Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail, Rave Master, and Eden's Zero are all owned by Hiro Mashima. Please support the official release.
Chapter 15: Relieving Some Tension
(Que Fairy Tail OP)
Natsu stirred awake as the light of day hit his eyes. He almost thought someone kidnapped him when he barely recognized his own home. Everything was clean and refreshed. They were even new drapes and and rugs, and the floor looked spotless. Even the tables looked he just bought them the other day.
'Man,' thought Natsu, 'Lucy must've gone to town - !'
He looked down and his heart pumped with vigor seeing Lucy sleeping with a smile next to Natsu. She was so close, Natsu could feel her intense heat rub against him almost like heated pillow. Her chest was squeezed to his side and her head rested on his chest. Fingers had tickled on his abs where they rested.
'Did we,' thought Natsu in terror, 'did we drink last night or something?'
That wasn't the case as Natsu took a longer examination. They still had their clothes on. Natsu looked to Lucy's face to find the most innocent, tranquil, and just purely happy. It was the most heart-warming smile Natsu has ever seen from her. And it was the fact that he was responsible.
"...warm..." moaned Lucy in her sleep, "...Natsu...warm...be with...me."
Her arm slithered further across Natsu's torso and she brought her head just under Natsu's chin. Natsu felt his blood go cold with shock and his heart started racing faster. And the faster his heart beat, the more intense his body heat became prompting Lucy to move her body all over him. Truth was, Natsu kinda liked it.
Then there was her own heat as well. Every time they ever made skin contact, Natsu could feel his attraction to her, like he was being pulled by a reel on a fish hook. He never felt anything like it in his life, and Natsu could tell that heat called to him on an instinctual level.
His nostrils caught the scent of fire, and Natsu noticed the smoke a flame dancing just behind Lucy's lips. It was a smell he never imagined from some other fire. He couldn't describe in simple terms, only that it smelled of the sum of Lucy's entire personality. The smell lured Natsu to stay as close as possible to this burning golden flame.
'Maybe this isn't so bad.' thought Natsu, 'A couple more minutes. Hours is more like it actually.'
Natsu relaxed himself and settled his head on the pillow. His left arm reached over Lucy's neck and they cuddled closer to each other. Heatwaves rose off the sheets of the bed. It woke up Happy from the first floor.
"Why is it so ho-" whined Happy until he saw the two fire-style slayers sleeping next to each other. He flew off with a big smile on his face, "I saw everything."
Later, Erza and Cynthia arrived at the household. They haven't seen Natsu and Lucy at the guild hall at all. Before Erza opened the door, Cynthia stopped the redhead and glanced at the window.
"Hold on to my shoulder." said Cynthia. Erza did just that and Cynthia brimmed with magic, "Let's see if the master's lessons have paid off."
Cynthia for the first time used magic of the Giant's Wrath, growing till her eyes were level with the second story. This was her maximum height for now, but Erza could easily perch on top of her shoulder. The two peered through the window into the bedroom, and their eyes filled with stars seeing Lucy and Natsu together. They shrunk down, and cheered softly of a mission successful.
"You do realize she's going to kill us if she finds out." said Cynthia.
"Then we must vow never to talk of this." said Erza.
On a snowy landscape, Rune Knights of the Magic Council were on the hunt for a dark guild that was raiding the vault. They walked on a path to where the supposed vault was. Their leader, a man of huge build of eight feet in height, halted the company. He noticed something on the ground, and when he cleared the snow it was a black purse.
"What is a purse doing out here?" said the leader. He opened it to find the purse filled with fire Lacrima. "Lacrima, huh? Uh, well finders, keepers."
Suddenly, his right arm felt like it was being crushed. The Rune Knight looked down to find a seventeen year old teenager holding and crushing the metal braces on his arm. His eyes were red, and he had a great mane of dull yellow hair. He wore a Gi of sorts with the right side of his chest exposed to reveal his dark guild mark.
"IT'S," roared the teengaer, "A - FUCKING - SATCHEL."
