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Chapter Text

The Snow Queen/In Defense Of Gryla, A Red One Fic

Creepypasta

She tapped on the glass of the globe with the tip of her right forefinger, and watched as Gryla tearfully glanced up. She'd resumed her natural troll form and sat hunched on the floor of the snow globe, long yellow hair streaming over the right side of her face as her head tilted down. When her eyes met Mrs. Claus's they filled with misery and shame before glancing away. Mrs. Claus tapped on the outside of the globe again, and when Gryla looked up she mouthed, 'May I come in?' Gryla laughed.

"It isn't as if I could refuse," she shouted ironically. The shout was not one of anger. Her voice was merely raised to be heard through the glass of the globe.

Mrs. Claus gave a sad smile. "I would not enter if you did not wish my company," she called back. Gryla forced a smile in return, but her eyes still held the clear misery and shame she felt at sight of the other woman. Lifting a slender clawed hand, she gestured for her to enter.

"Nick!" Mrs. Claus turned to wave imperiously at her husband. "You can let me in."

Nick sighed and gestured. His wife began to shrink and was drawn into the globe. The snow globe's walls surrounding her were an odd novelty, but she did not allow herself to focus on it for long. Instead she reached out her arms to Gryla as she sank down onto the floor of the globe beside her. "Oh Gryla!"

Gryla let out a miserable sob as she clung to her in return. "No one understands. He doesn't understand and he was supposed to be like me! He was supposed to love me yet he had no trouble letting go of all that!" The raw wrath in her tone caused Mrs. Claus to cringe a little, but she did not release her grip on Gryla. This would all sort itself out in the end, she reminded herself firmly. It had to.

"No sweet heart," she crooned. "Krampus loves you very much. He has never moved on just as I know you haven't. Nick and I were certain you two would eventually work it out." She rocked Gryla gently back and forth as she spoke. "Oh Gryla, nothing has been done that can't be undone. Just talk to me. We've been friends for too long, and you know I've got your back. Only I need to understand."

Gryla sobbed wretchedly into her shoulder, clinging to the smaller woman like a life line. "I'm sorry! I wouldn't have hurt Nick, but he's worse than Krampus, and the two never listen, ever!"

"Men," Mrs. Claus murmured in clear understanding.

"It got so bad," Gryla went on. "The children aren't getting nicer. These modern humans are multiplying like bugs, and they get worse and worse by the generation! They thrive on horror. They fear nothing. They even make stuffed toys of Krampus for Christmas sake! And do you know what they do to Nick? For all the good he does they repay it by writing creepypasta stories about him doing dreadful things like eating children if they don't leave out cookies!"

Mrs. Claus let out a startled chuckle, and made a face. For a moment, it was nearly like the good old days when she and Gryla sat in her cozy kitchen drinking spiked hot coco while she made cookies for Nick and the elves. The two would talk about the strangest things and get to laughing about anything and everything until their sides hurt. "I have missed you. I hated it when you and Krampus got into that row and you didn't come back around." She didn't bother to hide the wistful sadness in her voice. She got lonely and never bothered to hide that from Gryla.

"I know. I've been a bad friend, but I couldn't stand looking at his stupid face! It hurt too much." Gryla sniffled and lifted her head from Mrs. Claus's shoulder. "Besides," she admitted with a tearful wink. "If I did look at it for too long, things would happen. He does know how to use that..."

Mrs. Klaus hastily cleared her throat, cutting off the rest of Gryla's words. She couldn't handle TMI about Krampus today. "I understand, but I still missed you dreadfully and it did hurt," she said softly.

"And I am so sorry!" Gryla began to cry again, dropping her face into her hands. "But it's his fault."

Mrs. Claus nodded. "I understand." And she did, at least to an extent, and that was what Gryla needed to hear. She needed understanding and support, not to be left alone in this globe to think about what she had done as Nick had suggested.

"But seriously, they write the nastiest most dreadful things about Nick," Gryla continued. "It is so rude and disrespectful! They don't appreciate a thing he does for them!

