"Ugh…" Natsu moaned in agony. "A three hour train ride is too long!" He clutched his pained stomach as he walked.
"Don't worry, Natsu, it's over now." Happy said, trying to cheer his best friend up.
"It's not! We still have to get up the mountain!"
"I can carry you."
"I don't know if you can; this pack is pretty heavy."
Happy huffed, "I can carry you and that pack any day!"
"Fine, I'll let you," Natsu laughed. He still did not think Happy would be able to do it, but if it made him feel better…
Natsu and Happy had arrived in Avalmir without a hitch. They exited the train, much to Natsu's delight, and began walking to the base of the mountain in this city. Many of the sidewalks were brick, rather than concrete, which Natsu found pretty. There was a stark lack of greenery in the non-residential areas, however, which Natsu did not like.
Many of the houses they passed by were large and elegant, obviously owned by those more fortunate. Even the shopping areas seemed rich, Natsu thought, noticing a very different vibe than the one he was used to at home. It was pretty, he supposed, he simply would not want (nor be able) to live there.
"Is it cold?" Natsu asked Happy. He could feel temperatures to an extent, but he could never figure out how warm or cold it had to be until normal people were affected by it.
Happy was covered in fur, so even his perception of temperature was skewed. "It's not too bad," Happy responded, "but winter hasn't set in yet, and the mountain will be a lot colder."
"I guess it's good that I'm the one doing this job, then…" Natsu mused. "I just hope my partner won't suffer from the cold."
"Mira said she thought through all of her candidates. I'm sure she took that into consideration."
"Sure, I just can't think of anyone else who can manage the cold the same way I can."
"Hm…" Happy trailed off, "I'm sure it will be fine."
Natsu shrugged. "Yeah, you're right." He looked around. "Hey, we're close enough to start flying, right?"
"Yeah, sure!" Happy picked Natsu up by his scarf. He struggled a little with the added weight of Natsu's pack but managed to carry him. The flight up the mountain was short but very scenic. The transition from grasses and exposed stone to snow was very sudden.
Happy saw some homes built into the mountain, so he kept close to the ground in order for them to see which house they needed to be at. They had a general idea of where it would be, but they could not be sure until they saw the number on the house.
"Woah," Natsu muttered, "is that it?"
The house was insanely large, made even larger in Natsu's mind since he had always lived in a small home. It was built in a U shape, the wings of the house surrounding a large courtyard and pool. Natsu tried to count the rooms, but the windows were so large and irregular that it was hard to tell where one room ended and the other began.
They landed softly in the grass by the front entrance. Grass does not usually grow on mountaintops, but the people who lived here could afford the fertilizer and irrigation necessary to maintain a healthy lawn at this altitude. Natsu and Happy walked to the front door. An expensive looking knocker sat dead-center on the door. Natsu hit it three times. He wondered how, in a house this large, the sound of the knocker could even be heard. There was no way a person could hear it in the far corners.
Natsu heard someone come up to the door and slowly unlock it. It swung open and Natsu saw a young bearded man holding the handle.
"Hello," the man hailed, "are you the other wizard?"
'The other wizard? So my partner must be here already!' Natsu thought. He pivoted to show the man his guild mark. Happy did the same.
"Wonderful! Follow me." The man stepped to the side, allowing Natsu and Happy to walk inside. The entryway was large and posh. The floor was made up of deep brown wood. The walls were engraved and gilded in elegant swirls and tall columns. The entire house was engulfed in classical opulence.
"You can put your stuff over here." The man pointed to a corner. There were already some bags there, but Natsu could not recognize who they might be from. He placed his pack next to them.
"How was the ride here?" the man asked as they walked.
"The train was pretty bad, but Happy—" Natsu pointed at Happy for the man's benefit, "—made going up the mountain easy."
He looked politely curious. "An exceed! Aera magic, right?"
"You know about exceeds?" Happy asked, shocked.
"Yes, of course!"
"How?"
"I've met a few… the first had aera, and I thought it was just her. By the time I met the third one I realized that all exceeds knew aera."
"Most people we've met don't even know what exceeds are," Happy said.
"That's strange." After walking through the entry room, the man opened an ornate door into a hallway. "Down here, sir," he pointed. He held the door open to allow Natsu and Happy to enter before him. The hallway was equally as posh as the entry room.
"The Madam's guest office is just down the hall," the man informed, closing the door behind them.
"Thanks," Natsu replied simply. They followed the man down the hallway. He stopped at a door and knocked politely with the back of his hand.
"Madam?" he called.
"Come in!" an old woman's voice returned. The man promptly opened the door. Natsu peeked his head over the man's shoulder.
"Are you the—" Natsu stopped in his tracks. His eyes flicked over the large study. A desk sat on the far left with the woman sitting behind it. She was most definitely a rich old lady. A chunky necklace made of some expensive stone—Natsu could not tell what—sat over a solid-color smooth shirt. The shoulders were ruffled and solidified her frame.
The woman is not what shocked Natsu, however. Sitting just a few feet away on a stiff, clean couch was his partner. The man he least expected: Gray Fullbuster! Natsu was almost too shocked to get mad. He sputtered in place, trying to come up with anything to say.
