Back at it again with the Rudolph fics in the Rankin/Bass saga. This time doing a novelization of something that was not from Rankin/Bass, but from Goodtimes Entertainment. Hope you enjoy it!

Quick note: This fic is supposed to be set nearly a year after Rudolph's Shiny New Year and during my Frosty's Winter Wonderland fic that's coming up.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer belongs to Rankin/Bass, I own nothing.

Chapter 1: Celebrations

It was a quiet night on December 1st, everyone in town was dreaming of happy things, things like the snow and the magic of Christmas. One particular child slept with her toys near her. All seemed quiet and perfect.

But that's when it started.

The sound of a flute cut through the air, singing a harmonious lullaby that awoke the toys. Then, in a trance-like state, the toys began following the melody, unable to resist as they made their way downstairs and to the chimney.

And as they climbed up and emerged from the chimney and onto the snow-covered roof, they were met by the scoundrel behind the secret serenade. He was Mr. Heebie Jeebies himself, otherwise known as… the Toy Taker.

With his special flute, the Toy Taker commanded the toys to get in his sack. And so they did without hesitation, hopping into his large brown bag. And once all the toys were loaded up, the Toy Taker closed the sack and hefted it over his shoulder.

He then hopped down from the roof of the house, landing almost noiselessly on the ground as he made his way out of town.

The next day, the whole town was up in arms about how every single toy, from both homes and stores, had all mysteriously disappeared.

Little did anyone know that this was only the beginning.

Meanwhile at the North Pole, many weeks later, it was the annual Pre-Christmas Celebration at Santa's Castle on December 20th. Inside, the Abominable Snowman placed the star at the top of the Christmas tree.

"Rudolph," Santa asked the young reindeer, gesturing to the light switch, "Would you do the honors?"

"My pleasure, Santa." Rudolph smiled. Raising his hoof, he pressed the button, causing all the lights on the Christmas Tree to turn on, lighting up the room in a beautiful display of colors to everyone's amazement.

However, without warning, the lights suddenly began flickering before suddenly all the power in the castle went out, much to everyone's disappointment.

After Rudolph and Santa were forced to go outside to fix the fuse box, they managed to restore the power to the Castle.

"Ho ho ho!" Santa chuckled. "Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you." He said, patting Rudolph's head.

Rudolph giggled. "Thanks, Sir."

Soon, the Christmas party was in full swing with the Head Elf conducting the elf band as they all played their instruments. I tell ya, the joint was jumpin with hobnobbing elves and rhyming reindeer. The Abominable Snowman held a huge plate of gingerbread trees, eating them thanks to these new denture teeth Hermey had made for him while Yukon Corneilious decided to taste some of the punch by dipping his pickaxe in it and licking it off the edge.

And as the festivities went on, other party guests started square dancing, including Santa and Mrs. Claus. Rudolph made his way through the crowds, looking for Clarice, thinking it would be nice to get the chance to dance with her before spotting the doe over by the fireplace.

Clarice stared at the fire for a bit before turning to see Rudolph, which made her give him a cute and flirtatious smile, which made Rudolph feel quite bashful, indicated by his red nose brightening.

Coming away from the fire and to the door leading to the hallway, Clarice gave Rudolph another sly look before gesturing for him to follow her.

Rudolph felt his heart skip a beat. He felt rather pathetic for being so nervous. They'd been together for so long now so why was he so shy? It almost made him smile at how easily Clarice was able to make his heart flutter. He then noticed Hermey walk up to him and say encouragingly, "Well, go on."

With his courage revamped, Rudolph ran out of the room, following Clarice outside, the young reindeer looked around and was surprised to see his doefriend was nowhere in sight.

Just then, a snowball hit him face seemingly from nowhere followed by a girlish giggle. Shaking the snow off his snout, Rudolph looked to see Clarice peeking out from behind a tree with a mischievous smile.

She then ran off Rudolph right behind her as the two ran together before Rudolph drifted off to the side. Approaching a nearby gazebo, Clarice came to a stop when she noticed Rudolph wasn't with her, much to her confusion.

