Author's Notes: This was RSBI's Christmas fic for 2006. If you are diabetic have caution, this fic is filled with sugary things. ^_^ Yeah Chibi Christmas!

The Quest for the Gingerbread House

By Relm

Christmas was near in the Slayers verse as the chibis all prepared for the holiday. Trees were trimmed, halls were decked and cookies were baked. They were all so excited for the joyous day humming carols with gleeful smiles.

"What cookies should we set out for Santa this year?" Chibi Sylphiel wondered out loud looking at the various cookies she had baked.

"I like chocolate!" Chibi Gourry declared through a mouth stuffed with chocolate chip cookies.

"It's not about what you like you dummy it's about what Santa would like!" Chibi Lina bonked Chibi Gourry on the head with an oversized candy cane.

"Santa does like Christmasy things. So how about gingerbread cookies?" Chibi Zelgadis mused.

"That's perfect!" Chibi Amelia declared clapping her hands in delight.

"Nah I want really good gifts so it has to be big and extra special!" Chibi Lina scoffed. "We should make the biggest and most bestest gingerbread house in the whole wide world!"

The Chibis all collectively oohed and ahhed. As always Chibi Lina had the best ideas.

With the plan in agreement the Chibis all got going on their preparations to construct a gingerbread house.

Chibi Sylphiel baked the cookie walls, Chibi Zelgadis measured the pieces, Chibi Lina worked on design, Chibi Amelia worked on the icing and Chibi Gourry did 'quality control.' With their combined efforts (and some hindrance from Chibi Gourry's snacking) the Chibis had created the best gingerbread house any of them had ever seen. In fact it wasn't just a gingerbread house it was a gingerbread castle fit for a gingerbread king (which they had sitting on top of the castle).

"It's perfect!" Chibi Amelia announced.

"If Santa doesn't eat it all can I have the rest?" Chibi Gourry asked drooling.

"No you ate half of our building supplies! If anyone is going to eat the leftovers it's going to be me!" Chibi Lina bonked Chibi Gourry on the head with an oversized nutcracker.

"Where are you getting all these huge things?" Chibi Gourry rubbed the sore spot on his head.

"C'mon let's cover up the house for now. Santa is coming till tomorrow night."

"What's tomorrow night?" Chibi Gourry asked in confusion.

"Christmas Eve you idiot!" Chibi Lina bonked Chibi Gourry on the head with an oversized tree ornament.

...

The next morning (Christmas Eve)

Chibi Sylphiel hipped and hopped her way over to where she had left the gingerbread castle. She had an idea the previous night on what she could add to make the castle just right. And what's a castle without its' subjects? So as soon as Chibi Sylphiel awoke she had baked up a fresh batch of gingerbread man cookies. So with a plate full of cookies in hand she was all ready to all the little subjects to add to the castle. But when she arrived she almost dropped her plate in shock. The castle was gone!

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Chibi Sylphiel started wailing with tears streaming down her little cheeks.

It didn't take long for the rest of the chibis to show up to find out what was making Chibi Sylphiel crying. And when they did Chibi Amelia joined Chibi Sylphiel and started to cry.

Immediately Chibi Lina turned to Chibi Gourry. "You ate it didn't you big dummy!" She was about to pound him with an oversized light bulb when Chibi Zelgadis stopped her.

"No Chibi Lina he didn't do it. I tied him up last night after he went to bed. There's no way he escaped."

"Did you eat it Chibi Lina?" Chibi Amelia asked sniffling.

"No!" Chibi Lina yelled. "Unless I was sleep eating... No I didn't eat it." She decided. If she had eaten the whole thing she wouldn't feel as hungry as she was at that moment. Her little stomach rumbled for food like it hadn't had any in days.

"Then who did?"

Chibi Lina mused in thought. "I don't know but let's find out!"

The search began and the chibis searched high and low for clues. Or rather everyone but Chibi Sylphiel searched high and low. She was so upset that they could barely get the plate of gingerbread man cookies out of her hands and get her to stop crying. She looked but half-heartedly.

Hours went by and they found no sign of their gingerbread castle. All seemed lost until there was a break in the case.

"There's a trail of cookie crumbs!" Chibi Amelia exclaimed.

Sure enough there was a trail and they followed it. It went through several rooms, halls and places. It zigged it zagged it went in circles the trail was crazy. It seemed to go on forever. Several hours had gone by and they still hadn't gotten anywhere with the trail. And just when they thought it would never lead anywhere it stopped in one room.

In that room was a very full and sick looking Chibi Xellos covered in gingerbread pieces. "Too much cookies..." He grumbled rubbing his swelled stomach. "Do any of you have any milk?"

Chibi Lina was about to pummel Chibi Xellos with an oversized reindeer lawn ornament but Chibi Sylphiel beat her too it.

"How could you eat it? I WORKED SO HARD ON THAT CASTLE!" Chibi Sylphiel yelled in-between blows.

Chibi Xellos was too full to avoid the barrage of attacks and feebly tried to defend himself.

"What are we going to do?" Chibi Amelia whined. "Chibi Xellos ate the whole thing!"

"Not really there are still some little pieces left." Chibi Gourry stated while munching on one of those said pieces.

"How about we make more cookies to lay out for Santa?" Chibi Lina suggested.

"It's too late. It's already past midnight. Santa has already come and gone." Chibi Zelgadis said mournfully.

All the chibis heads lowered in depression.

With Chibi Xellos properly punished all the chibis slowly walked back to their Christmas tree to see if Santa left them any presents at all. To their surprise there were lots of presents, more than they could have ever expected.

"He gave us lots when we gave him nothing?" Chibi Lina stared around in shock.

"Look there's a note." Chibi Zelgadis picked up a note that was by an empty plate with crumbs on it. " 'Thank you my dear ones for the lovely gingerbread man cookies. They're my favourite. Merry Christmas, love Santa.' "

Chibi Sylphiel picked up the plate that the note had been near. "This was the plate of cookies I was going to add to the castle." She mused with a grin on her face.

"Yeah Chibi Sylphiel saved Christmas!" Chibi Lina cheered. "Next year let's make a bigger gingerbread castle with lots of gingerbread men. But we'll have a guard to make sure no one eats it."

"I'll guard it." Chibi Gourry volunteered. That comment got him bonked on the head with yet another oversized Christmas item.