After quickly exiting from that port town, they had to camp in the woods that night. It didn't bother Lucille; she enjoyed listening to Natsu and Happy talk about the Guild and sharing her snacks around a cozy fire with them. Natsu also gave Lucille his bedroll to sleep on, refusing to budge on his decision. So she backed off but offered Happy a chance to sleep on the bedroll after throwing a spare blanket at Natsu.
The next day they walked quite a distance, with Happy saying they were less than a day away from arriving at the Guild when they entered a small town. They walked around briefly when Lucille spotted an antique shop just a few ways ahead. "I'm gonna check out that shop real quick, maybe ask if there's an eatery close by," she told them both.
"Good idea! Let's go!" Natsu grabbed her hand and ran to the shop, throwing the door open as the tiny bell above tinkled to announce their entrance.
Lucille smiled brightly as she began exploring, her eyes roaming over little odds and ends. She found some cute crystal teardrop earrings for cheap, and a fancy fountain pen as well. Off to the side, Natsu was laughing at Happy as the feline tried on different masks and hats.
The shop owner, a slender elderly woman with skin darker than Cancer and hair as white as moonlight, rounded a display of brooches, nearly startling the young wizard. "Find everything okay, dear?" The woman asked, adjusting the rich plum-colored shawl around her shoulders.
"Yes, ma'am!" she showed off the few items that had caught her attention while feeling a pull deeper into the store. "Do you, by chance, have any keys?" Lucille asked, wondering if the pull she felt had anything to do with a Gate Key.
The woman hummed, glancing over the young blonde with an analyzing gaze. "A key collector, I take it?" she gestured to the ring of keys on Lucille's hip. "Not many people are interested in such mundane things, so I tend to keep them deeper in the store, which is a shame. Keys are just fascinating and can hold many stories…" she prattled on.
Lucille could still hear her traveling companions oohing and awing at the knick-knacks around the shop, easily amusing themselves as the woman showed her a table filled with keys of all kinds. She admired them all as she gently ran her fingers over the teeth of each key, marveling at the different styles and craftsmanship. Her hand paused, lingering over a key tucked in the corner, obscured by others, and gently plucked it up. Silver glittered in the dim light of the cozy antique shop as Lucille held it up to eye level.
It was a serpentine dragon that made up the key, with its spine making up the stem of the key. At the same time, its open maw— pulled open in a fierce roar— and front claws acted as the key's teeth, with the tail curled into the handle with a jewel nestled within the tail's coil with the Dragon Constellation engraved into the stone. She could feel the magic pulsing from the key, making her gasp loudly and drawing attention to herself.
"What'd ya find, Lucille?" asked Natsu, looking over her shoulder at the key, only to gasp as well. "It's a dragon key! Awesome!"
What were the chances of her finding not one, but two Gate Keys back to back? The shop owner looked confused, staring at the key as well. "Any time someone looks over these keys in the past, they always overlook that one as if it isn't even there. It even happened when I had it front and center because it was so unique." She said, her voice laced with confusion.
Heart racing, Lucille clutched the key to her chest. "I'll buy it, and give it a good home." She stated, feeling the Gate Key thrum in her hand. She paid for her items, just 92 Jewel, before inquiring about a place to eat. The owner gave them directions and soon the trio were off to a tiny cafe at the other end of the main road going through town.
"So what now?" questioned Natsu after they had eaten their fill and started walking toward Fairy Tail.
"Hmm?" Lucille tilted her head in confusion.
"Your new keys. You said something about contracts, so how does that work?" he explained, making her eyes brighten in understanding.
She pulled out Draco's key, pausing as she held the key out in front of her. "I am linked to the path to the world of Celestial Spirits, now! O spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate!" she called out, unlocking the gate as a bright light shone around her before slowly dimming.
Standing where the glow once was was a man that was a bit taller than Natsu, with chin-length shaggy brown hair and a single bright blue eye, his right covered by a leather eye patch that had a golden dragon on it. He wore a knee-length coat that was blue with white trim, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms and the hem jagged. Around his wrists, he wore black wrist guards, while black armor covered his chest, and leather protected his shoulders.
He reminded Lucille of a cross between a biker gang leader and a samurai. She blinked a few times, not used to a Spirit being so human-looking, and definitely not used to a Silver Key Spirit feeling so strong!
The Spirit gave a low whistle as he strode forward, hands on his hips as his one eye raked over her. "So are you the one to summon me?" he asked, his voice a low rumble like thunder.
"Y-Yes!" Lucille squeaked, face turning pink as she pulled out a familiar star-themed notebook. "I wish to form a contract with the Spirit of the Dragon Constellation!"
