???
Bones chose to put his faith...in Krampus.
Bones gazed out at the battlefield, where Krampus struggled bravely for the fate he'd chosen. It wasn't Bones' place to deny that.
"…I can't…break a warrior's promise."
"…I was wrong…to have trusted you…"
Bones turned back to see a side of Linda he'd never seen before. Her face was neither angry, nor sad, not conflicted or even afraid. The expression on her face was more like…bitter disappointment. It was a look of despair from someone who had their last hopes completely crushed and betrayed by the last person they expected to let them down. And Bones was…the person that inspired that expression…
It tore his heart in two, but he had to stay firm in his decision. Bones already knew that he couldn't let his feelings for Linda stand in the way of his duty - and he had a duty to save Christmas and protect his people. Besides, Linda had already said it, hadn't she? The future he wanted was not a desire they shared…Bones was not such a scumbag that he'd continue to relentlessly pursue someone who had made it clear where her feelings stood.
But beyond that, he truly did wish to honor his word to the Krampus…but not out of some outdated ideals of what it meant to be an honorable warrior. That was a lie. He couldn't admit to his subjects that he had felt pity for their long-time foe. He had already upheld his end of the deal with Linda, having gone to the Nordlands and returned with the means to break the shackles that had tormented him for so long. What Krampus wished to do with that freedom…was now out of his hands. And if he was confident in his ability to destroy Santa Claus once and for all with his sacrifice, all the better…
"…You might be willing to let him throw his life away, but I'm not. Stand aside."
LG was less than enthusiastic about Bones' response, and had drawn his Gayblade. Linda had returned to perch on his shoulder…and the other IGNOites, who had been part of Bones' team less than an hour ago, stood behind him. Everyone had their weapons at the ready…if Bones wasn't planning to let them pass, they were prepared to force their way through if need be.
"…you realize this constitutes as treason…do you not?"
"The Peeninsula isn't technically part of your Empire…we're just allies." LG smirked and gestured to the ones behind him. "We've got a Gaylian, an elf, a ghost, a fairy, a pixie, a filthy Neutral, and whatever the Hell xL is supposed to be. You don't control any of us."
"…then consider our allegiance expired."
Bones assumed his Bone Form and once again Beinskerandi split into two. It seemed as though the axe would reform upon his return to human form, so he hadn't needed to recover the axe he'd lost before. However…the crack in his arm where Santa struck him still remained. Bones simply hadn't been given the time to recover his strength enough to repair his armored shell. Tim, Iris and xL weren't much of a threat when it comes to combat…but LG and MTS were formidable. He wasn't sure where matters stood on Kristof or Linda, but in this state, it was questionable as to how long Bones would be able to hold out against his former companions…
~~~~~~~~~~
Across the battlefield, the fearsome battle of red and green continued to rage. Krampus had been on the defensive the whole time, trying to get Santa Claus to exhaust his energy reserves…and slowly but surely, it was succeeding. However, Santa began to grow suspicious of Krampus' passive approach.
"What's wrong, Krampus? Weren't you the one who issued this challenge? What happened to the both of us 'getting serious'?" Santa continued to unleash a fury of flaming fists clad in red-green energy, but the Krampus blocked each and every one. "Yet all you do is shield yourself…if you hadn't warned Bones and the others against interfering, I might think you were stalling for time!!"
He was stalling, in a sense…but it wasn't for Bones and the others. Krampus needed to conserve and let his own energy build up so he could strike at the precise moment that Claus' defenses were at their lowest. Then he would be able to grab the bearded buffoon and launch into an attack that not even he would be able to withstand…and with it, he would finally be free.
However, he hadn't accounted for one minor detail - so minor, in fact, that it took Santa this long to even notice it himself. But as Krampus continued to draw focus to his arms, blocking every punch and kick and body blow that Claus threw at him, he realized that there was something missing - something important.
"…your shackles…"
"…!!"
Krampus winced for just a split second too long. The slight distraction was enough to make him miss his window to block Santa's burning elbow, which struck him clear across the chin and caused him to stumble!! With Krampus' balance compromised, Santa spun around and landed a kick fearsome enough to knock him through the air and send him crashing down into the snow. Krampus wasn't even afforded a moment to climb back to his feet - Claus was on him, pinning his body down by the very wrists that had given him away!!
"You fool…you've gone and done it, haven't you? I don't know how, but you've broken the curse…and restored your mortality…"
"…so what…if I have…?" Krampus couldn't even bluff his way out of this situation - the best he could do was pretend this didn't phase him. As long as he didn't let on to how damaging this discovery was…there was still a chance he could pull off his plan!!
"If our lives are no longer linked, then I should be able to kill you. But you…can't…?!"
Santa's eyes went wide as the realization hit him - he, too, had foolishly cast aside his immortality!! Krampus had goaded him into splitting himself from the magic artifact that fueled his immortality…and he'd fallen for it hook, line and sinker!! Was this his plan from the start - to get him to exhaust his energy reserves and finish him off at his lowest point?! Santa couldn't let that happen - but he'd foolishly tossed aside the artifact in a show of pride!!
