Of all times for my computer to crap out. Not my computer really, just my battery. So I had to buy a new one for too much money. Oh well, life goes on.
Next chapter up and running! Hope you enjoy!
Lucy and Natsu arrived at the ground floor. As expected, they took the stairs, arriving much later than the rest. Even the thought of riding in an elevator made Natsu queasy. "We just had to take the stairs."
"I'm not riding in that thing! It might as well be a vehicle."
"Quit whining. The others are waiting for us." All Lucy wanted to do was scream. This was supposed to be a trip with Natsu. Just Natsu. Not the entire guild.
The two wizards walked over to the main lobby, Happy flying behind, Master Makarov and a few others waiting there. "About time you two showed up."
"Hey Gramps. Wasn't expecting the whole guild to come."
"Yes, well. Princess Hisui gave me an order. As Master, I must perform my duties. Plus, there are some very attractive ladies around here."
Speaking of attractive, Delilah walked up. "Hello again, everyone. I expected more to show up."
"They're off doing whatever. We're the only ones you need to worry about."
"Splendid. First, let me greet you all formally. As I said, I'm Delilah, owner of Akane Resort and Hotel. I know many faces, but can't match the names."
Master Makarov stepped forward. "You've met Natsu and Lucy, I take it. The big guy is my grandson, Laxus."
"Pleasure to be here," Laxus said sarcastically.
"Next is Wendy and Carla."
"Ah yes. The Sky Dragon Slayer and her feline companion. I've heard you're quite strong, despite being one of the youngest."
"Thank you. I've still got a lot to learn though," Wendy said shyly.
"Modest and cute as a button. Wonderful!"
"I'm Erza. I was the one looking for these two," she said, nudging Natsu and Lucy.
"I hope you didn't frighten them too bad. Your reputation is one of fierceness and intensity after all."
Erza beamed. "Not to brag, but I am the strongest female member in Fairy Tail."
Delilah nodded, gracefully shaking Erza's hand. "And who is this fellow here?"
"Gray Fullbuster. At your service." Gray's tone was dark. He kept eyeing Natsu and Lucy, waiting for his chance to question them.
"You use Ice Maker Magic. Such a beautiful form of magic."
"Thanks," he responded coldly.
"If that's everyone, let's get going. There's actually quite a bit to see."
The wizards followed her. They began with the lobby, vast and open. From there, she lead them to the updated casino hall. Slot machines lined the wall, rich patrons occupying many. Men in business suits sat around gambling tables, playing poker, craps, roulette, blackjack and numerous other gambling games. On the far side, a large bar took most of the space. Exquisite wines and spirits, champagnes aged to perfection, hefty hard liquors for the more experienced drinkers. As you can guess, Cana had already downed a bottle, flirting with the bar tender.
"She seems to be enjoying herself," Delilah said, chipper and soft.
"Better keep an eye on her. She'll drink up all your product," Laxus said, smirking.
"If she can pay for it all, she's welcome to as much as her heart desires."
"Don't let her hear you say that!" Natsu grabbed Lucy hand and swooshed over to a machine. "Come on, Luce, let's win some cash!"
"We're on a tour here. We can do this later."
"Please. I don't need a tour. I never get lost."
"Don't listen to him, Lucy! He gets lost all the time," Happy called the bluff.
"Butt out, Happy. I'll just get one those hotel map things."
Lucy sighed. Delilah and the others were already moving along. "Fine, you can stay here. I want to see the rest of the place."
Natsu stopped, standing perfectly still. "I get it. You just want to be the others."
"Really? Don't be like that."
"This was supposed to be just the two of us. What happened to all that?" Natsu said.
"On that note, I'm going to be with my love, Carla! Bye guys!" Happy flew off after the group, leaving Natsu and Lucy in an awkward silence.
"Alright. If that's how you want to be." Lucy grabbed Natsu's hand and started pulling him away. "We'll just have to make sure they don't find us."
