Fate VIII: Christmas

Twas' the morning or Christmas and all the home, no creature made a sound especially a gnome. The adults were all fast asleep in the beds, couch, and floor, and this my dear readers is where we start today's lore. And Noel Vermillion, sweet, young, and pure, for this deafening silence she has quite the…

"WAKE UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS!"

…cure?

I suppose now's the time for me to que out, my part here was short so I may give a small pout… How the hell did Seuss do this rhyming stuff? I'm one minute in and I'm minds full of fluff. Alright, I'm stopping this here… no seriously, it ends now.

Ragna the Bloodedge groggily made his way up from his sleeping bag on the floor while Bullet groaned as she started falling out of her blissful sleep, Bullet was known as a pretty impressive mercenary and she was able to wake up at a moment's notice, but put her in an actually bed or at least a sofa and she won't want to get up. Makoto got out of the guest room rubbing her eyes.

"Wow, Noel actually managed to sleep in until six, I think that's a record." The squirrel Beastkin might have been energetic when it came to most things, but you needed to give her some time when it went to mornings.

"Noel, we told you seven-thirty last night," Ragna said as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he walked over to the table and sat down laying his head on the surface for just a moment before Makoto shook him awake. "Hey watch it!"

"I don't sleep, no one sleeps," Makoto told him before letting out another yawn. "Mind going out and grabbing some coffee for us to wake up with?"

"It's Christmas morning Makoto," Ragna groaned. "I don't think that there's anywhere serving coffee that's open now."

"Merry Christmas Noel," Bullet said out of nowhere, handing her friend an average sized box.

"Thank you," Noel said with a smile, even though they normally started the day out with handing out presents she took Bullet present and unwrapped it. Inside was a coffee maker that she'd been eyeing when the two went out and grabbed coffee the other day. "Aw, thanks Bullet. You didn't have to."

"Well you didn't have a coffee maker, so I had to grab you something. Also, I found something for Makoto as well." Bullet tossed another package to the Beastkin who opened it and grinned.

"Sweet! Training weights! Thanks Bullet!" Makoto said happily, knowing she'd definitely get a chance to use those suckers later. "This'll help me out big time!"

"I figured," Bullet said to Makoto with a small smile. "I remember using those things to train with back at with my old mercenary group and I figured you could use them yourself." Bullet grabbed her last present to give from the pile and tossed to the one person who hadn't received one. "And of course, one for Ragna."

Ragna caught the present in his hand and looked it over for a second. "All right, thanks." He tore the wrapping off the gift before looking at the small gift with surprise. "Are these those elite high power Ars Magus shot gun rounds? I thought these were in impossible to find since they shut the project down!"

"It was a bonus from a job I took a few months ago," Bullet told him. "I didn't have a use for it, so I figured that you'd have a better use than I did."

"Well thanks," Ragna said, happy with the gift he got. While his Ars Magus shotgun or mini gun didn't require ammunition since it fed off of his BlazBlue's energy, but there were special rounds made that could boost the power immeasurably. "Hey, I know the coffee maker is Noel's gift, but I think we should all try it out and see how good the coffee that it makes is."

"Coffee sounds heavenly," Noel told him. "So feel free to get it started. Who wants to give out presents next?"

"Me!" Makoto said, giving a box each to Noel and Bullet. "Hopefully you can enjoy them!" she said with a flirty smile.

Noel and Bullet had no idea what Makoto was thinking so they undid the wrappings and opened the box. As soon as the saw what was inside they immediately shut the box with crimson faces. Makoto was expecting them to wear… that?

"What'd she get you?" came Ragna voice from the kitchen as he set up the coffee maker.

"Oh, just some really cute dresses!" Noel said, laughing nervously before glaring at Makoto. The Beastkin feigned innocence, though she knew she'd sent the rather... provocative lingerie.

"Really, let me see 'em," Ragna said peeking out of the kitchen his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Oh Ragna," Bullet said nervously while waving her hand side to side. "It's a girl thing. You wouldn't be able to understand it."

"If you say so," Ragna said before going back into the kitchen, and working with the coffee maker for another moment before coming back. "Coffee should be ready in a moment," he informed before catching his own gift. "Thanks Makoto," he said before unwrapping the gift. "This is that cook book I was looking at the last time we saw each other, the one with recipes from Ikaruga. I thought these were sold out."

"Don't underestimate me," Makoto said with a flirty smile. "Okay Noellers, I think you're up."

"Here's your gift Bullet," Noel said smiling. "You told me about a few of the shops you stopped at in Ronin-Gai with Ragna, so I thought this would be a good gift."

After Bullet finished unwrapping it, she saw it was a book.

"Oh, a manga novel," Bullet said as she looked at the cover.

'Please don't be Sailor Moon,' Ragna prayed in desperation. 'I don't need another one hooked on that series.'

