---Tape Starts---

After a few days of slumping himself with chores, he then helped his mother, his younger sister, Elaine and his staffs to decorate the institute with Christmas decorations. As Christmas neared, William tried his best to put up his biggest smile and use up as much energy as he could to do the many errands that his mother clunks up at him. Using up the time, to forget about the past and only thinking of the future.

Occasionally, the rare postcard sending for his mother's colleagues, clients and also his friends who were either out of town or just waiting by in Continuum if they couldn't afford a proper home.

Other than that, he couldn't really invite anyone for the grand party that they will be celebrating as his friends already made plans for a Christmas party. Lucky for him, he too was invited, even if he has to leave a tad later to hold on out the promise he made with his younger sister.

To celebrate Christmas with her and the family.

'Miss, should I place the Christmas tree here or over at the corner there?' William asked as he heads his sight towards the head maid who was organizing some decorations, while he points towards the other direction.

The Head Maid chins herself with a slow gaze as she makes up a thought. 'Place it over there, we might a table here to lay on the food. I don't think much space is useful for this ever cramped corner.'

'Gotcha!' William replied as he rubs his cold hands before slowly lifting up a sharply-leaved pine tree with a piece of cloth, using as much of his strength could work out an output. Slowly tip-toeing his way to the other side of the house, he then slowly drops the tree on the floor, as a maid puts up a ready-made pot o' soil to replant it back in. 'Thank you.' He replies with a smile.

He was mostly used to carry on heavy-duty work, unfortunately. 'Phew, that does it.' He wipes his forehead with the back of his palm as he scrubs off the excess soil on his not sweaty palms.

Knowing that his job is done, he excuses himself to head to his room and take a shower. To put on his best clothes and look as handsome as possible just for kicks. Perhaps, just to tease in on the female colleague's of his mother to hoodwink them over extra Christmas dosh.

Entering his room, he latches a temporary lock as he heads to his bathroom's direction. Beside the door, was placed a dress cabinet. Pulling a drawer, he got himself a fold of towels and some clothes to prepare himself. Entering the bathroom, he places his clothes onto the bathroom cabinet.

Closing his door, he then turns on the shower faucet as he lets it heat up. Taking off his sweaty sweaty and muddy clothes, he then places them into a rattan clothes bin.

Noticing his phone beeping as it recharged by the shaving plugin, he takes a short check where he got a message from Sherrinford, sending him when to come to her house and the specific directions she gave. Replying her back a thank you note, he then turns off his phone and heads to start his shower.

Showering himself in lukewarm water, he relaxes himself in the soft-dripping droplets of a rainy stream. Shampooing and conditioning his hair, he slowly washes himself off with body soap that he applied on a soft sponge. After some time of washing himself squeaky clean, he then pulls his towel which overhung on the glass door of his tub. Wiping himself dry, he then slowly gets off his tub.

Tossing off the towel into the wet-only basket, he then puts on his new pair of clothes. A festive fitting red shirt, black-long jeans and a mildly gray inner-layer tee. Gelling his hair a decent backcomb, he then pockets his phone and turns off the bathroom light. Leaving the room, he heads back to the dress cabinet.

Opening a side-cabinet, he chooses over a coat from the multiple he owned. Finding the one he wanted, he pulls it out of its hangar and puts it properly on, making sure it perfectly fits his proper theme of clothing. Buttoning up the coat, he exhales a heavy sigh as he smiles to himself towards a mirror. Struggling once again to put on a tie.

Sloppily putting it on, he then leaves his room and heads through a flight of stairs back towards the main hall. His mother noticing his entrance, she makes a whistle as she called him. 'Oi, handsome boy, come over here!' She calls him over with a cheeky wink.

Walking towards her, his mother then hold onto his tie and ties it up properly. 'What are you trying to do? Seduce someone to bed?' She chuckles softly.

'Ma.....' William makes a blank stare as he shyly made an embarrassing face. 'Come on, you know I don't like being teased like that out-loud.'

His mother places her hand onto his cheek and gives a open smile. 'Silly boy, enjoy yourself today, alright?' She replied as she walked back to her chair to continue her assignments. 'It's Christmas eve today after all.'

'Will do, Ma.' As he replied, then he looks left and right. 'Where's Elaine?' He asks as he had something special inside his coat pocket. Something he planned for a few days for her.

'Oh, Elaine? She's in the gardens. She's probably just sitting on her swing under the apple tree.'Her mother replies as she reads upon a document file that she opened.

'Thanks.' He replied as he heads to the garden entrance, the back entrance of the dining room. Heading towards the only apple tree that exist in his backyard, he notices a familiar maiden swinging herself as she hums a soft melody of 'Fur Elise'.

'Elaine...' William called out to her as he stood beside her as she swung back and forth.

