He bent the ice of his stolen throne underneath the tightening of his armored fingers. They curled into wound fists – the slick of his black metal plates glimmering molten cold in the growing evening. They rippled and lay like the scales of a snake, all sharp edges and embossed points; cresting to the great crowned helm that he wore…a mass of spires and horns. A devil's head. A demon's diadem on a usurper's brow.
Though he sprawled leisurely about that massive ironed chair, the skeletal carved helmet resting in the palm of his other hand – he was anything but. The creak of the metal on his fingers was sign enough…a warning siren for those that trembled before the steps of his seat. He pulsed with a thick irritation that crept down at them like a haze. It was black. Black and cold.
"They have crossed across the border now Imperial One," the man was shrinking away from the seething presence that radiated from that frozen metallic throne. His long fingers clutched together, his breath panting out his clouded wisps – changing into glittering shards just as soon as it tumbled from his mouth. "But one of our forces followed them past –"
"If they are simply past the walls of my empire then why are you bothering me with this Nadal?" There was no movement, no shift of hand or armor, but the hiss of his voice radiated through the metal grates of his helm and Nadal felt as if his chest had been clutched with a fist of hoarfrost. "The realms of Stella and Seven have…"
But he stopped because the simpering little page suddenly sucked in a tight breath. Now…nowthe false Tsar chose to move, leaning forward on his taken chair. The shift of his dark cape pooled around the rooted solid footing of his legs – and it cracked, rimmed in sheets of gleaming ice.
"But tis not just that," he sneered through clenched teeth. "What is it? Where did you lose them? What are you keeping from me Nadal…Where is she?"
"The squad was able to pursue them through Seven your worship," Nadal answered with a quaking voice. "But she defeated several of them at Sunder's Plain near the…"
"Fiore," the black giant of a man roared at once. The spaces in the helm that held his gaze burned alive. Licks of a fire that shimmered blue. "You let them slip into Fiore?"
"It is unconfirmed…"
There was a hiss, a crack of metal and cold. Nadal dropped to his knees, his palms open out before his shaking head; body trembling while the edges of his round rimmed glasses fractured with the growing threads of glazed ice. His breath puffed out in heaving clouds of silver white.
"Do you take your high king for a fool?" His voice bellowed across the marbled stone. Vibrating off the high walls and running along the limitless panes of stained glass that adorned their frozen hall. Scenes of a history that he had stolen. Stolen, taken, robbed…through ice and death. "For years I have tracked that little monsteracross the reaches of Earthland, always slipping through my fingers at the last moment. But I had been assured…promised that this time – this timeshe would be mine."
His eyes charred forward once more and he stood – slowly and with malicious purpose. "And now…now you tell me that she has slipped past you into that cursed flower kingdom?"
With each step the growing's of his frost followed behind. It rose in great crests, glittering gemstones blazon with the mirrored image of his black armor as he moved in front of it. It showered up the walls and snowed down from the ceiling. He descended upon the little page – that cowering trifling laughable mortal and watched with a great sneer as the ice pooled around where he shivered. Rings of something so beautiful and yet…so unbreakingly deadly. The grin grew wider underneath the armor. It didn't fit with the curl of his voice.
"If she reaches the slayers," he rumbled. "Those with whom fire curses through their veins…I will be forced to bring war upon this world. There will be no door left…for men."
"Y-your w-w-worship," Nadal shuddered as the frost grew and clutched at his throat. "But –t-th-there is also t-t-the celestial…"
He laughed. He laughed as the young man turned to ice, his screams bleeding into the panes of silver crystal. The body stilled and became forever frozen in the confines of his own blood – the blood that iced with shards of magic that sparkled like snowflakes. Nadal's mouth remained open – still in his silent cry and he would have remained there…a statue of bitter cold, another to add to the multitude that already lined the great hall, if the false king hadn't clasped around his head with his ironed fingers. If he hadn't snapped it off with a break of ice and still laughing watched it roll away down the hall of his stolen throne.
"The celestial wizard," he hissed to the dead man. His eyes drew to his fist, watching as the coils of his fingers tightened once more…the swirl of magic overwhelming in a trailing mist that crept up his entire arm.
There was a sudden movement, another dark armed giant rising from the shadows of his throne room. It stepped around the great pillars that lined the hall – that separated where the king stood and the legion of frozen men, all petrified in noiseless fear scattered about like garden statues. The limitless victims of this malevolent ice god.
