Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic Claus is Comin' To Town



You'll never

get where you're goin'

if you never

get up off your feet!

C'mon, there's a good tail-wind blowin'!

A fast walkin' man is hard t'beat!

-"Put One Foot in Front of the Other", Mickey Rooney



Ah, Christmas. What a wonderful time of the year, don't you agree? Beautiful cool snow everywhere, nice warm fires in the fireplace, families spending time together and of course, presents for all the good boys and girls. And we owe it all to a very special individual, too. You've probably heard of him, in fact: a humble fellow by the name of Santa Claus! Yup, that's right, good ol' Saint Nick! Kris Kringle himself!

Hm? What's that? "Why do people call Santa Claus Kris Kringle"? Well that's a good question. You see

Eh? "How does Santa Know who's been good and who's been bad?" Ah, well

What? "Why does Santa make toys?"

Alright, alright, calm down. You sure do have a lot of questions about Santa, don't you? Well heck, you aren't the only one! All the over the world, there are lots of people who want to know more about Santa. Who is he? Where did he come from? Why does he deliver toys to all the good children of the world every year? Well, I don't tell this to just anyone, but as it happens, Santa is a good friend of mine, and he's shared with me the story of his past, a story that can answer just about every question you've ever had about that jolly traveler. So sit back, relax, and listen as I tell you the story of how Santa Claus first came to town



Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a beautiful kingdom named Mobotropolis, and it was ruled by a kindly King named Maximillian Acorn, known to one and all as "Good King Acorn". Now, Good King Acorn believed that the happiness of his people depended, not only on learning and working, but also playing, having fun, and being with those they loved. To this end, he hired a kindly family of worker elves known as the Kringles, headed by Rosie Kringle the chipmunk and Charles Kringle the hedgehog, to make toys and share them with the good children of the kingdom. The Kringles loved to make toys, so it was a delight for them to have such an honor. Thus did Good King Acorn's rule mean a time of peace, prosperity, and joy for all the people of Mobotropolis.

Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever, even the good things. One day, an evil shadow descended upon Mobotropolis: the evil Burgermeister, Ivo Robotnik! The baron of a neighboring kingdom that was as dead and dreary as Mobotropolis was lively and joyous, Robotnik had long eyed Mobotropolis with envious eyes, and had spent years building up an army of mechanical soldiers to overtake it. With these soldiers at his side, Robotnik laid siege to Good King Acorn's castle, and disposed of the Good King himself. However, Good King Acorn's heir, his infant daughter Sally, was never found by the invading machines or their Master. What became of her, no one knew, but many hoped she would one day return to reclaim her father's throne. With Robotnik in power, however, that hope faded quickly. All hope faded quickly, in fact, for Robotnik despised play and fun and happiness, and he used his mechanical soldiers to force all the people of Mobotropolis-which he redubbed Robotropolis-to work, work, work all the time, every day, non-stop. As for the Kringles, well, a ruler like Robotnik had no use for toys and even less for toy-makers, but rather than execute them and risk stirring the people's passion, he instead banished the kindly Kringles to the frigid wastelands of the White Mountains, for it was said that there lived the evil Winter Warlock, a powerful sorcerer who destroyed anyone who dared cross him with his powerful magic

In time, all the life was squeezed out of Robotropolis. It was gray, and dull, and lifeless, just the way Robotnik wanted it. Like I said, though, nothing lasts forever, not even the bad things, and one day, a little event happened that would change the fate of Robotropolis forever



It was a seemingly ordinary night. No stars were out, and the snowy season had started. Robotnik's nephew and captain of the guard, a mean little fellow by the name of Snively, was patrolling the outer limits of the city. As much as he hated having to drudge through snow that went up to his hips in the freezing cold, he hated having to face the wrath of his wicked uncle even more, and as it was Robotnik's orders that Snively patrol the border that night (for he delighted in knowing his nephew was suffering), the sharp-nosed toady had no choice but to knuckle under. "I'll just have to take it out on the townspeople tomorrow," he consoled himself over his own chattering teeth, "They could use a good public flogging, after all; we haven't had one of those in weeD'OH!!!"

Something had tripped up the captain's legs! Pulling his long nose out of the snow, Snively looked about to see what had gotten in his way, but could find nothing until, that is, he found a gleam of gold glistening in the snow. "Why you !" he fumed aloud, investigating the glimmer further.

His anger was replaced with confusion, however, when he found its source: a small tag with the name "Claus" engraved into its little frame. Odder still, the tag was attached to a white blanket. "No wonder I didn't see it sooner," Snively grumbled, grasping at the blanket, "This white cloth blended right in with the snow! But what was inside it that caused me to trip?"

The answer, as it so happened, was nestled comfortably within the blanket's frame: a baby hedgehog with brown fur, miraculously sleeping peacefully and warmly despite the surrounding weather. "Uck, a baby " Snively sneered at the child, "I absolutely loathe babies. Best take you to Uncle Julian and see what to do with you, little brat "

So Snively made his way out of the blustering snow of the city limits, through the desolate streets of Robotropolis (passing by many of the citizens who continued their daily duties despite the terrible conditions all around them), and at last into the titanic chamber of the Burgermeister himself, Robotnik. Sitting within a comfortable, well-matted green chair in front of a gargantuan fireplace, calmly sipping black tea and looking out his window at the vast city he controlled, the rotund baron did not even turn to look at his nephew as he heard him enter. "Back so soon, Snively?" he asked, his voice a terrifyingly calm rasp, "I could have sworn I asked you to patrol the city limits until sunrise and the sun is not. Up. YET."

At that last word, Robotnik crushed his tea cup with his bare hand, finally turning to glare at Snively with his burning red eyes.

