Konban wa, minna-sama! Kano-sama here with the fourth chapter of Stripping the Feline. Actually I was thinking if I should really continue working on this one or not. But hell, I just don't have the strength to put a dot in it. So, here I am, posting another crackly idea, but this time, it's…SPOILERS!

I don't know if it's just me or I'm really losing my touch as a freelance writer, so your reviews are pretty much appreciated.

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and all related characters solely belong to Hiro Mashima. Those who thought Fairy Tail belongs to me, well you're all wrong.

Another Mission

Dawn had just broken and the air was more than chilly. From high above the stars began hiding their presence as the sun's rays started peeking behind the forest's mountains. Soon, all life forms will again dominate the forest's fields and ranges.

"Hmmp, that's why mornings are the best, I'm all fired up," Natsu exclaimed with such a wide grin. Energetic and lively as he always is, he began stretching to and fro, from below then upwards, fisted his right hand and looking back at his rather sleepy companions, punched his left hand.

"Geez, you're noisy," Gray lamely said, yawning and scratching his cheek.

"Aye," Happy said, hovering beside Gray, just shoulder level from the ground.

"I'm still sleepy," Lucy wailed, absent mindedly skipping the scattered poison ivy. Eyes half open, she turned to the lively dragon slayer and asked abruptly, "Just why can't we wait till mid day? Isn't it just the right time for a departure? I mean," Lucy tried to reason out, though she could clearly tell this conversation isn't going anywhere. "We have plenty of time left, right?" She shifted her gaze to the seemingly uninterested ice mage, mentally asking for help in persuading Natsu, to which she received a scowl.

"Of course we can't do that," Natsu replied. Scanning his surrounding and sniffing to make sure all is clear, he continued, "Can't you be a little excited, Luce? We need to attack before that block head sniffs us. We will catch him off guard…"

Lucy scratched her head in annoyance and settled herself on a rock in a nearby bush. Gray tapped her shoulder a little and she made room for him, taking his winks as a 'just drop it Lucy' message. When it seemed Natsu was already finished with his morning ranting, Gray stood up, brushed his butt and said, "Let's go."

Hearing Gray, Natsu's flame suddenly lit up and threw a sharp look at him. "Are you giving us orders, droopy eyes?"

"What? You got a problem with that, squinty eyes?" Gray shot back, ice automatically forming on his right hand.

'Here we go again' Lucy helplessly thought.

"Hey, Lucy," from behind her called Happy.

"What's wrong Happy?"

"Erza? Where's Erza at the time we needed her most?" the Exceed asked. Apparently, he also knows fire and ice can't sit side by side."

"Erza? Oh about her…"

Flashback

"You're not serious, aren't you?" Lucy asked, face paled, shaking. Beads of sweat began forming on her brow and she could hear her voice croaked, her lips quivering.

"Yes, I am."

"WHAT!" Lucy screamed, her jaw dropped and her eyes popped out of their sockets, making the other mages spit their drinks. Then she fell to her seat, mouth half opened, and her soul left her.

Erza took a bite at her cake, munched a few times and gulped. She then turned to Lucy. "Master has given me a special mission, an S-Class mission, and though as much as I want to come with you. I really can't."

"But…but…" the blonde tried to argue. She just can't imagine a mission without Erza. Well, the 'after effects' should be lessened without a rampaging Erza, plus the reward will only be divided into four person, not the usual five. That, she thought, was really an enticing advantage and she was much more than willing to do it. That was, until it dawned to her just what a mission with Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster without Erza Scarlet will be, and just by imagining the two boys Lucy thought she might lose it.

She was half to tears now, begging the Titania to come with her, or if not, if fate and Master Makarov would allow so, let Erza take her to her mission.

"Listen Lucy," Erza sternly said, "it will be alright. You're with Natsu and Gray so you don't have to be afraid. Those two will protect you. You'll be fine."

"That is why I'm worried," Lucy exasperatedly said, hitting her face with her marked hand. "That's why I'm worried. It's Natsuand Gray we're talking about."

End of flashback

"You must have it hard, Lucy," Happy concluded. Then to Lucy's puzzlement, he bagan rummaging his little bag and a few more seconds, look at her with glinting eyes,

Lucy sweat dropped. 'Now, what?' she mentally asked herself. She was used to that kind of expressions that she found herself already allergic to it.

