Oh my flipping god, so many things I needa say right now. But first off...
I FINALLY UPDATEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! 8D
Sorry, had to get that out.
So... I am REALLY sorry this came so late. I mean, I went from kind of weekly updates to... how long has it been? 4, 5 months? Either way, I'm so sorry. I truly am. Thanks so much to everyone who stuck with my bullcrap until now! I love you all :'D
These aren't very good excuses but.. (well, excuses are still excuses) my motivation for this DIED. I don't know how, when, or why, it just did. I've been wanting to update this so badly, but I something kept stopping me. It was so hard D: But I am really glad I did now, I hope you aren't too mad w But I'd understand if you were ^^;
Another reason- I recently experienced having a beta for the first time, and I realized... how incompetent as I writer I am. I saw so many flaws in my writing, and it just made me so reluctant to actually write. During the summer, I wrote very little. Well, I'd still like to improve, so please bear with my crappiness a little bit longer! I don't think you'll see much improvement from me on this story (it's hard to stick on long, complicated description when the story is already 90% dialogue) so, in my newest stories I'll be giving it my all!
News on the bonus chapter- I'm scrapping my old idea. No matter how hard I think, I can't think of a decent story for Gajeel's old days. (I swear, I really did try) Of course, you guys are more than welcome to suggest something, but I decided; the next bonus will be titled 'A Day With Crime Sorcier'. Just a silly, little chapter on how I think the outlawed guild completes their mission. It'll be up as soon as I can write it.
Also, the rewrite is being put off for now. I really just don't have the time anymore. With high school, I'm stuck to working on fanfics strictly on weekends. And I'd rather spend my time updating rather than rewriting. It may or may not come later, because I don't have much drive for it.
This is getting a bit long, so I'll just mention one more thing, more notes at the end of the chapter; I will never abandon this story. I swear to finish it to the end. :D
Also, I didn't edit this very much, so forgive my mistakes.
Without my silly notes, this chapter is about 6,200 words long. Enjoy!
As ordered by Erza, they all met up at the train station the next morning, Natsu and Gajeel equally glum. However, when Wendy kindly reminded Gajeel that she could cure him, the Iron Dragon Slayer perked up considerably while Natsu only slumped further into despair.
Lucy was in charge of the map, as Erza was unbelievably hopeless at reading them. The blonde scanned through it one more time, still puzzled by the accuracy of it. A few of these towns were established recently, only a few decades ago. If this was copied straight off the cave, wouldn't it be outdated?
"Hey, Levy." Lucy asked as they boarded the vehicle. "Did you change anything when you copied this?"
"Hm? No Lu-chan. I passed out right after I finished, so I didn't have a chance to change anything. Not that I would, it's already pretty accurate."
"Exactly. Isn't that kind of weird?"
The Script Mage's eyes flashed for a second with sudden realization, but she only shrugged. "Maybe it's a magic cave."
Lucy furrowed his eyebrows, then shrugged as well. So what if the map is accurate? She was totally overthinking this.
She took a seat near middle, Happy and Natsu taking the seat in front of her. Erza sat in the seat right behind Natsu, peeking over every now and then while trying to be discreet. Even though the train hadn't moved an inch yet, Natsu looked awfully sick.
She absentmindedly watched as Levy and Gajeel sat across from them, and Wendy, Charle and Romeo walked a little further to the seat behind Lucy, the Sky Dragon Slayer stopping for a second to cast Troia in Gajeel.
"I swear to Mavis, I never had motion sickness while I was in Phantom." Gajeel muttered.
Levy laughed, and said something Lucy didn't quite catch, making Gajeel snort and turn away.
"Oh, where's Lily?" The bluenette asked.
"Training in the mountains." Gajeel muttered in reply.
As soon as the train started moving, Natsu seemed to hurt twice as much. Erza stuck her neck over and asked "Natsu? Do you need me to ease your suffering?"
"N-no Erza... You'll probably end up killing me..." He groaned. Natsu then looked up at Lucy, a pleading look in his eyes.
Lucy sighed, and patted the seat next to her. "Get over here."
He smiled a little and trudged over, making himself comfortable and resting his head on Lucy's lap. The two sat in silence for a couple moments, listening to the train move. Then, Natsu asked "Lucy? Why were you crying last night?"
