Gossip Girls: A fan fiction depicting Fairy Hills the centre and heart of gossip and rumours. What are the Fairy Tail ladies up to? Mischief and mayhem are inevitable with how ridiculous some stories are. Separating the lies and the truth is harder than it seems
Revenge Rumour
Lucy was disheartened about having any chance of being reinstated in their team. Their first few missions were shaky as Natsu blew up a factory, but that was an improvement from while villages and towns. Eventually Lucy had scolded him enough to take it easy and their collaborations were going smoothly. Or so she thought. They finished missions with Team Shadow Gear and even the Thunder Legion, both of them ending without any destruction. They had obeyed and followed each team's leaders' instructions and orders to the T. Apparently that wasn't enough because they weren't back with their original comrades. She even asked Levy if there was even the slightest thing she put in her report to make Natsu and her look back, and the bluenette promised she didn't. Freed had even apologized that his report (Laxus asked him to do it instead) wasn't enough to get them out of their situation. What did they have to do to win over their actual teammates favours, mostly Erza, to rejoin them?
Lucy groaned in frustration. It wasn't helping that the salmon-haired idiot didn't seem bothered nor serious about their situation. In fact, he was happily chatting it up with Juvia and Gajeel, their current partners. Lucy wouldn't even mind it at this point if Juvia called her Love Rival because she worked with Gray, as she was seriously missing them.
"Lucy-san, Juvia is wondering if you are okay? Juvia knows it's now fun to be away from your friends and Gray-sama," the water mage inquired about her state, but Lucy had a sneaking suspicion that Juvia just wanted her to admit to missing the ice mage to justify her as a Love Rival.
"I'm fine, Juvia. It's hard being away from my actual team, but I'm pretty sure they are missing me more than anything," she replied cooly, playing on though hoping she wouldn't regret it.
To her surprise, no tackle, no demands on what she meant, no questioning, and no retorts about her being a love rival came. Instead, Juvia laughed. "Juvia thinks Lucy-san is getting ahead of herself. Juvia does not mean to offend, but Lucy-san's team doesn't seem to act like they miss you."
Lucy was just joking about her team missing her, as they weren't the type of people to be moping around and it was apparently their team decision. Erza has bribed Happy with fish to stay back, and Happy accepted although it was more because of fear. Even Wendy would let everything be, that little girl was always so optimistic, their return would be something for the young dragon slayer to look forward to, so she would strive to work harder and get stronger. However, she was curious to what her teammates were up to. We're they taking group missions with just the four of them including Carla?
"Oh really? Then what are they doing?" She was interested. She thought completely missions faster would give them an early return and since they weren't allowed A class missions, she needed to finish more missions to pay for her rent, along with the fact some teams were less generous to splitting the reward. She hadn't realized how flexible Erza, Gray, and Wendy were when it came to distributing the jewels that were left after paying back for destruction Natsu was mostly responsible for. She kind of felt bad how Erza more or less let Lucy have most of her share if the blonde was in need of rent money. Yet the guilt was replace with curiosity as she remembered Erza had five apartment, how did that girl pay for it all? Not to mention her expenses on clothing, and strawberry cheesecake.
"If Juvia recalls correctly Wendy and Carla are redecorating her dorm at Fairy Hills. Happy is helping. Gray-Sama and Erza-San are taking missions." Juvia informed her.
"So they aren't going on missions together?" Lucy wondered. The possibility of her absence, maybe along with Natsu, stopped the rest of the team's activities crossed her mind. She quickly shoved the idea away, not wanting to inflate her own ego. It could've totally been coincidence that they all wanted a break, right?
"Carla told Juvia that Wendy would take time to relax; especially with what had happened in Edolas apparently; Juvia was looking forward to asking Wendy about her counterpart. As for Gray-sama... he's taking S-class missions—" Juvia didn't get to finish as Lucy cut her off.
"S-class missions?! But he's not an S-class mage!" Lucy cried surprised, "He could get in big trouble..." she shuddered, "There was an incident that happened last time involving an S-class quest." The celestial mags reminisced the experience with Galuna Island.
"Juvia knows about that. Lucy didn't let Juvia finish. Gray-sama is taking a S-class quest with Erza-san," the rain woman said slightly annoyed. Lucy couldn't find out if it was because Gray was with a different woman, a plus for Lucy, or if it was because of her disrupting Juvia, a point lost for Lucy.
"Erza? Are you sure? You know Erza wasn't are biggest fan when ... that incident happened." Lucy wondered if maybe Gray had stolen a quest from the board and Erza was sent to get him. Maybe history decided to repeat itself.
"Juvia is certain. Gray-sama was very happy about it, so Juvia would not forget. Erza-san invited Gray-sama to accompany her on a S-class mission," Lucy could feel Juvia's annoyance growing stronger so made the wise decision not it push any further.
