Chapter Thirty-One
"Lu-lu!" Mirajean called out and waved as Lucy, Natsu and Gajeel walked into the hall. Lucy waved back and looked at Natsu who nodded and she left him and Gajeel. Natsu was about to start walking to the table where Laxus and Gramps were talking but Gajeel caught his arm.
"What?"
"Somethin's off with you and Blondie over there. I can't put my finger on it but I can tell."
"Gajeel; let it go. And my arm too." Natsu eyed the other male hard and even though the red eyes narrowed on him, he didn't look away.
"Don'tcha dare go and get hurt. She may be acting nicer to ya; but that could be cuz she's mad at her parents and getting closer to ya pisses 'em off."
"Why you!" Natsu grabbed Gajeel by the throat and he threw a punch. Gajeel's scales rippled as they turned his face to metal but Natsu's punch still caught part of his face mid-shift. The two started to trade blows and they rolled across the room.
"Gray do something!" Levy shouted and the Ice Dragis looked at her calmly.
"Why? This is normal. They've been on their best behavior since you all came up. Now I owe Laxus fifty jewels…"
"What?" Lucy asked in confusion. Gray picked up his mug of frozen something and took a swig. "Did you two bet on when they'd fight?"
"Yep. I bet they'd make it until after the Rainbow Sakura Festival. Laxus bet before. One last fight while they're at their weakest."
"This is them at their weakest?" Erza asked and Gray nodded.
"We lose our magic and power slowly over the cycle. So we're not as powerful as we will be immediately after the magic is released."
"This is definitely going to be interesting." Lucy murmured and turned and watched as Gajeel got a good kick in and Natsu flew backwards into a table, flipping it over in the process.
He got up and grabbed the table and used it like a club and sent Gajeel into the wall. It crumbled around him and all the girls gasped. Natsu started to inhale deeply and Lucy knew instinctively he was going to use a fire attack. She started to move forward but Levy was already half way across the room and to Gajeel. His red eyes narrowed on her than slid to Natsu who was inhaling deeply.
"Stop right there Gwolmp!" He shouted as he strained to pull free of the wall. Levy didn't listen but kept running. Lucy sped up as she called out to Natsu to stop. But Natsu was too far gone. The fire sprang out right as she got to him and she felt the scalut shift to put her helmet on and she threw herself in front of Natsu. He immediately stopped his attack, breathing heavily. Lucy spun on her heel.
"Levy?!" The fire was swirling where her friend and Gajeel had just been. Natsu inhaled as Lucy's fear hit him like a train. He inhaled slowly as his fire died. His heart dropping with every lingering swirl.
When the last flicker of flame faded; Lucy dropped to her knees. There was a gapping hole where Gajeel had been; but no sign of him or Levy being burnt to a crisp. "Where did you two go?"
"We're…uh…up here?" Levy's voice sounded strained and confused. Lucy looked up and her mouth fell open.
Flying in the air above them was; for a lack of a better description; was a large black cat with even larger white wings. He held Gajeel and Levy in his arms as his wings flapped lazily. He started a slow circling descent and then landed in front of Lucy. Once her feet were on the ground; Levy stumbled over to her friend and hugged her. Once the hug was over she turned around.
"What did ya do that for? I had it under control." Gajeel complained and the giant winged black cat raised an eyebrow; it was scarred which leant him a menacing air.
"Obviously; which is why I had to pull you from the wall at the same time I grabbed that…gwolmp as you called her."
"I am not a Shrimp!" Levy snarled and stamped her foot. The large cat eyed her.
"I apologize. I am not sure what you are. I just arrived on the Guild Station but a few skrits ago."
"I'm human, and an adult one at that." Levy puffed up her cheeks. "Who are you?"
"How remiss of me. I am General PantherLilly; of Her Majesty's Exceed army."
"Your an Exceed?" Lucy asked, perking up and he nodded and looked at her.
"Lu-chan?" Levy asked and Lucy shook her head.
"The Exceeds lived on Edolas with the Dragis. Natsu mentioned them….that a river his family visited often was near their Hallow."
"You are well informed." PantherLilly acknowledged and nodded his head slowly. "And you are?"
