Faith Renewed, Friends Anewed, a Polar Express + RWBY Crossover fanfic

Faith Renewed, Friends Anewed

Beacon Academy

Team Jnpr's Dorm

"Wow. You really like going all out, Arc." Coco Adel said, admiring how Jaune Arc, leader of Team Jnpr, had decorated his team's dorm for Christmas. In her opinion, it looked like something from a Christmas movie.

"It's starting to look like something from a movie." Ruby said, loving the Christmas lights.

"Or one of the rooms from the catalog books." Yang said.

"Thanks." Jaune said, smiling as he continued decorating the medium-sized Christmas tree he had recently brought.

"Have you ever considered doing this professionally, Arc?" Weiss asked. "I know of some companies that would love to have someone with your talent."

"I'll think about it."

"How long have you been doing this, Jaune?" Velvet asked.

"Since I was eight. But I was a lot less talented than I am now."

"Wow." The others said, impressed.

"Do you always go all out, Jaune?" Ren asked.

"Not always. There were times when my family or I could only put up a few decorations since money was tight. But when that was the case, I did what I could with what I had. But remember, decorations aren't what Christmas is about nor its true meaning." Jaune said as he finished decorating the Christmas tree. "There."

"It looks beautiful, fearless leader." Nora said with stars in her eyes at how beautiful the dorm was.

"Thanks, Nora."

"Wait. I just remember something." Blake said, getting everyone's attention.

"What is it, Blakey?" Yang asked.

"Are students not allowed to decorate their dorms outside of a few knick-knacks?" Blake asked, ignoring the nickname.

"Wait. She's right." Weiss said.

"Well. It seems like you'll have to take all this down, blondie, unless you want to get in trouble with Goodwitch or Ozpin." Coco said.

"Actually, they allowed me to do it." Jaune said, surprising everyone.

"Really?" Yatsuhashi asked.

"Yup."

"How and why?" Ren asked.

"Glynda found me while I was carrying some boxes full of decorations. And after explaining what I was planning on doing, she offered me a deal. She would allow me to continue if I first decorated her office, Ozpin's office, and then the teacher's lounge."

"Huh. Talk about a lucky break." Yang said with a chuckle.

"Yeah." Jaune agreed before perking up when he heard a whistle. "There's the whistle. I'll be right back."

"Jaune really has a lot of the Christmas spirit." Ruby said.

"I'll say. But I'm not complaining. It's great." Pyrrha agreed, loving the Christmas lights Jaune had strung around the room.

"Great that we're celebrating Christmas. Or great that you finally managed to clue in our dense knight?" Yang asked, earning a blush from the champion, which in turn earned a chuckle from everyone else.

"A bit of both but the second one more than the first."

"Fox is asking if you and Jaune are treating our trip into Vale later for the Christmas celebration as a date." Yatsuhashi said, causing Pyrrha to blush again.

"Yes. After the parade, Jaune and I are going to that new Mistral restaurant that recently opened." She answered.

"Does your mother know you're dating our goofball?" Yang asked.

"Yes. During the Thanksgiving break, I took Jaune to Mistral to meet my mom."

"Have you met our leader's family?" Nora asked.

"Not yet. But we're planning on visiting them during spring break since that's when his entire family would be together." Pyrrha answered.

"Either way. We're glad you two finally got together." Ren said with a smile.

"But it certainly took you two a long time." Coco said as she wrapped an arm around Velvet. "Bun-bun and I were starting to get worried. We even thought about intervening and helping out."

"To clarify. When Coco says 'we,' she actually means herself. About the intervening part, not the part about us getting worried." Velvet said, rolling her eyes.

"You're not alone. We were getting tired of Cereal girl giving the most obvious hints and our knight not getting any of them." Yang said.

"But can we really blame him? Jaune did grow up with seven sisters. So he might have thought that Pyrrha was only being friendly." Ren reminded.

"I still can't imagine having seven sisters. I can barely stand Coco sometimes. And having seven of them must be a nightmare." Velvet said.

"HEY!" Coco shouted with a pout.

"I wonder what Jaune did to survive. If any of his sisters are anything like Yang, then he must have some trick up his sleeve." Ruby said, earning a pout from Yang.

"I did have some tricks up my sleeve. And by some, I mean a lot. But sometimes, I had to just suck it up and go along with whatever they wanted." Jaune said as he returned with two trays. And on each one were six cups of hot chocolate with whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate shavings, and a Nutella-covered ring. "Anyway. The hot chocolate is ready. Enjoy, everyone."