The Spirit hummed, chin cradled with his hand and ignoring Natsu staring up at him in wonder. "Took ya long enough to find my Key, girl," the Spirit snarked, grinning widely to show off a set of fangs similar to Natsu's. "Let's keep it simple. You can summon me whenever you want, especially for any good fights. It's been a while since I've last gotten to stretch my legs outside the Celestial Realm, after all."
"But… Silver Keys are normally not geared for combat…" Lucille trailed off, looking up at her new Spirit in confusion.
The Spirit threw his head back and laughed. "My Key is Platinum, girl. I'm even rarer than the Gold ones!" he chuckled. "Anyways, that's my condition. Simple, isn't it?"
Lucille jotted it down and tucked her notebook away. "Okay! Oh, I should introduce myself. I'm Lucille. Is there a name you go by besides Draco?" she questioned, clasping her hands behind her.
"Masamune. That's what I go by. Don't be shy in summoning me, Little Lucille," he smirked, patting her on the head before closing his Gate. The warmth from his hand lingered as Lucille touched her head, eyes wide and a bit dizzy.
Natsu placed his forehead against Lucille's, snapping her out of her daze as her eyes widened and cheeks flushed at the close contact. "You feel a bit warm. You coming down with something, Lu?" he asked, pulling back with a frown.
Her cheeks burned as she covered them with her hands, her heart racing at all the physical contact. "No! I'm just not used to physical contact like that! No one, not even my Spirits, has petted me on the head before…" she mumbled. As much as she loved her Spirits, they only allowed just so much physical affection and showed varying amounts of it towards her. Cancer showed his affection by taking care of her and fussing with her hair, Aquarius showed hers through angry rants and pinching Lucille's cheeks, Taurus always wanted hugs and kisses, and Lyra simply liked to play songs for Lucille while the young Wizard rested her head on the Spirit's lap. Horologium couldn't show affection given he's a clock, while Grandpa Crux was happy to share information, but wasn't one that liked to be summoned a lot given his old age. "It felt… nice," she admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed confessing such a thing.
Natsu chuckled and proceeded to pat the blonde on the head. "Oh, is that all? Head pats are nice, so I don't blame ya!" Lucille's face burned as she hid her face in her hands, yet followed behind Natsu as he began leading the way.
Happy flew overhead, snickering into his paws as he watched the whole thing. He was definitely telling Mirajane and Levy about this!
Lucille added Masamune's Key to her necklace, feeling that keeping him close would be important in the future.
Natsu looked back with a wide grin and grabbed her hand. "If we run, maybe we can get back to the Guild before the day ends!" He exclaimed, tugging her forward as he started running.
Lucille stumbled a bit, her eyes wide in surprise before laughing gleefully and started running hand in hand with Natsu. Her chest felt warm as she tightened her hold on his hand, a feeling of home flooding her to the brim. His grip tightened as he flashed her a toothy grin, joy bubbling up inside him as they made their way to Fairy Tail.
"So that's how a Celestial Wizard forms contracts? You just talk it out?" Natsu questioned, looking at Lucille from the corner of his eyes.
"Yeah, that's basically it. A Celestial Wizard's word is their vow. If we break our word, then the contract is null and void, so we should be honest and keep to our vow," she explained as she touched her Keys.
"I thought it'd be more gross, like a blood pact or something," commented Happy from overhead.
"Maybe? It might depend on the Spirit or possibly the Wizard. Mine have all been equal agreements, though," she replied, looking thoughtful. "Huh… I'll have to ask Grandpa Crux one day. He would know for sure!"
— — —
"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Happy exclaimed proudly as the trio finally made it to the Guild.
"Amazing!" Lucille gasped, staring up in awe.
Natsu didn't waste a second as he raised his left foot and kicked the doors inward, stunning the blonde behind him. "We made it back alive!"
"We're home!" Happy greeted the others as laughter filled the hall.
Lucille entered, excitement bubbling up inside her as she took everything in.
"So I heard you went all out in Hargeon, Natsu," teased a man with large front teeth. "Had to go starting trou— Ahh!" He ended up getting kicked by the angry pink-haired male.
"You lied about that Salamander! I'm gonna kick your butt."
"Don't get mad at me! I'm not the one to blame here! I'm just passing along a rumor I heard!" The man shouted back in annoyance.
"It was just a rumor?!"
Lucille giggled into her hand, catching Natsu's attention. "Well, you did find Bora, who was using the name Salamander, so he wasn't far off," she explained, her brown eyes shimmering with mirth as the lychee-haired teen pouted.
"You wanna fight?! Let's go!"
Suddenly a huge fight broke out, with Lucille standing out of the way while Happy tried calming down Natsu. "Now, now, Natsu, I think you need to calm down—!" he began before pinballing and smacking into other members of the Guild.
"So Natsu finally made it back, huh?" a young man with dark hair in nothing but his boxers and an ornate cross necklace exclaimed, standing by the blonde and scaring her unintentionally. Lucille felt her face grow hot as she covered her eyes. "It's time we settled things once and for all."
