Unlike the mild climate of the coastal city, Magnolia had turned into a world of white by the time they returned.
Snowflakes drifted down, laying a soft white blanket over roofs and roads.
Shop windows glowed with Christmas decorations that had been put up long ago—twinkling lights, red and gold ribbons. The leftover warmth of the holiday tangled with the crisp chill of winter.
Shane stopped and, a little curious, held out a hand to catch a snowflake. It melted into a cold drop the moment it hit his palm.
In his past life, he'd lived in the south where snow was rare. This northern winter scene felt very new.
"Looks like we just missed Christmas."
Gray scratched his trademark spiky hair, voice tinged with nostalgia. "Last Christmas I spent in the guild with Cana and Levy, getting smoked half to death by those drunk old guys."
"Christmas…" Erza repeated softly.
Without meaning to, she pictured herself in a Santa outfit.
It… actually sounded pretty good.
She blinked. Not wearing something like that on the holiday left her oddly regretful.
"Come to think of it," Shane said, pinching his chin, "there was a bit of a festive atmosphere back in the port city. I was too busy setting up an ambush to notice properly."
Thinking of the "ambush," he instinctively turned and shot a look at Ultear, trailing behind them, shoulders slumped.
Already anxious about her future, the sudden look made her bite her lip, confusion and unease tangling tighter.
What's that supposed to mean? A warning? He's annoyed?
All the way back, she'd been wavering over whether to offer up "his" information as a bargaining chip.
But every time she thought about being branded a traitor and losing her qualification to go to that "new world," she backed down again.
She was a knot of nerves.
Shane had no idea his idle glance had kicked up so much overthinking.
For him, Brain was the first and only priority. Deal with Brain, and everything else was secondary.
Ultear was basically an unexpected bonus.
If Gray didn't care, he might not have even bothered checking her past with the Eyes of Karma; just beat the answers out of her and take her head. Quick and clean.
It was precisely because he'd used the Eyes and seen how little true sin clung to her that things felt troublesome now.
Sigh… can't resort to brute force.
He'd have to ask the master, see if he knew any truth spells or reason-extracting magic.
He wasn't hopeful. Knowing Makarov, even if such magic existed, he wouldn't condone using it for interrogation.
The thought pulled another sigh out of him.
What a pain. Seriously, what a pain.
His mood had grown heavier with each layer of thinking.
He raised his hand; a tongue of heart-fire flickered at his fingertip and went out.
On the bright side, that would make heating bathwater easier.
Once they got home, he'd fence in the back area and build an outdoor bath. Soak in hot water while watching snow and moon.
He felt a desperate need to do something to heal his worn-out heart—or he really would sink into depression.
"By the way, is it okay we never finished the winter-tail fish request?"
Erza's earnest question cut into his thoughts. She was a stickler; it had been on her mind the whole time.
"Should be fine," Shane said, pulling himself back. "It's a seasonal request open to a bunch of guilds. One less party completing it won't matter."
Even so, he felt a twinge of guilt. They'd taken two lacrima from the guild before leaving, and hadn't completed the job.
"Right… and I forgot the old man's souvenir—" He stopped dead.
Erza, right behind him, bumped squarely into his back.
"What is it?" she asked, rubbing her nose.
He casually reached back to ruffle her hair, then turned a laser gaze on Gray. "Gray. How much money do you have on you?"
Gray flinched under the stare and automatically backed up. "N-not much! Really!"
Shane's face blossomed into the friendliest smile. He stepped closer. "Lend me a little? No, wait—guild rules, no lending between members. Then give me a little. I want to buy the master a souvenir."
Looking at Shane's face right up in his, Gray cursed himself. Why the hell am I afraid of this guy? It's not like I need him for anything right now.
He steadied himself and forced out, "N—"
About half an hour later, Shane stepped out of a "Magnolia Specialty Gift Shop," tossing a neatly wrapped Christmas-themed box and sighing. "One bottle of local fruit wine for thirty thousand J. Specialty shops really are tourist traps."
Erza nodded gravely. In her mind, the cost of two bottles of that wine was about the same as a decent sword. Definitely not cost-effective.
Behind them trudged Gray, clutching a limp, hollow wallet, his whole presence washed of color.
His eyes were empty. Under his breath, he muttered, "My savings… my last thirty thousand J…"
Ultear watched it all from the side, feeling a vague sense of satisfaction. That idiot Gray absolutely deserved it.
At the same time, it confirmed for her that Shane was a shameless bastard who squeezed his comrades dry without blinking.
Honestly, three underdressed young people and a bound captive should have drawn a lot of stares.
But in Magnolia—home turf of Fairy Tail—most people only spared them a brief glance before hurrying on. Anyone with nerves too delicate or a heart too weak had long since moved away.
Talking as they walked, they soon reached the familiar guild hall.
Looking up at the flag bearing the Fairy Tail emblem, Shane felt a small, strange swell of belonging. "Finally back. Feels like we've been gone forever—"
He reached for the door—then caught sight of someone at the corner of his eye.
A very small girl stood near the guild entrance, soft purple hair falling to her shoulders, bundled in a thick winter coat. She hovered anxiously in front of the doors, raising a hand, then putting it down again, clearly waging an internal war.
Shane raised an eyebrow, changed direction, and padded over softly.
He tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "Hey. What're you doing in front of the guild?"
~~~
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