Fairy Tail: Eien no bōken o kakinaosu
Chapter 3: Infiltrate the Everlue Mansion
Update 2024: the Daybreak arc is separated back into two chapters, now with Setsuko and Aspen in this version.
It was a couple of days after Natsu, Lisanna, Lucy, and Happy saved Macao on Mt. Hakobe and reunited Romeo with his father. After that, Lucy found herself a new apartment in Magnolia so she could stay close to the guild. She was going to ask to live with Natsu or Lisanna, but she declined the offer, saying she doesn't want to be a hassle of the two wizards. Her apartment, a two-story apartment house with red walls and a dark-brown sloping roof with two chimneys and two dormer windows, was located on Strawberry Street, Magnolia Town and near a water canal and bridge. Inside the apartment the walls are decorated in pink and a lot of storage space. Her main room is quite large and includes a lot of furniture like a bed, desk, bookcase, commode, and dresser, a table with three chairs, a coffee table, and an armchair. The entrance to the bathroom and the kitchen is on the other end of the room, with two turquoise curtains. The bathroom is blue with Trade Card tiles. A Kitchen was added to her apartment with an old fashion stove and pantry. As the sun rose, the young Celestial spirit wizard started the day. She looked to the window facing the side of her bed and smiled.
Hi, I'm Lucy. And this is Magnolia, a commercial city in which magic flourished since ancient times. If the Kaurudia is the middle of the city, which towers over the surroundings, was gone, you'd be able to see the only wizard Guild in this town Fairy Tail. And that's the house I decided to live in. The rent is only 70,000 Jewel. I found a nice place. For 70,000 Jewels, it's very spacious and it has storage space, it has an old fashioned fireplace and even a cooking stove. And the most wonderful of it all is…
But Lucy's day doesn't go off without a hitch. After taking her bath and drying her hair, she enters, towel draped over her body...
"Yo!" a familiar pink haired Dragon Slayer greeted.
"Morning Lucy." A familiar white-haired Take over wizard greeted
"Good morning!" two girls she didn't recognize completed greeted too
"My bedroom!" Lucy screamed.
There the six wizards, Happy, Natsu, and Lisanna (of all people) were there with two girls and a cat she thought she saw a few days ago, eating her food, sitting in one of her loveseats and making a mess (well on Natsu and Happy's part at least). But here these three are, invading her privacy and making a mess.
"Why are you two here?!" Lucy screamed furiously, kicking Natsu and Happy to the wall.
Lisanna just giggled as a pillow hit her head lightly. Aspen, Setsuko, and Shiro (the newcomers who never met Lucy), took a spot away from the fight. They did not know what to say and did not want attention from them.
"And you!" she roared, pointing to the white-haired wizard. "Why are you just barging into a person's house?! You do not you have any decency?!"
"Because we heard from Mira that you decided on a new house," Natsu explained, holding a hand to his cheek where Lucy kicked them.
"Aye." Happy said weakly, a swallow bump over his right eye.
"So what if you heard?" she roared furiously, an anime vein throbbing on her head. "Have you heard of the saying, 'Good manners even between friends'?" The two boys had a blank expression on their faces as they jumped and hid behind Lisanna.
"What you three did is trespass! It is a crime and having three others in my room as well?!" She explained, right arm across her chest. "I wouldn't want to get your sister involved, Lisanna. She might not like what you are up to."
Yes, I am worried for my sister. You can feel the sarcasm and irony from my words.
"Hey, that hurt my feelings." Natsu responded to her, arms crossed hotly.
"I'm the one whose feelings are hurt." Lucy responded.
"What a nice place." Happy said, filing his claws into her wall.
"Don't sharpen your nails there you little feline!" Lucy shrieked.
"What's this?" Natsu asked as he picked up a stack of papers.
"What you find, Natsu?" Lisanna asked, eyeing the papers too.
Lucy gasped as she saw what Natsu had in his hands. With a tackle she sent to the two flying and her papers hugged against her chest.
"Don't look at them!" Lucy screamed, the two wizards crashing back to the ground.
Lisanna groaned and placed a hand to her head. "Why did I get hit?"
"Lisanna-san, are you okay?" spoke the light blue haired girl.
"Now I'm curious. What is that?" Natsu asked, a little bump on his head and a bandage on his cheek.
"It's none of your business! Just get out of here!" Lucy cried, hugging the papers.
"Yeah, right! We came to hang out!" Natsu replied cheerfully.
"So selfish…" Lucy cried tearfully.
A few minutes later, Lucy was dressed in a red shirt with a white and black center and blue sweatpants. She had served the six some tea as they sat near the table: Lucy on one side, Natsu and Lisanna on the other, and Happy on the table. The two new girls sat with Natsu and Lisanna, the second cat sitting with Happy. The blond-haired wizard had an annoyed look on her face and an arm resting on her table.
"I just moved in a few days ago, so I don't have anything to entertain guests. Drink your tea and get out." She told the three.
"What a cruel person…" Natsu and Lisanna spoke in unison with a sigh.
"Aye!" agreed Happy.
'I'm cruel?" she thought, feeling the words offending before eyeing the three new faces, one of them a cat like Happy, "By the way, I saw you three the day we came back with Macao, are you new?"
"Yes. My name's Setsuko Koori. The girl with me is Aspen. The Cat with me is named Shiro. It is nice to meet another new member like us, Lucy-san," Setsuko greeted, bowing her head.
"You're a polite girl, nice to meet the three of you, you look like another cat like Happy," Lucy said, looking at Setsuko and Shiro.
"Honestly, I was shocked there was another cat like me as well." Happy said, looking at Shiro.
"Myself as well. But it's nice to have friends. Hope we get along." Shiro reolied, smiling to the fellow feline.
"While we're here, why don't you show us all the key guys you're gathered?" Natsu requested.
"Didn't you pay attention to what she said a few days ago. They're Celestial Spirits, not 'key guys', dummy." Lisanna scolded, placing a knuckle to Natsu's head. The pink haired Dragon Slayer reacted with a slight moan of pain. Setsuko and Aspen giggled as well as Shiro.
"How many celestial spirits do you have contracts with Lucy?" asked Happy.
"Six so far..." she replied, holding the key ring up to show the others the keys she collected so far before putting it down, "Not to brag or anything, but I even have some of the rare ones." She took the six keys and placed them on the table, each in their little line. She showed the silver keys first to them, each with a different picture on the base of the key: a clock face, a cross, and a harp, "These silver keys are ones you can buy in magic shops: Horologium, the clock, Crux, the Southern Cross, and Lyra, the harp." Lucy then pointed to the next set. The golden keys each with their picture on the base of the key: a bull, two blue waves, and a red yin-yang symbol, "These golden keys are super rare and open the gates of the Zodiac: Taurus, the Golden Bull, Aquarius, the Water Bearer, and Cancer, the Giant Crab." she explained.
The thought of crab and crab legs made Natsu and Happy's mouths water.
"A crab!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Crab!" Happy cheered.
"Why do they focus on the weirdest stuff?" Lucy asked, a sweatdrop going down her face.
"Spend six years with them and you'll understand." Lisanna answered with a slight laugh.
"I think I want some crab later." Setsuko chimed in.
"Same. I am in the mood for seafood as well." Aspen agreed.
"Oh yeah! I still haven't made contact with the key I bought in Hargeon." Lucy added, remembering something. "Since you're here, I'll show you how a Celestial Spirit Wizard makes a contract with a Celestial Spirit!" she finished with a wink.
The six looked interested at once in seeing how these contracts are made, but spoke amongst themselves in a hush whisper, but Lucy was still able to hear them.
"What if some messy blood pact?" asked Setsuko in a hush voice.
"That must be painful for her butt." Lisanna and Aspen admitted, mistaking the word Kyuri said.
Lucy's face was irritated from the conversation, her brown eyes narrowed, "Uh I can hear you, so leave my butt out of It." she said as the six look to her holding the key with her right hand and her hand to her left.
"Alright, pay attention." She said to the group before holding her right hand out with the key pointing like a knight wielding a sword and her left hand to her chest. Natsu crossed his arms while standing by the pink walls with Happy, Setsuko, Shiro, Aspen, and Lisanna, "I am connecting a path to the celestial spirit world! Heed my call! Pass through the gate!" A blue magic circle appeared underneath Lucy's feet and the dust picking from the ground. With a twirl of the key she called out, "Open, Gate of Canis Minor! Nicola!" as another magic circle appeared from the key while many golden streams of light appeared from the magic circle before colliding into something taking form from the light. It took shape into a short, stout white creature with bland eyes and a golden horn-like nose (reminiscent of a carrot from the side, thus giving him the slight appearance of a snowman). Once it emerged from the gate, it was slightly shaking but smiling.
"Whoa/Incredible!" spoke both Lisanna and Aspen in unison seeing the small spirit.
