Chapter Nine

"Mmmmhmmm." Lucy hummed as she started to drift to consciousness. She could hear the soft snores of Natsu and she smiled despite her drowsiness. She stretched, his arm sliding from across her shoulders down her chest. She froze as his hand instinctively flexed, cupping her breast. She blushed and prayed he did not do that again. She was about to move again, to try and dislodge his hand, when his arm slid lower on its own. At her waist, it tightened and pulled her closer. He growled softly against her temple.

"Growssu." She whispered but he didn't wake up. She cleared her throat and said it again, but this time, she didn't hear the growling version of his name. She heard the translation of it.

"Natsu." His green eyes slowly opened and he grinned at her. She smiled back. "How long have we slept?"

He sat up and looked around. "Six sckrowls."

"Hmmm…" She yawned and stretched. Her back and shoulders popping. He cringed and she offered him a sympathetic look.

"Are you injured?"

"No. Human bodies will pop. We build up air in our joints and when they are popped due to movement or stretching, that is what you hear."

"So it is not painful?"

"It can be a little bit sometimes, but not always. Sometimes we pop things to make ourselves feel better."

"That's a little frightening." He said and stood up and she grinned as she wrapped her arms around her knees. "Why are you grinning like that?"

"Don't forget, to us; you are kind of frightening with your scales and fangs. What you think is totally normal is unusual to us."

"I guess that is true." He shifted a little and the memories of the girls being frightened of his fangs hit her full force. She lunged, catching his hand and he looked down at her. She slowly stood up, using him as leverage.

"I'm not frightened of you. So don't think I am." He looked at her, his head tilted. "I remember that the girls mentioned your fangs and upset you. I'm not scared of them."

"You aren't?" He sounded almost hopeful.

"No. You haven't tried to bite me, so I'm not worried." She grinned up at him. He leaned forward and snapped but she held herself still and trusted that he was testing her. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. "What's the hug for?"

"Dragis snap fangs as a form of greeting. Your acceptance is nice."

"Hang on. Pull back a second." He pulled away, frowning and she tilted her head up to him. She leaned in and snapped her teeth at him. He blinked slowly then laughed. "Did I do it wrong?"

"Show more of your teeth before you snap."

She pulled back and shook herself and then leaned forward again. She grinned widely but tried to keep from looking too demented in the process. She snapped her teeth closed and she watched as his scales actually shifted, turning from the shades of pink to a red color. He snapped back and she snapped in return. He chuckled and rested his forehead on hers.

"Thank you Lucy."

"Of course." She murmured softly. "We should check on your squad members. I am worried about my friends and want to get in the library as soon as we can."

"Come on." He held his hand out and she let him pull her into the chair as it appeared and they were whisked down the length of the vehicle and stopped before the command station. The blue, dark gray, white and blue and white dots showed that there were beside them. The yellow dot was moving towards them but the black was still where it had been.

"Is that one having trouble?" She asked pointing at it. He tapped on it and what she thought was a messaged popped up. He shook his head and huffed in annoyance.

"He found a source of fernonicus and is stocking up."

"What?"

"It's a type of metal. It's rare to find, but is a delicacy for him so when he finds any he stocks up what he can."

"He…eats…metal?" She asked and Natsu nodded. "I thought he was like you?"

"He is a Dragis like me." Natsu nodded. "But he is a metal Dragis. I am a fire Dragis."

"Wait…" She tilted her head. "So if he eats metal. Do you eat fire?"

"Yes. It's delicious." Her mouth fell open to an 'o' and he chuckled.

"What are the others?" She asked and he pushed a few buttons. He tapped on the blue dot. A picture of a pale male appeared. He had black hair and dark blue eyes that were nearly brown or black. He had sharp feature but she thought he also looked kind.

"Gray…he is an ice Dragis."

"Ice?" She looked at the male's picture. "So he can shoot ice at you do fire…crossing his arms?"

"Our attacks are different. But similar." She nodded and he tapped on the blue and white swirling one. A picture of a young girl with long blue hair and large blue eyes popped up. Lucy's hear ached instantly. She looked like a child.

"Wendy is our youngest. She is an air Dragis."

"She shouldn't be fighting. She's a child."

"She asked to come. She wanted to try and save more of your people. She was tired of only being able to heal the lucky few who got to the Guild Station."

"Heal? She's too young to be a doctor."

"What is a doctor?"

"A professional…healer?"

"Ahhh…No. Wendy's air magic lets her heal others."

