A/N: What! Is this a Christmas present for you all? YES. Hahahah.

The Guardian in this chapter uses they/them pronouns, so hopefully that will not cause any confusion! Let me know how it reads please :)


Chapter Twenty Four

Forbidding. That was the only way to describe the Horse Guardian. Dressed in an impeccably tailored coat of superfine, their cravat arranged elegantly, if not fashionably, about their neck; they cut a striking figure. "An intriguing proposition. Let us remove to the library to discuss it. Foal-ow me," they said, gesturing towards the staircase at the back of the grand entry hall.

Lucy's eyes flicked towards Gray, checking if he had heard the same thing she had. Gray returned a nervous smile. Yes, the Guardian had definitely made an awful pun.

"Sorrel about the paucity of chairs," the Horse said, taking a seat behind their imposing mahogany desk, "I have never been as fortunate as to entertain so many visitors at once." They gestured towards a window a little way along the wall and continued, "Please, invite your compatriots inside. The temperature is more agreeable indoors."

Surprise flashed across Gray's face. He turned to Erza, who gave an imperceptible nod. A moment later Gray was at the window, letting out an ear-splitting whistle as he signalled for Natsu, Wendy, Happy and Charle to enter.

Erza had instructed the four of them to wait outside the mansion in case the Horse harboured ill-will towards them. Their aerial strike team had been neither stealth nor necessary. Lucy supposed the latter was a happy coincidence given the former. She shook her head. The Horse's sesquipedalian manner of speaking was catching.

The Horse pulled open a drawer in their desk and removed a sheaf of papers. They looked up at the four wizards that had flown in, before opening another drawer and rummaging about in it for their spectacles. The curving cat-eye frames were anachronistic to their choice of dress and décor, the shimmering silver edges stark against the darkness of their skin.

"How gracious of you to seek me out," they said, looking over the wizards, "Your peregrinations in the service of the Quest have brought you quite far-rier at steed. The whitecap of magic ten days fore was unexpectedly early."

Erza glanced askance at Lucy. Lucy had no choice but to shrug in response. Between the big words and the appalling horse-puns, she had little idea of what was going on. She saw Natsu bristling, but Erza had given them strict instructions not to speak until her signal. The negotiation of the Deal could not be derailed by a stray comment from one of their group.

"Tell me," demanded Erza gruffly, "what pronouns do you prefer to use?"

The Horse paused in their scrutiny of the page in their hand. "They, theirs and them."

Erza nodded in response. The Horse gestured towards the sole chair before their desk in a manner that bordered on imperious. Erza glanced at her comrades before taking a seat. She had been chosen to speak on their behalf, being the most experienced negotiator on the team. Or as Happy had unwisely put it, "Erza's used to bullying people into getting her way." The bump he had sported on his head for several days after did not do much to disabuse the others of that notion.

The Horse laid the papers on their desk and fixed a cool gaze upon Erza. "Tell me, what precisely is your proposition?"

Erza leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other. "You tell us everything we wish to know about the Quest and in return, we allow you a say in how we use the Great Gift. Three votes to our seven. A thirty percent stake." Erza's tone was as unyielding as steel as she delivered the words she and Lucy had settled upon.

The Horse clicked their tongue. "Such a deal withers under scrutiny. I expected better from you," they replied, disappointment colouring their tone. "Of what use is thirty percent when the remaining seventy is sure to be of one mind?"

Lucy's lips pursed. That had been as she had expected. She and Erza had gone over the possible scenarios many times over since Christmas.

"A veto can be considered."

"I decline your offer." The Horse rose from their desk and went to stand at the window behind it, turning their back to the group. "Come back to me when you can offer me more than Equidae in a venture that may not come to fruition."

Erza's face hardened. "No."

The Horse turned around, surprised at the vehemence in her tone.

"We know you are the one who sent the Quest to our guild. Whatever the outcome of the Quest, you are already invested. Tell us what it is you want, or we will see to it that the Quest is never completed." It was a bluff. They were Fairy Tail wizards. Once they took up a mission, they saw it through no matter what. They had to hope the Guardian would buy it.

