A/N: I've been getting quite a few complaints/issues brought to my attention, and I feel that I should address them. I don't usually feel the need to do this, but I think this is something that needs quashed now, before it gets out of hand. If you could care less and actually enjoy reading this story, please skip this and head down to the actual text.
***BEGIN EXPLANATION:
It seems that anytime someone inserts an original character into a story—especially a female—people immediately start the "Mary Sue" craze. In my first chapter, I forewarn readers that I will be inserting an OC, and I have thought carefully about doing so. I am very much intrigued by Lucy's character in the manga, and would like to see her developed more fully—instead of a cute girl who just happens to get lucky in battles (i.e. Hibiki helping her, or Juvia joining their magic, Natsu saving her, and so forth). I would really like to see some spotlight for her, and that was my vision when starting this story. I had originally intended for a male OC, but settled for the one I created.
Unfortunately I cannot respond to anonymous reviewers, so I have to do so here (and I REALLY don't want to have to disable anonymous reviews—not everyone wants to create their own account, and I understand that). I have been very humbled and appreciative of all the support and positive comments, and thank you all again for reading and/or commenting. But, now, I think I should point out a few things:
I am very well aware of what a canon "Mary Sue" is—and it's amazing that most readers overlook the fact that their favorite characters in the manga (and other novels/shows/etc) are, in fact, just that. Look at the main characters in Fairy Tail, for instance: most have tragic pasts, current angst, repressed abilities/strengths, and the ability to overcome any and all situations.
Yes, I have added an OC, but nowhere have I made her invincible or with super strength/powers that overcome other characters. I do not have her defeating Natsu or Gray, only taking them by surprise. Would she defeat them in battle? Everyone has their weaknesses, and in the right situation, maybe. As I have had her admit earlier, she is not gifted with elemental and other magic so used by Gray, Natsu, MiraJane, Luxus, Leon, Cherie, etc. She can ex-quip/re-quip, yes, and I have yet to get to the reason as to why that is. Also, as I have hinted at, she is much older than the gaggle of teens that lead the manga—so much so that it is reasonable to think she may have acquired some proficiency at her only true strength: physical combat (she's not just magically gifted). Are guns that unreasonable of a weapon? No, Bisca has them, as do a few others.
It's not like I'm putting guns in Naruto (where this would be totally foreign, for all the Narutards out there like me)! In fact, as someone pointed out, Ikaruga has used a katana. Erza also fought her without her armor and (what I perceived were) two katanas (again, my knowledge of weapons is slightly poor). My original intentions were to have the OC with a basic sword, but chose a katana for their sleek appearance and deadly (and almost beautiful) use with the intent to kill. I have only shown one aspect of the OC's character-and it was in order to build up to the point as to where I could, believably, give an explanation as to who she is and have her tie into Lucy's character.
I do not have all of the male main characters in love with her. Natsu says things to annoy Lucy—which is my way of pointing toward the potential for their relationship. I do NOT believe in just smashing two characters together and making them a couple. I prefer to build up to that point, as I am trying to do with the intended plot of making Lucy a much stronger character. I want her confidence to grow as well. I'm a big fan of DEVELOPING and not just throwing people together. I have yet to really see any real beginnings of a romance between these two in the manga. Give it time...
Also, I would like to point out that the OC having more than one area of excellence is not a bad thing. Mirajane can use water magic, transformation/demon magic—and is considered quite beautiful. Erza requips armor/weapons and is both beautiful and strong. Natsu has superhuman strength and his dragon slayer magic—just to point out a few.
I do not claim to be perfect in my writing, but I have put an immense amount of time into creating this story. I am not forcing anyone to read the story (which means that for those of you who have stuck with it, I am grateful), and instead of giving up on me, have a little faith and patience. Anyone who has written a story on here knows how draining and complicated it can be. Are we always satisfied after reading a chapter of our favorite manga each week? I, for one, get annoyed with ones purely filled with back information, but understand that it's necessary....
Again, the main focus is supposed to be on Lucy, and I'm trying my hardest to get there in a realistic manner. I can't have her just wake up and be a kick-ass mage when she's not exactly the strongest at the moment (aside from the Merchant Guild Arc, where she kicks all the bad guys' butts by herself—tad out of character, ne?)
