Waves crashed against the sides of the boat, causing spray to fly through the air and crash back down on the figure standing on the prow. Long blonde hair tangled in the wind, streaming behind the woman like golden waves. Her tank top was soaked through, but she kept her hands on the railing and kept looking out at the horizon. Every wave the ship went over, she simply clutched the railing tighter, turning her knuckles white.
Even in the middle of December, the young woman was dressed in a green tank top and short black skirt with knee-high black boots. The weather on the ocean differed, but the winds were normally warm and the sun was constantly beating down, so even in the dead of winter, it felt like a warm summer day. The woman closed her eyes, breathing in the salty air and attempting to relax.
"Hey Lucy," a strong voice called out across the ship. Lucy Heartfilia turned, her blonde hair whipping herself in her face as the wind changed directions. Coming towards her was Erza Scarlet, the tall and scary red-head member of their team. She had exchanged her usual armor for a wrap-around blue skirt and white tank top, her long scarlet hair piled on top of her head. But however non-threatening she looked, she was probably the strongest one on the ship. She joined Lucy at the bow, taking in a deep breath.
"Are Natsu and Wendy still heaving?" Lucy looked over at Erza, trying to hide a small smile. Erza groaned, leaning forward so the railing dug into her stomach.
"I finally just knocked them out and left them with Happy and Carla. Honestly, it's best for all of us if we don't hear them for a few hours. God, I wish we hadn't forgotten that motion sickness medicine Anna had invented," she lamented, looking out across the waves as Lucy had been doing.
Lucy chuckled, returning her gaze to the vast expanse of water. "Tell me about it. Natsu hasn't stopped complaining about that for days." Sometime during the last few years, Anna Heartfilia, Lucy's ancestor from 400 years in the past, had figured out a way to keep certain vehicles from making the Dragon Slayers motion sick by using a lacrima. During the past year, she had managed to turn this technology into pills they could take. And, of course, they had forgotten everything back at home.
The group of five mages, Lucy Heartfilia, Erza Scarlet, Natsu Dragneel, Wendy Marvel, and Gray Fullbuster, along with the two Exceeds, Happy and Carla, had departed on the 100 Year Quest nearly three months ago. With a little help from Gildarts pointing them in the right direction, the group was finally on their way to receive their mission. All they knew so far was that the continent they were traveling to was called Benos, so far away that it required almost a month by sea travel. To say the least, the seasick Dragon Slayers were quickly regretting taking this job.
"We should arrive tomorrow," Lucy mused, talking more to herself than Erza. "I can't believe we're actually doing this. I mean, Gildarts was gone for three whole years and he came back with half a body. Are we ready for this? Can we really stay away from home for so long?"
"Chin up." Erza placed a comforting hand on Lucy's shoulder, causing the Celestial Mage to wince from the sheer force of it. "There's nothing Fairy Tail's strongest team can't do. Especially when we all work together. We'll all get back home, safe and sound, before too long." Erza smiled, lifting her face to the sun above. "Besides, how can you worry on such a beautiful day?"
A soft smile slipped onto Lucy's face as she too raised her head to admire the stunning winter's day. The two women remained like that for several long moments before they were interrupted by the sounds of a certain ice-make mage crossing the deck towards them.
"Yo," Gray called out in greeting. Lucy turned her smile on him, all at once reminding him of the young woman he had left behind in Magnolia. The happy innocence in her eyes, yet the power hidden within her, waiting to prove just how strong she was and what she could do. He smiled back slightly, leaning against the railing of the ship.
The night before they had left on the quest, Gray had finally told Juvia how he felt about her. And, seeing how they hadn't actually left Magnolia or Fiore for about two months after that, Juvia had traveled with team had been great about letting her tag along until they figured out what the first step was, but part of him wished that he had waited until they had returned from this quest. Sure, those two months had been great, even better than the months he had spent living with her when Fairy Tail was disbanded. But they just made him long for more time with her. When his team finally figured out that they needed to go to Benos, he had begged Juvia to not wait for him. He had no idea how long he would be away, and he didn't want her to put her life on hold until he got back. But he knew Juvia. She would never do that, no matter how long it took for him to come back. So she simply called him every night on the miniature communication lacrima Warren had created, and the pair talked for as long as they could. The more he talked with her, the more in love he fell with her. But just talking to her wasn't the same as actually seeing her, holding her, feeling her. Each new call brought about a stronger force pushing Gray back towards Magnolia and Fairy Tail and Juvia. Three months was a long time to be away from the guild, and their quest hadn't even started yet.
