Ch. 3- Boat Trip

Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima

Story and OCs © Me

The following morning in Hargeon...

"Ugggh... I'm gonna hurl...!"

"Oh, quit your whining, Dragonbreath! We're not even on board!"

Natsu whimpered as he stared at the large ship that was docked at Hargeon's harbor. He was wearing his usual "traveling" clothes: a red coat and his green backpack. However... he wasn't really ready to go anywhere, especially not on a boat.

"It's not fair!" Natsu complained. "I still feel sick from taking the train here! Now I gotta ride a boat?!"

"I could knock you out, again, if you want," said Erza as she held up her fist while also carting around her luggage.

"NO THANK YOU!" Natsu yelled.

"Oh, Natsu, come on," Haru said with Blue Fang standing beside her. "It's not that bad."

"Oh, sure, that's easy for you to say!" Natsu snapped. "You don't know what it's like for me!"

"Maybe eating a fish will help you, Natsu," Happy offered.

"I think that'll just make it worse..." Natsu groused.

"Oh, come on, Natsu," said Lucy. "I bet it's not even THAT far... right?"

"Well, from what I heard from Levy," Haru said, "it's supposed to take... 3 or 4 days to get there. Maybe a little longer."

Natsu paled, his stomach already churning with nausea. He could barely last even 5 seconds on any vehicle, so spending 3 to 4 days on a boat? That would be utter torture!

"Enough dawdling," Erza said as she walked up the gangplank, dragging her suitcases and bags behind her. "Everyone on board."

"You heard her, Natsu," Haru said. "Let's get going."

As she turned around, she gaped as she saw Natsu grabbing onto a lamp post like it was a vice.

"Natsu!" Haru shouted. "Are you kidding?!"

"I ain't gettin' on that death trap!" Natsu shouted. "Ya can't make me!"

"Oh, for the love of Mavis!" Gray complained as he grabbed the Dragon Slayer by his ankles and pulled. "Let go, you big baby! Get on the damn boat!"

"NEVER!" Natsu yelled as he tightened his grip on the lamp post. "I AIN'T GOIN'! LET GO!"

"Natsu, come on!" Lucy urged. "Just get on board! 4 days will pass before you know it!"

"I don't care!" Natsu shouted. "I don't wanna go!"

"Natsu," Lucy began, "this could be your one shot at finding Igneel... are you seriously gonna let a little motion sickness stop you from seeing him?"

Natsu's eyes went wide while Lucy smiled at him in assurance.

"If you won't do it for us, then do it for him," she said. "Okay?"

There was a slight pause before the Dragon Slayer took in a deep breath, then exhaled while Gray let go of his legs.

"...Okay," he said. "I can do this... I can do this! FOR YOU, IGNEEL!"

~10 seconds later~

"Guuuuuuuuhh...!" Natsu groaned as he hung over the port side railing, his complexion pale and his stomach doing flips, and meanwhile, Haru stood beside him as she rubbed her brother's back.

"So much for your pep talk, Lucy," said Gray.

"Well... at least it got him on the boat," Lucy replied.

"Get ready to shove off," Erza said as she began to raise up the anchor, untie the mooring line from the pier, and unfurled the sails, which filled out as they caught the breeze.

"Dragon Island, here we come!" Haru exclaimed.

"Aye!" Happy cheered while raising a paw in the air, and soon, the group was sailing away toward the south, having set a course for Dragon Island.

"Ugh... mph!" Natsu gagged as his stomach gurgled. "Oh, no... here comes my breakfast!" With that, his cheeks puffed up and he clutched his abdomen.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Gray cried. "No! Not on the deck! DO IT OVER THE RAILING-"

"BLEEEEEEEEEEEGGH!"

"Oh, come on, Natsu! On my shoes?!"

"Oh, get over it, you're gonna take off your clothes in like 3 minutes, anyway!"

"Hey! I knew you ate my fish! Natsu, you liar!"

