"Come on, let's go make sure that Lucy and the cats are okay," I told Natsu simply nodded as he looked back over at the two fallen mercenary wizards.
"Yea, these merchant fairies are toast," he said, causing me to groan. Really?
"They're mercenaries, Nastu," I told him.
"Yea that's what I said."
I didn't bother saying anything back I turned to walk through the obliterated door. Only to be stopped the sound of movement from behind us. Turning, I saw Virgo begin to stand. Before I could say anything, Natsu instantly jumped on her. "What the hell!" I shouted when Virgo began to glow. Without even thinking, I grabbed on to Natsu legs. The next thing I knew, there was a familiar tingle that ran down my spine. As if I had experienced something like this before.
When the blinding white light finally disappeared, I let out a shocked gasp. We weren't even in the house any more. Somehow we had trasnsported to what looked like the sewer. My nose instantly wrinkling at the foul smell that surrounded us.
"Natsu! Selina!" Lucy, Happy, and Wren all exclaimed. Our friends shocked to see me and Natsu all but appeared out of thin air.
"Yea?" Natsu responded as I let go of him and launched my self off of Virgo and over to Lucy.
"Why do you smell like that?" I asked Happy.
"He went swimming" Wren chuckled, jumping up to hang off of my shoulder.
"Well, that's gross," I said.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Everlue shouted, looking back and forth between where I stood with Lucy and where Natsu was with Virgo.
"What are you doing up there?" Lucy asked. "How are you guys here right now!?"
"Well...Selina and I saw her getting up so I jumped on her" Natsu answered.
"And I grabbed on to him before they disappeared" I added. "And then all of a sudden we're here with you guys."
Lucy's eyes went wide. "So you grabbed a hold of her inside the house?" she asked. "But that means...you guys must have passed through the Spirit Gate with her...That's impossible!" my sister shrieked.
She was right, of course. Humans normally couldn't survive the pressure or something of the Spirit World. I didn't know the details, I just knew that it wasn't possible for humans to pass through the Gate. According to the little bit I knew about Lucy's type of magic, Natsu and I shouldn't even be alive right now.
"Guys, what the heck do I do now?" Natsu asked as he bounced around on Virgo's back, trying to avoid her large hands.
"Come on, let's finish what we started!" I told Natsu, stepping forward while Everlue commanded Virgo to attack. Nodding, Natsu jumped from Virgo's broad shoulder and landed next to me.
"Now I'm fired up" Natsu smirked as we once again drew our magic circles. "Fire Dragon: Roar!"
"Water Dragon: Roar!"
Water and fire spiraled around each other as they went to meet our target. And when Virgo went flying, once more knocked out, Lucy un-hooked her whip from her belt. With a flick of her wrist, the whip cracked and was wrapped about Everlue's pudgy little body in an instant.
"Can't dig yourself outta this!" Lucy shouted as she began to pull on the whip. "You make me sick!" and with a mighty tug, Lucy sent the dirty little mole man flying. Allowing for her Celestial Spirit, Cancer, to attack. "You're just another greedy villain," she said. A moment later, Everlue came crashing to the ground with a sparkling bald head. Cancer having cut off the small tuft of hair on top of the pudgy little mans head.
"Does this look fabulous or what, baby?" the Crab spirit commented.
"Oh yea, way to go, Crab-man...b-baby" Natsu stammered.
Our reprieve was short-lived however when the sewer tunnel we found ourselves in began to shake and rumble. Looking around, I noticed all of the holes in the cement. Everlue's diver magic ruining the sewers' integrity and causing it, and the mansion above, to start to crumble and collapse in on itself. The five of us were lucky to be able to escape in time.
"I like you guys' style, out with a bang" Natsu grinned as we watched the ornate mansion sink into the ground. "You guys are definitely gonna fit in at Fairy Tail."
According to Sorcerer's Weekly, Natsu wasn't wrong. Fairy Tail was known for going overboard and destroying as much as they saved. Judging by what had happened when we first met Natsu and Happy, I wasn't all that surprised that we had caused so much destruction on this job.
"But aren't we supposed to not destroy stuff?" Wren asked from my shoulder, his ear twitching slightly inside of the light blue beanie he had chosen to wear. He hadn't been wearing that earlier when we started the mission. Though I suppose he had put it in the small pouch he wore on his back that looked much like Happys. It was easy to forget about the make-shift backpack when it was hidden by the scarf that the little white cat wore.
"I hope we don't get blamed for this" Lucy whined.
In the dust created by the rubble, I could see the silhouette of Virgo. Her large hand holding Everlue like a rag doll. We didn't bother sticking around after that. Knowing that we would have gotten into a lot of trouble if we did.
