What happened to the magic of Christmas? When we were kids and it was all amazing? All November we would wait impatiently as the days went by, getting a taste of magic on Thanksgiving. Sure our bellies were full, but the craving for magic and splendor would come about us.
Ash ketchum was eight when he stopped believing. It wasn't because of popular belief. It wasn't because his parents told him. However, it did have to do with his parents. His parents were never home for Christmas. So in the morning he would find one or two presents under a tree from his grandparents.
At eight he realized if Santa was real he would get tons of presents like all his friends did. It has been eight years since ash stopped believing. Its Christmas Eve and we join him now.
Ash sat outside of the local shopping mall as snow started to fall.
Christmas shoppers are nuts. Why don't they buy the presents before the big rush? Do they really think they will find anything in stock? Ash was wondering why he even questioned the last minute shopper's reasons. He did it every year, it didn't exactly amuse him, and it was just away to pass time.
By now your probably thinking, ash is a very boring fellow? Right
He's one of those guys that you can say "All he does is play World of Warcraft... what a friggen lowlife." Sorry ash doesn't play World of Warcraft. He has plenty of friends and isn't exactly unpopular. Christmas is just a real downer for him. It would be for you too, if your parents weren't home for Christmas.
"Oh what's this?" A girl's voice said, ash looked up and met a pair of astonishing blue eyes. "Getting ready to mug a last minute shopper?" The girl asked laughing in a strange high pitched way.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash asked raising one of his eyebrows.
he examined the strange girl. She looked like a normal girl his age. Scratch that, she had the face of an ordinary girl. But her outfit was not fit for the weather: a normal white sweatshirt and a pleated red skirt, her normal attributes was her hair, eyes and face. Ash couldn't decide whether the red bow in her hair was normal. Even though he was contemplating how the heck she wasn't frozen since it was snowing outside, he found the girl awkwardly cute.
"You look like your ready to mug an un-expecting shopper!" The girl said excitedly. She pulled ash up and pushed him into the crowd of shoppers, "Go on I will cheer for you."
Ash realized this girl wasn't exactly insane as he walked out of the crowd or surprised people. He walked passed the girl who turned around and followed him. "What do you want?" Ash groaned.
"You're unhappy!" The girl stammered walking behind him.
"Yeah? So?" Ash asked.
"It's Christmas Eve! Everyone is supposed to be happy!" The girl told him.
"Easy for you to say." Ash sighed "Leave me alone."
"Now that's not nice." The girl told him, "My name is Serena! And it is my wish for people to be happy on Christmas!"
"Is that why you wear a skirt when it's dead freezing outside?" Ash asked and took Serena a second to get it. When she finally understood what he was implying she went red and slapped ash across the face.
"You dirty Pervert!" Serena yelled.
"I was just saying." Ash said, "You could make some old perverted geezer happy." Ash laughed, but got slapped again.
"I just wanted to make you enjoy Christmas!" She stammered.
"Try me, give it your best shot... um... what was your name?" Ash asked.
"Serena! And you are?" Serena asked.
"Ash..." He replied.
"Okay ash, get ready for the happiest Christmas ever!" Serena exclaimed and grabbed his hand.
Serena is one of the most awkward girls around. She has been completely obsessive about Christmas since she was three. Her parents also weren't around on Christmas very much. Instead of mourning over not getting anything under the tree Serena made sure that homeless children and others got plenty of Christmas love and warmth.
Serena is cute, nice and very unpopular. No one understood her so she didn't have friends. This year Serena still did her Christmas giving, but also she wanted something for herself this year, just this one time.
Anyways, Serena dragged ash along with her to different places.
First area was the Shopping Mall
I hate the mall, it's packed! How am I supposed to be happy here?! Ash thought.
Serena walked in front of him with her long honey blond hair trailing behind her. As they walked she googly eyed stuffed animals and other "cute" stuff in the different shops.
"What are we supposed to be doing? You're not going to ask for something?" Ash asked narrowing his eyebrows.
"Of course not! How would that make you happy? You would be wasting your money on a girl you hardly know!" Serena said turning her head and smiling, ash shrugged in reply.
"Don't try and buy anything for me. I don't want anything." Ash sighed. 'How long am I going to follow her for?'
Then little kid came up to the two in tears.
"What's wrong?" Serena asked bending down and putting her hand on the kids shoulder for comfort.
"I-I've lost m-my mommy" Asked the kid,
ash rolled his eyes, he really didn't want to deal with whining kids.
"He probably got separated from her in this crowd." Ash said, "Sorry kid we-!"
"ASH!" Serena interrupted, "We can't just leave him alone."
Ash groaned, "You don't really think were going to find his mom in this crowd do you?"
