Expanding on my One Piece, Catastrophic Toon fanfic, I would like to expand more on the concept of anime and Hanna Barba/Walt Disney-es cartoons running amok in the Anime world. In this fanfic, we follow the story of a mere hareraising cartoon character defying the reality of things, and puts on a show for the all the boys in the audience. She goes by the name Cotton the Captivating. I own no character within the Fairy Tail Franchise except Cotton and any toons within the Fairy Tail story. All other characters in Fairy Tail are owned by Hiro Mashima. Enjoy.
The shining sun of daytime finally hits the Kingdom of Fiore, once more. It is clear that last night's assault with Natsu vs Bora in Hargeon has caused a complete stir, throughout the great city...the city...of Magnolia Town. However, we soon go into the perspective of new...within a silver-stoned castle in the capital of the city, Era...housing...the Magic Council. An adept circle of no doubt a team of the most powerful Wizards, and acts as the eyes and ears...of the entire Magic World...a government. And this Government looks upon last night's catastrophe.
"Those idiots from Fairy Tail have gone and done it again! This time, they've gone and destroyed an entire port!" A nasally council member exclaims, as the shrouded council, circle themselves below a mystical shining blue magic circle. A shining spot for each council member.
"Honestly now, what is the matter with them?" another councilman says with such an annoyance in his voice. Soon, a chuckle was heard from a council member. A blue-haired man, though it's slightly much lighter than that of Bora's. And this time, a symbol marks between his eyes, rather than his eyebrow.
"I'm actually quite fond of these dimwits and their laisserz-faire attitude." The blue-haired councilman intervenes.
"Hmm. They may behave like fools, but we mustn't forget, they are an extremely capable lot." An old council member donning...what appears to be a jester-like hat reminds his fellow colleagues.
"Yes, that's true. They present quite the quandary" A council member says in agreement.
"I say we should leave them be. After all, if it wasn't for those fools...think how boring this world would be." The blue-haired councilman says in assurance.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail!"
Y'know, I can't say that I was expecting something bigger, but what the hell am I complaining for? As I said before, for the longest time I've been doin' nothing more than solo performances. Joinin' in a guild, I wouldn't say was part of the contract, but seein' a guild up close...damn. I can't believe I'm actually lookin' at one with my own eyes. I turned around to see Lucy, that girl's as giddy as a Christmas Tree, and would ya blame her? She basically made it her life's goal to join the Fairy Tail guild.
Immediately, before Cotton could continue her thoughts, the pink-haired boy immediately charged in and immediately kicked the door open.
"WE MADE IT BACK ALIVE!" Natsu screamed out from the top of his lungs.
"WE'RE BAAAACK!" Happy sing. Immediately, the group was welcomed into the Fairy Tail guild base...well that's what Lucy sees. All Cotton sees is a bar bursting with enthusiasm...and beer. Cotton can only see it as a night club as the three walked through the guild base, with welcoming faces and greetings of Natsu and Happy's return. Soon enough, Natsu turned to a bucked-tooth teen.
"Hey, Natsu" the buck-tooth punk greeted. "So, I heard you went all out in Hargeon, Natsu. Had to go out and started tr-" Before the buck-toothed teen could finish his sneer, he was IMMEDIATELY met with a kick in the face by the pink-haired Wizard. The buck-toothed dude was sent flying as Lucy looked in shock, and Cotton in surprise.
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" Lucy pipes up.
"YOU LIED ABOUT THAT SALAMANDER! I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!" Natsu immediately challenged.
"DON'T GET MAD AT ME, I'M NOT THE ONE TO BLAME HERE! I'M JUST PASSING ALONG A RUMOR I HEARD!" The buck-toothed teen retorts.
"IT WAS JUST A RUMOR?!" Natsu screams out in outrage as Lucy only looks at the scene, dumbfounded. A fight started in the midst of...3 seconds.
"YOU WANNA FIGHT?! WELL LET'S GO!" The buck-toothed teen challenged. Immediately a table was thrown, sending the members on that table flying.
"Now, now, Natsu, I think you need to calm D-OOOOOOOWN!" Happy tries to intervene, but was immediately sent flying to the other side of the hall. Nothing more than a flurry of fists storm throughout the Guild hall...as literally almost everyone fought each other. Lucy and Cotton could only look in bewilderment.
"...Damn, now THIS is my kind of guild~" Cotton muses. Lucy, regained her composure as she only looks with such happiness in her eyes as she walked amidst the fighting.
"I just...can't believe it, Cotton. I can't believe I'm ACTUALLY standing inside the Fairy Tail guild hall." Lucy says with such excitement in her face.
"So, Natsu's back, HUH?!" A voice calls out. A figure arises from his seat, just in front of Lucy and Cotton. Lucy cries out and Cotton's eyes widened at the ebony-haired figure.
...Who has no clothing but his boxers on.
"Oh yeah. I'm gonna love it here." Cotton says simply as she admired the ebony-haired man.
That ebony-haired man's name is apparently Grey Fullbuster, just around the same age as Natsu. A talented Wizard...with only the habit of...well he has a bad habit of taking his clothes off.
"YOU SAY THAT LIKE IT'S A BAD THING, NARRATOR!" Cotton objects.
"It's time we settle things once and for all!" Grey retorts as he charged his way to the fighting cloud in front of him.
"Grey, your clothes?"
"I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!"
The enamoring person who had to remind Grey of his clothing, is a slender long and brown-haired beauty that goes by the name of Cana Alberona. She holds the title of...Fairy Tail's heaviest drinker.
"Heaviest drinker, huh? Pfffffft, she can't outdrink that which has no l-" Cotton started, but her gloved finger immediately flopped down like a deflated balloon as she and Lucy looked to see Cana...chugging down a gigantic barrel of wine.
"Y'see? I don't date the men here, because they have no class." Says the one literally chugging down a barrel of wine like an animal. Lucy's eyes bulged as Cotton places her arm on her ebony t-shirt in defeat.
"I have been...slain." She says in defeat.
"COME OVER HERE AND FIGHT ME, NATSU!" Grey yelled out.
"NOT UNTIL YOU PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!" Natsu retorted.
Click, clack, click, clack.
Amidst the fighting, Cotton's pitch black ears picked up the sound of click-clacking. Far more...hollower than her pointed-toed heels. Almost as if two pieces of wood were clacking together.
"It's only noon, and you boys are already whining like spoiled babies." A more...deeper voice announces as a tall and muscular man with shining silver and spiky hair approached the crowd behind Lucy and Cotton. Hearts were immediately placed in place of the black and white rabbit's eyes.
"HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HUNK~!" Cotton simply exclaims looking to the white-haired man.
This brute of a man is known as...Elfman. A muscle-bound Wizard who only believes that all you need to solve any problem...are two strong fists.
"I'M A REAL MAN! YOU WANT ME TO PROVE IT TO YA?!" Elfman challenged.
"I'd very much like that!" Cotton pipes up.
"DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM JUST LIKE HE'S ENCOURAGING THEM!" Lucy retorts. However, before Elfman could even do anything...Natsu and Grey turned around and delivered a punch that immediately sent Elfman flying through the guild hall.
