The gang had just caught up to Lucy who had appeared to be waiting for them at the entrance of a canyon and not Magnolia.
"Hey, you guys made it!" Lucy says as she tries to mimic Plue's dance moves. "Took ya long enough".
"Puuun, Puuun" Plue says as the snowball spirit wiggles its body trying to copy its master.
"Ah come on Plue. We didn't mean to take so long, Luce was the one who ran off!" Natsu apologizes.
The other mages looking at the dragon slayer in wonder at him interacting with the small snowman spirit.
"It matters not who ran off and left who" Master says shaking himself out of the stupor and getting back on track, "What matters is getting home!"
"Puuun, Puuun!" Plue says in agreement. "Got that right Plue!" Lucy says high fiving the spirit.
"Oh, and what's that?" Erza asks interested in what she could possibly be talking to the small spirit about. "Oh, just that Plue and I are lost!" Lucy says grinning, as if that isn't a big deal. "Yeah, why do you think I waited for you here, I have no idea how to get home.''
"You're kidding me. First you run off, leaving us behind with the Fiore army, then you get us lost!" Gray yells.
Running to its master, Plue hides behind Lucy's legs, causing a frown to appear. "Hey, you guys didn't have to follow me, you could've gone your own way"
"What and leave you behind, yeah like you'd survive" Erza says.
Look Loke, she's starting to grow attached to me!
"No, she's not she just doesn't want a dead team mate on her conscious" Loke argues.
Ignoring her spirit, she looks back to Erza with a raised eyebrow "Do you not remember who you're talking to mate?" waving her had up and down "I was trained by a demon, lived in a cave, and traveled for years with just my spirits. I can handle one little canyon without you" Lucy says arms crossed with Plue by her side in the same power pose.
It's hard to take her serious when that spirit mimics everything she does, Erza thinks.
"First, not you're mate. Second if you had stayed with us, we probably would've been halfway to Magnolia by now."
Waving Erza off, Lucy smiles putting an arm around her to point ahead and say "Semantles. Just look on the bright side Erza, now we can spend more time getting to know each other, right Plue"
"Puuun, Puuun" the spirit says in agreement.
Blushing the scarlet haired mage shakes her head at the blonde's advances reluctantly following the girl into the canyon, arm still around her. Why me she thinks.
Off to the side are Gray, Natsu and Makarov shaking and holding each other for support after witnessing Lucy touch Erza without her permission.
"Dude how has Lucy not lost an arm yet" Gray says clutching gramps closer for protection when Erza decides to attack the blonde for touching her.
"Erza likes her" Happy says from his spot in the middle of the huddle low enough Erza can't hear him but loud that the threw guys can.
"Ya think Happy?" Natsu asks in wonder.
"I don't know but how else can you explain Lucy not getting killed yet."
"I would have to agree with Happy" Master says from his spot "Erza must have some sort of fondness for Lucy if she has not harmed her. And look she is letting the girl continue to hold her like that". Turning their heads, they see Lucy leading the very reluctant older girl into the canyon.
Eventually when the two girls are far away enough but gramps speaks again. "Come now, act like men and follow those girls."
All four clutch each other closer and follow from a distance all thinking the same thing, What the hell is semantles?
"Man, I want some food." Natsu complained. "Ditto" Lucy says from her spot by Erza.
Gray glared at the two slayers, "Shut up you too, we all do! Talking about it just makes us hungrier."
Natsu got in his face, "Well I can't help it if I'm hungry jerk!"
"True, but you could stop running your mouth, can't you?!" Gray growled.
Looking to Lucy he speaks again. "And how are you still hungry you've literally been eating weird golden stuff the entire mission?"
Lucy shrugged, "That's celestial food for my demon slayer powers and what can say, I have a big appetite."
"Yo Luce, bring us out some Celestial food so we can eat then!" Natsu yells hoping to answer their hungry prayers. Hopefulness filling everyone's eyes.
"You guys can't eat the food that I eat to fuel my powers" Lucy commented. "Besides it's Virgo's busy at the moment so I can't even get my celestial fuel for the day" she pouted.
"Damn it!" the other mages yelled.
"Listen up!" Makarov interrupted, "We need some food…"
"Yeah! We know!" they yelled. "That's been established" Lucy said.
"Enough." Erza said before her stomach started growling.
They all looked at her.
"Your stomach's trying to tell ya something, isn't it?" Natsu asked.
