Fairy Tail: The Bravestar Saga

by Navek

AU. When Lucy walked into Hargeon, she had no idea she was going get tangled up with a crazy dragon-slayer, an amazon who hugs way too hard, a somewhat cocky archer, and a snarky cat. But she wouldn't trade the adventures she had with them for all the money in the world.

4. A Silver Sensation

Author's Note 1: Fairy Tail: The Bravestar Saga is a non-profit fanfiction series.

Fairy Tail and Fairy Tail Series II are all owned by A-1 Pictures, Satelight, Bridge Madman Entertainment, Funimation TXN, Kodansha, and Hiro Mashima.

Any original characters and concepts are owned by Navek or xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Previously: With the assistance of Team Bravestar, Lucy has gone on her first mission as a Fairy Tail wizard: To steal a book named Daybreak from eccentric billionaire Duke Everlue. While the gang successfully found the book, they were met with resistance by a family of mercenaries called the Vanish Siblings. Their anti-magic weapons proved to be quite the challenge; Natsu, Alyssa, and Zeke were able to defeat them using their Unity Magic.

As this was going on, Lucy departed from the group, believing that some secret lies within Daybreak's pages. But Duke Everlue is not far behind.

Chapter 4: A Silver Sensation

While the sewer wasn't an ideal place for anyone to read a book, beggars can't be choosers as the old saying goes. In order to read through the entire book in a timely fashion, Lucy had pulled out a pair of Gale-Force Reading Glasses, magic items that allow a wizard to read at superhuman speeds.

Lucy sat with her back against the wall, a look of determination on her face while Happy was hovering in the air on the lookout.

"Uh, it stinks down here," Happy said, holding his paws over his nose.

"I don't want to be here either, but it's the best place I could think of to hide," Lucy said.

"Well, I'm a cat, so my nose is way more sensitive than yours." He said as he flapped over to Lucy.

"I'm almost done, then we can get out here," she said. "I knew this book contained some kind of secret. But I didn't expect this."

"What's this about secrets!?" a voice rang through the air. A hand burst from the wall, grabbed Happy by his tail, and threw him against the wall.

"Happy!" Lucy shouted. She tried to grab her keys, but a pair of hands grabbed her wrists and twisted her arms behind her back. Lucy screamed in pain as she turned her head to see Duke Everlue, his face sticking out of the wall.

"Secrets don't make friends, you know," the Duke stated as more of his body came out of the wall. "Now, why don't you share that secret with me?"

"No way! A man like you doesn't deserve to know this book's secret! You're an enemy of literature!" Lucy yelled as the rich man added more pressure to his hold.

"An enemy of literature? I am culture's greatest friend! My massive collection of books and art is proof of that!"

"But your ugly maids show you don't know squat about beauty!" Lucy said through grit teeth.

"How dare you!" Everlue said as he tightened his grip like a vice. "My maids are the definition of beauty! Now, what secrets does this book hold?! A treasure map to his buried fortune or something like that? You better tell me, or I'll snap your arms like twigs."

Lucy turned her head and stuck her tongue out at Everlue. He scowled and pinned her to the ground, grinding her face into the dirty sewer's floor. "Don't get me sassy with me, missy! I am the one who commissioned Kemu Zaleon to write this book. I am the reason it exists! Therefore, any secret hidden in the book is rightfully mine!"

Lucy grit her teeth so hard it felt like they were about to shatter. "Go. To. Hell."

A mad grin spread across Duke Everlue's face. "Very well."

In a flash of blue, Happy shot into the air, dived, and kicked Everlue in the face, knocking him away from Lucy.

"Happy," Lucy said as he landed on the walkway, grinned at her. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"This cat's tougher than he looks," Happy said as he struck a pose before wincing and rubbing his head. He turned to glare at Duke Everlue as the short man got back up. "And I've got a bone to pick with you! What's up with this stupid smelly sewer? I thought you'd have some super cool dungeon under your house, and all we find is this super gross and smelly place!"

"That's what you're upset about?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Wh-what?!" Everlue exclaimed, utterly baffled by the cat's question. "Why the hell would I waste money on building a dungeon under my mansion?!" he shouted.

"Because dungeons are awesome and are great places to keep your super-special treasure," Happy said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well, that tracks," Lucy snarked. "Someone who commissions golden toilets that looks like themself would never have something as cool as a dungeon."

Everlue scowled. "Bad enough that you broke into my mansion and stole my property, but I will not tolerate my tastes being insulted by you uncultured swine! Concrete Dive!" A brown magic circle appeared under Everlue's feet, and he dived into the concrete.

Happy and Lucy got into offensive stances and prepared for Duke Everlue's attack. 'That's right,' Lucy thought as her eyes scanned the area. 'Zeke said he has Diver Magic. I've never seen it before, but based on how he's appeared in and out of the concrete and the name, he can probably dive through solid objects like someone can swim through water.'

But as the two Fairy Tail wizards were waiting for Everlue to appear, Happy's ears twitched, the blue cat quickly shoving his paw into his backpack. And as Everlue popped out behind the two, Happy quickly turned around and tossed a glowing crystal orb at the duke…which proceeded to explode and knocked Everlue back a bit.

"W-What was that?!" Lucy asked in shock.

"Lacrimal Grenades!" Happy as he pulled out two more from his back. "And there's more where that came from!"

