Hello everyone. I know it's not Christmas yet, but I still want to wish everyone a Happy Holidays. This year, I have prepared a special Christmas themed fanfic for everyone to enjoy. I proudly call it:
Jack and Muffy got married on the first day of the year. Their marriage has blossomed into a beautiful and healthy relationship as husband and wife. In their first year of marriage, there has been no problems between them, in fact, many people feel that this was a perfect couple.
Soon, their love has brought in a new member of their little family. About a year after Jack and Muffy got married, she found out that she is having a baby. Three seasons later, a beautiful baby boy is born. Jack and Muffy has decided to name the little bundle of joy, Toby.
Even though Muffy had a son, Toby looks more like his mother over his father. His hair is as blond as his mother, and his eyes are the same emerald green as she is. Little by little, Muffy's other traits started to show in Toby's personality. Toby is a very energetic and strong young boy that loves to run around and play. But regardless of Toby's appearance or behavior, Jack and Muffy care deeply of their son.
However, having a son has come with some minor problems. Neither Jack or Muffy realized how expensive it is to care for a child. Toby eats a lot, so food has become quite expensive. As a growing young boy, they need to buy a lot of clothing every year. Toys and other things Toby needs also raised the cost of having children through the roof.
Jack is a simple farmer, and doesn't make a ton of money. Muffy no longer works at the bar, she spends her time at home caring for their son. Jack's job does make ends meet, but sometimes things get a bit tight, especially in Winter when few crops grow.
Christmas time becomes especially troublesome. Toby has two friends that are about his age, Kate and Hugh. Both of these children have a parent that works in the city. Because of that, they get some rather expensive gifts from their parents. Toby doesn't get such nice gifts during the holidays, and he can become rather jealous. During the last few years, Toby has been getting some clothing or other cheap gifts for Christmas. He is grateful, but seeing his friends with large toys and video games makes him wish for something better.
Toby is now 8 years old, and Winter has come around again. Christmas is coming in only a few short days, and all of the villagers of Forget-Me-Not Valley are getting excited. The children of the village are becoming very excited as well, the one thing they think about when Christmas comes around are the presents they get every year.
Toby is playing in the snow with his two friends. After throwing themselves into the snow, and making snow angels, they ball up some snow, and have a snowball fight. Around noon, the children are expected to come home to have lunch. So they pat off the excess snow off their coats, and begin to walk home.
“It's the 23rd day of Winter, Christmas is coming in only two days!!” cheered Toby.
“Yeah, I wonder what kind of presents mom and dad have under the tree for me this year! I hope they got me that new dolly that's really popular on TV.” said Kate.
“I bet my mom and dad got me something really cool this year! Like a bike, or a pair of roller blades!” shouted Hugh.
They then look at Toby and ask, “So, what is your mom and dad going to get you?” They then laugh, believing that he is not going to get anything nice for Christmas.
Toby feels bad, knowing that his friends are teasing him because he doesn't get haven't gotten any great gifts like his friends do. But still, he makes a serious face, and says, “My mom and dad are getting me the best gift this year!”
“What makes you think so? Didn't you get a bag of seeds last year for Christmas?” asked Kate. Hugh snickered at how embarrassed he must have felt when Toby opened up his present last year.
“No! This year will be different!” shouted Toby. “I heard mom and dad talking about getting getting me a radio controlled car! Like the one I see on TV!”
“Wait, you mean the really fast one?” asked Hugh.
Kate laughs at Toby and says, “You actually believe that? Your dad can't afford something like that!” They both then laugh at Toby, and then they run back home leaving him behind.
Toby remained standing there alone in the snow for a while. Even though Kate and Hugh are his friends, he feels that they shouldn't have gone so far as making fun of his father. Even though his family is not rich, he has hope that his parents will come through for him, and get him something that will impress his friends this year.
After standing in the snow for a few minutes, he lets out a shout to the entire valley saying, “Just you wait! Mom and dad will get me something nice this year! I just know it!” He then runs back to the farm trying his best no to cry. He is sure that this year, he will have the last laugh.
Toby then joins his mother and father for lunch. As they are eating, Toby wants to ask them what did they get him for Christmas this year. But he is quite sure that they will not tell him if he asked, so he doesn't say anything about the topic. A couple of days ago, he did overhear Muffy and Jack talking about getting him the radio controlled car. Even though they only talked about it, Toby just hopes that they can get it for him to show it off to Kate and Hugh.
After lunch, Toby goes out to play some more. As he is leaving, Muffy and Jack stand by watching him go to do what children do best. After he is out of sight, Jack whispers to Muffy's ear, “Think he knows about that car we ordered for him?”
Muffy shakes her head no, and says, “I don't think so, I didn't tell anybody. So only we should know. And Van of course.”
