Chapter 7- One Short Day
Lucy was amazed as she walked through the Emerald City, eyes wide with wonder as she took in the sights. When they said this was the Emerald City, they weren't kidding. Everything, from the buildings to the clothes the people wore, were varying shades of green. All in all, it was quite beautiful, despite Natsu and Gajeel's grumbles about how ostentatious it all was. She couldn't help but half-heartedly agree herself. Her white and blue ripped dress stood out in the town, attracting almost as much attention as Wendy's yellow fur coat and Gajeel's creaking and groaning, rusted body. She fidgeting slightly with the hem of her dress where she'd torn bits off in brush, trying hard not to think about the large chunk missing from where she'd torn her dress apart to fix Natsu's leg.
She glanced back at Natsu, noting he was limping again. He didn't seem to notice, trudging along behind an excited Wendy holding a wriggling Plue. She bit her lip glancing back farther. He wasn't dropping straw, but she had the feeling her quick replacement of his lower leg was slowly failing. He was a man made of straw, not supposed to be made of weeds and other vegetation.
She turned back before he noticed she was watching him, frowning slightly. How would they even find someone to patch him up in this big city? She sighed as they made their way towards the large structure in the middle of the town, a tall building made of what looked like glittering emeralds. Only one person could live in such an impressive building, and she was determined to make him help her find Fairy Tail.
Wendy moved closer to Lucy, grabbing her hand. "Lucy… Are you sure this is the right way?"
Lucy nodded. "Yeah, I'm positive. Is something wrong Wendy."
Wendy bit her lip. "I was excited to get here, but now…" She glanced around worriedly. "Everyone's looking at us. And people keep leering at me strangely."
Lucy squeezed her hand. "Don't worry about it Wendy. We'll keep you safe."
"Easy for you to say." Gajeel muttered, and Lucy shot him a look as Wendy's eyes widened slightly.
"Don't worry Gajeel. I won't tell anyone you and Natsu were frightened out of your minds by a little girl." She shot back, and Wendy giggled slightly. Lucy squeezed her hand comfortingly again. "He's just upset he's been bested twice in the same day, once by the witch, and once by you, and I protected those two numbskulls both times."
Wendy's eyes glimmered with awe. "You're amazing, you know that Lucy? Not everyone walks away from the Wicked Witch just like that."
Lucy looked down at her shoes, smiling slightly. "Maybe these are a good luck charm."
"Halt! Who goes there?"
Lucy looked up at a large man with white hair, built like an bull. He had the appearance of one too, horns sticking out from his forehead under his hat, a large gold ring through his nose.
Lucy drew herself up, tightening her grip on Wendy's hand as the girl tried to back away. "I'm here to see the Wizard."
The man snorted. "Nonsense. No one sees the Wizard without an appointment."
Lucy grimaced. She'd had a feeling something like this was bound to happen. "Look, I've come a long way. Glinda told me I had to see the Wizard, and I've walked all the way in these damned shoes with a witch on my heels. Some ox-man isn't going to stop me."
The man looked down, and his eyes widened as his eyes caught the glimmer of the ruby shoes. "So you're the girl we've heard so much about." His face split into a grin, and he shook the hand that wasn't clutching Wendy. "I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. Let me be the first to welcome you to the Emerald City." He moved aside, gesturing inside. "You and your friends can go on in. Tell Mirajane I let you in to see the Wizard. He'll want to see you as soon as possible."
Lucy grinned. "Thanks… um…"
The man chuckled. "I forgot to tell you my name. I'm Elfman. But go on ahead, the Wizard's waiting."
Lucy tugged Wendy forward, quickly moving inside. "Well, that was easier than I expected." Natsu said as the doors behind them closed.
Lucy nodded. "But he's expecting us! I guess this means we'll all get what we want soon."
Plue barked happily as Wendy nodded. "I'm going to get my courage. Finally." She said, and Lucy couldn't help but feel happy for the girl as they walked through the quiet corridor.
When the corridor opened up, Lucy had expected to see a giant throne awaiting them, but instead she saw a desk, with a mass of blue hair sticking up.
"Wizard's office; please hold. Wizard's office; please hold. Wizard's off- For the last time Jet, stop bothering me at work. I'll be home around 7 tonight, you and Droy will have to fend for yourselves." There was a sigh, and the woman grumbled. "Yes, yes, I know. Good-bye Jet." She clicked a button. "Wizard's office, please-" She looked up at the group, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, I understand Madame Morrible. But Glinda is Glinda, she'll do what she wants. I have to go, Elfman let in some… oddballs." She set the phone down as she stood up, pushing her blue hair out of her face and back into her bright green bandana. "Can I help you?"
