Home for Horny Monsters Ch. 083

"Do you miss Emily?"

The temperature in the hallway dropped, and he felt Yuki tense up. It was almost like her magic was acting defensively, but there was no actual threat. It was likely the question itself, and he almost regretted asking.

"I don't know how to explain it," she said. "I love who she was, but loathe who she became. I dream about her most nights. Sometimes she's just watching me, other times we talk. We reminisce, we argue, it's like she's really there. But sometimes the dreams turn bad, and I'm facing her as she was toward the end. I scream her name, beg her to snap out of it so I can save her, but..."

"That sounds hard." He squeezed her affectionately. "This might sound silly, but if you ever need Lily to go into your dreams, she can probably help."

In fact, Lily had offered once to go with him to the Dreamscape and masquerade as Velvet, but he had turned her down. He didn't dare tarnish that final memory of her shimmering eyes as she crossed over on the shores of his soul.

"No thanks. There's a lot in there I'm not really comfortable with her seeing."

"I understand." He sighed and relaxed against the wall. They had walked so far already, and there was no telling how much farther they would have to go. His magic had recuperated a bit, but not enough to power him on the marathon jogs he was used to. Maybe if Yuki shrunk down, he could carry her and jog for a couple of hours until they found a way out.

Thinking of Yuki, he wondered what sort of tragic secrets she still carried. There was more than a single lifetime of hurt weighing on her soul, and he wished for perhaps the hundredth time that there was a way he could help her with her burdens. Sometimes it seemed she was on the verge of crossing the divide she had built around her, but it always surprised him how quickly she was able to step away from that metaphorical ledge.

Mike. It was Kisa's voice, wavering slightly as if spoken through a tube. Can you hear me?

I can. Even though it was dark, he closed his eyes. Kisa materialized before him, sitting with her legs crossed. Where are you? Are you all okay?

We are. Kisa's eyes popped open, and she smiled. I can see you!

We mustn't be too far away, he replied with a grin. Ever since the two of them had connected minds across thousands of miles and a dimensional barrier, they had been working on replicating the feat. When close enough, they could communicate telepathically, but it required a fair bit of concentration. Luckily, he had nothing better to do right now.

"What's going on?" Yuki asked.

"Cat radio," he replied, using Tink's favorite term for it.

"Are they close?" she asked.

"Hold on." It took him a moment to strengthen the connection. Where are you? We can head that way, he told Kisa.

Don't. We're in the Workshop right now, but listen. The furnace is enchanted, the tunnels change without warning. Kisa tilted her head as if listening to something. Tink says that you should try to find a way out next time you find a vent. It would be easier to find you out here. Is Yuki still with you?

She is.

Good. Don't get separated, the vents of the furnace are constantly shifting. Kisa made a face. You're being hunted.

I know, he replied. Just had a pissing match with the ghost of Christmas Past. They weren't happy with the outcome.

There's at least two more in there with you. Are you okay?

I am, but Christmas Past got away, so they're still out there. Apparently they work for the Krampus, now, whatever that means.

Kisa nodded. About that. He's hunting Holly. We need to regroup and figure out a plan. This guy sounds like a real dick, and he might be in there with you, we aren't sure.

"Mike?" Yuki's voice was a whisper as she grabbed Mike by the front of his jacket and tugged. He opened his eyes and saw that a faint glow was coming from somewhere up ahead. The tunnel was being illuminated by a distant ball of light that disappeared around a distant turn, but didn't go much farther. Its ambient light was more than enough to continue illuminating the main passageway.

He closed his eyes again and saw Kisa. Her image rippled, a result of the distraction. Even when the two of them were in the same house, it was very difficult to maintain a psychic link like this. Shit, we have company. Stay out of the vents, we'll find a way to escape.

Kisa gave him a thumbs up, and then vanished.

"It's getting closer," Yuki whispered as she rose, then pulled Mike up. The tiny sphere of light was surrounded by red lines of energy that made it look like a Christmas ornament. Festive music echoed down the corridor, and Mike was fairly certain he was hearing Auld Lang Syne being sung.

"Let's head back the way we came," he whispered back. "The vents change anyway, doesn't seem to matter where we go."

She nodded. As they backed away from the approaching light, they passed a corridor that descended like a slide.

