Hey guys, I'm back with the first quick update chapter. I'm so glad you all liked last chapter, because I had a ton of fun writing it. This chapter will have Natsu and Lucy revealing their relationship to the rest of the guild, and have the start of Lucy dealing with Loke being a celestial spirit. Just to let you guys know, I'll be skipping the part where Natsu and his team participate in that play. I just feel no need to write that part, so I'll be skipping it. Also if you have questions for me please PM me or sign in and leave it in your review. You have no idea who frustrating it is to receive questions, but the person left the question in a guest review. And 90% of the time the questions are answered in these A/Ns, so please take ten seconds to read these because they will likely answer a lot of your questions.
Even though I've stated this at least five times already in different A/Ns, a guest reviewer asked me who was in the harem. So here we go again, the girls in the harem are: Lucy, Erza, Mirajane, Wendy, Flare, Juvia, and possibly Brandish if she joins Fairy Tail's side in the current manga arc. This harem will not change, no girls will be removed or added from this list, SO DON'T ASK! However, so people aren't confused, these are the girls that Natsu will sleep with but won't be in the actual harem: Hisui, Ultear, Cana, Yukino, Kagura, and Jenny. I repeat, these girls won't be in the harem! They'll just hook up with Natsu at some point during the story.
So with all of that out of the way let's get to the fic!
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
Magic
Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They're all still owned by Hiro Mashima.
(That Same Morning; Fairy Tail Construction Site)
"Everyone!" Mirajane called out, getting all of the nearby guild members' attention. The white-haired beauty had a large smile on her face as she stood behind a makeshift bar. "Starting today we can receive job requests again!" There were several loud cheers before almost a dozen Fairy Tail mages rushed the request board; crowding around it to find a suitable job. "My, my they sure are eager."
"Mira-chan! Can I ask you something?!" Gray exclaimed, as he walked up to the bar.
"What can I do for you, Gray?" Mirajane asked, resting her hands on the bar and leaning forward.
"Have you seen Natsu or Lucy? Erza wanted us all to go on a mission together, and she hasn't seen either of them since we got back to town yesterday." Gray replied, as he took a seat.
"Well I haven't seen either of them." Mirajane said, pointing to the other end of the bar. "But he might know where they are." Gray turned his head and was surprised to see Happy by himself. The blue cat was currently munching a fish Mirajane had given him. "Oh Happy!" Mirajane's sweet voice caught the cat's attention. "Do you know where Natsu and Lucy might be?"
"I don't know where they are." Happy replied, which surprised both Gray and Mirajane. The blue cat was usually always at Natsu's side. "When we got back to Magnolia, I was really tired from carrying him, so Natsu said he'd walk the rest of the way home. But when I woke up this morning he wasn't there. I'm pretty sure he went to Lucy's house and stayed the night there."
"Actually that makes sense." Gray said, as he rubbed his chin. "Flame brain probably went to check up on Lucy, and the idiot probably fell asleep at her place."
"Oh, I bet they did more than sleep." Mirajane thought, suppressing her giggles. "If what Cana told me is true, it's only a matter of time before those two hook up. Then I can finally get my chance."
"Well, Happy is probably right." Gray said, as he stood up from his seat. "Erza was pretty insistent on us going on a mission, so I'll go check and see if those two are at Lucy's place." However, Gray hadn't taken five steps before someone called out to him.
"Oi, ice princess! Where you off to?!" Gray spun around to see Natsu and Lucy walking up the makeshift bar. But Gray was surprised to see that Lucy had changed her hair, and that she was...holding hands with Natsu? The ice mage also noted that Lucy appeared to be rather flustered, if the slight blush on her face was any indication.
"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Gray asked, his eyes narrowing at Natsu. "Why is Lucy's hair all pink? And why the hell was she holding your hand? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were dating or something."
"It's funny that you say that, popsicle dick." Natsu said, as he took a seat at the bar with Lucy occupying the seat next to him. "Cause Lucy and I are dating. So that means you back the hell off her." The silence that followed was deafening, as Mirajane and Gray stared at Natsu and Lucy in shock. Gray's mouth hung wide open, and Mirajane dropped the beer mug she was cleaning. "What?"