Slowly stopping her swings, she sat still and looks at him with a smile. 'What is it, bro?'

He smiles as he pats his pocket. 'I may or may not have a little gift for you.' With a gleeful smile, he heads slowly to her as he squats and pulls out a well-wrapped gift for her.

'Merry Christmas, Ela' He happily greets her and pats her head.

Happily accepting his gift, she hugs it towards her chest as she sweetly smiles back. 'Thanks, bro!' Holding on it, she looks around. 'Should I open it now, or tomorrow? She pouts herself.

'Tomorrow will be nice, I got another gift for you too!' He replies as he winks at her. 'Something way more special.'

'Ooh! Something more special?! What is it!' She raised her voice in an ecstatic tone.

'Close your eyes and turn around.' He replies. 'No peeking...' He whispered softly.

'Alright alright, bro.' As she followed his orders, she turns around and covers her eyes with her palms. Ensuring she won't turn around.

William pulling out his pair of guardian crystals, he softly summoned Shin-ae and Sae-yong who were dressed up in their own personal creations of Christmas outfits. Staying silent and pulling out their own gifts for Elaine, they then waited for William's time to shine.

'Alrighty then, turn around~' He spoke in a very feminine tone.

Doing so, she turns around slowly. 'May I open my eyes nows?'

'Yep...' He replies.

Opening her eyes, she was surprised with two beast-like maidens greeting her with an animatic 'Merry Christmas!'

With a face of surprise and over-excitement, she makes a smile so big she looked like she may seperate her jaw in a second, 'Oh my god!' She shouted in a very childish way.

'Why hello there, Sho's little sister, merry Christmas!' Sae-yong replied as she hands over a medium boxed present towards her. 'My name is Sae-yong! I am Will's main contracted guardian-friend anf this over is my little sister, though she recently looks different than usual.' She points out.

Shin-ae in her stage three had a more bushy tail and was exceedingly similar in height to her older sister. With a blush and shy wave of hands, she pushes in her hold of hands with a gift. 'Here, take this!' She shouted out as her tail started wagging profusely, indicating her excitement and curiosity.

'Thank you so much! Merry Christmas!' Elaine replied as she accepts their wrapped gifts. 'Call me Elaine but my brother here personally calls me Ela, so it's your pick!'

'Again, thank you so much for the gift!' She cried out loud as she hugs the three of them as her chest held onto the gifts.

'Aww, you're welcome Elaine.' Sae-yong replied sweetly as she combs Elain'es soft and silky blond hair.

Shin-ae curiously looking at the swing, she tilts her head slightly. 'Our home have a swing too with a similar looking tree.'

Elaine who stopped her tight hugging, looks at Shin-ae as she curiously inspects the swing. 'Really? It was originally put out there for me when I am bored and want to sit outside.' She replies. 'Go ahead, you can swing on it if you want.'

'Really?!' Shin-ae's ears perked up as she shuffles herself for a sit, sitting on the swing, she looks left and right with an excited smile. 'Feels comfy.' She replies as she takes a few short and slow swings, gradually getting faster and faster over time.

'Shin-ae, careful... I don't think your type of apparel can hold that kind of speed force.' Sae-yong called out to her in a nervous way. 'Sorry, she tends to get a tad ahead of herself.'

'It's fine, no problem.' Both William and Elaine replied as they smiled at her timely swings as she soon jumps out of the swing mid forwards.

With a flip and a gracious land, she pokes her finger to her cheek and smiles. 'Tadah~!'

'Bravo, bravo!' Elaine claps slowly with a squint, a little confused and surprised of what happened.

As the swing was still in a pendulum, it swung back and forths back towards Shin-ae's direction.

'Ey, watch out!' William shouts at Shin-ae to grab her attention.

'Huh?' Shin-ae looks at Will. 'What?'

A second too late the swing's chair, a hard board of rose wood, hits onto Shin-ae's forehead as she trips and falls awkwardly onto the floor. Dizzy, her eyes spiraled as she saw fairies and stars glittering about. 'Heheh, I am in heaven....'

Snapping his fingers in-front of Shin-ae's face, she got back into her senses. 'Who, what, where? Huh!' She got up as she looks at the three beings staring back at her. 'What happened?'

'A lot of things...' William and Sae-yong replied back with a smirk.

Elaine slowly held her mouth as she started laughing profusely. 'Hahahah, this girl is funny, a bloody spastic!'

Shin-ae pulling herself up she scratches her cheeks and smiles with an embarrassing and guilty look. 'Eheheh...I guess I made a klutz out of myself.

'Anyway, you two can play around and introduce each other. I will have to get back to introduce the arriving guests.' He tells Shin-ae and Sae-yong as he looks at his phone's notification.

'いいですよ!' Sae-yong replies as she guides the slightly light-headed Shin-ae and Elaine, to their dimension.

