In the end, it was just the usual team: Natsu, Happy, Erza, Gray, and of course Lucy. Happy was already a stretch, as the mission had only asked for one sheriff and three deputies. Pantherlily had considered coming, but decided against it when the weather report mentioned a possibility of thunderstorms in the area over the week the contract was supposed to run.
Natsu later insisted that this was the worst train ride ever, but he always did that. Lucy would have really liked it, if it weren't for the conductor who kept going on about the time in this fair land when the railroad did not run, and how the heroic men and women had built it. It was getting on everyone's nerves, except Natsu, who did not hear it anyway, and Erza, who seemed very interested in the entire story.
Sick and tired of all the history, Lucy was glad when they finally reached Maschen, the last station and the first town in the wild west. As they all left the station, they were greeted by a scenario that could not have been more different from Magnolia. There were a few cars, but most of the people were riding on horses. Everyone was wearing cowboy hats.
„All right, so from here we walk, right?" said Natsu. „I'm all fired up!"
„Don't be ridiculous," said Erza. „We are going to buy horses."
„I hoped you had forgotten about that" said the fire mage weakly.
„Why does Erza get to be the sheriff?" asked Happy again. „I still think we should vote! I think I can be more than a deputy."
„We did vote!" said Lucy exasperatedly. „You were the only one who voted for you. Everyone else voted Erza."
„Before anything else, we need to do something about the heat" said Gray. Lucy agreed. „I think I have an idea."
An hour later, they were riding across the trail towards to Copperton, wearning new cowboy hats. It had taken them a while to find one that matched Happy, but apparently he was not the first Exceed in these parts.
To everyone's surprise, Natsu had no problem riding on a horse. His horse was long and lean, with green eyes and a light yellowish color. Within seconds of seeing it, he had decided that it was a friend, not a vehicle, and thus there was no reason to get sick.
Lucy, on the other hand, was feeling horrible. Why did they have to leave Wendy behind? Lucy's mare had been described as the nicest animal west of Mount Hakobe, but to her, it made no difference.
„I can knock you out", offered Erza seriously, and Lucy found to her surprise that she was actually considering taking it. What was worst, however, was not the travel sickness, but the fact that Natsu kept sniggering the entire time. There was no reason to be glad that it had hit someone else! It took them almost the entire afternoon until they finally reached the outskirts of Copperton.
The town was mostly deserted, and the few people sitting on the porches of their houses were eyeing the newcomers with suspicion. News of their arrival seemed to spread quickly as more and more faces appeared behind the windows. From the saloon, three men appeared. One of them looked about fifty and was wearing an old suit, together with the ubiquitous cowboy hat and boots with spurs. He was clearly the boss of the group.
„You the new sheriffs?" he asked after seeing their Fairy Tail signs.
„Yes. I am Erza Scarlett of Fairy Tail. This is…"
„Whatever. I'm Alexander MacEwing. I run the biggest ranch around here. Now, I like to get along with the town's sheriff. I hope you want to get along, too."
This was not a civil offer of cooperation, Lucy thought. Erza just nodded quickly. „We'll uphold the law. If you follow the law, then we will have no problems."
„Just don't cause a ruckus. It's not worth it." He spat out. „We don't need another hero 'round here."
He turned around to leave. Erza was boiling with rage and was clearly near the end of her self-restraint. Gray rode up to her and held her arm.
„Careful. We don't want to upset him before we have to. Maybe he can help us."
„Did you hear him? He asks us not to cause trouble, as if the law was just there to inconvenience him. I can't let that slide."
„Then don't. But right now, our focus is getting Alzac and Bisca home safely."
She nodded.
The mayor of the town was not too interested in the ritual of handing over the stars to his new sheriffs. Instead, he reminded them in no uncertain terms not to get in MacEwing's way.
„You've got your heart at the right place, and I respect that" he said as Erza explained in detail how this was not acceptable. „Let me put it like this. You wonder why we need a new sheriff?"
„The job description said that the last one left without giving notice."
„Aye, he did. But right before that, he was starting to investigate into MacEwing's business. Then MacEwing comes to his house, ‚just for a nice chat' he says. Next thing you know, the poor guy is packing up his belongings and his family and is getting out of here as fast as his wagon would move. Now, he was smart. Not smart enough to know what not to do, but smart enough to leave when it was time. Y'all don't look that kind of smart. Ya see, I don't want to be looking for another sheriff before your stint here is officially over."
None of the Fairy Tailies were too happy about this, but Erza kept calm.
„Is there anything you can tell us about Bisca and Alzac Connell?"
„Did you even listen? You do not want to get mixed up in that business!"