"F-f-forgive me, Uncle !" Snively squeaked, holding the blanket-covered baby up as a shield against his uncle's fury, "but I thought y-y-you'd want to see what I found: it's a baby, sir, I w-w-wanted to know what to do with it!"

Rising from his seat and walking over, Robotnik examined the child coolly, who continued to sleep undisturbed in his snug blanket. He paused at the name tag, lifting it up gently with one finger. "Claus?" he read it aloud. "What a ridiculous name!"

He released the tag, waving dismissively at the baby and returning to his chair. Snively gulped, just barely managing to ask, "You s-s-still haven't told me what to do with it, sir!"

A disgusted grunt came from the baron. "The same thing you do with ALL trash, Snively!" he chided. "Throw it out!"

"Y-y-yes, sir "

So Snively exited the titanic chamber, back through the desolate streets of the city (where several workers were slumping over from the cold and their own exhaustion) , and arrived once again at the blustering snow of the city limits. He did not stop there, however. Whenever the Burgermeister had trash to dispose of, it was always dumped in the same place: the White Mountains "'Throw it out', he says," Snively groused to himself, "'The sun's not up yet', he says! Ooh one of these days I'll give that flabby gasbag a piece of my mind!"

With one last grunt of annoyance, the diminutive captain gave the bundled baby a good toss out into the wild snows and walked along on his grudging patrol without another thought on the matter.



As it turned out, however, fate would prove most kind to the infant hedgehog, for rather than simply sit there cold and alone to freeze to death, he would instead find himself saved in a most unlikely fashion: it may sound hard to believe, but the winds of the winter night picked up that little baby and swooped him over the Mountains, safe and sound, landing him nice and soft at the safest place they could find to put him: right on the door step of Kringle Cottage.

Yes, you read that right. Kringle Cottage, as in the same Kringles Robotnik had banished long ago. They had made it through the White Mountains in one piece and had settled down in the magical green valley that lay on the other side; it was so warm there that the frigid Winter Warlock never dared enter. It was to this happy haven that the bundled baby had been brought, and no sooner did he land in front of the door than Charles Kringle himself stepped outside.

"Well land's sakes !" the old gray hedgehog said to himself, stroking his silvery mustache. "Rosie, dear, ya have to come see this!"

"Coming, coming!" the elderly chipmunk said, making her way outside to where her husband stood. "What is it that had you yelling, Charles dear? I my goodness! A a baby?!?"

The two leaned down and looked at the child carefully. "Such a small fella," Charles mused, gently lifting the infant up into his arms; the young boy smiled from within his white blanket. "How in the world did he make it all the way here?"

"I don't know," Rosie replied calmly, already warming up to the little one, "but look, around his blanket. There's a name-tag "

She and Charles both looked at the small gold tag, reading the name on it aloud together: "Claus."

"Claus, eh? Must be this whippersnapper's name," Charles said with a chuckle.

"Poor thing must've been abandoned " Rosie sighed. "It's a good thing we found him when we did...but whatever are we going to do with him now?"

Charles stroked his mustache, as he always did when contemplating difficult issues. At last, his eyes lit up with inspiration. "We'll adopt him," he said excitedly, "and make him a Kringle! After all, we aren't getting any younger and we could teach him all our old toy-making techniques. Besides, the little guy needs a family."

It sounded like a good idea to Rosie, who nodded her head in approval. "Very well then, he's a Kringle," she said with a light grin. "But he'll need a new name whatever 'Claus' was, it's part of his old life now, and if he's starting anew with us, he deserves a new name. How about Kristopher?"

"Kris Kringle " Chuck said aloud to himself. "Heh Rosie, ma dear, you're a genius!"

And thus was Kris Kringle born.



Even though he had come to them from places unknown, the Kringles loved their little boy Kris with all their hearts, and raised him as their own. It wasn't easy, mind you; the young Kris was quite wild, tumbling about to and fro even before he could fully walk, and he didn't always respond well to authority. Possessed of a supernaturally great speed from the moment the Kringles found him, he was always active. But he also had a big, loving heart, and for all the mischief he might get into he never meant anything wicked by it. He loved the Kringles dearly, and always made sure to do right by them in the end (even if sometimes the journey to do so wound up being longer than they might have liked). He even chose to take up their toy-making skills, although his fidgety nature made that difficult at first.

He also had an uncanny ability to make friends. Growing up over the years in the valley, he met and befriended many of the other animals who lived there alongside the Kringles, learning from them as much as from his parents.

From the intelligent young walrus Rotor, he finally learned the patience and focus to make incredible toys of surprising complexity.

Antoine the shy coyote taught Kris how to run about freely and quickly on any landscape, and how to elude even the most determined of pursuers with swiftness and speed.

It was Bunnie, a boisterous rabbit, who taught Kris one of his most important skills, for it was she who taught him the power of a big, strong, belly-shaking laugh to show confidence and joy.

There was one particularly special friend who taught Kris a very important lesson, however. He was the youngest of all the animals who lived in the valley, and he viewed Kris as his big brother: a fox kit by the name of Miles Prower, though due to having a unique second tail, he rather liked to be called Tails. He and Kris played together constantly, indeed they were all but inseparable. It was from Tails that Kris learned just what it meant to have someone who needs you, and how important it was to give joy and fun to those who needed it most.

For years, Kris led a happy and peaceful life in that valley. But one day, when he was only six, while rustling about in the Kringle house looking for snacks, he came across a book. A journal, to be specific. "Aunt Rosie, Aunt Rosie!" the hedgehog eagerly squeaked, zipping the tome over to the elderly chipmunk as she rested in the living room, "What's this?"

