Work Text:
Sasuke flipped a page. It was Christmas Eve... just another day of their break.
Sasuke flipped another page. He's currently in their common room at their dormitories, sitting on the most comfortable love seat the world has ever known. He didn't went home for the holidays. Christmas doesn't really mean much to him.
The door opened to the common room and someone entered. Sasuke didn't look up. Surely it was just one of those who didn't go home as well. It was either Sai, Shikmaru, Naruto or Kiba, it could also be one of the girls.
It turned out it was Naruto. He sat right beside him. Sasuke still didn't look up from his book.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
Sasuke resist to roll his eyes. "Reading."
"Reading what? We don't have homeworks. It's Christmas." Naruto pointed out.
"Just reading. It's not a crime. Why don't you try? You don't seem busy." Sasuke said, eyes still on his book.
Naruto shrugged and took one book from the table. The thinnest one, with all the colorful drawings. Sasuke inwardly sighed.
"The Little Match Girl." Naruto read out loud. He opened the book and Sasuke thought he'd have peace at last.
"Hey, Sasuke, look." Naruto said after just a minute. Sasuke didn't respond.
"Look! There's a mistletoe!" Naruto said excitedly. From Sasuke's peripheral view, he could see the younger boy pointing on top of them.
"I don't really care." Sasuke said.
"C'mon Sasuke! Just look!" Naruto insisted.
And then it hit Sasuke.
So that's Naruto's plan. "Naruto, I'm completely comfortable in my seat. I will not fall for that and leave this comfortable sofa." He said, still not looking away from his book. But he had stopped reading a while ago.
They'd always fight over the sofa. All of the boys staying in this dorm. It was just unrealistically comfortable to sit there.
"Sasuke~" Naruto pouted. "I'm not telling you to give me your seat. I'm serious! There's really a mistletoe right above us."
Sasuke sighed, and he finally looked up. Surely there was a mistletoe. What was a mistletoe doing there?
"Naruto," He said tentatively, "if you want me to kiss you, I'm telling you that would never happen." He deadpanned.
Naruto laughed. "Thank God."
"Is that a mistletoe?" They heard someone say from the door. It was Sakura coming from the girls' dormitories.
"It is!" She said. "Guys, you know what this means!" She teased.
Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"Guys, I made some hot chocolate. Want some?" It was Sai this time. He was holding a mug of chocolate.
"Look, Sai! There's a mistletoe right on top of Sasuke and Naruto!" Sakura announced.
"Huh? How did a mistletoe get there? Did you put up decorations?" Sai asked, completely missing Sakura's point.
Sakura shrugged. "Maybe there's a tree branch? It's by the window. Kakashi-sensei said mistletoes are hemiparasitic to trees." she said.
"I don't see any branch." Sai said. "Maybe it's a magical mistletoe. The Greeks believe they were mystical. And that they were the sign of peace that's why the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe began. Yamato-sensei mentioned that." she said.
"You two..." Sasuke said. "Stop repeating our senseis' random trivias."
"Maybe it's fake?" Naruto asked and he reached out a hand to touch the mistletoe.
"Wait, Kakashi-sensei said some of them are poisonous!" Sakura said but Naruto had already touched the mistletoe. He withdrew his hands at what Sakura said but he'd accidentally pull the mistletoe.
The mistletoe dropped on the floor and suddenly there was a flash of light.
The light faded.
And the room turned silent...
as no one was occupying the room.
---
"Sakura... Sakura..."
Sakura groaned. She didn't know what happened but her head is aching. She opened her eyes and saw Naruto's panicked face.
She slowly sat up. "What happened?" She asked weakly.
"I don't know. But something is definitely wrong." Naruto said and then he gestured for Sakura to look around.
Only then did Sakura noticed that they were in a deserted street. It's night and the snow is falling.
"Where are we?" Sakura asked, unbelievingly. She was starting to panic, too.
Naruto shook his head.
"And there's something more," Naruto said and then he raised his hand and touched the tree.
Sakura's eyes widen. Naruto did not touch the tree. His hand went right through it!
"Sakura-chan..." Naruto said, looking horrified. And Sakura didn't know how and why but she knew Naruto's next words.
"Are we dead?"
---
Sasuke felt very tired. He didn't know why, but he's exhausted.
What had happened?
Sasuke opened his eyes expecting to see the ceiling of his dorm room.
He was startled to see the dark sky, and snowflakes falling on his face.
Where is he?
He sat up. He's in a busy street. There are many people but no one is looking his way.
He couldn't believe it. He didn't feel cold at all. He looked at his clothes and for sure, he's just wearing a shirt and his pajama pants.
