"Thanks for the lift, Seamus. You can take her back to Knochenstadt…we'll be fine."

Bones and the others stepped off the dock and waved goodbye to the leprechaun at the helm. They'd finally arrived back in IGNOLand, at the harbor on the easternmost edge of the Ice Plains. The question was…where did they go from here?

Bones checked his ScanPhone™…it had been some time since he'd last heard from SG2. Last he knew, they were on the run from Santa's Workshop and had stopped to take a brief rest before continuing onward. That was more than 6 hours ago. Had something happened that she wasn't able to respond again for that long? Whatever it could have been, it was nothing good…and Bones became increasingly worried for the well-being of his friends.

If they had been captured by Santa, then they'd be at the North Pole - all the way on the opposite side of the Ice Plains, far to the west. On the way, they'd have to pass by Krampus' Tower…Linda should have been there, keeping Krampus in check. Should he report to her first, or hurry to his friends' most probable location before it was too late? If they were going to pass by it anyway, it would have made the most sense to report back to Linda first, but…would the others be okay? Bones was torn over what they should do…

"If we are to break this curse, you must take me to Krampus." As though aware of the conflict in Bones' heart, the ghost of Kristof spoke. "Have faith in your friends. If they're any bit as capable as the ones you brought with you to my tomb, I'm confident that they will be fine."

"Yeah…" Bones smiled. "You're right. I trust them - they've got this under control."

They most certainly did not have this under control.

When Bones and co. finally arrived at Krampus' tower as per Kristof's instructions, they found that out first hand. The bodies of their friends littered the snow - still alive, but broken and defeated. And standing over them and laughing like a maniac was…

"No way…is that…?"

"There's no mistaking that red suit…but could it really be…?"

"Whoa, when did Santa Claus get so hot?!"

While LG and MTS stared in abject horror at the glowing red-and-green monstrosity before them, xL, as usual, had only one thing on his mind. Then again, even a pencil sharpener was sexy by xL's standards - as long as it had a hole, or could fill his, nothing else mattered.

"Check you out, Mr. Muscles. Purrrrawr." xL grinned his usual shifty grin as he casually walked up to Super Santa. "Why don't you come over here and stuff xL's stocking, daddy? I'll find us some mistlet–OOH!!"

Without even turning around to face him…Santa rose his fist and struck xL with a backhand strong enough to knock him flying, sending him crashing right back into LG and MTS several feet behind him. It was a harder blow than any xL had ever taken, even on Fellate Me Fridays at the Gas Station Next Door. But the most alarming part was…

"Ow…he didn't even touch me…" xL held his nose in his hand as a steady trickle of blood flowed down.

"Who would? Nowone wants to do that…" said LG, helping MTS as they both climbed back to their feet.

"No, I mean…his fist didn't even touch my face. It was just…pure energy."

