The three children had moved back into the car upon the chill growing too much to bear. They had enjoyed gazing upon the swirling snowflakes, catching them on their tongues as they laughed and submersed themselves in Christmas Spirit. Bowser had gotten the hang of it very quickly, and Peach had insisted it was because it was already present within his heart.

They were back to charades, having found that the game was fun for all three of them. Bowser learnt to widen his variety of guesses, and Mario and Peach used the game as an opportunity to share the symbols of Christmas with him.

"So wait, the reindeer actually fly?" Bowser was staring at the two humans, his eyebrows raised. "Without any help or nothing?"

Peach gave a mysterious grin. "They have Christmas Magic on their side. If they believe they can fly, they will."

Bowser snorted. "I'll believe it when I see it. I doubt it's true."

The door slid open, revealing the stern face of the conductor. "Having fun?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Mario jumped to his feet, his face alight with a grin as he walked towards the man. "We've been playing charades and teaching Bowser about Christmas!" And it's really working so far! Bowser was learning fast, he'd be an expert in no time flat!

The conductor's mouth twitched in a slight smile. "Very nice." He strode over to the windows, sweeping his hand through the air. "Come and look at this." Mario approached, Peach and Bowser coming up behind him. The conductor pointed out across the frozen sea. "You see that collection of lights out there?" It took Mario barely five seconds to spot it; a strange hump of multicolored lights, mostly consisting of red and green.

"What the heck is that?" Bowser asked.

"It looks like an ocean liner, doesn't it?" The conductor turned a warm face down towards them. "That… is the North Pole."

"No way!" Mario gasped, scrambling onto the seats. He pressed his nose against the cold glass. Sure enough, he spotted the shape of an island, and tiny buildings dotting the surface. He let out a childish squeal, his stomach fluttering as he bounced on his feet. Peach let out a cry of joy, her hands covering her mouth. Bowser just blinked, his face blank.

Mario hopped down from the seat, grabbing Peach's hands. "We're here, we're here!" He sang, spinning around in a circle. She laughed, letting him whirl her around.

"We are! We are!" she trilled.

"Yay," Bowser sarcastically cheered.

Mario and Peach kept twirling around and around, laughing all the way. We're here, we're finally here! The North Pole! What a dream is was to be at Santa's doorstep!

—

As the train pulled in through town, Mario could hardly contain the burst of energy he'd received from just spotting the world's peak. Peach was jittery as well, though she did a much better job of containing herself. While Mario was bouncing off the walls, she was sitting daintily in a seat, her hands fiddling nonstop.

Their excitement only grew worse once they spotted the elves.

Mario had his face against the glass again, gasping and pointing. "Look, elves!" he cried over and over. They were peculiar little creatures, their appearance very much like tiny, pointed-eared humans. Their cheeks were cherry red, and they wore red tunics and tight green pants.

"They're elves, Peach!" Mario grabbed her arm, his breaths fast and voice's pitch high. "Elves!"

"We know!" Bowser snapped. "You've said that a million times!"

"Bowser, look at the elves!" Mario laughed, rushing over to his new friend. He pushed the Koopa over to the window, pointing outside with a jittery hand.

Bowser rolled his eyes. "I see them." Despite his gruffness, a sparkle seemed to be caught in his eye as he gazed out at them.

I bet Luigi's going nuts! Mario's smile dropped a little. He wasn't going to be with his brother when they got to the town's square. He was missing his reactions to seeing Christmas' miracle-workers. He pushed the thought away. He'd see Luigi in a little bit, plus, he was spending time with his new friends.

The train lurched to a halt, and Mario rushed for the door. He threw it open, taking a flying leap down to the ground. "Yahoo!" He hit the ground with thump, nearly slipping on the ice. He managed to find his balance, raising his arms up in a triumphant 'v'. "We're here, we're actually here!"

A few elves gave him amused glances, though the majority ignored to him. They were assumably used to overexcited kids like him.

"Mario! Mario!"

Luigi! Mario whipped around just in time to be tackled by his twin. Luigi threw his arms around Mario's shoulders, bouncing on the ice as he let out a high squeal.

"Mario, we're at the North Pole! We're here! Aaaahh!" He hugged Mario tight, letting out another high-pitched squeal. "I'm so exciteeed! We're gonna meet the real Santa Claus!" He detached himself from Mario, pointing readily at the elves that were trotting past. "Look at the elves!"

"I see them!" Mario laughed, Luigi's wondrous delight only amplifying his. His eyes moved to the town's square, and his jaw dropped. "Luigi, look!"

Luigi gasped, taking a few steps towards it. "W-whoah!"

