A/N: Just wanted to provide a bit of an explainer for some of the Japanese terms used in this chapter. ofuro - Japanese public baths; sukiyaki - a sweet and salty beef dish a bit like hotpot ;minshuku - a bed and breakfast, smaller than a ryokan (I've taken some liberties with this); atsukan - warm sake; and o-choko - sake cups.

Also I have decided to use the word Rockophone (after Warren Rocko) for 'portable communications lacrima' and hopefully we will be able to shorten this ugly word into plain 'phone' in a way that fits the canon.

This is a 100% hijinks chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it!


Chapter Twenty Two

"Yoss! We are here! Requip!" Light enveloped Erza as her Heart Kreuz Armour dissolved, a black bikini materialising in its place. The golden sands beckoned, stretching invitingly towards the sea. "It's time to party!"

"Woohoo!" Natsu cried. The group of wizards abandoned their luggage on the promenade, stripping off as they dashed towards the ocean. "Ice face, race you to the- urk!"

"Urk!"

"Urk!"

"Urk!"

Natsu, Erza, Wendy and Lucy froze mid-run as a cold breeze blew over their unclad bodies. "It's freezing!" Lucy shrieked, her lips turning blue.

Gray relaxed into a stretch, tugging his elbow towards his torso. "I don't see what you're complaining about. This is perfect weather for a swim. Race you, fire jerk!" He had barely taken off towards the water when an armoured hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"Where do you think you are going? This is not a nude beach!"

"Ack! My clothes!"

Happy popped the stopper on his yellow swim ring, the air releasing itself in a disappointed hiss. "Didn't you check the weather forecast, Erza?" he asked.

"B-b-but, it's the beach! Endless ocean, golden sands, the sheen of sweat on plump, nubile flesh under a warm sunny sky. These are the things that define a trip to the beach!" The heavens above rumbled ominously as clouds blew forth to blot out the sun.

"I guess such a thing was to be expected," Charle murmured in an aside.

"It is December after all," Wendy replied, sweatdropping.

"I suppose a beach wasn't the ideal place to celebrate Christmas anyway, she says," Horologium echoed sombrely. "Oh! Horologium, that reminds me. I have a favour to ask, she says."


A still wind ruffled her clothes as Lucy stepped out of the portal into the Celestial Spirit World. She smoothed down the skirt of her Leo Star Dress, the magical outfit protecting her from the uninhabitable environment of the stars around her. She thanked Horologium briefly, before turning towards the being she had come to call upon.

"Welcome, old friend," the Celestial Spirit King said.

"This isn't just a social call, I'm afraid," Lucy replied, a small smile on her lips.

"Oh? Then tell me what it is you seek."

The Celestial Spirit King's face remained as impassive as ever, his flat monotone making it even harder for Lucy to gauge his mood. It was true that he had helped her many times before, but they had not spoken since she had sacrificed Aquarius' key to summon him on Earthland. Even though she knew that he held her in special regard, she was still daunted by the fear of rejection.

Lucy took a deep breath, the benefit of the action purely psychological given the vacuum around her. "I stand before you, O Celestial Spirit King, with a humble request. My Spirit Lyra is in danger. I entreat you – hide her, and when the time comes, to protect her."

Silence reigned as the Celestial Spirit King considered her words. "Tell me, old friend, what is this danger you speak of?"

"Lyra stole some papers from her mother's library for me. A few Earthland days ago, Vega was made aware that we had obtained the document," Lucy paused, her brow wrinkling, "It's not clear if Vega knows Lyra was responsible for the theft, or even that there was a theft at all. In the best-case scenario, Vega puts the entire incident from her mind immediately.

"But it's foolish to make bets on the best-case scenario. I'm afraid. If Vega realises Lyra was the one who helped us… I don't want my friend to get hurt. Especially not because of me."

The Celestial Spirit King steepled his fingers. "You are aware, yes, that according to the laws of the Celestial Spirit World, a request made by someone in the upper echelons of the Heavens cannot be denied?"

A wry smile tugged at Lucy's lips. "If a law is in error, then should it not be changed?"

An answering grin stretched across the Celestial Spirit King's face. "Very well, old friend. I will do as you ask."

Lucy threw her hands up in celebration. "Thank you, Old Beard Gu- I mean Celestial Spirit King!"

"However," the Celestial Spirit King's face grew solemn, "I cannot keep them at bay forever. Should such a request be made of me, I would be forced to comply. A few days' time, that is all that I could buy you to resolve matters."

Lucy blanched. Her celebration had been premature. A few days? That was nowhere near enough. They still had 6 Keys to collect, and no idea of who their enemies were.

"Ah I am sorry, I think I am supposed to say, a few Celestial Spirit Days."

The smile crept back onto Lucy's face. Now that, she could work with.


The marketplace in Barya was heaving despite the inclement weather. Natsu gave an almighty sniff, hoping in vain to catch scent of some food. What kind of marketplace had zero food stalls? Dinner was hours away, probably longer since Erza had said she had something special planned for dinner. 4 hours till dinner time, an extra hour and a half for Erza's special dish and 40 minutes on top of that for when the dish turned out inedible and he had to rustle up a replacement meal. All in all, it was much too long for him to go without food.

