Disclaimer: See first chapter
Chapter 3:
Thin fingers skillfully counted through the stack of Jewels as Lucy gleefully looked over the wages from a long week of hard work. Waitressing wasn't too difficult but the Golden Koi received a lot of daily traffic from tourists and regulars alike. Her training had been quick and succinct on where things went and how to act, and then the blonde girl found herself thrown headfirst into the chaos without much of a lifejacket. There were a few incidents in the beginning...but after the first day and a half Lucy grew into her roll where she deftly took dishes to and fro, cleaned tables, and did other tasks that her temporary job asked of her with a smile.
The managers liked the Heartfilia so much that she was welcome back anytime and earned herself a small discount if she ever returned as a customer. What Lucy didn't know though...it was because her generous frame placed within the kimono-styled uniform drew the crowds of young men like sharks to blood. They continued to order plate after plate of sushi and drinks so the buxom blonde with the pretty smile would consistently return, having to lean over to reach the farther seats when their orders were finished and give them a better idea of what lied beneath.
But for the newest Kage Beast guild member, she got a hefty bonus from tips alongside the recognition for a job done damn well.
Not too bad for a newbie.
Grinning happily the girl finished flipping through the paper currency before pocketing it within her purse. At the moment they were in a joint 'training session' among the four mages, mostly to see what Lucy could do, but although this was supposed to be her time to present herself something else was taking precedence over the act...
...namely Gaara hanging Naruto upside down by the ankle through use of his sand. The redhead could control it remotely without any movement on his part, an interesting notion considering most Elemental-Make mages required some sort of physical action to do so, and it slithered and flew about his body like a swarm of teeny-tiny insects.
"I thought you could take a joke now! No more unemotional, psycho-grumpy Gaara!"
"I can. This is my joking face."
It was originally just the two yellow-haired teens in the area, having been the first to show up a few hours before midday, but then the administrator of Kage Beast suddenly appeared in a swirling shunshin of his granules and snagged the jinchuriki before he could start running.
Lucy snickered behind her hand at the sight of Gaara's blaring orange clothing and ultimately left her friend to his fate as the other male got his petty revenge by bouncing Naruto around like a pogo stick. Honestly, why did Naruto think using the Colors Change to make the Suna nin's only outfit a bright and familiar tint wouldn't be traced back to him? Slowly growing used to the oddball personalities of her new guild mates, the lone female had seen it as an opening to look over her paycheck. Bee arrived at some point as well and upon seeing the punishment, simply leaned up against a tree and watched the scene take place like it was no big deal.
"Okay, okay!" Although the Uzumaki could have easily broken free from the minuscule prison, and Gaara was quite aware of the fact, Naruto knew Gaara wasn't actively trying to hurt him. Balsam's resident guild master had always been an odd sucker for punishment so the sage just let his friend whip him around for a little while before deciding to fix his prank. As he was lifted up eye to eye (though still upside down) the blond pulled the small magical box out of his pouch and flicked its colorful dial. He was then dropped unceremoniously as solid orange returned to its natural hues of tan and red.
The sand then formed a small wave that flicked a screaming Naruto off into the nearby woods.
Lucy's laughter abruptly dropped off at the sight of the supposedly strongest member of their guild get launched like a catapult so easily and the young woman couldn't suppress the notion that...maybe something was wrong here. Now that she thought about it the girl had yet to actually see any real fighting from any of the men besides that brief stint in Hargeon, and Bora wasn't very strong to begin with. But for the blue-eyed leader to be made a fool of like that didn't sit right with Lucy.
"Um..." She lifted a hand as if to ask a question, knees pulled up to her chest as she sat there on the grass. "Is Naruto really the guild master?"
"No doubt about it." Bee answered as he stood up and rolled his neck.
"Don't let his looks fool you. How hard you can throw a punch is not the only factor towards someone's overall might. Naruto is undoubtedly one of the most powerful people in existence." Solid green orbs panned over to the seated girl in the same moment Naruto leapt back into the clearing no worse for the wear. "Pray that you never have to see him use that strength." Because if Naruto was ever forced to use any of the abilities he had gained only a few months beforehand, that meant the enemy was on or above the same level as jinchuriki Obito.
"What are you talking about?" said boy asked as he brushed a few leaves off his frayed jacket. The poor thing was in dire need of repairs; he missed having both sleeves match but all their funds not used for basic living went towards the renovations.
"Nothing important. Anyways, we are here for a reason. Lucy-san asked for assistance. Now that she has settled in somewhat it is time to see what our newest member can do."
Blinking warm brown eyes, the buxom summoner realized Gaara was asking for a performance and promptly stood up with a bounce. Wiping a few blades of grass off the butt of her Capri pants Lucy's countenance turned serious before she retrieved a small golden key from her belt. It had a rounded end with a thin symbol in its center, with teeth that looked like a double-bladed axe.
Taking a step forward the Heartfilia earnestly thrust the object in front of her as it started to glow with a soft, yellow light. "Alright...here goes...open! The Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!"
A bright magical seal erupted from the tip of the key and expanded to the size of a person before the forest rang with the sound of a doorbell. A humanoid figure burst into existence, rather tall and muscular, with a large double-sided battleaxe held aloft in its bulging arms. Strangely enough the thing looked like a two-legged cow, predominantly white with black spots and other bovine features like horns and long ears. Dressed in nothing more than boots, swimsuit-like briefs, and wrist wrappings the man/bull hybrid released a roar that was more silly than terrifying prior to rapidly turning towards his master with hearts in his eyes.
