Finally, we're getting to the stuff that matters! No more Mansions or monkeys! It's time to get down to the REAL business! ...Sort of. We'll be getting back to Erza so that's a start.
Erza: I was awaiting this.
Gamer44D: Oh, hey. I was wondering when you'd show up, so far I'll I've got is this baby.
Drako: *sniff* I'm not a baby.
Erza: Well it's been a while since you've written about me, I was starting to get antsy.
Drako: Well no worries, you and Drako will be smacking lips in no time.
Erza: Good-WAIT WHAT!?
Drako: Wait, what's happening? I spaced out. Why's Erza all red?
Gamer44D: That's right everybody, I'm making him one of THOSE protagonists.
Drako: One of WHAT protagonists?
Erza: I do not appreciate your manipulation of Drako for you to live out your fantasies.
Gamer44D: … Isn't that the whole point of fanfiction?
Drako: Hello? I'm right here, asking a question.
Erza: It is the principle of the matter.
Gamer44D: Fictional characters don't have principles. Now on with the show!
Drako: I give up. -_-
If I owned anything...I'd probably be able to go to college.
(Line Break)
Drako shuddered as he felt his foot sink into the mud up to his ankle. Their group was currently wading through a swamp filled with weird plants, vines, the whole shebang. Natsu and Drako were taking the old fashioned way of walking with the swampy marsh reaching up to their mid thighs. Happy was sitting on Natsu's head without a care in the world. As for Lucy, she apparently had a celestial spirit that was a big walking grandfather clock, and in addition to being a really big pocket watch Lucy could apparently use him as transportation by crawling inside his glass case.
"'Are you sure this is the right way?' She asks, impatiently," The clock spoke for Lucy in a dignified voice. Apparently his insides were also sound proof.
"Happy said this is the way to the guild so this the way we're going, I answer, sarcastically," Natsu… well, you know.
"Why are we following Happy again?" Drako asked as he tried not to panic. Every step felt like he was gonna be swallowed up by mud.
"I'm a cat! Trust my sense of smell," Happy replied, haughtily.
"What?" Drako suddenly stopped to stare at the cat, incredulously. "Okay, I've let you get away with plenty of comments that grind my gears, but it's DOGS that have the superior sense of smell."
"'And what does smell have to do with direction?' She asks, tiredly," The clock man spoke up.
"Everything," Happy turned around to face them. "Besides, cats are better than dogs in every way."
"THAT'S IT!" Drako yelled. He leapt from the swampy water and tackled Natsu, grabbing Happy and proceeding to throttle him.
(Line Break)
The trio had made it out of the swampy jungle and were now approaching a cliffside. "Why don't you try walking yourself?" Natsu asked Lucy from with her clock.
"'Because I'm tired' she groans," The clock answered.
"You mean lazy," Natsu snorted.
"Hey, if there was room, I'd join her," Drako inputted
The three would have continued on their walk when they suddenly felt a wave of uneasiness wash over them almost as if…
"We're being watched!" Natsu yelled as his attention snapped to a nearby bush. "Show yourself!" He cried as he leapt into the bush. And predictably, sounds of a fist fight broke out from the shrubbery.
"'Do you really have to jump in fists first?!' she says," the clockman spoke.
"It's in his nature," Drako said with his arms crossed. "Though, sometimes we bribe him with food."
"Get 'im, Natsu!" Happy cheered.
Two figures leapt out of the bush, staring each other down. One was Natsu, the other…
"It's Gray!" Happy called out in recognition.
"'Why is he in his underwear!?' She questions," The clockman said.
"I was looking for a bathroom," Gray excused, his eyes never leaving his rival.
"Who strips down before they find a bathroom?" Natsu snarled. "And why would there be a bathroom in the middle of a forest anyway?!"
"I wanted some privacy," Gray snapped. "I didn't want any idiots barging in!"
The two continued to quarrel, their ice-cold and red-hot auras clashing with each other's.
"They're so childish," Lucy smacked her head.
Drako blinked. "When did you get out of the clock guy?"
(Line Break)
Once things had calmed down and Gray found his clothes, the group had sat down to talk by the cliffside, Happy sticking his emergency fishing pole in the water in hopes of catching fish.
