Author's Note: I Sincerely Apologize For Not Keeping My Word About Releasing 2 Chapters Before Saturday. This Chapter Was In The Making For 2 Weeks And I Also Spent A Great Deal Of Time Editing, Grammar Checking, And Spell Checking, And Such. I Also Re-Read The Last Chapters. It Helped Me Set Things Up For Future Chapters. I Have No Excuse For My Lateness. All I Ask Is For Your Patience And Understanding.
2nd Author's Note: Everything From My Questions To The Disclaimer, To Claimers, To Shoutouts Is Down Below After This Chapter.
Enjoy This Chapter.
Chapter Ten: Fairy Tail Here We Come
~ Begins In The Train From Crocus To Magnolia ~
~ Lucy's POV ~
Lucy, Kelsie, Jacob, and Anna were on board the train headed for Magnolia. Lucy was still dressed in the clothes she wore when she came back to Earthland while Anna and Kelsie were wearing her outfits that she lent them. The dirt and mud got rinsed off thanks to the rain from last night, but there were still signs of mud. Lucy was dry when she came back to the inn last night because of her Blue-Flames. She didn't activate it herself, but she knows that she radiates off a comfortable warmth and she guessed that that's how her clothes got dry really quickly when the rain died down. Jacob wore his new clothes that she brought for him.
The train hasn't moved an inch from the station because there were more passengers still boarding the train. The four of them were seated in a comfortable booth on a corner in the back of a train car. The train car that they were on was the 2nd to last from the rear of the train, and it was relatively empty except for a couple of people here and there. Lucy sat with the window to her right and Kelsie to her left. Lucy sat across from Anna while Jacob was to her right and facing towards Kelsie. The booth could seat a total of 6 people with 3 on each side and the seats are facing each other. There were wooden walls which stretched to the ceiling of the train car that separated each booth from the others. The only access to the booth was the door next to Kelsie and Jacob and the tightly sealed window next to Anna and Lucy. The window could be used as an exit if and when the situation demands it. The light lacrima on the ceiling of the booth offered substantial light that left no shadow to linger, the only exception being the underside of their seats where their bags and belongings were neatly tucked away. Lucy made sure that one of her bags filled with snacks was tightly sealed and out of harms way from the rest of their heavy bags. She didn't want the food squashed before they had a chance to eat it. She didn't tell them about her quick stop at the bakeries and snack shops. She wanted it to be a surprise.
They had ample leg space to move around if they needed to. They all settled comfortably in their seats, relaxing and talking amongst themselves while waiting for the train to take them to Magnolia. Lucy looked to the window and marveled at the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the Crocus Train Station. It was added in after the city's repairs, because they needed an easier way to transfer materials and personnel to help rebuild the city after the incident with the 7 Dragons. The city looked as good as new, as if nothing had happened. Everything went back to normal,...well as normal as things could get in a large and magical city like Crocus. The train passengers boarding, families saying good bye to one of their own as he or she boarded the train, young and old couples hugging each other tightly in a lasting embrace until they see each other again.
'I miss Natsu. Why can't that couple be us?', she thought and asked herself dreamily as she looked at the exchange of goodbyes between two young lovers that she guessed were in their early 20s. Lucy didn't want to ruin her solid friendship with Natsu, but what can she do. Her feelings towards the Fire Dragon Slayer was growing with each passing day. Her best friend keeps invading her thoughts more and more. Her dreams were no exception.
Her train of thought and wandering gaze was interrupted by a hand that kept on waving frantically in front of her.
"Huh? What is it?", Lucy asked as she turned her attention towards a cutely pouting Anna. "Hey, why are you pouting so adorably?", Lucy asked as she cupped Anna's cheeks in both her hands while smiling brightly.
"It's because you weren't listening to me. I was asking you questions.", Anna said while waving her arms over her head in a frenzied manner. "And wait...did you call me adorable?", Anna asked as she stopped waving her arms. They now hung by her sides while she looked at Lucy's bright smile.
"Yes, I called you adorable because you are.", said Lucy while her smile kept on getting brighter. "I'll make sure to answer any question you have. If...?"
"If...what?", Anna asked while looking confused.
Lucy stopped cupping Anna's face and sat up on her seat. Anna sat and straightened up on her seat as well while tilting her head in confusion. "If...you answer my questions as well.", answered Lucy.
"An answer for an answer, sure.", said Anna while smiling.
Kelsi and Jacob were sitting comfortably in the booth while watching and listening to Lucy and Anna's conversation with amusement and joy. It's been awhile since they've seen Anna smile so brightly and talk so loudly.
"I'll let you ask the 1st question, and then we can take turns from there.", said Lucy. "You can ask me any question and I'll answer it as honestly as I can."
Anna put a finger to her chin and kept on tapping it while looking up at the ceiling of the train car.
'She must be deciding or thinking really deeply about what to ask me.', Lucy thought to herself while looking at Anna.
"Yay!", Anna squealed in excitement and stared back at Lucy with a wide smile. "I've got my 1st question. Okay. Do you have any pets?", she asked with so much enthusiasm that Lucy thought it was cute and funny.
"I'm sorry to say, but I have no pets. I've always wanted one though, but I don't have any.", answered Lucy.
"Awwww...that's too bad.", said Anna while pouting.
