So sometime after finishing my first Tales of Symphonia story, I decided I wanted to try my hand at some Zelos-angst. And what better time for angst than Christmas? Teehee.

But seriously, it seemed like a good idea to me, considering Zelos' back story and how Christmas is always associated with snow. So I thought, why not?

This was originally going to be a one-shot. But when I was struggling to finish it (and it's still not done, by the way), and then it started to get way too long as a single story, I decided to cut it down into two chapters. So here's the first chapter dealing with the day(s) before Christmas. I hope you like! Enjoy!

'Tis the Season

"Everything is all ready for you," the girl behind the counter said, holding out the large colorful bag. "Thank you for your patronage, Master Zelos."

The redhead grinned, letting his fingers brush hers as he took the bag from her. "The pleasure was all mine, my little Christmas hunny," he replied with a wink.

The girl blushed and giggled to herself as Zelos retreated back to where his sister stood waiting for him.

"Is it right to manipulate cashiers like that just for a discount, especially this close to Christmas?" Seles chastised as the two of them exited the store.

"Well, she was the one who offered to cut the price," Zelos protested teasingly. "And really, it would have been rude to reject such a generous gesture."

Seles rolled her eyes, but said nothing as she instead shivered, wrapping her coat tighter around her body.

This did not go unnoticed by Zelos, however, and his demeanor was quickly subdued as he turned to her. "You okay?" he asked softly.

"Just fine," she replied…a little too quickly for his liking.

"You sure? We can head back home if you want."

"I said I'm all right," she insisted. "Besides, don't we have to finish shopping for presents for your friends?"

He frowned. "They're your friends too, y'know. And we can always finish this up some other time if you're tired…"

She shook her head. "I'm fine, really. You worry too much, Brother."

Zelos sighed, rubbing the back of his head. Though he realized that he had gotten a little more protective of her recently, he believed that he had the right to worry. Seles had always been susceptible to sickness, even when she was equipped with an Exsphere. But after they'd taken it from her as part of Lloyd's plan to destroy all Exspheres, her health only continued to deteriorate more rapidly, and she became ill much more often. So he felt that his concern for her was justified.

Still, after a moment of silence, he reluctantly said, "All right. Just let me know if you wanna head back, okay? Just say the word, and I'll take you home straight away."

Seles rolled her eyes again at her brother's excessiveness, even as she wrapped her arms around herself to stay warm.

Watching her for a moment, Zelos then shrugged his own coat off. "Here," he said, handing it to her.

She looked at it with a puzzled frown, then up at him. "I don't need –"

Without letting her finish, Zelos draped the thick coat over her shoulders. "Just take it," he insisted. "It's supposed to start snowing sometime, so it's only gonna get colder."

As she grasped the edge of the garment with her fingers, she allowed a small smile to form on her lips. "Really? Didn't it snow here just last year?"

Zelos shrugged once again as they continued on their way through town. "Did it? I was out of town around this time last year, so I wouldn't know." That was partially true, at least. He had been out of town at the time…but only because he knew that it would be snowing.

Unaware of that, Seles simply nodded. "It lasted quite a while too, which is strange. It never used to snow this often in Meltokio…"

"Yeah well…" Zelos brushed some strands of his crimson hair out of his eyes. "I wouldn't be surprised if this became a normal thing."

Seles regarded her brother curiously. "What do you mean?"

He glanced at her, only for a moment before quickly looking away again. "See, a lot of strange things started happening after we reunited the two worlds. There were a lot of weird climate problems, like deserts freezing over or lakes drying up." Looking up at the sky, Zelos sighed. "Meltokio getting a little snowfall during the winter…wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen…"

Seles walked beside him quietly for a moment, her eyes shifting over the ground. Then she looked back at him. "So…why do you sound as if it is?"

Zelos looked at her in surprise. He hadn't realized that he had slipped like that, even if only a little. So with a smile, he replied, "It's nothing to worry about, my dear little sister. Although I must admit I'm touched to see you concerned about me."

She blushed a little, crossly turning her face away. "Why would I be concerned over someone as irresponsible as you?"

Zelos laughed. Though the two of them were still getting used to each other due to his various traveling trips, he had finally spent enough time around her to know that, despite her harsh words, she didn't quite mean what she said. But he also spent enough time with her to know which buttons to push, and he did enjoy teasing her occasionally.

And it worked well enough for now, to get her mind off their previous conversation. Because he knew that she didn't really remember the incident that occurred, all those years ago. She knew of it, of course, and she understood what her mother had done. But Seles didn't know all of the details, and he would just have to be a little more careful to make sure she didn't find out.

