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Description
Chapter 2

Neshae woke up.  He was surrounded by a blue force field, similar to the one that had held Ly captive with the robo pirates had first taken over.  He looked around and saw that everyone else at the Christmas party except for Globox was in force fields as well.  This was not good.

They were in some kind of fort.  Still on the planet, apparently, as Neshae saw a tree out a window.

“What’s going on?” Alaesia asked.

“The robo pirates have returned.  Razorbeard is invading again.” Ly answered.

“Again?” Alaesia asked.  “This has happened before?”

“Yeah.  But I beat them last time, I can do it again.” Rayman said.  “We just have to figure out a way out of here.”

A door slid open and three figures walked in.  Two were henchmen, while the other was a short little robot with a captain’s hat.  That one was Razorbeard.

“My radar has picked up a magical item in this world.” Razorbeard said.  “An item so powerful it could help me conquer all the worlds, including yours.  But alas, my radar isn’t accurate enough to tell me its location.  I think you, however, will be able to tell me with the right persuasion.”

Razorbeard walked down the line of prisoners, looking for the right one to interrogate.  “No one willing to tell me?  Then I will have to use better persuasion.”  He stopped at Dreyfus’s force field.  “A child?  This should get some reactions.  Push the button for this one.”

Neshae was very protective over Dreyfus, so much that if the boy was in danger, he would do anything to save him.  His first reaction was to draw Razorbeard’s attention away from Dreyfus.  “Get away from him, you nutcracker!”

Razorbeard spun his head in Neshae’s direction, fury burning in his metal eyes.  A button was pushed on a remote control that one of the henchmen had and electricity shot through the force field.

Neshae cried out as the electricity went through him.  When it finally stopped, Razorbeard said “Beg for your life before I decide it’s not worth my patience, fruit bat.”

In a mimicking voice, Neshae replied, “Please don’t crack my nuts.”

“I’ll crack something alright.  Henchmen, take him out of there.”  Razorbeard ordered.

Lightning went through Neshae once again, this time long enough to weaken him considerably when the force field died.  The two henchmen picked him up and carried him out of the room.

After a twist of hallways, they stopped at a room with nothing but a speaker in the ceiling.  The henchmen tossed him in.

“Since you like Christmas so much, I’m gonna see how much of it you can take, being as much of a Halloween creature as you are.  Play the music.”  Razorbeard said.

A Christmas carol sounded through the speaker and Razorbeard closed the door and locked it.  Neshae stood up and punched the speaker.  It wasn’t that he disliked Christmas or Christmas music in any way, but that could get annoying.  And he had to save his friends and that music buzzing in his head would leave very limited room for thought.

Nothing happened.  Everything in this room seemed to be built for strength, after Rayman being able to burst through doors with barrels of gun powder.  Neshae tried to ignore the music and think of a way of escape anyway.

Some time later…

Neshae didn’t know how long he’d been in that room, but the music was really getting to him.  It was too much.  And it was like they played the same few songs over and over again.  Ironically enough, Razorbeard hadn’t touched Nutcracker music yet.  Neshae couldn’t be lucky enough for that.  He actually liked Nutcracker music.

Then Nutcracker music came on.  But it was a remix, not the good kind.  That was the last straw for Neshae.  He’d already been on the edge of his mental stability before, but this had pushed him over.  He snapped.

Christmas spirit rushed into his soul, but it twisted along the way.  Neshae could feel himself changing, though not physically.  The darkness in him completely took over and mixed with the twisted Christmas spirit.  He blacked out.

Chapter 3

Shadow Santa opened his eyes.  He blinked.  Where was he?  Oh yeah!  The torture.  Well that was over now.  Neshae was no longer in his way.

But Christmas was almost here.  He had to get ready.  Tomorrow night was Christmas eve and things had to be done.  He had to get toys.  He had to get elves.  There was so much to do and so little time to do it.

The door opened and a henchman stood in the doorway.  Shadow Santa smiled and punched the henchman, sending its head flying across the hallway.

He left the room and crept through the hall.  He came across a room with two robo pirates sitting at a table.  They seemed to be having a good time.  One was drinking a large barrel of black stuff and the other was wearing a Santa hat.  Shadow Santa smiled.  That was another thing he needed.

He walked into the room, surprising the henchmen.  They stood up and aimed at him with their guns.

“Hmmm…what shall I do with you two?” Shadow Santa said.  He snapped his fingers.  “Toy soldiers!”

The pirates shot at him and he ducked.  He knocked both their heads together and their eyes went blank.

Shadow Santa took the hat off of the one pirate and dipped the white ends in the black stuff, turning them black.  Then he placed the hat on his head.  He dragged his new toy soldiers off.

Rayman sat in the force field, not sure what to do.  He wondered what had happened to Neshae.  The pirates had taken him away hours ago, possibly more than a day.  He couldn’t tell, for the window had been closed off, leaving them in no light other than the light that came from the force fields.

