Author's Note: Hey! Late update! Sorry...college things from last night prevented me from working, lol. either way please enjoy!
Also I do not own Fairy Tail.
Chapter Six - Our New Guide
It was now several hours later after the quick and painless escape out of Port Hargeon, and right away the dark sea and night's sky were not helping the case for our drifting sailors.
Gray Fullbuster, the random fisherman hired by Natsu to help guide their party out of the harbor was now completely lost, because although he was a fine boating pilot, his patrons failed to provided him with a destination or plan of action.
"So this is great. You idiots told me you had a plan once I got you out of Hargeon." Gray rolled his eyes as he held his hands on the beam to help guide the rudder.
Natsu would have tried to defend himself, but he had already drunken a good dosage of Cana's liquor, and not it was wearing off. As he moaned in agony with his motion sickness, Lucy continued to rub his back and argue in his place.
"Sorry! Natsu told us he had everything covered. He also said Gajeel would have the best idea for where to go."
Gajeel snapped his head over to yell in response. "OY! When the hell did I tell you people I was gonna be your navigator!? I have no idea where we even are at this point in the game!?"
Cana leaned on the side and held a hand down in the water. "Great, well I guess we can just die here in the middle of the sea."
"WHAT!?" Jet and Droy both jumped out of their comfort zones and began to hug each other in comfort. Then they realized how ridiculous they looked and shoved themselves away.
After that, Jet looked to Gajeel. "Why did Natsu think you had the best idea on where to go? He also seems to think you know the ocean pretty well."
"Yea…" Gajeel wanted to ignore him. "Well let's just say it has something ta do with how we met seven years ago."
Lucy started to become curious. "Oh yea. I remember you too were captured by Phantom, and then we found you on our way down to Hargeon. Were you out on the ocean a lot before we discovered you?"
Gajeel sighed. "You could say that…look I'm not really here to make new friends and share some lousy stories. Now does anyone here actually have a good plan?"
Cana started laughing. "Yea. Let's ask them!"
She pointed out to a distant light, and as everyone followed their hearts started to rise.
"Oh thank god!" Jet yelled. "They might be able to help us!"
"Yea?" Droy looked worried. "Well I'm not really sure who we're begging to ask for help here."
Lucy tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
Droy explained. "Think about it. You and Natsu go missing, and now you've been taken out to sea by a random group of people from Hargeon. I bet the Royal Navy isn't gonna be too happy to see that, and they probably think we're kidnapping you."
Gajeel agreed. "Plus there's a good chance it's a pirate ship too. They do travel more at night…eh so I've been told."
"Okay? Well either way it's coming right for us!" Gray looked nervous as the light grew bigger and brighter with every passing second, and as it came into better focus through the night time fog, the passengers aboard Gray's ship began to see it was in fact very large and elaborate sailing galleon, most likely aligned with the Royal Navy.
"TIME TO KICK SOME…oh god…" Natsu tried to hold his head up and grab a sword, but as soon as a new rush of waves passed through he dropped his weapon and fell back on his stomach.
"Great! This idiot can't even stand, we look like a bunch of morons out here!" Gajeel yelled. "Gray start sailing to that thing, but keep your distance in case it is a pirate ship."
Gray shook his head. "Are you kidding!?"
Gajeel stood up and redirected the sail. "Do you think I am? We're gonna die if we try and last another hour inside this dinky little boat, so we have no choice but to count our losses and gamble with this ship. If it is the navy, maybe ol' Blondie here could talk some sense into them and let us off the hook."
As Gray unwillingly followed along, he and Gajeel turned the boat to head toward the massive ship. There, once they could look closely at its lit torches, they could finally make out the owners.
"No way! Hey Captain I found our missing Commodore!" Yelled a young man from the tall bow of the ship. He had on a white shirt with buttons going up the center, and he also had a bizarre head of hair halved with purple and white.
He looked to a crew member who grabbed a small telescope and looked down to confirm the first man's statement. "Yes, it appears Hughes is right. They do fit the description of the missing Commander and daughter."
Hughes laughed. "Well no duh I'm right, Sugar Boy?! Oh man this is totally going to get us a promotion!"
"Silence." Yelled a man from the stern castle way in the back. "Just throw them a towing line and have them climb up a ladder. We'll need to question every member of their party."
As several soldiers dressed in fancy silver outfits helped hoist Gray's crew onto the ship, the tired and hungry youngsters all shivered with confusion as the Captain walked over.
