July 29th, X777
Sometime around 10:23
"Lucy, wake up!" Someone was shaking her. "Come on, Sleepy Head."
Immediately, the girl sat up. "Hmm?" She let out a massive yawn and the man sitting in front of her laughed. "Hey Gildarts."
"You finally woke up." Gildarts grinned. "That's good since we've arrived." Lucy perked up.
"Really? We're at Magnolia?" She peaked eagerly out the window only to see the land still rolling past. "What? Why's the train still moving?" Gildarts grinned evilly.
"This marks the beginning of your test." Lucy grinned back, baring her sharp canines.
"Bring it on!"
The alarms blared as the glass shattered. Security barged in to find a blonde-haired girl climbing out the shattered window of the train.
"See ya!" She shot a wide grin at them before leaping out. The officers rushed to the window to see the girl roll in the grass before coming to a stop. She saluted them cheekily before disappearing from their view.
"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Lucy jumped up and down on the dewy grass, watching as the train rolled away.
"Good job." Gildarts grinned and ruffled her hair. "Now let's get to Magnolia." He raced into the forest behind them before she could smack him.
The energetic blonde smirked and jumped into a tree. She chased the older man through the forest, silently following his scent trail in the branches. A small cottage came into view; smoke spiraling out of its chimney. Gildarts stopped at the hut and knocked on the door before being brutally whacked on the head.
"OW! Stop it! Crazy old hag!" He shielded his face from the unforgiving broom. Lucy's heart stopped as she saw the woman. Her pink hair was up in a bun and she wore a long red cloak. The woman's scent, though, was of a dragon's.
"I HATE HUMANS! GET OUT OF HERE!" She winced at the older woman's piercing shriek. Abruptly, the pink-haired elder stopped and peered into the trees where Lucy hid. The blonde stiffened and held her breath.
"You can come out now." It wasn't a question – it was a demand and Lucy knew enough from Celestia that the dangerous tone the woman held meant business. She sighed and reluctantly dropped from the branches of the magnolia tree.
"Lucy!" Gildarts looked surprised and the young girl laughed as she walked over.
"Ha! You didn't even know that I was trailing you- OUCH!" The old woman whacked her broom on the girl's head.
"Hmph… Humans…" She muttered, looking Lucy up and down distastefully.
"So, what do you think, Porlyusica?" Gildarts looked at the woman. She snorted.
"Come here, Girl." Lucy walked forward obediently and the old woman poked her with the stick of her broom.
"Hmm," She stretched the blonde's cheeks and felt her pulse. "She seems strong enough but… SHE'S A HUMAN!" Lucy didn't even flinch.
"And you smell of a dragon…" The ten year old stared at the old woman unflinchingly. Porlyusica stared at Lucy closely.
"Humph, she's good." The herbalist turned and walked back into her cottage. "Now get out of my house." The door slammed shut.
"So…" Gildarts laughed awkwardly. "That was a relatively good encounter."
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Lucy exclaimed.
"It means you've passed the second part of the test." Gildarts grinned and ran away again. "Now hurry up! We've got to get to the guild!"
"He's back!" Rumbling shook the streets.
"Citizens, please stay in stable parts of the city. The Gildarts Shift is commencing." A female's voice broadcasted through Magnolia and Lucy's eyes widened as she walked with Gildarts. The city was beginning to shift around and soon a walkway was assembled with solid concrete walls on either side of the path.
"Why in the world would they need to shift the entire city?" Gildarts only chuckled and rubbed his head.
"Let's just say that I can be pretty… out of it sometimes…"
A majestic, three-story high building loomed in front of them. Each floor of the building was smaller than the one below it and together; they were stacked to form a pagoda-like structure. Near the very top of the building were three banners, the center one holding Fairy Tail's bird-like symbol. A small dome sat on the very top of the structure.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Gildarts swept Lucy onto his shoulders and the blonde reached up to touch the carved fairies as they passed underneath the archway.
"Whoa! It's ginormous! So this is a guild of mages? Awesome!" She gasped.
