A powerful, hunched form trudged through the thick snowdrifts of Equestria, snorting jets of vapor into the icy air as he lumbered along on his hooves. The wind whipped through his thick, shaggy fur as he continued along in the dark, clouded night. His blazing eyes were narrowed, thick flakes built up on his lashes and eyebrows. But they shed no tears despite the stinging gales. Instead they glowered with determination, as did his entire face. It mattered not how bad the weather was. He had a job, and he was going to do it, just as he had for the past millennia. Nothing could stop him. They could run, but they couldn’t hide. He would find them before the night was out. And they would be punished…
Trixie trotted down the long, lonely road the wind rushing past her face, the chill of the air turning it a rosy red. The light of her horn was her only companion as she journeyed through the countryside, her body wrapped in a thick, blanketing cloak. A day’s journey was needed to get to Hoofington, and as it was Hearth Warming’s Eve, the mare had to be there if she was to spend it with her family. The magician would have been there a day earlier, but a wild snowstorm blown in from the north had prevented her from traveling. It was the same storm that was hindering her now.
But nothing, not even a raging blizzard such as this would keep her from making good on her promise this year. Trixie’s last two Hearth Warmings had been spent alone in her cart, as her vagrant lifestyle sometimes took her so far across the country that she couldn’t get back in time for the holidays. But not this year. She’d made a promise to be home, and as a mare of her word, there was no choice but to fulfill it. The magician had even left her cart back at the hotel. It tended to slow her down, especially in winter.
Trixie looked back ahead down the country road, its edges bordered by frosted pine trees. The glow of her horn extended ahead as she searched for some kind of sign. The last one she’d seen told her she was fifteen miles away from Hoofington. That had been at least an hour ago, and the mare reasoned she should have been able to see her hometown by now.
But as she shone her light ahead, an ominous shadow became visible among the millions of snowflakes that swirled through the air. Trixie’s mind slowed to a crawl as she sighted a towering shape standing in the middle of the road. It stood still as death, its features enshrouded by the falling snow. The hair on Trixie’s neck stood on end as she stared at the thing. She couldn’t tell if it saw her, or even if it was alive. But there was a sharp chill in the air, one far colder and bitter than before. It numbed her until she could no longer feel herself.
Two powerful streams of vapor suddenly shot out from near the top of the thing, blowing clusters of snow outwards. Trixie winced, taking a step back into her hoof prints. For a moment her thoughts were jumbled as she tried to processes what had happened. They became clear as she noticed the faint wisps that entered the air when she breathed. The mare’s eyes widened in horrific realization as she looked back to the looming shape. A pair of burning orange eyes blinked at her, flickering like hot coals in their sockets. Freezing air bit at Trixie’s tongue as her mouth fell open in shock.
A sharp crunch rose above the howling winds as the thing moved, taking a step forward. Trixie’s eyes darted downwards as she saw an enormous, black cloven hoof sink deep into the snow. It was attached to a long, powerful leg covered in thick, pale gray fur, dirtied with coarse soot. Another crunch sounded out as the rest of the beast stepped out into view, this one intermingled with a series of metallic chimes.
A scream came barreling out of Trixie’s cold throat as she saw the monster in its entirety. Standing atop a pair of goatish legs was a hunched, warped torso, wrapped in rusted chains bearing tarnished bells. It carried a huge, battered basket upon its back, filled with bundles of branches. Long arms danged from the creature’s shoulders, ending in digits bearing enormous bear-like claws. Its fiery eyes blazed out from a head adorned with two immense, twisted horns. A snaking, repulsive tongue lolled out of a fang-filled muzzle, flicking out into frigid air as if tasting it.
Blind terror coursing through her veins, Trixie shrieked again as she turned and sprinted back down the road. She heard it start after her, its hooves thundering against the snow as it snorted and snarled, the sound of its bells ringing dissonantly with each step. The mare’s thoughts raced along in a jumbled mess as she ran. Memories dredged up from her childhood mixed with disbelief and denial, creating fear. Fear of the growling, beastly thing that now pursued her. Trixie had every right to be afraid of it. She knew what it was, what it did, and had a few good guesses as to why it was after her.