The town's square was a vast circle, filled to the brim with gathering elves. In the direct centre was quite possibly the largest and most spirited Christmas tree Mario had ever laid his eyes upon. The tree itself was a fine green, and its height reached nearly to the clouds. Its branches held strong despite the nearly thorough coating of balls, bells, lights, and tinsel. A giant twinkling star rested at the peak. To the left rested a large building, a giant analog clock taking up the top tower. The hands read five minutes to midnight; the exact time it had been when the grandfather clock had stopped working— or maybe it wasn't broken at all.

"Wow…" Peach breathed, stepping out of the train's car. Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Wario stepped out behind her. They all had the same jaw-dropped, doe-eyed expressions as they gazed upon the square.

The conductor exited last, and he clapped his hands together. "Everyone make two lines! Earth kids on the right, Asgus kids on the left!" Yoshi grabbed Donkey Kong's hand and pulled him forward. Mario went to do the same thing with Luigi, but the younger twin beat him to it, grabbing Mario's hand and dragging Mario to line. Wario pushed past them both, fighting to be in the front.

Only Peach didn't follow them, she was starting back at the train's caboose. Mario noticed that Bowser wasn't out with them, which meant he was likely inside. He frowned. Why isn't he out yet? He glanced at the conductor as he counted up the children, expecting him to ask where the Koopa was.

"Young lady, please either get on the train, or get in line," the conductor called out, addressing Peach.

She glanced back at the caboose. "I'll be right back!" She hurried back inside, and the conductor turned away, shaking his head.

Mario waited a few moments, watching and waiting for the two to come out. The lines moved forward, but they still hadn't come. What's taking so long? Maybe he should check on them… just to see if everything was okay. Mario rushed for the caboose, fully opening the half-closed door.

Peach was on her knees in front of Bowser, who was sitting on the ground, his posture slumped and his chin on his chest.. Peach looked over at Mario, but all Bowser did was twitch his nose.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Mario asked, coming over and kneeling down. He gazed intently at Bowser's expression, which was teary and downcast.

Peach started to explain, "Bowser thinks—"

"This is all just a dream," Bowser cut in. "I figured it out. None of this is real. You're not," he pointed to Mario, "a-and you're not." He pointed to Peach. "This train is just a dream. It's all a dream!" He covered his eyes, letting out a choked cry. "I-I'm g-gonna wake up any m-minute now, and everything will s-still be the same!"

Mario bit his lip. All this? A dream? He turned over the idea in his head. A dream. All this is just a dream. A pit formed in his stomach. Bowser made a point. This probably all was just a dream of Mario's, maybe a way to try and squander up what little belief Mario had left. It would certainly explain why it didn't wake ups their parents (or anyone else on the street), where the train came from, and all these other kids; four were from another planet (three weren't even human), apparently. There was no way this was all real.

But, even if it was all just a dream, there was no reason Mario couldn't enjoy it. He'd play it out to the full extent, and he'd convince his dream-friend to do the same. "Hey, Bowser… even if this is all just a dream… shouldn't you try to enjoy it?"

Bowser raised his head.

"I mean… dreams are an escape from reality, right? So, whatever reality you're trying to escape from, or if you want an adventure," like me, "you should try to make the most of it." He took Bowser's hand. "C'mon, let's go see Santa! You have to see the tree they have in the square! It's so cool!"

Bowser mulled over his words for a few moments, but then he nodded. A small smile rose to his face. "Yeah… I'll enjoy this while it lasts."

Peach glanced between the two, her face caught in a frown. "But… this is real. It's all real." Her lip trembled. "It can't just be a dream!"

"Oh!" Mario winced. "Well…" He rubbed his nose. "Whether it's a dream or not is up to you. If you think it's real, then go for it. But if you think it's a dream… then I guess it's just a dream."

"Well, I think this is all real," Peach asserted, rising to her feet and straightening her posture. "You can think it's a dream, but I know this adventure is real. We're really at the North Pole. We're actually going to—"

The caboose jerked. Peach stumbled. Mario jumped to his feet.

"What was that?" the boy asked, glancing out the window. He gasped.

The scenery was drifting past them.

"W-we're moving!" he exclaimed, running to the window. Peach and Bowser flanked him, gasping as the buildings trickled by. How did this happen? The last Mario had seen the caboose, it had been firmly attached to the train car.

Bowser retreated from their window-gazing. He rushed over to the door, yanking it open. He let out a yelp. He turned back to them with a wide-eyed gaze. "You might want to hold onto—"

The car lurched forward and down. The children screamed, their stomachs flipping. Mario and Peach held onto the armrests for all their worth, while Bowser tucked himself away in his shell. Mario squeezed his eyes shut. Oh God oh God oh God!

"Psst! Kid!"

Mario peeked open an eye at the familiar voice. He turned his head, spotting the ragged man, his savior from earlier, beckoning to him from the doorway. With nothing else to lose, Mario raced towards him, the momentum practically throwing him from the floor.

The man grabbed his arm. He jerked him outside. He pointed to a wheel attached to the caboose's hull, right next to the door. "That's the break, use it if you feel like keeping your life!"

