Haloha, everyone! Hope you're having a good day! Thanks for the continued support as always!
To address the reviews by Nawen2 and Sasuke15, at the moment, I'm not really taking requests to write new stories as I got my hands currently full with this story, among other things. Writing from Oracion Seis to the final arc... that'll take a lot of dedication, which I don't have now, unfortunately. Who knows, maybe I or someone else will pick up on it in the near future. As for Sasuke15, it seems that'll take place after the 100 years quest. As far as this fanfic goes, I don't intend to touch on the 100 years' quest. Though if inspiration strikes, I could always write a bonus chapter for it after this fanfic is over.
Anyhow, enjoy reading!
Chapter 31: Setting Sail!
It was a calm morning. The Sun was still sleeping on the horizon. The gentle breeze of the winds could be heard through the silent night.
The fire dragon slayer was sound asleep in his own home. Without a care in the world, he was sleeping the night away. He loved his sleep dearly. Without enough rest, he wouldn't be able to get fired up and start the usual brawls in the guild, among other things.
Unfortunately for the pink-haired slayer, his long sleep was about to be interrupted with a bang. Literally. Repeatedly.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Loud banging sounds could be heard echoing through his house. Due to his dragon hearing, he couldn't avoid hearing the full force of the banging. And sadly for him, he had to open his eyes.
"… Gurgh…" Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he raised his body up. What's that loud sound?
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Slowly regaining awareness of himself and his surroundings, he now registered that these annoying sounds were coming from someone banging on his door. It was reverberating through his skull, as if someone were banging inside his own head.
Who the hell is bothering my sleep…?
He looked out the window and noticed it was still dark out. No bright light or ball of fire was visible in the sky.
What… time is it? Who would be here at this time? It's not even morning!
Furrowing his eyebrows, he lifted his legs onto the wooden floor. Seriously, can't I sleep at my own damn house in peace? He begrudgingly got up and walked to the door with murderous intent.
Whoever the hell it is, I'll serve them up some Fire Dragon Iron–
"OI, NATSU! GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
That voice… It sounded familiar. Sounded like someone infuriating he knew…
"Mrmrmrgh…" He grumbled, opening the door slowly. What he saw immediately blew his drowsiness away. "What the…"
"About time you woke up, flame-brain!" The raven-haired man sighed, folding his arms in disappointment. "Can't believe you're still sleeping in."
"Hello there, Natsu." The azure blue-haired man softly smiled. "We apologize for barging at this early hour."
"What are you apologizing for? He isn't supposed to be sleeping at this time!"
Natsu blinked his eyes multiple times, rubbing them to clear his vision. What were these two doing at his house? At this hour, no less? If Gray came here alone, he'd just pick a fight with him. However, Jellal was also here, so clearly, they came here for a different reason.
"Gray…? Jellal…?" Natsu uttered in surprise. "What are you two doing here? Do you know what time it is?"
He observed their clothes from top to bottom. Gray was carrying a big backpack. He wasn't wearing a shirt (nothing unusual here) with white trousers strapped with belts around the thighs. On the other hand, Jellal was wearing a grey polo shirt with black pants. He was carrying a suitcase beside him.
"Should you really be asking that?" Gray narrowed his eyes at him, shaking his head. "Don't tell me you forgot already."
"Forgot…?" Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Forgot what?"
"He just woke up, Gray." Jellal patted his shoulder. "Let's give him a moment to clear his mind."
"This guy doesn't have much going on in his mind to begin with." Gray huffed.
"Huh…" Natsu folded his arms, leaning on the doorway. What did I forget…? He closed his eyes, pondering his mind to remember what he forgot.
"I'm not surprised Erza's hunch was right." Gray said. "She asked us to fetch you in case this happened."
"In case what happened?" Natsu asked, oblivious to the matter at hand.
"In case you were sleeping, you idiot!" Gray clenched his hands into fists.
"Why wouldn't I be sleeping?!" Natsu groaned.