"When I read Daybreak, I couldn't believe that it was written by Kemu Zaleon," Lucy told us as we approached Kaby Melons mansion that still didn't smell like the Melon family. "There's no way he would have done something that bad."
"Yea, so?" commented Natsu, sitting down as he listened to my sister talk.
"So that's how I knew that there must be a spell on it" Lucy shrugged, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
And then we waited as Mr. Melon and his wife to join us. Lucy sat on the couch while Natsu and I stood behind her, with Happy and Wren on our shoulders.
Nervously, I nibbled on the side of my thumb. My foot tapping impatiently. I really hope that whatever Lucy had found in that book was worth risking not getting paid. The best-case scenario was Kaby being so moved by whatever Kemu Zaleon wrote that he gave us the 2 million jewel reward even though we didn't burn the book. Worst case... we don't get paid.
While having that reward money would be awesome, I knew that we could always just take another job.
When Kaby finally joined us in the large living room, Lucy stood from her spot on the couch. Daybreak clutched in her hands. I knew that my sister was nervous. No doubt she had the same thoughts I had rushing through her mind. Though I know that she worried about the money more than I did.
Deep down I knew that Lucy wanted to prove that she could live and thrive without our... her family's name.
"But I requested this book be destroyed" Kaby stated in surprise when Lucy handed the book to the older man. I was actually finding myself to be fairly curious about what was in that book. But Lucy knowing was good enough for me...For now. "Why on earth are you handing it back to me completely unscathed?" Kaby asked. I could see his fingers shaking as he lowered himself down on the couch.
"If you really wat to burn it then I'd rather you do it yourself," Lucy told him calmly, though I could hear the slight shake in her voice as she tried to rein in her emotions.
"I most certainly will burn this trash" Kaby confirmed, pain filling his face as he looked at the books cover. "I never wanted to see it again."
"I completely understand why you feel the way you do about this book, Kaby" my sister spoke. Honestly, I thank her upbringing for how poised she was right now. Even though I was raised in the same home, Lucy was still better at this sort of thing. Plus she was the only one that knew the big bad secret. "You want to protect your father's legacy, because you're actually Zaleons son, aren't you?"
My jaw dropped at Lucy's words. Happy, Natsu and Wren were all equally surprised. That was definitely not what I thought she was going to say.
"Yes, that's true" Kaby confirmed, though he hung his head low. As if ashamed.
"Have you read it yourself?" Lucy asked the man.
"No" Kaby denied with a small shake of his head. "I-I could never bring myself to do it," he told us. "My father told me it was garbage."
"You were just gonna burn it?!" Natsu exclaimed, taking a small step forward.
"I was."
Before Lucy or I could stop him, Natsu was in the other mans' face and gripping him up by the tie. "Without even bothering to see what's inside?" he asked. "It's the last book that your dad wrote, right? Some of us would kill for that kind of memory."
I understood where Natsu was coming from. And I knew that Lucy could as well. All three of us have lost our beloved parents. "That enough Natsu!" I finally spoke, pulling him back by his scarf while Lucy held an arm out to keep him back. "Let Kaby explain himself."
When it seemed like Natsu had calmed, Kaby let out a sigh riddling with shaking emotion. "Please" he whispered. "That book caused my family great heartache and shame," the older man told us.
And then he told us all about what had the atrocity that had come to their family. How his father had disappeared for three years without any word. How worried Kaby and his mother had been. Only to sever his own arms when he finally returned home. A brutal attempt to stop himself from writing ever again.
Kaby told us how when his father lay motionless in the hospital, all Kaby could say to his father was 'I told you so'. Having tried to stop his father from working for Duke Everlue. Which, in retrospect, was a very good call.
His father had called the book rubbish. But still stated that he had been glad that it was finished, with a smile on his face. Kaby told us that he didn't know why his father had been smiling that day.
And I could tell that Kaby deeply regretted the words he had said to his father that day. His father passed away a few months after that. Though Kaby's feelings of betrayal remained long after.
"But as the years passed by me," Kaby continued, his wife standing beside him with a comforting hand on his shoulder. "The anger slowly turned into remorse. And now...it's too late for me to ask for his forgiveness. So I decided to make amends by destroying the final work that had caused him so much unhappiness, this is the only way...The only way I can preserve his legacy." Natsu had turned his back as Kaby spoke. Not being able to understand the way that the older man felt. To be honest, neither did I. But it was his choice. "I'm sure this is what he'd want," Kaby said with a strike of a match.