"FullMetal Alchemist? Strange title," Bullet observed while Ragna gave a sigh of relief. "I'll give a read later, thanks Noel."

"I hope you enjoy it," Noel told her. "That's my favorite series aside from Sailor Moon, Ragna's too!" Noel grabbed out a much smaller gift and handed it to Makoto. "This is more of a gift you can mainly use during the winter, but I hope you'll like it."

The contents of the box was a beautiful neckless with a snowflake amulet. Makoto smiled as she put it on. To her, it completed her outfit even further. "Aw, thanks Noellie!" she said grabbing her friend in a tight hug.

"And lastly, the gift for Ragna!" Noel said handing Ragna a rather large box. The Grim Reaper looked inside the box questioningly before opening the lid just slightly. He immediately closed it when he saw what it was.

"You can't be serious," he groaned. "I'm not wearing this."

"I let you stay with me these past few days right?" Noel said with a small smile.

"You're not making Bullet or Makoto do anything like this!" he complained.

"Nope, just you," she said with a smile. "Now hurry up and put it on, I want to see how you look in it."

"Fine," he surrendered as he went into the bathroom. 'When has Noel been the one to order me around? Normally she's too timid to demand anything and just settles for asking meekly, but now she acts like she's the one in control… I guess it is kind of hot…'

A moment later the Reaper emerged from the bathroom dressed up as Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon, attire and all. Noel let out a girlish giggle as Makoto made a sharp whistle at him. Only Bullet was confused, but she still had to fight not to laugh at him. Ragna couldn't fight down this blush.

"There, you saw me in it," he told them. "Can I get out of this thing now?"

"Sure thing," Noel said with a smile. "I'm glad you like it."

'If Kokonoe ever found out about this I'd be a dead man,' he thought to himself while he changed back. After he walked outside he addressed each of the girls. "After that last gift, I'm a little unsure of give you your presents now, but I suppose I'll just have to play nice." He gave Noel her gift first.

"An ebony bracelet?" Noel said somewhat confused before she tried it on. "It looks nice and has a really cool design, thanks Ragna!"

"You're welcome," he said before giving Makoto her present. The Beastkin opened it up and revealed it to be an orange cotton turtleneck.

"Oh, looks warm," Makoto said before trying it on. "And it is. Plus orange is my color so that's a plus. Thanks so much Ragna!"

"Glad you like it," Ragna said before taking the last gift out. "This one's pretty small, but here you go Bullet." He tossed the gift to his long time bounty hunting friend.

"Let's see," Bullet said taking the gift out. "A new belt! Perfect, my old one is so worn out! And is this the special Wadatsumi leather that I heard about?" Ragna nodded. "Well thanks."

"You're welcome," Ragna said before heading back into the kitchen. "Looks like we're ready. Who wants coffee?"


*Meanwhile*

"Am I really going to give my apprentice this gift?" Hakumen said to himself. Platinum had awoken earlier and was now enjoying a few breakfast scones that Rachel and Valkenhayn had brought for her to enjoy. That was supposedly the harlequin's present to his apprentice, and even he could appreciate the gesture in treating her today, but now it came time for him to give his apprentice the gift.

He grabbed the box behind the hiding spot as he decided that it would be best to get this over with. He actually had doubts that his apprentice would even be able to stand the gift, but he'd at least present it to her. As he walked towards the group with a present under his arm Platinum's face lit up with a smile that went from ear to ear. 'You won't be smiling when you see what's inside,' he thought somewhat sadly.

"Merry Christmas Platinum," he told his apprentice as he gave her the present.

"Merry Christmas Master!" she said to him happily as she gave him a sheet of paper.

Hakumen looked over what he'd been given. The picture was hand drawn with a set of colored pencils and was created with love, patience, and skill. It was a picture of himself and his apprentice. He was standing up straight with his arms crossed and his hair flowing in the wind. That single caricature was able to put more emotion into a suit of armor than he was able to. Platinum had drawn herself in a tone that perfectly described her; kind, playful, and loving.

"Thank you for this… heartfelt gift," he said trying to find the right words. "I can clearly see that you worked very hard on this." What he couldn't tell her was just how much he'd come to cherish this one simple drawing.

"Well I had to, you're my teacher after all!" Platinum said with a smile as she the wrapping on her gift and looked inside. "Is that…?"

Hakumen noticed that even Rachel and Valkenhayn were staring at the object in confusion, awe, and probably disgust, and he really couldn't blame them. The object in hand was a doll of… wolfish designs. It had white fur, the wolf ears, and of course the tail. The object was humanoid and clothed however, but the fact that they were truly staring were some of the features. Namely a red coat, a giant plastic sword, and red and green eyes.

'I should have expected this,' Hakumen thought with a sigh. "Platinum I'm sorr-"

He was interrupted by a high-pitched scream and saw that he would have been better with his first guess. She was crushing that thing in the hug she was giving it.

