-Hurry Up boys!-
Lucy scrawled with one hand as she used the other to help her vault over a tree which had fallen over the faded dirt path.
"Reeeeeal meeeeeen!" Elfman gasped out.
"What even is this path Lucy? And how do you know about it?" Natsu asked as he jogged leisurely, still breathing heavily.
-Smuggler's route. You don't hang around with former pirates for years without picking up a few things.-
Natsu had fallen behind her so he could read her scrawl properly.
"What...she….say?" Elfman panted.
"Smuggler's route?"
Lucy nodded.
She noticed some peculiar markings on a tree, paired with an old rotten rope tied around it.
-Hold up-
"What is it?" Natsu stopped behind her.
-Rest Stop. We are catching our breath and eating something.-
Elfman immediately collapsed onto his back, breathing heavily.
"How did you get food? We left the guildhall almost immediately." Nastu asked confused.
Lucy studied the rope closely.
Several strands of Ivy were tangled inside the rope.
Now, one of these strands will lead to a trapdoor which has food and supplies in it. The other ones are deadly traps. Fun for the whole family.
"Lucy…"
-Shh. Need to concentrate.-
There! A slightly different coloured strand that blended seamlessly into a vine.
She gripped the vine and tugged, the grass holding firm to the trapdoor.
-Natsu! Pull this.-
"Ok, but you better not fart or nothin." He tugged as she ignored him and cut away the tangle of grass and roots with her knife.
The grass topped wood creaked and slammed into the ground, revealing a ladder leading down into darkness.
Lucy deftly climbed down the ladder, summoning starlight into her hand to illuminate the small hovel.
Wooden crates with ceramic pots filled a lot of the room, while a small table was at the center of it all.
Hollows were cut into the earthen wall and reinforced with wood planks, serving as sleeping bunks.
She touched the small Lacrama lantern with her starlight, making it glow and illuminate the room.
-Come on down. Bring Elfman- Lucy wrote to Natsu, who was standing at the top of the ladder.
"You're full of surprises, ya know that?."
Lucy just smiled sweetly back at him as she sat down on one of the chairs.
She got to work sorting through and opening a few of the pots and jars, laying out a spread for her hungry friends.
Natsu jumped down into the hole, landing smoothly.
Elfman on the other hand carefully took the ladder down.
-Water in these jars, crackers, fruit preserves, honey ham, pickled chillies-
She paused to set that particular jar in front of Natsu's place as they sat down.
-Salt Cod (it's fish by the way), and some peanut butter.-
"Awesome Lucy! Did you put all this here?"
-No, I just knew where to find it.- Lucy winked at them. -Believe me, there is a LOT of stuff stashed away in the world. You just need to know where to look for it.-
Natsu was watching her write, casually popping chillies into his mouth like a snack.
Why does that not surprise me?
-So anyways. What do you know about this guy? Bora?-
Elfman had finally had his breath back. "He was a member of the 'Titan's Nose' Guild, but he was kicked out. He's wanted by the magic council."
-Let's be sure to gift wrap him then.-
"Manly." Elfman affirmed.
-What does he look like?-
"I'm not sure myself." Elfman grimaced.
"I've seen him. He's a jerkbag. Blue hair, a tattoo on the side of his forehead..."
Natsu put down the jar of chilies and raced up the ladder. "Be right back! gotta pee!"
"Man, that guy."
-Subtlety is not his strong suit.-
Elfman observed Lucy for a moment.
"What's it like writing instead of speaking?"
-I guess lack of subtlety is a guild wide thing huh?-
He chuckled. "Sorry, I'm curious."
-Not being able to use tones or sarcasm is a pain.-
"I'll bet it is." Elfman threw back sarcastically.
-I can almost taste the irony.- Lucy wrote with her deadpan expression.
-Writing and moving at the same time is another thing. However, I do get to use brackets in conversation (Not that I get so use them often) and different writing styles when I want to be more fancy. Or be a bit loud!-
"Have you thought about telepathy?"
-No one to teach me, and it would drain my magic and focus.-
"We have A guy at Fairy Tail who is Manley Telepathic. He could help if you want."
