All Rights to Hiro Mashima
Welcome everyone, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas or a good holiday weekend. :3
SIX
Natsu handed off a very subdued Bora to the local Rune Knights of Hargeon while Lucy quickly ran off to give Ryan back his missing money – minus whatever Bora had already spent at the brothel and the tavern. The large man was so happy that he gave them a bonus on top of what he promised them which made Lucy sigh in relief.
A successful mission with no collateral damage to the surrounding buildings. It was probably the easiest money she had ever made in the entire time she had been a mage. Usually, they had to trek up a mountain or go deep into a forest or battle a wyvern or something that inevitably made her bleed.
Lucky Lucy indeed.
They splurged a little on dinner, opting for a more formal restaurant than they usually would with their full team – Wendy was still underage so family restaurants were cheaper and had a wider selection for their friendly neighbourhood Slayers (doubly so when Gajeel and Levy tagged along) – the atmosphere was easy and light between them even with the loss of Natsu's more important memories.
Lucy was content and extremely happy, and by the Gods so incredibly full. She huffed a small laugh and groaned in exaggeration at her full stomach.
Perhaps dessert had been a bit much, but she had a sweet tooth and that double chocolate cheesecake had been calling her name like a siren's song. Although she had to keep slapping Natsu's fork away from pilfering her dessert.
Rotten stealer.
They made it back to the hotel room sleepy and warm and pliant. Natsu passed out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, muffled snores echoing around the room. Lucy followed him in a tired haze, after splashing a little water on her face and changing into something more comfortable. A heavy arm wound around her waist and Natsu did his best impression of a clingy octopus. This, this was familiar and everything she had grown to hold dear. She did miss the little furry ball of fluff that Happy curled up into in the crook of her elbow, but he had opted to stay behind and go on a day trip with Wendy to gather herbs for Porlyusica.
She drifted off easily with the warmth of her friend by her side and the knowledge that she would be able to pay rent again this month in the back of her mind.
-ooo-
Laxus collected the reward from the Rune Knights in the small town of Holly just South of Hakobe Mountain. He and his team had recovered a thoroughly debauched – and reeking – Bluenote Stinger from where he had been bar hopping since Gajeel had seen him at least two days prior.
"I don't think I'll be able to wash the stench of that disgusting man off me anytime soon."
The Thunder God grunted and scowled. "Normally I wouldn't think about it but I agree Ever. I can't believe that man was so easy to subdue. But he was so wasted I don't think he even knew who we were."
Bickslow just pouted from where he stood a little way away from the other two. "I need a fucking shower. I can't believe he puked on me."
Evergreen wrinkled her nose and fanned herself. "Karma."
Laxus couldn't believe that he had to break up another argument between them. It was like trying to herd Exceeds with his team sometimes.
-ooo-
An explosion ripped Lucy out of her dreamless sleep.
She was disoriented and frankly annoyed to all hell that something had disturbed her peaceful slumber.
"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!" She knew that voice. Natsu was yelling with undisguised rage somewhere close by her head. Spurts of fire and fists flew, but it wasn't enough to see by.
Glass shattered and she heard heavy breathing and something heavy collided with wood. "NATSU?!" Lucy started to panic, and because of her emotions, a bright light lit the room and suddenly Leo was there by her side.
Thank the Gods for Loke. Although she would never tell him that, his ego was already too large as it was.
"What the hell? Lucy—"
She waved away his hands, finally able to see what was happening in front of her as Leo's fists lit up the formally pitch-black room. Natsu was furiously trying to keep an unknown mage pinned beneath him but without his boosted strength, he was having one hell of a time. She struggled to get out of the bed as the sheets had curled around her in sleep.
Lucy sucked in a breath when she saw Natsu take a solid right hook to the side of his face. "Help him! We need to get them outside, the only spell big enough now is—"
Loke dove into the fray for flying limbs and grunts, bodily picked up the intruder – who she now saw was dressed as Mystogan (but the eyes were wrong, she could see malice and hate in them and Mystogan was a Fairy Tail mage, and so was Jellal at heart) – and launched himself out of the closest window.
Thank the Gods they had chosen a room on the ground floor of the inn.
