Even in a world of magic and wonder, Christmas Eve always proved to be quite the exciting night for every sorcerer across the globe. It was a night that they all looked forward to with bated breath as they waited for a certain man to arrive at their homes. And a night for them to reap the rewards for their actions over the past year.
-(o)-
Snow did not often visit the city of Charlotte, especially during this time of year. The climate never really allowed for it until this part of the country was well into the winter months. But on this particular Christmas Eve, it flirted with the idea, if only just a little. Powder-light flakes drifted over the city streets in small patches, melting the instant they touched warm pavement. But the chilling air made sure to make its presence known to all who lived in it.
In spite of that, the city still glowed anyway, illuminated with the trappings of holiday cheer. Strung lights shimmered like constellations caught between glass towers and old brick houses. And above it all, just below the low clouds but well above the notice of ordinary eyes, a ruby-red sleigh cut a graceful arc through the winter sky.
The troop of eight reindeer cryptids pulling the vehicle forward snorted softly, hooves leaving ripples along the hardlight pathway that the lead beast created, like stones tossed into an invisible pond. All around them, a particular type of magic hummed. One that was just as ancient as it was joyful. Unmistakable to those who knew what to look out for.
Santa Claus checked his list again, his spectacles perched at the end of his nose. Charlotte had grown… complicated over the years. And a lot of exciting things were now happening. The magic ran deeper here now, tangled with something that even he found a bit hard to comprehend. But even so, he smiled into his beard.
"Well then…" The old man murmured while patting the reins. "Let's see how everyone's done this year."
-(o)-
[Zoe Chandler's House]
The Chandler residence was filled with the aroma of cinnamon and pine needles that permeated the crevices of each and every room. And a warm bubble of laughter from the house's occupants layered lovingly over one another as everyone enjoyed their drinks and Christmas-themed snacks. It was a special night after all. So special, in fact, that both Evan and Elizabeth MacNamara had been invited over to enjoy the night with Valerie and her family.
Since the twins wouldn't be able to enjoy the holiday with their family this year, the Chief decided that it was only right for her to have them over so that they could properly bask in at least a little of the holiday spirit.
Just as the group was getting ready to dig into the batch of cookies Elizabeth had just finished making, they suddenly heard a muted rustling from right above their heads. And sure enough, not even a second later, Santa came down the chimney with theatrical flair, brushing soot from his coat after getting himself situated.
Zoe, who was standing close to the nearby bookcase with a mug in her hand, grinned like she'd been waiting all night for this. "Hello, Santa. Nice to see you again."
"Ho ho ho indeed! Nice to see you too, Zoe!" Santa laughed while holding his belly.
As expected, one such as Santa Claus himself was running on a tight schedule tonight, and he didn't have the luxury of sticking around and engaging in small talk when he didn't need to. So, the man wasted no time and handed the woman her gift wrapped in paper that shifted colors each time she blinked.
"This one's for Lucas. Thought you might deliver it to him later." He passed her a second, smaller box that was wrapped in similar magical paper.
Zoe nodded solemnly. "I'll make sure he gets it."
Lionel practically bounced into the room all the way from the kitchen the moment he heard the man's voice. And the young boy's eyes blew open upon seeing the man he had heard so many stories about.
"I can see you." The boy whispered. A wide smile that was equal parts excited and amazed tugged on his pale cheeks as he regarded the man in front of him.
Santa knelt to his level and patted the boy's head. "First year, eh?"
Lionel nodded furiously to the point where it looked like his head looked like it would fly off of his shoulders at any moment.
"Well then." Santa reached into his bag and handed the boy a rather large present that chimed softly when shaken.
Lionel hugged it to his chest like a treasure, still grinning ear to ear.
Evan, who was lingering near the entrance of the hallway, braced as Santa approached him. And sure enough, a pouch of coal landed in his hands. Albeit, one that was a bit lighter than he expected.
Santa softened his voice. "You're still not done making up for last year. Be glad that it wasn't bigger."
Evan swallowed and nodded. He wasn't about to argue with the guy. He already made that mistake once when he was still just a kid. "Yeah, I get it."
The jolly man then looked toward the sofa, where Elizabeth was sitting with a glass of eggnog in her hand. The other half of the MacNamara duo received her gift with composed grace, impressed by the wrapping paper that was embossed with unique runes that he had never seen before.
"Thank you, Mr. Claus!" The 'earth magic' user said with a polite smile. Although on the inside, she was cheering like a little girl after finally making the Nice List after being left off it for the last two years.
"Good work this year!"
Valerie's present followed. Hers was in a massive box that came all the way up to her waist. And it was topped off with a gold ribbon that sparked under the lights over the living room.
