Couldn't leave you all with that last line hanging in the air. Enjoy!
Cobra was grateful he never had the motion sickness issues as other dragon slayers. Call it a perk of being a totally awesome dude. As Chickadee pulled him through some fucked up places, he would have questioned his sanity. If he actually had any.
As he found out in the hallway of that shitty hospital, all he had to do was clearly picture Sunshine and Corvus could use their connection to find her. Which that was pretty cool, like having a blood hound… well a blood Raven. Nope, that didn't sound right, stupid brain.
They came through another portal, this time stepping into a farm… Well what used to be a farm. It looked like a fucked-up war zone and smelt just as bad. Barn was burnt all crispy, humans huddled and crying, and what the fuck, demons? In the middle of it was Sunshine and some dude with massive fucking hair.
"We're here, last stop on the Plane Hop Express," Chickadee said.
Cobra nodded to him and hiked up the collar on his white jacket before putting his hands in pockets and strutting all cool like into the scene. As he walked up to the person with long black hair he heard, "it will not hurt the baby."
He paused and scratched his head. The mystery female took another step and was dangling something that might have been part of a serpent's tongue. Sunshine was standing there with her eyes like dinner plates and mouth open. Which was not a good look on her. The mystery guy with cat ears…
Wait, cat ears?
Cobra chuckled and stepped up next to the chick who mentioned the baby. Figuring why not have some fun he snatched the dangling pink thing, "cool. Snacks."
"Wait!" she shouted as he took a bite of it. It tasted like a blend of arsenic, cyanide, and a touch of rotten eggs. The texture was a bit chewy and it kind of reminded him of the time he tried octopus. Which that did not go over well. Never again. Midnight could suck his dick before he'd eat that shit, again.
"Huh? Needs salt," he said as he went over to Sunshine.
"Do you have any idea what you just ate?" she asked, and he looked over his shoulder at her. She wasn't bad looking, kind of hawt in that librarian way. You know the tropey librarian that hides her sexiness until you get her in bed. Then hello dominatrix!
Cobra took another bite, "it's laced with several poisons and a bit too chewy. Might be good grilled."
"C-Cobra?" Sunshine asked as she stepped closer to him.
"Miss this fine ass?" he asked as she grinned at him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Missed ya too."
Hugging Sunshine was always a good thing, she always threw her whole self into each hug. The first time he received one, he might have popped a boner, but ain't no one need to know that shit. Cobra patted her head and looked over at the other guy who was glaring at him as if he was already dead meat but didn't know it yet.
"Oh! This is Mard," she said untangling herself from him and going back to the mystery dude. "Mard this is Cobra."
"Yo, hey I brought Chickadee with me. His name is like Corvus," Cobra put the rest of the tongue meat thing in his mouth and slurped it down as he fished his black jeans pocket for the key. He tossed it at Sunshine, and she caught it, before jumping up and down in her jiggly happy dance. Which everyone should appreciate jiggle physics on occasions, those tits, totally hypnotic.
She stopped, "where's Natsu?"
"Hello! Have you imbeciles forgotten me?" other chica said and Cobra looked back at her and blew her a kiss.
"Try cleavage and you can have my attention," he replied. Her mouth opened and closed, before those dark red lips pulled into a tight line and she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Um, Cobra, that's Belial, she's a Prince of Hell. You might want to try and be a little nice." Sunshine said when she stopped her happy dance.
"Right, I'll add that to my to-do list along with getting my virginity back, world peace and other things that ain't happening."
Mard snorted, "honestly, Rosebud. I believe our visitor is fine the way he is. Please, continue. I would like to see how the blood bath happens."
Cobra grinned at him and held out his hand, "think we gonna be good friends here," Mard took it with a firm grip. Had Cobra been a regular guy, this shit would have hurt, and Mard didn't look like he was trying. "Munchkin."
"Munchkin?" He rolled his coal black eyes, "you are only an inch taller," he looked down, "are you wearing lifts?"
