Tales of Magnolia: Chapter two.
Prince Natsu had disappeared.
But he knew where he was going. His father just wouldn't have left like that. Natsu knew that whatever happened to his father was significant. Igneel's main worry was his Kingdom. The exiled prince pulled down the hood he was wearing in order to conceal his hair. Stupid rumors. Why couldn't the population learn about his grades or something instead of his hair? He received curious looks from the crowd and cursed himself for putting on his cloak. The cloth was heavily embroidered with gold and red lace. The white was striking in contrast with the run-down and dirty clothes of the regular people. He clenched his fists and had to run into a deserted and dark alley when ten Royal Guards stepped out of a bar. He watched their every move. Natsu had left his sword in the Palace. And he knew he wasn't going to survive without one. He wouldn't dare buy a simple weapon. They weren't reliable and he needed something much sturdier.
He was going to have to steal one of the Guards.
Natsu almost laughed at the idea. Here he was, trying to steal something from someone who wouldn't have hesitated twice to give it to him just a couple days ago. He pressed his body against the wall, further hiding in the shadows. He walked slowly toward the drunk men roaring with laughter and stinking of alcohol.
So much for the feared Army.
Natsu was experienced in theft. He had followed a special training session, while in the Palace. This was going to be rather easy for him. He slipped back in the street, hiding now and then in the shadows. The soldiers were coming, staggering and chuckling like mad-men. One of them, in attempt to mimic his superior, took out his sword and brandished it in the air, spewing nonsense. The others fell back in laughter while Natsu evaluated how much of idiots they really were. But there was a gap between the acting Guard and the others, now. And that gap was the chance he definitely needed. Natsu knew when to take risks. And he was definitely certain another opportunity such as this one would not come again.
Natsu leaped. He snatched the sword from the Guard in one swift motion. However, he decided at the last minute to take the small dagger at the Guard's waist too. The dagger was well secured to the belt. The drunk Guard didn't pay him any attention, his eyes too focused on a dancer toward the center market. Natsu thanked his luck and slowly undid the already loose belt. He felt weird as he did so. Wasn't he kind of undressing a man?
The Prince shook away the ill thoughts and disappeared in the crowd, the belt, dagger and sword in his hands. He was pushed to and fro, clenching his teeth when he received sudden blows.
Next thing he knew, he was pushed to the center, where the dancer was.
Juvia stopped dancing abruptly.
The crowd started to whisper, obviously angry at Natsu's outburst. He picked himself up, and walked away as if nothing had happened. People parted ways to let him pass.
Juvia pursued her song, and the crowd's attention fell back on her. The little bells on her belt jingled in the silence.
She danced, twirled under Magnolia's folks' awe. She leaped high in the air and landed softly on the fountain. Juvia continued to play her flute, with a soft melody that made the children giggle. She stepped down to the water and put her feet on it, making it seem as if she was walking on the liquid.
In truth she was leaping with each step, but the crowd didn't need to know that. She took one more jump, her skirt flowing and making the men blush. As she reached the ground, she played the final note and bowed to her audience.
Immediately, the silence was replaced with cheers, and roses were thrown at her. Juvia smiled because the flowers were all blue, in comparison to her outfit and hair. People blew kisses at her, the children jumped and tried to mimic her moves. The woman waved at everyone and disappeared in a dark alley.
Her bare feet didn't make any noise on the pavement, but Natsu (who'd taken refuge there) heard her anyways. The Prince had a strong sense of hearing. He caught her arm before she could engage in the next alley.
Juvia yelp but held back a cry. She dropped the gifts she had gotten and took a fighting position.
"No, no please. Don't be scared of me!" Natsu quickly said.
He pulled back his hood.
"You're…!" Juvia breathed out.
The Prince quickly put a finger on her lips to mention her to stay silent. He looked around and pulled her close.
"Do you know where we can talk without risking being overheard?" He asked in a barely audible voice.
Juvia nodded and took out a cloth from the empty barrels sitting in the street. She wrapped herself in it and took Natsu's hand.
