I have now found the Polar Express category. Turns out 'The' was not included in the title. It's fixed now.
Disclaimer: Rated K-plus for some specism.
If you listen closely, when the north wind blows fierce and snow sprinkles the ground, you can hear the stars whispering about a train. A train that rolls around once a year, when Christmas bells toll. A train that only select few have seen. A train that is rumored to take its occupants to the world's peak.
The stars speak of how this train never takes the same path twice, and it leaves no sign of where it will come or go. Yet it never fails to arrive— on-time, if I might add. Time itself almost seems to stop to honour the train's wishes.
They speak of the exceptional crew, consisting of hardy any men. Only three truly run it, consisting of the engineers and the conductor. The train runs itself, you see. It plans out its route and holds all the magic. The crew just helps move things along, and they could be considered personifications of the train's wishes.
The stars speak of the children who board, each returning home with a spark of wonder, and a joy that nothing can smother. Each tell grandiose stories of a land of snow and ice, of peculiar little elves, and of Saint Nick himself. Each claim to have met him, to have sat in his lap and have told him their deepest desires.
The stars speak of this.
And they call the train the Polar Express.
If anybody reading this follows my Mario stories, the backgrounds and ages of some of the character do not match the rest of my works. I had to break the rules so everyone could be together and in the same age group. The kids have not met each other before (besides Mario and Luigi, of course) so Mario and Bowser are not enemies. Consider this an alternate universe.
This loosely follows the plot of The Polar Express, though things are changed up. Different set of kids, different events. Sort of.
Why The Polar Express? Well, it's my favourite Christmas movie. It has been for as long as I can remember. I have fond memories regarding it.
What possessed me to write this? Well, I was listening to the music, and my brain got this urge to write a story where some Mario character went on the train and had their own Christmas adventure. I tried to talk myself out of it. Key word, tried. I was daydreaming about it, and I lost to the urge. The story was typed up in two weeks, so it's pretty fresh off the brain. I had fun, so I figured I'd share. I hope you enjoy.