Ch. 3

"Hey Erza, you alright?" Jellal asked her as they stared out at the snow covered city from her large balcony that was partially covered with snow.

"Huh? Oh yea, I'm fine just thinking about some stuff." The re-equip mage told him as she moved closer into his warm embrace as they sat on the comfortable wooden wicker loveseat.

"I thought you were a little warm." Jellal joked earning a light slap on his arm as he hugged her and kissed her on the head gently.

"Funny," she mumbled earning a deep laugh from her boyfriend. They sat in comfortable silence for awhile, watching the city sparkle in the moonlight as they enjoyed each others presence.

"Are you going to tell me what's on your mind?" Jellal asked lightly breaking the silence as he shifted a little to get more comfortable.

"I've been thinking about Ashley." Erza told him simply staring up into the bright star speckled sky.

"Oh? I wish she would talk to me. You know the only time she's ever talked to me directly was when you introduced us?" Jellal said surprising his girlfriend a little as she turned to look at him.

"You're kidding, that was almost a month ago!" She said in shock as she looked into his dark brown eyes.

"Yep, mind telling me why?" He asked the shocked girl as she sat up completely and moved inside leaving him behind in the cold. "He-Hey!" Jellal called out as he stumbled to his feet and followed her into the giant five room dorm. "Did I say something wrong?" He asked when he found her in the room she had turned into a small kitchen dining room.

"No, it's just...nothing never mind." Erza started then stopped as she began to wash a few dirty plates with a vengeance.

"I did! Was it something I said about Ashley?" Jellal asked trying to figure out why Erza had suddenly clamped up.

"Jellal...do you remember when we were kids and how we were treated?" Erza asked after a long silence not turning to see the confused look on his face as she stopped washing a small plate.

"I choose not to but yes." Jellal told her wondering what she was getting at.

"Ashley's afraid of people. When she joined Fairy Tail the only person to hear her speak for the first time was Rain. She's the one who told us that Ashley had been abused before coming here and that she only remembered being beaten. Jellal..." Erza finished the last part in a whisper as tears pricked her eyes. Jellal didn't say a word, instead, he rushed over to her and hugged her tightly as she cried.

"Don't worry, everything's fine now. She's here with us and away from all of that, she won't get hurt I promise." Jellal told her soothingly as she clung to him and cried.

'...'...'

"They're at it again." I muttered as Natsu and Gray began fighting with Gajeel for the fifth time in the last two hours. Rain sighed and sipped her cup of hot chocolate as she sat beside me, a book in her hands.

"METAL DRAGON'S ROAR!"

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"

"ICE MAKE! LANCE!" They all yelled at the same time, I was barely able to summon a suit of armor to cover Rain and me as the magic collided and created an explosion of sorts. 

"Nice move, you're getting better." Rain told me as I dispelled the armor and finished off my mug of hot chocolate with a proud smirk. 

"Thank you," I told her as Lucy sighed and dropped down beside me. I tensed slightly but after little over a month, I had gotten used to people coming up and randomly sitting down beside me or coming close to me.

"Hey, Ashley..." Lucy said depressed as she set her head down on her arms. I frowned, Lucy was hardly ever upset or depressed unless Natsu was somehow involved.

"What's wrong?" I asked her, quickly returning my attention to my mug when her eyes snapped open and she stared at me in surprise. 

"Well...I can't figure out what to get Natsu for Christmas and he isn't telling me what he wants so yeah...that's what's wrong." Lucy said after a second and I turned to stare at her surprised. Was she depressed about that? Seriously?

"Umm...why not get him something involving a dragon? He's obsessed with Igneel, right? So get him a dragon statue or something." I told her after some thought and stared down at my empty mug not daring to look her in the eye. Suddenly I heard a scrape and felt something heavy land on me.

"Thank you! That'll be perfect!" Lucy squealed in my ear as she squeezed the air out of lungs. She let go just as fast as she had grabbed me and ran out of the guild before I could get over my shock.

"HAHAHA! She got you!" Rain said laughing so hard she had to grab her stomach as she fell to the floor with a thump and tears in her eyes. I felt my face get red as I fixed my shirt and clenched my mug.