The Horse looked back at her impassively. "I propose an alternative Deal."

Erza inclined her head, indicating that the Guardian should continue.

"I have little interest in partaking of the Great Gift. Instead I shall unriddle any seven equine-ries you choose to ask me. In return you shall agree to re-mane here under my tutelage until I deem you fit."

Not a muscle twitched on Erza's face. "Twenty-two. And you scrap the word 'any.'"

"Fourteen."

"Fine. Now, let us discuss the phrase 'until I deem you fit.'"

The Horse's lips twitched. "Shall we mount a structured training regimen?"

The negotiation went on in that manner. Erza left no stone unturned when it came to the finer details of the Deal. They could not risk getting caught out again. The tension left Lucy's shoulders as she realised that all of their demands would be met, at little to no cost.

For some reason, the Horse wanted the 100 Years Quest to be completed, and they wanted to ensure them the tools with which to do it. At first glance it appeared as though the Fairy Tail wizards would be reaping all the benefits of the Deal but there had to be more that they were not seeing. They would have to be on their guard during their time with the Horse.

"Seven days for the Task." Erza said, unflinchingly.

Lucy blinked. When had they gotten to the Task? She should have been paying more attention to the negotiation.

The Horse tilted their head. "Very well. Seven days for the Task as well as twenty-one lessons, both to begin on the morrow. Fourteen questions that will be answered only after the Task is complete. One for every successive lesson. These questions must be submitted to me beforehand."

"Your reasoning?" Erza asked coolly.

"Some of the information you re-squire might need other questions to be addressed beforehand."

"It seems to me that it gives you an opportunity to prepare and edit your answers."

The Horse's lips parted slightly, revealing a smile with too many teeth. "Neigh, that was not my intention. Mayhap I pony up something of greater value to assuage your qualms? You and your companions may enjoy the hospitality of my accommodations indefinitely, even beyond the transfer of the Key at the end of the twenty-one lessons."

Erza looked at her teammates, her face still expressionless. The mansion had been difficult to find, even with an address. The sprawling estate was smack in the middle of the densest forest in Giltena, an oasis in a sea of green. It had taken them two days to trek through the woods from the nearest road. Despite that, the forest had not ultimately provided them any cover for their final approach to the mansion. Flat pastures formed a radius of nearly two kilometres around the house, forcing any possible visitors into visibility. It was a great place for them to set up base. No enemy would be able to sneak up on them – if they managed to find them at all.

Happy and Natsu shifted slightly, wordlessly reminding Erza of another matter.

"Unlimited food – fish and fire including – as well?"

The Horse's eyes flicked towards Natsu, betraying their interest. "Of course."

Erza turned towards the others. The final decision had to be made as a team. A heated but silent discussion took place; eyebrows waggled, shoulders shrugged, auras flared up, but finally, a consensus was reached. Erza held her hand out to the Guardian. "We have a Deal."


She was loath to admit it, but the offer of luxurious accommodations and unlimited food was what had finally tipped the scales. The Horse's excessive demands had been difficult to accept. Erza's sole goal had been to obtain information from them, but it seemed that the wizards would have to jump through several hoops first. Hopefully, the Task would be easy to accomplish.

She leaned back against the fluffy pillows on her king-sized bed and stared up at the ceiling. The Horse had given nothing away during their discussion, save for one rather telling detail. Based on their careful demeanour, Erza had no reason to believe it had been anything but deliberate.

A little over ten days ago, a swell of magic had flowed across the land. The same day the Ox Guardian had been defeated. If the Horse had felt it, then the Snake must have felt it too. She stretched, feeling the weariness of the day settle deep into her bones. They would not be harmed as long as they remained with the Horse. She had ensured that during their negotiations. It was written into the Deal the seven of them had signed before coming upstairs.

The clock struck the hour and Erza wondered if she would have time for a shower before she had to dress for dinner. The Horse had been very clear on the expectations they had for their guests. They were required to be punctual to all meals, and to dress formally for dinner. She chuckled as she thought of Natsu and Gray complaining about the fact. She wondered if they even had any formal attire with them. Probably not. With a heave, she pushed off the plush mattress and got to her feet. She would have to see what they came up with.

