Natsu's eye peeked open as he saw Lucy's starlight shining around him.
He closed it again and relaxed into its soft warmth, feeling softer.
His scales started falling off, he felt his nose and mouth start to retreat back into his face, his tail shrinking.
With crackles and thumps of scales falling on the wood floor, Natsu returned to normal.
Ahhh, human again.
He sat up and met Lucy's eyes as she looked back at him, starlight still shining from her eyes and hands.
"You're amazing you know that? That would have taken me a few weeks to go normal. You do it in a few seconds."
She smiled as the starlight faded.
She wrote and showed him the paper. -So where we going from here? You know where we are?-
"Yeah, I saw the town from above. I know the way."
-Will you be ok?-
Lucy was looking into his eyes concerned.
He grinned back. "Don't worry, I'm strong enough to take on anything in our path. And besides, the both of us together could beat every monster on this mountain."
She did look a bit more at ease as she walked over to the window.
-The storm is letting up. get dressed and we'll go.- She wrote and showed him.
"Yeah, the sooner this job is over, the sooner you can get a new light pen. And your money." He commented as he slipped on his spare pants.
Lucy smirked as she opened the door and let the cold flow in.
"Hey! Lucy!"
She just kept smirking, flapping her hand in a 'hurry up' gesture.
Natsu finished dressing and ran out the door, with Lucy locking the door and trotting after him.
Lucy poked him again.
"Yup. we're going the right way. C'mon Luce don't you have any faith in my nose? I could find Cana's scent anywhere."
Lucy made a motion, like she was chugging a drink.
"Yep, the Alcohol."
"NATSU! LUCY!" Happy swooped down on them and landed in Natsu's arms.
"Happy, you ok? where's Cana?"
"Cana got taken by Vulcan!. They jumped us when we were following the trail and they were really freaky!"
Lucy put a hand on Happy's head to get his attention, and held out her hand telling him to stop.
She motioned for him to take a deep breath, which he did.
-Tell us from the start. What happened?- She wrote and showed him.
"Ok, we got to Helleborus town, and the Innkeeper who posted the job told us people had been going missing, and there was a trail, and that people who followed the trail never came back." Happy took a deep breath and continued. "So me and Cana went to scout it out, but Vulcans attacked us. Cana told me to get away and warn you guys."
Natsu met her eyes and they both nodded.
"Which way Happy?"
"That way" He pointed to the right, towards a large Icy hill.
Natsu and Lucy started running to the hill.
They vaulted over fallen logs and waded through snowdrifts until they came to a trail.
"This is the trail, just follow it up the hill!"
FOUR STAR FIELD: SPEED!
Stars glowed in a square at their feet.
"Nice Lucy. Ready?"
set She gave him the thumbs up.
"Let's go!"
They both boomed off the mark, their speed enhancement pushing them up the hill at a resounding speed.
Traps snapped shut behind them as they sped right through them.
Snow sprayed around them, torn up beneath their feet.
They skidded to a halt at the entrance to a cave as the speed wore off.
Their fists glowing with their magic, they burst into the cave.
The Cave was filled with Vulcans, who had Cana tied up near the back.
"Narsu! Lucy! Be careful!" Cana yelled out. "These Vulcans are the Missing Villagers! They've all been taken over! And they're Ughhhrrr"
One of the Vulcans bound Cana's mouth.
Cana still struggled against her bonds.
"That's right! Vulcans are stronger and Smarter when they take over others."
Happy informed them from Natsu's shoulder as the boy pounded into the horde of Vulcans.
Lucy met punches with her own until she received a solid slug to her shoulder.
Not good, I'm still tired from fighting Bandits and healing Natsu.
She ducked under another fist and flipped away from another.
And from the look of it Natsu is tired as well.
He was slugging it out, surrounded by vulcans, and where one was knocked aside, another took its place.
New strategy. SINGLE STAR SHIELD: STARLIGHT AEGIS!
A single star appeared and expanded, then flattening, then morphed into a solid material.
On her arm was now a shield in the shape of a star sitting inside a circle, made of a strong and Luminous golden metal.
Rolling away from a large fist, she sprinted towards Natsu, drawing Taurose's Key.
The second she reached him, she swiped the key.
Tauros appeared beside them in a flash.
"Hellooooo miss Luuuucy."
"Hey Cowman!" Natsu cried delightedly as lucy put away the key and drew her dagger.
"Hellooooo, I haven't met youuuuu properly." Taurus talked as he swung his axe, keeping Vulcans at bay.
"The name's Natsu."
"Moooo, I am the Golden Bull Taurus. I think miss Luuuucy will protect us while we beat these duuuuuudes."
Lucy nodded as Natsu glanced at her.
"How can you tell?"
"I appeared behind her, and she has her shield tooooooo."
"Fair enough. Alright then Cowman, let's get to work!"
