A Different Fairy Tail
Chapter/Episode 3: Team Strauss' first mission: Daybreak!
Michael: Welcome back to a Different Fairy Tail, where now I have 11 Followers/13 Favorites. Equal to Re Deluxe, but I hope more people read this. I am trying my best to make two good retellings. But with all these clichéd overused stories with Lucy, Lisanna, and everyone in Fairy Tail, my work is extremely overlooked. But I won't give up and will make both stories good, and will stick to how Fairy Tail should be.
Sting: This chapter was written after the release of Chapter 329 and who's not a cold blooded killing asshole anymore?
Lector: Sting didn't kill his Dragon in cold blood to increase his powers, his Dragon along with Rogue's were ill and ask their children to put them out their misery.
Lisanna: Why they lied and started this whole mess between Fairy Tale and Saber Tooth we'll never know.
Lucy: But at least it puts you off people's list Sting, even though the Sticy stories will never end.
Happy: Same with NatsuxLucy, a big chuck are the replaced cliché, the Saber Tooth Cliché, The mate cliché, High School AU, Vampire, Lucy Dragon Slayer or OOC magic, Both portrayed as dense idiots, Lucy pregnant with Natsu's child for many bizarre reasons, Lucy's heartbroken, memory loss, the list goes on.
Michael: Lucy is paired with many characters, but many just can't do it right without messing up Lucy's or any characters' development. That is why this is the first of four LucyxLisanna stories to show how pairings should be handled with development and plot. My two and my friend's stories will be the few on , but maybe it will help launch more good ones in the future.
Lucy *Blushes*: Still can't believe it's me and Lisanna.
Kyuri: Better than the other overused ships. Anyway, let's begin this chapter. The team of Lisanna, Sting, and Lucy, Happy, me, and Lector is formed in this chapter with Levy McGarden tagging along for this arc. Both the anime and manga events are used in this chapter, so know your Fairy Tail to see what was used.
Michael: We'll see you at the end.
Edit 2014: Final chapter, after this, I don't think I'll be fixing them up for a while after this.
It was a couple days after Lisanna, Sting, Lucy, Kyuri, Happy, and Lector saved Macao on Mt. Hakobe and reunited Romeo with his father. After that, Lucy found herself a new apartment in Magnolia so she could stay close to the guild. She was going ask to live with Sting or Lisanna, but she declined the offers, saying she doesn't want to be a hassle of the two mages. Her apartment, a two-story apartment house with red walls and a dark-brown sloping roof with two chimneys and two dormer windows, was located on Strawberry Street, Magnolia Town and near a water canal and bridge. Inside the apartment the wall are decorated in pink and a lot of storage space. Her main room is quite large and includes a lot of furniture like a bed, desk, bookcase, commode, and dresser, a table with three chairs, a coffee table and an armchair. The entrance to the bathroom and the kitchen are on the other end of the room, with two turquoise curtains. The bathroom is blue with Trade Card tiles. A Kitchen was added to her apartment as well with an old fashion stove and pantry. As the sun rose up, the young blond Celestial spirit mage rose up start the day. She look to the window facing the side of her bed and smiled.
(Cue Lucy's theme—Fairy Tail volume one soundtrack)
Hi, I'm Lucy, a real life mage and this is Magnolia, a commercial city in which magic flourished since the ancient times. If the Kaurudia is the middle of the city, which towers over the surroundings, was gone, you'd be able to see the only Mage Guild in this town Fairy Tail. And that's the house I decided to live in. The rent is only 70,000 Jewel. I found a nice place. For 70,000 Jewels, it's very spacious and it has storage space, it has an old fashioned fireplace and even a cooking stove. And the most wonderful of it all is…
While Lucy took a bath in her tub, dried her hair, and brushed her teeth, she entered back into her room her body draped in a white towel and a smile on her face to find…
"Yo/morning!" greeted the voices of a young boy and two girls.
"My bedroom!" screamed the celestial spirit mage, seeing the five intruders to her house.
Sting, Lisanna, and Kyuri were sitting on either the floor or on one of the chairs greeting the blonde haired mage. Happy and Lector were on the little table eating and making a mess along with the three human mages.
"Get the heck out of here, you jerks!" she screamed once more, taking her right foot and kicking the five to the wall, spattering them to it with one on top of the other (attempting the action while still wearing her towel). Once crashed to the ground afterword, Sting rose back up first with his hand to his left cheek where Lucy had kicked him. He rubbed it slightly but looked calm but irritated at the same time.
"Ouch, so much for a peaceful visits from you…" Sting groaned look at the towel wearing girl.
"Why are you five here?!" she demanded the five mages who finally recovered from her attack.
"Mira-nee told us about your place so we decided to check it out." Lisanna said the bruise on her cheek visible as well smiling.
"She told you? So what?!" she retorted, hands to her hips, "Does that mean you can just come in like!?"
She pointed an angry finger at Sting, Lisanna, and Kyuri, continuing on with her furious rant, "Don't you know the phrase, 'A hedge between keeps friends green!?' What you three did is trespassing! A crime! You're lacking morals, especially you two!" she added, referring to Lisanna and Kyuri.
Sting narrowed his eyes, keeping his blue eyes on the fellow blonde, "Hey… That's hurts our feelings." He said to her.
"I'm the one being violated here, Eucliffe!" she yelled back teeth resembling monster fangs.
"Such a nice place you got here, Lucy-san." Lector said simply his friend Happy filing his claws on the walls making Lucy look to them in shock.
"Well, tell Happy to keep it that way!" she yelled to the two cats.
"Hmm, what's this?" Kyuri asked her and Lisanna looking at a stack of papers on the Celestial mage's table. Lucy turned to the two girls and gasped, seeing the papers in the young girl's hands.
"Nothing!" she screamed, tackling the black and white haired girl and taking the papers from the Ice Sculpt mage. She remained on the ground hugging the papers close to her chest looking terrified as if the girl read it.
"What was that? I'm curious." Lisanna said, seeing the kneeling blonde haired mage.
"Who cares what is!" she yelled but added flailing her left arms while her eyes crossed, "I mean, just go home already Strauss!"
"Don't want to." Lisanna replied smiling at her, "We came to visit you."
"You're so selfish!" Lucy responded, tears flooding her eyes.
A few minutes later after the group's intruding of her house, Lucy was dressed in a red, short sleeve shirt with a white and black center and blue sweat pants. She had served the three some tea as they sat near the table: Lucy on one side, Sting, Kyuri and Lisanna on the other, and Happy and Lector on the table. The blond haired mage had an annoyed look on her face and an arm resting on her table.
"Look, I just moved in a few days ago, and I'm not ready for guests. So why don't you guys drink your tea, say thanks, and leave." she said with an annoyed sigh.
"Wow, so cold hearted." The three friends remarked with a frown.
"Ice cold..." Lector and Happy remarked as well smiling.
"Watch it cats." Lucy spat anger in her voice at the felines' remark.
"Hey I have an idea," Kyuri spoke up taking her mouth from her tea cup, "why don't you show us more of your Celestial spirits."
"Well I have to conserve my magic power, so I can't show you them all in person." Lucy said taking her elbow off the table.
"So how many Celestial Sprits do you have a contract with?" Happy asked curiously.
"Six so far..." she replied, holding the key ring up to show the others the keys she collected so far before putting it down, "Not to brag or anything, but I even have some of the rare ones." She took the six keys and places them on the table, each in their little line. She showed the silver keys first to them, each with a different picture on the base of the key: a clock face, a cross, and a harp, "These silver keys are ones you can buy in magic shops: Horologium, the clock, Crux, the Southern Cross, and Lyra, the harp." Lucy then pointed to the next set. The golden keys each with their picture on the base of the key: a bull, two blue waves, and a red yin-yang symbol, "These golden keys are super rare and open the gates of the Zodiac: Taurus, the Golden Bull, Aquarius, the Water Bearer, and Cancer, the Giant Crab." she explained.
Sting, Lector, and Happy's stomachs growled upon thinking of crab and crab legs. The warm and juicy meat from cracking open a shell made their stomach wanting it more.
"You know, we should pick up some crab on the way home later on." Sting decided, speaking to Happy and Lector.
"Aye!" the two cats chimed in agreement.
Lucy stared at them, bewildered at them at first for their out of place thought of food, "I never met anyone whose mind was on food before." she admitted before remembering something, "Oh yeah, I still haven't made a contract to the new key I got in Hargeon." She looks to the five with smile, rising up a little from her chair to face them, "I bet you like to see how a Celestial Spirit mage makes a contract with a Celestial Spirit." she added, sporting a wink of her left eye at the end.
The five looked interested at once to see how these contracts are made, but spoke amongst themselves in a hush whisper, but Lucy was able to still hear them.
"What if some messy blood pact?" asked Kyuri in a hush voice.
"That must be painful for her butt." Lisanna and Sting admitted, mistaking the word Kyuri said.
Lucy's face was irritated from the conversation, her brown eyes narrowed, "Uh I can hear you, so leave my butt out of It." she said as the five look to her holding the key with her right hand and her hand to her left.
"Alright, pay attention." She said to the group before hold her right hand out with the key pointing like a knight wielding a sword and her left hand to her chest. Sting crossed his arms while standing by the pink walls with Happy, Lector, Kyuri, and Lisanna, "I am connecting a path to the celestial spirit world! Heed my call! Pass through the gate!" as a blue magic circle appeared underneath Lucy's feet along with the dust picking from the ground as well. With a twirl of the key she called out, "Open, Gate of Canis Minor! Nicola!" as another magic circle appeared from the key while many golden stream of light appeared from the magic circle before colliding into something taking form from the light. It took shape into a short, stout white creature with bland eyes and a golden horn-like nose (reminiscent of a carrot from the side, thus giving him the slight appearance of a snowman). Once emerged from the gate, it was slightly shaking but smiling. (A/N 1)
"Whoa/Incredible!" spoke both Lisanna and Kyuri in unison seeing the small spirit.
"I knew thought something this small could be a spirit." Sting realized, seeing the white spirit.
"I guess once you meet someone like Taurus, you expect bigger." Lector said paws crossed.
"So that's it?" Happy asked kindly.
"That's it." Lucy replied back smiling before looking down at the quivering spirit as she kneeled down to hug it in her arms. "Oh, he's so cute!" she squealed happily. Sting, Lector, and Happy were frozen in shock while Kyuri and Lisanna remained calm.
"Y-You sure about that…?" Sting asked blankly.
"Nicola's gate doesn't use much magic, so he's popular as a celestial spirit pet to weaker mages." Lucy explained.
The five mages whispered again to themselves, Lucy once again able to hear them.
"Sting, Kyuri, Lisanna. Lector! This is a case of pure human egotism." Happy whispered.
"You're sure about that Happy?" whispered Lisanna.
"I don't like the whole pet thing myself." Lector commented.
"Man, Lucy's scary." whispered Sting and Kyuri with identical frowns.
"I can still hear you know." Lucy replied to the whispering group before turning away from them. She placed Nicola on the wooden floor and kneels down at the little dog spirit. With a pencil and notepad in hand, she spoke to him directly, his bland eyes still looking at Lucy.
"Okay, let's get down to the contract." Lucy said with a smile.
The little white dog answered to what could sound like a yes. Lisanna, Sting, Kyuri, Lector, and Frosch decided to watch, taking their seats back by the table.
"How is Monday for you?" Lucy asked.
He shook his head. Lucy scratched out Monday on her pad.
"Tuesdays?"
He nodded for yes as Lucy checked off Tuesday on her pad.
"Wednesdays?"
Sting, Lisanna, and Kyuri were having their tea cups in their hands while Lucy was talking with the spirit, with black, purple, and blue eyes staring widely at the ordeal as Happy and Lector ate a fish.
"This is mundane…" Sting admitted, expecting something more interesting to contracts, but it was different than he imagined.
"Aye..." Happy and Lector agreed in unison.
"Not what I expected, but it'll do." Lisanna decided finishing her tea.
"I know, shame it wasn't blood signing." Kyuri said with disappointing sigh. (A/N 1)
"Okay, Contact complete!" Lucy said at once, finally finishing her contract with the white dog as he jumped into the air happily while the three mages and two cats got off their seats to Lucy. Sting folded his arms while Lector and Happy were on his shoulders.
"That was easy." Sting said with a frown while the girls nodded in agreement.
"While it looks easy, it's really important." Lucy said with her back facing the group. With her finger up and a smile still on her face she added on, "Celestial Mages take their contracts seriously. So I make a point to never break my agreements."
"Whoa." Sting said astonished. He never expects that much maturity from Lucy, last few days were her reacting to everything.
