Chapter Twenty-One: Jorgen
Lucy's POV
It was incredibly hot the next day. I felt strange to say the least with my body coping with different types of weather every day. Yesterday I nearly froze to death and today I was about to have a heat stroke. I wondered if my body would get sick with all these different transitions. Still, it was boiling hot so I wore my signature blue and white outfit and black boots.
Today I'll probably spend the day with Natsu, I decided while I tied up my hair and left my apartment. Yesterday I had spent time with Gray so today was Natsu's day. It seemed only fair. It was like having divorced parents. You spent time with both to make sure both of them still felt they were cared about and valued in their child's life.
I entered the guild and was nearly bowled over by Natsu as soon as I opened the door, "Lucy!"
"Ah!" I said in shock as I was knocked to the ground, "Geez, Natsu! Baka!" I said, hitting him on the head lightly and laughing, "What is it?"
"I found an interesting thing!" said Natsu, excitedly holding up a piece of paper. I looked at the bright piece of paper he was holding, "Magic Council Anniversary Celebration? What is that?"
"It's an annual celebration for the day the Magic Council formed. There's a festival and fireworks and some big parade thing in the next town. We can get there by train in 20 minutes. How about it?"
"Natsu, are you an idiot?" I said, rolling up the paper and smacking him on the head lightly, "This is a celebration for the Magic Council! Like they're going to let us in what with everything we've done! They've been chasing us for God knows how long and we're constant trouble for them."
"But you have to admit, despite all the damage we've done, we've helped a lot of people, destroyed a couple of evil organisations and helped the Magic Council more than we've burdened them. The Council invites all the good guilds that have helped them in the past year and we're invited because of our good deeds. And you know how mages only make up 10% of the population, right?"
I nodded and he continued, "So also in addition to the guilds being invited for their good deeds, they're also required for their magic to make the festival successful. Make the festival entertaining for the other spectators and stuff. So that's the trade off. We're invited and get all the free food and enjoying the festivities and stuff and in return, we use our magic to make the parade and games exciting for others. Pretty cool, right?"
"Is the whole guild coming?" I asked.
"Well, most of the guild wanted to stay behind and protect Fairy Tail. We wouldn't want some other dark guild taking advantage of our absence. But most of the guild is coming. Lisanna, Elfman, Levy, Juvia, Gajeel, Gray, Wendy and all that. Of course the Council was worried about Juvia and Gajeel, having formerly been in Phantom Lord but Gramps convinced them they wouldn't cause any trouble. Erza and Mira came back early and they're coming along too."
"That's great!" I said, "But… wouldn't it be dangerous to have both the S-Class mages off with us since Gildarts is never even here?"
"Gramps is staying," said Natsu, "He wants to protect the guild and he's also probably in trouble with the Council for burning their orders so he doesn't really want to go."
"Ah… I see…" I said, thinking, karma…
"Anyway, it's today and we have to leave right now. Have you packed?"
"Packed?" I said, scratching my head and then my head expanded anime-style, "Of course I haven't! You only told me just now! Wait," my head turned back to its normal size, "How long are we staying there?"
"Um… about three or four days, including today. After the festival's done for today, we just figured we might as well stay there for a while and take a break and stuff."
"OK," I shrugged, not remembering anything important happening for the next few days, "I'll go back to pack." I turned back around and left the guild. Natsu tagged along beside me.
"So, what exactly is this town we're heading to anyway?" I asked to fill the silence.
"It's a place called Jorgen. Some big tourist town with lots of people and great stuff! Happy and I have been there a few times. It's really cool!"
"A tourist town?" I said as I reached my apartment and tugged out my large duffel bag, "So… hotels or inns or something we're staying at?"
"Yeah, a hotel," said Natsu, "Erza and Mira's mission paid them a lot so they offered to pay for the living arrangements. You're sharing a room with me, Happy and Gray."
"And Erza?" I added hopefully. If Natsu and Gray started a fight, there'd be no way I'd be capable of stopping it. Well, unless I somehow got in a trance again and tried to assassinate everyone, but we'd be in a hotel room so that wouldn't end well.
"No, Erza's in another room with Cana, Juvia and Wendy," said Natsu, "Mira, Lisanna and Elfman are together and I heard Gajeel's in the same room as Levy. Why? It's not like Gray and I are going to peek at you in the shower or anything."
"That's not it!" I said, stuffing some clothes for both cold and warm weather in my bag as well as a few books and different types of shoes, "It's just… Promise me you won't fight with Gray."
"Didn't we already promise that?" said Natsu.
"You just thought fighting would upset me, which it does by the way, but you never promised anything. Please, Natsu."
