DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail the honor belongs solely to Mr. Hiro Mashima-sama.
Bixlow: Hey when do we get some quality time with our chicks? Natsu, Alzack, Gray, Gajeel and the other guys stare at me.
Me: Don't worry Happy you'll get some time with Charle!
Happy: Really? HURRAY!
Bixlow: I better be getting some adults only time with my girl.
Before the guys could beat up Bixlow, an evil demonic aura enters the room. Coming inside was a smiling Mirajane.
Me: SO.. ahm… let's get on with the show!
A/N: You will find the asterisk symbol on some of the names in the story, at the end of the chapter I have taken the liberty of explaining them. (Bows)
Chapter Seven
Ghost repellent anyone?
At the guild, on a table filled with books sat our favorite solid script mage. She was so intent upon what she was reading that she didn't move when two others sat by her table.
"Shorty, what the heck are you doing?" A gruff voice says by the girl's ear. Shivering at the way the man's hair tickled her neck, the girl slammed the book shut on her gale-force reading glasses.
"Oh, no! Not again!" Levy mutters blushing wildly.
"Huh. You've been doing that a lot." Gajeel mutters while chewing on what appeared to be a huge kitchen fork.
"Doing what?" Levy asks completely stumped.
"Slamming things down and breaking your glasses." Patherlily answers, face carefully blank. Upon seeing the girl's reddening cheeks, he waves at them and flies off to the bar. Looking at Gajeel, she saw that he was staring at her very intently.
Suddenly she felt a somewhat cool hand over her forehead.
"Huh. You're pretty warm maybe you should get some rest. How long have you been here anyways?
"No, I'm alright. I got here around 8am." She fibbed.
All of a sudden, the dragon slayer lowered his head and sniffed at the junction of her neck. Squealing the girl quickly backed away from the guy face flushed and heart beating a mile a minute.
"Wha-what. Why did you do that?"
Gajeel gives off a chuckle and presses a finger to the beating pulse on the mage's neck. "You were lying, I could smell it." He grins up to the shocked face of the girl.
"So, what are these things?" The man asks picking up a woven bracelet that had a big metal disk in the middle. It looked like a watch, with a really big face. Seeing the man's too intent gaze in the metal, Levy quickly takes it away and decides to explain the use of the said bracelet.
"I've worked it so that we could send messages on it."
"Huh?"
"Here let me show you." She took a box beside her and produced a black bracelet that had on a shiny silver metal disk on it. She gestured to Gajeel to put it on. Shrugging, the man followed the girl's instructions. She then put on a black bracelet that had a golden disk on.
"Watch." The girl then wrote on the disk the word "hey". "Now look at yours."
Looking down, he saw that the word had reflected on the one he was wearing.
"Well that's pretty handy."
"Yup, that's the point of it. I've made one for everyone who currently knows about Natsu and Lucy's problem."
"Those two really make a pair." Grunting he went back to inspecting the bracelet when all of a sudden he asked, "So where's the creepy diary?"
"Erza has it. She's searching for 'James' in the old records in the city hall of Magnolia. Turns out that Dark Cove used to be a privately owned land, in fact some parts of it are still being owned by individuals who wish to preserve their privacy."
"So she's going to ask permission to contact the owners?"
"Yup. So ahm Gajeel I heard there's this new metal shop that just opened in town. Maybe you would like to go there with me?"
The iron dragon slayer raised an eyebrow inquisitively saying, "Why do you wanna go?"
"Ahm. I'm hoping I'll find some pretty good metal bookends there and I figured you're the best person to ask when it comes to knowing if the metal is really strong or not." She finished the excused lamely.
"Ha! You're right I would know if it's weak or not." He then patted the girl's head. Sighing, the girl consoled herself that at least they were going on a what appeared as a date even if he doesn't know it. At the thought, Levy smiled up brightly to the long-haired man causing him to blink confused at the obvious happiness on the girl's face. Before he could voice out his thoughts, the solid script mage drags him outside intent on spending the day with the dragon slayer. Pantherlily looked on the couple shaking his head at his partner's density as Jet and Droy cry in a corner.
~0~X~0~X~0~
At the moment another couple comes out of a reputable magic gun shop. A dark haired boy was carrying the purchases of his green haired companion.
"Ano.. Alzack-kun. Thank you!" The busty teen says while staring at her hands and blushing.
A crimson tinge quickly fills the tan faced boy. Glancing at each other, they quickly averted their gaze. Glancing furtively, at the boy's free hand Bisca took a deep breath. Alzack as well takes a deep breath mentally preparing to ask the girl for the permission to hold her hand.
