Ch. 2- The Train
Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima
Story and OCs © Me
The following day at Magnolia Station...
"AAAAAAAARRGH! I hate this! Teaming up with you is the worst idea, EVER!"
"You took the words right outta my mouth, Dragonbreath! Erza made a huge mistake, asking you to come along!"
"You guys, cut it out! You're making a scene!"
"Aye!"
"I just don't understand why I'M here!"
Lucy gave an exasperated sigh while she sat on a nearby bench, holding Apollo in her arms, the spirit puppy whimpering as he watched the unfolding scene of Natsu and Gray scuffling as they argued with each other... and accidentally pulling several other patrons at the station into their brawl.
"Why don't you just go with Erza?!" asked Natsu as he ground his forehead against Gray's. "I don't even wanna go!"
"Fine by me!" Gray spat. "That way, I can watch her skin you alive when we get back!"
"Will you guys stop?!" Haru shouted. "For real! You're acting like babies!"
Blue Fang whimpered as he lowered his head and shrunk back, not wanting to be part of the conflict while Happy just casually nibbled on a raw fish before he looked up at Lucy.
"Hey, Lucy," said Happy. "How come you're here?"
"I only came because Mirajane asked me to come!" Lucy replied. "She said I was supposed to be a 'mediator' for Natsu and Gray or something... but how in the hell do I mediate that?!" She pointed at Natsu and Gray as they kept arguing.
"Why do you carry a blanket in your backpack all the damn time?!" asked Gray.
"Why else?!" Natsu asked. "It's because I need to sleep somewhere, Einstein!"
As the two continued argued, a mischievous grin creased Haru's features.
"Hey, Lucy," she said. "You wanna see something funny?"
"Uh... I guess so," replied Lucy, causing Haru to snicker before she turned to Natsu and Gray.
"Oh, look! Erza's here!" the green-haired Beast Wizard exclaimed, causing both the Dragon Slayer and the Ice-Make Wizard to freeze before they turned around, grinning nervously with their arms hooked around each other and jumping around like a pair of fools.
"Oh, hey, Erza!" Gray exclaimed. "Look at us, bein' best friends!"
"Aye, we're-" Natsu started, only to realize that the armored woman was not there. "W-what the-?!"
"Hey!" Gray shouted as he glared at Haru, who was clutching her stomach as she laughed, and even Lucy, Happy, Apollo, and Blue Fang couldn't help but laugh, too.
"You were right, Haru!" Lucy exclaimed. "That is funny!"
"They fall for it, every time!" Haru added.
"Dammit, Haru!" Gray cursed. "I'm already stressed enough!"
"That is NOT funny!" Natsu snapped. "What are you tryin' to do, gimme a heart attack?!"
"Well, maybe if you two weren't arguing so much, I wouldn't trick you," Haru retorted.
"Why'd YOU even come along, anyway?" Natsu asked, annoyed at his sister's earlier prank.
"Hey, I missed out on being with you, last time," Haru argued. "I'm coming along, like it or not, Mister Man."
Blue Fang barked and wagged his tail in agreement with his mistress while Natsu groaned with a roll of his eyes.
"Sorry I'm late," a familiar voice called. "Were you waiting long?"
"Oh, finally," Lucy said as she turned around. "Hey, Erza- HUH?!"
To the Celestial Spirit Wizard's utter shock, Erza was pulling an entire cart filled to the top with luggage!
"Hey, Erza!" Haru greeted, happily. "You made it just in time!"
"Splendid," Erza replied.
"Holy HELL, that's a lot of stuff!" Lucy exclaimed as she eyed Erza's baggage.
"Hmm?" Erza hummed inquisitively. "I believe I saw you, yesterday... who are you, again?"
"Huh?" Lucy muttered. "Oh, right!" She then bowed her head in greeting. "It's nice to meet you, Erza. I'm Lucy, and I just joined the Fairy Tail guild recently. Mirajane asked me to come along with you all on your journey."
"I see," Erza replied with a friendly smile of her own. "It's very nice to meet you, Lucy. Always glad to have new recruits. I believe I heard about your exploits from the other guild members, by the way... how you took down a bodyguard gorilla in the Everlue Mansion, yes? I believe we could use someone like you."
"Uh... actually, that was Natsu, not me," Lucy replied, wondering how in the world the truth about what happened got so misconstrued.
"Regardless," Erza began, "this job may be a bit dangerous, but with your skills, I'm sure we can pull it off."
"Wait, danger?!" Lucy repeated in shock. "W-what danger?!"
"I'm going, too, right, Erza?" Haru asked.
"Of course, Haru," Erza replied. "I could also use yours and Blue Fang's help, as well."
"Hey, Erza!" Natsu called. "I'll go, too, but only one condition."