Rosie, expecting yet another ordinary item made exciting only by Kris' wild curiosity, was shocked indeed to see the journal he held in his hands. "My stars, dear, where did you find this?" she asked, delicately taking it out of his hands.

"Dunno, I just sorta bumped into it," Kris said, rocking back and forth on his heels and slyly avoiding having to tell Rosie it had been discovered while in the course of trying to have cookies before dinner. "So what is it, Aunt Rosie?"

The chipmunk could only smile wearily. "That, my dear," she explained, "is a very special book that tells the story of how your Uncle and I came to live in this valley. You see "

And so she told the young Kris all about the beautiful kingdom of Mobotropolis, and the good King Acorn, and how the Kringles had made toys for the king, and how Robotnik had taken that all away. It was not easy to do; she and Charles had hoped never to have to tell that story to Kris. Although they were content in the valley, the Kringles felt trapped, unable to deliver their toys to the people who most needed them, yet despite this they knew there was nothing they could do to stop Robotnik. They both knew, however, that with his big heart, Kris would never be able to sit well knowing the fate of what was now Robotropolis. Knowing that his family languished in that valley despite their wish to see their home free again. The Kringles knew that, if Kris were to find out, he would one day go to Robotropolis and try to save it, something that could very well lead to his death. Yet as much as they feared losing Kris, they loved him too much to lie to him, and so it was that young Kris Kringle learned the story of his home.

The Kringles were right. No sooner had the hedgehog celebrated his eighteenth birthday (celebrated on the day the Kringles had discovered him on their doorstep, December 25th) then he began making plans to take the best toys he could make out of the valley and into Robotropolis. All his friends were, of course, worried.

"Are you sure this is smart?" Rotor asked him that morning as Kris was packing his sack. "I mean, what good is a bunch of toys going to do?"

"You will be getting mas-sacre-bleu'd!" Antoine worried to him that afternoon as he was readying his food supplies. "Ze city is said to be filled with terrible metal men!"

"What about your folks?" Bunnie wanted to know that evening as Kris readied the warm red coat with soft white trim the Kringles had given him for his birthday (complete with a matching pair of shoes), "They're gonna be worried sick over what's gonna happen t'ya, 'n' so are we."

He gave all their questions and concerns the same answer. "I know that. But this is something I just gotta do."



So the very next morning, his bright-red coat ready, his foods stocked, and his sack full, Kris left the Kringle home behind him. He made sure to say all his goodbyes (though he insisted on telling everyone, "It's not 'goodbye', it's 'see ya later'! I'm comin' back safe 'n' sound, just you wait,"). He gave his parents a good, long hug. And then he made his way out of the valley and toward the dreadful domain of the Winter Warlock

Yet at the valley's edge, he found some not-entirely-unexpected company waiting for him. Garbed only in a yellow-and-red striped scarf, tapping his feet in the snow impatiently (as he had seen Kris himself do on more than one occasion) was Tails. Kris grinned. "Kinda figured you'd be waitin' for me here, Big Guy," he said with a chuckle, ruffling the young fox's hair as he passed.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world, Kris!" the boy replied, following behind eagerly. "You 'n' me on a big adventure together out there in the wide world, for the first time? It's a dream come true!"

Kris continued walking, wagging a finger at his young friend. "It ain't gonna be easy, kiddo," he said, firmly but encouragingly, "If you really wanna come with, you're gonna have to be ready for anything."

"I AM ready, Kris, I promise!" Tails answered, hopping up and down excitedly. "And besides, with you 'n' me together, we can do anything!"

Kris gave a good, boastful Bunnie laugh at the sentiment. "Truer words were never spoken, Big Guy," he said confidently. "C'mon, then, let's get movin'!"

So off the pair went. Now as was explained earlier, the valley was about the only part of the White Mountains which was not covered in snow. As a result, it was also the only part of the mountains safe from the wrath of the Winter Warlock. Kris knew that, to get to the other side of the mountain safely, he would need to elude the Warlock first, and so he made sure to keep Tails close as they began to trudge through the snowy ground of the mountain range. "M-m-man " Tails chattered, already feeling the cold hit hard and wrapping himself up in his scarf to compensate, "who woulda thought it was so cold just outside our valley?"

"Ain't a natural cold, kiddo," Kris warned, eyes looking around the endless white with caution. "Keep on your toes "

No sooner had he spoken then the young hedgehog found himself and his young friend bombarded with frigid winds. Carried upon the wind was a biting, menacing voice that boomed like thunder and stretched across the entire frigid forest. "FOOLISH INTRUDERS," it roared, "YOU DARE ENTER THE DOMINION OF THE WINTER WARLOCK?"

The leafless, gnarled trees began to wretch and move, slowly reaching out for the pair. "ONLY FOOLS DARE COME HERE," the voice roared, "BUT NOW THAT YOU HAVE, YOU WILL NEVER LEAVE!"

Kris smirked, looking at the reaching trees with amusement. "Is that really all you've got?" he asked, turning to Tails. "C'mon, Big Guy, let's blow this icicle stand."

Tails, shivering in the ominous wind, nodded eagerly, hopping on to Kris' toy bag. As soon as his young friend was safely in place, the hedgehog zipped swiftly past the trees and through the snow, undaunted by the cold or the gales. Even with his vision filled almost entirely by murky white, Kris pushed on bravely, tirelessly. The creeping branches of the Warlock's tree servants would slither in and out of the edges of his sight, but he nimbly dodged up and down and away from each and every one of them. "K-Kris !" Tails, eyes closed nice and tight, squeaked out.

"Just a little further, kiddo!" Kris called out.

