"They should be back soon." Lucy muttered to herself, looking outside of her window to see the sun finishing to set. Ace had already called her to let her know he was on his way back from the job, but that was roughly two hours ago and it was beginning to get late. Before she could think any further, she heard the front door unlock.
"Lu, I'm home." Ace called out as he walked inside.
"Welcome home!" Lucy yelled as she ran up to him and jumped into his arms. "How'd it go?!"
"It was...eventful." Ace replied, rubbing the back of his head. He then lifted up the Lacrima they kept and it showed it to her.
"They paid you with that?"
"Well, they don't know they did." Ace said as he placed the Lacrima on their bookcase. He proceeded to tell her the entire story of their job: starting from meeting Rayzen, to finding out the job was more dangerous than they anticipated, then to the bridge collapsing and almost falling to his death. "So because of everything that jerk put us through: we kept one of the two Lacrima in the chest."
"Asemu, you shouldn't do that. No matter how much you dislike the person: never take what's not yours, you could get in serious trouble." Lucy scolded him, placing her hands on her hips.
"I'll keep that in mind." Asemu yawned and gave her a smile. "But in the end, despite almost dying, I had so much fun."
"Well I'm happy you did. You should go shower, you smell a bit." Lucy giggled, pinching her nose to play around. He smelled his shirt and sheepishly nodded, making his way towards their bathroom.
"You're right. Care to join me?" Ace asked, turning around as he remembered how she played with him the other day.
"Using my own joke against me? How original."
"Who said I was joking?" Ace replied, taking off his shirt and throwing it in their hamper. Lucy blushed and thought for a moment, before walking in behind him. "H-Hey! I was actually kidding!" Ace turned around and covered his eyes as Lucy began to undress in front of him.
"I'll just help you scrub your back." Lucy winked and closed the door behind her.
"Hey! How'd it go?" Lisanna was standing behind the bar helping Mirajane clean up, when she heard the guild's doors open and watched Natsu and Happy enter.
"It was fun. I think we permanently sealed off any hope of exploring a dungeon, but aside from that we had a great time." Natsu replied as they walked over to her and sat down at the bar. Lisanna laughed and began to shake her head at what he had just said.
"Just like you, always making a mess."
"Hey! Not always."
"Yes always." Happy replied, taking out a fish from his bag and eating it.
"Who's side are you on?!"
"His mom's obviously." Lisanna replied, laughing even more.
"You're not his mom!"
"Oh Natsu, you're breaking my heart just like you broke your promise." Lisanna looked away, making a face like she was about to cry. But when she heard Natsu grumbling, she turned back around and playfully stuck her tongue out. "I'm just playing, Natsu."
"I think Lucy's engagement is messing with your head." Natsu grumbled, looking away from her.
"It's not messing with anything. But I do think it's cute." Lisanna replied, leaning forward and poking his cheek.
"Don't you think if I was serious about that: we'd be married already?"
"Oh my, you wanna get married already? Oh Natsu, you're so bold." Natsu's face turned a bright red and turned around, only to be met with Lisanna sticking her tongue out at him again.
"I don't have to take this from you!"
"So what would you rather take? My hand? You have to get through Mira and Elfman first."
"Oh forget you! I'm leaving!"
"Lucy...really?" Ace groaned as he stood under the showerhead, letting the hot water wash away all of the sweat and dirt stuck to his body. And behind him, relaxing in the bathtub, was Lucy humming to herself as she soaked in the water.
"Relax, both of us are wearing towels so it's not like we're seeing anything we shouldn't." Ace sighed, remembering that both of them wrapped their towels around their bodies so that he wouldn't complain anymore.
"That's not my point. Who in their right mind does this?"
"Most couples like showering together."
"And since when are we a couple?" Ace bluntly asked. Lucy, taking offense by what he said, stood up and walked over to him. "H-Hey! What are you-"
"Asemu. I poured my heart out to you, told you how much I really care about you, I even gave you my first real kiss. Are you really that dense?!" Lucy clenched her fists and yelled at Ace, beginning to tremble from anger. Ace sighed and turned off the shower, crossing his arms and looked at her.