"Oh yeah, I need to name him." Lucy remembered putting her hands together
"I thought it was Nicola?" Happy asked.
"That's the name of the species." Lucy answered. The blond haired thought about it for a second and knew what name the spirit with a smile on her face.
"I got it! Come here, Plue!" Lucy added, holding her arms stretched out to the dog.
"Plue?" the three mages repeated along with Happy and Lector. That was an odd name for a dog.
"Sound so cute, doesn't it?" Lucy said excitedly, hugging the now christen Plue in her arms. "Right, Plue?"
"I think he hates it." Kyuri pointed out calmly.
"That's not true." Lucy said to Kyuri not believing it was true.
"Plue is a dog constellation but doesn't bark? That's weird." Lector pointed out.
"So, you and Happy don't meow so it's kind of the same thing." Lucy replied back as Plue hopped out her arms and started jumping around as Lucy asked. "What's he doing?"
It seems Plue was doing strange movements to the three mages. It clicked in their heads that it was sign language; Plue was trying to tell them something since he couldn't speak. They watched for a while wondering what it meant when Sting seems to get it and so did Lisanna and Kyuri. They exclaimed in unison, "Plue, that's a great Idea!"
"You guys understand him?!" Lucy exclaimed in shock.
Sting narrowed his eyes, the same with Lisanna thinking about a few days ago in the mountain, "A Celestial spirit, Taurus did save us that day and if it wasn't for Lucy, we've be dead." Lisanna said before looking at her eyes till narrowed, "I owe you, Lucy."
"It was nothing Lisanna, really." Lucy replied nervously at her gaze.
"She's a really nice person despite being a mega weirdo." Sting remarked looking at her too.
"I am not a weirdo." Lucy retorted hotly.
Sting and Lisanna keep their glares on Lucy, making the blonde celestial mage even more nervous at them. What were they thinking about and why are their blue eyes so fixated on her for?
"What is it?" she asked nervously even more.
"What's wrong Sting, mama Lisanna?" Happy asked.
"We've decided and we'll go with Plue's idea." Sting admitted finally, he and Lisanna standing up their lips pursed into serious smiles. Kyuri nodded too, placing her hands in her pockets.
Lucy, Lector, and Happy's eyes were wide as saucer plates, what was it that they decided? The two mages kept their smiles and announced in unison, "Let's form a team!"
"A team," Lucy said in confusion to the reveal. Sting, Lisanna, and Kyuri want to form a team with her, Happy, and Lector? That was out of the blue for them.
"I see!" Happy said excitedly along with Lector liking the idea as well, "All Guild members are nakama, but we make teams with those we get along with. If you're in a team, difficult request will be easier."
"That's sounds like a great idea, let's do it!" Lucy said getting off the floor to Sting and Lisanna, They performed a little handshake before slapping their hands together.
"So you're working with us?" Sting asked still smiling.
"You bet, you've have my word." Lucy replied smiling too as a new team was now formed.
"Good, we have our first job ready back at the guild. One of our friends, Levy, said she wanted to come with us. Seeing as this is our first mission with a team, we'll need help from one who's worked with a team before." Lisanna explained seeing the sweet and excited smile on Lucy.
"Levy, she's a member too?" Lucy asked.
"Yeah, she's really nice; you'll like her very much." Lisanna assured her still smiling.
"Okay, wait for me outside, okay?" Lucy asked.
"Sure, we'll wait for you." Lisanna replied and she, Sting, Kyuri, Happy, and Lector turned from the mage and head for the door, Sting whispering into her ear.
"She's going to be really angry at us when she finds out." he said frowning.
"I was my idea you know, I'll handle Lucy okay?" Lisanna whispered as they left the house.
"Lisanna, do you like Lucy?" Sting asked curiously.
Lisanna froze on the spot, her face turning even pinker. "Uh, I little, I mean she seems a little sweet that's all."
Sting smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I'm glad you're moving on from Natsu, I think he'll be proud of you."
Lisanna smiled too her face finally regaining color, "Thanks Sting."
"Although, you went from my brother to a girl faster than Levy turned down Jet. And that's a compliment." Sting added, Lisanna looking at him with a giggle.
"I like Lucy, she's an odd person, but she'll make a great member of our team." Kyuri said coming up to them with Happy and Lector following after him and nodded as well. Kyuri then added, "By the why, how's Cyan-chan doing?"
"She's on missions as always; don't get time to talk to her much. She's as busy as we are." Lisanna replied.
"Was she as sadden by Natsu's death?" Kyuri asked her voice starting to crack remembering the news.
"She took it hard like all of us, but she wants to master her Takeover magic and get stronger for Natsu." Happy said, looking to the water.
"We all have to be strong for Natsu, and keep moving forward." Lisanna said softly, the five now looking at the water, a reflection of the carefree Dragon Slayer appearing in their minds. The water rippled the image as a boat passed on by. They missed Natsu, but they have to keep their spirits up.
At the fairy Tail Guild Hall, once Lucy was dressed wearing a pink top with black lace on the top, a purple skirt, a red wristband on her right hand, and her whip and keys on her left hip, the six made their way to the guild where Levy and their first mission was waiting for them. Levy sat by one of the picnic tables and greeted the group, shaking Lucy's hand and greeting her with a smile.
"So you're Levy, Lisanna told me about you." Lucy said to the blue haired girl.
"It's nice to me you, Lucy. My name's Levy McGarden, leader of the Shadow Gear team." Levy said smiling.
"Levy's been one of our friends since we were kids. We asked her for her help for our first mission as a team." Sting explained.
"Okay." Lucy nodded smiling but added curiously, "So what's the team's name, I'm curious to know."
Lisanna and Sting looked at one another before looking at Lucy again. A smile appeared on Lisanna's face when she finally answered her fellow comrade's question, "Team Strauss, me and Sting are the leaders."
"So our team name is Team Strauss, how come?" Lucy asked perplexed, cocking her head in confusion to the reveal of the name. She knows that's Mira and Lisanna's last name, but why name their team that?
"Well, since you asked, I'll explain." Sting said before turning around with one hand to his hip and other up in the air, confusing Lucy at once. "Say we are minor characters in much bigger picture, and there are others more important than us. We are only leaders until we find Natsu, because he's as much as a major character than us." (A/N 2)
"I have no idea what you are talking about, Eucliffe." Lucy responded blankly.
Sting chuckled, turning back to Lucy with a smile like his brother, "Sorry, got a little overboard, Lucy." He smiled cheerfully looking at everyone, "Okay team, I think it's time we get to work."
"Right/Aye sir!" chimed Kyuri, Happy, Lector, and Levy with Lucy looking as happy as ever. Lisanna held out the flyer to Lucy now was giddy as ever to start her first job with Fairy Tail. "Here's our request, Lucy, I was the one who pick it out." Lisanna responded to Lucy, her eyes closes, cheeks rosy red and smiling even more happily.
"It's all happening so fast, let me see that." Lucy replied happily, deciding to snatch the flyer from Lisanna's hand, the white hired mage smiling darkly with a glint in her blue eyes turning away from Lucy. Sting, Happy, Lector, Kyuri, and Levy were trying to hold back any laughter as Lucy decided to read the flyer.
"Shirotsune Town, huh… that's close." Lucy said out loud reading the flyer. She gasped, seeing the next thing on the flyer, Sting and Lisanna either crossing their arms or placing them behind their backs, "Whoa, we just need to get a book from a mansion by someone named Duke Everlue… And get 200,000 Jewels?!" she added with outmost shock. This is her first job, but paying this much? That's a shocker even for her. The large numbers that read 200,000 Jewels still made her brown eyes wide with shock, as well as the picture of a man with an ugly like face, tux, and yellow mustache with her right hand on it as well as his tongue sticking out on the right side.
"Sounds easy, right?" Lisanna assured her, smiling along with Sting, Kyuri, Lector, and Levy.
Lucy looked down at the next little detail on the flyer, something that made her eyes widen even more. No way, this couldn't be right? Could it be a mistake, an error in the request? Why was it here, and why Lisanna gave it to her? She paused for a mere second staring at the flyer, shocked by the next thing she said, reading it out loud to the team, "The Duke of Everlue. Warning: This person is a womanizer, a pervert, and hentai!" she spoke, her voice in disbelief when she read the last thing on the flyer, "Is now hiring a blond hair maid!"
She took her head from the flyer and look to Sting, Lisanna, Kyuri, Levy, Happy, and Sting in even more shock. Sweat was pouring from her face in dismay, this wasn't possible. They weren't doing this to her right? But it was true when Lisanna and Sting kneeled down to Happy and Lector smiling evilly at one another with Kyuri grinning ear to ear with Levy trying to keep her giggling down to a minimal.
"Lucy's a blonde haired girl, right guys?" Lisanna asked to the group.
"Yup, let's sneak her in disguise as a maid." Happy chimed in smiling happily. Lector agreed nodding with his fellow feline.
Lucy spoke slowly with each word in disbelief, "You sneaky little… You've plan this from the start..."
Sting laughed looking at Lucy with a cheerful grin, showing his canine teeth and placing his hands behind his back, Lucy screaming out loud in the guild, "I've been tricked!"
"Good thing Celestial Spirit mage never back down on their word, so you're stuck with us." Sting reminded her gleefully with the others nodding in agreement. Lucy screamed out, "Cruel!" at the top of her lungs, getting everyone's attention at the newly made team. "You deceived me, cheaters!"
Lisanna giggled brightly at the response, "Now, now, Lucy, don't be mad. Now let's rehearse, call Happy, Lector, Kyuri, and Levy master and mistresses."
"No way in hell, Strauss!" Lucy retorted in anger at Lisanna, as two of the members of Fairy Tail were watching them with interest.
Sitting by the bar, Mirajane and Gray were watching the newly constructed team since they returned to the guild. Gray had a glass of ice water near where his elbow was, watching with Mirajane. She was wiping down but before serving another mug of beer to take to the waiting guild member later. They watched as Lucy argued with Lisanna, the young white haired mage not fazed she made Lucy mad but wanted to reason with her. Lucy refused and turned away, still retorting at Lisanna for tricking her. She didn't expect someone like Lisanna to be so devilish. Then again, she was close friends to Natsu and Sting; it's too out there for her to get that from them. Lisanna kept on smiling and hugged her from behind, rocking her lightly smiling at her. Lucy looked at her and sighed, finally giving in to the demand of her being a maid. The group cheered while Mira giggled at the scene, feeling a little nostalgic at the happiness of seeing the smiling faces of Sting and Lisanna, the cheerfulness that Kyuri was submitting than the loneness that Kyuri had three years ago.
"Looks like they're having fun now, don't you agree Gray?" Mirajane asked the Ice make mage.
Gray smiled, taking his glass of water and drinking it before placing it back on the bar counter, "I kinda miss them being happy, they've been down in the dumps since Natsu died. I think they've really started to become even happier since they met Lucy. I never since Lisanna tease her friends since Natsu." He admitted calmly.
Mira giggled at Gray's words, leaning closer to Gray with her hands folded with a sly smile on her face, "Oh come on Gray, you can't be that dense to see it. Don't you see it between those two, Lisanna and Lucy?"
"Huh?" asked Gray looking at her, "what do you mean?'
"Lisanna seems to take a huge liking to Lucy and Lucy seems to be the same." she replied before looking at lovely at them, hearts in her eyes, "Don't you think they've be a cute couple?!"
Gray looked at Mirajane with his black droopy eyes crossed. There Mira goes in her match making shtick. Ever since she became much nicer, she has been such a romantic it's not even funny. It was hard to believe the she devil became the angel of Fairy Tail. While changing her ways, she was still one of the strongest Fairy Tail members of their generation. With her rank as S-Class and the extended strength she still had, it's no reason people lover her strength and beauty. Gray looked back at the group, now seeing Lucy was much calmer now. It seems Lisanna calmed her, but now there was a slight blush of embarrassment that a girl one year younger than her was able to convince her. While Gray didn't know Lucy well yet, it was impressive she was able to calm her down just a little. Lisanna and Sting decided to explain their plans, Lucy keeping her eyes on the two leaders. Gray looked to Mira, adding to her, "I see it a little. But are you fine with Lisanna and Lucy? A few years ago, Lisanna seem to love Natsu, the idiot, but now she's falling for Lucy a rookie. You're really okay with this decision?"
