Two and a half months, it had been Two and a half months since Lucy began her relationship with her fellow dragon slayer, and while the blonde mage was somewhat aware that she didn't have a complete understanding of normal human interactions, she was pretty sure she and Natsu were not dating the proper way. She had overheard from some of the other women in the female's dormitory about their dates, mainly from Mirajane and Cana, and from her limited understanding most people showed affection for each other by being close to each other. Holding hands, hugs, kissing, and other such similar shows of fondness. And while they had gotten part of the equation correct; the part about being close to their significant other, they had utterly failed in the second part of the question.
They were in near constant physical contact but it was mainly in the form of both slayers trying their hardest to beat the stuffing out of the other. Their violence getting to the point where Happy had been concerned that they had somehow started to hate each other and had tearfully interrupted their most recent battle.
Both slayers sat down the day after Natsu's confession to try and figure out just what they should do now that they were dating, but with both having been raised by dragons who had only partially prepared the teens for this eventuality, their best idea was to simply "be around each other as much as possible and figure it out from there". This translated to the two slayers training together nearly every single day, and considering that both mages were quite skilled, this meant that at least one of them would retire for the night with a collection of new bruises and cuts. And frankly neither of them could imagine wanting anything more from their relationship…although Natsu did decide a week into their relationship that he did want to bring her a trophy from a hunt. The pink haired mage turning up that evening with a massive, bone covered, shark slung over his shoulder. A shark that had more teeth in its mouth than any living being had any right to have and considering the number of open wounds that Natsu had received its fins were probably sharper than even Erza's blades and it had used them to nearly deadly effect.
It was the most heartfelt gift anyone had ever gotten her, and the blonde had responded by giving her mate a peck on the cheek in gratitude. An act she wasn't entirely sure about at the time, but considering how much Natsu's face lit up after she had done so she determined that it was indeed appreciated.
But as Lucy entered the shared common room the group of Fairy Tail mages used to plan out their training for the day Lucy couldn't help but frown in disappointment. They only had a few days left before they needed to head back to the new guild hall and figure out just who was going to compete in the Grand Magic Games and with their return the others of the guild would undoubtedly discover hers and Natsu's newfound relationship. Lucy had, at first, been somewhat confused by the fact that Natsu wanted to keep their relationship a secret from the others. The pink haired slayer mumbling something about not wanting to prove Happy right, and Lucy couldn't help but agree with him. While she may not understand just how she knew, Lucy was certain that she would suffer greatly if any of the women of Fairy Tail learned of her new relationship. Especially Mirajane, the white-haired barmaids smiling face causing a shiver to crawl down her spine.
But her willingness to agree to keep their relationship to themselves didn't mean she wasn't going to sit next to her mate and enjoy his warmth as Erza cleared her throat to gather everyone's attention.
"Good, everyone is here. The Master has sent us a letter, informing us that he intends to announce the team who will represent our guild in the Grand Magic Games in five days' time. An announcement we will be present for." Erza announced and paused, seemingly waiting for someone to disagree with her. Not that anyone there was brave or foolish enough to do so. "And as such, I have determined that for these last days we shall prioritize training as a team!" The scarlet haired mage finished with a self-satisfied smile and a nod.
"But, uh, Erza…all the last games were all individual events. Why would you want us to train as a team?" Droy questioned, only for Erza to glare at the plant mage.
"You fool! Everyone knows the true strength of our guild is in our bond! We would be fools not to make use of such an advantage." Erza reprimanded hotly. "And since it has been seven years since we have worked together, we will need to work even harder to return to our previous levels. For today's team training we shall have two members team up and attempt to survive against the rest of us for as long as possible! You should all prepare yourselves, for we shall have barely any time for sleep with what I have planned for us!" Erza shouted, but before anyone could move there was a knock on the door to their common room, a nervous looking member of the staff opening the door a second later.
"Um, excuse me ma'am. The front desk received a letter for you and your associates this morning." The man explained as he revealed a plain white envelope and quickly fleeing the room.
"C-Could it be?! A love letter from my beloved Gray?! J-Juvia is besides herself with joy!" Juvia squealed, the ice mage in question staring at her weirdly before turning his attention back to the letter.
"Is it something from Gramps?" Natsu asked as he stood and tried to read over Erza's shoulder, the scarlet haired mage smacking him in the face.
"…Dear mages of Fairy Tail. Come to the broken suspension bridge on the hill west of the hotel." Erza read, a frown forming in nearly every face present.