"I'm not dense, I was just wondering what we really are. We're not really normal roommates because now you're kissing me and showering with me, but we're not really an engaged couple because we barely reconnected for a day before you put that ring on. So I don't get it."
"W-Well...when you put it that way..." Lucy blushed and looked away, realizing he was right.
"Do you want to be a couple?" Ace asked, uncrossing his arms and placing his hands on Lucy's shoulders. She looked at him, bit her lower lip, and slowly nodded her head.
"D-Do you want to be-" Lucy was cut off by Ace pulling her close and smiling.
"Of course I do." Ace chuckled placing his forehead on hers.
"Then why do you have to ask me?" Lucy giggled before leaning in to kiss him. This time he returned the kiss and after a few seconds, the two broke their kiss as they began to laugh. "It took you this long and almost falling to your death to do this?"
"Oh please, you were shaking in your boots the first time you kissed me." Ace said, beginning to walk out of the bathroom.
"And where are you going?"
"I'm wet and I want to get dressed now since my shower got ruined."
"No no, I'm not done with you mister. And put on a dry towel before you make a mess in my room!" Lucy yelled, chasing after him.
Erza, breathing heavily and bathed from head to toe in sweat, stood on the shoreline of Lake Sciliora behind the Fairy Hills Dormitory. She had been out here since the late afternoon training for her trip. She exhaled and placed the swords she held in her hands into the sand. It was rare for her to train like this considering she was already considered a master of swordsmanship, but she figured training sword swings using her heaviest armors would increase the force and speed behind her swings when she wasn't wearing them. But she had used up all of her magic power so her armor had gone back into her pocket dimension, leaving her in just a white t-shirt and blue shorts. When she was about to head inside of the dormitory to bathe and get ready for bed, she was caught off guard by the sound of clapping behind her.
"Oh, you're done?" She turned around and saw that the source of the clapping was Ryu. She had no idea how long he had been there, but considering how he was laying down under a tree watching her: she could imagine he was there for a while.
"How long have you been there?" Ryu looked at his watch and shrugged to answer her question.
"Like four hours."
"So you were there the whole time?"
"Pretty much. I asked Mirajane at the guild and she said you'd be here." Ryu yawned and placed his arms behind his head. "You have a lot of armor."
"I told you about my magic The Knight." Erza said as she walked over to him.
"Yeah, but hearing about it one thing and seeing it is another."
"So what did you come here for?"
"To see you, is that a problem?" Hearing what he said: Erza felt her heart skip a beat for a moment before clearing her throat.
"W-Well you could've gone about it another way. You were sitting here watching me in silence, that's a little unsettling."
"That's true. Sorry. You want some water?" Ryu reached behind him and pulled out a water bottle, extending it to the wizard standing in front of him. She nodded and took the bottle, swiftly drinking the warm water that was inside. "It was cold when I got it, but that was hours ago."
"It's fine. I appreciate it." Erza said before taking a seat next to him.
"So why the intense training?"
"For our journey of course. I don't know what kind of trouble we'll run into, and I just wanted to train a little bit."
"Okay that's a fair reason." Ryu shrugged and laid back onto the tree. Erza was considering going back inside again, but now that she knew Ryu was here: she didn't want to leave him alone. "Hey Erza?"
"What's up?"
"If I tell you something private, you promise to keep it between us?"
"I don't see why I wouldn't."
"I'm happy my brother came here." Ryu admitted as he looked at the night sky above them. "My Dad would be proud of the path he chose. He's found great new friends with people like you and Natsu, he's got a bright future if he puts himself to practice his magic, and he even has the chance to start a family with Little Lucy. If my Dad was here: he would be over the moon because of it." Ryu sighed as he heard his father's laughter clear as day in his head and could imagine his father looking down at them with a satisfied smile. "He would be so proud of all of them." Erza saw a stray tear fall down the corner of his eye and unknowingly reached over, wiping it away with her thumb. Realizing what she had just done, Erza hid her hand behind her back but took note the lack of reaction from him.