"AND THEY TOOK HIM DOWN SO EASILY!?" Lucy says in surprise.
"CAN'T A GAL HAVE THIS FOR ONCE?!" Cotton yells out in sadness.
"Geez, it's so noisy around here, huh?" Another voice chimes in as Lucy and Cotton turns to an orange-haired man, with two slender ladies resting on his lap, swooning and awing at the orange-haired dude.
This is the lady-killer, Loke. Rank high on the "Most Eligible Wizard Bachelor's' list.
"SO MANY MEN IN THIS GUILD AND JUST ONE ME TO GO AROUND~" Cotton swoons. Immediately, before Loke could react, a glass was immediately sent flying to his side as the ladies by his side looked in disdained. He soon rose up from the bench.
"Are you alright?!" A girl asks.
"I'm gonna fight. Only to protect you two~" Loke says as he soon charged at the dust cloud of fighters.
"GOOD LUCK, LOKE~" The two girls swooned.
"He's definitely off my list." Lucy sneers marking a picture of Loke with an X.
"D'aww, you're no fun." Cotton retorts as Lucy gives out a frustrated sigh.
"What the heck is wrong with these people? There's not one SANE person in this whole place!" Lucy complains, as Cotton presented her detached head as it talks to her.
"D'awwwwwww, but there's no fun in a party if all the men and ladies are sticklers for business, now is there?" Cotton replies, as Lucy only snaps at the blonde-haired spotted bunny.
"YOU'RE NOT SANE, COTTON!" Lucy retorts.
"Aw, but where's the fun in sanity? A girl's gotta let loose on the stage, Luce." Cotton says as she places her head back on her shoulder as she disappeared sunk back into her beanie hat and watched the fighting crowd.
"Hello! Are you two new here?" A voice calls out to Lucy and Cotton. Soon enough, a slender young woman approaches them. The woman appears to have long and flowing slender hair as white as snow and shining blue eyes.
"She must have quite the makeup, if she's so young, yet she got white hair." Cotton says, as Lucy pulled the rabbit to her face, with such excitement in her eyes.
"COTTON! D-D-Don't you know who that is!? I-IT'S MIRAJANE! THE MIRAJANE! IN THE FLESH~!" Lucy squeals. The white-haired woman chuckles happily.
And this is Mirajane. A beautiful Wizard who's known for her bikini-clad photo spreads in Sorcerer Weekly magazine. She's currently employed in Fairy Tail.
"D-uh-eh...I have no comment on her. She seems like a nice gal. And bikini-clad photo spreads, I'm impressed." Cotton says impressed with the white-haired woman.
"So uh...don't you think we should try to stop them?" Lucy asks pointing to the fighting chaos next to her.
"It's always like this around here. I'd just leave them alone. Besides-" Before Mirajane could get to her point, she was immediately slammed to the ground by the flying Elfman. "It's kinda fun, don't you think?" She says in pain, before comically being knocked unconscious.
"DON'T DIE MIRAJANE~" Lucy screams out noticing her ghost comically floating from Mirajane's mouth. Before, however she could do anything, the blonde was immediately slammed to the ground by the flying Grey as the beanie cap left the lemon blonde's head.
"GIVE ME BACK MY PANTS, NATSU!" Grey screams out, as Lucy screams in terror at the full moon shining in front of her. The naked man immediately turned to her.
"Excuse me miss, can I please borrow your underwear?" Grey asks.
"AS IF!" Lucy screams out as she slammed him away, sending him flying. Cotton soon popped up next to the scarred blonde.
"What'd I miss?" She asks.
"NOTHING, NOTHING!" Lucy retorts nervously, as she was immediately swept off her feet by Loke.
"These guys are all so insensitive, a woman has nee-" Loke spoke, but he and Lucy were immediately sent to the ground when Elfman delivered a fist to Loke's face.
"REAL MEN SPEAK WITH THEIR FISTS, LOKE!" Elfman screams out.
"Take me away, Mike Tyson~" Cotton swoons as she clings onto Elfman's legs, but both she and Elfman were immediately sent flying when Natsu delivered a kick to Elfman's face.
"I TOLD YOU TO BUTT OUT!" Natsu screamed out.
"AYE!" Happy chippers.
"Ugh...it's so loud. So much for having a drink to relax." Cana sighed in frustration as Cotton popped up next to her.
"This seat taken?" Cotton asks as she...didn't take a seat, rather she decided to sit on the counter, as she scoots next to Cana.
"Sure, sure. If you would excuse me..." Cana says as she pulled from her pocket a tarot card as a small green magical circle emanates from it. "That's enough you guys, I'd suggest that you would knock it off." She says threateningly.
"Oh yeah? Says who?!" Grey says, with his boxers finally on, as a chilling light blue magic circle was formed in between his hands.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!" Elfman roars out, as he summoned a tiny purple magic circle, to which enlarged in size as the casting hand was beginning to cover in stone.
"You punks can be such a nuisance." Loke sneered as his shining rings began to glow with magical energy as a shining green and tiny magic circle formed in between them.
"I'M READY FOR YA!" Natsu challenged as his fists began to flare up, surrounded by flaming energy.
"Do they always fight like this?" Both Lucy and Cotton asks in unison to Happy and Cana.
"Aye!" Happy replies.
"Unfortunately." Cana sighed.
"You don't seem worried?!" Lucy replies, shivering in fear. Meanwhile, Cotton only smiles wickedly.
"I think I'm gonna like it here~" Cotton simply says.
"Well, that depends if the Master'll allow you two to join in. But he's a nice guy, so I'm sure he will, kid." Cana explains. The sunny blonde-haired rabbit soon scanned the room as she frantically looked around.
"So uh...who's the Master?" She asks.
STOMP!
"WOULD YOU FOOLS STOP BICKERING LIKE CHILDREN!?"
"Him."
A tall...no an understatement. A GIGANTIC and shadowy figure towered the entire guild...almost as if an angry monster has been summoned. The shadowy figure's towering voice was enough to get everyone in the guild to stop fighting.
"HE'S HUGE!" Lucy screams out in fear.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were still here, Master." Mirajane says sweetly, as Lucy looks at her in surprise, shock, and fear.
"Hmm." The monster only sighs.
"D-DID YOU SAY MASTER?!" Lucy yells out.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Natsu cackled out as the hulking beast of a Master turned to the tiny teen. "MAN, TALK ABOUT A BUNCH OF BABIES! LOOKS LIKE I WON THIS ROUND YOU L-"
SPLAT!
The towering Master only stepped on Natsu, comically as if he was a roach, making Lucy squeal out in horror. Soon, the Master looked to Lucy, and then turned his back and turned to seeing Cotton kicking her feet and resting on the counter.
"Well, it seems we've some new recruits." The shadowy behemoth echoes out.
"Y-YES, SIR!" Lucy says meekly.
"That would be me, o' great behemoth sir!" Cotton says as the showgirl stands on the counter and clenched onto the tips of her t-shirt, giving a dainty curtsy.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" As steam began to aerate throughout the behemoth, he roars like a monster, echoing the guild hall, as Lucy only looks at the scene, dumbstruck, and Cotton only tilting her head obliviously.
