Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while, but this chapter is crazy long, so I have an excuse. I think you'll like it. There actually is NaLu in this chapter, although probably not in the way you think.
I have a favor to ask. You know how a few chapters ago, I was like, this town is on the ocean! Yay! Yeah, remember that? Well, it really doesn't work. So I am asking all of you to keep in mind during this chapter that Negrinanthus is now a town built on a lake. Not ocean. Lake. Thanks!
Dedicated to Kosmotius! Special thanks to nico2883, gwb620, Mia Anime, WhiteWinterStar, artificialartofficial, SlightlyOff7, manga molly (oops sorry), FrozenFireLight, z-TragicMagic-z, Guest, and Readywolf02! Whew long list (yay!)
To answer TragicMagic's question, Makarov calls Natsu a brat because... Um... I might have to reread that. I will get back to you. I think it's mostly because he's angry that Lucy's leaving though.
Anyway, this chapter is probably my longest ever, so enjoy!
I woke up to the sunrise. Light spilled through my east-facing window, painting the floor gold. I slid silently off the bed and padded to the window. I gasped when I saw the sky. At first I thought a rose was blooming on the horizon, red and pink and maroon. The clouds glowed with sunlight, and the way they were scattered through the sky, it really did look like some sort of flower.
I sighed and moved toward the kitchen, needing coffee. After I started a new pot, I leaned against the counter and considered the contents of my fridge. There was some limp lettuce, half a lemon, and a stray egg that I seriously did not trust. There was also the milk on my coffee table that was probably a little funny from being left out. I frowned.
It was sunrise, but I wouldn't wake up naturally after only a couple of hours if I had been so exhausted. Meaning... I ran a hand through my hair and groaned. It was the sixth day. I was running out of time. The coffee machine beeped and I took out the pot. After a long search, I managed to find a travel mug wedged in the back corner of a cabinet. I filled it, added some of the sugar from the coffee table in the other room, and grabbed a coat. Since there was nothing to eat, I'd go hang out at Saber and get some breakfast there while I waited for Dian. I couldn't remember what time he had wanted to meet, so it worked out fine.
Walking down the now-familiar streets to the guild, balancing on the edge of the canal and sipping my coffee, I thought about what came next. Natsu was coming, I had no doubt about that. But could he really reach Cyprus in time? I didn't know how he was traveling, but he'd never make it taking normal transportation. Maybe he was flying with Happy. If they timed it just right, they might be able to make it, but it would take a small miracle, considering their planning skills.
Besides, if he did make it, what was I supposed to say? Oh, hey there, Natsu! Did you read the letter I left for you? You did? Oh good, so you know I'm in love with you! Well, just in case you were wondering, the plan to forget about you was a bust. Yeah, let's go home now. It's fine, I'll just watch you creepily when you're not looking for the rest of your life. There was no way in hell I was becoming Juvia. I wasn't psycho. And what was he going to say? Wow, Lucy, thanks for setting up this whole game of hide and seek! It was so much fun to chase you across Fiore and cater to your whims! Oh, you're still in love with me? That's cool, I'll just pretend I don't notice that my friend has a weird thing for me. Okay, time to go home so you can join Juvia in Crazy Land.
I nearly tore my hair out just picturing the awkward situation. But maybe he would get there and not even manage to find me and I'd leave and we'd never see each other again. Should I wait at the guild for him? Would he even be able to find that? And what time was I supposed to leave? I said one-hundred and sixty-eight hours, but I couldn't remember what time I'd said that.
"There are thirty-two hours remaining, Princess." I almost fell into the canal.
"Holy Mavis, Virgo," I gasped, scowling at her. "What the hell are you doing? Don't scare me like that." She cocked her head.
"But I thought you'd want to know how much time you had left in Cyprus, Princess. Will it be punishment, then?" The problem was, she was right. It was like she could read my mind sometimes.
"No punishment, but will you keep me company?" I asked her, not really sure what I was thinking. Of all the people I could hang out with, I chose Virgo? She wasn't exactly the best choice for a companion. But there we were, walking together in the streets of Cyprus. "Virgo, have you ever made a mistake?" She considered this.
"Not asking for punishment often enough?" I rolled my eyes.
"That's not a mistake. I mean like something really embarrassing, something that made it hard to face someone else."
"Once I dug too deep and flooded my tunnel with underground water." I sighed.
"Never mind. I don't think you understand what I'm asking." We walked a little farther in silence.