Lucy nodded. "We're here to see the Wizard. I'm Lucy, and this is Wendy, Natsu, and Gajeel."
The woman frowned, pulling on a pair of glasses as she flipped open a book. She scanned the pages, her frown deepening. "Do you have an appointment under another name?"
Lucy shook her head. "No, but I-"
She shut the book hastily, sighing as she took off her glasses. "You four aren't from the city, are you? You can't just barge in here and demand to see the Wizard. It just isn't done."
Gajeel glared at her. "And I suppose a little shrimp like you is going to stop us?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I will."
Lucy shot Gajeel a look. "Elfman told us to find someone named Mirajane, and she'd understand. You aren't her, are you?"
She shook her head. "No, my name's Levy. Elfman's sister works in our security department, but she's a higher up. She can't be bothered everyone Elfman sends in."
Natsu huffed. "This is stupid. She's Lucy, as in the Lucy who slew the Witch of the East." He gestured downwards. "She has the shoes."
Levy leaned over the edge of the desk and looked down, and astonishment registered on her face. "My god, so you are." She dashed around the desk, her green dress swishing and swaying as pumped Lucy's arm up and down. "I'm sorry Lucy, you caught me off guard. I was expecting someone, well…" She paused, then added. "Someone like Glinda."
Lucy frowned. 'I'm sorry I'm not more regal. Can we see the Wizard now?"
Levy looked aghast. "Looking like that? Heavens no! You need to make an impression, and we can't have you going in dressed like a ragamuffin from Kansas!" She snapped her fingers, and a white haired woman appeared. "Lisanna, do me a favor. Watch the desk for me. I'm going to take Lucy of Fairy Tail and her friends to Evergreen's Emporium. Call ahead; tell them to be ready for us and order a coach. The Wizard will cover the cost."
Lisanna nodded. "Yes ma'am." She sat down at the desk, picking up the phone.
Levy pushed Lucy towards the doors. "I'm so excited to meet you, all of Oz is already talking about your braverism. Good witches are hard to come by in this day and age, the Wicked Witch has been extremely careful about anyone with magic coming to this land. Is it true you can hurl lightning and call thunder?"
Lucy couldn't help but laugh. "No, I can't."
Levy grinned. "Then it's got to be a more powerful magic. To kill the Witch of the East, you've got to be the most powerful witch in all the land, even more powerful than Glinda!"
She led them outside, where a large coach was waiting them, all decked out in green and gold ostentatiously. A pair of white horses pawed the ground, throwing their heads excitedly as the man driving the coach tipped his hat to the group. "Levy."
Levy curtsied. "Gray. We'd like to go to Evergreen's Emporium. This is Lucy of Fairy Tail, the Good Witch who slew the Witch of the East."
Gray nodded. "And here, I figured Jet or Droy had set your house on fire again." He snapped his fingers, and the door sprang open. "I'll take you there right away."
Lucy looked at the horses and grinned. "And hello to these two beauties as well. What are you names?"
Gray raised an eyebrow, and Levy laughed. "They won't answer you. They're just horses, they don't speak."
Lucy blinked, looking at Wendy. "Don't all animals talk here?"
Wendy shook her head. "Some of us lose our abilities to talk." She flushed, looking down. "You'll be hard pressed to find an animal here that speaks other than at the Wizard's castle. It's not…"
"Proper. We can't have horses pulling carriages, complaining about weight and what not. It's not done here." Levy stepped into the carriage, and Gray nodded.
"It's true miss. But you've asked their names, and I'm obligied to tell you. The one on the left is Indigo, and the one on the right is Emerald." The said horse turned its head, looking at Gray reproachfully, and Gray chuckled. "But she goes by Emmie. They're horses of different color, these two."
Lucy raised an eyebrow, and in response, Emmie shook herself slightly, and, to Lucy's astonishment, Emmie's coat began to fall away, revealing a emerald green coat underneath. Gray frowned. "Come on Emmie. You're both supposed to match."
Indigo neighed, and shook himself out as well, turning himself an emerald horse as well, and Gray sighed. "They're hard to control, these two."
Lucy nodded as her companions moved into the carriage, and she frowned, staring up at the carriage driver. "Gray, have you ever heard of the guild Fairy Tail? I could've sworn I've met you before."
Gray grinned. "Never my dear. But I would definitely remember a beauty such as you." He pulled a rose out of thin air and handed it to her. "There's a ball tonight, in celebration of you actually and your arrival. I would be honored if you went with me."
