It's been too long, I know! I blame it on my month of surgery-the hours are as bad as they sound! I am terribly sorry! Things are starting to get serious, please excuse me as I explore the sides we don't see too often in the manga. Happy Reading! RxR, please! you all keep me truckin' along. Any story is only as good as the reviewers, so THANK YOU.
I do want to say that a part of this chapter was sparked by Ogro's suggestion. Thank you. I hope it doesn't disappoint.
Oh, Happy Valentine's Day :)
Anonymous Readers
issyzom: Thanks :D I hope you stop reading for the important things: food, peeing, shower, sleep...food...
Herika: There will be more NaLu. Soon. Very, very soon ;) I've tortured everyone long enough, I suppose. It's long overdue by, uh...30 chapters or so.
Guitar Guy: I'm thinking before the next battle is as good as any ;) And I won't spoil it for you if you haven't read the manga, but I do stay true to it for the most part (with what I can)
To everyone else: I apologize if I did not respond to all reviews! See above, please!
Disclaimer: I only take credit for my OCs and deviation from original plot.
~OoOoO~
Lucy's feet felt like heavy weights as she trudged toward the main hall. She was oddly wearied from her morning with Adie. The blacksmith had adeptly taken over the modest shop that Makarov had intended to set up for Erza's birthday. Lucy had to wonder about the timing, as the smithy appeared as if it was meant for Adie, herself. As requested of her, the demi-spirit did her best to help Lucy learn to ex-quip. It was awkward and often frustrating, but Lucy had felt that they had at least gotten somewhere. She had been frightened of having her keys out of her reach, but the blacksmith pointed out that Lucy could already summon her spirits without her keys, so there wouldn't be much of a difference. That fact forced Lucy to quickly realize that it was, indeed, much safer to have her keys magically stored in a place where no one else could retrieve them. That way, they could never fall into the wrong hands. Nor could Lucy forget them somewhere. Again. It was Adassandra who had so kindly pointed that out.
They had managed some progress during the three hours the blacksmith suffered with Lucy. In the end, Lucy was not perfect in producing the correct key, but she could at least consistently retrieve something. She still had a difficult time convincing herself that she didn't need the cold metal in her palm or against her fingertips, as her magic had somehow progressed to allow her to summon without her keys. Adie had explained that the phenomena was dependent on the bonds between spirit and mage, and that only trust could dictate Lucy's ability to summon in such a manner. Lucy could still recall the far away look in Adie's eyes as she told Lucy that she didn't know of very many mages that had ever had that sort of trust—especially with so many spirits.
Faith, Adie had called it. Lucy's spirits had faith in her. Lucy found it ironic, as she sometimes had none in herself. Adie had reminded her not to summon Morpheus, forcing Lucy's earlier hesitation to return. That minor setback in self confidence most likely contributed to the remainder of their rugged morning training. Of Morpheus' actions, no details were exchanged, other than what Veleda had shared, and Lucy thought it best to keep it at that. She was sure that Adie had been hopeful for information regarding her sister, and would prefer Morpheus' deception not be revealed to their enemy. The fact remained that they had spoken very little about the matter-at-hand, and Lucy had not wanted to force that anxiety upon the blacksmith. She was still sickly and pale, and Lucy wondered if the Amarok poison remained in her veins. She had made a mental note to seek Levy out, later, and ask her about Adie's condition. Despite her weakened state, Adie was enthusiastic about the influx of the smithy's need. Lucy had been surprised when Erza walked into the shop, handing over quite a few of her prized swords and spears as well as a few armors for Adassandra to mend. Lucy knew that Erza did not trust many with her weaponry, and this was evidence of a friendship forged from the past few weeks of camaraderie.
In fact, guild members and non-guild members alike trickled in and out the tiny hovel of a shop, trusting Adie to fix what was broken. That, to Lucy, seemed to show that human kindness that existed amongst them. Perhaps it was the imminent danger looming overhead, but Lucy couldn't deny the softening of Adie's hardened exterior as people asked for her expertise or thanked her profusely after retrieving their goods. The blonde mage thought it was good for the demi-spirit to keep busy. She had lived so long, building up a wall to shut everyone out, save a few people that had been lost. Lucy knew that feeling—she had experienced it after her mother's death. In fact, that same wall had been slowly being built, brick by brick, until a certain pink-haired man caused it to come crumbling down.
