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The Fox Hole 57
🕑 Added 2025-02-16 05:19:57 +0000 UTCChapter 57: Winterfell
– Haru –
I stood in Makarov’s office, watching the old man shift uneasily in his oversized chair. Well, the chair wasn't actually oversized, it just looked like that to his tiny body.
Across from him, Yasaka perched gracefully on a small stool, her nine tails curled neatly at her back.
Makarov let out a weary sigh. “I know many of my children want to help, but I can’t stand the idea of dragging them into a war. They’re already reckless enough on their own.”
Yasaka leaned forward, her tone gentle but firm. “Master Makarov, I understand you want to protect your guild. Believe me, Haru and I aren’t looking to put anyone in unnecessary danger—”
Before she could finish, a sudden chill swept through the room. My ears twitched, and Yasaka’s eyes narrowed. Something was off.
A soft glow flickered by Makarov’s desk, and then a small figure drifted straight up through the top of it!
She looked like a little ghost girl—a very cute one at that.
“F-First Master!?” Makarov sputtered, nearly falling out of his chair. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be on Tenrou Island?”
The spirit flashed him a cheeky grin. “It gets boring on Tenrou Island, so sometimes I like to pop in and spy on everyone. It keeps me entertained,” she admitted shamelessly. The spirit smiled sweetly at us. “Hello, you two. I’m Mavis Vermillion, the first master of Fairy Tail.”
I blinked. “So the first master is a ghost… who looks like a kid?”
She pouted. “I’m not a kid! I just happened to age very slowly when I was alive!”
Makarov rubbed his temples. “Master Mavis, you’re here about this… war, aren’t you?”
Mavis’s expression turned serious as she glanced around at all of us. “I understand why you’re hesitant, Makarov. Nobody wants to throw themselves into a conflict. But sometimes war comes whether you want it or not. Better for your guild members to experience it in a controlled environment than be caught off-guard later.” It almost seemed like she was knowingly saying that the guild was going to be involved in a war in the future.
Yasaka and I exchanged glances, but neither of us chose to say anything.
Makarov opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again, looking torn. He finally let out a tired breath. “Is it really as controlled as you’re saying?” he asked me.
I cleared my throat. “To be honest, Master Makarov, I don’t think these people stand much of a chance against Fairy Tail’s wizards. If they do, I’ll be there to step in.”
Mavis nodded. “Growth often comes from facing adversity. And if Haru’s certain none of your people will be seriously harmed, that makes it all the better.”
Yasaka flashed me a quick smile, relief in her eyes. We both knew how important Fairy Tail’s involvement was. Hearing Mavis back us up was a huge win.
Makarov glanced between Mavis and me, then let his shoulders slump. “Fine. If the first master believes it’s the right course… I’ll trust her judgment.”
A small grin tugged at Mavis’s lips. She floated closer to me, studying my face with bright, curious eyes. “And you’ll protect our guild members if things go south?”
I nodded without hesitation. “I promise.”
Mavis let out a light laugh. “Then everything will turn out just fine! Have faith, Makarov.” Her ghostly figure vanished back into the floor, leaving behind a lingering chill. Makarov stared at the spot where she’d disappeared, looking both resigned and relieved.
“Guess that settles it,” he mumbled…
…
When Yasaka and I stepped out of Makarov’s office, Erza was waiting just a few steps away. She rested her hands on her hips. “How’d it go, Haru?”
Every wizard in earshot seemed just as curious. Natsu, Gray, and Elfman were practically vibrating with anticipation, while others hovered nearby, clearly eager for news.
I cleared my throat. “Master Makarov agreed to accept my request. Any mage who wants to participate in the… let’s call it a conflict… is free to do so.”
Natsu pumped his fist in the air. “Yes! This is gonna be awesome!”
“Kicking ass and taking names!” Gray smirked.
Elfman pounded his chest with one massive fist. “This is what being a man is all about!”
But not everyone shared their excitement.
A handful of Fairy Tail members started grumbling in the background. “We didn’t sign up to join some huge battle,” one of them said, voice dripping with frustration. “This isn’t what a guild is about.”