Lucy flushed slightly. "I'll think about it." She said, taking the rose as she stepped into the carriage.
As she sat down next to Levy, the door shut, and the carriage rattled away. Natsu was looking at her strangely. "Where'd you get the rose?"
Lucy tucked it into her basket, still smiling. "Gray gave it to me."
Levy's mouth split into a grin. "He asked you to the ball, didn't he?" When Lucy nodded, Levy clasped her hands together. "What did you say to him?"
Lucy flushed a bit. "I said maybe."
Levy grinned excitedly. "Well, you should say yes! Gray wouldn't just ask ANYONE."
Gajeel squeaked as he shifted uncomfortably. 'What's this ball?"
Levy blinked, then gasped. "You wouldn't know, would you? Every week, the citizens of the Emerald City hold a ball for some reason or another, and normally it's in honor of the Wizard. But this week it was decided to honor Lucy and celebrate the death of the witch. You ask someone by giving them a flower of choice. This week it's a blood red rose, representing the red blood of the Witch, and Lucy's red shoes she won."
Lucy shifted uncomfortably, looking down at the rose. All she could see was the witch's legs sticking out from under her house, but Levy continued on, undeterred. "It's a masked ball too, so you can go and enjoy it without everyone asking about your feats."
Lucy nodded, and she looked up at Natsu. Natsu was staring out the window, and he looked slightly unnerved for some reason. She sighed, looking out the window herself.
Lucy couldn't deny it, she wanted Natsu to ask her to the ball, but she wondered if it even crossed the brainless oaf's mind to ask her. She barely heard Wendy and Levy talking about the ball, and she couldn't help but smirk at the thought of how uncomfortable Gajeel was probably feeling. She turned her head, looking at the Iron Man. "Gajeel, are you going to ask someone? This could be your chance to find love~." She teased, and, to her shock, Gajeel's face turned a yellowish color, signifying his blush.
"There was someone who I was thinking about. She's supposed to be here in the Emerald City, she moved her a few years ago." He muttered, and Levy grinned.
"Excellent! After you're all tidied up, you can ask Gray to take you to find her."
Gajeel muttered something, looking back out the window. "She's probably married by now. She always wanted a big family, and I wasn't quite ready to help her with that dream."
Levy turned a little pink as she turned back to Wendy. "Who knows. Maybe she's been waiting for you all this time."
Lucy watched the pair, feeling like she was missing something, and she turned to look at Natsu again, only to find him staring at her with a peculiar expression. To hide her own flush, she looked back out the window as the carriage came to a halt outside a glamorous looking shop, with men and women lined up outside the coach. Levy stepped out first, embracing a tall woman. "Evergreen! I hope we haven't inconvenienced you."
Evergreen waved her off, adjusting her glasses. "I cleared my schedule for the next hour for Lucy and her companions." She pursed her lips as Lucy and the rest stepped out. "Oh dear. Lisanna wasn't lying."
Levy nodded. "Can you help?"
Evergreen nodded, clapping her hands. "Take the Tin Man to have all that rust removed immediately. I want him to shine." She ordered, and 5 men ushered Gajeel off.
"I'm not Tin, I'm Iron! IRON!"
She motioned to the rest. "The scarecrow's seen better days. Take him to be restuffed."
"Wait, what?" Was all Lucy heard as some more men stole Natsu away, and he started shouting something about being fine, but Wendy's hand in Lucy's was distracting her slightly.
The little girl was shivering uncontrollably as Evergreen motioned to several women, and Lucy patted her shoulder. "It'll be fine Wendy. Just call for me if something happens, I'll be there for you."
As Wendy was rushed off, Plue taken from her arms by another woman, Evergreen snorted. "That dress has seen better days. You four- take her to be pampered, and find her a dress that doesn't make my eyes ache."
Levy nodded. "Now, about my appointment later, I was thinking…"
Lucy didn't hear the last as she was herded inside. She was taken down a hallway, the girls all giggling around her. "Wow, a real Good Witch in our salon!" One gasped, pulling out a strange device, and another girl shot her a look.
"Clairee, your Twitter can wait till later. Miss Evergreen said no one was to know until later about Lucy and her friends being here."
Clairee pulled a face, but she stuffed the object away. Another girl snorted slightly. "Besides, the world can go on without you informing half the population of Oz who you've been sleeping with lately."
Clairee flushed. "Shut it Amanda. That's so-"
There was a scream, and the girls jumped in surprise. Lucy winced. "Can you take me to where Wendy is first before we start this?"