After sending the Rune Knight with a single uppercut, the snow melted away to the brown earth as a geyser of black flames erupted around the area. The earth shook in the wake of its power. When the flames died out, the whole company was beaten, and the only one standing was the fire wizard.
The wizard sighed and picked up his pu - satchel back around his shoulder. He took out a fire Lacrima and ate it like rock candy. Even the sweet taste of pure fire magic didn't quell his frustration. No one says his favorite satchel is a purse.
The next day, Lucy and Natsu arrived at the guild with Lucy's left arm fully healed and back in working order. When they arrived at the construction site, the whole guild gave them bewildered looks as assumptions as to why they were gone the whole day. Some even thought the two were absent to have some privacy. They were only half-right.
Lucy dreaded the thought of what they could all be thinking about them, but this was the closest she's literally been to Natsu. She had been clinging to his arm the whole walk, and she was surprised to find that Natsu was perfectly okay with it. The longer she held his arm, the more she was driven to get closer to the heat of the dragon flames within him. If only Lucy knew that Natsu had the same attraction. It was amazing they haven't gone on a date even.
"How's the arm?" asked Mira at the makeshift bar.
"Better than ever." said Lucy with gusto, igniting a flame on her left fist.
"Glad to hear." said Mira, putting her elbows on the bar table, "So... taking things slow with Natsu?"
Lucy spat out a jet of fire, evaporating the mouthful of water.
"Is it that obvious with me?" whimpered Lucy.
"I think it's cute." said Mira with a smile, "You better get him on a date sooner or later."
"To be honest," said Lucy, looking at Natsu goofing off as usual, "I don't think I need to be in a hurry."
A barrel was tossed in Lucy's direction. On reflex, she shattered it into splinters, but the whole guild was silent. All eyes were on Erza confronting Laxus.
"Why don't you tell them how you feel?!" shouted Erza.
Lucy hated that smug look on Laxus' face as he sat there on one of the benches.
"I have no problem telling them what think of them." said Laxus, "This guild is full of nothing but losers and weaklings. And that brings to the worst of them all, the rich blonde fire-breather. It's your fault you caused this mess."
Lucy barely kept her cool breaking her glass in her grasp. However, Cynthia had completely lost it, throwing down a giant arm onto Laxus which he dodged in a flash of lightning.
"Don't you dare talk to Lucy like that!" shouted Cynthia, shrinking her arm back to normal size, "If you don't remember, it was Lucy who finished it while you lazied off somewhere refusing to help us, you dip shit."
Lucy will give Cynthia this: she knew how to press the right buttons. That smile on Laxus faltered a little.
"Why should I be taking this from gramp's little student?" said Laxus, "You were Phantom Lord's personal punching bag. If I was there, you wouldn't be drowning your sorrows in this pile of rubble."
That pushed Cynthia beyond the point of being angry. Lucy felt her color leave her face as she saw that dreadful change in Cynthia's right eye. Her power skyrocketed like a burning light around her, causing her Titan's Wrath magic to make her grow a few feet to stand taller than Lucy casually. Her right arm flicked through the air a bit to summon magic circles, and dark magic blackened the floor.
"YOU'RE DEAD, YOU HEAR ME!" snarled Cynthia in a beastly, "YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD."
Before Cynthia could wave down her head to bring down total destruction, Lucy blinked behind her and wrapped a whip and her arms to hold back Cynthia since she was taller than her via her magic. It took all her strength to hold Cynthia back, even as she shrank down to normal size.
"Let me go!" barked Cynthia, "I'll kill him! I'll fucking kill him!"
"That's enough!" shouted Lucy, her voice howling like a phantom, "He's not worth it."
Laxus laughs. "Not worth it, she says. That's hysterical. I can't wait to inherit this place and kick all you weaklings to the curb. Your days in Fairy Tail are numbered, kids!"
"I'm 22, dumbass." barked Cynthia.
"Seriously!?" exclaimed Natsu, Gray, and Happy.
Laxus laughed maniacally as he vanished in a flash of lightning.
"Heir to the throne, my ass." cried Cynthia, "I'll get you if it's the last thing I do."