Erza’s eyes narrowed at them. “No one asked you to go,” she snapped. “It’s not mandatory. But even if it was, Fairy Tail mages are supposed to save lives. And if you sorry excuses for mages won’t—” She cut herself off, shaking her head in disgust.
That set off another wave of complaints from the grumblers. They started throwing insults at Erza. She looked pissed, sure, but also hurt.
“That girl’s got some serious fire in her,” Yasaka noted, stepping up beside me. A low, amused giggle escaped her lips as she leaned in. “I like her spirit,” she added. Then, loudly enough for Erza to hear, she winked at me and declared, “I approve!”
“Mom,” I groaned, burying my face in one hand.
…Not another one, I thought. But a small part of me couldn’t deny that I admired Erza’s passion, too. I supposed she’d inherited that fierce drive from Irene—her crazy hot dragon mommy.
Erza brushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ear before turning to me. “So, Haru, what’s next for you?”
Before I could answer, Natsu’s voice cut in. “Holy crap! Is Erza trying to flirt—oof!”
He didn’t get to finish his sentence before a loud thud echoed through the guildhall, courtesy of Gray’s fist slamming into his gut.
“Shut up, flame brain,” Gray grumbled. “I actually want to hear this.”
“Oh yeah? Then shut up yourself, you damn human refrigerator!” Natsu retaliated, swinging a punch straight at Gray’s jaw.
And, because this was Fairy Tail, that one punch was all it took for absolute chaos to break out. Within seconds, the entire guild was a whirlwind of fists, magic, and flying furniture.
“Welp,” I muttered, stepping aside as a barstool went soaring past my head.
“Ara ara, oh my,” Yasaka said, touching a hand to her cheek as she elegantly sidestepped a flying plate.
As the brawl escalated around us, I motioned for the two women to follow me. We weaved through the chaos, dodging stray spells, overturned tables, and a very determined-looking Happy swinging a floppy fish at Lucy's head.
"Leave me out of this, Cat!"
"Muahahaha! I will have revenge for you throwing out my stash of fish, Lucy!"
"Of course I threw it out! You hid it under MY bed!"
...Somehow, we managed to make it outside in one piece. Once we were safely out of range of the madness, I let out a breath and turned back to Erza. “To answer your question, I’ll be gone for the rest of the day. I’m heading to Winterfell to visit Sansa.”
Erza blinked, her cheeks dusting with the faintest shade of pink. “Oh. How is she… after our misadventure?”
That misadventure—the one that none of them had bothered to give me any explicit details about yet. And damned if I wasn’t curious.
“Yeah, about that… still waiting on you three to tell me what actually happened.”
Erza cleared her throat and looked away, suddenly finding the distant rooftops very interesting. “It’s… complicated.”
Yasaka, on the other hand, just giggled. “Oh, it was quite the adventure. But I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.”
“Wait? How do you know about it...?" I asked.
"Ara ara... A mother has her secrets. But in this case Aela told me everything when I asked..." she said cheekily.
I rolled my eyes as my mom leaned in and kissed me on the cheek, her usual playful antics making me sigh. “Really, Mom?”
Yasaka just giggled. “What? Can’t a mother show her son some love?”
I turned my attention to Erza next, clearing my throat. “Thanks for speaking up and getting your guild on board with the quest. Even if a lot of them still aren’t exactly thrilled about it.” I flashed her a foxy grin.
Erza blushed slightly, crossing her arms like she was trying to brush it off. “It’s what a Fairy Tail mage would do.” She hesitated for a second, then added, “I’ll leave you to Sansa for the rest of the day, but I’ll stop by your restaurant tomorrow with the others so we can go over the quest in more detail.”
I nodded, appreciating the heads-up. Then something crossed my mind. “By the way, I haven’t seen Irene around. Do you know where she went?”
Erza shrugged. “She mentioned something about her boss sending her a message. Said she had work to do but would be back as soon as she could.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Her boss?”
Erza sighed. “Yeah. No idea who that is, and honestly, I don’t think I want to know.”
Fair enough. If Irene had business to take care of, I wasn’t about to pry too much. Instead, I just gave Erza a nod. “Alright, well, see you tomorrow then.”
She nodded back before turning to leave, still looking slightly flustered.
