Chapter 4 - Erza is Evil
"Hey, Natsu what brings you here?" Max greeted the pinkette.
Natsu nodded towards the blonde standing besides him. "We need to get Lucy her Fairy Tail mark." He explained. "So show us what ever you got!"
Max smirked. "I'll show you the latest stuff." He pulled out two black cases, opened them and set them on the table facing Natsu and Lucy. "Pick your favourite design and I'll get it in what ever colour you want." He said.
Lucy leaned forward, her eyes sweeping past the mounds of jewellery. She was definitely a 'jewellery' kind of girl, but for some reason her eyes didn't catch anything amazing. "Do you have anything else?" She asked politely.
Max silently placed a third case on the table, going aback to to talk to Natsu about how he 'better put those Courage kids back where they belong'. Lucy had tuned them out, no problem. "Ooh, can I have those earrings?"
"Eh?" Natsu looked at her in confusion. "Max doesn't sell earrings." He told her.
"Actually," Max said, pulling them out, "I found these in the storage with some of my older designs. So I polished it and fixed it up. It must have been the last if some other collection years ago." He explained. "I'm not planning on remodelling it. It's very complicated workmanship. But you can have it if you want."
Lucy grinned. "Great!" She fumbled around for her wallet, only to realise that Natsu had already paid for her. "Nice to see chivalry isn't totally dead." She said, smiling. She turned away from the two to fix her earrings in her ear lobes. She had rushed to school today, and in her haste had forgotten her usual dangly heart earrings. These ones were similar except instead of a heart, the fairy mascot dangled off them. In the centre a pink stone twinkled mysteriously. It was love at first sight. She turned around with a flourish.
"So, what do you think?" She asked Natsu, tilting her head slightly so that the sunlight made her earrings glitter. He stared at her for a few seconds, his eyes unmoving. Then he smiled. It was the same smile she had seen in the photograph in Principal Makarov's office. Full of honesty and loyalty.
"You look great Luigi!" He reassured her.
She scowled. "For the billionth time, Natsu, it's Lucy!"
-/-
After a quick shower, Lucy faced a major dilemma. It was raining outside. Heavily. And she was in the mood to cook. But at the same time she needed to type a thousand page essay about Magnolia and send it to Hisui. If I only I could do both, at the same time. "Wait!" She realised. "I can!"
She reached for her phone and texted Hisui.
You free?
Lucy got a reply back almost instantly.
Yes
Uh oh, one word answer. She winced. Hisui's really pissed. She reached for her laptop and went on Skype. Without any hesitation, she went on Hisui's name and clicked on video chat. Lucy placed it on her kitchen counter, in front of her stove.
Hisui accepted the call and the green haired girl soon came into view. "Lucy! I've missed you so, so much - Wait. Are you cooking?"
Lucy smiled as she placed a pot of rice and water on the stove. "Yup! I'm making your favourite curry. Anyways, I met Freed yesterday -"
"Oh that reminds me. I'm not talking to you." Hisui crossed her arms across her chest indignantly. "You moved away and you completely forgot about me, you bitch. Is that any way to treat -"
"I'm sorry Hisui?" Lucy said sheepishly. "It's not like I forgot. I was just so busy and so tired."
"Ooh that reminds me. You have to tell me everything about Fairy Academy, got it?"
"Don't worry, I will." Lucy reassured her. "I remember how nervous I was when I stood there watching everyone. I felt so out of place for some reason" Lucy continued her tale as she started preparing a pot of curry. Her first day, when Natsu spilled water on her, Levy, Wendy, Erza and Gray. Her second day, cheerleading and one very annoying boy with pink hair. Her third day, meeting Cana, Jet and Droy. Cheer Practice. She went on about Principal Makarov, her new earrings. The Fairy/Courage rivalry.
Her laptop was now placed on her round table as she ate her curry and rice. On the other side of Fiore, Hisui was also being served dinner as she eagerly told Lucy about how boring Spirit Academy had become.
"Especially since I'm the only one left." Hisui said sadly.
"What do you mean? Yukino's there. Right?"
"Oh, I'm such a spaz!" Hisui said, angry at herself. "I forgot to tell you! About a month ago, some kids from Sabertooth Academy came over. They were really annoying but one of them took an interest in Yukino." She explained. "She was tanned and she had black hair in a weird hairstyle. And this really heavy accent. Italian or maybe Russian, it was hard to tell. Her name was Minerva."
"I think I remember her. She was cheerleader, wasn't she?" Lucy asked.
Hisui nodded. "She said some stuff to Yukino. When they went away, it felt like they took Yukino away with them. She was so distant and quiet, always hanging out in the library and talking to no one. She stopped coming to school for a while."
Lucy raised her eyebrows. "That's not like Yukino at all."
"It got worse." Hisui said sadly. "Two weeks ago, the teachers announced it was Yukino's last day at Spirit. She was transferring to Sabertooth."
Lucy gasped. "Yukino would never - do you think Sorano has something to do with this?"
Hisui shook her head. "I haven't heard about Yukino's sister since she graduated. I think she ran away or something. The worst part was that when I went up to Yukino, she was like 'do I know you?' Ugh, she was all rude and cold. It was so weird. Then she changed her number and deactivated all her accounts, FaceBook, Twitter, everything. There is like, literally, no evidence of Yukino Agria in Spirit. It's like she vanished off the Earth."
Lucy's eyes widened. "Sabertooth Academy is in Magnolia right? I'll look out for her. Don't worry."
Hisui sighed. "I hope she's alright. I'm really worried for her."
"You're not the only one..."
-/-
That night before she went to sleep, Lucy spent an hour writing. She had decided to write teen fiction, with dashes of humour. Her protagonist? A brunette with sparkly blue eyes just like Mira's. Lucy had a habit of basing her characters on her friends or people she aspired she to be. She twirled a strand of her blonde hair, staring at it. "I wonder how I would look with black hair?" She murmured to herself.
Her leading male character was blonde, like her. And his eyes? Black. She typed, stifling a huge yawn. They shone like a pair of black onyxes. They seemed to hold a strange intensity in them and radiated loyalty and promise. If you stood on eye level with him, you could see faint flecks of green and gold, barely noticeable from afar. Those obsidian eyes, tanned skin and pink hair seemed like a strange combination but -
Lucy closed her eyes and laid her head down beside her laptop, stretching her legs on her pillow. Just for a minute. She thought. A tiny nap won't hurt anyone...
-/-
The next morning, Lucy Heartfilia awoke to the sound of her phone blaring. She scowled as she shut her alarm, before realising that her feet were on her pillow instated of her head.
I must have fallen asleep while I was typing, she realised. Quickly she sat up, stretching her arms as she picked up her laptop and placed it in front of her. She pressed the 'enter' key as the laptop came back to life. On her screen was the document she had been typing. Lucy glanced at the time, realised she had plenty of time and started re-reading what she had written.
When she reached the part which she had typed just before she fell asleep, her eyes widened. She placed a hand over her mouth as re-read those lines. "'Those obsidian eyes, tanned skin and pink hair'" She read aloud, blushing in spite of herself. "Seriously, Lucy? The only person I know with pink hair is - Natsu..." She pressed delete.