"What about this?" Gray asked. He tilted the cavalier hat on his head, making its long, feathered plume tickle Natsu's nose.

"Passé," Natsu replied, already passing Gray a tricorne. "How did we get stuck with you anyway?"

Happy flew up to settle on Gray's hat. "Because Erza wants you two to get along for Christmas, remember?"

Natsu scowled. "How's she going to know, anyway?"

"Because I'm supervising for Erza-sama!"

"Never took you for a snitch, Happy," Natsu grumbled. "No, not that one either. Maybe a bowler. Or a beret. No! Never a fedora. Never." He snatched the offending object from Gray's hands and pushed him away from the hat stall before he got any more ideas. Some people just did not have the head for hats. "How come we're buying you clothes anyway?"

"Yeah Gray, don't you spend most of your time naked?"

Gray glanced down quickly, exhaling with relief when he saw he had managed to keep a shirt on. He had lost his coat a couple of stalls ago, but at least he was not at public indecency levels yet. "It has recently been impressed upon me that it is quite important to remain clothed at all times. Regardless of what someone says about bathing suits not making things weird."

Natsu and Happy exchanged a puzzled glance. What was he talking about? They trailed after him as he continued his preoccupied search for more clothing. Natsu took a moment to take in the bazaar around him. It really was different here from back home. The Giltenese did not celebrate Christmas, so the stalls were not bedecked in red and green. It was kind of strange to be in a regular marketplace at this time of year. He kept expecting to turn a corner and bump into a group of carollers, or to see a bedraggled street Santa ringing a handbell and asking for donations.

"What about these?" Gray asked, interrupting Natsu's musings. He held up a pair of dark purple slim fit jeans.

"Ugly. Next!"

They were about to move on when Natsu's eyes fell on a crystal ox in the stall next door. He stopped, his brow furrowing as he stared.

"Natsu, you OK?" Happy asked.

The memory of the Ox's fire swept through Natsu, so strong that he could almost physically feel the power running through his veins. He had eaten a lot of flames in his lifetime, but nothing had come close to that. Not even Atlas Flame's power was a match for the Ox's. His body still burned from the loss of it. It had been like a drug; pure, powerful and dangerous. Addictive. Hell, he could almost understand why Ac-

"What's with the brooding? You're stealing my character," Gray remarked, feigning disinterest as he perused the wares two stalls over.

Annoyance prickled on Natsu's scalp. "You take that back! The brooding, angsty character is even more outdated than that shirt you're holding up!"

"Bastard, what did you say about me!" Gray replied, rising to the bait.

"Let's go, ice cube!"

"Aah! Don't fight! Erza said she'll kill you if you fight!" Happy wailed. The other two wizards continued bickering, paying little heed to the Exceed. Any minute now they were going to start brawling and destroy the marketplace. It was time to pull out his secret weapon.

"Natsu! Gray! Did I not tell you to get along?"

"Y-y-y-yes Erza!" the two mages replied automatically, throwing their arms around each other as they quivered.

"Huh? Where's Erza?" Gray wondered, looking around. He turned his face skywards to ask Happy and stopped short, turning blue with shock. Happy's face had been replaced by an angry-looking chibi Erza. "Ack! What the hell is that?!" And more importantly, how could he unsee it?

"Transformation magic," Happy-Erza replied smugly. With a poof, Erza's face disappeared. "I've been practising."

"Bahahahaha! Nice Happy! Do me next! Do me next!"

"Trans-form!" Happy's smiling blue face was replaced by grotesque imitation of Natsu's. "I'm getting fired up!"

Natsu rolled on the floor with laughter. "That's spot on! Now do Gray. Do Gray!"

Gray hurriedly pulled out the first item of clothing he could lay his hands on, hoping it would distract them. "What do you guys think of this?"

"Ooh a crop top!" Natsu crowed. He tugged up the hem of Gray's shirt and scrutinised his abs. "What do you think, Happy?"

Gray sweatdropped as Natsu and Happy dropped to waist level and proceeded to poke and prod at him. Finally, Natsu nodded with approval and looked over at the vendor. "We'll take eight."

"W-wait a minute! Why eight?!"

"One for every day of the week, plus one extra for when you lose one," Natsu replied, already moving on to the next stall. "Ooh Happy, we should buy him some contouring pencils."

Gray grudgingly handed over a stack of Asteroids, his eyebrows twitching with annoyance as he heard Happy say he 'needed more definition.'

"Come back and say that to my face!" he yelled, sprinting after them, his shirt mysteriously vanishing enroute. "I'll show you who needs more definition!"


Erza hummed contemplatively as she grabbed a carry bag from the old lady behind the counter. Technology in Giltena was far ahead of what they had back in Ishgar. It made sense, given the abundance of ethernano here.

She peeked into the bag to check her latest purchases, lacrima communication headsets, each so tiny they would be imperceptible when worn. No wonder Warren was so keen to cement his legacy with the Rockophone; this kind of technology would render telepathic mages obsolete.

She walked past stalls selling portable music players and lacrima cameras and thought with a pang of Magnolia. This time of the evening in Magnolia, the marketplace would be awash with the smell of roasting chestnuts and eggnog. Mira, Lisanna and Elfman would probably be outside Kardia Cathedral, handing out toys to the children of the town. Master would already be face-down drunk in the in the courtyard, leaving Cana to drag him indoors. Erza missed it.

