Nicholas hadn't spoken since the reindeer went outside. Blitzen and the other reindeer had decided to give Nicholas time to think, having not told him anymore about his dreams until he agreed to come with them. Nicholas could tell they did not like holding it over him, but for whatever reason, it was vital that he go with them.
Applejack was still with him, sitting on the couch, along with Mina, who had remained hidden as the reindeer entered the home. She, like Applejack, had been skeptical of them, and outright worried for Nicholas. However, the fact they knew about Nicholas' dreams changed things. Both of them knew Nicholas was seeking answers, and they both knew he was likely to take a chance on them.
Applejack looked his way, seeing him almost depressed was like a knife in her heart. Finally, she sighed. "Look here, Nicholas. I've known you long enough to know you want to take a chance on these reindeers." He looked up at her, his eyes told her everything she needed to know. "If you think this can give you some answers, well then, shoot. Guess we have no choice but to go with them."
Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "We?"
Applejack smirked. "You didn't think I'll let you go out there without me, did you?"
"Táim ag teacht freisin! Tabharfaidh mé cúpla elves eile!" Mina declared, jumping up from her seat on the couch. She wasn't about to be left behind, and she was not going to let Nicholas go without her and a few more elves by his side.
Nicholas looked at them both in stunned silence, then he smiled. "Thank you, both of you."
Applejack stood up, making her way to Nicholas, and placed a gentle hoof on his knee. He looked into her deep green eyes, and felt his heart beat a little faster. "No matter what you do, you know I will always have your back. Right, partner?"
"Right..." Nicholas chuckled, leaning down and embraced the mare, who gladly wrapped her hooves around him.
It had been twenty minutes since Blitzen and the others had left Nicholas's home. The eight of them stood around, waiting, not really saying much other than a comment here or there. Blitzen looked towards the door for maybe the tenth time since they left, feeling his heart going a little faster.
"Blitzen?"
"Oh, Cupid. Is something wrong?"
She trotted closer, shaking her head with a small smile. "Are you worried about Nicholas?"
Blitzen let out a small sigh. "Is it that obvious?"
She giggled, holding a hoof to her muzzle as if trying to hide it. "Let's just say we've all learned how to read you a long time ago." Blitzen blushed a little, but smiled back. "Don't worry, remember why we are here."
"I know, but what if he refuses?"
"I wouldn't worry about that, Blitzen." Cupid assured him. "Have faith, and let's trust him." Almost like magic, the door to Nicholas's house opened, and out stepped Nicholas. Cupid nudged Blitzen a little. "See?"
Nicholas was dressed in a big red overcoat, and a red cap. Beside him stood Applejack, and on her back was Mina, looking an the reindeer with silent suspicion. Blitzen didn't look at the elf, instead he and the other reindeer approached, with Blitzen leading them.
"So," Blitzen said. "You coming?"
Nicholas let out a sigh, then held up a hand, as if asking them to wait for a moment. "I will, if my friends are allowed to come with us." Blitzen eyed both Applejack and Mina, and after a quick glance at the other seven reindeer, he agreed. "Good, then I will come with you."
Mina smirked, jumping off Applejack's back and turned towards the house. She held up her little paws, then called out in a loud voice, which made the reindeers cringe. "Ceart go leor, leaids agus lasses. Am le dul!" A smaller door built into the human sized front door opened, and a little army of elves started to line up like little soldiers, with Mina proudly inspecting them.
The elves came in varied shapes and sizes, all of them small of course, but all of them very distinct. Some muscular, some chubby, some slender like Mina. Some were male, others female, and all of them were wearing varied colors, clothes and caps. For a moment, Blitzen looked like he was about to refuse, but seemed to think better of it.
Nicholas smiled. "So, where are we going, and how do we get there?"
At that, Blitzen started to smirk, as did the other reindeer. "Oh, you're going to like this." Blitzen assured him. "Over here."
Nicholas, Applejack, and his elves, followed the eight reindeer around Nicholas's home. As they rounded the corner, they got to a small clearing, just big enough for Nicholas to walk around, and work on the wood he chopped. However instead of the usual piles of lumber, he saw a small blue sleigh.
It was just big enough for Nicholas to sit in front, and for Applejack if the two of them squeezed a bit together. The back could hold a small amount of luggage, or in this case, Mina and the rest of the elves. Blitzen and the others moved closer to it, then turned and looked at them.
"This is how we will get to Gift Givers Grove." Blitzen said proudly.
Applejack looked at Nicholas, then back at them. "You intend to pull us there?" Mina let out a string of words, Applejack couldn't really translate, but she figured she was sharing in Applejack's disbelief.
