All rights to Hiro Mashima

~ Twelfth ~

-Lucy-

"Wait, who's 'Bunny'?" I squirm in my seat next to Natsu, Happy gets off my lap with an affronted look and goes to curl up next to Charles. Natsu's question is totally valid, he wouldn't know all the nicknames that everyone has for me, but I don't really want to answer his question.

I don't want to see the worry in his eyes.

"Uhm…I'm Bunny?" I phrase it like a question and it comes out all squeaky and a full octave higher than usual.

The fact that the 'enemy' is coming after me again completely blows over his head apparently because he gives me the weirdest face and asks "Why does he call you Bunny though? Just how many nicknames do you have?"

I start counting on my fingers. "Sting and Laxus call me Blondie, but that's okay 'cause I call Sting light bulb and Laxus thunder thighs. Levy calls me LuLu, Gajeel calls me Bunny or Bunny Girl. Cana calls me Lu-bitch when she's drunk, Freed calls me Ms. Lucy, my spirits call me a mixture of Princess, My Lady, and Lady Lucy. Loke calls me 'my love'. Don't ask, I've tried to curb that habit. You call me Luce, Gray and Erza call me Lu, and Bickslow calls me Cosplayer, Cosplay Queen, or Cheerleader. Most mages from Sabretooth call me Ms. Fairy. Juvia calls me Love – Rival.

My mouth forms a grimace and I glare at a certain maroon haired bastard. "And apparently, Cobra now calls me sugar tits." Cobra just winks at me. I think. He could've just blinked.

Guess I'll never know. It's hard to figure that out because he has only one working eye.

"So like sixteen different nicknames give or take." I shrug. The nicknames don't really bother me, I'm used to it by now. It's a wonder that I don't have an identity crisis. "Come to think of it, the only people that call me by my actual name are Mira and Master." As I am telling him the story of my nicknames it seems as if Master is updating Jellal on everything that has happened so far.

Erza whips around to stare at Cobra "Sugar…Tits? Of all the vulgar…" She is spitting mad. I can tell she is itching to stab Cobra in his extra special spot by the way her hand is drifting off of Gray's shoulder and down to her sword.

"E-erza, don't freak out! It's just a nickname. I actually don't mind it. At least it's inventive. Unlike Thunder Thighs over here." I flick my thumb over my shoulder to point at Laxus and he just huffs indignantly. Erza stands down for now, occasionally glancing over to Cobra with a look that screams 'you're dead'. He just smirks back at her. You have to hand it to him, the guys got balls.

Balls that will soon be detached from his body if he keeps it up. Titania already smacked his ass around once, I'm sure she could do it again.

"Whatever, at least mine is accurate. For all we know your tits could taste nothing like sugar." Even though I am loath to admit it. Laxus' statement is slightly accurate. No one would know. Thank Mavis.

"Just ask Natsu what they taste like. I'm sure he'll tell us." I can feel all the blood in my body rush up to my face. In this moment, Bickslow has won the contest for 'ultimate douchebag of the millennium.'

Everyone puts on a pervy grin and glances over at Natsu, seemingly waiting for an answer. I can hear Levy whisper "Oh my Mavis."

I look over at Natsu hoping that he will ignore the statement like he usually would feigning obliviousness, but alas, he just looks like he is actually thinking about the question. "Well…"

Shit! Is he going to answer the question?!

I smack his arm. "What the fuck Natsu, you've never tasted them! No one has ever tasted them!" I'm getting super pissed now. "How the hell did we get so off topic? And for Mavis' sake Wendy is in the room! This is entirely inappropriate!"

Everyone bows their heads and mutters "Sorry Wendy." Except for Bickslow and Cana, because they are huge ass perverts and not at all sorry about how the conversation progressed.

"For our impertinence, you may strike me Wendy." I roll my eyes for the fiftieth time today. My family was…just…so…strange.

Wendy just shakes her head holding her hands up to her beet red face. "No thank you Erza, it's alright. Let's just move on, please?"

Master gives a little chortle and eyes my bust for a few seconds before asking Gajeel to explain his outburst.

"Lily and I were at a bar that is frequented by dark mages in Crocus when we started to listen into a conversation between two lackeys of Ivan's. They were talking about how another one of them mixed up the mage they were supposed to steal the magic from. The idiot took it from the guy with pink hair instead of the girl with the pink guild mark." Gajeel picks Levy off her seat with one hand and sits down with her on his lap.

It must be an unconscious decision on his part because neither Levy nor Gajeel make any comments about it. Her face is stuck in a book reading at triple speed due to her gale force glasses. I make a mental note to ask her about this later.

'Huh, is it weird that I'm glad that they messed up the first time?' I immediately feel terrible. If I could do anything I would switch with Natsu, at least then he would have his memories back. I realise that I have been leaning towards Natsu's side, seeking his warmth and support subconsciously.

"The guy that screwed up is dead. Apparently when Ivan found out he ran a sword through his heart." We all suck in a breath and Master shakes his head in anger. We all knew he was a dick, but murder? I didn't know he could be so cold blooded.

