A Claymore Christmas Carol

by *loqutor

The years had flown by, and somehow Rimuto had found his way to the top of the Organization.  He'd employed various clever and ethical tactics such as blackmail and arm-twisting to get to his position, but what really secured his post was the glowing recommendation of his now-deceased mentor, Rubel.  Under Rimuto's control, the Organization had come closer than ever to completing its ultimate goal, and had done so by having its agents not only slay youma, but also recruit young girls from orphanages.  But what he liked best about his new position was all the gold that poured in, ever since Rimuto had increased the youma vanquishing price by fifty percent of its already outlandish standing.  Using what was his salary (and a little besides), he had purchased for himself a nice seaside mansion, which was staffed by a number of beautiful women.

Such corruption was never brought before the other leaders of the Organization, as Rimuto had bullied them all into silence and used loopholes in the Organization's rules to whittle their salaries to bare minimums.  Only one man had dared to defy him outright, and that man soon found himself without an income to speak of.  Although he had become old, he was quite satisfied with his life.  His maidservants, as per his instructions, provided all the pleasures of a wife, with none of the baggage.  On the night when our story begins, he was sitting in his office, completing his paperwork, when he was visited by Roberta, the number two warrior, who was helping in the training of the younger warriors.

Roberta approached Rimuto's desk and cleared her throat.  Rimuto said nothing.  She cleared her throat again, and Rimuto still said nothing.  Finally, she lightly her hands on the desk and cleared her throat.  Rimuto looked up, obviously annoyed.  "What is it, girl?"

"Sir," she said, "I was wondering if we could stop now.  The girls are quite tired and, after all, it is Twin Goddess' Eve."

Rimuto scoffed.  "Twin Goddess' Eve?  Bah, humbug!  What a ridiculous excuse for skimping training."

"Sir," she pleaded, "Their morale is quite low, and several have collapsed today.  I can do a few things to get them going again, but I'll need my pay."

Fishing around in his desk, Rimuto frowned.  "Very well," he grumbled, producing two bronze coins and flicking them through the air for Roberta to catch.  He just wanted to get her out of his hair for the time being.  "Goodness knows what you spend these on.  Probably liquor for yourself.  I'd be doing a charity denying these to you, but rules are rules, and you must be compensated for your work as a trainer."  Satisfied that her work was done, Roberta pocketed the coins and walked out.

A small chime came from the other side of the room; it was Rimuto's grandfather clock, which announced the time as nine in the evening.  "Perhaps I should check in, too."  He capped his ink, set down his quill, walked to his bedroom, and rang the bell to summon his fourteen-year-old serving-girl, Elizabeth, who arrived in a half minute.

"You rang, sir?"  She asked.

"I did," Rimuto said.  "Fetch me my pajamas."

Elizabeth helped Rimuto change out of his clothes and into his pajamas.  "Is that all you require, sir?"

Rimuto thought.  "Fetch me my nightly cup of tea."
***

An hour later, Rimuto was sitting in his large chair, a book on the table beside him.  He started to drift off to sleep, but was awakened by a rattling metal sound.  "Riiiiimutoooooo…" A most unearthly voice was calling for him.

Fumbling for a candle, Rimuto sat up and opened his eyes.  A candle, he soon discovered, was not a necessity.  Standing before him was a glowing blue figure, draped in chains.  "Who might you be?"  He demanded.

"You do not recognize me?"  Asked the figure.

Rimuto waited a few seconds, allowing his eyes to adjust to the reduced light.  Slowly, the man's face came into focus.  "Rubel!"  He said.

"Yes, Rimuto, it is I."

Racking his brains, Rimuto struggled to figure what was going on.  "You can't be Rubel!"  He spat.  "Rubel died five years ago!"

"I am his ghost," the figure replied.

"Ghost?  Ha!  More likely you're a piece of undigested meat.  Yes, there is more about you that suggests gravy than the grave.  Besides, Rubel never walked around with chains."

"Indeed I didn't, when I was alive."  He held up some of his chains before Rimuto's face.  "These chains are my punishment for my actions while alive.  I overworked the warriors to advance my own agenda, and now I must carry these heavy chains for eternity."

Whoever this man was, he certainly sounded just like Rubel.  It was so convincing, Rimuto could not help but believe him.  "Why have you come to visit me?"

"I bring you a warning," Rubel said.  The light he was emitting increased, and flames appeared in his eyes.  "Once you die, you, too may carry chains just like mine."

