Some forest. A ruined house or something. And a Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid standing in front of it.
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: ...what am I supposed to do now?
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid cries.
MC: Hmm...this is kinda like what happened in the Imaginary Point, except not. The memory dive.
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: W-who's there!? Oh wait, I need to hide!
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid hears a voice despite no one else being around.
MC: Wait can you hear my thoughts or something?
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: Ah! Wait, thoughts? I hear something in my head.
MC: Uhhhh, it's cool! I'm not a weirdo or anything!
One explanation later
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: ...so you don't know how you're talking to me?
MC: I sorta done this before, but telepathy's a new one. / What do I sound like?
---
(C) Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: Um, like a bunch of different voices?
---
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: But wow, you can see? Are you one of those god things this planet talks about?
MC: No I'm just some worker!
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: Oh...if you were god, I wished you could turn back time.
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid looks out of it.
MC: Wait are you hurt!?
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: N-no...nothing to do with what I just did. But I have to be Santa...because I said I could do it.
MC: Hmmmm, sounds familiar...
Flashback!
Astar: I'M TEACHING YOU ALL WHAT IT MEANS TO BE SANTA!
Present. Or whatever
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: B-but how do I do it? I'm all alone...
MC: I think anyone can be Santa?
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: What?
MC: I'm blanking out but I think I heard someone say that before?
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: Really? Wow...
Flashback!
Astar: Anyone can be Santa. Santa needs stamina!
Present. Or whatever
MC: Something something Santa needs stamina?
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: O-oh, that's gonna be hard.
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid wipes their face.
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: But I'll do it! Thanks, um...what do I call you?
MC: Umm...
Psychic noise!
MC: Who am I again?
Suspiciously Familiar Looking Kid: Um, how about I call you Voice? Oh right, I never told you my name. I'm Astar.
Astar Lily: Thank you, Voice. I think I can try my best--
Weird distortion sensation!
Suddenly Astar!
Astar: (stares)
MC: OMGWHAT
Astar: You fell asleep during my Santa lecture, punk. You're getting extra lessons!
MC: wait what / ...Astar?
---
(C) MC mentally compares Astar and Astar Lily.
Astar: Um, why are you staring? Whatever.
---
Astar: Now onto the history of Santa, you guys.
Red: Hey, could you stop referring to all of us with "you guys?" We legit have actual names!
Astar: !?
Astar: Oh. What's your names?
Red: Hellhound Red!
Blue: Kraken Blue!
Green: Mandragora Green!
Purple: Lord of the Rings Reference Purple!
Yellow: Cyclops Yellow!
Mob Wrestlers: Together we are Top of the Heels!
Astar: I can't remember all that shit. You guys are now Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Dunder, and Blitzen.
Mob Wrestlers: WHAT
Red: You can't just change a wrestler's name!
Astar: You're trying to be Santa now, not a wrestler. Right?
Red: I'msorrysir.
Polaris Mask: Aren't those reindeer names tho?
Melide: ...hey MC, were you really just sleeping earlier? I felt a Path open. Were you Observing something?
MC: Wow, you could tell? Well...
One explanation later
Melide: You talked with that boy? Hmm...
MC: Something weird?
Melide: Everything. I need to think about it...
MC: wait what
Melide: Your memory was vague, you saw a boy named Astar, and you could talk with him. I have to ask, are you feeling okay now with your memory?
MC: Yeah, just felt like I couldn't remember specific stuff. Like I'm missing something?
Melide: Okay. I'll let you know if anything seems off...wait.
Melide seems surprised that she felt relieved.
MC: What's wrong?
Melide: N-nothing. Well if you're fine, then okay. If you talk to that boy again, will you tell me?
MC: O-okay. (She looks serious.)
And so the party rides off into the sky.
Title Card: Father Christmas (by Rayman Briggs)
Polaris Mask: Hey Astar, what sorta work does Santa do in your view? Is Santa not a fairy tale guy in your universe?
Astar: Hmm...well he is folklore, but the original legends have mostly disappeared. I - we - started trying to bring them back by doing Santa things. He's not so different on the macro scale, presents for good kids and rides a sleigh with reindeer sorta stuff. That's my goal.
MC: Damn, there really are all kinds of universes.
Astar: Oh, but in my universe Earth never got up to space travel level, so aliens hide themselves on Earth.
Monomasa: Okay wow that's different.
Melide: ...are you from an older era than us?
MC: wait that's a thing with parallel worlds?
Melide: Well it'd be the past compared to this timeline. Like some heroes here connect to their future selves. Exio said that not all time branches come from the same timeline.
MC: Oh, that makes sense. I guess if some use future selves, then past selves could happen?
Polaris Mask: Ohh, so Astar's Santa is a mask he made up? Cool!
Astar: ...I tried, but then I ended up alone and...
MC: What?
Astar: Nothing. So there's time until we hit our next destination? Santa drills then.
Green: Finally!
Yellow: Yeah, movement!
Astar: Okay reindeer drills first.
Monomasa: ...Astar, do people do reindeer things in your universe?
Red: Yeah!
Astar: Dunno about this world, but our Santa's reindeers weren't literal reindeer.
MC: excuse me what / damn you suck at explaining things
---
(C) Astar: !?
Astar: Okay, special reindeer training for you.
Melide: Maybe you should say sorry, MC...
---
Astar: It was some author who called them reindeer. They were originally atmospheric region automatic precision work air frames. They're gone and I haven't seen one in forever, but we'll make up for it with work.
MC: what / ...so they're precision support?
(C) Astar: Yep.
Polaris Mask: You actually got that?