Hours later, Erza collapsed into bed in just a towel, too relaxed to bother with pyjamas. The ensuite bathroom was as extravagant as the rest of the house. She had stayed in the bath for so long that her skin had started to pucker. Dinner had gone smoothly. The Horse had provided clothing for those without. Even Happy had been outfitted in an elegant smoking jacket. The food had been beyond compare and the snifter of brandy she had had after the meal was still simmering peacefully in her belly. She was nearly asleep when she felt a presence in the corridor outside.

She sat up, her senses suddenly on alert. It was just past midnight and her comrades had gone to bed long ago. There was a quiet rustling sound as the person moved, muffling the sound of their light tread. The dull footsteps paused outside Erza's door, almost hesitantly. Erza silently requipped her armour on and waited, prepared for the person to enter her room.

The seconds ticked past. Erza held her breath, her body coiled with tension. A bead of sweat trickled down her brow. A minute passed. Then two.

Finally, the footsteps started up again. The rustling faded as the person continued onward down the corridor, before turning a corner that took them to another wing of the building.

Erza exhaled, allowing some of the tension to leave her body. The Horse's magical presence was too strong for them not to be instantly recognisable. Whoever this had been, had been neither Guardian nor Fairy Tail wizard.

She slept fitfully that night.


"It be-hooves me to perform a preliminary assessment before we commence." The Horse rifled through some of the papers in their hand. "Shall we see what tidings these letters bear?"

"Can't you talk simpler, Horsie-chan?" Natsu groused, voicing the annoyance that was on everyone's minds. It was far too early in the morning and the sun barely penetrated the hopper windows of the basement.

The Horse started, seemingly taken aback by his request. "Fore -give me, it has been an era or two since I have spoken to someone outside these walls. I shall endeavour to adopt a more… vernacular stile."

The wizards nodded stiffly, unsure if they had agreed to their request or not. "Who are the letters from?" Lucy asked finally.

"Would that be one of the fourteen Quest-ions?" the Horse replied.

"Oh no, what's happening," Lucy whispered to Gray.

Sweat beaded Gray's brow. "It looks like they have started punning with other words as well."

"Maybe they'll limit it to Quest puns and horse puns," Charle added hopefully.

"Stirrup, the puns are not all that bad," Happy said with a grin.

The Horse gave Happy an appraising look. Perhaps they had underestimated the Exceed. "Let us return to the assessment. I have before me a list of your shortcomings."

"Why do you have a list of 'shortenings?' Is it a recipe?" Happy pondered.

The Horse sighed. Then again, they might not have. "'Shortening' is a baking ingredient. 'Shortcomings' are weaknesses." They snapped the sheet of paper in their hand briskly and continued. "Here we are. Lucy Heartfilia. Weaknesses: Low stamina, dependent on keys."

They crossed over to Natsu and continued reading from their list. "Natsu Dragneel. Weaknesses: Overreliance on brute strength. Impatient and impulsive. Wendy Marvell: Weaknesses: Poor attack powers. Easily bullied.

"Charle. Weaknesses: Poor utilisation of precognition. Human transformation geared toward cuteness rather than power. Gray Fullbuster. Weaknesses: Low self-confidence. Inclined to be self-sacrificing."

Ignoring Gray's squawk of protest, they moved on to the final members on their list. "Erza Scarlet," they paused, "Under weaknesses, it mare-ly says, 'Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.' The same here for Happy. I should assume then, that the two of you are on equal footing?"

Lucy sweatdropped. "No, that's not even close."

Gray caught Natsu's eye and the two of them dissolved into giggles. Monster Erza on equal footing with Happy? A sudden chill crept up his spine and he turned to see Erza glaring at the two of them, a dark aura enveloping her. He gulped and straightened, fixing a serious expression on his face. "Alright, so our fighting styles are not perfect. But we get the job done."