"If I made a mistake that caused trouble for someone else, I would ask them to punish me. Punishment is a good way to get people to forgive you."
"I don't think that would work."
"You could apologize."
Apologize for loving him? "That doesn't quite work in this context either."
"Punish them?"
"No thanks." We finally reached the guild. Virgo and I stopped outside the front doors. "Thanks for your suggestions, Virgo. You can go home now." She bowed.
"I apologize for not being of assistance, Princess. The next time we are together, please punish me." She drilled into the ground and disappeared. I entered the guild alone and walked through the deserted room to the bar, where a young woman stood, polishing glasses.
"How can I help you, ma'am?" I slid onto a stool.
"Can I get some breakfast, please?" She smiled.
"Right away." I sighed and finished my coffee. It had gotten cold.
NATSU
It was the sixth day. The sixth day. The sixth day. Six. S-I-X. Day numero six. As in, the number that comes before seven when counting to ten. By ones. I told Happy all this and more as we soared over a lake that was weirdly big. He grunted and threatened to drop me for the sixth time that day.
I never wanted to hear that goddamn number ever ever ever ever again even if I lived until the world blew up.
"Happy," I said, peering into the horizon. He shook me.
"I know, Natsu, it's the sixth day, so just–"
"No, not that!" I pointed to the smudge that was rapidly getting bigger and looking more and more like it wasn't my imagination. "What is that?" Happy squinted.
"A town?"
"But it's on the lake! How can there be a town on the lake?"
"It might be that it just looks like that from here," he suggested. "Anyway, let's fly in for a closer look. I bet they have good fish!" I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, whatever. But let's make it quick. Remember, it's–"
"I will seriously drop you, Natsu."
But as we got closer to the brown lump, two things became very clear: one, the mysterious shape was indeed a town, and two, it was most definitely floating on the lake. Like, who even thinks of putting a town on a freaking lake? Not that it wasn't cool. It was majorly cool. But why?
Pretty soon after we figured out that the town was just that, the people started looking up and pointing. Happy and I made faces until we landed on someone's house. I leapt down and grinned widely. "Hi!" An old man hurried up to me, followed by a younger guy.
"Excuse me, young man, but who might you be?" he asked me, leaning on an elaborately carved stick. I shrugged.
"Me? I'm Natsu Dragneel, a Fairy Tail wizard."
"And I'm Happy, an Exceed! I like fish!"
"A Fairy Tail wizard?" someone murmured. "Then he must know that person..." I frowned slightly and glanced around.
"Thing is, old man, we're looking for a friend of ours. She's blonde, about this tall–" I held my hand out at my chin level. "She's a Fairy Tail wizard like us. Seen her?"
"You must be talking about Miss Lucy!" the younger guy exclaimed. "She was here just a few days ago, helping our town." Happy and I exchanged looks.
"She was here?"
"Yes," the old man affirmed. "She was here, saving our town from being destroyed from a drake." He paused and seemed to notice how impatient I was for him to get on with it. "But never mind that. Come, we will show you our town." My stomach growled, and he chuckled. "You must be hungry." He turned to the guy behind him. "Harry, ask Pearl to prepare something for our guests." Turning back to us as Harry rushed off, he said, "Negrinanthus is famous for our fish." He began leading us in the same direction as Harry had gone.
"Really?" Happy's eyes gleamed and a string of drool trailed from the corner of his mouth. "What kinds have you got?"
"Mostly a rare breed known as undia, but also some particularly delicious trout, and..." I tuned them out and lifted my nose in the air, trying to find a trace of Lucy's scent. There was a trail that lead to the docks that was the strongest – she had probably been back and forth several times – and certain spots that she seemed to have spent more time at, including a fish stall and a small house. In front, the old man stopped at the entrance to some sort of diner-type building. A sign above the screened-in porch read, Pearl's Place. The heavenly smell of fried fish and something else – pickles? – drifted out to where we stood, and Happy almost melted into the wooden planks.
"Sooooooo good..." he moaned. I picked him up by the scruff of his neck and tucked him under my arm like a football.
"You haven't even eaten it yet," I said, grinning at him. "Wait till then to die of happiness." The old man pushed the screen door of the porch open and stepped inside, leaving us to follow. The smells were even more amazing on the porch, and I let my nose lead me to a table where the old man and a woman in her twenties or thirties sat together, waiting silently. In front of them were plates of fried purply fish and fries and pickles, steaming hot and practically begging to be devoured. Happy and I dove into seats and started stuffing food into our mouths. "So, old man," I said around a handful of fries, "You said Lucy did a job here?"
