HOME | DD

Description
It was the first week of December. The world outside was cold, yet the joy in everyone’s hearts filled everyone with warmth. Winter had officially made itself known with the fluffy white snow that already covered the earth. Almost no one had bothered to play in it, wanting the soft look to last as long as possible if there weren’t children about.
Christmas was already just around the corner and everyone was excited. The joy in their hearts was the only thing keeping them from going cold. People have already begun decorating their homes, wanting every day of the month of feel like Christmas. Just seeing the lights in- and outside homes filled Spark with excitement.
He and Ellie had decided to work together to decorate their house before his parents got home from their job. Now, all bundled up with a few bags in hand, he ran across the icy path up his street. The glowing lights from the house in the night relaxed him as he made his way to the door. It was unlocked. Spark let Ellie know he wasn’t going to be long and the street was fairly safe, so she felt comfortable not locking the door behind him when he left.
As soon as he pushed open he was immediately greeted with the warmth of the heater and the oven, which gave off a delicious smell of cookies. The family room looked different than what it was when he first left to go to the store. It seemed Ellie found some of the decorations while he was gone and made good use of them. The large tree that his father had put up a few days ago was completely decorated, garland and lights and ornaments. The only thing missing would be the big star they always put on top each year on Christmas Eve.
Spark set the bags he held on the couch and looked around. The stair rails that lead to the garage had bright golden garland twisted around it. On the walls, stockings hung waiting for Santa’s presents. They hung on the wall because they didn’t have a chimney, so they had to make do. There was a small table up against the wall by the stairs that had been decorated as well, with a perfect little placemat for Santa’s milk and cookies.
“Ellie shouldn’t have gone through everything!” Spark thought with a laugh. Ellie was always one to go all out on something if she truly wanted to, even making cookies! In fact, he should probably check on them, he thought. After all, Ellie would be upset if they burned. And with a mischievous grin, he decided he might as well taste-test them too.
The kitchen was just as beautiful as the family room. A beautiful snowy Christmas tree centerpiece sat on the table surrounded by frilly white placemats at each place, similar to the one for Santa, but these had a red pattern trim. Mistletoe leaf garland hung from corner to corner on the walls, making Spark question how Ellie even managed to get that high.
He shrugged it off and checked on the cookies. Now, he wasn’t as much of an expert at cooking as Ellie, but they looked done to him. So he carefully sat the cookies on top of the oven, also noticing another tray of uncooked doe as well and ended up swapping the trays. He tossed his mitten aside and reached for one of the fresh cookies; he hadn’t eaten dinner yet and the smell of the cookies made him hungry. He knew Ellie would probably scold him for eating the treat before dinner, but he decided to eat it anyway.
The cookie was pretty hot. Though it didn’t really bother him much; one of his friends was a fire-type so he was pretty much used to the heat. His coat though, not so much. The warmth from the house and oven and the cookie made his coat feel like one of fire. So with his cookie between his teeth he headed back to the family room where he would lay his coat on the couch for the time being.
And that was when he heard it. A soft, but hearable noise coming from his and Ellie’s shared room. (They live in a house with the perfect amount for his family, and he could let Ellie just sleep on the couch!) He made his way down the hall only a few feet before realizing it was singing. But who’s singing?
“Frost on the bedroom window~”
“Snow falling on the ground~”
“The leaves are gone for the winter~”
“But I feel the love all around~”
It was soft, and sweet. If it were a song artist Spark didn’t recognize it. But she sounded beautiful. Though, it was odd that the singer didn’t have music playing with her song. Most songs, including Christmas songs, have music.
Spark continued down the hall to his room. The door was ajar, allowing him to see inside. He didn’t see Ellie, but what he could see was a much smaller tree than the one in the family room, and it was completely bare of any décor, and Christmas lights hanging about the room in a deliberate pattern.
“And no matter what’s underneath the tree~”
“It’s the time we share that means the most to me~”
That was when Ellie came into view. Her poofy brown hair was held up in a ponytail and she wore a bright red sweater. Her tail seemed to swish to an invisible beat. Spark was about to come in and greet her but was stunned into silence when he realized where the singing was coming from.
