Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Ch.2: Have We Met Before?
With a startled gasp, brown eyes flew open before clenching shut in pain. Lucy could only groan quietly at the agony that racked her body. Her body ached severely, feeling as if she had fallen off a steep cliff, and the pounding in her head left her feeling nauseous. Taking slow, deep breathes, the blonde tried desperately to think past the hammering in her head and the ache in her bones.
After what seemed like an eternity of simply breathing in and out, Lucy felt the pain fade enough to open her eyes. In confusion, she gazed up at an unfamiliar ceiling. 'Where am I?' Hands smoothed the sheets under her. How long had it been since she actually slept on a bed? Or been awarded the luxury of clean sheets and comfortable blankets? Gazing around, all she saw was a bare room with little furnishing. 'An inn?' she wondered.
The fingers on her right hand twitched and in her shock she swung her hand into the air so fast that the receding pain flared once again. Lucy ignored that, however, to stare in wonder at the appendage, smooth and white. "My arm…? But there's no guild mark," she whispered in a shocked, raw voice.
The Celestial Spirit mage slowly sat up in the bed and tried to make sense of where, or rather when, she was. Vaguely recognizing the room, her heart pounded fiercely. "It…worked…It worked!" she cried in amazement before coughing harshly at the strain on tender vocal cords. Her body throbbed and ached but she ignored it in her euphoria. A shaky hand reached for the newspaper on the nightstand. On the top of the front page in bold black letters, the date read June 30, X784.
Lucy Hearfilia of Fairy Tail had actually done it. She was back to the time before.
Before ash and smoke had clouded blue skies.
Before screams and cries replaced songs and laughter.
Before roars and claws had destroyed the guild that had been her home.
Before death had taken all that she loved.
Now she could finally change things so that maybe, just maybe, everyone would survive. The only problem was how. How can one person measure up against such a destructive force? Against a might so powerful that it had been enough to tear the very world apart. When only one dragon is fabled to be able to cause the apocalypse, how can the masses even hope to survive an onslaught of thousands? Lucy had no clue.
"Thoust cannot change what has been."
The words of the Celestial Spirit King echoed ominously in her mind. Looking down at the unmarked hand again, her earlier euphoria started to dwindled. Her plan may have worked, but in the end could she really make a difference? What if fate really couldn't be changed?
Running a hand down her face, the blonde marveled at how smooth the skin felt. She could no longer feel the scars that had once marred her face. This body…was her past self's. So what had happened to the soul of her old self? Had it vanished when future Lucy had come back? Did she no longer exist? The thought unsettled her.
Was she saving the future for her past self or simply stealing it away from her?
A knock sounded at the door and Lucy jumped in surprise. Making her way to the door unsteadily, she opened it and was greeted with a kindly face. Before Lucy stood an old lady that the blonde thought seemed somewhat familiar. Her stomach grumbled as the smell of food wafted toward her.
"Thank goodness, dear. I was starting to get worried when you didn't come down all of yesterday." The old woman entered the room and placed a tray of food on the table. "Are you feeling alright?" The dark circles and pallor of the blonde had the lady frowning anxiously. She placed a cool hand on Lucy's forehead in worry, "You look like death warmed over, dear! Now you take in some warm food and rest. I'll come in to check on you later." Giving one last nurturing smile, the woman left as fast as she had come.
"Thank you, Sofie-san," Lucy murmured, giving a nostalgic smile as she watched the lady go. She was slowly starting to remember, her past (recent?) memories resurfacing.
Thinking back, Lucy remembered that after she ran away from home, she had managed to find this small inn at the edge of a far off town. The owner, Sofie-san, had been so kind that the Celestial Spirit mage had decided to splurge on the bed and breakfast despite her minimal savings. The old lady had been what the blonde imagined her own grandmother would have been like from her mother's old stories. Her young and lonely counterpart must have unconsciously craved the security of a maternal figure.
Lucy made her way over to the only window in the room. When she opened it, the salty scent of the sea permeated the room. The blonde took a moment to simply relish the fresh breeze, taking slow, deep breathes.