"I've never thought something this small could be a spirit." Setsuko realized, seeing the white spirit.
"I guess once you meet someone like Taurus, you expect bigger." Lisanna said arms crossed.
"What was that spirit like?" Aspen asked Lisanna.
"Muscle bound and strong but a pervert." Lisanna remembered too fondly.
"I see…" Aspen deadpanned.
"So that's it?" Happy asked kindly.
"That's it." Lucy replied smiling before looking down at the quivering spirit as she kneeled to hug it in her arms. "Oh, he's so cute!" she squealed happily. Natsu, Aspen, and Happy were frozen in shock while Setsuko, Shiro, and Lisanna remained calm.
"Y-You sure about that…?" Natsu asked blankly.
"Nicola's gate doesn't use much magic, so he's popular as a celestial spirit pet to weaker Wizards." Lucy explained. The six Wizards whispered again to themselves; Lucy was once again able to hear them.
"Guys! This is a case of pure human egotism." Happy whispered.
"You're sure about that Happy?" whispered Lisanna.
"I don't like the whole pet thing myself." Shiro commented.
"Man, Lucy's scary." whispered Natsu and Setsuko with identical frowns.
"I can still hear you know." Lucy replied to the whispering group before turning away from them. She placed Nicola on the wooden floor and kneeling at the little dog spirit. With a pencil and notepad in hand, she spoke to him directly, his bland eyes still looking at Lucy.
"Okay, let's get down to the contract." Lucy said with a little white dog answered to what could sound like a yes. Lisanna, Natsu, Setsuko, Shiro, Aspen, and Happy decided to watch, taking their seats back by the table.
"How is Monday for you?" Lucy asked.
He shook his head. Lucy scratched out Monday on her pad.
"Tuesdays?"
He nodded yes as Lucy checked off Tuesday on her pad.
"Wednesdays?"
Natsu, Setsuko, Aspen, and Lissanna were having their tea cups in their hands while Lucy was talking with the spirit, with black, , and blue eyes staring widely at the ordeal as Happy and Shiro ate a fish.
"This is mundane…" Natsu admitted, expecting something more interesting to contracts, but it was different than he imagined.
"Aye..." Happy sighed.
"My first time with Setsu seeing a Celestial spirit Wizard, so I didn't know how much they have to do." Shiro said.
"Not what I expected, but it'll do." Lisann sighed, deciding to finish her tea.
"Okay, Contact complete!" Lucy said at once, finally finishing her contract with the white dog as he jumped into the air happily while the four Wizards and two cats got off their seats to Lucy.
"That was easy," Natsu said with a frown while the girls nodded in agreement.
"While it looks easy, it's really important." Lucy said with her back facing the group. With her finger up and a smile still on her face she added on, "Celestial Wizards take their contracts seriously. So I make a point to never break my agreements."
"Whoa." Natsu said, astonished. He never expects that much maturity from Lucy, the last few days were her reacting to everything.
"I can see whhy
"Oh yeah, I need to name him." Lucy remembered putting her hands together
"I thought it was Nicola?" Happy asked.
"That's the name of the species." Lucy answered. The blond haired thought about it for a second and knew what name the spirit had with a smile on her face.
"I got it! Come here, Plue!" Lucy added, holding her arms stretched out to the dog.
"Plue?" the four Wizards repeated along with Happy and Shiro. That was an odd name for a dog.
"Sounds so cute, doesn't it?" Lucy said excitedly, hugging the now christen Plue in her arms. "Right, Plue?"
"I think he hates it." Kyuri pointed out calmly.
"That's not true." Lucy said to Kyuri not believing it was true.
"Plue is a dog constellation but doesn't bark? That's weird." Shiro pointed out.
"So, you and Happy don't meow so it's kind of the same thing." Lucy replied back as Plue hopped out her arms and started jumping around as Lucy asked. "What's he doing?"
It seems Plue was doing strange movements to the three Wizards. It clicked in their heads that it was sign language; Plue was trying to tell them something since he couldn't speak. They watched for a while wondering what it meant when Natsu seemed to get it and so did Lisanna, Setsuko, and Aspen. They exclaimed in unison.
"Plue, that's a great Idea!"
"You guys understand him?!" Lucy exclaimed in shock.
Natsu narrowed his eyes, the same as Lisanna thinking about a few days ago in the mountain.
"A Celestial spirit, if it was not for your help, we would not have saved Macao," Lisanna said before looking at her eyes till narrowed, "I owe you, Lucy."
"It was nothing Lisanna, really." Lucy replied nervously at her gaze.
"Alright, it's decided! Let's team up." Natsu said at once, finishing his staring.
"I was wondering when you'll ask her." Lisanna said, coming up to her friend.
"You mean we can be a real team now?" Setsuko asked, her eyes wide with excitment
"Good Idea!" Happy cheered.
"Team up?" Lucy repeated in confusion.
"Aye! All the guild members are comrades, but people on especially good terms get together to form teams. If a job's too much for one person, then doing it as a team makes it a cinch." Happy explained.
"I like that! That's sounds interesting!" Lucy said excitedly, eyes sparkling.
Natsu, Setsuko, Aspen Lisanna, and Lucy each shook hands as now a new team was formed.
"Alright, it's decided!" Natsu and Lisanna told her
"We have an agreement!" Lucy added with excitement flowing through her.
"Aye sir!" Happy agreed as he and Plue jumped for joy.
"Okay! Then let's get right to work!" Natsu ordered, holding out a request in his hand. "I've already decided on a job."
"Natsu picked out a request this morning. I still don't know what it is since he didn't tell me, But it seems like a big job if he wanted you to join our team." Lisanna explained, eyeing the giddy Celestial wizard.
"Oh you are so inpatient. Let me see." Lucy said, taking the paper from the Natsu's hands, not seeing the glint in his eyes. Lisanna slightly gasped as she saw the face.
Natsu, please tell me you wouldn't…
"Oh dear..." Setsuko noted, seeing the look on Natsu's face.
While Lucy began to read, Happy and Plue were getting along quick, dancing around. The pink haired Dragon Slayer had his arms folded while Lisanna looked at him with a stern look.
"Shirotsume Town, huh? " Lucy said, reading it out loud. "No way! 200,000 Jewel just to take a single book from the mansion of Duke Everlue?!" she added excitedly.
"Good idea, right?!" Natsu asked, still smiling.
I got a feeling there is a catch to this request is there?
Lucy then read something that made the situation worse. "Note: he's a dirty, perverted man currently to seeking to hire a blond haired maid…" Lucy then gasped and looks to Lisanna.
"D-d-don't look at me, I don't know what the job was he chose," Lisanna said in defense.
Mouth still ajar, she spots the two, Happy and Natsu, backs facing away from Lucy and Lisanna with mischievous smiles on their faces.
"Lucy happens to have blonde hair…" Natsu said in a sinister tone.
"Let's have her sneak in dress as a maid," Happy suggested.
"You planned this from the start…" she admitted, realizing what the two were up too. She eyes Lisanna, her expression still as it was. "You… you couldn't stop them?"
"I didn't know what these two were planning, but it's our mission, whether you like it or not," Lisanna replied.
"I've been had!" Lucy screamed as Natsu and Happy jumped for joy. Lisanna sighed slightly and shook her head in disgust.
"I can tell you're upset Lucy, but as this is our first mission, we'll take what we can get," Setsuko said.
"Besides, I don't think I want to wear a maid outfit," Aspen chimed in.
An aura of depression loomed over Lucy's body and Lisanna comforted her with a hand to her back. Happy was busy giving high fives to Plue.
"Celestial wizards take their agreements seriously, you say?" Natsu remembered with a sly voice. "That's mature of them."
"You trick me/her, Dragneel!" Lucy and Lisanna shouted at Natsu.
Natsu laughed childishly and added, "Okay, let's rehearse. Call Happy, Setsuko, Aspen, and Lisanna 'Master and Mistress'."
"No! Not to them!" Lucy declined.
Lisanna had an odd smile on her face as she said, "Actually, this might be kinda fun."
Mistress Lisanna Strauss. That's has a nice ring to it.
At the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, three members of Fairy Tail were eyeing the request board and notice a job they were hoping to get was missing. The first one was a young girl, the shortest of the three around seventeen years old and stood in the middle of them. She sported light blue hair, cut short with a colorful bandana on her head with hazel eyes. She wore a yellow tank top that showed off her slender figure and grey shorts. On her feet were a couple on sandals. This was Levy McGarden, the leader of the Shadow Gear team.
The two on either side of her were her two members and closest friends. The first was a slim young man of average height with orange hair that was hidden by a brown hat. He wore a matching brown opened coat with a cream-colored fluff and an opened collared purple shirt and black pants. On his wrist was a solver wristband. This is Sarusake, or his nickname, Jet, age eighteen and member of Shadow Gear.
