Fairy Tail: Pirates and Merpeople – Ch. 7
Parties, Proposals, and Promises
The grand hall of the royal palace was packed corner to corner with merpeople laughing, eating, and dancing. Every year, on the week of the princess's birthday, a giant banquet was held in which the whole kingdom, and guests from others, were invited. This year was all the more exciting because the princess would be turning 18.
Rays of colored lantern light flashed off of sequin dresses and diamond earrings, scattering flecks of brightness across the room. Privileged guests were being announced and descending from the grand staircase. Jellal stood at the top with a purple cloak around him and a golden staff, announcing these guests while Cana stood next to him, leaning over the banister and dropping appetizers and watching them float into the punch bowl way down below. After the amount of arriving merpeople dwindled, Jellal took the staff and banged on the floor with three loud thumps.
"Introducing!" He motioned widely. "Our great Princess of the Kingdom of Magnolia! Lucy Heartfilia! Accompanied by the Prince of Camellia! Aspen Roche!"
At that moment, Lucy came into the room, stopping at the top of the stairs for everyone to see. Aspen stood by her side, in a pure white tail coat, shirt, and tie with golden fringes on the shoulders, wearing a confident smile on his face.
"Hello good people of Magnolia! My great people!" Lucy shouted to her guests. "Thank you so much for coming to celebrate with me! Now enjoy yourselves!"
A magnificent cheer broke out over the hall. Lucy and Aspen descended the stairs, waving and smiling and catching the flowers that were thrown to them.
"I could get used to this," Aspen said leaning over close to Lucy's ear.
"…Don't bother." She muttered to herself.
Once they made it to the floor, Lucy and Aspen were surrounded by nobles: dukes and duchesses, ladies and earls from around the kingdom. From the back of the crowd, Lucy could see the top of a brunette head, pushing and shoving it's way through.
"Ex-Excuse Me! Yeah move! Sorry, coming through! Ok move!" the brunette said.
Lucy laughed to herself. After letting go of Aspen's arm and assuring him she'd be back, Lucy began moving through the crowd.
"Oh excuse me. Sorry. Thank you. Cana! Cana! I'm over here!"
Cana followed Lucy's voice finally getting out of the jumble of overexcited merguests.
"Good job making it out," Lucy smiled. "I thought you were going to die in there."
"These people don't know what 'excuse me' means?" she grumbled, readjusting her dress.
"Cut them a break. It's party time! Everyone's just excited is all."
"I can tell. Especially with this being your 18th birthday."
"Yeah. Hey, where are Levy and Juvia?" Lucy asked.
Cana's forehead wrinkled. "You didn't see them come down while you were waiting?"
"Uh-uh." Lucy shook her head. "I thought they'd be with you by now."
"Juvia probably got nervous or something and Levy's calming her down."
Lucy nodded, shrugging it off.
"You two do look really good together." Cana said.
"Huh?"
"You and Prince Fancyfins." Cana elaborated pointing toward Aspen, who was being overwhelmed by a crowd of admirers. "You know everyone's expecting you and Aspen to make the formal announcement tonight." Cana grinned, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Formal announ- no! no! No way in deep sea!" Lucy fumed.
"Calm down!" Cana laughed. "I know you wouldn't. Relax."
Lucy sighed, lightening up a little. "Sorry…I just. I hate this whole marriage thing. I'm 17 years old, why can't I just have a boyfriend? Or a catfish?"
"Because you're the princess." A voice said behind her. Lucy spun around to see her dad, looking down at her with a stern expression.
"Father." Lucy nodded.
"Hey, Uncle Jude." Cana waved, behind Lucy.
"Cana." The king mumbled under his mustache, slightly irritated. "How are your mother and father."
"Oh, you know. Crazy as ever, but thanks for-,"
"Could you give us a moment alone, please Cana." The king interrupted.
"…Uh yeah…sure." She said looking back and forth between Lucy and Jude. "I'll just go check on Levy and Juvia."
As soon as Cana swam off, Jude grabbed Lucy's arm, leading her to the open floor.
"Would you like to dance, my child?"
"…Of course, Father."
Spinning around, he placed his hand on her waist as they started to dance. Lucy looked down at her fins, unable to meet her father's eyes. He stared down coldly at the top of her head.
"You seem to forget that." He said quietly.
"Sir?" Lucy asked, looking up
"That you are the princess. It is your responsibility to do what needs to be done, which for you means finding a good husband of title and eventually taking the throne."
"…I'm only 17 years old…" she mumbled.
