Chapter: 2

Lucy Looked up in awe at the large building plastered with the Fairy Tail mark on various flags and large sheets of fabric that flew in the wind, and that awe crumbled to dust as soon as Natsu opened the large doors and kicked an innocent man in the face, starting a guild wide brawl in the process.

Lucy walked along the left side of the guild, practically hugging the wall in an attempt to steer clear of all the chaos. Dodging the occasional barrel and person thrown her way, she noticed a bar that was clear of all the violence.

When she was almost there Lucy made a mad dash to the bar and slammed herself on one of the barstools. Lucy was panting. Hands on her knees trying to catch her breath when she heard a friendly voice greet her.

"Hello. Are you new here?"

Lucy looked up at the young woman cleaning a glass with an old rag. The woman flashed Lucy a smile.

"Yes. Natsu brought me here." Lucy said.

The young woman put a hand up to her mouth in shock. "Natsu did? He never does that."

Lucy was fidgeting, nervous about talking to the young woman. "Um, Mirajane, why is this bar the only thing not getting destroyed?" Lucy pointed to the chaos elsewhere in the guild.

"Mira. You can just call me Mira. And that's because everyone knows that if they tried to wreck my bar, they would be dead." Mirajane said in her usual carefree attitude that made Lucy slightly shiver.

Out of nowhere a naked man was thrown across the guild and landed right in front of Lucy. A large blush formed on her cheeks. "Oh my…"

The man acted like being nude in public was no big deal, looking Lucy in her eyes as if everything was normal. "Young lady, if it isn't too inconvenient, could you lend me your underwear?"

"I see you are in need of clothes. Sure." Lucy opened her cloak and pulled out a pair of pink, frilly panties, and handed it over to the man.

A woman nearby, sitting on top of a table with a giant barrel of alcohol was laughing. "Good one girl! I've never seen Gray so embarrassed before!"

Gray stood there stammering, trying and failing to form words. "No. I don't, here you go." He handed lucy back her underwear and stormed off, attacking Natsu who was twirling his boxers around his hand.

Lucy watched the chaos unfold and sensed a ton of magic about to go off at one. That was, until a giant stepped over them all, almost touching the ceiling. "Cut it out, you idiots!"

"Oh, you were watching…master." Mirajane said to the giant with a happy smile.

Lucy couldn't say she didn't expect the guild master of the strongest guild in Fiore not to be powerful, but to be a giant was a shock.

Lucy watched as the giant effortlessly squashed a gloating Natsu under its giant foot. It glanced at Lucy, looking her over. "New recruit, eh?"

"Y-yes sir!" Lucy yelled.

To Lucy's utter shock the giant shrunk down to the size of a small man, only reaching up to her knees in height.

The old man reached his hand up in an almost half salute and said; "Nice to meet you." And did a summersault up the second floor before hitting his head on the railing. He got to his feet and started lecturing the guild about their failures and problems.

The small man others called 'master' went on a speech about not caring about authority and always being yourself. Lucy was utterly fascinated by the small man, able to act as a scolding parent one second and the next a rebel.

"Follow the path you truly believe in! That is what it means to be a Fairy Tail wizard!" The entire guild erupted into celebration, and Lucy couldn't help but smile too.

After signing some paperwork notifying the magic council that she is now officially a wizard of Fairy Tail, Mirajane came out with a strange looking object in her hands. One that Lucy could only imagine as a large stamp.

"So, Lucy, where do you want your guild mark? And what colour?" Mirajane said cheerfully.

Lucy thought about it for a moment before deciding. "Right here, and pink please." Lucy held out her left hand and Mirajane quickly stamped the pink Fairy Tail emblem onto her left hand.

"There! Now you're an official member of Fairy Tail." Mirajane said.

Beaming with pride about becoming the newest member of Fairy Tail, Lucy walked over to Natsu who was eating and drinking fire. Lucy was not sure how one 'drank' fire but brushed it off as something normal wizards do.