Gray sighed, turning around and rubbing his temples. "Jellal, handle him. He's giving me a headache…"
"Now, now, let's not cause a ruckus early in the morning…" Jellal tried to reason with him. He turned to face Natsu. "Natsu, you're going on the trip with us, right?"
"… Trip?" Natsu raised an eyebrow. That sounds… strangely familiar.
"Yes. With us, Erza, Juvia, and Wendy?" Jellal continued.
"… Oh, to the premium resort?" Natsu's eyes lit up in realization. He slammed his fist on his palm. "Oh, yeah! Definitely!"
"I see! Do you know we're supposed to go… right about now?"
"… Right now?" Natsu asked. He looked at the time on the wall. "Right now?! That's really…" Isn't that way too early?
"Did Wendy not inform you of this?" Jellal asked in a curious tone. "I figured she would have told you something important like that."
"Now that you mention it…" Natsu folded his arms in deep thought. "I think Wendy told me that…" He looked through his shoulder, resting his gaze on his trusty backpack. I did prepare all that yesterday. "It was today, huh…"
"That's right." Jellal said. "Have you already packed your stuff?
"Yeah, I did…"
"Oh, that's good to hear." Jellal sighed in relief. "In that case, why don't you get ready? We'll wait outside."
"Alright, alright." Natsu nodded, then turned around. Man, the trip was today? I still want to sleep more. Quickly, he changed out of his usual attire into a short-sleeved orange shirt and blue pants that reached up to his knee. Of course, with the white scarf, too. As he put on his backpack, he noticed that a normally noisy blue Exceed had been remaining silent…
"If you're wondering where Happy is, he went off to stay with Lily and Carla. Gajeel's looking after them." Gray answered the question in his mind.
"Oh…" Natsu hummed. Right, I think Happy told me that yesterday… man, my head's really dizzy after waking up. After readying himself, he stepped outside his house and closed the door.
"Finally ready, are you?" Gray smiled in approval. "Let's go before Erza hangs our necks."
"I wouldn't want that..." Natsu yawned.
And so, the three wizards began walking together to meet up with the girls at Fairy Hills.
…
..
.
"They sure are taking their sweet time, huh?" the scarlet-haired girl stated, tapping her toes on the ground.
"Maybe your hunch was right, Erza." The blue-haired girl answered with an awkward smile.
"Well, no matter. I anticipated this, so we still have time to spare." Erza replied.
The girls were waiting in front of Fairy Hills. They were waiting for the guys to show up. Erza had anticipated that Natsu might have slept in, so she wanted everyone to wake up earlier than their supposed meetup time.
"It is pretty early…" the shorter blue-haired girl mentioned. "This is kind of exciting!"
"I'm sure it is, Wendy." Erza smiled.
The girls were also not in their usual attire. Erza was wearing a black tank top and blue shorts. Her face was equipped with sunglasses and a black cap on her head. Juvia was wearing a light blue dress with a white ribbon headband over her head, giving her a cutesy look.
Wendy went for a completely new look, wearing a white frilly dress and a straw hat. She was embracing the summer spirit. Of course, she had Natsu's present–the hairpin with a multicolored flower of pink and blue–on the side of her hair.
"Hey, guys!" A voice shouted out, drawing in their attention.
"Ah, there they are." Erza turned to the voice and waved back. "Hey! About time you showed up!"
Gray and Jellal were walking side by side, seeming to be in good spirits. Natsu, on the other hand, was falling slightly behind. From his slumped posture, it was clear he was still collecting his resolve after waking up.
"Gray, darling…" Juvia's cheeks rose in heat. "Please, put on your vest. It's not the right time."
"Wait, when did I take it off?!" Gray bowed his head down, realizing the state of his lack of vest.
"I picked it up a while back." Jellal chuckled, handing him his vest.
"Oh, thanks."
"Natsu!" Wendy walked up to him with a joyful skip in her step. He's in casual clothes…! She appreciated seeing him in something other than his usual waistcloth. "You made it!"