"Luuuuuuucy! Your boobs look as grand as ever!~"
Any awe felt by the trio of ninja at the summoning was swiftly destroyed when Taurus released his perverted cry. The blonde woman sighed at her friend's antics, having grown used to the Celestial Spirit's breast-centric ogling of herself by now. It was just his quirk, like Aquarius' bitchiness and Cancer's vocal tic. But the bull was incredibly strong and quite loyal towards the girl, and along with the other two gold keys in her possession were some of her most prized companions.
Lucy still felt the emotional high from her first successful mission ever and that enthusiasm was still with her now as she made an attempt to impress the others. But looking over and seeing Naruto, Bee, and Gaara simply staring at the depraved cow without any expressions on their features didn't exactly scream 'rousing success'. Her bright mood immediately took a hit and the muscles in her lips twitched as she forced herself to smile.
"Hi Taurus..." she said blandly. "How have you been?"
"I've been okay but now that I get to look at your lovely figure again I'm doing SOOOOO~ much better!"
Lucy resisted the urge to hide her head in her hands as Taurus continued to slobber over her in front of the others. While the attention over her sex appeal was appreciated, the spirit always went a little too overboard. This wasn't exactly the impression she wanted to give off towards her more experienced comrades...maybe she should have started off with Cancer instead?
"It's almost like Ero-sennin again..." Naruto whispered in a sort of horrified fondness as he watched the cow man hit on the gal unendingly. Taurus' ears twitched at the gentle sound and he turned, belatedly realizing they weren't alone in the clearing.
"Who're you?" Taurus demanded as all humor left his voice. Sharp eyes narrowed and, unaware of Lucy's recent change in status as well as having not been given any immediate orders saying to the contrary, instantly decided he'd been summoned to aid her against these three brutes. Lifting his axe high, the bull stood protectively in front of the frailer human and snorted. "Oh I see. Don't worry Lucy, your rockin' bod will be protected!"
"Wait! You've got it wrong Taurus. These are my new guildmates. I finally joined one called Kage Beast. That's Gaara, Naruto, and Bee. I was just demonstrating my magic so please don't attack them."
"All men?" The spirit snorted again and crossed his arms. "I don't like the fact there are others who get to ogle you whenever they want and I can't."
"It's not like that Taurus. They've all actually been quite the gentlemen towards me."
He regarded the smaller human with a scrunched up face before the large bovine-man huffed and folded his arms, subtly staring down the grouping of ninja out of the corner of his eye. Eventually he raised his hands in defeat. "Alright, if that's what you want. But I want to be summoned more often even if you're not in a fight, like you did this time."
"Sure. I don't see a problem with that."
"Thanks. I'm more than just a warrior you know. I don't mind showing up just to chat." The two smiled at one another before a red tint appeared across the Celestial Spirit's face and his grin turned perverse. "Ah, from this angle I can perfectly see down your cleavaaaaaaaaaaaaa-"
Taurus vanished as Lucy forcibly closed the gate, her own cheeks aflame from embarrassment while a muscle jumped in her eye. Coughing into her fist the blonde waited for her blush to recede before taking a deep breath and blowing it through her nose. Feeling a modicum of composure return, she turned and met with the expectant looks of her peers.
"So...each summon is a contract, a bond between spirit and mage. I act as the bridge between our world and that of the Celestial Spirits and can call them at any time on certain days. In turn they appear no matter the cause. They use their powers to aid me, and I think of them as my friends," Lucy said quietly while fingering the dangling metals on her key ring. Taurus hadn't added to the image of a mature, powerful mage the brown-eyed female hoped to cultivate among her peers...maybe starting with the bull hadn't been the best of plans. But even with his personality she cared for the big lug. Lucy hated to say it about her summons though but probably other than the Water Maiden none of them were exactly notable. These three men all considered themselves S-class. They could vanish at will and run miles in a few minutes. And what could she do?
Call on others to fight for her. When Lucy actually had to get physical, she was considered athletic, but she was still woefully under-prepared compared to the rest of Kage Beast.
"Well...if Taurus is a warrior, what can the others do?"
Naruto's question made the Heartfilia look up before chocolaty orbs drifted back down towards her belongings. "I have two other gold keys and they're both as quirky as Taurus. Aquarius uses water magic and Cancer...he's a really good hairdresser that can technically fight with his scissors. My silver keys are weaker and not exactly the combative types; I mean Lyra only sings, Horologium tells time and can act as a shield, and Crux can divine information about other spirits and any past summoners. I don't know what Nikora does exactly since I haven't finalized a contract yet. Work kept me busy."
Naruto suddenly clapped his hands together, startling the young woman out of her reflections "Perfect! Then go ahead and summon that one! We'll get to see a Celestial Spirit Mage do her thing!"
"Um..."
"Go on and do it, little lady. Don't be sayin' maybe. Or else the Killa Bee-"
A small patch of sand silenced the larger Kumo nin before he could get on a roll. Even from behind the dark shades and sand barrier everyone could tell the jinchuriki was pouting. But emboldened by their interest, Lucy retrieved the silver key and followed the exact same pattern as she did with Taurus: body tall, arm forward, with the object glowing from the influx of her energy. It had a hexagonal head with a blue pattern similar to a simple facial portrait, and small rounded teeth. "Open! The Gate of The Canis Minor! Nikora!"