Soon enough, the shadowy behemoth began to diminish in size, making Lucy even more dumbstruck. The figure, began to shrink, and shrink, and shrink...until finally the figure was revealed...not a shadowy behemoth, but an old man...a very tiny old man I'd say about...2-3 feet tall, almost the same height...if not, a few inches shorter than Cotton.
"Nice to meet ya!" The old man says, finally revealing to be donning an orange attire. An orange jacket with a Fairy Tail t-shirt, orange pants, brown curled boots, and an orange and blue striped jester like hat.
"He's tiny, like Cotton! This little guy's really in charge here?" Lucy exclaims.
"Of course he is! Allow me to introduce to you, the Fairy Tail Guild Master, Makarov." Mirajane introduces.
"Makarov, huh? Seems like an okay guy to me. At least I'm not the only one having to deal with the top shelf problem...and that's my ONLY complaint on this guild." Cotton says as she simply crossed her legs and arms in frustration.
Soon enough, the little old man in orange leaped to the mahogany stair railing...before clumsily landing to low, hitting himself on the head. But, regardless, he immediately regained his composure and stood high on the stair railing as the guild members only groaned. It seems he has an annoyed expression.
"You've gone and done it again, you bunch of clods!" Makarov started with annoyance. "Just take a look at how much paperwork the Magic Council sent me, THIS TIME! This is the biggest pile of complaints yet!
Remember the Magic Council? Well, they monitor all the different guilds.
"HAVE YOU ALL LOST YOUR MIND!?" Makarov yells out. "All you kids are good for is getting the higher-ups mad at me!" Nothing more than an onslaught of grumbles and sighs emanate the guild hall. Lucy only looks at the old man nervously as Cotton only looks in boredom.
"Did I say only complaint? Pardon me...this would be another complaint...and that's just about every guild." Cotton says to himself.
"However," Soon, Lucy and Cotton looked in confusion...when suddenly the old man immediately burned the pile of complains in his hands. "I say to heck with the Magic Council!" Makarov says dismissively as he slung the burning complains in the air, and like a dog, Natsu catches the flames with his mouth.
"Now listen up. Any power that surpasses reason still comes from reason, right?" Makarov announced as everyone listened intently to his inspirational speech. "Magic isn't some kind of miraculous power. It is a talent that only works when the flow of energy inside of us and the flowing energy of the natural world are in perfect synchronization. To perform magic, one must have a strong mind and the ability to focus. It should take over your bring and come pouring out of your soul! If all we do is worry about following rules, then our magic will NEVER progress! Don't let those blowhards of the council scare you, FOLLOW THE PATH YOU BELIEVE IN! CAUSE THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE FAIRY TAIL GUILD...NUMBER ONE!"
Soon enough, everyone in the Fairy Tail guild cheered for Makarov's inspirational speech. Such true words spoken by a true guild master. Cotton only smiles giddily at the guild master's speech.
The reason why I didn't really want to be a Wizard came two reasons: 1, because it's too overrated, and almost everyone in Fiore's one, and 2, because I understand that there are rules throughout Magic. Rules that are just boring and annoying and needless. But the Fairy Tail guild...they're something else. They believe in doing things their own way, when it comes to Magic...just like me.
It's Masters like Makarov...no...it's Makarov himself...that honestly makes me glad that this showgirl stuck along with Lucy. Never thought I'd say this...but I'm glad that I'm apart of a guild...specifically...Fairy Tail.
And then...
Finally the fight was finished, fun while it lasted. But now that things are in order, Mirajane took the opportunity to tend to Lucy and Cotton. A stamp on Lucy's hand, and a stamp on the back of Cotton's left ear. Mirajane took off the stamp...revealing the Fairy Tail symbol pink and gold, tattooed on the two.
"There you go, girls. Now you're both official members of the Fairy Tail guild!" Mirajane says.
"Now we're cooking!" Cotton says casually as the first thing Lucy did was swoon and fawn at the tattoo on her hand. It's clear that this was the moment she was waiting for, so...the first thing she wanted to do was go to Natsu about it.
"NATSU! Look, Mirajane just put the official Fairy Tail mark on my hand~!" Lucy squealed.
"Oh yeah? That's cool, welcome to the guild, Loony." Natsu says without a trace of interest.
"IT'S LUCY!" The loony blonde retorts.
"Whacha doin' Natsu?" Cotton asks as the 3 foot tall toon walked to Natsu and Happy, seeing them inspecting a board by the counter. It appears to be a guild full of all sorts of wanted posters and lost and found pages.
This is the Fairy Tail request board. The Wizards can pick from any of the jobs listed on the board. Each presents a unique challenge and a different pay rate.
"Make sure ya pick the one with the big reward, Natsu!" Happy inquired.
"Whoa! 160,000 jewels just to get rid of a bunch of thieves?" Natsu exclaims in excitement.
"Talk about big money." Cotton says as she soon sat back by the counter.
"Yep, sounds good to me!" Happy replied.
"How come my dad hasn't come back yet?" A new voice replied. Soon enough, the guild members eyes were on a little boy, who soon walked through the hall to Makarov. The tiny old man stopped his drinking and looked to the boy.
"You're starting to work my nerves, Romeo" Makarov says as Natsu, Lucy, and Cotton couldn't help but listen in on the conversation. "You're a wizard, son, have some faith in your father and wait patiently for him."
"But sir, he told me he'd be back in three days and he's been gone for over a week now!" Young Romeo retorted. For some reason...it hurts Cotton to look at this display, for once.
"If I remember correctly, he took the job on Mt. Hakobe." Makarov inquired.
"That's right, and it's not that far from here! So why won't anyone go look for him?!" Romeo retorts in a worried tone.
"Listen, kid, your old man's a wizard! And like EVERY other Wizard in this guild, he can take care of himself!" Makarov barked back, until his voice softened. Tears, however, began dripping down Romeo's face. "Now go home, have some milk and cookies, and WAIT!" Soon enough, the boy clenched his fists.
"JERRRRK!" Romeo screams out, punching Makarov in the face, sending him flying behind the counter. With tears throughout his face the little boy runs off. "I HATE YOU ALLLLL!" He screams out for all the hall to see. Cotton lowers her head and closed her eyes and Lucy only looked in concern.
"That's gotta be tough..." Was all she could say.
"I know it sounds like the Master doesn't care, but he really is worried." Mirajane says in sympathy.
CRASH!
Immediately Lucy's attention snapped to Natsu, who punched a hole to the Guild Board. He and Happy walked off without a single word.
"What do you think you're doing!? You almost broke the board, Natsu!" A guild member exclaims. Makarov only looks up to see the pink-haired boy walking out of the guild hall. He spoke not a single word. Some of the guild members only scoffed as the master sighed.
"This doesn't look good, Master. You know how he could be. I be he's going up to Mt. Hakobe to save Macao." A guild member said.
"When is that kid ever gonna grow up?" Another simply sighs in annoyance.
"Who knows?" The other says. "Going after Macao isn't going to do anything except hurt his pride." The Master soon spoke up.
