I'm baaaaack! And sweet Mary Mother of Jesus were you all freakin' awesome for reviewing the last chapter :D I have the next chapter written, so it'll be out in a decent time. Happy Reading! Enjoy! R&R- as usual, my pretties!
Shout out to my anonymous reviews, much thanks for lovely comments: Takeyourtime, shae.
Disclaimer: don't own FT, do own my OCs. Booyah. (I just wanted to say that). Excuse my proofing errors, I developed double vision while editing, I'll fix it better later, promise!
~OoOoO~
"What...did...you...say?" Lucy's voice shook as she repeated the words in her head. Surely, that couldn't be what he said, right? No...way!
"Um..." the short red-headed girl chewed her lip, nervously glancing over her shoulder before shooting a second peek at the wrinkled magazine cover.
"My...breasts? My boobs!" Lucy's voice was growing louder as she unwillingly accepted what had been said.
She tried to control the shrillness of her voice, silently cursing herself for getting worked up. She could feel the twitch of the insignificant muscle of her lower eyelid. The twitch became more annoying, and she balled her hands into fists, her face growing dark as she concluded she had heard the newcomer correctly. From the corner of her eye, Lucy could see Wendy's mouth hanging open in shock. Lucy recalled hearing the dragon slayer gasp at the off-hand remark.
Nope, if Wendy is making that face, then he definitely said that! Lucy silently concluded, her mind reeling at his vulgarity. She had only just met the pair! She opened her mouth to say more, but she was unexpectedly interrupted.
"She askedyou a question!" came the deep growling snap from beside Lucy.
Natsu was at her side, his expression even more ominous than hers. His posture was rigid, and his knuckles white as he took a menacing step forward. His stride was silent and full of murderous intent as he furiously glared at the dark-haired man in front of him.
"Look!" the girl tried to atone for her brother's comment, frantically pointing at the object in her hand, "Just look at the magazine cover—"
"I don't wanna hear it!" the dragon slayer spat in response, his eyes never leaving the brother's face. "He. Needs. To. Apologize...NOW!"
"Wait! But...you d-don't understand, Mister! He didn't mean it like that! Just look at this magazine cover—what they did to her br—" she hurriedly attempted to explain, stepping in front of Natsu and thrusting the booklet toward the pink-haired mage.
Natsu silently shook his head, automatically pushing the magazine from his view while staring at the young man in front of him. The newcomer did not move, despite the dragon slayer's steely scrutiny. His smooth brow creased as he followed the exchange between his sister and Natsu. Lucy found herself watching the scene play out with both a mixture of shock and a surge of pride. Her pride, however, was mostly due to Natsu's chivalrous.
How romantic! she elatedly told herself.
Settle down, you moron! Focus! her inner, more rational side scolded her. Now's not the time for that!
"Move it, kid, I'm gonna make your brother apologize to Lucy! No one insults her like that! Especially not while I'm around!" Natsu hissed as he stalked past the girl, his eyes never leaving the young man's face.
Despite the tension in the air, the girl's brother did not move, aside from the brief turn of his head. It had appeared that he was honing in on the brief contact between Natsu and his sister as the dragon slayer ignored her requests. Lucy watched the magazine fall from the girl's hands as she clenched her fists. Her back was to Natsu as he continued past her, his mind focused on other things. The girl's head lowered, her expression clouded by the blood-red curls.
Wasn't her hair more golden red a few moments ago? Lucy silently wondered as she watched the girl's body expression.
Small fists tightened as her slight frame trembled. The girl's lower lip curled as her face grew pink—the tiny freckles becoming more prominent. A tiny voice inside Lucy's head warned that this was not a good sign. She had no doubt that Natsu was underestimating his opponents as he foolishly attempted to gleam some shred of an apology on Lucy's behalf.
"I'm..." the girl began to tremble more, so much so that her teeth chattered, "not...a..kid!"
