The Thirteenth Key
Chapter 2
The Big City
"I am telling you, that being blonde is worse," Lucy argued. "Everyone assumes that you're stupid. Just because your hair is a certain colour! How dumb is that!?"
"At least you can dye your hair," Levy countered. "Being short is much worse. Everyone thinks I'm a child. You know how people pitch their voices up when talking to kids or animals? Happens to me all the damn time."
"Maybe if you didn't dress so cute," Lucy mumbled.
"It's my good asset! I don't have double Ds." Levy suddenly looked sly. "I bet Natsu would like them too."
"Levy-chan, I did not let you invite yourself just to have you harp on and on about my love life. Now, are you going to shut up about it or am I going to throw you off of this moving train?"
"Fine, fine," Levy conceded, holding up her hands in defeat. Three hours worth of conversation had dragged a bit. There was a whistle and the train's tannoy announced that they'd be arriving into Crocus' main station within the next ten minutes. Lucy looked out of the window, studying the night sky. She hadn't considered how late it'd be when they arrived. Best to find an inn quickly and visit the Library in the morning.
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They alighted onto the train station amidst the crowd of people pushing on and off of the train. It was certainly more hectic than Magnolia! They held hands lest they got separated. What was it Gajeel had once said? Finding someone so small would be hard, particularly in such a dense group of people.
At least they didn't have too much luggage. Just a few changes of clothes, since they expected to be here three days at the tops. Levy had mentioned something about wanting a lot of bag space – just in case a few hundred books might fall into her collection. In addition to the library, Crocus was sure to have access to wonderful book shops.
The streets here were packed with people going about nightly business. So many people drinking and dancing. Restaurants were full with diners, including a large number of couples. Levy tried imagining her and Gajeel sitting down for a romantic dinner. It just couldn't quite work, could it? He'd be loud and aggressive and end up eating the cutlery.
"There are a lot of restaurants, Lu-chan. Should we stop and get something to eat first?"
"That sounds like a good idea to me," Lucy replied, a hand on her gurgling stomach. They began to venture down the city streets looking for something suitable. Eventually, Levy squealed in delight and skipped over to a sushi bar. She happily watched the conveyer belt from the outside. It all looked so delicious and perfect and…
"Expensive!" She shrieked, looking at the menu stuck to the window.
"I guess this is the capitol. Everything's going to be expensive here," Lucy said, walking over to look. Jeez, it was about a hundred jewels for a basic nigirizushi. "Maybe we should check how much money we brought and ration it out."
"We should buy some ingredients and cook," Levy replied weakly. They were on a holiday of sorts, this was pathetic. Levy took out her purse and began to count. "I have about five thousand jewels."
"Me too," Lucy sighed. Screw it! This was a chance to enjoy some nice food and share each other's company. No point in scrimping now. Levy wanted sushi, then they were going to eat sushi. Just maybe not a lot.
"Thanks, darlings!" A man shouted as he barrelled into the girls, snatching their purses from their hands and taking off down the street. What luck to run into a common thief within minutes of arriving! Well, maybe counting their money in public was a bit naïve.
"Capitol city crime," Lucy murmured. "You wanna, or should I?"
"No, I want to. Punk's taking me for an easy target." Levy held out her hands towards the fleeing thief. Something fast. "Solid Script: Bolt!" The golden word appeared and discharged itself into a thunderbolt heading right for the poor unsuspecting fool. He shouted as he was electrocuted and fell twitching to the cobbles.
"Mou!" Levy emoted as she walked over and picked up her purse. "I hope I didn't singe the money."
Suddenly the thief surged to his feet, aiming a fist for the small girl's face. Before it got there, a hand reached down and clamped around his, crushing it with extreme force. He looked up at the face of the owner, a celestial spirit with bovine features.
"What a coward," Capricorn said coldly. "Attacking only those whom you perceive to be weak. Allow me to show you the proper deportment of a gentleman."
Levy and Lucy turned away from the sounds of the violent beating, checking that all of their money was still there. A large crowd watched the scene with disbelief.