"Dude, shut up!" Gray cried, nervously.
"And what would that be, Natsu?" Erza inquired, raising an eyebrow at him.
"When we're done with this job and we get back, I want a rematch!" Natsu declared as he clenched his fist and grinned, showing his sharp fangs, which caused Lucy, Gray, Happy, Blue Fang, and Apollo to gasp in shock while Haru sighed.
"Oh, boy, here we go..." she muttered.
"Dude, are you crazy?!" Gray questioned. "Are you trying to die young or something?!"
"Shut up!" Natsu barked. "I'm not how I used to be, before! This time, I'm gonna fight you and I'm gonna win!"
"Natsu, why can't you just let what happened go and-" Haru started, only for Erza to give a smug chuckle.
"I see," she said. "Very well, Natsu... I accept your challenge. I'll admit, you've grown a bit since the last time we fought... and I'm not quite sure if I can beat you this time, but nonetheless... I'm not one to back down."
"What do you mean you're not sure you'll win?!" Natsu questioned. "You better not hold anything back, you hear me?!"
"Not at all," Erza replied. "I'm just saying that I acknowledge that you've gotten stronger."
"What is happening?" Lucy asked, growing even more confused.
"Don't question it, Lucy," Haru answered. "Trust me, it'll just save you the headache."
"What about you, Gray?" asked Erza as she turned to the Ice-Make Wizard. "Do you want to try and challenge me, as well?"
"Hell to the freakin' no!" Gray cried. "If Natsu wants to die by your hand, let him!"
"Oh, yeah!" Natsu exclaimed before he raised his head to the sky, fire flaring around his head. "I'm all fired up, now! NOTHING CAN STOP ME!"
~3 minutes later~
"Natsu? Are you okay?" Haru asked as she sat in the train compartment with the others, Lucy sitting with Apollo and Erza on one side, and her sitting with Natsu, Happy, and Gray on the other, and Blue Fang lying down on the floor (how he was even able to fit with his size, no one could tell). As for Natsu, he was sitting with his arms wrapped around his churning stomach, looking green in the face, dry heaving and moaning. Basically, the poor Dragon Slayer looked half-dead.
"My belly's killin' me...!" the pink-haired boy groaned, prompting Haru to reach over and rub his back.
"Easy, Big Brother," Haru eased. "It's okay, I gotcha."
"I swear, you are totally pathetic, Natsu," Gray said. "One minute, you're picking a fight, the next minute, you're like this."
"Hey, come on, he can't help himself," Haru replied before she looked over at her sickly older brother, who gagged and covered his mouth.
"Poor thing," Lucy said. "It must not be easy for him when it comes to traveling, huh?"
"Yeah, poor Natsu's a mess when it comes to vehicles," said Haru. "I'm actually trying to work on something that can cure his motion sickness, or at the very least, make it so it's not so tough on him."
"Maybe he'd feel better if he had some fish!" said Happy as he held up a raw fish... but that only made Natsu gag as he covered his mouth and turn away.
"Ohhh~!" he moaned. "Put it away, please!"
"Happy!" Haru scolded.
"Sorry!" Happy cried as he put the fish inside his knapsack while Natsu swallowed whatever bile was trying to force its way up his esophagus... and by now, he was practically whimpering as he cradled his stomach.
"Make it stop...!" he whined.
"I'll be right back," said Haru as she got up. "I'm gonna see if I can get Natsu a ginger ale or some crackers. It might help settle his stomach a little. Come on, Blue Fang!"
Blue Fang soon pulled himself up from the floor and followed Haru out to the next train car.
"I think it might be a while until she manages to find something," Erza said. "Natsu, come here."
"Aye..." Natsu groaned while Lucy yelped, grabbed Apollo, who let out a surprised yelp of his own, and then went to take Haru's seat as the pink-haired teen stumbled over to Erza and sat down beside her.
"Now just relax..." Erza said in a soothing tone. "Everything will be all right."
"Aye..." Natsu whimpered... right before Erza socked him right in the stomach, and before long, he was strewn across her lap, out like a light.
"There," Erza said, nonchalantly. "That should make the trip easier on him."
'And here I was, thinking she was actually sane!' thought Lucy.
"Hey, Erza," said Gray. "Now that we have a minute, maybe you can fill us on what's going on."
"Ah, yes," Erza replied, her expression turning serious. "Listen carefully."
XXX
Haru hummed as she and Blue Fang searched through the dining car of the train, where they saw many patrons eating several lavish meals like roasted chicken, pasta, grilled steaks, et cetera. As Haru looked around, she stopped near the snack cart at the end of the car, filled with things ranging from potato chips, salted peanuts, crackers, sodas, water, and other things. It even had things like cake and ice cream parfaits!
