Private Stele: Commander Grizzly, Commander StrikeForce has sent reinforcements.
Commander Grizzly: *Looks up from maps* Explain yourself, Private.
Private Stele: Commander Wesley and Commander Juan are here to offer up their assistance for this mission.
Commander Grizzly: *Grumbles* Very well, let them in.
*Enter two OC's*
Private Stele: Sir, the one on my left is Commander Wesley, and the one on my right is Commander Juan.
Commander Juan: Sir, We were informed of your first failed attempt at claiming Fairy Tail from Mashima and we have brought a fool proof plan that is sure to exceed.
Commander Wesley: Indeed, we suggest that you, Stele, instead of using *clears throat* your feminine wiles, as you so aptly put it, attack with an armored guard from the east so Mashima's guards go to that sector to hold on. Then, you go in with your fighters and start a heavy bombing in the roof to create holes.
Private Stele: *Pouts* My wiles ALMOST worked...
Commander Grizzly: *Raises hand* Are you not aware of the fact of Dragon Slayers at his disposal?
Commander Juan: We are aware, sir, which is why we will wait until nightfall before moving, as the Dragon Slayers under his command need sleep just as much as us normal humans. Now, if you will let him, Commander Wesley will explain the last part of the plan.
Commander Wesley: After the passing is done, Juan and I will arrive in transport airplanes with paratroopers and deploy INSIDE the building, capturing the Fairy Tail crew. And, if we are lucky and Stele holds long enough, the author himself, Hiro Mashima. Once the capture is secured, the division will send a flare signaling Stele to make a flanking movement surrounding the guards so they cannot rescue the crew and you will send transport choppers with escort to get us out.
Commander Grizzly: *Growls* Private Stele, what do you think of this?
Private Stele: Do I get a gun?! *devious smile*
Commander Grizzly: Easy, there, Private. There is no need to unleash the demons at this point in time. As for you, Commander Wesley and Juan, start preparations and Private and I will meet you there.
Commander Juan: *Salutes* Thank you, sir. We'll take our leave.
*Commanders leave room*
Private Stele: When do we deport, Commander?
Commander Grizzly: Right after I say something to y'all, the readers. Y'ALL ARE AMAZING! Already over fifty reviews and y'all are still holding on for the ride. Also this whole scheme with Commander Juan and Wesley came from StrikeForceHeroeTeller. Now there's only FOLLOW...FAVE.. AND REVIEW for more. Private, sign us off.
Private Stele: Aye, sir! You guys are super awesome! We truly couldn't do this without all of your support and encouragements. Thank you for following us in this crazy adventure we call a story! And, without further ado, read on for chapter eight! And look out for the well-deserved sneak at the bottom, but don't scroll too fast or you'll get spoiled!
Chapter Eight
On the Eighth Day
Lucy jogs to the guild the next morning, a giddiness to her step that wasn't there the day before, or most of the days before that. But yesterday's snow day left a mark on her very being, making it shine just a little brighter than usual.
She trudges through the snow that still covers the ground, grateful that she decided to wear her long, brown boots instead of the shorter black ones she almost chose instead.
Today, she left her hair flowing freely, mostly so the long strands could keep her ears concealed from the frigid temperature outside. Her cream-colored blouse accentuates her slim waist, and the coffee brown skirt she wears hugs her slender legs, as do the matching leggings she wears beneath to keep said slender legs from freezing.
As she walks, she pulls the pea coat tighter around herself to help keep the chilly air from blowing against her. But, despite the snow and cold wind that whips against her face as she runs, Lucy isn't cold this morning. Call it exhilaration or adrenalin, but whatever it is she likes it.
When she gets to the guild, she pushes in through one of the doors and quickly closes it behind her to keep the snow and wind out. She pulls her coat off, hanging it on a nearby rack with other various coats before turning around. A frown immediately settles onto her face. The guild is dimly lit, the usual bright florescent lights turned down, and only a single strobe light can be seen from the stage across the room.
"Luce!"