Lucy hurried over to Natsu for a moment and took in his split lip and bruised jaw. "You alright?"
He grinned, eyes lit up like he was having the time of his life. "Never better." Her best friend was truly born a fighter, and it had nothing to do with his Dragon. But she couldn't focus on that now, they had bigger things to worry about.
Lucy stood and heaved his weight off the floor, then followed Loke out into the night, following the light of her loyal lion's fists. Suddenly she was very glad that she didn't have to use any magic that afternoon to subdue Bora, she would need every scrap she had left.
-ooo-
Erza and Gray arrived at ERA a little later than what they would have liked. Train maintenance due to unforeseen circumstances on the tracks. Gray had to steer Erza away from stealing a magic mobile because she had little to no patience when things didn't exactly go according to plan. It was a wonder how they had all managed to survive their team all these years because absolutely nothing went according to plan.
Ever.
Especially when you put Natsu in front of any type of enemy or left him and Gray alone for more than two solid minutes.
But they had arrived and were quickly ushered into the office of the men who were currently dealing with the breakout after Erza had ordered one of the frog people to take me there or so help me God.
Erza looked completely content blowing on her cup of chamomile tea, legs crossed daintily beneath her everyday skirt. If Gray didn't know any better – and by the Gods, he knew better – Erza would look like a perfectly respectable gentile woman as she smiled and slowly sipped the scalding beverage.
She wrinkled her nose when it was still too hot and held it out wordlessly to Gray, who knew the drill. He cooled it down with a slight (secret) roll of his eyes but did as she silently asked. Other than the armour, Erza did look completely comfortable and even at ease.
"Thank you, Gray." She murmured into the still air of the office.
Everyone else flinched as her words broke the tenuous silence.
The fact that she was so content to just drink tea and smile pleasantly was putting them all on edge, ironically. It was if she was waiting for someone to crack. Gray internally sweated, halfway to spilling all his secrets to just stop her from looking so calm, it was unnaturally.
"What did you want to see us for?" Gray sighed gustily, quietly shooting a look heavenward to thank the Gods for someone breaking before he told Erza that he was the one that ate the last piece of cake last week and he wasn't even sorry dammit.
Erza smiled demurely, letting her voice drip sickly sweet into the middle of the room, like poisoned honey. "We would like to know about your breakout three months ago. You know the one from cell block B?" Gray's lips twitched with the hint of a smirk at the Rune Knights stricken faces.
Both men quickly compose their features into the blank canvases they were known for.
Lahar shifted uneasily in his seat. "How did you know about that breakout? It was never publicized."
Erza slowly lowered and gently placed the teacup back on the saucer before her. Lahar flinched back as if the sound of tinkling china was a physical blow. Erza's restrained strength was almost more terrifying than if she had gone off on them and screamed obscenities. "The dark guilds are in a riot over it. It wasn't that hard to find the information if you know how to listen." Erza's quip came fast as if she had been waiting for the question. Her eyes flashed between the two shifty men who squirmed under her gaze. "What we would like to know is how they escaped?"
Doranbolt coughed into his hand awkwardly. "Uhm…they? Only one broke out…"
Gray decided to jump in before they could lie to their faces anymore. If there was one thing he hated, it was someone who was deliberately untruthful to cover up a misdeed, and these two reeked of guilt. "We know about the Seis as well as Ivan, Doranbolt, don't try and bullshit your way through this. We also know about Bluenote Stinger and Bora, so let's get all the crap out of the way and talk straight. We want to know how they escaped. Who helped them? They don't have many friends on the outside. Also, how many escaped exactly."
Doranbolt bristled, an angry retort obviously crawling up his throat, ready to defend his honor as a Rune Knight. However, Lahar cut him off with a well-placed palm to his shoulder. "We…don't…know."
Gray crossed his arms over his surprisingly (but not really all that surprising) bare chest and rolled his eyes in derision. "You don't know? You're telling us that you don't know how or why or how many of the most notorious prisoners in Earthland disappeared from your cells? Seriously?" He stared incredulously at them before flicking his eyes back to Erza who looked equally confused.
"Just how stupid are you people?"
