This is a Christmas fic for Sarstar98, featuring her Phoenios characters!
Somewhere under five million years ago
With the Dawn of Benders in its prime, the mortals of the universe were quickly growing accustomed to their new powers, learning to fend for themselves and write their destinies. The day that benders first appeared would be named by Arceus as "Giftmas."
Every following year on this exact day, the deities would transform Spear Pillar into a luxurious and colorful tree. Young Viridi willed thousands of branches to grow from the pillar while Palutena conjured colorful lights to decorate them. "Is that enough branches, Ms. Palutena?" Viridi asked in a kiddish tone.
"I think we've got plenty to work with. You can go play with Celebi now."
"Bi bi, bi bi!" Celebi flew by right then and tagged Viridi, the 8-year-old-looking goddess giggling as she ran after the fairy.
Polaris the Snow God willed gentle snow to fall around the tree and was making snowmen stand guard. "This is ridiculous." Solaris the Sun God complained. "If this holiday represents a 'new dawn' and the 'Dawn' of the Benders, then it should have a sun theme."
"I drew the shortest straw, so it gets a snow theme." Polaris stated. "At least this cold will make people appreciate your fireplaces more. Also, do you lugs plan to do ANY help?"
Demon King Malladus and Nightmare King Darkrai were lazily sprawled on a giant couch. "You're the ones who made us come to this wretched party, so we'll do as we please." Malladus said as he chugged down a bottle of Sanzu.
"And don't expect us to give any gifts to those interlopers." Darkrai sneered, the Holy Nightmare slurping a yellow bottle of Scream.
"They're not interlopers, they're visitors!" They couldn't find the source of this childish, scolding voice before spotting the teeny-tiny Uxie by the floor. "And Dad wants us to be nice to them."
"Uxie, dearie, don't bother the grown-ups." Medusa cooed, approaching from behind the kings and planting her hands on their heads. "Perhaps this is another Giftmas tradition, lazy grown men gluing their bums to the couch."
"I haven't seen you do anything either." Malladus replied.
"I'm handling the pest control."
Tanatos hung from her hair as a snake. "And they've been quite tasty!"
"Don't tell me Arceus is trying to make something for that matriarch." Darkrai said. "How embarrassing."
"What would happen if those two gave birth to a child, anyway?" Malladus asked.
Uxie spoke with a knowledgeable smile, "If two gods from separate universes have a child, it would create a whole new universe where that god would rule! That's what Chronicler told me."
"Great! Ask Chronicler when this useless holiday will lose its appeal."
"You're sort of a child yourself, Malladus." Medusa remarked. "You're barely a millennium old."
"Good news!" Kyogre echoed as the Ocean King flew into the room. "I just decided a great chore for you three!"
A tidal wave washed into the chamber, drowning the dark gods in a flood before the water drained away. "I've cleaned the floor, so all you have to do is dry it."
Malladus, Medusa, and Darkrai moaned in dismay.
Top of the Pillar
A great, bright star lit the top of the tree, warming the hearts of all who gaze upon it. Jirachi meditated in bliss as Arceus gazed at the little Star God. "What do you suppose Alumen likes, Cresselia?"
"I don't know them well enough to say." The Moon Goddess answered. "Only you would know what a Supreme God wants."
"A Supreme God can make anything they want, that's why it's so complicated. Sigh, I wish I could just ask her."
"Okay!" Jirachi's ribbons lit up, and in a flash, a great goddess appeared before them. Her fiery gold hair covered the length of her body, and large white gems decorated her layered, flowing white dress. Her shining gold crown blended nicely with her head feathers and shone as bright as Jirachi.
"Huh?!" Alumen gasped upon suddenly finding herself on the pillar. "Oh…hi, Arceus!"
Arceus blinked in surprise. "Jirachi, you did that on purpose."
"But I thought you really meant it."
"I was just sort of floating by to check things out." Alumy said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to drop in like this."
"No, the fault is not yours, it is Jirachi's. Say you're sorry." Cresselia scolded.
"Sorry…" The star's points drooped.
"It's alright!" Alumy smiled. "My daughters won't be ready for another hour, so I have time to kill."
The pillar suddenly rumbled as a huge, misshapen clock tower seemed to burst out of the side several dozen meters down. "That isn't even CLOSE to the dimensions I described!" Dialga's voice could be heard yelling.
"Yeah, well I think it looks perfect! What do you know about dimensions, anyway?!" Palkia shouted.
"I think I'll be killing Time as well. And Space." Cresselia said before flying down.
Alumy giggled, "Did I show up at a bad time?"
"Not in the slightest!" Arceus's eyes closed in a joyful manner. "You know… perhaps I should just ask you."
"Ask me what?"
"The idea of Giftmas is to give people that which they do not have. But if we gods can create anything we please, how do we decide on the perfect gift?"
"You didn't get me anything, huh?"
"Eh, that's not what I said…" Arceus sweat-dropped.
