The waves kept licking Minerva's feet as she graced her feet upon the sand. The feeling was nice, but the blonde went missing…
The tiger turned around, seeing the fairy standing still. Her brown eyes trained on her wrist, "What's wrong?" She thought to make a witty comment, but the blonde seemed to be frightened for some reason. She stepped closer, holding her hand out.
Her counterpart didn't respond, the hand she held out began to glow. A bright light radiating from her wrist. No, it couldn't be. Her eyes glazed over her own wrist, the bright words spelling the name Lucy.
Her hazel eyes darted back to the blonde, or now that she knew her name, Lucy. This was an absolute tragedy, as the girl fell to her knees screaming in pain. A purple-like haze erupting from her own wrist. So this is what it was like to find your mortal enemy.
A searing pain emitted from her wrist and she howled, much like the blonde did in front of her. The brilliant light from her wrist only seeming to grow, along with the dark purple fumes from Lucy's wrist. She pulled her arm to her as the burning sensation grew. Trying to close her hand around her wrist, she got burned by the magic emanating from her tanned wrist.
"Fuck, " she hissed, pulling her hand back quickly. The mysterious magic seeming to never end, her own eyes started to burn as she looked at it; like her wrist was birthing a new sun.
Turning her gaze away from her wrist, a crowd started to form around them, whispering coming from the bystanders. Shit, this day couldn't get any better. Minerva certainly did not want the attention this was going to bring. Scanning the crowd, she saw her own friends and the fairy's. Their expressions filled with confusion, worry, and something else she couldn't put her finger on.
Suddenly, the world seemed to stop, the purple and gold eruptions disappearing. She immediately relaxed her arm, putting it back to her side as her eyes continued to search for what could be doing this.
A wind picked up around the two of them as a capsule formed around them. A bubble formed around them with the violet gas and shimmering glow from their wrists. It mixed into a glittering purple metallic wall around the two of them. The outside world blocked, no one could see in or out.
Lucy sat still in the sand waiting for what was to come next. As she looked over the celestial maiden, she didn't have any keys on her, this would be an easy match. It would be unfair to duke it out with the fairy, but at least she would win.
Then an eminent filled the space she and Lucy shared, surrounding them.
Lucy and Minerva
the time has come.
One of you shall pass on
and the other shall triumph.
The voice was powerful, its tone refined as it echoed from the sky above them. She never thought the enchantment would work like this. The voice continued:
This is not the only path to chase
Fate has chosen a different destiny
Your desire is not your enemy
Instead it is others in this path
Pick one but choose wisely
Their encasement disappeared, more people appearing to the astonishing commotion. Who wouldn't be drawn to a big purple bubble? Once they were out the crowd was a cacophony of shouts and hollers, some were screaming profanities because it wasn't the outcome they expected. Her ears even picked up on a male (she assumed) blaring to take their tops off. Minerva's mouth formed into a scowl, what a disgusting being.
Hazel eyes looked over the pale form in front of her, Lucy still holding her wrist. Minerva didn't know whether to be disgusted or feel pity towards the girl. Or the entire opposite of the two, completely ignoring the rules of the enchantment to get to know her. Did this fairy know her identity before the match began? She began to grow spiteful of her deceitful ways.
Then it struck the territory mage, if the blonde knew who she was beforehand, then this big commotion would have happened sooner. Still gazing upon her form, Minerva commanded, "Stand, Lucy." The girl's name came out as a hiss.
The tiger's tone was not to be taken lightly, and Lucy scrambled to her feet. Her brown eyes met with dark hazel ones, she felt as if she might die on the spot.
Slowly, the two began to circle each other. The celestial mage wasn't sure what to do right now, she felt as if she might pee her pants; she was so scared of what was to come next. Although the booming voice's message gave her some reassurance, it didn't seem like either of them had to die.
Minerva threw her hand out, a glistening purple sphere forming around her hand. "Those of you who I do not know, leave immediately," her eyes drew away from Lucy as they dawned upon the crowd, "Or I will move you myself. As this is none of your business, you should pick the first option." She spat out the statement, drawing it out in a low tone. Not a sexy one, but annoyed, she didn't care for anyone at this point anymore.
At her statement, the bystanders left, some running and others taking their time. Lucy would have definitely been one to run, but she couldn't do that in this mage's presence. From what it looked like, her counterpart's magic was extremely dangerous, and she had absolutely no way to defend herself. No keys, whip, or clothing. She hoped they wouldn't duke it out right here.
