Anime: Fairy Tail by Mashima Hiro

Chapter 16~ hey! I took forever for this one! Man, I'm really sorry. ':D

It was the next morning and it was Lucy's first day of training with Loke.

"I want you to really concentrate on your magic. Breathe in and out very slowly." Loke said circling Lucy.

Lucy was sitting on the ground and focusing on bringing her magic up. Her magic furled around her but I wasn't enough.

"Lucy! I need you to focus harder. Focus as though your life were dependent on it."

At thing point with using her magic at such a level, it was starting to become painful for her.
"Loke! I'm giving it all I got!" You could hear the frustration in her voice.

She wasn't able to handle it anymore and stopped bring up her magic. "Loke, I can't do it. My magic is just too weak."

Lucy curled up into a ball and put her head in her knees.

Loke sighed and sat down next to her. He put his arm around her and brought her into his chest.

"Your magic is not weak, Lucy. You have opened three gates all at once before. It takes a truly strong mage to do that."

"Then why can't I get this right. You keep saying I need to focus more and use more power. I'm trying so hard and giving it my all, but my all isn't good enough."

"Lucy." Loke sighed. "You have no idea how much potential you have, you just need to work to get to it. You can't do everything right on your first try. You need to keep working at it and I am SURE, you will be able to reach it eventually. You're an amazing girl, Lucy." Loke smiled down at her.

Lucy started to tear up and nuzzled her head into Loke's chest. "You have so much faith in me and here I am calling myself weak. Thank you Loke. Thank you for having such high hopes for me."

Loke gently squeezed her in his arms and stood up. Lucy looked up at him a bit confused. He reached out his hand. "Let's keep on working."

Lucy took his outstretched hand, smiled, and nodded. "Let's do this."

"It's so dark." Tears streamed down Teala's face.

Teala was lying on the ground in a dark empty cave. It was wet and it was bone chilling cold. There was smoke and fog in the darkness. A fog that made you see your worst fears and most would die from fear with just a whiff of this fog and Teala was surrounded by it.

She was lying right in the center of a circle of candles with green flames and there were strange markings all over her body. There was a cold evil laughter in the air which echoed along the cave walls.

"This is only the first step my little pet. It will only get worse from here." You could hear the disgustingly sly smile on the owner's face.

"Soon the world will be mine."

Sweat dripped from Lucy's face. She gripped the sword in her hands and swung aimlessly at the target. (The training to become stronger included physical training too.)

Loke put on a smug smile and went right behind Lucy and put his hands over hers on the sword.

Lucy immediately blushed.

Loke took Lucy's hands and replaced them differently on the sword. "This will give you a better grip on your sword." He spoke in her ear.

He helped her lift the sword. "When lifting the sword, put the weight into your legs and not in your back. Now close your eyes." Lucy did as she was told.

"Now relax. Take deep slow breathes and imagine the in no sword in your hands" Loke felt Lucy's shoulder's relax. He dragged one of his hands up one of Lucy's arms. "Imagine the sword is a part of your body. It's an extension to your arms."

"Now open your eyes and look at your target."

Lucy opened her eyes and locked her chocolate orbs on the target. Loke stepped back, but Lucy didn't notice. She was too focused and not only that. There was a fire in her eyes, a fire that glowed bright, but no one would notice unless the really searched for it. In a way, Lucy looked hypnotized. It was like she was almost a different person.

"Now, destroy your target."

Lucy was so fast, to an untrained eye; all they would see was the glint of the sword. Lucy's blows were perfect.

There was a giant gash in the dummy's head, perfectly between the eyes. The throat was slit and there were two deep cuts in both shins. She ended with the sword going right though the dummy's chest, right were the heart would be.

Lucy stepped back in shock leaving the sword still in the dummy.

"I-I did that?" Lucy said in bewilderment. She turned her head to look at Loke and saw he was just as shocked as she was.

He swallowed and nodded. "Remind me to never get you mad." He chuckled nervously.

"HOW DID I DO THAT!? I-It was like it just came…naturally." Lucy looked at her hands expecting to see someone else's, but they were still her hands. They were no different.

Loke gently smiled and put his hand on Lucy's shoulder. She looked up and saw his calm face. Seeing this gave her comfort and allowed her to calm down a bit herself.

"I think that's enough training for this morning. Why don't you go take a long, relaxing bath? You worked hard today, you deserve it."

Lucy smiled big at the thought of that. "mmmhhhmmm!" she nodded.

'And I'll do my reach on this it the spirit world.' Loke thought.

Natsu sat the bar in Fairy Tail and sat and stared at the empty plate in front of him. His shoulders were shrugged and his arms were folded. He let out a sigh and tilted his head to the side.

"What's up Natsu, you seem down."

"Oh, hey Mira. What's up?" Natsu looked up.

She giggled, "I just asked YOU that."

Natsu had a confused look on his face. "Never mind, so what are you thinking about?"
"Man girls are weird." Natsu mumbled.

"Hey Mira, how do you know you like someone and I mean 'like-like'?"

Mira smiled big and had sparkles in her eyes. "N-NATSU! Why do you ask? Do you think you like someone?! WHO?!" She was practically in his face.

"W-What? I just want to know how to know. Geeze Mira, What's with girls wanting to know everything?"

Mira pouted. "Fine! I guess you don't have to tell me, but honestly Natsu, do you really not know how to know you like someone?"