The two cloaked individuals walked swiftly back into a crowded street, one draped in white and the other in a deep blue. They pushed past people easily and Natsu had to admire Juvia's ability to dodge folks while maintaining the same fast pace. Her bare feet didn't even get walked on, while Natsu's expensive boots were extremely filthy from overstepping.
Juvia led him to a tall white house with a huge courtyard. The courtyard was empty for a few crystal statues. The woman pushed open the white fence and stepped in the property, Natsu on her heels. She didn't walk straight to the front door, however. The blue haired woman went over by a door on the left side of the building and knocked in a specific way. Three fast knocks, a little one and two harsh ones.
They waited.
Then the door opened and a woman in a bath towel appeared.
"WHO- Oh, good evening Juvia." She started.
Juvia smiled and took of her dirty cloak. She stepped into the house, mentioning for Natsu to follow her. The Prince was intrigued. The woman in the bath towel had gone back to change, but she looked strangely familiar.
He was sure he had never seen her before. Neither had he been in this house. He kept his hood on, until the woman came back.
She had long scarlet hair, and for some reason, had donned her towel for a chest armor and a blue skirt.
"So? Who's that?" She asked Juvia in a suspicious voice.
The dancer sighed and sat on a nearby couch.
"Take off your hood, your Majesty. It's safe now."
Natsu did as he was told and watched the older woman's face change. It went from shock to surprise, to worry, to fury.
"YOU BROUGHT NATSU DRAGNEEL HERE?" She yelled at Juvia.
Juvia cringed at the woman' loud voice and Natsu stood protectively beside her.
"Erza. He's not gonna cause problems. We just wanted to talk." She said in a passive voice.
Erza started to pace around the room.
"You do know that he is the current Prince of Magnolia, don't you? Wait, don't answer that. You do know that he is the EXILED Prince of Magnolia, don't you?"
The dancer nodded. Natsu, who was watching the conversation, found the exchange very… informative. But the woman's name wasn't foreign to him. He knew an Erza somewhere.
All of a sudden he gasped and dropped his stolen sword.
"YOU'RE ERZA SCARLET!" He shouted at her.
Erza stopped in her tracks to stare at him.
"True." She simply said.
Juvia stood up and went in front of Erza. The older woman was obviously taller than her, and she stared her down.
"Please?"
"No."
"We just need five minutes?"
"I said no."
"Why?"
Erza looked uncomfortable. She stared at the door leading to the main house and drifted her gaze back to Juvia.
"It's not safe for you to go out. Stay here for a week at least."
Juvia beamed, oblivious to the risky situation she was in. Erza knew very well that if someone had seen Magnolia's beautiful dancer with the exiled Prince, Juvia would be hunted down and killed. It was safer that the both that they stayed here.
"Does this mean you agree?" Juvia smiled triumphantly.
Erza sighed and propped down on the nearest couch.
"Fine."
The dancer jumped and the bells jingled.
"Thank you Erza!" She cried.
Natsu was rather amused that such a weak looking girl like Juvia had managed to contradict Erza and lived. Last he remembered, the Knight was feared by all. Erza sighed in defeat. A vein on her forehead popped. The jingling was ticking her off.
"Do get rid of that outfit, while you're here will you?" She growled.
~from Tales of Magnolia: Chapter 2
A/N: Hey everyone! This is the new chapter of TOM. I hope you like it! Lucy, Gajeel, Jellal, Gray, and Levy will make an appearance later on. Currently, Juvia, Erza and Natsu are at Gray's Mansion. Erza hasn't mentioned that fact though, and Juvia and Natsu have no idea that he lives there. And this was not Natsu x Juvia. I just want to specify. They are only going to be friends in this story, okay? As for Juvia having long hair, you'll see how it changes as the story develops. Again, I wanted to apologize for the first chapter being a single paragraph. I had it separated, but it didn't register in Fanfiction. Thanks for signaling it! I also would like to thank people for reviewing! Other than that, I guess I've said everything!
(I only put disclaimers at the beginning and end of my story.)
-Please review for more Chapters!-