Wow! I did not expect such good reactions for the beginning of this! Thank you all who have favorited or followed Flame's Desire and THANK YOU to those who reviewed! I deeply appreciate it! You all have given me the warm fuzzies!

I didn't consider posting the next chapter so soon, but who am I to deny you all? As a thank you for such a great reception, here's the second chapter! I can't promise that other chapters will come out as quickly, but you all have definitely inspired me!

Special Thanks To: OhtaSuzuke, Doraguniru, Fairystars, Hanashi o suru, two guests, xFallenDemonx, U don't say333, EgyptianSoul.88, and CammyHelena! (Guests, if you have accounts or other names to go by, review and tell me so I can properly thank you darnit!)

-CGP


"You weren't supposed to bring one with us, Natsu."

He grimaced and sheepishly shuffled his feet. An odd act for a warrior of his caliber, but with his Chief leering down at him, there wasn't much else for him to do. "I know that- it's just..."

"It's just... what?" Makarov, Chieftain of the his tribe, frowned at him. He was a short man, frail to look at, but no one ever challenged him. "I saw the state she was in, m'boy, you don't have to hide it. You felt sorry for her didn't you?"

"Well no I-"

He interrupted, "Try the truth."

With an annoyed growl, Natsu stubbornly dug his feet into the floor and faced his Chief with little repentance."I am! She was handling herself pretty well before I got there, I could hear it. She wasn't some stray I decided to pick off the slave trade out of feeling bad for her! It's just..." His ire died down and he scratched the back of his head. "You saw her hair color..."

"Thought it pretty, did you?" The dubious stare was all the answer the chieftain needed and he wheezed with laughter. "Of course not. I see where you're going with this, Natsu. It's rare to find any Golden Haired Romni's. Those tribes have either traveled South or were wiped out. She may even be the last of her kind..."

Natsu didn't bother to respond, but the low growl in the back of his throat was enough to show his unease. Clearing his own throat, Makarov flicked ashes out of his pipe and seemed to make a decision. "All right, boy. You've proven to be one of my finer warriors, if a bit hard headed, but I'll allow it. I'll assign someone to take care of her and see where it goes from there." Seeing his shoulders relax, the chief added a warning, "don't get ahead of yourself. If she can't adapt to our ways, we can't keep her here."

Something in his onyx eyes bristled for a moment and Natsu smirked, "I did, didn't I?"

"You, are an entirely different story." They both grinned then, with nothing but the left over smoke from his pipe floating between them. Stuffing it with more tobacco, Makarov waved him from his wagon. "Get out of here now and bring the girl to me when she wakes up. I'd like to see her lucid."


She saw blue hair and brown eyes when she woke up. Puzzled, she tried to move, but felt tiny hands press her back before a wet cloth was wiped across her brow. "Just stay still a little longer." She heard the order whispered in a small voice and blearily looked up at the person currently tending to her.

She was surprised to find a little girl only half her age smiling kindly."It looks like your fever finally broke."

Fever? Still confused, she glanced around the room, finding herself in a small tent littered with herbs and it smelled of floral incense. Just where was she? Looking back towards the girl, she managed to keep herself calm. There was no hint of a threat coming from her and freaking out would do her no good until she sifted through the cloudiness in her mind.

"Wh-..where.. am I?"She croaked, surprised at the rough tone of her voice. It hurt to speak, as if she had been screaming non-stop for hours. She blinked when memories of the attack came back in waves and felt her body deflate. "This.. isn't the camp?"

"The camp...?" The small girl bit her lip and frowned. "What do you- oh! You must mean the slave-traders we attacked last night!" Pleased with herself, she sat back. "No, you're not there. Natsu brought you back with us. I've been taking care of your wounds all night. That arrow in your leg had been poisoned. It gave you a nasty fever."

Is that why her head was pounding as if she'd rammed it into a tree? Swallowing thickly, she nodded her head, trying to make sense of all the information she was being given. She understood being sick and wasn't surprised to see her wrists and ankles bandaged from the burns, but something was making her feel off...