Right as Happy tossed another pair of grenades at Everlue, the Diver Wizard recovered and dove back into the floor. He attempted to attack from above, flying from the ceiling. However…

"Lucy! Above you!" Happy shouted. Quickly, Lucy grabbed her whip with her free hand and swung it above her, smacking the duke in the face.

"Dammit it all!" Everlue shouted as he rubbed his now red face before he glared at Happy. "How the devil are you doing that, you repugnant feline?!"

Happy gained a cocky look on his face as his ears twitched. "It's because I'm a cat. So my sense of hearing is waaaaay better than yours."

At the same time, Lucy took out one of her golden keys as she held Daybreak in her other hand. "Well, it looks like the tables have turned. But if you let us have the book, we'll consider going easy on you."

"So you're a Celestial Wizard, eh?" Everlue asked. "But for a reader, you seem to have confused the phrase. Saying the tables have turned suggests that the weaker party has gained an advantage." He grinned as he reached into his suit pocket. "But still, this is a most advantageous moment for myself."

To Lucy and Happy's shock, the short man pulled out two silver celestial keys. One had teeth shaped like a dragon's claw, while the other key had teeth in the shape of a peacock tail. "After all, it's not every day I get to fight someone who uses the same magic as myself."

"No way!" Lucy said in disbelief as Everlue swung the keys in front of him.

"Open, Gate of the Dragon - Draco! Gate of the Peacock - Pavo!" In a flash of light, two humanoid beings manifested in front of Duke Everlue.

The first was a woman with red serpent-like eyes wearing viridian plate armor that looked like it was made of scales with a matching helmet that resembled a dragon's head. In her left held a round shield emblazoned with the image of a dragon, and in her right hand, she wielded a sword with a crossguard shaped like a pair of dragon wings.

The second figure was a beautiful lithe man with a quaff of blue hair and amber eyes. His outfit consisted of a sparkly rainbow-colored sleeveless unitard. In each hand, he held a fan made of peacock feathers with golden handles.

"Y-you summoned two spirits at once?!" Lucy stuttered out, causing Everlue to chuckle once more.

"Boyoyoyoyo! You're a novice, aren't you? Silver Spirits barely take up a fraction of the mana it costs to summon Zodiac spirits. So they make the perfect pawns." The short man explained before pointing towards Lucy. "Now, my spirits! Kill this sow and her annoying cat!"

"Understood, Master Everlue," Draco said, holding her sword out with a stoic expression that terrified Lucy & Happy. In contrast, Pavo looked around and saw that they were in a sewer.

"Master, did you seriously need to summon me in a sewer? This is so revolting."

"Just be quiet and do what I say!" Everlue shouted, causing Pavo to sigh.

"Very well then," Pavo said as winds whirled around him, and he began to float. "I shall make your demise beautiful!"

"Not a chance!" Lucy shouted as she grabbed one of her own keys. "Open, Gate of the Giant Crab - Cancer!"

"A crab!" Happy exclaimed, drooling at the mere thought of all the seafood.

In a flash of brilliant light appeared a snappily dressed man in a striped blue shirt, black pants, red cornrows that went to the sides of his head and ended in hair styled like a pair of pincers, six orange crab legs coming out of his back, and two large crab-themed scissors in his hands.

"Oh my goodness, it's lord Cancer!" Pavo squealed, practically swooning at the sight of the Zodiac Spirit. "He's so fabulous!" Draco groaned at her partner's fanboying.

"You know it, baby," Cancer said in low, dulcet tones. "So Lucy, how would you like your hair styled, baby?"

"Now's not the time," Lucy stated as she pointed at Everlue and his two spirits. "I need your help dealing with these guys." Pavo pouted as Lucy reminded him of their current situation.

"You got it, baby," Cancer said as he struck a pose before charging in his scissors at the ready. But Draco quickly reacted, blocking and deflecting Cancer's scissors with her shield, then swinging her sword, forcing Cancer to leap back.

"Draco, you deal with Cancer!" Everlue ordered. "Pavo and I will take care of the girl and cat."

"I hear you," Draco replied.

Pavo pouted at his master's orders. "Well, the faster we wrap this up, the faster I get out of this revolting sewer," he said before leaping across the sewer and onto the other walkway.

"Boyoyoyoyo!" Everlue said as he dived back into the floor. Happy's ears twitched, and he tossed grenades at the spot Duke Everlue was going to jump out of. But Pavo knocked the grenades out of the air by feathers from his fans. Happy and Lucy jumped out of the way as grenades exploded, and Everlue jumped through the smoke to strike Lucy before diving back into the floor.

"I've read your book! It's a horrible adventure novel about a trashy main character named Duke Everlue!" Lucy angrily stated.

"Seriously?" Happy asked as he evaded more of Pavo's feathers.

"I wouldn't go as far as to call the main character trashy, but yes!" Duke Everlue shouted as he continued to rampage through the sewer, flying in and out of the walls like a possessed cannonball. "The story is crap! And to think it was written by the great Kemu Zaleon! It's inexcusable, a stain upon his body of work!"

"How arrogant are you? You forced him to write it!" Lucy said she evaded another attack.

"Arrogant? It's an honor to write about someone as distinguished as myself!"

"Then why did you have to blackmail him into writing it?" Lucy exclaimed, glaring daggers at the duke.

"Blackmail?" Happy gaped.

"What's the big deal?" Duke Everlue asked as he popped out of a nearby wall, twirling his nose mustache. "It was his own fault for refusing me in the first place."

"Oh, really?" Lucy asked with skepticism.