Mirajane frowned, taking her elbows from the counter to speak even more serious than before. A very soft was forceful tone escape her lips, getting his attention. "It matters to me that Lisanna is happy and moved on. I don't her want to keep looking for a dead love, I want her to grow up and find love. If she and Lucy do fall in love, I'll support her all the way. That's all I want from my three siblings to more on and keep moving forward. I want Elfman to finally stop beating himself up about Natsu, Cyan to finally move on about her old family and killing them. Lisanna, to finally find love that's not a possibly dead boy she loved. I just want what's best for them, which is all I wish." She finished sadly, making Gray feel guilty for asking.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to ask, Mirajane." Gray assured her, but she shook her head to him.
"No, I know you and everyone has the best of heart for what happened, but you don't have to feel bad Gray. We all got to move on for what has passed in our past." She added before narrowing her eyes seriously, "Even to you Gray, what Ur did for you. She risked her life for you; you still regret it, right?"
Gray frowned, looking at the glass of water to the ice cubes floated in the water. "Yeah… I know."
It was silence between the two mages, the two didn't realize Sting and Lisanna's group was leaving the guild with everything pack and ready to go. It was only an hour since they depart when Levy's teammates, Jet and Droy, were back in the guild looking for their leader. Jet is a slim young man of average height with orange hair and black eyes kept jutting backwards at the sides of his head. He has a sharp face, a prominent, flat and defined nose pointing downwards, and distinctive teeth, with a protruding, sharp, triangular-shaped upper molar complemented by a chipped portion on the lower row, allowing him to close his teeth completely despite such peculiar irregularity. He donned an open, light-brown coat with yellowish fur trimmings on its edges and sleeves, which reached down below his elbows. Below it was a high-collared purple shirt, with its collar mostly left open, which was sometimes seen left hanging over the checkered belt below it, with a rectangular buckle, and others tucked inside the buggy dark pants covering Jet's legs, in turn tucked inside dark boots. He was sometimes shown with a bracelet composed of thin ropes around his right wrist, and a watch around his left. The most distinctive piece of his attire is probably the fancy, extremely high hat matching his coat, with a large brim and fur trimmings over its entire length, at regular intervals, plus a large furry ball on its top.
His friend and partner Droy was a tall, slim young man with black hair kept in an unusual, distinctive hairstyle, with a tuft of hair on top of his head jutting upwards and then curving frontwards, being reminiscent of a plant's stem. His hair extends in a rounded form on his forehead, and was cut on both sides of Droy's head in a spiraling motif. Droy has dark eyes and thin dark eyebrows pointing downwards at their outer edges; his rectangular-shaped face sported sharp features, with prominent cheekbones. His attire consisted of a simple white shirt, green checkered pants, and dark shoes with lighter soles. He also sported a pair of distinctive belts crossing his chest, each passing over one of his shoulders. These belts were reminiscent of bandoliers, sporting rectangular cases on them, which contain special "Live-Coal" used for his Plant Magic.
Jet and Droy were standing in front of the master, their concern for Levy since she had left before they said bye to her. The master had a hand to a mug of foamy beer before taking a sip, the first of the two boys speaking up.
"So Levy and the others left already with their job?" asked Droy curiously.
"Yup, Sting and Lisanna left after setting everything up with Lucy." Mirajane explained, carrying a stack of dirty dishes when she turned to the two boys.
"That's a shame." Jet sighed, bowing his head in disappointment, "We really wanted to see them off."
"It's for the best you didn't see them off Jet." Makarov said, taking a sip of his beer, "That job has become a little troublesome. I just got in touch with the client." He added, placing the mug down and holding a stick in his elbows while sitting Indian style.
"Is it canceled?" Mirajane asked, wondering if her sister and her friends' first job were for nothing.
"No…" he answered the S-class takeover mage before smiling widely, "The reward is two million Jewels… or so I've been told."
Jet and Droy gasped, their faces screwed into complete shock of the news of the request's new price. Everyone in the guild turned their heads to where Makarov, Jet, and Droy. Two million Jewels, that's a cost almost an S-Class request would have. But why would the client pay so much for a book? Was it really this important to have mages get this book? And Sting's group, they have no idea about the price change prior before leaving.
"Ten time more?!" Jet asked in shock.
"But that's nuts, two million for a single book?" Droy asked as well his eyes shocked.
"I agree too." Mira said getting into the conversation, "Why so sudden of a price change?"
"That's almost the same reward of slaying monsters." Droy said, calming down to fold his arms.
"I hope Levy's okay, since she's on that job with Sting and Lisanna." said Jet while someone was overhearing about the request. By one of the tables sitting with his legs crossed lacking a shirt was Gray Fullbuster. He smiled with interested grin; the ice in his glass was clanging as he spoke up slyly, his left hand smoking on a cigarette. It was a little habit that he decided to pick up when Ur wasn't around.
"Looks like things just got interesting." Gray said to himself when appeared from behind his back smiling, "Oh and Gray, nice underwear." only for Gray to look down in horror to find out that he was in black boxers again, screaming along with it.
Meanwhile with Sting and the others, the seven mages of Fairy Tail were traveling by pig drawn carriage to the destination of their job, Shirotsune Town. The seven each sat on either sides of the carriage, each minding their own business as they sat there. Lucy sat with Kyuri and Levy, the blonde haired Celestial mage looking at Sting, Lisanna, Happy, and Lector. Levy was reading a book while Kyuri sat her legs crossed with her katana on her lap. Happy and Lector were each eating different kinds of fish, Lisanna was staring at Lucy and kicking her feet, but for Sting…
"How is the carriage ride, master Eucliffe?" Lucy asked slyly to the White Dragon Slayer who crossed his arms while looking completely sick.
"Very funny, you're like the maid from hell, Lucy." Sting said in a mock laughing tone his head down looking at his chest. Since he had motion sickness, the blonde haired Dragon Slayer was looking pale, but not as sickly as other times trying to fight it. Lisanna softly giggled, placing a hand to her mouth trying to holding back at the comeback Sting made.
"Hey, Happy and I are masters here!" Lector yelled in response flailing his fists to Lucy as Lucy retorted back at him, "Shut it Lector!"
After calming back down, Lucy asked addressing the two leaders, "Hey Sting, Lisanna?"
"Yeah?" asked Sting and Lisanna.
"I was just wondering why you guys wanted me on your team." Lucy asked curiously at the two mages.
"It's just you seem like a nice person." Lisanna answered kindly to the Celestial mage, who slightly blush and gasped slightly, taken aback from Lisanna's words, 'Whoa, did I actually get a complement from this girl?' she thought breathlessly.
"But you're just so weird, Lucy." Sting finished looking at her, making the once taken aback Lucy look furious at Sting, a vein throbbing on her temple, 'the light eater and his flying cat thinks I'm weird?!' she spoke up now looking much calmer and determined, "Anyway, I'm psyche about this, I know I'm going to rock it."
"That's the spirit, Lu." Levy said encouragingly taking her eyes off the book.
"Huh, I thought you were mad about Lisanna-san's trick, Lucy-san." Kyuri said looking at Lucy, her light purple eyes fixated on her.
"I was at first, but this my first job after all!" Lucy replied smiling, grasping her left arm while flexing a muscle and pumping her fist up with pride, "I'll do my best! I just have to sneak into the mansion and get one book, right?" she asked looking at Sting and Lisanna who nodded.
"To the perverted fart's mansion?" asked Kyuri.
"Yup, the perverted old fart." Lucy replied before smiling flirtatiously at the group, the top of her breasts showing from her top, "I'm very confident of my sex appeal, you know hm hmm…" making Happy and Lector stunned looking at her. Levy and Kyuri merely giggled at Lucy, thinking she was really funny for what she said. Lisanna out of everyone stared at Lucy with a faint blush on her face but turned away in false cool voice, "I don't see it, Lucy. You are so weird."
Lucy froze in response to Lisanna's remark, but immediately calmed down enough to add to the others, "But let me tell you: for this job… Since you guys aren't participating in most of it. We'll split the reward 60-10-10-10-10." she explained, placing her back against the seat.
"Why do we get 10%?" asked Kyuri.
"I'm the one being in the maid outfit, I should be the one getting the bigger cut." Lucy reminded them calmly.
"Fine/Doesn't bother me/Okay Lu." Kyuri, Lisanna, and Levy replied, either being calm, cool, and kind to her about getting the most of their reward. It was better they listen to her, or she'll be even more mad at them. Sting groaned, looking at her with one eye open, 'don't get cute, Lucy. All you need to do is be a maid to that Everlue, get him distracted, and we grab the book. You are our bait, so play your part, not about sex appeal.' Sting thought while they continued their trip to Shirotsune Town.
A few minutes had passed since their conversation of the mission, and finally made to Shirotsune town. Sting and his group left the carriage, with Sting still groggily from the carriage ride. The White Dragon Slayer's face was still slightly pale and sweat still poured. He walked with Lector beside him, Lisanna on his left with Happy in her arms smiling, Kyuri and Levy on his right with hands behind their backs for arms folded. Lucy walked by Lisanna's right shoulder with her hand to her right hand to her hip.
"Good, we made it." Lucy said smiling while they walked through town.
"I never want to ride in another carriage ever again." Sting groaned still slouching with everything walking just fine.
"You say that every time, Sting." Lector reminded happily to which he replied to himself, "Man I'm starving."
"Couldn't you just eat your own light magic, Sting?" Lucy offered her looking at him.
"Oh that's nice." Sting replied sarcastically at her, "Why don't eat Plue or Taurus while you're at it?"
"Wait, why I would I do that?!" she exclaimed at Sting's remark. Why would she eat them, they are her spirits, not food.
"It's the same thing, Lucy." Sting replied frowning at her as they kept on walking.
"So you can eat other light except yours, that's a hassle." Lucy replied shaking her head.
"It's a double edge sword, Lu. While Dragon Slayers like Sting and Natsu can eat their element, they can't eat the fire or light they produce. They need it from an outside source, understand?" Levy explained, the blue haired mage bending her back to look at Lucy.
"I guess so, Levy." Lucy said shrugging her shoulders before adding with a smile on her face walking in front of the six to speak directly at all of them with her back facing them and walking a hand at them as well, "Oh! I'll go around and check things around town a bit. You can go ahead and have a meal." She said and she departed from the group into town.
Sting watched Lucy walk away from them and continued through the street. Sing's face regains its color and he folded his arms, looking a bit irritated Lucy left.
"Jeez, we should eat together as a team." he said crossly.
"Let her be, Sting. We should eat and wait for her." said Levy taking a hand to her exposed stomach, rubbing it softly, "Beside, I am hungry. We didn't eat when we left the guild."
Lisanna nodded looking at the restaurant they came across to when they were standing near to, Open Terrance Restaurant. While they entered inside to order food, they each sat themselves on either sides of the table, Sting, Levy, and Kyuri on one side and Lisanna, Happy, and Lector on the either side. They each ordered their food: big slabs of meat and chicken, salads, soups, and juice all cluttered the table they sat. Sting, Lector, and Happy were eating a bit calmer than their usual habits, which meant Lisanna, Kyuri, and Levy a chance to talk to one another.
"So Lisanna, you and Lucy have known each other for a few days, what do you think of her?" Levy asked taking a sip of juice.
Lisanna took her hand from the fork she was eating salad with and look to her friends, a smile on her face.
"To tell you the truth, I think Lucy's pretty cute in a weird way." Lisanna remarked, referring to what she knew of the girl. "She's nice and I owe her for saving our lives."
"What about Natsu do you still…?" Kyuri said her face formed into a frown, "Care for him?"
Sting and everyone look to Lisanna, their looks of concern for what she was going to say. At one time, they know Lisanna was extremely close to Natsu and was sadden by his death or disappearance. But what if she's abandoning Natsu for Lucy, that's wasn't something she would do to him. They waited what felt like hours for her reply, the total silence of Lisanna making them even worried. Lisanna finally spoke back up again, her voice soft and calming, "I will always love Natsu…." before smiling cheerfully at them, her blue eyes closed and looking gleefully at them, "Because he's like my brother. I always care for him, no matter what."
Everyone gaped happily at Lisanna's reply, glad that Natsu wasn't going to be replaced. It made them feel glad how mature Lisanna was taking this. Two years really made her a mature young woman, and it was showing from her words and how she was handling it all. Sting eyed his smiling companion with the feeling of impressed from his childhood friend.
Her words made me glad to hear, Lisanna has really grown up. I'm thrilled she isn't going to be one of those kinds of people (A/N 3)
"Hey, what you guys talking about?" a voice asked behind them, making their heads turn in response of the voice. Sting, Lisanna, Happy, Lector, Kyuri, and Lector's mouths were agape like fishes, looking at who they were staring at. They couldn't believe what they were looking at.
