Elements of Christmas

Chapter 3: A Sudden Kidnapping

((Disclaimer: I don't own the Miser Brothers, Jesse's Girl, or Tavern on the Green…only my OC's. Yeah… depressing isn't it? ))

He always loved it when the crowd cheered his name. It always felt the same; the unchanged jolt of cold electricity pulsing through his body with every chant.

"Zach! Zach! Zach!"

He'd just smile and wave underneath the hot, colored spotlights of the club which he called home.

After he performed, Jesse's Girl for his band's encore piece, he gathered up his custom guitar and made his way back stage.

His forehead, which sat underneath the shade of his mess of dark, but lightly tipped hair, was lined with sweat and he wiped it away with the back of his hand.

"They loved ya, man." His friend and drummer, Tony complimented, slapping him on the back as the next band went on.

"Yeah, they always do." He said nonchalantly.

Tony chuckled and followed his best friend to their dressing room.

As Zach ran the comb through his messy and sweaty hair, his girlfriend entered. She was extremely skinny, wearing her usual pink, chain-lined mini-skirt and skimpy top… no matter what the weather was.

"Hey Zachy, baby, you did great!" she said, throwing herself on him, though he gave dark-haired Tony a rather flirtatious glance that Zach's obliviosity missed.

"Thanks, Sherry… you know you're my inspiration." Zach answered with a smirk, as Sherry seemed to swoon in his arms.

"Oh Zachy… you're too sweet." She said, kissing his cheek, "So, where are we going to eat tonight, now that your big gig is over?"

"How about you and me hit the fanciest restaurant in the city?" Zach suggested, "Tavern on the Green, perhaps?"

Sherry's eyes lit up,

"Oh baby, really? You always know how to make a girl feel special…" Sherry asked, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

Zach chuckled,

"Well, you're the only girl for me, Sher." He said walking out of the club, his arm tightly around her tiny waist.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"Lightning, have you seen Tsunami around?" Thunder asked.

"I let her visit my brothers." Lightning answered, "She'll probably be back before night fall. Why?"

Thunder just shrugged,

"I was just wondering." He said, "Things have been quieter when she's not here. It's kind of…odd."

Lightning giggled,

"I know what you mean, darling." She said, "But don't you worry. My brothers are much more careful when she's around and she won't be staying over."

Thunder nodded, putting his large arms around his tiny wife,

"I know." He said, "But I am her father, and it's my job to worry about her."

Before she had a chance to reply, a loud rumbling was heard outside their domain.

"Honey, was that you?" She asked, looking up at him.

Thunder returned her glance and shook his head, puzzled.

"No, not this time." He answered, "I'll go check it out…"

Lightning nodded, becoming suddenly fearful.

What was going on?

Thunder opened the misty door of their home, expecting to see, perhaps, his daughter, but no one was there.

"Very odd…" he thought.

His thoughts were then broken by the sound of Lightning's fearful scream.

He rushed back into the kitchen to see a large claw grasping her and pulling her out the window.

Thunder's eyes filled with a kind of rage that was rare for the, usually gentle Elemental.

"Let go of her!" He bellowed, as their home shook ominously with his anger.

He was answered only by a malicious laugh.

"If you want her, come and claim her!" the creature said, as it climbed onto the roof.

Thunder followed the creature as Lightning continued to fight back with her own powers; yellow bolts cracked through the sky and struck the creature's armored hide several times.

But it only returned the desperate strikes with more harsh laughter and added pressure put on her tiny frame.

"My dear… I don't want to hurt you… but sometimes I just don't know my own strength." The creature said, pointing its reptilian nose towards her elegant face as he smirked mischievously.

Slowly, he flapped his black, scaled wings about to take off into the permanently cloudy sky. Thunder, seeing his wife disappearing into the distance, formed a dark, storm cloud between his hands and jumped onto it, taking after his captured wife and her vicious captor.

The dark monster snorted seeing the bulky elemental come after him.

"If you want her, come and claim her!" The dragon laughed, flapping his wings with more force and quickening his pace.

Thunder braced himself as he too, hastened with pure determination.

There would be no way he would let him go without a fight.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

Tsunami sat on one of the many ice sofas that her uncle had as she held a cold glass of water in-between her hands.

"So, how's that 'boyfriend' of yours…Dewy?" Heat Miser asked, trying to make conversation with his niece.

Tsunami's expression turned to one of irritation as she thought of him.

Dewy… now, it wasn't that she disliked him, but he was…well, a wimp.

"He's not my boyfriend…" the young elemental growled, with such loathing that the two Miser Brothers cringed slightly at the possibility of inciting a wrath that only rivaled that of their mother, "He's too much of a geek to be my boyfriend."

"W-well, sorry to bring him up then." Heat Miser quickly apologized.

The North Wind, as they talked just sat filled with obvious boredom as he stared off towards the icicle lined ceiling.

"I wonder how the plan is going… perhaps I should check on the status… I'm sure he'd want me to…" he pondered, his mind completely on a different level than that of his two siblings.

Standing up, he looked over at the three conversing elementals and he cleared his throat to capture their attentions.

"Well, it seems as though I must be going. I know you all will be quite upset to see me go, but I have a few gusts to check on in the Canadian region… you know how duty calls and all that. Nami, dear… I think it's time for you to return home… after all, I am the one who your parents put in charge of watching you.

Tsunami's face fell,

"Do I have to?" she asked, looking disappointed at the fact that she had to leave.

