Publish Date: December 3, 2005
Featured Characters: SG2, Yon-Khu, Angel, )v(ajin, Silver, Karma, ville, Corey, Sage, Informer X
Wordcount: 33,302
Status: NON-CANON
Unlike the first two stories, however, this was the first story to be written after the creation of the IGNO Forums. Since the cast of characters would also be larger this time, I explicitly made a topic (either at the end of November or beginning of December) asking for member input – the kinds of things they wanted their characters to do in the story, and any of their favorite anime characters that they’d like to have make an appearance. This sort of user-generated content system would also be used for the next couple of stories, as it was useful for getting a handle on everyone’s characters back in the era before we really had fixed RP elements.
This story was also considerably longer than the stories that came before it, and was the first time I started dividing them up into chapter-like segments. In order to compliment these chapter breaks with scene transitions, the characters split into teams and the action would alternate between them – a staple that has continued in every Christmas Story since.
Below is a failed attempt I made at adapting the story to suit current IGNO lore, before I decided to just scrap the old stories entirely. This story was one of the main reasons I said ‘fuck it’ to that idea – the anime elements were so ingrained into the plot this time around that replacing them wasn’t quite so easy, turns out.
Santa Claus is gearing up for his yearly sleigh ride to deliver presents to the children of the world. However, he's due for a sleigh inspection before takeoff, just to make sure everything is functioning properly. This year's team of elf engineers looks a little different than usual, though...they seem older, less cherubic, and more grizzled. Their noses are smaller and rounder than a typical elf, and their ears aren't pointy. In fact, aside from their diminutive stature, they didn't look like elves at all...still, Santa has no reason to discriminate or doubt his staff, and the team inspects the sleigh. The verdict is that he's in dire need of an upgrade, though...Santa allows them to make the repairs, and a few hours later, it's time for the big ride.
Reindeer strapped in and his trusty elf by his side, Santa is ready to go. He pulls out the ever-important Piski Dust - the mysterious powder from the good faeries who oppose the evil Pixies - and sprinkles it on the reindeer, giving them their all-important holiday powers to haul the massively heavy sleigh at unearthly speeds. Pounding a Red Bull, Santa commands the reindeer and they take off - at an even faster pace than usual!! Within the first five minutes, he's already finished 20 houses, and is determined that this will be the year he breaks the 15-hour record. Against the warning advice of his head elf, Santa increases the speed boosters on his new sleigh more and more...however, the force is too much. The reindeer suddenly begin swaying to and fro, glowing an atomic green before finally busting into flames...the sleigh catches fire, sonic booms erupt in the sky, and the space-time fabric begins to tear. Santa struggles to hold on as the sleigh goes down, but it's too late. Coming to a sudden stop after traveling at breakneck speed proves fatal, as all of the presents loaded in the sleigh are forced against his body, crushing him to a horrific pulp. The still-burning sled falls through the night air as Santa's head elf, flung from the sled before it caught fire, can only guess as to Santa's fate...
Elsewhere, it's that time of year again for SG2 and friends as they gather for their annual holiday feast on Christmas Eve. This year there are some new additions to the gang - Karma, the self-proclaimed genius; Informer X, the music-loving DJ; SilverDagger, the horseback knight; Sage, the neutral warrior of light and darkness; ville, with the power to transform into any inanimate object; and Corey, ville's best frienemy and a communist-hating super soldier.
As the larger group sits down and enjoys their meal together, there is a knock at the door...Karma goes to open it, and a bloody, weakened elf falls inside. After the initial panic and attempt to give the elf some treatment, he explains that Santa Claus has died...and that he suspects it was murder by sleigh sabotage. Their instincts scream that no one could do such a thing but the evil Krampus, but the elf shakes his head - the Krampus didn't sabotage Santa, at least, not directly.
He explains what happened to him once he regained consciousness...all elves are equipped with radio transmitters to keep in contact during the journey, and though it was badly broken from the fall, his was still functioning. He managed to pick up a fuzzy transmission from the North Pole, overhearing a conversation between the engineers who 'fixed' Santa's sleigh...those 'elves' were actually none other than Garden Gnomes in (thinly-veiled) disguise!! They had partnered up with the Queen of the Pixies to steal the Piski Dust, switching it out with their evil Pixie Dust - which must have been what caused the reindeer to go insane - and in exchange, the Pixies would use their Pixie Magic to help revive the Krampus. Not knowing what else to do with this information, the elf scrambled to the location of SG2 and co, knowing they had saved Christmas twice before...and if anyone could help prevent the Gnomes from carrying out this nefarious act, it would be them.
So now, the group was faced with two problems. One was the obvious need to stop the Gnomes and prevent the resurrection of the Krampus. The other was the fact that it was still Christmas Eve, and Santa was dead...leaving no one left to deliver presents to all the children of the world!! Splitting into two teams, the group of friends prepared to embark on their most dangerous Christmas mission yet. But first, they'd have to regroup at the North Pole.