Nodding to themselves, they turned their head to each other at the same time. Faces close to each other they stop walking. As the girl's eyes takes on a shiny quality the boy averts his face from her. Upon seeing this, the green-haired gunslinger's face crumples.
Just then she hears a soft voice saying, "A-ano.. Bisca, can I hold your hand?"
Snapping her head back to her companion she observed that the boy was staring intently at a lamp post not far away from them his face a bright crimson red. The boy's free hand was outstretched to her.
Now smiling more brightly than ever, she takes his hand. On feeling the girl's soft hand on his the boy looks back at her. Upon seeing the girl's tender expression as she looked on their joint hands, the boy squeezes the girl's palm lightly. And with faces flushed the two continue on their walk not knowing that on a roof in a nearby building there was a blue Exceed looking on enviously.
~0~X~0~X~0~
As a green haired rune mage makes his way back to the guild with arms full of boxes, he stops to look back at two people hurrying to reach him.
"Wendy and Reedus, what are you doing here?"
Smiling the young girl answers, "Master Makarov asked us to help you out buy the necessary magical object so that you won't have to keep on coming back from the guild back here in the shopping district."
At this the big mage quickly drew three carts on his exposed belly. After they each place a box on their respective carts they moved on to buy the flying recording bats and the crystals necessary to see what the objects were recording.
Just then they saw a dejected blue Exceed floating slowly in front of them. Glancing at each other, Wendy called out to the obviously depressed cat.
"Happy! What's wrong?"
"Eh? Well I was wondering what else I could give to Charle other than fish, but then I realize I didn't have any jewel left. I also don't want to ask some from Natsu because I want to be able to buy it for myself with my own money." The Exceed says to the impressed mages.
Just then, the picture mage snapped his fingers "Happy, I think I know how you can gain some jewels!"
"Eh? Really, how?"
"I saw a recently posted quest this morning. Now don't look like that Happy-san. The quest is right up your alley. All you have to do is catch the fishes on the quest. But you have to transport them alive though. I think the quest was posted by a local fish collector."
The blue Exceed, fisted his paws and declared "For Charle I won't eat the fishes even if they do end up looking very yummy."
At the Exceeds obvious drooling of the fishes, the three mages sweat dropped.
"Ano, Happy-san. I remember Charle looking at some clothes in a boutique right beside the recently opened florist shop."
At this the Exceed summersaulted in mid-air upon knowing the best present for his lady love. Meanwhile, Freed was looking through his pockets looking for something.
"Well, I'm going to get that quest before anyone else takes it! See ya!" The Exceed waved at them.
"Wait, Happy!"
"Eh, what's that Freed?"
"It's a discount coupon Evergreen gave me of that boutique."
"U-wah! Arigatou, Freed!"
"No problem and Good luck, Happy!"
"Ano..Freed-san, why did Evergreen give you a discount coupon for a clothing store?"
At this the green-haired mage gave out a laugh and gestured for them to move on.
~0~X~0~X~0~
"Hey Mira! Where's Natsu?" An irritated ice mage asks.
"Oh, Gray. He went to Lucy's to help her pick out some supplies for the test of courage. So Gray how good are you at swimming?"
"What? Why did you just ask such a weird question?"
"Oh, nothing. I was just curious that's all."
"Hmmmm. Well, I've never really had to swim before coz I could just freeze the water and sit on a floating ice you know."
"That actually makes sense." The white haired barmaid says while wiping down a glass with extra force.
Hiding behind a post, a water mage was readying herself to offer swimming lessons to the dark haired man. As she took a step from the shadows, someone tapped her shoulder. Surprised, she looked back and squealed.
"Waaa! Oh Happy. i-it's you. Wh-what's wrong?"
Sweat dropping, the girl stared apprehensively at a dark looking Happy. The water manipulator could almost see a strange violet aura around the little cat.
"Ne, Juvia I need your help!"
"E-eh?"
The Exceed shows a quest to the surprised girl. "You see Juvia these fishes are really hard to catch I'll need someone to figure out exactly where they are staying as I try to catch them."
"I-I see." The girl inches back as Happy's head seem to enlarge along with the dark aura.
"Please! I need the money for a present for Charle."
"Ha-happy-san?" The girl choked out as the blue Exceed's eyes produced tears.
"I-I've always tried my best to get Charle the best fish, I would even spend a whole morning just looking for the perfect catch. I even took up lessons from Mirajane and Erza on how to wrap a present really nice. But no matter what I do Charle just won't accept it."