She looked at the remaining group, Gray and Natsu had moved away from the group of Sabertooth students. Instead they stood together closer to herself, the others standing near Minerva. Both of them were now divided, and Yukino's face was filled with confusion and disparity. She and her boyfriend were separated when it came to choosing a side.
The Sabertooth student put her hand down, her magic dissipating as her attention returned to the blonde. "Now," a small smirk curled onto her face, "we will discuss the prophecy given to us. It looks like we were given a different fate than those before us."
The blonde nodded, not sure whether to come closer to the dark-haired mage. Stepping forward, she uttered, "I have never heard of this happening before-"
Minerva cut the blonde off, it was entertaining to see her thrown off guard. "Not here, I meant discuss it in private." Lucy was very intriguing to her, maybe in a secluded area she could get to know the girl a little more.
The dark haired boy and Natsu stepped forward, arms crossed over their chests. The ice mage speaking first, Gray, she believed his name was. "She's not going anywhere with you."
Natsu chimed in, "You're just going to kill her."
Their protectiveness infuriated the territory mage. She was sure the blonde fairy could handle herself way better than the two of them combined. If her excellent skills in the volleyball game were just like her magical abilities, Minerva was sure they would have an even match.
Minerva grinned, "Listen, Gary and Natsu." She purposefully got his name wrong, the teenager's jaw tensing at her mistake. "It seems that you don't trust Lucy's abilities, aren't you guys her friends? Trust her a little bit." A small smile was etched onto Lucy's face as she spoke. "Plus, I have to size up my competition anyways, it wouldn't be fun to kill her so easily. A tiger always plays with their food." Minerva responded cooly, her grin turning into a sympathetic smile. The group of gathered Fairy Tail students gasped in astonishment at her statement.
The two boys tried to speak but Lucy pushed between them, silencing the two. She was certainly a feisty one, raising her hand to show the pink Fairy Tail emblem. "As a student of Fairy Tail, I will handle this challenge to the best of my abilities." The most beautiful smile she had ever seen beamed from the Lucy's lips as she held out her hand to Minerva. "Let's be friends, Minerva."
The tigress was certainly surprised at her request, but she wouldn't back down from a challenge. Minerva shook her hand confidently, a comforting surge of electricity jolting through the two. She knew Lucy felt it too by the bewildered look in her mocha eyes, yet she never pulled her hand away. The two stared at each other intensely, their grips tightening as they shook hands. Sabertooth and Fairy Tail erupted with joyous applause at the reunion.
Except for a certain ice mage, Minerva looked at Gray and smirked. She knew that he had some harbored feelings for the blonde and she would enjoy playing with them, but for the time being her focus was on Lucy.
Pulling her hand away, she gestured her head to the seashore. Her bare feet padded against the smooth grains of sand, Lucy following behind. The sky was getting darker by the minute, changing for the arrival of the moon; the glorious tides riding in its wake. Minerva sat in the sand, close enough so the waves would lick her feet. Lucy sat at a comfortable distance beside her, not too close and not too far away.
Minerva wiggled her toes in the oncoming waves, shivering from the cool touch of the water. Without looking at Lucy she began to speak in a serious manner, "Listen Lucy, I want to duel in the fairest manner possible, but that isn't me." Straight to the point was how she liked it, the blonde tensing up at her statement.
The territory mage put her hand on Lucy's knee and rubbed it soothingly, easing the girl. "You seem like a nice girl," those were the ones she was attracted to the most, opposites attract, right? "So I'll tell you a little bit about me so that you have somewhat of an advantage."
Lucy placed her hand on top of hers, her nails manicured and painted a pretty pink. It was a little too loud in Minerva's opinion but it suited the fairy perfectly. "Well… unlike you, I like to play a fair game Minerva." Lucy's voice grew more confident with each passing word, she liked a girl who knew what she wanted. "I will give you information on m magical powers and such, if ou give the same in return. That's fair enough, right?"
"I can agree with that. But also add in what you think of the prophecy. It'll help me make my own decision on the matter." She removed her hand from Lucy's leg, pulling a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear.