"Oh, Lucy I'm so happy for you!" Mirajane exclaimed, leaning across the bar and hugging the surprised blonde. "We need to talk now!" The white-haired barmaid waisted no time dragging Lucy off to the side. Mirajane and Lucy rushing off seemed to snap Gray out of his shocked stupor.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Slow the fuck down! What the fuck is going on right now!?" Gray yelled, as he slammed his hands onto the bar. "What do you mean you and Lucy are dating?!"
"What the hell do you think it means?" Natsu asked, quirking a pink eyebrow. "We're boyfriend and girlfriend, lovers, sweethearts, soulmates. Do I need to fucking spell it out for you?"
"When the hell did this happen?!" Gray exclaimed, as leaned closer to the dragon slayer, a little too close for Natsu's comfort.
"It happened after I beat Gajeel. We confessed our feelings and I kissed her. We've been together since then." Natsu replied, pushing Gray's face away. The dragon slayer hopped over the bar and poured himself a drink.
"Okay, okay...I guess I can understand that you two are dating now...but what's up with Lucy's hair...and...is that a tattoo on her neck?" Gray asked, as he glanced at the blonde as she spoke with Mirajane.
"Lucy's my mate, you figure out the rest." Natsu said, taking a sip of his drink.
"Wait..." Gray muttered, as the gears in his head began to turn. Suddenly Gray's eyes shot open as realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "Oh my God! You two fu-" Before Gray could finish, Natsu slapped his hand over the ice mage's mouth.
"If you don't want to be a pile of ash you won't finish that sentence." Natsu snarled, glaring fiercely at Gray. "Lucy doesn't want us being a couple to be some big deal, so we're keeping it quite right now. So we're only letting a few people know. And yes, Lucy and I did have sex. So, I'd appreciate it if you didn't go around telling everyone this. Also, that's not a tattoo, it's a mate mark. It shows everyone that Lucy's my girl, that's also why her hair changed too. Now I'm going to take my hand off your mouth now, and you're not going to breath a word of this to anyone, especially Erza. I'll tell her on my own. Got it?" Seeing Gray nod, Natsu released the ice mage.
"Holy shit man, that's a lot to process at once." Gray said, as he rested his head on his hand. "But congratulations I guess, Lucy is a great girl."
"Thanks." Natsu said, handing Gray a drink. "I really do love her."
"But I always thought you had a thing for Erza?" Gray said, as he took a sip of his drink.
"I still do." Natsu replied, which nearly caused Gray to spit out his drink. "For the love of God, before you go yelling again let me explain." Natsu glanced around to make sure no one was looking and leaned closer to the ice mage. "Again, you tell this to no one. All of this has to do with my magic. Normal dragons are naturally driven to take one mate during their lifetime, and that trait is passed down to dragon slayers. However, this process is different when it comes to dragon kings. Dragon kings take up to three mates each to ensure their magic is passed on to another generation. Since I was raised by two dragon kings my magic is driving me take multiple mates. It's not something I can control."
"So you'll have up to like what...six girlfriends? How will you choose them?" Gray asked, which caused Natsu to release a light sigh.
"That's the thing. My magic kinda picks my mates at first sight." Natsu replied, as he ran his fingers through his spikey pink hair. "I already know who four of my mates are though."
"Man, I don't know whether to be jealous or worried." Gray said, taking another sip of his drink. "So who are your other mates? It's pretty obvious Erza is one of them, so who are the other two?"
"I ain't telling you." Natsu said, as he smirked at Gray. "You'll just have to wait and see."
"Tch, fine." Gray said, a smirk of his own spreading across his face. "So...how was Lucy under the sheets?"
"Well..." Natsu muttered, as he glanced at Lucy to make sure she wasn't looking. Seeing that the blonde was still talking to Mirajane, Natsu didn't see the harm in bragging a little. "She was-" Natsu was suddenly cut off when a table crashed into him.
(Two Minutes Earlier; With Mirajane and Lucy)
"So it's official now, huh?" Mirajane asked, once she had led Lucy far enough away from the other mages. Lucy's face was bright red, and she unconsciously rubbed the mate mark on her neck. "I guess Cana wasn't lying."
"Yeah, Natsu and I are really dating...WAIT! Cana knows?!" Lucy hissed, panic evident in her tone.
