Emblem of Fire
By HazelDragonNora
Disclaimer: Nora does not own Fairy Tail. She only owns her own ideas and plot line. Fairy Tail is for the genius Hiro Mashima to draw (and write) because Nora's drawing skills are sophisticatedly bad and Hiro Mashima's imagination is the best of all! Also, Nora will stop speaking like Juvia now.
I just returned from a mission to infiltrate the base of a group of bank robbers. It had almost been too easy to sneak into their safe house with its diamond-encrusted doors. Almost.
The entrance was unguarded, but there were those invisible laser beams all over the place. I almost tripped over one, but Aries's smoke spray warned me. She and Virgo worked well today.
I slipped into the guild from the back doors. Surprisingly, it was extremely noisy today.
All the tables were crammed against the walls to maximize the space, and every one of them had agents seated around them. The spacious hall practically vibrated with all the chatter; it was probably because he wasn't back yet.
In truth, I considered him a friend but I didn't even know what he specialized in. The only time I asked him, he refused to speak about it – even though I told him my specialty, my key blades. Stinkin' damn hermit.
"Ashley!" I was roused from my thoughts when a man stumbled over, bumping into tables along the way. His buddies at the table across the hall cheered raucously and the scent of bitter alcohol wafted across the room.
"What?" I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped my foot as he continued on his irregular path.
He reached me and placed an arm around my waist. "Go out with me." His words slurred and I knew he was heavily drunk. He only asked me that several hundred times a week. Really, who could be worse than that?
"No, go away." I retorted and struggled against his hold.
"Aww, don't be that way, Babe~" He pulled me flush to his chest. The cheers of his drinking buddies grew louder.
"I'm going to style your face like the hunchback of Notre-Dame if you don't release me." I snarled. He grinned lopsidedly.
"Do-" A cascade of water poured down, soaking the drunken man who reeled backwards. It was only thanks to my quick reaction that I held Aquarius's key up in time and avoided getting soaked as well.
I took a step, looked up, and scowled. "I didn't need help, Rain Woman."
The bluenette on the second floor stared at me, her gaze even, and then turned away without a word.
"Baaaabbbe-" The sharp blade of Cancer's key was suddenly pressed against the half drowned man's throat and he stopped speaking.
Even drunk, he has at least some knowledge of what would happen to him if he continued to annoy me.
"You wouldn't daaarre-"
...
...
...
I wiped the scarlet blood off the blade of the key and walked over to my always-vacant seat at the bar to wait for Mr. Late Guy.
"Ashley, your smoothie." The bartender slid my signature drink across the bar and I slumped at my seat, lazily twirling around the fancy white straw in the cup of frothy pink liquid.
I straightened up as I got a brilliant idea.
Your punishment for being late, Black Steel, I thought and I whipped out Aries's key, and pressed down the tiny button.
The doors clanged open, and in an instant the guildhall quieted. I smirked.
Nimbly, I climbed onto my stool and shouted, "Oi! Black Steel, you finally hauled your lazy ass back."
His ears twitched in my direction and a tiny smirk crawled onto his face, going unnoticed by everyone except for me.
"Cheers for the bum!" I raised my mug of strawberry smoothie toward the advancing S Class agent and held back my laughter. This was going to be priceless.
Gajeel fist-bumped my mug and sat down on the stool next to me. "Wha the 'ell are you looking at?"
The other agents stopped gawking and they turned away as if Gajeel had issued a death threat or something.
I motioned for the bartender, a guy whose name I didn't remember, and he waltzed over.
"A mug of rust for the giant piercy here." I ordered. The bartender shook his head exasperatedly.
"The joke's still running, huh?" I glared at him. "None of your business. Just go get his drink." He trembled, muttered an apology, and hurriedly escaped back to the kitchen.
"Sheesh," I sighed and rubbed my forehead. "He doesn't know his manners."
Gajeel grinned and the light glinted off his pointed canines. "And you're the one complaining about it, Ash?"
