A Krampus Story

It was a cold winter day at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack and Big Mac had returned from collecting extra firewood to keep the house nice and warm for the nights arrival.

"Brrr. It's so cold," Applebloom said, curling up underneath a blanket.

"I know sugar cube. Don't worry though, this extra firewood should warm us all up." Applejack threw the wood into the chimney, preparing it to be set ablaze.

Just then there was a knock on the door. "Applejack, it's Rainbow Dash! I'm bored! Let's do something!"

Applejack opened the door. "Rainbow? I'm busy keeping the farmhouse warm.

"Cool, cool. Wanna race me downtown and back?" Rainbow asked, without much care for what Applejack was busy with.

"I can't. I gotta finish starting this fire. Applebloom's almost an ice cube." Applejack started to close the door.

Rainbow put her hoof on the door. "Oh come on Applejack. Big Mac can light the fire. I bet you're just too scared to race me!"

Applejack stopped and glared at the mare. "You think I'm scared to race you? Really? I could beat you in a hoof race, easy."

The two stood side by side. “You know, you can still forfeit y’know!” Rainbow said with a smug expression. Applejack was having none of it however.

The two mares raced their way into town. Rainbow was able to overtake Applejack’s position in the front with relative ease. The farm pony was in the back by the time they started running back to the farm.

Applejack was conserving her energy though. As Rainbow began to slow down with fatigue, Applejack took the chance to break out into a full sprint. She quickly overtook first place, much to Rainbow's annoyance. Unfortunately, with the snow on the ground, it was hard to see the ice there too. As Applejack approached the finish, her hoof met a small patch of ice located in front of her home. She lost balance and slipped, ramming into the wooden wall, breaking a hole in it.

The cold air from outside quickly extinguishing the flames of the fire Big Mac had just finished igniting.

Rainbow stopped and rushed over to her friend's side, helping her stand up. "Applejack are you ok!?"

Applejack groaned in mild pain. "I think so." Luckily the worst injury she had on her was a scratch. Unfortunately, she couldn't say the same about the wall. The hole was as tall as Applejack. Inside the hole, the mare could see her family shooting her angered glares.

Applebloom had just started warming up in front of the fire, only for them to go. Leaving her as cold as before.

Big Mac just sighed and went to get the tools to fix it. Annoyed that his relaxation would have to come later.

"Applejack." The angered voice of Applejack's grandma rang out.

Rainbow Dash nervously started backing away, "Uh, see ya later Applejack!" She rushed back home.

Applejack gulped and sheepishly smiled. "Heh, sorry about that y'all. Lost my footing there." She slowly entered the home, sitting on the couch, sweating nervously.

Granny Smith glared at Apple Jack "Now, you shouldn't be doing such childish stuff like that Applejack. You might get Krampus' attention."

"Krampus?" Applejack had never heard such a strange name before. "What in the hay are you talkin about Granny?"

"Do they not teach you these things in school anymore? Krampus is the demon of Hearth's Warming!" Granny started, "every Hearth's Warming, he collects one naughty filly to punish until the morning sun, in the hopes that they'll be good for the entirety of next year."

Applejack just looked confused. "Only one filly? That seems inefficient. Wouldn't it be better to punish a bunch of naughty fillies?"

"Well he'd rather be thorough with one filly than waste time with a bunch of them."

Applejack just stared, somewhat stupefied by what her granny was telling her. It sounded like something that was made up on the spot just as a way to try and creep her out. Though it was a pointless effort. "Granny, you know I'm not a filly. Even if he is real, he wouldn't go after me."

"We're all fillies to an immortal, dear."

As much as Applejack was annoyed by such an obviously fake story, she was glad she didn't receive a harsh punishment.

Big Mac returned with his tools. In a matter of hours he was able to make a quick fix for the hole. While the new wood stood out like a sore thumb, he was at least able to keep the nighttime cold out. It gave him quite some fatigue however, and he went straight to bed afterwards.

Applejack started the fire once again. Giving Applebloom the warmth she had been waiting all day for.