"Cana and Bisca know." Mirajane clarified, grabbing ahold of Lucy's shoulder before she could have a full blown panic attack. "But before you start freaking out, Bisca promised she won't tell anyone. Cana on the other hand...she's only told me so far. But she's seriously a wild card, I never know what she's gonna do."
"B-But how do they know?" Lucy asked nervously, as she rubbed her arm.
"Bisca used her rifle, and saw you and Natsu kiss after he beat Gajeel." Mirajane replied, causing Lucy's face to darken another shade of red. "Cana grabbed the rifle from Bisca and saw for herself."
"This is awful." Lucy said in a dejected tone, as she hung her head. "I didn't want everyone to find out yet."
"Like I said, you don't have to worry about Bisca telling anyone." Mirajane said, trying her best to reassure the blonde. "However, you probably won't have to worry about Cana talking either. She'll probably just use this blackmail or tease you."
"Thanks Mira, that makes me feel a little better." Lucy said, as a small smile spread across her face.
"So..." Mirajane hummed, nudging Lucy with her elbow. "How has it been dating Natsu? Have you two done the deed yet?"
"Actually, we have." Lucy said, as she began to fidget slightly in embarassment. "That's why my hair has all of these pink streaks. Also..." Lucy turned around and pulled down her collar; giving Mirajane a better look at her neck. "There's this."
"Is that..." Mirajane breathed out, her eyes slowly widening when she spotted the mark on Lucy's neck.
"Yeah, it's my mate mark." Lucy said, as she brought her collar back up.
"Oh! I'm so happy for you Lucy!" Mirajane squealed, pulling the blonde in for a tight hug. "When did this happen?!"
"L-Last night." Lucy replied, as Mirajane released her from the hug. "Natsu came over to my house last night, and one thing lead to another."
"Aside from your hair and the mate mark, has anything else about you changed?" Mira asked, inspecting Lucy from head to toe, looking for anything else abnormal.
"Now that you mention it my senses have become a lot stronger." Lucy said, which caused Mirajane to nod her head.
"Yes, the book I showed you mentioned that our senses would be greatly enhanced." Mirajane said, placing her hands on her hips. "What is it like having stronger senses?"
"It was a little weird at first, but it's actually pretty cool." Lucy replied, as a grin spread across her face. "I could smell the bakery that's near my apartment from a few blocks away, and like Natsu I'm starting to distinguish people by their scents. I could also hear all the ruckus coming from the guild practically from my home. Plus I've never been able to see so clearly. I know my senses aren't quite as strong as Natsu's, but it's still amazing."
"I see. That all sounds very beneficial." Mirajane said, nodding her head. "Sooo..." Mirajane cooed, leaning closer to the blonde with a devilish smile on her face. "How was our big dragon in the sac. I bet he was real beast."
"Oh he was amazing Mira." Lucy gushed, as she remembered her night of passionate lovemaking with Natsu. "He was so gentle and caring at first, then he just went-" Lucy was cut off when a loud crash was heard from behind them. Mirajane and Lucy spun around to see Natsu lying on the ground, table fragments scattered around him. "Natsu!?" Both girls ran up to the dragon slayer and helped him up.
"Are you okay, Natsu?!" Mirajane exclaimed, checking the dual dragon slayer for any injuries.
"Yeah, I think I'm okay." Natsu replied, as he rubbed his head. "But where the fuck did that come from?"
"You dare say something like that again?!" The sudden exclamation caused Natsu's head to snap towards its source. What the dragon slayer saw caused him to release a throaty growl. Across the construction site stood Erza, who glaring down a cocky looking Laxus.
"What's Erza doing?" Lucy asked, resting a hand on Natsu's shoulder.
"I'll be right back." Natsu said, as he gently brushed Lucy and Mirajane's hands of his shoulders. "You two stay right here."
"Don't do anything stupid Natsu!" Mirajane called out with a worried look in her bright blue eyes.
"I'll be fine Mira." Natsu said, not turning to face the barmaid.
"If you didn't hear me, I'll say it a little more clearly." Laxus said with a smug look on his face. "This guild doesn't need any weak bastards in it.
"You're scum." Erza growled out through clenched teeth, as she tightly balled her fists.