"Let's see," Haru murmured as she looked through the cart. "Here are some crackers... and... oh, here's the ginger ale! Although maybe I should get two." She then looked at the other snacks on the cart. "Hmm... maybe I should bring the others something back, too." She then eyed the slice of strawberry cake on the cart. "Oh, yeah, Erza will like that! She loves strawberry cakes!"
Blue Fang, meanwhile, was hungrily licking his chops as he watched the other patrons eat their meals. As Haru was busy getting snacks for the others, the Silver Wolf noticed one particular man dressed in a white jacket with a spiky topknot, who was helping himself to a sandwich and a bottle of wine. Blue Fang licked his lips once more as he eyed the sandwich in the man's hand, then noticed a few crumbs fall on the floor. Unable to resist, the wolf went over and began to lap up the crumbs... but as he did, he accidentally nudged the satchel at the man's feet. In doing so, he caused the satchel to fall over... and Blue Fang's eyes fell on this wooden object that was sticking out of it.
The wolf tilted his head in curiosity before he sniffed it, then shook his head at the scent. He didn't know why, but there was something off about it... something ominous. Before the wolf could show Haru, though, he suddenly felt something swat his nose, causing him to let out a yelp as he stumbled back, but in doing so, he accidentally bumped into a waiter who was carrying a tray of wine glasses, which ended up falling on top of a tall and burly man that was eating some meat on the bone. As the liquor ended up splashing all over him, the brute growled before he grabbed the waiter, who whimpered in fear before he was slugged across the face, sending him flying across the dining car. As Haru stood up to bring the snacks back to the others, she shrieked before she ducked down, avoiding the waiter as he crashed into the wall behind her, and before long, the whole car was in a state of panic, people brawling and screaming and food flying all over the place.
In all the commotion, the man stood up and walked out casually, taking his bag with him.
"Nosy mongrel..." he muttered.
Meanwhile, Haru and Blue were both hiding under a table as they tried to avoid the riot that they had no intention of starting.
"Just our luck, huh, Blue Fang?" asked Haru, which caused the wolf to whimper in dismay... and that's when the train conductor finally came in.
"Hey, now! What's going on here?!" he asked... and soon, all the patrons in the car pointed at Haru, who grinned sheepishly.
"Hi...?" she squeaked.
~Sometime later~
"We're so sorry, sir," Haru apologized with her head bowed and Blue Fang doing the same. "We're so, so, SO sorry."
"You're lucky I'm only letting you off with a warning, this time," said the conductor, sternly. "I don't want any more trouble out of you, or else! Get me?!"
"Yes, sir," Haru answered as she bowed her head again. "Sorry, sir. So sorry, sir."
Blue Fang whimpered in agreement.
"Good," the conductor said. "Now get back to your compartment!"
With a sigh, Haru and Blue Fang both turned to walk out of the dining car, ashamed and embarrassed of their actions.
"On top of all that," Haru began, "I didn't bring the others their snacks or Natsu's ginger ale. Oh, well... we've probably stopped by now, anyway."
As Haru made it to the train car where the others were sitting, she found that not only was the train still moving... but she found her brother, lying on the floor, groaning as the same man in the white jacket from earlier stood over him, a smug grin on his face. At first, she didn't know what was going on... until she saw Natsu trying to stand up, wiping some blood from his nose and lip. As he tried to light his fist on fire, the lurching of the train caused him to gag again, which gave the man another opportunity to attack. Without even so much as raising his hand, the mysterious stranger punched Natsu in the face... using his own shadow!
"GUH!" Natsu cried as he fell down, once more, while the man cackled... but in doing so, he made one big mistake.
"HEY!" Haru shouted as she charged at the man. "YOU LEAVE MY BIG BROTHER ALONE!"
"Huh?" the man muttered, only to grunt as the Beast Wizard slammed into him and pinned him against the door, then she began to start punching him across the face, over and over. While Haru was busy with him, Blue Fang ran over to help a shaky Natsu to his feet.
"Natsu, are you okay?!" Haru asked as she glanced back at him.
"Watch out!" Natsu shouted, causing Haru to turn around, only to get slugged in the face by the man's shadowy fist, causing her to stumble back. Thankfully, even with the way he was, Natsu was able to catch her.
"Ugh... thanks, Natsu," Haru groaned while wiping her lip.
"Stay focused on the enemy in front of you, like I taught ya, remember?" Natsu scolded, but then, the train came to a grinding stop, causing the three wizards and the wolf to yelp as they tumbled to the floor. As they did, something dropped out of the man's bag, causing Natsu and Haru to glance down at it: it looked like some of gnarled wooden flute... with a three-eyed skull on top.
"A... a flute?" Haru asked.
"You saw it...!" the man growled.
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