17th shards christmas 17th Shard's Christmas: Chapter by Chapter Finale!

[Mat]

Once upon a time, a bunch of ordinary Sharders got together one December and had a great idea. (Well, it was mostly Fadran, but we helped some too!) We were to put together a Christmas Extravaganza Bash of Amazingness- with a Secret Santa, Advent Calendar, Sanderson Carol Parodies, and this: a fully original 20 chapter story written by US. It was created, well, chapter-by-chapter! We each took turns writing a chapter, but only had whichever chapter came chronologically before ours to go off of. And having read it putting this thread together, I can tell you, it is one heck of a story. It may be inconsistent at times, but that's part of the fun! I hope you all enjoy reading what we have created. Just remember to rep those involved, because they deserve it immensely! But before Hentient kicks us off...

I know it's been said, many times, many ways... Merry Christmas, everyone! Well and truly, Merry Christmas. Not just from me, but from all of us who wrote this.

Now... without further ado... I present: THE 17TH SHARD'S CHRISTMAS CHAPTER BY CHAPTER!!!!!

Prologue, by @Hentient

Spoiler

 Elias sat before a crackling fire. It was starting to grow smaller, and the time for his decision was growing ever nearer. For now though, he tended the fire, placing another log inside the flames. Snow fell softly outside, covering the ground in a blanket of white. 
    The radio moved to commercials and snapped Elias out of his daze. He stood up, reaching to switch the frequency, but the blasted dial stuck. That's what you get for wanting something vintage Elias thought. He sighed and walked to the kitchen. Finding nothing particularly interesting in the cabinets, he started back toward the fire, but found he didn’t want it’s warmth either. Soon he was pacing back and forth, lost in his thoughts. 
    If I do this, he thought, There’s no going back. It’ll be final. But how can I not?  
    He didn't know how long he paced there, but soon the radio once again relieved him of this thoughts. The song “All I Want For Christmas Is You” was playing. Elias quickly reached over and switched off the radio, stopping the song before the singing started. Silence rang through his living room, somehow more deafening then any other noise would be. 
    Elias checked his watch, his heart racing. Only a couple minutes left. He looked around, searching for anything that would stretch out the time, giving him longer to make his decision. He didn't see anything, and instead leaned against the wall. He slid down to the ground and pulled his legs against his chest. 
    This should be an easy decision. He thought, A no brainer. I should want this. But what will this do to my life? What if I mess it all up? 
    He was scared. He would never admit that to another living being, but he was terrified. He could at least admit that to himself. 
    A knock sounded at his door. It was soft, but it still shook his soul. Shakily, Elias stood up. Using the wall to support him, he walked towards the door and opened it. A tiny person stood there, no taller than Elias’s waist. He had pointed ears and little bells on his shoes. An elf. 
    Even after years of knowing the elves, it still seemed odd to Elias to see one. They still seemed like childhood fancies to him. But regardless, he stepped aside, letting the little elf come in. This one's name was Figgy, and Elias had known him for as long as he’d known about the North Pole. 
    “Hello Elias!” Figgy said, “You look positively dreary. Come now, let's fix that.” He strolled into the house and toward the fire, warming his hands against the hearth. The elf seemed cheery, but that was a show he put on for Elias. Figgy was grieving, they both were. 
    Elias shut the door, followed Figgy into the living room, and sat in his armchair. He stared into the flames as Figgy turned to look at him. 
    “So… Have you made your decision then?” Figgy asked. Elias just grunted. “Elias, we have no one else to turn to. We need you.” 
    It all came down to this moment. Elias had thought for hours about what he would say, but he still didn’t know. “Figgy, I saw what the job did to him. His life, it was consumed by the work. He barely had time for Mrs. Claus, much less me, his best friend.” Elias forced himself to not be bitter about that. He shoved it down, focusing on the moment. 
    “Maybe… Maybe we can change that, Elias. Maybe the elfs can do more. We can help you. You won’t be alone.” Figgy sounded desperate. 
    “How could I not be alone Figgy? The pressure of this job, it’s unlike anything else. I’ve seen what it does to a person. I just… I don’t know If I can do it.” Elias looked into Figgy's eyes. He saw sorrow in them. “I know, Figgy. I know that there are a million people who want this job. I know that I shouldn't turn it down because of my own selfish worries. But that doesn't make them go away.” Figgy just nodded, turning towards the hearth but choosing to say nothing. “I want to help, I really do. But how can you and the elves be sure that I’m the one that's right for the job?”
    Figgy looked at him. “It’s because you’ve seen what it’s like, Elias. You’re right, I could give this offer to a million people, and they’d take it in a second. But they wouldn’t know what they’re signing up for. You do. And,” Figgy continued, “You’ve got one of the biggest hearts in the world. You care about getting the job done right. That's why we need you, Elias. Me and the other elves, we will do everything we can to help you. But we can’t do it without you.” 
    Elias took a deep breath. He rubbed at his forehead, as if that would help clear his thoughts. Shakily, he said it. “...Okay, Figgy. I’ll do it.” 
    Figgy perked up, his cheery mask returning. He slapped Elias on the shoulder, which he could only do while Elias was sitting. “Alright! I’ll go tell the others. We have so many preparations to make, so many things to do!” He turned to leave, but paused. “Thank you Elias.” He reached for a hug, and Elias returned it. 
Elves, Elias thought They could get you to do anything. 
But he was happy with his choice. Well, maybe not happy, but content. The person the world knew as Santa Claus, Elias’s best friend, had passed away. And somehow, Elias would take his place.

Chapter One: A Claus, by @Spren of Kindness

Spoiler

“Elias!”  Figgy yells as he makes his way up the stairs.  “I brought cookies!”

There’s a rustle, and the sound of a lot of papers falling to the ground, and Figgy winces.  They’ll have to organize those again.  

Elias pokes his head out the door, his white hair fluffed into a wild cloud above his head.  There’s streaks of reddish-gold in it again, as is usual for this time of year.  “Ah, Figgy.  Wonderful to see you.  I, um…” the current Claus glances back into his office and cringes.  “Come in, I guess?”  He opens the door fully.

It’s a mess.

“Wow.”  Figgy glances around, setting down his cookie tin on top of a mostly stable looking pile of papers on the side table.  “You really did a number on this place.”

“Yeah.”  Elias rubs the back of his head.  “Remind me why I have to do this again?”  He gestures at the paper everywhere, covered in slightly smudged pencil marks of calculations.  Factors, forces, trajectories.  All of the important things for his flight.

“You do it yourself because you’re a Claus,” Figgy says patiently.  They have this discussion every year.  “You need to understand how to fly, and more importantly, you can plan your route.”

“But I can’t organize anything,” Elias says, looking at his desk which is admittedly, not very organized.  “Or at least, not very well.”

“Not with that attitude you can’t!”  the elf picks up a handful of papers.  “I’ll show you how to keep this place cleaned up, and then we can enjoy these cookies together.”

Chapter Two: Responsibilities, by @The Awakened Salad

Spoiler

The cleaning took longer than expected. Amid the pages of equations, diagrams and notes, Elias and Figgy found no less than six odd socks (each one with a wildly different pattern), an old gingerbread man that was hurriedly escorted from the workshop (yes, a man made of gingerbread, not to be confused with the cookie) and a jar labeled Caution: Liquid Cheese. OPEN AT OWN RISK. (Which prompted a seven minute debate, ending with the room covered in mozzarella and a promise from an apologetic Figgy that he would never again open things with warnings on them “just to see what would happen.”) 