Some snow then suddenly fell on head, almost ruining her bow, making her look and see Rudolph on the roof of the gazebo, smiling down at her.

Clarice then rushed off, giving a playful yet challenging look. Smiling with happiness, Rudolph leaped off the roof and glided gracefully through the sky.

Following her, Rudolph slowly lowered himself down to the ground just close enough to Clarice as they came to a stop at the edge of a hill which gave them a beautiful view of the winter wonderland before them.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Claice asked as they sat down next to each other.

"Yeah," Rudolph smiled, "but not as beautiful as you."

Clarice giggled, her cheeks blushing. "You old flatterer you." She then smiled as she looked at Rudolph with love and adoration in her eyes. "I'm so proud of you, Rudolph, for saving Christmas during that storm and helping Happy accept himself."

Now it was Rudolph's turn to blush. "Aw, I couldn't have done it without you, Clarice. You gave the encouragement I needed to accept myself first. You were one of the few people who didn't laugh at my nose, one of the few people who actually made me feel… normal. Like I could be myself without having to hide it."

Clarice smiled, leaning in and kissing his cheek before nuzzling Rudolph. "I love you."

Rudolph smiled as he nuzzled back. "I love you too."

For a while, the two sat there, looking out at the beautiful landscape. However, their sweet moment was interrupted when they saw a living kite gliding overhead.

"What was that?" Clarice asked.

"I don't know." Rudolph replied. "We should probably follow him."

Getting up, the two reindeer followed the kite as it glided over in the direction of Hermey's dentist office.

Once they arrived, Rudolph and Clarice watched from afar as the kite floated up to the front door.

"The dentist is out?!" The kite exclaimed worriedly as he read the sign. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding!"

It was then that the pair decided to make themselves known. "Hey." Rudolph spoke up, getting the kites' attention.

Upon seeing Rudolph, the kite's eyes widened. "My stars, your Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!"

"You've heard of me?" Rudolph asked.

"Duh!" The kite said. "Who hasn't heard of you? Your flight around the world is legendary!"

Rudolph looked bashful. "Aw, it was nothing." He said humbly. "So, why are you here to see Hermey?"

"Oh, it's about King Moonracer. He needs a dentist immediately! Do you happen to know where he is?"

"He's at Santa's Castle right now. It's the Pre-Christmas Celebration tonight." Clarice told him.

"Okay, thanks! Maybe I'll meet you there!" The kite thanked, rushing off towards Santa's Castle.

As Rudolph and Clarice ran back to the castle, they decided to make some conversation.

"Hey, Clarice, how come you've never had flying lessons before?" Rudolph asked curiously.

Clarice sighed. "I'm a late bloomer, apparently. I can't fly because I've yet to learn how, and I just didn't have the time usually."

Rudolph thought for a moment. "Well, maybe I could give you some flying lessons?"

Clarice looked at her boyfriend, surprised. "Really? I mean, if you're not too busy being famous and all."

Rudolph smiled. "Yeah, that is if you want to."

Clarice smiled back. "Of course I'd like to."

Rudolph and Clarice burst back into the castle and entered the party room. Everyone was still partying and chattering and eating food without a care in the world.

Just then, one of the fawns, a young female one at that, walked up to Rudolph with a piece of paper in her mouth.

"Mr. Rudolph, sir?" The little fawn asked. "May I have your autograph?"

Rudolph and Clarice glanced at each other.

"Well, I don't see why not." Rudolph said, putting his hoof in a little ink pad nearby, stamping it onto the piece of paper.

"You have no idea how happy you just made me!" The little fawn giggled happily, picking up the paper and running off to show off to her friends.

"Boy, you sure are popular, Rudolph." Clarice said.

"Popular? He's more than just popular," Hermey spoke up, walking over to them with some hot coco, "he's the most famous reindeer of them all." He smiled proudly at his best friend.

"Famous?" Yukon laughed wholeheartedly. "Why, the lad's a legend!"