Lastly was the third and final member of Shadow Gear. He had black hair and matching black eyes, a white long-sleeved shirt with two yellow belts crossed over his chest and green checkered pants. He is Droy, an average height eighteen-year-old.
"Huh? Did someone take that 200,000 Jewel job for stealing a book?" Levy asked.
"Yes. Natsu said he was going to ask Lucy for help, Lisanna went along too." Mirajane explained to them from the bar, Setsuko, aspen, and Shiro and left in thier care to get the swing of guild mission life."
"Aww, I was confident on taking it too." Levy groaned in disbelief as Mirajane slightly giggled.
"It might be for the best that you didn't go, Levy." spoke Makarov from the bar.
"Master!" Levy said at once, seeing the short master by the bar.
"I just received word from the client." Makarov added.
"Did he cancel the job?" Mirajane asked.
"No…" A dark grin was on the master's face, "He's raising it to two million Jewel."
Jet, Levy, and Droy gasped in shock.
"Ten times as much?!" Levy asked, hard to believe there was no way.
"Two million Jewel for a book?!" Droy pointed out.
"That's the kind of reward you get from defeating monsters." Jet confirmed.
The three members were conversing well the master smoke from his pipe
"Why the sudden increase?" Levy wondered.
"What's the deal with the book?" Droy asked.
"Man, we let a sweet job getaway…" Jet groaned.
"What a waste…" Droy agreed.
Still sitting at the bar, Gray Fullbuster smirked, his glass of ice now rising to the surface.
"Things are getting interesting now. Not saying the two will succeed but we'll see." Gray smiled.
"Gray, pants." Mirajane pointed out with a smile.
Gray heard Mirajane speak to him as he looked down to find his pants were gone and his was only in his underwear. He screamed in shock at stripping again without knowing it.
After leaving Magnolia, Natsu, Lucy, Lisanna, Setsuko, Happy, Shiro, and Aspen left to Shirotsume Town on a pig drawn carriage. Lucy sat with Aspen, with Shiro on Aspen's lap. Lisanna sat with Lucy and Aspen, a magazine in her hands.
As for the two Dragon Slayers...
"How is the carriage ride, Master Natsu, Mistress Setsuko, anything I can get for you?"
'Very funny, you're like the maid from hell, Lucy." Natsu said in a mock laughing tone his head down looking at his chest. Since he had motion sickness, the pink-haired Dragon Slayer was looking pale, but not as sickly as other times trying to fight it. Lisanna softly giggled, placing a hand to her mouth trying to hold back at the comeback Natsu made.
"Hey, Shiro and I are masters here!" Happy yelled in response, flailing his paws to Lucy as Lucy retorted back at him.
"Shut it Happy!" After calming back down, Lucy asked addressing the two leaders, "Hey Natsu, Lisanna?"
"Yeah?" asked Natsu and Lisanna.
"I was just wondering why you guys wanted me on your team." Lucy asked curiously to the two wizards.
"It's just you seem like a nice person," Lisanna answered kindly to the Celestial wizard, who slightly blushed and gasped slightly, taken aback by Lisanna's words.
'Whoa, did I actually get a compliment from this girl?' she thought breathlessly.
"But you can be a bit weird," added Natsu weakly, only for Lucy to look verbally mad.
'The fire breather and the talking cat thinks I'm weird?!' she thought angrily, "Anyway, this is my first job. I'm going to go all out." Lucy said to the two.
Natsu and Setsuko was blue in the face and looking sick as everyone looked to her.
"Huh? I thought you didn't like the job?" Happy reminded her.
"I'm dealing with a dirty old man. Believe it or not, I'm somewhat confident of my feminine charms." Lucy added with a hand to her cheek, a little chuckle.
"Have they ever worked a least once?" Lisanna asked.
Lucy froze at the remark but shrugged it off nonchalantly. "Now let's not talk about that. Anyway, since I must wear the maid outfit, we split the reward 60-10-10-10-10.
"How come we get 10%?" Happy and Lisanna asked.
"Whay we 10%, its our first job?" Aspen pouted.
"Don't forget I'm the one who must wear the outfit, remember? I have to do most of the work; I should get the big cut." Lucy explained to them.
Happy and Lisanna look to one another as Lisanna said in dfeat.
"Fine, you get the big cut."
"Yay!" Lucy cheered gleefully.
If I just keep her a little happy before we get there, she won't be too mad about Natsu's trick.
After a few minutes, the seven made it to Shirotsume Town and left the carriage, the four entered the town in search of their client's place. Natsu was slouching in annoyance from the carriage ride as Happy walked on his left and Lisanna and Lucy on his right.
"I'm never riding a carriage again." Natsu announced annoyance.
"You always say that." Lisanna and Happy reminded him.
"I'm in agreement, no more," Setsuko agreed, her tone much for drained compared to her calmer demeanor.
"Let's just get some food." Natsu replied feeling hungry and drained.
"I am famished too,' Setsuko agreed.
"Can't you just eat your own fire and ice?" Lucy requested.
"You're cruel. Would you eat Plue or your cow?" Natsu offered sarcastically.
"Of course I wouldn't!" Lucy snapped.
"It's like that." He added calmly.
"You're saying you can't eat your own fire. What a pain." Lucy replied, feeling bad for the pink haired Dragon Slayer.
"It is a drawback. I am a dragon slayer too, but I cannot eat my own magic, it must be from outside source," she explained, before taking a deep breath and finally recovering, "I feel better, but I'm starving,"
As they walked, Natsu spotted a restaurant and pointed it out to his friends, "Oh! Let's eat here!" Natsu said excitedly.
"Go ahead, you three eat, I'll be right back." Lucy waved as she headed off the road.
Happy sat on Natsu's bag watching Lucy Walk away as Lisanna place her hands in her jacket pockets.
Natsu groaned. "Aww. Eating together would be more fun."
"I guess we'll eat without her then. Besides, I am a little hungry." Lisanna told them.
The two boys, Setsuko, Aspen, Shiro and Lisanna entered the restaurant and decided to eat at an outdoor table. After a few plates, the two boys were down to a big slab of meat and big pieces of chicken. Lisanna was just finishing her plate while she looked at her two friends, Setsuko, Shiro, and Aspen.
"Natsu, are you sure it was wise to trick Lucy like that, for her first mission with us," she asked.
"Not saying it was wise, but she didn't look so happy about it at first, but the money is worth it," Setsuko said.
"Still, she won't like it after this," Aspen added, looking to her finished plate.
"Aww come on Lisanna, guys, it's just some harmless fun. It's not like it's going to hurt anyone." Natsu assured her.
"Not unless you want another kick like this morning, I suggest for future references, you don't try this ever again." Lisanna replied calmly.
"Fine, fine." Natsu answered, shrugging her off. He looked at the big piece of greasy meat and said to Happy and Lisanna, "Let's save the greasy one for Lucy."
"I don't know guys; she doesn't peg me the kind of girl who likes greasy stuff," Lisanna pointed out.
"She's right you know." A girl's voice spoke behind them.
The sound of the voice caught their attention as they turned and gazed at Lucy, but she was not wearing her normal clothes, but dressed in a Maid outfit, standard black skirt with a white apron and black vest with the white shirt with puffed up shoulder blades. She wore white stockings that reached to her calves that showed a thin strip of her skin along with black dress shoes. On her wrist were black wristbands with white frills with her hand to her hip and her left hand to her lips in a cute fashion with her blonde hair tied into two pigtails with a white headdress on toe. To Natsu, she looked cute, but Lisanna, it was like she was starring a new Lucy. She sports a cute smile and her index finger to her lips.
"I guess I do look good in anything." She giggled.
Natsu and Happy had the same dumbstruck looks from a few days ago and Lisanna was speechless as well. Even Setsuko, Shiro and Aspen were shocked and impressed.
"Are you finished with your meals, Masters and Mistress?" she asked politely.
The three friends got up from their seats and spoke in hushed voices.
"What do we do? We were joking around but she's taking it seriously." Happy whispered to Natsu and Lisanna.
"You know, she reminds me of those people who like dress up a bit too much." Lisanna whispered to Natsu and Happy.
"I can hear you and I do not like playing dress up, Strauss," Lucy said in an annoyed voice.
"Okay…" Natsu said, trying to for shock value, break the tension. "The client's place is just a few miles ahead, let's move guys."
"Got it." Lucy and Lisanna agreed and followed Natsu to where they needed to go. Setsuko, Aspen, and Shiro followed suit, grabbing their things, and leaving the restaurant.
Once they were they followed Lucy to a mansion led by Lucy. The group made it to a large two-story mansion that looked really valuable from their viewpoint.
"So, this is the client's place?" asked Aspen, arms crossed under her chest.