But the most interesting discovery, and perhaps most peculiar, was an ornate compass, retrieved from under a dusty bookcase. It contained no traditional directional markings, but instead displayed a strange symbol where North usually sat.

“Where do you think it leads?” Elias asked, turning the device over in his hands. Along its sides were intricate engravings of winter scenes. A reindeer mid-flight, legs extended gracefully, surrounded by swirling winds and glittery snowflakes. A serene forest, blanketed with snow. The watchful stars, tiny yet infinite. 

They had finally finished cleaning (for the second time), and the two sat on the floor, Figgy’s cookie tin now only hosting crumbs. 

“Only one way to find out,” the elf said.

“Figgy—” 

“Look there,” Figgy pointed to the back of the compass. “It says Property of the Claus family. You’re the current Claus. This could be important.” 

“I have responsibilities.” 

“And this could be part of them. It won’t hurt to look.” 

Elias sighed and stood up, gesturing for Figgy to join him. Although he was reluctant, part of him was relieved to leave the flight equations for later.

Chapter Three: The First Step, by @JesterLavorre

Spoiler

The weather outside was frightful. They were already so far north. Where could the compass be pointing? The top of the world. The thought came to Figgy unbidden from the old stories he had heard as a youth. Stories of what creatures lurked there.

Elias seemed to see the trepidation in Figgy’s eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this? It could take hours, even days.”

Figgy turned back to his friend, leaving a patch of disturbed snow where he had stepped. It was soon covered by the torrential flood of flakes falling from the sky. “Yes, I’m sure. This compass was owned by your family, Elias Claus, it could be important. Flight calculations can wait.”

Elias nodded, regaining some sense of determination. “Onward, then. This will be a quest for the history books.” Then, he cracked a devious smile. “If we survive.”

“That’s the christmas spirit!” Figgy started walking, staring down at the strange compass he held in gloved hands. The carved snowflakes and glittering trees in its face seemed to move in the wind of the blizzard. “Besides, what could hurt us out here, a polar bear?”

The two of them shared a laugh over that, in the darkness that seemed to glitter with the peaceful snowfall. A polar bear, taking on the two of them? Ridiculous. 

The night glittered with more than snowflakes, though. Two yellow eyes peered at the pair as they plowed onward through the drifting banks, disappearing behind a wall of white. The eyes watched, and followed. They had waited a long time for this day to come. Now, it was time to make their move.

Chapter Four: Eyes, by @Matrim's Dice

Spoiler

Figgy shivered, his prior enthusiasm dampening the further they went and the colder it became. Elias led the way despite Figgy being the one to hold the compass, but he knew to correct his friend if they ever steered off course. A  particularly strong wind blew, sending the both of them stumbling and casting large snowflakes into their faces. Figgy wanted to say something, anything, but found that his lips were to numb to move. A fire sure would be delightful, he thought.

Unbeknownst to the pair, eyes followed them. Yellow beacons that shown through the night.

Figgy righted himself, and helped Elias to his feet. Their confidence seemed misplaced now that they were truly out in the Great North. Well, there was nothing to do but press forward. Figgy checked the compass- Elias' compass- again, and jerked his arm in the general direction it pointed. He didn't have the strength for much more than that.

Suddenly, Elias stopped. Figgy halted as well, and watched as his friend turned, then immediately jumped straight into Figgy, sending them both into the snow. Power flew everywhere and Figgy felt the frigid feeling of the stuff melt into the openings of his snowsuit. At the same moment, and not a second later, Figgy felt a large shape leap over them.

Feeling newfound strength, he scrambled to his feet to come face-to-face with a monstrosity. It was close enough to see in the dark night, close enough to smell its wet fur. Its massive body rose high above their own, its back reaching nine feet in the air. Its paws left deep impressions in the snow, four huge footprints marked with claws as sharp as a broadsword. Its face was lowered to be even with Figgy's own, its mouth dripping with saliva, its nostrils flaring. And its eyes- its horrible, yellow eyes- they burned through Figgy's very soul. 

A Dire Bear. A monster straight out of the storybooks. They were close.

Figgy sprinted to the left, feeling an incredible amount of adrenaline from the encounter. The bear roared, the sound echoing through the night, and turned to pounce after Figgy. He gasped, risking a glance behind him. The bear was gaining quickly. Figgy tightened his grip on the compass. He hadn't lost it yet, he certainly wouldn't now.

In a flash, Elias was there, his sword in his hands. He brandished the weapon at the monster, standing his ground despite the Dire Bear's size. Figgy watched in amazement as the dance began, the bear dodging Elias' strikes as Elias dodged the swipes from the clawed feet. Elias Claus had proved himself to be many things- adventurer, diplomat, friend- but a swordsman? This was new. Figgy would have figured Elias only to have brought the weapon for the idea of safety, not because he actually knew how to use it. Never before had Figgy been so glad to be proven wrong. 

The fight drew closer quickly. The bear seemed to grow more reckless; it came at Elias more frequently and lessened the frequency of its dodges. Elias had yet to land a hit however, but- there! Elias swung sideways and the blade bit into the bear's hide, the sharp sword easily cutting through the massive amount of flesh and fat necessary to keep the bear warm. It roared again, pointing its head up into the air, beacon eyes spotlighting the falling snow. Elias struck again, deeper in the same spot, and the bear fell to the ground, still.

The yellow eyes went out.

Figgy rushed over to Elias, who was panting heavily. "You killed it!" Figgy's lips were no longer numb, the rush of the bear's appearance had gotten his blood moving.

Elias cracked a small smile. "Yeah. I couldn't let that bear ruin our christmas quest, now could I?" His voice sounded weak, both from the freezing hike and the fight with the Dire Bear. "Onward?"

"Onward." Figgy confirmed, again checking the compass. "To the top of the world."

Chapter Five: Into the Storm, by @Bearer of all agonies

Spoiler

Figgy felt exhausted. He barely had any strength left, and it was all he could do to hold up Elias. Figgy checked the compass again. It pointed to the right of where they were walking. Figgy nudged Elias along, and started walking again, this time in the right direction. Figgy put his hood up, for the storm was growing colder. The snow was getting difficult to move in, as it was up to their thighs and more snow was falling every minute. He glanced behind him, watching. He knew they were still out there, just he didn’t know how close they were. He reached deep down into his cat pocket, pulling out a map. He checked the map. 

“Elias, it says the Bears guard the Entrance to the North. It looks as if. . . Huh. It must be wrong.” He peered closer at the map. “Elias, it says. . .Elias!” Elias looked up, as if dazed. “Oh no. It got you, didn’t it? Why didn’t you tell me? Oh, Elias.” 

Figgy knelt down, looking for a wound. Where was it? There! There was a gash on his chest, though only slight.

 “It barely got you. It barely got you! There’s barely a scratch. . .” Figgy trailed off, realizing something. 

Elias would die. If he didn’t reach the Great North, Elias would be dead, and the quest would fail. 

This was humanity’s last chance, and he’d failed. He’d doomed humanity. Figgy looked up. He. . . no. Who was he kidding? He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t save everyone, not on his own at least. 

But. . . If he gave up now, he would be dooming Elias, dooming the world. He couldn’t give up, not while there was still a chance. He stood up, clutching Elias.

 He squinted, holding a hand in front of his face. No. There was nothing there. Not yet. He would have to continue. 