"I don't think he reads creepy pastas," Mrs. Claus said. Then after a second of thought, "What are creepy pastas?"

"They are horror stories on which this new breed of humans thrives," Gryla said scathingly. She raised her head and her eyes were suddenly dry, open disgust stamped onto her features. "As I have said, they fear nothing. Nick won't listen and sadly neither will Krampus. For whatever reason he has betrayed me."

Mrs. Claus shook her head. "I don't think he sees it like that, Sweet Heart."

At her kind words, Gryla's face crumpled and tears filled her eyes once again. Mrs. Claus hated seeing her friend oscillating from wrathful rage to misery. She missed the fun loving laughing Gryla with whom she'd shared many secrets over the years. "What can I do," she asked, pulling Gryla into a hug once again, resuming her comforting rocking back and forth motions.

"Get me out of here," Gryla practically screamed, and Mrs. Claus gave her head a small shake.

"I can't. Not yet. Nick is worried for you."

Gryla lifted her head and sneered, but Mrs. Claus did not let her arms slip from around the other female's shoulders. Gryla needed support right now and that was exactly what she was going to get. "You mean he's frightened of what I will do when I am hurt and enraged," she snarled.

Mrs. Claus gave her head a small sad shake. "No. He really is worried for you, my friend. If you notice, he did not hurt you anymore than you hurt him. Nick has always been your friend and that hasn't changed. He knows you wouldn't have ever hurt him no matter what you were going to do to the humans."

Back to misery again, the rage was gone as quickly as it had come as Gryla let out another sob. "If he's so much my friend he should understand. It hurts! The energy hurts. They are so ugly and it really gets to someone like me after a while. Krampus too, and Nick or so one would think. Nick never wanted to punish, though, and I worry over that. How can he not want them to pay so that it will stop? They must be trained, and once it worked. Training them. Then they got too happy about monsters and violence due to their technology. Over the past century and a half, the technology has allowed all of it to spread so massively and these little hive mind humans can't handle it," Gryla ranted.

Mrs. Claus felt her own brow furrowing in worry as Gryla's words struck her with a foreign unease. Could she be correct? And if so, why didn't Nick feel it?

"Krampus and I could always sense the disruptions that naughty souls caused and how it interfered with Nick's joy spreading. We handled it in our way and we bonded on that. Our power grew together, and it was glorious until Nick started objecting too much and it caused Krampus and I to fight, likely due to him feeling trapped in the middle. I did understand that, and I tried, but Nick should've seen our side. There must be balance,and he can't fix every wicked soul with niceness and joy."

"Why not," Mrs. Claus asked. "I love Nick in part for what he does. Such a sweet soul."

"Because it isn't working," Gryla shrieked.

"But what if it is," Mrs. Claus asked gently. "It could be far worse. There are far more good people than you think, Gryla."

"And far more wicked people than you and Nick acknowledge," Gryla snapped back. "You don't even know about Christmas creepypastas! Christmas should be a time for joy, yet these humans twist and ruin it with horror of all things! They should be punished! You both keep your heads buried in the snow and you don't see all the ugly, but Krampus and I can't help but feel it because it's what we do. We sense the disruptions, and we sense them for a reason. Because we're supposed to fix them. If you aren't going to support me, I don't see why you are here."

Mrs. Claus gave a soft gasp, her own eyes filling with tears of hurt. When all this had gotten out of control, she'd worried for her friend. When Gryla had ended up in this globe, she had cried and begged Nick to allow her to try to reason with the female troll.

"Oh hell," Gryla growled. "I'm sorry. Stop crying. That's my job today."

"I realize that it got to you, and we should've seen it," Mrs. Claus said. "But your way is just as extreme as Nicks if you are correct in all this. There must be a middle ground, at least until the humans go more toward wickedness, then we may have to do something." She stood, tugging Gryla up by the hand. "And as a show of good faith and friendship, I am getting us out of here. Just promise me, Gryla, don't resume this. Not this way, and not like this. We will work something out together, the four of us."

Uncertainty flickered over Gryla's face. "Krampus only pretended to care about me today because I was angry and he wanted me to stop," she snapped. "He probably needs to pay for that too."