"I do have someone better. I don't consider him as a pet. He's a good friend of mine and he'll be very happy to meet you." Lucy touched one of her silver keys that she had in mind and knew right away that this key that she had her index finger on was Plue's key. 'Hey Plue, I want you to meet some new friends of mine.' Lucy sent a thought message to one of her spirits before she called on him through their contract and connection. Lucy felt a slight surge of magical energy through Plue's key. She knew that Plue agreed to meet her new friends and wanted to be by her side.
The train conductor mumbled a few words in the speakers and the train started to move. They didn't hear the muffled words of the conductor because they were all focused on Lucy. Lucy was focused on sending the thought message to Plue through her Mind-Link with him. They felt the train moving, but they payed more attention to Lucy's actions. They were wondering what Lucy intends to do. They caught the slight movement of Lucy touching her keys, but were questioning as to why she had done it. Anna looked at her with curiosity while Jacob and Kelsie were both wary and curious.
Lucy smiled as she crossed one leg over the other and placed her hands on her knees. She then said,
"Open: Gate of Canis Minor,
Nikora."
Plue appeared in a puff of white smoke on her lap and looked up towards Lucy.
Lucy looked down and said, "Hey Plue. I want you to meet my new friends." She then started to point them out as she introduced them, "That's Kelsie, Jacob, and Anna. Guys, this is Plue." She looked up and saw Anna's wide smile and twinkling eyes. She turned and saw Kelsie with a warm smile plastered on her face. Jacob's mouth hung open in surprise and shock.
"He's ssssssoooooo cute!", squealed Anna while jumping up and down on her seat. "Can I hold him?, Pleaaaaaasssssseeeeee." Anna was holding her hands to her heart in a pleading motion.
"Of course you can.", answered Lucy. She then looked down at Plue and asked him, "Is that alright with you Plue?"
"Pun punnnn pu pun puunnn.", Plue answered while waddling.
"Okay.", said Lucy with a smile as she gently lifted Plue from her lap and sat him on Anna's lap.
Anna began petting him and holding him with a soft and loving embrace. "He's so adorable. I heard you call him Plue, is that his name?"
"Yes, that's his name.", Lucy replied while looking at the scene before her. 'Plue looks like he's enjoying himself and loving the attention.', thought Lucy.
"H-Hey Lucy, did I just see you summon one of your spirits without holding his key?", asked Jacob with a slightly shocked but more surprised face.
"Yeah. You did. What of it?", asked Lucy while her attention was still on Anna and Plue.
"It's just that, I've only read in books about Celestial Spirit Wizards that have the ability to call forth one or more of their spirits without the use of their keys. I never thought of ever seeing it happen.", answered Jacob.
"It takes a lot of practice and strenuous training to achieve and obtain this ability.", added Lucy cryptically while trying to be modest.
"Hey Big Bro Jacob, I'm the one that's supposed to ask Lucy the questions.", said Anna while pouting for a few seconds and then returning a smile to her face as she held onto Plue.
"Annabelle, would it be alright with you if I ask Lucy some questions of my own?", asked Kelsie. Lucy glanced at her knowingly and concluded that she's been thinking up and listing down any and all questions that she has for her mentally.
Anna replied with a smile and a resounding, "Sure. I'll just listen in while playing with cute little Plue here."
Lucy turned her body so that she was now facing Kelsie and Jacob's direction while the corner of her right eye could still see Anna and Plue. Lucy still had a friendly smile on her face, but she changed her leg position. Her right leg now hung loosely against the seat while her left straightened and stretched out towards Kelsie. They had enough space between them that her feet weren't touching Kelsie and besides, she wanted to relax. They were still a long way aways from Magnolia. "So, what do you want to ask me?"
"1st, I wanted to know what type of job request did you do for that man. He gave you such a huge sum of money for completing it. I was wondering what kind of job it was?", Kelsie asked with a friendly smile yet curiosity and interest radiated out of her in waves.
"The request he asked me to do was to find a key that was stolen by some creatures. It was a very antique key that was headed to his store along with some other ancient and valuable items. That key was taken from a caravan with regular guards and Wizards escorting it. It was the only thing taken, and my job was to retrieve it."
"No wonder he gave you a lot. It was an antique.", Kelsie lightly chuckled to herself. "Such sentiments from the past never seem to allude the present-day world."
'I wonder what she means by that.', Lucy thought to herself quizzically. 'Maybe she just likes antiques or something, I don't know.'
"My 2nd question is, what type of magic besides Celestial Spirit Magic do you use? We've all seen you in action during the Grand Magic Games. We know your a Celestial Spirit Wizard, but when I witnessed the battle that you fought against those Grim Rogue Wizards. You used all sorts of Magic. What kind of Wizard are you? And why didn't you use your full arsenal of Magic during the Games?", Kelsie asked with seriousness and curiousness mingling in her features and tone.
'I knew one of them would eventually ask me that. Damn.', Lucy sighed and slumped forward a little bit and then straightened herself back up on her seat feeling the cold wooden walls of the train car on her back. She's radiating off heat, but the she still feels the coldness of the wall seeping through her clothes and cloak as if for the 1st time. The excitement of going back to Fairy Tail numbed her to the cold until now. She was too excited to go back and didn't register the feeling of the not-so-bothersome chill on her back. The question left her to think for a few minutes. This wasn't left unnoticed by the others. They now looked at her very curiously. Kelsie's prying changed the mood in the booth entirely. Plue was watching his master and friend quietly, waiting for her to say something. Would Lucy divulge such sensitive information? That's probably what her spirits are thinking. Lucy recalls the conversation that she had with Isabella about moments like these.
