Author's Note: Hello! Here's chapter 3, I hope everyone's enjoying so far! It's a slow start but I like working with the characters before jumping right in!
Also I do not own Fairy Tail.
Chapter Three - The Locket
Canons and laughter sounded off from the high walls of the citadel. The Hargeon Fort was in mid-celebration for Natsu Dragneel's promotion, and even the commoners down in the town decided to lighten their spirits song, dance, and drinks.
One particular commoner was Gajeel, who was now located inside the Love and Lucky Tavern in the heart of Hargeon while trying to enjoy a nice tall mug of ale.
He tried to be eft alone, but the nosey female bar tender was getting in his way. "Awe, is little Gajeel annoyed by Natsu's promotion?"
Gajeel rolled his eyes to try and block out the barkeep. "Look Cana, either you keep your mouth shut and deliver me my drinks, or I'll take my business elsewhere."
Cana rolled her eyes as she continued to scrub the counter. "Look I know you hate the crowd up there, but come on…you did deliver the new commander his nice toys. So just get out there and join them in the citadel!"
Gajeel continued to drink as she gave him a cheeky grin. "You also have that little maid up there waiting for you too…"
The iron hearted black smith was now starting to get really annoyed. "How many times do I have ta tell ya she's not with me?!" He slammed his mug on the table and jumped off his stool, but before he could leave he was blocked by to very angry and very drunk port guards.
"Listen here Gajeels! W-we don't want you runnin' up there and harassissing everyone!" Yelled the small but quick minded guard with bright orange hair as he stood to Gajeel's left.
"Yea…what he said?" Replied his slower friend with a large belly and short black hair t the right. They both had their hats tilted to the side as they clearly had been drinking a few extra for the occasion.
Gajeel grinned and continued walking. "Look, just because you to clowns are jealous that you weren't invited up to the little party, doesn't mean you have to go and try and get yourselves killed by my hand." He then let them stand in confusion as he pushed open the doors and walked out.
Cana howled and signaled to keep the celebration going. "Ah Jet, Droy! Just shut the hell up and let's keep the booze flowing!"
Gajeel listened as the bar doubled its volume in his quick departure. "Lousy morons." He sighed and kept up his pace for the blacksmith's barn down the road.
As he arrived, he went to open the door…but quickly realized it was already opened.
Gajeel didn't like the look of that and kicked the rest open as he saw two faces standing in the middle of the room…two very familiar faces."
"Well what do ya know, it's the boss!" Yelled the tall dark skinned man with a dark purple eyepatch and a black sailor's cloak on.
The girl with a funny looking purple hat laughed in response. "Yea, man he looks even nastier than the day he left us!"
Gajeel narrowed his vision and kept his focus on the stack of fresh swords to his right. "Boze and Sue…what the hell do you two monsters want?"
Boze started walking around and looked at all the fancy metal trinkets. "This is a nice place you got here. The shop, hell even the town is nice and peaceful…it'd be a real shame if something happened to it…"
Gajeel stood even taller than before. "Cut the act. You both know I could cut you down at the same time."
Sue shook her head. "Relax, Boze is just being an idiot…but seriously this is a nice little business you've got going here. Blacksmithin' for the enemy…you wouldn't happen to have any lockets would ya?"
Gajeel stepped forward. "You dumbasses think I stole Jose's locket don't ya?" He then spit on the ground. "Look, I don't have anything you want, so I suggest you get the hell out of here before I start testing out my new swords."
Boze scowled as Sue laughed again. "Awe Gajeel…so rigid…we know you don't have it. Just wanted to see how you were doing, or if you've heard about it. After all you're probably familiar with the bounty the Phantom Lord has on his favorite necklace."
She then waved to Boze and walked by Gajeel.
"We'll leave ya to make your little toys. Hell maybe we'll see ya again soon!"
"If I'm lucky, not at all." Gajeel span out as the two familiar faces left his shop and back onto the streets. He then rubbed his grooved hands though his thick head of black hair.
"I knew I should have never given her that stupid locket…I'll keep an eye on dumb and dumber while they're in my sight."
Meanwhile, Boze and Sue continued walking into town, and as they looked around and hid their emblems, Boze started laughing.
"You know he was lying right?" He said with confidence.
Sue shook her head. "Nah, you numbskull he's telling the truth. He doesn't have it…but one of his friends does."
Now we return to the party where the sun was slowly starting to creep down a crossed the horizon. Night was approaching, but that would not stop the evening get together for two lovely youngsters enjoying the orange sky.
"Ah man that was some good food! I thought I was gonna die right there at the table!" Said the now 18 year old Commodore Natsu as he patted his belly and stood on the high rampart looking out to the sun set.