"Whoa, Lucy…" Sting said abruptly seeing who it was. Even the others were shocked seeing it was Lucy, but she was different from their viewpoint. There was Lucy standing there from their seats, but she wasn't wearing her regular clothes but wearing brand new clothes. She was dress in a maid outfit, standard black skirt with a white apron and black vest with the white shirt with puffed up shoulder blades. She wore white stockings that reach to her calves that showed a thin strip of her skin along with black dress shoes. On her wrist were black wristbands with white frills with her hand to her hip and her left hand to her lips in a cute fashion with her blonde hair tied into two pigtails with a white headdress on top.
"What do you think guys; don't you think I look super cute in this?" Lucy asked kindly to the group. Sting felt the bits and bite of his food fall from his mouth along with Happy and Lector. Lisanna's face was in shock as well, a faint blush was on her face seeing Lucy in the maid uniform. Levy and Kyuri were stun face as well when Lucy started smiling sweetly at them, moving her body back and forth.
"Is there anything you want, Master Sting, Mistress Lisanna, Master Happy, Master Lector, Lady Kyuri, Mistress Levy, your wish is my command." she added sweetly to them, making them even more stunned.
"You look cute, Lucy." Lisanna replied blushing madly looking at Lucy.
"Thank you Lisanna, I appreciate those kind words." she replied to the white haired mage, putting her hands behind her back, "Now then, shall we get moving?"
"Sure!" everyone agreed in unison as Lucy was first to leave the restaurant, with the others getting up from their seats to follow suit after her. Sting place his right hand into his left pocket but looks at the blushing face of Lisanna. He smiled cunningly at her, tapping her shoulder to make her look at him.
"If you keep looking at her like that, your face will stick like that." He teased nonchalantly to her, the Takeover mage stammering feverishly at Sting's words, barking back, "Shut up, I wasn't looking at her like that!" turning her head away from the others.
Levy giggled placing her hands behind her back, "Well, I think it's obvious now…" she paused before Lector, Sting, Kyuri, and her said teasingly their face screwed up into an evil grin, "You love her!"
"That's Happy's shtick copycats, and he's not nearly as creepy as you when he does it!" she yelled furiously her hands balled into fists at the others. The four except Happy all laughed but both Lisanna and Happy disapproved of them joking around and using the young blue cat's thing. Once it was over, they paid for their food and followed after Lucy down the road where they made their way to a mansion led the way by Lucy. The group made it to a large two story mansion that look really valuable from their viewpoint.
"So this is the client's place?" asked Levy, arms folded.
"Figures, someone paying 200,000 Jewels would live it a place like this." Lucy said still viewing the mansion with interest, "Sting, knock on the door please?" she added to the White Dragon Slayer.
"Okay." Sting replied, walking closer to the door to knock on the door. He did as he was told, waiting for a response from the client. Just then, a voice called from behind the door, "May I have your names, please?"
"We're the mages from Fairy Tail who accepted the request." Sting replied to the voice, identifying it to be a man's voice.
"I see, but please come in from the back door, if you don't mind." The man's voice said to the group making look confused about the words. 'Why do we have to come through the back way, is the front busted?'
Taking the man's advice, they walked behind the mansion and entered inside to see the inside of the place, two flights of stairs leading to the room where the client was waiting for them. Sitting on a red couch was their client, a relatively tall and aged man with peach skin, gray hair and a distinctive, small mustache above his lip which has a darker gray color than his hair. He also wore a tattered green suit with a red tie. Along with him was a medium height woman with peach skin, large breasts, and brown hair. She was also wearing a tattered pink shirt, a skirt, and a green necklace. The young woman had a tray of teacups, nine in total, each filled with tea.
Once they entered inside, they sat on the other red couch facing them. Sting sat in-between Happy and Lucy, Lector sitting on his lap. Lisanna sat by Happy while crossing her arms, Kyuri and Levy either having their hands to their knees or just their lap. They kept their calm and cool to the client and the woman, the client smiling calmly to them.
"I'm terribly sorry about earlier… My name's Kaby Melon, this is my wife." the man named Kaby said introducing himself and his wife who smiled behind him.
Sting, Happy, and Lector's mouths waters, hearing the last name of their client, the white Dragon Slayer blurting out loud, "Whoa, you have a yummy name!"
"Melon!" cheered Happy and Lector jumping up and down from the couch.
"Boys, cut it out, that's rude!" Lisanna, Levy, and Kyuri spat harshly at the three, with Kaby chuckling at the group, "Don't worry, I get that a lot."
Lucy observed the client carefully, placing her right hand to her chin, her brown eyes looking at Kaby, 'Melon… This town's name, too… I've heard of them somewhere…" she thought, thinking the name sounded familiar, but it was not on the top of her tongue.
Levy look to Lucy seeing the blonde haired mage thinking of something, 'Lu-chan much be thinking the same thing. Why does that last name sound familiar?' she thought looking back to Kaby and his wife.
"I wouldn't have imagined mages from the renowned Fairy Tail would accept this job…" Kaby said, looking at the six mages.
"But, really sir?" asked Sting blinking his eyes in confusion, "I was wondering why such a good job was still available." he added resting his arm of the seat.
"Everyone else was being cautious because this job and its reward didn't really match up." Kaby explained confirming the suspicions about the job. He looks to Sting, Lisanna, Levy, and Kyuri adding calmly, "And the four of you are so young, you must be famous mages."
"Lisanna-chan is the famous Wild's Soul, and Sting-kun is the famous brother to the passing Natsu Dragneel, also known as Salamander. Levy's leader of Team Shadow Gear and Kyuri's our little future expert to sculpting magic." Lector said beaming to his partner and friends.
"Oh! I heard those nicknames and that team name before." Kaby responded surprise, hearing those names and remembering all the feats they made. He looks to Lucy, the one who didn't say much about herself when the young cat spoke. "And you are…?"
"L-Lucy, I am a Fairy Tail mage too. I joined the guild just a few days ago." She said nervously, seeing look on the client's face.
Kaby smiled, waving his hands back and forth in a fast manner before remarking to the Celestial mage, "Is that outfit your hobby?" making Lucy blush nervously, Levy, Happy, Lector, and Kyuri giggle and snort, and Sting to hold back roaring in pain, but reassured nervously, "No, I mean, it's okay, but…"
"I-I don't have an h-h-h-hobby, honest." Lucy replied nervously. Once both Kaby and Lucy calmed down, the client added, "Alright, let talk about the request." cupping his hands together in front of himself in a resting position.
"Okay/Go on." spoken up the boys and girls with interest, ready to get this job underway, practically hanging off the edges of their seats.
"There is only one thing I am asking you to do: the one and only copy of "Daybreak" Duke Everlue owns… I want you to incarnate it." He requested to the team.
"Really, that's all Mr. Melon?" Lisanna asked rubbing her head, "You don't want us to merely steal it?"
"I'm basically asking you to destroy someone's possession without permission, so it's almost the same as stealing…" Kaby added, still smiling at the group.
"That's surprising…." Lucy admitted, frowning along with Sting who narrowed his eyes, "I thought you were going to ask us to retrieve the book that he took from you." but looks to Lisanna, who smiled very darkly, her left hand sparking with her Phoenix flames.
"Incinerate it…" Lisanna repeated coyly, the flames on her fire making a dark shadow over her right eye, "I'll burn down the pervert's house if you want me too."
"They'll be easy!" chimed Happy and Lector excitedly but Lucy exclaimed looking at Lisanna as if was nuts to decide that idea, "I'm not going to jail for arson because of you Strauss!" but paused her outburst looking to Kaby and asked kindly, "But what is that book anyway…?"
Kaby didn't respond, but remained quiet for a moment, until Sting said, "Does it matter, for two hundred thousand, this will be easy."
"No, I'll pay two million… The contingency fee is two million." Kaby Melon corrected them calmly, making the seven scream out in shock, their eyes wide like saucers plates. Two million Jewels for this mission? They weren't expecting this. They fought this will be an easy mission of 200,000, a starter for the newly formed team, but this was more than they could handle. Sting screamed the loudest, his voice echoing the room, "What the Hell?!"
"I'm sorry…" Kaby added apologetically to the group, "You didn't know the price has been changed." While Sting and Lisanna look to everyone in the room.
"Two million split between the seven of us? If Happy and Lector count with me and Lisanna, that's a million and for Lucy and 200,000 each for all of us." Sting muttered to himself as Lisanna chimed in, "That means, Lucy still get her big share."
"That's sounds great!" Lucy responded excitedly, Kyuri and Levy agreeing with their share as long Lucy is happy. Lucy looked back to Kaby again, a little confused about the new reward price now after all the excitement of the price finally died down. "But why is increase to two million all of the sudden?" she asked the client curiously.
Kaby's face was low to his hands, shadows darken his face with his own voice low, deep, and serious, "That book needs to be destroyed. I can't forgive that book's existence."
Lucy looked at Kaby Melon with a feeling in the pit of her stomach, the feeling of concern from the client. He seemed pretty set on the book being destroyed that having them go after it made her feel awful about doing this for money. Kyuri, Levy, Happy, and Lector each had the same looks as Lucy, but someone else showed a different look about it. A hand grasped Lucy's hand, making her jump in shock. She turned to see Lisanna, her face looking to her and Kaby but still holding Lucy's hand tightly in her grasp. Lucy was embarrassed; not for thinking someone was grabbing her, but the odd warmth from her touch. It was that heat from before, and this time it wasn't joking around, this was more serious of Lisanna to act and look like that. Lisanna finally spoke to the client, her voice just as serious as her face, "If this book means so much to destroy… Then we'll do our best, right Lucy?" she added, looking at the Celestial mage with a smile.
"Oh, uh, right…" she replied to her, a faint blush on her face but looks back again to Kaby, "We'll leave right away and make sure that book is destroyed… If that's what you really wish."
Kaby nodded, still not looking at them but looking even more sad and angry. Sting got up from the couch, Lector still in his arms now looking to everyone. "Everyone let's move out." Sting said addressing to his team mates, the others getting up from the couch and was making their leave for the door and to the Everlue mansion in order to find the book Daybreak and burn it. Once gone from the room it was only Kaby and his wife left. He watched the seven Fairy Tail mages' shadows to leave the point of his vision, his wife now speaking up to him from her long silence. Her right arm was to her left, gripping it tightly in concern.
"Darling…" she said softly to the man, "Are you sure about entrusting such a dangerous task to those children?"
But no response from her husband, his face lacking any emotion and still frowning once she spoke onwards of everything, "The other guild failed the same mission last week… From Duke Everlue's viewpoint, it was a failed robbery."
"I know that dear, but…" he said in response to the wife's words, but interrupted with, "There is no doubt about it that the security has been tightened. Going into the mansion will be more difficult." Her arms folded now facing the back of her husband's head.
"I know…" he repeated tonelessly to his wife. He knows the risk these kids were getting themselves into, and he'll regret them dying for him, but all he wanted, no, what he wanted, placing a hand to his forehead, and seeming like he wanted to cry, "I just… want that book erase from existence."
"Excuse me; I'm here to apply to the blond maid position!" Lucy called to the inside of the mansion, the blonde haired Celestial mage standing in front of the gates to the Everlue manor. It was what someone expects a mansion to look: Big, valuable, and secretive with the book hidden in its walls. It appeared to be a two story mansion with cream colored walls and many windows on top and plenty of little space. For someone claimed a pervert, it was a nice place from afar. Lucy spoke again loudly to the mansion, "Excuse me, is someone there?!"
Lucy smiled devilishly while waiting for a reply, the thoughts of the mission and the money at hand all running through her mind, 'It's easy. All I have to do is become Duke Everlue's favorite. Then I'll find the book, burn it, and 2 million is in my hands,' she thought but added on, 'What am I going to do with all that money?'
While Lucy was scheming, her teammates were hidden behind a group of trees and bushes. Sting and Lisanna were on one side, Levy and Kyuri on the other, and Happy and Lector in the middle. Sting whispered softly, "Do your best, Lucy…"
"We're counting on you." whispered Happy and Lector in agreement.
Lucy remained facing the gates her right hand to her face, no realizing something was raising from the ground below her. The ground started to break behind her, finally getting her attention as something large shot up into the air making her slightly jump back. What was it just down that came from the ground? Finally the unknown object came falling down, its looming shadow covering the sun from view Lucy to not know what it was. It crashed down with a loud thud, making Lucy scream in shock, seeing what was facing her that make throw her hands up in shock. It was a large woman, almost the size of an overweighed gorilla, dressed in a maid uniform that seem to be size smaller than her with a brutish face and two pony tails with the buttons of her maid outfit unbutton exposing her over large breasts. She had a small red tie as well along with white stockings, black dress shoes, and a short black skirt. Her arms were really muscular in comparison to her body, making even the others feel a little terrified looking at her. What kind of person is that woman?