"Now Lucy, what I'm about to tell you is of very grave importance.", said Isabella. "The existence of The Spirit Sages, The Sentinels, and the physical gates that connect this world to Earthland are very close and guarded secrets. In Earthland, the only ones who know of our existence and secret are the Magic Council, the Ten Wizard Saints, the Guild Masters of the Light Guilds, and the Sentinels themselves. In here, in the Celestial Spirit World, you will be known as a Sentinel, but in Earthland, the title that you'll bare is both meaningful and dangerous. You'll be known as a Celestial Sentinel. A title that means and commands power and respect in both worlds. The title that you'll bare is a testament to your strength and power, but it comes with a price. What title doesn't come with a price?", Isabella asked rhetorically.
"And what price would that be?", asked Lucy while wondering where this conversation will go.
"The price is complete silence and secrecy. The only ones that you should divulge who you really are to is your Guild Master, any of the Ten Wizard Saints if they ask of it, and the Magic Council if they need you to, as well as your fellow Sentinels if you happen to cross one or more of them. You must tell necessary information to those you deem fit to handle it and to those who you deem trustworthy enough to share the secret with. Be a modest woman. Don't ever be a braggart.", said Isabella with a knowing and kind smile. "I want you to be careful of who you trust with your secret. If word gets out about who you are, then you'll sure to be in danger."
"I understand Isabella. I'll be modest like you said and I'll make sure to make you and everyone else proud. I know how to keep a secret.", Lucy said as she returned her kind smile back. Her look turned curious and she asked, "Why would I be in danger?"
"There are forces beyond our control outside the Spirit World. All Sentinels that have passed and that now guard the gates keep their titles a secret. Their Guild Masters know who they are and so do the Saints and the Council and their Sentinel brethren, but their friends and loved ones don't. It's a safety precaution. I can't explain to you how very very very important it is for you to keep your title a secret. When you become a Full-Fledged Sentinel, then that's when we'll go into detail about why our secrets should remain just that, secrets. Just know that you'll be protecting everyone you hold dear from some very dangerous forces. That's all I can tell you of this matter for now.", answered Isabella with a look of authority and seriousness that chilled Lucy to the bone.
Lucy gulped and nodded her head. "Okay. I'll keep it a secret. But what happens if I need to use what I've learned to help someone in an emergency? What if they ask me how I do what I do and what kind of Magic I use? What then?", Lucy asked with slight panic. 'In those situations, it would be very difficult to play it off and lie about who I am.', Lucy thought to herself.
"It's easy. In an emergency, use what we've taught you. If they ask questions, then answer with cryptic answers. Don't lie, but also don't divulge the complete truth. Gain a steel-like resolve and don't share who you are to anyone, but to those who I've told you. The Saints, The Guild Masters, The Council, and among the ranks of the Sentinels of whom you'll be joining. Don't despair. This is for the greater good. You're a very capable young woman.", said Isabella as she held onto Lucy's shoulders trying to reassure her. "I'm sure that you'll be just fine. And when the time does come for you to tell those you love about who you are, then I'm sure they'll understand. I'm sure Natsu will understand.", said Isabella teasingly.
This gave Isabella the reaction that she wanted from Lucy. She quickly stepped back from Lucy. Lucy's face was now completely covered in a crimson tinge and her body was now completely engulfed in Blue-Flames. Lucy was cupping her cheeks in embarrassment. "W-W-What do you mean by that?", blurted out Lucy. "S-S-Stop teasing me."
Isabella stifled a chuckle while replying in kind. "I'm sorry Lucy. I just wanted to see your reaction. You need to control your emotions more. We don't want you to burn down the court again."
"I-It's your f-fault I'm like this.", said Lucy trying to calm herself down while the red tinge in her face was decreasing slightly.
"Don't worry about it my deary. You'll be fine. It's so adorable how flustered you get at the mention of his name. I promise that I'll stop teasing you,...for now.", said Isabella while smiling slyly. "Don't forget what I've told you."
Lucy took in a deep breath and looked up at Kelsie. They were all silent and waiting for her reply. "I'm a Celestial Wizard. Nothing more, nothing less. My training helped me...find different things about myself. That's all I can say on that matter.", said Lucy with a neutral tone and a friendly smile.
Anna looked worriedly towards Lucy, while Jacob and Kelsie were wary of Lucy's quick change in mood and hesitation. Anna didn't say a word as she held onto Plue and payed much more attention to him while gazing every now and again at the other three and listening to their conversation. Jacob knew not to press on the questions because he suspected that Lucy didn't want to share. Kelsie however, was still determined to find out more about Lucy.
"What was with the pause? Why don't you answer my questions? Tell us what you know, what you are.", said Kelsie with more volume and abrasiveness in her tone as she got a little bit closer to Lucy.
Lucy looked at her with cold eyes that conveyed seriousness and intimidation. The glare from Lucy gave both Kelsie and Jacob a chill that ran down their spines. They could see small Blue-Flames dancing in the irises of Lucy's eyes. Lucy answered with a serious and deathly cold voice while tilting her head for a dramatic and spine-tingling effect, "I said, that's...all...I...can...say on...that...matter."
Lucy heard all of them swallow spit at once and she mentally thanked Lia for teaching her that trick a few weeks ago during one of their training sessions. She didn't know if it would ever come in handy, but she thought that it wouldn't hurt to try. 'Glad I said yes to her offer. Otherwise, I'd be in big trouble right about now.', Lucy thought to herself.