"I feel like such a small city hick," Levy said. "But Magnolia is not small!"
"Still, we should be more careful," Lucy stated. "Perhaps Magnolia is safer if only because everyone there knows Fairy Tail. These people see us as girls, not mages."
"Maybe not anymore," the blunette replied wryly, noticing the crowd for the first time. They could hear the words 'Fairy Tail' being whispered. Of course, they probably recognized Lucy from the grand magic games. They were a fearsome guild, after all!
"Isn't that the girl who lost twice?"
"I guess the other one was too weak to take part."
"Let's go, Lu-chan," Levy suggested, head hung.
"Yes, let's," Lucy agreed sheepishly.
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Levy happily plucked another plate from the conveyer belt. She was hungry and this was absolutely delicious, the best she'd ever had. She looked over at Lucy, who had stacked a few more plates in the same time. Well, maybe being small had some advantages. She didn't eat so much, so would pay less, hihi!
"Hey, Levy chan," Lucy asked at one point. "Do you ever wish that you were super strong?"
"Hmm?"
"I mean, I feel so jealous of the slayers and S-class mages sometimes. I want to be reliable like them, that everyone can depend on me. But I failed twice at the games."
"Lu-chan!" Levy chastised with a happy expression. "You're really strong! The first match you lost because the enemy team cheated, and the second…well, I wouldn't use that psycho as a fair measure of strength."
"But I'm not reliable."
Levy watched her friend, hands pressed to her face, hiding the unhappy set of her mouth. Small tears were half formed at the corner of her eyes. She was trying to follow the train of thoughts that had led to this conversation.
"You're wondering if adding Ophiuchus to your team will make you stronger."
"Yes!" Lucy sounded surprised at Levy's perceptiveness.
"Hmm…Sabretooth seemed to believe that it was stronger than the other spirits, but Kagura defeated it quite easily. Then again, Kagura is another person that I wouldn't spend too much time comparing myself to."
"But…I guess so," Lucy said despondently.
"Now, you're thinking that you want to be Natsu's equal," Levy guessed.
"Yes!? How did you…?"
"Ummm," Levy hesitated. Maybe she wasn't the best person to be talking about this subject. "Well, Gajeel and I aren't even close to being equal in strength. Does that matter to you?"
"I dunno, I guess that it's just an extension of the same problem. I want Natsu to see me as reliable."
Levy began counting on her fingers. "Master. Gildartz. Laxus. Erza. Mira. Natsu and Gajeel. I guess that puts you about eighth in our guild in terms of strength. That's really great! Those seven are really super strong too!"
"You didn't include Juvia, Elfman, Cana or Wendy," Lucy said, clearly surprised by Levy's assessment. "Or the Raijinshuu."
"I think you could give any of those a run for their money. Didn't you already defeat Bixlow? Aquarius ties with Juvia, you can beat her with two spirits. And you and Cana beat Fried and Bixlow again. I think you could take Wendy or Elfman…maybe, I'd like to see!" Suddenly an idea struck Levy. "Ah! I bet you'll be in the S-class exams next year!"
"Levy-chan…"
"Can I be your partner? Please, please, please! Oh no, I'll probably have to be Gajeel's…"
"I'm not going to…"
"But there are eight slots at least! You'll definitely be there! And so will Gajeel now that he's properly in the guild! I mean, it's Natsu, Gray, Cana, Fried, Elfman, Juvia, Gajeel and you! Yes, that'll be it!"
"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Lucy asked sarcastically. Levy put her finger to her mouth, pondering. Had she forgotten someone important? "You, you nitwit."
"Lu-chan, don't be silly," Levy chastised. "I only got in last year because Master felt sorry for me after the incident with Gaj…Phantom Lord. I'm not strong, but that's okay! The best thing that I can do for the guild is to become a great mage with written magic."
"You saved the day when Laxus attacked the guild," Lucy said fondly, "and you're helping me now."
