Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Learning Christmas ❯ Chapter 2

Chap.1

Hiei jumped out of the portal and landed on a branch outside the park and he almost fell with what he saw. Lights and green string stuff was hanging from the lamps and roofs, decoration of some kind of antlered animal, white men and a fat man with snowy white hair wearing red. What happened here? He had been away for three months and was finally allowed to return to his friends and his Kurama. Mukuro had him do almost everything she could imagine and his back ached from all the training he had to do with her. He wanted to ask Kurama for a back rub, but he had to investigate this strange event.

Running to Yusuke's house he saw him and Atsuko walking around the living room. They were decorating a pine tree with strange ball ornaments and other knick-knacks. Colorful fuzzy string and lights were hung upon the wall and they were singing some funny song.

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa- la-la-la-la la-la- la-la

Tis the season to be jolly, fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la

Don we know our gay apparel, fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la

Troll the ancient Yule tide carol fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la."

What are they doing? What is the purpose of this celebration? And what is the meaning on the strange song?

He ran to Kuwabara's house and found him and Shizuru wrapping boxes and putting them under a similar tree he saw Yusuke decorate. They too were singing a song and he could see Kuwabara's pet animal, a cat humans call it, wearing a small pair of horns on his head. What happened to the animal? Did it mutate? The two siblings laughed when the cat played with a piece of red ribbon the oaf was using to wrap a box. Deciding the animal wouldn't hurt his friends he ran to Keiko's shop and peeked through the window. Her and her family was baking sweets shaped like trees, men, and other assorted shapes. What was the meaning of all this? In the corner he saw a miniature structure and small porcelain people. They were set around a small baby figure in a wooden box; they looked like they were praying to it. And a man with white wings stood behind it. What happened while he was away?

Deciding he had seen enough he ran to Kurama's window and lightly tapped on the glass. The redhead was wrapping something on his desk and humming some incoherent song. When Kurama saw the raven haired demon at the window, he smile brightly and quickly opened it letting his little lover in. Hiei jumped in and took his cloak, katana, and boots off like Kurama taught him to do. Setting them by the window he embraced his koibito. Kurama kissed his gravity defying mop.

"I missed you," whispered Kurama.

"Me too. Kurama, what is going on? I've been away for three months and when I came back everything's changed."

Kurama laughed and sat on the bed. "It's Christmas, Hiei!"

"Who is Christmas?"

"Christmas isn't a person, Hiei; it's a holiday humans celebrate every year in December."

"What does is its significance?"

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain. Every year on December 25, families get together and celebrate Christmas. They give presents and celebrate the birth of their Savior."

"Who is their `Savior'?'

"Jesus Christ the Lord. He was born to die for us and Christmas celebrates His birth."

"I still don't understand. What is the meaning of the lights and the fuzzy colorful string stuff? And the tree with the strange ornaments? What are the figures in people's lawns for? What do they signify?"

Kurama rubbed his temples as his lover bombarded him with questions.

"Hiei, you're asking too many questions for me to think! The lights and the tree are a tradition that is fun to do, the fuzzy colorful string is called tinsel for decorating the tree or a house and the figures in people's lawns are decoration too."

"What does each figure signify?"

"Describe them to me."

"One was a man with white hair and beard; he was wearing a red coat and pants. He was extremely fat too."

"That is Santa Claus, also called St. Nicholas. Stories say that he is a mythical character who will give you presents on Christmas if you are good. On Christmas Eve, when people are asleep, he goes around the world on a sleigh and put the gifts under the tree."

"What drives the sleigh?"

"Reindeer."

"Is that the strange horned animal I saw?"

"Most likely."

"Another was a man made of snow. He had a carrot nose and rocks for eyes."

"That's a snowman, Hiei. Children like to make those for the fun of it."

"It isn't snowing."

"They're made of plastic, Hiei! What else did you see?"

"Yusuke and Atsuko were singing a strange song, something about `deck the halls' or some other."

"Those are Christmas carols Hiei. We have a lot of them. Look Hiei, if you want to learn more about Christmas come to the party at Genkai's temple Christmas Eve, that's tomorrow. I assure you me and the others will help you understand Christmas."

Hiei nodded and looked at the pile of wrapped boxes on Kurama's desk

"What are these?" he said pointing at the pile.

"Presents! Christmas is the season of giving. You can give gifts to your loved ones if you want."

"Do you have to?"

"No, but it feels good to give a gift. Something about the smile a person gives you when they receive you present makes you happy too."

"Just by giving them something they don't need?"

"Sometimes we give them something they need but it's not the gift that counts; it's the love that comes with it."

Hiei nodded and walked to the door picking his stuff up and putting them on.

"Wait Hiei, where are you going?"

Hiei looked at Kurama and walked back to him. Kissing his fox's brow he gave a small smile.

"To see Yukina. I didn't visit her yet." And he left.