Pharynx entered the cave that he shared with the other infiltrators and could immediately tell something was off.

It wasn't just the smell of blood, though that was rarely a good sign, it wasn't even the cheerful singing. Pharynx didn't like it, but it was well known that infiltrators tended to absorb aspects of the culture they assimilated into. When you spent all day pretending to be ponies it was inevitable that you would exude the odd spontaneous musical number. Pharynx had accepted that, and he even caught himself humming that fucking Winter Wrapup tune from time to time, it was just too catchy.

No, what gave Pharynx the strong impression that he would need to crack some skulls was the decorations.

Really, there was cultural appropriation, and then there was this…

"Thorax!" he barked when he spotted his least competent sibling.

As usual the sibling in question metaphorically shat his pants at being addressed by his superior. It was pathetic, Pharynx had barely tried when he snuck up on the idiot.

"Oh, it's just you!" Thorax exclaimed, relief clear in his voice as he flittered back to the ground. "How did your patrol go?"

Pharynx ignored the barb and the pathetic attempt at small talk. His fury was directed at the mess of green and red behind the startled ling.

"What in the most brutal assrape is this?!" he asked in his sternest voice, pointing at the jumbled affront.

Thorax gave a very pony-like squeak and tried to block his brother's line of sight. As the tree in question was three times his height and he was, not to put too fine a point on it, Thorax, and was as such unsuccessful.

"Oh, that?" Thorax said, as if he'd just noticed the tree he'd been decorating. "That's an…" whatever excuse he had been about to utter died on his lips as he met Pharynx's disapproving scowl.

"Well you see, it's a pony thing. A tradition really, once every year they bring evergreens into their homes and decorate them as a celebration to-"

This time Pharynx silenced him with a slap.

"I know what a fucking Heartswarming Tree is you shitspawn! I've been infiltrating the same town as you!"

Thorax looked equal parts confused and sorry as he rubbed a hoof against the mark where Pharynx had struck. He wanted to ask what he had done wrong but didn't dare to ask, luckily Pharynx obliged.

"I don't care about the sissy tree. That's expected when I work with impressionable grubs like you."

"Then what?" Thorax's asked, looking hurt.

"It's what you decorated it with!" Pharynx spat and pointed at the glistening tubes and globes of red, white and pink strewn across the branches.

Thorax followed the pointing hoof and gulped.

"I didn't have any tinsell!" the grub tried to excuse himself, but was slapped again by Pharynx, harder this time.

"You could have used a length of chain you idiot!"

"I d-didn't think of that!" Thorax stammered, he was pretty sure his chitin had cracked where he had been hit this time. "B-b-besides, they u-use more than tinsel, coloured balls a-and-"

"I see you found those at least." Pharynx huffed angrily, pointing at the globes suspended from the branches, he titled his head, "Wait… are those testicles?"

"And eyeballs," Thorax confirmed, "Plus some other bits and pieces I could find. I put a heart on top, naturally because it’s called heart’s warming and h-heat rises...." he trailed off at the fury in his brother’s eyes.

At this Pharynx let out another huff of barely held back rage, which caused Thorax to take several steps backwards and bumping into the tree.

There was a prolonged wet slap as a length of intestines slid off its branch and fell on top of Thorax's gibbering head.

"We needed those prisoners!" Pharynx hissed through clenched teeth in what surely must have been a great feat of patience and restraint.

"N-not all of them?" his brother replied hopefully, then shrieked as Pharynx took a menacing step towards him.

"C-come on, it's H-heartswarming!" Thorax begged as his murderous brother advanced on him. "It’s the season to be nice and jolly!"

He would have backed even farther but his rump was already backed up against the tree and Pharynx had already moved to block off any other avenue to escape. There was a glint in his eye that scared Thorax to his core.

"W-we, shouldn't fight!" he begged as Pharynx's hoof found his throat. "if we keep arguing the windigos win. It'll be very bad!"

"Then..." Pharynx hissed, almost sweetly.

His hoof slid from his brother's throat to caress against the length of intestine that decorated his neck like some macabre scarf. Thorax shivered as the fire in Pharynx's eyes went from fury to cold and calculating.

"Then I better make sure this is the last argument we ever have."

His strong hooves moved quickly and before Thorax could react the length of entrails was wrapped around his neck and Pharynx was pulling on it hard, choking him.

He tried to fight as he struggled for breath, but it was no use. Pharynx was much stronger than him and better trained. All Thorax could do was plead with his eyes, but there was no mercy to be seen in his brother's cold gaze.

"Here's what I think of your damn tinsel," Pharynxh whispered as Thorax's attempts to fight back grew feebler and feebler.

There was a sharp crack as the tougher changeling, fed up with how long it was taking, and perhaps not enjoying squeezing the life out of his brother as much as he had imagined, snapped his neck, giving him a swift death.

With another twist and a sharp pull the head came loose in his hooves.

"Congratulations Thorax," Pharynx purred to the still face as it's severed body crumbled to the floor.

"You just became my jack-o'-lantern for Nightmare Night. Aren't pony tradition's fun?"

Author's Note

So, after having an existential and educational breakdown over the holidays I am once back to deliver stories about ponies brutally murdering each other.

Enjoy this belated Christmas special. Sorry, I meant Hearts Warming.

Also, do not try this at home, decorating your Christmas tree with real organs will lead to bad consequences for yourself, not just for whomever you gut.