Lullaby
Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima
Story and OCs © Me
Summary- Haru joins her brother and friends on a mission to stop the Dark Guild Eisenwald from carrying out a sinister plot!
Ch. 1- Erza Returns
Another morning at the Fairy Tail Guildhall, and as usual, the place was as lively as ever, everyone drinking, eating, or just hanging out in general, but some were already trying to find themselves a job to do. What's more, after about 3 days of rest from her last job with Gray, Haru had finally recovered from her injuries and was back to work in no time at all, something that her brother was very happy about, as were Gray, Happy, and Lucy, as well. Haru was also excited to get back to work herself, especially because she missed being out of the action.
As Haru and Blue Fang approached the request board, the former saw Lucy standing there, trying to pick what job to do, as well as Nab... being indecisive, as usual.
"Hi, Lucy!" Haru greeted.
"Haru!" Lucy exclaimed as she hugged her. "It's so good to see you up and about, again! How are you feeling?"
"Way better, now," Haru replied. "Now that I'm back up to scratch, I can't wait to get back to work. Right, Blue Fang?"
Blue Fang barked and licked her face, causing her to laugh as she stroked his neck.
"Welcome back, Haru!" Mirajane called to Haru, who smiled at her.
"Thanks, Mira!" Haru called back before she noticed someone missing from the bar counter. "Huh? Hey, where's the Master?"
"Huh?" Lucy muttered before she looked over at the counter where the little old man would usually sit. "Oh, yeah! Isn't Master Makarov usually right there?"
"Oh, he's at another one of the league meetings," replied Mirajane. "He won't be back for a while."
"Oh, jeez, is it that time again, already?" Haru asked in surprise.
"Wait, what league meeting?" Lucy asked in puzzlement.
"It's when the masters of the regional guilds gather to make their reports," Mirajane replied. "It's a little different from the Magic Council, though, so I can see why you'd be confused."
Then, with the help of Reedus Jonah the Pict Wizard, Mira drew up a very complex-looking chart depicting the Government, the Magic Council, the Regional Guild League, and the guilds themselves. She explained how at the very top of the magic world were the Government as well as the ten members of the Magic Council, whose sole purpose is to promote public safety and order within the magic world, as well as pass judgment on wizards who have committed crimes. Beneath the Council was the Regional League of Guild Masters, three of them, in fact. Their job was to communicate the decisions of the Council, as well as keep open paths of communication to guilds of other regions. They oversee local wizards, such as the Fairy Tail Guild.
"Ha!" Haru laughed. "It's just an excuse for all those old geezers to gather together and get drunk."
"Haha!" Cana guffawed after taking a swig of her beer barrel. "You said it, Haru!"
"Haru!" Mirajane scolded.
"Well, it's true!" Haru argued.
"Haru, you know that things would fall apart without legal guilds," Mirajane chided.
"Why?" Lucy asked. "Why is it so important?"
"Because if the connections between guilds aren't handled properly," Mirajane started, "then that means-"
"THE GUYS IN BLACK SHOW UP!" Natsu suddenly shouted with a scary leer in his eyes and his hands ablaze, causing Lucy to shriek as she jumped into Haru's arms. "HAHAHA! Oh, man, did you see the look on her face?! Priceless!"
"Aye!" Happy agreed.
"What the hell?!" Lucy questioned as she smacked Natsu's arm. "What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack, you jerk?!"
"Oh, relax," Haru said. "Natsu doesn't mean any harm. He's just playing around."
'The way a boy teases a girl when he likes her,' she added, mentally.
"It's no laughing matter, though," Mirajane pointed out. "The dark ones that Natsu is talking about actually exist. They're a guild that isn't a part of any league. We call them Dark Guilds."
"Yeah, Gray and I ran into one, remember?" asked Haru. "They're no joke, really."
"Yeah, they can be pretty scary," Natsu agreed.
"Aye," Happy nodded.
"Well, then, I'm sure they'll come around hoping to recruit Natsu into their hijinks," Lucy quipping.
"Ah, whatevs," Natsu shrugged. "Anyway, how about you pick us a job, Lucy?"
"Aye, we picked one, last time," Happy began, "so it's your turn now!"
"No way!" Lucy shouted. "Our partnership is dissolved!"
"What are you talkin' about?" Natsu asked.
"You didn't really want me!" Lucy argued. "You just needed me because I was blond! If it weren't for that, you could have been anyone else!"
"Wait, what do you mean?" Haru asked while Blue Fang tilted his head, curiously. "Did this have something to do with the job you took while you were with Natsu and Happy?"