"Good idea!" Natsu moved his hand, waffling his fingers with hers. "Let's see if we can find that new food building!"
"Sounds like a good idea." Lucy squeezed Natsu's hand tighter. Holding hands wasn't a big deal, but with their fingers laced, it felt right. So right, neither of them noticed their friends stalking them from afar.
Natsu snatched up a pamphlet from the bar. It had trivia about the resort and hotel, suggestions for those without creativity, and a map. "Alright, let's see. According to this map, the food building is... All the way across the park." Natsu sighed. "Guess we better get going."
Lucy moved in closer. "No need to rush. Let's take our time. If we get distracted, it just means more fun."
Natsu perked up again. "You're right! We have all the time in the world! Seeing everything in one day is boring. We'll see it all at our own pace." He paused and looked down. After looking at the map, he must have grabbed her hand again. Once again, their fingers waffled. Lucy's smaller hand fit in his better than two puzzle pieces. He looked back at her face, seeing her small blush. "Are you wearing perfume?"
Lucy went a darker shade of red. "Yeah. Is that a bad thing?"
"Not really. It smells good. I just prefer your natural scent." Something felt different. Their friendship had grown exponentially since that fateful day in Hargeon. A year or so, mixed in with the weird time skip, meant they had technically been friends for quite some time. Yet, in all that time, he never once considered trying to be more.
"R-really?" stuttered the blushing blonde.
Seeing Lucy getting flustered at his comment signaled a growing suspicion. Maybe Lucy felt the same way? Care and worry were all good and well, but this new feeling. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt. Or rather, hadn't felt in many years. When reflecting back, this new feeling reminded him of two people. One being the buxom girl holding his hand; two was Lisanna. "Don't get me wrong, I like the smell of flowers as much as the next person, but the way you smell normally is the best. Your scent makes me feel all warm inside. Then again, could just be heartburn."
Just like Natsu to end a sweet remark with a dash of clueless. "Whichever it is, that's still sweet of you."
Natsu tightened his grip. "Sweet? I don't know about that. I'm only being honest."
The pair started walking at leisurely pace. "You're always pretty honest. I really admire that." Lucy shouldered her purse, grabbing Natsu's arm instead. Dating or not, she was happy. Seeing the looks on all the strangers made her heart, as well as her ego, jump for joy.
"It's not that I don't like lying. I'll probably forget the lie I tried telling. Being honest is easier." He sneaked a glance at her. She seemed happy. Seeing her smile made him happy right alongside her. An anxious feeling started tugging at his stomach. Was he nervous? There shouldn't be any reason for it! He looked at Lucy again, the feeling popping up again. Lucy must have been the cause.
"Is that so? Then tell me, Mr. Honest, what are you thinking about?" Lucy questioned, her curiosity peaking. It could be a lost cause, but even the tiniest shred of hope was enough.
A drop of sweat appeared on Natsu's forehead. Stiffening up, he came to an abrupt halt. "I'm not sure really."
"What? Something bothering you? You can tell me," Lucy said, trying not to sound worried.
Natsu let go of her hand and turned to her. "Listen, Lucy. I can't get this idea out of my head. It's not even an idea really. It's more of a... feeling."
Lucy clutched her purse, heart rate speeding up. "Go on."
Natsu groaned, putting his hands on his head. "Man, I'm no good at this. I get this feeling in my stomach, like I'm nervous. But only at certain times. And then there's this stupid thought nagging at the back of my head. It's all just so weird. I don't know what do to about any of this."
That small shred of hope began to weave. "I... think I might have a guess."
"Really? Tell me!" Natsu turned his undivided attention to Lucy.
She should've expected to be put on the spot, but now that it happened, her own stomach was doing back flips. She inhaled deeply, exhaling slowly. Her heart was pounding like a drum, bursting out of her chest. "Uh... for experiments' sake..." She paused, looking in his eyes. "When do you feel nervous exactly?"
