Walking in the snow (a Hearthswarming horror)

by Reactception

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Hippogriffs, Death, Alternate Universe, Sad, Original Character, Horror, Griffons, Violence
Length: 1913

A monster stalks a small family of 3 as the evacuate the city

Written for Jade Ring Jinglemas 2021

I don't have character preferences, really, but I'd really like to see someone try their hand at a Hearth's Warming horror story in the style vein of my own 'Grogar' and 'Apple Valley.'

Gwen the griffon and her husband Gary the hippogriff are walking with their son to leave Griffonstone before an blizzard hits the city. But something else is in the city still….

(Set slightly in the future of Equestria and Griffonstone.)

Published 2021-12-26 21:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2021-12-26 21:50:00 UTC

Just another Hearthswarming Eve

Many had died in Griffonstone yesterday on the night of Hearthswarming eve. And no one even knew thanks to the snowstorm that continued to rage almost endlessly around the empty city.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves let us go back to yesterday in the heart of Griffonstone:

The small family of Gwen the griffon and Gary the hippogriff and their small griffon son we’re walking through the downtown district looking at all the lights because they had promised their son they would look at the lights as they left town to avoid the blizzard.

“Are you okay Goofball?” Gwen asks fluffing her son’s crest feathers and pulling the shivering ball of feathers into her side with her left wing.

“J-Ju-just really cold! Is all.” He responds quietly looking at the lights on the buildings around him and pouting about how his favorite time of the year was gonna be cut short by some troublesome storm.

As they walked down the street the family heard an unexpected voice from down one of the alleys to the side of the main factory road. The voice says: “Gary is that you and you’re family?”

Gary turns towards the dark alley and yells back “Boss is that you? I thought everyone left the city already for the holidays and the storm.” His hoofs gesturing towards the city limits as he says left and then towards the sky when he says storm.

The voice of Gary’s boss pauses for a split second before continuing by saying “I hurt my wing and got stranded here on my way out of town while looking at all the decorations before they are gone.”

“Oh let us help you.” Gary says rushing towards the darkened alley.

“No! You have a family Gary you should leave. But before you get out of town can you send someone else to come back for me?” Gary’s boss asks from the shadows

Despite the glares Gwen gives him Gary decides he should help his boss get out of dodge before the storm freezes the entire city over.

With a sigh Gary looks back at his son and with a warm and happy smile says “Hey! What do you say we meet up at the edge of the city a few minutes? This shouldn’t take too long.” Meanwhile he was giving the I promise eyes to his wife over theirs son’s head.

After all being a young Hippogriff and being a young Griffon and learning about sympathy were too very different things. One was a weakness you should never do and the other was an encouraged pastime.

Finally Gwen accepted with a small “Okay.” Taking their son and leaving not knowing that would be the last time they ever saw Gary.

After a a brisk walk Gwen and her son are finally at the edge of town just as the major storm Is beginning to hit the city.

Gwen was beginning to be concerned as to why their was no sign of her husband or his boss even though it has been about 20 minutes and they we’re supposed to meet them here at the edge of town.

“Mama I’m bored! Is dad coming soon?” Her son asks looking into the oncoming blizzard that was already consuming the air and the city around them.

At this rate Gwen was going to have to leave with her little goofball after all the weather was getting cold for her. Which meant a little Griffonling still growing into his feathers such as him would be practically dying.

And that he was his entire body was shaking as he grasps into his mothers plumage. Trying to get any warmth and or a block from the wind and ice.

“Sorry I kept you guys waiting.” Gary’s voice says from just out of view his shadow getting closer and closer to the mother and son pair.

“Finally!” The son says letting go of his mom and walking towards his father’s shadow. Only As he gets closer his fathers shadow expands and expands until it’s triple the size of what it is for his dad usually.

He looks up but instead of seeing his father’s loving eyes and smiling face he instead sees glowing purple eyes full of hunger and malicious and a smirk that gave off the most predatory vibes he’d ever felt in his short life.

Before he could even react to whatever this thing was it outstretched it’s claws and lifted them above it’s head yelling “Now be a good boy son.” In his fathers voice.

Suddenly Gwen is in front of her son taking the claws of the beast to the wings because she has blocked the strike meant for him. And screaming in agony. She then flips around and scratches the beast in the right eye making it fall back screech.

“Run!” Gwen shouts her motherly instincts and her griffon brutality mixing to make a deadly combination of angry bird. She dove at the creature scratching and clawing at the much larger creature as her son ran back into the city in terror.

The last thing he would ever see of his mother was the creature smashing her head into the ground as the creature screeched.