"As I said, she protected our town from being destroyed." I nodded, inhaling a plateful of fish.
"And how far is Cyprus from here?" His wrinkles deepened as he thought.
"Perhaps a day and a half by train. Why? Are you planning on visiting?"
"We're going to pick Lucy up from there, but we sort of have a time limit." I grimaced. "It's complicated."
"Aye," Happy agreed. He looked a lot like a blue chipmunk, with enormous bloated cheeks. I watched, impressed, as he chewed and swallowed the entire mouthful with tremendous effort.
"Oh yeah!" I cheered, high-fiving him. "That's my partner!"
"Aye sir!" Happy shouted, sprouting wings and leaping into the air for a victory lap. The people sitting on the porch gasped and clapped. Happy grinned and starting showing off, doing loops and dipping low to skim the floor before rising to float along the ceiling. I watched with everyone else, smiling. Happy hadn't seemed so cheerful since before Lucy left. He was actually pretty attached to her, even though he teased her mercilessly. I decided we could stay a little longer, since Cyprus was so close and all. It seemed like forever ago that I had been freaking out about it being the sixth day.
LUCY
Dian showed up in the guild sometime around nine, wearing lots of dark colors. A hat covered his purple hair. He spotted me at the bar and came over, smiling. "Hey, Lucy. Ready?" I nodded and handed the bartender a handful of bills.
"Whenever you are." We left the guild and circled around back into the forest. The swaying mottled shadows on the forest floor brought back memories of my impromptu training session deep in those same woods. I sighed quietly, glancing around me. "So, what exactly are we looking for?" Dian pointed to a wide tree, probably pretty old, that had three long gashes running diagonally across the trunk. Sap oozed out of them. There was something about them that said danger.
"Things like that." He veered slightly so that we went directly past the tree and knelt next to a sapling that had been snapped near the base. There was an indentation in the dirt around it that looked suspiciously like a paw. "And this."
"Aren't these wolves ridiculously big?" I said, crouching next to him cautiously. "This looks more like a bear print." He grinned.
"But these are werewolves, Lucy. Of course they're big." Behind the surprise, I dimly registered that he was raising his nose in the air and sniffing, eyes closed. I blinked, and he was looking at me like nothing had changed.
"Um..." He pulled me to my feet and tugged me along in another direction.
"Come on, they're this way." I stumbled after him, tripping over roots and nearly slamming into trees and getting scratched by twigs.
"Hey– Dian–" I gasped between breaths, trying desperately not to fall. "Could we walk? I can't run this fast in a place like this." He laughed, but he obligingly slowed down enough that it didn't feel like I was dying as we ran. Finally we burst into the weirdest clearing I have ever seen.
First of all, it was square. As in, perfect ninety degree angles, each side the same length. Second, it was completely smooth. Not even a bump. No rocks. Flat, like a line someone had drawn with a ruler. Third, it was bare. No grass, no flowers, no leaves, no nothing. Just a random square of dirt in the middle of the woods. All I could think was that whoever had made it was the ruler of the OCD universe. It looked like they had gotten someone to calculate the exact dimensions and measurements.
Dian took a deep breath and let it out contentedly. "I haven't been back here in a while," he said casually. "I've missed it." I watched him as he walked into the clearing and flopped into the dirt, spreading his limbs wide like he was making a dirt angel.
"Um, Dian, could you maybe tell me what's going on?" I asked hesitantly, my gaze still trained on him. He closed his eyes, smiling gently.
"You're here to meet my family before they go back home." I blinked. And slowly, it dawned on me what he was talking about.
"By family you mean..."
"He means us," a clear voice said from somewhere to my right. I swung around and reached for my keys in alarm as a crowd of people emerged from the woods into the clearing. A tall woman with deep lavender hair smiled coolly at me. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my dear." I relaxed out of surprise, dropping my hand from my hip.
"Mom, that's Lucy. I told you about her, didn't I?" She inclined her head.
"You did. I remember now. The girl with the lovely golden hair and eager brown eyes. Yes, Dian has told me about you," she said, looking shrewdly at me. I got the chilling feeling that this woman wasn't looking at me, Lucy – rather, she was looking through me, plucking my secrets from the threads that held my body together.