Natsu's own heart began to pick up speed. The tugging turned into downright cramping. "If I say this, please don't get mad at me." He put the best serious face he could, Lucy waiting in suspense. "I feel it when I look at you."
Lucy's heart went from a drum to an entire marching corp. Her internal self was screaming. Nerves overwhelming her thoughts, she began to understand. "Are... are you saying I make you nervous?" she managed to speak. Playing it safe seemed like the right thing. And part of her was enjoying the situation way too much.
"No. Of course not! It's not like a scared kind of nervous like when Erza threatens me. It's different. My mind keeps giving me these thoughts. I've thought about listening to them, but I don't..."
"You don't want to feel rejected."
Their eyes met, the two hearts racing. Natsu stared into the pair of brown eyes before him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a drop of sweat streaming down Lucy's cheek. That's when it clicked. "Lucy, I... I think I get it."
Lucy tensed instinctively. "Get what?" she whispered.
He leaned in next to her ear. "I think I figured out what this feeling is... Lucy, I... I think I lo-"
"So, what are you guys talking about?" Gray interrupted, draping an arm over Lucy.
Natsu's increased heart rate switched from nerves to pure rage. "Get out of here!" Natsu yelled. He kicked the ever convenient ice wizard into the nearest slot machine. "We were in the middle of something! Go do your strip tease the next room over!"
"What's your problem?" Gray shot up and grabbed Natsu by the collar.
"My problem is you always interrupting me!" Natsu mimicked Gray, snagging his necklace, his shirt going missing some time ago.
"I've been meaning to ask you two something. Since none of our guildmates are here, I think now's the perfect time."
"Just spill it. I'm impatient and we've got somewhere to be."
Gray shoved the fire wizard away. "What the hell is going on between you two? Erza said something happened. Damn it, I'm on the team too. I deserve to know."
"Is that it? Fine. Accidents happen. These weird robot arms put me and Lucy in that bath together. Then Erza barges in and tries to skewer my sausage!"
"After that, he couldn't even move. Erza scared him pretty bad."
If it had been any other circumstance, Gray would've burst out laughing. But another man nearly getting an unwanted castration gave even him the chills. "I imagine. Then what happened?"
"Then I told her off. She wouldn't listen and I lost my temper. I told her how I felt and that was that. She left shortly after." Spending time with the brave, or perhaps foolish, Natsu was starting to rub off on Lucy. Boldness wasn't really her strong suit.
"I don't buy that. She said something about conviction. What goal are you trying to achieve here, Lucy?" Gray was steadily getting agitated with each passing second.
"Listen, Gray. What I told Erza is between the two of us. And what I do shouldn't be anyone's business but mine." Gray wasn't the only one agitated.
"I think I've figured it out. Erza wouldn't just stop what she was doing unless you told her something important. I've been awfully suspicious and I think I know exactly what it is now." Gray smirked. Lucy's sudden look of fear was all the proof he needed.
Erza walked over and punched him in the head. "Leave it be!"
"Jeez, Erza! What the hell?"
"Circumstances have changed. Leave them alone for now." Erza slipped Lucy a wink.
"Seriously? Quit leaving me in the dark you guys!" Gray was one step away from hurting someone.
"Fine. If you must know, it's my time of the month. You know, the gross thing girls do? Yeah, that's it. Now beat it."
Gray's face went from victorious to defeated. "Gross man. I'm out of here." Gray stomped off. Still believing his suspicion was right, he planned on coming back later. When Natsu and Erza weren't around.
"Pay no attention to him. He's always grumpy nowadays. I'll keep him off you. Either that or Juvia will." Erza walked off after Gray.
"The nerve of that guy! Why can't they just leave us the hell alone?" Natsu continued to mumble under his breath, leaving Lucy in a state of confusion.
"Hey, Natsu?" she said, grabbing to back of his shirt.
"Huh? What's up, Luce?" he said nonchalantly.
Lucy's face started heating up again. "Not trying to be pushy here, but... What were you saying a moment ago?"
