It had been a couple of days since Luna had to banish her sister and I had been giving her her space. I had been asking myself why, why did Daybreaker appear and so suddenly, I hated myself for it but I needed to ask Luna. I walked through the halls of the broken castle quietly, slipping in and out of shadows, testing my theory that I could only be seen if I wanted to be, and so far I was right, I stopped slinking through the shadows in front of Luna's room. As I stood there, I couldn't help but still think that I was rushing asking her, but I needed to make sure my friend was ok, I raised my hand and gave a slight knock on her door.

"Please leave us alone" I heard her say from behind the door. I knew in that moment I couldn't just walk away.

"Princess Luna, it's Krampus" I said, waiting to see if she said anything back. When I didn't hear anything I continued, "please let me in so we can talk, it is not healthy to you to stay in your room sulking. I understand that you're hurting and I want to help you." It grew quiet as I listened, and when I thought all was lost I heard the door unlock, I took a deep breath and entered her bed chambers. As I entered I noticed she was sitting on her bed facing away from me, I closed the door behind me and locked it once more as I walked forward to sit with my friend.

"She was always looking for the best in everypony," I heard Luna say. I stopped walking in front of her and once more wiped a few tears from her face.

"I understand that it hurts, but if you talk about it I can try to help you" I said, taking one of her hands in mine. I smiled slightly as she faced me and once more she sniffled.

"She started acting funny a couple months ago."

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*A couple months ago Princess Luna POV*

"Are you sure sister?" I asked Celestia.

"Unfortunately so sister, somepony has taken over the empire and has enslaved the crystal ponies" she said. I just stared at her and nodded as we both took off headed for the frozen north. We flew quickly hoping to get there sooner, we had to stop but once on our way there.

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"We arrived the next day, and it was horrible," Luna said.

"What happened at the empire that could cause your sister to change so drastically. That she would lose faith in friendship and give into hatred?" I asked Luna.

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The clear crystals that had made up the castle and most of the empire had turned a sickly black. Nopony was smiling and every guard we saw had swirling clouds in their eyes. We landed just outside the empire and decided to walk to the castle, most of the buildings were in disrepair, the road was covered in ash and snow, any guard we came across, I put into a deep slumber.

It took me and my sister about half an hour to reach the castle, because we didn't want to fight our own ponies. Once we entered the castle it was even worse and all paintings of princess cadenza were gone, replaced by paintings of a black umbra stallion with a curved blood red horn.

"This is wrong sister" Celestia said to me.

"What do you mean sister?" I asked her looking between the black crystals, the paintings and my sister.

"I mean why are there paintings of an umbra? Why would someone who uses dark magic not have their own likeness in the frames?" She asked seemingly perplexed and questions flew about in her mind. I knew the answer to that and I hated to have to point out what it was to her.

"Because sister, if evil hasn't changed its ways and is still self centered. Then we are looking at the face of the stallion responsible." I said as we passed by broken doors, and decrepit rooms getting closer to the throne room.

"Preposterous sister!" Celestia exclaimed, like I had just slapped her. "Nopony would ever do such evil, this is the work of Grogar if I had to hazard a guess."

"Then you would guess wrong Princess" a voice shouted at us full of venom as soon as we entered the throne room.

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"And sitting there on the throne was the stallion responsible for everything that had happened to the empire, what happened to my sister." Luna said sniffling once more, almost breaking down.

"King Sombra?" I said questioningly, "how did Celestia take this revelation that a pony was responsible for such hardships?"

"She refused to believe me, she refused to believe Sombra. Only after he used his shadow form, he cast horrible shadow magic that caused horrible nightmares."

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I was standing in the shadows, listening to the whispers, yet I wouldn't break. I had faced worse nightmares than this foolish stallion could produce, but I heard Celestia scream from somewhere close to me. I ignited my horn and focused on my magic that forced nightmares back. When my spell hit the shadows they dispersed and I managed to find Celestia, she was sobbing incoherently, I heard Sombra cackle, once more I lit my horn.

"Come sister" I exclaimed, helping Celestia to her hooves. "Let us show this shadow what happens when evil decides to harm good."

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"We drove Sombra back, and managed to banish him to the shadow realm. But unfortunately, he had one more spell placed, that caused the empire to be banished with him." Luna told me as I nodded.

"Celestia fell victim to the shadows, and fell into darkness didn't she?" I asked knowing the answer.