He stumbled onward, half-carrying half-dragging Elias. He made his way forwards, careful to keep Elias’s face out of the snow. He kept on going. He dragged Elias for an eternity. It seemed as if they weren’t making any progress, even though he knew they were. It was just so hard to tell in this bleak climate. He glanced back again, feeling as if he were being watched. He blinked, trying to clear the ice from his eyes. When that didn’t work, he took his hand out of his glove and tried to wipe the snow from his face. He regretted it almost immediately. His hands, used to the warm temperature of his gloves, were not ready for the brutal cold. He shook his hand, putting it back in his glove. He turned around, adjusting his grip on Elias’ jacket. He grunted, trying to put Elias on his shoulder, but he just didn’t have the strength. He looked up behind, and froze. 

They were here. Glowing yellow eyes peered at him from the storm. He picked up Elias, running away with all he had left. He couldn’t die here. He needed to get to the center. He stumbled along, the Bears close behind. He struggled to stay ahead. As he looked up ahead, he saw a light. A light in the dark. A way out of the Great Storm. He rushed onward, running as fast as a man could with someone on his back. He burst through the edge, seeing a great tempest rage all around. He was here. In the Center. The Eye. He trudged toward the middle, glancing back as he went. The eye was perhaps a quarter-mile across. He dragged Elias forwards, making his way across the icy land. It didn’t snow in here at all, it was like there was a magic boundary keeping the snow out. He slipped on a small patch of ice, dropping to the ground and releasing Elias. Figgy stayed where he was, but Elias slid back down the way they came. At the edge of the storm, he saw the Dire Bears. They broke through the storm, racing towards them. Figgy quickly grabbed Elias, dragging him up the hill of ice. He made his way up to the top, stealing a glance towards the Bears. He had no energy left. He placed Elias on the top of the hill, taking Elias’ sword. He picked it up, holding it with trembling hands. The Bears reached the bottom of the hill, and he breathed a final prayer. A shadow passed over them. He glanced up, and the Bears stopped. They Dire Bears whimpered, unsure of what to do. The shadow circled them, and flew at them. Figgy closed his eyes, and the shadow enveloped them.

Chapter Six: Abysmal Gate, by @Nathrangking

Spoiler

The darkness grabbed them and before they could even take a breath they were slammed into a shelf of unforgiving stone. Dead and parched rock extends into the distance until the end of time. Figgy and Elias lay in a daze before agony rips into their bodies. They let out the most pitiful yelps as fire fills the air. Neither of them even has the strength to talk all that they can do is lay there as the darkness circles them like a buzzard. 

 

Figgy sits up after a time. His head spins violently and he cannot help, but lean over and retch. His pulse races and his heart threatens to tear itself apart. Screeching beasts in the distance set Figgy’s blood in a mold of ice. Agony is all that he is capable of considering. Utter and total agony is a voice which seems to originate at some point far beyond. It calls to him, almost spurring him to rise to his feet. No matter how much he struggles he seems to be held down by invisible chains. 

 

“Figgy?” Elias stirs and by some miracle croaks out the name hich lingers in the air. He coughs and takes in shallow pained breaths. Sleep claws at his eyes and seeks to rip him apart. Only a spark deep within keeps him from surrendering to the waves of exhaustion. “Where are we?” Something wrong surrounds him. His ears strain to hear an answer, but none comes.

 

Figgy stares in shock at an arch of onyx that rises up suddenly. His eyes grow wide as the newly appeared arch begins to pulse with a twisted music. Its strains and cords sing and haunt him. Impossible ghosts appear before his eyes. They taunt him and shout all of his deepest secrets. All of them circle Figgy with murder in their eyes. 

 

Elias lays beneath the crushing power of the arch. Above the shadows that circle Elias and Figgy grow bolder. They lunge down hungrily drawing from Elias’ ever growing fatigue. Elias gazes numbly until finally it stops. The birds vanish and a calming voice enters his ears. It pulls him to his feet and then leaves him standing alone. He reaches for Figgy who is whimpering as tears spill down his face. 

 

Figgy stares up at the circling ghost. One holds out its terrible hand and all that he can do is shy away. All strength has drained away by the time that he notices something. The face of this accuser who reaches out to him seems familiar in some way. For reasons that he cannot understand he trusts this one. He reaches up, but he slams his eyes shut and descends into slumber.

Chapter Seven: Forgotten Memories, by @Ookla the Shadowed (Experience)

Spoiler

When Figgy awoke he immediately knew that he was dreaming; he only felt the phantoms of pain he had just been experiencing and was no longer tired. 

 

He would have much rather been awake. 

 

The landscape was completely different from before, but somehow familiar. Lush green grass covered every surface of the ground, and the air was nice and warm. In the distance there were snow-capped mountains and off to his right was a friendly looking forest. 

 

Figgy waited, not quite remembering what would happen, but knowing that it would happen.The man appeared before him. He was surprised at his appearance, but knew he had seen him before. He wore all white, and held a stick with a smoking piece of molten rock balanced on top. 

 

“Do you remember me this time, Figgy?” The man asked, his voice echoing throughout the plains like thunder. 

 

He knew that his answer would displease the man, but he could not lie in his presence. “N-n-no,” he stuttered, “I’m s-sorry.”

 

“If you are to succeed, then you must remember me and the message I am about to tell you.” 

 

Figgy nodded rapidly, but has a feeling that the pains of reality would soon overwhelm the memories of his mind. The man’s eyes start to burn gold and his face distorts as if behind a wave of intense heat, reminding Figgy of someone he had recently seen before he fell into Sleep’s grasp. 

 

“You must not go through the arch, or everyone that you love will perish,” the man says, “This is the last chance I have to warn you, and that is all you need to remember. I am afraid that the legend is starting to come true. ‘The pains of remembered fantasies will drown the cries of forgotten memories.’ Well, Figgy. The fate of the world rests on you to remember one thing. DO NOT GO THROUGH THE ARCH!”

 

Figgy wakes.

 

***

Elias’ hand finally reaches Figgy’s and he starts to pull him up. Figgy’s eyes snap open and the pain returns, causing him to completely forget what had just happened to him in the split second that made up his dream.

 

The arch was still standing, but the ghosts were all gone; including the one Figgy thought he had recognized earlier.

 

“We must go,” Elias urges, “Our time runs short.” Elias sees what he thinks must be an almost imperceptible nod amid Figgy’s trembling of pain so he lifts him to his feet and, together, they step through the arch.

Chapter Eight: Ghosts of the Past, by @Truthless of Shinovar

Spoiler

Figgy freezes as he feels a coldness wash over him. Why did he just walk through the arch? Wasn’t there something he needed to do? Or maybe not do? Figgy feels disoriented, lost… was this a dream? He looks up back towards the arch behind him, trying to figure out where it was coming from. What could it have been? The rocks looked the same, no different than from when he had stepped through the arch. Perhaps it was the ground--

“Figgy,” Elias says, looking down towards his hands. “What’s happening?” 

“The cold? Do you feel it too?” Figgy asks back.

“No… cold would be warmer than this, somehow. I feel empty.” Elias looks up towards Figgy again, a gleam of panic now in his eyes. “Figgy,” he repeats, “what’s happening?” 

Figgy feels the panic reflecting off of his heart like a mirror, his heart beating faster and faster despite the coldness that is penetrating deeper and deeper into his bones. He feels something stirring at the back of his mind, but he barely notices because in front of him his friend Elias is dying, and there’s nothing Figgy can do. Figgy steps forwards, arm moving numbly towards Elias’ shoulder, a last sign of friendship and love, something to ease his pain. But before Figgy’s stiff limbs can give that requiem of comfort and tranquility, Elias falls to his knees.