Erza silenced him with a look and Gray shut his mouth with an audible click. It didn't stop him from fuming silently from his seat though.
"Now hold on a minute! We didn't just let anyone go! They escaped!" Gray could hear the excuse from a mile away and even he knew it was a weak one.
"You absolute idiots! This was months ago? Why didn't you let us know at least? Ivan tried to kill Laxus the last time he was out, and the Seis have come after us multiple times almost sacrificing one of my best friends to a gigantic fish for Mavis' sake! You were both there! Fairy Tail has filled your cells with criminals and you didn't think to tell us that the people that we had helped jail in the first place were out in Earthland again?" Contrary to his magic, Gray had always been a hot-headed person – just look at how many times Natsu had goaded him into some ridiculous competition or brawl – but he believed he was justified this time to go off on the organization that was constantly belittling their achievements and trying to shut them down. Did they even know what they had done for this world? Did they even realize what they had had to do, what they had to go through to keep the dark guilds from destroying everything they held dear?
"ENOUGH! This is getting us nowhere!" The set of Erza's jaw stalled the next angry remark from escaping Gray's mouth. Perhaps he should have stayed silent?
"I agree with Gray; did you not think it merited a lacrima call to Master Makarov about this? Did the council think that everyone would be better off not knowing?" She narrowed her eyes at the pale men and scoffed. "Fairy Tail mages are always the ones you turn to when you need someone to clean up your messes, then blame us for the aftermath. You called on all the guilds for help after the Princess, bless her soul, made a horrible judgment call and we fought Dragons for you. We destroyed another one of Zeref's instruments and sent the timeline straight again. With no thanks and the memories of dying. This time we won't allow it. We will figure out what is going on without you interfering. Then we will demand a formal apology from the council about all this. The fact that you have absolutely no information on how they escaped is incredible, you've had three months for God's sake. We've done more than you have in the span of six days! Idiots! The lot of you."
Gray's jaw hung slack, unnerved and very impressed that Erza…straight-edged-walk-the-line Erza had called two Rune Knights from ERA idiots. But he agreed with her so it wasn't a big deal.
She re-quipped a sword and pointed it at them, straight into Lahar's pale face. "Doranbolt will use direct line to get us back to Fairy Tail as quickly as possible so that we can start to right your stupidity." She was absolutely seething, but Gray didn't mind it this time at all. It was nice to have her wrath directed elsewhere for a change.
Lahar sneered. "The council will not stand for this you know."
Gray whipped off his pants in frustration and Doranbolt squawked in surprise. "We don't care! You put us all in danger because of this! It took Gildart's full strength to put down Stinger the first time. The Seis almost fucking sacrificed one of my best friends and Bora was a human trafficker. Not to mention the shit we had to deal with at the GMG because of Ivan and his dark guild that you fuckers let into the arena. Get us home, we need to start the search. You should have never put a single person of my family in danger, if any of them get hurt, we will come for all of you."
"Thank you, Gray, for that succinct threat. I believe they understand what is at stake now. Please gather your clothes, we are leaving."
Erza sent her sword back to the pocket of space that held all her other weapons. "Doranbolt, get us out of here. NOW!"
-ooo-
"Luce? What are you gonna do?"
There was only one spell she could pull out of her arsenal at a time like this and both her and Loke knew that. It was the only one that could subdue the mage as his pool of magic was larger than her own, but the element of surprise should work. She was going to use a lost spell, after all, one that hadn't ever been seen even if she had tried to use it once before in public. The GMG had been humiliating for her for more than one reason of course. The only people that had truly seen the effects of Urano Metria were Angel, herself, and Hibiki (Natsu had heard it, but being face down on a raft with motion sickness didn't really count).
Lucy sprinted through the dark street as Natsu trailed behind her until she found Loke and the Mystogan imposter – she knew without a doubt that this wasn't Jellal or Mystogan as the mage had finally shown his true colours and seemed to be manipulating water – squaring up in a park relatively close to their inn. Although, luckily, it wasn't near any other structures or buildings, thank the Gods. "Just stand back Natsu."
"What? Luce…what's going on?"
