A/N: Finally out of the Onsen, and into the valley. I wrote Onsen Part I and II during Hurricane Irma. The winds were picking up and my room window was boarded, so I had decent inspiration.

I will be responding to Reviews and such at the end of my chapters :D Though I have another shout out to my followers Glass Dragon's Rose, JcL107, StellaTendrisx17, Cough Cough1 (If I hadn't already given you a shout out. I honestly can't remember so just in case), lopezxitalic29, mschexmix, Nova1487 (again I can't remember so I'm doing it again just in case), msfemjem, MTherez( again I have a terrible memory at times and I'm too lazy to look back at previous chapters) and TheRamenKid.

To my favoritees: Fluffy The Terrible, MThereze (I think I gave you a shout out before, I really don't remember but JUST IN CASE), StellaTenedrisx17, TheRamenKid, angelus999, cough cough1, emmibearnac it's you guys that make writing this worth while. As long as one of you enjoy it then that's all the more worth it to continue this story.

This goes to you my reviewers, my favoritees and my followers.

Disclaimer: Though I love the little trouble makers, I don't own Fairy Tail.


Chapter 8-Windsor Valley

The valley was flat, with tall wheat grass in every direction. The A team had been seeing grass for three days straight, causing everyone to get antsy and judging from the position of the sun, it was about noon.

"Can this get any more boring?"

"Natsu calm down, we should be there soon." It was Wendy who cracked first, she couldn't stand to lie anymore and showed her multiple torn up pieces of the map. Natsu pulled on it while it was in Gray's possession, then Lucy tried to stop him by tugging on the delicate rice paper also, resulting in Charle attempting to pull on the map from above as her claws sunk into it. Happy's claws happened to be in the center waving for them to stop. The map gave way resulting in all of them slipping. The map shredded into many different pieces. Erza made them all fix it with glue and tape. Their map looked real shoddy, but they could still discern its directions...she hoped.

"I want to let loose, that last fight with the bogus dragon wasn't even enough to get me to sweat."

Gray chewed on a piece of wheat to help curb the craving for nicotine, since Scarlett so kindly pushed him to dump his box of cigarettes. He stuffed his hands into his white cloak over a black shirt. "Quit complaining."

"Ya wanna go at it?" Natsu knocked his head up against Gray's, who in turn pushed back down since he was two inches taller. It resulted in grunts and pushing each other back and forth.

Lucy, much shorter than both men, pushed between them with a glare that could match a certain red haired monster when angry. "Knock it off."

They gulped, "Yes mam."

"Thank you, now I don't have to intervene." Erza still had her nose in the map attempting to figure out if they were anywhere close to the village.

"We can call you Erza soft!" Happy was rewarded with three lumps after Lucy hit him with her fist.

The said woman had been on edge lately, her period started despite Wendy's magic to help stall the process. However it came and she felt incredibly gross, having to stop every hour to two hours making sure she didn't bleed through her clothes. Natsu never complained when they had to stop so she could go. The other girls often went with her so she wasn't alone. She wore comfortable black cargo pants with a black tank top and traveling boots.

Natsu looked at Happy through one eye and shook his head no at him. Happy was stunned for a minute at the gesture, then felt bad. Was Lucy sick?

"Lucy, are you feeling okay? You've been grouchy the past few days."

Natsu waved desperately at his Exceed to stop.

Lucy paused and cuddled him in understanding that the Exceed wouldn't know any better. "I'm alright, I just don't feel good."

The pyromaniac let out a breath he was holding, and the ice mage put his face in his palm. "Happy, Lucy is on her period."

She dropped her favorite fuzzy blue cat with wide eyes, then turned her head like a robot. "Aaaannndd how do you know this, Gray?"

Just the way she spoke his name made him take two steps back hesitantly with his hands in front, hopefully diffusing the woman. "Don't blame me! Natsu told me not to bother you too much this week. He says that once a month like clockwork since we've known you. I put two and two together."

His eyes bulged at being ousted, expecting the worst, like he was about to become dragon kibble. He broke into a cold sweat as Lucy marched towards him; watching her, prepared for a punch, kick or some sort of bodily harm. Instead he realized the blonde was rather calm.