"Five years in a row, Valerie!" The man then said. "Let's keep the streak going, shall we?"
"I'll do my best!" The tall blonde said while making no attempt to hide the smile on her face.
"Alright, well I'm off! I'll see you boys and girls next year! And keep up the good work!" Santa said, shouldering his sack again before disappearing out of the room in a flash of light.
Zoe raised her mug in salute as the sound of magical sleigh bells faded into the distance.
-(o)-
[Zack's Apartment]
The apartment that Zack's family lived in was a modest and quiet abode in the southern part of the city. One that was both a short walk from the nearest shopping center and a five-minute drive from Freedom Park. The place where he had first awakened his powers was not too long ago.
As the young man patiently waited for his guest to arrive, he still had his doubts about what the others had told him. But seeing as his understanding of reality had already been broken too many times for him to count, he had no real reason not to believe what he was told. But even so, the teenage 'fire magic' user nearly jumped out of his bed the moment Santa landed on the fire escape and gave a polite knock on the boy's window.
Zack, still shocked by what he was seeing, opened the window, blinked, and stared at the man dressed in red who was holding a large sack over his shoulder. "No way."
"Yes way!" Santa said cheerfully, stepping inside. "Congratulations on seeing me, young Zack!"
Zack laughed, half-disbelieving, half-delighted, as Santa handed him a gift wrapped in red paper. "This is seriously happening. Like…you're actually real!"
"Very real!" Santa said. "Enjoy the ride. And congratulations on getting your powers."
Zack watched the sleigh fly off into the distance, still smiling long after the bells were gone.
-(o)-
[Cyrus's Apartment]
Cyrus's home was dark, lit only by a single lamp and the glow of a city that never quite slept.
When Santa arrived inside the young man's apartment via a bright flash of light, he made sure to do so without too much fanfare. And the man kept a calm expression on his face as he approached the young 'tree magic' user, who was currently sitting on his sofa with a glass of sweet tea in one hand, and a breakfast burrito in the other.
Cyrus met him with wary calm. He still didn't know what to think about Santa Claus of all people being real. But as they say, reality is often stranger than fiction. "Sorry, I was going to make sure that I had some milk and cookies ready. But I forgot to buy some on the way home."
Santa nodded. "You almost didn't make it this year."
Cyrus winced. Then again, he can't say that he wasn't expecting the man to tell him that. He hadn't exactly been a good boy over the last couple of months.
"But almost isn't the same as not." Santa handed the man a present, heavier than most. "Choices matter. So does turning back."
Cyrus exhaled, relief softening his shoulders. "Thank you, sir."
Santa tipped his hat and vanished into the night.
-(o)-
[Maria's Apartment]
Maria's apartment was quiet and peaceful. A modest sanctuary that overlooked the street and was decorated in all manner of anime and manga-themed posters and art that she had collected over the years.
Santa arrived right in the center of the living room. His sack was still as large as it was when he started the night. And the joyful aura that he gave off had yet to waver.
Maria smiled as he handed her a small, beautifully wrapped gift.
"For your resilience." Santa said to the young 'beast magic' user with a warm smile. "And for joy you hold even when it's hard."
Maria's eyes shone while looking at the gift. "Thank you."
Santa disappeared just as quickly as he had emerged before getting back onto his sleigh. The city still glimmered beneath the moonlight, magic folding itself neatly into the night.
High above, Santa checked his list, smiled, and urged his troop of reindeer cryptids onward.
"On to the next one." He said, as Christmas carried on.
-(o)-
[Robin and Theo's House]
Unlike last year, Robin Stillwater had decided to have some guests over at her house since Theo was currently away. Sebastian and Skylar always found a way to liven up the mood of the place whenever they came over. So the 'beast magic' user allowed them to come over to enjoy some food and drinks instead of just letting them sit at home all by themselves.
The sound of Skylar's laughter echoed across the living room, bright and chaotic. But that quickly came to a stop when Santa appeared before the trio of APS agents as stray mana particles leapt off of his body.
Sebastian crossed his arms as Santa approached him, a smug grin plastered on his face. Unfortunately for the bearded man, he didn't know what to do when the coal pouch landed in his hands with an unceremonious thud.
"What? Seriously?" Sebastian protested. "I've been good the whole year!"
The magical man of legend raised an eyebrow.
"I've been good for most of the year!"
Santa simply gave Sebastian a disapproving glare before responding. "Tell that to all women you've ghosted in the last six months."
Sebastian grumbled before tossing his coal off the side. And it took everything in Skylar's power not to burst out laughing at how the man's face looked.
