This one shot is dedicated to GhostXavier's Fragments of Chaldea series. I'd recommend reading the recent road map to get some context.

This fic takes place 19 years later. Let's call it an AU for simplicity's sake.

Thank you for everything Ghost!

Giovanni Santini walked around the silent halls of Chaldea.

Nineteen years. He's been living here for nineteen years. Living in Chaldea wasn't so bad. Being raised by famous, or infamous, people who made their mark in history is like being born into royalty. From being taught how to wrestle from a goddesses to being taught magecraft by the most notable witches in mythology, Giovanni found himself being a jack of all trades.

He looked out the window as the song All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey played around the halls.

"Heh... Every Christmas, that damn song keeps on playing... we're in the 2030s..."

Christmas in Chaldea was a festive sight to behold. People and heroes gather together and celebrate. Marie goes above and beyond to decorate the salon, Liz and her special holiday concerts, Janna and her enthusiasm as Chaldea's Santa. To Gio's surprise, Chaldea has yet to summon Santa Claus, let alone Saint Nicholas. Or maybe they're the same person. Who knows.

Continuing onwards, he was about to enter one of the doors before it opened. He paused to let someone through. It was a woman.

"Ah, I was about to look for you." she said, ushering a hand to let him in. Giovanni walked in and took a seat. She opened a folder, going through it.

"It appears that you're all set." she explained. "All that's left is your choice."

"Thanks Flo."

Gio had to admit, he was absolutely lucky having the famous Florence Nightingale as his pediatrician growing up. His mother told him that he was born in an aircraft while on the way to Chaldea. It was quite the honor of being the first human of the 21st century to be delivered by the Angel of Crimea.

"Like the director said, you have until New Years." she said, standing up from her chair. "Have you given it any thought?"

"Well... sorta." he responded. "I was thinking about having a bit more time befofe I could answer..."

"Well there's no need to rush. It's only a few more days till Christmas."

"Yeah, I know."

As he exited the area, he walked past a few servants and employees.

"There your are!"

Giovanni turned around to find a young teenage boy grabbing his arm.

Jeremiah Albanese-Stolarz. The first person, or human to be accurate, to be born in Chaldea. He took more after his mother, only having hair a bit darker thanks to his father.

"What up?"

"I was looking for you obviously."

"Yeah, but what for?"

Jeremiah smirked. "You'll see."

[F] [G] [O]

Giovanni remained stiff as Jeremiah added the finishing touches. He adjusted the suit's pure white tie, which contrasts with the black suit. Gio watched as Jeremiah brushed off some lint before he felt his hand stroke a part of his chest.

They both remained silent.

"You're worried aren't you?" Giovanni guessed. Jeremiah sighed, bumping his forehead against the other's shoulder. "I'm surprised that you know..."

"My mama's a therapist. I think I know when someone is troubled."

"I-I'm just scared. Dad lost his arm in one of the Lostbelts. It's terrifying to just think about anything worse happening to you."

Giovanni comforted him by stroking his dark green hair. "So far, that's the worst of what happened. We got Heroic Spirits with us. They're our friends. And they would do anything to keep us safe."

Before Jeremiah could respond, a loud crash could be heard.

The two walked over to where the noise was.

"Ow..." said a woman with white hair, crawling out of a large box.

"Merlina?" Jeremiah asked. "What are you doing here? This place is closed."

Merlina, the Merlin from Arthur's timeline, stood up. When she first arrived, nobody was sure what to call her. Merlin's Welsh name Myrddin was up on the table, but many found Merlina to be a bit more fitting, so Merlina she became.

"Don't say I was here. I'm hiding from someone." she explained. Giovanni knew she did something. "Merlina, what did you do?"

"Oh... Let's just say I altered a few dresses for Lily and Altria."

"Was it that bad?" Jeremiah asked. "Mom's gonna use Rule Breaker on you herself if she finds out."

"Yeah I know. That's why I'm hiding."

