Chapter Two
Erza ran to catch Natsu, unaware that her armour would just hurt him more, and proceeded to slap Natsu's face repeatedly, to awaken him, until Gray held her arm back, telling her it wouldn't help him. Gray felt like there was something going on, something deeper than he or even Erza could see and that was why Chaerin hadn't killed Natsu. Lucy stood in the direct line of sight that Chaerin would have used to see Natsu, demanding the release of Loke, who's banging had slowed from lack of oxygen. Gray stood beside Lucy, glaring at Chaerin, lightly. She looked down at them blankly, not looking into their eyes, but past them, at their hair line like she couldn't bear to look at them. Erza then rose from her knees to stand behind the two of them.
"Why have you stolen the Town's Jewel from them. You have nothing to gain from staying here with it either!" Erza's voice was scarily calm. Gray cast a side glance at her, frowning but saying nothing, knowing it wasn't worth the pain. Chaerin frowned, glaring at Erza.
"Who says I've stolen it? Them in the town? They're trying to steal it from me! They've had so many Mage Guilds come in and try to kill me, to take the Jewel from me!" Chaerin snapped, clicking her fingers and making the staircase, it seemed, blow up. A heated puff of air blew back the group's hair and left a pale, ill-looking Loke gasping for air, curled up on the floor.
"What. . . What kind of magic is that?" he panted, turning to look up at Chaerin with half lidded eyes. She looked down at him, with something like pity in her eyes.
"It's called Particle Control. I can change the state of anything and make it any shape I want." she told him, sitting down and swinging her legs. Loke blushed, turning around because he could see her panties and it would distract him from a serious enemy.
Natsu opened his eyes, a frown on his lips. After listening to what the girl had said, it would be pointless of her to stay in the stone village if she had stolen the jewel, especially if a lot of Guilds try to take it. And it would explain her reaction to more people entering the town. If the girl was being truthful, it would be wrong to kill her and let the townspeople have the Jewel, but if she was lying it would be wrong to let her live and keep the Jewel. Natsu thought back to the people in the village. They had said that Chaerin was a huge, ugly monster when really she was a cute, little girl and they had seemed really reluctant to give information about the Jewel. So, he decided. He jumped up and leaned on Gray and Erza, a goofy smile lighting his face up in the gloom.
"Why didn't you just say that, then?" he laughed, walking up to her and holding out his arms for her to jump into. She stared at him from between her legs then smiled warmly, jumping down and letting him catch her.
"Natsu, I don't think that's a good idea. . ." Lucy trailed off. Erza clenched her fist at Chaerin, while Gray readied himself to Ice-Make Lance. Loke sat up, leaning towards Lucy, ready to protect her if needs be. Natsu glanced up at them before looking back down at the little girl with a frown.
"I actually believe in Chaerin," Natsu shrugged carelessly, lazily leaning on her shoulder with an arm around her neck, loosely. "Her story makes more sense than the Town's. Plus, if she's a Mage, it explains why they couldn't just take the Jewel away, right?" Natsu pulled Chaerin even closer and then laughed, "Also, I want another chance to fight her and if she's in prison, I can't do that." The others sweat dropped while Lucy said:
"He really does have a one track mind, doesn't he?" Gray sighed and nodded, while Erza stared at Natsu and Chaerin. Her eyes were cold and impossible to see through. No one said anything, all eyes on Erza, watching her work in her mind. Suddenly, her gaze snapped from the ground to Chaerin's eyes and she smiled as warmly as Natsu had done moments before.
"Well, if Natsu trusts you, then so do I. Welcome to Fairy Tail." Erza's tone changed from frightening to caring so fast that Chaerin couldn't even process her words for a minute. And a minute is all it took.
"So, Chaerin-chan, where's the Jewel? We can give it to Master at the Guild and he'll keep it really safe for you." The blonde girl, Lucy, walked in step with Chaerin, glancing up at the cold face of her new Nakama and gulping. Chaerin looked up at Erza and Gray walking a few meters ahead, talking in hushed voices, and then back at Natsu, who was loudly engaged in a conversation about which type of fish tasted better as sushi when it was with brown rice, with Happy the blue cat. She turned back to Lucy and smiled a forced and unnatural smile which only appeared on her lips and was not at all genuine while shaking her head.