"We were looked down upon by a guild such as Phantom Lord..." Laxus said, running his hand down his face. "I couldn't bear to show my face to anyone."
"Tch, that dick has been back five minutes and he's already mouthing off." Gray said, as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I can't believe someone like him is an s-rank." Lucy said, frowning at the large blonde-haired man.
"I'm talking about you guys specifically." Laxus said, as he pointed at Team Shadow Gear. "I heard you all were beaten up by the Iron Dragon Gajeel. HAHAHA! That's so pathetic! By the way, who the hell are you three?! HAHA! You're all such a disgrace!" As Laxus laughed at a now crying Levy, he never noticed Natsu stalking towards him.
"This bastard." Lucy snarled, feeling her own anger spiking. "I can't believe he made Levy-chan cry."
"Don't think I forgot about you." Laxus said, as he turned to face Lucy. "Your the stupid bitch who started all of this."
"LAXUS!" Mirajane yelled angrily, slamming her hands onto the makeshift bar. "The matter is closed. No is to blame for what happened. You weren't even here to fight, so we don't need you to add your two fucking cents. And that's an order from master."
"Tch, of course it doesn't have anything to do with me..." Laxus said, glancing at Lucy and Erza. "But if I were there I wouldn't have been beaten so badly and put on such a pathetic display." Laxus' words caused Erza to shake in anger. Before the scarlet-haired knight could act, someone else beat her to it. Laxus quirked an eyebrow when he felt someone grab his shoulder. The large men turned to see that Natsu had his hand tightly gripping his shoulder. Natsu's head was lowered, his wild pink locks hid his eyes and his breathing appeared to be somewhat ragged. "Oi, what's you problem pip-" Laxus was cut off when brilliant orange lightning exploded off Natsu's body. Natsu raised his head, revealing eyes full of fury. Laxus had no time to react, as Natsu's electrically charged fist crashed into his face. Natsu's attack sent Laxus flying across the construction site, and crashing through several tables.
"How dare you!" Natsu snarled, as orange lightning continued to flow off his body. "How dare you say such disgusting things to Levy, Jet, Droy, Erza, and Lucy! Did you know Levy and Team Shadow Gear almost died!?
"Natsu..." Levy thought, wiping a tear from her eye. "You always stand up for all of us."
"Do you even give a shit?! Gajeel almost killed Lucy too, does that even faze you?!" The lightning encasing Natsu only became more intense as his anger increased. "Are you just some sick fuck who derives pleasure from putting others down!? How can you call yourself a Fairy Tail mage!?" By now Laxus was back on his feet, and glaring Natsu down. However, Laxus took a slight step back when Natsu began to advance towards him. "I said I'd destroy you next time we met, and I meant it!"
"Natsu don't!" Lucy exclaimed, tightly latching onto Natsu's arm. "That asshole isn't worth it! So please stop this fighting! Be the bigger man!" Natsu was stunned as he watched Lucy stand in the middle of his lightning, completely unfazed by it.
"She must be immune to his magic now because of us being mates now." Natsu thought, as he stared down at his blonde-haired mate.
"Tch, you're fucking lucky Luce stopped me." Natsu said, fiercely glaring at Laxus. "Because I was ready to bury you."
"Whatever you little bastard! You just got a lucky shot on me is all!" Laxus growled, rubbing the large bruise on his cheek. But Natsu didn't miss the fear that flashed through Laxus' eyes. "I've got better things to do than hang out with you weaklings! If my plans succeed I'll erase all of you weak little shits! And anyone who dares to oppose me! I WILL make the strongest guild in the world! A guild that nobody will look down on! The strongest guild in history!" Letting out one last growl, Laxus disappeared in a flash of lightning.
"Succeed, what nonsense is he going on about?" Lucy asked, as Mirajane walked up to her and Natsu.
"It's not really nonsense." Mirajane replied with a frown on her face. "Because Laxus is master's flesh and blood grandson. So if master retires the chances of Laxus becoming our next master are quite high."
"That's awful...I don't want someone like him as our master." Lucy said, tightening her grip on Natsu's arm. The dragon slayer's presence seemed to calm her. "All he does is look down on his nakama."
"That's why rumors are floating around that master won't retire because of that." Mirajane said, as she released a light sigh. "I seriously worry about him sometimes."