Lucy sighed and shook her head in exasperation. Something told her that this would be a long boat trip.

XXX

Over the course of the next couple of days, it was smooth sailing... for the most part at least. There were a couple of times where they were off course due to the shifting winds, but thankfully, Erza managed to get them back on track. It was a good thing she actually took some sailing lessons.

Other times, they had to brave stormy weather with booming thunder, pouring rain, and the wild wind and the waves. Unfortunately, Natsu still wasn't much help then. In fact, the thrashing of the waves only worsened his motion sickness, forcing him to stay in the cabin until everything settled down.

As if that wasn't bad enough, there was one point in their voyage where they were attacked by a sea serpent. Thankfully, with the combined efforts of Erza, Gray, and Cancer, whom Lucy had summoned, they were able to dispatch the beast. Plus, the creature's meat provided an excellent meal, as well.

Unfortunately, Natsu really couldn't eat much. His motion sickness wouldn't allow him to keep anything down except for maybe a couple of saltine crackers that Haru had brought with her in the hopes that they would settle his stomach.

It wasn't all dangerous, though. As they continued sailing onward, they saw many wondrous sights, like a pod of dolphins playfully leaping and splashing in the waves while hunting fish (one of which Happy managed to catch right out of the air), a flock of birds that had all these vibrant colors, and even a huge whale! Happy, of course, was thinking about eating "the humongous fish", but Haru told him that it would be impossible.

"Besides, Happy," she said, "whales aren't fish. They're actually mammals, like you and me."

"What are you talking about?" the blue cat asked her in annoyance. "I'm not a mammal! I'm a cat!"

"Ugh... are we there, yet?" Natsu asked as he clung to the mast. "My tummy hurts!"

"If ya can't handle it, go back to your bunk and sleep," Gray said.

"Where's your shirt, Gray?" asked Erza, causing him to gasp as he realized he had once again stripped it off, causing Haru, Happy, and Lucy to laugh. Even Blue Fang seemed to laugh at the Ice Wizard.

'I guess even now, we still manage to find a way to have fun,' thought Lucy. 'At the very least, I have some ideas for my novel.'

XXX

It had been officially 3 days and 3 nights since the gang left Fiore. Hopefully, they'd be reaching Dragon Island before too long. With the coming of night, Erza and Gray had dropped the anchors and furled the sails. They would rest tonight and continue in the morning.

Lucy was sitting at a desk in the cabin, writing on some paper while Apollo lied curled up in her lap, asleep.

"Dear Mom,

It's been about 3 nights now since we left Fiore. The sea is so beautiful and vast... but it can also be pretty dangerous. I'm glad that we managed to pull through together, so far.

We should be reaching Dragon Island by tomorrow. I really hope this trip wasn't for nothing, though. I'd hate for Natsu to be heartbroken. He just wants to see his dad again after he went missing for 7 years. I don't know what Natsu would do if it turned out to be another rumor.

Anyway, I better stop here before I ramble on. Goodnight for now.

And... I miss you, Mom.

Love,

Lucy

P.S.- As always, don't tell Dad."

With that, Lucy folded the letter up, stuck it in the envelope, and sealed it shut with some wax before slipping it inside her backpack. Then, she yawned and stretched her arms as she picked Apollo up and carried him in her arms to her bunk. Blue Fang was already sleeping on the other side of the room.

"Time for bed," she said while the Celestial Spirit puppy yawned... but just as she was getting ready to climb in, she heard a knock on the door.

"Lucy, it's Haru! Are you asleep, yet?"

Lucy sighed in slight annoyance. "No, not yet. What's up, Haru?"

"Could you come and help me with Natsu, please?" Haru asked as she opened the door.

"Sure," Lucy replied as she put Apollo down on Blue Fang's back and kissed the top of his head. "Sleep tight, Apollo."

Soon, Haru brought Lucy to the boys' cabin, where she found Gray, Happy, and Natsu... the latter lying in his bunk, dry-heaving into a bucket.

"Ugh... I... am... so sick..." he groaned.