"Well…that's a pretty short and demanding letter. Is there any sign of who wrote it?" Levy asked, Erza shaking her head in denial.
"Wh-what should we do?" Wendy asked, Charla crossing her arms as she glared at the note.
"We should do nothing, it's clearly a trap."
"No, we will go and meet with the nefarious writer of this letter." Erza commanded to the surprise of their group.
"…Charla's probably right, it's likely to be a trap." Lucy added, Artemis adding that the likelihood was in the eighty percent.
"Of course, it will be. and such an ambush will give us a perfect chance to improve our teamwork!" Erza shouted out as she requiped into her armor. "Come! Let us confront these fools who would challenge our guild so brazenly!"
"Oh dear, I really hope they don't want to hurt us. That would be so sad." Tiria commented in worry as she forced her way in between Lucy and Natsu, Lucy smiling down at the worried slayer and patting her on the shoulder.
"Don't worry Tiria. After all the training we've been through these last few months I doubt anything less than a member of the Balam Alliance could be a threat to us." Lucy comforted as Tiria hugged her around the waist, Natsu growling under his breath with how close Tiria was getting to his mate.
By the time the sun had reached its highest point the group of Fair Tail mages was finally getting close to the spot where the message told them to go. Only to find that the bridge itself was broken in two.
"What the hell? There's no one here? What a waste of time." Gray all but spat out as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, the others of the group noting with some surprise that this long into the day he still had his pants on.
However, before anyone could say anything else, a strange rumbling echoed from the canyon below. The Fairy Tail mages readied themselves for a fight, but to their surprise the only thing that happened was that the wooden boards that had once made up the suspension bridge rose from the stream below, reforming the broken bridge to the point it looked like it had been just recently constructed.
"Observation: odds of letter being a trap have increased. Recommend all Fairy Tail mages increase their alert levels." Artemis commented, the Machias drawing one of her lacrima pistols as she scanned the surrounding trees, the others making their own preparations.
"…So, no one here is stupid enough to trust the bridge that just repaired itself, right? We all realize this is probably a trap?" Gray asked as he suspiciously looked down at the pristine looking boards.
"Hmmm, you raise an excellent point Gray." Erza agreed as she crossed her arms in contemplation. "…Then we will simply have to test it!" she decided as she grabbed Natsu by the back of his scarf and threw him onto the suspension bridge.
"Oi! What'da think you're doing Erza! You can-can't just…ugh." Natsu started to shout before the rocking of the bridge caused him to cover his mouth and pale considerably.
"Seriously? You got sick from a bridge Natsu? That's just sad." Gray said as he sighed heavily, Lucy staring down at the wobbling bridge with a newfound sense of dread.
"Shut up Gray! This bridge won't defeat me! I'll show it who's boss!" Natsu shouted in challenge before roaring and running across the rest of the way.
"…well, that was disappointing." Tiria muttered under her breath as Erza turned to address the rest of the group.
"Natsu's sacrifice has proven the bridge is secure. Let us continue on. But be prepared, the mage who reconstructed this walkway is likely still within the vicinity." Erza announced as the group continued on along the coast.
Fortunately, their challengers didn't wait to long before revealing themselves, Erza holding out a hand to stop their group as five hooded figures emerged from the forest to stand at the end of the path. The moment they revealed themselves, the dragon slayers immediately began to tense, the scents of the five individuals familiar.
"You guys are…" Natsu muttered as the figures approached, his eyes wide as each one reached up to remove their hoods.
"…Thank you very much for coming, Fairy Tail." The lead figure quietly thanked as he removed his hood to reveal a head of blue hair and a strange tattoo on the side of his face, his appearance causing Erza to suck in a startled breath as she took a step back in surprise. But Lucy and Tiria barely noticed the man or his words, as their focus was solely upon two of the figures that flanked the man. Two people that, while looking different from what they remembered, were still similar enough that they would never mistake them. Vincent, who was smiling slightly at them as he inclined his head, and Priscilla, the now not so young witch grinning widely and waving, not even bothering to hide the tears streaming down her cheeks.
"…Jellal." The red-head mumbled, her eyes narrowing slightly as she regained control over her emotions, something Jellal was quick to smile over.
"You haven't changed at all Erza." Jellal commented with a sad smile.
"These guys…there members of Grimoire Heart!" Natsu spat out as he readied himself for the coming fight, only to pause when Gray placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hang on there, fire brain. They're not our enemies anymore. Right?" The ice-make mage asked Ultear, the older woman nodding grimly.
