Hey guys, I'm back with a new chapter for this fic. This chapter will pick up where the previous one left off, and will officially start the Oracion Seis arc. This chapter will also finally reintroduce Wendy into the story, which I know you're all excited for.
P.S. I saw Avengers Infinity War last Wednesday, and it was fucking awesome! I won't spoil anything for like the two people who haven't seen it yet, but let's just say I cannot wait until Avengers 4 to see how the story wraps up. If you'd like to discuss the movie at all feel free to PM me, but please don't post anything about the film in a review, just send me a PM. Here's hoping that Deadpool 2 is just as hilarious as the original, because I'll be trying to see that one opening day.
Well that's pretty much everything I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic!
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
Magic
Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters.
(One Day Later: 8 Island Restaurant in Magnolia)
"Welcome to 8 Island!" Lucy exclaimed in a cheerful tone, readying a pad of paper and pencil to jot down her customer's order's. "Have you two decided on what you want?"
"I'll have the 'Blue Sky' with meat sauce and a Hori Soda!"
"I'll take a Beastman curry."
"Okay..." Lucy said with a smile, as she quickly wrote down the order. "And will you be ordering any dessert tonight?"
"Yeah, I'll have the Ruby Parfait."
"Get me one of those as well."
"Got it! Thanks!" Lucy said, finishing up the order and slipping her pad of paper and pencil into her pocket. "Your order will be out in a few minutes!" Flashing one more smile, Lucy began to walk back to the kitchen. However, she was stopped when another customer called out to her. After taking a seconds set of orders, Lucy finally made back into the kitchen. Unable to take it an longer, the blonde celestial spirit mage growled in frustration, throwing her pad of paper onto the ground. "What the hell am I doing here!?"
"Calm down Luce." Natsu said, as he walked passed his irritated mate, effortlessly carrying three trays full of food. "This is a part of our job."
"But this has absolutely nothing to do with mage work!" Lucy quickly fired back with a frown, stomping her foot onto the group. The busty blonde celestial spirit mage then gestured to her skimpy orange uniform, which closely resembled a maid's outfit. "And what the hell is up with this costume?! I feel pretty dirty wearing it!"
"Well I'm enjoying the view." Natsu said with a sly smirk, before he placed down several plates of food at their correct tables. However, using his quick hands, Natsu swiped a piece of chicken off one of the plates before he set it down. Chuckling to himself, the dual dragon slayer took a large bite out of the meat he had successfully swindled. When Natsu turned back to face Lucy, he saw that her face bright red. "What's up Luce? Your face is all red."
"Damn it! Again the littlest compliments get me all worked up! Besides..." Lucy thought, feeling her cheeks burn even hotter as she stared at Natsu, who was dressed in a formal waiter uniform. "I'm enjoying the view too..."
"But Lucy, this restaurant's chef makes magical dishes." Happy explained, as he flew directly in front of the blonde mage's face. "So technically his is mage work!"
"W-Whatever!" Lucy exclaimed in annoyance, wanting to strangle Happy for interrupting her as she ogled her lover. "J-Just don't go around eating the customer's food!"
"Last time, I swear." Natsu said with a grin, as he finished of the piece of chicken he had taken, hiding the crossed fingers behind his back.
"Well I think dressing as a waiter can be fun from time to time." Gray said, walking in with a tray full of drinks. But unsurprisingly, the ice mage was dressed in only his boxers and bow tie. "Plus these uniforms ain't half bad."
"Oh god..." Lucy groaned, as she ran her hand down her face, using her other hand to point towards the ice mage's state of undress. "Please say that after you've put on the actual uniform."
"Ah, son of a bitch..." Gray said, staring down at his lack of clothing. "Well whatever, I'll put the uniform on after I drop these drinks off."
"Why'd we even take this job anyways?" Lucy asked, as she released a light sigh and leaned against a nearby wall. "I mean after the mission we went on the other day, I'm good on money for a couple months."
"Even so, this gives us something to do, and it's nice to go on simple missions every now and then." Gray replied, setting down the drinks he had brought out, before walking back over to Lucy. "Besides, watch this..." With a nod, Gray gestured towards the other side of the restaurant. Turning her head, Lucy was shocked to see Erza sauntering over towards one of the tables, putting a considerable sway in her hips. Lucy's eyes widened in surprise when she saw Erza rest one of her thighs on the table, as she leaned closer to her customers, which gave them a generous view of her exposed cleavage. "Some people really get into their parts."
"I'll take your orders now." Erza said in a sultry tone, as she flashed the two men at her table a seductive smile.
"H-How can she be so bold?" Lucy thought, watching the scarlet-haired knight openly flaunt her sexy body without a hint of embarassment. After writing down the customer's orders, Erza winked at both men, before heading back to the kitchen. Lucy watched as both men blatantly gawked at Erza, their eyes glued to her every movement. "I wonder how Natsu is taking this?" Fearing that her mate might burn down the restaurant in anger, Lucy quickly began to search for Natsu. However, when she eventually found Natsu cleaning off a table, Lucy was surprised to see that he appeared to be unfazed by all the men ogling Erza, and even herself. "He's not mad? I thought for he'd be furious right now."
"Heh, you're probably wondering why I'm not blowing a fuse right now, right?" Natsu asked with a smirk, as he turned to face Lucy, slinging the towel he was using over his shoulder. The busty blonde celestial spirit mage nodded her head, surprised that Natsu had practically read her mind. "Well there's actually two reasons for that. The first reason is that other men flirting and staring at you guys doesn't really bother me anymore. Sure, a couple years ago I'd be furious right now, but over the years I kinda became accustomed to it, because it happens so often. But if any of these sleaze bags gets touchy with any of my girls, they'll be eating through a fucking straw when I'm done with them." Natsu's aggressive threat didn't really surprise Lucy, in fact it made her feel happy knowing that Natsu would always be there to protect her when she needed him. "The second reason is that you, Erza and Mira are my mates now. So, I don't really have to worry some scumbag stealing you three away from me anymore. You're my girls now, those marks on your necks show the bond that we all share. Those others guys can look all they want, but they'll never have any of you."
