Page 17 of Merry Cris Moose

Keely didn’t hesitate. She sprinted toward one of the workstations inside the workshop, where a few of her prototypes were still in development. Her fingers moved quickly, grabbing a handful of toys—a flying dragon that shot out bubbles, an enchanted snow globe that created mini-avalanches, and a wind-up bear that played holiday tunes. Working together, she, Holly and Tinker were able to modify them, tweaking the enchantments just enough to enhance their capabilities.

"These won’t hold off Frost’s minions for long," Tinker warned as they finished setting up the makeshift defenses. "But they’ll buy us some time."

"That’s all we need," Keely replied, her voice steady with newfound confidence.

They hurried outside, just as another wave of Frost’s icy minions advanced toward the workshop. Keely’s heart pounded in her chest, but there was no time to think about fear. She launched the flying dragon into the air, its wings beating rapidly as it soared above the battlefield, releasing a barrage of shimmering bubbles. The bubbles, however, weren’t just for show. They expanded in size, creating barriers that blocked the incoming ice arrows, causing them to explode harmlessly in midair.

Holly waved her glowing staff, sending a wave of magic through the snow globe. Suddenly, mini avalanches formedaround the feet of Frost’s minions, tripping them up as they tried to advance. Some of them snarled in frustration as they tumbled to the ground, their icy bows shattering upon impact.

The wind-up bear toddled forward, playing a cheery holiday tune that sounded almost absurd amidst the chaos of battle, but the enchantment Tinker had added caused the tune to disrupt the flow of magic in the air. The creatures faltered, their connection to Frost’s magic weakening just enough to give Cris and the other defenders an edge.

Keely’s breath came in short gasps as she watched her creations in action, her pulse racing with a mix of excitement and fear. For the first time since the battle had started, she felt like she was making a real difference. She glanced toward Cris, who had shifted back into his human form, donned a red Santa suit and was now fighting hand-to-hand with one of the larger creatures. His eyes caught hers for a brief moment, and there was a flicker of pride in his gaze—he saw what she had done.

But the battle was far from over.

A deep, bone-chilling cold swept through the air, and Keely’s gaze snapped to the far edge of the battlefield, where a figure in shimmering, ice-covered armor stepped forward.

Frost.

His presence alone sent a shiver of fear down Keely’s spine. His cold blue eyes glowed with malice, and with a single flick of his wrist, a massive wall of ice erupted from the ground, barreling toward the defenders. Cris barely had time to dodge out of the way, but others weren’t as lucky—some of the reindeer shifters were knocked back, their forms crumpling in the snow.

Frost’s cold, hollow laugh echoed through the air as he strode forward, his minions rallying around him. "You think you can stop me with toys and trinkets?" he sneered, his voice as cold as the air itself. "Christmas is mine to control now."

Keely’s heart sank, but she refused to give in to fear. She glanced toward Holly, Tinker, and Cris, knowing that they were depending on her. She had to think, had to find a way to outsmart Frost before it was too late.

Her gaze flickered toward the workshop, and an idea began to take shape.

"Holly," she whispered urgently, "I need your help."

Together, she, Holly and Tinker raced back inside, Keely’s mind spinning with possibilities. If they could combine magic with the power of imagination, if they could create something that even Frost wouldn’t see coming...

"We have to act fast," Holly said urgently.

Tinker nodded. “We were starting to beat them back, but now that Frost is here…"

As they worked, Keely could feel the tension all around her, but she also felt surrounded by the magic and creativity of the workshop, she knew one thing for certain: she belonged here. She might not be magical—although shifting was a kind of magic—but maybe she and the others could turn the tide on Frost.

She would do whatever it took to protect this place, to protect Christmas, and to protect Cris. Whatever Frost was going to throw at them, Keely and the others were ready. The letters to Santa were safe, stowed safely away in a hidden vault beneath the workshop, but they were far from out of danger. Frost’s icy minions still surrounded the North Pole, and outside, the battle raged on. They had to find another way to fight back—and fast.

Tinker was already rifling through the collection of half-built toys when Keely’s eyes landed on one of the newer prototypes she’d been working on—a laser light projector designed to create dazzling holiday displays. The idea was simple: children could program the toy to project snowflakes, Christmas trees, or even dancing reindeer onto walls or ceilings, creating their own light shows. But it was more than just a toy—the light it emitted wasa powerful laser. They’d been working to make it safe enough for kids, but right now, that wasn’t of paramount importance.

“We can use this,” she said, grabbing the laser projector from the workbench.

Tinker turned to her, his brow furrowing. “That’s a light projector, Keely, not a weapon, and we still haven’t worked out the kinks.”

“Maybe not for kids, but for what we need it for, it’s just fine,” Keely said as her fingers flew over the controls, adjusting the settings as she talked. “It’s a laser—a light or heat laser. What’s the best thing to kill ice and snow with?”

Tinker nodded. “You just might be on to something. If we can amplify it enough to disrupt Frost’s dark magic and his minions, we can use it to hit his forces where it hurts.”

Holly grinned. “That might actually work. We’d need to boost the energy output, though. And aim it. Oooh, I’ve got an idea,” she said rushing over with a set of tools—the likes of which Keely had never seen before.

Holly began tweaking the projector’s inner workings, her fingers moving with precision and speed as she rewired the device. “If we can reconfigure the power source to tap into the workshop’s main power grid, we can give it enough juice to take down those ice monsters.”

Keely worked alongside her, adjusting the output settings and recalibrating the targeting mechanism. Sweat trickled down her brow as she focused, her mind racing. She pushed everything else aside—the sounds of the battle, Cris’s safety, all of it—zeroing in on the task at hand.

“There,” Holly said finally, standing back and wiping her hands on her coat. “It’s ready. We’ve increased the output tenfold. We should be able to fire it like a cannon.”

Keely gripped the newly modified laser projector, feeling the hum of magic and power coursing through it. “Let’s test it.”

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