Her wail was the only warning anyone had as she quickly spun around to face Natsu. Her howling tantrum caused the dragon slayer to hesitate as he turned to cast a confused look at the girl. The red-head delivered a small but powerful uppercut that hit Natsu squarely in the jaw. Lucy's eyes fluttered open wide as she realized what was happening, though she could not stop it. It was as if it were all occurring in slow motion. The girl's body lifted from the ground from the impact of her punch and the momentum behind it. Natsu's own body began to topple backward—mostly a result of his surprise, though Lucy had no doubt that the girl dealt a heavy blow despite her small stature. Red curls climbed skyward as the girl propelled herself upward, a cloud of dust kicking up under her. Lucy could almost swear that the swirling dirt was helping to raise the girl higher as she acrobatically spun in the air. Within seconds, her tiny heel was flying toward Natsu's chest as her arms helped maneuver her body.
"Natsu!" Lucy cringed as she realized the intended kick had connected.
The girl's foot hit Natsu in the chest, sending the pink-haired man flying backward as his arms flailed and his face registered his confusion. The red-head lithely landed in a half-crouched position, her green eyes flashing their anger as she hissed at Natsu as he fell. Natsu's back hit the hard earth, and Lucy balked at the sound. He quickly recovered, raising his head and knitting his brow in fury.
"What the hell was that for?" he yelled, his lip bleeding from her punch.
"For callin' me a kid, you jerk!" she huffed her answer, green eyes flashing their unspoken challenge. "I'm seventeen, for the record!"
"And you sure could have fooled me, kid!" he goaded, his teeth covered in blood. "You don't look a day past ten!"
The girl screamed in fury, and would have charged at Natsu had her brother not somehow interceded. Lucy couldn't quite recall when he had moved, but when he had, he definitely moved quickly. The dark-haired man put his back to his sister to block her, facing Natsu as the girl tried to push past him.
"I don't hit girls, but for you, I'll make an exception," Natsu grinned in a manner that made Lucy's stomach flop. He wiped his mouth, noticing the blood for the first time, his eyes growing larger. Lucy knew that look all too well...
"Lemme at him! Move it, U'Rien! I'm gonna crush him!" green eyes were wide as the girl tried to claw past her brother.
The man turned toward his sister, his hands furiously moving between restraining her and speaking to her. Natsu took advantage of the situation, his fist bursting into flames. He swung his fiery hand and leaped toward the man, only to find that his blow had not connected with its intended target.
Natsu blinked, his confusion evident on his face, "Wha?"
"Oh no," Lucy groaned as she watched Natsu soar over his opponent's shoulder.
Lucy couldn't pinpoint the man's movements, as they were fluid and difficult to track with the human eye. It was as if he were moving faster than she could see—faster than anyone she had ever encountered, aside from Adie. As Natsu was flung through the air, the man appeared behind the pink-haired mage quickly grabbing the dragon slayer in mid-air and tossing him toward Lucy's feet. Natsu slid to a halt, rolling on the ground and grumbling profanities as he eyed his original opponent.
"Yeah, get him!" the girl nodded triumphantly from a few meters away. Lucy hadn't seen her move, either.
In blur of movement and swirl of fabric, the brother was standing over Natsu as he lay prostrate in front of a bewildered Lucy. He pushed his dark glasses up on his face as he glared at the dragon slayer. Natsu growled, attempting to swipe at the man's feet. He leaped up with ease, avoiding the blow, though it gave Natsu enough time to climb to his knees. The dragon slayer took a deep breath, and Lucy knew what Natsu was about to do. Despite the odd situation they had found themselves in, Lucy wasn't so sure she wanted the newcomers burned to a crisp. Not yet, anyhow.
"STOP!" she yelled, quickly placing herself between the angry stares of the two men, her arms stretched out at her sides. Her scream pierced their ears, causing them to cease their fighting. Both men stared at her in wide eyed shock as she stood, her back to the newcomer as she faced Natsu.
"Luce!" Natsu quashed his intended attack in fear of harming Lucy. He glanced at his opponent, unsure of if the man would make a move with Lucy between them.
"You two: Natsu and Weird Guy With Glasses! Stop it! Right. Now!" she screeched, the vein in her temple bulging as she closed her eyes in frustration.
"But, Luce, what about what he said about your, uh, um," Natsu's eyes went to her chest, emphasizing what he wanted to say without actually saying it.
"I know what he said, idiot!" Lucy hissed, her cheeks hot from Natsu's attentions, "And I haven't said I forgive him! I do want an apology, but I'll get it on my own accord, thankyouverymuch!"
