This is the chapter that matches the most with the movie. I think that doing the 'Hot Chocolate' performance would be a Polar Express tradition, so it's not character-dependent. Translating it to text was difficult, since there was a lot going on. I'd just recommend watching the scene from the movie. Just look up 'Polar Express hot chocolate scene' on YouTube.

"Your attention please," the conductor announced over the loudspeaker, "are there any Polar Express passengers in need of refreshments?"

"Me! Me! Me!" Yoshi hollered. Mario raised his hand. The water he'd drank seemed like hours ago.

"Yes, please," Peach replied, and Luigi put his hand up.

"Oh, yeah!" Wario gave a toothy grin. "Count me in on that!"

The conductor smiled. "I thought so."

He swept open the door, and several well-dressed waiters burst into the car. They tap-danced their way down the aisle, turning several of the benches around. Mario, Peach, and Luigi were swung around to face Yoshi and the ape. The waiters whipped off their white aprons and laid them down, though they remained suspended as if covering invisible tables. Mario reached out to touch it, his eyes widening as he found it was solid as any real table.

A couple cooks joined in the dance. And as they were prepping cups for the children, they all began to sing.

"Hot! Hot!"

The conductor joined in, "Oh, we got it!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"Hey, we got it!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"Say, we got it!

"Hot chocolate!"

The children laughed in delight, with an incredulous Wario being the only exception. The chefs tossed teacups onto serving plates.

"Hot Hot!"

"Oh, we got it!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"So, we got it!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"Yo, we got it!"

"Hot chocolate!"

The waiters tap-danced along as the conductor sung the next verse solo.

"Here we only got one rule!

Never, ever let it cool!

Keep it cooking in the pot,

soon you gooooot!"

"Hot chocolate!"

A couple of chefs burst in, riding on a giant golden pot. They twisted knobs, sending splashes of hot chocolate flying through the air. Peach gasped. The drops landed in the cups, filling them instantly. The waiters placed them on the tables.

"Hot! Hot!"

"Oh, we got it!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"Hey, we got it!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"Say, we got it!"

"Hot chocolate!"

Mario grabbed his mug and started downing the scalding drink. His eyes lit up upon the taste; it was heavenly. The chocolate was rich and sweet, and it was blended just right. Yoshi's tongue lashed out, its length stretching far beyond normal proportions. He snatched up all the cups of hot chocolate, including Mario's. Peach, however, had taken her cup out of sight. Yoshi licked his lips, and the group stared at him with bulging eyes.

"Hot! Hot!"

"Oh, we got it!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"So, we got it!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"Yo, we got it."

"Hot chocolate!"

During the song, another waiter had replenished the table with more cups. Thankfully, Yoshi didn't take more than one, allowing the rest of the table to enjoy their own drinks.

"Here we only got one rule!"

"Here we only got one rule!"

"Never, ever let it cool!"

"Never, ever let it cool.

Keep it cooking in the pot!"

The waiters jumped onto the armrest of the seats. The conductor raced forward, sliding down the aisle. "Soon you've got hot chocolate!" He shuffled backwards, and the waiters jump-spun down to the floor.

"Hot! Hot!"

"Hey, we got it!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"Oh, we got it!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"Yeah, we got it!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"Oh, we got it!"

The waiters leaped up on top of the tables, and the kids squealed as they rushed to lift their drinks. Wario snapped at the one on his table, but he was ignored.

"Hot! Hot!"

"Yeah, we got it!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"Oh, we got it!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"Yeah, we got it!"

The waiters spun on their heels, halting their tap-dancing as they bent down to grab the table cloths. In a synchronised flip, they whipped up the cloths and re-tied them around their waists. They danced back out of the car, taking the cups as they went. The seats were flipped back around by the chefs as they backflipped across them. The conductor followed them and shut the door behind him.

"Oh… Mama mia…" Mario sighed, patting his warm stomach. "That was amazing." Hot chocolate… what else does this train have to offer? "I never want to get off." He poked Luigi. "And you didn't want to get on!"

"I was only being safe," Luigi protested, pouting.

Mario laughed. "You worry too much." He turned his gaze to Peach. "Why did you hide that cup?"

"Oh…" Peach glanced out into the aisle. "It's for the turtle. He didn't get anything."

"He didn't?" Maybe he shouldn't have run off into the other car. Besides, hadn't he wanted to be left alone? Maybe we should leave him alone.

"Luigi, could you please pass it? I'm going to go give it to him."

Luigi's eyes widened, and he jerked back. "Y-you're going to cross the cars? While the train's moving?!"

Peach shifted a little, her eyes avoiding the boys's. "Well… yes."

"Peach," Mario began slowly, "while normally I would think that Luigi was being a worrywart—"

"Hey!" Luigi protested, glaring.

"—this time I think he's actually right. Going between moving cars is really dangerous, you could get hurt!"