Despite usually hearing these compliments, Rudolph still couldn't help but blush in embarrassment at the admiration.

Yukon then cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "Hey, everyone! I think we can all agree that the North Pole's greatest celebrity, apart from Santa, deserves a toast, especially since it's so close to his anniversary. So I propose a toast to our blue bosom buddy, Rudolph!"

"To Rudolph!" Everyone cheered, raising their mugs in the air to the bashful red-nosed reindeer, whose entire face was now turning scarlet with embarrassment.

With the toast, everyone drank from the mugs, even the Bumble, though he instead took the entire bowl of fruit punch from the table and began guzzling it down.

"Speech! Speech!" Everyone chanted to Rudolph, clearing room for the stage.

Smiling a little in embarrassment, Rudolph made his way up to the stage as the Head Elf adjusted the microphone for him, causing feedback to go off, making everyone in the room wince.

Adjusting the mike a little, the Head Elf stepped away as Rudolph walked over to speak. "Gee, everyone, thanks. Listen, being famous is swell and all, but I don't think I really deserve it. To be honest, all I did was light the way. I mean, it's no biggie really." He said humbly.

"And he's modest too!" Yukon pointed out.

"No biggie?" Santa asked. "I'd say it was a big biggie. You helped save Christmas after all."

"Not to mention you helped save the Baby New Year." Hermey added, feeling proud of his friend.

"Aw, guys, you're making me blush." Rudolph said bashfully. "But all the same, I remember back then all I really wanted was-"

"Glow your nose, Rudolph!" One of the elves in the crowd interrupted.

"... to be like everyone else." Rudolph finished.

"C'mon, champ! Let's see the trick with the disco ball. Right? Right!" Comet said.

Rudolph blinked. Had anyone even heard what he just said?

"Disco ball! Disco ball! Disco!" Everyone, minus Clarice, Hermey, Santa, Donner, and Mrs. Donner chanted.

Rudolph sighed, a look of defeat on his face. Guess they didn't hear. "Fine, I'll do it." With a gesture, Rudolph shined his nose on the disco ball on the ceiling, which caused it to reflect off the ball and all over the room, a trick which Rudolph had been doing every month since January.

Inwardly, Rudolph couldn't help but feel a slight pang in his heart as a glum look briefly crossed his face. Even though he had pretty much accepted his nose along with everyone else, it still sometimes felt like everyone was treating him as a novelty act. However, Rudolph quickly forced those thoughts down, he was done feeling sorry for himself.

But this glum look didn't go unnoticed by Clarice, neither did it by Hermey.

The celebrations went on for some time before that kite Rudolph and Clarice had met earlier suddenly came into the ballroom.

"Excuse me," The kite spoke up, "I'm looking for Hermey Elf, D.D.S. Do you know where I can find him?"

Hermey heard his name and raised his hand. "That would be me." The kite turned his attention to him. "Hermey Elf, at your service."

"Listen, we're very grateful for the help you guys have done for the toys who used to be on the Island of Misfit Toys last year, and we're really looking forward to seeing you guys this year for Christmas, but there's something else we really need your help with." The kite quickly explained. "King Moonracer has a royal toothache, and it's hurting him like mad! So he sent me, the new sentry of the island to go get you. So, um, do you think you could come to the island again as soon as possible?"

"You bet!" Hermey agreed.

"Need some assistance, Hermey?" Rudolph asked, coming down from the stage.

"As long as it's okay with your parents." Hermey replied.

Rudolph looked to his parents, who at this point already knew what he was going to ask. "It's alright, Rudolph. You can go with him." Mrs. Donner told him sweetly.

"Yeah, you just be careful out there, little buck." Donner chuckled, nuzzling his son, who giggled a bit.

"Great, then it's all settled!" Hermey said. "Tomorrow, we'll be off to the Island of Misfit Toys."

"But how are you supposed to get to the island?" Clarice asked curiously.

Hermey smirked. "I think tomorrow morning will the perfect time to test out the Toothmobile."