"Man is it over yet?" Natsu asked queasily as his head rested in his partner's lap. His face tinted green as he placed a hand over his mouth.
"Yes and no, we only have about ten more minutes. But then we have a two hour layover in a place called Diovan, then after the layover it's another twelve hour train ride to Maradin." She said as she continued reading her book as her right hand was gently scratching his pink locks, Nastu sighing appreciatively from the slight relief it provided.
"You just had to choose a mission that was on the other side of Fiore didn't you?" he grumbled as another bump silenced him as he turned around to bury his face in her abdomen.
The Celestial mage chuckled as he mumbled incoherently into her stomach. Often times this was her favorite part of missions, riding the train with Nastu quietly on her lap, not that she would admit that to anyone. Their compartment door opened as the conductor peeked in.
"We will be arriving is Diovan, shortly please be ready to get off," he said as Lucy nodded her head.
Marking where she was in her book she closed in and reached for her bag. Looking up she noticed that the open fields that once filled the landscape had now been replaced by buildings. The train's loud whistle filled the air as the machine began to slow down.
"Attention all passengers for Diovan, please depart. The train will continue on to Blunder town in fifteen minutes." A voice filled the train as compartment doors opened and closed.
"Happy can you get Natsu, while I get the bags?" the blonde asked.
"Aye Sir!" the blue exceed shouted as he picked up his pink hair companion and began to fly out of the train.
As they exited the station Nastu began to recover, Happy dropping him on the ground. The dragon slayer shook his head vigorously and as he stopped he took a deep breath in.
"Alright now that we are off of that death trap lets go get some grub!" the dragon slayer shouted in glee as he ran off towards the café district, shaking her head Lucy quietly began following.
As she made her way through the shopping plaza she noticed a magic shop in the corner. Why not, she thought as she made her way in to the store.
The sound of a little bell filled the room as Lucy entered the store. Three over stocked shelves of books ran along the left hand wall, and an equal number of shelves stuffed with scrolls filled the right. There were glass cases along the back wall filled with vials of potions and ingredients. In the center of the room were various tables filled with odd objects and random books that were all just dumped on to the tables in random piles.
"I'll be with you in a minute," a female voice called as Lucy began to peruse the books.
"Take your time," she called back as she picked a book off of the shelf.
The title read, Meaning with in the message: a guide to advanced script and rune magic. She chuckled at her find, well I found Levy's next birthday present. She thought as her heard a door close.
"Sorry to tell you this honey but I don't have any keys," the voice from before said.
"What?" Lucy asked as she turned around and found the shop girl behind her.
The girl was around Lucy's age, her long brown hair up in a ponytail. She wore a pair of dark pants, and had a loose shirt on with a white apron that had small black hand prints on it covering the outfit.
"Sorry I just saw your key ring and thought you were here looking for gate keys," She said with a smile.
"Well yes initially but I found a present for a friend instead," the Celestial wizards said as she gripped the book in in her hand.
"Great! Is there anything else I can help you with?" the girl asked as she took the book and began to ring it up.
"Yeah do you know anything about a Professor Thomas Kindler?" Lucy asked as she looked at the objects on the counter.
"That will be thirty Jewels, and if I was you. I would make sure to have back up with me when I go see him," the shop girl warned.
"Why?" Lucy asked as she placed the money on the counter.
"Professor Kindler studies rare magic for the magic counsel; though he is not really a bad man he firmly believes that the ends justify the means," the shop girl said as she wrapped the book in paper then placed it in a bag.
"But why should I be worried?" Lucy asked as she took the bag.
"Didn't your master teach you about Celestial magic?" the brunette asked as she jotted a few notes down in a note pad next to the register.
"Well I inherited my magic from my mother and she died before my training was complete," Lucy said quietly.
"Well I'll be, a born Celestial wizard standing right here in my vary shop," the woman said in awe.
"Born Celestial wizard?" the blonde asked as she raised an eyebrow at the girl.
"My dear, you may be the last of your kind," she said as she turned around towards the glass cabinet pulling out a strange book with an odd lock on it. "Now I want you to have this, it is rightfully yours, so I won't take any money for it."
"Okay?" Lucy said quietly as she took the book.
Dark leather nearly black in color incased what looked like age stained yellow paper, two straps made of metal were crossed across the book. The place where they met was covered by a lock that pulsed with familiar Steller magic, as she held the book close to her face she found that the book smelled of honeysuckle rather than the musk that usually accompanied long aged books. On the top right section of the cover was a symbol that she hadn't seen in a very long time, three rounded orbs that met in the middle with a star in the center were circled by a dragon that arched it's back to that its tail met it's mouth as the wings flared out on the top of the emblem, just like the one that was on mama's story book. Lucy thought as she held the book she felt her keys on her hips begin to vibrate.
"A word of caution, don't let Kindler know you have that book," the shop girl said as she handed the celestial wizard a piece of purple fabric to wrap the book in.
"Why?" Lucy said as she slowly and carefully wrapped the book in the fabric and then placing it in the bag only with Levy's present.
"He has been trying for years to get this book, but my grandpa told me that the only person to ever receive that book would be a born celestial wizard," she said firmly.
"Why would he say that?" the celestial wizard asked curiously.
"I don't know you would have to ask him yourself but right now he is in Crocus picking up supplies," the girl said shaking her head.
"Well I will be coming back through here again once I am done with my mission, how long will he be gone?"
"I don't know he should be back by the end of the week," the shop girl said as the ringing the door's bell filled the shop.
"Lucy come quick! Natsu found an all you can eat buffet, and the manager is really mad at him!" Happy shouted as he flew into the shop.
"Damn I better go; I'll stop by on our way back." The blonde assured as she turned to leave with Happy.
"See you then," the shop girl called as she watched the wizard and the flying cat leave the store.
"Hey, don't offer all you can eat if you're going to back out of it!" Nastu shouted as the door was slammed in his face.
"Natsu what happend?" Lucy asked as she turned the corner and found the dragon slayer banging his fists against the closed door.
"Typical, they offer all you can eat for one price and they get mad when you empty out the buffet and ask for more," the boy seethed not looking towards his partner, his hands beginning to light up.
"Natsu!" Lucy shouted as she grabbed the back of his vest before he could continue his tirade.
The moment her hand came in contact with his back, the dragon slayer instantly called down. The fire on his fists went away, but he remained standing in front of the door.
"Hey I saw a campsite not far from the train station, why don't we go over there and I make you a fire," she said sweetly trying to coax Nastu away from the building.
"Really?" He asked turning his head as he watched Lucy nod "Alright I am all fired up now!" he shouted as he began to race back to the station with the blonde right behind him.