"You're right, I feel like all four of us have gotten so much closer ever since we entered into this relationship." Lucy said with a bright smile, reaching back and gently rubbing her mate mark. "I never imagined that I'd be in a relationship like this...but I honestly don't regret it...in fact I'm so happy with how things have worked out so far." Feeling a sudden fiery determination lit within her, Lucy balled her fists and smiled brightly. "Alright! I won't let Erza upstage me! I'll get back out there and give it my best shot!"
(Six Hours Later: Behind 8 Island Restaurant)
"Thank you all for your hard work today." Yajima said with a smile, as he sat on top of a box behind his restaurant. "I heard your little group had reputation of causing a ton of damage, but the only real problem was when Natsu here caused a fire, he even then he managed to twist the situation into a little trick for the customers." Natsu grinned at the compliment and held up a peace sign. "But it does my old heart good to see that kids these days can still work so hard! You guys are welcome back anytime!"
"Today was quite the learning experience." Erza said, resting a hand on her hip. "I'm sure it will come in handy some day."
"I think you just like the uniform." Happy teased with a giggle, which earned him a fierce glare from the scarlet-haired knight.
"Damn, I can't believe Mira-can does shit like this everyday." Gray muttered, stretching his aching muscles. "I guess now I can understand all the hard work she does."
"You're damn right she works hard." Natsu said with a smirk, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "She works harder than you, that's for sure."
"What'd you say, flame brain!?" Gray exclaimed, instantly butting heads with the dual dragon slayer. "I dare you to say that again!"
"Scared of hearing the truth?" Natsu asked, as he poked Gray in the chest, his smirk widening.
"Alright you two, that's enough." Lucy said in an exhausted tone, pushing both bickering mages away and sitting between them. "I'm very tired right now and the last thing I want to assault my ears is your arguing."
"Sorry Luce..." Natsu said in an apologetic tone, as he hung his head.
"It's okay Natsu." Lucy said with a soft smile, patting her lover on the head. "Just try to take it easy for the rest of the night."
"Jeez, she's got you in the palm of her damn hand." Gray muttered underneath his breath, as he rolled his eyes.
"You know, I was wondering Yajima-san..." Erza said, approaching the short, elderly man. "What happened with your job on the council?"
"Oh that..." Yajima said, as if it was nothing that was important. "I retired already."
"The council?!" Natsu exclaimed, bolting upright in his seat. "If he was on the council...then maybe her can tell me about Ultear..."
"Damn, I didn't know you used to have such an important job." Gray said, as his eyes widened in surprise.
"You guys seriously didn't know? Yajima-san was originally a member of the council..." Lucy explained, staring at both mages as if they were idiots. "Come on Natsu, you even went to the council when they arrested Erza."
"Heheh, things were happening so fast back then...I guess I never really got a good look at most of them." Natsu said with a weak chuckle, as he rubbed the back of his head in embarassment. "But now that you mention it, this guy does look kinda familiar."
"I must sincerely apologize to you all about what happened with Jellal." Yajima said, clasping his hands together and releasing a heavy sigh. "The council made so many terrible errors when Jellal and Ultear betrayed us..." Natsu's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Ultear's name. "So now they intend to completely remake the Magic Council and make cuts in every sector."
"There's no need for you to apologize..." Erza said with a soft smile, as she slowly shook her head. "I heard you were the last hold out against firing Etherion. Out of everyone on the old council, you had the least reason to retire."
"I guess I'm just not cut out for politics." Yajima laughed, pulling a spatula out of seemingly nowhere. "I enjoy cooking far more!" Everyone smiled, knowing that Yajima was now doing what he loved. However, Gray and Natsu both stiffened when Yajima spoke them directly. "By the way, Natsu-kun, Gray-kun...from now on there's going to be a new council. I won't be there, so there's no watching Fairy Tail's back anymore. You're both going to have to think a little more before you act."
"Yes sir." Both Natsu and Gray said simultaneously, as they nodded in agreement.
"Good..." Yajima said, hopping off the box her was sitting on. "Then give my regards to Macky."
"Of course. Thanks for everything today." Erza said politely, as she bowed slightly in thanks. "Okay guys, let's get back to the guild and report in."
"You guys head back first." Natsu said, confusing everyone as he stood up from his seat. "I have to talk with Yajima for a minute...and I'd like to do it in private."
"Are you sure Natsu?" Lucy asked, as she cocked her head in confusion. "We don't mind waiting for you."
"It's fine Luce, I'll catch up with you guys." Natsu replied, flashing Lucy a toothy grin. "I just have something important to ask Yajima. I'll be back right after I'm done."
"Come on Lucy, he'll be fine." Erza said, as she gently grabbed Lucy's hand and began to pull her along.
"Okay, we'll see you back at the guild!" Lucy called out with a bright smile, waving to her lover.
"Better not cause any trouble, flame brain." Gray said, as he weakly punched Natsu in the arm. "Don't take to long...I know Mira is waiting for you to get back." With those last words, Gray took off to catch up with Erza and Lucy.
"So Natsu-kun..." Yajima said, grunting as he hopped back up onto the box he had previously been sitting on. "What did you wish to discuss?"
"Ultear..." Natsu said, as he locked eyes with Yajima. "What do you know about her?"