„So MacEwing was involved in this, is that what you're saying?"
„I'm thinking I'm not saying anything anymore. Just don't come crying to me if things go south."
The Sheriff's Mansion was clearly named ironically thought Gray. Natsu kept insisting that the jail actually had the best bed, and the ice mage found himself agreeing with him. The entire house had an office, a tiny cell, a kitchen and a few bedrooms for the sheriff and the deputies. Nobody had bothered to clean before their predecessor had fled; whether he had ever cleaned the place was hard to say as well.
The next day started with coffee that Natsu had roasted with his own fire in an old metal can. He insisted that this was how things were done around here. Of course, it tasted horrible.
After breakfast, Erza and Lucy set out to visit Bisca's parents at their farm, about an hour's ride away. This meant the boys were left to do a tour of the town.
Copperton was not big by any means. There was the main road and a few side roads. All the houses were essentially wooden shacks, with porches that formed sort of a sidewalk, and bars to tie horses to in front. Apart from the sheriff's office and a small city hall, it also had an undertaker, a bank with telegraph office as well as a few stables and other businesses. Natsu was particularly interested in the particular etablissement that promised „hot action" with „fiery girls", but Gray quickly dragged him away. He did not want to find out what Erza would do if she found out they had gone there. Besides, he was fairly sure that Natsu had no idea what the place was about anyway. A few minutes later, the dragon slayer proved him right as he wondered aloud why the girls were needed.
Finally, they entered the saloon. It was dimly lit, and even though it was still early, lots of shady figures were sitting around the tables, drinking dark whiskey and growling at each other. An automatic piano was playing a squeaky tune; if there was an actual pianist, he would probably not be here until some time later.
„Bartender! I want something that you can set on fire!" shouted Natsu enthusiastically. The other customers were looking on them with disgust, but of course the flame brain did not notice. In the back, some started to whisper amongst themselves.
The bartender took a good long look at Natsu, then filled him a glass. Gray knew the drill; the bartender would give the rooky the strongest, cheapest stuff in the house just to humiliate him. The age-old plan went anwry when Natsu did actually set his drink on fire and then poured it down.
„What, are you some kind of monster?" he shrieked.
„I'm not a monster. I'm the new deputy!" said Natsu happily. „And I like this blue fire. Makes me feel good!" Now some of the people around them were starting to get up, and they did not look as if they wanted to pat on Natsu's back.
„Natsu, you're embarassing us!" said Gray. „Of course, that was to be expected."
„Oy, what's that supposed to mean?" shouted the fire mage.
Behind them, someone started to talk. The man was tall, wearing a long, black coat. „My, my, we got new deputies. You've not been here long, so I'll give you a hint, just this once. Leave this sal…"
„Hey, I'm talking here!" spat Natsu. „I've got to teach this icy idiot a lesson."
„Actually we are going to teach you both a lesson…" said the coated man, but both ignored him. Icy idiot? Yeah, right. „You teach me a lesson? I'd love to see you try!"
„Oh really? I'm all fired up now!"
„Bring it on!"
„Excuse me? Trying to get you out of the bar here…"
„Shut up!" shouted both. With that, the fight began.
The farmhouse was small, but the Mulans were keeping it in immaculate shape. Lucy and Erza had been ushered to the sofa and were now sitting in front of the two friendly old farmers that were Bisca's parents. Asca was sitting on Lucy's lap, happy to see her ‚Aunt Luce' and ‚Aunt 'za' again.
They were eating amounts of cake that Lucy had never seen outside a bakery before. Thankfully, Erza was taking care of almost all of it. Lucy did not want to have her stomach full before the ride back home.
„…and that was their wedding day. Luca cried like a little baby" said Bisera Mulan as she was handing them a picture. Her husband smiled. „I'm not gonna apologize. It had taken those two so long to get together…"
„Oh yes. I swear, the first time they came to visit us, I was so happy that she had finally found such a nice young man. It wasn't until afterwards that I found out that they weren't together at all."
Lucy nodded. „For the first few weeks when I was at Fairy Tail, I thought they were a couple, too. It was so obvious!"
„I know, right?" said Luca. „But that's our Bisca. Always brash and unafraid, except when it comes to love. Figures she should find a man just like her. She really is hard on the old ticker." He laughed.
„Seriously, you two" said Bisera. „If you ever become mammas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowgirls. I'm happy for the family she found, but she gave us quite a few frights in her time."
That raised some difficult questions. Did Lucy actually want to have children? She had never given it much thought, but maybe she should… Did Natsu want children? Wait, why was she wondering about him right now?