If it's really going downhill, I will remove/stop the story. But, I have had an outstanding amount of positive feedback, and would like to continue with where I was going if it is worthy of continuing...
My apologies for this being so long, but I really wanted to get that out there for you all to see my mindset when approaching this story. Especially those of you who anonymously review with criticisms I can't defend against. I am always ready with an explanation of my thoughts and decisions. Maybe send me a message. Ask instead!
Again, please do not feel pressured to continue reading if it's that unbearable. It's only a waste of your time ^--^
***END EXPLANATION! (This won't happen again, sorry to waste your time!)
***
Enjoy and thanks for reading! :D
I'm off to continue making food for my yearly Pre-Thanksgiving dinner with some close friends from school.
I'm starving now, and it's going to be another four hours til turkey-time!
"Why do you look so excited?" Adie asked, confused by why Natsu was jumping up and down, his face spread in a wide, toothy smile.
"He's always looking for a fight," Gray answered, crossing his arms over his chest as he peered past where she was standing.
"He loves fighting, aye!" Happy confirmed with a curt nod of his head.
Lucy was still shaking from the encounter, her mind a jumbled mess of questions that were becoming increasingly difficult to contain. "You alright, Lucy?" Natsu asked between fist pumps.
"NO! I'm not alright, you idiot!" she howled, her face turning red by the sheer force of her yell. "I was just attacked by some ugly...thing! So, no, I'm not alright!" she glared angrily at him, though her anger was really directed elsewhere. She couldn't really blame him for her being so weak. Nor could she be upset that he wasn't there to save her.
"We have to get back to the town. To warn the villagers," the pale-haired woman murmured, as she slid her weapons back into their respective holding receptacles.
"And then we fight?" Natsu was practically beaming.
She stared at him, slight disgust prominent in her features. She turned her head toward Lucy, her eyes still on Natsu, "Is he going to be alright?"
"Hell if I care!" she huffed. "I want to know what those things are!" she hissed, her anger taking over as the fear subsided.
Adie motioned for them to walk, as she looked straight ahead, "I already explained this to--"
"They are mythological creatures! Fairy tale monsters!" Lucy interrupted.
"Where do you think fairy tale monsters come from?" Adie replied softly.
"Huh?" Happy, Gray, Natsu, and Lucy blurted in unison.
"Keep walking, dammit!" she snarled. She shook her head, "Did you ever think that maybe there was a logical basis for fairy tales?"
Everyone was silent while they mused over the question. Natsu's face was contorted. He appeared to be thinking the hardest about Adie's explanation. "So does that mean fairy's did have tails?"
"This is not the time for that," Gray slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand.
"But I wanna know," Natsu looked around the group, practically tripping over his own feet.
Adie shook her head, "I have no idea. I've never seen one."
"But they exist, right?"
"It's possible...I guess..." she admitted.
Before anyone could ask another question, a loud howl tore through the air. Lucy shrieked, her trauma still too raw. She clung to Natsu's arm--mostly because he was the closest to her. The howl was similar to the one she had heard earlier, though more throaty and angry. She could feel the dragon slayer pull her toward him, protectively.
"What the fuck is that?" Gray asked, the first to spot the source of the thundering cry.
Lucy could see the familiar form of an Adze, though this one was much larger than the one she encountered earlier. The one that almost killed both her and Loki. "Another one," she whispered, her body frozen with terror. Natsu sensed her fear, pulling her closer. His body warmth was soothing.... The monster stood on two legs, glaring at them from the forest's edge. "No--" she murmured. "There are more of them!"
"He looks like he's the leader," Natsu growled. "He's mine!" he instantly charged toward the looming figure, leaving Lucy to stumble backward in shock.
"NO!" Lucy wailed, reaching to him as if in warning. Suddenly, Natsu was propelled backward. Adie had managed to grab his scarf, stopping the hasty attack. The pink-haired mage slid, landing heavily on his back.
Adie stared down at him. "Don't be stupid!"
"I wanna attack him, so don't stop me!" he returned her glare. "It's my fight."
"Do you think it's really going to be that easy?" she challenged, glancing toward the forest. "There are most likely dozens of them."
"But why did only one attack me?" Lucy asked the question, though she suspected the answer.
"That was most likely his mate," Adie nodded toward the large brute. "They don't normally travel alone like that. Only the strongest do."
