TaDaa! I'm back! after a long rest and WB attack xD
Sorry for the late update, so very very really busy from all activities here OAO dun blame me, it's killing me too TT^TT
thanks for your reviews minna! I love them! and sorry for not replying, but just so you know that I LOVE THEM very much! xD so, thankies..
Anyway, let's just on to the story, here you go Huckleberry chapter 10, hope you lllliike iiit! ^^
Chapter 10
Lucy scrunched her face up at the paper in her hand. It was the newspaper from Clover Town that Wendy brought as she came home this afternoon due to her job was in that town. There, in the front page, was the Mayor's round face so close to the camera lacryma that his nose stuck to it.
"The criminal in the outskirt of Acalypha." The text said, she could see Midnight behind him with a bit of burned mark on his hair and cloak. Criminal? CRIMINAL? THE HECK?! She really needed to chuck Natsu's stink sock in his throat when she sees him again one day, which she wished, not so soon.
Groaning, she ripped the paper from the newspaper and crumpled it in her palm, before throwing it to the blazing fireplace in front of her.
"Lucy-san?" upon hearing her name, the blonde turned to see Wendy crawled onto the couch beside her, smiling in apologizing manner, "I shouldn't have brought the newspaper, should I?"
Lucy smiled at the young Dragneel, "It's fine. I'm just feeling stuffy reading that article. I mean – who does he think he is? Okay, he's the Mayor – so what? But still, he doesn't have the right to call me a criminal without knowing the real situation! Damn that short plush piggy bank."
Wendy giggled at her sister figure, "Okay, I really shouldn't have bring that."
The celestial mage huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she turned to her side and faced the girl fully. "Never mind that. Tell me about your mission."
The blunette blinked, "It's just a usual mission."
"No it's not. It's a mission with Romeo-kuuun~" she teased, smiling in satisfaction as the girl blushed, backing away from her. "So spill it out at once, sweetie."
Sweetie.
Sweetie.
When did she hear the word before?
Her face paled as she remember two days ago when Natsu was acting all crazy and called her that. the way he said that word was so girly and feminine and such that it sent shiver along her arms. It was surprising that her brother's feminine part was freaking her out. She meant – really, really FREAKING HER OUT.
"Hello? Wendy? Wendy are you okay?"
She blinked at went back to realization as Lucy waved her hand in front of her face. A concern look on her face as Wendy laughed nervously, "It's nothing, really. It was just a mission.."
"He asked YOU of all people to accompanied him to the mission, with you. Together." Lucy added, smiling knowingly.
"But Charle and Happy were there too!"
"Still, he was practically asking you out."
"Oh a mission! Gosh, Lucy-saaan!" Lucy smirked in victory at the darkened blush on her face. Ha! Now she knew how she felt every time everyone teased her and Natsu. "You definitely lllike him!"
"Well, I do not 'don't' like him, but.. Uhm.." the blonde laughed, clutching her stomach at the girl while Wendy pouted, looking away from the older female. Finally stopping, she wiped her tears and asked again, "Well, did something happen in the mission, a glance, knowing look, holding hand or hug, anything?"
"That sounds like what you always do with my brother." The blunette gave her a look while she gawked, face burning slightly. "Never mind with me and Natsu, I'm asking you here!"
Back to realization, the little mage shifted uncomfortably on her spot, tapping her forefingers together. "Well, I can't say that nothing entirely happen – Don't stare at me like that!" she screeched in embarrassment at Lucy's excited and intense look she gave her.
"So.."
"Well, we sorta hold hand sometimes and he always managed to help me out but above all that, nothing really happen.."
Lucy squealed, "He holds your hand! That's a progress! He definitely likes you!"
Wendy blinked, "He does?"
"Yes! See? He held your hand and always got your back! It showed that he cared and he liked you!"
The little girl tilted her head to the side, "So when a boy hold your hand most times, it means he likes you?"
"Uh huh!"
She grinned, "Then it means my Natsu-nii likes you!"
"Yea – Wait, WHAT? It's not about us! It's about you guys!"
"But – " A look. Wendy sighed in defeat. "Fine, anyway how was he in home?"
"WHAT? WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING."
"…So he didn't bother you while I was away?"
