All day, Neopians from every land stopped by to chat and pick up the newest gifts. She had spent so much time deciding on the perfect surprise for each day, so it warmed her heart to see everyone's reactions.

She couldn't wait for tomorrow! The excitement sent a jolt of energy through her tired body, and soon she was skipping through the snow happily.

She finally reached her little home and was ready for some hot chocolate and her pyjamas. However, as she got closer to her front door she noticed something on her porch.

Right in front of her door there was a...

Randomly finding a Petpet -- her Raindorf, Dasher -- had happened to her before, a few years ago. That was the day she tried to make the Advent Calendar an adoption centre. She was nominally successful in her goal to rehome the lost Petpets of Happy Valley, the Ice Caves, and Terror Mountain that Month of Celebrating. Even in the off-season, the Advent Calendar still adopted out Petpets.

"Unfortunately, little guy, I already have a Raindorf, and I love Dasher very much." She booped his nose and he made a sound that Reina could only interpret as giggling. The Aisha laughed as well, and her baubles jingled.

And then Reina realized the Raindorf had a collar. "Ooh, you're not just a lost little guy -- you have an owner!" She grinned, and the Petpet seemed to smile back. "And I'm going to help you return home..."

As Reina opened the door, she heard the excited pitter-patter of Dasher making his way over to greet her. Upon seeing Dasher, the lost Raindorf hopped out of Reina's arms and began squealing with joy. As the two quickly moved past introductions and started to play, Reina decided to fix herself that cocoa she had been looking forward to.

"This happens from time to time", she thought to herself as she warmed the milk. "Visitors get caught up in the excitement of the Winter Starlight Celebration and Petpets often find that the perfect time to slip away."

After preparing her cocoa and a snack for the two Raindorfs, Reina returned the living room. While she was crouching down to feed the two fast friends some carrots, outside she heard...

The two Raindorfs regarded her curiously, then glanced at the door.

Reina straightened, a little apprehensive, and moved to open the door.

Outside, she found a Bika, who continued to try headbutting the now-open door a few more times. She patted its head. "It's okay little fellow," she soothed. "You don't have to keep doing that." A golden charm dangled from the Petpet's harness. "Oh, you have an owner too, don't you? Well, might as well come on in, I've got one misplaced Petpet inside already, we'll make a party of it, and in the morning--"

Reina's eyes had wandered beyond the porch, to the snowy front yard of her NeoHome, and knew at once that returning the Petpets to their owners couldn't wait until morning. In her yard, there...

Reina gawped. She hadn't seen so many petpets in one place before, especially without their owners. For a moment, she wondered if they were escapees from the Wintery Petpets shop. She knew the friendly old Bruce who ran it, and they would never be careless enough to leave the door open.

She put her hands on her hips and said, "What am I supposed to do with all of you?"

That's when she realized that these little visitors had a Petpet-sized sled with them. It was laden with small, clumsily wrapped presents. A pair of Dofrey had attached themselves to the sled with velvet straps. A friendly but reluctant Wherfy sat atop the present pile, its ears folding uncertainly backward. The Felf sitting on the sleigh's seat gave her a friendly wave.

It took Reina only a few seconds to register just what she was looking at. Although the Petpets could not speak, she could sense that they had come to her in particular for a very particular reason. Her suspicions were confirmed when the surprise Raindorf with her let out a bleat of recognition and happy surprise, then galloped over to its friends.

"Oh, I see," she said, her laughter tinkling like the ornaments on her antlers. "You need my help. You're..."

The little band of festive friends all nodded. Her Raindorf friend, who she could see was named Marshmallow by the tag on his collar, gave another happy bleat.

"Did you guys do these yourselves?" she asked, patting Marshmallow on the head.

They all nodded again. The Dofrey had matching collars, both with a snot splatter pattern, so they must belong to a set of siblings. Reina wondered who would pick such a gaudy set of collars. The one on the left, whose tag read Munchy, accidentally stepped on the other's - Crunchy - hoof and they scuffled a bit until Reina whistled and they sat politely.

"Well you did a great job," she said. " Where are you taking them?"

The sleigh driving Felf - his hat has Jeffrey stitched in fancy gold thread - waved at her and then pointed to the forest behind her house. Her face dropped slightly, but she shook it off and maintained her composure.

"Oh. You don't mean..."

Jeffrey nodded brightly and shook the reins so that the bells jingled. He looked at her almost expectantly.

"You want me to go with you?" she asked. Her Raindorf Dasher nudged at her feet, and she scooped him up onto her hip. She could feel the weight of Dasher's stare, and looking around at the group of Petpets, they were all nodding eagerly.

"Well... okay. I'm a little nervous, though," Reina admitted.

The Wherfy tilted its head to the side in a question, and a Candychan made a confused noise.

"Why am I nervous? Well, it's because..."

The Christmas Aisha’s grandmother was once one of the most festive Neopets she knew. Every day during the Month of Celebrating, Meemaw would wake up as early as the sun and start spreading holiday cheer to all of Happy Valley and beyond and it was more than just gift giving through the Advent Calendar. She would help plan holiday flavours at the Ice Cream Cart and run events at the Annual Happy Valley Skating Competition. If it was something festive, Meemaw had her hands in it. Reina remembered the past fondly before snapping back to reality.

Munchy and Crunchy, the Dofrey brothers pulling the sleigh, looked at Reina with concern, tilting their heads to the side as if to prompt her to elaborate.