"How do you know so much about these monsters?" the dragon slayer's eyes were narrowed in suspicion.
She ignored his question, looking at Lucy. "It's not abnormal for the mate to leave the pack. But now--" Another howl ripped through the atmosphere. This time, it was answered with a chorus of shrill shrieks—the only indication of the other vampires looming nearby.
"Now he's out for revenge!" Lucy finished the statement. She had a feeling this was going to get ugly. And she didn't know how she was going to help. She had never felt so weak and helpless in her entire life. She couldn't bring forth Loki again, as he was in no condition to help his summoner.
"Happy!" Adassandra called for the blue feline. His ears perked up at his name. "Get Lucy to the village, as soon as possible. Find the mayor, and tell him to barricade the village as I had instructed. He'll know what to do."
"Aye!" Happy bowed, as he sprung his beautiful white wings. Adie watched the transformation in silent admiration.
"No, you can't send me away, I want to help!" Lucy wailed, though she knew that she was in no state to be of assistance. "Why is it always me?" she moaned, despite knowing she was being childish.
"It's safer for you to go back. You can help by protecting the village," Adie turned away from the young spirit mage. "Natsu and Gray, you go too," she commanded, her voice carrying authoritatively.
Gray looked torn, "But we could be of more help here, right?" Natsu nodded his rare agreement with the dark-haired man.
"It's too dangerous. If so much as one nail breaks your skin's surface—then you're as good as dead," she replied quietly.
"Fuck this!" Natsu growled. "I'm not going anywhere! I'll fight, I don't care!"
"Lucy needs you, Natsu. You need to protect her. There's no guarantee that they won't make it to the village. If that happens, you can fight," she replied carefully, her voice loud enough for the dragon slayer at her feet to hear.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucy howled as Happy tried to pull her away. She managed to break free of his hold, thrusting her fists on her hips. "I don't need protection. What if they attacked from a distance?" she pointed to the two men.
"That may be possible," Adie considered. Gray could definitely accomplish something like that, but Natsu....Natsu she wasn't so sure about.
"No way, I'm going in!" the pink-haired mage hissed as he pushed himself from his feet.
"Did you not hear me? One scratch! Unless you have impenetrable skin or armor of some sort--" she began to argue.
"Is there anywhere specific I should aim for?" Gray interrupted.
Adie studied him for one moment, understanding his question. "Take off their heads." Gray nodded his comprehension, swallowing hard. "Just stay back. Attack any that get past me."
"Disgusting!" Natsu grimaced, as he realized that Adie was instructing Gray on how to kill the creatures.
"It's the only way!" she rebuked, as Lucy nodded her support. "There's no stake to heart. No garlic. No crucifix. This is real life!"
"I saw it," Lucy whispered, her chestnut-colored eyes looking off into the distance. She had accepted her role in this, there was nothing she could do, except be in the way. She would do her best to help the villagers. And if that meant protecting them with her life, well then....
"You two help the villagers!" Adie looked at Lucy and Natsu. "You know what to do if they make it as far as the village."
"Why do you get to have all the fun?" the dragon slayer grumbled.
"Because I am the cause of all of this," she replied softly the wind carrying her voice. Her fingers where white as the rested on the odd-looking weapons that were still clinging at her hips.
Lucy gasped at her admission. Was it true? Part of it made perfect sense—she had a well-versed knowledge of these creatures. But, a small part of Lucy refused to believe it. It just didn't feel right...
"Besides," Adie's voice interrupted the awkward silence, "I have a new armor to try out. I've been working on it for years." With that, she was gone. Lucy could spy her hundreds of yards away, between the tiny village and the growing gang of Adze at the forest's edge.
"You heard her, Luce," Natsu mumbled, understanding Adie's need to fight her own battles. "We need to go."
Happy grabbed onto Lucy's shoulders as she dug her heels into the ground. She could still see Loki being viciously attacked, his neck being ripped apart--it would haunt her dreams for years to come.
"You guys have to help her!" she suddenly screamed, her hands clenched at her sides.
"Huh?" Natsu was baffled by her sudden proclamation. "Wait--," he began to argue.
"HELP HER!" Lucy bellowed, her face set with her decision. She smiled weakly as the two men gaped at her. "I....I can't be of help here, without my keys. But, I can at least help the villagers," she turned toward Happy, not waiting for a reply. "I'm ready to go," she nodded.