Erza looked away, "No it's not you're hearing things."
"No mate, your stomach is growling for food, I'll go hunt for you" before they could stop her, Lucy left their sight.
"Uh, great Erza, you're mate just left us now what do we do." Gray said.
"She's not my mate and how should I know, Master?" she looks to their guild master for guidance.
"I don't know. The girls a wild card" he answered with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Natsu was rolling on the ground laughing, until Erza hit him on the head. "Enough what are we going to do now".
"Don't worry Lucy's senses are as good as mine so she'll be able to find her way back" Natsu explained.
"You guys!" Happy yelled, moving everyone's attention from the now missing teammate to something else.
"What're you excited about?" Natsu questioned.
"Down there! Look Natsu! Look!" Happy said pointing downward.
They all looked down at the canyon and saw what looked to be flying fish.
"Those are wing fish! They're a legendary delicacy, and they're supper yummy from what I hear!" Happy explained.
"A legendary delicacy?" Gray questioned. "Never heard of them."
"Wing fish huh?" Erza said with her eyes closed, imaging the dishes she could make.
Natsu grinned, "Sounds good to me."
Makarov put a hand on Happy's shoulder, "Well done Happy, you make this old man very proud."
"Now time to fish." Happy said bringing out a fishing rod from out of nowhere. Soon they all had fishing rods in their hands and started fishing right along with Happy.
"Aw come on ya stupid fish. Just shut up and let me eat ya." Natsu whined. "Man, I bet we could catch these fish faster with one of Lucy's spirits" Natsu whined.
"We've gotta fish harder guys!" Happy yelled in determination.
Gray looked down at the fish, "I've never heard of these fish Happy, are you sure these things really taste that good?"
"Anything edible will do." Erza told the ice mage.
"I didn't realize you were that hungry." Gray commented.
"You're going in my belly! Right now! Ya hear?!" Happy yelled, "Happy's gonna eat you fish!"
But after a few minutes he tossed his fishing pole aside, "Whatever I give up."
"Well that was fast. Giving up already Buddy?" Natsu asked.
He looked down, "But I couldn't catch a single fish…"
He patted him on the head, "Don't look so down. You really wanna eat one, don't you? So, don't give up just yet."
Happy looked up at her and nodded, "Thanks Natsu."
He smiled, "Your welcome."
After what felt like forever, they finally managed to catch one, even though it was small.
Gray sighed, "Well that was harder than it was supposed to be."
"All that trouble just for one fish." Erza said.
Natsu lit the fish on fire then dispelled it when it was cooked properly, "Go ahead and eat it Happy," he said.
"But that wouldn't be fair to you guys would it?" Happy asked.
"It's way too small to split up. If we had a bite, we'll just want more." Gray grumbled.
"Hurry up and eat it before we change our minds!" Makarov yelled.
Happy started drooling, "Okay! Don't mind if I do!" he said taking a bite out of the fish.
"That fish must be bringing you a lot of joy if you're eating it like that." Natsu observed.
"Gross!" Happy yelled.
Erza sweat-dropped, "Really? You didn't like it?"
"I hate to say it, but…" Natsu said.
"All that fishing…" Gray said.
"Made me hungrier." Makarov finished.
Meanwhile with Lucy
"I wonder if taking this back to Erza will bring her closer to me" Lucy says while dragging a giant boar on its back. "Lucifer said that I would need to court my mate first".
"Well, Erza did say she was hungry so, delivering her a big meaty dish should bring you too closer together" Loke says telepathically.
"Yahoo! Alright, let's go then I smell them near." pumping her fist Lucy asks Loke to hold the boar in the spirit world to keep it fresh until she reaches her friends and begins running towards where she smells Erza's scent.
The rest of the team kept walking until they saw what looked like a village up ahead.
"A village!" Erza said with relief.
"Houses!" Gray said.
"And that means…there must be." Happy said.
"FOOD!" Natsu yelled running towards the village the others following right behind him. Once they arrived, they noticed there was no one here and that it looked like a ghost town.
"There's no one here." Gray said.
"Yes, It's awfully quiet for a village." Erza observed.
"Maybe their taking an afternoon nap or something." Natsu said, "Hey! Anybody here!"
"We're starving like crazy out here! Somebody cooks us some dinner!" Happy yelled.
Gray couldn't help but roll his eyes, "You really think the whole town's taking a nap?"