Arriving at Santa's Workshop, the group found it to be eerily quiet...discovering that Mrs. Claus and about a hundred elves had all been bound and gagged. After breaking the harsh news of her husband's death to Mrs. Claus, the group learns from her that the Gnomes said they would be heading to Gnome Tower with their stolen Piski Dust to make the trade with the Pixies. The plan changes - they would now split into three groups, with Team A going to Pixie Country to grab the mystical Pixie Fragments, four magic stones that are key in the Pixie revival ritual...Team B sneaking into the heavily-guarded Gnome Tower to intercept the trade...and Team C, who would deliver the toys in Santa's place.
Team A's progress gathering the four artifacts is impeded along the way by many gnome footsoldiers, who they are constantly stopped by to engage in fights. They're having more luck than Team B, however, as Corey and ville have inexplicably dragged Karma to the mall, instead of heading off to their intended target of Gnome Tower. Matters are made worse when there are gnomes at the mall as well, and Karma is snuck up on and shoved in a sack!! While Corey and ville run after her captors, Team C is trying their best to use their collective abilities to make the toy run. Silver's unearthly horse Blaze and Sage's shadow manipulation made the job easier, but they're still struggling to move quickly enough to deliver the presents...they can only hope the other groups will complete their missions quickly, so they can use the Piskie Dust to finish their job.
Team A is further split, however, as an avalanche strikes while they search for artifacts...Angel forms a makeshift hut in the snow so that she and )v(ajin don't freeze to death, while SG2 and Yon-Khu continue on ahead, not even noticing that their comrades have been left behind until it's too late to turn back, already lost. They can only press onward, hoping their friends will take care of themselves, and making sure they aren't split up further...and while they worry about separation, Team B is reunited, with ville and Corey wreaking havoc in the mall as they rescue Karma. SG2 and Yon-Khu find themselves at the very mall shortly thereafter, following the map that points to the locations of the next pixie fragment. It seems that it's being held in the jewelry department, and Yon-Khu manages to recover it from being purchased with some less than diplomatic methods. SG2, however, has discovered Karma's team goofing around in the mall and taken off after them in a mad rage.
Team C has decided that in order to make any significant progress in their journey, they're going to need more horses to pull the sleigh. Unfortunately, stealing those horses from the barn of a gun-toting hick was probably not the best idea - they manage to get out of it with some quick thinking, but their journey has been delayed all the more. With several more horses hitched to the sleigh and sharing the weight of the haul, however, they're able to move much more effectively towards their goal. Meanwhile the remainder of Team A catches up to their comrades as Angel and )v(ajin managed to brave the snowstorm and get to the mall...just as SG2 finds Team B having an insider quarrel.
Corey, mocked for having no super powers, deceives the group and drives off in his car, leaving them stranded at the mall without transportation. Yon-Khu has meanwhile gone to join Team C and help deliver presents with his teleportation abilities, so the rest of Team A and B, now together, have to go on foot. Despite this setback, Team AB reaches the Gnome Tower and finds the final pixie fragment and pieces the four together like a puzzle, which forms a glowing pendant. Just as SG2 is about to wish for Santa to be revived, she's shot mid-sentence...by the Garden Gnomes!! Predictably, they finish the wish SG2 could not, wishing instead for the Krampus' resurrection...
And so, once again, our heroes are face-to-face with the powerful monster known as the Krampus, who had been disintegrated into ashes the year before after a struggle...they know there is no way they can win, with only a rag-tag half-team and SG2 unconscious to boot. They're facing an army of Garden Gnomes and Pixies, in addition to the Krampus himself...as usual, they fight valiantly for a time, but even the combined powers of Karma, )v(ajin, ville, and Angel are not enough to put a dent in the forces surrounding them. The Krampus' power explodes and the very sky opens into a vortex of unspeakable horrors, and it would seem all is lost...
...until the illusion shatters, revealing Yon-Khu - along the members of Team C, and Santa Claus himself!! It would seem that Sage was able to create a super-realistic illusion just long enough to distract the Krampus and his forces while the rest of Team C grabbed the pixie pendant, using their combined energies to make another wish and revive Santa Claus. With Santa revived, and the Piski Dust recovered, the teams (including a recovered SG2) are able to force back the invading forces while Santa does battle with the Krampus personally - and in an even battle, not being ambushed or sabotaged by sneaky underhanded tactics, Santa's power far exceeds the Krampus' and the monster is defeated once again, swearing vengeance for the next year.
With Christmas saved, the friends once again head back to enjoy a holiday feast together...this time, invited to the North Pole to dine with Santa himself. And thus ends another Christmas adventure.