"Sh-shut up," I muttered just as something huge hit me like a freight train. I gasped as the weight above me became heavier as we landed on the floor. I groaned and shoved at the weight, opening my eyes just in time to see Natsu, with his fists flaming run back into the fight. I narrowed my eyes at him and frowned, then without a second thought, I ran after him while summoning my armor and a dull blade. 

"Hey wait!" I heard Rain yell just as I jumped into the now larger fight that included half the guild. I made sure to hit people with the flat of my sword and not really hurt them as I made my way over to Natsu who was now fist fighting Gajeel, Gray now somewhere else.

"Take this!" Natsu yelled punching Gajeel out of the guild door as I came up behind him. Without a word, I hit him as hard as I could on his thick skull and watched him crumple to the floor. As I lowered my sword he shot back up and spun around.

"What was that for!?" He asked rubbing the giant knot on his head as he stared at me.

"You hit me first." I told him while holding my sword up and pointed at him. It took him a second, his brow furrowed before he broke into his typical goofy grin. Before I could retract my blade, he yanked it out of my hand and tossed it over my head. I looked at my hand in shock, my jaw dropping in surprise before I walked forward and smacked him. 

"You call that a hit?" He asked me easily dodging and knocking me to the floor. I scrambled back up and to my feet, my usual fear replaced with a new feeling as I took my stance. I had learned a few things from watching him fight and I waited for him to fly at me. A second later he did and I leaned back forcing him to fly past me as I used both fists to punch him in the side and send him off course into the now recovered and angry Gajeel. By now the guild had stopped fighting to watch us but I didn't care as I walked over to my fallen sword and picked up wiping off some dust before dispelling it and my armor into my inventory, a grin on my face.

"Alright! I'm all fired up!" Natsu yelled and I barely managed to dodge as he punched the spot where I had been. Spinning hard on my hands I swung my legs backward and kicked the back of his leg, knocking him to his knees. I took a few steps back as he stood back up and punched his fist into his hand with a cocky grin. 

"Now fight me!" He yelled and jumped at me. I blocked his first hit but not his second as he punched me in the stomach and sent me flying into a pillar nearby. Seeing his chance he jumped and tried to hit me again only to have me block him with my armor as I summoned it just in time. I faked a punch at him and instead kicked him in the gut as hard as I could sending him stumbling into several members, who buried him beneath them. Laughing a bit, I dispelled my armor again and walked back to my seat ignoring the shocked looks on the member's faces. Just as I sat down I heard someone enter the guild and a chill went down my spine.

"What happened?" Erza asked and I knew she was scanning the crowd for Natsu, Gray, or Gajeel. I gulped and ducked my head, shooting Rain a look at as she shook her head and looked at me while the guild broke out in guilty sounding mutters. 

"What was that all about?" She asked me and I shrugged then smiled a little as I mentally went over what had happened.

"I just reacted. It was kinda fun." I told her quietly as Mira came up to me without her usual smile.

"Ashley," she said my name and I knew in that instant that she was incredibly mad but I didn't know why. The guild fought all the time, especially Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel, they were the main one's who started the fighting.

"Mira! What happened here?" Erza asked the angry take over mage while she towered over me. Erza took one look at the scary face Mira was giving me than at me.

"Ashley?" Erza asked slowly and I shrank in my seat as Rain flew off in a flash. "You did this?" She asked as I listened to the guild return to its usual racket and ignore us. 

"Natsu started it first." I mumbled and nervously looked up at the duo. "They do it all the time, so I just..." I waved my hand a little, making Mira sigh as Erza blinked in surprise.

"You were involved in this?" Erza asked in surprise as she stared at me. "I'm not sure if I should be happy or angry with you." She added with a smile while she took the stole next to me and Mira gave her a look of disapproval. 

"Erza you're not exactly helping. Ashley, explain to me why you jumped into the fight in the first place." Mira commanded and I shrugged before responding.

"Natsu landed on me so I just reacted." I told her with a shrug, watching as she started to clean a glass.