"Lucy. Also human." She tilted her head.
"What's a Lucy?" A young voice asked and a blur of blue and white passed between Levy and Lucy. Lucy's head snapped to Natsu and she started to giggle as he was trying to pull the streak of blue off of him. He finally got it pulled off of his head and he shook it. His hair flopping over his eyes.
"Happy knock it off. And Lucy is her." Natsu spun the blue blur around and Lucy's eyes widened. A small blue cat stared at her, his white wings small and folded on his back. She smiled at the smaller Exceed.
"Hello Happy. I'm Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia."
"Hello. Are you a fish?"
"Nope." Lucy wanted to laugh as his face fell. "I'm human. We have fish on earth though."
"Do yours have wings."
"No. Ours tend to stay in the water. Some jump out but not enough to require real wings."
"Oh boy!" The furry head spun to look at the Dragis holding him. "We have to go fishing Natsu! Even you'd be able to catch some if they can't fly away from your skill-less attempts at casting a line."
"Hey I'm not skill-less." Natsu groused and Lucy giggled.
"Maybe we can find a lake or river that is Draconic free." She smiled and the furry head spun to look at her.
"We? Are you going back down?"
"Yep. Natsu and I are a team; so where he goes I'm going to go."
"What? But Natsu and I are supposed to be a team?!" Tears started to well up and Lucy walked over and patted the furry head; surprised at how soft it was.
"Well now we can be a team of three."
"You mean that?" Happy asked looking up at her.
"Of course."
"Yay!" He pulled free of Natsu and flew around Lucy and wiggled joyously. "I like this Lushee! She's nice."
"Yeah buddy, she is." Natsu murmured as Lucy smiled and spun under Happy then caught him and cradled him close. He murmured softly. "She definitely is."
"Are humans strong enough to fight Draconics?" PantherLilly asked and Gajeel shrugged and pointed at Lucy, then Erza.
"Those two have fought and won against them. That male over there," He pointed at Elfman who waved sheepishly. "Also fought and killed one. Barehanded."
"Most impressive." PantherLilly nodded. "What was the fight about?"
"Nothing important." Natsu interjected and glared at Gajeel who snarled back. Lucy and Levy rolled their eyes. Lucy shook her head.
"But none of this is important. We have work to do to get this festival to go off smoothly."
"Hear hear!" Lisanna cheered and Lucy and Natsu laughed.
"What festival?" Happy asked from where he had curled on Lucy's shoulders.
"We're having a Rainbow Sakura Magic Festival here on the Guild Station." Natsu explained and Happy's expression brightened until he flew up. As he was cheering while flying in a circle; there was a squeaky pop and his wings disappeared and he started to fall. Lucy leapt forward and caught the Exceed before he hit the ground and Natsu caught her so she wouldn't topple over as the angle she caught him was rather low.
"What just happened."
"I used up too much magic so my wings went away." Happy looked sheepish.
"You poor thing." Lucy murmured and scratched his head. "I'm glad however that you are safe. How about you help us plan and work."
"Yes! I'll be glad to help. I'll be the best helper here!"
"Is Happy okay?" Levy asked and looked at the blue cat who was snoring on a table by the windows. "He fell asleep five minutes after saying he'd be the best helper here."
"That's Happy for you." PantherLilly shook his head. He had, to the surprise of everyone; had changed his appearance and was no longer over six feet tall but was now the same size as Happy. "He's got heart but he's lazy."
"He's still young." Natsu said from where he, Rouge and Freed were working on creating the signs for all the stalls for the festival. Gajeel and Sting had created them but now their group were shaping and writing.
"He's not much younger than the other Exceeds. And they can gain height or even change their appearance some." Freed murmured.
"Everyone's skills are different. And they do things in their own time." Lucy said and looked at the blue Exceed. "And there is nothing wrong with being youthful, and at times, lazy."
"I guess that is true."
"Thanks for standing up for him Luce." Natsu murmured and looked over at the small Exceed.
"He's your friend, and he seems like he might be one for me too."
