"I think we've passed that rock ten times already," Tango grumbled.
"Nah," Ruby said as she licked her lips. "It's only been three. This one's kiwi-flavored, not green apple."
James resisted the urge to kick the sugary clump of bright green rock candy sprouting from the cave floor. It wouldn't do him a lick of good to damage one of the only things differentiating this tunnel from the countless others they'd wandered through. "At this rate, we won't find Nick until Halloween."
"Look on the bright side," Ruby said. She bounded upward, her sole antler brushing against the ceiling as she snatched a mouthful of the licorice vines dangling from the ceiling. "Free candy!"
James's stomach snarled in protest. The good news was they didn't have to worry about running out of food anymore. The bad news was he felt like he'd puke a rainbow if he ate even one more gumdrop. "I don't want to think about it."
"Looks like I'm not the party pooper for once," Tango said as he chewed on a wad of licorice. "Next thing you know, you'll actually be quiet for a change."
James laughed half-heartedly before sighing. "If Nick saw me like this, he'd drag me straight to the hospital."
"I bet," Ruby said. "You know it's serious business when you're not in the mood for candy."
James's stomach let out another growl, one so loud it echoed down the tunnels in a rumble of discontent.
Something that sounded equally upset rumbled back.
"Did you guys hear that?" James asked.
Ruby pressed close to Tango's side. "That sounded like a yeti."
"Don't be stupid," Tango said. "Those only live in the Himalayas." Yet he still lowered his antlers, ready to protect them from whatever was making that awful noise.
"We've gotta check it out," James stammered. "What if it has Nick?"
"Then it has indigestion and we'd better get out of here. Trust me, you do not want to mess with a polar bear with a stomachache." At the sight of the others' horrified expressions, Tango said, "It's probably just an echo."
A low moan sounded through the tunnels.
"That's definitely not an echo," James said. "Come on, let's go check it out."
They followed the moaning through long, winding tunnels. Each time the sound faded, they stopped and listened to make sure they were still going in the right direction.
At last, the noise grew louder as they neared the mouth of a cavern filled with quiet sobbing.
"You go ahead," Tango whispered, nodding at James. "I think we'd better give you guys some space."
Sugar water lapped at the shore of Peppermint Pond as bright red fish swam inside the secluded crater. Nobody was quite sure how Mount Permafrost grew a seemingly endless supply of candy or why even the wildlife that lived there tasted as sweet as could be. Not even those who had explored the depths of its caves or climbed to the very top of its craggy peak could explain its mouthwatering marvels.
All James knew was he'd give up chocolate for the rest of his life if that was what it took to get Nick home.
He eased himself out of the sleigh and tiptoed toward Nick as if he was approaching a sleeping polar bear. Nick looked like a completely different person when he wasn't wearing a suit. Gone were his assertiveness, his confidence, and his quiet assurance that everything would run smoothly as long as he was around to fix it.
Curled up with the hood of his blubber-thick jacket pulled over his face, Nick was nothing but a crying kid.
"Hey, Nick," James said softly.
With one last sniffle, Nick wiped his eyes. The faint twinkle of hope in them left as quickly as it came. "Dad's not here, is he?"
"No, just me and the reindeer." James gestured over to the pair dragging the sleigh over to a hole in the cavern wall where frigid outside air snuck inside.
"I see."
James eased himself beside Nick, wincing as snowmelt seeped through his pants. "You could have at least picked a more comfortable spot," James grumbled jokingly.
Nick massaged his temples, the bags under his eyes as dark as coal dust. "What do you want, James?"
"You need to come back," James said. "Everyone's a complete mess without you. Dad might not even go out on Christmas Eve."
"Of course, we wouldn't want to jeopardize the holiday." Nick laughed bitterly, his voice rising to a higher pitch as it cracked. "Is that all I am to them, just another brick in the chimney?"
"You're the next Santa."
"Fat load of good that will do. We're outsourcing gift production across the board, the FAST was a disaster, and I didn't even have the sense to stop my own brother from flying in a blizzard. I'll be the worst Santa ever!"