"Don't worry, Luce." Natsu said, glaring at where Laxus had been standing. "That bastard won't become master if I have a say about it."
"You need to calm down Natsu." Erza said, as she placed her hand on Natsu's shoulder. "Messing around with Laxus isn't worth it." As Erza stood next to Natsu, she finally took notice of the blonde that was clinging to Natsu. Especially the celestial spirit mage's new appearance; the mark on her neck catching Erza's attention more than anything else. "By the way Lucy, what's up with your new look?" Erza quirked and eyebrow when Natsu and Lucy exchanged a quick look.
"Erza, can we talk in private for a second?" Natsu asked, gently removing himself from Lucy's grasp. "It's something really important."
"Uh, sure thing Natsu." Erza said, now more confused than before. "There's a secluded spot behind the construction site, we can talk there." Natsu shared one last look with Lucy, before he quickly followed after Erza. Once both mages where in private, Natsu double checked to make sure no one had followed them. "Alright Natsu, what's so important that you we had to talk in private like this?"
"It's about Luce." Natsu said, causing Erza to quirk a scarlet eyebrow. "You asked why she look different, right?"
"Yeah, her hair had all those pink streaks in it, and I noticed a strange mark on her neck." Erza replied, as she nodded her head. "It's strange, because she was fine the other day."
"Well there's a specific reason Luce looks like that now. Now I don't want you to get you upset, and I don't want you jumping to conclusion. Can you do that?" Natsu asked, placing his hands on Erza's shoulders.
"Sure thing Natsu...Now tell me what's up, you're really starting to worry me." Erza said, a concerned look in her brown eyes.
Natsu took a deep breath to calm himself, before he dropped the bomb on Erza. "Luce and I are dating."
"C-Come again." Erza said in a stunned tone, as her eyes slowly widened. "I-I don't think I heard you quite right."
"Luce and I are in a relationship Erza. She looks different because we're mates." Natsu explained, seeing realization flash through Erza's eyes.
"So you two..."
"Yes, last night." Natsu said, as he squeezed Erza's shoulders. "But Erza there's something you need to know. It has to do with me being raised by two dragon kings. Even though I'm with Lucy, I still lo-"
"Congratulations." Erza suddenly said, cutting Natsu off in the middle of his explanation. "I'm really happy for you two."
"E-Erza, please let me finish." Natsu tried to continue, but Erza shook herself out of his grasp. The dragon slayer reached out to Erza, but she began to walk away. "Erza wait!"
"It's fine Natsu, you don't need to explain anymore. I get it." Erza said, giving Natsu a smile that he could immidiately tell was fake. "Now why don't we get the team together and go on a mission?"
"O-Okay." Natsu said, as he hung his head. The dragon slayer tightly balled his fists and clenched his teeth. "I really messed up this time. Why do you have to be so stubborn Erza!? Why couldn't you just let me explain that I love you too!? That we can still be together!"
"Good, I'll go pick something out." Erza said, walking away to pick out a mission. As the scarlet-haired knight walked away, she hung her head to hide the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. "Damn it! I waited too long! Now I lost him to Lucy! I-I never even got a chance to tell him how I felt!" Erza quickly wiped away her tears, as she picked out a request off the board. A sudden rush of anger flowed through Erza while she scanned over the missions. "Taking out an illegal magic school, huh? Perfect, I really need to destroy something right now!"
(That Night)
"*Sigh* Retire, huh?" Makarov muttered, as he took a long sip of his beer. Fairy Tail's master was currently sitting atop the new guild's construction site. "With a new guild hall, there should be a new master too...Laxus, his way of thinking is a serious problem so he's definitely not an option...Mystogan is a complete recluse...Gildarts has been around for years...Maybe...No, she's still too young...Erza, plus she has her own personal problems right now."
"Master!" A sweet voice called out from below. Looking down, Makarov saw Mirajane smiling up at him. "So this is where you've been hiding?!"
"What is it Mirajane?" Makarov asked, taking another sip of his drink.
"It seems something has happened again." Mirajane said, as he pulled out a stack of papers. "It seems Natsu and his team destroyed a stretch of road on their job. Erza herself actually caused more destruction than Natsu this time." Makarov's jaw dropped when Mirajane said this. "It seems she even threatened the army forces that arrived on the scene. The council has requested that we compensate immediately." Mirajane quirked an eyebrow when she saw the horrified look on Makarov's face. "Oh my, what's wrong master?"
