Author's Notes: This was RSBI's Christmas fic for 2007 and the last holiday fic to go up on RSBI before it got forever removed from the net. It's another Chibi Christmas. It's supposed to be all cute and sugary sweet. I remember I couldn't stop smiling while I was writing this one. I had two inspiration points for this fic, one was of course 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' (I think that was the right title) with that sad little Christmas tree. The other is quite possibly one of my favourite Christmas songs 'One Little Christmas Tree' By Stevie Wonder. I hope I this fic can put a smile on your face by the time you get to the end. ^_^

The Christmas Tree

By Relm

Twas a day before Christmas and all was a bustle with baking, decorating and lots of joy and cheer. The Slayers chibis were hard at work prepping for the holidays. Chibi Sylphiel was baking, Chibi Amelia was wrapping little boxed presents, Chibi Gourry was eating I mean doing 'quality control' on the baking, Chibi Lina was hanging the stockings over the fireplace (for some strange reason hers was larger than everyone's) and Chibi Zel was decorating the halls and doors. All was going well and ahead of schedule if for not one thing. They lacked the centrepiece of Christmas, the Christmas tree.

It wasn't as though they were intentionally putting it off. Every time they were about to go out and get it something came up or someone couldn't go. And of course they all wanted to be there to pick the tree.

"I think we should go get a tree now." Chibi Lina insisted after hanging the last stocking. "What if they are out of trees?"

Chibi Amelia gasped with horror while clutching her Christmas angel doll. "That would be horrible! Christmas with no Christmas tree?"

"Yeah." Chibi Gourry mumbled while eating melted marshmallows.

"Chibi Gourry! I needed that for the popcorn marshmallow balls!" Chibi Sylphiel protested. "Well I can't make now, I'm out of marshmallow. And I have all this left over popcorn too!"

"We can figure out what to do with it afterwards." Chibi Zel suggested while munching on a candy cane.

"I thought those were for the halls."

Chibi Zel shrugged. "We got way too many. I don't have enough holly garlands to put it on."

"Well then let's go!" Chibi Lina ordered.

...

The Chibis all made their way out into the cold and snow to find their perfect tree.

"Where is the place selling all the trees?" Chibi Amelia asked while shivering and clutching her angel doll tightly.

"Just down the hill." Chibi Gourry pointed as he was pelted by a hundred pine cones. "Ow!"

"Poor thing! Are you okay?" Chibi Sylphiel asked.

"He's fine let's get moving!" Chibi Lina barked marching off.

...

Being that it was the day before Christmas many had already gotten their trees, so the lot was relatively empty of people. Few people were shopping for trees and there were few trees to choose from. Each tree was a little off in one way or another.

"How about that one?" Chibi Amelia pointed to the tallest one in the lot.

"Too tall! It won't fit in our house." Chibi Zel shook his head.

And so the search began. They looked at tall trees, small trees, thin trees and fat ones. Though they were all lovely trees they just didn't work for the chibis and their home.

"We're never gonna find our perfect tree!" Chibi Sylphiel whined.

"Sure we will!" Chibi Gourry insisted pointing in the air. And he was pelted by another hundred pinecones. "Why do the tees keep hitting me?"

"Because you're stupid." Chibi Lina said plainly. She started off in one direction but then stopped. This strange sensation fell upon her and she was compelled to go another way. So following her instincts she came onto a clearing with the most beautiful tree she had ever seen. It was a tall but not too tall, wide but not too wide and with lots of branches perfect for hanging ornaments. "I found it! I found out perfect Christmas tree!" She cried.

They all gathered around it and agreed it was the best tree there at the lot. But in the shadow of the great tree stood a little Christmas tree. It was short with fewer branches than the others around. It looked sad and forgotten with its' top branches drooping downward as though it was frowning.

Chibi Lina was all ready to get their perfect tree when Chibi Amelia tugged on her arm pointing at the little tree with tears welling in her eyes.

"This poor tree will never be picked. No one wants it. Couldn't we get it instead of the big one?" Chibi Amelia pleaded.

Chibi Lina was about to protest until she took a good look at the tree Chibi Amelia was talking about. She looked to the others and they all nodded in agreement. The sad little tree would do them fine.

...

All the way home the chibis sang Christmas carols as they carried their little tree.

Once the sad tree was set down in the house it was obvious to them that no other tree would have looked better. Even the tree looked happier, it's to branches were no longer drooping downward.

"Let's get going on the decorations!" Chibi Lina ordered while taking off her coat.

Chibi Gourry took his coat off and tones of pinecones fell to the floor. "So that's why my coat felt heavier than normal." He sheepishly smiled.

Down to the basement the chibis went to find their tree trimmings. But to their horror when they got down the last step they found their box of ornaments on the floor. The box must have toppled over and its' contents had spilled to the floor.

"Oh no! All the glass bulbs are shattered!" Chibi Amelia cried.

"As long as we can find the garland and the tree topper the tree will look okay." Chibi Zel reassured everyone.

But looked they did and the garland was nowhere to be found. They did manage to find the star tree topper… well half of it at least.

With looks of defeat evident on their faces the five chibis went back upstairs to their little tree.

"What are we going to do? We have nothing to decorate our tree with." Chibi Lina sat down and frowned.

Chibi Gourry, Chibi Sylphiel and Chibi Amelia were on the verge of tears and Chibi Zel just stood in thought.

In times of crisis Chibi Lina usually turned to food. But as she was about to reach for some of Chibi Sylphiel's leftover popcorn an idea struck her. "Why don't we string popcorn and make a popcorn garland?"

Chibi Zel's face lit up with a smile. "Yeah and we can use the leftover candy canes as ornaments!" He added running to grab them.

The crying trio dried their tears and joined Chibi Zel and Chibi Lina in the impromptu decorations.

"Why don't we dust these pinecones on the floor with icing sugar and put them on the tree too?" Chibi Sylphiel suggested.

The other four nodded in agreements. So on went the pinecones.

Chibi Amelia looked at the tree noting it was lacking some colour. "We're going to get presents from Santa anyway so why don't we put the little presents on the tree too?"

More nods and on went the presents.

The five chibis stood in front of their tree proud of what they had done.

"It's still missing something." Chibi Sylphiel commented with a frown.

"It doesn't have a tree star for the top!" Chibi Amelia realized.

"What else could we use in its' place?"

All the chibis thought hard.

It was Chibi Gourry that came up with the winning solution. "Stars are not the only things people put on top of trees. They also put angels up their too."

Chibi Amelia looked at her doll. "You mean like my angel doll?" Amelia offered.

And up went the angel and the tree was complete.

They all looked on and it was clear to them though this wasn't what they had in mind for the perfect tree but it was better than they had ever had. Because a perfect Christmas wasn't about the gifts you get, or the tree you decorate, it's being together creating wonderful memories to last through the years.