“We’ve been waiting for long~”
“To decorate the tree and sing holiday songs~”
“It’s all around us~”
“It’s finally Christmas~”
It was no wonder Spark didn’t recognize her. Normally her voice is soft and quiet, with a little rasp to it, but her voice now was completely confidant and lacked the rasp. He’d never heard her sing, and hearing it now made him think an angel had replaced his friend.
“We’ve been waiting all year!~”
“For mistletoe and good cheer!~”
“And now it’s all around us!~”
As Ellie sang she danced around. Whether it be tossing garland around the tree or it just be her tail, she danced to the invisible beat. At one point she spun around the room as her voice started getting louder and braver.
“It’s finally Christma-AHH!”
This was the point she say Spark as she turned, mid lyric. She stood frozen for a moment before clasping her hands over her mouth, her face growing as red as her sweater. Spark pushed the door open all the way and came in, but he didn’t say anything as he was still in awe. Ellie just stood still and her tail wrapped around her legs in embarrassment.
She didn’t hear Spark come inside. If she had, she wouldn’t have sung! She’s never sung in front of anyone, as far as she knew at least, and her shyness wasn’t going to ever let her do that.
“Ellie,” Spark breathed, finally finding his voice.
“I’m sorry!” Ellie blurted before he could get a word in.
“Why are you sorry?” How could she be sorry? What is Arceus’ name made her think she didn’t something wrong?
“M-My singing.” She replied through her hand, “I-It’s awful… I must’ve sounded like a dying cat to you.” Her ears dropped to the sides and her eyes were wide with the thought that Spark hated her singing.
Spark took her hands from her face and had her look up at him. “It didn’t sound awful. It sounded like the complete opposite of awful!” This seemed to have eased Ellie, she was always one to take compliments easily. But she still had doubt in her eyes. Singing with an audience, apparently, was not her strong suit. “You should be happy about your talent!”
She blushed darker. She took one of her hands and brought it back to her mouth, miserably failing to hide the red color on her skin. “You think so?”
“I know so!”
“Thanks…” She pulled away from Spark and returned to the tree, calmly placing the snow white garland around the tree. She was still uncomfortable with the event, Spark could tell by the way her tail still curled around her legs and the way her feet shifted more often than normal.
Despite this, and idea popped into Spark’s head.
But should he tell it?
“Might as well…” he said quietly as he moved over to stand by Ellie, his hands clasped behind his back. “So…Ellie! I um, might need your voice.”
Ellie stopped playing with the garland and turned to look at him. “What?”
“Heh…Well, you know that the school’s doing a Christmas talent show fundraiser?”
Ellie’s eyes widened with horror. “Spark…why?”
“It wasn’t my fault!” It truly wasn’t! It was because of the irritating rat that went to the same school as them, named Bella. She and her friend, Jake, signed up for the talent show and Bella started boasting to Spark that “they actually had talent”. It steamed him up enough that he signed up for the show as well. As he told Ellie this she simply shook her head with wide eyes.
“What exactly does this have to do with using my voice?”
“Well…this is your first Christmas at our school…well, first Christmas as it is but that’s beside the point! Basically, it’s the school’s tradition to have more than a single person playing on stage.” It's a silly rule, but it's supposed to get people into the Christmas-y spirit and have fun together and all that. This was when Ellie went pale again.
“Spark!” she shouted in disbelief. “I’m not singing on stage! In front of people! Just so you can prove a point!”
“Well, I can’t back out now.” He stated, rubbing the back of his head. “The Hero Club is in charge…and you know how Chatot gets when you change your mind too late.”
Ellie’s face was now as white is the snow outside. She was stuck here. Well, not exactly, Spark only signed his name but she was his best hope at even participating in the talent show. And with Chatot in charge…
“W-Well…e-even if I were to j-join…what would you do? Your singing sucks.” That bit was more fact than just an insult. Everyone knew how awful Spark sang (after all, she lives in the same house as him and has heard him “singing” in the shower more than once.) Once Bella and Spark had a karaoke contest, Ellie and Jake have forever banned Bella and Spark from ever singing in their presence again.