"Do Fairies really have tails? Do they even exist? No one can say for sure. Like them, this place is as eternal mystery – a never-ending adventure!" Gildarts grinned at the excited girl. "That's the real meaning behind the name."
"I'M BACK!" With a mighty kick, Gildarts slammed open the doors.
"WELCOME BACK, GILDARTS!" The people in the guild cheered.
"How'd the mission go?"
"Was it hard?"
"Must've not been, since it only took him three days."
"Hey Gildarts! Who's that girl?" The question made Lucy flinch and want to hide somewhere.
"Oh, her?" Gildarts placed Lucy onto the floor and grinned. "She's my student!"
"SHUT UP OLD MAN!" Lucy whipped her fist back and punched Gildarts in the gut. "I WOULD NEVER BY YOUR STUDENT!" She fumed as the crash magic mage doubled over and wheezed.
"I-I was j-just k-k-kidding, geez…" Gildarts huffed and clutched his midsection.
"Aha ha ha!" A man pounded the table, wiping tears from his eyes. "I never thought I'd see the day when Gildarts would get scolded by a child." Gildarts straightened up immediately.
"Shut up, Macao! You too, Wakaba!" He pushed the still furious blonde forward. "This is Lucy! She's a new recruit."
"Aww, she's a cute one!"
"How old is she?"
"Does she use magic?"
"Go introduce yourself to the others." Gildarts faced Lucy in a direction and walked away.
"Hey! Gildarts, don't just leave me… here…" Lucy sighed, suddenly shy, and played with her hair. She walked over to the group of kids and they turned to her.
"H-Hi! I'm Lucy," The blonde fidgeted nervously, eyes facing the floor. She lifted her head when a hand plopped onto her shoulder.
"Hi Lucy! I'm Levy! And this is Lisanna!" A blue-haired girl pointed to herself and a girl with short white hair standing next to her. They smiled at Lucy and reluctantly; the blonde cracked a small smile.
"How old are you?" The white-haired girl, Lisanna, asked her.
"I'm ten." She answered meekly and jumped when Levy and Lisanna both squealed.
"We're ten as well!" Levy exclaimed. "Come on – we'll introduce you to the others, Lu-chan!"
"L-Lu-chan?" Lucy stuttered as she was dragged away.
"Levy is always making nicknames up for people!" Lisanna explained, walking next to the being-dragged newcomer. Levy dropped Lucy's hand and blushed.
"It's okay with you, right Lu-chan?" Lucy smiled softly, but it soon turned into a frown.
"No, sorry…" She muttered, the nickname reminding her all too much of the pink-haired boy.
"Okay then… Come on!" Levy was disappointed, but she managed to smile at the newcomer and continued to drag her somewhere.
"Who the hell're you?" A half naked boy squinted at Lucy, sitting atop a barrel. The blonde narrowed her eyes at him.
"Are you supposed to be a stripper?" She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Gray! Put some clothes on!" A girl with short brown hair tied in a ponytail blushed, pointing at the heap of clothes next to her.
"H-How'd this happen again!?" The black-haired boy jumped up and threw on his clothes.
"Cana, Gray, this is Lucy!" Levy introduced to the brown-haired girl and the dark haired boy while Lisanna giggled at his antics.
"Yay! Another girl!" Cana pulled Lucy in for a hug.
"Tch." Gray turned his head away from Lucy and crossed his arms over his bare chest.
"You lost your shirt again." Lucy pointed out and that sent the boy back into a panicked search for his missing article of clothing. "Is he always like this?" She asked Cana. The brunette smiled sheepishly.
"Unfortunately, yes." She answered and the girls chuckled.
"Ah, yes! We have to introduce you to someone special, Lucy!" Levy, Lisanna, and Cana dragged the newcomer to the nearby table.
"Erza!" A scarlet-haired girl wearing armor looked up from the slice of cheesecake she was eating. "This is Lucy. She's a new member." Erza stood up from the table and extended her hand.