"Figures, someone paying 200,000 Jewels would live it a place like this." Lucy said, still viewing the mansion with interest, "Natsu, knock on the door please?" she added to the Fire Dragon Slayer.
"Okay." Natsu replied, walking closer to the door to knock on the door. He did as he was told, waiting for a response from the client. Just then, a voice called from behind the door;
"May I have your names, please?"
"We're the wizards from Fairy Tail who accepted the request," Natsu replied to the voice, identifying it to be a man's voice.
"I see, but please come in from the back door, if you don't mind." The man's voice said to the group making them look confused about the words.
'Why do we have to come through the back way, is the front busted?'
Taking the man's advice, they walked behind the mansion and entered inside to see the inside of the place, two flights of stairs leading to the room where the client was waiting for them. Sitting on a red couch was their client, a tall and aged man with peach skin, gray hair and a distinctive, small mustache above his lip which has a darker gray color than his hair. He also wore a tattered green suit with a red tie. Along with him was a medium height woman with peach skin, large breasts, and brown hair. She was also wearing a tattered pink shirt, a skirt, and a green necklace. The young woman had a tray of teacups, nine in total, each filled with tea.
Once they entered inside, they sat on the other red couch facing them. Natsu sat in-between Happy and Lucy, Happy sitting on his lap. Lisanna sat by Happy while crossing her arms, Setsuko and Aspen either having their hands to their knees or just their lap. Shiro sat on Setsuko's lap, the white and blue cat looking rather calm. They kept their calm and cool to the client and the woman, the client smiling calmly to them.
"I'm terribly sorry about earlier… My name's Kaby Melon, this is my wife," the man named Kaby said introducing himself and his wife who smiled behind him.
Natsu and Happy's mouths water, hearing the last name of their client, the Fire Dragon Slayer blurting aloud.
"Whoa, you have a yummy name!"
"Melon!" cheered Happy and Natsu jumping up and down from the couch.
"Happy, Natsu, cut it out, that's rude!" Lisanna, Levy, and Kyuri spat harshly at the three, with Kaby chuckling at the group.
"Don't worry, I get that a lot."
Lucy observed the client carefully, placing her right hand to her chin, her brown eyes looking at Kaby, 'Melon… This town's name, too… I've heard of them somewhere…' she thought, thinking the name sounded familiar, but it was not on the top of her tongue.
"I wouldn't have imagined mages from the renowned Fairy Tail would accept this job…" Kaby said, looking at the seven wizards.
"But really sir?" asked Natsu blinking his eyes in confusion, "I was wondering why such a good job was still available." he added resting his arm of the seat.
"Everyone else was being cautious because this job and its reward didn't really match up." Kaby explained confirming the suspicions about the job. He looks to Sting, Lisanna, Levy, and Kyuri adding calmly, "And the four of you are so young, you must be famous mages."
"Lisanna is the famous Wild's Soul, Natsu is the famed Salamander Salmander. Setsuko and Aspen are newcomers, they aren't well jown yet, "happy explained, introducing his frends and new friends.
"Oh! I heard those nicknames before," Kaby responded surprise, hearing those names and remembering all the feats they made. He looks to Lucy, the one who did not say much about herself when the young cat spoke. "And you are…?"
"L-Lucy, I am a Fairy Tail mage too. I joined the guild just a few days ago," she said nervously, seeing the look on the client's face.
Kaby smiled, waving his hands back and forth in a fast manner before remarking to the Celestial mage, "Is that outfit your hobby?" making Lucy blush nervously, Setsuko, Happy, Shiro, and Aspengiggle and snort, and Natsu to hold back roaring in pain, but reassured nervously, "No, I mean, it's okay, but…"
"I-I don't have an h-h-h-hobby, honest." Lucy replied nervously. Once both Kaby and Lucy calmed down, the client added towards the team.
"Alright, let's talk about the request," cupping his hands together in front of himself in a resting position.
"Okay?" spoken up the boys and girls with interest, ready to get this job underway, practically hanging off the edges of their seats.
"There is only one thing I am asking you to do: the one and only copy of "Daybreak" Duke Everlue owns… I want you to incarnate it." He requested the team.
"Really, that's all Mr. Melon?" Lisanna asked rubbing her head, "You don't want us to merely steal it?"
"I'm basically asking you to destroy someone's possession without permission, so it's almost the same as stealing…" Kaby added, still smiling at the group.
"That's surprising…." Lucy admitted, frowning along with Sting who narrowed his eyes, "I thought you were going to ask us to retrieve the book that he took from you." but looks to Lisanna, who smiled very darkly, hia left hand sparking with his flames.
"Incinerate it…" Lisanna repeated coyly, the flames on her fire making a dark shadow over her right eye, "I'll burn down the pervert's house if you want me too."
"They'll be easy!" chimed Happy and Lector excitedly but Lucy exclaimed looking at Lisanna as if she was nuts to decide that idea, "I'm not going to jail for arson because of you Strauss!" but paused her outburst looking to Kaby and asked kindly, "But what is that book anyway…?"
Kaby did not respond, but remained quiet for a moment, until Sting said, "Does it matter, for two hundred thousand, this will be easy."
"No, I'll pay two million… The contingency fee is two million." Kaby Melon corrected them calmly, making the seven screams out in shock, their eyes wide like saucers plates. Two million Jewels for this mission? They weren't expecting this. They fought this will be an easy mission of 200,000, a starter for the newly formed team, but this was more than they could handle. Sting screamed the loudest, his voice echoing the room, "What the Hell?!"
"I'm sorry…" Kaby added apologetically to the group, "You didn't know the price has been changed." While Natsu and Lisanna look at everyone in the room.
"Two million split between the seven of us? If Happy and Shiro count with me and Lisanna, that's a million and for Lucy and 200,000 each for all of us." Setsuko muttered to himself as Lisanna chimed in.
"That means, Lucy still gets her big share."
"That's sounds great!" Lucy responded excitedly.
Setsuko and Aspenagree with their share as long Lucy are happy. Lucy looked back to Kaby again, a little confused about the new reward price now after all the excitement of the price finally died down.
"But why is increase to two million all of the sudden?" she asked the client curiously. Kaby's face was low to his hands, shadows darken his face with his own voice low, deep, and serious.
"That book needs to be destroyed. I can't forgive that book's existence."
Lucy looked at Kaby Melon with a feeling in the pit of her stomach, the feeling of concern from the client. He seemed pretty set on the book being destroyed that having them go after it made her feel awful about doing this for money. Setsuko, Aspen, Happy, and Shiro each had the same looks as Lucy, but someone else showed an unusual look about it. A hand grasped Lucy's hand, making her jump in shock. She turned to see Lisanna, her face looking at her and Kaby but still holding Lucy's hand tightly in her grasp. Lucy was embarrassed; not for thinking someone was grabbing her, but the odd warmth from her touch. It was that heat from before, and this time it was not joking around, this was more serious of Lisanna to act and look like that. Lisanna finally spoke to the client, her voice just as serious as her face.
"If this book means so much to destroy… Then we'll do our best, right Lucy?" she added, looking at the Celestial wizard with a smile.
"Oh, uh, right…" she replied to her, a faint blush on her face but looks back again to Kaby, "We'll leave right away and make sure that book is destroyed… If that's what you really wish."
Kaby nodded, still not looking at them but looking even more sad and angry. Natsu got up from the couch, Happy still in his arms now looking at everyone.
"Everyone let's move out." Natsu said addressing his teammates, the others getting up from the couch and making their leave for the door and to the Everlue mansion to find the book Daybreak and burn it. Once gone from the room it was only Kaby and his wife left. He watched the seven Fairy Tail wizards' shadows to leave the point of his vision, his wife now speaking up to him from her long silence. Her right arm was to her left, gripping it tightly in concern.
"Darling…" she said softly to the man, "Are you sure about entrusting such a dangerous task to those children?" But no response from her husband, his face lacking any emotion and still frowning once she spoke onwards of everything, "The other guild failed the same mission last week… From Duke Everlue's viewpoint, it was a failed robbery."
"I know that dear, but…" he said in response to the wife's words, but interrupted with, "There is no doubt about it that the security has been tightened. Going into the mansion will be more difficult." Her arms folded now facing the back of her husband's head.
"I know…" he repeated tonelessly to his wife. He knows the risk these kids were getting themselves into, and he'll regret them dying for him, but all he wanted, no, what he wanted, placing a hand to his forehead, and seeming like he wanted to cry, "I just… want that book erase from existence."
"Excuse me; I'm here to apply to the blond maid position!" Lucy called to the inside of the mansion, the blonde-haired Celestial wizard standing in front of the gates to the Everlue manor. It was what someone expects a mansion to look: Big, valuable, and secretive with the book hidden in its walls. It was a two-story mansion with cream-colored walls and many windows on top and plenty of little space. For someone claimed a pervert, it was a delightful place from afar. Lucy spoke loudly again to the mansion, "Excuse me, is someone there?!"