"Hmmm, well its either that or they all got drunk and passed out." Makarov said serious.
"We're not at the guild, Master." Erza scolded.
He chuckled, "We do love our spirits, don't we?"
"I'm gonna go find a kitchen to raid!" Natsu said running away from them.
"Shame on you for even thinking about robbing this place Natsu." Gray told him, having the same thoughts as he did.
"You're just mad I thought of it first." Natsu told him.
Natsu knocked on a door, "Hey anyone home? Come one give us something to eat we're dying!" the door opened. The two boys noticed there was no one inside the house.
"Looks like nobody's here." Gray observed. Natsu walked inside, "Who cares? There's food." He picked the piece of bred up smelling it, "Great, it still smells fresh. Open wide."
"Not so fast." Erza said, stopping him with a sword at throat.
He looked at her slightly frightened, "What is it now?!"
"There's something strange here." She told him.
"She's right. Who would leave a table full of food just sitting there like that?" Gray questioned, "And if somebody cooked this, where the heck are they now?"
"How should I know? Anyway, ready to dig in Happy?" Natsu smiled, already splitting the bread and soup.
"Aye!" Happy said.
"Natsu!" Erza growled.
"Aye! Yes ma'am?!" he said fearfully.
"We need to investigate the village first. If we've held out this long, we can hold on a little-" Erza was cut off by the sound of her stomach.
"Sounds to me like your stomach might have different plans." Gray told her.
Makarov nodded, "Yes but which one do we listen to?"
"Search the area for mushroom or anything else that looks edible, and don't eat the food in the village okay? While you're all doing that Master and I will try to figure out what's going on!" Erza ordered.
"Yeah yeah, I hear ya, let's go Happy, Gray." Natsu said sarcastically.
"Aye." Happy said.
"Whatever", Gray grunted.
While they did find some mushrooms, they all had suspicious looking colors on them.
"Stupid Erza how am I supposed to get full on a bunch of mushrooms? The food back there looked really good too." Natsu complained then stopped randomly.
Gray stopped too, "Hey mushrooms!"
"I take it back this look tasty!" Natsu grinned, already grabbing a handful without a care.
"Hmm, smells like they went this way" walking through the forest Lucy continued to follow the scent of strawberry shortcake, smokiness and ice, after finding that her teamamtes weren''t in their original spot.
When she stops her trek halfway through, she notices she has entered a small opening full of mushrooms.
"Oh man these mushrooms look delicious!" Lucy yells as she grabs a hand full and shoves them in her mouth eating her fill. "Hmm, not too bad but not filling either" the mage says before continuing her walk towards her team mates not noticing a giant mushroom that had just grown on the top of her head.
"I better hurry if I want to catch up with Erza and the others" sniffing the air, Lucy continues "I really want a piece of this boar."
In the spirit world
Several of Lucy's spirits were laughing uncontrollably at the sight of their master with a mushroom on her head.
"I'm sorry but shouldn't someone check on Lucy-san" Aries says trying to hold back her laughter.
"Nah, let her "mate" see her like that. Erza deserves a laugh with how much she's been having to put up with" Aquarius says not bothering to hold her laughter back.
"Yup" Loke says.
"Agreed" Virgo nods.
"Indeed" Capricorn smiles.
Capricorn, Loke and Virgo all say chuckling at the sight of their beloved master.
"So, why mushrooms?" Gray asked, after eating over a dozen of them.
"It's obvious isn't it? Both you and Natsu's have eaten the poisonous mushroom now we just wait for something weird to happen to you." Happy explained.
"Why would you say something like that after I've eaten them! Gray yelled, while still eating the mushrooms.
Happy snickered. "You and Natsu were already eating, what was me saying something gonna do."
"Give me some credit Happy, you really think I'd fall for something stupid like that? I'm a dragon slayer I can smell poisonous stuff from a mile away." Natsu said stuffing his face with mushrooms, not realizing what was about to happen to him.
Erza was looking outside trying to find something out of the ordinary but didn't see anything. Going back inside she saw the Master wasn't even looking he was sitting at the table about to eat.
She glared at the old man making him jump, "Master."
"What? I was just investigating Erza." Makarov lied poorly, "This food was looking suspicious."
"These mushrooms aren't that big, but if I keep eating a ton of them, I'm bound to get full sooner or later." Natsu said with mushrooms in his mouth.
