Chapter 1: The boy and his blue cat
In the port town of Hargeon, a young girl was walking along the main street, searching for a certain shop. The girl noticed she was getting curious looks from others nearby. She mused to herself, knowing it was most likely because of the large, black cloak she wore, one that hid most of her face and body.
The young girl paced around inside a small magic shop, loudly tapping her foot in thought. The shopkeeper of the small magic store was not amused. The strange girl's antics were scaring away other potential customers.
The old man who ran the magic shop was annoyed with the girl's attitude. He lumped back in his chair behind the counter. "Listen girl, if you're not going to buy anything then get out!"
The man's yell caught the girl's attention. "But I have yet to buy anything. Why would I leave?" the cloaked girl said.
The shopkeeper cleared his throat to get the mysterious girl's attention. "Now, now! What are you looking for? Just tell me, I'm sure there is something that catches your fancy. We have many of the very latest magic items!"
"I only want gate keys." The cloaked girl said quietly.
The old man sighed and pointed to a small cabinet behind the girl. "You should have said just that! I do sell gate keys, but not powerful ones I'm afraid."
The girl looked at the cabinet in confusion, and she turned back around to the shopkeeper. "Um… sir, that is a cabinet not a gate key."
The shopkeeper pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, I know. Look inside the cabinet."
The cloaked girl's face contorted into a large smile, which he could barely make out of the cloak that covered her face.
"This one." The cloaked girl pointed to a silver key in the cabinet. "I think it's the white doggy, how much?"
"Twenty thousand Jewel." The shopkeeper replied.
The cloaked girl mumbled to herself. "Not too much then." She placed a large brown bag of jewels on the table which she took from her cloak, grabbed her new gate key and ran off.
The shopkeeper finished counting the jewels in the brown bag. "But miss… this is double the price."
The cloaked girl was walking around the port staring at her new gate key, when suddenly a young woman bumped into her running off shouting "Salamander! Salamander is here!"
"Sala-Salamander the fire dragon!? Then the rumors were true." The cloaked girl ran off to where a large group of women were standing in a circle, being wooed by a strange man with purple hair.
The cloaked girl took one good look at the man with purple hair before she was suddenly feeling strange. "That man… He's not a dra- But why do I feel so weak? Am I falling in what mama called… love?"
She felt as if she was standing around the 'salamander' for what felt like hours, doing nothing but staring at his face when suddenly her attraction faltered. "What just happened?"
"Igneel! Igneel!" a boy with pink spiky hair was shouting at the top of his lungs, with what looked like a little blue cat.
"Igneel? But it can't be… how does that boy know Igneel?" The cloaked girl thought.
The cloaked girl stared at this fake salamander with rage boiling under her skin. "He tricked me. How dare he… using a dragon's fame to attract women." She thought to herself, while watching the strange pink haired boy being pummeled into the ground by a group of angry girls.
The next moment she looked back at the salamander, he was flying off into the sky on fire, shouting something about "having business at the harbor."
She walked over to the pink haired man and his blue cat who were sitting on the ground.
"Hey, thanks for saving, do you want some free food?" she said as she held out her left hand for him to grab.
They both turned to face her. "Huh? Did you say food?"
In the cheap restaurant the cloaked girl led them to, which sat in the middle of one of the town's busiest streets, Food was flying everywhere.
The cloaked girl put her elbows against the table and leaned closer towards the two. "So, you said your names were Natsu and Happy? Go ahead, enjoy the food. I have enough for seconds."
Natsu and Happy were so shocked the food fell out of their mouths.
"That Slamander guy was using 'charm' magic, making girls fall in love with him, so when you came barging in you broke the spell, so thank you."
"Ahh, I see. Makes sense." Natsu said in-between shoveling food in his mouth.
The cloaked girl sat there in the booth quietly watching Natsu and Happy continue eating their food, when suddenly her stomach rumbled.
"It's not fair that you don't eat when you're the one who brought the food. Here." Natsu said with a smile as he slid a plate of seafood to her side of the table.
"You don't talk much do ya?" Natsu said.
Happy stood on the table, munching on a fish. "Aye! She's creepy staring at us like that!"
The cloaked girl looked down at her hands, her tears hitting the wooden table below.
Natsu and Happy panicked. "Oi, it's okay, you're not creepy, Happy tell her." Natsu elbowed the blue cat.
Happy stood up and walked to the cloaked girl. "I'm sorry I called you creepy. I was just joking."
The cloaked girl patted Happy's head with a faint smile. "It's okay…"
In between bites of chicken, Natsu asked the girl a question. "What's your name? We gotta know the name of the girl who fed us!" he cheerfully said with a toothy grin.