"Oh, hey, Wendy…." Natsu waved back weakly. "You're up early, huh…"
"Were you sleeping in?" Wendy asked, folding her arms.
"… Yeah." Natsu sighed faintly. "I kind of forgot we were supposed to get ready at this time."
"That's no good, Natsu!" Wendy waved her finger in front of him. "You need to get in the spirit!"
"Haha, I'll try." Natsu let out a long sigh. I'm in a sleepy spirit, honestly.
"Natsu! Natsu!" Wendy spread her arms apart and twirled around, her dress fluttering in the wind. "How do I look?"
"Huh…" Natsu observed her white frilly dress in greater detail. Compared to the usual clothes she wore, this definitely gave her a new look. It was… refreshing, in a sense. Oh, she's wearing the hairpin, too. Unsurprisingly, he really knew little about fashion, but she looked…
"Cute." Natsu said with an awkward smile, a faint red covering his cheeks. "You look really cute, Wendy."
"Hehehe!" Blushing, Wendy grinned brightly. "I'm glad you like it!"
What a couple of lovebirds… Gray thought as he observed them.
"Gray, darling!" Juvia tugged on his arm playfully. "I want you to compliment me, too!"
"Oh…" Gray gave her a side glance. Indeed, she wasn't wearing her usual clothes and her Russian-style hat, which he was so used to seeing. The white ribbon and light blue dress gave her an innocent look, a cute sight for his eyes.
"You look… pretty nice." Gray averted his gaze and scratched his cheek awkwardly. He wasn't used to giving her compliments.
"Awww, you're embarrassed, darling!" Clasping her hands together, Juvia's eyes sparkled with dear affection for him. "That's so cute!"
"I'm not embarrassed!" Gray retorted, crossing his arms.
"All right, all right." Erza clapped her hands to get their attention. "Let's not waste any more time dawdling around here."
"We should have about 10 minutes to get to the…" Jellal took a planner out of his pocket, suddenly remembering something he shouldn't say… for Wendy's sake. "Nice. We have plenty of time."
"Very well." Erza nodded, leading the group on the path. "Let's get going, shall we?"
The group followed behind Erza and her usual massive carriage as she led the way to a place that shall not be named as a precaution.
Wendy walked beside Natsu, taking notice of his free, lonely hand. Looks like it needs attention! Gently, she wrapped her hand around his, intertwining their fingers together. Now that they were dating, Wendy felt she could be a little more selfish with Natsu about their physical closeness. In their previous relationship, she might have asked him first if she could hold his hand, but now, she could make use of her privileges… as his girlfriend.
Natsu turned his head to her and gave her delicate hand a tender squeeze. "You seem really excited, Wendy." He said with a smile.
"Of course I am!" Wendy beamed brightly. "We're going on a trip! And… it's going to be our first date together…" Her cheeks blushed as she said that. We're going to be spending time together…
"Sure is, Wendy." Natsu gently rubbed her hand on his own with his thumb. "Can't wait for it to begin!" He says that, then he tries to hold back a yawn which didn't escape Wendy's attention.
"Still feeling sleepy, Natsu?" Wendy asked with concern.
"Well, I was woken up suddenly by ice-for-brains over there…" Giving a side glance, Natsu silently glared at the ice make wizard. "Gave me a headache, y'know?"
"Oh, I see." Wendy nodded. An idea popped into her mind which made her cheeks rise in heat. "T-Then, I know of a good trick to make you feel… r-refreshed!" Looking to the side, she twirled her hair bang around her finger.
"Oh, really?" Natsu raised an eyebrow, curious about this supposed trick. "What's this trick like? One of your magic enchantments or something?"
"No, it's nothing like that." Wendy shook her head. She looked at him with upturned eyes. "It's something… even better."
"Woah, seriously?" Natsu's face lit up with interest. "You gotta tell me, Wendy! What's the trick?"
