[CH. 001] Another Christmas Tale

T'was a few days before Christmas would return to the OverWorld. The OverWorld is a very different place today than it was two years ago. The tale of Daniel's adventure has thus closed, but a new adventure is sure to begin soon (wink, wink).

With Christmas right around the corner, families are gathering ingredients to bake cookies, milking their cows for milk, and decorating their Christmas trees. Excitement fills the air as children eagerly await Christmas morning.

The snow gently falls from the cloudy, gray skies. The wind blows and the trees creak and the leaves rustle. Winter is here, and everyone is ready to make this year an unforgettable…and memorable one.

Our story begins with Thomas and Aurora at their cabin in the Mountains Biome, on Christmas morning three years ago…

Four big boxes sat under the Christmas tree, all wrapped neatly in colorful wrapping paper. Thomas and Aurora looked over at the door. Their shoes and coats were dry, as if they hadn't been outside since the snowball fight last night.

"Did you guys sleep well last night?" Juliana asked.

"You two were really tired after the snowball fight. You both came back inside, and fell asleep soon thereafter," Quintin said.

"We didn't sleep all night. Santa needed our help. His sleigh had crashed. He came here, asking for help," Aurora said.

"You must've been dreaming," Juliana said, "you guys were in your beds all night long."

"Huh," Thomas said, "I could've sworn we helped Santa save Christmas."

"Kids and their imaginations," Juliana chuckled as she looked over to Quintin. Quintin smiled and nodded his head.

"Now let's open presents," he said.

Thomas and Aurora ran over to the Christmas tree in the corner next to the fireplace. Quintin walked over to the chest next to the fireplace. Opening it, it squeaked. Grabbing some spruce logs out, he then tossed them into the pit. Kept on the mantle, out of the children's reach, was the flint and steel. A couple swipes of it should start a warm, comforting fire.

Juliana walked over to the table where the plate of cookies and bottle of milk were kept for Santa. She smiled as she grabbed the bottle and plate.

"How does Santa eat so many cookies in one night?" Juliana asked.

"He has a big belly," Aurora giggled with her hand covering her mouth. "Like daddy."

Juliana laughed and looked over at Quintin. He set the flint and steel back on top of the mantle after a fire was started.

"Like who?" Quintin said as he rubbed his hands on his belly.

Juliana looked away and laughed. Quintin glanced down to Thomas and Aurora. Still, they were sitting by their presents.

"Can we open presents now? I want to see what Santa got us," Aurora said as Thomas giggled.

"He does have a big belly," Thomas mumbled under his breath.

"What?" Quintin said.

Juliana walked back over to the living room. She briefly gazed upon Quintin. She stopped and stared at him for a minute.

"They're right," she told him as she patted his belly with her hand. "You do have a belly."

Quintin gasps in disbelief. Juliana walks over to a chair, and sits down.

"Come sit dear," she tells Quintin, "Let's see what you kiddos got. Aurora first, then you Thomas."

Quintin walks over to the chair next to Juliana's and sits down. She looks over at him and smiles.

That's the last we've heard from Thomas and Aurora. For the next three years, the OverWorld would be put through thick and thin. From the Golem Monster to NetherBrines's chaotic return.

As we fast forward to the present day, many things changed for Thomas and Aurora. Only this Christmas will be different.

Earlier this year, Juliana passed away from an unknown illness. Quintin, Thomas, and Aurora's heart left broken. A piece of a puzzle that will never be found and filled. With their mom now gone, they will be celebrating Christmas without her.

Thomas and Aurora were outside. Bundled up to stay warm, their father stood behind them with his hands on their shoulders.

Aurora was holding a single lily of the valley flower. She sniffled as she got down onto her knees. Leaning forward, she set the flower down on top of the undisturbed snow in front of the tombstone where their mom is buried.

"We miss you, mama," Aurora mumbled as she stood back up. She took a step back until she felt her dads hand on her shoulder.

"More than you know," Thomas mumbled.

"Alright, let's get back inside. Sun's going down," Quintin said.

"Bye mama," Aurora mumbled, followed by a sniffle.

"Continue to rest, my love," Quintin said with a frown.

All together, they turned around and made their way inside. Quintin walked up to the front door and pulled it open. He stepped aside as Aurora and Thomas walked inside. As he followed behind them, Quintin gave Juliana's grave one last, prolonged glare. He gulped and put his head down, walking inside. The door closed behind him.

As you know, Santa's elves always keep an eye on the children throughout the year. Three years have come and gone, as well as three Christmases too. Even when the OverWorld was under threat, Santa kept hopes high by continuing to do what he does best: spread love and joy to all the children.

Moving on to the North Pole, Phineas, Santa's closest friend and Elf, was watching Thomas and Aurora. Miss Claus was watching them as well.

When the vision of them going back into their house, the glass block went dark and the vision ended.

"Oh my," Miss Claus mumbled as she glanced down at Phineas, who was standing on the tabletop next to the glass block.

"She passed away before the Spring Bloom," Phineas told Miss Claus. "We don't know from what. It breaks my heart to see theirs ache."

"What do they want for Christmas?" Miss Claus asked.

"Is that rhetorical?" Phineas asked.