"And what do you mean by altered?" Gio asked. "Mm... Let's just say that I added a bit of va va voom into them."

"Oh god, it's like that Voyager suit fiasco..."

Giovanni lightly laughed. "You might wanna leave this place before another servant comes by."

"Alright then. Peace out!" she said as she disappeared.

The door opened, revealing a frantic Naomi. "Where. Is. She?"

[F] [G] [O]

It's not even Christmas yet and Giovanni found himself covered in eggnog. Lakshmibai was about to walk over to her table with her fellow Indian servants before the heel on her shoe broke, causing her to fall over.

Wiping his face with a napkin, she helped the Rani of Jhansi up as she apologized.

"It's not a problem." Giovanni told her. "Accidents happen."

Lakshmibai was known for her hilariously awful luck. Every soda can she opens just about explodes on her face. The bikinis she would wear to the beach would somehow unravel by themselves. Heck, just about any dish she would cook would somehow burst into flames.

"Is everything alright?" Arjuna asked as he walked over. The woman nearly fell over as she tried to regain her balance. Ajruna chuckled. "Ah, I see."

He knelt down to see her broken heel. "Here, let me-"

"Ah!"

She gasped as she lightly slipped, but gained her balance. She froze in horror as a loud crack could be heard.

She looked down and noticed his bleeding finger. "S-sorry. Um..."

Franticly turning, she grabbed a napkin near her. She quickly turned, accidentally smacking him in the face.

"Ah! Sorry! So sorry!"

"Ahaha. You don't have to apologize." he responded. He stood up and slipped an arm under her legs, sweeping her up into a bridal style lift. She began to blush even harder.

"You're ankle looks a bit swollen. We should get Nightingale to check on it."

"B-but your finger..."

Giovanni couldn't help but smile. While things change in Chaldea, the couples that got together have held strong relationships. Many have gotten married here in Chaldea. Ceasar and the pharaoh Cleopatra were one of the notable ones to get married. He did recall a story of few humans hooking up with some servants.

He felt familiar hands on his shoulder.

"Jerry..."

Jeremiah sat down next to him. "What happened to you."

"Bad Luck Parameters."

"Ah. Well Adira was looking for you."

"What would she want?"

"She told me that her dad offered to help train you should you...you know..."

Adira Delaqua. She was actually Valeria's cousin and godmother. An accident happened to her parents and now, Val has a baby girl. All of it happened so fast. She and Leonidas got together, making people go "Finally, it took you guys this long!" to them. A few weeks later, a she got a horrible phone call. And so, Leonidas was essentially her father. Many in Chaldea referred to her as "Sparta's Princess". Like the many children that grew up in Chaldea, many teens would consider themselves lucky. Like her two aunts consists of an Aztec goddess with a flying dinosaur and the freaking queen of the Amazons.

"I still have until New Years to decide. So I'll just think things over..."

The door to the salon opened as Adira walked in. She saw the two and walked over.

"Gio... It's your mom..."

[F] [G] [O]

"Mama!" Giovanni cried as he ran into the room. He looked at his mother in the hospital bed. "M-ma..."

He held her hand. Behind him, Adira and Jeremiah watched from the door. From another door, Nightingale walked in.

"Ah, she fell asleep."

"She's asleep?"

"Yes. She fell down the stairs and sprained her ankle. Adira was nearby and I asked her to tell you."

Giovanni sighed in relief and turned to Adira. "What the hell Didi? You scared me for nothing."

"Sorry. I just heard her name and critical condition."

"You have nothing to worry about. Let's just let your mother sleep. She's been working hard this holiday season."

Leaving the room the three began to wander around the halls and into the resort. The sun was almost ready to set. From afar, a few pirate servants could be seen sailing some ships. Adira stretched as she sat down on the sand. "Still thinking about it?"

"Yeah..."

There was silence between the three. This was their world that they grew up with. They heard stories about the four previous masters, whom they knew personally.

Jeremiah leaned over towards Giovanni, resting his head on his shoulders. Gio than wrapped an arm around him. "Gio..."