She didn't need to know anyway, as far as he was concerned…why he hated the snow…

The sound of the door chime suddenly echoed throughout the house, and Zelos paused just as he was passing by the entrance. "I got it!" he announced, loud enough for Sebastian to hopefully hear wherever he was. Then he quickly unlocked the door and threw it open, revealing the blue-haired noble standing on the other side.

"Hey, Lord Bryant!" Zelos greeted cheerily, stepping aside to allow him to enter. "Glad you could make it. I was worried that you wouldn't get my message in time."

"Well, it was fortunate then, in this rare case, that I was held up at the company longer than expected," Regal replied, brushing the snow from his coat.

Zelos stood watching the other silently for a moment before he grinned. "This is the season of miracles," he joked. When Regal rolled his eyes, he laughed and moved to help the other with his luggage…taking the smaller bag, of course. "Follow me. I'll show you to your room."

Regal frowned curiously, but followed nonetheless. "Is Sebastian not here?"

"Nah, he's here. But he's helping the others with the Christmas decorations."

The older aristocrat glanced around the main entrance, noticing the mansion did somewhat lack a Christmas feel about it. "I take it you weren't originally planning on decorating then."

Zelos shrugged. "There wasn't a point before; the mansion would've been empty. And then we changed plans at the last minute, so we didn't have time to pull the Christmas stuff out. I'm just glad Colette talked the others into helping us decorate."

Regal nodded as they began climbing a flight of stairs, catching the shadows amongst the light of a nearby room and hearing familiar voices. "What was the reason for the sudden decision to celebrate Christmas here instead of Iselia?" he wondered.

Zelos rubbed his chin, silent as he seemed to think. "Well," he said slowly, "it was either because Seles wasn't feeling well…or because I made the mistake of telling Colette how pretty Christmas time was in Meltokio, and she wanted come see the city's decorations instead. I'm not sure which."

He noticed the questioning glance that he received from the company president, but said nothing else about the matter. The truth was his sister had indeed fallen ill around the time they were preparing to leave for Iselia, and the doctor that treated her insisted that she not travel in her current state. When Zelos had sent word to Lloyd and Colette explaining why they wouldn't be joining the group for Christmas, it was Colette's idea for them to go celebrate the holidays in Meltokio instead. And though he worried a little about how the festivities might affect Seles's health, he thought it wouldn't hurt and agreed.

He didn't want Seles to blame herself for the sudden change in plans however, and luckily Colette agreed. So, while he mentioned to the others about Seles's illness so they knew not to stress her and accidentally make it worse, he also mentioned Colette's involvement so that there was someone else to take responsibility for their plans' alterations (which actually was Colette's idea).

As they finally arrived at one of the empty guestrooms, Regal thanked the younger man as he stepped inside. "Perhaps that's for the best, then," he said, continuing with their previous conversation. "If Lloyd and the others really wish to learn about Christmas, it would be more helpful to them if they experience the holiday somewhere it is celebrated first."

"I guess," Zelos conceded, placing the noble's bag on the bed. "It's just too bad that means we're stuck celebrating it here."

Regal raised a curious brow. "Is that really such a terrible thing?"

"Uh…" Zelos cleared his throat. "I was just looking forward to spending Christmas over there, y'know? I mean, I've spent Christmas everywhere in Tethe'alla, and it would've been cool to spend it somewhere different…especially if they've never celebrated Christmas before. Just imagine all the women I could've had, teaching them about the joys of the holidays…"

Regal shook his head, causing Zelos to grin in relief. "Anyway," he continued, "when you're finished settling in, you feel up to helping us finish decorating the mansion?"

"Certainly," Regal replied, turning to look at the redhead. "But is there anything left to do?"

"Most likely. Like I said, we weren't planning on doing anything before, so I'm sure there's plenty to do around here. And if not, I'm sure we can find something."

Regal nodded, a small smile on his lips. "All right. I'll be down in a little while."

"'Kay. I'll let the others know you're here." As Zelos was about to leave and let the older aristocrat unpack, though, he caught a glimpse of snowflakes passing the window as they fell. He frowned a little, shaking his head and quickly heading out of the room, but the familiar chill already spread throughout his body.

At the moment, he definitely would have preferred Iselia's warmer weather…

"Ow! Hot!" Zelos exclaimed as he quickly retracted his hand.

Sheena rolled her eyes, sliding a spatula under one of the cookies in front of them. "I told you to leave them alone," she retorted, sounding almost smug.

Zelos sucked his finger and thumb to help alleviate the burn, watching as she placed the cookies on another tray to cool. "I thought the whole point was to eat them."

"True, but we should wait until they've cooled a bit," Regal replied, opening the oven to swap one baking tray for another. "Besides, these are for the gingerbread houses that we're supposed to build later."

