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Ghostbur enjoyed watching everyone get ready for Christmas, he liked to watch everyone’s joy as the holidays crept ever closer with each passing day. But he could tell that the spirits of the people of L’Manburg were still low. Even though Ghostbur knew for a fact they should be soaring high.
Which is why he decided he’d go around and give everyone gifts. That’s what Secret Santa meant, right? Ghostbur wasn’t sure, because he had only heard the phrase in passing, but he was giving gifts, like Santa, and he was giving them in secret. So yeah, Ghostbur was pretty sure he was being a Secret Santa.
He sat under a tree with a book and a quill in his hands. He was trying to figure out what to give everyone. Of course he would give them all some blue, after all, Ghostbur had been collecting blue for an entire week just for this occasion of giving everyone a gift. Blue made him happy, so of course it’d make everyone else happy too!
But what else should he give? He had some polish for both Techno’s and Eret’s crowns, after all, both of the crowns were bound to need to be cleaned and polished eventually. Ghostbur liked watching light flicker off the metal, and the jewels on both crowns, and didn’t want them to get dull.
He had a brand new measuring cup set for Niki, that way she would be able to continue making treats for everyone. Ghostbur enjoyed sitting in Niki’s bakery while she baked, it always made her happy to be in her kitchen.
He managed to get a couple of nice brushes for Fundy, knowing the boy enjoyed brushing his fur in order to keep it soft and smooth. This gift might have been a gift for Ghostbur too, because he loved running his fingers through the fox hybrid’s soft fur after it had been brushed.
Ghostbur wasn’t sure what to get Dream, after all, the man seemed to have everything he needed! He never seemed to be wishing for anything, so it took Ghostbur a while, but eventually he decided maybe he’d try and find a new strap or something for the porcelain mask that Dream always wore. Ghostbur scribbled down the idea in his book, he imagined a new mask strap would be good for Dream.
And so Ghostbur sat, figuring out the most perfect and amazing gift he could give to each of his friends. Maybe after he gave them something, then they’d be even happier! Ghostbur liked making people happy. It made him feel like maybe he was fixing all the mistakes that Alivebur had made. It made him feel like maybe he was making things right again.
Ghostbur crafted many, many chests and then filled the rest of his inventory with gifts. It was Christmas Eve night, and he was ready to be Secret Santa.
He had to wait an awful long time for everyone to go to bed, but eventually they did, and he was able to creep around L’Manburg, silently setting down a chest, filling it with blue and a special present, and then moving on. He rinsed and repeated the routine over and over, until the whole nation had been given an extra little surprise to wake up to.
Ghostbur had to stifle a bunch of giggle fits as he worked, so filled with joy and Christmas spirit that he seemed to be overflowing.
He couldn’t wait for everyone to wake up the next morning and see what was sitting outside their door! They were going to be so happy.
The sun had nearly started rising before Ghostbur had reached Tommy’s beach. Tommy was the last person Ghostbur needed to surprise before his night was officially over.
Ghostbur had waited to come to Tommy’s home last, that way Ghostbur wouldn’t need to leave to do anything else. He had seen the way Tommy gazed at the lava, and the way the boy’s eyes seemed to get darker and darker circles around them every day. Ghostbur knew the young boy needed someone this Christmas, and he fully intended to give his love and attention to Tommy.
After all, nobody should spend Christmas wishing they were dead. Nobody should have to spend Christmas alone.
That morning, as everyone woke up, they were pleasantly surprised to see a chest on their doorsteps.
Niki smiled brightly, picking up the chest and bringing it inside to open and enjoy fully.
Fundy saw his and sat down right there on his porch, filled with childlike excitement as he looked through its contents
Techno opened his door as he left to go hunting, but stopped as he almost ran into the wood box. A deep chuckle left his throat as he realized what it was sitting outside his door.
Tommy nearly started crying out of both joy and sadness as he realized that someone had cared enough to leave him something.
And that happened all around L’Manburg and its surrounding areas, people woke up and opened their chests, full of happiness and excitement at the special packages that had somehow shown up in the darkness. Bringing light into everyone’s eyes as they saw the gifts.
As they opened them, it was clear to tell who had left the gifts sometime during the night. But as the Ghost bounced around the city, talking about how neat and exciting it was that *someone* had left gifts, the people of L’Manburg decided that maybe the Secret Santa should stay secret.
So nobody mentioned how much this Santa Clause, and a certain blue loving ghost had in common. But everyone remembered the joy that came from a seemingly going to be joyless Christmas morning