"Let me whisper it in your ear…" Wendy motioned for him to bow down, waving her hand towards herself.
"Alright." Natsu bowed his body down to her level. "What's this tri–" Immediately, she tugged on his scarf, bringing his face closer to hers.
Chu!
Wendy softly pressed her lips against his own, capturing his lips in a sweet kiss. It was but a quick peck, since they had other company. Wendy quickly pulled away and gave him a bashful smile.
Natsu's eyes widened in surprise as he felt her soft lips. He felt an electrical jolt shoot up towards his spine, making him hypersensitive to his surroundings.
"Pretty cool trick, right?" Wendy winked in delight, her cheeks dyed a faint red. "You should be wide awake now!"
"O-Oh, uh…" Natsu averted his gaze, covering his red-stricken face with his forearm. Why am I feeling so weird suddenly? His dragon hearing picked up on his heart, pounding against his chest. This wasn't the first time he experienced this. He had been learning these patterns whenever he spent time with her. Sometimes, she'd make him feel at ease. Other times, she'd get his heart racing. Is this what love does to me? He certainly wasn't feeling sleepy after her little act.
Natsu's embarrassed face is so cute…! Wendy let out a soft giggle, desiring to see more of his expressions. Before they started dating, Wendy would often be on the receiving end of his affectionate gestures (and he wasn't aware of what it did to her poor heart), but now she was on the attack!
"Well, Natsu? What do you think of the trick?" She tilted her head to get a better look at his red face.
"It's uh… yeah!" Natsu forced out a response, trying to calm his nerves. "I'm… fired up now!" In more ways than one.
Jellal was walking beside Erza, just slightly behind her. His attention was drawn to Natsu and Wendy's interactions. Their first date, huh… it struck him as odd, considering they did have a date before this. Was that not an actual date? He was quite curious. Though seeing them grow closer brought a smile to his face. Wendy looks more confident in herself… and Natsu seems to be more aware of her?
Jellal felt a warm and soft sensation wrap around his own hand, prompting him to turn his face to his left. His eyes widened as he saw his fingers were intertwined with none other than… Erza's.
"Holding hands…" Erza smiled, her face rising in heat. "I can see why they're such a popular trope in romance stories."
"I… uh, see." Jellal only replied, his mind having short-circuited from holding her hand. He realized her hand was much smaller and softer than his own. She, too, realized how much bigger and calloused his hand felt. It was a cute fit.
"Am I… too forward?" Erza asked shyly, hoping she didn't cause him any discomfort.
"N-No, no!" Blushing, Jellal shook his head. He gently tightened his fingers around hers. "I… would enjoy staying like this for a while…"
"… I'm glad." Erza grinned.
The group, led by Erza, continued on to their destination. Their walk was filled with pleasant conversations along the way. And at last, they were in front of the…
"Just in time." Erza exclaimed, halting the group. "Let's carry our stuff in, everyone. Make sure you don't leave anything behind."
Everyone nodded in response to Erza, all except one…
"H-Hold on…" Trembling, Natsu raised his hand to point at the devil's contraption. "Isn't this…"
"What's the matter, Natsu?" Erza asked, turning her head to him. "Don't just stand there. Get in."
The color was slowly leaving Natsu's face. "W-W-Why are we at t-the train s-station?!"
"Why are you so surprised?" Erza shook her head, trying to hide her amusement at the expense of his suffering. "The resort is miles away. It's unrealistic to think we could go there on foot."
"B-But… b-but…!" Natsu clenched his fists. He turned to Wendy for assistance. "W-Wendy told me–"
"I said we could walk on foot…" Wendy avoided his eyes as guilt was starting to set in her. "I never said we would…"
Natsu's mouth comically dropped to the floor in total shock. "You… you… you…"
"A-And well…" Wendy rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "You never asked me… directly…"
"You… you… you…" Natsu clawed away at his hair, utterly slack jawed by this situation. "You tricked me, Wendy! Was this your real trick all along?!"