"If he's already that strong…what can we do…?" MTS said softly, looking around to take in the full scope of their situation.

~~~~~~~~~~

It had probably been less than 20 minutes from the time the fight began to when Bones and the others arrived. SG2 had gained an incredible power of her own, summoning the rare superhot blue flames and charging at Super Santa full of fiery fury.

Their clash…was over in an instant.

In the past, SG2's last-minute powerups had always been enough to take down Krampus and other holiday hellraisers at their most powerful. But her blue fire hadn't even been able to scratch the new-and-improved Claus. She was thrown aside effortlessly…

The others looked on in shock as Santa tossed the tiger through the air like a ragdoll. Her flaming chainsaw vanished like a puff of smoke as the blazing blue aura around her body cooled…and faded completely. She fell to the ground with a thud…twitched a few times…and didn't move again. The only sign that she still lived was the faint trace of her breath on the cold air…

"Even…that SG2…?"

SG2 was often seen as the strongest member of their group. Though in daily life and casual skirmishes, she was often too rash and careless to put up a decent fight, she became a whole 'nother tiger in a large-scale battle if her friends were on the line. Somehow, inside that tiny, oddly-shaped little body slept an unimaginable power…and it only seemed to manifest to its full potential in the most desperate situations. But even now, after summoning those intense blue flames…she couldn't even last against the powered-up Santa for 30 seconds…

The morale of everyone in the group was dropping fast…but they couldn't give up. Not now. The fate of Christmas…if not IGNOLand itself…was on the line, and if Santa got his wicked way they'd be doomed to a world ruled by capitalism, where nothing could stand against the power of the almighty kok. They couldn't let that happen…they had to give it their all!!

With the tiger beaten, Santa turned his focus towards the rest of the interlopers. One by one, the other IGNOites began to power up and charge their greatest ultimate attacks. A left-handed knife coated in powerful Ruination magic. A dozen cannon attachments bursting forth with thunderous plasma volleys. Divine light magic and holy fire from a Priest of the Order of Flamehoof. A furious rain of enchanted ice arrows. Even Rasha did his best to help out, though he had drained most of his strength in the earlier confrontation. All together, the friends and companions unleashed these final desperation moves…

…But none of it could even touch Santa's body, let alone damage him. His speed was now beyond detecting with the human(oid) eye, and not even Bradios' advanced targeting systems could keep track of him for long. With a flurry of graceful slides and flips, he dodged each and every one of the ultimate attacks the IGNOites threw at him. This Santa was a far cry from the portly porter who waddled across rooftops and stuffed himself down narrow chimneys…

"Is that the best you can do…? Pathetic."

Santa stomped over to the closest IGNOite - it probably didn't matter who, but it happened to be Karma. He kicked her in the side, which wasn't protected by armor…though even if it was, she probably still would have felt such a forceful blow. He then rolled her over on her belly, pushing her face into the cold snow - even the mighty Blood Kaiser was completely vulnerable, unable to prevent him from humiliating her like this…

"How disappointing. You think ruling over a nation makes you powerful? Preposterous!!" He stomped on Karma's back hard enough to crack even her enchanted armor. "True power is ruling from the shadows, without anyone even aware that they're being controlled in the first place!! But you'll see soon enough…once I'm finished with you brats, I'll go deliver the toys, just as planned. But it won't end there."

"W-we'll never let you get…what you want… AACK!!" Karma tried her best to be defiant, but it only made Santa stomp harder. Just like that, her signature shadow armor…splintered, shattered, and fell loose from her body like a broken shell. Karma's blood mixed with the pure white powder beneath her face.

"You may have destroyed my workshop, but you can't defeat me. The Santa Claus is eternal. As long as the people continue to love me, their belief will fuel my power!!" Santa leaned down and grabbed Karma by the braid, lifting her face up to his. "You think Christmas comes early now? Just you wait!! I'll expand my empire more and more!! Halloween? Back To School? Summer festivals, IGNOpendence Day? No, no, no!! We'll kick off the Christmas sales earlier and earlier, flooding the air waves with commercials!! People will be influenced, both directly and subliminally, to start stocking up on Christmas gifts as early as February…no, January!! After all, the post-Christmas clearance sales are too tempting to resist - it's never too early to start planning for next year!! HOOOO ho ho ho ho!!!"

"…"

Karma could no longer summon the strength to talk back to him…for once, she wasn't very happy to have blood filling her throat. Santa rose back to his feet and stepped away from the Kaiser, finally bored…but not before spitting on her as a final parting gift. The others were in no better shape themselves, and had already given up on wanting to defy this Super Santa. They'd given it their all, but he was just on a completely different level…

But there was one IGNOite who still hadn't surrendered. He'd been steadily gathering power, preparing to unleash his truly ultimate, last-ditch attack…something so devastating it was reserved for only true life-or-death situations, when all else had failed. Climbing to his feet off the snow-covered ground, Reese rose like a fenix, hovering up high in the air…and while Santa's back was turned, he gathered all the energy he had left in his outstretched palms. His magical reserves had been thoroughly exhausted to where he was struggling just to maintain his humanoid fox form…but he had skillfully conserved just enough in case he needed to use this technique.

But it wasn't quite enough…if he had any hope of wiping out that festive fiend once and for all, he needed more energy. Fortunately, kitsune had the power to drain the life from living beings…normally this would be fatal, but Reese was a skilled enough mage to control how much he drained. If he could just…borrow a little vitality from the IGNOites who had already given up…most of them didn't even have enough strength left in their muscles to stand, but the energy was still there, lying dormant. If he could pool enough of it together…slowly, slowly…

"…!!"

Reese felt the surge of energy flow into him…it wasn't much, but it was enough. If he could just catch Santa off guard, he would be able to end this…from his vantage point in the air, Reese saw that fraud of a Santa Claus standing just below him, gloating at whoever happened to be closest. He wasn't counting how many bodies were down and out…he seemed to have no idea Reese was there at all!! This was his first and last chance - once he unleashed this attack, his body would be drained completely, rendering him unconscious and unable to help any further. If it failed…no. It couldn't fail. He had to succeed, here and now - for the sake of his friends, he had to finish this!!

"It's over, you monster. Fenix…Firestorm!!"

Reese's body burned white-hot - it wasn't as hot as the blue fire that SG2 had invoked, but it was brimming with all the magical energy he could gather from his fallen friends. The blaze exploded in a tremendous dome that encircled Reese's entire body, and energy radiated from his fingertips…further, further!! The searing ball of energy spread more and more, until Santa was engulfed in its cleansing flames!! A blinding flash seemed to swallow up the sky itself, and Reese along with it, as the world turned white…

…and when the flare finally faded…

"…so there was another worm still conscious…"

"I-im…possible…"

Santa dusted off his jacket, which had been slightly singed by the heat…he wiped a bit of dirt from his face, but was otherwise completely unharmed. All the energy of his friends combined…and it was barely even enough to get his clothes dirty. The color drained from Reese's face, and his body shrank down once more into his true form as a three-tailed fox…then, finally spent, he too collapsed in a heap on the snow.

"I hope you've all realized now…I'm nothing like that Krampus. This is the extent of the gap in our strength - this is TRUE power!!! HOOOOO HO HO HO HO!!! HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO…"

~~~~~~~~~~

And now, the bodies of their friends lay crumpled in the snow, just barely still breathing. And the Recon Team had been made up of the stronger, combat-ready IGNOites, to boot. As the Voyage Team looked upon this bloody battlefield to which their arrival was just a little too late, their confidence plummeted sharply. After all, if even SG2 couldn't do it…what hope did they possibly have at stopping this merry monster from doing the same to them? They'd been in struggles with Krampus before and managed to come out on top somehow, but this was another story entirely. It was hopeless. It was completely, and utterly hopeless…

But ever-defiant in the face of despair, Bones still clung to their last ray of hope - Kristof's spirit was on their side. They had braved the horrors of his ancient tomb and finally laid their hands on this staff, a relic that not even this Santa or Krampus had ever been able to find. And with it…the last, true power to break the curse that kept the two bound in a cycle of mutual immortality. If they could just break it…!!

