Ember of the Starry Sky

The sun hung low in the sky as Makarov gathered the group of remaining mages, his voice carrying an unusual level of cheer. "Now then," he began, hands on his hips, "you young ones will be on your own for tonight. No adults. Let's see how you manage to survive out here without our help."

Gray frowned, crossing his arms. "Wait, isn't this supposed to be a break?"

"It is a break," Makarov replied, grinning. "I'm just curious how resourceful you lot can be when it comes to something as simple as food."

"Simple, he says," Yukari muttered under her breath, earning a chuckle from Hinote, who stood to the side looking as if she might spontaneously combust from laughter.

Makarov waved them off with a dramatic flourish. "Go, scavenge, hunt, gather—whatever it takes. But no magic! Consider it… training!" He sauntered off with the other adults, leaving the five young mages exchanging dubious looks.

"Great," Gray grumbled. "So we're supposed to play survival experts now?"

Yukari clapped her hands together. "Alright, listen up, you bunch of amateurs. I actually know what I'm doing, so follow my lead and don't touch anything unless I say it won't kill you. Got it?"

Erza raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know all this?"

"Hinote," Yukari said simply, jerking a thumb at her adoptive mother, who gave a small, smug wave from the distance. "Turns out living with a phoenix has its perks."

"Of course," Mirajane said with a teasing smile, "our resident fire hazard would be the expert."

Yukari shot her a glare. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood, demon lady."

With that, the group set off into the surrounding forest, Yukari leading the charge.

An hour later, they'd gathered a respectable haul: wild berries, edible roots, and a couple of unlucky rabbits that Yukari had caught with startling efficiency.

Gray stared at the haul, impressed but trying to hide it. "You're scarily good at this."

"Thanks," Yukari said, flashing him a grin. "You're scarily useless at this."

Gray scowled. "Hey, I found those mushrooms!"

"Which are poisonous," Yukari shot back. "Eat them if you want, but don't come crying to me when you're foaming at the mouth."

Cana snickered as Gray muttered something under his breath. Erza, meanwhile, had taken to carrying their entire haul in her arms like a proud scavenger.

"I think we're done," Mirajane said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Now what?"

"Now," Yukari began, turning to the group with a wicked grin, "we cook."

Back at the makeshift camp, the group sorted their findings. It quickly became apparent that only two of them had any idea how to handle food.

"You can cook?" Gray asked Mirajane, wide-eyed.

Mirajane shrugged, tying her hair back. "Of course. Just because I'm strong doesn't mean I can't cook. What about you?"

"Does reheating leftovers count?"

"Absolutely not," Yukari interjected, rolling her eyes. She glanced at Mirajane. "Guess it's you and me, then."

The two got to work while the others bumbled around trying to be useful. Erza, Gray, and Cana were tasked with gathering firewood and starting a fire, though their attempts were anything but smooth.

"Is this enough?" Erza asked, holding a massive log.

"Are we building a fire or a fortress?" Gray muttered, dragging a pile of sticks behind him.

Meanwhile, back at the "kitchen," Yukari and Mirajane worked in an awkward silence, slicing roots and preparing the rabbits.

"You're not bad at this," Mirajane admitted, her tone surprisingly neutral.

"Thanks," Yukari replied, equally hesitant. "You're not bad either. For someone who's usually busy punching things."

Mirajane's lips twitched. "And you're not bad for someone who sets things on fire half the time."

It wasn't exactly heartfelt bonding, but it was progress.

The fire roared to life, thanks to Erza's overly enthusiastic efforts, and soon the smell of cooking filled the air. Yukari and Mirajane worked in tandem, their movements almost synchronized as they seasoned the food and rotated it over the flames.

"Is it supposed to smell this good?" Cana asked, her mouth watering.

"Careful," Yukari teased. "Drool too much, and you'll attract wild animals."

By the time the meal was ready, the group was practically salivating. They sat in a circle around the fire, plates in hand, as the food was finally served.

"This is amazing!" Gray exclaimed after his first bite.

