Lucy woke up the next morning with a pounding migraine, the kind that pulsates pain every time you moved. In the pit of her stomach she felt queasy but happy. Her new friends had seen and met Feva, her other half, and they didn't hate her for it. She felt confident that she could train with them watching her. Although, Sting and Rouge's training was a bit harsh on her. She sweat dropped at the thought of Gray or Natsu fighting her brothers because they were pushing her too hard. With the thoughts still lingering in her head she showered and dressed in a white tank top and denim shorts, with her favorite combat boots to match. Popping in her hearing aids, she turned the volume all the way up.
As she did so she began to hear strange noises coming from her kitchen. Pots and pans being banged, mumbled ouch's, and cursing. She stepped out of her room to view a sight she never thought she would see in her lifetime. Sting and Rouge were attempting to make breakfast for her and the two dragon slayers still asleep on her couch and floor. She nudged Natsu and Gray awake and motioned for them to stay silent as they watched the scene between Rouge and Sting play out.
"I told you the heat was up to high!" Cursed Rouge, petting Fro who sat on his shoulder.
"Sting is the greatest! The stupid stove is at fault!" Lector defended.
They continued to argue until they argued over topics that had nothing to do with the breakfast. Lucy couldn't contain herself anymore and burst into a fit of laughter. The Dragon Twins looked at her with a blush on their faces. Natsu and Gray held onto each other for support as they nearly fell over laughing. Feva and Nikoris were having coffee at the kitchen table, looking up to see the source of laughter. Nikoris stood and crossed the room to bow to Lucy.
"Good morning to you Miss Lucy." He said as he took her hand and placed a kiss upon it. Loke appeared and slapped his hand away. He gave a feral growl to the Demon Dog, he would be damned if her let such trash touch his master so easily.
"Loke! Apologize!" Lucy yelled.
"I will not. He is a Demon and all Demons turn on their masters." I said in a deadpan tone. Lucy looked to her brothers for help and found none.
"They need to settle this one way or another." Rouge started.
"Let them fight out their issues." Sting finished.
And so Lucy found herself in the stands at the arena the guild used for training. The look of the place was totally different than the Arena Lucy was forced to be in, but still she felt the memories threaten to overwhelm her. She watched from the front row as Loke and Nikoris stared each other down, she hoped they would stop this. Mira announced the fight as the guild members drank or placed bets.
"And now the fight between Loke and Nikoris will….Start!" Mira shouted.
The two in the arena wasted no time in engaging each other. Kicks and punches mingled with the sound of snarls and growls that were so animalistic. Lucy didn't want to see it, her precious friends fighting each other. She used her magic to help her friends, but here she sat as helpless as a babe.
"Regelus Punch!" Loke casted.
"Fist of the Demon Wolf!" Nikoris countered.
On and on it went, until Lucy could hardly bear it. Natsu and Gray held her hands as Rouge and Sting placed comforting hands on her shoulders. She was close to tears, close enough to blur her vision until her friends became blurs of color. Cuts and bruises dotted their bodies, both breathing heave from the fight. Both began charging their magic, Lucy knew what was coming. Their ultimate attacks, ones they wouldn't use had she summoned them. It would drain her magic to the brink of death.
"Zodiac Impact!"
"Demon's Assault!"
Lucy jumped from the stands and ran in between them. Right in the path of their attacks, ones that would kill her if they hit her directly. An explosion sounded as they made contact, the dust clouded Loke's vision. He had to find her, his master. He didn't care if he was banished from the spirit world again; he would gladly give it up if she was safe. He ran forward, hoping and praying she was alright. He saw her in the arms of Nikoris, not a single scratch on her body. Her clothes were torn but for the most part she was safe.
Loke collapsed to his knees in front of Nikoris and Lucy you looked at him and smiled. Before banging their heads together.
"Haven't you had enough already?!" she screeched as she hit them again.
"Do you know how much it pained me to see my friends fighting?!" she hit them again. She dropped to her knees hugging them both, her tears finally falling.
"Please stop…Please…I can't lose anyone else I care about…Idiots." She screamed as she beat on their chests with her tiny, delicate fists. Loke and Nikoris tried her tears and gave her a charming smile.