"Ah...I had a hunch that's what this was about...I noticed how surprised you looked when I mentioned her name..." Yajima said, taking off his chef hat and running a hand over his bald head. "The truth is I don't know much about her...she was quite the mystery ever since she joined the council."
"Anything you can tell me will help..." Natsu pleaded, as he leaned closer to the ex-council member, his eyes blazing with determinaton. "Please Yajima...I need to know more about her...it's very important."
"*Sigh* That look in your eyes...that raw passion and desire to do good...it's not something you see too often in kids these days." Yajima said, stroking his chin as he thought. "Natsu-kun...I can tell that you want to try and drag Ultear out of the dark world that she's entangled herself in. Heh, and I know there's no way I can talk you out of it. But be careful boy, it'll be dangerous if you continued to get involved with that girl."
"I don't care." Natsu said, as he tightly balled his fists. "I don't know what it is...but there's just something about her...I can sense that she's had a troubled past...and I don't know if I'll ever be able to reach her, but I have to try."
"Ah, that's the youthful passion I was talking about." Yajima said, releasing a wistful sigh. "Alright, I'll tell you what I can, but as I said it won't be much. If there's one thing I know for sure, is that Ultear wasn't ever truly working for Jellal. She had someone else giving her orders from behind the scenes. Now I don't know who it could be, but they're likely someone who's very dangerous."
"So she's likely involved in an even more dangerous plan." Natsu muttered, as stared down at the ground for several moments, before looking back at Yajima. "Is there anything else you can tell me about her?"
"Hmm..." Yajima hummed, rubbing the back of his neck. "There isn't much else...although Ultear seemed to be quite distracted the last few weeks before the Tower of Heaven incident..." Natsu perked up slightly when Yajima mentioned this. "I have no idea what was on her mind...but a few times I caught her muttering to herself about some boy as she stared into that crystal ball of hers."
"A boy..." Natsu thought, as his brow began to furrow. "Is it her father...brother...a lover...or could it be..." Natsu's eyes widened slightly when he remembered his fight with Ultear back on Galuna Island. "Or could it be me?" Releasing a heavy sigh, Natsu began to walk away, waving to the elderly ex-councilman. "Thanks for your help Yajima."
"Anytime Natsu-kun!" Yajima called, watching as the dual dragon slayer disappeared around the corner. "*Sigh* That boy...I hope he doesn't end up getting himself in serious trouble."
"I have to meet Ultear again...I need to talk with her..." Natsu thought, as he stared up at the sky overhead. "I wonder where she is right now?"
(Same Time: Skys Over an Unknown Territory)
"The Oracion Seís? I see..." Ultear muttered, staring out the window of the large flying ship she was in. The dress Ultear was wearing revealed a strange guild mark on her lower back, the insignia appearing to be of a spike covered heart. "It appears as if they're on the move now..." Turning back around, Ultear smiled at a shadowy figure that was sitting in a throne across the room. "What will you do, Master Hades?"
"Leave them alone..." Hades replied in a low, menacing tone, as he sank deeper in his seat. "If they begin to make their move, the official guilds won't be able to sit around quietly. We can use this diversion to hunt down the key to remove the seal on Zeref. If things go perfectly, they could possibly eliminate certain troublesome guilds for us."
"Fairy Tail..." Ultear said, turning her head away from Hades to look back out the window, a troubled look in her eyes. "Is that who you're referring too?"
"That would be a nice start." Hades said, as a twisted smile spread across his face. "Oh and Ultear...you may want to be a little more careful with that thing..." Ultear was quite confused, until she saw Hades gesture to the crystal ball in her palm. Looking back her crystal ball, Ultear's eyes widened in surprise when she saw that it was replaying images of Natsu Dragneel's fight against Laxus Dreyar. "This Natsu boy has been on your mind for quite some time now...it appears to have almost become an obsession of yours...and even after I warned you to not get involved with him..." Ultear gasped in fear when Hades released an immensely powerful wave of dark magic, causing a chill to run down her spine and her knees to shake. "You're walking on very dangerous ground right now Ultear...if I think you're going to betray me...even for a moment..." Ultear eye's widened in terror, feeling as if all the air had been knocked out of her lungs. "I will not hesitate to kill you."
"Yes Master Hades..." Ultear said barely above a whisper, feeling tears form in her eyes. Before turning off her crystal ball, Ultear watched as Natsu defeated Laxus Dreyar one last time, entranced as he stood triumphantly over his defeated opponent. "That immense power he wields...it's not something I can ignore."
(The Next Day: Fairy Tail Guild Hall)
"What's all this supposed to be, Mira?" Lucy asked, as she gestured towards a large chart full of names that had been drawn on one of the guild's walls. "This looks kinda like the chart of guilds that you drew for me when I first joined Fairy Tail. But I don't recognize most of these names..." However, as Lucy scanned through the dozens of names on the chart, she eventually saw two that were familiar. "Naked Mummy...and Eisenwald...are these all dark guilds?"
"Very observant Lucy." Mirajane said with a smile, before turning back to look at the expansive chart. "The reason I had Reedus make this chart...is because the dark guilds have been making coordinated moves lately. We'll need to strengthen our bonds with the other light guilds to fight back against them."
"What are those big three guilds gathering in the center?" Elfman asked, as he pointed towards the three biggest names in the center of the chart. "I've never heard of any of them before."
"Juvia knows who they are." Juvia said, walking towards the chart and E staring up at the sprawling names on the wall. "Those are the three most powerful dark guilds...the Balam Alliance. The three dark guilds in the Balam Alliance are Oración Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros. Each of them have a number of other dark guilds under their direction, and they control the underworld."