"You know good help is so hard to find," the arrival chuckled. "Must you continue to add to your collection? It could become rather crowded in here, my lord."
He didn't answer, but instead watched as the trails of his magic slithered across the floor like a serpent The helm turned – the horns on his crown rising high as he straightened. The skeletal face became lit by white and silver, unmoving and yet grinning so wide the air dropped ever colder and tasting bitter on the tongue.
"Bring the celestial wizard to me as well."
The Gold Iris was a multistory, massively beautiful building filled with trellises and winter flowers of white, evergreen and yellow. It was made of brick and wood, looking both old and elegant; glittering in the pale afternoon sun as the edges of its intricate lattices gleamed its namesake color. The sign that held the Inn's letters was written in swirling curls and the large windows glowed holding both the promise of warmth, and the noise of pleased patrons.
Lucy glanced up at the grand lodging, blinking a few times in surprise. It seemed so much different from the last time they'd stayed in Crocus. Not that their inn from the Grand Magic Games had been lacking in any shape…but this? The exquisiteness of it radiated around them from the lights of the Iris's entryway and suddenly…Lucy sucked in a tight breath – because Mavis help them…they were going to bring Natsu into thisplace. It released from her lips in a weary sigh. Such a waste.
Erza must have suddenly come to the same halting conclusion because before they crossed the threshold she rounded on the young man – her face etched in a promise of gruesome retribution if he wished it. Natsu pulled back on his feet, wavering on his heels and suddenly praying to all the deities that he knew…that she wouldn't slaughter him right there in the doorway. His mind blurred trying to figure out some way that he could have possibly offended the Queen of the Fairies. Happy immediately retreated from his shoulder to take shelter in Lucy's nearby arms – the coward.
"Dragneel I'm only going to say this once," Erza said in a quiet seethe. Somehow this only made it that much worse. "If you damage any part of this hotel I will damageyou in return. Are we in agreement?"
He tried to swallow, but the lump in his throat seemed to grow tenfold before it crept down. "Uh, yes – yes ma'am." He stammered with a grin, a hand nervously to the back of his neck. Lucy breathed a small moan of relief, but her mouth slipped into a small smile when she looked at him. His teeth blazed white in the sparse of broken sunlight, his sharp canines smirked against his lips and when he met her gaze Lucy felt the thud of her heart vibrate along her ribs with a skipped beat. She liked it when he smiled at her like that.
They followed Erza inside, pushing open the heavy wood doors to emerge into the Golden Iris Inn, that little wolf trotting lazily next to Natsu ankles. The atrium was domed and gold with bundles of sunshine yellow irises growing in lovely long thin pools that rung along the room's edges. The whole place smelled of flowers, pastries and of the light snow, wafting in front outside.
"Oh wow!" Wendy exclaimed, her eyes turning all about. "This place is so pretty! I didn't know there was a place like this in Crocus. Look Lucy! You can see the courtyard from down that hallway!"
Lucy glanced towards where Wendy was pointing – where Golden Iris entryway led to a massive patio, filled with more ice sculptures and twinkling silver yellow lights. "Can you believe we're staying here? I mean - wow!" Lucy giggled lightly at the young girl's enthusiasm; Wendy's smile wide and bright as she clapped her hands together.
"Sure does look fancy," Grey mumbled, tugging absent mindedly at the edge of his clothes. "Jeez, if Natsu breaks one thing in this place..."
"He won't," Erza cut him off resolutely. "I have faith in him."
The ice mage didn't look as if he shared the same confidence, but then again...Erza never made hollow threats. Besides, though he would never admit to say it aloud...Gray knew his moronic teammate wasn't toomoronicto stroke the wrath of Tatiana. Above that, to damage anything in this place? It would be a real shame.
"I can go check us in," Lucy said. "We find our rooms and then meet with the client from there, after we put away our things."
"Excellent notion," Erza added. "I'm looking forward to our assignment. Besides, some of this luggage is proving a little tiresome to pull around."
Lucy blinked a few times, a nervous chuckle rumbling from her throat as she glanced over her shoulder to the mound of baggage that Erza had stationed near the concierge desk. It shadowed over the poor bell-hops, a mountain of plastic or leather rectangles; a flash of terror on their sweating faces. She didn't envy them at all.
"If Lucy is going to check us in," Natsu began a wide, excited look on his face. "I want to go find the food..."
"Actually, why don't you go help her flame brain," Gray suggested. Lucy rounded on him quickly, narrowed eyes at the expression he was giving them. "Make yourself useful for once."
