Oh crap, was what Candlehead, Vanellope, Rancis, Taffyta, Witchy, Licorice, Willow, Wynter, and Fannar were all thinking. Their one chance to warn everybody about the upcoming danger, and they couldn't even tell them what it was.
The nine started to panic, trying to communicate somehow. They gestured, made faces, and still tried to speak to Santa and the elves, but all of it was useless. They looked like they were having a seizure.
Santa just stood there in total confusion. He had no idea what the nine were trying to do, or what they were trying to say. "Um, could you guys, I don't know, say something?" He asked politely.
The arcade is in danger! Vanellope tried to say.
My wand is in danger! Witchy gestured.
My candle is in danger! Candlehead thought.
Unfortunately, Frostbite Willow freezing their tongues was not what the elves and Santa thought.
"Somebody must have removed their tongues so they can't talk properly," Mr. Short reasoned. The other elves nodded in agreement.
WHAT?! That's not what happened. Our tongues were frozen, Rancis attempted to say, to no avail.
"And I'm positive I know who did it!" Mr. Short said.
Please say Frostbites, Willow silently begged. Alas, that was not the conclusion Mr. Short came to.
"Fannar must have removed their tongues!" Mr. Short accused, aiming a stubby arm at Fannar. "He must've cut them out with an icicle and stuck them on the wall as trophies!"
Everybody gasped. Including the nine mutes.
No, that's not it! Candlehead was thinking. The Frostbites froze our tongues so we can't speak, not Fannar.
Unfortunately, she couldn't tell Santa that. Now usually, Santa was a kind and jolly old man, but at the moment, all the blizzards wrecking his home seemed to have taken a toll on his disposition.
"Fannar Claus, is that true?!" He shouted at his programmed brother. Of course, Fannar couldn't say anything because his tongue was frozen.
"Well say something!" Mr. Short bellowed, but there was no response. Fannar desperately wanted to clear things up, but at the moment he was just as helpless as all the creatures frozen in Frosty Massif.
Seeing that Fannar, and by extension everybody, was in trouble, Candlehead did a somersault and landed between Santa and Fannar.
Wait a minute, Mr. Claus, Candlehead tried to say, momentarily forgetting that she couldn't talk. The thing is, Fannar isn't behind all the bad things going on here. The Frostbites did it, and they're threatening to do some sort of hostile takeover of the entire arcade.
Unfortunately, Santa, the elves, and Mrs. Claus weren't listening. Before anyone could say another word, Mrs. Claus raised her cane in the air and brutally smashed it over Fannar's head. The large man crashed to the ground, unconscious.
(A half-hour later)
Candlehead, Vanellope, Rancis, Taffyta, Witchy, and Licorice were all sitting in front of Santa's desk. They were wrapped up in warm blankets and six cups of hot chocolate was resting on Santa's desk.
The six children glared at the hot chocolate bitterly. Secretly, they all wanted to drink from it after their tiresome journey throughout the outer regions. Alas, they would not.
During the events that had transpired after Mrs. Claus knocked Fannar out cold with her cane, another blizzard had started to brew, so Santa and the elves dragged Fannar and the children back to the damaged workshop to avoid the worst effects. During the trek to the workshop, the children had tried to inform the oblivious Santa of the Frostbites, but since they couldn't talk, Santa hadn't heard a thing.
Now, Fannar had been imprisoned in Santa' ice dungeon, Willow and Wynter had been taken into the basement to explain to the elves what Fannar had done to them, and the Sugar Rush racers had been placed in Santa's Christmas room to receive the best of care from the elves after their long journey.
However, something just wasn't sitting well with the children. Maybe it was because they had been freezing in the cold for hours. Maybe it was because of the constant attacks from the Frostbites. Or maybe it was because someone had been framed for something they knew he hadn't done. In fact, it was all three. And now, they had all silently sworn not to take any of the offers the elves bestowed upon them.
I can't believe Fannar is taking the wrap for what Frostbite Willow did, Vanellope thought. She glared harshly at the cup of hot chocolate in front of her.
Santa should be helping us, not making matters even worse, Rancis contemplated. He rubbed his hair, which was stained with ice.
That evil old witch! How dare she do that to Fannar! Candlehead thought angrily, referring to Mrs. Claus. She reached over towards the cup, but then tipped it over with a flick of her finger and watched the hot chocolate pour onto Santa's chair.
The door creaked open. The six children turned around to see Pointy skitter through the door, holding another cup of hot chocolate.
"Mrs. Claus told me I should give you an extra cup of tea because you weren't drinking from the other ones," He explained quickly. The children just glared at him hatefully. Only a half-hour ago he had gleefully partook in accusing Fannar of Frostbite Willow's wrongdoings, and now he was suddenly acting like an ally and a friend. It infuriated them.
"You know, we tried to get Willow and Wynter to explain just what Fannar did to all of you while you were missing, but they didn't say a thing," Pointy said. "They just stomped around waving their arms in the air like they were trying to say something to us."
Gee, I wonder what they were trying to do, Vanellope thought sarcastically.
"You know, if you guys don't say something sooner we may never get to the bottom of all of this," Pointy explained. "Now, what did Fannar do and what is he planning?"
He's planning nothing. It's Frostbite Willow who's causing all the horrible things around here, Taffyta thought. Alas, Pointy didn't hear a thing. The children just stared at him, each of them silently hurling insults in his direction, but he was totally unaware.
"O-Okay, I guess I'll just leave you guys here alone," Pointy whispered as he started to turn to head out the door. "However, Santa is expecting you to say something about all of this."
He slammed the door shut, leaving the six children to contemplate recent events.
This is so pointless, Vanellope thought. We're never going to get those elves to listen to us.
She turned to stare out the window in total helplessness, and it was then she saw the worst thing possible in the current situation.
Standing in the forest, several feet away from the workshop, were the Frostbites Wynter and Candlehead had encountered in Frosty Massif.
And they were heading right for the workshop.