CHRISTMAS SPECIAL- This chapter is not connected with previous chapter.
Chapter 57 -Year X789 :
The sun has yet to show it's face and the quiet forest already started to wake up as the shivering sparrows started peck at the window of cabin in the forest half hidden by the snow that cowered it along with every other fraction of the forest that surrounded Magnolia.
The resident of said cabin was doing his best to ignore the constant tapping on his window and was doing relatively good job at it and he might've been able to fall asleep as the persistent sparrow finally quit it's pecking. He would've if it wasn't for his alarm clock blaring his ear off.
"Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Sno- *CRACK*"
The pink-haired teenager raised his fist from demolished clock muttering "Damn broken thing. I didn't even turned it on"
Natsu stood up and stretched his back before his eyes landed on half cowered window. "Wonderful" he said sarcastically looking at the snow that cowered his window.
"Let it snow, huh?" he said looking at his broken radio.
"Lady Winter, you do know that dragons are cold-blooded creatures, right? I came to Magnolia because it's warm. This- " he pointed at the window "Is not warm" he sighed and ran a hand trough his spiky hair that went beyond his shoulders.
'So tomorrow is Christmas?' Natsu questioned himself as he looked at the picture above fireplace. Picture was one of the last he had from them. Erza stood in the left corner with smile stretching her lips and her hands on her developed hips, her eyes locked at Gray who had his left hand thrown over Lucy's shoulder. Both of the young mages grinning like idiots with Lucy holding her left hand in peace sign and Gray his right hand on Wendy who stood between the two grin from ear to ear on her face. Happy and Charla were flying above with Happy watching Charla who either ignored him or simply didn't noticed him. In the right corner of the picture stood Natsu with hands crossed over his chest, his dragon-like eyes watching the three grinning idiots with blank face. The picture was drawn by Reedus few days before Tenrou.
Natsu sighed heavily as a wave of guilt washed over him. "It's my fault you're not with us" he whispered as he looked away from the photo and took his neatly folded clothes to the bathroom and changed into it after tying his hair in a high, spiky pony-tail.
Natsu went to his doors and halted for a second his mind lost in thoughts. A look of determination settled in his eyes.
"Well as much as this goes against everything I stand for and believe in I guess it can't be helped" Natsu said as a void opened beneath him and he disappeared in it.
He reappeared in old, silent and dusty storage room of their small guild in outskirts of Magnolia.
"Time to bring Christmas spirit inside" Natsu said dryly yet a barely noticeable trace of glee found its way in his voice. He looked around the room and when his eyes spotted the ladders pushed in the corner between wall and bookshelf he took the ladders and set them against one of the bookshelves that hosted quite a few cardboard boxes with things from wires to clothes sticking out from every corner possible. He climbed the ladders and began his search.
"Fake web... rubber Bats... No that's Halloween. I still don't see why they can't use real things for the holiday" Natsu said as he closed the box he opened moments ago. He opened another box but soon found that it wasn't the one he was looking for.
"Old clothes and costumes... Probably something master kept for Fantasia parade" Natsu surprised himself when he realized he was smiling sadly. He shook his head as a blank look returned and his emotions pushed back and closed in his mind as far away as possible.
Ten more boxes and he finally found the one he was looking for.
"Colorful wires... glittering balls... disgustingly bright colors... Yup, that's the box I'm looking for" Natsu said as he closed the box and sneaked his hands beneath ready to lift it. He lifted the box with surprisingly small effort considering the size of it and carefully balancing the box and himself he climbed down.
He carried the box in the main hall where he put it down on the bar.
"I need a Christmas tree, right?" Natsu asked and if someone heard him he truly sounded genuinely curious about that. He looked around the hall. 'The tables and the chairs in the middle will need to be moved... And I still need to get the tree'
He turned around and looked at the clock above the bar. It showed 5:12 and that means he had more than three hours before Mira came here and unlocked the guild.
"Let's see..." Natsu said as he held his palm open and two keys appeared in burst of black energy after Natsu mumbled "Requip"
"I open your doors to our world! Yokubo the lust! Haradachi the wrath! Appear" Natsu called as he held both keys up and turned them around like unlocking the doors. The black keys glowed for a moment and second later shadows beside Natsu twisted and moved before forming black cat with red markings and yellow eyes appeared. "What?" The cat said in annoyed voice "I was just taking a shower! You can't just call me whenever you want!"