"How did you know?!" Platinum demanded as she proceeded to squeeze the life out of wolf Ragna. "I've wanted one of these ever since they came out a week ago and I heard they were sold out! It's just so CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!"

'Good god, what have I wrought upon myself?' Hakumen deadpanned. Seeing Platinum hugging something that resembled his former apprentice, something that'd he'd been trying to kill in previous shifts, and something that she had LOATHED with a passion, it was almost unbearable.

He then looked to Rachel, expecting some form a verbal rebuke, but he notice that she was staring intensely on Platinum as she continued hugging the doll. No, she wasn't staring at the two of them, she was focused entirely on the doll.

'Don't tell me she's jealous,' he thought at first before allowing the low rumble that was his chuckle. 'Of course she's jealous… Oh the blackmail I can get away from with this… Perhaps there is an upside to this.' He then returned his attention to Platinum hugging the large doll. 'At a great cost…'


*Meanwhile*

Everyone in Noel's apartment let out a large satisfied sigh. The brunch that they made was both delicious and filling. And after every great meal, the thing that everyone needed was a nap. As all of the girls went to sleep Ragna started washing up the dishes and clearing off the table. While he was working, he was starting to face reality.

'These past few days have been the most fun I've had in years, but I need to face facts. I'm the Grim Reaper, the hidden threat to the NOL and the destroyer of the world. They don't know what I do, but if they did I doubt any of them would see me in the same light. And if I did tell them they'd be in as much danger as I am…'

Ragna sighed as he grabbed out a piece of paper from the drawer and wrote a quick note on it. 'It's killing me to do this,' he thought as he stored the gifts he'd gotten this morning. 'Maybe I can talk to them after my fight's over, but I can't do it before.'

He took one last look as the apartment as he left before heading out. The sky was dull and cloudy and there was still snow gently falling to the ground. Ragna was alone as he continued to walk down the street, planning to leave Kagutsuchi and find some other branch to attack. On the way out he noticed several NOL officer pass by him running towards the office branch.


*Fifteen minutes ago- The NOL office branch*

"So your theory that Sector Seven had developed a new super weapon to destroy the NOL and had been performing field test was based on what exactly?"

"It was based on the fact that they have the resource and the fact that they have some of the best scientific minds in order to complete the project. I mean you've seen the videos of 'Project Tager' right?" Jill was getting tired of defending herself, this was supposed to be a day that she could spend to herself, hitting parties as she pleased, not defending her position.

"Indeed they could, but the evidence supported by Noel Vermillion was actually able to show us their budget with was a result of the operations agreement with the NOL. While they're certainly not in the red, they don't have nearly the resources able to handle a job of this magnitude."

"Who's to say they're not just lying to us on the reports!?" Jill demanded. "Those reports aren't stamped by us or-!"

"Let me stop you right there. I'd think you'd know a little more about the inner workings of NOL and Sector Seven before placing blame. Sector Seven doesn't write those reports, an NOL representative records the findings themselves and brings it back to us in a monthly report. I'd think we'd be noticing a difference in their funding by now."

"Unless our representative is their agent!" Jill shrieked. "I don't see how-!"

"You're grasping at straws," the evaluator scolded her. "Keep this up and we might have to change your position to… let's see what's low enough? Janitor maybe?"

"You-!" Jill said with a hateful glare in her eyes, before realizing she could turns this around completely. "But you don't want to do that," she said with a sultry smile. "After all, there's so much fun for the two of us to have."

"Oh?" the evaluator said, an interested gleam in his eye. "I see…"

"And all you'd have to do is change your report a teeny tiny bit for me," Jill said, getting up in his face her hands gently resting on his shoulders. "Doesn't that sound nice?" She slowly moved her lips in for a kiss, knowing that her prey would be unable to move when she took the lead.

SHUNK!

Pain filled her entire body and she heard the splatter of blood hitting the carpet. She looked down and saw her chest had been impaled by a knife she slowly fell backwards as her evaluator and attack kept his hand on the knife handle, letting out a small giggle before going out into a full laugh.

"And here I thought you'd do something interesting!" he yelled before laughing like a maniac, keeping Jill from falling over by twisting the knife slightly. His yellow eye bore deep into hers. "You really need to work on your foreplay lady, you'll never get anyone with that garbage tone… NOT THAT IT MATTERS NOW!"

The knife was pulled from Jill's chest as there was a burst of crimson liquid. The officer fell to the floor, her blood staining the carpeting. Hazama let out a string of insane laughs, long enough that he eventually had to catch his breath.

"OH DAMN THAT FELT GOOD!" he yelled, glad that he'd set up a silencing Ars Magus. "That bitch offered me more ecstasy stabbing her with a knife than stabbing her with my sword!" He smirked at his obvious innuendo. "I guess I should feel bad, after all I am killing someone on Christmas… Ah hell, why let Jill have all the fun!?"

