Chapter Text
“What’s happening?” Noelle called into the storm as she followed her husband back to the control center.
“I don’t know.” He said as he he rushed towards the building. “Stay close.” He took her hand and walked in front of her as he opened the door. She peered in behind him.
“It doesn’t look much different to earlier.” She regarded as she looked around.
They both kept their guard up as they walked through the corridors. The sirens were still blaring as the reached the main room. Noelle rushed over to the screens as Nicholas surveyed the area.
“Where’s the General?” He called to his wife as he scoured the room. The noise was disorientating, and seemed to go right through him.
“He was here a few hours ago, I can’t see any anomalies on the screens, no tourists, nothing.” His wife admitted, though slightly confused as she scanned each screen carefully.
Nicolas managed to find the source of the alarm and turn it off. “Right, I can hear myself think now.” He murmured as he stepped up beside Noelle and observed the screens also.
The village was eerily quiet. Everything was too quiet. Even with the storm raging there was a sense of uneasiness surrounding them. The couple quietly worked as they made sure to search every screen for one small thing to be out of place.
A thud.
Nicholas and Noelle looked at each other.
A muffled cry, followed by another thud.
Santa was the first to turn around. “Stay close, keep your guard up.” He warned as he stepped towards a broom closet. Noelle nodded, glancing around, keeping watch as she followed him.
He made a signal to stop and stepped toward the door. He quickly looked around the room to make sure it was just him and his wife there. Satisfied that it was just them, he carefully inched the door open.
“Do not make any sudden moves I’m armed.” He boomed, he lied, as he cracked the door open a bit more. Another muffled sound escaped from the space between them.
Noelle gasped. “Nicholas, that sounds like...”
Santa opened the door fully. His eyes widened and his breath caught at what he saw. Dressed only in a pair of long johns and an undershirt, with his mouth gagged and his feet bound and hands twisted behind his back, was the general.
The Clause’s darted forward and started to attend to him. Noelle got his feet free while her husband worked on his wrists and the subsequent gag. She stepped back and went to get a warm blanket and first aid kit.
“General.” Nicolas said as he got him out of the closet and into a chair. “What happened here?”
Noelle came back and draped the blanket around him and started to tend to his wounds.
“I’m sorry, Sir, I…I couldn’t stop him, didn’t…didn’t have time to call for back up.” He rasped and tried to compose himself. “Sir, Ma’am you can’t stay here…”
“General, please, tell us what happened? How we can help you now?” Noelle said as she bandaged his grazes.
Nicholas’ brow furrowed. He walked over to the control panel and watched the screens again before typing something into a computer. “We’re not leaving til back up comes, I’ve just contacted NPCT (North Pole Control). They’re getting to us as quickly as they can through this storm. Now please, tell us what happened.”
The General caught his breath and shook his head. He reached out to Nicholas, grabbing his arm in desperation, causing the other to watch him carefully.
“Please, Sir…It wasn’t me who set off that alarm. He had gotten to me long before Mrs Clause got here this morning.”
Noelle stiffened. “Then, that wasn’t you I was talking with earlier.”
He shook his head. “No Ma’am, I’m sorry I couldn’t warn you sooner.”
“Who was it?” Nicholas snapped firmly, biting his lips in regret, he could feel his wife’s eyes boring into him.
“I can’t say…wait!” He said, anticipating Nicholas’ frustration. “I literally can’t say, he used his magic. But I can show you.” He breathed as he heaved himself up and over to one of the screens.
Noelle tucked herself beside Nicholas and observed everything. They watched as the General wound the video back to that morning. He was stood in the control room, just starting his shift, when a metal grate opened in the back of the room.
Nicholas watched pensively as a small clawed hand, followed by another, then two horns, a triangular face and forked tongue emerged from below the ground.
“No…” The Clause’s gasped in unison. Noelle brought a hand to her mouth and grabbed Nicholas’ with the other. She felt him squeeze back with hesitant reassurance.
They watched as the creature knocked the General out and fall to the floor like a stone. They watched as he donned the uniform and effortlessly transformed into the General, who in turn stirred and tried to fight back. They watched as Little Krampus cruelly fought with the general, taking his time and slowly winning, finally tying him up and stuffing him into the closet.
“Oh no…” Noelle gasped as the next section showed herself and Snowdrop talking with the imposter. Nicholas stared in disbelief. He blinked as the audio played as his wife conversed with ‘the general’.