With a doorbell ping, a small creature popped into the clearing and landed directly at Lucy's feet.
It walked upright on gangly, thin limbs ending in paws. Short white fur covered its entire featureless body and rounded head save for beady black eyes, thin brows, a small mouth, a tiny tail, and a large drill-like yellow nose. Other than that...it seriously looked nothing like any kind of dog they'd ever seen before.
"Puuuun..." it sighed with one arm raised, body consistently shivering despite the warm and sunny temperature. Lucy's face lit up in beatific smile before she knelt down and pulled the summon into an embrace.
"Aw~! It's cute!" the buxom blonde exclaimed before setting the 'animal' down and pulling a notepad from her back pocket. In no time flat she had asked and marked down which days were good for Nikora, privately amazed at how little of her magic the cost had been to call the canine.
Meanwhile with the others:
"...that's a dog?"
"Perhaps that is what they look like in this realm."
"Akamaru as a newborn puppy could've taken it without hassle."
"We can hear you, you know!" Lucy yelled at the men as they quite clearly spoke at normal volume. She then looked at her newest companion with a warm grin. "Don't listen to them Plue. You're a companion, not a fighter."
"Puuun!"
The newly named Plue gave its own version of a smile as its new master finished writing out its schedule. Snapping the booklet closed Lucy quickly started snuggling with the fine-haired summon again before ultimately closing the gate and sending it back to its own dimension. As much as she would've loved to keep Nikora around for awhile, this was still a demonstration. "Anyways, I think that's as good a display as any for the time being. Now what?"
"Now? We just have to see how your physical capabilities stack up." The Kazekage's sand began to rise up around him while Lucy shrank back and gulped. "You carry a whip. You claim your conditioning is above average. Show us." Then the sand lurched forward and Lucy shrieked, rolling out of the way as the wave of miniature desert impacted her spot and barely grazed the relaxing shoes she'd put on for the day. Along with her Capri's and the tight but comfortable shirt, Lucy hadn't actually expected any physical exertion on her part that day. Just a showing of her magical capabilities...and not exercise which had the potential to ruin her cute ensemble! No one said anything about sparring!
She was the only one who accessorized anyways. And actually wore different things every day. How could they even think about dirtying her clothing like this without letting her change first?
Leaping away and landing on her stomach as tendrils of grit attempted to wrap around her ankles, Lucy scrambled to her feet and finally got the hint to pull free her weapon when the redheaded male momentarily stopped the assault. A show of will caused the sand to slowly rotate around his head while the shinobi allowed the mage a chance to defend herself. Stretching the black leather of her whip between her hands, the chesty blonde caught sight of the two remaining Beasts simply watching from afar and the bastards had the gall to grin and wave at her in her moment of need. "You traitors! I take back everything I just said to Taurus about you!"
"Just keep dodging and try to hit Gaara! You'll be fine! It's not like he's not actually trying to kill you or anything!"
"TRAITORS!"
"She wasn't lying though when she said she could move," Bee remarked while in the distance their single female guild member cartwheeled, jumped, bent, and struck at the sand ninja with her whip. It was all ineffectual since something as basic as a normal leather whip could never make its way past Gaara's ultimate defense but then again this wasn't a real fight. The young woman's showcase did indeed prove she had flexibility and agility on her side...though Gaara was taking it easy on her...but hey, she had promise. If she could move that well then obviously there was room for improvement.
By the end of the day Lucy was one giant ache. Muscles she didn't knew existed were sore, her clothes were in dire need of a wash, her hair a mess, and no matter how much she flailed her weapon or tried to angle it into his blind spot Gaara stopped it cold. He barely gave the poor woman any breaks, and every stumble brought about a small thing of sand to smack her on the leg, or arm, or backside to 'motivate her' like some sort of punishment for slowing down! He better hope she wouldn't be covered in bruises or the worn out female was going to ring Gaara's neck!
For the first time since initiation, Lucy Heartfilia cursed herself for joining Kage Beast.
It didn't help that Naruto had to carry her since her legs had no strength to walk. He chuckled when she weakly muttered something about 'leaving her to die'. But the blond boy was impressed with her tenacity. Every minute had been filled with her yells, threats, and complaints but Lucy continued to push on through. Her mind might have been against the prospect of stepping over her limits like that but obviously underneath it all her heart was all for the decision.
...Gaara did kinda run her ragged but then again it was for her own good. She had a decent amount of stamina even though it didn't take long for her to start huffing and puffing. They'd make sure she kept practicing at least.
The three ninja and their exhausted companion eventually made their way back to headquarters sometime in the afternoon, breaking off as usual upon entering the building. Bee and Gaara remained downstairs while Naruto carried the groaning weight up to the second floor. Stopping in front of her door he had to actually dig around in her small pockets for the room key since she had yet to add it to her ring which was embarrassing enough, before taking Lucy in and placing her on top of the simple bed. Lidded eyes quietly watched from the mattress as the jinchuriki rubbed his neck while trying to think up something to say in the silence.
"...so...I know that sucked. But if you continue working like you did today it'll get better, I promise. No one ever said it would be easy and, uh, well..." Naruto scratched at his head again. "The more you keep at it your body will adapt and all that stuff."
Lucy blew out her breath, causing her bangs to flutter before settling down. "A lady shouldn't be knocked around like that."
"Trust me when I say that the strongest women I know have gone through much worse. This was only one day. A few hours, even. But they made themselves train over and over again relentlessly to reach the results they wanted and more."