"What a tragedy…" Kristof floated over Bones' shoulder, surveying the carnage on the field. "This man…is my descendant? How awful, to abuse the miracle of belief for such selfish gain…"

At the sound of an unfamiliar voice, Santa finally turned around. For the first time since his transformation, his face contorted into a mixture of anger, confusion…and fear.

"…you look just like the painting that Father once hung in his study. I'm not sure how it's possible, but you must be–"

"Kristof…Kringle. At least I was, once. But even as nothing more than a restless spirit, I can't abide by this misuse of my power."

"Your power? Before I came along, this artifact was just lying dormant in that frozen shrine!! I'M the one who found it and figured out how to use it - this power is mine alone!!"

"That artifact was sealed away for a reason!! It was never meant to be used - its potential for abuse was too great!! I tried to destroy it, but it…resisted. It seemed to have a will of its own, an evil power. I couldn't let anyone know of its existence - not even in my will, or I would have sent for it to be buried with me in the ancestral tomb. But when I found that place, hidden like a mirage within the blizzard…I did the only thing I could think of and sealed it there, hoping that would keep it from falling into the wrong hands." Kristof clenched his ethereal fist. "I never imagined my own descendant would find it…and use it exactly as I had feared."

"Too bad." Santa smirked. "But as I am now, there's nothing a feeble spectre like you can do to stop me."

"Kristof…" Bones whispered low to the ghost over his shoulder, enough that Santa wouldn't hear. "What is it you must do to break the curse?"

"Ideally, I would have to lay my hands on either Krampus or my descendant, and chant the necessary spell. But that…may prove quite difficult." Kristof sighed. "I had thought, from the way you described Krampus, I may be able to speak with him and see if he had truly changed…and if so, I believe he would let me dispel the curse willingly."

Of course, when they first arrived, Bones had seen it - Krampus' shriveled body was lying in the snow, already defeated and drained of his portion of the artifact's power.

"…does Krampus…need to be conscious…?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Kristof looked over at the tattered form of his old foe. "If you could revive him and explain the situation, I will be able to break the curse. The other option is to somehow get close enough to my descendant to lay my hands on him and have enough time to chant the spell…"

"…but the way things are now, I'm not sure that's possible."

"Enough whispering!!" Santa shouted. "I don't like to be kept waiting - if you're not going to attack me, then I'll just have to strike first!!"

"Tim!!" Bones yelled behind him as Santa began to charge.

"Y-yes?"

"Here." Bones tossed Kristof's important staff carelessly at the shepherd - which, fortunately, he caught. "Guard this with your life, understood?!"

"Got it!!"

Bones nodded back - he knew Tim already had a staff, so having to hold onto a different one shouldn't hinder his fighting style. With his hands now free, Bones drew his flaming axe, Beinskerandi. He closed his eyes and breathed deep…and his body became encased in a hard exoskeleton made from multiple layers of bone. The large battle axe split in two, and he twirled them around in his hands. The excursion in the tomb was exhausting for Bones…but he was able to rest and recover during their long journey back to IGNOLand. He had been waiting for the chance to deck Santa in his smug bearded face all day…and now, he was ready to fight.

Santa leapt at the Konungur with an outstretched fist, but Bones blocked it with one of his twin axes - it wouldn't be so easy!! Though SG2 arguably had more raw power than even Bones when she got serious, Bones's divine nature made him more than mortal…and that granted him extra endurance against all manner of supernatural threats. Even so, Santa's blow reverberated through the axe and made his steady hand tremble…this battle would not be an easy one.

With his other arm, Bones swung his flaming axe towards Santa's neck, but the jolly jackass evaded as easily as moving through water. Santa's knee shot upward to strike Bones in the stomach, but missed by just a hair - Bones had already shifted his body, anticipating the strike!! Taking advantage of his foe's one-legged balance, the Konungur swept his leg across the snow and knocked him over - but Santa was no slouch, and quickly turned into a backflip, regaining some distance between them.

"Heh…not bad. You're the first of your friends to last this long…"

"Unlike you, I didn't rise to my position of power without my own strength."

"Bold words…but let's see how far they get you in the face of my overwhelming force!!"

