Hey-hey. We're back with another chapter. I planned out in more detail the first and Second Arcs of this story, so I should be able to write chapters more easily. I'm very eager to get into the exciting parts of this story. But, yeah, anyway enjoy this slower, less eventful chapter.
The blue cat was given the name happy by the pink haired boy called Natsu. Happy quite liked the name. Something about the sound of it being called out by his new family made warm inside. And, he felt it suited him perfectly.
He also quite liked Natsu and the rest of Fairy Tail. Natsu was very funny. The cat loved watching his dramatic expressions and listening to him booming voice. He also seemed very strong. When Natsu held him, he could tell. The cat was no heavier than a piece of paper to the man.
Happy could also tell he was a very loyal person. All of Fairy Tail was. They had such a strong bond. With the way they talked and interacted with each other, it would be clear for anyone, even a naive little cat like him. Happy also discovered that Natsu was the one that took care of him. He was very grateful for Natsu because of this. He figured he was extremely lucky to have been found by a guy like him. The little cat knew they'd be best friends.
Lucy was the other person that he'd spent the most time with so far. Happy noted that Lucy and Natsu seemed to be quite close. They seemed to know something about each other that no one else knew. They had a stronger bond with each other than anyone else. But from what Happy knew, she was only with them for a couple weeks. He found it strange that they were that close. He wondered if they were married.
But anyway, Happy also liked Lucy a lot too. She was very nice and she was very good at petting. Her lap is very comfortable. Happy found her to be very kind, but she could also lose her temper easily which made her fun to tease. She certainly could be mean if she wanted to be. She was definitely weird, but she sometimes gives him fish, so that makes up for it.
The young girl called Wendy was full of affection. If she was around, he'd be cradled in her arms for hours. Happy really didn't mind it all that much, as long as she refrained from squeezing him half to death. Wendy liked to talk a lot too. But there never was really any quiet anyway because a member of Fairy Tail was always sure to break the silence. It helped Happy learn to speak better though and he himself was quite fond of talking with Fairy Tail. They were all very interesting. And people around such lively people helped him learn a lot.
He was very happy, pun intended, to be apart of it all. He was the newest member of Fairy Tail. His new family is what Natsu had said. Happy was extremely eager for the adventures to come. He knew there never would be a dull moment with Fairy Tail. There was so much to see and experience, but it wasn't overwhelming for the little cat. He just wanted to soak every moment of it in.
"Happy, I brought some fish." Natsu's familiar voice twitched Happy's ears. Another reason he loved Natsu. He caught him plenty of fish. Happy jumped up excitedly and flew over to Natsu. He'd gotten pretty good at flying. Happy was training himself to carry things so that maybe he could carry Natsu and be of use to him. However, Happy was still quite small and Natsu was pretty heavy.
"Thanks, Natsu!" Happy smiled, his canines rivaling Natsu's. Natsu sat down next to Happy who crawled onto his lap. Happy noticed something different. He tried to place it while chewing on the juicy fish. "Oi! Where's Lushi? She usually eats with us."
"She said she was gonna eat with Gray today," Natsu said with surprisingly less agitation than he usually had when mentioning the blue-haired swordsman.
"With Gray? Why?"
Natsu shrugged and took another bite of fish. With his mouth full he said, "Dunno."
"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Happy asked innocently. Natsu raised an eyebrow before gulping down his food.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, you and Lucy are married aren't you? That's why you spent so much time with her, isn't it? I thought maybe Gray was stealing Lushi from you." The innocently ignorant cat said. Natsu flushed red but managed a hefty laugh.
"Happy! You've got it all wrong." Natsu shook his head with an embarrassed smile. "Lucy's my friend. And Gray is her friend too, so it's okay for Lucy to talk to him." Happy looked at him suspiciously.
"I wonder what they're talking about though" Happy said. Natsu crossed his arms and leaned his head back.
"Who cares?"
"You don't want to know?" Happy asked. Natsu faltered for a second. He pursed his lips together.
"I guess I do a little bit," Natsu admitted.
"Let's spy on them!" Happy exclaimed. Natsu looked pained. He knew he should refuse, but the offer was really tempting. Reluctantly he gave the kitten a nod of approval.