Lucy turns around to see a grinning Natsu holding a huge bag of popcorn under one arm, and two glasses of what she assumes to be soda are balanced in one palm. Happy hovers near him, carrying various bags of candy in a small sack.
"Hey," she greets them with a genuine smile. "What's going on?" She asks, gesturing at all the munchies in Natsu's and Happy's arms. Natsu's grin turns mischievous as he leans close, pitching his voice low.
"You'll never guess what Mira suggested!"
Lucy can't stop the groan that escapes her. "Maybe I don't want to know…"
The last time the take-over mage suggested something, Lucy and Levy had somehow ended up putting on some embarrassing fashion show, modeling outfits the white-haired woman had supposedly created herself. They weren't flattering in the least, and Lucy, Levy, and a few other unfortunate Fairy Tail women, had been subjected to an hour and a half of absolute torture, changing outfits and walking across the stage for all the ogling men to see.
"Come on!" Natsu gestures with his head, since his hands are all full of treats, then leads her toward one of the tables near the back of the room. Erza, Gray, Juvia, Wendy, and Carla are all currently seated there, and most of them smile at their approach.
Juvia and Carla narrow their eyes and look away, while Gray flat out glares at Natsu, ignoring Lucy and Happy altogether.
I guess the happy snow day comradery is over… Lucy thinks with some amusement. Natsu and Gray are back to hating each other, Carla is back to ignoring Happy, and Juvia is back to assuming Lucy has some kind of crush on Gray, made worse by this looming Secret Santa thing that seems to have gotten around to the entire guild.
"When did you get back, Erza?" Lucy asks, sliding into the seat next to her. She turns a tired smile Lucy's way.
"Just this morning. I was coming to let Master know that I had returned when I heard of the… game Mira has planned."
The way Erza says "game," and the sinister grin she wears, sends chills down Lucy's spine.
"Game?" She whispers, trying to keep the sudden panic she feels from seeping out into her voice. Erza's smirk grows but she says nothing, simply stares ahead at the stage. Lucy's gaze flicks over to the stage, which is currently unoccupied, though a spotlight of white does shine brightly directly in its center.
Lucy waits impatiently for something to happen, fidgeting in her seat as she does.
Natsu squeezes in beside her, and places one of the sodas in front of her. Happy lands on the table in front of Natsu, and spreads out the candy before them. Lucy's teeth hurt just looking at all the sugar content, but that doesn't stop her from snatching up a Reese's. Natsu flashes a grin her way. Happy carries over some of the treats to offer some to Carla, who refuses in a not-so-polite manner.
"Is someone going to tell me what is going on?" Lucy asks as she tears into the candy.
"You'll see," Natsu winks but makes no further comment. Lucy scowls but doesn't press the matter further.
"Hey, Lu-chan!"
Lucy turns to see her best friend walking towards her.
"Hey, Levy. Do you know what's going on? No one will tell me anything!"
Natsu snorts beside her. Happy snickers. Erza smirks.
"I don't know, either, Lu-chan," Levy shrugs apologetically. "But, it looks like someone is going to entertain us, at least."
The bluenette slides into the bench across from Lucy and Natsu, grabbing a Twizzler from the candy pile, sticking her tongue out at Happy when he scowls at her for stealing his snacks.
Lucy offers her some of the soda she has, but Levy declines.
"Ooh, look! It's starting!" Wendy exclaims, pointing towards the stage.
Mira stands in the center of the spotlight, wearing a mischievous grin that says she is indeed up to something. Lucy groans again, wishing she had decided to stay home today.
"Hello, friends!" Mira chirps brightly into the microphone that hovers near her mouth. "Are you ready for some fun?"
Cheers roar out amongst the crowd, though Lucy still picks up a groan here and there—she isn't the only one who is less than eager for whatever torture the She-Devil has cooked up for them today.
"I know some of you only just got in, so I will briefly explain what is going on." She continues in that same, bright tone. Lucy starts to feel a bit on edge from anticipation. She wrings her hands in her lap, fighting the urge to chew her nails. She might need them later to claw someone's eyes out, depending on how this "game" goes.
"What's with the face?"