"Well, well," a man boomed, stepping forward. He looked like an older version of Dian, with the same eyes and nose. Their mouths were different, though – where the man's lips curved slightly up naturally, Dian's curled down like his mother's. "So this is the girl my young pup's brought home, eh? Quite a pretty one, I must say!" I smiled weakly at him and cringed as they all came closer.
"Dad, you're making her uncomfortable," Dian said abruptly. Somehow he was right next to me, his arm wrapped protectively around my shoulders. "She's still a little confused right now." The man he called Dad laughed.
"What, so you haven't explained it to her yet? Then do it now, we'll wait." The entire group backed off and Dian turned to me.
"Sorry for not telling you everything."
Um... It's okay?" I said. It came out as a question. Confused was an understatement. I was befuddled, baffled, and lost. I had no clue what was going on. "But could you maybe explain now...?" He nodded, smiling.
"It's pretty simple, really. You see, these people are my family, and I've brought you to introduce you to them before they leave." His family... He saw the expression on my face and laughed lightly. "Yes, they're all werewolves. They're also the ones on the job request."
I swallowed. "Okay... But why introduce me? I barely know you." His easy smile widened into something hungry and predatory – a wolf's smile.
"Because you're going to marry me, of course."
NATSU
Happy and I lost track of time wandering around the village and fishing. By the time we realized it, it had gotten late. The sky was dark, lit only by stars. The moon was hidden by clouds.
"You should stay until morning," the old man said worriedly, standing with us at the docks. "Flying in the dark is dangerous, especially over this lake. Oreanthus may try to eat you. He is partial to large birds." I scratched my head, unconcerned.
"Dunno who he is, but if he attacks us I'll just beat him up. I'm strong, you know?" Happy grinned and agreed with me, and I gave him a thumbs-up. The old guy just sighed and rubbed his fingertips across his temples.
"That would be unwise, young man. Please reconsider."
"Sorry, old man, but we're not staying any longer." I stared out across the lake. I could just barely make out the shoreline. "We had a lot of fun here, but Lucy is waiting for me. I can't waste any more time if I want to catch her before she leaves. It's about time she went home."
The old man regarded me from under his droopy eyebrows for a minute. "Take good care of that young woman," he said quietly. Happy latched onto the back of my jacket and we rose several feet in the air.
"Who do you think I am, old man?" I grinned. "I'm Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail! Of course I'll always be watching out for Lucy!"
LUCY
"Who's going to marry you?" I asked blankly. "I think I must have heard you wrong." He reached out and tapped a finger underneath my chin.
"You're going to marry me, Lucy. Why else would I bring you to meet my parents?" I had a slow-motion freak-out, my eyes widening gradually and my jaw hesitantly dropping to the dirt. Even my thoughts were sluggish – I simply couldn't quite grasp what he was saying.
"Marry... You? I will?" I sounded like the world's number one idiot. "Wait, wait, wait. I met you less than a week ago. We've talked to each other less than half a dozen times, and now you're saying we're going to get married? I never agreed to that!" He laughed again, but now it felt threatening.
"Lucy, you don't need to panic. It doesn't matter that we haven't talked very much yet – we'll have plenty of time later." I shivered as he ran his hand over my shoulder in what was supposed to be a comforting caress. "Even if we'd never talked before, I'd still want to marry you."
"Why?" He shrugged.
"I like your scent."
"My scent," I repeated, dumbfounded.
"Right. Other women's scents are so boring. They smell like flowers, or something sugary-sweet. But you... You're different." I backed up, slightly alarmed. I really didn't want to be touched by some weirdo who wanted to marry because of how I smelled. He matched me step for step, though.
"So let me get this straight," I said, crossing my arms protectively across my chest. "You like how I smell, so you decided to make me marry you." He nodded. "I think your nose is broken." Dian raised an eyebrow, indicating that I should go on. "I haven't used perfume in months," I continued, avoiding his eyes. They were strange, somehow. "And I use vanilla body wash and shampoo, which is a very common scent." Gathering my courage, I looked him straight in the eye. "There's nothing unusual about how I smell." He didn't say anything. As I watched, his eyes changed. They weren't...human, anymore. There was something wrong with them. It took me a moment to realize that the whites of his eyes weren't visible anymore. His eyes were dark, swirling with green. A shiver ran up my spine.
