In the Frost Dimension things were peaceful in comparison to the base back at home. Gravedigger slept soundly in his father's arms, clutching his journal closely to his chest. They had spent the whole evening and well into the night talking about inventions and machinery, only pausing to eat dinner with the others. Grave shared the knowledge he treasured so dearly with his dad, housing the biggest smile on his face constantly. He never had a parent be interested in what he does so, it was rather indearing seeing his father try to comprehend all the mechanisms he tried to explain to him. Scout and Commander bid them good night way earlier, having been used to their military program of going to bed early and walking up at the crack of dawn. Krampus on the other hand stayed up a little later, cleaning around the house but eventually he too fell asleep.
For a while it was only them, together. Grave couldn't think of a moment when he had his father all for himself. Of course he was never jealous of his brother, heavens no! He is used to being left to do his own thing, it never bothered him, really. But it was nice to have Fallen spend time with him, he never expected the older Titan to love him so dearly.
Eventually, Grave couldn't help but close his eyes and doze off in the protective embrace of his father.
They slept soundly until suddenly Grave heard the faint sound of a rock bouncing off of the window. He carefully unwrapped himself as to not wake his father, creeping towards the wooden sill. The floor creeked under his feet as he walked closer, pulling the curtain just enough to peak an eye out into the snowy tundra. There, in the clearing surrounding the house, covered only in fresh snow as the pine trees circled it, stood a dark figure. It looked to be human, perhaps a Tower looking at their size.
They wore a dark cloak with a hood covering their head, pink eyes staring right back up at Gravedigger. He faultered for a second, hiding under the looming shadow of the curtains then he looked back. The figure was gone... Only the white flakes remained bouncing through the air tenderly in front of him.
He kept his eyes on the snow patch, waiting to see if the figure would pop up again, nothing. As if they weren't even there to begin with...
"Gravedigger?"
Grave turned rapidly around to see his father, sleeply sitting up.
"Are you alright, child?" he asked.
Gravedigger looked outside, then back at Fallen before nodding shortly.
"Y- Yeah, just thought I heard something.."
He chose not to tell his father about the figure, it was late and maybe he was just imagining things. He wouldn't want to scare his parent for no reason. And so, he climbed back into bed, closing his eyes as Fallen wrapped an arm around him.
.....
At dawn, it was Krampus who woke first followed by Commander. Usually Com' would wake Scout up as well since this is the time they would start training but now they aren't at the base and why not let the boy sleep in a little? The Tower made his way down the stairs, stopping abruptly as he watched Krampus make a cup of tea. The Titan saw him from the corner of his eye.
"Good morning, Commander"
"Oh uhh, g-good morning." he responded as he took the last couple of steps into the living area. He walked forward albeit reluctantly, "Where are the others?"
"Oh, Grave and Fallen? I let them sleep, they seemed comfortably snuggled in the blankets and... Knowing my brother, he definitely hasn't slept properly in a while.." he answered but his voice trailed off, his mind staying at the thought of Fallen. What had he gone through during his son's disappearence? He appeared nothing short of exhausted when they talked yesterday.
"... Mhm. " was all Commander could say. An awkward silence following their encounter. The man couldn't say he trusted Krampus not that they had ever met personally until now. But the legends surrounding this seemingly horrible Titan kept bugging him.
What would have happened if Fallen King hadn't come with him? Would have Krampus killed him? He had reason after all, being banished away from his son and family for years by the previous "Commander". Surely he would want revenge... What a wild situation... He couldn't wrap his head around. On one hand his brain was yelling at him to leave the room immediately and on the other his curiosity was peaked. He wanted to know his side of what happened..
After taking a breath in, and hoping his head wouldn't be taken off for this, he began.
"Krampus..."
"Yes, Commander." said the Titan not bothering to turn around.
