7/9/14

5 years and 1 month later I have returned and revised my oneshot: Define Christmas.

Why? Because as opposed to being a standalone story it is now part of a "Universe" that is linked to my current fanfiction: Cerulean Gold.

In addition Define Christmas is getting a sequel shot coming soon so look forward to that!

The story's own text is just about the same as 5 years ago, most changes are to scene settings and dialogue to make it sound better.

I will say I didn't change as much as I could've but I didn't want to loose the heart from 5 years ago, it may not be up to the quality of some of my more recent stories but its nice and I personally enjoy it.

6/9/09

I wrote this for my a FE Secret Santa on dA and decided to put it here, i think the final product is AWESOME!
PS i do not own FE cause if i did, this pairing would exist :D

Define Christmas

To me, the end of the year is the end of the year...plain and simple. The last number on our calendar moves up one as it has done many, many times before.

However, to what seems like everyone else it means more than that. December is just supposed to be another month right? The last of the 12 months that make up a year.

Instead it is everyone's favorite time of year because everyone gets ready to celebrate Christmas. A holiday about the Gift of Giving or something like that...eating big meals...having parties and all of that nonsense.

Why is everyone so happy when there are still criminals and bandits that need to be caught and killed? With all the bad things in the world how can people put that aside and be 'merry'?

I'm not about to follow suit. Especially not when our group is still needed.

Soren was the grouch of the holiday season. No one could be more negative than him. He seemed to kill the spirit of the season wherever he went. Ike, his closest and in most cases only friend stopped trying to get him into the Christmas spirit years ago knowing that the odds of the sage understanding it where well against him. As such Ike gave Soren the free reign to do whatever he wanted during the Christmas celebrations, which led to Soren holing himself up in his room more than usual but where else was he supposed to go? To the sage everyone on the continent of Tellius may as well be stricken by this Christmas madness.

While Soren was against Christmas in every possible way, there was another mercenary who loved the season so much if it were a person she would hug it to death, that was the willful, energetic, and always hyperactive in some sort of way swordmaster: Mia. She was outside sitting on the floor looking up at the sky. Snow was to be expected in a few days since the temperature has gone down and she was waiting for it. Breathing in the cool air she couldn't help but smile, turning her gaze slightly to see Ike approaching.

"Looking at it isn't going to make it come faster."

Sitting up Mia nodded "I know but I can't help but be excited!" Ike shook his head, no less than five minutes ago he saw Soren, completely enveloped in his dreary attitude and her was Mia, like night and day.

Now standing Mia looked to the commander "Is everyone ready to go get stuff to decorate the fort?"

"Yeah. Rolf and Mist are especially excited. They'll be a great help. Everyone is in the spirit...well except for..." Trailing off he noticed Mia raise an eyebrow.

"Who isn't in the mood? It can't be Shinon, last year he-"

"Yeah, not him…it's Soren...but he has always been grouchy so there really isn't anything that can be done about it, forget I said anything."

Despite what Ike was saying, Mia's mind began processing this "Soren? He doesn't like Christmas?"

Tilting her head she continued to examine her commander "Has he always been like this? Never smiling or anything?"

"Nope, nothing in relation to Christmas brings any kind of smile or smirk to his face, heck with how negative he is he'd probably only enjoy seeing a tree burn."

Tapping her chin thoughtfully a large smile came to her face followed by a devious glow in her eyes "I think I can change that…"

"Mia...what are you planning?" Ike stated cautiously only for the woman to shrug him off and head back towards the fort "Nothing much…and by that I mean the biggest Christmas miracle in history!"

The blue haired hero scratched his head and sighed, "I hope she knows what she's getting herself into.

"Hey Soren!" the mage looked up from his book at Mia who was smiling, he took a few seconds to ready a response and came up with: "What?"

"Ike told me you don't like Christmas. Is there any particular reason?" she sat down next to him and he closed his book "Why do you want to know?"

"Because...I've never met someone who doesn't like Christmas and I just want to know why. Who knows maybe I can change their opinion!" he rolled his eyes "Change their opinion. Sure, don't include me though..."

"So...how about I take you out to the town and show you how everyone is in the Christmas spirit!" "She is including me!"

Soren: I don't think so-

Mia: Great! Come on then!

Soren: I said no!

Mia: Sorry didn't catch that!