"Gray, your clothes?" pointed out a female wizard in a blue bikini top at the bar.
"I don't have time for that!" Gray shouted back, jumping into the brawl.
Lucille did her best to look away from the mostly nude male as she inched away.
"You see? I don't date the men here because they have no class," the dark-haired woman sighed just as she lifted a large barrel of booze and started chugging it. Lucille was impressed with how much strength she had to lift such a large barrel.
"Come here and fight me, Natsu!"
"Not until you put some clothes on."
Lucille pulled out a copy of Sorcerers Weekly that had a large spread on Fairy Tail and tried to figure out who was who.
"It's only noon and you boys are already whining like spoiled babies," she looked up to see a large man with white hair and dark skin towering over her. As quickly as he showed up he got punched in the face by both Natsu and Gray.
Behind her, she heard some giggling, confusing Lucille as she looked over her shoulder to see two girls sitting in the lap of a man wearing a green parka coat. 'Isn't that Loke? He uses Ring Magic, I think… But it doesn't fit him,' Lucille pondered to herself, just as an image of him with cat ears popped in her head; making her bite back a snort of laughter.
"Jeez, it's so noisy around here, huh?" he stated, just as a bottle hit him right in the forehead. He quickly got up, a strained grin on his face as he made his way to the brawl. "I'm gonna go fight, only to protect you two." The two women gushed over him, making Lucille laugh as Loke posed for them. He was 100% an orange cat.
"Hello, are you new here?" someone asked, coming up to Lucille. She turned around, gasping as she spotted none other than Mirajane holding a serving tray with two mugs on it. "It's always like this around here. I just leave them alone," she explained, gesturing to the fighting. "Besides—" Out of nowhere did the large man with white hair fell on top of Mirajane. "It's kind of fun, don't you think?" she gasped before fainting.
Lucille gasped, rushing over to help the older woman, and felt something crash into her back and knocking her over. She looked over her shoulder and screamed, seeing Gray there wearing only his necklace now. "Pervert!" she shouted, hands covering her eyes as she kicked out at him.
Gray yelped, trying to help her back up as he glared over at Natsu who held his boxers. "Give me back my underwear, jerk!" He turned to the blushing blonde. "Excuse me, Miss, could I please borrow your underwear?" he asked in all seriousness.
"No!" she shouted, face flushed in mortification as she pulled out her whip and swung it. The loud cracking sound it made caused Gray to flinch as it came very close to striking his manly bits.
She screamed as someone lifted her up in a bridal carry, frightening her even more as Loke held her close. "These guys are all so insensitive. A woman has needs," he stated with a knowing grin, while Lucille instinctively lashed out and punched him in the face.
"Ow~" she whined, not used to getting physical with people as she rubbed her bruised knuckles. 'This is getting out of hand,' she thought, crawling away to hide behind a kicked-over table as she stared at her pinkish knuckles. Soon, the other wizards started unleashing their magic, making the blonde reach for her keys.
A large shadow cast over Lucille, startling her as she looked up to see a giant towering over everyone. "Would you fools stop bickering like children?!" The giant demanded, making everyone freeze where they were.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were still here, Master," Mirajane chimed with a grin.
Lucille furrowed her brows, picturing someone smaller as the Guild's Master for some reason, while Natsu laughed as he stood proudly with his hands on his hips. "Man, talk about a bunch of babies!" he teased, not seeming to be able to read the room. "Looks like I won this round, you guys!" Natsu bragged, only to get stepped on by the giant.
Said giant took notice of the blonde that now stood next to a chuckling Mira. "Well, seems we've a new recruit." Smoke dramatically billowed from him as he started to shrink down. She stared in awe as a small grandfather-like figure stood in place of the giant, and smiled up at her with a wave of his hand. "Nice to meet you."
Lucille smiled, giving a small curtsy in return. "Nice to meet you, too, Sir."
"Allow me to introduce you to the Fairy Tail Guild Master, Makarov," Mira stated with a wave of her hand.
The elderly male leaped up, smacking his back against the railing of the upper floor with a grunt before standing up on the railing and clearing his throat. Everyone stared up at him and waited. "You've gone and done it again, you bunch of clods!" he scolded the Guild like an exasperated father, pulling a thick stack of papers from behind his back. "Just take a look at how much paperwork the Magic Council sent me this time! This is the biggest pile of complaints yet!" Lucille covered her mouth with both hands as she snorted, trying her best to contain her laughter. "Have you lost your minds?! All you kids are good for is getting the higher-ups mad at me!" A few members of the Guild looked embarrassed as they looked down and fidgeted with their fingers. "However…" The stack of papers went up in flames. "I say to heck with the Magic Council."
