The first frost and snow came as autumn transitioned into winter. The ground was sprinkled with white as it set in for the season. Winters were always cold much like the summers were hot. With everything else that had happened, it was nice to have some predictability and a form of stability. It had been almost two months since the showdown with Kawasaki, and nothing bad had happened since then, fortunately.

  With the coming of Christmas and the first snow, hardly anyone wasted time filling Hoenn City with lights. I helped my mother get ours set up since Father wasn't due back until just before the holiday. For as long as I could remember, I hadn't done much in regards to outside decorating. Regardless, I placed wreaths on the front door and the gate. We decorated the interior of the house together. Mother made us a special tea that she only made during the holiday season. I took a sip of it, looked up, and saw a ghost in the mirror.

  He stood alone in his dark apartment. The time between missions could be anywhere from hours to weeks. It left either no time to rest or too much time to reflect. He had never been good at making tea, but he could make black coffee. With my mug between his hands, and his eyes locked with mine, we stood off in silence. Outside of his apartment, the city was dark and dreary despite it being nearly Christmas. Devoid of life, trudging day by day. In my home, warmth and laughter filled the air; a celebration of life and the end of the year was coming.

  I closed my eyes and took a sip from my mug; the taste of cinnamon and spiced apples washed over the world that I remembered. When I looked back at the window, Number 9 had disappeared, and I fought back tears of joy: I was free of that nightmare. Makarov wouldn't break me. The Purge wouldn't take me. Eclipse wouldn't make me into a weapon that they would dispose of when they were finished using me. My family would hold me. My friends would walk beside me. My new life would shine in front of me. The season had only begun, and I was already merry and bright.

  *****

  "A Christmas party? I like the sound of it," Chika said between bites.

  "It would be nice to have everyone together again," Kaori added.

  "I guess it sounds fun," Nina said softly as she took a bite.

  The semester was coming to a close. Mid-terms were around the corner. With the turning of the seasons, the uniforms had long since switched to their winter variations. Sport coats and sweater vests covered the button ups, and the skirts were switched out with much longer versions. Scarfs and gloves quickly became the norm, and fuzzy hats topped every outfit. Even I could find the subtle beauty in them when they came together.

  We sat in the classroom eating lunch. Without Ino, everyone had missed out on their access to the buffet that she "accidentally" made every day. Our lunches varied drastically from person to person. Kaori's was the most elaborate since her grandparents ran a well-off restaurant. Denki's covered the basics and was pretty clearly made in a rush. Mine was more presentable, but was missing a couple of food groups. Chika's was more or less thrown together. Nina and Natsu had convenience store lunches. Rito and Hiro had just grabbed snacks from the vending machines.

  "How does two days before Christmas sound?" I asked. "That way, no one has to choose between family and friends."

  "I'm sure my mom will be working that day anyway, so I'm down," Denki replied.

  "Whatever day works for you, I'll be there," Hiro smiled.

  "I'll ask Ino, but I should be good for then," Rito said as he pulled out his phone.

  "You're sure you want all of these people at your house?" Natsu asked.

  "Why not? We're all friends, and I think my house will have the most room for everyone."

  Little convincing was needed. Everyone agreed to come to my house the morning of the twenty-third. After school, most everyone went home since their clubs had preemptively gone on break. Toriyama High put an emphasis on academics, so any time testing was in the near future, clubs would temporarily go on break. Since the Kawasaki incident, we still traveled in groups when we could. After one of our last council meetings, Nina and I left the school just as the sun touched the horizon.

  The city became even brighter as the sun fled the sky. The various lights displays came alive, and it seemed like we were in a different time all together. We became surrounded by a kaleidoscope of reds, greens, and golds. Whites and blues danced around us like fairies in the evening sky. The crowds seemed to move to a cheerful beat, and street performers serenaded us all with the sounds of the season. I felt a smile cover my face.

  "What's got you smiling like a child?" Nina asked almost coldly.

  "Doesn't everyone feel like a child during this time of year?" I asked back, my smile growing. "I can't explain it: I love this season the most."

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "Not everyone, I guess," she replied, returning her gaze forward.

  "Do you not like the holiday season?"

  "I wouldn't say that I dislike it, but I don't really have any good memories with it... save one."

  "And that one is?"

  "What do you care? I still don't see why you and your friends are still attached to me and my brother."

  "Because you're our friends, obviously."