“Figgy.” he mutters through clenched teeth. “You know. What must be done. Continue. Your. Journey.” 

Elias collapses to the ground, unmoving. Figgy tries to move, to cry out, to do anything but he is helpless and immobile, subject to the icy torment inside of him. He can only watch. Watch Elias’ cold, dead body, wishing he could do anything to help. Figgy is crying, for it is all he can do for his poor friend. The tears flow freely. Falling fast from his eyes, falling to Elias. 

With a gasp, Figgy looks all around him, observing ghosts rising from the ground. Once-banished, these specters had come back to haunt him. Yet, as he looks closer, Figgy realizes something much more horrifying. The translucent figures swirling around him are familiar. He knows them. There is Mark, Regelem, Defoli, Thavis… and not just his friends. Mom… Dad… his sister. They look anguished, the pain of being ripped from their mortal bodies evident on their faces. What has he done? What has he done? 

Figgy lets out a raw scream, desperately wishing it could somehow bring them back.

Out of the corner of his blurry eyes, Figgy sees something. Elias… is he moving? Figgy, in a supreme effort, ceases crying to clear his vision.

No. Elias is still. But light is gathering, flowing from pores and eyes and mouth, gathering and condensing above Elias’ head. Slowly, Elias takes form once again, bright, serene, and slightly transparent. He is a ghost, just like all the others. But Elias seems more calm. Accepting.

Elias reaches down to Figgy, and touches the middle of his chest. A warmth, deep, glowing, and real suffuses through Figgy. Pain is washed away, forgotten in that light inside of him. He closes his eyes and concentrates...

Figgy took a deep breath, as he felt his mind clear. That warmth, that beautiful warmth spread from his heart throughout his torso, raced through his limbs, filled every vein in his body and left no room for fear. 

Figgy’s eyes snapped open. “Elias...” he said, at a loss for words. “This was my fault somehow, wasn’t it?” Elias said nothing. Whether out of preference or inability, Figgy could not tell. He merely pointed, indicating that Figgy needed to look around. As Figgy turned away from Elias, he saw the others. His family, his loved ones, gone from their mortal bodies. Yet they, too, seemed to have drawn from the peace that Elias was able to give Figgy.

Slowly, all of the spirits began to rise. The higher they went, the more translucent they became. Figgy craned his neck upwards, watching until all of them had departed. When he finally brought his gaze back to the barren rock he was standing on, he saw that only one ghost remained. As Figgy narrowed his eyes, he realized that he knew this one. The one that had been lingering by the arch before. The one in his dream.

Of course. The dream. Figgy felt it stir in his head, memories arising unbidden as he relived the old wizard’s warnings. The promise that the world would end and all who he loved would die should he pass through that arch. Which is exactly what Figgy had just done. Figgy closed his eyes, stunned as he realized the weight of his actions. This transcended personal matters, and now it seemed that the entire world was at stake. “Ghost,” Figgy said. “Wizard. Whatever you are. Why did you let this happen? You could have done something to stop it, prevent me from going through the arch. My actions and your indolence have led to the end of the world.”

The ghost advanced towards Figgy, remaining silent. He came closer hovering just a few inches in front of Figgy before he came to a halt. Figgy had to look up a little bit in order to look him in the eyes. “Figgy,” the voice said, his voice urgent. “There is much to be done. Our world is in danger.” 

“I know. I failed.” Figgy said, eyes falling to the ground. All he had needed to do was to not go through the arch. Such simple directions that were given to him in the dream with this spirit, and yet he had forgotten. Failed, like he always did. 

“You can still fix this, however.” the ghost continued. “I’m sure of it. Now, take this.” The ghost held out an incorporeal, molten stone, wisps of smoky light trailing from it. The moment Figgy took it, it became solid and real, emitting not a harsh heat, as he had expected, but rather an enveloping warmth. “Go, child, go and take it towards your destination! You’ll know what to do with it there! Go! Make haste!”

Figgy looked back up towards the ghost, and nodded. “I won’t let you down. I swear it,” he said. And with that, Figgy gathered up his gear and continued his hike along the path.

Chapter Nine: A Promise, by @Channelknight Fadran

Spoiler

Figgy walked alone to his fate.

    The ghosts were watching him from the other side, of course—of this, he was sure. Elias had never left him in life, and he doubted they would let death get in the way of that. But while they could see him… he could not see them.

    His journey had to be taken alone.

    The archway was miles behind him, and his destiny miles ahead, but the path had to be taken; one way or the other. If he didn’t do it, nobody would.

    Figgy fingered the stone in his pocket, its warmth the only comfort in an otherwise pale and dark journey. The wizard… the wizard had used its power. Could he use it as well?

    Well… no time like the present. He gave his legs a much-needed rest, sitting down on a stump, then pulled out the stone. Small, and glowing orange like lava. It was comfortable to the touch, however; not hot or painful. Above all else, however, it felt powerful; like the knowledge of a hundred sages brought together.

    The knowledge of fallen souls.

    Figgy closed his eyes, feeling the stone’s magic. It was tangible; he could feel it. He tried to draw upon it… and it worked!

    But not well enough.

    It flowed into him, but not through him. What good was water if you couldn’t drink it? What did one do with this magic? Use it to energize themselves? Summon fireballs? Summon the undead like a bloody necromancer?

    He found himself becoming more frustrated than he usually was. What was the point, anyways?

    “‘I won’t let you down. I swear it.’” He had promised. That was the point. He had promised.

    Promises weren’t meant to be broken.

    “This is for you, Elias.” Figgy said.

    So he kept trying. And failing. Again, and again.

    A promise being kept.

Chapter Ten: New Problem, by @HoidWasTaken

Spoiler

Figgy awoke with a start. At some point, he had fallen backwards and asleep. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes before hopping off the stump. He immediately started back on his trek. Many more miles to go. 

As the landscape drifted by, he felt his attention drifting elsewhere. Perhaps I could get some practice in now. He felt his pocket- and started panicking. 

He patted himself down, then started running. Not toward his destination, but away from it. His eyes scanned the path, looking for that orange glow, that lifeline to Elias. It must have fallen out of his hand when he fell asleep. He could feel the eyes of the dead watching him as he ran. Even if he couldn’t see them, he knew they could feel his dread. 

He looked around, and couldn’t tell if he had passed that stump yet. He didn’t know when he had hiked this part of the trail. He could feel his hope slipping away as he sat against a tree, puffing from a mix of exertion and hyperventilation.

It was gone. There was miles worth of land that he would need to search to try and find it, and he might have to go over some areas twice. The idea was daunting. This would take weeks and he might not even find it. And yet… 

Could he break a promise? He had told Elias that he wouldn’t give up. 

Yesterday he sat. 

 

Today he stood.

Chapter Eleven: Stump, by @Shard of Reading

Spoiler

Figgy ran. He had to find it. He couldn’t remember what it was, but he knew it was important. He ran down the track looking for the stump. His breath came in ragged gasps and he began to slow. He needed to find it for Elias. He wouldn’t betray his promise. He searched frantically for the orange glow. As he rounded a turn in the road he breathed a sigh of relief. It could have taken days to find it, but he had done it in under an hour. As he stepped forward to grab the object he heard a click from behind him. He gasped at what he saw.