"Okay...then explain how you and Natsu started fighting one on one." Mira said and Erza jerked her eyes over at Mira than at me curiously.

"He took my sword so I hit him." I said telling the truth, the two were silent for a minute before Erza started to laugh. She tried to cover it up and be serious but that only resulted in her laughing harder until even Mira was smiling. I relaxed slightly and stared at the laughing woman trying to figure out what exactly was so funny.

"Wow...just...good job." Erza said wiping her eyes and smiling at me making me confused as I glanced at Mira who was wiping the counter with a rag in one hand and a steaming pitcher in the other.

"Anyway, try not to do that again alright?" Mira said pouring me a new cup of hot chocolate, I nodded and gently blew on the hot liquid before sipping on it.

"Is there any cake?" Erza asked sitting down next to me. Mira rolled her eyes and nodded before disappearing into the back for a moment. We both sat for a moment in silence as the guild started to get rowdier, conversations and laughter creating a warm atmosphere. "So Ashley, what do you plan to do for Christmas?" Erza asked me snapping me out of my mental list to train later. I shrugged and stared down at my cup gently swirling the hot liquid to cool it down. I hadn't really thought about the holidays, though the decorations had been everywhere I had gone. 

"If you'd like you can spend it with us." Erza told me as Mira appeared with a slice of strawberry cake. I shrugged at her before becoming lost in thought, if I was going to do Christmas than I needed to get presents for people. Jumping down from my bar stool, I mumbled a quick goodbye before walking out of the guild. 

'...'...'...'

"What was that about?" Mira asked Erza as she watched Ashley leave shortly followed by her partner, Rain.

"I'm not sure, I mean I asked her if she wanted to spend Christmas with us but she didn't respond. Do you think that's why she left?" Erza asked a little worried as her friend laughed.

"I'm pretty sure that wasn't it, besides you and I are the last people she wants upset. Did you see how she acted when I got onto her?" Mira asked making the other woman laugh as she remembered why the young girl had been in trouble.

"I think she just might surprise us." Mira said before grabbing a few drinks and going around the guild refilling or replacing everyone's beverage. Erza sat at the bar for a few minutes eating her cake before deciding something.

"Hey Erza, where are you going?" Gray asked her as she walked past the half-naked boy who was being tended to by Juvia.

"I have to take care of something, I'll be back later. Until then help Mira and the others set up the Christmas decorations." Erza commanded causing Gray and everyone nearby to scrambled to decorate the guild in festivities as Erza left. 

'...'...'...'...'

"This will look good on Rain," I muttered to myself as I looked at a soft baby blue dress that was similar to the white and rainbow one she usually wore. Quickly grabbing it I walked to the counter where Christmas music was being played loudly and paid for it before escaping outside into the snow lost in thought. I had already gotten small gifts for Natsu, Lucy, and most of the others, all that were left Erza and Mira but I had no idea what to get them. 

Neither woman was real big about gifts and trying to find something for them was proving to be difficult. Maybe some kind of jewelry would work? Sure it was cheesy but it could work. I thought as I found a small jewelry store that had a sign in the door about customized jewelry. I had enough Jewels I could pay for it and I even had a couple stones we had found on a mission in a cave the day before.  

"Hello, how may I help you, young lady?" An elderly woman asked smiling at me from behind a glass counter filled with beautifully made pieces. I gulped, nerves now and wondering if I could still afford it now that I could see the workmanship. 

"I want to make a couple necklaces." I told the old woman and set the small rough stones on the counter for her to inspect. After a moment she set it down and pulled out a small drawing pad and pencil while I fidgeted in place. 

"Alright, can you draw the designs you want them to be?" She asked me sliding the pad of crisp white paper and sharp charcoal pencil to me. After looking her in the eye, I gripped the pencil and carefully began to draw a small chain necklace with the gem in the middle encased in a smaller chain, almost like the gem was wearing armor. After detailing it for a few minutes I stopped and looked at it feeling proud. Then I started on the next one, it was similar except instead of it being surrounded by smaller chain it would have a vine wrapped around it keeping it in place, when I was finished I stood straight and looked over at the old woman who seemed impressed as she turned the pad to look at it. 

