Summary: Sort of sequel to Swimming Lessons (chapter 123). Ur gives Nashi swimming lessons.

Pairings: Implied Nashi/Ur, Nashi/Gilly friendship, Nashi/Edward friendship, implied Natsu/Lucy, and implied Gray/Juvia.

YouTube Prompt: Fairy Tail tribute to 'Stand' by KISS.

It started on a job dealing with a bunch of rowdy pirates.

As usual they had gotten into another battle and Nashi dived right into fight the Captain who was, apparently, a well-renowned swordsman. He had unfortunately disarmed her, sending her axe flying across the deck (Edward and his own adversaries barely ducked in time) and before she could summon a fireball or her bow, two oversized thugs grabbed her from behind and threw her overboard.

"NASHI!"

There was a horrifying long moment as Ur, Gilly, and Edward stood there frozen as they waited for their friend to resurface. Instead though the water remained calm as Nashi seem to sink further down into its depths.

Ur dived in without another moment's hesitation.

He was an Ice Mage first but his mother had taught him enough water magic that he could breathe with under water unaffected. He swam down further desperately seeking his annoying pain in the ass friend. He had the vaguest memory of her sinking in the swimming pool like a lead balloon and he had a nasty suspicion that the same thing happened again.

He was right.

Nashi kept sinking further and further into the ocean. Her eyes were closed and Ur could make out a tiny stream of bubbles exiting her parted lips. He swam desperately towards her, yanking her tiny body against his before he kicked upwards into the sun.

Nashi let out a huge gasp as she inhaled oxygen greedily.

"You…stupid….dumb…airheaded….blonde cotton-head!" Ur choked out furiously as soon as they were lifted onto their own boat (Edward and Gilly apparently dispatched the pirates with ease while they were under the water). "Why the hell didn't you swim?!"

"Because I don't know how to!" Nashi yelled back. Her cheeks bright pink with embarrassment and anger. "We weren't all born mermaids like you!"

"How do you not know how to swim?!" Ur yelped as he shook Nashi hard "You had swimming lessons. I know you did. You kicked me in the head when I teased you."

In the corner of his eye he could see Edward and Gilly sweat-drop at that.

"That was the only swimming lesson I had!" Nashi protested. "I got grounded for kicking you in the head and then Mum and Dad had a job, and then something else happened, and then eventually they just….forgot. And I didn't want to bring it up because….well who needs to know how to swim?"

"Erm," Ur's eyes bulged out furiously, "EVERYONE?!"

"Oh Nashi!" Gilly face-palmed.

"You….I…..urgh!" Ur growled in frustration. "You must be the most infuriating, annoying, person in the world. You can't go through life without knowing how to swim."

"Why not?!"

"BECAUSE YOU CAN DROWN LIKE YOU ALMOST JUST DID RIGHT NOW!"

"Oh please," Nashi snorted derisively, "as if I'd let that happen again."

"Nashi," Edward said calmly, "you have a choice. Either you learn how to swim at Ur's tutelage, or," he lifted up his sword as a gleam that reminded everyone of his mother…they all gulped, "I can make sure you learn right now this very instant."

And that was how Ur and Nashi ended up in the swimming pool at the guild building the very next day.

Nashi stood as far as she possibly could from the swimming pool as she crossed her arms defiantly. Ur stood his ground firmly and averted his eyes from all the suddenly exposed skin he could see. Nashi wore her usual blue stripped tankini which suddenly revealed her pale, translucent skin on her collarbone, and her long, well-toned from battle, legs, and a tiny patch of pale skin between her top and bottoms that suddenly looked alluring.

Ur flushed and coughed loudly.

"You're going to have to actually get into the swimming pool you know," Ur said flatly, "I can't actually teach you if you're standing all the way over there."

Nashi stomped childishly as she huffed her way towards the edge of the swimming pool. Her indignation evaporated she glanced at the water uneasily and suddenly she curled up into herself as she wrapped her arms round her stomach protectively.

"God!" Ur snorted. "Don't tell me you're actually scared of the water."

"Shut up!" Nashi yelled as her cheeks turned bright red. "Can you actually blame me?!"