Astar: They go everywhere to give kids presents, jumping walls and roofs. Too finicky for spaceships. They also move around fast to get everyone in one night. So yeah, reindeer is manual mode for the ship, supporting from the outside.
MC: Annnd you call them reindeer? / Authors do that? / cute name
Astar: It wasn't my idea, it was the designer's.
Astar frowns, but he doesn't seem that put out by it.
Astar: Well anyways. Operators or whatever? Transform everyone else.
MC: O-okay! / Melide, together.
(B) Melide: Right.
Monomasa and the mob wrestlers suit up!
Astar: Here we go. Command code, input.
The ship transforms.
Polaris Mask: Wait hold up, we're technically in space!
Purple: OH GOD I CAN'T BRE--oh wait I can breathe?
Blue: And I'm not cold. Isn't space supposed to be cold?
Astar: What? The ship has an atmospheric control shield around it. It's the outermost part, so we're fine no matter what the inside is like if it's intact. The ship even has a train and boat mode.
Monomasa: ...is that related to what you said about aliens hiding themselves before?
Astar: Yeah. Camouflage for wherever it is. I was taught it's a huge pain in the ass if people know you're an alien.
MC: Weeeird / what / that aside, cool!
Polaris Mask: But anyways, this is so cool!
Monomasa: Most spaceships don't focus on transformation after all.
Astar: Hmm, we should reach our next destination soon. How about we try actually pulling the sleigh? Everyone out and front so I can teach you.
Astar jumps out.
Polaris Mask: WAIT WHAT
Astar: ...what? I just said there's a shield around the ship.
Astar is apparently walking midair!
Monomasa: ...so it's still like moving while inside the ship?
Astar: Yeah, here's mostly the same as over where you guys are standing. Now get over here.
Polaris Mask: Space walking!? I'm so in!
Red: Wait, me too!
Blue: Same! OMG this is so cool!
MC: well they're sure excited / Aren't they scared!? / Yeaaaah!
(AB) Melide: Maybe I should be more like that...
Monomasa: Nah we should take it slow Melide, MC.
(C) Monomasa: Slow down MC, Melide and I will go together with you.
Melide: Tee hee, it's kind of fun watching everyone.
Later
Astar: Okay time for the reins. Command code input.
Suddenly!
Melide: Wait, there's reins on me now?
Reins of light connect everyone to the sleigh!
Astar: Okay there's a trick to starting up, lemme show you. First, standard operations. The ship guarantees the speed while the reindeer controls the ship. Just make sure you don't let the ship run you over.
MC: wait hold up
Astar: Alright, go!
Astar grabs the reins! Power courses through everyone!
Red: Wait, how do I control this!?
The sleigh boots up!
Astar: Get ready to go.
Later
Red: Oh my god, I'm running IN SPACE
Purple: Look at me, girl, daddy's gonna be a reindeer!
Everyone's speeding up!
Melide: L-let's be careful as we go! But I'm surprised we can keep running like this.
Astar: The sleigh maintains it. The reindeer control the direction and acceleration.
Monomasa: This is still clearly not normal running speeds, how fast can this go?
Astar: Hmm, we should start heading down. Command code input!
The sleigh starts descending! REALLY diving now! Everyone's having a good time! And then Astar lets go of the reins.
Rest of Party: WHAT
(Almost) free fallin'~
Red: Oh god what now!?
Purple: My little girl's not even school age yet!
Green: MAMAAAA
Astar: Calm your tits, the shield's still working. Just hold onto the reins, think of where you want to go, and run.
MC: Uhhhh, like this...?
Everyone follows Astar's directions. Still free fallin'~! If anything, the ship is going meteor mode now. Atmospheric friction!
Melide: Um, I don't think this is working right...
Polaris Mask: I got gravity magic, I got this! Let's goooo!
Polaris Mask deploys his wrestling ring Parallel Weapon around the sleigh! The sleigh starts reangling a little!
Polaris Mask: Okay this should help a li--wait what
Back to zooming down like a meteor!
Polaris Mask: BUT WHY THO!? I still have the wrestling ring as a Santa wrestler!
Monomasa: We're approaching clouds and the surface now, focus on flying!
Polaris Mask: Dammit, I guess it's literally fly or die now! We are making it through this!
Blue: Y-yeah, I'm not going out like this!
Yellow: We're gonna make it, we're gonna make it, we're gonna make it!
Everyone keeps trying, though things still aren't looking any better! Preeetty close to the ground now!
MC: WORK GODDAMMIT
Melide: Please...!
Going past the clouds now! The surface is getting detailed! The ship is starting to level out and slow down!
Monomasa: D-did we stabilize?
Astar: Seems so. Not bad for your first time.
Astar nods with his arms crossed.
Polaris Mask: Were you just gonna let us die if we didn't pull it off!?
Astar: I was gonna put on the brakes if it came to it.
Polaris Mask: Man, Sparta didn't toss kids into waters this deep back then!
Astar: They also didn't have deadlines this tight. You guys got it the first time, so it should be fine going forward.
Green: Guys are we dead
Purple: I'm gonna write my daughter a letter or something...
Blue: We still have a show to do...maybe I should call in sick.
MC: Damn, being Santa is hard / you know this seems kinda cool actually
Melide: ...I'm worried about what he'll make us do next.
Monomasa: He's fearsome...
Astar: Guys stop whining. Look, we're almost there.
Looks like some city in the subarctics. There's a big tent over there with hot air balloons with signs.
MC: ...Yatomi Circus? Wait.
And so the party sets down, cold winds setting in as the sleigh's shield disengages.
End of Episode