And at last, the snow and winds cleared away to reveal the end of the White Mountains, and the end of the Winter Warlock's dominion. No more grasping trees, no more billowing gales. Kris came to a stop as soon as he was sure he and Tails were safe, looking back at the towering mountains he had just left behind. "And don't come back!" he heard the Warlock crying out with impotent rage from the distance.

Kris gave a good laugh at that, dropping his sack gently on the ground next to him and tapping Tails, eyes still closed and hanging on to the bag tight enough to shatter a boulder, on the shoulder. "It's OK, Big Guy," Kris said, "we're safe now."

After a few blinks, the kit opened his eyes, slowly releasing his hold on Kris' toy bag. His eyes were wide as saucer-plates, his fur on end as he set foot on the ground. Kris leaned toward him cautiously. "Buddy?" he asked, "You OK?"

"That " Tails whispered, looking to Kris with a tremble. And then a big, wide smile curled across his face. " was AWESOME!"

He leapt happily into Kris' arms, and the hedgehog gave him a happy spin as he grabbed him. "It sure was!" Kris agreed, "And you kept your cool the whole way through, Big Guy. I'm real proud of you!"

Tails beamed as Kris set him back down, lifting his sack back up onto his shoulders. "And now?" Kris said enthusiastically, "Onward!"



From there, the two journeyed at a steady pace. Though Kris could have run the full journey in just a few hours, he knew Tails couldn't take that pace, and besides, it was better to save his energy for the city. It would thus be another day before the two arrived at their destination.

And it was worse than Kris had imagined.

Pillows of thick, black smoke seemed to blanket the entire sky. There were only a handful of small, ratty houses, dwarfed by gargantuan factories and industrial buildings all around. All along the streets, there stood tall metallic men with menacing crimson visors, watching coldly for any sign of activity. It was as if all joy and freedom had been sucked dry out of the entire area. " wow," Tails said softly. "It's it's awful."

"It's a fixer-upper, no two ways about it," Kris admitted, "But heck it wouldn't have been worth the trip if it wasn't a challenge, right?"

The two cautiously entered the city, looking around at the dismal streets. Citizens of all shapes and sizes trudged along the city's dank pathways. Some were pushing along large iron carts filled with scrap metal, others were using various tools to fix up scratches and dents on the buildings and metal men, and others still were marching into the darkened doors of the giant factories, holding a variety of tools as they did. All of them, however, shared that same look of solemn, defeated misery. " wow " Tails whispered to Kris, "it's even worse up close."

Kris nodded, but he refused to let his spirits dim. Looking at all those glum faces told him exactly what he needed to know: this place needed some joy brought back to it, and that was exactly what he planned to do. The shadow now looming over him and Tails, however, reminded both that it was a task with many obstacles to conquer first. "HALT," the metal man standing over the duo said in its harsh monotone voice, "YOU ARE IN POSSESSION OF AN UNAUTHORIZED CARRYING DEVICE."

"My what-now?" Kris asked, confused but undaunted.

"I think he means your sack, Kris," Tails whispered, hiding behind his hedgehog friend.

"Oh, this old thing?" Kris asked the metal man, shaking his bag.

"CORRECT."

Thankfully, Kris' mind was as fast as his feet when it came to staying out of trouble. "I will have you know," he said haughtily, "that this sack contains VERY important materials for the newest construction project. Do YOU want to be the chrome-dome responsible for holding up its delivery?"

That gave the metal man pause, and eventually it stepped back. "CARRY ON, CITIZEN," it replied, moving back toward its "brothers" on the side-lines.

Kris and Tails exchanged a smile before continuing their exploration of the ominous city.



"OK, so we're here," Tails said as he and Kris walked along, "NOW what?"

"That's simple, Big Guy," Kris replied, "We deliver our toys to every kid we can find."

Tails smiled. "And that'll make this place all better?" he asked eagerly.

"Dunno about ALL," Kris said, "but it'll be a good start. A toy leads to a smiling kid, a smiling kid leads to a smiling parent, a smiling parent leads to a smiling neighbor, and on and on it'll go."

The young fox nodded at that, his eyes beginning to wander the city in search of just the kind of kid they were looking for. Soon enough, they settled on quite the sight. "Kris! Kris!" he gasped with excitement, pointing ahead. "Look!"

There, nestled in a patch of barren dirt enclosed within a barbed-wire fence, was a small tin-roofed schoolhouse. "I bet there'll be plenty of kids there," Tails said happily, to which Kris nodded approvingly.

The two approached the fence around the schoolhouse, careful to keep an eye on a quartet of metal men passing through the same area. They leaned in over the fence, peering into one of the school's two windows. Sure enough, the lone classroom of the building housed a dozen children, students all sitting attentively in their desks.

And then, at the head of the class, standing in front of a dusty old chalkboard, Kris spotted the teacher: a female squirrel in a light-blue dress who looked about the same age as Kris, maybe even a little older. She had shimmering blue eyes and deep auburn hair tied into a conservative little bun, and she was reading a book to the children. "Alright, children," she said calmly, and even though her voice was clearly exhausted, there was a sincerity to it that Kris could hear clear as day. "Once more, from the top. A is for ?"

"Automaton," the class replied in flat, bored unison.

"Good," the squirrel said, a weary smile on her face. "B is for ?"

"Badniks," the class replied.

Tails turned to Kris, whispering to him, "What's a Badnik?"

"Dunon," Kris whispered back with a shrug, "Maybe it's what they call those metal guys walking all around the place?"

The squirrel was still going. "C?" she asked the class, and the class in turn answered, "Chrome."

"VERY good," the squirrel told them, and Kris' ears perked as he caught a note of joy in there that time.

