A/N: My poor subplots XD. They get way less effort and writing then my main couples. Do you guys even like them?
Juvia sat at her new desk and breathed a sigh of relief when she finally finished the last of the giant stack of papers sitting at the corner of the desk. Ruling a country was just as arduous and stressful as she had been told as a child. So many bills to sign, laws to approve, issues to deal with, citizens to tend to, etc. Rubbing her eyes with dark circles under them, Juvia slowly stood up and stretched her aching body.
"With so much work, Juvia almost forgot about marriage. It would be nice to have someone to help Juvia with these problems. Gray-sama perhaps?" Juvia remembered his touching speech on the day of her coronation and blushed. She hadn't paid him a visit in a while.
She strolled through the castle and stopped in front of his study, where Gray usually was at this time. Unable to contain herself, Juvia pushed open the door and quickly remembered to knock at the last second. With a quick courtesy, she smiled at him.
"Good day, Gray-sama!" She chirped.
"There is no need for you to bow before me anymore. In fact…" Gray rose from his chair and dropped to his knees. "What do you need, your highness?"
Flustered, Juvia pulled him up. "P-Please don't be like that! Just Juvia is fine. Um… Juvia wanted to have a chat with Gray-sama since she finally got some free time."
They sat on the bed next to each other, rather awkwardly with their new statuses. Gray eyed her up and down and frowned. "You've lost weight. And you look exhausted."
"Juvia's fine! Being queen is just a rather large task." Juvia quickly grinned and waved it off.
Before he could think, Gray blurted out "What were you and Lyon doing the other day?" and cringed.
"Eh? Lyon-sama was rather…burdened by the loss of the late queen Ur. Juvia was comforting him. But anyways…" She began.
Gray cut her off "Are you going to choose him?"
"No! Well…Juvia is not sure. But Gray-sama…"
"I know I said he'd be better for our country, but…is he even well? There were some nasty rumors circulating the castle and…" Gray rambled on.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia shrieked, surprising both Gray and herself. She cleared her throat and said "If Gray-sama is implying what Juvia thinks he is implying, then Juvia is rather disappointed in him. As his brother, it should have been Gray-sama to help and break Lyon-sama out of his trace, not her. Just what is Gray-sama saying all of a sudden?"
"Nothing, never mind that. I'm sorry. Please, what were you going to say before I cut you off?" Gray amended, taking a deep breath.
"Juvia was just going to ask him how things were going. She only wanted to have some nice small talk." Juvia mumbled.
"Oh. Well in that case…" Gray was about to speak about his day, but a loud knocking on the door interrupted them.
Entering with a bow, a young servant rushed in with a sealed letter. "Your highness! Forgive me for intruding but I have just received a letter back from the king of Tenrou Island regarding your request for back-up artillery troops."
"Really? I apologize, Gray-sama. I must be going now." Taking the letter, Juvia left the room.
Once alone in her study, Juvia thought about her unfortunately brief time with Gray. Why did Gray-sama suddenly bring up Lyon-sama and say such things? And why did Juvia get so defensive of Lyon-sama?
"Alright, everyone. Since this cave is suitable for shelter, food and water is our top priority. Luckily for us, this island is rich with lagoons, springs, and all sorts of fruits and wild game. Surviving until we get rescued will be a cinch!" Loke confidently exclaimed.
"Right!" Aries and Lucy replied. They went to work gathering bananas, coconuts, and fresh berries. The spring water was clean and sparkling while the resources seemed endless. Soft grasses and warm animal skins became comfortable beds while the fire burned steadily with a large supply of wood. In fact, it was beginning to feel more like a vacation than survival.
While Aries cooked a meal in the cave, Lucy and Loke explored the vast jungles. The large trees provided shade from the glaring sun and oddly enough, there seemed to be clear areas of the ground to walk on almost like a path.
"You don't have to constantly accompany me. I bet Aries will be lonely with you." Lucy teased.
Turning pink, Loke spluttered "What do you mean?! Ahem. Even here, I am still your bodyguard. What if you are attacked by some rabid animal?"
"I guess. But judging by the shade of your ears, I'd say you have something going on with Aries. Does she return your feelings?" She asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about! Um…look! I think I see some cacao beans growing in the distance." Loke grabbed her wrist and ran off, trying to hide his burning face.
Amused, Lucy ran with him. By the looks of things, I don't think I can continue being the girl he protects for too much longer. Maybe it's time to let the lion off of his leash.
Heading back with an armful of cacao beans, Loke and Lucy smelled a heavenly aroma wafting through the air. Excited, they rushed back to the cave.
"What are you cooking? I could smell from a distance away!" Lucy cried, plopping down next to Aries.