Outside, Laxus casually walked down the pavement just outside the construction site when he sensed a familiar presence. He looked up with a smile to see Adrian perched on a roof not too far with a not-too kind glare toward Laxus.
"Well, well." said Laxus, "If it isn't gramp's favorite little prodigy. The Fairy in the Shadows."
When he opened his eyes, Laxus found the buster sword was thrown just inches away from his cheek and Adrian was right behind him. His face was hidden in shadows to give off an ominous mood. Laxus wasn't fazed by Adrian's speed.
"Laxus," said Adrian, "I believe you were going to try and kill Cynthia right there."
Laxus smiled. "Oh, so what?"
"I'll give you this," said Adrian in a cold tone, "if you so much as hurt any of them, I will personally see to your consequences."
"Are you trying to threaten me?" said Laxus.
Adrian picked up his buster sword as though it was as light as a feather and put it back on his back.
"Don't underestimate them." said Laxus, "Or me for that matter."
"Hmph." said Laxus, "I'll keep that in mind, kid. Go run along to gramps or the Magic Council."
Adrian disappeared without a sound, and Laxus continued on his way.
The guild had an awful mood in the air. The air around Lucy and Natsu was comparable to an active volcano, and Cynthia was tied by hellfire whips in a corner. Erza was quiet holding tickets for Akane Resort. She approached her teammates with a smile.
"Everyone," said Erza, "I know everything seems a bit sour, but I know something that can cheer us up. How would all of you like to come Akane Resort?"
Even Lucy perked up to the proposition. She had heard of the wonders of Akane Resort. Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Happy, and Cynthia's mood brightened at the thought.
"HECK YEAH!"
Erza gave each of her teammates a ticket for the resort. As for Cynthia, Lucy held back her ticket and gave Cynthia a glare.
"C'mon Lucy." whined Cynthia, flailing her arms about.
"Will you promise to drop the temper tantrum?" said Lucy.
Cynthia pouted. "Fine."
"Good." said Lucy. Instead of releasing Cynthia, Lucy dragged her by the end of her hellfire whip. No amount of struggling could break Cynthia free.
"You - bitch." grumbled Cynthia, knowing Lucy was enjoying dragging her.
Lucy never thought she would have so much fun ever. They first played a game of volleyball, but it was a quick match when Lucy paired with Natsu. They were banned from more matches due to the fact Lucy and Natsu finish off by punching the ball with a dual fire fist.
That didn't stop the fun. Somehow, Gray got the fire-style slayers on a high-speed, marine animal ride with him as the driver. Natsu and Lucy hanged onto the raft for dear life to not drown due to their ailments to motion.
"I never missed this." groaned Lucy in pain of her cramps.
"I'll get you for this Gray - gagh." gagged Natsu on vomit.
The fire slayers got their pay back. When Gray fell asleep, Lucy built a body of sand resembling a mermaid on him while Natsu snagged his pants. Cynthia was grateful to see Lucy laughing like a normal person, instead of the demon that enjoyed slaughtering dark guilds. Joining Fairy Tail has really changed her.
Once Gray got out, he used Happy to cover his shame and Cynthia started laughing uncontrollably at the sight as she drank from a hollowed-out coconut. However, her gaze shifted to see a blue-haired, pale woman spying on Gray with dazzling eyes.
'Where have I seen her before?' thought Cynthia, 'Nah, forget it. What does matter is this mango star smoothie in my hands.'
After joking with Gray for long enough, Erza had the team soak in the sun. Natsu, Cynthia, and Happy played in the water. Erza glanced over to Lucy, disappointed to not find a wider smile on her face. Lucy was looking over at the bare-chested Natsu with envy and longing in her eyes, but she couldn't bring herself just to go up to him. A mischievous smile formed on Erza's face, and she grabbed a bottle of suntan lotion.
"Natsu," called Erza, "Lucy needs some help with putting lotion on her back."
Lucy's face went red and she glared at Erza with anger. She mouthed, 'What are you doing!?'
