Author's Notes

Hi everyone! I'm back! This is now my second story and I hope that some of my previous readers are reading this right now. If you don't know about my first story, it's a 07-GHOST fanfic called "Words are Not Needed." Feel free to check it out ^^. Since I'm still starting up, I hope to get some helpful advice but please don't be too harsh. Also, hopefully I will have some longer stories soon so look forward to my first long-term fanfic! I hope you enjoy the story!

Before the End, a Final Wish

The freshly fallen snow that blanketed the ground crunched beneath his feet with each step he took. The sun had just set and night was falling, painting the sky black and dotting it with thousands of twinkling stars. The colorful strings of lights that were hanging all over the town were beginning to turn on now that it was getting dark. They illuminated all the bright and festive decorations that were set up for the occasion. The metallic tinsel, the large wreaths, the long velvet ribbons and bows, and much more. It was impossible to walk anywhere without noticing them and Teito was trying to take it all in as he was heading back along with a small, pink fyulong dragon on his shoulder.

The group had decided to take a break in this town since Christmas was near and was now staying at one of the inns. It was all pretty foreign to Teito considering he never had a chance to find out himself what Christmas actually is. As far as his memories allowed, he only ever remembered celebrating it, if you can even call it that, with Mikage. Teito thought back to the first time he heard about it. At the Military Academy, they had decorated even though it wasn't at a large scale. When Teito, seeing those decorations for the first time, asked about them, Mikage just responded saying it was almost Christmas. Then when he asked what that was, the expression on Mikage's face indicated that he couldn't believe what he had just heard. After the initial shock passed, Mikage took the liberty of spending an hour explaining to Teito what exactly Christmas was but Teito still couldn't get it since it seemed so unusual to him. As a simple answer to his confusion Mikage just said this: "Christmas is a time for people to be with the ones they care about. It's a time to express their love and gratitude for all the dear people in their lives." Along with Mikage's smile at that time, that was all the answer that Teito needed.

For the remainder of the time before that Christmas, Teito had wondered what he could do for Mikage, but as he just barely found out about the holiday, he had absolutely no idea what to do. The night before Christmas (called Christmas Eve according to Mikage), Teito was still wracking his brain for what to do when he walked into his and Mikage's shared room. When he opened the door, he found a grinning Mikage standing there with his hands behind his back. Before he had to ask, Mikage said that he couldn't wait until Christmas morning and showed him what he was hiding behind his back. In his hands, Mikage held a box wrapped in silver wrapping paper, tied with a red ribbon and he said, "Merry Christmas, Teito."

It was one of the happiest days of his life. Teito knew about the idea of giving presents but he had never gotten one from anyone. Back then, no one ever cared about him or loved him. No one had ever done such a wonderful thing for him and he couldn't hold back the tears that fell down his face. Teito, who couldn't find the right words to describe how grateful he was, gave an extremely rare, genuine, and bright smile that surprised even Mikage and said, "Thank you so much, Mikage!" Mikage just returned an equally bright smile to his best friend. After a few minutes, Teito was able to stop his tears and regret and guilt settled in his heart when he had to confess to Mikage that he didn't get anything for him. Mikage's smile never left his face and he said, "My only wish for Christmas was to see you smile, Teito!"

At that point, Teito stopped walking and abruptly ceased his thoughts right then and there. Tears were once again forming in the corners of his eyes and he tried to choke them back but he couldn't stop some tears from rolling down his cheeks. The first person who had ever dared to care about him was now gone. Grief always took hold of his heart whenever he thought about Mikage and it always pained him so. The little dragon looked at Teito, his eyes asking what was wrong. Seeing his reincarnated friend, Teito wiped his tears away with his sleeve and gently held the pink fyulong with both his hands. "Thank you for everything, Mikage," he whispered as he held his friend close.