Whether or not she did the right thing was something Lucy couldn't answer and probably would never be able to. But now that it's been done, all she could do was her best. She owed at least that much to her past self.
"If ye do this there will be severe consequences."
A chill set in her bones as she remembered the forbidding warning but her resolve didn't waver. Whatever consequences there may be she would take them on, no matter what. What more could fate take away from her that she hadn't lost already?
Hearing the cacophony of voices outside, Lucy looked out below and watched the crowds of people in amazement. The bustling harbor and thriving market, it had been too long since she had seen so many people; all so carefree and happy. "Hargeon," she muttered wistfully. Brown eyes widened when the blond processed that thought.
"What a minute…Hargeon!?" Lucy exclaimed in shock. She hurried over to the bed side table and grabbed the newspaper on top of it. The date written on the corner stared back at her.
"…You didn't come down all of yesterday…"
"Crap!" she yelled rushing about the room, wincing as her body protested, trying to get dressed for the day. "I'm going to be late!"
If she didn't hurry, then Lucy would miss their meeting and then everything would be ruined.
Because today…was the day she met Natsu Dragneel.
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Lucy was already starting to regret her decision to go outside no matter how necessary.
This sentiment was mostly her being whiney, though personally she thought herself to be justified. In her rush, the blonde had not had enough time to fully enjoy the food Sofie-san had graciously prepared and was severely regretting it. Hunger added to the fact that her body still ached from after effects of going through the Eclipse gate and the summer heat certainly wasn't doing her any favors. Not to mention…
"My beautiful kittens! Please, please, don't fight over me. There's plenty of the Salamander to go around!"
Bora was seriously starting to piss Lucy off. She could feel her fingers twitch with the need to cause bodily harm to the pretentious fake but she held herself back. This, however annoying it was, was a necessary part of the timeline.
As if sensing her ire, the imposter's eyes flitted to hers. Bora's gaze flitted over her form in an extremely obvious once over, dismissing the sickly pallor she held in favor of her voluptuous body, he gave a satisfied smirk, "I see that you too are mesmerized by my brilliance, young lady. Please give me the honor of being your escort to the party this evening."
The surrounding flock of girls wailed in disappointment but the man ignored them and reached a hand toward Lucy planning to plant a gentlemanly kiss on her hand. The blonde, however, had other plans as she promptly slapped his hand away, giving a beautiful but sharp smile, "Don't touch me you phony bastard." 'Whoops…did I say that aloud?'
Bora's mouth gaped at her blatant rejection. His group of fans hissed at her in anger, glaring at her in hatred but Lucy ignored them. 'Crap! That wasn't supposed to happen… but if it's come to this, then screw continuity! I'll show this loser just what I thought of his charm magic.'
The 'Salamander' shook off his shock with a laugh, fiddling with the heart shaped ring on his finger. "It seems the young lady is confused," he said to his groupies in a loud voice.
The Celestial Spirit mage could feel a vein pulse in anger, "Confused, am I? Look here you-"
"Igneel! Is that you!?"
Her rant was cut off by a familiar voice.
Lucy turned away from the pompous man to look at the source. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched the young boy running toward them. His wind tussled hair was a spikey as ever, the bright shade of pink ("It's salmon, dammit!") bright in the afternoon sun. Onyx eyes were wide with excitement as he ran toward the 'Salamander.' Happy followed after him dutifully, wings flapping furiously. They both looked so young and innocent; unmarred by war and death.
'Natsu…'
As the duo approached their merry appearance darkened into something morbid. Lucy fought to swallow down the bile that rose to her throat as her mind overlapped their image with the last memory she had of both of them. Happy's blue fur became matted with ash and blood, his body battered and broken.And Natsu…Oh Mavis, Natsu…
Lucy turned away from them quickly, hands clenched tightly to hide their trembling. She took slow deep breaths, desperately willing the nausea rolling in her stomach to subside. Swallowing with difficulty she forced herself to remain calm, trying to slow the rapid beating of her heart. Now was not the time to become an emotional wreck. They were here, alive and breathing, and that was all that mattered.
Dear gods, how she had missed them.