Natsu blinked and probably saw something in my face which made him serious so he nodded, "All right, I promise."
"Thank you," I said, getting up, "All right, let's go to the train station."
At the train station…
"Lucy!" called Levy, waving her hand, "Over here! Natsu!"
"Hey!" I called, waving back, grinning. Luckily for me, I had dressed right and everyone was in more summery clothes.
"Isn't this exciting?" said Juvia once I was near and everyone began talking to one another, waiting for the train, "This is Juvia's first time going to the festival! We've never been invited before because of, well, what guild we belonged to."
"It's my first time; too," added Wendy, smiling sweetly, "Cait Shelter never existed so we never really were invited for many things."
"It's my first time, too," I smiled, sharing her excitement. It really did sound exciting with everyone's reaction about it. Even Gajeel seemed more interested than he usually looked as he talked to Levy, Go get her, Gajeel… I won't forgive you if you don't…
Finally the train pulled up and we piled into one empty carriage, excitedly talking and playing around. I sat in the same couple of seats with Mira and Erza.
"So, this is your first time, isn't it, Lucy-san?" said Mira. Mira now wore her purple outfit since my dangerous venture to Demon Crosses and became the Demon Mirajane again. Though she says she isn't exactly the same as before. She claims she's learnt how lonely it is on her own with the 'loss' of Lisanna and has become kinder when she fights someone. Although if it is someone who is all-around evil (like some poor guy on her recent mission), Mira will unleash hell on them.
"Yeah," I replied to her question, "Is the festival as great as everyone says?"
"Of course it is," said Erza from the other side of me, "You'll understand when you get there. Especially the parade at the end with the mages' involvement; that's the best bit."
At Jorgen…
"OK, we're here," said Elfman as we walked down the busy streets. Jorgen really was the most glamorous town I had ever seen. The streets were lined with huge department stores and houses and fancy restaurants and cafes. There were also casinos and bars, Magic shops and perhaps a couple of guilds were squeezed in somewhere. But nearly every square metre had one fancy thing in it. It was a lot flashier than Magnolia.
The hotel was no different. It was a large, wide, modern-looking building with fancy carvings in the building and glass doors. There were about eight storeys in total. I gaped at it until Gajeel pulled me back down to Earth and said sarcastically, "We're staying inside, you know."
Inside, the lobby was wide and was beautiful to match the exterior. The floor was probably marble (something I hadn't seen in a long time really since most floors were wooden) and there were entire lounge suites placed around glass coffee tables and large windows reaching from the ceiling to the floor.
"It's so beautiful," I whispered to Wendy. I didn't know why I was whispering but it seemed like the right thing to do. In places like these, everyone just talked in hushed voices.
"I know," said Wendy, looking around in awe, "I never saw anything like this before. But you have, haven't you, Lucy-san?"
I shook my head, "I rarely even left home when I was little after Mother died. Even before she did, we preferred to stay in more casual places than this. But we never travelled much."
"Lucy, here," said Erza suddenly. I looked up in time to catch a small polished gold key, "Your hotel room key. You better not lose that! Wendy, come on."
"Hai!" said Wendy, walking ahead. Gray, Natsu and Happy came to stand by me, "What room number are we?"
"Um…" I looked at the engraved number, "Number 32. Let's go."
After, leaving our bags in the safety of the hotel (our room was fancy of course but beautiful), we met outside and began walking towards the festival area.
I wonder what the festival is like? I wondered as I walked. Suddenly someone pulled me back. I looked behind me and one hand went instinctively to my belt but it was only Juvia. She smiled, "You wouldn't want to walk there, Lucy. We've arrived at the festival area."
Suddenly a large geyser of water erupted from where I was standing a second ago. Many others shot upwards and moved around in different colours.
"What is that?" I said.
"Geysers," said Gray, "This happens every year. It acts as a sort of security. There are lots around town. Whenever mages from a guild come, they activate these and check if we are real mages from our guild first."
"And water is supposed to act as a security?" I asked, "I think anyone could go through this."
"Well, a Water mage probably made these," said Juvia, "It's just like my Water Slicer so whatever droplet of water touches you slices you. My Water Slicer can cut through solid rock and this one is much stronger."
"OK, I take that back," I said, looking at the geysers more carefully. Now that I looked at it, the water drops and overall geyser looked like sharp blades about to cut someone. Before they touched the ground though, they stopped about a centimetre above the ground and got sucked back into the geyser so the land wouldn't be damaged by the water. It really was quite a good security system. I looked around the area where the festival was taking place. Geysers were in place as far as the eye could see. I was quite amazed at the lengths the Magic Council would take to make sure the event would go ahead without a problem.
