Chapter Text
Part 1 : Healing and Recovery
[Music: Bach – "Christmas Oratorio", BWV 248:VI No. 64 "Nun Seid Ihr Wohl Gerochen"]
People often think Christmas ends on December 25th, but traditionally, Christmas was a twelve-day feast. Beginning on December 25th, celebrating the birth of Jesus, it continued until Epiphany on January 6th, honoring the visit of the Magi.
On January 6th, 1965, churches across the world—including those in the Vatican, Greece, and West Germany—took down their Christmas decorations, thus marking the official end of the season.
While churches in the outside world were putting away their ornaments, Christmastown, too, concluded its twelve-day celebration by turning off the lights of its great Christmas tree.
[Music: Grieg – "Peer Gynt" Suite Op.46 No.1, "Morning Mood"]
January 7th, 1965.
The lively bustle from the day before had vanished, giving way to a calm morning in Christmastown. Christmas was officially over, yet the snowy field surrounding the great tree still made it feel as though the season lingered on.
All the residents of Christmastown began their day with a fresh, pleasant spirit as they looked out at the soft blanket of snow. Santa returned to his desk in the office. The elves resumed toy production right at the start of the new year.
Hermey, now at last a practicing dentist, headed to his brand-new clinic, and Yukon Cornelius, now settled in Christmastown, set off for his newly opened peppermint mine.
And the reindeer played in the snow-covered clearing—the very field where they practiced pulling Santa's sleigh. Rudolph, whose glowing red nose had saved Christmas during last year's stormy, fog-choked night, was there as well. The other reindeer had no choice but to acknowledge his heroism; they had apologized sincerely and made peace with him.
Still, watching the same friends who had once mocked him now laughing and running together stirred complicated feelings in Rudolph. He wondered whether he should join them… or keep his distance.
It was then that Clarice approached him.
"Hi, Rudolph!" she called out cheerfully with a bright smile. She and Rudolph had officially started dating by this time.
"H-Hey, Clarice…" Rudolph replied, immediately blushing as his red nose glowed warmly.
"What were you doing out here?" Clarice asked gently.
"Well… it's my first time back on the clearing since Christmas. I was just… thinking about whether I should go play with them or not."
"If you want to join them, you can, Rudolph. I saw everything when they apologized. They really meant it." Clarice reassured him softly.
"No, it's okay," Rudolph said. "If you want to stay with me, then I'm staying with you no matter what, Clarice. You're the most important doe in the whole world to me."
Clarice flushed pink and blinked in surprise. "Really? Aww, Rudolph… that's so sweet!"
Meanwhile, the other young reindeer watched them from afar, whispering to each other.
"Is Rudolph ditching us just so he can hang out with Clarice all the time?" Fireball muttered.
"I don't think so," another reindeer said. "I heard Clarice went searching for him with his parents when he ran away."
"If only we hadn't bullied him… maybe one of us could've ended up with a nice doe like Clarice!" groaned a reindeer who happened to be Dasher's son.
Of course, the doe herd—excluding Clarice—had also teased Rudolph before, so even if they wanted to pursue him now, Clarice had already claimed that place in his heart.
Rudolph and Clarice, watching the gossiping reindeer from a distance, giggled together.
"Lately I've been bragging about you to my parents all the time!" Clarice said brightly. "I tell them, 'The Rudolph with the red-nose Reindeer? He's my boyfriend!' And since you've been on the radio and in the newspapers so much, they're asking if you're planning to travel the world now."
"Aww, it all happened so suddenly last Christmas… I'm still tired. I kinda just want to rest," Rudolph mumbled shyly, his red nose lighting up again.
Clarice thought the way he blushed was unbearably cute. "Oh yeah? If I were you, I'd be flying around the world already, telling everyone who I am—no time to get tired!"
When Rudolph failed to answer, Clarice tilted her head and asked gently,
"Rudolph? Is something wrong? It's okay—you can tell me anything."
Rudolph finally opened up. "It's nothing, Clarice. My mind's just… all tangled right now. Can we talk about it later?"
Just then, Clarice remembered something she'd heard from her parents that morning—tonight's aurora would be especially bright. She had been hoping to ask Rudolph on a little aurora-watching date.
"Rudolph, the aurora's supposed to be really clear tonight. Want to go watch it together?"
"Sure!" Rudolph replied at once.
He needed some time to sort out his feelings before he could say everything he wanted to tell her.
That evening arrived quietly. After having dinner with his parents, Rudolph began getting ready to go out. He wrapped a red scarf around his neck and checked himself in the mirror.