The Celestial mage turned back just in time to watch Natsu confront the charlatan. The real Salamander looked at Bora in confusion, "Who the hell are you?"
"Me? I'm the great mage Salamander, of course!" Bora replied pompously though the beads of sweat on his forehead were a telltale sign of his growing anxiety.
While the two of them continued their discussion (read: fight) Lucy backed away into the crowd, glad for the distraction. The ensuing chaos, more than anything else she had experienced this day, had the blond feeling ridiculously nostalgic. Not to mention weary.
Lucy waited for the violent group of girls to break up their mob before approaching the mumbling fire mage. Her palms were sweaty and her heart nearly beat itself out of her chest in her worry and excitement. She could finally, finally talk with her long lost partner.
"Geez! Those girls might just be worse than Erza!" Natsu rubbed his head in annoyance. He lay on the ground, batter and bruised, his onyx eyes narrowed in irritation.
"I don't think that's possible, Natsu," Happy snickered, enjoying the boy's exasperation.
Lucy had to resist the urge to hug the adorable cat and sob into his fur like a child. It had been way too long since she had last held the blue feline or heard his playful teasing. Mentally shaking those thoughts away, she steeled her nerves and held out a hand, relieved that it wasn't shaking. Her eyes were drawn to onyx eyes that were alight, burning with life. When she looked at them it was much easier to hold the phantoms of her past back.
A hand appeared in front of Natsu and he gazed up curiously, following the hand to its owner. It led to a young girl who appeared to be around his age. She looked as if she would fall over any minute, dark circles ringed her eyes and she look as pale as snow. Even so, the blond offered him a friendly grin with warm brown eyes, stance firm despite the sweat that slid down her exhausted face. "Thanks for the help back there. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't distracted that creep!"
The dragon slayer took her hand and stood up slowly. Lucy was starting to get worried when his stare didn't leave her face. 'Did I do something strange? I'm pretty sure I did this last time around…'
"Have we met before?" he asked, brows furrowed in confusion. The boy leaned forward, way into the blonde's personal space, and took a couple sniffs. "This scent smells familiar…"
"Do you smell it too?" the blue cat asked in surprise. "Somehow I feel the same way. It's a very nostalgic scent." He turned to Lucy excitedly, "We've met before, right?"
Lucy took a nervous step back, eyes widening in shock. What the hell were they talking about? They shouldn't have met 'her' in this timeline yet. An after effect of the Eclipse gates magic, perhaps? For all she knew, they could be experiencing something similar to déjà vu. She certainly hoped so; Lucy wouldn't be able to live with herself if she had somehow altered their memories with her arrival. No one needed the kinds of memories she had been forced to live through.
Just as Lucy finished her internal speculation, a hand waved in front of her face, "Heelllooo! You in there? What a weirdo..." the pink haired boy murmured annoyed.
A spark of irritation flared in her and, in what she would swear was reflex; the blonde struck a fist to the back of Natsu's head. "Who are you calling a weirdo? If anything you're the weirdo! Getting in my personal space and using cheesy pick-up lines. I'm pretty sure I would've remembered meeting someone as rude as you!"
"Ow! What was that for!? I was just trying to get your attention, you space case!" Inwardly the boy was surprised. For such a sickly looking girl, she sure packed a punch.
"Pfft. You have to admit that she has a point Natsu! It totally sounded like you were trying to hit on her." Happy chimed in, holding back his laughter as the Fire Dragon Slayer scratched his head in confusion at his words.
"'Hit on her'? But I didn't even touch her!" Natsu whined, Happy's teasing going way over his head.
Feeling a headache coming on at the inevitable argument, Lucy pointed a shaking finger at the Exceed, determined to change the subject. "A flying and talking cat!? You guys are definitely the weird ones here!"
"Hey!" Natsu cried in indignation, "Happy is Happy. There isn't anything weird about him!"
"Aye, sir!"
Lucy crossed her arms, "Sure, whatever," she huffed in exasperation. "Regardless of your rudeness and weirdness, I still owe you for getting rid of Bora. Are you two hungry? It'll be my treat."
As if on cue, a resounding growl stretched in the silence between them.
