“Why is this happening? How did this go so wrong?” He thought to himself as he heard the deafening explosions, felt the intense heat, and saw the flashes of light.
“Angela, I remember that day we found you. Cradled in the arms of a mother who gave her life for you. Yet a fire will still consume you in the end. What have I done?”
The world swayed as the waves rocked harder under him. More heroes were joining the fray, but their comrades were battered and worn out.
“Angela, I never meant this to happen. I want to go back. I want to be in those days when we would play in the workshop. You loved playing with me. I never thought I could enjoy being with a child so much, so free and happy. You taught me much more than I ever taught you. But… something went wrong in me. I made choices I regret.”
Just then a new voice spoke in his head. It was the voice of Santa, “Krampus, is that you? Are you still alive?”
Krampus, now appearing as a human, floated on his back in the waters. Blood stained his body where gashes still bled. “Brother. I am weak.”
“I am glad you are alive.” Santa said. “I wanted to say goodbye.”
“I am sorry, brother, for what I have done. Now, close to my death, I realize too late the fault in me. My path I chose was twisted, and I never saw it.”
“I forgive you. I never stopped loving you as my brother, I just wish things hadn’t turned out the way they did. I too made choices I regret. Now, I am forced to rectify a situation I created.”
Krampus gasped in a wet, raspy sound. “Angela! You… you aren’t...”
“Yes, brother. It has fallen to me.”
“No. Please, not Angela!”
Santa laughed softly, “don’t tell me you care for her now? I thought she was just another brat, and pet of mine.”
“I was wrong. Please, don’t take her life. I… can…”
“This is the only way. At least, in a few moments, we will all be together again. I have little time left, Lady Phoenix grows weak.”
“No! Please... Santa... BROTHER!” Krampus called out in his mind, but there was no response.
Forcing his eyes open, the blurry image of heroes darting around the magnificent firebird hurt his old eyes. He had drifted away from the battle zone, the surrounding waters filled with a cloud of red blood streaming from his many wounds. No one above would recognize the man in the water. He was no longer the myth of nightmares.
With a weak movement, he reached up. “Please… don’t”
***
Santa held tight to his reins as he drove hard toward the Lady Phoenix. He swooped around her several times, avoiding being struck down before making contact. The heroes had distracted her, but he was still struggling to get in around the battles fray.
“yah!” The sleigh dropped suddenly, and he struggled to pull it back up. “My power is growing weaker, I must get in there before I crash into the ocean.”
Suddenly the heroes poured out an intense onslaught and took the Lady Phoenix off guard. She fought still, but was now lurching back, her bird dissolving into the surface of the ocean. Steam burst upward as the fire met water.
“This is my chance!” Santa snapped the reins and drove toward the woman in the midst of this inferno. Heroes dove out of his way, and some even flew alongside to make sure he wasn’t hit by fire. He yelled a long cry as they approached her. The Lady Phoenix looked up at him, her eyes displaying a sense of fear at his sight.
“HELP SANTA!” Krystal yelled and cast spells to keep the fire from immolating the Sleigh. Heroes focused their attacks.
Santa flew hard, heroes around him peeling off as he grew dangerously close to the heart of the flames.
“WHAT IS THAT?” Hotwings yelled as he pointed.
Another figure darted directly up at Lady Phoenix and met her at the same time as Santa. Upon impact there came an intense blinding light, then nothing. No explosion, no more fire burned, nothing happened. The heroes came to a standstill as they all looked for any signs of Santa, Sleigh, or The Lady Phoenix.
“Is it over?” Hotwings asked.
Krystal shook her head, “I don’t know.”
***
Chase floated in a strange place. Fire surrounded her, yet it did not burn. There was a song in the fire, a sound that was melodious and sad.
“Hello, where am I?”
“Angela.” A soft, kind voice spoke from behind her.
She turned in this weightless world and beheld a strange person. He was handsome, strong, and half dressed. He had green pants on, and nothing more. “Who are you?”
