Koreen, her blue wavy hair trailing over her shoulders, released her fingers from the keyboard of her KT160 synthesizer, then punched the air with excitement as the five hundred strong crowd roared in appreciation. The synthesized string sounds, intertwined with swooping guitar, gradually echoed away, with the multicoloured swirling smoke adding a slightly over-the-top dramatic feel to the end of "Following."

Two years ago Nightlights had finally gained sufficient interest from Ballistic Records to hook themselves a record deal. The company was small and fairly young, but they'd opted to take a chance on the synthpop band. And they were glad they did. While hardly a whirlwind success, Nightlights' first few singles and their debut album, "Colours" had sold impressively enough. And the band's second album, "World's End" had done even better.

It was this second album that they were now touring in support of, and sales of the album had been enough to pay back the sizeable record company advance from when they'd first signed to Ballistic, with enough left to actually begin making a reasonable living from their music. Koreen's new KT160 synth had been a bit of an extravagant purchase, but she'd had her eye on it for months, and decided it was well and truly time to treat herself.

As it was, the song they'd just finished playing was the last one from their set that night, and while the show had not sold out, the audience's enthusiasm had more than made up for it. They were at the Arcadian in Fintel, Ritore, a venue that had only been open two months, and as they left the stage, the owner of the venue approached them.

The short, rather chubby grey wolf - Xandel Henderson - said, "Hey, that was nothing short of incredible! I missed the last few songs because I had to chase up a phone call. Bloody April Flowers again, cancelling Thursday's gig. How'd it go?"

The band's singer, Tamyra, nodded, looking tired. "Yeah, it was great. A smaller audience than we've played to before but... well, Fintel is only a small town."

The wolf replied, "Sure, plus we've only been open a few months. Still waiting for word to get round. Anyway, I wondered if it was alright if Mrs Henderson here took a photo of you guys?"

Moments later, the black furred rabbit he'd gestured to had taken the bands photograph, which they were told would be framed and put in pride of place above the staircase that led to the upper balconies. The owner planned to do the same for as many new bands as possible each time they played there for the first time.

A short while later, the five band members were fairly hurriedly drinking coffee from large white foam cups, planning not to hang around too long because they had tickets for a flight back to Phoenixbrook. Koreen heard a rather timid knock at the stage door, opening it to see a nervous looking, black haired vixen, about thirteen years old, standing there with her dad.

"H... hi!" the vixen stammered. "I was... ummm, well I mean..."

Her father, a tall fox with similar black hair, laughed and said to Koreen, "Sorry about this. She's a really big fan of your band, and has been for a long time. You'd really make her day, and save my sanity, if you could sign an autograph for her. If that's okay? I know you're extremely busy."

Koreen, slightly surprised, replied, "Sure, no problem. Sorry, it caught me off kilter. We don't really get all that many requests for autographs." The vixen, wide eyed with excitement, handed over a dark blue autograph book, brand new and currently empty.

"Who should I sign it to?" Koreen asked, searching the room for a pen, finally finding one at the side of her backpack.

"To Serien, please!" The vixen smiled warmly.

Koreen signed the book as asked, and was about to hand it back when the other band members bustled to the door, with the singer calling out, "Hold it, moosh! We're gonna sign it as well, you know." A short while later, Serien - almost ready to burst with excitement - ambled away, five signatures the richer, accompanied by her dad.

It was amazing, Koreen thought, that a few pieces of paper could hold the key to making someone so happy, but she knew from experience that a simple signature did hold that power. And when it cost nothing to give and gained so much, she and the others were flattered to have the chance of being able to do that for someone.

Just a few hours later, the band - with the exception of bass player Kerrin - were flying home to Phoenixbrook in Aredria, from Fintel in Ritore. Nightlights' record company contract was such that they were entitled to keep any money they made from tours, but they did have to pay for the tour and travel themselves. The plane they were using, the T6000, was fast and reasonably luxurious, and the cost was surprisingly low so they opted to give that a try.

Though they could easily have booked a private room on the jet, just for themselves, Koreen was determined that Nightlights should "keep their feet on the ground." (Ironic considering how high above the ground they actually were at that moment.) None of the band members were keen on the shallower and holier-than-thou attitude of some celebrity circles. "If the rest of the people on this plane can sit in the main seating area, so can we," Koreen had told the others, and even if they hadn't agreed, they wouldn't have dared argue with her.

Sitting either side of Koreen were her eight year old twins. Eliki was extremely nervous about travelling, so flying on a plane was not exactly easy for him to say the least. This was why Leana had been plonked by the window, where she was in her element peering out at the clouds, while Koreen distracted Eliki with stories about the gig. The twins hadn't actually been at the show, instead being looked after by Kerrin's brother. The bass player had originally lived in Fintel, and most of his family still lived there, though he had moved to Phoenixbrook for a time when he had wanted to study a particular university course. He planned to stay with family for now, intending to move back to Phoenixbrook in the New Year. The rest of the band all had family in Aredria. Koreen of course lived in Phoenixbrook, as did the guitarist, Heather. The singer, Tamyra, lived in Gillford, and the gentle giant of a drummer, Iyisha, lived with his girlfriend in Stemford.