Gray's head slowly turned to face the doorway. Natsu got half a second to see his usual uninterested expression change into one of genuine hate.
"Why, hello! Come in, come in!" The old woman interrupted their shock. Natsu forced himself to ignore his circumstances and smile.
"Hello," he greeted tensely. He sat down on the couch, right next to Gray. If Natsu were to look at Gray's face, he would see pure indignance. Happy followed Natsu quietly, afraid of what was going to happen.
The old woman looked between them. "You two are from the same guild?"
"Yeah," they both said tensely.
"We just, ah, didn't know who our partners were gonna be until now," Natsu added.
"Why is that?"
"I'm, um… not sure." Now that Natsu saw his partner, he suddenly had an idea on why they were not told. What the fuck, Mira?
Gray's eyes peeked over at Natsu. At least this was not intentional on his part. He shared the same thought with Natsu: 'What the fuck, Mira?'
"Well, both of you are here now, so we can begin to discuss business," the old woman began. "My name is Ruth, I'm the one who sent out the request that brought you two here. I'm sure you know the details, but I'll go over them again anyway.
"I'm leaving my house for a year to go live abroad. Usually, I would leave my house in the care of my servants, but the aggressive mountain climate would certainly be too much for them to handle. I wanted a wizard or two with weather-specific magic to upkeep the house while I'm gone.
"On that point, could you two introduce yourselves and tell me what magic you use?"
"Gray Fullbuster. Ice maker magic," Gray said first.
"My name's Natsu, I use Fire dragon slayer magic," Natsu answered after Gray.
"I'm Happy, I have Aera magic," Happy finished.
Ruth looked shocked for a moment. She stood halfway out of her seat and looked down. She apparently had not noticed Happy.
"Oh," she exclaimed. "Uh, well, alright. Fire and ice are extremely good to hear."
The room fell into silence for a moment and Ruth tapped her foot under the desk.
"I hope you understand that Happy can't come along on the mission, yes?"
Silence permeated the room again.
"...huh?" Natsu uttered. The worst outcome imaginable! Gray as his partner, and without Happy? "Miss, if Happy can't—"
"—That's alright," Happy interrupted Natsu.
"What?" Natsu stood up suddenly. "No way, Happy, you can't!"
"Oh, sit down, Natsu," Gray huffed quietly.
Natsu threw an angry look at Gray but did no more. He did not want the woman to immediately know how much they hated each other. He plopped his ass back down into the couch.
"I don't understand why you're supporting this!" Natsu hissed quietly to Happy.
Ruth looked between all of them, trying to figure them out, "My apologies, I thought the exceed was just brought for travel."
"Happy isn't transportation!"
"Ah, um… sorry."
Gray rubbed his face with one hand, "They just need a minute."
"Ma'am, will I be able to visit on holidays?" Happy asked, ignoring Natsu's protests.
"Yes, you may visit sometimes. Natsu and Gray may not leave the plot, however."
"See, Natsu, we won't be totally separated!" Happy thought Natsu had sounded very excited when he told him about the mission, and he did not want to ruin that for Natsu. Happy was trying to be selfless, but Natsu certainly did not see it that way.
"Will you be taking it?" Ruth asked, wanting to get to the point.
"I—" Natsu stuttered, unsure. He could not fathom living with Gray, especially without Happy, but… he could not lie to himself; he really had been excited. He did not want to say no to this woman, not to her face. "Well, I…"
Gray looked hard at Natsu in his peripherals. Was he really considering it?
"...I'll do it."
"Wonderful! And you, Gray?"
He sighed and leaned back on the stiff couch, "Oh, what the hell! Yeah, I'll do it."
Ruth looked confused for a second, "Alright." She stood out of her chair. She moved very slowly, likely due to age. "Follow me, we can show you around."
"Ah, w-wait! Let me say goodbye to Happy, first."
"Sure. I'll wait outside."
The woman left the room and left the three alone.
"Alright, so what the fuck are you doing here?" Gray said instantly as the door closed.
"Be quiet! I'm taking this mission."
"No, you're not! I'm taking it! I was here first!"
"Mira told me about it first!"
"You can't possibly know that."
"I do; Mira told me!"
"She said that to me, too, dumbass!"
"Uh, guys…" Happy interjected. He was quickly drowned out.
"Well, one of us was being lied to, and it's probably not me," Gray retorted.
"Oh, shut up!"
"I'm not the one who intercepted a mission!"
"Guys!" Happy yelled, flying up to their eye level, "Stop!"
"Ugh!" Gray exclaimed angrily.
"Happy, you don't understand! I wanted this mission, I'm not gonna let this prissy ice bitch ruin it!" Natsu raised his hands in exasperation.
"I know, but…"
"I wanted this too, asshole!" Gray said forcefully, "I'm not leaving!"
"I'm not leaving, either!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Alright, so you two are just gonna take the mission together?" Happy asked, clarifying the situation.
"I guess so…" Natsu mumbled, refusing to meet any of their eyes. "Just don't get in my way and we'll be fine."
