As the morning sun streamed through the stained-glass windows into the Fairy Tail Guild hall, Natsu and Happy were already playing role-play by the main entrance.
"Evil Cat Monster!" Natsu grabbed the blue cat's tail, "Become the Fire Dragon's food!"
Happy struggled desperately: "Aye! The Cat Monster will never surrender!"
"Since you have such resolve!" Flames burst from Natsu's fist, "Die!"
"So energetic first thing in the morning," Mira walked out of the kitchen with a breakfast tray, smiling as she watched the man and cat wrestling.
Ezreal sat by the bar, with Yuumi napping on his head.
A magic book was spread open in front of him, but his attention was completely drawn to Natsu and the others.
"Mira, aren't you going to do something? Although there are fewer missions as winter approaches, they don't need to be this idle, do they? So childish~"
"What does it matter?" Mira placed a hot milk in front of Ezreal, "It's quite cute this way."
Mira's eyes crinkled into crescent moons as she smiled, full of tenderness.
No sooner had she spoken than a ball of red flame flew past Mira's hair, precisely hitting Gray, who had just walked down from the second floor, yawning.
"Natsu!!" Gray instantly took off his shirt, "Ice Make—"
"So noisy first thing in the morning!" Gajeel jumped down from the beam, stepping on the ice sculpture Gray had just created, "Can't iron dragon get some sleep!"
The sound of the ice sculpture shattering was crisp and pleasant.
The three stared at each other, and the Fairy Tail Guild hall fell silent for three seconds.
Then—
"Fire Dragon's—"
"Ice Make—"
"iron dragon's—"
Three magical lights exploded simultaneously, and amidst the swirling smoke, Cana calmly sat by the bar, shuffling cards: "I bet Natsu wins, ten Jacks."
"I'm backing Gray," Marcus appeared from somewhere, slamming ten Queens onto the bar.
Laki looked worriedly at the center of the melee, where cracks were already appearing on the beams: "They won't tear down the Fairy Tail Guild, will they?"
"Don't worry~" Mira was still smiling, "Erza will be here soon."
As if to confirm her words, the Fairy Tail Guild door was pushed open violently.
Erza, clad in armor, stood at the entrance, her red hair like burning flames in the morning light.
"You three—" Her voice caused the temperature of the entire hall to drop ten degrees, "Explain to me why the mission report says 'Natsu roasted the client's fruit tree because he was hungry'?"
The three in the midst of the brawl instantly froze.
"That..." Natsu's flames extinguished, and he hurriedly explained, "I paid for it! That tree is mine! And Gajeel said he wanted to eat roasted apples..."
"Huh?!" Gajeel's steel jaw almost dropped to the floor, "Didn't you yourself say 'I want to taste what a burning fruit tree tastes like'?!"
Gajeel tilted his head, glaring, "And I only picked two apples to try, and they were burnt!"
Gray took the opportunity to conjure an ice chair and sit down: "I can testify, both of them are idiots."
Erza's armor made a dangerous creaking sound.
She slowly drew her longsword: "It seems special training is needed..."
"Wait, Erza!" Natsu and Gajeel said in unison, "We were wrong!"
Ezreal watched this scene, unable to help but laugh.
He turned to Yukino, who was sitting in the corner: "Are you scared?"
Yukino shook her head, a look of novelty in her eyes: "I just didn't expect Erza to also..."
"Also so childish?" Cana interjected, her card-shuffling hand never stopping, "When you see Master Makarov doing a striptease after getting drunk, you'll think this is nothing."
"Cana!" Mira, blushing, slapped her, "Don't corrupt the newcomer!"
"Speaking of which..." Marcus suddenly leaned towards Yukino, "I heard you can do astrology? Can you tell me when I'll meet my destined one?"
Laki, sipping juice from her glass, rolled her eyes at this: "First pay back the hundred thousand you owe me."
"Astrology isn't for calculating that..." Yukino explained softly, but Cana suddenly put an arm around her shoulder.
"Don't mind them," Cana lowered her voice conspiratorially, "I'll teach you the real Fairy Tail divination method—see who gets knocked out by Erza first!"
As if to match her words, a loud crash came from Erza's direction.
Natsu was embedded in the wall in a large X-shape, Gajeel was frozen into an iron dragon statue, and Gray was trying to escape by sticking close to the wall.
"I win!" Cana cheered, collecting the poker cards from in front of Marcus, "Pay up, pay up!"
Ezreal shook his head and turned to Mira: "How come I haven't seen Levy and the other two recently? Did they go on a mission?"
Mira smiled and pulled out a promotional flyer from under the bar counter, which read "Magic Plant Shop, Grand Opening Sale."
Below the text was Droy, with a bean sprout hairstyle, grinning foolishly, surrounded by purple man-eating plants with wide-open mouths, giant-like spiky cacti, and holding a small tree with various colorful fruits.
Mira showed the flyer to the others, "Droy is opening a shop, scheduled for early October, and Levy and Jet have both gone to help him recently."
Ezreal raised an eyebrow, "Hmm, not bad, why are these three all starting side businesses?"
Marcus leaned over and looked closely, "Wow, Droy's made something of himself!"
Laki raised her drink cup and lightly tapped Marcus on the head, "Much more reliable than a certain sandstorm."
Marcus clutched his head and started running towards Gray, "Hey, hey, hey..."
Yukino looked at her companions, a smile unconsciously curving her lips.
"Yukino?" Cana had approached at some point, "What are you spacing out for? Want to come with me to buy decorations for the carnival?"
"Me... can I?"
"Of course!" Cana grabbed her, "EZ, you come too! And pay for my dress!"
"What dress money?" Ezreal looked bewildered.
"The one your wolf stepped on during last week's mission!" Cana said righteously, "A limited edition worth thirty thousand!"
"Wait, didn't you fall into a mud pit yourself..."
"I don't care!" Cana was already dragging him towards the door, "Yukino, quickly help me hold him!"
Yukino stood there, at a loss, watching the two bickering, and then the others in the Fairy Tail Guild hall in an uproar.
Mira was mediating Natsu and Gajeel's "who can eat more" contest, while Gray and Marcus were having an "Ice Make and Fire" duel for the last piece of cake.
Erza... Erza had changed into a maid outfit at some point and was walking towards the bar to help Laki.
"Yukino!" Cana shouted from the doorway, "If you don't come now, EZ will run away!"
Yukino snapped out of it and jogged to catch up.
The sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows of the Fairy Tail Guild door, casting rainbow-like light spots at her feet, like a bridge to a new life.
Yukino nodded, the aloofness in her eyes finally completely melting away.
"Sister, I think I've truly found my place."
She quickened her pace, catching up with her companions.
Behind her, the joyful laughter of the Fairy Tail Guild, like a warm tide, slowly filled her long-lonely heart.
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