The Giltenese did not celebrate the festival, so she had thought to distract her comrades (alright, herself) with a beach vacation. She glanced up at the grey sky. That had not worked out as planned. Still, at least she had found them a nice minshuku to stay at. A relaxing soak in the ofuro was exactly what she needed to clear her head.

She had thought that Gray would have brought up their night together by now. She blushed furiously as she realised how that sounded. The night they had sheltered in the mountains. That sounded marginally better. She sighed. Gray had not said a word. In fact, he was acting as if nothing had happened at all. That was true in a way, except… had he really been asleep when she had woken up? His breathing had been suspiciously even. She shook her head. She had probably been reading too much into it because of her own nerves.

An open brazier beckoned from the street corner and Erza stopped for a moment to enjoy its warmth. Her breath puffed out wispy and white as she blew into her cupped hands and rubbed them together.

Jellal had been the first person to make her feel safe and warm and protected. Until he no longer did. But that had been fine. She had learnt to make herself feel safe and warm and protected. To not rely on anyone else for that feeling. But sometimes, when she watched Bisca and Alzack, she felt that there had to be more to it than that. Bisca, fiercely independent Bisca, surely did not need Alzack. But he was there for her.

Maybe she did not need to rely only on herself after all. She had proved she could do it and that was enough. Someone else was out there, who would make her feel that way again. Someone she could count on. She lived in hope.

A blush crept up her cheeks as she remembered how she had felt that night, trapped in Gray's arms. She tamped down on the flutter that started up in her belly, the feeling too new and unfamiliar for comfort. She grasped instead for a recognizable emotion. Annoyance. Why was Gray avoiding talking about that incident? Never mind that save for one interrupted attempt, she had not either. This was so typical of him. Was he not the man who lived with someone for nearly a year and still managed to not acknowledge her feelings for a year and a half after?

Erza sighed and drew her coat closed about herself as she walked on. That was an added complication. Could she really upend some of her deepest friendships on the basis of something she was not fully certain of? Besides, Gray had told her all those months ago that he was over her. There was no going back. There was certainly no going back for her when it came to Jellal. Why would it be any different for Gray? Surely it was always like that. The same as with Cana and, she grimaced, Macao. That was one drunken confession from Gajeel and Levy's bachelor/ette party that she could happily forget.

It looked like she had a type. Emotionally unavailable men with complicated pasts. She growled and kicked a pebble out of her path. Why could her foolish heart not have picked someone nice and demonstrative? Like Loke. Sure, he would have probably ended up cheating on her, but at least she would have gotten a few dates first. And maybe some poorly composed odes to her eyes. She was twenty-two and had the same level of romantic experience as Asca-chan! Was there any justice in this world?

"What's wrong?" asked the object of her turmoil, popping up nonchalantly from behind a stall selling used books.

Erza glowered at Gray. "It's nothing."

"You're scowling."

She huffed in annoyance at this astute observation.

A bright smile lit up Gray's face. "I know just what will cheer you up."

He led her over to a booth on the corner and waved his hand at the goods displayed there. Intricately carved charms for portable communications lacrimae glinted in the evening light. Gray's hands closed over one and he dangled it in front of Erza's face. "I thought you'd like this."

Erza's eyes sparkled as she took in the beautifully fashioned pastry; layers of cream and rose edged with the hard white of frosting, topped by the most life-like strawberry. "It's perfect!" She reached for her purse and asked the lady behind the counter for its price.

Gray waved her purse away, already handing the money over to the proprietor. "No, I've got this."

She hesitated a second before stowing her purse. "I thought we had established, Gray," she said, struggling to keep her voice steady, "that I am very rich?"

Gray shrugged, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I just wanted to do something nice for you," he muttered, not meeting her eyes.

"Oh."

He looked up then, a tiny, shy smile tugging at his lips. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Erza mumbled as Gray walked away. She watched him go, his strong silhouette disappearing into the crowd, and realised, 'I am in bigger trouble than I thought.'


A bell tinkled as Wendy pushed open the door to the convenience store. She, Charle, Natsu, Lucy and Happy were in charge of buying snacks and drinks for the night. It was the off-season in the seaside town of Barya, so they were the only guests staying at their minshuku. Glad to have paying guests at this time of year, the owner had been extremely flexible about their requests. Wendy was looking forward to the Christmas party Erza had promised for later that night. The owners of the minshuku were even arranging a special meal for the team.

The group scanned the aisles, looking for beer and sake. "Weird," said Natsu, stuffing yet another bag of crisps into his overflowing basket, "I can smell the booze, but I can't see any."

"You all must not be from around here," said a middle-aged woman who was shopping beside them. "All the drinks are in the room next to this one. Come on, I'll show you." She led the group through a narrow doorway at the back of the store. A vast warehouse of beverages stretched out before them; row after row of every kind of alcohol known to humankind.

"Woah!" exclaimed Happy.

"They even have Fiorian beer here!" Natsu called excitedly from several aisles over.

"Thanks!" Lucy gave the woman a friendly smile. "This is amazing!"