Lucy smiled devilishly while waiting for a reply, the thoughts of the mission and the money at hand all running through her mind, 'It's easy. All I have to do is become Duke Everlue's favorite. Then I'll find the book, burn it, and 2 million is in my hands,' she thought but added on, 'What am I going to do with all that money?'
Besid her, the others were behind the trees making sure no one saw them. Natsu, Lisanna, and Setsuko behind a tree, while Aspen, Shiro and Happy behind a bush.
"Don't screw this up, okay?" Natsu whispered softly to the celesial wizard.
"Break a leg!" encouraged Happy.
Lucy remained facing the gates with her right hand to her face, not realizing something was rising from the ground below her. The ground started to break behind her, finally getting her attention as something large shot up into the air making her jump back slightly. What was it just down that came from the ground? Finally, the unknown object came falling, its looming shadow covering the sun from view Lucy to not know what it was. It crashed down with a loud thud, making Lucy scream in shock, seeing what was facing her that made her throw her hands up in shock. It was a large woman, the size of an overweighed gorilla, dressed in a maid uniform that are size smaller than her with a brutish face and two ponytails with the buttons of her Maid outfit unbutton exposing her over large breasts. She had a small red tie, white stockings, black dress shoes, and a short black skirt. Her arms were muscular compared to her body, making even the others feel terrified looking at her. What kind of person is that woman?
"Maid applicant?" the large maid asked her voice deep and gruff. She placed her right hand behind her back addressing the small girl in front of her.
"Whoa!" gasped Lucy in shock, seeing her address and looming over her.
"There's a girl who came for the maid position, my master." The Maid added, speaking to a hole across from her, getting Lucy's attention from the large maid to the hole. She didn't that there before, when was it made and where did it lead to? But her question was answered as something shot from the hole making a sound from his or her voice; "Boyoyoyo!" and appearing like a bullet. The unknown person appeared on the ground to face Lucy, smiling while a hand to his mustache. He was a short, plump, ugly man with skinny arms and legs. He sported a curled mustache which directly protruded from his nostrils and a bushel of wavy hair atop his round head. Lastly, he wore a formal black suit, with his jacket fastened with a large gold button and adorned with a decorative red flower. Beneath his jacket are a white collared shirt and a blue necktie.
"You called?" he answered grinningly, making Lucy creep out that he just popped from the ground like that.
"He's here?!" Lucy exclaimed, stilling in shock that the man from the request would appear so soon fin front of her. Sweat was pouring from her face in a panic just looking at him. 'What's that…? Boyo?' she asked herself, not understanding what he said. Natsu and Lisanna who watched so far were really disgusted just looking at Everlue and the large maid. So were Aspen and Setsuko, who just wanted Lucy to go in and get the book right away, yet not wanting to look at them anymore. What kind of guy has a Maid that big and so hideous? Happy and Shiro were slightly scared of the large Maid, worried that it might like to eat cats.
"Let's see…" Everlue said, placing a hand to his chin and looking at the smiling Lucy, eyeing her carefully.
"It's nice to meet you, I hope you like what you see!" she replied at the short man, who looked from her face to her chest and her waist and legs. While look every kindly at Everlue, she was panicking on the inside, more sweat poured from her face, the nervousness of having this short ugly man look at her made her feel worse. She wanted Everlue to stop looking at her; she thought nervously, 'H-He's giving me Goosebumps… Do your best, Lucy!'
But Everlue turned around in a disappointed manner, his right hand out in a shoeing manner as he said to Lucy, "Rejected! Go home ugly!" to which Lucy was destruct in disbelief in what he just said. She was flabbergasted at his words, her mind splitting in two. She was ugly; did he really call her ugly? The words hurt worse than a knife through the chest as the gorilla Maid grabbed her by the back of her Maid uniform and said to her like someone taking out the trash.
"That's it's time to go home, ugly!"
"Eh…?! Wai…!" she stammered trying to say something, but Everlue added onward.
"For someone as great as I am," as from the ground, four figures shot out from the ground like Everlue and the Maid, revealed to be four maids like the gorilla Maid, and like the gorilla Maid, they were uglier than the next as he continued, "Only beautiful girls would suit me! Boyoyoyo!" laughed Everlue making everyone in hiding's skin crawl just looking at them.
"My, my, Master?" responded the first Maid, a chubby looking one with a fat looking face and many chins underneath with mahogany brown hair.
"You're flattering us!" responded the second Maid, a much skinnier one with a bottle-like face with mahogany brown hair tied into ponytails.
"Ufuuuun!" laughed the third Maid, a much meatier (and a little hairier) looking woman with a watermelon-like head, a pig nose, a wide hip, and buck teeth. Her hair was short, and a strand of her mahogany brown hair was hanging in front of her face.
"Go home, ugly! Shoo!" responded the fourth and final Maid of bunch, a skinner looking woman with a horse like face with her hair tied into pigtails and black bows. She gestured her hand in a shooing manner, wanting Lucy to leave.
The gorilla Maid tossed Lucy from the mansion as she screamed out, "Nooooo!" and landed in the forest while her friends watched on.
"Well, looks like your idea of sneaking Lucy backfired Natsu, how do you feel?" Lisanna asked, a smirk on her face.
"Hey, how should I know, I'm not a person who know beauty, I thoughthe be into her!' Natsu responded softly.
"At any case, what do we do? We still need to complete the mission, the book needs to be taken or destroyed," Setsko reminded them.
"Let's check on lucy first, then plan our next attack," aspen sugessted.
"Right!" Everyone agreed and followed Sting and Lisanna to where Lucy landed. They found the Celestial mage huddled by a tree trunk in an aura of sadness. Her Maid uniform was beside her and she had her arms folded with her knees huddled together. The group didn't know what to say after that scene transpires. Lisanna kneeled to Lucy and placed and hand on her shoulder to console her. Lucy looked up at Lisanna, her brown eyes looking up at the smiling Takeover mage.
"How are you feeling?" she asked kindly, removing Happy from her arms to allow him to stand in the grass.
"Lousy…" she replied before getting up to dust herself off. She kneeled by the tree as Natsug spoke up again, keeping calm about all this.
"Man, this is just a waste of time. If we knew this would happen, we wouldn't have tricked you, Lucy."
"And it wasn't my fault the plan failed, that jerk doesn't know beauty if it bites him in the behind!" Lucy yelled, turning to the tree to see the look of the face of Everlue's face. She growled furiously, wanting to get back at the perverted man now or never.
"Okay…" Natsu decided, cracking his fists together addressing the group. "Still plan A didn't work, we go with a new plan and that'll be Plan T."
"Yeah, that creep's going pay for this!" Lucy exclaimed, her right fist in the air. But she looks to the fellow blonde wizard, confused by what his words. "Wait Natsu, what's plan T?"
"Take them by storm!" Happy exclaimed to which she retorted to the cat.
"That's not a plan, Happy!"
"Got a better plan, ugly?" Lisanna asked coyly.
As the team were planning their next move, so was watching them from afar, and it was not good since for their next move. Duke Everlue, now back in his mansion, was watching the Fairy Tail mages from a window on the second floor. But he was not alone either, as two mysterious people were with him as well. He smiled coyly at them, seeing them for what they were before. They were crafty lots, trying to sneak into one of their own. But he never expected to know who they were or what they were. He sat in his chair looking at them while smoking a big cigar.
"Wizards come again in spite of the pervious failure." Everlue said, then to Lucy's right hand, exposing her guild mark, "And that mark, its Fairy Tail this time?" Everlue laughed heartedly looking at the pink shaped fairy stamp on her right palm, "She was dumb enough not to hide it, but I wish they'd send me someone more beautiful at least."
With the cigar still clenched between his teeth and the unknown people in the shadows behind him, he added grinning and laughing, "Now… How should I kill the wizards this time? Boyoyoyo!"
Their plan to send Lucy in as a Maid didn't go as planned (or it would have worked if Everlue's 'tastes' were not like how they thought they be), the seven mages decided on going through the back of the mansion to sneak in, find the book, and burn it. Sting and Lisanna were on the back balcony of the mansion near one of the windows as Shiro and Happy carried Setsuko and Aspen up to the balcony with their wings. With their backs still turned and Happy leaving to grab Lucy up along with them, Natsu took a hand to the glass and pressed from hand to it. Using her fire magic, he immediately burned a hole through the glass as Happy returned with Lucy, holding the Celestial Spirit wizard by the straps of her top.
"Prepare for landing!" Happy told Lucy as she landed softly on the roof.
"Thanks, Happy." Lucy thanked the blue cat.
"Aye!" Happy responded, his wings vanishing.
