Rated M
M is for MATURE, people.
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING! *sob* However sometimes I wonder if Mashima-sama used to follow me and my friends around to help him dream up a few of his characters!
At least let a girl dream!
The Cat's Game
A thousand and one thoughts were running, no, racing through the girl's head as she allowed Time to take her with him into a glass mirror. What she'd known to be solid, shifted into ethereal liquid as first he, then she stepped through. A sense of cold came and went as her gaze explored the room she now stood in. Sturdy pavement stones covered the circular room's floor and gray walls raised as far as the eye could see. Perhaps she'd found the bottom of a bottomless pit. Hey, first time for everything right? What struck her as most peculiar though, was that the walls were covered in every sort of clock she could, or might ever comprehend. From grandfather clocks to tiny pocket watches, here they hung. Some shaped like cats, others in the form of kettles. The ticks and the tocks all in perfect sync. A sound soothing to some, deafening to others.
An orchestra of clocks, ticking and tocking, echoing up the pit.
"How marvelous..." Lucy whispered to herself.
Jellal glanced at her and smiled, content that his purpose was appreciated. Squeezing a hand he'd never released, he pulled her to the center of the room, where a circle lay etched into the stone. Waving his free hand, the floor within the circle faded away, revealing crystal clear water. Lucy grew thirsty just looking at it. "These waters will take me and whomever I so choose to any realm I desire." Jellal spoke loudly in order to be heard over all the clocks. He pulled a flask from his coat and unscrewed the lid. Feeling its weight, he offered it to Lucy. At her decline, Jellal shrugged and drank its remaining contents himself. Afterwards, he dipped the flask into the pool and handed it to Lucy with a reassuring smile. "Hold this for me, darling. This is half of your payment, upfront. Though you should know, that alone—it will do you no good."
Lucy raised a brow at him, and he chuckled, adding, "Just keep it safe. We will procure the other ingredient once we reach your wonderland and beat a cat at her own game."
"Sounds so simple," Lucy spoke sarcastically as she hid the flask within petticoats, thanking her beloved stars that Virgo had sewed pockets into nearly every petticoat she owned.
Jellal watched her secure his flask before he reclaimed her hand and jumped into the pool, dragging her into its depths with him.
Much like her descent down the rabbit hole, Lucy sank deeper and deeper into the water. As its surface shrank from view, she could see nothing but darkness all around her. It was terrifying. No air, no light, the only comfort (and a rather mild one at that) was the pirate who gripped her hand; a solid reminder that if she must drown, at least she'd be taking him with her. The world would not weep at the loss of one less rapscallion, would it? Thoughts could not distract from the lack of oxygen, however, and soon panic took a hold over Lucy. The urge to breath in water was insatiable! Her lungs burned for it. Then, with a hand caressing her cheek, she felt coarse lips press against hers. Then, air, blessed, blessed air that her mouth drank in—hungrily. When lips parted, an arm held her tightly as she felt the person holding her swim. Light came soon after, followed by the glorious sight of the water's surface.
It would have appeared pretty silly for a spectator to see a grown man and woman throwing their heads up out of the shallow fountain, gasping for air. What a thing to nearly drown in! They must be more than poor swimmers to have come so close to loss of life in only knee deep water! But gag on sweet air they did, though one cannot imagine it to have been all that fulfilling, seeing as water was also pouring from the sky.
"Rain?" Lucy coughed, crawling out of the fountain to lay on familiar red and white tiles.
Jellal heaved himself out as well, and sat next to Lucy (who was on her side, still breathing hard). "Ye gods, Heartfillia. Tell me you didn't run into the Rain Woman last time you visited?"
Lucy blinked curiously at him. "Rain... woman?"
A reluctant groan came out of the man as he stood, ran a hand through his hair, and offered her help up. Once she was on her feet, his eyes darted to the side. "We're going to have to make a detour before finding the cat."
"How is it raining?" Lucy yelled over the deluge. "There's not a cloud in the sky!"