Natsu shacked his head 'no' "I never really cared. My focus is on becoming the strongest mage around." Natsu smiled and flexed his arm.

"Oh, Natsu. There is so much more than becoming strong in life." Mira gave him a sad look.

"I know, but… I don't know. I guess I always thought that I would find love after I found Igneel." Natsu shrugged.

"Well, I guess you know you like someone when whenever you see them your just happy. You want to protect them and you want them to be happy. You want to spend the rest of your life with them and want a family with them. Sometimes all you want to do is just hold them. Sometimes you just want to kiss them. Can you think of anyone who fits that description for you?" Mira asked.

Natsu thought for a second and he was about to answer, but then the guild doors swung open.

"Morning everyone!"

"Luce!" Natsu smiled. Lucy's scent now filled the dragon slayer's nose. The smell was so comforting. Natsu froze. He wanted that smell. It was his smell and no one else's.

"Natsu!? Geeze, snap out of it." Lucy snapped her fingers in Natsu's face, breaking Natsu's trance.

Natsu looked up. "Oh yeah, Hey Luce!" Natsu gave her his goofy grin which earned a giggle from Lucy.

"You sure seem spacey, Natsu. Let's see. Well, you have your scarf, you're wearing your pants, Happy is which Carla. Hhhmmmhhhh. I don't think your missing anything."

"Hey! I think I would know when I'm missing something!" Natsu pouted.

Lucy giggled "You'd be surprised."

They both smiled at each other when Gray walked over.

"Hey Lucy, Flame-brain."

"What did you say ice-dork?!"

"It's nice to see your back to you stupid arrogant self tabasco- freak." They were butting heads.

"It's still funny to see you think your stronger than me snowflake-stripper."

"What are you two doing!?" Erza shouted from across the guild. Her idiot senses were tingling.

Natsu and Gray froze. "N-Nothing!" They shouted in unison.

"That's good, it better stay that way, do you hear me!?"

"A-Aye!" They both sighed in relief. "Hey Lucy, could you come with me. T-That thing I needed to tell you, I'd rather tell you in a private place." Gray was blushing, but his bangs were in his eyes so no one could see.

"Oh! Yeah, sure." Lucy got up from her seat next to Natsu and walked out with Gray, but no one noticed the blue, rain lady follow them out.

A mischievous smile spread across Natsu's face. "I'm gonna go follow them."

"Natsu! Don't do that! He said he wanted it to be private."

"But I want to know what they're talking about!" Natsu whined.

"Why do you want to know so bad anyways?" Mira asked.

Natsu's eyes glinted. "Because I'm pretty sure he's telling Lucy one of his secrets."

"And that's important why?"

"So I can use it against him." Natsu folded his arms.

"Nothing I'm going to say is going to stop you is it?"

"Nope!" Natsu was already half way to the door.

"I'm sooooo going to blackmail him." Natsu grinned to himself.

The door swung open and he caught the scent he loved so much and the scent he never really cared for. The two scents were mixing and he didn't know why, but Lucy's scent mixed with another's scent just made him tense and angry.

He followed them to an alleyway near Fairy Tail. He hid behind one of the walls close enough for him to hear and see. (He's a dragon slayer so his hearing and sight are really good.)

"So what did you want to tell me?" Lucy's voice made his stomach flutter. Gray suddenly walked closer to Lucy until she was against the wall. He put his elbows on either side of Lucy's head.

"G-Gray?" Lucy stammered.

This sight made Natsu see red. How dare that Popsicle get so close to his Lucy. He shouldn't even be "alone" with her.

"Lucy." Gray softly spoke. "I like you Lucy."

Lucy gasped. "Gray!"

"I like you and I've liked you for a while now."

Natsu was in shock. An angry shocked. Gray likes HIS LUCY! Natsu wanted to storm in there and rip him off of Lucy, but a familiar figure stood in front of him.

"Natsu!" Lisanna smiled.

"What?" Natsu said bluntly. Lisanna was taken back and hurt by this and Natsu knew it.

"Sorry Lisanna. What can I do for you?" She blushed and swayed side to side.

"Can you walk with me?"

"I don't know Lisanna, I don't really feel like walking anywhere."

Lisanna pouted and wouldn't take no for an answer. She latched on to his arm and started tugging at it. She batted her eyes and playfully begged.

"Fine, I guess." Natsu said to get Lisanna to stop begging and nagging at him. He was in a very crabby mood because his dragon instincts were starting to rise up to the surface. (Hahaha! It's like dragon slayer puberty! XD)

~Back to the juicy scene with Gray and Lucy

"Gray, I-I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll be mine." Gray leaned in closer. Grays face was slowly getting closer to Lucy's, but Lucy was too much is shock to really pay attention. He leaned closer until they could feel each other's breathes.

"G-Gray…" Lucy breathed. Her eyes were wide. She didn't know what to do. Finally it was too late. Gray's lips met Lucy's. It didn't last long though.

A big surge of hot boiling water knocked her five feet away from Gray.

"don't touch GRAY-SAMA YOU BITCH!" Juvia stood looking like the devil himself.

WOW. Drama, right? Hahaha! Sorry I took so long. Life...you know what I'm say'in? By the way, Spoiler alert about Manga! DID YOU GUYS SEE LUCY MORPHED WITH AQUARIUS?! I was like, "woooooooooooooooooaaaahhhhh" haha! tell me what you think or if you have any suggestions, let me know. happy reading. :D