Despite what he had seen from his warriors, this apparition frightened Rimuto.  "Is there any hope for me?"

"There is," Rubel said.  "Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits.  Heed their words carefully, and do exactly as they say.  But beware: if you do not follow their counsel, your chains will be heavier than mine!"

"Y-yes!" Rimuto said.

"Farewell, old friend."  Rubel walked straight through the door without opening it.

Rimuto was deeply disturbed by all this.  Still, he needed his sleep.  He forced himself to lie still for several minutes.  Just as it seemed he had succeeded, he felt a small prodding in his arm.  "Hey, mister," a child's voice came.

"Go away," Rimuto muttered.

The prodding only got harder and more frequent.  "Get up," the child demanded.  "I don't have all night."

Feeling groggy, Rimuto opened his eyes.  There was a girl standing next to his bed who looked to be a mere ten years old.  She was wearing ragged clothes.  "Who the hell are you?"

The girl glared at him.  "I'm the ghost of Twin Goddess' Eve Past."

"Oh," Rimuto said dismissively, "One of the spirits Rubel mentioned.  Okay, just hurry up and spit it out, kid.  What do you want to tell me?"

"You're too impatient," she said.

"Is that all?  Get out of here."

The girl grabbed him by his arm and pulled him out of the bed.  It was quite frightening, as she clearly had the strength of a grown man.  "Don't talk back to me like that.  It makes me unhappy."

Rimuto scooted slightly away from her.  "Okay, okay.  What do you want?"

"I want to show you something," she said, and hit him on the head with her fist.  The room around them dissolved, and they reappeared outdoors in the summer.  A warrior of the organization was walking along a road, followed by a teenage boy who was obviously unfazed by her silver eyes.

Unsure of what he was seeing, Rimuto leaned in.  "That boy…is he…me?"

"Yes," the girl told him.  "This was before you joined the Organization.  I daresay you were…handsome back then."

Rimuto studied the scene before him more carefully.  The boy followed the woman into a large building that looked something like a fortress.  "That would make her…Larissa."

"She was the one who recommended you to the Organization when she saw your cunning."

"That wasn't just cunning," Rimuto clarified.  "I had been trying to seduce her.  You see, I was in love with her.  She was quite kind to me, too.  I even asked her to retire and marry me.  But, the Organization's rules forbade her from doing so."

"What did you do about that?"  The girl asked.

"I worked my way up the ladder, hoping someday I could change the rules."  Rimuto paused, feeling a bit of introspection was in order.  "In fact, I wonder what happened to that."

"You don't remember?"  The girl prodded.  "You became blindsided by your climb to power, and forgot about her.  She reminded you of it after you had secured your post, but you told her that you'd lose your position for it.  A week later, she sent out a black card."

Rimuto had never thought of that.  "Now that you mention it, I guess so."  He inhaled deeply.  "That was a mistake."

The little girl smiled.  "My work here is done."  She jumped up and clobbered him with her fist again.

Rimuto reappeared in his bed.  He was wracked with guilt and regret.  "Why?"  He wondered aloud.  "Why was I so foolish?"

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud crunching sound from across the room.  Rimuto turned, and realized that the room was aglow with the light from at least a dozen candles, which were placed on a large table.  Seated at the table was a young woman with short blonde hair, dressed in an elegant robe and munching on an apple.  All over the table were the dishes for what looked like a great feast; a roast turkey, meat pies, chocolate pudding, several glazed hams, many different fruits, and a number of other things.  Rimuto was getting hungry just looking at it.  He put on his slippers and walked across the room to the table.  Surely the woman wouldn't mind if he had some of the food, since it was certainly going to be impossible for her to eat it all herself.  He reached for a meat pie on the far side of the table, but the woman slapped his hand.  "Hey!  That ain't yours to eat!"

Rimuto was surprised that she could reach his hand from where she was sitting.  Then he looked up and saw that her arm was about three times the length it should have been.  She pulled it back, and it returned to its normal length.  "Okay," he said, surveying the table.  "Then I guess I'll just have some grapes."

"Oh no you don't," the woman said, pushing him back.  "You can't have any of this."

"And why not?"  Rimuto demanded.

"It's the food of generosity," the woman answered.  "You ain't been generous to others, so you can't have any."

Rimuto grew even more indignant.  "And just who are you to judge me?"

The woman smiled.  "I was wonderin' when you'd ask.  I'm the Ghost of Twin Goddess' Eve Present.  It's my job t'know what you've been doin'."