"Don't call me by codename. I told you already, Rust Head, call me Lucy." The bartender scurried back without meeting my eyes and he set the mug in front of Gajeel as I smacked his arm.
Gajeel ignored me and downed his mug of "rust" – carbonated tap water that tasted metallic, according to him. After he pushed the cup away and signaled for a refill, he asked me the question.
"Some punk troubled you again?"
"How'd you notice?" I bit my lip, pretending to be innocent, and he looked over at the man still lying on the floor in the dark corner of the guild. Gajeel grunted and nodded in well-masked approval.
"That's a nice cut on his cheek he has there."
"Yep. He was hitting on me again. He fainted from shock, or drunkness, or stupidity - probably all three."
"And I see you drowned him as well."
"That was the Rain Woman." I grimaced.
"Ashley! Master wants to see you." Totomaru leaned over the railing, waving to me as he called from the second floor. I stood up and slid my empty mug across the bar.
"Coming Rainbow!"
"Shut up, Ashley!"
Before leaving, I patted Black Steel on the head. "Talk to you later."
He grabbed my arm firmly before I could walk away and stared me in the eye. "If it's a mission, watch out for Bora. He's said to have been illegally selling female slaves." I rolled my eyes at Gajeel's warning.
"Are you actually caring for me, Iron Devil?" I teased him as I poked his cheek with my free hand and ripped my other hand out of his grasp.
"See ya later! I'll take your advice to heart. I swear on your grave!" I gave a little backwards wave as I walked away.
His stool scraped against the ground and then, there was a thump. His frustrated yell pierced the air.
"ASHLEY! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO THE STOOL THIS TIME?" I didn't look back.
My ring of keys jangled on my belt and I rubbed the smooth surface of one with my thumb. A bubble of laughter escaped from my mouth and I hurriedly rushed up the stairs.
As I reached the second floor, Totomaru and Juvia, the only agents I saw, eyed the key I was rubbing. A grin stretched across Totomaru's face.
Aria fell from the ceiling and landed perfectly balanced on the floor. "You stuck Black Steel to the stool? Poor him… It's too sad!" And the damn waterworks started for the one hundred and fifty third time of the day.
I finally began laughing. "Yeah, but it's not sad at all. I can't believe he fell for it!"
"ASHLEY! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Gajeel's enraged shout echoed up the stairs accompanied by the sounds of chair banging against wood. Juvia peeked over the railing and nodded, her face emotionless.
"Drip, drip, drop. A new concoction?" I nodded as I clutched my stomach. It hurt to laugh so much.
"Ashley," Monsieur Sol popped out from nowhere. Hairs stood up on my arms and he folded his arms behind his back. "You're late. Non, non, non."
"Oops! Gotta get going. See ya." I waved goodbye to the Element Four and walked briskly into Master's study.
"Lucy, dear," Jose's voice sent shivers down my spine. "Please, close the door." I did as he asked and the door closed with an ominous thump. A feeling of apprehension washed over me.
Master sat down at his desk and smiled grimly. "You've been a loyal agent of Phantom Lord and you were one of the youngest and most skilled to join. So, I've been thinking…"
He leaned forward and I took a step closer, my curiosity growing. "Yes, sir?"
Master Jose slid two sheets of paper - a smaller sheet clipped to the front of a larger sheet - across his desk. I picked the two papers up and the first, smaller one consisted only of a picture. I saved that one for later and removed the paper clip.
"Take out a Fairy Tail agent. Real name: unknown. Codename: Salamander. Age: 18. Specialty: Destruction of property on missions. Hair Color: Pink?!" I read from the larger sheet of paper and then switched to the small picture. "That can't be true!"
"Oh..." I gasped at the cuteness of the picture. The man in the picture had spiky pink hair and a bright grin on his tan face. I only saw the top of a t-shirt and what seemed like a scaly, white scarf. "He's an agent? He looks more like a commoner to me." I exclaimed and looked up at Master who was watching me closely; his expression was carefully blank.