The cloaked girl looked up at Happy and Natsu, a small smile forming. "Lucy… My name is Lucy."
Natsu and happy both smiled at Lucy before continuing to eat their meal. Lucy now taking small bites of the seafood Natsu offered her. "I heard you were looking for a salamander?
Happy was munching on his fish in the bowl in front of him. "Yeah! He's a big guy."
"We heard there was a salamander in this town… so we came, but it turned to be someone else. Natsu said."
Happy turned to Natsu, with a blank look on his face. "We could see he wasn't a real salamander just by looking."
"I was sure it would be Igneel." Natsu said.
Lucy was finishing off her meal, eating the last few bits of salad on her plate. "So, I was right they really do know Igneel." She thought to herself.
Natsu and Happy were continuing to scarf down the last bits of food on the table.
Lucy was hesitant to speak. "Is Igneel… perhaps… a dragon?"
Natsu and Happy's mouths almost hit the floor in shock.
"You know Igneel?l!" Natsu yelled.
"No, not exactly- "Lucy waved her hands to suggest she didn't know. "- I said I have heard of him, you know in like, stories and stuff." Lucy murmured quietly, but still loud enough for Natsu's dragon slayer hearing to pick up on.
Natsu suddenly grinned. "Well, my old man always kinda famous, so it makes sense."
Lucy put her left hand to her chest to calm herself, not realizing just how stressful that conversation was. She proceeded to get up and walk out when suddenly Natsu and Happy were prostrating themselves on the floor, to the shock of everyone in the building.
Everyone except Lucy.
"Thank you! Thank you so much for the food!" Both man and cat shouted.
Lucy looked at them both with amusement. "That's okay… you saved me." She whispered quietly.
Natsu still prostrated on the floor, spoke. "But we didn't do it intending to save anyone!"
Happy spoke loudly, for a cat at least. "Aye! We're in your debt!"
"It's fine… really." Lucy said.
It was later in the day and Lucy found herself sitting on a small, wooden bench in the middle of a medium sized park. She enjoyed the sensation of the sun's rays hitting her skin. The warm sensation something she had not felt in many years.
Flipping through the pages of the magazine she just brought, she stopped at a page that caught her attention.
"Fairy Tail's Salamander! Top 5 facts!"
"Fact number five: The salamander is rumored to be a dragon! With all the fire he packs, he's a Yeti's worst nightmare."
Lucy thought to herself in confusion. "How is that a 'fact' when they called it a rumor?"
Suddenly, out of nowhere she heard a strange yet familiar voice. She jumped out of her seat ready to fight. Lucy looked up from her magazine and eyed the purple haired man. "Who are you? Oh… it's just the salamander."
The man looked slightly disappointed by Lucy's tone.
"Ahh, I see that you know of me. Fairy tail's mighty salamander!" he said with a sly smirk.
Lucy's cloaked face lit up with glee. "Are you a dragon!" she pointed to the excerpt about him in the magazine.
The man took a step back before speaking. "No, I am not a dragon. However, my- "
"Not interested." Lucy said, interrupting the salamander, walking away.
Salamander walked in front of Lucy and grabbed her wrist. "Hey there pretty lady. I may not be a dragon, but I know where one is. But I will only show you if you go with me to my yacht party."
Lucy looked at the man with disgust. "Let go of me."
Salamander just stood in front of Lucy, ignoring her wish. He grabbed her cloak that covered her face and body, and as he did so he said: "If you're coming to my party, I need to make sure your beautiful."
In that instant Lucy felt the panic in her gut spread into her chest and she acted immediately. Before he could fully lift the cloak off her face, Lucy punched him square in the gut with her right arm, light shining off it as she did so.
Lucy glared daggers into the man. "I am going to your party however I will wear whatever I want!" She stormed off angrily.
It was later that evening and Lucy had no idea why she was sitting onboard a fancy yacht. One that was sailing around port hargeon. Seated on a fancy couch, Lucy could hear some women talk under their breath.
"Why is she here!"
"Who let the homeless onboard?"
"I thought this was supposed to be classy?!"
Lucy tensed up at the comments the women were saying. Trying to calm herself she pulled the sides of her skirt, scrunching up some of the fabric in her clenched hands.
Salamander walked up to Lucy, clapping his hands with a sly smirk on his face. "Well, well. Are you enjoying yourself?"
"No… this place is boring."
Salamander was insulted. His face contorted into a scowl. Well, it won't be boring for much longer!" Salamander clicked his fingers and suddenly two large burly men grabbed each of Lucy's arms and she simply stood there calmly.