"I told him to write a book with me as the protagonist," Everlue explained as he swam through the floor. "Anyone would have jumped at the chance to have me as their muse. But that idiot had the audacity to refuse me! So I gave him some inspiration in the form of an ultimatum. Either write the book, or I would revoke his entire family's citizenship!"

"What?!" Happy gasped as Lucy's glare hardened. "But without citizenship, they couldn't get jobs, buy a home, or go to the hospital. Do you really have that kind of power?"

"I have the power to do anything I want!" Duke Everlue gloated as he disappeared into the ground again. "I got him to write the book, didn't I? But I was still peeved at his first refusal and attitude, so I had him write the book in one of my personal prisons, boyoyo! He talked big about being a great novelist who would never give in to threats, but in the end, I got what I wanted!"

As this was going on, Cancer and Draco were still engaged in combat. Cancer slashed his scissors at blinding speeds, but Draco deflected them with her shield and struck back with her sword. Cancer gracefully evaded, and as they battled, the two spirits heard Everlue's confession.

"Is that really the kind of cat you consider your master?" Cancer asked, only to be answered by Draco's unwavering glare.

"It is not our place to judge our Wizard's actions; we are meant to follow their orders to the letter," Draco proclaimed before lunging at Cancer.

"You did such terrible things to him just to satisfy your own ego?!" Lucy yelled as she evaded Everlue's fists. "He was locked up for three years! Don't have any idea how hard it must have been for him?"

The short man jumped from the ground in front of them. Happy tossed another grenade, but Pavo knocked away, blasting part of the wall rather than Everlue. "Perhaps it took him that long to realize how great I am?"

Everlue continued his attack. Every time he blasted through the concrete, Everlue's body hit Lucy like a cannonball before diving back into the wall or floors. But Lucy refused to fall.

"You're wrong!" Lucy proclaimed, her eyes burning with righteous anger. "The truth was that he couldn't stand you, but he swallowed his pride to protect his family. Even if that meant writing your character as a champion of justice."

"You seem to know an awful lot about this," Everlue said, eyeing Lucy with great suspicion. "I'm quite curious about how."

"The proof's all in here," Lucy stated as she held out Daybreak.

"What are you talking about? I've read that book cover to cover, and Kemu Zaleon is never mentioned."

Lucy smirked. "That's true. If you read it normally, his name is never mentioned. But you should know that long before Kemu Zaleon was a writer, he was a wizard! And when he finished writing the book, he gathered his remaining strength and cast a spell on the book," she said. A look of horror spread across Duke Everlue's face.

"No, he couldn't have! He must have cast that enchantment to reveal everything I did to him!" Everlue growled as he attacked again, and Lucy dodged. It was becoming apparent to Lucy that the battle was reaching a standstill. With Happy now distracted by Everlue's Pavo Spirit, Lucy no longer had any way to tell when Everlue was about to attack her. It was only a matter of time before her body would give out. However, her mind came up with an idea, one that could swing the odds in their favor.

"That's true. But the stuff about all of the terrible things you did to him is only a small portion. In fact, the true secret of the book has nothing to do with you!" Lucy said as she pulled out her newest silver key.

"What!?" Everlue yelled.

"That's why I refuse to let you have this book. It was never meant for you to begin with. Open Gate of the Wolf - Lupus!" In a flash of blue light, Vali appeared in front of Lucy.

"Hiya, Lucy! Didn't expect you to summon me so soon!"

"No time for pleasantries, Vali. I need your help to take this guy down," Lucy explained, only to hear Duke Everlue scoff from her right.

"So you're one of those Celestial Wizards. Over sentimental saps who actually name your silver spirits," Duke Everlue said.

"You don't?" Vali asked.

"Of course not. There are millions of you, each more identical than the last!" Everlue shouted. "So what's the point of even naming you?"

Lucy gritted her teeth and grabbed her whip. It seemed the more Lucy learned about Duke Everlue, the more she hated the guy. And the only person angrier at Everlue…was Vali.

"You take that back, you weird-looking jerk!" Vali said as she channeled her magic through her claw, causing them to glow blue. This was followed by her leaping toward Everlue, the short man barely managing to evade as Vali scratched off the front of his suit. "There's only one wolf spirit named Vali! And that's me!"

"Y-you damn mutt!" Everlue shouted as he dove back into the concert...but Vali wasn't done.

"Wolf Claw Strike!" Vali swung at the wall, cleaving it up and pulling Everlue out of the wall. Taking advantage of this, Lucy swung her whip and wrapped it around Everlue's wrist.

"Happy! Head's up!" Lucy cried and sent Everlue, flying in between Happy and Pavo. Her plan was that since Everlue wasn't surrounded by anything but air, he had nothing to dive into. And with him ending up in between Happy and Pavo, the peacock spirit couldn't knock Happy's Lacrima Grenades out of the air.

"Aye!" Happy said, tossing a pair of bombs at Duke Everlue.

"PAVO! SHIELD ME!" Everlue shouted.

Without any hesitation, Pavo grabbed his master and twisted their bodies in the air. Happy's bombs exploded, and Pavo's body took the entirety of the blast, protecting his master. The explosion sent Pavo and Everlue hurtling into the nearby wall.

"A-Are you okay, ma-"

"GET OFF OF ME!" Everlue shouted before punching Pavo in the face, knocking him into the sewer water, much to everyone else's shock, especially Pavo.