"R-Really? I'm just grilling some fish. But it doesn't smell like anything since I haven't seasoned it yet." Aries replied, slightly confused.
"Huh. That's weird. Anyways, we got some cacao beans. If we turn it into powder, we can make chocolate drinks! The only thing missing is sugar…and milk…some vanilla would be nice too." Lucy exclaimed.
"Ah well, we can just drink it like coffee." Loke said.
The three of them scarfed down the fish and lazily settled by the fire, watching the flames flicker on the cave walls. A wave of mischief rising in Lucy, she snuck up behind Aries and pushed her into Loke's arms, snickering when they both turned redder than the gorgeous sunset behind them. Enjoying each other's company with the occasional blush, they talked about this and that, laughing in glee.
Staring at the newly arisen crescent moon, Lucy faintly smiled and felt sleepiness taking over. She thought of their incredible luck at landing at such a wonderful place. She then compared island life to how lived back home, constantly cooped up with nothing to do but read all day.
Due to the war, smoke often clouded the night sky and blocked the stars. Now, Lucy could see the glowing stars shining brightly against the backdrop of the night. All the constellations and celestial figures she loved reading about were right there, almost jumping out at her. This was where she truly belonged, not as a caged bird but a fairy free in the wilderness.
The abundance, prosperity, and beauty of the island were almost surreal. The path in the jungle seemed unnatural, nearly manmade. The aroma of food that couldn't have been due to Aries. Right as her eyelids were drooping shut, Lucy made a connection and jolted upright, terrified.
Noticing this, Loke looked over at her. Careful not to wake Aries, who was sleeping with her head on his shoulder, he murmured "What's wrong?"
"I don't think we're alone here." Lucy slowly said.
Erza woke up to the smell of smoke. Alarmed, she leapt off the couch and instinctively got into a defensive position. She cautiously made her way around the room looking for the source. To her shock, it was coming from the kitchen.
Grabbing a nearby lamp, she rushed in and nearly whacked Natsu upside the head.
"AAH! Erza! What are you doing?!" Natsu shouted, stumbling back.
"Sorry. I smelt smoke and thought it was gunfire or something. What are YOU doing?" She asked. Standing in an old apron, Natsu poked at a brown crispy substance on a frying pan with a spatula.
"Um…I found some food and thought I'd make you breakfast. But…" Natsu motioned at the substance, which was now giving off a burnt scent and slightly smoking.
Erza giggled. "Well I suppose a prince never really had to cook in his life. Why don't you hand things over to me?"
"Heh…yeah…" Natsu trailed off, and handed the apron and spatula to her. He went over to the window to make sure there weren't any soldiers nearby and within minutes, a sweet and delicious aroma swirled around.
Erza proudly walked out of the kitchen holding a medium sized strawberry cake. She set it on the table and got out some forks and napkins.
"Breakfast is served!" She chirped.
"H-How did you make that so fast? And why did you make cake?" Natsu inquired, plopping down in a chair.
"Ahh…this is the only thing I can make. It cooked really fast because I set the oven as high as it would go." Erza sheepishly admitted.
Apprehensive, Natsu gingerly took a small bite. To his surprise, it was absolutely delicious. He closed his eyes and chewed, savoring the sweet and fruity flavor. He opened his eyes and prepared to take another bite only to find the plate empty, shy of a few crumbs.
Bewildered, he glanced over at Erza, who was akin to a chipmunk with her cheeks stuffed with the rest of the entire cake.
"Hey! Did you eat all of it?" He asked.
Swallowing, Erza wiped her mouth and said with a stoic expression "Sorry. We should really get moving. Let's try to navigate our way out of this city, the trip back will be easier once we bypass those soldiers." She stood up and walked to the living room, tossing Natsu a gun and snatching an old sword for herself.
"Is that all you have to say?!" Natsu shouted, rubbing his still hungry stomach. He grumbled under his breath as he followed her out the door.
Sticking close the houses and crouching, they cautiously made their way through the street. The sound of footsteps resounded and Erza quickly grabbed Natsu, pulling him into an alleyway. She squatted down and watched a group of soldiers bearing the Ice Kingdom seal trudge past them in unison. Their movements were very uniform and cold, almost mechanical.
"Hurry!" She whispered.
They ducked out the other way and looked both ways like a child crossing the road before running through the town square. Although many of the buildings were burnt down, an ornate fountain still stood in the center with a slight chip.
The entire fountain, save the top, was crafted from a silvery material. The base was a large circle, filled with crystal clear water that had frozen into ice given the temperature outside. Decorative mermaids, the symbol of the Ice Kingdom, swirled around the center pillar with small holes around their mouths were thin jet streams of water would flow during warmer seasons. The center pillar expanded into several more, smaller and more ornate circular pools of water. At the very top stood an ethereal snowflake made out of diamond with a bluish tinge.