"Wow. This is really good, blondie." Coco said after taking a sip.

"Yeah. It's delicious." Ruby and Nora said with a chocolate mustaches and whipped cream on their faces.

"Really?" Jaune asked as he handed Pyrrha her cup. But unlike everyone else's hot chocolate, hers had extra bits of chocolate as Jaune knew how much his girlfriend loved chocolate.

"They're right, Jaune. I've had hot chocolate made by professional chefs while I was still in Atlas. And nothing ever served me comes close to how delicious this is." Weiss said as Jaune sat down next to Pyrrha before grabbing her free hand.

"Wow." Jaune said, surprised.

"She's right, blondie. You make the best drinks and food I have ever eaten. Your coffee-making skills aren't half bad either." Coco said.

"Have you ever thought about becoming a professional chef?" Velvet asked.

"At one point, I have. I even took some classes in person and online." Jaune answered.

"Maybe if being a huntsman doesn't work out, you could become a professional chef." Yatsuhashi said.

"Maybe. But we'll see how everything turns out." Jaune said.

"What time are we supposed to head to the festival?" Nora asked.

"The festival starts at six pm, and it is currently two pm." Weiss answered after checking the time on her scroll. "But since it's taking place here in Vale, we don't have to leave until roughly around four thirty."

"So what should we do in the meantime?" Yang asked.

"We can watch a movie." Blake suggested.

"That sounds fine." Coco said.

"But which one?" Velvet asked.

"How about a Christmas Carol?" Pyrrha suggested.

"That sounds good." Ren said.

"Alright. Let me get the movie, then." Jaune said as he got up. Walking over to his bed, he pulled out a small box from underneath that had the movies that he used to watch with his family during the holidays. But what caught his attention was the black box inside. Picking it up, Jaune opened it and smiled at the silver sleigh bell that Santa had given him on that fateful Christmas eve all those years ago. And while his family and hometown friends could no longer hear its beautiful sounds, Jaune still could.

"Everything all right there, blondie?" Coco asked, shaking Jaune from his thoughts.

"Yeah. Everything is fine." Jaune answered as he hastily put the bell in his pocket before grabbing the Blu-ray case containing the Christmas Carol movie. He then slid the box back under his bed before heading to the Blu-Ray player and inserting the disc. After a few minutes, Jaune finished setting everything up and then moved to sit next to Pyrrha.

"It's been a while since Rubes, and I have seen this movie." Yang said as the movie began.

"Same." Everyone else said as they focused on the movie. Well, all except Jaune, as his mind kept going back to the bell and the trip that renewed his faith in the Christmas Spirit.

'I wonder if I'll ever meet the others again. Would they still be able to hear the bell?' Jaune wondered, thinking back to the friends he made on that night. He had never forgotten them and always wondered if he would ever meet them again. But he snapped out of his musing when Pyrrha laid her head on his shoulder before snuggling into him. Smiling, Jaune wrapped his arm around her and decided to focus on the movie and his girlfriend.

Meanwhile

Haven Academy

Team ABRN's Dorm

"Wow, Arslan. When the faculty said we could decorate our dorms for the holidays, I don't think they meant this much." Bolin Hori said as he and the rest of Team ABRN looked around the room.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm all for a flashy appearance, but this might be a bit much." Reese Chloris added.

"Honestly, if we're not careful, this could turn into a fire hazard." Nadir Shiko said as he closed the dorm's door.

"Yeah, I might have gone a little overboard." Arslan admitted as she observed all of her hard work. Yet, she was still happy with how it turned out.

"But either way, it's beautiful." Reese said.

"And really festive. If there was a best-decorated dorm contest, I'm sure we would win." Nadir said.

"Thanks, guys." Arslan said as she sat down on her bed.

"You must really love this holiday." Bolin said.

"Of course. It's one of the best times of the year."

"You really have the Christmas spirit, Arslan." Reese said.

"Did you always celebrate Christmas like this?" Nadir asked.

"Not always. There was a certain point in my life where I nearly lost all faith in the holidays." Arslan answered.

"But I take it something changed all that and restored your faith." Bolin said, earning a nod from Arslan.

"What was it?" Reese asked, curious.

"You won't believe it, but a magical train ride." Arslan answered, surprising and confusing her teammates.

"A magical train... ride." Nadir said, still trying to process what his leader had just told him.