"Hmm, wait. I like the description. But I could make a few changes. I mean the guy's blonde. I think I'll give him grey eyes. No, hazel!" Embarrassment forgotten, Lucy's fingers flew across her keyboard, her tongue sticking out in concentration. Out of habit she glanced at the clock, and nearly hit the roof. "Crap!" She realised. "I'm gonna be late!"
-/-
After a bout of of extremely torturous cheerleading practice, Lucy trudged to her class, scowling. She sat down on her seat, dropping her head on the table, hoping to get some shut eye. No such luck... "Oi, Lucy!" She raised her head in annoyance, only to meet obsidian eyes half way. Obsidian, that sounds familiar... Ah! Why am I thinking about Natsu like that!
"Lucy?" Natsu waved his hand in front her her face, trying to catch her attention. Lucy looked like she as having a mental breakdown. "Luuucy?" He said, dragging out her name. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, wow, Natsu. You finally broke her." Gray snorted, as Lucy's left eye began to twitch. "Good job."
Natsu eyed the boy sitting beside him. "Get lost, Ice Princess! You have -"
He was cut off by Levy who placed a steaming hot cappuccino in front of Lucy. "There you go, Lu-chan." She said gently, patting the blonde on her head. "It's a good thing you texted me. You're desperately in need of a boost."
Lucy didn't reply. She just stared at the coffee for a few seconds, as if speculating if it was real or a figment of her imagination. Then she grabbed it and chugged it down as of it was the last cup of coffee on earth.
Gray chuckled. "She looks like Cana with her beer!"
"Lucy had cheer practice this morning." Levy explained as she glanced at Bisca who was slumped over her desk as Alzack and Laki tried to wake her up. "She's tired out."
"M-Mirajane's a demon." Lucy rasped, breaking away from her coffee "No - she's The Demon. She's Satan himself." With that she went back to chugging the bitter brown liquid.
Natsu's eyes widened. "C-careful she might hear you." He said, shivering in fear. He looked at Levy and Gray. "I'm never joining the cheer squad." He promised. "Never ever, ever -"
"Natsu in a skirt?" Gray drawled, disgusted. "Thanks for the mental image. I can never look at you the same way again -"
Natsu leaned over and punched his left eye. "Shut up!" He said, annoyed. Levy let out a sharp intake of breathe. That has gotta hurt, she thought. Gray lunged for him, just as Erza marched over. She grabbed them both by their collars as she banged their heads together.
"No fighting on school grounds!" She reminded them with a death glare. She glanced at Lucy, who had set down her coffee and was wiping her mouth. The colour had returned to her cheeks and her eyes looked more alert.
"No beverages from outside allowed, Lucy." Erza reminded her, albeit in a much gentler tone.
"Oh, sorry." Lucy apologised. "I was just so tired -"
Erza smiled. "It's nice to see you putting so much effort into the Festival." She said warmly. "Keep it up."
Natsu and Gray were slumped down on the floor. As the dizziness receded, they met each other's eyes in a silent gesture that plainly meant 'Ezra is so damn sexist', except they didn't dare say it out loud.
-/-
Lucy spent the rest of her day after school relaxing, taking naps and drafting out her novel. Before she went to sleep, she called her dad.
"Hello, Lucy-sama. Is everything alright?"
"Capricorn? Yes, I want to speak with my father." Lucy said. Capricorn was her dad's right-hand man. He had been with the family since before Lucy's birth. A few seconds later, Jude Heartfilia answered the phone.
"Is everything alright, Lucy? I'm meeting some people right now." He said impatiently.
Lucy bit her lip. "Uh, I just wanted to tell you that I'm very much settled in Magnolia. And Fairy Academy -" Lucy hesitated.
"That's good. Taurus and Sagittarius have been updating me." Her dad said distractedly. "As for Fairy Academy, I'm not very fond of that institute. Are you sure you don't want to transfer to Courage or Sabertooth Academy?" He asked her, his tone stern.
Lucy struggled against the urge to roll her eyes, repeatedly. "Fairy Academy is amazing, dad. How about you?"
"I'm fine. Now if you're done, I'm quite busy. I expect A grades this year as well, Lucy, no matter how poor the competition is." Jude reminded her, and with that, hung up. Lucy stared at her phone for a few seconds.
"Would it kill you to actually talk to me for once?" She exclaimed. "The fact that you're never around doesn't really help either dad... It's the least you could do!" A single tear slid from her eye, which Lucy quickly wiped off. "I will not cry." She willed herself. "I'm done with crying. I will not cry. I will not -" Her voice cracked. She sighed, as tears slowly trickled down her face.
"It's not fair." She carefully placed her phone on her bedside table, and fell asleep, exhausted.
-/-
Because she fell asleep at eleven last night, Lucy stirred at nine a.m in the morning, feeling well rested and surprisingly cheerful. It's so weird, she thought. I'm crying at night and the next morning I'm humming cheerfully. Sleep does wonders sometimes. She opened her door, stepping out into her lounge for breakfast, and her mouth fell open.
Gray Fullbuster was seated on a stool in front of her kitchen counter, dropping ice cube after ice cube into a bowl of milk. Natsu Dragneel was pulling a steaming bowl of milk out of her microwave using her oven mitts. She silently gaped as the two boys added cereal into their milk and started eating.
"Wha- what do you think you're doing?" She asked, regaining her composure.
"We ran out of cereal." Gray explained.
"So you just broke into my apartment again?" She yelled, a demonic aura leaking out of her.
"It was F-Flame Brain's idea!" Gray burst out, his eyes haunted. "We lease don't kill me Erza - I mean Lucy. Please don't kill me!" He repeated.
Natsu on the other hand, looked unaffected. He got up, bowl in hand and moved closer to her. "We didn't break in. The balcony was unlocked." "Plus, we were hungry." He pouted, widening his eyes so he looked innocent. I was right, there are flecks of green in his eyes -
"Natsu Dragneel, don't you dare use the puppy dog face on me!" She scolded the pinkette. Natsu silently placed his bowl of cereal on the counter top and grabbed Lucy by the shoulders.
"Get dressed." He stated. "We have places to be at." Lucy flushed slightly at the lack of distance between the two.
"O-okay." She squeaked as she bolted back into her bedroom. When she emerged twenty minutes later, Natsu and Gray were fighting over the TV remote. She sighed and cleared her throat. "Where exactly are you guys taking me?" She asked, hand on her hip. "Because I need to have breakfast -"
"No time for that." Gray cut in. "We're going to the guild."
"The guild?" She asked. "But I'm hungry!" Natsu and Gray didn't reply, they just silently walked out of her apartment and waited for her. Lucy sighed, and ran after them.
-/-
Reflected in the shop windows, Lucy could see her blonde hair, slightly damp from her shower. She was wearing a blue-grey strapless top, with white designs, and lined with tiny white ruffles. In contrast, her skirt was the same pink as her earrings. On one shoulder she carried a small purse with her phone and wallet. It was also pink.
As they walked to the mysterious 'guild', Nastu and Gray kept up a constant stream of chatter about Fairy Academy. While Lucy loved to hear about it, she tuned them out as she silently observed the boys.
