At last, I have finished chapter three. Sorry for the delay. Major case of too much class work combined with writer's block. I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.
Reserved Spaces
Catori was about to do her standard threatening of Laxus. The whole Hurt-My-Sister-And-I'll-Gut-You-Like-A-Fish spiel. She was about to, but then her eye caught sight of someone sashaying her way down the pier like she owned the place. The sight of brunette hair had Catori thinking it was either Mina or Ever, but when a new Fairy Tail mage approached, Catori couldn't place her.
Her hair ran in wide waves down her sun kissed face. Thick eyelashes lined big, brown eyes. She had a pretty face, and when she pulled a beer bottle away from her lips, Catori took in the sight of full, pink lips. Still, Catori's eyes roamed around on the approaching woman's body. All she was wearing across her breasts was a bikini top, and she had on a pair of black jeans held up by a hot pink belt. Tori knew her from somewhere. After catching a glimpse of the Fairy Tail mark on her lower, left ab, Catori was amazed she didn't remember a woman as beautiful as that in the guild.
Then again… Catori had tunnel vision when it came to potential love interests. She only saw the person she desired, and while that was a good thing for loyalty, it was a horrible thing when her interest wasn't interested.
Without Freed anywhere around, Catori could look at other people without distraction, and while Freed's proper, pretty boy persona caught the eye of Tori, this woman's near rebellious, cocky persona had Tori paying attention.
Catori cast the woman one of her charming smiles, and it was returned with aplomb. "So, you're a part of the Fairy Tail crew?" Catori greeted to the female.
The brunette nodded and pulled her beer from her lips. "Cana Alberona but we've met before," she explained.
Raising a brow, Tori mentioned, "We have?"
"Yup. It was brief. You came to the guild looking for Freed. Master and Mirajane were locked behind runes, so they couldn't give away his whereabouts. Since I was the only one not locked up, you asked me. Remember? He was in the broom closet cowering in fear."
Now, Catori remembered. Yes, she had come to the guild a little less than a year ago. The mission had been to hunt down some Lancet mages whose parents wanted them home, but she'd stopped by Fairy Tail on her quest.
Mostly, she'd stopped by under orders from her parents to see how Bickslow and Mina were. The two were pining hard for a grandchild to pass the family name down on, so Catori had been on a slight spy mission. Even though, Catori had made some time for Freed.
Although he wouldn't admit it, Freed had enjoyed the thrill ride Catori had taken him on when she took him dirt bike riding. She'd taken him BASE jumping, sky diving, and they'd even dove in a cage surrounded by sharks. Freed had flipped out at that last one, but they were still alive. Hey, in Catori's book that meant another day well spent. The fact that he was hiding from her right now had to deal with something much larger than their secret thrills.
Pushing that thought aside, Catori beamed at Cana. Yeah, she remembered this girl now. She'd been sitting with a barrel between her legs. With ease she'd hauled that liquid filled cask up to her lips. Tori had found the woman awesome, but at the moment her head had been filled with thoughts of getting her claws inside of a certain green headed male that she'd barely paid Cana any attention whatsoever.
Catori slapped her hand into the air. "Nice to re-meet ya, Cana."
"The same," Cana replied. An easy-going smile crept up the woman's face, and she happily accepted the hand offered to her. "So, you'll be our escort to the inn?"
Catori gave a slow, steady nod. Her eyes were still looking for Adamine. Since the woman possessed three guild marks, Catori was hoping she could ask Master Makarov if Adamine could partake in Kindred Spirit. Well, either Adamine or Bickslow. After the Great Battle of Lancet, the one that got King Isaac perched on the throne, Bickslow and Adamine had been given guild marks by Winry and Catori's father.
Adamine's extra mark was because she was a part of King Isaac's Royal Guard. Should something happen to the king, Adamine was the third in line for the throne. Those markings were a way to make sure that if Prince Urian or King Isaac were murdered, that a mage would remain in power. It was all a strategy to keep Normans from throwing mages back into slavery. It was one of their many attempts to get Normans used to mages having equal rights. Just like these games were.
Running a hand through her feminine Mohawk, Catori beamed in the direction of Cana. She replied, "Sure am. I was hoping to get ahold of Makarov before we set off. Kindred Spirit's running low on mages that have the balls to participate. According to the Lancet police force, called the Magician's Alliance, all mages that have been signed in to go, have either gone missing or gotten murdered. I'm thinking that if I could get either Adamine or Bickslow to come to our team, we could stand a chance against the best guild in Fiore."