{{ "いいですよ" means 'good' or 'alright' in Katakana and is mostly used in a very excited tone. Transliterated it is spelled 'Ii desu yo'. }}

The two guardians 'kidnapping' Elaine for Christmas eve, William heads back into the home as he notified his mother that Elaine is with the guardians as he walks to the entrance of the academy mansion.

Opening the grand doors of this institute, William greets the arriving guests one by one, with a shake of hands, hugs or occasional cheek kissing. Different variations for each particular guests, he then guides them to the main hall as the maids shows them their reserved seat.

After some time of entertaining the guests, everyone were starting to converse with one amongst the other about everyday life and jobs or the occasional grapevine in the corner. Whatever it was, William didn't have the time to talk to anyone anymore.

With that, he notifies his mother that he will be taking his leave. Notifying his chauffeur, he then drives his way towards the train-station, where he will wait for his specified train and at the same time see his childhood friend for the last time under the uniform for this year.

Being out of her part-time job soon, she would proceed to continue with her life and fulfill her future bucket list. After giving her a present and a lovely self-made Christmas greeting's card, he then waves to her before entering the station tunnel.

Scanning his pre-paid card onto the train's gate-lock, he then pushes through the security bars as he head to the section he needs to wait by. Sitting on a poorly maintained steel pipe of a bench, originally made as an artistic piece, is now rotten to rust.

Noticing a similar looking train with the same number as indicated, he got into it and took his seat. Looking around, the train looks rather empty, barely having anybody. Only a child and her mother were sitting at a far corner with a group opposite of him of what looks to be tourists, hanging out enjoying their Christmas holiday.

Some time later...

Exiting his train at Witchorf, he follows the direction given by Sherrinford. Greeted by a now close gift-shop and stall, he continues walking forward, only to be greeted by huge bungalows and very modernly decorated house, only the richest of the rich could afford. Having their own personal land and garden, just like his home but more spacious and new.

Looking through the house numbers, he finds number twelve, the Van Der Graff Residence. An old royal name that existed since the 1600's. Famously known for one of the descendants in the family for the creation of the Van der Graff generator. Though of American origins for this particular chap, this name was originally a Dutch royal name.

Noticing a bell on the door, he rings it for a few seconds, before waiting patiently. The door slowly opening, he was suddenly grabbed and pulled in. 'What the?!' He shouted as the door was bang shut.

'Glad you could come!' A busty lass in a Santa's outfit greeted him. Looking up above the rather curvaceous figure, he notices a familiar face, Sherrinford. 'Merry Christmas, Will!' She replied with a smile as she shoves him a gift to his face. 'Take it.'

'Tha-thanks!' He replied as he pulls out a gift from his coat pocket and hands it to her. 'This is yours hostess. Thanks for the invite.' With a wipe of his coat, he then removes it and places it on a coat hangar that was provided.

By the living room, Shanina, Demonia, Rose, Silvenna commonly nicknamed Agua and what looks to be Ri-kae were there. Most of them were fooling around playing video games or making playing cards as Ri-kae just watches a game that was being played. Shanina smiles towards Will as she raises her can of beer towards him. 'Frohe Weihnachten, Will.' She replies in her deep and drunk-like German.

'Frohe Weihnachten, Shanina.' He replies with a wave as he proceeds to head to the living room to take a sit and relax.

Closing in, he heard a familiar voice. 'Hey, come on! Stop cheating.' The light feminine voice shouted as a small cat-like figure punched the shoulder of the person she was facing.

Rose laughed and takes a shot of the in-game character of the person sitting beside her. 'Its not cheating, it's skill!' She replies with an excited laugh, a tad too loud.

As William takes a seat he makes a confused look at the figure, as he also notices another unfamiliar face beside the feminine silhouette.

'Hahah! I win! Now you owe me one!' The small figure shouted as she stood and cheered, leaving the controller on the table. Turning around, she looks towards William. 'Hello Will, Merry Christmas!' With an excited shout, she heads to him and gives him a hug. Showing her face, a delighted smile answered.

'Chau? You, you are alive?' William answered with a surprise. 'You're not a clone right?' Confused he scratches his head as he blinks twice at her.

'Nope, not at all. It's the real deal Chau, right here! Here, have one of this.' Chau shoves a small wrapped gift into Will's chest shirt pocket, before sitting beside him and sipping her can of beer.

'Wha-?~' A little dumbfounded, he sits in shock and stared at a wall.

'Chau, I think you made the lad haywire.' Sherrinford replied with a soft laugh, as she snacked on some potato chips.

Shanina heads to William as she waved her palmed hand over his eyes a few times. 'Hallo? I think you did Chau. What now?' Shanina replied as she held onto her phone and checks some messages.