"Huh?" Natsu and the red-headed girl muttered in unison, confused looks on their faces.
Natsu seemed to be the most affected by Lucy's sudden interference. He opened his mouth to protest, but he was met with the slight movement of Lucy's head and the twitch he only saw when she was absolutely one-hundred percent furious. And, right now, he guessed she was ready to maim someone. Lucy's face continued to grow dark as Natsu watched, the combined shock, anger, and frustrations from the past few days forcing their way to the surface. Lucy's lips slid into an ominous smile, causing the hairs on Natsu's neck to stand on end. Lucy watched Natsu's eyes grow round as he realized that whatever she was planning, it couldn't be good.
"Uh, oh," he breathed as Lucy suddenly screamed her anger.
The spirit mage quickly elevated her elbow, jerking it backward. Unexpected by the newcomer, her her elbow connected with his chest, hitting him in the sternum. The brute force of Lucy's ire forced the dark-haired man to stumble backward a few steps. In doing so, he tripped, hitting the ground with a loud thud. Lucy triumphantly spun on her heel and stomped over to him, her eyes flashing their fury.
"You jerk! How dare you say something like that!" she quickly dug her heel into his breastbone, glaring at the man with all the anger she could muster.
The man's face went through a flurry of expressions: surprise, confusion, realization, recognition, and awe. His hands rapidly danced through the unfamiliar movements, his arms restricted by the force of Lucy's foot on his chest. The movement made his neck more visible in his jacket, and Lucy caught sight of the scar on his vulnerable flesh. It was a few shades darker than his natural skin tone, the flesh raised, smooth, and oddly shaped. Was that hideous mark the reason he wore such a bulky coat?
"What's he saying?" Lucy growled, staring down at him though averting her eyes from the mark on his neck.
The red-head sighed, "He says he didn't mean to be disrespectful, but that you look different from the magazine cover. He was only being honest!" The girl leaned down, dusting off the dirty magazine. She took a hesitant step toward Lucy, "Look!"
Lucy held out her hand, her eyes remaining on the girl's brother. When she felt the magazine in her palm, she quickly closed her fingers over it. She pulled it toward her, saying nothing as her eyes grazed the cover. Her mouth fell open in shock.
"What the hell?" she guffawed, her eyes looking over her obviously and excessively enhanced bust on the cover, "They are huge!"
"He says he told ya so," the girl smirked, pulling the magazine from Lucy's hands and tossing it toward Natsu, "Here! You look, too!"
Natsu's reaction wasn't filled with as much disgust as Lucy would have expected, though she was too distracted to take notice of his appreciative look. Her eyes flickered back to the man pinned by her boot, "Still, you shouldn't say those things! It's rude!"
The man nodded his understanding, his dark glasses sliding awkwardly up his nose from the movement. Under the lower part of his frames, Lucy caught sight of his crimson irises. She gasped, taking a step back. The man rolled to his side, pushing himself to his feet and brushing his jacket off. Natsu paid no mind to what was occurring, as he was still examining the magazine cover.
"Luce, I didn't know you did modeling!"
"What?" Lucy's head snapped toward Natsu as she recognized the glazed look in his eyes, "Stop staring at it!"
Her face grew red as Natsu sheepishly tore his eyes from the cover, inadvertently comparing the picture to what was in front of him. Wendy remained silent, unsure of what to make of the odd situation as she glanced around. She must have decided to mediate after standing there in shock for so long.
"I-I'm Wendy!" she coughed, looking around nervously.
The red-head's eyes traveled over Wendy's form. She nodded, "I'm Ho'Onani! You can call me Nani! And this," she pointed at her brother, "Is U'rien, he's my young brother!"
"Younger brother?" Natsu crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing the newcomers in disbelief. They looked so young!
"I'm Lucy, as you seem to know," Lucy cautiously replied, glancing between the two siblings. The odd inflection of the girl's voice as well as the strange names and clothing were overwhelming evidence that the pair wasn't from anywhere near Magnolia.
Lucy jerked her head toward her friend, continuing the introductions, "And that's Natsu."