He was tall and very muscular. He had a head of short and spiky grey hair, and his chin was decorated with a very bizarre beard that looked like two tiny horns. Finally, he held a very large grey walking staff as he pierced his eyes right through every one of the new guests.
"Now…I need to know who acted as your little captain of this voyage."
Natsu was being held up by Lucy as he span on the deck. "I ain't answering to know one. Who are you people?"
The Captain sighed. "Very well then. My name is Captain Byro. I am head of the Royal Navy's main patrol unit in these waters, the Legion Platoon."
Lucy's eyes grew wider. "I've heard of you. You're the ones who hunt down and kill pirates."
Byro never changed his expression. "That is correct, but only in the name of the crown. We have received word from Governor Jude Heartfilia of Hargeon to locate his missing daughter and bring her back to his presence at once. We were also assigned with relocating the missing Commodore Natsu Dragneel…" He then paused and looked to the other members of the new guest crew.
"However…we were told absolutely nothing about you all. I see two of you are soldiers, but as for the rest of you?"
Gajeel rolled his eyes. "That ain't none of your business chump. You got your little Lord and Lady, and we never harmed them. So it's fair to say we're on their side."
"Hmm, a rather interesting fellow. You look very brawny. Are you a smith or mason?"
Gajeel began to scowl in response. "I'm no one you need to worry about, pal. That's it."
Byro stepped forward and looked Gajeel right in the eye. "It is very unwise to talk back to a royal commander like that. Especially when someone in your position is being charged with kidnapping and theft."
Right away, several armed Legion guards grabbed Gajeel. Gray, and Cana, and another group cornered Jet and Droy toward the stern.
"You two need to answer some questions for us. Namely what were you doing with the missing Lady of Hargeon, and the missing Commodore?"
"WAIT! YOU'VE GOT IT ALL WRONG!" Lucy let go of Natsu to yell in protest as several more Legion sailors held her back.
Gajeel rolled his eyes and followed the soldiers down into the lower hull of the ship, where they would quickly be taken to several iron cells.
The back cells below deck were smelly and musty, and they were all filled with boxes of cargo and empty of prisoners, that is with the exception of the far back cell that housed a single prisoner sitting alone.
"Here." One of the rude guards yelled. "We caught this wench earlier this morning. You can keep her company until Byro is ready for you."
The person behind bars was a young female with a very passive face. She had a head of bright red hair hidden underneath a brown tri-billed hat, and her shirt was white and stained. Finally, she wore brown pants and boots as her legs were crossed and her arms were shackled together.
The guards opened the doors, and proceeded to shove Gajeel, Gray, and Cana into their new home, but before they left the cell, Cana leaned over to one with winking eyes.
"Now now, I know Byro wants to have a chat, but I'm sure you boys wouldn't want to spend the night alone, would ya?"
One started laughing as he eyed the gorgeous brown haired girl up and down her body. "Listen, we'll just get you when…"
"Excuse me." Said the previously quiet girl prisoner. "But I'm thirsty, and you all haven't provided water for several hours."
"What!?" The one guard looked to his friend. "This bitch wants a drink!?"
The second laughed and raised an eyebrow. "Hmm…well only cause she's pretty." He then pulled out a leather canteen full of water.
"But…I can't just give it to ya. Why don't you show me how bad you want it, gorgeous?"
He stepped right up to her as his waist was level with her head, and as he looked down with a smug expression, the girl slowly looked up.
"If you insist."
*BAM!*
The girl flipped around and kicked her feet out from under her as she knocked the rude guard to the ground. She then rolled him back over, pried his pistol form his belt and held his neck inside the chains on her wrists.
"Okay, now tell your friends to drop their weapons!"
"AGH! OK-AY!" He could barely breathe as he waved his struggling hand to his co-guards and ordered them to drop all swords, daggers, and guns.
As they complied, the girl smiled and looked to Gajeel. "Aren't they all just idiots for not locking you in chains?"
Gajeel had now answer. 'Who the hell are you lady?"
The girl flipped her hostage around and gestured to his belt. "Grab these keys and I'll tell you later."
Now we return to the top deck where we find Byro inside his office, while also being accompanied by Natsu, Lucy, and a very well decorated soldier with short but shaggy dark red hair.
"Wow Byro, the report never said anything about her being so lovely to look at!" The commanding officer grinned and grabbed Lucy's hand. "And what would your name be?"
