A Ten'ou Family Christmas
                                            	          by Naia Zifu

	"So this Santa-san goes from house to house giving out toys
every year for no reason?" I asked.
	"Not for no reason, Nami-chan," Mama said.  "He gives them to
reward children who've been good all year."
	"Then I must've been bad every year before this," I assumed,
" 'cause I never got any before."
	Hotaru was dumbfounded.  "You've never gotten Christmas gifts
before?  Not even one?"
	I shook my head sadly.  "No, never!  Maria-san at school says
it's 'cause I don't believe in Jesus-san.  Is that it?"
	"You really need to find a better class of friends," Papa said.
	"Now, Haruka, behave," Mama scolded.  "Just because someone
believes differently than you--"
	"I don't care if she worships cheddar, as long as she keeps
quiet about it," she retorted.  "But when that girl tells my child she
doesn't deserve gifts just for what she believes, that's when it
becomes my business."
	"Nami-chan, Christmas isn't just about Jesus-sama," Mama said.
"It's also about Santa-san, exchanging gifts, and spending time with
your family."
	"But if we're not home, how will Santa-san know where to bring
them?" I asked.
	"He'll know," Mama said.  "I sent him an e-mail about it before
we left."
	"Oh, okay," I said, relieved.  "I was afraid he'd leave them at
our house and I wouldn't get my toys for a week!  But you said he comes
down the chimney, right?  What if he gets stuck, or there's a fire in
the fireplace and he gets burnt up?  Maybe I should wait up for him and
let him in the door so he won't get hurt."
	"If you wait up for him, he'll never come," Mama warned.
"Santa-san only comes when all good children are sleeping."
	"Don't worry, Nami-chan," Hotaru said, "Santa-san's an expert
at getting down chimneys; he won't get stuck or burnt up."
	"This whole Christmas thing is more complex than I thought!"
I said.
	"Luckily, you've got the easy part," Papa said.  "All you have
to do is sleep, and when you wake up there'll be loads of presents
waiting for you under the tree."
	"Will he bring bears and Legos and anime toys?"
	"Maybe," she said, "if you're a good girl."
	"What do I get if I'm bad?"
	Papa grinned evilly.  "Bad boys and girls get nothing but
coal.  And you've gotta be careful, 'cause Santa-san sees everything.
If you do one bad thing, he'll know, and it's the coal for you!"
	"I've been good!" I protested.  "I'll get toys!"
	"Of course you will, Nami-chan," Mama said.  "She's just trying
to scare you, aren't you, Haruka?  Santa-san wouldn't really give you
coal."
	"Will he bring presents for me, too?" I made Nami-pi ask.
	"Oh, I'm sure there'll be a little something under the tree for
you, too, Nami-pi."
	"Like new clothes?" I asked,  "Or glasses so she can see the
blackboard in school?"
	"You'll just have to wait and see," Mama said.
	"If Santa-san brings you glasses, you've gotta be a good
dolly and wear them all the time, okay?"
	Nami-pi threw a temper tantrum.
	"But I hate glasses!" she whined.  "They'll make me look
stupid!"
	"No, they won't; you'll look like me, like you're supposed
to," I said.  "And if you don't wear them, you'll get bad grades;
then you can't be a genius girl like me.  Is that what you want?"
	"Oh, all right, I'll do it," my doll said with a sigh, "but I'm
not gonna like it!"
	Papa laughed.  "If only it were that easy with the real
Nami-chan!"
	"But Nami-pi's a doll," I protested.  "They don't get teased
for having glasses like real kids do."
	"How do you know what your toys do when you're gone?"
	I eyed my lookalike doll suspiciously.  Papa was right; I
had no idea what she was up to while I was gone!  Maybe if I set
up the video camera next time I went to school--
	Mama pointed out the window towards what looked like a
gingerbread house in the distance.
	"That's where we'll be spending our Christmas," she said.
	"Ooh, kawaii!" I said.  "Look, Nami-pi, we're almost there!"
	"Looks awfully small," I made Nami-pi say.
	"That's just 'cause we're far away," I said.  "Once we get
there it'll look bigger."