Happy and Natsu snuck around and found where Lucy and Gray sat together talking. They hid behind a bush staying deathly quiet. Happy made binoculars with his paws which looked rather strange. Natsu watched narrow-eyed with his ears open.
"How long have you known Natsu for?" Lucy asked. The blond had her hands awkwardly folded in her lap. Her voice was strained like it was difficult to talk to him.
"Over four years," Gray said. His voice came off as a lot more relaxed. The cool response seemed to calm Lucy a bit because she managed to take a bite of her food. "It's a good amount of time, but Erza, Laxus, Mira, and Elfman have known him even longer than that."
"I see. The others didn't notice anything though?" Lucy asked.
"Well, like I said, its just subtle differences really. It really isn't anything that I should be that concerned with, but I just have this weird feeling. Besides, even if they did, what would they do?" Gray laughed uneasily. "When Natsu faces something difficult, he usually wants to deal with it by himself. He doesn't want to worry anyone." Happy giggled and nudged the boy next to him.
"They're talking about you." He whispered. Natsu ignored him and leaned in closer.
"I take it you're the same way?" Gray nodded.
"But you are too aren't you?" Gray said. Lucy looked down at her feet. Natsu narrowed his eyes further. "I understand you've got some things you can't tell us yet, but please know that Fairy Tail will help you through whatever it is."
"Thanks, Gray. But trust me, I know that." Lucy gave a small smile. "Natsu's told me something along the same lines."
"I figured. So you didn't even tell him whatever you're hiding." Gray asked. His eyes glanced up at the blond curiously. She shook her head. Gray huffed.
"You know, Gray, I was going to leave Fairy Tail at one point. I was going to run away only a day after I officially joined." Lucy admitted twirling her hair around her finger. Gray 's eyes widened in surprise.
"Is what you're hiding that bad?" Gray asked more to himself than to her. Lucy gave a small nod. "Uh, why didn't you?"
"Why's she telling ice princess that?" Natsu said to himself. His words were riddled with agitation. His lip twitched upward in what Happy was pretty sure was jealousy. Lucy laughed and seemed to ease
"Well, Natsu caught me," Lucy said. Gray smiled and nodded.
"I see. And there's no way he would've let you leave." Lucy sighed. "That's Natsu for you."
"Well, I better get going,"
"Wait, Lucy, I have a feeling Natsu is hiding something," Gray said. "If you ever find out what that is and it's troubling Natsu, could you tell me? We may bicker a lot, but Natsu's my friend. I have a feeling he'd tell you before anyone else." Gray wore a grave frown. He was genuinely hurt saying the last statement, but he knew it was true.
"I can't promise anything, Gray. But if I do find out and it's becoming too much for Natsu, I'll tell you." Lucy said. Gray sighed.
"Alright." Gray knew there was something she wasn't telling him, but he dropped it.
"It was nice talking to you, Gray." Lucy smiled and waved goodbye. "But I don't want Natsu and the cat to miss me." Natsu and Happy left quickly and went back into camp.
Happy looked at Natsu suspiciously. "Hiding something, huh?" The little cat side glanced Natsu. He sighed.
"You'll find out soon enough, Happy. I won't try to hide anything from you, but you can't tell anyone if you find out. I'd explain it to you, but I don't feel like it." Natsu adjusted his scarf before his hand disappeared under it and gripped something on his chest.
...
Lucy couldn't wait. Laxus had said they were nearly to Magnolia. He told her that they'd be there in a day or two. It was so close yet so far away. Lucy wasn't the only one that was excited. Natsu was too. He told her that Magnolia was one of his favorite places. He said they had great spicy food, plenty of great weapon shops, and places to train. He even told her that Fairy Tail was going to buy a building there and make it their headquarters.
From what Natsu was telling her it sounded like a great place. But, though they were excited to see Magnolia, they were more excited to finally get to complete rooms as a guild. Natsu and Lucy only heard stories from their parents. It was only a matter of time before they would get to experience the real deal.
Anything could be in the rooms and they might even very well die. That didn't frighten them though. Rather, it gave them a rush of adrenaline. Lucy went from never leaving her home to traveling to multiple cities in a month and straight on her way to completing rooms.
Lucy never imagined anything like this would happen to her. It had opened up a whole new world and whole new side of herself. Happiness swelled in her heart. She was really, really happy. She couldn't help but grin wildly and spin around where she stood.