Their clash continued in this fashion, each matching each other blow for blow…but Bones' friends knew that even he wouldn't be able to keep it up forever. Santa's energy seemed limitless, but Bones would become exhausted before long and lose the ability to maintain his Bone Form. When that happened, his squishy human body would be easy prey…this was nothing more than a means of buying time for Kristof to use his spell!!

~~~~~~~~~~

"You need us to revive the Krampus…?" Tim asked, the ghost of the staff now following him around.

"Yes. Just getting him back on his feet and cognizant is enough. But I need to be able to tap into his life energy…I cannot do that if he's unconscious."

"Alright…we'll do our best."

LG and MTS nodded in unison - as light users, they both had access to basic healing abilities. It wasn't much, but if they worked together, they should be able to get Krampus on his feet again…but it felt strange. Krampus had been their enemy for so long…and now, here they were, trying to help him. Bones had filled them in on the basic situation on the ship - he was starting to have his doubts as to whether or not Krampus was truly a bad guy. He may have been, once, in Kristof's time…but he had changed. The others were unsure, thinking it was just his feelings for Linda driving him to help her…but faintly, they began to consider the idea, too.

A year ago, after they escaped the snowglobe and foiled his plans, Krampus seemed…more dejected than angry. He had gone off on some bizarre monologue, too, hadn't he…? He certainly didn't seem like a maniacal villain who had Christmas in his evil clutches. They didn't understand what he might have been after, but it was beginning to seep into their minds that destroying Christmas may not have been his true goal…only Bones, who had read his journal, could truly say. But as his friends, they trusted his judgment…and bit by bit, began to feel like there may have been something to that intuition of his, after all.

"…!!"

Faintly, LG felt Krampus' heartbeat begin to return, quickening under his healing hand. His eyelids began to flutter, and slowly, he seemed to regain his awareness…

"Nnnh…what…"

The instant he noticed LG and MTS standing over his body, Krampus managed to draw enough strength to sit up and slide himself away from them.

"Y-you!!"

"R-relax, we're on your side!!" MTS threw up her hands defensively.

"We needed to heal you back to consciousness so we can try to break your curse…" LG explained.

"'Break my curse'? You? Hah!! I'm afraid that's quite impossible. I should know, considering I've spent hundreds of years trying to do it myself. Unfortunately, the only person who could do that would be the person who placed it on me to begin with, and he's long dead. So unless you're going to tell me you're necromancers who reanimated his corpse or something–"

"Not a corpse…just his ghost."

"…"

Krampus furrowed his brow - the joke had gone far enough, and he was annoyed. All he'd wanted to do was spend this day by himself in his lonely little tower, contemplating just how much he'd wasted all these cursed years. And then Claus had to come along and decide that wasn't good enough anymore…and now, on top of that, he had to deal with these homewreckers coming along to taunt him further, and act like they somehow had the power to end that which had tormented him for so long?

"These children speak the truth."

"…?!" Krampus' eyes went wide - though he hadn't heard it in centuries, that voice was one he could never forget so easily.

"It's been a long time." Kristof smiled awkwardly. "You, uh…look just the same."

"You seem to have changed a lot…" Krampus growled. "A lot more…transparent, than last we met."

"Haha…yes, I suppose so."

How long had it been since they'd last seen each other…? It had to be 500, 600 years at least. It may have even been a thousand…Krampus had lost all sense of time in the years he'd spent trapped in this isolation. A fate Kristof had sealed for him…

"You should have stayed in your grave. You've got a lot of nerve showing your face here after everything you and your descendants have put me through."

"Yes, I…suppose I ought to apologize for that, at least in part."

"…apologize…?"

"Don't misunderstand. I do believe I was justified in sealing you. You had terrorized the countryside and slaughtered hundreds…if continued unchecked, even more may have met the same fate as my younger sister. You were a cruel and calculating beast…more intelligent than the more bestial monsters who lived on little more than instinct. You knew how to ensnare prey efficiently, and grew more powerful from their fear and despair…"

"This is some apology." xL whispered to LG, who elbowed him in the side in response.

"Ssh!!"

"…but that was a long, long time ago. From what I hear, you…have changed."

"Oh really? And who have you heard that from?" Krampus scoffed.

"…in your lifetime, you did many bad things. But…I believe you have paid your dues in full. And it sounds as though my own descendants have been far from sinless, as well. For this…" Kristof bent his knee and bowed. "I owe you my apologies."

"…"

"Krampus, we…" Iris began timidly. "We need your help…to defeat Santa Claus…"

"…you are my enemies. You only want me help because I am convenient for you. When I lose my utility, you'll strike me down."

"Didn't you do the same thing to us, back during that Cross incident?" LG met Krampus' gaze with a glare.

"…Hah. I suppose you're right." Krampus smirked. "Unfortunately for you, there's nothing I can do anymore. He's already absorbed all of my Christmas Magic. Look at me…I'm practically a husk."

"Wait, this is the part where we tell him that the real Christmas Magic was inside him all along, right?" xL chimed, only to be greeted with another elbow to the gut.

"But if I sever your connection to him…he'll lose the energy he stole from you. Isn't that right?"

"…you would truly mean to undo the curse that has bound me to this place for hundreds of years? What kind of fool do you take me for?"

"It's the truth!!" Tim said insistently. "If the curse on you is broken, then Santa will be mortal again, right? We could beat him!!"

"I'm afraid you're misunderstanding something, cat." Krampus, now back on his feet, stomped over to Tim. "The connection to me isn't what's making Claus immortal. It's that damnable artifact. Unless we can separate it from him, it won't matter whether you break the curse or not. Not even I would be able to kill him."

"But…I thought that…the whole reason we went to get this ghost was…" MTS stammered in confusion.

"…I was told that your Bones wanted to break the curse on Krampus. When I was told of the chaos my descendant has wrought with my artifact, as well, I merely wished to help put a stop to him in any way I could. But I never imagined he would have absorbed the artifact directly…such a thing is just…pure madness."

"So why did Bones want to break the curse on Krampus so badly…?" Iris asked. "Was it just because of what Linda sa–"

"Linda?!" Krampus' aloof attitude was blown away in an instant at the mention of the pixie's name. "That's right…the last thing I remember before he drained my dry was him grabbing her!! If he hurt her, I'll–"

"Stop!!" LG grabbed Krampus by the shoulders as he prepared to run into the battle field. "You're barely strong enough to stand right now!!"

"I…" Krampus looked down, clenching his fists. "I need to save her!!"

"Then help us!!"

"…how can I know that…once I'm mortal again…you and your friends won't just take advantage of my current weakness…?"

"…you have to trust us. Believe that we won't betray you…and in turn, promise you won't betray us!! If you can do that, I swear…we'll find a way to save you!!"

Krampus was lost in thought for a long moment. His gaze shifted back and forth - from Bones' desperate struggle with Claus, to LG and the others, to the fallen bodies of the other IGNOites, to Kristof…and up at the starry night sky. Powdery white snow drifted down ever so softly, collecting atop his upturned snout. It was all his fault that Linda had gotten involved to begin with…if only he hadn't dragged her into this mess!! But he was selfish…overcome with his desire to defeat Claus and destroy Christmas, he saw in her an opportunity to get the IGNOites out of his hair.

And because of that, she'd found his journal…and become invested in the conflict he'd kept inside himself for so long. She went to Bones because she wanted someone to help her save him. She had trusted him that much…but could he? How could he know that Bones was truly on his side…? And yet, he was out there fighting so hard to buy them time…and before that, they'd gone all the way to the Nordlands and brought back Kristof's ghost as proof of their endeavors. Break the curse…was it truly possible? Why was Bones willing to go that far for a long-time enemy?

Believe…everything boiled down to that one word, didn't it? Trust in Bones…believe that he won't betray you. Believe that these IGNOites, who had foiled his plans and destroyed his tower time and time again, were here to help…and that they'd summon that tremendous power of theirs at the last minute once again, and somehow, against all odds, defeat Claus. Believe in the power of a Christmas miracle…

"…alright. I'll…help you." Krampus turned back to LG and the others. "But in exchange, you have to find Linda for me. No matter what happens to me…promise me that you'll keep her safe."

"You got it." LG nodded. "Alright…you're up, Big Daddy SC."

"Big…are you referring to me?" Kristof was confused by this strange young people's slang.

"Yeah, SC means Santa Claus."

"I think it was the 'big daddy' part he was stuck on." MTS quipped.

"Oh, that's just because he's–"

"We're running out of time!!" Krampus cried. "Kristof, I'm ready. Do what you must…quickly."

Krampus closed his eyes as Kristof laid his ghostly hands on his shoulders. Though faint, he swore as though he could feel his touch…but surely, that was impossible. Kristof began to whisper a spell in the Ancient Tongue…and Krampus felt a strange energy radiate throughout his body. A faint golden glow enveloped him, and his muscles began to return…bit by bit, the power Claus had siphoned from him was flowing back into his body. Their connection…was weakening. Just a little bit longer now…until…