"…Oh that, yeah – I mean, ahaha.. Well, nothing really happen except that he trashed the house even more."
The young Dragneel fell silent for a few seconds, blank face stared at the blushing face of the ex-heiress. "O-kay."
…
"So how did you and him make up yesterdays?"
Lucy blushed harder, shaking her head back and forth, "It was just an apology."
"Really? But Natsu-nii was acting weird. He got all this crazy with a big grin on his face and spinning around happily, but I considered that okay coz he always acted like that around you, but he seemed happier that time, spinning like a Merry-Go-Round."
A soft smile played on her lips, "Really?"
"Mm, before he collapsed by motion sickness."
She sweat dropped, sighing at the hopeless boy. "He really is in love with you.."
Another sigh leaved her lips as she opened her eyes, gazing into the other brown eyes in front of her. "Sweetie, that's sweet, but I can't believe that until he shows me by himself."
"Show you?" Wendy asked, not understanding. "Yup. Sometimes, words aren't suffice. You'll get it someday, with Romeo or anyone." The air mage was about to argue back, but decided to leave that. "But what if that guy doesn't love us back?" she whispered, eyes wide.
"If it's Romeo you're talking about, nah, he likes you. I can see that. You both will be a very cute couple!"
"Oh no no. She's not having a boyfriend just yet, or ever." Another voice interrupted and the couch bounced as the familiar handsome pink haired mage plopped himself beside Lucy, staring at his sister dangerously. Lucy gasped and turned around.
"Natsu!"
He crooked an eyebrow at her, "What?"
"How much did you hear?"
He smirked, "Not much, something about Romeo and MY sister." The blonde sent him a doubting look, before turning back to Wendy. "Don't listen to him Wendy. You're free to choose your boyfriend."
"She's fifteen for God's sake! She's too young to have a boyfriend!" Natsu shot back, flailing his arms to the air. Wendy gasped and glared at him. "Too young?! Well you're too old to not have a girlfriend!"
For some reason, Lucy blushed.
"Well, I will have a girlfriend soon!"
Breathe Lucy, breathe.
"You do know that soon means soon, right?"
Oh Holy crap Lucy breaaaathe!
"I'll prove my words to you if that's what you mean!"
Dammit Natsu! Can't you see that smirk on her innocent face! Stop talking would ya!
"Really? Then I dare you to ask Lu – "
"OKAY. Who wants dinner?" Clearly not the best distracting words ever, Lucy, but so what? At least she tried. The flammable boy beside her was completely distracted by her offers that he jumped and pleaded to her to make dinner already.
Lucy sighed before turning to a pouting Wendy. "What was that for? I almost got you guys together!"
The blonde giggled and ruffled her hair, "Nu uh, I don't like it that way."
"But Lucy-san – "
Wendy's complain was stopped when Lucy leaned down to her face and smile, "If it makes you feel better, I do love your brother." She whispered. The girl's eyes widened before a grin stretched on her face.
"You can help me out by keeping that as a secret for a while." The blonde winked, making the grin widened at her words. Wendy watched as the young woman walked out of the room to the kitchen as saw a glimpse of Natsu grinning at her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and startling her.
Just a moment, few steps and they'd get together.
Mirajane Strauss frowned at the news Lucy told her.
"So the Clover Town's Mayor reported you again?"
Lucy nodded weakly, banging her head on the barstool. "Luckily Clover Town is really isolated, the outer Town rarely hear news from that town."
"I guess Master is right, Lucy. You need a disguise." Lisanna said, resting her chin on her palm. The blonde in topic just groaned under her breath, half agreeing half refusing. "What disguise? Wig? Glasses and mustache? Why not change me into a man entirely?"
The sisters exchanged glasses. "I guess a wig will do." Lucy's head cranked up to see her blue haired best friend approaching. Juvia and Erza trailing behind her.
"But I don't wanna hide my hair! It's what makes me a Heartfilia.." she mumbled, the girls sighing.
"Juvia thinks that's why Lucy needs to cover it up."
"But – "
"Come on, we'll help you find a great wig." Erza said, taking her arm with a smile. Sending a look at the other girls, they gave her knowing look, which creeping Lucy out for some reason.