Chapter Twelve: Wire, by @Hentient

Spoiler

When Figgy glanced behind him, there was nothing. Just an empty road leading back to the north pole. He glanced up, thinking a reindeer had decided to play a prank on him. But there was nothing in the sky either. 
He had heard a click. Figgy wasn't mad, despite what the other elves said about him. Carefully turning back to face the object, a chest with a soft glow leaking out of it, he reached forward. Something whistled past his head. A trap? He looked down, and saw a thin wire stretched taut by his foot. He was too far away from the town for there to be trees, it was too cold this far from the oasis for them to grow. But the wire has to be attached to something. 
    Slowly, Figgy slid his food to the right. He was careful to keep the pressure on the wire without adding too much. It was difficult, but slowly Figgy inched to the side of the road. When he neared, he saw the wire disappear into the snow. Whatever had launched the object that flew past his head couldn't be far, and there was no cover anywhere near. Figgy leaned down, keeping his foot on the wire, and brushed aside the snow. There was a small hole drilled in the ground, and the wire disappeared into it. 
    Straightening, Figgy tried one last thing. He swept his arm out in front of him, fast. A small arrow flew by inches from his face. It wasn't much information, but it’d have to be enough. He had to hurry back to Elias. Figgy glanced behind him, and with as much power in his legs as he could muster, he turned and dove. He heard a crash from behind him as snow was thrown into the air. 
    After waiting a couple seconds, mostly to make sure he hadn’t landed on another trap, figgy unburied himself from the snow and creeped back toward the chest. Snow was everywhere. Some of it was melted, but most was just thrown from the blast. 
    An explosion? Figgy thought, That's a little… Primitive. 
    Keeping low to avoid triggering the arrows, Figgy reached the chest. It was buried now, the glow gone, just a lump in the snow. But Figgy brushed aside the snow, revealing the light to open air again. It was orange, almost golden. Figgy wanted to open it, stare inside and admire it, but his sense of urgency was returning. 
    He tucked the small chest in the crook of his arm and started back toward the pole. He had to get back. Elias was relying on whatever was inside this box.

Chapter Thirteen: Success, by @Spren of Kindness

Spoiler

     Figgy’s feet are cold.  And wet.  And now that he thinks about it, he can’t really feel his toes.  Some of the snow thrown by the exploded snowbank must’ve gotten into his shoes and melted.  Hopefully the dye hasn’t run.  The last time that happened, he had green feet for a week.

      He tromps through the snow towards the North Pole, the chest securely under one arm.  The stars are beginning to come out in the sky, faint threads of aurora lacing through them.  There’s no more snow falling currently.  

     “Figgy!”  A voice whispers from behind a bush.  “Over here!” 

     “Elias!”  Figgy calls back quietly.  “I found it!”  He scrambles through the snow.

      “Good, good,” Elias says quietly.  “Let me see, please.”  He runs his hands through his hair as Figgy sets the chest down.  It barely sinks in the snow at all, surprisingly light.

     “What is it?”

     “Ummm, ah, I can’t tell you that,” Elias says.  “Let’s just say it’s very helpful.”  He unlatches the chest quickly, the glow inside lighting his face and painting the white of his hair golden, nearly blending with the red streaks throughout it.

      “Ah.  Something to do with being Santa, is it?”  He remembers the former Claus, Elias’s predecessor, having secrets like that.  

      “Yes.”  Elias’s mouth crooks up in a smile.  “Maybe one day I’ll tell you.”  The smile falls.  “There’s a few too many secrets about this kind of thing.  I have more than enough time to fix that, though.”  He falls silent for a moment, then gets to his feet, brushing the snow off his knees.  “Let’s get this back to the North Pole.”

Chapter Fourteen: Fire, by @JesterLavorre

Spoiler

Figgy walked with Elias as they made their way back to the North Pole. Elias carried the chest they had found on his shoulders, having quickly lashed it there with some spare rope.

 

Figgy’s shorter legs kept him struggling slightly behind, even with Elias’ burden. It still glowed a golden-red color, the light seeping through the cracks in the chest. Figgy could only wonder what was inside, but he trusted Elias to tell him what he needed to know, so he didn’t pry.

Their tracks had been covered by the new snowfall, but Elias said he remembered the way back. If he could navigate a sleigh through a blizzard, he could do this.

Night had fallen by the time Figgy caught sight of light ahead. A warm glow emanated from the windows of the building, and Elias let out a sigh of relief. 

That was before he noticed that the light was too much to be coming from a candle inside alone. Figgy shouted in alarm, then rushed through the drifting snow as fast as his legs could carry him, Elias just behind.

The door to the workshop was open, and smoke poured out. The billowing black cloud provided a dark contrast to the brilliant snow reflecting orange light from the blaze within.

Figgy held his shirt up over his face, trying to filter out some of the soot. Elias just barged forward, uncaring of the smoke, shouting out the names of the elves who worked here. “Peppermint! Twig! Mistletoe!” Figgy hesitated a moment. What was Elias thinking? He couldn’t survive that kind of heat!

Neither could Figgy, but that didn’t matter. Figgy dashed in after the Claus, trying to keep his head down.

Within the room, all was fire. The heat burned and scorched at Figgy’s skin, and he could feel it peeling away, ever so slowly. Figgy couldn’t stay here for long. 

The first body was that of Twig Twilight, the woodcarver. Panicked, Figgy dropped to his knees, feeling for a pulse. He sighed in relief when he found one. Faint, but there. Exhaustedly, his skin burning and boiling, has clothes beginning to smoke, Figgy started pulling Twig to safety.

It was only twenty feet to the door, but Twig was muscular, and Figgy wasn’t that strong. The roof had started creaking. Dust and soot poured in from above. Figgy’s muscles strained as, inch by inch, he dragged the limp elf ever closer to the exit.

Suddenly, a sharp crack sounded from above, and Figgy looked up, his leg screaming in pain from the labor and the heat in unison. A wooden beam above him had broken in twain, and was groaning in its mounting. Sliding, slowly, into a precarious tumble. 

Figgy tried to force his tired muscles to work faster, move faster, but they just couldn’t. The bean began to fall, and Figgy closed his eyes, ready for the end. 

Then, he felt a sudden force. Soft, like a pillow, but solid, slam into him. Figgy barely managed to hold onto Twig as he was thrown out of the way of the wooden support. It crashed to the ground with a sound like thunder, blowing a gust of scalding air across Figgy, who opened his eyes to see Elias. The large man had tackled Figgy, bowling him out of the way. 

Elias was carrying the unconscious form of Peppermint under one arm, holding her tight. Her thin frame looked like a thin branch of willow next to Elias. Figgy guessed he looked the same.

Grunting , Elias picked up Twig under his other hand. Then, to Figgy’s surprise, he himself was swept up by Elias, who dashed for the door. Figgy didn’t know how he was able to make it, but the cold of the outside shocked Figgy to the bone as Elias dived out the door of the burning building, carrying the three elves.

Elias sat for a moment, while Figgy lay face up in the snow, catching a much-needed breath. He would have thought the snow would dull the pain of the burns, but it only made them burn more, the cold making a piercing accompaniment to the boiling pain. 

Figgy lay, letting snow from the sky fall on his face, backlit by the full moon, he was able to acknowledge through the pain that it was actually quite beautiful. 

Then, a shadow fell over him. Elias’ concerned face.

“Are you okay?” The man asked, voice trembling slightly.

Figgy managed to grunt a response. “Should be asking you… that... “

“Why did you go in there? I had it handled. I jump down chimneys all the time. I’m pretty much fireproof.”

“Well… I didn't know that.”

Elias sat down with a heavy sigh. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Figgy. This whole quest was my fault. This is a relic of the Claus family. My family.”