He stood up carefully. He didn't recognize the place.
He tried to remember the last thing that happened. Naruto, the mistletoe, the light... It doesn't make sense!
He looked around, and only then did he noticed something, well, another weird thing.
The people around him... there were... numbers? There were numbers on top of their heads, and they keep on changing, like time... like it were seconds.
Where the hell is he??
He must be dreaming. That must be it.
He closed his eyes. He'd wake up when he opened his eyes, and he'll finally see his ceiling.
He opened his eyes and groaned. He wanted to stomp like a toddler. He's still there.
He decided he'll walk around first. Find out where he is.
He couldn't help staring at the numbers. Everyone has them. He didn't know what they are, though.
He looked into a mirror by the store and is a bit relieved to see that he didn't have numbers on top of his head.
He walked and walked. Some streets are deserted, some are busy. He didn't know where he is. Everywhere is foreign to him.
He's sure of one thing though, it's Christmas eve. There are Christmas decorations everywhere and little kids singing carols. Everyone is annoyingly merry.
He passed by one house though, and it was gloomy. He looked inside curiously and saw an old woman on her bed with her family around her.
The old woman smiled at them.
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One woman bursts into tears.
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A man went near the woman and hugged her.
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The woman closed her eyes.
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She heaved a sigh.
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And Sasuke knew she was no more.
The number faded.
"No way..." Sasuke muttered. "The numbers? A person's time?"
---
Sai felt as if he'd been clogged by a baseball bat on the head. It's aching so much.
But someone is poking him.
"Wake up..."
Sai opened one eyes and was surprised to see a pair of hazel eyes staring down at him.
He let out a scream. He's dazed. He didn't know what had happened.
He sat up. He looked around.
He's in a dark sort of gazebo. But he didn't know where exactly he is.
"Are you okay, sir?" He heard.
He looked back. It's a young girl, maybe about five years old, with soft hazel eyes and curly silver blonde hair.
"Y-yeah..."
"Are you cold? I'm so sorry, but I only have this." The little girl said, giving Sai her shawl.
Sai saw her shiver.
"I'm not cold." He said firmly, returning the shawl to the young girl.
And Sai realized how weird that was. He's really not cold. It's a dark and cold night, well, seeing his surroundings, he could tell that much. The snow is falling fast. He's not wearing anything but a shirt and jersey shorts, but he didn't feel cold at all.
He tried to touch the snow on the ground. It isn't cold. What is happening?
"Uhm, where are we?" Sai asked the girl.
The little girl smiled at him and Sai couldn't help but think the little girl is so cute. She had a dimple. "We're in Assistens Cemetery. Did you fall asleep? Were you visiting someone?"
---
Sakura slowly stood up. "Ah... I don't know, Naruto. If we're dead, how come we're here? Where are we, by the way?"
'I haven't been here before.'
Sakura blinked.
Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think I've been here before." He said glancing around with a worried look on her face.
There it was again. It's as if she heard Naruto answered before he even said the words.
'Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke! Are they here?'
Sakura glanced around and saw a silhouette.
"Naruto! Someone's there! Let's go!" she said, running towards the shadow and dragging a confused Naruto with her.
---
Sasuke ran away from the house. He didn't want to see that. Someone had died in front of him. And he'd seen the...
He sped up, he didn't want to think about that. He didn't know what had happened to him or where the hell he is.
He stopped by a park, it seems. He touched his head. Maybe he's going insane. Hallucinating... maybe he's dead!
He heard some movements. He looked around at once.
It was a guy with a little girl.
He blinked. He took a closer look.
The guy... the guy didn't have numbers on his head.
He slowly stood up and followed the guy.
---
"Sai!" Sakura called and Sai looked in front of him, relieved surging through him at the familiar voice.
"Sakura! Naruto!" He called. "Thank God."
The little girl tugged at him. He looked at her.
"What is it?" she asked.
"They're my friends." He said pointing at the two who were fast approaching them.
The little girl looked towards the two. She seems confused.
The two were finally with them.
"Sai! Thank God! Do you know where we are?" Naruto asked.
"I don't know. Little Ellie here said we're in Copenhagen City." Sai said.
"Copenhagen?!! Denmark?? We're in Denmark??" Sakura asked, aghast.
---
Sasuke saw two other persons nearing the guy and the little girl. With a surge of relief, he moved forward to approach them.
"Sakura! Naruto! Sai!" He called, and the three of them looked at him. He saw them smile in relief, too.
Sasuke realized that those two didn't have numbers on their heads as well. He's thankful for that.
Sasuke saw the little girl tugged on Sai's sleeve.
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The girl had numbers on her head.