"I'm Erza. It's a pleasure to meet you." Lucy grasped her hand and shook it firmly.
"Same for me." She peeked at the cake Erza was eating. "Is that… strawberry cheesecake?" Lucy began to drool.
"Yes, it's heaven!" Erza said dreamily. Lucy nodded in agreement and the three other girls sweat dropped.
"Snort." The armored girl spun around, her braid trailing after her.
"Laxus…" She glared at the blonde-haired boy who was wearing a set of magic headphones over his ears.
"That's Laxus, the grandson of Master Makarov." Lisanna whispered to Lucy. "He's sixteen and a second generation lightning dragon slayer."
The blonde girl's eyes widened and she nodded.
"Did you say something, Laxus?" Erza glared at the male, who shrugged and turned away. Erza "hmphed" and sat down, picking up her fork.
With a clatter, the plate was sent flying to the ground. Erza watched with wide eyes as the cake smashed into the ground, no more than a sweet clump of mushy stuff.
"How's the cake, Fatso?" A devilish looking girl wearing skimpy black clothes leaned on the table, her white hair in a ponytail and a dark purple headband in her hair. Immediately, Erza began glaring at the girl.
"Did you do that, Mirajane?"
"Eh heh heh…" Lisanna giggled nervously. "That's my older sister…" Lucy gaped at the girl in shock and both Levy and Cana laughed at her reaction.
"Your personalities are completely different!" Lucy exclaimed, drawing the punkish girl's attention.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Mirajane took a step forward and the three other girls stepped back, leaving Lucy.
"Hi! I'm Lucy." The blonde smiled and extended her hand to the older girl. Mirajane glanced at it before slapping it away and leaning closer to the newcomer.
"Pretty looks aren't everything about this guild." Levy and Cana gasped. Lisanna stepped forward beside her friend.
"Mira-nee, be nice –"
"Be quiet, Lisanna." Now, the entire guild was watching the events unfold before them. Even Laxus took off his sound pod to listen. Lucy simply placed an arm around Lisanna and spoke.
"Well, if it were, then you wouldn't be here." She retorted and Gray whistled from his perch on the barrel. Mirajane fumed.
"I challenge you to a duel!" The white-haired girl shouted. Lucy smirked.
"Bring it on." Without wasting a second, Mirajane leaped forward. She aimed a punch at the blonde. Lucy pushed Lisanna to the side and nimbly jumped over the charging girl.
"Hi-ya!" She kicked Mirajane in the back and the older girl toppled into the wall.
"It's not over yet!" Mirajane stood up and circled Lucy. Suddenly, the blonde jumped up into the rafters and sat there, sticking her tongue out at Mirajane.
The girl below smirked and revealed a ring of keys dangling on her fingers. Lucy's eyes widened.
"GIVE THEM BACK!" She leaped down and jumped onto Mirajane. The two scuffled, throwing punches and kicks at each other before Lucy detangled herself from the other girl.
"GOTCHA!" She pinned Mirajane down and with a chop, hit her pressure point. Without a sound, the white-haired girl fainted. Lucy grabbed her keys and attached them back to her belt. Grinning, she looked up to see everyone staring at her.
"Did I do something wrong?" She asked nervously. Suddenly, everyone began cheering and Levy, Lisanna, and Cana hugged her.
"You beat Mira, Lu-chan!" Levy exclaimed, squeezing her friend tightly.
"You were amazing, Lucy!" Cana snuggled closer to the blonde.
"Wow! You're strong, Lucy!" Lisanna smiled at Lucy. An armored chest plate smashed into her face and she wobbled.
"Outstanding work, Lucy." Erza nodded in approval and joined the group hug.
"Hey!" The five girls turned and Mira stood up. She held out her hand to Lucy.
"Good job." The blonde stared at the hand and then at the girl with a smirk. She batted the hand away – leaving Mirajane confused – and hugged the girl instead.
"GROUP HUG!" The four other girls cheered and joined Mirajane and Lucy's embrace.