"So you were on your way back from a job?" Lucy summarised.
"Yup," Gray answered. "There's a shortcut in the jungle that'll take you straight to Magnolia."
"See, I was right!" Happy proclaimed.
"Something tells me it was sheer coincidence that there was a path nearby." Drako doubted.
"SHUT UP! AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T APOLOGIZED FOR TRYING TO STRANGLE ME!" Happy yelled.
"Don't diss dogs," Drako deadpanned.
''Look," Natsu interrupted that little spat and looked at Gray. "We don't care for your company, so why don't you hightail it back to the guild already?"
"Fine, I didn't want to stick around anyway." Gray shrugged as he stood up. "Besides, if you're smart, you'd head back as quick as you can too."
"Why?" Lucy asked.
Gray had a serious look in his eye as he stared at the horizon. "Because Erza's coming back soon."
Natsu's confident expression was quickly replaced by a look of fear. Lucy had a look of wonder. Drako's was one of pleasant recognition.
"Erza?" Lucy asked. "As in THE Erza Scarlet? I've read all about her in Sorcerer Weekly. She's supposed to be one of the strongest members in all of Fairy Tail!"
"So Erza's finally coming back?" Drako asked with a smile on his face. "It'll be great to see her again."
"You know," Lucy placed a finger to her chin in thought. "While I've read about her, I've never even seen any photos of what she looks like."
"She's scary," Gray, Natsu, and Happy answered at once.
"She's a beast," Gray explained.
"Or a monster," Natsu added.
"More like a full-fledged demon!" Happy exclaimed.
As the three fed more horror stories of Erza, Lucy began to imagine a 60-foot tall women terrorizing a small town, breathing fire.
"She's not that big," Happy said, as if he could see Lucy's fantasy.
"No she's definitely bigger than you think," Natsu butted in. "Like big as a mountain! And able to destroy one with a single blow!"
"Natsu, you're fully aware she's not that big," Drako gave an exasperated sigh.
"But she can probably still destroy an entire mountain. I wouldn't put it past her," Gray huffed. Lucy just gave a small whimper.
"Anyway, I have to hurry back," Gray shrugged.
"Crap! Let's go!" Natsu shot up from the ground.
"I keep telling you guys, she's not that bad," Drako said as he stood up.
"Easy for you to say," Gray huffed. "Everyone in the guild knows she's sweet on you."
"Why's that?" Lucy questioned this new information. "Are they a coup-"
Lucy's mouth was snapped shut when both Natsu's and Gray's hands slapped over her mouth.
"Don't. Say. Another. Word." Natsu hissed.
"She might hear you," Gray whispered.
Now Lucy was thoroughly both confused and terrified.
"Stop feeding her horror stories." Drako admonished his guildmates.
An explosion suddenly rocked the cliffside as sand flew everywhere, blinding the Fairies. "What the hell!?" Natsu yelled. When the dust settled the wizards turned to see their feline companion currently gone. "Happy!" Natsu yelled out to his little buddy.
"Uh… Aye?" Happy responded, unsurely. He was currently tied to a spit over a fire pit, surrounded by multiple strange looking fellows all looking at him with hunger.
"We're finally gonna have some protein!" a red-garbed ginger exclaimed.
"I'm sick of eating wild berries!" An extremely similar looking young man agreed.
"MEAT!" A high pitched-voice screeched, coming from a large yellow creature with red hair and overalls.
"Our future looks full," A stout young man said, looking into a crystal ball.
"Man, look at it shaking," one of the ginger twins pointed out. Indeed, Happy was quivering all over.
"Relax," a short, gray, dwarvish man with red tattoos said. "You'll be in our stomachs soon enough. So don't be scared."
"Actually," Happy said nervously. "I'm shaking like this because I really have to use the bathroom, I don't think I can hold it in and it'll probably make me taste funny."
"Who cares?" The dwarf rolled his eyes. "Cook it," he ordered the large yellow creature.
"MEAT…" it growled as it lit its staff aflame and raised it to the fire pit.
"Seriously, it's gonna make me taste all weird!" Happy protested.