Mario didn't even halt to ponder if he was actually telling the truth. He lunged for the wheel, grabbing and and starting to spin it just as a tunnel swallowed the caboose whole. Peach's shrill screams rose up around them, bouncing and multiplying off the tunnel's walls. Mario gritted his teeth and kept turning.

*Scrreeeeeech!*

Sparks flew up from the rails as the brakes activated. The emitted light flickered like a fire.

Light shone from ahead. Mario spun the wheel harder.

The car burst into the moonlight, hurtling forward and slamming into a barrier. Mario was thrown into the caboose, smacking the ground with a painful thud. He groaned, laying still for a moment.

"Hey, you guys… okay?" Bowser asked, his head perking up from where he lay on his stomach.

Mario sat up, rubbing his head. His body ached, and he rolled his sore shoulder. He winced. "I will be."

"I'm okay." Peach rose to her feet, holding her stomach. Her face was pale. "Stars, I think I'm going to be sick."

Bowser's eyebrows shot up. "If you're gonna throw up, do it outside!"

Peach took in a breath, shaking her head. "I won't."

"H-hey!" a voice, one very familiar to Mario, cried. "You can't do that! Come back!"

Luigi!? Mario stiffed. His brother was here?! He jumped to his feet and raced for the door, leaping right over Bowser (who ducked down with a yelp). He halted abruptly at the rail, gazing wide-eyed at the scene.

Luigi wasn't the only one there, Wario also seemed to have stowed away. The twins' cousin was rushing towards on of the many out-leading tunnels, which were connected to the main circular platform by a thin strip of tracks. Luigi was chasing after him.

Mario climbed atop the railing, jumping down and landing with a stumble. "What's going on here?" he yelled, marching quickly towards them.

"Wario's causing problems!" Luigi yelled, putting on a burst of speed to catch up to their cousin, who was balancing a quarter ways on one of the track rails. Luigi shuffled out and grabbed Wario's arm, but the larger boy shoved Luigi back, sending him stumbling. He turned and lumbered off as fast as he could go. Luigi pinwheeled his arms, taking a few steps back.

Luigi's foot slipped.

He let out a high-pitched scream as he fell, his hand grabbing onto the track. Mario's feet were moving before he could blink. I have to save Luigi! He thrust his arms out as he line-walked out to his brother. "Hold on!" he yelled.

Then his eyes caught what was below.

It was practically a bottomless pit, the drop sheer and ending in blackness. Mario swallowed, jerking his head up to focus on Luigi's hands as he tried to pull himself up.

One hand slipped, and the fingers of the other were rapidly sliding.

"Mario!" Luigi screamed, tears streaming down his face.

His fingers came lose.

Mario grabbed his hands. He let out a grunt, his body shaking as he struggled to pull his brother up to safety. He's heavier than I thought! He went to back up, but his foot hit empty air. His stomach lurched. Thrown off-balance, Mario tumbled forward, his feet meeting nothing. A scream tore out of his mouth, and he slammed his eyes shut.

Something grabbed the base of his shirt.

Mario cracked an eye open, glancing back.

Bowser puffed as he pulled Mario up, his muzzle reddening at the effort. Going claw by claw, he hauled Mario up, lifting him to rest on solid track. He shuffled to the side and grabbed Luigi's other hand. They hoisted him back up to safety. Once all feet were all on the track, the three collapsed, panting.

Luigi clung to Mario, shaking. "Mario… it was awful! I-I-I n-nearly fell!" His tears fell upon Mario's shirt.

"We're alive…" Mario breathed, trembling himself. "Oh God, we're alive!" He turned his gaze up towards Bowser, a grateful smile taking over his features. "Thank you so much, Bowser! You're pretty strong!" He was able to lift both of us at once! And the Koopa was shorter than both of them!

Bowser cracked a grin. "Well, my dad makes me work out." He shrugged. "It pays off."

"Oh my stars, are you three alright?!" Peach cried, lingering at the edge of the centre platform.

"We're all fine!" Bowser called. He sucked in a huge breath, turning a mischievous smirk to the twins. "You two really need to lay off the… what was it?" He scratched his head. "Christmas cookies?"

"Hey!" Mario glared at him, though he was holding back a laugh. The Koopa was joking, he knew. He was just poking some fun.

"Mario…" Luigi sat up, his eyes wide. "We have to stop Wario! He's planning on going through Santas's workshop, and taking what he pleases!"

Mario and Peach gasped. "We can't let him to that!" Mario declared. That would ruin Christmas! He rose to his feet, keeping his arms out for balance. "Come on, everyone! We have to stop him!"

I had to include the Santa's Workshop part. I had to. If I didn't this story would've only had two more chapters until the end! However, this time, the trouble is caused by Wario. It makes sense. It's in his nature to be greedy.