	"Okay," she said.  "But it's kinda secluded.  Are you sure
Santa-san can get there?"
	"Sure he can!  He's got a flying sleigh with reindeer, and he
can go anywhere, even in snow, 'cause of Ludall."
	"Rudolph," Hotaru corrected, giggling.
	"Rudolph," I repeated, pronouncing each sound carefully.  "He's
the one with the glowing red nose.  When he was little, nobody wanted
to play with him, but the snow came and the other reindeer couldn't
see, so Rudolph glowed his nose to show the way."
	"That'll teach those meanie reindeer not to tease him for
being different!" my doll said.
	"You're a lot like Rudolph yourself, Nami-chan," my sister
said.
	I blushed.  "You really think so, Hotaru-chan?"
	She nodded vigorously, and added, "Oh, but in a good way, of
course!"
	"You mean there's a bad way?"
	Soon the train slowed to a stop as it pulled into the station.
Through the window I saw people rushing about in all directions, loaded
down with luggage and gifts.
	I put a warm coat on Nami-pi, then wiggled into my own.  Papa
helped retrieve my blue dinosaur-printed kiddy luggage and Hotaru's
black, but got stuck carrying most of Mama's red floral luggage along
with her own basic brown leather.  Then we all piled into the shuttle
bus that would take us the last leg of our journey, to our own quaint
little log cabin in the mountains.
	"It's got electricity, right?" Hotaru asked as we approached.
"And running water?"
	"Electricity?" Papa repeated.  "Running water?  I thought you
wanted an old-fashioned Christmas!  Geez, next you'll be asking for
indoor toilets, too!"
	"You mean I have to go to an outhouse?" I whined.
	"Aw, honey, she's teasing!" Mama said.  "Our cabin's got all
the comforts of home, I promise."
	"Are you sure?"
	"You think I'd spend a week anywhere that didn't?"
	She had a point there!
	"Well, that's good," I said, " 'cause I've really gotta go to
the washroom right now!"
	The bus pulled up outside our cabin and I stood, squirming, in
the snow while Papa fumbled with the keys.  She opened the door and
felt for the light switch until finally, every light in the room came
on.
	A big evergreen in the corner also lit up, with twinkling
lights in all the colours of the rainbow.  It was covered in tinsel and
ornaments, with a shining gold star at the top.
	"It's so beautiful!" Hotaru said, in awe.
	"Kinda ruins the tradition of picking out and decorating our
own," Papa said.
	"Which way to the washroom?" I asked, pushing past them all.
	I frantically tried every door until I found it.  Fortunately,
it was a perfectly modern, Western-style indoor washroom in gleaming
white, with a toilet labelled "sanitized for your protection."  For a
moment I almost forgot I had to go, until a sudden urge reminded me.
	I finished just as Papa was lugging in the last of our bags,
while Hotaru explored every room.
	"See, Papa?  It's not an outhouse," I said smugly.  "It's just
a normal, inside washroom, and it's right over there!"
	"Is it?" she asked.  "Hmm.  I guess they must've given us the
wrong cabin."
	"They did!" Hotaru said.  "This one's only got two bedrooms!"
	"Looks like you and Nami-chan will have to share."
	"Where's Setsuna-mama going to sleep?" Hotaru asked.
	"We'll figure that out when she gets here," Mama said.
	But I got the feeling she meant, "_if_ she gets here," instead.
	Setsuna disappeared again two weeks before without a word on
where she was going or when she'd be back.  Now it looked like she'd
miss Christmas altogether!
	"Hey, Nami-chan," Hotaru called, "which side of the bed do you
like?"
	"Right!" I called back.
	She nodded and took her bags into the room, but came back out
with a confused look.
	"The right side when you stand at the bottom and look up," I
said.
	She nodded again and went off to unpack.
	I carried my doll in and put her on my side of the bed for a
nap, while I carried my luggage in and unpacked.
	"Setsuna-mama's not coming, is she?" Hotaru asked in a near-
whisper as she put away her sweaters.  "That's why there are only two
bedrooms."