"If I know anything about Nicholas, it's that he keeps what he's giving the children a secret until after Christmas," Miss Claus explained.

"Santa is good at keeping secrets secret," Phineas said as set his hands back down on the glass block. When he did, it lit up again and another pair of children came into view.

"Ava and Annabelle," Phineas said to Miss Claus. "They came from two separate families, but ended up becoming sisters in the end. After NetherBrine was defeated, Petra ended up adopting both of them. Since then, the three of them have been writing their own story."

"I remember," Miss Claus said. "Where are they now?"

Phineas and Miss Claus both looked back at the glass block and the vision playing out inside of it.

"Ava," Petra shouted, "Annabelle. Time to come inside girls. It's getting late."

Petra stood in the doorway as she waited for the girls to come into view. They were both running back towards their house, almost as if they were racing.

"I'm gonna win," Annabelle said as she made a teasing face at Ava.

"No, I'm going to win," Ava yelled back as she started running faster, catching up to Annabelle.

"Nu-uh, I'm going to win!" Annabelle said.

"You're fat and you're mean!" Ava yelled.

"My my," Miss Claus said, "that's not nice."

Phineas looked up at Miss Claus. He shrugged his shoulders at her.

"I'll let it go this time," Phineas said, referring to him reporting to Santa who was good and who was bad…for his list.

"Ava appears to be naughty and nice," Miss Claus said.

"It's the least I can do. They've been through thick and thin. This Christmas is a special one. Do I need to explain?" Phineas explained and then questioned.

Miss Claus chuckled and shook her head. She adjusts her glasses.

Elsewhere at the North Pole, Santa was asleep in his quarters. His private home was built into the Factory and Builders building. Every year, he must sleep for a significant amount of time in order to stay up all night to deliver presents.

Within the last month before Christmas, he goes into a deep slumber. A slumber that would last until the eve of Christmas. In three days time, he is to be awoken by—

"Aye, narrator," a female blockhead said as she looked up into the brisk, dark night sky. "You talk too much."

I do not. Do I? Do I talk too much? Wait a second! Hold on. Who are you? You're not supposed to be here in this story.

"Well I am," the blockhead said, "so beat it old man!"

I'm no old man! I'm the same age as you…I think? What's your name? Are you a bad guy?

"Ms. Frost," she answers the Narrator's question. "And yes! I'm here to ruin Christmas!"

You weren't supposed to show up until chapter two. I haven't gotten that far yet.

"Might want to catch up then," Ms. Frost yelled.

Uh, well okay then. This is Ms. Frost. Don't know where or how she got here, but she's here. Her intentions seem very real and—

"They are!" Ms. Frost said. "Ice Golems: ATTACK!"

Elves who were stationed at the outer edges of the North Pole had one job: protect the North Pole from outside invaders and from the Dark Elves. But no Elf at the North Pole has seen or heard from the Dark Elves in three years.

"Benny!" Vinny, Benny's fellow Spotter Elf in the west Lookout Tower spotted something unusual. Vinny turned around to see Ethan sleeping in the corner of the tower.

Zzzz, Zzzz, Zzzz.

"Lazy Elf!" Vinny mumbled as he walked over to Benny, slapping him across the face once.

SLAP!

"Huh? What? Mommy is that you?" Benny mumbled as he stretched and yawned.

"No dummy," Vinny shouted, "the North Pole is under attack! By who, I don't know. But they're closing in fast! Get the candy cane bombs ready!"

Benny leaps up onto his feet and runs over to the chest where the candy cane bombs are stored. He flipped the lid open and leaned over to reach inside it.

Back down on the ground, Ms. Frost and the army of Ice Golems were nearing the two towers; one of which had Vinny and Benny stationed on it.

"Take out the towers. It's their only means of defense!" Ms. Frost shouted to the Ice Golems.

Riding on the back of her ice horse, she leaned to one side to where her hand was able to scrape the soft snow into her hand.

"The cold never bothers me anyway," she mumbled as the snow morphed into a perfect circle of snow, now a snowball. But as she approached the towers, the Elves started throwing candy cane bombs down at them. The towers needed to go. The candy cane bombs were powerful enough to weaken her ice golem army.

BOOM!

The first bomb exploded when it hit the ground, causing a thick cluster of snow to burst into the air. Ms. Frost ran through it unphased.

Benny and Vinny both watched as Ms. Frost disappeared into the cluster of snow. Their hopes were abruptly shattered when she emerged from the cloud of snow and ran past their tower. She had now surpassed the first and only means of defense the North Pole had.

"Golems incoming!" Poppy, another Elf, shouted from the tower nearby.

"What?" Vinny shouted.

"ICE GOLEMS!"

But just as they looked out and down at the ground, their tower was destroyed instantly. It began tilting and falling forward towards the ground.

"SOUND THE ALARM!" Poppy said as she looked back at Cassandra, another elf stationed in the tower with her.

"On it!" Cassandra answered as she activated a beacon, in which its light was red. Red meant danger. Its light is so bright, you'd be able to see it from the Workshop building.

Back inside, work resumed as normal until an elf barged into the factory. He had little to say, but everyone stopped what they were doing and gave him their full attention.

"THE NORTH POLE…. IS UNDER ATTACK!"