Sorry for the delay everyone. It took a long time to get this chapter where I wanted it and then I decided to make it a longer chapter as an apology. There is only one scene in the final draft that was present in the original.
LucyxAnyoneShipper- Lol, thank you. I'm sure Fairy Tail felt much the same about the unison raid (albeit without finding humor in it)
ilarual- I have some things thought up behind Mira's baby-obsession but honestly, I'm not sure how it would come about being revealed since the story focuses mainly on Lucy and Laxus. I have one way planned out that may work but we shall see where the muse takes us.
Thank you everyone for reviewing/reading.
Chapter Four
"Your Ancestor was Brilliant but Proud. Her Arrogance led her to leave the King's Court and His Protection, straight into Their Hands. Perhaps it was Her Strength which allowed Her to survive or mayhap They decided death was not to be Her punishment. Whatever the case, Anna Heartfilia survived the Encounter with Them but lost That Which She held Most Dear: Her Mind and Her Twelve Ecliptic Keys."
Laxus was pissed. And tired. And hungry. So so Hungry.
And right about now, deep fried Royals sounded good, if a bit sour and tough to swallow.
Because the Fiores had the audacity to stand before him and calmly make a statement that boiled down to believing their lives were more valuable than Lucy's. They were unwilling, or so they said, to lay the burden on the petite blonde mage but there was no choice—either of their deaths would "destabilize the country" though Laxus didn't see how. Monarchy was based on inheritance and sure, if the Princess died, the country would be thrown into turmoil without a known heir (oh shit, did that mean Lucy would be the heir?! Gramps was not going to be happy about that) but the king was old and the one the curse was after. If he died, it would be sad and the country would go through a brief period of adjustment but there was no controversy or opposition to Princess Hisui's claim to the throne. And the king didn't seem the sort to be hiding some love child in the wings or something. Then again, the king used to walk around with a pumpkin over his head so who could say how good his judgement actually was.
Laxus had no problem with the Royals asking for help breaking the curse. Just as he had no problem when they asked Fiore's various guilds to help fight off dragons despite thinking the Royals needed to have their heads examined if they thought tiring the mages out with a tournament before asking them to fight freaking dragons was a good idea. He wasn't so pleased with the fact that they waited until the king was already dying (Laxus wasn't sure what was going on since, save a drop in weight to his enhanced eyes, the king looked otherwise healthy) to ask for help since a curse seemed like something one should be much more proactive about. And okay, he wasn't fine with the fact that even after the curse claimed the king's only sibling who also happened to be Lucy's father, the Royals remained so damn complacent, neglectful even, about finding a way to end the damn thing and failed to inform their lone remaining relative.
But what he really had a problem with was their thinking it was in any way acceptable to demand someone else—a guildmate of his, to boot—give up their life so they didn't have to. Especially since they purposefully kept her in the dark for years when she could have been out there, searching for clues to break the curse. Hell, for all anyone knew, the curse might have been broken by now if the two dumbasses running the country got a damn clue and told Lucy about it earlier.
Even if they didn't want anyone knowing their dirty little secret, Lucy deserved to know given that the curse would be gunning for her as well (frick, as if her holding a power that happened to serve as a giant magnet for trouble wasn't enough!). And dammit, hadn't Fairy Tail proven they could be trusted already?!
The fact of the matter was that if anyone had any reason not to trust the other side, it was Fairy Tail and the royals. Or really, just the government. How many times did Fairy Tail need to step in to clean up some mess of the government's making? Hell, the guild remained silent—for some reason—despite the Princess knowingly imprisoning an innocent member of their guild and then sending the Royal Family's personal execution squad (who the fuck had their own personal death squad anyway?! That seemed pretty damn villainy) to kill more innocent civilians (well, more or less. The group did include Natsu and the demon Mirajane and they did break into the palace after all. But sending a death squad after them was still a huge overreaction at best). Hell, the princess dabbled in Dark Magic and she and her father created the game to siphon the powers of its participants to charge what turned out to be the source of the very event they were attempting to prevent in the first place. Laxus wasn't sure how many of the game's participants were aware of that little fact. He only knew about it because his gramps told him and he wasn't sure how the old man discovered the original purpose behind the games.
Honestly, a part of Laxus wondered whether the Fiores were actually "good guys," as Bickslow liked to call the guild and their allies, or if they were only considered to be such since they ruled the country. Whatever they might say, neither members of the Royal Family seemed particularly bothered with demanding his guildmate—a veritable stranger to them despite being related and someone they already wronged once before—to give up her life if it came down to a choice between her and them. And the thing was, Laxus knew if they just asked, Lucy would stupidly agree to lay her life down for them because the girl had proven herself to have a ridiculously poor sense of self-preservation. He was some seventy-five percent sure that was why gramps demanded she be kept ignorant of the various threats against her life.
So no, Laxus was not fine with the Fiores right now and was itching to electrocute them til they crapped their pants (or skirt in the princess' case) and admitted they were cowardly dicks while he listed the many things wrong with them and their shitty craptastic plans.
But he remained silent because Lucy evidently accepted what they said and if the girl whose life was on the line wasn't throwing a fit about it, what right did he have?
Still, the Fiores were shit. Both, he decided while he ignored them as they said in twenty words what could be said in three and tried to justify their sheer assholery existence, as people and planners.
According to his partner, he endured two days of train rides with an obnoxiously perfumed and non-Lucy looking Lucy to the capital city because the Royal Family had important information that could only be imparted in person. Only nothing they said said was new or surprising. Whatever Laxus hadn't already been told outright by Lucy, he easily inferred based on the information given. Their requirement that Lucy not look like Lucy was ridiculous as well. Firstly, he was there to keep trouble at bay and secondly, Lucy's identity would be obvious the second she whipped out one of her keys. And sure, they didn't say anything about Lucy rolling around in a tub of perfume the first day (the second day, she fortunately used less though it was still excessive) and the girl insisted it was a precaution against Natsu's nose but Laxus was going to choose to blame it on the Fiores anyway because he was increasingly suspicious they were involved in some way with anything that seemed stupid, pointless, or annoying…or any combination thereof.
He was tempted to tell them to fuck off (unfortunately, gramps nixed that idea when he first suggested it at the guild and he doubted things would change now) but bit his tongue—barely—and chose not to cuss out the Royals. It helped to imagine them twitching at his feet while he gave them the occasional reminder why only members of Fairy Tail could be dicks to one another.
Instead, he stood stoically, arms crossed over his chest and teeth grinding against one another as he watched Lucy collect Anna Heartfilia's notes and a small chest containing what looked to be medallions with some large gems in the middle. Of course, it would be too much to ask that the Royal Family who had been holding onto said knickknacks for generations actually know their purpose so he wasn't surprised to hear they could only say the items were believed to be magical in nature though their true function—or where they came from—remained unknown. There was something about the artifacts, however, that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention. Judging by Lucy's expression, it seemed safe to assume she shared his uneasiness. That the Fiores either didn't notice the odd energy emanating from the keepsakes or chose to ignore it did little to ease Laxus' mind.