Lucy blinked. She always had a hard time remembering things that happened in the middle of the night. "I did?"
He did an awkward nod. "Yeah. You were crying and you asked me if I would ever leave or something, then when I told you I wouldn't you went back to sleep."
Oh... That's right. I remember now.
She desperately wanted to tell him, so he could be more careful, but doing so would mean breaking that promise she made with the man she met at headquarters. And as a Celestial Spirit Mage, whose magic all depends on promises with their spirits, she could never bring herself to break one.
"I... can't tell you." She muttered quietly.
Of course Natsu picked something up anyway, and asked "Why not?"
She watched helplessly as a hurt expression crossed his face. "I already made a promise I wouldn't tell."
Natsu fell silent for a few moments. "You're not in danger right?"
She smiled sadly. She wasn't the one in danger, he was. "No, I'm not."
You don't know that for sure! The more logical part of her mind said.
But... She thought back.
Natsu searched her face, but finding nothing to indicate she was lying, he turned his head back to face Happy.
The rest of the train ride went by relatively smoothly, and, of course, Natsu sprinting off while screaming relieved gibberish.
"So we have to walk from here to the next town..." Lucy muttered, surveying the map.
"Natsu! Wrong way" She shouted.
He skidded to a stop, then turned back around and dashed ahead of them, yelling "I knew that!"
They all laughed, and followed quickly.
Pretty soon, he calmed down and fell to a walk. Erza hummed as she went along, cake and hot springs on her mind. Charle and Happy were conversing, and though the female cat's words were stiff, Happy didn't let that shake him and continued to keep it up. Levy and Gajeel walked side-by-side, Levy with a cheerful expression on her face and Gajeel facing away from her. Romeo and Wendy hung a little behind them, caught in an amiable silence.
Lucy lead the group, with Natsu right next to her. He peered over to look at the map, but soon finding out he didn't understand it, looked away and focused on walking.
They all walked for about an hour, out of the small and quiet town until they hit a forest, at which Lucy chirped "Almost there! We just have to get through this."
"How long will it take us?" Erza asked.
"At most, 4 hours." She replied.
"4 hours?!" Levy exclaimed. "Lu-chan, that is not 'almost there!'"
The blonde looked at her sheepishly. "Guess not. But 4 hours isn't that long, is it?"
"Whatever, we're wasting time here." Gajeel muttered crossly.
Lucy sighed, and started walking again.
The forest was strangely lush, with moist plants and miniature clumps of fungi wherever they looked. The trees towered high above them, dripping water upon their heads every now and then.
Erza grumbled as the liquid repeatedly wet her hair, and requipped a shield to keep it at bay, holding it above her head.
Out of the blue, a bird cried shrilly in the distance, startling the nine of them. They all stopped to look at their surroundings, checking for any signs of life before moving on. Heart beats quickened.
"Um... Natsu, can you tell us if you smell anything weird?" Lucy asked.
He took an experimental sniff at the air, then frowned. "I can't smell anything."
She stared. "As in, nothing dangerous or just plain nothing?"
"Nothing." He repeated. "I don't know, I think all the plants screwed up my senses." His nose felt stuffy, as if clouds of moisture blocked them. It was harder to breathe.
"You too Gajeel? Wendy?" She asked, turning.
They both checked, then shook their heads. Nope.
Suddenly, various cries sounded from throughout the forest, as if echoing the first. They froze, waiting for something to happen, when Erza suddenly shouted "Duck!"
They immediately obeyed, crouching low to the ground as objects whistled over their heads. Erza chose to stay standing, blocking whatever she could with her shield, quickly summoning a second one to hold with her other hand.
One of the objects bounced off the shield and rolled to a stop near Lucy, enough so she could see it without raising her head. It was a strange nut, a bright shade of green covered in thorns. Not recognizing it, she turned to Levy and shouted "Levy! What is this?!"
The blue-haired girl glanced at the nut, and replied "Spiny fruits! They come from a certain plant that shoots them out at the call of a bird! But-" She shrieked as one of the projectiles narrowly missed her face. "They're not supposed to exist anymore! Scientists haven't seen one for years!"
"Wha?..." Well, they certainly exist now.
"Leave it to Shrimp to know whether or not a nut is extinct." Gajeel muttered.