"Look, I know things are a little weird right now regarding this whole thing.. But umm.. I want.. to know the truth... I have heard countless versions of 'what happened' on the day you were banished. Among our ranks everyone recalled it differently... And I wish to know... What is your side of the story? What happened in reality during that day?" he paused, anxiously waiting to see if the Titan was furious or not. Krampus put the spoon from his tea down, turning to face Commander.
The Tower couldn't help but take a step back, feeling intimidated. His expression serious but not unkind as he put his mug down on the table and offered Commander to take a seat as well in front of him.
"If you wish to know what happened then we have to go a while back.. It is a longer tale than the ones you have heard from others.. But just know this, when the portal was opened there were only two people in the room. Her and I. No other witnesses as some like to proclaim themselves."
Commander bit his lip nervously but he was too deep into it now to avoid this, "Go on, I am all ears."
Krampus sighed "Very well. Then lets start from the beginning..."
.....
"A few weeks prior to the 'fateful day' my brother, Fallen, went out to raid a village in the north, in the name of our father as by tradition.
It is usually him or Sinister that go on such escapades especially in the name of our kin. I, for one, don't really fight. Contrary to the legends you might have heard about me...Upon return he appeared to have caught a sickness... nothing more than the average flu it seemed at first... Days went by and for a while he looked a lot better... the ill-like paleness of his face went away, the eyebags under his eyes weren't as deep, no coughing, no sneezing... But then it hit... one morning everything went back to what it was or maybe even worse and he couldn't handle it anymore... Fallen dropped unconscious in front of myself and Molten while we were cooking... The poor boy, bless his heart, he started crying... His father was not showing any signals of waking up anytime soon... I went to check his fever and he was burning unlike ever before...
Days and days we waited for it to get better.. Nothing.. At one point Fallen couldn't even stay conscious anymore, he would open his eyes for a few minutes before drifting off again... The fever was not going down no matter what... We asked every Titan we had ever met if they knew a way to help him, potions, spells, medicine anything. Not a thing we Titans possesed could save him.. So, there was one last attempt we could make, to ask Towers for help... Sinister was in too bad of a shape to go, Father was gone conquering again therefore it was I who went to seek them out-"
Commander put his hands up as he chimed in, " Wait, wait, wait. Excuse me for interrupting. Did you say your father was out conquering? His son may or may not have been on his death bed and he just...thought it was best to just... Leave? "
Krampus paused, choosing his words carefully, "...Father was never really great at comforting... He always just...left even when times were hard"
The man sighed in annoyance,
" Hmph. I understand that a little too well... Umm, please continue."
"I knew it would break the peace treaty for me to step on Tower domain but you have to understand we were running out of options... And... I was not about to let my brother die for a war we were not even a part of...just victims.." he spat, then took a breath to calm himself.
"Sorry. As I was saying, I went to a nearby village, the first hospital refused service of course, they were polite despite the fact that the lady at the reception nearly had a heart attack when she saw me... However, it was the second hospital that caused me the most problems... I would like to believe that I was trully nothing but cordial with them... not once have I raised my voice but I was getting desperate... I didn't care how much I had to pay if it meant my brother could live but they still refused... And I begged and they denied... Can't lie about it, I was getting upset but I tried to keep my composure..."
Krampus tightened his lips, almost sneering at the memory. "I was not going to let anyone take my brother away for the sole fact that our people were at war!"
He stopped suddenly, closing his eyes, his head dropping into his hands,
" *sighhh*... Commander, can I ask you something? "
The Tower eased up a little after the frightening scene of an angry Titan, he answered, "Sure thing.."
"Do you have any siblings?"
The man froze. That was unexpected. Unexpected enough to throw him off balance but... He considered it since the Titan before him had been nothing but truthful despite the delicate topic. Might as well share something on his behalf too, "... I- I had a younger brother once... He um, he died in a car crash years ago.."
Krampus bowed his head in respect,
"My sincerest condolences."
Commander smiled sadly, tapping the table with the tip of his fingers,
"... Thank you."