"But master, I did what you-"

"Shut up, you worthless birdbrain! I still got injured from that attack," Everlue shouted as he pulled Pavo's key out of his suit. "I suppose that's what I get for relying on some no-name silver spirits. Get out of my sight, you waste of mana. Close, Gate of the Peacock." Pavo could do nothing but cry as his body faded into starlight and returned to the Celestial Realm. "Now then, it's about time I summoned a real spirit and ended this once and for all." Duke Everlue's face split into a massive grin as he pocketed Pavo's key and pulled out a Golden Zodiac Key.

"Is that really the kind of master you're cool fightin' for?" Cancer asked Draco once more.

"Be silent and fight me!" Draco said, but beneath her steely expression, she was becoming uncertain.

Lucy could only stare at Duke Everlue as she felt her body thrum with disgust and rage. All he did to Kemu Zaleon. His utter dismissal of the idea of naming his spirits. And now this. In all her years of life, Lucy had rarely felt genuine anger, and she could name all the people she hated on one hand. But now, she knew she absolutely despised Duke Everlue with every fiber of her being. That anger turned into resolve as she prepared herself to battle whatever spirit he was about to summon. "You monster," Lucy growled. "If you think you have the right to treat people like this just because you have all this money and power, you're dead wrong."

"Let's see how well that argument holds up when I kill you and take your spirits," Duke Everlue said with a chuckle. "Open, Gate of the Maiden - Virgo!"

But what came out through the gate wasn't anyone new. Instead, it was the same pink-haired monster of a maid from earlier. "Did I hear my master summon me?"

"She was a Celestial Spirit?" Lucy asked before her anger turned into confusion as everyone noticed that Virgo wasn't alone. Even Draco's stoic demeanor broke for a moment at the sight. They all stared in shock and bewilderment as Natsu was on holding onto Virgo's left shoulder, Alyssa had grabbed her stomach, and Zeke was being held in her right hand.

"What is this absurdity?" Everlue yelled.

"…what?" Happy said.

"Guys! How did you get there?" Lucy asked.

"Well, she got up and started to attack us. So naturally, we decided to fight back." Alyssa explained. "Next thing we know, we're suddenly in the sewers!"

"But that means…you guys must have passed through the Spirit World and then through a gate. THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" Lucy nearly screamed at this insanity.

"Can you guys finish this conversation later?" Zeke choked out as Virgo squeezed him. "I think she's crushing my ribs."

(Music Que - Fairy Tail Dragon Cry OST: Lucy's Counterattack)

"Virgo, clean up this trash!" Everlue ordered.

"As you wish, master," Virgo replied. However, Happy tossed a lacrima grenade at her right arm, making her let go of Zeke, and the archer escaped.

"Payback time!" He summoned a group of arrows and aimed. "Arch Shot: Arrow Volley!" Natsu and Alyssa jumped off Virgo's body as the stream of arrows struck her.

"Take this, you gorilla!" Natsu yelled as he and Alyssa charged. "Fire Dragon's Claw!"

"Boost Magic: Enhanced Punch!" Alyssa yelled as she and her boyfriend hit Virgo together. Natsu kicked Virgo in the back of the head. At the same time, Alyssa punched her in the stomach, sending her toppling face-first into the sewer water.

"Inconceivable!" Everlue shouted at the defeat of his maid. Suddenly, Lucy lashed out at him with her whip.

"No escaping this time!" Lucy proclaimed. Everlue grit his teeth and prepared to use his Diver Magic, but suddenly, Vali attacked, scratching his face and breaking his concentration.

"MY FACE! Draco! Get off your duff and help me!" Everlue shouted, only to be met with silence as Draco lowered her weapon. Cancer gave her a kind smile. "How dare defy me, you stupid cow!"

With Duke Everlue distracted, Lucy wrapped her whip around his chest and flung him into the air. "Cancer!" Lucy cried out. "Give him a special makeover!"

"You got it!" Cancer jumped into the air, his scissors shining with brilliant light. "Stylish Crab-Cut!"

Cancer sliced at Everlue with his scissors in the blink of an eye, cutting off every single hair on his head and face. The shock of that combined with Lucy swinging him back down and smashing his head into the concrete knocked the man out as she glared at him with righteous anger. "Evil men like you have no right to use Celestial Keys or being in one of Kemu Zaleon's stories." As Duke Everlue blacked out, Draco returned to the Celestial Realm, a small smile on the knight's face.

(Music Que End)

"What do you think of this new look, baby," Cancer said to the unconscious duke.

"Way to go, crab man!" Natsu complemented with a smirk.

"Another one of your spirits?" Zeke asked. But before they could continue, the mansion started coming apart from the day's battles. "And that's our cue to leave!" The group ran, evaded falling debris as they made it out, the mansion crumbling behind them.

"Looks like you're going to fit right in a Fairy Tail," Alyssa said to Lucy as they watched the mansion collapse, crying to comfort the shocked blonde.

"But aren't we supposed to not destroy stuff?" Happy asked.

"Eh, whatcha gonna do?" Zeke stated, absolutely done with this day.

"That was awesome!" Vali shouted gleefully while Cancer gave a thumbs up.

"I hope the master doesn't blame me for this," Lucy cried.

"Whatever. Let's just head back to Mr. Melon," Natsu suggested and the group turned to leave, not noticing that Virgo was watching before she faded back into the Celestial Realm.

And then…

"We probably could've bought something for dinner before we left town," Lucy grumbled as Natsu grilled up some weird-looking kabobs over the campfire.

