Lucy woke up, feeling heavy with her head pounding against her skull. Lucy murmured something incoherent and looked up at the bright blue sky, squinting when the sun hit her pupils. She went to sit up, but the same heavy weight pushed her down once more. Too weak to try and get said weight off, she just tried to figure out what it was. She smiled tiredly when she saw a head of pink hair. It was only Natsu. She let out a relieved breath and shook him awake.
"Natsu...wake up." She whispered hoarsely. His eyelids fluttered opened as he clenched his fist on the sand below them. He shook his head and pushed himself up with his arms, trapping her between them. He looked down at her in confusion, then looked ahead of her and frowned.
"Where...where are we?" He rasped, the taste of sand and salt water coating the inside of his mouth. She rubbed her eyes and looked to where he was.
"I think we made it to Galuna Island," she paused, noticing their position. Flushing, she pushed on his chest. "Now get off of me you moron." He stood up quickly after realizing where he was. He looked away from the blonde and muttered an apology. He grabbed Lucy's outstretched hand pulled her up. She dusted the sand off her skirt and observed the beach for both Gray and Erza. Marie and Happy sat up a few feet away, shaking themselves clean.
"You guys good?" Natsu asked, allowing the two cats to perch themselves on his shoulders. They nodded, while Happy banged on the side of his head, sand pouring out from his ear.
"Aye...as good as we'll ever be." Happy sighed. Lucy waved the man and two cats over when she found Erza and Gray. Gray laid on his stomach shirtless while he gripped onto Erza's arm. Erza was sprawled on her back, also unconscious. Lucy bend down and grabbed Gray's shoulder, shaking it.
"C'mon Gray, we need to investigate the island. Natsu," Lucy turned to the fire mage. "Get Erza up." He shivered and scratched his cheek.
"Why me? She'll just punch me. You do it." Lucy rolled her eyes, but agreed with him. She got on the other side and helped the redhead stand, calling her name to wake her up. Natsu slung Gray's arm around his neck, picking him up. "Wake up stripper. We don't have time for this." Gray groaned and put a hand to his head.
"Oh man...what a wave. I'll be feeling that for a while." He removed himself from Natsu's body and ran a hand through his hand. It was still damp from the water, and coated with sand. He looked over at Erza and motioned for Lucy to hand her over to him. The blonde compiled and lightly shoved Erza into Gray's arms. "This is the least I could do for her. She was the one that grabbed onto me so I wouldn't drift off. I owe her one." Gray chuckled.
He picked Erza's unconscious form in a bridal style while everyone walked off the beach. They all had trudged their way through the dense forest, looking for any kind of civilization. Because that would mean they found their client. That's when team Natsu came across a giant wall of just wooden stakes. It was at least a building tall, and stood two guards looking down at them, holding a spear.
"State your business!" One of them said, jabbing the wooden spear at Natsu. Lucy stepped forward and held her cupped hands over her mouth, so that the sound traveled two the guards standing on the platform behind the wall.
"We've come from Fairy Tail, and were here for the job request you sent out. Would you please let us in, our friend is unconscious. I'm afraid she might be hurt!" Lucy shouted. The men looked to each other, before hardening their gaze at Lucy.
"Show us your guild marks, then, if you're really who you say you are." Lucy, Natsu, and Gray showed them the guildmarks that decorated their body. The guard's front softened and they motioned for someone below them to open the gate to let them all in. They all stepped inside, where a group of villages stood in front of them.
"Hello." Lucy waved politely. A small old man, with long sideburns bowed respectfully to the group of teens. He let a sad smile come to his lips and he gazed at his wooden cane that he had his hand wrapped around.
"Thank you so much for coming. We've been waiting so long. So long..." He muttered. Lucy had a conflicted expression resting on her face.
"Can you tell us what happened then?"
"Well, it started around three years ago. The moon, up in the sky, had turned purple." He paused, looking at a man beside him. "We were suspicious but it hadn't really affected us so we left it be. But then one day, when the full moon showed itself, we turned into horrible beasts." The elder cried, tears staining the ground. Gray looked to Natsu with a frown while Lucy gasped.
"So what do you suppose we do about it?" Lucy asked curiously. She knew it had to do something with the moon, but how come it changed to purple? It was never purple off the island. Maybe this was a type of curse. The man's face morphed into an angry expression and he gave the Fairy Tail a determined look.