"Lushi? Are you okay?" The little blue cat asked. Lucy giggled and squeezed him to her chest.
"More than okay, Happy. I'm just excited."
"Are completing rooms really all that fun?" Happy asked. Lucy had just explained to the cat what Key Keepers even were a few days ago. The young cat still had a lot to learn.
"To be honest, I don't know for sure because I've never done it before. But my mother told me many stories and it always brought her great joy to tell them, so I'm sure it must be a wonderful adventure." Lucy beamed, her cheeks were flushed red with pleasure.
"I think you're overreacting. It sounds dangerous."
"Of course it's dangerous, Happy. That makes it more exciting." She stated.
"You don't seem like the type to go after danger. You know what I think, Lushie?" Happy asked. Lucy narrowed her eyes at the cat.
"What is that?" Lucy asked knowingly it wasn't going to be good.
"That when you actually face danger you're going to be scared out of your wits. You'd probably pee your pants like a baby." Happy declared. Lucy glared at the cat and stopped hugging him.
"You know what I think Happy?"
"What?" Happy challenged.
"That you sure have a big mouth for a kitten," Lucy said. "You should learn to respect your elders."
"Oi, Lucy you just called yourself old. Now that I get a closer look at you, you're starting to get wrinkles." Lucy touched her face protectively.
"I will make sure you don't get any fish tonight, young man!" Lucy threatened.
"I'm a cat, not a man."
"Don't make me make it two days Happy!"
"I think you should take your own advice Looney, you're a bit on the heavier side." Happy teased. Lucy lifted the little cat up with pure rage in her chocolate eyes. Surely, if she were in an anime, they'd be glowing red with fumes of black smoke pouring out of her. "Oi, Lucy put me down."
"Hey, are you being mean to Happy again?" At the sound of Natsu's voice, the little cat begins to cry dramatically.
"Natsu! Lucy said I had a big mouth, threatened to take away my fish for two days, and grabbed me so violently it almost hurt!" Happy cried. Happy flew out of Lucy's hands and into Natsu's. Lucy gripped her hands into annoyed fists and glared fiercely at the cat.
"Don't be so mean to him, Lucy. He's only a kitten. You should be more mature than to pick fights with a cat." Natsu scratched Happy's head and the cat snuggled into him.
"But, Natsu…" Lucy started. Natsu tsk and waved his fingers.
"I don't want to hear it, little lady. Or no baths for a whole week." Natsu said. Lucy deadpanned. She stood completely still like she was about to erupt any second. She wasn't too pleased with the pink haired idiot calling her immature and treating her like a little kid. Instead, she took a deep breath and huffed out most of her anger. Now she was only slightly frustrated and very annoyed.
"Natsu, you can't make me not bathe for a week, that's ridiculous. Unlike you, I don't want to smell like fire, sweat, and fish. And besides, you don't hold that kind of authority over me." Lucy said folding her arms with such smoothness you'd think she was a lawyer or politician.
"And you don't hold that authority over me, Looney!" Happy hissed while Natsu smelled himself. He made an unusual face.
"Shut it, cat," Lucy said. "What did I say about respecting your elders."
"Alright, Lucy, that's enough," Natsu said. Lucy pouted.
"Why do you always take the cat's side,"
"I like him more than I like you." He shrugged. Happy laughed.
"Natsu!" Lucy yelled. "Fine then. Maybe I'll eat my meals with Gray from now on. If you like Happy so much."
"Go ahead." Natsu crossed his arms. Happy stared at Natsu. He couldn't really be okay with that could he? Natsu's eyes widened. "Wait, what?!"
"You heard me,"
"Could you guys keep it down over there!" Gajeel shouted.
"Let them be," Mira cooed. "It's young love."
"Sorry, Lucy, I'm flattered but I'm going to decline your offer. I think Natsu just might kill me." Gray called out amused. Lucy and Natsu's faces were flushed pink.
"You liiike her." Happy teased.
"Shush, Happy!" Lucy and Natsu said bitterly. "Don't be stupid," Natsu added.
"Aye, sir."
...