"Huh, looks like the dark guild that the Raijinshū took down, Ghoul Spirit, was under Oración Seis' control." Elfman noted, as he crossed his arm over his chest. "And that Eisenwald guild was working under them too."
"When Juvia and Gajeel were in Phantom Lord we crushed many dark guilds, all of them under Oración Seis!" Juvia added with a bright smile, clapping her hands together. "We took down many evil mages."
"Ugh, don't smile when you say stuff like that." Gray said with a frown, which caused Juvia's smile to fade, before she hung her head and released a light sigh. "Anyways-" The ice mage was cut off when he suddenly received a harsh slap to the back of the head. Whipping around, Gray saw that it was Natsu who had hit him, the dual dragon slayer glaring daggers at him. "Oi! What the hell flamebrain!?"
"I just felt like like hitting an asshole." Natsu said with a smirk, as he walked passed Gray and over to Juvia. The blue-haired water mage was surprised when she felt a comforting arm wrap around her shoulders. Raising her head, Juvia saw Natsu's toothy grin staring back at her. "Nice job taking out those dark mages. Even if you were apart of Phantom Lord, I know that you and Gajeel are good people."
"T-Thanks Natsu..." Juvia said quietly, turning her head away from the pink-haired dragon slayer, doing her best to hide her flushed cheeks. "Whenever Juvia is down, Natsu is there to pick her back up...Juvia's heart is so confused right now..." The blue-haired water mage clasped a hand over her heart, not surprised to feel it pounding in her chest. "Maybe...maybe Juvia should start rethink her feelings."
"I hope those guys aren't mad at us." Lucy said, as she hugged herself, feeling a chill run down her spin. "I wouldn't want them to come after us for revenge."
"Let them come!" Natsu exclaimed with a wicked grin, coating one of his fists in lightning. "We'll beat the shit out of them if they want to take us on!"
"Besides, from what I've heard, Oración Seis is comprised of only six mages." Gray added, as shoved his hands into his pockets. "We can totally handle them."
"Hold on you two!" Mirajane scolded in an uncharacteristically serious tone, causing Natsu and Gray to stiffen in surprise. "Even thought there's only six mages in that guild, they're still considered one of the strongest dark guilds!"
"Actually, regarding Oración Seis..." Makarov said, as he walked into the crowd that had gathered around the chart. "We're going to taking them on very soon!" Makarov's sudden announcement surprised everyone present. "Yesterday at the regular meeting, it became a topic of concern that Oración Seis was moving around so boldly. So it was decided that it was no longer something we could ignore. Some guild or another must stop them before they do something truly dangerous."
"So Juvia is safe to assume that it's become Fairy Tail's duty?" Juvia asked the question that was on everyone's mind, everyone waiting to hear Makarov's reply.
"No...the enemy this time is too dangerous. If we were the only ones sent to fight Oración Seis, the entire Balam Alliance would target us." Makarov explained, as he clasped his hands behind his back. "And so...we've decided to form our own alliances!"
"Alliances!?" Most the guild exclaimed simultaneously.
"Fairy Tail...Blue Pegasus...Lamia Scale...and Cait Shelter." Makarov said, before hopping up onto the bar. "Each of these four guilds will choose members to send. Then they will all combine their strength to take down Oración Seis."
"Something doesn't sit right with me..." Erza muttered, as she stroked her chin, staring at the chart of dark guilds on the wall. "If there's only six members in Oración Seis...just how strong are these guys?"
(Same Time: Unknown Location)
"I can hear it..." A low voice hissed, as a slim man of average height with dark tan skin and spiky, upward-styled maroon hair; aside from a tuft which covered his forehead and two bangs that framed his face and purple slit-pupil eyes, stepped atop a large hill. The man also had several snake-like features, with slanted eyes, a rather flat nose, and prominent canine teeth. He also sported a simple circular earring on his ears. His outfit consisted of an elaborate whitish coat with purple inner lining and cuffs intricately decorated by silver-colored motifs, and many studs lined up the chest, the high collar and the sleeves, which had armbands seemingly made of metal around them above his elbows. Below it, the wore a dark shirt, and he also sported a pair of crimson leather pants held up by a studded belt, with more similar belts circling diagonally the upper parts of his legs, and simple brown shoes. Lastly, coiled around the man's upper shoulders was a massive purple snake. "The sound of light going extinct!"
"You're racing ahead of yourself, Cobra." A shadowy figure said in a cocky tone from behind Cobra. "But I shouldn't really be complaining about going fast."
"That magic we talked about is definitely here, Racer!" Cobra said, turning to face his other comrades.
"The magic that brings the upon endless darkness and sends all light to extinction." Another shadowy figure said, an evil smirk spreading across his face.
"Nirvana." A more feminine voice spoke.
"The legendary magic...will soon be within our grasp!" A menacing voice exclaimed, the shadowy figure extending a cane that was topped with a skull that had a green orb in its mouth.
"Should we really be putting all our hope in this 'Nirvana' magic?" The figure know as Racer asked with a hint of skepticism in his voice.
"Simply watch..." The menacing figure ordered, as he pointed his cane towards the sprawling forest before the group. Amongst the endless trees, several streams of an inky, black substance rose into the sky. "The land that has already started its march towards death! Just because Nirvana is within the vicinity!"
(The Next Day: Path Leading Towards the Light Guild Alliance's Meeting Place)
"Am I really qualified to take part in this mission?" Lucy asked, nervously rubbing her arm as she stared out the window of the carriage she was in. "Wouldn't it have been smarter to send Gajeel...or Juvia...or Cana...or like literally anyone else? I feel like I'm way too inexperienced to be on a mission like this."