"Who were they?" she asked, curious despite her current situation. Naruto just smiled slightly and shook his head.
"Get some rest and then we'll all go get some food. I'll tell you later."
Sleep did sound like a good idea right now...but the shapely teen felt so dirty and it was getting all over her covers. She'd have to wash everything and clean out her whole bed at some point. But that too presented a problem. Namely, her current position. Clearing her throat Lucy feebly pointed her chin towards her body as best she could, though the action caused her chest to sway. "If you think I'm going to be in any position to go out and eat later then you've got another thing coming. Plus I need a bath like crazy."
"Ah...right. We can get some takeout then. You're on your own with the bathing though." Lucy just continued to stare and the blue-eyed boy shrugged awkwardly. "What?"
"At least put me in a more comfortable position you idiot." she mumbled in a near whisper, though Naruto thankfully took the hint. Placing an arm under her knees he lifted her just enough to pull back the sheets out from beneath her and slide her inside. Taking care of someone like this was a new and weird experience for the blond, though Lucy sighed in relief while she let her warm bedding envelope her ragged form as her friend pulled the covers up to her chin and stepped back. "This is nice...you'd make a good butler."
Even as her eyes were slowly drifting shut the girl still had enough sense to tease him, making the Uzumaki roll his own and turn to the door, but not before getting in one last jab.
"Oh yeah, totally. Would the mistress like for me to tuck her snugly in as well?"
Sticking her tongue out was the last act of defiance before Lucy finally fell asleep, completely pooped by the prior events. Stopping in his tracks as he remembered something Naruto moved back and placed her key on top of her belongings. A soft breath caught his attention as Lucy snorted lightly, rubbing her face against her pillow while simultaneously spreading a smudge of dirt from her cheek along the pink and fluffy fabric. Smiling despite himself at the scene, Naruto made it back to the hall and gently closed the door. They had an odd relationship in spite the short amount of time they'd known each other, but the pair just seemed to mesh without much trouble. Perhaps it was because he'd been the one to recruit her and she saw him as the one to turn to when in need. Or maybe it was a whole different world where he had made a new (but hopefully not too permanent...) life for himself and Lucy was the first Earth Land native he actually decided to get close to.
Scratching his cheek the blond made his way downstairs to join his friends. While Lucy slept they had a few things to discuss.
It was five o'clock by the time Lucy woke up, cleaned herself up to a presentable level, and hobbled downstairs to the bar area while her muscles screamed in protest. It still lacked any liquor or other items pertaining to such a place, but for now it was good enough to act as Kage Beast's temporary eating area. Without a word the pretty blonde shuffled to a stool and grabbed a bowl of warm noodles, uncaring of the taste since Naruto usually bought a large amount in varying flavors. She'd have to speak to him at some point about buying other foods for once whenever takeout was mentioned. Perhaps something healthier, or for her at least since the men in her life didn't seem to mind one way or the other what they ingested.
Someone had to reign in her friend's ramen impulse...and apparently that responsibility was falling on Lucy's shoulders. Noodles were fine once in awhile and she agreed they tasted good but having them repeatedly wore on her taste buds. And her figure.
At the moment though she honestly just wanted something in her stomach.
"Welcome back. I hope you got some sleep because I have news that involves all of us. I have here-" Gaara lifted a sheet of paper into the air from where he stood behind the bar, nothing on his face betraying what he felt, "-the official report from the Rune Knights regarding Dark Unicorn. Though I was present for the initial interrogation they would not permit me to become more involved than merely standing off to the side and staring at them." Now he was frowning, disliking the fact none of the guards would give him any time with the prisoners to learn what he wanted.
"So what's it say?"
"Nothing new. They admitted to being sent by another guild to learn more about us but were surprisingly resilient in keeping the name a secret during the subsequent tries. They were all rather weak-willed and most lacked magic of their own, so I believe some form of seal was used to maintain their silence."
"If they were just interested in Kage Beast then why would they also attack us? Or Bee for that matter, since they were chasing him first," Lucy said, piping up for the first time now that she'd regained some of her energy. Pushing away the used bowl still filled with the dregs of miso broth she propped her chin up with her hands and looked between the others curiously.
"All we've done are jobs most other guilds wouldn't be too interesting in doing, and the only guild we've actually interacted with is Fairy Tail. They're rather highly thought of and considered an upstanding group of people," Naruto added, twirling his chopsticks around as he tried to guess what they did to warrant some sort of enemy, "It's safe to rule them out but I still don't get it. Maybe we could ask Mira-chan if they've heard anything odd lately."
Nodding, Gaara slipped the paper into his pocket and crossed his arms. "I propose for the time being, we remain on alert in case a similar event takes place. Lucy-san, seeing as you are our weakest member...no offense...should you take any missions outside of Balsam please ask one of us to accompany you. The next time our opponents may not be low-tier foot soldiers and, while I trust you can take care of yourself, it is always better having others watch your back while this threat is still present."
A slight indignation arose in Lucy's chest but the fire quickly dulled as common sense took over. He was correct. Blunt...but correct. Feeling the dip in her mood Naruto smacked his fist into his palm, startling the curvaceous teen from her dipping mood. "If they try anything we'll be ready for them. And that means making sure Lucy gets stronger too." Grinning at the girl, Naruto nodded in conviction. "I said I'd help you remember? Today Gaara knocked you around pretty hard, but you can't make progress without discomfort. It'll be tough for awhile...but the results speak for themselves."