"What?"
"A group hug for the newcomer?"
"Let's join!" The adults watched as the kids hugged and celebrated with the new recruit. Even Laxus joined in, albeit reluctantly.
Only Gray stood to the side, watching. Lucy saw him through the crowd of faces and smiled at him.
"Come on, Gray! Hugging is fun!" The raven-haired boy blushed, but joined the group.
"It's not because I want to," He tried to save his dignity. "It's only to celebrate a new recruit."
"Hugging is manly!"
"That's our brother."
"Oh…"
"Lisanna, get the stamp!"
"Sure!"
"I want it on my hand – in pink."
"KYAAA! Put your clothes on, Gray!"
"You're such a stripper!" Lucy shouted.
"You're such a blondie!" Gray retorted. The two kids butted heads before Erza could pull them apart.
"There's something wrong with this generation." Wakaba said to Macao and blew out some smoke from his pipe. The other man could only nod in agreement.
"Sheesh, she passed the test and starts a fight," Gildarts sighed and leaned against the bar watching the brawling kids. "I knew she'd be trouble."
"Yet you brought her here." The old man sitting on the bar grinned.
"Wait a few years and she'll be a real looker!" Gildarts groaned and face-palmed himself.
"Makarov – stop being a perv and looking at Lucy like that!" Master Makarov waggled his eyebrows.
"That's what a guild master has got to do!" Seeing the fight draw in the rest of the guild, the master sighed and jumped off the bar.
Lucy and Gray were pulling each other's cheeks when a hulking black shadow loomed over them.
"BRATS!" The entire room silenced and Lucy stared at the giant. "We're making ourselves look bad in front of a new recruit." The giant sighed and began shrinking.
"Master! You were here?" Erza asked.
"Yes." Pop! The giant became a short old man.
"Glad to have you on board!" He waved at the blonde and Lucy and Gray snapped to attention.
"Now he's tiny!" Lucy murmured in astonishment. "Wait – Master?" Erza nodded.
"Yep! This is Master Makarov, Fairy Tail's guild master."
"Hyup!" The old man wearing the orange and blue striped jester hat launched into the air… and slammed into the wooden railing of the second floor. Wincing, he recovered quickly and pulled himself up onto the railing.
"Look at what you've done again. The council has sent me all these complaints again. All you fools do is make the council angry at me!" Master Makarov waved a stack of paper in the air and growled. The mages looked away from the master, ashamed.
"However, screw the council!" He set the stack of paper on fire and threw it in the air.
Natsu would've loved that. Lucy thought, watching the burning paper fly through the air. Dust swirled around her arms, solidifying into two unbreakable stone gauntlets. She leaped into the air and caught the burning paper. Patiently, she waited for the fire to die out and inhaled the dust and ashes that remained, which attracted weird stares from the people around her. The stone on her arms dispersed back into dust after she was finished.
"Listen up! Magic is an unreasonable power, but it is born from reason!"
"It is not miraculous, but it is earned by bonding the connection between the spirit within us and the spirit that flows within nature itself. It takes a strong mind and focus!"
"In fact, magic is the release of one's entire soul! One cannot progress in the way of magic by being mindful of the old geezers from above."
"Be not afraid of those fools on the council – for that's what it means to be a Fairy Tail mage!" Master Makarov shouted and lifted his right hand, sticking his pointer finger and thumb into the air. Shouts of agreement filled the guild and Lucy found herself cheering and lifting her hand with all the other kids.
The master smiled and jumped off the railing. He performed a flip before landing on the first floor.
"Lucy, dear," He called after the young blonde girl. Lucy turned and spotting Master Makarov, she walked over to him.
"Yes, Gramps?" Makarov blinked and Lucy giggled.
"You just remind me of an old grandpa…" The master coughed as Lucy broke into laughter.
There's something about this girl… Despite her cheerful appearance, she's holding something inside her. Makarov frowned and then eased up. I'm sure the kids will help her through this.