Suddenly, she began to look toward the window. Kris ducked down quickly, pulling Tails with him, turning his head to look toward where the squirrel had been looking to see what she saw. The patrol of metal men-"Badniks"?-were moving away from the school and off into the city. As soon as they were out of sight, he heard the squirrel's voice coming from inside. "Ah, good, they're gone," she said with a sigh of relief, setting the book down on her desk. "Alright, kids, you know what that means. But remember, keep it quiet, and don't call too much attention to yourselves, OK?"

All the kids nodded with tentative smiles, stepping away from their desks and moving to the door. Kris and Tails pulled back from the window, watching with excitement as the children and their teacher stepped out onto the dirt patch. Kris in particular was beaming; it seemed he was not alone in his quest to bring a little joy to this somber town. Unfortunately, though the children all took a small measure of delight in having a bit of (somewhat) fresh air and some (highly tinted) sunlight in comparison to the stuffy old classroom, there was little they could really do with their small measure of freedom. The fence boxed them in, leaving them no room to play with each other.

That, however, was where Kris knew he came in.

He and Tails both waved energetically until they caught the teacher's attention. Once she finally spotted them, it took a moment for her feelings to settle. Initial caution, followed by confusion, and ultimately settling on curiosity; she'd never seen such bright colorful clothing in Robotropolis before. With careful steps, she approached the two at the fence. "Hello there," she greeted calmly, "Can I help you two gentlemen? I'm afraid whatever you need, you'll have to get it quickly; my class is in session, and we have to resume our studies soon."

"Fair enough. I know studying's pretty important," Kris said smoothly, "but I gotta say, if you came out here to have fun?" He gestured at the mulling children. "I don't think it's working out too well."

The teacher sighed. "Yes, well I'm afraid 'fun' isn't much of a priority in this city."

"Maybe not," Kris said, and with Tails' help he heaved his sack over the fence, "but it is one for me."

He opened the bag, and out poured a heaping helping of toys. Toys, toys, toys of every imaginable shape, size, and kind. Bright-yellow choo-choo trains, crimson yo-yos, silver jacks, bouncy orange balls, smiling bright-eyed dolls, tightly-woven jump-ropes, warm and lovable teddy bears years of good old Kringle love and care, all out in the open for the schoolchildren to play with. Each and every last child's eyes lit up as they spotted the toys, rushing over to try and pick up a toy for themselves.

"Now now," the teacher said, "I know you're excited, but please, do remember your manners. No pushing or shoving, no crying or whining."

"She's right, kids," Kris said, hopping over the fence. "These toys were made with a lot of love and care, 'n' that means they deserve to be played with only by little boys and girls who show that same love 'n' care for others."

That gave the children pause, and the same energy they had approached trying to grab a toy with was soon used to organize themselves into a fine little line. Tails gave them all enthusiastic applause. "That's the spirit!" he said happily.

Soon the first child, a small little rabbit girl with soft orange fur and brown-tipped ears, stepped towards Kris. Smiling at her warmly, Kris sat on the ground and motioned for her to sit on his lap. The child did so happily, nestling comfortably in her seat and looking at Kris with big, pleading eyes. "And what toy do YOU want?" Kris asked kindly.

" w-well ," the rabbit said timidly, "I I've always wanted a little friend all my own y'know a dolly?"

"One dolly, just for you," Kris said with a warm little laugh, taking a doll from the pile and handing it to the rabbit; it was a little blue fellow with a raindrop-like head and tiny wings on its back. The rabbit looked at the doll with wide, happy eyes, and took it into her arms, hugging it lovingly. " thank you " she squeaked. " thank you thank you thank you!"

Kris nodded, and sent the young girl off to play with her new partner. "Alright, kids, who's next?" the teacher asked. "One at a time now, don't be shy."

So it was that Kris helped each child find a toy of their liking, until every last one of them had one to play with this way and that, that way and this; they'd even trade off toys with their classmates every now and then, though each one made sure to get back the toy they started with eventually. And through it all, Kris and Tails watched with growing happiness; the Kringles' work, it seemed, really was paying off. And they weren't the only ones entranced by the joyful sight; the teacher watched her students play with a small but powerful smile, the slightest hint of tears in her eyes. "Look at them," she whispered to Kris. "I've I've never seen them all so happy before. So purely, entirely happy."

Kris rose up to stand by her side. "Well then," he said gently, "here's hopin' I can do the same for you."

He then handed the squirrel a doll of her own, a little lynx with dark-brown fur and black-tipped ears. She looked at her gift with surprise, then graciously turned her gaze to Kris. " m-my goodness ," she whispered as she took the lynx doll delicately into her hands, "I've never I've never been given a present before. Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Mr .um Mr .."

"Kringle," the hedgehog told her with a warm smile. "Kris Kringle."

"And I'm his assistant!" Tails piped up happily. "You can call me Tails!"

"Well thank you both, Kris Kringle and Tails," the teacher said. "My name is Ms. Sally Julayla, and it is my deepest pleasure to meet you. I can't tell you how much it means for you to give these gifts to the children to me ."

Kris smiled wide and bright, rubbing his nose with confidence. "Ah heck, we're just doin' our job," he said pleasantly, "Right, Tails?"

"Right!" Tails agreed, saluting. "That's why we came here, to make everyone happy again!"

Sally smiled at the fox's energetic display, leaning in and patting him comfortingly on the head. "That's a commendable goal," she said, "but I should warn you, it won't be an easy one."

"Yeah, we guessed that part," Kris said dryly.

At that, Sally became very serious. "I don't think you've guessed how difficult it's really going to be," she said sternly. "You only came here today, I've lived here my whole life. I know just how hard the Burgermeister cracks down on toys and fun and joy, I've seen it myself first hand time and time again!"