Amanda nodded. "It's close by. You'll actually be right next door to her."
The girls led her to a room that was absolutely adorable, and the four women were standing around a corner, each holding a set of clippers. "There there, it won't hurt. Just sit back in the chair and-"
"No!"
Lucy shooed the four women away, frowning. She knelt in front of Wendy, who had her hands over her head, whimpering slightly. Lucy smiled as she set a hand on Wendy's paw. "Wendy, what's wrong?"
Wendy opened her eyes, latching onto Lucy instantly. "Lucy! They want to clip my mane! And mess with my claws!"
Lucy patted her back softly. "There there, it's fine. It won't hurt a bit." She gently led the girl to the chair, sitting her down. Wendy sniffed as Lucy picked up a pair of trimmers. "Do you trust me Wendy?"
Wendy nodded, and Lucy smiled. "Good. Now, I'm just going to cut a little mane, ok? It's grown oddly in places, and you want to look good for the Wizard, right?"
Wendy nodded, shutting her eyes, and she clutched Lucy's hand as the other moved up by her head. Lucy carefully snipped a small bit, holding it with her fingers. She pulled her hand forward in front of Wendy as the lioness spoke. "Is it over?"
Lucy chuckled. "Yep." She opened Wendy's paw, setting down the lock of mane. "Was that so painful?"
Wendy shook her head, and Lucy straightened up. "These ladies are here to make you pretty Wendy. Don't worry."
Wendy looked at her paw. "What about my claws then? They were talking about trimming my claws."
Lucy shook her head. "It won't hurt. They'll make them a little neater for you. Have you had hang claws before?"
Wendy's eyes widened. "They're really painful. Is that what it'll be like?"
Lucy shook her head. "No, they're just making sure you don't get anymore. If you trim them, then you won't get hang claws anymore." Gingerly, she brushed the mane in Wendy's hand away and picked up a file. She handed it to Wendy. "You can do it yourself first, if you want."
Wendy frowned, but she did as Lucy asked, filing one claw slightly. She giggled. "It tickles!"
Lucy grinned. "There, it's not so bad. Look, afterwards, I'll take you out to eat whatever you want."
Wendy's eyes lit up. "Ice cream?"
Lucy chuckled as she ruffled Wendy's hair slightly. "You bet. Be a good girl, and we'll get ice cream afterwards."
Wendy nodded, and Lucy turned back to the four women. "She's all yours."
A woman nodded, looking relieved. "Thank you. I wasn't sure how we were going to get her back in the chair."
Lucy waved a hand as she walked over to her group of women. "Just take your time with her." She turned back to Wendy. "I'm right next door. So don't worry."
Wendy nodded as Lucy was led off again, and Lucy sighed, glad that the ordeal was over. She let herself be pampered and wrapped in a robe, which was calming, even when Clairee waxed her legs unexpectedly.
She was still gasping in pain when a man appeared in the doorway. "Um… Excuse me." He coughed, looking at Lucy. "I heard how you helped the girls next door, and I was hoping you could help us in the other room."
Lucy looked up, wiping away the tears in her eyes. "Who is it this time?"
The man shifted uncomfortably as Lucy stood up. "The scarecrow. He won't let us near him. Miss Evergreen's been trying to replace his clothes for the past ten minutes."
Lucy groaned, and one of the women giggled. "Good luck."
Lucy followed after the man, pulling her robe more tightly around her. She had a feeling she knew what this was about, and she rubbed her temples slightly as she entered the room.
Hay was scattered around the room haphazardly, the men standing back as Evergreen waved a new set of clothes in front of Natsu, who was fending her off with what looked like a coat rack. "Look here. We aren't killing you here, just take the damn clothes!"
"I don't want them! My clothes and straw are fine!" Natsu shot back, and Lucy breathed out a long sigh.
In five strides, she was next to Natsu, and she slapped the back of his head so hard, he fell forward onto the floor. Before anyone could move, she sat down hard on his back, glaring at him. "Natsu, you big baby. I expected this from Wendy, but you? You're an idiot."
Natsu turned his head so one eye could look at her. "Lucy?"
Lucy snorted. "Who'd you expect? The Wicked Witch?" She sighed, rubbing her forehead slightly. "What's wrong Natsu?"
He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'pants' and Lucy looked down at his damaged leg. "So I was right. This is about my patch."
Natsu looked up at her pleadingly, and she rolled her eyes. "I'm not letting you keep them."
Natsu tried to sit up, but Lucy smacked the back of his head again. "Don't get up. These guys had me come from my room to see you; I demand to know what's happening."