Young Prancer giggled. "Kinda, but not really!"
"Then how?" Nicholas asked, more confused than unimpressed like Mina.
"We are going to fly there." Stated Comet, puffing his chest out, as if expecting them all to be in awe. While Nicholas did look interested, Mina did not.
"Conas is féidir leat eitilt mura bhfuil sciatháin agat?"
Dasher looked at the little elf, eyebrow raised. "What did she say?"
"She asked how you can fly when you don't have wings." Applejack translated. "I would like to know that too."
"So would I." Nicholas said, sounding very excited to find out.
Blitzen grinned. "Alright guys, let's show them." Suddenly their antlers seemed to have a faint glow to them, like the one unicorns had when they used magic. Then to the awe of Nicholas, Applejack, and even Mina, the reindeer started to rise slowly into the air.
Nicholas took a step back, as if better get a view of what he was seeing. "Holy holiday cookie..." He mumbled, his eyes wide as dinner plates. The same expression was plastered on Applejack and Mina, which seemed to please the reindeer.
Vixen couldn't help but make a small friendly jab. "Satisfied?" She asked Applejack and Mina with a smirk.
Both of them nodded. "Good!" Smiled Blitzen. "Then let's get moving. Reindeer, take your positions!" Blitzen ordered, and all eight of them flew down, two by two, standing in front of the sleigh. Standing side by side from right to left was Dasher and Dancer. Then left to right again, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid and then Donner and Blitzen.
Their antlers got this faint glow again, and the leather reigns moved up, and secured themselves to the reindeers. Blitzen looked at Nicholas, then gestured with his head towards the sleigh. "Come on, Santa. We need to be off!"
"Don't be scared, we won't drop you!" Dasher promised with a big grin.
Looking at Applejack, who looked back at him, the two sent one another a nod, and then moved towards the sleigh. Following them were the elves, who were not even half of the ones staying behind and looking after Nicholas's home and workshop.
Nicholas climbed into the front seat, scooting over as much as he could in order to make room for Applejack. She followed, but while they tried to make room, the two could not help but sit very tight, so much so Nicholas had to move an arm around her, just to make sure they could both be comfortable. Applejack blushed, glancing up at him, which in turn made Nicholas blush.
"Uhm... Hello..."
"H-howdy..."
Mina rolled her eyes, having seen their puppy love grow from they were just kids to now. "De réir na gcloigíní, ach póg cheana féin..." She mumbled, then jumped into the back along with the other elves.
"Now don't you worry!" Blitzen called back at them. "This will be an easy trip, so just leave everything to us."
"Just be sure to hold on!" Dancer called, grinning.
"Alright squad, let's get in the air!" Declared Blitzen, and they all seem to stand a little taller.
Then suddenly the reindeer called out their own names, one by one. "Dasher!" "Dancer!" "Prancer!" "Vixen!" "Comet!" "Cupid!" "Donner!" "Blitzen!"
"Who are we!" Blitzen called suddenly, with the others responding in unison.
"THE FLYING REINDEERS!"
Their antlers glowed once more, and with a great tug, the eight reindeer started to move, pulling the sleigh with ease. For the first few seconds, Nicholas could hear the sleigh glide over the snow, but then something happened, the reindeers started to rise into the air, and only a few seconds later, the sleigh followed suit.
At first Nicholas thought the sleigh would fall, hanging down limply in the air as the reindeers pulled, but that was not the case. He quickly noticed that when the reindeers sort of bounced forward in the air, light seemed to emanate near their hooves. It was like glowing dust in multiple colors, gliding beneath their hooves, and under the sleigh, which seemed to keep it up, as if it was gliding on snow.
Despite what little momentum they had gained from what little space they had to use as a runway, the sleigh rose, following the reindeer as they quickly and skillfully guided the sleigh between the tall trees and suddenly up into the open sky!
Applejack let out a yelp, her hooves wrapped around Nicholas. The sleigh kept ascending far above the Everfree, far enough that even from this deep within the forest, they could see the lights of Ponyville, and even Sweet Apple Acres. The cold winter wind brushes through their hair, and Nicholas had to place a hand on his red cap so it didn't flew off. In The back, the elves, held onto one another, and whatever else they could so they didn't flew off in the strong winds.
Soon enough they leveled out, and they glided across the sky with ease. Both Nicholas and Applejack let out a few easy breaths, with Blitzen and the others chuckling to themselves a bit.
"First time is always the worst!" Blitzen called back. "Don't worry, sir. You'll get used to it!"
