Act 5: Farewell
₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

Back in the North Pole, Santa finally knew,
He received the report of the dangerous threat that grew.
It was nighttime when he made his way to the Dawsons' home,
And there Mavenn greeted him, in secret, not alone.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

December 21st came,
"You have to come back now," said Santa, calling his name.
"And where is Loreal?" he asked with concern,
His companion elves searched the house, until they found her in turn.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

However, Loreal, with Mavenn's magic wand, vanished, and she was gone.
"I can't go, Santa. Not before I help Elara," Mavenn said, standing strong.
"But you can't help her," Santa replied with a frown,
"It's far beyond your duty, you must come back to the North Pole now."

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"Santa, Loreal escaped," an elf said with dismay.
"That naughty girl—" Santa muttered, "You have to find her right away."
"I will not go, Santa," a voice rang out near,
It was Loreal, standing firm, her intentions clear.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"I will help Elara," she said with resolve in her eyes,
"Because I know she needs my help, no more goodbyes."
"But Loreal," Mavenn approached her, full of concern,
"I know you are not ready for this," she replied, "But it's my turn."

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"You may go now, but I will stay," she vowed,
Tears glistened in her eyes, her heart unbowed.
With a promise to Elara, she would do her part,
She'd help with all her heart, no matter the cost or the start.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

The time passed again, and Mavenn felt in vain,
"What should I do? I can't let Loreal alone in pain."
For days he pondered, torn by doubt and fear,
Until December 23rd, when his decision became clear.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"I must go back, and help her, I can't wait,"
He knew the task ahead wouldn't be easy or great.
But for Loreal, and for Elara, he'd fight till the end,
To see their spirits healed, he'd be the one to mend.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

He took his snowglobe, determined to try,
"Take me to London," he whispered with a sigh.
But nothing happened, and he tried once more,
Picturing Elara's house, the place he adored.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

He focused his thoughts, hoping for a sign,
And when he opened his eyes, the world seemed just fine.
There he was, back in the place he knew,
Elara’s home, where his heart knew what to do.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

In front of him, inside the house, stood Elara,
With Mrs. Dawson lying beside her, no sign of alarm.
But then Mavenn saw it, his heart skipped a beat,
Loreal was pinned to the wall, her struggle discreet.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

Elara’s hand was raised, dark energy flowing,
Loreal gasped for air, her strength steadily slowing.
Mavenn rushed forward, fear in his chest,
He had to save Loreal, put this nightmare to rest.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"Stop it!" he exclaimed, his voice sharp with fear.
"Put her down!" he shouted, the words drawing near.
"As you wish," the demon inside Elara replied,
Loreal fell, gasping, her breath short and wide.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"Loreal!" Mavenn cried, rushing to her side,
He caught her just in time as she nearly collapsed, wide-eyed.
"Are you alright?" he whispered, his voice full of concern,
"Just… just give me a moment,” she said, as she began to learn.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

From her hand, she gave him the wand she took,
Then collapsed, her body limp, like a worn-out book.
Mavenn, his legs trembling, felt the weight of the fear,
But with a deep breath, he rose, standing tall, standing near.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

He faced the demon, now perched on the sofa with grace,
A chilling smile spread across its shadowed face.
"You're not going to win," Mavenn whispered with might,
"I'm not afraid of you. I'll put up a fight!"

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

“Go on and hurt Elara. I know you can't even face your inner demons, you naughty elf!”
The demon sneered, its eyes gleaming with malice, a cruel reflection itself.
“You are nothing but a coward, Mavenn Sweetbrook! You will be erased on the North Pole today!”

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

Mavenn's hands clenched around the wand, his heart racing with rage,
“Not today,” he muttered, stepping forward, ready to engage.
“You're wrong,” he said, his voice steady and strong,
“I'll fight for Elara, and prove you wrong!”

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

Mavenn swished his wand with a whirl and a twirl,
“Be gone, nasty demon, don’t darken this girl!”
The demon let out a thunderous roar,
But Mavenn stood firm, his heart at the core.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

The shadowy figure flickered and shook,
Like the last little line of a tightly closed book.
But then came a cackle, so low and so deep,
Like a monster who’d stolen a child’s sweet sleep.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

With a wave of its claw, the whole room did quake,
The wand flew from Mavenn — a terrible break!
CRACK! went the wand as it struck the cold wall,
Its pieces fell softly, so brittle, so small.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

But out from the shards came a flurry of light,
Butterflies glowing so soft yet so bright.
They floated like lanterns, so fleeting, so grand,
Till one by one vanished like prints in the sand.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

The demon just grinned as it seeped into air,
Twisting like ribbons to Elara’s dark stare.
“You think you can win, little elf, little toy?
You’re nothing but scraps, not a brave, noble boy!”

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

Mavenn stood still, his mind full of doubt,
But slowly, a melody started to sprout.
He closed both his eyes as the music grew clear,
A carol of Christmas rang sweet in his ear.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

Hark! The herald angels sing…
It echoed like bells, like a fresh winter spring.
It flowed through his heart, and it lifted his chin,
Like warmth from a fire that glowed deep within.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"I might lose," he whispered, his voice calm and slow,
"But I won't ever quit — I want you to know."
His eyes shot wide with a bold, steady gleam,
No wand in his hand, but his heart held a dream.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

“The magic of Christmas isn't in toys,
Nor ribbons, nor wrappings for girls and for boys.”
“It lives in our hearts, it shines from inside,
A light that no darkness can ever outstride!”