"Very impressive, I should be finished with them soon. You can pick them up tomorrow if you'd like or you could help me make them? A gift made by oneself for family means more and lasts longer." The old woman told me and I nodded wanting to help make the present for Erza and Mira. The old woman smiled at me before making her way around the counter. I watched as she put an old closed sign on the door before she walked back to me.

"Come with me and we'll get started." She told me, motioning for me to follow her to the back of the shop. After watching her for a few minutes I decided she was alright and eased my guard slightly.

"Here start this fire and and let the metal heat up, did you want silver or iron?" She asked me holding up two small blocks of the shiny material, I gently reached for the shinier of the two and carefully placed it in the bowl that sat inside the blazing embers. Several hours later the necklaces lay cooling on a windowsill under the moonlight and I was covered in sweat while the woman seemed perfectly alright.

"Alright, thank you for your help. They should be almost done cooling here in a few minutes, come pick out a case for them." She told me and I tiredly followed her back to the front of the store and watched as she pulled out two small, but beautiful, carved boxes. One had a sword carved into the top and the other had what looked like an opened rose, both had simple snaps for locks and shone in the bright light.

"Here, these should match the necklaces perfectly now don't you agree?" She asked me as I mutely nodded still staring at the amazingly decorative boxes as she opened them to reveal soft and fluffy looking silk.

"Run to the back and grab those necklaces now, and be careful." She told me happily and I rushed to do as she said. She reminded me a lot of Mavis, with her kind smile and how she put me at ease. I quickly came back with the necklaces and carefully laid them on the supple silk and gently closed the lid.

"Now, watch this. This is my favorite part." She told me and right before my eyes, Erza's and Mira's names were magically carved into the boxes, right below the design. I stared in awe at the boxes before blinking and looking at her confused.

"Magic, my dear. Now off with you! It's late and a young girl like you should be asleep in bed already. Merry Christmas," she told me happily as she carefully handed me the boxes and, with a blink, I was in front of the Fairy Tail Dorms holding them in my hands. I blinked and shook my head wondering what had just happened.

"Merry Christmas, Ashley." A voice whispered from somewhere far off. I spun around looking for the owner of it but I saw nothing but snow behind me, I stood there for a minute before turning and walking the remainder of the way to the dorms, slipping the presents into the bag I had gotten to hold everyone else's. 

"Where have you been?" Erza asked me angrily, shooting up out of a large stuffed chair as I walked inside and closed the door. I jumped in surprise at the sudden noise, not having expected anyone to be awake still, and quickly hid my bag behind my back. 

"What are you hiding?" Erza asked me walking towards me angrily as I stepped back towards the stairs. When she was almost within arms reach I spun around and jumped up the stairs clutching the bag to my chest as I dashed to my room on the third floor with Erza close behind me.

"Ashley!" Erza yelled at me as I sprinted as fast as I could down the hall to my door. I was barely able to open the door, jump inside, and slam it shut before Erza hit it. I breathed a sigh of relief as I listened to her yell at me angrily asking what I was doing. After a few minutes, I heard her stomp away and stepped back from the door clutching the bag in my arms.

"That was too close and scary." I thought to myself as I set the gifts on my bed and lifted up the dress I had gotten Rain. Dusting it off of invisible dirt and removing the tags I carefully laid it down on her shelf bed and then looked at the other gifts to see if they had been damaged in my mad dash to get to my room. Once I was satisfied that they were unharmed I placed them on my bed and began pulling out wrapping paper and small paper bags. 

"I'll wrap these and then hide'em under my bed." I told myself as I grabbed the dragon picture I had gotten Natsu and got to work. 

'...'...'...'

"Did she come back yet?" Mira asked as she and Rain walked inside the dorm to see a very angry Erza pacing the carpeted floor.

"I'm guessing that's a yes." Rain said hiding behind Mira as Erza glared at them.

"Yes, she's been back for over an hour and she won't open the door!" Erza said angrily as she plopped down in an overstuffed chair and crossed her legs and arms.

"Did she say where she's been?" Mira asked looking up the stairs as she contemplated going up there.