James tensed as Nick's words echoed through Mount Permafrost. Thankfully, not even the faintest rumbling of a potential avalanche responded. The last thing either of them needed was to be snowed in, even with a lifetime's supply of candy. "How many times have you had to help Dad reassign me to a new position?" James asked.
"Forty-two," Nick said with a halfhearted smirk. "We were lucky if you'd last a week."
"See? You're good at cleaning up after my messes, so I bet you're even better at dealing with yours." He flashed him a teasing grin. "You've definitely had a lot of practice."
"Fair enough." Nick sighed. "But even if I'll be a good Santa, I don't feel like I'll ever be a good me."
"What?" James scratched his head. "But you're you. That's kinda the only thing in the job description."
"What did you get for Christmas last year?"
"A bunch of super cool elite forces action figures!" The set had come with its very own looping racetrack that ended in a flying takeoff. James had played with the toys so much Clarice had already had to replace their internal motors half a dozen times. "If you want to play with them, you—"
"I got a printer," Nick said flatly.
"Who on earth asks for a printer for Christmas?!?" James flushed. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. "I-I-I mean—"
"Someone with no idea how to actually have fun," Nick said. He sighed, his breath billowing in front of him in a cold cloud. "Believe it or not, I wish I was more like you. You're always smiling and goofing off like a little kid no matter how awful things are. Meanwhile, I barely even remember being a kid. It's like I was born with Dad's hat on my head."
Nick wished he was more like him? Next thing you know he'd be sledding down Mount Permafrost wearing nothing but a tutu. Then again, seeing him so sad and broken seemed just as bizarre.
But just because he was broken didn't mean he couldn't be fixed.
"I brought something for you," James said, dragging himself off the ground and dusting the snow off his pants. "Close your eyes. No peeking!"
Nick snorted but did as he was told. "If it's candy, don't bother. I never want to see licorice ever again."
James tiptoed to the sleigh and pulled out its most precious cargo. The reindeer stood alert, ears perked as they listened to the storm howling outside.
"Okay, now hold out your hands."
Nick grunted as James handed the gift to him. "It's heavy."
"Don't shake it!" James blurted out as Nick raised it to the side of his head. The last thing James needed was to risk the snow globe breaking again. There was a reason he'd bundled it in blankets and bubble wrap for the whole trip up the mountain. "It's super breakable."
Nick opened his eyes. "No way."
He gingerly peeled the wrapping paper off his snow globe, revealing a purple-tinted FAST scent capsule where the broken glass used to be. He turned the tiny dial on the bottom with trembling fingers. The ice skaters inside glided around their pond as "Silent Night" played softly and tears rolled down Nick's face.
"Gosh, I didn't mean to make you upset!" James wilted, his whole body drooping with the weight of his sadness. "Come on, hit me with a snowball. I deserve it."
"You definitely don't." Nick wiped the tears off his cheeks, his lips pulling into a shaky smile. "This is the nicest present anyone's gotten me in years," he said, his voice cracking. "Thank you."
"Sorry it's not as cool as it used to be. We couldn't figure out how it made real snow before." Not even Clarice had been able to replicate that bit of magic.
"It kind of looks better this way. Reminds me of the night Dad first took me ice skating."
"At night?" James smirked. "That's the craziest thing you've ever done. You know, aside from running off to Mount Permafrost in the middle of a snowstorm."
Nick gave him a light shove. "You're one to talk, and it was Dad's idea. It was so beautiful out there with just the two of us and the northern lights." He looked down at the snow globe with a wistful look in his eyes. "That was the night he told me I'd be the next Santa. I'm not sure I deserve it considering how much of a massive screw up I've turned out to be."
"Just because you screwed up doesn't mean you're a screw up," James said firmly.
"How can you be so calm about it?" Nick asked. "No matter what happens, you always just dust yourself off and keep trying like it's nothing."