“We have secured every last corner, I promise M’am.” He said and looked to the monitors. “I have been informed that the power drawn from the Aurora, is connected not only with our cloaking device, but with our shields too. If anyone should try to breach that, we will know. The Borealis covers the entire complex, everywhere it shines light, will be protected M’am.”
Snowdrop blinked, furrowing his brow. Something about that statement reminded him of something, but he couldn’t pin exactly what it was. It couldn’t be that important if he couldn’t remember it, surely?
“Everywhere?” Snowdrop asked and looked up at the man.
“Everywhere there is light, Sir.” He confirmed confidently.
Nicolas’ eyes widened as he watched. “Everywhere there is light.” He mumbled.
“Nicholas?” Noelle said and touched his shoulder. “What is it?”
“Of course! How else would he have gotten here back on Christmas Eve…Today…Everywhere there is light, everywhere The Borealis can shine, the cloaking devise can shine will be protected.
“But that can’t be right, Dear, or else how could Little Krampus be here?” She questioned.
“Darling, look.” He was frantic and worried as he pointed at the screens. “At Christmas, and today, the didn’t come from above ground. They came from below.”
“The old tunnels.” She realised. “But you closed them down, locked both of them away?”
“I thought I had, but…” He swallowed and took her hand. “That spell only works when we were both…while we were together, before…” He trailed off.
She bit her bottom lip and looked back at the screens showing their interaction with Little Krampus. “We defeated them a second time…”
“But didn’t seal them away.” Nicholas affirmed.
“Then we’ll find him and do it now, before Krampus gets here too.”
“That’s just it, Sir.” The general interjected. “Why isn’t he here now? He’s more than capable of it. My guess is it’s a tr-…” He was cut off by a red dot flashing and the sound of beeping coming from the maps.
“What’s going on?” Nicholas asked as he watched the screens. “Put it back to real time.” He instructed. The general nodded and changed the videos to that moment.
Noelle’s heart sunk as she watched a small elf open their door and head towards the stables.
“What is he doing, he’ll freeze!” Santa said in concern as he dashed towards the control panel.
Noelle rushed to the door and opened it. The wind whipped around her and she faltered when she saw a huge snow bank blocking them in. “We’re trapped!” She called as she ran back to her husband and the general.
‘Snowdrop go home!” Santa willed aloud through gritted teeth as all he could do in that moment was watch the elf.
On another screen he could see members of the NPCT coming towards the control center. He breathed a sigh of relief hopefully they will be set free and he and Noelle can get to Snowdrop.
On a screen adjacent to the one showing Snowdrop, Noelle froze as she saw little Krampus drag Dasher to the back of the stable and tying her up in the storm. “Please…please no.”
“What?” Nicholas said as his eyes flicked to what his wife was watching. His blood ran cold. His breath caught in his throat as he saw Krampus make the distressed call of a reindeer into the wind. He slammed his fist onto the control panel.
“I have to get out of here now!” He growled and ran to another door, sure enough, it was blocked. “No, no. NO!” He cried desperately and went back to the screens. He tried to console himself. He took some deep breaths. “Perhaps if..if I?” He closed his eyes and concentrated, placing a finger to the side of his nose.
Nothing.
His hand dropped forlornly to his side. “I can’t use my…” He choked. “I have to help him.” He said as he looked desperately up at the screens.
Noelle wrapped an around around him, wiping a tear from her own eye as she pulled him close. “He’s going to be fine.” She said hopelessly, knowing it was false.
“Help is coming. We’ll get you out of here soon.” The general said as he watched NPCT get closer.
Nicholas tried the metal grating on the floor, he raced around the room, trying to get out, finally falling back to Noelle’s side.
“He’s trapped us in here.” He said as he looked as the screen. “He wanted us to see this.”
All they could do was wait. All they could do was watch.
On the screen, Snowdrop stumbled towards the stables.
On another screen, they saw him step inside and check each stall. They saw him rush to Dasher’s stable. They saw him approach the imposter.
Nicholas leaned on the panel, eyes unmoving, barely breathing. The reflection of what was happening dancing on his irises. He could feel his wife holding him, but he was as stiff as a board, unable to help.
Noelle swallowed hard, glancing between her husband and Snowdrop.
The last thing they saw was Snowdrop desperately running after ‘Dasher.’
Silence, the portal shimmered.
Then the frantic calling of the deer’s name.
Silence.
The last thing they heard were the screams and pleas from their beloved friend followed by manic high pitched laughter.
The portal closed.
Darkness.