"No, you're wrong" Lucy shook her head. Suddenly, the match in Kaby's hand went out. And the book under his arm began to grow. Causing all of us except Lucy to gasp in shock. "Kaby, look!" she demanded.
With wide eyes, I watched as silver magic circle erupted above the book. When it settled, the letters on the front cover of the book began to rearrange themselves.
"My sister said that a spell has been cast on this book," I told him.
"Its the work of the wizard Kemu Zaleon," Lucy nodded. "Or should I say Zekua Melon?"
"A spell?" Gasped Kaby. Shocked as the title 'Daybreak' reformed itself to finally spell..."Dear Kaby" the man read in awe.
"That right" my sister grinned warmly. "This book is his letter to you. Disguised behind a spell that rearranged all of the words...So no one else could read it." I gasped as light exploded from the already glowing book. Strings of letters streaming around the room.
"Wow," I breathed.
"Pretty" Wren cooed from my shoulder.
"He didn't stop writing because he was ashamed. He stopped because he had finished his masterpiece, a novel containing everything he ever wanted to say to his beloved son. And when you read it the way he intended, it's easily his best work ever."
"I thought about you the entire time I was gone" Kaby whispered as he watched the letters swirl about the room. His eyes filled with tears.
"And now that the spells been broken, you can read it for yourself" I smiled softly.
"Thank you father" Kaby whispered, holding the book to his chest. "I swear that I will never let any harm come to this book" the man vowed.
Suddenly, Natsu turned to face Lucy and I. Scratching the back of his head. "Well, I guess we won't be collecting that reward" he chuckled.
"Aye," Happy agreed. Lucy looked at the two of them in shock.
"We were supposed to destroy the book" I chuckled. "Even though it's a good thing, we technically didn't finish the job."
"Even so, let me do something" Kaby offered.
"Yea it's not our fault he decided not to burn the book after we got it back for him!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Lucy, don't be so greedy" Happy scolded, causing Wren to nod from my shoulder. "You're totally ruining what was a touching moment."
"I need the cash!" my sister shouted, causing the little blue cat to scoff in return.
"Thanks for offering, but we don't want it" Naysu waved off as he began walking towards the door.
"Um, yes we do. Selina and I need to pay rent!" Lucy told him.
But Natsu ignored her. "I think it's time we all go home" he grinned over his shoulder. "That means you too, Mr. Melon. Go back home."
It was then that we learned that even if we had accepted the reward, the Kaby Melon wouldn't have been able to pay us, anyways. He and his family were dead broke. The mansion we had met them in was simply a rental, a ploy to make everyone think that they were rich.
But Natsu was right. If we had taken the money, it would have looked bad and we had more than just us to worry about. We had a whole guild whose entire reputation depended on its members conducting themselves while out on a job.
Though one good thing came out of not getting paid. We didn't have to ride the train or anything. So no motion sickness. Both Natsu and I were rejoicing over that fact. Lucy, however, was not happy with the fact that we had to walk all the way back to Magnolia.
As we set up camp for the night, Lucy and Happy bantered back and forth. My sister claiming that we would have taken the job regardless of the rewards, while Happy simply snickered behind his hand and said "Sure greedy."
Dinner than night consisted of fish and some other kind of lizard that Natsu had caught. "By the way, the house" Lucy started as we sat around the fire Natsu had built. "How'd you two know that it wasn't really theirs?"
Sharing a look, Natsu and I simply shrugged. "Oh that was easy" the fire-breather spoke through a mouthful of food. "'Cause they smelled like some other house."
"And that house smelled like other people" I agreed.
Natsu nodded. "Seemed pretty obvious."
"Aye" Happy agreed., though Wren simply shrugged as he nibbled on a piece of fish.
"Sure, to you animals, maybe" Lucy rolled her eyes. "Not me, I was still lost in the clouds from reading that book."
"I've got you figured out" Natsu smirked, swallowing down a chunk of fish. Before going in for another bite. "All those papers I found on the desk at you guys' place. She's writing a novel, isn't she Selina?" he asked me.
"Why are you asking me!" I squeaked.
"Ooh, so that's why she's such a bookworm" Happy realized.
Lucy blushed at the question, knowing that she was caught. "Promise you won't tell anybody about that okay?" she pleaded.
"Why not?" Wren asked.
"'Cause I'm a horrible writer" my sister all but sobbed, hiding her beet-red face in her hands. "If anybody read my stuff, I'd die of embarrassment."
"I haven't even read her work yet," I said through another mouthful of fish.
"Don't worry, nobody's gonna read it" Natsu tried to reassure her.
"Yea, that doesn't make me feel any better" Lucy grumbled.