Mrs. Claus chuckled. "I promise he still cares. Look." She raised her free hand to point at the ceiling of the snow globe where Krampus's face could be seen bending to peer down at them. He wore a hangdog expression, conflict and misery apparent in his red eyes.

"I loved him so much. That's why it hurt so much and why I became so angry," Gryla said tremulously.

Mrs. Claus nodded. "I know, Sweet Heart. And I think he knows too."

Gryla glared up at Krampus, and he put a clawed hand on the globe's surface as he met her eyes. Mrs. Claus felt hopeful as she watched both of their expressions soften. Perhaps it could be like the old days again if they all found a way to work this out as a team.

"As a team, the four of us could be unstoppable," she said hopefully. "We only need to find the proper direction to make things okay for everyone. Are you willing to try, my friend?"

"What? Oh yes, I will if Nick will," Gryla said distractedly. She gave Mrs. Claus's hand a reassuring squeeze, but her gaze was still on Krampus's face. Their looks had gone from tender to impassioned and Mrs. Claus decided that it was time to act before things got too uncomfortable for her. TMI and all that. "I am trusting you, friend," she said, and Gryla nodded, at last turning to her, regret in her expression.

"I didn't mean to upset you. You were always so nice to me."

Mrs. Claus gave her a shaky smile as sentimental tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "Winter fae and trolls aren't so different. You and Krampus were always family to me, and you were always my dearest friend. You understood me like no one else. Both of us having unusual men with unusual callings, set us apart from others in a way only we could ever understand. I helped Nick and you helped Krampus until..."

"Until the humans became too difficult for me to manage," Gryla grumbled. "But I will work with you all if you promise to make Nick listen."

Mrs. Claus nodded, straightening her shoulders and lifting her head high. "I shall, because your points on this matter are just as valid as his. We won't get anything done from inside this globe, though, so it is time to go." With that, she drew on her power, causing the temperature in the globe to drop to well below freezing. Then it dropped some more. Glittering crystalline ice formed not only on the globe's walls but on Mrs. Claus and Gryla's skin and hair as well. As Mrs. Claus continued to draw on her power, the crystal like ice hardened to a knife blade's sharpness, shattering the globe in an instant. With her mission complete, she released her grip on the cold, allowing it to dissipate. Now free, she and Gryla resumed their normal sizes as Krampus hastily stepped back. Still covered in glittering ice, Mrs. Claus stood like the snow queen she was, watching in pleasure as Krampus slowly approached a suspiciously glaring Gryla.

"You look cold, my love," he said, taking her into a warm embrace as he spoke.

Though she allowed him to do so, Gryla peered worriedly at Mrs. Claus over his shoulder. "Do you promise," she asked, and Mrs. Claus nodded.

"I swear."

Gryla nodded back, then embraced Krampus in return. The two trolls clinging together could've made quite the holiday card, Krampus in his festive red cloak, and Gryla still covered in a thin coat of sparkling crystal ice. Mrs. Claus turned away as Krampus's overly long tongue snaked out to run across Gryla's bottom lip as she sighed in delight. TMI! Nick stood across the room beside their warmly glowing Christmas tree, a small smile of satisfaction on his face.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2:

Krampus watched as Gryla stood before him, her form still dusted with crystalline ice, her golden hair tangled and wild. Her sharp gaze held suspicion and something deeper, something raw and aching. He had seen that look before, centuries ago when they had first parted ways. It had haunted him then, and seeing it now sent a pang of regret through his chest.

She had every right to be angry. He had let her go, let her fester in her pain and rage, believing she would find her way back on her own. But she hadn't. And now, after all these years, after all the anger and misunderstandings, here they were—standing in the wreckage of a snow globe prison, staring at each other as if the years had never passed.

He took a step forward, his hooves silent on the frozen ground. "You look cold, my love." His voice was soft, uncertain, and it was strange for him to feel this way. Krampus was many things—wrathful, fearsome, a force of reckoning—but hesitant? Rarely. And yet, here he was, hesitating before the woman who had once been his world.