-I could try that.-
They continued to eat in silence, until Natsu tumbled down the ladder.
And even that didn't last long because his face was soon stuffed with food.
Great Job Natsu.
Lucy grumbled to herself as she continued.
Fall down a cliff with Elfman. And I'm going to have to wait for them.
She sighed as she crossed her arms, leaning against a tree.
In front of her was the crossroads, the meet of the main road to thunder cove, the mountain path and the bandit trail.
"Who the hell are you?"
Lucy looked up to see a big man, spiky gold hair, and a scar down the side of his face.
-Waiting for my friends.-
She wrote simply.
If he's going to look down on and sneer at me I'm not going to give him shit.
"Tch." He spat and continued on the road to thunder cove.
Nice to meet you too asshole.
Lucy glared at his retreating back.
She decided to kill some time. She got out her diary.
"Reeeeal meeeeeeeen."
"Reeeeeeeeeeal meeeeeeeeeen."
Lucy wanted to slap them both as they droned on.
Well, at least we are here.
She peered over the rise of the hill and saw the small city.
Dingy and broken down. That about summed it up. Lucy thought to herself.
Run down shacks populated the hills and cliffside.
The docks, boats and warehouses were the most well kept things in the entire shithole.
Lucy could smell it from here. That familiar nostalgia inducing smell of new fish, old fish and human excrement.
I can't believe this used to smell like home.
It sort of did smell like home though. Her nostalgia as starting the get the better of her as a tear threatened to escape her eyes.
She continued walking to they wouldn't see her face.
A strong arm draped over her shoulders, Natsu drawing his face uncomfortably close to hers.
"You can't fool me. What's up?"
Lucy gave him a small smile. She didn't fully understand how he could know so well, but she liked that he was concerned enough to ask.
-This used to smell like home. It still does, sort of, but now It just smells of shit.-
He said nothing, just gave her a gentle squeeze before letting her go.
"This place looks terrible." Elfman stated as he stared at the port below.
"So Luce, what's our plan of attack?"
-Get more information. Our scout should have already gotten a lot.-
Lucy opened her hand and let out a small burst of light.
A blue dot rose above the town and sped towards them.
"Hey Happy! how'd it go?" Natsu exclaimed.
"You had better have some good fish for me, that place is nasty."
-Right here Happy.- Lucy raised a jar she had saved and popped the lid off for him.
"This looks more like a soup." Happy accused.
-Try it before you deny it.- Lucy wrote with a smirk.
"Ok, fine then. This place is filled with musclebound ruffians. Everyone has knifes everywhere."
-I know that already. Anything on Bora or new ships that have come in?- she penned as Happy had taken in a mouthful of the fish mix.
"Wew Lushy, dish ish prey good." Happy waffled before swallowing his food.
-Bora?- Lucy raised her brows.
"He has his 'merchandise' stored in warehouses in the city."
-Half this frekin town is warehouses!-
"Hey, I got the warehouse numbers, but that's not the problem. We beat him here, but he'll be using a hidden dock and the underground tunnels. He's going to load up the ship and go."
-Anything else? How many warehouses?-
"Um, yeah that's the thing. There are two main warehouses, and twelve smaller ones."
"What?"
"So not Manly."
Lucy stayed silent. The larger pens would probably be for the normal girls, the smaller ones for more 'valuable' ones, for ransom or virgin beauties.
There are only three of us, if we assault the larger ones, the smaller ones would move. same if we attack the small pens, the large ones and all the rest of them would move.
But there is a place they'll be all together.
The ship.
But that'll mean Natsu will be useless.
We can't stage a strong assault without him.
So, subtle way in it is.
-I have a plan.-
Natsu didn't like this plan. Not one stinkin bit.
But Lucy had asked him. He just couldn't refuse.
He growled impatiently.
I've waited enough.
He rounded the corner and rushed the two guards in front of a locked door in the rows of store houses.
"Hey you! Don't you...phumph!"
Natsu swung his fist angrily at the guards.
They flew away and landed flat on the ground with a smack.
His fist had a few scales sprouting out of it.