What the hell was he playing at? When he met her angry gaze, Lucy saw his lean shoulders pull up in a shrug, a small smile tugging at his mouth as he turned away. It wasn't a sneer though...not even a scheming little smirk that would have given her every justification of smacking it right off. Rather - it was kind. Kind and knowing. Something that made her face blaze red in response and somehow all the more worse to her situation.
"Yeah, yeah alright jerk," Natsu mumbled. "Come on Luce, the faster we check in...The faster we get to eat!"
She expected him to press against her back – hurried hands for hunger, rushed and lacking of patience. His priorities after all. But there was a brief still moment; where she waitedand...his fingers were wrapping around her right wrist, thumb and the brush of his calloused fingertips dusting over her skin. It was soft and gentle; the way his warmth encircled the thin skin near her hands...it bled through from his flesh into her blood. Sweeping through her body and igniting the jump of her heart in her chest. Natsu would set her on fire. She wondered if her friends could see her blaze red and orange as he lead her away and towards the front desk.
She suddenly felt shy and as if her tongue had swelled in size. He was humming under his breath – broken words that involved their nearing lunch time; vague tunes about ramen, lit desserts and roasted meats, but he looked...happy. It made her chest expand with the same tumbling feelings that she was having a hard time placing. He didn't let go of her wrist the entire way.
The client was a tall, but rotund older gentleman. He wore a canary yellow vest under a fur lined forest green jacket and matching warm leather gloves. A large gold pocket watch gleamed from the folds of his coat, and his shoes were shined to perfection. A large curling salt and pepper mustaches overwhelmed the majority of his lower face, but his cheeks were round and cherry tinted, a face that seemed to be made for merriment – if the large cocktail in one hand and the cigar in the other wasn't give away enough. He welcomed them all with a jolly, booming voice; beckoning them to his waiting table at the back end of the Golden Iris dimly lit, but warm set bar.
The party bowed in respect, though Natsu had quickly jutted forward with shouts of boisterous approval and salivating anticipation when he saw the already ordered mound of food that awaited them at the table. Laden trays that seemed to securely satisfy even Erza's very singulartaste in cakes. The man had laughed in good natured humor when Lucy and Wendy had tried to apologize for their teammates abrupt breach of manners, (even the uncompromising red-head had abandoned formalities in favor of strawberry flavored desserts) and just waved them into their cozy little booth. Strangely enough...Lucy found herself, ram rod straight, sitting close to Natsu. She would have found the heat coming of his skin incredibly distracting...if she wasn't also busy trying to dodge the messy food that was being slung about while he ate. The wolf pup sat contently on the fire dragon's other side, occasionally snatching stray scraps that passed his way – but otherwise, it remained serene and perfectly situated to its position; head resting on its large paws. Even Happy paid him no mind – brain having been completely taken over by the arrival of roasted mackerel that steamed from the table.
"Mr. Kimura," Erza began, settled and happy now that she clasped her treasured shortcake in her armored fingers. "Thank you for allowing us this opportunity for employment. I can personally guarantee the success of Fairy Tail. I assure you that we will not fail."
"I am well aware of your reputation Ms. Scarlet," the man smiled. "I was present at the Grand Magic Games you know, those few years ago - Box seats of course..." He swirled his ruby red cocktail and bellowed out a laugh again. "Seeing Fairy Tail rise right back to the top? Crawling out from the ashes of such humiliation to emerge the ultimate victor? It was quite a show! It was after all, why I sought out your guild in the first place instead of Sabertooth. They might be closer, here in Crocus and all – but meet you in the flesh? Why think of what my colleagues will say! The infamous fairies!"
Lucy wondered if she should be offended. Mr. Kimura's eyes twinkled with bright, good natured humor...but still. It was hard not to rise immediately and defend the place that she so violently cherished. Instead she hissed at Gray about his somehow lost shirt and then she bit her tongue, filling it with a spoonful of roasted potatoes that were momentarily left unguarded by the young man that brushed up against her elbow.
Erza was, thankfully, much more diplomatic. "Yes, well…if you don't mind Mr. Kimura could you debrief us with the details of the assignment? Our master was quite vague when asked..."
"As he should be," the man answered, leaning back in his chair. "I simply requested your team's particular services. All jokes aside Ms. Scarlet…I knew that I needed the strongest Fairy Tail had to offer. The sum upon job completion is simply something that Master Makarov couldn't ignore. The old man is can be quite the miser after all."