Natsu, Lucy silently pined. Her stomach knotted each time she thought of him. She hadn't seen him since the day before, and that knowledge was slowly killing her. He was again aloof and unavailable, and she wasn't sure she could take much more of this behavior. How did they go from best friends and laughter to strangers and coldness?
Natsu, what are you thinking? What are you doing?
Lucy continued her trek toward the guild, her keys jingling at her waist as she thought about her future lunch. She would practice ex-quipping alone in her apartment for the remainder of the afternoon, as she now had the basic concepts mastered. It would be safe and less embarrassing, she assumed. Perhaps she would be proficient by the time it was required of her...by the time the war befell the guild and their allies.
One day.
It had only been one day since the attack on Fairy Tail, leaving three days until Grimoire Heart would take the next step in its twisted, dark game. One day, and already, new faces were continually introducing themselves to the guild. Lucy was sure that it was purely Hibiki's doing, and she found his intention genius. Mirajane had instantly won the newcomers' love and loyalty as the appointed Guildmaster of Fairy Tail. Questions of Makarov's health were met with looks of sadness, and Lucy had no idea of the former master's prognosis. From the lack of available information, Lucy could only assume that it was grim and their reasons for not sharing that information was to keep morale amongst the mages. The elderly mage's door remained under lock and key, and she wasn't sure who had access to Makarov anymore. Lucy only knew that Natsu's absence weighed heavily upon her. She had hoped that he would find his way to her apartment—even if just to talk as they used to—but her hopes quickly vanished as the night gave way to dawn. Her frustration with him was slowly growing, and she found herself more apt to give the dragon slayer a piece of her mind if she ever saw him again.
That thought, too, made the knot grow tighter as the tears threatened to form. She refused to cry over Natsu's snub. He would regret it when she was good and dead, she was sure.
Stop having morbid thoughts, you freak! she inwardly screamed at herself. It was all she could do to keep from crying. Perhaps he's just worried about Happy!
It was possible, Lucy knew, as Happy's ear was mended by Porlyusica that morning—or so she had overheard Mirajane telling someone. Charle was there, of course, as was Wendy, but Lucy did not interfere. There was still no word on whether the old mage had been able to heal the cat's injured eye, as Natsu as pleaded of her. Lucy silently prayed for a speedy recovery for Happy. Her mind briefly brushed over Charle, as Wendy had appeared quite lonely this morning in the hall. Lucy knew that the seeing feline had been in meditation, hoping to gain more insight into the enemy's plans.
Three days.
In that time, they may all be dead. That thought scared Lucy tremendously. There was so much she wanted to do and say. There was someone she wanted to spend time with—to speak to. Her anger piqued as she reminded herself of his growing absence. When she did see him, it was because she caught him stealing glances from the corners of the guild. Each time, he looked away, busying himself as if he hadn't noticed her. Each time, her heart broke a little. Each time, she grew angrier.
Lucy pushed the front door open much harder than she had anticipated. Her frustrations wouldn't be so bad if Levy had been there to comfort her or offer any shred of advice. She was always so intuitive that Lucy was sure she would find something to keep Lucy's hopes up. But, Levy had been furiously studying, though the spirit mage had no clue as to what. The scholar was rightfully mourning Jet's death, and Lucy made herself available when Levy needed her.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed that the guild was silent as Natsu stood on his toes, angrily glaring up at the newcomer facing him. Lucy had nearly walked past the duo, waving half-heartedly as she caught sight of Natsu's pink hair. Her head quickly snapped around for a second look, and she caught part of the heated exchange. The man was quite tall, at least a half foot taller than Natsu. He looked oddly familiar to Lucy, though she couldn't quite place where she may have seen him before. From his furious stare, it was obvious that Natsu remembered him.
"What are you doing here?" the dragon slayer growled, inches from the silver-haired visitor's nose.