"Aww, you poor baby," Lucy cooed, sympathetically.

"He doesn't even have anything to puke up since he hasn't eaten much the whole trip," said Gray.

"I tried giving him a fish, but that only made him sicker," said Happy.

"Yeah, because it's raw," Haru countered. "Plus, the smell made it worse."

Lucy sighed before she went over to Natsu, who moaned as he hugged his stomach and curled up into a ball.

"Make it stop~!" he whined. "I can't take it anymore~!"

"Yeah, well I can't take your whining!" Gray snapped while covering his ears. "Seriously, you've been doing this ever since we got on the damn boat!"

"Gray, it's not his fault!" Haru argued. "He can't help himself!"

"Okay, okay, come here, Natsu," Lucy said as she gently picked the Dragon Slayer up from the bed, then sat down as she placed his head on her lap. Natsu moaned in discomfort as Lucy turned him over so that he was lying on his back, then she pulled his hands away from his abdominal muscles, which the Celestial Spirit Wizard began to rub in slow, gentle circles, causing him to sigh as he unclenched his jaw and stopped scrunching his face.

"That better?" Lucy asked while also running her fingers through his spiky hair.

"Yeah... a little," Natsu replied. "Thanks, Lucy."

"No problem," Lucy said, tenderly.

"Thank Mavis..." Gray whispered while Haru smiled, warmly, before she headed back to the girls' cabin. Lucy was about to get up and follow, but then Natsu started to moan again, causing her to gasp silently as she sat back down, rubbing his belly and stroking his head.

"Please... stay...!" he whimpered. "It... doesn't hurt as bad when you're here...!"

Lucy's eyes went wide before she sighed and nodded her head.

"Okay," she said. "I'll stay."

As for Natsu, he sighed in relief as he found himself getting soothed by her gentle touch and her sweet scent of strawberries and bath soap. He shifted his head to the left so that his face was pointing at her stomach, his nose buried into her shirt. Lucy blinked, a bit surprised at first, but then she smiled endearingly at him as she kept stroking his hair and massaging his stomach.

'You know... he actually looks pretty cute when he's comfortable,' she thought. 'Wait... cute? Where'd THAT come from?!'

"Lucy..." Natsu muttered. "You... smell kinda nice..."

"Huh?" Lucy asked as her cheeks began to turn red. "Wait... what is supposed to mean?!"

No answer.

"N... Natsu?" Lucy asked, only to be met with soft snoring. "He... fell asleep."

"Good," Gray said as he lied down on his bunk. "Maybe now, I can get some peace and quiet."

"But... wait a minute!" Lucy exclaimed. "Now that Natsu's asleep, I can't get up!"

"Not my problem," Gray shrugged while Happy snickered.

"He liiiiiikes you~!" he teased.

"Zip it, cat!" shouted Lucy as she shot him a glare, then she sighed in exasperation.

'Guess this means I won't be sleeping tonight...'

XXX

The following morning...

"Ugh..." Haru groaned as she cracked her stiff neck.

"Rough night, Haru?" Gray asked as he came outside.

"Well, more or less," Haru answered. "Erza got in my bunk with me last night and she wouldn't take her armor off."

"Wait... why was Erza sleeping with you?" Gray asked in bewilderment.

"Because she saw a spider in her bunk and she was too scared," Haru answered.

"I heard that!" Erza shouted, causing Gray and Haru to tense. "For the last time, I am NOT afraid of spiders!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Haru and Gray replied.

"Jeez, I just wish she would just admit-" Haru started, only to shriek as she covered her eyes. "GRAY, YOU'RE BUTT NAKED!"

"Huh?" Gray muttered before he looked down and gasped in horror before he covered his privates. "CRAP!"

"WOULD YOU GO PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON, ALREADY?!" Erza questioned, and Gray hurried to do just that.

"Ugh..." Haru groaned before she looked around. "Hey... where are Natsu and Lucy?"