They released the handshake, "nope, but nice try. So what's the story?"
"That was what we wanted to know. Belial, explain." He said and Cobra got like this air of royalty or something from this dude. He also couldn't pick up anything from him, there was no soul listen to and that made Munchkin a bit more interesting, besides the cat ears. Be trippy as Hell to have someone to talk to without the extra audio track giving away spoilers.
"Why would you say I'm pregnant?" Sunshine asked and Cobra arched a brow. He tapped his finger to his chin, met Munchkin's eyes and pointed back and forth between the two of them. Munchkin nodded and put his arm around Sunshine, lifting a bit of the bottom of her shirt and Cobra saw some purple ink on her skin. He gave Munchkin a thumbs up.
"I said it will not hurt the baby. I assumed since you are in your fertile stage and mated, you would be trying to have a royal heir." She said.
Cobra made the universal hand gesture for time out and stood between the Librarian from Hell and Sunshine. "Mated?" Sunshine nodded, pointing and smiling at Munchkin. "Royal?"
"King of the Underworld," Munchkin said.
"Dude, does that like pay well?"
Munchkin shrugged, "the coffers remain full, my castle has 178 rooms with 72 full time servants, and at the snap of my fingers I can have whatever I want."
"You hiring?" Cobra asked, cause damn that sounded like awesome. He was kind of impressed with Sunshine mating fucking royalty. She did deserve it and judging by the smile on her face, yep, she was really damn happy.
"Not this moment, but perhaps there would be a role for a court jester."
"Oh so you think I'm funny?" Cobra grinned his best smile.
"Looking, yes. In terms of your humor, it is a bit weak and your snark needs refinement. If I thought your brain capable, I would train you myself." Munchkin said, completely strait laced and Sunshine smacked him in the arm before she started chuckling.
Cobra pulled out his pack of smokes and noticed how Belial came up to him, she held out her hand and he looked at his pack. He had half a pack left and offered her one, "thanks."
"No problem," he said as he pulled out his silver zippo that he totally legit won fair and square in a pool match. Cobra lit the smoke for Belial before his own and noticed how her red eyes were studying him as she took a drag.
Belial let out the smoke, making a perfect smoke ring, "what are you?"
"Poison Dragon Slayer," he said with a shrug. He noticed how Sunshine had moved away from him as he smoked and she was finally paying attention to Chickadee.
"What is that?" Belial asked before those lips wrapped around the end of the cigarette again. Damn this chick was smoking and not just like smoking smoking but fuck she was fine.
"Take human mage as a kid, insert compressed crystal of a dragon's soul and boom, you have a dragon slayer. What are you?"
"Fallen angel, Prince of Lies, one of the Nine Rulers of Hell and head of all demonic medicine and science."
"Right, so don't trust ya. You enjoyed fucking with them about the baby thing?"
She arched a slender brow and Cobra like felt his heart do this flippy thing. He had no damn idea what the hell that was about and he took a small sniff of the air. Belial smelt exactly like you'd think danger would smell like, smoky, spicy with hints of nutty goodness, and a dash of blood orange.
"I enjoyed the reaction," she smiled slightly and ashed her smoke, "now, did you enjoy eating half the tongue of a pestilence poison snake demon?"
"You're a fucking troll," he said, noticing that he had stepped a little closer to the woman.
"I assume you mean the human colloquialism and not the actual troll." Belial leaned over, her lips next to his pointy ear, "you would find most demons enjoy trolling. It is like word sex."
Cobra swallowed hard, "damn."
Many things were running through Lucy's mind. One, she was not pregnant, two she got caught up with Cobra's antics she forgot to go greet Corvus, and three where was Natsu? As she approached the pale man with a beautiful sharp face, large eyes and stunning black wings, she smiled and held out her hand.