At this the Exceed gripped the girl's blue vest, "Juvia, have you ever felt that you would do anything for someone just for that person to actually see you?"
Eyes wide, the girl took one last long look over the dark haired ice mage by the counter and sighed.
"Very well, Happy-san. Juvia will help you! I won't mind if I only get 30% of the reward money!" Juvia said, a wide smile in place and a burning desire in the background.
"ho-hunto? Hurray! Ano.. Juvia will you also help me in choosing the outfit for Charle."
Squealing the girl rapidly nodded her head.
Waving at an oblivious Gray, the water mage ran out of the guild with an ecstatic Happy by her side. From the second floor another Exceed looks on, shaking his head at the two's hopelessly romantic tendencies. He then flies to the bar counter.
~0~X~0~X~0~
"Ne, Lucy. I'm hungry!" The fire dragon slayer whines from the couch to his partner.
Sitting on the floor was the blonde stellar mage wearing her comfiest clothes as she looked through her books looking for one that would help them out in an unknown forest. The girl had on a Heart-Kruz shirt and worn-out brown capris.
"I'll cook us something after I boxed down these books." She gestures to the pile of unwanted books at her side.
On seeing the large pile, the dragon slayer crawls lazily to the girl's side making exaggerated huffing noises. Laughing the girl passes to the boy a box and gestures to him to start packing the books. As the fire eating mage, carefully packs the books after getting screamed at for just throwing them during the other times he has helped the blonde.
"Ne, Lucy. If ever we don't get to be partners for the test, I'll still definitely help you if you call for me." The pink-haired teen says seriously to the stellar mage.
As the blonde carefully cradles a photo album in her hands she smiles to herself remembering how even back during the S-class examinations they had indeed found each other.
"Hai. And you can just call to me if ever someone from the guild forces you on a raft or a cart during the test."
The boy stiffens at the mention of the vehicles. As his face slowly lost it color, he flops down on the floor groaning.
"Hey, Luce. Will you be sleeping at fairy hills again tonight?"
The stellar mage stands up and carefully makes her way to the kitchen.
"Yup. This time we're all going to be doing some last minute reading on ghost folklores before sleeping."
"Okay. Ne, Lucy. Happy and I sure miss sleeping with you. It's not the same anymore when you're not around."
Blushing, the blonde mage softly slaps her face before calling out, "So what do you want for lunch this time?"
~0~X~0~X~0~
In a compound for the richest merchants of Magnolia, a water mage and a blue Exceed sits down on the front porch of a mansion with cerulean colored roof. As a maid opens the door she looks down in surprise at the exhausted duo. Upon seeing two red wagons packed with fish filled water containers, she invites them in.
Sitting on a soft comfy light blue couch, the two happily eat the sandwiches and tea served to them. Rather than surveying the obvious beauty of the room they steadily devour the two huge platters full of food.
"Ne, Happy-san that was really nice of the maid to give us some food." The mage says to her companion.
"Yeah! She even gave me tuna sandwiches and these are high class tuna too!" The cat happily agrees.
Both looked up, as they heard the door open. Hastily wiping their faces clean of crumbs, they sat back in proper decorum. As the lavender haired maid enters the room they gulped down wondering how the owner of the house would look like.
Eyes widening and mouths open they look on as a lady entered the room. The woman had a beauty that made it impossible to tell how old she actually was. She wore dark blue stiletto boots, a beige pencil skirt and an off-shoulder cable knitted shirt. The shirt was gray in color so it didn't clash with her unexpected color of hair. The woman had a long straight light pink hair. She also had dark brown eyes. The woman was talking to a communication crystal but they could see she had a beauty mark on the right side of her mouth.
Snapping their mouths shut. They looked at each other shocked at the familiarity of the woman.
The water mage gripped the paw of the Exceed and whispered, "Happy, are you seeing what I think I'm seeing?"
"Uh-huh. B-but she's too young to have a nineteen year old son." The cat hissed back at her,
Looking at the woman once again, they noticed that she did appear to be the type who won't ever let the honor of her family down by having a child in such a young age. Catching sight of their curious stares, she smiled at them with her head tilting to the side.
The two exchanged looks and telepathically screamed at each other, "THEY HAVE THE SAME SMILE!"
Quickly, making up her mind Juvia said to the woman apologetically. "I'm sorry for staring at you. It's just that we've only seen one other person with pink hair."
Laughing the woman approached them and joked. "Then you haven't met my family. Most of the women and some men in my clan have pink hair."