"Yes," Ur said flatly, "seeing as you had years to correct your lack of swimming ability and save yourself." Nashi glowered at him furiously but said nothing as her eyes flickered nervously to the water. "Hey," Ur said softly, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you all right? You know that, right? That I will keep you safe."

"Sure," Nashi mumbled, "it would ruin your plans to irritate me to death if I was to drown here."

"Exactly!" Ur grinned. "Now get in the damn pool before I tell Edward-"

Nashi jumped into the pool.

Ur spluttered as the chlorinated water splashed him in the face and got into his mouth. He pulled a disgusted face as Nashi struggled to the side of the pool and clung tightly to the side.

"Oh come on!" he exclaimed. "We're in the shallow end! It barely goes up to our chests!"

"It barely goes up to your chest!" Nashi corrected with a scowl. "It's over my shoulder!"

"Yes," Ur said impatiently, "but that's only because you're a midget. A puddle can be deep enough for you to drown in."

"SHUT UP!"

Ur smirked at Nashi's red, furious, face, he could happily taunt her about her height all day but decided to drop the subject. He had to teach Nashi to swim or it would be his imminent death at the hands of Edward. Or worse, Uncle Natsu and Aunt Lucy when they found out that Ur let their precious baby drown.

"Right then," he said firmly, "lesson number one. Floating! Something you need to desperately learn seeing as you keep sinking like a lead balloon."

"I can't help it that I'm heavier than most girls," Nashi mumbled.

"Oh, so many fat jokes!" Ur cried out. "Where to begin? Where to start? What-"

"I MEANT MUSCLE YOU FREAKING SNOW CONE!"

"Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure you did," Ur drawled out, "but that doesn't change the fact that you still sink like a lead balloon. Now then," he had never moved quicker before in his life than when he suddenly moved forwards, knocked Nashi off of her feet, and scooped her up into his arms. All the while she was screeching n his ear. "I need you to relax!"

"That is easier said," Nashi grounded out between gritted teeth, "than done."

"Lie back straight," Ur ordered. Nashi disobeyed immediately as she clung more tightly to Ur, her body tense and her legs curled round his arms. "Lie back straight," he repeated, "come on Nashi," he encouraged softly, "I'm not going to let you go. You're safe. Think of it as lying in the bath."

Nashi moaned pathetically but slowly, reluctantly, she obeyed as she lay back into the water. Her back stiff as a board her the tips of her toes stuck out and her face was the only thing not fully submerged into water. Her thick, blonde, fluffy hair stuck out beneath her like a soft, fluffy, cloud.

"That's it!" Ur said encouragingly, "now stay nice and relaxed and I will take you round the pool so you can get used to it."

"Wait!" Nashi yelped as she shot up in his arms. "What?!"

"Shh!" Ur said soothingly as possible. Though the urge to shove his hand in hr face and tell her to shut it was incredibly strong. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that antagonising Nashi at this point will only cause more harm than actual help and he needed to get her swimming quickly as possible. "Relax! I'm not letting you go anytime soon. You're safe. I'm here."

"Right," Nashi whispered uncertainly, "okay."

"Just look at me," Ur said, "don't think of anything else."

"I'm going to punch you in the face when this is over."

"Whatever helps you relax."

Nashi laid back and Ur slowly wandered round the pool to get her used to floating in the water. She stared up at him with wide, petrified, eyes which was so uncharacteristically vulnerable. He had never seen her like this and found himself strangely spellbound to stare back. Slowly, ever so slowly, the terror began to wash away as Nashi's breathing slowed to long, deep, relaxed breaths and her body stopped tensing up every time he accidentally jolted her.

Her eyes fluttered to a close as she finally relaxed completely and Ur's breath hitched as he finally realised her had what was essentially a half-naked girl in his arms and not just any half-naked girl but Nashi. She looked different all of the sudden, her skin pale and delicate, her face prettier than usual, and -

"Ara! Ara!" Aunt Mira suddenly cooed behind them. "What's this? Nashi and Ur getting frisky in the swimming pool? They grow up so fast!"

Both Nashi and Ur almost drowned at that.