//------------------------------//
// Episode 16: Dashing All The Way 
// Story: Sparkling Harmony EQG: Agents of SMILE: Yule Tide Assistance 
// by Captain_Cosmos 
//------------------------------//

North Pole
December 23rd, 2022
2355hrs

In the town square, elves were gathering around, there to see the sleigh off on its worldwide journey. Twilight and Cornelius inserted the Flash Drive with the necessary mission information into the Sparkmobile’s Dash. “Here Flappy. Everything Sparkler needs to pull this off.”

“Acknowledged and received.” Flappy responded.

“Excuse me Flappy.” Zora the drone chimed in. “Could you maybe add the pylons so Cortana and I could dock up for the trip?” She asked.

“I’ll see what I can do.” Flappy responded. A second later, a pair of tiny wings poked out the sides of the sleigh, the pylons for Cortana and Zora. 

“That’ll do nicely.” Zora said as she and Cortana docked.

Up front, one of the front Reindeer eyed Rudolph suspiciously. “I am confused.” He said. “Santa is out of commission. So why are we being reined in for flight?” He asked.

“Because we still have a job to do and we’re going to do it.” Rudolph announced.

“But Santa is out of commission.” Another reindeer responded. “We cannot fly without him.”

“We cannot fly without SANTA. But the mantle of Santa is not bound to just one individual.” Rudolph responded.

While the other reindeer did not quite understand what Rudolph meant by that, Cornelius glanced around idly until he saw Alex, and a suited up Sparkler approaching. “Right on time.” He commented.

Everyone turned to see Sparkler and Alex approaching, and while all the elves looked on in awe, as they always did whenever Santa got ready to fly, Sunset and Twilight admired Sparkler for some different reasons. And they would be the first to admit that one of those reasons was pure eye candy. DARN IT their girlfriend absolutely rocked that Santa outfit!

“You suit up nicely there Sparkler.” Daydream said when Sparkler approached.

“Thanks Daydream.” Sparkler responded as Alex approached Cornelius.

“Everything good to go?” Alex asked.

“Presents loaded, Flappy’s armed with the knowledge Sparkler needs to pull this off. All systems go.” Cornelius responded.

“And now we clench our butts hoping nothing happens.” Alex responded.

Meanwhile, Sunset and Twilight smiled at Sparkler. “Best Christmas ever. If only because you absolutely rock that outfit Sparks.” Sunset commented.

Sparkler blushed and giggled at Sunset’s comment. “Thanks.” She said.

“Nervous?” Twilight asked.

“A little bit. Not gonna lie.” Sparkler responded, trying to keep her breathing under control from the second thoughts she was beginning to have.

“Don’t worry Sparkler.” Daydream, who had come up beside Sunset, said. “You got this.”

“Thanks for the confidence.” Sparkler responded. “Listen, I’m sure that if you three asked, they’d Kringle Bridge you back to Saddle Arabia. Just, tell my parents SMILE recalled me.” She told them.

“Sparkler?” Sunset asked, confused. “What’re you talking about?”

“Well, I DID kinda volunteer for this insane mission without talking to you girls first.” Sparkler responded. “With the Sparkmobile out and about you three are pretty much stranded here…” She said. Indeed, when her brain caught up to her actions, she immediately realized that she was effectively stranding her friends in the North Pole for an extra day.

Twilight got what Sparkler was trying to say, and smiled as she took Sparkler’s hands on her own. “Sparkler, there are plenty of things we could say right now, but we don’t have time, so we’ll just say this. We’ll be right here when you get back.”

“And we’ll be with you through coms the whole time.” Sunset said, before she and Twilight each took a turn to lightly Kiss Sparkler’s lips, an act Sparkler gladly returned.

“Now.” Daydream said after the kisses. “Go out there and be what we all know you to be.” She encouraged Sparkler.

Sparkler took a deep breath, and nodded. “Right, thanks girls.” She said as she gave Sunset and Twilight gave her hands one more gentle, loving squeeze, before the three gave Space for the sleigh to take off. Sparkler spied Rudolph, looking back at her with an encouraging smile. She smiled back as she quickly approached the lead Reindeer. “Hey Rudolph, mind if I ask a favor?” She asked him in a hushed voice.

“Anything you need.” Rudolph responded in an equally hushed voice.

“Not sure how quickly I’m gonna pick up sleigh piloting so I might need you to do most of the piloting at first.” Sparkler requested, embarrassed over having to ask.

“Don’t worry, Sparks. I gotcha all the way.” Rudolph responded, giving her an encouraging smile and wink. “It’s actually easier than you think though, so I’m sure you’ll pick up real quick.” He told her.

“Thanks Rudolph.” Sparkler responded. “I’ll try my best. I promise.”

“Let’s fly high.” Rudolph responded.

Sparkler nodded and walked back to the sleigh itself, Alex and Cornelius helped her settle into the pilot’s seat. “You know On Dasher on Dancer?” Cornelius asked.

“Yep.” Sparkler responded.

“Good, go through that, and then say dash away Rudolph to get going. Should only need to do that once.” Cornelius explained.

“Got it. Thanks.” Sparkler responded.

“Give us 5 minutes to get to the control room and then we’ll be available the whole time to guide you.” Alex told her.

“I appreciate it.” Sparkler responded as she took the reins.

“And one final thing. Don’t crack the reins too much. The reindeer already know to go fast. Cracking the reins too much just annoys the heck out of them.” Cornelius warned her.

That got Sparkler to chuckle a bit. “Duly noted.” She said.

“Good luck, Santa Spark.” Alex told her as he and Cornelius back up from the sleigh.

Sparkler nodded and looked straight on ahead. “Ok, here we go.” She said.

“You are cleared for launch! Go Santa go!” Cornelius called out.

“Go go go!” All the elves chanted in unison in response. Sounded like a tradition.

Sparkler nodded, and went for it. “On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer and Vixen.” One by one, as the reindeer were named, they stomped their foreheads and smacked their antlers together. “On Comet, on Cupid, on Doner and Blitzen.” Sparkler gripped the reins as she prepared to crack. “Dash away Rudolph!” She called out as she cracked the reins.

Rudolph felt the crack and smiled. “Let’s rock and roll!” He called out as he glowed his bright red nose and he and all eight reindeer started galloping, pulling the sleigh.

Sparkler and Clear-Cut braced themselves as they took off into the air. Flying towards the hole that led to the outside world.

Back on the ground, Alex nodded. “Alright elves, let’s get to the control room, She’s gonna need all the help she can get!” He called out.

Everyone gathered acknowledged his statement and they all moved towards the main building, headed for North Pole control. Well, almost everyone, Daydream herself stopped when she felt something, a disturbance. “What?” She asked in a hushed voice. She looked back towards the outgoing sleigh. She concentrated on the disturbance, before her eyes widened in realization. “Horseapples.” She said as she flared her wings and took off after the Sparkmobile sleigh, a slight panic in her demeanor over what she sensed.





Outside, Midnight and Sundown were standing right at the edge of where the hole would appear. “Finally!” Sundown commented. “We made it.”

“And now we can destroy this place and end this wretched holiday once and for all!” Midnight growled.

At that moment, the hole opened up, and not two seconds later, Sundown and Midnight barely avoided being smacked by reindeer hooves and sleigh landing struts as Santa and her reindeer blasted out of the hole and soared into the night.

Sundown watched the sleigh go and smirked wickedly as she flared her wings. “And we’ll start by destroying that fat jolly saint himself!” She declared.

To be continued…