"No problem at all. The wines are down this way."

Wendy gazed wide-eyed at the selection of alcohol on display. She had never seen so many colours of booze before! She could only imagine Cana's envy when she discovered what she was missing out on. She would be on the first ship out to Giltena, regardless of what Gildarts or Master said.

"I couldn't help but notice the mark on your hand," the woman asked Lucy, "Are you folks from some kind of guild?"

Lucy puffed out her chest. "We're from the wizard guild, Fairy Tail!"

The woman gave an amused chuckle. "A wizard guild! How unusual!"

"Um, don't you have wizard guilds here on Giltena?" Wendy asked timidly.

"No, not really. We have guilds for hunters and actors and even writers, but not for wizards. I suppose wizards are too common in Giltena. Almost every family has at least one wizard!"

"No way!" said Happy, floating back to the group. Natsu followed a few steps behind, his arms full of bottles.

The woman smiled sheepishly. "Magic is an ordinary skill to possess. You can even buy magic in a convenience store like this one. See, there?" she pointed at a display stand near the billing counter, colourful orbs lined its shelves, pulsing with magic. "Many wizards in Giltena use Holder Magic, though Caster Magic is not unusual either. Like me, for example, my magic can turn water into booze and vice-versa." She placed a palm on a bottle of whiskey and the liquid turned clear. A snap of her fingers and the spell reversed, leaving behind the dark amber of bourbon. "It's not the most useful magic, but it's quite a nice party trick."

"That's incredible!" Lucy exclaimed.

"It's to be expected, I suppose," sniffed Charle, "magic is abundant on this continent after all."

Wendy nodded in agreement. Her healing abilities were also enhanced on Giltena. There was no way she would have been able to heal Erza's broken spine so flawlessly had they been back in Fiore.

"What kind of magic do you practise? If you don't mind my asking."

Lucy grinned cockily, proud of her unusual magic. "I'm a Celestial Spirit Wizard!"

"No way! So are my twin sons! My niece is planning to follow in their footsteps too. She got her first key yesterday."

Lucy face-faulted. "Ahem," she coughed, recovering, "But do they have keys to the Golden Gates?"

The woman looked over the proffered golden keys and made appropriate noises of amazement. "Oh my, and you have nine of them too! That's most impressive." She turned to Happy and Charle. "I can already guess what your magic is," she said, gesturing to their wings, "it's quite splendid! What about you two?"

Natsu pointed a thumb at his chest. "We're dragon slayers! I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer."

Wendy bowed. "Sky Dragon Wendy, pleased to make your acquaintance."

There was a loud crash as a bottle slipped out of the woman's hand and crashed onto the floor. Wendy looked up in confusion as the woman drew an elaborate symbol in the air and began backing away, muttering what sounded like a prayer beneath her breath. Two other shoppers immediately left the store, their footsteps thudding as they hurried away.

The proprietor came bustling up to them, his moustache bristling with self-righteousness. "Look, I'm the last one to subscribe to the old superstitions, but you're making the other customers uncomfortable."

"Wait a minute," replied Lucy hotly, "we haven't done anything!"

He cast a dirty look at Natsu and Wendy out of the corner of his eye and replied. "I don't want any trouble. And you'd best get going if you don't want any either." He ushered the group out of the store before they could argue. "Don't worry about paying, consider it a reward for never shopping here again." He slammed the door after them, pointedly flipping the 'Open' sign to 'Closed' and locking the door.

Wendy looked at her nakama, stunned by the sudden turn of events. "What just happened?"

"That was seriously weird," replied Happy.

The incident was soon chased from their mind as Gray came sprinting up to the group. "There you are!" he exclaimed with relief, "I've been looking all over for you! Let's go!"

"Where?" asked Charle.

"To buy your Christmas presents of course!"


Gray counted the handful of notes left in his wallet and sighed. It was turning out to be a very expensive Christmas. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. It was his own fault. He had kicked off the mess by impulsively buying Erza that charm for her Rockophone. But she had been so disappointed at how their Christmas was turning out!

He turned baleful eyes towards the sky. It did not even have the decency to snow! All afternoon they had wandered about the bazaar, the humid threat of rain in the air. No tree, no guild, he had not even been able to scrounge up a Santa hat at the market. He had never been a huge fan of Christmas, but even he had been feeling a bit homesick.

Then he had seen Erza, walking along the street with the biggest frown on her face. He had only shown her the Rockophone charm to cheer her up. One look at her overexcited face though, the way her cheeks had turned pink and the way her eyes had begun to shine, and the money was out of his wallet and into the shopkeeper's hands. He had not even realised what he had done until he had been walking away. Of course, he had then had to buy presents for all his nakama to cover his trac- to spread the Christmas joy. Yes. That was exactly it. He was spreading Christmas cheer to his comrades by buying them presents. Nothing more, nothing less.

There was no need to look at it more closely.


Thwack! Natsu sucked on his smarting fingers. He pouted at Erza. "When's it going to be done?"

Erza brandished a pair of chopsticks, on the alert for anyone else trying to sneak a bite. "This trick to sukiyaki," she said, adding more mushrooms to the pot, "is to give it just the right amount of time for the flavours to develop."

"The only thing developing here is an ulcer in my stomach."