Natsu and Happy gave matching sheepish grins. "Well if you insist…" the cat answered coyly.
As the duo marched off toward their restaurant of choice, Lucy hung back to watch them fondly with sad eyes. Words couldn't describe how overjoyed she was to see them, but at the same time, a part of her knew it wasn't the same. The Natsu and Happy before her weren't her Natsu and Happy. They wouldn't be for a long time, if not ever. Not truly.
Lucy tried to tell herself it didn't matter. So what if they may never be the same people that she remembered? As long as they were happy and alive, that was all she could ever hope for.
Even so, a selfish part of her couldn't help feeling lonely.
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If Lucy had to pick one thing that she hadn't missed, it would have been Natsu's horrendous table manners.
'Geez, just how much can this guy pack in that vacuum he calls a stomach?'
"Soff, whoff arff mppff?"
"I'm sorry, can you repeat that? Preferably, without the mouth full of food." Lucy replied with a vaguely disgusted look.
Natsu swallowed quickly, "Who exactly are you? Not that I don't appreciate what you've done for us. Happy and I were starving…but out of money," he muttered sheepishly.
'I can probably guess why'…Lucy thought with a sweatdrop, thinking back on all the destruction Natsu caused during their missions and all the reward money they had lost to compensate it. "That's right, pardon my manners. My name is Lucy and I've been on a journey to find a certain guild. What about you two?"
"Natsu Dragneel. And this here is my partner Happy. You're looking for a guild?" he asked curiously.
Lucy grinned at the prompting. Maybe this time she could have a bit of fun. After all, it had always bugged her that Natsu failed to tell her he was a mage of Fairy Tail when they first met. At the time she had been too caught up in the excitement of joining the guild that she never called him out on it. Now, however, there was plenty of time to achieve some much needed revenge. "Yeah. I've read that it's the number one guild in Fiore."
Natsu leaned forward eagerly, "What's it called?"
"Phantom Lord!" Lucy clapped her hands together and feigned a look of adoration. "I've heard they're the strongest guild in the world and their master is even one of the ten Wizard Saints!"
The dragon slayer's mouth dropped open in shock and he dropped the drumstick in his hand. Happy looked at her like she had the head of a chicken. Two pairs of eyes bugged out in abject horror. "What!?" they exclaimed as one.
Lucy tilted her head cutely, blinking innocently, "What's the problem?"
Natsu sputtered an answer, "Wh..where'd the hell you hear that!? There's no way that's true! You can't really want to join them."
"That's right!" Happy added. "They're just a guild of bullies!"
They looked so ridiculous with their wide eyes and food splattered faces that Lucy couldn't keep up her act. She laughed so hard that her shoulders shook in her mirth. It felt so good to just laugh in pure amusement. Mavis knows there had been little laughter left in her after the world went to hell.
Just as the fit had subsided, Lucy looked up at the pair and giggled all over again at their looks of bafflement, "Ya, bwahaha, you should have, haha, seen the look on your faces!"
"W-what…?" The poor boy and feline were so lost.
"Honestly, Natsu, Happy, I wasn't serious. Why the heck would I want to join them? They're nothing but a bunch of brutes. Even I can tell that much from all the articles written about them," she replied, rolling her eyes. "The guild I'm actually looking for is Fairy Tail."
Natsu blushed faintly in embarrassment and Lucy stifled a smile at the pout on his face, "I knew that," he grumbled.
"Lucy sure got you good Natsu!"
"She got you too didn't she Happy!"
"Anyways," the blonde cut in, "Enough about me. What are you guys here for? I take it that you weren't looking for that fake, Bora."
The fire mage straightened in excitement, "I was looking for my dad, Igneel!"
"Natsu's dad is suuuper strong and amazing!" Happy added.
"That's right, because he's a fire dragon!"
Lucy had to fight to keep her expression deadpan. Igneel. It had been a long time since she had heard that name. After the night of the Ryuusai few dared to utter the names of any dragons without instilling fear and hate into those within the hearing vicinity.
"A dragon… You're kidding right? How could a fire breathing dragon be your dad? Besides, why in Earthland would you think a dragon would be in the middle of a town?"