"Heheheh!" Happy snickered as he flew up beside her. "They're gettin' all lovey-dovey~!"

"...What?" Haru asked in confusion. "Happy, what are you talking about?"

Meanwhile, Lucy groaned as she found herself waking up... but her neck, her back, and her shoulders were really stiff. As she stretched her arms, her joints creaked and she rubbed her eyes sleepily. She attempted to get up, but for some reason, something seemed to weigh her legs down.

That's when she remembered something as she looked down... and saw Natsu, still asleep in her lap.

'I fell asleep with him still on my lap?!' she thought.

"Lucy?"

Lucy looked up just as Haru opened the door.

"Hey, is Natsu awake... yet..." she said, only to trail off as she saw her brother still sleeping on the Celestial Spirit Wizard's lap. "Oh...!"

"I can't move...!" Lucy whispered. "Do something...!"

Haru sighed before she went to wake Natsu, gently shaking his prone form. "Natsu? Hey, wake up, Natsu, come on!"

"Ngh... five more minutes..." Natsu groaned in his sleep.

"Natsu, you can't lay here all morning!" Haru said. "Come on, you gotta get up!"

Natsu didn't budge, causing Haru to sigh in exasperation while Lucy whimpered, preparing to resign herself to her fate... when all of a sudden...

"Land ahoy~!" Erza called out from outside.

"Land?!" Natsu asked as he sat up, wide awake, and without any additional prompting, he shot to his feet and ran outside. "Hey, wait up!"

"Well, that's one way to wake him up!" Haru quipped before she looked over at Lucy, who grunted as she tried to stand up, her legs feeling like jelly.

"Ugh... pins and needles..." she complained.

"Haha!" Haru laughed as she helped her stand. "You'll be all right. Come on, let's go see!"

Soon, the two girls made it outside with Natsu, Erza, Happy, Blue Fang, and a fully-clothed Gray, who were all staring out toward the horizon... and that's when they saw an island slowly appear as they drew closer.

"Is that it?" Gray asked.

"It must be," Erza replied. "We've been sailing south for 4 days now."

"So that means we're here!" Haru exclaimed.

"Yay!" Happy cheered as he hopped onto Natsu's shoulder. "Did you hear that, Natsu? We made it!"

"Isn't this great, Natsu?" Lucy asked. "This could mean you've finally found Igneel!"

Natsu couldn't stop the grin that was forming on his face. Excitement welled up in his chest as he stared at the approaching island as many thoughts raced through his mind.

'Igneel... I'm coming...!'

Suddenly, a shadow suddenly loomed over the ship, causing the group to look up as they saw something flying below the sun, momentarily casting darkness over them before it passed.

"What was that?" Lucy asked.

"I dunno," Gray replied as he put a hand over his eyes, "but... it looked like it had wings."

"Hey, maybe that's the thing that those fishermen said was flying around here!" said Haru. "Maybe it's a dragon!"

"Is it Igneel?!" Natsu asked.

"I don't know," Erza replied. "It's too far away to tell."

As for Blue Fang, he gave a deep growl, his fur rising up on end before he began to bark wildly, causing everyone to look at him in surprise.

"What's Blue Fang getting all worked up about?" Gray asked.

"Blue Fang, what is it, boy?" Haru asked, only for the wolf to keep barking, to the group's confusion.

"Uh... hey, guys?" Lucy asked as she looked up at the sky. "Is it me? Or is that thing getting bigger?!"

As everyone looked up... they gasped as they saw that Lucy was indeed correct: whatever it was, it was getting bigger... no... more like it was getting closer, and as it drew nearer, Natsu's eyes went wide in horror.

It was soon revealed that it was a huge bird with grayish-silver feathers, a black beak and red eyes, and a pair of talons that had to be at least 6 feet long and looked sharp enough to slice through anything.

"That's not a dragon...!" Natsu said.

"THAT'S A ROC!" Haru screamed, just as the bird let out a deafening caw.

OH, DAMN!

Review, please!