"Rudolph, are you all set? You said you were going to see the aurora tonight," asked Mrs. Donner.
"Yeah… Clarice invited me to go watch it with her," Rudolph replied, sounding shy.
"Have fun on your date, son! You've got a girlfriend now—make sure you treat Clarice well!" Mr. Donner said with an encouraging grin.
"Yes, Dad. I'll be back soon," Rudolph answered.
"Good. Make some sweet memories tonight," Mr. Donner added warmly.
"And don't come home too late!" Mrs. Donner chimed in.
"O-okay, Mom, Dad… I'll get going now!"
With that, Rudolph stepped outside.
When the time they'd agreed on arrived, Rudolph waited for Clarice at the gate of his house. Five minutes later, she appeared and called out brightly:
"Rudolph!"
"Hey, Clarice! I'm ready—let's go."
When he stepped out into the snow, he noticed she was also wearing a red scarf. Her parents had come along as well.
"Oh—hello! Long time no see," Rudolph said politely.
"We came because we were a little worried," Clarice's father admitted. "We'll stay behind and just watch from a distance. But you two are still young—be careful out there at night!"
"Yes, sir!" Rudolph and Clarice answered in unison.
Then the two pressed their cheeks together affectionately and began walking toward the hill, matching their steps. Though the night had grown dark, Rudolph's glowing red nose lit the path more brightly than ever.
Since Clarice had suggested the aurora outing, she had already picked out the perfect viewing spot. The trail would have been hard to follow in the darkness, but Rudolph's radiant nose made the walk easy.
[Music: Grieg – Piano Concerto in A Minor Op.16, II:Adagio]
They arrived at the place Clarice had chosen. Not a single cloud hung in the sky. From the hilltop, the stars glittered across the night sky like tiny shards of ice. Far below, Santa's office and the homes of Christmastown's residents glowed faintly like a tiny illuminated diorama.
"Clarice?" Rudolph said softly.
"Mm?" she responded.
"You really picked a beautiful spot… I've never been here before," he said shyly.
"I used to come here a lot with my family when I was little," Clarice said proudly. "I wanted to show it to you too, Rudolph."
Just then, the aurora began to appear. A pale green glow slowly unfurled across the sky, spreading outward like wings of light. The green faded into blue, then violet, then a soft rosy pink. It looked like a giant rainbow-colored curtain, rippling and shifting high above them.
"Wow… it's beautiful, isn't it?" Clarice whispered in awe.
"Yeah… it really is," Rudolph replied warmly.
"I'm so happy I get to see a sky like this with you~~" Clarice cooed, leaning against him.
"Clarice…"
Her warmth, her closeness—it all made Rudolph blush. "You know… it's been a long time since we've had time alone together like this."
They had first met last April, but every time they'd been together since then, others had always been around.
"Oh gosh, has it really been that long?" Clarice said with surprise.
"Do you… remember the first time we met?" Rudolph asked, smiling at the memory.
"Of course! You were wearing that little nose cover," Clarice giggled.
"Yeah… My dad made me wear it. He thought I had to hide my red nose so I could fit in and someday lead Santa's sleigh…" Rudolph confessed, finally explaining what he hadn't been able to tell her back then.
"That cover gave you such a funny nasal voice, too. That's when I first realized it—you were hiding something different, something special," Clarice said softly.
"When you called me cute… I was so happy I jumped," Rudolph murmured, blushing again as his red nose glowed brighter.
"And you're still cute! Look how your nose is glowing—you look adorable~" Clarice teased affectionately.
"When you said that… all the others made fun of me. Even Coach Comet kicked me out. I thought you'd blame yourself… but you came to me anyway," Rudolph said, feeling a mix of sweetness and the sting of old memories.
"Your red nose has never been your fault, Rudy. I never understood why the others treated you that way," Clarice said, trying to soothe him.
"Even my parents didn't understand my nose… but you—you were the first reindeer who accepted it just the way it is."
Rudolph's voice grew quieter. "The song you sang to me back then… it helped more than you know."
"Oh, Rudolph… you must have suffered so much."Clarice's eyes glistened as she spoke.
"Clarice… the truth is… I needed you." Rudolph finally let go of the tears he'd been holding back.
"Rudy, it's okay. It's okay. I'm right here now. You can cry as much as you want," she whispered, patting his back gently. Rudolph fell to his knees and sobbed loudly, and Clarice wrapped her forelegs around him, holding him close.
Before long, Clarice was crying too, and Rudolph felt comforted in a way he never had at home—comforted, understood, embraced.
Time passed without either of them noticing. After he finally cried himself out, Rudolph felt deeply grateful—grateful to have someone he could tell the feelings he couldn't share with his parents.