"Wait…magic?"

"Yes. That is where we get control over our elements." He explained and she blinked, trying to put it all together in her mind. He tapped the white dot. A younger male face appeared and his blonde hair fell over his forehead and he had a scar over an eyebrow.

"Sting is a light Dragis." He tapped the dark gray dot. "Rough is his best friend and is a shadow Dragis."

He tapped on the yellow dot as it had just arrived in the street in front of the library. An older male appeared. He had a scar that went through his eyebrow and how his face. Strong squared features and a grim line for a mouth. "This is Laxus. He is our squad leader. He is a lightening Dragis."

"Wow." She said and he nodded in understanding. The black dot was starting to move. A message came across and he read it and inhaled. "What?"

"Laxus wants us to head in. He has told Gajeel he can enter the library when he gets here."

"Gajeel." She murmured the name and he looked down at her and she smiled at him. "Trying to remember their names is all."

"Come. We'll need you to do the introductions." He said and they were slid down towards the opening. He stood up and set her on her feet. She felt a cool draft of air at being separated from him. He held out her pipe and she reached for her backpack but he stopped her. "You don't need that."

"But how else will I keep the pipe on my back?"

"Right, I haven't explained the Scalut to you."

"Scalut? I think the translator is making things up now."

"Scale suit." He ran his hands from her shoulders to her hands. The suit shifted and she saw the scales appear like when she'd been attacked.

"They look kinda like your scales." She murmured and he blushed.

"The suit is made from scales. The scales lay dormant until needed or prompted. You can also control it enough to create holders for weapons if you need to."

"How do I do that?"

"Hold the weapon where you want it to rest when you aren't using it; and concentrate. If you feel more comfortable, gently tell it what you want." He said and she slid the pipe over her shoulder and waited.

"Loops to hold it in place." She whispered and felt her back shifting and he pulled her hand free. The pipe stayed in place. She smiled up at him. "Thank you."

"Of course. Come on." He said and they stepped outside of the Magi-Hover. The sun was just starting to set and she shivered as the wind whipped around them. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to his side. At they rounded the side of the Magi-Hover, she saw the five other Dragis standing together and felt her legs start to shake. Power rolled off of them, and a part of her felt like prey stumbling into a den of predators. They whipped their heads around and stared at her. She took a deep breath even as Natsu looked down at her in concern. She kept walking though.

As they got closer, she pulled in front which made him growl but she walked straight to Laxus, causing one of his eyebrows to arch into his hairline. She stopped and looked him in the eye. He straightened and she heard Natsu start to hurry over and growl.

"I'm Lucy, and I want your word that you and your squad won't hurt my friends. They're going to be scared and hesitant to trust any of you."

"Tch…" He scoffed and she put her hands on her hips.

"I mean it. I want your word. Or is it not worth much?"

At the challenge to his trustworthiness he straightened even more and crossed his arms over his chest. She mimicked him, and she heard Natsu choke on his growl. She felt her blood turn cold as he glared at her. Then, his lips softened and he smiled softly and lowered his arms. He held one hand over his chest.

"I give you my word as a Dragis, we will not harm your friends." He looked over her shoulder at Natsu. "This one is a spit fire."

"She has no sense of self preservation." He said and wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. She turned and looked up at him with her brows furrowed.

"Don't make me knock you on your ass again buddy."

"She's knocked you on your ass Flamebrain?" A new voice asked and Lucy looked over as the ice Drags chuckled and strolled forward, his hands in the pockets of his black pants. He, like Natsu, wasn't wearing a shirt. Laxus had a duster-like jacket over his naked chest. Her eyes drifted along the others, and the males were all bare chested. Wendy had on a dress.

"Watch it Slant Eyes." Natsu sneered and Lucy felt her lips pick up at the ends. They reminded her of her and Cana. At thought of her friend, she turned and grabbed Natsu's wrist. He immediately dropped his eyes to her.

"Can you stop fighting with Gray long enough for me to check on my friends?"

"Of course." He looked down at her with understanding. She smiled and turned. She started across the street and, to their surprise, didn't go in the front. She went around the side of the building and they followed her to a narrow metal door that was half blocked by shrubs. She put her hand on the door handle, then lifted it, counting out six rivets, then moved her hand to the middle of the door at the same height of the rivet. She knocked twice, waited, then tapped it three times, and then scratched her nails over it in the shape of an x. She stepped back and within seconds it flew open.