Author's Note: Hello! Well here's chapter 2 for my new story! By the way if any of you readers are looking for a more developed story of mine that is still currently updating, I'm also writing a sports AU for Fairy Tail titled Hardcourt Heroes. Judging by comments people seem to like it, so go ahead and give it a try!

...but come on, you don't really need that story. I got you covered right here! So please Enjoy!

Also, I do not own Fairy Tail!

Chapter Two - The Royal Promotion

When we last left the story, several characters were meeting each other for the first time. Despite their primary introduction, that time has moved on.

We now arrive to seven years into the future, and this same group of heroes find themselves all over the widespread town of Port Hargeon.

Located on the southernmost shores of the Kingdom of Fiore, Port Hargeon was seen as a gateway into the new world. Sure it was not located for optimal trade with the old world, but all of the new colonial islands and settlements made by Fiore over the last century were all within reach through the marinas and harbors of Hargeon.

In this land sugar cane was the number 1# export. Since every other region in Mainland Fiore was too far north to grow such a tropical crop, the moderate climate of the southern sea gave Hargeon the only mainland sugar cane plantations on the entire royal map.

Standing at the height of it all was the powerful and stern Governor Jude Heartfilia, who took his trades of business and politics very seriously. Today is a bright and beautiful tropical day down in Hargeon, and here we find the Heartfilia servants getting ready for some very special occasion.

"Oh great…" A tired maid exhales as she walks slowly down the large corridors of the colorful and bright Heartfilia manor overlooking the mainland port of Hargeon.

The cool and temperate breeze blew through the open windows as the maid's hair danced about her neck. She held a very small head of gorgeous blue hair lined back with a pastel orange ribbon that acted as a hairband of sorts. She also wore a modest gown of orange to match, and she held her head down as her large brown eyes met the floor.

In her hand was a very stern note from the governor, and the young maid was left with the sole responsibility of delivering the message to her lady and daughter of the governor, Lucy Heartfilia.

Finally, the timid servant girl slowly cracked the door to an elaborate bedroom and walked in as a very pretty teenaged girl was combing her hair in a large mirror.

The blonde never even turned around as she looked to her guest though a reflection. She also spoke with a lifeless tone. "Oh Levy I see you've arrived. I imagine my father left you with my instructions for my outfit today?"

Levy nodded with a passive expression of her own. "Yes, Miss Lucy. Your father gave explicate orders for you to wear a more colorful dress for today's ceremony. He also instructed that you need to remember to wear a corset for this occasion, since that appears to be how young ladies such as yourself dress back in the capital."

Lucy stopped brushing her hair and rolled her eyes. "Fine…is there anything else?" She turned to lock her gorgeous brown eyes with Levy's, and as the two elder teenagers held their stare with one another with passive expressions, they both froze.

Then, both girls cracked a smile, and instantly busted out in a chorus of laughter. Lucy nearly fell off her stool, while Levy had to prop herself up using the footboard on Lucy's queen sized bed.

As they both collected their breath, Lucy spoke first while holding her sides. "Ah! Could you imagine if we actually hated each other like that?!"

Levy rapidly shook her head. "No! I had a hard time reading you when I came in. So I tried to keep it up as long as I could!"

Truth be told these two girls were practically sisters. Sure one was the wealthy daughter of a famous governor, and the other was simply her lifelong maid and family servant, but that never harmed their friendship in the slightest.

Then, all jokes aside, Lucy tilted her head. "Sooo…do you think he'll notice if I don't wear a corset today?"

Levy started to chuckle. "I mean…you are a bit chestier than the other ladies who will be at the event."

Lucy slouched down in her seat. "Yea, I guess he wants me to try and cram into his ridiculous little costume…oh well it's for the big day after all."

Levy sat down on the bed and gave Lucy another grin. "Weeell are you excited? After all it is his 18th birthday!"

"Yea, you could say I am…" Lucy smiled softly and played with her hair as she looked to the sunny day out her window. "I just can't believe we're all grown up. Natsu's big day is finally here. Today he turns 18, and he'll be promoted to Vice-Commodore…whatever the heck that means."