"Remember, Nam, we can't choose another's path. Just leave him be." Makarov simply says.
"Why did Natsu get so upset?" Lucy couldn't help but ask.
"Probably because he and Romeo had allot in common," Mirajane spoke up as the light blonde turned to her idol. "I think he sees himself, in Romeo. Just because we're members of Fairy Tail, it doesn't mean we have our own personal issues. We've all had our fair shares of suffering and loss."
"Natsu..." Lucy says in concern. Cotton only sighs as Lucy continues. "What was...Natsu's personal issues? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but..." Lucy couldn't help but ask. Mirajane didn't even turn back at the blonde...as she continues.
"Natsu's father left...and never came back." Mirajane simply says as the blonde looked up in concern. "Technically, it wasn't his real father, but the one who raised him. He was actually a dragon" The white-haired girl smiles as Lucy looked in surprise.
"A WHAT!? HE WAS A WHAT?!" Lucy says in an outburst. "So, h-he really was raised by a dragon?" Mira only gave a soft nod.
"When he was a little boy, A dragon found him wandering the forest. He took him in and taught him all about language, culture, and magic. But one day, the dragon disappeared and never returned." Mirajane explained.
"So, that dragon must've been Igneel?" Lucy asks in reminder of Natsu's search for him.
"Yes...and Natsu lives for the day he'll see Igneel again. It's kinda cute, doncha think?" The white-haired woman says with a soft smile on her face. Lucy gives out a same soft face as well.
"Yeah...it really is." Soon enough, Cotton hopped off of her seat.
"At least Lady Luck was merciful on him...than she ever was, me." The blonde rabbit simply says as she walks out of the guild hall. Lucy only looks at the black and white toon in confusion.
"Cotton?" Lucy asks. The bunny didn't say any word after that, as she exits the hall. "Hmm...I can understand why Natsu's upset. I know this now, but...what's wrong with Cotton?"
"Unfortunately, I don't have any ideas on her." Mirajane says, to Lucy's dismay.
"Hmmm...well it looks like she's going after Natsu, too. Together we can help him!" Lucy says as she soon runs out the hall as she waves back to Mirajane. The smiling bartender waves back as Lucy finally exits the guild hall. Soon enough, she hands Elfman his drink, who heard everything. Mira soon noticed his eyes were closed.
"Is everything alright, Elfman?" Mira asks.
"I think I may know what's the bunny's deal." Elfman sighs as he drinks his beer.
Meanwhile
"B'urrrr...urgh...why'd you two come with us?" A nauseous Natsu asks as he was simply rests on the ground, trying his ABSOLUTE best not to barf. It's been a while as the sun shines down on a lone carriage. Lucy, Happy, Natsu, and Cotton of course are journeying to Mt. Hakobe.
"We thought maybe we could help!" Lucy says answering for the both of them. "Wow...you really do have serious case of motion sickness, don't you? It's just another reason to feel sorry for you..." Natsu bobbed his head up at that response.
"W-WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!" Natsu retorted.
"Nothing, nothing!" The light-blonde says nervously. Happy soon turned to Cotton, who was silent the whole trip.
"You okay?" Happy couldn't help but ask.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. It's...nothing, just a lil' thinking." Cotton simply says. Even Lucy could see through the toon. For once, the t-shirt donning toon didn't have any sarcastic remarks of comical quips...something was wrong about her.
Immediately, her thoughts were halted by an abrupt stop from the carriage.
"I guess we're there." Lucy inquired. Immediately, Natsu rose up from the ground, as if his motion sickness disappeared on the spot.
"ALRIGHT! WE STOPPED MOVING! RAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Natsu cackles as he and Happy dances on the bench in happiness. Soon enough, the horseman turned to the group.
"I'm sorry, but this is as far as I can get ya." Lucy looks in confusion.
"Welp, a giddy dance'll be fine after we settle some business. First thing's first, let's find Maca-YAOUCH!" Cotton screams out as she immediately fell to the ground, the moment she opened the back door. Immediately, a strong gust of wind blows through the carriage. Natsu, Happy, and Lucy hopped off, and to the human girl's surprise...
"WHERE THE HECK ARE WE, NATSU?! IT'S A FROZEN WASTELAND!" Lucy screams out. Her image completely met with the pristine white snow. Cold here and cold there. It's clear that the group arrived on Mt. Hakobe...a frozen wasteland of a mountain.
"Welp, I'm up for climbing!" Cotton says as she poked her head out of the snow, and rose up to the ground.
"YEP!" Natsu says grabbing Happy tightly as Lucy looked up at the mountain in concern.
"THIS...Is Mt. Hakobe...?" Lucy says in concern, as she clenched herself for as much warmth as she can muster. Unfortunately...she doesn't have anything that'll help. Immediately, she skidded to the group who were already walking up the mountain.
"WHY IS IT SO FREEZING?! I know that it's a mountain, but it's SUMMER right now! There shouldn't be a blizzard like this anywhere!" Lucy screams out as Natsu and Happy only rolled their eyes.
"That's what you get for wearing light clothing." Natsu replied.
"OH PLEASE, YOU'RE NOT DRESSED FOR IT, NOW HAND OVER THAT BLANKET!" Lucy yells out tugging on Natsu's blanket for dear life.
"Y'know, she just keeps on talking, huh?" Natsu says casually.
"Aye." Happy replies.
"Sorry boys, she kinda is a chatter box." Cotton simply says with her arms behind her back.
"HOW COME YOU'RE NOT COLD, COTTON?! You're half dressed! Not even your hat should be able to keep you warm from THIS!" Lucy yells out at her friend. The toon rolled her pacman-shaped dotted eyes.
"I'm a rabbit, Lucy. May not look like it, but uhhhhh...fur?" The toon in black and red simply says casually.
"WHY CAN'T I HAVE FUR?! Wait, I know!" Lucy complains. Suddenly, she came up with an idea as she took from her pocket, to Cotton's intrigue a Celestial Gate Key. "OPEN, GATE OF THE CLOCK CONSTELLATION! HOROLOGIUM!" Lucy cries out as a shining blue magic circle forms on the floor. She soon slams her gate key down as if it was a door...when suddenly an array of gears and cogs suddenly flew up from the circle.
"Whoa..." Natsu and Happy says as the three looked up in intrigue. The gears and cogs soon circled and circled around, until they all collided with each other...and with a shine of light, a grandfather clock soon appeared right before the group, as it blissfully floats down to the group with a THUD!
Two arms immediately popped from the side of the grandfather clock...and soon...a head. "Tick-tock!" The clock says in a gentleman tone. It was the clock constellation: Horologium.
"A clock?" Natsu says in intrigue.
"That is so cool!" Happy exclaims.
"So, you have some Celestial Gate Keys? That explains why I got tossed and turned like last week's salad when we were on Bora's ship." Cotton says in intrigue as Lucy nods smugly.
"That one was the power of Aquarius. You probably don't know this, but I'm a Celestial Wizard! I've got allot of gate keys and made allot of contracts. Recently I got another gate key, but...heh, with all that's been happening, I didn't have the chance to make a contract with it." Lucy explains.