He threw the flaming stack away, with Natsu jumping for it like a dog going after a ball, and happily consuming the flaming papers. Lucille giggled as she crouched down, trying to smother her laughter with her knees. Next to her, Mira smiled warmly at the scene.
"Now listen up. Any power that surpasses reason still comes from reason, right?" questioned the Master. "Magic isn't some kind of miraculous power. It is a talent that only works when the flow of energy inside of us and the flow of energy in the natural world are in perfect synchronization. To perform magic, one must have a strong mind and the ability to focus. It should take over your being and come pouring out of your soul. If all we do is worry about following rules, then our magic will never progress. Don't let those blowhards on the Council scare you. Follow the path you believe in! 'Cause that's what makes the Fairy Tail Guild number one!" he cheered, lifting his right hand in the air with his index and thumb extended and posed proudly.
The rest of the Guild cheered happily and lifted their hands with their index fingers all extended. Lucille felt her eyes water and dabbed at them with her sweater sleeve, a warm feeling flooding her as she took in the atmosphere. After that, everyone helped clean up the Guild, with Lucille helping put the seats back in place and making sure things were even.
"So, are you ready to officially join Fairy Tail?" questioned Mirajane as Master Makarov sat on the bar with a bottle of booze.
"Yes!"
"We just need you to fill out these forms, just for official reasons," Master stated, pulling out a clipboard from behind the bar and handing it to the blonde.
She took it gratefully, her heart racing as she picked up the pen that was attached. She filled out her age, birthday, type of magic, and any known allergies, yet hesitated when it came to placing her full name down and place of residents. "I was planning on going apartment hunting soon, so I don't have a current address yet…" she told them, her cheeks heating up.
"You're free to fill that part in later once you have a place to call home, my dear," he told her gently, taking a drink from his bottle. Lucille nodded, leaving that spot blank before carefully writing Lucille Heartfilia in the name box. Handing the clipboard back to the male, he didn't even bother looking it over before resting it upside down over his lap.
"So, where do you want your Guild mark? And do you want it a certain color?" asked Mirajane as she held a magic stamp.
"My hand. I want everyone to know I'm a proud member of Fairy Tail!" Lucille stated, holding out her right hand. "As for color… Surprise me?" she added as an afterthought.
Mira chuckled, gesturing for Lucille to place her hand on the bar, and then promptly pressing the stamp into the back of her hand. "There. Now you're an official member of the Fairy Tail Guild," she informed the blonde, her dark eyes staring in wonder as the magic Guild mark turned a certain shade of pink that matched a certain Dragon Slayer's hair. Lucille thanked Mira before walking off with stars in her eyes, staring at the mark on her hand with fondness. "Master…" Mira began, a bit stunned as that had never happened before.
"I noticed as well, Mira. Best keep an eye on those two," he commented as she put the stamp back up. "Magic has a funny way of tying two individuals' fates together."
Lucille found Natsu, who was standing in front of a large corkboard filled with flyers. "Hey, Natsu, look!" she giggled, holding up her marked hand. "Mirajane just put the official Fairy Tail mark on my hand! We're Guildmates now!"
He didn't bother turning around, looking over all the flyers with disinterest. "Oh yeah? That's cool. Welcome to the Guild, Lu."
That response dampened Lucille's mood as she lowered her hand and fidgeted with the hem of her skort. "Did I do something wrong, Natsu?" she asked softly, wondering if she had done something to anger her first friend.
"Huh?!" Natsu turned around, looking confused. "You didn't do anything wrong. Why'd ya think something silly like that?"
She tightened her grip on her skort as she stared at the ground. "I just thought you'd be a tiny bit excited over me joining the Guild," she told him, feeling her cheeks warm up.
Natsu tilted his head to the side, his confusion growing. "I don't see the point of making a big deal over it. I already thought of you as a Guildmate when you told me that you wanted to join Fairy Tail back in Hargeon," he stated, crossing his arms over his chest as he tried to see her Guild mark, only to spy it on her right hand. "Whoa, no one won't be able to tell what Guild you're from with that placement!" he grabbed at her hand and held it up to examine it. "None of the other girls in the Guild even have it in such a noticeable spot. Mostly they choose their upper arms or upper thighs, or even their side like Cana." He pointed out, gesturing to the other females loitering around the Guildhall so Lucille could see what he was talking about.
Lucille blushed as she stared down at their hands. "I wanted to be able to see it whenever I feel homesick and lonely," she replied softly. "So, what were you looking at?" she asked, trying to change the topic as she stared at the board in confusion.
"Make sure you pick one with a big reward, Natsu," Happy stated as he flew over and landed on the Dragon Slayer's shoulder.
Natsu hummed, just as his eyes locked on to a lower flyer and ripped it off the board. "Whoa, 160,000 Jewel to get rid of some thieves?"