He stuck a button sending out an emergency signal to every NOL agent in the city. 'Return to headquarters.'

"Deck the halls with the blood of paaawns! Falalalalalalalala! Tis the reason to be carving! FalalalahehheheheheHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OH! TERUMI IS BACK BITCHES!"


*Meanwhile*

Ragna was in Kagutsuchi's port, looking for an NOL officer that could help sell him the ticket he needed to get out of town. Currently the station was empty, but why wouldn't it be? All of the people here were spending the time sleeping in, having eggnog, spending time with their family.

'Damn it Ragna, let it go. You're doing the right thing,' The Reaper scolded himself. 'I might've just thrown away the best thing I ever had, but I can't let any of them get hurt.'

"Feeling sorry for yourself?" he heard a voice say. He turned his head and saw a familiar face.

"Oh, hey Rachel. Merry Christmas."

"Honestly Ragna, what are you doing? I thought you'd be spending time with those girls you care so much about. Not spending and evening in a station with no one else around looking glum."

"That's why I'm here," Ragna said as he sat on a bench and sighed. "I care about them too much to have something happen to them, and I feel like I've been lying to them the entire time. They deserve someone better than me."

"Like who?" Rachel asked, sitting on the bench beside Ragna. Her pets Nago and Gii weren't present, but she'd insisted on coming alone.

"I don't know, someone," Ragna told her. "I'm just a Reaper on a suicide mission. That's not exactly the best job security for someone to have." He sighed. "But enough about that, I have something that I think you'll want to look at."

Out of his Ars Magus storage he brought out a small box and handed it to Rachel.

"A Christmas present, for me?" she seemed slightly off guard. "Well now, you do still have some surprises."

"Yeah, I've got a few," Ragna admitted with a slight grin. "Go on, open it."

"As you wish," Rachel said as she undid the ribbon and opened the box. She almost let out a gasp at what she saw. Inside was a glass rose, a work of master craftsmanship, she could tell that the design was based around the species of roses in her garden, a design that should be impossible to find. "Where did you find this?"

"I didn't," Ragna told her. "Back when I was in Wadatsumi I got a couple of classes for glass wielding. It was impossible to get down at first, but eventually I was able to make this."

Rachel was silent for a moment before giving the tiniest of smiles. "I'm afraid you actually have me at a disadvantage right now Ragna. I did not come prepared with a Christmas gift today."

"Eh, it's fine," Ragna told her. "I enjoy giving gifts much more than I enjoy getting them."

Rachel was silent for a moment before she fixed her eyes on Ragna in an unnerving glare. Ragna audibly gulped, she only gave him that look when she was about to kill him with lightning. What had he done that was so bad?

"Tell one soul about this and I will make your life an even deeper hell," Rachel promised him.

"What did I do!?" Ragna demanded. That was before he felt a pair of tiny lips touch his own. 'Is Rachel really doing this?' he could only think with his brain cells that hadn't just been fried. When the kiss ended he saw the visible blush on Rachel's face. Apparently she was unused to this herself. "Not a soul, I promise."

"Glad to see you understand," she said to him before resting her head on the Reaper's shoulder.

He chuckled. "And you say I'm full of surprise. That's the pot calling the kettle black if I ever heard."

"Stop talking," she commanded him. Ragna indeed stopped talking, but he still carried a small smile.

The two sat there for a moment, enjoy each other's company and watching the snow fall outside. There was a sudden pulse of darkness, a huge one, a darkness that the two could remember only too well.

"I didn't just imagine that," Ragna thought aloud as he got up from the bench, his eyes wide.

"I'm afraid not," Rachel said with equal concern in her eyes. "And it came from the branch… Damn it!" Ragna yelled as he ran off. "Well there goes a Merry Christmas."

Disclaimer: I don't own BlazBlue, FullMetal Alchemist, or Sailor Moon. Did I miss anything?

Well… stuff happened THAT chapter. Looks like it's time to move the plot forward. Expect a lot of action from here on out.

General Ironix: Now you know. I think Ragna got out lucky and Hakumen… well, he's going to endure a phase of his surrogate daughter fangirling.

: Glad you survived.

KnightSpark: Eventually, yes she will. Just not in this arc.

Adv: Thanks, I had to come up with a few things on the fly.

IdeaPerson1097: Harsk was actually the good guy boss who decided to let it snow for a day or two.

Siphon Filter: You already have Hakumen, isn't that close enough to Jin. But don't worry, he'll be sure to show up later.

Blackace70: I had already planned for Ragna to do something nice, but I sort of just decided to go from there.

Guest: Hakumen the… Okay? I don't really get it.

Rate and Review! Ciao!