"I prefer not to talk about it, really," Lucy said, remembering the utter humiliation she felt at being insulted by that pig, Duke Everlue.
"It's not because you're blond!" Natsu spoke up. "We picked ya 'cuz you're nice!"
"Aww, that's so sweet!" Haru said while Lucy rolled her eyes... although she did blush a little bit at the comment.
"Don't go wasting your time with that pink-haired loser," Gray said, suddenly, causing Natsu to look up and glare at him. "If you want, we can form a team together."
"Gray, you're in your skivvies, again," Haru said, causing the Ice Wizard to yelp in shock.
"What the hell?!" Gray questioned.
"Why don't you ever notice it by now, ya perv?" Natsu asked, causing Gray to get in his face and grind his forehead up against his, an intense glare in his eyes.
"Did you just call me a perv, Dragonbreath?!"
"So what if I did?! What are you gonna do about it, Ice Princess?!"
"Flame-for-brains!"
"Snowflake!"
It didn't take very long before the boys were going at it, tussling and brawling with each other as they threw insults and punches at each other while rolling around on the floor.
"Oh, for goodness sake," Haru muttered in annoyance while Blue Fang seemed to groan and slap a paw over his face as if he was embarrassed at the sight of the two boys scuffling.
"Hey, Haru, how about you and I form a team together?" Lucy asked with a smile creasing her face. "We do get along pretty well, don't you think?"
"Oh, Lucy, that's nice," Haru replied, "but I'd rather be in a team with my brother if that's okay with you. He and I just go way back, you know? I mean... maybe not WAY, way back, but you know what I mean!"
"Well, perhaps you and I could form a team, Lucy," Loke offered with that usual suave charm of his. "And may I say... you look dazzling beyond compare. If I took my shades, I'd more than likely be blinded by your beauty."
"Oh, for the love of Mavis, here comes the same spiel he tried to pull on me..." Haru groaned, but then, Loke froze as he spotted Lucy's Celestial Gate Keys hooked up to her belt. The moment that the blonde girl revealed to him that she was indeed a Celestial Spirit Wizard, Loke turned and bolted out the door.
"I'm afraid our relationship won't work out! I'm sorry!" he cried out.
"What is his problem?" asked Lucy.
"Don't let it get to you," Mirajane assured. "I think Loke had a falling out with a Celestial Spirit Wizard once and that's why he gets so jumpy around them."
"Come to think of it," Haru began, "I think Loke used to be part of another guild before he- OOF!" She didn't get to finish when Natsu and Gray ended up barreling into her during their brawl.
"FLAME BREATH!" Gray shouted as he pulled on Natsu's lip.
"ICE STREAKER!" Natsu yelled as he tweaked Gray's nose.
"ALL RIGHT, THAT DOES IT!" Haru snapped. "NOW YOU'VE UNLEASHED THE BEAST!"
Before long, she jumped into the brawl, too, all three of them forming a huge cloud of dust as they wrestled with each other with Natsu and Gray even shooting off fire and ice attacks respectively and Haru just went to plain old fisticuffs...
CHOMP!
"OW! SIS, MY ASS!"
...With the occasional biting.
"And here I was, thinking she was actually a little more levelheaded," Lucy muttered with a sweatdrop while Mirajane giggled.
"WE GOT BAD NEWS!"
At that cry, everyone looked up to see Loke burst back into the guildhall... but for some reason, he looked pale and there was sweat dripping down his face. He looked as if he had seen a demon from the bowels of Hell, itself!
"It's Erza... she's on her way here!"
Almost instantly, everybody was in a frenzied panic, running around and screaming as if the end of the world was nigh. Blue Fang whimpered as he ran and hid under one of the tables... which actually did not help to hide him, considering his size. Even Natsu and Gray looked as if they were about to soil themselves!
The only ones who weren't panicking were Mirajane, who had that usual sweet smile on her face as if all was right with the world, and Haru, who quickly pushed Natsu and Gray aside as a broad grin appeared on her features.
"Erza's back?!" she asked, excitedly, and as soon as she said this, in walked this young woman with long, scarlet hair... clad in a suit of armor as she held aloft a gigantic bejewel horn in her right hand, which she held over her head with ease. The moment she entered, the whole room went completely still.
"Wow...!" Lucy whispered in awe. "She's really pretty!"
"Yeah, that's Erza Scarlet," Mirajane replied. "She's the second strongest female wizard here in Fairy Tail."
"Wait... the second strongest?" asked Lucy. "Then who's the first?"
"Oh, that would be-" Mirajane started.
"Erza, you're home!" Haru exclaimed as she stood up and ran over to the armored lass, who smiled as she placed the horn down on the floor.