…
A bit later…
"Welcome to Winterfell… my lord… and my lady." A human maid greeted Yasaka and me nervously as we stepped through the gates. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her, and her eyes flickered between our fox ears and tails before quickly looking away.
Winterfell looked a hell of a lot better than the last time I saw it. The muddy, uneven grounds had been replaced with modern stone paths, and all the burnt or damaged structures had been mostly rebuilt. Here and there, I spotted yokai contractors still working on repairs, their supernatural speed and strength making the process much faster than any human workforce would have managed.
The human servants and guards watched the yokai with a mix of reverence and nervous fear. I preferred when people just lived as equals—though, considering these were supposed to be Sansa’s and my future servants, maybe not complete equals.
The maid dipped into a slight bow and gestured for us to follow. “If you’ll allow me, I’ll escort you both to the Stark reception hall.”
Yasaka smiled kindly. “Thank you.”
As we walked through the ancient castle halls, the maid hesitated before speaking again. “We… we’re all grateful for what you’ve done. The North has lived well under the Starks for thousands of years. When we thought them gone, it was… devastating.” She swallowed hard, her voice tightening. “The Boltons were cruel, horrible lords. When word spread that you helped Lady Sansa and Lady Catelyn reclaimed their home, many of us felt hope for the first time in years.”
I glanced at Yasaka, who gave me a knowing smile but said nothing. We both understood what this meant to these people—Sansa’s return wasn’t just about politics. It was about restoring something right to the North.
“Glad we could help,” I said. “It was personal for me too. The Boltons were scum.”
The maid nodded fervently. “Aye, my lord. And we are in your debt.”
As we passed more guards and servants, I couldn’t help but notice the way they all gave Yasaka and me a wide berth. Their gazes flickered to my tails, to my mother’s ears, and then quickly away as if afraid to offend us by looking too long.
I sighed. “You think they’ll ever stop being scared of us?” I muttered to Yasaka.
She chuckled, her amber eyes twinkling with amusement. “Perhaps, in time. Fear fades when familiarity grows.”
We finally reached the large wooden doors leading to the reception hall. The maid paused.
“Lady... I mean ...Queen Sansa is expecting you...”
Sansa and Catelyn were in the middle of holding court when my mother and I stepped into the grand hall. As expected, all eyes turned toward us. The room fell silent.
Sansa and Catelyn sat at the end of the hall, side by side on identical chairs. It looked like they were planning to rule together—Sansa over the North, Catelyn over the Riverlands.
Both women smiled warmly at me, and I had to fight the urge to gulp. Damn. I had to admit, they were both stunning sitting on those chairs with those beautiful dresses.
Yasaka let out a small, amused chitter beside me and placed a gentle but firm hand on my back, urging me forward. I realized I’d gotten a little too distracted.
Sansa stood up from her chair. “Lords and ladies of the North, may I present Lord Haru, Prince of the Yokai Faction, and his mother, Queen Yasaka. Haru is to be the betrothed of myself and my mother, Lady Catelyn. Together, we shall forge a new kingdom, independent and more prosperous than Westeros has ever dreamed of!”
...Maybe she should have eased them into it a bit before outright declaring all that. Silence hung in the air for half a second before the hall erupted into chaos.
“Is that why you invited us to Winterfell!?”
"This creature is wedding two Stark women at once!?"
"Ned Stark’s wife and his daughter!?"
"Outrageous!"
"He must have used foul devil magic to trick us all!"
The shouts overlapped, voices rising in anger, chairs scraping as men stood in protest. Some of the younger lords looked more confused than furious, while the older, more traditional ones seemed on the verge of foaming at the mouth.
Then, of course, one genius decided to take it a step further. A burly lord with veins bulging in his neck, shot up from his seat and unsheathed his sword. “This abomination cannot be allowed to taint our the North!” he bellowed before charging straight at me and Yasaka, his blade raised high above his head.
Before I could even react, Yasaka growled low in her throat. A flick of her wrist and—
“Clang!”
The entire hall gasped as the blade stopped mid-swing, caught effortlessly between two of my mother’s fingers. The raging lord’s expression morphed from fury to pure shock as he stared at his weapon, now utterly useless in Yasaka’s grip.