"Didn't I just say it was a fruit?!"
"Get up! Something's coming!" Erza shouted, still deflecting the fruits.
Immense rustling shook the bushes and trees, and they looked in horror to see a large group of Vulcans advancing. The fruits had slowed considerably, now shooting out a couple at random intervals.
They were a different color from what Lucy was used to seeing. Green in areas she saw gray or black in her previous encounter with the creatures.
"Gorians." Natsu hissed.
Mm, so that's what they're called. The blonde thought.
The Gorians grinned, from above the trees, behind bushes, or in plain sight, and more were popping up by the second.
10... 20... 30... Erza quickly thought, her eyes scanning the area.
40. She decided.
And they were completely surrounded.
"What kind of nonsense is that? From what I heard, she uses Teller Magic. You use Heavenly Body Magic." She stated.
"But being able to differentiate truths from the lies, that's not her magic. It's just something she can do on instinct. When she changed the minds of the Council Members, that was her magic."
Ultear thought it over, then looked at him questioningly. "How do you know this?"
"You know my magic is rare, right?" The woman nodded, and he continued. "I inherited it from a tribe that existed long ago, who were almost completely wiped out when a man tried to summon the sun to his side. As a result, a meteor shower rained down on them, killing the majority. That tribe was also known to be able to tell truths. Not by magic, but by nature."
Ultear's and Meredy's eyes widened. "Then that means you two are-"
Jellal glanced at them. "Yes. We're related, descendants of the same tribe."
"I sense a great battle coming up..."
"A battle?" Juvia asked.
Makarov nodded. "Yes. Though I'm not sure between what forces, nor when. Only that we will be involved, and that there will be a lot of collateral damage."
"There always is when we're involved." Gray reminded him.
He sighed. "But nonetheless, I want to be prepared. And I would like you to help me. Scattered throughout the northern regions, there are powerful, ancient relics that, when brought together, create a nearly indestructible barrier. I have a feeling we may need it later."
"Oh, alright. So you just want us to collect them all?"
"Yes, all three. I have a map for them, but it'll be dangerous. The only reason I chose you two is because it's up north. Lots of snow, your kind of environment Gray. Juvia seems accustomed to the cold as well, and she's compatible with you."
"Juvia c-c-compatible with Gray-sama?!" She fumbled, face reddened.
"The two of you have accomplished two Unison Raids, a magic only those with strong bonds can use and impossible to master. Yet you have used it twice. I don't want you going on your own, and I can't think of anyone better suited to the job than Juvia."
Gray scratched the back of his head. "I guess that makes sense..." He mumbled.
"I get to go on a mission with Gray-sama!" She squealed.
Makarov smiled. "I assume that means you'll go." He handed them a large scroll, yellowed with age. Gray unrolled it to see it was that map, and indeed, it was the northern regions. He recognized some of the places quite well.
"The pass to one of the relics will open next week and only for a few days. If you wish to get through it again, you'd have to wait a year or so. I suggest you leave tomorrow."
As Gray thought back on Master's words, he scanned the map, searching over the entire area only for his eyes to flit back repeatedly to one particular spot.
Crystal Pass... That one place Ur told him never to go to.
He vaguely remembered staring up at the pass as a child, always wondering what lay behind it but secretly afraid to check. Lyon had once tried, though their teacher had caught him just past the towering ice cliffs and beat him up. Him too, since he didn't stop him.
He chuckled to himself drily. He had never told Master he had come from the northern regions. The geezer had never asked.
His eyes fogged with distance as he reminisced about his younger days. They were hard, to be sure, but he believed he had enjoyed it. He would have loved it even more had his head not been filled with constant thoughts of vengeance.
And beside him was, unbeknownst to the male, a very giddy Water Mage.
Ah... I can't believe I get to go on a mission with Gray-sama~! Juvia thought to herself, cupping her cheeks with her hands.
She jumped a little as he suddenly started laughing, startled. She wanted to ask what was so funny, but freaked out when she noticed his eyes were glazed over. Was now a good time to speak to him?
The girl decided to give it a shot. "Er... Is something the matter Gray-sama?"
He snapped back to life. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."
Now that I think about it... Juvia kinda reminds me of Ur. She has the same smile. And they're both crazy. He paused for a moment, then corrected himself. No, all the women I ever met in my life are crazy.