"You must destroy the moon. That's the only way the curse can be lifted." Lucy's eyes widened at his words, her back stiffening. That was beyond impossible to do! How did he expect them to complete the mission!?
"Sir, I uh-" Just as she was going to explain to him that was out of the question, the sun disappeared over the horizon, the moon set high in the sky. And it just so happened to be a full moon that night. The villagers moaned and groaned, others even doubling over in pain. Their skin shifted and shaped, changing color. Lucy's jaw dropped in horror when some of the poor villagers grew horns. Children around them sobbed while the adults either cried with them or looked down to the ground in shame.
"This is why we want the moon destroyed. You must help us." Gray tightened his grip on Erza and took a step back, an image coming to his mind. The blonde celestial mage nodded at the elder man and bowed.
"We'll do our best. But for now, we need a place to stay so we can recuperate." The man nodded and had some of the demon women lead them to a night guest house. Lucy dropped her bag and pulled out a sleeping bag from her suitcase. She had grabbed Erza's things and laid them down for her while Gray set her on the sleeping bag.
"Why hasn't she woken up yet?" Gray asked as he watched her. Lucy put a hand to the red head's forehead and reeled back.
"She has a small fever. It was probably the mix of dry sand, humidity, and the salt water. It's a wonder why were all not like her right now. Fortunately, I brought a first aid kit. She should be awake by tomorrow." Gray sighed in relief, feeling a bit guilty he couldn't do more for her. Lucy handed him the first aid kit and allowed him to patch Erza up. Lucy yawned and changed her clothes in the next room over. She looked to both Gray and Natsu.
"I think we should look for clues on the island tomorrow." She mumbled, snuggling underneath the blanket.
"Sounds good." Gray and Natsu said simultaneously. They laid down next to the blonde, Gray slowly stripping out of his clothes while he slept. Lucy tried to turn away from him, only to come face to face with Natsu. Who snored louder than anything she had ever heard. She flipped onto her stomach and groaned into her pillow, and tried using it to cover her ears.
She knew she wasn't getting any sleep that night.
Morning
Lucy woke up to sound of muffled snoring and laughter. Trying to sit up, something pulled her back down. It was more like someone who kept her planted. Lucy groaned slightly at the warmth radiating around her. She could immediately tell who it was. Natsu somehow managed to wrap himself around her waist, pulling her into his broad chest. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Happy and Marie snickering in her direction.
Thank the gods thay Gray was still soundly sleeping. She tugged on Natsu's hair. "Natsu wake up. You're smothering me." His only response was to pull her closer and rest his head in the crook of her neck. She closed her eyes, trying to slow down the rapid beating of her heart. She hadn't been in such an intimate position like that in her life and needed time to adjust.
"Gray's gonna wake up soon." Happy laughed, Marie shushing him playfully. Lucy whined and tried to wiggle out of his grip.
"Natsu!" She said, keeping her voice at a hushed whispered. He stirred at this, his grip loosening. Though he didn't open his eyes, she could tell he finally woke up. He inhaled a deep breath through his nose, startling her. Did she smell or something?
He finally opened his eyes and looked slowly at his surroundings. He noticed Happy and Marie giggling by four sets of feet. Wait, four? His eyes traveled up the other body, gradually becoming more aware of what was going on. And who he was holding onto.
Once his eyes met hers, he noticed the her flushed expression, puffed up cheeks and red ears. Her eyes screaming more embarrassed than angry. He rubbed the back of his head shyly. "H-Hey Lucy..." she huffed and stepped away from him. She stood up and put her hands on her hips, leaning forward to glare at him.
"You're like a damn brick wall when you sleep. Don't hold on with such a tight grip." She mumbled, grabbing her bag to leave the room and change. But before doing so, she bent down to check Erza's temperature. "Fever went away. That's good," she twisted her body to Natsu, who was a little dazed by her response to him hugging on her. "Wake them both up while I change okay. We should probably figure this mystery out before they actually start bringing up destroying the moon." He nodded deamingly and watched her leave.
She wasn't even mad that he embraced her while they slept. She was just angry at how tight he held her. Shouldn't she be mad that he did it in the first place? Growling, he shook those thoughts away. They had a job to do, he shouldn't get distracted! He bent down between Erza and Gray and shook them both awake.