---
Sasuke approached them and Sai sighed in relieved. Friends. Familiar faces. That's good.
The little girl tugged on Sai again. "I understand now! You have imaginary friends! Can you introduce them?"
Sai looked at her, surprised. "Imaginary friends? No, these are my friends. Real friends. This is Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke." He said to the girl pointing at his friends.
The girl looked at him for a while and then smiled. "Hi there, I'm Ellie." she said to the them but she's looking at the wrong direction.
"She... she can't see us." Sakura said.
"What?" Sasuke said.
"She can't see us. She can only see Sai." Sakura said. "I... I don't know how, but I'm sure about it. She thinks Sai is just playing with her."
"But how can that be?" Naruto asked. "So we're really dead? But why are we in Denmark? And why can she see Sai and why am I not cold? And why can I pass through things and Sakura can't? And--"
"What do you mean we're in Denmark?" Sasuke asked. And then he blinked. "And you can pass through things?"
Naruto nodded grimly and then touched Sakura, except, his hand went right through her. And then she pointed at Ellie. "She said we're in Copenhagen... Sakura that's capital city of Denmark."
Sasuke looked at Sakura.
'Denmark?? How did we-- And wait, they can understand this girl?? She probably can't speak Japanese, and I'm sure none of us can speak English, maybe Sakura, a little but-- How-- What the hell is happening? Wait, that light earlier! Is this some sort of magic??'
"I-I think so..." Sakura said before Sasuke could even utter a word.
"You... you read minds or something??" Sasuke asked. He's really dizzy now. What the hell happened to them??
"That's what you were doing?" Naruto looked at Sakura. He sighed. "I would have think this is cool... but no... it's not. It's freaky. What the hell happened? I can only remember the bright light."
"The mistletoe!" Sasuke and Sakura said at the same time.
"So it was really a magic mistletoe??" Sai said.
Sasuke sighed. "I wouldn't have believed it, but how can you explain what's happening to us..."
"We might be dreaming..." Naruto suggested, rather lamely.
"This is a very vivid and realistic dream, then." Sasuke said.
Little Ellie tugged on Sai again. "Sai... can we go now?" She asked. "I need to sell this before I come home. No one has bought any since earlier..." She said pointing at her basket and she tried to smile even though it was clear she was worried.
"She... she needs to sell all of them. Or his drunkard stepfather would... he would beat her up." Sakura said. Her eyes were suddenly filled with unshed tears. Sasuke knew she wasn't saying everything she found out.
"What?!" Sai said, a little angry. The little girl is very nice. He'd never thought anyone would hurt her.
Ellie looked up at him, surprised at his outburst. She seemed to cringed away from him. "I... It's okay i-if you don't--"
"No." Sai said quickly, smiling at the little girl. "I'm sorry. I mean, I'll help you sell. What is it we're selling?" he asked the little girl crouching down and patting her on her head.
The girl smiled at him.
"Sai," Sasuke said, "What are you saying? We don't even know what happened to us!"
He didn't reply but Sakura said, "I agree with Sai. We can't just leave her."
"I want to help her, too. But shouldn't we help ourselves as well?" Sasuke asked.
"It'll be just for a little while. Let's help her for now. We don't know what to do about our situation anyway." Naruto said.
Sasuke didn't reply. Truthfully, he did want to help, too. But he's scared of what had happened to him, to them.
Slowly, he followed his three friends.
---
Sai and Ellie had been trying to sell for at least half an hour now but no one was buying their matches. And that was when Sasuke noticed.
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Her number suddenly dropped.
He didn't know what he was doing but he ran for the little girl and tackled her.
Suddenly, two carriages came passing exactly where she was standing a second ago in breakneck speed.
Sasuke is thankful that even though she couldn't see him, he was able to save her.
"Are you okay?" Sai ran towards Ellie.
She just nodded, shocked. "J-just c-clumsy... M-my slippers..." she said.
Sai then saw a little boy picking up one of her slippers.
"Thank you." Sai said holding up his hand but then the little boy grinned and ran away, taking the slipper with him.
"Hey!!!" Sai said, outraged. He was about to run for him but Ellie stopped him. "It's okay, Sai..."
"But your slipper... Aren't your feet cold?" he asked in concern.
"It's okay..." she lied. Sai can see her feet was red from the cold.
He took off his own slippers and put it on the little girl's feet. "It's a bit big for your feet but this'll do for now..." He said smiling at the little girl.
"Sai... what about you?" The girl said, worriedly.
"I don't feel cold." Sai said honestly. "You don't have to worry."
The little girl still looked worried.