"I can't tell you, my apologies, Lucy-san. But if you want you could stay here until I get back with it." Lucy nodded, understanding that she wasn't trusting them immediately, for all she knew it was a ploy but the Town for her Jewel. Lucy jumped a little in surprise as Chaerin dispersed, leaving a small gust of strong wind in her place. Natsu ran up to catch Lucy.
"Where did she go?" he asked, placing his hand on Lucy's shoulder and making her hairs stand on end at the skin ship. Erza and Gray also turned around and waited for the other's to catch up to them.
"She went to get the Jewel-"
"And she'll be back?" asked Gray, suspiciously, glancing at the bushes to his right. They were in the middle of a fairly large forest that thick and green on either side. The track they walked was made of dust and sand, clearly made by hurried people as it was rocky, and uneven, swaying left or right at some points instead of staying straight.
"Yes." said Natsu, bluntly, frowning and beginning to walk on before sitting on a cream coloured rock off the side of the path. "But I should stay and wait for her. Maybe I can convince her to give the Jewel to the townsfolk." Natsu kicked his feet out in front of him and leaned back.
"I thought we trusted her. . ." Erza said, walking towards Natsu.
"Yeah, we do, but we can't just not complete our job because we believe the girl over the Town. It could shame Fairy Tail." Natsu spoke as if what he was saying was obvious. Lucy nodded, agreeing with Natsu immediately while Gray rolled his eyes and shrugged before walking back towards the Town past Natsu and Erza with Lucy following. Erza gave one last glance to Natsu before hurrying after the near naked boy further down the path.
"Alright then, come straight back when you're done." Happy swooped down and rested himself against Natsu's neck, perched on his left shoulder. There was silence for a few seconds before Natsu spoke again, waiting for the three figures to disappear from sight.
"Don't you think she looks familiar, Happy?" Natsu asked, casting a look at his friend, who lazily glanced back up.
"Aye~" he replied slowly, his eyes drifting shut. Natsu sighed and rolled his eyes, shrugging Happy off his shoulder and onto the warm gravel below. Just then, he heard a twig snap and his head jerked
up to see Chaerin leaning out of the trees in front of him, a little to the left. Happy sparked to life, hurtling behind his rosy-haired buddy. "Ch-Chaerin-chan. . . ?" he spluttered out before laughing shakily and smiling. "I knew it was you, but you scared Natsu, I was protecting him."
"Don't lie, you stupid cat!" Natsu yelled out, his face turning comically angry. "Yahh!" he cried, trying to hit Happy, who's wings had sprouted back and was flying around his friend's head. Chaerin raised one eyebrow, blinking a couple of times before smirking and giggling at the pair.
"You guys are too cute!" she giggled, making Natsu and Happy look over. Natsu's eyes widened and blushed, stopping dead. The smile on the girl's face was genuine and beautiful, the most honest and sweet smile Natsu had seen for a long time, nothing like the glassy-eyed smile from before. "I hope you don't mind that I got my coat too, but here, this is the Indigo Onyx." Chaerin held out her hand, in it was a small, circular, pearl-like object that glittered in the light. It was a very, very deep purple that could be mistaken for black. Natsu walked towards it and snatched it out of Chaerin's hands, he was about to hold it up to take a better look at it, but Chaerin's fist collided with the side of his face before he could do much. Natsu lost grip on the Jewel as he was sent spiralling through the air and into a tree.
"Ow. . ." Natsu groaned, standing up and rubbing the side of his face, that was bulging and purple, looking back at Chaerin who held the Onyx and was glaring at him.
"Take your hands off my Jewel!" Her voice became even deeper, but rougher and scarier, her eyes going darker and her expression reading pure death. Natsu shivered and chewed his lips, nodding and letting a comical happy expression cover his face.
"A-aye, ma'am!" he cheered, throwing his arm around Happy who copied his movements. Chaerin sighed and rolled her eyes. She began to walk on gesturing for them to follow after her, which they did in the same terrified fashion.