Author's Note: I'm back! Thanks for the favorites and follows! And onto the main event ;-)
SistershoOk - They actually don't tell Natsu about the quarrel, or any of their other fairy tail friends for that matter. That fabricated quarrel is only for the courts. But if you wanna see what a quarrel between Lucy and Erza would be like in this AU… You'll like this chapter :-D
valerioux - Thanks! As for all of them knowing about each other, it'll be in bits and pieces - and it will take a while. But they will get there, and I'll make the reveals as entertaining as possible!
savwafair - The Earl was actually a nobody, but after you mentioned it, I think someone like Duke Everlue? I kind of had him in mind when I wrote that, but I think I used him in the first chapter already so I didn't want to repeat. But there won't be anything about the Earl in the story anyway - the focus will be on Lucy and Erza's relationship.
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"This court is now in session."
Grim-faced merfolk floated in a line along the walls of the hall. A deathly silence prevailed as all turned to face the front of the imposing chamber. At the center of the room floated a pink-haired mergirl, facing a grave-looking assembly of elders, headed by the beloved and feared queen of the mermaids.
"You are charged with the ultimate crime of… the curse. How do you plead?"
The pretty little one straightened her spine, looking up at her queen fearlessly.
"Guilty, my queen."
The pin-drop silence around them broke into a babble of muttering voices, halted instantly by the queen's stern gaze.
"That is wise of you, young one. We can afford to show you some mercy if you confess to your crime. You, Meredy, will not face the same punishment as that which awaits that traitor… Juvia."
The young mergirl snarled, bristling in indignation. "Pray, do not use my name in the same sentence as that horrid creature, your majesty! For, unlike her, I truly despise the fact that I have been cursed and eagerly hope I will be given a chance for redemption…"
"Excellent," hissed the queen, a malicious glint in her eye, "Are you prepared to take the vow then?"
"I am."
The queen leaned back, whispering over her shoulder to her advisors as Meredy gazed steadily at a blank patch of the wall above them. A few tense moments later, the queen smiled down on the mergirl, raising her hand in a gesture of blessing.
"The council and I have reached a verdict, young mermaid. You will be banished until you prove yourself a vow-keeper. Once you fulfill the conditions of your vow, you will be allowed to rejoin the tribe. Fail to keep your promise, and we will brand you a traitor… an enemy of mermaid kind, to be killed on sight. Do you accept these terms?"
The young mergirl nodded, her shaky fingers accepting the holy book of the merfolk as she took a deep breath in preparation.
Her voice echoed in the cavernous chamber, as the practiced words fell from her lips.
"On this day, I, Meredy, a proud mermaid of the ice mermaid clan, do vow to rid myself of the ancient curse that has long plagued merfolk. To do so, I promise to dedicate all my strength, intelligence, and courage in pursuit of the human responsible for my miserable state. I vow to kill, with my own hands, the human who has cursed me…"
Meredy paused, her white-knuckled grip on the book loosening as she gazed up at the ceiling, her eyes weary and forlorn.
"... I vow to kill Lady Ultear of the humans."
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"Just go talk to her."
"Nay, you've got more in common. You should do it."
"More in common? What are you talking about, ash face?"
"I'm talking about all that northern spiel! She's from Alvarez, you know Alvarez, so you're the better one to ask her, ice breath!"
"How the heck does my knowing Alvarez make me better qualified? She barely remembers it herself! And I'm pretty sure that's not what's bothering her. You should ask her what's wrong. Even if she gets angry and punches you, at least you've had far more practice being beaten up by her than I've had."
"YOU WANNA GO, FROZEN BRAIN?!"
"BRING IT ON, FLAMING RETARD!"
"YOU TWO HAD BETTER NOT BE FIGHTING! TODAY IS NOT A GOOD DAY TO CAUSE ME ANY MORE GRIEF!"
"...Aye, ma'am"
Erza resumed her chair at the bar, dropping her head into her hands and muttering about imbecile males and their toddler-like attitudes. She did not look up as a gentle hand slid the slice of strawberry cake she had ordered onto the counter in front of her. Mira looked down at her friend's forlorn form with a worried glint in her eye and a slight frown on her face.
"Those two mean well, Erza. They only wished to ask you why you've been so moody since you walked into Fairy Tail today. It is quite unlike you, my friend."