A quick flash of longing entered Lucy's brown eyes as she looked at Minerva's hand and she sighed. "I can do that," she took a pause before speaking again, chewing on her inner lip. "So to start off, I use a holder type magic. I don't have the keys with me right now but I'm a celestial mage, just like Yukino." She smiled proudly at the fact, a small glow radiating from her. "I have 15 keys in total, I think that's more than Yukino has."
Now it made sense as to why Minerva couldn't sense a large amount of magical energy coming from her. But the fact that she held so many at a young age surprised her, she definitely would not doubt her abilities. The territory mage had sparred with Yukino multiple times, it was hard to break through her defenses because it was practically like fighting numerous people at one time.
Minerva nodded at her comment, Lucy continuing to speak. "As for the prophecy, I believe we can choose a different path. It would not have been stated if we couldn't." Her doe eyes looked into the depths of Minerva's own, sparking with an epiphany. A large blush spread across the blonde's cheeks, the gears in her head spinning in overtime. "Maybe this just means we can have a…," she pondered over her next words, shaking her head. "Good friendship," she finished, pulling her knees up to her chest.
Whatever Lucy was thinking was completely lost to her, she decided that it wasn't important if the blonde didn't mention it. The sun was almost down, the moon peaking in the corner of the sky. Its beams of silver graced the blondes figure, making her radiate with the powers of the stars -a truly breathtaking sight. Did she really have to kill her? Taking the blonde's comment into consideration, Minerva didn't feel as if she wanted to be just friends. Deep down inside she felt a power beyond her that drew her to the graceful blonde.
Itching to touch the blond locks, Minerva pushed the feeling away and instead looked at the soft features of her face. Looking at Lucy with the utmost tenderness, she spoke with a soft authority, "If that is what you think of the prophecy, then I will respect your opinion. Let's try this friend thing out," still the urge of a different relationship spread through her.
"You really think we can try? I thought you would have just wanted to fight and get this over with. This rarely happens when we're so young." Lucy was right about that, the binding typically occurs during their early twenties -this was two years early.
Minerva was captured by the movement of blonde strands, they flowed in the breeze so effortlessly. Maybe this friendship could be something more. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it," she snidely commented.
Then she realized the rest of their deal, her eyes widening in a comical manner. "My magic is territory by the way. I have the power to control space and manipulate it for my benefit. There's also my family's magic but I'm forbidden to speak of it." She winked at Lucy, leaning back on her hands. The grains of sand prickling the palms of her hands as Lucy snickered.
"I have a friend who can do the same as you but not on the same level. Her name is Erza, she was here earlier but she completely disappeared." Lucy leaned over and cupped her hand around Minerva's ear, "Probably on a secret rendezvous with her college boyfriend." Her breath was hot, mingling with the loose hairs on the side of her head.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the celestial mage's face grow pink. She didn't care for Lucy's friend but she was glad of how close they seemed to be. "I could only imagine, sounds very scandalous."
The two settled into a comfortable silence, letting the waves whisper sweet nothings to them. A dark veil of the sky revealing the smallest glittering diamonds, the star of Venus sitting over their heads.
The waves began to wash away higher and higher with each passing minute, the moon commanding the ocean to drown the beach. The water splashed against her calves, the icy chill welcomed by Minerva. She hated feeling all the warm emotions that were pressing against her heart. Though the tigress did notice the blonde scooching away from the water, the imprints of her feet remained imprinted in the wet sand. Noticing Lucy's discomfort, she stood and held her hand to the bikini clad girl.
"I can walk you to the car if you'd like. Your friend didn't seem too happy when I took you away," Minerva grinned.
Lucy immediately clasped her hand, another jolt of magic moving between them. This time she noticed their names glowing in the lightest shade of pink. The feeling was odd and Minerva's toes curled into the sand to wash the sickly fuzzy sensation from her body. Lucy pulled her hand away the moment she was on her feet, wiping the sand from her butt.
"Yeah, don't worry about Gray. He can be a little overprotective at times, but that just makes him all the more loveable." Lucy walked in long strides up the beach with Minerva, both of their friend groups packing their stuff. She knew that her car had waited for her but it looked as if everyone from Fairy Tail had left.
Everyone except for the aforementioned Gray.
Gray's eyes had become hardened, freezing Lucy in her spot. The man's arms were crossed over his chest angrily,arm muscles bulging through the hawaiian shirt he was wearing. Turning to Minerva, she opened her mouth again but no words came; Gray's eyes were full of a despising judgement.
