Home for Horny Monsters Ch. 095

Freyja laughed, then filled a nearby Grýla with spikes of ice. "There's about to be two of them if this keeps up."

Not funny, Yuki growled.

"I don't think it's funny either..." Freyja's eyes went up to the sky where the Northern Lights shimmered, the colors rolling over each other like a bundle of snakes. "Oh. Oh!"

Yuki never got a chance to ask what had the goddess' attention, because Freyja hurled herself into the sky, ascending rapidly under the wind's power.

Wish I could fly, Yuki grumbled. Not that flying would help her now. There was still the issue of Grýla's army on the ground, which would no doubt be waiting for her at Santa's house.

With Freyja off doing gods knew what, Yuki threw caution to the wind and made another mad dash forward. This time, she shape-shifted as she went, resuming her human form to fit through smaller openings. Yule lads and snow creatures had filled the interior structures of the village, and Yuki tore through them like paper. The Yule lads would often explode into a green mist, which meant they would come back later. Some stayed dead once slain, and she wasn't entirely sure what process ensured their destruction.

Outside again, she resumed her fox demon form and barreled through the snow monsters that waited for her. Up above, the Northern Lights churned as if caught in a storm, and she could just barely make out a golden figure at the center of the swirling mass.

I hope that's a good thing, she thought to herself as she dashed into another building and transformed into a woman. A trio of Grýlas ambushed her, but she flash froze one of them in a block of ice before spiking the other two. She was running on pure adrenaline now, and could feel her control on the magic slipping.

After running up a flight of stairs, she made her way toward a large window with a view of Santa's home. Shadows danced around the building, as if awaiting permission to enter. She was at least a mile out, and her attackers were increasing in number.

"Fucking hell," she muttered, pushing open the window and sliding out onto the roof. A massive paw smashed into her, sending her sprawling on the ground. Yuki groaned, rolling away from the Yulecat as it tried to crush her under a massive paw.

They had lost the giant cat some time ago, but the damned thing had caught up. Yuki summoned ice and stone, smashing both into the cat's face. The beast took the brunt of the assault without flinching, then swatted her aside again before she could transform.

"I really hate you," she muttered, summoning an icy shell to protect her. From within, she could see the dark shape of the Yule cat as it tried to crack the ice with its front paws.

The cat hissed, the sound reminiscent of a train releasing all of its steam after stopping. Yuki crouched down, ready to explode into fox demon form the moment the barrier was breached.

The ground beneath her trembled as an ominous trio of growls filled the air. The Yule cat turned away from the barrier, the giving Yuki an opportunity to create a hole in the back and sneak out.

The Yule cat hissed, its back arched as it faced the new arrival. A dark shape emerged from the rubble of a nearby building, all six eyes blazing.

Cerberus growled in response, hackles raised. They opened their mouths, hellfire washing over the square, devouring Yule lads and snow creatures alike. At least one Grýla was caught in the blast, her features melting away beneath the supernatural heat.

The Yule cat fled. Cerberus turned to face Yuki, all three heads bowed in greeting.

"Your timing is perfect," Yuki said, moving to the beast's side and scratched the first ear she could reach. "We need to get to Mike. He's in trouble, I can feel it." She hopped onto Cerberus' back, and pointed at Santa's house. Cerberus stomped on a snowman and turned toward their destination.

Up above, the maelstrom of green and red lights were now forming into funnel clouds and spiraling toward the ground. In those lights, she could see the spectral forms of thousands of humanoid figures.

"Whoa," Yuki whispered. The funnel clouds crashed into the ground, and she heard cries of alarm from Yule lads and Grýlas as the spirits charged into battle. Nearby, dark shadows fled to safety as the Northern Lights washed over them.

A shooting star crossed the sky, leaving a sparkling trail behind it. Yuki gasped when she realized that the star was a reindeer. On its back was the Grim Reaper himself, wearing an oversized Santa coat and carrying a large bag over one shoulder. The twisted reindeer of the Krampus threw themselves into the sky, chasing after their new prey.

"Merry Christmas to all!" Death cried, then threw himself free, tumbling through the sky before bouncing off the roof of Santa's home and landing in the snow.

"Let's go," she yelled, clutching the hellhound's fur. Cerberus sprinted across the North Pole, breathing fire on all that stood in their way.