Dragon slayer and red-head exchanged furious glances. Lucy noted the odd angle of the girl's almond-shaped eyes. They seemed to sparkle a lustrous gold and emerald—unlike anything Lucy had ever seen. Her brother's were much darker, the color richer and without flecks of gold, from what Lucy could see. Their faces were both sprinkled with the odd tattoos that bordered their hairline, though the girl's were seemingly more exquisite. Lucy also noticed the oddly pointed tip of their slightly tilted ears. She watched the two newcomers, feeling the man's eyes on her though his glasses hid his gaze. She glanced at him, though his expression failed to reveal anything.
"So...how did you know Lucy's name?" Natsu suddenly interrupted, bringing the group back to the issue-at-hand.
"Oh," the girl straightened, her eyes darting amongst the group, "Well...that's a bit of a long story."
"Spit it out," Natsu pressed, tapping his foot lightly on the ground, his impatience visible on his face.
"Natsu! That's not polite!" Lucy interjected, suddenly feeling sorry for the siblings.
"Well, whaddya want me to do?" he waved his hands in the air, frustrated, "Invite them to dinner?"
Lucy chewed her lip, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Natsu. Slowly, a smile crept across her face as the newcomers silently observed the exchange with mild curiosity.
"What?" Natsu was suddenly feeling defensive, "What's with that look? Luce? You're scaring me!"
"Good idea..." her smile became more feline-like as she glanced at Rien and Nani before her eyes returned to Natsu's face, "That's exactly what I want you to do."
~OoOoO~
Lucy watched Nani suck down the milkshake. The girl happily gorged on the unfamiliar drink as Lucy plucked the lemon from her own water, squeezing the tart juice into the clear liquid. She sighed, releasing the spent rind into her water, glancing at the other side of the table. Wendy was nervously fidgeting in her seat as she watched Natsu glare at Rien. The visitor calmly sipped his drink, his gaze and attentions protectively hovering over his sister.
Her eyes are definitely odd, Lucy silently commented to herself as she scrutinized Nani. Even the color is different. Her ears are not at all like mine. Or Natsu's. I wonder...where have they traveled from?
The slurping noise grew louder as Nani decimated her thick drink, looking around expectantly as she had twice before. A waiter appeared out of nowhere, bowing and taking the large glass from the girl's hands.
"Another, miss?" he glanced at Lucy, who nodded.
"You bet!" Nani beamed, looking toward Lucy as the waiter scampered off. "What is that thing again?"
"It's called a milkshake," Lucy smiled politely. "The one you like so much is strawberry flavored."
"Strawberry," the girl repeated the word as if it were foreign. She rolled her 'r's' in emphasis, smiling at her silliness.
"Where are you from, exactly?" Natsu replied through tight lips as he watched Rien, his eyes full of distrust.
Nani glanced at her brother, her emerald eyes glittering golden flecks. Her nod was slight, but it wasn't missed by Lucy.
"Far away," she answered, immediately distracted as she reached for the fresh milkshake that was making its way to the table top.
"How far away is that?" Natsu finally turned toward her, giving up on his opponent and their staring contest. It was the first time in fifteen minutes that he had stopped angrily glaring at Rien. The latter had paid the dragon slayer no heed the entire time.
Another glance between siblings.
"It's fine if you don't feel comfortable sharing," Lucy offered, understanding that something deeper was being conveyed between brother and sister. "But at least tell me why you are here. Or how you knew my name. I think you at least owe me that."
Slurping stopped abruptly, and Nani turned in her seat, "Look, Miss Lucy, I like you and all, so I'll do that for you, at least."
"That'd be a start," Lucy replied, smiling hesitantly.
Nani took a deep breath, "It's a long story, but to sum it up, U'Rien and I happened to come upon someone who was looking for you."
"Looking for Lucy?" Natsu repeated, looking oddly perplexed. Rien added his own part, his hands rapidly going through the familiar movements that only Nani could understand. She nodded, giving verbal answers and receiving more hand signals.
"Your and your brother—U'Rien..." Wendy began...
"Call him Rien," Nani interrupted, "Much easier on the tongue."
Wendy nodded, "Um, er, Rien...he isn't able to, uh, speak? With words, I mean!"
The girl glanced at her brother, emerald eyes softening as she sadly shook her head, "No...there was an accident. So, now...he uses his hands."