"So what is it?" Gray interrupted somewhat shortly. His patience had seem to run slightly thin, as he tugged back on the lapels of his jacket. "What's with all the cloak and dagger?"
"Straight to the point hm?" Mr. Kimura chuckled. He drug the cigar between in teeth with a long slow breath and when it was released his answer had lost all easy going nature completely. "To be honest I am unsure myself. The cloak and dagger, as you so crudely – but accurately put it, is necessary simply due to the fact that I do not know what exactly I am sending you up against."
His tone was serious – whispered and layered with hesitant worry. It was enough of a change that Natsu halted in his consumption of dinner. His eyes narrowed and a fist tightened against the planes of the table.
"What…what do you mean?" Wendy asked in a low voice. Mr. Kimura puffed out a rings of smoke before answering. They sailed lazily up towards the ceiling – lighted magic gold in the bar's lamps.
"I am a business man by trade of course," he began. "My resources are scattered throughout a variety of different avenues, but one of my companies provides exports and imports from Fiore's neighboring kingdoms. Seven, Minstrel and Ca Elum to name a few. It's fairly profitable and for the past few decades I have encountered little incident. However, lately the last few trade cargo lines have been attacked – making their way across the border. Particularly from Seven towards Crocus."
"Sounds like normal bandit behavior to me," Carla interjected from her place on Wendy's lap. "Why bother with such an expensive job posting?"
"It is a humorous notion that I couldn't handle Bandits," Mr. Kimura began, waving a hand back and forth in the air as if to brush the ridiculous notion from the air. "Whenever we transport expensive or exotic materials I make sure it is accompanied by a squad of protection. No…this is something else entirely."
He breathed out a mouthful of curling smoke; Lucy watching as it hung around his head like a smudged halo. The cigar had to be of magical origin…how else could it flicker with muted, dark colors of gold and silver, or make the air smell of bourbon and leather. Lucy recognized it at once – a trigger memory of childhood…her father's office had smacked of it. The smell of power and money. She shivered a bit, her body a mixture of rolling regret and sadness. It struck against her like a battering ram and Lucy's fingers curled against the cushion of their seat, fingernails craving into the material. She vaguely registered Natsu stiffening beside her, eyebrows drawing together in a frown and though he kept his eyes resolutely focused on the client….His fingers slowly and gently found hers under the table. They barely touched, calloused limbs grazing against her own…but it was enough.
"For the last few weeks," Mr. Kimura continued. "When my goods pass in between Oak Village and the borders of Crocus they have been ambushed and attacked. One of the strangest things is nothing is taken…rather it is simply destroyed. Smashed, wrecked, ruined – a complete waste! And the men…the men that had been with the cargo were…well it's hard to explain…"
"What do you mean?" Natsu growled. His fingers pulled a little further at Lucy's own. "What happened to them?"
"A few things actually," the large man huffed. "They are found covered in these odd ice crystals. Frozen in whatever way these poor souls died. At first it was suspected that they had also been exsanguinated…but, in actually all of their blood had been turned to ice. Right from the inside out."
Lucy felt her mouth drop open slightly and Wendy smothered a gasp beside her. That weird little wolf; its luminous yellow eyes never waving from Mr. Kimura rose its head slightly. Its gaze seem to burn alive as they spoke.
"What does…ex-sang-inated mean?" Happy wondered aloud.
"It means that your body is drained completely of blood," Lucy shuddered out a reply. The little Exceed yelped and dove for the solid comfort of Natsu's scarfed shoulders. There was a crawling feeling that flushed over Lucy's skin, an odd sense of horror and revulsion. The silence around the table was as thick as Mr. Kimura's smoke. The severity of the job revealed and weighing heavily on Fairy Tail's shoulders.
"You mentioned 'frozen," Gray mumbled with a hiss breaking through their thoughts and glancing towards his friends. "Could we be dealing with an Ice Mage here?"
"It is certainly possible," Erza answered. "But I've never heard of anyone having this kind of power. The ability to freeze someone from the inside out? To solidify their blood into ice? It's rather alarming…"
"Indeed Ms. Scarlet," Mr. Kimura. "You can't imagine the cost that this whole incident has slapped upon me! Replacing all of the merchandise, transports and insurance increases! Not to mention having to pay grievances to families of those that have been killed…"
"How can you be so casual about this?" Natsu suddenly growled out. His fist closed tightly around Lucy's hand. "People have died – "
"I'm not callous dear sir," he replied back; though the chuckle in his voice seemed to profess otherwise. "I'm fully aware of the gravity of this situation I find myself in. These men have lost their lives in the employment of my business. Regardless of how it may have affected my reputation…It is still a terrible and wretched situation. Which is of course – is what has lead now to this, my formal job request to your guild."