From her vantage point above the North Pole, Freyja could see the small army closing in on Yuki's location. Dozens, if not hundreds of iterations of Grýla were running amok, and that didn't include the snow army she had created earlier. That was her divinity down there, tearing the North Pole village apart right now. It was unlikely that Yuki would be able to make it to Mike's side in time without some extra help.

She turned her eyes back up to the sky, her heart pleading. Tens of thousands of spirits watched her, many of them with one foot already in the mortal plane. She could feel their anger, the spirits eager to go down and help undo the madness she had caused. There would be a price for bringing them over, one far greater than she had paid for the limited soldiers from her native plane.

Freyja took a deep breath and gladly paid it.

A seam in the sky opened up, and the spirits poured forth. They weren't warriors--most were simple fishermen or farmers. It was the spirits native to this region, angry at Grýla and her ilk. They spiraled down, riding the wind much like Freyja did, crying out in languages that had been unheard in hundreds of years.

Down below, the mob chasing Yuki looked up in time to be ripped apart by the vengeful spirits. Hundreds of them assaulted Grýlas, stray snow beasts, and even a few Yule lads that got caught up in the fight. The spirits gave a wide berth to the three-headed hellhound breathing fire. Freyja smiled at the sight of a cerberus free of its domain. She was very familiar with the breed, and couldn't think of a more loyal companion.

Though the wind held her aloft, she felt her body weakening as her magic and the divinity she had acquired held the rift open. With eager eyes, she watched as Yuki arrived at Santa's home and ran inside, leaving Cerberus to defend the home from attackers. Letting out a sigh of relief, she turned her attention down to the ruined village. It had been in bad shape before, but now large portions of it were on fire, and she could see different variations of Grýla trying to flee in a panic.

"Run," she hissed, her lips curling into a sneer. She summoned a spear of ice as more spirits gathered behind her, their rage palpable. "Make it fun for me, you rotten bitch."

Freyja fell from the sky like a meteor, followed by the fury of thousands of years of tradition. Sculptors, hunters, mothers, and fathers crashed into the snow, reaping the enemies of the North in a one-sided slaughter. Golden orbs of light drifted toward Freyja, filling her with strength as she took back the power that was rightfully hers. Divinity flowed through her veins like liquid starlight, and she let out a mighty battlecry that shook the remaining snow off of nearby buildings.

She had forgotten this feeling. It had been centuries since she had walked these lands, and it was time to make her reappearance count.

"Death to my enemies!" Raising her spear skyward, Freyja rode the winds up and to victory.

Watching with horror as Holly walked toward the Krampus. Mike sat forward, magic surging through his veins in case he needed to intervene. It was one thing to allow rage to guide his actions, but protecting someone he cared about?

That was an entirely different matter.

Holly sang the final verse of her song, then knelt down by the Krampus. The demon was weeping openly now, and had assumed the fetal position.

"Don't cry," she told the Krampus, placing her hand over his. "You don't have to cry."

"She would have hated to see me like this," whispered the Krampus. "All dark and twisted. I felt it when she was gone, it was such a relief to know that she'd never be here for this."

"She isn't gone." Holly rubbed the Krampus' forearm. "Mrs. Claus is in my heart and yours. We can still make things right and bring her back."

"Foolish girl." The Krampus covered his face with a free hand. "These emotions, they're only echoes. They hold no power over me."

Holly shook her head and looked at Mike. "I don't think they are," she said. "I don't pretend to understand what you are or how you came to be, but you're still Santa. You're just the side of him that we never see. You've been bottled up, and that wasn't right. It is never right to hide away a part of yourself that is so integral to who you are. I know what it's like to feel incomplete all the time, like there's a side of you that you can't show the world. That's no way to live."

At those words, she threw a look of fierce longing in Mike's direction. He nodded for her to continue, then turned his attention back to the Krampus.

"Don't you understand? Nicholas is gone and I'm all that is left of him." The Krampus rolled into a crouch and wiped at his eyes. "I am just the cancer that was left behind, when all is said and done."

"You aren't a cancer." Holly moved her hand to the Krampus' cheek.

"But I am, Holly. I truly am."

"I don't see it that way. You're still the same person who did all those wonderful things for children around the world. If I've learned anything, it's that people have layers and they wear masks to protect themselves and others from what's inside."