It suddenly clicked to Lucille what the board was for, having seen and used smaller ones posted in small towns during her travels. "A job board! So this is how Guild Wizards accept job requests…" She looked over the different flyers herself, humming a soft tune as she spotted one that would suit her Spirits, and gently pulled it off the board. "Only 30,000 Jewel, but it looks interesting enough," she commented as she read it over. Lyra would be perfect for the job, as it requested assistance to help lull a fussy child to sleep, with normal remedies having little effect on the child.
"How come my dad hasn't come back yet?" Questioned a young voice, catching Lucille's attention as she looked over to see a dark-haired boy standing before Master Makarov.
"You're starting to work my nerves, Romeo," the elderly man replied. "You're a wizard, son. Have faith in your father and wait patiently for him."
The small boy frowned as he stood firm. "But Sir, he told me he'd be back in three days! And he's been gone for over a week now!"
"If I remember correctly, he took the job on Mount Hakobe."
"That's right. And it's not that far from here, so why won't somebody go look for him?"
"Listen, kid, your old man's a wizard! And like every other wizard in this Guild, he can take care of himself. Now go home, have some milk and cookies, and wait!" Master stated firmly.
"Jerk!" the child shouted, hitting the Master in a fit of rage. "I hate you all!" he cried, running out of the Guildhall.
Lucille chased after the boy, hearing something crashing behind her but ignored it as she made sure the boy was okay. She shouted, catching the boy's attention and causing him to stop as he dried his face. "Can you tell me a bit about the job your father went on?" she asked softly, stooping down so they were at eye level.
"He went to Mount Hakobe to take care of some monsters," he explained, pointing in a certain direction. "The mountain is that way. Can't really miss it because it's coated in snow."
She chewed on her lower lip and pulled out her Key for Cancer. "Need a bit of a wardrobe change if I'm going to be hiking up a snowy mountain," she told the boy who watched with wide eyes and she opened Cancer's gate.
"What can I do for ya, baby?" questioned the dark-skinned spirit.
"I need something a bit more warm to wear. A Guild member is somewhere on a snowy mountain, so I thought I'd go find him and bring him home," she informed him while placing her hands on Romeo's shoulders. "He has a very important person waiting for him, after all."
"Say no more, baby," Cancer replied, pulling out a portable changing screen from behind him and gesturing for her to enter. "One moment." He vanished for a bit before reappearing, handing Lucille a bundle of clothes through the curtains.
"You're the best, Cancer!" she cheered, slipping her boots off and replacing her thigh-highs with the insulated thigh-high stockings, a pair of calf-high black boots with fleece lining, before folding the black parka with white fur trim around the hood over her arm. "I'm done," she notified them both, handing her other stockings and booties to Cancer. "Thank you again, Cancer. Hopefully, I won't need you any time soon."
"My pleasure, baby," Cancer took the items and the changing screen before leaving them.
"Just wait a little bit longer, Romeo. I'll bring you dad back," she told him, patting the boy on the head just as Natsu rounded the corner. "Natsu?"
He had a serious look on his face as he walked past, ruffling Romeo's dark hair and smoothly snatching Lucille's hand and pulling her along with him. "C'mon, Lu," he stated, shrugging his travel pack back on as they made their way out of town. They walked for as long as possible before she pointed out that a carriage would be more practical to get a ride from so they could 1) get to Mount Hakobe faster, and 2) conserve energy for any fighting that might happen. He groaned, not looking pleased but caved in, letting Lucille order them a carriage to the mountain's base.
— — —
Lucille sat across from Natsu, who was sprawled out on the bench across from her and looking ill. "Wow, you really do have a serious case of motion sickness, don't you?" she asked, wincing as he groaned painfully.
"Urg… Make it stop…" Natsu whined, covering his mouth.
Lucille sighed and got up, easily lifting his head and resting it on her lap. "Motion sickness is normally caused by the body, inner ear, and eyes sending conflicting signals to the brain." She rested her palm across his eyes to block out the passing scenery while pulling his scarf over the ear that wasn't pressed against her thighs to muffle the noise. She started humming and soon Natsu started to relax; his hands falling limply next to him as he focused on Lucille.
Happy took the vacant seat across from the two, his large eyes wide in shock at the scene before him. "Wow, who knew just covering his eyes and ears would cure Natsu's motion sickness?"
"Well, I guess that he only has motion sickness because of his heightened senses from being a Dragon Slayer," she mused to herself. "Though it might also be due to his strength? Or how in tune he is to his abilities? Did he have motion sickness when he was younger, by chance?"
"No. It suddenly popped up out of nowhere a year after I met Natsu. I think he was 13 or so?"
Lucille hummed in thought as she soaked in the new information. "Did his abilities get stronger around then, too?"