Figgy coughed, then replied. “Not… your… fault. I wanted to go.”

Elias chuckled grimly. “I suppose you did.” He sighed again. “And you came into the fire to save me, too. You’re a better friend than I could ever ask for, Figgy.”

Figgy sat up, keeping down a blush that had nothing to do with the heat or cold. 

 

His skin felt stiff, and hard. Moving made it feel like it was going to rip off. He managed anyway, even smiling despite their situation.

“What do you think caused this? A candle tipping over?”

Elias stood up, straightening his coat, which left a torrent of snow to fall from it onto Figgy. “Oh, sorry…” He blushed too, trailing off before continuing. “No, we’ve encountered too many dangers I never thought existed before this journey that I can’t imagine this isn’t more than that. We just need to find out what. And now that we have this…” he patted the chest, which remarkably hadn’t been incinerated in the workshop blaze. “It will be a little easier… Figgy… I think you should know what this is.”

Elias opened the chest, and gold and red striped light burst forth.

Chapter Fifteen: Relics, by @Matrim's Dice

Spoiler

The lid of the chest swung open, and the light increased tenfold. It was blinding, spectacular, amazing. It was captivatingly glorious. It was joy, happiness, warmth. It smelled of peppermint and hot cocoa. Figgy gasped, trying- and nearly failing- to take it all in. Figgy's mind was filled with Christmas dreams, the wonder of the light shining brighter than any torch could muster. He looked fleetingly at Elias, who simply smiled, gesturing back to the chest.

It faded. Eventually it faded- though the moment of wonder seemed to last forever. The inside of the chest still glowed red-gold, illuminating the contents.

A book.

Figgy felt a fleeting sense of... disappointment, then immediate guilt for doing so- but a book? They had gone all that way, nearly died for... a book?

Elias pointed again, smiling so much that his grin seemed to split his face as he edged Figgy forward. Figgy stepped forward and grabbed the book out of the chest.

It was large and green, leatherbound with smooth material that was warm to the touch. Symbols decorated the cover; mistletoe leaves and peppermint sticks and reindeer antlers. Figgy flipped to the title page, which read, in gold ink, Claus' Chronicles: Reminiscences of the one and only Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Papa Noel, St. Nicholas. Figgy's eyes widened as he turned through the book, leafing through the pages as if he were holding scripture. It was exactly what Elias needed, and made the journey worthwhile all by itself.

He turned to his friend. "This is... amazing."

Elias nodded. "I know. I wasn't sure if I could do it, even with all that bravado about chimneys and reindeer, but this makes it all possible. I can learn from the best. The one and only."

Figgy smiled. "Not anymore."

Elias waved his hand, dismissing the notation. "That's not all. Look." He walked back over to the chest.

Figgy peered inside. Indeed, it was not empty- the book had been resting on something else, which Figgy hadn't even noticed amidst the wonder of the initial moment. But the item that filled the rest of the chest made Figgy grin nearly as wide as Elias. He pointed, somewhat hesitantly. "Can I..."

Elias laughed, a rich sound that warmed Figgy's soul. Yes, he would do well at this. "Of course!"

Figgy reached inside and pulled it out- a magnificent coat of red fur, the edges lined with white silk. As an elf boy Figgy remembered seeing images of Santa Claus and his coat, which always looked tight and straight, like it was made of ordinary plain red fabric. The real thing was nothing like those. It cascaded over Figgy's hands even as he held it, the scarlet coloring seeming to bend into gold, and then green, and silver and red all over again. It was the color of Christmas itself, shiny and beautiful.

The material was anything but ordinary. The coat was made of large hunks of fur, woven together and falling down in strips of warmth. It was light for a coat of it's size, and it was very large, meant for a true patron of the holidays. In a flash, Figgy shoved it into Elias' hands. "Put it on! Quick!"

Elias didn't need to be told twice. On the coat went, and Elias seemed to grow when he wore it, physically filling the surrounding space with joy and love. When Figgy had held it the coat had seemed it would be too large for Elias' frame, despite his stature, though he should have known that wouldn't be the case. The coat was filled with too much pure magic.

Elias grabbed the book, which Figgy had set on a patch of grass before taking the coat, and placed it carefully back in the chest. He closed the lid reverently, and pushed it aside. Elias looked wistfully at the burnt workshop, and Figgy felt a pang of sadness for his friend. The workshop had been Elias' way of remembering.

Figgy looked at the three elves unconscious on the ground, saved from the fire by Elias himself. His friend's voice came as a comforting wind. "They'll be alright. I know it." And Figgy believed him. He knew they would, just as sure as he knew the truth of the book and coat and what they meant. Peppermint, Twig, and Mistletoe would walk, sing, dance, and live again.

"What now?" Figgy asked, softly. Now that the quest was over, Figgy didn't know what he would do. Clearly Elias had a life set out for him. Where would little Figgy go? It had always been just the two of them. But now, with the relics of a lost friend, a figuratively literal cousin, a legend- he didn't see a need for himself by Elias' side.

Elias turned, incredulous. "My friend, how can you say that? Christmas comes in only a few short weeks! There is so much still to do, and I shan't do it without you at my side!"

Figgy's heart leapt. "Really?"

Elias clapped a hand on Figgy's back. "Of course! Come now, there's many more things to be done! This coat and book weren't the only things left for me, I'm sure of it!"

And with that, he threw the three sleeping elves on his back and they walked out towards destiny.

Chapter Sixteen: Preparation, by @Bearer of all agonies

Spoiler

So much to do, and Elias didn’t know where to start. He knew from the stories that he had to get all the presents and the sleigh ready, but he had no idea how. He had to get everything ready, or the whole quest would’ve been for nothing. He sighed, placing the elves from his back on the couch, and put his hands on his hips. 

 

“Figgy, where do we start? You should know something about what he did, you’re an elf, after all.”

 

Figgy turned to look up at Elias. “Well, I know he kept a list. A list of who deserved presents and who didn’t. He also made sure that everyone who was good got a present, no matter what.”

 

“Hmm. Well, I guess I could start on that. Figgy, the book!”

 

Figgy picked up the book of the Claus’, the Claus’ Chronicles. He handed it up to Elias. 

 

“Um, here, sir.”

 

“Figgy! Don’t call me that! I’m your friend.”

 

“Sorry. It’s just that. . . You’re him. The Claus. The one who will save the world. And I’m only an Elf.” Figgy said, looking down.

 

“Don’t speak like that! You are my friend, and I couldn’t have gotten here without you.” 

 

“Well. . . alright. What can I help you with?”

 

“What does the book have to say on preparation for Christmas?”

 

“Well. . . the book says that every year Santa Claus and the Elves always check the list and make sure that everyone has a present. Santa also makes sure the sleigh and all the reindeer are ready.”

 

“Alright then. Let’s get started! Figgy, do you know where the list is?”

 

“No, but I could ask the Elves.”

 

“Do that then. Oh. Figgy?”

 

“Yes, Elias?”

 

“Make sure someone takes care of these Elves.” Elias gestured at Twig Peppermint and Mistletoe.

 

“Got it.”

 

Figgy scuttled off, whispering to himself. Elias walked through the halls, heading towards the stables. Elias reached the doors to the stables, pushing them open. He froze. The stables were magnificent. They were everything he had imagined them to be, but more. His jaw dropped as he took it all in. The ten reindeer, all in their own stable, the Sleigh at the end, with it’s bright red paint, and the incredible ceiling and walls, decorated like nothing seen before. He stepped in, turning around in circles so he could better see everything. Elias walked to the end of the hall, arriving next to the Sleigh. He reached out, tentatively, touching the surface. He crouched down, looking at his  last name, Claus, inscribed on the Sleigh. He sighed. He stood up, looking at the Reindeer. 