"It's alright! I don't really want anything…"
Arceus felt a drop in her tone and spirit. "You don't sound so sure of yourself."
"I mean, I didn't want you to trouble yourself over a gift or anything. It's only our third meeting."
"But you seem like such a kind being. I cannot travel to other dimensions like you, so I am flattered you show such interest in us. I felt the need to give you something."
"All I really want is friendship. I'm just glad that you're having us over."
"But something is troubling you… Something I couldn't help with, I presume."
"Well… you remember the Daemonis we told you about, right?"
"The evil ones?"
"The leader of the Daemonis is my brother."
Arceus's eyes fell a tad. He could sense she was troubled about this, but was unsure what to say. "Was he… created that way?"
"No, he sort of… Well, we had a big fight, and some disagreements, and… It's pretty complicated. It's only our third meeting, so I don't know if you wanna hear it."
"Could it be that you wish to make up with your brother?"
"Well, of course I do. Not just for my sake, but for everyone in our worlds. But I don't really see it happening anytime soon."
"Indeed… it is something I could never give you. But I can't help but wonder…"
"Wonder what?"
"I never had any 'brothers' or 'sisters' of my own… but when I created this new universe, I had to ensure that all the gods were balanced out with each other. Including myself. But I feared what may happen if I created an opposite god with equal power. Eventually, I had to create Demise… but I applied the smallest amount of power necessary, and I used the remainder to forge other, smaller Demon Lords. Even so, Demise was full of rage and just as terrible. So terrible that I had to seal him away. That was not long ago. I surmise Demise would be your brother's equivalent. Now, I can't help but wonder… if I should've treated him better. Perhaps, then, he wouldn't have been so hostile."
"I don't really know the answer… but somehow, I think Demise would've been evil either way. Otherwise, there would just be no evil."
"Accepting evil as a natural force is a perfect way to excuse all bad things. Is that what you're trying to say?" Arceus asked in an almost teasing way.
"Eh heh… It doesn't make a very good excuse." Alumy blushed. "You know, you feel under the weather yourself."
"I have blessed a special person with a jewel containing my chis, but the act of doing so has drained me of my own strength. Furthermore, it seems a second jewel was given to his Negative, containing five other elements."
"But the other gods didn't seem to have that problem. Couldn't you do what they did?"
"It appears that I was built differently. Regardless, I am fine! It's a minor illness, if anything."
"That's good." Alumy smiled. "Anyway, I better get back to the others before it's time. I need to get your gift, too!"
"I will see you soon." And with that, Alumy Ascended from the dimension. "…" Then, the Supreme God's eyes widened in realization: "WAIT, SHE HAS A GIFT?! I still need to think of something!"
"Grown-ups are so weird…" Jirachi said.
The Giftmas Party
After an hour more's time, Alumenosus, her six daughters, and some of their kids arrived at Spear Pillar's dining chamber; granted, the children only ate for a short while before heading downstairs to the playroom. Sapierosa, the Goddess of Mind, gave a textbook of Omni-Math to Goddess of Knowledge, Uxie. Phetiaforis, the Goddess of Time, brought a diamond watch for her fellow God of Time, designed to go around Dialga's head like a headband. Caelispatus the Goddess of Space gave Palkia a lava lamp that displayed all kinds of celestial formations. Valiorius the Goddess of Power gave Regigigas the Earth God a bean-bag chair made of a rare clay; and Groudon the Volcano God got a new shower head for his volcano bath. Animavitas the Goddess of Soul gave Viridi a cute pet scorpion.
As the Gameverse Gods exchanged their own gifts with the Phoenios, Alumen looked around with a hint of worry. "Um…where's Arceus?"
"Perhaps he decided this measly gathering is beneath him." Malladus remarked, sitting bored with his head on his hand.
"Maybe next time, you should invite those demon friends of yours." Pandora suggested, the Goddess of Chaos wearing gold Greek armor with a magenta flame atop the helmet. She had four arms and blue skin. "They should make things more fun."
"ARE you HOPing THEY'LL break THE rules?" Deoxys, the God of DNA, spoke in a distorted microphone voice. His body swelled as he continued in a deeper voice, "They'll have to learn some manners before we even consider it." He changed into a thinner, T-shaped form with a higher pitch, "YOU'RE-LUCKY-WE-EVEN-INVITED-YOU-PANDORA, EEE-HEE!"
"It's kind of hard to understand you." said Resvertasia the Goddess of Reality, who had gotten Deoxys a multi-dimensional slinky. "Maybe I should've gotten you an auto-filter microphone."
"I tried to give him one of those." Meloetta the Spirit of Song commented. "He had a hard time breathing through it, so he stopped using it."
"But he… doesn't have a mouth."
"You know, this gathering is opening my heart a bit." Darkrai said with an unchanging, sharp-toothed grin. "I now understand the beauty of giving to others." He reached into the chest of his spatial cloak. "I have been waiting to give this to someone special… but perhaps I'll give it to you, Blue One." He withdrew a small, wrapped blue present.