"Do you think that I'm reliable, even though I'm not strong?" Levy asked seriously.
"Of course!" Lucy stated loudly, worried that she'd even be offending Levy slightly. Here she was moaning about strength to Levy of all people! But Levy is a mature person and wasn't offended in the slightest. One does not have to be the poorest person in the world to complain about money, after all.
"The same goes for you. Strength isn't the only important factor in whether someone's reliable or not. You have so many other great qualities! I'm sure that Natsu loves you for those!"
"I wasn't talking about that!" Lucy shrieked.
"Sure," Levy deadpanned. They ate for a while in silence after that until Levy said, "All of the time."
"What?" Lucy asked, confused.
"You asked if I ever wished that I was super strong," Levy said sadly. "All of the time."
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Finding an inn proved surprisingly difficult. At least in terms of finding one at a decent price. They could at least share a double to save on some money. They changed into their pyjamas in a scene that Gajeel or Natsu would have killed to watch.
Levy frowned as there was a knock on the door and Lucy happily opened it to reveal a bellhop. He handed her a bottle of sake and two glasses and she thanked him profusely, slipping him a tip before shutting the door.
"Do you really think that alcohol is a good idea?" Levy asked, remembering the last time.
"It's a single bottle for the two of us, Levy-chan. And we're both eighteen now, so it's alright!"
"Well, I do remember that I enjoyed it before," Levy replied in the understatement of the century. The girls began to drink and chat, and it was perhaps inevitable that the conversation turned to boys. Levy hiccupped and asked the question. "Ignore Natsu and Gajeel for a moment, what about the other boys in the guild? Anyone you fancy? I bet you like Gray, right?"
"Don't start. You sound like Juvia. Gray's attractive, but he's not for me. I think Max is pretty good looking. But I know who you like! If it hadn't been Gajeel, it'd have been…Fried!"
"What!?" Levy shrieked.
"He's like a male version of you. Calm, collected, good with words, um, uh…,"
"Likes boys?" Levy giggled as she finished the list.
"Never!" Lucy looked shocked. "Fried's gay?"
"Duh. Haven't you seen the way he fawns over Laxus? Now Bixlow, there's the man for me!"
"Levy, you're drunk. Either that or your taste in men is really, really weird."
"I am not drunk. Hic. I'm perfectly cromulent. You're the one after gay men. Hic."
Lucy sighed deeply. "One cup of sake. Really, Levy?"
"This was your idea. Hic. Okay, if you don't wanna pick a man in the guild, tell me what you'd like in a man."
"Um…well, he's got to be strong and confident. He's got to be kind and generous. And I want to be comfortable with him. A boyfriend should be like a best friend, someone that you can be with all of the time and not be…Levy, why are you grinning like that?"
"Now, I may be sliiiiiiiiightly tipsy," Levy said, falling off of the bed and continuing her speech from the floor, "but that sounds a lot like Natsu."
"I'm trying to remember why I brought you along," Lucy sighed, reaching down to help the script mage back onto the bed. Bloody hell, the girl weighed nothing!
"Because I'm a voice of reason?" Levy guessed, before performing the world's cutest belch. "You may not want to hear it, but you and Natsu are perfect for each other. You should grab onto him quickly, or else someone else might take him. Like Lisanna for instance."
"She's not going to!" Lucy huffed. "He's mine!"
Lucy went deep crimson as what she had just said percolated through the room. Damn you alcohol and your lack of inhibitions! Levy was grinning like the Cheshire Cat at that statement. Fortunately, she yawned and passed out in Lucy's arms. Hopefully, she'd have forgotten that by the morning.
Lucy placed the smaller woman onto the bed and then turned off the lights. She lay under the blankets for a while, thinking. This little mission was supposed to help distract her from thoughts of Natsu. It didn't seem to be working so well, did it?
At some point in the night, Lucy noticed Levy become distressed. She began to squirm and reach out. Lucy wriggled up behind her to embrace her and she became much calmer. Lucy was fairly sure that she heard Levy murmur the word 'Gajeel' at some point. Poor thing was missing her teddy bear it seemed. It was certainly nice to hug someone, she thought drowsily.