He didn't trust them in this situation and was suspicious they were purposefully withholding crucial information from his partner. And dammit if it wasn't taking half his control to keep from sending just a little too much electricity through them for wasting an entire week of precious time the two mages didn't have when they could easily have given Lucy everything for the mission the first time they saw her. It was, after all, a curse intent on killing them specifically and Laxus couldn't figure out if they were just that stupid or were purposefully delaying the start of the mission. Since their lives would be saved for just a bit longer if Lucy died, he was banking on their having nefarious reasons to bring the trusting mage in again. And being stupid because they could easily have killed her a week ago if that was their intention. Then again, Lucy had been kept ignorant that the communications lacrima they gave her was a burner one and had he not been present, it was all too likely Fairy Tail would have lost their Celestial Mage in the ensuing blast.
With that in mind, Laxus refused the offer to spend the night at the palace and insisted he and Lucy get a move on. Had it been just the King, he might have accepted the invitation because from what he saw, it was the Princess calling the shots. Given the decrepit stench the King was emitting, it was possible he had no idea what was happening and his daughter, who reminded Laxus a little too much of himself pre-exile, was taking advantage of his state. Since he wouldn't put it past the Princess or anyone working for her not to just slit his guildmate's throat as she slept, there was no way in hell either Fairy Tail mages would stay the night within the Royals' direct influence. He bluntly expressed the very last bit, nearly word for word.
The other three balked before Lucy frantically began speaking a million miles an hour. Laxus wasn't sure what she said, partly because she was speaking too quickly to follow and partly because he simply didn't care to listen. Precious time had already been wasted by the Fiores and that, coupled with his distrust of them, meant he was adamant the two fairies leave immediately and no amount of cajoling on the petite mage's part would sway him.
Lucy used words, logic and was (mostly) calm and polite. She attempted to compromise, suggesting there was no reason they couldn't go to a hotel or inn. Laxus, in contrast, grunted, snorted, growled and rolled his eyes, steadfastly remaining unreasonable and refusing to budge an inch. He wanted out of the capital city and away from the strongest sphere of the palace's influence. Without more than a handful of words (this argument saw him using only three phrases: "Hell no," "Fuck no," and "Shit no!" in addition to his grunts) and no physical movement beyond crossing his arms and leaning against one of the palace's many pillars with a bored look, Laxus managed to somehow silently convey a tantrum that would have left any two-year old in awe.
As any caretaker of a toddler knows, obstinacy grows in the face of reason and Lucy's logical arguments strengthened Laxus' unyielding comportment. She argued that they didn't know where they were going or what it was exactly they were looking for, only that they were to travel eastward where they were told the key to canceling the curse was. She pointed out it was already dark and the two mages had spent a long day on the train with little in the way of refreshments and that Laxus, despite his best efforts to hide it, had obviously spent the entire trip nauseous. Lucy had any number of good arguments at her disposal and she made use of them.
Laxus, however, was born and raised in a guild with a penchant for flipping off logic and reason almost instinctively whenever it did not suit them. In addition, he was a powerful mage with a not entirely unearned reputation of not giving a fuck. When he tired of pretending to listen to Lucy, he grabbed her, tossed her over his shoulder, and lightning-transported out the palace without even a nod of acknowledgement towards the speechless royals.
They landed just outside a forest and Laxus realized three things as he put Lucy down and she fell on all fours, heaving: one, he had no idea where they were; two, he had seriously pissed off his only companion for the foreseeable future and would be well and truly fucked once Lucy Heartfilia (who, thankfully though he didn't know how it happened, was now looking like Lucy again) was done puking her guts out; and three, puke was gross no matter how hot the mouth it came out of.
Since he could acknowledge deserving it, he awkwardly patted Lucy's back as he waited for her to recover enough to deliver one of her infamous kicks. She didn't. She did, however, let out the shrillest noise he had ever heard after shooting him a decidedly unimpressed glare. Flocks of birds flew out in droves from the treetops, shrieking their warning and in the distance, answering cries as well as howls, whistles, and screeches blended painfully with the unholy noise Lucy was emitting. Still, as he winced and blocked his ears, he mentally filed away the image of her on all fours, mouth open right before she produced a noise probably more at home with Tartaros than any human, for a future date. He would not, however, be filing away the image of her afterwards as her stomach decided it had just a little bit more it wanted to send up.
Once her stomach was empty of all its contents and she could support herself, albeit shakily and leaning against a rock, she turned tired eyes to him.
"Where are we?"
"Somewhere east," he looked around, ignoring the ringing in his ears. There was no need for her to know just how effective that punishment was (unbeknownst to him, he spoke a little too loudly to hide his injured hearing) or that he never paid attention to passing scenery in his lightning form. He moved too quickly and the blurs rushing past made him dizzy. Since he knew they were to head east, he traveled in that direction. Experience taught him he was unable to safely transport anyone in his transformed state for more than a second or so at a time so he used that knowledge to choose when to land.
Lucy swallowed thickly. "I…I think I can work with that." She grimaced, far too nauseous to care that Laxus just saw her empty what felt like half her body weight of partially digested food and stomach acid. Laxus watched, curiously, as she looked up at the somewhat cloudy sky, frowned, then touched one of her keys.
"North?!" she screeched and he flinched, wondering if he would have any hearing left by morning. A couple of birds who hadn't flown off during her previous shriek did so now. Her throat must have bothered her because she winced, one hand coming up to massage the area. "I thought you said we went east?! You took us north!"
Had Lucy ever thought to ask Makarov or Cana (or Mira but that would require sitting through the model's daydreams first), she would have known that Laxus absolutely refused to accept his total lack of navigational skills. Thus, when he said he took them east, she would have known they went any direction but. As far as Laxus was concerned, he had traveled east and the world was at fault for choosing to spin in such a way east was now north. He wasn't sure how it was accomplished but he suspected it involved Zeref or his father because trouble generally involved one of them. He would bet on Zeref just because the trick worked and Ivan had a poor track record with success.
Also, he was choosing to believe Lucy was wrong. After all, how the hell could she know which way they had traveled?
For the sake of his precious ear drums, he stayed silent and even helped her up before kicking dirt over the expelled contents of her stomach. Giving the now covered pile a second glance, he paused and then grabbed the rock Lucy had been leaning against, lifting it with ease and then dropping it over the newly kicked over soil. It was too late to make looking for another campsite feasible but with Lucy's upchuck now buried under a rock, much of the scent of it had dissipated as well. With a little distance, even his slayer nose wouldn't be able to smell anything save the nature surrounding him and his still ridiculously perfumed partner. With a grunt, he rolled the shoulder he had his bag wrapped around and made to walk a few yards away, where he decided they would be camping for the night. It wasn't the clearest night and the moon was little more than a sliver but the light emanating from it and what stars were visible was enough for Laxus' to see relatively well in the dark. Unfortunately, Lucy was not blessed with the keen sight of a slayer so after she stumbled for the second time, Laxus made his way back to her and, placing his hands on her shoulders from behind, steered her away from various rocks, fallen branches, and overgrowth that she was likely to trip over until they reached the relative leveled ground he decided would be their camp for the night. For a second, he thought he heard a muffled noise and tensed, earning himself an over the shoulder, concerned look from the smaller blonde in front of him. Hearing nothing, he shrugged and let go of Lucy's shoulders with a grunt.