"IT'S SHOPPING TIME!"
"I wanna go home…" Natsu pleaded, looking at Romeo, Gray and Gajeel in front of him with a bored look. The ice mage and the purple fire mage sighed, sipping their smoothie.
"We wanna go home too, but Erza-nee told us to wait here with you."
"Why can't I just go home?" Natsu asked again. They were currently sitting on a café beside the store Lucy and the others were shopping at. The she demon told Romeo, Gray and Gajeel to wait with Natsu so at least he stayed on where he was, until their shopping time was over. But waiting for girls when they were shopping was a torture for them!
"Your amulet, remember? You don't want Lucy-nee to die by suffocation, right?"
The rosette sighed in defeat upon hearing the pretty blond's name. "Fine."
"Awe, is little Natsu having a weak spot that is his sweet beautiful Luce?"
"First, shut up, your voice sounds like a hungered half dead dog. Second, don't call her that. Third, says the guy who agreed to this coz his sweet Juvia was asking him!" the frienemy glared at each other, sparks of flames and ice could be seen.
"Shut up freaks. I'm having a headache here."
Natsu glared at the metal head beside Romeo. "Why? Do you need a medicine, Gajeel-darling? Want Levy to cure you~? Come here so I can treat my sweet piece of metal from heaven until he gets bette – "
Smack
"WHATTHEHECKWASTHATFOR?!" the oldest Dragneel shouted, tackling the pierced man to the ground, throwing punches and insults.
"Idiots." Gray said, face palming, before got pulled to the circle of fight by Natsu. On the table, sat alone, Romeo groaned an buried his face into the table, wishing this day would be over quickly.
"So, what color should we try first?" Mira asked, tapping her fingers while Lucy looked disinterested.
"Try green." Lisanna suggested, handing her a wig. Lucy didn't bother to check it as she fixed it to her blonde locks. Handing her a mirror, Lisanna smiled in amusement at her new look.
And Lucy's face paled.
"I-I look like Medusa!"
Erza and Juvia exchanged glances, "But it does look good on you."
She stared at her friends crazily. "I have snakes on my hair. SNAKES ON MY HAIR."
Levy laughed, "Okay, next! Try black."
Lucy quickly put the green wig off and try the black. It needed time to finally adjusting to the fake hair before she saw the mirror.
"I'm a corpse. A CORPSE."
The black hair completely not suit to her pale skin as it made her face looked lifeless and weak. Mira sighed and pulled the wig off of her and handed her a red and yellow wig. Lucy stared at the white head with what the heck look.
"It's a clown's wig, Mira."
"You figured!" she grinned.
"…"
"You…don't like it, do you?"
"I'm going on A JOB. NOT A CIRCUS!"
"Maybe you'll earn more money by, you know, performing—Ahaha.. Okay." The takeover mage discarded the wig. Lucy cried silently, cursing the damn mayor and whoever out there inventing wigs.
She looked to the outside, whimpering when she realized she missed her pink haired crazy stuck together best friend.
Two hours later, and still no news that the girls would stop.
"Awe, look at that! White suits you well!" Mira said in awe, wiping her happy tears. Lucy looked even more bored, staring at the oldest Strauss. "For some reason, she looks like a Strauss." Lisanna gasped in realization at Levy's words, yanking Lucy to her feet and spinning her around.
"You're right! You're right! Lucy Strauss, my that's a great name, Lucy! we'll be sisters! And I'll be Natsu's sister in law!"
"Whoa whoa, What does Natsu have to do with it?" Lucy asked wide eyed, pulling the long white wig off from her hair and sighed. "We've tried these for two hours! Just for wigs!"
Erza hummed in response, "I still like that green Medusa wig."
"Juvia likes that blue puddle wig."
"Nah, Lu-chan looks great in that spiky yellow wig." Levy mumbled, lifting the said wig by her fingers.
"Well yeah, except that I look like Naruto in it."
"But everyone loves Naruto!"
Lucy face palmed, "Can I go home now? Pwetty pwease?"
"Why? Miss your Natsu already?" Lisanna teased, smirking evilly at her best friend while the blond shot her a glare.