Despite his protests, Mia pulled Soren along, out of his room and then out of the fort, passing by a chuckling Ike "Be careful with him Mia!"

The temperature dropped and a light snow was beginning to fall as Mia stopped in the town and turned to Soren "So...what do you see?" he looked around and saw people decorating their houses with bright sashes and lamps and others decorating trees as well.

"Honestly?" he asked eager to make a break for it "Yeah."

"I see people wasting money." she rolled her eyes at his very Soren-like response "Not that! You want to know what I see."

"Not really." she turned to him and put her hands on her hip

"Are you trying to test me?" he caught her glance and sighed "No."

"Well, I see Christmas Cheer and the joy of the season in all these people. Sure, they could express it with their emotions but they decide to do it physically. It's not wasting money, think of it more like they're expressing how they feel." Soren looked again and of course, he still didn't get it. Express yourself because its Christmas? Why? Just because you feel happy, you have to tell the world?

"Still not clear?" Mia asked. Soren turned to her

"It's not that I can't understand what you said but..." he tried to find a way to phrase the questions on his mind but none of them made sense. Mia grabbed his arm and pulled him again

"You are going to help with the preparations! Come on!"

"What?" she dragged him towards the stores. Looking down at his arm he noticed something rather odd. She wasn't holding him with too much force, if he tried he could easily break away yet…he didn't. As they approached the stores he still couldn't come up with an answer as to why he allowed her to pull him along.

"Pick any two out for the entry to our fort." Mia told him. He gave her the 'you're-kidding-right?' glance and she returned it with her 'nope' smile which for some reason he liked.

Turning away he quickly shook himself before placing all his attention on the decorations being sold "Ribbons...sash...bells and bows...it keeps going. Which two does she expect me to pick?"

Mia stood aside with her arms crossed waiting for him to make his decisions. "He is negative...but he also likes puzzles. I'm sure he can figure this one out too." Sure enough Soren appeared with a reef and a long sash.

"Is this all?" she nodded looking at the decorations "You chose some nice bright ones."

"Bright?" the sash was a dark blue and the reef was a red with slightly darker designs all along it.

"Yeah, the dark is very fluorescent when struck by any kind of light...we should get some special lamps to show them off...you think we have some in the fort from last year?" He gave her a 'you're-asking-me?' look and she smiled "Come on, you're going to help me look!"

"Why me? Go torture someone else!"

"If you see this as torture...that makes me think I need to try harder. Come on!" she grabbed him again and dragged him back to the fort.

When they got back to the fort it was snowing slightly more and Mia indicated the entry "You set those up and I'm going to look in our storage rooms, when you are done, lend me a hand."

"Me? Put these up?" Mia nodded and leaned towards him with a smile "That isn't something too hard for someone of your caliber right?" he turned away and shook his head "Fine, whatever! Go!"

With Mia gone he sighed, "How did I come from reading in peace to..." he looked at the decorations in his hands "Decorating a mercenary fort...I swear..."

After a few minutes Ike approached waving to his friend "Hey Soren, Mia done with you or is she giving you a short break?" Soren turned to Ike "Neither. She asked me to put these up after asking me to pick them out and after dragging me all across town." As Soren got up and began placing the sash around the entry Ike shrugged "So you're upset?"

"Clearly."

"Then why don't you tell her to leave you alone and hole yourself up in your room again? It shouldn't be that hard to get the message across to her, she is hyper, not stupid."

Not wanting to respond with the "I don't know." In the back of his head, Soren finished his task silently and entered the fort still thinking about telling Mia to leave him alone. However once he found her those thoughts vanished, once again replaced with some sort of uncertainty.

"Hey Soren! These candles I found should bring some nice colorful light to the place. Take the blue ones and follow me."

"Do I have to?"

"…not really but you wouldn't leave a poor girl to this all by herself now would you?"

Soren rolled his eyes as Mia made a face towards him, he knew she could manage by herself but still didn't want to leave her alone.

The pair finished decorating the fort exterior rather quickly with Soren once again sighing before turning to Mia "Are we finally done? All I did today was decorate."

"Yeah but it was fun right? That is what Christmas is about, having fun, being happy and it is even more fun when you're with family and friends." he rolled his eyes "Family and friends? Right..."

"So Soren are you looking forward to having some fun in the snow?"

