Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is the property of Mashima Hiro-sensei. I wish him and all the fans happy holidays.
The 8th Candle
a Fairy Tail fanfic
by Rhov
She lit a candle and used it to light the others, gently touching the flame to the waiting wicks and watching the wax heat, melt, and drip.
One candle for her mother Layla, the woman who taught her love and respect for Spirits, who gave her the very first taste of magic, and then tragically had her flame snuffed out too young.
One candle for her father Jude: although they had years of hard times and she sometimes hated him, she discovered that he learned the meaning of family... too late.
One candle for her best friend Natsu, without whom she might have never had the chance to join Fairy Tail, meet her second family, and have a chance at becoming a real mage.
One candle for her other best friend Gray, who saved her life many times... although half the time he was naked.
One candle for Erza, the strongest (and scariest) woman she knew, although deep down inside, the redhead had the tender heart of an emotionally frail woman hidden under all that metal plate armor.
One candle for Loke, her knight and beloved Spirit... even if his constant flirtations annoyed her and made her blush.
One candle for Levy, who encouraged her to write when no one else seemed to care about her one true passion.
One candle for Makarov, who was like a second father to her now, or maybe like a dirty old grandfather since he kept slapping her butt. Still, he was family, and he held their family together.
She set the auxiliary candle in the center holder and stepped back to watch the wavering effulgence. Silently, she gave a prayer, a blessing to all those special people in her life, not just those eight, but now many, many more. She considered herself lucky in life, but meeting the mages of Fairy Tail was a true miracle. She was thankful for them every single day.
The End
Happy Hanukkah!
This is short, but it was all I needed to say. My aim was not to hint that Lucy is Jewish. I honestly don't know what sort of religion exists in Earthland, although there is the cathedral in Magnolia. Think of them as "candles of remembrance" if you wish, and enjoy it in the spirit in which is was written, as a holiday gift to all the fandom, no matter your beliefs, no matter who you ship. Happy holidays, from Rhov