Natsu scratched his head. His mind searched the fuzzy thoughts, trying to find the right one. When he found it, his face went red. "Oh yeah. That." He frantically began to think of a lie. If he kept his heart rate up, he'd have a heart attack for sure. "I think a lot about you. I don't want to see you sad. Seeing you cry makes so angry. I want to find whoever did that to you and breath their nose." Even in a blind panic, Natsu still managed to tell the truth. Honesty had a way of taking over his words.
Lucy was a bit disappointed. Granted, Natsu did take a step in the right direction, but as far as getting serious, not so much. She processed his words and decided on her next move. "I think about you too. I know you're tough so don't even say anything. I still worry about you. Every time I see you fight, it scares me half to death. I just can't help but imagine you getting seriously hurt. But seeing you happy is all that matters. Not any of that sad stuff."
Natsu smiled. "You're right. What do you say we finally get some food?"
Lucy stomach growled in agreement. "You bet! I'll race you there!" She took off in the direction of the food court, Natsu following, enjoying the view.
Gray stomped off, grumbling to himself. "You know what? I'm not taking that crap."
"Stop, Gray. If you want to know so bad, I'll tell." Erza grabbed Gray's arm, pulling him back.
"So now you're willing help? Please. Just go away already."
"Would you grow up for once? The only reason I chose not to tell you was for Lucy's privacy. When she spoke to me after the whole bath incident, she drove that point home."
"Privacy? She's one to talk about privacy. Why does she always end up flashing someone?"
"You have no room to talk. I'm sure Wendy is scarred for life from how many times she's seen your-"
"Alright alright, I get it. But you get where I'm going." Gray started walking again, Erza in step beside him. "It gets old, seeing those two all over each other. Not like I care that they are. I just find it real hard to believe nothing is going on."
"You have a keen eye." Erza grabbed Gray's hand.
"What the heck are you doing?" he protested.
"I don't know. What am I doing?"
"You're holding my hand. Like we're a thing or something." Gray tried to squirm free, but Erza only squeezed harder. "Seriously, Erza. Let go before one the guys sees us."
"If they try to say anything, I'll deal with them. Back to the point, yes, I'm holding your hand. Are we in a relationship?" Gray shook his head. "Do we share romantic feelings?"
"Not on my end. Can't say for sure about you."
Erza punched him in the shoulder. "Stay focused. And no, I do not." She stopped and turned, facing him still clutching his hand. "Can you look me in the eyes?"
Gray was looking off the side, not wanting to draw anymore attention. "Not when you're like this. I don't have a clue what's going on inside your head."
Erza smacked his arm. "Focus! Now answer this question and don't take it the wrong way. Do you love me?"
Gray freaked. He desperately tried to take his hand back. "Oh come on, not you too! I already have one crazy stalker after me! I couldn't handle two. Especially if the other is you!"
"Did you not here what I said? I said don't take it the wrong way! What I'm really saying is do you care for me? Do you want me to be happy? Not if you want to take me to a love hotel!"
Gray stiffened his body. "So... do I think of you as a..."
"One of your special people. Not your true love anything cheesy like that. Am I a person you cherish?"
Gray relaxed his muscles, understanding Erza. "Oh. Yeah, of course. You're like my family."
"Exactly. That's what love is. You can love someone and not be attracted to them. If you care for their well being without wanting to get romantically involved, it's still love. The way Bisca and Alzack love Asuka. The way Elfman loves Mirajane and Lisanna. Or the way Master loves Laxus. When you have a bond that transcends family, friendship and partnership, you get love. I love you, Natsu, Lucy and all our friends at Fairy Tail. Do you see what I'm saying?"
Gray stood there, ponder all that he heard. "I think I get it. Lucy and Natsu's bond is past the love of family. They love each other romantically, not just as friends."
"I can't say for certain about Natsu, but Lucy told me so herself. You didn't hear that from me." Erza let go of Gray's hand. "Now if you'll excuse me, that poker table is calling my name."