"No. I still think this season is ridiculous."

"Yeah because all you see are lights and costly decorations. You have to look at how everyone around is feeling, it isn't work, it is more like pleasure and that is the best thing about it."

"Why would other people's feelings matter to me?" He tried to come up with a reason and failed to do so.

"I'm going back to my room and staying there." Standing he left with Mia calling out after him "There is always tomorrow!"

Later that night Mia was lying in her bed looking at the ceiling thinking about the day. "Christmas is in a week...I've got to try harder. He still doesn't see the fun in it and the reason for the happiness. I mean after the Dawn War when things were there bleakest we all made it through together and we're still her continuing to do somewhat dangerous jobs…"

Her thoughts then went to her other friends all around Tellius and the joy they were no doubt feeling including her best friend who would be in Melior to celebrate the passing of the year. Sighing she closed her eyes, still thinking on what to do about a certain sage.

Two days later Soren opened his door after hearing a knock to see Mia with her ever-present smile "OK, the snow is high enough, come outside and see how Christmas Cheer prevails even in the ice cold!"

"Why?"

"Because I'm not finished with you yet! Come on!" she pulled him outside and ignored his groans. It was cold but he noticed that Mia was unaffected.

"How do you like the snow?" At her question he looked around asking a rather simple "Why should I like it?" Without waiting, Mia bent down and rolled up some snow into a ball before throwing it at Gatrie who called out "Hey! Not again!"

"That's one reason why!" Soren felt a small tug of joy at his face, but not because of Gatrie's pain, rather the smile on Mia's face was drawing his attention.

"See now smile!" Realizing she was looking at him he coughed and turned away "No reason to."

"A thing that most everyone does when it is snowing but especially when it is nearly Christmas is building a snowman! Care to give me a hand with it?" he looked at her, disbelieving what she just asked him "No! I'm not going to-"

"Great! Roll up some snow into a big ball!" She left and he stared after her, then he called out

"You're kidding right!" she didn't respond and he shook his head "I can't believe this is happening. No, this isn't happening! I'm still asleep! I'm having one hell of a nightmare!"

Despite his constant complaints the finished snowman stood proudly outside the fort and Soren stood next to it grumbling. Mia put a hat on it and smiled "Well, not bad for your first try."

"Whatever."

"This time of year is always the best. We smile and enjoy ourselves despite all because we know we've made it through another year." he looked at her and she caught his stare

"Despite whatever happened the days or weeks past, the sun still came up and time moves on. You can't stay angry or grouchy for no reason when you have every other reason to be happy." he blinked and looked away

"You can't. But I can."

"Why?"

"Because I can!"

"That isn't an answer Soren. You of all people should know." Hearing her say his name froze him for a few seconds before he glanced at her "Of course I do...but maybe I don't want to answer your question. Did you ever think about that?"

"Yes. I did but I think you should share your reasons. It is better to tell someone, a friend for example." he walked around her and headed back for the fort "I'm cold and this conversation is pointless. Feel free to stay out here but I'm done." she grabbed his arm again

"Soren-" he flinched and she let him go

"You OK?" he stood still, "Am I OK? I'm not sick but..."

Shaking his head he looked to her again "I'm fine."

"You're not planning on telling me anything are you? You can confide in me, I…I'm your friend…"

"No. You're not." Mia took a step back, staring at the sage's back. However he refused to turn around and instead marched towards the fort. "Soren…"

"So has everyone decided yet?" Ike was triple checking the gift giving. One mercenary would get something for another and he made sure no one got two gifts or no one was left empty-handed, a secret Santa with him the only one knowing. When everyone nodded, he went back to his room and hid the list. He heard a knock on the door

"Come in." Mia came inside

"Ike, can I ask you something."

"Depends on what."

"Well. I know that you know Soren a lot better than I do and I was wondering if you could tell me something about his past. Maybe I can figure out why he is so upset about this time of year." Ike stood still for a while before facing her

"I do believe I am the only one Soren has ever confided something...crucial in but I'm afraid I can't share it with anyone...unless he gives me permission. Since he hasn't I'm afraid that I'm taking his secrets to the grave." she nodded

"I thought so..."

Sighing Ike shook his head "It's fine Mia, I've seen him talk to you these last few days more than most people, he may not say it or show it but I'm sure he likes you in some way. It's just hard to tell what cause its Soren but he doesn't openly hate everyone."

