Chapter 2: Fateful encounters
Alexa was wandering the streets of Magnolia in search of a good inn to spend the night at. Her sky blue eyes scanned the streets even as her mind wandered. She had been traveling for years and knew that her traveling would continue as soon when her job in Magnolia was completed. Spotting an inn that looked relatively nice she stepped in.
The lobby was nicely decorated with mahogany staircases, the dark wood melding together with the deep red carpets and drapes. A young woman with blond hair was sitting behind the reception desk. Alexa made her way over to the desk.
"Good evening, my names Lucy. Are you looking for a room to spend the night?" Alexa gazed into the deep chocolate pools that were the other girl's eyes.
"Yes, the best room that you have would be satisfactory." She told the blond.
"Of course miss." She turned around and got the key to the best room that they had to offer and handed a login book to the visitor.
"Your name, and the length of your stay here. We will require half the payment beforehand and the rest can be given when you leave." Lucy explained.
Alexa signed quickly her name and marked her stay as four days. Then she handed the book back and gave Lucy half of the money -4000 jewels. Lucy counted the money and then after depositing the cash she stood up and guided Alexa to her room. They made their way to the fifth floor of the building and Lucy opened the door to her suite. It was just as extravagant as the rest of the place and quite large.
"Thank you." She stated and smiled as Lucy handed her the key and walked back downstairs. Lexa stepped in dropped her backpack to the foot of the bed. She then shrugged off her red jacket with black fur lining and draped it over a chair.
She looked into the large whole body mirror and pulled her dark reddish brown hairs front part free form the braid that she usually sorted when traveling in hard terrain. The rest of the hair already laid free, flowing down her back all the way to her waist. She ran her fingers trough the dark locks a bit giving herself a bed head look and turned to take off the rest of her clothes. Kicking the black boots with small two inch heels that reached just below her knees off, she shed the black high-collared crop top with a square opening to show off her cleavage. Ridding herself of the black tight pants and the dark brown belt with a silver buckle she wandered over to the bathroom in her underwear.
She prepared a hot bath for herself and when ready slipped into the scorching heat. Her body relaxed into the water and she sighed. Her blue eyes closed and she leaned her head back as her mind once again wandered to the dreams that she had been seeing. Or more likely they were fragments of her own power showing her the future. She was a mage whose powers were still a mystery even to herself. She could control the powers of Nether- the underworld- and the powers of Ether- the heavens. Because of this, she was considered neither light or dark. It was one of the main reasons why she still had yet to join a guild. She feared what would await her if she ever did entrust this secret to anyone else. So to hide her true powers he mostly used the defensive spells and teleportation. Her offensive attacks were usually based on her heavenly powers, using the power of the stars to destroy her opponent in one single blast. But she preferred defense since her barriers of light were unbreakable. Well almost.
After washing her body she stood up and dried herself with a fluffy towel that was hanging on a rack next to the tub. She made her way to the bedroom where she rummaged her backpack and pulled out a large t-shirt and some underwear. Slipping into her sleepwear she made her way to gaze out of a window.
"It's not fair… Run!...We're going die…Don't give in…. My powers…. don't die…"
She was able to hear the distant voices that she didn't recognize. She had been able to deduce that these were visions of the future but the more she tried to see it the hazier the fragments became. It was only natural. She wasn't allowed to see the future since she would change it and thus change the world in ways that were irreversible. Avoiding one disaster usually led to a worse one soon after. She was already used to this and decided to just let it go. A soon as her she allowed herself to forget everything the fragments disappeared. She knew that she had seen something but had no idea what. She shut the curtains and made her way to the bed. She climbed under the covers and fell asleep.
FAIRY TAIL
Natsu looked up surprised when Lucy stormed into the break room. Their work shift for that day had ended just a few minutes ago and they were all meeting up to see if anything of noteworthy had happened during the day. Erza too looked up from the book she had been reading while Gray just cocked his head to acknowledge the new addition to the room.
"What's wrong Luce?" Natsu asked as the fuming celestial mage sat herself down onto one of the chairs while looking pissed off as fuck.
"What's wrong… nothing! Nothing at all. Except that damn bimbo that just came in!" Lucy shouted in aggravation.
"What about her?" Gray asked having seen the woman earlier as Lucy had been showing the brunette to her room.
"It's just…" Lucy trailed off and Erza cocked an eyebrow at her. Lucy sighed in defeat.