	"I don't know," I replied.  "I really hope she's coming, but--"
	"Nobody knows where she is," she said, voice quivering.
	"Hotaru-chan. . ."
	"She always does this; she just goes off wherever she wants,
whenever she wants, stays gone for days or weeks. . .  She doesn't
care about holidays or school events or anything," my sister
complained.  "She doesn't care about us.  She doesn't wanna be our
family."
	"That's not true!" I insisted.  "Setsuna-auntie loves us, but
guarding time is a big responsibility.  She can't stay with us as
much as she'd like."
	"She missed my school play last week," Hotaru sobbed.  "I was
the snow princess, the most important part, and she missed it!"
	"You were the best snow princess ever," I said.  "And Papa
taped it, so Setsuna-auntie can see it when she gets back."
	"It's not the same thing."
	"You've gotta understand, Hotaru-chan; it's the best they could
do."
	"No, _you_ don't understand," she protested.  "It's bad enough
I don't get to see my father much--"  But she stopped mid-rant and
apologised, "Gomen, I guess I shouldn't complain to someone who's worse
off than me."
	"No, we're just the same, you and me," I said.  "We both lost
our mothers, got mistreated by our fathers, taken in by the same loving
family. . ."
	"Setsuna-mama used to be my family," she said.  "When I was
little again, she was around all the time, but the bigger I get, the
more often she leaves and the longer she's gone.  It's like she doesn't
care now that I'm not kawaii and little anymore."
	"You're still kawaii, Hotaru-chan, and Setsuna-auntie still
loves you.  It's just that, as you get older, you don't need her as
much to take care of you."
	"But even if I don't need feedings and diaper changes, I still
need her," Hotaru said.
	"You should tell her that," I suggested.  "If she knows how
much we still need her, she might want to stay around more."
	"You think?"
	"Sure; it's gotta be more fun than watching the time gates
all the time!"
	"Well, I wouldn't wanna keep her from that," Hotaru said.
"That's way more important than just looking after me."
	"But she's the Senshi of Time, Hotaru-chan; she's got all the
time in the world!" I said.  "Why can't she do both?"
	"I guess so," she said uncertainly.  "Maybe I'll ask her next
time I see her."
	"And that'll be later today or tomorrow," I said, "when she
gets here and finds out she has to sleep on the sofa!"
	Hotaru giggled.  "That's what she gets for being late to
vacation!"
	"I know something else good about being early," I said.  "You
get to be the first ones to play in the snow!"
	"Yeah, let's finish putting our stuff up so we can go outside
and make a snowman!"
	"I don't like men," I protested.  "Let's make a snow _woman_
instead, one that looks like Papa!"
	"Nami-chan, we're gonna be here a week; we could make a whole
family of snow people by then!"
	"Good idea," I said.  "Let's make a snow Papa first, okay?"
	But as it turns out, snow people don't look like anyone;
they're just big balls of snow piled up, with stick arms and faces
of whatever you can find.
	"I knew we should've brought the button jar!" Hotaru said.
"I bet there are lots of good faces in there!"
	"I've still got some of the gumdrops I was eating on the
trip," I offered.
	"I guess it'll have to do," she said.  "Which kinds have you
got?"
	"Green and orange; I never eat those."
	"It'll do," Hotaru said.  She placed two green gumdrops for
the eyes, and made a small, slightly upturned orange line for the
mouth.  "How does it look?"
	"Not very much like Papa," I said.
	"We've _got_ to get better snow building supplies!"
	"Maybe Santa-san has some," I said.  "I bet he'll fix it while
we sleep, and when we wake up our snow Papa will be beautiful!"
	"Maybe, but we're on our own for now, and this doesn't look a
bit like--"
	"Aww, what a kawaii little snow Haruka!" Mama said from the
doorway.
	"She knows who it is!" I said excitedly.
	"Of course; I'd know that smirk anywhere," she said.  "But
you've got to come in now, girls; it's time for dinner!"
	"Okay, Mama," I called back.  "See you later, Snow Papa.  We'll
be back to make your family tomorrow, okay?"
