Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey

Chapter 8

'Good, they're all asleep,' Serafine thought quietly to herself, her cobalt blue eyes peering into the room she shared with her parents and Uncle Happy. Quiet as a mouse, she crept inside. She knew how sensitive her father's ears were so she made sure to stay on the balls of her feet. Even the smallest overstep and she knew his head would perk right up. It happened all the time back home if she ever tried to sneak a late night snack and accidentally stepped too loudly. However, she knew that in this case if she was caught, she would be bombarded with questions about where she was and why she was coming back so late. She really didn't want that. She wasn't sure why, but the thought of telling her parents about what she was up to made her feel uncomfortable. That had never happened before. What was this strange feeling?

It wasn't like she had done anything wrong, so it couldn't be a feeling of guilt. All she had done was look at the night sky. The beautiful, majestic sky…

With Lucius.

There it was again! A strange wave of something indescribable washed over her the second the boy's name crossed her mind. It was like her body was filling with fire, heating her to her very core. Her stomach felt like it was turning over and over. Her chest felt heavy. She was swarmed with so many different feelings that had never teamed up before. And she didn't know what it was. Did it even have a name?

Like before, she tried to push it away and crawled ever so gently in between her parents sleeping forms. If she had it her way she would have had her own bed to reduce the odds of being found out, but alas there was only one bed and she didn't really want to sleep on the floor. Plus, if she was caught sleeping there, she would have to answer even more questions. She crawled like a sloth, every movement deliberate and carefully planned. After a minute or two she finally reached the front of the bed. She slowly stuck her feet underneath the covers and ever so carefully slipped her body further underneath, being mindful to not accidentally kick her parents. Once she was settled, she released a soft sigh. 'Made it.'

She closed her eyes to sleep, but her mind was too active. Jumbled thoughts swirled around, pushing and shoving their way to her attention. With her mind so chaotic, sleep was all but impossible. She groaned quietly and opened her eyes, staring at the rocky ceiling. It seemed so naked and bare to her eyes.

And then her thoughts returned to Lucius.

No one had ever treated her magic like that. Sure her mother and father always encouraged her, but they had never acted like Lucius. While her parents were proud of her first flame (which had yet to grow any stronger after several years), Lucius was different; he was filled with evident, sincere wonder. The look on his face when he saw her flame wouldn't leave her mind. It kept replaying over and over again. It made her feel so incredibly special. It made her just a little bit happier regarding her flame.

Was that it? Was that the feeling, the reason for the knots in her chest? Was it simple, yet intense gratitude? She smiled slightly. 'That's gotta be it. I guess I'm just thankful for what he said to me.' Satisfied with her answer, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

"Down the hatch!" Natsu cheered. He placed his hand over his mouth and swallowed one of Mystogan's X-Balls with an audible gulp. He gave a satisfied sigh like he just had a refreshing drink and laughed. "Now we're all set for the day! I feel pumped!"

Serafine eyed the small red ball her father had given her. "I wish these things tasted like something," she said before tossing it in her mouth and swallowing.

"Aye," Happy agreed, sobbing at the flavorless pill he just swallowed. "I wonder if Mystogan has fish-flavored X-Balls."

"That would probably smell after some time," Mira said with a smile. She had already swallowed her pill for the day.

"Now that all of our magic has been restocked for the day, let's get moving!" Natsu exclaimed. He marched to the door and threw it open. "We've got to prepare! Tomorrow's the big day!"

"What are we supposed to do?" Happy asked.

"We'll head for the strategy meeting of course!"

"Are you even sure they're meeting now?" Mira asked.

"Nope! Not at all! But if we find Brac, I bet something will happen."

"But Papa, how can we possibly know where to go to find him?" Serafine asked. "This place is like a maze. We'll get lost without someone showing us the way."

Natsu looked over his shoulder and snickered while pointing to his nose. "You doubt your Papa's tracking skills? I can just track Brac's scent. Easy peasy!"

"Really? You can smell him?" Serafine asked, sniffing the air. All she could smell was dirt.

"Your Papa's nose has always been incredibly strong," Mira said.

"Lead the way, Natsu!" Happy cried.

"Just follow me!" Natsu said.