Zelos sighed, leaning against the counter. "Yeah, yeah. Whose idea was that, anyway?"

Sheena glared at him. "Mine."

Glancing at the ninja, Zelos chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, right…"

She swatted his shoulder with her spatula, somewhat teasingly. "How about letting us finish up here while you go be 'useful' somewhere else?"

"All right, all right, I know when I'm not wanted…" Still, the redhead lingered for a moment longer, and when Sheena turned to assist Regal further, he snatched one of the gingerbread men from the cooling rack and took a bite of it as he hurried off.

As he headed towards the main living room, he found Colette standing on a small stepping ladder while Lloyd held it to keep it from wobbling, slightly blocking the doorway that separated it from the kitchen. Carefully he scooted around them, then stood a few feet away as he watched the blonde angel trying to hang something in the arching frame.

"Careful," Lloyd said, watching as Colette strained to reach the beam above her.

"I know," she replied, standing on tiptoe to reach farther.

"Are you sure you don't want me to do it?"

"I've got it, Lloyd," she reassured him. With one last stretch, she finally managed to hang the small berried plant from the hook waiting for it. "There! I did it!"

Lloyd smiled and helped her down. "Nice job, Colette."

Returning the smile, she then turned to Zelos. "What do you think, Zelos? Does it look okay?"

Looking up at the small green sprig, the redhead finished his gingerbread man and brushed the crumbs from his fingers. "Where'd you guys get that?" he wondered.

"Sebastian," Lloyd replied. "He asked me and Colette to hang it up here."

Zelos grinned; he always knew there was a reason he kept Sebastian around. "Well, it looks great. But…"

The two of them looked at him curiously. "Did we not do it right?" Colette asked.

"No, you guys did it perfectly. It's just…do you guys even know what it is?"

"Uh…" The twin-swordsman thought for a moment. "Sebastian called it…'mistletoe', I think. Right?"

If possible, Zelos's grin grew wider as he folded his arms over his chest. "Yup. The thing is, though, people who are caught under the mistletoe have to kiss."

At first the two simply blinked, a little unsure of what Zelos was getting at. But when the redhead pointed up, reminding them of where they were standing, they finally realized what he was implying and both their eyes widened. "Wh-what?" Lloyd sputtered, he and Colette blushing furiously. "A-are you serious?"

Zelos nodded. "Yup. It's a Christmas tradition."

Lloyd and Colette glanced up at the mistletoe hanging above them, then turned back to look at each other. Neither for them moved for a while, only continuing to stare at each other in shock.

Until Colette smiled shyly, and said in a small voice, "It's…tradition, right?"

Lloyd swallowed thickly, the nervous blush on his cheeks growing darker. "I-I…I don't think…I mean, I'm not sure if…"

Colette's face fell slightly. "O-oh. I see…"

Zelos shook his head. Once again, he would have to help out somehow. "It's not good to disregard tradition like that, Lloyd," he chided, taking a step towards them. "And it's even worse to disappoint a lady like that. But if you're not comfortable with it, I'll gladly do it."

The brunet turned to him sharply. "What?"

Zelos smirked, ignoring Lloyd as he approached Colette. "Let me show you how it's done," he said, about to move in between the two.

"N…No way!" Lloyd tolerated a lot of Zelos's behavior, but he was not about to let him kiss Colette. So, without thinking, he pushed the redhead away.

Zelos stumble back a bit, but easily caught himself and turned to Lloyd. "Huh…Didn't realize you were so eager. Well then? What are you waiting for? Go ahead."

Lloyd faltered a little, self-conscious about how his actions made him look. Then he turned to Colette, who watched him with a mix of curiosity and expectation. He swallowed apprehensively before slowly leaning towards her, and both their eyes closed as his lips met hers.

They remained that way, a beat longer than either of them expected to. But after what seemed like forever, he gently pulled away, and they stared at each other in silence, their breaths caught in their throat.

The only snapped out of their daze when Zelos unexpectedly chuckled, and they looked at the redhead as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Not bad," Zelos appraised. "But a kiss on the cheek would've been okay too."

"What?" Lloyd turned to the other swordsman, his body stiff. "Why didn't you tell me that before?"

Zelos shrugged. "Must've slipped my mind."

"Are you kidding?" Lloyd snapped back. "You mean I didn't have to kiss Colette like that?"

"Was…was it really that bad?" Colette asked softly, looking up at Lloyd sadly.

Suddenly realizing how his words sounded, Lloyd faced her again. "N-no! Colette, it's not that! I-I just…!"

Zelos snickered. "I'll just let you guys work this out then," he said, waving as he continued on his way. He heard Lloyd calling after him, but he knew the other couldn't leave until he made sure Colette was all right. And knowing Lloyd, that could take a while.

