Author's Note: Okay! Time to throw some pirates into the pirate story...but they're not bad guys. Enjoy!

Also I do not own Fairy Tail.

Chapter Seven - The Island of Fairies

It was now thick in the night along the dark ocean front, and after some heavy debate with navigation and directions the crew aboard the Legion Platoon's ship was slowly starting to see small signs of land ahead.

"Wow the island looks pretty big!" Lucy smiled in wonder of the tall yellow glow in the distance. "Are there a lot of people living there?"

She, Erza, and Gray all stood atop the captain's perch above the stern castle as Gray tried his best to steer them ahead. This war galleon was much larger than his tiny fishing boat from Hargeon, but the young pilot was determined to help his new friends.

Erza stood between them and smiled with pride. "Eh, it's a decent sized island. Not big enough for a large imperial shipping port, but the citizens make do with their own town along the edges." She then gestured to the vertical column of yellow light that glowed like a thousand fire flies in the distance.

"That is the Tenrou Tree. It acts as a natural light house for our sailors. Its glows from some strange elixir that's found inside the leaves. At night it provides just enough light for the trained eye, but just barely enough to keep every single passer by away."

Lucy smiled. "Well I guess my eye must be pretty well trained!" She then received a nod from Erza followed by a smile, but nothing from the very stern pilot.

"Gray, Natsu told me he was going to have a friend help us escape, but he never explained to us how you guys knew each other?"

Gray broke his concentration just enough to fall into a conversation with the two ladies. "Oh, yea I guess we never did tell anyone. Natsu has been pretty sick over his last few years of military training, but he was never allowed on board a ship. I guess the other captains were treating him more like a glorified figure head rather than an actually Navy guy. Anyway you know how none of his higher ups would let him ride a ship outside the port boundary in his last few years?"

Lucy nodded. "Yea, I'll be honest I kind of liked that rule…that way I knew he'd always be safe and sound."

Gray admired her cautious attitude with Natsu. "Hehe, yea. Well I guess he got really frustrated and tried to buy his own boat, to get used to the water again. That's when I found him sailing out like an idiot…he wanted me to help him get used to the water, and over the last year or so I would take trips with him out of the city and around the mainland coast."

Lucy clutched her fingers together. "O-oh, well I wish he would have been a little more open about that."

Gray laughed. "Yea, I bet that's probably kinda scary to hear…anyway you can see all the good it did him." He then pointed down to the lower main deck where Natsu was leaning over the edge trying to gag up his last few meals.

Lucy sighed and felt a sweat drop form on the back of her head. "Yea, he's not the most graceful naval officer…"

"Ah, we're here."

Lucy and Gray looked up to find Erza was right. They had gotten lost in the mini-story they completely ignored the giant glowing tree with a gnarled, mildly curved trunk sitting at the center of a small but very detailed rocky island. There seemed to be large forests that surrounded the base, but for the most part barren, jagged rock jutted from all around the base of the tree, leaving a very bizarre sight to behold.

Gajeel, who stood alone toward the bow of the ship, spat out into the ocean and then looked up. "Okay, time to see what yahoos live on this rock"

As the Legion Platoon Ship sailed into the rocky, inlet bay, they small group of passengers noticed a very lively but moderate sized town located around the base of the island. Several small smoke stacks showed that this island was well kept, and a decent sized population allowed Tenrou to be one of the best places for travel and rest…that is, if you're outside the Kingdom's reach.

For the most part Tenrou was not a royally regulated island, and even though it seemed magical, several dark and shady characters lurked around its streets and grounds. Here, Gajeel and his crew of many faces arrived to a large dock, where Erza waved to some friends.

"Well, it's good to see you all out here to help!" Erza said with a smile as she walked off the deck of the ship and down to greet her two friends.

Both were men. One had a messy head of sandy blonde hair, while the other kept a trim and smooth head of black hair combed to one side.

The first boy smiled back. "Well, the Titiania lives! We all heard you were a goner."

Erza shook his hand. "Max, I would never let these foolish kingdom cowards end my career. I find myself going out in a much more dramatic sort of way."

The black haired boy rolled his eyes. "Yea? Well either way you're lucky to be alive…who are the new friends?"

Erza smiled and turned. "Oh these are fellow sailors who helped me escaped the hands of the Legion Platoon…everyone these fine gentlemen are Max Alors and Warren Rocko. They're friends of mine from the island."

Natsu ran ahead, thankful to be off the ship and smiled. "OH I DON'T CARE WHO THEY ARE! THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME LAND!"

Gray looked confused. "How did this idiot get a promotion?"

Lucy sighed. "I try not to ask myself that…it saves energy."

Max was taken away by Natsu's outfit. "Whoa you're a royal Commodore! Erza are we sure these guys are okay!?"

Erza stepped forward. "Relax, they were being hunted by the Legion as well…these fine people wish to find some missing pirates."

Warren looked intrigued. "Oohh, well you came to the right place."

Gajeel rolled his eyes and continued walking forward. "Yea, whatever. Just show me to the next building."