The taller man looked down him, his expression unamused. "I am here to fight. Like the rest of you," he calmly replied, his pale hair falling over one eye. Lucy could see the tattoos on his cheeks, as well as the dark lines of ink on his neck. His long-sleeved jacket and pants concealed the rest of his body, and she briefly wondered if he was covered in tattoos. She saw the handle of a weapon that was strapped to his back, but the blade was covered. She thought it looked more curved.
"You are not welcome here. You are the enemy!" Natsu spat, taking a step back and crossing his arms over his chest in finality. Lucy thought he was being oddly aggressive toward the man—who was being quite passive throughout all of this.
"Natsu!" Mirajane interrupted quickly, pushing her way from Markarov's room. She ran her hand through her hair and straightened her skirt. "He is here to help, we cannot turn him away!"
"He tried to attack our allied guild masters. He attacked us!" Natsu pointed at the man, his eyes narrowing as he recalled the particular event.
"That was a long time ago," the man replied carefully. "People change."
"Hmmph!" Natsu grunted. It was the same response he always gave her when he knew she was right, but wanted to stubbornly stand his ground. Lucy thought it odd that Natsu was being so aggressive toward the stranger. He had always been one for giving second chances...
"That may be true, both of you," Mirajane added, looking around somewhat nervously as her gaze lingered. She inhaled quickly, deciding to say whatever she was intending, regardless, "But, Natsu, do you forget that there are others in this guild that are guilty of the same thing at one time or another? Offenses against us or against friends?"
Lucy caught Mirajane's quick glance, and the spirit mage wondered if it were directed at her, somehow. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that Levy cringed as Mirajane spoke the truth. Juvia looked at the floor, the guilty memory evident on her face. Fried and Evergreen also appeared uncomfortable as Bixlow chuckled under his breath. Natsu pouted slightly, and Lucy knew that Mirajane had quickly won that argument.
"But-" Natsu protested, his jaw clenched.
"No buts," Erza interrupted, exiting behind Mirajane, "Mira is right. We are a forgiving guild and people change. Makarov taught us that." There was a hint of sadness in her voice.
Natsu's face grew dark, but he knew he was overruled, as Lucy had suspected. He looked up at the taller man, his jaw now thrust out in anger, "OK, I'm out-voted here. Looks like you can stay. For Gramps."
The pale-haired man bowed his head respectfully, "I appreciate it. As you knew me, I was erroneous in my ways. Arrogant, even."
"You can say that again!" Natsu snorted in annoyance, "But I beat you once, and I'll do it again if you so much as try anything funny."
"That will not be necessary," the man replied calmly, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth as he looked past Natsu. "I am here to help. I do not want to see the magic world turned into puppets. Perhaps that is a control issue, on my part." His eyes wandered throughout the hall, though Lucy thought they lingered on Mirajane the longest.
The pale-haired guildmaster smiled in finality, her hands held out in offering, "You are welcome here, er—"
"Erigor," he answered firmly after a clearing of his throat and a shift in his posture.
"Erigor." Mirjane glanced around, her countenance a mixture of recognition and affirmation as someone murmured "Death God" and "Shinigami". She flawlessly regained her composure, smiling regally, "As Guild Master, I offer you any and all resources you may need during this time."
"You are the master of this guild?" Erigor quickly queried, emphasizing the first part of his sentence as an eyebrow raised in slight amusement or veiled mockery-Lucy couldn't tell.
"I...am," Mirajane sensed the disbelief in his tone, her eyes narrowing slightly, "Master Makarov appointed me, himself. Is there...a problem with this?" Her stare was challenging as she awaited an answer, her hands crossing over her chest defensively.
"A woman..." he whispered softly, the corner of his mouth threatening to break into a full-fledged smile.
"Yes. A woman. You are intuitive," Mira icily responded, her eyes flashing. For a brief moment, Lucy thought they had changed form, the pupils growing more slitted. In a blink of an eye, that vision had disappeared, making Lucy wonder if it were only her imagination. "If you would like to test me, I would be more than willing to take this exchange outside and show you just how much a woman can best you as Natsu had."
Lucy watched in shock as Erigor paled, his expression one of mortification. Natsu grinned happily after a satisfied and exaggerated snort as he looked at his childhood friend, awe in his eyes. Mirajane thrust her hands onto her slender hips as Erigor was the one having to regain composure. Snickers escaped from behind Mirajane as the guild watched the exchange with interest. Erigor appeared to realize that his upper hand had been lost.