"Burgermeister?" Tails asked. "Who's that?"

"That would be me."

It was a voice like chiseled steel echoing through an endless cave, imposing and sharp. Sonic, Tails, and Sally all turned around to see the Burgermeister himself, Robotnik, standing there with a pair of Badniks flanking him on either side. He was quite the nasty figure, tall and rotund, with deep-seated eyes that seemed to glow an evil red and a sharp, orange mustache that stretched out past either side of his rigid, scowling face. "B-Burgermeister Robotnik !" Sally gasped fearfully, stepping in front of the children and subtly motioning for them to stop playing. "What an unexpected surprise !"

"Is it?" he asked coldly, striding toward the school. "Because unless I'm mistaken ."

He snapped his fingers, and the Badniks tore the fence around the school apart with ease. They brushed past Sally to the children, who cowered in fear as the metal men tore their toys away from them one by one. " you were letting these children play," Robotnik growled at Sally, speaking that last word with the utmost disgust. "You know the penalty for such behavior, Ms. Julayla."

"Sir, please, don't hurt the children," Sally said softly. "It's my fault, take it out on me, they didn't know any better !"

"Then you've been doing a dreadful job teaching them, haven't you?" Robotnik hissed. "Don't worry, though. I happen to know my lessons stick."

Just as the dreadful dictator was about to snap his fingers again, however, he found his face pelted with a rapid-fire snowball. As the white projectile splattered all over his pointed head, a stunned silence fell over the scene, broken only by the fitful giggles of one certain young fox. "Been savin' that li'l just-in-case since we left the Mountains," Kris, dusting the flakes from his hands, told Tails.

Robotnik turned to the hedgehog slowly, hands balled into quivering fists. "And who " he asked coldly, "might you be?"

"The name's Kris Kringle, Ro-Butt-nik," Kris replied confidently, pointing to his open bag of toys, "and in case you didn't figure it out for yourself? I'm the one you really want, because I'm the one who made all those toys!"

The Burgermeister was livid now, his eyes transfixed on Kris' bag. "You you !" he snarled, his glowing eyes flaring up all the worse for his rage. Soon, it boiled over. "BADNIKS! SEIZE HIM, AND SMASH EVERY LAST MISERABLE TOY HE BROUGHT WITH HIM!" he roared, stamping the ground repeatedly.

Even as the two Badniks moved to obey, Kris was on the move, speedily grabbing Tails and running up the wall of a nearby building. "What're you doin' standing there all dumbfounded for, Burger-Breath?" he shouted down to Robotnik, "Catch me if you can!"

And with that, he was gone, speeding away into the distance. The Burgermeister, still infuriated, snapped his fingers again. "After him, you mechanized muck-ups!" he barked.

Soon, all three of them-the machine men and their master-departed in pursuit of Kris Kringle. And as she watched them leave, even as she hurried the children back into the schoolhouse, Sally could only thank him. It had been brief, but that moment of joy of sharing that joy with others had meant everything. She could only hope one day, she might experience it again .



Of course, when it came down to a foot race between the super-swift Kris and a big bad Burgermeister and his bulky Badniks, the outcome was pretty obvious. So it was that the heroic hedgehog and his fox friend made their way safely out of Robotropolis, making their way back home to the Mountains and merrily recounting their first successful trip. "And the look on his face when you smacked him with that snowball, Kris!" Tails laughed giddily.

"Yeah, yeah, that was pretty cool," Kris said with a smile. "Still, it's a shame all our toys got snatched by those Badniks."

"Well yeah " Tails said, briefly losing his peppy pace but quickly finding it again as he continued, "But that just means we'll have to make sure to come back again soon with more toys!"

Kris nodded. "Mm-hm, but next time we'd better figure out a way to keep that big bully Burgermeister from catching us in the act," he mused aloud.

As he and Tails began to think over just how they'd pull that off, they soon entered the mountain pass. Unfortunately, the duo were too caught up trying to piece together their plan to notice, and worse, once they began to notice all the snow and ice encroaching around them, it was too late. From all around, the gnarled branches of moving trees snapped out and grabbed the pair before either had a chance to react. "WELL WELL WELL," a familiar voice boomed out from all around them, "I WARNED YOU TWO INTRUDERS NOT TO RETURN, BUT IT SEEMS YOU CHOSE TO IGNORE ME! SO BE IT; NOW YOU WILL AT LAST SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF CROSSING THE WINTER WARLOCK!!!"

Suddenly, the snow and wind whipped about into a terrible storm that engulfed Kris and Tails, and from within its turbulent center emerged a towering, frigid figure. It was an echidna garbed in a flowing robe of white with silver trim, his fur a frozen light-blue, his dreads icicles that hung from his head. Teeth sharp as knives, eyes a cold empty gray, and ice hanging off his every angle, he was a terrifying sight to behold, but so he ought to have been, for this was none other than the dreaded Winter Warlock himself. "ANY FINAL WORDS," he asked, his voice a burst of cold air that made Kris and Tails shiver, "BEFORE I MAKE THIS SNOW YOUR TOMB?"

"As a matter of fact? Yeah," Kris said, shivering but undaunted. "Would you like a present?"

"WOULD I LIKE A purr-ess-ennt?" the Warlock replied.

"Y-y-yeah, you know, a th-th-thing someone else gives t-t-to you out of the goodness of their h-h-hearts," Tails said through his chattering teeth.

" har-rt ?" the Warlock whispered, the snowy storm dying down as his focus gave way to further bafflement.

Kris couldn't help but laugh. "Just lemme show you," he said, "That is, if your friends here could loosen up a bit?"