Natsu must be warm to hold.
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Back at Fairy Tail the next morning, Wendy was sitting with Charla, trying to fix a bow in the cat's hair. She looked up as a large shadow loomed over her. It was her fellow dragon, Gajeel. The young sky dragon was going to greet him cheerily, but he looked so serious that it stopped her.
"Oi, you!"
"Yes!?" She squeaked.
"Not you, the cat!"
"My name is Charla!" The white exceed pressed hotly. "If you want to talk, learn some manners!"
"Fine. Charla, you have prophetic dreams, right? Have you had any in the last day or so?"
"Huh? No, I haven't. Is something wrong?" But if anything, the iron dragon looked more relaxed.
"It's fine. Just getting worked up about a stupid nightmare. Nothing serious." His relief evaporated as Natsu pushed rudely past him. He was about to smash his head in, but Natsu spoke first.
"Hey, Charla! Have you had any dreams lately?" He demanded.
"Umm…no? You've had a nightmare too?"
"Too?" Natsu looked up at Gajeel who was staring back at him in surprise. "I…I dreamt that Igneel was attacking Lucy and Levy. I think he…killed them."
"I dreamt that a black snake ate Levy, and Lucy couldn't stop it," Gajeel replied. The iron dragon looked uncharacteristically shaken. He tried to shake his head, to free up his brain. "We're just being obsessive boyfriends. Nothing to panic about."
"I AM NOT-," Natsu started before calming down. "Yes, we're worried about our nakama, that's all. No big mystery."
"Umm…," Wendy said shyly and hesitantly as she became the focus of two wound up dragon slayers. "Grandine taught me about all the aspects of dragon relationships and bonding. She said that dragons had a sixth sense about people who they've bonded with. If you two love them very deeply, it could be that you're sensing danger that they're in."
"That doesn't make sense!" Natsu shouted, slamming his fists onto the table, choosing to ignore the 'love' comment for the moment. "It was Igneel! Why would Igneel hurt Lucy?"
"Are you sure that it wasn't another dragon?" Charla asked. "It was a dream. It could have been metaphorical."
"Metaphorical?" Gajeel grimaced. This sounded far too complicated for him, even if it was the word 'metal' with 'phorica' in the middle. "Wait. I saw a snake and thought it might be that spirit of Lucy's, but what if it was just the neck and head of a dragon? Maybe I was seeing a dragon, just like you?"
"Maybe," Natsu said, sounding unconvinced.
"Think about it," Charla insisted. "What if there is a dragon, and you both viewed it in your own idioms? Natsu saw it as his father, and Gajeel as something shrouded in darkness. Dreams and visions can be very fluid. The important thing here is that there is some kind of monster."
"We're wasting time!" Natsu shouted, making everyone jump and look at him. "This is too much coincidence! I have to believe that Lucy is in danger!"
"I ain't letting anything hurt my Shrimp," Gajeel agreed with an evil growl. He'd tear the universe asunder before allowing anything to hurt her again.
"I'll come too!" Wendy stated, stunning the two boys. "If there's a dragon, then we should work as a team. If you have any more dreams, then Charla can help. And if they're hurt, then I can heal them!"
"Thanks, Wendy," Natsu said quietly. They spent a few minutes letting the guild know where they were going. Natsu convinced Erza and Gray to stay behind, as it was likely all just a big nothing. Gajeel was a bit more violent convincing Jet and Droy that Levy was in safe hands.
"Oi Gajeel! Wendy!" Natsu called. "Get packed. I'll meet you at the train station at eleven."
"Right!" The other two slayers shouted, running off. Gajeel suddenly stopped and turned to Natsu with a crooked leer. "Remember one thing, Salamander. I'm not resistant to Troia yet. Gihi!"
"Oh, crap!"
Lucy, I'm about to spend a three hour train ride with Gajeel! You better be in danger!