"Alright. It just that she was so… curvaceous." Happy chuckled and was about to make a sarcastic remark but Lucy hit the blue furball before he got the change to open his mouth.
"I know that it sounds like a silly thing to get pissed about, but it's just that she was so pretty."
"Don't worry, it's not like she'll be staying long. Soon you'll be number one again." Gary remarked while secretly comparing Lucy and the brunette in his head. He had to agree with Lucy on the fact that the woman really was a keeper. Her body and looks aside, he had been able to sense the calm and relaxing air around her. She was really gentle and he could see a lot of men gravitating toward such a person.
"Now then let's go through the reports. We must make this final report absolutely perfect so that the owner of this inn will give us the reward promised!" As the group turned their attention to the project of writing a perfect report to the innkeeper who was on a holiday Natsu let his ever-present smile slip away as a thoughtful look came on his face.
He had been with Erza handling the laundry when he had smelled it. There was a distinct scent of something sweet in the air. He would have left the sheets there and gone in search of such a scent had Erza no been there. His rational fear had forced him to stay and do his work. But now that he was sitting here he could still smell it. It was like the most fragrant flowers or the sweetest of chocolates. A scent that called to him.
He stood up and excused himself as he went to the lobby. The scent was still strong meaning that it must have been the woman that Lucy had been talking about since she had been the last quest of the night. He turned his head and walked outside. Walking to the middle of the wide street he looked up to the fifth floor. There, at the large window, he could see her. Not clearly since the sun was shining and its light reflected from the window but he could see her outline. Long hair and a curvaceous body just like Lucy had said. He saw as she turned away from the window and could hear as she laid down.
Natsu was more than a bit startled when he realized that he was actually able to listen to her heartbeat over all other noise in the city. He could hear as it calmed and fell into a rhythm of sleep. Her breathing steadied and he sensed as she calmed into the oblivion of sleep. His own body seemed to do the opposite. Her very presence seemed to make his mind run a thousand miles per hour. Shaking his head, he called for Happy, knowing the exceed was close and made his way home.
That night even as he laid in the hammock with his eyes closed he could hear her. He could feel her presence even though they were miles apart. He squeezed his eyes tighter together trying to fall asleep. He didn't understand why but he yearned to smell her again, to see her for himself. Natsu fell asleep that night thinking of a person he had never met before but somehow deep within feeling a connection with her. These unanswered questions of what was happening to him and who she was refused to abandon him to the calm of sleep.
FAIRY TAIL
The next morning Natsu woke up feeling utterly exhausted. He had only managed a few hours of sleep but he had to get up, otherwise, Erza and Lucy would skin him alive. Natsu dragged himself up and got dressed. His thoughts were still heavily on the mysterious person who he had sensed yesterday. Happy was quite concerned as Natsu left the house without even saying good morning or even eating anything. It was also quite early and Natsu wasn't exactly an early riser. Happy flew with him through the town as they made their way to the inn where their current job demanded that they work for two weeks. This was their last day at work so Happy wasn't sure why Natsu felt the need to be the first to arrive.
Natsu saw that it was only 5.40 as he passed a clock tower near the city center. Lucy and Erza would be arriving at 7 and Gray around 7.30. He had quite a bit of time before the others would be bouncing around demanding him to do silly chores.
His thoughts once again wandered as he walked. Ever since he woke up he had been able to feel the woman just like the day before. He could tell that she was still asleep though approaching the moment of waking up.
Natsu remembered everything that Igneel had told him when he had been teaching the young dragon slayer. Along with the power of the very dragons, dragon slayers also inherited some dragon instincts. There were the battle instincts and the urge to protect their pack, their family. But then there was the instinct to find the person who would complete them, their other half. Igneel had said that some dragon slayers would never find the one, but when they, there would be nothing like it in the whole world. Igneel had described the moment of finding that person as something that you could never mistake.
At some point, Natsu had thought that maybe Lucy was the one. He could feel her gentle spirit and burning determination. However as much as he wanted her to, she didn't complete him. He took great pride in being able to protect the blonde celestial mage but he never particularly cared for having half of his attention being taken by making sure that the blond wasn't killed since she had the habit of sticking close by even as a big fight broke out. He didn't necessarily dislike the mage but her inability make effective decisions during fights made him a bit irritated. He would never tell her that, of course not- he wasn't suicidal, but he felt that she wouldn't be able to hold him up if he came crashing down.