"It's Rosa." Sapierosa replied confusedly. "But… thanks, I guess." She calmly took the box from the giant's fingers and ripped it open.
"Um, Rosa, I think-" Alumen tried to say.
"AAAH!" Rosa was immediately hit by a Dark Void.
"HA HA HA HA! It's just a nightmare! I give them to everyone! Mwa ha ha ha!"
Knocked into a half-asleep state, Rosa was treated to the vision of her Phoenios brethren stringing up her dead husband and children. The banner HALFBREEDS, YOU ARE WARNED were displayed. However, all the others could see was squirming and panicking.
"AH HA!" Malladus laughed. "Now, THAT'S a gift that inspires!"
Cresselia immediately whirled her head and cast Moonerangs at Darkrai, slicing the Holy Nightmare from all angles. "You're cruel!"
Darkrai whipped Exor out of his cloak and STABBED Cresselia against and through the table. He was about to crush Cresselia under a giant Dark Void, but the Nightmare was immediately pierced by three spears of light. This was Alumen's doing, the matriarch glaring at the rogue god.
"Is everything… all right?"
It was then Arceus's holy form shone above the chamber. He softly lowered to Alumy's side. "I… Sorry." The goddess said guiltily. "He pulled a prank on Rosa, then he attacked Cresselia, and…"
"Darkrai… how DARE you show such behavior!" Arceus spoke in a more strict, aggressive tone. "Dispel Rosa's nightmare, AND FIX THIS TABLE NOW!!"
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Lightning struck the Nightmare God until he was reduced to his small, black, ghostly form.
"Huff…huff…!" Arceus perked up. "That… was unsightly."
"HA HA HA!" Malladus laughed. "More like an improvement! Uck!" Groudon stuck a lava ball in his mouth.
"Hehe, it's okay!" Alumen giggled. "Rosa, are you alright?"
"I…I'm fine." Rosa sighed. "I should step out, for a second…" She excused herself from the table.
Arceus sighed. "Perhaps it was a mistake to invite them… I did not mean for them to cause such harm."
"Don't worry about it, really. I…I brought your gift."
Alumen brought up an elegantly wrapped box. Arceus unwrapped it with little effort to find… "A back saddle?" It looked to be a saddle for a horse, fit for his size.
"It's designed to vibrate and massage your back! And since your chi is weaker, I figure it would be pretty relaxing…"
"Ha… ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha! It's marvelous! I can't wait to put it on!"
"YOU'LL HaaaaaaVE TO TaKE YOUR RING off fiiiiRRRRST." Deoxys said.
"Thank you… Alumy. I hope you enjoy this gift just the same."
A small round jewel with a song note inside lowered to Alumy's hand. "Music was not one of the elements I included in the Avatars' jewels… so, I took a portion of my Music Chi and imbued it into this Jewel of Song. It can record an endless number of music."
"And it's all 10 out of 10!" Meloetta cheered.
"Aww…" Alumy smiled in gratitude. "Thank you. I'll take good care of it."
"I can't wait for next year's Giftmas!" Anima cheered. "This was pretty fun! I mean, except what happened to Rosa, but the parts after it!"
"Yes, this was a wonderful time." Medusa sighed with a sardonic smirk. "I can't wait for next year…"
"Maybe you could bring your kids to Planet Pangaea sometime." Palutena suggested. "The Firstborn love to go all out when they can."
"I hope you'll be willing to pay the medical bill!" Caelis joked.
"It's a promise!" Arceus cheered. "Here's to a wonderful friendship! And may it prosper for next year and many more to come!"
Next year…
Arceus lay panting on the ground, weakened before Negatar Void and his legions of evil benders. The clouds were as dark as the hearts of the benders. "I gave you this power… to protect the mortals… HOW DARE YOU… BETRAY ME!…"
"As long as you exist to take this power away… we will not be protected." The Negatar said. "And it's not like you meant to give me this power, anyway. You objectively chose a 'good' person and ignored the darkness. For me to acquire this power… was simply fate. Now… DESTROY ARCEUS!"
"FACE JUSTICE, ALL OF YOU!!" A storm of godly lightning rained upon the field.
…
…
"And that is why… we had to cancel Giftmas this year." Cresselia said.
"…Oh…" Alumen frowned with understanding. "Arceus is… really…"
"Yes… and his destruction left a mark on us all. He planted curses on Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie before his ending… Malladus and Medusa's factions are beginning to terrorize mortals… and Darkrai is beginning to perform mad experiments. He even cut off his own hand recently. Poor Jirachi was so traumatized by the events that we made some adjustments to his memory. It's not a good time for us right now…"
"I'm sorry… Do you think we'll be able to get together again later?"
"We'll have to see…"
"Okay… we'll see you later." Alumy turned to leave.
"Wait." She stopped and turned back to Cresselia. "He…He really enjoyed the back massager. Before it was destroyed by the Negatar…"
"…" Alumy gave a small, warm smile before exiting via the ray of light.