Erza opened her eyes first. She steadied her palms behind her, leaning on them as she glanced around the room. Natsu then remembered she was unconscious that whole time. "What happened? Where are we?" Natsu sat downa and crossed his legs. He explained to her the situation to catch her up with everyone else. Her eyes widened when he mentioned destroying the moon, but he reassured her that they were just going to investigate the rest of the island for now. "I see then..."
Natsu turned to Gray and shook him harder, on purpose this time to mess with him. Gray frowned in his sleep and opened his eyes suddenly. He glared right at Natsu who laughed obnoxiously at Gray's surprised and angry look. "Flame brain..." He mumbled dangerously. But he stopped when he saw Erza up and moving. "Woah, Erza, you okay now?" She turned to him with a small smile.
"Yes, thanks to Lucy's first aid kit. And of course all your help. Thank you for taking care of me while I was sick." He smiled at her and nodded. Lucy came back, fully dressed, grinning happily when she saw Erza awake.
"I'm glad you're up. Did Natsu or Gray tell you the situation?" Erza nodded and pointed back to Natsu with her thumb.
"Yes, Natsu updated me. Which means we're ready go." Lucy pet both Happy and Marie while she held them while they walked out of the guest house. Gray and Natsu got ready pretty quickly. And Erza just finished up. They made their way to the gates and told the guards they wanted to explore the island and find alternative solutions instead of destroying the moon. The man above nodded in approval and let them out.
"I hope we don't run into any trouble while were out here." Marie sighed, leaning into Lucy's touch. Lucy laughed and scratched the feline behind the ears.
"Ah, don't worry. We'll protect you!"
"That's what I was afraid to hear." She sweat dropped. Happy laughed. Just as Lucy was going to counter, a large shadow hovered over them. Lucy and Natsu gave each other an odd look. It smelled like a rat. But they've never seen a rat so big before.
It landed behind them and smirked, gazing at them like they were food. Erza stepped forward and held up her sword warningly. Though the creature ignored this and sucked in a breath, then released it upon the group. Gray and Erza covered their nose as the stench entered their nostrils.
"Don't breathe it in, it could be poison!" Erza yelled out. Her jaw then slacked when she saw both dragon slayers unconscious on the ground. Gray cursed from behind her when he noticed the same scene.
"Happy and Marie, pick them up!" They nodded while holding their breath, puffing their cheeks up. They followed the two mages with both Natsu and Lucy in their clutch. Gray used his ice floor to slow down the smelly beast, running passed the flying animals and next to Erza. Out of breath, they came to a temple and stepped inside.
...
"Oh man, that was the worst stench I've ever smelled in my entire life." Lucy gagged as she regained consciousness. Natsu nodded, letting Happy drop him to the ground. Natsu noticed the echo the building had when they spoke. He hummed and looked to Gray who was also checking out the old temple.
"This place must be ancient." Natsu mumbled, skimming his hand along the wall. Lucy titled her head up and noticed a moon symbol on the wall.
"Moon curse and moon temple...what could it mean?" Lucy asked, her nose scrunching up in thought. Natsu snorted to himself at the observation he just made. He looked over at Happy and Marie, watching as they held up a bone.
"Damn, this place is so weak willed." Natsu said, stomping on the ground, feeling the temple around him crumble.
"What are you doing idiot! Stop-" Lucy's sentence was cut off short when the floor below them gave out. Erza managed to glare at Natsu as she fell gracefully along with Gray. Natsu chucked nervously in the air, Lucy screaming bloody murder behind them all. "Happy! Marie! Fly us out of here!" She shouted, pushing down her skirt that raised as she fell. She gasped, seeing as how both cats managed to choke on a bone, which was preventing them from flying.
Once they fell to the ground, Lucy dug herself out of the rubble and growled at Natsu who only laughed. "That was fun, huh?"
"No!" Lucy screeched while she pulled the bones from Happy and Marie's throat. Once the commotion ended, Erza looked to the group, looking for any lasting injuries.
"Is everyone alright?" Erza asked while they stood and cleaned themselves off. Though Gray was a lot more fixated on something else in front of them.
"Deliora..." Natsu followed his gaze and landed on a huge demon, encased in large chunk of ice. Marie gasped and flew behind Lucy as the blonde watched the demon with a glare. Erza walked up to Gray and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Do you know this demon, Gray?" She asked softly. Lucy could tell she was being as sensitive as she could. Lucy's heart went out the redhead for that.