"Yes, but it was so much worse" Luna started. "She refused to talk with anyone that wasn't a pony because she believed that even though most of the talks were of peace they would attack her. I delegated most of the treaties and Celestia wasn't even consulted because she was getting so paranoid."

"Then why have me meet with her, if you knew she was so paranoid?" I asked her.

"Because ever since I headed peace talks and summits, Celestia started to become more like her old self. She started acting peaceful again and was asking me about the talks of peace so I figured we could speak once more normally but I should have seen the signs" she said sniffling and letting her tears fall.

"You could not know I would be the straw that broke the camel's back. You could never have seen the events that transpired five days ago" I said, wiping her tears away once more. I embraced her in a hug as I let her cry herself to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~500 years later~~~~~~~~~~~

It's been about five hundred years since I met Luna, five hundred years since Daybreaker. A couple weeks after I had helped Luna and learned of what happened to Celestia, Luna said she didn't feel comfortable in the old castle and I helped her move to Canterlot. I helped her plan the building of it, but I told her it was best if I stayed in the shadows, I had watched the night for her while she helped the ponies that were having nightmares. I had become a living legend to those that dabbled in darkness, I have become the boogeyman of the boogeyman, I've learned to control most of my powers in that time.

Today had been a very quiet day, too quiet for my taste, I had learned long ago that if it's quiet to me...I will be needed. That's when I heard the angelic voice of a child, speak coldly and venomously almost like they were right next to me. "I hate love, I hate friendship and I hate living here, I wish everypony would just go away" my head snapped in the direction of that hateful wish, I let a smile form on my face because children that have lost faith are the loudest to me. I disappeared into the shadows and headed to where I knew the voice was coming from, as I got closer to a single building I could feel dying faith and my blood ran cold, for I was standing in front of an orphanage. I snuck in through the shadows and watched as children laughed and played, all except for one pink unicorn filly, she stunk of dying faith, as I approached her I heard the tell tale signs of silent tears and little sniffles.

I decided right then and there I would help this filly no matter what, so as she silently cried, I put my hand on her back trying my best to console her. At first she went rigid and turned away, but as I started to pull my hand away, she leaned more towards me and I allowed her to see me. I watched as several emotions went through her eyes from sadness, to fear, to curiosity, and finally they settled on a happier look.

"H-hi, are...are you my imaginary friend?" She asked me in childish innocence. I nodded not wanting to scare her with my voice as I wiped away her tears. She smiled and clapped her hands together laughing slightly "my name's Mi Amore Cadenza, but I prefer Cadence, what's yours?" She asked still with the innocence of her childish mind, she didn't see me as a monster but as someone who could help her take away whatever pain she was feeling. I still didn't want to scare her with my voice so looking around I found letter blocks, grabing the correct blocks I spelled out my name, "Krampus? Is that your name" I nodded. "Can you talk?" I nodded once more, "why don't you? I don't care what you sound like it would be easier for us to communicate" she said smiling.

I sighed as I looked down, I set my resolve and looked back up, to Cadence I was an imaginary friend who could never harm her. "I hope not, it is a pleasure to meet you Cadence, I am Krampus" I said hoping I didn't scare her, but all she did was beam at me.

"Wow *giggle* you sound so cool, what do you want to do Krampus?" She asked, forgetting whatever was making her sad.

"Whatever it is that you want….my friend" I said smiling at the prospect of my second friend in Equestria. So for the rest of the day I played with Cadence, we had imaginary tea, we set up a doll house, I even taught friendship lessons to a couple fighting dolls. Her smile never left her face all day, but soon I had to watch the night so I told her I had to leave for the night, she frowned and asked me why. I explained to her that I was her personal imaginary friend, but I protected all children from monsters that wished to harm them in the night, she nodded at that, but before I left, I imagined a doll in my right hand. I focused through my mind's eye a doll that could chime any song possible, and when I opened my eyes and saw the doll that was in my hand, "here Mi Amore, this doll is specifically for you, she will protect you when I cannot, but if you should ever need me speak my name to the doll and I shall come straight to you" I said handing her the doll.

"She's beautiful, what's her name?" She said looking at the doll I had handed her. I had to think about that because none of the toys I had had names.

"What name do you think she should have?" I asked her.

She became quiet as I saw her scrunch up her nose in thought, she stayed like that for a few minutes as her eyes went wide and a huge grin adorned her face. "How about Lilac?" She said looking up at me.