"Erm…Lucy?" She awkwardly said and quickly tried pulling her and away.
"WOW! The name of an angel! You are truly beautiful!" The idiotic commander continued as a very sick but angry Natsu started to twist his head in rage.
Before anything got out of hand, however, Byro yelled to his assistant. "Dan shut your mouth. These two are engaged, and the Commodore here is your commanding officer of the future."
"Huh?" Dan scratched his head. "This kid? He looks so tiny! There's no way he'll complete training!"
"I'd shut your mouth if I were you…" Natsu held on to his stomach as he curled up in his seat. "I'll send your ass over board faster that you can scream for help."
"Oh a fiery little temper? I see how you like it Miss Lucy! Very exciting…"
"Would this creep please get out of our meeting!?" Lucy looked to Byro and yelled her demands.
Byro nodded and snapped his figure, and as a response Dan sighed and held his head down as he began to walk away.
"Alright…but just so you know I was going to let you sleep in my cabin tonight."
"Ew…ew…and EW!" Lucy shivered with fear as Dan began to reach for the door, yet as his hands hit metal a loud explosions caused the door to splinter open, and sent Dan flying to his the back of Natsu and Lucy's chairs.
Byro stood up and saw Gajeel and the red haired woman standing with two guns in each of their hands. They also had large grins on their faces and aimed them right at Dan and his commander.
"Erza Scarlet…How the blazes did you get tout of that cell!?"
The red haired girl smiled. "I'd need to thank your new friends for that. You all sure are stupid for sending them down there with me."
Gajeel nodded and looked to Byro and Dan. "Okay you too. Cut the conversation off and follow us. We're gonna let you enjoy the brig for the rest of the trip, and if you're really nice we won't keep ya there once we make it to where we're going."
Lucy smiled as Natsu stood up. "Hold on, we can just take this ship straight to find Phantom!"
Gajeel shook his head and smiled. "Nah, this thing is too much for us to handle with a small crew like ours, and judging by the looks on these clown's faces I bet they won't be willing to help us out. We'll need to find a ship of our own."
Lucy started to get excited with all the spontaneous action. "O-okay, but where are we going for that?"
Gajeel grinned. "Little Miss Scarlett here can help ya with that one."
Erza kept her eyes right on Byro and Dan. "No yet. We need to secure these two down stairs before we carry on with a strategy.
Lucy's eyes started to sparkle in admiration. "I have no idea who you are but I'm already feeling better about our mission!"
Byro spat on the ground and looked to Lucy. "You idiot girl. I hope you know what this kind of mutiny to your kingdom can do!"
The blonde started to shiver with fear as he carried on.
"And believe me, the crown will not care whether or not you're the daughter of Governor Jude, and as a result you'll more than likely have to…"
"AGH! JUST SHUT UP!"
Natsu jumped up and punched Byro right in his jaw, and as the towering captain fell to the ground, the young Commodore grabbed him by the collar.
"Forget her betrayal! You're threatening the daughter of a royal official! THEY'LL KILL YOU FOR THAT!"
Byro started to blink as Natsu held up another fist.
"More importantly, I'm not gonna let you get away with talkin to her like that! YOU HEAR ME PAL…!?"
He went to swing a first down, but Lucy grabbed his arm and pulled it back.
"Natsu calm down! I think he understands now…"
Natsu shook his head to straighten his vison, and noticed Byro was acting a lot more reserved in his reactions. The tall captain then stood back u to join Dan and noded.
"Very well…get it over with."
After securing the Legion platoon down in the cellar, the original crew of Gray's fishing boat met back on to the top deck as their new member began to speak.
"So, you have a missing friend and you wish to find the Phantom Lord Pirates for some answers? Well I must say I'm no longer surprised that you all just betrayed your fellow royals. You do realize it's near suicided to cross paths with a Phantom?"
Natsu held a bottle of rum and wiped his mouth. "We don't care. We just want some help."
Erza kept a serious expression plastered to her face. So does this friend truly mean that much to you?' She asked them all the question but kept her eyes locked on Gajeel.
The iron hearted fool never answered in his response. "Just tell us what your new plan is."
Finally, Erza smiled and nodded in response. "We're going to Tenrou Island. There we'll find my old crew and help you all find your missing friend.
Okay, so now we have Miss Erza Scarlett as a mysterious buccaneer queen. I hope she's just as bad ass as the Erza we know and love.
Next chapter we take a trip to Tenrou Island! Whoo!