Natsu tapped his fingers on the wooden table impatiently, scratched all over his body due to the usual fight he got with his so called best friends slashed rival. Gray and Gajeel were in the same state, but Romeo was the worse.
The side of his hair was burnt, while the other side was frozen and a purple circle placed neatly on his right eye.
"I'm a fire mage, and I'm burnt. Ironic." He muttered, looking bored as he shot looks to his brother figure. "Well, I never thought you'd join in! You didn't seem like a type."
"I was PLANNING to separate you off, Natsu-nii." He groaned, planting his face to the table.
"Che, considering someone like him to be your idol, you got a bad taste, kid." Gajeel said, crossing his arms over his chest, didn't even flinch at the glare Natsu was giving him.
"He idolized me coz of my awesomeness, metal butt! You just jealous coz no one likes yo – wait, LEVY DOES like you. She's the one having bad taste."
"Shut up Salamander, I clearly pitying Bunny Girl that she needs to stuck with YOU of all people."
"Why you little piece of rusty useless hammer head!"
"Well at least my head had manly color to it, not some girly pink cotton candy like hair!"
"Are you blind? IT'S RED."
"That's clearly a pink, idiot!"
"It's red you – "
Natsu stopped his train of curses at the sudden wind passed them, his eyes widening in size.
"Ha! Loss at words, pinky?"
To Gajeel's surprise, he ignored it, the rosette's head snapped behind to the crowd, his eyes searched frantically among the people. His expression was hard, onyx orbs narrowed at something unknown.
"Natsu?" Gray called, raising a brow.
"What's wrong Natsu-nii?" the black haired teen asked, his eyes looking at Natsu's trail of sight. Finding nothing that caught his interest, he looked at the man once more.
"Whatcha lookin' for, hot head?"
"Did you smell that?" Gajeel fell silent at the sudden question the fire mage said, quickly sniffling the air. "All I smell is you guys' stinky breath and people, what did you smell?"
He was silent for a moment, "They're here."
Coming to their senses, they stood up, looking around. "Where?"
"It's fast, too quick." Natsu answered, his eyes closed, taking the oxygen. When he opened them again, he could see a flash of yellow light running around, too quickly for his enhanced senses. When the smell faded, he clenched his fist tightly. His eyes darted to the shop beside the café, seeing the girls were still shopping, bright smile and shining brown orbs came into view.
"Lucy."
"I think we got the right one." Erza smiled in satisfaction. The others nodded, smiling at Lucy who wore a shoulder length blonde hair with wavy end.
"This is my real hair."
Their smile faded into a groan, slumping to the floor with tons of wigs around them. "What should we do? We can't find a right one for you Lucy.." the blonde sighed and crouched to her friends. "It's fine, I can just buy it some other time. Alone." She added the last part when her friends' eyes started to sparkle hopefully.
"Let's just go back to the guild, then." Juvia suggested, standing up and dusting herself from the hairs stuck to her skirt. The cashier girls stared at them and sighed, already knowing that they wouldn't clean their own ruckus.
Just as Levy was about to open the door, Gray, Gajeel and Romeo stopped them, pushing the girls back into the store and causing few racks fell over.
And the cashiers stared at them in horror.
"Ow! Gajeel! What on earth – "
"Stay inside, shrimp." The solid script mage stared at him with mouth agape. "What? Who are you to ordering me around?!"
"Wait, Levy-nee, it's urgent." Romeo stood between the pair, hands in front of his chest in defending manner. The girls stared at them with confused glance. Lucy silently counted the males in front of her, seeing none pink hair in sight.
"Where's Natsu?"
Gray sighed, "That's the problem." The key user shot him a look, urged him to explain.
"He smelled Oracion Seis here, and he's following them." Her eyes widened. "What? With Huckleberry on him?"
The ice mage nodded, "And he told us to keep you hidden from them."
That figure was quick.
Like, damn quick.
Natsu Dragneel stopped in his track, losing his prey. Closing his eyes, once more he sniffed the air, sensing that familiar scent he familiarized in his track of robbery from the Dragon Artifacts.
"Where is he.."
He knew it was the most stupidest idea to follow his sworn enemy to the outskirt of the town of Magnolia, one of the biggest city in the Fiore, with Huckleberry hanging around his neck while the female amulet were a mile away.