"Barely," the Horse said dismissively. "Your approach can be best described as quixotic, constrained as I am to polite speech." They tucked the letters away and pulled out a leather-bound notebook. "Your first training session will be given over to a valuation of your skills. Fighting is about more than just whinny-ng. I shall observe as you spar one another."

"Alright! Erza, fight me!"

"Oh? I was hoping to spar with Lucy. We have not as yet had a chance to match skills."

Lucy jumped. "No, no, that's OK, Erza. Why don't you fight with Natsu? He's been asking for a long time." She nearly keeled over with relief when Erza nodded. That had been way too close.

The wizards teamed off and did battle, each of them doing their best to showcase their skills. A couple of hours and several individual and team-battles later, the wizards were dismissed for lunch.

"Um, Guardian-san, what kind of activity is the Task?" Wendy asked, as they left the room. There was no point in filling-up if the afternoon involved vehicles and motion-sickness.

"To ful-filly the Task you must participate in the ultimate test of sportsmanship." An excited gleam entered their eyes. "A day of E-Quest-rian events!"


The fields behind the Guardian's house had been transformed into an obstacle course. Gray squinted into the distance. The colourful blobs reached well into the forest. Lucy had told them that equestrian events had to do with riding horses. He did not have a lot of experience with horses, but he figured it could not be too much different from a Hodras. Right?

He heard a whinnying sound and spun around to see the Horse in a fenced off area right beside the stables. The Guardian waved them over. Gray had to pause for a minute to take in the Guardian's altered appearance. Their hair was done up in tight, squat braids that stood almost perpendicular to their scalp. But that was not what had made Gray stop and stare. The lower half of the Guardians body had transformed. Four legs instead of two. Hooves instead of boots.

"Whoa, Horsie-chan! That's totally cool!" Natsu gawped at their host.

The Horse trotted up to the fence and peered down at him. "Rein in your enthusiasm young fellow, assuredly you have seen one or more of my confrères transform before."

"I don't know what that means but it's still seriously cool! Take me for a ride!"

Gray cringed. "You don't have to say every thought that passes through your head, you know?"

"What's that, you sleep-drooling freezer burn?"

"I said, shut up, you pillow-stealing cigarette butt."

"I'm not the one who used to smoke, pervert popsicle."

"Boys. Enough." Erza's shadow loomed behind them, her wrath palpable.

"Aye!" the two of them chorused.

Erza made her way to the front of the group. "Horse. What is the Task you have for us?"

The Horse crossed their arms over their chest and tapped a foot. Obstacles began to appear in the enclosure behind them. "Your Task is to participate in a day of eventing six days from now. Eventing comprises three sub-events. Show-jumping," they waved a hand at the course behind them, "where you shall complete a series of jumps on your mounts before the time limit is dun."

They backed up a few steps before taking a running leap over the fence. They flew smoothly over and landed in the grass on the other side with a soft thud. "The second event is cross-country. Where you will make similar jumps as the first event, except in a course that roans over much of my estate. A trail of flags has been set up to show you the path. You must ride your mounts over these pastures and beyond, into part of the forest; all the while performing jumps of increasing difficulty. As this course is considerably longer, the time allotted to complete it will be correspondingly longer. In both events, you will lose points for exceeding – excuse me, that was an unintentional pun – the time limit, as well as for being unable to hack the jump."

The Horse gave them a brief demonstration, taking an abbreviated course through some of the obstacles before the group. They showed them the right way to take a jump, as well as the importance of pacing between subsequent jumps. Gray watched on with interest. It did not look easy, but that only made him itch to try it out. It would be fun to compete against fire-freak too.

"Horse-san, what's the final sub-event?" Wendy asked.

Enthusiasm shone out of the Horse's eyes. "My favourite portion of the day. Dressage!" They leapt back into the fenced-off enclosure and tapped the ground to make the obstacles retract.

"What's dressage?" Erza murmured.

"The thing you put on salads," Happy responded.

"That's dressing." Charle brought a palm to her forehead in annoyance.

Lucy sweatdropped. Then sweatdropped again as she hesitantly provided the answer to Erza's question. "Dressage ishorse dancing."