"You…!!"
Santa leapt off Krampus in a flash - he could kill him at any time. Right now, he needed to find that artifact before Krampus could, but where?! The sky had long since grown dark, and the snow had continued to fall steadily around them all this time. And what with all the powder they'd kicked up in their skirmish, it could have been half buried by now!! He scrambled around on his hands and knees, frantically digging up piles of snow in search of the faint glimmer of the silvery-gold trinket.
In any other situation, watching this bizarrely-transformed Santa wildly scurry about may have been comical…but Krampus couldn't just sit back on his behind and rest, either. He needed to search, too. If he could get his hands on the artifact, would the tables turn? Would he even be able to harness its power now that their life link had broken? After all, nobody believed in Krampus…but at the very least, he couldn't let it fall into Claus' hands again!!
"…is that…?!"
Krampus may not have had belief on his side, but it seemed that lady luck at least had smiled upon him. There by his hoof, almost completely concealed beneath the white dust, was a slight shine that gleamed under the moonlight. It was silver…no, gold? It didn't matter!! Krampus plunged his hand into the cold powder and pulled the familiar ornament out!!
But Santa Claus didn't miss a beat. He growled low with a primal rage as Krampus held the object high in the air, laughing at his apparent victory.
"Not if I can help it!!"
Santa dove in and tackled Krampus back to the ground, the artifact tumbling through his long clawed fingers. Claus had snatched it up before it could even touch the ground!! A struggle ensued as the two clambered around on top of each other, neither willing to give an inch in their quest to prevent the other from harnessing the power. Though both of them were, in this moment, mortal, neither Santa nor Krampus could tear their focus from the golden treasure to even realize the other was wide open!!
Finally, a thought struck Santa Claus like a flash of lightning…of course, it was so simple!! As the two stared at one another, their hands both touching the object of their desire…Santa, with his business-like intuition, saw a whole different kind of opportunity.
"Come now, Krampus…we both know this power won't have any affect on you. It only responds to belief…" His voice was soothing…and tempting. That's right…at his core, Santa was not a fighter, but an opportunist. "Nobody believes in the Krampus. Even those who remember your name think you're nothing but a legend used to frighten children from wandering the Ice Plains at night…"
"…"
"But if we worked together…I could change that. I could resurrect the legend of Krampus, and put a new spin on it…what would you say about us…becoming partners?"
"Partners…with you? I'd sooner die!!"
"Oh come now, I'm not all bad, am I? Think about what my reputation could do for yours!! Picture this - Krampus, Santa Claus' partner. The bad cop to Santa's good cop, if you will. We can change the story…instead of me making a list to find out who's naughty or nice, and stuffing their stockings with coal…yes, why don't we say that you'll kidnap the bad children and drag them back to your mountain to eat? We'll build on what's left of your reputation and turn it into a tale that will terrify children into behaving themselves, lest they want a visit from the Krampus!!"
"How does that benefit me in any way?" Krampus growled. "You would still get all the love, and I would be hated."
"Again with this sentimental drivel? What's happened to you?" Santa scoffed. "You were once feared as an evil brute who fed on misery and despair!! No one ever said the artifact had to run on love and adoration - we could just as easily twist that 'belief' into hatred and fear!!"
"…"
Krampus…was tempted. Long had he grown tired of the loneliness he'd suffered in the hundreds of years he'd spent cursed. The reputation Claus spoke of was a relic of the distant past…there were barely any in the modern world who still believed in Krampus. Perhaps what he wanted wasn't to be beloved…but to, at the very least, be remembered. Even if it was as a cruel beast who devoured misbehaving children…
"Consider my offer. The power you'd enjoyed from this artifact through all the years we spent linked…that was but a taste. You've seen how I've transformed…having this much pure energy at my fingertips is nothing short of exhilarating. That, too, could be yours…" Santa leaned in, a devilishly enticing grin painting his face. "…all you have to do is agree to join me."
Krampus gazed into Santa's eyes…they were tinged with madness, but he sensed no dishonesty. He was prepared to give Krampus a role, and a reason to live…all he had to do was become the pariah. Giving in to the honeyed words of the red-clad devil, Krampus' hand…gradually…pulled back…
~~~~~~~~~~
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
LG's thunderous cry ripped through the air as, finally, Bones was launched aside. His armor was cracked and splintered all over, and half of his human face could be seen beneath the shell of bone. He struggled just to pull his upper body off the cold ground…but couldn't even manage that anymore. His armor faded completely, and he was left lying half-naked on the snow. He would not rise again to defy them.
"It's our victory." LG said, sheathing his blade and glaring down at the defeated Konungur. "I just hope that we're not too late because of you."
Bones' eyes met Linda, still sitting atop LG's shoulder, one final time. She turned her face away in defiance…she would never forgive him for his decision. Any chance they may have had together was blown away by his callous choice. But Bones didn't have time for apologies and regrets anymore…the last thing he saw as his consciousness began to fade was the group of his former allies racing down the battlefield, still clinging to their feeble hope of stopping Krampus' plan…
"Krampus!!"