"Hold it right there!" Natsu's voice called out. The group of weirdos looked up the cliffside to see a group of angry looking Fairy Tail wizards.
"Happy!" Lucy called out.
"Thank goodness! Now I won't have to taste weird!" Happy breathed out, relieved.
"You still on about that!" the dwarf snapped.
"Hey!" Natsu yelled as he cracked his knuckles. "That's our friend you're trying to roast there! Sorry, but lunch is cancelled!"
"Also, of all things you could eat in this forest, you choose to cook the blue anthropomorphic talking cat." Drako raised an eyebrow. "Did you even take into account his massive head in proportion to his scrawny body? He'd barely be able to feed one of you, and I doubt cats even taste that good."
"Would you rather we eat a dog?" the grey dwarf retorted.
"Kill a dog, and I'll kill you," Drako said with a deadly look in his eyes. Everyone took a quick step away from him.
"You're wizards aren't you?" Gray raised an eyebrow down at them. "What guild are you from?"
The short grey man sneered. "None of your business, get 'em!" He ordered as his posse charged.
"So, I guess we're doing this now," Drako sighed as he and others leapt out of the way and scattered.
The grey man slammed his fist into the ground. "Take this! SAND BOMB!" A million sand particles burst from the ground and swarmed Natsu, trapping the dragon-slayer in a dome of miniscule rocks.
"Natsu!" Lucy cried out in concern.
"Don't worry about him!" Gray yelled. "Get Happy!"
"R-right," Lucy nodded as she ran to the fire pit.
Gray switched his attention back to the crimson twins as they leapt at him holding sais in their hands. Gray remained calm as he swiftly kneed one in the face and spun-kicked the other in the back of their head.
"Help! Lucy's gonna eat me!" Happy yelled as the celestial mage worked on his bonds.
"Shut up, cat!" Lucy hissed as she managed to loosen the knots when she found herself encompassed by a large shadow.
"MEAT!" The red and yellow creature screeched, holding up its flaming staff.
"Please don't eat me, Mr. Chicken Man!" Lucy screamed the first words that came to her mind.
She was saved when Drako kneed 'Mr. Chicken Man' right were his nose would be. Lucy grabbed Happy and ran away just as Drako gave the chicken man a mean uppercut.
"Hummm…" A scrawny man hummed as he stared deeply into a glowing sphere, Gray giving a deadpan stare.
"You shall see the person you want to see," The man declared, stoically. "I also see trouble with water and wome- no wait, something is wrong. A factor that should not be there." He squinted into the orb.
"Are you tryin' to tell my fortune?" Gray growled. He quickly elbowed the man in the face. "I always hated those."
"Who the hell are these guys?" The dwarf man seethed. It was at that moment that his sand dome broke apart and a certain salmon-haired fire-mage leapt out. "Aw crap," the dwarf sweated.
"Man, now I got sand in my mouth," Natsu hacked and spitted. "You'll pay for that," He glared. "FIRE DRAGON: IRON FIST!"
Pretty soon, all the goons were beaten, bruised, and tied to a tree. "There was no need to get all serious against small fry," Gray glared at Natsu, his clothes missing.
"You want me to burn that big mouth of yours?" Natsu threatened.
Gray rolled his eyes. "As if your weak flames could manage that."
"What was that?" Natsu growled.
While the mages of fire and ice had their quarrel, Lucy and Drako were inspecting the would-be happy eaters. (Heh. 'Happy' eaters.)
"Where did these guys even come from?" Drako scratched his head.
"Lula…" the grey dwarf groaned.
"Huh?" Lucy leaned in to hear.
"Lula… by…"
Then, before anyone could comprehend, a literal shadow burst from the trees, knocked the Fairy Tail Wizards down, and the goons were gone.
"What was that?!" Lucy yelled as she pushed herself up.
"Who was that?" Natsu shook his head then looked at were the goons were.
"I could barely even sense them," Drako rubbed his sore head.
"Whoever they were, they're gone now." Gray observed the surroundings.
"Gah! What's going on?!" Natsu grabbed his head in frustration.
"Lullaby?" Lucy whispered to herself. She could've sworn she heard that name before.
