Fanfiction series: Odds and Ends
Title: Sharpshooters of Magnolia
Pairing: Arzack/Visca
Rating: K+
Word count: 1486
Summary: Love story from the wild west, Lucy Heartphilia style.
Notes: The only couple in FT that is accepted by all fans. The style of this is... different. And I went wild with dialogue. And it's later than usual because my internet connection decided to quit on me. And I fail in general... Nevermind, it's just one of those days. Still, I hope you'll enjoy.
It was a lazy morning in the western Fiore and the Magnolia Town, sprawled on the coast of the said country, was basking in an early morning light. The people who were going about their business did so without hurrying and the hours blended together in the haze of a sunny day.
17-year old Visca Moulin strode down the main street, her trusted rifle slung over her back. She was a pretty young thing, tall and slender with green hair flowing from under her trademark hat. She was heading for the most famous saloon in the town called Fairy Tail.
"You made Fairy Tail into a saloon?"
"What of it?"
"Nothing, just..."
"Take a look around, Levi and tell me this wouldn't be the rowdiest saloon ever if we were actually living in such an age."
"You're right. Read on."
Fairy Tail was a name known throughout the whole country. It was a place where the most famous gunslingers met and took drinks. It was even more famous for the beauty of its waitresses and dancers. And if an hour passed without a fight breaking out, the date was taken down and talked about for weeks. Visca opened the flying door
"You're really going all out, Lucy."
"Shh. Don't interrupt."
opened the flying door and went in, looking for her friend, Arzack Cornell. Arzack was a gunslinger, one of the fastest in the country but his nature was such he wasn't prone to boast about his abilities. That was one of the reasons Visca loved him so much. Unfortunately, he didn't feel the same.
"Ooohhhh. Laying it on pretty thick from the start."
Or so Visca thought. She didn't have the slightest idea that Arzack, in fact, felt the same for her, he was just too insecure to confess. In his mind, someone like Visca, perfect in every sense of the word, wouldn't be interested. And so, their hearts felt the same but their minds held them back. Visca looked around. She greeted some of her acquaintances but Arzack was nowhere to be found. Mirajane, the barmaid and one of the most popular young women in Magnolia, waved at her from over the bar. Visca made her way through the maze of the tables, having to duck several times to avoid flying objects of many kinds. It seemed that a brawl was about to break out again. "Hello, Visca," Mirajane greeted her, reaching for a clean glass. "Will you have anything?" "No, I'm just looking for Arzack. Have you seen him?" "Not this morning. He hasn't come in yet." Visca sighed, disappointed. "Oh. Okay. I'll go looking for him elsewhere." "Why don't you stay for a while longer?" Mirajane asked. "Sooner or later, everyone passes through Fairy Tail. We have a new dance number later on, as well." Before Visca could make her decision, a blue-haired waitress skipped to the bar. "Six beers for table six, Mira. Oh, hello Visca." "Hello, Levi."
"You made me a waitress?"
"What of it? Would you prefer being a dancer?"
"Lucy..."
"How are you?" Levi asked while waiting for Mirajane to fill the glasses. "I'm fine. Have you seen Arzack?" "Not since the last night when you two left together. Why? Did something happen?" "No, I just..." Visca trailed off and Levi smiled mischievously. "Miss him?" "No!" Visca protested but a faint blush spreading over her face betrayed her. "I don't understand why you don't confess already," Levi stated. "The tension is killing me." "At least they're better than you and Gazille," Mirajane joined in.
"G-gazille? You're pairing me with him?"
"Oh, please. I have seen the flirting going on between the two of you."
"We aren't flirting!"
"Right, you're just making eyes on each other. And you're blushing right now."
"Go back to reading, Lucy."
"What about Gazille and me?" Levi asked defiantly. "The atmosphere is practically charged with electricity anytime the two of you are together." Visca giggled and Levi took her full tray from Mirajane. "Laugh all you want. You're just jealous." Both girls laughed even more but stopped when Levi put the tray down, distributed the full glasses among the occupants of the table and then plopped down into the lap of a rough-looking young man with spiky black hair.