"You're wrong, Lucy," he said, his voice a low growl, as he stepped forward. I was frozen to the spot, the same way I had been paralyzed when he attacked the men who were trying to hurt me. "You see, your scent is actually very fascinating. There is the vanilla, of course, but there's something different." He leaned forward to whisper in my ear, "Can you guess what it is?" I bit my lip and shook my head. He pulled back just far enough that I could see his toothy smile.
"It's burnt."
Burnt...
The words escaped me before I could stop them. "What do you mean, burnt?" Dian's smile widened – he knew he'd gotten me right where he wanted.
"I mean that you smell smoky and sweet at the same time." A long tongue snaked out and swept across his upper lip. "In other words, delicious."
I was trembling. The harder I tried to stop, the worse it got. My fingers blurred in front of my eyes. Dian chuckled, but I blocked him out. I wasn't shaking because of him.
I smell like smoke...
Memories popped unbidden into my thoughts, flooding my brain with possibilities. There was one in particular that prodded at me, demanding my attention.
"NATSU! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY CLOTHES?" Natsu paused his vigorous rolling to glance up at me in mild surprise.
"Hmm? Oh, welcome home, Luce." I stormed over to him and shoved him into a corner with my feet. With Natsu out of the way, I dropped to my knees and picked up a crumpled shirt. I glared as Natsu came back over and sat next to me, feet lined up sole-to-sole. His knees were bent, and his hands rested on his ankles. He leaned forward a little, like he was ready to jump into action at any moment.
"Don't 'welcome home' me, Natsu. What were you doing rolling around in my clothes?" He shrugged, smiling innocently at me.
"I just felt like it." I groaned, looking around at the heaps of wrinkled clothing strewn across the room. Judging from the pulled-out empty drawers of my dresser and the doors of my closet that swung open, he had taken out every piece of clothing I owned. Including, I realized, my bras and underwear. Cheeks flaming, I began gathering every embarrassing article of clothing I could see. Natsu, however, continued to sit there watching me.
"Get up and help me," I commanded, moving back over and nudging him to his feet. "I want all of this cleaned up before you leave, got it?" He sighed, making a face, but he willingly started picking up clothes. I directed him to the correct drawers and showed him how to fold and put clothes on hangers. It didn't particularly surprise me that he had no idea how to put anything away neatly. We finished sooner than I expected, and I reluctantly agreed to make dinner on the condition that he sat quietly in my room and didn't touch anything unnecessarily.
I walked out of the kitchen to find Natsu rubbing himself all over my sheets. After several minutes of shrieking and wrestling him off the bed, I had managed to calm down enough to sit across from him and eat without punching him in the gut. "I want a real explanation this time, Natsu. Why were you acting like a dog scratching an itch all over my bed?" He swallowed a mouthful of rice and looked at his plate intently, continuing to eat loudly. I stared at the top of his spiky head until he mumbled something unintelligible. I leaned forward. "What?"
He swallowed the last bite and took a breath. Staring at his empty plate, he muttered, "Marking."
"Come again?" He spread his palms flat on the tabletop and met my eyes. His expression was strange, somewhere between determined and embarrassed.
"Marking," he repeated, louder. "I was marking you." I blinked.
"Why?" He scratched the back of his head.
"It's just a dragon thing. It's our way of claiming a..." He struggled for the right word. "A relationship with someone. Since we're teammates and all." I sighed.
"Next time something like this happens, tell me from the start. If it's a dragon thing or whatever. Just let me know before you do it, okay?" He nodded. I finished eating and noticed that he was fidgeting. "What is it?"
"Well... It's just... I'm not quite done." Of course he wasn't. I sighed heavily and stood. He glanced up at me.
"Come on," I said. "Let's just get it done so I can go to bed." He stood too, less enthusiastically than I expected. "What's wrong now?" Natsu grimaced.
"It's just I think you'll get mad if I do it." I folded my arms impatiently.
"It's fine, I'm giving you permission. Do whatever you need to." He walked toward the door leading to my room, but he stopped at me instead of going past. "What?" Not answering, he grabbed me in a tight hug around the waist. I stiffened, taken by surprise.
"Don't freak, okay?" he murmured in my ear. "I have to actually put my scent on you along with your stuff. You still cool with it?" I took a deep breath.
"Yeah. Go ahead," I said, pushing the words off my tongue. I was afraid that if I waited too long I would make him stop.