She could only wait and let her shield soak up the hits while Taurus and Natsu worked behind her.
Vulcans went flying everywhere.
Her shield was always moving, deflecting fists.
A vulcan decided to crash tackle her, but she barely managed to keep herself upright.
Lucy banged her shield on it's head repeatedly and it released her.
She heard Natsu Roar behind her, and flames billowed and blazed through the icy cavern.
All the Vulcans went flying away, smashing into the wall.
There was only one left, standing at the back of the cavern guarding Cana.
How does Natsu have so much energy? He looks as tired as I am.
There was quiet as Human and Vulcan faced off, all the Vulcans partially embedded into the wall glowing and changing back into humans.
Lucy surveyed the scene.
I can't hold on to Taurus for too much longer, both me and Natsu are tired.
We need to get Cana back.
Lucy touched Taurus' arm to get his attention, then she drew and spun her dagger in the air.
"Diversion eh Miss Luuuuucy?" Taurus mused quietly.
She nodded.
Taurus charged the Vulcan head on, his axe raised high.
Lucy ran right behind him.
"Lucy, what...?" Natsu called behind her
Taurus clashed with the Vulcan and she darted out from behind him, cutting Cana's bindings with a single swipe.
Cana ripped the gag off herself, and drew her cards.
"Come here Asshole! Trixter! Ruler! Moon! Death! Black Tempest!
Dark winds burst from her cards and carried the vulcan across the cavern, giving it cuts from the dark crescents mixed into the gale.
The Vulcan hit the ground, but just got back up with a growl.
Taurus vanished in a golden light mid charge.
Natsu closed in for a flaming punch, but the Vulcan skipped nimbly away.
Cana's Cards caused another gale, but this time it ducked and curled up so It wouldn't get carried away.
Lucy jumped in front of the Vulcan, knife and shield in hand.
It tried to swing at her, but she caught it on her shield and swiped with her dagger.
Her blade barely caught it as it pivoted back, blood now flowing from it's side from the shallow cut.
Lucy chased the Vulcan, Always staying close to it so it couldn't hit her properly.
She saw the Vulcan rise up and felt an impact on her chest. A Kick?
There was a crack as she went flying across the cavern and smacked into an icy boulder.
"Lucy!" Both Natsu and Cana called.
Natsu growled as he spoke "Cana! both of us at once!"
"I hear ya!" She replied with a savage smirk.
"FIRE DRAGON ROAAAAR!"
"HOLY FIRE!"
The Inferno boomed towards the Vulcan, smashing into it.
It writhed and wriggled as it attempted to move out of the flames.
As the flames let up, the Vulcan came rushing out of it, smashing Cana in the face, sending her to the floor.
Natsu roared his rage as he shot towards the Vulcan, fists blazing.
They exchanged blow after blow, fists smacking each other, neither of them gaining the upper hand.
Lucy groaned as she pulled herself up.
Broken Rib. She thought as pain shot through her chest
Her shield was gone. Her magic was practically empty.
She saw Natsu sluggin it out with the Vulcan, his fists on fire.
Cana was groaning and holding her head, struggling to pull herself off the floor.
Last ditch then.
Lucy generated one last star, sending it over to Natsu.
Natsu felt a tingle on his chest and saw his body get engulfed in starlight.
Lucy!
He wanted to check, to look and see if she was ok. The vulcan held all his attention though.
He drew back for the biggest punch he could pull.
The Vulcan smashed a fist into the opening Natsu left.
Natsu felt like someone had smacked his face with a wet cloth, not the fist of a giant hyped up Vulcan.
Thanks Luce.
He let his fist rip, the flames boosting his arm and sending it straight into the Vulcan's face.
The vulcan staggered around.
It collapsed to the ground.
And he's down!
"Allright!"
Cheers and relieved cries filled the cavern.
All the Villagers around them were offering their congratulations.
"Wow, these guys are amazing."
"No kidding."
"So strong!"
"Woah, I thought I heard one of her bones crack, how is she standing?"
He turned to see Cana and Lucy on their feet.
Cana looked relatively fine apart fron the giant bruise that was forming on her face, but Lucy was still clutching her side.
"Luce? You ok?"
She nodded slowly.
"Doesn't look like it." Cana stage whispered.
A gleam of light caught their attention.
The big boss Vulcan was morphing.
A blue haired man was left when it finished.
"Macao!" Natsu and Cana cried as they rushed over to him.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood as he opened his eyes.
"Damn. I'm such a failure." He lamented weakly.
"Took down a nest of twenty Vulcans. And fell into this one on the way back."
"He's losing blood too quickly." Cana stated as she examined his wounds. "Anyone here a doctor?"
The villagers all shook their head or said no.
"Tch." Natsu raised a flaming hand. "Macao, hold on. We need to stop the bleeding and this is the only way."
A hand stopped him as he moved it towards the wound.