"Told you it was hard to believe."

"It's not that we don't believe you, Arslan. It's just that-" Nadir began but stopped when Arslan let out a rare chuckle.

"I know. It seems far-fetched. But that's what happened." Arslan said, knowing that anyone would have difficulty believing what happened to her on that fateful night. She even thought some of the kids that were with her on the train thought they dreamed the entire thing. But she wondered if she would ever meet them again, specifically the kid that obtained the first gift of Christmas and the shy kid.

"Must have been some ride." Bolin said, smiling.

"That's an understatement."

"Now you got me wanting to take a trip on this magical train." Reese said. "Is it still around?"

"Or advertised? A train that great would make a fortune." Nadir said.

"No. They never advertised it. And I don't think it's around anymore, even though I would like to take another trip on it again." Arslan answered.

"Well, that's too bad. It sounded like a ton of fun." Reese said.

"It was." Arslan agreed before hearing her scroll's alarm go off. Picking it up from the night table, Arslan turned off the alarm before checking the time. "Well, everyone. It's time."

"Yes." Nadir, Bolin, and Reese cheered.

"Finally. I've been waiting all day for this." Reese said.

"Same." Nadir said.

"It's one of the few celebrations that rivals the Vytal Festival in terms of popularity. And it's easy to see why." Bolin said. "And honestly, I prefer this celebration to the Vytal Festival. More cheer, joy, and happiness."

"And don't forget sweets." Reese said as she lowered her hoodie and put on a Santa hat.

"Just don't go overboard, Reese. We don't feel like carrying you back to the hotel room after you pass out." Arslan said, smirking.

"I won't." Reese said. But the other member of Team ABRN knew they would end up in that situation anyway.

"Alright. Let's head out. We don't want to be late." Arslan said as everyone grabbed their bags before putting on their coats. "Ready?"

"Yes." The others said, excited.

"Then let's go." Nodding, Nadir, Reese, and Bolin followed Arslan out of their dorm, with Reese closing the door before heading to the bullheads that would take them to Vale.

Meanwhile

Atlas Kingdom

"Neon. Hand me the staple gun." Ivori said, pointing to the stapler on his bed while he held the Christmas lights in his other hand.

"On it." Neon said as she skated to the bed, grabbed the stapler, and returned in a few seconds. "Here, Ivori."

"Thanks."

"Do any of you think this might be a bit much? It took Willow and Winter a considerable amount of effort to convince Ironwood to let Atlas students decorate their dorms." Kobalt asked, pointing to the numerous lights and decorations. "I highly doubt this would count as only a few decorations as Ironwood allowed."

"Kobalt has a point. After seeing this, Ironwood might not allow any team to decorate their dorms." Flynt said, despite hanging up some of the decorations himself. "Anyway. Here's the garland, stockings, and wreaths. Oh, and I managed to grab a few snow globes as well."

"Thanks, Flynt. I knew I could count on you." Ivori said.

"Hey, no problem."

"You really like Christmas, don't you, Ivori." Neon said, admiring everyone's hard work.

"Of course. It's my favorite holiday." Ivori said as he finished hanging up the last decorations. "There. Done."

"It looks amazing." Kobalt said, smiling. Even though he knew Ironwood wouldn't approve, he had to admit their dorm now looked spectacular.

"It sure does."

"Did you always spend Christmas like this before coming here?" Flynt asked.

"No. Not always." Ivori answered, thinking back to the lonely nights when he was a child where he had to rely on himself for nearly everything. And while his parents would occasionally be around to help, they were often at work as they had to work two jobs each just to pay the bills. But those thoughts quickly changed to the fateful night where he learned to rely on others and where he made his first true friends. Yet, he never saw them afterward and often wondered how they were doing and if he would ever see them again.

"Really?" Neon asked, surprised.

"Did your parents not like celebrating, or is it for a different reason?" Kobalt asked, curious.

"They do. But they were often at work as they each had to hold down two jobs to pay the bills. So most of the time, it was just me. I had to rely on myself for most things, which included celebrating the few holidays I knew about. And by celebrating, I mean splurging on something most would take for granted, like a chocolate bar." Ivori answered.

"What about friends?" Flynt asked.

"I didn't have any. It was just me. Plus, I had relied on myself for so long by the time I was eight, I didn't know if I could rely on anyone else."

"Wow." The others said, shocked as they didn't expect that answer.