Linda cried aloud, but there was no way her small voice would be heard against the fearsome wintry wind. So, the other IGNOites called out in her place. As they drew closer to the site of the conflict, two shapes came into view…and there Krampus stood, facing away from them. Just the sight of his back was enough to reassure the others that he was safe, and still standing…they weren't too late!!
"Krampus, stop!! Please don't sacrifice yourself!!"
Linda zoomed through the air, dodging falling snowflakes left and right like the shrine maiden from some computer game. Finally, she came to perch on his furry shoulder, and hugged a bundle of it tightly to her chest.
"You don't have to do this, you don't have to die!! Please, for my sake…live!!"
"…I've already made my decision."
"…?"
Krampus' voice…was strange. It was even lower than his normal baritone…almost guttural and animalistic. Linda tilted her head, floating around to get a closer look at his face.
"Do you…have a cold? Come on, let us help you finish this fight so you can get back inside. I know you're resistant to it, but standing around in the snow for this long could–"
A single flick of his clawed finger sent Linda soaring into the distance. LG and the others stared slack-jawed, barely able to comprehend what just happened…hadn't Krampus made them promise to look after Linda and make sure she was safe? So why on earth…would he ever do such a thing to her?!
It was then that the IGNOites realized something else was odd. Since they arrived, Krampus had just been standing there, opposite Santa Claus. Neither made any move to attack the other. Krampus, too, who had barely regained enough strength to fight, looked as fit as he ever did when they'd fought him in the past…no. He looked even stronger.
LG drew his blade once more, and the other IGNOites followed suit. Something was very wrong. It was almost as though Krampus' very aura was sending them a warning - turn around now, or you'll regret it. Like a predator giving his prey one last chance to flee before pouncing…it was that kind of overwhelming sense of dread. But they didn't listen…so the predator turned to face them, and bared his fangs.
"W-who…are you…?"
LG tried not to let the fear show through in his voice, but it still came out shakily. How many times had they fought Krampus before? They knew well what kind of enemy he was and stopped being scared of him long ago…but somehow, this gave off a completely different impression. His red eyes burned intensely in the darkness and his protruding fangs almost seemed longer, and sharper. His horns had grown tall and twisted backward, like those of a wild goat…and his body, in general, seemed much larger and heavily-built. Never before had Krampus looked quite so imposing, not even at the peak of his holiday power.
And then…Santa Claus came, laid a hand on Krampus' shaggy shoulder…and grinned.
"We've decided that we'd be better off as partners than enemies."
"P-partners?!" Iris gasped. "I thought you two hated each other!!"
"A partnership needn't be based on friendship. Merely…mutual benefit. Isn't that right…comrade?"
"…Yes."
They didn't understand what happened to influence this decision, but it was clearly bad news. Now they were up against two enemies…SG2 and the others were still out of commission, and now, they'd even beaten Bones within an inch of his life. How were they supposed to stand up against a force like this when they couldn't even handle Santa Claus on his own?!
Simply put - they couldn't.
"C-come on!! We need to get out of here!!"
"What about the others? And Bones, and Linda?"
"MOVE!!!"
With their powers combined, Santa and Krampus unleashed a tremendous ball of green-and-red light. LG and the others turned to run, but it was too late - they'd failed to heed the predator's warning in time, and now they would be hunted. The sphere of pure energy spread far and wide, engulfing the entire battlefield inch by inch. The bodies of their fallen comrades were swallowed up inside its cleansing heat…
LG and the others did their best to outrun their encroaching fate, but quickly came upon the mountain's edge. There was nowhere left to run - they could either jump and bet their last hopes on the chance that they'd survive, or be swallowed up and face certain death within the orb of Christmas fire. They chose…to jump. The light from the explosion smothered the sky in white…
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December 25th - Christmas morning. To ordinary people, this was one of the most special days of the year. Children leapt from their beds and ran through the halls to wake their parents, unable to wait any longer to see what gifts had been left for them under the tree.
"Did Santa get my letter?"
"I hope he brought me the toy I wanted!!"
"I've been good all year!!"
"It's too bad what happened to little Billy next door…"
"They say he came in the night and dragged him up to his terrible mountain…"
"I promise I'll listen to my parents all year, so I won't get caught by Krampus!!"
Once they finished unwrapping their presents it would be time for Christmas dinner. It seemed like Kringle-Friend Chicken was booked full, but McKrampus still had some openings. Better act fast or risk missing out on the special afternoon discount on a family-sized order of kramburgers and deluxe kringle-cut french fries with a free small birch beer!! And after dinner, there'd be the customary stop by the local Santa's Workshop, the #1 department store for all your holiday needs!! It was never too early to start stocking up on presents for next year, and only a fool would miss out on these kinds of after-Christmas prices!!
Yes…it was just another ordinary Christmas.
…but things didn't have to end up this way. Perhaps, with just one small change, this sad tale could have ended up differently.