Jack then kisses Muffy on the cheek, and says, “I need to take care of the animals. Van should be here in the valley by now, you think you could pick up Toby's gift?”
“Of course sweetheart.” answered Muffy returning his kiss. Jack then goes off to do his work in the barn, and Muffy grabs a coat to head over to Van's shop.
On the way to Van's shop, Muffy imagines the expression on her son's face when he opens his gift this year. Normally, her husband wouldn't be able to afford such a gift. But this year, Jack has been working extra hard in the dig site with some friends to make some extra money. Just thinking about how dedicated Jack is to his son's happiness makes her feel proud that she married him.
Muffy arrives at the shop, and says, “Hi Van, did you get the-” It doesn't take long before Muffy realizes that Van did not set up his shop. Instead, she finds someone else in the spot where Van usually sets up his shop. The young curly haired blond witch only known as the Witch Princess is now sitting on Van's spot with a bunch of unusual items in display.
“Witch Princess? What are you doing here?” asked Muffy.
“What does it look like I'm doing?” answered the Witch Princess. “I'm a little short on cash, so I'm trying to sell something.”
“But. . Where's Van?” asked Muffy in a panicked tone.
The Witch Princess sighs and says, “He couldn't make it, something about having a sale in another town, and he's selling toys like hot cakes. He's not going to make it today. He gave me permission to open my own shop in his place.”
Muffy tilts her head down sadly, and whines, “I can't believe it, he did it to me again. . .”
The Witch Princess shakes her head, and says, “If your not going to buy anything, then go away. I'm sure someone will buy something, and your in their way.”
Even though Muffy knows that Van will come and deliver Toby's gift eventually, she also knows that Van will not come back until the 28th of Winter. Far too late, and she will not have anything to give her son on Christmas day. Since the Witch Princess has set up a shop, she dares to ask, “Do you have any toys for sale?”
The Witch princess looks at her awkwardly and says, “Does it look like I sell toys? I only sell cursed items, and other strange and rare goods.”
“Come on! You have to have something that a kid should like! Please I'm begging you!” pleaded Muffy.
The Witch Princess sighs and says, “Fine, I'll check what I have.” She then stands up, and opens a trunk full of old objects that laid behind her. She pushes aside all sorts of creepy items like potions, skulls, dried lizards, voodoo dolls, and other items looking for something that Muffy can use.
After digging around for a few minutes, she pulls out a three foot tall brown stuffed bear from the chest, and hands it to Muffy. “This is all I have as far as toys are concerned.” she said to her.
Muffy takes a good look at the stuffed bear. Even though it's not dirty, she can clearly tell that the bear has to be about a hundred years old. She then looks at the Witch Princess and asks, “Are you sure that this is the best that you have? I really don't think my son would like this at all.”
The Witch Princess nods and says, “That's all I have, take it or leave it. But I must warn you, the bear might be cursed.”
“Cursed?” asked Muffy. She then takes a good look at the bear, she can be rather superstitious, but she doesn't feel that the stuffed bear is cursed. It just looks like a very old ordinary toy. “I don't know, I don't think I would like to have something cursed in my home. . .”
“However, if you take the bear, I'll throw in a set of tools for free.” offered the Witch Princess.
“What? For free? Fine, I'll take them!” Muffy said happily. She then pays for the stuffed bear, and walks back to the farm carrying the gifts.
The Witch Princess counts the money that Muffy has paid her for the bear. But as she counts, she says to herself, “Wait, did I forget to mention that the tools are cursed as well? . . . Oh well, she'll figure it out soon enough.”
Back at the farm, Jack greets Muffy expecting her to have Toby's gift with her. But all he sees with her is a metal box in one hand, and a stuffed bear in the other. “Where's the car?” he asked.
Muffy sighs and says, “Van never came today.”
Jack develops an instant headache. He knows that Van is not exactly the most reliable person, but he didn't really have much of a choice. Van is the only way that he could get anything into the valley. “I can't believe that Van didn't come! Now what are we going to do? Toby is going to be crushed if we don't have a gift for him.”
Muffy then shows him the bear and says, “I thought that maybe we could give this to him, until his real gift arrives.”
Jack takes the bear, and looks at it for a minute. He lets out a stressful sigh and says, “Muffy, you know how Toby is, he's not going to want this for Christmas.”
“I know, but it's all I can get. There's no toy stores anywhere near the valley.” answered Muffy.
Jack feels that Muffy has a point. Giving his son a stuffed bear will make him feel sad, but it has to be better than giving him nothing. So they go inside, and wrap up the bear in some Christmas wrapping, and they hope for the best. Jack does ask Muffy about the contents of the box, but Muffy tell him that it's a secret. She wraps the box, and places it under the Christmas tree along with Toby's gift.