"You said..Natsu brought me back?" She asked after a time. By then, the girl was busy shuffling about the tent, looking for supplies.

"Oh, he's the one that found you." She explained. "He's one of our warriors. Pretty nice of him wasn't it? He was really angry when he brought you to us. Those slaver's must have done terrible things to you..."

The girl grew silent then, finding the items she was looking for-some more incense to burn- and everything went quiet. The now-freed blonde was able to hear loud chatter in the background and realized she must have been in the center of their own camp, but which tribe was it? She saw the mark on the girls shoulder, signifying her clan, but she couldn't make heads or tails of it. From the side it almost looked like a phoenix, maybe?

She didn't know of any tribes in the area with that mark...

"By the way, what's your name?"

"I.. what?" She looked at the girl, not entirely sure if she heard correctly.

The girl gasped and waved her hands apologetically. "Oh I'm sorry! Perhaps I should tell you who I am first. I'm-"

"Wendy!" Both girls jolted as the tent flap flew open, revealing the pink-haired man that had saved her the night before. He took no notice of the fact he had interrupted their conversation and questioned the blue-haired girl the moment he was in the tent."How is she? Is she awake?"

Stunned by his abrupt entrance, the girl stuttered back,"Well, I...uh..."

He didn't wait for her answer and cast his gaze toward the bed. With eyes narrowed, the bed-ridden blonde felt herself tense in response. His stare caused her pulse to quicken and her insides to flop. Intimidated, she glared at him and snapped, "If you paid attention to your surroundings you'd see that I am."

The girl- Wendy was it?-gasped at her rude reply and looked between them, holding the cleaning cloth to her chest. For a moment, she felt bad for responding in such a hostile manner, but something about his gaze rankled her.

Her tone didn't phase him. Instead, he grinned, revealing sharp fangs and instantly, his face that was once intimidating took on a boyish charm. "So you are! I knew you could do it Wendy!"

Blushing, Wendy replied demurely, "Oh.. it was nothing... " Shuffling around him, she grasped the blonde's wrists and began to examine the bandages. "I'm guessing Makarov wants to see her?"

"You guessed it." He crossed his arms and watched her work. "So, will she be able to walk?"

"Yes, I can." She answered for Wendy, staring him down still. Though his features had softened, something about him talking as if she wasn't there was also irritating. She took the time to look him over as he stared at her again. A part of her was surprised. She thought he'd be taller than that. Had the night truly tricked her when she had first seen him? There were still the cuts and scrapes she remembered from the night before, but they were already healed and the vest he had been wearing was completely gone. Much like Wendy, he had the same symbol on his arm, but he moved before she could get a better look.

Without warning, he bent down and poked her leg. With a cry of pain, she twitched away and hissed. "What are you doing?! That hurts!"

"I was just checking." He waved his hands apologetically and turned his attention back to Wendy. "If she's still that tender, I think she'll have trouble."

Wendy agreed with a nod of her head. "I've taken away the brunt of it, but it will take some time before it's completely healed." Patting where he had recently poked, her fingers glowed lightly and the pain he had caused seemed to immediately vanish. "There you are! You should be good to go!"

"Good to go where?" She asked sternly, starting to feel very uncomfortable. Who was this Makarov they mentioned? And why was he worrying if she could walk or not?

"To see our Chief." Natsu answered, still smiling at her. "He wanted to talk to you once you woke up." He rounded on Wendy. "So, can she walk or can't she?"

"Yes, but be very careful with her!" Wendy admonished, wagging a finger at him. "She wont be able to move that fast, but walking will keep her leg from stiffening up."

He nodded, "I'll be careful." Moving to the side of the cot, he quickly removed the thin blanket and held his hand out to her. "Come on, let's go."

A part of her wanted to swipe his hand away. To refuse the help and stand on her own. She appreciated the fact he had saved her life, but it still stung at her pride to need assistance getting back on her feet. Recognizing it as being uselessly stubborn, she allowed him to pull her up. Just as the night before, he was far more gentler than she assumed he would be.

