Lucy let out a long sigh of exasperation. Exhausted, she slumped into the booth across from Levy. The blue-haired mage had her head in a book, as always. Her soft blue eyes peered over the slightly yellowed pages. They watched the blond mage sympathetically. "Another mission?" She groaned. The stellar mage nodded with her head held between her folded arms, which she rested on.
"Hey have you seen that new bookshop that has just opened up in town?" The blond mage perked up, excitedly. She raised her head to look up at the bookworm; Face-to-face. The word mage dropped the book and giggled in glee.
"Yeh, it's so cute!" She squealed.
"We should totally check it out!" The stellar mage suggested.
"They have an opening sale on!" Levy added.
Natsu was just walking into the guild with a blue cat following him behind. A large fish perched on top of the dragon slayer's shoulders. The pink-haired mage overheard the two girls squealing. It caught his attention. Two fishy boys strolled over. "Hey Luce!" The boy greeted his friend. The strong fishy stench emanating from the boy made the two girls recoil, slapping their hands over their noses.
"Why are you still carrying that thing around?" She snapped in reply, watching the sea food in disgust. He just shrugged his heavy shoulders.
"What you two squealin' about?" He jumped to the point. His curiosity overloading. The stellar mage's irritated glare disappeared. Instead, a perky, over excited smile replaced it.
"Well there's a new little bookshop that's just opened up in the lower town, me and Levy were planning on checking it out. I can't wait!"
"Oh books..." The Fire-mage sighed. Like a broken dam, the curiosity gushed out. "Why would anyone get so excited about books?" The question seemed rhetorical but the stellar mage, slightly offended, needed to give him an answer.
"Books contain knowledge, stories, spells. They are the building blocks of our culture today. Our history. They are full of adventure, romance, action and mystery!" The celestial wizard exclaimed, inspirationally. But the dragon slayers face remained unchanged. He waved his hand dismissing her word without a second thought. His attention focused elsewhere.
"I was hopin' for a fight or something like that..." His voice growled in a silent challenge of any nearby eavesdroppers.
"You're such a blockhead, Natsu!" Lucy growled, storming out the guild in frustration. The doors slammed shut behind her. A silence echoed through the hall. That was a fight Natsu wasn't hoping for. Gray shook his head at his rival. Levy rose from her seat, giving the dragon slayer a disappointed look, before chasing after her friend.
"Nice going, Matchstick. " The ice-mage snidely retorted from the corner sarcastically.
"What do you want? Ice cube." The fire-mage growled back.
"You obviously upset her."
"What do you mean? I didn't –"
"Yeh, you did."
"She was obviously excited about the bookshop and you dismissed her feelings with any regard. Imagine if she told you- "Mira-Jane cut herself off before continuing anymore. Her hands slapped over her lips, sealing them shut. The dragon slayer didn't notice her odd behaviour. Instead her words sank into him. They felt like they weighed a ton. A guilt-ridden feeling churned in his stomach. He didn't mean to upset her. Maybe he really is a block head. Natsu sat down at the bar, now in a sulk, dropping the fish at his feet.
Lucy and Levy finally left the bookshop. Hours has passed, they had spent so long browsing through endless amounts of bound paper. Eventually, their arms were loaded with bags full of hard-back-covered papers. They found themselves to be quick and eager to return home, so they can dolphin dive straight into their new purchases. Levy was sure Lucy had bought most of the books, for comfort reading. The two decided instead of comfort food, which Evergreen declared as a sin, that instead they would comfort read. Delving into mystery and romance novels seemed a better way to deal, that stuffing your face with full-fat vanilla ice cream.
The sun had set. The stars twinkled in the dark night sky. Sadly, the little bookshop was preparing to close for the day. The two Fairy Tail mages were practically slung out onto the street. The two had immersed themselves in the store for so long, security had to step in to remove them.
The pair watched from under the dim-lit street lamp, as the little golden-glowing store's lights went out. The stellar mage let out a long sigh. "It's getting late." Levy pointed out, looking about at the deserted streets. Her friend nodded in agreement looking at the white pearl in the sky.
"Maybe we could take a short-cut down that alley. I'm sure it leads out to somewhere near the guild." Lucy suggested, cautiously taking a peeks into the ominous gap.
"Do you think it's safe?" The blue-haired mage gulped.
"Sure." The stellar mage tried to reassure her friend. It didn't work. She sounded just as unsure as the bookworm. The celestial wizard took the first step onto the damp, litter-covered cobble stones. Her footsteps echoed through the dense walls. Soon, they were followed by another pair. A quivering hand, gripped Lucy's wrist. Levy. She cowered behind her, trying her best not to look scared. The blond mage sent her a comforting smile. It helped, if only a little bit. A cold atmosphere sent icy shivers through their body. Cautious and silent, they tiptoed down into the dark shadows. Any sudden sounds or movements would cause the girls to jump in their skin. They moved deeper and deeper into the alleyway.
Finally, a little light beaconed in the distance. The end of the alley way. They shortcut felt longer, but it did cut their time significantly, compared to if they walked the long way round. Lucy let out a sigh of relief as the two approached the safe golden glow of the streets. Levy's tight grip went limp, her hand falling to her side. "See nothing happened!" The stellar mage proclaimed edging closer to the open. Now, she felt a calm reassuring flush over her body, walking at a calm, slow pace.
Suddenly, the sound of books clattering against stone startled her. She spun around. Instinctively, her hand reached to her belt. Strong muscular arms tightened around the blue-mage's chest and neck. Thick man-hands clasped over her mouth. He had a wide and sturdy build, broad shoulders and thick limbs. A dark black suit clung around his curved muscles. He was at least three times the size of the two girls put together. But Lucy wouldn't let that stop her from freeing her friend. Those deep blue eyes filled with fright and panic. Her look tore into the celestial wizard's heart. The stellar mage couldn't let her down.
Her brown eyes flickered to the orange exit to the alley way. Now, stood an identical twin to the other man. He stood between them and the street. They were trapped.