Santa And Tickets
Previously:
"Well, hello again." The Conductor said, before greeting the other kids. Once Billy had finally handed his present back to the elf, it was placed in the sack, and the string was tied around it.
Once the rope had been tightened, there was a loud fanfare, and a great deal of cheering.
The elves began singing a song called "The Spirit of the Season." There were more fanfares, and the elves held up strings of bells. When they shook them, the most beautiful sound filled the air.
For a moment, Sapphire and Katja saw Chris smile, before the smile slid right from his face. He couldn't, as they knew, hear the bell, 'cause he still didn't believe.
Sophie wasn't very helpful, as she asked cheerfully, "Aren't those bells the most beautiful sound?"
They were, but not if you couldn't hear them.
The bells were harnessed to the reindeer, and Chris looked more and more distressed. There came another fanfare, followed by a moment of silence, followed by everybody singing "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town."
Just then, an entrance to the square lit up brightly, and the shadow of Santa Claus could be clearly seen. Sapphire and Katja jumped up and down, waving with the others, and grinned at each other. Their second journey into worlds not their own was simply incredible.
As Bing Crosby's "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," Sophie said excitedly, "He's here."
They nodded excitedly, as elves climbed on top of each other's shoulders, to wave at their boss. Chris was desperately trying to see him, but had no luck, until one of the bells suddenly flew off, and the music slowed down.
As he picked up the bell, Sapphire watched him say desperately, "I believe," and looked astonished and pleased when the bell ring clearly in his ear. Sapphire noticed Santa's reflection in the bell, and then did Chris.
"What was that you said?" Santa inquired.
"I, I believe." Said Chris, before something occurred to him, and he held out the bell, saying, "I believe this is yours."
"Well, thank you." Santa said, grateful.
Just then, Luke became rather annoying, as he asked to have the first gift of Christmas.
Santa nodded, and said, "Young man, patience. And a touch of humility might also serve you well."
Luke looked chastised, and muttered "Yes Sir." Causing Sapphire and Kat to laugh.
Santa glanced over at them, and whispered, "Welcome to the North Pole, and keep on imagining."
They looked thoroughly pleased, and thanked him.
He told Sophie that she was a lady of decision, Christmas spirit, and to keep up the good work.
He then told Billy that there was no greater gift than friendship, before inviting Chris to have the first gift of Christmas.
They all saw him receive the bell, but only the girls knew that it had been placed in the pocket with the hole.
As he came back to join them, Santa flew around them, and amidst the cheering, Sophie said, "It's everything I dreamed it would be."
Billy glanced over at Chris, and asked if it could all just be a dream.
As Chris reassured him, Sapphire and Kat glanced at each other, and sincerely hoped it wasn't.
Finally, Santa cracked his whip, and the Christmas Tree in the square lit up as he flew around it and went to deliver presents. When he had gone, and the dust from Santa's whip had vanished, the elves cried, "Yippee!" Probably because it was officially Christmas Day. They then danced around, and some placed the back of the train on.
Once the elves had placed the back of the train on again, it was time for them to find out what the tickets said. When the Conductor got to Luke, the boy handed him his ticket, and away went the ticket puncher. When it was handed back, Luke's expression was perplexed.
"Lean? Whatever that's supposed to mean."
"Probably means you need to eat lean meat." Sapphire, who was two people behind him, said.
Kat, right behind him, laughed appreciatively."
"Perhaps, but "lean" is spelt with four letters. I believe I punched five," the Conductor said, showing him again.
"Hey! Are you saying I don't know how to?" Luke began, indignantly, taking the ticket from the man. Then his expression cleared, and said, "Oh, it says "Learn." My mistake," he said, as he climbed onto the train.
"Lesson learned." The Conductor said, as Kat handed him hers.
"Thank you, Ma'am." He said punching it, and handed it back to her.
Like Luke before her, Kat also looked perplexed when she saw what was on her ticket: BELIEVE
"But I already do." She said, looking to the Conductor for confirmation, who handed her another ticket, and said, "Sometimes, they refer to the future."
Kat climbed into the compartment with the other kids, and sat down to look at the other ticket. She'd only just looked down, when she heard a bout of laughter from outside. Looking out the window, she was surprised to see Sapphire chuckling, said, "I will do," and went to sit next to her friend, still chuckling.
"What's so funny?" Kat asked, and Sapphire handed her her ticket. CONSENTRATE was the word punched into it, and she asked, "What's that other ticket?"
"The Conductor said that sometimes they refer to the future." Kat said, and looked down at the ticket, which said CONDUCTOR.
"He got this ticket," she said thoughtfully, as Billy came and asked if he could sit with them.
"Sure thing." Kat said, and the two girls moved over to let him sit with them. As Sapphire had guessed earlier, his ticket said FAMILY.
"It's what I really need," he said, as Chris walked in, the kids clambering around him, asking him to show them the bell.
When they discovered it was missing, they offered to help him find it, but as the train left the square, it was too late.
Kat and Sapphire knew he'd find it that morning, but they felt sorry for him all the same.
Page Break
Having dropped off everyone else, the Conductor was nearly ready to head back home to rest. But first, he had to drop two girls not of his world, off.
When they arrived back in Wellington, the girls woke up, and asked, "What did Billy's ticket mean?"
The Conductor smiled, and said that Santa, being the magical person he was, was able to turn back the clock, and give Billy his whole family back.
"That would make anybody's Christmas," Sapphire mused, and the Conductor smiled again. "Indeed, and speaking of which, it's time you left and had Christmas in your world."
They nodded, wished him a "Merry Christmas," and headed back to the tent in the freezing cold, wondering if there would be a sign that they had been on the Polar Express.
AN: And that's the end of the Polar Express. However, it is by no means the end of the story. And the bit about the Conductor's ticket comes from the story "The Magic Inside the Polar Express."