"But something happened, right?" Neon asked. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone all out with our dorm."

"Of course. Something did happen that changed everything for me." Ivori answered, smiling as the memories came back.

"What was it?" Flynt asked, curious.

"A magical train ride. A magnificent, magical train ride."

"A... train ride?" Kobalt skeptically asked.

"Yes."

"I can't imagine a train ride changing anything. No offense." Neon said.

"None taken. It is a little difficult to believe, especially if you have never seen it before." Ivori began, remembering the words the other kid told him what the Conductor told him. "But yes, it was a train ride that changed everything. Well, mostly what happened on the train, during the trip, and at the destination. The train itself did help but not as much."

"Must have been some train ride." Flynt said.

"You have no idea, Flynt."

"There were others on the train, right?" Neon asked.

"Yes."

"Have you ever seen them after the train ride?"

"Sadly, no. But I would like to at some point." Ivori lied with a straight face.

"But maybe you will this year. A lot of people from every kingdom and village are heading to Vale for the festival today." Flynt said.

"Speaking of which." Kobalt said. "We better leave now if we want to make it before the main event starts."

"Right." Flynt said as he grabbed his coat.

"Come on, guys." Neon said, now wearing a Santa hat. And before the others could say anything, she skated out of their dorm. Rolling their eyes at their teammate's extremely bubbly and hyperactive personality, they raced out of their room to catch up with Neon.

Three Hours Later

Vale Kingdom

With Jaune and Friends

"Wow." Everyone said as they got off the bullhead and became awed at the beauty of the town.

"It's beautiful." Velvet said, awestruck.

"It really is." Pyrrha said, smiling as she grabbed Jaune's hand. "And I'm glad we get to experience it together."

"Same." Jaune said, pulling Pyrrha into a hug.

"Alright, alright. Enough of the public display of affection, love birds." Yang said, rolling her eyes yet still happy her two friends finally got together.

"Sorry." They sheepishly said as they let go yet still held each other's hand.

"So, now that we're here what now?" Blake asked.

"Well. It's currently five, and the festival starts at six. So we have an hour to kill." Weiss said after checking the time on her scroll. "We can look around at some of the shops or stands."

"Or even grab something to eat." Yatsuhashi said. "I think I saw a new restaurant that recently opened up not too far from here."

"I think we should hold off on a meal, for now, big guy." Coco said. "But we could all go there once the main event finishes. It would be a nice bonding experience between teams. And in the meantime, we could grab some drinks or snacks from the stands."

"So, should we meet up here or at the town center in about forty minutes?" Ruby asked.

"I think we should meet in front of the Shopkeep's ramen shop. I doubt there would be a lot of people there since most would be going toward other stands." Ren answered.

"Yeah. That sounds good. See you guys later then." Yang said as she and Ruby went their own way.

"Should we go after them?" Weiss asked Blake.

"As much as I want to say no and let them do what they want, I don't want to spend my Christmas break cleaning up the mess they made." Blake answered with a sigh.

"Right. And I don't want to spend the next few weeks in detention because of them." With a sigh, Blake and Weiss ran after Yang and Ruby.

"What do you three want to do?" Coco asked her teammates.

"Fox and I want to check out that Christmas store we saw last week. We still have some presents we need to buy." Yatsuhashi answered before leaving with Fox.

"Guess that leaves you and me, bun-bun." Coco said, turning to Velvet.

"Great." Velvet said, rolling her eyes as she knew what spending time with Coco meant. "Can we at least buy some coffee or hot chocolate before you have me wear a dozen different outfits?"

"Of course. Anything for my bunny." Coco said, loving Velvet's reaction. She then whispered something into Velvet's ears so the others couldn't hear.

"So, where do guys want to go?" Jaune asked his team as Coco dragged a mortified Velvet toward the nearest coffee shop.

"Renny promised me he would take me to a gingerbread-making contest." Nora answered.

"Well, to watch the people make them. Afterward, they give some pieces to the people watching for them to eat." Ren corrected.

"Well, have fun." Pyrrha said with Nora dragging a smiling Ren.

"Looks like that just leaves us, Pyr." Jaune said, turning to her. "What do you want to do?"

"It doesn't matter. As long as we get to do it together."

"In that case. How about-" Jaune began but stopped when Pyrrha looked at him with a smirk.

"But I wouldn't mind visiting some festival rides after you take me to the chocolate shop the guy called Charlie owns." She said with an innocent smirk.

