Okay, ideas check. Plot, check. Fighting styles, check. This is the next chapter of the story. Hope you enjoy. Other than that, I have nothing to say.
Oh wait. Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Chapter 10: Ale
A large wooden mug was slammed onto a table, empty. The holder grinned a satisfactory smile as she looked at her companions.
"Damn, why didn't you tell me your brother had a personal rum stash." "Hic." Cana said, the strong alcohol getting into her system. "It's a gold mine. Hic. He should have shared it."
Vixy shook her head as she typed something. "Our brother raided taverns and dark guilds alike to get as much as he has. He doesn't want to sell it, but he does need a drinking buddy."
They were located on the deck of a cruiser sized Ironwood galleon docked in Magnolia's lake. The Flying Kitsune hoisted a pirate flag on its mast with the Metal Soul guildmark engraved on the sails.
"When your brother comes aboard, tell him he has one in Fairy Tail. Cana Alberona, and that he needs a girlfriend."
"I'll think about it lass. Oh and ye' are a wee bit young for me." A voice drawled behind her.
Cana jumped out of her chair, grabbed her tarot cards and faced behind her. She saw a tall man with a black trenchcoat lined in red with the Metal Soul guildmark on the back. He wore a jacket the color of Erza's last name, brown pants with a sheath for a cutlass and and a pirate captain's hat emblazoned with a gold skull and crossbones.
His face had and eye patch over his right eye. The man extended his left hand at her which looks mechanical and gave a smile.
Pierre 'Foxy' Foxtrot, a sailor who spent too much time acting like a pirate.
"Now, who let this saucy wench aboard me ship." The elder brother of the foxtrot siblings said. Vixy smiled sheepishly
"I may have let it slip that you have a large amount of alcohol in the hold. She's an alcoholic and persistent."
Flashback mode enabled
"We're going out to sea again?!" Vixy cried out. They met in a bar for their weekly 'raids'. The sisters sat down near a darker part of the establishment so as to not make attention.
"Yes dear sister, tell our brother to ready the ship." ordered Ruby. "We have a S-class mission to finish." The older woman raised her hand to the crowd as her magic gravitated her sword into her sheath.
"You know how brother is sister. We were there for a week with nothing but aqua, air and alcohol from brother's stash!"
Unknown to either of them, Cana was in the same area drinking a barrel in peace. As soon as she heard the Souls say alcohol she finished her barrel in one gulp. She then threw it away towards the crowd, which started a bar fight.
Flashback disabled
"So the lass is joining me crew for me rum." the captain of the ship turned to the drunk and observed her. After looking at Cana he began to laugh much to his sister's confusion.
"In that case, this saucy wench can stay and join us on our hunt." Cana smiled before succumbing to the effects of Pierre's stash and lost consciousness, hard.
By the time Ruby boarded the ship, her brother was busy doing things. Her sister watching over a sleeping fairy and said fairy sleepwalking and bumping into walls. When she asked Vixy, she just said stash and raider scowled.
When Cana awoke she expected to hear something about property damage and yelling, not the sound of the sea. She slowly got up from a hammock she was sleeping in as she nursed her head from a pounding headache. When the pain dulled enough that she could think clearly, she looked around.
She was on a seemingly empty ship. The squeaky clean wood floors and the lack of people testified to that. Ropes, materials and bags full of gunpowder litter the deck. Cana looked up at the sail only for the sun's glare to block it. When she shaded her eyes, she could just about see the Metal Soul guildmark on the big sails.
"It's about time you woke up." A female voice spoke behind her. Cana turned to see Ruby leaning on the mast. Her sword just floating in the air spinning and rotating thanks to it's wielder's magic.
"I feel like I went through the rabbit hope and hit an anvil with my skull." Cana said as she tried to rub the pain away. "How long do I have to stay before heading back to the guild?"
"A few days, but that's because were in the middle of the sea." Cana tripped in shock, she fell before glowing a black aura and stopped moving just before she hit the floor.
Ruby smirked as her hand glowed the same black color. The raider used her magic to set the Card Mage into a standing position. "You must really have a bad day if you just collapsed. Also, our brother wants to have a word with you."
The Card mage glared at the raider. "Give me 10 minutes, a hangover cure and I'll talk."
When the conditions were met, Ruby dumped Cana on her younger sister who happened to walk by. The younger foxtrot protested immediately but was her sister ignored her words.
"Isn't your sister supposed to be nice?" The card mage asked Vixy.
"This is her on a normal day. On a good day she won't be as strict." Vixy said as she disassembled her weapon before rebuilding it in seconds.
"And on a bad day?" Cana asked and her companion shivered.
"An absolute slave driver with disregard for pain. Thankfully it's rare." The wind battle mage said.
"Thankfully?! I may be the her elder, but even the great Captain Fox can't withstand the Raider of Planets." A voice sounded. Both of the girls turned to see Pierre exiting a room holding a bottle of whiskey in his metal hand. One out of curiosity and the other about to ask a question.
"Raider of Planets?" Vixy asked as Cana continued looking over her brother. "When did she get that title?"
"Aye, it was the lass's first A rank job 2 years ago. Two dozen hostages and an entire dark guild just waiting there inside Crocus' planetarium. Little Ruby just went in with a sword and her magic. Later all of them were defeated."
"How is she not S-class yet?" Cana asked him. The fact that the Raider isn't S-class shouldn't be possible. Unless…
"Our guildmaster gave Ruby the chance to be S-class twice. She declined both times." Vixy told the card mage.
"Why?!" Cana cried out in surprise. Everyone wants a chance to become S-class for either the fame or the rewards. Only the strongest could become S-class but for someone of Ruby's caliber to deny it.
"The lass said 'I don't like the attention and its not for me'." Pierre quoted. "Personally, that sounds like a load of whale blubber."
"Can't you just ask her?" The card mage pointed out. "You're her family!"
"Wish it was that easy lass." The captain said solemnly as he fiddled with his hook. "She likes to keep her secrets close and her blade even closer. We may be a crew but something happened to her before we joined."
"It isn't our place to tell you though." Vixy said. "You just have to get close to her and find a way to get her to talk."
Before Cana could say something the ship suddenly stopped sending everyone falling forward and landing on the floorboards. A bell rang and Ruby's voice echoed throughout the ship. "Brother, we have landed on the Island. I spot a stack of smoke rising from further within. Shall we investigate?"
Pierre stood up and put his real hand on the side of his head and pressed something. "Give us a bit of time and we'll be on the surface lass. It's been a while since I've been on a bounty hunting job."
Vixy followed and grabbed her staff on the table. "You have to join us Cana, only so you don't empty my brother's stash and make yourself useful."
"Fine." Cana said as she prayed to reunite with the exotic drink. "I'll carry my weight and help."
The three of them walked onto the main deck and saw the island. The ship landed in a cove surrounded by big rocks. Clear, blue water splashed the sand and the cliff in the distance. Palm trees litter the sands and a forest is seen further. A smokestack like Ruby said is seen rising into the air.
"Our target should be where the smoke is coming from." Ruby said monotonely. "Let's get to work." She said as she leapt from the ship and landed on the sand with a thud.
I'm ending the chapter here. Apologies for it being short, so the second part of this mini-arc will be longer. Other than that I've switched focus to my other story so this won't be updating as often.
Read, review and follow if I'm lucky.