Natsu sighed as he looked away. "I don't want to get rid of the patch. It… It's special."
Lucy furrowed her eyebrows. "Special? Natsu, I ripped my dress so I could patch your leg up. It's not that special."
He grimaced. "It's not that. You… You'll probably be gone soon. I want something to remember you by."
Lucy blinked, startled by the sudden confession. It was true; she was probably going to have to leave him behind to return to Fairy Tail when the Wizard sent her back, and she smiled slightly as she patted his head. "Then ask for something else, not a ripped, dirty piece of cloth." She paused, untying a ribbon from one of her braids. She knelt on the ground and picked up his arm, tying it around his right wrist. "There. Now you'll have something else to remember me by."
Natsu looked up at her, blinking slowly as if he was trying to register what had happened, and she chuckled slightly at his expression. In a bold move, she kissed his cheek. "Now please. Let Evergreen and these gentlemen work their magic. I'll see you later."
She stood up and waved to the bemused and astonished people in the room. "I'll show myself back." She said, walking back to her room.
She half expected someone to fetch her to talk to Gajeel, but thankfully the rest of the pampering session went uninterrupted. When the women were done, Lucy couldn't help but gasp. She doubted that her own experience with make-up had ever made her look as beautiful as she was right now, and she grinned at them. "Thank you!"
The women bowed. "No, thank you Lucy. We've never had a client who hasn't argued with us before about every little detail."
Clairee nodded. "And frankly, none of them have ever been a beautiful as you."
The women nodded in agreement, and Lucy flushed. Amanda squealed slightly. "God, she's even prettier when she blushes!"
The head beautician shook her head as she ushered the girls out. "We've left you some dresses to choose from. We even left some masks for you to wear to tonight's ball. Your group is probably out in the lobby waiting for you."
Lucy nodded as they shut the door, and she walked over to the dressed. They were all varying shades of green, but her eyes fell on one in particular. It was such a deep emerald, it was almost blue, with a short skirt that would only barely reach her knees. It had black design over the top, with one strap went over her left shoulder, emerald jewels sewn around the chest and bodice. She smiled as she pulled it on, marveling at the perfect fit. This dress had been made for her, without a doubt.
She paused as she pulled on a pair of black ankle-height boots at passed as fashionable heels that tied up in the front, staring at the red heels still on the table. Glinda said she shouldn't take them off, even for a minute, but one night couldn't hurt, right? She hastily shoved the shoes into her basket and she grabbed a mask that had been paired with the dress quickly from the table, stuffing it into her basket without a second thought.
Levy was waiting in the lobby, talking on the phone in a rushed tone. "-nna, I don't care. You march in there and demand he get on the phone with me right now. I know his schedule, he's free until-" She sighed, rubbing her temples as Lucy drew closer. "Fine. I'll tell them then. See you later then."
She hung up the phone, turning around. She smiled when she saw Lucy. "Lucy! You look gorgeous!"
Lucy grinned. "You look amazing yourself!"
Levy blushed a bit, pulling slightly at a lock of her hair. "It's not much. A bit of make-up, and Evergreen curled my hair a bit."
Lucy shook her head. "It looks wonderful." She glanced at the phone, and Levy followed her eyes.
She sighed. "You heard that, didn't you?" When Lucy nodded, Levy shook her head. "The Wizard said he'll see you tomorrow after the ball, and he's asked I show you and your friends around town today."
Lucy shrugged. "Well, even if it's tomorrow, I can wait a bit longer to see the Wizard. I did want to see the sights around here." She paused. "What exactly is the Wizard like?"
Levy's eyes widened, and she gasped. "What do you mean? Have you never heard of him before?"
Lucy shook her head. "All I've heard is he's the Wizard. Not much else."
Levy grinned. "Then, first things first. I'll take you to the library if you want, you can read up all about him!"
"A room full of books. Why does this not sound appealing?"
Lucy grinned at Gajeel as the Iron Man walked over, and she looked him up and down. "You're looking tons better Gajeel. New suit?"
Gajeel smirked slightly, flexing an arm. The movement didn't even cause him to squeak. "Yep. Cleaned up and oiled beautifully. The guys here really know how to work out rust here."
Lucy nodded, walking around him for a minute and inspecting him. "How was it?"
Gajeel shrugged. "Kinda like getting a massage. Really relaxing." He turned, and his grin widened. "Looks like shrimp here got prettied up too."
Lucy laughed as Levy turned bright red, but she was distracted as someone barreled into her. "Lucy!"
Lucy looked down, patting Wendy's head. "Hey Wendy. How'd it go?"
