The Fairy Tail guildhall buzzed with its usual chaos brawls, laughter, and the occasional piece of furniture flying through the air. Yukari was nursing a mug of juice (Hinote had strictly forbidden her from touching alcohol, despite Cana's many offers) when Makarov approached, his tiny figure somehow emanating authority.
"Well, well," Makarov said, arms crossed and a broad smile on his face. "Yukari Hoshizora, our fiery rookie. I hear your first mission was a success."
Yukari straightened in her seat, a little flustered. "Y-Yeah! We got the job done, even if… uh… things didn't go exactly as planned."
Hinote, lounging nearby, chuckled. "Understatement of the year."
Makarov raised an eyebrow. "With you two involved, I'm almost afraid to ask how much property damage there was."
"Define 'damage,'" Yukari said sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.
Makarov groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't know why, but I have a feeling you two are going to drain the guild's funds faster than Cana drains a barrel of wine."
"Hey!" Cana called from across the room, raising said barrel in mock protest.
Before Yukari could defend herself, Gray strolled over, shirtless, as always. "Don't worry, Master. If Yukari breaks something, she'll just set it on fire to make it look intentional."
"Gray," Yukari said, her tone flat, "why are you shirtless? Again."
He shrugged, as if the question was ridiculous. "Why not? It's comfortable."
"Put a shirt on before I set you on fire."
Cana sauntered over, a mischievous grin on her face. "Hey, Gray, Yukari, why don't we head out? There's a park nearby. We can play some games, have some fun. You know, normal people stuff."
Yukari glanced at Hinote, who waved her off. "Go. Make friends. Try not to burn them alive."
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Yukari muttered, standing up.
The park wasn't far from the guild, a sprawling green space with benches, fountains, and plenty of open areas. Children played tag, couples strolled hand in hand, and the occasional merchant peddled snacks from colorful carts.
"So," Yukari said as they walked, "what exactly are we doing here?"
Cana pulled a small bottle from her bag, holding it up like a trophy. "Relaxing, drinking, and seeing how many times Gray can lose his pants before we're kicked out."
"I'm right here, you know," Gray said, rolling his eyes.
"Not for long, if history is any indication," Cana shot back.
Gray ignored her and pointed at a group of kids playing dodgeball. "Let's join them."
Yukari tilted her head. "Isn't that a little… childish?"
"Exactly," Cana said, already heading toward the group. "The best kind of fun."
What started as a friendly game of dodgeball quickly spiraled into chaos.
"Gray, stop freezing the ball!" Yukari shouted, ducking as the frosty projectile whizzed past her head.
"It's called strategy!" Gray yelled back, dodging Cana's throw with ease.
Cana, meanwhile, had somehow managed to incorporate her alcohol into the game, lobbing her empty bottle as a decoy. "Oops! Wrong target!" she said, cackling when Yukari barely avoided getting hit.
Yukari, fueled by a mix of irritation and determination, decided to play dirty. She summoned a small flame in her hand and heated the next ball she threw. It flew straight at Gray, who caught it only to yelp and drop it immediately.
"Hot! Hot! What the hell, Yukari?"
"Oops," Yukari said with a smirk, echoing Cana's earlier tone.
By the time the game ended, the kids had long since fled, and the three of them were sprawled out on the grass, laughing and catching their breath.
"Okay," Yukari said after a while, sitting up and brushing dirt off her pants. "I've got a question."
Cana raised an eyebrow. "Shoot."
"What's your magic? I mean, I've seen Gray freeze stuff, but what about you, Cana?"
Cana grinned, leaning back on her elbows. "Card magic. I can summon spirits, use attack spells, and even tell fortunes. Want me to read yours?"
Yukari hesitated. "Uh… maybe later."
"Scared of what I'll find?" Cana teased.
"Scared of what you'll make up," Yukari shot back, earning a laugh from Gray.
"And you?" Yukari asked, turning to Gray. "What's with all the ice?"
Gray grinned, forming a small ice sculpture of a bird in his hand. "Ice-make magic. I can create weapons, shields, you name it. And, yes, I'm aware of the irony of using ice magic while constantly being half-naked."
"Glad you're self-aware," Yukari said dryly.
"Your turn," Cana said, pointing at Yukari. "We know you've got fire magic, but what's the deal? You some kind of pyromaniac?"
Yukari shrugged. "It's… complicated. I can control fire, but it's more than that. My flames are different. They're golden and—"
"Golden?" Gray interrupted. "Fancy."
Yukari smirked. "Jealous?"
"Of fire? Please."
Cana leaned closer, her interest piqued. "So, what kind of spells can you do?"
"Well," Yukari began, counting on her fingers, "I've got the Flame of the Dawn, which is my go-to for most things. Then there's the Shield of the Dawn, the Blade of the Dawn…"
"And the 'Burn Everything Within a Ten-Mile Radius' spell?" Gray joked.
"That's not a spell," Yukari said, her tone deadpan. "That's just me having a bad day."
The three of them burst out laughing, the kind of carefree laughter that felt like it could go on forever.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, painting the park in hues of orange and gold, Yukari looked at Gray and Cana.
"You know," she said, her voice quieter now, "I've never really… had friends before. People either ignored me or hated me because of my magic."
Gray raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? With all that firepower?"
Cana nodded, surprisingly serious for once. "Their loss."
Yukari smiled, a genuine warmth spreading through her chest. "Well, you two are my first friends. Thanks for putting up with me."
Gray grinned. "You're not so bad, Yukari. A little fiery, maybe, but that's not a bad thing."
Cana raised her bottle in a toast. "To our new, slightly destructive friend."
Yukari laughed, clinking her juice glass against Cana's bottle.