"No!" Wendy frantically waved her hands. She bowed herself at the waist in an apologetic manner. "I'm sorry, Natsu! I had to do this so you would come along!"
"You're naïve as always, Natsu." Gray smirked.
"She's telling the truth." Erza placed a hand on the small bluenette's shoulder. "She didn't lie to you, Natsu. She simply wanted for you to come along."
"Ougghh…" Natsu could already feel his motion sickness rising in his stomach, just staring at the wicked train. He swiftly turned around. "Y-You know, I t-think I forgot something at home…"
"W-Wait!" Wendy reached her hands out towards him.
"You ain't going anywhere, flame-brain." Gray grabbed his right arm, preventing his escape. "It's time for you to man up."
"Forgive me, Natsu." Jellal grabbed his left arm. "This trip wouldn't be the same without you."
"L-Let me go!" Natsu cried out, trying to free himself from their grips. "There's no way I'm getting on that… thing!" If he wasn't fully awake before, he certainly is now.
"Let's board the train, everyone! We wouldn't want to miss it!" Erza exclaimed merrily, stepping on to the train, followed by Juvia and Wendy. Dragging Natsu by his arms, Gray and Jellal stepped on to the train as well.
At this early time, they were the only passengers on the train, so they didn't really try to shut Natsu's cries. They all moved into a single compartment together after setting their luggage.
"Wendy." Erza tapped on her shoulder to get her attention. "Maybe you could cast Troia on him in advance? It might ease his mind."
"O-Oh, right!" Wendy nodded. "I almost forgot about it. I'll do it right away!" Before the train starts to move!
Walking to Natsu, who was trapped between Gray and Jellal, Wendy's hands emitted a faint blue light which she aimed at him…
"Don't worry, Natsu! This train ride will be over before you even know it!"
…
..
.
"Ouggghhhhhh…" Natsu groaned in pain, resting his head on Wendy's lap. Wendy, Natsu, and Jellal were sitting on the left side of the compartment.
"He's grown even more resistant to it, huh?" Erza asked, crossing her arms. She was directly facing Jellal, sitting on the right side of the compartment with Juvia and Gray.
After Wendy had cast Troia on him, the train shortly began moving. Unfortunately, her enchantment couldn't save him from his motion sickness. I remember now. Since the rollercoaster ride, my Troia had run out as well…
"Mmnnguhh…." Natsu's face turned a literal blue, unable to keep himself up.
"A pathetic display, Natsu." Gray shook his head, trying to hide his amusement.
"Wendy, how is it you aren't affected by your motion sickness?" Jellal asked with curiosity in his voice.
"I do feel nauseous from time to time, but it doesn't bother me that much." Wendy answered, running her fingers through Natsu's hair. "I've been getting resistant towards it."
"I see. I suppose that is due to you being the Sky Dragon Slayer…" Jellal nodded in understanding.
"Mmmmmnghh…" Natsu let out a painful moan.
Wendy's heart ached seeing him in this sad state. She attempted to massage his forehead, the same thing Lucy would do in this situation. Although she couldn't tell if it was easing his motion sickness.
Erza brought her hands together and cracked her knuckles. "Perhaps I should put him to a temporary rest."
"N-No, you don't have to do that." Wendy defensively held his head closer. "I'll do my best to ease his pain."
"Hmmm…" Erza pulled her fists back. "If you say so, Wendy."
"Poor Natsu…" Juvia said. "Does he know where we'll be going after this train ride?"
"Can't wait to see the surprise on his face." Gray chuckled.
"Assuming he's still awake after this train ride." Erza mused. I highly doubt that.
"Natsu…" Wendy caressed his pink, spiky hair. Using her other hand, she gently rubbed his temples in an attempt to soothe him. I hope he'll still be excited once we reach the resort.
Jellal folded his arms, observing the dragon slayer duo beside him. "Wendy, may I ask something?"
"Yes?"