"Yeah?"

"Have you asked the other masters?"

Adira turned to the two. "Yeah. Did they give you any advice?"

"Well... I actually..."

"You didn't ask them anything did you?" Adira guessed. Giovanni sighed and nodded in defeat.

"You can ask dad. Gudao, Gabby, and Annie are away for the holidays, so he's the only one here."

"I'll ask him tomorrow..."

Adira groaned. "You better not be procrastinating again."

Giovanni chuckled. "I won't."

[F] [G] [O]

Giovanni watched as Skyler stroked his stubble. "Hmm... You know, things were kind of blury."

"You're not that old though."

"Trust me. Things happen." Skyler explained, showing him a prosthetic arm. "Before we got married, Naomi would always worry about me."

"Was it difficult?"

"Heh. Clearly. I admit, I'm actually the newer master in Chaldea compared to Gudao. But you need to give things a chance."

Giovanni sighed as he dranked his drink.

"But anyways, all the shit I've been through is catching up to me. People get old just so you know, and I plan on retiring soon..."

"I see..."

Giovanni felt something poke the side of his head. "You know, I still remember when you were a baby. Naomi freaked out at first when she first held you."

The young teen lightly laughed.

Skyler then looked at his prosthetic arm. "I almost gave up..."

Looking at the older man, he noticed that his tone was a bit more serious.

"Your mother was one of the few that helped me, but do you wanna know what snapped me back into shape?"

"Naomi?" Giovanni guessed. Skyler chuckled and shook his head. "Close. It was Jeremiah actually. I believe you were like a toddler when it happened."

Finishing his drink, Skyler showed Gio a picture from his wallet. It was a picture of Skyler and Naomi, laying next to each other in separate beds while she held onto a new born baby.

"I was hospitalized after loosing my arm. It took me a week or two just to eat right without me throwing it back up. But she would visit me every single day."

"Wasn't she pregnant around this time?"

"Yeah. Things got bit heated when were dealing with Lostbelts. She was just so..."

"You don't have to finish..."

"But anyway. What snapped me out was hearing Jeremiah for the first time."

"You got your second wind when you realized what was important to you?"

"You can say that. But I think I know what your problem here is."

"Really?"

"You're conflicted."

Giovanni paused.

"I think I got it right. Something tells me that you feel obligated to become another master here in Chaldea because you were raised here and you feel guilty if you didn't."

He stared at his drink before he looked at the older master as he stood up. "Listen here kid, I want you to promise me something."

Giovanni nodded.

"Good. Just promise me that if you decide to be a master, don't do it because you feel like it's your way of giving back."

Nodding, Giovanni stood up and extended a hand. "Thanks... I guess I feel a bit better though."

Skyler took his hand and pulled him in. "Also, promise me you won't make Jerry paranoid."

He chuckled. "I won't."

[F] [G] [O]

Giovanni Santini watched the snow fall from his room. He actually took a short nap, but didn't leave his bed. He stroked Jeremiah's hair as he snuggled a bit closer to him. He heard him mumble as his eyes opened.

"Hey..."

Jeremiah looked at him. "Gio..."

"You still worried?"

Shaking his head, he kissed Gio's cheek. "Clearly. But I did a little thinking."

"You watched Frozen 2 without me didn't you."

"That too... But I realized something watching a few movies. True we won't be able to spend time like we used to, but that doesn't mean we can make this work. I mean, parents somehow made it work."

The two sat up on the bed.

"Jerry. Even if I do become a master and we can't go back to the way things, I want you to know that I still love you."

Jeremiah blushed as Giovanni pulled him into a hug.

"Do you wanna know something?"

"What is it Gio?"

"I talked with your dad."

"What did he say?"

Giovanni laid back down and stared at the cieling. "He told me to not be a master because I feel obligated to."

Jeremiah stepped out of the bed, adjusting his clothes. "Okay... Do you though?"