"Wait up." Gray caught up and matched his stride. "Thanks Erza."
"No need to thank me. I was just finding a way to tell you without actually telling you. And maybe even helped you out with your own issues."
"Yeah, I don't know about that. Speaking of issues, if Juvia saw what happened back there, I'll be getting an earful later."
"Have fun with that."
Natsu and Lucy walked into the food building, adequately named The Akane Eatery. Inside the building was an enormous spread of cuisine. All-you-can-eat buffet tables, a beautifully crafted sushi bar, hibachi grills with seating for a small village, and dessert counter with enough sweets to put the whole nation into a sugar coma. "I knew this would be the place to go! All-you-can-eat food baby!" Natsu sprinted off, grabbing a plate and piling it with a bit of everything.
Lucy giggled at the sight. She followed suit, grabbing her own plate but with a lot small portions. The smell was enough to arouse even the pickiest of appetites. With her plate in hand, she walked over to one of the empty tables. She went to grab a glass of water and still managed to beat Natsu.
He got back to the table carrying a few enormous platters of food. "This VIP Access stuff is worth it! We don't have to pay for any of this!"
"Wow. I'm glad for that. It would cost a small fortune to feed you here." Lucy smiled and began to eat. "You gotta try the barbecue. The beef is amazing!"
"Way ahead of you!" Natsu said, already tearing apart a juicy steak.
Lucy ended up staring at Natsu. Any sane person would look the other way. His eating habits were something out of a nature documentary. To Lucy, it wasn't anything new. In fact, seeing Natsu eat made her happy. Natsu eating means he'd gain more strength. And more strength meant he'd be tougher. Less worrying for her in the long run.
As she sat there, eyeing the carnivorous weirdo, her mind began to drift. 'We've had some crazy adventures. Always getting into trouble, starting fights and destroying half the city. I'm not sure where I would be if I hadn't bumped into Natsu. I probably would've ended up joining some other guild. By some stoke of luck, I ended up joining my dream guild. And it's been everything I dreamed of plus more. With friends like mine, it's hard not to love Fairy Tail. Natsu just makes things a hundred times better.'
"Whatcha thinking about over there?" Natsu interrupted her daydream.
"Oh. Nothing really. Just all the good times we've had." Lucy realized she was staring at him the whole time. Probably looking like a psychopath.
"Oh yeah? Which times? We've had so many, it's hard to find just one." Natsu started eating slower, eagerly waiting for Lucy's response.
"Just a few random ones. Like that time you suplexed me in the pool."
Natsu started laughing, his mouth full of food. He couldn't help but swallow it whole before he choked to death. "Oh man. I got you so good!" He continued his outburst, drawing attention to their table.
"Yeah, I know. Almost ripped my bathing suit off too. I see you, thinking you're all sly." Lucy winked before starting to eat again.
"You remember that time we fought that fat guy from Grimoire Heart? He had that weird little cursed doll thingy."
"Oh yeah. And you made me do some of your moves. Which reminds me, more often than not, I end up getting burned by you. I'm not fireproof like you are, you know."
"You've survived this long. If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Natsu had already polished off his first helping of food. "I'm gonna get some more. You want anything?"
Lucy eyed the sushi bar. "Get me the best sushi they have! It's been a while since I've had sushi anyway. Might as well get the best!"
"You got it! I'll have them whip us up the finest sushi in town!" Natsu ran off towards the bar, a waiter quickly clearing off his side of the table.
"It's bad for pregnant women to eat seafood."
"Loke. Why are you here? And I'm not pregnant, you creep!"
Loke grinned and sat down in Natsu's spot. "Sorry to interrupt your date, but there's something I think you'll find interesting." Loke took out a book, about the size of your average childlike chapter book. "In here, it states what might happen when two people are in love."
Lucy blushed. "Hold on a second. That's like literally anything. One minute, a girl could be happy and the next, she could be tearing the guy apart!"