Silvenna feeling bad for William, heads to him and tries to get him back to his senses with an old spiritual ritual she learnt from her tribe. Tapping her finger on Will's temple, she chanted something softly as she entered her mind.

Seeing white, she notices William sitting on a chair, accessing some hologram screens and a table, writing something on a notebook as he spoke into a tape recorder. 'Log one...' Noticing Silvenna, he turns off his tape recorder as he looks at her.

'Hello there, Miss Silvenna. How did you end up here?' He asks as he got visually confused. Writing something on his notebook, he closes it and concentrated on her.

Silvenna with a smile, explains what she has done. 'What I did was a generations old ritual, able to enter the soul of a body. With that, I can access the person's memories and remove any corruption that happens in there. I can also remove memories if I so wished. Your physical body currently is in a state of shock from knowing Miss Chau-min is alive, but you here are still conscious, the subconscious.'

'I see.' William replies as he got up. Holding onto a blade, he slowly reached to Silvenna as he raises his arm, giving a notion for her to take the knife. 'Take it, this is what you need to purify.'

'What is this?' Silvenna asked confused of the notion.

'This was the blade that was stabbed into the Axis General.' Noticing closely, the blade started glowing in an enveloping black aura. 'This is also the corrupted guardian that was once an Elder.'

'Her name is Beo.' Pressing the blade onto Silvenna's hand, she takes a look at it as she nods in agreeing fashion. 'The Lady of the Balance.'

With that, a spiral of black white occurred as a memory was implanted into Silvenna's physical body. Getting back William from his shock state, He smiles at Silvenna and nods to her as she replies back with a smile too.

'Thanks, it helped.' He replied, trying to change the topic from being the both of them. 'Calming, like a meditation.' With that, he was back to his own self.

With a stand up and holding a can of beer that was given for him, he raised it high and gives a honoring shout. 'Alright everyone, let's enjoy our Christmas!'

'And make a better future!' Chau-min stated as she raised hers.

'For the population.' 'For Continuum.' and 'For a better health!' were the following sayings as they all clinked their drinks.

'Cheers!' They shouted.

With that, the real party had begun. A time of being totally idiots. Sherrinford and Chau-min getting themselves shamelessly drunk. Shanina sat and watched them as they wrestled like always as they called each other really lame insults.

William laughing about as he was being tickled by Rose who was teasing himself off after losing a game of a really stupid but blood rushing video game as a punishment. Silvenna tries to stop Rose from hurting him any time sooner. Ri-kae picking up a controller, played the game and somehow managing to beat the game's endgame villain single-handedly as the unknown female was being entertained by Faltina, who was starting to sing some really badly versed Christmas carols.

'What an exciting crowd.' A maid of the house whispered to herself as she watches the teenagers fooling around. Excusing herself in casual clothing, she left the house to enjoy her holiday too. Not wanting to tell Sherrinford her notification of her leave of the plans she already planned with her.

With hours of fooling around and either getting drunk or just very confused with the current situation, everyone enjoyed themselves before the clock struck twelve.

One by one of leaving by foot or by on-call rides, they left their presents for Sherrinford by her Christmas tree as they slowly left.

Shanina a bit too tired to go home, William decided to guide her home. She being a little tipsy, and William a little relaxed. He held by her hips as they slowly walked towards an apartment complex nearby the train-station. It was great for him as she lived quite nearby to both Sherrinford's home and also the train-station, making it easier to head back.

Heading into the complex, he entered a lift as she tells him the level her room is located. Exiting the lift as it made a ping sound, he supports her once again towards the journey to her room. Looking through a labyrinth of signs and corridors, he managed to reach room 237, Shanina's home.

Shanins pulling out her key and opening the door, the both of them enters as she kicks the door close. With a medium loud bang, William got startled. With a rub of his sensitive skin of his thigh, he looks towards Shanina who slowly reached towards him as she gives him a kiss.

'Will, thank you for bringing me back.' She replied as she pulls him closer to her, making him embrace her.

'You're not drunk, are you?' William asked her.

'Maybe, come. Let me give you a reward for your kind gesture and also to celebrate a Christmas before the New Year.' Shanina answers as she guides him to the living room.

As he sat down, Shanina brought him a drink. Taking it, he pops its lid and sips it slowly as he and Shanina read through some documents for their future assignments that will commence next year. Proceeding to accept it, William looks at her as he suddenly felt light-headed.

'Di- Did you drug me?' William asked as he started shaking his head to keep himself conscious.

'No, I didn't. Your body couldn't handle a single energy drink after all the alcohol you had.' As she replied with a seductive smile and a snake like look, everything went into black.

---Tape Ends---

'...' Mary turns off the tape before it even went halfway. 'I know where that was going.' She whispered under her breathe as the oil-lamp beside her turned off immediately.