The next evening is Christmas Eve. Toby is having a special holiday dinner with his mother and father. After dinner, they watch many Christmas specials on TV until midnight when Toby is finally allowed to open his gift. Neither Muffy or Jack want midnight to come, they are both too worried about how their son would react to his gift.
But soon enough, the midnight bell rings, and Christmas morning has arrived. Toby jumps up from the floor, and runs to the Christmas tree to get his present. Muffy and Jack looks at one another, they cannot avoid this moment any longer.
At the tree, Toby finds two gifts. He can no longer hold the anticipation, he wants his extravagant gift right now, he can't wait to show off to his friends in the morning. Muffy and Jack go over to the tree, the happy and cheerful look on Toby's face only makes them feel worse about the gift they have for him. They only hope that their son could be understanding until Van comes to the valley with his real gift.
“Which one is mine, which one is mine?” asked Toby.
Muffy reaches out to the wrapped stuffed bear, but she is not yet prepared to give it to him yet. So she takes the heavy box of tools, and says, “Sweetheart, this is for you!”
“That box is for me?” said Jack. Muffy nods. “I'm touched, I'm sorry I didn't get anything for you.”
Muffy shakes her head no, and says, “Your love is the best Christmas gift I could ever receive.”
Toby begins to get impatient, so he pulls on Muffy's skirt and says, “Mom, what about my gift?”
Muffy looks down at Toby's face full of anticipation. It almost breaks her heart to give him his Christmas gift, especially since she has something way better for him on the way. But as much as she wishes that she can hold off for a few more days, she doesn't have much of a choice but to give him something. So she grabs the other gift, and hands it to Toby saying, “Merry Christmas”.
At first, Toby felt happy that he finally gets his gift, but he quickly notices something wrong when he feels how light the package is. Fearing that it may be more clothing, he puts the package on the ground, and opens the wrapper to see what's inside.
Muffy lets out a sad sigh seeing at the disappointed look on her son's face. Inside the package is the stuffed bear that Muffy had bought the previous day. He picks up the bear, and examines it closely.
“Mom, what's this?” asked Toby.
“It's um. . . A new friend.” answered Muffy.
“But it's old. . . And it's ugly. . .”
Muffy knew he would say that. From the first moment she saw it, she felt the same way about it. Tears quickly shed from Toby's eyes, he was looking forward to having something he could brag to his friends. But if he shows them what he got, they will just laugh at him again.
Muffy kneels down, and pats Toby on the head saying, “Listen sweetheart, we wanted to get you something better, but-”
“Why do you always ruin Christmas for me?!?!” snapped Toby shocking Muffy. “All my friends get nice things!! I'm the only one who doesn't!!”
“Sweetie, we tried, but-”
“Leave me alone mom, I hate you!!” screamed Toby before running back to his bedroom slamming the door behind him.
“Oh no, I knew this was going to happen.” said Muffy. Her son's hurtful words makes her want to cry, she tried her best, but it still want good enough.
“Um, Muffy. . . I think something is wrong with these tools.” said Jack. Muffy looks back, and sees her husband swinging a hoe around.
Muffy gets mad and yells, “Jack! Your son is upset, and all you can talk about is your stupid tools?” She then walks to him, and tries to snatch the hoe from his hands. But she quickly finds out what Jack means by “something is wrong”.
“Hey, what's going on? The tools are stuck on your hands!” yelled Muffy.
“I know, where did you get these tools from anyway?” asked Jack trying his best to let go of the tools. They then continued to struggle trying to get the tools off Jack's hands. Meanwhile, Toby is in his bedroom listening to his parents complain about Jack's gift. He then takes another look at the stuffed bear that Muffy gave him. After getting angry at it, he throws it across the room hitting a wall.
“Stupid bear. Why do I have to get stuck with you?” He then runs to grab a rucksack, and starts filling it with clothes. “I don't want to live here anymore. I hate this farm! Mom and dad doesn't care about me at all, so they won't miss me when I'm gone!”
“I think your mom and dad care about you very much.” said a strange voice.
Toby jumps in shock to hear that strange voice, he looks around, and looks at the stuffed bear. His eyes widen as he sees it standing on it's own waving at him. He becomes curious, and walks up to it.
“Hi there Toby. My name is Daachan, it's nice to meet you.” said the stuffed bear.
Toby's eyes glow with happiness as he says, “Wow, cool! This toy can move and talk on it's own! Maybe this toy is not so bad after all!” He then pokes it in the belly and asks, “I wonder how does it work? Do I pull on a string, or does it need batteries?”
Daachan pushes Toby's hand away, and says, “I am not a toy. I am a shinagami.”