"No no no, I mean when dealing with the Zodiac. Each and every person born in Earthland will fall under a specific Zodiac spirit's time affinity. In other words, if you're born in November, you'll most likely be affiliated with Scorpio. If you're born in May, it's most likely going to be Gemini. Yours falls under Cancer."
"What does any of this have to do with me and Natsu?" Lucy asked impatiently.
"I'm getting to that. With you being affiliated with Cancer, there's certain things that could happen."
"But in order for you to know, don't you need Natsu's birthday?"
"Normally, yes. But ask Natsu yourself. He doesn't even know his own birthday. Not sure how anyone could forget their own date of birth, but it is Natsu."
"Tell me about it. He'd probably forget his own name if we didn't yell at him all the time." Lucy glanced over towards the buffet table. Luckily, Natsu was waiting in line, his back turned. "What does any of this matter then? If you need both birthdays, I guess we're just screwed."
Loke pushed up his sunglasses. "Not quite. You see, I've been talking with a few of the others. You know Natsu pretty well already. If you were to figure out some of his more private interests, his habits or even his flaws, that might be enough to make an educated guess."
Lucy was puzzled, her brow furrowing slightly. "What's with all this sudden help, huh? Normally you'd be all over me."
Loke smirked, but only partially. "You'll always be my girl, but that doesn't mean you'll be my lady."
"Being honest here, that was pretty smooth. Why does it feel like I'm the one being rejected though?"
"Not being rejected but pushed towards another. Face it, I don't have to explain why or how I know. The point is, you know you love Natsu. You like to make us happy, so we all thought we could try and help you out here. Not insulting you or anything like that. You know how stubborn and dense that hot head can be."
"So you guys thought using a horoscope was going to work?"
"Better than nothing. All the girls aren't what you'd call charmers. They all look finer than a bouquet of roses, but looks can only get you so far." Loke slid the book over to Lucy. "If you manage to get anything out of Natsu, look in here. Figuring out what Zodiac he lands under could help you out in the long run."
Lucy sighed and shrugged. "What else do I have to lose? Thanks Loke. Tell the others I said thanks to them too. And one more thing, tell Virgo to cut back on the punishment fetish. It gets old."
"Really now? You might want to ask Virgo for some advice. It may come in handy down the road."
"Get out of here, creep!" Lucy swooshed Loke's key, closing his gate.
"Later gorgeous!" he called out before returning back.
Lucy rubbed her temples. As if Natsu wasn't a handful, Loke just made things even more stress inducing. She looked up and saw the fire wizard heading toward the table. Quickly, she snatched the book and stuffed in her purse. "About time. Was there a long line or something?"
"Sorry about that. Everyone is dying to get to get a taste of this stuff. Must be really good if even the rich people start begging." Natsu set the plate down in front of Lucy, licking his lips in the process. "It does look really tasty."
Lucy's mouth watered. "Oh boy. I'm really glad we don't have to pay for this. This looks expensive." Lucy grabbed a pair of chopsticks, taking the nearest bit of sushi. She popped it in her mouth, flavor exploding over every taste bud. "Whoa... this is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted..."
Natsu couldn't hold his excitement in any longer. Eagerly, he snatched a piece of the sushi, scarfing it down. "Man, you weren't kidding! This is the bomb!" Natsu was about to grab another, but retracted his arm. "Sorry, you eat first."
"What? Why?" she asked, reaching for another sushi bit.
"I got those for you. I'll just get my own later." Natsu chugged the last of his water. "Besides, that dessert table is calling my name."
"Are you sure? I don't know if I'll be able to eat all of it." Lucy knew she could eat every last bit of sushi in the whole place, but she felt bad for leaving Natsu out. Not to mention, her insecurity usually prevented her from eating her fill. Happy's reoccurring weight comments didn't exactly help either.