"Hold on." Mike led Yuki into the side passage, then knelt down and held his hand to the floor. He summoned a lightning spider and guided it to the corner. The air sizzled around it while it waited for instructions.

"Okay, let's go." He held Yuki's hand as they moved twenty feet down the corridor. At his mental command, the lightning spider jumped around the corridor and shot sparks into the air as it ran away.

The spirit blasted after the spider with the sound of jingling bells. The spider fled down the corridor and away from the spirit, scattering light and sparks in an attempt to make a scene. Mike and Yuki crouched down as the spirit barreled past them, leaving glitter and snowflakes painted all along the corridor behind it.

There was a loud pop, and the hallway went dark. Mike felt his magic strain at the sudden change in distance between himself and the little spider before it fizzled out.

"It's gone," he said, then summoned another spider for light.

"I'm guessing the ghost of Christmas Present?" Yuki pointed at the decorations, which were already fading into colored smoke. "At least it leaves a trail for us to avoid."

"Then I say let's avoid it." He turned down the corridor and felt a tugging in his abdomen. It was Kisa's presence, suddenly much closer. Had the furnace tunnels shifted again? "I sense the others nearby. I hope that means we're close enough to the Workshop that we can break out of here. We just need to find a vent big enough to fit through and we're set. If we don't, we'll probably starve or die of thirst while being chased by Christmas movie rejects."

"I can make us water." She held out a hand and summoned a small icicle. "There's not a lot of moisture in here, but this is doable. It'll sap your body heat, though. I think you'll freeze to death long before you starve."

"Least of my concerns right now." He took the icicle from her and sucked on it. His lips had already cracked. She summoned one for herself and bit the tip off. "That's bad for your teeth," he said.

She bared her fangs at him with a smile. "I'll worry about my teeth. You worry about getting us out of here."

It was hardly a fair trade, but seeing her smile was worth it.

They continued down the long hallway until it tapered, forcing Mike to crouch. He lost track of how many hours they walked, his stomach grumbling in protest. That single mug of hot cocoa wasn't going to sustain him forever.

The spider leading them down the tunnel blipped out of existence, carried away by whatever magic ran the place. Mike and Yuki paused, and she summoned a foxfire flame to float ahead of them.

"You've got to be running low on magic," she told him. "Let me lighten the burden."

"I'm doing okay. The spiders are pretty easy," he explained. "I'm really just having my magic walk in front of me. Since there's nobody to sink into, it doesn't even take that much concentration to maintain. I can even reclaim it, but there's a small chance it might trigger my sex drive, so I usually just let it fizzle out."

"How many of them can you control at once?" she asked.

"Three, if we're talking complete control. If I just make them run until they hit something, I can do quite a few."

Yuki nodded. "A lot of magic scales up exponentially based on complexity. The fact that you make them look like little spiders probably doesn't help."

The comment wasn't meant to be hurtful, but it felt like he was punched in the gut. He stopped walking, and Yuki squeezed his hand.

"Shit, I'm sorry." She patted his arm. "It's not that I forget, I just--"

"It's fine." He took a deep breath and let it out. The lightning spiders had been created shortly after Velvet's death as a way to speak with the spiders in his own house. Their lives were typically simple, and once he had convinced Tink not to swat them, it wasn't uncommon to spot them in the corners of the room giving him a friendly wave. "It really is. I started using them as a way to stay connected to her and it's just a habit now. I honestly don't know if I could make them into a different shape without some serious effort."

"I'm the same way with ice magic. When my third tail grew, I was so angry and bitter that I connected with ice on a fundamental level. I'm not in that place anymore, but the magic is just as much a part of me as my own hands. I tend to lean on it." Yuki turned and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. "But I wish I could learn to lean on others, like you do. I hate feeling isolated, like I'm the fifth wheel of the family. And before you begin, I know I do it to myself."

"Yuki." He twisted to hug her properly. The fur of her coat was indistinguishable from her own natural softness, and it was remarkable just how fluffy she felt against him. "I think you already know this, but I'm always here for you, no matter what you need."

She shifted, and he could make out the outline of her smile in the dim light.