Natsu stared at the fountain, which was oddly familiar. A pang shot through his temporal lobe and he clutched his head in pain. Suddenly, he had a flashback of coming here as child during the wintertime and watching water shooting out of the fountain and immediately freezing into a beautiful ice arch suspended in the air. There had been another boy by him, bragging about how he helped design it.
The town back then was immaculate and unharmed, a picture perfect scene with regal figures from two vastly different nations standing together. Laughter and conversation floated through the air and Natsu dimly remembered the giggles and shrieks of children and the whimpering of a newborn baby.
Shocked, Natsu realized that this must have been from many years ago before the war. The baby…Wendy? It seemed like the memory was around the time she was born. But why would they be here, in the frigid Ice Kingdom? And who were the other children?
"Natsu!" Erza called, breaking him of his thoughts. "What are you doing?"
Natsu blinked twice and looked up. "Huh? Sorry."
He rubbed his head and dashed off towards Erza. Before he could get close to her, however, a stinging pain grazed his thigh, leaving a small cut. Stumbling backwards, he whipped around in the direction of the bullet and found himself face to face with a musket and a young soldier barely older than Lisanna. Slightly shaking but determined looking, the soldier hurriedly reloaded his gun.
Natsu frowned but pulled out the gun taken from the abandoned house. He checked it and was exasperated to see that there were no bullets. Going barehanded against an armed soldier was difficult. Fortunately for him, Erza had silently made her way up behind the young man with her sword raised. Making brief eye contact with Natsu, she swung.
With lighting fast reaction speed, the soldier dropped his musket and slammed the hilt of his sword against Erza's with impressive accuracy. He pushed her back and slid into a defensive stance, shifting his attention from Natsu to her.
Erza smirked. "Not bad."
She charged forward and the pair clashed, clanging and crashing their swords in dissonance. The boy's forms were perfect and well-practiced, but Erza had years of experience. Outmatched, he staggered back and a bead of sweat rolled down his face. Erza brought her sword up against his and skimmed over his appearance.
The boy was slim and a bit shorter than her. He looked very young, most likely mid-teens. Blond hair that might have originally been in a bowl cut framed his pale face and was slightly messy with a few wayward strands sticking up. His eyes were a very dark blue-green and large, making him more childlike. The boy was definitely cute and on the good-looking side with sharp facial features and boyish charms. What someone as young as him was doing here she had no idea.
Eventually, Erza overpowered him and he fell onto the ground, struggling to keep her sword away from his chest. His dark innocent orbs of eyes wavered slightly, giving him the vibes of a young puppy. Feeling pity for him, Erza opted not to kill him.
Instead, she pinned him to the ground and forced his arms behind his back, tying them together with the sash from her uniform.
"What's your name?" She demanded. Natsu finally moved from his sedentary spot and stood next to Erza.
The boy hesitated and glanced around for a second before murmuring "Eve."
"How old are you?" Natsu asked.
"Sixteen." Eve answered. "What are you two doing here in Ice Kingdom territory?"
Erza sighed. "Long story. Listen, kid. I promise we aren't going to cause any trouble. Natsu and I just want to get home. Can you tell us the quickest way out of the city south?"
"…" Eve racked his brain, wondering what they could possibly be up to. But there was nothing but a stretch of land south of the city, a horrible place for any sort of military strategy. It was, however, the only path on land to reach the Fire Kingdom. Perhaps they were telling the truth.
"Follow those houses until you reach a market, or what used to be one. Then turn right and you should get close to the gate. But there will most likely be soldiers stationed there so instead, go the intersecting spot between the gate and the cargo wagons. That is the biggest blind spot. You should be able to scale the wall." He finally muttered.
Natsu widely grinned. "Thanks! Once the war is resolved, get in contact with me and I'll reward you!"
He grabbed Erza's hand and darted off in the direction they were pointed in.
Eve stared after them for the longest time. Those people were clearly Fire Kingdom soldiers yet they didn't kill me. They smiled at me and showed mercy. Get in contact…it couldn't be…Prince Natsu? What was he doing her with no one but a girl? A pretty one too. She was able to defeat me, a guy, easily.
He undid the sash wrapped around his wrists and stared at it. It was a deep red, just like her hair. Eve stroked the material, a blush crossing his cheeks.
Natsu and Erza darted over to the gate. To their horror, it was at least 20 feet tall with very few places to serve as footholds.
"What do we do now?" Natsu groaned.
He attempted climbing up it multiple times, failing each. Taking a running start, Natsu jumped as high as he could and launched himself at the wall with open arms. Failing to grab onto anything, he smacked against it and slid down.