Heading into the living room, he was surprised to see only Genis and Presea decorating the Christmas tree. He was about to ask about Genis's sister, but a glance around showed her curled up on the couch with her nose buried in a book.

"Um…" Zelos began, but didn't get a chance to ask when Sebastian suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and approached the professor.

"Here is the book you asked for, Lady Raine," the butler said as he placed the tome on a stack of other books beside her.

"Hmm…thanks," Raine murmured distractedly, her eyes never leaving the page.

Zelos blinked, watching her curiously before looking toward Genis who was watching nearby.

Genis simply rolled his eyes and shook his head. "She wanted to research more about Christmas and the reason behind its traditions," he answered, returning his attention to the tree.

"Ah." That was all the explanation Zelos needed. Quickly losing interest, he turned to Sebastian. "Where's Seles?"

"She was feeling a bit unwell," Sebastian replied. "She retired to her chambers for some rest."

"Oh…" Zelos frowned, concerned for his sister but knowing there was nothing he could really do for her. Still, he decided to at least check on her later. "Okay. Thanks, Sebastian."

"Oh, Master Zelos," the butler said as Zelos was about to leave again. He retrieved a nearby package and presented it to the redhead. "I picked these up for you, just as you asked."

Zelos thought for a moment, trying to remember what he'd requested from Sebastian. Then his eyes lit up with remembrance. "Oh yeah! Awesome. Thanks!" He took the package from the elder man and quickly opened it.

Taking a break from the tree, Genis and Presea approached the redhead and watched him curiously. "What's that?" Genis wondered.

With a grin, Zelos retrieved a stocking from the box with Genis's name stitched in the white cuff. "Personalized stockings," he replied, showing it to the half-elf. "I figured that since you guys have never celebrated Christmas before and probably don't have one, I'd go ahead and get 'em for ya. Actually, I just went ahead and got one for everybody. Y'know, since I'm such a nice guy and all."

Genis frowned. "What are they for?"

"Traditionally, stockings are hung on the mantle of the fireplace," Presea replied.

"Yup." Reaching into the box, Zelos pulled out more of the stockings and moved towards the fireplace. "On Christmas Eve, when everyone's asleep, Santa Claus comes down the chimney to deliver presents, and leaves little things like candy and stuff in the stockings."

"Is that the guy who's supposed to travel around the world and bring presents to good children?" Genis asked, the skepticism clear in his tone.

"That's the guy," Zelos affirmed, checking the first stocking he hung before working on the next one.

Genis frowned deeper. "How does he even know what kids ask for?"

"Well, usually kids write Santa a letter before Christmas."

"And how does he know which kids are good or bad?"

"He has a list."

"But how does he know?"

Zelos rolled his eyes. "He just does."

"And how is he supposed to travel around the whole world and deliver all those presents in just one night? Wouldn't that be kind of hard?"

The redhead chuckled. "Well, it might be a little harder now that the world is bigger. But I'm sure he could manage."

"It just doesn't really seem possible," Genis argued.

Zelos glanced at him curiously with a brow raised. "After everything we've seen, you think this is impossible?"

To that, Genis had the grace to seem a little embarrassed. Still, he continued, "It just doesn't make any sense."

"It's only a Christmas story," Presea explained. "It's something children believe in, and realize it's not real when they're older."

"Way to kill the magic, Presea," Zelos said as he finished the last of the stockings. "But fine. Santa is a fairy tale who kids think is responsible for bringing their Christmas presents every year."

Genis shook his head. "I can't believe you tell those kinds of stories to children. Who would ever believe in something so ridiculous like that?"

Suddenly, Colette all but skipped over to where they were, and she seemed to be in a better mood than when Zelos left her. With her she had a pad of paper, a pen, and an excited smile on her face. "Hey, have you guys finished your letters to Santa yet?"

Genis and Presea blinked, staring at her in disbelief for a moment before looking at Zelos. He simply shrugged.

"You told her about Santa?" Genis asked, his voice hushed.

"I might've," Zelos replied, just as quietly.

"But you didn't tell her that he's not real?"

"Well, I didn't know she'd really go for it…"

"You should tell her the truth," Presea whispered.

The redhead grinned. "Now where's the fun in that?"

"I haven't really started on mine yet," Colette continued, oblivious to the others' conversation. She tapped the pen to her chin thoughtfully. "I'm not really sure what to ask for."

"Just ask for whatever you want," Zelos replied, turning away from the younger two. "It doesn't matter what it is, I'm sure Santa will give it to you."

Colette frowned, uncertain. "I don't want to be selfish, though…" She looked up at Zelos. "Do you know what you're asking for?"