The end of the year was always marked by Aredria's festival of Soleine, so they all hoped to be with friends and family during that time, especially as that was one of the principle reasons behind the festival. Soleine celebrated the year ending and the new one beginning, but it was also a celebration of the moon, night and day, and togetherness - symbolised by the fact that everyone lived under the same moon and sky. Houses and streets were decorated, gifts were exchanged between family and friends, and often - weather permitting - the celebrations would eventually be taken outside on the night, under the full moon. Huge bonfires would often be lit, illuminating the gardens and keeping everyone warm. It was an exciting time, especially for children, with the prospect of all those new toys, games and books...

As the plane began its rapid descent towards the Aredrian airport in Kerr - also the country's main harbour - Koreen held Eliki's trembling paw tight. Leana, unconcerned about any aspect of the flight, yelled out a loud, "Woohoo!" making most of the passengers jump. The landing went without a hitch, and a short time later the band members said their goodbyes as Iyisha and Tamyra headed off to the relevant platforms at the train station. Since Koreen and Heather both lived in Phoenixbrook, it made sense to get the same train together. Since it wasn't due for at least another twenty minutes, it provided Eliki with just the excuse he needed, as he pulled at Koreen's arm, keen to visit the large newsagents nearby in the train station.

"So you're feeling better then, little dude?" Heather asked, her cheetah tail swishing slowly.

"Yeah, I'm alright now, I think," he replied. "Mama? Can we go in there?"

They wandered into the newsagents, ducking under a mass of tinsel that decorated the entrance and windows, with Eliki muttering, "They'd better still be there..." Leana stopped by a small cardboard stand which contained lots of small paper windmills on display, in a myriad of glittering colours. Eliki, meanwhile, headed directly for a larger stand further down the shop, from which dangled an array of differently coloured rubber skeletons.

Koreen couldn't help grinning. "I might have known..."

Heather peered at the skeletons, blowing a strand of curly hair out of her eyes. "Coooool...! Ummm, what are they?"

Koreen laughed. "They're skeletons, dummy."

"Duh! I can see that. But what's so special about them? Do they, like, dance or something?"

As Eliki plucked a vivid yellow skeleton from the stand - a skeleton with a particularly demented 'grin' on its skull - Koreen replied, "How much do you think a cheap piece of rubber is likely to do? I don't know why, but Eliki is fascinated by the things. He has at least four more back at home. Every darn time we go here..."

Heather grinned toothily, imitating the look on the chosen one's face. "Well, I still think they're cool. I wouldn't mind one of them myself actually. We could hang it from Iyisha's cymbals!"

They eventually left with a few snacks, a yellow skeleton in the care of Eliki, two red skeletons hanging from Heather's head like surreal ear-rings, and a paper windmill spinning in the breeze, held by Leana. A few short moments later, their train arrived, powered by the hi-tech magnets built into the tracks which levitated the carriages a few inches above them.

Once onboard, they waited while Leana retrieved one of her favourite cherry bars from a somewhat conveniently placed vending machine. By the time she'd done that and offered Eliki half the bar, which he accepted, the train was already slowing down as it entered the Phoenixbrook train station. A bell sounded as the station locked and latched the train safely into place, and shortly after the doors opened with a gentle hiss, allowing them to disembark onto the platform. As always, Leana leapt down from the carriage, landing daintily.

The platform, comprised of red bricks, led directly to the main waiting area, surrounded by more platforms and lots of shops, all decorated in tinsel, false snow and various other ornamental sundry items. Standing on the red bricks, the twins looked at each other with crafty grins and, as one, shouted, "Go!" They both charged towards the hundreds of multicoloured tiles spanning the majority of the station, jumping intentionally from one tile to another. Each time they landed, the chosen tile instantly changed colour. Leana landed on a blue tile, which became green, and moments later as she sprang off it and Eliki pounced onto it, the tile changed to red.

As Koreen and Heather wandered across the tiles, luggage in paw - the rest of their equipment due to arrive at their respective homes a few days later - they watched with amusement as the two kittens pounced and bounded across the station, the tiles flashing through a spectrum of colours behind them.

Koreen grinned. "And of course this is another of their little traditions, every time we're here." They suddenly stopped as two female rabbits stood in front of them, asking for autographs. They'd waited specially for the train to arrive.

"Are the others here too?" asked the shorter bunny, her fur dyed pink all over.