Instead, Minerva spoke, the car full of Sabertooth students calling to her over their loud and boisterous party music. At this point the driver, Sting was obnoxiously honking. Minerva resolved this by sending the boy a deadly glare, Lucy giggled at how impatient the van was.
Turning back, soft hazel eyes glanced over Lucy, the softest brown flecks gleaming with a untold question. Unlike her, Minerva couldn't hold her tongue, "I see, well I have to go now." Sting poked out of the window, another aggressive honk coming from the bug. "I'll tell Yukino to text you my lacrima's number, ok?"
It made sense, they had nothing to write a number down on. Rolling on the balls of her toes, Lucy nodded in excitement. "I will make sure she gets it to me. I'll call you once she does." A call with Minerva made her even more giddy, she grinned as she waved at the multicolored Volkswagen van. "Get going Minerva, they're getting all riled up waiting for you."
This made the territory mage chuckle, "The boys are always like that. I'm sure that Yukino is waiting patiently unlike all of them, they're practically children."
Both laughed at the statement and Lucy didn't want it to end. She felt as if there was an invisible string tied between themselves the moment she had laid her eyes on the fierce, dark haired tigress -Minerva, she loved the way her name rolled off her tongue.
"Come on Lucy," Gray called. The ice mage rigidly stepped into his beat up Mustang, slamming the door.
Minerva looked over Lucy's shoulder, pursing her lips. "Looks like you have to go too. Have a good ride home." A curtain of black hair moved in front of the blonde's face, leaving her in awe.
The last comment left her insides all fuzzy, she couldn't let Minerva go just yet. Without realizing it, Lucy's hand wrapped around her wrist and tugged her back. "Minerva wait…" It was a small and pathetic plea but the tigress looked back.
Biting her lip, Lucy wanted to tell her sworn enemy what she truly believed their divine fortune meant. She didn't want Minerva to see her as crazy for such a belief but it needed to get out into the open. She certainly did not want to beat around the bush or withhold any valid information. Well, it was up to Minerva to tell if it was valid.
The territory mage turned, a small smirk gracing her face. "You miss me already?"
The celestial mage could feel her face heat up and she vigorously shook her head. "I just wanted to tell you something, I… Well you see…" She fumbled over her words, feeling the a rush of iciness seeping into her body.
"Let her go already, Lucy. We have a long drive home." Gray called, his voice laced with frustration.
"One more minute, Gray." It was urgent that she tell Minerva. "I think our names might be written in the stars. Like we were destined for something much greater." She certainly didn't want to say love, because that would be brash. She hoped that the enticing tigress would understand.
Minerva's stare was filled with a great flame, and she leaned into her. Lucy could feel the teenager's hot breath against her nose, a small chuckle bubbling from her mouth. "You're being a little vague, Lucy. Of course we were written in the stars, why else would I have your name on my wrist." She spoke softly, every word consumed by the blonde's senses.
In a daring manner, she clutched Minerva's wrist and brought it up to her face. The golden letters so eloquently printed her name, stilling as she brought it close to her lips. Lucy could feel the magical energy surging between them, surrounding leaves picking up wind the longer she held it. Boldly she pressed her lips against the tattoo and gasped, a pleasurable wave of energy dancing across her lips.
A small gasp elicited from Minerva, and Lucy knew she had felt it too. "I meant… Yuanfen. Lovers who could never see one another… or it's hard to be together."
Minerva wrenched her hand from Lucy, her hazel eyes hardening. She took a couple steps back, a door slowly closing between the two of them. "Don't be so naive, Lucy," her name like poison, "nothing like that will ever come from this."
Her dark hair flew as she ran to the van full of Sabertooth students. A loud slam resounding through the cleared parking lot, followed by the screeching of tires. They beelined it out of there, leaving the celestial mage in a shattered mess. Tigers really did have claws.
Gray hadn't said a word to her since she slid into the passenger seat of his beat up Mustang. Once she fastened her seatbelt, he turned the stereo up. A mix of classic rock blared through the speakers, thought every other song was Nirvana. The ice mage could really be a basic guy sometimes, even if his family life wasn't the best.
His knuckles were white, rigidly turning the steering wheel to and fro as they made their way through the back roads of Arcane. It was a wonderful sight to see fields upon fields masked by the temptress of night. The brights giving color to the greenery in front of them, it was enchantingly chilling.To see the blur of the night rush by as they drove, even as their lights lit up the countryside, a beautiful sight only for them to see.
