Auntie Cana and Girl Talk:

AN: Not the update I was planning, but I thought I'd give you some Auntie Cana goodness before I upload my planned update, because...the next one is going to be a bit angsty.

"Really, Cana?" someone groaned as they saw Cana making her way back to her hotel room, three newly filled flasks in her hands.

"Hey!" Cana shouted over her shoulder to whoever had called her out. "You've got your way of dealing with this snobby ball and I've got mine."

She made her way to her room, frowning when she saw the door was open. She cautiously stepped inside, cards at the ready. She heard someone rummaging in her bathroom. She made her way to the bathroom door, cracked it open, and found-

"Koree?"

"Oh!" the young girl in question jumped and whirled around, clasping her hands by her back. "Hi, Aunt Cana! I...um...I was just looking for something."

"In my bathroom?" Cana asked, arching an eyebrow. She then thought of something and narrowed her eyes. "First of all, how dare you suggest I'd hide my stash in such an obvious place. Secondly, you can't have any, you're too young. Third, even if you were old enough, I don't share."

"No, no, it's not that…" Koree said, digging her toe into the ground.

Cana arched an eyebrow again. "Then what is it?"

"I...um…" Koree's cheeks grew red as she scratched at the back of her head. "It's just um...we ran out...and I thought you'd have some...so…"

"Some of what?" Cana asked.

"Just-oof!" Koree cringed, setting a hand to her abdomen.

"Koree?" Cana was suddenly concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...I think so…" Koree answered in a pained voice.

"Think so?" Cana crossed her arms. "Okay, what's going on?"

"I'm…" Koree's blush deepened. "I'm...just...kinda...bleeding…"

"Bleeding!?" Cana shouted. "What did you do?"

"Nothing. I'm not bleeding like that. I...ugh!" Koree covered her face in embarrassment.

"Oh," Cana nodded, finally understanding. A small smirk appeared on her face at the young girl's humiliation. "No need to be embarrassed, kiddo. This is perfectly normal. It just means you're becoming-"

"I know what it means! Please stop!" Koree shouted covering her ears. "I know what it is. My parents already told me about all that...icky stuff." Koree shuddered.

"So what's the problem?" Cana asked.

"I just...I don't want them to know," Koree said. "And I knew if I took some of Mom's stuff they'd figure it out so...I came looking in here because you left your door unlocked-"

"And you didn't think I would notice?" Cana asked.

Koree paused, then rubbed at the back of her neck. "Yeah...I didn't think this through…"

"No, you didn't," Cana said as she began digging through her purse. "We've gotta work on your heist skills kiddo. Here," she tossed Koree a pad. "This is what you're looking for."

"Oh," Koree caught it, looking surprised.

"Put it on before you ruin your shorts, then we'll talk," Cana said, stepping out of the bathroom and closing the door behind her. She went to her kitchenette and dug through the drawers as she waited for Koree to come out. When the young girl finally did emerge Cana met her at the door with a chocolate bar.

"Rule one of periods," Cana said. "One day of bleeding equals one chocolate bar at a minimum. If your parents don't honor that, Auntie Cana will."

Koree smiled as she took the candy bar. "Nice!"

"So?" Cana leaned against the wall, crossing her arm. "Why all the hush-hush?"

"Oh, I…" Koree hung her head, wiping chocolate off her chin.

"You say you and your parents have talked. So you know it's normal. Why are you embarrassed?"

"It's...not them…" Koree admitted.

"So...what is it?" Cana asked.

"It's Persephone," Koree sighed.

"Persephone?"

"I mean...I've done everything first. I walked first. Talked first. Found my magic first. Got stronger first. Now I'm doing...this first. I just don't want to make her feel bad again. I know she never says her eating disorder started because of me, but I know it's because she feels like she's behind because I did everything first."

"Nah, it wasn't you," Cana said, patting Koree's head. "It was a bunch of busy-bodies who kept trying to compare you two when they had no business doing so. Besides, this is NOTHING that ANYONE should be jealous of."

"Yeah…" Koree hung her head. "It's a lot more...gross then I was expecting. And-oof!"

Koree slumped over slightly, hand on her abdomen.

"Uh-oh, yeah, you're getting the full experience, aren't yah?" Cana said, patting her back. "C'mon, let go to the couch, I think I've got a heat sock somewhere."

Cana looked about her room before finding a sock full of rice. She put it in the microwave, heated it up, and then brought it to Koree. She passed it to the girl who then set it over her abdomen.

"Better?" Cana asked.

"Yeah," Koree answered, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Good. Now," Cana sat on the coffee table across from the couch. "Now, I'm all for having a girl talk here and there, but you really need to tell your folks you've had your first period."

"But-"

"Koree," Cana said in an uncharacteristically soft voice, catching the young girl off guard. "It's sweet that you want to look out for your sister, but you're important too, y'know? This is a really big change you're going through-"

"I thought you said this was normal?" Koree suddenly looked scared.

"It is, but it's still a big change. And it's really weird when you first get it, isn't it?"

Koree's blush returned. "Yeah."

"See? And while Aunt Cana is the coolest and best Aunt in Fairy Tail, you need your mom right now kiddo."

Koree hugged the heat sock closer to her, a thoughtful look on her face.

"So, you wanna tell your folks or you want me to?" Cana asked.

"You'd do that?" Koree's eyes widened.

"Of course. That's what cool aunts do," Cana said as she waltzed out of her hotel room.

Within a few minutes Levy walked in, a soft smile on her face. "Hi, honey."

"Hi," Koree whispered, eyes glued on the floor.

Levy sat next to her, setting an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "How are you feeling?"

"It hurts," Koree answered. "A lot."

"I know, I'm sorry," Levy said, kissing the top of her head.

The two talked as Cana stood in the hallway, shouting-

"Get up, you idiot!"

"Ergh…" Gajeel groaned from where he'd face planted into the carpet. "Cancel every event for the rest of my life, will ya?"

"It's a period! It's not the end of the world!"