Gray was taller, almost six feet and his raven black hair and eyes made his skin look pale. He was simply dressed in a full sleeved dark blue shirt and black jeans with a silver chain attached to his belt loops. It might have been late September but there was still a warm summer breeze in the air which slightly mussed up his hair. He's definitely cute, Lucy thought. But I could do without the stripping.
The sun rays reflected off Natsu's salmon pink hair. He was at least an inch shorter than Gray, his built slender and lean. His eyes were twinkling as he laughed with Gray about the numerous pranks the two had pulled. He was similarly dressed in jeans and a red and black shirt, the sleeves rolled up. His scaly white scarf was ever present and so was his golden earring. None of my male characters have earrings... Lucy realised. I thought they were too punk. But they really suit -
"Welcome, to The Guild!" Natsu said, halting in front of a four storey building. Lucy stared at it, wide eyed. There were large glass windows on the ground floor and everything else was shiny metal and wood. Inscribed on top were the words, 'The Guild'.
"Wow..." Lucy was lost for words. "This is -" Her stomach rumbled and Lucy flushed.
Gray smirked. "Right on time!" He pushed open the doors and the three walked in.
"Welcome to The Guild!" Mirajane greeted them cheerfully. "There's a table in the corner!"
"Mira? You work here?" Lucy asked, shocked.
Mirajane nodded. "It's my part time job!" She replied. "I'm so glad you two bought Lucy here!" She lead them to their table and handed them there menus but Natsu waved them off.
"Nah, Mira. We'll have the usual." He said.
"The usual?" Lucy asked, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion.
"It's a surprise!" Mira said, her eyes sparkling as she walked away. She was wearing a short hot pink dress with elbow length sleeves. Around her waist was a white apron with the words "The Guild" written in bright colours. Under it was a silver fairy.
"I didn't know this was part of Fairy Tail too!" Lucy exclaimed.
"It's sponsored by them." Gray explained. "And Macao and Wakaba, the owners, were part of Fairy Tail too."
"You guys got lucky!" Mirajane announced as she placed three plates on their table. "Macao had already started making your usuals."
"That's cause I called ahead." Gray told her. "Otherwise my food would've been hot."
Mira leaned over to ruffle his hair in a 'big sister' way. "You're the only one in Magnolia who doesn't like a plate of hot eggs and bacon." She chided him.
Gray shuddered. "It's disgusting." Natsu was already eating what looked like a plate of omelette, bacon rashers and hash browns, except they were covered with Tabasco sauce and chilli powder. Gray's plate was the same, except it wasn't giving off a single wisp of steam and had been sprinkled with mint leaves. Lucy breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw her plate. It was normal. At least it looked normal. But one bite proved that it tasted delicious.
"Ah! This is the best omelette I've ever had." Lucy said with a contended sigh. "Then you'll love what we're having tonight!" Mira said as she passed by.
"Tonight?" Lucy asked. "What's tonight?"
"Only the best food." Natsu said, a hungry gleam in his eye. "Omelette, mackerel, tempura..." He went of in a food daze.
Gray slapped him on the back of his head. "Oi, do ever think about anything besides food, Pyro?"
Natsu let his fork drop onto the empty plate with a clang. "What's it to you, huh, Stripper?" He said, shoving Gray. The raven head stood up abruptly, knocking back his chair.
"Don't push me, bastard!"
"What did you call me?" Natsu cried, standing up as well. Gray simply punched him but before Natsu could respond, a sickly sweet voice cut in.
"Do you boys mind taking it outside?" Mira asked. She made it sound like a 'do or die' order. She was still smiling and her arms were held out in front of her innocently. But her eyes gleamed demonically. The two stared at her, before yelling out a yes and running out of the cafe.
Lucy sighed and went back to eating.
-/-
"So exactly where are we going now?" Lucy asked curiously. When she had walked out of the Guild, she had found the two boys sitting on the sidewalk wallowing in their misery. Gray had a bruised jaw and Natsu had a gash on his forehead. Luckily the bleeding had stopped.
"Erza is gonna kill us!" Natsu moaned, ignoring her.
"The she'll resurrect us and torture us to death." Gray continued.
"You guys have an over active imagination." Lucy said, raising her eyebrows on confusion. "But you still didn't tell me where we're going." They paused in front of a shop that sold coats and stuff. "Eh?" Lucy asked, confused.
"We're shopping for coats," She craned her head to glance through the windows. "And gloves?"
Gray shook his head, gesturing to where Natsu had been standing a few seconds ago. "The pyro needs gloves so we're making a short stop." He said. "Don't worry we're not going shopping."
Lucy pouted. "But I like shopping."
"Girls!" Gray scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"So, how's hockey going?" Lucy asked trying to make conversation.
Gray rolled his eyes. "It would have been amazing if some delinquent hadn't sneaked in itching powder in our uniforms." He grumbled with a sigh. "It took three washes to get it out and we missed out on two days of practice."
Lucy held back a giggle. "That's too bad." She said, feigning normalcy. "I had no idea he used the more powerful one..." She muttered under her breathe.
Gray gave her an odd look. "Do you know something I don't?"
"I uh -" She faltered. Natsu came running out of the store, holding a small paper bag. He pulled out two pairs of gloves and handed them to Lucy. Natsu saves the day, she thought, again.
"Can you put one pair in your purse?" He asked, pouting. "I might drop them."
Lucy rolled her eyes, but complied. "Why do you need gloves in sumner?"
"It's not really summer anymore, Luce." He reminded her. "And I need them for my experiments." He slipped on the fingerless black gloves. "The guy made a special fire-proof pair for me."
"At least you won't burn them this time." Gray grumbled. "Come on, we're gonna be late." He said as he started down the road. Natsu and Lucy exchanged glances, before hurrying after him.
-/-
"Lucy-san?" Wendy exclaimed in delight as she ran down the path to greet the older girl. "What are you doing here?" Lucy smiled as she hugged the girl, gesturing to the two boys who were slightly more banged up than before. Apparently Gray found out Natsu had messed with the hockey uniforms.
"These two brought me here as a surprise. I'm so glad they did!"
Wendy laughed, grabbing Lucy's hand. "Come on. Let me show you around!" She lead Lucy past the gardens into a large house with the words 'Fairy Hills' written in bright colours. They walked past the front door into a small room. A large wooden staircase was in one corner and a single door lead to comfortable looking lounge.
A middle aged lady came out of the kitchen, her pink hair in a bun with chopsticks, her face wrinkled. She was wearing a simple green blouse and a long pink skirt. She eyed Lucy's tight top and short skirt with distaste.
"Wendy, you should know better that to invest your company with the likes of people like her." She said, wrinkling her nose. "You're a Heartfilia, aren't you? I saw your face plastered on my newspaper. Good for nothing, you lot..." She grumbled. Lucy blanched at the sudden harsh criticism, but before she could say a word, the lady walked out of the front door.
"I'm sorry, Lucy." Wendy apologised. "Porlyusica-san is usually in a bad mood. But she can be really nice too!" She said hurriedly. "Since she's the caretaker of this place..."