"I helped hatch him…after." Natsu said and looked at the small Exceed and then looked at Lucy who had set down her supplies and was looking at him intently. "Being a fire Dragis I was able to keep his egg warm enough without risking damage to him."
"I'm glad you were there then." She said and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his chest. He looked down at her, stunned and confused. The noise around them was fading the longer he held her gaze. Her eyes were filled with a lot of emotions and he felt as if those feelings were transferring to him.
"Get a room lovebirds." Cana shouted and Lucy broke their gaze and she rolled her head, her chin still firmly planted on his chest. She stuck her tongue out at her friend who cackled and shook her head, her brown hair bouncing in the ponytail she'd pulled it up into. She'd ditched her jacket and was just wearing a bikini top that had made a few different Guild members to stop and stare. Lucy pulled her tongue back in and turned her head back to Natsu.
"She's incorrigible but she's my friend; what can I do? And we do have a lot of work to do."
"We do." He said and inhaled deeply as she pulled away. But unlike the last few weeks, he didn't feel pain or loneliness as she pulled away. He watched her walk over to Levy and Wendy and start helping with their project for Wendy's Air Candy stall.
"Young love." General Makarov said softly making Natsu jump. As he came down his fangs were bared which had the older man chuckling.
"Don't do that!"
"Distracted by young miss Lucy I see."
"You aren't surprised by that." Natsu murmured and turned to go back to where Rouge and Freed were still working.
"No, I'm not. Slightly envious, but not surprised." Makarov watched as Natsu formed fire in his hand and slowly started to weld the sign's angles together for support where Rouge outlined with his shadows. Freed was using his word magic to create a rotating advertisement.
"Envious of what?" Natsu asked as he squinted to get a crevice welded just right. Rouge looked up and from him to the General and then to Lucy.
"Not being as young anymore probably."
"Watch it brat!" Makarov shouted and threw his fist forward. He heard the gasps of the human females when his fist and forearm stretched and multiplied in size. Rouge went flying across the room and disappeared into shadows instead of making a hard impact. He reappeared close to Yukino which had her leaning closer to Sting who was cracking up.
"Uh…what just happened?" Lisanna asked and Laxus chuckled.
"That was Gramps using his enlargement magic. He was known as the Tiny Giant back on our world."
"Edolas?"
"No…I'm only part Dragis." Laxus sighed and that made all the humans look over. Makarov made a face and Laxus shrugged. Natsu and the other Dragis shifted and Laxus held his hands up. "It comes up every time new members join Fairytail.. They'd know eventually."
"It doesn't matter." Mirajean shook her head and stood up from where she'd been painstakingly painting signs. It was the last place she'd been assigned; while she had the heart and want-to to do a lot of jobs; she's was not artistically talented. "We're just glad you are both yourself and here. That's more than important that if you are half or full Dragis."
"Yer makin' the Boss man blush." Bixlow chuckled then the room lit up as lighting appeared; hitting him square in the face.
"Idiot." Gray, Freed, Gajeel and Lisanna all said while shaking their heads. Laxus was smirking as Bixlow crumbled to the ground. Mirajean giggled and shook her head and pointed at him.
"Now you have to help Evergreen, Kiana and their group with the benches until Bixlow can get to his feet." Erza said and pointed at Wendy who froze mid-step. "You do not need to waste your magic on healing him. That lighting was not too intense."
"And the militant leader has emerged." Lucy whispered to Levy who snorted and the two ducked their heads when Erza's gaze swung to them. Makarov grinned and looked around as people started to laugh and get back to work. He looked from Lucy to Natsu and he eyed the Dragis slowly.
"Natsu….Walk with me."
Natsu sighed heavily and headed after the old man. Lucy watched him go and the looked at Levy when she was elbowed. She rolled her eyes but went back to work.
"What's eating at you Gramps?" Natsu asked as he followed the General to the bar. His leader leapt onto the main bar and used his magic to lengthen his arm to pour himself a mug of his favorite spiked drink.
"You seem different this morning."
"I had a good night's sleep." Natsu said softly and he looked up at his leader.
"It wasn't just that. You've slept well since you've came back from the planet's surface." Makarov shook his head and took a sip. "This is something else, something else entirely."