(Line Break)
A little less than a day had gone by and our group of heroes had come back to the guild. However, the mysterious 'Erza' had not come back yet, much to the relief of Natsu and Gray. However, Natsu was slumping over a table, due to how he was running out of money and as a wise man once said, "Here's a list of things that aren't free: food."(If you got that reference, I love you)
"Man, we really need to go on another job soon," Natsu groaned.
"Aye, pretty soon we won't be able to buy anymore fish," Happy mumbled, sitting beside him.
"You guys are the ones who turned down two million jewels for pride," Lucy admonished as she walked by. Although, they do have a point, my rent's due pretty soon so I need to make some money, fast. She thought as she made her way to the request board.
"Let's see here; finding a magic pendant, looking after someone's dog, fighting a lava monster?!" Lucy exclaimed as she looked over the various requests. "I didn't know quests were so varied."
"Well, whichever you decide on, let me know," Mirajane said as she walked by.
"Oh, Mirajane," Lucy greeted her.
"The master's away at conference, so I'll be confirming missions for any guild members," Mira explained.
"Conference?" Lucy blinked.
"Every once in a while all the guildmasters gather together and give reports," Mirajane explained.
"Like the magic council?" Lucy asked.
"Well, not quite," Mira tapped her chin. "How do I describe it? Ah!" She turned to what could only be described as a giant sphere with arms and legs sticking out of it, sitting at the bar. "Excuse me, Reedus, could I borrow a light pen?"
Sticking out at the top of the sphere was a head with curly ginger hair and a pointy hat. "Oui," Reedus nodded and tossed her a pen with a glowing tip at the end.
Using the pens magic capabilities, Mira began writing in the very air. "The Magic council is at the very top of the magical world and hold the highest authority." She drew a large circle. "Its members are ten of the most powerful wizards around, the wizard saints. Their purpose is to work with the government and uphold the laws and rules of the magical world. And to hold trials for wizards who break the law." She began drawing connected bubbles in some sort of chain. "Below that are the different guildmaster leagues. They pass on the decisions the council makes and help all the different guilds communicate." Mira capped the pen, rounding up the exposition. "Basically, they hold us all together. It's a pretty tough job."
Lucy tapped her chin. "Wow, I didn't know all the guilds were interconnected like that."
"It's important that guilds communicate with each other," Mira nodded. "Otherwise…"
"The guys in black will come!" Natsu declared dramatically, a sinister grin on his face. Lucy jumped back in fear.
Natsu quickly laughed at her reaction. "That was almost too easy!"
"Are you trying to scare me to death?!" Lucy wailed.
"He's not entirely joking, you know," Mira said as she drew a bubble outside the interconnected ones. "Dark guilds are the ones that don't belong to any official guildmaster. They're typically mercenaries and thugs who will do any sort of heinous act for the right price."
"Scary…" Lucy mumbled.
"Quit standing around and just pick us a job already," Natsu interrupted her thoughts.
"And what makes you think I want to work with you again?" Lucy narrowed her eyes.
"Well, we are a team now and all," Natsu wrapped his arms around his head. "You, me, Happy, and Drako!"
Said fourth member of their 'team' was sound asleep on a wooden bench wrapped in a blue blanket covered in little cartoon dragons.
"And since we picked the job last time, it's your turn," Happy walked up.
"As far as I'm concerned, our 'team' is disbanded." Lucy rolled her eyes. "Besides, you only picked me because you needed a girl with blond hair."
"Come on, that's not the only reason we picked you," Natsu flashed her a grin. "We picked you 'cause you're so nice." A light blush dusted Lucy's cheeks.
"Hey, Lucy," Gray called out from a table, once again, bare clothes. "Don't worry about being on a team, someone like you will get plenty of offers better than old flame-for-brains."
Natsu gritted his teeth at his rival. "Jerk."
Gray snapped his attention to the salmon-haired mage. "What'd you call me, ya fire freak?!"
"I called ya a jerk, ya icy pervert!" Natsu met the ice mages gaze.
While the mages of fire and ice were having their little skuffle, a ginger haired ring-mage slid his way up to Lucy. "Hello gorgeous, why don't you join my team?" Loke shot her a dazzling smile.