Lucy placed a hand in the other girl's shoulder. "It's okay, Wendy." She brushed off. "Can you take me to Levy's room first?"
"Of course!" Wendy said, eager to please.
-/-
Levy bit her lip as she tapped the 'power off' button. As her phone shut off, she placed in her drawer and slammed it shut. The hinges rattled and she blinked back tears. She reached for her notebook, her eyes scanning page after page, before she sighed and reached for another book on her bed.
Her room looked like a war zone. Books upon books were stacked in every corner, coffee mugs and more open books graced her bookshelves. Her laptop was surrounded by printouts with words painstakingly highlighted. A single pathway from her bed to her door was clean from all the mess. All her friends were forbidden from entering since she was 'working on a project'.
Just then, the door opened and Levy leapt up. Grabbing all the printouts she placed them on her laptop's keyboard and shut the screen. She heaved a sigh of relief. No immediate evidence for now...
She glanced back at the doorway, to where a blonde was gaping at her. "Bad timing?"
Oh she had no idea...
-/-
Lucy gawked at the sight of her new best friend.
Levy's blue curls hung limply past her shoulders, her eyes bloodshot and bleary. Her face was pale and her clothes seemed to hang off her skinny frame.
"Bad timing?" The blonde asked. Levy's eyes lost the deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression as she managed a smile.
"I'm just really tired." She admitted. "What are you doing here?"
"The boys dragged me here." Lucy said. "I figured this was the best way to see your room. Does it, uh, normally look like this?"She asked hesitantly.
"I was actually working on a project..." Levy trailed off without conviction.
"Never mind that." Lucy said firmly. She grabbed Levy by the shoulders and sat her down on her bed, facing her wardrobe. "You need a makeover. And, clearly, a shower."
Lucy ignored Levy's protests and flung open her wardrobe. A pair of white capri pants caught her eye. "This is cute!" She crooned.
"Mira forced me to buy it." Levy grumbled.
"It still has the price tag on." Lucy realised with a start. She flung them a Levy. "You are definitely wearing this." She ordered. Lucy pulled out a dark blue waistcoat next. She silently handed it to Levy, who accepted it submissively.
But then her eyes widened at the strapless yellow crop top Lucy was holding up. "Oh hell no, Lu-chan!" She protested. "No way!"
"Levy this is so cute, it's perfect!" Lucy gushed. The two had a mini glaring contest, which Lucy won. Levy grabbed her clothes as she headed towards the bathroom with a sigh.
Lucy decided to go back to Wendy while Levy showered, and began to hunt for her purse. In the tiny clothes scuffle, it had fallen under Levy's bed. As she pulled it out, Lucy's eyes fell on the blunette's notebook.
One word had been written down repeatedly. Kurogane. Lucy wrinkled her nose. Kurogane? It didn't sound English. Japanese? She hadn't heard it in any anime recently either. She had studied French and Latin in Spirit, but Kurogane wasn't part of that either. Lucy sighed. She had better things to do than think about a single word she didn't know about.
-/-
"I had no idea you baked, Wendy!" Lucy said, taking a bite of the blueberry muffins Wendy had just made.
Wendy smiled. "It's actually more of a hobby." Wendy said, blushing. "It was actually a mistake."
"Do tell." Lucy urged, leaning closer.
"I wanted to join the photography club with my friends, but there was a mix-up." Wendy explained. "I ended up in the cooking club instead. For some reason I stuck around and now," she held up here hands as if to say 'well that's that'.
"These are so good, you don't even need to freeze them." Gray remarked, biting into his fourth chocolate chip cookie.
"No need for hot sauce either!" Natsu claimed.
Lucy rolled her eyes at them. "What are you making now?" She asked Wendy.
"I learnt a new strawberry cheesecake recipe so I'm making it for Erza-nee." Wendy said sweetly. "She loves cake. Especially strawberry cake."
"Yours is just as good as Yajima-san's, Wendy." Erza said as she walked into the kitchen. She set down a paper bag next to Wendy. "I got the rest of your supplies." She turned to Lucy. "I didn't expect to see you here, Lucy. And how did you two get those bruises?" Erza turned to Natsu and Gray, hands on her hips.
"We uh-" Gray said.
"Actually-" Natsu struggled.
"They were defending my honour!" Lucy blurted out. All eyes turned to her.
"They were?" Erza asked suspiciously.
"We were?" Natsu asked. Lucy shot him a glare.
"Yes they were." Lucy lied. "It was a couple of weirdos. They totally saved me."
Erza relaxed. "I'm glad to see you boys putting all your training to good use." She declared. "You might need to ice those bruises though." She pointed out as she walked away.
The two boys let out huge sighs of relief. They bowed in front of Lucy. "You are our saviour." They declared. "We owe you."
Wendy giggled. "That was evil, Lucy."
"Hell no." Gray said. "Erza is evil. Lucy is kind. Lucy is nice."
"Lucy is awesome. Lucy is smart. Lucy is -" Natsu continued.
"That's enough!" Lucy said, slapping her forehead. "Never again, though." She shuddered. "Who knows what Erza would do if she found out..."
-/-
When Levy came down, the boys were busy playing video games in the lounge. Jet and Gray were sitting on the floor barely a foot away from the TV. They were hurriedly tapping their controllers and yelling out curses and combos. Natsu was sitting on the sofa, jumping up and down in excitement, cheering on Jet. Droy was watching intently, shovelling large amounts of chips into his mouth.
Levy smiled fondly at the sight. She didn't mean to sound obnoxious, but she was eternally grateful towards the creation of the X-Box which kept Jet and Droy distracted. It wasn't that the boys were some desperate losers who hung around her like lapdogs. No, they were two surprisingly popular, good looking boys whom she had known since she first came to Fairy Hills. Neither of them were orphans, but Jet's parents were divorced and Droy lived with his sisters since both his parents were in the military - so they both came from troubled backgrounds as well.
The three had instantly clicked. Every where they went, they were together. 'Levy, Jet and Droy', the trio, never one without the other two. They stuck together through thick and thin.
One Valentines Day, when Levy was barely fifteen years old, the unthinkable happened. She had read enough books to know that this was the age when boys started to show an interest in you. However, living in fantasy worlds, Levy was always wary of boys since they were always the result of a broken heart or many sleepless nights and tears. Levy was practical. She knew that you don't need a boy to be happy.
But then Jet confessed to her. Pressurised, Levy agreed to go on a date with him. It didn't end well. The next day, Droy asked her out as well. Levy should've learned from her mistakes, but she agreed again. Maybe she just couldn't say no, because she ended up dating both her best friends, without the other finding out.
For a while she kept it up, but then Levy cracked. She burst into tears and confessed. She hadn't fallen in love with either of them, but she felt broken hearted anyways. Maybe because she felt she had lost the two most important people in her life.
Jet and Droy were forgiving, sensitive boys. They gave her space and gradually the three grew back together again. They still loved her and they accepted it. Why did they love Levy, they often asked themselves. She wasn't gorgeous, witty or striking in anyway. Levy was kind and sweet and easily forgiving.
