Same disclaimers apply

Swansong, Chapter 2: Christmas Gifts

IV. Make Believe

"Merry Christmas!" Fujitaka happily exclaimed.

"Merry Christmas!" Sakura chimed, too.

"Merry Christmas…" Touya softly said, putting on a mask of indifference.

"I'm opening the presents! The pre-sents!" the little girl, Sakura, jumped from her chair, and bouncingly went to the Christmas tree. Her high-pitched hanyaan, and thankyou's filled the whole house.

"This' from Tomoyo, from Reika, from Koji, from Ayame…oh! From you, Ottosan! And… and…" she brushed aside the wrappers. Looking for something. But failing to find it, she turned around with a questioning look on her face, "What did you get me, oniisan?"

Touya's right eyebrow cocked in an impish way. "Why do you think you'd get any presents from me, kaijuu?"

"Oniisan!" her face looked like it was about to blow. She held her breath until her cheeks puffed up and reddened like tomatoes.

Fujitaka just laughed, taking in stride the siblings little quarrel. He knew how much Touya loved teasing their little princess, and who could blame him? Sakura was so cute.

"Oh, well…" Touya sighed and pulled out something from his pockets. "Here…"

Sakura distrustfully took the crumpled piece of paper. She read it and her face lit up.

"Oh, oniisan! Thank you! Thank you!" she hugged the tall boy hard. Blushing, Touya tried to pry himself off, but in hugs, Sakura was adamant. She gave Touya a big brother's share of hugs and kisses for a whole year.

Fujitaka laughed loudly. Touya moaned and looked at his Father. The teen-ager's eyes clearly said: you'll get hanyaaned too!

And true to his prediction, Fujitaka got hanyaaned. And on Monday, everybody who gave his sister a gift will be, too.

Fujitaka got a number of presents, most coming from the school's faculty, some from his students, but he was the most careful with his two children's presents: a knitted tie (a pink-green-red knitted tie) from Sakura, and a wallet from Touya. "Why, thank you, children!" he gave Sakura a tight hug and a promise that he'd wear it on the first day of school. To Touya, he planned to give a fatherly pat on the back since he thought that his oldest had outgrown hugs, but he was wrong. It was Touya who caught him in a tight hug.

Touya got two presents, a new shirt from Fujitaka, and a beautiful hand made Christmas card from Sakura. He smiled warmly at them both.

The grandfather clock chimed midnight's end just as they were finishing Touya's fudge cake.

"Oh, Christmas' passed!" Sakura sighed. "So fast!"

"There would be New Year in a few days," Fujitaka reminded his daughter. Sakura's spirits lifted.

"You're right, Ottosan! And there'll be firecrackers in the park!"

"Yes, and Touya will take you. Won't you, Touya?"

"For a dish washing, I would!" he looked at his sister evilly. Before Sakura could react, he was already going upstairs to his room. "Good night everybody, merry Christmas!"

He could feel Sakura rushing upstairs, too, after giving their Father a loving kiss.

As usual, Fujitaka lagged behind the living room. And even though Touya couldn't see it, he knew what Fujitaka was doing. Talking softly to her, updating her on the family, assuring her that everybody was fine and happy.

After all this time, he still loved her.

With a twinge of guilt, Touya wished that he could say the same for himself. Yes, he loved his Mother. Every son naturally would. But in truth, he barely remember her. He had mourned her loss, but somehow, in the process, he had forgotten who she was.

Touya closed his eyes, willing himself to remember, but in his dreams, all he saw was a shallow shell, a perpetually smiling Nadesico.

V. The Fairy Tale

He felt so alive. Everything is always different in this world. He spent all evening gazing at the stars from outside this beautiful house. Somehow, he knew what the constellations were… and the names of the most brilliant stars.

How nice it would be to fly, he mused. Stretching his wings he'd soar to the heavens, and maybe, just maybe, get a star, or two…

He looked at the houses across the street. They were lined with red, and blue, and yellow dancing lights. Kawaii… he wished that his house had those beautiful lights too. But he already looked everywhere in the house, and there were no such lights here.

