quite a few years. This is Joshua's first." The Phantom's voice was full of relief as she quickly replied to you. "Normally he is busy guarding his forest all year round. I thought it would be nice to give him a break from his duty. Besides, no one should be alone during the holidays."

Joshua perked up at her words, "Oh no. Don't let her sweet talk you." He crossed his arms and gave the Phantom a stern look. "She asked me for help this year because she wanted a reindeer for the sleigh."

She clutched her heart as if the mere accusation brought her pain. "Utter nonsense. I would never do such a thing. Never!"

"The lady doth protest too much." He countered, "You had a lovely sleigh with nothing to pull it!"

The Phantom lifted her chin for a moment and then sighed, "Fine. I will admit it. The reindeer had a large part in my coming to you this year." She paused before adding, "However, I was also hoping for your company as well."

Joshua slapped his leg, "More silken words, but the truth finally comes out." He triumphantly declared. He sat back in his seat with a small grin as the Phantom pouted slightly. Neither seemed to have taken the conversation too seriously.

You smiled at the friendly banter between the two ghosts; the change in subject was a clear success. Joshua seemed to have recovered from his incident with the dog. Still, something tugged at your mind. He had brushed off the Phantom's words as nothing more than a hollow compliment, and yet the feeling that she had spoken the truth nagged at you. You reflected back to her earlier response about how no one should be alone during the holidays. Perhaps she had been talking about herself. Before you could consider this further, you grew distracted when the reindeer came to another stop.

This was a house you recognized. Looking a few houses down the lane, you spied your own house. Yeah, this was definitely your friend's house. Despite being gone only for a short while, the houses on the lane were blanketed by thick snow. Looking up, you saw that the snowfall was indeed becoming heavier. It was a good thing this was the last house before the ghosts dropped you off at your own.

It must have been the Phantom's turn to gift for she was the one to leave the sleigh this time. She glanced at the back of the sleigh and you nearly jumped when you saw two presents float up from the pile. As the Phantom made her way to the front door, the presents followed behind her. Joshua twitched beside you and you realized that he was trying to resist fixing the presents the Phantom was taking. When she reached the door, she turned back to you and gave you a small wink. With an unseen force, the door unlocked and opened before her as if by magic. Joshua grumbled something that suspiciously sounded like "show off" and began polishing one of the buttons on his uniform.

Just as the Phantom was entering the house, she paused. Looking back at you, she motioned you over. It took you a moment to realize she was offering you to come along. Multiple thoughts entered your mind simultaneously. If you went with, you would be sneaking into someone's house in the middle of the night. What if you got caught? You weren't a ghost; you couldn't float through a wall to escape or become invisible. On the other hand, this was your friend's house. It would be fun to give them a gift and the thought of doing it so secretively was exciting. Worst case, they caught you and it would be an awkward affair of telling them what you were doing. You doubted they would turn you over to the police. What were the odds of being caught to begin with? They did not own a dog and it late at night. Unless they wandering the house for a glass of water, like you had, they wouldn't be awake. You bit your lip as you mulled things over. The Phantom waited patiently for you to decide. You stood and maneuvered out of the sleigh. Screw it. What was one more risk in this adventure of a night?

Wary of the snow and ice, you met the Phantom at the door. She smiled and a present bumped into your arm. You held out your hands and the present gently dropped into your grasp.

"It will be a bit dark, but I will try to give you some light." The Phantom murmured quietly before floating inside.

True to her word, the white glow encompassing her form brightened just enough for you to watch your step. Walking into the darkened house, you were met by a wall of warmth. Your body felt stiff and ached as heat began to enter it. You walked as silently as you could as you followed the Phantom further inside. You strained to hear any noise that would indicate that someone was awake. The only sound in the quiet house was the ticking of a clock. Between the heater in the house and your heavy jacket, you were starting to get hot enough to sweat and your heart was pounding like a drum. Sneaking through someone's house in the middle of the night was thrilling, but unnerving. You half expected someone to appear in the hallway and kept looking for possible places to hide should the worst happen.

Contrary wise, the Phantom seemed completely unperturbed by the journey. Her face was calm, but her eyes alert as she glanced into room after room. The second present followed just behind her shoulder like a trained pet. Considering it, you realized of course she would be calm. Who knows how many times tonight she had done this. Better yet, how many years she had done this for. You stared at the ghost as you wondered exactly how old she was.

After what felt like an eternity, you finally spotted the room with the Christmas tree. It twinkled with multi colored lights that reflected against the numerous ornaments that hung from the pine branches. Candy canes were thoughtfully placed evenly throughout the tree, while tinsel was haphazardly draped on. A silver star shimmered at the very top casting a glow on the ceiling. At the base, presents were nestled together. Still staring into the room, you saw a fireplace with soft glowing embers resting inside. The room smelled faintly of smoke and pine.