Mia smiled at that "Thanks boss…by the way. I haven't chosen a person for the Christmas exchange."

Christmas day nears no matter what. It really doesn't bother Soren since he will most likely spend the day in the fort anyway. He woke up to the Christmas Eve morning and ate before returning to studies of magic. He found them dull for some odd reason and closed the books only a few minutes after he opened them. Instead, he picked up his drawing pad and decided to sketch something. Mia came into the room some time later. He didn't even notice her knock "Hey Soren."

"What could it possibly be now? Do you want to take me on a ridiculous odyssey and find this 'Santa Claus' and then bring him back here for everyone to see? Or are you going to torment me in another way now? Tell me please, the suspense is killing me!" she clearly heard the sarcasm in his voice and closed the door behind her

"No...But I'd like to know why you're so angry."

"Not this again...I told you that I never-"

"Soren…I…I care about you."

Closing his book, Soren kept his eyes on her as she continued "There has to be something…I just…I want to help…if not for the Christmas season then just for you. You're a good person Soren, you deserve happiness…"

Turning away Soren mumbled "No…I don't."

"Whatever it is! You can tell me. Why don't you trust me? What have I ever done that suggested I was a bad person?" he stood silent

"Name one thing! Anything! Maybe I can make up for it!" he still said nothing "Well? What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything. I just…don't…" Once again Soren found himself unable to speak his mind around Mia. He just couldn't figure out what to say to her, nothing seemed appropriate or sensible…or true.

"Why?" he looked at her for a few seconds "Get out of my room."

"No. I want to help you see the joy in Christmas and I can't do that if I don't know why you dislike it in the first place. I'm sure it has something to do with other people in your past right? Something happened when you were younger right?"

"Yes! There! Happy! You guessed it! Now leave!" they stood there staring at each other before Mia asked, "What was it?" with her natural curiosity.

"You've got to be kidding me!" he sat back down in disbelief

"You want every detail?" he already knew the answer. Mia was Mia, whenever it was that, she decided to start trying to make him love or at least enjoy Christmas she also decided to unwrap the mystery that he is, to solve the enigma that no one else could. Two birds with one stone if you may.

He didn't know why he decided to do this but the words came out and there was no going back: "I'll tell you in short." her face brightened and he almost smiled for some reason. "I like her better that way." She moved over and sat next to him "I'll settle for that then."

"In the...town I was...raised in...Everyone around considered me different for reasons I couldn't completely grasp. Let's just say when someone was angry they would take it out on me if they could."

"They would yell at you for something that wasn't your fault?"

"Not so much verbal abuse as it was…physical…"

"Why would anyone do that to you?" he didn't answer "I can't tell her that...not her...I took a risk with Ike and I'm not about to try again."

"I eventually ceased interacting with people in any way and spent a few years alone. That changed around Christmas time." he stopped remembering the winters in Gallia he was forced to go through.

"It was cold and if I went anywhere near an inn...well you can imagine what would happen."

"They would leave you alone in the cold?"

"Oh no believe me! If they could find me, they would tease me with food or wait for me to freeze to death. Those were their favorite things to do...I've hated winter because it reminds of the torture I went through..." he stopped and didn't bother picking back up. What happened next he didn't expect: Mia embraced him

"M-Mia?"

"That...that is a sad story...I'm sorry I was ignorant of your feelings."

"No, you...I-" he wasn't sure how to respond so he just put his arms around her

"Even so...you have to remember Christmas can mean survival. You've made it this far despite all. Your past may have been…well, not the best but you don't just have to remember it as a painful experience, it is also an experience that you survived…" Soren nodded.

"I can…I will…try."

"That is all I'm asking...for now." he smiled in spite of himself and she let go. He noticed she was a little red and wondered why

"Tomorrow is Christmas. You can try then. You don't have to become happy or joyful. But you can at least smile and be around your family." he looked away "My family..."

"I've got to go now," she looked around his room and at his pad that he was drawing on earlier "I'll see you soon Soren." she turned and left. Soren put a hand on his chest feeling his heart race rather than a steady beat.