~~~~~~~~~~

"…Something's wrong."

"…?"

Santa had stopped in the midst of his conflict with Bones to examine the condition of his body. Though he could have taken advantage of the opening, Bones was starting to grow tired from the strain of maintaining his armor, and welcomed the brief moment to catch a breather himself. He had been wondering why Santa, whose thunderous blows had been keeping him on edge all this time, was starting to hit softer…and it seemed like Santa had now noticed it too.

"My power is fading…but why? I have the artifact right here…and it's still a few hours before I need to deliver the toys. The children should be sound asleep in their beds right now, dreaming of Santa Claus, fueling me with their belief, so why…"

"Heh…maybe you're not as popular as you thought."

Bones grinned. His breathing was noticeably ragged, but he had to hold out just a little bit longer. He knew that Santa's sudden power loss could mean only one thing…that Kristof was breaking the curse, and the power he'd stolen from Krampus was making its way back to its owner. But he couldn't afford to let on, or Santa might begin to suspect the reason himself…

"You…you…!!" Santa's popularity was something of a berserk button, and Bones comment did not amuse. "I'm more popular than you could ever be!! You're just a third-rate dictator who people only follow out of fear - meanwhile, there's not a child in the world who doesn't love Santa Claus!!"

Santa charged at the Konungur angrily, already turning aside the issue of his rapidly waning strength. Bones blocked his flurry of punches with his dual axes, turning his fists aside each time and trying desperately to find an opening. But even though Santa's blows were weakening, Bones was already at his limit and it was all he could do to continue blocking, let alone retaliate. In short, their situation hadn't changed a bit since they'd began…Bones was still on the losing end of a defensive battle.

"Their belief in you…is built on lies…!!" Bones grit his teeth as the blade of his axe chipped under the force of Santa's strike. "If they knew what you were really like, no one would ever follow you!!"

"Truth? Lies? What's the difference?!" Santa's leg swept high, knocking Bones squarely in the arm - the bone coating fractured, his grip loosened, and his axe dropped and skidded across the ground below!! "If everyone agrees to it, even a lie can become the truth!! As long as the people continue to believe in what they want me to be, their energy will fuel me all the same!!"

"Kh…!!"

Bones was now one axe short, and it was all he could do just to maintain his armor. A little longer…just…hold out a little longer!!

"Some people are smarter than you think…and I'll never believe in you."

"You…impudent…braaaaaaaaaaaaat!!"