The rest of mission with Juvia and Gajeel went smoothly. No destruction and no interesting conversations with Juvia. They were making their way back to the hotel where they would spend the night before heading back to the guild. Juvia and Gajeel were off exploring the city, she learned from Juvia that the ex-Phantom Lord members never had the chance to enjoy the places they went to for missions, and although the iron mage wouldn't admit it, both of the them used their spare time to make up for it. So that left her with Natsu.
"Do you think this mission would be enough?" she asked Natsu, who was currently recovering from motion sickness from their ride.
"Enough for what?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Enough to rejoin Erza and the others," Lucy said trying to keep calm at the fire mage's incompetence and lack of awareness to the situation.
"I don't know. I can't believe Erza asked Stripped on an S-class mission before me. Once I'm back I'll show Erza that I'm stronger than the Icicle. S-class missions here I come!" Natsu announced, completely missing the point.
Lucy was infuriated at this point with the idiot. Natsu had failed to take being kicked out seriously since he stormed out of the guild. She didn't know if Natsu was acting like he didn't care anymore or if he actually didn't. It seemed to her that the dragon slayer was motivated to just beat someone instead of what was important at the moment. Which is getting back to Erza, Gray, Wendy and Carla. The two weeks they had doesn't with other teams, Natsu hadn't acted like anything was wrong. He didn't mind that he was working with other people instead of his team. He may not have cared, but Lucy did. Frankly, she was fed-up with his happy-go-lucky behaviour.
"Natsu! Do you even care? Don't you miss them? Don't you miss Happy!? Do you realize that we may never be able to be a team again if you don't take this seriously?! You know, they were right! You always just want to do your thing. Maybe I'll beg Erza to let me back because it seems like I'm the only one trying! I'll tell her that I learned my lesson!" her voice cracked at many parts of her rant. She honestly feared that they would be left behind.
Natsu didn't seem to get her point, even if she was crying. "Luce, you're so weird. You don't need to cry. Of course I miss them, I don't know what you mean that we won't be part of the team anymore."
Lucy wipes her tears angrily. "Why don't you take anything seriously?"
She slapped him.
"Ow, Luce. That hurts you know. All we have to do is complete Mira's mission. I don't know why you keep dragging me on these other missions, these are pointless."
Lucy's eyes widened at the mention of the white-haired bar maid. "Mira's ... mission?"
He put his arms behind his head relaxed. "Yeah. I heard her talking to Erza about it. Apparently Erza isn't actually mad at us."
"What?" Her red-head friend was indeed the actor alright, and now that Mira was part of the play... those two women are awfully devilish.
He yawned. "Being out is temporary. It's not decided by the other teams. It's decided by Mira. You didn't know?"
"No. This is all news to me. What do you mean it's decided by Mira? Why didn't you tell me before?!" Lucy couldn't believe the salmon-haired mage was withholding crucial information from her. They could've been back ages ago.
"Well, you seemed pretty determined to complete these missions with the other teams. I didn't want to spoil your fun. All I know is that Mira offered Erza strawberry cheesecake to kick us out until her plan is complete." So it was bribery. As she pieced it all together, if Erza wasn't mad she wouldn't kick them out for no valid reason... that is unless there was an outside party. Strawberry cheesecake... Lucy couldn't believe that the price to have Erza go along with an absolutely crazy scheme, knowing the She-Devil, was a piece of sweet bread. Lucy couldn't help be feel miffed at this point.
Natsu interrupted her mental rant. "Although I haven't figured out what Mira wants us to do?"
Lucy's brained stopped working for a good five seconds, until she knew exactly what Mira wanted. The matchmaker and her schemes. It couldn't be coincidence that Erza exposing her, not that she did have a crush on Natsu, happened the night before her eviction. She needed a way to get back at them, and she knew exactly how.
"I'm sorry Natsu for yelling and slapping you!" she cried exasperated at the revelation as she gave him a tight hug, long enough for someone to snap a picture, before going to take a shower. She was finally going to become a full-fledged member of the Gossip Girls. Because she was going to do what they did best.
"WHAT'S THIS!?" An incredulous Mira was holding up the front page and article of Sorcerer Weekly's newest issue in front of a less than interested Erza.
"What is what?" An unknowing Erza continued to munch on her strawberry cheesecake Mira had provided (for the success of her previous mission).
At the other end of the guild hall, a scheming blonde snickered. This was all part of her master plan. If the Gossip Girls wanted something to discuss at their next sleepover or meeting, who was she to refrain them from that. So she provided the goods. It could've served for Lucy to see test their skills in deducing and getting the the truth. This rumour was obviously so made up but Lucy pulled some strings to make it a little more believable. What better way to spread a rumour than a gossip magazine itself? So she might have anonymously tipped that a certain Fairy Queen was possibly with a lover by the Magyk Sea. Although Lucy knew fair well that Erza was with Gray, who was just a comrade, on a mission to defeat some sea monsters (she cautiously got that information from Juvia).