	Then I kissed our snow Papa good-bye before hurrying in to
spend quality time with the real thing.
	"Then we threw snowballs," Hotaru said, "and made snow angels,
and a snow woman who looks like you, Haruka-papa!"
	"Yeah," I said, "we had lots of fun!  You should come outside
with us next time.  We're gonna make our whole family as snow
people!"
	"Sure," Papa said, "as long as I get to help make Snow
Michiru."
	"Ne, Haruka-papa, did your family have Christmas when you were
little?" my sister asked.
	"Kind of," Papa said.  "We didn't officially celebrate, but my
parents gave me gifts anyway, so I wouldn't feel left out when all the
other kids got theirs."
	"Santa-san never came to your house, either, Papa?" I asked.
	Papa sweatdropped and smiled goofily.  "Er, no, I guess he
didn't."
	"Santa-san only goes where people believe in him, Nami-chan,"
Mama said.  "Haruka's family are die-hard skeptics; they don't believe
in anything they can't see, not even Santa-san."
	"But you believe in him now, don't you?" I asked.  "You've got
to, or else he won't come!"
	"Sure I do," Papa said.  "I even saw him last year myself!"
	"Honto?" I asked excitedly.  "What did he look like?  Did he
see you?  What happened?"
	"I got up in the middle of the night to use the toilet, and I
heard a noise in the livingroom," she said.  "I thought it was a
burglar, so I got a ball bat and went to investigate.  There, beside
our tree, was a little old white guy with a long beard and a furry red
suit with lots of jingle bells!"
	"And then what happened?  Did he give you presents?"
	"Nope.  Actually, I caught him stealing them, so I beat the
crap out of him with my bat and stole his furry suit!" she said.  "I've
still got it back home, if you ever wanna see it."
	"Haruka!" Mama scolded, but even she couldn't help laughing at
the story.
	"I guess you can't trust little white guys in furry red suits!"
Hotaru said.
	Papa laughed so hard she almost choked on her food!
	"I knew it!" Papa cried.  "He's pimping reindeer!"
	"What's 'pimping reindeer' mean?" I asked.
	Papa and Hotaru almost fell out of their chairs laughing!
	Mama punched Papa hard in the arm.
	"Now look what you've done!" she scolded.  "Nami-chan, please
don't say that."
	"Is it a bad word?"
	"Yes," she replied, "and I don't want to hear any of you say
it ever again.  Is that clear?"
	"Yes, ma'am," Papa and I said at once, matching sad expressions
on our faces.
	"What was Christmas like when you were little, Michiru-mama?"
Hotaru asked.
	"My parents thought helping others was the most important part
of Christmas, so each year our whole family would dress up in
Dickens costumes and go carolling for children in the hospital," she
said.  "And on Christmas day, we'd all volunteer at the food bank,
serving dinner to less fortunate families."
	"Did Santa-san bring toys to your house?" I asked.
	"We got toys, yes, but we also gave them," she replied.  "Every
year we'd go to our favourite toy shop and fill up the cart.  Then we'd
take them home and wrap them, and come Christmas morning Papa would
put on his Santa suit and pass them out at the orphanage.  With his
jolly laugh and big, round belly, he always made the perfect
Santa-san."
	"Can we do that next year, Mama?"
	"Of course we can, Nami-chan."  She patted Papa's belly.  "And
with a little stuffing, I think we may have just found our new
Santa-san!"
	"No," Papa insisted.  "No way, uh-uh, you're not getting me in
a fat suit and beard!"
	"Haruka, it's for the orphans!"
	Right on cue, I gave her my most pitiful "orphan" look.
	"Oh, all right," she said.  "If you don't find a better one by
next year, I'll consider it."
	"Yatta!" I cried, and kissed Papa on the cheek.  "I love you,
Santa Papa, and I the orphans will, too!"
	Papa sighed.  "I've gotta get some defence against that
'orphan' face of yours!"
	"Wouldn't help," Mama said.  "You cave in at her normal face,
too."
	"You're too kawaii for your own good, Nami-chan, that's the
problem," Papa said.  "Maybe I should ask Santa-san for a hockey mask
to hide that pretty face of yours.  What do you think?"
