Ch. 4- Stranded at Sea
Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima
Story and OCs © Me
"EVERYBODY, HIT THE DECK!"
At Erza's cry, everyone soon dropped down on their bellies, avoiding the roc's razor-sharp talons, which ended up making a large hole in the deck.
"Oh, that's not good!" cried Lucy.
"Relax!" Erza replied. "Gray got the renters insurance! We won't have to pay for any damages done to the boat! Right, Gray?"
"Wait," Gray said. "I was supposed to get the renters insurance? I thought you did it!"
"You didn't get the insurance?!" Erza questioned.
"Wait!" Lucy shouted. "We're RENTING this boat?!"
"Well, duh!" Natsu replied. "What, you thought we owned it?"
"YES!" Lucy yelled.
"Uhhh, guys?" Haru asked. "THE ROC'S COMING BACK!"
With a screech, the roc swooped down on the group, once again. Natsu growled before he stood up, lighting his fists on fire.
"All right, that's it!" he declared. "I'm gonna roast this turkey! FIRE DRAGON-"
The sudden rocking of the boat suddenly caused Natsu to lurch forward as he covered his mouth and put his arm over his belly.
"Yeah... not happenin'!" he groaned.
"Oh, you have GOT to be kidding!" Gray shouted.
"BIG BIRD, INBOUND!" screeched Happy as the monstrous bird outstretched its talons, once again making another large hole in the boat... which began to slowly fill with water.
"Oh, great! Just what we need!" Gray complained as he ran down below deck. "I gotta patch these holes up! You guys, find a way to deal with that bird!"
"Got it!" Haru replied.
"It's coming back, again!" Happy cried out as the giant avian beast began to dive down at the group, once again.
"Haru, try and sing something!" Lucy replied. "It may be big, but it's still a bird! Maybe you can calm it down!"
"Good thinking!" Haru replied as she prepared to use her magic. "Beast Siren: Calm-"
Just as she was about to sing something, the roc bashed into the port side of the boat, causing it to tilt to starboard and surprising Haru out of her song. She yelped as she nearly slipped, but thankfully, Blue Fang caught her on his side, causing her to sigh in relief.
"Thanks, boy!" the Beast Wizard praised before she looked up at the roc, which began to ascend to the sky... but as it did, Haru gasped as she spotted something clinging to its back... or rather, someone.
It appeared to be a young woman with short dark brown hair and an aviator helmet with goggles, wearing a dark gray jacket with black faux fur collar and cuffs, a dark pink shirt, gray leggings, and a pair of dark brown faux fur boots.
"What the...?" Haru whispered, just as the roc flew up, its talons ripping into the sails.
"What was that?!" Happy asked. "Did you see that?!"
"Someone was riding on the bird!" Haru answered.
"Yeah, I saw her, too!" Lucy replied. "I think she's controlling it!"
"I got an idea!" Natsu called. "Let's fly, Happy!"
"Aye, sir!" Happy exclaimed as he sprouted his wings and grabbed the back of Natsu's coat, flying after the roc.
"Okay, you big birdbrain!" Natsu shouted. "Come and get it!"
The bird's rider glanced back, the light of the sun glinting off her goggles.
"Well, well," she said. "Looks like we have company, Xerxes."
The roc growled as it glared at Natsu, who lit both his fists on fire.
"FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!"
The Dragon Slayer swung both arms at Xerxes, sending a powerful stream of flames, but he soon flew up toward the sky at the command of its rider, who smirked as she glanced down at him.
"Hey, there, pretty boy," she said. "How are ya doin'?"
"Uh... fine, I guess," Natsu replied, a bit bewildered at her casual attitude before he shook his head. "Wait, no! Who the hell are you?! Why are you attacking us?!"
"The name's Eliza," the woman replied. "Got orders from the Boss to take you out."
"Wait, boss?" Natsu asked. "What boss?!"
"That's for me to know and you to find out," said Eliza before she blew into a whistle. "Get him, Xerxes!"
Xerxes screeched before darting at Natsu and Happy, who yelped as they ducked down to avoid the bird's huge talons before they turned to chase after him and Eliza. To give Happy an extra boost in speed, Natsu ignited his feet into flames, sending him rocketing toward Eliza and Xerxes. Then, once he got close enough, he set his elbow on fire in order to boost the power of his punch.
"FIRE DRAGON FLAME ELBOW!"
"WHOA!" Eliza cried as she forced Xerxes to duck down, causing her to dodge the attack, as well.
"Dammit! Stay still!" Natsu cursed.
"Not bad, pretty boy," Eliza said, "but check out this fancy flying!"
Soon, the roc went into a nosedive, descending at rapid speed before stretching out his wings and talons, which caused Natsu to gasp as he shielded himself. The only thing that was heard the sound of fabric ripping before the Dragon Slayer looked down and saw his coat falling off his back, now in shreds and leaving him in his regular outfit.
"Oh, man!" Natsu complained. "I liked that coat!"
"Elektra can always make you a new one!" said Happy. "Also, LOOK OUT!"
Natsu gasped as Xerxes flew toward him again, but this time, the Dragon Slayer was ready as he took in a deep breath, his signature magic circle appearing in front of him as he cupped his hands around his mouth.