“A shina-what?”
“You know, a possessed object.” Toby doesn't understand what he just said, so he tries again, “You know, a spirit, a spectre, a ghoul. . .” Toby still doesn't understand. Daachan sighs and says, “A ghost, I am a ghost!”
Toby takes a moment to think. He then laughs, and says, “That's just silly, there are no such thing as a ghost.”
“Oh really. If I am not a ghost, how can I do this?” Daachan then pulls off his head, and throws it at Toby's arms. Toby catches the head, and Daachan says, “Boo!”
Toby panics, and screams as loud as he can. He drops the head, and runs to the door trying to get out. But as hard as he tries, he door refuses to open. So he starts pounding at the door yelling for help, but nobody comes to help him.
“Your mom and dad can't hear you Toby. You cannot escape.” said Daachan as he is putting his head back on.
Daachan then walks towards Toby. The closer he gets, the more frightened he becomes. The door refuses to open, and his parents cannot hear his cries for help. The only thing he can think of doing is to reason with the cursed bear. “What are you going to do with me! Leave me alone, I didn't do anything bad!”
Daachan then points at him, and says, “Toby, you just said some terrible things to your own mother. Why would you say such things?”
“I. . . I just wanted a good present. Something to impress my friends, so that they wouldn't laugh at me anymore. Their mom and dads get them nice presents, why can't mine?”
Daachan shakes his head in disbelief, and says, “Toby, you have a lot to learn. I guess you left me with no other choice.”
Daachan then spreads it's paws wide open. As soon as he does, Toby's room disappear, and he finds himself in a strange vortex. Toby looks around, and panics seeing the walls and the grown vanish before his very eyes. All he can see now is a bunch of swirling colors as a cloud of energy evaporates from Daachan's stuffed body.
“What are you doing? Where are you taking me?” pleaded Toby.
“I am taking you back in time. I am going to show you that you have something far more valuable than any gift in the world.” answered Daachan.
The colors continue for several minutes. Soon, the colors fade, and Toby finds himself outside, but he is not in Forget-Me-Not Valley anymore. He looks around, and sees that it's not even Winter anymore. The cool air, the cherry blossoms blooming, it is now Spring in a strange country village he has never seen before.
Toby panics and says, “Where are we? How did I get here? I wanna go home!!”
“I have taken you back about 100 years into the past. This is a faraway place called Flowerbud Village.” answered Daachan.
Toby begins taking a look around. The closest building he can find is an office building that has a sign that says “Clinic” on it. And behind it, another building that has a four leaf clover on it.
“Why are we here? I don't understand.” said Toby.
Daachan remains quiet. He knows that all of his questions will be answered soon enough. In a matter of minutes, a car pulls over in front of the clinic. The first person that gets out of the car is a young woman with blue hair with double braids. She wears a blue and white striped dress, and an apron that covers most of her front. Her glasses are exaggeratedly large, almost like two magnifying glasses.
She walks to the other side of the car, and opens the for for another young girl. This girl seems bit more normal to Toby than the first one. She wears an elegant emerald colored dress, and a golden hair band on her jet black short hair. As soon as Toby sees them, He runs over to get their attention, but no matter how loud he scrams, they cannot see, hear, or feel him.
“Toby, your wasting your energy.” said Daachan. “They cannot see you, or rather, your not really here. I brought your spirit here to see this.”
“You mean, I'm dead?” asked Toby.
“Of course not, your body is sleeping peacefully back at home.” answered Daachan. “Now, pay attention. I want you to watch these series of events. It's part of the lesson I am going to teach you.
Seeing that he doesn't have much of a choice, Toby watches what is happening quietly. The two young women walks past the clinic, and moves over to the building behind it. They both stop to look at it, and the girl with the glasses says, “Well, here we are Dia. From now in, this is going to be our new home.”
The girl with the hair band named Dia sighs sadly and says, “Gina, why do I have to live in a sanitarium? Why can't I just go back home?”
The girl named Gina looks at Dia and says, “You know what the doctor said. It's best for your health to stay in a place where you'll be taken care of. You don't like living in a hospital, so this is a better alternative. It's almost like living in a normal house.”
Dia looks away, and says, “Fine, whatever. As long as I don't live in a hospital, then this will have to do.”
Dia then walks into the sanitarium, while Gina grabs the luggage out of the car. After watching the event, Toby look the Daachan and says, “I don't get it, who are these people, and what's wrong with that girl?”
Daachan looks back at Toby and says, “The girl with the glasses is a nurse. She takes care of Dia for a living. You see Toby, Dia is sick, and needs to be taken care of at all times. That's why they moved here.”
“Sick? You mean like a fever?” asked Toby.