"Hey, Juvia. Can I ask you something?"
Blood rushed to her face as her heart began beating faster, pounding in her chest. What did Gray want to ask her? A marriage proposal? A date?
She inwardly screamed in joy at the thought, then the more logical part of her kicked in.
No, no... We are in the middle of a very important mission... Gray-sama would not ask such things.
Maybe he would never ask... She thought sadly. There are often times when her love felt unrequited. He was never cold to her. Just treated her the way he treated everyone else.
"Um... Juvia?"
Her face was now flushed with embarrassment as she realized she never replied. "Yes! Yes, of course Gray-sama, anything."
He sighed a little, and then said "Master said you 'seemed accustomed to the cold.' Are you from the north as well?" Only the north had temperatures to be truly called 'cold.'
She nodded. "Yes, before Juvia's orphanage she lived in the north."
Gray blinked. "So why did you go to the orphanage?"
A pained expression crossed her face. "Deliora." She said sadly. "Deliora came... wrecked Juvia's town... killed Juvia's family..."
Juvia let out a little gasp as Gray comfortingly squeezed her shoulder, hand shaking.
Her too... He thought bitterly. Damned Deliora...
She looked at Gray to see his eyes downcast, jaw clenched. She knew he meant to comfort her, but...
Juvia thinks... Gray needs more comfort than I... She reached over and carefully pulled his hand off her shoulder, clasping it in her own. He looked at her in surprise, and she smiled, then rested her head on his shoulder. "Juvia is tired..." She mumbled, stifling a yawn.
"...G-go ahead. I'll wake you up in the morning." He fumbled. Hell, it was hot in here! But to strip he'd have to make Juvia move...
He sighed, and decided to tough it out. It's not like it was worth it anyway.
"Fist of the Fire Dragon!" Natsu shouted, giving the monster an insanely hard punch to the back of the head. The Gorian fell the ground in a large heap, and he victoriously put a foot on the body.
"I got the last one!" The pink-haired teen whooped.
Gajeel grumbled and put away his sword, the glossy metal returning to its flesh form. Happy cheered, and Romeo had an uncertain expression. The others simply didn't care.
"How did everyone do?" Erza asked.
Natsu was first. "Fourteen!"
"Thirteen..." Gajeel grumbled.
"Four." Wendy added calmly.
Lucy clenched a fist in front of her face and grinned. "Seven!"
"Three!" Levy chirped.
"F-four..." Romeo muttered, his head hung low.
Erza nodded. "I took care of the rest."
Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Rest? There were only about forty." She gestured to the area around them, Gorians scattered and beaten, littering the ground and draped over branches.
"There were more in hiding a little further off. They were probably planning to come out after you were exhausted, but I dealt with them."
"H-how many?..." Levy asked nervously.
Erza smirked, and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I can't say I kept exact count, but around 37."
She totally kept count... They all thought.
"No fair! We totally could've beat up more if we knew they were there!" Natsu shouted in protest. In spite of himself, Gajeel grunted in agreement, earning them both a hard stare from the S-Class mage herself. They cringed, and their surrounding companions snickered.
"Does it really matter? I'm tired." Lucy whined.
"Then let us be going." She turned to Happy and Charle, who were drifting towards them, wings scarcely moving. As expected, Charle gripped the map in her paws, for she was given it to be sure it wouldn't get ruined during the scuffle.
Charle handed the map to Lucy, and settled back to the ground. It was only then Lucy realized the parchment was moist. "What happened?!" The blonde shrieked, shifting her hold so she had just enough fingers on it to keep it from falling to the ground.
With a 'hmph,' she stated "He-cat dropped it in the water."
"Happy!" Lucy cried, turning on the blue cat.
Before Lucy could kill the poor creature, Levy quickly said "Don't worry Lu-chan! I used water-proof ink!"
The blonde loosened her grip on Happy's tail, and breathed a sigh of relief.
The red-head then turned on her heels, and began walking away, the others quickly following in suit.
"So how long will it take from here?" Erza asked Lucy, who was studying the map.
The blonde sighed. "3 hours."
They all groaned at the reply, with Erza's more of an irritable growl. She was getting rather hungry.