Spark considered for a moment, and grinned. “That’s a secret I can't tell, so I’ll just show you! Come on!” He took hold of Ellie’s wrist and pulled her through the house and down the stairs to the garage.
Spark went straight toward the far wall and moved a spare, but dirty, mattress out of the way and laid it on the floor. Ellie gasped. “When was this here?!” She asked, gesturing to the now revealed door.
“Since I moved the mattress, obviously!” Spark replied jokingly. Ellie gave him a look before he continued on into the hidden room.
It was small, but was completely empty. A chain hung from the ceiling which could be pulled to turn on the lights. The only thing that sat in the little closet was a guitar propped up on the wall. Spark went over and held it up. “This is what I’m gonna do for the show.” He stated.
Ellie stared for a moment in shock, then instantly switched to what some could call a ‘fangirl moment’. “You play guitar?!” She squealed.
Spark nodded. He didn’t know she’d act this way so he was also in a bit of shock. He should have guessed it though, since all she ever bought were country CDs…
“I’ll do it!” Ellie exclaimed, “I’ll preform with you!”
Spark processed, then smiled, excited. She had the same look of confidence that she had when she agreed to join him in the Hero Club. “Alright then! We have a few weeks of practice, so we’d better get to it!” He’ll be able to play with his parents watching, finally. That’s why he’d kept his passion secret, because he wanted their praise first. “You think you could work up a song by then?”
Ellie shook her head. “I’ve never written a song before, but I might find a current song to sing.”
“That’ll count.”
Now for the next few weeks they set up schedules for when to practice and where. Some days they met up at music club after school so that Spark could work on the notes as Ellie sang different songs. Other days they played at home when Spark’s siblings weren’t home. Any time they got the chance they practiced. And then, almost too soon, the big day of Christmas Eve had rolled around, the night of the Talent Show.

Description
It was the first week of December. The world outside was cold, yet the joy in everyone’s hearts filled everyone with warmth. Winter had officially made itself known with the fluffy white snow that already covered the earth. Almost no one had bothered to play in it, wanting the soft look to last as long as possible if there weren’t children about.
Christmas was already just around the corner and everyone was excited. The joy in their hearts was the only thing keeping them from going cold. People have already begun decorating their homes, wanting every day of the month of feel like Christmas. Just seeing the lights in- and outside homes filled Spark with excitement.
He and Ellie had decided to work together to decorate their house before his parents got home from their job. Now, all bundled up with a few bags in hand, he ran across the icy path up his street. The glowing lights from the house in the night relaxed him as he made his way to the door. It was unlocked. Spark let Ellie know he wasn’t going to be long and the street was fairly safe, so she felt comfortable not locking the door behind him when he left.
As soon as he pushed open he was immediately greeted with the warmth of the heater and the oven, which gave off a delicious smell of cookies. The family room looked different than what it was when he first left to go to the store. It seemed Ellie found some of the decorations while he was gone and made good use of them. The large tree that his father had put up a few days ago was completely decorated, garland and lights and ornaments. The only thing missing would be the big star they always put on top each year on Christmas Eve.
Spark set the bags he held on the couch and looked around. The stair rails that lead to the garage had bright golden garland twisted around it. On the walls, stockings hung waiting for Santa’s presents. They hung on the wall because they didn’t have a chimney, so they had to make do. There was a small table up against the wall by the stairs that had been decorated as well, with a perfect little placemat for Santa’s milk and cookies.
“Ellie shouldn’t have gone through everything!” Spark thought with a laugh. Ellie was always one to go all out on something if she truly wanted to, even making cookies! In fact, he should probably check on them, he thought. After all, Ellie would be upset if they burned. And with a mischievous grin, he decided he might as well taste-test them too.