Horse dancing? A vivid image of a horse lifting up its skirts to do the flamenco burst into Gray's head. He narrowed his eyes and dismissed the image. He was getting as bad as Natsu.

The Horse clapped their hands and low music began to play from lacrimae positioned around the fence. They began to move in time to the music, executing a series of hops and skips, tilting their head this way and that. It was the most peculiar thing Gray had ever seen. The Guardian was… prancing. Or rather, they were… He did not know how to describe it. Calling this a dance was an insult to dancing. It was like a stationary hopscotch. He could hardly bear to watch it and yet, he could not make himself look away.

A few minutes later, the Horse ended their demonstration before a shell-shocked audience. They swept into a low bow; their forelegs extended gracefully before them. "That is dressage."

Erza began to clap, belatedly remembering her manners. The others joined in reluctantly, still slightly stunned by what had just transpired.

"That was… something," Charle said.

"I've never seen anything like it," Lucy concurred.

The Horse nodded, unable to conceal the hint of pleasure in their eyes. "It is a noble sport," they replied, readopting their stoic persona.

"Do we have to compete against you, Horsie-chan?" Happy asked, raising his hand.

A red stressmark pulsed momentarily against the Horse's head. "I am not enamoured of that sobriquet. Kindly refer to me as 'Horse.'" The irritation on their face vanished as swiftly as it had appeared. "I am afraid your scores would be palfrey compared to one as experienced as I. You shall compete against each other. Your foal shall be to put on a good show. Succ-steed and the Key will be yours."

Gray rubbed his hands together eagerly. The dancing aside, this Task was shaping up to be a lot of fun. "So, when do we get our horses?"

The Horse cocked their head to the side. "I believe you have misunderstood. You are to ride each other."

"Just what the hell kind of perverted Task are you giving us?!" Lucy spluttered, turning crimson.

"Kindly retrieve your brain from the gutter in which it languishes. I mare-ly meant that you compete in teams of two – one steed and one horseperson."

"Alright Happy! Let's go!" Natsu pumped his fist in the air. "I'm getting fired up!"

Interest flickered briefly across the Horse's face. "The two Exceeds will be acting alongside myself as judges for the competition."

Natsu was not deflated for long. He turned to Lucy eagerly, "Let's get the old team back together!"

"No thanks," said Lucy flatly, turning away.

Gray began edging towards Lucy. There was no way he was ending up teamed with Erza. It was one thing to have Erza see him make a fool of himself at the final competition, another altogether for her to see several sessions of him doing that. Dressage. It would be way too embarrassing.

An armoured hand clamped down on his shoulder. "Gray." He tried to suppress the shiver that ran down his spine. "We shall we partners."

"Uh. Er. Um. That would- that would be great but Lucy and I already decided…" he hedged, throwing a pleading look at Lucy.

"I see," replied Erza, taking the rejection in her stride. "Perhaps, you would like to be my partner, Wendy?"

The Guardian whickered. "Before you realise you have odd numbers and stall the proceedings, might I suggest that the Celestial Wizard amongst you summons a partner for themselves? It will be good practice. Of course, on the day of the competition, the spirit would be given special dispensation to pass through the gate using their own power."

"Ah then, Wendy-" Gray began.

"You are now free to take up Ms. Scarlet's offer, I believe."

Gray coughed, caught out. So much for maintaining his cool image. "Right."

Erza regarded him curiously as he came to stand by her, but he twisted his head off to the side to avoid eye contact. His cheeks felt uncomfortably warm.

"Now that your teams are decided," said the Guardian, "you are free to prepare for the event as you wish. Please remember, with the exception of Ms. Heartfilia's summoning, the use of magic is strictly fore-bidden. There are manuals and lacrima-films for you to peruse in the library. I trust you won't br-idle your time away. You will find your tack hanging up in the stables."

The air around the Guardian shimmered as they transformed back to bipedal form and walked away. Lucy summoned Virgo and the two of the moved away to strategize. Natsu and Wendy began discussing their plans as well.

"So," said Gray.