Lucy slowly nodded, knowing that her fellow fair-haired teen wasn't a sadist like the sharp-eyed sand master. "Well...thank you all in advance. Though I will admit I'm not exactly looking forward to it now."
Naruto and Bee laughed, and even Gaara smirked. Standing up and stretching his arms above his head the lone blond boy grunted in contentment before turning to his feminine friend. "You can start practicing with these two if you want though because I won't be here. I'd suggest keep working out so your body doesn't seize up anymore while I'm gone for a few days."
"Did something happen?"
"Nah, nah. I just have to go to some sorta meeting involving guild masters in Clover Town. I have to make connections and get in...ina-...what the hell was the word?"
"Inaugurated."
"Yeah, that. I'm expected to be on my best behavior and bring the other masters up to speed on how Kage Beast has been handling itself over the past month. It's gonna be so boring." When saying that, the Uzumaki had looked at Gaara with a rather dry expression. His Suna buddy appeared amused in turn. "You're enjoying my suffering aren't you?"
"You were the one who wished to be the leader," he stated while stepping out from behind the bar and walking towards the door, "Did I not tell you it is not all that cracked up to be? Remember to pay attention because I will not be pleased should you miss something important."
The whiskered ninja made a face at his retreating backside before exhaling through his nostrils and resting his arms behind his head. Losing himself in his thoughts, Lucy could hear Naruto speak to himself as the blue-eyed male moved away to the stairs and eventually disappeared just as Gaara had. "I leave early tomorrow, so should I just take Magnolia's train?..."
Now without the spiky-headed ninja around, Lucy started to feel self-conscious about being left alone with the large grinning man in the sunglasses. Bee was the person she had interacted with the least and that lack of a bond created an awkward atmosphere between them. Seeing her fidget caused the dark-skinned man to chuckle internally; it reminded him of his old pupils back in the homeland when he first started teaching Omoi and Karui about the art of the sword.
"Looks like it'll be me an' you in the training field tomorrow. Rest up, Blondie. A lack of sleep will screw with the flow."
"...you really do like rapping don't you?" Catching herself after the question, the Heartfilia quickly asked another to stop Bee from falling into another rhyming session. "ER- I mean, so what are we going to do tomorrow?"
"You'll see. It's a surprise for now."
Lucy scoffed in annoyance at the evasive answer before growing concerned when the final male started to leave as well. "Wait! What about the garbage?"
From behind his shades the container of the Eight-tails took in the empty bowls and dirty chopsticks littering the bar area and shrugged. He'd lived on a mountain for years before everything with the Akatsuki went down. An unused pocket attached to his cave had served as an impromptu trash dump during his time there, and no one else here seemed troubled over their clutter.
Save for one.
Lucy dropped her face into her palms at the complete lack of common sense by her comrades. Living with three men...they clearly needed more women around. Maybe she could start recruiting too, or get her Fairy friends to stop by for awhile and offset all the testosterone and uncaring attitudes towards keeping your living space clean. Yeah...a girl's night out with all of Balsam's special treatments at their fingertips. That sounded heavenly right about now.
Sighing heavily, Lucy stood up and decided to follow their lead and leave someone else to take care of it for now. At least she had a proper excuse: stiff muscles. Therefore it was perfectly within her right to return to her bed and relax some more since cleaning up would exacerbate the situation. With that thought in mind the busty girl smiled deviously and slowly stood up...but not before dumping her takeout container in the trash bin.
At least she wasn't a complete slob like everyone else, right?
"-and then Erza came, snatched up Natsu and Gray, and today they left to perform a job! I tell you, with those three working together they have to be Fairy Tail's strongest team!"
"It sounds exciting Mirajane...but I don't exactly know who those three are so I can't share the enthusiasm."
"Oh! Oh, right! Well...Erza Scarlet, also called the Titania and a major hitter in our guild. And then there's Salamander Natsu Dragneel, he's pretty famous too. Lastly is the Ice Mage Gray Fullbuster; he can hold his own where it counts. Erza is one of our most powerful mages you know and the other two are pretty strong in their own right. It's why I see it as such a big deal."
Lucy tapped her nails against her cheek in thought while the smiling reflection of Fairy Tail's beautiful barmaid filtered in through the lacrima. "Hmmm...okay, I've heard two of those nicknames before at least. I just wasn't expecting you to start gossiping right off the bat."
"Sorry about that. It's just that you called to chat and I was still reeling from the excitement yesterday so I simply had to tell someone outside the guild about it."
"No worries," the blonde replied with a grin, "It's interesting hearing things about Fiore's most famous guild right from the source."
"Mmmm. So!" The slightly transparent version of the silvernette clapped her hands together after passing a mug of beer to someone off screen. "You're looking a bit beat up. I hope Kage Beast has been treating you well."
"They can be nice when they want to be! The other day I showed off my magic to the boys and then Gaara starts 'testing' how fit I am by making me dodge his sand with barely any breaks! He's sadistic! Naruto had to carry me and put me to bed because I was so tired!"
"Awww that's so cute!" she gushed.
"Yeah. Right. Totally. I felt like a pretty little princess, covered in dirt and unable to move a muscle. I still can't walk too well yet and they expect me to keep working out like that in a similar fashion. I mean, I understand it's good if I want to become stronger too but it's sooooo tiring. I'm not looking to turn into someone muscley like Bee! It's like they want to make me better in a short amount of time, especially since...oh, and now that I'm thinking about it, has anyone in your guild heard anything about our Dark Unicorn problem?"
