How the Lilim saved Christmas

<Christmas speedwrite contest entry, 2 hour limit.>

---

Christmas. Such a fickle thing, dependant only on those who wished to celebrate it. In some places everyone took to the street, and in others, none even acknowledged it.

For the lilim picking her nose on her sofa, the latter felt favorable. The music was the worst of all, sometimes fireworks in the dead of the night as well, and still a myriad of other nuisances combined cemented her belief.

At least she had a few days before it all went down.

---

The streets lay covered in snow, the once gray side-walks now more white than not. Her clothes weighed on her; heavy coat, wool hat, scarf, all things she wouldn't have needed in the comfort of her home, though at least a hot coffee from the local shop kept her warm, its steam escaping into the wind.

Something struck her as weird, however. Though ornaments and decorations were present everywhere - too many for comfort - something felt amiss. Judging by the general atmosphere of the few people gathering around, they felt the same. It was when she arrived to the central plaza that she figured it out:

Each year the greatest tree in the forest would be cut and carried here to be decorated. A tree, which was now missing. The lilim grew a frown in confusion; thought certainly something to smirk at, she couldn't tell what could have happened.

Still, when she looked aside to those present as well walking about, she came to lock eyes with a little angel. Could've have been more than twelve. In silence the two stared at each other, till the lilim glanced one more time at the empty spot.

"Do you know what happened?" She asked the angel.

"My dad and his friends used to bring a tree every year..." She answered, melancholic. "Their machine broke down, so they couldn't do anything..."

"Shame." She said, hardly feeling it an important loss. "Cheer up, it's just a tree."

"I know... but I'm scared that people won't like this Christmas as much. What if they don't come for the next one?"

Or the next one, imagined the lilim. Or the one after that. Every time fewer and fewer to annoy her. A smirk grew on her, hardly able to contain the joy over what she could imagine.

"Well, we'll have to live with it." Said the lilim, to then turn around and start walking away.

"If Christmas is gone, I'm really going to miss all the candy..."

The lamentations left her struck frozen, petrified, eyes wide open. Only there and then she realized the clear consequences, like a domino effect.

Sure, Christmas was annoying. Too many people together at the same time, celebrating. Too many noises, too much music. So many people, that anyone would try to sell them anything for the occasion.

And that which is not sold, is sold for so cheap after Christmas that it's almost given away for free. Many times she had bought mountains of candy in bulk with a grin at such a steal, but now it was clear: Without Christmas, that'd all be gone.

"We're getting a damn tree, girl!" She exclaimed, dropping her coffee and picking her up in haste. The angel shouted in fright though did not protest, while at the same time the lilim passed a hatched by a building and grabbed it without hesitation.

---

"A tree, right? You wanted a tree?" Asked the lilim in desperation, running with the little angel on her shoulders.

"Yes, it has to be big! But how are you gonna get it?"

"Leave it to me, dammit!"

The last building of town had been passed. Now, they were outside. Narrowing her eyes, she looked about to the forests and mountains. Sure it'd be easy to get a passable tree, but to bring it here would be quite the daunting task. No wonder it required a machine.

However, there she spotted it over the distance. A certain tree far up high the slope of a steep hill close by.

"That one!" She pointed. "You think it'd work?"

The little angel narrowed her eyes as well, placing her palm as visor over her eyes.

"I think so."

"Then we found it!" She exclaimed, to the begin running again.

---

Panting on and on, she arrived to the tree. Great is size, growing by the snow-covered slope. A clear cut and a nudge, and it'd drop down and slide right into town without her having to carry it about - assuming she was even capable of such a feat in the first place. The perfect plan.

"How long do they take to place the tree?"

"They'd be done by christmas if they started tonight."

"...Shit."

Gently leaving the little angel on the ground, the lilim got to work. With strength and eagerness she landed the first strike against the wood, bringing back her hatched to strike once more. Bark flew aside after every few hits, though her strength never waned.

---

The sky had grown dark. Deep breaths echoed in the night, with the wood struck after a lengthy pause. The trunk was close to collapsing, great part of it chopped away inviting a simple push to let the whole thing fall. After the last swing of the hatchet, the lilim took off her hat and cleaned the sweat off her brow, staring with a proud grin at her work only for it to immediately die.

