Chapter 2: Departure
The very next morning, Rudolph, Hermey, and the Kite had a quick breakfast before getting in the Toothmobile and setting off.
The Toothmobile seemed to be a small building on treads in the back with the driver's seat being held up by a pair of sleigh skis, which helped the vehicle nicely glide over the snow. The Toothmobile itself had a bit of a flashy paint job, painted in the classic Christmas colors of red and green, with some gold trimmings and an added bonus of a tooth ornament on the roof.
"What now, Hermey?" Rudolph asked his best friend as they approached the icy water.
Hermey grinned. "Behold, the wonders of the Toothmobile, my All-Terrain-Mobile-Dental-Facility." He said dramatically as he pulled one of the levers.
As the Toothmobile went into the water, a series of four pontoons inflated around the edges of the vehicle, making the vehicle gently float out above the water.
And so, the two friends (and kite who I suppose you could count as a third friend) journeyed to the Island of Misfit Toys for a dental call to tend to the ailing King Moonracer.
While they sailed, Rudolph took a quick glance at the kite, who seemed to be staring off into the ocean. The kite, however, quickly noticed his stare.
"Could you please not stare?" He asked.
"Sorry." Rudolph said. "It's just, I was curious as to how your a… uh," He tried to say without offending the kite.
Thankfully, the kite didn't look too offended. "Why am I a misfit toy?" He finished for him, sounding a little bitter. "Well, if you wanna know the embarrassing truth, it's because I'm afraid of heights! Ain't it tragic?"
Hermey shrugged. "Well, if it makes you feel better, Rudolph and I used to be misfits too. Everyone thought I was crazy for wanting to be a dentist instead of making toys, and almost everyone laughed at Rudolph's nose."
Rudolph hung his head a little. "Except, sometimes I still feel like a misfit."
Hermey turned to his friend, confused. "Why? You're a celebrity for crying out loud."
"I know, Hermey." Rudolph replied. "It's just sometimes I still wish I had a normal nose." He frowned in frustration. "And I don't know why! I thought I was over it so why am I still thinking about it?" He sighed, sniffling a bit. "It's driving me crazy."
Hermey smiled sympathetically. "Hey, if there's one thing I've learned from being around you, it's that you shouldn't let what others think of your nose get to you, whether they laugh at it or think of it as an act. Just keep your chin up, your antlers high and face the world with pride. So what if you're a little different? You've still got me, Clarice, Yukon, and Bumble. No matter what, we'll always be by your side."
Rudolph smiled, feeling a little better. "Thanks, Hermey. I needed that."
Hermey smiled back. "Your welcome, pal. Besides, I never made a big deal out of your nose when we met, did I?"
Rudolph giggled. "Just like I never made a big deal out of you wanting to be a dentist. Heh, I didn't know what a dentist was back then."
"Exactly!" Hermey said. "So who cares what other people think? We are who we are, right?"
"I guess so." Rudolph smiled.
The rest of the trip was mostly quiet, but soon enough, the gang arrived at an all too familiar island as the Toothmobile went onto the shore, it's pontoons retracting themselves.
"Here, we are. Home sweet home, I guess." Said the kite. "The Island of Misfit Toys."
Hermey quickly put the Toothmobile in park as he unlocked the door, allowing them to get out.
"So, you're the new sentry of the island?" Rudolph asked the kite, deciding to try and make some conversation.
The kite floated up and down similar to nodding. "Yes. Ever since Charlie got a new home last Christmas, King Moonracer needed a new sentry for the island. And I gotta say, I feel honored that he chose me for the role."
Rudolph smiled. "I'm sure you are."
"Say, uh, where are all the other toys?" Hermey asked.
"Oh, right." The kite said. "Come out, everyone! We've got guests!"
It felt nostalgic for Rudolph and Hermey, seeing the toys pop from their boxes, toys that were originally unloved or discarded but still had slimmers of hope they would find a child. It reminded them of when they first crashed on the Island of Misfit Toys.
"Well, it's nice to meet all of you." Rudolph said.
A spinning top toy was spinning too rapidly until he stopped, seeing three in a very different perspective. "Whoa-ho-ho! I just wish there weren't so many of you!" He said dizzly.
Another toy, a telephone toy, started ringing. The phone picked up it's own handle to speak into it. "Hello? Hello? Hello?" He then sighed when all he heard there was no answer. "Nobody."
"Oh, yeah, that's the telephone with hang-ups." The kite whispered to Rudolph and Hermey.
A toy piggy bank then walked up. "I'm Peggy, the piggy bank." She introduced herself. "Only problem is that the people who made me forgot to give me a slott." She then shook herself, nothing but hollow sounds coming from inside her. "Ya hear that? Nothing. I'm all empty inside. I need change!"
"You think you've got it bad, mate?" A boomerang with an Australian accent said. "I'm the boomerang that doesn't come back!" To prove his point, he then launched himself into the air, showing no signs of coming back. "G'daaaaaaaaaay!" He yelled as he twirled off into the distance without returning.
"Ain't it tragic?" The kite asked while everyone else watched, stunned.
Just then, a pair of trumpets came out and blew a fanfare.
"Oh, that's right, the reason you came here!" The kite realized, remembering his important task. He then cleared his throat. "Presenting his majesty, King Moonracer!" He announced.
Rudolph and Hermey looked up to see their old friend flying through the air, with a ribbon wrapped around his jaw.
"Oh, Rudolph, Hermey. It's so good to see you two again. I'm sure you have a busy schedule this time of year, but it means a great deal to me that you came to help me with this tooth-ache." King Moonracer said as the flying lion touched down, holding his jaw with his paw. He then groaned. "Oh, the pain! The pain!"
"Right this way, your majesty." Rudolph said as they headed back to the Toothmobile.
Inside the back of the Toothmobile, Hermey had put his dentist uniform on as Moonracer sat in the patient's chair while Rudolph stood back.
"Let's have a look-see at those pearly white… eh, fangs, shall we?" Hermey said.
But the stubborn King Moonracer clamped his mouth shut, shaking his head.
"Now, don't be a scaredy cat. There's nothing to fear here. Besides, I'm a professional." Hermey told him. "Now, please open up."
Reluctantly, King Moonracer opened his mouth as wide as he could. "Light please." Hermey requested Rudolph.
Rudolph nodded, lighting up his nose and focusing it directly at the king's mouth.
"Now, I'm going to tap some of your teeth." Hermey told Moonracer. "Let me know when it hurts, alright?" He then picked up a small dental tool and tapped the king's front teeth.
"Did that hurt?" He asked, to which Moonracer only responded with a muffled 'uh-uh'.
"What about here?" He then asked, tapping the bottom teeth this time. Moonracer again responded with 'uh-uh'.
"How about…" Hermey said, reaching into the mouth and tapping one of the lower back teeth. This got an instant reaction from Moonracer as he let out a muffled cry of pain, nearly biting down on Hermey.
The dentist elf then emerged from the king's mouth, his head covered in saliva. "I'll take that as a yes." He said.
King Moonracer whimpered a bit. "Please, don't tell me I need a root canal."
Hermey winced. "Sorry, your majesty. But I'm afraid that's exactly what you need."
Moonracer gulped.
"But don't worry, I'll try to make it as painless as possible." Hermey tried to reassure him.
He then grabbed a small syringe loaded with a small sedative and easily gave Moonracer the injection, putting him to sleep.
"Now, for the hard part." Hermey said, more to himself than to Rudolph. He then reached up and grabbed a small drill and turned it on.
Rudolph winced and almost looked away, but knew he had to keep the light on for Hermey to do the operation.
Yep, just business as usual.