Cana's smile was easygoing. "So, you're still thinking like a guild master even though you gave the reins over to your parents."
Tori shrugged. "Well, yeah. It was their guild in the first place." She gave a pause and glanced over towards Winry. The girl may have been smiling and hanging on Laxus's every word, but the fact of the matter was that Winry was unnerved. "Our parents are thinking about giving up leadership and letting us take the guild master seats. Kindred Spirit's never been under the control of a single mage. It's always been a partnership of dual masters but Winry…" Catori's head shifted back to the underlying sadness in Winry's eyes. One had to look hard for it, but it was most definitely there. If Win and Tori took the master's seat, Winry wouldn't be able to go to Fiore as much. Thus, it would be pointless for her to keep seeing Laxus.
That was Catori's baby twin's biggest problem right now, and it was a problem that Catori had to consider as well. If Winry didn't lead the guild alongside her, Catori didn't know who she would get to help her out. Kindred Spirit just didn't have a single leader.
A hand smacked Catori on the back, and she suddenly found herself spun around. With Cana's toned arm around Tori's shoulders, the already toasted mage cried, "That's a conversation for a later date. Right now, we're supposed to party!"
Catori's mouth widened into a powerful grin.
With Freed being drug around in her headlock, Adamine stepped off the boat. Her eyes scanned the heavy crowd that surrounded the port. Never in Adamine's life had she ever suspected to be able to see such a beautiful sight.
Both Mages and Normans filled the streets. They waved banners and cried out for their favorite guild members. Already, Adamine could see a poster of Laxus. Some girl was dressed up in clothes identical to Natsu's. Pin ups of Mirajane hung in the windows of a few stores.
She was so stunned by the fact that her cold, depressing kingdom could become so lively right after a battle that she didn't hear Freed complaining in her grip. Something pressed on her arm, and she finally blinked down. Vivid emerald eyes took in the sight of Freed Justine. He grumbled, "Fine! I won't run off, but you have to make sure that Catori doesn't…" His words faded out. Just what had happened between the two of them? It was like a sexy female Ichiya after a male Erza around here.
Adamine felt her arms loosen. Even so, she warned, "You run away, and I'll lock the both of you in the same room together." Her eyes gave him no quarter, and he looked to be pouting.
Mina was going to steady an even tighter look of warning on him until she caught sight of the Polterom Twins. If the fact that Freed's body was stiffening beside her wasn't clue enough, Adamine could definitely tell Catori had caught sight of Adamine because the girl charged up the boat dock.
"Big sister, Mina!" Catori cried before diving against Adamine's body. Strong arms wrapped around the little sister that she'd never had, and Adamine felt Freed slipping away from her grasp.
"Tori, I missed you!" Adamine cheered. She crushed the girl tight and suddenly, they weren't hugging anymore. They were in a competition of who could squeeze who the tightest.
Fangs shimmered in the late evening sun as Catori locked her arms by the wrists around Adamine's back. "You look different. Happy couple living making you gain weight?" the female taunted.
Adamine just sneered with her fangs elongating. She spun out of Catori's hold then lifted her leg up to smash it against Tori's blocking arms. The girl's eyes narrowed. Had Adamine not been so used to the woman's Forced Possession Seith Magic, she might not have noticed the glistening of crimson power twinkling in blue eyes.
With her eyes closed Adam replied, "Ha! If I gained any kind of weight it would be muscle. You know I don't eat junk. Drives your brother crazy."
Using her ears, Adamine hunted Catori down. When she heard footsteps running close, she dove in to tackle Tori to the deck of the ship. The woman let out an Oof of sound, but she didn't stop from slamming her fist at Adam's throat.
Hastily, Adam covered her weak spot with her shoulder. She rose up from Catori and bared her fangs. She was going to release a miniature version of her dragon's roar at the girl, but Catori said something that made Adam's head tilt off to the side.
The woman taunted, "So no feelings of nausea, tiredness. Back Pains?"
Even though her eyes were still closed Adamine wondered, "What are you insinuating, Catori?"
A laugh that went unseen by eyes still held tightly shut caught Adamine's ears. The body pinned beneath her shrugged upwards. Tori whispered, "So… she's not pregnant. Come on. What is Bickslow hiding? Or…"
Opening her eyes, Adamine blinked down at Catori. The woman was studying Adam's stomach like she was trying to count each strand of sinew that made up her six pack. "Tori?"
Blue eyes flew to meet Adam's emerald gaze. The nervous laughter spilling from Catori's lips was only confusing Adam further. More than that, though, Adamine wanted to know what that P word she said earlier was.