The creature let out a sharp, angry grunt, sending a shock through the magician’s bones. It was closing in on her, she could feel the vibrations of its hoof beats, hear the sound of its ragged breathing. She knew it could reach out at any moment and lock its terrible claws around her. But she couldn’t bring herself to look over her shoulder. The sight of its hideous form still stood strong in her memory, and she had no wish to look at the beast again. Her panicked gaze remained dead ahead, down the long, dark road from which she had come.
Half-blinded by snow, the wind howling in her ears, mind clouded with terror, Trixie only saw the two glaring lights when they were moments away from hitting her. In her fearful state, Trixie took them for the blazing yellow eyes of an even larger, more monstrous beast. Uttering a ghastly wail, the unicorn veered to the left, feeling the draft of the new creature as it roared past. Her face was chilled as she fell headfirst into the ditch, tumbling into the snowdrift below.
A loud, metallic crunch rang out across the night.
The world became quiet for Trixie as she lay strewn out in the snowdrift. An eternity seemed to pass, and slowly, her fear grew weaker and weaker, becoming a peaceful calm. A lightheaded numbness took her, as if all her thoughts had vanished, being replaced with a single, placid emotion. She felt a desire to move, to get up and keep running. But the static bliss of the snowdrift was overwhelming. No worries, no fears plagued her while she lay there, the snowflakes settling over her body. She was so transfixed that she didn’t even hear the set of hooves slogging through the snow until they were only inches away from her ear.
Her glassy eyes came alive again as something reached out and grabbed her foreleg. Its touch sent a shock through her body, and the mare regained control of her muscles. She sat up, feeling limp and useless as she turned to face the thing that had grabbed her.
“…Trixie?”
Trixie found herself staring into the pale cream face of another unicorn, his sea-green eyes wide with concern and surprise. Her own eyes went agape as she recognized him.
“…Flim…” It took a moment before she felt emotion again. When they returned, she first felt anger. She remembered the stallion and his brother all too well. Two conponies so slick they could sell refrigerators to polar bears. Naturally, Trixie had schemed with them before, although the last time hadn’t ended pleasantly for her. Though she still harbored spite for the incident, the mare accepted his offer for help and allowed him to pull her to her hooves.
“Trixie, what’re you doing out here? And what’s that thing that was after you?”
Trixie froze as memories of the creature came flooding back. The mare almost teetered back into the snow, but was caught by Flim.
“Trixie?” he called, his mouth drawn in a frown, “Trixie, are you alright?”
She wasn’t. Fear once again ran rampant in her brain, and she struggled to free herself of Flim’s forelegs.
“We need to get out of here,” she sputtered, “We need to leave now!”
“Hold on, girl!” cried Flim, “Just calm down a minute. I don’t think you need to worry about the old brute anymore.” Trixie paused, giving the stallion a confused stare.
“What?” she breathed, her voice betraying her disbelief.
“Come and see for yourself,” explained Flim, “We, uh, had a little accident…” Trixie followed him out of the ditch and back onto the road. The first thing she noticed was a large, bright red object. She quickly realized it was some kind of sleigh, built in the unmistakable style she recognized as Flim and Flam’s work. It was completely enclosed, with windows and doors for entering the cab. The runners bore powerful treads, indicating it traveled mechanically.
After glancing at the vehicle, Trixie shifted her gaze to the huge, shaggy creature that lay beneath it, its lean form tangled and twisted in the runners. The mare’s mouth dropped open as she spotted one of the creature’s hands sticking out from underneath the craft, its claws spread out and unmoving.
“You…killed it…” she muttered, her face and voice as blank as snow.
“Looks that way,” replied Flim. He looked over to his brother, who was standing near the front of the vehicle and poking the monster with a long stick.
“Hey Flam,” he called, “You think it’s dead?”
“Looks dead to me,” answered Flam, giving it one last sharp poke. Flim started over towards his mustachioed brother. Trixie followed reluctantly, never taking her eyes away from the beast.
“So, you found her,” Flam said as the mare approached, “Nice to see you again, Trixie.”
“Likewise,” she nodded nervously, “…Y-you’re sure it’s dead?”
“As far as I can tell,” said Flam, “By the way, you have any idea of what ‘it’ is?” Trixie looked over at the twins, then back at the monster.
