Gifts from the Gods

by: W.O.L.F

Looking into his pool that constantly connected him to the mortal realm, Zeus grinned, as his plan was about to unfurl.

"What are you so happy about." Said Hera, queen of the gods, jokingly as she entered Zeus's observatory.

"Ah my sweet," said Zeus in a cheerful voice "It is Christmas in the mortal realm, and the Great wolf has charged me with making this years Christmas most remember-able for a few key humans." Hera chuckled

"You aren't going to cast that human titan spell again, I don't think the mortals want another Fabio" Zeus laughed.

"Just watch the show my love. The first person on my list is a boy named Jeremiah. Lets have a look shall we," said Zeus as he stirred the pool. The picture of a fifteen-year-old appeared therein. The boy was sitting on a bed and was holding a box covered with blue wrapping paper with clouds upon it.

"Watch closely," said Zeus as the young boy began to neatly remove the wrapping paper. Within moments the boy was holding a large oddly shaped black helmet in his hands. Being curious and having nothing much better to do the boy put on the odd helmet. As he did a look of awe appeared on the boys' face as the boy started to expand.

As the boy expanded his cloths began to expand with him, oddly however they were changing shape and becoming black. The boys' teeth began to expanding becoming beak like and golden as a thick metallic gold down began sprouting on his cheeks. Large golden wings began to burst out of the boys clothing, and oddly enough his shirt partially wrapped around them and turned into black metal.

The boy continued to expand, gaining height and flight muscles, as golden feathers appeared on his body, and his clothing became black protective armor.

During this time the boy was unable to move, but as his feet grew metallic gold fur and shifted into a lion like configuration, you could visibly see a rainbow of expressions cross the boys now avian face.

In the next few seconds the young mans transformation speeded up incredibly. Millions of small changes occurred, from small things to feline ears and a lions tail, to very important things such as the eyes of an eagle. And during all these changes, the clothing on the boy shifted and changed into black armor. Until finally, the vision of a golden griffin man with black armor filled Zeus's pool instead of the young man.

"Hmm," said Hera with fascination in her eyes. "Nice job Hun, but wont the other mortals be a little scared of him?"

"Well, Hera my sweet, they would, except, only the boy and the other people on my list ever remember him being anything else," Zeus had a huge smile on his face. "To everyone else, he's perfectly normal." At that they both started to joyously laugh.

"This is fun," said Hera still giggling. "Hun, could I please do the next person on the list?"

"Sure my sweet little bunny," said Zeus as he looked upon his list. "His name is Oren, and it looks like he has an affinity with Otters."

Zeus stirred the pool and the image of a fairly regular person sitting next to a frozen lake appeared within it.

"So I should turn him into an otter man then?" asked Hera plainly. "That sounds rather boring." Zeus Grabbed Hera's shoulder and pulled her closely.

"Yes, my sweet, I know what you mean. But, it says right here that he writes some science fiction."

Both Hera and Zeus had a mischievous grin on their faces as they turned their attention back to Oren. A package appeared next to Oren's feet out of thin air. The package was wrapped in metallic blue and silver-wrapping paper, as Oren bent over to pick it up he looked left and right to see who could have left the package.

"I wonder who you belong to," said Oren talking to the box. He read the tag out loud to himself. "To Oren from Olympus." Curiosity finally over taking him, Oren opened the package and took out a large blue crystal medallion embedded in silver. Normally Oren would never put on such a sparkly thing, but driven by curiosity he quickly put it around his neck.

A dozen silver tendrils emerged from the talisman and wrapped themselves around Oren. Where the tendrils touched his skin, his body seemed to turn silver and alter in shape. But as Oren fought with the tendrils, quickly moving to the iced over lake, he failed to notice the alteration being made to his body.

Violently he crashed through icy lake, and disappeared from the view of the pool.

"Hera, my sweet," said Zeus in a concerned voice. "If somebody on this list gets hurt, Wolf the great will have our hides."

"Just watch," said Hera as she pointed towards the pool. Suddenly a large robotic creature, perhaps 6 foot 5 inches, burst through the icy lake. The creature was silver and shaped like a humanoid otter. Embedded on his chest was a large glowing blue crystal.

"That my dear," said Hera triumphantly, "Is the new Oren. A completely robotic otter man, with all the capabilities he'd have as an organic being, and then some." Hera and Zeus began laughing as the robotic Oren the otter disappeared under the ice, apparently testing his new body.

"All right my sweet," said Zeus addressing Hera. "It's once again my turn to spread some Christmas cheer." At that Zeus grabbed the list and brought it to his face.