"Maid applicant?" the large maid asked her voice deep and gruff. She placed a right hand behind her back addressing the small girl in front of her.
"Whoa!" gasped Lucy in shock, seeing her address her and looming over her.
"There's a girl who came for the maid position, my master." The maid added, speaking to a hole across from her, getting Lucy's attention from the large maid to the hole. She didn't that there before, when was it made and where did it lead to? But her question was answered as something shot from the hole making a sound from his or her voice; "Boyoyoyo!" and appearing like a bullet. The unknown person appeared on the ground to face Lucy, smiling while a hand to his mustache. He was a short, plump, ugly man with skinny arms and legs. He sported a curled mustache which directly protrudes from his nostrils and a bushel of wavy hair atop his round head. Lastly, he wore a formal black suit, with his jacket fastened with a large gold button and adorned with a decorative red flower. Beneath his jacket are a white collared shirt and a blue necktie.
"You called?" he answered grinningly, making Lucy creep out that he just popped from the ground like that.
"He's here?!" Lucy exclaimed, stilling in shock that the man from the request would appear so soon fin front of her. Sweat was pouring from her face in a panic just looking at him. 'What's that…? Boyo?' she asked herself, not understanding what he said. Sting and Lisanna who watched so far were really disgusted just looking at Everlue and the large maid. So were Levy and Kyuri, who just want Lucy to go in and get the book right away, yet not wanting to look at them anymore. What kind of guy has a maid that big and so hideous? Lector and Frosch were slightly scared of the large maid, worried that it might like to eat cats.
"Let's see…" Everlue said, placing a hand to his chin and looking at the smiling Lucy, eyeing her carefully.
"It's nice to meet you, I hope you like what you see!" she replied at the short man, who looked from her face, to her chest and her waist and legs. While look every kindly at Everlue, in reality, she was panicking on the inside, More sweat poured from her face, the nervousness of having this short ugly man look at her made her feel worse. She wanted Everlue to stop looking at her; she thought nervously, 'H-He's giving me Goosebumps… So your best, Lucy!'
But Everlue turned around in a disappointed manner, his right hand out in a shoeing manner as he said to Lucy, "Rejected! Go home ugly!" to which Lucy was destruct in disbelief in what he just said. She was flabbergasted at his words, her mind splitting in two. She was ugly; did he really call her ugly? The words hurt worse than a knife through the chest as the gorilla maid grabbing her by the back of her maid uniform and said to her like someone taking out the trash, "That's it time to go home, ugly!"
"Eh…?! Wai…!" she stammered trying to say something, but Everlue added onward, "For someone as great as I am," as from the ground, four figures shot out from the ground like Everlue and the maid, revealed to be four maids like the gorilla maid, and like the gorilla maid, they were uglier than the next as he continued, "Only beautiful girls would suit me! Boyoyoyo!" laughed Everlue making everyone in hiding's skin crawl just looking at them.
"My, my, Master?" responded the first maid, a chubby looking one with a fat looking face and many chins underneath with dark brown hair.
"You're flattering us!" responded the second maid, a much skinnier one with a bottle like face with dark brown hair tied into ponytails.
"Ufuuuun!" laughed the third maid, a much meatier (and a little hairier) looking woman with a watermelon like head, a pig nose, a wide hips, and buck teeth. Her hair was short and a strand of her dark brown hair was hanging in front of her face.
"Go home, ugly! Shoo!" responded the fourth and final maid of bunch, a skinner looking woman with a horse like face with her hair tied into pigtails and black bows. She gestured her hand in a shooing manner wanting Lucy to leave.
The gorilla maid tossed Lucy from the mansion as she screamed out, "Nooooo!" and landed in the forest while her friends watched on. Sting and Lisanna sighed, shaking their heads in disgust.
"Jeez, that didn't do the way we wanted." Sting said, the Dragon Slayer taking the lead to where he saw Lucy fall,
"I didn't expect Duke Everlue to have a very 'twisted' way of beauty." Levy admitted, crossing her arms.
"Tell me about it. To him, if you're the ugliest one of them all, you are beautiful. I want to make him eat those words." Kyuri said her purple eyes narrowed in anger.
"Poor Lucy, you think she's okay?" asked Lisanna worried for her.
"After being called ugly, I would take her feelings are hurt. We better go cheer her up, and then we'll plan our next move." Happy said hopping into Lisanna's arms.
"Right!" everyone agreed and followed Sting and Lisanna to where Lucy landed. They found the Celestial mage huddled by a tree trunk in an aura of sadness. Her maid uniform was beside her and she had her arms folded with her knees huddled together. The group didn't know what to say after that scene that transpires. Lisanna kneeled down to Lucy and placed and hand on her shoulder to console her. Lucy looked up at Lisanna, her brown eyes looking up at the smiling Takeover mage.
"How are you feeling?" she asked kindly, removing Happy from her arms to allow him to stand in the grass.
"Lousy…" she replied before getting up to dust herself off. She kneeled by the tree as Sting spoke up again, keeping calm about all this, "Man, this is just a waste of time. If we knew this would happen, we won't have tricked you, Lucy."
"And it wasn't my fault the plan failed, that jerk doesn't know beauty if it bite him in the behind!" Lucy yelled, turning to the tree seeing the look of the face of Everlue's face. She growled furiously, wanting to get back at the perverted man now or never.
"Okay…" Sting decided, cracking his fists together addressing the group. "Still plan A didn't work, we go with a new plan and that'll be Plan T."
"Yeah, that creep's going pay for this!" Lucy exclaimed, her right fist in the air. But she looks to the fellow blonde mage, confused by what his words. "Wait Sting, what's plan T?"
"Take them by storm!" Lector exclaimed to which she retorted to the cat, "That's not a plan, Lector!"
As the team were planning their next move, so was watching them from afar, and it wasn't good since for their next move. Duke Everlue, now back in his mansion, was watching the Fairy Tail mages from a window on the second floor. But he wasn't alone either, as two mysterious people were with him as well. He smiled coyly at them, seeing them for what they were before. They were crafty lot, trying to sneak in one of their own. But he never expected to know who they were or what they were. He sat in his chair looking at them while smoking a big cigar.
"Mages come again in spite of the pervious failure." Everlue said, then to Lucy's right hand, exposing her guild mark, "And that mark, its Fairy Tail this time?" Everlue laughed heartedly looking at the pink shaped fairy stamp on her right palm, "She was dumb enough not to hide it, but I wish they'd send me someone more beautiful at least."
With the cigar still clenched between his teeth and the unknown people in the shadows behind him, he added grinning and laughing, "Now… How should I kill the mages this time? Boyoyoyo!"
With their plan to send Lucy in as a maid didn't go as planned (or it would have worked if Everlue's 'tastes' weren't like how they thought they be), the seven mages decided on going through the back of the mansion to sneak in, find the book, and burn it. Sting and Lisanna were on the back balcony of the mansion near one of the windows as Lector and Happy carried Kyuri and Levy up to the balcony with their wings. With their backs still turned and Happy leaving to grab Lucy up along with the, Lisanna took a hand to the glass and pressed from hand to it. Using her own fire magic from her Phoenix Takeover, she immediately burned a hole through the glass as Happy returned with Lucy, holding the Celestial Spirit mage by the straps of her top.
"Alright Lucy, we're here!" Happy announced, dropping Lucy to the balcony with the others.
"Thanks Happy." Lucy replied happily, landing knees bent on the balcony before straightening back up to which Happy replied, "Aye!" and land back to the ground, his white wings vanishing.
Lisanna looked back to the Celestial Spirit mage, she and Sting both looking a little irritated. The white haired mage sighed, speaking up to the Celestial mage. "You know, when Sting decided we 'Take them by storm', this wasn't what I had in mind."
"Lisanna's right. Why can't we just go in there gun blazing? There are five of us, we can handle one guy." Sting said in agreement to Lisanna.
"Look Sting, although it's under someone's request, what we're doing is basically robbery." Lucy replied a stern look on her face as she folded her arms.
"Kaby Melon request us to take the book or burn it, does it matter now we are stealing?" asked Kyuri looking to Lucy.
"Kyuri's right, we are requested to steal it, but I'm a little worried about being arrested for theft." Levy added, scratching her head while her other arm was across her chest.
"Look guys, I don't care how many thieves and monsters you have exterminated, but the target this time is the town's most influential man!" Lucy explained to the group, the six resting by the wall of the balcony listening to her, "He's an annoying pervert, not a villain!"
"What now?" asked Kyuri looking at Lucy again while Happy and Lector were peering through the window, "You were the one who said you'd never forgive him?"
"Of course, I'll never forgive him!" Lucy exclaimed, taking her left hand to her right arm and flexing it, a vein throbbing on her forehead while smiling cunningly. Her brown eyes were wide like dinner plates with her back turned from her comrades, "He said bad things to me! So in addition to burning the book, I'll also hide his shoes and stuff! Ufufufu!" she laughed, making the others look at her weirdly. Sting was pale in the face at her laughing and her 'revenge'. Kyuri sighed along with Levy; their eyes crossed looking at the Celestial Spirit mage. Lisanna merely looked at Lucy in disgusted, just finding what she said a bit on the childish side, and she was friends to Natsu for six years.
"Take about petty." whispered Sting and Lector in unison.
"Aye…" whispered Happy his face drained too.
Lisanna got up from the ground and grabbed Lucy by the ear in a huff, saying as she dragged the petty struggling Celestial mage, "Let's go petty, we don't have time for your childish revenge."
"Wait, let go of my ear, I only have two of them!" Lucy screamed as Lisanna dragged her inside through the window. Sting, Happy, Lector, Kyuri, and Levy followed in after them, entering inside the mansion finally. After Lisanna let Lucy go, the blonde Celestial mage looked around the room they were in. She placed a hand to her chin, curious as to what the room they were in.
"Is this a storage room or something?" asked Lucy looking around as they walked.
"Hey, look what I found." Happy said holding up a skull in his paws. The group looks to the small cat holding the skull, Lisanna remarking to him, "That's strange find, what's a skull doing in here?"
"It looks like a real one, not some fake." Kyuri commented, observing at the skull closely.
"Come to think of it, I did hear rumors of other mages who took the job perished." Levy whispered, kneeling down to Kyuri, "Could explain the skull Happy found?"
"What you guys whispering about?" Lucy asked seeing the two girls conversing about something while still kneeled on the ground.
Levy and Kyuri turned to Lucy, quickly replying, "Nothing Lucy."
Lector and Happy jumped onto their owner's shoulders, the red and pink cat speaking up, "Let's get moving, we have a book to find."
"Right, let's go through this door, but let's be careful." Lucy replied to the cat who he and everyone nodded, not realizing as they were leaving the room, a glass orb with a wolf on top was watching as it made a faint glow. Once outside, they looked through the second floor rooms for the book. They peered inside each room (Even a room completely covered in gold), but not single clue to the Daybreak book. They met up with one another, Sting placing his hands to his pockets resting their backs to the wall.
"We checked all the rooms up here. We couldn't find the book anywhere." Sting said to the group, "Can we just find someone and force them to tell us where the book is."
Lucy shook her head in response to Sting's offer adding, "No, we'll just complete the mission without getting noticed." she turned to the leaders and smiling cheerfully at them, "Doesn't it sound cool? Like a ninja."
"A ninja huh?" Sting asked placing a hand to his blonde hair and softly chuckling, "If Natsu was with us, he'd be all over it. Good thing Happy isn't become like Natsu now anymore."
"What's that's supposed to mean?!" Happy retorted at the White Dragon Slayer as the girls treated their hardest not to have the case of the giggles.
Still facing no another, the group didn't hear the sound of the floorboard creaking and even rising up in size. Finally, something or several things bursting out the floor like rockets or bullets, getting their attention to turn around and gasps. The gorilla maid and the four other maids had shot out the ground to attack the mages, the four maids with Bo staffs but Virgo (who was in the middle of the four), lack any weapon in her hands.
(Cue Invoke Magic-Fairy Tail Original Soundtrack 1)
"Intruders, Virgo!" said the four maids.
"Let's crush them, girls!" commanded the one named Virgo in the center, in her booming but manly like voice.
The seven screamed out in terror, "They found us!" How they know they were here? They were careful no one saw them enter the mansion. Virgo's small eyes glared at them with a yellowish flash as she looms at them in the air. "Eliminate the intruders."