"Who knew you two could actually work together?" Cana added, smirking.

Yukari raised an eyebrow. "Don't get used to it."

As the meal went on, the atmosphere relaxed. Jokes flew back and forth, laughter echoed through the clearing, and for a brief moment, it was easy to forget they were in the middle of a grueling trial.

But, of course, the peace couldn't last.

"You spilled gravy on my armor!" Erza snapped, glaring at Mirajane.

"It was an accident," Mirajane replied, not looking the least bit sorry.

"You did it on purpose!"

"Maybe you shouldn't be wearing armor to dinner, Knight Barbie."

The argument escalated quickly, and before long, the two were on their feet, glaring daggers at each other.

"Enough!" Yukari barked, stepping between them. She crossed her arms, glaring at both of them. "If you're going to fight, at least wait until we're done eating. I'm not letting you ruin dinner."

Both Erza and Mirajane grumbled but sat back down, tension still crackling between them.

The meal ended without further incident, though the playful insults continued. By the time they finished, the fire had burned low, and the group was leaning back, full and content.

"I guess we survived," Gray said, stretching.

"Thanks to me," Yukari replied smugly.

"Don't push it," Mirajane said, but there was no malice in her voice this time.

The fire crackled softly in the background, and for a moment, the group basked in the rare sense of camaraderie. That was until Gray, wearing a sly grin, flicked a piece of leftover rabbit at Yukari.

"Hey!" Yukari snapped, glaring at him.

"Oops," Gray said, feigning innocence.

Without hesitation, Yukari grabbed a chunk of bread and hurled it at his face, hitting him square on the nose. "Oops," she mimicked.

That was all it took for chaos to erupt.

Cana, laughing, joined in by chucking a handful of berries at Erza, who immediately retaliated with precision-aimed root slices. Mirajane, not one to miss out, grabbed a leftover carrot and lobbed it at Yukari, smirking when it landed with a dull thud on her shoulder.

"Oh, it's on now," Yukari growled, a wicked grin spreading across her face.

The next few minutes were a blur of flying food, shouts, and laughter. Gray tried using a log as a shield, Cana ended up with berries smeared across her cheek, and Erza predictably somehow managed to wield a ladle as if it were a weapon of war.

"Yield, you cowards!" Erza declared, brandishing her improvised weapon.

"You're all terrible at this," Yukari shouted, ducking under a barrage of carrots while tossing a handful of flour at Mirajane, who shrieked in indignation.

By the time the "battle" ended, the group was sprawled out around the dying fire, covered in food and utterly exhausted.

"Good job, team," Yukari muttered sarcastically, wiping a smear of gravy off her cheek.

As the laughter faded, the temperature suddenly dropped, the warm evening air turning icy. Gray didn't flinch, his Ice Magic making him immune, and Yukari barely noticed, her body heat regulated thanks to her training.

But Erza, Cana, and Mirajane weren't so lucky.

"Why is it so cold?" Cana grumbled, rubbing her arms.

"I think my armor is freezing," Erza said, shivering.

Mirajane, despite trying to look composed, was hugging herself tightly. "This is ridiculous."

Yukari sighed, rolling her eyes. "You're all so dramatic." She raised a hand, summoning three small orbs of flame that hovered in the air like glowing fireflies. With a flick of her wrist, the orbs floated toward the freezing trio, stopping just close enough to provide warmth.

Erza let out a sigh of relief, her rigid posture relaxing. "Thank you, Yukari."

"Yeah, thanks," Cana added, holding her hands out toward the flames.

Mirajane, however, didn't thank her right away. She simply watched Yukari with a strange intensity, a small smile playing on her lips. "You're so thoughtful," she finally said, her voice soft but carrying an unsettling undertone.

Yukari blinked, leaning back slightly. "Uh, sure. You're welcome… I guess."

The flames worked their magic, and before long, the group drifted off to sleep under the cold night sky. Yukari glanced at her adoptive mother, who was perched in the shadows like a silent guardian, before letting herself relax.