"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"
A blast of fire soon burst through Natsu's lips, causing Xerxes' rider to gasp as she willed the giant bird to fly up, avoiding the stream of flames.
Meanwhile, back on the boat, Gray was down in the hull trying to freeze the holes shut with ice... but due to the ocean's temperature, the ice wasn't able to hold. Whenever Gray managed to patch up one hole, the ice would crack and melt, causing more water to flow in... and it was coming in fast.
"Dammit!" Gray cursed as he tried to freeze the holes again. "Just stay frozen, will ya?!"
"Gray, what's going on down there?!" Erza asked from the deck.
"The ice isn't holding!" Gray shouted. "We're taking on water!"
"Hang on!" Erza called. "Lucy and Haru are coming to help!"
Soon, the two girls in question hurried down into the hull with buckets, scooping the water up and bailing it out the porthole window while Gray kept trying to patch up the holes, but by now, he was up to his knees in water.
"Come on, Lucy! Bail!" Haru urged as she kept tossing out more water through the window. "Bail for all your worth!"
"I am, I am!" Lucy replied as she kept scooping water into her bucket and bailing it out.
"It's no use!" Gray shouted as the hull was filling up, more and more. "Quick! Get back up to the deck!"
With that, they hurried back up to the deck where Erza was waiting.
"Well?" Erza asked.
"It's no good, Erza!" Haru replied. "We're sinking, fast!"
"NATSU!" Lucy called out, causing the Dragon Slayer to look down at the sinking ship. "HELP US!"
"Guys!" Natsu cried.
"Natsu, maybe we should go back down!" Happy urged.
"The kitty's right, pretty boy," Eliza agreed with this smug grin on her face. "I think you better not waste any more time with me... though, this was fun."
Natsu growled before he and Happy flew back down to the boat while Eliza waved after them.
"See ya later... Fairy Tail," she said before Xerxes flew off.
Meanwhile, back with the others, the boat was about halfway underwater by now, leaving them trapped on the deck, just as Natsu and Happy landed.
"How are we doin'?!" Natsu asked.
"Not great!" Haru replied. "Not great, at all!"
"It seems we have no choice!" Erza answered. "EVERYONE! ABANDON SHIP!"
With that said, the group all leaped into the water, just as their vessel sank below the depths of the blue sea.
"Well... that happened," said Haru as she and Lucy clung to Blue Fang as he paddled to keep himself afloat.
"Happy, you okay, li'l buddy?" Natsu asked as he looked over at Happy, who was clinging to his shoulder.
"Aye," Happy replied.
"Who was that, anyway?" Lucy asked as she looked up at the sky.
"I dunno," Natsu replied. "She said she had orders from some boss."
"Boss?" Haru parroted. "So she was a part of a guild or something?"
"Who knows?" Gray asked. "But right now, we have a bigger problem. In case you haven't noticed, we're stuck in the middle of the sea!"
"Not quite," Erza said as she looked toward Dragon Island. "Unless anybody wants to be fish food, I suggest we swim to shore."
"Yes, please!" Happy exclaimed. "I'd rather eat fish, not be eaten by it!"
"Wait a minute!" Lucy called out. "Are you saying we swim towards a potentially dangerous, uncharted island?"
"I expect you to trust me," Erza replied, causing the Celestial Spirit Wizard to gasp silently.
"Well, Luce?" Natsu asked. "Would you rather be swimmin' the fishies?"
"...On second thought," replied Lucy, "land sounds good!"
With that, the group began to make the swim toward Dragon Island... and hopefully, to safety.
XXX
Meanwhile, Eliza and Xerxes had landed on an outcropping of rocks... where a huge black galleon with golden trimming was seen, anchored into the water. The figurehead looked like a snarling gargoyle with three horns and menacing claws, and on the mainsail was what looked like the mark of a huge talon, outstretched to grab its prey.
"Hey, Boss!" Eliza called as she hopped off Xerxes' back and onto the deck. "I'm back!"
She opened the door to the main cabin, where she found herself in a study of some sort, with a mahogany wood desk, the walls decorated red, all sorts of trinkets and baubles nailed to the eastern wall, and right on the northern wall... was a portrait of a tall and imposing-looking man with long, platinum blonde hair with a matching beard, a blue coat with a black collar and buckles, a pair of white puffy trousers, and a pair of dark green boots with leather straps.
As Eliza approached the desk, the chair before it turned around... revealing the very same man in the portrait.
"Well, well, Eliza," he said. "How was the flight?"
"I think our little Fairy Tail friends got the message," said Eliza.
"Excellent," the man replied. "Get Akira, Tyson, Blanche, and Nero. We'll be making landfall shortly. Tell them... that our quarry is here."
"You got it, Boss," Eliza replied as she turned and walked out.
"Hmm-hmm-hmmm..." the man chuckled darkly. "It won't be long, now... soon, I'll snuff out that little fire hazard. So says I, Xavier Blightheart!"
He then began to make a maniacal laugh... before he started to cough and gag.
"Ugh... I have GOT to stop laughing like that."
I took a while with this because... you know how action scenes are hard to coordinate.
Review, please!