Jude in Christmasland

**Jude in Christmasland** is the 2019 Christmas Special for Fairy Tail: Next Generation. It features Jude magically transporting into a Christmas-themed world with his three younger siblings, Luna, Igneel, and Mavis. It can be read here.

## Synopsis

Jude is finishing his Christmas shopping with Lucy and the triplets a week before Christmas, a task Jude takes very seriously thanks to the Christmas Onesie, which any Dragneel will be forced to wear if they fail to get a gift for every single Dragneel. Lucy, needing a break, asks Jude to take the kids in their stroller for awhile.

Jude is annoyed he has to babysit the kids but takes them into the toy department anyway by himself. While passing through the aisles, Jude spots a mountain bike he hoped he could get for Christmas but is disappointed as he realizes the chances of receiving the gift are slim.

When in the aisles that carry baby toys, Luna begins to throw a fit over the life-sized gingerbread house on display in the play area. Jude lets her out, and she begins to play beside it as Jude tries to find a gift for the triplets, a task he'd been struggling with in particular.

He realizes soon after that Luna has disappeared, and while looking for her inside the gingerbread house, he is pulled in by a gush of wind. Jude lands in what appears in a candy village, where he meets a series of gingerbread cats (all resembling Happy, Carla, and their children). The cats explain that they saw a baby flying in the wind, and Jude realizes it's Luna. Momentarily, Mavis and Igneel float down from the sky as well, joining Jude.

A gush of wind arrives, followed by a group of tin soldiers. A Nutcracker (who looks just like Liddan) appears and defends the Candy Village from the tin soldiers. Jude recognizes him as Liddan, but the Nutcracker is unfamiliar with the name.

Jude asks why it suddenly became cold, and the Nutcracker explains it could be the doing of the Sugarplum Fairy, who he previously worked under. Jude asks the Nutcracker for help, but he claims he can't because of an unseen backstory. After a bit of begging, the Nutcracker agrees and they begin to travel through the snow to the Sugarplum Fairy's palace.

During their walk, Jude spots a red mitten belonging to Luna in the snow. Assuming she's buried in the snow, he tries to pull her out but realizes whatever is inside the glove is burning hot. A pink reindeer named Rudy (with a voice resembling Nashi's) emerges from the snow. She explains that she has a glowing red nose that causes her to occasionally overheat and catch on fire and she was using the mitten to hide her nose. Jude points out that the mitten is also red, so it was pointless.

Rudy claims she did see Luna flying towards the castle and agrees to help lead them through the snow to Toytown with her nose and fire.

After arriving at Toytown, they fight their way into the palace and meet the Sugarplum Fairy (who looks exactly like Layla). She explains she isn't behind the cold, and only sent her tin soldiers to help the Candy Village. It is explained that the reason the Nutcracker resents the Sugarplum Fairy is that she gave him a nut he couldn't crack, which they all agree is stupid. The Sugarplum Fairy goes on to explain that the real culprit is Father Winter, and she helps lead them to his mountain fortress.

They arrive at the fortress which is guarded by snowpeople. Rudy goes to distract Frosty, and they begin to kiss causing Frosty to melt. As Frosty dies, Jude recognizes his voice as Gideon's, hoping that Christmas-Nashi (Rudy) killing him isn't a dark take on their real relationship.

They enter the mountain ice fortress and find Luna in the clutches of Father Winter. He is the first character Jude doesn't recognize, which throws him off for a bit. Father Winter explains that Christmas has ruined the displeasure of winter, so he plans to freeze all of Christmasland, sacrificing Luna to do so.

The Sugarplum Fairy comments that Christmas, though stressful, is what brings families closer by force, allowing them to understand each other better. This strikes an epiphany in Jude but is cut off by Father Winter attempting to sacrifice Luna. The group all attacks Father Winter, saving Luna and stopping Father Winter's plan. The Nutcracker is welcomed back into the Sugarplum Fairy's guard, but Jude enquires on how he's supposed to get home.

Luckily, Santa arrives, and Jude immediately recognizes him as his father, Natsu. He asks Santa to bring him home in his sleigh, which he agrees. He says goodbye to all his Christmas-version siblings, then convinces Santa to allow Rudy to lead the sleigh.

As they enter a layer of fog, Rudy uses her nose, which causes her and the reins of the sleigh to all be engulfed in flames. The sleigh begins to fall in midair, as Santa abandons Jude and the triplets.

He suddenly awakens back in the toy department, having broken the life-sized gingerbread house with Lucy right next to him. Before Jude can explain what happened, security arrives at they flee the shopping center.

A week passes and Christmas arrived, following the events of the previous Christmas Special, A Christmas Carol. Liddan refuses to come, Jude hurts his leg, but in the morning they all come together.

While opening presents, Jude receives a present from Luna, which turns out to be the bike Jude saw passing the store. As Lucy returned to the store with the triplets to apologize for the destruction of the gingerbread house, Luna began throwing a fit at the sight of the bike, saying Jude's name repeatedly, causing Lucy to buy it as a present for Jude.

Jude is excited but realizes that because he slipped on Luna's toy earlier, he can't ride it yet.