"Yes, he can" A burst of fire signalized the coming of large fox-like spirit.
The cat turned into a small girl and pouted as she crossed her hands over her chest "I know"
"So why exactly did you call us?" fox questioned as he changed into a tall, slim man dressed in 18th century styled black suit with shoulder-length black hair that had two orange fox-ears poking out. Haradachi fixed his black-rimmed eyes on Natsu waiting for an answer "As far as I see there is no demon around nor are you in any fight at all"
"Yea! What's the deal?" Yokubo questioned as she changed into a woman with long straight black hair dressed in black dress.
"Show some respect you two" Natsu said with blank face before he sighed "No fighting today. I need to get the tree and you will move those-" he pointed at the tables in the middle "tables while I'm gone"
"Seriously?" Haradachi asked "That's why you called us?"
"Yes" Natsu answered without missing a beat before he disappeared in the void that opened in the floor.
Yokubo and Haradachi exchanged looks before both sighed and moved toward the tables.
Natsu returned with giant pine that took all three of them more than twenty minutes to balance in the middle.
"Can we go now?" Yokubo asked in whiny voice.
"Nope" Natsu replied as he walked toward the box with Christmas decorations and started pulling decorations out "Soon, but not just yet. You will help with the lights" Natsu said with smirk as he watch Yokubo hung her head and Haradachi shaking his head in disbelief "And since when do you decorate guild for Christmas?"
"I just..." Natsu stopped pulling decorations out as his focused eyes lost their sharpness for a second. "Wanted to something for those few people I care about. After all there's not much of them left" He said the last part with sour smile that left bitter taste in his mouth.
Haradachi nodded as he took the small lights lined on a wire in his hand and looked at Yokubo with meaningful look. Cat in human form rolled her yellow eyes and warped herself in the shadows before transforming in the crow. She took the end of the wire in her beak and flew up to put the lights around the beams that supported the ceiling.
Mira woke up when sun was already up above her head. She yawned loudly as she stretched her arms and hoped out of the bed. She turned around and said not bothering to be gentle or quiet "Wake up sleepy head"
The groan escaped from the barely parted lips of the other occupant of her king-sized bed. "Don't wanna" she said as she rolled around and pulled the blanket over her head.
Mira sighed. Every morning same story.
"Ultear" Mira said narrowing her arms. When no response came from the other woman Mira sighed and grabbed the covers of the bed and pulled them off of the purple-haired woman who immediately sat up and glared at Mira "HEY! I was trying to sleep!" She yelled.
"And I say you had enough!" Mira huffed "Look It's almost eight o'clock! We were supposed to be at the guild by now"
"Oh, come on! Tomorrow is Christmas, no one is gonna come before nine" Ultear whined as she stood up from the bed grumbling. Her eyes suddenly widened as she turned on her heel to look at Mira who looked at her with wide eyes as well.
"Shit!" Ultear cursed as she grabbed the clothes that was thrown on the floor on her side of the bed and ran into the bathroom. Mira grabbed her own clothes that was neatly folded on the chair and started putting it on in the bedroom after taking off her pajamas.
Ultear came out few seconds later with a black kimono on but still wearing bottoms of her pajamas. "I hope for his own good that he didn't ditched us again" Ultear mumbled trough her teeth as she brushed them with toothbrush.
"Agreed" Mira said as she finished dressing up and went into the bathroom to get her own toothbrush.
"Remind me again why isn't he in the house anyway?" Ultear asked as she finished washing her teeth.
"He said he wanted to go to the cabin. Guess he knew he couldn't sleep so he went out so not to wake whole house up" Mira said as she too finished washing her teeth.
"'Morning" sleepy looking Arthur said from the doors as both Mira and Ultear turned around to look at the pajama wearing boy.
"Good morning to you too. How did you sleep?" Mira questioned as she brushed her hair.
"Good I guess" Arthur said with shrug before he narrowed his eyes suspiciously "What's up with dad?"