“The Krampus…” she murmured. She glanced over to see if there was any recognition in the brothers’ eyes. She found none, and let out a sigh before continuing.
“When I was a filly, my parents warned me to be good, or else the Krampus would come for me at Hearth’s Warming.”
The twins gazed down at the creature with wide eyes.
“Jeez, really?” muttered Flim, “They told you that would come around at Hearth’s Warming? Whatever happened to jolly old Canter Claus?”
“Your parents sound delightful,” added Flam. Trixie shook her head, freeing fresh snowflakes from her mane.
“Canter Claus would come if I was good and bring me presents,” she explained.
“What would he do?” Flim asked, pointing a hoof at the Krampus. Trixie flinched at the memories that were stirred by the question.
“Give me coal, beat me, throw me in a river, I don’t know,” she muttered, “It was always something different. But he never came, even if I was bad, so I…” Trixie trailed off, growing silent as she watched the still form of the beast.
“So you what?” asked Flam.
“I never thought he was real,” she finished. All three ponies became quiet as they stared down at the creature beneath the machine. The snow continued to fall, the winds continued to howl, the cold continued to sting.
“Well, he looks pretty real to me,” said Flam, finally breaking the silence, “And he looks like a pretty big problem. Think we can get him out of the runners, Flim?”
“I’ve no doubt, brother,” replied his twin, “Care to give us a hoof, Trixie?”
Trixie frowned and took a hesitant step back. Even if the Krampus was dead, she had no desire to even go near the thing. But a sudden thought entered her mind, one that concerned something she had nearly forgotten about.
“I…suppose so,” she said uneasily, “If that will get you going again…By the way, you two aren’t stopping by Hoofington, are you?”
“That’s where we’re headed to spend the night,” answered Flim as he and his brother knelt down next to the runners, “Why? Need a lift?”
“A lift would be very much appreciated,” Trixie said as she knelt down beside them, “Now, how do we go about this?” The brothers scratched at their white-and-red manes as they assessed the situation.
“Um…try pushing all his limbs out of the works,” said Flim.
“We’ll pull him out from the back once he’s free,” added Flam. With that, the three set to work. Flim and Flam both grabbed a hold of the creature’s crooked leg and tried forcing it back through the runners. Trixie glanced down at the Krampus’s hand that lay only inches away from her. Its spread fingers revealed its palm to be rough and leathery, like the bottom of a dog’s paw. The magician grimaced as she grasped it with her telekinesis. It was heavier than she had anticipated, and as she lifted it the fingers curled a little, sliding the terrible claws farther out of their sheaths.
Trixie winced as the fingers moved, but even in her fearful state of mind she was able to see they had only moved because she was manipulating the hand. The unicorn gritted her teeth as she made an attempt to push the dreadful thing back in between the treads.
It refused to budge.
With an apprehensive whimper the mare reached out with her forelegs and began to push. She grimaced as her hooves touched against the thick greasy pelt of the Krampus. Its arm was so cold that it stung her, as if she was grabbing at a block of ice. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. It had a repugnant odor composed of many foul things, soot and ash the most notable.
Trixie continued to push at the limb, eyes closed, trying to imagine she was doing something more pleasant. She thought ahead to dinner at her parent’s nice, warm, cozy little house. There’d be a perfect tree in the corner of the living room, covered in gleaming bulbs of every color, draped in long strands of glittering tinsel. Beneath it would be boxes wrapped in smooth, shining paper, each one topped off with a metallic-hued bow. Trixie remembered sticking them on her head when she was much younger, though couldn’t recall why.
The mare’s eyes suddenly shot open as she felt the arm slide through the runners. She heard it fall to the ground on the other side with a soft thud. Trixie took a deep breath and wiped her now-grimy hooves off in the snow. She looked over to the two brothers, who had just succeeded in freeing the Krampus’s leg from the treads, and were moving to the other side of the sleigh. The unicorn gave an exasperated sigh as she stood up and followed them.
She was relieved to see that only the creature’s other leg was caught in this side, and even more so to see that Flim and Flam where already halfway through forcing it out. A moment later there was a clatter as the beast’s hoof went through the runners.
“Well, that seems to be that,” said Flim, patting his brother on the back, “Now let’s get this thing out from under there.” Flam nodded, and the two started for the back of the vehicle. Trixie followed, a small smile making itself present upon her face. In a few short moments they would be on their way to her hometown.