Wendy grinned. "Really good! They cleaned up all my matted fur. They even gave me new bows!" She pulled up her mane, and Lucy chuckled at the ribbons tied throughout the fur.
"I meant to ask you before, what's with your mane? Is it a hood, or an actual mane?"
Wendy looked down, flushing. "Well, ever since I was little, I've been unable to grow my own coat. So my mother had a coat made for me that grows fur for me. I added the mane myself a few years ago, hoping it would help me be scarier. But I don't wear it all the time. I get mistaken as a boy too much."
Lucy frowned. "What do you mean, you don't grow your own fur? What happened."
The happy look on Wendy's face faded, and she looked scared. "It was terrible. I don't like to talk about it, so please don't ask."
Lucy patted her head. "Don't worry. You don't have to tell me unless you want to."
Wendy looked relieved. "Thanks." She looked around the room. "Where's Natsu and Plue? I thought they'd be here by now."
"Your snowman's here." A woman said, smiling as she walked forward, holding the dog. "We gave him a new collar after his bath." She frowned as she handed the dog to Wendy. "You do know that he looks really strange when he gets wet, right?"
Lucy nodded. "He's always done that. But thanks for the warning."
The woman bowed. "Certainly. Your other friend is should be out shortly; they were just replacing the last of his straw when I passed by."
Lucy nodded again as the woman walked off, and she glanced down the hallway where Natsu's room was. When she saw him appear, she grinned, walking towards him.
Wendy was so wrapped up in playing with Plue, she missed the fact that Lucy had left until she heard the blonde's voice further down. She glanced up in time to see Natsu storm off angrily, Lucy huffing as she walked back to the group. "I'll do whatever I want to do Natsu!"
"And you have fun with that!" He retorted angrily, storming outside.
Wendy raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?" She asked as the blonde neared.
Lucy shook her head. "Just Natsu being an idiot." She sighed, then glanced at Gajeel, who was frowning slightly. "Gajeel, can you go follow him? Make sure he doesn't get into trouble."
Gajeel nodded. "I've got some stuff to do as well. I'll see you guys later." He said, following after the scarecrow.
Levy watched him go, frowning. Lucy sighed, inclining her head to the door. "Shall we go?"
Levy nodded. She turned to the lady at the desk, who was watching the whole affair with great interest. "Send the bill to the Wizard's office. He's already agreed to pay for everything."
The woman nodded, and the trio of girls walked outside. Gray was waiting for them, and he bowed as they walked closer. "Your two companions, they-"
Lucy waved him off. "They wanted to go exploring without us."
Levy nodded. "Where did you park the carriage? We'd like to go to the library next."
Gray motioned over his shoulder. "It's parked just a bit over there." He smiled at Lucy, picking up her hand. "Now that the business is finished, may I escort this ravishing beauty to the coach?"
Lucy smiled as he kissed her knuckles, and she nodded. "Certainly. By the way, the offer from earlier…?"
"Still stands." He said, taking her arm. "Have you made your decision?"
Lucy nodded. "I would love to go with you to the ball." She said as they started their way back to the coach.
Gray beamed. "Then I am the luckiest man in the world. We'll make the entire ball jealous then."
Lucy giggled as he helped her into the carriage, and she sat down in one of the seats.
Wendy, however, looked absolutely confused as she sat down, and Levy shared her expression as they both stared at Lucy for a long minute as the carriage began to roll away. Lucy looked away, unable to look at either of them. "What?"
Wendy's mouth was pulled into a frown, and she stared at Lucy strangely. "You're going to the ball with Gray? I thought…"
Levy nodded, filling in the last sentence for Wendy. "I thought you'd be going with Natsu."
Lucy flushed slightly. "Nope. Natsu missed his chance." She snorted, brushing a strand of blonde hair from her face. "Stupid, jealous idiot."
Levy's eyes widened. "Was that what that fight was about? He didn't want you to go with Gray?"
Lucy nodded. "I was trying to hint that I wanted to go with him, but he got all offended and jealous, and started making all these comments." She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "And I said some things I shouldn't have. It just pissed me off how he got all angry and started saying that Gray was shifty and weird, just because he doesn't know Gray."
Levy raised an eyebrow. "So… Do you like Gray?"
Lucy frowned, turning to look at the girls across from her. She sighed after a long moment. "I admit, I do want to know him better, and I do like him, but not in a romantic sense. Maybe it's just me and my cruddy memory, but I feel like I know him." She shrugged. "I feel bad for leading Gray on like this, but I was hoping to goad a reaction from Natsu. One that would mean I'd be dancing with Natsu at the ball."