Kelsie and Jacob backed away to the farthest part of their seat away from Lucy and near the door while Anna pulled her legs closer to her body. Plue was still in Anna's arms, embraced in a tight hug.
Kelsie was twiddling with her thumbs and looked down at the floor as she also brought her legs closer to her chest. She then said, "Ummmm...I'm sorry Lucy. I didn't mean to be pushy...I-I was j-just curious. I-I'll stop a-asking questions now." Kelsie looked like she was shrinking in fear. Jacob was too and so was Anna.
"Punn pun.", said Plue.
Lucy straightened herself again and scooted next to Kelsie and gave her a hug that surprised the young woman. Kelsie returned the hug in kind without saying a word.
"I'm sorry about scaring all of you, but I can't really say who I am, or how I do what I do. Just know that I'll always be a friend to all of you.", said Lucy in a loving tone and loud enough for them all to hear her. "Secrets are secrets for a reason. I won't ask what Magic you three have, and don't expect me to explain myself either. You're all my friends, so don't take me keeping my secrets the wrong way. Okay?"
Lucy felt warm arms wrap around her from behind. She felt liquid soaking both her shoulders as the two sisters hugged her tightly and cried on her. She saw Jacob with the corner of her eye sporting a wide smile while holding onto Plue. She heard Kelsie and Anna mumble, "O-O-Okay.", through their sobs.
Lucy thought to herself, 'Hmmm...maybe I shouldn't have scared them too much. But wait, I don't think it was just me. These three are still holding onto a whole lot of emotional baggage. I don't think they've ever had a friend before besides amongst themselves. I need to find out more about their village.' Lucy turned with her back to the seat and hugged both Anna and Kelsie towards her chest, comforting them in her warm embrace. 'It's not my place to ask them any personal questions. Those will have to wait.'
"Shhhh, shhhh. Calm down you two. It'll be alright. To help calm you down during this long train ride, how about we eat some snacks?", Lucy asked them while releasing them from the embrace.
"W-What snacks?", asked Anna while sitting up and looking at Lucy while wiping her tears away. Kelsie doing the same thing, as if mimicking or mirroring Anna's movements.
"I wanted it to be a surprise. I brought some cakes and snacks. I knew that this would be a long train ride. We might as well snack on some sweets.", said Lucy with a wide grin.
"Sure, that sounds nice.", said Kelsie as a smile slowly crept back up on her face. "Wait, when did you have time to do that? I thought we were with you the whole time...except for those 30 minutes when you went to the restroom...ohhhhhh...nevermind." Kelsie chuckled lightly to herself for not realizing it until that moment. Kelsie thought to herself, 'Now I know why she had an extra bag with her when she came back and met us at the train station before we boarded.'
Lucy bent down quickly and grabbed the bag from under the bench. She opened the seal and they were all quickly assaulted by the pleasing aroma of the baked goods in the green synthetic bag. "Pick a snack and eat up.", Lucy declared while she placed the bag between the 2 benches so that Jacob could get access to the food too. Lucy bent down again and took out 3 light green face towels from her bag and tossed each of them on their laps. "Wipe your tears away with those, but if you do need to use the train's restroom, then feel free to do so."
"Thanks Lucy. I'll go 1st.", said Jacob. He clutched the towel in his left hand and wiped his tears away as he opened the doors to the booth and closed it.
"Thank you Big Sis Lucy.", said Anna as she wiped away her tears. Anna plopped the towel on her lap and bent down to get a Chocolate Chip Cookie from the bag.
Kelsie swiftly wiped away her tears as well as some mucus that escaped from her nostrils. "Thank you. You always think of everything, don't you?", Kelsie asked with a smile while sniffling.
"Yeah, I have to. My...teachers taught me that if you don't think ahead, then you'll be dead. I know it sounds grim, but they did make a point.", answered Lucy as she picked out a Red Velvet Cupcake from one of the containers in the bag. She nibbled at it until there wasn't anymore of the cupcake left and tossed the cupcake wrapper in a smaller and empty red synthetic bag inside the green bag.
Anna devoured one Chocolate Chip Cookie after another until she finished her 7th one and stopped for awhile. She then asked, "Hey Big Sis Lucy, those people that you froze in those blocks of ice, how long will they be frozen?"
"That sure is a good yet random question out of nowhere.", Lucy said while smiling. Jacob walked back into the booth looking refreshed and sat back down on his seat after closing the door behind him. "Those Rogues or whatever it is that they call themselves will be trapped in my ice for maybe an hour or so. I can't permanently trap people and other living things in my magic-ice for long because I don't have that much control over it. I'm still new to it." Lucy praised herself mentally, 'There you go, it wasn't a lie, and you didn't reveal too much information. You go, girl!' Lucy continued answering Anna by saying, "Non-living things and inanimate objects are a different story. I can trap them in ice for days. It's not a permanent thing. Which means I need to train even more."
Lucy looked at Anna, Kelsie in mid-bite of a Peanut Butter Cookie, and Jacob eating a Pumpkin Pie on a paper plate with a plastic fork. They had grim and sad looking faces. Their obvious reactions to what she told them stung her. She didn't want to upset them, but she didn't want to lie to them either. She didn't and couldn't mention her magics and title, but she had to be truthful with the effects of her magics. Lucy cursed herself mentally, 'Damn it. I should've known that they'd react like this.' Lucy took a deep breath and then said, "Look, I will catch those bastards again and make sure that they stay on ice when I hand them to the authorities. They won't get away with what they did." She sounded more threatening and pissed off instead of confident and aloof. 'I've got to work on sounding out what I'm feeling more, because I sounded like I was going to kill someone.', thought Lucy to herself. She wanted to beat those guys up more for what they did, but she wasn't a killer. 'Whoa girl! Why do you suddenly sound like Natsu? Is he rubbing off on you?', Lucy's conscience was asking her questions that she couldn't answer. She quickly pushed them to the back of her mind before her cheeks started to betray and convey her thoughts out loud.