The three unicorns were able to see the tips of the Krampus’s horns protruding from underneath the sleigh.
“Alright Flim,” said Flam, “How do you want to go about this?” Flim stepped around the sleigh, observing the back end from several points before replying.
“I say we grab the horns and give ’em a good pull.”
“Sounds good to me, brother.”
In another moment the two reached under the vehicle and grabbed the black, twisting growths near their bases. Trixie remained still, not quite sure how she could help as the two began sliding the beast out from beneath the sleigh. Its heavy body left a deep, malformed mark in the snow as they dragged it along, the rusted chains and bells rattling with each sharp tug. Trixie held her breath as she spotted its goatish face. The burning eyes were now closed; extinguished. The disgusting, blood-red tongue now hung limp from its open jaws, its wickedly pointed tip dragging against the ground.
“Ugly fella, ain’t he?” grunted Flim as he and his brother gave one last strenuous heave. The creature’s hooves clattered against the back of the sleigh as it was finally freed.
“Good job, Flim,” panted Flam.
“Likewise, Flam,” sighed Flim.
Once again a silence overtook the three unicorns as they surveyed the monster’s body, now lying in the middle of the road. Trixie’s frown became more obvious as the moments passed.
“Well…We’d better get going,” she said, her voice fraught with uneasiness, “It’s freezing out here.”
“Just hold on a minute,” said Flim, “What about big, tall, and hairy?”
Trixie grimaced, nervously pawing at the snow beneath her hooves.
“I don’t know,” she murmured, “ Can’t we just roll him into the ditch or something?” Flim and Flam looked at one another, then back to the magician. Trixie saw Flim’s mouth open. A deep, low, bestial groan sounded out across the night air. The mare stared at him for a moment, her wide eyes standing out as her face grew pale. She saw the same look of terror in the green eyes of her companions. The unicorn suddenly realized the noise had not been made by Flim.
Trixie’s head whipped down to look at the Krampus, expecting to see his dirty claws rise up from the ground and wrap around her throat. No such sight awaited her. Rather, she saw the creature lying still as the grave, his body slowly being covered by thick flakes of snow. But there was once, crucial detail that had changed, something Trixie spotted almost immediately.
His eyes were open. And they were looking at her.
Trixie’s mouth went agape in a silent scream. She stumbled as she tried stepping away, almost falling over onto the shaggy beast. The mare found her voice only when the Krampus’s cavernous nostrils flared, sending two billowing clouds of steam into the air. Trixie gave a mortified shriek, and was joined in by her companions as the monstrous creature began to move, snow falling from his hunched shoulders as he sat up.
There was a chaotic sound of hooves scrambling over snow as the three ponies frantically made for the sleigh. Trixie’s heart thundered in her chest as she grabbed the handle of the nearest door and yanked it open, leaping onto the soft, red velvet couch that lay inside. The whole sleigh rattled on its runners as the doors slammed shut in rapid succession. Trixie looked forward to see Flim and Flam sitting in two seats only a few inches ahead of her own, fumbling with the various buttons and toggles that dotted the dashboard.
“Go!” cried the terrified mare, “Get us out of here!”
“We’re trying!” Flim shot back over his shoulder as he and Flam flipped a series of switches with shaking hooves. Their horns glowed a bright green as they both grasped two levers that rose up between their seats. There was a loud clicking noise as the duo pushed them forward, followed by a muffled, mechanical rumbling from beneath the floor of the cab.
Trixie jumped as the sleigh lurched forward, grabbing onto the back of the brother’s seats as the vehicle gained speed, racing down the road like a train. The magician glanced over her shoulder, peering through a small, retangular window in the back of the cab. She could see the Krampus fading into the distance, becoming enveloped in shadow as he was left in the lightless stretch of road.
His bones ached as he rose to his hooves, more so than usual. His legs shuddered unsteadily as three ponies rushed past him, nearly knocking him to the ground. Shaking the daze from his horned head, he looked forward to see them enter a strange, metal sleigh, unlike anything he’d ever seen before. His orange eyes widened as it roared to life, its spinning runners propelling forward over the snow. As his mind began to settle, he realized that she had just escaped. A furious growl entered the night air on a trail of vapor that emerged from a toothy snarl. Two sets of long, sharp claws worked to undo the straps that bound the basket to his back. It fell with a loud thud onto the snow behind him.