"I don't think I will, thank you!" Nicholas called back with a small smile, trying to calm his heart.
"Nicholas!" Applejack suddenly called, looking at him.
"What?"
"I just remembered..." Applejack said, looking like she was about to burst out laughing or crying. "I forgot to tell my family I'm leaving!"
Nicholas took a moment to absorb what she said, and then turned towards the front. He was just about to ask Blitzen if they could stop by Applejack's farm, when suddenly Blitzen called out to the other reindeer.
"We're clear! Dash away!" A spark seemed to mix in with the light under the reindeer. "Dash away! Dash away!" Blitzen repeated, and suddenly more sparks mixed in with the light. Nicholas tried to ask Blitzen what they were doing, but Blitzen let out one final, "dash away!"
Nicholas felt like he was being pushed back in his seat, as the air around them seemed to grow thicker, and their speed seemed to both increase, and yet slow down. He could feel the force of the speed, but for maybe two seconds, maybe three, it seemed like they were not moving at all. A single spark ahead of them was all that happened, and then they were surrounded by light.
They moved again, flying faster than Nicholas had ever seen any Pegasus fly. It was like flying through a colorful tunnel made of red green and blue lights. Nicholas couldn't describe the feeling, he didn't really feel the force of the speed they were moving at anymore, but he knew in his gut they were moving faster than anything he had ever known. He imagined if ponies from below could see them, they would take them for a shooting star.
Nicholas and Applejack looked around, their eyes wide, and neither of them knew what to say. Mina and the elves were the same, their eyes sparkling as they saw the beautiful colors. Blitzen looked back, and an understanding smile crossed his lips.
"You alright back there?"
Nicholas nodded, looking at him with awe. "What is this?"
Blitzen grinned. "Magic, a special kind! We are moving across the world faster than any creature can see." He chuckled. "We'll be there in just a moment."
"Captain!" Dancer called from the front.
"Speaking of." Blitzen looked back. "Get ready!"
A few seconds later there was another flash, and the lights vanished around them, revealing, well nothing. They were flying above a desert of snow and ice, above them nothing but Luna's moon, and a sea of bright stars. Nicholas, Applejack, and the elves all looked around, and after that spectacular intro, they all expected, well, something.
Okay, it wasn't nothing, there was snow, and ice, and a whole lot of cold! Applejack scooted closer to the more warmly dressed Nicholas. "Is this it!?" She asked through clattering teeth.
"Almost! We just need to pass the veil!" Donner told her.
"The what?!" Nicholas asked, but before Donner could reply, something happened.
One moment there was nothing but open air ahead of them, and then suddenly, as if having jumped a pebble into clear water, the air seemed to make waves. The air seemed to change color, the same they had been in just a few moments ago, red, green and blue. It only lasted for a moment, but both Nicholas and Applejack felt they had passed through something.
Nicholas looked at Donner, who nodded back to him. "There it was!" He confirmed, smiling.
"Nicholas, look!" Applejack said, pointing ahead of them.
Maybe a few miles ahead of them, there was a collection of lights. As they got closer, they could see a whole town! The moon was the only thing giving light, so it was a little hard to see, but ahead of them was a town, perhaps as big, or a little bigger than Ponyville.
The landscape around it seemed to be a sort of valley, with mountains, pine forests, and small rivers. The buildings were cottages, and there were other wooden buildings that were much larger. Nicholas tried to see more, but it was simply too dark to see any real details. What wasn't too hard to see, was the massive collection of decoration lights, all sparkling around the streets and homes. It was most beautiful.
They flew closer and closer, lowering their altitude little by little. Nicholas could see a large building, which seemed to be a mix between a sort of castle and an estate. "Blitzen, are we going to-whoa..." A sudden tiredness came over Nicholas, and he felt himself sink a bit lower in his seat.
"Nicholas? Nicholas, are you alright?" Applejack asked. Blitzen looked over his shoulder.
"I'm... I'm feeling kind of funny..." Nicholas mumbled, trying to keep his eyes open, a fight he was clearly losing.
"Let's step it up!" Blitzen called, looking forward again, increasing the speed.
Nicholas saw the stars move above him, he could feel the Applejack tugging on his coat, but only faintly. Her voice seemed to become more distant. He was so tired, he just wanted to sleep. That was the only thing on Nicholas mind, he couldn't even focus on the fact he was flying in a sleigh, and probably shouldn't fall asleep so high up.
Still, he didn't feel sick, or bad. In fact, Nicholas felt very comfortable, warm, but not too warm. Aware of it or not, Nicholas smiled a bit, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep slumber...