Zelos shrugged. "I always ask for the same thing every year."

"Every year?" Colette repeated, surprised. "Does that mean you haven't gotten it yet?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Well…"

Giving in to humoring Colette's childlike belief, Presea asked in an almost teasing tone, "Is it because Zelos is naughty?"

Zelos chuckled. "Now, if I was naughty, I would have gotten a lump of coal instead. So I can safely say that I haven't been naughty."

Genis snorted. "I find that hard to believe…"

"But then why haven't you gotten it yet?" Colette pressed. "What is it?"

Zelos felt himself stiffen a little as Genis and Presea turned to him, all three of them waiting to hear his answer. Thinking for a moment, he then said, "Have you even thought of how you're getting that letter to Santa?"

Colette gasped. "Oh my gosh! That's right! I have to get it to Santa if he's gonna deliver it! It's not too late, is it?"

"Well, it's kinda pushing it, Christmas Eve being his busiest day of the year and all." Zelos rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But if you hurry and finish your letter, we can try what Sebastian used to do for me when I was a kid, and waited until last minute to write my letter. Okay?"

Smiling, Colette nodded. "Okay!"

Zelos grinned. "Great. So you work on your letter, and I'll go find Sebastian." With that, he turned and headed off, glad that that was enough to distract Colette. But he had to do his best to ignore Genis and Presea's curious eyes, knowing they were fully aware that he never answered the question.

Not that it really mattered anyway. He may have asked for it every year, but he stopped expecting to get it a long time ago.

"Oh wow!" Colette exclaimed, spinning in a circle where she stood. "It's all so pretty!"

Zelos grinned a little, glancing at the lights and pieces that decorated the city. "Nice, huh?" he replied, once again taking a few steps when everyone caught up. "If there's one thing rich folks know how to do, it's show off."

Sheena snorted softly. "No kidding."

Regal glanced around the city as well as he pulled his collar up. "It does seem common for nobles to be a bit…excessive," he acknowledged, sounding almost uncomfortable by the fact. "The decorations back in Altamira are also quite extravagant."

"Really?" Lloyd asked. "Maybe if we do this Christmas thing next year, we can celebrate it over there and see."

"Hmm…" The blue-haired president paused thoughtfully, taking in the lights that brightened up Meltokio. "Perhaps. Though I must admit, the decorations back home pale in comparison to those here in the capital."

Zelos blinked, turning to the older aristocrat in surprise. He had spent the holidays in Altamira before, and was always so impressed by the Christmas decorations that lit up the seaside city. So he couldn't help but ask, "Why's that?"

The older noble glanced up at the sky. "Well, there is no real difference between the appearances of the two cities. But the scene of the city lights with the fallen snow here certainly has more of a Christmas feel than in Altamira."

"The lights also seem to be brighter here," Presea added.

"It's the way the snow reflects the light," Raine explained. "The plain whiteness makes the lights seem much brighter."

"And the snowflakes kinda look like they're shining too," Genis said.

Colette's smile widened and she held her hand out, catching a snowflake in her palm. "Like little stars," she said. She spun around again, her arms outstretched and her head tilted back to look up at the sky. "That's why it's so pretty here!"

Zelos frowned, glancing up at the snowflakes as they fell from the clouds above. He had hoped it would stop snowing by the time they had finished decorating the mansion, but luck was not with him that evening. And since it had been dark when they finished and he had promised to show them around, he had no choice in the matter but to take them out in the snow.

A shiver ran down his spine suddenly, and it had nothing to do with the cold. Doing his best to ignore it, he turned to his sister. "You all right, Seles?" he asked softly.

Though she shivered and pulled her coat tighter, she looked up at him and smiled. "I'm fine," she assured him.

Zelos couldn't but smile a bit as well. He knew Seles had been looking forward to this as much as he had. When she had been locked up in the abbey, she wasn't able to see much of the city during Christmas time. When she had finally been released, he promised to show her around during the holidays so she would be able to see the lights and decorations. He'd been busy last year, though, traveling around and working to settle things between the two lands that once were separated, and she had wanted to wait until he was able to keep his promise. He understood how much this meant to her, and she didn't want to miss it even though she wasn't feeling well.

So he would just have to keep an eye on her, just to make sure she was all right.

"Oh wow!" Colette's voice pulled Zelos out of his thoughts, and he looked up in time to realize they were approaching the giant tree in the center of the city.

Grinning again, Zelos strode forward. "All right! I was hoping we haven't missed it."

"Isn't Christmas tomorrow?" Lloyd wondered. "How come that tree isn't lit up yet?"

