Sharing the Holidays: Part 2

[Story Listing]

[First Chapter]

Sharing the Holidays

Part 2: Getting the Perfect Tree

 [Featuring characters by Andi Wamboldt] 

The holiday cheer was brought indoors as well, even with the halls properly decked with lights aplenty. Celes was already aflutter with enthusiasm, darting from place to place, digging up boxes that Mia never paid any mind to prior. 

"'Ey, C'les, you think you oughta slow down a tad?" Mia watched Celes buzzing about. "Just pick one thing to do really really well, and move onto the next thing, yeah?"

"Ahhh, but there's still so much, and December's almost here..." Celes cooed, her eyes darting about. "I want everything to look picture perfect." 

"C'les, we haven't even finished unpackin' your actual boxes. Y'know, with the kitchen stuff? Stuff you use every day?" Mia smirked. She raised her hand to catch Celes passing her by for the umpteenth time. 

"Eh?? O-Oh, well... maybe next year!" Celes bounced up. "That's not so far away!"

"...Okay, that's weird." Mia tilted her head. "C'mooon, what's this all about? You never put off the important stuff like that-"

"This is important to me, Mia!" Celes turned to Mia, her eyes wide. "It's our first Solstice together!"

"...Eh?" Mia blinked. "Is it? ...It is, innit..." Mia tilted her head, her brows furrowed. 

"Mmhm! And Solstice is best when you spend it with friends, and family... all the people you care about." 

Celes took Mia's hand, leaning in a little closer. Mia had a few inches on Celes, so she had to look up into her. Mia blushed with the sudden, intimate gesture. 

"Hehe, sheesh, C'les..." Mia turned to the side, trying to stifle a smile. "I don't want you running yourself ragged over this either."

"I'm not, honest!" Celes shook her head. "It's just, it's been a long year, for the both of us. I want to end it on a high note."

"'High note'?" Mia wondered. "Higher than the... our, um... getting together?" Mia laughed bashfully; just saying those words aloud got her heart all aflutter, and it betrayed her attempt at playing it cool. 

"I-I mean... that was a high note too..." Celes agreed with a smile. "But, I mean, after so much hard work, moving around, travelling, finally settling down, not to mention our own baggage..." Celes backed up a step, idly wringing her hands through a globule of hair. 

"...It'd be nice to have something we can both enjoy too. A-and it's kind of a... a tradition for me." Celes turned her back to Mia, looking around the room. "Do you have any Solstice traditions, Mia?"

"Me?? Um... not really," Mia folded her arms. "I'll be real with you, I haven't really... gone to bat for the whole Solstice spirit thing."

"Eh? Really??" Celes swerved around, flashing Mia a look of total astonishment. "But... but it's the biggest time of the year!"

"Y-Yeah, it is, if you can afford it." Mia rubbed the back of her head. "The orphanage was, ah, modest about the spirit of giving. They didn't go much easier on attending services... actually, they just dragged us out for more."

"Well..." Celes tilted her head. She frowned empathetically. "S-Solstice is a time for everyone to enjoy themselves, rich and poor alike. Like... you guys had a big roast dinner, right?"

"Mmmm..." Mia moaned noncommittally. "The specialty was yuletide porridge..."

"Did you decorate with lights? And tinsel??" Celes wondered.

"Tinsel sure, but the owners didn't want electricity goin' to any frivolities..." Mia tugged the neck of her collar. 

"...You guys had a tree at least, right...?" Celes' voice was low.

"Oh, sure!" Mia's eyes lit up. "Ohhh, that was a neat little thing too! It came in a box in pieces, and you had to stack 'em on top'a one another, and-"

"Th-that's not a real tree!" Celes sputtered, seemingly appalled. 

"...I mean, I thought it was pretty cool..." Mia slide her hands into her pockets.

"Mia, Mia." Celes leaned closer. "We're gonna get a tree. A real tree. You're gonna love it, I swear!"

"A real tree?" Mia blinked. "But... what's the difference? It just sits and looks pretty, right?"

"Oh, it's amazing! If you find the right spruce, it just fills up the whole room with a fresh pine. You bring the forest into your cozy living room!" Celes spread her arms out, gesturing all around the room. 

"Yeah, but bringing an entire dang tree indoors... that's gotta be tough, right?" Mia was a little skeptical about this entire premise. 