To his left and holding his arm tightly was the belle of the Heartfilia Mansion, Lucy, who admired her best friend and his goofy personality. "Yes, I told you to slow down…that's what happens when you eat fast."
Natsu started to chuckle. "Oh I hear ya! Plus I know you're not lying cause I noticed you were eating a good amount too!"
"I HADN'T EATEN ALL DAY!" She smacked him heavily on his secured arm with pure rage.
"Agh! I oughta just throw you off the wall." She jokingly said as they were standing right off the high stronghold wall that saw nothing but a cliff drop into the rocky ocean below.
Natsu shook her body and made her wobble with fear before reeling her back in. "Really? If I fell I'd be takin' you with me."
She blushed and gave him a smile in return. "Well let's not find out, after all you had a pretty good day today…I'd hate to see it end that way." She then combed her right hand through his think head of short pink hair.
Natsu admired how the orange glow of the sun was shining off her bright brown eyes. He also liked how her neat golden blonde hair was blowing in the high ocean breeze, and just before things got too quiet he gave her a toothy grin. "Hey you remember when we were younger playin' around like pretend little lords and ladies in Crocus?"
Lucy smiled and held him tighter. "Of course I do! You would pretend to be a king, and I would act like your little queen. It was even better when the other kids got involved. We had a whole mock society going and everything!"
Natsu sighed. "Yea…guess it's time to grow up."
"It sure feels that way…" Lucy agreed, but little did she know Natsu wasn't actually making a conversation point with his line.
As Natsu let go of her arm, Lucy's look of confusion changed into pure shock and awe as the young commander turned and knelt down on one knee.
"I'm no king Lucy, but can I go ahead and pretend you're my queen?"
Lucy let tears run down her cheek as she started to laugh. "N-Natsu that was the cheesiest thing I have ever heard you say." She then clutched her cloth handkerchief with over excitement as he replied with those fabled words.
"Will you marry me?"
"YES!" Without hesitation Lucy pulled him up and brought him in for a tight hug, then as they each leaned back, the two young lovers returned delivering a very passionate kiss right as the sun faded over the ocean horizon.
Lucy then broke the kiss and put her head down on his shoulder. "Ohhh I can't wait to tell Levy…she's going to be soo excited!"
As Lucy made her comment, Levy was busy with the other maidens back in the mansion cleaning up from the extravagant dinner after the ceremony.
One of the girls leaned over to Levy with a smile. "Ooo do you think Natsu and Lucy are off somewhere romantic?"
Levy let out a smile of her own. "I really hope so! The sun set was too perfect for them to miss!" Lucy was absolutely right, the moment she would tell Levy about her proposal would be truly wonderful for Levy.
She and the other maids passed through the main foyer with table cloths in hand as the servants heard a knock at the door. All the girls looked curious but continued to giggle as they recited the scenes form the ceremony before.
The main butler rolled his eyes as he went for the door, and right when he did two figures greeted him at the step.
"Ah perfect timing!"
*BANG*
Powder and smoke blew everywhere as the female let loose a single lead bullet from her flint-lock pistol. The maidens shrieked with fear and dropped their silks as the butler fell over dead, and Levy tried her best to lead the others to safety.
"Quick! Get inside the pantry and lock the door!" She pointed to the kitchen as she ran the complete opposite way.
One terrified face looked back to her. "Where are you going!?"
Levy never turned around. "To get some help!"
Truth be told she was counting on someone else to actually leave the mansion for help. In reality Levy was running to one of the down stairs closets where Jude's daytime guards kept their swords, guns and ammunition. They were probably still stuck at the citadel and never made it back, but either way the mansion was in trouble.
Levy darted through the hallway as she heard two more gun shots. One sounded like it was far off, and the other sounded much closer.
Panicking, Levy found the closet room and ransacked it for the first loaded pistol she could find. She wasn't an expert, and she had no idea how to re-load, but Gajeel had taught her how to shoot pretty well, which was all's she needed to save the day.
Now, with a loaded gun in hand, the timid and tiny servant girl snuck back the way she came until she made it to the kitchen.
As soon as Levy noticed the two burglars inside the kitchen trying to unlock the door into the pantry, Levy turned the corner and held up her gun.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"
The two figures turned, but only one turned with their weapon, while the other kept his aimed on the door.
The girl laughed. "Haha, see Boze I told ya…this girl has what we want."
Levy looked even more nervous. "Forget it…this is the only gun inside the house. The others are at the…"
"Ah cram it kid." Yelled Boze. "We have guns. We want that necklace around your neck."
"Gajeel's locket!" Levy's eyes opened wide as she realized what she was wearing. She then noticed the girl had the same tattoo on her arm that Gajeel had on his.