Erza sighed, dropping her hands onto her lap and slumping forward to rest her forehead on the counter.
"Just… well, something that happened back at home is bothering me. I wished to help someone, but… tis not my business to interfere… or so I've been told…"
Mira's eyebrow arched as she took in Erza's unusually bitter tone.
"Talking always helps, dear." The elven maiden probed, drawing up a stool to sit opposite the sullen scarlet haired mage.
"Err… Yea. We're all here for you. Whatever you need." Natsu shuffled on his feet as he approached Erza from behind, glancing at a smiling Mira for encouragement.
"That's what friends are for." Gray grunted, still glaring at the dragon boy who had dragged him over.
Erza lifted her head from the counter, gazing at the three concerned beings, a reluctant smile creeping up on her face.
"Thank you, all of you, for your concern. But truly, it is not something I can discuss openly, for it is about…"
A loud slam from the front door and a few shouted greetings interrupted her. Erza glanced towards the entrance, stiffening and turning her back to the figure who had just glided in. Scowling, she grabbed her plate of cake, stabbing the dessert forcefully with a fork.
Lucy drifted up to the bar, standing next to the boys as she observed Erza from behind.
"There you are!" Natsu grinned down at her, tilting his head curiously as he studied her appearance - her golden hair was twisted in a fancy up-do and she wore a richly embroidered dress. "Why didn't you come to Fairy Tail with Erza in the morning?! And what are you all dressed up for?"
"Is everything alright, Lucy?" Gray queried gently. Being the more astute of the pair, he had noticed the dried tear streaks under Lucy's eyes and the nervous way she was fidgeting with her lacy handkerchief.
Lucy beamed at the boys, her smile too large and forceful to be genuine.
"Everything is simply wonderful Gray, haven't you seen what a glorious day it is out there? Who wouldn't be happy on such a day? And Natsu, the polite action to take when you notice a lady's dress is to compliment her on it - not chastise her for wearing it."
"But I wasn't chatting… Err… chasing… Grrr… I think the dress looks nice, okay?! It's just that you don't usually dress up like this…"
"Never mind, Natsu." Erza muttered, briskly jumping out of her seat. She laid a hand on each of the boys' shoulders and steered them forcefully towards their usual table. "I wish to hear about your latest training session in Alagesia. Tell me more about the new fighting techniques you have been taught."
Natsu and Gray threw each other bewildered looks, allowing themselves to be led to their usual places. Lucy watched them walk away with a sigh and a wistful look at her scarlet-haired friend's retreating back.
"I'm guessing the reason for Erza's sulking and your nervousness is that the two of you have had a tiff of some sort?" Mira smiled gently at the golden-haired girl, slipping out from behind the bar and twining her arm around Lucy's. She glanced at her friend as they leisurely made their way to the table where Gray and Natsu were giving Erza an energetic and exaggerated account of their last battle.
Lucy nibbled nervously on her lower lip. "You're very astute, Mira. Yes, we had a disagreement just this morning, and it has upset Erza immensely. I do not know what to do…"
"I've always found that speaking what's on your heart and mind as honestly as possible helps," Mira interjected softly, "It has done wonders for Lisanna, Elfman and I, every time we've had a quarrel. We may be cross with each other for a while even after our heartfelt discussion, but our love for each other always helps us agree on a compromise. Erza is like a sister to you - surely the two of you can work out whatever is bothering you."
Lucy did not respond, slipping her hand out of Mira's gently, and sliding into the seat beside Natsu, her eyes fixed on the tabletop. She chanced a peek at Erza, who ignored her presence.
As the boys continued to wax eloquent on their latest scuffle, others drifted up to the table, casually slipping onto the benches or grabbing chairs to settle in.
"And then," Natsu boasted, his chest puffing out with pride, "I landed a blow so hard on this frosty penguin here, that he flew halfway across the stadium…"
"I took two steps back, you flaming airhead!" Gray fumed, "Quit exaggerating!"
"As far as I remember it, that was the blow that sent you spiraling back as well, Salamander… Must be hard, being such a weak runt… Gihihi…"
"YOU WANNA FIGHT, GAJEEL?!"
"Nah. I don't fight little lizards."