The Dragneels walked the paths following Natsu's lead. He walked with confidence and never thought twice, even when needing to choose a turn. Had anyone not already known, they would have sworn that Natsu knew the layout of this enormous labyrinth like the back of his hand. And before long, a familiar voice reached their ears, echoing off of the stone walls.

"See? Easy peasy!" Natsu said as the group turned the last corner.

Brac was standing in front of a low set, round stone table. Lucius and several of his fellow compatriots stood around the table with him. His hands were on his hips as he laughed loudly. Spread out across the table top were several large sheets of parchment that were curled up at the edges and held down by small stones. Brac turned towards the sound of the approaching footsteps and his large smile grew larger. "Would ya look at that? You found us! Color me impressed. Good morning to you, friends!"

Natsu lifted his hand. "Yo! What's everyone up to?"

"Reviewing the plans for tomorrow's operation," Brac replied. "We need to completely memorize everything to help things run smoothly. Feel like taking a look?"

"You bet!" Natsu nodded. He dashed forward and squeezed himself into the circle. His eyes darted across the page like a child marveling at a new toy, his face alight with glee.

Mira smiled softly at Natsu. 'He's so adorable when he gets like this.'

"How's it look?" Brac asked.

Natsu tore his eyes from the parchment and looked at Brac with his large smile still plastered on his face. "I have no idea what I'm looking at."

Brac laughed. "A bit confusing, huh?"

Natsu scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "In all my excitement I completely forgot that I don't know what the inside of the Capital looks like."

Brac crossed his arms and nodded. "Makes sense. The only reason we have schematics is because of intelligence gathered through spy networks and informants over the course of several years. I should have realized that newcomers would have no idea what to expect." He clapped his hands. "Tell ya what. All you have to do is memorize movement patterns. We'll describe everything else. Sound good?"

"That's simple enough," Mira said.

"Aside from having to explain stuff to us, are things all set?" Happy asked.

Brac gave the blue Exceed a thumbs up. "It's looking good. We already readjusted to include you all. The plans are complete."

"Alright!" Natsu cheered.

"And supplies?" Mira inquired. "You mentioned yesterday there were preparations that needed to be made."

"Right you are," Brac said. "Actually I was just about to send Lucius to pick up a few minor items that could prove crucial."

"What kind of items?" Serafine asked.

"They're some magic items we ordered that are now made and ready for pick up," Brac explained.

"Where'd you order them from?" Mira asked.

"A nearby small village where a supporter to our cause lives."

"It sounds risky if the village is so near the Capital."

"True, but nothing about what we're doing can be considered safe."

"So you're going alone?" Serafine asked Lucius. There was this strange discomfort in her chest as she looked at the boy.

"I was going to, yes," Lucius answered. "Did you want to come along?"

Serafine's face felt warm. "Yeah, sure."

Lucius smiled and nodded. He turned to his father. "We won't be long. We'll pick up the items and get back as quick as possible."

"Good lad!" Brac said, gripping his son's shoulder. "You look out for each other. And don't hesitate to abandon ship if you sense something out of the ordinary. We can get by without the items if need be."

"Yes, father," Lucius said before turning to Serafine. "Ready to head out?"

She nodded. She followed Lucius to what she could only imagine was a path leading outside.

Natsu and Brac began to talk about plans for tomorrow's operation with the rest of the men. Happy perched on top of Natsu's messy pink locks and observed the conversation. Mira, on the other hand, watched her daughter walk off with a smile. 'My, my. It would appear that I was right. Sorry, Natsu, but our little girl is growing up right before our eyes.'

To say that the village of Faireast was small would be an understatement. If you stood on one side of the village you could easily see the other end. It was comprised of small clusters of tiny one story houses scattered around the small plot of land. Each house had cracked roofs and crumbling walls. The wood that they were built from seemed to be rotting. There were no trees and no vegetation anywhere in the village, save for a few patches of dying grass. The entire village quietly slept in a sea of mud. There was no color to be seen anywhere. It was like the village was dead.

Even the people seemed drained of life. Their dirty clothes were brown, yet the mud from their labor was visible. The clothes were also very poorly made. Stitches were frayed and unraveling. Some garments had spots where it was clear that a patch-up was attempted, but the quality was suffering. As Serafine and Lucius walked through the village, all eyes were turned towards them. But they weren't looking at Lucius.

