Santa bad!! Santa!! Down!! Down Santa! Those aren't for you!!
Santa waved to the crowd of elves before him, who cheered intensely as he prepared for takeoff. His eyes met mine in the front row and he nodded to me. I smiled up at him and waved, Christmas cheer filling every sinew and bone in my body. What a joyous and most successful day!! Wait... what was that?
A loud crack of thunder silenced the crowd, even the excitable reindeer had stopped their fidgeting to turn and look towards the sound. Behind Santa's sleigh, something circular was forming.
Before I knew it, my next moments were a slow motion blur. Santa was being pulled into the rift that formed behind him. I had cried out a singular "Nooo!" reaching out towards him, running to try and catch him as his gloved hand met mine. I gripped at his forearm with all my might and dug my heels in, gritting my teeth.
My jolly elf hat flew off my head and into the rift behind Santa, jingling as it did, my heels slowly sliding as the strength of the rift grew. I cried out in anguish as my feet slipped, losing my grip on Santa and I myself went flying into the rift.
Before I knew it, I was face first in dirt, groaning in pain. I hoisted myself up, brushed off my elf uniform and stood, looking around.
Santa lay face up nearby, and I ran over to him, shaking his shoulder. Santa awoke with a start, sitting up violently.
"Thank the heavens, you came here with me, Geronimo!" He said to me, patting my shoulder. Santa stood and towered over me, taking in our surroundings. We were in a canyon of some sort. On one side was a glowing cave entrance, on the other was a stairway carved out of the earth itself. Surrounding the edges were lush, forest trees. Night was seemingly falling as well, for the sky was dusted with stars.
"Perhaps we should camp in that cave and get our bearings proper tomorrow?" I suggested, looking to Santa. He pondered silently for a moment before nodding to me.
"A fine idea, Geronimo." He said nodding more. He strode towards the cave as I followed behind. Inside, we found the source of the flowing. Crystalline, shining roots lined the walls and out the cave mouth, which were connected to a shimmering tree. Its leaves were crystalline. In the center of the branches was a six pointed, purple star crystal, and in their own separate branches, were five more.
"Just where in the world are we?" I asked absentmindedly. Santa did not answer. He only stared.
"Can you feel the magic radiating off of those, Geronimo?" He spoke almost as if he were in a trance, ignoring my question.
"Sir?" I asked simply. Santa shook his head, blinked and turned to me.
"Yes?" He responded in his normal tone of voice. Weird. What ... just happened?
--
Santa and I spent time setting up a small camp near the glowing tree, resting up and making do with what we could.
The next morning I awoke to Santa out of his makeshift sleeping bag and once again staring at the glowing tree.
"The magic within... I must have it..." he said, alarmingly dark.
"Santa no! We don't know what that would do to this world!" I said alarmed at his statement.
He did not listen to me. It was as if he didn't hear me at all.
Santa slowly approached the tree, a menacing smile on his face. He reached toward it, grabbing at the nearest crystal. Each crystal glowed brightly and, what I can only assume is magic, reached out from each gem and wrapped around Santa, and threw him out the cave. I ran after him in a state of panic, shaking him where he landed.
A handful of claws cut my torso as his arm swung me away, my back slamming at the reverse side of the canyon. I held my injury, blood seeping onto my hands. I looked back at Santa. He stood, his spine bent like a shrimp. Horns protruded from his forehead and his white beard and hair had turned black. Fangs glinted in the morning light as ran to me, preparing to attack. I got up and bolted to the stairs, climbing them with what haste I could muster and booked it into the surrounding forest.
I didn't stop running until i was weary and barely conscious. The last thing I saw before I collapsed was a cottage and animals, my body falling with a thud.
A cold towel being patted onto my forehead woke me gently. A pale yellow... hoof? Was keeping me cool. I looked to my torso to find it had been bandaged up. I tried to get up to move before the light yellow pony told me to stop.
"Oh! You mustn't move! You could reopen your wound!" Came the sweet, shy voice. This pink maned, light yellow winged pony knew my language?
"Wh- Where am I?" I asked quietly, allowing her to help me sit up. I winced at the pain.
"Oh! You're in my cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville! My name is Fluttershy. I found you collapsed outside and hurt. What happened?"
Well that was a lot to absorb. "Oh well my boss, Santa Claus, got pulled into some kind of? Rift? We found ourselves in the woods just yonder near a cave that had a glowing tree inside that had magical gems on it! We figured we'd camp there, but when I woke up, Santa tried to take one of the gems and they turned him into a monster! When I tried to shake him to wake him up, he clawed at me and I had to run away." I recounted. The pony named Fluttershy listened and nodded.
"That sounds like the Tree of Harmony you've described. But why would the elements corrupt somepony? This is definitely a question for Princess Twilight. Once you're better we'll ask, okay?" She smiled down at me sweetly. I smiled back and was about to nod.
"Wait.. no! We can't wait! That monster is still out there! What if he comes for Ponyville?" I said, panicked. Fluttershy mulled it over.