With a petite finger pressed against her chin, the gravure model eventually shook her head and sent her flowing hair swaying. "No. But the master said he'd ask around at the meeting. It's designed to spread information between guilds and I'm sure at least one of the other masters might know something. Dark guilds are illegal after all and we're expected to keep abreast of any difficulties."
"Yeah. Naruto was going to try the same thing. He's there, and Gaara headed off again on his own to speak with the Rune Knights who arrested the dark guild. It's just me and Bee at the guild now, and he tried helping me train earlier today since no one else is here."
"What did you two do?"
"Meditate," the female said blandly while scratching the pink mark on the back of her hand, "And it didn't work out as well as everybody hoped."
"I don't understand."
"...I just couldn't focus."
It was a simple reply, and only half of a lie, not that Lucy was trying to keep a secret or anything. But when Lucy first had difficulty figuring out what Bee was asking of her, something calling itself Gyuki began speaking though the man's mouth to tell the girl she should have been focusing inward before giving control back to Bee.
You didn't drop something like that one someone without an explanation however, which was why the summoner now understood why the three men in her guild had chosen the name Kage Beast of all things for their organization. It wasn't just to sound tough. Coming from another dimension? That was still too weird to take at face value. But having something sealed within your body...even non-mages were somewhat familiar with such an action. It wasn't done very often, and most of the time it involved dark mages fiddling with forces they shouldn't, but the concept was known about here in Fiore.
To now know that Bee and Naruto carried separate bastions of conscious energy within themselves, and that Gaara used to as well, was rather big news. Lucy had been very surprised at the status update but after given some time to think about it rationally, no one was at fault and her opinion of the others hadn't really changed besides the obvious. None of them had kept these 'biju' a secret but then again, they weren't shouting it to the heavens either.
According to Bee jinchuriki weren't well received back in their old home. Each had their own story as to how they became containers for tailed beasts but the gist of it all was that at one point in their lives, all three ninja were scared, ashamed, and had trouble understanding and controlling the power they held. Now though...even with the problems once created by their situations, Naruto and Bee had overcome the negativity and were now on good terms with their biju. When Lucy had asked what happened to the redhead's, she was simply told it had been taken and the boy was lucky to still be alive.
Digesting all the new information about her guildmates had Lucy's brain working on overtime and after about a half hour of trying to focus on the stint of meditation, Bee called it quits. He did however, tell the curvy teen that he expected her to contemplate her magic reserves when she had a quiet moment to herself to say they at least made some progress. To study it, to feel the amount, and to consistently try and channel it to master its limits and gain a greater understanding and control of the energy coursing through her.
He might not look it exactly, but Killer Bee actually knew a thing or two about teaching.
Brown orbs blinked as a melodious voice brought Lucy back to the present. Mirajane was smiling again through the transmission, though it was a gentle expression of understanding compared to the bright and sunny ones the barmaid usually sported whenever she was happy. "It's difficult isn't it? Living in a new place, with new people you're still trying to understand. All light guilds are technically targets of dark guilds as well, no matter where you go. But you're lucky to have joined a guild that wants to see you succeed," she said before pausing as something else caused her mouth to thin. "Do you...regret joining at all?"
Lucy stilled at the concerned question, head drooping as she began chewing on her lip. It suddenly worried Mira that perhaps she should have kept that last thought to herself but the doubt slipped away when Lucy straightened back up with a soft but confident expression. "No. You're right. My friends here, in their own ways, are doing what they can to help me. If they didn't believe in me then why would they try? Even then...I get the feeling they'd still do so even if I had no talent. I'm happy to have joined Kage Beast. While it's not what I expected, that just means we all need to put in the work to make it great."
Hearing that confession, the pale-haired woman giggled. It was one of the best responses she could have asked for. "That's the spirit!"
For a Celestial summoner like Lucy, that phrase was pretty ironic. But at the moment the blonde couldn't help but laugh along. A new sense of resolve filled her chest as Lucy promised to call back at another time, before shutting off the lacrima and returning to her room. There she sat atop the mattress with her legs crossed, breathing slowly but deeply with her eyes closed while attempting to clear her mind. While she was alone the developed female would heed the cloud ninja's advice and work on her control. At the moment it was the least she could do to prove her devotion to the guild.
The next day, Bee and Lucy were once again in the forest opening, sitting cross-legged across from each other. It was a much calmer encounter than the first time and silence hung between the two as the female concentrated on her breathing. This was the fourth attempt, with Lucy doing her best to remain calm and tension free. The cloud ninja liked to try and distract her and it only took two more tries before she made commendable progress. Then again, having the tip of a tentacle wiggling around in front of her face while she had her eyes closed was something hard to ignore. Lucy Heartfilia might have still been pure...but some of the books she read (as well as the one she was secretly writing) were definitely not.
Still, she did her best to disregard Bee's efforts and continued feeling as her magic circled throughout her body, creating additional warmth which heated the teen up in the same way as though she were in a hot spring. One would consider it a pleasurable experience; feeling like you had a better understanding of yourself. Finally, when her 'teacher's' more expressive jabs at getting her attention could no longer be ignored, brown eyes snapped open as the buxom blonde raised her voice. "What?!"