"There's no way in hell I can retire now!" Makarov yelled, anime tears pouring from his eyes.
(Four Days Later)
"*Sigh* Alright, that's another mission done!" Lucy groaned out, wiping the sweat off her brow.
"God damn, Erza has been running us ragged with all these fucking missions!" Gray complained, as he prodded a barely conscious thug with his foot. "We've done like what, eight missions in the past four days."
"Yeah, but at least these guys didn't put up too much of a fight." Natsu said, sitting atop a knocked out bandit. "I can only imagine she's doing this to take her mind off me and Lucy being together. I really have to talk to her when I get the chance. I still love her damn it, and I hate seeing her being so miserable." Natsu released a heavy sigh, and crossed his arms over his chest. "She's been avoiding me too. Every time I try to talk to her, she makes an excuse and leaves. And she never wants to hang out with me anymore."
"You're right, weaklings like these guys shouldn't be causing trouble." Gray said, as he gave the thug one last kick. But when the ice mage turned to Natsu, he was surprised to see the dual dragon slayer lost in thought. "Oi ash for brains, what's up?"
"Oh, it's nothing." Natsu said, standing back onto his feet and stretching. "Just thinking about what to eat for dinner."
"Figures, all you think about is food and fighting." Gray said, as he shoved his hands in his pockets.
"I'm finished over here as well." Erza said, walking up to the group as she dragged an unconscious thug behind her. But as Erza approached, she noticed a bandit trying to scramble away. Releasing a throaty growl, Erza dropped the thug she was dragging and chased after the fleeing bandit. "I don't think so!" Erza dove after the bandit and shoved him to the ground. The scarlet-haired knight dug her boot into the bandit's back as she pulled his arm back. The bandit howled in pain, feeling his arm slowly being pulled out of its socket. "I think you need a little more punishment!"
"Erza that's enough." Natsu said, as he placed his hand on the knight's shoulder. "Let's just called the magical council, and have them apprehend these guys."
"*Sigh* Fine." Erza said in an annoyed tone, releasing the thug's arm. With an upset huff, Erza stormed out of the room. "Let's get out of here."
"Well...that job went quicker than expected." Lucy said in a cheery tone, as she tried to ease the tension that had filled the group.
"Tch, I barely had a chance to really let loose." Erza said with a scowl on her face.
"I think you had plenty of time to let loose." Lucy thought with a sweatdrop, gazing at the collapsing building around them.
"Well we've still got our place at the local inn for another day." Natsu said, as he walked up to Erza. "This town is pretty laid back, why don't we stay the night and head back tomorrow?"
"I'd rather get back quickly, and go on another mission." Erza said, quickly shooting down Natsu's idea.
"Come on Erza! We've been going nonstop for days!" Gray complained, as a frown spread across his face. "Give us at least one night to rest and recuperate." Erza stopped in her tracks and turned to glare at the other members of the team. But when Erza really looked at them, her eyes softened. They did truly look exhausted. Gray and Lucy looked as if they'd pass out if they continued at their current pace, and Natsu had noticeable bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep.
"Alright, we can stay the night." Erza said, causing the other members of the team to let out a sigh of relief. "But! We are leaving tomorrow!"
"Fine by me, I just need a good night's sleep." Gray said, as he stretched his aching limbs.
"Huh?" Lucy muttered, something off in the distance catching her eye. "Hey, look over there..." Everyone turned to see a person standing a short distance away. "Isn't that Loke?" The sudden attention caused Loke to turn to his nakama.
"Well isn't this a coincidence." Gray said, as the group walked towards Loke.
"So you got work around these parts too?" Natsu asked with a grin on his face.
"Yeah, something like that." Loke replied nervously, rubbing the back of his head.
"Ah! I have been looking for you! About my keys, I want to thank-" Lucy exclaimed, as she pushed her way towards the front of the group.
"LUCY!?" Loke yelled, recoiling away from the blonde celestial spirit mage. The orange-haired man immidiately began to sweat nervously. "Well, work is calling!" With those final words Loke dashed off.