Mr. Kimura downed the contents of his cocktail quickly before leaning forward to prop his elbows on the table, large hands folded before him. "What I want is for you to meet my current convoy just outside of Crocus's jurisdiction and make sure it returns here safely. If you meet whoever the bastards are that are causing these incidents then stop them. If you do this then the job payment will be no less than 100 million jewel."
Wide eyes and dropped jaws flew across the table before a collective cry of shock waved up from each member. Never had they had a job with such a ridiculous sum…not even winning the Grand Magic Games had given the entire guild that amount! Lucy's mind suddenly flooded with sugared ideas of month's paid rent and stocked refrigerators, clothes and new celestial keys – while Natsu's simply involved just the food.
"When is this convoy supposed to arrive?" Gray asked breaking through the haze of upcoming paid euphoria. "When and where should we meet them?"
"They are due to pass through Oak Village tomorrow morning – that should put them where most of the attacks have occurred in the evening hours. Near around the borders of the Dandelion Plains, but I shall give you a map lacrima that will project the precise coordinates. Once you rondeau, your team will escort them into the Flower city. Only if the cargo and crew arrive unharmed shall you receive your payment. The merchandise is very important here Fairies…its materials needed for the continuation of the Snow Festival. Personalized request from the King himself you know!"
Mr. Kimura's eyes shimmered in the dim lights, a smile on his face but for once the jolliness was quickly gone from the look he gave them – the flare of his cigar ashes lighting up as he took a long deep dreg. "You understand how important this is right? I can't have this destroying my standing with the Monarchy of Fiore! I sought you out for a reason – now it's your turn to back up all this huff and puff you profess out in Magnolia. No failing here."
Most of them sat up a little straighter, resolution apparent on their faces. Natsu however, smacked a closed fist hard against his opposite palm – a reign of sparks showering out from the meeting of his skin. "Alright, we got the job and now I feel like burning up the bastards! Hand over the lacrima and Fairy Tail promises to get the job done right."
"Excellent!" And just like that the cherry faced, merry client was back. He reached into the folds of his jacket pocket and pulled out a small round gem, robin's egg blue; and dropped into Erza's waiting hand. "I shall see you on the morrow then Fairies. Remember…no debacle now. I'm counting on you. The best in Fiore right?"
He laughed, belly shaking as he glanced at that massive golden pocket watch' clasped to his round glittering buttons. Mr. Kimura stood and wrenched his cigar out on the silver ash tray before slapping a heavy hand right on Gray's shoulder. The young man almost toppled right out of his seat from the force, a yelp of protest rolling from his mouth and Natsu…poorly (and not with much effort) holding in a snicker at his expense.
"Till we meet again!" The gentleman gave a nod of the head and then left with a turn of the heel.
With the departure of Mr. Kimura; Natsu returned with renewed vigor to the food – though the rest of the team remained slightly more subdued. Lucy particularly felt a strange settling of uneasiness drop against her skin and flutter against her stomach. It was almost as if she could feel the creep of frost right along the edges of this glowing and beautiful bar. It was silly – it had to be…how could this warm and lively place be anything else? She tried to settle herself by wrapping her long fingers around a mug of steaming hot chocolate.
"Who can believe it?" Cheered Happy, running a contented paw over his growing fish-filled belly. "That great of a reward for just this one job? Think of all the fish I'll be able to buy! Want to share with me Carla?"
"No. When have I ever?"
"Sounds like some pathetic ice magic if you ask me," Natsu growled over his mouthful of food. "Nothing a little fire can't handle."
"Idiot," Gray sneered a reply. "This isn't some normal everyday maker magic we're dealing with here. If you can't even come close to beating me – how are you expecting to take on these wizards? Pathetic."
"What'd you say snow queen?" Natsu snarled through clenched, pointed teeth. "I'll take you on right here and now!" He smacked his forehead against Gray's – both men's eyes sharp and promising of hostility.
"You heard me ass-hole," Gray snapped back. The air seemed to crack around their small table, and Lucy released a sigh of weary annoyance. Here we go…it seemed too much to hope that they would escape from this job assignment without having to pay some kind of damage compensation. She wondered how much of their hard-earned reward would be spent cleaning up after these two's tumultuous rivalry.