"So, Lucy, what kind of magic do you use?" He asked her. The blonde stopped coughing and looked solemn - even kind of sad.
"I'm the celestial dragon slayer." She lifted her head proudly and Master Makarov arched his eyebrow.
"Wow, that's some impressive lost magic!" He exclaimed. Lucy nodded.
"Yeah! Celestia taught it to me!" Before the master could ask her more about this "Celestia", Levy had pulled her away.
"Come on, Lu-ch - Lucy. Let's go eat lunch with the others!"
12:34 PM
"I can take missions?" Lucy asked Levy.
"Yesp. Yous gest paisd, toos!" Levy explained, slurping a bowl of ramen noodles. Lucy nodded and continued to poke her salad absentmindedly. Suddenly, she stood up, abandoning her plate of greens, and rushed to the request board.
She looked over the jobs posted for a few minutes before grabbing one and running over to Master.
"Gramps, I'm going to take this one!" Lucy waved her request at the master and then ran out of the guild.
"W-wait, Lucy!" Levy stood up, but Erza coughed and placed a hand on the petite girl's shoulder.
"Levy, just let Lucy go. She's probably pretty excited for it and she'll be back soon." She told the bluenette, and the rest of the table nodded in agreement.
"Well, okay." The girl sat down, disappointed.
"Ahem," Master cleared his throat, drawing the kids' attentions. "The mission that Lucy took was to subdue a monster for 250,000 jewels." He eyed each of the awed younger mages.
"And it wasn't just any monster – it was a Vulcan." The kids all flinched as they realized what Lucy had just done.
"WHAT?" Gray stood up, furious. "Is she crazy or something? Doesn't she know how dangerous they – " Master Makarov placed a soothing hand on the boy's shoulder.
"It's possible that Lucy has never encountered a Vulcan before." He told the worried boy. "We shall have faith in her and her strength." The girls nodded.
"She showed a lot of skill, beating me like that." Mirajane observed and Erza snorted.
"Piece of cake," The scarlet-haired girl shrugged. "Anyone could beat you." Mira stood up, eyes flashing.
"Is that a challenge, Scarlet?" Erza glared at Mira with the same danger in her eyes.
"You bet'cha, Strauss." The girls butted heads and locked hands, stepping onto the table, and causing food and drinks to spill.
"Hey! Erza! Mirajane! We're eating!" Droy complained as his sandwich fell to the floor. "Umm, I d-didn't say a-anything…" He shivered as Erza glared at him. Mirajane took the chance and punched Erza's face. The scarlet-haired girl stumbled off the bench and gripped onto Mirajane's ponytail.
"OW!"
"SERVES YOU RIGHT!"
"WHY YOU – " Makarov sighed.
Be careful, Lucy. Gildarts stood. He edged around the fight and waved at Makarov.
"I'll be going now!" Smiling, he walked through the wall, leaving a Gildarts sized hole, and headed home.
12:48 PM
"Yes, there have been sightings of an enormous Vulcan in the woods. Recent observations made by the townspeople reported that it's been coming out of the forest during the day more often and many people have been disappearing." Lucy listened intently to her client.
"So, you just want me to beat up the Vulcan?" She shot to her feet.
The client nodded.
"If you can, please rescue the people who've been going missing as well." Lucy smiled.
"Of course!" She raced out of the room, her blonde pigtails bouncing behind her. With an excited gleam in her eyes, she sprinted out into the forest. Among the thick cover of trees, a pair of red eyes watched her.
Hmm, something isn't right. Lucy sniffed the air, frowning in distaste at the overwhelming scent of sweat and oppression.
Crack. A branch snapped and she sprinted deeper into the forest, the thing behind her giving chase. She risked a quick look behind her and not to her surprise; a hulking, red-eyed Vulcan was bounding after her. A cave loomed in front of her and without hesitation, she ran inside.
Immediately, the scent of people reached her nose. She couldn't hear the Vulcan behind her, so she ventured farther into the cave. It was quite queer, but the dragon slayer couldn't hear any sounds inside the cave. Instead, it was quiet. Deathly quiet.