"Ryu?" He blinked and shook his head, hearing Erza call his name. He stood up and brushed the dirt off of his pants, clearing his throat to clear the atmosphere.
"I should probably go see if Ace is back yet. I haven't seen him since the day I got here." Ryu said, turning around to walk away. Erza sighed as she saw how he was trying to hide his pain. And it was in that moment she remembered Bastion telling them that their father's death hurt Ace and Ryu the most. She figured that she should address on their journey together since it was a request from his father, but then another idea crossed her mind. Maybe he'll say no, but it wouldn't hurt to tell him it.
"Wait." Erza called out, standing up and rushing over to him. Ryu turned around, surprised by the way she called out for him, and stopped as she made her way over to him. "Tonight."
"What?"
"Let's leave to Caelum tonight. We go from here to Hargeon, and from there we charter a boat to Caelum like we originally planned." Erza's idea surprised the oldest Falkner sibling even more as she was suggesting moving their trip up by two days to that same night.
"Why tonight?"
"Because this is important to you. You need to do this, and I'm going to be with you every step of the way. So what's stopping us from just leaving today?" Erza asked, crossing her arms. What was she even doing? Sure she considered the man in front of her an acquaintance, but she's going above and beyond by suggesting this for someone who's still almost a stranger to her.
"I guess...nothing really." Erza's eyes lit up from what he said and she took another step forward, making eye contact with him as she waited for his answer. Ryu sighed and crossed his arms as well, finding it hard to put his thoughts together after everything she just said. But she had a good idea, so what was stopping him from saying yes? "But are you even ready to go?"
"I can leave whenever." Ryu sighed again, finding it hard to find the right answer to give her. If he says no: then they'll still leave in two days. But she wants to push it up to that night? It's not something that needs to be done immediately...but she was right. This trip to Caelum is important to him because he was the one asked to go there. And especially because his father was the one who asked him to do this. So what was he going to tell her? "Ryu?"
"Let's just..." Looking into her eyes again, Ryu noted the worry in them despite the stoic expression she had on her face. She was worried about him? What was there to be worried about? But if he's right and she's worried to the point she's suggesting this, then he might as well say: "...go tonight."
"Are you sure?" Erza was surprised by his answer. He actually agreed. Well if he agreed to leave tonight then she should hurry and go get changed. "Let me go take a shower and get dressed and we can get going." Erza cleared her throat and started to walk past him, but he grabbed her hand to stop her.
"Wait. I still have to go back to the inn and grab my stuff and check out. Just meet me at Lucy and Ace's when you're ready." Ryu suggested, motioning with his head in the direction of Lucy and Ace's apartment. Erza nodded in agreement and continued walking away. But as she walked away from him, she felt as if she had butterflies in her stomach from everything that just happened.
Watching Erza walk away, Ryu smiled and looked down at the hand that just had Erza's in it. He expected someone like her to have extremely rough and callused hands, but he noted how soft her hand felt before remembering what he had to do and began to leave as well.
"What do you think this is?" Lucy asked, examining the Lacrima Ace had brought home as she held it in her hands. After their little moment in the shower, the two decided to relax and talk, so they were doing just that but Lucy made herself right at home on Ace's lap while he sat in their armchair. He shrugged and grabbed it from her hands, holding it up to the light above them. "Maybe it's got some sort of magic in it to make golems like what attacked you."
"I doubt it. I think that was the one that was under this one. But Rayzen said this is a one of a kind treasure, so it's definitely something cool." Ace said as he handed the Lacrima back to Lucy. She nodded and relaxed even more on his body, resting her head under his. But the atmosphere was swiftly ruined by someone knocking at their door.
"Who could that be?"
"I don't know, but they have horrible timing." Ace said as he and Lucy stood up and walked over to the door. Once they opened it, they were surprised to see Ryu standing with his suitcase behind him. "Please tell me it's either you're going back home or you forgot to pay the inn."
