Are you seeing how fast that was? It's been, like, two days! I am so damn amazing even I can't believe it. But seriously, I got a bunch of reviews saying you guys wanted more soon, so here it is. Last chapter was short, too. But here you go! Love you guys – make sure to review, favorite and follow!
Dedicated to WhiteWinterStar! Special thanks to gwb620, AnonymouslyUnknownlyWriter, them3crazygirls, rebma726, and Manga Molly! You guys are the best for reviewing so fast! Anyway, enjoy!
We didn't get much sleep that night. The inn was clearly about to fall apart, because it creaked and groaned like a living thing. Ordinarily that wouldn't have stopped me from sleeping, but occasionally something would come scratching at the door. At first I thought it was just one of the old lady's cats, but then I heard someone whispering, "Here, kitty, kitty." I barely managed to close my eyes after that.
Needless to say, we left early. The old lady was nowhere to be found, so we just left some money on the front desk and let ourselves out. The sky was barely light when Happy and I flew into the sky. I was in charge of the map, which was ridiculously large and kept flapping in my face. It took me forever just to figure out where Astral Sphere's town was located on it and then determine which direction Cyprus was in. "So, I think we're going northwest," I told Happy, squinting at the map. "Which is the way we should be going. Probably."
"Probably?" Happy repeated. "You think? Are we going this way or not?"
"Look, I'm the map guy, and you're the wings guy! Let me do my job, okay? If I say we should probably be going northwest, then we should probably go northwest. Which I think is this way. You got as problem?"
"Do you want to find Lucy?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course I do!"
"Then learn to read a map, dumbass!"
LUCY
"Ah, we're here!" I exclaimed, stepping off the train after the boys. The Negrinanthus train station was actually just a platform with a roof built atop a grassy hill that overlooked the sea. Steps led from the platform down the hill, where grass gave way easily to sand. We descended slowly, taking in the view. Hargeon had nothing on this place – it was absolutely gorgeous here. The sea was a beautiful azure blue, the sky a matching color. The sun blazing overhead made the waves sparkle as they crashed on the white sand beach, and you could even see dolphins playing in the distance.
At first, it didn't seem like the beach was inhabited. I cupped a hand over my eyes, trying to block the glare. I was wishing I'd brought sunglasses when a sudden tug on my shirt drew my attention. "Lucy, what's that?" Sam asked, peering out at the ocean. I blinked and followed his gaze to a wide brown smudge out on the waves. My first thought was that it was a enormous ship, but it never got any closer, and there was no reason for a ship of that size to be anchored so far from shore. I stared harder, willing it to take shape.
"Do you think that could be..."
"Excuse me, Miss!" I turned to see a guy standing next to a rowboat, waving at me. I moved closer curiously, Holland and Sam following me. "Are you here for the job request, Miss?" I nodded.
"That's right, the one about the sea monster. Are you from Ne– from the town?" The guy smiled.
"Yes. My name's Harry. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss." He extended his hand and I shook it with a laugh.
"Just call me Lucy. It's nice to meet you too, Harry." Holland stepped up next me, frowning at my new acquaintance.
"So where is this town of yours? 'Cause I don't see it." Harry pointed at the smudge we'd seen before.
"It's out on the ocean. I'm here to row you there." I smiled gratefully at him. I could just picture asking Aquarius to ferry us across to the town, if we ever even figured out that was where it was. It wasn't a pretty scene.
"Thanks," I said, stepping into the boat. Sam jumped in after me, leaving Holland and Harry on the beach. Holland eyed Harry with mistrust before getting in and settling in the back. Harry got in last and picked up the oars. Soon we were skimming across the water towards the blur that was steadily gaining definition. Eventually, it became apparent that it really was a town built on the water. Wooden platforms floated gently on the waves, supporting homes and stores. They were attached by tighly woven reed pathways. Rowboats similar to the one we sat in were tied to piers on the side facing us. The strangest part was the thick metal chains attached to each corner of the whole structure. They had been tossed over the edge and disappeared into the water. Each link looked about as long as my arm and as wide as my torso.
But by the time we could see all that, we could also see the damage the floating town had sustained. Pieces of platforms were unaccountably missing, like something had been tearing chunks out of the place. They were obviously patched up only temporarily, and you could tell it was barely keeping the town afloat.
There were also the people. They were quiet, almost silent, and drifted around the town like ghosts. I tried imagining Harry as one of them and couldn't. They were so lifeless. It was weird.
"A sea monster did all this?" Holland murmured, echoing my thoughts. "And what's up with these people? They look dead." Harry glanced at him.
"Yes, a sea monster. We call him Oreanthus, and we once worshipped him as our god. He protected our town for centuries." My breath caught. Their own god did this to them?
"Then why–" I gestured wordlessly at the carnage in front of our eyes.
"Because there was an incident a few months. A trader came through here, something that has not happened in a very long time. We were all so excited to buy this trader's goods that we forgot to present our monthly sacrifice to Oreanthus. He was enraged, and now no sacrifice will satisfy him. Unless someone defeats him, we will all be dead soon."
I swallowed. "Then, all these people are listless because their god is no longer their god." Harry nodded solemly as our boat bumped against an empty dock.
"They feel responsible, and at the same time, betrayed. They don't know who they will pray to when times become difficult."