"I'm Lucy, it's nice to meet you," she said, and he took her hand. Corvus was cooler to the touch and his energy was not like her other Celestial Spirits. He was darker but she assumed that was because he was a different kind of key. She would have to ask him about this later and hopefully they would be friends.
"Corvus," he replied.
"Corvus, I don't know much about Star Iron Keys, but can we make a contract?" she asked, her voice a little elevated in being hopeful.
"Your friend Natsu almost died to get me here…" he started.
"What?!"
His wings flared out and eyes wide, "shit, sorry Lucy. Yeah he stopped a dark guild from getting me and released my brother from their summoner."
"I have to see him," she said, her words rushed as panic started setting in. She could not believe that Natsu almost died for a key.
"Rosebud?" Mard said as he came up behind her, she turned and looked at him, a tear escaping her eye and he swiped it gently with his thumb.
"Natsu, he's hurt," she said, "we have to see him."
Mard kissed her forehead, "go. I will handle Belial and your friend."
"I'll hurry back, don't forget to guard the humans," she looked around noticing that the demons were huddled together and looking between their leader and the poor confused farmers.
"I will do what I can to preserve their lives," he said.
"You can't let her," Lucy pleaded as she took his hands and squeezed them.
"Rosebud, if any one of them is infected. We do not have a choice." He looked at her, his eyes carrying a bit of remorse to them and lips pulled down.
"No, there is always a choice." She said her voice as firm as she could make it without sounding panicky. Lucy was also a bit concerned that if any humans died, she could come back to a Mard who was back to fully being a cat again.
"Corpsortis is uncurable. We should know."
"In demons, these are humans. That could make a difference because our biology is different. Look, just don't kill anyone till I get back." She squeezed his hands, "Promise me."
Mard let out a breath, "I promise." Lucy leaned up and kissed him lightly.
"Thank you." She stepped away from Mard, letting go of his hands and spinning around to look at Corvus. The Raven almost had hearts in his eyes.
"You two are cute."
Lucy blushed, "thanks. Can we go?"
"Did you want to contract first?" he asked.
"What are your terms and what do you do?"
"Anywhere, anytime but I can't anchor your magic for longer than three months at a time without at least getting some rest. I anchor magic, Plane hop, fly, fight with axes and I love kids," he replied with a grin.
"Sounds wonderful. Corvus would you join my family?"
The Raven came close to her and wrapped her up in a hug, "sorry about this," he whispered before Lucy felt a burning sensation between her shoulder blades. She bit her bottom lip as her eyes filled with tears and she tried to not scream. If she did, Mard would lose his shit in a heartbeat.
After the most uncomfortable thirty seconds of her life, Corvus let her go, "now you don't need the physical key. Also…" he waved his hand and Lucy felt something heavy on her back.
She almost fell backwards with the new weight and felt something moving behind her. Lucy looked over her shoulder and saw the top of a wing, the black and white marginal coverts glittering in the sunshine. "W-what?"
"It's a perk," he smiled broadly his eyes twinkling, "we can totally fly together now!"
"Ohmuhgawd! Mard! Look! Wings!" she shouted and tried to turn around and almost fell on her ass. Corvus caught her and chuckled.
"You'll get used to it."
They look lovely, Rosebud. Show them to me later, Natsu needs you. He said into her head as he was busy trying to usher the farmers towards the main farmhouse. Which was the only structure that wasn't burned, and she figured if they got here any later it would have been in the same state as the poor barn.
Lucy thought of Natsu and wished her new wings away, she didn't want to take up too much space and flying lessons could wait. To her surprise just wishing them away, worked and she felt lighter. "Do they come back?"
Corvus nodded, "yeah, just wish for them. As long as you have my mark, you have wings and can always summon me."
"Damn that's going to screw over the next asshole who tries to kidnap me," she teased.
The Raven laughed, "yeah, instant regret when they mess with the wrong Queen."