“No Toby. Fevers go away after a day. She's been sick ever since she was a little girl. And she will always be sick for the rest of her life. Because she's sick, she's always weak, and cannot do many things that other people can do. Because of this, she has no friends.”
Toby nods, he doesn't understand everything that's going on, but he knows enough. But he still doesn't see how this has anything to do with what Daachan is trying to teach him.
Soon enough, the village fades, and Toby finds himself in the void once again for about a minute. As soon as the void passes, he finds himself inside what seems to be a home. Wooden floors, walls lined with wallpaper, old fashioned furniture decorated the building. However, he also finds traces of hospital gear, such as white curtains and doctor's instruments.
“Where are we?” asked Toby.
“We are inside the sanitarium. This is where Dia and her nurse lives. It's been about a couple of weeks since they moved in, so they have already settled in.”
Soon enough, they find Gina walking out from behind a white curtain. She then turns around and asks, “Dia, I am heading to the market. Do you need me to pick something up for you?”
“A blueberry pie would be nice.” said Dia's voice coming from behind the curtains. Gina nods, and leaves the sanitarium. Toby becomes curious, and walks behind the curtain. He finds Dia there just doing nothing but reading a book. By this time, he felt that he isn't going to find a point to these series of events.
But soon enough, Dia closes the book, then stands up and walks out from behind the curtain to put it in the bookshelf nearby. But as she is returning the book, she hears someone in the sanitarium. She looks around, and finds a man standing by the stairwell.
As soon as she sees him, she runs and hides behind the curtain. Toby becomes curious, and decides to take a look at this stranger. He is shocked to see that this man is a farmer, just like his father. Blue overalls, white t-shirt, red bandanna around his neck, and a blue hat on his head makes up his clothing. Nothing special about his appearance, average height, brown straight hair, blue eyes. Toby could not understand at that moment why Dia would hide from him.
The farmer notices Dia hiding, and waves at her. Dia takes a peek at the farmer and says, “Who are you? What do you want?”
“Hello, my name is Pete. I heard someone moved in here, so I wanted to introduce myself.” greeted the farmer. “Why are you hiding, I won't bite.”
Pete tries to approach Dia, but she moved deeper into the curtain as soon as he budges. “Please, go away. I wish to be left alone.” she told him.
Pete doesn't want to scare Dia, so he begins to leave. But before he does, he asks, “Can I at least have your name?”
“It's Dia, now please go.” she answered. With that, Pete leaves the sanitarium.
Toby doesn't understand why does Dia acted so shy and cold to a complete stranger. He feels that Pete is not a scary person. So he turns to Daachan, and asks, “ Daachan, why is she like that? I think that man wanted to be friends with Dia.”
“Dia is not used to being around strangers. For a long time, she only had a single person she felt comfortable around. But you are right, that man called Pete does want to be friends. Just stand by, and keep watching.”
Toby becomes very interested in Dia's story, so he does what Daachan says, and watches. Soon enough, the scenery changes a bit. They are in the same room as before, but things have slightly changed. The day got a little warmer, but it's still Spring. In a matter of moments, several weeks have passed, and Summer is on it's way to Flowerbud Village.
Dia is now sitting by the window with a book on her lap. She is looking out watching a young man give some gifts to a girl. At that moment, she starts to feel lonely. As she sighs sadly, someone enters the Sanitarium. Toby looks over, and sees that Pete has dared himself to enter the Sanitarium again. This time, he brought a basket with him.
“Hey there.” said Pete trying to get Dia's attention. She looks over at him for a moment, but she looks back out the window ignoring him.
Even though he is being ignored, he still approaches her. As soon as he gets close, she asks, “What are you doing here? I thought I told you that I wanted to be alone.”
Pete smiles. He had a feeling that he is going to get a greeting like that. But still, he smiles for her and says, “I made some blueberry pie. I heard that you like blueberries. Do you like blueberries?”
“More than life itself.” she answered in a cold uninviting tone.
Pete then pulls out a slice of pie from the basket, and says, “Well, I had some extra pie. I brought you some if you would accept it.”
Dia continues to look out the window, not once did she even make an attempt to look at Pete, or the pie. So rather than trying to persuade her, he places the pie on a table next to her along with a fork. “I'll be going then. I hope I didn't upset you.”
As quietly as he arrived, he leaves giving the space Dia requested. Toby becomes upset at how mean Dia is. He wants to tell Daachan about how he feels about her, how mad she made him. But as soon as Dia is sure that Pete is long gone, she finally takes a look at the pie. The scent is just too much for her to resist. So she grabs the pie, and takes a bite. A soft and gentle, “It's good.” whispered from her lips.