"Eh! So it's pretty common where you come from?"
Shrugging, the lady replied. "In the island that my family comes from everyone has unique shades of hair color. Although, I've always had a desire to have blue hair."
Feeling the woman's admiring stare at her, Juvia blushed. Happy of course said, "Aye! I think you would still look very pretty no matter what color your hair maybe."
"Thank you very much. Oh my, are those the fishes I wanted?"
"Aye!" The two replied.
Smiling, the lady approached the containers. "Kawaii. I love their colors."
Hearing the soft almost girlish voice of the lady, the two sweat-dropped at their previous belief that she could be a mother.
"Ano..Is something wrong?" Juvia asked after seeing the smile disappear from the lady's face.
"I'm afraid there is something wrong with my pond. The fishes haven't been coming out from their hiding holes ever since three days ago."
Juvia brightened remembering three days ago, there was a heavy downpour of rain. "Ahm..I'm a water mage so I could take a look at the pond and the fishes for you."
Clasping her hand together the lady smiled brightly at the two in gratitude.
Upon reaching the pond which in the two's eyes pretty much was the size of a small lake. Juvia quickly became part of the water while Happy took flight. Unknown to happy a paper had fallen from him. Catching the falling piece of paper, the woman smiled as she read the name of the boutique.
In less than an hour, the two had managed to clean the water from the debris that had been contaminating the water. It was white dust that usually came from caves containing lacrima.
As the maid and her mistress bowed down to them in gratitude they waved it all off blushing at the respectful gesture. The woman smiled and introduced themselves.
"After all that happened we never had the chance to introduce ourselves."
The maid curtsied, "I am Mari LeBlanc. My mistress is *Filia Allerion. It is our pleasure meeting two such kind hearted mages."
At this the two scratched their heads all the while blushing in embarrassed pleasure at the words.
The woman gave Happy a pouch full of their reward and three white certificates to Juvia. On seeing the curious looked, she explained "Those are gift certificates to *'Daine's Smile'. I hope you enjoy yourselves with one other companion."
Happy asked, "How did you get this?"
The woman smiled, "I own the boutique. Don't worry all my other boutiques are all pretty profitable. Bye now."
"Happy-san, there is no way that could be Natsu's mother."
"Aye!"
~0~X~0~X~0~
"Achoo!"
"Waah. Natsu, are you actually getting a cold?"
The pink-haired teen bristled at this assumption.
"No! I do not have a cold. I bet it's the dust from all this books."
The stellar spirit mage laughed, "Don't worry. I'm almost done with this."
"Great then let's take a nap together, Lucy!"
"…."
"Huh? Lucy you're all red, do you have a fever?"
"Waaaah. Natsu why are you hugging me?"
"I heard some of the guys in the guild saying joint body heat helps people with fevers or something like that."
"….."
"What the! Why is your sweat cold and why are you shivering?"
Natsu proceeds on hugging the stellar mage tighter while covering themselves with tons of bed covers.
"I give up."
"Oi, Lucy. Wake up!"
~0~X~0~X~0~
"And if in case the most abstract of colors fades away. I'll still be thankful for you each day. Oh. Oh. Oh."
As a slightly muscular man in a knight's outfit croons out the words of a song, a silver furred kitten slowly approaches him. As if feeling the cat's curious stare the man stops and looks down and picks up the animal.
"Well aren't you the cutest kitten, I have ever seen." He murmured.
Suddenly his face was inches from the cat. The cat quickly claws his face. Feeling him loosen his grip, the animal jumps on his head to land on a tree branch nearby. But the branch was too thin even for the small weight of a kitten. As it gave way, the cat closed its eyes too surprise to even try changing its form. The man swiftly reaches out a hand catching the kitten in mid-air and placing it back on the forest floor.
From the spot, a silver haired girl appears. "Thank you for catching me. Ahm. Sorry about the scratches."
"*Zenzen. Sheesh you really should look carefully where you land, Lisanna."
"Ano.. Were you singing just now?" The white-haired girl asked staring up at the orange and crimson tinged sky.
"Eh? Tsk. You heard me, huh? Yup. I was singing *Regal by Spongecola."
"Oh. I don't think I've ever heard of that group. So you knew I was the cat, didn't you?"
The tall man chuckled, "Well yeah. You were the cutest kitten I've ever seen. It was obvious you were different from any other cat out there. From the way your silver fur shone stubbornly against this bright sunset to the delicate steps you took."
