Skarlet sat up, pulling her cloak around her shoulders as the wind attacked her, Cody was asleep and so was Amber. They were currently above the clouds on Beatrice's back, headed for the port town of Ulmet.

I know Beatrice said she could fly for four days straight, but I'm still a bit skeptical, I'd like to make a stop for rest in the middle. Skarlet was gazing through the clouds when she saw a town below, they'd already been flying for two days, so this town should be about the middle.

"Hey, let's set down near that town!" Skarlet called as she patted Beatrice on the neck, Beatrice nodded and they started descending. Beatrice landed outside of town, hidden by the night, she transformed into her humanoid form, and the group headed for town.

"So we're stopping af-ter all." Cody yawned mid-sentence as they walked towards the town, it wasn't walled and didn't look that big. Skarlet was dressed in her new gear and so was Cody, Beatrice still wore the one-piece dress.

"Are you sure you're not cold?"

"I couldst weareth nothing and wouldst still feeleth quite warmeth" Beatrice exclaimed confidently with a huff as little puffs of fire flared from her nostrils.

"Please wear clothes." Cody sighed as Skarlet smirked at him. Amber had a scarf wrapped around her collar and thick winter gloves boots and woolen tights, she was staring into the sky at the snow as it trickled down like white rain in slow motion.

"It's gonna be a white Christmas this year," Cody announced, catching a handful of snow.

"A-again with this Crustmos." Skarlet sighed, sniffling while chattering her teeth, "W-winter is t-the worst."

"Hey, we should do Christmas!" Cody suddenly announced as they approached the town entrance, there was a guard, light armor, and an old sword.

"Hello, trying to get out of the cold, I envy you!" The guard exclaimed, "We have Inns so go on inside."

Skarlet nodded and stepped past, Cody followed quickly. "Come on, what do you think?"

"I. . . I don't know." Skarlet pondered.

"I'll take care of it I just need you to get me a tree." he thought for a moment, "One that can fit our Inn room. Like this." He traced a shape in the air, causing Skarlet to sigh in annoyance, but she nodded anyway.

"A-alright." Skarlet replied, she suddenly split from him, "M-meet you back at the t-town square when I h-have the tree, you handle everything else." She explained as she headed off, Cody and Beatrice just stared after her, Amber trailed along behind Skarlet. Though Skarlet paused, spoke to her, and then Amber turned and walked back towards Cody

Skarlet passed the guard as she stepped back out of the town.

"Where you headed?" He asked.

"Trees, I-I need a specific t-type of t-tree, well. . . s-shape of tree." She tried to explain, making the same triangle-like shape.

"Oh, we have some of those that grow. . . It'll be easier if I show you," he said as he started leading the way, Skarlet shrugged and followed as he headed into the forest.

They walked for a bit before they finally reached a clearing with a single tree like the one Cody had described. Something feels off. . . Skarlet thought as she approached.

"Wait! Don't go any further!" He tried to warn her, but he was too late as the snow exploded upwards and the tree rose up atop a giant frog-like creature. Skarlet paused as she looked at it a bit dumbfounded.

"Careful Miss that's a tree frog!" He exclaimed as he drew his own sword.

"Hey ugly!" She suddenly shouted, there was a slight smile on her face. It was a bit funny that the tree she needed happened to be connected to a monster. "I'm going to need that tree!" She kicked the ground, and exploded the snow behind her as she flew towards it.

The creature's stomach expanded then shrunk, Skarlet suddenly felt an explosion of alarm from her danger sense, she immediately changed her dash into a slide. Her whole body was drenched in cold as if someone had just thrown a bucket of water on her.

Skarlet's momentum caused her to stumble and she tumbled bouncing off the snow like a skipping rock she rolled under the creature, ripping her sword and she sliced the creature from front to back. Her momentum was slowed by the attack and she rolled to a stop while panting.

Pushing her hands beneath her she pulled her face from the snow and shivered, she was drenched in blood and guts. Skarlet got to her feet and looked back, the beast was dead and her cloak was on the ground at the end of it's extended tongue. Pierced through where her head would have been.

Ha, a duel, one strike each. . . Both were lethal but mine hit and yours didn't. She thought with a smile

"Wow miss, you're strong." The guard walked forward, "I was gonna tell you, but you just went for it." Skarlet shrugged again as she approached the tree, she readied her sword when the guard spoke up again.

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"You might wanna use an ax, trees will mess up a sword." Skarlet ignored him and sliced through the tree, it fell and the man went silent.

"Dimension chest," Skarlet spoke and a small square door opened and she reached inside and pulled out a rope. She proceeded to criss-cross tie the tree before dragging it herself back towards town.

"Really strong for your size huh?" The guard spoke in surprise as he followed her.

"He wants to do Trustmass." She huffed as she dragged it all the way back to town. Cody was waiting for her in the square, he was talking to an old man who handed him a bag of something.

"Skarlet you're back." Cody turned to her as the man left the square, his eyes immediately widened. "Um Skarlet what happened?" She nodded, she was bloody and covered in snow. Her hair was a mess and she wasn't wearing her cloak. She was shivering while dragging a tree. "Al-right, well let's go." Cody sighed before leeding the way to an Inn, inside they immediately headed upstairs where Cody produced a key and opened the door.

Skarlet paused as she hefted the tree that was as tall as she was into the room, the room was decorated with foliage and pretty lights, Beatrice was trying to get Amber to cut funny-looking stars from paper.

"W-what is all this?" She asked as Cody took the tree from her and stood it up in the center of the room.