"Alright, Pyr." Jaune said, barely able to hold in his laughter at his girlfriend's love for chocolate. "Let's go get some chocolate."

"YES!" Pyrrha cheered, causing Jaune to chuckle. He then kissed her before heading to the nearest chocolate shops.

With Team ABRN

"Wow, it's cold." Reese said, shivering.

"We told you to grab some heavier winter gear." Bolin said.

"No, you didn't." Reese lied.

"We did. Multiple times."

"Here. Luckily we knew this would happen." Nadir said, handing Neon a heavier coat.

"Thanks." Reese said as she put on the coat and relished the warmth it gave her.

"What time does the main event start?" Nadir asked Arslan.

"In about an hour. But they never actually start in time. So I say we'd have about an hour and ten minutes before the event starts." Arslan answered after checking the time on her scroll.

"What should we do until then?" Nadir asked.

"Maybe we could-" Reese excitedly began, holding her hoverboard but stopped and started shivering when a particularly strong gust of wind hit them. "On second thought. Maybe we could go someplace warm, like a coffee shop or something?"

"Can't stand the cold, Reese?" Nadir asked, smirking.

"Of course not. I grew up in Mistral, where it's warm all year round." Reese said, slightly annoyed.

"So did we. But you're not hearing us complain."

"So where should we go, Arslan?" Bolin asked as Reese and Nadir continued trading blows.

"I want to say we can catch a movie, but we don't have enough time for one. Plus, there aren't any good ones out. We could eat at the new restaurant, but we should wait until after the main event." Arslan began, thinking of what they could do to pass the time.

"Perhaps we could check some of the stores. There are some things we could get for our dorm and some snacks for when we get hungry." Nadir said, turning away from a fuming Reese.

"That's true. Some decorations would give some much-needed life to our dorm." Arslan agreed.

"And as cliche, as it might sound, perhaps we could get a train set." Bolin said, surprising everyone.

"Why?" Reese asked, confused.

"For Arslan. Both as a gift for being a great leader and something she could use as a reminder of the night that changed her life since it means a lot to her."

"That makes sense. And it would be a nice gift for her." Nadir said.

"Yeah. Let's do it." Reese agreed.

"Aw. Thanks, guys." Arslan said, smiling.

"You're welcome." Bolin said. "Now, come on. Let's go before we run out of time."

"Right." The others said. But almost instantly, Bolin stopped and allowed Arslan to lead as she knew Vale better than the others, which earned a chuckle from her.

With Team FNKI

"Wow. It's warmer than I expected." Kobalt said.

"Yeah. Vale gets cold, but it's not freezing like in Atlas." Flynt said, remembering his first visit to Vale in the Vytal Festival. "Which is a nice change of pace."

"What's the temperature?" Neon asked, admiring the lights around the airstrip.

"It's -15 degrees celsius." Flynt answered.

"Warmer than I expected. Good thing we decided to wear only some light winter coats." Ivori said.

"But now that we're here, what should we do? The main event doesn't take place for another hour." Neon asked.

"We can look around a bit to get familiar with Vale. Remember, it was only you and me during the Vytal Festival." Flynt answered.

"Which would be a good thing as we could get a mission in Vale, and it won't do us any good if we don't know the place." Kobalt added.

"True." Neon said before remembering something. "Wait. Flynt. Don't you have that team's numbers? What was their name?"

"Team Rwby?"

"Yes. That one."

"I do. But they're probably enjoying the festival with the rest of their team or with their families. And I don't want to interrupt their time by having them guide us through Vale."

"Fair. So what should we do then?"

"Perhaps we can just look around, and if something catches our eyes, we can take a closer look." Ivori suggested.

"Yeah. That sounds good." Flynt said.

"Maybe we can even buy something for our dorm or warmer blankets for the nights that get really cold." Kobalt added, with everyone else nodding before heading toward the nearby mall.

Forty Minutes Later

With Pyrrha and Jaune

"That was nice." Pyrrha said as she and Jaune walked through the streets, admiring the decorations and people celebrating.

"It really was. We should do it again." Jaune agreed. And even though his wallet took a bit of a hit, it was more than worth it, in his opinion, to see Pyrrha happy.

"Hopefully soon. But thanks for the date, Jaune." Pyrrha said, kissing Jaune on his cheek.

"Anything for you, Pyrrha."

"So what now? We have about fifteen minutes before we need to head to the Shop Keep's ramen shop."