“Meemaw, she…” the Aisha began, mulling over her choice of words. “She experienced an Advent Calendar mishap that forced her into retirement. That’s when I took over.”

A Polarchuck looked at her with wide, optimistic eyes. “You’re right,” she said and patted it on the head with a sigh. “Maybe this will be just the thing Meemaw needs to brighten her holidays this year.”

While Reina wasn’t as confident as the Petpets that swarmed her, she would put on a brave face for both them and Meemaw.

“Follow me,” she sang. “To grandmother’s house we go!”

With that, the Christmas Aisha began to make her way through the evergreens towards Meemaw’s cottage…

The two embraced each other. "Meemaw, I'm so glad to see you!" Reina exclaimed. "And I brought guests." She opened the door wider to reveal the plentiful Petpets.

Meemaw's demeanour seemed to flatten. Reina frowned; she really did hope that seeing the Petpets would have an invigorating effect on her grandmother. "Well, come in," she said to Reina. "And... you, all, stay outside for now," the elderly Aisha hesitantly added, addressing the Petpets.

Reina gave one solemn look at the Petpets and did as told, shutting the door in front of the many who were gathered. She followed Meemaw to the drawing room. "Meemaw, as you can see, I'm being followed by these Petpets. They encouraged me to come here. And... maybe against my better judgment, I came. I know it's all connected to whatever happened with you at the Advent Calendar... those couple years ago..." she trailed.

Meemaw smiled thinly and radiated a demeanour of discomfort. "Well... All I can say is, they're back. But this time, they chose YOU." Meemaw's smile seemed to grow just a little, little brighter.

Reina listened intently.

"There is a reason our family are the traditional caretakers of the Advent Calendar, you know. Not by birthright, of course, but by vocation," Meemaw replied sagely. "We just love the spirit of the Day of Giving and feel a deep sense of calling to spreading holiday magic and cheer. And for the past few years, these little fellas from across this wintry wonderland have come around to me for treats and care -- as the final stop on their way to the top of Terror Mountain, where Santa lives. They're his helpers, you know."

The younger Aisha gaped, dumbfounded. "So... why don't you help them?"

"Let's just say, a few years ago... I failed in my duty, and I haven't been able to face them or the Advent Calendar since." She buried her face in her paws and sobbed.

Reina hugged her grandmother tightly. "Whatever it was, they've forgiven you. They came to me and encouraged me to speak with you about what happened... whatever it was." The Aisha couldn't help but smile. "But whatever it is, isn't important. What is important, is that I'm going to help the Petpets. I want you to help me help the Petpets, right now." She grinned. "And we'll come out of this stronger, together..."

How will this story end?

"You don't need me to do that, dear," she whispered. "You may bring the Petpets in here, help them warm up and prepare for their journey. If they were able to bring you all the way here, then clearly you can understand each other just fine..."

Reina's face fell; she had hoped she had gotten through to her Meemaw that time.

"But it'll be so much better with the two of us!" the Christmas Aisha said.

"They chose you, like I said." "Yet they brought me to you!" Reina gasped, hands flying to her mouth; she had not meant to raise her voice at her grandmother.

But even though Meemaw looked taken aback at first, and even glanced away for a second, she finally placed her hands on Reina's shoulders.

"I made a mistake," said Meemaw solemnly. "A single mistake, organising all the gifts to be given out that year for the Advent Calendar. We came up short, and we had to tell so many Neopians to just come back the following day. Imagine, seeing so many sad, disappointed faces. The children asking why there were no presents, the elders demanding an explanation...

"And all these Petpets...I pushed them to help me rush the deliveries. I worked them hard, I got angry at them, I shouted at them. Seeing them brings back memories of that day, when I told them they would be getting no treats until every Neopian got the gifts they should. I can't face them again, Reina. You may let them in, but only after I've gone upstairs."

Reina glanced over her shoulder at the door. Beyond it, she knew the petpets were all waiting outside. She wondered what they were doing, or thinking, right now. But surely, if they could still approach Meemaw's house...

"Like I said," she replied slowly, "they've forgiven you. So please, Meemaw, forgive yourself, too. I'm sure they want to get treats and pats and scratches from you again, just like old times."

"You really think that will be enough?"

Reina nodded, squeezing the elderly Aisha's hands tightly. Warmly.

"Of course I do. It'll be okay. Besides, don't you want to experience that spirit of giving and cheer again?"

* * *

The two Aishas sat side by side, passing out treats to the queue of Petpets in front of them. The Felf named Jeffrey bowed in thanks and scampered off to peer out the window at the parked sled, where the Dofreys were sharing freshly baked biscuits while guarding their precious cargo.

As Reina extended a treat toward a Candychan along with a Petpet-sized cup of hot chocolate, she looked over at her grandmother, who was doing the same for a sleepy-looking Polarchuck.

And her heart swelled at the sight of Meemaw smiling brightly.

"Think of this as a warm-up before you come back to the Advent Calendar, Meemaw."

"Hmm, you might be right, dear. We managed to make enough treats and hot chocolate for everyone, with more to spare."

"And you always make the best hot chocolate." Reina raised her own mug in a toast. "I learned everything I know about hot chocolate - and the Advent Calendar - from you."

"Well, they say you can't teach an old Spardel new tricks, but it looks like I've learned something from you too, Reina."

The elderly Aisha gently tapped Reina's mug with her own before taking a sip.

"I learned to forgive myself...and that peppermint does go wonderfully with hot chocolate."

The End.