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

The glow from his chest filled the room with a glow,
It grew like the sunrise on soft, quiet snow.
The demon stepped back with a hiss full of dread,
Its red, blazing eyes filled with panic and dread.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"You can't do this! You’re nothing, you hear?"
The demon's words quivered with tremble and fear.
But Mavenn stood tall as his spirit blazed bright,
For darkness can't stay where there's love in the light.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

The demon let out one last furious cry,
It swirled into shadows and vanished on high.
Elara fell softly, her breath short and slow,
Her eyes blinking open with cheeks all aglow.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"Is it over?" she asked with a voice faint and small.
"It is," Mavenn said, as he caught her soft fall.
"For the light of the heart outshines any night,
And love is the power that wins every fight."

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

But there was one problem — a twist of the tale,
For Elara had seen both Mavenn and Loreal.
Her eyes, full of wonder, blinked once, then again,
Her gaze sharp and clear, like a hawk in the glen.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

The door creaked ajar with a slow, steady swing,
And in stepped a man with a curious ring.
A coat made of patches, a beard long and white,
With eyes full of mischief that twinkled so bright.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

“Oh, my dear children, what happened in here?”
He asked as he hobbled, his tone so dear.
But Mavenn could see through the wrinkled disguise —
For Santa stood there with a wink in his eyes.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

Loreal looked up, still clutching her side,
Her breath was unsteady, her eyes open wide.
“Nothing, Grandpa,” Mavenn quickly replied,
“Just a bad dream that Elara survived.”

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

With a swish of his hand and a flicker of glow,
The house was restored to the calm they would know.
Elara and her mum were returned to their beds,
With dreams filled with wonder and peace in their heads.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

“They'll forget about you and the demon they saw,”
Santa declared with a voice full of awe.
"But now we must go, for the mission is clear —
To bring back the joy that belongs to this year."

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"Tonight, you shall give these good people their due,"
Said Santa, his smile both knowing and true.
"Your mission's complete, and the lesson is plain —
The Christmas spirit will always remain."

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

Mavenn stood tall with his heart burning bright,
His doubts cast aside in the glow of the night.
For gifts were not gold, nor ribbons, nor strings —
But hope, love, and courage — the truest of things.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

Finally back in his comfort zone,
Mavenn smiled, his heart fully grown.
The elves all cheered with a thunderous sound,
Their joy and their pride knew no bound.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"Welcome back, brave ones!" they all cried,
With glitter and snowflakes cast far and wide.
They gathered around with a warmth so divine,
The glow of their spirits brighter than shine.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"Your courage has proven the stories are true,
That even the smallest can do something grand, too."
Santa beamed with a twinkle so bright,
"Now rest, dear Mavenn and Loreal — you've earned it tonight."

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"Why didn’t you come back before? I waited all night!"
Asked Mavenn, his eyes filled with puzzled delight.
"Someone had to make sure Elara stayed hush,"
Said Loreal, her grin like a fox in the brush.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

Clap, clap! "Oh, brilliant! That plan was so grand!"
Mavenn beamed wide as he clapped both his hands.
"I knew you'd return, so I stayed standing tall,"
Said Loreal with pride. "Not a chance I would fall!"

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

And so Christmas Eve quietly came,
Elara forgot their faces, but her joy felt the same.
Her heart filled with wonder for elves and for cheer,
Her love for old Santa grew brighter each year.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

Beneath the grand tree with its ornaments aglow,
Loreal and Mavenn placed a gift wrapped just so.
For all of her dreams they had come to admire,
A telescope lay waiting to spark her desire.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

Elara unwrapped it with a gasp full of glee,
She aimed it at heaven, as high as could be.
A shooting star blazed like a spark on the night,
And she wished for Christmas to stay ever bright.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"What will you do for next Christmas Day?"
Loreal asked Mavenn as they soared on the sleigh.
Through clouds they did glide toward a new, shining place,
Where lanterns and laughter lit every face.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

The people below danced in the glow,
Singing and cheering as the spirit did grow.
But one figure lingered, unseen by the crowd,
A man in the shadows, his gaze sharp and proud.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

He watched the grand tree with a glint in his eye,
A spark of intention as silent as the sky.
While others saw wonder, he saw only schemes,
For mischief and mayhem are born from such dreams.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"I'll gladly volunteer for the next mission,"
Mavenn declared with a spark of ambition.
"Is that so?" Santa asked with a grin,
"If you permit me," Mavenn spoke with a chin held high and a heart from within.

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"I'll come with him! In case he loses his way,"
Loreal chimed in, as bold as the day.
"Let's see," Santa mused, his eyes full of cheer,
"You'll make a fine partner, that much is clear."

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. 🌿

"But for now, we've a duty, a task to uphold,"
"To deliver the gifts, both humble and bold."
With a swish of his hand and a jolly, warm call,
They soared through the night, sharing Christmas with all.