Sting, Lisanna, Kyuri, and Levy stood ready to fight now, knowing now that sneaking in was no longer an option and it was important they protect Lucy, Happy, and Lector now. Lisanna's body started to glow as her clothes and appearance changed into her Phoenix Soul Takeover. Two of the maids were coming her way, Lisanna flipped from her friends and with one frontal wheel, she lifted herself out the ground and shot up from the ground to the first two maids, her feet ignited with red and orange flames like a rocket's exhaust. Finally nearing two maids who screamed in shock, Lisanna kick them both with her ignited legs, circling them in fire before causing them to fall to the first floor.
"Solid Script Magic: Vine!" Levy shouted, crossing her arms like a X before doing a twirl in place as the word 'Vine' appeared over her head with her right up in the air. The word appeared forest green before shooting up from Levy and to the second set of maids. The maids gasped as the word then transformed into rope of green vines and tied them up, causing one of the maids to drop one of the Bo staffs.
"Kyuri, now!" shouted Levy to the sculptor mage, looking quickly to her.
"Got it!" exclaimed Kyuri, running to the falling Bo Staff and grabs it in her right hand, before her hand charged with her magic. She looked up at the falling maids with a smile on her face, eyeing the staff.
"Nice staff you maids have…" the staff then crystallized into blue ice from her magic, the staff now covered in a thick sheet of ice. "Mind if I borrow it! Ice Sculpt magic: Ice Bo Staff!" she exclaimed, spinning the ice staff in her right hand.
Leaping into the air, Kyuri collide her Ice Bo Staff with the maids, the center hitting back of the maids' bindings before it crystallized into ice as well. She then twisted the staff in her hands, generating her magic from it as she and the maids were sent a little higher over everyone, swirls of blue energy coming from Kyuri's staff, yelling out, "Ice Bo Staff Blizzard Whirlwind!" And send the two maids flying from before falling to the bottom of the first floor shattering the iced the vines that bounded them. Kyuri landed back to the group with the iced staff in her hand in a kneeling position and the staff held in a back handed position, finally vanishing into pieces of ice.
The four maids were unconscious on the first floor beaten and scratched up. But it was over yet, as there was one final problem on their hands.
"Flying Virgo attack!" the gorilla maid Virgo announce, performing a midair body slam that flattened the White Dragon Slayer remaining who didn't attack the maids. Happy and Lucy were shocked. Sting was crushed under the weight of the gorilla maid.
"Sting, oh no!" Lucy, Lector, and Happy called out. The Celestial Mage added with a stern voice looking at Happy carrying the skull, "Are you really keeping that thing Happy, put it back."
But it wasn't over yet for Sting just yet. The gorilla maid was slowly being lifted off the ground by Sting, who struggled to get the large maid off him. With one toss, Sting sent the gorilla maid off him with a white magic circle appeared under Sting's feet. With a flying white kick, Sting cried out, "White Dragon Talon!" and sent the gorilla maid flying off the second floor and onto the first floor, crashing down with a heavy boom with a cloud of dust over her. Everyone looked to one another smiling, the maids now out of their hair. Lisanna reverted back to her normal appearance and placed her hands behind her back in a calm manner. Kyuri ran back to Levy smiling at her saying, "Not bad don't you think?"
"I was impressive; you really improved you sculpting magic to even change the nature of an object to work at your advantage. You might be as good as Gray!"
Kyuri froze for moment hearing Gray's name and turned away hands balled in her tight fists. Kyuri's body trembled in anger, gritting her teeth before taking a deep breath. "Levy-chan… Don't compare me to that stripper, don't forget he's the one who hurt my feelings and made me run away in the first place. I grew up while I was away, but I still felt like a black sheep still looking for my brother. If it wasn't for Lisanna's encouragement, I wouldn't have returned to Fairy Tail."
"Uh, Kyuri, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." Kyuri said reassuringly, hoping the young Sculptor mage wouldn't be mad at her.
Kyuri turned back to the Solid Script mage with a smile, smiling brightly at her. Although she was four years younger than Levy, Kyuri was only a foot shorter than the petite blue haired mage, her face above her exposed stomach.
"Don't worry Levy-chan, I'm fine. You didn't hurt my feeling; I was just taken aback from the comparison, that's all." she spouted cheerfully before peering her head to Sting and Lisanna, that latter looking down at the defeated maids, where they fell broke up the floor one a bit with many cracks. "Lisanna, Sting. I think we should look for the library next. We better now, since we might have made a ruckus."
"All right, let's look for it." Lisanna and Sting said nodding, looking to Lucy, Lector, and Happy who nodded in agreement. Taking one last look at the defeated maids, the turned the other corner to another they haven't looked through and entered inside, closing the door behind them. The group was inside a large library full of books. The room was oval in shaped with most of the wall covered in shelves of books; expect for one spot bare (a white room). Lucy and Levy's eyes were wide with amazement, mostly impressed was the Solid Script mage herself. Even the collection back home couldn't compare to this. Sting kept his hands to his pockets, his back still turned from the girls, Happy, and Lector. Lisanna took a step forward to the Dragon Slayer, saying with confidence, "We should start looking. Sting, is it fine by you?"
"Right... Everyone," Sting said looking back to the others, "start looking through the shelves for Daybreak. Give a shout when you find it."
"But do we even know what it looks like?" Kyuri asked.
"We'll just to try and find it, that's all." Lector said, taking abroad Sting's shoulders as the two left to go through their side of shelves to look for Daybreak.
"Fine by me, I wouldn't mind looking through the books." Levy said calmly.
Lisanna giggled heartedly. "That's because you love books, Levy. It's right up your alley." And followed Levy to their side of the library. Happy followed too after them.
Kyuri and Lucy took their spot in the library looking through books once everyone was separated in the library. She checked through the many spines of books saying out loud, "The Duke of Everlue looks stupid, but he's got a good collection of books." she shifted her head from the shelves to narrowed her eyes and keep her lips pressed in a frown. "If he reads all these, I'll respect him a bit."
"Look, here's a perverted book!" Lisanna's voice called out, taking the book off from the shelf. She took and a gander at it and skimmed through it. She closed it finally and muttered to herself, "Two years of it. How is that possible? I got to tell Mira-nee about this." And place the book back on the shelf. (A/N 5)
"Look it's a book of fish!" Happy's voice called out from beside Lisanna and Levy.
"Check this book out, it's sparkly!" Sting said in his area with a big smile on his face, holding a golden book with black writing in the front.
"Sting, will you please look seriously for it?!" Lucy yelled at the Blonde haired Dragon Slayer seeing him holding the book up with pride. The others look to Sting and laughed. When he wasn't doing on his own accord, he was like Natsu. Lucy eyed the book in Sting's hand and gasped seeing the front cover. It was a golden cover book (like Sting had said, it was sparkly like brand new), with big black letters in the front and someone's name in the bottom. In the center of the book was a picture of a rising sun over the horizon. The title of the book was as she exclaimed, "It's Daybreak!"
"Really?!" the others said coming up to Sting, Lucy, and Lector. The Dragon Slayer looked to it, frowning a bit with his blue eyes narrowed.
"Have we been here that long?" Happy asked with everyone gasping realizing. They found Daybreak; it was much easier than they thought it would be.
"You found it!" Lucy said in utter shock her eyes open wide.
"Sting-kun actually found it!" Lector said in utter shock as well.
"I did?!" Sting said in disbelief. He was only going through book after book; he didn't expect to find it so soon.
"Two million Jewels, here we come!" Lucy said gleefully.
"Well we found it," Lisanna said, taking the book from Sting's hand and hold the book in her left hand and the flames of her Phoenix Takeover in her right, "let's burn the book and collect two million."
"Right on!" Happy said cheering from the ground.
"W-Wait a minute," Lucy said taking the book from Lisanna to look at it carefully seeing it closely, "This author… Is Kemu Zaleon!" she added with shock in her voice.
"Who is that?" Sting, Lisanna, Happy, and Lector asked in confusion.
"Kemu Zaleon was a writer as well as a mage." Levy said wisely before spotting Lucy hold the book up with excitement in her eyes.
"I'm a huge fan of his! I thought I've read all of Kemu Zaleon's titles! Does that mean this one is unpublished! Amazing!" she said the tone of her voice showing she was excited to have this book in her position.
"We don't have time to geek over a book, time to burn it." Lisanna said still keep her flames lit. Lucy looked at Lisanna with panic in her face seeing the flames still in her hand.
"What are you talking about?!" she said to Lisanna hugging it close to her chest, "This is a cultural heritage! There's no way can burn it! Don't you dare touch it, you pyro Strauss!" she added looking at her like she was crazy enough to burn it.
"So you're abandoning our mission?" Happy asked looking at Lucy from the ground.
"I said I'm a big fan of his!" she shouted back at the cat.
"Now you're angry at us," Lector said his eyes looking serious as ever. "Failure is not an option!"
Lector, Sting, Lisanna, and Happy all came walking closer to her and started to look even seriously to Lucy, her back facing the shelf in fear of Lisanna and the others wanting to burn the book. Levy and Kyuri remain where they stood, not wanted to get involved with
"Look, let's just pretend we burned it! I'll keep this book!" she shouted to the others, tears going down her face. Sting shook his head, his blue eyes still looking serious at her.
"I don't want to tell fibs, Lucy." he said firmly.
"YOU HEARD ME, RIGHT?! THIS IS THE ONE AND ONLY COPY IN THE BOOK…" she cried out loudly at the two mages and cats, "IF LISANNA BURNS IT, I CAN'T READ IT ANYMORE!"
"This won't get us anywhere, will it?" Kyuri said to Levy, "We need that book."
"Lu-chan really wants to keep that book; a shame Lisanna has to burn it. I won't mind reading Kemu's work." Levy said with a deep sigh.
"I see, I see, what do we have here?" a voice said from behind them as the cobblestone like room started to open up and a shadow shot out of the dust covering the back of the group. They turned and gasped seeing what caused the interruption to see someone in the air over the cloud of dust. Duke Everlue appeared in the air with a cunning smile on his face saying coyly, "So that's what you're after. I'm glad I allowed you guys to do whatever! I'm a genius. Boyoyo!" he laughed before landing from his hole and stared at the group. Sting stared irritably at Everlue and then at Lucy, "See you slowpoke, this is what happens you waste time. We got caught be because you decided to put your love for a writer over our mission." he said to her in annoyance.
"S-Sorry Sting…"Lucy said apologetically with a slight stammer in her voice eyeing how furious and annoyed he looked.
"You could have used a door, this is your home." Kyuri and Happy said in unison, both a little taken aback.
Lisanna, Kyuri, and Levy stood tightly close when Everlue scoffed out loud, seeing the mages, "Hmph… I was wondering what the mages were looking for so frantically…" his eyes than shift to Daybreak clutched tightly in Lucy's arms, "And it was the worthless book." He added with disgust.
Sting cocked his head in confusion, Happy and Lector too at the word Everlue described the book. They never heard what that book was from Kaby, all they knew they had to destroy it. But worthless, was a word that made even Sting, a small avid reader unlike Levy to not understand.
"Worthless book?" repeated the others as well.
'The client is willing to pay us 2 million to destroy this book…' Lucy thought calmly, putting together what was going on now while holding onto Daybreak, 'and the owner, Everlue, said it's worthless!?' her eyes then focused on the book now. Her brown eyes wide like a kid in cake shop, a big smile rose on her face. "S-So I can keep it then?" she said happily, making Everlue angry at her, stomping his feet and steam from his ears.
"No. Regardless of how worthless it is, the book still belongs to m."
Lucy pouted; looking at him with her lips pursed together, "Greedy gut."
"Shut up, ugly." he spat back, making her upset like before of being called that.
Lisanna narrowed her eyes looking at Everlue with annoyance, "Look sir, we just want to burn the book. Then we're done here."
"No. Absolutely not, Lisanna. You're not going to burn it!" Lucy cried out again, hugging the book tightly to her chest like it was a special prize to her.
Lisanna look to her Lucy in a way she never looked at her before: a look of pure anger. Her teeth were bared and looked at Lucy like she was a different person. Her fists were balled up so tight that her veins were ready to pop. "Lucy, this is our job!" she snapped at the Celestial mage, ignoring whatever feelings she had for the girl and saw her as an uncooperative person.
"Well at least let me read it first, Lisanna." she said quickly, going to her knees and began to read the book by the back of the desk to that everyone said, "Read it now?!" in the same flabbergasted shocked tones seeing the Celestial mage start to read Daybreak.