"Well I think it's a pain in the ass too, but you don't see me complaining." Gray said in an irritated voice, as shot Lucy a nasty glare. "First I have to deal with that Juvia chick bugging me all damn day, the last thing right now is to hear this shit from you. So quit your whining."
"Gray watch your tone before I end up kicking your ass...and that's before Natsu even gets to you." Erza warned in a tone that left no room for argument, without even stopping her massage of Natsu's head, her fingers gently combing through his hair. Gray looked as if he was about to say something, but the fierce look in Erza's eyes and the growl that escaped Natsu's throat told him that it was best to keep quiet for now. After muttering an apology, Gray turned his head to look out the window. "And don't beat yourself up Lucy, you're definitely qualified for this job, Natsu and I will both vouch for that. After all the things you've gone through in only your first few months after joining Fairy Tail, you have plenty of experience and have show that you are definitely a strong mage."
"Yeah Luce, you kick ass!" Natsu exclaimed in a weak tone, as he gave the blonde celestial spirit mage the best grin he could. "So don't worry, you'll do great on this mission."
"Thank Natsu...Erza...that means a lot coming from you two." Lucy said, turning her head way from the window to smile at Erza and Natsu. "I feel a little better now."
"You also have to remember that master personally chose us for this mission." Erza added, as she stared down at Natsu, who was now half-asleep in her lap. "So he must have some faith in all our abilities. That means we have to live up to his expectations, right?"
"So in the end it's just our usual team..." Lucy mused with a small smile, resting her head on her palm. "That doesn't sound too bad."
"I think it's better this way." Erza said, as she locked eyes with Lucy. "After all since we'll be fighting alongside members from other guilds, the synergy within our own group is extremely important."
"Hey! Hey!" Happy called out suddenly, his head poking out one of the carriage's windows. "The place where we're supposed to meet everyone! We're here!"
(Five Minutes Later: Inside the Light Guild Alliance's Meeting Place)
"The way this place is decorated..." Lucy said, as she gazed around the massive building, which was furnished with dozens of heart-shaped objects. "Kinda gives me the creeps."
"Well if I remember correctly, this is a retreat house for Master Bob from Blue Pegasus." Erza explained, staring at some of the 'interesting' design choices within the house. "Although...I don't particularly like his his style either."
"Members of Fairy Tail!" A new voice suddenly exclaimed from behind the Fairy Tail mages. Spinning around, the members from Fairy Tail were surprised to see three figures standing underneath a ray of light. "We've been waiting for you! We are the chosen from Blue Pegasus! The Trick-men!" Suddenly the ray of light died down, revealing three extremely handsome, well-dressed men, their bodies seeming to sparkle.
"I am Hibiki of the Hundred Nights!" Hibiki was a slim young man of average height with spiky, somewhat messy brownish blond hair framing his face. He had dark eyes and noticeably long eyelashes. He wore a dark, double-breasted suit with a pair of distinctive light lines circling each sleeve and lower leg and Blue Pegasus' symbol on its left shoulder, over a pinstriped blue shirt, closed around the neck by a darker tie, and polished dark dress shoes.
"I am the Eve of Holy Nights!" Eve was a slim, rather short boy with blonde hair kept in a neat bowl cut, with a few wayward strands covering his forehead, and others jutting upwards on top of his head; he had large dark eyes. His attire consisted of a black suit, with its sleeves and lower legs adorned by cross-like motifs outlined in a light color and its left shoulder bearing Blue Pegasus' symbol. Under it was a lilac shirt, with a darker purple tie around the neck, and polished loafers.
"And I am Ren of the Hollow Nights!" Like the others, Ren was a slim young man of average height with dark, spiky hair reaching down to his shoulders, with long strands framing his face, and a short ponytail at the back of his head. Each of his eyebrows jutted upwards in a pair of thin spikes, and he was distinguished by his tanned skin. His attire consisted of a black suit with the jacket left open, bearing Blue Pegasus' symbol on its left shoulder, over a leopard patterned shirt, whose similarly open collar revealed a small metal necklace circling his neck, and polished, dark dress shoes.
"They're...trying way too hard to be cool." Lucy said in an unimpressed tone, as she crossed her arms underneath her chest. "And it's definitely not working."
"Yeah, they can't compete with Nat-" Erza was cut off when she was suddenly surrounded by the three mages from Blue Pegasus. "Uh...can I help you three?"
"The rumors of your beauty were no lie." Hibiki complimented, which seemed to have no affect on the scarlet-haired knight, who merely rolled her eyes at the attempt at flattery.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance Titania." Eve said with a bright smile, extending his hand towards the scarlet-haired knight.
"Erza is just fine...no need for that Titania stuff." Erza said with a smile of her own, as she shook Eve's hand.
"Well then Erza...could you please step this way." Ren said, leading Erza towards a couch on the other side of the room, not giving her any chance to protest. Sitting down on the couch, Erza was immediately overwhelmed as the members of Blue Pegasus began to offer her various drinks and services.
"Soothe yourself with a steaming clothe." Hibiki said, as he handed Erza a warm towel.
"No." Erza said flatly, pushing the steaming towel away.
"How about a whiskey and soda?" Eve offered, as he handed Erza a glass.
"No." Erza responded with a second's hesitation, releasing a heavy sigh as she pushed the drink away.
"You should take a seat as well, dear..." Ren said, as he lead Lucy over to the couch as well, one of his hands sliding lower down onto her hips. "You're just too cute."
"What the hell is with these jerks?" Gray asked, watching the strange display unfold from across the room. "This is seriously-" Gray stopped mid-sentence when he felt the temperature around him rise drastically. Turning his head, Gray gasped in surprise when he saw that the carpet underneath where Natsu was standing was currently on fire. "Oh shit!"