"Thank you, for trying to help me out." Surprising herself, she kissed his cheek in a friendly way then went to discuss things with their youngest dragon slayer.

Gray, Happy and Natsu stood there like hell froze over.

She glanced back with a wink and dawning a grin, teased. "Come on, we don't have all day!"

Breaking out of their stupor, walked behind their four female counterparts. "Woman are weird." They all agreed to Natsu's statement, who also had a tinge of pink to his cheeks.

SsS

A week. A solid week passed. The group smelled like they hadn't bathed in a month, though it wasn't far off from the truth. Natsu and Wendy kept a wide birth from the others since it was the hottest part of the late afternoon.

"Ya'll need a bath. If you knew how gross you guys smelled, you'd be over here with me."

Wendy just held Charle with nervous laughter.

"Not like you smell any better!" His shaggy black haired self made a decision tired of Natsu's complaints. He walked over with his arms raised and tackled the fire mage into the ground with his sweaty naked armpit right in his rival's nose. "SUFFER!"

Natsu yelled with a high pitch.

"Will you both, for the love of GOD, behave! Do I have to come over there?!" Pulling out her sword for emphasis, began the count. "One," The guys were still fighting when they heard two then stopped.

"Natsu as punishment you have to walk with the rest of us."

"What?! How…how close."

Erza just smiled wickedly with hair over her eyes.

That's how Natsu found himself under Erza's arm, the armor made her smell worse than all the others. Gray was under the other one. He appeared as though he would faint from sensory overload from being in such a close proximity. "…This sucks..."

Charle heard the comment from within Wendy's arms. "Well if you boys hadn't fought, you would have been able to keep your places, but alas you caused trouble. So you have no room to fuss about your current situation." Then mumbled, "They used to stop at one."

The sky maiden hated to break it to her white fuzzy exceed. "Charle, you smell pretty bad too."

Catching up with the two girls interjected their conversation. "I bet I smell great compared to the rest of you."

Lucy paced over to where Wendy was. "No Happy, I'm afraid you're in the same boat as the rest of us." Till their healer forced back a grimace. "Oops sorry Wendy." Walking back towards the others, gave an affirmative thumbs up. "This good?"

"Yes!" Long blue, now greasy hair, tilted to the side as her shoulders slumped with an exhausted sigh. "Charle, I hope we get there soon. I don't know how much more we can take…in more ways than one." Her voice had a hint of disgust to it.

SsS

Eight days. Eight days of traveling, arguing and hot sticky air. By the time the eighth day rolled around they had to sleep as far away as possible while still being in range, sick of each other and how they smelled. Everyone was cranky from hunger, discomfort, and lack of sleep due to the endless cycle of all three reasons. Lucy was happy she was done with her cycle, but that left her with a whole new feeling of gross being unable to bathe during that time. Then Erza's kicked up. Needless to say, they all wanted to murder one another by that night.

It was on the ninth day they finally came to a village at twilight. All of them had been so ecstatic they forgot their manners and flocked to the village as though they won the lottery. Not realizing there was a gate with wooden pikes.

"HALT…oh mi god!" The single guard, dressed in leather wrapped around his legs, arms and torso, with a feather band around his head, held his nose and doubled over. "Get em ta our hot springs en FAST!" Shouting to the watch post, saw one of their men back up as they opened the gate just enough for a couple of people to get through.

It was his General who approached with two more guards in tow, and a much deeper voice with the same strange accent as his own. "Trevis, what's the ma…dar glory ta hell fire!" He started to hack and in the process dropped his spear, that hooked over forward, attempting to catch a breath. "Nope, he's right get em ta da springs!" He had an eye patch, dark maroon hair and layered armor in different shades of leather form fitting his torso. His belt had been made of bone from a boar.

"General Scillio! Men what are ye doin' standin thar! Aid yer general!"

"Yis sar!" The soldiers all had uniforms similar to Trevis, except theirs slanted to the right, leaving a portion of their stomach and thigh open. Picking up their General ran inside, dragging his heavy form all the way. "We're goin ta need help, keep yar distance men!" Foot soldiers came out, and pointed their spears while turning their heads away, with red clothes over their noses.