Serena ignored the question and took the little kids hand. The kid described his mother and began to look around. They walked all around the mall looking high and low.
While they looked Serena explained why she took the time. "It's not like I expect anything in return." Serena said, "You have to learn to give and not get. Your reward will come in something better then a gift."
"What like the Grinch and 'it came without ribbons, it came without tags! It came without boxes or bags.' Or however he says it?" Ash asked.
"Exactly! Plus it's just the right thing to do." Serena explained.
"So you are not just doing this because it's Christmas Eve?"
"Of course not! I would do it anyway, but I was just saying that Christmas is about giving and not receiving." Serena said.
"Oh please, everyone likes receiving more." Ash told her.
"Depends on how selfish you are." Serena replied at that moment the little kid started jumping up and down and then ran over to a lady. The lady turned out to be the kid's Mom and was just as scared as the kid was.
Ash smiled as he watched Serena explain to the Mom where they found him.
Serena returned to ash , "What are you so happy about?" She asked smirking.
"Huh?" Ash said surprised and flushed when he realized he was staring at her, "Nothing... that just felt better inside than I thought it would."
"See I told you I could make you happy!" Serena giggled. She then got a weird look on her face, "Um... I will be right back... I have to go to the bathroom!" She said, "Don't move!" Serena commanded and ran to the bathroom.
Ash thought about how he could leave, he wouldn't have to follow this crazy girl anymore. 'I guess I will stay, there's no one for me at home.'
Serena returned and looked at ash . "You could have left."
"I know." Ash said.
"What's with the bag?" She asked noticing a large shopping bag.
"Ah, just bought a little something for myself." Ash told her.
"Well it's on to area two!" Serena said happily.
There next area was the arcades
Ash and Serena played different games. One that they played a lot was mortal combat
Ash couldn't believe he was losing to a girl. Girls never beat him at videogames, or even play them for that matter. Ash lost for the twentieth time and he hit his head on the controller. He was down eighteen to twenty; he couldn't let Serena win another one. Because they bet that if she won twenty one times he would have to buy her dinner. Why it was twenty one and not just twenty ash didn't know, but now he was thankful.
The game started again Serena's character was subzero and is already winning from a starting combo. Ash character was scorpion. He tried to do the spear move but....IT MISSED! His character was open, Serena's subzero moved in and knocked scorpion into a combo killing.
Ash fell to the floor, defeated.
"I win!" Serena said putting her foot on ash in triumph, "You owe me dinner!"
"I can't..." ash said his voice muffled from the floor. Serena released her foot.
"Why not?"
"I don't have any money..." ash groaned, "I ran out from the arcades and the thing I bought."
"Then take me to your house and we'll have a Christmas feast!" Serena said.
"I can't cook..."
"That's alright; I will cook it for you." Serena said.
They left arcades and went to ash's house.
Ash unlocked the door and let Serena into his house first. Serena lifted up her arms soaking in the warmth.
"Why were you wearing a skirt out there anyways?" Ash asked.
Serena got an annoyed look, "Why does it matter?"
"I don't know it's just really cold outside..." ash said.
"I didn't really have anything else to wear." Serena told him, "For a guy I didn't think you would be complaining."
"Um... I wasn't..." ash said with a tint of blush on the cheeks. Serena laughed and gave him a playful punch in the arm.
"You blush easily." She said.
"What do you expect? You're a cute girl." Ash said.
Serena looked away, "I wish everyone thought that..." She said quietly, "Anyways, where's your kitchen?"
"Over here." Ash said.
"Good, I assume you have enough stuff to make a good Christmas Dinner?" Serena asked.
"Yeah plenty, my parents always send it to me just incase I want to attempt at cooking."
"Awesome!" Serena exclaimed and ran into the kitchen to get to work. Ash smiled. She's a nice girl, a little odd in the head, but nice.
The smell of ham filled the air in ash's house. Serena kept coming out with assortments of foods. Finally she sat herself down with her own plate. "I feel bad." Ash said.
"Why is that?" Serena asked.
"You've done all this for me." Ash exclaimed, "How can I thank you?"
"Just enjoy Christmas for once, it only comes once a year." Serena said.
later
Ash and Serena watched the different Christmas lights flicker as they leaned on the wall of the house's balcony. "What made you not like Christmas ash ?"
He sighed, "Its not that I don't like it, its just my parents are never home. So no one puts presents under the tree, so I couldn't believe in Santa. There was no magic in Christmas."
"My parents were never home either." Serena said quietly, "So I made sure that no other kid suffered from not being loved by anyone on Christmas." Serena said, "I found the magic from giving and not receiving, I found my family in the less fortunate." She looked at ash, "You probably think I'm weird for being so charitable."