"What does age have to do with anything?" he spat. "If a knight didn't need to use his sword in battle until he was 18, does that mean he shouldn't learn to use it when he is 12? No. this is your responsibility and marrying earlier doesn't change that."
"It's my responsibility to marry someone I don't love? I don't even LIKE Aspen, Father. Not even a little."
"I don't care who you love. I don't even care who you like anymore. You're too indecisive and spoiled. You've turned down every suitor. I should've arranged your marriage when you wouldn't have been any wiser, but your mother-."
"Father, I-,"
"You're going to marry him."
"….What?" Lucy croaked.
"The day after you turn 18, you'll marry Prince Aspen-,"
"Father!"
"And he will have the rights-,"
"Dad!"
"To this throne, once I step down and you will be his queen."
By now, they had ceased dancing and stood staring at each other, close to the edge of the dance floor, some of the guests beginning to notice. Lucy blinked rapidly, looking up at her father.
"Dad…the next suitor, I promise, please, but not Aspen, ple-,"
"We already made a deal, Lucy."
"….You and Aspen?"
"It's done." Jude said letting go of Lucy. Without even looking at her, he placed his hands behind his back and floated off. Leaving Lucy behind with tears beading up in the corner of her eyes.
After making her way to a long table of food and drinks, Lucy floated there, staring at the wall with empty, sad eyes, scraping her nails along the side of her glass.
"You shouldn't stare into space like that." Jellal said, floating up next to her. "Here, Milady." He said handing her a napkin. "It wouldn't do good for the guests to see that the princess crying at her own birthday party."
"Thank you, Jellal." Lucy sniffed, wiping the salt from her cheeks.
"So when are you making your announcement?"
"What announcement?"
"You know what I'm talking about." He said matter-of-factly.
"…I don't know yet." Lucy replied, continuing to stare ahead. Jellal's eyes shifted down to her quickly and then back straight.
"So it's true. I thought it was just guest gossip." Jellal hesitated, waiting for Lucy to respond but she just kept mindlessly scraping her glass to the sound of the music.
"You're marrying him?" he raised his eyebrows. "I didn't think that you-,"
"It's what my father wants." Lucy said tightening her grip on the cup.
"What do you mean?"
"He and Aspen made some type of deal. I guess he got tired of waiting."
Jellal looked back down at Lucy again.
"…What? You don't approve of my fiance'?" she asked sarcastically at his silence.
"…I see now." He replied.
"See what?"
"You're giving in that easily?"
Lucy turned sharply to Jellal.
"Giving in?" She laughed harshly. "Jellal, you know my father. What else am I supposed to do?"
"I'm not sure, Milady, but I know you. If there's something that you truly don't want in your life, you keep it out. You'll find a way around this just as easily."
Lucy stared up at Jellal, her brows furrowed in uncertainty. She put the glass down, turning away from him and crossing her arms.
"…What kind of royal guard are you anyway?" She smiled smally. "Telling someone to go against the King's orders."
"I'm a friend of yours before a royal guard…Besides, I'm not very fond of that prince…" Jellal explained, his face spending a small second in a state of pure disgust. As if on cue, across the room, Aspen had pushed his way out of the crowd of admirers and was heading toward the table of drinks and snacks.
"Lucy, my love, you ran off without me!" he called pathetically from half-way across the room making it impossible for her to openly ignore him or sneer in contempt. Jellal's eyes narrowed automatically.
"I'd be honored if you'd dance with me." Aspen said in a low, charming voice, taking Lucy's hand in his.
"Oh, I don't think so. I'm a little tired." She replied looking down at her fins. Aspen's dark green eyes studied her for a moment, before he broke out in a smile.
"You don't have to be embarrassed if you're not the best dancer. Just let me lead you." Lucy looked around and could see the noisy looks of her guests vying for a view of the young merpeople together. She gave a small nod, letting Aspen put his hand on her waist and lead her to the floor. Lucy glanced back quickly, making eye contact with Jellal who mouthed "don't worry."
An orchestra filled with jocund mermen murmured in excitement as Lucy and Aspen took to the floor. They seemed to quickly choose a piece of music and started to strum the strings and strike the keys on their instruments. At the sound of the first lively note, Aspen and Lucy began to twirl across the floor. The spotlight followed them through the water, catching the light on the tips of Lucy's golden braid and Aspen's bright auburn hair. They seemed to glow and all the merguests watched them intently, drawn like moths to a flame.