The general mused while being aided. 'None be knowin our location cept our trade runnars connected to tha big city, so how did seven god-awful smellin' missfits find us?' He needed answers.

Team Natsu heard bath and they were in heaven, not caring how everyone reacted to their plight. Every soldier, from what they assumed was Pikeland, walked them to the bath after herding them close to one another similar to cattle. Unsure if they were under arrest or not, happily complied as they towed all their stuff with them.

It was Trevis who spoke with his own orange cloth over his face, protecting him from the smell. "We will come fetch you en some time, we…" He almost threw up in his mouth. "Guuhh…ave' qwestions." With that slammed the wooden door.

The spring was wide and long, separated into a male and female side. They didn't waste any time to strip, even in front of each other, then plunged into their respective bathes. They all scrubbed and washed like their lives depended on it.

Lucy felt a million times better. "Hey, how are we going to wash our clothes?"

Everyone cringed thinking they had to put the same clothes back on, till a woman in a simple leather tunic that hung to her feet and tied at her waist, came in with a brown rag over her nose. She used a pitchfork to shuffle their laundry out the door and in its place a pile of fresh new clothes.

"I really hope we get those back…"

"Wendy, I think it would be for our benefit, that we didn't." Gray sunk further on his side of the hot spring. The only wall separating the men from the females had been made of bamboo without a roof, making conversation easy to be had.

It seemed the only type of clothing available was leather. Natsu ended up wearing a vest that barely went over his stomach, with leather britches stopping at his calf. He used his scarf as a wrap to make him more comfortable and pulled on his sandals for easier movement.

Erza had a top that tied in the back of her neck and around under her chest, much like a bathing suit, wrapping around her waist and hips, in a weird zig zagging pattern. Her skirt was two flaps that covered her front and back end, also choosing sandals over boots.

Gray decided shirtless was better and chose pants that went leg length underneath mahogany shaded boots.

Wendy decided on a simple top tying in the back and wrapped around in front, making a bow above her stomach, she had a regular skirt with sandals.

Lucy picked capris like britches with two leather pieces like suspenders tying into the sleeveless strapless top and leather shoes that stopped at her ankles.

Charle wore a simple small dress sewn in patches, with little black boots.

They all agreed if they ever saw leather again it would be too soon.

"This shit is itchy!" Natsu was scratching like a bear.

"If you keep scratching you'll only aggravate it more, who knew you were so sensitive to that much leather." The blonde celestial mage huffed, watching him caused her to feel itchy too.

"We've been waiting here for what feels like hours, when are they going to come release us. It's like they're using the bath as a means for imprisonment…" Gray shuffled, rather uncomfortable in his own clothes. He went to strip, but realized he actually had to work undressing. "Can we get interrogated, so we can leave to the next stop? Erza, how many places do we have to go too?"

Thankfully the map didn't get mixed in with their attire that had been taken. "It seems after this village, we have to travel further south closer to a desert. I thought this was Pikeland, but it seems Pikeland is located in Bengai Desert. Charle misread because her pieces didn't go together. Windsor Valley, that makes this Rivendor village…Wait…what?" Upon Further study of the map, noticed all of it in the wrong place, the roads weren't matching up. "I should have realized such a simple error, you pieced the map wrong!" Fisting the map turned on her six counterparts "You have Pikeland in the Bengai Desert and Karton City in Windsor Valley, it looks like Finreal Ruins is in the middle of a random forest instead of in Skyline! Ugh and you have Rivendor in Skyline instead of Wetland like it's supposed too!"

There was a silent gust of wind that blew as they're eyes went wide and jaws dropped to the floor at this massive mistake and their re-quip mage's outburst. "Now we have to ask for supplies tell them we are passing through, and maybe they'll let us go. Thankfully…" Struggling to read the misconfigured map, turned it in a constant rotation in order to figure out how the roads connected, "We can cut through…Rivendor?" She paused thinking it may have been wrong, "No wait Mostle? What IS this?" Having enough turned on them ferociously.

"You WILL fix the map!"

SsS

Erza watched fuming, "Natsu are you itching?"

Natsu paused and they proceeded to delicately cut the map apart like a puzzle piece. Lucy had Crux out in order to help them determine if the roads were right.