Lucy found him easy to laugh with and witty, she could tell Corvus was going to be a wonderful addition to her life. She couldn't wait to show him around Fairy Tail and take some flying lessons. Least then the next time she had to cover ground quickly, Mard wouldn't turn into some huge scary ass dark beast.
"Okay so how do we get back to Natsu?" she asked.
"I already know the way, since I was there."
"Well lead on."
Corvus took her hand and with his free hand made a few hand motions before the space in front of her looked like it was tearing apart. It didn't look like a normal portal but as if he was ripping reality apart and pulling back a curtain to get somewhere else. She could write several papers on this, pulling apart reality and jumping to a different Plane. Lucy's scientist mind started going into overdrive as they stepped through.
"So, Plane Hopping isn't like teleporting," Corvus said as he pulled her down what looked like a dark forest path.
"What's the difference?" she asked as he came to a fork in the road and then opened another tear.
"Teleporting is intra-Plane, Plane Hopping or Plane Shifting is inter-Plane. So, we must hit different spots in Planes that mesh up, to get somewhere."
"But if we were just going to a different Plane it's a one hop trip?" she asked as they were now walking through a place that had a pink sky, flowering trees and what the hell was that an orgy?
"If it's not an exo-Plane or a pocket Dimension." Corvus added as they walked through another tear.
"How do you keep it straight?" she asked. This seemed like quite a bit to keep track of and she'd get lost in a heartbeat, without a decent map.
"Right now, I'm following the connection thread between you and Natsu. It's bright pink and gold, very strong. I'd almost think he's your brother." Corvus looked over his shoulder at her.
"He is, for all intents and purposes," she said, thinking about her best friend and she started nibbling her bottom lip. Part of her wanted to tell Corvus to hurry but another part didn't want to feel like she was being too demanding or pushy with a new spirit.
"Here we are," Corvus said as he opened another tear. This time they stepped into a hospital hallway and she saw Meredy sitting down, her head in her hands and she was crying. Lucy felt her heart almost stop and she rushed into the small room.
"Call the time," the doctor said as a plump sorrowful nurse started bringing the white sheet up.
"No!" Lucy screamed as she rushed to the bed and pushed the doctor out of the way.
"Excuse me!" the doctor shouted, "get the orderlies!"
Lucy didn't pay attention as she straddled Natsu's hips and grabbed her key ring. "Open the Gate of the Twins! Gemini!" She concentrated on her summoning, trying to not look at his ashen skin or blue lips.
The familiar chime hit the air followed by a bright sounding, "Piri!"
"Turn into Wendy, heal Natsu," she said as she dropped her key ring on his stomach and started doing compressions on his chest. "Come on Natsu."
Tears filled up her eyes, "come on Natsu. Damnit!"
A golden glow washed over him and she froze letting her fists rest on his chest as she tried to see his face. Out the corner of her eye she saw movement and a full head of long salmon colored hair. "Come on hot stuff. Don't leave me."
Lucy reached over and took Meredy's hand, she felt her power drain significantly as the glow intensified and Gemini – as Wendy – started groaning. "Few more seconds…" she whispered.
She kept watching his face, looking for any little sign, anything that meant her best friend was not dead. A loud crash outside the door and shouting had her shaken until she heard Corvus shout, "I'll send all of you the Plane of Madness, if you don't back the fuck off and let Queenie save her friend." That little moment put a slight smile on her face as her arms started shaking and body was ready to collapse.
Life without her best friend, was not a thought she ever wanted to have. Sure, he was randomly careless and risked his life going after bigger, meaner enemies, but he always came home. Always pulled through and was always there to save her. "Please… N-Natsu," she begged.
Natsu started coughing and he turned his head to the side before coughing up a fairly vile looking glob of… Lucy didn't want to classify it. She fell forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him for dear life. Until the drain was too much on her body and as her eyes grew heavy, she heard him laugh and rub her back. "Thank you Luce."
"Always, Natsu," she said and fell asleep on his slowly warming chest.
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