Christmastime. A magical time of hopes, dreams, and family. Of love, and togetherness, and sharing. Of gifts and shining baubles and starlight. Even here, in far-off Corneria, the legend of Christmas had spread. The streets were alive with lights and glitter, and a massive tree in the center of town was decorated with lights. A shining star glittered at the top. The tree could be seen from almost anywhere in town, from the third story of the inn to the snowy streets below.
Her eyes gazed up at the tree. It was magical. The snow, the decorations, the excitement coming off of the people that walked by. She could feel their energy. They were all focused on something or another, most of it planning - plans for a family visit, plans for a special dinner, plans for the perfect gift. They were shopping, most of them, and as the night continued, more of them were heading towards home instead of another shop. Home, to their own smaller decorated trees, to their family, to food and a soft warm bed.
She wondered what it was like.
The small girl looked back up at the tree. Well... This was her home, wasn't it? So that was her Christmas tree, then. In that case, she had the finest Christmas tree of them all!
She smiled.
Now, for food... well, she didn't have any right now. But some would come, surely. She'd managed this long, and every time things looked grim, she lucked into something. And presents... same thing! Yes.
But home...
She couldn't go back. She hadn't met quota.
The little girl looked down at the bag at her side, full of packages of matches. It had been a simple request - sell the matches to earn her keep, and she could live in the general store, in a small side room. But sales had been poor tonight, and most people who walked by didn't even seem to notice the girl.
She didn't know what would happen if she went back to the shop with too much unsold product. She didn't want to be a burden, or a disappointment, so she stayed where she was and kept trying.
But it was so cold. And she kept thinking about fire.
Fire... of course!
The little girl opened one of the packages of matches. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help herself. With shivering hands, she struck the match.
There it was. Her fire.
It was so beautiful, dancing on the end of a tiny wooden stick like that. But it didn't last long, and soon she was holding a dead, smoldering match. She reached for another. They were amazing to watch, and felt so warm... but she'd never meet quota now.
As the night grew deeper, so too did the cold. Stores began to close, and the crowds began to thin. She scrunched herself up a bit more, striking another match.
Her eyelids were growing heavy.
In the back of her mind, the small girl recalled hearing once that falling asleep outside in winter, in the cold, was very dangerous. She really should just try her luck at the general store. But she was so tired... surely she could just have a quick nap first, to refresh a bit. Yes.
It's not that bad outside, anyway. She felt warmer now...
"Hello? Hello?"
The little girl's eyes jerked open. Someone was leaning over her protectively, shielding her from the wind. It looked like another girl, older maybe, wearing a hood like her. She had blonde hair and shining blue eyes, and she looked very worried.
"What are you doing out here all alone?' Sarah asked, frowning. "It's not safe to sleep out here! C'mon, I'll help you home."
"...I don't have a home."
Sarah blinked... then smiled. "Of course you do. Come on."
Sarah helped the girl up, then boosted her onto Sarah's shoulders. She carried the girl away from the street corner, to a modest but beautifully decorated home, telling the girl her name and reassuring her that everything would be okay.
"This is my house." Sarah said. "And you can stay with me as long as you need to."
-----
The little girl sat by the fire, swaddled in a blanket. Scarcely had Sarah dropped her off and made her comfortable before she'd taken off again, apparently having forgotten something. The girl looked around the room. There was a small but lovely tree, accented with all kinds of ornaments, including a frame ornament that held a photo. Squinting her eyes and trying to see the photo from her chair, the girl could just make out Sarah, standing next to a boy she didn't recognize. They looked similar - the boy had blond hair, like Sarah, and was youthful and happy-looking. Perhaps they were siblings?
There were gifts under the tree. Not a lot, but several. The only one in range the girl could read the tag of said "To Sarah, From Alex". So this Alex was probably the boy, then...
The door swung open as Sarah reappeared, holding a shopping bag. "Okay! Had to make one last stop... It would have been quicker, but I got sidetracked."
"What happened?" asked the girl.
"Oh, there was a little boy in one of the stores, talking about buying shoes for his dying mother... but I went and checked on her, and she had been poisoned by an animal that's not native to this region. Fortunately, my white magic purged it, so she'll be okay!" Sarah smiled. "Anyway... You're probably hungry, right? Would you like some food?"
"O-oh, yes, please."
"A normal meal, or sweets?"
"I can choose?" The girl looked enamored with Sarah, and the white mage giggled.
"Of course you can choose! But hey, how about both?"
"Y-yes, please!"
-----
"So..." Sarah started, after she and her new guest had put away some warm and tasty dinner but before they'd gotten to the dessert. "What's your name?"
"Molly."
"It's nice to meet you, Molly! I hope you're comfortable here!"
There was a sound as the door swung open again, and Sarah hopped out of her seat. "Oh no! I haven't wrapped yet and he's already home!"
"Who?" Molly asked, knowing the answer already.
"Alex, my husband! You'll like him!" Sarah said quickly, snatching up her shopping bags and cramming them in the closet, then throwing a shirt over them and closing the closet again.
"I'm back, Sarah!" Alex called from the kitchen. Sarah turned to Molly, smiled, and then scrambled off to the kitchen.
As she listened to Sarah and Alex greet each other and talk about their day, Molly looked down. Next to her chair was the bag of packages of matches she'd been trying to sell. To think, her life had depended on those matches. If Sarah hadn't found her, she'd...
She shook off the thought. Instead, she looked again at the Christmas tree, and the warm fire in the hearth.
For the first time she could remember, she would have a safe, warm home for Christmas. A tear rolled down her cheek as she silently thanked Sarah.
It was a miracle.
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