A/N: So I posted chapter 10 sooner than I thought. I was so excited about how it turned out I wanted to share. Also my editor reviewed it and as long as I don't throw smut in here or graphic lemons *cough* which I'm not sure I won't do...it will stay T. So I switched the rating back. Also I figured out an attractive chapter break! YAAAY The stupid "SsS" are no more. I am now using "::*::" which is very similar to my breaks in Microsoft Word. If you're reading this then you'll see the shift I believe in either chapter 8 or 9...
Disclaimer: There's really got to be more than one way of saying it. I really don't own Fairy Tail.
Chapter 10-Retribution
"I can't believe after all of that, you dragged us back here…" Gray was laying on his stomach similar to an army crawl while he and Natsu watched the guards go back and forth, in front of the encampment they left not twenty minutes ago. He almost couldn't believe it when he heard what the fire mage saw, he also knew that the dragon wouldn't make it up either.
"Shut up, do you want them to see us?" He so very badly wanted to go in there burn everything up. He also knew that they needed some sort of plan. "There I got the pattern, let's go back to the others…"
::*::
A bit a ways away Wendy, Erza, Lucy, Happy and Charle waited patiently for them.
Erza moved forward with arms crossed. "Well?"
Natsu looked directly to her eyes. "They switch guards every five minutes. Within that five minutes there is a one minute window where nobody is watchin'."
"That's our opportunity. All three of us will go in." To do what exactly? Cause mayhem, she and Natsu both wanted to burn their labs to cinders.
"You three, what about Wendy, Charle, Happy and I? You really think I'm going to let you walk in there without us as backup? Hell no!" Lucy wasn't happy, nor should she be. Despite what her fire mage witnessed she wanted part in turning everything upside down and inside out. On her own she could level a town with Taurus's star dress.
Natsu breathed in a sigh knowing this was not going to be easy to convince her to stay put. Lately his draconic instinct to protect the celestial mage had been in overdrive. "Lucy…I want you nowhere near this. Stay here with Wendy and the others." Stepping close, towered two heads over her with his own arms crossed. "That's final."
She felt something in her snap and gave him a hard stare, completely unaffected by his height or the edge of finality in his words. "Who do you think you are to order me like that?"
The both of them forgot they had onlookers, who stepped away cautiously in anticipation for the blow up.
::*::
Gray leaned in to Erza, "How much you wanna bet Lucy will win?"
"10000 jewels."
"Heh you're on, I'll make that 15000 in Lucy's favor. Want in Wendy?"
Cocking her blue head dawned a sneaky grin. "What's the bet at?"
Smirking at her responded. "25000 for Lucy's win."
"Make it 12000 in favor for Natsu."
"Natsu eh? Risky choice…" He pulled out a bag as everyone threw in their pot.
"Wha, I want in too!" Happy sat down practically invisible due to the tall wheat grass. The only way you could tell he was there was his blue fur. Raising a paw placed his bet. "I bet 5 fish!"
"Happy this is for jewels not fish, I up the bet another 10000 in favor of Natsu." Charle seemed rather pleased with herself at her bet. Her reasoning was that Natsu was beginning to realize his love for the girl, and from what she knew of Wendy a dragon slayer's instincts to protect their friends was strong. However from speaking with Panther Lily, nothing compared to a dragon protecting his mate. Gajeel proved it time and time again with Levy during the war.
He bounced the blue velvet pouch up and down in his hand and caught it in midair. "One of us will be rich with 47000 jewels tonight!"
::*::
The two did not hear what mischief their nakama was up too in the background, since they were out of a dragon's earshot but not out of eyesight.
Natsu leaned in with his hands at his hips. "I don't want you near it."
"And you have no right to make decisions for me." She puffed up her chest with her own hands at her hips."
He leaned in closer aggressively. "I'm not letting you get hurt."
"I've been hurt, more times than I can count. What's another scar, this isn't any different than what we've been through already!" Her face was barely a few centimeters close to his as their argument heated up.
"This is hugely different! I don't want you around this kind of fight. I don't want you around that place at all." He couldn't exactly word it correctly as to why he was so hell bent on not letting her near this battle. He figured it was because he wanted to protect Lucy from that type of horror, and so soon after the whole Onsen ordeal it was almost too much for him. "I won't be able to focus, if I have to worry about you getting into trouble every ten seconds."
That stung. "Since when have I been a distraction?!" She waved her arms out like she just took a hit.
::*::
"Natsu really isn't backing down, I think our jewels are in trouble."
Dark brown eyes gave Gray a side glance while standing comfortably in her soft clothes. "Don't discount her yet, Lucy is not a force to be reckoned with."
::*::
He had to step back a bit to stop his head from counting all the times he had to save her ass and honestly couldn't believe she asked such a dumb question. His face showed it. "Just let me handle this one and stay here with the others…"
Crossing her arms gave that steely gaze like she did in the infirmary. "No."
He had to remember to breathe in and out as he stared at her then rubbed his hand through his hair stressed then came close in on her again, using his index finger to make his point clear. "Damn it Lucy, listen to me this one fucking time."
"Why?" They've always gone through every fight together, no matter how deadly it was. This would be nothing compared to the war they fought. It couldn't even hold a candle, so why wouldn't he let her in on it? Especially when she can fight.
"Because I don't want you to see it!" He was exasperated, their arguments have been more frequent and her stubbornness matched his almost to a "T".
"I think I can handle it, I'm not a child. No matter what you say I'm go-…"
There deep within his stomach, fire burned with a sudden impulse and he understood it was his only solution; by grabbing both sides of her head to crash his lips to hers.