He glanced up, seeing Clarice reflected in the glow of his nose.
"W-wait… Clarice? You were crying too?"
"Of course. If my cute Rudy is hurting… then I have to be the one to comfort him," she said, wiping her tears and smiling.
"Thank you… Clarice. I'm really lucky to have met someone as kind as you. And…" Rudolph wiped his face, then leaned closer and whispered into her ear:
"I think you're cute too."
Clarice's cheeks turned bright red.
"R-really? You're not just saying that because I said it first, right?" she asked, half-playful, half-flustered.
"I promise—it's the truth. The way you told me I was cute… that was adorable. A sweet, gentle, beautiful doe like you… being my first love… and my girlfriend… makes me really happy, Clara."
Rudolph smiled softly, and even the reflection of Clarice in his glowing nose looked lovely to him.
Hearing him call her "Clara," which was her pet name, Clarice's cheeks burned even hotter. She buried her face in the snow before rubbing her cheek against him again.
"Oh Rudy, when you say things like that, you're just too cute~~ So sweet!"
Her snowy cheek felt icy against his fur.
"Eek—Clara, that's cold!" Rudolph yelped, startled but laughing with genuine joy. Clarice giggled in response.
Their happy laughter rose into the air beneath the dancing aurora.
They stayed pressed cheek-to-cheek, gazing up at the shimmering curtains of light, wrapped in warmth and in each other. It was a magical moment—romantic, soft, and tinged with a gentle ticklish delight.
Then, suddenly remembering something, Clarice pulled back slightly and turned her face toward him.
"Rudolph, guess what?" she said.
"What is it?" Rudolph looked back at her.
"Santa told me earlier—your mailbox is overflowing with letters from all over the world thanking you for saving Christmas!"
"Really? I mean… I just did what I thought I should do. Isn't all this a bit… too much?"
Rudolph blushed again, his nose glowing.
"What are you talking about, Rudy? You deserve it!" Clarice nudged him with her hoof. "Oh—and Santa said I should pass this on to you. NBC in United States wants to meet you! They asked for an interview!"
"Wait—me? On TV?" Rudolph's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yup! And look at you—our big hero getting all shy again!" Clarice teased, giggling.
"Clara… I appreciate the offer, but… having strangers look at me on TV sounds so embarrassing…" Rudolph mumbled, glowing brighter from shyness.
"Sometimes you have to show a little courage. Don't you think so, Rudolph?" Clarice said, winking at him.
"Maybe you're right…"
Her adorable wink made his heart flutter. With a girlfriend like her cheering him on, how could he not feel brave?
"Of course I'm right~ You can do it, Rudolph!" Clarice said, nudging his side again.
Before they knew it, midnight was drawing near, and the aurora began to fade. As the lights in the sky gradually dimmed, both of them started to feel sleepy.
"Yaaawn… The aurora's gone now… Rudy, I'm so sleepy," Clarice murmured.
"Me too… Clara, do you remember when we first met? I promised I'd walk you home… I want to keep that promise tonight," Rudolph said. It had been nine months since he first said it, and now he finally could.
"Oh, Rudolph… you remembered." Clarice's eyes softened. She was delighted that he still cared enough to make good on the promise he'd once been unable to keep.
"Now that I can be with you freely… I'll walk you home tonight," he said, guilt mixing with tenderness.
"Rudy, you're too sweet~~" She nuzzled him again.
The aurora had vanished completely, and the two young reindeer began walking down the hill they had spent hours atop. Clarice knew the way, but it was far too dark for her to have walked alone. Rudolph's bright nose lit the path, yet even he would've felt uneasy without her by his side.
But together, the darkness wasn't frightening at all—only warm, hopeful, and happy.
Thank you for reading my Rudolph fanfiction.
Though the original work is less known in South Korea, I remember I watched this film when I was in elementary school.
There was an English Center in my elementary school, where received students from not only my school but also neighboring school. Though it's not my legal name, I also got my English name Kevin there. In Christmas season, I remember a teacher of the center showed us the very film. She was a large Black teacher, and her drawing skill was so great that she designed the cover the English note for the Center. She's from Maryland and she liked Pikachu. Although the center is no longer there, the elementary school where the center is located was "S" Elementary School in Seo-gu, Incheon.
I was able to find her Facebook page before I created one due to age restrictions, but I can't find it anymore. The reason I mention the teacher is to express my gratitude to her who showed me the original film. If you who is reading this are the teacher I mentioned or know her, please contact me. I will be uploading the soundtrack of this fanfic in playlist format on my YouTube channel.