It was now nighttime as Team Bravestar was sitting around a campfire, waiting for their food to finish cooking. When they had returned to Kaby's house, he was angry that the group hadn't destroyed the book as he requested and Lucy revealed that he was Kemu Zaleon's son. Kaby mentioned that he would destroy Daybreak himself since his father said it was complete trash. Surprisingly, Natsu was offended that Kaby was still going to destroy the last thing his father ever wrote, something the Dragon-Slayer would kill for himself. Kaby proceeded to tell the group about how his father came home and cut his own arm off in shame of the utter garbage he had written, ending with him in the hospital and Kaby yelling at him for abandoning his family, that being that last conversation they had before he died. He then went on to explain how his anger and resentment slowly turned into regret and remorse, leading him to believe that destroying the book that caused his family so much grief would be what his father wanted.

However, Lucy said he was wrong as the book started to change thanks to the spell Kemu Zaleon AKA Zekua Melon had cast all those years ago, changing the title from Daybreak to Dear Kaby. Lucy explained that the spell Zekua cast had rearranged the letters so that no one else but Kaby would be able to read it. That the book was actually a three-year letter that Zekua had written. A masterpiece detailing all the things he ever wanted to say to his son. As the spell finished, Kaby remembered the last words his father said.

"I thought about you the entire time I was gone."

Overcome with emotion, Kaby held onto the book that he now knew was his father's most outstanding work. He swore he would never let any harm come to it. He offered the team the reward, but much to Lucy's shock, the team refused. Zeke explained that the group had technically never completed their mission, so they shouldn't get a reward for not finishing a job. Lucy complained a bit, but the group stated that they had Fairy Tail's rep to think about. As it turns out, it didn't matter anyway since Kaby and his wife were just borrowing the mansion of one of their friends to hide the fact that they didn't have any money. Even after that, Lucy still knew that they would have helped Kaby even without the reward.

"Well, we can't exactly go back and ask after making such a big deal about not taking any money," Zeke stated as he laid on his back, looking up at the stars.

"Besides, camping out is way more fun than just sitting in a restaurant," Alyssa said with a nostalgic look in her eyes as she petted Happy in her lap.

"I guess. By the way…" Lucy asked as he turned towards Natsu, who was adding some last-minute spices. "How did you know that wasn't their house?"

"That's easy. The house didn't smell like them," Natsu stated.

"That's it?"

"Pretty much," Natsu said as he went back to cooking, Alyssa striking up the next conversation.

"So you're a big book fan, right?" Alyssa asked her blonde teammate.

"That's right," Lucy replied.

"So that's what all those papers on your desk were." Lucy gave Alyssa a confused look. "I saw them when I was in your apartment. I'm guessing that's the story you're writing."

Lucy's cheeks turned red with embarrassment, and she covered her face with her hands. "Please don't tell anyone!"

"Why not?" Zeke asked.

"Because I'm a horrible writer, and I would die of embarrassment if anyone read it," she whimpered.

"Oh, come on. It's not like you wrote smut." Zeke said with a chuckle. However, this only made Lucy's face redder. "Wait, did you seriously write smut?"

"NO! I mean…that is…it's just a few love scenes! But they're not even explicit!" She yelled out.

"Non preoccuparti, we won't tell anyone." Alyssa teased. "But I wouldn't mind reading it when you finish your book."

"I'd be down for reading a copy." Zeke chimed in.

"Alright, dinner's ready!" Natsu exclaimed as he took the kabobs off the grill and began to hand them around. The combination of peppers, mushrooms, and grilled lizards wasn't exactly appetizing to Lucy, especially since the hot-headed, battle-crazy Natsu made it. But considering she didn't have any other food to eat, Lucy decided to at least try to eat. And when she took that first bite…her eyes widened in surprise.

"It-it's good! Really good!" Lucy exclaimed as she chowed down on the kabob while staring at Natsu. "Natsu, you can actually cook?"

"Why's that so surprising?" Natsu asked before taking a bite of his own meal.

"Well, I once heard that good cooking requires patience and control. And you…well…" Lucy tried to find a polite way to explain how she saw him.

"…are a reckless hothead? Is that what you were about to say?" Natsu asked.

"I would've gone with 'fists for brains.'" Happy joked.

"And he is exactly that," Zeke chimed in, earning a light-hearted chuckle from Natsu. "But he's also the only one on the team with any talent for good cooking. Hell, the best thing I can make is rice and beans."

"Huh," Lucy said before turning towards Alyssa. "What about you, Alyssa? What can you make?"

Suddenly, Alyssa gained an embarrassed look on her face. "…toast."

"And?"

"…that's it."

Lucy really didn't want to laugh at this sudden revelation. But she couldn't help but let out a giggle that turned into laughter. It spread as Zeke, Happy, Natsu, and even Alyssa joined in and laughed alongside them.

And thus, the newly-expanded Team Bravestar had finished their first mission together, ending the day with a hearty meal around the campfire, only the first of many happy memories they would make together.

Next Morning…

"Are you guys sure we're going the right way? She inquires," Cogsworth said as Lucy rode inside of him as team Bravestar waded through a river. Since they hadn't gotten any reward money, team Bravestar had decided to save some money and walk back to Magnolia as it wasn't too far. But Lucy's teammates had insisted on taking a supposed "short cut" through a swamp, much to her disgust. "I'm pretty sure we've passed that u-shaped tree before, and that rock looks awfully familiar, the lady proclaims."