He turned around and went to work, releasing the strong latch that held the lid in place. His long arm reached deep into the wicker enclosure, until at last his crooked fingers felt what he was searching for. An atrocious smirk spread across his muzzle as he pulled it out and looked it over. A toy sleigh, crudely carved out of wood, blackened with soot and coal dust. He tossed it out onto the road before him.
Though the cab of Flim and Flam’s sleigh was cozy, and her seat was heated, Trixie felt as cold as ever. Every waking moment she would look back out through the little window to look down the road behind them, expecting to see the Krampus leering at her. She saw nothing but the dark sky and the white road, and the gray in-between them made by the falling snow mingling with the night air.
“…I’m sure he’s given up by now…”
Trixie turned ahead to see Flam looking back at her. He could have been right, but she could see that his smile forced, straining to be hopeful. He was afraid, just like she was, despite the fact that they were miles ahead of the beast.
The magician shifted uncomfortably on the couch, twisting and untwisting the corner of her cloak in her forelegs. She wanted to be home so badly, more than she could ever remember. She wanted to be in her bed, beneath the covers, safe from the world and all that was in it. Not being hunted by a devilish creature on a cold winter’s night.
The unicorn looked through the window behind her. Rather than the same monotonous picture she had seen every time up until now, she saw something different. Before she even knew what she was looking at her pulse began to race. There were shadows moving in the distance, but with each passing moment they were growing closer. She stared out at them as they advanced, their vague outlines becoming definite shapes.
“F-…Flim…Flam…” sputtered the magician. The brothers turned around, both suddenly as scared as she was. Flim gulped.
“Is he…?”
Trixie watched as the shapes galloped relentlessly ahead into the icy winds. They were gaining on the Flimflam’s sleigh with uncanny speed, packed together in a uniform line. It was only now that she could see that each shadow had flashing yellow eyes, moving up and down as the shapes sprinted on their long, powerful legs. The blue mare seemed transfixed, unable to speak as the shadows became eight enormous timber wolves, clouds of vapor trailing from their snapping jaws, the branches adorning their heads glazed with ice.
This sight alone was terrifying, but became even more so when Trixie noticed they were bound by a set of old harnesses. Rusted chains and fraying straps adorned with rusted bells shook and rattled in the night. The mare involuntarily ran her eyes up the lashing reigns, dreading what she would discover at the end.
They led up to a hulking wooden sleigh, derelict and ancient, its edges trimmed with clusters of clanking bells. Snow pelted onto the stained wood, sticking in the wide cracks and withered grains. It soared across the snow on iron runners, blotched with patches of crumbling rust, leaving fragments of it behind on their deep trails. But the only thing Trixie seemed to notice about the sled was the terrible, hunched figure driving it.
Seated within the sleigh was the Krampus, the reigns trapped in one of his powerful claws. The other held a long, thrashing whip that writhed about in the wind as if it were alive. With a sudden flick of his wrist it shot forward, an earsplitting crack echoing out in the night as it touched down in the middle of his team. The wooden wolves sprinted ahead, snarling and barking rabidly at the Flimflam’s invention.
Trixie’s stomach knotted itself a dozen times over in the few seconds it took for her to break away from the window and turn to face the pilots, her face a portrait of horror.
“It’s him…” she confirmed, her voice barely a whisper. She’d barely gotten the words out of her mouth before the
brothers erupted in a flurry of motion. Buttons clicked, switches flipped, levers were pulled back and forth. The roar of the engine grew louder, and the sleigh jolted as it moved even faster than before. Flam pulled a telescoping brass tube down from the ceiling, something that looked to Trixie like a miniature periscope. The sweating stallion put it over his eye. His trembling body immediately stiffened up, his face growing pale.
“Flim?”
“Yes?”
“He’s got timber wolves…”
Flim paused in the middle of pulling a lever.
“How many?”
“I’d say about eight.”