Natsu and Happy gave her a dumbstruck look, as if they hadn't considered just how ridiculous their quest had been. "I hadn't really thought of that," the salmon haired boy muttered, expertly ignoring Lucy's outraged cry of disbelief at the admission. "Anyway, it really is true! Igneel raised me when I was a kid. He's a super powerful and awesome fire dragon. But even though he's a big and tough dragon, Igneel really loves humans –"
"You're wrong," Lucy whispered, clenching the hands in her lap to hide their trembling. It was hard to stop the bitterness from seeping into her voice. Hearing the loving tone Natsu used to describe the dragon of fire made goose bumps rise all over her body.
But Natsu continued as if he hadn't heard her, "He taught me everything he knew about them. There was this one time – "
"Stop!" The blond yelled, unwilling to hear the rest.
Natsu paused in shock, looking over at the girl. Lucy had lowered her head so that blond bangs covered her expression. He blinked slowly in bewilderment, only offering a stunned, "Wha-?" before he noticed the pallor of the girl before him. The blonde hadn't exactly looked healthy beforehand but now she looked even paler. "Are you okay?" Natsu asked, concerned.
Lucy bit her lip, cursing herself for the outburst. She made a complete spectacle of herself and now Natsu and Happy probably thought she was even weirder than before. But, it wasn't as if she could help it. It was just so hard for her to hear him speak so happily about those reptilian bastards after everything she had been through. Especially after Igneel…
There were so many things she wanted to tell Natsu, about the future, the dragons, and the Ryuusai. But how could she tell him that everyone in Fairy Tail would die because of dragons? Or describe to him just how terrifying the creatures he admired so much really were? Not only were the creatures said to be extinct but the boy absolutely adored them. She couldn't even imagine how Gajeel and Wendy would react to such news.
How does one go about telling people who were raised by dragons that their parents are the very ones that would end up killing them?
The Celestial mage raised her head defiantly, "I said 'you're wrong!'" There's no way dragons could ever like humans," she gave a fake laugh, trying to dispel the awkwardness between them. "Fire-breathing lizard liking puny humans? No way!"
Natsu glared at her crossly, "You may not believe me but Igneel's not like that at all! I'll prove it to you and everyone else…Someday."
Lucy looked away to hide a sad smile, "Yeah, sure." She looked at her watch, figuring she should leave before making even more slip ups. Besides she had an old friend she needed to find. "I should probably be heading out now."
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Happy asked worriedly, "You didn't really eat anything and you don't look too great."
Lucy blinked in surprise at the feline's concern, unexpectedly not offended by the rather blunt observation. Despite the hunger that had gnawed at her earlier, nausea prevented her from reaching for any of the food they had ordered. Whether that was due to the duo's atrocious way of eating or her weakened body, she wasn't sure. Truthfully, she felt like crap but she wasn't about to let that stop her. There were too many things occurring today for her to just sleep through it and hope she felt better the next morning.
"I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern," the blond replied with a smile. "I'll leave the money here. Feel free to take your time. And thank you again for helping me." Suddenly remembering something, she quickly added, "Please don't thank me. Seriously, I mean it. Don't" She gave them a glare that could rival the famed Titania before turning back toward the exit.
With that Natsu and Happy watched the mysterious blond quickly walk away.
"Do you think she'll be okay Natsu?"
"I'm sure she will, Happy," the Dragon Slayer, answered though admittedly he felt a bit worried himself. The girl looked as if she would keel over any minute. Natsu gave a mischievous grin as he thought up a wonderful idea. "I have a feeling we'll meet her again, don't you Happy?"
Catching sight of the boy's smile, the Exceed gave an excited, "Aye, sir!"
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Lucy couldn't contain a squeal of excitement as she gazed at the silver key in her hand. Nothing could bring her mood down. Not even having to deal with that stingy old shop keeper again. Though, ironically he charged her less for the key this time around on account of her "deplorable health" than he had when she used her 'sex appeal' strategy.
Go figure. Who could've known that being god awful sick had its merits? Maybe she should employ that tactic more often…
The blonde raised the key into the air, admiring the way the sunlight made it gleam. "Now I can see Plue again," she sighed wistfully.