"Lucy and I have been talking before bed, getting to know one another better." Natsu hedged. Makarov nodded and took a longer pull of his drink.
"What aren't you telling me boy?"
"Would you tell your leader everything you said or did with your growlkin?" Natsu asked and the older man shook his head. Natsu leaned on his hands as he planted them behind him on a table.
"No. No I wouldn't. But I hope you understand why I'm asking."
"I don't blame you. But I'm not close to going into a mental stasis."
"Are you sure about that?"
"A.I.?" Natsu asked and there was a low hum.
"Your biometrics are steady and closer to your baseline than previously recorded since your mental stasis on the planet's surface."
"Most interesting. I didn't realize that the Station read those types of things."
"I was instructed by Lucy to keep an eye on them and report any worrying levels to her immediately."
"I see." Makarov chuckled. "That girl is smart."
"She is that." Natsu smiled as he thought of Lucy. "She's picked up on Intersellar Guild Language quicker than anyone I've ever seen. And she's able to look at anything to use in more than it's intended way."
"I've heard from Laxus and your reports." Makarov admitted. "Is there something on your mind?"
"I want to…I need to…" Natsu inhaled deeply. "I feel the need to speak with her parents."
"I don't think that is wise."
"I know it isn't." Natsu shook his head and pushed up on his fists and sat on the top of the table cross-legged. "But I need to speak with them. I feel that need here."
As he thumped his chest; Makarov nodded slowly. He set his mug down and looked at the young Dragis in front of him. He'd watched the boy grow from hatching to mature; and from an innocent to a warrior. But even now; the elder male couldn't help but feel concerned that the boy thought he had found his growlkin so quickly.
"She is…"
"What Natsu?"
"She is my growlkin and I don't doubt that."
"I didn't…"
"I'm not stupid." Natsu rolled his eyes. "Everyone has asked, most more than once if I was sure. And I am. Lucy has even questioned it multiple times; and my conviction has never and will never wavier."
"She was unconscious when you decided to gift her your scalut."
"She'd risked her life to save me before that."
"You two couldn't speak to one another."
"We did. We just didn't understand the other. But we managed to get through it."
"You didn't tell her the importance after the translator started to work."
"Why ruin what was working?" Natsu blushed and looked down at the floor and then up and shrugged. "It was wrong and I know it. But…for the first time since I lost…everything; I felt that spark. And I wasn't going to lose it."
"Spark?"
"The spark of joy. Warmth." Natsu rubbed his chest; feeling the engravings on his scales. "It felt like…I had…purpose…again."
"You have always had purpose my son." Natsu shook his head and he rested his hands on his thighs.
"No. I had vengeance." Natsu sighed heavily. "Lucy gives me purpose. Joy. The acceptance that life has more to be experienced than battling Draconics."
"I see."
"Do you really?"
"I do. I too remember that feeling. I miss it more days than I remember it." Makarov cleared his throat. "Alright, back to work. And I'll see if her parents will speak with you."
"You don't have to be a go-between Gramps. I plan on speaking with them after the festival; one way or another."
"Why wait?"
"I'm not going to try and push a mating union on Lucy at the festival. I'd rather our union; when she agrees I'm her growlkin is on a day that is special for us."
"You are more like your mother everyday."
"I'm like my mother? Really?"
"Yes. You maybe your father's duplicate but you remind me of your mother more and more."
"I didn't know that."
"I'm sorry I haven't shared more with you about them."
"It's okay. Remembering the past is hard." Natsu jumped off of the table. He looked at his leader.
"My boy…"
"Gramps, we have a festival to get setup and prepared for. Memories can wait."
"Fine. Don't burn anything down."
"Your no fun Gramps!" Natsu grinned as he headed off for the main area. Makarov sat there; long after he was lost from view.
"A.I.?"
"Yes General Makarov?"
"You'll notify me as well; if anything happens with that boy, won't you?"
"I can set that parameter." The voice faded off and Makarov nodded. He finished his mug and put it on the rack to be sanitized and he leapt off an headed back to the chaos. The energy on the Guild Station was vibrant and he wanted to enjoy it.