"Shall we go look at some lacrima-footage in the library?"

Gray nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets, his shoulders hunched in a defensive manner.

Erza's jaw tightened. "Do you not wish to be partners, Gray?"

Horror flashed across his face. "No. I mean, yes I'm happy to be your partner. For this event." He scratched his head, suddenly feeling awkward. "I don't think you've fully considered what being partnered up involves."

"What do you mean?" Erza held open the back door to the house and motioned for Gray to walk ahead. "I thought we made a good team," she said, following him up the stairs. "We have been successful on missions in the past."

Gray paused. She had a point. But this was different, even if he could not say exactly why. Erza had spent the last few days preparing for the negotiations so they had not spent any time together. This was the first time they were going to be truly alone since they had woken up entwined in the mountains. He shook his head and looked down at her standing a few steps below him. "I guess you're right."

A moment of discomfort passed over her face and then she suddenly bounded up the stairs to be on the same level as him. "It will be just like always," she said, her expression clearing.

Gray watched her, his brows furrowed. "Yeah," he replied hollowly, "It will be just like always."


Maybe she should have summoned Loke. Natsu might have felt a bit jealous then. Lucy plopped down on the grass to watch him and Wendy, the two of them being coached by their noisy Exceeds. Nope. Natsu was not the jealous type. And she would have been stuck with a pervert.

She sweatdropped and looked sideways at her Celestial Spirit, who was currently kneeling on the ground in what looked like a straitjacket, bit and bridle in her mouth.

"Punish me, Princess," came her muffled voice.

Maybe a pervert would have been easier to deal with.

"Come on, Virgo," she said half-heartedly, getting to her feet and brushing the grass off her skirt, "Let's go check out the jumps in the forest."


The sun was hanging low in the sky by the time Gray and Erza emerged from the library. The days were growing longer again and Erza was keen to make the most of the light before they were summoned to dinner. They headed out to the back of the mansion to try some of the jumps in the corral.

Gray crouched down ready for Erza to get on his back. "Come on. Daylight's wasting."

Erza looked back at him nonplussed. "Are you planning to take a running jump onto my back, Gray?"

It was his turn to be nonplussed. "No? Why would I do that?"

"Why else would you be sitting like that?"

"I'm waiting for you to get on my back."

"But I'm the steed."

"No. I'm the steed." He had thought it would be embarrassing, trying to learn to dance in front of her; being carried around by her sounded infinitely worse. Not to mention he would much rather have Erza's bits pressing into him than have his bits pressing into her. The memory of that morning in the Silestinese mountains was far too fresh for him to be certain of his own body.

Erza crossed her arms over her chest, her eyebrows knitting together. "I thought it was patent that I asked you to be my partner so you could be a rider. Why else would Wendy be my second choice?"

"Why would I be your first?!" Gray raised his eyebrows, incredulous.

"You are not that heavy, and we work well together," Erza replied, as though it were obvious. She squatted down on the ground and indicated for him to climb on. The rider would be carried on the steed's back for the jumping portion of the competition before switching to their shoulders for dressage.

"But Erza," he began. How was he meant to explain it to her when his reasons felt silly even to himself? It was just wrong, being carried about by her. Why did she not see it?

"Oh? Is there a problem?" Her aura flared slightly.

"N-n-nothing!"

'How the tables have turned,' Gray thought as he wrapped his arms around her neck, remembering how he had carried her during the war against Alvarez. Erza's armoured hands landed heavily on his thighs and he almost yelped. That was too high and too hard. "Loosen your grip," he muttered.

"Oh. Sorry," Erza replied. "Are you ready?"

"Alright, let's go."

He did yelp then, as Erza took off at top speed, running straight towards the highest jump in the course. "Erza, wait!" he yelled as they went rocketing upwards. He had expected them to warm up on some of the smaller jumps first. Give them some time to get used to each other in these new positions. He definitely had not expected to have his life flash before his eyes as Erza leapt headfirst into a hunk of metal.