"Thank you," she said, then looked up at him. Her eyes were shining, and he was suddenly aware of how close her face was to his. Her triple tails swished about, then folded around him as if in an embrace.

Her foxfire went out, and she got on her tiptoes and planted a small kiss on the corner of his lips. One of her fangs caught the edge of his lower lip, but not enough to draw blood.

When Yuki spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. "I'm not entirely certain, but I think I may be falling for you, Caretaker."

"I--" Mike was cut off when she pressed her finger against his lips to shush him.

"Don't say anything, not yet." She let out a sigh and hugged him. "Just hold me a bit longer, and then we need to keep moving. You won't be able to survive the cold like I can."

Nodding, he stayed in her embrace, marveling at how much heat radiated off of her. Was that part of her magic or just the fur on her body? He couldn't help himself as he buried his face in the fur of her collar and inhaled the scent of the woods. It wasn't just memories of Oregon that were triggered, but every camping trip he had gone on as a child.

"Are you...sniffing me?" Yuki asked.

"Maybe a little. Sorry." He lifted his head, the cold air of the vents immediately kissing his cheeks. "You were just so warm, it made me feel a little too comfortable is all."

"I see." She took a step back and swatted his nose with the tip of one of her tails. "I was more wondering if it was a trick you picked up from our resident hellhound."

"Nope. If I got something from her, I don't know what it is." He made a face. "And again, I'm really sorry."

"Don't be." She looped her arm through his. "I'm a fox. I use smell to identify everyone, even you."

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah. I just don't need to bury my head in their hair first. Listen." She chuckled, then sniffed the air loudly as if to prove her point. "Wait, what the hell is that?"

Mike thought she was screwing with him until she snapped her fingers, summoning the foxfire once more. Instead of the long conduit of the ventilation system, they stood in an opulent room decorated in Christmas greenery. Mistletoe, holly, and ivy were draped along the walls on golden hooks. A large table piled high with meats, breads, and all sorts of holiday dishes flooded the room with steam and the sweet odors of Christmas dinner.

"Ah, shit," Mike whispered, his eyes traveling to the figure sitting at the other end of the table. It was a giant, easily twelve feet tall with a thick, fur-lined green robe. Long auburn curls tumbled down the giant's shoulder, and when it leaned forward into the light, Mike realized with a start that the Ghost of Christmas Present was a woman.

She held up a large cornucopia which blazed to life with enough fire to light the rest of the room. There was a wicked glint in her eye as she held the torch forward to see them better. Her sleeve slid along her arm, revealing a muscular forearm.

"Come in!" exclaimed the ghost. "Come in and know me better, man!"

"We're...already in," Yuki muttered as she gazed around the room. "How are we supposed to come in when we're already here?"

The green robes hung so loosely on Christmas Present that large, erect nipples were revealed while she leaned forward. She eagerly stacked a plate with food and held it toward them with one hand.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Present! Look upon me!" She shook her head, her curls riding across pendulous breasts in waves. She wore a wreath of holly like a crown, and her hands were the size of dinner plates. There was a mischievous grin on her face as she sat back in her seat, the robes now folded open to reveal her chest. She set the plate of food down and slid her hands along her breasts, pushing them together to create the biggest press of cleavage Mike had ever seen.

"Um...I think something's wrong with this one," Mike said to Yuki.

"There's something wrong with all of them," she replied in a hushed tone. "At least this spirit isn't a creepy little fucker like the last one."

"I would say this is a different kind of creepy," Mike whispered in return.

Christmas Present let out a joyous laugh that rocked the room.

"You have never seen the like of me before!" she exclaimed, then stood. Her robe briefly opened to reveal that she was, in fact, wearing absolutely nothing underneath. Between her belly button and auburn pubes shaped like an upside down Christmas tree was a scar that looked very much like the outline of one of his electrical spiders. Mike's best guess was that the spirit had caught up to his little lightning spider, but had no idea what that meant in the long-term. Based on the ghost's behavior, though, he had a pretty good idea that his magic was to blame. "Now, come! It is Christmas Day and we have plenty to celebrate!"

"I'm not sure if we should be thrilled or frightened," Mike said, then eyed the plate of food. For now, his precognition said he was safe, and he was famished. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Yuki sniffed the air, then nodded. "I prefer fighting on a full stomach. Other than our horny hostess, I think we're in the clear, but don't take your eyes off of her."