She looked to Erza, but the knight was no help. Where she previously was just engrossed in the cake, she now seemed to be hiding behind it. Right, time to change the subject.
„You sent us the letter, so we were wondering if you know anything more about… well…" She looked down at the little girl, wondering how much she could say about the dangers her parents might be in.
„Of course. Asca, dear, come here…" Mrs. Mulan led her out of the room.
„Alright, you've heard of Alexander MacEwing?" asked Luca. „Ah, I take it you've run into him, Miss Scarlett? Your face looks just like your hair color."
Erza swallowed hurriedly, then almost spat out. „He basically asked us to turn a blind eye towards whatever he's doing, as if the sheriff worked for him."
„Yes, that does sound like him. He owns the biggest ranch around here, and he wants to buy our land so he can expand it. But it's our home, and that son of a bitch, pardon my french, offers not even half of what it's worth. Still, with all his barely-veiled threats… we thought about moving, but Bisca wasn't having any of it."
Bisera returned. „You know her; always feels the need to protect those she loves. Well, she and Alzac went to talk to MacEwing. They came back, had no success, but she said there was something she needed to check out at the old mine. So she went there one night. The next day, she still wasn't back, so Alzac went out to find her. And now it's been two days since we last heard from him. That's why we sent for you."
Her husband nodded. „We don't have a sheriff to turn to, and our own magical ability, it's just not as good as it once was. Also, someone needs to take care of Asca."
Erza nodded. „Don't worry, we'll find them. Now, you mentioned something about an old mine…"
When Lucy and Erza finally returned, they were packing a lot of left-over cake. It was not quite clear how, but Mrs. Mulan had been able to bake more than even Erza could eat.
As they approached the town, they heard strange shouts and screams. On closer look, it appeared as if there was a riot. No, not a riot; a celebration. But celebrating what? And then they saw it.
Natsu and Gray were being carried on hands through the town, while Happy was flying ahead. Gray still looked a bit confused, but Natsu was grinning. He waved at them as he saw them. Also, for some reason, Gray was wearing only boxer shorts, his cowboy hat and his deputy star. Lucy was not sure if she wanted to know how it staid attached to his chest. Of course, Erza was having none of it.
„Deputies Dragneel and Fullbuster, get down here this instant!" she shouted in a voice that could (and in fact did) make any Fairy Tail mage cower in fear. Natsu and Gray were no exceptions. They quickly got down and looked at the ground, as if it held any clue for an ongoing investigation.
„What is going on here?" she demanded to know.
„Well, we were fi…" started Gray, but Natsu interrupted him. „Sparring! Sparring, that's what we were doing. In the Saloon. And then, we found these other guys who looked suspicious…"
„They drove away Hank Gallimer and his men!" shouted the bartender. „These guys have been harassing us for ages, but nobody ever had the balls to just throw them out."
„I'm impressed, Sheriff Scarlett" said one of the town folk. „If that is what your deputies can do, then I'm looking forward to seeing the sheriff herself in action!"
Many voices joined in agreement. The five of them could barely make it through the crowd as everyone wanted to shake their hands. „Sparring in the saloon, right?" whispered Lucy. „You two were just fighting and accidentally dragged the bad guys into it."
„No, no, it was… yeah, you're right. But don't tell Erza." said Natsu.
„Why shouldn't I tell Erza? She will be able to see through it right away." In reply, Natsu tilted his head towards Erza's general direction. She was currently talking to the saloon's owner.
„So, can anyone come into your saloon to spar, or do I have to have a reservation?" she asked. Lucy silently shook her head.
Suddenly, the sound of horses broke the silence. MacEwing had returned, together with ten of his men and women. On one of the horses lay a huge bundle.
„Miss Scarlett! There's something I've been wanting to hand over to the sheriff, but we didn't have one. Now the people keep telling good stories about your team and you, so I'm sure y'all will like this."
One of his men dragged the bundle from the horse and threw it on the ground before them. Were there noises coming from it?
„The man in here broke into my home, tried to murder me, and when he failed, he tried to steal a horse of mine. I demand you hang him immediately."
Erza pulled the figure out of the bundle. The man was so beaten and bruised that it took them a second to realize who they had before them. When they did, they let out a collective gasp. It was Alzac Connell.
Author's note: Thanks for reading the first real chapter! After my previous story suffered from a horrible lack of focus, I'm hoping to create something smaller but clearer here. And also something fun, of course. I hope you like it!
Is there already an established english name for the daughter of Alzac and Bisca? I decided to go with Asca, because it made a lot of sense considering the context, but in various fan translations I've read just about every possible variation of the spelling.
Finally, as always, I'd really love to see your opinions!