"So,"  Rimuto asked, "Why should I show generosity to so many people?  Nobody's ever shown me generosity."

The ghost broke a leg off the turkey and started eating it.  "You surprised at all?  You've never given 'em reason to."  She took a few more bites of the drumstick.  "Still, there's some people who think yer a good guy, and still 'member ya on this sacred night."

"I seriously doubt that."

"Okay then," the ghost hit Rimuto on his head, much like the Ghost of Twin Goddess' Eve Past had done.  The room around them dissolved, and they reappeared in a room that was much smaller and dirtier.

"Where are we?" Rimuto asked.

"You'll see in a sec," the ghost assured him.

Rimuto took the time to survey the room.  There was a fireplace with a pot over it, a single-person bed in one corner, and a small table near the floor.  A door by the fireplace opened, and a woman walked out, wearing an apron and carrying a ladle.  Rimuto recognized her instantly.  "Roberta!" He said, "What are you cooking for?"

"Don't bother," the ghost said.  "She can't see or hear us.  Just watch."

Roberta picked up a bowl from the table, took it over to the fireplace and filled it with some of the liquid inside the pot.  The soup was clear, and had but one piece of meat floating in it.  "Why is that soup so skimpy?" Rimuto demanded.

The ghost glared at him.  "D'you really think she can afford more meat than that on the pocket change you pay her?"

Rimuto didn't answer, but continued watching.  "Timmy!"  Roberta called.  "Dinner's ready!"

"I'm coming, mommy!"  A child's voice came from the room in the back.  It belonged to a cheery-looking boy who hobbled in on a cane, one of his feet twisted inward.  Roberta picked him up and swung him around, much to his delight.  She set him down in front of the bowl.  "This looks yummy!  Thank you for cooking it, mommy."

"If you use good manners," Roberta promised him, "You'll get a piece of chocolate for dessert."

"Oh, boy!"  Timmy said.  "I'll be good then.  And we should thank Mister Rimuto for this food."

Roberta smiled at the boy, delighted at his enthusiasm.  The ghost walked out of the house, and Rimuto found, to his surprise, that he could walk through walls just like her.  "Wait for me!"  He said, "I've got a few questions."

The ghost, walking beside him, pulled an apple out of her robe and began eating it.  "Okay, shoot."

"Where did that kid come from?"  He asked.

"He was orphaned when his parents were killed by youma.  Since nobody in his village would take care of him, Roberta decided to adopt him.  That's why she volunteered to train new recruits: so she could look after her son in one place.  She figured the road wasn't a good place fer him."

"He's certainly a nice kid.  Very grateful, and well-behaved.  What exactly is wrong with him?"

"He's really sick," the ghost said.  "There's lotsa medicines that could help him, but Roberta can't afford those medicines."

Rimuto was stricken.  "To think, that poor boy's still in that condition because of me."

"I'm surprised atcha, Rimuto," the ghost said.  "Ya never believed in charity."

"But I never knew what just a little bit of it could do for somebody," Rimuto said.  "Tell me, am I too late to help the boy?"

"You sound like you wanna be his dad.  Are you sure your mind's alright?"  The ghost eyed him quizzically.

"I…just want to help him, that's all."

"You better," the ghost said.  "If things fer him and Roberta don't change, I see an empty chair in her future."

"But, that means…"  He looked to the ghost, but there was nobody standing next to him.  "Spirit!"  He said.  "Come back!  You must tell me about Timmy!"

He turned around, and standing before him was a figure in a black cloak with pale white hands, its face hidden by a hood.  The figure said nothing, but gestured for him to follow it.  "Are you the Ghost of Twin Goddess' Eve Yet To Come?"  The figure gave a single nod.  "Please, tell me!  What will become of Timmy?"

Again, the ghost bade him follow.  He walked, and the figure led him down the road to a cemetery.  It raised its arm and pointed.  There was a single person in the cemetery.  Rimuto ran up to them, only to discover that it was Roberta.  She was sobbing and clutching a small body to her chest.  It was Timmy.  Roberta kissed his body on its forehead and dropped it into the grave next to her.  The tears dropped from her eyes and splattered on the ground as she shoveled soil into the grave and on her adopted son's body.  "Oh, no," Rimuto said, his voice full of guilt.  "I didn't want this to happen."  The ghost walked up and stood beside him.  "Please, tell me I can still keep this from being the future!"  The ghost said nothing.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rimuto saw another freshly-dug grave.  He walked over to it, but saw no body inside.  "Spirit," he asked the ghost, "Whose lonely grave is this?"