"We'll camp here for th—" There was no warning. In the split millisecond it took his ears to tell his brain it could hear something coming towards them with breakneck speed, he grabbed Lucy and pushed her away from the path of whatever was coming upon them from underground. In the second Lucy let out a surprised shriek and then landed on the ground with a loud "oomph!" several things happened in quick succession.
Firstly, Laxus positioned himself between Lucy and their underground visitor, small flashes of lightning cackling around him as he sent several small shocks to the ground before him in warning. Unfortunately, the land was dry and dirt and rock itself were poor conductors of electricity and he was unsure if the incoming party even felt the current he sent into the earth or whether it was simply ignored. Secondly, the lightning dragon slayer let out a curse when the muffled sound of digging angled away from him and towards the direction he had shoved Lucy. Thirdly, Laxus flashed in front of Lucy and she had no sooner hit the ground than she found herself airborne again, this time in tensed arms as Laxus jumped out of the way of whatever menacing threat he detected. There was a brief—so brief she wondered if she only imagined it—second in which she felt lightning cackle into existence not just around the lightning slayer, but herself as well, before Lucy felt Laxus shift his body beneath hers and absorb the brunt of the impact as they they hit the ground. For a brief moment, everything was still and despite her inability to sense what Laxus could, she knew whatever threat Laxus was hearing had become still as well.
The stillness lasted just long enough for her to realize she had forgotten to breathe.
Before she could take in precious oxygen, however, Laxus had sprung up again, pushing her behind him until her back hit a tree. Looking over his shoulder, he sent her an indecipherable look and then eyed the tree. "Climb."
His voice was steady and somehow, that made her feel worse. She was a mage, too, dammit, and she could—and would—take care of herself. With a scowl, she pushed his body forward as much as she could to get some breathing room but he was, as expected, nothing but pure muscle and she was sure only using the tree as leverage allowed her to push him forward a couple of steps. Miniscule steps, but still steps. He growled, sending her a bewildered look over his shoulder while keeping his senses trained on the ground ahead of them. With a muttered curse, he turned, grabbed Lucy, and leapt into the air again.
There was no time and his stupid partner was being…stupid! What part of climb did she not understand?!
They landed, her thrown uncomfortably over his shoulder because frankly, he no longer trusted her to react like any normal person with an ounce of care for personal safety would and figured if he wanted her away from danger, he would likely have to either toss her there or lightning-port both away.
For her part, Lucy was forced to let out air she hadn't even been aware were still in her lungs when they landed and Laxus' shoulder dug into her stomach. She was just about to open her mouth and complain when she finally heard what Laxus had been able to all this time.
There was a rumbling deep underground and it was getting louder as its source came ever closer to them. She couldn't be certain but was willing to bet that Laxus could feel the earth vibrate beneath his feet. Tensing, she prepared to leap off Laxus and pull out her Fleuve d'étoiles. Because she was supposed to keep her identity secret on the way to Crocus, her keys were not at their normal spot attached to her belt but had instead been tucked inside the hidden pockets of her boots. It meant she was unable to reach them in her current position but as soon as she landed on the ground, she would pull them out.
"Let go," she hissed at Laxus, who ignored her. "Let go," she repeated and frowned when Laxus merely tightened the arm holding her. It was fortunate Laxus couldn't see her face because she was so furious, she was sure her anger would manifest itself in a newfound ability to kill with her glare alone.
Laxus leapt away again, landing several feet away and towards the side of their previous location and once again, the breath was knocked out of her when his shoulder dug into her stomach. She heard him curse and surmised—correctly—that whatever was after them wasn't stopping.
"Stay behind me," Laxus muttered lowly as he slowly let her down and pushed her behind him. "If I say run, run."
She didn't plan on running whatsoever but decided now was not the time to argue. Feet planted on the ground, she reached down, grabbing the keys hidden in her boots and moved beside Laxus. The earth before them was now visibly being disrupted from underneath as whatever was after them got closer and dug upward until, just a few feet away, it slowed to a stop. Laxus tensed and was clearly agitated as he, again, pushed her behind him.
There was a second in which everything went silent, the earth stopped vibrating and whatever was digging had clearly ceased their action. The noise of their various leaps and actions had alerted any nearby wildlife something was afoot and they, too, ceased any noise. Then, without warning, a pink head of hair popped up from underground. A maid-clad body connected to the head soon rose from the hole, a lantern in hand and Laxus blinked and dropped out of his defensive stance, drawing one hand down his face tiredly.
"Shit Blondie, you could have warned me you called her," he grumbled, annoyed. The small blonde still pushed behind him shot him a glare he felt rather than saw and harrumphed.
"I didn't call her," she hissed, "Virgo can come out whenever she wants." In a louder and kinder tone, she called out, "Hello Virgo."
The spirit blinked, eyeing Laxus and, peeking from behind him, her key wielder. "Apologies, Princess, did I interrupt? Shall I be punished? Do you intend to use that on me?" Nodding towards the handle in Lucy's hand, Virgo continued. "Perhaps you will tie me up and leave me hanging from a tree, bound and unable to escape while I am made to chant I am naughty a hundred—no, a thousand—times."
"What the fuck?!" Laxus' eyes were wide as he shot a horrified glance at the spirit and then turned, disbelievingly, to Lucy. "What the hell do you do to her, Blondie?"
"Nothing!" Lucy glowered before pushing past him to happily stand beside the celestial being. "What are you doing here Virgo? Why didn't you just come out with us? You had us worried!" Smile brightly at the uniform-wearing maid, Lucy grabbed her hand and tried to make her way back to camp. Tried, because the spirit was unmoving. "Virgo?"
She turned to face the eccentric maid whose gaze was fixed on Laxus.
"Virgo?" She repeated when the spirit failed to acknowledge her and then, a few seconds later, called out again. This time, the spirit turned to face her.
"Is he for me? Will he be punishing me?" There was a breathy hitch, almost imperceptible except to Laxus' keen ears. "Did Princess have him attempt to shock me?" Normally monotone voice lifted slightly in excitement as Virgo grabbed Lucy's hands in her own, bringing them, clasped, to her chest. "Has Princess decided to use an enforcer on me?"
"Seriously, what the fuck?!" Laxus swore as Lucy turned beet red, mouth opening and closing with little more than a squeak escaping. Finally, it appeared the still blushing mage found her voice.
"Wha—NO! No, Virgo, ju—just, let's go to camp!"
Laxus let out a chuckle as the smaller mage spun on her heels and marched towards the intended campsite only to promptly trip on some overgrowth after a couple of steps. Her spirit quickly followed her, helping Lucy up, stomping on the overgrowth a couple of times as if in revenge, and then holding out the lantern to provide better lighting. Before they moved on, however, Lucy shot Laxus another glare, which he responded to with a roll of her eyes. Granted, he doubted she could see it very well.