"It's a beautiful name, child, now I must be off" I said ruffling her mane. I stepped back and disappeared back into the shadows watching as Cadence waved me goodbye hugging lilac close to her I smiled as once more I walked through the shadows back to the castle knowing I had helped to start healing my new friend but I would bring up her existence to Luna and together hopefully we'd be able to give her a better life. I kept slipping through the shadows until I reached the castle, and continued to walk until I reached to main doors, Luna had insisted that the be the same radiance as the moon while still incorporating the sun, I slipped under the door using my inner magic and on the other side found the beautiful radiance of the halls.

I walked through the halls navigating the corridors until I reached the throne room doors. As the guards on duty opened the doors for a snobby noble, I followed through the doors and stood behind one of the many pillars in the throne room to wait for a chance to speak with Luna. Honestly standing here is boring, but there's nothing else for me to do, so as I listen to the pompous ass drone on about taxes or such bullshit I couldn't help but listen more closely when he brought up an orphanage.

"Also Princess Luna, we need to lock the filly away because she is a danger to everypony" the pompous ass said.

"Oh and pray tell why I should have a FILLY! locked away and not you" Luna said to the stallion.

"Because Princess, she understands emotions to well, if you ask me she's a changeling and at this very moment while you and your guards do nothing, I've already sent ponies that actually care about the well being of Canterlot to deal with her" the pompous said, making my blood boil. I stepped out of the shadows allowing everypony in the room to see me, and Luna knew by the look on my face this stallion had pushed the wrong button.

"And what exactly does that entail?" I said standing behind him. I watched as he turned around to attempt to sound more important than me only for his eyes to bug out of his skull and his jaw drop. I laughed darkly as I saw a dark stain start to flow down his trousers as I looked him in the eyes, then I heard it *KRAMPUS HELP ME!* it was like she was right next to me, Cadence had called for help and I realized who the child he had sent ponies after was. I saw red as I roared my fury to the ceiling of the throne room, I looked back at the cowering stallion and lifted him by his neck "if anything happens to that child, any punishment Luna thinks of will seem like heaven when I get back" I said calmly as I dropped him on his ass and turned towards one of the windows in the throne room.