~3 hours later~
"We're hereeeeeeeeeeee!" Natsu shouted ecstatically upon walking in the town. Heads curiously turned to look, and Erza quickly cuffed him in the back of the head with an armored hand.
"Do not disgrace Fairy Tail." She growled angrily. Natsu quaked, and the others cringed. By now, it was clear she was in an awful mood.
At the violent display, they all turned with hesitant expressions and carried on with their business. As they stood marveling at the well-lit, bustling town, a young girl sporting a kimono cautiously walked up to them, eyes low.
"U-um... Would you like me to escort you to the hot springs?" She quietly stuttered, then drew away as if she feared getting hit as well.
"Please do." Erza replied curtly. They all sighed in relief. They were just thinking how the heck they were going to find the hot springs in this huge town.
"Erm... okay... Please stay close..." She then turned, and began trodding off along the paved, stone path. As she requested, the others followed, oohing and ahing at their surroundings.
The girl smiled. She was quite used to the awes. The town was quite beautiful and she knew it well.
She jumped the blonde beside her suddenly asked "May I ask you your name?"
Shooting her an apologetic look, she quickly added "Ah! Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you..."
"N-no... it's okay. I get scared very easily so..."
And just then, Natsu decided to swallow up the flames of a torch.
"Eek! Monster!" She shrieked, hiding behind Lucy.
"Natsu!" Lucy hit him very much like Erza did earlier, and he cried in protest "I don't do anything!"
"You're scaring her!" She replied defensively. She was aware that behind her, the girl was trembling.
"I'm just eating!"
"Eat later!"
"I'm hungry!"
"Eat later!" She insisted.
"At this rate, we're never gonna get there." Gajeel muttered.
"I don't care!" They shouted in unison.
"Silence!" Erza yelled, hitting them both. "Settle your disputes after we arrive!"
"Okay..." They both whimpered, clutching their bruises.
Suddenly, a light, airy laugh filled reached their ears. They turned to the girl, who had a hand over her mouth in attempts to stifle her laughter.
"Ah... I'm sorry..." She said apologetically. "It's just..." She allowed one last giggle to escape from her lips. "You all look so funny!"
Their eyes widened, then broke into smiles.
"Yeah, we're pretty crazy huh?" Wendy giggled.
She nodded, her eyes bright, and the bluenette rushed to the front, starting up a conversation with the timid girl.
Thanks to Wendy, she opened up rather quickly, though she still kept her quiet demeanor, and they all talked and laughed as they went along. Her name was Laury, she was 10 years old, and had been working at the hot springs all her life- her family owned the business. She answered any questions the group had, how old the town was, how many people lived in it, and, many, many times, when they were going to get to the hot springs.
"It's pretty far in to the town." She said, almost apologetically. "It was as far away from the water source the business could first afford to have the hot springs. That's why we make sure to provide everything in one place, and make it as pleasurable and comfortable as possible."
Lucy smiled. "I'll bet it's worth it!"
Laury nodded. "It is! We're famous for having the most satisfied customers."
"I can't wait to get there!" Wendy sighed happily.
Levy leaned over to Romeo, who hung at the back of the group, a little miffed that Wendy left him. "Jealous Romeo?"
"Wha-? O-of course not!" He fumbled in response, quickly turning away from her grin.
Much to his relief, Laury soon chirped "Here we are!"
Upon setting her sights on the building, Erza hummed in approval. "Looks rather quaint."
And indeed it did. It appeared to be a more traditional building, almost completely made of wood with slide in doors. Flowering trees accompanied it, various bright colors peeking from their buds. A huge cloud of steam rose from behind it, thick and inviting. It was difficult to see exactly how large the building was, due to the trees, but they (almost) all figured it must be large since it's so popular.
Laury guided them in, pushing open the doors and stepping aside to let them all in before entering herself.
"Papa! Mama! We have customers!" She cheerfully called.
A middle-aged woman sporting a kimono similar to Laury's bowed, her graying bun not moving an inch from being done so tightly. She raised her head, eyes kind. "Welcome to Guana Hotsprings. Are you all a group?"
They nodded, and she continued "Very well. My daughter will escort you to your rooms and give you the general layout of the building..." Their eyes brightened at the thought of finally getting to relax, but her own, beady ones glinted. "...But one of you must stay behind to discuss the fee."