Everlue looked angry at them (mostly Lucy); his small eyes darken with rage flaring out, "Bull shit! I don't like this, how dare you touch the book that belongs to me, Duke Everlue?!" His voice raised even higher as he spoke, adding in a sense of a command, "Come on out, Vanish Brothers!"
As if on cue, one of the bookcases started to open up slowly to reveal an entrance from behind it. Sting, Lisanna, Levy, and Kyuri all turned their heads to the secret entrance from the bookcase, seeing two shadowy figures walk their way in.
"It's finally time for business." The first one spoke up, the one on the right much shorter than the second.
"If we get paid without doing actual work, mama will get mad of us." The second one spoke up, the one of the left much taller than the other figure.
When the figures revealed themselves and finally exited out the secret door, they both were two males looking serious at them. The oldest one (also the smaller of the duo), despite being a massive and mildly tall man; his head is mostly shaved, with noticeably long, dark hair being present only on the back of it, where it is tied into a braid reaching down below the man's back, with a light ribbon circling the end, taking the form of a tuft; an hairstyle which is highly reminiscent of a Chinese queue. He possessed slanted dark eyes, sharp facial features, with prominent cheekbones, a dark-colored upper lip, with his mouth usually retaining a slight grimace, giving him a perennially serious look, and four distinctive tattoos of kanji adorning his face: his right cheek bears the character for "Right", his left one the character for "Left", the character for "Up" is placed in the center of his forehead, and the one for "Down" on his chin, right below his lower lip. He also had noticeably pointed ears. His attire, much like his hairstyle, is Chinese in appearance, consisting of a light tunic with a high collar, possessing dark stripes on the loose cuffs and flanking the fastener crossing the chest vertically, a pair of mildly loose dark pants, getting tighter in correspondence to his ankles, and traditional, dark Chinese shoes paired with light socks. Hanging on his left bicep, held there by a dark band passing above his right shoulder, is a square dark cloth bearing a light guild mark. In addition, the man carried around an oversized frying pan, possessing a noticeably long handle, on his back, held there by a rope passing over his right shoulder.
The younger brother, paradoxically, is also the larger one, being notably tall and massive, standing at almost twice the height of his brother, and possessing long limbs, especially if compared with his massive torso. He has long, dark and curly hair, which is arranged in a distinctive hairstyle, with four large, straight tufts jutting upwards on top of his head, getting smaller near their outer edges. His face is squared, with a very prominent, mildly rounded and hooked nose, and his dark eyes are topped by a light bandana covered in spiraling dark motifs, obscuring his forehead and keeping his hair back. His right forearm was covered by similar, sharp and dark tattoos, reaching down to his hand. His outfit, unlike that of his brother, is Western in look, consisting of a dark sweatshirt, with slightly puffy sleeves reaching below his elbows, adorned by light, wavy markings on the shoulder and the sleeve areas and bearing three light, diagonal stripes on each side of the torso, simple light pants and light trainers. He also bared a square cloth similar to that of his brother, hanging above his right bicep, which is light in color, is secured by a light band passing above his left shoulder, and bears the dark symbol.
"Good afternoon." the bald older brother spoke with his eyes narrowed.
"These brats are mages from Fairy Tail?" the raven hared younger brother said looking at the five mages and two cats, "Mama would be surprise too."
"Look at that symbol on their clothes." Happy said pointing his paw at the two, "They're from the Mercenary Guild, Southern Wolves!"
"You hired these guys?" Kyuri asked keeping her eyes on the two mercenaries.
"Mercenary Guild, they look dangerous, might want to be careful." Levy said whispering into Lisanna who nodded in agreement.
"Boyoyoyo," Duke Everlue chortled heartedly seeing the two brothers now making their appearance, "Southern Wolves are always hungry! Prepare to die!"
Sting, Kyuri, and Lisanna stared at them sharply with their eyes narrowed as possible. Happy and Lector looked worried seeing the mercenaries, knowing their names full well and their power. Levy didn't look too scared of them, but kept her ground while standing near Happy and Lector. The Vanish Brothers kept their cool seeing the mages from Fairy Tail and Everlue smiled sinisterly. But the only one not affected by it all, was Lucy. She was still reading the book, her brown eyes still wide and a big smile on her face. Everyone in the room look to see Lucy was the only one not fazed by any of this. Snapping back at her, they shouted in unison, "Hey?!"
The bald older brother scoffed, a vein throbbing on the base of his temple. "What a joke..." he said still frowning.
"They claimed to be mages of Fairy Tail…?" said the raven haired younger brother frowning like his brother.
Sting smiled cockily and cracked his fist together. "Don't underestimate us…"
"We're tougher than we look…" Lisanna finished, adjusting Natsu's scarf on her neck before standing back with her right arm facing the Vanish brothers with her left facing the others behind her.
"Vanish Brothers! Retrieve the book at once!" Everlue commanded pointing his finger at the group with a smile on his face, "and Kill them!"
From behind the group, Lucy still was reading Daybreak by the desk, flipping through page after page, but something caught her eye. "This…" she said softly before getting up, closing the book and standing near Sting and Lisanna's backs speaking up to them, Kyuri, and Levy.
"Guys, buy me some time. I think there is some kind of secret hidden in this book." Lucy said before running off the other way. Lisanna and Sting turned their heads at once to see Lucy running to a white door.
"Huh?" the two responded seeing her run off.
"Secret…!" Everlue repeated in alarm overhearing Lucy.
"Lucy, where are you going?" Levy called out to the blonde celestial mage seeing her vanish from view as she closed the door. Lucy's voice could still be heard from behind the closed doors, saying to her friends, "Let me read it somewhere!" and her voice and footsteps trailed off, no longer can anyone hear her.
The group was still puzzled at Lucy's odd actions. First was her interest in the book and just reading it while everything was going on, then just up and ran off when talking about some secret. Things were getting complicated now, with Lucy's odd behavior and the Vanish Brothers as their opponents. Everlue remained quiet without making a sound, his body trembling in anger.
'S-Secret?! I didn't notice when I read it.' Everlue thought feverishly, 'Must be a treasure map or something!' His trembling anger turned to a mischievous smile, now deciding what to do. "I must act quickly." His feet began to dig through the ground, then speaking directly to the Vanish Brothers, "Change of plans! I'll go after the blond haired girl. Vanish Brothers, Obliterate those brats!" and disappeared from view.
"Lucy went that way!" screamed Sting and Lisanna seeing Everlue not use the door and just went through the ground. Lisanna gritted her teeth in worry, knowing Lucy was now in danger. There was no way she and Sting could beat them and go after Lucy before Everlue gets to her. She looks to Levy and Kyuri, wondering who to send after Lucy. If there was anyone she trusted to protect the girl, it'll be one of them. Kyuri's going to have problems facing Everlue on her own. While she trusts her magical skill, her mind flashes back to three years ago at her use of magic drastically depleting after a few uses. Kyuri seemed stronger but wasn't going to risk her getting hurt by Everlue, even if he harms Lucy. There will be hell to pay if Everlue hurts her. She look to Levy, and remembered she had more experience being in Fairy Tail and can handled someone like Everlue. Happy and Lector will help her too; she had faith in the two cats as while. She looked Sting to what he thought; the White Dragon Slayer had the same exact idea what to do and nodded. She nodded back smiling, but heard one of Vanish Brothers speak up.
The older bald brother sighed annoyingly. "Selfish clients tired me out."
"For real," the raven haired younger brother said in agreement.
"Alright, things just got a little complicated for us. Happy and Lector can you two and Levy chase after Lucy?" Sting said looking to his cat and Natsu's while straighten out his arms.
"But Sting-kun, those two opponents are from Southern Wolves. We'll support you!" Lector said panicking and worried for Sting.
"It's important that book is back in our processions and Lucy-san has it." Kyuri said. "Don't worry… The three of us can handle it." She removed her katana from her belt held it at the ready, a confident smile now on her face.
"You little brat!" yelled the younger brother ready to attack, but the older brother held out his arm to stop him, "Huh?"
"Calm down," the older brother said, "You got to calm down."
Happy and Lector smiled and beamed at the three mages, Levy too was happy as well. The Solid Script mage bumped a fist to her chest with pride smiling at the others too, "You can count on us. We'll make sure Lucy is safe."
"Sting, Lisanna, Kyuri, be careful!" Happy and Lector said in unison, activating their angelic like wings and taking off to the white door following Levy. Lisanna and Sting watched their feline companions and Levy vanish from sight, before looking back at the Vanish Brothers. The older bald brother held out his right hand out at Sting, Lisanna, and Kyuri, keeping a calm and confident frown at the three. "Come on, Takeover Mage, Light Mage, Sculptor Mage."
(Cue Fists Blazing—Fairy ail Volume one Soundtrack)
"How you know what we were?" asked Kyuri keeping close to the others while staring at the Vanish Brothers.
The bald headed older brother laughed. "Fu, Fu, Fu, "We saw everything on the surveillance Lacrima."
"So you were watching us, I figured as much. So, what do you know about us?"
"The blonde girl, the one you referred to as Lucy is holder type mage; A Celestial Sprit mage and has 7 keys in contract." said the raven haired younger brother. "Those cats you have can fly with magic that sprouts those wings."
"You, white haired girl burned a hole through the glass with your fire takeover and kicked the two of the maids with fire surrounding your legs. A Takeover Mage who can turn into a Phoenix type form. The blonde haired boy beat and kicked Virgo with light from his legs, A Light mage. And the little silver and black haired girl with the sword turned a simple Bo Staff into ice and used it to her advantage, An Ice Sculptor mage correct?" said the raven haired younger brother.
"So you observed us well…" Lisanna said smiling, an orange magic circle appearing under her feet before it surrounded her in flames, the flames finally dying down as then she was in her Takeover Phoenix Soul. She kept her smile in a cocky manner like Natsu, holding her talons like hands up with red-orange flames surrounding it. Sting's hands like Lisanna's were surrounded by his White Dragon Slayer Magic while Kyuri kept her blade in the ready smiling much calmly.
"That means you're prepared to get to end up charred and beaten up by us, right?" said Sting calmly still smiling.
The bald older brother wasn't too fazed by Sting and Lisanna's words, but instead grabbed a handle of his weapon from his back and the ropes that tied it started to untie saying with a calm but cold and serious manner, "Unfortunately, all me to decline, because…" And finally removed his weapon from his back and held it facing the ground. "Fire Mages, either Takeover or not, are the easiest kind of opponents for Me." while his younger brother stood behind him folding his arms in a serious manner.
Sting narrowed his eyes and still frowned, Kyuri and Lisanna doing the same thing too as he retorted back coolly, "Is that so?"
"It seems like the mages of Fairy Tail think that they are strongest or something." The bald older brother said.
"It is true that we do hear a lot about the two of you and the passed Salamander Natsu Dragneel." said the raven haired younger brother looking to both Lisanna and Sting, "so, we'll approve its status as a mage guild."
"But…" the bald headed older brother added stilling frowning, "A mage is a mage."
"You are no match for professional fighters, mercenary solders." The raven haired younger brother added as well, smiling.
The Vanish Brothers heard the sound of chuckling coming from the three mages and noticed one of them was acting weird and it was coming from the white hared Takeover mage. Lisanna's head low facing the ground, her shoulders moving and she was laughing, actually laughing. She looked up and smiled, speaking calmly as ever. "Like I said, don't understate us, just because we're mages."
"We'll take you on, just the three of us." Sting said holding on his right hand in a "Come on" fashion, waiting for the mercenaries to make their move.
"Big brother… They're really looking down on us." The raven haired younger brother said with hush voice His older brother wasn't too fazed; remaining calm with a frown and cold expression on his face.
"Since the girl with the white hair is a fire mage that I'm good with handling." He said to her brother. "This should be easy business, don't you think?"
The older bald headed brother came forward to Lisanna, Sting, and Kyuri with his large frying pan to swing it at them, hitting the three with the back of the pan, making them cry out in panic. The three were sent flying from the two and through the bookcase and wall, going through it and outside to the banister. The force of the attack made them cash into it and down to next flood. Lucky for them, they landed safely on top of a large statue of Everlue, landing on his tongue. The three mages rose up from the aftermath of the Vanish Brother's first attack, feeling the pain of the impact of being sent flying. The pieces of the wall feel from their hair and bodies, shaking it off to look at the Southern Wolves member walking up the from above. Their faces looked confident and serious, but Lisanna looked around at the damage the two made. She sighed to herself but said to them, "What kind of clients goes and destroy their boss's place?"
"It's no concern to you, little girl." Aid the older brother with the bald head, "Anyway, do you know the weak point of a mage?"
"Not really, but why don't you tell us, you're really boring me." Kyuri said coldly.