"True, he is an agent. I usually don't allow extermination requests," He leaned back in his chair. "But this time, however, is an exception because I requested it."
"Then I'll complete it without fail on my pride as an agent of Phantom." I raised my right hand where my pink Phantom Lord guild mark was and smiled at Master.
"Salamander shall not live."
I set out almost immediately from the guild. A few select dissolvable wigs were on my head and I wore my long black trench coat that could change colors.
The sponsors said that the color-changing phenomenon worked because the coat was made out of a heat sensitive material. Complicated thermodynamics.
The picture of Salamander was tucked into the inner left pocket of my coat, and I was always armed with my whip and keys - which were both on my belt.
The successful tube of sticky foam - which I tested on Gajeel - was carefully refilled and the compartment was placed back into my Aries key.
Hargeon was my destination and it was the port town where Salamander had been last seen. After an hour on the train, I arrived in Hargeon around nightfall. The port town's street lamps were turned on, but I slipped though the shadows of the buildings instead.
I looked for the highest point in town to survey my surroundings and I found a cathedral. I climbed onto the top and crouched on the roof. It wasn't too slanted and the tip of the roof was the perfect size for me to hold onto.
The stars were beautiful tonight, but they weren't what I was so caught up on. The flames that shot from the brightly lit party ship at sea, on the other hand.
"Fire is destructive... I think. Salamander, you are really easy to find." I leaped from the roof of the cathedral and did a front roll. When I hit the ground, I was already running.
But the one thing I didn't consider was that if he was being noticeable on purpose, what did that mean for me?
"Alright, Caelum - flight form." I slipped on my thin metal bracelets, one for each hand, and threw the silver key in the air. It hovered and unfolded into a small metallic disk.
With a wave of my right hand, Caelum soared closer and I jumped on. I took off my brown wig and threw it into the ocean where it immediately began to foam and dissolve. I shook my head and the strands of hair on my blue wig organized themselves.
I put my left hand in front of me and twisted an imaginary handle. The disk shot towards the ship.
As we drew closer, I scanned my clothes. It was my usual attire of a miniskirt with a pair of short shorts underneath, and a colorful t-shirt with my still black trench coat over everything.
I took one hand off the "handles" and twisted the small dial inside the trench coat. It changed from a black color to a shade of dark brown.
Hopefully this wasn't too formal of a party ship.
After a few minutes, I neared the ship and the flames that had been erupting from the top balcony died out. I steered closer to the surface of the water next to the ship to avoid being spotted.
"...Slaves..." A quiet murmur of voices drifted out from a porthole and I quietly maneuvered Caelum next to it.
All of a sudden, the words were crystal clear. "-going to Bosco. They're all set. We need one more for maximum payment-" Caelum beeped, indicating that its transformation time was almost up, and the people inside the porthole stopped talking.
"Did you hear something?" One person finally spoke up. I moved back as there was a silence.
Suddenly, the porthole opened and a head poked out. I crouched down and trusted that the darkness and the spray of water would conceal me.
Apparently it worked because the head pulled back, the porthole closed, and that person said,
"It was probably just your imagination…"
I breathed a sigh of relief and slowly hovered up to the deck of the ship to search for an empty corner to land. A crowd of people passed right in front of my eyes as I scanned the brightly lit deck.
There were tables of food everywhere and colored lanterns hung from the railings. Men sporting leather jackets and jeans, and women dressed in party dresses walked around and mingled. In one corner of the deck, a clown juggled fruit and in another corner, a fortuneteller cracked open fortune cookies and read them to a crowd of excited revelers.
I sneaked over to a corner where a stack of crates blocked everyone else's view of the ocean and jumped on board. I signaled Caelum over and snapped my fingers. "Return, Caelum. Thanks for your help." I whispered.