She was left to her own devices for the long ride home, the tension thinning with every passing minute. Every so often, Gray would turn the volume up, Lucy's ears drowning in the blaring guitars and clashing drum sets. Her thoughts a mix of wariness toward the ice mage and growing worriment. Though Minerva, did leave a great impression on her. Lucy really wanted to cry, but the moment a tear slipped she knew Gray would pull over. She didn't want to make this trip longer than it needed to be.
It was already embarrassing enough that he had seen her upset herself in front of Sabertooth and the girl she wasn't currently pining for. And to top it all of, this was also the man she had fooled around with not so long ago. One icy burn after another.
Lucy bit her lip as Nirvana's first chords of Heart-Shaped Box strummed and she felt the burden of the day taking a toll on her. The song really wasn't lightening her mood either, but Gray's spirits had seemed to be lifted by the song. His fingers were tapping against the steering wheel, finally breaking into the town of Magnolia. Lucy eyed him, wishing that she could say one thing to make him feel better.
She eyes me like a Pisces when I am weak
I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks
The celestial mage grimaced, her hand itching to turn the volume down. But then, Gray did it for her, he must have sensed her unease. He cleared his throat, his eyes focused on the black streets of the town. "You really shouldn't have done that, Lucy. I know how easy it is for you to get caught up in the moment…" His voice lowered, looking very uneasy. He looked loathsome as they turned the corner onto Strawberry Street, his car rolling perfectly into the front of her home.
Lucy was completely thrown off by his statement, and she glares at him. "It's really none of your business, Gray." She said his name curtly, her hand wrapping around the car's handle.
Hey! Wait!
I've got a new complaint
The song's chorus began to flow through the speakers, the music not helping her leave. Gray grabbed her arm, his blue eyes a raging storm of sadness. "Lucy, wait. I didn't mean it like that, we're all just trying to protect you. What if she-"
"She has a name and I'm not going to run away from this." His hand on her arm filled her with a comforting sensation and Lucy settled back into her seat. "Everyone has to do this at some point… Mine is just happening much earlier than expected."
Gray immediately pulled his hand from her, but Lucy caught it. She rubbed small circles on the back of his hand, remembering how he always loved when she did this. His stiffness was cleared and he looked at Lucy thoughtfully, insecurity clouding his blue eyes. "I know you can do this, I believe you can. But what the hell, Lucy. You can't just go stumbling around some girl you just met and don't know. Only God knows what she's going to try to pull on you." His sword-shaped cross glinted in the moonlight, a warm emotion being emitted from him.
"You know how hard I-," he stuttered, "I mean we try to keep you safe. You're a magnet for the worst types of people." She couldn't disagree with him, the past couple months had been crazy. One crazy gang after another tried to come for her, whether it be for money or fame of capturing a Heartfilia.
Meat-eating orchids forgive no one just yet
Broken hymen of your Highness, I'm left back
She understood his sentiment, but Lucy wasn't fooled by his pleas -she was going to figure this out by herself. Not one man or woman was going to stand in the way of her holding the true prophecy in her hand. Gray was just going to make things much more complicated, and she didn't want him to get hurt. What they had before was special, but it was over now.
"I understand what you must be feeling but," she tightened her grip on his hand, "I am being called to do this for a reason. Whatever is in store will be what I have been destined to do." Lucy breathed out, leaning down to kiss his hand. It was cool, just like him. He tensed up, not expecting the affectionate gesture. But there was nothing special from this interaction.
She opened the car door for the second time that night, Gray's hand slipping from her own. "Drive home safely, ok? I want to see you at school tomorrow and the day after that." She smiled and stepped out, pulling her beach bag over her shoulder.
He nodded curtly, turning the music back up. "Good night, Lucy."
She waved as he took off, "Night, Gray!" Walking back into her home, she could hear the last of the song fading out. Nirvana was a good choice, their lyrics always stirred her emotions.
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey guys! I am really excited to post this today! This chapter has been in the works for a bit, wwtdp took up a lot of time for my writing. Still enjoyed participating in the event (which is still going on)! I absolutely enjoy crack pairing but... graylu has always been a top pairing of mine. I enjoy placing the two of them together in fics T^T even if I break one or the others heart. Poor Gray... He will get some love later though, I assure you that it will happen. (:
Leave a comment if you enjoyed or have a critique!
~3 Newg