"There is no need for excess violence. I was only remarking how unusual it is to have a woman as a guild's master, that is all. There was no intention of undermining your capabilities. I'm sure Makarov chose the strongest of his mages." He offered a slight bow, and Lucy wanted to facetiously clap at the chivalrous display.
"What's your skill?" someone suddenly called out. Macao, Lucy thought.
"Wind magic," Erigor answered, his eyes searching for the speaker.
"You're Erigor from the Eisenwald Guild?"
"Formerly, yes," his voice dropped slightly as he answered honestly.
The murmurs grew louder, and Lucy met Natsu's glance as she realized she had indeed encountered this man before. His hair was longer, and he looked more weatherbeaten, but he was the haughty mage from long ago. It was Eisenwald Guild that had tried to retrieve Lullaby, she remembered. She heard Wendy gasp from somewhere behind her, and her attention was momentarily distracted as Natsu growled something incoherent at Erigor.
"Then it's settled," Mirajane smiled, her trademark grin lighting up her face as her former hostility was tactfully lost. "Welcome, Erigor, to Fairy Tail. I hope your stay is pleasant."
This time, Erigor did smile, though out of the irony of Mirajane's statement. "I'm sure my stay will be...er, short..."
"I hope not, but we do have a war on our hands," the new guildmaster agreed, a frown marring her features, "But I'm hoping to have some festivities for everyone in two nights' time. So please join us."
Lucy raised an eyebrow, she had not known that Mirjane was planning a celebration. But, with the inevitable impending doom everyone was feeling, she trusted that new master knew how to boost morale. Her stomach rumbled its dislike for the spirit mage's hesitation in garnering lunch, and Lucy jerked her head toward her destination, imploring Natsu to follow her. He shook his head slightly, his pouting halted. He smiled sadly, and Lucy would have cornered him then had the guild and its visitors not been watching. She set her jaw in anger, and stomped toward the empty stool with her fists clenched tightly. She was too angry to realize that the dragon slayer was regretfully watching her every move. He took a hesitant step forward before deciding to go in another direction. After a few exchanges with Mirajane, and a curt nod to Erigor, he spun on heel and exited the guild—something else seemingly occupying his attentions.
Lucy took her seat, nearly sliding off the stool. With a frustrated grunt, she grabbed the frayed menu. She could hear the tall visitor speaking to Mirajane, catching bits and pieces of their exchange. Her eyes scanned the day's specials, her mind reeling from Natsu's slight. She felt guilty, as she knew he was probably concerned about Happy. She was concerned about the cat, too, though she had full trust in Porlyusica's abilities. From the corner of her eye, the spirit mage could see Wendy watching the exchange as well as she slurped on her milkshake. Lucy was surprised when the young dragon slayer leaped off of her stool, hesitantly approaching Erigor and Mirajane.
"E-Excuse me, Mirajane..." Wendy's voice wavered as she looked up at the lumbering wind mage. Mirajane raised her eyebrows in expectation. Wendy quickly bowed, "I would like Erigor-sama to help me grow stronger!"
Both mages were silent for some time, and Mirajane seemed quite surprised by Wendy's request. Finally, Erigor spoke, "You are the Sky Magic Dragon Slayer, are you not?"
"Y-Yes!" Wendy sputtered. "I was trained by Grandine, but my magic is mostly supportive. I have heard of your abilities, as they are well known. I apologize for eavesdropping on your conversation, but because I can use wind magic as well, maybe...you can help me?"
"You want to learn how to use your magic for more physical-based attacks?" Erigor asked, watching her down the bridge of his nose. "You are young to make such a brutal request. I have killed, Wendy. Being supportive of other magic is not something to be ashamed of."
Wendy looked at her feet, her hands clasped in front of her, "I-I have thought of t-t-this. I have seen a lot of d-death in these past few days. I may be...young." She looked up at him, determination in her eyes, "B-But, this is war, and I have to fight, too. I have people I want to protect!"
Erigor watched her for a few more moments, nodding slightly in understanding. "As you wish, dragon slayer. I will show you want to know. But, do not expect miracles."
"I won't!" Wendy bowed, a smile on her face.
