Joshua frowned, looking around at the walls of the little wooden shack, still decorated with the leaves he'd gathered and pressed back at the beginnings of autumn. It was nearly winter now, and already past the first frosts - any day now, it might start snowing! The leaves were pretty, yes, but the approach of winter... The boy smiled. Christmas was coming soon too.

Gathering the necessary materials, Joshua entered the study, where Laguna sat at a desk, frowning over some paperwork, while Viktor was cheerfully trying to annoy him by leaving the computer's browser open to the hamster dance web site. Freeing one hand from the pile of things he carried, Joshua reached up to tug at Laguna's sleeve, holding up the scissors and paper in the other hand.

Laguna looked at them, then at the pile of paperwork, then back at the scissors and paper Joshua held. "Well, I'm convinced!" he decided, smiling as he lifted Joshua into his lap and pushed the paperwork into a corner of the desk.

From the doorway, Sydney smiled in amusement, taking in the scene. "The boy seems to have taken over the role of interior decorator here," he commented, knowing what Joshua intended for the snowflakes he had already begun cutting out.

Suddenly he was nearly bowled over by Astala's arrival. "Can I play too?" the girl asked excitedly. "I even have some glitter for mine!"

Laguna nodded, and while looking around for somewhere for her to sit, noticed that Franz was already settled down behind them on the floor, busying himself with scissors and paper as well. "Sure!" Franz said cheerfully. "Hey, Astala - look at the cool shape I made!" Laguna gawked at the paper he held up, and quickly snatched it from his hand, crumpling it up.

James, drawn into the study by the sudden noise and activity, looked puzzled. "What was that?" he asked curiously.

"Trust me - if you don't know, you don't want to," Viktor muttered, sitting down on the floor and folding some paper of his own.

Astala giggled. "Will someone make me a snowflake too?" she asked, bringing over her special scissors that made rippled edges on the paper.

"Sure I will!" Franz declared, holding up his scissors in a valiant pose.

His scissors were suddenly pulled out of his hand by a stern-looking Hardin. "I think this is not an activity that you should be sharing with the children." Seeing Franz leave, sulking, Joshua nodded to Astala.

Gleefully oblivious to what Franz had been doing, Astala had gone about making confetti, and tossed it into the air. "Wheee! This is so much fun! Thanks Joshua!"

Across the room, Viktor grinned as he held up a chain of paper dolls. "Check it out!"

"Nice, Viktor!" Laguna told him approvingly. "Gonna hang 'em somewhere?"

"Maybe in the kitchen - what better place for gingerbread men, huh?"

Laguna peered a little closer at Viktor's handiwork. "Gingerbread men? I thought they were teddy bears..."

Viktor grimaced.

Later that night, many of the castle's inhabitants were also gathered together preparing for the holidays, when Marie's voice lifted in a slow, sweet melody.

"Sing...sing a song...sing out loud...sing out strong..."

"Whatcha singin, Ri?"

"Sing of good things, not bad...sing of happy, not sad..."

"Love and peace? ^^;;;"

"Sing...sing a song...make it simple, to last your whole life long..."

"Heh...she used to sing this to me an' Ann when we were sad..."

"Don't worry if it's not good enough for anyone else to hear...just sing...sing a song..."

"Whatsa matter, Ri?" Milo jumped up into her lap and nuzzled his little orange head between her hands.

"Why so glum?" Selphie added, scooting over from where she'd been making paper snowflakes with Astala to sit at Marie's feet.

"I'm not glum....not really."

"Coulda fooled me..." Astala rolled her eyes and tossed a few snowflakes up, letting them flutter gently to the floor.

Marie leaned over Milo to pick up the latest Christmas ornament she'd been working on. "I think I just miss people...Jessi and Juli, especially."

"Ah, but you go home soon!" Milo protested, curling into a ball in her lap and purring.

"I know..." she smiled slightly, running her hand over his soft fur. "I've just been feeling a little lost lately. I'm sure it'll pass."

"Hmm, I know what you mean," Selphie replied thoughtfully. "I...I've been thinking about paying a visit home too."

"Garden?" Astala asked.

"No...I...I actually have a real home. It's a long story," she protested, blushing, when Astala raised an eyebrow. "I'll tell you later...but yeah...this time of year makes me think of home."

"I want some snow," Astala muttered. "So I can build a castle and a snowman and go sledding. And make snowballs...we can hide outside the shack and ambush Hardin and Viktor when they come outside!" She clapped her hands gleefully.

"And Sir Laguna and James too!" Selphie added, making Marie smile slightly.

"Maybe I should just invite some of the Starlights to the castle for awhile," Marie mused.

"I bet Joshua would like to build a snowman..." Astala said.

"Let's hope Chu-Chu and Franz don't..." Selphie mumbled.

"Anatomically correct?" Marie smirked and they all laughed.

"Hey all..." Flik said, poking his head in the door. "I was thinking that some hot cocoa might be nice..."

"Mmmm, that would be wonderful, Flik," Selphie said, closing her eyes in thoughtful rapture.

"Maybe a story or two if you're lucky..." he said with a grin and disappeared back into the kitchen.

"It's funny how we all take turns cheering each other up," Marie said softly, placing her ornament in the pile. "Hmm...maybe cats with big red bows this year? Instead of drums?"

"Yay!" Milo squealed.

"Snow..." Astala mumbled, flipping on the weather channel with a sigh.

"La la la-la la, la la la-la la..." Marie sang softly, starting another ornament.