They all groaned, but Erza merely said "Please do it Levy. I will pay for all of us, but I am in no mood to stand around here."
Levy hesitated, but seeing Erza's hidden glare that she'd become familiar with over the years, she asked no questions and walked up to the front desk.
"Need help Shrimp?" Gajeel gruffed, earning him some surprised looks from the others.
Levy looked surprised as well, but merely replied "No, I'm fine Gajeel!"
Catching the stares, he added "You kinda look like you can't reach the counter..."
Her eyebrow twitched. "Screw you!" She exclaimed, waving a fist at him.
They all laughed, and Laury smiled. "Shall we go, then?"
At their unanimous, eager nods, she gestured with her hands to follow her, and they did just that.
As she led them down the moderately dark halls, she said "This place is a lot bigger than it looks, so you really shouldn't wander around too much. And try to memorize the way please."
Ignoring the various curses and falls they made as they fumbled in the darkness, she rounded a corner and threw open some doors. "Here we are!"
They all rushed around Laury to peek inside, and widened their mouths in surprise.
"..."
"..."
"It looks plain." They unanimously deadpanned. It was a small room, lightly decorated on the walls and a tiny bakery of some sort in the corner. A large kotatsu stood in the middle, with cushions for all of them. The entrance for what seemed to be the springs stood on the left, extremely close to their bedrooms for the night.
"Oh, haha." She scratched at her cheek sheepishly. "That's what I always tell my parents, but they say simple is best." Seeing their rather skeptical looks, she said quickly "But the baths are really good!" She walked over to the far said of the room, and gestured to the two sliding doors near each other. "This is where you'll be sleeping. Please make yourself comfortable while I prepare the springs."
Erza automatically strode to the door on the left, the girls quickly following.
"Oy, Salamander, wrong room." Gajeel took him by the ear and dragged him to the other room, the girls watching the scene with a somewhat disgusted expression.
"I-I can't even tell if he's a perv or an idiot…" Lucy muttered to Wendy.
A familiar voice suddenly jumped in. "For my sake of mind, let's say he's an idiot."
Lucy blinked, then grinned at the incoming figure. "Levy!"
"Lu-chan!" She waved at the blonde, the two rushing at each other for an embrace.
Sweat-dropping, Wendy watched the tender scene. "Lucy-san… Levy-san… you had only seen each other a few minutes ago…"
Erza then came into the room, carrying a massive load of desserts. The scarlet-haired woman had a seeming blissful expression on her face.
"That's too much!" They all exclaimed.
"I have to say, they aren't impressive to look at, but they taste phenomenal." Plopping onto the bed, she unwrapped another and stuffed it into her mouth, that strange expression taking over her features almost immediately.
'Sh-she's in love…'
Laury appeared at the doorway, stacks of towels in her arms. "Th- the springs are ready girls… Please enter it whenever you like." Excusing herself with a small bow, the girl went off to give the boys a similar message.
They all exchanged grins. "Let's go."
They all made their way to the door, and Lucy caught Erza trying to take some sweets with her. "Erza! You can eat later!"
Pure regret crossing the woman's face, she slowly put it back on the bed. Lucy almost felt bad at Erza's obvious reluctance.
"I-I shall come back for you…" She choked, before Lucy finally pulled her out the door.
…
"Hello sirs… The springs are ready…" Laury stared at the lone man inside the room, seemingly bored out of his wits. "Erm… where did everyone go?"
"Oh, Salamander and Conbolt when to the bathroom or somethin'… The cat too, I think."
She blinked. Well, that was alright. "The springs are ready now, so you can enter whenever you wish..."
Yawning, he muttered. "Alright then." Much to her horror, he immediately began removing his shirt.
"EEK! P-please remove your clothing in the bathroom!" She blustered, nearly dropping the towels in surprise.
The man glared. It sounded like too much trouble. "Where's that?"
"R-right next to the springs sir…"
Well, that wasn't too bad. Grudgingly, he stomped past Laury towards the springs, who sighed in relief the second he was out of range.
'These people are strange…' She thought, closing the door and moving to tend to the other guests of the house.
…
"Wow, this feels great!" Lucy exclaimed as she stretched. Laury wasn't joking, the water felt amazing! She swore she felt every trace of fatigue she's accumulated over the past couple weeks being washed away with the gentle waves.