"Oi you bastards!" Natsu growled in a furious tone, as he stormed over to where Erza and Lucy were seated, leaving a trail of blue flames in his wake. Before Erza and Lucy even had a chance to try and clam Natsu down, he had already grabbed ahold of Hibiki's suit coat and pulled him close. Hibiki gulped in fear when he saw the anger blazing in Natsu's eyes. Ren and Eve tried to intervene, but they were stopped when a circle of blue flames suddenly surrounded Natsu and Hibiki. "Back. Off." Natsu's dead serious and furious tone caused Ren and Eve to step back. Seeing that the other two had backed off, Natsu turned his attention back to Hibiki. "Now...let me make one thing very clear to you guys...if you want to be cute and flirt with Erza and Luce...that's fine, I can handle that...they're both stunning girls and I know guys are going to hit on them...but..." Natsu released a throaty growl as he got right in Hibiki's face, his scorching hands singeing the Blue Pegasus mage's jacket. "Don't you dare lay a fucking hand on them!" Whipping his head around, Natsu glared fiercely at Ren. "Especially you! Don't think I missed your damn hand trying to sneak a feel of Lucy's ass!" The blonde celestial spirit mage blushed bright red in embarassment, as she sat on her hands to cover her rear end. After chewing out Ren, Natsu turned his attention back to Hibiki. "Erza and Luce are my girls...and I won't allow other guys to get touchy with them. You can be nice...you can even try to sweet talk them...but keep your damn hands to yourselves. Next time I have to warn you guys, things are going to get ugly real fast."
"What do you mean they're 'your' girls?" Eve asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at the pink-haired dragon slayer. "These girls aren't possessions that you own. They aren't yours."
"Oh god, you shouldn't have said that." Erza muttered, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You've just made things worse."
"You should have just kept your mouth shut." Lucy added, shaking her head in disappointment. "Natsu was going to end things here, but you just riled him up even more."
"Listen here you little punk." Natsu snarled, as he released Hibiki and turned his attention to Eve. Now standing in front of Eve, Natsu seemed to tower over the shorter Blue Pegasus mage. "You don't seem to know how relationships work for dragons." Eve quirked an eyebrow when he heard this. "When a dragon finds a mate, they stay together for life. They form an everlasting unbreakable bond, where they always stay together and look out for each other. Through thick and thin, good times and bad, never leaving each other's side." Now Natsu was face-to-face with Eve, locking eyes with him. "So when I say that Luce and Erza are my girls, I don't mean it like I own them! I share a special bond with both of them, a bond that most people won't understand! I love Luce and Erza, and we're all connected on a level deeper than any normal relationship! So again, keep your damn hands off them!"
Lucy and Erza were both fiercely blushing now, as they stared at their shared lover in a mix of shock and love. Despite the embarassment they both felt, Lucy and Erza both smiled brightly, feeling a warm sensation emanating from their mate marks. All the Blue Pegasus mages stood in silence, shocked by what they had heard from Natsu. Tensions were extremely high right now between Natsu and the Blue Pegasus mages, and no one wanted to say anything to make the situation even worse. However, the silence was broken when the sounds of clapping echoed out from the stairway in the center of the large lobby.
"Now, now boys..." A deep masculine voice said, as a shadow-cloaked figure walked down the stairs. "Let's end things here and make up. We need to work well with our new comrades."
"W-What's with t-that sweet sounding voice..." Lucy muttered, feeling uncomfortable chills running down her spine. "I don't know why but it's seriously creeping me out."
"Ah, it's Ichiya-sama!" The three Blue Pegasus mages exclaimed, before they bolted towards the staircase.
"I-Ichiya?" Erza stuttered out, her entire body growing stiff, something that wasn't missed by Lucy and Natsu.
"You okay, Erza?" Lucy whispered, as she quirked an eyebrow at the scarlet-haired knight's odd behavior. "You look like you're freaked out or something."
"How long has is it been Erza-san?" Ichiya asked, continuing to descend down the stairs. "It's been far too long since we last spoke."
"I...I never thought you'd b-be on this mission..." Erza replied, as she tightly gripped the fabric of her skirt. "Oh god, why'd he have to be here?"
"How I've dreamed of seeing you again, my honey!" Ichiya exclaimed, finally stepping into the light for everyone to see him. And what they saw was absolutely NOT what they were expecting. Ichiya was a short and rather stout man with a distinctively big, somewhat rectangular face, a large flat nose which seemed to be shining, and prominent cheekbones. He had dark eyes and thick eyebrows, with a pair of lines pointing towards his nose below them, plus some stubble around his mouth and a very prominent chin. His orange hair was kept in a wavy style with many curved spikes jutting outwards, with one acting as a fringe on the left side of his face. He also possessed mildly hairy legs. Ichiya's attire consisted of a white suit with elbow-long sleeves, with distinctive pants ending below his knees in dark hems, adorned by Blue Pegasus' symbol on its left shoulder, over an orange shirt covered in many dark leaf motifs, possessing sleeves reaching down below his elbows and closed around the neck by a red bow tie, and elegant light shoes paired with light socks. The left part of his chest was adorned by a large blue rose, and a wide, dark belt was seen hanging over his right hip, with several vials attached to it, containing some unknown substances. "This one night is all for you!"
"My...honey..." Lucy parroted, as her jaw hung open in utter shock. "Is this guy serious?"
"Oh, so you were Ichiya-sama's girlfriend..." Hibiki said, bowing to Erza in apology, with Eve and Ren joining him. "We beg your pardon for our rude assumptions."
"I deny that with every fiber of my fucking being!" Erza exclaimed instantly, as she slammed her fist onto the table in front of her, smashing it in two. "I'm Natsu's girlfriend, and don't you forget it! I never have been and never will be in any sort of romantic relationship with Ichiya!"