He caught sight of a little girl and a sullen boy just beyond the corner. The boy was teasing the girl, holding a pretty gift just beyond her reach. It was amusing how the little girl jumped and strained and struggled with all her might to get her present back. It was at that moment that they turned the street. He would've wanted to know what happened…

Suddenly, he saw a warm fire place inside the house. It looked so real, the fire was crackling and sending golden light into the far corners of the house. But, when he blinked, the vision disappeared. The house was empty again.

Confused, he shook his head to clear it.

"I must be hungry!" he remembered the kitchen. The man said there's food there! So he got to his feet. Sure enough, the kitchen was brimming with food. And even his formidable appetite was soon appeased.

With a satisfied sigh, Yukito cleaned up after himself then went to sleep. He was cold, but he had a nice warm blanket to pull up to his shoulders. "Oyasumi!" he happily exclaimed. "Merry Christmas!"

VI. Melting Snow

"Are you happy, Yukito?"

Yukito opened his eyes, and in front of him was the mysterious man. His heart was filled with warmth as he rushed towards his outstretched arms.

"Yes, everything's so beautiful, thank you!"

He buried his face in the man's chest. There's something so comforting in the way his heart was beating, the way his hands were stroking his back.

As an after thought, he added, "Everything's magic…"

The man laughed. Twinkling bells. "So apt for you to say that."

"Are you going to go again?"

"Sadly, yes."

"But why?"

"Destiny. Fate."

Yukito sighed and embraced him harder. He didn't want him to go.

"Why did you call me out, and then leave me?" he asked like a lost child.

"I thought you liked it in the world I showed you?"

Yukito thought, his amber eyes looking distant. Yes, he loved the world, but something was lacking. This warmth…

"Please, don't go… please be with me? For a while?"

But the man made him let go, made him stand straight and looked at him squarely.

"Do you know what you are?"

"What I am?"

He wanted to say Yukito, but it was only a name. Was he like the brother and sister he saw on the street? But he knew he wasn't.

"I… I'm not human…"

The man nodded.

"Are you God?"

He shook his head.

"What am I?"

Instead of answering, the man showed him through a beautiful glade. The glade was filled with blooming flowers and singing birds. Yukito knew, without asking, that this was where the man lived.

Something obstructed the sun, a huge bird? But this wasn't a bird… it was an angel! And he was so beautiful! With silver hair and majestic wings!

He landed in front of Yukito, and from this close, he could see how beautiful the creature was. To say that he looked like a girl is demeaning. No girl could be as beautiful. He was… ethereal.

The angel looked so content as he brought some fruits to a sleeping man.

"Is that…?" Yukito looked at the long ebony tresses of the man. Yes, his companion nodded. He is me…

And then the scene changed. The season turned from spring to autumn. And the man was dying. The angel was in pain.

Yukito's heart ached for the angel. The angel didn't want to leave the man, but he had no choice. In the same light from where he was born, the beautiful angel disappeared.

The man, not as his companion now, but he in the vision, sank to his knees, coughing violently. Yukito rushed to help him but his companion stopped him, looking sadly.

No, I've got to help him! Comfort him! Onegai…

But the stranger was stronger than him and Yukito was forced to simply watch. His heart felt like it was breaking, and he felt as if it was his pain when the man coughed blood on the floor.

"I am sorry… so sorry…" the man whispered. He struggled to get up, even though his legs are shaky and his tunic was stained with blood. "please, understand…"

The man reached for a book, one inscribed with symbols Yukito couldn't read. But he recognized the sun's emblem, and the moon's…

"Take care of my children…"

And uncharacteristically, he threw the book in the air. Yukito followed the flight of the book, but it didn't fall back, nor was there any sound that it even hit anything. Just a faint whooshing sound and then, nothing. The cavernous room was devoid of any sound except the raspy breathing of the dying man.

The man sank to the bed where the angel lay just a moment ago. With his last strength he pulled up the blanket to his shoulders.

As if just to sleep…

"You see, you never did abandon me, my love…," the man said to no one in particular. And then he closed his eyes. And the vision dimmed.

Yukito woke with a start. He felt his cheeks. They were wet. He was crying… but, he was surprised to discover, he wasn't sad. What was the dream about? He had forgotten… something about not being human? But he knew about that already, and there's nothing wrong with not being human…

Yes, angels aren't human…

The dream told him something important, but stupidly, he had forgotten!

Something about…

The worst and best Christmas Present ever…

To Be Continued