Bee just smirked, having changed position to stand in front of her at some point. "You never even noticed, huh? You've been trancing out for about ten minutes. You were even beginning to release some of your energy." He gestured to the long grass around her sitting form, still swaying slightly from the minuscule magical pressure that had slipped its way out of the young summoner.
Lucy was stunned.
"I did that? I mean..."
"How did you feel?"
"Warm." She placed a hand against the bulge of her chest. "I just kept letting my magical power flow and my body grew hotter, but not in an uncomfortable way. I never realized I zoned out."
"Meditation is a way to clear the mind and calm the soul. You caught on a bit quicker, which is good, but we'll keep this up for a little while longer to make sure it wasn't a fluke. After that we'll try and get the same results with you still being aware of your surroundings."
"Isn't that a lot of work for just meditating?"
"Nah, little lady. I did the same thing with my rookie trainees back in Kumogakure even if it was to show them how to use a sword. By focusing on and appreciating that their weapons were more than just metal to swing and cut with, they started picking things up much quicker. Once you understand the flow, no matter the show, you'll be good to go. When Mr. Nine came to me for help with his biju, I had him do something similar."
Lucy nodded slowly as the warmth in her body began to lessen from her lack of concentration. "I...see."
And even with the odd way he always explained things, she sorta did.
Travel was no big deal when one could create a flying platform out of sand and then proceed to ride it like it was some sort of mystical cloud. So when the local Rune Knights told Gaara that the prisoners had been transported straight to Era to be sentenced for their inter-guild crimes/being a dark guild, the stoic redhead disregarded any plans to take the train transit system and be forced to stick to its schedule. It was much quicker too, as he arrived midway through the mass trial instead of sometime after it already ended, even with the distance between the southern town and the capital. Still, the Kazekage was not allowed within the council auditorium set high atop the a flat mountain top and was made to wait outside until the proper recourse had been reached.
His stare heavily unnerved the strange bipedal amphibian creature that stuck around to keep an eye on him, petty revenge against the servant for its pompous attitude.
Finally, after what Gaara knew was a tiny amount of deliberation drawn out to make it seem much more official in tone, the court case was finished and he was technically allowed inside the large hall. As a former leader himself he understood that it was proper to wait and be called upon...but he wasn't the Wind Shadow anymore, was he? Nope. Gaara of the Hidden Sand Village was once again just a regular old ninja who didn't have to stand on ceremony any longer.
It was almost like he was a genin again. Except for, y'know, the homicidal psychosis.
"Who dares to interrupt us?!" a shrill voice demanded as the large doors burst open under the pressure of two large Shukaku arms formed from sand pushing against them. The grains withdrew as Gaara walked forward, slithering back into his gourd like water down the drain. Behind him was the 'toady' and two guards tasked with protecting the room, glued to the corridor walls and taken out of the fight by even more constricting sand. His sharp gaze quickly swept around the room in silent interest; when the three shinobi formed their guild, the council members weren't involved in the least. Even now with them all gathered, the committee was raised high upon tall seats to stare down at whoever came in and the lot were currently bathed in enough shadow to only produce the basic outline of their bodies.
Gaara himself was standing on a brightly lit floor. It must have been either magic or lacimra which created the drastic lighting situation in the same area without bothering either extreme.
"My name is Sabaku no Gaara, member of Kage Beast. I have come to learn why my attempts at discovering the cause behind Dark Unicorn's attack have been continuously deflected. There is a higher power at work, who instructed them in their actions, and yet nothing has been done."
"Of course there has!" the same voice as before began. "All who were involved in the 'attack' have been dealt with accordingly. Each and every one of them was found guilty and sentenced to hefty prison time for both assault against a light guild, and being a member of the dark! Even weak mages like them have to be shown there are no positive outcomes for their choices!"
"So who was their benefactor?"
"Excuse me?" a second, elderly tone asked. Yet Gaara's green orbs zeroed in on the shadowy figure high in their seat.
"Those responsible for ordering them to attack us, and then made it so the Dark Unicorn flunkies could not reveal relevant information. As you just admitted these men and women were low-level fodder unable to do more than act like a nuisance. For what purpose they were used, I do not know. But it is what I was trying to discover save for the fact both you and the Rune Knights kept me from doing so."
"We couldn't tell you. All prisoners were hit with an impressive but nasty piece of magic that kept them from speaking of their boss, either with pain or just locking up their bodies like a seizure. This became a delicate investigation the moment the Rune Knights discovered the seals and any mistakes could destroy the victims. We're working on it now, and I will personally forward any new information to your guild to make sure there is no lack of communication. On behalf of the council I apologize for circumventing your worries."
Gaara looked towards the third voice, a younger male who seemed amused at the situation, to the ire of his fellow members. Still, the redhead gave a curt nod of thanks in his direction before giving a slight bow to the whole of the room. "Thank you. That is all I can ask for then, to know the threat against my guild is being taken care of. I apologize for my rudeness as well."
"Don't worry about it. Anyone in your situation would have been the same way, probably more so."
At that, the shinobi simply turned and left. His errant sand bindings released the three as he walked passed them and returned to his stores without any movement to retrieve them on his part. A few moments of tense silence passed before the chambers became noisy once more.
"Siegran! You do not speak for all of us!"