	Mama laughed.  "Like he's going to bring you anything after
what you said!"
	"Aah, you know the old guy's got a sense of humour," Papa said.
"He wears a furry red suit, plays with reindeer, and spends all day
bossing elves around; you can't do that job with no sense of humour!"
	"But 'pimping reindeer?' "
	"What does that mean, anyway," I wondered, "that's so bad it
would make Santa-san skip us?'
	"Nami-chan. . ."  Mama rubbed her forehead in frustration.
"Why don't you get ready for bed now, okay?"
	"But it's just eight o'clock!  Does Santa-san always come this
early?"
	"No, Santa-san won't be here for another few hours; I thought
we'd all snuggle before bed and listen to Haruka read Dickens,"
Mama said.
	"Dickens?" Papa protested.  "Isn't that a bit overdone?"
	"It's called 'tradition,' Haruka.  You're reading Dickens."
	"Oh, all right," she said.  "At least it's not as bad as that
stupid 'Night Before Christmas' story. . ."
	"Ooh, Haruka-papa, can you read that one, too?" Hotaru begged.
"I love that story!"
	"Okay, okay," she said, looking sorry she'd mentioned it.
"I'll do the Dickens, I'll do the 'Night Before Christmas' thing, but
that's it.  Then you're off to bed."
	"Yatta!" Hotaru and I said at once, and hurried to get changed
in time to hear our stories.
	I always loved it when Papa read, because she did all the
character voices herself, all to perfection.  Her Scrooge sounded old
and mean, her Christmas ghosts sent chills down my spine, her Tiny Tim
sounded frail but cheerful. . . she even did girly parts well, though
she'd never admit it.  It was my first time hearing either story, but
with Papa's great voices, it was one I knew I'd never forget.
	"Papa, you're the best storyteller ever!" I said contentedly,
through a yawn, as she and Mama tucked Hotaru and me into bed.
	"Yeah," my sister agreed.  "Will you read to us like that every
year?"
	"I'll read like that every night if it'll make my best girls
happy," Papa said.  "Just keep the warm, fuzzy ones to a minimum,
okay?  My stomach can only take so much."
	"But now it's time for all good girls to go to sleep," Mama
said.  "Santa-san's going to be here in an hour or two."
	"Are you going to bed, too, Mama," I asked, "or is it just kids
that have to be asleep before he comes?"
	"Not just yet, but we'll be going to bed soon, Nami-chan."
	"Well, if you're still up when he comes, thank him from me,
okay?"
	"I will," Mama promised.
	" 'Night, kiddos," Papa said as they left.
	"Good night, Nami-chan," Hotaru said, and kissed my cheek.
	Then she wrapped her arms around me like a teddy bear, and
promptly fell asleep.
	I fell asleep soon after, to dreams of frolicking in a happy
land of toys with a real, live Nami-pi as my playmate.  We were about
to explore the Lego castle, when I was jolted awake by a loud crash
from outside!
	I rushed to the window to find the Snow Papa we'd worked so
hard on smashed beneath the runners of a big red sleigh.  Injured
reindeer limped around the yard, trailing their broken harnesses behind
them.  An old man's voice screamed, and a short, fat man in a furry red
suit ran by, a scary reindeer zombie in pursuit.
	"Santa-san!" I gasped.
	I jumped on the bed to wake my sister, but she didn't budge.
	"Hotaru-chan!" I called, shaking her.  "Hotaru-chan, wake up!
Santa-san's in trouble!"
	"Santa-san?" she repeated sleepily.  "Go back to sleep,
Nami-chan, you're dreaming!"
	"But I saw him outside getting chased by a zombie!" I said.
"Come on, get up; we've gotta go help him!"
	But she just rolled over and went back to sleep.
	"Well, I'm gonna go help Santa-san," I said, "with or without
you."
	I raised my shell-topped blue henshin wand and cried, "Triton
Satellite Power, Make-up!"
	Swirls of blue energy funnelled around my body to form my
distinctive fuku, and Sailor Triton rushed out in the cold and snow to
Santa's rescue.