"That's why we're here," Zelos replied, gesturing the tree with a grand wave of his arms. "Usually, they have the tree all lit up and ready a few weeks before Christmas, but they never have the star on top until tonight, Christmas Eve. Soon, they're gonna shut off all the lights in the city so they can light up the tree, starting with the star on top. They do it this way every year." He paused for a moment, then sighed. "I'm just glad we got rid of the Chosen system already."

Colette turned to him curiously. "How come?"

Zelos shifted, appearing rather embarrassed suddenly. "Well…every year, the church wanted me to do the angel thing and light up the star for them…"

Sheena laughed. "Really? How come you never showed me that? I would've loved to see it."

Zelos huffed. "Because it was stupid, that's why. They even made me wear this stupid angel costume and everything…"

Sheena and Genis snickered at the thought.

"But it seems like such an honor," Colette suddenly interjected. "Asking you to do something as important as lighting the tree on Christmas evening…"

"Christmas Eve," Seles corrected softly.

Colette nodded. "Right. And they knew you were the only one who could do it, because you're a real angel; a symbol of hope to people. So they had to ask you, Zelos."

The redhead shrugged. "Maybe," he replied noncommittally. But he knew that the real reason the church asked him to do it was simply because it was part of the gimmick of his Chosen status. That was another reason he tried to spend the holidays somewhere other than Meltokio. He said nothing more about it, though, and let the subject drop.

"But is it really safe?" Genis wondered. "Shutting off the rest of the city's lights just to show off this Christmas tree?"

Glancing up at the towering pine, Zelos folded his arms across his torso. "They only shut the lights off for a little while." He grinned. "Just enough time to let the people appreciate how awesome the tree is."

Sheena rolled her eyes, but admitted, "It does look pretty cool."

Seles nodded in agreement, looking at the tree as well. "Even from the abbey, the Christmas tree was always such a sight. It'll be nice to see it up close, though."

Zelos' smile widened; despite her casual statement, he could hear in his sister's tone that she was excited to see the large tree in person, and he could see the small smile that seemed to light up her face. And he thought…maybe it was worth braving through the snow for that.

"Oh, this is so exciting!" Colette bubbled. "I can't wait for it to start!"

"Speaking of which," Lloyd muttered through chattering teeth, "when is this thing gonna start?"

"They're waiting for the church bell to ring," Zelos replied. "It's supposed to build anticipation or something…"

It seemed to work, though; the growing crowd, echoing with a chorus of eager conversation, teemed with an enthusiasm that wafted through the air and warmed them despite the snow that continued to fall. A thrilling current lay beneath the surface of the Christmas tree site, spreading throughout all the people gathered around it.

But Zelos was no longer paying attention to the tree or the people around him. Instead, he found his focus drawn to a young girl twirling around in the snow, giggling as her dark green skirt flared out around her legs. A large black coat, a few sizes too big, was draped over her small figure, and a bright poinsettia flower was clutched tightly in one of her little hands.

"Yukirei," a woman watching nearby – the girl's mother, no doubt – called suddenly. "Be careful now."

The little girl, Yukirei, spun around to meet her mother. "Mommy, the tree is so big!" she exclaimed. "Can we go see the other side?"

"It will be the same on the other side, dear," the mother replied. "Let's at least wait until Papa gets here."

"Oh please, Mommy!" the girl pleaded, a pout lacing her tone. "Pretty, pretty please?"

The woman sighed. "All right…"

With a happy cry, Yukirei spun around and began heading towards where the group stood, her boots crunching the thick snow as she ran.

"Yukirei," the mother called, her pace much slower than her daughter's," be careful. You might slip."

The woman's warning went unnoticed as the girl continued to draw nearer. But Zelos could already see the mother's words rang true when Yukirei suddenly slipped and tumbled forward, landing on the soft cushion of slush. Still, even with the powder breaking her fall, the little girl began to cry.

With a sigh of fond exasperation, the mother approached the child and knelt down beside her. "I told you before not to run."

Yukirei continued to cry, and amidst her tears managed to whine, "Mommy, pick me up…"

The woman smiled kindly as she replied, "Now, now…You have to be the one to pick yourself up again when you fall."

The little girl began to cry anew, and Zelos frowned as he observed the scene. It was all too familiar with him, recalling his youth and similar words spoken by Sebastian and his own mother. Of course he knew that the words were chiefly said based on the Tethe'alla ideal of valuing an individual's own strength, and he could see that the woman was only doing this because she wanted her child to be capable of handling herself, just as Sebastian had done when Zelos was a child. But…still…

If you can fall, then you can get up again.

It was difficult not to remember his mother's words and notice how the unsympathetic tone was much different than this mother's.