"Natsu! Look! Mira just gave me the Fairy Tail mark!" Lucy held out the back of her hand, smiling for Natsu to see.

Natsu glanced over, fire still filling his mouth. "Good for you, Luigi!"

"I'm Lucy!" Lucy said.

Lucy slunk back over to the bar disappointed, where Mirajane was cleaning a glass, watching it all unfold. "He didn't even remember my name…" Lucy mumbled to herself.

"Don't be too upset with Natsu he's just a bit dense sometimes. Especially when he's eating food." Mirajane said.

"Hey Mira" Lucy caught Mirajane's attention. "Yes Lucy?" Lucy was fiddling with a loose piece of wood sticking out of the counter top. "Do you sell milkshakes?"

As Lucy was enjoying her strawberry milkshake, the sound of an argument caught her attention. To her surprise it was between the old master of the guild and a young boy.

"Please go look for him! I'm so worried!

"Don't even joke about that! Your father is a wizard, isn't he?! Any wizard who can't hack the easy stuff doesn't belong in the guild! Go home and drink some milk or something!" The master yelled out, catching his breath from the scolding.

The little boy suddenly jumped up, punched master Makarov in the face, and ran off crying.

"He was far too rough with the kid." Lucy said.

"He may be tough with Romeo, but the master is really worried himself." Mirajane said.

CRAAACK!

"Hey Natsu! You broke the board again! Master something's wrong with Natsu!" a man dressed in a jacket and a straw skirt said.

Makarov tapped his staff in his right hand in thought. "That brat never seems to grow up."

"I think he's going to rescue Macao. Shouldn't we stop him? It'll shatter Macao's self-confidence!" the same straw skirt wearing man said.

The master took a long smoke of his pipe. Sighing. "Others can't decide your path for you! Just let what happens happen."

"I wonder why he just stormed off like that?" Lucy said to herself.

Mirajane was cleaning mugs and glasses with a sad look on her face. "Because Natsu was just like Romeo. I wonder if history is repeating itself?" she stopped her cleaning momentarily, saddened by Natsu's past.

Lucy looked at Mirajane with interest.

"When Natsu was a child his father went away suddenly, and still hasn't come back. You know, he was a dragon?" Mirajane said.

"A dragon?" Lucy said

"Yes. He was raised by a dragon. When Natsu was little it took him, in. taught him speech… culture… even magic. The dragon taught him everything. But one day, the dragon just disappeared." Mirajane said.

"So just like her then…" Lucy murmured.

Lucy's comment was not missed by Mirajane. Who looked suspiciously at the blonde mage.

Mira leaned against the bar table. Resting her elbows on the wood. "Natsu is really looking forward to the day he meets Igneel, his father again."

Lucy looked down. At her hands clasped together. "His…Father…"

"We… we fairy tail wizards… are all living under a cloud. Some wound… pain… suffering… like me…" Mirajane said.

"Suffering… Are you okay, Mira?" Lucy asked.

"Forget it. It's nothing." Mirajane flashed lucy a small smile, but lucy could still tell something was bothering her.

A horse drawn carriage was moving up a worn-down path on a series of hills. The ride would have been quiet if not for the groans that left natsu's mouth.

"What are you even doing here?" Natsu asked Lucy in-between bouts of motion sickness.

"Mira told me that Macao has a son called Romeo. I want to try and get Macao home because… because…I know how it feels to lose a parent. When I was only a kid, my mother passed away." Lucy nervously said. Her voice pained when she mentioned death.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment before Natsu spoke up. "Alright, we know what to do, so let's save Macao!" before immediately laying back down on the seat.

"There There, Natsu." Lucy patted Natsu's back in comfort. "I used to have bad motion sickness too."

Happy put a paw in the air. "You did, Lucy?"