"Enjoying yourself?" he asked. His teeth looked alarmingly white, reflecting off of his white suit. His pale silver skin rippled with iridescent scales and Lucy cringed inside looking at the almost robotic way that his gills puffed in and out.
'He looks like a mannequin…' she thought. She wasn't trying very hard to hide her disapproval of him. Aspen noticed, lowering his thick eyebrows.
"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.
"What do you think?" she replied, looking blankly in his eyes. Aspen's lips curled up into a small smile.
"Your father told you, then? I'm glad HE told you. I wasn't sure how you'd take it coming from me." He laughed nervously.
"How I'd take you and my father bartering for me like a prized sea cow, you mean?" she suggested.
"Well, when you put it like that-,"
"I won't do it." Lucy resolved, sticking her chin up toward him in rejection. At that moment, the music picked up and more people began to come on the dance floor. Aspen took this opportunity to pull Lucy closer to him, his stomach pressing against hers.
"You don't like me very much." He smiled down at her cockily.
"Oh, you figured that out?" she remarked sarcastically.
"Well…I had my suspicions but you haven't been hiding it very well tonight."
"What would I have to gain by pretending to like someone who frankly makes my skin crawl?"
Aspen threw his head back in loud, genuine laughter. Anyone watching would think they were thoroughly enjoying each other's company.
"Wow, Lucy. You're so blunt. I like that. Saying what's on your mind."
Lucy practically felt her skin rippling and she recoiled from him slightly, but he held her fast. His face became a little more serious as he leaned down to her.
"Come now. We don't want our guests thinking you're not having a good time."
"Let go of me, Aspen." Lucy said as calm as possible, looking up at him with dark, stormy eyes.
"It'd be easier on all of us if you cooperated, Lucy. This marriage will be a good thing, my love."
"I'm not 'your love'. Why not find some other stupid mermaid to charm and extort?"
"Hmmm…I could do that but I've made a pretty good deal with your father. All the gold I want and rights to the throne. I just have to be patient. Not to mention a beautiful wife as my queen."
Lucy's eyes had grown hard as he talked but softened after he finished she craned her neck and got closer to his face. "Try what you want." She said with a steely voice. "Things don't work out for people like you in this kingdom. I'm sure of that."
Of course, Aspen's only response was a sly smirk. He leaned down with his mouth next to Lucy's ear.
"I always get what I want, my love," he whispered.
Lucy grabbed Aspen's lapel, pulling him down toward her.
"We'll see." She whispered back in his ear. She had been holding onto his arm while they danced and now dug her nails into his skin, making him wince. His grip on her slackened and before he could do anything, she'd slipped away from him, leaving Aspen in the middle of the floor, challenged.
As soon as Lucy emerged from the crowd, Jellal was beside her.
"Milady." He acknowleged.
"I'm fine."
"…Are you certain? If you want me to-,"
"I said, I was fine, Jellal." Lucy reiterated, floating aimlessly toward the staircase.
"Planning on leaving?"
"Planning, yes."
"…Mm." Jellal grunted. Lucy stopped at the base of the steps and turned toward him.
"You're really slipping today, Jellal. No scolding me about being a good hostess and ditching my own party?"
"Milady," Jellal began. "You'll be 18 soon so I suppose I've realized that you're old enough to know what to do. You don't need someone only a little older than you scolding you all the time.
"Haha, wow. Is this my birthday present?" Lucy chuckled.
"If that's what you want to call it."
"It's probably the best gift I'll get today." She sighed.
At the top of the stairs, the doors opened and closed as Cana moved, a little urgently, through them. Lucy and Jellal furrowed their brows as they saw her. They both could tell pretty easily when Cana was upset since it hardly ever happened.
"Cana, what's-," Lucy began, catching Cana by the arms as she reached the bottom of the staircase.
"Juvia and Levy."
"What about them?" Jellal asked in a low voice.
"I went to go check on them and Juvia looked pale. I thought she was sick, but she kept saying 'Levy, don't' and that's when Levy told me that Juvia had been…having…some sort of dreams, visions, I don't know. She was hearing people calling her name and seeing other things but they siked her out pretty badly."
"What's that mean, though, Cana? Is she going crazy or something?" Lucy whispered.
"No. No I don't think so. I know a lot about dreams and visions and that sort of thing. My mom taught me about them. I don't understand it all, but I have a feeling Juvia knows something really bad's gonna happen, Lucy."
Lucy and Jellal looked at each other and back to Cana.
"Where are they now, Cana." Jellal urged. "Maybe it would do well for me to take them home."