That's why he now felt so out of his element. His body, his senses told him that this woman he had not even seen once was the one, while his heart yearned for the safety of family –the stability of his pack. As he stepped through the doors of the inn Natsu felt his senses overload. The scent was so strong. Her presence seemed to be everywhere. He could feel her heartbeat quicken and he felt her body respond to his close proximity.
Natsu shook himself out of his daydreaming and he began to go through the files at the desk after checking in on the chef that was running around the kitchen preparing food for the inn's customers. Natsu was checking on the number of occupied rooms and the rooms that would be vacated that day and thus had to be cleaned for the next guest when he saw the log book.
He dropped the paper he had been reading to the table and picked up the book from the desk. He scanned the latest page and his eyes settled on the last name that had been written there. Alexa La Muerte. His breath hitched. In the back of his head, he could feel something screaming to be set free. Natsu however, could barely breathe. Alexa. That was her name. The person he could feel and sense. Before he realized he heard someone walk down the stairs.
The spell of the beautiful cursive handwriting spelling out an equally beautifully name being broken he set the book down and turned his attention back to the papers spread out before him. The glanced at the clock which read 6.10. So whoever was walking around wasn't one of his teammates. Suddenly his nose was assaulted once again. The scent that he had been smelling all the while was now stronger than ever. The steps came closer and Natsu felt himself freeze as he sensed that presence so close to him.
FAIRY TAIL
Lexa was pulled from her deep slumber by something. It felt like her whole body was suddenly extra sensitive and hot and she shot up as she felt a strange tug at her heart. She had been feeling strange the day before but among all of her stress and tiredness from traveling had clouded the feeling. Now that she was awake she was able to get a better understanding of the strange feeling. She swung her legs over the edge of her bed and stood up.
Making her way over to the bathroom she washed her face and glanced down to her light-skinned long fingers most suited to playing piano or a violin. Drying off she changed her clothes to what she had been wearing the previous day though she left her heavy fur-lined coat where it rested. It was quite heavy and while weather had been getting chillier it was very warm inside. Lexa had no intention of going outside so she slipped on a pair of black flats to cover her feet and quickly brushed her long hair. She left it undone, not feeling like doing a complicated side braid or her normal braid that put a strain on her arms.
As she moved about her room she concentrated on the strange feeling that seemed to be calling for her. Encouraged by the feeling pulling her she grabbed a bit of money for breakfast and her room key before stepping outside. It was a little over six as she started to make her way down the staircase. She was on the first floor when the sensation of being home flooded her senses. It suddenly felt safe and warm. She could feel the source one floor below her so she continued down.
When she came down to the staircase that led into the lobby she could finally pinpoint the source of the feeling. Her attention was drawn to the person sitting at the reception desk. He had pink hair that stuck out quite a bit in Lexa's mind. His olive green eyes were scanning over some papers before he stopped and turned to face her. The young man stood up slowly and Lexa scanned his body on instinct. A muscular body, nicely tanned skin, dressed black and white uniform of the hotel staff –except that he was wearing a white scaly looking scarf around his neck.
Natsu heard the steps stop at the top of the staircase all of his instincts screamed for him to look up. And so he did. He was met with a view that made his heart skip a beat. A young woman, probably around his own age- 18, was standing there. She was dressed in black clothing and her long dark reddish brown hair flowed down her back in shiny waves. Her light but not pale skin reflecting the colors of the sunrise. Her body even more shapely than Lucy's making his throat go dry. And her eyes. Those curious sky blue eyes that were flecked with dark blue and light blue. He felt the need to stand up like was presenting himself –seeking her approval. He didn't know why but he obeyed his instincts that had got him this far. Their eyes locked and for a brief moment, nothing else existed.
Then Alexa took a step and started to approach Natsu. He could only stare as a gentle smile settled on her lips. This boy made her feel safe –warm. He made her feel like she was finally home. She walked all the way down and they stood there neither of them wanting to break whatever was going on. They basked in each other's presence and felt their magic reaching out. The warmth reached through their bodies as they stayed there, waiting for something.
Alexa suddenly reached out a hand and Natsu grasped it. The feeling intensified and then faded so that they could finally think logically.
"My names Alexa La Muerte." She offered a dazzling smile –a genuine smile she hadn't allowed to slip upon her face for over a decade.
"I'm Natsu. Natsu Dragneel, a Fairy Tail wizard." He told her also smiling as the feeling of being completely washed over him before disappearing. He knew full well that the feeling of being empty would be strong until Alexa was his mate. Until then her presence was the only thing that could soothe the burning anguish that would form in his heart if she was too far away. They let their hands separate but kept their eyes locked.