"You'll thank me later." said Erza with a wink.
Natsu arrived, a bit nervous at the prospect himself. There was no way that Lucy could get herself out of this without some sort of confusion, and so went along with it. She turned around on her seat and lay on her back. The Dragon Slayer wouldn't move if Erza's stare wasn't like a mountain on top of him.
"Don't miss a spot." said Erza.
You're so dead. mouthed Lucy.
Lucy and Natsu did not speak to each other the whole time. However, the embarrassment shared between them heated the air around them. But it there was also a... sensual heat between them as well. With the scars from her past visible to Natsu, he didn't expect her skin to be so smooth. Lucy couldn't believe just how firm yet soft Natsu's hands were on her back. She loved every second of it.
"Oh, ho-ho-ho." laughed Cynthia next to her, "How do you like Natsu's hands on your back?"
Cynthia was surprised that Lucy didn't react. She was stuck in her own mesmerizing world. After a while, a simple poke from Erza broke her out of Lucy's trance and she calmly stopped Natsu massaging Lucy's back.
"Thanks, Natsu." said Lucy, leaning forward. Her senses were going wild that she couldn't stop herself in the moment. She was only able to stop herself going for the lips as her own lips danced gold flames and kissed Natsu on the forehead. Realizing what she just did, or rather tried to, Lucy suddenly bolted off. Natsu stood there, and Erza was aghast to see his face more red than she had ever seen him.
"There just might be hope for those two." said Erza to Cynthia.
"Yeah." said Cynthia, casually speaking as Natsu lit himself in dragon fire, "They are cute together."
Lucy got over her little episode and invited Erza to the casino. Erza was a little taken back to see Lucy in a dress. Not once did she see Lucy without her green cloak. Even her demon brand was visible. Natsu really has brought some side of Lucy to come to life, and she was beautiful.
"C'mon Erza, let's go." called Lucy.
At the casino, Natsu was so close to getting a jackpot, but the middle number changed from a 17 to a 16. He was so enraged and upset he threatened to destroy the machine.
"Give me back my seventeen!" shouted Natsu.
"Sir, please don't break the machine."
"But it acted like it was gonna give me seventeen." cried Natsu.
Cynthia appeared with a smug look. She pushed aside Natsu and took control of the machine.
"Watch how a real master does it." said Cynthia, cracking her knuckles and putting a hand on the console, "333."
The dials on the sphere flashed numbers, and Natsu, Happy, and the worker dropped their jaws when they all aligned to the exact she called for. A waterfall of J fell from the ceiling, and Cynthia pulled out a bag to put it all in. With her Giant's Wrath magic, growing her size made carrying the load easier than her petite size. The three spectators watched Cynthia walk away humming a tune with over 10 million J in her bank account.
"You have a lot to learn, boys." teased Cynthia.
At another table, Lucy and Erza were playing a card game. Lucy was somehow making the best plays on the table and had gotten the biggest pile of chips. When someone accused her of cheating, Lucy gave them a demon's glare to get them to back off.
"How are you doing this?" Erza wondered.
Lucy smiled. "When you travel long enough, you see things more just by the twitch of the finger. You should see Cynthia play. She has no mercy. I kinda had to avoid towns with casinos because of her luck and gambling problem."
"YEAH-HA-HA-HA!" laughed Cynthia like a rich taking another win.
Lucy sweatdropped. "If we stay here any longer, Cynthia is gonna run the place dry."
A new dealer switched with them. He had tanned skin and messy dull yellow hair. There was a tattoo on the side of his cheek.
"Why don't we play a different game?" said the dealer, throwing them new cards.
Erza looked down and her eyes widened. The cards at her hands spelled death. Erza looked up to the dealer and her eyes widened.
"How about we raise the stakes higher," said the dealer with menacing eyes, "sister?"
"S-Sho!" exclaimed Erza.
And that's where I'll leave it. If any of you were wondering, that was Zancrow in the snowy landscape. His personality will be different, and he's more focused on fighting strong guys than just killing people.
Up next, Chapter 16: Besiege the Tower