The thin, silver disk refolded into a small, silver key and I caught it and clipped it back onto my ring of keys in my key pouch. I straightened my clothes and trench coat and tied back my hair. I pulled off my blue wig and dropped it into the ocean. Then, I fluffed my brown wig and checked my reflection in Leo's key.
"Good!" I smiled at my reflection and pumped my fist in a "you can do it" motion.
"Umm, excuse me, madam. The host is about to speak." I whipped around to find a young, teenage boy staring at me. He was dressed in a sailor's uniform with a small logo that read "The Salamander" over the left side of his chest.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I smiled and bowed to conceal my excitedly racing heart. "I was so caught up in changing that I forgot!" He nodded, muttered a small "Women" accompanied by a sigh, and motioned for me to follow him.
I stepped out from behind the crates and scanned the deck as I followed the boy. Even though I'd been on many missions before, the feeling and knowledge that I was going to end someone's life today was unfamiliar to me.
Every whisper made me want to jump and the rush of the waves and wind against the ship made me almost paranoid.
The training I went through stayed with me, though, so I observed the deck and its occupants for possible dangers, escape routes, and Salamander himself. This must be his ship - after all, the boy had a uniform with "The Salamander" on it.
There! A tuff of pink hair stood out as we reached mid-ship where everyone was gathered. I bit back a gasp and steadied myself by placing a hand on the guide boy's shoulder (he looked weirdly at me).
I felt ashamed to say this, but... Salamander. Had. A. Sixpack. And he looked like a regular teenage guy. No, Salamander looked even better than the picture had shown, and he somehow reminded me of Black Steel.
Stop it, Lucy. I shook my head to focus my mind on the mission and when that didn't work, I asked the boy to punch me.
That attracted too much unwanted attention, but it was worth it. My mind cleared. I slumped and turned away from Salamander.
"Thanks for your help. Take the money." I handed 100 jewels to the boy – who looked at me like I was both crazy and his savior – before heading off deeper into the crowd.
There was a raised stage area with shining deck lights illuminating the platform in front of the ship's main cabin, but it was empty. I turned around to keep an eye on Salamander, but he'd disappeared.
I spotted him a moment later heading to the opposite, darkened end of the ship. I hesitated for a moment, wondering why the captain who was going to give a speech – it should be him – would just desert the stage.
However, I still followed him, but not before tossing my brown wig over the railing and changing my trench coat to a deep red color. My natural blonde hair blew in the wind as I trailed him, and it seemed like he didn't notice me.
He turned a corner and was gone from sight for a second before I also turned the corner. What awaited me was surprising.
"Hello." He leaned casually against the wall and grinned at me, his canines shining in the moonlight. I stood there, frozen, as he leaned forward so close to my face, and reached into my trench coat. He took a second to fumble around before pulling out the picture of him.
His smile still in place, he pulled out a similar square of paper from his vest - don't ask me how - and it was a picture of me. My jaw dropped and I stared at him dumbly. He winked.
"Agent Ashley of Phantom Lord. Utilizes unknown weapons. Age eighteen. Dangerous – highly likely to come after Salamander."
I don't know why - he could've killed me then and there, but he stuffed both pictures into his vest and leaned forward to whisper in my ear, his surprisingly soft hair tickling my cheek.
"You might wanna get off this ship." And he pushed me over the railing. I was going to drown - if that had been his plan - but it wasn't.
A little blue cat with wings caught me and I was still in shock. Even the cat with wings couldn't over surprise me anymore. Nothing else could be as weird as this –
"Aye, I'm Happy!" Or so I thought until the cat began to talk. And then, bursts of purple fire shot from the ship at us. I snapped out of my stupor long enough to wriggle from my burning trench coat and I watched as it fell and sank into the ocean below.
Happy was silent for a moment before he spoke up again.
"My transformation just wore out." His wings sparkled and disappeared, and we fell into the water.
I grabbed Happy and activated Aquarius's key. The water molecules around us reacted to the energy waves radiating from the key, and a bubble of air surrounded us – keeping our bodies dry – as we swam to the surface. When we finally popped up, I looked at the ship and gasped. It was on fire!