"Vice-Commodore" was a title exclusive to the situation at hand. Natsu was originally the son of the famed Captain Igneel, and set to become a single commanding officer for a lone ship of his own. Sadly, after his father died everything changed. Instead fleet Admiral and head officer in the Hargeon Navy, Gildarts Clive took Natsu as a foster son and molded him into a true officer of the command.

Now Natsu was turning 18, and he was being given a junior commanding title for the entire fleet of Hargeon. Sure Vice-Commodore didn't come with a ship of his own, but once the good Governor, Lord Heartfilia saw fit, Natsu would eventually be indorsed as the Port's First in Command Commodore and ruler of the Navy.

"I'm just glad he's here to accept some form of promotion, after all…" Then she sighed as a chilling shiver went down her spine.

Lucy's childhood friend and crush Natsu Dragneel was left abandoned from a fiery shipwreck that killed his father seven years ago. Then after facing a scary capture at the hands of some notorious pirates, the boy barely escaped thanks to a strange pirate boy, who allowed Natsu to return to his sweetheart and grow into the young commander he is today.

Despite the fearful near-miss event, Lucy let the thought leave her mind and returned to the day of happiness before her.

She then out a giggle. "AH! Who am I kidding? I am really excited! I just can't hold it!" The young Lady then jumped out of her seat and grabbed Levy's hands. "Do you think he'll propose today too!? Ooo I hope he does! My dad has been bugging both of us about it, but secretly I was actually agreeing with daddy and tried to get Natsu to consider it too, but then I…"

"Lucy!" Levy stood up and grabbed her friend's hands even tighter. "Relax! You're just a little nervous."

Lucy sighed and smiled. "Y-yea…right."

Levy giggled at her friend's cute admiration. "Look, after the ceremony just ask Natsu if you want to take a walk alone. I bet if you give him enough incentive he'll jump the gun and ask you."

Levy winked and looked to Lucy's well-endowed chest, and the blonde back up with a blush and tried covering her upper body with two skinny hands. "I-I mean I'm sure I can get him to do it some other way…anyway, now that my mind is back to it…would you mind doing me a favor?"

Levy looked serious. "Okay, do I need to run an errand?"

Lucy smiled and grabbed a quill and paper from her roll-top desk. "Yes, but it'll be quick! I need you to pick up a few gifts from the black smith…"

Now, Levy found herself wondering the busy streets of Port Hargeon. The sun was bright and the weather was very warm for a day like this. Levy held a sun umbrella over her head to protect her fair skin from the heat as she walked along the streets and down to the market district.

"Oh dear…" She thought to herself. "I remember Lucy was supposed to send someone to do this, but I have a feeling she was specifically waiting for me to be free…"

Levy liked getting out of the mansion, but heading to the blacksmith's shop of all places left her heart fluttering with discomfort. After all, that's where he worked…

Levy had gotten to know the strange pirate boy from seven years ago over the course of her short tenure at Hargeon. He was rough around the edges and extremely sharp tongued, but she sort of liked his random attitude and mysterious back ground more than anyone she had ever seen.

Lucy knew this too. When going out with Natsu she would often invite Levy to go along more than any other one of her servants. There, Lucy would usually try to set Levy up with another commander or soldier, and they would always end the same way…Levy being too smart for the boy, and he would get angry in return.

Despite this, Lucy decided to let Natsu pick the date one single time, and the dimwitted military boy decided to think outside the box and track down his old friend Gajeel who worked as a local black smith.

Now, Levy arrived to the door of the large "Dragon's Forge Smith House" and sat patiently outside its bulky wooden door.

*Gulp* "Well…I need these gifts for Lucy…" Levy gathered courage and knocked on the door.

"AGH JUST COME ON IN!" Gajeel yelled with a rough voice as he turned from his anvil. He had a freshly hot sword in one hand and a steel hammer in the other, and didn't feel like wasting time answering the door.

Finally he turned to find the door swing open, and as soon as he saw Levy's blushing cheeks and big brown eyes smiling back at him, the man of steel softened with a grin of his own.

"Well well…" He smiled wand threw his tools in a nearby bucket. "The Shrimp shows up to see me today."

Levy tried to hold in a laugh and finally released a nervous breath. "Hey, ya Big Lug."

Gajeel stood in the center of his smith house and watched as Levy ran right into his arms and gave him a great big hug.