"I'm sorry to tear you away from my dearest brothers' company, but time waits for no one. We should get going… I'm sure your parents are dreadfully worried about you." North Wind said as gently as he could.

Tsunami finished her water, handed the translucent cup back to her icy uncle and then walked over to the North Wind.

"I guess you're right." She said defeated, "Uncle Heat Miser, Uncle Snow Miser, it was great seeing you again."

"Yes, we'll have to get together very soon… and perhaps you can bring your parents along as well. We haven't seen our older sister in ages!" The Snow Miser said, waving his hands to emphasize his words.

The Heat Miser nodded in agreement,

"Yeah, and we love your company, Nami." He added, "I'm sure, now that you're getting older, that you'll be able to get out on your own more and come visiting us. You are our niece after all."

"Yes Uncle Heat Miser, I know I am." She said, as the two Miser Brothers went over to her, and pulled her into a tight bear hug.

Tsunami giggled lightly as The North Wind just watched rolling his eyes.

"We'll see you too, brother." Heat Miser said, glancing at the North Wind.

"Yes, just because you tried to assassinate Santa Claus and steal Christmas doesn't mean that you can't come around once in a while." Snow Miser said, crossing his arms over his blue jacket.

"I'll see what I can do… now, Tsunami, I believe we should get going." He said, trying to hurry the young girl out.

Tsunami nodded and followed him out.

"Bye, you guys! I'll see you soon!" Nami said, as she gripped the North Wind's hand and they took off into the sky.

"Good bye, Nami!" they both said in unison, watching her go.

She waved until they were out of sight, and only the split horizon could be seen.

They flew for a short period of time and soon Tsunami's home finally came into sight. The young girl sighed. She was in a much better mood, and looked somewhat forward to seeing her parents again, but once she landed, a familiar, but unwanted face intercepted her instead.

"Helllooo Nami."

Tsunami sighed, looking at the North Wind, and hoping he'd save her from the dorky character…. But no rescue came this time.

"Hello Dew." She said flatly in an almost disgusted monotone.

"I've been looking for you all day! I missed you, baby-cakes." He said, running a blue hand through his equally blue hair.

"Don't call me that…" Tsunami muttered, as the temptation to light him on fire or get him stuck in an "unexplainable" tornado, ran through her thoughts like a fox, "ever again…"

"Oh, don't be like that… just because I haven't come to visit you doesn't mean I don't love you! You're my girlfriend after all!" Dew said, going to put an arm around her.

Tsunami pushed him away, absolutely disturbed.

"What did I say about touching me?!" She growled.

Dew paused, stopping to filter his thoughts for the answer, but he only looked at her with a blank expression.

Tsunami sighed loudly, feeling absolutely frustrated.

"Don't do it!!" She yelled at him, her raging temper starting to boil, "Now what do you want? Why are you here?"

Dew took a few more seconds to ponder, but then it clicked and he looked sincerely worried.

"Your parents are missing!" He exclaimed frantically.

Tsunami looked at him, skeptically.

"What?" she asked, not believing him.

"Your parents… they've gone missing!! No one can find them. Mother Nature has sent out several of her gofers to see if they can find them… She believes that they've been kidnapped." Dew yelped.

Tsunami, filled with a sudden panic pushed him roughly aside, heading into her home. The North Wind, however, turned his back to conceal a nasty smirk… he finally had an idea of where the plan was going.

"Mom, Dad?!" Tsunami called, hoping for any response from them, but none came, "Mom, Dad, where are you?!"

Her eyes filled with sudden tears of confusion and worry. Dew and the North Wind followed her in. Dew tried to comfort her, but his contact was one of the last things she wanted.

The North Wind then spotted a note on a shredded piece of paper, and after reading it himself, he handed it to Tsunami.

"Nami, I think I found something that could be important." He said, handing it to her.

Tsunami quickly took it and read the note:

"Foolish girl,

I have your parents. Look for them all you want, but I doubt that you will be successful… You may be wondering why I have taken your dear parents, but never fret, you will find out soon enough… but until then, I will leave you guessing. I'll give you a hint though, to get your imagination flowing… they aren't in the world that you know currently. Well, happy searching… I'm sure that I'll be seeing you soon…

~ Smog"

After she had read the note, she threw it to the ground.

"Who is this Smog fellow, anyway? Who does he think he is to take my parents?!" She said, her voice shaking with rage, "I'll kill him when I find him! I'll make sure of that! But until then, I have to find them… Uncle North Wind… he said that they're not in the world I know now… could you take me…"

She paused, trying to think of what was meant by the statement, but then it hit her.

"Uncle North Wind, could you take me to the world of the humans? I know you've been there before!" She said suddenly.

"Of course, dear." The North Wind said, "We could go right now, if you wanted to."

Tsunami nodded,

"That'd be best." She said.

"Could I come, baby?" Dew asked, in his usual nasally tone as he looked up to her.

"No." Tsunami said firmly, "But if you do want to make yourself useful, you could stay here… just in case my parents come back."

Dew saluted her,

"I'll do my best for you, my beloved!" he said.

Tsunami just sighed, trying not to snap at him, but then looked at her Uncle. Taking his hand, the two headed off, to the primitive and nearly unexplored world of the humans.

(( I hope you enjoyed this chapter also! I'll have the 4th one up as soon as I can. Well, don't forget to read and review! Oh, and thanks for the positive feedback I've been getting on the story! It really helps push me along with the updates! ))