Mavis, Igneel, Layla, and Zeref ate dinner together. Mavis managed to get Zeref to sit around the fire with them. Mavis and Layla held up most of the conversation. Zeref bearly spoke unless asked a question directly and even then he kept it brief. He had no desire to be making friends. He just wanted some peace and quiet.
He never managed to get any between the whispers and now Mavis and her attempts to make friends. It was so overwhelming. Somehow, Mavis was able to get rid off a lot of the whispers from Aether simply by being around. But it didn't stop them completely. And whenever Mavis got more than thirty feet away, the whispers flooded his mind more than they had didn't stop the nightmares either or the drained feeling that weighed him down constantly.
He knew he wasn't always like this, but at this point, he didn't remember when that was. He didn't remember what it felt like for his mind to be free. What it was like when his chest wasn't heavy. What silence sounded like. At least, since he couldn't remember them, he couldn't miss them either.
He was thankful for Mavis. She gave him some sort of peace. But sometimes he just wanted to be rid of her. She used up a lot of his energy, and he had little of it. Zeref never really had a friend before. He didn't even know if he'd call Mavis a friend, possibly an acquaintance but that didn't sound quite right to Zeref either.
She was more of a pest he couldn't get rid off that he's grown to somewhat tolerate. He didn't know if there was a word for that kind of relationship. Mavis certainly called Zeref a friend and companion. But that was Mavis overly positive thinking and obliviousness. Surely, she'd been desperate for some company if she'd chosen to travel with Zeref.
There was something off about Mavis that he couldn't place. There was definitely more to her. Something she wasn't quite telling him. It probably had something to do with the key she's carrying around. Zeref didn't care enough to ask though. She could have her secrets as long as she didn't pry into his.
"How'd you and Mavis meet?" Layla's voice broke through Zeref's thoughts. He straightened his posture.
"Oh, uh, she followed me around the woods until I paid attention to her." Zeref said. "Then demanded to see my keys. And then all of the sudden she was traveling with me." Layla raised an eyebrow and turned to Mavis for confirmation. Mavis shrugged.
"That's basically right," Mavis admitted. The was an awkward pause in the conversation. Mavis took it upon herself to start it up again. "So, what about you two. How long have you been traveling together?"
"Well, about seven years I believe. Since I was fifteen. Igneel was seventeen at the time." Layla said. Igneel nodded. "To put how we met simply, we ran into each other in Crocus, and things kind of fell into place. I suppose it was written in the stars." Mavis smiled.
"Fate can be a powerful thing. Bringing people together, tearing them apart. Bringing fortune and misfortune. Life and death. Fate made sure to bring us together today, in the end, there's a meaning to it all, even if we don't know what that is. Fate's never wrong." Mavis raised her hand to the dark sky and she thought she could see what fate had in store for them right there in between her fingertips. It was a strange gesture, but weirdly appropriate, almost natural.
...
Layla was in awe of the town Crocus. It was truly unlike anything she'd seen. The town was bustling and there were all kinds of different people. It was definitely a change from what Layla was used to. The town near her home was a lot less busy than this and she spent most of her time in her cottage in the countryside. She'd spent the night in Crocus, but she wasn't able to see much of the town since she was tired from travel.
However, one thing she missed about her home was the view of the stars. Layla could find all the constellations and planets visible. She even able to name many of the more major stars. The night sky in Crocus wasn't quite the same but still beautiful. The sky back home gave Layla a more peaceful calming feeling to it. But Crocus's sky gave a feeling of determination and adventure.
It gave her comfort to know that under the same sky her home laid for her to come back to if she'd ever need it. For now, she wanted to see the world and experience the things she'd only dreamed about. She also wanted to make use of her Key Keeper abilities. That's what brought Layla to Crocus. It had so many opportunities. Guilds from all over came here. She had a feeling that Crocus was the place for her to be.
Layla didn't really have a plan. She just left everything to fate. At times Layla doubted whether she should keep searching for adventure and excitement or if she should just go home and try to settle for simpler things. But the more she doubted herself, the more she decided that she shouldn't give up.
She was learning and experiencing more than she could've imagined simply traveling to different places. The feeling she got when she experienced something new was unlike any other.
She was very happy overall. But her journey so far didn't come without its times when she was running low on funds, the times she was targeted by people on the street, the times when she was lost, but most of all the times she felt lonely. She had always been lonely, but at least she had her parents to talk to. Now she didn't really have anyone.