"...AARRGGGHH"
Natsu lunged over the table towards Gajeel. Lucy stood up to yank him back into his seat, the same moment that Erza rose, sword drawn, but neither had to move a muscle. For the instant Natsu's foot touched the table, he had frozen in place, his frantically moving eyes the only proof that he was not being still of his own will. Mystified, the others stared at him, until a deep baritone voice barked out a laugh.
"That's a space-freezing solid script spell, is it not, Levy?"
The petite fairy seated next to Gajeel shot Lily an innocent look. "Aye, that it is. My hand must have slipped. Oops…"
The table laughed heartily, poking and prodding the Natsu-statue with shameless glee.
"Impressive lil un. But ain't it a strain on yer magic?" Cana cocked a brow at the fairy, taking another swig of her beer.
"Nay." Gajeel's voice boomed, pride evident in his tone, "She's mastered blood wielding much better than I. She will be in little to no danger of overusing her magic when she reaches maturity."
Levy blushed, "I-I cannot take all the credit. Gajeel has been helping me since the very beginning, and Juvia has now joined him in tutoring me. It is only thanks to them that I have been able to come this far."
"Juvia thinks you should not sell yourself short, Lady Levy." The mermaid's soft voice interjected, as she slipped into the seat beside Gray. "You are the most talented student of magic Juvia has come across."
"How long will Natsu stay like this?" Lisanna enquired curiously, slipping into the seat on his other side.
"Oh. Right."
Levy muttered under her breath, tracing a pattern in the air. Natsu suddenly dropped back into his seat, gasping for breath and glaring at Gajeel and Levy.
"Don't look at them like that, brother," Wendy gently rebuked him, ruffling his pink locks as she came up from behind, Happy and Carla in tow, "I have no doubt you were trying to start a fight of some sort - in that case, you deserved it."
Natsu threw his sister a wounded look, pouting and crossing his arms.
"Don't feel bad, Natsu!" Happy piped up, throwing a sly glance at Lucy from the corner of his eye, "We've got an awesome prank planned for a certain someone, remember? We'll have the last laugh for sure!"
"I don't know whether to be annoyed or bored," Lucy rolled her eyes, "Your pranks of late have been little more than sorry attempts to grab my attention."
Happy stuck out his little tongue at her, all the while curling himself comfortably in her lap.
"You just don't understand our genius."
"Hmph… More likely, she considers herself more of a genius than you…" Erza muttered as quietly as she could. Unfortunately for her, three dragons with exemplary hearing sat at their table, and as one they turned to face the scarlet-haired mage.
"Why would you say that, Erza?" Wendy enquired softly, "That doesn't sound like our Lucy."
Erza flushed, avoiding Wendy's searching gaze. "I-I didn't mean to say that aloud…"
"It is quite alright." Lucy said gently, a strained smile on her lips, "You have a point, I can be very vain about my schemes and plans. I know it well…"
"But where does vanity end and insanity begin, Milady?" Erza enquired equally as gently, gazing straight into Lucy's eyes as barely suppressed anger and hurt swam in her own brown orbs.
Lucy looked away quickly, turning to Levy with the same strained smile.
"Levy-dear, you never told us about your visit to Alagesia. How did it fare?"
Levy hesitated, glancing at Erza. The scarlet-haired beauty had dropped her gaze, focusing instead on the plate of strawberry shortcake that Mira had smartly introduced during their conversation.
"Err… It was fine, Lucy-dear. I had a lot of fun! I saw the stadium that Natsu, Gray and Gajeel practice sparring at, and Wendy showed me the arena where the sky dragons perform aerial exercises - the dragons are amazing in their elements! Wendy is a superb flyer - my heart was in my throat during some of those dips and twirls she did! Then Natsu showed me his fire-dragon roar… well, the unbridled version, not the one he keeps trying to show off in Fairy Tail - and I could actually see the heat of his fire-blast! It was fortunate Gajeel was shielding us with his armor, or I fear I might have actually melted on the spot! And of course, the crowning delight was Gajeel's forge…"
"You make weaponry?!" Erza perked up, hope shining bright in her widened brown eyes.