"You and me both, huh?" Cotton says casually. Lucy tilts her head in confusion.
"Are you a Celestial Wizard, too, Cotton?" Happy asks.
"Nah. Not the same caliber as Lucy over there, but it's not so bad to have a roadie." Cotton says as she took from her beanie and in her gloved hands a silver key. Lucy looks closer to inspect the silver gate key.
"Apus?" Lucy asks.
"Yep, good score from another toon. I think...I'll be the magician, and Apus, my lovely assistant. Or perhaps he could be that one roadie to tell me to stop gamblin'" Cotton quips as Lucy looks at the pristine white-headed rabbit in surprise.
"CELESTIAL SPIRITS ARE MORE THAN THAT!" Lucy retorts. Suddenly, another cold wind blows through the group, immediately making Lucy open Horologium's side glass, and slammed the door, with a blanket within as she rests within the celestial spirit.
"Apparently Celestial Spirits can more than being a roadie, yet here she is using her spirit as a living room." The toon quips.
Lucy soon tries to say something to the three, but no sound came out from behind the clock.
"WE CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Natsu yelled out.
"She says 'I'm staying in here, and I'm not coming out'" Horologium translated.
"Then why'd you tag along?"
"'What kind of crazy job would FORCE Macao to come to a place like THIS?' She inquires."
"You should've asked that before ya came along with us." Natsu says deadpanned. "He went to slay a Vulcan, it's a big monster." It was at that moment that Cotton noticed Lucy shaking in fear, from within the clock.
"'I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE GUILD!' She proclaims."
"'Go ahead and be my guest' I say back." Natsu taunts.
"Aye!" Happy chirps.
"MACAO! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Natsu called out amidst the chilling mountain wind.
"MACAO?!" Happy chimed in.
"'C-COTTON! DOESN'T THE VERY NOTION OF A BIG AND SCARY MONSTER STARTLED YOU AT MOST?!' She exclaims." The toon could only chuckle in response to that.
"'Should it?' I simply asks." She taunts playfully.
THUD!
"WAAAAAAH!" Happy screams as immediately, catching the group off guard came a creature that fell right before them from the highest peak of the mountains. It was a big and monstrous white and black monkey like creature. Natsu growls immediately knowing what it is.
"It's a big Vulcan!" Happy inquires.
"So, that's the creep that took Macao?" The little toon asks. Immediately, the big creature sniffs the warm and chilling air...and its instinct..."W-HOLD ON THERE!" Was snatch the little anthropomorphic showgirl...and rush away from Natsu and Happy.
"W-HEY! WAIT A MINUTE!" The pink-haired boy cries out.
KNOCK, KNOCK!
Waking up the blonde-haired human, Lucy cries out an inaudible scream as the first thing she sees is the Vulcan squishing his face in the glass.
"Me like human woman!"
"So, it can talk, huh?" Natsu says smugly as he punched his fists together, as they swell up in flames.
"'DON'T JUST STAND THERE, HURRY UP AND SAVE ME!' She yells furiously" Horologium calls out as the Vulcan ran and ran far from the Natsu and Happy, with his new prisoners. The Vulcan chortles as he disappears in the mountain snow.
The Summit of Mt. Hakobe
Near the summit of Mt. Hakobe...
A cave. A sparkling, and icy cave.
"'How did I get myself into this mess?'" Horologium translated as Lucy could only cry comically from within the clock. Cotton heeded no mind as she simply rests on the cold ice with her gloved hands behind her back and her legs crossed as the Vulcan danced around the two. "'And what's with this giant monkey!? Why is she so excited?!' she asks tearfully"
"I dunno, but all this mumbling and third person narrating's giving me a headache,' I exasperated." The blonde-haired toon simply says, as she unrolled the beanie rim to cover her eyes.
"Woman~" The Vulcan simply says as he got close to the two once more. Cotton didn't seem to care, but Lucy was just frantic out of her mind. To make matters worse for the girl...Horologium disappears.
"HUH?! WHERE'D YOU GO HOROLOGIUM?! DON'T YOU DISAPPEAR ON ME!" Lucy screams out, FINALLY in an audible voice.
"Sorry, but my time is up. Take care!" Horologium echoes.
"GIVE ME AN EXTENSION, PLEEEEEEEASE~!" Lucy begs. Cotton simply nods her head in disapproval as the nose-fuming Vulcan only startled and startled Lucy even more, amidst his giggles.
"Well, if you're done whining, I suppose I do have some stuff I wanted to try out." Cotton simply says as she rolled up the rim of her beanie, and she stood up and walked to the other side of the cave.
"HEY, MONKEY!" Catching both Lucy and the Vulcan's attention, the two of them turned to see Cotton, leaning on the icy walls as she gently smears lip gloss, making her rosy red lips shining with such a gloss. She places the lip gloss in her beanie and winks at the Vulcan. "You wanna play~" She asks seductively.
"Uuuuuh?" The Vulcan asks with such confusion on his face. Soon enough his confusion..."UUUUUHUHUHUHUHUHUHU!" Shifts to love as his eyes formed into shining pink hearts. Cotton simply winks to the audience.
"How about we skip to the formalities...and get right to a kiss~" She says inching the Vulcan to come forward.
"FOR A WHAT?! COTTON THAT'S SOOOOOOOO CR-" Lucy says in disgust, but immediately the Vulcan came forward to the toon.
"That's it, that's it, big guy...now pucker up~" Cotton puckered her glossy rose lips. Giddily, the Vulcan bounces up and down...until finally, he frantically approached the toon and puckered his lips. He was expecting lips to meet...but something else met with his lips.
Something was hissing.
He opened his eyes to not only see the black and white bunny smirking malevolently while leaning back on the wall...but his eyes dilated when he sees something placed in his mouth: a singular stick of dynamite.
"Have a blast~" She sings before...
BOOM!
"WUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUEHHHHH?!" The Vulcan screams as he was sent flying to the other side of the cave, falling face-first on the ice.
"DYNAMITE?! H-HOW?! AND WHERE DID YOU GET THAT!?" Lucy screams out as she looks dumbfounded at the face-fallen Vulcan. She soon turns to the rabbit as she heard a sound of fabric dropping on the ground.
Cotton reveals herself, her shining crimson strapless corset bodysuit and her fishnet tights completely covering her small and slender legs, and behind her, her fluffy pitch black tail. Her hair, a lush, shoulder-length yet messy blonde sideswept bob, and her pitch black ears by her side.
"Ya see, Lucy, as a toon you're welcomed to a wide assortment of gags, explosives, and heavily lifting objects. In my hat, just about everything but the kitchen sink. The plumber hadn't gotten to it, yet. Though I did tell the truth, that I use parlor tricks to get by...I do~ have some magic of my own. Though it ain't somethin' that old beardy Wizards made." Cotton explains.
"Oh? W-well what kind of magic do you know, Cotton?" Lucy asks. The rabbit smirks. Cotton took from behind her ear...a singular card. An 3 of hearts. The Vulcan soon got back up from the floor, and growls at the toon.
"I'd rather show first...then tell. YAH!" Cotton says maliciously as she immediately hurled that card at the Vulcan. Before the behemoth could even do anything...he was immediately hit with that card...