Layla was keeping her head high this morning. Her goal was to see as much of Crocus that she could and to find a guild. The first place she headed was the Guild Registry Center. She figured there would be a lot of guilds there. Maybe she could find one who was in need of her services.
The building was pretty daunting. Layla groups of people came in and out frequently. Layla took a few breaths to calm her nerves and walked up the steps. She went to everyone she could find.
"Excuse me? I was wondering if you were accepting new members? I'm a key keeper." Layla asked.
"No. Sorry we got one."
"Nah, our guild's big already."
"Maybe. What keys do you have?" One gave her some hope.
"Three silver keys," Layla replied. The person laughed at her.
"Yeah, no thanks. Good luck finding anyone with those keys. Your best bet would be to find a wannabe guild without a Key Keeper. Though there are few of those. You'd have to be stupid to have a guild before having a key keeper." The man said. Layla walked away defeated. She hadn't gotten any luck. That seemed to be something she was running out of a lot recently. She asked nearly everyone one there without any use. Layla, feeling defeated, walked back down the registry steps.
Layla sat at the end of the steps feeling hopeless. She pulled her keys out of the leather case she kept them in. Hopelessly, she stared at them. She didn't know what keys she had would be a problem. Layla couldn't afford to buy any more silver ones, especially gold ones. She hadn't the slightest idea where to start looking for some either.
She sighed and spun the key ring around her finger. She had planned to explore the town, but suddenly she wasn't in the mood. She bit her lip harshly. She couldn't let herself do this. Her real journey hadn't begun yet. She couldn't let it end. Layla decided to stop feeling discouraged. Maybe luck would come to her finally, but sitting there wouldn't help. Layla put her keys back into her case. She closed her eyes and gave a prayer to the stars. With her eyes closed and a new sense of determination, she walked forward again.
Her mental pep talk was interrupted as she rammed into someone's chest, which Layla noted was very hard and strong. She fell onto her bottom after stumbling backward. Layla opened her eyes and held her throbbing nose.
"Ow,"
"It's not a good idea to walk with your eyes closed." The boy that stood above her stated. He was lean and pretty tall like a tower. He looked around seventeen. His messy hair was to his shoulders and a deep red color. His narrow eyes were a striking amber. His jaw was pointed and his other features rather sharp. He looked down at Layla with an annoyed sterner look. Layla smiled and pulled herself up.
"Right. I was just trying to lighten my spirits."
"You couldn't do that with you eyes open?" He asked raising an eyebrow.
"Well, maybe. But closing my eyes helps me think."
"Okay then. I'll be going now." Igneel said giving Layla a strange look. Layla had almost let him be on his way, but then suddenly without meaning to, she stopped him.
"Wait." She said. "Do need a Key Keeper? Or know anyone who does? I've asked just about everyone I could around here and I was declined by all of them." Layla said. The guy looked back at her interested.
"Actually, I need one." He said. Layla brightened.
"Really!?"
"I'm a solo adventurer, though. So if you have a problem with that—" He began but Layla quickly cut in
"No, I don't mind." She insisted.
"What experience do you have?" Layla's shoulders slumped.
"Uh, none?" She said.
"How about keys? What keys do you have."
"Three silver ones," Layla said. The guy sighed.
"Well, then answer me this. Why should I pick you to be my Key Keeper when you have no experience and invaluable keys?" He asked. Layla bit her lip.
"Well, because. I can do other things. I can cook. I can sew. I can handle a dagger fairly well. I'm determined, and I won't slow you down. Give me a chance. I won't let you down." Layla said giving a sideways smile that faltered each second he didn't say anything.
"No." He stated after what felt to her like hours. Layla's heart sank.
"No!" Layla was sure he'd give in. "Please? You're my only hope." Layla begged. The boy stared at her boredly then walked off without saying another word. Layla stomped her foot and huffed. It was unlike her to lose her temper in such a way, but at this point, she didn't care. She turned the other direction and walked away from the building. It didn't seem like the stars we on her side today, but Layla would still keep trying.
Layla took in as much of Crocus as she could. She browsed the shops, explored its parks, walked its bridges, smelled the scent of food and flowers. She didn't spend any of her money. She couldn't afford that, but it was still enjoyable. The town a such a lively feeling to it.
