Author's Note: Hello! Here is Chapter nine! This one, just like the last few is dealing with a large group of characters, so to get everyone some lines it may seem short. But, TBH none of this will really matter when we get to the Gift Exchange. Anyway Enjoy!
Also I do not own Fairy Tail.
Chapter Nine - On the Ninth Day
As the night grew darker we find that both the Thunder Legion and the Strauss siblings are still out and about in the city of Crocus. While most of them have received luck finding their gifts, it took them all a very long time to both find the shops and to pick out the right choices.
As the Fairy shoppers continue, we find Mirajane Strauss sitting with Laxus Dreyar at a street corner café as she heckles him on a gift for the Secret Santa Gift Exchange.
"So…have you even started shopping for him yet?" Mira asked patiently as she smiled and sipped on her small coffee. The "him" she was referring to was Laxus's giftee for the Secret Santa event, Freed Justine.
Laxus rolled his eyes as he looked away with his arms crossed. "Well, I can't really say I have. It's sorta hard when the guy you're shopping for is going shopping with you."
"Hhmm, well that's true." Mira giggled and began unwrapping the paper off the bottom of a small muffin. "But, maybe you're just using that as an excuse…after all you could have just done what Lisanna did and taken Evergreen or Bickslow out separately to help you shop."
Laxus took a drink from his dark cup of coffee, but still answered. "Well, I guess she's just a little smarter than I am…If I'm being honest, I'm not sure what Freed would want anyway."
Mira put her figure up to her cheek and began trying to help. "Hmm, well I see what you mean. He really has no real obsessions…unless you count you or the Thunder Legion…HEY! Why don't you just make him a gift instead!?"
Laxus nearly spit out his mouth full of coffee. "What kind of lame idea is that?"
Mira giggled. "Oh lots of people are doing, I hear! Erza, Juvia, Nigel, Reedus, even I considered it at one point. It'll be fun, plus it'll be personable and from the heart."
Laxus tried not to laugh. "Eh, no offense but I don't really have the patience for that kinda crap. Besides, I heard all those guys are failing miserable…well maybe not Reedus."
Mira smiled. "Well, that's their project. You will have yours! Freed loves the Thunder Legion, and he really looks up to you. It would mean the world to him to see you make a special gift!"
Laxus thought about it for a second before he stood up. "Yea, well I'll worry about that later…"
Mira giggled and waved her hand. "Okay…well you better worry quickly...you only have three days left."
Eventually the Strausses and the Thunder Legion all finished up their evening and boarded a night train for Magnolia. There they would awkwardly spend the trip trying to hide each other's gifts from one another as they made their way out of the west and back home to Magnolia.
As the sun rose on the morning of December 21st we find a new team of Fairies entering the streets of Crocus. However, this group appeared to be a bit older than the previous ones.
"Wow, I can't say I'll ever miss making that train ride." A very exhausted Macao Conbolt exclaimed as he and his peers left the recently arrived train. "It feels like it keeps getting longer and longer every time we come out here!"
His longtime friend Wakaba Mine chuckled at his own friend's distress. "Yea, well maybe you're just getting older and older. My money's on that one." He grinned as he tugged on his old and worn wooden pipe.
Behind him came the very young Romeo Conbolt who chose to add to the joking conversation. "Oh yea, well I'm pretty sure the Master's the oldest one here!" He smiled and looked back to the fourth member of the group, Makarov Dreyar.
"Hmph." Master Makarov chose not to respond…at first. "Well, I may look old but at least I feel young. In fact I'll wager I could spend the whole week wondering around this city without making a single complaint!" He tried to boast as he stepped out of the rail car.
Macao scratched his head. "Um, Master that really doesn't make any sense."
Wakaba smiled and patted Macao on the back. "Eh, let him keep his delusions. It's the only thing he has goin' for him these days."
"Teehee, you're right Wakaba! The Sixth Master's sense of humor is very amusing!"