The thing didn't have wheels. It'd be exceptionally difficult to control. Perhaps with her magic she could nudge it where she wanted, but it was no secret that she had zero experience in driving these mammoths.

There would always be a first time, however. She had to make it count.

"Alright." She said, placing her hat back on again. "The moment it falls, we jump on it and go to town."

"Are... are you sure about this?" Asked the little angel, visible terrified.

"Do you want to go buy mountians of discount candy after Christmas?"

She could not answer. The lilim could tell she was torn. Tempted by the sugary treats as much as the lilim, though she still was too young to see the financial benefit as well that'd push anyone to carry out heroic feats of superhuman strength.

"A-Alright!" Answered the angel, drowning out hesitation with newfound resolve.

With a determined grin, the lilim raised her hands to the tree, infusing it with a strengthening spell; when it falls and slides down, the branches would bend but never break as well as its leaves, keeping it in just as pristine condition as now.

"Then we're off!" Exclaimed the lilim, before bashing the tree with her shoulder.

So much of it had been removed, that such act alone already caused the wood to creak. In haste she picked up the hatchet, to then pick up the angel on her back and ran forward, all as the tree tilted further and further. The wood holding it in one piece then broke, signalling its fall; with a titanic thud which shook the earth and sent the snow sky-high, it struck against the ground and began sliding towards town. Wasting no time, she jumped onto the trunk.

---

Too much speed already. Crossing the jungle of branches and leaves with the angel on her back, with the snow from ahead raining sideways against them, she made her way to the front. In due time, she arrived almost to the front, seeing now in full clarity the violent trip they had found themselves in. Judging by the strength of the angel's grip, she shared the sentiment: Never before had they gone so tremendously fast.

"Hold on tight!" Said the lilim, grasping onto two branches as if they were the horns of a beast she mounted.

"I wanna go home!" Shouted the angel.

"We are going home!"

Faster, faster, and ever faster downhill like the front of an avalanche, shaking furiously and with the wind pummeling their faces. For now the lilim had the luxury of no obstacle, just snow and more snow. Still, the town grew ever closer, and so did the buildings she had to avoid. Though once she considered the streets wide, now they seemed so narrow as to be claustrophobic.

If she could channel the spell well, she could nudge the tree's direction. To be condemned to experiment when a mistake could be fatal drove dread right into her heart, but determination and resolve still pushed her to try all she could. Leaning aside as much as she could if driving on a motorcycle through a tight turn, she saw immediate results; though earlier the tree would've headed straight into a building, she managed to point it towards the main street.

Still, at the angle she was coming from, she'd have to turn once more lest hit another building within town; the main street was not at a proper angle for her to ride straight to the plaza.

In the blink of an eye, the distance was crossed; successfully, she had entered town. Though once the sound of snow pummeled through reigned, now the branches striking aslphalt and buildings took over, all the buildings causing an intermittent resonance with the wind for each street she crossed. But her dread did not subside, as she immediately leaned in the opposite direction, all as the buildings on one side grew ever closer.

Gritting her teeth, through the titanic effort she applied she noticed something. The angel was silent. Eyes closed, holding tight, pretending nothing was happening; putting herself in the lilim's hands, trusting her to reach safety.

No time for that, as the buildings got even closer. Lampposts broken, cars thrown aside, people shouting in fright.

And then, the tree had found itself right at the angle of the street. No risk of crashing into a building, and with the tree itself slowly slowing down, they saw the plaza up ahead approach till their ride halted right in front. With the branches and leaves no longer running along the asphalt, now only the sound of car alarms echoed about.

"Done!" Exclaimed the lilim in relief, jumping down. Despite exhaustion, she still took utmost care to leave the angel on the ground.

"We... we did it?" Said the angel, staring around in disbelief. It'd be time before her shock wears off.

"Yeah, we did it... Say, do me a favor, alright?"

"W-what?"

"If anyone asks, I wasn't here. The people those cars belonged to are gonna be pissed off. Alright?"

"B-but, you saved Christmas!"

"I don't need a reward nor recognition." She said, to the ruffle the little angel's hair. "Merry Christmas."

And without giving the angel the chance to say a goodbye, the lilim ran off as fast as she could.