"I'm evil, Holly. How can you not see that?" The Krampus bared his teeth, his eyes glowing red.

"Because I still believe in you." Holly held out Mrs. Claus' glasses. "And I believe that you could go back to the way you were. All you have to do is remember."

The Krampus stared down at the silver-framed glasses, then took them carefully from Holly as if afraid they would break. The horned demon sniffed, his eyes briefly reflected in the lenses.

"I can't ever go back to the man I was, Holly." The Krampus looked up at the elf. "Don't you see? I was the First Elf, forever bound by the nature of this holiday. Christmas is tainted, and has become about money and profits and pushing agendas. It's about expectations of forgiveness and miracles for no other reason than it's the 25th of December. Humans are gross, and lacking in decency. I would know, because I am nothing more than a reflection of their wants and desires."

"Santa, ple--" Holly was cut off when the Krampus seized her by the throat.

"Santa is gone. No more words," he hissed, crushing the silver glasses with his other hand. He rose to his full height just as Mike crossed the room, his clenched fists brimming with lightning.

The Krampus swatted Mike away so hard that when he landed, he had tunnel vision. Darkness crept in at the edges of his vision as the Krampus stared into Holly's eyes.

"It's time for you to find your inner darkness." The Krampus bared his teeth as shadow tendrils crawled along his arm and onto Holly's skin. She didn't struggle--instead, she stared defiantly. The shadows moved along her face and through her hair as if searching for somewhere to burrow inside.

Somehow, Holly found the strength to hum the tune to Jingle Bells.

"You will submit, Holly!" The Krampus shook her, but she continued to hum. This enraged the Krampus, who lifted her high as if to smash her on the ground.

"That will be quite enough of that." Death walked into the room carrying a large sack over his shoulder and a small gift box beneath his arm. He was wearing a Santa coat that was too large along with a matching hat that hung awkwardly to one side and a fake beard. When Death set the bag down, the Krampus stared at it with bulging eyes.

"You!" He declared, tossing Holly to the side. "You've been quite the thorn in my side, Reaper."

"Indeed." Death's eye flames burned like distant stars in his sockets. "I have worked very hard today to bring joy to the children of the world. You, on the other hand, have been nothing but a huge asshole."

The Krampus laughed so hard he grabbed at his own gut.

"And I assume you're here to stop me? Bah! Humbug!" The Krampus waved his hand dismissively. "I know exactly what you are, Reaper. You have no power over that which does not truly live."

Death adjusted his beard and then held up the present. "I am not here to stop you. In fact, I have decided that it would be in the spirit of the holiday to bring you a present."

The Krampus stopped laughing and leaned toward the Reaper, his face a mask of confusion.

"Do you think this is a game? Some sort of holiday special?" The Krampus chuckled and shook his head. "The elf dug up some old emotions, but I have buried them anew. It's easy enough when you don't have a soul. There's nothing on Earth that you could give me that would magically make me feel bad and change my ways."

"I disagree." Death clenched the gift in two hands and held it over his head. "Because I'm about to give you the gift of a proper ass whooping."

With those words, Death hurled the gift forward. The immaculately wrapped package twisted and shifted in mid-air, revealing long bladed limbs and whirling edges. Mike immediately averted his gaze as Tick Tock collided with the Krampus.

"No!" howled the Krampus, and the available light in the room dimmed. Tick Tock had transformed into a weird monstrosity that was all teeth and sharp edges, and the Krampus was doing his best to keep up as the two of them attempted to rip each other apart. "Stop, we're on the same side!"

"Now that is something you don't see very often." Death watched the melee for a few moments, then came over to Mike's side. "It would seem that I have arrived exactly when I should have."

"You're telling me." Mike looked over at Holly, who had crawled out of the way. "Where are the others?"

"I do not know. It is rather grim up there, Mike Radley. I am not certain there is much more we can do." Death looked sadly at the battle taking place. The room trembled as Tick Tock slammed the Krampus into the North Pole.

"Yeah, it's been a shit Christmas." Mike pulled himself toward the edge of the room and saw Holly. He waved her over, mouthing the words 'don't look.'

"On the plus side, I did get to meet Santa," Death continued. "Though our meeting was nothing as I expected."