"Perhaps we can enter the store and look for some gifts to send to our families. I still need to find one for my younger sister and nephew." Jaune said as they stopped in front of a store.

"That's a good idea. I also need to find a few gifts for some relatives back in Mistral." Pyrrha said as they walked toward the store. "Should we split up since we don't have much spare time left?"

"I think we should since the gifts I'm looking for are on another floor." Jaune answered. But as he answered, his gaze was not on Pyrrha. Instead, it was on something else that was in the display window. Luckily, Pyrrha didn't notice.

"Alright. So, we meet back here in about ten minutes?"

"Sure."

"Okay. See you in a bit Jaune." Pyrrha said before kissing him and turning to enter the store.

"Can it be?" Jaune asked once Pyrrha was out of earshot. Walking over to the shop's display window, Jaune looked in and closely examined the toy train that was speeding along its tracks. However, to his disappointment but also slight relief, it wasn't the magical train that renewed his faith in the holidays. "Well, the conductor did say it's a train that's never advertised."

Smiling, Jaune decided to stay and watch the train a bit more since it reminded him of the magical train and the train set that his parents got him on the same Christmas that year. Granted, he no longer had it since it wore out and would no longer work. The only thing he had of the night that told him it really happened was the sleigh bell that was still in his pocket. But as Jaune continued to watch the train, memories began to come back of his adventure on the Polar Express and the friends he made. And while he was unsure if he would ever see them again, Jaune was glad he met them.

"I wonder if any of the others ever met each other again." Jaune wondered as he continued to watch the train go in circles. But as he did so, the memories of him and the other children singing when they reached the North Pole came to his mind. And unable to contain his joy, Jaune decided to sing the song again that perfectly described the Polar Express.

It's a magic carpet on a rail, never takes a rest

Flying through the mountains and the snow

You can ride for free and join the fun if you just say "Yes"

'Cause that's the way things happen on the Polar Express

You bet

However, Jaune nearly froze in place when someone else continued the song.

Woo, woo, the whistle blows

That's the sound of her singing

Ding, ding, the bell will ring

Golly, look at her go

You wonder if you'll get there soon, anybody's guess

'Cause that's the way things happen on the Polar Express

Turning around, Jaune came face to face with an equally shocked but also suspicious guy around his age.

"How do you know that song?" Ivori asked, suspicious of this kid that somehow knew the lyrics to a song only passengers of the Polar Express knew. But something kept nagging in his mind. This kid, for some reason, seemed familiar, but for the life of him, Ivori couldn't place why.

"I could ask you the same thing." Jaune said through narrow eyes. Yet he felt like he knew this person from somewhere but didn't know where exactly. However, before Ivori could say anything, someone else started to sing the same song they were singing.

When we get there, we'll scream "Yes" (Yeah)

We'll arrive with a

Bang, bang, bang

Boom, boom, boom

Laughing all the way

Turning toward where it came from, Ivori and Jaune saw a girl around their age with blond hair, a dark complexion, and olive-green eyes walking toward them.

"It seems like all know a song few people even know exists." Arslan said, critically eyeing the two boys.

"It seems that way." Ivori said.

"But the question is, how do you two know it." Jaune said.

"More like how do we all know it."

"But we won't figure it out if we keep accusing each other." Arslan said.

"She's right." Jaune said with Ivori nodding. "So, how should we do this? Should we just say it all at once or-"

"I take it was the train behind you." Ivori interjected.

"Yeah. It reminds me of a special train that renewed my faith in Christmas." Jaune answered, causing the others to go wide-eyed.

"By chance, was it called the-" Ivori began, but Arslan cut him off.

"The Polar Express." She finished.

"Yes." Jaune said, his mind racing as the pieces finally started to fit together.

"By chance. Are you the kid that got the First Gift of Christmas?" Ivori asked, hoping these two were the kids he met on his trip to the North Pole.

"And you better not lie; otherwise, you will be in a world of hurt." Arslan warned as she didn't want to be deceived by someone on something she held dearly.

"I know. I feel the same way. But I don't think words are enough to prove to you two that I am that kid. But I have something that will." Jaune said, confusing Arslan and Ivori. He then reached into his pocket, pulled out the sleigh bell, and gently shook it. The bell created the same beautiful sound they heard on that fateful night.

"You are that kid. How did you get the bell again? I thought you lost it." Arslan asked, shocked but overjoyed to find the same kid she shared a ride with on the Polar Express.