The brothers were silent for a moment. They then went into another frenzy, tweaking every possible function of their invention to increase its speed. Their attempts were brought to a halt when the sleigh suddenly shuddered, nearly careening into the ditch. The three ponies screamed as they were thrown against the wall of the cab, their limbs flailing as they tried to right themselves. As they struggled to reseat themselves they saw a dark shape through the left-hand windows. A silhouette of a huge sleigh and it’s twisted driver.
Flim clamped onto the steering wheel, a fearful grimace upon his face as he pulled himself to his seat. He had barely crawled back in when the vehicle shook again, nearly tossing him into his brother. The very next moment he wrenched the wheel sharply to the left. The sleigh rattled as it collided with the wooden relic. Trixie heard an angry bellow from outside, rising over the dull thud of metal striking wood. She could see the Krampus through her window leering in from the cold and snow, cracking his whip against the Flimflam’s machine in fury. The mare’s heart nearly stopped when she saw the creature pull on the reigns, his sleigh lurching in their direction.
“He’s coming again!” she cried shrilly. No sooner had she spoken when their vehicle veered right, bordering the edge of the road just long enough to dodge the attack. Another rage-filled howl came from their pursuer as he slid back to the right. Flim swerved the sleigh after the creature, determined to deal another blow. Trixie latched onto the armrest of the couch to brace herself for the collision. The force of the impact jarred the mare’s bones, as well as drawing countless discordant chimes from the Krampus’s sleigh bells.
“Flim!” Trixie looked ahead to see Flam pointing at something ahead. Before she knew what was happening, the sleigh lurched violently, sending her to the floor. The mare landed face up, allowing her to see a steady stream of lights shining in from outside the windows. They flickered as they passed by, creating flashing shadows against the cab’s interior. Trixie scrambled to her hooves, fearing the worst.
Rather than the pine thickets that had bordered the road for most of her journey, she now found herself looking out at a variety of colorful houses, their windows lit with a warm glow. The mare would have smiled at such a sight as it was one from her childhood, but at the moment she had more pressing matters.
“Well, Trixie,” said Flim, his voice weak with exasperation, “We’ve reached Hoofington.”
“And so has Mr. Krampus,” added Flam, sounding equally grim as he thrust a hoof past Trixie’s shoulder. The mare whirled around to see the enraged beast close behind, his team of timber wolves snapping at the runners of the Flimflam’s vehicle.
“So,” said Flim, “Trixie, been meaning to ask. How do we stop this thing?” The stallion nimbly steered the sleigh around a parked cart.
“How should I know?” she sputtered as she unsteadily crawled onto the couch.
“Well, it’s you he’s after,” Flam said nervously, glancing back at the sneering creature. Despite the rampant terror running through her brain, the unicorn shot the stallions an incredulous glare.
“He’s out to punish anypony who’s ever been bad!” she spat, “And that would most certainly include you!”
“Oh, sure,” Flim muttered as he turned a corner, “Just ignore the fact that we’re currently risking our lives saving you from a goat-beast that will likely tear us all to shreds.”
“You two scam artists couldn’t go legit to save your sorry hides!” snapped the mare, “How many times have you left me high and dry after a scheme?”
“About as many times as you did the same to us,” Flam shot back. Before Trixie could reply, something exploded against the back of the cab. The three unicorns looked back just in time to see the Krampus hurl a fiery chunk of coal in their direction. Their eyes collectively widened as it made impact, bursting in a cascade of burning cinders and smoldering debris. Trixie shrieked, leaping from the couch in a mad attempt to crawl in front with the brothers. The stallions had no time to react as she threw herself between them, limbs flailing in every direction.
“Trixie, don’t--” Flim hadn’t gotten the words out of his mouth before the mare hit the dashboard, her forelegs sweeping over dozens of minuscule instruments.
He reached down behind his seat, his claws wrapping around the icy surface of another sizable lump of coal. He snarled as he lifted it over his horned head, eyes narrowing as he took aim at his bright red target. The coal suddenly sizzled and sparked in his grasp, casting a pale orange glow over his crooked scowl. With a ragged grunt he pitched it at the rumbling vehicle. A guttural laugh came barreling out of his twisted mouth as the missile collided with the metallic cab, the blast scorching and searing the paint.
