#cheerclan

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Wshhhh, wshhhh…

Holidaystar shivered in his nest and fluffed up his snowy white fur as best as he could against the chilly leaf-bare wind. He closed his eyes and settled in for sleep. As he slipped into dreaming, a bright and cheery warmth began to surround him and ease his shivering into nothing but a hearty purr.

I know this feeling…

Holidaystar opened his eyes and found himself in a familiar pine forest. The evergreen boughs shimmered with stars and snow - it was impossible to tell which glimmer was which. Around him floated warm specks of cozy light. The sky above was a deep blue and crowded with stars, except for directly above where shone the biggest and most brilliant star any cat had ever seen. As Holidaystar looked up at the Christmas Star, it twinkled and a sweet jingling sound filled the night.

“Holidaystar!” A deep and jolly purr flooded the forest and a huge silvery cat spirit swam down from the sky. “Christmas Spirit!” Holidaystar called back, a smile taking over his muzzle.

The silvery cat came to rest in front of Holidaystar, hovering slightly above the ground covered in powdery snow. “Welcome back,” it said. Holidaystar grinned. “Christmastime again! I’ve been looking forward to this night ever since the first snowfall.”

“Yes, the time has come!” The great cat purred. “From this night for twenty-five days onward, Christmas comes to your Clan. You’ll prepare gifts for your Clanmates, share food and friendship with them around the Christmas Tree, and enjoy leafbare to its fullest. But you already know this, my dear friend!” 

Holidaystar chuckled. “Of course I do. How could I forget?” The tom thought back to the first night he met the Spirit, as a young kit on his first night in his housefolk’s den. May they shine brightly this season, he thought, remembering the kindness of the elder Twolegs that cared for him. For them, Holidaystar would never stop celebrating Christmas, the warmest and sweetest time of year, and when those passed shined the brightest in the winter sky!

“And don’t forget, Christmastime is about love. Let everything you do for your Clanmates this season show the spirit of love in you, and may they show the same to you!” The Christmas Spirit began to climb up into the sky, back towards the Christmas Star, purring heartily as it went. Holidaystar watched contentedly as the great silvery cat rose higher and higher, meowing, “Merry Christmas, CheerClan, Merry Christmas!”