Santa then turned to Robin, whose present gleamed like moonlight in his hands. It was obvious to her what she was getting. After all, it's what she's been asking for for the last seven months.
"I'll just give you Jean-Jacques's, too, since he's busy right now."
"I'll make sure that he gets it." Robin said with a smile after accepting the two presents.
Skylar, who was standing next to the nearby staircase, looked hopeful for whatever present he was about to receive. But Santa briefly paused before handing over yet another lump of coal contained in a velvet pouch.
"Hey!" Skylar immediately objected.
"Stop teasing your coworkers, and maybe you'll get a better result next year." Santa said kindly.
Now it was Sebastian's turn to laugh at the 'earth magic' user's expense. And Santa made sure to leave before the two started arguing over who was more deserving of receiving their coal this year.
-(o)-
[Elaine's Mansion]
Elaine's massive mansion glimmered like a jeweled crown in the center of her massive property. A testament to the amount of wealth that the woman had amassed over her career as both an entertainer and the leader of one of the most infamous criminal groups on the planet. But not even the mansion's massive gates, nor its security system, were enough to stop Santa from landing on the marble terrace with a soft thump as the sleigh's runners frosted the stone.
Inside, a certain woman's mana radiated in waves strong enough to fill the entire building. Sharp, focused, and restless. But that did nothing to sway Santa from doing his job. After all, he was much more powerful than her.
Elaine herself sat awake in her study, surrounded by books and odd trinkets she had collected over the years. Upon hearing his footsteps, the 'wind magic' user looked up as Santa stepped through the door. Almost as if she had been waiting for him to arrive.
Her eyes narrowed immediately.
"Kringle." Elaine said flatly.
"Elaine." Santa replied, tapping his list. He then peered at her over his spectacles. "Ten years in a row. I would tell you to start doing better, but we both know that's not happening anytime soon."
He placed a large, black velvet pouch on her desk. Coal, polished and denser than the kind he normally gives out. This was the kind reserved only for those who had become VIPs on the Naughty List.
Elaine's lips pressed into a line. "I don't need your judgment, old man."
"Then we're agreed." Santa said gently and moved on. There was a bit more that he wanted to say to the woman, but he knew that his words would only fall on deaf ears.
Michiko, who just so happened to be walking by, bristled at the sight of the man clad in red. Santa didn't feel the need to linger. Another pouch of coal appeared in his hand and was set on the desk beside Elaine's.
"That one's for you."
"Yeah, yeah…." The 'dark magic' user rolled her eyes before continuing the short journey back to her room.
Quintin, half-asleep on the couch, jolted awake just in time to see his own bag of coal land in his lap with a soft clack.
"Hey-" Quintin began.
Santa raised a finger. "Next year's always coming."
Nick, by contrast, was standing near the comically large tree their group had erected a few days ago. Santa's smile widened. And from his seemingly bottomless sack came a neatly wrapped box tied with silver thread.
"For you, Nick." Santa said as he gave the 'healing magic' user his present. "You almost didn't make it this year. Keep choosing kindness. It suits you."
Nick accepted it, eyes bright with satisfaction as he did so. Reyna, who was standing next to the hallway, froze, however, as Santa produced yet another large pouch of coal and set it in her hands.
Her jaw dropped. "You gave him a present and not me? What hell, man?" The 'blood magic' user pointed at her husband, who was already opening his gift with a smile on his face.
Santa's eyes twinkled. "Comparison is the thief of joy, Reyna. Work on that."
She sputtered, glancing between Nick and the coal as Santa moved on.
Duncan leaned against the kitchen counter, quiet as ever. Santa met his gaze, nodded once, and handed him a simple parcel that pulsed with calm magic.
"For steady hearts." Santa said.
Duncan gave the man a simple nod before he disappeared in a brilliant flash of red, white, and green light. And just like that, Santa was gone, leaving behind nothing but the sound of sleigh bells echoing throughout the house.
"Seriously, is that guy even human?" Reyna said while still frowning at her coal.
All Nick could do was laugh. "I stopped trying to figure that out years ago."
-(o)-
And just like that, Santa moved on to the next location on his list. He still had much to do before the sun came up in this part of the world. But that wasn't going to stop him from delivering holiday joy to all who deserved it.
As the magical sleigh rose higher into the air as it dashed across the sky, its bells chimed quietly in a familiar tone that many loved to hear.
"Same time next year!" Santa said to the city, and with a flick of the reins, he vanished into the night, leaving behind coal that taught lessons, presents that promised growth, and a little more magic than the night had started with. "And Merry Christmas!"