"Man, we're supposed to storm the place, not sneak around." Natsu said annoyed. "Why can't we just head on and take the book?"
"We don't know what is in there, and if we just barge in like that, we don't know what will wait for us in the front. Sneaking around might give us the element of surprise." Lisanna explained.
"Lisanna's got a point. We can't get the army involved; this is the only way." Lucy told the Dragon Slayer.
"They are right. Melon-san told us to steal and destroy this book, we are basically breaking, entering, and committing arson. This mission could get us big trouble," Setsuko explained, her hand to her handle of her sword, "Let's do this without alerting Everlue," and Aspen and Shiro nodded.
"Lucy, you said he was gonna pay." Natsu reminded her.
"Oh, he's going to pay alright." Lucy replied with a smile on her face and arms folded. "He won't like what I'll do. While we are in there, I'm totally gonna hide his shoes or something,"
Lucy giggled evilly as Lisanna dragged her into the house. "Lucy, can you tell me how old you are?"
"Seventeen a couple of days ago, why?" she asked curiously.
"Just wondering…" Lisanna replied.
And people say pettiness makes someone nuts, they weren't kidding.
The five wizards, Shiro, and Happy entered what looks like a storeroom. Natsu was already ahead of the three while Happy, Shiro, Aspen, Setsuko, Lisanna, and Lucy trailed behind him.
"What is this, a storeroom?" Lucy asked.
Happy then turned up in front of the girls with a skull on his face. The Celestial wizard's heart was racing in fright as Happy showed the skull to Natsu and Lisanna, Lucy turned away.
"Look, Look!"
"Oh! Looks good on you Happy." Natsu pointed out.
"I heard rumors that people who went to Duke Everlue's mansion do not come back. Could this skull be one of those victims?" Setsuko asked.
"I hope not," Aspen replied.
"Let's pray we come out of this alive," Shiro noted.
Once they left the storeroom, they began to search the top floor for the book. But they could not find anything except a golden room with a golden toilet. The four grouped back up and began to sneak around.
"Wait we got to check every room?!" Natsu exclaimed.
They paused for a moment and Natsu spoke to the girls and Happy. "Wouldn't it be quicker to catch someone and ask then where the book is?" he requested.
"Aye!" Happy agreed through the skull.
"We have to accomplish our mission without being spotted." Lucy said as she looked at Natsu excitedly. "It's cool! It is like we are ninjas!"
Natsu looked at the Celestial mage, a faint blush and smile was on his face. "N-Ninja?"
Natsu's mindset was now on ninjas. They were so cool, their powers, their weapons, and their clothes. To be like a ninja, that would be so cool. Lisanna placed hand to Natsu's face and waved it around, but to no response.
"We lost him…" she said, dreading the worse.
"There he goes again, focusing on something weird…" Lucy confirmed with a black expression.
Behind them, the floor opened up behind them as the four maids and the gorilla maid appeared in midair. The four maids had weapons in their hands as the gorilla maid had a glint in her eyes.
"Intruders detected!" The four maids said in unison.
"They must be disposed of!" added the gorilla maid.
"They found us!" Lucy exclaimed.
The four maids then saw Happy wearing the skull on his face and were terrified of him.
"Wahhh!" one of the maids screamed.
With the four Maids distracted, Natsu, Lisanna, and Setsuko stood ready to fight now, knowing now that sneaking in was no longer an option and it was important they protect Lucy, Happy, and aspen. Natsu, was up first, striking one of the maids with a flaming fist
"Ninja power!" he screamed.
Lisanna struck next her hands changed with her flames from Pheonix takeover, striking more. one Maid with a Bo staff came towards Setsuko, swinging the staff at Setsuko. The girl did not budge, taking out her Katana and guarding the attack. The maid was stunned, but Setsuko remained calm.
"No way wizards who went for this job died to Maids, out of our way!"" a swing of ice, a wave of ice form around the Maid before shattering to the ground.
"Flying Virgo attack!" the gorilla maid announced and performed a midair body slam that flattened the two wizards. Happy and Lucy were shocked. Natsu and Lisanna were crushed under the weight of the gorilla Maid.
"Natsu, Lisanna!" Lucy and Happy called. The Celestial Mage then added with a stern voice, "Take that skull off, will you?"
But it was not over yet for Natsu and Lisanna. The gorilla maid was slowly being lifted off the ground by Natsu, who struggled to get the large maid off him and Lisanna. With one toss, Natsu sent the gorilla Maid off them as an orange magic circle appeared under Natsu's feet. With a flying fiery kick, Natsu then sent the gorilla Maid flying off the second floor onto the first floor, crashing down with a heavy boom while the pink haired Dragon Slayer cried out, "Ninja!"
Lisanna then dusts off her clothes while her childhood friends were acting weird again. Natsu had his muffler tied around his head and mouth while he and Happy performed a hand sign.
"We cannot allow ourselves to be discovered! Nin-Nin!" Natsu said in aodd ninja way.
"Nin-Nin!" agreed Happy.
"That was pretty conspicuous, if you ask us." Lisanna and Lucy said with blank expressions.
With the Maids taken out, the seven wizards check the library upstairs. The five female wizards were shocked by the rows upon rows of books. Finding Daybreak will not be easy.
"Oh! Many books indeed!" Natsu commented, eyeing the books while having his muffler around his face and head and still performing a hand sign.
"Aye! Indeed!" Happy agreed.
"Wow. That old man's more of a book collector then I would've guessed…" Lucy said amazed.
"Levy would flip if she saw this many." Lisanna said, walking up to the shelves. "We better start looking."
"Right!" Happy and Natsu agreed excitedly.
"Do we know what the book looks like?" Setsuko asked.
"Just find its title, then we get out of here and burn the sucker, we'll take the ashes as proof," Aspen.
"Sounds good to me!' Natsu exclaimed.
As they looked around the shelves, Lucy was on the top while the others were looking down at the bottom.
"We have to find one book out of all these?" Lucy asked herself.
"Oh! A dirty book!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Look a fish encyclopedia!" Happy called out.
"Found a trashy romance novel!" Lisanna called out, and then added, "Why are there vampires in it?"
"A book on demons, nah doesn't sound interesting," Setsuko said putting the book back on its shelf while carried by Shiro.
Natsu then took a book from the shelves and held it with pride. "Check this one out, it's sparkly!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Happy said with excitement jumping up and down.
Lucy leaped down from the ladder and yelled, "Yeah, search seriously you two!"
Lucy gasped when she saw what the book was in Natsu's hand. Written with big black letters and a picture of a rising sun was the book….
"Daybreak!" The seven friends exclaimed in unison, grouping to eye the cover.
"Huh?" Lucy said in shock.
"We found it." Happy said in shock as well.
"You're serious?" Natsu asked in shock.
"Two million just like that." Lucy said excitedly.
"That was easy." Happy pointed out.
"Good thing Natsu found it, right." Lisanna reminded them.
"Okay, let's burn it," Natsu said. His hand ignited with flames.
"Hang on!" Lucy said with a smile on his face, eying the cover. "This book was written by Kemu Zaleon!"
"Kemu?" The Takeover and Dragon Slayers asked in confusion.
"He's a wizard who also writes novels." Lucy explained then hugged the book tightly in her arms. "I'm such a huge fan! I thought I had read all his stuff, but this is an unpublished novel!"
"Whatever, let's just burn it now!" Natsu said with smile on his face, a flame appearing on his index finger.
"Are you crazy? This is a piece of culture! We can't burn it!" Lucy refused; hugging Daybreak even tighter.
"You're abandoning your job." Happy told her.
"I just said I'm a huge fan!" Lucy yelled angrily.
"And now you're talking back…." Lisanna said darkly, an aura of darkness over her body.
Natsu, Lisanna, and Happy slowly crept closer to Lucy, A fame in Natsu's hand, a dark aura over Lisanna, and a serious look on Happy's face. They were impatient, Lucy was not cooperating, and two million was in their grasp. Lucy began to back away slowly, a little panic stricken.
"Let's say we burned it and I keep it?" Lucy offered, tears in her eyes.
"I don't like lying..." Natsu said at once.
"Aye…" Happy agreed.
"Just let us burn the book, it'll be easy… Like catching a moth with a flame…." Lisanna said darkly, an evil expression was on her face.
Setsuko, Shiro, and Aspen watched on, before Shiro was certain something was coming.
"Guys!" the feline exclaimed.
"I see, I see, what do we have here?" a voice said from behind them as the cobblestone like room started to open and a shadow shot out of the dust covering the back of the group. They turned and gasped, seeing what caused the interruption to see someone in the air over the cloud of dust. Duke Everlue appeared in the air with a cunning smile on his face saying coyly, "So that's what you're after. I am glad I allowed you all to do whatever! I am a genius. Boyoyo!" He laughed before landing from his hole and stared at the group. Natsu stared irritably at Everlue and then at Lucy.
