Chapter 11 Daybreak
Lucy got up and showered. It had been a week since she'd joined Fairy Tail and she'd managed to find herself a house to live in in Magnolia. A lovely house that was a real steal at seventy thousand jewel a month. She got out the shower, wrapped a towel around herself and made her way to her bedroom… only to find it covered in trash and Natsu and Happy sitting on her sofa!
"Ahh! My bedroom!"
And she kicked them both. "Get the heck out of here ya jerks!"
Wendy suddenly looked through the open window as Carla held her there in midair. "I told you guys she'd be mad!"
"You don't just walk into someone else's house. You knock first and wait for them to come to the door!" Carla said.
Lucy dressed and let them back in to speak to her after she was ready. They sat in her kitchen as she gave them tea.
"So, what brings you guys here?" she asked.
"Well we wanted to get to know you a little better," Natsu said. "And since you're a member of Fairy Tail now we thought we'd offer you a job."
Wendy held up a piece of paper that was a job request. "We found this one and it looks like a good match for you."
"Of course, this would be your first one so it would probably be a good idea for you to have backup," Carla said.
"That's why we're coming along!" Happy said.
Lucy looked at them. "Hmm… alright. I do need rent money. Let me see the job request."
She looked over it and beamed. "No way! Two hundred thousand jewel just for stealing some stupid book from a rich guy named Duke Everlue?"
"Yep!" Natsu said.
"Okay, but why did you think this was a good fit for me?" Lucy asked.
Carla pointed to the bottom of the request. Which read Please Note: Everlue is a dirty old man who is currently looking for maids with blonde hair.
"Oh I see!" Lucy said. "This will be no problem! I can wow this old geezer easy!"
"Well let's get going then!"
….
"Troia!" Wendy cast the motion sickness countering spell on Natsu before they entered a vehicle that would take them to the town they needed to go to.
Natsu let out a breath of relief. "Ah maybe I should just have you do this every time Wendy."
The young girl smiled. Glad she was able to help.
"You never seem to get better on your own," Carla pointed out. "You tried to fight it for over two years but it never works. This could probably be with you for life."
"Wow, you guys have been together for a long time huh?"
"Six years, and seven for me and Wendy!" Natsu said putting an arm around his sister.
"Seven years, wow. That's almost as long as I've had Aquarius," Lucy said.
"Who?" Natsu asked.
"Oh, that's one of my celestial spirits," Lucy held up the circle of keys on her belt.
"Oh, you mean that clock and bull you used on Mt. Hakobe?" Wendy asked.
"Yeah, I've got Horologium the Clock, Lyra the Harp, and Crux the Cross," Lucy said she tapped each of the silver keys on her ring. "Then there's the gold ones. You met Taurus the bull."
"Yes, and he certainly didn't make a very good impression," Carla noted, recalling the cow's perverted attitude and snide comment toward Wendy.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Lucy said. "I've also got Aquirius the water bearer. She's really powerful but not very nice. The last gold one is Cancer the crabman, he's nicer, I think you'd probably like him. Oh, that reminds me, I got a new key when I was in Hargeon that I need to make a contract with!"
"Make a contract with?" Happy asked.
Lucy drew the latest silver key. "It's when I set a deal on times I can summon my spirits and when I can't. They have things to do in the Celestial Spirit world so I have to respect that. Well, I'll do that real quick. Open gate of kalis minor, come nikola!"
A small creature resembling a snowman appeared.
"Ah! So cute!" Wendy and Lucy said together.
Lucy began hugging the little nikola. She decided a name, Plue, then asked what days he was available, and proclaimed him as a pet. They then arrived in the town where they were supposed to meet the client for the job. After lunch they got to his house.
"Welcome, my name is Kaby Melon," the client said.
"He said Melon!" Happy said his mouth watering.
"Wow you have a tasty name!" Natsu said.
"Don't be rude guys!" Lucy scolded.
"It's alright," Kaby said. "Now to the matter at hand. Its imperative that you destroy this book!"
"No problem mister. For two hundred thousand jewel I'll burn it with be no questions asked!" Natsu lit a flame on his finger.
"Oh? Were you not aware the rewards been raised to two million jewel?" Kaby asked.
This caused the entire Team Hot Air to nearly faint.
"Two million?" Natsu exclaimed.
"How are we gonna split that? What's that divided five ways?" Happy said.
"Four hundred thousand jewel each tomcat," Carla said with her arms folded. "Honestly, such simple math."
"Oh you're so smart Carla!" Happy said with hearts in his eyes, causing her to be embarrassed and look away.
"Any reason you increased the reward?" Wendy asked.
"It just means that much to me," Kaby said. "That book must be destroyed."
"Well let's go!" Natsu said.
They began their trek to Duke Everlue's mansion which was a short distance away. Natsu, Wendy and the cats hung back in the woods outside the mansion while Lucy walked to the gate in a maids outfit. The plan was for her to get inside, find the book and get out. Duke Everlue came out to see her with several other maids, all of whom were rather ugly such as a big gorilla like woman. After taking one look at Lucy, Everlue scoffed called her ugly and had the big maid throw her off his property. That left them with one choice. Break in. Happy and Carla flew them to the roof. They got in and found what appeared to be in a storeroom of some kind filled with all sorts of items.
"Rarr!" Happy roared as he put on a small skull mask that was just the right size for him.
Carla Wendy, and Lucy screamed while Natsu grinned. "Yeah you're looking fierce, Happy!"
They continued through the mansion. Everlue was certainly a filthy rich man by the solid gold toilet and statue he had of himself.