Levy had read about love in books. It was like an adventure. You never knew what to expect, or what would happen next. Love was a mystery. An enigma. To Jet and Droy, Levy certainly wasn't a mystery. Loving her wasn't uncharted territory. It didn't give them thrills and there were never any surprises. They knew what to expect.
Levy figured it was easy to love your best friend. You knew what would happen next. But the only person (or in her case, people) who could differentiate between loving their best friend and being in love their best friend were Jet and Droy. Over the course of time, Levy had accepted that. She knew the boys were trying to move on. But they would never stop caring for her. Nowadays they acted less like besotted best friends and more like over-protective brothers. They still loved her, but Levy hoped it was a different kind of love now.
Despite her extensive reading, Levy was clueless about actually falling in love. It could happen between the most unlikeliest of people in the space of a few short seconds, that they both would either cherish or regret forever.
Her mind flashed back to her research. Kurogane, she wondered. Why me?
-/-
It's always weird watching your best friend decked out in new threads, looking totally adorable, standing on the staircase, contemplating life's greatest mysteries.
"Levy? Levy. Levy McGarden!" Lucy waved a hand in front of the blunette's face, trying to get her attention. "Levy?"
"Huh?"
"Do you wanna check out the bookshop now?" Lucy asked. "The new one down the street you were telling me about."
"Oh yeah!" Levy realised. "They have the book I want. Can we leave now?" Lucy laughed at her sudden enthusiasm.
"You haven't left the house for two days, except to go to school." She scolded her friend. "Erza told me you weren't sleeping either. You need a break." She insisted.
"I know, I know." Levy waved her off. "Let's hurry, Lu-chan. There are books just waiting to be bought." She said, eager to change the topic.
"Fine!" Lucy gave up.
-/-
The two spent an hour in the bookshop, giggling over passionate romance novels and chick flicks. They departed, weights lifted off their shoulders, with large bags overflowing with books thanks to Levy's employee discount.
"I can't believe you work here." Lucy exclaimed.
"Four days a week." Levy confirmed with a nod. "But I can buy all the books I want since I do the most boring job - inventory. Almost no one else volunteered for the job. They were so desperate they agreed to all my demands, so I get two times the usual salary plus a major discount."
Lucy giggled. "And Erza works too?" Levy shook her head. "Erza doesn't need to since she's a high achiever."
Lucy's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "What does that have to do with this?"
Levy took a deep breath. "Basically, the Fairy Tail program gives us free accommodation - Fairy Hills, and education - Fairy Academy. When you turn sixteen, you can move out like Natsu and Gray, or you can stay at the Hills if there's space, and if you're okay with buying your own stuff and cooking for yourself too." "If you get good grades and you participate in club activities, you get a decent allowance. If you're an honour student or you're in a team or something, then you get enough money to get your own place. Since Natsu and Gray have both broken records in track or hockey or even chemistry, they can afford their place on Strawberry Street. Not to mention the art projects Gray gets paid for. And Erza? She's student council president, kendo champion and A grade student. She rolling in cash but she spends it on armour or clothes. Oh and cake." Levy chuckled. "Erza had an unhealthy obsession for cake. But she prefers to stay at Fairy Hills, with all of together."
"But what about Evergreen and Mira?" Lucy asked. "People like Ever and Bisca have normal families but, obviously, there's always trouble of some sort since their Fairy Tail, right?" Levy explained. "They don't get that many benefits but they're guaranteed a home here. And Mira? She works at the Guild part time. Plus she and her brother have an apartment above the Guild. With her job and the cheerleading team, they're quite well off."
"I never realised the lengths Master Makarov goes to for your wellbeing. It's kinda like training for when you've gotta do everything yourself later in life." Lucy realised.
"Exactly. He always says that it's not our fault for ending up where we did, but we can try and change where we end up tomorrow, if we work hard enough."
"I can't believe you guys get paid to study." Lucy grumbled.
"Not just us anymore. You're one of us too." Levy reminded her.
Lucy smiled and Levy could have sworn all the eighty-eight heavenly bodies twinkled in her eyes.
-/-
"This is definitely the best ice cream I've ever had!" Lucy said, waving around her spoon. Her cup only had half a scoop of blueberry ice cream left.
"No questions there." Nastu replied, taking another bite of his 'dark chocolate supreme' ice cream.
"I could have this all day." Gray agreed. He was on his fourth scoop of mint chip. That guy had a weird thing for ice cream. Just then his phone rang, and Gray groaned. "Lyon again. I swear that bastard never gives me a break!" He grabbed his phone and walked off.
Lucy glanced at Natsu, puzzled. "Who's Lyon?"
"Gray's step-brother." He answered nonchalantly, more interested in his ice cream. Gray came back, slamming his phone in the table, swearing intensely.
"You have a brother?" Lucy asked, shocked. "I thought you guys were from Fairy Hills too."
"We were." Nastu replied, scratching his head nervously. "But we didn't spend all our lives there. It's just," he struggled, glancing at Gray, who was sulking. "We kinda wanna forget what happened before. It's not like things were easier then." His voice sounded distant and Lucy felt embarrassed for asking such a question.
"I'm sorry for asking." She blurted. "But can you at least tell me why you guys brought me to Fairy Hills?"
"Do ya' wanna go back home?" Natsu asked, puzzled. "Cause I thought you wanted to check out Levy and Wendy's stuff, didn't ya?"
Lucy nodded. "Yeah, I did. But you guys bringing me - I mean appreciate it, I really do. But, why? I mean, what do you gain from bringing me here?"
"Gain? Why would we gain anything?. Natsu asked.
Lucy flushed, unable to phrase her question and wanting to express gratitude at the same time. "I mean, obviously -"
"You're our friend, stupid." Gray cut in. "You're new, so we're showing you around. Is that so bad?"
"No. And I'm glad you guys brought me here -"
"Then what's the problem?" Gray asked impatiently.
"Nothing." Lucy mumbled. "You're all so different from the kids at Spirit, it's difficult to adjust." She said quietly. "Sometimes I forget that you guys don't have stone cold hearts and prejudiced personalities."
"Oh that reminds me." She said. "Do you guys know what Kurogane means?"
"It's Japanese." Gray said. "I think."
"It sounds familiar." Natsu mused aloud. He tossed her his phone. "Google it." He said.
Lucy did and the search revealed that Kurogane meant 'black steel'. "Black steel?" Lucy muttered. "I haven't heard anything like that. What the hell does it even mean..."
The three spent the rest of the afternoon lazing around on high street or wandering about in the parks, talking. Lucy told them about Yukino and Hisui and the rest of Spirit's stupid rules and regulations. Natsu told her about the firecrackers business he had. It was really small scale, but he loved working on the other explosive materials. Gray talked about his ice sculptures and paintings and about hockey. Eventually the conversation turned to Loke, Gray's team mate.
"Girls are always falling all over him when ever we walk so the halls." Gray grumbled. "It's annoying. The worst part is, he encourages them."
Lucy chuckled. "He sounds like a player."
"He's a total man whore." Natsu said, annoyed. "One of the guys in the track team has a thing for him. It's not a big deal but the guy goes on and on about how hot Loke is and how cute his glasses are and he wanted to get piercings too and he should wear a ring like Loke too." He ranted. "No wonder everyone makes fun of him."