I lept towards the window, shattering it as I flew out of it, a freezing gust of wind following behind me. As I flew towards the orphanage I let my powers out conjuring a blizzard, the sparse white clouds that the pegasi had left in the sky intensely turned black and spread out covering the whole of Canterlot. I let myself drop onto the roof of the orphanage as my bells jingled and my chains rattled, the wind blew in horrible gusts as snow fell from the sky by the buckets, I stalked slowly towards the chimney allowing my hoof falls, bells and chains to be heard as a warning, I was here and I was pissed

~~~~~~~~~~~Cadence POV~~~~~~~~~~

It had been a couple hours since Krampus had left and I was playing dress up with lilac, when the nicest of our four caretakers came to see me. She was a nice earth pony and one of the few that didn't mind that I was good at feeling emotions better than anypony else, mostly because I had helped her and her husband realize why they had fallen in love in the first place.

"Hey Cadence, do you mind if we sit and talk?" She asked me as I looked at her, while holding lilac close.

"Of course Mrs. Night Light, what would you like to talk about?" I asked her a bit confused, she usually didn't come talk to me until Saturdays.

"It's about how you're adjusting here, did you finally make a friend today?" She asked motioning towards lilac.

I smiled as I said "yes isn't it wonderful, Krampus gave her to me, her name's lilac" I said hoping lilac didn't notify Krampus about me speaking about him.

"Lilac is a beautiful name, but who's Krampus?" She asked me, seeming confused. Before I could answer her question we both heard yelling and fighting out in the halls, "Cadence" Night Light started "I want you and lilac to stay here while I go see what's going on, okay?"

"Okay Mrs. Night Light" I said, as I watched Mrs Night Light leave my room. I heard the yelling stop and Mrs Night Light asking questions and then I heard a loud slam and then the fighting voices asked her where I was. I heard her give a sharp cry and then nothing, I scooted back against the wall hugging lilac closely, as I heard hoof steps once more only they were getting closer.

I started getting scared and I locked my door using my magic, hoping it would deter whoever was there to go away. But my fears were proven right when my door knob jiggled for a few seconds and then stopped, only to be broken down shortly after causing me to scream.

"So this is the changeling whore that needs to die" the unicorn standing where my door was said.

"Oh yes, it should be fun to break it" cackled a black pegasus behind him. I started crying as both stallions started coming into my room. The unicorn raised his hand to hit me, "what's the matter bug too afraid to do anything to stop us" he said laughing as I felt his hand hit my cheek.

"KRAMPUS HELP ME!" I screamed holding lilac close. The stallions in my room chuckled darkly as they stalked closer to me, then I heard it, like a whisper in the breeze *I'm here child* all of a sudden my fear was gone, replaced with joy as I smiled and laughed.

"What so funny bug" the pegasus said darkly. That's when we heard the sound of heavy hoof falls on the roof, followed by the jingling of bells and the rattling of chains. "What's that?" The pegasus asked the unicorn and before he could answer lilac did.

"My master, her friend, your demise, but you may call him...Krampus." That's when the first scream of many sounded as lilac started laughing darkly.

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I crawled down the chimney, making it crack and buckle, with my size and weight I focused my powers as I reached the bottom. As the fire roared to life I set my hands on the sides of the opening, slowly crawling out of the opening, I felt a spell connect with the fire attempting to put it out. Cutting my power controlling it, as the fire died, as I left the chimney, I smiled as I jumped at the stallion that fired the spell, causing him to scream and me to smile. Standing up I pulled the wicker basket off my back and stuck the horrible stallion inside of it, and turned my head to the left and saw three stallions run into the room I was in, as they stopped and saw me only two of them charged their horns.

I smiled and focused my power into one of the cherubs hanging from the ceiling, as it's cold eyes came to life with fire, he notched three arrows and fired as I disappeared into the shadows. I watched as the three arrows found their homes, one got lodged in the skull of one of the two with his horn lit, the other one had an arrow lodged in his shoulder causing him to scream out in pain and the third had an arrow in his back. Stalking forward I picked up the two that were still alive and put them in the basket.

Picking up the basket once more I focused my power and slunk into the shadows and walked towards Cadence's room. When I reached the hall that led to her room, I saw the female caretaker dead on the floor and the other three by the door to Cadence's room. Snarling I focused the wind to blow the window opposite the three of them to blow open causing snow to swirl in at a frightening pace, stalking forward once more I grabbed one of them in the confusion of the snow and stuck him in the basket.

The other two managed to reorient themselves quicker than the one I grabbed, but it didn't matter. As the snow in the hall got deeper the one closest to Cadence's door was dragged backwards by a snowman that I had been able to create out of the snow, as the stallion disappeared into the snowman allowing me to grab the third one from behind and stick him in the basket as well. Turning to where Cadence's door should have been was a gaping hole leading into her room, as I slowly stepped through the doorway, I saw Cadence smiling at a black pegasus and a brown unicorn. As they turned around I smiled darkly and as Cadence looked to me she started laughing even harder.

"Gentle stallions, I present to you my friend, Krampus" she said with a huge grin on her face. The unicorn smiled and fired a spell at me, I did nothing as it hit. I heard him laughing, and as the blast dissipated, I cackled louder causing both of the stallion's eyes to widen.

"Now, now men, now we can't do this the easy way," I said pointing to my sack of toys in the corner. I smiled widely as the sack split open and toys started piling out as tinsel fell from my sleeves.

"Let us go or we kill the kid" the unicorn or dumbass one said. Unbeknownst to him or dumbass two, lilac was standing right behind of him and jumped into his back, and crawled up to his horn latching on. Just as that happened the tinsel that fell had slithered to dumbass two and had jumped wrapping around his wings. I jumped forward in the blink of an eye and had them both by their throats.

"Usually I'd take you straight to Luna, but you've pissed me off. So your punishment shall be to serve me for the rest of eternity" I said cackling madly as my power flowed from my hands into their bodies transforming them into tin soldiers. "Now, Mi Amore, would you like to live with me and the princess so bad men like these will never hurt you again?" I asked Cadence as she slowly walked forward with lilac.

"Really!?" She said with stars in her eyes. Again she wasn't afraid of me, she probably thought she was being taken care of by the police and that I was once again there to help her heal, 'ah the wonders of a child's mind' I thought to myself as I called the storm off and had the toys return to the bag. I reattached the basket to my back and put Cadence on my shoulder, "Hang on child for we should be to the castle shortly" I told her with and with a smile on both our faces once more I lept through a window, making sure it was open first and headed for the castle.

Author's Note

Sorry if this might seem rushed, I worked on the pacing a lot and I feel like it flows really well. Also this is my longest chapter ever so enjoy 😁