"Finally, I'm almost done!" Lina screamed and stretched out as she flew above Momokuri Town. The last of the children, Marron Kusakabe. Lina just had to go to her place and hand her a present.
"Marron…..It's a cute name." Lina said and smiled. She floated over to a mansion and saw a little girl praying in the window. Lina assumed she was Marron as she knocked the window.
"Hi, Marron?" Lina asked. The girl opened her eyes wide as she stared at Lina. "Santa Clause is here." Lina smiled softly.

"Um, would you like cookies and hot milk?" Marron asked as she served Lina, who was freezing.
"Thanks, I never liked the cold and forgot the to put on a spell for heating before hand." Lina said and took the hot milk as she sipped it carefully.
"Spell?" Marron asked and Lina just smiled mischeviously.
"These cookies are good!" Lina complimented, purposely ignoring the question.
"They were….a gift…from Mrs. Toudaiji…" Marron muttered softly, carefully choosing the words.
"Hmmm….." Lina said and looked at Marron before she smiled. "Marron-chan?" Lina called.
"Ye-Yes?" Marron asked a little scared.
"Can I see the kitchen?"
"Huh?"
"Kitchen? Want to make sure there's enough ingredients." Lina explained.
"For…..what?" Marron asked.
"To make a Christmas cake!" Lina declared with a smile and stood up and ushered Marron to guide her.
"Bu-but what about the other children around the world?" Marron asked, as usual putting others before herself.
"Done with the others, you're the last." Lina explained. "Now, come on. The rest of the night is yours." Lina took Marron's hand and decided to try and find the place herself.
"Um…it's to your right…" Marron offered.
"Thanks!!"

"Okay, we have everything needed to make the sponge cake, now we just need to find some whip cream, and strawberries will be good too." Lina said with a smile.
"Here they are." Marron said and took them out of the refrigirator.
"Perfect!" Lina said and took out the bowls and started to mix the ingredients.
"You know how to bake?"
"Sure, Neechan practically beat it into my head." Lina informed Marron. "My parents were always travelling and leaving me alone with Neechan. I was always missing them but at winter time, Neechan would bake me a cake, along with some cookies and pies, and we'd exchange presents." Lina then thought if her sister had been aware of the 'Christmas' holiday. Probably was, she knew more things that didn't have to do with her profession as a Cefied Knight anyway.
"……did you feel like you were all alone?" Marron asked.
"No, there was Neechan, but Neechan wasn't always there." Lina explained. Sadly, even Luna Inverse had to appear at the council of Dragons due to the fact that she was the Cefied Knight.
"…….Miyako is there but not always too." Marron explained and Lina smiled sadly.
"Well tonight I'm here, besides, I'm sure you'll meet someone who will always be with you." Lina explained.
"You sure?"
"Positive." Lina assured. "There, done!" Lina said as she finished mixing. "now we put it in the oven for about 35 min, let it cool and then decorate it."
"Lina….why are you Santa Clause?" Marron asked.
"Hmm….Well….to tell the truth I wasn't to keen on doing this at first." Lina admitted. "But, I guess I've always had a soft spot for kids." Lina explained. "Besides…it's good to see kids smile!" Lina smiled as she said that and Marron couldn't help but smile as well.
"Sometimes…..things are tough, and we have to tell ourselves that we can survive this but…..sometimes…it's all worth it." Lina said as she plopped down on the couch. "You meet people that care so much about you, and then, they become the world to you."
"You met someone like that?" Marron asked and Lina blushed.
"…well, sort of….." Lina looked away. "But………it's always nice to meet someone who says you mean a lot to them…" Lina looked up at the stars.
"Then……you can cry….." She whispered to herself. Marron looked up at her, and Lina looked at Marron. "But, for tonight, I'm here." Lina smiled softly and Marron nodded. A ringing sound echoed throughout the room.
"The cake!" Both of them said at the same time and ran to the kitchen, luckily it wasn't burnt.
"Good…" Lina breathed a sigh of Relief and Marron agreed. "Let's cool it out now."
Marron looked up at Lina's smile, and remembered her mother's smile. 'Marron' In her mind her mother was always smiling and happy to see Marron, her daughter. "Marron?" Lina asked and Marron smiled up at her.
"Lina, let's decorate!" Marron said and took a box out of the closet. The little Christmas tree in the corner of the living room was the only Christmas decoration in the room.
For the rest of the evening the two laughed as they decorated the whole room, the Christmas tree, and the cake.
"I haven't had this much fun in a long time!!" Marron exclaimed as the clock struck 3 am. Lina smiled up at her, and noticed Marron's eyes were getting tired. "Lina…..thank you." Marron smiled but her eyes started to close. Lina sighed and picked up Marron and tucked her back in.
"Lina?"
"Oyasumi." Lina said and kissed Marron on the forehead. "When you wake up there'll be a surprise ready for you."
"Sur-prise?" Marron asked and Lina nodded, that was the last thing Marron saw that night before sleep claimed her. Lina stroked Marron's hair, stood up and left to walk to the kitchen to clean up, and make something else.

"……..morning?" Marron asked as the morning rays came through the window. "Was it….a dream?" Marron wondered but got ready, went to brush her teeth, and then went to make herself some breakfast. The clean rooms that weren't at all different from yesterday, but she remembered causing a mess, saddened her. As Marron walked into the kitchen, her eyes opened wide.
On the center of the table, there was a cake that was written in Chocolate syrup, 'Merry Christmas Marron', and next to it was a small box. Marron opened it, and out came a little star necklace. Marron smiled, yesterday was not a dream, she was with someone who helped get her through the night.
"MARRON!!!!" A voice rang through out the room.
"Mi-Miyako?" Marron asked as she walked to the door.
"Oh, that looks like a good cake. Mind if I have a piece?" By then Miyako had already started eating it. "It's good."
"Mi~ya~ko!!" Marron yelled but Miyako ignored her.
"Who's it from?" Miyako asked.
"Santa Clause!" Marron replied with a smile.

"Mama!!" Natsuki's voice echoed through the small apartment. "Look what Santa Clause gave me!!" She showed her mother her prized teddy bear.
"Natsuki, it's a wonderful present!" Marron told her daughter.
"I'm going to go show Shinji!" Natsuki said and ran out of the apartment. Marron sighed happily at her daughter.
"Morning Love." Chiaki said as he hugged her from the back.
"Chiaki! You just missed Natsuki-chan!" Marron exclaimed. "She was showing her present proudly, and went to show Shinji."
"…………." Chiaki was not happy at that information. Even though Shinji was the reincarnation of his good friend Access, and even in Natsuki was the reincarnation of Fin, who had hurt Access and Marron once too often, Natsuki was his beloved daughter.
"Chiaki, Natsuki and Shinji deserve to be happy!" Marron sighed. "Besides, I would have excitedly shown you my presents from Santa Clause."
"…..Santa Clause…..you think he exists?"
" 'She' exists Chiaki." Marron said.
"She?"
"Yes, she. She was the only other person before Fin that helped me get through the nights." Marron explained.
"And now?" Chiaki asked as he hugged his wife again.
"And now I have you and Natsuki-chan!"