Erza obliged and let Max and Warren finish securing her ship (yes, with the prisoners still locked inside.) She then led the motley crew through the twisting allies of Tenrou's village, where Natsu and Lucy tightly held each other's hands.

"Hey Luce. Don't freak out. It's not that big of a deal." Natsu said with a comforting smile.

"Me? N-no I'm fine. It's just like Hargeon or Crocus...except there are pirates and thieves everywhere around me, hehe."

Natsu beamed like an idiot. "Yea I know! ISN'T IT AWESOME! Oh man I bet they don't have to listen to orders or wear stupid out fits!"

Lucy smiled and clutched his arm. "Yea, but sometimes that stuff's not that bad."

Natsu nodded and agreed. "Heh, I guess you're right…"

"Behold!" Erza stopped their progression and pointed to a large multi-storied tavern with large red support beams and a giant picture of a red reptile carved into the wood above the door. "This is the Red Lizard Cantina. It houses some of the best and worst pirates you know of. Legendary killers and ravenous thieves…but mostly just drunken fools now a days."

Cana smiled. "Hey my kind of people! So will we find these Phantom guys here?"

Erza removed the smile from her own face. "No…but please come and follow me."

She opened the doors and ordered her entire party to hold their shape together. As they weaved through the loud and obnoxious bar floor of the main building, a very large and grumpy man behind the counter yelled over to Erza.

"Hey Erza! What the hell's with all the traffic!? And are those Royal Guards in my Bar!?"

The red haired beauty smiled and placed several coins down on the counter. "Calm down, Zeeself, those outfits were stolen. Actually I have a deal I'd like to make with you regarding a ship I road in on…but we can discuss that later. We need to see the Master."

The large bartender named Zeeself smiled. "Ohhh. You want her?! HA! Well hey they're all in the back lighten the place up!"

Erza nodded and signaled to her group. "This way. I'll let you meet my fellow crew mates."

As Erza and the curious followers passed through the door, Gajeel lingered back. Zeeself actually noticed a piece of a very familiar mark singled on his right arm.

"Hold it pal…where'd you get that tattoo?"

Gajeel glared back to the bar tender. "None of your business."

Zeeslef stood taller. "None of my…Pal this damn bar is my business, and if you're here with those monsters in Phantom I'll…"

"Relax." Gajeel sighed. "I'm with those losers. I was a captive of Phantom's from a few years back."

Zeeself didn't want to believe the story, but he shook his hands. "Okay…then I'd keep up with those losers or else…"

Gajeel was too annoyed to find out what "or else" meant to he rolled his eyes and passed through the door.

As he emerged, he found a smaller, but twice as rowdy group of drunken fools plastered all over the back room of the large bar. Older folks, young kids, everyone you could imagine was drinking, singing, and easily having a good time.

That is everyone except Gajeel. "Great. Of all the pirate crews I had to get stuck with these morons."

As Gajeel was minding his own, Erza had taken Natsu and the others back to see a table filled with several older gentlemen enjoying a nice round of drinks.

The short man with the balding head of silver hair raises a glass. "Erza! Glad to see that face back in this hell hole! We thought you were a goner!"

Erza smiled and rolled her eyes. "Everyone this is the former leader of our group, Captain Makarov Dreyar."

"Oy! I'm no captain anymore. I haven't set foot on a boat in 20 years." He laughed and gave them all a drunken salute.

Erza then pointed to two of the other men. "This man is our current ship's Captain, Macao Conbolt."

The aging middle aged man with a purple head of hair and a trimmed face smiled and waved. "Hey, glad ta meet ya! If Erza's bringin you here to see us, then you guys must be alright."

Erza then pointed to his friend with a dirty blond pompadour and a sleek brown sailing coat. "And this is his first hand man, Wakaba Mine. They both own the ship we'll be sailing."

Wakaba pulled out his pipe and grinned. "We can't guarantee you'll enjoy the ride, but the crew is pretty fun to be around."

Lucy then looked to Erza. "Hold on why can't we just use the Legion's Ship?"

The red head waved her hand. "That thing? We didn't have the right amount of people for it. Plus I can make a good commission selling it to the bar owner. We'll just negotiate the release of its prisoners somewhere off the shore of Fiore…hehe."

She then gestured to the table of old men. "These fools on the other hand will supply a real ship for travel, and a fine crew to help us find what we're looking for."

Makarov smiled. "So tell me friends. What is it you're looking for?"

Everyone remained awkwardly quiet, except Natsu who jumped up to speak. However, Erza beat him to the punch.

"They're looking for a treasure to the south. They believe it's near the Bosco Islands, but we're going to need a better view for ourselves once we're down there."

"Ohhh." Makarov began to scratch his chin. "That's dangerously close to Oaktown…are you sure this treasure isn't already discovered?"

Erza raised an eyebrow. "I understand who sails those waters, but my collogues are determined."

Makarov paused before slapping the table and raising a mug. "ALRIGHT! We'll be glad to help! Why don't ya get yourselves some drinks and we can discuss out terms!"