"Aye!" the tiny cat replied grimly, as the two launched into flight.
Both Gray and Natsu watched them travel quickly toward the village. Natsu worried about Lucy as she was carried away. He knew it hurt her to not be of help and to have her friends always protecting her, but she was so fragile. He would not risk her well-being if it meant interfering on her behalf. He knew she was devastated and embarrassed at leaving her keys, especially after the berating from the big-breasted female spirit the last time Lucy's keys went missing. At least this time, they were only forgotten—not lost. But, it would be like him not having his dragon slayer magic in a fight—he would be helpless and lost. Like Lucy.
"Well?" Gray interrupted, a slight grin on his face. "What are we doin'?
"You are staying here, where you'll be out of the way!" Natsu replied grimly. He would honor Lucy's wishes. He always honored her wishes.
"What the hell? Why am I the one in the way?" the ice mage challenged.
"You heard her!" he nodded toward the village. Toward Lucy. "Unless you have impenetrable skin...or, rather, dragon's scales--" Gray watched as the tiny scales raised along Natsu's arms and face. Gray understood what he was insinuation.
"You mother fu--" the dark-haired man shook his head.
"It pays to be strong, Gray," Natsu grinned. "I've been wanting to fight since we arrived. And nothing is going to stop me!" he raised his fist, as is it exploded into flames. Gray smirked as he watched his friend's lust for carnage unfold. It is the Fairy Tail way, he supposed.
"Watch and learn, Weakling!" Natsu bellowed as he used his enhanced speed to charge toward the battlefront. Gray shook his head, as he watched Natsu joyfully leap into a herd of attacking Adze. Adie barely missed him with a wayward bullet as the dragon slayer bowled over the vampires. She responded by waving her arms furiously at him, obviously unhappy with his sudden entrance.
Gray looked to the forest. He could still see the tall one standing on the forest's edge, as if he were waiting for the right time to attack.
*****
*****
"Move it, old lady!" Natsu hollered. He felt a satisfying thud as his fiery fist connected with the first unlucky victim. He grinned at the woman. "What's up with that funny suit?" he squinted at her.
"It's not a funny suit!" she hissed, her face masked from his view entirely. She was completely covered, from head-to-toe, in a dark, flexible, shimmering fabric. It was more like spandex than any actual armor he had ever seen.
"Well, you look funny."
"Get the hell away from me. Didn't I tell you--" she started to berate him, before quickly changing the subject, "dragon scales!" The mask suddenly disappeared from her face, as her eyes wandered over his skin. Her hair was already sweaty and matted to her forehead.
"Yup! And you better protect yourself!" he roared as he used his Karyuu no Tekken to crush another of the stinking creatures. "Fuck they smell!" He gagged and covered his mouth, his eyes watering his nose's distaste. He whirled his head around, quickly scanning the nearby land for the small handful of vampires that was approaching. "What are you waiting for? Gray's our backup," he nodded toward the hill that was yards into the distance.
Her heard her muffled curse as she replaced her mask. "Don't you ever listen?" he thought he heard her reply.
"Nope. Not when Lucy's doin' the talking!" he grinned. "Now lets get rid of these bastards so I can get dinner!" He whooped as he barreled into the oncoming crowd.
"I'll leave the head-ripping to you," he shouted over his shoulder as he subsequently used Karyuu no Kenkaku on the few unlucky foes. Adie remained silent as she unsheathed her katanas--quickly taking care of the first few victims. They exploded into piles of ash. She was glad for her face being masked, as the feeling of slicing off the Adze's head was not something she enjoyed. She was also slightly thankful for Natsu's help.
Perhaps she would make it out of this alive, after all.
*****
*****
When they had finished slaughtering the tiny band of creatures, Natsu plopped down on the grassy ground, his body covered in ash. "That was easy enough!" he grinned toothily.
"Get up," she growled.
"Wha?"
"Get up!" she grabbed his arm and jerked him upright. He was no longer covered with the dragon scales, instead allowing his energy to restore. He had grown quite accustomed to using that technique in the past few months, and had been able to use it as necessary. "It's not over."
"Bullshit," he hissed, smoke escaping from his mouth. He looked up into the forest, as the lone vampire stared down at them, snarling its dislike of the two opponents murdering his brood.