It did nothing.
"Uuuh?" The Vulcan asks.
Silence emanates the room.
Lucy only looks at the little toon...with a mixture of confusion and disappointment.
"T-that's it? That's the magic you do?" The lemon-blonde asks.
"Well, if ya put it that way, then yeah." The banana-blonde says bluntly as she took out a whole hand of cards. "All it takes...is a bit of luck on my side." Cotton says as she soon hurls a whole assortment of cards at the Vulcan one by one. Lucy and the creature only looked in confusion as...it doesn't seem to be doing anything.
"Cotton, listen, I know you want to show off, but-" Lucy started...but immediately after, another card was hurled.
Something happened.
BOOM!
"WHOA!" The Vulcan cries out as the very impact of the recently hurled card sent the white-furred creature flying straight into the ice. Lucy looked in astonished.
"Yes! Now then..." Cotton says in victory as she soon grabs her ears, threw them in the air, and disappeared into a pitch black hole, suddenly created under her glossy red heels.
As the Vulcan soon drops to the ground once more, face-first, the banana-blonde rabbit soon re-appeared as a hole was miraculously made above the creature. "HI-YAH!" Cotton screams out as she popped right out of the hole and flung a hand of cards at the Vulcan from behind.
BOOM-BOOM!
"Looks like that was a good hand!" Cotton says as the Vulcan soon rolled by Lucy. The lemon-blonde took notice of Cotton. Her ears were placed on top of her head, this time, and they were spinning and spinning like propellers, as the toon rabbit was flying.
"Cards...making explosions?" Lucy says baffled at Cotton's fighting style. Soon enough, a small magic circle was summoned on the Vulcan's back. It was a shimmering red circle with a heart in the middle, and spades, diamonds, and clovers on the very rims of the circle. That same magic circle dwindles in Cotton's gloved hands.
Soon the magic circle on the Vulcan's back, levitated...and rests on top of the Vulcan's head. Soon magic circle suddenly turned into three spinning slots, with symbols spinning fast, from diamonds to bells.
"C'mooooon baby, Cotton needs a new pair of shoes! GAMBIT SLOT!" Cotton cries out as she crushes the magic circle in her hands. Immediately making the slots on top of the Vulcan begin to slow down.
One slot stops on a cherry.
The other slot stops on a cherry.
The third slot stops...on a 7
"D'AWWWWWWWWWWWWW! I was expecting some triple thunder~" Cotton says in defeat as she levitates down to the ground.
"TRIPLE WHAT?!" Both Lucy and the Vulcan screams out.
"GAHHHHHHHHH!" The Vulcan bellows out as the cherries slam down to the beast's head, suddenly forming an electrical current around him, electrocuting the creature. The Vulcan dizzily falls to the ground, and giggles comically.
"Cotton...w-what is..." Lucy says baffled.
"For the longest time since I was drawn, my crowd was in a roaring casino. I didn't have so good company, so let's just leave it at that. But one thing that I've learned, and that I took from outta that hellhole to here is this:" Cotton says as she looks back at the lemon-blonde girl. "Treat the world as your show...and treat life as a game."
"Treat life...as a game?"
"Life IS a game, Lucy. A gambler's playground. Life's full of chances, risks, and gambits. Sometimes we come out as a winner, sometimes we come out as a loser. Sometimes you come out as a King or Queen...or sometimes you come out as this here 1 of clubs. But faith...ohhhhohohohoh, faith is a cruel wildcard, fate is the joker of this card game of life. You'll never know when it's drawn...or who draws it." Cotton explains.
"Cotton..."
"Macao tried to bring home the money by defeating a Vulcan. In the end...wherever he is, it doesn't look like he won the jackpot...but I'm not gonna let him jump the shark...if I can do something about it. We all gotta stick together in this game of life, don't we?" The toon simply says. "My magic's all about chance. There's one name in particular...that really just speaks to me that the audience made."
"What's that name?" Lucy asks.
The rabbit grins as her heels began to glow a glossy golden glow.
"Lil' Lady Luck!" Cotton cries out as she soon took out a few more cards and leaped in the air, above the Vulcan and hurled some cards, making numerous of them explode on impact, making the creature roll back to the ground. Cotton soon hops to Lucy's side.
"Little Lady Luck?" Lucy asks.
"That's right. The Magic I would like to call it is Gambling Magic. Sometimes my magic works like a charm, the other times they're big duds. All it takes is to have Lady Luck on your side. The Battlefield's my stage, and with my enhance magic, Lucky Rabbit's Feet, this showgirl's good to go." She says determinedly.
Soon enough, the Vulcan rose back up on his feet.
"HE'S STILL STANDING?!" Lucy cries out.
"Damn, now that's a persistence. I'll give him that. We've got all the world to dance together, so bring it." Cotton says determinedly.
"HEY! AT LEAST SAVE THE ASS-KICKING FOR ME!" A familiar voice chimes in. "I've want to teach that Vulcan a lesson, too, WHOA-WHOAOAOA!" Natsu growls before immediately starting to slip on the ice. He soon fell back-first.
"Wow...that was so lame. Why does he always feel the need to make an entrance?!" Lucy complains.
"In any case, about time you made it. The stage is all yours, Natsu." Cotton says as she places her t-shirt and her beanie back on, as she gives the floor to Natsu. He smiles and nods, as he glares at the standing Vulcan.
"Thanks, now...spill it, monkey! Where's Macao?!" Natsu demands. The Vulcan only looks in confusion. "You understand me, don't ya!? He's a human man, now TELL me where he is!"
"Man?" The Vulcan asks.
"Yeah man! Now tell me where're you hiding him?!" The pink-haired boy demands.
"Don't you think you're jumping into conclusions, here?" Lucy inquires. Soon the Vulcan motions to the a hole just in the other side of the cave.
"Hey...I think he's gonna show me!" Natsu says as he ran to the hole the Vulcan's pointing at. He soon cries out to the howling wind. "MACAO?! WHERE ARE YOU-WAHAHHH!" Before the boy could even have any time to react, the white monkey slams his hand towards Natsu's back, sending the boy flying. Flying, flying down the cold abyss. "MONKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYY!" Was all the Cotton and Lucy could hear.
"NATSU!" Lucy screams out.
"NO LIKE MEN! ME LIKE WOMEN! OOOH HEEE OOOOH OOH!" Lucy soon rushed to the hole and looked down at the abyss with fear in her eyes.
"I'm sure he'll be fine, Luce." Cotton assures.
"FINE?! T-this is bad news, Cotton! There's no way Natsu'll survive out there! NATSUUUUUU!" Lucy grimaces as she called out for him, once again.
"Happy's out there, so I'm sure he'll find him. The cat was able to support you, wasn't he? I'm sure he'll get Natsu." Cotton assures. Lucy looks down at the abyss, and she sighs in relief.
"You're right. I just hope he can find him in all of this snow..." Lucy says in hope.
"Women, women, WOMEN!" The Monkey chants. Cotton only smirks.
"Alrighty, Monkey. If ya wanted an encore, then I'll give ya one." Cotton says taking out some cards, but immediately Lucy stopped the small toon.