He looked up to see Lucy's face, pained and concentrating.
The effort twisting her features.
Five stars slowly formed around the four of them, the soft glow washing all of them. The bruise on half Cana's face reduced, Macao's wounds stopped bleeding, and Natsu himself felt softness seep into his bones.
He heard a cracking sound coming from Lucy and the light flickered and died.
Natsu swept in and easily caught her.
"Luce? You ok?"
Cana looked her over. "Relax. She's just unconscious. She really pushed herself. I think that was her broken rib she just healed."
He saw a smile form on Cana's lips as she looked in his eyes.
"You really know how to pick em Natsu."
Before he could reply she turned to the villagers.
"Right! Those who can stand, support someone who can't. I also need a nice strong man to help me carry Macao. We're headed back to town people!"
Her little speech was greeted with cheers or calls while Natsu hoisted Lucy up into his arms, starting towards Helleborus town.
Lucy's eyes fluttered open.
"Luce!" Natsu was sitting there, right next to her bed.
Bed? What?
"oh yeah, we found a new one for you." Grinning, he passed her a brand new Light Pen.
Her side twinged with pain as she sat up.
"Hey hey, easy there." Claudia had come in with a large tray of food.
"Your cracked rib was partially healed by your magic, but it's still tender."
Lucy was careful, but she got up anyways.
-Thanks Claudia. I think i'll sit up to eat though.-
"The whole town is treating us like heroes. we saved half of their people and we defeated two huge Vulcan nests."
-Wait, Macao took out what we did in one shot? on his own?-
"Yep."
Lucy just looked at him in amazement.
-How is Macao?-
"Now you can walk, you can see yourself. Come on." Natsu urged.
She shakily followed him as he walked out the door.
"Claudia, you can come too, we'll eat with Macao."
They walked out the door and followed the corridor outside.
"How do you feel Luce?"
-Like I was punched by a vulcan.-
He just grinned at her as he opened the door and stepped in.
"Yo! Macao!"
"Ah, my rescuers. Hey Natsu. This is your new partner?"
-I'm Lucy, nice to meet you.-
"Lucy hey? You're a gutsy one alright."
"You need to see her fight Macao, she was actually pretty good." Cana gave a little smirk as she stood over Macao's bed.
Lucy went up and gave her a hug in greeting.
"Hey, glad to see you're doing better. How's the rib?"
-Tender-
"Woman of few words." Macao chuckled.
"So when are we going home?" Natsu asked.
"Macao's still injured you idiot." Cana berated him.
"Nah, I'm good to go, I want to get home to Romeo as soon as I can. I've been gone too long already."
-Which means carriage.-
"Oh no." Natsu looked queasy already.
-And we need to pass by Aster Town to collect our reward too.-
"You guys went to Aster town too?" Macao asked.
"Yep. Like i said, she started her guild career with a tour de force." Cana had gotten out the job requests and showed them to him.
"And she chose to come this direction because Romeo was getting worried about you, and she wanted to check on you."
"Quite the capable woman then. In any case Lucy. Thank you for saving me."
-You are welcome.-
"Now can we get this show on the road?" Macao asked as he struggled to get out of bed.
"Aye Sir!" Happy popped out from under the end of Macao's sheets.
"Uhhhhhh.'
-29-
Cana and Happy were laughing as they continued.
"I hate carriages"
-121-
"Help meeee…"
-4-
"Why meeeee?"
-17-
"What are they doing?" Macao asked.
"Lucy's actually counted the number of timed Natsu has said things in their Carriage rides together." Cana managed to gasp.
-It gets old really quickly though- Lucy wrote despite her massive grin.
"Why did I decide to do this?"
-69th!-
Macao started chuckling as Cana and Happy fell to the carriage floor in fits of Laughter.
"Cana, you don't have to carry me like this."
"Zip it, you can't walk very well."
"You don't have to bridal carry him though." Natsu harrumphed.
What are you saying Natsu?" Happy chirped then put on an imitation of Elfman. "A real man should be able to be carried if they want!"
They all smirked at Macao grimace.
"Fine, I'll put you down."
"Yiaaaa! Carefull woman! I almost felt things break."
Lucy stretched out as they walked through Magnolia park, watching her guildmates in front of her.
The green in Natsu's face was fading, and Cana was helping Macao limp towards Romeo's favorite spot in the gardens.
"DAD!" Romeo cried as he rushed towards them.
"I'm sorry, I…"
Macao just took him in a huge hug.
"I'm all right. Next time ask those kids if their parents can take out a whole Vulcan Nest on their own."
Romeo just leaked more tears as he hugged Macao harder.
The other three's eyes just met and they all smiled at each other as they started to walk away.
She heard whispering behind her.
"Thank you Cana, thank you Natsu! and most of all, thank you Lucy!"
Romeo called after them.
Lucy just smiled as they walked back to the guild hall.