It took a few seconds for Laxus' chuckles to die out and a frown to mar his face. Clearly, he and Lucy were going to need to have a discussion about what happened tonight—and soon. They had been lucky this time but perceived threats would not always turn out to be one of Lucy's spirits. One day, likely sooner rather than later, it would be an actual threat and Lucy's actions and refusal to comply with his orders could place them both in jeopardy. With a tired sigh and roll of his shoulder muscles, he followed the path Lucy and her spirit took back to camp.
It took him no more than a minute to reach the campsite but obviously, that had been a busy minute. He was stunned to see an entire camp had been set up, complete with two separate tents, a fire, and, most confusingly, a picnic table and bench. Lucy knelt in front of one of the tents, rifling through a bag she did not have earlier. Her lack of reaction to an entire campsite—and apparently, her luggage— appearing from thin air told Laxus this was a normal occurrence for the Celestial Mage. At least it explained how the petite mage showed up at the train station empty-handed before their departure to the capital city and still managed a change of clothes for the second day.
Ignoring the sting of guilt when the spirit handed Lucy a bottle of water and the mage rinsed her mouth of any remaining evidence of her prior sick state, he mumbled that he would hunt for food. Their chat could wait, at least for tonight when both were tired and hungry. He had a feeling it wasn't going to be an easy or short conversation and frankly, this day had been too long already. Neither of them were particularly pleased with the other—though why she was upset with him was a mystery—and it seemed like trying to have that conversation now was just an invitation to argue. He was too exhausted for that and his ears were still recovering from her earlier little fit of temper.
Laxus was a damn good hunter. His acute senses and power meant if he could sense his prey and its location, it was as good as dead. This night was no different from any other times he hunted, either for himself or his team, and it wasn't long before he made his way back to the campsite, several birds in hand. Placing the birds on the ground by the table and reaching into his bag to pull out a knife, Laxus was prevented from plucking, gutting, and all around cleaning the carcasses by the maid spirit as she set down what appeared to be a small basket of vegetables (like the tents, Laxus was sure the vegetables materialized from thin air) and grabbed one of the birds before holding out a hand, palm up, towards Laxus, gesturing for his knife.
He scoffed and grabbed a second bird, growling when the spirit swiped both the knife and bird from him and immediately began preparing the bird to be cooked. As she did so, she nodded her head towards his bedroll, which had been placed in front of one of the tents and had a towel folded neatly on top.
"I took the liberty of creating a bath nearby. Princess is busy at the moment so you may go first. Punishment?" she asked, almost hopefully.
Laxus raised a brow at her request, grunted and shook his head before grabbing the towel and heading in the direction the spirit suggested. It had been a long day and every time Laxus considered his meeting with the Fiores or just thought about what might lay ahead, he could feel a new knot forming deep in his muscles. Furthermore, Virgo's method of appearance had set his adrenaline pumping, energizing his previously tired body. A bath would be nice but not until he rid himself of the excess energy demanding to be used.
He stopped once he reached a small pool, too perfectly sized and formed as a bath to be natural. Large flat rocks served both as a border and a place to keep clothes and towels away from the forest floor. He chose to ignore the voice in his head that was trying to figure out where the water filling the pool came from, deciding it wasn't worth thinking of. Besides, his mind was more focused on his partner, the discussion they would be having soon and her reaction—or lack thereof—with regards to the mission and the bombshell dropped on her about her parentage. A part of him wanted to shrug it off since how she took the news had nothing to do with him but another part was convinced she was in denial everything was really happening and once she stopped being in denial, there was going to be a lot of tears and uncomfortable things regarding emotions that Laxus had no business dealing with.
Letting out a tired sigh, Laxus willed himself to forget about the day and rolled his shoulders and neck to ease a particularly tight spot of tension he decided to name Lucy after its origin. Dropping down, he willed himself to relax and, keeping track of Lucy's scent (and grudgingly grateful the perfume that made him ill earlier was of help here), began his stretches.
He almost hoped her infamous ability to attract trouble would hold true tonight—he was sure beating whatever unfortunate soul decided to trouble his charge would be the perfect way to rid himself of both, excess energy and the frustration he couldn't vent out to Lucy. Perhaps it would teach Lucy to follow his directions in battle and save him from needing to broach a topic he honestly hadn't expected to need to have with the normally reasonable girl.
Back at camp, Lucy exited the tent, gale force glasses in one hand and her ancestor's notes in the other. Looking around, she frowned when she saw Virgo standing over the fire, two skewers with two birds each in hand.
"Virgo, what are you doing? You know you don't have to cook," Lucy set down her notes and glasses on the wooden table and reached for one of the skewers. Virgo moved her hand away, just out of Lucy's reach.
"Princess should focus on the mission," the monotoned spirit answered. "Big brother says we all need to help Princess any way we can."
Letting out a sigh, Lucy closed her eyes and prayed the pulsing tension building behind one of her eyes would not grow into a full-fledged migraine.
"That's really sweet Virgo but it's not necessary for you to take over all the chores. You've done enough setting up camp and holding everything for me in the Celestial Realm. Honestly, I'll let you all know if there's anything I'd like or need you to do." She smiled sweetly at Virgo who seemed torn between following orders from her master or from her 'big brother.' "I could use a break anyway," Lucy gestured towards the table where she left the notes. "I can understand some of what's written but most of it is gibberish to me. I wonder if Anna spoke or wrote in a different language than what we use now?"
"Language is always changing," Virgo moved the skewers slightly further away when Lucy made another attempt for them. "Were you and Anna Heartfilia to meet and attempt a conversation, neither of you would understand the other though you both speak what you now call the Common Tongue."
"That's right, you were one of her spirits, weren't you?" Lucy managed to grab a brief hold of one of the skewers but her distraction allowed the maiden spirit to pull it away with little more than a gentle tug. "Would all her spirits be able to look at her notes and understand it?"
"No, we spirits are imbued with the ability to understand our masters, no matter what era or country they may hail from. For some, that includes the written word but as with humans, without regular use, we are apt to forget. The more masters we have, the more quickly we are likely to forget any unused languages." Finally acquiescing to her keyholder, Virgo released both skewers, taking a step back to allow Lucy to look over her handiwork.
"Virgo," Lucy said slowly as she examined the beyond trussed-up birds, "is there a reason why these birds are so, erm, elaborately bound?" Lucy looked up just in time to see the gleam in her spirit's eyes.
"Is that not how one prevents the birds' wings and legs from moving while cooking?" Though her tone was all innocence, the spirit's quirks were too well known and too often displayed for her mistress to be fooled.
"And the pattern you made with the string?"
"Is it not satisfactory?" Virgo tilted her head ever so slightly and again, blinked innocently. "I thought it would add some interest to the presentation of the meal. Was I incorrect?"
Lucy stared at her spirit, then to the ridiculously-bound birds, and then again at the deceptively innocent-looking maid. Letting out a breath, she shook her head and smiled fondly at her friend and spirit. "Virgo," she began.
"Yes, Princess? Do the birds not meet your satisfaction? Shall I be punished? I can show you how I tied the knots on the birds if necessary."