Lucy stiffens when she feels Natsu's hot breath on her ear, and slides closer to Erza.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She lies. Natsu raises an eyebrow, but she ignores him to focus on what Mira is saying on stage.
"After yesterday's exciting snow day," the white-haired mage continues, "I got an idea for something we could do inside, since I'm sure everyone is still recovering from the snow games."
"What's she planning…?" Lucy mutters under her breath. Only the two Dragon Slayers sitting at her table hear the words, but neither acknowledges the comment.
"Who's ready for some fun?!" Mira calls out, spreading her arms out for emphasis to this supposed "fun."
More cheers resound from the gathered guild members, Wendy and Erza seeming to be to particularly excited about whatever is planned.
Mira continues in a cheerful tone.
"Alright, to begin, I will be drawing names from this hat," a gesture at a black top hat sitting on a stool that has magically appeared at her side. "I will be choosing two names at random, to take part in this challenge!"
"Did she ever explain what the hell this is?" Lucy asks of no one in particular. Her question goes ignored.
"Once the pair has been chosen, they will spin the wheel to determine which song they get to sing!"
"Wait, what?!" Lucy stares open-mouthed at the woman, feeling a sudden dread start to fill her.
No freaking way am I going to sing, she thinks bitterly.
"Karaoke," Natsu confirms to her left, shoveling popcorn into his mouth as he does.
"I think I'm going to be sick." Lucy whines dramatically.
"Me, too." Gray agrees from where he sits, slumped in his chair, obviously trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible.
"I think I have to be somewhere—" Lucy starts to say, trying to stand from her chair. Erza clamps a hand down on her shoulder, forcing her to remain seated.
"You will participate in this event." She commands, fixing her with a steely gaze. Lucy flinches and scoots closer to Natsu, who chuckles at her cowardice. She glares at him, but his gaze is fixed on the stage so he doesn't see the venom boiling behind her eyes.
"Also, per Fairy Tail tradition, this will be a competition to see which couple can earn the most applause!" Mira swipes her hand to her right, and what looks like a giant thermometer appears beside her. There are four sections, each colored differently. The bottom of the strange thermometer is red and has the word "TERRIBLE" done in blocky black lettering. The next section is orange and says "GOOD." Moving up, the color changes to a yellow and reads "GREAT." Finally, the last section at the very top is a bright green color with the word "FABULOUS," that Lucy is sure Mira chose herself, because she's sure no one in their right mind would choose the word "fabulous" to describe karaoke.
Dreadful, perhaps.
"What are the rules?" Someone calls from the front of the room.
"Right!" Mira grins at the speaker, then explains quickly. "There is only one rule…" Lucy waits as Mira pauses for dramatic effect. "Magic is not allowed," Mira shoots Lucy a wink from all the way across the room.
In other words, Lucy thinks with annoyance, no using Lyra to my advantage.
"Without further ado, let the game begin!" Mira snaps her fingers and two slips of paper pop out of the top hat to hover before her. She grins evilly at the names written there. Lucy slides further down into her seat, hoping to become invisible. Likewise, Gray is practically under the table by this point, equally as appalled at the embarrassing turn of events.
Erza, Juvia, and Wendy all lean forward with eager anticipation, hoping for their names to be called up first.
All three are disappointed.
"The first pair is…" Pause for dramatic effect… "Gajeel and Levy!" Mira practically squeals with excitement.
Levy, who is seated across from Lucy, suddenly becomes stiff as a board, and even in the dimly lit room Lucy can see the bright red blush sweep across the back of her neck.
"Um…" The script mage starts, mimicking Lucy and Gray by sinking into her chair. "I don't—"
"Come on, Shrimp,"
Gajeel appears at her side, dressed in his usual "performance" attire of white. He effortlessly lifts Levy up by the arm and drags her onto the stage, ignoring her protests.
Lucy can't stop the giggles that this scene causes, and breathes a sigh of relief that, at least for this round, she has been spared some humiliation.
Gajeel deposits Levy on a stool next to his, guitar already in hand. Lucy wonders for a brief moment where he got that guitar, since he certainly didn't have it a moment ago.