  "But that's stupid." She started walking in front of me. "The first time we met, you tried to us. The second time, you decided to save us. I nearly had a full on breakdown the next time I saw you, and to top it all off, you risked your life and the lives of your friends to help us while still managing to convince me that you can kill us at any given moment. None of it makes sense."

  "Does it have to? You two were in danger, and I wanted to help you."

  "What's your game here, huh?" She turned around. "What do you want from us? You clearly don't need our abilities considering your own, so what do you see in us that's worth keeping us around?" She coiled back. "Is it me? Are you after my body, pervert?"

  I let out a deep sigh. "There isn't anything that I'm after by being your friend besides just that. You're attractive, yes, but that's not why I'm your friend, Nina."

  Her face went red. "Who said you could use my given name?"

  I smiled much like Chika did when she would tease me. "Oh? Embarrassed? We're friends, aren't we? Besides, since there are two of you, just calling you Hiasaka would get confusing."

  "I-I never agreed to this."

  "It comes with the territory, you know."

  Her face was flushed, and she turned away. "Idiot."

  I chuckled, and we continued walking.

  The crowds passed as we swam through an ocean of people. Many people were out doing their holiday shopping. Nina started pulling ahead of me either by accident or design. Moments later, I couldn't see her anymore.

  What a pain in the ass. I don't remember crowds being this bad before. Maybe because I wasn't trying to keep someone close by and alive.

  As I continued walking, I saw the back of a head that I recognized in an instant. Thelen Kryne, my final mission in my previous life. He was the same age as when I met him last. His unkept hair, his dirty clothes, the little girl riding on his shoulders. It made no sense why they would be here, but I was drawn to them. I pushed through the crowd until I reached them, but just before I got to them, they slipped away.

  In that moment, the crowd completely faded out of existence, and I turned to see myself in a shop window. He stared back at me. His cold, dead eyes held no emotion. His ghostly face wore no expression, only its gruesome scar. He held his knife pointed at me, much like I had held Natsu at gunpoint. His mouth didn't move, but I heard his words in my head.

  You can't escape me, killer. What you are, I once was. What I am, you will become. I am inevitable.

  I felt myself falling back. Every step I took had the weight of countless lives taken. The air grew frigid. The lights around me were consumed by darkness. No sound would have reached my ears if there was anything left to make one. All that was left on that street was me and him. I took another step into what felt like the ledge to a bottomless abyss. In an instant, a hand caught my coat, and I was pulled back to the sound of a car horn and dazzling lights.

  "What the hell are you doing, idiot?!" Nina half yelled at me.

  I stood there in her grasp, dazed. The daydream had faded, and the holiday scene had returned. A handful of people had stopped and were staring. The car that would have spelled my doom passed by. I pulled her hand off of me, grabbed it, and ran off with her.

  "Hey! Will you wait up?"

  I ran into an alley away from the crowds and let her hand go before nearly face-planting into the wall. I held myself at arms length and tried to calm myself. I was shaking, and everything around me became distorted. I didn't even feel her hand on my shoulder.

  Calm down. It wasn't real. Breathe. In. Out. That's not who you are anymore, and it never will be again. Breathe. In. Out.

  "Hey, are you okay? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled like that. What's wrong, K-Kazuma?" She sounded embarrassed to say my name.

  "It's nothing. I thought I saw someone I knew. I just got a little freaked out."

  "Nothing? A little freaked out? You looked like you saw a ghost, or worse. If you don't want to tell me that's fine, but don't lie to me."

  I looked over to see her face as red as it was before. The lights from the street gleamed around her. I could tell by her face that she was being genuine.

  "W-we're friends, aren't we, K-Kazuma?"

  For some reason, her expressions and her words brought me enough comfort to pull myself together for the moment. I pulled back from the wall and smiled. We left the alley and continued our walk in silence. Every so often, she would stop by the window shop, mostly warm-looking clothes, sweets, and the occasional stuffed animal.

  I guess she can be an average girl when she wants to be. Maybe she's just like this normally? I should start looking for gifts for the party exchange, anyway.

  We arrived at the metro station where we parted ways. She and her brother lived much further to the school than the rest of us. She went down the stairs and passed through the barrier. Night had fallen, but the sky was still ablaze with the light of the season. As I passed by another window, I turned to see myself again — no scar, eyes bearing emotion, and a face that was turning red from the wind. I turned my collar to the cold and made my way home.