"Mm ? Wha ?" the Warlock, still trying to process these strange new words, mumbled. "Oh, right, sure. Er, I mean YES. MY SERVANTS SHALL RELEASE YOU FOR NOW, BUT ONLY YOU; TRY TO FLEE, AND YOUR FRIEND SHALL PAY THE PRICE!"

"Like I said, I just want to give you a present," Kris said as the trees let him go. "No running away, I promise."

The Warlock watched Kris intently as the hedgehog reached beneath his coat. "Now let's see," Kris muttered as his hands searched for the object he wanted. "Ah, here we are! Just the thing!"

And out from beneath his coat, Kris pulled out a small wooden train, holding it out for the Warlock to take. "Here ya go, Mr. Warlock," he said confidently.

" YOU YOU you're really giving this? To me?" the Warlock asked, tentatively reaching for the toy train.

Kris nodded. "The way I see it, if you're gonna ice us anyway, then I may as well go out doing what I love: sharing toys 'n' spreading joy."

" I see " the Warlock whispered, his fingers wrapping around the train.

As soon as he had it fully in his grasp, the Warlock's eyes widened. Slowly, his movements creaky and uneven, he pulled the toy close to his chest. "Heh " he wheezed, "Heh heh heh a little a little toy choo-choo. I always I always "

Steam began to rise up from the Warlock. The storm died down to nothing, and the trees released Tails and went rigid and still. All around, the murky grey clouds that hung over the mountains began to clear away. And bit by bit, the Winter sloughed right off the Winter Warlock; the icicles slipped off to reveal long flowing dreads, his light-blue fur brightened into a warm red, his jagged teeth went soft, his intimidating height shrank down, and his dead gray eyes revealed instead a vibrant purple. "I always wanted a choo-choo ." the Winter-less Warlock said happily.

Kris gave a happy laugh as he watched the echidna cuddle his new gift. "Well what do you know?" he chuckled, "There was a nice guy under all that ice after all."

The echidna had a bitter little laugh at that. "You might say that, I suppose," he said softly, "But I don't know how accurate that would really be."

"Oh?" Kris asked sympathetically.

The Warlock nodded. "I was a young magician in the Royal Court many years ago, but I grew obsessed with improving my skills, gaining more power. I had heard these mountains were a place of great magic, and so I came here to study. And study I did; it was all I did from then on. I had no family, after all, no friends no one to think of but myself. I got so wrapped up in it all that I lost all track of myself, until my heart just froze. I can't even remember how long ago that was ."

He hung his head in shame, staring sadly at the ground. "Not that it really matters," he sighed, "A hundred years, a thousand what difference does it make? I'm the same miserable person now that I was then and that can never change."

At that, Kris could only throw back his head and laugh a big, cheery laugh. "What's so funny?" the Warlock asked, both confused and annoyed.

"You say you can't change," Kris said, still chuckling every now and then between words, "like it's so impossible. But people change all the time, every day. You changed just now; I know, I saw it."

The echidna looked at the choo-choo still held in his hands. "But can that kind of change really last ?" he asked.

"Only if you work at it," Kris replied, patting the Warlock on the back. "One step at a time, y'know? One foot in front of the other."

Tails approached the echidna with careful steps. "You you said you never had any friends," he said softly.

The Warlock nodded. "Well um " Tails continued bashfully, scuffing the ground with his feet. "Would would you mind if I was your friend, Mr. Warlock?"

And the echidna smiled, feeling the warmth in his heart all the stronger. "Yes," he replied kindly, "I I would like that very much. And please," he knelt down, extending his hand to the boy, "call me Knuckles."

Tails nodded, happily shaking Knuckles' hand with great vigor. "See what I mean?" Kris asked jovially. "You're catching on already."

Knuckles smiled, laughing weakly. "Yes, I suppose I am," he said.

He stood back up, offering his hand to Kris next. "I sincerely can't thank you enough for what you've done," he said as the hedgehog shook his hand, "If there's any way I can repay you, anything I can do to help you at all, tell me and I will do it."

"Actually?" Kris replied, "I'm working on a little project in Robotropolis, getting toys to kids. The only problem is, the man in charge isn't terribly fond of the idea. Any thoughts?"

Knuckles paused for a moment, mulling the idea over. And then his eyes lit up. "Indeed, I think I have just the thing!" he said eagerly, scooping a bunch of snow into his hands and molding it into a ball.

"Um " Kris mumbled.

"It looks ordinary, I know," Knuckles said, "but look closer at it, and you'll see. The pure, white snow of these mountains, when forged with the right hands, can reveal many truths."

Kris was skeptical at first, but the longer he looked, the more he began to see it. A lone figure sitting in a desolate little room on a ragged old bed it was the school teacher from before, Sally! She was talking? Yes she was talking, apparently to the bed, which had a lone rose laid out across its pillow. "I met an incredible person today, Mother," he heard the squirrel's voice echo faintly from the image, "A brown hedgehog in a red coat. He talked about how important it was for children to have fun, to know joy. He's the first person I've met who felt that way the same way I do. I wish you could've met him, Mom, you would've liked him. I know I did ."

There was a feeling in Kris he didn't quite understand as he listened to that young woman, a warmth an understanding. Soon, however, the image faded, and with it her voice. Kris stepped back from the magical snow-ball, rubbing at his eyes a little. "The image has faded, I take it," Knuckles replied. "That is the downside to a Crystal Snow-Ball; they only last so long before the magic fades from them."

"They're still pretty impressive, Knuckles," Kris said, blinking a bit before looking up to the echidna. "Thanks for giving me a peek."

"What'd you see, Kris?" Tails asked excitedly. "What'd you see?"