The kitchen was just as beautiful as the family room. A beautiful snowy Christmas tree centerpiece sat on the table surrounded by frilly white placemats at each place, similar to the one for Santa, but these had a red pattern trim. Mistletoe leaf garland hung from corner to corner on the walls, making Spark question how Ellie even managed to get that high.
He shrugged it off and checked on the cookies. Now, he wasn’t as much of an expert at cooking as Ellie, but they looked done to him. So he carefully sat the cookies on top of the oven, also noticing another tray of uncooked doe as well and ended up swapping the trays. He tossed his mitten aside and reached for one of the fresh cookies; he hadn’t eaten dinner yet and the smell of the cookies made him hungry. He knew Ellie would probably scold him for eating the treat before dinner, but he decided to eat it anyway.
The cookie was pretty hot. Though it didn’t really bother him much; one of his friends was a fire-type so he was pretty much used to the heat. His coat though, not so much. The warmth from the house and oven and the cookie made his coat feel like one of fire. So with his cookie between his teeth he headed back to the family room where he would lay his coat on the couch for the time being.
And that was when he heard it. A soft, but hearable noise coming from his and Ellie’s shared room. (They live in a house with the perfect amount for his family, and he could let Ellie just sleep on the couch!) He made his way down the hall only a few feet before realizing it was singing. But who’s singing?
“Frost on the bedroom window~”
“Snow falling on the ground~”
“The leaves are gone for the winter~”
“But I feel the love all around~”
It was soft, and sweet. If it were a song artist Spark didn’t recognize it. But she sounded beautiful. Though, it was odd that the singer didn’t have music playing with her song. Most songs, including Christmas songs, have music.
Spark continued down the hall to his room. The door was ajar, allowing him to see inside. He didn’t see Ellie, but what he could see was a much smaller tree than the one in the family room, and it was completely bare of any décor, and Christmas lights hanging about the room in a deliberate pattern.
“And no matter what’s underneath the tree~”
“It’s the time we share that means the most to me~”
That was when Ellie came into view. Her poofy brown hair was held up in a ponytail and she wore a bright red sweater. Her tail seemed to swish to an invisible beat. Spark was about to come in and greet her but was stunned into silence when he realized where the singing was coming from.
“We’ve been waiting for long~”
“To decorate the tree and sing holiday songs~”
“It’s all around us~”
“It’s finally Christmas~”
It was no wonder Spark didn’t recognize her. Normally her voice is soft and quiet, with a little rasp to it, but her voice now was completely confidant and lacked the rasp. He’d never heard her sing, and hearing it now made him think an angel had replaced his friend.
“We’ve been waiting all year!~”
“For mistletoe and good cheer!~”
“And now it’s all around us!~”
As Ellie sang she danced around. Whether it be tossing garland around the tree or it just be her tail, she danced to the invisible beat. At one point she spun around the room as her voice started getting louder and braver.
“It’s finally Christma-AHH!”
This was the point she say Spark as she turned, mid lyric. She stood frozen for a moment before clasping her hands over her mouth, her face growing as red as her sweater. Spark pushed the door open all the way and came in, but he didn’t say anything as he was still in awe. Ellie just stood still and her tail wrapped around her legs in embarrassment.
She didn’t hear Spark come inside. If she had, she wouldn’t have sung! She’s never sung in front of anyone, as far as she knew at least, and her shyness wasn’t going to ever let her do that.
“Ellie,” Spark breathed, finally finding his voice.
“I’m sorry!” Ellie blurted before he could get a word in.
“Why are you sorry?” How could she be sorry? What is Arceus’ name made her think she didn’t something wrong?
“M-My singing.” She replied through her hand, “I-It’s awful… I must’ve sounded like a dying cat to you.” Her ears dropped to the sides and her eyes were wide with the thought that Spark hated her singing.
Spark took her hands from her face and had her look up at him. “It didn’t sound awful. It sounded like the complete opposite of awful!” This seemed to have eased Ellie, she was always one to take compliments easily. But she still had doubt in her eyes. Singing with an audience, apparently, was not her strong suit. “You should be happy about your talent!”