"Lucy," Happy began, making her gulp. "You are a good friend Lucy, looking after Natsu and Gray in Erza's absence…"

Lucy's spirit did a back flip."Happy, at least you understand me…eh?" Lucy's brows suddenly twitched. "What's that?"

In front of her Happy was handing her, she thought, must be one of the many fishes stuffed on Happy's bag. "Because Lucy is a good friend, I'll share you my fish. It's delicious…"

'No one really understands me!'She mentally screamed pulling her hair and biting her nails.

"Watch out, Lucy!"

It was merely an inch of a second that Lucy managed to dodged and escape Natsu's flame, with some burnt hair and sleeve. Still shaking from the fear, Lucy sank to her knees, lips quivering.

"Wha…what was that…?" She had hardly finished talking when from her left came Gray's icicles, wheezing past her, with its sharp, pointed tips glinting centimeters away from her eyes. "Idiots! Are you trying to kill me?!" Lucy screamed madly, pointing a shaking finger to Gray and then to the dragon slayer.

"Sorry, Lucy. But I need to show this idiot who he's messing with," Gray coolly said, not removing his gaze on the dragon slayer. "Just stay back."

"That's right," Natsu said, igniting his fists and taking in his fighting stance. "I need to roast Gray's ass."

The sun has now risen and every corner's darkness has vanished, save for the forest whose looming trees had prevented light from penetrating in. Its clearings and surroundings have already signaled the start of a brand new day as all its inhabitants began dominating around. At a certain clearing, the very place travelers and alike are used to walk to enter the forest, bits of stones and burning branches and twigs and frozen pebbles and such were sent flying on every direction as the fight between Natsu and Gray heated up. Both were now shirtless as Gray somehow managed to freeze Natsu's shirt but his scarf, and giving a deadly blow, shattered it much to Natsu's rage.

"Don't you dare turn me to a stripping freak, you damn exhibitionist," Natsu growled, hitting Gray directly in the face with his fire-lit fist.

Gray slammed in the nearby boulder, eventually destroying it.

"Yeah, you got that, droopy eyes!" Natsu exclaimed in his own victory, pumping his fist and grinning from ear to ear.

But no one answered him nor moved. The impact was so strong that it made Natsu thought that Gray must be underneath the ruins of dust and stones and trees. Making out his mind that he would check to see if Gray is still okay and in good fighting condition, he made his way towards the place Gray has slammed moments ago and sniffed in the air around. 'His scent's not in here…'

"I advise you not to let your guard down, flame-brain,"

He just heard him and they fell on him from above, like sharpened rain drops they hit him. Gray was nowhere near nor under the stones; he was above, shooting Natsu with icicles. It was a hit the dragon slayer did not anticipate to happen, and he was barely able to avoid getting hit. Gray, still in mid air, doubled his attacks by concentrating his magic in his hands, forming thousands of frozen needles and much bigger ones.

"Idiot, that's way too big! It's not fair," Natsu growled as he punched a big chunk of ice and made his way out to safety. Then bracing himself, Natsu's flame began engulfing his own body, and Gray's ice, no matter how hard they were, melted on their way to the dragon slayer.

Finally landing on the ground, Gray did not waste a second to prepare for Natsu's incoming attack. 'He's too serious,' he muttered to himself, taking in the Ice Bringer stance.

"You're dead, underwear man," Natsu hissed through gritted teeth.

"I can say the same to you, flame brain…"

"Roar of the fire dragon!"

"Ice Bringer!"

Minutes have passed and Lucy finally opened her eyes to find herself in Loke's arms, his glasses glinting in the sun but wearing a passive face.

"That was dangerous, Princess. You really should stay away from them once they start fighting," the lion spirit sternly said, looking at her intently. Then, before Lucy could utter any word of gratitude, Loke shifted his gaze in front and spoke. "How is it, Aries?"

It was only that time that Lucy noticed the lamb spirit, Aries was standing in front of them, with her giant wool wall shielding them from fire and ice making their way around, and from falling rocks and burning branches. "Just a little longer, Loke, Lucy-sama. I'm sorry."

Lucy wiggled her way out of Loke's arm and look around. Smiling at the timid spirit, she turned to Loke. "What's going on behind this wall?" she asked, tapping the soft, pink wall.

"Fire and ice, Princess," Loke casually replied. Adjusting his glasses with his index, he made his way swiftly passed his owner and beside Aries, sticking his forehead to the wall, he grimly continued, "It was a foolish fight, they were not supposed to go all out, especially in front of you, Princess."