"Here comes the set up." Happy announced.
"I don't know." Gray said munching on some mushrooms "I'm not feeling anything."
Both looked up from where they were picking up the mushrooms when a rustling sound was heard.
"Who's there," Natsu yelled lighting up his fists with mushrooms in hand.
Jumping out of the bushes was Lucy with a giant mushroom on her head smiling "I found ya guys! But where's my mate?" Lucy asks when she sees no sign of Erza.
No one spoke when they saw her, surprised by the giant mushroom on her head. Finally, Natsu let out a laugh at his partners look.
"Aww, no fair. Something was supposed to happen to Gray or Natsu because of the mushrooms! You totally ruined the gag, Lushie." Happy whined.
Lucy smiled at hearing the cat's complaining once again but frowned when she heard Natsu choking on some mushrooms he swallowed, "You alright?"
"No way" Happy smiled hoping what was happening was what he thought it was.
Just then a pick mushroom with yellow spots on it popped out of his head, "That was scary."
"No, what's scary is the mushroom that just popped out of your head. That's creepy Natsu, you should get that looked at" She sweat-dropped.
"Seriously Luce?" Natsu deadpanned, referring to her own mushroom on her head.
Happy looked down disappointed, "It's not as funny since it already happened to you."
"Is that so, I'm sorry?" Lucy said, confused at what he meant.
"Pfft, nice looking shroom hats you guys got on there" Gray said, unaware of the fact that he had a blue mushroom sticking out of his head.
"I don't know what you two are talking about but you two have giant mushrooms sticking out of your head, it's really creepy" Lucy pointed out.
"What?" Gray asked looking at the Natsu. Then they screamed out pointing to each other.
"Gaahaha, there's a mushroom on your head!" Natsu laughed.
"Oh yeah?! Well I bet yours is bigger than mine?" Gray laughed.
"Hey droopy eyes what the heck are ya laughing about huh?" Natsu glared.
"Me? What're you laughing about shroom head?" the two started fighting each other a dust cloud forming around them.
"I wonder" Lucy commented, realizing that it was the mushrooms they ate that gave the shroom hats Lucy touches her head only to confirm her suspicions.
Chuckling Lucy looks to Happy and says, "Look Happy. I have a mushroom head."
"Aye, Lucy" Happy says starting to feel left out.
"Did you find anybody?" Erza asked the old man having just finished her attempted search.
"Nope. Not a single soul. The whole place has been deserted." He told her.
"But if that's the case then why does all the houses have freshly cooked food on their tables?" she questioned then looked down and noticed something, "Hold on, what is that?"
Makarov noticed it too and looked around and saw the crack was in a straight line.
"This isn't an ordinary crack in the ground. It must serve some purpose." She said.
Natsu and Gray were panting having just got done fighting each other.
Lucy sighed from her place on the floor, "Are you guys done yet?"
"Lucy look, I found a big one!" Happy said holding a big mushroom in his paws.
Lucy looked at it, "Huh? Oh man, It is big. I wonder how long that would last us?"
"She's an idiot. Seriously Layla, she may be your daughter, but she's an idiot" Aquarius thinks.
"Oh man wow! Its huge!" Natsu said, measuring the mushroom with his hands.
"Yeah it's so big we could eat off it for days." Gray said.
"Hmm, looks pretty good." Lucy said crossing her arms.
Happy took a bite out of it. "How's it tastes buddy" Lucy asks.
"It's so yummy!" he said but then the same thing that happened to Natsu, Gray and her happened to him too as mushroom popped out if his head.
Lucy grinned, "Hey! Welcome to the club Happy". In reference to his Mushroom hat.
"I guess that happens to everyone who eats these things, huh?" Natsu theorized.
"I wonder if the villagers knew some way around this problem?" Gray questioned.
"Who knows? Maybe they like the way it looks." Natsu said, laughing at the idea.
"Yeah maybe it'll be in style when we get back to town." Gray chuckled right along with Natsu.
"You think so", Lucy asked taking Gray's comment seriously.
Happy ran away crying, "It's not as funny this time!"
"You don't like your mushroom hat?" she asked.
She then looked to the fire mage, "Whoa, Natsu your mushroom is growing."
"Uhm…" Natsu said.
Happy wailed, "How come he always gets the good gags?!"
Erza and Makarov were observing the line within the village trying to make an understanding of it.
"This looks just like the other seam." Erza observed.