"That's alright, Virgo," Lucy paused, studying the birds again before returning her attention to the still at-attention maid. "Just...in the future, don't play with the food." As Lucy focused on unwrapping the birds from the layers of string repeatedly wrapped around much of the carcasses (choosing to ignore that her spirit managed to hogtie one bird), Virgo pouted before turning her attention to the now smoldering fire. Once Lucy was satisfied that the skewered birds were correctly trussed, she placed both skewers over the fire, resting on the spit.
For several long minutes, spirit and mage stared into the fire, one with her hands clasped in front of her and the other, absentmindedly turning first one skewer, then the other.
"Virgo," Lucy began haltingly, keeping her eyes on the birds cooking in front of her.
"Princess?"
"H-How….um," Lucy's voice trailed off, shaking slightly. Virgo's face didn't change but those who knew her best might have been able to recognize the somewhat depressed air that caused her shoulders to slump ever so slightly. Lucy sighed before squaring hers though she still refused to make eye contact with Virgo. Her eyes stared unseeingly into the fire, hands still save for a lone finger that traced circles over the handle of one of the skewers. "I...Is she..." Again, Lucy failed to complete her question and instead, she closed her eyes and turned her head away, as if in pain.
Knowing better than to speak the name of the "she" in question, Virgo carefully answered, voice neutral if slightly flatter than usual. "She is well, Princess."
Lucy let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding and gave a quick nod. "Th…that's good. I'm glad."
"Shall I—"
"No!" Wide brown eyes bore through blank blue ones before their owner blinked and cleared their throat. "No," Lucy repeated, softer this time, "but thank you."
Virgo's expression remained carefully schooled. "Very well, Princess." Both remained silent after, one just a little too focused on the progress of the cooking birds and the other, unwilling to leave though with nothing to do.
The spirit didn't move until the birds were almost completely cooked through and then it was only to relieve her mistress from her position by the fire just as Laxus broke through the copse of trees, a towel slung over one shoulder. Lucy looked from Laxus's blank expression to his clearly damp towel.
"There's a pool nearby?" she asked, excitement brightening her eyes.
"Thanks to her," Laxus grunted, using his chin to gesture towards the silent spirit who was suddenly just a little too focused on the cooking meal.
Lucy blinked. "Virgo," she wait until Virgo's blue eyes met her brown ones, "didn't I tell you digging out a bath is unnecessary?"
Virgo's eyes took on a slightly excited spark. "Punishment?"
Lucy laughed softly at the eagerness that laced her spirit's tone. "No Virgo, no punishment." She smiled affectionately.
"Oi," Laxus called out, "What's takin' you so long? Am I gonna hafta toss you over my shoulder again?!"
Lucy's eyes widened—and Virgo's sparkled—at his words.
"Is Princess being punished tonight?" the spirit asked nonchalantly. Lucy flushed bright red and shook her head frantically, hands waving spastically in front of her.
"Wha—no, no no no! He didn't mean it that way—right Laxus, you didn't mean that!"
"Eh?" The man in question cocked his head, momentarily confused. "I'm not sleeping while being tortured by that crap you call perfume and I ain't gonna wait around much longer for ya to get ready."
"I do not understand," Virgo cocked her head innocently as she glanced, first at the male, then her master. When she spoke, her voice was clear and rang out in the silence of the camp. "Is Princess punishing him?" A brief pause and then, "Does Princess need help with preparing the punishment?" Virgo's eyes were gleaming. "Will Princess punish me as well?"
Laxus wasn't sure how this conversation came about but decided he liked where it was going. A smirk curled one corner of his lips. "Oh? I was talkin' bout the bath but if that's what you're planning, I could wait some more. Though not too long—tomorrow's gonna be a long day and I'd like a couple hours of shut-eye after we're done. Oh, and I do the punishing."
Lucy emitted a sound akin to a squeak which made Laxus chuckle. Hearing it, she glared at him before crossing her arms and huffing.
"Please, as if you could handle it," she sniffed, turning her head away. She walked a few steps away until just in front of her tent, she spun on her heels, a hand coming up to point a finger at him. "And I don't smell like crap!"
Laxus pursed his lips in mild amusement as the flaps of the tent blocked her from view. Cocking his head, he waited until he heard something being unzipped and then called out, "Getting ready for me, huh?" There was an "eep!" from within the tent that he found thoroughly entertaining and he was considering the unexpected perk that was teasing Lucy when she finished whatever she was doing and appeared in a short robe with clothes in hand. Laxus casually traced her figure with his eyes, brows raising just the slightest bit when, despite her entire body practically blushing, the petite woman glared daringly at him. She stalked past him, taking several steps away before turning her head to speak over her shoulders.
"Well?"
The lightning mage snorted, rolling his eyes.
"Are you coming or not?"
Laxus waited until he was just beside Lucy, small flashes of lightning crackling around his form to light the path before he spoke in a tone dripping with innuendo, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "You seem awfully interested in my cumming, Blondie."
His laughter rang through the woods, full and hearty as Lucy spluttered.
After a minor squabble over whether Lucy needed Laxus to remain nearby, Laxus grumpily made his way back to camp. During the short trek back, he grumbled about compass spirits, dogs who were clearly snowmen, and stubborn bossy blondes. Keeping a sharp ear and eye out for any signs of disturbances in the general direction of the bath, Laxus' scowl deepened as the distance between he and Lucy grew, only to immediately vanish at camp where the sight—and now that he wasn't distracted by his thoughts, smell—of the now-cooked meal lifted his mood.
Stomach growling, he reached for one of the plates holding a bird, famished, but a wooden spoon smacked his hand away. Another hand placed a bowl of steaming vegetables on the table, beside the same plated bird Laxus had targeted.
"Princess is not here yet."
Since Lucy's protectiveness over her spirits was well-known to the guild, he thought it best not to do anything to upset her, such as batting away her spirit's hand. Instead he grumbled something very impolite and anatomically impossible, felt discomforted by the gleam that lit the spirit's eyes when she overheard, and waited impatiently, one elbow on his knee and chin resting on the heel of his palm, for his partner to finish her bath so he could sate his appetite. A part of him considered just grabbing her from the water and bringing her to camp but his ears—and nose—reminded him neither had been left untouched by her. He could feel his ears attempting to burrow itself deeper into his head and brain at just the thought of her possibly making that…noise, again, and his nose was looking forward to no longer being forced to breathe in the artificial chemicals that laden her perfume. Furthermore, his chest throbbed as he remembered the surprisingly painful force behind a Lucy Kick, something he no longer laughed at Bickslow and various members of the guild for falling victim to.
It took a little over fifteen minutes in which Laxus found himself the uncomfortable object of study for a certain blue-eyed spirit before sensitive ears picked up the telltale sound of footsteps and soft chatter making its way towards the camp and he instantly eyed the food. The maid's face remained expressionless but somehow, Laxus got the feeling she was smirking at him, a wooden spoon he didn't remember her holding a second ago in one hand as if daring him to try and steal a bite. Lucy, following some odd bird creature with a giant dial on its head that glowed a soft blue light, had barely broken through the line of trees to the campsite before he made for the food and snarled in frustration when, just as quickly, the maid smacked his hand away from the delectable roast with her spoon.
"Fuck woman! She's here, ain't she?! Lemme eat, dammit!"