"Brother, this girl's cold as her magic." The raven haired younger brother admitted with a sweat drop down the back of her head.
"Their weak point…." The bald headed brother said before leaping from the second floor, "Is their bodies!"
"Our bodies?!" the three mages repeated, taking aback forgetting the bald headed brother leaped down at them. He swung the pan at them, causing them to leap themselves a he said to them, "You cannot learn magic without training your intellect and spirit."
The raven haired younger brother punched his way to the three, trying to maneuver their bodies in the air as his fist hit the tongue, breaking it up. They look to him in shock, surprised how strong he was when he spoke to them. "As a result… During the process of mastering magic, your bodies don't get enough training."
Lisanna, Sting, and Kyuri leaped back to the ground hearing what the bald headed older brother speak again to them with a serious look on his face. "Which means compare to us who train our body day and night, you three kids is no match in neither 'power' nor 'speed'.
"One time, there was this mage." said the raven haired younger brother, "He spent many years mastering the 'curse magic' which can be used to break the opponent's bones."
The three looked at the two as they continued their tale, the image of the two facing an old mage with a staff deep in a forest. "We encountered him once, but before he could cast the curse…" to think of one of them punching him with the older brother added, "One hit, and we broke his bones. Years of effort wasted by one hit."
The Vanish Brothers attacked the two with their pan and fists, speaking once more as they spoke again to them. "That's how mages are…"
"If they don't have their magic, they don't even have the advantage of a human being."
"True…" Lisanna said, flipping back to the ground with Kyuri and Sting kneeled with her. Lisanna got up from the ground holding out her arms. "But, none of your attacks broke us."
The Vanish Brothers grunted to the white haired mage's remark as she held her arms down to her side. "I have no plans for broken bones, not after everything I've hoped to achieve…" the thought of Natsu's graves at the church and the house she made with her friends years back appeared in her head. She kept one hand tightly squeezed and spoke again, "So do your worse, we're not afraid."
"I see. Your speed seems to be god for someone as young as you three." The bald older brother said still holding the frying pan behind his back. "You trained yourselves somewhat."
The raven haired brother looks to his older brother who seems calm of the three teens' calmness of winning, "Brother. They wouldn't be able to avoid that attack." And the brother leaped into the air with the older brother holding out the pan straight out and shouting, "A union attack!"
"Okay!" the bald head brother said at once, still he holding out the pan for the dark haired brother to jump on top of it. The younger brother and his arms folded before speaking directly to the three mages, Sting and Kyuri standing on either sides of Lisanna while wondering what they were planning now. "You can be confident for now, brats. I'll tell you why we are called, 'The Vanish Brothers'."
"We vanish…" the older bald headed brother added with a glare on his face and sounding more serious than ever and holding one hand in a hand sign, And we make other vanish, too."
"Heaven and Earth! Annihilation technique!" they spoke in unison.
"Bring it on!" Sting and Lisanna said confidently, ready for whatever these two were planning to do.
Meanwhile with Lucy, The blonde Celestial mage was sitting in the sewer, her back against the back and looking through the Daybreak book. But she wasn't reading it normally, but with a little help. On her face was a pair of glasses elongated frames and a dark, mildly large frame, with had one unique trait to them, is the image of a small wing, surrounded by a pair of little hearts, present of the left lens. These glasses are known as Gale Force Reading Glasses.
While Lucy read through the book, the letters of the pages appeared in a bubble swirling in the bubble in little colorful lights. Since leaving to read the book from her team, the Blonde mage had read the book back and forth, but something kept catching her eye, so she read it again.
"N-No way!" Lucy slightly gasped, still reading the book and surprised what she had found. "I can't believe this book holds such a secret!" She closed the book and held it in her left hand, speaking again to herself, removing her glasses and placing them in her pocket, "I can't… burn this book… I know the guys will be mad at me, but I must give this back to Kaby-san… He needs to see this."
Suddenly, a hand reaches out from the wall and grabbed Lucy's arms with the book still her hands. She gasped to see who it was. It was Duke Everlue. The small man had caught her I is grace. She struggled in his grasp of her arms, still looking at the man with gritted teeth.
"What did you find? Tell me the secret of that book!" Duke Everlue demanded.
"You're pathetic!" Lucy stated, grunting in pain and anger. "You're an enemy of literature!"
Back with Lisanna, Sting, Kyuri, and the Vanish Brother in the mansion, the Vanish Brother roared with tremendous power as the dark haired brother was launched into the air. The bald headed brother vanished from Sting, Kyuri, and Lisanna's sight as they couldn't react in time as the bald headed brother appeared in front of them. They gasped in shock at on fast these men were before he spoke to them.
"Face the heaven… and I'll be the earth!" he exclaimed as he spin in place and knock the three mages away, sending them flying.
Lisanna, Sting, and Kyuri quickly recovered in time to slide back to the ground. They jumped around to look for the other brother, not noticing the dark haired brother appearing next above them.
"Face the earth… And I'll be the heaven!" With one flying kick, Sting was then sent crashing into the ground. The raven haired brother then leaped from the Dragon Slayer and did the same to Lisanna and Kyuri, causing the Takeover mage and Ice Sculptor mage to be crash down onto the breaking floor.
Finishing their attack with perfection, the two brothers appeared together again, the dark haired brother behind the bald headed brother, each doing a hand sign.
"This is the Vanish Brothers' combination attack… The Heaven and Earth Annihilation Technique! No one has ever survived this attack." The bald headed brother stated.
Through the dust cloud that their attacks' damage, Sting, Kyuri and Lisanna rose up like it was nothing. Not a scratch was on them, it was like their attack did nothing. Despite being the youngest, Kyuri looked fine (a little winded from the attack), but kept her ground with the others. Lisanna smiled calmly at the two brothers along with sing, seem not fazed from it all.
"No one's ever survived what now?" Lisanna asked coolly.
Sting kept his smile and added, "Nice attack, too bad it didn't work though. I give you credit, you're strong."
"No way!" The Vanished exclaimed in shock. No one has ever survived their attack and these three mages just did. And barely any scratches either.
"Now, it's our turn to show you our team work!" Kyuri exclaimed, still holding her black bladed katana in hand and dashed her way to the Vanish Brothers.
(Cue Natsu's theme—Fairy Tail Volume one soundtrack)
Kyuri then leaped high into the air over the Vanish Brother' heads to strike them while they looked up to see her. The two mercenaries quickly side step from the silver/black haired mage, whose blade crashed into the mansion floor breaking it up. She looked up immediately to see the raven haired younger brother in front of her. The raven haired brother took his right leg to kick Kyuri, but she ducked over his kick and jumped away, her back facing the opposite direction. Her boots skidded on the ground again before the bald headed older brother came towards her with his large frying pa. Kyuri turned to guard from the pan, taking her Katana to protect herself. Sparks flew form their weapons as the Bold headed older brother push the young mage back. Kyuri flipped around to regain her balance and guided her blade into the ground. The blade dug deep into the floor before Kyuri look to see Lisanna coming her way, changing from her Phoenix Takeover to her Half-Bid Takeover. Taking her other hand out, she called out to the Takeover mage, "Lisanna!"
Lisanna's body started to glow a golden light, quickly changed again from her Half-Bird Takeover to Tigress Takeover and once she and Kyuri crossed one another, Kyuri grabbed hold of her white and black printed claw and lifted her blade of the ground. She twisted and turn her body with Lisanna still in her arm and tossed Lisanna straight forward to the bald headed older brother going into a skull bash. Lisanna collide her head into the older brother's chest, taking the wind out of the mercenary and before jumping into the air, flipped to kick him in the stomach to push him back. Lisanna flipped high into the sky and called out, "Sting!"
"I'm on it!" Sting called to the White haired mage, running up to the golden statue and running up to the head of Everlue and leaped out from the head to head straight forth to Lisanna, grabbing her hand while she spun. The two mages spun for a moment before Lisanna screamed, "Now!" to Sting and sent him flying to the raven haired younger brother, his left fist wrapped in white light, "White Dragon Holy Fist!" he exclaimed at the mercenary, colliding his white hot fist into the raven haired younger brother's face and sent him flying to his older brother. But then, the younger brother flipped back from the attack skidded to his brother's side unharmed. The bald headed older brother held his pan behind his back with a calm frown and his younger brother stood up with his arms folded.
"Heh. I'm impressed, not bad for a couple of little kids, brother." He chuckled to him confidently
"We're not done yet!" Sting exclaimed from above, leaping back to Kyuri and Lisanna's side. Sting slammed fits together, a white magic circle appearing in front of him and a white energy swirling and his body. Lisanna's changed once again back into her Phoenix Takeover and held her two hands at the ready, her body swirled in red-orange energy.
"It's time we blow you away!" they exclaimed in unison, "White Dragon Roar/Phoenix Flame Burst!" and erupted from their hands/mouth, streams of red-orange flame and white whirlwind traveled from them and to the Vanish Brothers. The Vanish Brothers, after recovering from Lisanna, Sting, and Kyuri's attack, held the pan at the ready. They weren't afraid of the double attack of the two mages, but were confident what to do.
"All right, fire and light magic!" the younger raven haired brother said, feeling triumphant a seeing attack coming their way.
"We got them now." added the Bald headed brother still holding he pan up at the attack. "Flame cooking!"
The pan took in the flames/light winds of the White Dragon Roar/Phoenix Flame Burst and not only took in the attack by sucking it up, but protected them. "This absorbs all flames and other elements, transforms it, and blows it back," The absorbed flames and white wind now made the pan red-white hot as the bald headed brother then sent the flames, now a brighter yellow and white, back at Sting, Kyuri and Lisanna The two mages stood there in shock as the attack collided with them, created a explosion of flames and smoke.
"Roosted fairies!" the bald headed brother said with a smile.
"Good-bye!" added the dark haired brother.
Just then, from inside the flames, Sting and Lisanna began to swallow the flames and white winds whole at once as the smoke around Kyuri covered her was clearing up.
"Good thinking you two." Kyuri said through the smoke. The smoke cleared to reveal she was fine, but held up a clear blue barrier in front of her that shattered into pieces. Like her friends, her body was free of burn marks or scratches.
The Vanish Brothers screamed in fright and held each other in terror. How did these kids survive those flames and white winds?
"Impossible!" screamed the brothers.
"Now I got some fire in my belly!" Lisanna commented as she punched her fists together, fire swirling around her.
"Thanks for the meal, now that I've eaten, I rearing to go!" Sting exclaimed, white energy swirling around him too.
"Let us show you something…" The two teens said in unison, leaping into the air. They grab each other's hand as flames and white energy shaped like twin streams stretch out from their other hands, "White Dragon/Phoenix Wing Attack!"
The two crash the flames and white streams like mighty wings in an X formation at the Vanish Brothers which caused a huge explosion that caused every window to shatter and break. It made the mansion explode in smoke too, that even outside in the town; people in their daily lives could see and hear the explosion coming from a distance and a smoke climbing into the sky. They were shocked, what was going on?
Back in the mansion, the smoke finally cleared as the damage from the mansion was as bad as Hargeon. The walls were broken up and creaked, so were the floors, pieces of the second floor chipped of from above, and even the statue was a mess. The Vanish brothers were beaten, burned, and scratch up. The two look to one another and said, "I think we went overboard."
Kyuri sighed, placing her hands into her pockets, smiling after placing her blade back on her hip, "What else is new, we're good at that."
And it was true words best said, no matter what, the there would cause trouble mo mater where ever they go.
To Be Continued…
Michael: And finally I finished episode 3 of fairy Tail. We still got a long way to go before reaching the current ac: Tarturos. You think Levy had enough involvement in the chapter, what do you think of Lisanna's development of her relationship with Natsu and moving on? Were the battles lengthy enough, considering after this chapter, I might redo Re Deluxe so it match the improvement of A Different Fairy Tail. Don't worry, as I read the manga, I do plan things out from each chapter. And I think after the Galuna Island arc, the hints of Lisanna/Lucy will just be subtle so the plot and development is more important than romance or shipping. Good stories get bad if shipping is slapped to your face. I hope the submitters of Kyuri and Cyan like the development the two (or what is mention of Cyan). Next episode is:
Dear Kaby
Lisanna: Please review.
Lucy: We'll see you next time.
#1 Plue is from Rave Master (or Rave is the Japanese Version)
#2 Naruto reference if you follow the anime and manga
#3 just a hint to everyone, once Natsu is back, he's the main along with everyone. He won't take away from anyone since he'll be just as developed as everyone.
#4 to be blunt, the kind that makes bad characters.
#5 A reference to Sword art Online, look up Chapter 16.5