Mike fought back a laugh, practically fighting to pull his gaze away from Christmas Present's breasts. The giant saw him looking and grinned, then shimmied, causing her pendulous breasts to sway. He wasn't entirely certain where the danger in the situation lay, but at least he would have something nice to look at in the meantime. Christmas Present smiled at the attention, then sipped from a massive silver goblet. She eyed him hungrily, then licked her lips.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't," he said.

Kisa let out the breath she had been holding in as Mike faded from view. She opened her eyes to the sight of Holly watching her intently from only a foot away.

"Well?" she asked.

"They're okay, but I guess they got into a fight with the ghost of Christmas Past."

Holly groaned. "Oh, Santa, everything is absolutely fudged right now. If the spirits are attacking people, what hope do we have?"

"Tink think need better plan." Tink was lying on her back, her eyes on the ceiling and her feet swaying back and forth as if listening to some unheard tune. "Husband escape furnace, but then what? Pointy ears still in big trouble."

Kisa nodded. "She's right. We know that the Krampus is taking the elves, but where? Is there anyone else here who can help us? What should we be doing?"

Holly had turned away from them, her lower lip trembling. There was a lot riding on the elf's tiny shoulders, but she wasn't offering any ideas.

"Hmm." Tink sat up, then walked over to Holly and snatched her marker away. "List problems first, focus on solutions." She turned toward the nearest wall and drew a rough sketch of the furnace, followed by a demon. "No heat, Workshop getting too cold. Need restart furnace, or pointy ears freeze. Fuck-face demon--"

"Tinker!" Holly clutched her ears.

Tink rolled her eyes. "Bad demon want capture pointy ears, don't know why. Tink can fix furnace, but can't protect sexy elf same time."

"So we should wait until Mike finds us." Kisa looked back at the vent. She felt a shifting in her body as Mike moved away from her. "How long will that take?"

"Husband smart, come back to Workshop. We smart, too, find safe place to watch Workshop until he comes back."

"The cameras." Holly looked up. "We have a room with monitors that watch the whole Workshop! If we go there, we can find him as soon as he gets back!"

"Good idea. Let's head there right aw--" Kisa was interrupted by a loud clanging sound from the vent, followed by a low grumbling. It sounded like Mike's voice, but it was distorted. Had he found them already?

The shrieking sound of metal on metal filled the air as a specter passed through the wall. It was roughly the same height that they were, but its porcelain face was twisted up in agony.

"Miser! Miser!" it screamed in Mike's voice, then locked eyes with Holly. Its whole body swirled around like a tiny galaxy while its cherubic face remained stationary. It let out a rasping growl, then charged.

"Oh, no you don't!" Kisa hollered, jumping between the spirit and the elf. It collided with her when she sank her claws into it. The spirit looked surprised as it disentangled itself, muttering in a different language as steam escaped from the scratches. It froze in place, then shouted more gibberish as it swiped at Kisa with a long arm that was more tentacle than limb. Tink tried to jump on the ghost, but passed through harmlessly as it grabbed a terrified Holly by the wrist.

"I'm here about your welfare," it whispered from every corner of the room at once. For a moment, the spirit separated into several distinct entities that whispered to each other before snapping back together.

"Tink here to kick ass!" The goblin's goggles were now switching lenses at a manic pace as she pulled the hammer from her belt. She dodged a flurry of blows, then threw the hammer hard at the spirit's face. It passed through the entity and struck a pipe behind it. The pipe cracked, releasing a high pressure blast of water that caught the spirit in the head and sent it across the room. Kisa grabbed Holly by the hand and ran toward the door where Tink waited for them.

The goblin's eyes widened, and Kisa looked back just as the ghost of Christmas Past lunged for them, sprouting spectral limbs. The trio clung to each other as they were carried across the hall and then passed through the opposite wall.

Darkness surrounded them as the spirit pulled them past spheres of light. Tink tried to bite the tentacle holding her while Holly screamed in panic. They spun as they fell, whirling about like a mutant maple seed. Tink was on the far end now, clinging tightly to Holly's ankles. Holly's tights slid along her legs, causing the goblin to lose her grip and fall away from them.