Varun was in front of the school playground where Morpheus was supposed to be. He walked in through the gate as the cold fog hit his face. He walked deeper anyway and knew Morpheus or someone could be watching him.
Being half alert, he walked forward and came across some figure ahead of him. They had worn a red coat with white edges. Varun walked forward to them to see who it was. He raised his hand and called out to the red-coated figure. It turned behind to look at Varun; it was what Varun could call as…
"Santa…?" Varun asked in one breath.
"Ho-ho-ho," the Santa-looking guy said raising both his hands towards Varun's neck.
Varun got up gasping loudly and saw there was just darkness around him. He looked around and realised he was still in 'The Ring' base. He sighed at himself and sat there looking down and thinking deeply into his sheets.
***
"Santa Claus…?" Jiant asked. He was sitting right in front of Varun, everyone else were standing around in the room. "That was your nightmare?"
"I must really hold back from telling especially you about my nightmares," Varun sighed.
"Alright look. You related the snow for Christmas and then Santa comes at that time. So, your brain analysed it to being Santa Claus, the cause of all this. And you got afraid of… Santa Claus, really?" Jiant asked trying to look serious and controlling his laughter.
"I don't feel so good about it too. But it could be someone not Morpheus. Psycho or Rahambose even," Varun said, making his point.
"Yeah, but Santa Claus. Are we on his naughty list or something? Is that why he is punishing us? Oh, have I been a bad boy this year," Jiant said.
"You want to be a dead boy?" Varun asked.
"Relax Varun," Flint said. "Maybe when it comes to the final battle, he will understand while we are fighting Santa Claus," he burst out laughing.
"Real smooth man," Varun sighed.
"Wasn't it obvious after we defeated Rudolph the red nose and red everything, shape shifting, reindeer?" Adam said.
"Look, all I'm saying is. If it's Rahambose, I don't want you all to be in danger or anywhere near it," Varun said.
"Relax Varun, we can manage," Jay said.
"Yeah, after all we took down Rudolph easily," Aria said.
Varun glared at Aria.
"Don't know about Santa, but we are going into Varun's naughty list. Or must I say his 'curse book' the book of curses," Maaz said.
"Honestly, that was the worst of jokes Maaz," Varun sighed.
"Well, your fault for writing dark jokes in your curse book," Maaz said.
"They are called quotes. Which actually calm me down," Varun corrected.
"Still pretty dark," Maaz pointed out.
There was a knock on the door.
"I thought Santa would be by the chimney and not our door," Jay said going towards the door.
"How about some final jokes before death? Oh wait, too late, it's already started. Next on Team Anti-Christmas, death," Varun hissed at everyone.
"You really couldn't think of something else?" Jiant sighed.
It was Tarragon at the door, with Ivor's head in his hand.
"Rise and shine kids. This might be the day you fight our Santa beast," Tarragon said.
"You too Tarragon?" Varun asked.
"Me too what?" Tarragon asked, looking confused.
"Varun saw Santa as the cause behind this snow stuff, in his dream I mean. As of course he hasn't seen Morpheus before. And you said the right thing at the right time, congratulations Tar," Fara said.
"We all were mocking him on that. So, he thought you joined in," Jay said.
"Moody girl," Aria mocked Varun.
Varun imitated Aria looking down at the floor and mouthing what she said.
"Ok, honestly. You are the only chance against this, armour-boy. It's good that you are alert of it being anything. However silly Santa Claus sounds," Tarragon said.
"I'm just afraid that it could be Rahambose," Varun said.
"Oh come on now," Aria sighed.
"Well, yes, it could be," Tarragon said.
"Seriously…?" Fara asked, looking at Tarragon with a fed up look.
"How many times could have the things we thought could be, wasn't?" Tarragon asked. "The black dragon, me and Minerva fought back two decades before our team formed, came back. And he had a back story of being bullied for being Rahambose. Some freaky secret group haunting everyone from the shadows. Or all the ten of us being so connected to all this since forever, Esterine included. Did any of that make sense?"
"Still doesn't," Fara scoffed.
"Right… this Morpheus guy could be Rahambose. It is not the guy; it is that idea of his, we all listened to that freaky sentence. Morpheus could be one of those hundred," Tarragon said.
"That is possible," Fara said realising now.
Everyone got silent and listened, not eye-contacting any other being.
"And I can't just put these people in danger," Varun said.
"Yes, you must not. It is a wrong thing for you to do," Tarragon said.
"But, Tarragon…" Fara said.
"Let him talk Farr. He usually has a point… hopefully," Ivor said.
"You care for them and can't help but blame yourself if they get hurt. But what bought them on this mission? Did you drag them? No. Did the steroid thingy make them want to be hero? No. It was you," Tarragon said.
"Didn't he just contradict what he said first?" Maaz whispered to Flint.
"They care for you too," Tarragon said, glaring at Maaz and then looking back at Varun.
"You need some patience Maaz," Flint whispered back to Maaz.