"Go all out…wait, you mean they were serious?"

"Dead serious, Princess," Loke huskily said, giving Lucy some goose bumps to boot. 'Dead serious, just like how I love you,' he added in his thought.

The stellar mage groaned. She was already welcoming a dozen of idiot-induced headaches and a delayed rent when she remembered the two. "Gray? Natsu? Where are they? Were they hurt?"

"We can't say for now. Aries?"

"Just a little longer, Loke, Lucy-sama. It's still dangerous out of this wall. I'm sorry," Aries replied, eyes focused in strengthening her wall.

"But," Lucy tried to argue but Loke cut her off.

"We understand you, Princess, believe me. But we can't risk you," Loke dismissively said.

Lucy just remained silent for minutes until Aries began deflating her wall. "Please be careful, Lucy-sama. I'm sorry."

"Thank you, Aries," Lucy said, as she quickly made her way to the place where she last saw Natsu and Gray stood. She then began looking for traces the two might happened to leave, and she saw Natsu's scarf underneath a big boulder. Lucy hitched a breath. Eyes brimming with tears, she turned to Loke who followed her silently. With quivering voice, Lucy said, "He…he's alive, right, Loke?" It was all she could say, and though she tried hard not to break, her voice did sound so unconvincing.

Loke gazed at her terrified form and sighed. Then without further ado, as fast as the light that he is, he quickly vanished from Lucy's sight and seconds later Lucy heard a loud explosion, followed by some falling rocks in various sizes that Lucy had to run back beside the lamb spirit under her wool roof. Panting hard, Lucy cried out, "What the hell do you think you're doing, Loke?"

But the lion spirit didn't answer.

"Why is everybody so much a pain?" Lucy asked herself, slapping face.

'Lucy-sama, look," Aries suddenly said, pointing to the ground where Lucy saw the dragon slayer's scarf and where a huge boulder was sitting minutes ago. Where the huge rock was lamely kicked by Loke into bits there was Natsu, sprawled on the ground on his stomach, and Gray was a few meters away from him, pants burned, and as Lucy dashed towards her friends, her fears disappeared immediately as she heard Natsu's loud and Gray's faint snore. 'Really, you guys,' she thought, wiping her tears.

"So much for worrying about them, Princess," Loke finally said, dusting himself. Then he approached Natsu's sleeping form and crouched beside him and poked his cheek. "He's not hurt, just sleeping. See this, Princess," Loke said, pointing to the dragon slayer's rising and falling of his chest.

Lucy's eyes followed Loke's words and nodded."Thank you, Loke," she said, finally smiling.

Loke smiled for himself and sighed. Then he stood up and approached Gray, followed by Lucy. "Princess, you're not supposed to come here. Go back."

Lucy frowned but stopped. "Why, what happened to Gray…'

"Kyaaa!" From afar Aries screamed, closing her eyes and covering them with her hands, a little blush crept on her cheeks. "I'm sorry!"

Puzzled, Lucy raised a brow and followed the timid lamb's train of gaze. 'Screaming while saying sorry is not cute at all' she thought. Then her gaze started with burnt branches, then frozen rocks, again burnt trees and smoking ice, and then some dust followed by a pair of black dress shoes. 'That's Loke,' she thought, and her eyes went on; pebbles, rocks, ice, a naked body…

"Kyaaa!" came Lucy's deafening scream.

Loke sighed and look at his blushing master helplessly. "I told you so, Princess. You're not supposed to be here," he playfully smirked. Turning his eyes to the ice mage's limp form, Loke removed his coat and covered Gray's body. "And you're not supposed to be this naked."

There you have it, the fourth chapter of Stripping the Feline! Not the LoLu thing you were expecting? Well, my bad. This idea kind of struck me when my sister told me about this two boys around the age of 10 fighting from our window. One of them was naked and a couple of minutes after, a copper-haired girl came, hitting both boys hard in the head. Well, Erza Scarlet has red hair but come on! Who wouldn't be inspired by that?

One more thing is, I don't know when will be the next time I will be updating and posting new stories. By this November I'll be flying to Taoyuan City and I'm not sure if internet connection will be available in the apartment the very day of my arrival. Because of that, I'm now neck to neck on my Mandarin. Who would have thought that I will be studying the language I liked the very least?

I forgot to tell you, I'm accepting request stories, oneshots and multi chaptered. All you need to do is PM me or email me meisa_kano .

Jaa ne.