Holding up his arms he said, “this is how I appeared seven centuries ago, before I changed myself into the humans version of my appearance. But, even so, you should know me.”
Chase looked him in the eyes and said, “Uncle Krampus, is that you?”
“Yes. Angela, my sweet little friend. I’m sorry for what I’ve done to you.”
“What happened to me? Where am I?” She looked around the flames.
“You’re between lives. This is my power, a very special ability. Unlike all the others of my kind, I could touch the void. It is where I could put children to torture them. A nothingness. I have brought you here so I may do one good thing in my horrible life.” He groaned and held himself. At the same time, this strange place shook.
“Uncle, what’s wrong?”
“I’m near death. I have little time left.”
She held his hand, “no. Please, don’t go. I just remembered you.”
He laughed, “I too remember those days when we were happy. You were such a good little friend. I only wish I had become the man you saw in me, not the monster I was.”
“You were not a monster.”
“Yes, I was. It is only at the end of my days I realize it was wrong. But, I have one gift left to give.”
“What?”
He spent a moment straining from the pain and then held out his hand. Black shards flew from all around and came together. They joined into a single gemstone. “I saved the broken ruby of Lady Phoenix. I intended to keep it so she couldn’t be split again, and I could keep her evil. But, now I am going to use it to do what no other could, save you.” He held it up and let it float away from his hand. “Lady Phoenix, return to us!”
Chase gasped as the surrounding flames swirled into a great storm, then flowed deep into the black gem. It grew in brightness and turned a deep red hue. Then, an aura of energy resonated all over Chase. She strained and cried out as it split from her and also returned to the ruby.
Krampus grasped it and smiled, “she is free. The evil in her has been tamed.”
“How and why does this save me? I don’t understand.” Chase asked.
Krampus came closer to her, “your heart is filled with the magic of the man you called father. It cannot stay, once you leave this void, it will evaporate and you will die. But, I cannot let that happen.”
“How can you save me?”
He drew her in and held her in a hug. “Angela, my niece, I give you what remains of my magic.” A light grew between them. As this exchange happened he reached out and took the ruby, “and to you, my Lady, I give you my physical form. To my people and to the humans, with this I make amends. To you, I say, live a good life. I love you, Angela.”
Chase held him tight and whispered, “I love you, Uncle Krampus.”
***
Krystal spoke into her comm, “BADGE, we aren’t seeing anything.”
Nova came through, “I need eyes on Lady Phoenix, she should be back.”
“We’ll keep looking.”
Just then Quark and EB flew up. Quark said, “we can’t see anything.”
EB added, “I can’t sense her, Santa, or anything. I’m worried. They shouldn’t have disappeared.”
Krystal just about said something when another bright light formed. Energy exploded out, causing great waves of water to spread out and heroes to fly back. Suddenly, there came a tremendous burst and everyone covered their eyes. When it faded, a red object rushed out of the flash and fell toward the ocean.
Gar flew hard and caught Santa’s Sleigh before it crashed. Several other heroes joined him and carried the sleigh back into the sky.
Quark flew over with EB in his arms. The rabbit bounded into the Sleigh and gasped, “It can’t be! Santa! Chase!”
Santa opened his eyes and looked at the gathered heroes. “What… where am I?”
Quark asked, “is she alive?”
Chase softly woke and smiled, “father, is that you?”
“LOOK OUT!” The Closer flew away from them, his arm ready for combat.
Heroes watched as an unfamiliar figure appeared. A man was suspended in the air, one that no one here, save Chase, could recognize. Krampus hovered in the air as his body grew in brightness. Beams of light burst out of him and a flame ignited across his flesh. An explosion of light and fire engulfed him and transformed into a firebird. Heroes dodged her and some fired weapons at her, but she didn’t respond.
Lady Phoenix spoke with a booming, yet gentle voice. “BE AT PEACE, MY FRIENDS! THE BATTLE IS OVER.”
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