"See you slowpoke, this is what happens when you waste time. We got caught be because you decided to put your love for a writer over our mission." he said to her in annoyance.
"S-Sorry about that…"Lucy said apologetically with a slight stammer in her voice eyeing how furious and annoyed he looked.
"You could have used a door; this is your home," Shiro and Happy said in unison, both a little taken aback.
Lisanna, Kyuri, and Levy stood tightly close when Everlue scoffed out loud, seeing the mages, "Hmph… I was wondering what the mages were looking for so frantically…" his eyes than shift to Daybreak clutched tightly in Lucy's arms, "And it was the worthless book." he added with disgust.
Natsu cocked his head in confusion, Happy and Shiro too at the word Everlue described the book. They never heard what that book was from Kaby, all they knew was they had to destroy it. But worthless, was a word that made even Sting, a small avid reader unlike Levy to not understand.
"Worthless book?" repeated the others as well.
'The client is willing to pay us 2 million to destroy this book…' Lucy thought calmly, putting together what was going on now while holding onto Daybreak, 'and the owner, Everlue, said it's worthless!?' her eyes then focused on the book now. Her brown eyes wide like a kid in cake shop, a big smile rose on her face. "S-So I can keep it then?" she said happily, making Everlue angry at her, stomping his feet and steam from his ears.
"No. Regardless of how worthless it is, the book still belongs to me,"
Lucy pouted; looking at him with her lips pursed together, "Greedy gut."
"Shut up, ugly." he spat back, making her upset like before of being called that.
Lisanna narrowed her eyes looking at Everlue with annoyance, "Look sir, we just want to burn the book. Then we're done here."
"No. Absolutely not, Lisanna. You're not going to burn it!" Lucy cried out again, hugging the book tightly to her chest like it was a special prize to her.
Natsu and Lisanna looked at Lucy, their eyes narrowed in anger, their hands bawled into fists.
"Lucy, this is our job!"
"At least let me read it first!" Lucy responded, crouching down to read the book.
"Read it here?!" Natsu, Duke Everlue, Lisanna, Setsuko, Shiro, Aspen, and Happy exclaimed, completely flabbergasted of the blond-haired Celestial wizard's actions.
Everlue looked angry at them (mostly Lucy); his small eyes darken with rage flaring out, "Bull shit! I do not like this, how dare you touch the book that belongs to me, Duke Everlue?!" His voice rose even higher as he spoke, adding in a sense of a command, "Come on out, Vanish Brothers!"
As if on cue, one of the bookcases started to open up slowly to reveal an entrance from behind it. Natsu, Lisanna, Setsuko, and Aspen all turned their heads to the secret entrance from the bookcase, seeing two shadowy figures walk their way in.
"It's finally time for business." The first one spoke up, the one on the right much shorter than the second.
"If we get paid without doing actual work, mama will get mad of us." The second one spoke up, the one on the left much taller than the other figure.
When the figures revealed themselves and finally exited out the secret door, they both were two males looking serious at them. The oldest one (also the smaller of the duo), despite being a massive and mildly tall man; his head is mostly shaved, with noticeably long, dark hair being present only on the back of it, where it is tied into a braid reaching down below the man's back, with a light ribbon circling the end, taking the form of a tuft; an hairstyle which is highly reminiscent of a Chinese queue. He possessed slanted dark eyes, sharp facial features, with prominent cheekbones, a dark-colored upper lip, with his mouth usually retaining a slight grimace, giving him a perennially serious look, and four distinctive tattoos of kanji adorning his face: his right cheek bears the character for "Right", his left one the character for "Left", the character for "Up" is placed in the center of his forehead, and the one for "Down" on his chin, right below his lower lip. He also had noticeably pointed ears. His attire, much like his hairstyle, is Chinese in appearance, consisting of a light tunic with a high collar, possessing dark stripes on the loose cuffs and flanking the fastener crossing the chest vertically, a pair of mildly loose dark pants, getting tighter in correspondence to his ankles, and traditional, dark Chinese shoes paired with light socks. Hanging on his left bicep, held there by a dark band passing above his right shoulder, is a square dark cloth bearing a light guild mark. In addition, the man carried around an oversized frying pan, possessing a noticeably long handle, on his back, held there by a rope passing over his right shoulder.
The younger brother, paradoxically, is also the larger one, being notably tall and massive, standing at twice the height of his brother, and possessing long limbs, especially if compared with his massive torso. He has long, dark, and curly hair, which is arranged in a distinctive hairstyle, with four large, straight tufts jutting upwards on top of his head, getting smaller near their outer edges. His face is squared, with a very prominent, mildly rounded, and hooked nose, and his dark eyes are topped by a light bandana covered in spiraling dark motifs, obscuring his forehead, and keeping his hair back. His right forearm was covered by similar, sharp and dark tattoos, reaching down to his hand. His outfit, unlike that of his brother, is Western in look, consisting of a dark sweatshirt, with slightly puffy sleeves reaching below his elbows, adorned by light, wavy markings on the shoulder and the sleeve areas and bearing three light, diagonal stripes on each side of the torso, simple light pants and light trainers. He also bared a square cloth like his brother's, hanging above his right bicep, which is light in color, is secured by a light band passing above his left shoulder and bears the dark symbol.
"Good afternoon." the bald older brother spoke with his eyes narrowed.
"These brats are Wizards from Fairy Tail?" The younger brother said looking at the five wizards and two cats, "Mama would be surprised too."
"Look at that symbol on their clothes." Happy said pointing his paw at the two, "They're from the Mercenary Guild, Southern Wolves!"
"You hired these guys?" Aspen asked, keeping her eyes on the two mercenaries.
"Boyoyoyo," Duke Everlue chortled heartedly seeing the two brothers now making their appearance, "Southern Wolves are always hungry! Prepare to die!"
From behind the group, Lucy still was reading Daybreak by the desk, flipping through page after page, but something caught her eye.
"This…" she said softly before getting up, closing the book and standing near Sting and Lisanna's backs speaking up to them, Setsuko, and Aspen.
"Guys, buy me some time. There is a secret hidden in this book," Lucy said before running off the other way. Lisanna and Natsu turned their heads at once to see Lucy running to a white door.
"Huh?" The two responded seeing her run off.
"Secret…!" Everlue repeated in alarm overhearing Lucy. "A secret! I must not have noticed it." The duke thought with gritted teeth. "Could there be a hidden treasure nap or something."
"I'll get the blond-haired girl! Exterminate the brats!" Duke commanded the Vanish Brothers as a hole formed under his feet as he disappeared through it.
"Yes sir." The Vanish brothers responded.
Lisanna, Setsuko, and Natsu look to the two cats and Aspen, knowing it better someone go after Everlue.
"Happy, Shiro, Aspen, you go follow Lucy," Natsu requested to the three.
Will you guys be alright on your own?" Happy asked curiously.
"Don't worry." Natsu said confidently, gripping his arms to loosen his muscles. "We can handle these guys on our own."
"Just make sure Lucy is okay, Happy. Got it?" Lisanna assured him.
"Keep Lucy safe and we'll catch up!" Setsuko ordered.
"Right! Be careful!" Shiro exclaimed, activating her aera magic and floated in the air.
Happy understood and went after Lucy.
"Huh?! Do not make me tell mom about you!" The dark-haired brother exclaimed.
"Be Cool. Calm Down." The bald-headed brother said calmly. "Come on, Fire, Ice and Takeover mages.
"Wait a second, how did you know?" Lisanna asked in confusion.
"You had fire around your legs when you defeated Virgo." The bald brother said, referring to Natsu. "And your fists were covered in flames when you knock out the maids." he added, referring to Lisanna. "The girl in the kimono's was coated with ice for a few second," he added referring to Setsuko, "There is no doubt that you three were ability fire, ice and Takeover wizards respectfully."
The three teens stood ready to fight as Lisanna spoke first.
"Now you know what we are. Fine by me, we won't have to keep any surprises… Animal Soul: Tigress!" Lisanna announced as her whole body glowed a golden light as her appearance was changing. As the light faded, Lisanna was now different. She was still human, but now has several differences in her body. Her hair was much longer, and her forearms had striped skin and feline-line pads on the surface of her palms and sharp claws in her fingertips. Lisanna was now garbed in a white tiger-skin 2-piece halter bikini with black tiger stripes with black stripes. She also sports tigress ears, whiskers, a black choker that has a round bell on it and a long tail, and a long tail but still she retained for human appearance. Lisanna stood ready to fight along with Natsu and Setsuko. Setsuko took her katana from its sheath and held it in her left hand.
"So, you're ready for this huh?" Flames swirled around Natsu's body and fists as he exclaimed, "I'll turn you into a crisp!"
