"The Christmas Chronicles!"
"Jack!" Kate stopped him. "I wouldn't touch those if I were you. They look pretty rare."
"Yes, they are very rare," Mrs. Claus confirmed.
"Oh, they're one of a kind, actually," Santa agreed.
"Would you like to hear a bedtime story?" Mrs. Claus offered.
"Man, that would be awesome!" Jack said excitedly.
"That'd be amazing," Kate agreed.
"I'm fine with that," I said, my words slightly muffled by the pillow.
"Oh, okay," Mrs. Claus smiled. "Well, here. Come on, follow me."
"Well, have a cozy winter's nap, children," Santa said.
"Good night, Santa," Kate and I replied.
"Sweet dreams." Santa nodded to us.
"Good night, Santa Claus," Jack called.
"You know, you could just call him Santa," Kate corrected him.
Mrs. Claus sighed happily. "All right, now. Here we go. Look closely, children. Very, very closely. This is where it all began. Back in 312 AD. Santa was living in Asia Minor. Today, it's called Turkey. Santa was known as Saint Nicholas. He was a bishop who discovered the joy of giving. Became something of a local hero. And his legend spread far and wide, eventually reaching the Forest Elves."
"Wait, you mean there are different kinds of elves?" Kate asked.
"Oh, of course. They're an ancient species of very magical and wild creatures. For centuries, they were hunted for their magical powers, and then they were captured by humans to the brink of extinction," Mrs. Claus said sadly.
"That's awful," Jack commented.
"Oh, it was," Mrs. Claus agreed. "But in elf lore, there was a prophecy who would be king of the elves, who would one day lead them to safety. Their leader, Hakan, knew that Saint Nicholas was the only one who could channel the Star of Bethlehem's power. From that day forward, they no longer referred to him as Saint Nicholas. They called him Santa Claus. And he led the elves on a mystical journey to an unknown land, where Christmas would truly endure."
"That's here. That's the North Pole," Jack said.
Mrs. Claus laughed. "Yes."
"Weird. That one elf, he looks kinda familiar," Kate said, pointing to the picture.
"Yeah," Jack agreed.
"Belsnickel," Mrs. Claus said simply, making me perk up.
"My father," I said sleepily.
Mrs. Claus handed Kate the book and summoned another book using her magic. The kids awed at her as I smiled.
"Now..." Mrs. Claus continued. "Belsnickel was a precocious and brilliant elf who was very popular here in the village. I taught him the art of magical potion-making, and Santa taught him the art of invention. We had so many good times together. Santa and I grew to love him very, very much. But by the time Belsnickel became a teenager, everything changed. The spirit of Christmas had grown around the world. Santa had less time for Belsnickel, so Belsnickel became resentful of Santa, and more rebellious. Until, one day, he broke the Elves' Code."
"What's the Elves' Code?" Kate asked curiously.
"Ego, lying, viciousness, envy, and selfishness. And if an elf commits every single one of those transgressions, they become cursed. And Belsnickel, well, he broke all five. He became a very naughty boy. And he kept getting naughtier... and naughtier. And when he broke the final transgression, Belsnickel was stripped of the joy of being an elf. And with that, he transformed into the thing he despised the most, a human. Clouded by anger and humiliation... Belsnickel ran away from the village, never to return. He was a naughty little elf, but I miss him."
The books lazily flew back onto the shelf, red sparkles flying around them. Mrs. Claus looked back at me in amazement. I was almost asleep. She rushed over to me, looking at me with a small smile on her face.
"You feeling alright, sweetheart?" Mrs. Claus asked.
"Never better." I smiled back. "Just realized I had a part of me I didn't know I had until now."
"Well, that should be enough for tonight. I'll help you with your magic in the morning, alright, (Y/n)?" Mrs. Claus compromised.
"Alright," I agreed.
"Good night, Mrs. Claus," Kate called as she stood in the door.
"Good night, children." Mrs. Claus clapped her hands, turning off the lights, and closed the door behind her.
YOU ARE READING
O' Christmas Tree
FanfictionA Teddy Pierce x Reader Story. (Y/n) (L/n) was told at nine years old that Santa didn't exist. What happens when she does an overnight stakeout with her boyfriend and his sister? What secrets will unfold about her true lineage?
