O Christmas Tree
By Shibaryou
December twentieth. Five days until Christmas.
Snow covered the ground. People were shopping, singing carols, watching Christmas specials, everything. All of Odaiba was decorated.
The Kido apartment had lights decorating the walls on the walkway, a few wreaths on the doors, and such. There was also a genki little sea mammal with a santa hat and a bowl of Christmas chocolates, but that wasn't a decoration. That was just Gomamon.
Gomamon's head was buried in the bowl, as Jyou sat next to him with the TV remote, flipping between Christmas specials.
"Can we see that one with the green guy again?" Gomamon asked, popping his head up from the bowl.
Jyou looked at his watch, "It's not on for another hour."
"What about the one with the reindeer?"
"Two hours." Jyou replied.
"Hey, Jyou," Gomamon began, "Why don't you have a tree like everyone else?"
Jyou shrugged, "They're too messy. Pine needles falling all over the place if you forget to water it, lights are hard to get off the tree, everything."
"But all of the TV shows have 'em!"
"They're anime, they're not real." Jyou replied, "Sorry, Gomamon, but I don't want to have to deal with a tree."
"Awww..." Gomamon gave Jyou his saddest look.
Jyou turned away, knowing how hard it was to resist Gomamon when he gave him that look, "Oh! Look! I should get some more candy canes from the store! We only have six boxes left, that won't last you the night!" It was the half truth, Gomamon had gone through two boxes in the past hour. It was hard to tell which Gomamon liked more, candy canes or christmas present shaped chocolates. Probably the former, he tried to eat five at once when he opened the second box.
Jyou got up, and walked to the door. He grabbed his coat and put on his shoes, "I'll be back in about half an hour."
"Can you get a tree while you're out?"
Jyou sweatdropped, "...Do you have any idea how hard it would be to carry a tree home?"
"I bet you can do it!"
Jyou opened the door, "I'll be back in about half an hour!" He left.
Gomamon put his pay on the TV remote to try to change the channel. So many buttons, and he didn't have fingers...
Somehow, he managed to do change it to the news. He sighed, realizing how boring the news was. He buried his head back into the bowl of chocolates in defeat.
"And wow we bring you a report from the Odaiba shopping mall," A reporter began, standing behind the mall, "where they are unveiling the largest Christmas tree in Japan."
Now THAT caught Gomamon's attention. He popped his head up from the bowl, his eyes sparkling with awe as the camera zoomed out, revealing a giant Christmas tree. It must have been as big as the apartment building! No! Even bigger! Three times as big! Ten! Twelve! Forty! Who cares! It was BIG!
"Merry Christmas to all from the Odaiba shopping mall!" A man pulled a switch, the tree lit up brightly as Jingle Bells was played by a band.
Each light shined like a thousand gem stones, the star was as bright as a real star, the garland sparkled like real gold. The glass bulbs that hung on the branches shined like diamonds.
Gomamon knew what he had to do...
-
Jyou came back home, carrying a large bag filled with candy canes, a carton of egg nog, some other candies for Gomamon...
...And one more thing. A small, fake tree (about three feet high) and some decorations.
Jyou felt a little bad, it was Gomamon's first Christmas and all, he should try to make it as memorable as possible for the little seal-like Digimon. So, why not get a fake one? It won't make a mess when it dries up, no need to water it and why was his window open?
The window on the walkway was opened. The screen looked to be forced open.
"Oh, no..." Jyou raised the tree like a makeshift weapon, setting his bag aside, "Burglar..." He whispered.
Great, a holiday break in, just what he needed. What kind of low-life steals from people at Christmas? ...Besides the villain of ninety percent of all Christmas specials.
Gomamon was probably inside.
Oh, no! What if Gomamon was in trouble? No sounds of a fight... No fishes thrown about the floor... What if Gomamon was hurt! What if the burglar tied him up?
Jyou knew exactly what he had to do...
As quietly as possible, Jyou unlocked his door. Then he threw it open, "UNHAND THE SEAL!" He shouted, leaping into the aparment with the tree held over his head like a sword.
Nothing. No-one. Not a soul. No Gomamon.
Jyou looked around the room.
Nothing was missing. Nothing was even moved. The TV was still on. Gomamon's bowl of chocolates remained somewhat filled (highly unusual for Gomamon).
Upon further inspection of the window screen, it was forced open from the inside, not the outside.
Jyou scratched his head in confusion. Did Gomamon leave? Why?
"And now a quick recap on the event at the Odaiba mall earlier this evening, as Japan's largest Christmas Tree was lit." A reporter on the TV spoke.
Jyou sweatdropped, his eyes widened. He immediately knew where Gomamon was.
-
Gomamon crawled through the streets of Odaiba.