"You and Natsu… uh, both of you seem… closer?" Jellal asked. "Since the last time I saw you."
"O-Oh, well…" Wendy smiled wryly. It came to her attention that Jellal wasn't aware of the new development in her relationship with Natsu. It wasn't like she was trying to hide it, though she was slightly embarrassed to mention it.
"Let's save the surprise for later, Wendy." Interjecting, Erza winked playfully.
"O-Oh?"
"Surprise?" Jellal raised an eyebrow with amusement.
"You'll know soon, Jellal." Erza replied in a knowing manner. "Very soon."
"… Right." Jellal could only nod. Is there something I'm missing here? So they have gotten closer…
And so, the pleasant train ride continued on its path. It would take them several hours before it reached its destination. Hopefully, it would pass by in a flash, for Natsu's sake. Eventually, the wizards fell asleep. Both Wendy and Gray leaned against the window as they slept, with Juvia resting her head on Gray's shoulder.
Several hours later…
…
..
.
Choo Choo!
"We have reached our destination, Agatha Port! We have reached our destination, Agatha Port!"
"Everyone, time to wake up!" Erza exclaimed, standing up from her seat. "The train ride is finally over! Make sure you don't leave your stuff behind."
Except for Natsu who passed out some time ago, everyone else woke up with surprising ease.
"Mhmmm….!" Gray stretched out his arms. He looked through the window, observing the sea spanning into the horizons. So this is Agatha Port…
"Come on, darling!" Juvia tugged his arm along. "Let's step off the train."
"Coming, coming." Gray let himself be pulled by her as he slowly regained his consciousness.
Wendy rubbed her eyes together, clearing her vision. She gazed downwards, seeing Natsu's sleeping face. Drawing her hand to his cheeks, she gave a faint smile. Seeing his face right after waking up… that's something she wouldn't mind waking up to everyday.
"You can stare at him all you want later." Erza chuckled, patting her head. "We should get off the train soon."
"E-Eh?!" Wendy's face was immediately struck with crimson red. She frantically waved her hands. "I w-wasn't staring!"
"Sure, sure." Erza stepped off the train with Jellal. "Don't keep us waiting."
"Muuu…" Wendy shook her head to clear her heated mind. Right, I have to wake up Natsu… she poked his cheek softly.
"Natsu, wake up."
"Mnnnhh…?" Natsu slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times. "Wendy…?"
"The train ride is finally over." Wendy softly smiled. "We should leave the train now."
"It's over…?" Natsu slowly raised his head, causing Wendy to feel a sense of loneliness on her lap. He took notice of his surroundings. The train isn't moving… he realized his motion sickness wasn't kicking in. This realization returned the vigor completely to his body.
"Hell yeah!" Natsu jumped up with excitement, as if nothing had happened. "Let's say goodbye to the train!" He took hold of Wendy's hand and stepped off the train.
"Okay!" Wendy was glad to see life return to his eyes… she didn't want to see it disappear. I'm afraid… because the next act was…
Soon, everyone was off the train with their luggage ready. Erza led the group to the vacant dock, which oddly had a single ship.
"The ocean's pretty huge." Gray said, admiring the view of the vast blue water. "Reminds me of our mission back at Nightglades."
"Ah, you told me there were these waterfalls that seemed to reach the skies?" Juvia asked.
"Those waterfalls were a spectacle to witness, indeed." Erza commented.
"Erza, is that the ship you mentioned a while ago?" Jellal asked, pointing at the impressive vessel. It easily towered over their bodies.
"Certainly, Jellal." Erza nodded. "I believe Mirajane had already reserved that for our personal use."
"… Amazing." Jellal said in awe. She sure works fast. What strings did she have to pull? "It seems to be… unmanned? You mentioned personal use."
"Right. We'll be the ones sailing the ship." Erza's eyes sparkled at the idea of manning the ship.
"We'll sail it ourselves?" Jellal crossed his arms. He was slightly concerned about this. "Do you know how to sail a ship, Erza?"