Makarov nodded.
Out of nowhere they heard what sounded like a roar echoing through the canyon.
"What's that sound?" Erza questioned.
"You hear that?" Natsu asked.
"It sounds like something's roaring." She said. Out of corner of her eye she saw that the mushrooms on both Natsu and Gray's heads started glowing then fell right off.
"Oh, hey Luce look your mushroom came off!" Natsu pointed out.
"Yours and Gray are too," the celestial mage says pointing back.
"Yay! The mushrooms are gone now!" Happy cheered.
Lucy looked at him, "Our mushrooms may be gone but yours isn't".
"Ah!" Happy yelled, "still not funny!"
The three wizards then ran towards the direction of the village.
Erza and Makarov noticed that the lines were glowing red the moment they heard the roar.
"Erza! What's going on?" Natsu called out.
They stopped and notice the ground was glowing.
"Be careful Happy." Natsu warned. "Aye sir." Happy said.
Lucy was on alert. Sensing to see if there was anything around them that was planning on popping up and trying to attack them. Her demon slaying powers flared up for a moment having her sense a high amount of black magic. When she looked around, she could see building after building were glowing red and moving back and forth.
"Whoa, what's with this place?" Natsu questioned.
"It looks like the buildings are moving." Lucy observed.
"It looks like the houses are having a dance party huh?" Happy said.
"I don't think so, Happy." Lucy said. Although that'd be cool.
Makarov looked down at the ground, "It can't be!"
"Get ready to fight gramps." Gray said preparing to use his ice-make magic.
"No wait!" he stopped him.
"What? Why?" Gray asked.
"We need to get to higher ground! There's something I have to check!" he told them.
"Alright guys, let's go! Try to stay close!" Erza said.
They all got to higher ground and saw the buildings transform into monsters.
"Aw man. Looks like we got out just in time." Natsu said.
Erza looked down at the monsters, "Now I see. It was a magic circle."
They all looked at her.
"That's right. Those lines we saw in the village were carved into the ground to form a massive magic circle. A circle used for a type of magic that was banned years ago. A form of sealing magic that is known as…Alive." Makarov explained.
"So, this is what it does? Make nonliving things come to life?" Lucy questioned.
"That's right. It could turn inanimate objects into living creatures. It appears the villagers cast the forbidden spell only to end up being eaten by the very monsters they brought to life." Makarov said.
Lucy crossed her arms, "What would possess them to use magic that's been banned in the first place?"
"This village…was home to a dark guild." Erza said.
Natsu looked at her, "No way." Lucy growled, "Disgusting".
"While investigating, I came across a collection of magic tools tucked away in a shed. Upon closer inspection…I realized they were tools to practice black magic." She explained.
"You're so smart mate" Lucy whispered awed at her investigative skills.
Blushing Erza looked away in embarrassment, letting Master take over in explanation.
"Knowing how reckless dark guilds can be they probably thought up some crazy plan then wound up getting burned in the process," Makarov explained, "But! There's one thing we should be grateful for."
"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" Natsu asked.
"The dark guild's mischief brought these creatures to life. And most living creatures can be turned into…Food!" Makarov smiled.
"Huh? That's right. They can be turned into food, can't they?" Lucy said realizing he had a point.
Natsu and Gray smirked.
"Now! Time to chow!" Natsu yelled.
"Yeah! I'm right behind you Natsu!" Happy cheered.
"At this point I don't even care what they taste like!" Gray said.
Erza charged at the monsters ready to finally get food in her stomach.
Gray, Natsu, and Happy followed right after them. Lucy, however, chose to stay where she was requesting Virgo's help with something else.
"Time to get my grub on!" Natsu yelled.
"Save some for me!" Makarov told them still standing at his spot high on the cliff.
Natsu landed on a rock, "Listen up dinner! Before I eat you let me tell you a little secret! I'm an awesome chef and I love to flambé!"
He punched his fists together, Fire Dragon's Iron Fist. He sent a fire punch right at the monster's neck, "Sorry buddy, but your toast!" he said sending numerous punches at the monster.
"Now that he's cooked!" he kicked some rocks down at the fallen monster, "We'll cover 'em up and let 'em steam for a bit." He smiled.
Gray was staring up at another monster with his hands in his pockets, "Normally I'd save dessert for after the meal," he grinned, "But not today."