She went rigid, completely flabbergasted at the sudden action.
He pulled away almost too soon and lowered his head, with a heady tired sigh against the blonde's forehead. "Stay here." He walked away with a proud stride as Lucy seemed to be cemented in place. That was his second time to kiss Lucy. He wasn't going to deny that he really did want more of it.
::*::
Gray and Erza stood there shell-shocked. Natsu won the argument in one of the most unexpected ways, especially for the fire mage. Before his pink head got closer, he subtly tossed the jewel purse to Wendy.
Natsu walked right passed them in the direction of the village, stopped and tilted his head ever so slightly without actually looking back. "Let's go." Then silently moved on as his tunic and scaled white scarf fluttered in the wind against the straw behind him.
This wasn't going to be pleasant.
::*::
A thick icy fog settled in around the village, with as cold as it was nobody was really surprised at the sudden change. This happened every once in a while. The fog descended through, blanketing over the entire area from the military encampment to the village. Three lone figures walked in amongst it, as they approached the hut where they prepped the leather.
Slit pupils surrounded by reddish gold eyes that glowed with fury, skimmed across the target zone as a spark escaped from the corner of his lips; almost as though he swallowed the sun and plasmatic tendrils sought for an escape.
::*::
Lucy wanted to murder him. In her opinion you don't kiss people to win an argument. Wendy approached her person not long after the others left wondering if she was doing alright.
In her own mind, no. No she wasn't alright, she wanted retribution against Natsu. Unfortunately somehow someway that stupid kiss, got her to sit down and wait with Wendy begrudgingly.
Next thing they knew was an explosion breaking through the deathly quiet field. The two girls stood as if their eyes witnessed Armageddon far in the distance, coming from the direction of the military camp.
::*::
Ice covered over every fire after each "lab" was turned into nothing but cinders, extinguishing it.
A sword's deathly shine reflected the scene being created, daring anyone to defy its blade.
Fire licked against his feet as he walked, blowing every military hut with that disgusting smell into absolute desolation. His center gravity was perfect as each foot fall was practically a glide, silent and steady.
The chill in the air made it extraordinarily difficult to breath, putting most asleep as they continued on their war path.
Red hair trailed about as they pressed onward.
::*::
General Scillio ran with his entire army in tow fearing the worst. They all retired for the night when the "outskirts" of their encampment suddenly went up in flames. He wasn't daft, he understood the power their visitors had. He also knew the one with pink hair figured out the village secret. The only thing that could be done, was reasoning since he didn't hold any magic. He could fight with the best of them in hand to hand combat, but against these monsters the village would ultimately meet its ending. He just hoped he could explain their position in time before they harmed the villagers.
::*::
A fire encased fist punched the floor as the earth erupted from the sheer strength, bending to its antagonists whims. The crack went directly towards General Scillio's hut before it stopped, almost like a golem obeying its master saying that they were here, and they weren't happy.
::*::
Said General paused when he heard the earth crack in the direction of his place, he told everyone to protect the village as he took off at a running sprint to where he was certain to find them.
::*::
There they were in his hut, only three of them. It took him a minute to register only three caused so much damage within minutes. Their frames stood tall, as if they commanded the very air General Scillio breathed, giving him an image that they were unstoppable.
He dragged a hand through his deep maroon hair as he shook his head. "Aiigt ye ain't pleased. Tis no mai wish tha iits done. It's the chief. Now me I kno betar. Don mistake ii. Mi plannen to dethrone the chief n take ovar n stop this harrid, centaries ol' practice. Jus I beg ye, leave da village alone. They don kno wha we do en our ranks, thay still think ii be animal hide. All tha leathar ye saw in da village is imported, we get ii an make it for different cities."
The three of them looked to each other, in a silent conversation General Scillio would never hope to understand. The center one with pink hair stepped in front and squared off with him sporting a giant boyish grin like he had no care in the world.
The dark one with sharp eyes moved too quickly for him to catch as the same thick fog encased them, as if the sky fell just within his hut. It cleared after a few minutes and they were gone. Leaving him standing there feeling like he was an idiot. He got their message straight, fix your ways… or else.
::*::
The sun rose pleasantly as three people came to where they left their friends, and smiled at the sight. Lucy, Wendy, Charle and Happy curled together within the wheat grass underneath a very thick blanket given to them by the village. It was not human skin or animal hide; but very bright colorful soft cotton with patterns of wheat and pictures of the villagers sewing, or doing various activities. On the market it would be worth a couple thousand Jewels. The fire mage had to hand it to them, they really were talented despite their messed up military.
When Natsu decided to pull the blanket off of all four of them, it earned him a really grumpy reaction. He grinned like he did nothing wrong as Lucy swatted at him holding Happy to her chest, while Wendy flinched inward crushing Charle attempting to escape the bite of early morning. He guffawed freely as he helped Lucy up, then his littlest kin with her Exceed.
::*::
General Scillio took all morning to survey the damage when he realized that the only things that were obliterated had been the "labs" and their ancient libraries in the medical wing thanks to those misfits. If nothing else, they were thorough. One of his men came up to him breathlessly after a run saying nobody in the village was hurt, there wasn't a scratch on any of the guards. With this joyous news he laughed hardily.
The sky lit up with the softest baby yellow, as the sun's golden rays touched each blade of wheat grass as the dew that was temporarily frozen, thawed and trickled down the stems. Warmth coated over the land with fresh, air renewed from the night as the sleepy village awoke to begin a new day.
AN: No new favorites or follows to give a shout out too, (which is absolutely okay) but I have one Review!
Glass Dragon's Rose: I know right? *shudders* soo creepy bleeh LOL