Ultear sighed as she crossed her arms annoyed "He's..." she sighed as she realized there was no good way to describe Natsu with one word "He's Natsu"
Arthur raised his eyebrow before nodding like he completely understood that which he probably did "That explains it"
"Is your sister up?" Mira asked as she stepped away from the mirror while Ultear brushed her own hair.
"Last I checked- no" Arthur said "Should I wake her?"
Mira smiled and shook her head "Nah, let her sleep"
At that Ultear poked her head out of the bathroom and glared at Mira who had her back turned toward her "So she can sleep, but I can't? Where's justice in that?"
"The world is unfair place" Mira mocked doing her best to imitate an old man.
Arthur snickered while Ultear rolled her eyes. "We should get going if we wanna even hope to catch our man" Ultear said after a moment at which Mira nodded.
"You and your sister get to the guild when she wakes up and you get dressed" Mira said to Arthur who nodded and waved as both woman rushed outside into the cold snowy day.
"We should stop by Jellal's place to see if he's still sleeping" Mira said to Ultear who smirked "You just don't wanna let people sleep, do ya?"
It was Mira's turn to roll her eyes at the mocking tone the other woman used. "Fine. We go straight to the guild"
When they reached the guild Ultear pushed the doors opened and yelled "You better be here or I will... kick... your... ass?"
The both woman stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the inside of the now fully decorated guild.
"What the...?" Ultear questioned as she looked at Mira "Did you...?"
Mira shook her head 'no'.
"So you decided to show up after all" An amused voice spoke above them and their eyes shot up to catch Natsu sitting on one of the beams right above the doors.
They needed a second to realize what happened as their eyes almost fell out of their sockets. "No freaking way!" Ultear said as her jaw dropped.
"You did this all by yourself?!" she shrieked when Natsu let himself fall right in front of them with grace barely imaginable. Natsu rubbed his ear with his hand as smirk stretched his usually stoic face.
"Yes... well not exactly. Haradachi and Jakubo- Hey!" Natsu suddenly raised his voice in surprise as two women jumped at him knocking all three of them on the floor. They hugged him and wouldn't budge as Natsu tried to pry them off "I didn't agree to this! Get off of me you two" Natsu said though there wasn't even trace of anger in his voice. He almost sounded like he was going to start laughing and that didn't go unnoticed by two girls.
"You drunk?" Mira teased as she stood up.
Natsu raised his eyebrow at her "No. I don't even think I can get drunk"
"When did you do all this?" Ultear asked amazed as she walked inside the guild and looked around.
"I couldn't really sleep so I decided to come here and do something to... apologize? For the last year" Natsu said with shrug leaving the two shocked once again as Mira narrowed her eyes "Okay! Who are you and what did you do with out Natsu?"
Natsu looked at her as his eyebrows knotted together. "Are you serious?"
Mira's serious face soon disappeared as she started laughing.
"Oh god, the only thing that could surprise me even more now is you dancing" Ultear said as she wiped imaginary tear from her cheek.
"Well sorry to disappoint you but that's not happening" Natsu said leaving the girls half-disappointed as they actually liked the idea.
"Who said something about Natsu singing?" Jellal questioned as he entered the guild only to stop at the entrance "Whoa girls! When did you do this? Where you up whole night?"
Ultear laughed and Mira giggled as they both pointed at Natsu "He did it" they both said in union.
Jellal stared at them for a good minute before he started laughing "Oh, you almost got me there!"
Mira and Ultear looked at him completely serious "We're not joking"
Jellal stopped laughing as he looked at Natsu as if waiting for him to confirm it. The only answer he got was a shrug from the long-haired dragon.
"No way!" Jellal said in surprise as he once again looked around the guild.
"What's so unbelievable?" Jet questioned as he and Droy walked behind Jellal who turned around to face the boys and cocked his thumb toward stoic pinkhead "Natsu decorated the guild hall"
Jet and Droy looked at Natsu and stared blankly as the sentence processed in their heads. Few second later their jaws fell open. "What?!"
The guild slowly filled with its members and one after another stared in shock at the pinkhead who in the meantime decided to stop standing in front of the doors and moved to the bar where he sat with Mira in front of him filling some mugs with beer and Ultear sat next to him sipping her hot chocolate mixed with rum.