As the Haregon crew was beginning to negotiate with Makarov and his men, Gajeel continued to wonder around without being able to find the secret master's table. He found himself heading for the bar when two white haired beauties caught his eye.

"Well hello stranger! You look awfully thirsty!" Said the one with longer hair down past her shoulders.

"Uh…yea I could use something to drink." Gajeel tried to avert his stare rom her low cut dress as he awkwardly took a seat.

Right away, the second but equally attractive bar made handed him a full glass. "Here ya go! One on the house for a newbie!" She had shorter hair that came down to the top of her neck, but the two girls appeared to be sisters or cousins.

Gajeel cracked a smile. "Hey thanks. Glad to see some folks here aren't complete ass…"

"Mira what the hell are you doing?"

"Egh…holes." Gajeel looked up to find the longer haired bar girl looked petrified as a very tall man appeared behind Gajeel.

The Iron headed black smith turned to find a crew of three very tall men giving him an evil look. The two cronies to each side of the leader were the first to catch his eye. One had a weird head of spikey green hair, while the other hid his face behind an old knight's helmet that came out of the Iron Age.

However, Gajeel's attention was quickly drawn back to the very tall and muscular leader, who towered over the other two with broad shoulders and a trim head of spikey blond hair.

"Did you even ask this guy what crew he's apart of? We only serve Fairies back here."

The younger girl spoke up. "Um…sorry Laxus but he came in with a group. We were just letting him…"

The tall man named Laxus then bent down to see Gajeel's exposed right shoulder. "Hold on…I know that emblem." His eyes grew twice their normal size as his curious expression began to turn hostile.

However, before he and the even angrier Gajeel could begin a brawl, a tiny girl giggled from off to the side.

"Teehee! Oh Laxus, this young man's friends are meeting back with your grandfather right now! Why don't you let me escort him there right away?!" She had a tiny black tri-billed hat covering her long flowing main of blond hair that was tied off into two long pony tails on either side of her head. She also wore a black sailing blouse with brown pants and completely bare feet that looked to be rather dirty.

The tall blonde pirate began to stutter. "Uh, sure thing, Master?"

Gajeel looked intrigued. "Master?" But before he could continue that thought, the tiny blonde girl ran up and grabbed his hand.

"Follow me!" She giggled and walked Gajeel around the bar.

However, as soon as they saw Makarov's private nook, the tiny girl pulled Gajeel off to the side. "Here, please wear this over your marking while you're inside my bar." She handed him a bundle of white bandages and pointed to his marked arm.

Gajeel had no idea what was going on. "Okay, you mind telling me who the fuck you are, girlie?!"

The tiny sweet girl giggled and smiled back. "Well of course! I'm the master of this pirate guild, Mavis Vermilion!"

"Mavis?" Gajeel knew that name. "Don't tell me you're from….?"

"Yup! I'm the leader of Fairy Tail…but you already knew that, Gajeel of the Phantom Lord."

The tall black smith raised his head. "What are you going on about?"

Mavis smiled with wit in her eye. "Come now, you think I would fail to recognize the emblem of my crew's rival pirate guild? I must say we have held down our fights with the phantoms for quite some time now…"

Gajeel laughed as he finished tying his bandage. "Fights? HA! Don't play dumb. Jose slaughters you Fairies like pigs in a butcher's barn."

Mavis never removed her smile. "True, but our resilient spirit keeps us alive and stronger than ever. After all, Jose has no idea this island even exists!" She then looked to his friends.

"Though I must ask, if you are a former member, why are you endangering the lives of those strangers to re-join your crew?"

Gajeel scowled. "Look I ain't looking to re-join anyone! They got with me cause Phantom stole something important from us."

Mavis looked intrigued. "Oh boy! I love treasure hunting stories! Actually before I found this guild I knew a couple of great treasure hunters myself!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Yea and I bet everything was all nice and dandy with those losers, but it ain't what you think…we're looking for a person."

"Oh…" Mavis cleared her mind and now noticed Gajeel start to shift around uncomfortable. After reading his body movements she began to blush and giggle at the same time.

"Ooooooo you're looking for a girl aren't you?! Oh how romantic! Your old crew has captured the love of your life, and now you travel the seas in search of anew pirate crew to rescue her."

"Damn that's some imagination you got there, kid." Gajeel looked very annoyed with her already. "But I ain't got time with this crap. I need help pronto." He went to storm off, but not before Mavis spoke again.

"Well please be careful, after all…you and I both know Jose and the Phantom Lords are no ordinary pirates."

Gajeel paused and collected the weight of her statement. "Yea? I really ain't got no other choice, kid." He then left her in the corner and re-joined his fellow sailing companions a crossed he bar.

"Oh dear." Mavis kept a passive smile on her face. "I hope he carries the strength and conviction to fight Jose. After all…he's going to need all the help he can get."

I really liked the bar scene! Mavis was and will be fun to write as this tiny little pirate Queen. I'm also glad I bit the bullet and decided on Erza's place in the story. I was struggling to fit her in. New chapter soon!