Gajeel coughed nervously, "I-I haven't mentioned that before? Huh… It's no big deal actually…"
"Oh, don't be so modest," Levy shot the ore-dragon a sly grin, "It was spectacular! All the pieces you've crafted over the years look exemplary and that's obvious even to an untrained eye such as mine! I'm sure Erza would love a tour of your forge…"
Gajeel paled, shooting Lily a pleading glance. Lily just snickered, his shoulders shaking with mirth.
"I agree with Levy. You should show off your skills to your friends!"
"Traitor" Gajeel hissed under his breath, throwing Lily a scathing look that his exceed just rolled his eyes at.
"I would adore an opportunity to see your work, Gajeel," Erza said solemnly, "However, I don't think I'll ever be able to visit Alagesia myself. My duties back home are far too crucial for me to risk going too far away. Perhaps you could bring some of your favourite pieces to Fairy Tail…?"
"Oh, that may not be necessary..." Lucy interjected timidly, "If you wish to visit Alagesia in-person to see Gajeel's forge I'm sure I could help arrange that…"
Erza's jaw stiffened. She turned slowly towards Lucy, the golden-haired damsel quailing under the scarlet-haired mage's stern gaze.
"Is that an attempt to get rid of me, Milady?"
Lucy lost her sheepish look, fury overtaking her features. "Oh for the love of… Enough, Erza! Why in heaven's name would I want to get rid of you?"
"Because I would only get in the way of your grand plans, Milady. Obviously, your protector would become an obstacle if all you wished to do was destroy yourself in the name of saving all those around you…"
"Oh for the… Stop being so dramatic! What I have done is certainly not going to result in my 'destruction'! And if I must bear a little discomfort to help those who depend on me, then so be it!"
"A little discomfort?! You call… grrr… I have heard rumors, Milady! Trust me when I say - you are going to suffer much more than a 'little discomfort' if you go through with your decision."
Lucy's gaze became hard and cold, her hands on the table clenching as her knuckles turned white with the force of her grip. "Do you think I am less informed than you, Lady Erza? I have heard all the rumors you have heard and more. But I have evaluated this situation from every perceivable angle, and at this point in time, this is the best course of action I can take…"
"Talk to your father! Or let me talk to him! Or let the Master do what he can…" Erza had risen from her seat, angry tears glistening in her eyes, her own hands clenched in shaking fists.
Lucy regarded her friend cooly, her voice uncharacteristically cold and sharp. "My father? It is he who planned this, did you not listen to his pronouncement today morning? If I were to try to dissuade him, I would be punished. If you were to talk to him, you would be beheaded, as would anyone else who attempted to do so. If you are my friend and the sister you claim to be, then trust me. Let me do as I see fit."
A nervous cough from Gray drew both girls' glares upon him. Raising his hands meekly in surrender he stuttered.
"Y-you know, the rest of us have no idea what you two speak of. Could you tell us what happened? Maybe we could help?..."
Lucy threw a worried glance at Erza before opening her mouth to protest, but was cut short by Erza's curt reply.
"Of course. As of today morning, Lucy is engaged to be wed."
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The cacophony of the howling, bitter and icy winds outside did little to mask the roar of the fires raging in the depths of the cavernous enclosures. Day in and day out, tireless beings slogged over numerous metal monstrosities - sharpening here, reshaping there, all to the steady beat of the war drums endlessly droning on.
The beings themselves were beastly - possessing carelessly deformed and twisted bodies, with repulsive faces sporting expressions ranging from cruel mischief to deadly malignancy. These beings hummed and cackled as they worked, thrilled that their carefully honed instruments would soon be put to good use. With vigor and glee, they sang their wretched war songs, hungry for the fights ahead, thirsty for the blood of battle.
He watched. High above the slaving creatures, he observed them all with the practiced eye of a warrior and a general. He was a singularly different figure amongst the gruesome, disgusting forms, his tall and stately frame towering over all, framed by pitch black wings, the end of his hands curled into lethal claws and his bare, muscular torso decorated with intricate designs made of blue war paint.
He watched. And waited. The day was soon approaching, the day he would strike down all those who had wronged him, all those who had been instrumental, either directly or indirectly, in taking her away from him. The day he began the arduous journey back to her. He would join her again, no matter the cost. They would be together again in life… or in death. And he'd burn the whole world to make it happen. Starting with the cause of his misery…
The dragons.