It hurt to stand and her legs wobbled, but she kept herself upright even as her fingers clenched his like a vice. Exhaling, she cast her eyes on the exit and carefully allowed herself to be led forward. It took her a few small steps before she suddenly turned her head to smile at the small girl that had healed her.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Wendy." She said, smiling softly. "...my name is Lucy."


It was a short walk to the Chieftains tent. Or, it would have been. With pain ebbing through her leg with each step, Lucy found herself clinging to Natsu's arm halfway across the camp and she couldn't keep her eyes focused ahead of her. Most of the tents were covered wagons, doors shut or swung open to be used as houses. It was obvious this tribe moved around constantly. She watched children run by giggling while men and women went about their daily chores. Horses grazed in a make shift pin and other animals ran around freely.

It was peaceful. She decided. Lucy could hardly compare this homely existence to the group of riders that had ran through the slavers camp the night before. The difference from day to night was astonishing and it made her both uneasy as well as hopeful. How long had she been traveling alone? Could this group change that?

With a slight stumble and Natsu tightening his grip around her, she found her attention jarred. "Take it easy." He told her, as he raised a pink brow. "Wendy wont be happy if we have to patch your leg back up again."

"Yes.. I'm being careful." Lucy said between her teeth. It wasn't as if she hadn't walked on worse injuries, did this man with such a childish grin truly think he could treat her like a child as well? She narrowed her eyes at him as they walked and briefly noticed the scent of smoke radiating off of him.

"This is a Roma tribe, right?" She found herself asking before she could think about it. He grunted in affirmation and she continued. "Most nomadic tribes are known for being blessed by nature.. to have special skills."

She heard him frown more than saw it."I suppose so, what's your point?"

"What is the skills here?" She asked, glancing around again. "Most tribes share the same ones as well as similarities in their looks... but none of you seem to share anything... it's all so..different."

Natsu's gaze hardened for a moment and he hummed in thought. "You ask a lot of questions don't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I just thought you were quieter. You hardly spoke last night."

Annoyed, Lucy gripped his arm tightly and hissed,"In case you forgot, I had been attacked and almost-" He covered her mouth with his hand before she could finish and Lucy squeaked in outrage.

"I know. Ya' don't have to shout it out!" He growled, eyes wide. "Sheesh, you get angry quick too, don't you?"

She didn't bother trying to answer. Instead, she bit the top of his hand and successfully caused him to release her.

"What was that for?" He grumbled, staring at her incredulously.

"Your hand smells." She replied simply. He gawked and was still grumbling by the time they reached the wooden steps to a very large covered wagon.

It was painted in bright orange and black colors and the symbol everyone sported on them was embroidered across the top of it. A small oil lamp hung by the small door frame, was unlit but well-used. It was clear that they had made it to the Chief's tent just from the extravagance of it. Suddenly nervous, Lucy stopped walking and gulped.

"Is this it?" She found herself asking, her voice a breathy whisper.

Stepping up before her, Natsu nodded and motioned for her to go inside. "It sure is. The old man will want to know more about you. Are you fine with that?"

She briefly nodded before another question sprang forth, "Why does he want to know?"

"I said we were going to keep you, remember?" His boyish grin was back and he held his hand out to her once more."He just wants to check and see if we should, that's all. Can you do that, Lucy?"

She looked at his hand once again and considered his question. It was more than just taking care of her. Natsu sounded as if they were considering letting her stay, but why her and not the others they had saved the night before? Because she was injured? Many had been harmed before her, that couldn't have been it... Lucy cast a look once more around the camp seeing as well as hearing the smiles and laughter while everyone went about their business.

It struck her that staying here, even if it was just for healing, couldn't be so bad. She Grasped his hand and finally looked him in the eyes without a shred of annoyance hindering her.