 

“Alright. You better be ready! It’s that time of year again! I will need you in a few weeks, so you better start warming up.”

 

The door creaked open, revealing Figgy standing in the doorway. He had a tiny little scroll in his hand.

 

“Um, Figgy? You were supposed to bring the list of good boys and girls from across the world, not that tiny little thing!”

 

Figgy ran forward, handing Elias the scroll. “Open it up.”

 

Elias opened it, and all he saw was a list of ten or so names. 

 

“Once you check off a name, another one appears, taking its place.”

 

“Woah. The magic here still surprises me sometimes.”

 

“Tell me about it. It’s been so long, I’ve almost forgotten all the magic here.” Figgy said. 

 

“Figgy, let’s get to work. We need to check all the presents and the list.”

 

“I’m ready.” Figgy replied. 

 

 

 

Several hours later, Elias sat exhausted on the couch. He had gone through over five hundred million names, and he still had billions to go. This would take forever if he didn’t find a faster way.

And he still had to load up the presents! He was worn out, and he only had a few weeks until 

Christmas. Figgy came up to him, carrying a cup of steamed chocolate, or, hot chocolate, as they called it up here in the Great North. He had never had it before coming here, but it was one of the most delicious things he had ever had. He went over all he had to do in his brain, sipping his hot chocolate. He still needed to prepare the reindeers, and ready the Sleigh. He had to get all the Elves ready. He had never wanted this job, but he had gotten it anyways. He put his hot chocolate on the table, leaning back. With all the thoughts troubling him, he fell asleep.

Chapter Seventeen: Into Mystery, by @Nathrangking

Spoiler

Frigid darkness swallows Elias. The warmth of peaceful slumber never comes. Instead he sees the elves in flight as the realm is consumed in fire. He can feel the heat draw sweat to his brow and a nausea settles into his bones. Breath seems not to come. His lungs heave as the sky fills with all encompassing smoke. An eternity of moments rush by in an instant. Elias jerks awake and barely manages to hold back a horrified scream. 

A weird type of energy overtakes Elias. He jumps to his feet, his drink forgotten and left to grow cold. His feet carry him to the stables independently of his will. Elias begins to prepare the sleigh and every thought falls away. 

The reindeer fill the space with their breathing. There is something calming about the way that these waves of sound flow. Rudolf gazes at Elias with something so human and intense that it breaks him out of his reverie. Something so wise and yet emotional glows brightly in his eyes. 

Elias cannot explain the reason that Rudolf’s gaze drives away the raw emotions that are haunting him. They replace the spectors with something else. All of the history of the night to come fills him. He sees Twig, Mistletoe, and Peppermint among the other elves and yet separate. Those three seem to carry a heavy secret which just escapes Elias’ grasp. Before Elias’ eyes Twig’s magic creates immortal bonds that renew the immortality of the sleigh and reindeer. Nothing makes sense to Elias. He must confront them when he returns to the workshop to continue his confirmation of the names on that all powerful naughty and nice list that he inherited. Those three wil have to answer for these mysteries which seem to drive him now. They grasp onto his soul and he could swear that a look of understanding fills Rudolf’s eyes. 

In the doorway three familiar elves appear. Two females and a male whose eyes bore into Elias they step forward and begin to weave strange magic that rises as Elias turns. A thousand questions fill the air as they close in on Elias.

Chapter Eighteen: Northern Lights, by @Truthless of Shinovar

Spoiler

Red, green, and gold swirled together as the elves moved closer to Elias. They moved slowly in circles around him, the clouds of the deep, rich colors streamed from their three pairs of hands. Like a grand tapestry, the threads of color began to weave together, creating a grand wall of vivid and pure shades. Faster and faster the colors swirled, Twig, Mistletoe, and Peppermint moving their hands in a lively, yet meticulous, pattern. All of a sudden, the colors shot upwards, breaking through the roof of the stables. It became a beacon in the sky, the top exploding into walls of light expanding in every direction at its apex. The turquoise-purple northern lights were complemented beautifully by the new aurora borealis that shone in the sky. 

Elias felt it swirling around him. A spry wind sprung up, tussling his hair, clothing, emotions. With that wind he could feel the pain leaving. He wept openly, tears becoming iridescent in the magnificent light, not for the pain long forgotten, but for this feeling that had pervaded his very soul. Not energy. Not power. 

Something greater.

Elias let out a bellowing laugh. How couldn’t he? He knew what his purpose was! All the pain, agony, and suffering he felt was brought into a new clarity. Not trials sent to punish him. Not death to haunt him. It was preparation. Had he not felt the anguish so thoroughly in every bone, he could never feel the incredible joy in his heart now. 

 Stepping out of the pillar of light, Elias took purposeful steps towards the elves. Crouching by the exhausted, diminutive figures, he embraced them. “I see now,” he whispered. “Thank you.” He stood back up and surveyed the stable. Rudolph met his gaze, the knowing human gaze odd coming from a reindeer. He had known all along, hadn’t he? The other reindeer snorted and stomped, energized by the beacon that still shone fiercely. 

“Alright, then.” Elias said, turning back towards the three elves. “No time like the present, eh? Go, grab the other elves, we’re going to need all the help we can get!” All three of them looked up, the light reflecting in their eyes. “Yes sir!” Mistletoe said, bounding to her feet. Energetically, she began pulling Twig and Peppermint to their feet. “I told you that it would work,” Peppermint said, her voice calm and calculated. Twig just grumbled, but he didn’t offer any counters. Together they walked towards the door, moving in that curious way that elves do, each step containing a little more bounce than it should.

After they had left, Elias brought the team outside and began to hitch up the team to the sleigh. Dashire, Densar, Prahnsor, Vikin, Caumid, Cupen, Dopper, Blestin, and Rudolph, all linked together by a firm tether. The noble and proud creatures maintained an air of dignity while they were hooked up to the sleigh. Their eyes seemed to bear determination, and their posture was nothing but resolute. Elias grabbed hay and began feeding it to the reindeer in preparation for the run. After that was done, he prepped their hooves, checked for any injuries, and generally made sure that they would be able to run for a long, long time. 

The elf clan came back a short time later. Only thirty strong or so, they were all that Elias had. “Listen up,” he said. “We need this,” he pointed to the column of light beside him, “in the sleigh. Don’t ask me why. It’s your magic, but I’m part of it now. Something happened to me in that pillar. I don’t know why I know these things, but I just… do. Let the most experienced mages start, and let the novices take over whenever they need a break. All of you working together, it shouldn’t take that long to gain all the light that we need. Hurry now, the night only lasts so long!” 

Immediately, some of the elves stepped forwards. Twig, Peppermint, and Mistletoe all stood at the forefront of the group, despite their obvious weariness. Closing their eyes and concentrating, they began a process not unlike what had happened just a few moments before. Weaving movements from their hands dragged the magic over into the sleigh. The magic disappeared down into the back of the sleigh, compacting smaller and smaller, allowing for incredible amounts to be stuffed into the small space. The entire sleigh began to glow as the elves worked, the gold, green, and red paint emphasized by the similarly colored light. The entire wooden body began to vibrate and hum, small pops of energy coming off of the metal framing. 