"Ugh, what's with that guy?!" Lucy exclaimed, as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Man, what the hell did you do to him?" Gray asked, quirking an eyebrow at the busty blonde.
"I haven't done anything!" Lucy replied, as she balled her fists.
"Come on, we've waisted enough time so let's head back to our inn." Erza said, leading the group back to their lodging.
(Later that Night)
Lucy let out a content sigh, as she let the hot spring's warm water wash over her. The busty blonde leaned her head against the stones behind her and closed her eyes. "This is a such a small and quaint town west of Magnolia...I believe it's called Balsam Town. Gray mentioned that it's a popular tourist spot because of its unique oriental architecture. Our latest job was to take a group of thieves that had hold up in a local castle. It was great that we finished early, because now we get an extra night to relax and unwind." As Lucy enjoyed the relaxing water, her mind drifted to Loke. "What's up with him? He's been acting so strange lately." Then Lucy cracked an eye open and glanced at Erza. The scarlet-haired knight was on the other side of the spring, as if she were avoiding her. Lucy noted that Erza had a frown on her face and she appeared to be in deep thought. "Then there's Erza. She's obviously upset about me and Natsu being together. But this is starting to get out of hand. She needs to let Natsu explain himself instead of pushing me and him farther away." Lucy groaned and briefly dunked her head under the water. "Hopefully Natsu can get through to her soon, because I hate seeing Erza like this. She's only hurting herself."
While Erza and Lucy enjoyed the hot springs, Gray and Natsu got some much needed rest in their room. The ice mage was trying to catch some sleep, but he was awoken when Natsu and Happy burst into the room.
"Here we go!" Natsu exclaimed, as he tossed down his blanket and pillow. "Man! It's nice that we can finally get some sleep!"
"Oi!" Gray yelled, turning over to glare at the dragon slayer. "I'm actually trying to sleep here! So can you shut the hell up!?"
"Jeez, you need to lighten up man." Natsu said, as he set up his blanket. When Natsu was all set up, he stretched and headed for the door. "Well I'm gonna go get something to drink."
"I don't care." Gray mumbled, placing a pillow over his head. "Just keep it down."
By the time Natsu left the room, Erza and Lucy had gotten out of the hot spring. Erza said that she was heading straight back to the room to rest, so Lucy decided to walk around the inn for a bit and enjoy the nice night air. As Lucy walked she summoned Plue to keep her company, the little celestial spirit walking beside her.
"Ah, what a great night." Lucy said, as she took a deep breath. "And that bath was just what I needed too. But it would have been better if Erza weren't acting so strange." Lucy hung her head when she remembered the look on Erza's face. "It's like she hates me now, or something."
"Hey there pretty lady." A sudden voice caused Lucy's head to snap up. She saw two shady looking men standing in front of her, blocking her path. "Mmmm, you look great in that yukata. You sightseeing?"
"How about it little missy..." The second, larger man said leaning closer to Lucy. "Want to get a drink with us?"
"Sorry, but I have a boyfriend." Lucy said, as she turned away from the men.
"Oh come on..." The smaller man cooed, beginning to follow after Lucy. "Just for a little while, I'm sure your 'boyfriend' won't mind."
"That's where you're wrong. He would mind very much. He doesn't take too kindly to sleezebags like hassling me." Lucy said, as she turned to glare at the two men. "I bet he's actually looking for me right now, so again I'm sorry but I'll have to pass."
"Oi, that wasn't a request lady." The larger man said darkly, grabbing ahold of Lucy's shoulder.
"Yeah, you're coming with us." The smaller man said, as he gripped one of Lucy's arms. "We're gonna have a real fun time."
But before either man could continue an overwhelming wave of killing intent washed over them. The killing intent was so powerful that both men immidiately collapsed to their knees. Then a blistering wave of heat slammed into both men, causing them to shake in fear. Both men gasped in pain when they felt a strong hand wrap around their throats and lift them into the air.
"You should listen to her." A menacing voice said, the men struggled to see who was attacking them. All they managed to see were glimpses of pink hair. "I don't like people messing with my girl. I should kill you both for trying to force yourselves on her. But I don't want to burden the innkeepers with cleaning up your corpses." Then without warning the assailant slammed both men's heads together, instantly knocking them unconscious.