I sighed. Having a god was an awful, controlling thing. People grew addicted to the idea of being able to blame their troubles on a higher power, and then congratulate themselves for being 'pure' when their troubles went away. Taking that away could be catastrophic. "All right," I said. "I understand the situation now. Is there a way to get him up here?" Harry hesitated.
"There is, but..." I understood. He was worried about the town.
"Can I do it from a boat? If I can row out a little, the town should be safe."
He was more enthusisastic about that idea. "By all means, go ahead. You'll just need a sacrifice."
"What kind of sacrifice?" Sam cut in. "Is it big or small? Is it some sort of seabird? Ooh, maybe it's the trunk of an elephant! I read about that kind of ritual once." Harry laughed.
"No, it's a rare species of fish that live only in this area. Our ancestors settled this patch of sea for that very reason. They are called undia."
Before I could catch myself, I turned to see Happy's reaction to this statement. He'd be drooling up a storm, I knew it, his eyes sparkling with hungry excitement.
But the only one behind me to meet my gaze was Holland. I tried not to flinch and turned back around slowly, attempting and failing to make it look natural. "Hey, Lucy–"
"Harry, you're back." I glanced up to see an old man leaning on an elaborate stick, peering into the boat with rheumy eyes. "And I see you've brought the wizards. Good." He smiled kindly at me. "Hello, thank you for coming. I'm Harman, the town elder. I trust my grandson explained the situation to you?" I nodded, leaping nimbly from the rowboat and reaching down to help Sam out.
"Yes. I have a plan. I just need to borrow some sacrificial fish." Harman inclined his head.
"Then please follow me. We will provide you with everything you need." Sam, Holland and I trailed after him as he led us to the marketplace, where men and women called wares from their stalls. They fell silent when we passed, though.
"Oh, Harman, are these the wizards who are going to help us?" one man asked.
"Look at those two! They're just children!" another woman called to her friend. Holland bristled at that, but I put a hand on his shoulder.
"They're just worried about their town," I said in a low voice. "Don't get worked up." He grunted, and we kept walking until we reached a stall displaying fish. Some I recognized, but there was one I'd never seen before, with deep purple scales that shone red in the light. Harman pointed to it.
"This is undia, our greatest treasure." He nodded to the man behind the counter, who started wrapping up the fish with practiced ease. "It will call up him up if you set it on fire and drop it in the ocean." I accepted the package of fish with a smile and we turned basck towards the docks. "What exactly is your plan, if I may ask?"
I smiled grimly. "I'm going to row out a fair distance, summon this god of yours, and knock some sense into him."
Holland crossed his arms. "I'm coming too." I didn't pause.
"Absolutely not."
"But–"
"I said no. I know you're worried, but I'm a Fairy Tail wizard. I can take care of myself. Besides, if you're in the boat with me, I'll be distracted thinking about protecting you too." Holland's face was like a thundercloud – dark and threatening. I laughed and ruffled his hair. "Silly. You should worry more about yourself. What would I do if I let you get hurt?" I turned to look at Sam, who was clearly not paying attention. "That goes for you too, mister. You're staying here until I'm done." He nodded cheerfully and went back to interrogating the locals. I sighed. "Right. Let's do this."
"Princess, I believe a change of clothes is in order." I jumped at least a foot in the air.
"Jesus, Virgo! Don't scare me like that!" She cocked her head to the side, eyes sparkling eagerly.
"Punishment, princess?"
"No. Anyway, what were you saying about changing?"
Ten minutes later, I was wearing a bikini and sorely missing my sweats. "You know, I don't think–"
"The sweatpants will drag you down if you fall in the water, princess. It's dangerous."
Sam came back then and gasped. "Are you one of Lucy's spirits? That's so COOL. Which one are you? What's your name? Do you have any cool powers?"
Virgo regarded him quietly. "I dig holes."
Sam whooped. "SO COOL!" He was reminding me of someone, and I could not for the life of me think who. I shrugged and rolled my shoulders.
"Okay, Virgo, we're going." I got back into the rowboat Harry had vacated. Virgo got in after me, picking up the oars like that was what she had done every day of her existence. I pointed to a spot suitably far away from the town. "Can you take me there, Virgo?" She obliged willingly, rowing at an inhuman speed. In a matter of seconds, we had reached my chosen destination. Virgo bowed and flickered out. I took a deep breath and stood, feeling the boat rock unsteadily beneath me. Fishing out a box of matches Harman had given me, I lit a match and set it to an unwrapped undia fish. It caught, thankfully, and I dropped it into the dark water. It went out almost immediately, but instead of floating on the waves, it sank like a rock. I watched it go, and waited.
Hee hee. Cliffhangers are so much fun. No, don't hate me. I'll update soon, but I needed to stop so I can do my homework. See, I have a legitimate reason. Anywaysies (not a word...), I'll update soon, promise. Be grateful I was so speedy this time. Oh, um, sorry for typos. My spellcheck is broken or something, and I was typing fast and I probably have some mistakes in there somewhere. I'm way too lazy to go back and look, so just bear with it. Sorry...
Oh, one more thing. I have Thanksgiving break next week – five and a half days of freedom. So you know all those oneshots I owe people? I'm gonna try to tackle some then. PM me if I promised you one and you really want it – I'll do yours first. Also, any requests you have for said oneshot are good, since I'll have to do some hardcore brainstorming unless you give me ideas. I'm a little inspiration-dead at the moment regarding new fics.
Yeah. I think that's pretty much it. Bye!
Giselle