Gryla allowed him to embrace her, but she remained stiff in his arms. Over his shoulder, she met Mrs. Claus's steady gaze. "Do you promise?" she asked, her voice edged with both hope and distrust.

Mrs. Claus gave her a firm nod. "I swear."

Slowly, Gryla's resistance melted, and she returned Krampus's embrace. For a moment, there was no war, no misunderstandings, no rage—just the two of them, tangled in their past and uncertain future.

After a moment she drew away slightly without breaking their contact. Her lovely gray eyes flickered with something he hadn't seen there in some time, that being curiosity. "But there is one thing that I don't understand! Why weren't you even doing the work anymore? It got far worse without you doing your part even to a lesser degree, Krampus."

He shrugged. Why did she have to ask? Did she not know? Women! "Because. It wasn't the same without you. It hurt too much," he admitted.

She blinked, clearly taken aback. "But the naughty list was yours first! You didn't need to give that up just because we weren't doing it together!"

He gave a sad smile. Clearly she did not understand. "But without you it wasn't the same. I didn't want it anymore without you. And I wasn't dealing with Nick either. It wasn't as if I chose him over you, so I never understood why you were so angry."

Her lips tightened. "You never understood a lot of things, it seems."

He gave a short laugh. "Perhaps, but I am trying to understand now, my Sweet Orange Blossom." The last thing he wanted was for her to storm off in another rage. He couldn't lose her again so soon when holding her close felt far too wonderful.

"Orange Blossom?" She arched her brows in clear skepticism and he chuckled, pulling her close as he did.

"Work with me! I just made it up on the spot!"

She chuckled, resting her head against his shoulder, her tail reaching around to twine cozily with his. He sighed in relief, running a hand through her hair. It smelled so good, like gingerbread.

"Truly, though? You weren't even dealing with Nick?" She lifted her head, her shocked gaze locking with his.

"I wasn't any happier with Nick than you were with me." He laughed.

"Hm." Her tone was musing, and she regarded him as if he was the most perplexing thing in the world before brushing his lips with a gentle kiss. Nick cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "I know things have been complicated between all of us," he said, his warm voice carrying the weight of a man who had seen too much and still believed in the best of others. "But this can't continue. The division, the anger… we need to find a way to work together."

Krampus reluctantly let Gryla go but kept one clawed hand wrapped around hers. "I don't disagree, Brother," he said gruffly. There was more than one relationship to mend this day, after all, and it was not going to be comfortable for at least one of them. Ah the irony. "But I also can't ignore what Gryla has been saying. Things have changed. Humans have changed." His red eyes flickered with something unreadable. "And not for the better."

Nick sighed. "I know. I do. But fear and punishment aren't the only answers. Balance, as you've said before, Krampus. There must be balance."

Gryla scoffed. "Balance? Tell me, Nick, where is the balance when the wicked go unpunished? When they mock what should be sacred? When they turn monsters into cuddly toys and horrors into bedtime stories?"

Mrs. Claus, ever the voice of reason, stepped forward. "That's why we need to do this together. You and Krampus have always felt the darkness more keenly than Nick and I, but that doesn't mean we ignore the good that still exists. You sense disruptions? Fine. Let's find a way to deal with them, together."

Krampus considered her words, glancing at Gryla, who still clung to her resentment but also, he knew, wanted to believe there was another way. She wanted to be heard. To be understood. And for once, Mrs. Claus and Nick weren't dismissing them. They were listening.

"Alright," Krampus finally said, his voice a low rumble. "But understand this—if we find that things truly are beyond redemption, I won't hesitate to do what must be done."

Nick's expression grew solemn. "And if we find that there is still hope, will you give it a chance?"

Krampus hesitated, then nodded. "I will try."

Gryla narrowed her eyes. "And Nick? Will you listen this time?"

Nick met her gaze and, with no hesitation, said, "I promise."

Silence stretched between them, heavy but not unkind. This was not a perfect resolution, but it was a beginning.

Krampus squeezed Gryla's hand, feeling, for the first time in a long while, the stirrings of something he thought he had lost.

Hope.