"Say, would you like to join me for breakfast?" Alexa asked with a small blush.
Natsu was ecstatic and so was his stomach. He had forgotten to eat breakfast as he had left still drunk on her presence. Now the hunger made itself known. At the sound of rumbling both Natsu and Alexa burst out laughing.
"If you wouldn't mind the company then yeah, I think I should probably grab something." He told her and they started to walk to the kitchen/restaurant area. They sat down on a table next to the window that offered an amazing view of the cities soon the be bustling streets. One of the three waiters came to their table and offered a menu list for both of them.
Natsu scanned through it and made a mental note on what he was ordering while Alexa was already setting down her menu. As the waiter came back they both ordered and as the wait started the conversation picked back up.
"So you're a Fairy Tail wizard?" Alexa asked as she settled more comfortably in her chair.
"Yeah. My team and I are keeping this place up and running until the innkeeper and his two daughters come back from their vacation to manage things." Natsu told her as he leaned his elbows on the table.
"What about you? What brings you to Magnolia?" Natsu asked her and Alexa looked startled for a moment.
"Well, I had a job but more than that I just came here to relax for a few days." She explained.
"A job? Must pay well if you can afford the most expensive room in this place."
"Not really. This one is pretty small, just go to some party and guard some treasure. It pays well yeah but it's not exactly exciting." She told him and sighed. It really wasn't a job she would normally take but this one just somehow caught her attention so here she was. Besides, it was fine she had several days just to relax.
"You never know. It could be really badass if someone like a wizard did try to steal it." Natsu said with a smirk.
"Don't jinx me!" She exclaimed with a pout. And then they were once again laughing. The waitress smiled as he returned with their food and set it on their table. There was a lot of it. Natsu hadn't really been paying attention to what Alexa had ordered but he was surprised to see that it was a lot more than he had expected.
"Wow, smells delicious." She commented as she dug into the pile of pancakes.
"You took the words out of my mouth. So time to fill it with something else." Natsu joked as he too started eating.
In the midst of their eating, they continued talking.
"So you're the famous Salamander, the fire dragon slayer of Fairy Tail?" Alexa asked as she finished her first plate of food.
"Yup, though the title doesn't really matter that much." Natsu replied as he drunk a glass of water.
"What about you? You're on a job so I'm guessing that you're a guild bound wizard?"
"Actually I'm not. I work as a part-timer of sorts. Because I haven't found the guild that I could really call home I've been on test periods in a lot of them." Alexa explained to her companion as she finished drinking a cup of tea. She couldn't really stomach coffee so tea was the next best thing to wake her up each morning.
"So you're looking for a guild to call your home?" Natsu had finished eating and was gazing at her with a determined look.
"Yeah. I think I've been looking for something to call my family for some time now." She told him avoiding his piercing gaze.
"Then how about you join Fairy Tail?" Natsu asked and Alexa raised her gaze to meet his in a hurried motion.
"You think I should?" She asked but Natsu could see the hope in her eyes.
"Yeah! And if you aren't sure yet you could just come and hang out and do a few jobs with us before you decide if you wanna join. We could go right now!" He told her giving her a bright grin.
She looked at his face and found no lies or deceit there. She had dealt with a quite bit of that in her life so she knew if someone was lying. Natsu wasn't lying. Alexa was struck by the pureness of the dragon slayer sitting before her. She had heard of his heroic tales and the rumors spoke of a brave flame mage. She could see why young children looked up to him. He truly was a person willing to do anything for those he cared about. Alexa could only wonder if one day she could belong to the list of people he considered his family. She blushed and nodded her head.
"Okay. I'll come with you!" Natsu and Alexa felt their hearts beat in the same rhythm as they stood up both of them depositing half of the money on the table as they left the restaurant. As they exited the inn Natsu offered his hand to her, like he had done with Lucy. This time he didn't have to take her forcefully with him. She was already reaching out to him. They joined hands and raced to the guild.
A/N
I'm being super nice and giving you another chapter just because I feel like I owe that to myself. Things are going to be fast moving for the first five chapters or so and then a bit of calm where I develop these characters and then we are going full steam ahead.
I'm not a native English speaker so grammar here and grammar there.
Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Any suggestions are welcome, please message me for ideas or things that you would like to see in this story. I will make some kind of spinoff since there's so much that I cannot include in the story since I don't want to make an already complicated plot too complicated.