"It's good to see you, too, Haru," Erza said as the Beast Wizard threw her arms around her in an embrace, which she returned.
"Wow," Lucy said. "I haven't seen Haru that excited since the day I met her."
"Aye!" Happy chirped. "Erza is like Haru's big sister, so she's always happy to see her!"
"Now then," Erza began as she let Haru go, "has anyone Master Makarov."
"Oh, he's at one of those stuffy meetings of his, again," said Haru before she noticed the giant horn that the armored woman had brought back, causing her to gasp in amazement. "Whoa, what is this?!"
"It's a horn from the monster that I slew," Erza replied. "The locals were so grateful that they decorated and let me bring it home as a souvenir."
"Uh... it's pretty big, Erza," said a random male guild member, which caused Erza to turn and glare at him. "Err, not that it's a problem or anything!"
"Good," Erza said before she sternly crossed her arms. "Now then... I heard that Fairy Tail has been causing nothing but trouble again. Master Makarov may not care about these things, but I certainly do. Cana! You need to start controlling your drinking!"
"Pfft!" Cana nearly spat out her booze and dropped her beer barrel.
"Vijeeter! Take the dancing outside!"
Vijeeter Ecor the Dance Wizard froze in mid-dance.
"Wakaba! Get rid of that filthy habit!"
Wakaba groaned as he pulled his pipe out of his mouth to try and put it out.
"Nab! I thought I'd find you dawdling in front of the request board, as usual. Just a pick a job, already!"
"Ugh..." Nab groaned, dejectedly, and soon, Erza was pretty much just tearing into everyone about their bad habits, leaving them in a depressed state.
"And let's not forget you, Haru," Erza said as she pinched Haru by the cheek and pulled on it, causing her to let out a painful whimper mixed with a nervous laugh. "What's this I'm hearing about you destroying a village? For the love of Mavis, you're as bad as your brother with that!"
"It was only a few houses...!" Haru squeaked. "It's not as bad as it sounds!"
Erza gave an exasperated sigh before she let the Beast Wizard go, causing her to rub her stinging cheek while muttering "Ouch".
"Sheesh, she really tears into everyone, huh?" Lucy asked.
"Aye," Happy replied. "You might say that Erza is the disciplinary committee in the guild... even though she's the only member."
"By the way, Haru," Erza began, "where is your brother? And Gray? I need to speak with them."
"They're over there," Haru replied as she pointed at Natsu and Gray... who both had these ridiculous forced grins as they hooked their arms over each other's shoulders and held hands, sweating literal buckets.
"Heya, Erza!" Gray greeted. "Don't mind us! We're just hangin' out like best pals should! Right, Natsu, ol' buddy?"
"Aye, ol' pal!" Natsu replied.
"Why is Natsu acting like Happy?!" Lucy questioned in comical disbelief.
"Is that right?" Erza asked. "Well, normally, you two 'best buddies' are locking horns whenever I'm not around... but it's nice to see you two getting along."
"Well, maybe we're not best buddies every few minutes," Gray answered, "but still! We can get along! Right, Natsu?"
"Aye," Natsu squeaked.
"WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Lucy screamed. "WHY IS NATSU ACTING LIKE THIS?!"
"It's because a long time ago, he challenged Erza to a fight and she kicked his butt," Haru explained.
"HARU!" Natsu complained.
"And then she caught Gray without his clothes on, so she beat him up really bad for that one," Haru continued.
"OH, COME ON, REALLY?!" Gray questioned.
"And let's not forget Loke!" Haru added. "He tried to flirt with Erza once and she beat him within an inch of his life."
"Since when am I part of the conversation?!" Loke asked. "Don't go dragging me into this, Haru!"
"Well, Natsu, Gray," Erza said, "I'm glad you two are being such good friends... because I need a favor from you two."
"Huh?" Natsu and Gray muttered in confusion while Erza's expression turned a bit grim.
"While I was out on a job," Erza began, "I heard something rather disturbing..."
"Disturbing how?" Haru asked, a bit nervous.
"I'll explain the details later," Erza said. "I was going to ask for a second opinion from the Master, but seeing as he's not here and this must be addressed quickly, I must make the decision in his stead." She then looked at Natsu and Gray, who both went as straight and rigid as poles. "Natsu, Gray... I need your help. You'll come with me, won't you?"
3... 2... 1...
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" everyone in the guildhall yelled.
"...Oh, boy..." Haru muttered while Blue Fang whined, worriedly.
Before we get started, I just wanna say this is not a full rendition. This is more like a story told mostly Haru's point-of-view, like what she does during the arcs when she's not with the others.
Review, please!