"Aye! He even said his senses were sharper, too!"
"So it might be a combination of all 3 theories. Age, strength, and how in tune he is with his Dragon Slayer magic." They sat in silence, with the only noise being Natsu's light snoring.
— — —
"We arrived," the driver called back to the trio as the carriage came to a stop.
"All right!" Natsu shouted, quickly coming alive and jumping out of the carriage. "We've stopped moving!"
"I'm sorry, but this is as far as I can get you," the driver told them both as they got out, accepting the few Jewel that Lucille owed the man.
The wind roared, blowing right through the blond and making her shiver as she hurried to put her parka on and quickly zipped it up. "Is this Mount Hakobe, Natsu?" she questioned, pulling her hood on and shoving her hands into her pockets. She wasn't expecting it to be so cold, given that it was summer, and yet there was a blizzard roaring around them.
"Aye, this is Mount Hakobe," Happy answered as Natsu led the way.
Lucille shivered and stuck close to the Dragon Slayer, keeping her head bowed so the snow wouldn't get in her face. The closer she got to the lychee-haired male, the warmer she felt, making the blizzard bearable. "Excuse me," she apologized, wrapping her arms around Natsu's left one.
"Huh?! What are you doing?!" he demanded loudly.
Lucille buried her cold face in his shoulder as his proximity caused warmth to flood her from the top of her head down to the tips of her toes. "You're warm, and being this close is making the cold bearable," she explained, her voice muffled from being pressed against his bare shoulder. "Do all Fire Mages run hot like this, or is it just you?" she asked as they trudged up the mountain.
"Huh… Honestly, it never occurred to me." He looked down at her with a thoughtful look. He shrugged her off his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, drawing her in even closer as Happy snickered at them both.
Lucille felt her face become warm as she took his scent. She could smell black cardamom and cinnamon wafting off of him, making her nose tingle pleasantly from the warm scent that had a smoky undertone, similar to burning wood. "So what kind of monsters did Macao have to take care of for his job?" Lucille asked, tilting her head up so he could hear her.
"A Vulcan," he replied, looking off to the side. Taking a deep breath, he cupped a hand around his mouth. "Macao! Where are you?!" he shouted, making the blond jump in surprise. She also brought her hand up and cupped her mouth, screaming for Macao alongside Happy.
Next thing she knew, a large ape figure jumped from nowhere and smashed the ground where they once stood, with Lucille rolling away across the snow and away from her two new friends.
"That's a big Vulcan!" Cried out Happy as the ape-like beast sniffed the air and giggled.
"Hey, wait!" Natsu shouted as the beast looked over the blonde, making her freeze as she stared up at it with wide brown eyes.
"Me like human woman," it told her, not noticing her flinching back as it grabbed at her. Lucille yelled as the creature threw her over its shoulder and ran off. Lucille tried wiggling out of its grip, with no success at trying to escape as it whisked her away to a cave close to the summit of the mountain.
Lucille curled her knees to her chest as she backed up, pressing her back to the cave wall as the beast banged its chest as it danced around her. "I wonder if this is the monkey's lair?" She inquired to herself softly as she tried to look around for any exits. "But what's happened to Natsu?"
The Vulcan got right in her face, making goo-goo eyes at her as she screamed at the sudden intrusion into her personal space. "Woman~" it panted in excitement while sniffing around her.
"Natsu!" Lucille screamed, closing her eyes as the Vulcan got closer.
"Woah! I've finally caught up with you!" Natsu had finally arrived, his voice echoing off the icy walls. "Where is Macao?!" He demanded, just to slip on a patch of ice and smash into a wall. "Hey! Monkey! Where is Macao?!" He demanded once more, not seeming to mind that he was upside down with his knees pressing into his shoulders.
The Vulcan stared at him in confusion, while Natsu got up and started walking towards them. The blonde Celestial Wizard took that chance to move away from the Vulcan, so that way she wasn't in grabbing distance anymore.
"You understand what we're saying, right? I'm talking about Macao! A human man!"
"Man?"
"That's right!" Natsu leveled a finger at the Vulcan. "Where are you hiding him?"
Lucille didn't like the look on its face as it pointed to somewhere in the cave, beckoning Natsu to follow it as it shouted, "Man!"
"Hey, I think he's gonna show me," Natsu exclaimed, following the Vulcan before the blonde could grab his vest to halt his moves. Natsu leaned out the hole, shouting for Macao as the Vulcan grunted, shoving him with a gleeful look as his screams faded away.
"Natsu!" Lucille shouted, rushing over and peering out the hole to see a deep chasm.
"No like man. Me like woman!" The Vulcan danced around and banged on its chest. The creature chanted "Woman" over and over, while Lucille tried to figure out a way to help the Dragon Salyer.
