Author Note: Hello! I just got let out for Christmas Break for the next two weeks. I usually get very bored during breaks, so hopefully, I'll be able to make the chapters longer and post more than once a week during the break. Also, feel free to comment any suggestions you might have for the story, and I'll try to incorporate them if I can!
Disclaimer: I still don't own the Fairy Tail universe.
The next day, Lucy woke up as sunlight poured in through her window and shone onto her face. She turned over to her side not wanting to wake up quite yet, but she found sleep to be a lost cause after laying in bed awake. She sighed. She might as well get up and start her day. She got out of bed and stretched. Nervous energy coursed through her body as she remembered what she had planned for today. Today was the day she, Natsu, and Happy would start getting the guild back together!
She smiled and looked down at the emblem that was still proudly displayed on the back of her hand. Fairytail's emblem. She was so excited to see the others again; she was nearly bouncing with energy. She started to quickly make her way toward her bathroom to get ready, but she tripped and soon found her face becoming acquainted with her floor. She lifted herself onto her hands and knees and looked back at what had tripped her up.
The thing she tripped continued snoring under a blanket. A mop of pink hair protruded from under the blanket along with its leg and an arm as it laid sprawled out on the floor. Next to the mop of pink hair, two blue ears twitched as the other thing slept and mumbled in its sleep about "yummy fishies."
Lucy shook her head and stood back up. 'Of course those two would still be sleeping.' She moved Natsu's leg out of the way, so she wouldn't trip on it again and quietly made her way to her bathroom. 'There's no point in waking them up now. At least this way, I get a few more moments of peace and quiet to myself.' She ran hot water into her tub and added a bath potion that was sure to make her skin clean and smooth.
She sighed as she slowly lowered herself down into the steaming water. Pink bubbles covered the surface of the water completely covering her form. Hopefully, Natsu and Happy would stay asleep for awhile yet, so she could enjoy her. She sunk further into the water and bubbles until only the upper part of her face was above the water. The hot water felt amazing on her skin and the steam rising off the water made it seem as if she was in her own personal sauna. It was times like this where she really enjoyed having her own apartment and therefore her own bath. She let her mind wander as she relaxed. She would no doubt not get another opportunity to enjoy herself like this once she left with Natsu and Happy on their next great adventure.
She let her mind wander as she sat in the tub. Immediately, her thoughts returned to the night before. Her face flushed a dark red as she thought about Natsu. He had been so sweet last night and so...vulnerable. She had never seen Natsu upset before. The fiery dragon was normally so optimistic and happy all the time. She raised her hand out of the water and stared at her palm. Natsu had held her hand so many times before, but last night it had felt different...more interment somehow.
After sitting in her tub for awhile, she finally decided it was time to get out. She stepped out and grabbed one her towels that was hanging up on the towel rack attached to the wall. She wrapped the towel around her head. 'Maybe I could summon Cancer to do my hair today.' She wrapped her other towel around herself. 'I'm surprised Natsu and Happy haven't barg-'
Before she had even completed the thought, the bathroom door was thrown open as Natsu and Happy ran in shoving each other in their haste to reach Lucy first. "Good morning, Lucy!" they both exclaimed at the same time with broad smiles. Lucy wrapped her arms around herself and screamed in shock as the two stopped in front of her. She glared at them and shoved them both out of the bathroom.
"Get out and stay out while I get dressed!" She then slammed the door closed. Natsu and Happy flinched when Lucy slammed the door.
Happy looked beside him at Natsu."I told you it was a bad idea, Natsu."
"Shut up, Happy," Natsu grumbled. The Exceed only smiled in response.
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Natsu laid on the seat of the train with his face buried in the seat. He groaned. Even after a year and a half of training, his motion sickness still got the best of him. Happy sat next to Natsu's head and pat the top of his head. "There there, Natsu," Happy said clearly trying not to laugh.
"Shut up, Happy," he grumbled as he tried not to lose the contents of his stomach on the floor of the train.
Lucy chuckled behind her hand at the two. 'Some things never change.' She turned her attention outside of the window and watched the scenery as it flew by. Right now, they were on their way to find Gray and Juvia. If the rumors were to be believed, they were up north somewhere. They had overheard a group of people in the town they had just left gossiping about an Ice Demon Slayer and a "water girl" that were traveling together in search of something called END. It had to be Gray and Juvia. There were no other people it could be.
Lucy smiled to herself as she thought about those two. There was no doubt in her mind that Juvia was still as Gray obsessed as ever. They might even be a couple at this point if they have been traveling together for this long. Her smile grew as she imagined the reunion they would have. Natsu and Gray would no doubt immediately go at each other throats. After all, some things never change.