"No, Cotton. This time, I'll make that perverted monkey pay. HE'S GOING DOWN!" Lucy yells out as she takes from her keyring a shining gold key. A singular bull horn-shaped symbol in the middle of the key. She flings it...and slams the key down as a magic circle forms in front of her feet.
"OPEN, GATE OF THE GOLDEN BULL: TAURUS!" Lucy calls out as she slams the celestial key into the keyhole. Soon, a rumbling was heard from the ground. Taking the little anthropomorphic rabbit by surprise, within the battle circle a gigantic figure arose from the very ground. An gigantic anthropomorphic spotted bull...donning a gigantic steel ax, a singular bell tied to his neck, tights with a singular bronze bull-shaped belt, and leather boots.
"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Taurus bellows out.
"Cow?" The Vulcan asks.
"Bull?" Cotton asks.
"Taurus. And I should warn you, monkey boy, he's the most powerful Celestial Spirit that I have a contract with!" Lucy warns.
"Oh WOW, Miss. Lucy, I almost forgot what a nice figure you have. Why don't you come give me a smoooch~" Taurus asks seductively...making the lemon-blonde physically facepalm herself.
"Oh...right. I almost forgot that he's a big perv, too." Lucy sighs.
"First impression on a Celestial Spirit, huh?" Cotton quips.
"DON'T TOUCH MY WOMAN!" The Vulcan growls, making Taurus glare in attention.
"YOU'RE woman? Them's fightin' words you MOOOOOnkey!" Taurus challenges.
"GET 'EM!" Lucy screams out.
"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Taurus howls as he leaps up in the air and ferociously swings his shining ax. He soon slams to the ground and his ax forward, creating a powerful and earthy shockwave. However, the Vulcan leaps away from the crash at such great speed.
"He's fast!" Lucy inquires.
"And he's furious!" Cotton quips.
Soon enough the Vulcan raced to the middle of the field, where Cotton and Lucy expected an all out clash between him and Taurus. However...what they DID get...
"AHHHHHHHH!" Was Taurus getting his faced kicked in by Natsu, sending the Celestial Bull flying face-first to the ground, and his ax caught in the ice.
"Looks like this is the end for me..." His literal ghost says, hovering his body.
"At least ya tried." Cotton says casually.
"Hey, so how come there are more monsters now than when I left?" Natsu asks.
"HE'S A FRIEND, DUMMY! ONE OF MY SPIRITS!" Lucy yells out.
"Him?" Natsu asks pointing to the Vulcan.
"NOT HIM THE BULL!" Lucy retorts, but then looked at him in realization. "Wait a second, how were you able to survive out there?" The toon smirks.
"It was Happy that came to save ya, wasn't it?" She asks as Natsu gave a smirk right back at her.
"You bet!" Natsu replies as Happy flies right into the cave. "Thanks for the help, lil' buddy!"
"Aye!" Happy replies.
"So, you can't handle OTHER modes of transportation, but Happy's okay?" Lucy couldn't help but ask as Natsu only grimaced at that question.
"What kinda stupid question is that? Happy isn't a mode of transportation, he's my friend! I mean duh!" Natsu retorts.
"C'mon, Luce, I can smell that friendship between Happy and Natsu a mile away. You can't be serious here. Even you should've picked up SOMETHING when the two were traveling with each other." Cotton inquires.
"You're both right...it was totally wrong of me to compare the two." Lucy replies. Suddenly a low growl was heard from behind the group.
"MY WOMAN!" The monkey yells out as he leaps into the air, clearly fed up with Natsu and Happy, specifically. He soon slams his fists down to Natsu, but immediately with such ease, Natsu catches the giant fist with his own fist. The pink-haired boy glares at the Vulcan.
"You listen here! I consider EVERYONE in the Fairy Tail guild as my friend!" Natsu shouts out to the monkey, as he turns around and deliver a kick to the Vulcan's chest, sending it flying. "Whether it's Gramps and Mira, or even those annoying jerks, Grey and Elfman!" A flaming magic circle appeared in front of Natsu's feet as the Vulcan charges at him.
"Happy, Lucy, and Cotton. They're all my friends, too! Which is why..." Soon enough, the boy was enveloped in the flames that circle him. The very moment the Vulcan tries to deliver a punch to Natsu, the pink-haired boy quickly caught him in the chest with his flaming foot. "I'M NOT WITHOUT MACAO!" He screams out. With a burst of flames, the Vulcan was sent flying to the cave's ceiling, but quickly lands on his feet as icicles dropped in front of the beast.
"HAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH-GAHHHHHHH!" The Vulcan screams out as he slams his fists into the ground, completely sending the icicles forward with a powerful mist. Lucy grabbed Cotton and dives out of the way, but Natsu simply stood there and took it, as the icicles melted in contact with his body.
"YOUR ICE ATTACK HAS NO EFFECT ON FIRE!" Natsu screamed out. Soon enough, the sparkling mist began to clear and the icy projectiles ceased fire. All's not well however...as the Vulcan as a familiar item clenched in his hands.
"That ain't good." Both Natsu and Cotton say in unison.
"HE'S GOT TAURUS' AX!" Lucy screams out.
"Please...be careful, Miss. Lucy..." Taurus drones meekly.
"Huh, so he's not dead?" Cotton simply asks.
"HE'S A SPIRIT, OF COURSE NOT!" Lucy retorts as they turned to the battle. The Vulcan, mercilessly swung the ax around as Natsu gracefully dodges every slash from the steel ax.
...Or at least he would, hadn't he slipped from the ice, leaving him vulnerable.
"NO!" Lucy screams out as the Vulcan swung its ax. Luckily, Natsu gripped the floor, and immediately grabbed the ax, struggling as the Vulcan's strength overpowered him. He could even feel the blade touching him as the Vulcan growled. Lucy soon rose from the ground and frantically shook the unconscious Taurus.
"GO BACK, TAURUS! IF YOU GO BACK BEYOND THE GATE, THE AX'LL DISAPPEAR, TOO!" Lucy begs, but to no avail, the bull isn't waking up.
"Uhhh, Lucy?" Cotton says gaining the girl's attention. The toon pointed at Natsu...as a sound was heard.
Sssssssssssssssss
"Huh?" The Vulcan asks as he was blinded by the piercing heat the Ax formed from Natsu's grip. The pink-haired boy lowered himself as drips and drips of bright, flaming, and melting steel drips into his mouth.
"H-he's melting the blade with JUST his own body heat?!" Lucy asks.
"Aye!" Happy responds.
"Oh yeah, now I've got some fire in my belly!" Natsu exclaims as he shot out pellets of hot iron, as they land to the Vulcan. The Vulcan dropped the blade and stumbled back, from the burning. It was as that moment...that Natsu punched his fists together. His fist began to swell in flames as he leaps to the air and came flying towards the behemoth.
"EAT THIS! FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" Natsu screams out loud enough to make the roof come toppling down, as he sent a powerful fist towards the Vulcan's stomach. Powerful enough to send him flying, making the very back of the mountain burst with snow from the collision. Upside down, and with piles of rubble by his side, the Vulcan...was defeated.
