The crowd got mostly quiet excluding the few chuckles that rang out.
"Alright! No scratching, biting, hair pulling or eye poking! The winner is decided when the other prays mercy! No summoning of spirits, and no ice make magic!" Canna yelled, her hip jutting out as she stood between the ice mage who was in a battle stance, holding his sword tilted up slightly with a smirk on his lips, myself in a similar position.
"Fight!" Cana yelled and backed up into the circle of mages watching eagerly. Gray slowly started walking on the edge of the formed circle, causing my own feet to move, both of us walking around the circle. I changed direction suddenly and he stopped before changing also, both of us making the circle smaller. This happened two more times before I stopped, facing him completely, smirking and teasingly tapping his sword with mine. He chuckled slightly before lunging forward, I jumped, twisting my wrist and side tracking his blade, jumping away quickly before thrusting forward.
He twisted his body, my blade and body moving forward facing his back. He swung and I ducked, swinging and kicking his feet from under him before rolling away, giving myself some distance as I tried to block out the cheers from the crowd. Gray quickly composed himself and I readjusted the grip on my sword. We met eye contact for a moment before we both lunged. Our swords came together, clashing and sparking off each other.
We continued things like this for what seemed like ages but I knew was maybe a minute or two. He swung and it was dangerously close to my face. I let out a squeak of surprise, stumbling back.
Gray smirked and shot forward but I grabbed a rope, pulling myself up and kicking him in the chest, swinging my legs to have the higher ground. He grunted and fell down, rolling with it and getting back on his feet.
"You know you could give up now before I decide to stop playing nice." He jeered playfully and I laughed.
"Oh what's a girl to do once a man has offered such a noble offer?" I asked and laughs sounded through the crowd. I laughed as he chuckled, walking forward and bowing playfully, looking up at me. I tossed my head back and grabbed the edges of his waist coat, using it to curtsy. The crowd joined our laughter as he offered his hand out to me. I scoffed and took it, allowing him to pull me down and lead me a few feet as if we were about to dance. We pulled away and faced each other. He bowed again and I curtseyed.
We stared at each other for a minute before I launched forward, his sword meeting mine. It seemed to be a tie as he would take a step back from my offence before he would counter and force me to step back.
"I admit you're better than me!" I called grinning, dodging a swing. He laughed.
"Then why are you smiling like that?" He asked.
"Because I know something you do not know."
"And that is?"
"I am not left handed!" I yelled, pushing him back and swinging my sword intricately before shifting it to my right hand, letting out a fake evil laugh, tossing my head side to side in the air at the cheers and yells from the crowd.
He watched me and I lunged forward, moving quicker, harder, easier than before. If I was graceful before I was a goddess now, not to be modest or anything. He barely had time to lift his sword in defense as I sped up my attacks. Our swords slid together and I moved my arm out to avoid the tip of his blade while flicking my wrist, catching his handle and jerking it away from him, spinning quickly, bringing my foot up to connect to his jaw to send him into the side of the boat. He grunted, grabbing his jaw but freezing as I held the tip of my sword to his throat.
"Surrender?" asked playfully, tilting my head and raising my brows. He chuckled a little nervously.
"I surrender." He said, freezing his fingertip and pointing my blade away from his neck. I laughed and pulled away, watching as the crowd pouted from lost bets or cheered with winning money.
"Ugh...what happened here?" A groggy voice asked and we all looked up to see Salamander walking down the steps, holding onto the railing and rubbing his head.
"Lucille and Gray sparred." Happy informed him and Salamanders eyes widened.
"Oh, I bet that was embarrassing Lucille." He said and I frowned at him.
"Yeah it was, for your second mate. I won." I said and he raised his eyebrows, I rolled my eyes and helped Gray up as he chuckled.
"What can I say? This chick has talent." He complimented and I laughed.
"Thanks." I said and he nodded.
"Psh, whatever. You're still an ice freak." Salamander said, crossing his arms and I turned away as they started bickering. Erza gave me a pat on the back.
"Congrats on the win." She said genuinely and I smiled, liking the feel of energy I got from the people around me. Sabertooth wasn't really like this, after a spar the winner was usually just clapped for then the loser would be teased, this was different...it was...nice. I thought.
"Thanks Erza." I said and she nodded, walking away to do something. I looked around, my eyes lighting up when I saw a table against the wall near the room that I was held in at first. It wasn't the table that caught my attention though, it was what was on it. Books.
I floated over, hearts in my eyes. I reached out for one but quickly retracted my hand when another tiny one wrapped around it. I looked up to see a tiny blue haired girl looking up at me with a curious yet defensive look. I blushed slightly.
"Oh uh hi...sorry I didn't see you there I just saw...the...books." I said awkwardly, laughing and scratching the back of my head. She gave me a slight smile.
"That's okay, I get the same way around books." She said and I smiled, extending my hand.
"Captain Lucille of Sabertooth." I introduced and her eyes widened slightly; extending her own hand and taking mine.
"Levy McGarden, I'm the one Natsu comes to when he needs to know facts about something or someone." She said and I nodded, sitting across from her.