We finished the rest of our food in peace. Settling in for the night, Natsu and I taking turns making sure that the fire was lit and that we didn't get attacked by some wild animal in the middle of the night.
We spent most of the following day wandering about the forest. Until we found ourselves wandering through the swamp. While I was calmed by the murky water, Lucy curled herself inside of Horologium to keep herself dry.
My sister was also convinced that we were lost. And I had to say that I was starting to agree with her. I don't know why we were taking directions from Happy.
But even when we finally made it out of the swamp, Lucy stayed inside of the Clock Constellation. "Why don't you do your own walking for a while?" Natsu suggested as we walked down the sunlit dirt road.
"'Because I'm tired' she groans exhaustedly" the clock translated.
Without a word, I stopped short. There was someone nearby. I recognized the scent, but I couldn't quite place where I had smelled it before. All I knew was that the scent wasn't one belonging to an enemy and that it made me feel...something. Safe, almost.
However, Natsu seemed to recognize the scent right away. And though he asked a quick "Who's there?" he jumped right and an attack anyways. I knew that he could tell that the newcomer wasn't a threat, yet he was attacking anyway?
"'Do you always have to fight?' she inquires worriedly," Lucy spoke through Horologium.
"You can take him Natsu!" Happy cheered from Horologium's hand while Wren still sat on my shoulder.
"I believe in you!" called the little white cat.
A moment later, Natsu and his opponent jumped out from behind the bushes. And it wasn't hard to recognize Gray Fullbuster from the guild. That explains why he smelled familiar. He had asked my sister to borrow her underwear when we first met. From what I've heard, Gray was notorious for misplacing his clothes and the rest of the guild was always pointing out that he had stripped without even realizing it. So I wasn't surprised that he was wearing nothing but his dark-colored boxers right now.
"'What's he doing in his underwear?!' the lady questions" spoke Horologium.
"Trying to find a bathroom," the dark-haired wizard told my sister as he squared off against Natsu.
"Why would you strip down before you found one?" Natsu asked. "And who the heck ever heard of a bathroom in the middle of the forest?"
"I wanted some privacy" Gray answered. "I didn't expect an idiot to barge in."
"Seriously, you guys?" I groaned.
"They're so childish" Lucy commented as the boys stared each other down. Horologium having disappeared back to the spirit world.
Rolling my eyes, I started wandering away from the boys. Figuring that I'd try and find all of Gray's clothes. That way when he was done with the pissing contest he was having with Natsu, he wouldn't have to get lost trying to find his clothes. Meaning the less time he would be naked.
Though I did find myself shamelessly admiring the sculpted torso he had.
"So you're on your way back from a job?" I asked, handing Gray his shirt. Having found all of his clothes, and barely suppressing a pout when he buttoned up the white top.
"Yea" he answered, taking a seat beside me and Lucy. While Natsu glared at our fellow guild member. "Yea, there's a shortcut through these woods that'll get you back to town in no time."
"See, I told you so!" Happy commented from his spot looking over the peak. Both he and Wren sitting with large fishing poles between their paws.
"Yea, well, if your nose is so great, then how come you didn't know Gray was right in front of us, smart guy"? Lucy asked, glaring at Happy.
"There's some things you don't want to smell" was Happy's answer, causing Gray to let out a scoff of indignation.
"What'd you say?" he grunted.
"I agree" Natsu jeered. "So go on home and we'll smell you later" the fire dragon slayer smirked.
"Fine, I will," Gray said as he stood. "And unless you want trouble, you should too."
"Why do you say that?" I asked, sitting up a little. I knew that his warning wasn't meant as a threat to Natsu. But served more as a warning for all of us.
"'Cause Erza's due back any time now," Gray told me.
I didn't know Erza, of course. She'd been out on a job when Lucy and I arrived at Fairy Tail. But I had read stories and articles about her in Sorcerer Weekly. She was one of Fairy Tail's most powerful wizards. So powerful, in fact, that the tabloids called her 'Titania Erza, Queen of the Fairies.'
And while Lucy gushed about wanting to meet her, both Natsu and Gray looked scared to death. As if there was something about Erza that the tabloids left out. It wouldn't surprise me if she had pummeled Natsu at some point. He seemed to have that kind of personality.
Suddenly I realized...there was never even a picture of her posted in the magazine. Lucy and I had no clue what this woman even looked like.
"What's she like?" Lucy asked the boys.
And all three had one answer. "Scary" they all shivered before listing off different adjectives for the Queen of the Fairies. Before talking about her being scary enough to kick down mountains.
"You know guys, even if she's able to kick down a single mountain, that's still scary," Lucy told them.