"Can I please come in?" Ryu asked, rolling his eyes at his youngest brother. Before Ace could protest, Lucy led Ryu inside and brought his luggage inside as well. "Thank you, Lucy. See? This is why I'm happy you two are going to be married."
"What's the matter, Ryu?" Lucy asked as the three sat down at the table.
"I wanted to tell Ace this in the morning but seeing how plans changed..." Ryu said as he turned to face his younger brother who was still staring at him confused. "I'm going to Caelum."
"Caelum? What's in Caelum?" Lucy asked, raising her hand to ask her question.
"Our Dad's from there." Ace replied, putting her arm down and keeping his hand on hers. "Why are you crossing the sea to go to Caelum?"
"Dad asked me to go there."
"When?"
"In his will. He asked me to go to the western island of Caelum after he died." Ryu explained. After being quiet for a moment, Ace spoke up as he shrugged.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Yeah. If Dad asked you to go, then go. Just be safe alright?" Ace's eyes were filled with worry, but Ryu gave him a warm smile that reminded the two sitting across from him of Lyle.
"I'll be just fine, I'll only be gone a month. Plus Erza's coming with me." Lucy and Ace perked up hearing what Ryu said, making him laugh sheepishly and nod. "Um...I hired her to accompany me there." The two looked at each other and back at him as the oldest Falkner sibling began to scratch the back of his head while he laughed. "Did I say something wrong?"
"You hired her and she agreed?" Lucy asked, earning a nod in response.
"What's going on between you two? Be honest with us." Ace asked what was on their mind lately, and Ryu shrugged as he didn't know what to tell them.
"She's an acquaintance-"
"Liar." The two cut him off, with the same deadpan expression on their faces as they said it at the same time. Luckily, there was another knock at the door and Lucy got up this time to see who it was. Once she opened the door, the two rolled their eyes seeing it was Erza.
"Am I intruding?"
"Not really. What's up?"
"I just came to get Ryu." Erza replied as Ryu stood up from the table.
"Wait what?" Ace asked, standing up as well.
"We're leaving tonight." Ryu replied, almost in a whisper, as he grabbed his luggage and walked over to Erza.
"But why? Don't you guys see how late it's getting?" Lucy asked as she began to point at the window.
"It doesn't matter, we'll arrive in Hargeon tonight and be in the water by morning." Erza replied before Ace suddenly placed himself between the two at a surprisingly fast speed. "Ace?"
"I just want to tell you and my brother something." Ace said as he pulled Erza inside and closed the door behind them. Taking a deep breath, Ace calmed himself down before beginning to speak in a voice that best mimicked the respect and tone of his mother's. "I want you two to be safe. If Dad asked you to go there then it's something important because he didn't even ask any of us to go with you." Ace then turned his focus to the red haired wizard in front of him. "Erza, I'm asking you as your friend and guildmate to please take care of him. Keep him out of trouble as best you can. " Erza smiled at his request and nodded.
"You can count on me."
"And Ryu." Now he turned his attention to his brother who was staring at him in surprise. He might've been the youngest of all of them, but he somehow managed to get the best qualities of both of their parents. "If anything happens, anything that even Erza with how amazing she is can't handle, call us. We will be there in a heartbeat."
"That's right. We'll head right over as fast as we can." Lucy nodded in agreement and wrapped her arm around Ace's. "All of us are family in one way or another. And family is always there for each other."
"So take care of each other, alright?" Ace asked, raising his arm sideways and softly bumping Ryu's chest with the side of his fist. Ryu nodded and did the same to Ace, pride filling his eyes from the man standing in front of him. "Love you, old man."
"Of course. Love you too, baby brother." Erza and Lucy smiled at the sight of the two brothers. Ryu and Erza then made their way out of the apartment, followed by Ace and Lucy who saw the two off as they headed towards the train station to catch the last train of the day.