Even with Layla feeling sorta down, she couldn't help but enjoy herself. She spent the whole day wandering the city. The sun was setting in the distance and the streets were becoming less crowded. A few shops and bakeries closed down, though a few more popular shops and restaurants stayed open.
Layla spotted a small store with dim lights coming from it. Its sign said: Zeeself's Keys and Other Things. Layla approached it and went inside. The store was filled with various weapons and other things like jewelry and armor. Directly in front of her was the checkout counter.
The counter was a large glass case that held several keys, gold, and silver. Behind it stood a girl her age. She had brown hair pulled into messy pigtails held by red ribbons. She wore a yellow cropped top and an orange skirt, brown leggings, and leather boots that Layla could see through the glass. The girl looked up.
"Welcome to Zeeself's. I'm Zera. Is there anything you're looking for in particular?" The worker called Zera asked she seemed slightly bored.
"I'm interested in looking at your keys. However, I don't think I'll be able to afford any." Layla admitted. Zera sighed.
"That's completely fine. But we're closing soon, so don't stay around too long." Zera stated.
"Right, I won't," Layla said. She approached the glass case. Most of the keys were silver and laid on a velvet cloth. The gold keys stood on a stand neatly displayed. Most of the keys had a name and price next to them. Each key looked different from the other. The top, bottom, and base of the key different shapes and designs. They ranged from 40,000 jewels to 10,000,000 jewels. Just as Layla had suspected, she could not afford a single one of these keys. She looked at them for a good amount of time, before looking at the other things in the store.
The door opened to the store. Layla turned curiously to see how had entered. Much to her surprise, it was the boy from before. He hadn't seen Layla yet. Layla turned the other way in hopes he wouldn't notice her.
"We're closing in five minutes. So wrap it up in here." Zera said to the two of us. The guy was on the other side of the store looking at swords. Layla was admiring some gemmed necklaces. Layla made sure to face away from the man and walked quickly to the door. As she opened the door, Zera gave an unenthused goodbye and the boy from before looked back.
Their eyes met for a second. Layla quickly turned away and walked out the door. When she was safely outside, she sighed. She began to walk away from the store when the boy cleared his throat behind her.
Layla turned her head slightly.
"You still need a partner?" He asked. Layla's face brightened.
"You mean you change your mind?" Layla asked. "Why?"
"Well, no one else was willing to team up with a novice solo adventurer who's never completed a room before." He said. "Except you that is. I figured having a newbie key keeper was better than having none."
"Looks like we ran into the same problem," Layla said. "I'm Layla Heartfilia."
"I'm Igneel." The boy said. Layla approached him and offered her hand. He took it reluctantly.
"I just now we'll make a great team." Layla grinned. Igneel's grip tightened on Layla's hand just barely. Igneel gave a crooked smirk of his own.
(Future Editing Ella: These are questions from a reviewer that I decided to keep in case they might be helpful. I'll have an explanation of how I'm doing reviews at the present in chapter 18)
How do you know what room the key will open?
Typically, the key will look like the door of the room. For example, if the key had a snowflake on it, the door to the room would too. But in the information of each key in the book, mentioned in the story, a photo of the door would probably be provided. The name of the key will also be on the door. But that's only helpful if you know the key's name which you'd get from the book as well.
How do you know which tower the room is in?
To know which tower a key's room if, you'd have to look it up in the book that the Council keeps or consult a Key expert, such as Mavis, who memorizes that information. (In Mavis's case automatically knows it). There are also some keys, like Aether, that actually lead you to its tower.
Does somebody explore a tower and report to the council on what room the tower has?
I haven't really thought of this question before you asked it, but I assume that is something they could do. They really don't need to. Any information would be in the book mentioned before. Of course, if the extremely-convenient-magical-book-that-allows-me-to-easily-answer-questions-like-this didn't exist they would have several researchers getting all the information they could about the keys and their towers.
If you have any questions like the ones above feel free to ask by leaving a review. Let's see if you can find any of my plot holes I have quite a few. ;)
Hope you enjoyed and have a lovely day everyone!
if you like zera, don't worry there will be more of her and the other characters from fairy tail zero
Edited and Refined: 03-30-18 [ish]