However, the words achieved their desired effect as the little girl slowly pushed herself from off the ground, and Zelos vaguely wondered if the little girl would grow up the way he had. 'Not likely,' he snorted in his mind as he watched the girl's mother try to comfort her.

Just as he decided it was time to mind his own business, a flash of color on the white ground caught his eye. He glanced down and noticed a poinsettia flower by his foot, probably belonging to the little girl who had lost it when she had tripped. He was a little surprised that he didn't notice it before, since the red flower stood out against the snow.

Red snow…

There was a rational part of his mind that knew a flower on the ground wasn't the same as that – not even close. But somehow the thought still entered his mind, so suddenly that he staggered away from it purely on reflex, and he only stopped when he bumped into whoever was behind him.

Startled, he spun on his heel just in time as Raine did. She studied him for a moment, her face changing from mild annoyance to curious concern. "Zelos," she said, "are you all right?"

Zelos paused, doing his best to force his heart to stop racing. Finally he answered, "I'm fine."

She frowned, and he could tell she didn't believe him. "Are you sure? You appear a little distraught."

Slowly he took some deep breaths to calm himself down. Then, when he was sure he could speak with a clear voice, he said, "Yeah. This time of year always gets me a little emotional, that's all." He sighed with a dramatically playful tone. "So many memories."

The professor seemed more accepting of this answer; she simply shook her head, and for a moment Zelos believed that was the end of it. So he was surprised when she spoke again, "I hope there were some happy memories, at least."

He blinked. "Why wouldn't there be?"

"Well…" she began, her thoughtful tone soft against the chatter of the crowd, "the expression you made just didn't seem like there were any…"

Zelos glanced away, worried that his face would betray any more of his emotions. The constant reminder was a problem of being out in the snow like that. As he looked down, though, he once again caught sight of the poinsettia.

Ignoring the sensation of the red against the snow, he glanced up at the little girl who continue to cry. He fought the building panic as he reached down to pick up the flower – a shudder crawling up his arm as snow fell between his fingers – and made his way to the girl and mother.

Kneeling down in front of the girl, he smiled charmingly as she looked at him. "A lovely young girl shouldn't shed tears on Christmas Eve," he said, his voice soft and sweet.

She stared in surprise, sniffling as he held up the poinsettia flower before her. Wiping away her remaining tears, the girl timidly took the flower from him. "Thank you, Master Zelos," she hiccupped.

"It's a pretty flower," he replied, "but it pales in comparison to your beauty."

The young girl blushed and giggled softly.

Turning to the mother, Zelos winked. "Such exquisiteness must run in the family."

Blushing shyly as well, the woman picked up her daughter. "Merry Christmas, Master Zelos," she mumbled as she headed away.

"Merry Christmas!" the little girl called as well.

Zelos gave a little wave as they disappeared around the other side of the tree before heading back to where his friends were, who had been watching the scene.

"You'll just flirt with anyone, won't you?" Sheena asked, rolling her eyes.

Zelos grinned. "What can I say? I just can't resist a girl in tears."

"Or any girl, for that matter," Genis retorted.

The redhead shrugged, but the grin still remained. Whatever reply he had, though, was drowned out when the bells of the church finally began to toll. Silence fell over the crowd as they listened to the bells ring; once, twice, three times before the lights in the city were all shut off. As the bells sounded their fourth chime, the star on the Christmas tree burst to life, bright against the darkness. Then the rest of the tree came on, starting from the top and spreading down to the bottom, the light appearing to reverberate as the bells echoed around the city.

"Oh…" Colette breathed, grasping Lloyd's arm, "it's so beautiful!"

There were similar murmurs of awe and agreement, but Zelos barely heard them, and was hardly paying attention to the tree. Because it was still snowing, and all he could see was the falling snowflakes reflecting the red Christmas lights…

Zelos sighed, a sound of annoyance mixed with relief as he ran a hand through his damp crimson hair. The snow had never let up during the entire Christmas tree lighting, leaving the whole group soaking wet by the time it was over and they returned back to the mansion. No matter how tiny they were, those little snowflakes had put him in a bad mood, even after his burning hot shower, and he was ready to just call it a night.

Unfortunately, the tree lighting had been such an excitement for the others. So instead of wanting to end the festivities, they all decided to stay up a while longer. What they were going to do, he wasn't sure, but the others were determined to figure something out, and he couldn't get out of it.

Well…he could if he really tried to. But what kind of host would that make him if he didn't stay to entertain his guests? Besides, it seemed as though some of them were beginning to think something was bothering him, and he didn't want to confirm any suspicions by turning in early.

So, with nothing left to do, Zelos released a long breath, doing his best to release his tension and put a smile on his face as he walked into the sitting room where the others were gathered around the fireplace and drinking from steaming mugs.