So many battles. So many lost friends.
Lucy had parted with dozens of Celestial Spirits over the years. When the key to the Canis Minor gate had been destroyed, the blond had cried for days on end, lamenting the loss of one of her dearest friends.
Silver keys were very durable, but the magic that had formed them was nowhere near as strong as the ancient magic that created the golden Zodiac keys. The Zodiac keys are said to be nigh indestructible and were theorized to have been molded when the stars themselves were born. Silver keys, on the other hand, were shaped by powerful wizards. There was no way they could have withstood the old magic of the dragons.
Lucy shook her head at the thought, trying to clear her mind. Now was not the time to reminisce on such depressing thoughts. The Celestial Spirit mage carefully added her new key to the rest of her collection before looking toward the harbor where the setting sun had dyed the sea a burnt orange. "I guess it's about time to head to that stupid party huh?" She groaned out.
Dragging her feet, Lucy began her arduous journey to the outlandish ship that was crowding the rest of the dock. She made sure to ignore the shaking bush along the park pathway despite the strange murmuring of "nin-nin" that was coming from it. Holding back a sigh, the blonde had to resist the urge to call her stalkers out. Natsu and Happy wouldn't understand subtlety even if it came and slapped them in the face.
It was weird though. Lucy couldn't remember the two following her before. Then again, maybe they did. At the time, she had been too excited at the prospect of being invited to Fairy Tail by the Salamander.
How ironic was it that after everything that occurred, that's exactly what had ended up happening.
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"I'm glad you could have made it, my kitten. After our brief meeting earlier, I was worried that I wouldn't have the opportunity of basking in your wonderful presence," the blue haired man crooned out, a perverse grin on his face.
Lucy slouched further in her seat, leveling the man an unimpressed glare. Honestly, she was surprised she had even made it on the ship. In her haste to get this stupid party over with, she had forgotten to dress up for the event. Though part of that may or may not have been due to laziness…
Luckily (or unluckily depending on how you looked at it) Bora had caught sight of her just as the guards at the entrance made to turn her away. This is why she now had the pleasure of listening to him prattle on like a complete doofus.
"Look," she interrupted, thankfully before he tried to offer her drugged up drinks. "There's only one reason why I'm here."
"Oh," his eyebrows rose in interest, "and what is that?" He asked mockingly.
Ignoring the tone, Lucy stared him down with serious brown eyes. "To ask what you hope to accomplish by impersonating a Fairy Tail mage."
Bora gave a shocked grimace at the accusation, "What in the world are you talking about, dear? Surely you've heard of the great Salamander before?"
Lucy crossed her arms, giving the blue haired man a bored look. "Of course. Who hasn't? That's why I know enough to know that you're nothing like the actual Salamander." A smirk formed on the blonde's face. "Can you even do any fire magic?" A condescending laugh left pale lips, "Well, even if you can, I bet you wouldn't even be able to light a candle with it!"
The false mage's face turned red in embarrassed anger, "Who the hell are you to question me, you floozy?"
The Celestial Spirit mage slammed her hands on the table before her violently, startling the man across from her. "Who the hell are you to impersonate someone I admire? Who the hell are you to disgrace the guild that I've looked up to and respected since I was a child!? Fairy Tail is made up of mages that accomplish their missions with confidence and pride, always doing the best they can regardless of reward or praise!"
Lucy took in deep breaths, trying to calm the torrent of rage that flooded her. In her previous life, she had been infuriated and mortified to discover the type of disgusting mage 'Salamander' had been. But now, after all the memories she shared of Fairy Tail and her fellow guildmates, Lucy could barely contain her fury. How dare this bastard make a mockery of their bond?
The blonde straightened from her hunched position and gazed at Bora with hard eyes, "You, who uses cheap charm magic to swindle young and naïve girls, will never be a Fairy Tail mage and you will pay for tarnishing their name, Bora of Prominence."