"Just trust me! I'm going to end this!" She yelled back, ready to get this over with. "LEO! GO BACK!"
Leo smirked back at her and bowed, before shooting a cocky salute at the water mage. "Nice knowing yah buddy."
Lucy slapped her palms together and breathed deeply, her eyes closed as she concentrated. She chanted, feeling the magic that lay dormant in both her first and second origins fluctuate wildly as if it wanted out of her.
…Open thy malevolent gate.
Oh, 88 Stars of the heaven…
Shine…
Natsu watched as Lucy's eyes snapped open, surprised beyond belief to see them a solid gold with magic circles wheeling in their depths.
A seam in the sky opened and out screamed hundreds of glowing orbs, each a different color and size. It was then that the water mage that had tried to attack Lucy in her sleep and possibly steal her magic away from her, decided that it was time to run.
But he was out of time.
The magical energy in the air exploded outward and for a second there was a suspicious silence that seemed to stretch on and on and on…
"URANO METRIA!"
And then the heavens fell around them.
-ooo-
Gajeel pulled back silently, the two drunk mages stumbled and giggled outside the bar they had been imbibing in for hours. This wouldn't be much of a challenge for the Iron Slayer, in fact, he might accidentally kill these two if he used any magic at all.
Lily watched from an adjacent rooftop as the two idiots stumbled down an alleyway on their way to another bar or perhaps back to their homes for the night. Although, he highly doubted that second one.
Without taking his eyes off his prey for the evening Gajeel crept around a corner and signaled to Lily to block off the other end of the alleyway. In a flurry of white wings, Lily was gone presumably to do as asked.
Perfect.
No one around but them and his prey was trapped like rabbits in a snare.
"Gihi, time to go hunting!" He shifted into the shadows that littered the silent alley. He revealed himself to the two dark mages all at once with much flourish and was delighted in their squeals of terror.
"Who the fuck are you?!" One of the men – who looks a little less drunk than his buddy – spotted Gajeel faster than his more inebriated counterpart.
He didn't answer their question and just crack his knuckles that were aching to slam into the soft parts of their bodies that left the largest bruises. "Where is Ivan?"
They start to nervously sweat (he could smell the sour stink in the air) at Gajeel's question and stumble over their answers and each other. "What? Wh-who's Ivan? Why do you want to know about him?!" Gajeel scowled darker and pulled himself to his full height. These mages were dumber than Salamander.
He grinned maliciously and hoped that they would be having nightmares about him. "Tell me…where is Ivan? I know you know, so cut the bullshit so I don't have waste my time to pound you into the brick wall behind you."
Like the idiots they were, they clammed up from either terror or something else, but then the less drunk of the two found his voice and started to mouth off. It was one thing for his Shrimp to nag him about eating the Demon's cutlery again, but an entirely other situation when this jackass decides to spew something he would regret at him. "Fuck off you sack of shit! We aren't going to tell you anything!"
Without a second thought, Gajeel's fist connected with the mouthy one's nose and the satisfying crunch of bones shattering broke the silence before he sailed into the wall on the opposite side of the alley.
He didn't get back up.
Gajeel directed his attention to the second man on the ground who looked this close to pissing himself. "What about you? Gunna dick around or are you going to tell me what I want to know!?" He looked around for an exit and bolted toward the other end. Unfortunately, that was where Lily was standing guard in his battle form.
With a firm grip on his neck, Lily directs his head to look straight into Gajeel's blood red eyes.
"Fine! I don't know where Ivan is you fuck face! I was only tasked to find a fence! You happy now!?"
No.
Gajeel was not happy, only mildly perturbed.
"Why are you after Celestial Magic?"
"I don't know! I swear!" Gajeel could smell his fear and confusion. He must have been so low level in the organization that he wouldn't know the answer.
Typical.
He slammed his dominant hand into the now sobbing man's solar plexus, winding the bastard before a single punch to the face knocked him out. They would 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." Lily nodded and flew off to the nearest headquarters. Gajeel growled and searched their pockets, finding only a pack of gum – unused – tissues, condoms – also unused, thank the Gods – and a single key to an in the packing district of Crocus.