"But I did some thinking myself. Heroes rise and fall, and they can't live forever. So I made up my mind Jeremiah. I will be the new master of Chaldea."

Jeremiah sadly nodded. He felt Giovanni hug him once again. "The world still needs protecting, and the four masters right now can't be masters forever."

He caressed his lover's face and wiped away his tears. "I chose this because I want to protect your world. Our world."

Jeremiah found himself crying into Giovanni's chest.

"Your dad also said to not make you worry about me so much. Jerry, have faith in me and our friends. It's not like I'm gonna jump into a mine field."

"I know... Please, don't get yourself hurt..."

Giovanni chuckled. "No promises Jerry, but..."

Jeremiah's eyes widened as he felt his lips against his own. "Ng..."

He gasped as he felt Gio's tongue slip into his mouth. Giovanni slowly pulled away. "Don't think that I'll just die that easily."

Jeremiah leaned his head against Giovanni's chest again, stroking his arm. "Merry Christmas..."

Embracing him, Giovanni kissed his forehead. "Merry Christmas Jerry..."

A doorbell could be heard. "Hello? Gio? It's Adira..."

The door opened as Adira walked in.

"What is it?"

"Can you help me with something?"

[F] [G] [O]

Jeremiah looked closely to see if any loose thread was sticking out. Giovanni held a coat open so Adira could slip her arms in.

"Thanks guys. I couldn't have done it without you."

Grabbing a small box, Adira place a small bow on the corner. Giovanni looked at his watch. A few more hours until the hidalgo festivities began.

Jeremiah stretched his arms. "You should ask George to teach you, your scrapbooking hobby seem kinda neat."

"Hm. I guess I should."

While Adira's parents were essentially health nuts, Adira herself wasn't that athletic. She's a good runner, but not that good at other kinds of muscle work. Though it doesn't mean she trains a lot like many others here.

"Oh, I almost forgot."

She took two boxes, labeled Jeremiah and Giovanni respectively. "These are for you."

"Thanks."

"They're personalized scrapbooks. I made one each for everyone."

"So when we miss the good old days, we can just take a look and remember right?" Jeremiah asked. Adira nodded. "Yep. Anyways, would the two of you Santa's helpers help lil me out?"

Gio laughed. "Of course. Though Janna may be upset about this. Gift giving is her thing."

"By the way," Adira began. "Did you make up your mind yet?"

Giovanni looked at his boyfriend before looking at his friend "Yeah. But let's wait till after Christmas."

Adira giggled. "Way to leave me hanging. But oh well, I won't dig into it."

[F] [G] [O]

Many were surprised about Giovanni's announcement. The day after Christmas, Giovanni Santini was announced as Chaldea's newest master candidate.

Many were very supportive. He's already gotten experience by the many Heroic Spirits that help raised him, and insight from the previous masters before him.

Even Elsa cried, hugging her only son. "Your father will be so proud of you."

"I know mama..."

The Roman emperor Nero stood up on a podium for a speech.

"Umu. Today we shall celebrate the birth of a new master here in Chaldea, and it is time that we Heroic Spirits welcome him like the ones before. Life and time continues for a reason, change. People change, kingdoms change, and even names change. But the one thing that remains true is the continuing dynasty known as humanity. Humanity and life, both are precious to us as time continues. As one king falls, another rises. In life no one can remain forever. Umu. But the one thing that I believe is that while one may be lost to time, the impact we left in history will always remain. That is something to always be proud of as we look back at our achievements. And now, residents of Chaldea, a toast!"

The cheers were loud as Giovanni stepped forth. He was ready.

Growing up, he saw life like a story. But he slowly realized that life isn't just a story. Stories have an ending. While things begin and end in life, time keeps going. Life will always go on regardless of those who couldn't catch up.

The light began to shine bright as a new servant has been summoned.

Stories begin and end. But not this. This is just a new chapter in life.

This is kind of an AU fic to Fragments of Chaldea by GhostXavier.

Thank You for the lasting memories you left behind.