"Yes. I think I can."His smile grew to split his face. In a smooth motion, he pulled her up the steps and placed his hand on the door.

With a shove, the door opened and he said beside her ear,"Then let's go!" Leading her through the door, pipe tobacco was the predominate scent and Natsu yelled his greeting through the entire tent. "Oi! Gramps, I'm back!"

Lucy learned quickly that this was not a normal meeting between Warrior and Chief. Makarov was not a normal Chief by any means. His small stature was surprising, his smoking through a long pipe typical. However, though his face looked serious at first, it soon fell to a much softer, kinder smile. He ignored the calls of Natsu and waved them in, motioning for her to sit all the while asking about her injuries. Before Natsu could answer for her, he was waved off to wait by the doors and told to be silent. Lucy found it was not all that difficult to talk with the older man.

"You are not like the other slaves we saved last night, are you?" After they had discussed her injuries and reviewed her escape from her captors, he finally decided to strike to the bone of their conversation. "Those who were locked up with you were trophy's of war. Picked up as they scattered from burnt villages and towns or captured from their very beds, but you... your hair betrays you Lucy. Why are you so far North from your kin?"

She could feel his gaze burning into her and Natsu's own dark stare pierced the back of her skull. With fists clenched on her lap, she nodded her head. "I guess there's no hiding it." She began, licking her lips anxiously. "I'm like all of you. I'm a Romni. My tribe was one of the few connected to the spirits of the stars."

"That explains the golden hair..."

She nodded. "Yes. My clan had been traveling South for warmer climates, but we stayed apart from the other tribes. Last winter, we were attacked by a tribe that could control the shadows and destroy life with a touch of their hands." Her voice quivered at the memory and she closed her eyes.

"I've been traveling alone ever since. The slaver's caught me in one of their traps a fortnight ago and I had been with them since."

Makarov set his pipe aside and studied her."You've been very brave. How did you survive the attack?"

"My father's wagon had fallen on me. They set everything on fire, but left me for dead. I woke with the destroyed wagon on top of me. I'm not sure why I wasn't killed..." She was being honest. She knew it sounded strange, even suspicious, but what point did she have in lying?

"I see..." The room grew quiet. The wind rustled against the sides of the tented wagon like a caress and Lucy could catch the breathing of Natsu behind her. Though he had been shooed away earlier, he had managed to bring himself beside her as they talked.

Makarov did not seem to care. Instead, he proffered his hand out to Lucy and asked to see her own hand. She laid hers on his palm curiously. "What is it?" She asked when his stare began to feel scrutinizing.

"You haven't used your power to connect with the spirits of the stars have you?" He asked, almost distracted. She shook her head and he sighed. "Well then... I suppose you've noticed that we're not normal Roma, haven't you?"

Lucy blinked. "Well... yes, I had asked Natsu about it, but he didn't answer."

"Of course he didn't. That's for me to explain. We're a tribe by name only, Lucy. Recall that the slaver's called us outriders?" When it looked as if she wasn't understanding, Makarov continued. "We are all from other tribes: left behind, abandoned, or lone survivors of some terrible battle. We did not grow together with decades of traditions to bind us. We're known as the fairies with tails. That is the symbol we wear, to show our freedom and acceptance of the unknown. Do you understand?"

"I ..I think I do."

Finally, Makarov grinned and released her hand. "Good. I'm allowing you to stay with us Lucy. For as long as you like. In time, maybe you can show us your tail for adventure and become a Fairy yourself. Until then, I have ordered my granddaughter-in-law, Mirajane, to help you learn our ways."

Lucy couldn't find the words to speak and nodded her head so quickly she became dizzy. Before she could find her voice to thank him, he turned toward Natsu and ordered gruffly. "M'boy, you brought her to us. When she is not with Mirajane, you will watch her. She's your responsibility now."


Roma-Romni is the Masculine and Feminine terms used to describe Romani. Or, in other words, gypsies. I don't know Romani culture and history all that well, so I'm taking liberties with titles for this story.