"All right my sweet," said Zeus as he read the list. "Our next victim is a young man the goes by the name of SR Foxily." Hera stirred the pool and a picture of a young man sleeping soundly on his bed appeared within.

"Hmm," said Zeus thoughtfully. "I think I have an Idea how to handle this one."

As Zeus said this, SR's alarm clock went off, violently waking SR up from his slumber. At the same time a long package wrapped in black and white wrapping paper appeared next to his Alarm clock.

Still half-awake, SR quickly shoots out his hand to turn off his alarm clock. When he brought his hand back however, it fell upon the long package. Now a little more awake, SR groggily sits up in his bed and brings the package to his lap.

Like Oren, SR spent the next thirty or so seconds examining the strange package. During this time SR made his way to the kitchen table with the package in hand.

Once there, SR tore into the package and brought out a silver and bronze, long sword. As SR gasped in awe, his hand that was holding the sword began to tingle as a blue light emanated from the sword. Panicking, SR struggled to drop the sword, but his hand was seemingly locked around the handle of the blade.

SR's hand began to grow white fur as it seemed to expand around the sword and become paw like. SR brought his other hand into view and found that it now matched the one that was gripping the sword, however an odd sensation in his feet brought his attention away from his hands as his slippers melted away, revealing two expanding, white fox paws. His clothing near his legs began to harden and turn into silver and bronze armor. But as this happened, SR began to feel his body and muscles expand as black fur began to grow in.

As his body changed, SR's clothing expanded, altered and turned into silver and bronze armor, as SR grows a thick black foxtail with a white tip. Oddly enough large black wings with white tipped feathers burst through the back of SR's clothing in much the same fashion as Jeremiah's did, surly enough, armor also much like Jeremiah's forms on SR's wings. Of course the armor is silver and bronze.

Finally, SR's mouth began to jut forward and expand as white and black fur grows on his head. Within seconds SR's head completely transformed into that of a black fox mans head, shortly after a helmet appears on SR's vulpine skull and the metamorphosis is complete.

As Zeus and Hera chuckle to them-selves, SR finally drops the sword as a look of total shock appears on his face.

"Alright," Hera says excitingly, "My turn." As Hera said this Zeus stirred the pool.

"All right my sweet. The next person on the list is another young man named Deranged Kitsune," as he says this, a new image begins to come into view in the pool.

As the picture in the pool came into focus, Zeus and Hera paid apt attention, to see who the face of their next victim would be.

"Ah it's just another regular old Joe," said Hera as she saw the vision of a young man at a computer within the pool.

"Well," Zeus said. "He's name is Deranged Kitsune, so you can make him as deranged as you'd like,"

Hera smiled as and waved her hand. Just as she did, Deranged received a new piece of e-mail entitled "Present from Olympus," Deranged wasted no time opening the new e-mail.

Just as he did a blue flash emanated from the screen, and Deranged found him-self floating in the room, within a bubble of blue light.

Reality around Deranged seemed to distort for a few moments, and then The young mans entire body began to itch as his body expanded and red and black striped fur began to grow across his body. With the exception of his baggy Jean shorts, The young mans clothing seemed to expand and alter with his body, becoming metallic at the same time.

Deranged felt a burning sensation under his arms, and before his eyes he saw two worm like appendages grow out from under his armpits, and become a second striped pair of furry arms with black ends. His clothing wrapped around his arms for a few seconds, then hardened, becoming two pairs of black, clawed gauntlets. However, at that same time, four long striped fox tails with black tips bursting out of the young mans Jean shorts caught all of his attention, and therefor, he failed to notice the gauntlets until a few moments later.

The metamorphosis of Deranged Kitsune, into a deranged kitsune, was almost complete. However, at that moment, The young mans face began to expand and alter, much the same way that SR's did.

Still Hera had one last little surprise for Deranged.

As his face was expanding and growing stripped fur, two hard pointy objects began to grow out of the side of the young mans head. Pretty soon, as the change was finishing up, it was clear that they were bulls horns. But, as the changes were completed, a black breastplate and oddly shaped helmet of the same color appeared on Deranged. Due to this, it wasn't until after the changes were fully completed, and Deranged was dropped onto the floor, that he noticed the horns.

But Hera and Zeus were already moving on.

"How many more people on the list?" Asked Hera brightly. Zeus looked at the list for a couple of seconds and then answered his wife.

"About five hundred." Hera's mouth dropped.

"It's gonna be a long night," she said sarcastically.

The End

1