"Okay, I think we should split up to cover more ground," Lucy said.
"Okay, Carla you and me will-
Before Wendy could finish the ugly maids popped out from under the rug.
"Intruder alert Virgo!" the smaller ones said together.
"Let's crush em girls!" the big gorilla like maid, Virgo, said.
Natsu grinned and pounded his fist to his palm. "Alright, guess we got a fight!"
Wendy suddenly got in front of him with her hands up. "Let me do it big brother!"
"Huh?"
"I want a chance to show that I'm strong!" Wendy said. "You always do the fighting."
"Yeah, cause I'm the big brother!" Natsu reminded her. "I have to protect you!"
"Well I don't want you protecting me all the time!" Wendy said. "I want to fight sometimes!"
"Can you just fight the maids and not each other!" Lucy told the siblings.
The maids froze at the sight of Happy with the skull on his face.
"It's a monster!"
The distraction gave Wendy an opportunity.
"Sky Dragon Roar!"
Wendy's attack sent the smaller maids fly. She smiled for a moment, finally she had done something! But in her joy, she let her guard down.
"Heavy Virgo attack!"
The large maid landed straight on top of Wendy, a small scream sounded.
"Wendy! No!" Carla screamed.
"Get off of her!" Natsu bellowed as he ran at Virgo.
"As you wish!" she said getting off Wendy.
"Why you! Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"
He punched the huge maid away then looked at his sister. She was unconscious.
"Carla get her out of here!" Natsu ordered. "Me, Lucy and Happy will complete the mission!"
Carla nodded she sprouted her wings and took hold of Wendy before flying off with her.
…
Wendy woke up inside Horologium with Lucy and Carla as the clock spirit walked through the swamp. Natsu walked outside with Happy on his head. They had agreed to walk back to the guild after completing their mission. Lucy hated the idea but seeing as how Natsu got motion sick in vehicles and Wendy wasn't able to cast Troia on him she decided to let it go this time.
"Oh, you're awake Wendy!" Lucy said.
"Wendy's awake!?" Natsu asked from outside.
"Yeah," she said. "What happened?"
"That big maid landed on top of you child!" Carla said. "Are you alright?"
"I think so," Wendy said clutching her head. "Did we complete the job?"
Lucy shook her head and made a crying face. "Natsu refused the reward!"
"We didn't destroy it like we were supposed to thanks to you, so we pretty much failed the mission and had to refuse the reward!" Natsu said.
"Yeah, I still can't believe you refused two million jewel!" Lucy cried. "I have to pay rent!"
"We'll do another job!" Natsu said as they got out of the swampy water.
Something seemed to glow in the bushes, drawing their attention.
"Who's there?" Natsu yelled as he leapt in the bushes.
Only to find Gray in his underwear. The ice and fire wizards immediately began arguing in their usual manner. After they settled down and began talking to Gray who was on his way back from a job, Natsu told him to be on his way.
"Okay, but I'd hurry back if I were you! Erza's due back any day now!" Gray warned him.
"The Erza?" Lucy said, recalling the name.
"Like Erza scares me!" Natsu said.
"Right, I forgot even an idiot like you made S-class somehow!' Gray said.
"It will be great to see Erza, she's been gone for over two weeks now!" Wendy said.
"I just hope she's in a good mood," Carla said.
"Why what happens if she's not?" Lucy asked, feeling as if she should be scared.
"She'll be after everyone that causes trouble in the guild!" Happy said. "You do not want to make her mad! She's the most powerful woman in all of Fairy Tail and S-class just like Natsu!"
"And she's about as strong as me too!" Natsu said.
"Only when you have Wendy to make you stronger!" Gray challenged. "Take away those daggers and you're only about as strong as me!"
"I had to complete this mission without Wendy's daggers!" Natsu told him.
"Oh, why couldn't she help you?" Gray suddenly noticed Wendy had a bandage over her head. "Don't tell me, you actually let her get hurt!"
"I didn't!" Natsu shouted.
Before Gray could retort, all six members of Fairy Tail were blasted by magic. They were unharmed but left slightly dazed as they looked up.
"Happy!" Natsu shouted.
"Carla!" Wendy screamed.
…
The two cats were taken a short distance away and tied to a cooking stick. Carla was stripped of her dress (much to her embarrassment, as unlike Happy she preferred not to be naked)
"Help us!" Happy screamed.
"Give me back my dress you perverts!" Carla yelled, her white cheeks red from embarrassment.
Natsu and Gray managed to easily defeat the wizards once they caught up to them. They tied them up and were going to figure out what to do with them.
"Lulla-" one of the wizards muttered.
"Huh?" Lucy, who was nearest asked.
"Lullaby," the wizard said.
But before Lucy could ask what he meant, a hand made out of a shadow appeared and seemed to snatch them from under the ground.
Wendy hugged Natsu. "What was that?"
"I don't know, just stay close to me!" Natsu said. "I don't want you getting hurt again!"
"Whoever it was, they're fast!" Gray said.
The magic power he was sensing was gone.
"Lullaby," Lucy said, wondering what it meant.
They headed back to the guild. At the same time, a woman carrying a huge horn began to make her way towards it.
Well we're about to start with the Lullaby Arc. Poor Wendy is sure getting the short end of the stick here! I feel almost like I'm abusing her! Ah well, that will probably make you want her to shine even more, cause that's how I feel! Well, that will likely be around Galuna Island time (I'm aware its been renamed to Cold Emperor Lyon or whatever but I prefer Galuna).