"No, she didn't say a word. She just came in and ran upstairs with a large bag in her hands." Erza told her calming down a bit.

"I'm going to go check on her." Mira said and without another word, began walking up the stairs with Erza following behind her after a moment. After they made it upstairs to the third floor Rain skillfully flew over to the door and opened it. Slowly Mira stepped inside the dimly lit room and looked around, her mouth slightly open as she noticed the dozen small gifts stacked beside and on the bed. She smiled when her eyes finally landed on the sleeping form of the pre-teen and nudged Erza who was watching the girl with a soft look. Ashley appeared to have fallen asleep while wrapping a small music box, one hand resting on a roll of paper while the other was folded under her head as she slept. 

"She went Christmas shopping!" Rain exclaimed softly as she lifted up a box with Mira's name on it before finding another one that had Erza's as well. Both women were in awe as they looked over all the gifts to find names on them and kept giving the other looks on how adorable it all was. 

"We should let her sleep." Erza whispered after a moment as Mira quickly and carefully stacked the present on the dresser across the room.

"Right," Mira said with a smile before nodding at Ashley. "You pick her up and I'll clear the bed." She said softly and watched as Erza slowly pulled the girl into her arms, a hand reaching up to brush the darker hair while Mira quickly cleared the bed off. 

"We'll see you guys in the morning." Rain said as she settled down on her shelf/bed and the women tucked Ashley into bed.

"Right, goodnight." Erza said while Mira remained quiet, both women slipping out and down the stair to the kitchen before speaking again. 

"Erza, can you help me pack these up so they can get sent to the guild in the morning?" Mira asked after she began opening cabinets and gathered hidden presents. Erza nodded with an eye roll, use to her best friend hiding all the presents in weird places, and quickly set to work gathering up all the brightly colored packages and placing them in a stack by the door. 

'...'...'...'

"Where do you think everyone is?" Rain asked me as we walked inside the empty but extremely festive looking guild. I took one look at the multicolored lights hanging on a nearby tree that had an ornament on each branch with a members' name on it. Then scanned the rest of the guild, taking note of the mistletoe hanging in a few doorways, the red, green, silver, and gold table cloths with tall candles on them, the tinsel hung everywhere and presents under the tree but not once did I spot another member. It was almost like they had vanished.

"At least I can leave the presents without being seen." I whispered to her, feeling nervous as I made my way over to the giant Christmas tree and looked for Mira and Erza's names. After searching all the lower branches, and placing gifts there too, I asked Rain to lift me to see if I could spot them higher up. I was about halfway up the tree when I saw both ornaments with their names on them. I smiled a little and carefully directed Rain close enough for me to set the boxes on the branch next to each ornament.

"That'll do it," I said as I dusted my hands off and looked up at the presents sitting in the tree.

"What are you doing here?" A man asked me and I spun around to see Jellal standing a few feet away with a few presents in his arms. He smiled at me before walking over and setting the presents down at the base of the tree.

"Trying to sneak a peek at your presents?" He asked playfully and I shook my head no, he laughed and stood back up giving me a curious look. "You ever going to say an actual word to me?" He asked me as I was about to step away with Rain, who was oddly quiet. I shrugged and turned to leave him not wanting to be there any longer.

"Merry Christmas, Ashley. The guild should be meeting back here tonight for a party if you want to come." Jellal told me and I paused and turned my head to look at him with a blank look.

"Merry Christmas, Jellal." I said back and ran out of the guild and out into the cold, leaving a slightly surprised Rain and stunned Jellal inside. I ran to the back of the guild, not really paying attention to where I was going and ran smack into Wendy who was running also.

"Ouch!" Wendy yelled as we landed in a heap of snow, and I looked at her in surprise before flinching slightly as she looked at me and raised her hand. Ignoring the flinch she carefully dusted snow off the top of my head and laughed at my surprised look.

"Sorry I ran into you," I blurted out as she laughed and quickly got up to leave, feeling really uncomfortable around her as she did the same and bowed to me.

"It was my fault, I apologize." She said and I stepped back a little before looking around.