"What was that?"

"N-Nothing, Erza!"

Lucy pulled an earthenware pot full of sake from the glowing embers in the hearth and joined the others at the kotatsu. "I have to say, this was one of your best ideas, Erza." She smiled as she poured warm atsukan into o-choko for her nakama.

Gray scowled and took a sip of his ice-cold beer. "Why does everything we're eating have to be warm anyway?" he grumbled.

Erza cracked an egg into a bowl, happily beating it with her chopsticks. "The salty-sweet flavour of sukiyaki on a cold winter's night, the camaraderie of sitting under a kotatsu with your nakama, the sharp, spicy flavour of the atsukan as it warms you from the inside – how romantic, how idealistic this scene is. It is a joy like no other. This is youth!"

Gray raised an eyebrow in response. "Well, you're certainly enjoying yourself."

Erza grinned and passed him an egg. "Bon appétit!" She handed eggs to all her nakama and then added the thinly sliced beef to the pot. "You have to drag the meat through the beaten egg to enjoy the best flavour."

Charle made a face. Eating raw egg did not sound appetising in the least. She wrinkled her nose and did as Erza said, her eyes lighting up at the delicious and complex flavour. She immediately reached for the serving chopsticks, ready for her next bite.

The meal passed relatively quickly. Wendy yawned and lay back on a cushion, her lower body snug underneath the kotatsu. The fullness of her belly and the warmth of the alcohol was lulling her into a doze. She did not know how much time had gone by when the sound of Gray and Natsu fighting startled her from her sleep.

Natsu smashed his fist into Gray's cheek before spinning around to kick him in the abdomen. Gray caught the foot mid-air and yanked Natsu towards him before grabbing him around the neck and slamming him to the ground. "All this time," he growled, "all this time, it was you?!"

"What's going on?" Wendy mumbled to Lucy, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Natsu!"

"Gray!"

The two of them flew at each other, fists raised to throw punches. Wendy slapped her hands to her eyes, unable to watch, yet unable to bring herself to look away. She peeked through the gaps in her fingers, watching Natsu's fist whizz through the air and connect with… the cold steel of a can of beer? She blinked and turned to the other side to see that Gray's fist too had met a similar end.

"How can you be fighting each other?" Erza stood in between them, her arms crossed over her chest, a can of beer in each hand.

"Erza?" Natsu whispered in confusion.

"Beers?" Gray's eyes widened in shock.

"Take a good look at the person before you! Are they an enemy? Or a friend?" Erza continued in impassioned tones.

Lucy sidled up to Wendy. "They're arguing over who ate the last of the crab chips," she said in an undertone. Wendy listened with half an ear as Erza delved into their shared childhood and the love they held for each other.

"Remember, I will always love you," Erza finished, crushing Natsu and Gray to her bosom.

Wendy sweatdropped. "She ate them, didn't she?"

"Yup. No doubt about it."


"You just activated my trap card," Charle said, a smug smile spreading over her lips, "All the cards in the Attack position are now destroyed."

Natsu and Erza groaned as all their cards were sent to the graveyard. Wendy smiled sheepishly and set down her cards as well. She had not quite gotten the hang of the game and was quite pleased to be done.

"Not so fast!" Lucy slapped a card down on the table. "I activate the most powerful armour for my Erza Scarlet card: Plot!"

"Hmmm?" Erza picked up the card emblazoned 'Plot Armour,' her brow wrinkling in confusion. "What is this? I don't have this armour."

"Nice, Lucy!" Gray flashed her a grin. "But it's not going to be enough. I play, 'Nakama Power!' Along with my Natsu Dragneel in play, this means I win!"

"No way! Erza Scarlet plus Plot Armour is undefeatable!"

"Nope, you're thinking of Natsu Dragneel plus Nakama Power!"

Natsu flicked through the rule book, his brows furrowing in concentration as he tried to make sense of it.

"You both are forgetting me!" Happy piped up, his wings unfurling in excitement. "I play the unbeatable combo of Gray and Juvia Love Power! I win!"

Silence reigned in the aftermath of Happy's declaration. Crickets chirped. A stray tumbleweed rolled across the table. No one dared to risk a peek at Gray, who sat there, his mouth a slanted line, his face twisted off to the side in a combination of annoyance and embarrassment.

"I guess these cards are a bit outdated huh?" Lucy ventured awkwardly.

"Yes absolutely. We should get rid of them at once." Erza swept the cards off the table and into the bin with alacrity. Good riddance to bad rubbish.


The clock struck the hour. Erza looked around at her comrades, her eyes shining with good humour. "It's finally time!" she squealed gleefully. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" the other chorused.

"Merry-" began Lucy, before looking down at the rubber gloves on her hands. "How come I always get stuck doing the dishes?!"


"I know!" Erza exclaimed several hours and several bottles of sake later. "Let's play the guild master game!"

Gray and Natsu exchanged a panicked glance. "Um… you see the thing is," Gray began, urging his drunken brain to work faster. He raised an eyebrow at Natsu, silently asking for help.

"As a former guild master, you aren't allowed to play the game," Natsu finished in a rush.

"That's right. Exactly."

"I've heard this rule too," Lucy added.

"Me too," said Charle.