But Yajima-san told them to make a research, right?
This was his way of research.
Opening his eyes in a split second as the smell came back, the fire mage ran towards the scent, making his cape flapping against the wind. He's somewhere, somewhere near. All he could see around was trees, bushes, and blue sky. He was already in the outskirt. While Lucy was in the town center. Far, far away from here.
He needed to be quick.
There, he could see him, a flash of yellow and black.
And that man stopped.
Stopping in his track about twenty steps from him, Natsu looked at the man with narrowed eyes. spiky, razor sharp hair, pointy chin and eyes hidden by black glasses. Definitely not Midnight, but definitely an Oracion Seis. The smell grew stronger as their distance decreased.
A smirk brought to his smirk, "A visitor, eh?"
"What are you doing in this town?" he asked instead, causing that smirk to grow wider. "Why does it concern you, stranger? Unless – " Natsu's eyes widened as the man disappeared from sight and reappear beside him.
" – You're not a stranger at all." The rose haired mage quickly spinning on his heel and jumped away from the man, feeling extra cautious now.
"Nice scarf." The man murmured, eyeing the scarf hidden under his cape, but still giving it a peek. Gritting his teeth, the fire mage growled, "Should I take that as a compliment?"
"Maybe." He answered, Natsu could feel the piercing stare from him behind his glasses. "It looks familiar."
"Remember anything specific?" the runner stared at him for a moment before his lips formed a thin line as Natsu kept gazing at those feet able to form such speed.
With that speed he could easily flap Natsu's cape form his head.
But he didn't.
He didn't have to and Natsu knew it.
"I'll ask one more time. What is Oracion Seis doing here?"
Now that smirk was back, irritating him. "Looking for someone."
The rosette's eyes narrowed even more, his expression full of anger. "And who might that be?"
"You know very well who I am talking about – " Natsu almost cheered in satisfaction at his shocked expression as he launched himself at him, hands gripping the man's throat.
"You dare to touch her, and I swear you won't see the next sunlight."
Even between his tight grip, the man was chuckling mockingly, "She's someone special, eh? That will just make it more – " twisting Natsu's hand in non humanly speed, he frees himself from the fire mage's fury.
" – interesting." His eyes watched as Natsu stumbled a bit by the push when he twisted him. The oldest Dragneel turned around and glared at him. "I won't let you."
"So you're willing to cost your parents' treasure for saving your girl?"
"Well," Natsu smirked, "I won't let you have both."
"We'll see about that, Mr. Dragneel," he whispered loud enough for the rosette to hear as he punched him in the gut, sending him to the nearest tree. But Natsu was quick to pushed himself forward by his feet and landed a fiery punch to the runner's face, sending him to the rocks behind.
Just after he punched the Oracion Seis guy, the effect of long distance in Huckleberry started to begin. He felt the tightening feeling in his lungs as the oxygen around him felt like they were dissipated. He gasped and clutched his chest silently, cursing under his breath.
He bit his lip at the chuckle from the rocks, hearing the sound of wind once more as he felt the man's presence beside him. "Feeling the effect already?"
"You.." he gritted his teeth as his nose scrunched in frustration. "I'll leave you for now, Mr. Dragneel." His head shot up at that, despite his dying lungs. "Why don't you bring me to your boss now?"
"Trust me, I'd love to kill you now, but that would kill the fun."
Natsu's vision started to blur as he asked once more, "Why would you go so much for such artifacts? There are more things much valued." He could hear a sound of crumbled paper from the man as he bent down to put the paper into Natsu's pocket and whispered.
"But none like YOUR Dragon artifacts."
And his presence disappeared as Natsu collapsed to the ground on his knees, the Huckleberry burning in protest and urged to meet its mate. Struggling to keep inhaling, he was about to fall from suffocation when something held his shoulder his eyes saw a blur of blonde.
"Luce?" he whispered.
Lucy smiled, pulling her amulet out of her shirt and Natsu's out of his top, sticking them together. Just then the fire mage's lungs started to loosen, allowing him to breathe deeply, panting by the lack of air. The blonde watched as he sat up, coughing and clutching his head. She frowned and massaged his head, her hand cupping his cheek, smiling as he leaned against her touch.
