The explosions and shouts on the beach, blended with the sounds of the cicadas in the jungle. Minerva stomped through the foliage, swinging her sword at the vines and branches in her way. She hissed; clutching at the deep cut that she demon had left on her arm. She had returned the favour by stabbing her with a hidden blade in her wrist, while Orga held onto the she demon's arms. Hopefully that hussy was dead. Minerva smirked to herself and looked down at the boot prints on the spongy jungle floor; those pathetic fairies were making it almost too easy.

"What?" Lucy blinked at the gaping jaws of her crew mates; "Are you kidding me. This thing is like a feather."

Just to prove her point she waved around above her head in an ungraceful manner; while Aquarius chuckled gleefully at the dumfounded looks on they're faces.

"Lucy." Natsu said, concerned. "Have you been lifting barrels or something? Or did that mermaid bite give you a boost?"

Lucy scowled, slightly offended. "What? you didn't think I could lift it?"

Natsu grimaced under Gajeel's weight, "No. I-It's just you're so small."

That had been a bad thing to say; "Really?" Lucy asked menacingly. "I don't remember you being the tallest guy in the room."

"Yeah!" Levy piped up, an angry flush on her cheeks; "Lu and I may be small, but we are tough. Good things come in small packages!"

Gajeel smirked devilishly at Levy, "You can say that again shrimp." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Levy looked at him with deep disgust, "Real classy Gajeel. And right in front of Erza too."

Erza glared at Gajeel, but that didn't distract from the blush on her cheeks.

Gray looked at her, equally disgruntled; "What is that thing anyway?"

Lucy shrugged, "I have an idea, but I'm not sure..."

Natsu grinned, excitedly; "Open it now! I wanna see!"

Lucy sighed at the childish grin on his face and tugged at the worn black leather. She gripped hold of what felt like a hilt of a sword. It feels like it...I wonder if it's the real deal. In the dim light of the cave the sword glowed ethereally, completely flawless, but Lucy could tell it was old. The hilt was a different style to the normal cutlasses the other pirates flaunted and decorated with tiny stars and gems. The blade was more like a Katana, with a serrated edge and a fine point.

Natsu gazed at it in awe; "Ooh..." Lucy giggled.

"Shiny!" He cooed happily from under Gajeels heavy arm.

Gray smirked, "What are you? Simple minded or some shit?"

Natsu scowled back at him raising his fists in protest, "You're just jealous you couldn't even lift it! You noodle armed, pasty stripper!"

"Like I'd want a pretty girly sword like that, ya pink-haired moron!"

Levy stopped Gajeel, before he could join in the impending brawl by clipping him sharply round the ear and Erza gripped both of them in tight headlocks, while Aquarius chuckled at them, a superior grin on her face.

Levy glared at a whimpering Gajeel and glanced up at Lucy; "Seriously though Lu, how are you lifting that?"

Lucy shrugged and turned to a very smug Aquarius.

"Care to enlighten us?"

Aquarius grinned wider and tossed her hair over her shoulder, "Only because you asked."

Lucy slapped a hand to her forehead and flicked the sword in irritation.

"Lucy is the only one who can wield the Urano Metria, because Layla and her mother and her mother before her and all their ancestors before them could wield this sword. It is imbued with their blood and was forged by one of Lucy's ancestors."

Levy looked at Aquarius, confused; "Then how did you retrieve the sword from the pool, if Lucy is the only one who can lift it?

Lucy didn't know if the expression on Aquarius's face was one of smugness or she was impressed by Levy's question. The fusion of the two on her face was definitely an unusual sight.

Aquarius shrugged and continued, "It was part of the contract, how else could I look after the sword so that it was passed onto the next descendent of Layla's family. Now Lucy has the sword in her possession, I can no longer carry it."

"That's really cool though Lu, that you're the only one who can wield it, no one can ever steal it from you," Levy smiled and released Gajeel, who pouted sourly and massaged his throbbing ear.

"It's not fair!" Natsu whined morosely, "A whole new niche of pranks...gone! I can't steal that sword like the others..."

Lucy glared at Natsu and pointed her new sword threateningly at his nervously sweating face.

"What!? So you have all of my 'missing' swords and knives."

Natsu gulped under the murderous gazes of Erza and Lucy.

"Natsu. It is dishonourable to steal from a Lady! Have I taught you nothing!?"

He tried shuffling away under Gray's weight. If Erza thought that it was dishonourable to steal weaponry from a girl, then what would she think of the items of Lucy's underwear that had somehow migrated from her small dresser to the safely padlocked chest under their bed. It had been tough sleeping next to Lucy, when he knew what he was doing definitely toed to line between affectionate and being a complete and utter pervert. I am a total pervert, but only for my Lucy...

Erza glared at him and pointed a finger threateningly; "I kindly donated those weapons to Lucy, only for you to steal them! I will deal with you later!"

Gray did nothing to stop Natsu from slumping to the floor in terror at Erza's threat of retribution. Erza turned away and the overzealous gleam lit her eyes again.

"We must journey back to our crew mates so we may show them the success of our quest!"

Aquarius looked at the slightly creepy grin and golden twinkle in Erza's eyes and scoffed, "If that means let's get the hell out of this cave, then yes...let's go!"

Once they reached the edge of the jungle, the sun was burning in the sky, yet the blue sky was hazy. Natsu and Gajeel sniffed and turned their faces sky ward at the trailing greyish wisps in the sky coming from the direction of the beach.

"Gunpowder." Gajeel grunted, scratching his head and grimacing, as Natsu nodded seriously.

Erza grasped the hilt of her sword and looked towards the beach. "Sabertooth must have arrived. We must join our crew in battle!"

Lisanna and Bixslow leant, panting against a tree as sweat trickled down their faces.

"Keep going snowy, we're leaving a good fake trail behind us."

Lisanna wrinkled her nose at the nickname and wiped the sweat from her brow as it dripped down her blue eyes. She panted and leant forwards, to catch her breath.

"I just hope it's enough, I might as well have left a trail of sweat. This damn wig and coat feel gross and hot."

Bixslow shrugged and patted her head a little condescendingly. Before Lisanna could react, he whipped around at the sound of branches being loudly snapped and the swish of a sword through vines.

"I'll help you leave a new trail," a cold smirk adorned her lips; "a pretty, red one."