Santa's fury awakened a new burst of power from within and coated his fists in red-green energy. With a swift uppercut, Bones was sent flying into the distance…and his armor gave way, exposing his fleshy human form once more. As he painfully crash landed on the ice, he noticed the sound of approaching footsteps…or rather, hoofsteps. Sure enough…it was him.

"…took you long enough."

"Did you think that attitude would make me want to help you?"

"Heh…not at all." Bones pushed himself up off the ground and wobbled to his feet. "I'm grateful."

"…I'm not doing this for you, you know. I just need him gone, too."

"Yeah…I know."

Krampus stepped out in front of Bones. He was slightly less muscular than he'd normally have been on the evening of December 24th, but he seemed to have regained his strength. But the most interesting change was something that was perhaps less noticeable at a glance.

"Your wrists…then…"

"It's done."

The shackles that had once bound Krampus with their phantasmal chains…were gone. A look of solemn determination painted his face…he was finally ready to settle the score once and for all. He'd long dreamt of this day, and yet…the foe he was about to face wasn't the one he'd always pictured in his mind. He'd spent so long cursing Kristof with hatred…but perhaps his target had been mistaken. After all, it was this Claus that had been tormenting him for at least the past hundred years…Christopher. He'd had the wrong Kringle all along.

"You…" Santa had come to see what was taking Bones so long in coming back. "How are you still alive?"

"We can't kill each other. Remember?" Krampus lied through his pointed teeth - he couldn't let Claus know of his plan. "This one isn't worth your time. I'll be your opponent now - Krampus against Claus. Isn't that the way it should be?"

"…perhaps you're right. I'll be happy to put you down as many times as you like…I might not be able to stop you from drawing breath, but this time, I'll make sure that you're so broken you won't be getting up again."

"…Likewise." Krampus turned one final glance back at Bones. "This is our battle. Don't let anyone interfere. I know I've given you no reason to do me any favors, but…please honor this last request."

It was true - Bones had no obligation to listen to the request of an enemy. But he was a proud nord, a viking man at heart…he couldn't bring himself to deny Krampus the right to a true and honorable duel.

"…you're confident…you can defeat him?" Bones asked tentatively - he had to affirm Krampus' resolve.

Krampus only nodded in response, without turning around again. Bones closed his eyes and nodded back.

"…Regenbogen behüte dich, genosse."

Bones sat back on the snow, clutching his wounded arm as the two century-long rivals faced each other at long last…

~~~~~~~~~~

"Nnn…there!!"

After some digging around, LG and the others had managed to find Linda - trapped inside a tiny bottle, lying half-buried beneath the snow. Fortunately, as a fellow fae, Iris was able to faintly sense her energy signature. LG grabbed hold of the bottle and peered inside at the small pixie banging furiously on the glass, begging to be set free. To all present, it was quite an ironic feeling.

"Hmm…you know, maybe I'm still not over what happened last year." Linda's face sank in a mix of shock and despair - but LG just grinned back. "I'm kidding, I told Krampus we'd take care of you. I'm not too happy about it, though."

With a practiced hand, LG popped the cork of the bottle and the pixie came rocketing out with tremendous speed.

"Damn, son, you can pop my cork like that any time 😉 OOF!!" said xL, this time receiving a knee to the crotch for his troubles.

"Does that even hurt for you? It's not like you have anything substantial down there…" LG joked as xL doubled over in pain.

"W-where are they? Krampus, and Santa?!" Linda's voice was rushed with panic.

"Geez, not even a thank you, huh?" LG sighed. "Well, whatever. Santa turned into some kind of hunky rainbow monster, and Bones has been fighting him."

"Bones was…fighting?" Linda thought back to their conversation from the previous day…Bones' goal had been to reach Kristof's tomb and recover the artifact that would let them free Krampus from his curse. So he really had upheld his end of the bargain…but fighting Santa Claus wasn't part of the plan… "If you've returned from the Nordlands, then…"

"Yeah, we got what we were looking for."

"Greetings."

Tim and Kristof gave Linda quite a shock - she was expecting an actual item, and not…a ghost!! LG and the others quickly brought her up to speed on their current situation - how Kristof's ghost had agreed to help them and traveled back to IGNOLand, how he'd broken Krampus' curse, and how Krampus had gone to try and separate Santa from the artifact.

"He said that the artifact Santa absorbed was what was keeping his body alive…and that if he separated them, Santa would become mortal again." MTS relayed the story as far as she'd understood it. "Because Santa is now fused with the artifact, its energy is feeding into him directly…it's not acting like a remote energy fountain anymore. So if it's removed from his body, that connection will break…"

"…and Santa will power back down. Then we'll be able to defeat him." Tim finished. "He got his strength back, and said they'd be able to fight on even footing. So now we're just waiting for–"

"Did you say…Krampus is fighting Santa Claus…?"

The plan had seemed quite simple when Krampus had explained it to them after Kristof finished his spell. So why had Linda gone so pale…?

"Yeah, he…said he just needed to find the right opening to act out his plan. He seemed pretty confident he could pull it off…"

"No…no, this is bad. This is very, very bad!! You have to take me to them!!"

"Whoa, slow down!!" LG gently grabbed hold of the frantic pixie and brought her to his face. "What exactly is so bad about it? It was Krampus' plan, wasn't it?"

"That's just it…" Linda said in a soft voice. "If this is his idea, then…I have a bad feeling."

"Care to share those feelings with the class…?" xL asked with a shrug.

"…If the ghost of Kristof finished the ritual, then Krampus is mortal once again."

"Isn't that what you wanted? Why you went to Bones for help in the first place?" Iris asked.

"Yes, but…not like this. At the time, I hadn't anticipated that your friends would go and…antagonize Santa at his workshop. Or that anything would escalate like this…" Linda looked around at the others. "But now, if they're fighting, it's only a matter of time before Santa realizes that he's mortal again. There's no way Krampus doesn't understand that. So for him to come up with a plan this risky even knowing that he might die, I…"

"…you don't think he…wants to die, do you?"

"No…I mean, yes, I mean…I-I don't know. He talked about it more than once in his journals…the misery of eternal life, and how he'd sooner end it if he could. But those journals talked at length about many things during fits of depression and madness. I didn't want to take any of it too seriously, but now…I have to wonder." Linda bit her lower lip. "Even if dying isn't his goal, I don't think he fears it as a possibility. If it means being able to defeat Santa Claus…I feel as though he'd be willing to do anything."

"Even if it meant sacrificing his own life in the process…" muttered MTS.

"Please…you have to take me to him!! I don't know that he'd even listen to me, but I…I have to try!!" Linda was frantic, pleading on her hands and knees inside of LG's cupped hands. "This is all my fault…I just wanted to save him!! I never thought it would end up like this!! I know he's done horrible things to you…I've done horrible things to you, but I beg of you…please, let me try to help him!!"

Linda was practically in tears by this point…it was hard to believe this was the same cruel and calculating pixie queen that had tormented them so the previous year. What was abundantly clear was just how much she cared about Krampus…and from the way he'd made them all swear that they'd look after her as he strode off to the battlefield, it gave the impression that he felt the same. And it also lent credence to Linda's suspicions, that he may have gone into that battle with the full intent of sacrificing himself…

"…alright, come on." LG lifted her up to his shoulder. "I can't make any promises that we'll make it in time…Santa's turned into a real monster."

"A sexy monster!!" xL chimed in - LG didn't even bother anymore, it was easier just to ignore him.

"…but we'll do the best we can to help you out."

"…Thank you. And…I'm sorry."

LG chose not to respond to that last part - he felt it was still too soon to forgive everything she'd done to them. But even so, in this moment, he wanted to help her…and he began to feel like he, too, wanted to save Krampus. LG was sure that his other friends had started to feel the same way, as well, as they all raced together down the hill toward the site of the final battle…