Wendy nodded vigorously. "Yes. This is definitely the rule."

"Oh," muttered Erza, downcast.

Natsu and Gray nodded at each other and secretly exchanged fist bumps behind their backs.

"But that's no reason for you all not to play," Erza continued, regaining her spirits rapidly. She pulled a handful of numbered sticks out of her luggage, smirking as she secretly added them to her pocket dimension's inventory. What did it matter if she was disallowed from playing? "Go forth, my protégé," she whispered, thinking of Happy. Even Charle seemed to have a secret sadistic side. Between the two of them, they were sure to create an atmosphere full of ups and downs with plenty of opportunities for humiliation.

An hour later, Erza leaned back in her seat, surveying the carnage around her with a satisfied smile. Lucy was lying face down on a futon wearing a spangly leotard. Wendy was passed out beside her, her mouth scrunched up into a moue from eating too many picked plums. And Natsu and Gray, Erza's smile widened to a grin as she saw the two of them, standing naked before the fireplace, wearing pumpkin heads and dancing the can-can. Perfection.

She raised her o-choko to the two Exceeds, who grinned back at her devilishly. This was youth, alright.


Lucy swirled the udon around the sukiyaki pot, making sure to scrape up every last drop of broth. She transferred the noodles to a bowl and slid open the screen door that lead outside. "Here, I brought you a snack," she said.

Natsu looked up, a smile brightening his face. "Alright! Thanks Lucy!"

Lucy studied Natsu's face in the thin light filtering through the translucent screen door and bit her lip. "What are you doing out here?"

"Nfffng."

Lucy sweatdropped. "How about you finish eating first?" She winced as Natsu noisily slurped down the rest of the noodles.

"Nothing."

"You were just sitting out here in the dark for no reason?" Her question echoed in the emptiness of the night garden.

Natsu looked around him. "Just enjoying the view."

Lucy snorted. The garden had not been much to look at even when there had been enough light to see it. "Happy told me you were moping around earlier today too."

Natsu bristled. He drew his knees up to his chest and rested his crossed arms on them; his closed posture signalling the end of the conversation.

"That's not how this works, Natsu," Lucy sighed. "You have to talk to me."

A bird hooted somewhere out in the darkness. It was getting colder as the night wore on. Lucy fastened her yukata around her more snugly, her fingers fumbling when Natsu finally spoke.

"I guess I'm just wondering when we're going to see the bastard again."

Lucy saw the tight line of his mouth and edged closer to him. She lay her head on his shoulder and said, "We barely managed to beat the Ox Guardian. I don't think we're ready for the Snake as yet."

Natsu growled in annoyance. "That's easy to say but you're not the one with half-assed powers."

Lucy leaned back to look Natsu in the eye. "I understand how frustrating it must be for yo-"

"Don't you get it? I'm the one who has to protect you."

A burst of arguing sounded from inside the inn. Lucy stared at Natsu. The vehemence of his tone had taken her aback. Natsu huffed, his lips twisting as he looked away. "You know you don't have to take care of me," Lucy said tentatively.

"Don't I?" He regretted the words as soon as they were spoken. Natsu scrubbed his face with his hand. That had not been what he had meant to say. He opened his mouth to clarify his words. To tell her that she and Happy were the most precious things in his life. That his life would be meaningless if they came to harm. That to love someone meant to protect them, no matter the cost. But it was too late.

Lucy sprang to her feet, enraged. "Is that how you think of me?!"

"Lucy, I-"

"I may not be the strongest wizard in the guild. I have a long way to go, I know that. But I can take care of myself." The angry screech of the screen door sounded even louder in the darkness. Lucy stopped at the threshold, turning to give Natsu one last withering look. "Just wait, Natsu. One of these days I'm going to be the one to protect you."


Erza stretched languorously, her skin still flushed from the heat of the baths. She stumbled as she returned to their rooms, her wooden sandals clattering hard against the hardwood floor. Perhaps taking a soak had not been the best idea, she was more than a little drunk and the muggy atmosphere of the baths had done little to improve the situation.

The wooden screen door slid soundlessly as Erza re-entered their room. It was nearing midnight but her guildmates were as rowdy as ever. Natsu and Happy were engaged in a showdown of some sort, trying to see who could build the tallest tower out of the wooden sandals the minshuku had provided. Wendy, Lucy and Charle were engrossed in a lively game of forehead detective. Erza suppressed a smile as Lucy whined and slumped down on the table, having lost yet another round.

She leaned against the doorway and scanned the room for its sixth occupant. There he was, curled up on a futon, a thin line of drool escaping his mouth as he slept. Erza crouched down beside him and studied his face. He looked so serene in his sleep. The lines of his face relaxed, making him look younger than his 21 years. Erza idly wondered if it would be too much if she brushed his hair off his forehead. Probably. It was so tempting, though.

Suddenly Gray shifted, grabbing the pillow from the neighbouring futon and burrowing his face into it. Her eyebrows flew up. Was this something Gray did often? He smacked his lips contentedly and mumbled something into the pillow.

A blush crept up Erza's neck as she leaned in to listen.

"Stay with me, always. Promise me you'll stay with me," Gray murmured, a dreamy look stretching across his face.

