Just This Once

Chapter 2 - The Invitation

Snowflakes flittered through the night sky on gentle winds, their luminance rivalled only by their starry neighbours from above.

The atmosphere was merry at the patio. Golden lights were strung up on the pillars, casting a warm glow on the area amidst the snowy landscape. Underneath the patio was a large table, decked with food and festive décor. Cheerful chatter filled the air as friends and family milled about with final preparations for a hearty Berry Day dinner.

But away from the heart of the festivities, a lone boy stood some ways away in the snow, gazing up at the star-lit sky.

A flurry of snowflakes drifted to him, some gently blowing at his face and tickling his nose. Pac paid little heed to it and kept staring at the twin moons.

For many parts of this day, they had been wary. They had stayed alert throughout the day for any signs of a ghost invasion. Just in case the plan didn't work.

So far, Berry Day had come and was about to reach its final hours, with no ghost invasion in sight. Team Pac felt cautiously optimistic. And so, they went ahead with their evening plans and got friends and family together to celebrate the holiday. Everything was going smoothly. Presents had already been exchanged and opened, and they were now finishing the day off with a festive Berry Day dinner.

And yet, Pac couldn't help but feel a mournful heaviness in his heart.

He loved Berry Day. Truly, he did. But none of the festivities or merry cheer could fill in the one bit of vacant space in his heart. The missing pieces that would make this celebration whole. His parents.

For years he had wished with his whole heart that they could be here. Even though he had long tried coming to terms with their disappearance, he still couldn't stop yearning for them. With each passing Berry Day, he misses them even more.

Pac pulled his eyes away from the moons, dropping his gaze to the blanket of snow on the ground. He sighed, his breath coming out as puffy fog in front of him. It was a cold night, and some of the cold felt reminiscent of the solemness in his chest...

But as if urged by memory, he reached up and fingered the scarf around his neck, taking comfort in its warmth and aptly remembering what a great time he had with his friends earlier.

The scarf was a beautiful shade of yellow, nearly golden, with white stripes at the end to accompany an emboss of the Pac-Man symbol. It was one of his presents, knitted and handmade by Cylindria.

Despite his melancholy, a tiny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

This had been the first Berry Day in years where they could enjoy the day without any ghost fighting.

He and his friends had taken advantage of the time they had, spending it on playing video games together, exchanging presents, sharing eggnog and Pacberry pie, and just having fun. He couldn't remember the last time he had spent such fun, quality time with Spiral and Cylindria. It made his heart feel a little bit fuller.

At least I still have them, Pac thought in an effort to cheer himself up. His friends meant the world to him, and so did Aunt Spheria and Sir Cumference. They all formed part of his own little family.

As though on cue, Pac suddenly heard the soft crunch of footsteps, approaching him from behind.

"Hey, bro... you okay out here?"

The Yellow One looked over his shoulder. Spiral and Cylindria stood behind him, each wearing worried looks on their faces. They both had donned their own scarves, all made by Cylindria. Behind them, golden lights shone brightly, and merry chatter echoed from the patio.