This came from the fifth and final member of the group, Mavis Vermilion, as she floated off the train and joined her guild mates in the station lobby.
Wakaba looked confused. "Um, that's not really what I meant, First Master…"
Mavis giggled and flew ahead of the group. "Hah, well either way it looks like we made it to Crocus! Now we can begin our very own Christmas Shopping!"
Romeo smiled and ran ahead with her. "Yea! This will be pretty fun, guys!" He turned around to wave at the other three to join him, but immediately looked displeased as the three "elderly" men slowly tried keeping up with the spry energy of Mavis and Romeo.
"Haah Haah…you guys just go on a head. I think we're gonna take an easier day."
Romeo jumped up in shock. "You've only moved like five feet!?"
Wakaba stopped too, and laughed as he began re-lighting his pipe. "Look just let us old timers collect ourselves. Like the Master said, we can handle this city."
Makarov started laughing as well. "Damn straight. Now you and the First Master can run along, and we can all meet back here by mid-day."
"Geeze, if you guys are askin' for it..." Romeo shook his head and ran off to catch the ghost of the First.
Makarov then smiled as he began leading the smaller group on their new day.
"Right, now we can all go…" He would have continued by saying "shopping", but Makarov remembered he couldn't be too specific with this particular crowd.
Macao raised his eyebrow with suspicion. "Why so odd, Master? You tryin' to hide something…?"
Makarov actually did try hiding his guilt, because he didn't feeling like dropping the ball by telling Macao that he was his Secret Santa.
Master Makarov smiled. "Not at all Macao…but now you seem to be pretty defensive yourself..."
Macao now looked guilty too, because he apparently had the responsibility of shopping for Wakaba, and didn't want to spill the beans.
Wakaba on the other hand laughed out loud. "Geeze, you guys are weirdin' me out. I'm just glad you talked Romeo into going out with Mavis for the afternoon. Now I can get his gift without him knowing about it."
Macao and Makarov both looked even more confused, and smacked themselves in the face as the latter responded first.
"Why did the three of us decide to go shopping together, anyway…?"
As those fellows were trying to carefully map out their day, Master Mavis Vermillion and Romeo Conbolt seemed to be enjoying their day wondering throughout Crocus.
Mavis smiled as she sailed through the streets. "Ah it's such a big city! I'm sure we'll all find gifts in no time!"
Romeo smiled. "That's for sure. I just hope we haven't missed out on buying all the cool presents. I imagine people all over the kingdom come here to shop, so we better not be left with the all the crappy gifts."
"Oh, I'm sure we won't run into that problem." Mavis giggled and looked in at all the store windows to find each one was overly abundant with merchandise. "We'll just have to keep our eyes peeled for the right stores."
Romeo smiled and carried on the conversation. "So, Master Mavis. I understand you don't want us revealing who we're shopping for, but can I go ahead and ask if you have a gift in mind for your person?"
Mavis grinned and let out a small laugh. "Well of course, but I'll be completely honest. I've already purchased my gift."
Romeo looked shocked. "WHAT!?"
Mavis giggled. "Heehee! Well I actually couldn't get it myself, but I sent out another group of guild members the very first day to find my gift. Though...I can't tell you what it is. After all, it may ruin the surprise if too many people know about it!"
Romeo shook his head. "Yea, sure…anyway. So why did you decide to come with us, then?"
Mavis smiled. "Well, everyone else came back from their Crocus trips to say how lovely and beautiful the city looked with all its decorations up. So I decided to join you all on your shopping day to see it for myself!"
She smiled and looked down at Romeo. "Besides, I figured at least one of you would need help finding a gift for your own special person. So I'm also volunteering to help you out, Romeo!"
Romeo smiled, and would have replied, but the large Magic Shop of Crocus caught his eyes from down the street.
"Hey! We should check out the magic shop!" Romeo cheered as he picked up his walking speed through the large crowd of people.
Mavis agreed, and the two of them made their way into the large Magic Shop together, only to find an even larger crowd picking the shelves clean of all the shop's best merchandise.