No, need to be calm. I need to trust in Lucy. If she thinks she can do it, then she can.
Natsu sighed and breathed out.
The tiny scales started to shrink and fall off.
Now, I got some Ladies to save.
He grabbed the door handle and focused his heat on it.
it gleamed an evil red, then glowed a cherry red, then a bright orange.
The handle was starting to drip molten metal.
As the handle was liquefying he lowered his mouth to the handle and started slurping.
Surprising, it's nice and hot. Tastes ok too.
He grinned. There was a good meal in his mouth
The fire moved from his mouth and started flowing down his gullet.
Metal clanged as he spat the lump to the ground.
He kicked the door and it slammed open.
"Who the hell are you?"
A guard stood in the middle of the small room, four girls in each corner of the room.
"Oh, I'm here to rescue these girls."
He's going to try sucker punch me. There's no way he's not.
"Really? What are you their Prince Charming?" He sneered.
"Me? Pfft. I'm no Prince. I am…."
He charged.
Called it!
"I AM THE FUCKING DRAGON!" Natsu roared as he he ducked his head and smashed his blazing fist into the kidnapper's face.
The man smashed into the back wall and his unconscious body flopped to the floor.
Natsu grinned as he got to work freeing the girls from their bonds.
"Since when is the handsome prince the hero of the story?" He bemoaned as he moved on to the next women's bindings.
"Dragons may be greedy, but we protect beautiful things for the sake of their beauty with no ulterior motive."
The second woman was free, two to go.
"Alright girls, who's ready to leave?"
"What about the others? There are a lot of others beside us!" The third girl asked as she stood up.
Natsu grinned at the raven haired girl.
"Don't worry, this is only phase one. A nice loud, distracting rescue mission." He burned the last girl's bindings away.
"There will be ten more warehouses once me and one of my partners finish our assault. By then the bastards will have heard someone is attacking them. They'll clear out in a hurry."
Natsu held out his hand flat, palm up. A small flame flickered in his palm.
"They'll try and load up their ship and set sail as soon as possible. We track em to their ship, and then…"
He closed his fist, snuffing out the flames.
"We'll have em. Come on. I need to be at another warehouse before they move. then I can put you in a safe place."
The women looked hesitant as they stood in the doorway.
"Mister, who are you?"
"Me?" Natsu turned so they could see his guildmark and set his fist on fire. "I'm Natsu Dragneel. The real Salamander of Fairy Tail."
The girls looked shocked.
He growled as he met their eyes.
"And he's going to pay for using my name, and for dragging Fairy Tail's name through the mud."
One of them stepped forwards. "How do you know you'll be able to track them? What if they get away?"
Natsu snorted. "Can't happen. This is the part of the plan I don't like."
Lucy sat among a crowd of girls, wearing magical bindings that she had already nullified.
The guard hadn't noticed her slip in.
When her neighbours had stared at her, she just winked at them.
She looked right at home here, her ragged clothing she had stolen from a washing line along the way.
Her cloak was rolled up and disguised as a bedroll like the other girls had.
All her keys except Aquarius' were with Natsu for safe keeping.
She winced slightly as she adjusted herself. Just in case she had stuck The water bearer's key in an uncomfortable spot.
Lucy had to remember to apologize later.
She doubted Aquarius would like her key there.
At least I'll be able to summon her in a hurry.
There definitely was enough water up there.
And just when I'd cleaned it too.
A man burst through the warehouse door and yelled.
"Get up! we're moving! Now!"
Ermagherd, finally. I got enough stuff to post. I has so many ideas, so little time.
I should probably do Author notes more often, but I don't generally have much to say.
If any o' yall Fairy Tailers seen RWBY, I felt I needed to do a little crossover there-a 4 parter. coming soon...in 321 it's up. well, first part anyways. The RWBY gals need a hug after volume 3. or fifty.
In regards to silent stars- Need to finish bora & thunder cove, everlou, then on to plot teritory. Oooohhhhh.
Thank you to all the reviews I have recieved. Encouragement and constructive feedback is always welcome.
Anywho. Got more procrastinating to do. Later!