She continued to pat Natsu's back. "When I was little I had it bad. My mum said it was a family illness, But I think I outgrew it."

Happy snickered, putting a paw over his mouth. "Natsu never grows out of anything."

"Hey!" Natsu barely managed to make out.

Lucy stopped patting Natsu's back and sat back in her own seat. "Once we finish our search for Macao, I'm going to have to find a place to live. If I stay here for a while that is."

"You can live with us at natsu's place." happy said

"Really? You would really do that for a stranger?" Lucy said. Eyes brimming with tears.

"Your…not… you're not a stranger… you're our friend." Natsu struggled to say In between bouts of motion sickness.

Natsu suddenly shot up from the wooden seat. "It stopped!" He yelled with excitement.

"Oh, are we at Mt. Hakobe already?" Lucy asked herself.

"Forgive me but I can't go any further in a horse drawn carriage." The driver said with chattering teeth.

As Natsu opened the carriage doors, a blast of cold hit Lucy's skin. The snowstorm was so bad she was amazed that the carriage driver managed to make it this far.

As the trio walked in the blizzard a thought popped into Lucy's head. "Hey, what work brought Macao all the way out here?"

Natsu glared at Lucy like she was stupid for even asking the question. "You came all this way without knowing that? Vulcans. He came here to kill a nest of em."

Lucy put her left hand to her chin in thought. "Vulcans. They are not that dangerous. Did one eat Macao?"

Natsu didn't even bother turning his head to address Lucy. He simply kept on walking through the blizzard. "Don't even think about it!"

"Aren't you cold, Lucy?" Happy asked.

"Yeah, for someone who wears hardly anything you sure don't get cold." Natsu said.

Lucy was annoyed with Natsu's comment about her clothes. "I am wearing enough, Natsu!" she said before she addressed Happy.

Lucy shook her head. "No. I grew up in the cold, so I'm used to it."

"Ohh." Was all happy said.

After walking through the blizzard for what Lucy thought was about five minutes or so, a Vulcan jumped from a higher part of the mountain and landed right in front of Natsu. As it landed it struck its giant fist at Natsu, but he quickly dodged.

The Vulcan would have continued the fight if not for catching the sight of Lucy standing nearby wrapped in her cloak.

"It's a human girl! Ohh! Ohh!" it grunted.

The mountain Vulcan grabbed lucy by her waist and tucked her under his arm as he ran off into the snow.

"Looks like I'm getting kidnapped again. Oh well. Maybe the Vulcan will lead me to where Macao is." Lucy thought.

The Vulcan sat Lucy in the center of his icy cave where he danced around her excitedly. "Woman! Woman!" it chanted. The Vulcan moved closer to Lucy, examining her like a doll.

"What I want to know is how did you know I was a woman? I was wrapped in this dark cloak." Lucy asked the Vulcan.

The Vulcan cocked its head in confusion before pointing at Lucy's above average sized chest and yelled "Woman!"

Lucy looked around the cave, not seeing Natsu anywhere. "Natsu. Please come soon."

As if on cue Natsu ran in the cave before proceeding to slip on ice and slam into a wall. Natsu quickly got up like it had never happened at all.

Lucy was keenly watching Natsu. "Is it customary to slam into walls when you enter caves?" she thought.

Natsu was pointing to the Vulcan with a glare in his eyes. "Alright you big ape, where's Macao! Where are you hiding him? He's a human man."

The Vulcan gestured for Natsu to follow him.

"Oh, is he over there?" Natsu asked the Vulcan.

The Vulcan didn't answer, he just pushed Natsu out the cave to his certain death.

"Ohh, Ohh. Don't need men. Only like girls!" The Vulcan grunted as he waved Natsu goodbye.

Lucy dashed over to the hole in the cave wall and looked down. Worry filled her entire being. "Natsu!" she yelled with all her might.

Lucy glared daggers into the monster. "If Natsu is dead then you have hell to pay."