Suddenly, the ten year old tripped over something and she flung out her arms to balance. She called upon some moonlight in her hand to illuminate the object.
A crowd of Vulcans glared at her, green eyes reflecting the moonlight. Lucy glared back, unfazed by the monsters.
"Where is he?" She asked. Both of her hand swirled with magic, stones encasing her arms. The white-scaled scarf around her neck floated slightly. Leering, the crowd of monsters parted and the hulking Vulcan stormed through.
Green-eyed Vulcans and a red-eyed Vulcan – that's strange. Lucy noted. With a snarl, the red-eyed Vulcan pounced on her. The blonde struggled underneath the weight of the Vulcan and resorted to using her magic. She managed to wiggle her hands out from under the monster and she grasped its face firmly.
"Celestial Dragon's Illumination!" A burning golden light surrounded Lucy and the Vulcan howled in pain.
It leaped up but the girl held onto the monster. She forced her magic into the glow encasing her and increased its brightness. The Vulcan howled again, an octave higher and the green-eyed Vulcans leapt into the fray. They attempted to harm the blonde, but the burning light prevented them from touching her.
Lucy gasped as her magic level dropped lower and the light faltered. That was enough for a Vulcan to claw through the hazy brightness and claw her right shoulder. She bit her lip to suppress a scream as pain ripped through her body. The light suddenly brightened and seared the monsters' body. With a thump, the red-eyed Vulcan gaped and dropped to the ground along with the green-eyed ones.
Lucy released her hold on the monster and flinched as her feet hit the ground. She dimmed the golden light and leaned against the wall, panting and holding her bleeding shoulder.
"H-h-help…" The injured ten year old turned and gasped. There were no Vulcans in the cave! Instead, injured, unconscious people littered the floor and she stood up and moved over to where she'd heard the voice.
An old man lay on the floor with burned cheeks.
"Y-you're the red-eyed Vulcan!" Lucy exclaimed as she walked over to the man. The burned elder took a breath and shuddered.
"Vulcan… t-take over… Need… to tell… you… friend… pink…" He froze and Lucy gaped at him in shock.
"No! Come on, please – tell me! Please!" She moved closer to the old man and shook him. "PLEASE!" The man unforze for another second before his head dropped down lower on his chest.
"Memory… Vulcan… dead… message…" Lucy placed her bloodied hand on the elder's shoulders and muttered quietly.
"Celestial Dragon's Exchange!" Nothing happened. She frowned and tapped into her magic reserve.
"Celestial Dragon's Exchange!" A green glow surrounded the elder but quickly faded away, leaving her empty. Lucy sat back, exhausted and took a deep breath. The welcoming feel of dust filled her stomach and she fell asleep.
July 31, X777 9:57AM
The guild was as noisy as ever. Boisterous laughter and raucous voices filled up the large building. However, there was a layer of worry under the whole façade. Everyone was worried about the new member, Lucy.
"Where's Lu-cha - Lucy? She should be back by now!" Levy wailed, pounding the table comically. "It was only her first mission!" Droy and Jet sat next to their team mate, worrying for her sanity.
"I'mp shure shea's feyen." Erza shoveled cheesecake into her mouth.
Mirajane glared at the wooden doors silently, waiting for them to open and both Lisanna and Elfman accompanied their older sister. Gray and Cana sat at the end of the table, just talking. Time to time though, the raven-haired boy would glance at the doors as well. Cana noticed this and she giggled.
"Gray, are you worried about Lucy?" She asked him when he turned for the fiftieth time. Gray jumped in surprise and immediately retorted.
"No I'm not. She can go jump in a beehive for all I care." The light blush on his cheeks told the opposite of what he said, though. Their conversation drew the attention of the entire table and Mirajane smirked.
"Aww, how cute. Gray has a crush on Lucy!" She cooed. Gray jumped up from the table.
"I do not!" He shouted. Lisanna and Levy gushed over him.
"Was it love at first sight?"