"Y-you…you're from the Phantom Lord, aren't you?"
The girl laughed. "Damn, we got a smart one up in here! I bet you tutor the governor's bimbo daughter? You're right, we're with Phantom…and we want that locket back."
For whatever reason, trust, failure to remember, whatever, Levy never once asked herself what was inside the locket. She never even tried to open it. Hell, unless she was expecting to see Gajeel she never even wore it. The only reason it was still around her neck today is because she never had time to return to her chamber and remove it.
Now, she was curious. "What do you want the locket for?"
*BANG!*
*EXPLOSION!*
The three gunmen wobbled as the entire floor shook with a tremor, an after it did Boze looked to his partner. "See, the Captain already started firing on the fort. We gotta get that thing and get out before they bring reinforcements!"
"Hold on!" Levy cried out. "You're attacking the town!?"
Boze cocked back the hammer on his pistol and kept it aimed at the pantry door. "SUE JUST KILL HER AND TAKE THE DAMN THING!"
Sue smiled with evil eyes. "Nah…this chick knows Gajeel…and I wanna know why."
Quickly we return to the town of Hargeon, where hail fire and canon shot were tearing every tall building down with relative ease. Citizens screamed with terror and troops rushed to the shores and docks as several pirate dinghies and small ships rowed to shore in a wave of sinister anger.
Gajeel stepped out of his well-fortified stone Black Smith's barn and grabbed a sword and gun on the way out. He then turned the corner to find several gun shots and pirates running his way.
"Geehee…this looks like fun." Without hesitation, he held up a pistol and shot out a bullet that sailed right through the two lead pirates, and as the rest soared in, Gajeel flipped out his silver steel cutlass and began hacking and fighting his way to the other side of the road.
Yet, while fighting, he impaled an angry pirate who also wore the same tattoo of Phantom.
Now, angrier than ever, Gajeel reached down and grabbed the dying man by the collar. "What are you ass holes doing in this town?"
The pirate looked like a 5 year old child as Gajeel nearly lifted his entire bloody corpse off the ground. "AGH! Just kill me man PLEASE!"
Gajeel twisted his sword and yelled again. "WHY ARE YOU PHANTOM SCUMBAGS IN MY TOWN!?"
"AGH! CAPTAIN WANTS THE LOCKET!"
"Ah shit!" Gajeel nonchalantly yelled out and kicked the near-dead pirate off his sword, and as soon as he did he ran backwards and right through the middle of town.
Darting in a full sprint, Gajeel never made it to his destination as a line of Royal Guards attempted to blockade the passage up to the mansion.
Gajeel quickly saw the idiots Jet and Droy standing in the line and ran right for their heads. "MOVE OUTTA THE WAY KIDDIDES!"
Jet firmly stood his ground. "Sorry no civilians beyond this point!"
Gajeel would have yelled louder, but out of the corner of his eye, he looked passed Jets shoulder and saw Boze and Sue carrying an unconscious Levy through the outside forest of Jude's mansion.
"AGH YOU DUMB ASSES! THEY'RE TAKIN' LEVY!"
"LEVY!?" Jet and Droy simultaneously yelled the name of their admired maid from Jude's employ. Short blue hair, pretty blue eyes. The two fools fought night and day over which one would marry her in the future.
Sadly however, neither would at this point, because now Gajeel had even lost track of them.
"AGH YOU GUY'S ARE PATHETIC!" Gajeel howled as he back tracked down the main street and towards the shore line.
Running faster than ever, Gajeel hurtled dead corpses along the ground and tried to keep a line of pirates in his sight.
"I'm comin' Shrimp, don't you…"
*BANG!*
"AGH!" A tiny but fast bullet pierced his left shoulder and sent the powerful Gajeel to the ground in a surge of pain.
He looked forward and saw a pirate out of the corner of his eye standing in a nearby ally way.
"No way, Captain Jose is gonna promote me after I bring back Gajeel Redfox's head" He smiled with joy and pulled back on his hammer, until…
*BANG!*
The cocky pirate now laid dead, and as Gajeel followed the smoke up to part of the cliff side fortress, he saw Natsu Dragneel standing on the wall with a smoking rifle aimed his way.
"Agh…Sala-mander." Gajeel used his last breath to say the name of his savior, and as blood rushed from his arm and out in to the street, the rough black smith passed out quickly under the pail moonlight and thick smoke dancing above.
Uh-oh the phantoms have attacked! And now Levy's been taken! Let's come back tomorrow to see what the plan is...if there is a plan.
Also please feel free to leave a comment! It's the best way to communicate with you author, and it's my best way of communicating with you the readers!