Bora's eyes widened in shock at the sudden unveiling of his identity, "How did you…"
Lucy didn't elaborate. She simply stood, grabbing the whip hanging at her side. With a flick of her wrist, she slapped it to the wooden floor threateningly. The loud crack that ripped the air caused the purple haired man to flinch.
Bora stared at her a moment before straightening himself pompously, "You think you can intimidate me, little girl?"
"I already have. And I know I can kick your ass," she quipped confidently.
The man snarled derisively, "We'll see about that. Let's teach her a lesson, boys!"
At the cry, the curtains that had been hung around the 'private' room were pulled back. From behind them, a large group of burly males poured out. Some of them even had the gall to carry unconscious females in their arms while they positioned themselves to attack her.
Lucy leveled them all with an unimpressed look, "What? Are you idiots supposed to impress me or something?"
The gaping looks on their faces at her lack of fear quickly turned to rage and with a vicious yell they converged on her at once.
Smirking, Lucy waited until the thugs surrounded her on all sides before she struck, quick as a cobra. Spinning in place in a faux pirouette, she twirled her whip as if it were a ribbon, slapping the leather harshly against her attackers' faces. With each rotation, her whip gained more momentum until finally the force was enough to push the ring of men back.
"Idiots! You fools can't even take care of one weak little girl?" Bora yelled in frustration. "I'll handle this myself!" He raised a hand toward the blonde, purple flames curling within his palm.
Anticipating this, Lucy with a golden key already in hand, swiped the bottle of wine off the table behind her. She quickly poured it out, sticking the key in the gushing liquid and turned, "Open! Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius!"
Lucy concentrated on the flow of her magic, channeling it to the warm key in her hand. The action was second nature to the Celestial Spirit mage. But instead of the resonance that usually came with the union of her magic to that of the spirit within the key, Lucy could feel herself losing control. When she felt the energy explode within her, she immediately knew something was wrong. Horribly terribly wrong.
Without warning, the connection between Lucy's magic and the ancient magic within the golden key broke. The air stilled and her body suddenly felt heavy, as if she had exhausted all her magic. The zodiac key fell to the floor with a clatter, slipping out of numb hands, and the wine bottle shattered to pieces beside it.
Lucy fought to control her breathing, desperately trying to regulate her magic. She fell to her knees, hugging herself to stop the tremors in her body. Pain racked her small frame and she bit her lip harshly to hold back a cry. Unable to endure it any longer, her voice rent the air as she screamed in excruciating agony. Golden sparks of magic crackled across her body.
"What the hell!?" Bora stared, dumbstruck, at the girl screaming in front of him. He extinguished his flames as soon as the blonde had started freaking out. When she made no move to stop, he cautiously approached her, ready to knock her out and capture her once and for all. Upon approaching her, however, he recoiled, face and hands stinging from the flicker of light magic that snapped at him.
Debating whether or not to move closer, Bora stood just outside the girl's range. Just as he decided to take another step toward the fallen blonde, the ceiling shattered in a shower of splintering wood chips.
Landing in a low crouch, in all his bad ass glory, was Natsu. Onyx eyes zeroed in on Lucy, narrowing as he saw the girl writhing in agony. The cries he had heard from outside the ship seemed to have died down as the magic circulating her body finally dissipated.
"Lucy!" the dragon slayer yelled, moving to get closer only to fall back to the ground. Nausea turned his stomach as the cruise ship swayed. 'Not now!' he mentally whined as his motion sickness kicked in.
"Don't worry Natsu, I got her!" Happy cried as he flew in from the hole in the ceiling. He gingerly grabbed Lucy with his tail before making his way out the same exit.
Bora and his henchmen finally snapped out of their shock as they watched one of their prizes escape. "Don't let her escape," the shady fire mage yelled, "or else the council will capture us all!"
Shakily standing to his feet, Natsu blocked their path, "You guys…ain't going…anywhere."
Unimpressed by the heaving boy in front of them, Bora sneered, "Who the hell are you to stop us?"
Leveling them with a glare, the Dragon Slayer pushed down the urge to puke long enough to say, "A real mage of Fairy Tail. I'm here to kick your ass, you fa- Urp!"
This is…if he didn't end up vomiting all over the place first.
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TBC
Surprise?