"No, no," Heather told them. "They headed straight home and...what? Oh..." She had followed their gaze and realised they were staring, bemused, at the two skeletons still hanging from her ears. Moments later, chaos ensued as the snowkitten twins began chasing each other in circles, around the two rabbits, the tiles changing rapidly in a dizzying circle.

"C'mon, you loons," Heather giggled, taking each twin by a small paw and leading them past a huge, glittering blue tree. "I'd like to get home tonight if at all possible."

As they left the elaborate station, its gothic architecture towering above them in vast arches and alcoves, Koreen checked her watch. 9pm already, and the sky was black as ink, with few stars visible, but the full moon was there, looming over the horizon. Heather suddenly nudged Koreen, and nodded back at the station.

Instantly she thought, "The skunk statue has gone!" For a few years the station's main entrance had been flanked by two angel statues - a Dalmatian and a skunk - but now the skunk had vanished. In its place was a statue of a female cat in long robes, certainly no longer an angel. It wasn't the first time. Phoenixbrook had a habit of altering routes, buildings, and even statues seemingly on a whim. People inevitably noticed the changes, but rarely spoke of it. In its way, it was endlessly fascinating wondering what had changed and why, but at the same time it was also rather eerie...

Heather gave Koreen a quick hug, then hugged both the twins, and left for her home in Blair Street with the help of a red taxi. Koreen checked along the taxi ranks till she found what she was looking for. The colours of each vehicle indicated which area of Phoenixbrook the taxi would travel to, with white taxis going anywhere within and outside the city. Koreen had needed a yellow taxi to reach the south west of Phoenixbrook. Shortly after, she stepped out the taxi, paying the driver with her cash card while her twins, half asleep, oozed onto the pavement from the back seats. They strolled up the long white staircase, leading up the hill that their home was set into. The air had become increasingly chilly, hinting that there might be snow in the night. That wasn't so unusual for this particular time of year, especially if there was another snowkitten pulling the weather's strings, intent on making tomorrow all the more atmospheric.

Once they were safely in, Koreen closed the door, activating the security again, which locked and sealed every door and window. She then tapped at another console in the hall, and moments later each room was lit with fake candlelight. The lights in the house could be set to simulate any number of different conditions, but Koreen had decided this would be more appropriate for the time of year, and more pleasing than the full glare of the bulbs. A gentle warm glow filled much of the living room, casting huge shadows along the walls. Koreen was about to light the fire, when Leana raised both paws in the air and the logs burst into flame with a loud whoosh.

"Thank you, Leana, but you really must be careful with that spell."

"I know, mama. I made sure nobody was near it."

"Okay then. Now, I want you two to go straight up to bed, okay? You have a big day ahead of you. All the presents and food to chew."

"I don't want to chew the presents," Eliki called out in a tired voice. He stood by their tall, decorated tree, lazily batting at one of the many multicoloured baubles. All manner of shapes adorned the tree - gingerbread cats, snow globes, cubes containing tiny model villages, and lots of flower shaped, glowing lights in different colours. Tinsel and glittery twists of paper covered the ceiling and walls, and a few cards lined the windowsills. Eliki asked, "Can we sleep down here? Like we did last year?"

Koreen sighed and smiled. "Okay... seeing as it's Soleine tomorrow. Go and change into your night clothes though, and bring down your warmest blanket, okay?" They charged up the stairs, tiredness temporarily forgotten. Koreen took the chance to tidy the gifts under the tree, all wrapped in iridescent paper, noting that once again the twins had been nosing at them trying to figure out what they contained.

Once her twins had finished getting ready, they thundered down the stairs, padding into the living room, each dragging along one of their favourite blankets. Koreen nodded, satisfied with their wise decisions, and sat on the plush carpet by the fire.

"Mama, can we open one of the gifts?" asked Leana, pointing at the pile. "Just one? Pleeeeaaaaaasssse?"

Koreen rubbed her tired eyes. "Well, when you put it like that... Okay, just one but you must settle down to go to sleep afterwards."

Eliki pounced, nearly knocking the tree over and grabbing a squishy gift, while Leana more delicately chose a fascinating square box. They tore at the paper as though their lives depended on it, revealing to Eliki that he had received a light blue, very fluffy scarf which he promptly wrapped round his head like a turban. Leana's gift turned out to be a cute cat shaped nightlight. She plugged it in, and it bathed a corner of the room in a comforting warm blue light.

They hugged Koreen in thanks, and then placed the blankets on the floor near the fire, settling down underneath them to sleep, leaving enough room for Koreen to climb in between them both. At this time of year, when togetherness was everything, Koreen still felt the harsh sting of losing Tyrell and never really knowing why he left. But at that moment, with her twins either side of her, already lost in the world of dreams, Koreen felt anything but alone. She felt like the luckiest snowkitten alive.