"For the millionth time, we're sure," Natsu said. "And you could do your own walking."

"We'll be fine, Lucy; this isn't the first time we've been through here," Zeke said, with a compass in hand. "And you should know, my second cousin twice removed, Lester Hudson, was a renowned explorer and-"

"Let me guess, you think that since you're related, you've got his sense of direction, then, she remarks."

"…well, yes," Zeke said. Natsu, Happy, and Alyssa couldn't help but giggle.

"She hit the nail right on the head, I say," Natsu said with a cheeky grin. Suddenly, he stopped walking and whipped his head around to look deeper into the swamp.

"What's wrong?" Alyssa asked.

"I heard something, and it's coming towards us," Natsu said as he raised his fists. Team Bravestar got ready to fight.

Out of the bushes emerged a pink deer with white spots and red antlers.

"Silly, Natsu," Happy said. "It was just a deer, nothing to worry about."

"No way, I could've sworn I heard footsteps," Natsu grumbled

"Aw, it's adorable, and it even matches your hair," Alyssa cooed, wishing she had a plushie that looked like it. The deer looked up a tree, staring at a branch where a big bird had just landed. In a flash, the deer opened its mouth, and its tongue launched out like a frog's and grabbed the bird. Team Bravestar watched in horror as the bird fought for its life as the brightly colored deer started eating it alive.

"'Can we please leave this place?' the lady mutters," Cogsworth said.

"Y-yeah sounds like a good idea," Zeke said, trying to regain his composure. "There's a spot not far from here where we can stop and rest." He turned to look at Lucy. "But in your case, you'll want to stretch your legs." Lucy stuck her tongue out a Zeke.

The group made their way towards the rest spot just outside the swamp, but as they trekked on, Natsu heard something moving. "I knew someone was following us!" Natsu yelled as rushed towards the bush. "Come on out and fight us, coward!"

"You can take 'em, Natsu," Happy cheered.

Natsu sent a blast of fire at the bush and to, their surprise, Gray leapt out of it. To no one's surprise, he was just in his boxers.

"What the hell?!" Gray yelled. "Can't I go to the bathroom in peace?"

"So that's what you were doing?" Natsu yelled. "Who takes off their clothes to go to the bathroom?"

"It's not like I meant to do that! And I certainly didn't want to run into you, Flame Brain!"

"Say that again, Ice Prick!" Natsu yelled back as they glared at each other.

"Lizard Breath!"

"Snow Stripper!"

"Pyromaniac!"

"Frozen Bastard!"

"Flaming Bastard!"

"'I'd call this childish, but that would be an insult to children,' she exclaims," Cogsworth said.

After they got most of their insults out of their system, team Bravestar and Gray set up their thing on the banks of a river just outside the swamp, unaware that they were being watched.

"Wait, you attacked me because you thought I was a dear?" Gray asked, now fully clothed.

"Not even close!" Natsu grumbled. Alyssa placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"What are you even doing out here?" Lucy asked.

"I'm on my way back from a job," Gray explained. "There's a shortcut back to Magnolia through this swamp."

"Told you so," Zeke said to Lucy with a smug look.

"Anyway, we should all get back to the guild as soon as possible," Grey said to the team.

"Why's that?" Alyssa asked.

"Because Erza's due back any day."

Natsu and Zeke's eyes widened in shock. "Uh oh," they exclaimed in unison.

"Oh, really?" Alyssa growled as a vein appeared on her forehead and grit her teeth. "That's…wonderful." Alyssa was smiling, but Natsu and Zeke stared at her with worried expressions.

"Erza? As in the strongest woman in Fairy Tail, Erza?" Lucy asked with stars in her eyes. "That's amazing. I can't wait to meet her! You know, I've never seen pictures of her in Sorcerer Weekly. What's she like?"

"She's a monster," Zeke exclaimed as the color drained from his face.

"More like a straight-up demon," Natsu said.

"She's terror incarnate!" Happy cheerfully shouted.

"And she's only the second strongest woman in Fairy Tail," Alyssa said.

"What?" Lucy said as she stared at the group.

"Will you idiots quit exaggerating?" Gray sighed. "Erza's not that bad."

"Did you hit your head or something, cause I seem to recall you used to piss your pants whenever Erza walked into the room?" Natsu exclaimed as he stood up.

"You act like I was the only one, or did your flames finally cook your brain and make you forget?" Gray said, glaring at Natsu.

"There's learning to be brave and stand up for yourself, like Natsu, and then there's being stupid," Zeke said.

"Wait, if Erza's only second, who's the strongest woman in Fairy Tail?" Lucy asked.

Alyssa gave her a toothy grin and flexed. "You're looking at her."

While everyone else was busy talking, Happy decided to take the opportunity to catch some fish. He went to grab his trusty fishing rod from his backpack, only to find it was gone. As Happy looked for his backpack, he noticed Natsu and Alyssa's bags were gone as well. Suddenly, a brown magic circle appeared underneath Zeke's bag, and it sank into the ground. He was so surprised, Happy didn't notice the same magic circle appear beneath him.

"I'm telling you, I'd kick Erza's ass if we fought one on one," Alyssa told Gray.

"Yeah!" Natsu cheered.

"Dating the Flame Brain must've filled you with hot air. You're tough, but Erza's the toughest," Gray stated. "She could take down a mountain with one kick."

"Now you're the one exaggerating," Zeke said. "At most, Erza could destroy a plateau with multiple punches and kicks."