"Haha, don't underestimate Titania." Erza pumped her fist to her chest proudly.
"W-Wendy…" Natsu placed a hand on her shoulder, cowering in fear of the ship. "Please tell me we're not getting on that…"
"… W-Well." Wendy scratched her cheek awkwardly. It pained her heart to tell him. That he was going to go through all of this once more. And he was just getting excited… she didn't have the heart to tell him the premium resort was actually located on an island. It was a fact everyone else knew, save for him.
"Come on, everyone!" Erza clapped her hands and motioned them towards the vessel's dock. "Let's board the ship."
"Gurgh…." Natsu froze in place, staring at the infernal contraption before his eyes. He slowly turned around. "I-I think I–"
"If you can do it once, you can do it twice." Gray held his left arm and sighed, almost feeling sorry for him. Here we go again.
"… Forgive me again, Natsu." Jellal held his right arm, sympathizing with his pain.
"Noooo!"
And Wendy could only watch in pained silence as her boyfriend was forcefully dragged by the other two male wizards onto the ship.
...
..
.
On the sailing ship…
…
..
.
The group was now in the vessel, currently sailing the blue oceans as far as the eyes could see. It had built-in lacrimas designed for controlling the ship with ease. Erza quickly jumped at the opportunity to man the ship as she fantasized about being the captain of one.
"This lacrima is really intuitive!" Erza said with excitement, like that of a child receiving a new toy.
"I'm glad you're enjoying this, Erza." Jellal replied with a silent sigh of relief. Admittedly, he was worried about Erza… getting handy with the ship. "Do you know the way to the resort?"
"Definitely!" Erza gave him a thumbs up, then whipped out a map she found on the ship. "I'm taking this path."
"Huh…" Jellal's eyes scanned the map carefully. He noticed something… peculiar about the path Erza was taking. There were… red skulls scattered around the path. What does this mean? It left a bad impression on him.
"The wind's very cool…" Gray leaned on the railing, enjoying the peaceful breeze. He shut his eyes, simply living in the moment.
"Hmmm… ~" Juvia stood beside him, resting her face on her hand, her arm plopped upright on the railing. She was gazing at his face.
"… What is it, Juvia?" Gray asked, feeling a little self-conscious about being stared at.
"Nothing, my darling." Juvia smiled sweetly. "I was just admiring your face."
"Ahuh…" Gray averted his gaze, his cheeks rising in heat.
"Setting sail on a ship towards an island far away…" Juvia clasped her hands together. "It's such a wonderful start to a triple date!"
"Wonderful start, you say…" Gray's eyes shifted to the two dragon slayers behind him. They were sitting on foldable beach chairs… trying to hold themselves together. "Not for those two."
"Ouggghh…." Natsu groaned, his body facing on his chair. Right after going by train, he just had to deal with going by ship now.
"We'll get through this, Natsu…. Mnghh…" Wendy's motion sickness was getting to her now. Going on land was something she had gotten used to, but apparently her resistance didn't apply much to going on sea. She massaged her own head, trying to ease her own motion sickness. She had cast Troia on herself, which helped to alleviate some of the pain. Unfortunately, it still didn't affect Natsu in the slightest.
Suddenly, the sound of someone singing entered his ears. It was… such a captivating voice. For some reason, he wanted to find out where this voice was coming from, as if it was luring him in.
"I'm… going to… die…" With every ounce of his strength, Natsu rolled off his chair and began crawling towards the edge of the deck.
"Natsu…?" Wendy shifted her head to look at him. "Where are you going?"
Natsu attempted to climb over the railing, his need to stop his suffering driving him forward.
"Natsu?!" Wendy's eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do. She raised herself off the chair and lifted her legs onto the floor. She tried to take a step forward, but immediately tripped over her own feet. "Ouch!"
"Hey, you idiot!" Hearing Wendy's panic, Gray ran towards him to pull him back. "Don't jump off the ship!"