"Indeed. Those of us gathered here are all those who have used magic to commit a great many sins against the world, far too many for us to be forgiven easily. So, we decided to bring salvation to the people whose lives we've ruined, including Jellal's." She finished, Jellal nodding in confirmation.
"They sought me out a few years ago to apologize for their actions, but considering that I too was possessed by Zeref's dark magic it was hardly fair for me to lay judgment upon them. I had been content to live out my days in exile, aiding others where I could as I avoided the Magic council…that was, at least, until I met others whose futures had been stolen by the dark wizard."
"Does that mean you've found a new purpose to live for?" Wendy asked, the young slayer sounding particularly serious as she stared at the blue-haired mage.
"It does. Those of us gathered here have decided to form our own guild." Jellal explained, Ultear taking over in the explanation.
"It's an independent guild; one neither official or dark. Its name is…Crime Sorcière, or the "witch's crime."
"C- Crime Sorcière?! W-we've heard a lot about you guys over the years!" Droy shouted, sounding somewhat panicked by the news of who was in front of them.
"Supposedly, they've been hunting down and destroying a bunch of dark guilds in recent years." Jet continued, Ultear nodding in confirmation.
"We have but one goal. Zeref, dark guilds, and the darkness of magic that permeates our very world. It is the duty of Crime Sorcière to purge all such evil from the world. So that there will never again be mages possessed by the darkness as we were." Jellal finished, his words hanging in the air for a heartbeat before Ultear stepped forward and cleared her throat.
"Regardless, we did not call you all here just to explain our situation. We have heard that Fairy Tail will be entering the Grand Magic Games this year, and that you all intend to participate. Is that correct?" Ultear asked, receiving a nod of confirmation from Erza in response. "In that case, we would like to ask your guild a favor, as for obvious reasons we cannot approach Crocus without being accosted by the Council."
"…You want someone's autograph?" Natsu asked, receiving incredulous gazes from everyone present, including Lucy.
"No thank you." Ultear returned after a second of staring at him before shaking off the ridiculous question.
"Every year we detect an unusual magic emanating from the sight of the games. We would like your guild to get to the bottom of it."
"Umm, while I'm sure we'd all just love to do this for you, but are you guys sure it's even that strange to detect weird magic at a national game all about magic? I'm sure there's plenty of weird mages there after all!" Tiria asked with in a chipper tone, her tone of voice causing Priscilla to giggle and Vincent to smile knowingly.
"We thought so too at first, and for the first few years of the games we ignored this magic…but in recent years it has changed. It feels far too dark, and far too chaotic, to be coming from an individual mage. Not to mention that we have felt it every single year since the games began. Not to mention that due to our own past, each of us can tell that this magic is very similar to Zeref's magic. And thus, it is something we cannot ignore." Jellal explained, Erza crossing her arms and sighing heavily.
"…Very well, Fairy Tail will look into this." The scarlet haired mage decided, Gray turning a curious gaze on her in response.
"You sure about this Erza? Sounds kinda like a wild goose chase to me." The Ice make mage commented.
"Perhaps, but given that guilds from all over Fiore will be gathering, this odd magic they have felt will also spell trouble for our guild as well if it does indeed turn out to be related to dark magic." Erza explained, an explanation that no one present could find any fault with.
"And of course, we will be compensating you all for your trouble up front." Ultear added with an almost wicked smile as she withdrew a crystal ball from within her cloak, nearly everyone Fairy Tail mage flinching back at the look in her eyes.
It was later that evening, as the sun was just starting to set, that Lucy and Tiria found themselves alone with Priscilla and Vincent. With the others in the process of awakening their Second Origin, something the former members of the Heartfilia institute having gone through years ago, the four former assassins finally had a chance to just sit down and talk, something they didn't even have a chance to do even after meeting again during the airship incident. "So…how are you two? Are you free of his…?" Lucy awkwardly asked, not full at ease with the rush of emotions she was still feeling at having seen them both again.
"Yes…Vincent and I were released from the Council's custody a few years ago, after being freed from… "That" man's influence." Priscilla explained, her tone carrying a not so insignificant amount of venom at the thought of Jude. "We had intended to go to Fairy Tail, to apologize to you and Tiria for what we did but…but you two were already gone."
It was at that point that Vincent took over on the explanation, Priscilla having devolved into silent sobbing at the memory of the two of them going missing, Lucy instantly moving to comfort the witch. "Once we discovered the truth, we simply wandered the land. We lacked direction, we lacked purpose, after having such things decided for us for so long…and that mentality continued until Jellal and Ultear found us."