"Ho! Ho! Ho!" A Santa Claus rang a bell, next to a large black pot with a sign that said 'donations' next to it.
"Wow!" Gomamon hurried forward to Santa, passing by a few confused pedestrians, and skidded to a halt at Santa's feet, "Santa!"
"Ho! Ho- Eh?" Santa looked down at Gomamon, who looked up at him amazement, "Errr... Can I help you?"
"Can I tell you what I want for Christmas?" Gomamon asked.
Santa stepped back cautiously. A talking seal with a Santa hat on! ...He should lay off the egg nog.
"Pleeeeaaaaaaase?"
"...Errrr... Sure." The Santa replied. He quickly checked his breath. No, nothing that implied drinking. No peppermint schnapps or egg nog. Maybe this really was a talking seal...
...Wonderful, he lost his sanity.
"Thanks!" Gomamon smiled, "What I really want is something for Jyou! He's my partner!"
"Uh...Right..." Santa nodded, still in disbelief, "What would he like? Anything more specific?"
"Um... I don't really know." Gomamon looked at the ground in thought, "I want to give him something for Christmas because this is my first real Christmas and he's given me a bunch of candy and stuff..."
"This may sound...corny...but...Uh... What about um... Your friendship is a good gift?"
"..." Gomamon gave Santa a slightly annoyed look.
"Right, right, that's one of those 'I'm too cheap to get you something' gifts." Santa lowered his head in thought. This was not in his job description, "What about...Final Fantasy XII?"
"Whazzat?"
"How about you make him a card?"
"..." Gomamon looked annoyed again.
"Right, right, 'I'm too cheap' again..." Santa sighed, "To be honest, I'm...just one of Santa's helpers. My friends and I go all around the world to find out what people want for Christmas, but we're not good at...uh...giving suggestions, you see. Too many variables. Age, size, weight, zodiac, you know." He tried to sound believable, despite the fact that he was probably speaking to a hallucination from bad egg nog or something.
"Oh! Okay!" Gomamon nodded.
"But, I bet you can find the real Santa at the Odaiba mall!"
"I was going over there to see the big tree!" Gomamon smiled, "Thanks!" He reached under his Santa hat, he pulled out a candy cane, holding it with his two claws. He held it to Santa, "Merry Christmas!"
"Uh... Yeah, Merry Christmas." The Santa took the candy cane. It felt real.
Gomamon crawled off.
"...I think I need a vacation." Santa looked at the candy cane, strangely. He shrugged and began to eat it.
-
"GOMAMON!" Jyou charged down the street in a panic, "GOMAMON!" He shouted.
What was he thinking? Running away like this! Without even telling Jyou? What was he trying to do? Give Jyou a heart attack? Probably!
He spotted one of those Santa's that ring bells and ask for donations. Jyou rushed to the Santa, dropping change into the black metal pot, "Have you seen a little white seal with a Santa hat?"
The Santa's eyes widened, the candy cane he was sucking on broke in half, "...Are you Jyou?"
"You saw him?"
"...Odaiba mall. He went there."
"Thanks!" Jyou ran off.
The Santa let out a short sigh and fainted.
-
Gomamon finally reached the mall. It was bigger than he thought it was. Still, he could see the tree outside of the mall, as well as a long line of people. He wondered what they were in line for.
Gomamon crawled up closer to the line. His jaw almost dropped.
Santa's helper was right! The real Santa was there! The real Santa Claus was letting people sit on his lap and tell him what they wanted! Santa could definitely tell him what Jyou would want for Christmas.
Gomamon looked at the light, he sighed. It would take too long to finally meet Santa. There must have been at least fifty people in line ahead of him.
The little Digimon looked up at the tree, sadly.
Then, he saw it.
One of the ornaments near the top. Yes, next to the giant nutcracker. It was small for a decoration up that high, barely noticable, why it was put up so high, he didn't know, but it was perfect!
A toy soldier, it had glasses that looked like Jyou and hair like his, too! That would be a great gift for Jyou! And he would be able to see the Christmas tree up close...
-
Jyou collapsed a few feet in front of the mall. He had run the entire way. He was tired, but, he had to keep going. Gomamon had to be close-
"OH MY GOD! THERE'S A WHITE ANIMAL ON THE TOP OF THE TREE!" Screamed one woman.
"It looks like a seal!" Commented one man.
-Found him!
Jyou jumped, "GOMAMON!" He looked up at the tree. Gomamon was up there, resting on a high branch and sucking on a candy cane.
"Jyou?" A voice from behind Jyou spoke.
Jyou turned, "Yamato!" Jyou grabbed his friend, and shook him wildly, "Gomamon! Tree! Danger! HELP!"
"...Merry Christmas to you, too, man..." Yamato said in a light daze.