A figure emerged from the darkness and the force fields around everyone died.  All was in darkness and confusion until the lights came on.  Neshae stood in the doorway, his hand on the switch.

“Neshae!” Rayman said as he jumped to his feet.  “How’d you escape?”

Dreyfus got up and hugged his Monster Brother.  Neshae looked surprised for a moment, then laughed.  But it was not his laugh.  And it took everyone by surprise.  It was similar to the Santa  “Hohoho” laugh, but it was twisted, dark, and evil.  And for the first time, Rayman noticed the red and black Santa hat on Neshae’s head.

Before Rayman could ask what was going on, Neshae started talking.  “My name isn’t Neshae.  You mistake me for someone else.  I am Shadow Santa.  You shall all be my elves oh perish.  Come!  We must prepare for Christmas.  There is much to do.”

“Oh Polokus…” Rayman said.

“He’s snapped.” Alaesia said.

“Neshae!  Snap out of it!” Dreyfus cried.

“I told you I’m not Neshae!  Now come on!  We must get the toys made!”

Rayman sighed.  “Does anyone know any Halloween songs?”

“Fine.  If you will not help, then you shall all die.  I need stuffed animals for the toy bag as well.”  Neshae/Shadow Santa said.

Dreyfus backed away.  No one knew exactly what to do.  Neshae was a friend, so they couldn’t hurt him, but he was definitely going to try to hurt them.  But deep down, somewhere inside that crazy, evil, Santa thing his mind was doing, Neshae was in there, the Neshae that wouldn’t hurt either one of them.

But there was one thing they could do.  They could freeze him until they figured out how to bring him back to normal.

Do you have a plan? Ly asked Rayman telepathically.

Yes.  Rayman answered.  We freeze him.

Ly relayed the message to everyone else and the ones that could do ice magic shot blasts of ice at Shadow Santa.

The vampire dodged them, one after another, and flew into the air.  “You may have beaten me this time, but don’t worry.  Christmas will still come.  And there will be stuffed animals for the children.  Muohohohohohohohohohoho!” He flew out the door and down the hallway.

“Did he just…” Dreyfus asked.

Rayman started laughing.  “An evil, maniacal, Santa laugh.  That’s something you don’t hear every day.”

“Well if we don’t catch him, God knows what he’s gonna do before the Shadow Santa thing wears off.” Alaesia said.  “Let’s go.”

Dorithmir nodded and the rest of them followed her out into the hall.

Description
Chapter 2

Neshae woke up.  He was surrounded by a blue force field, similar to the one that had held Ly captive with the robo pirates had first taken over.  He looked around and saw that everyone else at the Christmas party except for Globox was in force fields as well.  This was not good.

They were in some kind of fort.  Still on the planet, apparently, as Neshae saw a tree out a window.

“What’s going on?” Alaesia asked.

“The robo pirates have returned.  Razorbeard is invading again.” Ly answered.

“Again?” Alaesia asked.  “This has happened before?”

“Yeah.  But I beat them last time, I can do it again.” Rayman said.  “We just have to figure out a way out of here.”

A door slid open and three figures walked in.  Two were henchmen, while the other was a short little robot with a captain’s hat.  That one was Razorbeard.

“My radar has picked up a magical item in this world.” Razorbeard said.  “An item so powerful it could help me conquer all the worlds, including yours.  But alas, my radar isn’t accurate enough to tell me its location.  I think you, however, will be able to tell me with the right persuasion.”

Razorbeard walked down the line of prisoners, looking for the right one to interrogate.  “No one willing to tell me?  Then I will have to use better persuasion.”  He stopped at Dreyfus’s force field.  “A child?  This should get some reactions.  Push the button for this one.”

Neshae was very protective over Dreyfus, so much that if the boy was in danger, he would do anything to save him.  His first reaction was to draw Razorbeard’s attention away from Dreyfus.  “Get away from him, you nutcracker!”

Razorbeard spun his head in Neshae’s direction, fury burning in his metal eyes.  A button was pushed on a remote control that one of the henchmen had and electricity shot through the force field.

Neshae cried out as the electricity went through him.  When it finally stopped, Razorbeard said “Beg for your life before I decide it’s not worth my patience, fruit bat.”

In a mimicking voice, Neshae replied, “Please don’t crack my nuts.”

“I’ll crack something alright.  Henchmen, take him out of there.”  Razorbeard ordered.

Lightning went through Neshae once again, this time long enough to weaken him considerably when the force field died.  The two henchmen picked him up and carried him out of the room.

After a twist of hallways, they stopped at a room with nothing but a speaker in the ceiling.  The henchmen tossed him in.

“Since you like Christmas so much, I’m gonna see how much of it you can take, being as much of a Halloween creature as you are.  Play the music.”  Razorbeard said.