Erza twisted in mid-air. Her body arced in a perfect backflip over the topmost rung of the jump. Gray shut his eyes and pressed himself into her, feeling the hard steel of the bar whoosh past a mere hair's breadth from him.

"That was well done," Erza said proudly, already running towards the next jump.

"That was not well done, Erza!" He had almost had his head taken off! He twisted in her grip, trying to push off of her. That had been far too close. "Stop! I want to get off."

"I cannot stop now, I am moving too fast," Erza replied, fastening his thigh with one hand and using the other to pull his hands back into place. She hurtled towards an obstacle shaped like a miniature castle; the longest jump in the course, spanning twelve feet.

Gray winced and braced himself. There was no way she was going to make it.

Erza sailed over the jump serenely and slowed to a jog on the other side. She calmly took a round of the enclosure, steadily decelerating before coming to a stop before the first jump. "You may get off now."

Gray slithered to the ground, his legs feeling more like jelly than flesh and blood. The lunch he had eaten earlier that day was threatening to make a reappearance. What had she been thinking, giving him no warning like that? Anger flooded through him as he got unsteadily to his feet. "What the hell was that?!"

"We finished the two hardest jumps on the course with no training, Gray. I believe we are in good stead for the final competition." Erza looked pleased with herself.

"You can't fling me onto your back and go running about like I am a sack of potatoes!" Gray shouted. A flush painted itself along his cheekbones, stark against the pallor of his skin.

Erza looked taken aback. "I did not realise-"

"That's because you didn't ask. You never ask. You didn't ask me to be your partner. You told me I was going to be your partner. Damn it, Erza, don't I get a say?!" Shit. This was getting out of hand. His mouth was running away with him.

Erza flinched. "I'm sorry. I was just…"

"You were just what?" he demanded.

She looked away and rubbed her elbow in a nervous gesture. "Excited."

Gray felt wrongfooted. Not by her words. By his reaction to them. This was Erza. The same Erza he had known since he was a child. He knew she was overzealous and easily excitable and prone to getting carried away. He was used to her antics. They were occasionally irritating and occasionally cute and most important of all; they were nothing new. The disappointment he felt in her, the resentment simmering in his belly, that was what was new.

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, feeling suddenly exhausted. "Let's call it a day."

He had just begun walking back towards the house when Erza stopped him, an armoured hand on his. "I am sorry. You asked me to stop but I did not." Contrition marred her features. "I shall work on being less heavy-handed."

Gray looked down at the cumbrous gauntlet on his arm and almost smiled at the irony. "No," he said, looking back at her, "I'm sorry. I don't know why I expected anything different." Erza was Erza. She would always be. He would have to get over this feeling.

Erza took a step back, her mouth twisting in an inscrutable expression. "Do you still want to be partners?"

"I don't think we have a choice in the matter." It had not slipped his notice that the Horse had manoeuvred Natsu and Wendy onto the same team.

"No. We do not." Evidently, it had not slipped hers either.

He flashed Erza a weak smile. "Let's just try to make the best of things."


He had not said yes. Erza had never been one to focus on the nitty-gritties but that tiny detail had not slipped past her. He had not said that he wanted to be her partner.

She sank deeper into the sudsy water and tried to put her jumbled thoughts in order. She had wanted to spend some time with him. It was a foolish desire, she knew that. But when he had begun to approach Lucy her hand had shot forward of its own accord and grabbed him. She had not even realised what she was saying until she had told him to be her teammate.

She had missed him, this past week. It was a ridiculous notion. They lived together and travelled together. They were constantly in each other's presence. There should have been no room to miss him, but she had. She missed the sly tilt of his mouth when he pushed a boundary with her. His wry chuckle when she said something unexpectedly funny. The way his dark eyes automatically sought hers in serious moments. She pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. No. This was not a path worth pursuing. Which was why she had tried to inject an amount of normality into their interactions. Be her usual, mildly threatening self.

It had exploded in her face.

She had upset Gray. And she did not know how to make it right.