~~~~~~~~~~

Krampus and Santa stood face to face on opposite sides. Red against green…it truly was a clash fitting to be called the final battle for the fate of Christmas. The two were reasonably matched, now that Krampus had regained his holiday strength, and Santa lost it. Both breathed heavily and seemed to be on even footing, but there was one key difference between them - Krampus was now mortal. It seemed as though Claus had not yet noticed, but if he let his guard slip for even a moment…Krampus would find himself on the fatal end of his Super Santan fist.

Krampus was prepared for that possibility…but it wasn't time now. Someone needed to separate Claus from that wretched artifact, and he was the only one who could do it - he wouldn't allow himself to die just yet. But how could he pull it off? Cross had done something similar back then…but in his case, the artifact was merely embedded inside of him. Getting close was enough to pull it out. Claus had, instead, fused his own body with the artifact and its pure energies…they had become one in every sense. It wasn't something Krampus could just yank out of him - he would need to convince Claus to relinquish it himself.

"…that power of belief is truly something else…I'm no match." Krampus bluffed - he had a plan.

"It can't be helped. After all, I am beloved the world over…but you? At best, you're hated as an enemy of the Christmas season. At worst…you're not even remembered."

"You got me there…aside from those meddling kids and the people of the Ice Plains, no one has even heard of the Krampus."

Santa was dubious…as clever as he was evil, he could sense when his long-time rival was up to something. The way he spoke made it clear he was trying to bluff his way out of something…but try as he might, the bearded bully couldn't put his finger on what.

"It's already pretty late. Don't you still have your flight to think about? And here you are, dragging this fight out…" Krampus shrugged. "We both know you're going easy on me because you're having fun with all this new found power. But I think it's about time that we both get serious."

Santa cocked an eyebrow - there it was!! Did Krampus honestly believe he would fall for such an obvious trick?

"Hah!! You're bluffing. You've fought well, and I'll admit you've even been a match for me, but I know you're doing all you can just to keep up. It's time for both of us to get serious? I still have power in reserve…but you don't have anything left in the tank."

"That may be so…" Krampus said with a half-hearted sneer. "But I can't help but wonder what it'd be like if we fought fair and square - just you and me, without any flashy tricks or gimmicks."

"What exactly are you implying…?" Santa thought that he'd already spotted the bluff, but it seemed as though Krampus was hiding something deeper up his non-existent sleeve.

"That artifact of yours…the belief that's fueling your power. I bet without that, you couldn't even maintain that transformation."

"…so you're trying to get me to drop my guard and defuse the artifact and cut my power…surely you knew it wouldn't be that easy."

"Come now, Claus…if you had faith in their belief, why would you need something like that trinket to magnify it in the first place? Unless…you're actually afraid you're not as popular as you think you are…?"

There were those words again - that doubt of his power. Logically, Santa knew Krampus was just trying to rile him up and get him to drop his guard…but on the same token, he couldn't take an insinuation like that lying down.