Soon enough, the sleigh was ready. All of the elves slumped on the ground, sweating and breathing hard. Despite all of the magic moved, the light still shone bright and strong, giving illumination and detail to everything that it touched.

“It’s… It’s ready, sir,” Twig said, slowly rising to his feet. “That’s all we can fit into it. You’ll be able to use this magic for practically anything you need. Matter, time, space… all of it is more or less relative to this stuff here.” 

Elias gave a nod. “Thank you all,” Elias said. “I know who I am. What I am. And I’m ready to go.” 

As he turned to go to the sleigh, the elves let out a cheer. After years dormant, their magic would finally be present again. Alive, thriving, used. 

Elias settled down into the seat of the sleigh, feeling it vibrate beneath him. He picked up the reins and gave them a flick. The reindeer bolted forwards, snow spraying behind their hooves as Rudolph led them. The wind blew around Elias’ face as the team ran straight towards the column of light. He couldn’t point to the reason why, but it felt right. Instinct guided him and the reindeer both.  

The reindeer burst through the large double doors of the stable and bounded into the light. Instead of just passing through, the reindeer began to spiral around the outside, an invisible ledge guiding their hooves as they moved forwards. Higher and higher they climbed, past the stable, past the clouds, and into the northern lights. 

Elias felt the overwhelming light encompass him as he began his journey.

Epilogue, by @Channelknight Fadran

Spoiler

Figgy watched from below as a pillar of light burst upwards into the sky. However, he felt no euphoria seeing their quest completed: only longing. Sadness, felt for a journey since completed.
“There always comes a time the story must come to a close,” the wizard said, sitting down beside him. “When, despite all the struggles and adventure you had to take, the journey comes to its last steps.”
“Why is it so sad, though?” Figgy asked. “We suffered through so much… dealt with so much. Why is it that I don’t want it to be over?”
The ghost of the wizard thought for a moment. “Once you’ve started on a journey… it’s hard to turn around. Despite all the pain you’ve been through, you don’t want to leave it behind. A journey is something to hold onto. Once you’ve finished, it’s sometimes harder to find something else to hold onto.”
“I never even finished, though!” Figgy said. “I never completed my journey.”
“Neither do many.” The wizard said. “We don’t have the choice of succeeding or failing; only the choice to keep trying. In the end, fate plays its hand to decide into what our effort has turned. Either way, you can rest easy knowing that you put your best foot forward and tried.”
“Is that why I don’t want to leave?” Figgy asked, watching the pillar of light fade into the distance. “I want to keep going?”
“I suspect.” The wizard replied. “But the crossroads at which you stand have not that choice in it. You must make the choice to keep going along whatever fate has set out for you, or turn around and pretend you never came to that place.”
“So to keep going is to turn around?” Figgy asked.
“In a way, I suppose.”
Figgy nodded, looking down and missing the moment that the light faded completely. He found himself filled with the disappointed sadness that comes from losing the opportunity to create a memory and live a time to its fullest.
“But I still have some memories.” Figgy said aloud.
“Indeed you do.” The wizard replied, standing up. “This is where I must take my leave.”
“You’re leaving?” Figgy looked at him. “Are you ever coming back?”
“I suspect not. It isn’t customary for the dead to remain among the living.”
“But… I’ve learned and grown so much from your wisdom.”
The wizard smiled. “Then let me teach you one last truth, young Figgy; every word that I’ve said and every story I’ve passed are now in your mind. What wisdom I once had is now yours to continue.”
“Elias.” Figgy said suddenly. “Will I ever see him again?”
The wizard thought for a moment, then shrugged. “In this life or the next, I suppose… I was unlucky enough to only know you in one, but perhaps you will come to know me in both.”
And with one last smile, the wizard was gone from Figgy’s sight. On the other side, however, he walked gaily along, singing lightly to himself.
 

A road left behind is a path forged ahead
Each way you turn is a journey to tread
Though struggle, pain, strife
The world found in death is the one made in life
A journey made by your own hand
Is the only one that only you can understand

 

Edited December 24, 2020 by Matrim's Dice

[Spren of Kindness]

Whoo-hoo!  Amazing job, everyone!  Merry Christmas!

[Channelknight Fadran]

That.

Was.

Beautiful.

[xinoehp512]

Man, I can't believe I missed this... :\

[Hen]

Ho-ly crap you guys. That was amazing. 

[Truthless of Shinovar]

Guys, that was AWESOME! Excellent writing everyone, each chapter was very cohesively written. @Matrim's Dice, a particular congratulations to you, I loved reading through your chapters!

And now for a hot take on the plot: So the ghost/wizard is obviously the recently dead Claus, right? He's been guiding Elias and Figgy on their journey for a while, he gave Figgy the molten stone that transformed into the chest (and quite possibly revived Elias as well) that contained all of the old Claus artifacts, which is exactly what Elias needed to become the real Santa Claus. I totally called it too with the whole it's-gonna-start-out-as-an-innocent-Christmas-story-but-being-the-sanderfans-we-are-we'll-change-it-to-an-epic-fantasy-novel thing. All together, it kinda made sense, though there are a lot of little inconsistencies, like the elves. As for Elias' death, I'm thinking that either Figgy is kinda mad as the other elves said or the magic of the molten stone was able to bring him back somehow. I'm going with the second one though, it makes for a happier story.

[Ghanderflaffle]

YKYASW you take what could be a simple Christmas story and give it deep plot, lore, magic, and feelings.

In all seriousness, amazing job! Well done to everyone.

[Spren of Kindness]

@Truthwatcher at the Rim, come look what we did!

[Nathrangking]

We did well!! My chapters where ok, but experience and truthless integrated my chapters excellently!! 

[The Awakened Salad]

Oh my storms this is awesome!! It was so fun to be a part of 

[Truthwatcher at the Rim]

Wow, this is awesome, guys!  @Spren of Kindness thx for the tag!

[xinoehp512]

Can you @ me the next time you do this? :P.

[danex]

Oh wait, so you only had access to the chapter directly before your own? That makes a bit more sense.

[Mat]

25 minutes ago, Dannex said:

Oh wait, so you only had access to the chapter directly before your own? That makes a bit more sense.

Yeah, it made for an interesting story  

[Truthless of Shinovar]

On 12/27/2020 at 8:18 PM, xinoehp512 said:

Can you @ me the next time you do this? :P.

This is late but of course!

[Hen]

Should we do this again?

[Channelknight Fadran]

1 hour ago, Hentient said:

Should we do this again?

I hope you mean just in general, not as in you're planning for next Christmas already...

[Hen]

29 minutes ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

I hope you mean just in general, not as in you're planning for next Christmas already...

b o t h

its almost june 25, literally the furthest we can get from Christmas. It's the natural time to start planning.

but yeah in general

[Channelknight Fadran]

58 minutes ago, Hentient said:

b o t h

its almost june 25, literally the furthest we can get from Christmas. It's the natural time to start planning.

but yeah in general

Kay in that case... SU time!

[xinoehp512]

I'd like to play

[Ookla of Colors]

Ooh! What's this?

[Channelknight Fadran]

Issa thing. This thread's kinda dead, though, so we'd best be taking this discussion elsewhere...

[Channelknight Fadran]

We doin' this again, yah?

[Mat]

1 minute ago, Ookla the Lad said:

We doin' this again, yah?

As far as I know. I claim rights to be in charge

But yeah, we'll need another PM for organization. So I guess post here if you want in? If Fadran wants to do something else for publicity or whatever he should do that.

[The Unknown Ajah]

I would like to join this this year.