A Christmas carol sounded through the speaker and Razorbeard closed the door and locked it.  Neshae stood up and punched the speaker.  It wasn’t that he disliked Christmas or Christmas music in any way, but that could get annoying.  And he had to save his friends and that music buzzing in his head would leave very limited room for thought.

Nothing happened.  Everything in this room seemed to be built for strength, after Rayman being able to burst through doors with barrels of gun powder.  Neshae tried to ignore the music and think of a way of escape anyway.

Some time later…

Neshae didn’t know how long he’d been in that room, but the music was really getting to him.  It was too much.  And it was like they played the same few songs over and over again.  Ironically enough, Razorbeard hadn’t touched Nutcracker music yet.  Neshae couldn’t be lucky enough for that.  He actually liked Nutcracker music.

Then Nutcracker music came on.  But it was a remix, not the good kind.  That was the last straw for Neshae.  He’d already been on the edge of his mental stability before, but this had pushed him over.  He snapped.

Christmas spirit rushed into his soul, but it twisted along the way.  Neshae could feel himself changing, though not physically.  The darkness in him completely took over and mixed with the twisted Christmas spirit.  He blacked out.

Chapter 3

Shadow Santa opened his eyes.  He blinked.  Where was he?  Oh yeah!  The torture.  Well that was over now.  Neshae was no longer in his way.

But Christmas was almost here.  He had to get ready.  Tomorrow night was Christmas eve and things had to be done.  He had to get toys.  He had to get elves.  There was so much to do and so little time to do it.

The door opened and a henchman stood in the doorway.  Shadow Santa smiled and punched the henchman, sending its head flying across the hallway.

He left the room and crept through the hall.  He came across a room with two robo pirates sitting at a table.  They seemed to be having a good time.  One was drinking a large barrel of black stuff and the other was wearing a Santa hat.  Shadow Santa smiled.  That was another thing he needed.

He walked into the room, surprising the henchmen.  They stood up and aimed at him with their guns.

“Hmmm…what shall I do with you two?” Shadow Santa said.  He snapped his fingers.  “Toy soldiers!”

The pirates shot at him and he ducked.  He knocked both their heads together and their eyes went blank.

Shadow Santa took the hat off of the one pirate and dipped the white ends in the black stuff, turning them black.  Then he placed the hat on his head.  He dragged his new toy soldiers off.

Rayman sat in the force field, not sure what to do.  He wondered what had happened to Neshae.  The pirates had taken him away hours ago, possibly more than a day.  He couldn’t tell, for the window had been closed off, leaving them in no light other than the light that came from the force fields.

A figure emerged from the darkness and the force fields around everyone died.  All was in darkness and confusion until the lights came on.  Neshae stood in the doorway, his hand on the switch.

“Neshae!” Rayman said as he jumped to his feet.  “How’d you escape?”

Dreyfus got up and hugged his Monster Brother.  Neshae looked surprised for a moment, then laughed.  But it was not his laugh.  And it took everyone by surprise.  It was similar to the Santa  “Hohoho” laugh, but it was twisted, dark, and evil.  And for the first time, Rayman noticed the red and black Santa hat on Neshae’s head.

Before Rayman could ask what was going on, Neshae started talking.  “My name isn’t Neshae.  You mistake me for someone else.  I am Shadow Santa.  You shall all be my elves oh perish.  Come!  We must prepare for Christmas.  There is much to do.”

“Oh Polokus…” Rayman said.

“He’s snapped.” Alaesia said.

“Neshae!  Snap out of it!” Dreyfus cried.

“I told you I’m not Neshae!  Now come on!  We must get the toys made!”

Rayman sighed.  “Does anyone know any Halloween songs?”

“Fine.  If you will not help, then you shall all die.  I need stuffed animals for the toy bag as well.”  Neshae/Shadow Santa said.

Dreyfus backed away.  No one knew exactly what to do.  Neshae was a friend, so they couldn’t hurt him, but he was definitely going to try to hurt them.  But deep down, somewhere inside that crazy, evil, Santa thing his mind was doing, Neshae was in there, the Neshae that wouldn’t hurt either one of them.

But there was one thing they could do.  They could freeze him until they figured out how to bring him back to normal.

Do you have a plan? Ly asked Rayman telepathically.

Yes.  Rayman answered.  We freeze him.

Ly relayed the message to everyone else and the ones that could do ice magic shot blasts of ice at Shadow Santa.

The vampire dodged them, one after another, and flew into the air.  “You may have beaten me this time, but don’t worry.  Christmas will still come.  And there will be stuffed animals for the children.  Muohohohohohohohohohoho!” He flew out the door and down the hallway.

“Did he just…” Dreyfus asked.

Rayman started laughing.  “An evil, maniacal, Santa laugh.  That’s something you don’t hear every day.”

“Well if we don’t catch him, God knows what he’s gonna do before the Shadow Santa thing wears off.” Alaesia said.  “Let’s go.”

Dorithmir nodded and the rest of them followed her out into the hall.