"Aren't you two the cutest!" Mira gushes, much to Levy's embarrassment. She scowls into the crowd, not even trying to look enthusiastic. "Now, who wants to spin the wheel?"
"Definitely not me," Levy mutters in annoyance.
"Oh, come on, now!" Mira gives Levy a wink, apparently trying to be encouraging. Levy crosses her arms and refuses to cooperate. Lucy chuckles at her defiance, but she's secretly glad that it's not her up there.
"Gajeel?" Mira raises an eyebrow. He, too, ignores her, and instead strums a chord on his guitar. Mira opens her mouth to say something, but the Iron Dragon Slayer doesn't give her a chance.
"Shoo-be-doo-ba!" He sings out.
A collective groan fills the room, and those not currently laughing hysterically, start throwing food in his direction. Levy shrieks when a tomato narrowly misses hitting her, then turns a fierce glare on Gajeel, who is too busy belting out the lyrics of his song to notice—or care that she isn't joining along.
"He's the worst singer!" Natsu groans and covers his sensitive ears as Gajeel's song carries throughout the room, reverberating off the walls. Lucy cringes at each "shoo-be-doo-ba" that the Dragon Slayer sings out, nodding in agreement with Natsu's statement.
On stage, Mira looks only slightly horrified, though this is probably more because Gajeel has bypassed her instructions than horror at his terrible singing voice.
Everyone else, however…
"Get off the stage!"
"You suck!"
"My ears!"
Then, Gajeel stops singing to glare out at the crowd.
"SHUT UP OR I'LL START OVER!" He shouts over the crowd. Everyone silences immediately.
"Oh, man…" Levy slumps in her chair, but suddenly Mira is right behind her in one of her She-Devil forms.
Levy cowers in her chair and lets out a yelp of surprise.
"SING." The terrifying woman commands.
"I like her style," Erza comments in a serious tone. Lucy gapes at her.
"O-Okay!" Levy squeaks out. "Um… Shoo-be-doo-ba?"
The words come out more as a question than actual singing, but Gajeel looks like he approves. His grin is wide as he leads her into the next part of the song, which she stumbles along with.
By the time the duo have finished their song, everyone is either laughing, or gaping in disbelief. Lucy can't decide which to do herself, so she settles with chewing on a fingernail as she waits for Mira to announce the second pair.
"That. Was. Torture." Levy heaves a sigh as she drops into her chair, head falling onto the table with a loud thump.
"Oh, it wasn't that bad…" Lucy lies, unconvincingly. Levy groans and mutters something unintelligible under her breath. Natsu and Wendy crack up. Lucy raises an eyebrow at Natsu, but he just quirks her a grin.
"Um, okay, then!" Mira awkwardly tries to pick up where she left off earlier, before Gajeel stole her show. "Let's choose another pair!"
"Now can I leave?" Lucy asks, shifting in her seat again.
"No." Erza and Natsu reply in unison.
"Eugh." Lucy slams her head onto the table and prays that Mira doesn't call on her next.
"I am invisible," Lucy recites in a low voice. "I do not exist."
"Stop being so dramatic," Natsu elbows her in the side. "I bet you sing like an angel." He winks. She scowls.
"I don't sing." She insists.
"Today you do." Erza commands, and the blonde sinks lower in her chair.
"I hope my name gets called," Wendy's face is alight with excitement. Juvia's expression is similar to that of the young Dragon Slayer's, and Lucy hopes the two of them get chosen instead of her.
Anyone but me. Anyone but me!
Mira snaps her fingers to call up two new names. Her expression is downright evil. Her eyes land right on Lucy, who pales under the demonic gaze.
No. Way.
"The next pair is…" Stop with the damned dramatic pause! "Lucy and Natsu!"
"Just kill me and get it over with…" Lucy groans dramatically.
"Don't be a baby!" Natsu stands and, much in the same way as Gajeel, literally drags a protesting Lucy onto the stage.
Sheesh, since when is Natsu all fired up for karaoke?