Her golden eyes narrowed. With an almost casual flick, she yanked him forward by his coat and lifted him off the ground with one hand. He let out a strangled noise, legs kicking uselessly as she held him there like a misbehaving pup.
“Enough,” Yasaka said, her voice calm yet dripping with authority. Then she tossed him across the hall. He crashed through the air, smashing into a long table stacked high with food and wine, sending plates and goblets flying in all directions. A stunned silence followed, broken only by the sound of mead dripping onto the stone floor.
I sighed. “Well… that could’ve gone worse.”
Sansa pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling slowly. “This was not a suggestion my Lords…”
…
– Jon Snow –
Jon Snow stared at the letter in his hand, his grip tightening with every reread. He’d probably gone over it a hundred times, and each time, it made his blood boil. How dare that bastard Ramsay do this to his family!?
To the traitor and bastard Jon Snow,
You allowed thousands of wildlings past the Wall. You have betrayed your own kind and you have betrayed the North. Winterfell is mine, bastard, come and see…
Jon exhaled sharply, his breath misting in the frigid air. It had taken him and what remained of his army of wildlings weeks to march from the Wall, but Winterfell was almost within reach. They would take back the North, drive Ramsay from his stolen seat, and reclaim what rightfully belonged to House Stark.
And after that? He wasn’t sure.
“Isn’t the answer to your thoughts obvious, Your Grace?”
Jon turned to see the Red Woman perched atop one of their few remaining horses, watching him with that unsettling, knowing gaze of hers. He sighed, grateful that she had brought him back to life, but still uneasy with how easily she could read him.
“Don't call me that... And rule what, exactly?” he muttered, crumpling the letter in his fist.
Melisandre rolled her eyes, her expression bordering on amused exasperation. “The North, of course. And then all of Westeros.”
Jon huffed, shaking his head. “I never wanted to rule anything...”
“And yet, here you are, leading an army,” she pointed out. “The North needs a Stark. And you are the closest thing to one left anyway!”
Jon looked out over the snowy expanse, the flickering torches of his ragtag army painting the white landscape in warm hues. The men followed him, trusted him. But he still didn’t know if he was the leader they needed.
“I just want to stop Ramsay,” he admitted. “Make him pay for what he’s done.”
Melisandre tilted her head. “And then what?”
Jon didn’t have an answer. He supposed he’d figure it out once Ramsay Bolton was dead!
XXX
…He’s a little late to the party…
Comments
ya_smerti
I'm pretty sure, they would have suspected them be closer to the old gods... Also should really cut the soul connection to Hircine...
Karkennon
Pft bitchisandre is absolutely going to get rolled by haru or yasaka. I do not see any other result lmao
WhatAFungi
The council of red heads votes… NO
Rycork
I imagine the scene in Batman where Lucius Fox says "didn't you get the memo?" except instead it's Haru
Dave
God I hope you don’t pair mc with Melisandre. She’s not even a real redhead, just a hag under an illusion that mc and Yasaka should be able to see through easily
Ototsu_Yume
And probably get burnt alive since Kitsune are masters of illusion and can most likely see her Gollum-esque ass through her glamour.
Ototsu_Yume
Nothing new there then lol.
Buck Futter
And he knows nothing...
Lictor Magnus
True, it takes a lot longer to get anywhere in Westeros in the books and early seasons than the last few where everyone was teleporting around. I had just assumed it had been like month already since the Starks came into the picture, but it could have been a 10 days or something for all I know. That just seemed like the right amount of time for the ninjas to run around from keep to keep and take out Bolton men, free hostages, and give all the lords time to get to winterfell. Melisandre is going to switch sides again when she sees Haru’s foxfire 😂
Charlie Johnson
The show has a lot of timeskips but its like 2-4 weeks to the wall from winterfell, and winterfell to kings landing takes like 2-3 months. Its a very slow moving world...for now.
Lictor Magnus
It’s been awhile since Ramsey died and the ninja cleaned up the north. How does he not know. They had to have sent out ravens.
LuciferDFallN1
Death to the witch! Even if she is a red head she is too manipulative to be trusted