Levy patted Lucy's hand. "Things will work out. Things like this always do."
Lucy nodded, turning to look out the window. "I hope you're right."
The carriage fell silent, and Lucy stared out the window, wondering if what she was doing was right, leading Gray on to make Natsu jealous. She huffed slightly at the thought. So what if Natsu got all upset? She didn't care what he did anymore. He could go with a toe rag for all she cared.
Her thoughts turned back to Gray, and she frowned out the window. She barely knew Gray, but she felt like she was crossing some boundary that was never supposed to be toed.
The carriage stopped outside of a large building, and Levy stepped out first. She went to talk to Gray, who nodded and left with the carriage. Levy turned back to the pair behind her, grinning. "Well, that takes care of him for the rest of the day. By the time we're done here, we can walk to the party."
Lucy looked up at the impressive building. "This is the library?"
Levy nodded. "It's got a little café inside if you're both hungry."
Wendy looked at Levy, biting her lip. "Is… Is there ice cream?"
Lucy and Levy laughed, and Lucy took the lion's paw. "If there isn't, we'll make a special stop afterwards for you."
Wendy looked pleased with this decision, and she soon found herself licking happily at a vanilla cone as she sat in a chair, watching the two older women examining books.
Levy was in full 'teacher' mode, chatting away as she explained Oz to Lucy. "Oz is a rather large country, and the Wizard rules over all. The Emerald City is right in the center of Oz, where the three big. main providences intersect. The first is Gillikin to the North, and Glinda rules over that. Then there's Munchkinland to the East, where you rule. And finally, there's the Vinkus, where the Witch of the West resides. It used to be a beautiful country, but she called a fierce drought that killed almost everything there."
Lucy frowned as she looked at the map. "How harsh."
Levy nodded. "Then there's three other provinces, but two to the north are rather small. The last one is to the South called Quadling Country, and there used to be a witch who ruled over it, but she was killed years before I was born in the War of the Witches. There's nothing left there anymore, it was the battleground for years."
Lucy glanced up from her book. "War of the Witches?"
Levy nodded, handing her a new book. "It was a terrible war. The Wizard hadn't arrived, and the 4 witches all battled for the power to rule." Lucy nodded as she flipped through the pages of the book, Levy still prattling on. "The witches Urtear and Meredy versus Glinda and Chelia. When Chelia fell, many in Oz believed that the Wicked Witches had won, but then a miracle came."
Wendy nodded, finishing off her ice cream. "The Wizard!"
Levy nodded. "He came and saved us all. He got the Witches to agree to a truce, which they all signed. As long as he still lives and rules over Oz, they are not to harm one another. Only witches that have not signed the treaty are exempted from the rule, like Lucy."
Wendy picked up a book, grinning. "How?"
Lucy glanced up as Levy launched into her next spiel. "The Wizard has great, magnificent powers. He came to us from the heavens in a marvelous flying contraption, amid a huge thunder and lightning storm. His powers know no bounds; he cleansed a lake that was poisonous to go near in Munchkinland, he destroyed a demon that the Witch of the West had created to kill Glinda, and he destroyed the taint in the Quadling Country that made it uninhabitable. Then he built this city for the people who had lost their homes in the War of the Witches and swore to never let it happen again."
"Amazing!"
"And that's just the beginning! He's done so much, I'll start after the War of the Witches was finished!"
Lucy frowned as silently set the book down. She liked Levy, but she wanted to find out more information about the witches here in Oz, not the Wizard. She stowed away silently, drifting through the rows of books.
She wasn't sure how far she'd wandered, but from the state of the dust on the books, it was further back than anyone cared to look. She drifted down an aisle, her fingers traveling across the bindings of the books lined up in neat little rows. Her hand traveled across one book, and she reeled in shock as she scooped it from the shelf, eyes wide.
The book wasn't very thick, a dark green cover with golden writing around it, and she mouthed the title silently. "Fairy Tail."
She opened it, scanning the pages. It was full of hand-written words that sounded familiar, magic, guild, family, and she bit her lip as she read about the world in the book. She was surprised, it sounded amazing there. A guild of people who could use magic of all kinds, fighting against with each other constantly, but with an unbreakable bond they all shared together. She frowned at the word the book used, and she repeated it. "Nakama."
Her head hurt, and she rubbed the heel of her hand against her temple as she stared at the word. That word seemed so foreign, yet so familiar, she couldn't wave away the feeling she was getting.
"… to Happy and Lucy. We are all nakama."