Priscilla, having recovered from her emotional instability, continued the conversation. "They offered us a chance to make a difference in the world, a chance to make up for all the awful things we did. And when we thought about how you joined a mages guild, well, it just seemed right." Priscilla finished before looking down nervously at Lucy. "…You're not…mad, are you?"
"Now Priscilla, why would we be mad at you? That's just silly!" Tiria asked with a tilt of her head, Priscilla smiling sadly at the fact that the younger slayer was still trying to sound as sweet and innocent as possible around Lucy after all this time.
"Well, because…you've both been back for nearly three months and we didn't come to see you…and that we aren't going to join Fairy Tail."
"Why not?" Lucy asked curiously.
"Because we owe Jellal and the others too much to simply abandon their mission just to obtain our own happiness. And just as Master Jellal explained, Crime Sorcière exists to bring organizations such as the Heartfilia institute to justice. How could we, those who have committed such evil, turn away from an organization that fights to save others from what we experienced?" Vincent asked before sighing and meeting Lucy's and Tiria's gaze. "We will stand with Crime Sorcière till we have made up for our past sins…though it would be easier for us to continue upon our path with your blessing." Vincent finished, directing his words to both Tiria and Lucy.
Tiria smirked as she crossed her arms and stared at the now two fidgeting Crime Sorcière members. "…Well, at least you two finally found a place you can belong. I'm just worried that it took the two of us disappearing for seven years for it to happen. At this rate it's going to take the apocalypse for you two to figure out how to be happy- Uh, I mean. Oh, of course I'm happy for you two!" The water dragon slayer snarked at first, before realizing that Lucy was staring at her funny and switching back, Priscilla and Vincent laughing under their breath at her slip.
"…Big sister Lucy?" Priscilla prompted after Lucy had failed to say anything, but all three were shocked to see tears running down her cheeks.
"I'm happy, I'm so happy for you two. You found a place where you can belong." Lucy admitted between sobs, the dragon slayer once again feeling thankful for her unsealed emotions as the group of Heartfilia survivors gathered into a hug, including a somewhat reluctant looking Vincent.
The four continued on for a while, catching up on what had happened to each group since they had last seen each other. Vincent and Priscilla talked about the various dark guilds they had helped disband over the last seven years, while Lucy and Tiria talked about the events that took place on Tenrou Island and over the last three months of training here at the coast and how they were now banned from returning from the resort they had been staying at this whole time. But as the sun finally started to sink behind the horizon Priscilla and Vincent announced that it was time for them to leave, as Crime Sorcière was still wanted by the Magic Council and as such they could not afford to stay in one place for too long.
"…I'm not exactly happy you all have to leave, but I guess it is time to check in on Natsu and the others." Lucy eventually said, sighing in disappointment at the end of their time together.
"Ehhh, "Natsu" and the other huh?" Priscilla coyly repeated as Vincent and Tiria having gotten slightly ahead of the two girls in their walk back to the shed where the others were currently sprawled out on the ground suffering through their Second Origins being unsealed.
"Wh-what is it?" Lucy couldn't help but nervously ask, the tone of Priscilla's voice for some reason setting her on edge.
"Oh, don't worry about it." Priscilla coyly answered as she gave Lucy a hug from the side. "I'm so glad that you two finally managed to admit your feelings for each other! Oh, you two must be so cute together!" Priscilla gushed, the bottom of Lucy's stomach falling further and further with each word she said.
"I…I have no idea what you're talking about." Lucy denied as she looked away, Priscilla only laughing quietly and squeezing Lucy even tighter.
"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul until you're ready. Though as your big sister, I have to say that you picked a good man." Priscilla continued, one of Lucy's eyebrows raising in response.
"…I seem to recall that I was the older sister before." Lucy deadpanned, Priscilla humming in thought as she placed a hand and stared down at the blonde, a sly grin spreading across her face.
"Wellll…after seven years of stasis, can you really claim to be the "big" sister." Priscilla returned, the two girls staring at each other for a moment before Priscilla finally cracked and began to laugh loudly, Lucy chuckling only a few seconds later.
God I am so done with 2020. Lost both my jobs due to the new outbreak, had to get my apartment subleased, and had to move back north to live with my family in order to save money. As always, I am still unable to guarantee when exactly I'll manage to get back to a regular upload schedule, but at the very least I am still alive and have not given up on this story. thank you for still reading my story and I hope to see you next time.