"No not all." Ash said.
"Really? I don't have much friends, because I'm to busy with other people." Serena said.
"You're wrong Serena , everyone you gave to is your friend. Everyone you make happy is your friend." Ash paused, "And I'm your friend." Serena blushed and turned away.
"You hardly know me." Serena said quietly.
"Do I? I feel like I've known you forever." Ash said, "If I don't know much about you then I want to find out." A chilly wind blew. "C'mon it's cold and dark. Let's go inside." Ash suggested and Serena nodded. In front of a lit fireplace the two played cards and sipped hot cocoa. They bet marshmallows for their hot cocoa.
"So start Serena , what do I not know about you?" Ash asked.
"Well my nickname was ser-YEE when I was in grade school." Serena said stressing the yee to make it sound like a scream.
"Why is that?" Ash asked.
"I don't know, nobody likes me." Serena said behind her cards.
"You're a cute person; I don't see why they would mock you like that." Ash said.
"Would you stop calling me cute?" Serena asked with sarcasm and sighed, "I've been completely infatuated with Christmas for as long as I can remember. I hate cruel people and war. I don't have any friends at school and I've never had a boyfriend."
"See I knew most of those things just by your personality. Obviously you would hate war!" Ash laughed.
"Well I bet you're easy to read." Ash said, "You have a large group of friends and have had at least one girlfriend. Holidays aren't really important to you. You hate doing something that wastes your time. The only things that don't waste your time are stuff you find fun. Like videogames." Serena said.
"Okay most of that was right, my group of friends isn't large it's moderate. I've never had a girlfriend unless you count a date to the prom. Holidays aren't always unimportant, its just nothing happens with my parents always away." Ash said. Ash yawned and checked the time, "Whoa, its late." He exclaimed as it was almost midnight, "Do you want a ride to your house or what?"
Serena looked at the time and back at ash. "Can I stay for a bit longer?" Serena asked. Ash nodded, they continued to play cards. Time passed and ash felt his vision blur. He looked up; Serena had fallen asleep behind her cards. She breathed softly; ash found it a calming sound.
'Can't take you home now, I don't know where you live and I don't want to wake you up.' Ash picked the girl up and took her to his room. He placed her on his bed and put blankets on top of her.
Ash took one lat look at Serena. He realized something, she was beautiful. Cuddled up under the covers of the bed she seemed like a helpless child. He just wanted to scoop Serena into his arms and hold her tight.
Morning
Ash's eyes fluttered open. Its Christmas isn't it? But What is this feeling? Something's missing. Serena! Ash thought.
He jumped out of bed. He ran to his room, but she was gone. There was a note.
Hey Ash,
I just wanted to say, it's been fun. You made my wish come true; I wanted to make a really good and close friend. I thought it wouldn't be selfish of me if I wanted just one thing. But ash there was one more thing I wanted. I left you a present under the tree. It's a hint to what I want.
Love,
Serena.
P.S. Open the present quickly!
Ash looked at the letter as he walked to the living room. He looked up at the present in front of him. It was huge! Big enough to hold a...
ash's eyes widened as he quickly unwrapped the present he opened the top of the box and laughed when he looked inside. ...A beautiful person... Serena was smiling right back at him.
She jumped up and pressed her lips on to his. Ash put his arms around her as she gave him the kiss. She released the kiss and ash picked her up out of the box. She through her arms around him and said "My new Christmas wish was for you to love me."
"You got your wish Serena and I got mine. All I have been thinking about is you." Ash said. "I have something else for you; it's in the shopping bag. "
Serena skipped over to the large bag that contained the purchase that he got at the mall. She pulled out a large teddy bear. "Looks like you got a gift and a large reward for this Christmas, Serena ." Ash laughed, "You deserved it." Serena was filled with joyous tears. She kissed ash again. "Now," ash said, "Let's go enjoy the entire holiday atmosphere outside. Snow fell hard last night!" They ran outside hand in hand.
They made snow men and snow angels. Laughing and playing they knew it was the most magical and best Christmas they and they knew that next year they would still be together and they would never be lonely again.
So when do we lose the magic of Christmas? We don't. As a kid we get the magic from the love of our parents and the surprising gifts. As a teenager we know exactly what we are going to get so it loses the surprise and we haven't fully matured to give like parents do.
However when we find someone to spread our joy to then magic once again fill us. For ash, he had no one to get from or give to. This created the illusion of the disappearance of magic. When Serena entered his life he received a lot from her, but he wanted to repay her also. Although he didn't know of her wish he granted it and love of Christmas spread between he two.
So don't think the magic of Christmas has left you. Just wait for your turn to give, and you will feel the surprise flow back into you.