"…Santa Claus is synonymous with the Christmas season. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it." His voice was low and calm - a characteristic sign that he was in a sour mood. "My face is plastered everywhere, on everything, and children the world over are in their beds right now waiting for me to come down their chimneys, trying to catch a glimpse of me enjoying their milk and cookies. There's not a child in IGNOLand who doesn't love Santa Claus."

"If you really believe that…why not try? Without the artifact. If they truly love you so much…you should still be fine, right…?"

"…Very well."

Santa removed his vest, tossing it onto the snow below. This was…a challenge. A sign to the Krampus that he was finally about to get serious - and that he'd provoked him one step too far. With or without the artifact, Santa was ready to end this game once and for all.

"…I hope to see your face twist with regret once you realize that it was you who pushed me to this point."

Santa closed his eyes and spread his arms, attuning himself to the artifact's energy. Then, it gathered in a glowing white aura around his body…and reformed into the familiar-looking ornament of silver and gold. Santa held the object in his hand for a long moment, glancing between it and the Krampus…before finally tossing it down on the snow.

"I have been reborn by the power of belief…belief I fostered all on my own. I no longer need to borrow the power of some two-bit trinket left behind by a long-dead phantom to beat you."

Sure enough, Santa's body did not change - he remained in his 'Super Santa' form, and the power level Krampus sensed within him didn't even decrease. However…he had sealed his fate by severing his link with the artifact that had granted him eternal life for more than one hundred years. He may not have lost any of the existing belief he'd accumulated…but that power now had a limit. If that belief were exhausted, he would no longer have any way to feed on its energy…and all the years of borrowed time he'd been living on would finally catch up to him.

Krampus' aim…was to burn away those last reserves of energy keeping him alive. Unfortunately, even now, Santa was strong enough to defeat him while barely breaking a sweat. He wouldn't be able to drag the fight out long enough to run down those reserves - especially not now that Santa had decided to get serious. But he had already foreseen this result…and planned for it.

"I'll try to make your defeat as quick and painless as possible, so you can go back to crying yourself to sleep in that lonely tower."

"…I'm afraid that's no longer an option."

Krampus' mind flashed through a number of complicated memories and emotions…as the two charged each other once more.

~~~~~~~~~~

LG and the others, with Linda in tow, had finally arrived at the foot of the hill across from the battlefield. However…as they arrived, Bones leapt up from the ground and spread his arms wide before them.

"Stop!!"

"…Bones!!"

"Linda?!"

The two coughed awkwardly as they noticed the other IGNOites staring at them - everyone was well aware of their romantic tension. But that wasn't important right now.

"We've got to stop Krampus, before he does something drastic!!" LG gestured out to the field. "Why aren't you helping him?!"

"I was told not to interfere, or to let others interfere. This is their final, honorable duel."

"What? Are you crazy?! This is about more important things than your ridiculous pride!!" LG moved forward. "Let us through!!"

"No." Bones remained steadfast. "It might be pride, but it's his pride. He asked me to honor this last request, and I intend to."

"Wait, did he actually say 'last request'? Then he really is–whoa!!"

Linda flitted off LG's shoulder and buzzed around Bones' face, hovering right in front of his nose.

"Bones…listen to me!! Krampus means to sacrifice his life to take out Santa Claus once and for all!!"

"…I thought that might have been his plan."

"You…" Linda's expression turned to fury. "Then why won't you stop him?!"

"…I can't pretend to understand what's going on in his head right now…" Bones turned to face the two clashing before them. "…but I do understand a warrior's honor. Right now, Krampus is out there fighting for something he's wanted for a long time…not Christmas, not even to defeat Santa Claus. He's fighting for his freedom…and he's doing it on his own terms."

"What meaning is there in finding freedom in death?!"

"…"

Bones thought back on the events of the past two days. Hadn't this whole situation started because of his desire to help Linda? The long journey to the Nordlands to return here with Kristof's ghost…no, even before that. Going back a full year, to when he spared Krampus' life. Thinking on it now, why had he actually done that? Was it because of his lingering feelings for Linda after their time in the globe that lead him to heed her request? Those repeating days inside the enchanted snowglobe left Bones a changed man. He spent the past year longing for her, his every thought filled with dreams of a future together…a future she had already told him could never be. But Bones still felt that there was a chance…the spark of chemistry between them told him that she felt the same, and that there was no way the time they'd spent together could have all been a lie.

Or…was there more to it than that? Was Linda really the one who filled his thoughts as he stood over the Krampus' broken body one year ago? In that moment, as he prepared to swing the axe down over the defenseless Krampus' head, Bones believed he had felt pity. It was far from the first time the Krampus had tricked them, but somehow, he could sense something genuine in the monster…like the sound of a tormented soul crying out in pain. Krampus wanted to be free. If death was the answer he reached after nearly a thousand years of suffering in eternal bondage…then it was his right to see this through to the end.

Bones found himself staring at the two sides of a coin, where the only way to move forward was to flip it and make a decision, one way or the other. Would he honor his word and let Krampus carry out his sacrifice? Or would he give into his heart and listen to Linda's request to save him? Was there no other way this ancient conflict could end?

He had to believe. He had to put his faith in one of them…but which would he choose…?

>>Linda<<

>>Krampus<<

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