She reached for her keys, thinking of possibly summoning Taurus, but froze as she got a niggling feeling in the back of her head. 'If Happy can get Natsu, then Taurus would be mistaken as another Vulcan with his similar colors!' she thought with a frown. She didn't want to put her Spirit in danger of friendly crossfire if at all possible. With that in mind, she grabbed the newest Key in her arsenal. "Open! Gate of the Dragon – Masamune!" she cried out, summoning her Platinum Spirit.
"Already got a fight for me, Little Lucille?" asked the Celestial Spirit as he walked out of his Gate, his grin sharp as he rested a hand on the hilt of one of the swords at his side.
The Vulcan glared, baring his fangs at Masamune. "No touch my woman!"
Masamune narrowed his lone eye at the beast, using his thumb to flick out the blade. "Your woman? Don't make a dragon laugh, monkey," he sneered, sliding his foot back as he got into a stance and drew one of his swords. "Let's dance, Phantom Drive!" he shouted, doing a horizontal sweep before leaping into the air and slamming the ground with his sword, causing an electrical shockwave that shot forward toward the Vulcan. The beast managed to dodge the blue lightning strike just in time, making Masamune growl in annoyance. "C'mon, ya damn monkey! Let's party!" he snapped, slashing with a lightning-coated sword as he charged at the Vulcan once more. The beast dodged just barely, gaining a shallow slash across the chest.
Masamune swore, jumping back to stand in front of Lucille as Natsu flew in and kicked the Vulcan in the face. "Natsu!" Lucille shouted, feeling relieved at seeing him standing there okay.
"Took your time, spitfire," huffed Masamune as he sheathed his sword. The lychee-haired teen blinked, looking confused as he stared at the Spirit and the Vulcan. "Think you can handle that beast, or do you need me to step in?" Masamune placed his hands on his hips as he observed the Fire Mage.
Before he could reply, the Vulcan attacked him from behind, shouting "My woman!" at the top of its lungs, as it swung its fist down, with Natsu blocking with his forearm.
"You listen up," he grunted as shards of ice flew around him from the impact. "I consider everyone in the Fairy Tail guild my friend." He blocked a kick from the Vulcan with his arms, skidding backward with a grunt. "Whether it's Gramps and Mira, or even those annoying jerks Gray and Elfman." He shifted his stance, magic swirling around him as he stared at the charging Vulcan. "Happy and Lucille too. They're all my friends!" A flaming magic circle appeared around his feet. "Which is why… I'm not leaving without Macao!" Natsu shouted, driving a flaming kick into the Vulcan's stomach, sending the beast flying into the ceiling as shards of ice fell and impaled the floor.
The Vulcan recovered and was on all fours, slowly standing back up, swinging its arms, and generating a powerful blast. Lucille yelped in shock as Masamune scooped her up and jumped out of the blast's range. "Careful!" the Celestial Dragon shouted back as lightning glittered up his frame.
"Your ice attack has no effect on fire!" shouted Natsu, seemingly not hearing Masamune's warning. The Celestial Dragon growled, his chest rumbling like thunder. The Vulcan swung at Natsu, with the Dragon Slayer backflipping over its arm, and dodging before slipping on the ice.
"Natsu!" Lucille shouted, fighting against Masamune's hold as she reached out toward Natsu.
Masamune held her back, pinning her to the cave's wall to keep her safe as shards of ice pelted his back. "Just watch, Little Lucille," he warned. She stopped moving and watched while biting her lip, her heart racing as Natsu stopped the punch that was aimed directly at his sternum. The Vulcan cried out in pain as Natsu managed to halt its punch by gripping its wrists with both of his hands, which had begun producing light as the smell of burnt fur lingered in the air.
Natsu spat small fireballs at the Vulcan, causing it to back off and giving him space to do a kip-up, smashing his fists together and forming another magic circle. "Now I'm all fired up! Eat this!" Fire swirled around the cave, with Lucille gasping in wonder as she felt the warmth that radiated from the flames. "FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" Natsu yelled, his right fist completely covered in flames as he launched his attack into the Vulcan's face, sending the monster crashing into the wall and knocking the beast unconscious.
"We beat him!" chirped Happy, flying over by Lucille and Masamune.
"Wasn't this monkey supposed to tell us where your friend is?" questioned Masamune, releasing Lucille and letting her get up, and helping her walk over to where Natsu stood over the creature.
"Oh," Natsu chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Forgot about that."
Masamune snorted, rolling his single eye. "Figures."
Lucille stared at the KO'd creature. "Well, I don't think he's gonna do much talking," she stated, jumping as light surrounded the Vulcan.
Natsu looked stunned as his vision slowly cleared up from the bright flash of light. "What in the heck was that?" he gasped, staring at where the Vulcan once was. "Macao?!"