Dinner had been an awkward affair. She had been placed opposite Gray and every time she had tried to catch his eye, he had been looking elsewhere. When Happy had said something particularly absurd about the fish course, she had smiled at him, certain that he would smile back in that special way he did when they shared an unspoken joke. But he had been looking across the table at Natsu, laughing, completely unheeding of her. She was sure he had been doing it on purpose.

It stung.

She was not the sensitive type. People said things about her all the time; called her scary, strict, a hard-liner. It had never mattered before.

The lukewarm water swirled down the drain with a squelch. Erza ran the shower, not bothering to let the water warm up before she rinsed the last of the suds off of her. Her muscles would probably complain in the morning, but she suddenly felt undeserving of the warmth.

'Damn it, Erza, don't I get a say?'

The words seemed to echo in the foggy bathroom. Erza squeezed some toothpaste onto her brush and regarded herself in the misty mirror. Gray was right.

She had always been that way. Single-minded. Overbearing. Bossy.

'I don't know why I expected anything different.'

She winced, remembering beatings in the Tower of Heaven for being too outspoken, too bold. Coming to Fairy Tail after a place like that, suddenly being able to express her desires without fear of repercussions… maybe she had gone overboard.

With a start she realised she had been standing there with a mouth full of toothpaste for over ten minutes. She spat and resumed brushing.

Was it not leadership she was showing when she took control? Making decisions quickly was an asset in battle. And if she did not intercede with alacrity every time one of her teammates participated in some foolishness, then they would never get anything done. The few missions Natsu and Gray had taken together before they had been summoned to the Sun Village was proof enough of that.

She spat again and began to rinse her toothbrush. There had to be a middle ground. Some way to keep a steady hand at the helm without riding rough-shod over her friends. She wondered if Master Makarov had had the same trouble with Grandpa Rob and Goldmine when they were younger. It was difficult to navigate one's position in a team where one was both leader and friend.

She caught her troubled expression in the mirror and Porlyusica's advice from their sessions together flashed into her mind. Maybe she needed to lighten up. Learn to let things go. Not every decision had to be a hard one. On occasions where the outcome did not matter, what harm did it do to cede control? Especially to Gray, whom she had trusted for most of her life. Their bond was unshakeable.

Was it not?

Her toothbrush clattered into the sink. Her thoughts could wait. Someone was outside her bedroom again.

A shiver crept up her spine as she opened the bathroom door a crack, feeling the same heavy pause she had the previous night. Silent as a summer breeze, Erza crept to the door and threw it open. "Show yourself!" she demanded to the emptiness of the corridor outside.

Damn it. Where were they? She sprinted down the corridor, heading in the same direction she had heard the footsteps take the previous night. Pale moonlight streamed in through the windows, illuminating the recesses between the pillars. There was no place to hide.

And there was no one there.


A/N 2: Merry Christmas dear readers! 2020 has been... a year.

My mum was diagnosed with cancer in September and everything since then has been a bit of a blur. She had surgery and is now undergoing chemo and radiation, which is due to end next week. So please forgive me for not updating, but I honestly have not had the time. Or the energy. Or two brain cells to rub together. I'm my mum's primary caregiver because my sibling lives in a different city and the pandemic means we can't rely on any of our friends. So it's just the two of us somehow getting by.

Most of this chapter was already written in August, so I just filled in some of the blanks and fiddled around with some of the scenes (some of the stuff I'd written in August was just... so random. I spent 500 words describing the Guardian's house!) because I wanted to upload a new chapter by Christmas (and it's still Christmas in the UK and US, so that counts right? Haha.). Just to let you all know that I'm not going anywhere, so please hang in there and please don't give up on me. My notifications from FFN and AO3 have been a beacon in what has been a very trying time.

Honestly, and I thought things were bad after my thesis went badly in February. This year has just been a steady cascade of increasingly difficult circumstances (this is me exercising great restraint and constraining myself to polite speech. Oh God. What even has this year been?)

On the bright side, at least my unemployment meant I could be there for my mum. Silver lining?

Anyway, I would really appreciate it if you could spare a thought or prayer for my mum.

Thanks for sticking with me.

And thanks for all the faves and follows. Please leave a fav/follow or review if you feel like :). Until next time!