	But no sooner had I stepped outside than I was bathed in a warm
red glow, and a childish voice cried, "A Sailor Senshi!  Yippee!
We're saved!"
	"Rudolph!" I cried, and hugged the little reindeer.  "I thought
I'd never get to meet you!  What happened?"
	"Blitzen's been sick.  He passed out over Hong Kong, and Santa
said there was no time to drop him off," Rudolph said.  "We were just
kinda dragging him along, when suddenly he woke up and attacked Santa!
That's why we crashed here.  Can you help us?"
	"But I'm just a little Senshi; I don't know if I can do it by
myself."
	"That doesn't matter; I'm just a little reindeer, but I saved
Christmas once," he said.  "You can do it, Sailor Triton.  I believe
in you."
	"I'll try," I said uncertainly.  "Which way did they go?"
	I followed the trail of broken and damaged trees to where the
reindeer zombie had Santa pinned down against a rock face.
	"Leave Santa-san alone!" I cried.  The zombie turned to look at
me with its blank, dead eyes, and I swallowed over a lump in my throat
before continuing, "He's been giving out toys to all good children for
centuries without complaint.  He's such a nice old man; how could you
hurt him?"
	"It's no use!  He's dead; he can't listen to reason," Santa
said.
	"Even if you're a zombie now, I won't let you hurt Santa-san on
my first Christmas; he hasn't given me my gifts yet!"  But at a
disapproving look from Santa, I backpedalled, "I mean, think of all
the other kids who don't have theirs yet; do you want to break
millions of good children's hearts?"
	But the zombie didn't care; it drew back its right hoof to
hit poor, battered Santa again.
	Fortunately, with my Senshi reflexes, I grabbed its leg
mid-swing.
	"I said, leave Santa-san alone!" I shouted, and threw the
zombie as hard as I could against a tree.
	But the tree didn't crack; the zombie hardly seemed dazed!
	I barely had time to feel disappointed before it got up again
and charged me with its big, sharp antlers.
	I screamed and ran, ducking and weaving through the trees,
hoping it might get stuck, but even with those antlers, it was behind
me every step of the way.
	Suddenly, the ground stopped right in front of me!  I teetered
on the edge of the cliff, struggling to keep my balance while my hands
frantically searched for something to hold onto.  Finally I latched
onto what felt like a tree branch, until it moved.  I found myself
dangling over the cliff, holding tight to the zombie reindeer's
antlers, while it tried its hardest to shake me loose.
	"Tasukete!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.  "Somebody help
me!"  In the distance I heard hooves crunching through the snow.
"Rudolph-tachi?  Tasukete!  I'm over a cliff!"
	"Hold on, Sailor Triton," Rudolph's voice called back, "we're
coming!"
	And I tried to hold on, really I did.  But the zombie gave its
head a mighty toss, and I plunged, screaming, over the cliff, gaining
speed every second!  The bottom loomed ever larger below me, full of
jagged rocks and boulders.  Surely, even Sailor Senshi couldn't
survive a fall like that!
	Suddenly I felt a tug at the back of my collar, and I stopped
so abruptly I thought my fuku would rip off!  But the fabric held
and, red nose aglow, Rudolph flew me back to the top of the cliff.
	Seven other reindeer were attacking the zombie when Rudolph set
me down.  With a nip here and a kick there, they weren't inflicting
much damage, but they definitely had its attention.
	"Do you think you can get him?" Rudolph asked.
	"Just leave it to me," I replied.  "Out of the way, reindeer!"
	All seven scattered, and the zombie tried to run, too, but,
"Hurricane Smite!" I shouted quickly.
	The storm formed around my body, rain freezing to ice as it
swirled through the cold air.  Then the mini-blizzard travelled along
my extended arms towards the zombie.  The driving winds ripped it
apart limb from limb before the storm collapsed on itself, vanishing
with all the bloody pieces.
	"Eew!" all the reindeer said at once.
	"Hey!  I can't help what my powers are!" I protested.
	"Whatever they are, they may just have saved Christmas," Santa
said as he approached.  "If we hurry, we can still get all the
presents out on time!"