"Of course. And yet, had I not, your bullheadedness would have only worsened the entire situation," the one who last spoke to Gaara said, "They are a new guild, and an impressive one at that. It's been what...two months? Something like that, and yet three mages have been plowing through our backlog of unfulfilled missions like it was child's play. Someone sent the majority of a dark guild after them but it was a mere annoyance. They're a rising force in the field, and their requests for three grants of S-rank status have gone unheeded but I for one say we should give it to them."
"Three hotshots who think they're something big just because they've gotten lucky."
"I disagree," came a pleased feminine lilt, sounding closer in age to the so called 'Siegran' than any of the other councilors in attendance, "I've been keeping an eye on Kage Beast since their first appearance and they are a guild who will be making waves in the future. All three are quite talented; did you not see the way Gaara-san commanded his sand without conscious effort? Do you really want them to turn into another Fairy Tail?"
The collective groaned at the thought. "Aren't they located near Magnolia?"
"Balsam Village, yes."
"That's all we need..."
"Heaven forbid."
"We have enough trouble controlling one bothersome guild, let alone two in the same district!"
"I do love their spas though."
"Well everything needs a little time to settle, but in the meantime I will honor my promise to Gaara and his guild. Please route any new information regarding Dark Unicorn to me. Let's go Ultear. There's nothing else to be done today." Siegran's shadow emerged from the lack of light after he dismissed himself, revealing a tall man with unkempt blue hair, dark brown irises, and a red tattoo stretching from forehead to chin over his right eye. Seconds behind him was a gorgeous woman with long purple-black hair, blunted bangs, lipstick, and brown eyes of a lighter shade. Both were dressed in white outfits accented with black to match their status as being a part of the Magic Council.
Both were also smirking at the turn of events. This was going to be more interesting than either of them (and their secretive agendas) first thought!
"How did it go? You were gone longer than expected," Lucy asked upon Gaara's return the next day, and the second since Naruto had left for his meeting. The boy had remained in Era for the night since it was getting a bit late by the time he finished his business with the councilors and, while traveling by night wasn't a big deal, he had no pressing matters to see to and leaving Lucy and Bee alone wouldn't bring about the end of the world. His later arrival at Balsam marked the sight of a contemplative blonde and a jinchuriki prodding her to lose concentration. Bee's methods were...questionable, but the ample-chested mage actually made some progress in better controlling her mind and energy.
But to answer her question, the sand-user did not shrug nor shake his head. He merely folded his arms and closed his eyes. "There was nothing new to report. All prisoners were taken to Era and already sentenced by the time I arrived. As I suspected, they each had a seal placed upon them keeping the unnamed leader from being revealed. Apparently it was a dangerous seal...which means it is lucky I did not attempt anything, for my knowledge in magical seals is nonexistent. However they have seen fit to continue their endeavors of unraveling the problem, and one of the councilmen was kind enough to volunteer to personally share their findings with us to keep any lapse in communication as low as possible."
Lucy huffed and made her bangs flutter away from her eyes. "So we're still at square one then," she complained. They might've been chasing Bee but she was a proper member of Kage Beast too. Just look at the stamp on her hand. It was her neck on the line as well if someone was truly targeting their guild. Pushing the morbidity aside for a moment since there seemed to be nothing any of them could do, the girl suddenly grinned and looked at the redhead with a smug gaze. "But forget about that for a moment. Guess what."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Must I?"
"Really? Oh you're no fun." Lucy folded her arms underneath her protruding bust and looked away.
"Told ya he'd be a party pooper."
"Quiet." Lucy scolded the rapper before looking back towards Gaara. "We're invited to Fairy Tail for a celebration!"
"For what purpose?"
"Mirajane called a little while ago and said that something big literally just happened at the guild master's meeting. Naruto stepped up and took care of the problem though. I guess Fairy Tail's master is so happy about the end result, that he decided on it right then and there...Makarov, that was his name. He called ahead on a personal lacrima to tell everyone to get ready, and that they'd be back by tomorrow."
Lucy was quite excited by the prospect. Though they had an open invite to stop by whenever any of the Beasts were in Magnolia, it seemed like it was just a polite thing to offer between casual friends. But now she'd get to hang out in Fiore's number one guild and speak with the likes of Mirajane Strauss in person once again! She could see Cana without the lacrima screen filtering out most of the picture, and that Levy girl she was introduced to that was another book lover! It was so thrilling! Oh what should she wear? Should they bring anything, like food or drinks?
Naruto was going to get such a big hug for...whatever it was he did.
For Bee and Gaara though, they were just curious as to what trouble their wayward jinchuriki comrade had gotten himself into this time.
Got it done finally. I was stuck with a bit of writers block with all three of my stories, really. Especially since I noticed some overlap between this and RWBY involving training. And my last semester has started...
But hey, I got the prologue of my book manuscript finished. That's some progress right?
Anyways next chapter is what went on with Naruto while he was off at the guild meeting, as well as the other story plotline that happens to be taking place simultaneously with a few familiar characters. But who could it be?
...If you don't know then go read the FT manga. It's like in the first twenty chapters. Seriously. Oh, and to the anon reviewer who complained about how I write, FT is an ecchi series. I know, it's shocking. While it's interesting and plot-driven, Mashima likes to draw developed woman and then draw much attention to his art. In that same vein, I write this (and the Medaka story) in the same way too. You want less boobs, go read my RWBY story. But watch out for Pyrrha and Yang...those two might sneak up on ya.
And I'm not sure if you know how to ratio properly...but you might want to go and count the number of women I've introduced vs. the number of men so far. It might surprise you that I'm lacking a flood of females overtaking everything.