Toby is shocked that she is eating the pie, and enjoying it. He was almost sure that she was going to leave it to get cold, or throw it away. So he turns to Daachan, and asks, “I don't get it. I thought she hated him.”
“Don't misjudge people Toby. This girl may act a bit cold or shy around strangers. But deep inside, she's a nice girl. All she needs is to get used to having people around her. Once she does, she'll open up her true self.”
“How do you know so much about her?” Toby asked curiously.
Daachan remains quiet. A moment later, time moves forward again. This time, things get very cold. Dis is still looking out the window, but this time snow is falling outside. Winter has now arrived in Flowerbud Village.
Dia is looking outside watching a couple of kids throwing snowballs at one another. Toby quickly notices that this time, Dia is not sad or envious. Dia almost looks happy as she is looking out that window.
A minute later, Pete comes into the sanitarium. He waves at Dia, and says “Hello Dia.”
Dia looks back at Pete, and says, “Hello Pete, how are you?”
Toby is surprised at How much Dia has changed. She is no longer being cold or mean to Pete. This time, she gave him a proper greeting, and evens poke his name. Quite a change from back in Spring when she was asking him to go away.
Pete sits down next to her looking out at the children playing. As they sit together, Toby asks Daachan, “What's going on? She's not the same person anymore.”
“Don't you get what's going on Toby? Pete has been coming over to see Dia a lot ever since she ate his pie. They are now very close friends. She no longer needs to be afraid of him. In fact, she likes having him around. With him, she doesn't feel lonely anymore.”
Toby nods, and continues to watch Pete and Dia. After a few minutes, Pete says, “I heard it's your birthday today. Happy Birthday!”
Dia smiles and says, “Thank you. I usually am alone in my birthday. But I feel happy that you came over. Will you be staying for some cake? Gina is buying some from the shop.”
“Sure, but before that, I want to give you a present.” answered Pete.
“You got me a present?” asked Dia. Pete nods, and goes down the steps to the first floor. Moments later, he brings up a large white box with a green ribbon tied on it.
He rests it on the ground in front of Dia, and says, “Go ahead, open it.”
Dia hesitated for a moment. But she undoes the emerald colored ribbon, and opens the box. After looking inside the box for a moment, she pulls out a stuffed bear. Toby gasps as soon as he sees the bear. It looks exactly like Daachan, but newer.
“Wow, it's so cute!” said Dia cheerfully. “I wonder if it has a name.”
“Why not give it one?” asked Pete.
Dia takes a good long look at the bear. She then smiles and says, “I think I'll call it. . . Daachan.”
Toby looks at Daachan, and says, “That bear is you!”
Daachan nods and says, “Yes, I was a gift for her many years ago. As cold as she may have been long before I was made, I got to know a warmer side to her. She cherished me because I was a gift from Pete.”
“Wow, that's so cool!” said Toby. But then the scene fades, and something different happens. This time, Toby and Daachan finds themselves outside near a cliff. It's a Winter evening, and the moon is full. They find Pete and Dia outside as well standing under the full moon. And in Pete's hands, he is showing her a blue feather.
“What's going on here?” asked Toby shivering from the cold.
“A year has passed since Pete gave me to Dia. It is now Christmas Eve in Flowerbud Village. Don't you recognize that feather he has in his hands?” asked Daachan.
“Yeah, mom has one too. She said that dad gave it to her when he -” Then it struck him. He realizes that Pete is now trying to propose to Dia.
Dia looks hard at the feather not knowing if she should take it or not. She cares deeply for Pete, but she is not sure if she'll make a good wife for him. So she looks at Pete in the eyes, and asks, “Are you sure you want to marry me? Even though I am not healthy? Are you sure I won't be a burden to you?”
“I know all about your health, but that doesn't change how I feel about you. I love you so much, and I don't want to be with anyone else but you. I'll take care of you, and make you the happiest person in the world. So, will you marry me?”
Dia feels scared, but she feels the same way he does. So she decides to accept his feather, and become his wife. They then share a kiss as an engaged couple.
Toby looks at Daachan, and asks, “Um, this was a nice love story and everything. . . But what does all this have to do with me?”
“Just keep watching.” said Daachan. Soon enough, the scenery changes. This time, they find themselves inside of a building, but not inside the sanitarium. Toby is confused at first as to where they may be at, but he looks outside, and sees that it's Summer. He finds lots of tomato and corn crops along with cows grazing on the grass.
“Where are we?” asked Toby.
“This is Pete's Farm. Over a year has passed since Pete and Dia got married. Dia now lives here with her husband.” answered Daachan.