Lucy glanced around, realizing Natsu was no longer in the hall. She sighed, spinning around and resting her elbows on the bar. The hall was the busiest she had ever seen it, and she wondered how many mages would come, in total. They were already doubled in size.
"I wonder if there are any other spirit mages out there like me," she murmured to herself, blowing a strand of hair from her face. Were any still alive, even? Would they be brave enough to show themselves, given the risk to their spirits? She barely heard the whispers next around her as she thought about the possibility that she may be the only remaining spirit mage. She quickly registered the sound of chair legs scraping the floor and fists hitting the table.
"Say it again!" Levy's voice rose, growing shrill.
Lucy turned in time to see her friend fling her glasses across the table. The magical objects skittered along the uneven surface, hitting the floor. The sound of shattering glass told the spirit mage that they were no longer in functioning condition. The blue-haired mage's face was contorted in an expression of anger as she clenched her fists at her sides. She shook violently as she glared at the handful of mages in front of her. They were Fairy Tail mages that Lucy hadn't spoken to before.
Joey...Joey something, she silently reminded herself. He was sitting with Wan and Vijeeter. The three men had just been laughing at something between them, though Lucy hadn't heard what.
She could see the discomfort on their faces as Joey narrowed his eyes in displeasure of Levy's outburst. "If you heard me, why do I need to repeat it?"
"Say. It. Again." Levy hissed, her chest heaving in anger. She slowly stalked toward them, her face now red. Lucy stood, unsure of what was being exchanged and why. She had never seen Levy this angry—no, furious.
"Levy?" Lucy murmured, looking confused as those close by grew silent with curiosity.
"Stay out of this, Lucy!" Levy warned, not looking at her friend as she waved her hand in the air with a stiff jerk. "I'm talking to these three idiots!" She thrust her forefinger toward the men at the table. Vijeeter and Wan shrank back in embarrassment as Joey shifted uncomfortably.
"Hey now—" Joey began to stand as Levy stood before him, her jaw clenched. "We were only say—"
"You were saying that he is a traitor!" Levy spat the last word as if it were acid, her eyes bulging. "And I dare you to say it again!"
Joey looked to his friends for backup, but they were slowly edging away from the confrontation. Resolution sank in on the muscled mage's face. He inhaled slowly and carefully. "It's just, er, suspicious that the iron eater left and hasn't returned. Perhaps he's working for the other side is all I said," the mage argued.
"You're wrong!" Levy shrilly cried.
"Then where is he, huh? A lot of us were killed and where was your boyfriend?" Joey testily shot back, his eyes widening as he realized what he had said.
Levy inhaled sharply, her fist instinctively hitting her comrade in the face with enough force to knock him backward into his chair. The front legs left the floor before Joey could regain his balance as his arms flailed helplessly. His hand shot up to his jaw, his eyes wide with shock as his fingers brushed where she had punched him.
"You...hit me?" his voice was a soft whisper of surprise.
Levy's face was crimson as she held her already bruising first. "You're wrong!" she frantically rasped her justification, her head snapping around as she realized almost every eye in the hall was on her. "You're all wrong! He'll come back. You just wait and see! You'll all regret doubting him, then!"
Lucy stepped forward when she saw the tears fill Levy's eyes. The mage lowered her head, shaking it as she cast a "Sorry!" over her shoulder before running from the guild. The sound of something hitting the table drew Lucy's bewildered gaze toward Joey. There, on the table sat a block of ice, created from the word, itself. Despite her anger, she was still considerate enough to leave the mage something to calm the swelling of his jaw. Joey tentatively took the ice, gingerly pressing it to his face as Lucy approached after cleaning up Levy's broken glasses. By this time, whispers were spreading around the hall. Lucy knew tensions were high given the current circumstances.
"Are...you alright?" she asked, "She didn't mean it. She's just upset. She worries about him. He is a member of this guild, too, you know."
Joey stared after Levy, nodding his head softly as he drew his fingers from his split lip. Blood painted his fingertips. "She sure didn't hit like a girl."
Lucy wondered if she should follow Levy, but decided against it. The scholar would most likely want to talk. Lucy tsked in response to his assessment. Joey and his friends couldn't be correct, could they? Gajeel wasn't a traitor! Not if Levy had this much faith in him.