The laugh turned into a questioning grunt as the his prey began to erratically tilt from side to side, as if it had suddenly gone out of control. Though he had little idea of what the machine was, or how it operated, even he could tell something was wrong. He leaned back as something beneath it burst in a shower of sparks. Thick, greasy smoke billowed out from the site of the explosion. His face contorted as it flew past, the harsh smell of burning wires and vaporized oil lingering in his nostrils. Squinting ahead through the foul cloud, he saw that the vehicle was loosing speed.
At last it slowed to a pathetic crawl, the rumble that had accompanied its movement gone silent. The machine gave one last shudder as it came to a halt, a faint line of smoke still wavering out of its engine. With a low growl he pulled on the reigns, bringing his team of snarling timber wolves to a stop. The wooden beasts stared diligently as their prey, waiting for the moment to rush forward and attack. But they remained in place as their master stood up from his seat, the floor of the sleigh creaking noisily beneath him. After wrapping the reigns around a small iron ring, he exited, his hooves compacting the fresh fallen snow as he stepped out into the street.
The cockpit of the Flimflam’s vehicle was a tangled mess of three equines, all jabbering and screaming like frightened children. The panicking ponies struggled against one another in a desperate attempt to free themselves and escape.
“Get off me!” cried Flam, trying to force a kicking Trixie off his shoulders.
“I’m trying!” screamed the mare, reaching out for the door handle. She fell short as Flam shifted out from underneath her, and the unicorn fell onto the passenger’s seat. She scrambled for the door, her horn sparking as she telekinetically pulled at the latch. Her eyes glinted triumphantly as it flew open, letting a blast of icy air into the vehicle.
Her weak smile fell as she saw the figure standing just outside of the doorway. Trixie’s pupils shrunk as she looked up into the ancient, hideous face of the Krampus, her mouth dropping open as its fiery eyes bore into her. The unicorn could only manage a lowly whine as the beast stooped down and reached into the cab with a long, powerful arm, black claws flexing as it spread out its crooked fingers. She heard Flim and Flam scream as the creature clamped its claws around their tails.
In one swift motion the Krampus tore all three ponies from their sleigh, their writhing forms dangling from their tails as the beast lifted them up into the air. Trixie continued to kick and flail about, her line of vision swinging from left to right until she locked gazes with the Krampus. His eyes narrowed as he looked them over, snorting thick clouds of icy vapor into their petrified faces. Trixie followed them as they glanced down at something in his other hand. A thick bundle of birch branches, tied together with fraying string. The mare broke into a cold sweat as the Krampus raised it over his head. Trixie closed her eyes and looked away. She knew what was coming.
Several sharp cracks sounded off in the night, coupled with loud cries of pain.
Trixie remained curled up and cringing for a moment even after the Krampus had stopped. She cracked open an eye at the silence that followed afterward. The Krampus still held them aloft amid the swirling snowflakes, a scowl still adorning his muzzle. The mare suddenly swung against her companions as the beast began back toward his sleigh, dragging the tip of the birch rods in the snow. Flim, Flam, and Trixie heard the growls of the timber wolves as they passed them by, shuddering as the canines leered at their dangling forms.
The three ponies landed with a soft thud as they were dropped into the back of the Krampus’s sleigh. Almost immediately they scrambled into the corner as the creature climbed into the driver’s seat, their hooves slipping over chunks of coal, birch branches, fringy burlap, and other bits of clutter. They silently stared at the back of the Krampus’s head as he cracked the reigns, never once glancing back at them. A moment later the sleigh jumped forward, the sound of paws against snow breaking the silence of the night. The wooden relic creaked noisily as it wove around the Flimflam’s machine and turned down a corner.
Flim, Flam, and Trixie looked at each other grimly, each one as miserable as the next as they sat amongst the trash-strewn floor of the Krampus’s sleigh.
“Trixie…what do you think he’s going to do with us?” The magician looked over at Flim and gave a defeated sigh.
“I…I don’t know.” Tears began to form along her soot-smudged cheeks, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I broke your machine.” The twins wrapped their forelegs around her shoulders as she bowed her head.
“It’s okay,” Flim whispered, “We’re sorry we couldn’t get you away from…” His voice trailed off as he gestured toward the sleigh’s driver.