The ghost lit a match on the gravestone, and dropped its hood.  The match allowed Rimuto to see the ghost's face.  It was a woman with pointed ears and blonde hair in a long braid.  She grinned at him.  "It's yours, good sir," she said in a blood-curdling voice.  She shoved him and cackled.  "Congratulations, you're the richest man in the cemetery!"

Rimuto, clutching the ground by the grave, looked below him and saw a flaming inferno.  He was terrified.  "No!  Please, I swear I'll change my ways!"

The ghost cackled even more loudly, grinding her foot into his fingers.  "So long, Rimuto!"

Rimuto lost his grip on the earth, and fell down into the flaming abyss, screaming.

His arms and legs flailing, Rimuto struggled to get the cloth off of him.  "Let me out!  Let me out!"  He didn't feel the heat of the fire, but rather cool, pleasant air.  He opened his eyes and discovered that he was in his bed again.  "I'm…back in my bedroom?"  Putting on his slippers, he stood up and opened his curtains.  Two inches of snow had fallen, and the sun was shining.  "I've been given a second chance!"  He cried.

The door to his room burst open, and Elizabeth came running in.  "Sir?"  She asked in a worried tone, "I heard you screaming.  Are you all right?"

Rimuto spun around.  "All right?  I've never been better!"  He grabbed Elizabeth's hand and waist and danced excitedly with her.  She seemed very confused.  "Where's your spirit, Elizabeth?  It's Twin Goddess' Day!"

Elizabeth's face turned red.  "Yes, yes it is, sir.  I've never seen you this happy for it.  In fact, I've never seen you happy about it at all."

Rimuto let go of Elizabeth's waist and twirled her underneath his arm, then pulled her in close.  "Quick!  Get me my winter clothes!  I have business to attend to in the city."

"I will if you let go of me, sir," Elizabeth said, still blushing.  Rimuto released her, and she helped him dress for the cold.

Just as she was putting his hat on his head, Rimuto turned to Elizabeth.  "By the way, I'd like to give you a raise."

Her eyes sparkled.  "Really, sir?"

"Yes."

She jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.  "Thank you so much, sir.  It's so generous of you!"

"I am a changed man."

***

"Thank you for your business, Mister Rimuto!"  The Apothecary called after him.

"Later, my good man!"  Rimuto put the bottle he had just purchased into his coat pocket, as it might have been crushed in the bag that he was carrying over his shoulder.  He headed on down to Roberta's house, and put on a severe face.  He knocked on the door.

Roberta answered, quite surprised at her boss' showing up on a holiday he hated.  "Rimuto!  Um, happy Twin Goddess' Day.  Won't you come in?"

Rimuto walked in.  "Hmph.  Happy Twin Goddess' Day.  I need to talk to you."

"But of course.  What is it?"

Rimuto set the bag on the floor, making sure that it didn't open by accident.  "I'm very disappointed in you, Roberta.  I've received reports that you adopted a little boy."

"Yes," she said.  "Is there a rule against that?"

"No," Rimuto answered, "But the way you've been going about it is wrong.  I've heard that your son is very sickly.  That's unacceptable."

"Well, sir, I…"

"Don't interrupt me," Rubel cautioned.  "I've also heard that he hasn't received a proper upbringing for a boy.  I look at this floor, and I don't see any toys."  Unable to keep up his ridiculous façade any longer, he broke into a smile, and reached into his coat pocket, producing the medicine bottle.  "Give him two spoonfuls every night after dinner."

Roberta took the bottle from him and smiled, tears flowing down her eyes.  "Thank you so very much."

Timmy walked into the room, his crutch hitting the floor.  "Hello, Mister Rimuto," he said.

Rimuto picked up the bag and set it in front of Timmy.  "This is for you.  Go ahead and open it."

Timmy pulled it open, and a mass of toys came out.  He looked up at his new benefactor.  "Thank you, Mister Rimuto!"

"You're welcome."  He turned to Roberta.  "I'll let you and your trainees have the weekends off.  And, I'll be giving you a raise.  You'll be earning two gold coins a day."

Roberta's jaw dropped.  "B-but sir…that's a twenty-thousand percent raise."

Rimuto put his hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes.  "That's what your work is worth."

Roberta wrapped her arms around her boss's waist.  "Thank you so much sir."

Timmy tugged on Rimuto's jacket, causing the man to look down.  "Teresa bless us, everyone."

THE END