The Titan shut his eyes, there was a pause, a moment of silence, before he continued, "But I did ask you this with reason... You must understand from an older brother to another the sheer pain one feels when seeing their siblings in pain... I couldn't stand the idea of Fallen dying especially not when he had two boys to look after.
...So, please believe me when I say I would have done anything to make sure that didn't happen."
" I -... I believe you. " was all the Tower leader could muster to say, thinking about his own brother. There was a part of him that always felt guilty for not being there when his little bro needed him... And Krampus definitely felt the same, it was clear.
The Commander lifted his eyes from the table to look back at the Titan as he began, "However, that doesn't explain why they captured you in the first place... If you were peaceful why the battle everyone hears about?
Krampus raised his finger, "Patience, Commander, the story does not end there for the day is still young..." he leaned back into his chair, his tone as still as his brother's, "It was after some time I found out one of the nurses from the second hospital had called the army. When they arrived I tried to explain what had happened but their guns were already pointed at my chest hence why I chose to remain quiet... I surendered, no point in fighting really, I just hoped they would let me go...Surprising to no one, they didn't."
Commander murmured to himself, "How odd... Then why the fight...?"
Krampus blinked, "Did you say something?"
The man waved him off as he spoke,
"N-Nothing, go on"
"Very well. I went with them back at the base. They presented me to their Commander... I believe she was the one before you?"
"Yes, that is correct."
Krampus noded to himself, "I knew her a little too well... Deep pink eyes, horns hidden by a dark cap, her black attire concealing her grey skin... She looked nothing like a Tower except for her height... Don't you think?" he lifted an eyebrow waiting a response.
Commander felt himself shrink under his gaze, "Well, she was considered strange. Even between us... Umm
Why do you ask?"
Krampus paused dramaticaly more so to keep the man in suspense for his own amusement, "Because she used to be my father's lead general. She betrayed our cause and ran away in shame... I haven't seen her for years until that very moment.. Her wide grin revealing her sharp teeth...
Uncanny for a Tower to have those, they mostly appear around our kind, especially Void Titans" he finished with a subtle wink directed at the small Tower leader.
Commander eyed him curiously before realization hit him like a truck. He jumped up from his seat, "Are you telling me she is a Titan? Like an actual Titan?"
He smiled in return, "Oh yes. Glad you caught on so quickly"
"B- But how?!! She is so -!"
"Tiny? Titans come in all sizes."
He laughed as the man before him struggled to comprehand what he had just heard.
"I knew she had plans for me. She beckoned me to follow her and last thing I remember we were together somewhere underground... She talked about trying out a new spell and..." he furrowed his brows, trying to look back at the fuzzy memory, "She... There was like... A big flash, I was knocked into the wall and... I vaguely saw a portal of sorts opened... I felt arms latch onto my legs and everything went black... Then I woke up here in this snowy prison.."
Commander shuddered at the thought of waking up all alone... He hated it. "That sounds....terrifing.."
"Oh it was." agreed Krampus, his eyes drifting off from memory to memory.
He shook it off, "But there is no time to stall on what happened... All I want is to see my child... To hug him tight.."
"I am sure Frost Spirit misses you as well.." said the leader, feeling sorry for the poor Titan..
It was quiet for a moment, no one talked, what was there even to say..?
The tragedy was already done and there is no going back. Commander never thought he would feel so bad for Krampus... All the stories making him out to be an absolute monster and yet... Right before him was a hurt father not a monster, one that hasn't seen his own son in years... A whole family tore apart because of a stupid conflict that has been going on for far too long. He never wanted to fight anyone... If he could stop the fights he would... One man can't fix a whole world... but it was worth a shot, right?
A yell broke him out of his thoughts. It was Gravedigger, he needed Krampus' help upstairs. The Titan left giving Commander one last sympathetic look which he returned happily. Maybe things aren't so bad after all. And after this discussion he, for one, will never feel nervous around him again. Krampus was human too, he had a family and loved ones. He wants to protect them and he can respect it... From an older brother to another.