"Lucy!"
"Hey, it's just a story, don't take it so seriously."
"You.. you... I can't believe you wrote something like that."
"Should I continue or not?"
"Do so."
Visca and Mirajane exchanged glances. "Well, it's not something you see everyday," the barmaid commented. Visca nodded. She gazed at the pair enviously. If only she had courage to do something like that with Arzack. "Head up, Visca. It will work out." That was one of the best things about Mirajane. She knew exactly what to say to cheer someone up. The sharpshooter girl smiled at her gratefully. "Thanks, Mira."
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Natsu! You scared me. Don't sneak up on people like that."
"Sorry, Lucy. But what are you doing?"
"Lucy is reading me her new short story."
"Oh. What is it about?"
"It's about the people from Fairy Tail but in a Western setting. Arzack and Visca are the main characters."
"Not me?"
"You can't be the main character all the time Natsu."
"Why not?"
"Because it would be boring."
"Would not."
"I'm not going to argue with you, Natsu. I promised Levi I would write her a story like this and I'd like to finish reading it for her."
"Do you like it so far, Levi?"
"Well, some parts of it."
"I thought you liked my writing."
"That was before you paired me up with Gazille."
"Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha-"
"Natsu! That's rude."
"-hahahahahahahahahahaha-"
"Do you think he'll run out of breath anytime soon?"
"You're attracting attention, you idiot!"
"-hahahahahahaha. That's a good one. But why did you want a story like that?"
"I thought that if Lucy wrote a good romance with Arzack and Visca as the main characters who were in love with each other - like the real thing - I could give both of them a copy and they might finally make a move on each other."
"And Lucy then screwed it up by writing about you and *snicker* Gazille."
"Well, if you bothered to listen to the whole story, you might have found out I wrote a beautiful romance for them."
"Which them?"
"Arzack and Visca, of course."
By then, their argument attracted the whole guild's attention. There were muffled snickers coming from all directions until Max lost it and started laughing out loud.
"That's priceless. Priceless," the sand mage gasped out and agreeing statements rose up from the crowd. Both Lucy and Levi blushed, each one for different reasons. Neither of the girls, though, blushed as hard as Arzack and Visca themselves. They didn't dare to even glance at each other.
"That's enough," Erza stood up. "Arzack!"
"Y-yes?"
"Take Visca and go discuss it somewhere in private. Now!"
No one in the guild would dare to disobey Erza so Arzack trailed out of the guild, Visca following him. They wandered aimlessly through the town, both refusing to look at the other. Finally, Arzack scraped some courage to speak.
"Visca?"
"Yes?"
"Don't be bothered by that story. I know it's not true."
"What's not true?"
"That you like me like that."
Silence. And then, in a small voice.
"It is."
Arzack stopped and so did Visca. She was looking down, her hat hiding her features from his eyes.
"Oh," the black-haired sharpshooter intoned. "I had no idea."
"I know."
"But, isn't that a good thing?"
The girl looked up at that.
"Why?"
"Well," the blush that had receded somewhat from his face had returned tenfold. "Now I know it's true and... erhm... well, it's true for me too," he got out.
They stood there, silly smiles slowly spreading across their faces. And then Arzack reached and took her hand. Visca looked down at their joined hands and back up at him.
"What now?" she asked.
"We could go to lunch."
"Like a date?"
"Like a date," he confirmed. Visca's smile got even bigger.
"Let's go then."
Later on that day, Lucy sat in the guild, the story that had caused such a mayhem (they were still clearing out the rubble) laying in front of her.
"It's a good story," she muttered to herself defiantly. "It is."
"Lucy?"
It was Visca and she didn't seem angry with Lucy at all. In fact, she was smiling.
"Visca! I'm sorry for what happened today. I didn't mean for it to get out of control like that."
Visca waved her apology off.
"It's all right. I'm not angry. As a matter of fact, I have a request."
"What is it?" Lucy asked. Visca blushed slightly.
"Could I borrow the story? I'd like to read how it ended."
Leo/Aries later today... First chapter for multi-chap Gazille/Levi might go up as well, depending on my muse.