"Oh no! We may be too late!" Romeo looked anxious as all the shelves looked to be very thin by now.
Mavis on the other hand kept her spirits high. "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure we'll be fine! We'll just have to be very specific when shopping for your person."
Romeo looked even more worried. "Well, that might help if you'd let me tell you who I have."
Mavis instantly plugged her ears before he could continue. "Oh no, silly! You can't tell me who you're shopping for…but we could have fun if we made a game out of it! How about you start off by giving me hints?"
Romeo continued with his puzzled face as he tried to go about the new game cautiously. "Um, I'm kinda worried it will spoil the secret…"
Mavis was already looking through the shelves. "Well, is this person a boy or a girl?
Romeo smiled with such an easy hint. "Well, it's a guy, and he loves to fight…which actually isn't very specific when it comes to Fairy Tail…"
Mavis giggled. "Oh no, that actually could help! Now what kind of wizard his he? Do he use physical magic, or does he wield more elemental types?"
"Eh, Physical." Romeo smiled again and joined in to help her look for gifts.
Mavis spoke quickly. "Okay, I believe that's enough information for me to know. Now since you're the Secret Santa, it may be a good idea to leave a little piece of yourself in this gift!"
Romeo pondered that idea. "You mean, something like me? Well, I am a fire wizard…"
"Exactly!" Mavis flew up with joy and looked on the higher racks of shelves. "So let's get this person a fire-type artifact!"
Romeo then looked confused again. "Hang on, since I have really unique fire magic, should I just give him a regular object and light it on fire?"
Mavis looked embarrassed. "Um, no that would be bad…but we can look for a cool weapon or some neat lacrima!"
Romeo then looked excited once again. "Good idea! I wonder where they keep the fire stuff in this place?"
As Romeo and Mavis ran around the large, crowded store looking along the half-empty shelves, they finally came across an employee.
Romeo yelled over to the very old busy man. "Excuse me, sir. You wouldn't happen to have any fire artifacts left would you?"
The Magic Store clerk heard the request and began thinking of options he knew of. "Huh, I'm not sure...but I can show you where we keep our fire stuff."
Romeo smiled and looked over to Mavis. "Hey, we may be in luck after all!"
Mavis would have answered, but she was too busy laughing at the fact that the store worker couldn't see her, and as she did the employee looked on to Romeo with total confusion.
"Uh, yea sure…here we may have a few things left…" He then pointed to a shelf with 4 or fives items on it.
Romeo didn't even catch the fact that the clerk couldn't see Master Mavis, because he was too busy eyeing two very large and bright magical boxing gloves that glowed a bright shade of red.
"No way...those are PERFECT!" Romeo summoned a large stream of purple magic as it turned into a fiery cord of rope, and lassoed the two gloves down to his arms in one swing.
As Romeo retrieved the gloves, he smiled and looked at Mavis for a second time in front of the store worker. "Hey thanks again, Mavis! I think he'll really like these!"
Mavis giggled and smiled with joy. "Awe, well I'm glad I could help!"
As the two tried enjoying their moment, they were stopped once again as the confused and now annoyed store clerk grabbed the gloves out of Romeo's hands.
"Right, well my name's not Mavis, it's Dave...Now, let me go to the front desk and I can ring these up for you."
Romeo looked guilty as Mavis flew right behind the two boys with a satisfied grin on her face.
"Teehee! Ah, I've always wanted to be the Ghost of Christmas Present. Now I've finally had the chance!"
Gyah, Mavis is sooo adorable! And Romeo's sweet too. Eh I'm sure the old men got their gift checked out in time...
Sooo...tomorrow is supposed to be the second-to-last day of shopping for our Fairies. Now as I recall we never really found out where the first two wizards went...you know the first two guys who drew names out of the bowl. Eh I'm sure we'll see what their up to tomorrow. Chapter 10 out tomorrow!
(BTW Today is the last day of Autumn! As Ned Stark would say...Winter is Coming.)