Natsu's body was instantly covered again, and he jerked free from Adie's grasp, misinterpreting her warning. "He's mine!" he challenged. "I claim him!"
Before she could answer, the large creature howled deeply, his head turning toward the sky as he beat his arms against his chest. As if called forth by command, a new wave of vampires broke free from the forest's edge. Natsu heard the sound of metal grating on hard plastic, as he watched Adie pull out her katanas and drive them into the ground. She removed two, of her many odd-looking, guns from their holsters, taking aim.
Natsu put his arm up to stop her. "No need for bullets. I'll take care of them," his face wrinkled in disgust as the smell of rotten flesh carried across the field. He hated the Adze's crimson eyes and mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. He also hated the feel of their claws scratching across his scaled skin.
Adie nodded as Natsu sighed--he knew this meant he would have to put off his one-on-one with the leader.
"Dammit," he groaned, his fist bursting into hot-tempered flames.
*****
*****
Gray watched in horror while a second wave followed the first. As Natsu and Adie faced off against the first few that came upon them, another handful took to the field. It almost looked as if the vampires were being strategic in their attacks. Gray had no doubt the large buffoon in the forest was responsible for that. He could see that Adassandra tiring, even though her face was masked. It was evident in the way her movements were becoming slower, more lagging. Natsu, on the other hand, looked like he was enjoying the onslaught, though Gray knew that the Dragon Force Technique took a large toll on his friend.
"Shit!" the ice mage grumbled. He knew that it was dangerous to get close to the creatures, but he would have to if he wanted his attack to hit its mark. He barreled toward the battle, still far enough back that he was out of the creatures' sight. He could smell the stench as the two mages fought symbiotically: Natsu distracted and maimed, while Adie dealt the finishing blow. With the second swarm, however, she had to attack as well as decapitate--since the forces were becoming more overwhelming for just Natsu to handle. Mounds of ashes dotted the small field, signifying their accomplishment.
Perhaps he could stave off the oncoming troops if he created a wall of ice....
He clapped his hands together, mumbling the familiar incantation. He forced more energy and concentration into it, prompting a large wall of ice to stretch out—creating a brief barrier between the handful of Adze and their following counterparts. Both Adie and Natsu turned to find out who had summoned the giant, icy barricade. Natsu grinned at him, before turning and slashing a grotesque creature with his enhanced strength.
"Yeah! Bring it on!" he whooped as Adie deftly took out two more. The ice wall began to melt, and Gray knew it was only a matter of time before the impending Adze were upon the two. He had merely hoped to buy them a bit more time to knock off the first handful before the second was upon them. The ice mage decided to use his Ice Bow—perhaps it would help to incapacitate the hairless creatures, given the distance.
All three heard the ferocious howl from the hill, as the lone Adze stood, looming over the raging battle. Gray knew it was a matter of time before the monster took to the field.
The fight was about to get ugly.
*****
*****
Lucy was barking orders at the townspeople, as the heavyset mayor waddled toward both her and Happy. He reached Lucy, at least six inches shorter than she. He peered up at her, "It's time?"
"It's time," she nodded.
"Oh dear," the mayor dabbed his forehead with a kerchief. "I had hoped this would never happen."
"You knew about this?" she asked, incredulously.
"Of course, we are a very close village," the mayor confirmed. "Adassandra has lived here a long time. She has done a lot for us. And we have spoken about the possibility of using this."
"This?" Lucy repeated, still unsure of what the mayor was babbling on about.
The pudgy man pointed toward the outskirts of the village as he hollered to someone at the front gate. The husky man standing watch nodded as he walked away and began to turn something Lucy couldn't see. She watched in curiosity as large, metal pillars began growing from the ground. They reached skyward, until they abruptly ceased all movement. Suddenly, large sheets of alloy spread between the pillars, separating the village from its surrounding landscape.
"Holy shit," Lucy murmured. She reserved her worst language for moments like these.
"It is a very strong barrier," the mayor agreed. "She created each sheet of metal with her very own hands. Practically impenetrable with modern weapons."
"She made this?"
"Of course," the mayor admitted, "she had been taught by the best." The blonde looked at him, awaiting more information. "Daylon," he offered. "He was her father, after all." He looked toward the sky, as he murmured. "Such a tragedy...but some happiness was given back then she was taken in as Barsky's apprentice. He never had children of his own."