"Princess, dinner is ready." Laxus growled as the celestial spirit ignored him in favor of her mistress though her spoon-wielding hand expertly battled against his as he made more grabs for a piece of the bird. He let out a victorious "ha!" when the spirit batted one hand away only for the other to successfully grab and tear off a leg. He took special delight in biting into it, making sure to make a show of chewing it with his mouth open for the spirit's benefit.
"Umm…did I miss something here?" Lucy looked from one to the other, the spirit she insisted was a dog in her arms. "Virgo, there was no need to wait. Laxus can eat if he wants. He must be starving."
Had Laxus not been so hungry, he might have shot the spirit a triumphant smirk but Lucy was right and he hadn't had anything to eat or drink since his breakfast that morning which consisted of toast and a little juice in a (failed) attempt to pre-empt motion sickness. So, he contented himself by finishing off the entire bird and then grabbing a second, making sure to keep eye contact with the spirit as he bit into the bird with an exaggerated moan, eyes declaring victory. Since he wasn't a complete dick, he did rip off the bird's other leg to hand to his partner. She thanked him and silently tucked into her dinner with much better manners than he could be bothered to show. Beside her, the white trembling dog-spirit was debating between the chocolate bar he held in one hand and the lollipop in the other.
"Thank you Virgo, it's delicious," Lucy praised after the first bite and he rolled his eyes as he swore the spirit preened a bit. "Isn't that right, Laxus?"
Feeling her eyes on him, the behemoth of a blonde paused, intending to shoot her a look that made his dissatisfaction of his meal's interruption clear but found himself unable to do so at the pleading look in her eyes. Letting out a sigh and wondering what the hell he was doing, he gave a small grunt in affirmation which, evidently, the blonde took as both agreement to her comment and thanks for her spirit. She beamed, either not seeing or choosing to ignore it when Laxus rolled his eyes, and turned to talk to the spirit for a little longer. Laxus wasn't sure what they were talking about nor did he care and the girls were content to leave him to his food. Save for the few seconds he took to stare in curiosity when the spirit he was told was a dog (he had his doubts—a snowman, perhaps, but a dog?) swallowed the chocolate whole and then shoved the lollipop into its mouth, the lightning mage was focused entirely on ensuring there would be no leftovers.
It wasn't a bad way to pass the time and Laxus, while not exactly enjoying it, had little to complain about. It was different from whenever he went on missions with his team or alone which was to be expected and he was pleased to have a greater variety than just whatever he or someone else caught as the night's meal. He would have to remember to ask Lucy where the vegetables—and tents—came from later (he had a hunch it involved her spirit which was a shame because Laxus would like to be able to get a more well-rounded meal even if Lucy and her spirits weren't present. Just eating charred meat every day for every meal was a bit much even for him) and there was something to be said about having a couple of mugs of ale present to finish his meal off with. Lucy stuck with water and finished off her much smaller plate long before Laxus decided his stomach was satisfied but instead of entering her tent, whipped out the notes left by her ancestor and called out another spirit that Laxus didn't know what to make of to help look over the book.
Evidently, it was not written in a manner that translated well in modern times. Laxus wasn't sure how the spirit, a cross-shaped old man who appeared to suffer from narcolepsy, was supposed to help as after the initial flip through the notes, he very clearly went to sleep. Since Lucy ignored it, Laxus shrugged it off as well and turned his attention back to his meal. It was impossible to ignore the scream the old man let out as he woke from whatever nightmare he was suffering from, however, and Lucy looked concerned as she forcefully hit Laxus' back when the startled older mage's meal went down the wrong pipe. Sending him an apologetic look (backed by the apologies spewing from the old spirit's mouth), Lucy asked this "Grandpa Crux" what he discovered. Laxus had no idea how sleeping helped the old man learn the notes were written in code (also, he was sure Porlyusica had some potion or another for the serious snot bubble that man-cross thing sported in sleep) but remained silent in favor of polishing off the rest of the meal and throwing the occasional, distrustful, look at this so-called "Grandpa Crux."
The old spirit was dismissed not long before he finished his meal and his now empty plate was barely pushed aside before the maid spirit, up until then silent as she sat, bound, on her knees between Lucy and Laxus, (had he not been so ravenous, Laxus might have made a comment earlier when the spirit returned to the spirit world only to pop back out not even a second later, gagged, chained, and kneeling on her knees as she looked at her mistress with blank eyes frightening in the adoration he could not see but could feel was there) grabbed it and the other empty plates from the table and vanished in a puff of smoke. Stomach sated and in a much better mood for it, Laxus considered the great benefits that could be had traveling with Lucy and her spirits. Hell, he would probably even be willing to deal with the maid's apparently stickler for rules nature or whatever-ness if he could have a meal that felt like an actual meal with little trouble to himself. The bath, he reflected, was not bad either and while he wasn't sure what was going on with the spirit, he couldn't deny deriving amusement when her actions clearly caught her key-holder by surprise.
He tensed for a second as he felt magic gathering nearby before relaxing as the sound of a doorbell rang out and pink smoke filled his vision. The once-again present and no longer bound maid spirit was, he decided, not at all bad company—certainly more useful than Loke—and he looked upon her with something that, on him, could be considered almost appreciative. Almost, because it soon transformed into something lecherous (without food to distract him, he could now reflect on the image of a pretty maid-outfitted spirit begging to be punished on her hands and knees) that might have looked more at home on the face of his gramps or Macao and Wakaba. The spirit seemed ignorant of his obviously debauched turn of mood (one could neither be raised nor related to Makarov Dreyar nor born and bred in Fairy Tail and not turn out at least a little perverse after all. It was a mystery that neither Laxus nor his sperm donor were total sexual deviants) but her mistress was not and Laxus was briefly brought out of his pleasant reverie by the blonde female's squeak and kicking of his leg under the table. He shot a glare at said blonde who returned it with a scowl and something that was likely meant to be a threatening growl but sounded akin to a noise a kitten might make in an attempt to seem big. Still in the haze of food-induced pleasantry, Laxus let an amused rumble vibrate across his chest and he was about to open his mouth and tease the blonde when a giant pink…something blocked her from view.
"Princess, Aries asked me to give you this bedroll. Punishment?"
"No punishment, Virgo," Lucy smiled at the spirit as she rubbed her face against the pink monstrosity. "Please tell Aries I said thanks…" she trailed off as she eyed the second bundle still being held by the maiden spirit. "Is that for Laxus?"
Now Laxus was curious as well.
He wasn't thrilled by the pink ball but it looked infinitely more comfortable than his old sleeping mat which would have been considered well-used pre-Tartaros. Post, the kindest word to describe it was ragged. Given the abuse it took from a particularly hungry monster encountered after Laxus' last mission, it was somewhere between tattered and shredded but Laxus had either forgotten or hadn't had time to purchase a new roll before this mission. Laxus planned to use it still since it could continue to serve as a dry barrier between himself and the floor but he wouldn't complain about having something else—and soft—to sleep on either. Even if that something else looked like something he expected a unicorn might fart out.