"This house is huge, we can each take a half. But if I ever see you in my half expect to get beat up!"
"As if I'd ever lose to you!"
"...I'm gonna tell the lady you're ready now," Happy interjected.
"No, wait!" Natsu stopped him, "I didn't get to say goodbye. That's what I wanted to do originally, anyway."
"Ah, I forgot!"
"I'll miss you, buddy," Natsu said quietly and sentimentally.
"I will too! But I'll see you sometimes!"
"Not often enough."
Happy flew into Natsu's arms. They did not get emotional with each other often so the hug did not last long.
"Okay. Now let's go," he finished.
All three of them left the room to reveal Ruth and the butler. Gray hoped they had not heard too much.
Ruth greeted them, "Natsu and Gray: follow me, and Happy… it was nice to meet you."
Happy nodded. He followed the butler, retracing the path they had taken into the house. Natsu watched him go. He had just made a very consequential decision, and he hoped he would not come to regret it.
"Well!" Ruth directed their attention back to her, "This entrance hallway connects to other hallways that lead to the rest of the house. I'll show you how to get to the main living area first."
Ruth led them through the house. It was three stories, built in a U-shape, with an almost uncountable amount of rooms. Immediately after the initial hallway, in the curve of the U, was the main living room. There were no floors above this particular area, so the ceiling stretched ridiculously high. The borders of the room were marked on either side by stairs to the second and third stories. If one did not want to walk up the stairs every time, a reasonable desire considering their large size, they had an escalator function. A button on the handrail would kick the stairs into movement. If you pressed the button at the bottom, they would move up, but if you pressed the button at the top, they would move down; removing the need for two separate escalators. The wall that faced the inside of the U was completely glass, allowing unobstructed vision of the grounds. The room itself held scattered couches, tables, pillows, blankets, books, magazines, televisions, a fireplace, anything that might be needed in a living room. Everything was tiled, but the floors themselves had a heating system so cold feet would never be a problem.
Ruth first led them into the left wing. She did not take them into every room, it would take too long, but she gave them an idea of what was in every area. The first floor was a large kitchen and dining area. It was very formal and held an impressive, long dining table in the middle. Of course, there were also a handful of bathrooms.
The second floor had more sitting space, a library, and a theater. The third floor had three master bedrooms, all with en suite bathrooms and walk-in closets. Their doors connected in the middle to one—relatively small—conjoined sitting space. The right wing was, while not exact, pretty similar to the left. The first-floor kitchen was less formal, more of a bar. There was no grand dining table, but still had lots of space to eat at. Instead of the library there was a gym, and instead of the theater there was a game room.
Ruth explained that, since there would be no servants staying with them, they would have to periodically go into the servants quarters for various reasons. Laundry, mostly. However, if there were failure's in the house's systems, they would have to access the water boiler, electrical breaker, as well as other important wire and pipe connections located in those quarters. You got into them through little hidden doorways in tucked-away corners. Many of the doors were painted the same color as the wall, so they were really hard to see. The doors led into long hallways—almost tunnels—that ran around the entire estate. None of the servants lived at the mansion, so there were no bedrooms, but there were small kitchens, break rooms, and work rooms. The layout of the servant's quarters was terribly confusing, so Ruth gave them a map.
They finished the tour right where they started it—in Ruth's office.
"Any questions?" Ruth asked them.
Natsu and Gray looked at each other briefly. "Ah, uh, no, not really," Natsu answered for both of them.
"Well, I do," Gray corrected him, "will we be buying food with our own money?"
"Oh, thank you for reminding me!" Ruth went to her desk and pulled out a large sealed envelope. "There's a credit card in here. Use it to pay for whatever you need—but I can see everything you buy with it, so don't try to pull something funny."
She tried handing the envelope off to Natsu, since he was closer, but Gray snatched it away before Natsu could grab it. He did not trust Natsu with something that important. Ruth, who had already sensed that something was off between the pair and chosen to ignore it, pressed on. "I will be leaving as soon as you two are ready. All of my things have already been moved out or locked away. You can contact me here." Ruth handed Gray—not making the same mistake twice—a slip of paper with her information on it. "Please try to figure it out yourself first, but if you really need my input then go ahead."
Gray took that as meaning "don't talk to me". Still, it wouldn't do to lose it. He opened the envelope and slid the paper inside.
"Anything else?"
This time, Gray had nothing. He shook his head.
"Wonderful! As great as it was meeting you two, I hope I won't see you for another year."
They laughed politely at the joke and followed her as she walked to the front door. The butler was there as well—he had apparently been waiting for her.
"Your house is in good hands, I promise," Gray said.
"I hope so. Thank you."
"Bye!" Natsu waved at her.
"Bye now. Good luck." Ruth and her butler left the mansion, closing the huge door behind them.
Natsu and Gray dropped their friendly expressions.
"I want the right side," Natsu demanded.
"Fine, I wanted the left side anyway."
They both grabbed their packs from where they were stashed in the corner and marched off to their respective wings, refusing to look or talk to each other any more than they had already been forced to today.
Hey! Thanks for reading! Reviews (I think that's what they're called?) are appreciated.
See you next time!