"Thank you again.", said Kelsie with a half-smile while eating her 5th Peanut Butter Cookie. "I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we are truly grateful for your kindness."
Jacob nodded his head in agreement while eating his 2nd helping of Pumpkin Pie.
Anna smiled wide in agreement as well while eating more Cookies of different flavors.
"You're welcome.", replied Lucy with a smile. "Now let's keep on snacking. We can't have all of this food go to waste. And besides, we still have a few hours until we get to Magnolia." Lucy thought to herself while eating a Chocolate Chip Muffin, 'You know what? You really are sounding and acting a little bit like Natsu. What has gotten into you?'
~ Lucy's POV ~
(After The Train Ride And Their Walk From The Train Station To The Fairy Tail Guildhall)
After the long train ride to Magnolia and containers of sweets and baked goods consumed, Lucy, Anna, Kelsie, and Jacob find themselves in front of the doors that lead to the Guildhall of Fairy Tail. They fell asleep from time to time on the train and woke up refreshed. The food they ate gave them a sugar rush, and then a sugar meltdown which helped them sleep. The walk from the train station to Fairy Tail proved to be a challenge for one of them, but they didn't give up. They're now composing themselves or wiping sweat off of them and making themselves look presentable before they entered the Guildhall. Lucy's heart was beating really quickly, she was standing there in front of the doors with one hand ready to open it, but she was nervous, and she didn't know why. Jacob was standing there next to her, but he was watching Kelsie and Anna. They were a couple of feet away from the doors.
"That was such a long train ride and a long walk...uhhhh.", complained Anna while wiping the sweat off of her with a blue towel from Lucy.
"Come on Anna, compose yourself already. That walk wasn't that bad. You don't hear us complaining?", said Kelsie while looking at her little sister's somewhat hilarious display of exhaustion. She couldn't control herself from smiling at her little sister's predicament. 'I shouldn't be smiling, but Anna is just too adorable.', Kelsie thought to herself.
Jacob stopped watching Kelsie and Anna and turned around to see Lucy standing in front of her Guild's doors as if she was frozen. 'I wonder what's the matter with her.', Jacob thought to himself. He turned around to Kelsie and Anna and said, "Pssst, hey you two. I think something's wrong with Lucy"
Lucy's heart kept on beating faster and faster. 'Am I excited, nervous, or what? What's wrong with me?', Lucy asked herself. 'Why can't I move? I feel numb all over, gosh this sucks. Think Lucy, think!' All of a sudden she recalls Godrick's words to her.
[Flashback To Her 6th Day Of Training During Her 3rd Month]
Godrick was sitting with one of his legs crossed over the other on the star-lit grassy fields of the Court Of The Spirit Sages. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and blue and black striped track pants. He had no shoes or socks on. Lucy was wearing a plain orange t-shirt, lacy orange brassiere with matching underwear, black and white striped track pants, and like Godrick, her feet was bare. She was sitting a few feet away in front of him with one of her legs over the other. After a few hours of magical reserve expansion training, they decided to take a breather.
Lucy was star gazing until he heard Godrick ask her something. She immediately met the intense gaze of his glowing brown eyes with her own chocolate-brown ones.
"Lucy. I want to ask you a question?", Godrick asked as he waited for Lucy to meet his gaze. Godrick had an air of seriousness about him and Lucy tried to mimic his seriousness with her own.
"What do you wish to ask me?", she replied with her own question. Lucy thought to herself, 'Speaking to this man reminds me of my etiquette and speech classes with one of my teachers back home at the Heartfilia Manor. Isabella is fun to talk to and all, but this guy, there's just something about him that makes me want to speak to him in a more classy and elegant manner and tone of voice. I wonder why?'
"How are you at controlling your emotions? It's been a few days since...the incident with your blue-flames and all. I just wanted to know how your training is going in that department."
Lucy silently smacked herself mentally. 'Damn it. Why do they have to keep asking about that!? Isn't it enough that I almost burned and froze this place? Why do they have to keep on reminding me? It was a dumb mistake. I apologized to them at most a hundred times already. They all give me an hour or 2 of emotion training or whatever they call it, every night before I go to bed. They don't want what happened to repeat and I understand that, but why do they have to keep on reminding me about it? Damn it!' She took a deep breath and answered him with wavering confidence. "I-I'm still working on it with the girls and..."
"And...?", he asked looking perplexed and serious.
"And...I'm still terrible at it.", she finished her answer with a defeated tone.
"I know that you'll get better at it. I can see you as the type of person who doesn't give up once she sets her mind on something.", He said with a rare smile that crossed his face.
Lucy was at awe at Godrick's comment and at his smile. She's only seen him smile at least once a day. "Ummm...thanks.", Lucy said while giving him back a smile of her own.
"The gift that you've been given is a rare one. I've only heard of one person ever receiving what you've been given. This new power is powered by your emotions. It's a double-edged sword in its own way. It's very powerful, but it can prove to be fatal too.", Godrick stated with a gruff voice and a neutral look on his face.