"Is that how he got that scar on his neck?" Lucy asked, fingering the flesh of her own throat, remembering the awful pink scar she had seen. Natsu and Rien were once again sending angry glares toward one another for reasons unknown to Lucy.
"Yes," Nani nodded, looking at Lucy in surprise. So she must have seen it when she hit him, the red-haired visitor told herself.
"What happened?" Wendy asked, suddenly blushing at her boldness, her eyes darting to Rien's face.
"Quit starin' at me!" Natsu growled at Rien, oblivious to the women's discussion.
The dark-haired newcomer calmly replied by lifting one finger on his right hand. More specifically, the middle one. Natsu's eyes grew wide as he hissed, smoke smoldering from between his teeth. Rien appeared perplexed by this phenomenon, quizzically watching the smoke climb toward the restaurant ceiling.
Nani observed the entire exchange, looking slightly amused as she pushed the straw around her milkshake, "He protected me. He...took something that was meant for me."
Lucy chewed her lip. She felt as if there was much more to this story than what could be conveyed during this short period of time. She followed Nani's gaze. Rien was now using his fingers to grasp at the smoke that was wafting skyward.
"What're you doing?" Natsu looked both confused and amused. Rien excitedly pointed at the smoke before pointing at his own mouth. The men's interaction continued as Wendy and Lucy took advantage of the the distraction.
"You were attacked?" Lucy softly pressed, her eyes on the two men.
"You could say that," Nani smirked, shaking her head. "It was more of an assassination gone wrong."
"Assassination!" Wendy whispered, her eyes growing large.
"Eh," Nani shrugged, "I'm used to it, so no biggie."
"What?" Lucy leaned closer, "Are you kidding me?"
Brows furrowed as Nani studied Lucy's expression, deciding how much she should share with the mages. She released her grip on the straw, pushing her newly discovered treat away from her and shaking her head. Golden red curls spilled over her shoulders as the pale flecks of her eyes danced with sadness.
"Where I come from...er, is a bit...different," she tried to explain quickly. "My kinsmen and kinswomen live as nomads, traveling the desert in search of our revered gods in order to reunite our divided people. Most of it is old lore, but many still believe it. There are vicious rivalries amongst tribe leaders, often falling to the hands of the next generation."
Lucy and Wendy nodded, exchanging glances. Natsu blew smoke rings in Rien's face. The young man looked puzzled as he used his forefinger to break the lightweight rings, drawing back in surprise.
"At home, women rule and men follow. That's how it is. My mother is our leader, at the moment. My brothers and sisters are few and far between, most being killed at a young age. So far, two sisters and I have managed to survive. I have two brothers who are living..."
Her eyes shone with moisture as Lucy gasped at her confession. Nani shook her head and continued, "I'm not asking you to understand. We live...differently, it appears. Rien saved me from an attack intended for me, taking an acid dart to the neck. He hasn't been able to talk since."
"That's horrible!" Lucy murmured, unable to grasp what Nani was telling her. "Just...awful!"
"As awful as it may be," Nani replied grimly, "it is our way. Rien has been my Protector since then, never letting anyone lay a hand on me. Sometimes...I don't think I deserve his sacrifice."
"I see," Wendy replied, her voice a whisper. She caught Lucy's questioning glance, nodding her understanding of the blonde's silent question. Later...
The tears welled in Nani's eyes as she watched Rien scratch his head as Natsu's finger burst into flames, "How can you see? You're free to chose a life for yourself, aren't you?"
Lucy's brow crinkled, "What are you saying? He's not free?"
The girl shook her head, taking a few minutes to collect herself and blinking away the unshed tears, "A Protector. It's the ultimate sacrifice—the, er, most revered position in all of my people, but also the least fruitful."
"I-I don't get it," Lucy glanced at Rien, a look of perplexity crossing her face.
"Of course you don't," Nani laughed, her voice low and cold. "He can't even fall in love! It's forbidden."
"What?" Wendy and Lucy asked in unison.
"What kind of prerequisite is that?" Lucy clenched her fist as it rested on her lap. What barbarians!
Nani bowed her head, "A family only provides a distraction to one's duty. I know it's difficult to understand, but do not judge my people by how we live."