After recovering his composure, he gripped the hand on his cheek and opened his eyes, looking at the worried blonde, "Thanks." He mumbled, snuggling to her hand, but it soon changed to a wince when the blonde pinched his cheek, hard.
"What were you thinking, idiot?"
"Ow Luuce!" she glared at him for a moment, making him cower in fear, before wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, catching him off surprise. "Uh, Lucy are you okay? Coz you just hit me and now hugging me is just really weird."
"Oh shut up." She told him, feeling relief washed over her upon seeing that he was fine. Natsu was fine. For a moment Natsu was hesitating, before wrapping his arms around her waist in return, breathing her scent deeply and stifled his laughter, "Man, you are really weird." He murmured against her neck.
"Natsu! Making your girl worry is not manly!" a voice interrupted and they pulled away slowly to see Lisanna and Mira stared at them with mischievous smirk. Lucy shot them a glare while Natsu looked at them weirdly.
"Yeah yeah, sure." He responded scratching his cheek. He also hated making Lucy worry, though. Lucy's mouth agape at him.
"I don't think Flame Head is even a man." Gray commented, following the girls from behind and sent Natsu a smirk. The fire mage glared at him and was about to argue back when he heard another crumpled of paper from his pocket and remembered the runner's words from earlier, for a few minutes, he fell silent.
He went back to realization when Lucy called his name. "Yeah?"
"What happened with that Oracion Seis guy?" he grinned innocently at her, standing up and offered his hand for her. "I'll tell you at home! Come on! Let's go back to the guild! I'm starving!" with that he ran first with a big grin on his face, teasing Gray, Gajeel and Romeo that they couldn't catch him up and causing them to follow him as Lucy stared at her handsome best friend with a frown.
"Lu-chan?"
"He's hiding something." She said without looking at the girls, Lisanna smiled at her, "Man, you're even better than me on finding out his secret." Lucy ignored the white for a moment, walking forward.
"Well, let's just go home first."
For some reason, the words in the paper didn't surprise Natsu.
The last Exhibition from Oracion Seis
Held in Magnolia Second Town Square
Will be opened Tomorrow at 10
Presenting : The Dragon Crown, The last piece of the Dragon Artifacts.
Natsu stared at the paper for a moment. The second Town Square was near the outskirt. For some reason the Mayor built two towns squares. But that wasn't the problem.
The Dragon Crown was the most valuable artifacts among other artifacts. It was the artifact Igneel Dragneel first found. His dad's first treasure.
The oldest Dragneel sighed, laying down on the bed but silent enough not to wake his sister, Lucy and the cats. He looked to his side where Lucy was laying, being snuggled by Wendy and the cats. His eyes wandered back to the runner from this afternoon.
Should he tell Lucy? Some part wanted to, but most part of him knew how she would react after hearing this. He knew this was a trap, but it also an opportunity for him to know more about them, about Oracion Seis, the artifacts and his parents disappearance. And moreover, he was the Midnight Salamander! He should be able to do this. He should, right?
The rosette's eyes darted back to the paper. His orbs stayed on the word 'Artifact'. What was so special about these artifacts? Why did they want it so bad? What did the runner mean by 'None like your artifacts'? It was like he literally saying that the artifact belonged to Natsu's family.
Why would they want to get Lucy more than want to get him?
"It's so confusing.." he groaned, he needed Lucy's smart brain now. But if he told Lucy, she would insist going with him everywhere, and he didn't want to cause her to get hurt..
Natsu rolled on his back and faced the sleeping blonde he loved so deeply and sighed once more. He bent down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before standing up and crushed the paper in his palm before setting it on fire, his eyes waiting it turned to ashes.
Looking at Lucy's delicate and peaceful face once more, he knew.
He should go get that Crown next Midnight.
Puuh, it's done. Yay me! xD
sososo, Natsu's gonna go into his Midnight Salamander mode in the next chappie, or not? It's a secret xD I'm still planning all the things up. I should've update this yesterday, but I just finished it minutes ago, so yeah. I don't know, but, it's just getting harder to write this story, but I'm doing my best and I hope you guys like it xD
So, pwetty pwease leave a review minna, I love you guys so much! xD
till next time~
-Nachii