He rubbed his cheek against mine, and then did the other side. I could feel myself turning pink as he continued tracing my face with his. Considering how I was already head-over-heels for the idiot by then, I certainly didn't mind, but I drew the line when he licked my chin. I kneed him in the groin.
"What the hell was that?' I asked, standing over him with my hands on my hips. "I didn't say you could lick me!" Natsu moaned and sat up.
"That was part of it, jeez. You didn't have to hit me." I huffed and looked away, nose in the air.
"I wasn't the one going around licking people." He frowned.
"Well, the only other way is if we sleep together." I opened my mouth to declare loudly that there was no way in hell that was happening and closed it slowly.
"By sleep together... You mean sleep in the same bed?" He nodded, head cocked to the side.
"Is there another kind of sleeping together?" I hid my face in my hands and sighed.
"No, no. Never mind." I pinched the bridge of my nose briefly and then marched into the bedroom. Natsu followed curiously.
"We doing it?" I ground my teeth at the way he phrased it.
"Yes, Natsu, we will sleep in the same bed together." I turned sharply on my heel to face him when I reached the bed. "However! This is a one-time deal, so don't get any ideas, understand? Normally, sleeping in my bed is unacceptable. Clear?" He saluted and dove into the bed, burrowing under the covers. I rolled my eyes as I walked into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Ten minutes later when I climbed into bed, Natsu was already asleep and snoring. I chuckled at the expression on his face and curled up on my side, facing him. I watched the shadows shift as he slept and stretched out a hesitant finger to poke his cheek. He grunted and swung an arm out. It landed on my waist and dragged me closer until my forehead was pressed into his bare chest and I could feel his breathing rustling the hair on the top of my head. I fell asleep listening to his heartbeat.
"I still smell like him," I mumbled, dazed. It had been years since that had happened, and months since I'd actually touched Natsu, but somehow my skin still held his scent. "I don't believe it." I held my arm up to my nose and took a long breath, closing my eyes. Vanilla... And the tiniest hint of smoke, like I had been in a fire recently. I inhaled again and sighed. I really was turning into Juvia.
"So you do know," Dian said. My eyes snapped open and focused on him, still standing in front of me. "That you smell like this." He gestured to his family, and they once more converged on me. The ones closest to me laid their noses against my skin and sniffed me.
"How do you get this effect?" one girl my age asked me. "It's amazing." I rubbed my palms together nervously.
"Umm... It's because of one of my teammates... Something he did a while ago." She eyed me suspiciously as she backed off to let a boy slightly older than her get closer. Instead of smelling less sensitive areas, like my arms, he stuck his nose in the curve between my throat and jaw and inhaled deeply. I squeaked and jumped away, jostling several people on my other side.
"Dian has good taste," he commented, running a finger down my neck. "Maybe I'll take you for myself." I flinched as Dian appeared between us and grabbed my hand.
"Back off, Grant. She's mine." The other guy laughed and held up his hands in a mocking gesture of submission.
"Hey, you know I'm just joking around, big bro. I won't make a move on your girl unless she wants me to." He licked his lips in a way that reminded me eerily of Dian. Which made sense, since they were apparently brothers. "What was her name again, Lucy? Pretty." Dian kicked him in the shin, but he showed no reaction.
"I'm warning you, Grant. If you go too far, I will fight you." Grant glanced up at him under hooded eyes. There was a sudden predatory gleam that I didn't like in them.
"Oh, don't do it, you two! You'll mess up the clearing again and Grandpa will punish you both," a young girl said, watching with wide eyes. An identical girl smiled eagerly.
"Don't listen to her! I wanna see a fight!" Chants of 'fight' were repeated through the circle and I observed warily as the situation escalated until the two brothers really were squaring off in the center of the clearing. The rest of the family formed a loose ring around them, cheering for one or the other. It was pretty evenly split between the Dian faction and the Grant faction, but it seemed that Grant's group of supporters was slightly larger. I got the feeling that he was more popular than his brother, and that was the main source of contention between them.
"Are you sure you want to do this, big bro?" Grant taunted. "You know I'm stronger than you are." Dian glowered at him.
"In your dreams, little brother. Let's get this over with already." They crouched in the dirt simultaneously, eyes closed and heads bowed. A long moment passed. Looking closer, I started noticing changes. Their noses and mouths lengthened and fused into a snout; their muscles thickened and their skin stretched; their bones shifted and settled back into place with a series of strange clicking noises. Their clothes melted into their flesh and they sprouted hair. When they finished, I stood staring at two massive wolves. Comparing the size, I noticed that Grant was bulkier and did look stronger than Dian. I frowned, my hand settling back on my hip.