Since Sorcerer has been trying to find something on Titania for months as she was currently Fiore's number one bachelorette, surpassing Mira Jane herself, they took the call with all seriousness. That's how pictures of the two wizards ended up front and centre of this week's issue. What better way to get the two dominating female mages to turn on each other, even if it would only last for a little while, than playing their own game. Mira wanted to know everything about the redhead's love life, which the requip mage had refused and escaped her questioning. But now that the possibility (although fake) of Erza Scarlet having this secret relationship without her knowledge was in her face... this would agitate the bar maid even more. And Erza would get annoyed as always as it was absolute nonsense, Lucy wondered if their old rivalry would come back from the past.
"THIS?!" pushing the magazine in Erza's face.
Erza raised an eyebrow, but proceeded to skim article keeping a straight expression. "Mira, how many times do I have to tell you that you shouldn't believe everything you read?"
Mira wasn't going to give up that easily. "How do I know you're not just saying that this time to hide your secret relationship?"
"Remember when they said I was dating Hibiki Lates? That was completely false, and so is this." Erza tried to reason with her friend, trying to get back to her cake.
"Okay? So? This is different. This is Gray freaking Fullbuster. Your best friend. Who says you two didn't fall in love with each other?!" The girl really was relentlessly, Lucy noted. She was glad that Mira was satisfied with her for now.
"Mira, I'm not dating my best friend. If you really don't believe me why don't you ask him?" Erza said, now visibly annoyed. However, Lucy couldn't help wonder why she needed Gray to clear up the situation, and why she wasn't as mad as the stories reimagined her. Levy told Lucy that one time they had an article featuring Erza and Ichiya and she went absolutely berserk, even thrashing the Sorcerer Weekly office. Lucy labeled Erza's rash behaviour then different to now because Ichiya have her the creeps and Erza didn't like being associated with such 'playboys' she called them. But wasn't Gray the ladies man himself? Lucy disposed of her thoughts when Mira called Gray over.
"Hey, Erza. Hey, Mira," he waved unsuspecting.
A serious expression crossed the barmaids face. "Is there anything you have to tell me?" She rapped her fingers rhythmically on the bar.
Gray shot Erza a questioning look, to which she rolled her eyes. "No. I don't think so. I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"
Mira leaned closer to the boy. "So you and Erza don't have a secret relationship that you've been hiding for years?"
The ice mage choked on air. "W-what? Of course not!"
She gave him a disbelieving look. "Why not?"
The celestial mage that schemed the whole thing, was trying to hold her laughter at the situation. Mira must have lost it if she was asking suck ridiculous questions. Gray was a nervous wreck. Either because of Mira's interrogating or how Erza was now giving him a warning look that was more of a glare. Lucy almost felt bad. Almost. Lucy was still kind of pissed Gray was 'in' on their plan.
Gray coughed anxiously before clearing his throat. "Erza and I are just friends, Mira. That's the kind of relationship we have."
Lucy mentally thought that was a good answer. Gray must have gotten used to being in the middle of the two women's fights and arguments.
"Oh really? That why does it look like you're kissing her cheek?" Lucy would have spit her drink out if she was drinking one. Lucy realized the She-Demon was only getting started. Although she was now curious to the type of pictures Jason or whoever else worked there captured.
"He was just whispering to me about the mission, Mira," an unimpressed Erza answered.
"In this one she's hugging you," the matchmaker said pointedly.
"Erza had me in a chokehold," Lucy notes the ice mage shook his head, probably trying to forget the memory.
Although the answers were reasonable, Mira pressed on. "You two were at a hotel together. What would you be doing there?"
"Have you already forgotten that we were on a mission. Where else were we supposed to stay? If you're wondering we had separate rooms," the younger female retorted.
"You're holding hands here," Mira pointed at the an image printed in the article.
"She was dragging me, Mira." A frustrated Gray countered.
Wow. Lucy took note to never anger or involved the ice mage in any future schemes. It seemed he was about to crack. She knew both her comrades were hot-headed and short-tempered, but never thought Gray was the faster one to anger comparing the two.
"Fine. But you can't explain this. If this was a mission why aren't you ready for one? Well, why aren't you wearing your armour, Erza?" the barmaid asked intrusively.
This information caught Lucy's attention as she hurriedly grabbed a copy of the magazine from where the Gossip Girls were gathered around a table, all on the exact same page their president was going on about. Lucy saw that indeed, Erza wasn't wearing her armour. Instead a baby blue sundress with yellow accents. The only other time Erza wasn't wearing her armour was when they were on a break at the resort Loke had given them tickets to. Now, she was certainly more interested and curious than when she started her eavesdropping.
"Because we finished it. And I thought we could relax for the remainder of our stay as a self reward," Erza exclaimed.
"Mhmm sure. That may be true. But why would your 'relaxing' time be spent on a romantic sunset beach walk by the sea if you aren't a couple?"
"Can't friends go on walk, too? There wasn't anything romantic about it," Gray shook his head and headed out the guild.
Erza frowned at Mira. "You pushed it too far again. Call an urgent meeting... I have to explain things before this misunderstanding creates problems.
Authour's Note: Hope you enjoyed! I'll try to update as soon as possible :)