“Really, it’s our fault,” murmured Flam, “The sled was never very reliable to begin with. In fact, it broke down several times today.” All three grew quiet as the Krampus cracked his whip, flinching as they looked ahead at the creature. They quickly averted their gaze as the Krampus peered over his hunched shoulder. The unicorns became as still as statues, not daring to breathe until they felt his flickering eyes turn back to the road. They quietly exhaled, sending three wispy trails of steam into the frigid night air before looking back at each other.
“No, it’s not your fault,” breathed Trixie, “He was after me. I…I haven’t been good this year.” She slumped down even further, recalling the event that had probably warranted a visit from the Krampus.
“Neither have we,” sighed Flim as he brushed the snow off his shoulders.
“But you know, I don’t think it matters anymore,” added Flam as he leaned back against the icy wood of the sleigh in a dejected manner.
They fell silent for a time, the ringing of the sleigh’s rusted bells echoing in their ears as they passed by dozens of houses, sometimes catching glances of beautiful trees looming in the windows. Numbed by cold, feeling hopeless and exhausted, Trixie never noticed how familiar the street was. Nor did she recognize the upcoming house. It was only when the sleigh came to an abrupt halt did she stir out of her gloomy daze. She blinked, loosening the snowflakes that had been steadily building up on her lashes. Her eyes grew wide as she processed the sight before her.
They had stopped right in front of her childhood home.
It looked the same as it did every Hearth’s Warming. A thick wreath of evergreen branches adorned the front door, and boughs of holly had been festooned about the railing of the front porch. A bright light poured out of the dining room window, silhouetting the form of a an enormous pine tree in the window. A stream of light smoke wafted out of the chimney, and the mere sight of it made Trixie recall how warm she used to feel when she sat in front of the fireplace.
As happy as she was, the mare couldn’t help but feel confused. Neither could Flim and Flam, who both gazed at the quaint little house intently. The ponies looked to their driver, not sure what to expect. He faced them with that same unnerving scowl he’d worn since they’d first seen him. The Krampus grunted and gave a quick nod toward the house, as if pointing a horn at it. For a moment the three captives stared blankly at him, unable to believe what they thought he was suggesting. He nodded again, letting out a threatening growl.
The night was suddenly alive with the sound of galloping hooves as three ponies dashed out of the sleigh and up the porch steps. They turned and looked at the beast, fearful that he might have pursued. He was still seated within his craft.
For a moment the two parties just stared at each other, not moving an inch.
“…Th-…Thank you…” muttered Trixie, so quietly that even the stallions next to her had a hard time hearing her voice. The Krampus grunted in response, and with a crack of the reigns, disappeared down the street.
There was another long moment as the unicorns stood on the porch.
“…I feel like I should ask a question here, but I don’t think anypony’s going to know the answer.”
Trixie looked over at Flim, who watched the Krampus fade into the darkness with a baffled look on his face. His brother wore a similar expression, and Trixie supposed she that she did as well. After a few more minutes in silence, the show mare looked back at the door. A smile crept across her face for the first time in a long while. She was home. Her eyes brightened as she realized she smelled food cooking. Somehow, despite everything she’d been through, she’d made it in time for dinner. Trixie wanted very badly to burst into her home that very second. But there was something she had to do first.
“Flim, Flam?”
The two brothers turned to address her.
“Yes?”
“First of all, I want to thank you for everything you’ve done tonight. Secondly, I was wondering if you would join me and my parents for dinner…” She watched as the two stallions looked up at her house, now just realizing why they had been dropped off at this particular residence.
“Well…I guess we could,” Flim said at last, “We don’t have any particular place to be, anyhow.”
“That is, if your parents don’t mind,” said Flam.
Trixie’s smile grew wider.
“They won’t,” she said, “Mom always makes too much anyway.” Flim and Flam glanced at each other, than back to Trixie.
“Well, alright then,” Flim said.
“We’re up for it,” said Flam.
The two stallions moved alongside Trixie as she gave the door a knock.
While three friends attended dinner, another being’s work was far from done. As his team pulled his sleigh along through the ever-present storm, he glanced down at a long piece of parchment. A long column of names still remained unchecked. He squinted through the cold at the next name. A lowly growl sounded out as he tugged at the reigns, steering his team toward the lands where Changelings dwelt.
Their queen had a lot to answer to this year.