"Clean this place boys! This isn't the time to be messing around!" Ichiya called out, hopping down the last few steps of the staircase. Almost instantly the table Erza had smashed was cleared away, and the couch her and Lucy were sitting on was removed. "I've heard much about you guys..." With a smirk, Ichiya gestured to the gathered Fairy Tail mages. "Erza-san, Lucy-san, Natsu-san...and other."
"OI!" Gray exclaimed, as he stomped his foot in anger. "I'm important too, ya bastard!"
"Mmmm..." Ichiya moaned, completely ignoring Gray as he began to sniff the air. Releasing a shaky breath, Ichiya began to dance towards Erza and Lucy. "What a splendid perfume you both have!"
"This guys is creeping me the fuck out..." Lucy said, as she hugged her body, taking a step away from Ichiya. "Why is he moving like that?"
"I'm sorry...I find him almost insufferable as well." Erza said, hanging her head in defeat. "He is an incredible mage though."
"Listen here you bunch of prissy boys." Natsu growled, as he stepped in front of Lucy and Erza. "I'm gonna have to ask you guys to lay off my girls again, because you're seriously making them uncomfortable."
"Ah, the males of Fairy Tail are free to leave at any point." Ichiya said with a sparkling smile, pointing towards the door.
"Thank you for your work!" Hibiki, Eve, and Ren all exclaimed simultaneously, as they all bowed their heads.
"These guys are like a bunch of damn comedians." Gray said in an irritated tone, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked up next to Natsu. "I wonder if they'll be any use in a fight?"
"Oh, you want to have a go?" Ren asked with a dangerous smile, as he cracked his knuckles. "We've got skills, let that be a warning."
"So we're gonna fight now..." Natsu said with a smirk, tightly balling his fists with sparks forming in the air around him. "Count me in. I've been dying to punch one of you in your pretty boy faces."
"Erza-san, your perfume is exquisite like usual." Ichiya said, as he snuck up behind Erza and began to sniff her. Before Natsu even had a chance to hit Ichiya, Erza beat him to it.
"Stay the hell away from me!" Erza exclaimed, punching Ichiya directly in the face and sending him flying towards the front doors. "Seriously, don't go around smelling people!"
Right before Ichiya could crash into the doors, they flew open and his head was caught in the palm of someone's hand. Gray's eyes widened is surprise as he watched Ichiya's body begin to freeze over.
"You guys sure have a strange way of greeting your guests. Are you trying to disrespect Lamia Scale?" A familiar voice said, as Ichiya was lowered to the ground, revealing that Lyon was standing in the doorway. Instantly, Gray and Lyon locked eyes, both of them surprised to see the other. "Gray!?"
"Lyon!?" Gray exclaimed in shocked, surprised to see his fellow apprentice in a place like this.
"Oho, so you took Gray's advice and joined a guild." Natsu said with a grin, resting his fists on his hips. "You having a blast?"
"Shut up." Lyon said flatly, as he hurled Ichiya's half-frozen body towards Gray and Natsu.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Gray exclaimed, catching Ichiya and gently setting him down.
"You're the ones who started it." Lyon said with a smirk, as he released a light chuckle.
"I wish all the guys here would just go." Hibiki said, shaking his head in annoyance. "You males have been nothing but a bother since you got here."
"Oh dear, but there is a woman here too." A feminine voice said from the doorway behind Lyon, as the carpet beneath Erza and Lucy began to move. "Doll Attack: Carpet Doll!" Lucy dove out of the way, as the carpet suddenly transformed into a monster. However, Erza didn't hesitate to cut the carpet monster in half with her sword, before resheathing the blade.
"Why the hell did we get attacked?!" Lucy exclaimed, getting back up onto her feet. "Wait...Doll Magic...I recognize that magic!"
"Hahaha, I knew you wouldn't forget me!" The feminine voice proclaimed, as the possessed carpet fell to the ground, revealing Sherry standing besides Lyon. "But please do forget my past transgressions! For I have been reborn for the sake of love!" A devious smirk spread across Sherry's face, as she glared at Lucy. "I cannot feel any love for you!"
"I've still got some hate left for you too!" Lucy shot back, her hand hovering over her celestial gate keys, ready for Sherry to make the first move.
"STOP! That's enough, all of you!" A booming voice yelled out from behind Sherry and Lyon. Looking beyond the Lamia Scale mages, everyone present, except Lyon and Sherry, was shocked to see a mountain of a man towering over them. The man was tall and massive with a heavily muscular figure, distinguished by his bald head, a pair of oval-shaped black marks just above his black eyes, and by his seeming lack of eyebrows. His clothes mirrored those that were commonly seen worn by ancient civilizations such as Mayans or Egyptians, although his thick boots resembled Inuit garb; his chest was bare, being only covered by a series of dark belts crossing it diagonally, and around his neck he donned a short mantle, covered in horizontal blue and white stripes and sporting edges decorated by numerous short, yellow strings hanging from it. On his arms were tight-fitting green armbands almost reaching up to his shoulders, seemingly made from the skin of a reptile. Around his waist there was a long loincloth, held up by a simple belt and sporting a motif composed of several arcs, with a single spot in each of their concave part and simple decorations reminiscent of Fleur-de-lis above them. The loincloth was fur-lined, something which matched the design of his boots, almost completely composed of fur. He also sported a dark green headpiece shaped like a reptilian, crocodile-like head, complete with sharp teeth pointing downwards, beady yellowish eyes and elongated, jagged ear-like protrusions, which matched his armbands, with what appeared to be a black Egyptian-like wig reaching down to his shoulder under it, giving the impression that he actually had hair. "We are here to come together as allies! We gathered in this place to defeat Oración Seis! This is no time for infighting!"