Her gaze wandered over to where Natsu was still laying across the seat. And sometimes that wasn't a good thing.
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Natsu ran off the train the moment it stopped at their destination and laid down in the snow. "I'm never riding on the train again!" he exclaimed as he hugged the snow.
"You always say that, Natsu." Happy pointed out.
"That's not the point, Happy."
They had taken the train as far north as it could take them. The train couldn't go any farther due to the large amount of snow that would cover the tracks making it impossible for it to travel. So, they would have to travel the rest of the way on foot.
Lucy shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Flying next to her, Happy shivered also. Despite the layers they were wearing, it was freezing, and the sun didn't provide any warmth. Natsu was the only one who didn't seem to be affected by the cold and was still wearing his open vest, pants, and dragon scale scarf. She really did envy him right now. It had to be nice to be able to still be warm in this weather. A foot of fresh snow covered the ground. It was unmarred by any set of footprints and glittered in the sunlight. In the distance, a snow-covered town could be seen. Smoke rose from chimneys of houses promising warmth.
"Come on. Let's hurry up and find a hotel to stay in. I'm freezing!"
"Yeah," Happy agreed wholeheartedly, "I feel like my tail is going to freeze and fall off."
"Then, let's go," Natsu stated. He lead the way as him and Lucy tracked through the deep snow with Happy flying slightly ahead of them. The trio eventually made it to the hotel that was in the town and stood just inside its entrance. Happy and Lucy were shivering from the cold, but Natsu was unaffected as he made his way over to the front desk to get them a room. There was no one currently at the desk, so Natsu rang the bell there a few times. While they waited, Lucy and Happy waited in front of the warm fire that was blazing in a hearth. In front of the fire, there was a couch, but they wanted to get as close to the fire as they could. The place had a homey feel to it that made it seem very welcoming.
Eventually, heavy footsteps could be heard as an intimidating man came down the stairs that led up to the rooms and went to the front desk. He had a thick beard and a very muscular body. His face, his arms, and what could be seen of his chest from underneath the long sleeve plaid shirt he was wearing were also scared. However, the smile on his face didn't match the rest of his appearance. It was warm and welcoming as he stared at the trio that had entered his family's home/hotel.
"Aren't you cold in that getup you're wearing? Your friends have on more clothes than you, and they look 'bout frozen themselves."
Natsu shook his head no and smiled back at the man. "A little cold doesn't bother me. I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer."
"Is that so?" the man asked clearly amused. Natsu nodded. "Well then Mr. Fire Dragon Slayer, what brings you to this small town? Can't say we get many travelers through here."
"We're looking for a friend of ours. We heard some rumors that they traveled through here. One's a male Ice Demon Slayer and the other is a female Water Mage." Hank looked thoughtful as he tried to remember anyone who fit that description.
"I don't kid. Maybe my wife'll know. I don't usually ask about people's magic ya see, but my wife is interested in that kinda thing." He went back over to the base of the stairs and called up, "Marg, there's some young wizards looking for some friends of theirs. They wanna ask if ya seen 'em!"
A female voice soon called back down, "I'll be down in a moment, Hank!" A middle-aged woman soon came down the stairs with a little boy on her hip. The woman had a very motherly look to her, and her light brown eyes were warm and friendly. The little boy she was carrying had unruly black hair like Hank. The boy smiled happily upon seeing Hank and reached out to him. Hank laughed and took the child into his own big arms. His wife then turned her attention to the trio of Fairytail wizards. "Now, Hank said something about y'all wanting to talk to me?"
Lucy and Happy moved away from the fire and stood next to Natsu. "Yeah, we wanted to know if you had seen our friends, a male Ice Demon Slayer and a female Water Mage," Lucy said. Marg looked thoughtful as she tried to remember, but she couldn't think of anything.
"I'm sorry dears, but I don't remember anyone coming in here like that." The trio looked disappointed at that.
"Oh. Ok then. Do you mind us getting a room here anyway? Maybe someone else has seen them in town." Lucy said to the married couple.
"Yeah! We can ask around town and find out if someone else saw them. They may not have stopped in the town. They could have just passed through!" Natsu exclaimed beaming. Happy perked up, and Lucy nodded in agreement once again smiling.
"Aye, sir!", Happy enthusiastically agreed.
"That's the spirit, kids!" Hank said laughing. The little boy he was holding laughed too as he pulled on his dad's beard.
Author Note: As always, please review and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading!