I sucked in a deep breath as I dragged myself out of the water, Jellal at my side. My fingertips were blue and goose bumps covered my skin. I pushed away thoughts of Salamanders heat and shakily got to my feet. I had gotten Aquarious to wash us towards Saber Island, having tied my whip to Jellal and I so we wouldn't separate. He panted slightly, pushing his wet locks out of his eyes.
Half an hour later we both started walking, having had Virgo bring us clothes and Cancer dry our hair. Excitement corsed through me along with anxiety. I had changed, would they still accept me? I want us to be like a family...it would make us stronger. What would Sting say when I told him about everything that happened? What would he say when I told him I had royal blood in my veins?
I glanced at Jellal as we climbed up a hill, he met my gaze and I could see excitement in his eyes as well, excitement for his sister. We shared a small smile and when we got to the top of the hill I looked down. A full smile showed on my face as I saw the Sabertooth guild hall, the ship on the other side.
"I made it." I said to myself before letting out a laugh, starting to head down the hill to my crew, Jellal right by me.
I felt like I was going to combust. I took a deep breath, getting to the doors and glancing at Jellal. He gave me an encouraging nod and I pushed the doors open.
Light flowed into the semi dim room and the decently loud room fell silent save for a few gasps. I licked my lips, taking a few slow steps in. It was silent for a long moment before a girlish squeal sounded towards the bar and Sting appeared, a look of disbelief on his face.
"Lu...Lucille!" He said in shock, as if I had just grown two heads. I held my head high, a confident grin on my face.
"I'm now Lucifer Heart, Captain of Sabertooth, and I'm back." I told him. On the inside my nerves were going rapid. Why weren't they saying anything? Why weren't they doing anything? Sting looked at me for a long moment before slowly smiling.
"Damn right you are...welcome back Lucifer!" He cheered, a bright smile on his face. Cheers then arose from the others and I let out a relieved laugh although I felt my chest flicker. His smile wasn't as big as Salamanders.
I shook my head, Sting walked forward quickly and I met him halfway, excited. He hugged me tightly and I squealed, hugging him back. He pulled away all too soon, giving me a weird look. My crew surrounded me on all sides, patting my back and asking questions.
"LUCIIIFER!" My head snapped up. Happy?
Lester cannoned into my stomach, hugging me.
"How'd you escape!?" He shrieked and I laughed, holding him up. A few looks of surprise were tossed my way. Usually I would push him off.
"Yeah Captain! How'd you escape Fairy Tail!?"
"Did you kill Salamander?!"
"What did they do to you?!"
"What happened?"
"Who's that?" My head spun with all the questions and I shook my head, sucking in a deep breath.
"SILENCE!" I yelled and they instantly fell quiet. I shifted on my feet, it felt good to be in power again.
"All of you calm down. I'll tell you all what's happened and what's going to happen. First of all...where's June?" I asked and looks were shared among them. My heart sank and I looked at Jellal.
"Lucifer...she never showed back up…" Sting said. I watched Jellal close his eyes and turn his face. I pushed through the crowd, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I...I need a few minutes." He said and I nodded, swallowing hard at the loss. He pushed himself out of the building and I took a deep breath, turning and walking over to the bar, hopping up and sitting on it so I was comfortable.
"Alright listen up." I said loudly and everyone's attention was once again on me. I took a deep breath, trying to gather courage. For some odd reason I pictured Master Makarov talking to me in his office. If I could face him I could face my own crew.
"Yes, I was captured by Fairy Tail...the first night we made an escape attempt and I got June off the ship…" I trailed off as people looked sad and I took a moment, steadying myself.
"They were going to trade me to the king for jewels," a few grumbles of protest sounded but I ignored it, carrying on. "While I was on board there I was tied up for most of it but they let me walk around the ship, I started talking to a few of them." I said and this time voices were raised.
"Did you curse them out?"
"Did you skin any of them?"
"Were they awful?" I scrunched up my face, surprisingly insulted at their comments.
"I didn't! Now shut yer traps!" I snapped, glaring at them all and they fell silent. I felt Stings hand on my knee, telling me to continue. I glanced at it, vaguely noting how cold his hand seemed.
"Anyway, by the time it was time for me to be traded they changed their mind...I...I fought side by side with Fairy Tail mages against the King's men." I admitted and shocked gasps ran through the group crowded around me.
"Traitor!" I raised my brow, turning my head to see Minerva push through so she was standing in front of me, her lip curled back.
"What was that?" I asked, my eyebrows raised as she puffed out her chest.
"You can't fight alongside them!" She declared and a second later I was off the counter, holding her by her shirt with her face inches away from mine. It felt weird, I hadn't had to be like this for a while.
"When I'm explaining something you don't interrupt me." I said quietly and she sucked in a breath. I shoved her down and she stumbled, barely catching herself.
"Anyway...as I was saying. I fought alongside them, Jellal had been in disguise, the man with blue hair you saw. He's an old friend of mine and he had been planning on helping me out. Anyway, the Fairy Tail members took the gold and then offered me a ride back. I accepted only because they were the fastest way to the sandbar. A lot of things happened while I was on that ship...I got to know the Fairy Tail members. I got to know Salamander. My acting towards them...it soon became true, no acting required. I found many differences in Fairy Tail, but I realized...I realized that most of the differences were for the better." I said, looking around at all the faces. I had become comfortable to an extent with all of them over the past two years but now they all looked alien to me. I had to stop myself from comparing them to the Fairy Tail mages.
"Lucifer...what are you saying?" Rouge asked, eyeing me carefully. I had to take a few deep breaths before I could answer.
"I'm saying...I've made peace with Salamander and Fairy Tail, I consider them my friends. For now on Fairy Tail and Sabertooth are at peace and we shall not fight if we cross in open waters." My words were nearly drowned as the group roared their disapproval, everyone shouting in anger and calling out threats. I opened my mouth to speak but I knew I wouldn't be heard as everyone started to build themselves into a frenzy, to my disappointment Sting was leading it, calling for Salamanders blood. I sighed, climbing up onto the bar and pulling out my gun, cocking the hammer back and firing it towards the roof. It got quiet again and I settled my rageful look on them as a group.
"That's enough! We have bigger problems that we have to face, we have bigger threats! I am your Captain and I have never led you astray! You trust me to take you all into battle but you do not trust me to take you into peace?! I've been among them! I've seen their sorrow, I've seen their anger and their joy. They grieve the loss of their own just as much as we, if not more." I met every gaze that I could, not looking away until they looked away first. I met Stings furious gaze, his fists clenched and his jaw locked. To my surprise I didn't waver like I used too, it didn't send a chill up my spine anymore.
"There is bad blood. Yes I know. But we are better than them! We are Sabertooth, and if they can forgive me and take me in, then we can do it as well. We are feared throughout countless men, at the very thought of our name we send terror into the hearts of seasoned sailors. I'm tired at being at war with another guild that's in the same boat as us." It was silent as I tried to catch my breath from my outburst. Suddenly there was loud, slow clapping. I turned my torso, looking over my shoulder and I swallowed hard. It was the actual Master of Sabertooth. He was rarely around ever, when we would stop by he was here maybe once out of every twenty times, and we didn't stop by often.
"Well said, very well said...Lucifer now? Ah yes, very well said Lucifer Heart." Jiemma said slowly. No one moved. Some even held their breath as he slowly made his way around, starting to descend the stairs. I swallowed once more, watching his every move.
"Thank you...Master." I said slowly as he got to the floor we were at. He waved his hand at me and I jumped down, my knees bending slightly before straightening out.
"So, we now have peace with Fairy Tail?" He asked and I slowly nodded. He hummed slightly.
"I see, and why do we have peace with living members of Fairy Tail?" He asked. I felt eyes burning into me at every angle but I held steady.
"You made me Captain because you believed I could make the right decisions. And this is the right decision. We need all the peace, and potential help we can get. We can't afford to be at war with them now." I said and he chuckled, moving his arms out slightly.
"My dear, dear Lucifer what makes you think we can't? Just a few months ago you were one of the quickest to jump at their throats. Now you want us to all sit in a circle holding hands." He said and I tried to ignore the murmurs.