They were looking at Serafine.

Serafine felt incredibly uncomfortable under their gaze. It was like they were trying to find out every little thing about her by staring at her. She could feel her skin crawling. And it wasn't just the fact they were looking at her. Their eyes seemed soulless. It was as if they were just going through the motions of life, becoming momentarily distracted by a shiny new object they had never seen before. She kept her head down and walked a bit faster, accidentally bumping into Lucius's back as she did so.

He looked back at her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry," Serafine replied with a small voice, fixing her gaze on Lucius's back.

Lucius reached back and grabbed her hand. "Just stay close, okay?" he said softly. "Just in case."

Serafine felt calmer having Lucius's strong, calloused hand grasping hers so tightly. She could feel her body begin to relax. She closed her fingers around his hand. "Will they do anything?"

"It's possible," he replied. "They're living in such poverty that many have resorted to petty theft to get by. Some have been known to get a little violent."

"I can't believe you were going to come here alone," Serafine said.

"Well these people have seen me before. They know I'm on their side. Plus, they know I really have nothing of value. You on the other hand…well…"

"They'd be willing to find out."

"That's one way to put it."

Serafine kept her head down, but peeked out of the corner of her eye. She could see everyone still staring at her. "I kinda wish they'd stop looking at me. It's freaking me out."

"We're almost there. Just think about something else."

She shot him a look even though she knew Lucius couldn't see her. "Think about something else? Really? That's your advice?"

"Yeah."

"Well sorry to break it to you, but it kinda sucks."

Lucius hummed. "Tell me Serafine; do you have a boyfriend back home?"

Serafine's eyes widened. Her whole face and ears turned bright red. Her body became as straight and rigid as a pole. "What kind of question is that?!" she shrieked. Everyone around her jumped back from the sudden outburst. She slumped forward in embarrassment. "Why are you asking something so random?"

"What? I was curious," Lucius said with a small chuckle.

Serafine glared at his back, her heavy blush not fading. "What are you laughing at?"

"You."

"You're a jerk."

"And you're fun to tease."

"Shut up."

"So? Are you going to answer?"

Serafine huffed. "No 'cause you're a jerkface."

"That's too bad. I really wanted to know."

She punched him in the back. "Stop saying weird stuff!"

Lucius laughed. "Okay, okay, I give! I'm sorry."

"Fine, but I won't forgive you anymore after this."

Lucius stopped. "Understood. By the way, we're here."

Serafine blinked. "Huh? Already?"

"See? Thinking about something else helped, now didn't it?"

The two were standing in front of a tiny, isolated shack. In terms of appearance it looked like all of the other houses. The only difference was a small stone well beside the structure and a poorly made sign made from a slab of wood hanging in the window. The sign was hard to read, as the letters had faded with time and weather, but they could just make out the words "PAXON GOODS" in big red letters.

Lucius led Serafine by the hand into the small building. The door creaked loudly as it swung open, threatening to topple if any more weight were applied to its surface. Inside they could see large wooden shelves lining the two side walls. The shelves were filled with small bags of food, small metal tools, piles of lumber, and many other assorted items.

Across the way from the door was a tiny wrap around desk made from the same wood as the shelves. Standing behind it was a small woman. Her messy brown hair was pulled back in a bun and her hands were folded behind her back. Her clothes were just as disheveled as the villagers' clothes. Yet her eyes, though clearly tired, were a little brighter and she had a small smile on her face as she watched her customers enter her shop.

"Lucius. Good to see you," the woman said with a slight bow of her head.

"How are you today, Mrs. Paxon?" Lucius said, returning the greeting.

"Eh, same as I was yesterday I suppose. Guess that means I can't really complain," Mrs. Paxon replied. "And who is this fine young lady? She's very pretty. "

Serafine squirmed uncomfortably while Lucius answered. "This is Serafine."

"A pretty name, too. I love your vibrant, pink hair, dear. And I especially love the streaks of silver. It's so unique."

"Umm…thanks," Serafine replied sheepishly.

Mrs. Paxon put a hand to her mouth and giggled softly. "You two must be mighty fond of each other holding hands like that."