"By the way, how did you know the carriage was coming?" Naruto asked Sasuke. Sasuke didn't reply.
"He... he can see numbers..." Sakura said, sounding amazed and terrified. "He saw her numbers dropped, meaning she almost died." Her eyes held unshed tears and she looked frightened.
"You should have ran after the boy." Sasuke said to Sai, trying to change the subject. He felt uncomfortable with how Sakura is looking at him.
"I know." Sai said.
The little girl looked at him. Sai sighed. It was a bit inconvenient that Ellie couldn't see his friends.
"I thought I should have run after him." He said.
"No, it's good you didn't. And you shouldn't be mad about him, it's Christmas after all." The girl said, smiling.
"What's so great about Christmas?" Sasuke said aloud. Truthfully, he was miffed about the boy. Why pick on someone so helpless like her?
"Christmas is special." Sakura answered for the girl. "This day is very important for her. She doesn't understand much, but her faith is strong."
"That's freaky, you know, Sakura-chan... answering like that." Naruto commented.
"And what you're doing is not?" Sakura shot back at Naruto whose hand was through a stone statue. It seems Naruto herself didn't notice.
Sasuke could tell Sakura is feeling overwhelemed. It usually takes more than just a comment like that before she snaps at Naruto.
"It's time for loving and giving." Ellie continued, and the three turned to her.
"But that wasn't love, the thing he did." Sai said. He'd had his attention focused on the little girl all this time.
"What's important is that you yourself love. Giving is more important than receiving. Thank you for the slippers, Sai." She said. And then she stood up and pick up her basket and matches.
That's when Sasuke realized.
"She's the little match girl!" He said.
"She is?" Naruto said. "The little match girl but then..."
Sakura heard her thought and looks about to cry. "So... so... she'll..die?"
"She can't!" Sai said. Little Ellie didn't hear him for she resumed trying to sell matches to the passing people. But the people became fewer and fewer.
"We know what will happen." Sasuke said trying to sound indifferent. "We're just visitors here, I think. We shouldn't intervene much more."
Sai's face harden.
No one was passing by now. There was only the five of them there. Two in little Ellie's eyes.
"Ellie." Sai called. "Everyone went home now, I think. It is Christmas afterall..."
The girl looked down the ground.
"She doesn't want to go home." Sakura said. She looked restless. "She's scared of her stepfather."
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'That's a very short time.' Sasuke mused. He felt useless as well.
Sakura didn't say anything but Sasuke turned to her, realizing late that she heard his thought.
'Sorry.' He thought.
Sakura looked at him and she looked like she's about to cry.
'Don't cry. I don't think Sai and Naruto needs to know that.' He thought once more.
Sakura only nodded, and once more wiped her eyes.
Sai and Naruto didn't notice the exchange between the two.
"Let's go somewhere... where do you wanna go?" Sai asked the little girl.
"Oh, I wanna visit the old church! We need to greet Jesus! It'll be his birthday soon!" The girl said.
Sai smiled at her and let her lead the way.
---
It was really an old church. Abandoned, by the looks of it. But there were still pews inside and some other things. Sai figured this is better than nothing. It is still shelter. At least the little girl wouldn't be showered with more snow. Maybe the place is a little warmer than outside, too.
The little girl ran inside the church. The four friends watched.
She went towards the little figurine by the altar. It is of a child Jesus. She smiled at it and said, "Happy Birthday!"
She looked back at Sai. Sai approached the figurine and greeted it as well.
Little Ellie smiled.
"I don't have a gift for him..." The girl said, her smile fading but then her face lifted again and said.
"I know! I'll play a song for him!"
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She went towards the old organ lying by the side.
It looked ancient but she opened it anyway. She tried the keys and smiled when it was still playing.
She started playing a mellow song.
And then she started singing.
"Spend all your time waiting for that second chance
For the break that will make it okay
There's always some reason to feel not good enough?
And it's hard at the end of the day"
The four of them watched. The little girl's hand swept through the keys. There were some mistakes, but she really plays well. She sang well, too. She still couldn't pronounce some of the words well, but anyone would understand them.
"Her mom taught her." Sakura said, she couldn't help but share what she was hearing.
"Before she died. Also the words. She doesn't understand them all, but she knows them by heart. It's her favorite song. Her mom always sang it for her."
"I need some distraction, oh beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
They may be empty and weightless, and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight."
The little girl's voice sound melancholy. As if she's lulling them all to sleep.
"In the arms of an Angel, fly away from here...
From this dark, cold hotel room..."
The little girl suddenly stopped playing.
And Sasuke's heart took a leap when he realized...
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Sakura looked at Sasuke, looking terrified and sorrowful. Sasuke took her hand in his. Quietly trying to comfort her.