	"Can I help?"
	"Little girls shouldn't be out all night without their parents'
permission," he said, "but you can help deliver your own family's
presents."
	"Okay!"
	I helped Santa carry armloads of wrapped gifts through the
door and place them under the tree, but there were some gifts there
already.
	"Did you put those there before the attack?" I asked.
	"No, those are from your family," Santa said.  "They don't
know I'm real.  They think if they don't buy you presents, you'll
have none."
	"But really I get twice as many?" I said.  "Good deal!"
	"I hope next year you'll share your wealth with orphans, like
you promised."
	"I will, Santa-san!"
	"Now, since you've been such a big help to Santa, I'll grant
you one wish," Santa said.  "You can have whatever you want."
	I giggled as myriad possibilities swirled in my head.  Should I
ask for a kitten?  A tree house?  A new baby sister?  No, those were
all selfish wishes.  Wasn't the meaning of Christmas in giving, not
receiving?
	"I wish all the poor kids and orphans in the world can get as
many toys as me!"
	Santa's jaw dropped.  "All of them?  This many toys?  I don't
know if I--"
	"They say you can work miracles, right?  So this should be
easy!"
	"Are you sure you don't want a Playstation instead?"
	"Nope!"
	"A pony?  I thought all little girls wanted ponies!"
	"Not me!"
	"How would you like Santa to fix your eyes, then, so you
won't need glasses?"
	"If you can do that, why do you still need them?" I asked.
"Besides, my best friend Yuka-chan likes me in glasses; I can't get
rid of them now!"
	"So you want all the poor kids of the world to get as many
toys as you?"
	I nodded enthusiastically.  "And all the orphans, too!"
	"You're sure you won't accept anything else?"
	"Nope, nope!"
	Santa sighed.  "Oh, all right," he relented.  "I'll do my
best."
	"Yatta!" I squealed.  "Arigato, Santa-san!  You're the best!"
	"Now it's back into bed with you," he said.  "It's too early
to open presents yet."
	"Okay, Santa-san.  Good night!"
	And when he went outside, his sleigh was magically fixed, with
eight tiny reindeer harnessed to the front, ready to go.
	I waved to them as they took off, and watched as they flew out
of sight.  Then I closed and locked the door and crept back to bed,
in pajamas again, before my family even noticed I'd gone missing.
	"Nami-chan?" Mama's angelic voice said.  "Santa-san came; it's
time to wake up and open presents!"
	I groaned a bit and slowly opened my eyes.  Mid-morning sun
streamed through the window, but I felt like I'd hardly slept a wink!
	"I made breakfast," she continued.  "Chocolate chip pancakes;
better hurry and get some before Haruka eats them all!"
	"Okay," I mumbled, sitting up slowly and rubbing my eyes.
	"Honestly, with how excited you were last night, I thought you
would've been up hours ago!" Mama said as she smoothed my short
blonde hair and handed me my glasses.
	"Well, I was up late," I protested.  "I met Santa-san!"
	"Did you?"
	"Yeah, and all the reindeer, too, even Rudolph!"
	"Honto?" Mama asked.  "So what's he like?"
	"He's really nice," I replied, "and so is Santa-san!  I
helped save him from a zombie, and he gave me a wish!"
	"Did he?" Mama asked with a giggle.  "So what did you wish
for?"
	"I wished all the poor kids and orphans got as many toys as
me!"
	"Well, that was nice of you."
	"Yeah, but Santa-san tried to talk me out of it," I said.  "He
offered me video games and ponies instead, but I wouldn't take them."
	"That's good," she said.  "We don't have room for a pony."
	"And giving to others is more important, right, Mama?"
	"Of course, Nami-chan," she said.  "That's what Christmas is
about!"
	"Well, that's good," I said as I got up, Nami-pi in hand,
" 'cause he offered to fix my eyes, too, and I even turned that
down!"
	"You're stronger than me," Papa said once I'd retold my tale
over breakfast.  "I would've caved at the Playstation!"
	"You sure have a great imagination, Nami-chan," Hotaru said.