Mira glanced at Natsu every now and then while Natsu continued to stare in front of himself drinking his coffee mixed with rum.
"If you want to ask something just ask" Natsu said as he turned his eyes to look at Mira who looked at him in slight surprise.
"Look... I have to ask... Why did you do this?" Mira asked after a second as she watched Natsu sigh and put down his coffee before running a hand trough his now released hair.
"Honestly... I don't know" Natsu said after a moment just as Mira thought that he would ignore her question.
When both girls thought that he won't continue anymore he opened his mouth and said something that made the girls stiff "Wendy liked Christmas. She always tried to make me put some lights in my house up in the woods or a Christmas tree but I always answered with 'No'. I guess I wanted to... I don't know"
Ultear stared at Natsu who was now staring at his coffee, face still blank but his eyes a completely different story as the storm played inside. Mira on the other hand locked her eyes on the glass she started drying as she tried to stop a sob from escaping her lips.
The trio sat in awkward silence.
"Don't you think the glass is completely dry by now?" Jellal said as he sat beside Ultear. The trio just stayed quiet as Mira put the glass down and sighed. Jellal raised his eyebrow in confusion as he awkwardly coughed in his hand "Umm... Am I interrupting something?"
"No" Natsu said and was about to stand up when Ultear stopped him "You know you can talk to us about things like this more often... right?"
Natsu looked at her hiding his surprise though barely before his lips stretched into a smile that like most of them didn't reach his eyes. "Yes. I know that. If I didn't knew that I wouldn't say anything"
Ultear nodded and Jellal looked at Mira clearly wanting an explanation on what happened. After receiving none he sighed before forcing a grin on his face "How about we lighten the mood with some singing, eh?"
Mira raised her head to look at Jellal as her eyes lit up "Singing?"
She smiled though it was forced. The memories of the people they lost still dancing before her eyes but she quickly and quietly pushed them away for the time being. She had enough time to cry about them some other time. Right here and right now she planned to have fun.
"I'll be right back! Just to grab my guitar!" Mira said as she hurried to the room on the right side of the bar where her office was.
Jellal chuckled as he looked at Ultear "You're not singing?"
Ultear waved her hand trough the air dismissively "I'm not much of a singer"
"Now you're lying to my face" Jellal said with crossed arms "I heard you singing and you're not bad at all"
Ultear rolled her eyes "I don't like to do it in public"
Jellal stared at her for a good minute before he sighed "Fine"
"You're saying something to her but Natsu's a pretty damn good himself" Mira said as she walked to the trio with white guitar in her hand. Jellal's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he opened his mouth to express it but Arthur beat him to it as he said in complete shock "You can sing?!"
Natsu cringed at the tone the boy used as it attracted others attention. "Since when?" Ultear questioned in surprise. Natsu looked around as pretty much every eye was on him. He cursed under his breath as he already had enough unwanted attention on him for the rest of the year.
"I heard him once when he was taking a shower" Mira said with smile either not noticing or ignoring the fact that Natsu juts banged his head on the bar.
"Well I need to hear that, come on dad!" Annie said with grin as she tugged at Natsu's sleeve. Natsu raised his head and looked at Annie like someone kicked his dog before he dryly replied "Not happening"
The guild seemed to groan in union while Natsu just sweat-dropped "You seriously thought that I would sing to you? What? A lullaby?"
"Come on! It will be a Christmas miracle!" Macao yelled raising his beer-filled mug.
"Yea" Wakaba agreed with his friend.
Natsu shook his head in disbelief 'What did I do to deserve this?' he asked himself miserably.
"Natsu! Natsu! Natsu!" Arthur started yelling as he clapped his hands and soon whole guild joined him.
"Oh just shut up" Natsu said his voice barely louder than usual but it was clear as day that he was getting from annoyed to angry.
"Do you think we could get him drunk?" Macao whispered to Wakaba who shrugged at the idea. "You can try but I doubt that's even possible"
"And not really a good idea" Natsu said with sigh as he stood up. "Where are you going?" Mira asked suspiciously as if expecting him to simply walk away right now.