"Welcome abord my slave ship, Doll!" He ripped the cloak off her head and started to inspect her like an animal.
Lucy glared daggers at the man and when his hand came around to caress her face, she bit down hard on his left hand.
"You bitch!" salamander sneered, blood flowing from his thumb. "This is for earlier!" He shouted as he punched Lucy in her gut with all his might.
Lucy looked around, seeing all the women aboard the ship being dragged about. "A slave ship, I should have realized! The newspapers reported on this happening nearby." Lucy thought to herself.
Lucy suddenly felt a punch to her gut and she looked up. "Was that… supposed to hurt?"
Furious, salamander grabbed the keys dangling of her hips and threw them in the water. "Stupid mage. Without your magic you can't possibly escape!"
Shock filled Lucy's face and she started to panic. "My Keys! No… I need… my keys." She said as tears fell down her face.
Suddenly, without warning a man came crashing through the yacht. He stood there with an intense scowl on his face, ready to fight.
Lucy's eyes lit up with hope. "Natsu?" hope that quickly vanished as he collapsed to the floor. "Is he…"
"Seasick? Yeah. But it's more like motion sickness." The little blue cat said as he scooped Lucy up with his tail, holding her tight around her waist in the air.
"Happy!" Lucy smiled, rubbing the tears from her eyes.
Salamander shot a purple flame into the sky, ready to burn both of them alive. "You're not getting away!"
Happy easily flew out of the way of the purple fire and shot off into the sky.
"Happy can you make it to the shore?" Lucy said as she pointed to the beach.
Happy sighed. "Nope. I've run out of magic." The little white wings holding Happy and Lucy in the air vanished and they both fell into the sea.
When Lucy hit the water she dived deeper into the ocean, determined to find her keys in the cold, dark water.
Before she was about to swim to the surface for air, she saw a golden glint. Lucy then realized her keys were stuck in the sand.
Lucy quickly grabbed her ring of keys that were snagged in between a few rocks and burst out of the ocean, taking in a huge breath of air and pointing a key up into the sky, yelling; "Open! Gate of the water bearer! Aquarius!"
Suddenly a mermaid appeared out of thin air and was floating above the waves. "What trouble did you get yourself into today, Lucy?"
"I need you to throw that boat back onto the shore. There are women about to be sold as slaves!" Lucy pointed to the large boat, now with fire bursting out of random places.
Aquarius smirked and summoned a tidal wave to throw the ship ashore.
The next thing Lucy knew she, along with the boat and presumably all the women on it, were thrown on the shore. Pieces of the Yacht scattered all over the beach.
"It's done. Now try to stay out of trouble okay Lucy?" Aquarius said.
"I will try my best" Lucy replied as Aquarius went back to the spirit world.
Lucy and Happy were sitting on a piece of the yacht that broke off after Aquarius's attack. They watched as Natsu shot fire through the city, incinerating any buildings that were in his way.
Lucy watched on in awe as Natsu and salamander flew around the city, exchanging blows of fire. "I hope Natsu can withstand Salamander's fire." Lucy said.
Happy turned to look at Lucy with a mischievous grin. "That isn't the real salamander. The real salamander is Natsu! A Fairy Tail wizard!"
Lucy put her left hand to her chin in thought. "That would explain why he seems to be winning this fight, after all it confirms all the rumors I have heard."
"Bora… a few years back a man named Bora the prominence was expelled from the titan nose wizard guild because of human trafficking." Happy explained.
Lucy nodded in understanding. "And because he targeted those girls, Natsu is mad?"
Sweat dripped from Happy's head. "No. He's just angry he misused the name of Fairy Tail."
"But I still don't understand… How can Natsu eat fire?" Lucy pointed to Natsu devouring Bora's flames.
"Cause he's a dragon slayer!" Happy yelled.
"A dragon slayer?! Could he…" Lucy's train of thought was interrupted as Natsu suddenly yanked Lucy off the broken piece of the yacht by her left arm and started running through the harbor.
Lucy cocked her head in confusion "Natsu, are you making me your slave now?"
Natsu just flashed Lucy a toothy grin. "Your weird. I like you, so I've decided your coming with me to Fairy Tail!"
And the trio ran off into the distance… off to Fairy Tail.
Hello everyone, as you may or may not have noticed this chapter has been updated. It's nothing much, just a few more sentences thrown in to make the story flow better and minor grammar issues. It's mostly the same as the older version. I hope you enjoy this update!
updated 19/6/22