"Oh my! I suppose you're right. I'll carry you on my back and we'll go straight to Princess Twilight. She'll know what to do!" Fluttershy helped me onto her back and she flew off with haste.
Below us was a quaint little town chock full of pastel ponies. Fluttershy landed in front of a castle who's offensive shape and crystalline structure glimmered in the light.
Fluttershy trotted inside, entering a throne room.
"Twilight!!" Fluttershy cried.
A purple pony with wings and a horn turned on her heel to meet Fluttershy's gaze. Then her eyes scanned over me and the bandages and looking between me and Fluttershy.
"Whats going on?" She asked inquisitively, approaching slowly and observing me closer.
"Well you see," I began, seemingly startling the purple pony who's expression was one of shock.
I blinked before continuing.
"My boss, Santa, and I got pulled into a rift and next thing we know, we found ourselves in the woods nearby, and decide to camp in a cave with a glowing tree. This morning, my boss tried to take one of the gems on the tree and it made him evil! He attacked me and I ran until I collapsed, and then Fluttershy found me and patched me up. Also my boss is still out in the forest somewhere. I have no idea what to do but I can't let him do any more harm. I don't think he was in a well enough state to realize their were stairs out of that canyon." I gave Twilight the whole story.
Twilights face contorted from shock to even more, greater shock, then determination.
"Well, we will have to do something about this, won't we? If we can out maneuver Santa, we can get to the elements and heal his corruption and get both of you back where you belong," she said sternly, meeting my eyes. I nodded in confirmation.
"Thank you Princess. The humans need Christmas." I said in reply, offering the purple mare a smile. She smiled and nodded back simply.
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"Alright girls. Strategy. Rainbow Dash, use a tornado to throw Santa off an attack and get his attention on you. You're fast and can out maneuver him. Pinkie pie, you have your party canon. Applejack you lasso any attacks we might not be able to dodge to lessen the blow. Rarity, yours and my magic will come in handy. Teleport as we need, and get you, me, Fluttershy and Geronimo to the elements as fast as possible. Once we're there, we'll use their power to free Santa from his corruption and return him and Geronimo to their world. Got it?" Twilight said commandingly. Each pony nodded, each giving their own variation of "ready".
Below us, Santa roared and paced about mindlessly. Twilight used her magic to teleport us to the canyon below.
"CHARGE!" she cried heroically. Each pony darted forward, provoking Santa to attack. Each did as they needed to, protecting one another.
Santa lunged at Rainbow with a giant candy cane, which Applejack was quick to lasso and slam to the ground with all her might. Rainbow then swirled about him, creating a tornado to keep him from hitting Pinkie Pie, who was reloading the party canon.
I watched as Fluttershy sped to the tree, flying over. Gently, she helped me off her back and onto the ground below.
"I need to help them. Stay out of sight," she said, her voice trembling. I watched on as all hell broke loose.
Fluttershy dove in to protect Twilight who was distracted trying to teleport. But then she froze in fear.
Santa unleashed a powerful force attack that threw each pony away and against either side of the canyon, knocking each unconscious.
No! What if he kills them? I had to do something. I winced and hobbled over to the tree. They had called it the "tree of harmony" prior. Perhaps the magic would respond to me and allow me enough to defeat him and help my newfound friends.
I placed my hand on the base of the tree. "Please. The girls are all knocked out or worse. I need your help." I said.
The tree glowed brightly in response. I felt myself levitate off the ground and found myself surrounded by a bright light. My whole body began to transform. In a short time, I had become a pony with wings and a horn.
One by one, each element began to swirl around me, and the star shaped one levitate above my new horn. My mane and tail glimmered with ethereal magic.
Like an instinct, I knew what to do. I charged at Santa, the elements swirling faster as I did.
"Go back to the jollyness from whence you came!" I shouted, aiming a beam of magic at Santa. He roared as the magic hit him direct in the back. "I will protect the world you seek to steal from!" I shouted, flying into the air. A rainbow of color formed around me, swirling. I could feel the elements power surging through me.
With a single tear and a silent apology, magic blasted Santa and swirled around him. I landed back on the ground where Santa lay, his true form returned to him. Each pony came to, and approached the scene.
Santa awoke gently, sitting up. "Thank you Geronimo. You saved me. I was in there but couldn't speak. Something evil stole my body. Thank you all!" Santa said, looking at those who surrounded him.
"Lets get you home, shall we?" Came Twilight's voice. The elements that swirled around me went to each pony, forming necklaces and a crown.
Twikight cast a spell that formed a rainbow portal behind Santa and I.
"Thank you for your help, all of you." I said. I gave Fluttershy a hug before Santa stood and walked with me to the portal. I gave everyone one last look before we went through, the portal closing behind us, my form returning to normal.
The next day, all of Equestria awoke to a present from Santa awaiting them on Hearthswarming day.
The end.
Author's Note
This is incredibly cursed. But the prompt was also pretty open. I hope I was able to provide the chaos you wanted, Endless. Happy holidays!
To everyone else. Please accept my apology for how cursed this is.