The girl looked down to her clasped hands, opening her mouth she made to say something, "Bixlow, I…"
"Plus there is no way that an ordinary cat can survive a forest like this, you know. I mean can you imagine a city cat trying to survive in any forest at all?" The man then let out a manic laugh as his five levitating dolls sweat dropped. "Oh what were you saying? Oi, why are you looking at me that way?"
The girl looked the other way. Sighing at herself, she decides to ask the man. "What did you find out about the area?"
"Tsk. There are a couple of Seith mages here. But it looks like a particular one has scared the others away. Before you ask, it wasn't me they were running from. There are a number of other mages here too and I bet some of them may be a part of some dark guilds. What about you?"
The girl unrolled a map and showed it to the man, "I've looked over the whole area and judged the boundaries. The southern mountain area is where those guys are camping. It seems they are all staying clear of the heavily forested parts. The area which the test of courage will ensue would be from this landmark to the beach. I'm a bit worried that they will suddenly join in on our night though."
The guy laughed maniacally again at this, "Well they better be prepared to join in on the fun too!"
Smiling, the girl nodded in agreement. "I want us to get back to the guild before night completely takes over. I have something to show Mira-nee and Master Makarov."
"Eh? Is that it? Looks ominous enough on the map. Let's go home babies and get ready for the fun!"
~0~X~0~X~0~
Just outside the boutique Daine's Smile, three Fairy Tail members happily inspect their purchases.
"Happy and Juvia, thanks for giving me the gift certificate that was really kind of you."
Happy whirls around with his beautifully wrapped presents, "It wasn't a problem Freed. It was really nice of you to give us the coupon and help us pick out the wrappings for the presents though."
The water mage looks up at the rune using wizard and asks, "Freed-san, I saw you come out of the *Epoque section of the boutique. What were you buying anyways?"
At this the green-haired man froze and suddenly shouted "Wa! There's Elfman and Evergreen, I have something to ask them. Ano, so ahm goodbye and thanks."
Happy and Juvia closes their eyes at the burst of dust Freed left after running after the two above mentioned characters.
Just then a familiar ice mage makes his way to the two.
"Waaa. It's Gray-sama, Happy-san. Uwah and I wanted to wear my newly purchased outfit before being seen by him." As the girl bit on a handkerchief the blue Exceed comfortingly patted the girl's shoulder.
"Oi, Juvia there you are. I've been looking all over for you!" The dark-haired man says.
The two shouted "Eh?" back at the guy.
Rubbing his ears from the duo's combined attack to his eardrums. "What's with all the shouting? Pantherlily told me the ice cream parlor just around the corner is having an ice-cream eating contest and I need your help to win it. C'mon!"
As Gray pulled a floating Juvia with him to the said event, Happy sweat dropped feeling bad for the girl. Just then a familiar voice calls out to him, "Ah, male-cat did you see Wendy?"
"Waaah. Charle. Ahm no I didn't I last saw her this morning."
"Ah, I see. Maybe she went back to Fairy Hills already."
"Wait. Charle, I want you to have these presents. Ahm their not fishes their ahm new clothes for you. Juvia helped me pick them out."
The white Exceed looked at him to the presents and shrugged.
Smiling she told the blue Exceed, "Will help me bring them back to Fairy Hills?"
"Aye!"
"Oh and male-cat, thank you."
Glossary(?):
*Zenzen = (zehn-zehn; Not at all or It was nothing.)
*Filia Allerion = Filia is the name of a minor dragon, in the DragonKeeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul, that is enthusiastic of all things, collects knowledge, some of them trivial matters. It is said in the book that Filia means knowledge.
Allerion = is the surname of the heroine of the books. She is a light wizard and a Dragon Keeper.
*I just love the sound of the name Mari LeBlanc.
*The boutique name Daine's Smile. Daine is the name of a powerful magician in the Immortal's Series by Tamora Pierce. Daine is half-god. She is also the guardian of a baby dragon she likes to call Kitten.
*Regal by Spongecola. I did not make up the song and band they really exist and I love song.
*Epoque. A brand in the ds game Style Savvy.
LOL by now you might have a realized I have a thing for dragons. And yes, I do. It all started when my ex-boyfriend made me read 'His Majesty's Dragon of the Temeraire Series by Naomi Novik'. He was also the one who made me interested in Fairy Tail in the very first place. LOL.
Me: By the way, what's up with the girls?
Wendy: They are all just very happy that's all. ;)
Me: How come Lisanna and Lucy look like that? Ah, why are you staring at me that way Wendy?
Wendy: … Nevermind.
Me: Huh. Don't you think this is a really long chapter? What do you guys think?