For the rest of the day all Soren did was think. Mia tried to come at him physically with the decorations and snow then she tried to get to the emotional side of it. She wasn't "just trying" she was going all out to help him see not to change him. He still felt warm, even when he went outside, from Mia's hug. Not many people physically touched him but no one has ever gone that far. He had to admit; he was still shocked and felt like there was more to it on his side.

"Ike told me that Christmas was magical and a time when miracles could happen...," he said to no one in particular. He looked up at the sun

"I was never one to believe that..." he turned back to the fort. How could one person make him see something he has been ignoring all his life in a few days? Mia was remarkable...he stopped and looked around "Did I just think that?"

He stood still for a while longer before moving into the fort.

He had something planned and it may as well require him to stay up late, then again, he always stays up late. What difference would this make?

Christmas Day
While a massive celebration was held in Melior for all the people, commoner and highborn alike, a smaller more personal day began in the mercenary fort. The eager souls were all wondering who got them what, what they would be feasting on and when they could go out into the snow to enjoy the glorious day. There was always a snowball fight between them all in celebration and in relaxation. Fighting to survive every day out of nearly 365, fate has allowed them one of few days leftover in the year to do nothing but enjoy themselves.

Soren walked into the lounge where the tree was kept, brightly decorated and the mercenaries were opening presents, thanking each other and smiling...yes even Shinon. Ike walked over to him "So. How you feeling?"

"Good...great actually...I-" he didn't know how to describe it. Some change, he was comfortable around the fervor. Ike couldn't help but smile seeing how content his friend looked "By the way, Mia wants to talk to you." Soren nodded and went in the direction Ike signaled "About what?"

"Hey Soren!" she smiled and gave him another hug. He felt his cheeks burn "Why am I…"

"So...are you feeling all right? Not about to throw up or anything. Not going to be all grouchy." He smiled at her

"No. Thanks for...well...you know." she gave him a big grin

"Your welcome...anyway Soren I wanted to give you something." she picked a wrapped up box off of a table behind her and gave it to Soren

"Merry Christmas." he looked at it then at her "A Christmas present? For...me?"

"Mia-"

"It's yours Soren. I told Ike I'd get you one and he was OK with it despite all."

"I-this is..." he didn't even know what this was. "Soren. You do know how to open presents right? You take this part and-" he nodded

"Yes I know." he then smiled in spite of himself "Thanks anyway." he opened it and stared at a black leather-bound book. It was wide and thick

"It's a custom bound book with blank pages for drawing and lined pages for writing…I know how much you like doing both so…well…it isn't much but-"

Cutting her off with a hug, Soren couldn't help but think "Did I really just do that?"

While Mia felt herself grow warm, the two entered his room where Soren put the book on the stand next to his bed "I'll make sure to use it every night if I can."

"Believe it or not but I got-or rather, made something for you."

"You what?" He reached for something in his closet and brought it to her

"I didn't have any wrapping in my room and by the time I finished it was almost midnight. I didn't want to go outside and risk waking anyone up." She took it and smiled "Wow its..." it was a framed picture of her outside in the snow.

"You must have worked hard..." he nodded

"But...it was worth it. Yes. It was definitely worth it."

"Wow Soren. This is...thank you!" she gave him another big hug and he returned it "Your welcome."

They walked outside and Mia stopped "I have to go to my room and put this in there right away!"

"Sure." Soren then looked around. There was a strange scent somewhere. He looked up "Hmm. That was never there before." Mia came back

"What?"

"What is it?" she blushed a bit "That is mistletoe." Soren glanced at her then back at the plant "How did it get there? Mistletoe?"

Even Soren was familiar with that custom. It was another thing that he wondered why it was done.

"Never mind it, I have to go." As she turned everything seemed to slow and several foreign thoughts came to Soren's mind. The sage had less than 2 seconds to act and with little time to think he decided to act on a whim, something he never did.

Reaching out he grabbed her arm and pulled her back like the many times before when she did it to him. "Not yet." Eyes meeting, a fierce blush came to Mia's face.

"Soren...I-"

"Thanks again for everything...Mia." the pair then leaned towards each other, embracing each other as they kissed.

Mia held hope in her heart that this was the beginning for many things between the two of them. Many months ago she never imagined something like this with how slowly they sage had been warming up to her, but now…everything seemed brighter and more full of life.

With this I hope you all look forward to the sequel-shot: "Explain Birthdays" set as a mirror to Cerulean Gold's CH 25: Birthday Reunion!