"I wonder what he looks like." Lucy said wistfully.
Natsu turned to her, his eyes wide. "No, no you don't." He said forcefully. "Loke is a creep. You don't need to see him. Ever."
Lucy raised an eyebrow at his sudden reaction. "And why is that? Am I not his type?"
"Actually you are." Gray cut in. "Blonde, bubbly and classy. And I don't mean that in a good way."
"Lucy!" Natsu shrieked. "You're interestedly in a guy you've never met? You really are a weirdo."
"Hey!" Lucy cried, temper flaring. She leaned over to slap her purse against his face. "I *smack* am *smack* not a *smack* weirdo!"
"Ouch!" He groaned. "That was mean!" Gray watched the two with an amused expression as they continued to bicker. Oh, they had no idea...
-/-
"Hey, I'm Mr. Right. Someone said you were looking for me."
"I lost my number. Can I have yours instead?"
"I'm gonna need a map, cause I'm already lost in your eyes."
Lucy would've never thought she would agree with Natsu. Loke was a total creep. Okay, maybe creep was pushing it. The boy loved to flirt with anything that had a pair of boobs. He even admitted it two minutes ago.
Lucy scowled. Natsu was slumped on the bar top, eating something called 'fire chicken'. A shirtless Gray was sitting with Cana, trying to avoid the pints of beer that she offered every five minutes. Erza and Bisca were busy with a game of billiards with Alzack, Max, Warren and Jet cheering them on. Laki and another girl with purple locks were sitting in one corner, sipping lemonade, laughing and giggling. Evergreen and Bixlow were sitting on one the tables, writing down a song with Freed, who was strumming his acoustic guitar. Mira was running from table to table with her brother Elfman, serving food and drinks. Wendy was perched on a table, posing prettily for Reedus, the twenty-two year old skinny artist extraordinaire. A purple haired boy, the son of the cook Macao, was supposed to be assisting Mira as well. His name was Romeo, and the dark red necklace he wore around his neck glimmered on his chest, as he cleaned the bar top lazily.
They were back at the Guild, just in time for Lucy to meet the rest of the Fairy Tail group who came over every Saturday. Unfortunately she had been stuck with Loke for the past hour. He had spiked orange-red hair and glasses, and an orange ring glittered on his left hand. He was wearing black pants, an orange shirt and a green jacket with a fur-lined collar. Was he good looking? Extremely. Was he smooth and suave? Almost too much. Could his smoulder turn your knees to jelly? No. The moment Lucy saw him, she didn't see the charming playboy. He was just an overly attractive guy. One reason she wasn't blown away by his looks? It was because she had seen him before.
The moment she saw him, Lucy was certain she had met Loke before. At a party? In town? Or at a formal dinner with her dad? Lucy wasn't sure where, but she was certain she had seen those spiky hair and that ring somewhere. It was like a hazy part of her memory. Loke was there, laughing, girls hanging on his arms. Then something happened and they all scampered away, throwing apologetic glances at him. She remembered someone next to her saying that he was easily the hottest guy there. She didn't even remember who that was. But Lucy was certain that it was Loke, but since she didn't have any proof, she didn't say anything.
It was weird. Seeing a guy at a party or something shouldn't have been a big deal, and mentioning it to said guy wasn't supposed to be a problem. Except Lucy just couldn't saying it. She had a nagging feeling at the back of her head that something about that night was important, but what?
The more she thought about it, the more certain Lucy was that she had been drunk. Normally she would've dismissed it, and it wasn't like the blonde's cheerful and bubbly personality to mull over something so trivial. So she had filed away that memory, and had acted like this was the first time she had met the guy. He had seemed apprehensive when he first met her, but now he was shamelessly flirting with her.
"Hey, can I follow you home?"
"What?" Lucy sputtered.
"Oh sorry my parents just told me to follow my dreams." Loke replied smoothly.
"Ugh!" She exclaimed in agitation, slamming her glass of coke on the table. "Enough with the pickup lines. Please!" She pleaded.
"I will never give up on you, Lucy." Loke said, smirking at her.
"You're annoying!" Lucy wasn't the best at insulting people. She walked up to the billiards area, irritated. Erza was resetting the table, her cue propped up beside the table. From the looks of it, Bisca had clearly lost. She was wedged between Alzack and a table, looking relieved that her match with Erza was over.
"Hey Bisca!" Lucy greeted. "How was the match?"
Bisca's shoulders sagged. "I'm just glad it's over." She admitted. "Erza is ruthless."
Lucy shuddered. "I'll take your word for it."
"Loke bothering you already?" Alzack chimed in with a small smirk. "I'm surprised. Most girls don't really see past the smoulder."
Lucy burst out laughing. "He's not exactly subtle, is he?"
"Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it." Bisca said, giggling. "You're lucky he has the attention span of a goldfish." She nodded over to Loke, who already had his arms around a pretty redhead.
"Huh. Tell me about it." Lucy sighed. "Hey, have you guys heard from Levy?"
Alzack shook his head. "I haven't seen her a while. Wendy was saying she didn't even come down for lunch yesterday." He shrugged. "I figured she was doing a project."
"Me neither. I'm surprised she's not here today. Levy never misses these events." Bisca said.
"She's been so distracted lately. I just hope -" Lucy started.
"Lucy, I hear you're quite sufficient in billiards." Erza cut in. She held up a spare cue, eyeing Lucy steadily. "I'm sure you won't mind a round with me, now would you?"
Lucy gulped as she reached for the cue. "Aye, sir."
-/-
The next morning, birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and Lucy Heartfilia lay in bed, covers thrown off, snoring like a jackhammer. She had staggered home at one in the morning and the exhaustion had caught up to her. She had collapsed in her bed and was out like a light.
One floor above, Nastu Dragneel was in a similar position, his legs tangled in the covers, snoring just as loudly. Outside placed on the kitchen counter was a large block of ice. Gray Fulbuster had already carved half of it into a very lifelike sculpture of Erza dressed in what seemed like an ordinary pair of knee high boots and a full sleeved dress, except it looked to be made of metal. Clasped in her hand was a large retangle, which Gray had yet to carve into a sword as tall as Erza. She liked to call it her 'purgatory armour'.
He had been commissioned by Erza herself, and she wanted it be extremely detailed and delicate. Ignoring the muffled snores of his roommate, Gray rolled his eyes and went back to work.
The rest of the day was spent in doing assignments and studying for Lucy. Kind of like an anti climax compared to her adventures the previous week. In the end, it was just what the doctor ordered.
-/-
The Fairy/Courage Sports Festival was approaching. It was on Thursday and the few short days spent in its wake seemed like a blur to Lucy. For example, on Tuesday, the first four periods were spent by the teachers trying to make them study. But everyone was way to hyped up about the Festival to actually pay attention, so the teachers just grumbled about talking amongst themselves and not making too much noise. Lucy and Natsu would spend period after period discussing the latest anime they had discovered and fallen in love with - Bleach. Gray would start sketching, shirtless as usual, while Erza would either rush off to the student council office or would start studying.