Pregnancy? Adam had assumed that was what the girl had said, but Mina didn't know what it meant. Although her mother dragon had been quite thorough with educating Adamine in matters of science, anatomy, and everything human, she had stopped being educated when she turned thirteen, the day that Firmalione had left her. Or… Adamine thought she was about thirteen around then. Still, Adam had never been educated in that word.
Catori didn't let her think about it too much. The woman rose up when Adamine offered her a hand. Leaning in closely to Adamine, Catori checked her out from her boots to her cropped biker jacket. "You're not wearing your usual clothes," Catori pointed out.
"No. It's early winter in Lancet. My vest and shorts won't do me much good at this time of year." Adamine pointed to the direction of dark clouds filled with snow.
Catori wasn't letting whatever was in her head go. She prowled around Adamine's body, checking out every inch of covered skin. "So… no nausea? Lightheadedness? Nothing?"
Adamine shrugged. "Well, I got motion sickness even after taking a Troia pill. Aside from that. No. Why the medical questions? You aren't Winry."
Unlike battle crazy Catori, Winry's magic was steeped in healing. Winry could put her soul within the body of another person to suck out feelings of terror, rage, and hate. Her techniques also could heal certain mental illnesses. Since their father, Spyro Polterom and master of Kindred Spirit, had multiple phantom souls inside of his body, he was constantly bombarded by memories and the lives of the dead. Winry could calm those souls by absorbing their pain. For someone like Catori who used her magic in a manner similar to her brother to be asking medical conditions, perhaps, something was wrong with Adamine.
Catori stopped hovering Adamine and flipped her Mohawk out of her eyes. Her purple locks were decorated even more elaborately than usual. She had apparently taken extra care to get her Mohawk to lay obediently down on the side of her head before it became a long blue-purple tail that ran between her shoulder blades. Not only was Catori worried about Adam's health, but she was dressed up. Was she that eager to see them?
The woman tilted her head this way and that before pressing shrugging her shoulders. Those light blue eyes of hers were studying Adam's lower abdomen when she stated, "Oh. Nothing. Win told me that Bix was acting suspicious, and I'm trying to find out what the secret is. For some reason, I can't see your soul. Must be because of your Mate Link with my brother."
Adamine nodded her head slowly. Perhaps, that did make sense. About a year ago when Adamine's soul had almost been devoured by the mage Zeref, Bickslow had wound up putting his soul inside of her because he accidentally touched her Hellhound's Heavenly Fire. Ever since that day, a sliver of green magic had connected the two of their souls together. When Adamine and Bickslow physically sealed the deal on their relationship, the Mate Link, as his Seith Mage family called it, had shielded her soul from everyone's eyes but Bickslow's. According to his parents, it was a spell created long, long ago when Seith Magic was still infantile. It was a protective spell to safeguard the soul of a lover.
Adam didn't exactly understand all the details, but she did know that Bickslow was currently the only one who could see her soul. That and the fact that they could feel each other's emotions through the link. Even be able to level out their magic between each other. If anything the link had made them better fighters. Adam could still take him out in a fight though. A fact she reveled in.
Changing the subject, Adamine asked, "Are you going to be patrolling the grounds for Norman slavers while we're in? Isaac told me about the murders. Urian and I are going to be patrolling for Fairy Tail."
Catori's head lifted up at the mention of Adamine's cousin Prince Urian. "Is he going to be in the games?"
"Urian? Oh, yeah, but he won't be playing for Fairy Tail. He already got Master Makarov to let him play for the Royal Guard."
"Do you think that the old man will let you or Bickslow come to play for Kindred Spirit?"
Adamine wrapped her arm around Catori's shoulder when she heard the man at the docks proclaim that another ship was coming in. As they approached the side of the ship, Adamine could see Makarov scanning the area. He may have looked happy-go-lucky and excited about the prospect of the Winter Grand Magic Games, but he was keeping an eye out for anyone who would desire to harm his children. He may not have been the best of grandfathers, but he was most definitely the best of guild masters. Adamine had long ago sworn that she could follow that man's leadership to the grave. "I'm more than positive that gramps would let you steal one of us. I'm playing second reserve for Fairy Tail. To have two back up members was my idea for these games." Adam leaned in closer with a slick smile creeping up her face. "Even if the master says you can't, I'm sure that I can pull some strings for you. I am still the Princess of Lancet, ya know."
"My brother's dating a princess. When is that going to get through my head?"