The redhead chuckled to himself. 'The perfect picture of winter,' he thought.

"Took you long enough," Sheena teased as Zelos sat on the floor beside Lloyd.

"What can I say?" the redhead replied, thanking Sebastian as the butler placed a mug of something hot on the table in front of him. "Taking care of my hair is a lot of work, especially around this time of year. I don't want it to get damaged from the wet cold or anything."

He grinned when most of them rolled their eyes or shook their heads, a perfectly normal reaction from them. If things continued like this, then he figured he wouldn't have anything to worry about. "So what'd I miss?" he asked, leaning back against the couch behind him.

"We were just telling the others stories about some of our past Christmas experiences," Regal enlightened him, motioning to Lloyd and the others.

"Ah." Zelos glanced at Sheen with a mischievous grin. "So you told them about the time you set your Christmas tree on fire then?"

The ninja's eyes widened as a small blush spread across her cheeks. "Shut up!" she hissed.

Zelos laughed. "Well, you told me about it, so I don't see why you wouldn't tell everyone else."

Sheena glared at him. "It's not something everyone needs to know."

"Why don't you tell us a story, Zelos?" Lloyd suggested, prompted to keep the peace by Colette.

"Hmm…" Zelos rubbed his chin as he thought. "I suppose I could…But the problem is picking which one to tell. I have so many…"

"Ugh, do we even want to hear them?" Genis wondered under his breath.

"Um…could I make a suggestion?" Colette asked softly.

Turning to look at her, Zelos smiled. "Why of course, my little Christmas angel. Go ahead."

She smiled. "Can you tell us about the first time you saw snow?"

Zelos' smile fell and his eyes widened, his throat suddenly dry. "Wh…why would you wanna hear about that?"

"Well…" Colette shifted slightly, as though she assumed she did something wrong, "Seles and Sheena told us how it didn't always snow during the winter in Meltokio. So I was just wondering if you remember the first time you saw snow."

Zelos tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. "It…it happened a really long time ago…I don't know if I really remember…"

"Didn't you say that you were ten or so when you first saw snow?" Sheena asked with a wicked grin. "At least that's what you told me."

Zelos pouted at her, hoping it hid his grimace. He knew she was just trying to exact some playful revenge, but he barely told her anything about that time, other than that he was old enough to remember seeing snow. So of course she wouldn't know…

"If you were that old, you must remember what it was like to see it," Seles added. "Why don't you tell us about it?"

This time he did wince, unsure of how to respond to that. Though his sister sounded genuinely interested, there was also a hint of amusement at seeing him appear embarrassed. And of course she could joke about it, since she was never told the details. At the time of the incident, she had been too young to understand more than the general idea of what happened, and he never explained the rest when she got older.

He could feel everyone's gazes boring into him, waiting for him to speak. Desperately he glanced towards Sebastian, the only one who understood the reasons for his reluctance to reveal the story. But not even the butler knew everything that happened that day, for Zelos had left out something important when he described the event.

Still, sensing his master's discomfort, Sebastian cleared his throat, drawing the group's attention to where the butler was innocently dusting. "I imagine, what with it being Christmas Eve," he said, "it would be more appropriate for Master Zelos to share a story more related to the occasion. Such as the time when he and Lady Seles first met, perhaps?"

Zelos' eyes lit up at the recommendation. "Oh yeah, Seles and I did met around this time, huh? I almost forgot about that."

Seles looked at her brother, a questioning expression on her face. "I don't remember that."

Zelos grinned. "You were too young to remember, I think…probably about two years old or so."

She frowned. "You knew about me for that long?"

He detected some guilt in her voice, but he shrugged it off as if he hadn't. "Well, I sorta already knew that Dad was already seeing your mom before then. But you were around two years old when we first learned about you, and boy, was my mom pissed."

That seemed to grab his friends' notice. "What happened?" Colette wondered, her enthralled expression matching the look in everyone else's eyes.

Zelos chuckled, settling back to tell his story. "Well," he began slowly to draw it out, "it happened one day several years ago around Christmas, when I heard my father talking to himself. He was wondering if he should get presents for someone named Seles…"

TBC

Those of you who have read the Tales of Symphonia manga (specifically the additional chapter, "Siblings") will probably notice I changed how Zelos and Seles first met. That's because I read somewhere that Zelos and Seles used to get along before their father died, which means they got to know each other while their father was alive, right? So I'm mixing things up a bit. Just wanted to let you know.

Those of you who haven't read the manga can just ignore that.

While the second chapter isn't done yet, I'm hoping to finish it soon. And in that case, it'll be posted up on the 23rd, because I never post on Christmas Eve or Christmas. So keep a look out for that. Until then, later!