"Yeah, you should never meet your heroes." Mike frowned as the Krampus slammed Tick Tock into a nearby wall, causing the wooden beams to crack. "We should probably get out of here before this place comes down."

"Would you like to meet him, Mike Radley?" Death reached into his cloak. "I don't know how much longer he will last in this form."

"Say what, now?" Mike looked at the Grim Reaper in puzzlement as he held out a hand to reveal a red and gold light that looked like the end of a sparkler.

"I found him floating outside. He was headed toward the Northern Lights." Death contemplated the light in his hands. "I probably shouldn't have interfered, but I figured it was going to be my only chance to--"

"Death, you're brilliant!" Mike turned his attention toward the Krampus. Tick Tock was now a multi-legged abomination trying to bite the Krampus' head off. "Tick Tock, hold that fucker down!"

The mimic twisted around, then stabbed the Krampus through the foot and pinned him in place. In response, the Krampus ripped his leg free, trailing black blood everywhere as he got underneath Tick Tock and grabbed the mimic by the legs. With a twisting motion, he slammed the mimic hard into the North Pole.

"You are a lesser being!" The Krampus shouted, then stomped on the mimic. Tick Tock fought back, clamping down on the Krampus' wrists.

"Death, I can put Santa's soul back!" Mike summoned his magic, creating a small cage made of electricity. "I pulled him out because I thought it would put him back in charge of the body, but that was a huge mistake."

"You should never pull souls out of people, Mike Radley." Death shook his head in disapproval. "That's very naughty."

"You can yell at me later. For now, you've given us a second chance to get things right." Mike thought about how Holly had briefly appealed to the eldritch being. This wasn't like Freya and Jack, two pieces of a separate whole. It was a colossal fuck up on his part, but if he could put Santa back, Holly's appeals might make it through.

"Caretaker!" The Krampus head butted Tick Tock so hard that the mimic went still. "I will not let you put that man's soul inside of me again!"

Mike concentrated, sending magical streamers across the room and focused on the void around the Krampus. What he had mistaken for nothing was in fact something he simply couldn't see. Though he couldn't identify what made the Krampus, he could see the gaps in reality left behind by its presence.

"No!" The Krampus shot across the room so fast that Mike didn't have a chance to blink. In a single moment, he found himself staring at bladed fingers reaching for his face, but frozen less than an inch away.

Standing between him and the Krampus was Lily. Her entire body glowed as if magma ran beneath her skin. Lily squeezed the Krampus by the wrist until something cracked.

"Hands off my man," she growled, then whipped around and stabbed the Krampus in the face with her tail. She speared him in the forehead, and he clutched at her tail and shrieked.

The Krampus staggered back and was grabbed from behind by Tick Tock. Lily and the mimic tore into the Krampus, who was now on the defensive. He shifted back and forth, dancing away from his attackers until he was at the far side of the cavern. Meanwhile, Mike was busy hooking his magic into those dark edges, coating them in his own magic to see them better. In his hand, Santa's soul bounced back and forth, ringing like a silver bell.

Holly grabbed Mike by the leg, almost breaking his concentration. Her wide eyes followed the fight as the Krampus once again took the upper hand. He had grown a couple more feet and had grabbed both Lily and Tick Tock in his many hands to slam them together.

"You may think you have powerful allies, Caretaker, but I will splay your innards across this room soon enough!" The Krampus hooked Tick Tock with his horns and tossed the mimic away before punching Lily in the face. "I am infinite!"

"He very much enjoys his own voice," noted Death, who was now munching on a candy cane.

"Indeed," Mike agreed, his magic now coalescing and creating a cage inside of the Krampus' spirit.

The Krampus grabbed Lily and threw her at Mike. This broke his concentration as he jumped out of the way to avoid getting crushed. Lily snarled like a tiger and got to her feet, her skin now covered in scales. He had never seen her so angry.

The Krampus charged toward Mike and was clotheslined by a foot-thick horizontal spear of ice that appeared in the middle of the room. As he flipped head over heels, Yuki appeared in the doorway, her face covered in cuts and bruises.

"Where the hell have you been?" Lily snarled, then jumped once more into the fray.

"Pleasant as always," Yuki muttered, then raised her hands and sent a beam of white light at the Krampus. Ice formed wherever the beam struck, causing the Krampus to slip and stumble.