She blushed darker. She took one of her hands and brought it back to her mouth, miserably failing to hide the red color on her skin. “You think so?”
“I know so!”
“Thanks…” She pulled away from Spark and returned to the tree, calmly placing the snow white garland around the tree. She was still uncomfortable with the event, Spark could tell by the way her tail still curled around her legs and the way her feet shifted more often than normal.
Despite this, and idea popped into Spark’s head.
But should he tell it?
“Might as well…” he said quietly as he moved over to stand by Ellie, his hands clasped behind his back. “So…Ellie! I um, might need your voice.”
Ellie stopped playing with the garland and turned to look at him. “What?”
“Heh…Well, you know that the school’s doing a Christmas talent show fundraiser?”
Ellie’s eyes widened with horror. “Spark…why?”
“It wasn’t my fault!” It truly wasn’t! It was because of the irritating rat that went to the same school as them, named Bella. She and her friend, Jake, signed up for the talent show and Bella started boasting to Spark that “they actually had talent”. It steamed him up enough that he signed up for the show as well. As he told Ellie this she simply shook her head with wide eyes.
“What exactly does this have to do with using my voice?”
“Well…this is your first Christmas at our school…well, first Christmas as it is but that’s beside the point! Basically, it’s the school’s tradition to have more than a single person playing on stage.” It's a silly rule, but it's supposed to get people into the Christmas-y spirit and have fun together and all that. This was when Ellie went pale again.
“Spark!” she shouted in disbelief. “I’m not singing on stage! In front of people! Just so you can prove a point!”
“Well, I can’t back out now.” He stated, rubbing the back of his head. “The Hero Club is in charge…and you know how Chatot gets when you change your mind too late.”
Ellie’s face was now as white is the snow outside. She was stuck here. Well, not exactly, Spark only signed his name but she was his best hope at even participating in the talent show. And with Chatot in charge…
“W-Well…e-even if I were to j-join…what would you do? Your singing sucks.” That bit was more fact than just an insult. Everyone knew how awful Spark sang (after all, she lives in the same house as him and has heard him “singing” in the shower more than once.) Once Bella and Spark had a karaoke contest, Ellie and Jake have forever banned Bella and Spark from ever singing in their presence again.
Spark considered for a moment, and grinned. “That’s a secret I can't tell, so I’ll just show you! Come on!” He took hold of Ellie’s wrist and pulled her through the house and down the stairs to the garage.
Spark went straight toward the far wall and moved a spare, but dirty, mattress out of the way and laid it on the floor. Ellie gasped. “When was this here?!” She asked, gesturing to the now revealed door.
“Since I moved the mattress, obviously!” Spark replied jokingly. Ellie gave him a look before he continued on into the hidden room.
It was small, but was completely empty. A chain hung from the ceiling which could be pulled to turn on the lights. The only thing that sat in the little closet was a guitar propped up on the wall. Spark went over and held it up. “This is what I’m gonna do for the show.” He stated.
Ellie stared for a moment in shock, then instantly switched to what some could call a ‘fangirl moment’. “You play guitar?!” She squealed.
Spark nodded. He didn’t know she’d act this way so he was also in a bit of shock. He should have guessed it though, since all she ever bought were country CDs…
“I’ll do it!” Ellie exclaimed, “I’ll preform with you!”
Spark processed, then smiled, excited. She had the same look of confidence that she had when she agreed to join him in the Hero Club. “Alright then! We have a few weeks of practice, so we’d better get to it!” He’ll be able to play with his parents watching, finally. That’s why he’d kept his passion secret, because he wanted their praise first. “You think you could work up a song by then?”
Ellie shook her head. “I’ve never written a song before, but I might find a current song to sing.”
“That’ll count.”
Now for the next few weeks they set up schedules for when to practice and where. Some days they met up at music club after school so that Spark could work on the notes as Ellie sang different songs. Other days they played at home when Spark’s siblings weren’t home. Any time they got the chance they practiced. And then, almost too soon, the big day of Christmas Eve had rolled around, the night of the Talent Show.