"We can use them, we can-" I cut myself off, my face whipping to the side from the force of his slap. I heard the growls of disapproval from Rogue and Sting but one look from Jiemma and they were silenced again.
"HAVE YOU GONE SOFT!?" He yelled and I exhaled sharply, looking back at him.
"Where is my Captain! I want the woman that I allowed into Sabertooth not the weak Princess you were born as." He snapped and it got silent as I struggled to breathe. This wasn't how my coming home was supposed to go.
!?/
"Alright come on Wendy, one more time." I encouraged and the little dragon slayer sighed before giving me a determined look. She brought up her sword.
"Alright Natsu, I'm ready." She said and I nodded, jumping forward. She squeaked, stepping back but brought her sword up to block my hit. I gave her a grin, pulling away and launching a few more basic attacks that I had been teaching her. She blocked them all and I pulled away, watching her small panting figure. I gave her a huge grin and her eyes widened.
"Oh my Mavis...I...I did it! Natsu I did it!" She cheered, dropping her sword and bouncing up and down. I laughed, sheathing my own sword.
"I told you you could!" I told her and she jumped forward, holding around my waist in a hug. I chuckled, hugging her back. We were in a port town, the wind had been in our favor and cut at least a day and a half off our trip. We were outside the motel we had more or less taken over, renting out all the rooms. She pulled away and giggled happily. I ruffled her hair.
"Good work, keep working on your footwork though alright?" I told her and she nodded.
"Okay, I need a shower now though." She said and I nodded in agreement.
"Yeah me too, come on." I said, waving my hand slightly. We started to make our way up the stairs to the second floor of the motel. I had been non stop since I got back on the ship, distracting myself from all thoughts.
"Hey Natsu...when do you think we'll see Lucifer again?" Wendy asked and I let out a deep breath.
"I...I don't know." I said honestly. She was quiet for a moment.
"I feel like we shouldn't have let her go back to Sabertooth...I think she likes Fairy Tail better…" She said hesitantly and we stopped outside of her room. I sighed and looked at her for a long moment before nodding slightly.
"Yeah...me too…" I said tiredly and she gave me a sympathetic look, going into her room with a quick goodnight. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to push off my sadness and walked down three doors, opening the door with the key and walking in. I closed the door, pulling off my waist coat and flipping the light on. I jumped when I saw Gray standing in the middle of our shared room, giving me a nervous look, and with good reason. There was an arm around his neck, a gun to his head. I froze, not wanting to irritate the holder of the gun.
"Natsu…" Gray choked out and I blinked at him, looking at the girl holding the gun. I knew her from somewhere. Her clothes were ripped and dirty, bruises up and down her neck. She had a busted lip and a few cuts on her cheek, her hair was tangled and dirty looking, stains of blood here and there on her clothes or creamy skin. She was breathing hard as if she couldn't take in a full breath.
"Juvia…?" I asked and her glare hardened. I put my hands up, not wanting to piss her off.
"Juvia...just calm down, let's talk." I said slowly, remembering the countless beatings I had gotten from Erza about not handling situations like this with care.
"No! June wants to know where Salamander has her Captain! Tell her now or June will kill Salamanders Ice maker mage!" She demanded and I frowned.
"What? We don't have her anymore?" I said in confusion and she cocked the hammer back. Gray yelped, glaring at me.
"Where is Junes Captain!" She screamed and I waved my hands frantically.
"Wait wait wait! Don't shoot him! We just dropped her off at a sandbar, she said that's where she had to be so she could get to the island where Sabertooth is. Her and Jellal." I explained and her eyes flickered, her grip on Gray's neck loosening slightly. He spun around, ducking as Juvias finger clenched around the trigger. The bullet went into the wall and he grabbed her wrist, twisting it behind her back and forcing her body over, bending her over the bed. She shrieked as he pushed up, making sure she wouldn't move.
"Why are you here?" I asked, my voice a lot less nice. She whimpered in pain and I realized she probably had a broken rib. She struggled for breath, giving me a pleading look.
"Please...June must get to her Captain and brother before it's too late." I frowned, moving closer.
"Before it's too late for what?" I asked and she let out a pained sob, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"June made it back to Sabertooth a month ago...she found out the plans...the plans for her Captain."
-edited version-