"I'll eat what you don't." Natsu noticed Lucy picking around the plate. It was subtle, but he heard Lucy's stomach growl. "Hey. Eat. I won't judge you for eating. If you eat more than I do, I won't think any less of you. I'd probably be really impressed. Go on, Luce. Eat up." After that, Natsu attacked the defenseless pies and cakes that littered the dessert table.
Lucy smiled. Natsu must've heard her stomach growl. Still a bit unsure, she began to easily down the remainder of the sushi. Despite legitimately eating, she kept up her proper table manners. When Natsu came back with the sweets, she felt the etiquette slipping away. She grabbed a pie and selfishly ate it, using two forks. Natsu saw this and laughed, mimicking her with a cake.
The two polished off the desserts, sitting back in there chairs, bellies full and happy. "Dang, Luce. You were keeping up with me."
Lucy blushed, covering her slightly protruding stomach. "Sorry... I got a bit carried away." She looked down in shame, poking the food baby.
Natsu belched loudly. "What's to be sorry about? All I saw was a hungry girl getting a bite to eat." Natsu smiled, letting his own belly stick out with pride. "The way I see it? We just like to eat. No crime there."
Natsu's last comment got Lucy thinking. Would food preference decide his Zodiac sign? One way to find out. "You seem to like everything. You made a heavy dent in the buffet."
"Well yeah. I like to try a bit of everything. Especially spicy food! I ate this spicy pepper chicken they had. Man, it was hot. Just like I like it."
'He loves spicy food,' Lucy made a mental note. "I can't handle spicy. Only in small doses." Feeling the call of nature, Lucy got up. "I'm going to the restroom. I'll be right back."
"I'll be here. I don't think I could move if I wanted to." He waved her off, leaning back further.
Lucy hurried to the nearest restroom. After sitting down in a stall, she brought the book out. Flipping through the pages, she caught a glimpse of the word 'food.' Turning back, it was just what she needed. Food preferences for each sign. 'Let's see here. People with Aries' sign like spicy food. Sounds like Natsu. But people under Taurus eat a lot. Huh? Cancers don't share their food? I don't have a problem sharing. I guess it's just in general.' Lucy finished her business, stuffing the book back in her purse. She washed her hands and walked back out to her table.
"Everything come out okay?" Natsu asked.
"Like I'd tell you. That's private business." Lucy grabbed his hand. "Come on. I want to ride some rides!"
"Rides? Oh no. I just ate! If I try to ride something, I'll blow chunks everywhere!"
"I didn't say you had to ride any. But you did say this for me, right?" Lucy wasn't intentionally taking advantage of Natsu's words, but in this case, she figured being a little selfish was acceptable.
Natsu groaned. "Fine. But I mean it. No roller coasters or flying machines for me!"
As if on cue, Wendy came running up to the couple. "There you guys are! I've been looking everywhere for you, Natsu."
"For me? What for? I'm not in trouble, am I?"
Wendy shook her head. "Nothing like that. Master gave me an idea earlier and I wanted to see if it'll work or not."
Natsu stood up, cracking his back. "What is this idea? Better not involve a vehicle unless your Troia spell starts working again."
"Funny you should say this." Carla flew up, a small flask in her paws. "This is a potion made by Porlyusica. She used it to help heal Master Makarov. He said I should try using my Troia spell on it. Maybe it would take on the same affects!"
"Wendy, that's a great idea! Master sure is smart." Lucy took the bottle and poured a little bit in Natsu's empty water glass. It was the same color as Wendy's magic, bubbling up from the bottom.
"Hold on. How do I know this stuff will work? And why haven't you told me about it sooner?"
"Well that's why we're here. To see if it'll work or not. Wendy just told you a moment ago."
"Don't be rude, Carla." Wendy to the glass, swirling the potion around. "I could only do the spell for about ten minutes before I ran out of magic power. I gave it all I had. If it doesn't work now, I'll keep doing the spell later. I'm determined to help."
"What a perfect set of circumstances. I was about to go on a few of the rides. Why don't we try it out on one of those?" Lucy said, encouraging the younger girl.