Levy was sick that day, and Jet and Droy could be seen unhappily conversing about why their friend collapsed due to exhaustion yesterday.
Lunch would roll around and everyone would separate; Nastu and Jet to the field, Gray to the stadiums and Lucy and Bisca would dash to the gym.
That day, on the way Bisca got held up by one of the teachers, so Lucy ran ahead. When she reached the gym, Lucy heard an odd wailing sound from the locker rooms. It sounded like a cat was dying. Worriedly she rushed over, past the row of lockers, in search of the source.
A tall blonde boy was fixing his tie, his back to her. He was also singing, well screeching.
"I will travel across the lands!" He croaked. "Searching far and wide!"
Lucy's eyes all but popped out of her head. Is that -
"Each Pokemon to understand, the power that's inside!" The boy continued, really getting into it. He pulled out his school bag from the locker and placed it on the bench. Rolling up his sleeves he continued; "Pokemon! Gotta catch them all!"
"It's you and me! Oh, I know its my destiny!" He warbled, thrusting out his hands as if he was in front of an audience. "Pokemon, oh, you're my best friend! In a world we must defend!"
He spun around, mouth open to belt out the next chorus - and caught sight of Lucy, who was shamelessly gawking at him.
He quickly regained his composure and cleared his throat, glaring at her. "This is the boys locker room." He said bluntly. "Go oogle at some other guy." He shooed her off.
"Wa-was that -"Lucy struggled. "The Pokemon theme song?" She asked, embarrassed.
"So what if it was?" He questioned, leaning close to her, glaring murderously. "And you're going to forget that ever happened, got it?" He hissed, dropping his voice.
"O-okay." Lucy said, her voice several octaves higher. She spun around and walked away. Suddenly she turned around and looked the blonde on the eye.
Before her newfound courage would fail her, she sang; "Pokemon! A heart so true! Our courage will pull us through!" Lucy wasn't blessed with an amazing voice. Not the slightest..."You teach me and I'll teach you!" She continued.
"Pokemon!" She took a deep breath as she sang the last line. "Gotta catch 'em all!"
She glanced at the boy, who had stiffened. His glare didn't seem so murderous now. Satisfied, Lucy walked away without a word.
-/-
Lucy was tying her laces when Bisca and Evergreen finally walked in.
"You're here early!" Ever remarked.
"Yeah, where were you guys?" Lucy asked, tightening her ribbon.
"We were helping Mira carry the new pom-poms." Bisca answered, opening her locker.
"We get new pom-poms?"
"Obviously! You expect us to use those sad little things in the Festival?" Evergreen chided.
"We get new uniforms too!" Bisca exclaimed excitedly.
Lucy glanced down at their ordinary blue and gold uniforms. Wow, Mira really goes all out. She realised.
Lucy regretted walking out of the locker rooms. It seemed like she was having a very, very bad day. Leaning against the wall were Mira and some guy, making out.
Did they forget about us? She thought, her eyes wide. More than anything, watching other people, especially people you know, make out is weird. The two broke apart, and the guy turned to glare at Lucy for interrupting them.
"Eek!" She squeaked. It was the blonde Pokemon guy from before! She placed a hand in front her mouth in shock. Said blonde guy narrowed his eyes, his mouth set in a grim line as he took in Lucy's cheerleading uniform and realised her connection to Mira.
Mira, on the other hand, smiled at Lucy, oblivious to either of them. "Oh my!" She said, a reddish tinge on her cheeks. "I didn't realise you were already here. I apologise." She said sweetly. She gestured to the blonde boy.
"Have you met Laxus? He's Master Makrov's grandson." She not-so-subtly stabbed Laxus in the ribs. "Be nice." She hissed.
Laxus only nodded towards her. "I'm Laxus Dreyar." He muttered.
"L-Lucy Heartfilia." Lucy replied. She had just witnessed Mira's boyfriend singing the Pokemon theme song. This is so awkward... She realised.
"Come on, you two!." Mira chided. "Lucy is a very good friend of mine, so you'll be seeing her often. You better get along with her, or else." She threatened Laxus. She turned to Lucy, who gulped unconsciously. "Laxus is my boyfriend, you see. So you'll just have to bear with him." She said, shooting an unimpressed glance his way.
"Yes, ma'am." Lucy blurted out. Luckily the rest of the team decided to finally show up and save her from immense embarrassment. Laxus was dismissed and the team began their vigorous routines again.
-/-
The very next day, Lucy was saved from eternal torment on the form of math when Mira showed up and sent her to the gym with Bisca. A few minutes later, Lucy was sitting on the floor in the gym with Lisa and Michelle while a lady was carefully measuring Bisca's waist. Mira was in charge of uniforms this year, and she wanted to go all out. Lucy watched as the lady measured Bisca's arms, her neck and shoulders before turning to the two girls who were talking in hushed tones.
"I can't believe the festival is tomorrow!" Lisa was saying. "I still need to perfect my jumps."
"Don't worry, it's not like any one will pay attention to us." Michelle replied, her voice scathing. "All the attention will be on them."
Lucy raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"
"I - I meant Phantom." Michelle said hurriedly, the colour of cheeks rapidly reddened. "All the attention with be on Phantom."
Lucy bugged her eyes out, as if to indicate, that better not happen again. Michelle only nodded hastily in agreement.
"Phantom? I thought it was Courage?" Lisa asked, tilting her head to one side.
Michelle leaned forward in a 'gossip-ahoy' way. "You know, Gajeel and the Element Four." She said, dropping her voice. "Everyone knows they're part of Phantom Lord, the gang."
"Gang?" Lucy asked, her eyes wide.
"Yeah, it's common knowledge." Michelle shrugged her shoulders. "Most of the kids in Courage take drugs, and those guys are the dealers. They get paid a lot just to help around the principal of the school. He's the gang leader, after all." She said.
"Wait, if everyone knows that, then why doesn't anyone arrest him?" Lisa asked. "Michelle! It's your turn!" Mira called out from across the gym. As the girl got up, Lisa turned to Lucy, curious.
Lucy shrugged her shoulders. She had no idea there was a gang within Magnolia. She squeezed her eyes shut. It just brought back painful memories.
-/-
"Oi, Lucy! Wait up!" Natsu called out. Lucy paused on the sidewalk, surprised to see the pinkette a few steps behind her.
"Oh, hey!" She said dejectedly. "Natsu, have you heard from Levy?" She asked worriedly.
"Huh? Oh yeah." He said. "Jet said he and Droy went over to her place. They're coming to the school together, so chill."
Lucy let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god. I was so worried, cause she's not picking up her phone -"
"You worry too much..." Natsu stated. "The Festival is tomorrow, you need to chill out!
" "I know, I know." She said. "But I don't get why we're going to school in the evening." Lucy grumbled, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. She had decided to go with an understated look today, a green tee and black tights instead of her usual short skirts. Natsu was also plainly dressed in cargo pants and black tee, his scarf draped around his neck, and his hair spiky.
"Gramps calls us all over before any special event. He mainly gives us this really boring speech thingy, and then we all go over to the Guild and party! I like that part." Natsu said. He turned to her. "You keep forgetting you're not them anymore, Luce." He said softly.