"Mia, just imagine: it's getting dark, and you're welcomed back home by a display of coloured lights blanketing your home. Then you step inside, and the smell of forest pine hits you." Celes takes Mia's shoulder, pointing over to the fireplace. "And you bask in the glow of a warm fire, with a cup of cocoa, next to someone you care about..."

Mia stared at Celes. The passion in her voice rung out clearly. Clearly this was the one time of year Celes spent a lot of time pining over... and her enthusiasm was infectious.

"I did like the fireplace back at your old place." Mia admitted, smiling wider. "Back at the barnhouse."

"Yeah!! We can get a few logs to go with the tree! We just need to clear some things out of the way first..."

"A few things?" Mia remarked, clearly amused. "You got boxes cluttering up everywhere! Sheesh, you're getting to be worse than me about this..."

"What?? Oh, that's rich!" Celes laughed. "I've seen your workshop."

"Hey, at my workshop, I got everything exactly where I need it to be!" Mia shrugged. "It's part of the process~"

"Well, I'm in the middle of getting that sorted out too," Celes hurried over to the other side of the room. "I need dishes set out, decorations organized... sheesh, I still dunno where the hanger for the wreath is."

"We're getting a wreath too?" Mia blinked.

"Course we are! Right after I get everything sorted!" Celes was already burying her head in another box. 

"Hehe, if you say so." Mia rubbed the back of her head. "Think I know a guy who sells trees on the corner this time'a year..."

---

While Agnes itself was an industrial hub, forests could be found fifteen minutes away in any given direction. The villas beyond the city limits were usually reserved for natural parks, recreation, and the enjoyment of the upper class. The odd enterprising farmer made a business of selling the current crop at any time of the year: with the fields getting frostier with each passing day, Solstice trees were the trendy item to get. 

A few farmers drove their equipment into town, setting up stalls with hand-picked trees, all looking for a new home. There was plenty to choose from. 

"Fraser fir, douglas fir, noble fir..." Mia scratched her head. "Whole 'lotta 'firs'. I dunno what any of these are..."

"Really, Mia?" Celes kneeled down, shaking one of the branches. "You were on the walking trails way longer than me, you can't tell the trees apart?"

"It's not like ya gotta know that sorta thing..." Mia folded her arms, pouting. "Hey, what kinda tree we shoppin' here for anyway? You're the expert, not me."

"O-Oh, I don't think the kind of tree matters much." Celes stood up. "It just needs to be tall, and round. And it can't be tilted on one side, and it can't be losing needles, and it..."

Celes glanced at the pricetag, and immediately recoiled, jumping back.

"Eep! A-And it can't be too expensive, good goddess!" Celes turned to Mia. "Sheesh, money doesn't grow on trees..."

"But trees grow on trees! ... Wait, no, that's..., trees grow, and then they sell them, so it's kinda like, growin' money and... y-y'know, I kinda lost my train'a thought over here." Mia blushed, averting her eyes. 

"...I guess paper money comes from trees too." Celes remarked. She shook her head. "No no, getting sidetracked. This is way out of my budget..."

Celes stirred, drifting from tree to tree, glancing at each of the price tags. With each tree she stumbled across, her expression grew more and more dower. 

"Oh, no no no, I spent like, all my money just taking out the lease on the new place..." Celes muttered to herself. "Why are they all so expensive? They're all at least a hundred marks...!"

"...Mm. I could think uvva few reasons..." Mia tilted her head with a frown. "Gotta go further 'n' further out t' even see any kind of green'ry."

"...There's an idea..." Celes stroked her chin thoughtfully. 

"...Eh? I-I wasn't suggestin'-"

"We should just just go out and get our own tree!" Celes blurted out, turning to Mia with an excited look. This earned Celes a dirty look from the proprietor of the pre-cut trees that the girls were just perusing. 

Mia's mouth flattened, locking eyes with the bearded man, while Celes remained wholly oblivious to the social faux-pas she committed; Mia dragged Celes off to the side before the poor thing could realize the gravity of her sin. 

"C'les! You can't just go sayin' this stuff in the middle of the guy's shop!" Mia reprimanded her, gripping her shoulders. 

"...O-Oh, that's true, I... oops." Celes stared blankly. "...But we should totally do it! Make an event of it!"

"I-I mean, I could put in some extra hours at the factory." Mia scratched her neck. "A-And maybe Miller would have one lying around-"

"Nah, he only deals in fake trees. Says it saves money." Celes pouted with a look of slight indignation. 