Ace looked around, finding himself in the middle of a large field, confused by the sight around him. A large gust of wind nearly blew him over, but a familiar voice calling for him caught his attention. He turned around and saw Natsu, Lucy, and Happy all waving towards him.
"What are you doing?!"
"Come on, let's keep moving!"
"Aye sir!"
"I'm coming I'm coming." Ace chuckled and began walking towards them, but before he could meet up with them: the sky turned a dark gray and all a sudden the wind kicked up. The four looked around, wondering where the sudden change in weather came from, before hearing a loud roar in the distance. They looked up and saw a shadow in the shape of a dragon with piercing yellow eyes and two pairs of wings in the clouds above them. Springing into action, Lucy and Natsu prepared to attack whatever the shadow was. Natsu took a deep breath and Lucy reached into her key pouch, pulling out one of her golden Celestial Spirit Keys.
"Open, Gate of the Golden Twins: Gemini!" Lucy called out, pointing the key in the air. A golden magic circle appeared from it and from it: two golden lights appeared from it and became a copy of Natsu.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!" The two Natsus yelled as they unleashed two streams of fire from their mouths towards the cloud above them. But before the attacks could even get near it, the wind grew stronger and blew them out as if they were candles. The shadow then roared one more time, causing multiple tornados to form and surround the group. Ace watched in horror as one tornado pulled in Happy and Natsu, pulling them off of the ground as if they were light as feathers.
"Ace!" He turned around, seeing another tornado suddenly form behind him, and this time it was beginning to pull in Lucy. He reached out and grabbed her hands, holding onto the ground as hard as he could as he struggled to keep his grip on her. But it wasn't enough. Lucy slipped out of his grasp and was pulled inside, and Ace did his best to call out for her but it was like he couldn't make a single sound no matter how hard he tried.
Then another tornado formed around him. Ace tried to escape as the wind began to gain speed, but each time he ran into the wall he was thrown back into the center. As he laid on the ground in defeat: the wind began to lift him up and in the direction of the shadow. Once he was close enough: the shadow took the form of a thin dark grey dragon with two pairs of long wings. He felt his strength begin to leave his body as he was pulled towards the dragon, all while he was struggling to break free and escape the tornado holding him captive. The dragon growled and reached for his body, holding him tightly as he brought him up to his head.
"Too...long..."He faintly heard a deep voice from the dragon mixed in with its growls. "It's...been...so...long...need...body..." The dragon looked at Ace closely before he noticed what looked like the corner of its mouth raising into a smirk. It then opened its mouth, and slowly began to place Ace inside of it while he struggled even more to get out until it closed its mouth in one swift motion.
Ace snapped up in bed, breathing heavily and trembling. He looked around, seeing the apartment he shared with Lucy enveloped in darkness. Was that a dream? It felt so real, like it was actually happening. He turned his head, hearing an almost quiet yawn, and saw Lucy was safe and sound laying down next to him.
"Is everything okay, Ace?" Lucy asked as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. "You were moving a lot in your sleep and now you're shaking and sweating." Lucy said as Ace wiped his forehead, realizing she was right and that he was sweating too.
"I just had a bad dream, Lu."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Lucy was answered by him placing his hand on her cheek and rubbing it with his thumb.
"No, it's okay. It's probably just some jitters from what happened in that dungeon." Ace lied, not wanting to tell her what happened in his dream. It was probably because of something he read in a book that influenced that hyper realistic dream. But it was too late to worry about that and he already felt bad for waking up Lucy as well. "Let's just go back to sleep."
"You sure?"
"Positive." Ace whispered as the two of them laid down once more. However this time Lucy snuggled up close to Ace and rested her head on his chest.
"In case you have another bad dream." Lucy said as she closed her eyes and Ace wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as well. It was just a dream and all of them were okay, so he should just go back to sleep and he'll forget all about it in the morning.
However, once the two were asleep again: the Lacrima Ace had brought home began to flash a dim green light as it sat on their bookcase. As if whatever was inside was calling out to something...or someone.