"Aquarius!" I lifted the key and a wave of water followed the motion of the key and crested towards the ship. However…
"Ashley! You miscalculated!" Happy screamed as the two of us were carried along with the wave.
With a crash, the ship slammed into shore and destroyed a few buildings. Happy and I were lucky as we only rolled onto the sand a little roughly.
"Where's Salamander? Is he okay?" I asked, not knowing why I cared about the enemy and my target, and Happy chuckled as smoke began to rise from the ship.
"Okay? Natsu is more than okay." Happy answered.
A caped man rose from the wrecked ship and threw a barrage of knives at the cloud of smoke just as Natsu – Salamander – emerged from it. I gasped and turned away to shake Happy.
"Natsu there! He's going to-" The little blue cat wriggled from my grasp and plopped onto the sand.
"You worry too much, Ashley." He whined and made a pouty face at me.
"Lucy," I turned away, hoping that this weird-but-somehow-really-kawaii-little-neko wouldn't see the blush on my face. "Just call me Lucy."
"Aye sir!" Happy cheered. "Alright Lucy, I'll tell you Natsu's secret since he seems to like you a lllllloooottttt and because I also like you." He ignored my denial and stood on his tiptoes, so I reluctantly crouched down to let him whisper in my ear.
"Natsu is a dragon-slayer." You've been playing too many video games, Happy. At that exact moment, a wave of heat rolled onto the beach and I looked up.
I stared at Natsu in awe. He was breathing frickin' fire and the caped man's metal knives melted like mud because of the intense heat.
Natsu must have said something really scary because the caped man's face paled.
Happy and I couldn't hear because of the crackling of the fire and the screams of townsfolk. Then, the shady looking men cheering on the caped man shouted something that I could hear.
"Bora-san! You don't stand a chance! That's the real Salamander of Fairy Tail!" A pudgy man shouted loudly. There was a silence, and a cricket chirped. Then, time came speeding back up again.
"Shut up, Baka!" Bora, the caped man, panicked. His cape caught on fire and he tripped over it, falling onto the ground, before successfully ripping it off.
"Never. Insult. Fairy. Tail." Natsu took a few steps forward and it seemed like the ground cracked under his enormous… weight? His eyes were slanted and furious as he glared at Bora. Wait a second…
"BORA!" I screamed and charged forward, ignoring Happy's cry. Natsu stopped where he was and Bora also turned. "Bora of the guild Titan-Nose. You got banished a few years ago for smuggling illegal charms and selling slaves across Fiore's border." I ran toward him, with a murderous aura around me.
"But worst of all…" I never got to finish as Bora raised a hand and shot a ball of the weird, purple fire that had almost knocked down Happy and I.
I froze as it spiraled through the air towards me. None of my keys were able to guard well against fire and Horologium's force field wasn't strong enough to- Natsu leaped in front of me and I staggered back.
"NATSU!" I ran forwards and punched Bora in the face so hard that his nose cracked. And then, "LUCY KICK!" I'm proud to say that I kicked him where it hurt most. Ha ha! No more reproducing for you, Mr. Bora!
But then, I remembered Natsu, and I spun around. What I saw shocked me the most out of everything that had happened that entire day.
Natsu was eating the fire.
…
And I suppose that's around when I fainted.
Author's Note:
Ta-dah! I hoped you enjoyed it! I've been working on this chapter for a week or two now, and this idea just got stuck in my head.
I kinda have writer's block for Princess Converted Pirate currently, but I've already started writing the next chapter, so that's what I'm going to update next!
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, ranting, fangirling/fanboying, etc... Leave me a review or a P.M. and I'll either message you back or post the answer in the next chapter! I won't be revealing any spoilers, though... ^.^
Also, (just to clarify) I've decided to make this AU have magic, but as of this chapter, Lucy isn't using any magic.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!
~Nora