Lucia Day

"The night treads with heavy steps, house and yard around. Wrapped about soil forgotten by Sun, the shades are abound..."

The multitude of pitches from the choir of white-robed elves joined together in a single tranquil harmony, breaking the darkness of early morning over the North Pole with the light from the crown of candles surrounding Hailey's long dark-rusty hair joining the illumination from the candles in the hands of the maids behind her. Around her waist was tied a blood-red sash, fitting her white smock against her curvy physique. With ephireally light yet slow steps she moved forward, palms pressed against each other before her chest as if praying, followed closely behind in a two rows by the other female elves donning the same white robes as Hailey with slivers of glitter in their hair.

From behind the procession protruded the long white cone hats speckled with golden stars worn by the star singers, along with the golden shimmer of the star on the tips of their staffs.
Ralph stood out in this procession, dressed as a Christmas elf; but a red version of their uniforms from the 19th century. A crimson wicker basket adorned with an oversized green ribbon hung from his arm, filled with gingerbread, lussekatts and a thermos with coffee along with some papercups.

The procession ascended the stairs of the barracks on the outside, moving along the second storey balcony ledge that connected all the rooms as they kept singing their song of. Hailey rapped lightly on the door twice before turning the knob, finding the door unlocked as she knew it would be. After all, Emily had left it unlocked when she snuck out in the early morning to join the procession.
When the door to the room opened, they found a newly awakened Jess on the lower bunk, her bandaged foot resting on the foot of the bed, rubbing her eye with her knuckle. Her long strawberry-blonde hair, free from the pigtails she usually donned, ran behind her shoulders. Her expression, blank from tiredness beyond confusion, grew into a smile of adoring joy as she beheld the procession entering the room with an eerily seren and beautiful song;

"And thus in our abode so dark; rising with the illuminating mark: Saint Lucia! Saint Lucia!"
As the song concluded, Jess applauded the performance, "Why, Hailey! Look at you! You really are an amazing Lucia after all!"
Hailey chuckled as she came closer, "Yeah, I mean, you've been such an amazing Lucia all these years, right? Couldn't well mess up, could I? Not now that it was your turn to get a proper Lucia morning."
Jess leaned in to give Hailey a hug, as Ralph placed the basket on Jess's nightstand and poured a cup of coffee, handing it to Jess. She took a slurp and one of the gingerbread men.

"Ey!" Emily said, sitting down on the side of the bed after extinguishing her candle, "Just leave it to us to whip her into shape!"
Jess chuckled as she bit off the head of the gingerbread, "Just make sure to leave her in one piece."
"Jess, oh, Jess... Girl... Look at her. You think I could break her if I tried?" Emily and Jess laughed together.
Hailey chuckled, "...Please don't try."

Once breakfast had been distributed, The group packed up what was left, and gathering outside the door lit up the candles once again with matches hidden in the basket.
"Well, it's been nice, Jess, but the morning is still young, and we've gotta continue." Hailey said, taking her spot at the lead of the procession, "Hope your leg heals up!"
"Yeah, with this kind of care it darn better!" Jess said, leaning on her crutch as she waved and watching the procession leave, "Bye! Have a good morning!"

Like this the procession climbed Alvin's red and white striped tower. So tall was it that the procession had to pause their singing, as they were too winded before they reached the top, resuming only when they reached the end of the stairs. When the elves sang "Nu Strålar En Stjärna", they soon could hear the accompanying piano cover from behind the door. Alvin had waited up for them by the piano, and began the anthem when he heard the chorus.
Poor Elvira got caught up in one of Alvin's animated harangues about his research into the vast magazine of ancient tomes that adorned his tower.

Once done the elves headed towards Santa's headquarters to conclude their procession. It was a castle-like structure in the center of the North Pole decidedly constructed for human-sized residents, as opposed to the rest of the village which had been constructed for the elves.
Hailey lead the procession through the vast hallways of the white, red and green castle, illuminated by chandaliers so high in the ceiling they might as well be stars. When she reached a closed pair of doors in the way, Hailey pulled the cord dangling in front of it so they would part, giving the procession passage further into Santa's headquarters.

After crossing the great hall and reaching the last staircase, Hailey stood before the last door. She pulled the cord, and the doors swung wide open.
On his green, throne like chair by his office overlooking the frozen landscape of the arctic ice, and the aurora-speckled sky of midwinter night above it, through an oversized window, Santa sat by his desk in a red shirt and green waistcoat, his vast belly hanging out.
The procession sang Silent Night, with the highest pitches reacing levels of beautiful to the point of being haunting.

When the song concluded, Santa clapped his hands, "Oh-ho-ho-ho!" Why, look at you! Now, this is one Lucia to remember!"
Hailey chuckled, looking away as she rubbed her legs together, "Ehehehehe... Yeah, I dunno...This year we didn't get a light-haired Lucia, so..."
"Ah, but Hailey... You just look so much like the true saint. For such eerily pure beauty, and stalward determination... There can be no mistaking it. This is an image I will cherish, just like the time I first looked upon the true saint."
Hailey blushed so much she forgot her bearings, and a drop of wax dripped on the floor, leaving a stain of white fluid. Hailey immediately snapped out of it and held her head firmly.
"Th-thank you. Thank you so much. No one has ever... Ever said something like that to me." Hailey was on the verge of tears.
Santa greeted her with a smile, "Merry Christmas, Hailey! And Merry Christmas to you all!"

Once their procession was done, they gathered back at the all room where Jess awaited them, having made her way there on crutches.
With a loud, almost groan-like sigh, Hailey sat herself down on a chair, parking her crown of candles on the table beside her porridge bowl and tall glass of milk on the table.
"So how did it go, guys?" Jess asked, clutching on to her steam cup of hot coco.
"I... I don't know." Hailey scratched the back of her head, "Guys...? Did I do a good job?"
Elvira, Emily and Sylvia looked between each other, uncertain of what to say, before Ralph burst out before any of them could speak.
"Hailey! You were amazing! I didn't know you could be a Lucia! I mean... Like a proper Lucia!"
"Heh..." Hailey pushed a spoonful of porridge into her mouth and swallowed, "Guess I also surprized myself. But... I'm glad that next year I can sit this one out, and we can return to Jess running the show. Right, Jess?"
The blonde elf looked into the sparking fireplace, deep in thought, "Hmmm, I wouldn't mind it, no. But..."
"But...?" Elvira, Emily and Sylvia said in chorus as Hailey leaned in curious.
"I mean, wouldn't it be fun if each year, someone else could take the reins? Get a taste of what it's like taking the lead, and, just for one morning, be the star of the show?"

"But..." Ralph started, "Jess! You've been the Lucia for..."
"Not anymore, Ralph." Jess took a slurp from her coco, "And maybe this is an opportunity to come up with a new tradition. I mean, if Hailey can do it, anyone can. Right?"
Hailey raised her spoon to protest, but sighed in resignation. Not that she didn't agree.

With starlight in the eyes, the trio looked with admiration at Jess.
"You mean...?" Emily started.
"Next year... I could be the Lucia?"
Jess nodded, "Besides, that way you don't have to fight anything about it.

Hailey looked down at the Lucia crown with a smile. She might not be the most reliable or active elf in the North Pole... But this time she tried her hardest, learned everything she needed to... And gosh darnit she had fun.