"Yes, Aries made bedrolls for both of you." At the spirit's words, Laxus reached out a hand towards the bedroll only to narrow his eyes in annoyance when the spirit pulled the roll away from his reach at the last second. "But bedrolls—and tents—are only for good little boys and girls so," the spirit gave Laxus some side eye, "you do not get one."
No sooner had the last word left the spirit's lips than did she disappear, dissipating pink smoke and the eyesore in Lucy's hands the only evidence of her appearance. Laxus was left gaping and Lucy was torn between confusion, amusement, and embarrassment as she watched the stunned mage stare where her spirit once stood. A part of her, unvoiced because she thought Laxus might be all too willing to partake, wondered if this was Virgo's latest ploy in search of punishment.
After his initial shock wore off, Laxus realized the camp was now also down one tent, obviously the one intended to be his. His good mood now completely gone, there was only exasperation and exhaustion as he turned down the obviously embarrassed Lucy's offer to share a tent (he assumed she offered to share her bedroll but was unsure—it was hard to make out what she was saying between her stutters and hems and haws) and hunkered down on the mess formerly identifiable as his own bedroll and grumbled about stupid childish maids.
"Morning Laxus! Did you sleep okay?"
Laxus grunted, eyes narrowed at the cheerful, if distracted, blonde girl who was currently reading something in one hand and stirring a pot with the other. His sleep, if one could call the couple of hours he was in and out of semi-consciousness that, was less "okay" and more nonexistent. The moment the sun began to peak above the horizon, Laxus gave up his attempts and instead explored the surrounding area, hoping to find some clues as to where they were.
"Breakfast should be ready soon—it's just plain oatmeal but Virgo will drop by in a bit with some fruit and cinnamon and honey if you'd like. She'll probably bring some extra sides with her—she's big on having a well-rounded meal and—" she broke off. "Um, Laxus?"
Laxus made a sort of noise from the back of his throat that meant for her to continue, eyes still studying her face though he broke his gaze when she shifted uncomfortably and he realized what he was doing. He scowled, brows furrowed and crossed his arms self-consciously in front of him.
"Is everything alright? You're not still upset with Virgo for last night, are you?"
Laxus wasn't so petty to be upset about that (well, maybe just a little bit but the spirit was dropping by with food and Laxus was not one to hold a grudge against anyone who kept his stomach happy…plus he had no proof, but he thought she was responsible for his currently warmed state) though he was upset about the night before. Just not in the way she was thinking.
He hadn't meant to make her uncomfortable by staring at her. Sure she was attractive—Laxus was neither blind nor Natsu so it wasn't like he didn't notice—but attractive women weren't a rarity, in or out of the guild. Hell, he essentially grew up with Mira and she wasn't being objectified as one of Sorcerer Weekly's favorite pinup girls because of her talent as a mage. Attractive (and otherwise) women (and men) throwing themselves at him were just part of being a famous and powerful mage and it had been many years since Laxus could be distracted by pretty.
No, what he had been searching for something else.
Laxus was always a light sleeper outside of his own home and last night was no different. He had barely managed to finally fall into a somewhat restful sleep when he woke with a jerk at the smell of salt, ready to smash the face in of anyone who apparently managed to get through his defenses. He hadn't even been alert enough to register where he was and why—almost mechanically, he was on his feet, senses flaring out as it mapped his surroundings. It took less than a second to remember where he was and why and a millisecond after that for him to make it two steps from Lucy's tent where he was prevented from entering by her waiting lion spirit. Loke assured him there was no attack and Lucy was neither injured nor in danger. The girl was crying but there was no need for Laxus to concern himself—her spirits were ready and willing to help her however they could.
Pft.
When did the phrase "don't worry" ever lead to anything but worrying?
Laxus wasn't sure what to do with a crying anyone, much less nakama he would be spending the foreseeable future in the sole company of. Emotions were something best left to others as far as Laxus was concerned, especially given that acknowledgement of his own was still something he struggled with and found uncomfortable at the best of times. At this point in his life, he could readily admit to having the emotional depth of a shallow bucket. Bickslow insisted a bucket was being overly generous and that Laxus was so emotionally constipated, an overturned plate might be the more suitable comparison. After shooting the (currently being electrified) seith mage a glare, Ever deemed him emotionally inept but Laxus preferred Freed's explanation that he was simply above petty emotional distractions. Since he and Lucy were more colleagues rather than friends, leaving her to her spirits seemed the right thing to do.
But that didn't mean he had to like it, any more than he would have liked consoling her. While she cried silently in her tent, Laxus was left feeling powerless and antsy outside, too distracted to sleep, too tired to focus, and all too aware that despite knowing she was not alone, the only presence he could smell in the tent was Lucy's. It was unsettling to the stronger mage and it took more control than he wished to keep himself rooted in place and to silence the warning growl itching to be released. Dragon slayers were a more instinctive bunch than the average mage and while logically, Laxus knew Lucy was in the company of her spirits who clearly doted upon the girl and that these spirits had no discernable scent of their own, instinctually, all his senses heightened as the occasional murmur and mumble that was too soft for even his keen hearing to make out clashed with his nose that found no one present save himself and Lucy. He could tell himself whatever he wished; the dragon within had taken note of the discrepancy between his senses and was awaiting a possible threat that was not present.
He remained in the same agitated state even after he gave up the pretense of trying to sleep. He rose, rolled up the tattered remains of his bedroll (which could only be identified as such by someone who had seen it in better days) and then made his way to the small bath in hopes a cold dip would fully wake him. Away from the smell of tears and conflicting reports received from his senses, Laxus could relax despite the shock of cold as he sunk into the pool of water and what was meant to be a wake-up dip turned into a tired slayer finally able to relax enough for a much-needed nap. When he woke just a couple of hours later, he was shivering despite his greater resistance to the elements. The air was warm but the water had yet to benefit from the new day's heat and that, combined with the body's natural tendency to cool during sleep made the warmed towel just within his reach a welcomed surprise. He didn't know how, but he knew immediately it was the work of Lucy's spirit and was grateful enough that he might have given his gratitude if the spirit was present.
He was, however, thankful that she was not.
Once dry and dressed, he made his way back to camp where he was confronted by a chipper Lucy who was acting as if she had not spent the night crying. It was bewildering yet somehow, not.
Like everyone else, the girl had changed between the guild's disbanding and later re-founding. There was wariness where once there was only trust and Laxus could see the way she guarded herself from her friends. He found the specifics difficult to pinpoint but his instincts screamed something was wrong whenever she was near and that, more than anything, had been the impetus which saw the guild master-in-training speaking more to the Celestial Mage in the first place. He had mentioned the change in her to his team though only Bickslow agreed with him initially. The seith mage warned him against getting too close to the smaller mage, calling her dangerous. Neither Laxus nor the rest of the Raijinshuu understood what the normally laughing mage meant and the acrobatic man declined to elaborate beyond clarifying that Lucy was no danger to the guild.
With a shrug of his shoulders, Laxus decided not to mention last night. If Lucy wanted to be all rainbows and sunshine, he would let her. After all, though she had put on a strong front throughout their journey and whenever she spoke to him about this mission, he wasn't so foolish as to think she was truly okay with everything happening. And if, after being told more or less to break the curse on the Royals or let herself die, Lucy decided she needed a good cry and wanted to be alone for it, who was he to stop her? Hell, if anything, he was relieved she wasn't looking to him for comfort.