"I did. It fell through a hole in my robe's pocket. But Santa found it and gave it back the next day as a Christmas present." Jaune answered, smiling as he continued shaking the bell. "But now that you know who I am. Who are you two?"

"Well, technically. Only one of us, at least to my knowledge, ever gave us our names." Ivori said.

"True."

"So, should we introduce ourselves properly this time?" Arslan asked.

"Yeah. I'll go first. I'm Jaune Arc."

"And I'm Arslan Altan. I was the kid that always took the lead even though I doubted myself a few times."

"And I'm Ivori. The kid that wouldn't have gotten on the train if it weren't for you pulling the emergency brake."

"Wait. You were the one that chased your present, which in turn led us to experience the greatest slide of all time." Jaune said, surprised.

"Only you would consider that a fun slide despite nearly falling out of it a few times." Arslan chuckled.

"Yes, I was."

"Wow. It's been so many years since we last saw each other." Jaune said.

"And yet, we still believe in the Christmas Spirit." Arslan said, smiling as the sounds of the bell filled her with a warmth that only the Christmas spirit could give.

"Oh, before I forget. Did either of you ever meet any of the others kids that rode with us on the Polar Express?"

"No, sadly. I always hoped I would meet them again, but I never did. That is, until today." Arslan answered before turning to Ivori. "How about you? Did you meet any of the other kids?"

"Yes." Ivori said dejectedly, causing Jaune and Arslan to become worried.

"What happened?" Jaune asked.

"And who did you meet?" Arslan asked.

"Remember that know-it-all kid?" Ivori asked.

"Yeah."

"Did something happen to him?" Jaune asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. I met him a few years ago. We stayed in contact for a while. And let me tell you, he has changed a lot since we first met. But sadly, he died during a Grimm attack. Despite not being a huntsman-in-training, he stayed behind to help others get to safety. But before he could do the same, a Beowolf got him." Ivori answered, causing Jaune and Arslan to become dejected. Even though they didn't know the guy that well and got off on the wrong foot, they still considered him a friend. So to hear that he caused their hearts to tighten.

"Do you know if he's buried and if yes, where?" Arslan asked.

"So we can pay him a visit." Jaune said.

"Yes. I know where he's buried. I can take you there the next time we're all free." Ivori answered.

"Thanks." Jaune and Arslan said, still sad at the loss of a friend. However, their moods instantly lifted when the toy train's bell started ringing.

"So, how has everything been for you two?" Jaune asked.

"Great. My life changed so much because of the trip. Now, I'm a huntress-in-training at Haven Academy and the leader of my team, Team ABRN." Arslan answered.

"And I'm training at Atlas Academy to become a future huntsman." Ivori said.

"How about you, Jaune?"

"Same as you two. I'm training to become a future huntsman, and I'm also, somehow, the leader of my team, Team JNPR." Jaune answered.

"Wow. Talk about coincidence." Ivori chuckled as he was not expecting the three of them to follow similar paths.

"Are your teams here?" Arslan asked.

"Yes. My teammates are at one of the nearby shops looking for decorations for our dorm and warmer clothes and blankets." Ivori answered.

"Same for the decorations." Arslan said.

"What about you, Jaune?"

"Well, two of my teammates are at a gingerbread-making contest. And my partner is inside this store. She's looking for some gifts for some of her relatives." Jaune answered. "Which, by the way, she should be almost done."

*Ding Ding*

"And that's the bell." Arslan said. "Are you two and your teams staying for the event?"

"Yes." Jaune and Ivori answered.

"That's great. That means the night isn't over yet." Arslan said, not wanting this moment to end.

"It doesn't have to be an end." Ivori said. "We can give each other our scroll numbers so we can keep in contact with each other."

"Good thinking." Jaune said as everyone got out their scrolls and exchanged numbers. But once they finished, they stayed in place, no one saying a word as they didn't know what to say. "So, what now?"

"Well. Since we're probably not going to get another chance tonight, how about we sing one last Polar Express song before we head back to our teams?" Arslan suggested.

"That sounds good." Jaune said.

"But which one should we sing?" Ivori asked, curious.

"We can sing When Christmas Comes to Town or Spirit of the Season." Jaune answered.

"I think we should sing the Spirit of the Season." Arslan said.

"Alright." Ivori and Jaune said. They then stood next to each in front of the shop as the train continued going along the tracks. Clearing their throats, they grabbed each other's hands before starting.