"How can it be fatal? Aside from accidentally burning and freezing anything and everyone I touch.", Lucy asked with a worried look on her face.
"If you don't control your powerful emotions, then your body will burn up and you'll exhaust yourself. Your very life force will be drained if you're not careful. It doesn't use your magic energy and power, but you can combine it with your magic. Like your magic power, it is connected to your life force. That's why we want you to learn how to control your emotions properly. If your emotions are in turmoil, then you're body will freeze up. You won't be able to move an inch until you've calmed yourself down. If you stay in that freezing state, then your body will engulf itself in your blue-flames and it'll quickly spread. Not to mention that you'll be vulnerable. From there you can guess what happens to you and anyone and anything around you." Godrick paused for a few seconds and then continued with his explanations. " Make sure that you don't exhaust yourself too much when using this newly-acquiered power. It'll put a tax on your body. When the time is right you'll be able to control it with ease."
"You seem to know an awful lot about this. How come?", Lucy asked looking more curious than ever as she raised one of her eyebrows.
"That is a tale for another time." Godrick quickly changed the subject. "This power will affect your personality at times, your appetite, and your physical energy. You'll find yourself wanting to eat sweets and food more. I don't know why. It's a powerful and odd mystery. Don't look to me or the Elder Star who gave you this power for an explanation. You'll find things out by yourself."
Lucy let Godrick's words sink into her thoughts and she tried to summarize it. She then said, "Okay, to paraphrase or summarize what you just said, this power is tied to my emotions and will affect my personality. It'll strain my body, but it won't use up my magic power when I use it. Like my magic power, it's connected to my life force. If my emotions are in turmoil, then I'll be in trouble. That's why I need to learn how to control them. I'll exhaust myself and strain my body too much if I use it too much and that'll cause death for me and death and destruction for anyone and anything around me. I can combine it with my magic power and spells to make even more powerful magics and spells. With practice I can control this power more easily, but I'm guessing it'll be a long time until that'll happen. I'll get hungrier, I'll eat more, I'll have more energy, but I'll also lose that energy easily if I'm not careful. The rest I have to figure out myself." Lucy let out a breath and then said, "It looks like I've got my work and training cut out for me."
Godrick let out a soft chuckle. He then said, "Power always has a price and control takes time to achieve. You've summarized it well. That brief description might lengthen once you familiarize yourself with the Cold-Flames of Emotion. It'll take time."
"There you Sages go again with your cryptic messages.", Lucy said while pouting and looking slightly annoyed. She then sighs and then says appreciatively, "Thanks for the pick-me-up and for telling me as much as you can."
"You're gratitude is enough to lift anyone's spirits. Now that we're both calmed, let's keep on working on trying to expand your magical power reserves.", said Godrick while standing up.
"Okay, let's get this over with.", said Lucy while putting both her hands on her knees and closing her eyes.
[Flashback Ends]
Lucy started to take deep breaths. She felt her pulse slow down. The numbness in her body was slowly disappearing. She could feel hands on both of her shoulders. She turned around and saw worried looks on Anna, Kelsie, and Jacob's faces. She didn't know how she looked at the moment, but she guessed that she probably looked pathetic.
"Hey, Lucy. Are you alright? You were standing there for 3 minutes now.", said Kelsie while her hands were on Lucy's shoulders.
"Yeah, I'm alright now.", answered Lucy with a fake smile. 'You're so not alright you liar! You were frozen there because you couldn't control your emotions. Are you nervous? Anxious? What? Get a hold of yourself!', Lucy's inner-self scolded her intensely. "I guess I'm just nervous."
Anna and Jacob both shared a look of worry before putting on half-hearted smiles. Kelsie shook her head and smiled at Lucy.
"I'm glad that you're moving now.", said Kelsie. "We should probably go inside now. You still need to introduce us to your guild."
"Yeah, we're excited.", added Anna.
'Thanks you three for not asking me what happened.', Lucy thought to herself. Lucy turned around to face the doors again and took a deep breath before saying, "Okay, let's go in. Be careful though, because it can get kind of rowdy in here." Lucy took another deep breath and made a list in her mind about what she needed to do when she entered the Guildhall, 'Greet everyone, tell Mira that the missions was a success, keep your powers in check, keep your training in check, don't reveal too much information, only tell Master Makarov the whole truth and you'll be golden. And P.S. lie about how you got your emblem.'
Lucy opened the doors to the Guildhall with greater ease than before. She felt like the doors were much more lighter as she pushed them open. She now stood at the frame of the entrance to Fairy Tail with her new friends next to her. She let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding. She was nervous for nothing. The Guild was as rowdy as usual. There was a fight happening between Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray. The brawl kept on getting bigger as more members joined in on the tussle. Mirajane was behind the bar serving drinks, Juvia was watching Gray with heart-shaped eyes, Elfman was in the fight and he kept on shouting things about how it's Manly to be in fights or something like that, Macao and Romeo were protecting some of the other guild members that were watching the fight from all sorts of random debris with their combined Purple Flare Net, Laki was talking to both Bisca and Alzack at a table at the back of the Guild, Max was playing with little Asuka at a nearby table next to her parents, the Thunder Legion also known as the Thunder God Tribe was on the 2nd floor watching the brawl with amused smirks on their faces. Lisanna, Wendy, Carla, and Happy were watching the battle while standing behind Romeo and Macao's protective net. Wakaba was smoking behind a pillar. It was a good spot because any debris that would've hit him would be blocked by the wooden pillar. Levy was in another corner of the Guildhall, reading a new book from the library.