Cana shook her head. "I'm worried. Juvia doubled over for a second, like her head was killing her and said, 'I know where he is,' then swam out of the room. Levy went right after her. That was like 5 minutes ago. I thought they might've still been in the palace, but…,"
"Ok." Jellal nodded. "You two stay. I'll go find them."
"You don't even know where they went," Cana reminded.
"I didn't think you did either." Jellal retorted, a little irritated.
"Yeah, but I know what she saw in her dream. It'd be easier for me to find where Juvia might've gone."
"…True. But I can't let you go alone."
"Wait. I'm coming too." Lucy interrupted.
"Milady, I can't allow that." Jellal replied. "Stay and take care of your problems here."
"Wait, what problems?" Cana asked, confused.
"They're my friends, too. They're more important."
"I understand, but-,"
"What problems?!" Cana asked again.
"Jellal, remember your birthday present to me." Lucy reminded him. Jellal looked uncertainly at Lucy, who looked sternly back. Sighing, Jellal gave in.
"…Ok, but we need to hurry."
"Wait, Jellal you should stay here just in case." Lucy said.
"But, milady-,"
"Stay here. Trust me, we'll be fine." Lucy nodded. "We'll find them and be back soon."
"Hey! What problems? And what present?" Cana asked, at her wit's end.
"Don't worry about it." Lucy assured her, grabbing Cana by her arm and pulling her away from the grand staircase and toward a side hallway.
"Come on, we're taking the more discreet exit."
"Juvia! Juvia, where'd you go?!" Levy shouted, putting her hands up next to her mouth. I know where he is…That's what she said.
'But who? The man in her dream, I bet.' Levy surmised in her head. "But where'd you go, Juvia…"
Levy had made it to the outskirts of the royal city, asking people if they'd seem Juvia come by.
"Oh yeah, I saw a blue-haired lady swimming that way pretty quick." A shop keeper had informed her.
'It's been 10 minutes since then…' Levy thought. 'She could've gone anywhere.'
"JUVIA! WHERE ARE YOU!" she screamed the curls now falling out of her hair. She had never been more worried about her adoptive cousin than she ever had in the last few days, and now Juvia had gone missing. Reaching the edge of the city, Levy stopped at the gate which hadn't been closed yet in the late evening. Past a certain point, the lights of the glistening buildings ceased to cast out their rays. All Levy could see on the horizon was a thick black line of emptiness fading up into the vast blue ocean rimmed with the light of an orange sunset.
"She couldn't've…" Levy whispered in dread, looking out at the dark stretch ahead. She leaned against a gate post, closing her eyes with a deep sigh.
'Alright, you have to go.' She thought. Getting herself worked up to it, she let go of the post and began floating through the gate.
"Levy!" a pair of voices called. She did a 360, the orange tulle of her dress falling down around her. She could barely make out the 2 silhouettes swimming toward her from a distance, while she squinted her eyes.
"…Cana?...and Lucy?"
"Hey!" Cana yelled, coming into view.
"Cana!" Levy said with relief, as Cana caught her in a hug. "Lucy? Why are you here? What about the banquet?" Levy asked over Cana's shoulder.
Lucy waved her hand dismissively. "It's not a big deal. Jellal can hold it down there. He's kind of a party animal."
Levy smiled and nodded. Pulling out of the hug, Cana grabbed her by the shoulders. "What were you doing? You weren't about to go out there, were you?"
"I've looked all over town for Juvia, and I haven't seen her at all. Someone said she went this way."
"You think she went out there?" Cana raised her brows, surprised. "…Maybe she IS going crazy…"
"Cana, don't say that." Levy furrowed her brows.
"Sorry, sweetie. Just kidding. Come on, let's go find her."
Lucy, Levy, and Cana followed each other out of the city and out into the vast sand and pebble covered expanse, swimming aimlessly and calling Juvia's name.
"Any idea where she might've gone?" Cana asked Levy.
"Nuh-uh." She said, with a shake of her head.
"Yeah, her dream didn't leave me much to go on."
Lucy turned her head to Cana. "But I thought you told Jellal that-,"
"I just said that so he'd let me come help find Juvia."
"And we still haven't seen a sign of her." Lucy sighed.
"No." Levy said over her shoulder.
"We'll find her soon guys. I know it."
What was actually 30 minutes seemed more like hours as the girls swam along through vacant space looking for Juvia. Their throats had become hoarse after screaming her name so long, but they continued yelling, knowing that they couldn't return home until they'd found her.
"JUVIA!" Levy screamed, her voice cracking. "JUVIA!" She swam a little ahead of Cana and Lucy.