Lucy bit back a snide remark, feeling ashamed of her scathing thoughts. Even Wendy looked to be taken aback.
"If...no, when, I become leader, I will abolish these rules!" Nani's small fist lightly thumped on the table, though not loud enough to distract Natsu and Rien. "My brother will have happiness, no matter the cost! Even if it is by taking my own life!"
"How can you say something like that?" Lucy asked.
"How?" Nani's emerald eyes studied Lucy's expression, "It's easy! If I die, then his duties are no more. He saved me once..."
Lucy nodded as she tried to understand where Nani was coming from. It was apparent that she was wracked with guilt at her brother's inability to enjoy a fulfilling life because of his duties to her.
"So...if you're to lead your, er, tribe, how did you get here?" Wendy queried pointedly.
Nani blinked, realizing she had veered far off topic. Her cheeks flushed pink. "Oh, yeah! Forgot about that!"
Lucy smiled, realizing that Nani's inability to pay attention was similar to Natsu's. Maybe the two were long-lost siblings as well...
"We came across this guy in a salt-harvesting village on the outskirts of the desert," Nani hurriedly answered.
"And?" Wendy asked, leaning forward in anticipation.
"And?" Nani repeated, her eyes darting from Wendy to Lucy. "And he asked for us to find the Stellar Spirit Mage of Fairy Tail."
"That's it?" Lucy raised an eyebrow in question, "But, then, how did you find my name?"
"Oh, that was the easy part," Nani smiled slyly, "Your picture was in a local bar—you should have seen what they did to the cover!"
"Enough!" Lucy waved her hands, her face burning. She had no inclination to ask anything more.
Nani giggled, "Anyhow, we found our way here. Well, we ran, actually. Took a day or two."
"Where is this man now?" Lucy was growing confused.
Nani's face grew serious as she traced her finger along the wood grain patterns of the table, glancing at her brother. "He's...dead."
"Dead?" Lucy squealed. Why was a dead man looking for her?
Nani nodded, "His dying words were for us to find you. Sorry, left that part out, didn't I?"
"You think?" Lucy whispered, shocked.
Nani glanced at her, "He...wanted me to give you something."
"Me? He had something to give to me?"
Nani nodded again. This time, her expression was serious. "He was badly injured when we found him. He had a tattoo on his lower leg. It looked like this—" she used her finger to draw the pattern on the table.
Lucy recognized the guild insignia. She took a deep breath to steady her racing heart. Blue Pegasus!
"He said he had to give you something. He seemed urgent in his need to find you, Miss Lucy," she shared.
"What happened to whatever it was that he wanted to give her?" Wendy asked the question that Lucy could not find the words for.
"He entrusted us," Nani pointed to her and Rien. "That's when we sought out your identity, finding this magazine and coming here." She stared at the table as she spoke, "We were meant to find you, for some reason or another."
"So...what is this item?" Lucy's voice was steady as she avoided Natsu's look of confusion. She could feel Rien's eyes on her face as the two men re-joined the conversation.
"It's—" Nani began, her eyes downcast and her expression somber.
"Natsu! Lucy! Wendy!" someone yelled as the front door of the tiny restaurant swung open, loudly banging off of the walls.
The three mages quickly turned toward the voice. Natsu was the first to recover, quickly standing. "Juvia, what is it?"
"Two mages from another guild have arrived...Juvia does not think they are in good shape," the water mage replied, her expression serious, "Master Makarov asked me to find you, said that you know them."
Natsu, Wendy and Lucy exchanged worried looks. Lucy remembered the figure Nani had drawn on the table, and her stomach instantly sank.
"Right!" Natsu nodded his head as Juvia motioned for them to follow her.
"Wait! What's going on?" Nani asked, grabbing Lucy's wrist.
"Someone's hurt. They are from another guild, possibly the same one as the mage you and Rien encountered," Lucy shared, glancing at Natsu, who was listening to her explanation.
"Can...can we come?" the girl asked, looking at her brother and raising a finger to silence his questions.
"Fine with me!" Natsu answered before following Juvia out the door. "Let's go!"
Within seconds, the tiny restaurant looked as if no one had been there to begin with, aside from the melting strawberry milkshake on the lone table.