Chapter 1
Lucy
It twas a normal day at Fairytail. Not many people were there, most on jobs. In fact, the only ones there was Mira, Master, Erza (She was helping Mira in cleaning), and Romeo and Wendy. Those two, including Carla, were just about to leave for a job.
A three-day trip away, me, Natsu, Gray, and Happy were on the train.
I twiddled with Natsu's hair absently, smiling down softly at him. He didn't see, though, since his motion sickness had rendered him unconscious. Happy was on his stomach, curled up into a ball. Gray sat across from then, staring outside.
Natsu groaned again, moving his head slightly on her lap. "How much longer? I... can't.. take-" He groaned, awake.
"Around twenty minutes. We're almost there." I confirmed. Natsu panted for a second, before closing his eyes.
Our job was simple. Some low-class dark guild was kidnapping children for ransom. Our job was to rescue said children, and capture the dark guild mates. For a good amount of money as well.
"I still don't understand." Grey murmured. I turned to look at him, my fingers curling Natsu's soft locks of hair. "Why would they kidnap every child they found? Most people can't afford ransom, and it's not like they've taken noble's children."
"Maybe the villagers know something they forgot to put on paper." I said, thinking it over. "Kidnapping poor children for ransom is an idiot's plan… but what if their trying to make another tower of Heaven?"
They sat in silence for a moment. The train started to go slower.
"It still bugs me. We've never even heard of Tiger's Blood before. Sounds like a rip off Sabertooth. A guild that small would be crazy to try this."
I thought of Sabertooth, of Yukino for a second. The last time I saw her was at a party Mermaid Heel was throwing. Her face was beet red the entire time. I thought it might have been the drinks.
Now I remember she doesn't drink.
"Lucy, why are you smiling like that?" Gray asked. I stopped and looked at him.
"No reason. Just thinking about what you said." I lied. "Maybe we'll go in there to find a rip-off Sting and Rouge."
"My bets on Rufus." Gray stated. "Maybe Yukino or Minerva."
The train stopped completely. Instantly, Natsu sprung up. "Phew, thank god that's over!"
And he promptly got up and ran off the train. "Hurry up Luce! Ice Princess, your slower than I thought!"
"Head start Ash Tray!" Gray yelled, starting after him. I sighed at their actions and grabbed my bag. Happy, who Natsu had woken up, waited for me before flying to catch up to the boys.
Tiger's Blood will regret their choices soon enough.
.
.
.
The air was thick with magic. It was hot and cold at the same time, making it hard to breathe. Gray and Natsu were somewhere else. Happy was flying next to Aires and me.
"Open, Gate of the Maiden!" I yelled, pulling out another key. Virgo appeared, her face slack of emotion. "Punishment time?"
"No Virgo- Can you dig us a hole to the cells?" I asked. She nodded, and vanished into the ground. Popping up a second later, she bowed. "Anything more, Princess?"
"Yes, just give me a second to get there." I mumbled, sliding into the hole. My spirits followed, not bothering to say anything about how many spirits I had out, and that I had on Leo's star dress. I could muster up two more spirits without feeling the strain if I wanted to.
I'm no longer weak. I often go against FairyTail mages in non-magic duels, and win half of them.
Happy made it through the tunnel first. I threw myself up afterwards. Dozens of cells, all with at least two children lined the walls. My eyes widen at their state. Much better than I anticipated, thankfully. Their clothes clean, their hair only a little dirty. If not for the cells and the fear in their eyes, I would think they were all just playing.
"I'm Lucy, from Fairytail. I'm here to help, but I need you to stay calm." I said in a loud voice. "Virgo, can you unlock the doors? Aires, I need you to comfort the younger ones. Happy, tell all the older ones to help keep the little ones in check."
Behind me, a hole appeared in the wall, and then another in the opposite wall. I could see the body that created it.
"Hiya Luce!" Natsu greeted, coming from the first hole, before disappearing into the second hole. "I'm at 98, Elsa!"
"Ha! Losing your touch flame brain, I'm already at 100!" I heard Gray's voice from somewhere.
"Guild Master's an extra ten!" Natsu called. "Deal!" Gray said back.
The smallest one, one who seemed to be 5 or 4, waddled up to me. "Do you where momma is?" He asked, his lip quivering. I knelt in front of him.
"Your momma is waiting for you at home. She's so proud of your bravery." I told him. His eyes lit up, a spark of a flame, and he hugged me.
That's when I felt a cold piece of metal wrapped around his wrist. "What's this?"
He looked down at the band. "The bad men put it on us. They said it stops magic." He twiddled with it, as if trying to get it off.
My blood became cooler. "Do you mean everyone here can use magic?"
He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Sometimes, when I really try, I can make words into actual things! Momma loves it!"
I smiled wearily. A older kid, around 12, lead him away. My brain swum. So, they're kidnapping kid mages?
I stood up, glancing around for any dark guild mates. It was quiet, save the murmuring of children, and the random numbers Natsu and Gray yelled out.
"Star dress, Virgo!" My outfit changed, and I jumped into the tunnel, calling behind me. "Everyone, single line behind me! Aires, can you watch for stragglers?"
She was hugging a crying 6-year-old. "Of course, Lucy!"
Happy appeared next to me. Virgo was a bit behind. "Lucy! We can't get these bands off." He said.
"I had the same problem. We can deal with it after the children are safe." I assured him. He backed up, as I turned around to start digging a new tunnel. After only a few mess ups (Virgo helped at points) I started digging up, landing outside, a few feet from the doors.
"Open, gate of the lion!" I yelled. Loke appeared in a flash.
"I was wondering when you would call for me." He winked, kneeling at the hole to help children up.
"I was going to go with Capricorn, but a large goat man might have scared them." I said, helping him bring up children.
"I was your second choice?! I'm offended!" He hmphed, grabbing a 7-year-old under the armpits and hauling him up.
I grabbed an older girl's hand and swung her up. "If I called you any earlier, I would've had to deal with you smooth talking Aires the entire time in the tunnel."
He shrugged, not at all effected. "What can I say, I'm a charming man."
"A sly fox more like it."
"Excuse me? I'm a lion."
"And your hunting a ram. A ram who's a close friend of mine." I reminded him. He smirked, looking down the tunnel.
"Prey found." He smirked, raising his hand down to help Aires. The ram was holding the small 4-year-old boy close to her, bring him up with her. "No more down there, Lucy."
"Thanks Aires." I said, "Can you block the entrance so only Natsu and Gray can get out?"
"No problem." She said, turning away from Loke with pink cheeks, and raising her hands to the guild entrance. A large wool wall appeared in front of the entrance.
"My guild!" Someone shouted from behind. A mage of some kind, who looked like the boy version of Yukino. It really is a knock-off Sabertooth. Wait tell I tell the actual Sabertooth about this. They'd probably storm over here themselves.
He turned into ice, and ran at me, his ice spear hand waving wildly.
I held up a hand, telling my spirits to stay back. Loke and Aires moved over to the children. As he ran closer, I took out my whip.
He stabbed at me, but I dodged, taking a hold of his spear arm. Using his momentum, I threw him into the guild wall. He got up slower, this time going for range. His spear arm detached and flew towards me, a new one growing in its place.
I activated the whip, destroying the spear in air. Whipping it, I wrapped it around the mages leg and threw it. The mage screamed as he flew away.
I deactivated the whip, sweat starting to form on my brow. The strain of holding open a star dress, and three gates for this long was a bit depleting.
"Come on." I yelled to the group of children, "Let's go home."
DON'T be a ghost reader
Question-
What is Author's Zodiac? Anyone who guesses right in reviews will be in the next chapter.