A middle-aged man in a white coat and dark brown pants now took the place of the Vulcan, a shallow cut weeping blood on his chest in the same place as where Masamune had managed to injure the Vulcan earlier. "Are you telling me that big perverted monkey was actually your friend this whole time?" Masamune asked, sounding exasperated.
"Yeah, he must have been taken over by that Vulcan," Happy explained. "More than likely it must have used a possession spell on him. You see, Vulcans survive by stealing people's bodies and taking them over. They're evil body snatchers."
Masamune helped maneuver the unconscious male on a blanket from Natsu's pack. "I'll be going. Don't hesitate to summon me when you need help, Little Lucille," he stated, gently patting her head as the Celestial Wizard started patching up Macao.
She smiled up at him, feeling warmth flood her cheeks. "Thanks for helping, Masamune! You were great!"
The Celestial Dragon then ruffled the Dragon Slayer's hair, chuckling as the teen yelped as he swatted away Masamune's hand. "You did pretty good as well, spitfire," he chuckled before closing his Gate.
"Get back here and fight me!" shouted Natsu, waving his fist about with a scowl.
Lucille giggled as she went back to patching up Macao with Happy's help. "It looks like he put up a good fight before that Vulcan finally got to him though." Happy pointed out.
"Macao, don't you die on me. Romeo's waiting for you. Open your eyes!" Natsu called out, kneeling by Macao's head.
Macao groaned in pain, his eyes slowly opening as he stared up blurrily at Natsu. "Natsu?"
The trio brightened up and grinned. "You're okay!"
"I'm so pathetic. I defeated 19 of those brutes."
"Huh?"
"But the 20th, that's the one that got me. I'm so angry with myself. I'm embarrassed to go home and face Romeo."
'He defeated 19 of those things?! And all by himself?!' Lucille gasped.
"Don't be like that, man. You beat 19 monsters." Natsu held out his hand to Macao and carefully pulled him up. "Now let's go home," he grinned happily. "Your little boy's been waiting for you."
"Are you okay to walk?" Lucille asked softly, noting each time Macao winced as he pulled his clothes back on, while she carefully packed away Natsu's pack.
"I should be okay as long as I take it easy," he stated. "But who are you?"
"That's Lucille! She's a brand new Guildmate!" cheered Natsu, slinging his arm around her shoulders and bringing her in for a side hug. She laughed nervously and waved.
— — —
The sun had started setting as they made it back to Magnolia, with Macao's arm slung across Natsu's shoulders as he limped. "Hey, Romeo!" Natsu called out, waving at the boy sitting on a set of steps. Lucille stood off to the side a bit awkwardly as Romeo started tearing up, waiting a few moments before dashing down the steps and to his dad.
"Dad!" he cried, leaping up and wrapping his arms around Macao's neck, sending them both to the ground. "You came back! I'm so sorry, Dad."
"No, I'm sorry for making you worry."
"I can handle it, 'cause I'm a wizard's son."
"Next time those bullies pick on you, here's what I want you to say: 'Can your old man defeat 19 monsters all by himself? 'Cause mine can!'"
"Natsu! Happy! Thanks for your help!"
"No prob, kiddo!"
"Aye!"
"Lucille, thanks for helping to bring my Daddy back to me!"
Lucille smiled, waving back at them with flushed cheeks.
"You really did good out there, Lu," Natsu commented, leading them somewhere.
She pushed some of her hair behind her ear as she pulled off her coat and folded it over her arms. "It was nothing," she said, looking at the setting sun with a heavy sigh. "Guess I'll have to get a hotel room for the night and start apartment hunting tomorrow," she sighed, already feeling her wallet weep.
Natsu grabbed her arm and gently tugged her to walk alongside him. "Why not stay with me and Happy for the night?" he questioned.
"Are you sure that'll be okay?" she asked, nervously fidgeting with her coat.
"Aye! Natsu's bed is big enough for all of us!" Happy chimed in from his perch on Natsu's bag.
"I left my luggage at the Guild Hall!" she shouted, realizing that she never gave it back to Cancer to watch over. Most of her money is in that case!
"Let's swing by and grab it, then! Mira probably has it behind the bar!" Natsu grinned, dragging her behind him with a laugh. Lucille's eyes widened as she stared in awe at the Dragon Slayer, her cheeks flushed a bright pink as her heart raced. She picked up her speed, running beside him as she also laughed, feeling free as the wind blew through her hair.
"Right! Let's go!"
It has been awhile since I last updated this fic. Granted, I updated it a few days ago on AO3 (I'm more active on there). I've currently been focusing on Hazbin Hotel and writing a fic for Lucifer/OC!
Also, if you know Sengoku Basara... Yes, Masamune is Date Masamune but the Fairy Tail version with my own creative changes lololol he still has the same English and Japanese VAs in this fic, so that means he and Jellal have the same voice in English.