The little girl shivered.
"It became so cold." She whispered, hugging herself.
Sai's eyes widen.
"I know, let's open a match. That'll warm us up." She said.
She took out a matchbox. She opened one and a flame flicker to life. The girl smiled and then she moved the match towards Sai, as if to share the heat.
"I'm not cold!" Sai said, moving the match back to her. But the movement blew the fire out.
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"Oh," The girl said. She took another stick and scratched it through the stone ground. A fire flicker once more.
She'd place it in between her and Sai once more.
"Ellie, please. I'm not cold. You should keep it closer to you. To warm you up." Sai said, carefully pushing the little girl's hand back to her.
But again, the fire went out.
Sakura's grip to Sasuke's hand tightened.
Naruto started tearing up. She knew what's about to happen. She turned to Sakura and wished she could hug her. She knew though that she'll just pass through her. She felt so useless.
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Ellie picked the box again and now took three match sticks. She scratched it but no fire flicker, she'd try again.
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"Sasuke..." Sakura called, tears flowing freely.
Sasuke couldn't take it anymore.
"Sai, carry her! I know where the doctor lives!" He shouted. He had seen him earlier when he was running around.
Sai did as he was told. He carried the little girl to his arm. He wished that at least his body warmth could warm her somehow. He doubt it as he himself can't feel the surely cold girl, but he hoped.
"Sai..?" Ellie said. Her voice sounded weak and her eyelids were dropping.
"Ellie, don't sleep okay? Try not to sleep." Sai said as they ran with Sasuke leading the way.
They ran and ran and finally they were in front of the house. But all the lights were closed. This didn't stop them though. All four of them pounded on the door asking for help. Naruto has passed through the door, intending to find the doctor.
They pounded and pounded. But no one was answering.
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Naruto had found the doctor on his bed. He was asleep. He couldn't hear them. There were no sounds saved for Sai's. But Sai couldn't knock properly, he's holding onto little Ellie.
Naruto tried everything but she couldn't wake the doctor up. She just went through everything!
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Sakura's crying hard now. Why couldn't she do anything at all????
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Sasuke looked at the little girl. It was less than two minutes now. He started kicking the door, trying to knock it down. A little stronger. Please, please, anyone help this little girl.
And then he'd notice.
His feet... they were fading...
He looked at Sai and Sakura. It was the same for them.
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He realized now. Ellie's time... is also their time in this world.
He kicked and kicked. Please. If there's really a Christmas miracle, please. Save Ellie!
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Sai started crying as well. He stopped pounding on the door and just hugged Ellie to him.
He can't stand it. Why did this have to happen?!
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"Sai..." Ellie whispered. "You're warm..."
Sai looked at her. "And I see your friends now, too."
Sai's eyes widen.
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"El--"
There was a bright light.
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A little girl was lying on the snow cold in front of a humble home, unconscious.
---
Sasuke opened his eyes and saw their Christmas tree in their common room.
They were back. He was sure of it.
He looked around. Naruto, Sai and Sakura were all stirring as well.
Sakura was the first to sit up.
"Ellie!" She shouted. He looked around and then she burst into tears. Naruto turned to her and hugged her, crying with her. Sai just lied there, looking into nothing, silent tears streaming down his face.
Sasuke himself felt moisture in his eyes.
He's crying as well.
They were silent for a while. They all knew it wasn't a dream. They didn't care much about that anymore.
Finally, Sasuke stood up. He couldn't mope all night. He needed to do something. Anything.
But then he saw the book Sai took earlier.
'The Little Match Girl'
Without really thinking, he took the book.
He opened it and look through it. He flipped and flipped, relieving what had happened in every page.
And then it was the last page.
And his eyes widen.
"Guys..." He croaked.
The other three looked up.
He pointed to the book. The three looked at it.
'In the dawn of morning there lay the poor little one, with pale cheeks and smiling mouth, leaning against the wall; the doctor had thought she had been frozen to death, but no. The child was still holding for her life. The doctor had carried the girl inside his home and care for her. The child lied on the soft, warm bed, holding the matches in her hand, one bundle of which was burnt. "She tried to warm herself," said some. No one imagined what beautiful things she had seen, and what more beautiful things she would see in the future.'
Sai now openly cried. Naruto and Sakura also started crying again. Out of relief, Sasuke was sure. He felt like crying as well.
The clock stroke midnight, and as if it was a cue, everyone's phone rang. It was everyone's family greeting them a Merry Christmas.
Sasuke smiled at the book. He still hadn't let go of it.
"Merry Christmas, Ellie." He murmured.
END