"Either way, she still sounds crazy strong." Lucy whimpered, imagining the aforementioned woman as a giant monster rampaging through town. However, when she looked around, Lucy noticed something. "Hey guys, where's all our stuff?" Everyone stopped talking, and their eyes widened when they saw all their bags had vanished into thin air.

"And where's Happy!?" Natsu screamed. He sniffed the air and bolted off towards the swamp. "I've got his scent! Come on!" Everyone ran after him and towards the catnapper.

In a clearing not far from where team Bravestar and Gray had chosen to rest, a strange group of people was rifling through their bags. The group consisted of a short man with grey skin and elf-like ears, a pair of identically dressed red-haired twin men, a man with shoulder-length green hair holding a crystal ball, and a man who looked like a chicken holding a staff. At the center of the clearing was Happy, tied to a stick over an unlit fire pit like a pig on a spit-roast.

"Those idiots didn't know what hit 'em," the grey man snickered as he pulled Zeke's wallet out of his bag. "Free cash and dinner, talk about a score."

"We're finally gonna eat some real protein," twin-one said.

"No more berries for us tonight." twin-two said, drooling.

"It appears our fortunes have turned for the better," the green-haired man said.

"Meat!" the chicken man shouted.

"Please, you guys don't want to eat me!" Happy cried. "I'm small, and there's barely any meat on me! Plus, I'm a cat so I'm covered in my own saliva, and I'll probably taste weird, and I won't go down easy! So please don't eat me!"

"What can I say? Beggars can't be choosers," the gray-skinned man replied before turning to the chicken man. "Light the fire." The chicken man squawked and held out his staff, and it ignited with magic flames.

"Hey, assholes!" The vagabonds looked up and saw Team Bravestar and Gray standing above them on a nearby rock ledge. "That's our friend you're trying to roast, so you'd better make other dinner plans!"

"Natsu! Alyssa! Zeke! Lucy! I'm saved!" Happy cheered as tears of joy ran down his face. "Oh, and guess Gray too."

"HEY!" Gray yelled indignantly. "Watch it, Furball!"

"Give us back Happy and our stuff, and we'll go easy on you," Zeke said as he summoned his bow.

"Like hell!" the elf-eared man yelled. A brown magic circle appeared in front of him. "Sand Bullets!" Dozens of tightly packed balls of sand shot towards team Bravestar and Gray. Zeke unleashed a barrage of arrows, sniping the Sand Bullets while the others ran down the slope.

The twin drew their weapons, the first wielded a pair of sai and the second held a katana and rushed the Fairy Tail wizards while the chicken man blasted fire from his staff. The catnappers' eyes widened in shock when Natsu ate the flames.

"Thanks for the food!" Natsu shouted. "Fire Dragon's Blazing Fist!" He punched the sai wielding twin in the stomach and sent him flying. Katana-twin attacked him, but he easily dodged the blade and kicked the katana twin in the stomach.

"What the hell!? Who are these guys," elf-ears growled.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Lucy ran past the fight to untie Happy. But the chicken man blocked her path. "N-n-nice chicken," Lucy squealed as he ignited his staff.

"Boosted Kick!" Alyssa chanted and sent a devastating flying kick to the chicken man's head.

"Thanks," Lucy said.

"No problema," Alyssa replied with a grin and ran at the chicken man.

"Sand Ball!" elf-ears chanted and sent a massive ball of sand hurtling towards Natsu. Natsu deftly avoided the attack, but elf-ears smirked. "Sand Prison!" In an instant, the Sand Ball exploded. The sand swirled around Natsu and trapped him in a giant spinning ball of sand. So satisfied with his attack, elf-ears nearly missed the magic arrows flying towards him and barely dodged.

"Let him go, you creepy midget," Zeke yelled as he came down the slope. The green-haired man blocked Zeke's path.

"Monsters, how can you just steal our dinner?" the green-haired man said.

"Uh, that's our friend you're trying to eat, and you stole from us first."

The green-haired man glared at Zeke as his crystal ball glowed a brilliant purple. Zeke readied himself, and then-

"I see you meeting your true love very soon, but also some problems with water," the green-haired man said.

"You read my fortune?" Zeke asked. "Is that all you do?"

"Pretty much." And with that, Zeke whacked him over the head with his bow, knocking the green-haired man out.

While that was happening, Alyssa was duking it out with the chicken man who was tougher than he looked, and sai-twin had gotten back up and was attacking Gray. As Lucy and Happy watched, katana-twin came up behind them and raised his sword. With a scream, Lucy grabbed Happy and rolled out of the way. She grabbed one of her keys.

"Open, Gate of the Golden Bull - Taurus!" In a flash of gold, the bull spirit manifested in front of her.

"Hello, Miss Lucy," Taurus said flirtatiously. "You look udderly bee-uuuuuutiful today."

"Holy crap! A cow," katana-twin said, his mouth watering. "Forget the cat; we're having a steak dinner tonight." He ran at the Celestial Spirit head-on, but Taurus shattered the redhead's sword with a single swing of his axe. All at once, the chicken man and the twins were knocked unconscious by their opponents.

"Damn it, what's up with these guys?" elf ears said as sweat dripped down his brow. Suddenly, the Sand Prison exploded in a burst of flames, and Natsu emerged with a furious look on his face.

"Okay, now you've made me mad!" Natsu shouted. A magic circle appeared in front of him as elf-ears ran for his life. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" Elf-ears screamed as the torrent of flames consumed him, and he joined his allies in unconsciousness.