"Barsky?" Lucy echoed, this was beginning to become too convoluted for her to follow.
"Her father's partner in the business. They named it after Daylon, allowing Barsky to work on his own interests with less pressure. More shooting weapons, or something like that," he shrugged as he tugged at his mustache. "Hell, he has to be about eighty now..."
It was as if another piece fell into place. Lucy was slowly getting the picture that surrounded the mysterious woman. She knew she would have to choose her questions wisely, as their time was somewhat limited. "How long has she been here?" she asked carefully.
The mayor avoided her gaze, dabbing his forehead nervously. The slight sheen was starting to reflect the sunlight, and Lucy had to squint to read his facial expression. "Well...there aren't many secrets in this village," he offered, as if deciding whether to truthfully answer Lucy's question. "And since you are here, and are a friend of Adassandra's," he chewed his lip nervously.
"Yes, yes I am a friend!" Lucy practically grabbed him by the front of his jacket.
"Since I was a kid," the officer admitted, smiling shyly.
Lucy avoided the direct question, instead offering him compliments. "Oh, that's not very long then!" she waved her hand. "You're what? Thirty at most?" She knew she was grossly underestimating, but this man wasn't the brightest brick on the block.
"Oh ho!" he blushed. "You do me much justice! I just turned fifty five this spring!"
Fifty five! Lucy's mouth hung open. It shouldn't come as a surprise, given Crux had shared similar information with her. Had she really thought the Stellar Spirit was incorrect? She shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts.
"Only thing left is the front gate!" the round man spoke nervously. He waddled toward the entrance of the village, as Lucy followed at his heels. Another loud howl rang out, and Lucy jumped.
"Oh goodness!" the mayor screeched, as he pulled his hat over his face.
She peered out into field, but could barely make out much of what she saw. Most of it was smoke and dust. Please be safe! She silently sent the message of goodwill to her friends. She felt slightly guilty for asking Natsu to help the blacksmith, especially when he owed the pale-haired woman nothing.
"L-Lucy?" she heard Happy as he tugged at her boot. She waved him away, as she squared her shoulders.
"It's going to be alright!" Lucy nodded, her tone filled with fake confidence. "Natsu and Gray will take care of it!" she spoke aloud.
"Natsu and Gray will take care of what, exactly?" came the familiar voice. Lucy froze, her eyes widening in both surprise and horror. She slowly turned toward the newcomer, unsure of how Erza was intending to respond to Lucy's departure from Fairy Tail.
"I tried to warn you," Happy whispered quietly. Lucy shot him an angry glance.
"E-Erza!" Lucy chirped, "How did you find me?"
Erza tossed held up the note Lucy had left in her apartment. "This was enough." With a flick fo her wrist, she launched the note skyward. She thrust her other hand out toward Lucy, her fingers closed over something shiny. "You also left these. That's how I knew that your reasons were urgent," she added slowly.
Lucy's eyes glowed as she ignored the letter that was softly floating to the ground. Happy picked it up, and began to read it as Lucy reached for her keys. "Thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me!" she purred.
Erza nodded as she pulled the keys back toward her. "But you'll still explain it to me before I give them to you!" Lucy yelped her surprise at the re-quipping mage's harsh tone. Erza had been too easy on her...
"I will," she peered over Erza's shoulder, "but there's no time right now!"
"XO..XO?" Happy must have finished the note Lucy had left in her apartment.
"Stop reading it!" she bellowed at the cat as he shook his head.
"I know, I was just as confused," Erza told Happy.
"You broke into my apartment!" Lucy's jaw fell open, as she suddenly realized how Erza had obtained the letter and her keys.
The red-haired mage shrugged, as she watched the mayor nervously dance around the entrance. "You left a letter in a locked room. You expected it to happen." Lucy dropped her eyes in defeat. Point to Erza!
"E-excuse m-me?" the portly man chattered as he hovered around the small team.
"What?" Erza and Lucy blurted in unison.
He jumped back a few steps, wiping his forehead again. "W-we need t-t-to close the g-gate before escap-ping!" he yelped.
Erza peered out into the field, whispering to herself, "Out there." She could sense fighting outside the village. "That's where the danger is."