"Applejack, what are you gonna do?" Applebloom asked her big sister.

"Whatdya mean?" Applejack was confused by the quesiton.

"I mean, what if Krampus comes for you tonight. You did break a hole in the wall..." Applebloom looked saddened for her big sister.

Applejack smiled and laughed a bit. "I'll be fine sugarcube. Krampus ain't real. Plus you head Granny. He only goes after fillies."

"But-" Applebloom started, but Applejack put her hoof over her muzzle.

"He ain't real. You don't gotta worry. Granny was just trying to scare me."

Applebloom felt some doubt, but she decided to trust her big sister. Applejack was tough anyway, she would be able to handle herself if Krampus ever came.

Applejack tucked Apple Bloom into her bed for the night and headed to her room. She brushed her teeth, got into some pajama's, and headed to bed. As Applejack tried sleeping, Granny's story was still in the back of her mind.

"Wonder where Granny got that Krampus tale. Probably some old folklore or something. I guess there are weirder creatures in Equestria. Though all the other ones are possible, this one's clearly a story used to scare fillies into being good. I mean, what would a creature like that even do all the other days of the year? It just doesn't make any sense for Krampus to exist."

Little did Applejack know, downstairs where the chimney once housed a blazing fire. Now was nothing but some wet wood.

Applejack heard what sounded like hoofsteps from the staircase. "Probably just BIg Mac or Apple Bloom coming back from the bathroom" she thought to herself. Though, as they got closer to her room she thought they sounded rather... heavy. Much heavier than she'd even heard Big Mac's hoofsteps. "Maybe somepony is carrying something?" She couldn't think of anything else it could be. Well except perhaps. No, that's a silly thought.

Though that thought felt less silly when Applejack heard her doorknob being turned.

"Big Mac? Is that you?"

The door was being pulled open now. The creaking noise making Applejack's entire body feel colder than the snow outside.

"B-Big Mac. I know it's you. This isn't funny." Obviously he must be playing a prank on her. He was probably still upset about having to fix the wall.

Applejack looked at the door, but the entire house was pitch black. She could barley make out the figure in her doorway.

"Ok Big Mac, you've scared me. You can stop now."

The hoofsteps started once again. The closer they got, the more Applejack could somewhat make out the outline of whoever was in her room. They were big. Real big. They didn't walk on four hooves either. Instead standing upright on two legs. Applejack could feel her body shaking outside of her control, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest, it felt as though the world was slowed down. She could make out the large, sharp horns of the intruder. All of her thoughts stopped in an instant, she wasn't able to think of anything. She was trapped in this room with... something. Something much larger than her. She didn't know what it would do to her.

The beast began pulled a long shape from off of its back. A weapon perhaps? Applejack screamed out loudly, hoping it would alert her family and they could get some help.

In the other room, Big Mac opened his eyes slightly. Something waking him up. However with exhaustion overtaking him, he just closed his eyes once more and continued sleeping.

Applejack saw the creature begin making sudden movements with his arms. Whatever he was carrying was spinning wildly above his head. It looked like rope, but it sounded like it was made of metal. Were those chains?

She started to move finally. She started to run off from her bed. Unfortunately, she felt a cold sensation envelope her legs and body. The chains seemed to hogtie her.

Appljack helplessly and pathetically struggled as the figure loomed over her. She felt its hands grab hold of her body, as it lifted her up.

"Let me go! Help! Someone help! Big Mac!" She felt herself being placed inside of some cylindrical case. Almost basket like.

She heard the sound of a lid being closed on top of the basket. Completely trapping her within its confines.

"Applejack?" A sleepy voice said from the doorway. Apple Bloom had been awoken by her sisters calls for help. She brought a candle with her "Apple..." Apple Bloom froze as she saw a large, goatish, creature standing at the center of Applejack's room.

The goat creature just looked at Apple Bloom... and smiled. He walked over to the filly, patted her head, and pushed her back into her room before gently closing the door, before walking back into the living room. As he climbed back up the chimney, he relit the fire and wandered out into the winter storm with his prize.