Erza jerked backwards. What was with the pudding face? Anxiety licked the insides of her stomach.

"You are the most important thing in my life. I want you by my side forever." Gray hugged the pillow tighter, rubbing his nose against its fluffy body.

Forever? It was far too soon to think of forever! This was moving way too fast. Erza's face was starting to resemble a tomato. Gray was much too forward. He may have been asleep, but just knowing he was having these thoughts was enough. There was no way she was ready for this. Was she? Her heart thudded in her ears, making it harder to hear Gray's voice as it dropped lower. Erza licked her lips and leaned in closer to listen.

"Don't ever leave me…"

Closer.

"My darling…"

Closer.

"Frosch…"

THUNK!

Gray blinked awake, rubbing his suddenly throbbing head. Where the hell had that bump come from?


"Everyone! Come quick!" Wendy cried. She turned from the doorway and beamed at her nakama. "It's snowing!"

"What?"

"Woohoo!"

The group of wizards threw open the door to the garden, tripping over each other in their eagerness to get out. The snow was falling rapidly, piling into little drifts even as they stood gaping up at the polka-dotted sky. "It's beautiful," Lucy said, her eyes widening in awe.

Wendy twirled; her arms spread open wide. All her nakama were still wearing their flimsy yukata, and more than half of them were barefoot, but the snow was too beautiful to wait for warmer clothing. She stuck her tongue out to catch a snowflake. Wait a minute. This was not snow.

"It's ethernano!" Natsu yelled excitedly. "It's snowing ethernano!" He scooped up a ball of the fluffy substance and packed it into a tight little ball. A moment later, Happy yelped and flew into the air after a ball of ethernano hit him in the face.

"You're going to get it Natsu!" Happy formed his own projectile, took aim and missed.

"Hey!" Gray wiped his cheek. "You're going to regret that."

Whoosh! A ball of ethernano flew towards Happy. He flew up to dodge it, allowing it to fly past and smash into Charle. Smack! Another ball of ethernano thumped into Charle's face. She wiped her eyes, her lips curling into a mock-scowl. Wendy stood some distance away, grinning as she tossed an ethernano-ball in her hand.

"Snowball fight!" yelled Happy, dive bombing the others.

Gray ducked to evade an oncoming missile and drew his arm back to launch his own attack. "More like ethernano-ball figh-"

His words were cut short as Erza entered the arena. In a flash she launched a series of strikes, ethernano-ball after ethernano-ball slamming into her opponents. "Rest assured I will be the victor!"

"I'm going to beat you, Erza!"

Erza widened her stance and raised a beckoning hand towards Natsu. "Come!"

"Don't forget me!" Gray yelled, joining in on the attack.

Wendy packed a neat sphere of ethernano and called to her ally. "Charle!" Seconds later, Erza squawked in outrage as a freezing ball of ethernano slipped down the back of her yukata.

Lucy watched her nakama, a grin growing on her face. "Alright!" she said, rolling up her sleeves, "Maybe I'll mix it up, myself." She had just taken a step forward when six simultaneous balls of ethernano flew into her face. Her body flew back, and she crashed into the wall. "Then again, maybe not" she mumbled, sweatdropping. "I might die."

Natsu looked over at her, concern etched on his brow.

"Is that what you thought I'd say?" Lucy's face suddenly twisted into a smirk as she spun around lobbing two ethernano-balls smack into Natsu's face. "Don't underestimate me." She used the distraction to tackle Natsu into a drift of ethernano and began showing handfuls of the magic dust into his face.

"Hey! Cut that out!" Natsu flipped her over, pressing her into the blanket of ethernano. Lucy's cheeks were flushed pink, her hair in disarray. His breath caught as his eyes met hers, transfixed by the dewy expression in them. "Luce-"

Whoomph! Lucy slammed an ethernano-ball into his head, throwing him off balance and grinning as she ran away. She looked back at Natsu and winked, yelping with laughter as Natsu sprang to his feet to give chase.

Wendy giggled. The surprise on Natsu's face was priceless. She smiled up at the heavens, at the continuing sprinkle of ethernano that was dusting the world around them in luminescent white. This was looking to be a very merry Christmas indeed.


A multitude of bottles lay scattered on the floor, looking so much like carcasses strewn in the aftermath of battle. "Sake! I want more sake!" Erza yelled belligerently, heedless of her yukata slipping down her shoulder.

"Nice to meet you, Potato-san." Wendy bowed solemnly to the lone potato on the kitchen counter. "Did you see the solar eclipse yesterday?"

"That's right horsie, giddy up!" Charle kicked her feet into Happy's sides, urging him forward.

"Charle!" Lucy whined, "Come play with me."

Natsu and Gray exchanged loaded glances. How had the situation deteriorated so quickly? "Say Gray," Natsu said in a low voice. "Let's get out of here."

"Good call," replied Gray, already edging towards the door.

The two of them ducked as a sword came flying their way. It embedded itself into the wooden frame of the screen door with a dull thud. "Where exactly do you two think you are going? Max! Warren!"

The two wizards gulped in fright as Erza swaggered up to them. "When are you two getting married?" she demanded. "Aren't you ashamed at the younger members of the guild overtaking you?" She drunkenly fixed her gaze on Happy. "Lily! I'll leave these two layabouts in your care."