Peach bit her lip. "But… but… it's the right thing to do. Besides… it would make him feel better."

Mario blinked. Make him feel better? "What do you mean?"

"Well… he seemed upset." She blinked, tilting her head just slightly. "Couldn't you tell?"

"Uhh… he was mad." Mario shrugged. "Does that count?"

"He was more than mad, and I want to talk to him. It's the right thing to do." Peach held out her hands. "Please hand me the cup."

"B-but it could be dangerous!" Luigi argued. "You can't cross cars like that!"

"Yeah!" Mario agreed. That would be a horrible idea! Even he wouldn't do something like that. The risk of falling was too high, and it would probably hurt. A lot.

Peach's eyebrows crossed, and her mouth dropped into a frown. A deadly shadow seemed to cross over her face. "Just give me the cup. I'll be okay."

Luigi gulped. He leaned down, gently lifting the cup out from beneath the bench. Mario kept his back pressed against the chair as he passed it to the princess. She smiled as she rose to her feet.

"Thank you." She turned around, only to meet the conductor, who was blocking her path.

"Where do you think you're going with that?" he asked, his tone bearing an edge that Mario didn't like.

"I…" Peach's hands shook, and she glanced at the door. "I was bringing this to the kid in there. The turtle."

The conductor raised an eyebrow. "Did he not get any refreshments?"

The three children shook their heads. Yoshi even piped up with a, "Nope!"

The conductor cracked a smile. "Then let's take some to him, by all means!" He led Peach to the door, putting his hands on her shoulders to guide her between the two cars. The door slid shut behind them, entirely of its own accord.

"Hey, Mario, Luigi!" Yoshi poked his head over the seat again. His face was shining with a smile. "You should meet my new friend, Donkey Kong!" He glanced back down at the seat. "Come on up and say hi!"

"Hi…" a soft voice murmured. Two large brown eyes peeped over the back. Mario met them, smiled, and waved, but the ape gave a little gasp and ducked down.

"Hello, Donkey Kong!" Mario greeted. Maybe talking to him will make him less shy! It was like Luigi, the best thing to do was to be patient, friendly, and keep encouraging him to talk. "Can I call you DK for short?"

Donkey Kong's eyes peeked over again. He kept his eyes on Mario's hands, which were folded in the boy's lap. "Sure…"

"Okay, DK!" Mario giggled. "That rhymes!" Donkey Kong just blinked, and Mario shrugged. "Kinda? Maybe I'm stretching it… what do you think?"

"I think it rhymes," Yoshi agreed, glancing at Donkey Kong. He nudged the ape with his large, round nose. "Okay DK?"

He just shrugged.

"So, DK, you excited to go to the North Pole?" Mario asked.

"I… I guess…" Donkey Kong muttered.

"I'm sure excited!" Yoshi perked up, his mouth falling open in a cartoonish beam. "My Mommy told me all about the North Pole! She said it was a place made of sweets! The snow is actually sugar, and they have candy canes for trees, and the bushes are gum drops and the rocks are hard candies, and the houses are all made of gingerbread, and they're held together by icing!"

Mario's eyes lit up, and he licked his lips. "That sounds delicious!"

"But that's not true." Luigi's brow furrowed. "Our Mama told me and Mario that the north pole was a cold place. It's nothing but ice and snow. Papa said that Santa's workshop takes up the whole centre of the North Pole. He said that it's like a massive factory, and that the elves are working nonstop. Even after Christmas ends, they start getting ready for the next one. Er, the next Christmas."

"The workshop is probably made of gingerbread," Yoshi insisted.

"That all sounds like a load of baloney!" Wario shouted over, rolling his eyes. "You all should know that Santa doesn't exist, it's just your Mom and Dad! The North Pole is nothing but a slab of ice on top of the world."

"That's not true!" Yoshi protested, shooting Wario a glare. "You're just a big mean kid! You're lying!"

Mario could practically feel Luigi's gaze as much as he could peripherally see it. He's thinking about me… Mario rose to his feet. "Stop that, Wario. Santa is real, you're just being a jerk." It was partially true; Santa was real to three of the five in the car (six including Peach, and potentially seven if the turtle believed). Even though he didn't believe anymore, Mario wasn't going to ruin it for the other kids. That wasn't fair to them.

"Bah, it's just a load of rotten eggs." Wario waved a hand.

"If you don't believe, then why are you here?"

"Why are you here?" Wario's eyes flashed as he shot a glare at Mario. He held up a hand. "Don't answer that. You just want an adventure, and you don't care about what or where it's too. I bet you would jump into the sewers if someone told you there was a sludge monster in there." He laughed.

Mario's hands clenched. "I would not!" How did he know about that? The whole ordeal had been embarrassing, it had taken weeks just to get the smell out of the brother's clothes. No… Wario couldn't have known. They didn't live near each other, and Mario knew he hadn't told that to anyone. Not even to Dylan.