"Natsu?! Thank God you showed up!" Lucy exclaimed, pulling the dragon slayer in for a tight hug.
"Don't worry Luce, I said I'll always protect you and I meant it." Natsu said, as he pulled in Lucy closer. The dragon slayer glared down at the men, before he spit on both of them. "Thanks for getting me Loke. If you hadn't gotten me in time, and these assholes had done something to Luce...I wouldn't have been able to hold back." Lucy was surprised to see that Loke was indeed standing off to the side.
"It was nothing really." Loke said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Those two were actually my targets, but I felt you should be the one to take them out Natsu." Loke reached down and grabbed both unconscious men by their collars. "Well, I guess I'll go turn these two in."
"Wait!" Lucy called out, as she grabbed the back of Loke's jacket. "Thanks for getting Natsu. And thanks you so much for finding my keys."
"Oh, don't mention it." Loke said, scratching his chin. "I was just doing what was right."
"Hey...if you don't mind, could we talk for a bit?" Lucy asked, which shocked Loke.
"Well, you probably wanna talk to him in private." Natsu said, releasing his grip on Lucy's waist. "I'll see you back in the room Luce."
"Come on Loke..." Lucy said, as she tugged on the man's sleeve. "There's a little bar up ahead."
(Five Minutes Later)
"H-Hey..." Lucy muttered, glancing at Loke who was seated several seats away from her. "You don't have to sit so far away."
"S-Sorry." Loke almost whispered, as her nervously chuckled.
"I've been meaning to ask this for a while now." Lucy said, swirling around the drink in her hands. "What's your deal with celestial spirit mages?" Lucy waited for a response, but after almost a minute she never got one. "It's fine if you don't want to tell me...But you know, I am who I am..."
"Yeah...I know that." Loke said, as he stared down into his drink. "I'm really sorry...if I've been bothering you, I apologize...You should just forget about me."
"What's up with you?" Lucy asked, quirking an eyebrow at the sad looking man. "It sounds like you're breaking up with your girlfriend, or something." Seeing that Loke wasn't going to say anymore, Lucy sighed and stood up from her seat. "Well whatever. I was just curious...Anyways, thanks for getting Natsu. You know, you really are a nice guy!" A small smile spread across Lucy's face as she gazed at Loke. "Besides, no matter what you say, we're still nakama...Well I'll just-" Lucy was shocked when Loke reached out and grabbed her hand. "Loke?"
"Please wait." Loke said, before he pulled Lucy in for a tight hug. "Lucy..."
"What's wrong Loke?" Lucy asked, shocked when she felt Loke begin to tremble slightly.
"I don't have long to live..." Loke said, as he released Lucy from the hug and locked eyes with her.
"Loke..." Lucy breathed out, her eyes widening considerably. "What's going on?" Loke simply stood silently for a few moments, before he lowered his head. Lucy was stunned when the orange-haired man suddenly burst out laughing. "W-What?!"
"AHAHAHAHA!" Loke laughed, as he winked at Lucy. "You totally fell for it! That's a little trick I use when I'm chasing after girls." Lucy began to grit her teeth to hold in her immense anger. "It gets me some great sympathy points. So what do you thin-" The sound of a harsh slap filled the empty bar. Loke nervously smiled, feeling the stinging handprint on his cheek.
"I..." Lucy said, beginning to shake in anger. "I hate those types of fucking jokes! You're a bastard!" Then with a huff Lucy stormed out of the bar.
"What am I doing?" Loke thought, as he hung his head in shame. "I let my emotions get the better of me...I can't drag Lucy into this...I already..."
And done! I know this isn't a super long chapter, but I felt this was a good stopping point. Next chapter will wrap up Loke's little arc, and we can officially start the Tower of Heaven arc. Just an FYI I won't be going through Loke's entire backstory with Karen next chapter, I'll just briefly summarize it. Also next chapter will reveal why Natsu didn't choose Erza as his first mate, so look forward to that. I hope you all enjoy the little bit of NatZa angst this chapter. I should hopefully have the next chapter out fairly soon. So what did you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW (Come on guys there's over 1,000 followers we can do better on the reviews!), and PM me any ideas you have for any of my stories. So until next time, I'm outta here and I hope you all have a happy Easter!