"What?" Lucy blinked.
"You know, it's a good thing I'm wearing shades," the playboy grinned. "Else I'd be blinded by your beauty."
"Girls actually fall for this stuff?" Lucy raised an eyebrow.
Loke would have continued flirting when he saw the key rings hooked on Lucy's belt. "You're a celestial wizard?!" He leapt back as if struck by lightning. "CRUEL FATE! I'm sorry my dear, but we cannot ever be together!" He cried over dramatic tears as he ran away.
"What just happened?" Lucy blinked.
"I don't know all the details but I've heard a while back Loke got dumped by a celestial wizard, HARD," Mira explained. "We think he never quite recovered from it."
"Not surprised," Lucy rolled her eyes. "He's totally-"
Lucy was cut off when Natsu crashed into her.
"That'll teach you, ya hot head," Gray cracked his knuckles.
Natsu quickly shot right back up to his feet to face his rival. "You started it, you ice nimrod!"
Before you knew it, they were back at it fighting all over again.
"Ugh…" Lucy rubbed her sore head as she pushed herself up. She was treated to the sight of Drako still snoring on a bench. "How are you still sleeping?!" Her jaw dropped.
The guild would have stayed completely cheerful and full of laughter. But the doors burst open as Loke ran inside in a panic. "It's Erza! She's on her way back!"
Dead silence….
That was quickly broken as the guild members flew into a panic. Some turned pale and dropped their beer, some tried to hide and dive underneath the tables, and some just pulled their knees up to their chests and cradled themselves in a corner.
"Sh-she can't be this scary, can she?" Lucy mumbled as she looked at all the fear ridden members.
"Well, she is our strongest female member," Mira shrugged. "That does tend to be scary sometimes."
Loud footsteps were starting to be heard outside the guild hall. Large crashes against the pavement grew louder as a large shadow approached the guild hall.
M-maybe she really is a demon… Lucy whimpered.
The large figure finally made its way into the guild and into the light. In the light of the guild the figure was revealed. As it turns out, a large majority of the shadow was a fang that was so large, one would wonder how it fit through the guild doors. It was carried single handedly by one person who is assumed to be Erza. The figure slammed the giant canine down on the floor beside her and spoke in a authoritative voice. "I have returned. Where is master Makarov?"
Lucy didn't know how to react. Based on all the horror stories around the guild she imagined Erza to be this 7 foot tall amazon woman with bulging biceps and a necklace decorated with the skulls of her enemies. In comparison to her imagination, Erza looked...normal. Breathtakingly beautiful but normal.
She wasn't nearly as tall as Natsu said she was, in fact, she was about a head shorter than Drako. Her physique wasn't scrawny by any means but she was surprisingly slender, though she certainly had more muscle than Lucy ever could. She was dressed as a knight would, a steel breastplate with a yellow cross covering her torso. Small arm guards and shoulder pads covered her arms. From the waist down she had turned down the armor with a blue skirt that reached just above her knees and knee-high brown combat boots. Her vibrant scarlet hair shone brightly as it draped down to the middle of her back and framed her feminine face. There was a stern look in her chocolate eyes and lips were drawn in a thin line.
"Welcome back, Erza," Mira greeted, the only one not shivering in fear aside from those asleep. "Sorry to disappoint, but the master is at a conference right now."
Erza nodded. "I see."
"Uh… Erza?" A particularly brave member asked. "What's that?" He pointed to the 30-foot tall chewing tool that's tip was halfway up to the ceiling.
"It is the fang of a monster I slayed on my most recent mission," Erza looked at the large tooth as it was decorated with jewels. "The locals decorated it and gave to me as a souvenir as thanks." She turned back to the member and narrowed her eyes. "Is it a problem?"
"No, mam!" The member quickly stammered as he shrank back into the crowd.
"Listen up!" Erza raised her voice, causing every nearby wizard to flinch. "I've heard that Fairy Tail has been causing nothing but trouble lately! The master may not mind but I do!" She glared at the members.
"Cana!" Erza snapped, causing said brunette to choke on her tankard of booze. "How dare you drink so much, and wear so little!"