She grimaced as a memory resurfaced, a large ape-like thing charging as that pink-haired man from her dream said spoke, and she shook her head. What was he doing there, in those thoughts? He was a dream, a figment of her imagination caused by those poppies. She shut the book, looking at the cover again. Her brain was getting fuzzy again, and she shut her eyes, trying to fight off the buzzing in her ears.
"Can Juvia help you?"
A woman's voice broke the fog around Lucy's brain, and she opened her eyes, turning to face the intruder, smiling. "No, I'm fine. Just a little preoccupied."
The blue-haired woman raised an eyebrow. "Juvia would say so. This is a section that's off-limits to the public without authorization."
Lucy set the book back on the self. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"Juvia would assume so." Her eyes flickered to the book, and she smiled. "Oh, are you interested in fairy tales? You should have asked sooner, we keep most of our collection out front."
Lucy glanced back at the book. "Fairy Tales? No, I'm looking for information about Fairy Tail, a guild, just like in this book." She frowned. "If this is a fairy tale book, why is it in a restricted section?"
The woman frowned. "That particular book is a rather dark read miss. It was written about 10 years ago by a woman known as Lucille Heart, but she died before its completion. There have been companions to it over the years, each guessing the ending; some happy, and others sad, but Miss Heart wasn't the most optimistic person."
Lucy glanced back at the book. "Can… Can I take it? I'm rather curious about the world in the book."
The woman's mouth pulled into a thin line, and she shook her head. "Juvia is sorry, but that's the original. Juvia can't let it walk out of here." She turned to go, gesturing for Lucy to follow her, and, in a rash decision, Lucy grabbed the book and hastily stuffed it into her basket before following.
The woman led her back to the main area hastily, and she gestured to another section. "If you want to read one of the companions to that story, they're over there."
Lucy nodded. "Thank you. I'm sorry, but you never told me your name."
The woman's eyebrow raised. "My name is Juvia. Juvia works here as a librarian."
Lucy smiled. "I'm Lucy. Pleased to meet you."
Juvia balked, and her eyes widened. "Lucy? As in Lucy the new witch?" She curtsied. "Juvia is sorry she didn't recognize you straight away."
Lucy shook her head. "No one does."
"Lucy! There you are!" Levy appeared from a row of books, grinning madly. "I was wondering where you slipped off to. I see you've met Juvia."
Juvia smiled at Levy. "Afternoon Levy. Are you showing Lucy around town?"
Levy nodded. "It's almost time for the ball. Are you coming tonight?"
Juvia's smile faded. "Juvia wasn't thinking about it. Juvia has too much to finish up here."
Levy pouted. "All work and no play makes Juvia a dull girl." A sly grin crossed her face, and her eyebrows wriggled suggestively. "You-know-who's going to be there."
Juvia turned pink. "Is Levy sure? Juvia has heard Gray say he would never go to such a flashy party without good reason." She looked away, a frown forming on her lips. "Gray has already expressed his interest in Juvia, and his lack of. Why should Juvia care if he goes to the ball?"
Levy glanced to her right at the blonde. "He's going with Lucy actually."
Lucy saw the dark look flash across Juvia's face, and she put up her hands in defense. "It's not like that!"
Levy nodded curtly. "It really isn't. She was trying to make someone jealous, but she really doesn't want to go with Gray."
Lucy nodded in agreement. "If you, perhaps, maybe kept him preoccupied, maybe he'll realize he likes you instead." She sighed, brushing some hair from her face. "I don't know what happened between you two, but you obviously care about him Juvia. He expressed his feelings about you, but did you tell him yours?" She clasped Juvia's hand, grinning. "Come with us to the ball!"
Juvia bit her lip, but she nodded. Levy grinned. "Excellent. Next stop, Juvia's house to get her ready, and then the ball!"
Lucy couldn't help but grin herself, feeling extremely pleased with the way things were turning out.
Hey Hey Hey! :D Lucky chapter 7 is here!
I'm so happy I finally got over this beast- it was by far the hardest to write thus far. Many days went into trying to transition all these pieces together, since I had them all written out of order. This is also the longest chapter thus far, taking up over 15 pages in my word document on my computer, and it was supposed to be even longer, cause the ball was supposed to end this chapter.
But for now, enjoy the torment of a GrayXJuviaXLucy love triangle while Natsu goes and is... Natsu... somewhere. I really don't know what he did this chapter other than cause drama for no reason.
Natsu- Oi!
Anyways. Read, review, comment! I love to hear from my readers, it really brightens my day when you guys leave reviews.
Next stop- The Ball! :D