"Don't be shy, you two!" Mira ushers them forward. "Come spin the love wheel!"
"I thought it was a song wheel?" Lucy asks suspiciously. Mira shrugs.
"I'll do it!" Natsu cracks his knuckles and licks his lips in anticipation. Mira places a hand on his arm, stopping him just before he is about to spin the wheel—which looks like something from that one TV show where contestants spin the wheel for letters, only this one has songs.
"Maybe you better let Lucy," Mira suggests. "I wouldn't appreciate it if you broke my wheel." Her tone is a warning, and the Dragon Slayer pales before taking a step back and gesturing at the wheel.
"Uh, after you, Luce!"
Lucy scowls but tentatively spins the wheel, then watches as the songs blur by. Finally, the wheel stops, and the needle points to the chosen song.
"No freaking way!" Natsu exclaims, face contorting with disgust.
"Ooh, how romantic!" Mira squeals, hearts popping out of her eyes. "Lucy has chosen the song, 'Baby, it's Cold Outside'!"
"I'm not singing that!" Natsu protests, still looking horrified. "Make Ice Princess sing that!"
In a flash, Mira is standing right in Natsu's face, again transformed into one of her She-Devil forms. The pinkette gulps in terror.
"Are you choosing to defy me?" She asks in a demonic tone.
"No?" Natsu squeaks.
"Then sing."
Lucy facepalms. Idiot.
Mira transforms back in an instant and grins crookedly at Natsu before making her way off the stage. Lucy rolls her eyes at the strange woman. Yes, this was definitely all her idea.
The music begins, and Lucy starts feeling panic rise up inside of her. She fingers the hem of her shirt, eyes wide as saucers as she waits for her cue.
Beside her, Natsu stands with a huge grin in place, apparently already forgetting about the song choice. Despite her terror over being forced to sing karaoke in front of the whole guild, she is also insanely curious to hear Natsu sing. One can only assume that the destructive idiot can't sing a lick, but that doesn't mean that is a correct assumption. Maybe he would surprise them.
Maybe.
Lucy stands stock still, eyes fixed on the lacrima screen in front of her that shows the lyrics as they scroll by, indicating when each person should sing. Lucy opens her mouth to start, but freezes with sudden stage fright and misses her cue.
"You're up, Luce," Natsu murmurs, lightly poking her in the arm to get her attention.
"Y-You do it!" She hisses back, still too terrified to actually sing in front of the whole damn guild. "I can't!"
"Sure, you can!" Natsu encourages, then gestures for Mira to restart the song. He gives Lucy a reassuring smile. "You can do it."
She nods and turns back to the screen as the music restarts. She swallows the lump in her throat, then takes a deep, steadying breath. When her line scrolls across the screen, she sings out the words in a small voice.
"I really can't stay…" Her voice is small, and even through the mic it can barely be heard. Natsu rolls his eyes as he picks up the lyric.
"(But baby, it's cold outside,)"
Lucy turns to the Dragon Slayer in absolute shock as she sings her part, the mic following her movements.
"I've got to go away,"
"(But baby, it's cold outside.)" At this he gives her a wink, but she is still too flabbergasted to even think what it could possibly mean. Natsu...Can SING. Well. She is so astonished by this that she stumbles over her next line and it comes out a little garbled.
"This evening has been," her eyes are locked on his now, ignoring the words on the screen. She is transfixed by his lilting tones, and his onyx eyes which sparkle emerald in the light from the strobes. Around them, the room is deadly silent. No one moves. No one breathes.
"(Been hoping that you'd drop in,)" Natsu waggles his eyebrows at the words "drop in," and Lucy nearly loses it, but somehow manages to sing her part.
"So very nice,"
"(I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice.)" Natsu scowls a bit at this last part, and Lucy can't help the smile that expression brings to her face. She doesn't have much time to feel amused, however, as this is a particularly fast-paced song. A quick grin is all she has time for.