"That sounds cool, it would be so awesome to be surrounded by books all day." I said, hearts for eyes. Levy laughed, tilting her head slightly.
"Well I guess you can borrow my books while you're on board, as long as you take care of them." She joked at the last bit and I grinned widely.
"Really!? Awesome! What do you have?" We fell into a conversation about books and our favorite authors, which ones we've read and which ones the other should read. By the time I realized I was hungry the sun was starting to set. I got up, stretching out my limbs and laughing.
"I'll see you later Lu, I've gotta go hang out with Jet and Droy." She said and I nodded, looking around. I saw Salamander on the starboard side of the ship, his elbows on the side and his arms crossed as he leaned against the side of the ship. I tilted my head slightly, walking over to him.
"Hey Salamander, watcha up to?" I asked, leaning against the side, facing him curiously. He didn't look at me, just kept watching the lowering sun.
"I'm not in the mood to argue." He said quietly and I was taken back by the gentle tone in his voice.
"I'm not trying to start a fight...I just wanted to know what you were doing." I said quietly, not wanting to take away the seemingly calm mood that had settled over him. He took in a long breath, waiting for a moment to answer me.
"I'm watching the sunset...for Lisanna…" I felt like I had been slapped, remembering our conversation from last night. I shifted slightly, rearranging Gray's coat on me and taking a deep breath.
"I think she would like that." I said quietly. He nodded slightly, not looking at me still. I turned, taking a similar position as him, watching the sun turn the deep blue and green water to gold and blood.
"You know...it's hard." He said after a few minutes. I glanced at him.
"What is?" He shrugged, now looking at his hands, the sun gone, the moon starting to make it's way out.
"Looking at you...I want to be excited that I get to see you again...that my old friend is okay, that she didn't throw me out and it was her father…" I felt like he had punched me in the gut, fused with his burning magic. I opened my mouth to say something but he cut me off.
"And...part of me is...you know I've always missed you. Every once in awhile my mind would flick back to playing at the castle with you, throwing mud or sword fighting with sticks. "Protecting" you from the big spiders or the servants who tried giving you medicine and the snotty little princes. But most of me is so confused. We've both changed so much. You're not the girl in her frilly little dress, attending teas and having to watch little brats run around ordering people around. I'm not the boy who was ready to do anything for you, ready to follow orders and so playful. It's just...if you changed...and I've changed...and the people around us changed...how much do you think Yukino and Lisanna would have changed by now?" My eyes were wide at the confession, watching him as he slowly turned to look at me.
"Do you think they would be stronger now? Still happy with the lives they chose? It's been almost 7 months...so little time yet so long...do you think she would still love me…?" He trailed off and I felt an urge to do something I hadn't felt since I was a little child. I swallowed hard, moving forward and wrapping my arms under his shoulders, pulling him close and resting my chin on his shoulder; embracing him. It startled me how comforting it actually was to be against him.
"You're not so bad Salamander…I'm sure she would be happy still." I said quietly and I could tell he was just as shocked as I was by my action. I went into further shock however when he slowly wrapped his arms around my shoulders back, feeling his nose burry into my hair like he would do when we were little. I felt him shudder slightly, shaking his head subtly against my shoulder.
"No...we were ending anyways...she...she had been cheating for a while...I confronted her about it and she told me she would stop, that she loved me still. I know she loved me...but she didn't stop." He whispered. I was so startled. This was my enemy, taking comfort from my embrace and letting me see this broken fragile side. I could take advantage of this, kick him while he was down. I could try and destroy him...that's who I was now. I was the ruthless Captain Lucille of Sabertooth. The mark on my chest was proof of that. I didn't do this for members of my crew, and enemies were shown anything but mercy. But...I wasn't on Sabertooth...and if I was being honest with myself...I envied Fairy Tail for the family like atmosphere. You could tell it was there just being near the ship and when they were fighting you could see it even more clear. While Sabertooth would fight for a comrade it was more for their own pride. If I was to be unjust no one would speak against me, even if it was wrong while this ship was such a contrast...and it was a nice break.
I squeezed him tighter and took a breath. I think if she was still here that if she wasn't with you, she would still be right by your side being your best friend." I told him and we stayed like that for what felt like forever. I wasn't complaining though, his abnormal body heat defrosted my hands and nose, causing the cold air that surrounded us to waver. I felt him take a deep breath into my hair. He tensed suddenly, taking another deep breath before slowly pulling away, a strange look in his eyes. It was gone a second later, his hands on my shoulders.
"I'm sorry about Yukino...I was just going to knock her out..I brought my sword up to hit her with the hilt and she fell forward, someone bumped into me from behind...I...I didn't mean to...it haunts me every day." He said, looking into my eyes genuinely. I widened my eyes slightly, opening my mouth to say something but closing it when nothing came out. We looked at each other for a long time before he pulled his hands away and turned back to the side of the ship, looking over the now black sky littered with the stars and sliver of moon.
"Hey Luce...show me the constellations like when we were little…" He said suddenly and I jumped slightly. I hadn't heard that name in forever. I swallowed the lump in my throat, my hunger forgotten as I put my hands on the banister and started pointing out the constellations.
-edited version-