The Phantom floated through the furniture and to the tree. Taking the present from the air, she knelt down and gently placed it amongst the others. Hesitating only for a moment, you navigated your way next to her.

"Anywhere will do," She murmured as she moved away to make room for you.

You nodded and knelt as she did. She had placed her own present in between a cluster of others. You wanted yours to be a little sneakier. Stretching out, you put the present deep under the tree so that it was slightly obscured by the branches. You grinned and leaned back as a small surge of excitement coursed through you. Mission accomplished. You could see why the Phantom did this each year. There was a definite thrill to giving a gift secretly. Standing back up, you spotted the Phantom in the doorway waiting for you. She had moved so quickly and silently that you had not even noticed.

You hurried to her, but in your hurry, accidentally smacked your knee on a low table. Silently cursing, you clutched at your knee as pain pulsed through it. You were definitely going to get a bruise. The collision had made noise and fear flickered through you. Did someone hear it? You looked to the Phantom. She was frowning slightly as she stared down the hall. Returning her gaze to you, she put a finger to her lips and motioned for you to stay put. She floated deeper into the house and out of sight.

You wiped at your brow as you strained to listen for any noise. If anyone came, you could dive and hide behind a couch. Maybe the Phantom could distract them while you escaped. Joshua was already in position to be a getaway driver. The sleigh was far from discreet, but the reindeer had already proven itself to be fast. Something suddenly came into the doorway, knocking you from your thoughts, and you quickly ducked behind a couch. You tensed, not daring to peak

"The noise did not awaken anyone. You can come out"

You relaxed when you heard the Phantom. Getting up from behind the couch, you saw her watching you with amusement. Your cheeks flushed in embarrassment and you limped over to her. Thankfully, she did not comment on your graceless attempt at hiding or your earlier blunder. Floating back into the hallway, she guided you out of the house without further incident.

Once outside, the cold air felt wonderful against your skin and the pain in your knee began to ease. Looking at Joshua, you saw that he had moved on from polishing the buttons on his uniform and was polishing the metal bells on the reindeer's harness. The reindeer kept nudging the other ghost, which repeatedly caused him to have to stop and fix his uniform.

"How did it go?" Joshua asked when he saw you.

Your face grew red once again as you tried to decide what to tell him. The Phantom closed and locked the door. "Non-eventful." She answered for you as she came up beside you. You shot her a look of relief. Nothing bad had happened because of your stumble, but it had been embarrassing nonetheless.

Joshua accepted the smoothly spoken lie with a nod. After one final look at the harness, he joined you and the Phantom in the sleigh. With a flick of the reins, the reindeer continued down the street. The cold cooled your burning cheeks and you began to relax once more. Thinking back on the incident, it was actually a little funny. You smiled as you thought about it more. No one would ever believe you if you told them what had happened tonight.

"This is your house, correct?" Joshua pulled the reindeer to a stop and you nodded. Home sweet home. "We apologize again for startling you earlier." The ghost frowned at the memory.

"I hope you enjoyed the ride and the gifting. Although you may wish to ice your knee." The Phantom wisely added, ignoring Joshua's puzzled glance.

You thanked them both with a smile of your own. It felt weird to be leaving the sleigh for a final time. Although your time with them had been short, it had felt much longer. You almost did not want to leave them. You were certain that they would have a rather adventurous and interesting night ahead of them.

Before you reached the door to your house, an idea occurred to you. Glancing back at the ghosts, you told them to wait a minute. You hurried into your house and silently searched for what you needed. You grinned when you found it; it would work perfectly. You swiftly returned outside with your prize in hand.

"A blanket?" The Phantom asked when she saw the bundle.

You nodded and went to the back of the sleigh. Flipping the blanket so the nylon was on top, you draped the blanket over the top of the presents. This way the snow would not ruin the gifts.

The two ghosts traded wide smiles. "Thank you. You didn't have to." Joshua spoke as he began straightening the blanket.

The Phantom nodded at his words, "It is very kind of you." She added as she bowed her head in thanks. "I quite enjoyed meeting you. Perhaps our paths with cross again some day." She winked at this.

"You are a dreadful tease, Phantom." Joshua admonished as he flicked the reins.

She lifted her chin, "I haven't the faintest clue as to what you are talking about, sir. Even if I did... I do not recall you complaining about it earlier."

The sleigh was moving away and Joshua's reply was lost to the wind. You chuckled at their bickering as you watched the sleigh disappear into the snowy night. What a night. You shook your head in mild disbelief and walked back inside. Taking off your boots and jacket, you sat down on the couch and stared at nothing as you thought back on what had happened. It would take quite a while for your mind to wind down and sleep to come. You stood to get a glass of water from the kitchen, but paused. Walking to the Christmas tree, you knelt down beside it. A new present was resting with the others. The ribbon was perfectly straightened and the top of the gift was damp from snow. You smiled.

Happy Holidays~

---- Phantom Anon