James shrugged. "I guess I sorta have to 'cause otherwise I'd be miserable all the time. What I don't understand is how you always seem ready for anything. I mean, the whole Pole could burst into flames, and you'd still know what to do."
"Someone has to pay attention to the evacuation plans," Nick said. "And half the time I only pretend to know what I'm doing. Can you imagine how much the elves would panic if I told them I don't know how to fly a sleigh? The Games would have been an even bigger mess!"
"That makes two of us," James said with a laugh. "Ruby does all the hard work. I don't think she even needs me to steer."
"Now that's a load of reindeer dung! You were absolutely amazing up there. If it hadn't been for that hail, you would have been fine. Dad would be stupid not to let you two help out on Christmas Eve."
James beamed at Nick's praise. "Aw, I couldn't have done it without you and Clarice creating the FAST. You always work so hard."
"You're right about that." Nick sighed. "You know, Dad has taught me a lot of things about being Santa, but he never really taught me how to relax. Even out here I can't stop thinking about blueprints and deadlines and a million other things I have to worry about."
"Sounds like you need to chill," James said. "When I overdid myself in the greenhouse, Gabe told me sometimes the best way you can make sure a job gets taken care of is to take care of yourself first."
Nick's shoulders slumped. "I'm not sure I know how."
"I can help with that," James said with a mischievous smirk. He scooped up a handful of snow, patted it into the perfect ball, and threw it at Nick.
Nick scowled, shuddering as the snowball slid down the back of his coat. He gingerly put his snow globe out of harm's way before grabbing a fistful of powder. His arm lashed out like a leopard seal snapping up a penguin.
The white missile dispersed into a cloud of snowflakes, not even touching James.
"Shoot," Nick said with a chuckle, "I really am out of practice."
"The trick is to slowly push it all together so it sticks." James's fingers worked the snow as naturally as his mom's shaped cookie dough.
"Mind if I see that real quick?" Nick took the snowball out of James's hand and tossed it right into his face.
"No fair!" James sputtered. "You got it right in my mouth!"
"All is fair in love and snowball fights," Nick said with a smirk as he bent down to prepare more projectiles.
James took the opportunity to pelt his defenseless target with snowballs, each one landing with a wet smack. "You'd better hurry up then, or else I'll have to thaw you out when we get home."
"In your dreams!"
Laughter as clear and beautiful as sleigh bells rang through the cave as the pair hurled snowballs back and forth. The biggest smile James had ever seen stretched across Nick's face.
James shook a flurry out of his hair. "You're not half bad for someone who throws like a penguin."
"Oh please, I could get you blindfolded."
James tossed Nick his scarf. "Prove it. And no peeking!"
Nick tied the fabric over his eyes, giving the ends a careful but firm tug to make sure the knot was firmly in place. "This'll be as easy as automating a spreadsheet."
"I have no idea what that means, but there's no way you'll get me." James crossed the cavern, coming to a stop near the exit where the reindeer waited with the sleigh. "You couldn't hit a snowflake in a blizzard!"
"Watch me." Nick packed together a fistful of snow, gently tossing it from one hand to the other to make sure it would stick together this time. He let out a long, slow breath, his muscles twitching as he brought his arm back. His whole body propelled the throw, sending the snowball flying.
It whooshed past James, smacking Ruby in the flank. "Holy chestnuts, that's cold!" she yelled.
A deafening roar shook the mountain. Chunks of rock candy fell from the cavern's walls, tumbling into Peppermint Pond with a splash. The water foamed as the fish inside frantically dodged the falling candy.
But the cacophony inside the cavern was nothing compared to the blizzard blasting through the cracks in the walls. Wind screamed as cold flooded the cave. The gaps widened by the second, the storm ripping into the mountain like a polar bear clawing open a beached whale.
Even the ground beneath them trembled as an ocean of whiteness blocked out the sunlight seeping through the cracks, leaving the cavern lit by nothing but Ruby's glaring nose.
Nick ripped off his blindfold and ran toward James. The wind drowned out what he yelled, but James didn't need to hear him to know what Ruby had accidentally caused.
An avalanche.