The two headed monsters charged at him and he went into an ice-make pose ready to strike them down, "Ice-Make: Fishnet!" stretching his hands out he froze the monsters right in their tracks. Crossing his arms, he smirked, "Anyone wanna try a monster popsicle?"
Meanwhile Happy was fighting with a chair, "Even if you're a chair you can't taste worse than a wing fish." He said still fighting with the chair then jumped in the air to avoid getting hit by one of the chairs legs and landed on it holding on for dear life as it ran off with him as an unwilling passenger.
Lucy was still with Virgo in a matching chef's hat, now with the boar out above a fire she had lit. While Virgo was chopping up some celestial vegetables that she assured multiple times were edible Lucy rotated the meat to make sure it did not burn.
"Erza is going to love the boar meat I'm cooking; don't you think Virgo" Lucy asked Virgo who nodded in agreement.
"I believe so Princess, and if not, I will punish her until she does" the maid says with a serious face. "Thanks Virgo you're the best!"
Giddy at the thought of making Erza smile, Lucy and Virgo continued to cook in tandem, with the maid happy to help with her princess's quest of winning over the knight mages heart.
Erza stood proud and tall in front of three monsters, "Now then. It's time to start cooking."
Requip " her armor changed making her wear a chef's hat, heart shaped apron, and holding two giant knives in her hands. She was also surrounded knives, ladle, and other utensils. She then sliced and diced the monsters cutting them into bite-sized pieces.
"The trick is to cut them into perfectly bite sized pieces that are five centimeters long and four millimeters wide." Erza said to no one in particular. However up on the cliff Lucy had heard her and relayed the information to Virgo for the vegetables she was cutting. Nodding the spirit followed the instructions.
Makarov sat cross-legged observing them, "I wish they would hurry up. I'm starving here."
"If they're taking too long you can always try some of my food that I'll be gifting to Erza as per courting ritual" Lucy says walking up casually with a plate of meat and vegetables on the side.
"Lucy my dear, you're officially my favorite guild member" Makarov yells while digging in. "Oh my, this is delicious my child!"
Natsu jumped down from the rock he was standing on and broke a piece of the monster's tentacle off, "Time to dig in."
Erza grabbed a piece of the black sticks and brought one to her mouth taking a bite and chewing it.
"Well it isn't pretty," Gray said holding up a frozen piece if the monster in his hand, "Hope it tastes better than it looks."
Natsu took a bite out of the tentacle and Gray took a bite out the frozen part. Natsu, Gray, and Erza froze.
"Gross!" Natsu and Gray yelled.
Erza said nothing and simply crossed her arms. Inside she was cringing.
Makarov looked at them mid bite "mph- so-mm-how is it kids?"
"What were you thinking gramps?! There's no way we can eat this nasty stuff!" Natsu yelled at the old man. Not noticing the empty plate beside the old man.
Gray had tick marks on his head, "You trying to kill us ya old geezer?!" he yelled.
"True. I would hardly call this edible." Erza agreed, pausing to sniff the air.
Makarov raised a brow, "Really?", wiping his mouth, he shrugs "my bad."
They all looked at the old man but paused when they didn't see Lucy.
"Hey where's Lucy, I could've sworn I saw her right behind us when we were going after the monsters" Natsu points out.
"Indeed, I thought so too". Erza says.
"I'm right here mate, and I have food for you like requested!" Lucy says with a plate full of meat and vegetables.
Natsu and Gray blinked at the girl.
"You've gotta be kidding me! Where the hell did, she find all that and cook it?!" Gray questioned, noticing Erza for once didn't deny being her mate and instead was digging into the plate of food Lucy cooked for her.
"No fair! How come Erza gets to eat?!" Natsu whined.
"It's my duty to supply for my mate Natsu. Erza stated she was hungry, so I needed to feed her" Lucy says seriously. "But don't worry I can make more than enough food for everyone once my beloved gets her fill!" Lucy says with a toothy grin, unaware of the blushing girl beside her who has paused in her eating.
"Alright go Luce!" Natsu says, happy she'll be providing food for them.
"Can't believe I'm saying this but thank god for Erza having a mate" Gray says offhandedly.
"I'll admit, I too am happy that Erza's mate was able to supply us with such a delicious meal" Makarov said, ignoring Erza's reddening face and spluttering denials that her and Lucy were mates.