The hedgehog gave no answer at first, looking lost in thought. He suddenly came alive after a few moments, however, turning to Tails swiftly. "I'll explain later, Big Guy," he said, a sense of anticipation building into his voice. "Right now, how about you take good ol' Knuckles here to the Kringle Housee? That is, of course, if he'd like to go."

Knuckles smiled humbly. "I'd be honored," he said.

Kris, his feet beginning to bounce up and down in the snow, nodded approvingly. "Glad t'hear," he said.

"What about you, Kris?" Tails asked with excited curiosity.

"I'm heading out to meet a friend about a real cracker-jack plan I've got brewin', but time is of the essence, so I gotta vamoose as soon as I can. Got it, kiddo?"

Tails nodded. "I gotcha, Kris!" he said loyally.

Kris flashed him a thumbs-up. "Awesome! I'll see ya later, then, kiddo! You too, Knux! I'll be back soon, though, I promise!"

And as soon as Knuckles and Tails nodded, Kris was off like a lightning bolt back toward Robotropolis .



It took some doing, but Kris eventually found his way to Sally's home. It was a humble abode, small and showing the wear and tear of many years all over its walls. The sympathy Kris felt as he looked it over was just one more emotion to add to the many others buzzing in his head, from excitement (he couldn't wait to share his plan!) to happiness (he got to see Sally again!) to anxiety (what would he say to her?) to caution (what if the Burgermeister showed up?). Nonetheless, he gave the door a good firm knock. For a moment, there was silence, but eventually he heard slow footsteps approaching, and then the door opened. There stood Sally, head bowed, eyes closed. "Welcome to my humble home, oh most honorable Burgermeister."

"As if," Kris chuckled.

Sally recognized that voice immediately, eyes opening wide and looking to the hedgehog with a beaming smile. "K-Kris !" she all but squealed, catching herself just in time. "Um, I mean welcome, Mr. Kringle. What brings you here?"

"You," Kris said softly, much to his own surprise.

"O-oh !" Sally whispered.

Kris was quick to clarify. "T-that is to say, there's something I wanted to share with you! An idea!" he said.

The squirrel placed a hand to her chin with intrigue. "You don't say," she murmured, a thought seeming to come to her as well. "I have something to show you too, but you first, Mr. Kringle."

"'Kris' is just fine, if you want," Kris replied with a grin.

"Oh, but where're are my manners?" Sally asked, "Please, come in Kris."

The hedgehog noted the smile on her face as he took up her offer, stepping in to her house. It was much the same inside as it was outside; small and worn down. There was only the one room, with the bed Kris had seen before in Knuckles' crystal snow-ball, with that rose on the pillow. "So," Sally said, taking a seat on the bed, for there was nowhere else to sit, "you said you had an idea?"

Kris nodded. He knelt in front of Sally on the floor, looking at her with sincere eyes. "Look I saw what you did for those kids at the school earlier. You tried to let 'em play, stretch out, have fun."

"For all the good it did," Sally sighed, "If it hadn't been for you and your toys, they'd have been just as cramped and miserable outside as they were inside."

"Don't sell yourself short, Ms. Julayla," Kris said. "It's the thought that counts; you know what's best for those kids. And that's why I'm here. I want to help bring smiles back to this city, but I can't do it alone. I don't know the city well enough, or the kids who live here. But you do, and you want the same thing I do. So well "

The hedgehog found himself stumbling over his words at that key point. That tangle of emotions again he just had to work through it. "I want you. To help me, I mean. I think, together, we could really fix things around here. Don't you?"

Sally was silent, taking in all the hedgehog had told her. She turned slowly to the rose laid out on the bed, eventually nodding. "I knew you'd like him, Mom ." She whispered.

"Ms. Julayla ?" Kris asked tentatively.

"I'm sorry, I was just remembering," the squirrel said. "My foster mother, Julayla she raised me here after she found me as a baby, taught me everything I know. I loved her with all my heart, and then she passed away a few years ago. I've tried to keep her memory alive ever since."

She lifted the rose from the pillow, stroking its petals gently. "She never was fully happy in this city, though. It always held her down. It holds everyone down. And I'm tired of it. For Julayla for all the children I'm in."

Kris leapt up happily. "Fantastic!" he said, grabbing Sally in an enthusiastic hug. "Thank you so much!"

He released her quickly once he caught up with himself, blushing a bit. "Eh heh sorry, got caught up in the moment," he said bashfully.

Sally stood stock still a moment, eyes wide with surprise. Soon, however, she was smiling too, and wrapped her arms around Kris in return. "No need to apologize," she said warmly. "I know how you feel. Now then, as I said, I wanted to share something with you."

She then crouched beneath the bed, pulling out a large box. "I collected these after the school day let out," she said, opening the box for Kris to see.

The hedgehog reached in, pulling out little letters. "These were written by the children," Sally explained. "Asking you for new toys."

Kris read them all, one by one, with great speed. "This is great!" he said. "I'll get the whole family working on new toys right away!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Kris," Sally warned. "The Burgermeister's still looking for you, remember?"

" oh. Right," Kris grumbled.

"But!" Sally said, "If you came at night, you'd be a lot safer."

That restored the hedgehog's enthusiasm immediately. "Awesome thinking, Ms. Julayla!" he said.

"Please," she replied kindly, "Call me Sally."

Kris grinned. "Heh sounds good, Sally. I'd say this partnership is off to a great start."

And so, letters in hand, Kris raced off toward the Kringle house to spread the good news. Sally watched him depart with a smile on her face and a feeling of hope in her heart for the first time she could remember. "Agreed " she whispered.



To Be Continued...