"LOOK!" Jyou pointed to the top of the tree.
"...Uh-oh..."
-
Gomamon managed to get Jyou's gift. Now, though, he was a bit tired from climbing and decided to rest and look at the view of Odaiba.
The sun was setting. It was beautiful. All of the lights, the colors, the news helicopter approaching. It was amazing...
-
Within two minutes of Jyou's arrival, a news team was on sight.
"This is channel two news, I'm Hideyoshi Chou." Said a reporter, "We are live at the Odaiba shopping mall with this breaking news. Just hours after the lighting of Japan's largest Christmas Tree, a seal has been discovered at the very top of the tree. The official statement from mall officials is 'Now that is something you don't see everyday.' At this time we do not know how the seal got onto the tree nor how long it has been there."
"GOMAMON! GOMAMON!" Jyou and Yamato called from the ground, "GOMAMON!"
"Excuse me," Hideyoshi, the reporter, walked to Jyou and Yamato, "are you the owners of the seal in question?"
"...I am." Jyou said.
"Do you have any idea how your seal, 'Gomamon' as you call him, reached the top of the tree?"
"I can field that one," Yamato said, "whenever Gomamon sets his mind to something, he's unstoppable. Whether it be climbing a giant Christmas tree or stealing candy."
"Amazing." Hideyoshi turned to the camera, "There you have it. The seal has apparently managed to climb the tree. Why? We do not know."
"He wanted a tree for Christmas!" Jyou said, "I just didn't know he wanted one this badly!"
"Excuse me, are you saying the seal wanted a Christmas tree?" Hideyoshi was confused.
"...It's a long story." Jyou replied.
A police unit arrived on scene. The mall Santa joined in the crowd of shocked onlookers as the event unfolded.
"What's his name?" An officer asked.
"Gomamon." Jyou and Yamato replied.
"Thanks." The officer picked up a megaphone, "GOMAMON! THIS IS THE POLICE. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT JUMP. YOU HAVE MUCH TO LIVE FOR."
"He's not suicidal, you idiot!" Jyou shouted, "He just...climbed up there!"
"For what! Fresh air?" The officer replied, "We have a man up there who's liable to do anything-"
"YOU'RE TALKING TO A SEAL!" Jyou shouted.
"..." The officer turned to his partner, who waited at their police car, "YOU SAID IT WAS A JUMPER!"
The officer's partner shrugged.
"All right, we just need a...Wait, how in the name of Christmas did a SEAL get up a tree?" The officer shouted.
"It climbed up, sir." Hideyoshi said.
"Oh, is that all?" The officer groaned.
Jyou sighed, "Give me that!" He grabbed the megaphone, "GOMAMON! IT'S ME, JYOU!"
-
"GOMAMON! IT'S ME, JYOU!"
Gomamon looked down, "Jyou?"
"GOMAMON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE! ARE YOU CRAZY? CLIMB DOWN HE-"
"OKAY, JYOU!" Gomamon jumped off the branch, grabbing the toy soldier.
-
"NOT THAT WAY!" Jyou screamed in terror.
Hideyoshi faced the camera, "Loyal views, the seal has apparently jumped from the tree! He is falling to the ground at increasing speed-"
"You're not helping!" Yamato shouted.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO...!" The mall Santa rushed forward.
"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...!" Gomamon was enjoying his freefall, apparently.
Santa dove forward, hoping to catch Gomamon.
Gomamon landed on Santa's back.
"ACK!" Santa shouted.
"Thanks, Santa!" Gomamon hopped off of Santa's back.
"A-Anytime..." The mall Santa groaned.
"Gomamon!" Jyou rushed to Gomamon, "You're safe!"
"Of course I am, Jyou!" Gomamon smiled.
"And there you have, viewers," Hideyoshi began, Yamato shot him an annoyed glare, "a Merry Christmas will be shared by this man and his pet seal. Merry Christmas to all."
The mall Santa got up, "Oh...I think I'll be oka-AUGH!" The wooden soldier Gomamon wanted to give Jyou (which turned out to be a foot and a half tall) landed on his head.
-
Jyou at next to an empty bowl, it was once filled with chocolate until Gomamon finished it off when he got home. He was watching TV, a recap of the Christmas tree incident. Most of it was just Gomamon falling from seven different angles and an interview with the Mall Santa that saved him.
Gomamon, on the other hand, was decorating his little tree, setting the wooden soldier next to it with a "To: Jyou-san" tag on it. The mall let him keep it.
Jyou sighed, hoping that this would be the end of Gomamon's Christmas tree obsession.
"Hey, Jyou..."
"Hm?"
"Think that next year we could get an even bigger tree?"
"..." Jyou laid his headback, sighing, "We'll see, Gomamon, we'll see..."
The End.