Lucy closed her chocolate eyes and inhaled deeply. She hoped not, but no matter how much belief Levy had in the dragon slayer, only time would tell.
~OoOoO~
"What do you mean you don't know where he lives?" Lucy wailed in disappointment. Mirajane looked uncomfortable as she nervously wiped the counter. Despite being the new Master, she still found herself partaking in her old duties as barkeep and kitchen staff.
"I...I can't tell you that, Lucy," Mira answered slowly, averting her gaze, "Even if I had wanted to, I promised—"
"He asked you not to tell me?" Lucy cried in frustration, her right hand reaching up to grip the tiny keys hanging on her necklace. "How dare he!" She punched the bar, her eyes still on the guildmaster, "Did he at least tell you why he's being such an ass?"
Mira sighed, closing her eyes. After a few moments of Lucy's angry stare, she finally answered, "Look, Lucy, I'm sorry. I really am. I can't disagree that he's acting foolish, but he has his reasons and I can't fault him."
"His reasons," she muttered angrily under her breath. He'd better have a good reason for ignoring me!
"I know," Mirajane replied hastily, "I know. I tried talking to him..."
"About what?" Lucy's eyes grew wide.
"Er...uh," the pale-haired woman tapped her fingertips together, looking uncomfortable. "Uh..you...two."
"Us two?" Lucy repeated, slowly calculating Mirajane's words before her cheeks turned pink. "What?"
Mirajane looked annoyed that she had blurted that information to Lucy. She sighed again, an odd firmness in her voice as she spoke. "Whatever it is—or whatever you want to call it—it's obvious to me that something has happened between you two. You both care about one another, so, I, er, I tried to talk to him about it."
"We don't need relationship counseling," Lucy sighed, rolling her eyes, "There is no relationship, Mirajane." She felt an odd pang at her own words.
"Well, whatever you call it," Mirajane offered a grim smile and a pitying look, "He wouldn't listen to my advice, and I have always been able to get through to him. Something is bothering him..."
"Well, thanks for trying," Lucy groaned sarcastically, her face still burning. "Can you at least give me a hint as to where he lives?"
"The truth is," Mirajane looked uneasy, "I don't really know..."
"You don't know?" Lucy cried in exasperation. "How is that even possible?"
"Well, I've never asked or visited," the woman shrugged after a thoughtful, far away look. Her expression grew more serious as Erza called her name from the front of the hall. Mirajane nodded, flashing a forefinger in the air. Erza looked at Lucy, nodding her understanding and offering a smile to the spirit mage. "Look, Lucy," Mirajane leaned closer, her breath hot on Lucy's pink cheeks, "Have a little faith. He cares about you. I can at least tell you that." She drew back, smiling widely, "Now if you'll excuse me, it looks like they are in need of my help outside."
She walked past a speechless Lucy, who trailed after her with her eyes, her jaw agape. She hadn't expected Mirajane to be that open with her, though perhaps it was part of her new resolution to protect the guild and its members. Lucy watched some of the mages trickle outside, most likely to train. Erigor had offered a suggestion to the guild's Master, and they had taken the advice to heart, grouping like magics together for training purposes. Being only less than two days away from whatever imminent danger was upon them, the guild had taken the fight seriously. And, Lucy had to admit, Wendy seemed to be one of the hardest training ones. Lucy chuckled to herself as she thought of the vertically challenged dragon slayer fighting the lumbering Erigor. It allowed her mind a moment's reprieve from her anger towards Natsu.
"Well, you'll have to run into him eventually, won't you, Luce?" she asked herself as she eyed the mages chatting in the hall. "You can ream him out, when the time comes. Until then, you better train, too."
She was getting used to having one-sided conversations with herself as well as ignoring the odd stares she received from doing so. With a groan of dissatisfaction, she flung herself from the bar and trudged outside. She had given Levy a day to calm down, so perhaps the blue-haired mage would be willing to spar with her. Erza was far too busy, and Adie had done her share of helping with Lucy's training. It was only her second day using her new ex-quip ability, and she was far more proficient than she had expected. Adie had even been enthusiastic about it, though Lucy wondered if that had more to do with the fact that she was now quite busy with demands from the mages—both from Fairy Tail and around the world.