Lucy turned to glance at him. "What do you mean?"
"Uh, it's kinda difficult to explain." Natsu said, scratching the back of his head nervously. "It's just, you're in Fairy Tail now. An' you're not just a student of Fairy Academy. You're like, part of our family. I remember when I first came here. Gramps was like, 'you're one of us now'. I think I get what he meant by that. Fairy Tail protects you, and you protect it too. Like tomorrow. You hafta do your best, got it, Luce? You gotta, cause our reputation's on the line here, kay?" He rambled.
Lucy laughed. "Your way of thinking is really jumbled up." She said. "But I get what you're trying to say."
She sighed. "You know, how they saw you gotta let go of the past?"
"Yeah, so?"
"What if it keeps coming back to haunt you, and you just - you just can't let go." She blurted out. "What if you're trying to fit in, but it's just not happening?" Her stare became more serious. "Do you ever feel like an outsider? That - that no matter what anyone says, you just can't be one of them?" Lucy flushed, surprised that she had blurted all of that out. "I'm sorry, I should just shut up now -"
"I think you've fit in more easily than you realise, Lucy!" Natsu interrupted her, placing his hands behind his head. "Fairy Academy and Spirit are worlds apart, Luce." He said gently, glancing into her eyes. He looked so intense and real. You could see the slight apprehension in his eyes, but the feelings loyalty and and care for his friend clouded it. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and Lucy felt a jolt.
Time seemed to stand still around those two. He smiled at her, and Lucy managed a small smile, feeling over whelmed for some reason. Nastu opened his mouth to say something, when a shout rang out from behind.
"You guys done making out?" Gray called out as he jogged up to them. "Cause we're gonna be late!" Lucy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Great timing, Fulbuster... Before she could retort, Natsu silently handed her an earbud, pointing to his iPod. He gestured to Gray who was walking in front of them, ranting about his latest art competition, and held a finger against his mouth telling her be quiet.
Lucy gratefully accepted it and stuck it in her ear, letting the blaring music replace Gray's monologue. The wire tightened,and Lucy unconsciously moved closer to Natsu, suddenly aware of her heart beating rapidly for no apparent reason.
-/-
"I mean, come on, I used the frickin' easel to make something I want. They wanted something on roses, so I drew them frozen. What so bad about that huh?" Gray grumbled, turning to Natsu and Lucy for their opinion. Well, Lucy's opinion at least cause Natsu hated everything about art.
Gray's eyes widened ever so slightly, but he kept walking. Natsu and Lucy were walking together, sharing earbuds. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but it was.
For starters, there just seemed something private and well, romantic about that. Secondly, Natsu was super sensitive about sharing his music. Gary shook his head, a small smirk on his lips. I need to talk to Cana. He told himself. She's totally right about the betting pool. Who won't bet on these two? It's so damn obvious!
-/-
While students normally entered through the front doors of the school, today it was just the Fairy Tail kids meeting in the gym, so they all entered thought the side gate which opened up in the locker rooms. Soon they were all assembled in gym.
Mira, Bisca and Lucy were discussing their routines and Erza was with Freed, checking a list of students. Mira's brother Elfman was standing with Max and Warren, yelling about his 'manliness' while Alzack trying to pacify Natsu and Gray. Wendy was eagerly talking to Laxus and Bickslow, which was odd, because Laxus hated kids. But Wendy was so sweet it was impossible to not like her. Loke was standing in one corner chatting with Cana, whose silver flask was ever present.
Master Makarov entered a few minutes later and smiled, taking in the scene. "ALRIGHT, YOU BRATS! LISTEN UP!" He yelled. Everyone yelled in protest but assembled in front of him.
"Tomorrow is the Festival, as you all know. For many of you, it's your very first time participating in it." He said. "Four years ago, Courage dominated us. Since then, we have worked tirelessly to even the score. This year, we are tied, and we will win! We will bring glory it Fairy Academy. Some of you are part of the teams, but the rest? You're just as vital for our victory! We all will cheer for our school tomorrow. Cheer for the legacy that you all leave behind! So go, my children, and prove your worth to all of Magnolia tomorrow!" Applause rang throughout the gym as everyone cheered.
"Everyone, proceed to the locker rooms! Let's head to the Guild!" Master Makarov ordered.
Standing near the door, Lucy was the first to walk out of the gyms. She was extremely worried about Levy, Jet and Droy. They hadn't shown up today despite what Natsu said, and Levy wasn't answering her phone either. Everyone around was chattering excitedly, in no hurry to leave.
Lucy sighed. She really wasn't feeling the party spirit tonight. Just then the side doors opened. Lucy turned excitedly, assuming it was her long awaited friend. When they came in sight, Lucy did the only rational thing she could think of. She screamed.
-/-
Natsu was about to jam his fist into Gray's stomach when he heard someone yell his name. Lucy. Quick as a flash he ran past the rows of lockers, to where the blonde was standing, her hands on her mouth. She was staring at the doors, her eyes wide with shock.
He leapt forward, placing his arm in front of her protectively, as he turned to what had shocked her. Jet and Droy.
Natsu wasn't the only one who had heard Lucy scream. More and more people gathered behind them, with reactions of shock and surprise.
Droy was half unconscious, with his arm on Jet's shoulder, leaning heavily on him. His forehead was covered in blood and his arms held scratches and bruises. He held his arm at a disjointed angle, wincing with every step. Jet had a black eye and his jaw was bruised. His orange hair was matted with blood and he was limping heavily.
"L-Levy..." Droy groaned. "Levy..."
"What about Levy?" Lucy asked, more harshly than she intended.
Droy stumbled, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as he swayed on his feet. Gray and Erza ran to support him, throwing his arms around their shoulders.
"Ph-Phantom Lord." Jet managed to say. "Th-they got Levy." He tripped, and Natsu rushed to help him. Jet held out a crumbled ball of paper to Natsu, before falling to his feet. Natsu firmly gripped his arm, helping him sit on the floor.
"Get Master!" He ordered. "Now!" Alzack and Bisca nodded, running back to the gym.
Natsu glanced at the sheet of the paper, his face white with shock. Slowly that shock was replaced by anger, boiling up before he lashed out and punched the metal door of a locker. Nastu ignored his bleeding knuckles, handing the paper to Lucy.
"My word, Jet and Droy?" Master Makarov asked in surprise, as he entered the locker rooms. Alzack and Bisca trailed behind him, Mira land Laxus close behind. "What on earth?"
"'If you Fairies know what's good for you, you'll participate in the Festival tomorrow.'" Lucy read out loud. "'But if you want Levy McGarden back, you'll make sure Courage Academy wins. Signed, Black Steel Gajeel.'"
I apologise for the late update! I'm really, really, really sorry! 11,000 words in exchange of forgiveness? I love you guys for favouriting and following! I cant thank you enough!
Only one person reveiwed though... Im really glad you did, but the rest of you? Come on, you guys can reveiw, right?
Anyways here it is, chapter 4! I'll try to keep updates weekly but no promises...
I really hate school... _
Read and review!