54th: Happiness

Summary: Happiness was a floating thing, difficult to hold. They knew this.

"…just how many times a week you can be summoned?" Yukino asked as she stared at the pink-haired swordswoman and her black-haired partner. "Six days each week?"

"After Leo, we were always the most diligent spirits," the man said with a shrug. "It's kind of normal for us to work this often. If you don't want to summon us this often, we are fine with this as well … but we learned that it's better to be generous when the contract is made instead of being abused all the time. We … we weren't lucky with our masters in the past. Oh, and we cannot only fight. Corona is a pretty good cook as well and I actually like gardening and babysitting."

"B-but … that's not your original purpose, is it?" the white-haired woman asked slowly.

"Tsk, if we had stayed with our original purpose, we wouldn't bee such useful keys," the pink-haired woman said with a smile. "Borealis-kun and I are used to hard work because this was the only way we knew to keep our former masters happy all the time."

"Okay," the celestial spirit mage said with a nod. "So, Borealis-san, you will work all the days with the exception of Sunday and you, Australis-san, you will work from Sunday to Friday, alright? So one of you will always be able to be summoned."

"Yukino-sama, if it's absolutely necessary, none of us would complain if you would call us on our day off," the male spirit said with a shrug. "We would prefer working overtime over having a dead master any day. Just allow us to rest every now and then so that we can recover in between our fights. That's all we ask for. The contract is only supposed to protect our right on breaks in between of fights. In cases of urgency, however, we allow you to summon us as often as needed. We are known as extremely loyal spirits after all."

For a moment, Yukino was silent as she looked at her newest spirits. Corona Australis was a slim woman with long pink hair who wore a pretty black dress with golden trims and a sword on her side while Corona Borealis who was black-haired wore a dark blue tuxedo with silver lines with his sword on his side. It was somehow very obvious that they were dating and while she had heard from Lucy that it sometimes caused trouble, Yukino felt that these spirits had had their personal issues sorted out since centuries.

"Very well," she said as she picked up a notepad. "So, um, we still need to make an official contract – just in case that something bad happens and you got to prove to your king that you aren't to blame. Um, so let's simply say that I can summon each of you on six different days each week? Or would you rather be able to plan when I will summon you?"

"Yukino-sama," Corona Australis said with a smirk. "We are both technically able to cross our gates at our own will. That means that we will become a bother to you soon enough because … you are probably the first decent master we have in more than hundred years."

"That's surely terrible but you don't have to prove yourselves to me. I am more than honoured to have two unique spirits combat spirits under my … partners," the white-haired woman said. "I even hope that we will be friends soon. I like to know my spirits after all."

"This is something we wish for as well," Corona Australis said before they vanished.

"And that was the big ceremony?" Rogue asked from his place on the couch. "I expected you to write a contract with your own blood or something like this."

"Yeah," the white-haired woman said as she sat down as well. "It went better than I expected. I feared that they would be picky with the days when I can call them. I wouldn't have blamed them – their last master was a real bastard but it was still a nice feeling that they trust me enough to allow me to summon them so many times."

"Spirits are fascinating beings," the Dragon Slayer admitted as he leaned back. "And I think that you made them really, really happy today. They had light inside their eyes when they left to wherever Celestial Spirits like to hang out."

"They have been through a lot of bad things," she whispered as she looked into the distance. "In a way, they remind me of myself. I also tried my best to please Master Jiemma – and I failed just as badly as they failed. I also underestimated my opponent … and this hurt. Well, I believe that they may be happier now."

"Just like we are happier as well," he said with a smile as he ran his thumb over her wrist. "I think that's the real point why they remind you of us. They also are happier after they were able to leave their master. I would only worry that you will get an eight-courses-dinner tonight. The Southern Crown seemed to be quite interested in saying thank you."

"There are worse things when dinner if you have someone to share it with, Rogue."

"Frosch thinks so too!" the exceed announced as she smiled up at the celestial spirit mage. "Frosch thinks that it's better to eat with friends."

"So you will be eating with Pantherlily-san again?" Yukino asked politely.

"Yes!"