"Wakaba!" Erza switched her attention to the man with an Elvis style haircut, and a pipe in his mouth. "Refrain from polluting the guild with your insufferable smoke!"
"Nab!" She glared at an indian looking man near the request board. "For Pete's sake, pick a request and stop wasting everyone's time!"
"Macao!" Erza directed her attention to a man with combed purple hair and a stubble in a white trench coat. He froze like a deer in headlights as Erza stared him down before she just sighed.
"...What?" Macao nervously asked.
"Honestly, I don't know where to start…" Erza rubbed her head. "So I guess I'll let you off with a warning for now."
Lucy watched as the red-haired mage went around the guild berating others. "She's quite the disciplinarian," she mumbled to herself. "But compared to everyone else here, she seems the most mature. Why do people think she's so scary?"
Once Erza was done instructing the rules she looked around. "Where are Natsu and Gray?"
Lucy looked around as well and found a truly unnerving sight. Natsu and Gray were standing with their arms wrapped around each others shoulder and holding hands with nervous smiles.
"Hey, Erza! We're just hanging out like best buddies should…" Gray's voice raised a few octaves.
"Aye!" Natsu chirped like a blue cat.
"Did Natsu just turn into Happy?!" Lucy was shocked. "I've never seen him act this way…"
Erza nodded. "I see. While it is natural for even the closest of friends to fight, I'm glad to see you too getting along."
"What is happening?" Lucy wondered if she accidentally wandered into the twilight zone.
"Natsu challenged Erza to a fight once, she completely stomped him," Mira explained.
"Really?!" Lucy was flabbergasted at the thought of someone beating Natsu so easily.
"And Erza took it upon herself to beat up Gray whenever she found him walking around naked." Macao weighed in.
"And don't forget when she beat up Loke when he tried to hit on her. Key word-'tried'." Cana slurred.
"Wow," Lucy looked at Erza in a completely different light. A very scary light.
"In fact…" Mira tapped her chin in thought. "I think the only person in the whole guild that she didn't beat up was…"
Erza sighed as she saw the large form snoozing on a bench. "I knew I'd find you here." With a quick tug, Drako was sprawled on the floor.
"Oof…" Saiyan groaned as he looked up. "Erza!" He quickly jumped up and wrapped the girl in a giant bear hug.
"Yes, yes…" Erza attempted to hug back. "It's good to see you too, Drako."
Drako released Erza from the hug as she stood back to look at her lifelong friend. "You should really find a more efficient use of your time than sleeping and eating." Her soft expression changed as her eyes narrowed. "Like preventing Natsu from destroying port towns."
"Oh, you heard about that…" Drako rubbed his head.
Erza shook her head. "Honestly, you give him too much freedom. You need to provide constant supervision."
"He's a growing boy, Erza," Drako defended. "I can't keep him on a leash forever."
"He's much too irresponsible to be on his own," Erza stated. "And if I find any more towns destroyed, there'll be no more weekend fishing trips."
"Aww, c'mon! That's are our special bonding time!" Drako whined.
They're like parents arguing about their child. Lucy stared at the two in shock. Does that mean I'll have to ask them for consent- Lucy's cheeks lit aflame as she shook her head. Whereon Earthland had THAT come from?
"Whatever the case, that's not important right now," Erza said as she turned away. "Natsu, Drako, Gary, I have a favor to ask."
The guild leaned in in interest. Erza rarely asked for favors.
"On my journey home I caught wind of a potentially dangerous group after a magic artifact." Erza stated like a mission report. "Normally, I'd consult the master, but I believe this is a matter of utmost urgency. I request the help of all three of you."
Now the guild was REALLY riled up. Erza never asked for help, and now that she did, it was two of the rowdiest members of the guild and the pacifist.
"We leave tomorrow," Erza declared. "I suggest you get ready."
"Erza, Natsu, Gray, AND Drako?" Mirajane gasped. "This could be the most powerful team in all of Fairy Tail." She awed as she looked at their blazing auras.
(Line Break)
HOLY CRAP! This took waaay longer than I expected to write! Hope you had the patience, buh-bye!