Poking at one of the many, strange, pink flowers floating on the surface, she said "Wonder if this has something to do with it."
The water stirred as her companions entered, immediately breaking into sighs. "I think I can sleep here…" Levy murmured.
Erza snuggled further into the water, almost completely submerging herself when a small, rectangular device caught her eye. "Oh? What's this?"
The others glanced at her, the same curious expression overcoming them as well. Erza began reading off the buttons; "'Muscle relief, anxiety remover, skin enhancement…' My, my." Erza mused. Smirking, she asked "What would you girls like?"
They all shouted in unison "Skin enhancement!"
"Then so it is." She pressed the button, and waited.
Nothing happened.
"Th-the flowers…" Wendy said suddenly, and they all looked at the blossoms; they were all floating in one direction, into a filter of sorts. And they didn't seem to be coming back.
"There too." Charle pointed out, gesturing at the area next to Levy. They watched in amazement as new, golden flowers took the pink ones' place, tumbling into the water and resting on the surface. Pretty soon, the spring was completely filled with the gold flowers.
"So it was the flowers after all…" Lucy said after all. The water did feel a little different. Not as good as before, but if it really did help her skin, she had no complaints.
All sharing the same thoughts, they submerged themselves in the water, and relaxed. It really was warm.
…
Laury passed by the other two boys (and the cat) along her usual route, and she gave the same message, smiling when they all dashed off.
After quickly performing her nightly chores around the house, she sighed, and glanced at the clock . It was just about time for her break.
…
"Romeo, hurry up!" Natsu shouted as he undressed, throwing everything carelessly around the room. He then took a random towel and wrapped it around his waist.
"I-I'm trying, Natsu-nii…" The younger teen replied, being just a little more deliberate. His eyes widened in surprise at Natsu peering through the glass instead of jumping right in. "Is something the matter?"
"There's someone there." He replied, moving over so Romeo could look as well. A person with long, dark hair was turned away from them, submerged up to the shoulders and leaning against the rocks.
'A woman?..." He thought. All that steam made it difficult to see clearly.
"Maybe she thinks it's a shared one or something." Natsu grumbled. "You should tell her to get out."
Alarmed, he asked "Wh-why me?!"
"I feel like using the bathroom again." He replied, already heading toward the bathroom joined with the springs.
Sighing, he steeled himself and slowly pushed the door aside, half covering his eyes in precaution. The person seemed to take no notice of his entrance, not reacting in any manner at all. "Um… ma'am, I think you're in the wrong place… This is the mens' springs…"
The figure suddenly turned, and upon finally seeing the person's face, he thought his heart stopped. "The hell you talking to, Conbolt?"
The boy stared in shock, mouth working to form some sort of response, but failing.
"…"
"…"
-Snort-
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Romeo clutched his stomach, sitting on his heels as he tried to contain his laughter.
"What's so funny?!" Gajeel demanded.
Romeo's eyes had begun leaking tears. "You- you- I thought-" He fell over, and roared "SUCH LONG, PRETTY HAIR!"
Gajeel's face flushed, and he glared menacingly. "Shut up, brat! It's not my fault it actually goes flat in the water!" It was so unfair! Salamander's hair fricking defied gravity- it stayed that spiky hell mess whatever he did to it! He was a Dragon Slayer too, why couldn't the same rules apply to him?!
At that moment, the Fire Dragon Slayer chose to storm into the room. "Hey, Romeo! Did that girl leave ye- HOLY SHIT IT'S GAJEEL!"
The Iron Dragon Slayer fumed as he began pointing and laughing at him. And, to add fuel to the flames, Romeo was still rolling on the floor in hysterics. "Hahahaha I totally thought you were a girl!"
"Bastards!" He hissed. Aiming straight at the two, he roared "Roar of the Iron Dragon!"'
"HIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Romeo screamed as he went flying who knows where, and Natsu got thrown right back into the bathroom, shooting through more than a few walls.
The pink-haired fool emerged from the rubble, now equally pissed as Gajeel. "Why you… ROAR OF THE FIRE DRAGON!"
…
Back in the girls' spring, the five of them floated among blue flowers. Erza had eventually switched it to muscle relief, complaining that her arms were a bit sore.