They pawed the dirt, raking their claws through it as they circled each other. Dian's lip curled and he snarled. Grant lunged suddenly, snapping at his brother's flank. Dian backed away and growled threateningly. Grant didn't seem affected, and moved forward almost leisurely. I glanced quickly around at the men and women standing near me, but they were watching silently, wearing matching masks of eager blood-thirst. Back in the middle, Dian took an experimental step forward and nearly lost his ear to Grant's sharp teeth. If wolves could be smug, then Grant looked like the cat who ate the canary. He prowled in circles, occasionally feinting a swipe with his claws or snapping his teeth inches from Dian's neck. My nails dug into my palms.
Are you sure you want to save him? a voice in my head asked me. He wants to make you marry him, a virtual stranger.
But even if I don't, Grant will take his place and I'll have to deal with him instead, a second inner voice argued. He actually is a stranger!
It's not like you can't fend him off. It's not worth getting in the middle of their fight. It's his fault for fighting when he knows he can't win. It's not your responsibility.
It'll be easier to get Dian off my case than Grant. And it doesn't matter if it's not my responsibility. Dian saved me when I was surrounded by all those thugs. I can't just leave him alone now.
Before I could change my mind, I removed a key from my ring and turned it in the air. The werewolves around me were too absorbed in the fight to notice what I was doing. "Open, Gate of the Ram: Aries!" I whispered. In a flash of pink cotton, Aries appeared next to me, holding up her hand to cover her mouth shyly.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. I smiled at her.
"Aries, set a wall between those two, please," I instructed, pointing to the wolves panting in the center of the clearing. She nodded obediently and turned to face them, looking determined.
"Yes ma'am. I'm sorry." There was a poof! sound, and then a cottony barrier popped up out of nowhere, just as the brothers jumped at each others, mouths open wide. They slammed face-first into the wall and slid to the ground, whimpering.
"That's enough, idiots," I announced, stepping forward. "This fight is ridiculous and pointless." They raised their heads and stared at me with dark eyes for a moment before slowly shifting back into human form. Grant groaned and pushed himself to a sitting position, rubbing his nose and mouth.
"What the hell was that? A wall?" He glanced up at Aries's woolly pink barrier and almost lost his lower jaw. "A wall... Of fluff..."
"Right. Courtesy of Aries, the Ram. Be grateful." Aries hid shyly behind me, peeking out at them.
"I'm sorry..." I patted her shoulder.
"Thanks, Aries. I'll take it from here – you can go home." She vanished in a cloud of pink dust and I turned back to the shocked brothers.
"And that was...?" Grant asked, still staring frog-eyed at the spot Aries had been standing. I shrugged.
"Celestial spirit. Something wrong?" I wasn't really in the mood for show and tell.
"Do you have more?"
I paused and counted on my fingers. Nine other Zodiac keys, plus five silver made... "About fourteen others. Why?" He leaned toward me, genuine excitement on his face.
"What can they do? What do they look like? What are they called?"
I took a tiny step backwards, taken aback by the barrage of questions. "Eh... Well, there are all kinds..." I cleared my throat. "Anyway, that's not important right now." I moved forward to crouch in front of Dian. "Thank you for saving me before. But let's get one thing straight – I'm not going to marry you. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever. Understand? I'm flattered, but I refuse." Shock registered on his features.
"You can't just refuse, Lucy. I chose you. That's the end of it. You'll have to marry me, unless you want to fight all of us." I blinked. All of them? I had thought I'd only have to fight him. I couldn't handle so many at once unless I used Urano Metria, which wasn't something I could do at the drop of a hat. I'd need to summon Gemini, but it was their day off... I made a face.
"Isn't there a law about this somewhere?"
"We're werewolves. We have our own laws." My brows scrunched together.
"I'm lesbian."
"Irrelevant."
"The world is spinning backwards today."
"No it isn't."
"Your face is ugly and I don't want to look at it for the rest of my life."
"Untrue and irrelevant."
"I have friends in high places. The Magic Council will send me help."
"You're from Fairy Tail. The Magic Council hates you."
"I'm perpetually having PMS."
"I don't mind."
"I'm allergic to weddings."