"To get this over with and than stick my head in the sand" Natsu said as he moved to the stage.
"Wait... Seriously?" Jellal asked after a long silence.
"Yea. I was thinking about those sand boxes where cats shit. What do you think?" Natsu asked faking curiosity.
"Is it possible that he's delusional because of the lack of sleep?" Ultear asked as she elbowed Jellal who shrugged "Possible"
"Is this thing on?" Natsu asked as he tapped the microphone and after his taps echoed around the hall he concluded that it was turned on.
"Good" Natsu clicked with his tongue before he looked at Mira who was still holding the guitar.
"Can you hand that over to me?"
"You know how to play guitar?" Mira asked surprised "You just keep surprising me more and more today"
"Well what to say? I'm full of surprises" Natsu stretched his mouth in grim smile as he sat on the edge of the stage so that his legs were hanging down. He looked up at Mira as if saying 'Are you coming or not?' at which she sighed but decided to go to him.
"What?"
"I'm not gonna do this alone" Natsu said with smirk as he whispered something to her. Mira stared at him for a second before her mouth stretchered into a grin.
He placed his fingers on the right chord and ran with his fingers over the wires of guitar.
Mira took the microphone and started singing as Natsu started playing. What was more than obvious was that this won't be your everyday Christmas song.
"We're gonna have a gothic christmas
That is what we'll do
We're gonna have a gothic christmas
Hope you'll have one too
Santa's going to wear a black dress
Just for me and you
Santa's going to grunt in Latin
And slay a dragon or two"
Mira stopped singing as Natsu started singing the other microphone near his lips. Once his voice was heard the guild cried in approval.
"Rudolph, he will change his name
'cause Rudolph just sounds really lame
Now we'll call him Ragnagord
The evil reindeer overlord"
The next part they sang together. The guild was now on its feet as they cheered for the two but not too loud so they could hear them perfectly.
"His nose it shall be red no more
It will be blackened to the core
His eyes will glow an evil glow
To guide the chariot through the snow"
Then only Mira continued.
"We want to wish you a gothic christmas
We want to wish you a gothic christmas
We want to wish you a gothic christmas
We want to wish you a gothic christmas
We're gonna have a gothic christmas
That is what we'll do
We're gonna have a gothic christmas
Hope you'll have one too
We want to wish you a gothic christmas
We want to wish you a gothic christmas
We want to wish you a gothic christmas"
And then they said it together.
Hope you'll have a gothic christmas too"
As the song finished the cheers and yells filled the hall to the point where Natsu had to cover his ears. After they somewhat quieted down Natsu stood up and hopped down from the stage onto the floor and headed for the doors after handing the guitar to Mira.
"Oh no you don't!" Ultear said as she put a hand in front of Natsu "After that there is no way you're leaving until I hear more from you"
Ultear was taken aback as Natsu smirked and winked at her before disappearing in the hole in the floor that opened beneath him- the result of 'chaotic void'
Ultear's mouth were left open in shock before her eye started twitching "Did he just do what I think he did?"
"Yup" Macao said, he just as everyone else slightly shocked at the fast departure of their resident dragon.
Natsu reappeared on Magnolia's decks and watched as the slowly started to disappear from the sky painting it in flaming red and orange. The sea was calm and no wind around him. The dock was devoid of any life as all workers were now home with their families.
Natsu watched the sea for few more minutes before he whispered "Merry Christmas, mina"
'I hope we will see each other again one day'
End of Chapter 57.
The song: Within Temptation - Gothic Christmas
Well I hope you like it. Merry Christmas to you and your family and happy New Year if I don't publish anything sooner. I have some good news that my Winter holidays just started so that means that with some luck you will be hearing from me more often for about three weeks until my school starts on 12/1/2017. Please review and thanks for reading :)
P.s.
A good story to read that I myself enjoyed:
Last of the Spider-Clan written by FrivolousThoughts
(Summary: Pītā Pākā, the last living member of the once great Shukeikō-Clan, has to make his own way in a tough ninja world with the amazing abilities gifted to him by his bloodline. He can do anything a spider can, and holding the wise words of his clan's nindō close to his heart, Pītā knows that with great power, there must also come great responsibility.)