Still, there was something about the entire situation from last night that niggled at his mind…
"Laxus?"
Lucy's voice broke him from his thoughts and he shook his head, as if to clear his mind.
"Hm?"
"Are you okay?"
"Fine." He hadn't meant to sound so brusque and felt, rather than saw, her rear back. Normally, he would simply move on but the smell of her tears was still fresh in his memories and he found himself softening his tone somewhat without thinking. "Just tired." Mentally, he panicked when her eyes lowered and the air—the frikken air—around her seemed to grow heavy and sink.
"I'm sorry."
"The fuck you sorry for?!" Laxus' surprise drew Lucy's eyes to his own slightly wide orange ones.
"Well," her voice faltered slightly as she looked up at him from beneath thick lashes, "if Virgo had just given you the bedroll Aries made, you might have slept better and wouldn't be tired now."
Laxus rolled his eyes and let out a snort. "I've fallen asleep on a pile of rocks and slept like a baby. What I slept on had nothing to do with anythin'."
Well, that was partially true. He had been on a pile of rocks but it was less sleeping like a baby and more being black-out drunk and then utterly exhausted and hung over. Looking back, he wasn't entirely sure if what he had done in that rocky outcropping could even be termed sleeping since, as far as he could tell, peckish birds and other creatures didn't often mistaken sleeping mages as a possible food source. But that was neither here nor now.
Not wishing to continue the conversation, Laxus gave a cursory glance at the campsite and, finding nothing notable, returned his sight to Lucy. Another time, the silence between them might have been comfortable or at least non-suffocating but right that minute, looking at the cheerful girl now ladling oatmeal into a couple of bowls while his nose twitched at the memory of salt and despair emanating from her tent and his ears noted the lack of distant bustling and hushed conversations that was generally the best he could expect in civilization, it dawned on him that this was it.
He and Lucy were truly alone and Lucy's safety was left in his sole care.
Tartaros and to a lesser extent, Alvarez, taught Laxus he was not enough. He was not strong enough, mentally, physically, or magically. There would always be someone out there stronger and while he always knew that, Tartaros brought home to him that that someone might not be on his side. They might be trying to tear down what he held dear so he needed to become stronger, better, not because he had to be the best but because it was the only way he could—the only way he knew how to—protect those dearest to him.
Fairy Tail was that group but unlike with the Raijinshuu or some of the other guildmates he grew up with, he never felt personally responsible for Lucy. She was near full-grown by the time they crossed paths and he was in a particularly dickish phase so beyond the few minutes it took to determine she was an inexperienced mage, he didn't think of her again except to consider whether or not she might be amenable to being motorboated in the middle of the guild. Once his head was pulled out of his ass, the tone of their relationship had pretty much been set and there was neither the opportunity nor reason to change it. She was nakama but always somewhere in the periphery, even when he was tasked with something intrinsically linked to her. Sure he was pissed that anyone would target a member of his guild but it was rare he felt unable to take them on and protect the blissfully ignorant girl. The few times he thought failure might be possible, he knew she would still be safe, that Natsu and the rest of the team so freakishly attached to her would let no one and nothing so much as sneeze in her direction without first going through them. Her team had an envious and terrifying habit of surviving—and trouncing—whatever it was they were up against, even if—especially if—it should be impossible. Laxus wouldn't be surprised if the reason no one realized Lucy was a walking target for so long was because her team was both so powerful and absentminded as to inadvertently foil the plans of one dark guild or another simply by going about their daily lives which involved a rather ridiculous amount of Lucy-time.
It just seemed like something they would do.
But her team was not here. Instead, it was him. And Her.
On a mission in which the most likely outcome was death. A mission where there was no real clue about where to start or what to do. Only a direction—east. East of what? Of Fiore? Of Crocus? Of Ishgar? Of some damn rock whoever came up with the clue happened to be near at the time?!
A single direction, and a whole world in between where they were and where they might need to be. Assuming there even was a where and that the one hint they had was correct.
To make things more difficult—and one of the biggest reason he was so uncomfortable to have been chosen for this mission—he and Lucy had never actually fought together. They fought on the same side but never together. It wasn't that they were completely unfamiliar with the fighting styles the other employed—both saw the other fight in the Grand Magic Games and more recently, had occasion to peek in on one another's training due to needing one thing or another to complete paperwork. But there was a world of difference between a supervised match and an actual, life-or-death battle. He and Lucy simply didn't have that connection needed between partners whose survival depended on one another nor did they have the luxury of time to develop one.
They trusted each other but not enough. He needed her to listen to him and trust him enough to follow directions without question because it could mean the difference between life and death, between his ability to protect her or survive a battle and the loss of one—or both—their lives. And he needed to know that he could trust her to do as he instructed without question, that she would not do anything stupid or fight him when he needed her out of the way so he could focus. He needed to know he could rely on her to act responsibly, to do what was necessary to survive this mission
It was something he mistakenly assumed she knew and thankfully, learned of his error last night and not in the middle of an actual battle.
And it was something he couldn't put off speaking to her about.
"Laxus?" Lucy's concerned voice drifted over from the table where she had set their respective bowls of oatmeal and was currently pouring over her ancestor's notes again. He let out a small sigh and made his way to sit in front of his bowl.
"We need to talk…"
"Is something wrong?" Lucy looked worried and then cast a wary eye around them and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Is someone here?"
"Wha—no, no." Laxus stated emphatically. "I would've taken care of them already anyway." He rolled his eyes. Yes, trust was definitely something that needed to be broached.
"Oh," Lucy visibly relaxed, "then what did you want to talk about?" She was chipper again and it was annoying. Laxus couldn't figure out if she was naturally this chipper and her mood prone to sudden changes or if she was just faking it. He wasn't sure which one he would prefer, to be honest. Before he could open his mouth in reply, he felt what he now knew to be the tell-tale sign of one of her spirits arriving and sure enough, the sound of a doorbell rang as a puff of pink smoke introduced the maid spirit. Virgo, if he remembered correctly. He tried to make a habit of learning the names of people who might be expected to habitually feed him. Once, he thought it would be amusing to call Mira by a different name (well, not so much a name as "the maid"…he was in the middle of his dick phase) and the meal she cooked up for him had been laced with some sort of undetectable laxative. She denied it, of course, and he had no proof but Laxus knew she was responsible for the hours he spent on the toilet.
"Thanks again, Virgo," Lucy smiled as she began chopping the strawberries the spirit brought over. "So what did you want to talk about Laxus?" Eying the so-called knife she held in her hand (Laxus had a sneaking suspicion the spirit brought the cleaver as a warning to him though he couldn't fathom why) and deciding now was not a good time to hold this particular conversation after all, Laxus grimaced.
"It can wait," he lied and helped himself to some honey and cinnamon, ignoring the fact he saw the smallest flash of a smirk flit across the stupid spirit's face.
He was starting to think all of Lucy's spirits were just as annoying as Loke.