Lucy looked around but she couldn't find Erza or Cana anywhere. 'That's odd.', She thought to herself. 'No wonder this fight's getting out of hand. Erza isn't here to stop them. Oh well. I could care less. I've lost count of the numerous fights that have happened in these halls. Though I'll admit, I missed watching the fights. I missed this place so much. They haven't noticed that I'm back. That's fine. They're busy with this fight, and I'd rather not get involved in this Guild brawl.' Lucy smiled brightly and felt tears brim in the corners of her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away.
"You three follow me and watch out for the flying people and the debris.", Lucy said as she saw her new friend's reactions. Lucy chuckled to herself. 'This might be a handful for them, but I think they can survive. After all, I did survive this Guild too. It's a whole lot of fun.'
Kelsie shook off her shock and replaced it with a look of amusement. Jacob had both his brows raised at the sight he saw before him, he couldn't understand it at all. Anna was just grinning and hiding behind Jacob just in case a flying object hit her. Anna did take a peak at the battle every now and again, but she still hid behind Jacob.
As Lucy walked to Mirajane with her new friends close behind, she was debating whether she should make her reappearance known to her Guild, but they were all clearly busy with either the fight, avoiding the fight, watching it, or talking amongst themselves.
"Hi Mira.", Lucy said loudly as she walked over to Mirajane to get her attention.
Mirajane walked on right over and beamed a bright smile at Lucy. "Hey Lucy. Welcome back. How was the job? And who are your three new friends?", Mirajane asked while she dodged an empty mug that almost hit her face.
Lucy couldn't help but mirror Mira's bright smile. "Thanks Mira. It was excellent. I completed it without a problem and these three want to join the Guild." Lucy pointed to each one of her new friends and introduced them to Mira. "This is Jacob, Anna, and Kelsie." The three smiled as Lucy introduced them to Mirajane.
Jacob blocked an incoming plate that was headed towards Anna with his forearm and swiftly caught it and placed it on the counter of the bar. "Hello, it's so nice to meet you.", he said with a smile.
"It's a very honored pleasure.", Kelsie said as she shook Mira's hands with her own while smiling.
"You're very pretty.", said Anna with twinkles in her eyes as she stared at Mirajane.
"That's great to hear Lucy. And why thank you Anna.", said Mirajane with her signature smile. Mira took out the quest log book, dodged a fork and spoon that almost hit her neck and wrote something on it. "And it's also very nice to meet you three, and thank you very much Anna." Mirajane thought to herself while smiling, 'It's amazing how Lucy found three new recruits after her job. Is it just me or is her hair a bit longer than it was yesterday, and what's that blue mark on her face.' Mirajane looked towards Lucy and asked, "Hey Lucy, what's with that blue mark on your face?"
Lucy touched her right cheek and replied, "Oh, you mean this. It's just a magical tattoo that I got. I had someone magically apply it. Needles hurt, so magic was easier." Lucy felt bad for lying to Mirajane of all people, but she had to keep it secret. Lucy felt her chest tighten a little. 'Lying to them; my family and friends, is gonna hurt and I can feel it. This is going to be way harder than I thought. Deception isn't my strong suit.'
"Oh okay. I never figured you for someone who'd get a tattoo, magical or otherwise. But still, it looks so cute on you. You make it work.", Mirajane replied while still sporting her joyful and room-brightening smile. Mirajane leaned into Lucy's ears and whispered, "In my opinion it totally brings out the color in your eyes. You'll definitely get you-know-who's attention with it. And that white cloak looks amazing on you too. Let's hope he notices."
Lucy felt her face turn a shade of red. She silently thought to herself, 'Damn it Mira. That was so uncalled for. Calm down Lucy, calm down. Or else this place will get burnt or frozen.' She grabbed her cheeks and tried calming herself down.
Mirajane backed away from Lucy to see her reaction. Jacob, Kelsie, and Anna were surprised and amused by Lucy's sudden change in color. Whatever Mirajane whispered to her, they wanted to know. Mirajane smiled slyly and held back a chuckle. 'Awww, isn't that cute? Her feelings for Natsu are getting stronger. I can't wait to help them hook-up. They're such a cute couple.' Mirajane was enjoying Lucy's adorable reactions until she saw a flash of blue cross Lucy's eyes. 'Hmmm...I wonder what that was? For a second there her eyes changed from chocolate-brown to blue...hmmm...maybe it's just my imagination. Yeah, that must be it. I am a bit exhausted.'
Lucy calmed down and her cheeks returned to their natural color. She then said, "I'll leave these three at the bar with you. I need to talk to Master Makarov. He's still up in his office, right?"
"He's right up there. Paperwork is keeping him busy.", replied Mirajane. "I'll keep these three company until you get back."
Kelsie, Jacob, and Anna took a seat at the bar while dodging a few more utensils and mugs that almost collided with them.
"Thanks Mira. I'll be right back.", said Lucy. "Be careful. It gets more wilder in here." Lucy smiled as she finished her last comment and started walking up the stairs towards Master Makarov's office.
~ Annabelle's POV ~
"It gets wilder than this? That must be something.", said Kelsie while looking around.
"Yeah it does. The cleaning takes a long time too, but we manage.", said Mirajane as she ducked down to avoid a chair.
"This place seems like fun.", said Anna with a bright smile.
"Hey Mira, what did you whisper to Lucy that made her blush like that?", asked Kelsie with a raised brow.
"I'd like to know that as well.", said Jacob cooly.