"Right." Lucy nodded, understanding her friend's cryptic talk.
"We should help, I suppose," Erza crossed her arms over her chest, as she held out Lucy's keys. The blonde frantically grabbed her keys, immediately securing them to her belt. "You should really just learn to ex-quip, Lucy. You would always have your keys, that way." She turned toward the mayor, leaning down a she spoke to him. It was as if she were speaking to a small child. "Close the gate, and get everyone out of here."
The man nodded. Erza met Lucy's gaze. "You ready?"
Lucy felt a surge of pride as she realized she could be of assistance. Finally! She suddenly remembered Adie's warning. "Wait! They aren't your normal creatures!"
"I know," Erza confirmed, as she waved for Lucy to follow her, "I'll explain later." Porlyusica had informed her of the going-ons from all over. She was well aware of what to expect from these ugly creatures. The two women and their blue companion hastily exited the village, the heavy metal gates closing behind them. Lucy said a silent prayer for the villagers, wishing them safe passage. She was jerked away as Erza grabbed her arm and ran toward the sounds of battle. She thought she could see Gray firing something that looked akin to arrows off into the distance.
"Gray?" Erza called. The young mage jumped at her voice, he, too, readying himself for her berating.
"E-Erza!" he shot back over his shoulder. "A bit busy right now!"
"I can see that," she replied as she reached his side. He was maiming his victims with the ice arrows as Natsu and.. "Who's that?" she asked through narrowed lids.
"Adie," Lucy replied, as her fingers slid over her keys.
"Hmph," came Titania's reply. "Not bad armor," she murmured to herself, as Lucy and Gray gaped at her. Before either could respond, Erza had shed her normal armor, and was re-equipped with her Heaven's Wheel Armor.
"So beautiful," Happy cooed from behind Lucy.
"Their heads, right?" Erza spoke softly. When she did not hear an answer, she looked at Lucy. The young woman was lost in the battle, watching Natsu relentlessly hammer down victims. "Lucy?"
"Oh, huh?" she raised her eyebrows as she slowly registered her companion's question. "Yeah, the heads," she nodded, shuddering at the thought.
Erza heard the booming cry from the forest, as she saw the lone figure staring down at the others. "What's that?" she squinted into the distance.
"That's the leader, apparently," Gray replied as he released another arrow. Erza remained silent as she stared at the the hideous creature. Lucy had a feeling that she was planning on attacking it head on. The spirit mage inwardly sighed, this meant that Natsu would complain, of course. Followed by a few days of sulking...
"Don't you have another spell? Something more devastating to a larger number of monsters?" Titania asked the ice mage. Lucy suppressed a snort, as she realized that Erza was chastising Gray. He shot her an icy glare.
"I-I guess I could use my Ice Cannon!" he pouted. "But I don't have as much control."
"Don't worry about your precision, I'll take care of that," Lucy stepped up beside him, the smile still tugging at her lips. Her knee and back were beginning to throb from her earlier battle, but she was too ecstatic that she could be of assistance.
"Hello, hello, Lucy," came the unfamiliar voice. Gray and Erza jumped at the newcomer's sudden presence. They were still not used to the Stellar Spirit, neither understanding the need for a man to dress up as a horse.
"Creepy, Lucy," Gray whispered.
"Shut up! He's going to help you!" she hissed between clenched teeth. "Sagittarius, I need you to aim for those creatures!" she pointed toward the rotting, jerking monsters that were swarming the field. Natsu and Adie were currently standing back-to-back as the circle around them was closing in. Both were tiring from their constant effort.
"Of course," the costumed spirit replied as he deftly released his arrows into the crowd of monsters.
Erza smiled tightly as she took a step toward her cornered teammate and the other woman. "All of you," she began, the cloud of swords rising up around her, "are going to tell me everything when this is over and done with."
Lucy and Gray said nothing, as spirit and ice mage continued hammering away at the swarm of monsters. They knew this wasn't a request—it was a threat. Lucy gulped; she was in deep trouble with the re-quipping mage and she knew it. She thought back to the last time she went against Erza's wishes...
"Dance, my swords." Erza's voice commanded the glittering blades. They jerked into motion at her words, like puppets on strings.
Lucy welcomed the thrill of adrenaline that was rushing through her. The real battle was finally beginning.
And she would be right next to her friends.
Where she belonged.