"How's everyone at the guild?" Erza questioned, turning around so her back was to the sight before them. Her skirt fluttered in front of her, but at least her hair was up. Lucy's hair was flying wildly around her face, whipping back and forth.
"Everyone's great. Juvia said that Levy and Gajeel finally got married a couple days ago, and Elfman and Evergreen are planning a wedding of their own for January." Lucy gasped at this, hand covering her heart.
"Wow. I mean, we all saw it coming, but it's still such a surprise. And isn't Levy expecting? The baby should be coming in a few months, right?" Gray nodded, crossing his arms over his bare chest. Lucy shook her head in wonder. "So much has happened since we left. Who knows how much we're going to miss on this quest?"
Gray shrugged, turning his gaze to the sky above as he tried hard not to think too much about it. "Whatever we miss, we miss. Everything will turn out the way fate decides. We can only hope for the best."
"We can't place our entire future in the hands of fate," Lucy protested, pulling her hair around to the front and braiding the strands together. "We are going to go and kick this quest's ass and then come back to Fairy Tail with our heads held high." Gray snorted, shaking his head at the blonde's determination.
"Yes, I agree, Lucy. But we can't underestimate this quest. After all, Gildarts had barely begun when Acnologia attacked, and it took him years to get that far," Erza reminded them. Lucy's brave face dropped for a moment before she regained it.
"Gildarts was by himself. I mean, sure, he's the strongest mage in Ishgar, but there's nothing our team can't do, right? Especially when Natsu gets all fired up." She sounded a little nervous now, but Gray knew that when they came face to face with danger, Lucy would be one of the last ones to back down. Even now, her hands were fidgeting with the keys strapped to her belt almost as if she was aching for a fight, even though it was pure nerves that were moving her fingers.
"I guess you're right. Honestly, the thing we should be most concerned about is keeping Natsu from destroying everything." They laughed nervously, all of them knowing that Gray's words were legitimate.
"Would it be just our luck to complete this amazing quest but we don't get any reward because we have to pay for all of the damages he caused?" Lucy chuckled half-heartedly, rubbing the back of her neck even as Erza shook her head, turning her head and looking out at sea once more.
"We'll just have to keep a firm grip on him. Besides, we aren't in this for the reward. We're doing this so that we can complete this mission that no one has ever been able to complete as of yet. And so we can help the people affected by this. Actually, Lucy," Erza looked back at the blonde, "do you remember if Gildarts said anything about what this quest was about? We're pretty much flying blind here except for the knowledge that we have to go to Benos, and that is not enough to go off of."
Lucy wrapped her arms around her torso, staring out to sea as she tried to remember everything from their brief conversation with the old man before they left Magnolia. "I have a journal in my bag that has all the notes I took. Off the top of my head, I know that as soon as we arrive in Benos, we're supposed to meet with someone who will fill us in on all of the specifics. I have the town and name written down, as well as some inns that he recommended. He couldn't really give us any details; he said that was part of the quest. Until we've completed the quest, we can't talk to anyone outside of our employer about this quest." She didn't say the other thought that was plaguing her mind. And if we fail, then we can't tell anyone about this quest ever. That's why Gildarts couldn't tell us anything. And if Gildarts failed, then how could we possibly win?
"It shouldn't be too hard to find one guy, right? I mean, Natsu can just sniff him out." Gray was leaning against the railing, joining Lucy in looking at the ocean. Erza shook her head with a smile.
"You're talking about him like he's an animal." Gray snorted, shrugging at throwing Erza a look.
"He's not that different from one," he shot back, earning a laugh from the two women. Gray smirked as Lucy and Erza smiled, the three of them drifting off into a friendly silence. Lucy forced her mind from her morbid thoughts and instead focused on the horizon, on their future. I shouldn't worry. We can do anything. We're Fairy Tail's strongest team. We're all a lot stronger than we used to be. And… even though I'm not as powerful as the others, I can still hold my own. Besides, Natsu won't let anything happen to me. He's determined to make sure we all make it back home safe and sound. And when Natsu gets an idea in his head, he doesn't let it go.