"Where's Carla?" I asked not spotting the white exceed as I scanned the snow, looking for any excuse to distract her, even a lame one.

"She's with Happy and Pantherlilly. What about you? Where's Rain?" Wendy asked me giving me a curious and happy look. I pointed back towards the guild in answer and felt my face blush as she nodded. "Oh! Right, I'm supposed to grab the chocolate bars and head back to Lucy's. I'll see you later!" Wendy exclaimed before giving me a quick hug and rushing off. I blinked a little before cracking a grin and laughing. Wendy hugged me! 

"She probably thinks I'm weird or something. But she hugged me!" I thought to myself as I walked into the clearing with a bit of a skip only to stop as I saw the Master and an older lady sitting at the base of the tree. I paused at the tree line and watched them for a minute before turning to leave.

"Where are you going, Ashley?" The Master's voice called out to me and I froze, I had hoped he hadn't seen me. Slowly I turned my head back to look at him as he stared at me, his pipe resting carefully in his hand as the woman looked at me angrily.

"Come here, I want you to meet someone." The Master said motioning me forward and, cautiously, I turned and walked towards them a sense of deja vu hitting me as I did.

"This is Porcaliysis, a close friend, and healer of mine. Porcaliysis, this is Ashley, our newest member." The Master introduced and I stared at the ground not daring to meet the woman's angry gaze.

"Stand up straight!" She yelled suddenly and I jumped to attention, shaking slightly as my green eyes met her black ones. We stared at each other for a few seconds, my fearful gaze meeting her angry one.

"Stop shaking, no one is going to hurt you." She snapped and I flinched ducking my head as the memory of the black haired woman screaming at me replayed in my mind. The clearing was silent for a few minutes and slowly I glanced at the woman and blinked when I saw her eyes flicker with pity for a second before she spoke again.

"Look at people when they are talking to you. You humans have no manners!" She said with a huff making the Master laugh as he smoked his pipe. I looked at her curious as to why she had said that then I looked away when she noticed me staring. "Enough," she said getting up and standing in front of me, I shook slightly as she grabbed my chin and forced me to look her in the eye. I swallowed in fear as she frowned at me and with her other hand gently thumped me on the forehead.

"Stop being scared, it will get you nowhere in this world." She told me and with a nod let go of me and walked away, as she did I gently rubbed my forehead and watched her leave in confusion.

"She's one of kind," the Master spoke breaking the silence as he sat there smoking his pipe calmly. "Come sit next to this feeble old man." He spoke and I scoffed at what he called himself, earning a smile from him. Yes, he was old but he was anything but feeble, keeping that thought to myself I sat down next to him but made sure I was at least a foot away from him.

"She has a point, you are a child of Fairy Tail, the strongest guild in Fiore. It is time you stopped pushing others away and began to interact with everyone, otherwise, you will walk down a long and lonely path." The Master told me as he sat back with his eyes closed, I stared at him for a minute lost in thought. I knew he was right, I did need to stop being distant...but. 

"I..I know." I admitted, looking out at the trees instead of at him as I spoke. "But I'm scared. If I do, this will be a dream and I'll be alone again." I admitted softly. Saying it out loud, for someone to hear made it seem childish but at the same time, it felt liberating in a way. 

"Ashley, do you know what this sign means?" The Master asked me raising his fist with his thumb and forefinger out forming an L. "This means 'I'm always with you.' That's what family is, we're always with each other through thick and thin and we always will be. Fairy Tail is your family now and you are our family, do you understand?" He asked me as I copied the sign and nodded a slight smile on my face as a feeling of pride made my heart swell. He nodded and sat back against the tree quietly smoking his pipe, seeing that he was finished talking I got up and with a nod at him left the clearing.

'...'...'...'

Makarov watched the girl leave, he hadn't expected Porcaliysis to do that but then again Porcaliysis helped him. Now it was up to Ashley to decide what she would do, he knew whatever she decided she wouldn't be alone. Maybe two certain Fairies could help her down the path she would choose.

"Those brats won't let her be alone for too long." He said to himself as he enjoyed his own peace and quiet for a few more minutes.