Unbeknownst to Teito, while he reminisced about his first Christmas with Mikage, he had arrived in town square. In the center of the plaza, a large Christmas tree was set up and hung with many beautiful crystal ornaments, lights and ribbons of all colors, and topped with a golden shining star. Along with all that, hung near the bottom of the tree were pieces of folded paper where the townspeople had written their wishes on for this Christmas. Seeing the tree, Teito realized that it will be the first Christmas, since his days at the academy, where he won't be with Mikage. Along with that came another realization that it will also be his first Christmas, as far as he could remember, where he will have many other people to share it with. Though joy had lit up his heart for a short moment, it was impossible to ignore a thought that had lingered in the back of his mind for a long time. Ever since the first signs of Christmas being prepared for had appeared, that thought only became more and more evident but he didn't let himself think about it. Whenever it remotely surfaced, he would always push it back down.

Now, it was inevitably clear in his mind.

It was unavoidable.

He didn't want it to be there but there was no way he could escape it.

There was absolutely nothing he could do.

It was an almost terrifying thought, especially now that there were so many people he cared about.

That thought. It was the thought that this might be the last Christmas he would ever spend.

The last Christmas he would ever spend with everyone else.

Now that the thought had completely surfaced, it completely flooded his mind and the tears he had held back flowed down in endless streams. With the body of a Death God who is struggling to break free sealed in his body and many people trying to break that seal, he knew that he would not live long enough to see the next Christmas, maybe not even the next day. The only thing he could do was to fulfill his mission to bring Pandora's Box to the Land of Seele. The Land of Seele. A purified land created by the Chief of Heaven. A place that can only be reached with the seven cursed tickets. A place where the body is purified and one gets an audience with the Chief of Heaven and receives a wish in a new life. It is a place where one will die and meet God. For Teito, it will be the last place he sees before everything finally ends. The moment he utters that final wish, everything will be over. Either way, this life he had been living up until now will not last.

By now night had completely fallen and Teito, realizing that he was still crying, made many attempts to stop but he couldn't. The tears just kept coming back. Through his tears, Teito saw the Christmas tree he stood in front of and at the same time he also saw the many pieces of papers with their many wishes. A wish. And he remembered. That morning, he had written his wish on a piece of paper and was planning on hanging it on the tree. From his coat pocket, he took out that piece of paper and unfolded it. He read his wish once more before refolding it and placing it on the Christmas tree alongside many others. Then, he wiped all his tears away and took another look at the tree. That's right, in the remaining time he has left, he will value every moment of it. After all, it was going to be his first and final Christmas with all the people he holds dear.

"Hey brat!"

Recognizing the familiar voice, Teito looked over and found Frau standing on the other side of the plaza. After seeing the bishop, Teito remembered that he was supposed to have gone back to the inn a while ago and quickly ran over to meet him.

"Geez brat, hurry up. I just got an earful from Doll-freak because you didn't come back yet and he made me go back out to find you. I don't need another lecture because we come back too late," Frau said, annoyed, once Teito got close enough.

"Well, sorry. I just lost track of time," Teito replied.

After a short, silent pause, Frau, looking at the boy, merely asked, "So, what did you wish for?"

Realizing that Frau had seen him put the paper on the tree, Teito became slightly embarrassed and dismissed his question by saying, "It's none of your business."

This mildly piqued the bishop's interest and, just so he could tease Teito, he responded, "Let me guess, you wanted to be cured of your shortness, though I can't say that's an easy wish." The only answer he got for that was a smack on the head.

Teito, somewhat annoyed, continued to walk back to the inn at a faster pace leaving the blond bishop behind. Though he felt a bit angered, he knew that it would be these small moments that he would cherish the most out of his entire lifetime. Yes. This is going to be his first Christmas with everyone and he will definitely cherish it. And if this is going to be his last Christmas with everyone, then he will cherish it just the same. No matter what, he will not let go of this precious life he had been given until the end. So on this night before Christmas, on Christmas Eve, before it ends, Teito made a wish from his heart.

My only wish is for everyone I care about to always be able to smile happily.