"Well, that was easy," Gray said.

"Why are you naked?!" Lucy yelled.

"CRAP!"

While Gray was busy trying to find his missing clothes, Team Bravesatr gathered the ruffians up and tied them to a tree. After making sure they had all of their belongings

"There, there," Alyssa said gently as she gave Happy a confronting hug and pet his head. "It's okay, Happy. You're safe."

"Those bastards," Natsu said, glaring at the unconscious wizards. "I can't believe they'd try and eat Happy."

"The good thing is we found them in time," Zeke said. "But something good did come out of this."

"What are you talking about?" Gray asked, having put his clothes back on.

"According to my fortune, I'm going to meet the love of my life soon," Zeke said with a smile, making the Ice Wizard stare deadpan.

"Well…good for you."

Suddenly, the Fairy Tail wizards turned at the sound of elf-ears groaning and saw him wake up. "What…the hell," he said groggily. His eyes snapped open as he took in the situation and realized what had happened. "Aw crap." He elbowed the two ruffians he was tied next to, jolting them awake. "Will you idiots wake up?" After a moment, all five ruffians were awake again.

"Did we seriously lose our dinner," twin-one said.

"This blows," twin-two bemoaned.

"Meat…" the chicken man said longingly.

"Well, you got what you deserved," Alyssa said as she held Happy close. "I can't believe you'd try to eat an adorable kitty. What's wrong with you?" At that moment, all of the ruffians' stomachs growled in unison.

"We are truly sorry," the green-haired man said tearfully. "We've been wandering through the wilderness and have had barely anything to eat for the past three days. Our desperation drove us to commit our abhorrent actions."

"Yeah, what he said," elf-ears said. "Look, if we promise not to do it again, will you just untie us and let us go?"

"No way," Zeke stated as he crossed his arms. "Even if you are just down on your luck wizards, we can't just let this slide."

"What!" the ruffians shouted.

"You're just going to leave us here!?" elf-ears asked with wide eyes.

"Sounds great to me," Natsu said.

"I'm pretty sure he meant that we'll take them to jail," Lucy said with a sweatdrop.

"No! You can't take us to jail!" elf-ears pleaded, his eyes overflowing with fear.

"We have to keep moving; we've already wasted too much time," twin-one said.

"If we're locked up in jail, they'll find us for sure!" twin-two said.

The Fairy Tail wizards looked at each other in confusion. "Wait a second, who exactly are you running from?" Gray asked.

"Our old guild," elf-ears said in almost a whisper, terror permeating every syllable. "We've been on the run for the past week, and if they find us… I don't even wanna think about that."

"Master scary," the chicken man whimpered as his body shivered. The color drained from the other vagabonds' faces.

"Madness grips our guild master's heart and soul," the green-haired man said. "When he told the guild of his plan, we were shocked and appalled while the rest of the guild cheered in adoration. They are blinded by their adoration towards him, their loyalty unquestioning and unwavering. We tried to talk the others out of it, but it was clear they would follow our guild master to the depths of hell if he asked. So we fled."

"It all started when he got that book and learned about that stupid Lullaby," elf-ears said.

This revelation shocked the Fairy Tail wizards. What was before a group of petty thieves or just some down on their luck wizards were instead people running for their lives. Obviously, the vagabonds could have been lying in a desperate attempt to convince the team Bravestar and Gray to let them go, but that didn't sit right with any of them. The fear in their voices and the looks of terror on their faces felt too raw and visceral to just be acting.

Although he wanted to believe them, Zeke wasn't quite ready to just let the vagabonds yet. He decided to get some more information out of them before making a final decision. "Okay, let's start from the beginning. What guild are you from, and what sort of lullaby are you talking about?" Elf-ears refused to look Zeke in the eyes, it looked as though he was struggling with whether or not to answer the question. The other vagabonds stared at him in apprehension. As elf-ears opened his mouth, Happy's ears pricked up.

"Incoming!" Happy shouted. From the treeline emerged shadowy tendrils that raced across the ground towards the group. The Fairy Tail wizards jumped out of the way, but they were not the targets. The shadows ignored them and went straight for the vagabonds as looks of horror spread across their faces.

"Kags, please!" elf-ears screamed. "Don't do-" But he was cut off as the shadow tendrils reached the tree, and the vagabonds were swallowed by the darkness and disappeared.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Lucy shrieked.

"Don't know, but whoever cast that spell is fast," Gray said. "I can't sense them at all."

"No kidding," Natsu said, sniffing the air around them. "Their scent's already become faint."

"Did you get their scent at least?" Alyssa asked.

"Ya, they smelled like ancient wood and sulfur," Natsu said. A scowl appeared on his face. "Damn it, there's no way we're catching up to them."

"I can't believe it," Zeke said, staring at the spot the runaway wizards had been just a moment ago. "What sort of wizard can do something like that? None of us had had a clue they were there."

"And just what kind of guild could they belong to?" Lucy asked as she stared into the woods with a grim expression on her face.

Author's Note 2: With this chapter, the Intro Arc (as I like to call it) comes to a close. And I must say, I think I've got a much better grasp for the kind of story I want to write for Fairy Tail this time around. We've seen the introduction of Unity Magic (this story's reworked version of the Unison Raids), and we're gonna see more of the refined magic system in the coming chapters.

I can't wait to show you guys what I got planned for the next few arcs!

Next Time: Enter Eisenwald! Please remember to read and review!

See ya next time!