"Um, well why don't you go clean up first. I'll explain when you get back." Cody gestured towards the bathroom, Skarlet glanced down at herself and nodded.

"Oh, yeah your right. I'll be right back." She rushed from the room, Cody began attaching the stand to the base of the tree. Skarlet returned quite quickly, she likely just used magic to clean herself.

"So, what's all this." She asked again, it was warm in the room so she was just wearing her black tee and skirt.

"Christmas." Cody replied as he opened the bag, "All that's left is to decorate the tree, normally we'd give each other presents, but it's pretty short notice so we'll just have a Christmas dinner.

"I like it. . ." Skarlet said as she ran her hands along the ferns decorating the mantel. "I don't know why, but I feel calmer with so much greenery around." The Inn that they'd rented had two main rooms, a connected sitting and dining room, and a bedroom with two double beds. The sitting room had a fireplace and comfy chairs, the fireplace had branches of some tree with red berries, and there were paper decorations hung from the walls and archways.

The bag he opened had an assortment of glass balls painted different colors, Skarlet looked at them in confusion. "We just hang these on the tree, like this." Cody slide a small metal hook into a hole in the top of the balls and hung it on a branch."

"What's the point of all this?" Skarlet asked as she began hanging the ornaments with him.

"Well. . . never really thought about it, but I guess it's about family. . . spending time with people you care about." Cody tried to explain, she looked at him puzzled.

"Family. . ." She suddenly stood up, dropping the ornament she was holding. It shattered on the ground she turned while holding her hand over her mouth. Tears began to fall. "That's not fair." She whispered to herself softly as she backed out of the room. She turned and the door slammed behind her.

"I'm, gonna go after her." Cody said, Amber showed no emotion aside from her tail and ears drooping. Beatrice hadn't really talked much during this, and she didn't say anything now.

Cody headed out into the snow, he followed her footsteps as they slowly began to fade, it didn't take him long to find her.

Cody slowed to a stop, she was on her knees in the square, shoulders shaking. Cody approached her and wrapped his arms around her, she leaned into him as she sobbed. She was looking at the stars, her eyes seemed like they were begging.

"Why are you crying." He whispered softly.

"I. . . I-I don't know." She replied through her sobs, he just held her. "I-I mean, I do kn-know, but I just can't t-talk about it yet." She replied, "I-I just, let m-me cry for a minute."

"Alright." they sat there in the snow, for what felt like maybe minutes or possibly an hour, but eventually, she pushed him away and wiped her eyes.

"Th-that. . . that didn't happen ok." She said as she stood up and started walking back towards the inn. Cody followed as they re-entered the room, Amber rushed over to Skarlet and hugged her, Skarlet crouched down and hugged her. "Hey it's ok, I'm back," Skarlet whispered as she held her.

"Let's get back to decorating," Skarlet announced as she started back on the tree. Cody, Beatrice, and Amber started to help her till they finished. They all stepped back and gazed at the tree, Cody smiled, a tear trailed down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away, no one said anything even if they noticed.

"No, it's just nostalgic that's all." Cody replied, "Let's eat." He led the way into the kitchen where food was laid out, they all sat down to eat.

"This is delicious." Beatrice praised the food as she devoured it, Skarlet just nodded but seemed to enjoy it as well. Amber stared blankly like always, who knows where her mind was. Though as the meal went on, her head drooped and soon she'd fallen asleep at the table. Cody cleared the dishes and Skarlet lifted her into her arms and carried Amber to bed, Beatrice was sitting in front of the fireplace gazing into it.

"Did you enjoy Christmas?" Cody asked, she frowned as she turned to him.

"Thee, people of the races, art so odd." She replied, "however it was such a warmeth and claustrophobic event." She then turned back to the flames, fire dancing in her eyes as she began to hum a soft lullaby-like song. "But it wasn't lacking harmony." Cody sighed in slight confusion and bewilderment.

"So it wasn't bad?" He asked, but she didn't reply.

Skarlet carried the sleeping Amber to the bedroom and laid her in bed, she pulled the blanket up over her before stepping back out to the sitting room. Beatrice was staring into the fire, Cody wasn't in the room, but the door to the balcony was open.

"Hey, hot cocoa?" Cody offered as she stepped out.

"Cocoa?" She took the drink from him, "What is this."

"I've been carrying these cocoa beans around forever, so I decided to try making some hot chocolate."

Skarlet took a sip and gagged, "What the hell, that's terrible."

"I know." Cody replied with a sigh, he slumped on the railing, "this world doesn't really have cocoa . . . so I did my best with what I could find."

"You're not a great cook," Skarlet said, laughing as she set the drink on the railing.

"You're easier to talk to than when you were back in Aguris, I would attribute it to the duel but still it's more than that I think. did something happen?" Cody asked, turning to look at her.

"Umh. . . well, I've loosened up a bit I guess." She explained, avoiding eye contact. He just chuckled as he gazed at the moon.

"Well, I like the looser you." he joked as he stood up, "It's cold out here, let's head to bed. . ."

"Yeah, getting pretty late." Skarlet agreed, when they passed Beatrice was curled up by the fire. Cody took one bed while Skarlet took the other with Amber. Skarlet slipped under the sheets carefully, trying not to wake Amber, the girl curled up against Skarlet but didn't wake. Skarlet sighed as she wrapped her arm around her, she laid back and closed her eyes, what awaited her was the same fearful nightmares she'd been having for years. But even that couldn't kill the smile resting comfortably on her face.