“Help! Somebody help me!” The small griffon screams as he runs down the downtown of the newly renovated Griffonstone.

Unfortunately for the poor Griffonling the entire downtown area had been evacuated due to the blizzard that had blown in.

The small Griffon was still being chased by a large shadow of the monster that is triple his size. And over twenty times stronger then a male adult Griffon.

The boy who was scared out of his mind was losing ground the large beast catching up to him with ever corner turned. The usually sparkling and pretty green and red lights of Hearthswarming instead made the entire world around the Griffonling seem even more ominous and looming then the average winter night would’ve been.

But out of the corner of his eye the little guy saw a chance at salvation an slightly open factory door that obviously hadn’t been shut properly and was instead left open by the Griffons who had evacuated.

Seeing his chance the little griffon dived through the factory door and tan back to it slamming the door shut behind him as fast as he could. Barely slamming it shut before the creature made it in with him.

Catching his breath the little griffon fell to the floor gasping for air and crying his eyes out as he thinks about what the creature had done to his mother and probably his father.

But the creature seems to have left him alone after he locked it in the factory no longer interested in lean meat or the hassle.

But just when the little griffon starts to calm down thinking he’s finally escaped that monster suddenly a loud howling shriek that sounds similar to a wolf but much louder and shriller can be heard just outside. It causes him to grip onto his tiny ears in pain as his eardrums begin to pound from the sound of the shrieking.

The creature outside begins to slam itself on their back door splintering the door with the first hit and cracking it with the second. After two more bangs the creature stops slamming itself into the door and all is silent for a minute as the the boy don’t move or breathe a muscle while the silence is happening at fear of the creature hearing him.

Suddenly a voice is heard at the front door of the factory calling out to the young griffon “Sweetheart help me that thing it a-a-ate you’re fa-father and now it’s a-a-after us.”

The young griffon looks up sadly at the door and in a firm voice reply’s “You’re not mama yo-you ki-killed her.” The tears begin falling down his face as he finishes replying to the voice.

He thinks maybe the monster has left until his mother’s voice comes again “No-No *Sobbing*” but then the sobbing slowly becomes a hysterical fit of laughter like that of a insane asylum escapee maniac from some a fictional story horror book.

Whatever is on the other side of the door speaks again but this time it’s voice is different more scratchy and calm as it says “Oh little one it’ll be so much easier if you just come out here and stop being…..” The voice changes back to that of his mother “……My little goofball!”

“I suppose I should remember not to underestimate children….” The creature says a tone of amusement as it taunts the boy changing its voice back into that of his father. “Even ones as disappointing and weak as a half breed like you.” It cackles again as he whimpers from hearing his father’s voice again after it had probably killed him.

“What do you want?” The boy sobs looking around the warehouse for somewhere to hide. The echoing voice of the creature responds with a scoff and says “You were just a meal and then mommy scratched me in the DAMN EYE!!!”

The Beast quickly stalked the top of the building and sliding down the open factory Chimney into the furnace. Slowly pushing the doors of the furnace open and sneaking past the boy into the shadows it was so easy the creature had to resist laughing at this hunt.

“You’re father died so quickly!” The voice the creature was mimicking was Gary’s boss the same voice as the one from the dark alley. And then it switched to his father’s voice “and you’re mother got in a lick or two before I broke her skull in half.”

The boy runs away from the direction of the Vice to the other side of the factory where the creature is waiting for him. And in voice of his mother the Beast says from right behind him “You’re not even worth the trouble of eating.”

It then charges out of the shadows scooping him up from behind and launching him into the furnace and slamming the doors of the furnace shut.

He then pulls the lever that activates the furnace making the whole inside burst with flames burning the little griffon alive.

The Beast’s POV:

Another year another group of tiny beings consumed but yet I remain hungry and in need of more little Griffons.

“Oh well I guess I’ll scoop up some more after hibernation.” I gasp looking around the snow-bitten city one last time before I return next Hearthswarming.

Author's Note

Hope you enjoyed my gift Jade Ring!
And my decision to add another monster into mlp instead of making another Grampus (Grogar/Krampus) story.

I do apologize if it’s a slightly different style then that of you’re stories but every time I tried to replicate you’re technique the story sucked pretty hard. Also meant for it to be longer and the suspense to be more prolonged but I ran out of time.

I was busy with a lot this year I was hosting Christmas so I apologize again if it feels rush and I promise I’ll do better next year for Jinglemas

Y’all can use The mysterious beast in other Christmas horror stories as long as you ASK ME FIRST. As long as you message or ask on my page I just want people to ask first especially if you’re making a new incarnation of the character.