"My mother will start to worry,"
"(Beautiful, what's your hurry?)" A faint blush colors his cheeks at this line, and Lucy nearly misses her cue when she notices it, and hears the way he sings "beautiful…"
"My father will be pacing the floor,"
"(Listen to that fireplace roar.)" At this, Natsu holds up a hand with a flame, grinning widely at her. She splutters a laugh and misses her cue, but Natsu picks up with his next line effortlessly, though his tone has gone softer now."(Beautiful, please don't hurry.)"
"But maybe just a half a drink more?" The lyric comes out more like a question, as Lucy is distracted by the intense look Natsu is giving her. The next lyric doesn't come from Natsu, but is flung their way from an already-drunk Cana.
"(Put some records on while I pour, baby!)" The card mage calls out loudly, holding up a beer mug towards the duo on stage. Lucy flushes crimson when she remembers they have an audience.
And I'm totally gazing into Natsu's eyes like some lovesick fool!
In her shock, Lucy misses the next verse and has to glance over at the screen to find a place to pick up the song.
"I wish I knew how," she thinks she sings it, but since her brain is currently mush, she might have just totally butchered the words.
"(Your eyes are light starlight now.)" Natsu doesn't sing the words, either, but rather recites them in a serious tone that forces Lucy's attention back on him. Her gaze meets his, and the greens bore into hers.
"To break the spell," this time her voice is a whisper, and Natsu follows with a barely perceptible murmur of his own.
"(I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell.)" He reaches forward, as if to touch one of the strands of her hair. She freezes and the music surges on without them.
"I… Have to go to the bathroom!" She says abruptly, then spins around on her heel and hurries towards the women's bathroom.
Before she can slam the door closed, Levy is there, pushing into the room with her before closing the door and locking it.
"What was all that, Lu-chan?" Levy asks her friend.
Lucy runs a hand through her hair as she paces the length of the bathroom, suddenly hot and flustered.
"I… I don't know." She admits. "Is it hot in here?" She waves a hand in front of her face, feeling flushed.
"No… It's just you." Levy stands with arms crossed and a calculating expression as she studies the pacing blonde. "Did you find your gift yet?"
"Pfft," Lucy scoffs. "No. Yesterday's clue gave me absolutely nothing to go on!" Lucy is practically shrieking at this point, frustration and embarrassment morphing into anger.
"It said something about… A week of challenges, right?"
"Yeah, I guess." Lucy dismisses the question with a flick of her wrist. Her mind is still reeling from what just took place on stage. How can she possibly think of anything else?!
"Well… What does that tell you, Lucy?" Levy presses, refusing to let the blonde ignore the task at hand. Lucy sighs heavily before answering.
"I don't know, Levy-chan. Every day at Fairy Tail is a challenge."
"Well, that's true…" Levy agrees. "However, I think you're missing the point here."
"Yeah, and what's that?"
"Lu-chan," Levy's tone commands Lucy's attention. Lucy stops her pacing to glance back at her friend. "A week of challenges… A twist in our future that no one could have foreseen. Isn't it obvious? Besides Tenrou Island, what was the most life-changing event we went through as a guild?"
Lucy's eyes flash with realization, and when she speaks her words are a whisper.
"The Grand Magic Games."
Levy nods. "Yes, but what came after that?"
"The Eclipse gate!" Lucy facepalms. "Of course! But, wait, my Secret Santa doesn't really expect me to go all the way to Crocus to find the next gift, do they?" Surely, that was just too ridiculous to even consider. There was no way she could go all the way to the nation's capital to look for a tiny parcel.
"I don't think it's as complex as you're making it out to be in your head," Levy says with an amused smile.
"Where else would it be, though?"
"Well…" Levy narrows her eyes in thought for a moment, unsure how to answer. This clue was perhaps the most confusing one of all. "It wasn't at your house?"
Lucy opens her mouth to say something, then stops herself with a frown.
"Actually, I didn't even check," she admits. "I was in a rush to get out the door this morning and forgot to look."
"I bet that's where it is, then."
Lucy grins. "Thanks, Levy. What do you think are the chances of me sneaking out of here before Erza sees me and drags me back?" The script mage laughs.
"Well, I think there's a slight chance that you'll make it out alive."