"M-Mario… don't pick a fight now," Luigi warned, his shoulders haunching. With the way he was shaking, Mario guessed that he remembered, too.

"I'm not," Mario flashed back. "He's just being a jerk, and I need to put him in his place."

"Ignore him!" Yoshi offered. "That's what my Grandmummy says to do. 'If you ever encounter another nasty Yoshi in your life, just ignore them. All they want is your attention.'"

"Another?" Mario ventured.

Yoshi waved a hand. "There was this kid who used to bully me." He smiled. "Grandmummy gave me that advice, and it really works!"

"Oh, okay then." Mario turned to shout over to Wario, "We're gonna ignore you now!" Before climbing back onto the seat. "We were talking about the North Pole."

"And how it's made of candy!"

"I still don't think that's realistic," Luigi argued.

And Santa is? Mario bit his tongue to prevent the words from coming out of his mouth.

"I mean, if you lived in a house made of candy, how would you not eat it?"

"Well… it's magic candy! It never runs out!" Yoshi claimed.

"What do you think, DK?" Mario asked, trying to get the ape involved in the conversation. If he didn't try, then everyone else would keep talking, drowning out any chances for the shy ape to get a word in.

"Oh… well… my Gramma says that… that it's cold, that it's stuck in winter forever. The elves work really hard… But we don't celebrate Christmas anymore." Dk let out a soft sigh.

"Really? Why not?"

Donkey Kong's eyes filled with tears. He dropped down from the back of the seat, his sniffles rose up.

"What's wrong? Yoshi asked, hopping down from his perch. Mario stood up on the seat so he could see over the back, leaning as close as he could to the crying ape. Yoshi scooted close, patting Donkey Kong's shoulder. He peeked up and between his fingers, his eyes darting between the dinosaur and the boy. He allowed himself a few more sobs before he dried his eyes.

"I'm okay," He insisted, taking a deep breath. "My family is going through a tough time right now… There's bad men trying to hurt us and I don't know why. They kind of look like you, Mario and Luigi, but meaner." He hung his head. "We don't have time for Christmas."

"Oh… that's terrible…" Mario wasn't sure what else to say. "I hope things get better."

Donkey Kong's eyes welled up again. He wiped away tears, but it was no use; they still fell nonetheless. "They won't. Not anymore…"

"Oh…" Mario fell silent. Yoshi rubbed Donkey Kong's back. Mario was at a loss for words. I want to give him hope… I want to cheer him up… but I don't know how.

Yoshi started to hum, a low, soothing sound. As he continued, his voice carrying various notes, it became clear to Mario that it was a song. It had no words, yet the emotion rang though seamlessly. Donkey Kong raised his head, turning teary brown eyes to the dinosaur. The beginning was sorrowful, though it peaked to a triumphantly loud verse. It calmed a little, and Yoshi spun a peppy mood through a series of trills. Mario smiled, nodding his head to the melody. He was off with his timing, but he didn't care. Yoshi's song carried an irresistible energy, even Luigi was tapping along with his fingers.

Yoshi's song fell down to a calm hum, the tune slowly fading out. He finished with one last long, low thrum, lifting his head up with a smile. Mario and Luigi clapped, brightening Yoshi's face even more.

"That was a great song!" Mario praised.

"I really felt it here." Luigi pointed to his heart, his eyes struck a little wide with wonder.

"My Grandpappy taught it to me!" Yoshi explained. "It's called 'The Great Exodus', and it tells the story of how the Yoshis found Yoshi's Island!" He turned his attention to Donkey Kong. "It was a really hard journey, but they made it in the end." He grinned. "I'm sure the bad Yosh— men will go away. Nothing bad can last forever!"

Donkey Kong shrugged, turning his eyes to the ground.

The door to the train's car slid open, and the conductor strode in— alone. Mario looked past the door, but it was closed before he could get a good view. As the conductor walked by, Mario called out, "Hey, where's Peach?"

"She is with the Koopa." The conductor pulled out his stopwatch. He nodded, moving along past them.

"Wait… K-Koopa?" Yoshi stammered, his eyes widening. "That turtle kid was actually a Koopa?"

The conductor didn't reply, too busy muttering to himself as he left for the next cabin.

"What's a Koopa?" Mario asked. "What's wrong with them?"

"I've been told stories about them…" Yoshi shivered. "They're really mean creatures. They're selfish and power-hungry, and they want to take over the world! They want to make everyone their slaves! They also…" He gulped. "K-kill anyone who doesn't listen to them."

Mario's eyes widened. "And Peach is with one of those things?"

Yoshi nodded. "I-I guess so!" He covered his mouth. "The Koopa's gonna hurt her!"

"She must not know!" Mario gasped, rising to his feet. "I'm gonna go tell her that!" He tore down the aisle, ignoring Luigi's call. He flung open the door, stepping out into the bitter air as it slammed shut behind him.