"Natsu!" Juvia followed behind Gray to help him.
"Hunnnghh…" Natsu was hanging over the railing now. All he needed to do was shift his weight towards the edge and he would fall off into the ocean.
"Get back here!" Gray reached out and grabbed his scarf just in time. "Seriously, what do you think you–"
SLASH!
A sizable claw slashed forward through the ocean, barely missing Natsu as he was pulled back into the ship by Gray.
"What the?!" Gray instinctively pulled Natsu behind him to protect him. What was that?!
Just then, he saw Juvia, sitting herself at the edge of the ship. She was waving at him. "Look at me, Gray darling~"
"J-Juvia?" Gray called out in concern. What's she doing sitting there? "Get over here. You shouldn't be sitting there!"
"What do you mean, Gray?" Juvia exclaimed, pumping her fists down. "I'm right over here!"
"… Huh?" Gray turned his head to… Juvia who was beside him. He looked back on to… Juvia, who was sitting there in front of him. He switched his gaze between them, confused. "T-There's two Juvias?!"
"What do you mean there's two Juvias?!"
SLASH!
Erza flung a spear in the other Juvia's direction over his head. The spear pierced through her, revealing her scaly skin and tail that belonged to a mermaid.
"Tsk…" The womanly figure took the spear out of her abdomen, groaning in pain. "It seems you are not easy prey."
"Huh?" Both Gray and Juvia's eyes widened in surprise. What the hell is happening?
"… Sirens." Erza stated. "It was an illusion."
Soon, more of these sirens popped up, surrounding the ship entirely.
"Sirens? An illusion?" Gray got back up, carrying Natsu over his shoulder. "You mean it was messing with my mind?
"And Natsu's mind too, I reckon." Erza looked around her, assessing the situation.
"It seems we've got company." Jellal followed Erza's sight. The map flashed briefly through his mind. Those red skulls… did we enter a dead zone?
"Everyone…!" Wendy walked towards them while clutching her stomach. "What's going–"
The ship began shaking, causing the wizards to lose their balance. Gray ended up dropping Natsu behind him. A dark figure approached from underwater, slowly rising through the surface. Sounds of huge water splashes could be heard as this dark figure revealed itself. Its great shadow loomed over the ship.
"What the?!" Gray looked up at the mysterious creature. "What the hell is that?!"
"Is it a monster?!" Juvia exclaimed.
"It doesn't look friendly!" Wendy continued.
Four giant tentacles shot up through the sea, angling themselves towards the wizards.
"I've heard stories of this creature before." Erza hummed in response, stroking her chin. "I believe this is called… a kraken."
The wizards were surrounded by sirens and the kraken. They were readying themselves for a full-on assault. They didn't seem interested in the ship at all.
The kraken let out a monstrous growl, aiming its giant tentacles at the wizards. The sirens bore their fangs and extended the claws from their fingertips, preparing to lunge at them.
"It appears we'll need to take care of business here before we can continue with our triple date." Erza summoned her iron sword, then turned to the little bluenette. "Wendy, can you fight?"
"Don't worry about me." Wendy said, trying to brave through her motion sickness. She was also worried about Natsu, who was pretty much defenseless. I'll protect him this time. "I may not be able to fight like this, but I can still support you."
"Didn't really expect to meet enemies on this trip." Gray stripped out of his vest and cracked his knuckles, the temperatures cooling down exponentially around him. "I was just getting bored around here! Time for a little excitement!"
"How dare they seduce my Gray!" Juvia clenched her fists in frustration. "I'll make them pay!"
Tensing up, Jellal's body began glowing with Heavenly Body magic. "Allow me to offer my assistance in battle."
Erza turned her head to glance at Natsu's lifeless body. He's out of commission. We'll have to fight without his firepower.
The wizards moved into a circle formation, protecting Natsu's body while also watching each other's blind spots. They shifted into their battle stances.
"We're all fired up!"