"Gee, that's so encouraging." Lucy deadpans, making Levy laugh again.
"Good luck."
Back at her apartment, Lucy breathes a sigh of relief that she somehow managed to evade both Erza and Natsu, and, for once, the annoying Dragon Slayer isn't there waiting for her when she arrives.
She immediately goes to searching for today's gift, even though she still has no idea as to exactly where it could be.
Finally, she finds it sitting in perhaps the most obvious, and the least obvious place: directly on top of her unfinished manuscript, the one about dragons that she had never told anyone about.
But someone knows…
Taking the box in her hand, she carries it over to her bed, where she buries herself under the blankets to stop the chill from hitting her so harshly.
She unwraps the box with some hesitation, though she isn't sure what is stopping her from just ripping into the thing. Digging through the cotton, her fingers close around a familiar object.
She pulls out the charm, feeling her eyes widen at the sight of it.
A golden charm gleams back at her, but when turned a certain way in the bright light above her table, it almost gives off a reddish hue. She studies the exquisitely detailed charm with fascination. The events of what occurred after the Eclipse gate was opened flash through her mind.
The charm in her hand is a dragon, its head wrapped around its body so that it lays on its tail, and gives the impression of being asleep.
"Impressive…" She murmurs, fingering the charm before hooking it on the bracelet next to the others. It stands out among the rest, which should be indicative of who this Secret Santa is, but Lucy still can't make the connection. Her brain feels fuzzy today, which seems to be a common occurrence, at least as of late.
With a deep sigh, Lucy pulls out the note for today, in hopes that it will be less of a riddle than the previous ones have been.
The note reads:
On the eighth day of Christmas, I give you a dragon.
This dragon expresses a time in which the world was nearly lost,
But it also signifies a much more personal meaning.
On the ninth day of Christmas,
look for petals that shine in the night.
Your Secret Santa.
"Petals that shine…" Lucy puzzles over the words for a moment, frowning as she does. A memory bubbles up from the depths of her mind, and she knows exactly where to find the next day's gift.
Stele has a few words she wants to say that she couldn't at the beginning so I'm doing her this favor and adding her additional A/N below. As for my usual, you'll read that below hers.
Stele A/N: Hello, lovely readers! I just wanted to personally thank you all for the amazing reviews Grizz and I have been getting. We truly love to see all the lovely things you have to say, and we read each and every comment, so don't feel that yours has been neglected, because it hasn't! We appreciate you guys more than you know, as my dear friend often says in her A/Ns.
Anyway, I wanted to give a special thank you to "StrikeForceHeroeTeller" for suggesting the karaoke contest to me via PM. I wasn't sure what to do with this suggestion at first, but I think I made it work! XD Let me know what you guys thought of that scene, as it was somewhat difficult to write. I tried, StrikeForce! I tried! XD Alright, enough from me. Thank you all for your amazing support! You're the best! *Blows kisses* Bye for now!
Now y'all know I don't set up my A/Ns like this but it helps me stay some what organized so before we go any further I'll give y'all the sneak peek first.
However, behind the tree that Lucy had looked behind, a shadow moves up from the roots and Sting and Rogue step out, both looking around the tree to make sure she's gone before Sting speaks.
"Dumb ass, what if she caught you?" Rogue turns on the light slayer and scowls.
"She wouldn't have even looked if you hadn't made a sound. Seriously, you're just as bad as Natsu when it comes to your hunger."
Sting pulls back as if he was slapped. "Oi, I'll have you know that this whole thing wouldn't have been a problem if we had gotten here an hour earlier like I had suggested."
Deciding not to let the argument go on any further, Rogue calls the shadow door back up. "Come on, let's get to the guild hall."
Sting scowls, but jumps through the door first with Rogue a second behind. After the shadow slayer steps through, the door fades.
What are they talking about? Y'all will see next chapter.
I know this story is coming to a close soon, but the rides not over yet to hold onto your hats because it's gonna be a bumpy one.
Commander Grizzly out for the night.
P.S. ShanaHollows, I am so sorry I didn't see your answer to the question earlier.