"Like I said, we should get back," Gray told us.
"Crap, let's get moving!" Natsu stammered. Jumping to his feet.
There was a scent on the wind then. But I don't think Natsu caught it. With wide eyes, I looked towards to the peak. There was someone there. But before I could say anything, the peak exploded and turned to sand. Instantly, we were all swept under the sand.
"What now?" Gray asked when the sand finally stopped moving.
"Happy!?" Natsu called out when he couldn't his little blue buddy. Worried, I looked around for Wren. Sighing when I saw my own little buddy huddled against Gray's leg.
We looked around for Happy for a moment, before we heard a voice coming from where the explosion went off. Happy's voice, begging someone not to eat him. Claiming that he would taste weird.
Instantly we snapped to action and climbed the short peak. "Hold it right there!" Natsu demanded.
"Happy!" Wren called out to his friend.
"Thank goodness" the little blue cat sobbed. "Now I'm not gonna taste weird."
"Pipe down" snapped one of his kidnappers.
"That's our friend you're trying to roast, buddy" Natsu growled with a crack of his knuckles.
"Sorry" I continued "But you jerks are gonna have to make other plans for dinner."
"You're all wizards, aren't you?" Gray asked though it was really more of a statement. "What guild are you with?"
"I'm not telling" sneered the goblin-looking wizard. His skin a dark grayish color. His guild mark stationed on the left side of his head. Between his two pointed ears. "Get him!" he ordered. Causing his guildmates to jump into action.
"let's do this Gray" Natsu said confidently.
"Fine but don't go telling me what to do" came Gray's response.
Without another word, the two boys jumped into action. Attacking the dark wizards as they met in mid-air. While the goblin looking wizard, plunged his fist into the ground, drawing a magic circle.
"Sand Bomb, go" he cast. Using his magic to summon forth a large ball of sand. Trapping Natsu as the fire wizard went to attack.
"Natsu!" My sister called out.
"He'll be fine, Lu" I told her, grabbing her wrist. "Come on, let's go save Happy."
"Right" she nodded as we ran over to where one of our feline friends was being spit-roasted.
While Lucy untied the rope, I rolled my eyes as Happy claimed that the blonde girl was going to eat him. And as she worked, I kept my guard up. Ready to defend my friends if one of these dark wizards attacked while Lucy was working on freeing Happy.
"Meat!" shrieked the chicken man as he walked over to us. Raising his flaming staff in the air.
"Please don't kill us Mister Chicken" Lucy screamed, thankfully she had already freed Happy from being slow-roasted over an open flame.
"I don't think so, creepy" I sneered, drawing a magic circle before water swirled around my legs. "Water Dragon: Rapids Kick!" I called, before hitting the chicken man with a blast of frigid water. Allowing for Lucy, Happy, and Wren to run away.
"Nice one" Gray complimented. "Next?" he asked, looking for a new opponent.
At that, one fo the dark wizards began to chant. The orb in his hands glowing with magic power. Curious I watched. Ready to bring up my water sphere to protect me and Gray from whatever this wizard threw at us. "You'll see someone special. She's even closer than you think" the dark wizard told Gray. "But the stars point to great trouble with water and women" he added before turning to me. "Your future is unclear. The stars shine too brightly for me to read" he said.
"Are you seriously reading our fortune right now?" Gray asked, irritated. Before clocking the dark wizard, knocking him out cold without using any magic.
"Wow," I breathed. Only for my amazement to be ruined when Gray was once more standing in his boxers. When the hell did that happen? "Gray, your clothes" I blushed.
"Crap!"
Suddenly the ball of sand exploded, Natsu canceled the spell. Then complained about the sand in his mouth before attacking the goblin wizard with his Fire Dragon Iron Fist spell. And with that last attack, we had all of the dark wizards tied to a nearby tree.
"Don't you think you might have gone overboard, Natsu?" Gray asked, still wearing nothing but his boxers.
"So what if I did? I got the job done" said the pink-haired fire wizard.
"Grow up, already," Gray told him. "You're an embarrassment to the guild."
Rolling my eyes, I wandered back to where Gray and I had confronted the future-telling wizard and tried to find my guild-mates clothes. While Lucy knelt in front of the captive wizards.
"Lulla" I heard one of them whisper. If it weren't for my dragon slayer hearing, then I wouldn't have caught it. "Lulla...by...is..." the goblin choked out. This time loud enough for all of us to hear. But before enough more could be said, a giant hand or something knocked us out of the way before ... before pulling the entire freaking tree that the dark wizards were tied to into the ground.
"What the hell was that?"