[CH. 005] Help Save Christmas…Again

I'm back. It's me…the Narrator. Told you I'd be back. Now where were we again? Oh right, Phineas had landed the sleigh, arriving safely to Thomas and Aurora's home.

KNOCK, KNOCK!

"Are we certain they're even home?" Misses Claus asked as she looked down at Frankie and Phineas. They were standing on the front porch to Thomas and Aurora's house.

The night was still young. A new snow storm was brewing overhead. The winds were picking up and the snow was beginning to drift. Misses Claus, Phineas and Frankie waited outside for someone to answer.

"Are we sure this is their house Phineas?" Misses Claus asked somberly, looking down at him again.

Suddenly, a glowing light from inside was approaching the door. The handle turned and the door opened.

"Who is it?" Quintin asked as he took one step forward.

"Uh, yes, hi there," Misses Claus greeted with a somber smile, "may we come in?"

Drowsy and half-awake, holding a lit candle in his hand, Quintin looked around.

"Who's there?" Quintin asked as he took a step outside so he could get a good look around. He couldn't see Misses Claus, Frankie, or Phineas. Why? Because he no longer believes that Santa or the North Pole are real. Simply put, he's not a believer. "Hello?"

"Uh…hi…again?" Misses Claus said as she looked down at Phineas and Frankie. "Can he see us?"

Phineas is just as confused as Misses Claus is.

CRUNCH!

WHISPERS!

Frankie heard the crunching of snow and whispers coming from nearby. It's not until she looked to her right that she spotted two children hiding behind the corner of the side of the house.

"It's them!" Frankie said with excitement noticeable in her tone.

Quintin backed into the house, closing the front door unintentionally in their faces. It wasn't until their dad went back inside that they rushed over to greet everyone again.

"Phineas!" Thomas said as he ran over to everyone with his arms opened wide.

"Misses Claus!" Aurora said with a bright, but shy smile.

"Hello dear children," Misses Claus said as Aurora approached her to give her a heartwarming hug. Miss Claus chuckled as she put her arms around Aurora.

"We knew we would see you again," Thomas said, "I knew last time we met that it wasn't a dream."

"It's been three years," Aurora said as she stepped back from Misses Claus, concluding their hug.

"Three very, very long years," Aurora added, "but I am curious about one thing."

"What's that dear?"

"Last time we met, we helped Santa save Christmas," Aurora recalled, "if you're here…and Santa isn't, that must mean something happened."

"Krampus," Frankie blurted out.

Phineas slapped her arm, signaling to her that she had jumped the gun on explaining the situation.

SLAP!

"Ow, that hurt you dumby," Frankie snapped as she rubbed her arm.

"Spoiler!" Phineas said as he looked back over at Thomas and Aurora, "Santa was kidnapped and taken hostage by Ms. Frost."

"Jack Frost has a wife?" Aurora questioned.

"I know, shocking right?" Phineas said, "we didn't know she existed until she attacked the North Pole."

"Then there's the whole Ceres and Merlin problem too," Frankie added. "They said they'd be able to fix everything, but then they just vanished. Haven't seen or heard from either of them since."

"And you came here because you need our help again? What can we do this time that we didn't last time?"

"Help save Christmas…again," Misses Claus said, "without Santa at the North Pole, the magic of Christmas will fade away—"

"Taking us with it," Frankie added.

Without any hesitation, Thomas and Aurora were convinced and agreed to help.

"We'll help!" Thomas blurted out bluntly, "round two of saving Christmas? I'm in."

"Me too," Aurora said.

"Good, good," Misses Claus said with a smile. "To the sleigh."

Suddenly, Victoria and Jack appeared out of nowhere. They were frantic and clearly scared and frightened by something.

"She's—she's escaped!" Victoria stumbled as she lost her footing and fell onto one knee. Jack grabbed her hand and helped her back onto her feet.

"Are you alright?" Jack asked as he held her arm in his hands. She looked over at him, and with an out of breath tone to her voice, said:

"I'm fine," Victoria said as she got a hold of herself and stood back up straight.

"Victoria?" Misses Claus questioned as she looked over at the defeated-looking God and Goddess. "What did you say? Who escaped?"

"That evil Queen," Victoria said.

"Scarlet," Jack chimed in, "Scarlet, the Evil Queen, had escaped from our prison world and is exacting her revenge on the OverWorld; starting with us…the Gods and Goddesses."

This can't be good. First Ms. Frost attacked and devastated the North Pole. Then after a spell gone wrong, Santa's evil twin brother, Krampus, emerges from the aftermath of the failed fix-it spell. And lastly, there's Scarlet. If these villains manage to join hands and form an alliance, they could become unstoppable. But, luckily, that hasn't happened yet…or has it?

"I never thought I'd come back," Krampus said as he looked around at the devastated, wrecked North Pole Village.

Surrounded by armed Elves, Krampus had nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. Laughing maniacally as he turned in a full circle, he wasn't scared of the Elves.

"You need to leave and never come back," an Elf shouted.

"Yeah, you're not welcome here!" Another Elf said.

"And if I don't?" Krampus asked.

"Then you'll face the full fury of the North Pole!"

Krampus started shaking, but it was clear to the elves that their words meant nothing to him. He wasn't frightened by them. He's mocking them.

"We'll only warn you once more," an Elf said, "you either leave the North Pole or—"

"He won't be going anywhere," Scarlet's voice said as Scarlet emerged from behind a spruce tree. The Elves all redirected their attention to her. Krampus turned around to confront this blockhead.

"You're just a girl," Krampus said.

"And you look like an overgrown goatman," Scarlet responded with a subtle chuckle.

"You dare mock me?" Krampus said, followed by a deep growl of anger.

"I have a proposition for you goatman," Scarlet said.

"My name is Krampus, you witch!" Krampus shouted and growled again. "This is mine and mine only. I've been burdened with a destiny to one day rule the North Pole."

Scarlet smiled sarcastically and nodded her head. She put her hands behind her back and looked directly into his eyes.

"And you will, I promise you that," Scarlet said, "but that can only happen…if we work together."

"I'm a solo creature," Krampus said, "I work alone!"

Scarlet sighed and shook her head.

"That's too bad," she told him, "together, we could've ruled the entire OverWorld side by side."

As she turned around and started walking away, he spoke up.

"Wait!" Krampus shouted, "if I help you, what's in it for me?"

Scarlet, with her back still facing him, smiled maniacally.