Suddenly, he hears the humming of a young woman. Toby curiously follows it to a nearby open bedroom. The door is open, so he lets himself inside. In the bedroom, he finds Dia on a rocking chair knitting a very small shirt. Dia has changed dramatically since Toby last saw her. Her hair has grown a bit longer, but the most noticeable change is that her belly has gotten much bigger.
Toby stares at Dia, and says, “What's wrong with her. Did she get fat?”
Daachan shakes his head no, and answers, “No. There is nothing wrong with her. Dia is going to have a baby.”
Toby gasps, and stares at her again. He has heard that something like this happens when girls are having a baby, but he has never seen it before. He tries to think about how heavy that must be to carry the baby around until it's born. He then thinks about his own mother for a moment. How heavy he must have been when he was inside his own mother. He begins to feel sad about what he said to her just before Daachan took him through all these events.
Pete then enters the room, and sits on the bed next to Dia. He holds her hand and asks, “How are you feeling?”
Dia places her other hand on the growing baby, and answers, “Our child will be born in a couple of more days. I feel scared, but I just hope that he or she will be born healthy.”
A tear sheds from Pete's eyes. He then kisses his wife on the forehead, and says, “You don't have to worry about a thing. Everything is going to be okay, I promise.”
Toby doesn't understand what is going on. He was always told that having a baby is a very happy thing. But there is a bit of sadness in both of their eyes. Why are they so sad? Why aren't they happier about having a baby? These questions flood Toby's mind. He tells himself that maybe this is something that grown-ups understand. Will he understand what's going on when he grows up?
Soon enough, the scenery changes. This time, he finds himself in a bedroom made for a child. Toys of all types lined the walls from corner to corner. Outside the window, Toby sees that Winter has arrived once again. And inside the room is a child no older than Toby himself.
The boy has jet black hair, just like Dia, and blue eyes just like Pete. He is sitting in the room by himself with his green long sleeve shirt, and blue jeans playing with a toy car. As Toby stares at the boy, he can clearly see the look of boredom on his face.
Toby looks at Daachan, and asks, “Who is this boy? And what's wrong with him? He looks so alone, but he has all these toys to play with.”
“It's true. He has a lot of toys to play with.” answered Daachan. He then walks over to the lonely boy, and says, “This is Dia and Pete's son. Every year for Christmas, and his birthday, Pete buys him many toys and things he feels that his son wants. But the problem is that Pete cannot give him something that he really wants. Something that you have that he doesn't.”
“And what is that?” asked Toby.
Soon, Pete comes into his son's bedroom with a large gift package in his hands. As soon as his son sees him, he runs to him giving him a giant warm hug. “Daddy! You came home!”
Pete pats his son on the head, and says, “Yeah, I brought you a gift. Merry Christmas son!”
“Yay! That means you'll spend Christmas with me this year?” asked Pete's son.
Pete rests the gift on the ground, and says, “Sorry, I can't. I have to get back to work. Money will be tight this month, so I need to work a bit harder.” He then places some money in his son's hand ans says, “Why don't you play with the other kids in the village. If you're a good boy, I'll buy you something extra special for your birthday.”
His son looks down sadly, and says, “Okay. . . I'll be a good boy.”
Pete kisses him on the head and says, “I'll be coming home late. Go to the cafe, and get lunch like usual. And make sure you tuck yourself in at 8:00 pm.” He then leaves the house leaving his son all by himself.
As soon as his father is out of sight, he kicks the gift angrily sending it flying through the air. He then stands still trembling not knowing whether to scream or cry. Toby just stands there shocked, so he looks at Daachan again, and asks, “Why is he so mad? His dad needs to work just like mine does. I don't get it.”
“He's upset because his father never spends any time with him. You see Toby, his father buys him everything he think his son wants. But because he spends so much money on gifts, he ends up always working, and he never spends any time with his son. So his son is always alone.”
“Alone? But what about his mom? Can't she spend time with him?” asked Toby.
Pete's son then walks over to a dresser, and opens it. From the dresser, he pulls out a single photograph. Toby becomes curious, and takes a look at the photograph, and sees a picture of Dia. As the boy is looking at the photograph, his face becomes soaked in tears.
“Why is he crying?” asked Toby.
Daachan walks up to Toy and says, “He's crying because his mother died. She died while giving birth to him.”
Toby gasps. He finally realizes why is Pete's son so upset. He then begins to feel sad himself. Daachan then walks to the pile of toys, and points at himself sitting there watching the boy cry as he is holding the photograph. “I was sitting here, and I watched the boy, every year, every last drop of tears that he shed. . . I watched all of it. I wished I could do something, but I was only a toy. Toby, I told you that Dia was sick. But she wanted to have a baby anyway. Having a child takes a lot of strength. . . Strength that she does not have.”