"Lily and I listened to them fuck around for a couple hours then followed them outside to…interrogate them some more." I shudder. I know Gajeel's interrogation tactics all too well. I still have the scars from them. Now I know why his knuckles look like they went through a meat grinder.

It seems Wendy also spied the damage and started to heal his hands without comment. Charles tutted after her, obviously thinking that she shouldn't waste her energy on a 'pointless endeavour'. I had to agree with her there. Gajeel would ultimately just damage them again sooner than later.

"Although I don't really like that you used violence Gajeel, I understand that this is terrible circumstances. Just what did that men you 'interrogated' say?"

-Gajeel-

Gods, this won't be much of a challenge. Two drunk mages against me? I might accidentally kill them if I use any of my magic.

Lily and I watch from an adjacent rooftop as the two idiots stumble down an alley way on their way to another bar or maybe back to their homes for the night.

Without taking my eyes off my prey for the evening I whisper to Lily "No one's around so I'm going down now. Block the exit to this alley way to make sure they can't get away." I can only assume he nods before he flies off our perch to get into position.

"Gihi, time to go hunting!" Shifting into my shadow form I silently reveal myself in front of the two asshats. Gods they stink something horrible. Or maybe it's just this location.

Probably both.

"Who the fuck are you?!" One of the guys – who looks a little less drunk than his buddy – spots me in the shadows. Damn, I was just starting to get into it.

I don't answer their question and just crack my knuckles that are aching to slam into their faces. "Where is Ivan?"

They start to sweat at my question and stumble over their answer. "What? Wh-who's Ivan? Why do you want to know about him?!" These mages are dumber than the Salamander.

I grin maliciously so that my pointed canines can be seen. It's an obvious threat. "Tell me…where is Ivan? I know you know, so cut the bullshit so I don't have waste my time pounding you into the brick wall behind you."

Like the idiots they are, they clam up and the drunker of the two starts to mouth off. "Fuck off you sack of shit! We aren't going to tell you anything!"

My fist connects with his nose and I can hear the satisfying crunch of bones breaking as he sails into the wall on the opposite side of the alley. He doesn't get back up.

"What about you? Gunna dick around or are you going to tell me what I want to know!" He just looks around for an exit and bolts towards where Lily is standing guard. Before he can even get to the end, he takes a nose dive into the concrete below him and looks up at me towering over his prone body.

"Fine! I don't know where Ivan is you fuck face! I was only tasked to find a buyer for a rare object to make more jewel for the operation! You happy now!?" No I'm not happy!

"Why are you after the Celestial mage? Why do you need that specific magic!?" I basically roar in his face. I am done with this crap. I want answers.

"I don't know! I swear!" I can smell his fear and confusion. He must be so low level in the organization that he wouldn't know the answer. Typical.

I slam my dominant hand into his solar plexus, winding the bastard and slap both hands to his temples effectively knocking him out. These fuckers will have nasty headaches to go with their hangovers by the time they wake up tomorrow.

"Lily, go contact the Rune Knights and tell them the story. I'll tie these guys up and wait." He nods and flies off to the nearest headquarters.

-Lucy-

"So while Lily was off doing that, I searched the two of them to find the 'rare object' that they were talking about. But all I found was a key to a hotel that was attached to the hot springs just outside of town. I went there and as soon as I walked through the door I could smell something incredibly ancient and old."

Levy slams her book closed and looks over her shoulder at Gajeel. "Did you find what it was? Let me see it, Freed and I could look at it for clues or hidden runes that point to possible location to Ivan." He smirks down at her. Levy seems to realize their position and glows red in embarrassment and flails around on Gajeel's lap effectively throwing her onto the floor with an indignant squawk.

She blows her bangs out of her eyes and huffs at Gajeel from the floor. He just chuckles at her. "You okay their Shrimp? I didn't think it was possible for you to get any shorter, although I must say I like seeing you on your knees like this."

Oh that sly dragon. Levy's mouth opens and closes quickly. But it seems like she doesn't have a thing to say back to him.

"Get some Gaj!" Cana cackles from the corner and high fives Bickslow. 'You know, those two would be perfect for each other. Pervy birds of a feather and all.'

Gajeel leans down and offers Levy a hand to get off the floor but she slaps it away while she narrows her eyes at him. She grabs the table instead and stands, brushing the dirt of her ass and straightening out her dress. "As I was saying. Did you find the object? Or are you going to continue to be an insufferable rusty asshole?"

"Damn Shrimp. I love it when you're feisty." Apparently he can't take a hint. Levy turns to Lily instead. "Did you find anything?"

He nods and walks up to Gajeel. Lily then pulls a deep purple silk bag from one of Gajeel's many pockets and hands it to Levy.

As soon as she opens the bag to peek inside we can all feel the magic energy thrum through the air like water currents. Whatever is in there is certainly strong.

Levy gasps. "No fucking way…"

Slowly she reaches in and pulls out the ancient object for all to see.

A deep red lacrima sits in the middle of her palm, swirling with rare magic. I suck in a quick breath.

"Levy…is this…?" I can hardly believe it.

"Yah, Lulu, this is Natsu's magic."