"Not to be hero, they are coming to help you and for you, Varun," Tarragon said.
"Yeah… no, we want to be a hero," Fara said.
"Sounds pretty sexist, I want to be a heroine, but not the drug though," Aria said.
"If anything happens…" Varun stuttered.
"You will be there. And you must protect them. If anything happens to Fara and she doesn't get a re-birth or something, then I'll hunt you down kid, mark my words," Tarragon said.
"Look, as much as we think there is no some other force, but something else which led to this and we aren't sure of it. This has chosen you and only you either way. Like it or not, you are here. Maybe because it hoped that you would do the right thing and end this. And alone isn't the way kid," Ivor said.
Varun laughed lightly and then looked at everyone.
"Are you expecting a hug?" Jay asked.
"Nah… that looks more like his conclusion look," Jiant said.
"Let's get this thing going on the road people," Varun said.
Everyone nodded.
***
"How and who exactly is this Rahambose?" Nightrale asked.
Nemesis and Alias sat right across the table to Nightrale and Magpie. Kara was on the right side to the two girls and left to the boys.
"You seem to ask that question a lot," Magpie sighed.
"We have nothing else to talk about. And that guy sounds weird alright," Nightrale said.
"It is boring when two are missing. And we have no lead on Psycho, and nothing else to do," Kara sighed loudly.
"Twenty-twenty is quite boring of a year," Alias said.
"You measure years according to Earth too?" Kara asked, finally as she found a topic.
"Been there few times, so yes," Alias said.
"Us too, did you join a college?" Magpie asked.
"Thought off, joined some college and was bored and left. We did gain some knowledge on things and came back to Monsteruin and trained to be Primevel warrior," Alias said.
"They have too many languages though. Fun but horrific sometimes. Even when some part of it is the other Primevels' doing, especially Shankans," Nemesis said.
"And their foods," Magpie said.
"Yeah, they have a great taste on that. Though there are other planets with good appetite or taste too," Alias said.
"Earth was something in its pros. Can't just blame it on its cons," Kara said.
"I expected a more 'involving everyone' topic. But, you guys know some things and have things in common. Except for the being chased and chasing bad guys or the murdering people with swords," Nightrale said.
"You never have been to another planet?" Nemesis asked.
"Don't know… lost my memories," Nightrale said.
"How…?" Alias asked.
"No idea… of anything before a while ago," Nightrale said.
"She's from Nightrale and was taken there recently by some Psycho-blades. Lost her memories after being back," Magpie said.
"We didn't know her before that," Kara added.
"Ok, so your adaptability is as good as to bear that much heat?" Nemesis asked.
"Well, the nature of Nightrale is very different than most stars. It has a bearable environment is what I mean. And it's actually freaking cold there. Cold than Pluto, by almost twenty times I think, I'm not sure, but it's pretty cold," Alias said.
"Yeah, people did plan on going there post to any crisis. But, they found that it is hard to adapt to," Kara said.
"Our planet just got the idea to go there. Guess they knew Pluto's expertise and never tried it that's why," Alias said.
"Probably," Magpie said.
"So, I have unique adaptability power?" Nightrale asked.
"Compared to other Primevels, though all the testing of that was done only on the Nightrale dragons," Magpie said.
"And even Primevel warriors. We are like the in-between squad to normal Primevels and the ones on Nightrale. And that was decided by me right now," Alias said.
"Probably not, as Linguists are the ones who do the most research. Though Pluto is a more advanced planet than theirs, only because they hate the concept of weapons," Kara said.
"And there are still threats," Nightrale said.
"Well, the threats get the same tech as us and hence things are still spiral," Kara said.
"I know, I was stating actually," Nightrale said.
"And people like Psycho are the advancements of technology sometimes," Magpie said.
"Sounding like what an evil person on his side would say. But, you are too innocent and cute to be with him. So you pass," Nightrale said, looking at Magpie with squinty eyes.
"Anyone has any idea of where Manasie went off to?" Alias asked.
"Well, probably her native, I mean Leishank," Magpie said.
"Yeah, probably," Kara said.
"I thought she'd have gone to the dragons," Nightrale said. "She talked about them a few times."
"She did. But, they are just like her friends," Kara said.
"She said that she met them on first PUC's summer break," Magpie said.
"And we thought she went to her home or something. Well, she was just a classmate back then," Kara sighed.
"Well, you can't blame her. You guys might never have asked," Nightrale said.
"True… but we never even knew about her having those powers, even after we became friends. Guess we never were actually friends until things went… awry," Kara said.
"Bad timings really," Magpie scoffed.
"How long do you know her from?" Nightrale asked.
"A year and a little more," Magpie said.
"Well, you can't know people completely either way. Let it be one or six years. Things just are so sometimes," Nightrale said.
"Too wise for someone who forgot their past," Kara said.
"Well, guess the memory loss was worth it. Who knows what kind of a evil lady I was before this? Maybe now I became opposite. An angel," Nightrale said, spreading invisible confetti from her hands.