"*Sigh* You're right Jura-san..." Lyon said, as he lowered his guard.
"So that's the ace of Lamia Scale..." Ren muttered, stroking his chin as he analyzed Jura's form. "Iron Rock Jura..."
"Even I've heard of him before!" Lucy said, as she stared at Jura in utter shock. "He's one of the Ten Wizard Saints!"
"Now we have three guilds are all accounted for." Jura said, slamming his staff onto the ground to get everyone's attention. "All that's left is the group from Cait Shelter."
"Heh, you say group..." Ichiya said, as he quickly recovered from being frozen, a bright smile on his face. "But I heard it's only one-"
"Everyone shut the hell up for a second!" Natsu suddenly exclaimed, surprising all the mages present with his outburst. Without saying another word, Natsu began to frantically sniff the air, moving around the building to get a better whiff of whatever had caught his attention. "Where the hell did it go!? I know I smelled it!"
"What's up Natsu?" Lucy asked, as she walked up to her mate. "What did you smell?"
"I know I caught it...even if it was only for a moment..." Natsu muttered cryptically, continuing to search for whatever scent he was looking for. Suddenly the pink-haired dragon slayer bolted upright, inhaling deeply as he found the scent he had lost. "I know I recognized this scent! It has to be her!" Whipping around, Natsu raced towards the building's front doors. As the dual dragon slayer neared the double doors, he could hear people speaking on the other side.
"Calm down child! Why are you in such a rush!? Those fools inside aren't going anywhere!"
"I can't calm down Carla! I know I caught his scent! He's definitely in there!"
"It's slightly different, but I'd recognize that voice anywhere! It can only be..." Natsu thought, as he kicked open the building's front doors, coming face-to-face with a blue-haired teenage girl. The pink-haired dragon slayer locked eyes with the blue-haired girl, both of them panting slightly as they simply stared at each other. She had grown a lot since he had last seen her, but there was no way Natsu could mistake who the blue-haired girl was. With a massive grin, Natsu pulled the girl in for a tight hug, lifting her off her feet. "Wendy! I knew it was you!"
"Natsu! I'm so glad I finally got see you again!" Wendy exclaimed, feeling tears well up in her eyes as she hugged Natsu back. The sky dragon slayer wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck and buried her head into his chest, inhaling his unique scent. "It's been so long! I thought we might never meet again!"
"Oh course we'd see each other again! I promised, didn't I?!" Natsu said with a toothy grin, as he set Wendy back down. After their initial, emotional reunion, Natsu finally got a good look at Wendy. After seven years, Wendy had become a beautiful young woman. The first thing Natsu noticed was how tall Wendy had become, the top of her head now reaching up to his chest. Next, Natsu noticed that Wendy had grown her hair out significantly. Before it had only reached down to her shoulder, but now she sported a single long ponytail that went down to the small of her back, with two long bangs framing her face. Natsu could tell that Wendy had grown physically stronger as well, noting the lean muscles in her arms and legs. There was one thing that didn't change though, and that was Wendy's warm brown eyes that seemed to draw Natsu to them. However, there was one other change that Natsu would never admit to noticing, and that was Wendy's bust size. While nowhere near as well endowed as most of the girls he knew, Natsu did notice Wendy's developing breasts budding through her dress. Speaking of Wendy's attire, she wore a simple dress with two blue and yellow wavy stripes running across the dress, and ending in small pointed edges at the bottom. Around her arms and legs she also sported wing like attachments, highlighting her affinity with sky dragon slayer magic.
"And you always keep your promises." Wendy said with a small smile, clasping her hands over her heart. "I'm so happy right now. I finally got to see Natsu again. He's grown so much since I last saw him...and I can tell that he's gotten very strong."
"Come on Wendy, I'll introduce you to everyone." Natsu said, as he placed his hand on Wendy's back and ushered her towards everyone else. "Hey guys! I want you all to meet my old friend Wendy Marvell!" However, Natsu quickly noticed that Wendy was no longer standing next to him. Before he even had a chance to wonder where she went, Natsu felt a slight tugging on the back of his fest. Turning his head around, Natsu saw that Wendy was hiding behind him, nervously staring at the floor. "I don't remember Wendy being shy like this...well I guess we were just kids back then...well I guess there's no helping it..." Reaching back, Natsu offered his hand to Wendy. The sky dragon slayer quickly grabbed ahold of Natsu's hand, and almost immidiately she felt a warm, comforting feeling fill her entire body. Now feeling slightly more relaxed, Wendy released her hold on Natsu's vest. "Go on Wendy...at least say hello."
"H-Hello...I'm Wendy Marvell." Wendy introduced herself, poking her head out from behind Natsu's back, a slight blush dusting across her cheeks. The blue-haired dragon slayer gazed at all the strangers before, but her eyes lingered on a blonde and scarlet-haired woman. When a familiar scent emanating from the two women hit her nose, Wendy's eyes narrowed slightly. "Those two girls...they smell like Natsu."
And done! Well Wendy has finally been reunited with Natsu, but she quickly noticed that something up was up with Lucy and Erza! How will she take finding out that they are Natsu's mates?! You'll have to wait and see! Speaking of the next chapter, it will pick up where this one left off and finally get the action started in this arc. I will be posting one more chapter for this fic, before I start working on my Akame ga Kill story. After the next chapter you'll all have to wait a little while before this story is updated again. But as always just be patient and new chapters will be out eventually. Remember of follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK), check out my profile and other fics if you haven't already, and PM me any ideas you might have for any of my fics. So until next time, I'm outta here!