"This demon is Deliora...a demon from the book of Zeref. He destroyed countless villages and killed thousands..." Gray croaked out, his voice cracking. Gray had thought that monster of his past was finally gone. A vain popped out from his forehead. Natsu, on the other hand, didn't notice the change in his attitude. The dragon slayer lit his hand on fire to get a better look at the demon. Gray saw this and immediately punched Natsu across the face.
"What the hell!" Lucy gasped.
"Don't let fire go anywhere near it!" Gray yelled at Natsu. Natsu held his cheek and wiped the small trail of blood that trickled down his mouth. He growled angrily at the ice mage. Like Natsu was going to let him get away with sucker punching him.
"Natsu. Don't." Lucy warned, walking up to Gray's other side. She looked at him with sympathy for moment before focusing on the demon in front of her. "Gray, I can tell seeing this demon has affected you negatively. I'm assuming something might have happened in your past, I won't ask you to explain it, okay? But that means don't take it out on us. Because you should know better than I certainly do, that Fairy Tail is here to help." He looked down at his bruised knuckles from hitting Natsu. He sighed.
"You're right. I'm sorry..." He whispered weakly. Lucy nodded and pat his upper back, trotting to Natsu and squatting down in front of his sitting form. She brushed her fingertips along the newly formed bruise Gray created.
"I wanna punch him back." Natsu grumbled.
Lucy sighed and brushed away the rest of the blood that appeared on his face. "I know. But he's in a tough spot right now, and we should respect that." She sat next to him and yawned, her exhaustion coming back. Erza gave Gray some space and sat in front of Lucy and Natsu.
"I'm pretty sure now that Deliora must have to do something with the moon curse. And that rat, I think it's connected as well. We should wait here until midnight, since that's when the moon comes out." Erza commanded. Gray nodded and say down, glaring at the monster frozen in ice.
"You said midnight, right?" Lucy checked. Erza nodded, grabbing a cloth from her armor and wiping her sword down. "But it's in the middle of the afternoon!" Lucy groaned, leaning back on some rubble.
"So be it." Erza left no room for argument, glaring at the complaining mage.
"Maybe I should just call out Lyra..." Lucy mumbled.
"Who's that?" Happy chimed in.
"She's one if my spirit keys. She can sing very well!" Lucy giggled, bringing out a silver key and opening up Lyra's gate. The harp spirit gave the blonde a sad expression.
"You should really call me out more often!"
"Yeah, but you only let me call you out three times a month." Ignoring Lucy's reasonable point, Lyra asked Lucy what song she wanted her to play. Lucy hummed and looked around. "Ah I dunno, anything." A beautiful melody began to fill the room, soothing Lucy into a dream like state. Though Gray didn't have the same reaction, tears rolled down his cheeks while he tried wiping them away. Erza looked back at him, noticing this.
"Maybe you should play something else." Erza suggested. Lucy, smelling the salt coming from Gray, gasped and told Lyra to stop.
"I'm so embarrassed. Sometimes her music depends on the atmosphere. Lyra," Lucy turned to the spirit. "Why don't you play something happier?" The spirit grinned.
"Why didn't you just say so?" Just as she was about to play another song, Lucy and Natsu heard unfamiliar voices come from the passage way out. Team Natsu, panicking, ran behind the rubble and watched three mages step in front of Deliora.
"How unlovely! I want to find the ones who hurt my poor Angelica and send them to their demise! In the name of love!" A women with pink pigtails cired righteously. A man with thick eyebrows rolled his eyes.
"Who cares, its just a rat."
"She's not just a rat! She's a beautiful creature made entirely from love!"
"Why are you guys talking about all this lovey dovey stuff? I don't understand!" A third voice chimed in. He looked to be a shirtless dog man.
"You don't understand anything." The man with the large eyebrows said with a roll of his eyes.
"What did you say!?"
"Oh calm down," the bushy browed man sighed. "I was just pulling your leg." They began to examine Deliora after they thought they heard voices. Deeming the place as empty, the three odd individuals left. Lucy looked to Natsu, Erza, and Gray. They nodded and stood up. They followed the mages out.
Lucy could only imagine what was waiting for them at the surface.