The room was spinning around her. Erza stumbled over to the futon and fell over with a crash. Face-down in a pile of cotton-covered goose feathers that were covered with the sheen of drying drool, Erza experienced a change in mood. Belligerence shifted to petulance and Erza began flailing her arms and legs like a child. "I want cuddles! No one ever gives me cuddles!" she whined.

"Wait a minute, Erza-san," cried Wendy, rushing over to Erza.

"Erza!" Lucy crawled over to the futon.

"It's true," Erza replied, raising tear-filled eyes at the other two girls. "You won't understand. Mira," she said, pointing to Lucy, "you have your charming little sister to give you cuddles." She sniffed and turned to Wendy. "And you Levy, you're a married woman now. You can get all the cuddles you want from Gajeel." She leaned down and spoke to Wendy's belly. "And soon you will have little babies who will give you cuddles all the time!"

Wendy paled. Whether it was at the thought of being married, being married to a man, being married to Gajeel, or at the thought of having babies, she was not sure. Her eyes swirled dizzily.

Gray turned blue with shock. His head stuttered as he turned to look at Happy and Natsu. "What the hell is happening here?"

"No, Erza!" Lucy protested, glomping her. "We'll give you cuddles."

"That's right," agreed Wendy, throwing her arms around Erza. "We'll cuddle you Erza-san."

Erza growled and pushed the other two away. "Get away! I do not want your pity cuddles!"

"They're not pity cuddles," wailed Wendy. "Charle!" Tears tracked down her face. "Tell Erza-san they are not pity cuddles."

"Goodness gracious." Charle planted her hands on her hips. "Do I have to do everything around here?" She ran towards Erza and jumped up, barrelling into her chest and knocking the bigger girl over.

"Way to go, Charle!" Lucy crowed, tightening her hold on Erza. "We're not letting go Erza. You're going to have to accept our cuddles," she slurred.

"Gray," Natsu called, peering into a storage cupboard in dismay. "They've taken all the futons!"

"Lily, are you not going to join in?" Erza asked imperiously.

Happy flashed an apologetic glance at Natsu and Gray. It was worth more than his life to disobey.

"No Happy, not you too!"

The two of them watched as Happy flew over to the human pile that was currently spread across all six of their futons.

"Whose silly idea was it to lay out all six of them in a row like that?" Natsu asked grumpily. He turned to the likely culprit with narrowed eyes.

"How was I to know this was going to happen?" Gray objected.

"How could you not know, you underwear pervert!"

Gray butted his forehead against Natsu's. "What were you doing when I was laying out the futons then, ash-breath?!"

Clang! A sword spiked into the floorboards by their feet. Erza glared at them for a spare second before falling back supine, her face relaxing into a soft smile.

Natsu slammed a fist into an upturned palm, an idea gleaming in his eyes. "I've got this," he whispered to Gray. "Oh Lucy," he called enticingly. "Why don't you come over here?"

Lucy ignored him and snuggled into Erza's side.

"If you come over here, I'll tickle your neck until you purr," he cajoled.

Lucy harrumphed in response. Erza looked up at Natsu, her eyes narrowing into a triumphant smirk. "Fufu."

Natsu slumped to the floor, defeated. Even in this, he could not beat Erza. Wham! A pillow smacked him in the face. He looked up to see that Gray had been similarly hit with a blanket. The two of them waited patiently, hopefully, that more bedding would follow.

They were met, instead, with the sound of gentle snoring. The others had fallen asleep!

Later that night, as they lay back to back, engaged in a constant tug of war over the pillow under their heads, Natsu and Gray had a simultaneous realisation. Across the room, snugly ensconced in the loving embrace of her friends, Erza sleepily embraced a contrary truth at the same time.

'This is the worst night of my life.'

'This is the best night of my life.'


A/N 2: Yay an update! (Sorry, I've been sad and depressed and anxious, blah blah blah, you know the drill) This chapter was supposed to have come out last December, but I guess Christmas in July is a thing (thanks Hallmark!). The 'Erza?' 'Beers?' is supposed to mirror the 'Erza?' 'Tears?' scene, but in Japanese Gray says 'Namida?' and in English he says, 'You're crying' so it kind of only works if you've seen the subbed version hahaha.

Next chapter is 62% a recap chapter (with 38% fresh content that should have been in this chapter, but it was already toughing 8k words and that's long enough for a chapter). I thought the recap might come in handy because the plot has taken some turns haha.

A/N 3: Sorry if the 'OMG the Giltenese don't celebrate Christmas!' thing is grating. It's intentional. I'm trying to highlight their ignorance and they're going to be called out on it a few chapters later.

A/N 4: I actually have a lot of stuff to say especially about the Grayza and Nalu in this chapter, about the characters and their relationships, but I also strongly believe that readers should be able to infer everything from the text if the text is good enough. So I'm really hoping mine is. I guess your reviews will let me know (please leave me some!)

Thanks to everyone who faved/followed! And a big big thanks to the folks who left reviews (especially Erza PS. The thought of someone using translator to support me is just so overwhelmingly lovely)! You always give me so much to think about, and so much more to smile about!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please show me some love if you did. Until next time! :)