He took the key, ready to search the room they had been staying in. If these two needed a fence, that meant that they had the item either on them or close to them. What better place than their room?
Gajeel had a feeling that he knew what they were selling, after all, who wouldn't want a lacrima filled with Dragon Slayer magic?
-ooo-
The doors rattled ominously behind the Thunder Legion as they strode through the uncharacteristically quiet guild hall.
"Gramps! Stinger is back with the Rune Knights."
"Well done my boy. Did you find anything else worrisome?"
Evergreen scoffed and snapped her fan open in annoyance. "Only a drunken idiot who vomited all over Bicks."
Laxus waved his hands at his team to please be quiet for once in your life dammit. "Nothing to do with Ivan." He cocked his head to the side, watching Freed and Levy skim book after book, making periodic notes in black ink. "Why is it so quiet here. Where is everyone?"
Makarov looked up from his beer stein with a worried look. "You're the first ones back."
"No one's here? Not even Blondie?" Bora was a pushover compared to how strong the little celestial mage had become over the years. He thought she would be done in less than a full day.
"Sorry, my boy and no one is picking up their lacrima coms." The Master closed his eyes again and took another sip from his mug. "Also, we have guests in the basement."
Laxus quirked an eyebrow. "Guests?"
His grandfather sighed, he looked older in that moment that he had in years. "In the ale cellar. Would you go greet them for me before Cana blows her lid? You know how she's like when someone messes with her alcohol."
-ooo-
"Natsu? Wh—what happened?" Lucy blinked blearily up at her best friend from her place in his lap.
He lifted his hand up and ran it through her hair, the motion soothing her even more than the slowly rocking sway of the train they were on. "It's okay Luce. Don't worry, just sleep."
Natsu watched as she gazed at him with something so warm in her eyes that it made him feel so incredibly content here with her. "Okay, Natsu."
She drifted off again with a small sigh and a smile.
Lucy had been so amazing out there against that water mage, although her spell had completely decimated all the trees in the park. Natsu had watched awestruck as the sky ripped open and bombarded the bastard that had come after them like a coward in the night.
Overwhelming pride – of her strength and her drive to protect what she held dear – had ripped through him and his mind. Along with that, the now familiar feeling of pain lanced through his brain.
He was curled around Lucy's battered and bleeding form in the grime and dust of a stadium, thousands of people screaming around them. All he could feel were her wracking sobs against his rib cage, but he didn't feel worried or scared or anything unpleasant.
Just pride. So much pride.
He didn't recognize anything from the vision this time around, but he had a feeling he would read about it sooner or later, or perhaps he would ask Lucy later when she wasn't so tired.
When he had blinked the spots away from his bleary eyes, he realized that he was the only one left standing in the park.
No.
Wait.
Not the only one. There was another shadow moving swiftly moving towards the fallen water mage, or perhaps even Lucy.
He hadn't realized at the time that they had both keeled over unconscious at almost the same time. One from Lucy's massive attack, and the other from magical depletion. Natsu gritted his teeth and chose to scoop up Lucy in his arms and sprint back to the inn. He hated that he couldn't do anything more for them, but he wasn't strong enough. Yes, he could fight, but there was a chance that the other mage would beat him, a very high chance.
He opted to protect his best friend over fighting. So, he ran, and he felt a little cowardly, but if it kept Lucy safe, that would be alright.
So, he checked out of the inn, paying off the damage of the window (making up a clever little story of an outsider who had thrown a brick through it in a drunken fit) and carried Lucy to the nearest train station, paid for two tickets and boarded without another problem.
The little orb that he had seen Lucy speak through had been blinking a red light for the past hour, but she had never shown him how to use it, so Natsu thought it would be better if he didn't touch it.
He'd probably break it. If nothing else, all the stories written by Lucy had an overwhelming theme of him breaking, blasting, or turning something – namely her clothes (although that didn't seem like such a bad thing, really) – into ashes on a weekly basis.
No, better to leave it alone.
They needed to get back to Magnolia and tell the Master of Fairy Tail what had happened. Hopefully, Lucy would have regained more of her strength by then. He wanted to know about that spell of hers.
But mostly, he wanted to tell her how damn proud she made him.