As they released, the taller Gajeel looked down. "So what is it now? Do I need to give the smart mouthed lord a new chamber pot for his little princess, Blondie?"

Levy hit him on his muscular left arm. "Gajeel! You know you shouldn't say things like that! Lucy really likes you after all…heck that's the reason her dad offered you to make this." She then handed him the note.

Gajeel raised an eyebrow and opened it up. Then he rolled his eyes. "You're telling me that little idiot is getting promoted today? Ah geeze cut the army's losses and tell them to move on."

Levy chuckled. "W-why do you say that?"

Gajeel explained. "The moron can't even touch a boat without getting sea sick anymore. God they spend 5 years training him on land, and the next thing you know he's puking up buckets on is first mission out to sea!"

He then grabbed a leather flagon of what was most likely rum or whiskey. "Now the idiot needs a little kick to get his ass acting normal on any boat." He gestured to his bottle and then took a full sized gulp.

Levy looked around the large barn of a shop. "Well, maybe you could help him…after all you are a former…"

"Watch it." Gajeel hissed. "You know that. I know that. Ol' Salamander knows that…no one else."

Levy giggled once again. "You're so cute when you're angry." She then pulled out a tiny black locket on a dark metal chain hanging around her neck. "You remember when you gave this to me right?"

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Yea I do, now put it away…I don't like lookin' at it."

Levy shook her head. "Why? You always say that and you never tell me why it bothers you?"

Gajeel sighed. "It just reminds me of some bad people…"

Levy dropped it from her hands and let it hang outside of her dress. "Well, I like it right here where I can see it!"

Gajeel admired her new attitude as he reached over and pulled her into his arms. "Are ya sure you wanna say something like that here? That big palace ain't gonna protect you from me when you're all the way out here."

Levy blushed and delivered a quick kiss to his cheek. She then pulled back and looked him in the eyes. "His promotion is as Noon. Please have the package to the palace by then."

Now, we find a very large crowd gathered at the high seaside fort of Port Hargeon. The mighty stronghold towered over the mighty rocks below, and over the ramparts you could clearly sea fleets of merchant and military galleons sailing in and out of the natural harbor.

Here, the army begins a very elaborate presentation by lining up a wide array of soldiers and commanders, and in the back the noblest family names and leaders fanned themselves in the heat of the tropical sun as the tall breeze could only do so much.

Off to the side, Lady Lucy Heartfilia wore a beautiful dress of pink and red, with sleeves down to her wrists that also cut off at the neck and left her shoulders completely bare.

She held an umbrella in one hand and fanned herself with the other as Levy did the same beside her. The lovely hand maiden continued to wear her modest but equally as lovely orange gown as the ceremony began.

Now, all eyes met a row of well-decorated soldiers who held their rifles high and made room down the center of the mass crowd as Lucy's father Governor Jude Heartfilia waited at the main stone stage at the end of the walkway.

Then, as the drumline started playing, and the soldiers stiffened their backs, out came a long line of extra guards, followed by a very tall man dressed in a long navy blue royal navy jacket, with gilded epilates, a white undershirt, black pants and boots, and very fine weaponry at his belt. He also wore a very neat head of long orange hair under a royal tri-fold hat and a rough but short beard of facial hair as he smirked his way down the aisle.

Behind him trailed a very young boy with short and messy hair under a slightly tilted tri-cornered hat, and he also wore a similar outfit, but with far less bravado.

The boy waved like a fool to the large crowd, and basically received three reactions; the fellow lords scoffing and rolling their eyes, his fellow soldiers laughing and grinning, and the royal governor looking like he was about to strangle the boy in pure anger…

…Oh and he also received a very bright smile from that same governor's daughter and his long time best friend, Lucy Heartfilia, as well as her side hand maiden Levy McGarden.

Finally, as the noble party made it to the stand, Jude handed the tall commander a very elegant dueling sword with a golden handle and black sheath, who then graciously accepted the sword and turned to the crowd.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." He spoke with a deep and forceful voice. "I present to you the new Vice-Commodore of Port Hargeon, Natsu Dragneel!"

Everyone forced an applause while Lucy let out the loudest clap of all. Natsu took the sword out of its holster and swung it through the air.

"Hehe…it's about time!"

Well it's an AU, but Natsu still feels like an idiot...that's good! Chapter 3 out soon!