"I could listen to your stories all day!"
	"It's not just a story!" I protested.  "Just wait till we go
outside; you'll see what a mess it is!"
	"I doubt it," Papa said.  "It's been snowing all day: even if
there were reindeer tracks, they'd be long gone by now."
	"Oh, pooh," I said, pouting.  "So much for my proof!"
	I was sulking over my half-empty plate, trying to think of more
proof, when suddenly there was a knock at the door.
	"Santa-san?" I asked excitedly.
	We all jumped up at once and rushed for the door, but Santa-san
wasn't there.
	"Merry Christmas!" Setsuna announced.
	She arrived much more cheerful than usual, with a Santa hat on,
and an armload of presents.
	"Setsuna-auntie, you're here!" I cried, latching onto her leg.
	"We thought you weren't coming!" Hotaru said.
	"Gomen," Mama apologised, "we don't have a bed for you."
	"Get ready to trade up for a bigger cabin," Setsuna said.
"I've brought a guest."
	She stepped inside, and behind her stood a kind-faced, white-
haired man in thick, round glasses.  He carried only a single,
exquisitely-wrapped present.
	"Papa!" Hotaru squealed.  "I've missed you!"
	"Hotaru-chan, I swear you get bigger every time I see you," her
father said.  He kissed her cheek and handed over her present.  "I
hope this fits."
	"Papa, this is Nami-chan," she introduced me.  "She's the girl
I told you about, remember?"
	"The sister my Hotaru-chan never had?" he said.  "Kawaii!  Now
I wish I'd brought another present."
	"It's okay; I've got lots already, see?" I said, pointing to
the tree.
	Both my parents' jaws dropped.
	"Were there that many last night, or was I just too tired to
remember them?" Papa asked.
	"No, look; the wrapping paper doesn't match," Mama said.
	"So where did they come from?"
	"See, I told you Santa-san really came!" I gloated.  "Let's see
what he brought us!"
	Soon the floor was littered with wrapping paper and scraps of
ribbon.  Hotaru modelled the red velvet dress her father gave her,
while Nami-pi tried every piece of her new wardrobe and argued with
me over having to wear her new glasses.
	"Told you Santa-san was kinky!" Papa said, holding up a Xena
costume.
	Mama found its mate, Gabrielle's Indian costume, inside her
own box.
	"I'll bring the henna," Mama said with a playful grin, and
they kissed.
	"A costume party?" I asked excitedly.  "I love those!  What'll
I be?"
	"Fast asleep, if you know what's good for you," Papa said.
	Mama added, "It's not the kind of cosplay children do."
	"Then what kind is it?" I asked innocently.
	"I've brought along the button jar," Setsuna said to change the
subject.  "Why don't we all go outside and make snowmen?"
	"C'mon, Papa," Hotaru said, "I'll teach you how to make snow
angels!"
	"I'd like that," he said, "but you really should change into
your snowsuit first."
	"Okay," she replied, and hurried off to change.
	"Hey, I wanna go, too!" I said as I ran after her.
	We played outside all afternoon, and came in to hot chocolate,
board games, and cuddling by the fire.
	We never did get to trade in our cabin, but, with blanket
pallets on the floor, we managed.  Some nights we all "camped out" in
the livingroom, and didn't use the beds at all!  We didn't have a lot
of room, but that didn't matter.  After all, spending quality time
with family is what Christmas is about!



©2001 Naia Zifu, all rights reserved.
Unabara Nami is my own original character, but Professor Tomoe and the
Outer Senshi are SM characters I don't own rights to.  Santa and his
reindeer may or may not be public domain, but either way I don't own
them.  As always, I'm not trying to make money off anyone else's ideas.
A Christmas fic written by a borderline Atheist. . . is that a first?
Due to the narrow window for releasing Christmas fics, this one sat
around unfinished for a couple of years before I took it up again,
determined, this time.  Its original plot is long-forgotten, so I hope
the reindeer zombie idea is a passable substitute.  And if I ever get
the urge to do a holiday fic again, someone talk me down from it,
okay? :-P