Once everyone had gotten their plate and their fill from the boar Lucy had killed for Erza, they consider on what to do next. Since they were still lost, and no one was around to ask for direction they had no idea which way to go. Team Natsu and Master were silent, thinking of what to do until Natsu heard Happy screaming, and looked up to see that a monster appeared behind the cat making him scream.
"Look out!" Natsu said punching it in the gut.
"Natsu!" Happy cried out in happiness "You're my best friend, I'm gonna give you a fish once we get home".
Looking around they found themselves surrounded by more monsters.
"Man, these things are nasty." Gray said.
"In more ways than one." Erza commented.
Natsu punched his fists together, "I'm gonna blow you to pieces!" he said, Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
"Ice-Make: Wall!" Gray froze some.
Erza sliced up some monsters with her Heaven's Wheel Armor.
Lucy pulled a gate key out, "Gate of the Golden Bull, I open thee, Taurus!" a ding sound was heard and a cow man carrying a giant axe on his back appeared.
"Moo! Your looking good as usual miss Lucy." Taurus said with hearts in his eyes.
"Thank you, I did just romance my mate. However, that is not why I summoned you. I need your help taking down these monsters," she smirked at her spirit, "You ready?"
He grinned, "Yes ma'am!" she went over to her spirit standing side-by-side, " Lucy and Taurus Celestial Rage!" they both sent a powerful punch to the ground decimating the monsters. Slowly each member of Team Natsu destroyed the monsters before ending up all together again.
Natsu looked up and scowled, "They just keep coming!"
Lucy felt the earth shake, "What the- what's going on now?"
A purple light glowed beneath them showing a magic circle underneath he monsters
"The magic circle!" Gray said. "Are you kidding me?!" Natsu yelled.
"Oh wow, it's so pretty!" Happy said.
"While I agree with you Happy, I don't think this is safe." Lucy told him.
"This is bad." Erza looked around.
The monsters went down beneath the earth, the team thinking it was most likely the work of the magic circle. The ground the team was standing on a crack in it alerting Erza.
"Run for it!" she yelled.
But it was too late by time they were alerted, since the ground gave way and they all fell downwards towards the magic circle.
Gray, Natsu, Erza, Makarov, and Lucy were walking down the road towards Magnolia after getting directions from the town they were just.
"Man, Luce you sure do know how to cook." Natsu hummed.
"While traveling I never really had the chance to stay in hotels or go to restaurants so most of what I did was hunt. Lucifer was the one who taught me how to cook though." Lucy says proudly boasting her skills in hopes to impress Erza.
"I can't walk another step you guy. I'm so full" Happy said even though he was flying not walking.
"Well good thing you have wings unlike the rest of us, you show off." Gray stared at the cat in envy still full of the meal Lucy made.
Lucy was still confused, "As much as I like the compliments, I'm not sure what just happened back there though".
"Um, master?" Erza asked.
"Yes?" he answered.
"I'm not satisfied with your explanation, sir." Erza said.
"That so?" he said.
Flashback
"Now spill it! What were you trying to pull?" Natsu demanded.
The female villager spoke up, "We were using the magic circle to cast forbidden spells. But those monsters appeared and took over everyone in town."
"So, the monsters we fought. They were all trapped inside of them?" Erza questioned.
"When you stepped into the circle it activated the spell, and we no longer had any control of ourselves." The male villager explained.
"Hmmm, well you won't have to worry about that happening again." Makarov told them.
The villagers looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean by that gramps?" Natsu asked.
"There's no need to sweat the details my dear boy. Now as for all you villagers you should be grateful that someone came along and freed you from your possession. I assumed you've learned your lesson from this gross misuse of magic and as long it doesn't happen again, I won't report you to the council. Is that a deal?" Makarov said.
"Yes of course. We never want to go through that again. Thanks so much." The female villager bowed.
The male villager bowed as well, "You have our word."
Makarov grinned.
Flashback End
"When we finally defeated the monsters, it seemed to activate self-destruction spell within the magic circle. That's when you came in. In the blink of an eye you saved us, freed the dark guild from the take-over spell, and destroyed the magic circle before it flattened the village and everyone in it." Erza explained.
Makarov didn't say anything, still thinking of the food Lucy made.
"How did you do it?" Erza asked.
"I'll tell ya someday," he sighed, "But what matters now is…"
"WE'RE STILL LOST!" they all yelled.
Thanks to all those who commented I really love them. Here's another chapter for now that I hope you like.