"Did you already forget what I warned you about earlier?" Erza glared across the table; gaze alive and burning with her furious expression.
The wizards jumped apart at once – Natsu rolling into his seat, back smacking against the cushions while Gray folded his arms behind his head; nervous laugh rumbling through his mouth.
"Don't worry Erza," he said quickly. "Promise nothing here will get wrecked. No one wants to see all our job money go to fixing this place."
"Speaking of the job," Wendy's hesitant voice broke forward. "It sounds rather terrifying. I mean…people frozen and then the blood thing?"
They were silent for a while – most lost in their own upsetting thoughts. Even Natsu had stilled and was frowning, brows drawn together and eyes gazing hard off to the side.
"Wendy's right," said Lucy in a quiet, serious voice. She turned to glance at Erza while at the same time reaching across Natsu's chest – feeding a chunk of roasted chicken to the pup at his side. "This also sounds…dangerous."
"Indeed. We need to be alert and at our top game. Focused and prepared. No slip ups. I suggest we finish here and turn in for the evening. Some training tomorrow wouldn't hurt either…"
She trailed off – fingers to her chin in thought. Gray simply shrugged and he opened his mouth to interject his own opinions on how they should proceed…but Lucy's couldn't seem to hear them anymore. Muffled and blurred she was sunken deep in her uneasiness.
"Iced and cold," Lucy whispered, barely a breath out of her lips and dropping her eyes to her hands that now clasped in her hap. She wasn't a coward…she would never abandon her friends to such a dangerous job. Not without help – but the ice. The idea that these people had been frozen in their deaths…the odd feelings of foreboding bitter chills that ran up her spine; it stung and tasted too much like the other night. That night…
"Don't worry Luce," Natsu smiled widely at her and it broke through the haze that she'd been in like a battering ram. He was giving her that brilliant, encouraging grin. One of the many she liked so much. One of the many that caused her cheeks to flush slightly. "We'll be totally fine. No cold gets past me, remember?"
She smiled so softly back at him. How could she not? "I remember," she replied thoughtfully.
His hand was inching towards hers again. She could sense the heat of it. It was almost instinctive; the way she could feel him.
Lucy didn't say a word – afraid that maybe…if she did…he would stop. This was so new. It was almost as if the other night, waking up so tangled had released something in how they moved around each other. Perhaps he was scared…afraid that whatever had brought on that bitter cold into her room, seeped like a sickness that almost stole her life, almost wrenched away - would return if his heat moved from her. Or maybe…it simply opened Natsu up to the idea that he liked it. That he might like the feel of her skin under his.
That was too hopeful of course…she knew that. Natsu did most things in his life solely on instinct – leading with no forethought to battle or well supported plans. Rather he just…did what he thought when he thought it. The true epitome of honest action and so even though it caused Lucy's heart to sink down into a darkened place in her stomach; she suspected he was just protecting her. Like he did for everyone in the guild. Like he always did.
Either way…Lucy ghosted her finger tips lightly over the curve of his palm before setting her middle and ring fingers into the crook of his own. She wouldn't stop it. She didn't want to.
Oh…well…look at that…a new chapter! A longer one too! Don't hate me too much cause it's so late, hopefully I'm forgiven because it's here now! Right? Right?
In all seriousness, I had meant to write this so much sooner…but starting this was difficult. I tried a variety of different ways and what I had originally planned is now shuffled into the next chapter. Along with the writer's block, I'm a brand new first year teacher and report cards decided to take up all my writing time. For shame, shame…I should be able to do both! Ha-ha! (Not to mention that my recent obsession with One Piece has taken up a good chunk of time as well)
I also want to forewarn that I love the relationship that Natsu and Lucy have (seriously, like seriously I adore it) so, while there will be fighting that won't be the primary focus of this writing. I don't want you expecting GIGANTIC epic battles that go one for eons at a time (I'm looking at YOU Dragonball…) but rather I'm trying to explore the natural changing of Natsu and Lucy's feelings towards one another. Oh my gosh…IT'S BEEN SO MUCH FUN!
I cannot thank you enough for all the love and encouragement I've received on this story. I absolutely love Fairy Tail and have so enjoyed writing. To know that some of you like the story too – it's so wonderful.
I also can't ask enough for reviews…they are my lifeblood and they have helped me power through the particularly hard parts when I'm stuck. So if you don't mind…review and follow? Please and thank you! :)
- Aulani