Disclaimer: I did own Fairy Tail. And Lord of the Rings. And Ouran High School Host Club. And all my other favorite books/movies/anime...And then I fell out of bed and woke up.
"Alright. Do you want to requip your keys, clothes, or weapons?" Diana asks.
"Could I do all of them?" Lucy asks, looking at the redhead in front of her curiously.
"That will take a lot of effort, but we have 6 months each." Diana smiles before her eyes widen and she tackles Lucy to the ground. "LOOK OUT!"
"Are you okay?" Lucy asks, sitting up and looking at her mentor.
"I'll be fine." Diana smiles at her student. "I've had far worse than a scratch this small."
"Who's there?" A gruff voice calls, making Lucy whirl around, her face pale. "Freed." She thinks, her cheeks flushing before diving behind her mentor.
"Don't tell them I'm here!" Lucy hisses. "They're from the guild I left."
"No worries, child." Diana whispers with a smile before turning to the group of mages. "Hello." She calls. "Who are you to enter my forest?"
"My name is Laxus Dreyar. I know Lucy Heartifilia is here. I can smell her." The blond male says. A muffled curse can be heard as the blond steps out, her lean frame filled with more muscle.
"What do you want?" Lucy asks coldly.
"We're here for a mission. Is there anywhere we could talk in private, Lucy?" Laxus asks.
"Can we start tomorrow?" Lucy asks, turning her head to Diana. Recieving a nod from her mentor, the blond turns on her heels and starts walking out of the clearing, the group of mages standing stunned. "Are you coming?" She calls over her shoulder as she starts jogging to her house. The Rajinshuu follow, curiosity overpowering their desire to talk.
"We start at the crack of dawn!" Diana calls to Lucy before teleporting to her own home to tend to the cut. Walking forward, the female pulls out the key and unlocks her door, stepping into the house and making her way to the kitchen, sending Plue back to the Spirit world as she makes tea, hearing the Rajinshuu making themselves comfortable on her couch.
"Why do you want to talk to me?" Lucy asks, keeping her voice neutral and cold.
"The guild misses you." Bickslow says, looking at her. "Everyone wants you back, Cosplayer Queen."
"After what they said to me, I don't believe it." Lucy scoffs.
"Lisanna tricked everyone. She used a potion to control the guild's actions. She was jealous of you." Evergreen says, looking at the blond.
"She could've just talked to me, talked everything out." Lucy snaps. "She didn't have to go to such drastic measures. It's not like I was going to take Natsu away from her. He was always asking me for advice to talk to her. He was asking me things that a boy would ask his mother to figure out how to ask out his crush."
"I don't think she knew that." Evergreen replies, standing up to face the mage. "Everyone misses you. They want you to come back."
"Why do you care so much about whether or not I go back to Fairy Tail?" Lucy asks, looking at the only other female mage before walking back to the kitchen and going through the fridge.
"Because you're the light of the guild." Freed says. "You're the reason we had fought at our maximum level."
"That's funny." Lucy scoffs. "You all did just fine before I came to Fairy Tail. You'll do fine again." Lucy calls through the open door as she begins pulling out ingredients and dishes.
"There are a lot of peoplewho want you to stay. Gramps included." Laxus says. "Won't you consider coming back to Fairy Tail?" He asks. Lucy stops cutting the chicken and starts laughing, sounding like a peal of bells to the group.
"Master really kept his word then." She chuckles, a light giggle following.
"What do you mean?" Bickslow asks.
"You'll find out. I guess you need somewhere to stay, don't you?" Lucy asks, stepping out of the kitchen, one hand on her hip as she observes the group.
"We have a hotel lined up." Laxus says immediately, cutting off any agreement from his teammates.
"Evergreen, you can stay here if you want. I'm sure you'll want some feminine company over being with them all day." Lucy smiles. "I have space here, if you want to stay. You don't have to though. But I insist that you stay for dinner tonight."
"Well, I suppose it would do some good to have a female friend." Evergreen mumbles. "Thank you."
"It's not a problem. How long do you think the mission will take?" Lucy asks, walking back into the kitchen, the pots clanging as Bickslow and Freed look at Laxus pleadingly.
"I guess we can stay here, if Lucy allows it." He grumbles, causing Bickslow and Freed to smile.
"It's fine for you to stay here!" Lucy calls, a smirk on her face.
"How could you hear that?" Laxus asks, his eyes wide with surprise.
"That's for me to know, and you to never find out." She calls back, humming as she makes a stew.
"What is it are you making?" Evergreen asks curiously.
"It's a stew that my mom taught me to make before she died. She made it for my father and I all the time." Lucy smiles at the memories. "She always told me that it was something her mom taught her, and my mom told me that it was something my grandmother made my grandfather and her." Lucy laughs lightly, pulling it off the burner. "She said it was the perfect family food. And that I'd make it for my husband and child one day. I make it because it reminds me of her. I miss her a lot."
"Is there anyone you can see filling the role of your husband?" Evergreen asks curiously.
"I used to think it was every guy that I liked. It changed all the time when I was little. Telling my mom I'd marry some prince and be swept off my feet, one night. Only for it to change into a knight the next, and a mage the night after that. I never did settle on one." Lucy giggles. "Then my father tried marrying me off, for his advantages. I thought I'd lost my choice of having the right man by my side." Lucy sighs.
"You'll find that man one day." Evergreen says, a knowing smile on her face.
"Thanks, Evergreen, but I doubt that. Every guy I dated was only after me for one thing." She looks at Evergreen. "You know what I mean, don't you?"
"They were after you for sex." Evergreen says. "You don't need people like that surrounding you. You have people that care about you, even if you don't see it."
"Thanks." Lucy smiles before serving the stew and putting it on the table. "Food's ready!" She calls to the other room, hearing Laxus complain about how it took too long, making Lucy giggle as she begins eating, polishing off the food quickly before standing and putting her dishes in the sink. "I'll be out back if you need me." She says, answering their questioning looks as she walks to the pool, summoning Aquarius and continuing her water magic lessons from the spirit.
"Your affections for her are growing." Evergreen says, looking at Freed – who was gazing out the open door, watching as Lucy begins making figurines in the air with the water, the mermaid spirit praising her.
"What?" Freed asks, looking his teammate, making the rest of the group laugh.
"You're falling in love with Cosplayer Queen." Bickslow says, summing up all their thoughts in one sentence.
"She wouldn't like me. Not after what we've put her through." Freed denies.
"She's letting us stay here even after we all tried to hurt her and the guild. Gramps thinks there may be hope for the two of you. He'd babble about it for hours when I was helping him with the paperwork for the guild." Laxus comments.
Something interesting happening now? I hope everyone forgives me for not updating this in so long. I do have a lot of stories going on and I'm trying to write a chapter for them all, and it's a slow process. Please don't leave flames. R&R please. I love hearing about how people like what I write, and even their opinions of what should happen. It gives me inspiration.