"You won't lose us Princess." Loke said, the look in his eyes truly apologetic and loving.
"We just needed to settle our differences." Nikoris said.
"So no more fighting?" she sniffed.
"We are alpha males Lucy. We will always fight when it comes to you." Loke laughed.
"But we will always protect you." Nikoris finished as he helped her stand. Lucy put weight on her ankle and gasped in pain. She had sprained it.
"I will take her to the infirmary!" Loke declared, taking Lucy in his arms.
"No I will!" Nikoris growled back, taking Lucy from him.
Gray grabbed her out of Loke's arms as they began to fight again, he ran her to Wendy who healed her ankle. Everyone sweat dropped at the pair still fighting when she was already healed. Sting and Rouge went down to the arena floor and waited for Lucy to follow. It was training day for her. She followed them down as got ready to practice her roars and wing slashes.
"Ok hit Sting with a Shadow Roar." Rouge barked. Lucy trembled, they were like drill sergeants during training. Lucy relaxed and breathed deeply.
"Shadow Dragon's Roar!" she casted, but it only went five feet before it fizzled out.
Lucy tried it again and again until the day was gone and she had a degree of mastery over Shadow, Light, and Fire Dragon Slayer magic. By the time she was done she was exhausted, but settled into a bar stool and asked for another milkshake. She had fallen in love with these things. She was lost in her milkshake fantasy until a knock on the bar next to her startled her out of her daydream. Hibiki of Blue Pegasus stood next to her.
"May I sit with you?" he asked, she nodded smiling at him.
"I have never seen anyone gain such mastery of magic in a few hours." Hibiki commented.
"Well I have to get strong. I have reasons for trying so hard."
"Be careful not to burn yourself out." Hibiki looked worried. She was sure she looked tired as all hell.
"Don't worry I can handle it!" I smiled.
Natsu and Gray watched the exchange between that player Hibiki and their Lucy, and the sight was enough to make their blood boil. They both stormed over to the bar and ripped Hibiki out of his seat next to Lucy. As Hibiki laid on the floor unconscious and smoking, Natsu and Gray took a seat on either side of her. They glared at Hibiki, knowing how big of a player he was. He found a girl who suited him, then once he had his fill he dumped them like trash. So they would protect their nakama since she was too dense to realize that Hibiki wanted in her pants.
"Hey Luce be careful around that playboy." Natsu said.
"He has a habit of using girls and then dumping them." Gray finished. Lucy looked puzzled over it for a second.
"You mean he's a killer?!" she screamed. Gray stifled a laugh.
"Hibiki dates a girl and then dumps them." Natsu tried to explain, again she looked puzzled.
"Hey Nikoris!" she shouted to the wolf whose tail began to wag as soon as she called him.
"Yes Miss Lucy?" Nikoris stared at her with puppy dog eyes.
"What's a date? Is it a type of food?" she asked with a sincere smile on her face. Nikoris's eyes grew wide as he excused himself and dragged Natsu and Gray away to Loke.
"Ok how the hell do I answer that?" Nikoris whined.
"Easy. You don't, show her instead." Loke suggested.
"But who?" Natsu said.
"We fight and the last one standing gets to take her out!" Gray cheered.
Immedietly after the words left his mouth the four of them began fighting. Lucy was still sitting on the bar stool humming to herself, her hearing aids forgotten at her house. Soon after all the men of the guild found out that they were fighting for who would take Lucy out on her first date and joined into the fray. The only ones not participating was those who were already attached to a girl. The only reason Sting was in the fight was to protect his baby sister. Rouge sat by her side, blasting away any debris that came flying her way.
The battle lasted deep into the night until Natsu was the last one standing. Gray got taken out by Sting who got taken out by Gajeel when he had spilled his beer. So Natsu was the victor and got to take Lucy out on a date. Problem was, he had no idea what to do for their date.
Now is not the time to panic. He mind raged.
Now is the perfect time to panic! His heart roared. What if he made a fool of himself? What if he made her mad at him or cry! Oh it was going to be a long night.