Lucy shielded her eyes from the late morning sunlight as she walked outside. She stood just outside the doorway, taking in the busy scene in front of her. She saw a pudgy effeminate man speaking with Mirajane and Erza. She squinted, was he wearing make-up?
"Oh yes, my dears!" he flapped his hand in the air. "Poor Makarov is something else. I'll do anything I can to help! Especially since my boys have been boarding here for free." Mirajane nodded and Lucy saw the odd, bald man wipe a few stray tears away from his eye. "Ichiya was a good man at heart, though quite ugly by my standards!" Erza nodded wordlessly, her expression somber. Lucy heard him continue, "May I see my boys? Eve and Hibiki? Have you heard anything about Ren?" Mirajane shook her head.
"I...er...sir?" Lucy warbled, feeling guilty for interrupting. She saw the flapping of two tiny wings on the fat man's back as he turned to look at her, his eyes tired as he expectantly waited for her to continue.
"I..uh..have been informed that Ren had passed," Lucy softly replied, noticing the look of affirmation in the man's expression as his eyes misted over. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"I see," he sadly replied. "Thank you for informing me of this, young lady. As you know, losing my closest children is always tough. They were my...shining stars." He turned back to Mirajane and Erza. "I landed the Christina a bit east of here, I hope you don't mind. I couldn't risk hurting my precious baby!"
Lucy hovered for another minute, listening to him tell Mirajane that there were other mages on board and that the ship would need some minor repairs if possible.
"You intend to use it?" Erza asked pointedly.
"Oh, of course! If we are going to go all out, we should at least do it in style, no?"
Lucy smiled to herself, as the odd-looking mage offered to "wake Makarov with a kiss from a Fairy Godmother." She heard Erza's stern reply. He chuckled, holding his stomach as he did so, and Lucy decided to continue on her way.
"Oooh, this place is teeming with cute boys!" he cried as his wings carried his heavy form from where he was standing.
"Bob! We need to focus," Erza called out as Mirajane stifled her laughter. "Get back here, dammit!"
So that's who he is! I've heard of him from Makarov, but this is the first time I've actually seen him up close! Lucy couldn't help but wonder what a much younger Bob would have been like—especially as a close friend of Makarov's. She shook her head, unable to imagine it.
"Oh, and Goldmine will be here, too," Bob called over his shoulder between appreciative ogles, "Mark my words. He is alive. That man is unceremoniously late!"
Lucy wondered if, with all these guildmasters behind them, that the war had just fallen in their favor. Their guild had grown by three-fold since Hibiki had nearly tried to kill himself by using his magic in his weakened state. Lucy had to hand it to him, though, as it was his effort that may have very well tipped the scales. Her feet carried her to the girl's dorm, where Levy lived. It, too, had been spared in Magnolia's destruction. She glanced around at the clusters of mages, some training, some lecturing. She smiled at the camaraderie that was being shared amongst unfamiliar people.
"Juvia doesn't understand what you mean!" Lucy heard the familiar voice from somewhere to her right. She stopped, cocking her head to get a better angle to view the exchange. She saw Gray, sweating and dirty with his shirt off as Juvia kept her eyes on the ground.
"You use a lot of magic by constantly staying in your, er, liquid state," Gray pointed out, waving his hands in emphasis.
"Yes..." Juvia agreed, peeking at him through thick eyelashes before returning her gaze to her clasped hands. Her hair was wild and she was dressed casually.
"Try predicting your enemy's attacks, and only using that ability to protect yourself. That way, you can conserve your energy and use it when it's needed most, get it?"
Juvia scratched her head, "Yes, I think so—"
"No you don't," Gray sighed. "Even if I were to stab you with an ice lance, if you used your magic at the right time, liquified yourself, you should remained unharmed and your energy utilization minimal."
"I...think that would work," Juvia seemed hesitant as she slowly began to understand Gray's words. Lucy raised an eyebrow in amusement, noticing that they were the only two training, despite the fact that there were quite a few water and ice mages in Magnolia at the moment.
"Let's try," Gray prompted her. "Get ready!"
"N-No!" Juvia protested. "I can't!"