"Hey, Erza?" Lucy asked, eyes half closed.
"Yes Lucy?" The scarlet-haired woman replied.
"…Did you hear something?"
She listened, then shook her head. "Nothing at all. Perhaps you're just hearing things."
Sighing, the blonde sunk further into the water. "Maybe…"
It was the middle of the night. All was quiet in the halls of the Magic Council's headquarters. A lone girl walked slowly across the floor, eyes nothing but milky, distant orbs. Her arms lay by her sides like dead weights, unmoving as she walked.
The girl kept walking until she came upon the kitchen, shuffling into the dark room. As if she knew the place by heart, she moved around the tables and counters and straight to the cabinet, reaching to pull the drawer open. She felt around, her hand closing around the hilt of a knife, and slowly pulling it out of the drawer. The blade glinted, and she clutched it tightly.
She carried the knife all the way to a small, nearly empty room that hung in the back of the kitchen. Crates and barrels were stacked along the walls, but the girl paid them no mind. Still caught in her trance, she lifted the blade to her finger, and poked the tip into her flesh. The knife clattered to the floor, now of no purpose to her. Blood dripped onto the ground, dropping like a slow rain. She sunk to her knees, and her hand moved on its own. Strange, crimson letters formed as she wrote, thinking nothing but seeing everything.
A dragon roared in the distance, flapping its wings as it charged at the town. Light flashed as it was repelled, held back temporarily by an invisible force. People screamed as they ran, mages trying but failing to calm the citizens down. The sky was red.
Her hand moved upwards, then strayed to the right, and lifted it momentarily to strike a few diagonal lines across the middle.
Destruction…
In a castle, a large, fearsome beasts screamed its rage, a piercing, bloodcurling scream. Three figures stood before the dragon, carrying an aura of determination, but being suppressed by the dragon's thick, imposing one. That scream was full of sadness.
She started a second letter, moving in an s-like shape and circling it a few times. Using her other hand, she squeezed her palm to draw more blood.
Despair…
Dark, dark clouds rolled through the scarlet sky, but no rain was spilled. Only dragons. More dragons emerging from the heavens, destruction on their wings. A girl screamed at the sky, the corpses of her comrades around her. She was the last one left. And all she could do was cry… Because for the second time in her life, she had lost her family.
Now trembling, her hand swiped across the floor, as tears flowed from her empty eyes. Her breath came out haggard, as she drew the last word.
Death.
The door flew open. "Celestia!"
Color slowly floated back into her eyes, shaking in terror. A scream ripped from her throat before she passed out, both weak from the loss of her blood and the shock of the scene before her. The butler rushed to the girl, pulling her off the ground and trying to wake her. Blood was stamped on her forehead.
As he stood, he finally saw the mess on the floor, and felt like collapsing himself. This was no language he was familiar with, but he knew what these letters meant. Somehow, he knew.
Shaking his head, he muttered frantically "We can't stay. We can't stay here anymore." Shattering the bracelet on the girl's wrist with his bare hand, he ran, Celestia in his arms. The light of dawn began flooding the hallways, painfully beautiful. He passed people, shocked expressions on their faces.
Racing out of the building, he broke right into the woods and continued to run. Where he was running, he didn't know. He just had to hide. Because if they got a hold of Celestia after seeing those letters…
She would never be able to smile again.
My my, that was a bit... dark. o.O Sorry if it's abrupt, I couldn't think of much more to add. Well, this is pretty how the next few chapters will be like; little Gruvia, some Crime Sorcier, Natsu and company, and Celestia. The next chapter will start off with how Natsu and the others are punished for being so cray 8D
Also, from now on, I'll be keeping my status on my fanfics right on my profile- check it out every now and then to see possible update dates, new stories and other stuff. (I have a good deal of stories I'm planning to write) If you have any questions, just ask! :)
From now on, my updates will be considerably slow. I'll try not to take more than three months, but... well, I can't trust myself to promise anything. I'll just see how things work out.
Hm, I feel like I'm forgetting something. Oh well, I'll edit later, if need be. Either way, it's 5 AM rn and my brain is fried.
Well, I hope you liked it! Please leave a review x)
Till next time! *waves*
(Next to update: Fairy Tails and Soul Eaters!)