Serafine looked down to where her hand was still grasping Lucius's hand. With a small squeal and a flushed expression she tore her hand away. "It's not like that!"

"My apologies, dear. I shouldn't have assumed," Mrs. Paxon said with another small bow of her head. "So Lucius, I can only imagine that you've come to pick up your custom order?"

Lucius nodded. "That's right."

Mrs. Paxon nodded and bent down, disappearing behind the desk. A few moments later she stood back up and placed a large wooden crate on the counter. "Here's your order then. I think you'll find everything will meet your expectations."

"I'm sure it will. You've never disappointed, Mrs. Paxon," Lucius said. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small cloth pouch held together by a drawstring. He placed it on the counter. It made a metallic sound as it met the wood. "Here's what I owe you."

Mrs. Paxon picked up the pouch and pulled it open. She sifted through the contents, eyes focused as she counted the money. After a while her eyes widened and she looked up at Lucius. "My dear boy, this is far more than your order was worth."

"Compliments of my father," Lucius replied with an honest smile. "He says that it's a little bonus for all that you do. Plus, it couldn't have been easy to get your hands on the materials needed to craft our items."

Mrs. Paxon placed the bag underneath the desk as she sniffed. "Bless his heart. He's far too kind. I can't thank you or your father enough for all you've done for me. Without your business I would have to close up shop. Then what would I do for income? I'd end up like everyone else in this sorry excuse for a village."

Serafine shivered at the thought. "That would be awful."

Mrs. Paxon smiled gently at her. "I can tell that this is your first visit to Faireast."

"Yes ma'am," Serafine said.

"I can't blame you for seeing the people here the way you do. But try to understand that the situation everyone's in is one of desperation. No one knows how to handle such poor conditions."

"But hasn't it been bad for a while?" Serafine asked.

"True, but what I guess you don't know about this village is that it used to be much larger and much more prosperous."

Serafine's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

Mrs. Paxon shook her head. "I'm not. Faireast used to be the top location for the manufacturing and distribution of magic tools and magic tool-related services. It was our specialty. We used to be quite famous for it. People from all over the world would come here to make purchases. However…"

"King Faust happened," Serafine surmised.

Mrs. Paxon nodded. "You guessed it. As soon as that demon took control of this country and began monopolizing all of the magic, people quickly lost business. Even selling magic tools became illegal. Folks closed up shop and high-tailed it out of here once all those laws came down. Those who stayed suffered. No one in this village knew of any other trades, so the village quickly died. We tore down houses that no one was using because too much mold had grown. Without any income, we couldn't even keep the land for long."

Serafine couldn't believe the story she just heard. "How can people even still live here?" she asked.

"It's because of Mrs. Paxon," Lucius said. "She uses the meager earnings she makes with this shop to maintain business and keep the people alive."

"That's amazing!" Serafine exclaimed with awe. "You're a total hero!"

Mrs. Paxon waved her hand. "Oh, don't listen to him. He's just talking me up. I haven't done anything worth mentioning. You've seen these poor people. Forget the rags they're forced to wear. They barely eat enough food."

"But it's you, Mrs. Paxon, who ensures that they're at least eating something," Lucius said. "You truly are a godsend. For the people of this village, you are hope." He picked up the wooden crate with a grunt and bowed low. "Thank you again for your service, Mrs. Paxon."

Serafine followed Lucius's lead. "Yes, thank you. For this and everything that you do."

Mrs. Paxon smiled gently. "It's a pleasure to serve you. And it was so lovely to meet you Serafine." She put a hand to her mouth. "I do have to say, you two would make an adorable couple."

Steam almost erupted from Serafine's ears as her whole face turned red. She bolted upright and waved her hands rapidly in front of her. "I swear there's nothing like that between us! We are not a couple!" She looked over shyly at Lucius. The boy was laughing quietly and scratching his head of messy hair. His cheeks were also flushed. 'Is he blushing? And why does that make me feel even more embarrassed?'

With a final wave, Lucius and Serafine left the small shop. Mrs. Paxon waved back at them until the door swung closed. She sighed softly. "I'm counting on you, Lucius and Serafine. We're hanging on by just a worn thread. You and the rest of White Wing are truly the last hope we have."