Lucy unhooked a golden key from a loop on her belt and slashed it up into the air.

"Open! Gate of the golden Bull: Taurus!"

In a flash of golden light, a large, humanoid bull appeared with a giant axe on his back and nothing but speedos and boots for clothing.

"Taurus, I need you to kill that vulcan!" Lucy said as she pointed towards the monkey like creature.

Taurus turned to Lucy with hearts in his eyes. His eyes drifting form her face to her large chest.

"Moo! Lucy your udders are getting bigger every day!"

Lucy glared at Taurus with killing intent. "If you say another word, I will have you as my dinner!"

"I'll get to work. Moo!" Taurus said as he charged the Vulcan with his axe.

Lucy saw a figure being lifted up in the air, curious as to what it could be before she recognized it as Natsu.

"Natsu! Your alive!" Lucy yelled. Eyes brimming with tears.

Natsu's face filled with shock at the sight of now two giant ape like monsters.

"Now there's two monsters!" Natsu shouted as he kicked Taurus in the face, knocking him out clean.

Lucy's mouth gaped open in shock. "Natsu! That was my spirit. Wait, how did you get back up here?"

Before Natsu could answer Lucy's question happy flew in above them.

"Oh, I forgot Happy could fly." Lucy said.

"Yeah, Happy did all the work, Thanks!"

Happy flew around the cave looking down at Natsu and Lucy. "Aye! You're welcome."

Lucy put her left hand to her chin in thought. "Wait. Don't you get motion sickness from vehicles?"

Natsu's face turned into a grimace. "Happy isn't transportation, he's a friend."

Lucy pointed to the Vulcan in the back of the cave. "Um… Natsu?"

"Listen, all members of Fairy Tail are considered friends. Including gramps and Mira…" As Natsu begun his speech, the Vulcan was running towards him ready to attack. "…those annoying guys Elfman and Gray…"

"Natsu behind you!" Lucy screamed.

Natsu just ignored Lucy's warning as if he were deaf. "Including Happy and you, Lucy. We're all friends."

A small blush flashed over Lucy's cheeks. "Friends…"

Natsu quickly turned around and kicked the Vulcan in its stomach with a flaming foot. "That's why… I'm gonna bring home Macao!"

The vulcan slid across the floor before grabbing a few icicles hanging from the ceiling of the cave, and throwing them like spears.

The spears melted to nothing against Natsu's body heat.

"That won't work against me!" Natsu said with a devilish smirk.

The Vulcan found Taurus's giant axe lying on the ground and picked it up.

Instantly Natsu's cockiness vanished. "But that might."

The Vulcan swung the axe left and right, up and down, and in every angle it could with all it's might. But Natsu was just as strong and fast.

While evading one of the axe swings, Natsu slipped on the ice losing his footing. The Vulcan swung the axe back, ready to deliver the killing blow.

Natsu readied himself for the impact that never came.

Instead, he heard what sounded like metal hit metal. To his complete shock he saw Lucy, holding off the axe with her right arm. Diamond like scales ran all over her arm and hand, encasing her with an impenetrable armor.

"Natsu! I can't old him back forever! Finish him!" Lucy yelled.

"Here I go!" Natsu readied himself, coating his right fist with flame and roaring out "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" as he slammed his fist into the vulcan, which went flying into the icy wall behind them.

"He's down!" Happy cheered.

"Yeah, but did you not want the monkey to tell you where Macao is?" Lucy asked.

"Ahh! I completely forgot!" Natsu yelled in frustration.

The vulcan lied there against the wall and in a puff of smoke and light it dissolved, leaving Macao knocked out and slumping up against the icy wall.

"What! Macao? Where did the monkey man go?" Natsu yelled.

'Calm down, Natsu. It must have been a form of take-over. The Vulcan must have taken over Macao's body. Vulcans as a species need a host to survive." Lucy explained.