Mirajane popped up and smiled mischievously, "I'll tell you."
Anna wasn't paying attention to what Mirajane was saying when she spotted Lucy bounding up the stairs. She was looking at Lucy. Lucy was instinctively dodging flying debris and projectiles that came her way. She looked so graceful and elegant as she moved. She didn't even look back to dodge any of the flying objects. She moved her body away from them as if she knew where they were headed. Lucy moved precisely and with grace with each given step. Each object missing her by a fraction of a centimeter. Anna was awestruck and couldn't stop from admiring Lucy's gracefulness. She always liked beautiful things and she was very much into dancing, particularly ballet. To her, Lucy looked like a graceful ballerina moving with such elegance and hidden purpose up the stairs as she effortlessly avoided any of the flying debris that came her way. She couldn't help but say, "Wow.", silently to herself.
~ Lucy's POV ~
Lucy was walking up the stairs and was very deep in thought. She didn't notice how she was instinctively dodging and avoiding any and all the flying objects and debris that came her way. She was thinking about Natsu and she even stole glances at his now bare chest. His one-long sleeved trench coat was on the floor, and he's fighting in only his white knee-length trousers, the thick black wristband is still on his left wrist, his black open-toed sandals, and his scale-patterned scarf that's wrapped snugly against his neck. She stopped herself from ogling the sight of Natsu's half-naked body. She needed to gather her thought together. She was determined to tell Master Makarov everything because he's the only one that she's allowed to tell. Lucy kept on dodging flying debris as she bounded up the stairs. She didn't notice Anna, Levy, and the Thunder God Tribe watching her graceful and precise movements. She was trained really well and was told that things would become natural to her, but she didn't know how natural, and how automatic her reflexes would become.
She reached Master Makarov's door and knocked while saying, "Hey Master, can I come in?"
"Yes, of course.", He replied.
Lucy walked in with a smile, closed the door behind her, and said, "Hey Master, I have something very important to tell you. Would you mind listening?"
"Sure my child. Take a seat and tell me what's on your mind.", said Master Makarov as he sat on his desk with one leg over the other and waited for Lucy to speak. He noticed a peculiar looking mark on Lucy's right cheek. He felt a different magical energy and a stronger magical presence from Lucy. He noticed that her hair grew more longer in one day than it should have, and that white cloak. 'Where have I seen that cloak before?', he asked himself inwardly.
"What I'm about to tell you should only be kept between us, is that alright?", asked Lucy with a serious look on her face.
Master Makarov muttered a few words under his breath and the walls of the room that they were in started glowing a faint yellow glow and after a few seconds it dissipated. He then said, "I put up a sound and vibration barrier. No one, not even a dragonslayer will be able to hear what we'll be discussing in this room. Feel free to start anytime."
"Well Master.", Lucy began and pulled out and showed him the key that was around her neck. "I'm a Celestial Sentinel. I'm not a full-fledged one yet, but I will be." Lucy had a pleasant smile on her face and her eyes brightened with glee.
Master Makarov smiled at her and said, "I should've guessed. That emblem on your cheek, your different magical energy, stronger presence, longer hair, that cloak. I should've noticed." He smiled even wider. "I'm proud to here that my child. Tell me how it happened. Don't leave out a single detail."
Lucy began to recount every detail of her adventure to Master Makarov. Unbeknownst to her and Master Makarov, trouble and a brilliant scheme was brewing outside the Master's Office.
~ Laxus's POV ~
"Hey Freed, did you see what I just saw?", asked Laxus while leaning against a wooden pillar.
"Yes I certainly did. Lucy dodged 13 plates, 3 spoons, 1 fork, 7 knives, and 5 empty beer mugs as well as some chairs and broken parts of tables without much effort.", answered Freed.
"Whoa man. You counted all of that?", asked Bickslow. "You counted? You counted?", asked repeatedly by his flying wooden dolls.
"And you're surprised, Bickslow? Freed is a very observational and attentive Wizard.", interjected Evergreen. "And yes Laxus, we all saw what you saw. Lucy has more grace and attention with every step she took. More so than she did during the Grand Magic Games."
"I wonder where and why she's been hiding her skills. I get the feeling that she's hiding something. Just now, Gramps' office stopped making noise. Which means Gramps and Lucy are discussing something private.", said Laxus.
"I wonder what that is.", added Freed while deep in thought.
"I'm pretty sure we can get her to reveal anything once she comes out of that office.", said Evergreen slyly.
"How can we help? This sounds like fun.", said Bickslow. "Sounds like fun. Sounds like fun.", repeated his flying wooden dolls.
"We've got to act fast before she gets out of Gramps' office.", said Laxus with a cocky grin. "This will get everyones attention for sure. Lucy will have to tell us what she's been hiding." Laxus silently thought to himself, 'Maybe this will also explain why she smells a little bit more different than before. No wonder Natsu or Gajeel didn't notice her return. Natsu usually knows whenever and wherever Lucy is. That dense idiot really needs to see that they both have feelings for each other. It's so damn obvious. He just can't see it. Gajeel reports to Levy whenever Blondie returns. At least he knows where his feelings are pointing him...I think. Mira's got a lot work to do.'
How Was This Chapter? It's Not My Longest One, But It's Close. I Hope You Enjoyed It. A More Interesting One Will Be Up Next. What Do You Think Will Happen? Will Lucy Reveal Her Secrets? Will I Ever Get To Make A Quadruple Decker Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich? Find Out Soon.
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