"Sounds like a plan to me. It's up to Natsu though." The girls turned to him.
Natsu had his arms crossed, looking away. "Fine. But if I puke, don't blame me." He took the glass, gulping down the potion. "I don't know. I don't feel any different."
"Enough wasting time! We don't know how long this stuff will last!" Lucy grabbed Natsu by the arm, pulling him outside, Wendy and Carla following. "That looks like a good one!"
"That one!?" Lucy dragged Natsu to a huge roller coaster. It was taller than most other rides. It had a lot of twists and turns, upside down loops, and a spot where it was almost perpendicular to the ground. "I feel sick just looking at it!"
"No backing out now. Get your butt up there!" Lucy kicked him toward the ride.
"You're not coming with me?" he complained.
"Are you crazy? If this potion doesn't work, I don't want you puking all over me! Just go by yourself."
Natsu gulped, turning toward the metal monstrosity. Reluctantly, he walked up to the gate. The man operating the ride lead him directly to the front where there was one empty seat right in the middle. It was one of those rides where you left the legs hanging. He strapped Natsu in between two kids, both of which seemed braver than the Dragon Slayer.
"Are you sure he can handle this?" questioned Carla.
"He'll be fine. He's rode a dragon before. This roller coaster should be a piece of cake."
Speaking of cake, Natsu burped, a chunk of his chocolate cake he ate earlier popping back up for a second taste. He swallowed again, starring up at the inclining ride. Quickly, he took off his scarf, tossing it to Lucy. "Hold on to that! I don't want to lose it!"
"Will do! Have fun!"
"Yeah right!" Natsu was already in the works of a plan to get Lucy back. This was pure torture as far as he was concerned. And the ride hadn't even started yet!
"Be sure to hold on tightly. This ride is a bit longer than most, so holding on might get a little difficult. But don't fret. Our restraints can hold anyone in place at any speed. If everyone has signed the waiver, let's get his show on the road!" The worker pulled the lever, the ride moving forward.
"Wait, what waiver?" Natsu screamed. "I didn't sign anything yet!" His yelling fell on deaf ears. The ride continued on. "Oh man, I can already feel it coming on." His stomach began to rumble.
"I got a bad feeling about this. Maybe we should've picked a smaller one." Wendy looked on, anxiety taking hold.
"I'm sure he'll be fine. They only make you sign those things for safety's sake. Accidents never happen anyway."
The ride screeched on, mere feet away from the apex of the hill. Natsu had barely managed to keep his cool. When the ride reached the top, his composure literally flew away. The ride flew down with blazing speed. It rounded the first turn, Natsu shifting in his harness. Either the potion wasn't working or the sheer speed of the ride was too much. He could feel the motion in every fiber. The first loop came quickly, the passengers yelling in excitement. All except Natsu, who was screaming for his life. Immediately after the first loop was a helix, spinning and twirling, the legs of passengers swaying like twigs in a hurricane. Following was back to back loops, both causing a surge of adrenaline. Natsu was finally starting to grow accustom to the spinning and flipping. He raised his arms, letting the ride carry him away. Forgetting his motion sickness, he started shouting with the others, his excitement taking over. In the blink of an eye, they slowed down back at the starting point, hair messy, clothes wrinkled and some missing a shoe or two.
Natsu walked down to Lucy and the others, face in turned up in a smile. "That was the best thing in the world!"
Wendy sighed in relief. "I'm so glad it works! I was worried you were going to be sick at the beginning."
Lucy snickered. "I'll say it worked. That was over five minutes of nonstop action. Pretty impressive, Wendy."
Wendy blushed. "I don't deserve all the credit. It was Master's idea."
"I don't care whose idea it was, I have to do that again before this stuff wears off! Come on, Luce! You're gonna scream your head off!" Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand, pulling her towards the ride.
"Did Natsu just call her 'Luce?'" Carla questioned curiously.