Suddenly the icy wall started to crack and gave out, with Macao falling before Natsu quickly grabbed him. But Natsu quickly found himself falling but Happy grabbed his right leg in the nick of time.

"I can't carry two people!" Happy grunted as his little wings started to give out.

Lucy grabbed Natsu with both her arms to stop him from falling.

"Lucy your arm!" Natsu said.

"Not the right time, Natsu!" she yelled out as she pulled, trying and failing to lift them back up.

Lucy could feel herself slipping, then suddenly with ease Lucy and everyone was thrown back into the cave.

"Everything's going to be fine. Moo!" Taurus said.

"So, you were a good guy after all!" Natsu yelled in excitement.

Macao laid on the floor of the icy cave under a thin blanket Natsu put down. He had minor cuts and gashes all over his body, but there was one giant gash on the right side of his body.

"Natsu! I don't think the first aid box has anything in it that can stop the bleeding." Lucy said.

Happy was looking in the box to find anything that could help Macao. "I think she's right Natsu."

Natsu lit his hands on fire. "Right now, there's only one thing I can do. Lucy! Hold Macao down!"

Natsu slammed his hands onto the gaping wound and Lucy could smell the horrid stench of burning flesh.

"I see, the burn is closing the wound. The blood flow is already stopping." Lucy thought to herself.

"Don't you dare die! Just wait a little longer!" Natsu screamed at Macao.

Lucy could hear Macao's screams as Natsu continue to close up the wound.

"Dammit… I'm ashamed of myself… I….I brought down… nineteen of em, but the twentieth got me… it took me over.

Lucy was in utter shock. "He took down nineteen Vulcans? He must be insane."

"It gets to me… damnit! I… can't face… Romeo like… this!" Macao said.

Natsu was furious. "I said shut up! Want me to punch you out?!"

"You did more any other father could do! You need to go and see your son with your head held high!" Lucy yelled.

Macao had his arm covering his face as tears fell down his cheeks. "Yeah, your right."

Natsu and Lucy found themselves walking through Magnolia to south gate park, with Macao leaning against Natsu for support. When they got there, they saw Romeo was sitting on a park bench reading a book.

Macao let go of Natsu and ran over to his son, embracing him in a tight hug. "I'm sorry I worried you. Romeo.

"That's okay. I'm a wizard's son." Romeo said.

"Next time those brats make fun of you, you can just ask them 'can your dads take down nineteen monsters all alone?' Just say that."

Romeo smiled brightly at his father. He noticed Natsu, Happy and Lucy walking away.

"Hey, Natsu, Happy, Thank you! Oh, and Lucy! Thank you too!" Romeo yelled.

Lucy shined a bright smile and waved back.

Later that night Macao was tucking Romeo into bed.

"Dad, tell me a bedtime story." He whined.

Macao rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe not tonight kid. I'm a bit exhausted after Mt Hakobe.

Tears started to form in the corner of the small boy's eyes.

Macao sighed and sat down at the edge of the bed, near Romeo's feet. "Alright, alright. But just a short one, okay?"

"Yup!" the small child said.

"Well, here goes. Once upon a time there was a fire demon that ruled the land, and everyone hated him. Everywhere he went he caused destruction and no man, no matter how strong, could defeat him- "

Romeo interrupted his father's story. "You could. You took down 19 monsters all by yourself!"

Macao laughed slightly. "Yeah, I'm sure I could."

"- anyway… After everyone was defeated, a beautiful princess appeared and sealed away the demon, never to be seen again, but sometimes you can still see his shadow."

Macao turned to the door, about to turn the light lacrima off, when a small grin formed on his face.

"Now Romeo, if you're not a good little boy, the demon will eat you for breakfast."

Romeo, not looking the least bit scared, stuck his tongue out at his father. "Will not!"

"Goodnight Romeo."

"Goodnight dad."

And with that Macao shut the door and everything went quiet and Romeo fell to sleep.