With his elbow on his knee and black haired head in his palm, motioned to Crux with the free hand accusingly. "Why is he sleeping at a time like this?"

"Ah… no. He's actually searching through celestial archives that hold ancient roads that might be similar to our map."

"Ah…"

"OOOOHHHH!" Old Man Crux startled everyone, then pointed out where their mistakes were.

SsS

It took five stressful hours, delicate precision and constant instruction from Crux to get the map to what it was. The one who summoned him in the first place was exhausted from using so much magic for such a long period of time.

After they were finished Erza smiled. "Well done." Picking it up to investigate their work, discerned their location and where they should be headed. "Alright this makes much more sense, Windsor Valley is where we are located. This village is definitely Pikeland, however we have to pass through Skyline in the Finreal Ruins, then onward to Karton City, next is Rivendor in the Wetlands and finally it says the egg is in Mostle in the Bengai Desert. It's…" Placing her forehead in her palm, couldn't believe the journey they were going to have to continue on. "…Six more months away, on foot from here to the south. As far south as we can think of here in Earthland..." Pausing for effect, faced everyone. "They did not make it easy to find our egg's location."

A guard finally stepped in ready to question them, relieved that they smelled normal. "Our general wishes to interrogate you."

Lucy, along with everyone else, felt like she had a fifty ton weight on her shoulders. "Let's get this over with…"

SsS

General Scillio was a very understanding man. Once he was told of the weird misfit's plight, actually sympathized with them. All seven people were in his quarters within the military section of the village, made of stones and clay ceramic roofing that pointed upward in a cylindrical cone. The wide circumferenced room had leather coating every inch of the walls and roof. It was made of cowhide, horsehide and buffalo-hide. The chair he was sitting was made of willow wood pikes and teeth from different beasts, tied together with intestinal lining from lamb as string. Erza sat seizan style on his bear rug over a dirt floor to determine negotiations. "So ya aren't here fer stealin' our leather worken secrets, an jus are on a varry long journey ta finden this miss'n egg?"

Erza stood in as vocal representative. "Yes precisely. We only need rest, and to restock on previsions. Then we will be out of your way. We will even give back the clothes you've given us as a means of our sincerity."

It did not take long to decide on his part. The deep maroon haired man with the eye patch wanted them out as soon as possible. "How long till yur able ta leave?"

"We only need three days of rest, then we'll be out of your village."

Three days was still too much time. 'Maybe I canna aim fer tew…' His gruff voice, deep and commanding gave an answer as he propped one booted foot up on his table with a map of the village on it, shaking the entire piece of furniture from his muscled leg. "Too long."

Erza squared her shoulders. "We cannot go any less than three, I'm afraid."

The General pondered for a moment, then decided that three shouldn't be so bad. Their imported leather would be what was shown. It's what these weird people were wearing as well as the villagers. "Three it tis then, but ya will leave farst light on tha thard day. No qwestions ask'd?"

Smiling in triumphant relief from the success of their negotiations, let loose a breath as her partners stayed quiet. "That is more than doable, I accept your terms."

Standing from his seat eyed Erza lazily. "You're a feisty one aren't ye? Ever thought've becomin' a wife?" Stroking his strong chin with stubble and scars winked at her.

Chiming in not comfortable with how he began to treat her friend, embellished on the woman's relationship with Jellal and held Happy for support practically choking him. "Ahhh sir, I'm afraid she already has a fiance'."

The General chuckled a bit. 'Eh might's well have fun wit em.' Turning toward the girl walked up to her and towered over all of them, very similar to Guildarts in height, possibly taller. "Aww tis so? En wat bout yew blondie? Yew been tak'n as a wife yet?"

Natsu pushed Lucy behind him tenderly, easily shielding her from view as he stood and stared up at the man, steeling his gaze challenging him to back off.

A maroon peppered eyebrow furrowed down, while studying the strange haired lad's reaction towards the blonde lass. He quirked a grin. "I see how it tis then!" His laugh was deep and thundered throughout the room, breaking the tension that had been caused. Scillio placed his hands on his hips knowingly. "Ya need ta lay har soon laddy, before s'mone else takes har."

Gray palmed his entire face at the comment, then put his hands together like a sarcastic prayer. "See! That's what I've been saying! Finally someone else says it!"