"I–" With a clang, he was smashed into Erza's chest plate.
"Don't be shy, Gray. It's totally normal to love someone." She patted him on the back "softly" and the boy winced.
"I said–"
At that moment, the doors slammed open and everyone froze. Lucy strode into the guild and went directly to the bar. She dropped a large sack next to the Master and walked over to the request board. Within a few seconds, she found a suitable job and ripped it off the board.
"I'll be taking this one, Gramps." She waved it at the old man before walking out the guild and slamming the doors closed behind her.
"Ok! Stay safe!" Master Makarov called after her.
"…"
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Gray jumped up. "SHE JUST CAME FROM HER FIRST JOB AND NOW SHE'S TAKING ANOTHER ONE? WHY WASN'T I ALLOWED TO DO THAT?"
"She seemed okay, though…" Levy said, biting her lip.
"I don't think so," Erza shook her head. "She was favoring her right side over her left. It's not wise for her to do this."
Mirajane stood up. "We have to bring her back." Lisanna nodded firmly.
"I agree with Mira-nee." Soon, the rest of the kids were following Mirajane to the door.
"Brats," Master Makarov cleared his throat. Slowly, the young mages turned to face the guild master. "Lucy is a capable mage. Look! On her first mission she got a bonus reward!" He nudged the brown canvas sack and with a rustle, wads of jewels spilled out of it.
Makarov glanced at the kids' awestruck expressions briefly before turning on his heel and returning to his spot in the bar.
"She'll be fine, so leave her be." He began to drink his mug of booze and with quiet mutterings, the children sat down, albeit reluctantly. Only Erza and Gray still stood near the door.
"I apologize Master, but this is my duty." Erza face was apologetic as she turned and strode out the doors. Gray tensed and looked up, meeting Makarov's eyes. His jaw clenched before he turned on his heel and raced after Erza.
"I'm going as well!"
The two mages sprinted side by side toward the Magnolia Forest. The job that Lucy had taken was located in the eastern section of the forest and like before, it was to take down a Vulcan. As they grew closer to the outskirts of the forest, Erza placed a finger on her lips, and Gray nodded.
The pair ventured deeper into the forest, the brightness around them slightly dimming.
Abruptly, the tree line thinned and a wide clearing opened up. Tall oak and spruce trees grew abundantly in a ring circling the clearing. In the center stood Lucy, her blonde hair swinging as she dodged the Vulcan's lunge. She looked pretty bad, with a long scratch that ran down her right arm and bruises all over her legs.
"We should help her," Gray whispered to Erza, who didn't answer. The scarlet haired mage observed Lucy's fighting style as she maneuvered skillfully around the hulking monster.
Without a word, the armored girl turned and walked away. Gray stared after her, obviously confused by her sudden actions, but ran after her.
"Erza!" He grabbed her shoulder when he caught up and she stopped. "Don't you think we should help her?" His voice showed his confusion and anger. Erza shook her head and pulled him along.
"Master was right. She'll be fine."
It was a week later when Erza realized her mistake.
Author's Note:
My author's note will always be down here, from now on. :)
I've realized that the story comes first before my random rambling, so yeah.
Sorry for the long delay! Life... just happened.
Thanks to everyone who have stuck with me through this rough patch in my updates.
The next chapter should be up soon (in a few minutes) as well.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I found that I (always) have trouble in writing decent fight scenes. They always seem too hurried to me. If anyone has any tips for writing them, it would be a great help to me!
Black Market of Gossip:
To eem13,
Thank you for your lovely review! I'm so glad that you like my writing. To be honest, writing was never one of my favorite things to do in elementary school because everything we wrote was for a test or essay or something formal like that. :(
To SakuraPetal91,
Yes, the AMV's on your profile page really helped to jolt my brain back into shape. I always get this... undescribable feeling whenever Nalu/Luna is shown with a really good song that matches the mood. The newest opening song, I mean... I was just like "YUSSS!" when I was watching it. ;)
Signing off,
Nora