"...I mean, he's got a point..." Mia murmured, glancing back to the trees up for sale. 

"We can make an event of it! It's been a while since we went trekking through the woods, just the two of us!" Celes got up on her tippytoes, an excited grin crossing her face. "And we never did it in winter either! Think of how pretty the snow'll look in the forest!"

"...That sounds nice, but..." Mia was warming up to the idea. She stirred slightly. "But most'a my tools are good for metal-working, I don't really have anything to-"

"I have a saw!" Celes cheered. "My papa was a lumberjack! I brought all his tools with me for just such an occasion!" 

"...Youse really prepared for everythin', huh?" Mia smirked. 

"S-Solstice happens every year, Mia... it's not that surprising." Celes muttered. "And they're family heirlooms."

"But, y'know, the nearest forest is way out east. Like an hour on foot too, even if you're quick about it." Mia glanced down the road with a grim expression. "Unless you got a horse 'n' sleigh from your old man too, it'd be hell to hoof it that far, 'specially with a tree."

"...A horse and sleight also costs money..." Celes sighed, tilting her head. Silence hovered between the two of them...

"...Oh! Mia! Wren's big whirly doohickey!" Celes bounced up and down, a realization crossing her mind. 

"Eh? Whaddya on about?" Mia blinked, trying to parse what Celes meant. "...That thing? O-Oh no, we can't go bugging her over-"

"C'moooon, you know her." Celes nudged Mia gently. "She'll jump at any opportunity to take that thing for a spin!"

"...Heh. Got a point there." Mia laughed. "S'like a kid boasting about with a newfangled toy."

Mia glanced to the trees up for sale once again, and then back to Celes. Little, precocious Celes. Mia understood that once Celes had her mind set on something, she wouldn't waiver. It was a decidedly stubborn side of her that Mia was more privy to... but it came from a place of passion. 

"Welp. I guess you got this figured out." Mia patted Celes on the back. "You remember when you old man's gear was?"

"Yup! Meet me in front of Godot's, I'll be back in a jiff!" Celes did a 180 and broke off in the opposite direction, running back towards the commercial district. 

"...Dang." Mia adjusted her cap. "If I didn't know any better, I'd guess the spirit'a Solstice straight up possessed her, or somethin'."

Mia watch Celes run off into the distance, until she disappeared from sight. That was her cue to head over to the meeting spot.

---

"Hey, C'les, this whole tree-huntin' gig's a lot tougher than I thought..."

The two girls stuck to the main trail, flanked on all sides by spruces that stretched to the heavens. Each one had to lean their head back just to see the tops. 

"No kidding. You think we could fit any of these in our place?" Celes gazed across the foliage. 

"...It'd be a tight squeeze." Mia snickered. "Pretty top-heavy. You might have to cut out the second floor."

"I-I love Solstice, but I think I draw the line at home renovation..." Celes shrugged with a chuckle. "I guess we can keep looking for the perfect tree~:

Celes cozied up next to Mia, taking her arm. Mia glanced over, smiling warmly in return. 

"You know... it might take a while. We gotta go deeper in to find one that'll fit." Mia reminded Celes with a tilt of her head. 

"I'm okay with that." Celes grinned. "It's been too long since we've been together like this." 

As she said this, one of Celes' hair tendrils rose, wrapping itself around Mia's shoulder and tugging her close. It was a tender gesture, and effortless at that.

"!" Mia's eyes widened, glancing to Celes with a surprised look. The warmth Celes radiated was a welcome reprieve from the chilly air around them. Mia felt a little bubbly just thinking about it.

She closed her eyes, and mentally unlocked the feeling inside of her. In moments, fur sprouted along her limbs; the odd strand of fur even crept through the interwoven fibres of her long-sleeved jeans.

Her long bushy tail pushed itself out through a strategically cut hole in the back of her jeans, twisting like a ferret, before wrapping itself behind Celes' waist in turn. 

"It's nice to be out here again," Mia cooed, her eyes wandering. "I mean, I vibe with the hustle of the city, but... it's real beautiful, too."

"It really has been a while." Celes agreed. "We should come out here again when the first snowfall lands. It's nice to take a break from the city. It gets pretty... smoggy."

"Mm, yeaaah... but that's where all the excitement is." Mia smirked. "It's my kinda town!"

"...Gosh, that reminds me," Celes looked over. "We never got to see one of those light-up parades I read about. That was something I always dreamed about as a kid..." 

"Parade? ...Ooh, yeah, I remember!" Mia nodded. "Well, it's not too late. If I got it straight, there's gonna be a Solstice parade running innnn... a few weeks, I guess." Mia shrugged.

"Hehe. It's a date then~" Celes cheered, tugging Mia a little closer. "We never got some pomp and spectacle out in the countryside. I really wanna see what all the hype is about."

"Oh, you're gonna adore it!" Mia grinned, glancing to Celes. "It's like... like how all the houses light up this time'a year! Except brighter, and... moving. A-And Father Lumet appears at the end!"

"Heheh... my papa made for a really good Father Lumet when we were growing up." Celes rested her head on Mia's shoulder. "He tried so hard..."

"Ah, well... I could try to put on a fat suit, but I don't think I'd be very convincing." Mia chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. "...Hey, speaking of your old man, you sure you don't want a hand with all that?"

Celes had an enormous sack slung over her shoulder, one that looked two or three sizes too big for her lithe form. Celes flashed Mia a reassuring smile.

"Nah, I got this!" Celes hoisted it up in a display of strength. "I probably got all the tree-cutting experience between the both of us."

"...Y'know what, fair." Mia shrugged. 

"...Oh, look, that one over there's the right size!" Celes broke off into a jog, hurrying along past Mia to examine it. Mia swayed to the side, eyes widening as she watched Celes from afar. 

"...Ooh! That's a nice one."

Its needles had a slightly bluish tint to them, and it let off a strong, piney fragrance. It wasn't too big—only a few feet taller than either of the girls—and it was wideset, and straight too. 

"This the one you want?" Mia tilted her head, looking it over. "Ain't a bad lookin' tree~"

"I think this'll work! If it's too tall, we'll take a bit off the bottom." Celes slumped the sack to the ground, and began to rummage through it. "I can do the cutting if you hold it straight for me!"

"Hehe, alright, you're the expert- whoa!" 

Mia jumped at the sight of the enormous jagged saw that Celes pulled from the bag. It was half as long as Mia was tall! 

"Th-That looks like it was made for a giant!" Mia blustered.

"No, no, not a giant. Just my papa." Celes held it aloft; it wobbled with the gesture. "Custom made!"

"O-Okay! If you think you can handle that much horsepower." Mia grimaced, hurrying over to the tree. "I got it, so just be careful with-"

KSH KRSH KSH KRSH! Celes was immediately working feverishly at the base of the tree, with practiced, precise sawing motions. Mia readjusted her grip quickly, trying to hold it stready, but... the weight of the tree, combined with the force of Celes' sawing motions, made the task difficult. 

It wasn't long until something underneath the tree gave out, and Mia could feel the entire tree tipping over slowly, in her direction.

"Oop! Easy, easy!" Mia hissed, clutching it with both claws. 

"I-It's okay!" Celes jumped to her feet, grabbing the tree along with Mia. "Let's ease it to the ground..."

Working together, the two girls lowered the tree onto its side; Mia whipped her tail to the side, making sure the tree wouldn't land on top of it. When it was safe, Mia hopped back, looking Celes all over.

"W-Wow, girl! You work fast!" Mia stared, absolutely astonished. "Where'd you learn to use it like that?"

Celes chucked, cocking her head to the side. "I was the smallest, so Papa asked me to crawl under and do the honours every year. I got pretty good at it~"

"...Sheesh. There's all sorts of surprises with you." Mia grinned, adjusting her cap; the craziness of lowering the tree had knocked it ajar. 

"You got the flare gun, right?" Celes tilted her head. 

"...OH, yeah, gotta call Wren." Mia fussed around in her pocket. "Thanks for reminding me. I'd forget my own head if it wasn't screwed on- ah, got it!" 

Mia wrestled an ancient-looking contraption from her large pants pocket, before reaching into the other for the ammo. With a bit of fiddling, she put two-and-two together, and looked to the sky for an opening between the trees.

"...Ah, there we go. Cover yer ears, C'les!"

FWOOSH! Mia fired it skywards—a bright red flare, followed by a cloudy smoke trail. Mia watched it soar higher and higher, before flashing a smirk to C'les.

"Wren would have to be blind to miss that." Mia nodded, holstering the flare gun. 

"She's not that old!" Celes laughed. "Ah... it's nice to have everyone working together on this. That's my favourite part of getting the tree."

"And you know Wren's happy to take her favourite toy out for a spin." Mia snickered. 

"I remember when the whole family would come out to find a tree together for Solstice," Celes recalled with an air of nostalgia in her voice. "...Hehe. I guess we're all kind of cobbled-together family, working together like this."

"...Yeah, you could say that," Mia grinned. "Not sure if Wren would be privy to being called 'mom' though, hehe..."

"I'm glad we get to do this together." Celes cozied up next to Mia. "Solstice is about sharing traditions with one another, right?"

"...Sounds about right to me." Mia grinned. "Especially with the ones you care about..." 

Mia and Celes drew closer to one another, leaning in for a hug. Their heads inched towards one another, readying for a tender kiss...

FWEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

A steam whistle blared out from far above, piercing through the still silence of the forest around them. The two girls jumped nearly a foot apart, eyes wide. Celes was shaking from head to toe with fright, and the hairs on Mia's tail were standing on their ends!

They both glanced skywards; instead of the familiar white overcast sky, there was a large object that cast an imposing shadow down below. The aluminium hull, the duel propellers working in perfect harmony, and wafts of steam ascending skyward. 

It was an airship. A familiar looking one at that...

"Hey! You two down there! You got the cargo ready!?" A woman stuck her head over the side, hollering down at Celes and Mia. Her black hair was done up in a messy ponytail, and her aviator jacket protected her from the elements... though it was hard for the girls to spot these features from below. 

"Y-Yeah! Right here, Wren!" Mia cupped her hands and yelled. 

"Alright, hook her up and haul her out!" As Wren said this, from underneath the airship, four hooks on ropes lowered towards the ground, landing in piles around the tree. 

"And show Celes the ropes, wouldya Mia? Countryfolk gotta find some way to keep up with the slickers!" Wren whooped from the airship's railings. 

"I-I can tie a knot!" Celes exclaimed. "I can handle that much..." 

"Less yackin', more crackin'! Less you want me to burn this tree for fuel?" Wren hollered, before zipping from the side. Mia glanced towards Celes with a tired smile.

"That's just her funny way of encouraging you." Mia shrugged. 

"No... no, I think she just takes sick pleasure in taunting me." Celes smiled bashfully. "Your side of the family's pretty weird."

"I prefer to think of them as 'quirky'!" Mia laughed. "C'mon, let's get this tree done up!"

Thankfully, the two girls worked quickly, tying up the tree along its trunk. A quick tug ensured it was snug and proper. Mia took a step back to review their handiwork and, with a quick nod of approval, looked skywards once more.

"Okay! It's good! Take it out, Wren!" Mia called up to Wren. 

FWEE FWEEEEEE! An affirmative ringing of the shrill whistle confirmed Wren's response, and the airship slowly lifted up and away. The tree, in turn, rose slowly off the ground. Celes staggered back, watching with a sense of wonder as the tree and the airship rose higher and higher, and then slowly drifted away. 

"...Wait." Celes blinked, glancing to Mia. "We should've asked for a ride back."

"Eh? I figured we'd just walk back." Mia stared. "The weather's nice, and you like long walks in the-"

"It's gonna get dark by the time we get home..." Celes rubbed the back of her head. 

"...Really? ...Craaap." Mia pivoted back to face the ship, hopping up and down and waving her arms. "WREEEEEN! COME BAAAAAACK!!"

"...I think this is her way of giving us more alone time." Celes grasped Mia's shoulder, coaxing her to cease her frantic waving. "But we should get a move on, before it gets too dark."

"...Yeah... you're probably right." Mia's eyes lowered for a brief moment, before glancing over to Celes. "But I was looking forward to a hot cup of coffee on the ship..."

"We got coffee at home, Mia." Celes grinned. "...Though, it'd be late by then. And you know what coffee does to you so late in the day."

"...Yeaaah..." Mia lowered her head, her ears flattening in return. Her tail whipped back and forth anxiously. Celes gave her a gentle encouraging squeeze; Mia looked up, and her disposition quickly brightened up. 

"...But at least we have each other." Mia grinned. "Let's go home."

It'd be a long walk through the woods to get back into town. But neither of the girls seemed to mind too much. At least there'd be a freshly-cut tree waiting for them when they got home.

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