Finally, frustration took over him. Natsu cracked his knuckles, ready to smash through with bare force. Raising his fist high, he slammed it straight into the wall and muffled a scream of pain. Now he was fully angered and proceeded it kick it with the sole of his foot. A shock wave ran through his body and Natsu dropped to the ground, holding his aching foot with his bruised hand.
While this was going on, Erza calmly stood in front of the wall in deep concentration, fingering the thin cracks where the bricks came together. She looked up and saw a tiny space between two chipped bricks large enough to jam her toes at about a halfway point.
"I hope this works." She muttered.
Erza unsheathed her sword and jumped up, stabbing a crack with the tip of it. The sword slid in a few inches, effectively lodged in. She then held onto it, pulling up her body as though it was a grapple hook. Erza braced one foot against the wall and swung her other leg up onto the small space. Now stabilized, she could pull out the sword and stab it at a higher place near the top.
Unfortunately, in order to do that, she would require something to hold onto to keep her balance. Officially stuck in her awkward pose, Erza yelled "Natsu!" and hopped off.
Natsu jerked his body up at the sound of her voice and saw Erza plummeting to the ground. He quickly rushed forward and held out his arms, catching her.
"Thanks." Erza said. "I was really close to getting to the top, if only I had two swords."
"Hey! That was so reckless. What if I didn't hear in time?" Natsu barked.
"Who's talking?" Erza teased, glancing at the red welts forming on his knuckles.
Natsu glared at her for a minute before an uncomfortable tension settled between them from their close proximity. Clearing his throat, he let her down from his arms.
"We can probably find a broken slab of wood around here or something." Natsu said. He dashed off to hide his embarrassment and rummaged around the area. There were a few weapons lying around, though with suspicious pools of blood by them. Cringing, he picked up a cleaner looking dagger and wiped it off with a piece of cloth.
"Uh...here, try this." He offered it to Erza, who smiled.
"This will do fine." She replied.
Erza promptly went over to the wall and climbed up it, using all of her arm strength to stick the blades in higher and higher until she reached the top. Sitting on the wall, she tossed the sword and dagger down to Natsu, who followed suit.
"How do we get down?" Natsu asked.
Erza shoved him off. "Like that."
Landing smack on his face, Natsu barely had time to register his surprise before Erza came tumbling onto his back. Breath knocked out of him, Natsu dizzily laid there for a second.
Erza seemed not to notice and got up. She pulled Natsu onto his feet and brushed some dust off of his clothes.
"Let's go."
"Hey! You pushed me off! I could have died!" Natsu shouted.
"Nah. You thick skull broke the fall." Erza nonchalantly said.
Natsu smirked. "Are you sure it wasn't these?" He lifted up his shirt with one hand, revealing well-defined and tight abs glistening with fresh sweat from the climb.
Her facing turning redder than her hair, Erza slapped his hand away from his shirt and sped up walking. "J-Just go!"
Holding a bowl of water and shaking slightly, Romeo pushed open the door to Wendy's room. Drops of bright red blood dripped from his ruined hands, making stains on the floor similar to the ones already there.
He had a near panic attack when she was not in her bed. Then Romeo noticed Wendy in the corner, wheezing and retching in a chamber pot. She wiped her mouth on the corner of her dress and stood up with difficulty. Blood dribbled from the corners of her lips while she coughed, forming a thin red trail behind her as she stumbled onto the bed.
"Here, drink this!" Romeo ran to her, supporting her back with one arm while gently placing the edge of the bowl against her lips.
Wendy swallowed a little pushed Romeo back with the little strength left in her.
"Get away. I'm contagious." She hoarsely whispered.
"You need treatment. Porlyusica might be able to cure you; her cottage shouldn't be too far from here." Romeo firmly stated.
"I'm not strong enough to make it there and we all know she doesn't make house calls." Wendy apathetically droned.
Romeo considered this for a second. He took out a handkerchief and tied it around Wendy's face, covering her nose and mouth. Then, he squatted in front of her with his back facing her.
"Get on."
Wendy stared blankly, taking a few seconds to register his offer through her fever. "Romeo-kun…" she whimpered, sounding more like her old self for a moment.
Laxus quietly listened in on Jellal and Mirajane. He was going to be discovered, fast. The closet was not spacious, but there was enough room to change his clothes. All he had to do was hide his uniform and make up some excuse; Laxus doubted Jellal remembered his face that well anyway. Squinting against the darkness, he searched for a suit or a shirt or something.
To his horror, there were nothing but frilly dresses and petticoats. This must be Mirajane or Lisanna's closet. For a moment, Laxus considered just coming out with nothing but his underwear on. But that would look rather suspicious….
Heaving a sigh and swallowing his pride, Laxus picked up a black dress with white lace around the edges.