"Why not?" Gray asked, somewhat annoyed. "You can't possibly be scared. I'll stab you somewhere less serious, like your hand or foot—"
"I think it's more that you're almost naked!" Lucy called out, a smile on her lips. "Put some clothes on and she could focus!"
"Lucy!" Juvia gasped, somewhat relieved but mostly mortified.
"Dammit, again?" Gray cursed as Lucy laughed in satisfaction. "That should help!" She shook her head as Gray let loose another string of profanities, leading to Juvia's helpless yelping.
Lucy waved, "I'm going to find Levy, but we'll come back and train with you two, OK?"
Juvia nodded, "We would, er, like that very much!" She blushed, though Lucy did not detect any hints of hostility. Perhaps Juvia had matured quite a bit since her arrival to the guild.
"Ooh, cute cute boooy!" Lucy heard someone coo as Gray screamed, "Did you just pinch my ass? You old pervert!"
"He can walk through solid objects?" Juvia remarked as Lucy chuckled.
Despite the seriousness of their situation, they could still enjoy light-hearted moments. It was that prospect that helped Lucy get through her days. It was obvious that her best friend was missing from her life at the moment, and she was unsure how much of that was left for her. She pushed the bitter thoughts away, reminding herself of Mirajane's earlier words. Natsu may have his reasons...
But that's no excuse! I'm gonna find him and—
"Calm yourself, Lucy. You need to focus, too. If you want to protect your friends, you have to take your training seriously," she rallied herself. "You'll see him again. Besides, tomorrow night is Mirajane's party. He has to be there."
Has to.
And when she saw him, Lucy was determined to corner him and demand an explanation. If that didn't work, then all hell was about to break loose.
~OoOoO~
"What's your rush?" Laxus wheezed as he tried to catch up to the dragon slayer. He had just watched the man angrily destroy the doorway of the abandoned guild.
"We gotta get back," Gajeel offered nothing else.
"You could at least tell me what's going on!" Laxus implored earnestly between gasps.
The dark-haired man spun on heel, glaring dangerously at Makarov's grandson. "Southern Wolves have suddenly vanished. The Gilded Eagles also mysteriously disappeared—doesn't that seem fishy to you?"
"Huh?"
Gajeel continued, his voice a low growl. "I had been in contact with both, as your grandfather wanted me to get their support in whatever this Ultear chick had planned. But, now, despite their word, they are suddenly gone. Vamoose. Nada. What do you think could have caused that, huh?"
"I...don't know," Laxus responded, attempting to predict Gajeel's train of thought.
"Something's going down, and it's happening quickly. I can smell the turmoil in the air, can't you?" he glowered as he turned. He glanced over his shoulder, "Oh, that's right, you're not a real dragon slayer. You just play dress up."
Anger flashed across Laxus' face. "I get it, you hate me. That's fine. I only want to see my grandfather, so I'll take whatever beating you want to give me. I don't know why the mercenary guilds have disappeared. Maybe they've been wiped out. Maybe they went back on their word. Maybe something bigger came up."
Gajeel's eyes momentarily widened as his pace quickened. "Shit!" he growled under his breath. "Girl."
"What did you say?" Laxus asked as he tried to match the dragon slayer's footsteps.
"Nothin'. How about we just quit the talkin' and get on our merry way? It's still gonna take us about two and a half days to get back to Fairy Tail. Then you can make up with the old man," the dark haired man muttered to the wind, oddly distracted. Laxus said nothing as he willingly sped up as well. They continued to walk in silence as Gajeel's mind raced.
Why else would that stupid Hibiki have broadcast that message? Gajeel told himself. Something's happened. Somethin' big. I have to get back. Despite his normally aloof exterior, he was guilt-ridden and worried inside. Had the guild fallen? Had they been wiped out? How is she?
"Walk faster!" he growled to Laxus, "We gotta get back, and fast. My gut's telling me it's necessary."
"Whatever it is, I'm helping no matter how much you hate me," Laxus promised, his expression serious.
Gajeel paused, his former hostility waning as he watched Laxus do his best to meet the demands upon him. Maybe Makarov's grandson had changed... "Then be ready, Dreyar, 'cause we'll run if we have to."