He then walks to Toby and says, “Toby, you may not think that your mother and father don't care about you because they cannot buy fancy things for you. But in the little time I seen your parents, I am sure that they care about you. In fact, I am sure that they love you more than they love each other. Just stop, and think of what you have. And it's not just Pete's son who wish to have what you have. Lots and lots of children around the world do not have one or both their parents. So take a moment to look back at what your mother and father did for you. Think about the memories you have with your mother and father. Then, try to think about what you would do if you didn't have those memories.”
Toby then closes his eyes, and recalls the times he has spend with Muffy. The times when he had fallen down, and she was there to kiss the injuries. The times when she would slip him an extra cookie when he was a good boy. Even though Muffy cannot buy him many things, she has devoted her entire life to her son.
And then his father, he may have been working a lot, but when he comes home, the memories only double. The times that they all watch TV together, and laugh together. The times when Jack takes him fishing, and praises him when he catches something big. Or the times when Jack teaches him how to catch a ball.
After recalling so many memories, he then thinks about what would happen if they were not around. How would he feel? What would happen to him? Would he feel as alone as the boy who had to grow up without a mother? Or have a father who is too busy to spend any time with him?
The thought of his mother and father leaving him makes him feel sad enough to shed some tears of his own. He wonders how hurt he must have made Muffy feel when he said that he hated her. All because he didn't get what he wanted for Christmas. Toby tries to wipe the tears from his face, but they just keep coming. He is only trying to imagine what it must feel to have no parents, and it's already making him feel this sad.
“I. . . I'm sorry. I wanna go back home, and tell mom that I'm sorry. I wanna go back, and tell mom and dad that I love them. I don't care about presents anymore. Please Daachan, I want to go back home!”
Toby then jumps up out of bed. After gasping a few times, he looks around and finds himself at home once again. He places his hand on his head, and says, “Wow, what a crazy dream!” He then gets out of bed, and prepares for the day.
But as he is putting on his sneakers, he hears a whisper in the air saying, “Remember Toby. Be grateful for what you have. For they may come a day, that you will have to live without them.”
He then takes a look at Daachan, who is sitting on the corner where he threw him before he fell asleep. He runs to the stuffed bear and picks it up saying, “Daachan . . . Thank you. From now on, I will never be mean to mom and dad. I will love them as much as they love me.”
Daachan doesn't say anything, or move at all. Toby then shakes the stuffed animal and yells, “Daachan? What's wrong? Why aren't you moving anymore? Daachan, say something! Daachan??”
“Is everything okay?” asked Muffy as she enters Toby's bedroom.
As soon as Toby sees his mother, he drops Daachan, and runs to her. As he is embracing his mother, he cries all over her mother's dress. Muffy then kneels down, and asks, “Toby, what's wrong? Why are you crying?”
“Mom, I'm so sorry.” whimpered Toby. “I didn't mean what I said yesterday. I promise I will never say it again. Please don't hate me.”
“Toby. . . I can never hate you. I love you more than anything in the world. What you said did hurt, but I'm happy that you didn't mean what you said. So please, stop crying.”
After Toby wipes his tears, Jack then comes into the room with his hands behind his back. “Hey there little guy, how are you feeling today?” he asked.
Toby then looks at his mother and father, and says, “Mom, dad. . . I don't care about Christmas presents anymore. I just want us to be together always.”
Muffy then smiles, and says, “Hey, speaking of Christmas presents, I have something for you!” She then hands Toby a box. Toby opens the package, and finds a radio controlled car inside, just like he always wanted.
“You really got this for me?” asked Toby.
“This was supposed to be your real Christmas gift, but Van couldn't deliver it on time. Luckily, he came over this morning, and delivered it. And it's still Christmas day, so it's still counts as a Christmas gift!” said Muffy.
Toby didn't know what to say. At first, he thought that he was not going to get anything nice for Christmas. Then Daachan teaches him that he already has a very important gift. And in the end, he gets the gift he's always wanted anyway. All he can say at that moment is, “Mom, dad. . . Thank you. . . You really are the best parents anyone can ever ask for.”
“So, how about we go to Mineral Town?” said Jack. He then shows his hands with the tools still stuck to them, and says, “I need to go to the church, and figure out a way how to get these off. But the people there are having a Christmas party. They'll be lots of cookies and cakes you can eat!”
Toby cheers, then grabs Daachan and says, “Can Daachan come too?”
“Daachan?” asked Muffy.
“He's my new friend. He can talk and move on his own, but he's not doing it anymore.” Muffy and Jack look at one another, and laugh. Then they all prepare to go to Mineral Town to attend the Christmas Party.
On this Christmas season, Toby received two gifts. A toy car, and a very important lesson. Just because you don't have everything, you should always cherish what you already have.
The End.
.Very good message!