"Levy!" Cana hollered, but Levy didn't seem to hear her. She continued yelling Juvia's name.
"Levy! Hold up a second!" Cana yelled again. This time Levy responded, turning around quickly as if she just realized that Cana was speaking to her. Cana and Lucy had stopped swimming and were looking uncomfortably at Levy.
"Huh? What is it? What's wrong?" Levy asked.
"Sweetie…we've been out here for 30 minutes." Cana began.
"I know but-,"
"We need to go back and get help, Levy."
"We can't now, Cana! We're close now. If we left and came back, who knows how long it'll take to find her."
"Levy, listen-,"
"Guys!" Lucy gasped. Cana and Levy looked to Lucy and saw her point in front of them.
"It's her! It's Juvia!"
A blot of blue curls and silver shells stood out up ahead. Juvia stood in front of a vast oval shaped opening of rock. The entrance was impossible to see into, but anyone could tell it led into a big cave.
The girls swam as fast as they could.
"JUVIA!" They all yelled with cracked voices, but she didn't respond. They surrounded her, giving hugs and admonitions, and asking questions, but Juvia continued to stare straight ahead.
"What's…she looking at?" Lucy whispered.
"Juvia…" Levy said gently, holding Juvia's face. "Come on, we're here. We need to go."
"He's…in there…" Juvia finally said. Levy quickly looked toward the cave.
"The human guy? I thought humans couldn't breathe underwater…"
"Juvia knows he's there." Juvia urged.
"…human?" Lucy asked. "What am I missing exactly?"
"Don't worry," Cana replied. "Only a lot."
"Gee, thanks."
"They're in trouble. We have to help them." Juvia pleaded.
"Them? There's more than one?" Lucy asked.
"Apparently. She saw a pirate's flag in her dream. Maybe it's a whole crew." Cana explained.
"…it wouldn't hurt to check it out at least, right?" Lucy suggested. "Then let's go in."
Juvia led the way in, slowly, followed by Levy, Lucy, and Cana in a single file line. As they kept going further in, they began to see a glow at the end of the cave.
"What is that?" Levy asked.
They approached it cautiously. As they neared it, they could see that the light came from a hole at the top of the cave. A hole leading above water. Juvia swam up without hesitation. Her friends followed and as they broke the surface of the water, they gasped loudly, their gills sipping for water while they worked their lungs.
"I've…never been above…water." Levy gasped heavily.
"Me…and Cana…used to come all the time." Lucy laughed between breaths.
"Yeah…when we'd…sneak away from…Uncle Jude's." Cana agreed.
They blinked rapidly as the moon beamed light down on the top of their wet, ruined hairdos.
"The moon's…so much brighter…on the surface. It's…beautiful." Levy said softly. In the corner of her eye, she could see Juvia bobbing up and down in the water. She hadn't said a word since they broke the surface.
"Juvia, you ok?" Cana asked, putting her hand in front of Juvia's eyes.
"Look," Juvia pointed. The pool of water they were in was surrounded by long slabs of rock, boulders and trees. Past the thin forest was a long stretch of tan beach that dipped down into a sparkling, clear blue ocean. On this stretch of beach was another vast figure, but not a natural one. A ship, a huge ship, sat on the sand, split straight down the middle with boards stripped off the sides, and a missing mast. One mast still remained, and a flag was still flying on it, slightly torn but otherwise fully intact.
It had a strange symbol but on top of it was a painted skull and cross bones marking it as only one type of vessel.
"It's the…" Juvia whispered with wide eyes.
"That's a ship!" Levy yelled in amazement.
"A human ship!" Lucy added.
"…A…pirate's ship…" Cana said wide-eyed. "Just like in Juvia's dream."
"I think we need to go back." Lucy said suddenly.
"But! We've found them! They need our help!" Juvia pleaded.
"No offense, Juvia, but I don't see anyone…" Cana said.
"But-,"
"Maybe they're right, Juvia." Levy interrupted. "We don't know what we could be getting into."
"We'll come back." Lucy said.
"…We will?"
"Yes. I promise, but we need to think about all this first. Besides, Jellal's covering for me. We've been gone a while. He's probably pulling his hair out."
"You're right." Cana nodded. "We'll come back. But now that we found Juvia, we better go home. Agreed?"
"Agreed." Levy said.
"…Juvia…understands." Juvia answered hesitantly. The girls plunged downward into the moonlit water and back into the cave, leaving behind the remnants of Fairy Tail's wrecked pirate ship on the sandy beach.