"Can it. You don't know what you're talking about." The fire mage berated his favorite asshole behind him as he and Lucy blushed in unison. Truth was, little by little he understood more of what was going on inside his own heart, ever since Lucy kissed him so despairingly. However he still didn't quite grasp it yet. He did notice his body reacted differently when it came to her and the desire to touch her increased tenfold.

"Lucy…air…I need…air…" Happy's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets.

"Oh… sorry Happy…here…" Letting him go, she heard him breathe and watched as he face planted into the ground, giving her a paws up as a signal that he was okay.

"Umm… ? We can go to our place of rest now right?"

"Ahh na worries lil' miss lassy, mi gard on tha ousside shall bring ye." Patting the blue haired girl on the head smiled warmly at her. "Yew an yur fuzzy white cat will sleep nice n snug. N fact all yar clothes are bein mended good an new as we speak! Ya can traval again n no time!"

This news brought them joy.

SsS

As per General Scillio's wishes, he had his guards take them to their own spare cottage built exactly the same way the General's quarters had been. Apparently they weren't allowed in the village. They were being kept in the military base and got settled into surprisingly comfortable beds on the floor made of downy, warm animal hide and pure cotton for the chilly nights in Windsor Valley. They quickly settled in seeing how high the moon was, despite it being fairly cloudy. A wave of weariness overtook all of them.

SsS

Natsu and Lucy laid wide awake with their backs facing each other, the general's comment lingering between them like a thorn from a rose. The two somehow ended up in the middle of their friends by some cruel twist of fate. The moon shined down on them from the opening of the hut, signifying it was late in the night, since none of them remembered to pull the string that closed circular top closed.

His pink spikey haired head turned, wanting to be near her like he'd gotten used to being whenever he stayed over at her apartment. He saw her shiver and heard a sniff causing his body to act on its own, betraying him.

Suddenly a much taller figure engulfed her with warmth. She felt all tension release realizing who it was. Lucy understood the comments between Gray and the General, but hearing his response tore her into shreds. When she thought everyone was asleep, released the tears freely, suffocating in her own sadness with no way out. She didn't suspect him of all people to be awake. Feeling him shift to be under the same covers, unintentionally snuggled against him.

Lucy tried to keep her emotions under control at feeling him there, truly she did. However her extraordinary deep love and desire for the man caused her to shamefully turn her head into his chest instead, intertwining their legs together, which he readily accepted. She couldn't help feeling her heart break more when the full weight of it crash in around her. '…We really do sleep like we're lovers…' It was a thought nobody else would hear, only a nod to her wounded soul as more salt water poured through. She hated herself in this moment, knowing Natsu could fully hear and smell her anguish but not realize she was satisfying her own want.

A deep heady sigh came as though he was holding his breath and held her head in his chest to keep her warm, generating a bit of magic to raise his body temperature just enough for it to be comfortable. He listened to her cry as he held her tighter, feeling her whole body shake from muffled whimpers while clinging to his bare torso since he ditched the leather top a while ago, opting for Gray's choice of garb instead. He didn't say anything and held her the rest of the night till she calmed down, not ready to know what placed her in this fragile state to begin with and for his own selfishness being able to touch her.

Erza, Gray, Wendy, Happy and Charle heard the movement, some shuffling and Lucy's tears begin to quiet. They all internally cried alongside their Summoner without shedding a drop, but smiled when they knew who went to comfort said woman. Scooching away from the center, became more comfortable within their own bedding to give Lucy and Natsu some space.


A/N: I won't lie, the part where Lucy was in such despair got to me hard. I've dealt with a similar situation however I was laying next to my boyfriend and he didn't even hear my despair or do anything about it. I felt completely at a loss. So I wanted to give them what I never had. Some sort of comfort and a little light. Also I admit I am shipper trash _ I spend all my free time writing this fic and reading others. Like you don't want to know how much fanfic I have read. I have books and manga LOL

A/N: I don't know how to tag but I think this is it? I bold the names right?

Cough Cough1: Thank you so much for your positive review, I'm going to do my absolute best!

FangirlFanatic: I'm so glad you think so!

MThereze: Yay! I'm glad you like it!