"OI! SECURITY PEOPLE!" yelled Natsu.
A bright screen appeared before us, using Archive magic. Two uniformed soldiers looked at us, "Fairy Tail, right?"
"Yeah," said Erza, "We've come for the festival."
"Proof please," requested the second solider.
We each showed our Fairy Tail stamps and Natsu shoved the invitation to the event in the screen for good measure. After we did that, they nodded, "OK. You may enter."
The geysers in front of us switched off as if by remote and the wrought iron gates behind them swung open for us as well. Magic circles appeared above us and dropped a slip of paper in each of our hands.
"That will grant you free food and special privileges for mages," explained one soldier, "In return for your help with the festivities at the end of course, if requested. Please enjoy yourselves and thank you for your help over the year."
"Do the non-mages have to go through that too?" I asked Levy as we walked in.
"No, they have a separate entrance for non-mages," replied Levy, "They have hired mages supervising there to make sure no mage will try and sneak in. Since mages can sense magic power, it's easy to catch a mage trying to break in."
I nodded, "I see." I looked up to see bright banners strung around and stalls selling food and souvenirs and areas sectioned off for games and activities. Many people walked around talking happily, playing games and holding prizes they'd won. Different delicious scents wafted around the area from the food stalls which Natsu and Happy immediately ran to.
"We'll separate for the day but we'll meet when it's time to help with the parade, all right?" said Erza. All of us agreed and went our separate ways. I was with Juvia and Wendy, the two people who were feeling a bit anxious yet excited like me since this was our first time attending this. Gajeel decided to wander off on his own, determined he could find some fun on his own. I actually had a suspicion he was just trying to sneak off and find Levy.
"Anyway, what do you want to try first?" said Juvia, looking around.
On cue, my stomach growled. Juvia and Wendy looked at me and laughed.
"What? I didn't have breakfast yet," I said since Natsu had tackled and hustled me out when I went into the guild.
"Let's get something to eat then," said Wendy.
We approached the nearest stall (selling takoyaki) and Juvia ordered for free because of our special privilege.
"You can also have a free spin of this," said the stall owner, pointing to the thing-you-spin-and-if-a-gold-ball-comes-out-you-win thing*.
"That?" said Wendy, blinking. When the owner nodded, she reached out and spun it, smiling. A silver ball dropped out.
"That's too bad," said the owner kindly and looking at me and Juvia, "What about you two?"
Juvia spun it and the same thing happened. She smiled at me and I shrugged and spun it, expecting the same thing. Suddenly a gold ball dropped out.
"We have a winner!" said the owner, ringing a bell, "Congratulations miss!"
"E-Eh? Me?" I pointed to myself.
"Yep!" said the owner and gave me two tickets along with my takoyaki, "Have a nice time, miss!"
I looked down at the two tickets, "A stay at Crescent Lunar? Crescent… Lunar…? Oh!" I suddenly remembered the island I visited a really long time ago.
Maybe I'll get to see Chantelle again~ I thought happily until Wendy interrupted my brief happiness.
"So who will you invite to go with you?" she asked.
"EH? Um…" I said, "Would either of you?"
"Sorry, Lucy, Juvia and I are both busy," replied Wendy, "I heard Erza will be leaving on a solo mission since she has to get some more money to pay her rent, Mira's going on a mission with her siblings, Cana's busy…"
"Maybe I'll just give it to Gajeel and Levy or Bisca and Alzack…" I tried hopefully.
"Those two couples will be going on missions together when we get back," smiled Juvia, "Gajeel sometimes tags along with Team Shadow Gear now, you know. And Bisca-san and Alzack-san are a sniper team, I suppose."
WHY IS EVERYONE SUDDENLY GOING ON MISSIONS? I screamed in my head and turned to Charle beside Wendy, "Would you and Happy…?"
"I would like to but no thanks," said Charle, "We both can't leave our partners by themselves since, well, you know."
"Charle, are you trying to say something?" said Wendy.
WHY? I shouted in my head. The tickets were too valuable to waste (the prize included a cruise-type trip to the island, all expenses paid for both travel and accommodation plus other great bonuses) and I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity since I had won it and I never won chance games. I sighed and cursed my somehow good or bad luck depending on how you looked at it.
So… that leaves… Natsu or Gray.
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Chapter Twenty-One! XD
Just a small spoiler… This story will end soon in this city~ By the end of their mini-holiday in Jorgen, Lucy would have made her decision and there will be an epilogue at the end~ So just a heads-up. :)
Sorry for the late update~