The Flight Before Christmas Page #2

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Dad!

Come on! Hurry up!

(growling)

Dad! Come on!

(muffled straining)

Hey, you let 'em get away.

(muffled grumbling)

Niko! Thank goodness you're okay.

(Saga sobbing)

What's going on?

Everyone, stay calm.

Who left the valley

and led the wolves to us?

l...

I was sure they didn't follow us.

Flying practice again, was it?

Look what your silly dream

has cost us...

our home,

and very nearly our lives.

(sniffles)

That's enough!

He's just a boy. He didn't mean

for any of this to happen.

Hmph.

The wolves will come back,

and when they do,

there will be many.

We must keep moving.

Oona is right.

We have to keep moving.

Where to, I do not know.

(sighs) I don't know

what to do with the boy, Julius.

He just doesn't listen.

He'll grow out of it, Miss Oona.

From now on, there will be

no more mention of his father

or of flying lessons.

(gasps)

He just has to forget all that.

REINDEER:

That boy Niko is a jinx!

GRANDPA:
Unreliable!

How can you trust a boy

who thinks he can fly?

SAGA:
I know.

If only I hadn't gone with Niko,

then we'd still have a home.

LEADER:
I don't want you

playing with Niko again.

(pained grunt) Next time

he might bring death to us all.

(sighs)

No wolves to be seen.

Where's Niko?

- OONA:
Niko!

- JULIUS:
Niko!

- Niko!

- Niko!

- OONA:
Come on! Niko?

- JULIUS:
Niko, where are you?

- OONA:
Niko's gone!

- SAGA:
Niko?

We have to go back and find him.

I'm sorry, Oona,

but we must continue.

Otherwise, the wolves

will track us down.

Please, Dad, we have to find Niko.

I'm not leaving without my son.

No one leaves the herd!

What if the wolves find your tracks?

- But...

- You'll bring them down on us.

We'll all die.

He's right, Miss Oona.

This is a job for me.

I can avoid the wolves by flying

and spot the boy from the air.

You must promise

to bring him back, Julius.

Don't you worry about a thing.

Niko!

Niko!

Niko! Wait!

Ah. So... where we going?

I'm going to Santa's Fell.

I'm spending Christmas with my dad.

Great idea.

Really? You think so?

Sure! Only...

Well, there is one small detail.

Nobody knows where Santa's Fell is.

So... why don't we go back

to the herd and ask around,

and maybe someone might know.

I know where it is.

Really?

The Flying Forces always disappear

behind that big fell on their way home...

Hey! So does the moon, big guy!

...which means Santa's Fell must be

on the other side of it.

Nonsense!

I have to be strict with you, young man.

I'm drawing this line here,

and if you cross it...

(Niko scoffs)

I will...

Fine! But you're on your own, Niko.

I'm leaving.

You hear that?

That's me, leaving.

Leaving, leaving, leaving.

Good!

'Cause I'm a jinx,

and I'm unreliable.

- Uhh...

- You're better off without me.

Huh?

Oh.

Then again... Santa's Fell?

Are you kidding me?

I've always wanted to go there.

Lots of toys, right?

And elves!

Who doesn't love elves?

(gasps)

(wolves howling)

(gasps)

Doggies!

I'm saved!

How do you lose

a whole herd of reindeer?

(chuckles) Those reindeer

are meanies, boss.

I mean, look at poor Smiley.

They nearly crushed him to death.

What I need's a miracle with this lot!

ESSIE:
Oh, am I glad

to see a friendly face.

Huh?

Hi! How do you do?

- I'm Essie. Nice to meet you.

- Wow!

You would not believe

what I've been through.

One minute I'm minding my own business

while the owners go skiing,

next minute it's like, Hello!

Where are all the signs?

I must have been

wandering around for days.

Be a sweetheart

and fetch me some water.

I am dry as a bone.

(exasperated growl)

Is he a little simple in the head?

(Specs chuckles)

Poor pooch.

(Black Wolf growls)

ESSIE:
You're no pooch.

You're... a wolf.

And you're a marshmallow,

sweet and tasty.

(claws clink; Essie whimpers)

(rumbling sound)

# We're reindeer,

we're not horses #

# We're Santa's Flying Forces!

Ho ho! #

I hate it when they do that!

(growling)

But the Flying Forces are nice,

and don't eat anyone.

They help Santa bring presents

to all the children,

and if you'd stop being naughty

and become nice,

Santa might give you a job too,

and then...

then you'll get plenty of food.

Much better than eating me.

Right?

##

Flying Forces?

Santa Claus?

Presents?

That's it.

(sinister laughter)

(Essie yelps)

(wolves growling)

Nobody touches the marshmallow.

She's given me an idea.

She's our lucky charm.

(laughing)

We're moving out.

Next stop, Santa's Fell.

(Julius panting)

Let's... let's, uh, take a break, huh?

Whew!

(gasps)

The Flying Forces!

We're almost there! Yes!

But...!

But...

I was... so sure.

Whew.

You did your best, Niko.

At least you tried.

No one will ever be able to say

we gave up.

(whimpers)

Hey!

I thought we were giving up!

(sinister forest sounds)

(distant female voice shrieking)

Almost!

Whoo, yeah!

# Ain't no point in looking back #

# So they tell me #

# Though I know this to be true #

- # I've been tossing... #

- Are you... okay, madam?

(scoffs) Miss Wilma.

And, yes, I'm fine.

But... you're trapped.

I'm not trapped!

I'm just resting.

- What?

- (whistling nonchalantly)

Whoa!

Huh?

What did you have to go

and do that for?

Hey! We just saved your life!

Exactly!

Now I have to save

both your lives before we're even.

(sighs) This is just great.

I'm already late

for a big gig in the South.

And you thought hanging upside down

was going to speed things up?

Maybe I'll just have

to save his life twice.

Don't worry, Wilma.

You don't have to save our lives.

We're heading north, anyway.

(Wilma chuckles)

That's west, Captain Compass.

That's north.

Hmph!

(mocking Wilma)

"That's west, Captain Compass.

That's north."

WILMA:
Hmph!

You know, Niko, that foolish weasel

can teach you one important lesson:

those who can't read nature

will be beaten by nature.

- Read?

- That's right.

Take that cloud over there,

for instance.

Now, what could that mean?

That a storm is coming?

(Julius laughs)

A common mistake!

No, that particular type of cloud

is harmless.

What it means is...

Uh!

No need to be afraid, Niko!

It's just a gust!

It'll blow over...

before you know it!

Ahh!

Julius!

Julius!

Julius!

Julius!

(breathing in marching cadence)

(wolves grunt; Essie shrieks)

I don't want to sound gushy or anything,

but I just want you to know...

Yes?

I would never eat you.

That's... sweet.

(chuckles)

Yeah.

SMILEY:
I'm hungry!

SPECS:

And I'm sick and tired of walking!

Listen up, men.

For years, we've been forced to hunt

and scavenge for our next meal.

Well, no more,

thanks to our new lucky charm here.

Hey! Go on, Essie!

I have had an idea

that will change our lives.

We're going to Santa's Fell.

(Niko gasps)

And we're going to feast

on his flying reindeer.

(Niko gasps; wolves chuckle)

And by eating our enemies,

their strength will become ours.

(gasps)

You will be Santa's Flying Wolves.

(wolves laugh; one wolf howls)

Ahem.

Um...

maybe I'm barking

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