Natsu leaped at the bald brother and tried to punch them, but the Dragon Slayer stopped the large pan he was carrying. Natsu's flames he summoned were sponge into the pan like it was nothing.
"Unfortunately for you boy, fighting fire mages is my specialty." The bald brother confirmed, sending Natsu back.
"Natsu!" Lisanna and Setsuko exclaimed. as the other brother then leaped into the air and tried to land a blow at the three, but they quickly dodged in mere seconds as the dark-haired brother broke part of the floor where Lisanna and Natsu stood. As they were still midair, the bald brother then slammed his pan at them, causing the three wizards to be sent flying through the wall and land on the tongue of the large golden statue of Duke Everlue. Lisanna, Setsuko and Natsu turned their attentions to the voice of one of the brothers. The two look down at the balcony to see Natsu and Lisanna standing there.
"Even if you are from Fairy Tail, you three are still wizards. You're no match for professional mercenaries," said the dark-haired brother.
Natsu smirked. "That's the best you two can do?"
"Why don't you and mama's boy get going? We got friends to catch up." Lisanna replied cockily.
"Tell me about it," Setsuko agreed.
A vein throbbed on the dark-haired brother's head. "They're mocking us, brother!"
"Do you know what a wizard's weakness is?" asked the bald mage.
Natsu gasped in fright. "R-riding in vehicles?"
Lisanna and Setsuko shook their heads in disbelief as the bad haired mage responded unblinkingly.
"I can only assure that's a personal issue you have…"
"Is he mocking us?!" the dark-haired brother added in anger, more veins throbbing.
"Their weakness… Are their bodies!" The bald brother exclaimed, leaping from the banister and aiming his pan as the three teens, Lisanna, Setsuko and Natsu jumped into the air as the palm wielding brother slammed his weapon into the statue's tongue. "Mastering Magic requires great mental training."
The dark-haired brother leaped into the air too and tried to punch the three wizards but missed and hit the wall. The dark-haired brother added, "Which leaves you lacking physical training!"
Lisanna, Natsu, and Setsuko landed firmly on the ground as the bald brother continued, "We train our bodies daily, which means…"
"…You three are no match for our speed and strength." finished the dark-haired brother who landed near his brother.
"Oh, so scary!" Natsu mocked. "So, are you going to get serious?"
"I'll give you guys' credit, you are strong," Lisanna stated.
"You're strong, but we won't give up easily," Setsuko admitted, her blade still in hand.
The two brothers were surprised by the teens' cockiness and seriousness. The bald brother smiled while the dark-haired brother spoke to the other.
"Brother! The combination technique."
"Okay!" the bald head brother said at once as he held out the pan for the dark-haired brother to jump on top of it.
"Heaven and Earth! Annihilation technique!" They spoke in unison.
"Bring it on!" Natsu said confidently.
meanwhile with Lucy, the blonde Celestial mage was sitting in the sewer, her back against the back and looking through the Daybreak book. But she was not reading it normally, but with a little help. On her face was a pair of glass elongated frames and a dark, mildly heavy frame, with one unique trait to them, is the image of a small wing, surrounded by a pair of little hearts, present of the left lens. These glasses are known as Gale Force Reading Glasses.
While Lucy read the book, the letters of the pages appeared in a bubble swirling in the bubble in little colorful lights. Since leaving to read the book from her team, the blonde wizard had read the book back and forth, but something kept catching her eye, so she read it again.
"N-No way!" Lucy gasped slightly, still reading the book and surprised at what she had found. "I can't believe this book holds such a secret!" She closed the book and held it in her left hand, speaking again to herself, removing her glasses, and placing them in her pocket, "I can't… burn this book… I know the guys will be mad at me, but I must give this back to Kaby-san… He needs to see this."
Suddenly, a hand reaches out from the wall and grabbed Lucy's arms with the book still in her hands. She gasped to see who it was. It was Duke Everlue. The small man had caught her in his grasp. She struggled in his grasp of her arms, still looking at the man with gritted teeth.
"What did you find? Tell me the secret of that book!" Duke Everlue demanded.
"You're pathetic!" Lucy stated, grunting in pain and anger. "You're an enemy of literature!"
The Vanish Brother roared with tremendous power as the dark-haired brother was launched into the air. The bald-headed brother vanished from Natsu, Setsuko, and Lisanna's sight as they couldn't react in time as the bald-headed brother appeared in front of them.
"Face the heaven… and I'll be the earth!" he exclaimed as he spins in pace and knocks the three wizards, sending them flying.
Lisanna, Setsuko and Natsu quickly recovered in time as they slid back to the ground, not noticing the dark haired both appearing next to them.
"Face the earth… And I will be the heaven!" With one flying kick, Natsu was then sent crashing into the ground. Th dark haired then leaped from the Dragon Slayer and did the same to Lisanna and Setsuko, causing the Takeover wizard and Ice Dragon Slayer to crash down unto the breaking floor.
The two brothers appeared together again, the dark-haired brother behind the bald-headed brother, each doing a hand sign.
"This is the Vanish Brothers' combination attack… The Heaven and Earth Annihilation Technique! No one has ever survived this attack." The bald-headed brother stated.
Through the dust cloud that their attacks' damage, Natsu, Setsuko, and Lisanna rose up like it was nothing. Not a scratch was on them, it was like their attack did nothing.
"No one's ever survived what now?" Natsu asked coolly.
Lisanna smiled and added, "Nice attack, too bad it didn't work though."
"You may have bested weaker wizards, but we aren't push overs, even a rookie wizard myself," Setsuko said.
"No way!" The Vanished exclaimed in shock. No one has ever survived their attack and these two mages just did. And barely any scratches either.
"You two might know your basic knowledge of mages like us, but there is one thing you should remember…" Lisanna commented as she dashes at the two brothers, running like a tiger. Lisanna then jumped and with her two claws, she grabbed the two wizards by their heads and with all her strength, she crashed their heads together yelling, "Never underestimate Takeover wizards!"
Using the brothers as an extra boost, Lisanna then jumped off them and into the air. She performed impressive flips before landing back on Natsu and Setsuko.
"Setsuko, you're up!" Lisanna commanded.
"Right!" Setsuko exclaimed and dashed towards the vanishing Brothers. The two brothers recover, seeing Setsuko coming their way., the older brother using his frying fan to strike at her. Setsuko used her katana to guard, and sparks started to fly. Her sandals dug into the ground before kicking her left up at the frying pans bottom, her foot incased in ice. She skids back to Natsu and Lisanna, looking to Natsu now.
"Your turn, Natsu!" she offered the Dragon Slayer.
"Right!" Natsu nodded before slamming his fist together as flames appeared around him. "I'm going to blow you away! Fire Dragon Roar!"
A powerful stream of fire erupted from Natsu's mouth and orange magic circle as it traveled to the Vanish Brothers. The Vanish Brothers, after recovering from Lisanna's and Setsuko's attacks, held the pan at the ready.
"All right, fire magic!" the dark-haired brother said, feeling triumphant
"We got them now." added the Bald-headed brother. "Flame cooking!"
The pan took in the flames of the Fire Dragon Roar and not only took in the attack but protected them. "This absorbs all flames, transforms it, and blows it back," The absorbed flames now made the pan red hot as the bald-headed brother then sent the flames, now a brighter yellow, back at Natsu, Setsuko, and Lisanna the three wizards stood there as the attack collided with them, created an explosion of flames and smoke
"Roosted fairies!" the bald-headed brother said with a smile.
"Good-bye!" added the dark-haired brother.
Just then, from inside the flames, Natsu began to swallow the flames whole at once as the smoke around Lisanna was still there. Setsuko was unharmed, seeing something vanish from in front of her, looking like the mist from... ice?
"Good thinking, Natsu." Lisanna said through the smoke. The white-haired mage emerged from the smoke, but not in her Tigress form anymore. She was now in her Pheonix Takeover, her body completely unarmed.
The Vanish Brothers screamed in fright and held each other. How did these kids survive those flames?
"Impossible!" screamed the brothers.
"Now I got some fire in my belly!" Natsu commented as he punched his fist together, fire swirling around him and Lisanna.
"Didn't you hear us?" The two teens said in unison, leaping into the air. They grab each other's hand as flames stretch out from their other hands. "We'll blow you away! Fire Dragon/Phoenix Wing Attack!"
The two crashed into the flames like mighty wings at the Vanish Brothers which caused a huge explosion that caused every window to shatter and break. The smoke finally cleared as the damage from the mansion was as bad as Hargeon. The Vanish brothers were beaten, burned, and scratched up. The two look at one another, seeing the damage they did to the first floor and to the defeated brothers.
"I think we went overboard."
No matter what, Natsu and Lisanna will always be the ones who will cause a little trouble, just as they always do...
To be continued in chapter 4: Dear Kaby