"Nice one, Natsu." Cotton compliments.
"WE BEAT HIM!" Happy cries out in...well happiness.
"Yeah...but, wasn't this monkey supposed to tell us where Macao went?" Lucy reminds the group.
"Oh! Hehehe, forgot about that!" Natsu says nervously.
"Well, doubt he's gonna be doing the talking, huh?" Cotton says, but immediately she, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy were caught off guard by an immediate glow of light that followed. The Vulcan began to glow a shimmering eye-piercing glow...and...even cracks. Soon enough, with a powerful bright light, the Vulcan's own body began to break apart with a CRASH!
The light dissipates...as a new form emerges from the remains of the monkey. An unconscious ebony-haired man. Natsu knew this man.
"MACAO?!" He cries out.
"WAIT, SO YOU MEAN THAT PERVERTED APE WAS YOUR FRIEND THIS WHOLE TIME?!" Lucy exclaims.
"Yeah, he must've been taken over by that Vulcan!" Happy inquired.
"Taken over?" Lucy asks.
"It must've used a possession spell on him. You see, Vulcans survive by stealing people's bodies and taking them over. They're EVIL body snatchers!" Happy explains.
"Happy, my kit! I damn well won't let Macao die, not like this!" Natsu yells out as he carefully grabs Macao from the rubble. Happy took Natsu's pack from behind his back and set it out, giving the opportunity to carefully walk the unconscious Macao to the mat. Lucy took from her own pouch, her first aid kit. Cotton took off the ebony-haired man's coat and shirt, so the group can treat the wound that Natsu left on him.
In the end, they treated him as he lays soft asleep. The group could only look in concern.
"Will ol' Macao be alright?" Cotton couldn't help but ask.
"I'm not sure...but it looks like he really put up a good fight, before that Vulcan finally got to him, though" Happy says with such uncertainty.
"Macao! Don't you die on me! Romeo's waiting for you! Open your eyes!" Natsu begged. Thankfully...his voice reached the man...as his eyes slowly and droopily...opened. The ebony-haired man saw a familiar face.
"N-Natsu..."
"You're okay!" The pink-haired boy says as everyone either smiled or sighed in relief. Macao, however...only sulked.
"You played a good game, Macao." Cotton says in relief.
"I played a good game...but I lost...like the loser I am." He simply started. I'm so pathetic...I defeated 19 of those brutes, but the 20th...that's the one that got me. I'm so angry with myself...and embarrassed to face Romeo..." The man sighs.
"Don't be like that, man, c'mon! You beat 19 monsters!" Natsu retorts.
"So you lost the game at 20, facing 19 of 'em head-on is what I call winner material." Cotton exclaims.
"I'll say...t-there were 20 of those big harry apes? AND HE FOUGHT 19 OF THEM ALL BY HIMSELF?!" Lucy says in her thoughts...simply astonished. It's clear that she couldn't possibly comprehend Fairy Tail's strength. Natsu extends his hand...and Macao grabs it.
"Now, let's go. Your little boy's been waiting for you!" Natsu says happily as Macao smiles. Lucy only looks at the two men with such...hope in her eyes. Feelings that she never felt before.
"They're amazing...I can't even begin to compare to them..." She says in her mind...with such admiration.
"Why are you grinning like that, Lucy? It's creepy" Aaaaaand that admiration turned into agitation due to Happy's rebuttal.
"I'll show you creepy. Watch your back!" She hisses. Cotton could only chuckle at the group.
The Village
Sunset.
A warm sunset
The warm sunset shines down upon the Kingdom of Magnolia. Throughout the streets as the little kids play...a singular ebony-haired boy...sits upon the staircase. Waiting, waiting...as his heart only breaks and breaks due to the waiting.
Romeo, a singular boy who lives with his father Macao. However, Macao takes the job of a Fairy Tail Wizard...something that Romeo has grimaced because of all the children who say the following things to him about them:
Fairy Tail Wizards are a joke, Romeo!
Yeah, everybody knows they're just a bunch of drunk cowards!
I'm gonna be a Knight when I grow up, not some stupid Wizard!
Yeah, they're dirty and they smell like booze!
At first, Romeo didn't want to except the truth of that...but the bullying kept increasing and increasing, to the point where even he doubts them. He tried to convince them wrong, by asking his father to take a up a job...the job specifically, on Mt. Hakobe...but we all know how that ended up.
He was gone for weeks...never came back...and not a single Fairy Tail Wizard would go to find him...just as they kids said: they're a bunch of drunken cowards. Tears soon flew down on Romeo's cheeks...as he was alone in the world.
"HEY, ROMEO!" Natsu called out. Something that Romeo would never believe he would see again: Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and Cotton strolling down the street...with Romeo's old man by their side. An overwhelming amount of tears flew down the boy's face...but not of sadness. No. An overwhelming amount of joy.
"DAAAAAAAAAAAAD!" Romeo screams out from the top of his lungs as he races to the group and hugged Macao, basically making him tumble over.
"Strong kid." Cotton quips casually.
"Y-YOU CAME BACK! I'M SO SORRY, DAD!" Romeo yells out, overwhelmed with emotions.
"No, I'm sorry for making you worry." Macao says.
"I-I CAN HANDLE IT, CAUSE I'M A WIZARD'S SON!" The boy says happily. Macao only smiled at that remark. Tears flew down Lucy's eyes as the group only looked with such joy in their eyes.
"Hey, next time those bullies pick on you, here's what I want you to say: can your old man defeat 19 monsters all by themselves? Cause mine can." Macao requests. Romeo only smiled. He soon got off his old man and ran to see the group taking their leave, as they walk off in the sunset.
"NATSUUUUUU! HAPPY! THANKS FOR YOUR HELLLP!" Romeo yells out to them.
"No problem, kiddo!" Natsu called back.
"Aye!"
"LUCY, COTTON, THANKS FOR HELPING THEM BRING MY DADDY BACK TO ME!" Romeo calls out. Cotton simply salutes to the boy as Lucy waves back happily with a big smile on her face.
Today was quite an interesting day, I'll give ya that. Not sure if dealing with a perverted monkey was on my list of things to do...but I digress. Originally, I didn't think much about being in the Fairy Tail Guild. Most guilds seemed the same to me. But Fairy Tail? Heh, I can see why Lucy loves this guild so much...warm-hearted, action, spunky, y'know...I think I'm gonna like it here. Tomorrow's another gamble...for me of course: Cotton the Captivating.
I've changed the look a bit to Cotton. I preferred this look better than before. I also at first didn't know how to make Cotton, so I...tossed some ideas around. In the end...I think this Cotton suits both the magician aspect, and her new gambling aspect. Though parlor tricks are still a thing for her, I think I'll focus this Cotton a bit more on her gambling magic for balance. She still has the tricks as seen in the first chapter. I've been working fanfic, to fanfic, to fanfic...but now narrowing down to my choices, I know now what to work on. This story as well as Catastrophic Toon will be a bit rare as I'm working on my Kingdom Hearts stories, but I will be updating with new chapters every now and then. Until then, peace.