"You'll get over it. We'll keep the ceremony short." I floundered for a moment, searching for another excuse. There was one I didn't particularly want to use, but if it came down to it, I would use it as a last resort. In the meantime, I wracked my brain for a solution. Was it really impossible to ask someone for help? Then I remembered that Natsu was coming to Cyprus, and he could save me even if he didn't make it before time ran out.
"Someone's coming here to pick me up from Fairy Tail. He'll beat you all up if you force me into anything."
"He can't handle all of us at once." I snorted. He had no idea what he was talking about.
"Please. He could do it in his sleep. Natsu would never lose to a pack of werewolves." Murmurs rippled through the crowd as they registered the name of Fairy Tail's hot-headed dragon slayer. Even Dian looked unsettled.
"He won't know where to look for you." His words struck a chord, and my heart sank as I realized that even if Natsu did arrive in Cyprus, I would be nowhere to be found. He'd probably think I had gone on to the next town already and go chasing after me. I bit my lip. I had lost my composure and my poker face – Dian knew he had gotten me. It looked like I was stuck with that if my next attempt didn't work.
"I'm in love with someone else. I can't marry you."
"Is it mutual?"
The "no" slipped off my tongue before I realized I was speaking. A cunning smile curled over Dian's lips.
"Then it doesn't matter to me. You don't have any romantic relationships, so it's not a problem. Even if you are in love with someone else now, you'll be in love with me before long." He smirked, so sure he'd won I could smell it. My jaw clenched. To hell with pride. I was getting out of it if it killed me.
Lowering myself to my knees, I rested my fingers in the dirt and stared at my nails. They were round and smooth, the same way I always kept them. Lines creased my fingers, forming canyons in my skin. I took a deep breath. "I can't marry you, Dian."
"I've heard all of your excuses, Lucy. Give in and marry me."
"I can't marry you... Because I'm a man."
NATSU
I watched the skyline impatiently, swinging my legs in the air and grinding my teeth absent-mindedly. Dawn was coming. I could taste it in the air. Our deadline was rapidly bearing down on us, and we hadn't reached Cyprus yet. I searched the horizon, with no luck. Just trees and more trees and the occasional hill. The old man had said Cyprus was settled at the top of the biggest one, but so far I hadn't seen anything that looked remotely like a city. I exhaled up into my hair and kept looking.
"Natsu..."
"Hm?" I glanced up at Happy. He looked like he was going to be sick. "Whoa, what's wrong with you?"
"I was just thinking..."
"Don't do that, Happy! You know thinking and flying at the same time makes you nauseous."
"No, I'm fine. Natsu, I had a thought..." He looked down at me, big eyes overflowing with tears. "What if Lucy already left?" My eyes widened.
"Left? But she promised she'd wait..." I couldn't wrap my brain around it. She'd said she would wait. She had promised me. She wouldn't leave before the time she had promised... Right?
"She was so upset," Happy wailed, shaking. "What if she decided to run away without waiting for us? What do we do?"
"Lucy wouldn't..." I swallowed around the lump clogging my throat. "She wouldn't. She wouldn't do that."
"But–"
"Happy, stop talking."
We passed a flock of geese. Below us were the same things as always. Trees, more trees, another hill.
"Natsu, there's something on that hill!" I blinked and peered at it. Sure enough, something big sprawled across the top of it. As we flew in for a closer look, fingers of sunlight stretched into the sky, turning the clouds gold and orange. The top of the hill was illuminated, revealing that the shadowy thing at the summit was a city.
"Hey... That's not my imagination, right?" I said, not sure I should believe I was seeing what I was seeing. "I mean... You see the city on the hill too, right?" Happy nodded, his eyes tearing up again.
"It's Cyprus! We made it, Natsu!"
I whooped and blew streams of fire into the air. "All right!" I took a deep breath and cupped my hands around my mouth.
"LUCY! WE CAME TO TAKE YOU HOME!"
We are so close to the end, guys! Natsu has finally arrived in Cyprus! Are you as excited as I am? Maybe not, because I know what's gonna happen (and it's going to be amazing) while all you've got is conjecture, but it's possible! I am so psyched. Writing the last couple of chapters is going to be great.
So, I was writing this, and suddenly I felt like I was writing about Twilight werewolves. Did anyone else get that? No? Well, whatever. It just kinda happened.
Blegh, I feel awful right now. Sprained ankle + headache + I might be feverish= Unhappy Giselle. But I'm glad to be updating again for all of my wonderful readers.