"This woman doesn't need clouds to make water pour."
"What?!"
With blonde hair clinging to her face, Lucy picked up skirts heavy with water to catch up to the man already wandering off, "Hey! Wait up!"
"Step lively, Darling" (to which Lucy cried for him to stop calling her that). "I came here for only one purpose and that purpose will not come to fruition while this rain nonsense continues."
"What does that have to do with you playing a card game?" Lucy asked, trying to peer through soaked hair nefariously blocking her sight. She always knew her hair hated her.
"Cats don't come out in the rain."
Their walk took them on the red tiled path, winding up and down and, at times, around hills. Jellal finally halted their water-logged walk when a building came in sight. It resembled one of the more profitable toll booths she'd seen back in London. "What is that?" She whispered, peering through a bush. She raised a hand to move some of the brambles aside, but Jellal grabbed her wrist and held it still. Lucy bit her tongue to keep from yelping.
"Don't touch the bushes." Jellal spoke in a hushed tone, then motioned to the thorns she'd been about to poke herself on. Rose bushes, perhaps? "That there is one of the Red Queen's Custom booths. She insists on knowing who enters her kingdom at all times. People are required to check in there before proceeding."
"And yet..." Lucy let out a disheartened sigh, "we're not going to check in... are we?"
For the first time since she'd met this vagabond, he looked rather playful when he winked and replied, "We absolutely are not."
Bloody pirate.
So the two of them slinked around the bushes, past the structure under the cover of rain. She had to give credit where credit was due. The man certainly seemed to know his way around. It didn't take much longer before the impressive Red Castle came into view. It really was a treat to lay eyes upon it again. It was like walking into the past, back when beautiful princesses were wisked away by fiery dragons and placed into towers to await a knight in shining armor. As she followed behind Time, her mind was buzzing with questions. Why did dragons favor nobility? And why place them in a tower just to get slain when someone comes to rescue the kidnapped? Perhaps there would still be dragons if they'd simply ate the princesses they'd stolen and moved on. It'd throw down the monarchy eventually too, making room for a new family to claim the throne, therefore crowning more princess delicacies. What a wonderful system! Now if only she could have explained this to the dragons—perhaps the poor dears wouldn't have all been hunted down.
What are you doing Lucy! Wake up and pay attention! You are sneaking into a castle for crying out loud! Get your wits about you!
The two of them stood at the base of a tower off to the side of the castle. Jellal was looking upward with a slight frown. "Climbing will be difficult in all this rain."
"Climbing?" To Lucy's perspective, the window up on that tower suddenly looked much farther away. "No way. I didn't come here just to become more red paint for the queen! Jellal! They know me here! Can't we just go in? ...For a friendly visit?"
"Oh come now, Darling." Jellal replied, sounding surprisingly light-hearted. "There's no reason to fear while you have Time on your side. As your beloved fiance, I will not let you fall."
He was fishing through his jacket when Lucy responded, again, with an 'I'm not your fiance'. Having pulled out a grappling hook, he laid a smile on her that would have melted the heart of a weaker woman and grabbed her around the waist, holding her tight. Pointing the gun up high, he sighed and said, "Then perhaps you do have reason to worry," and pulled the trigger.
Lucy squealed when the grappling hook recoiled, sending them up into the air much faster than she felt comfortable with. Jellal had to be quick, lest some nosy knight find the hook before they'd made it to the top. Once Jellal had a hand on the window sill, he heaved himself up, then helped Lucy through. The lady could not help but grimace at all the water the two of them dripped on such lovely red carpets. Wringing her clothes out would only serve to soak them more. She wondered if she should find a bathing room before they were discovered...
Jellal was already knocking on a door. Really? After all this subterfuge, now he decides to follow courtesy?
A sad, female voice muttered from inside the room. "Go away."
"Now, now, is that anyway to treat an old friend?" Jellal spoke softly, but friendly.
The door cracked open to allow dark blue eyes to peek through, "Je-Jellal...?"
"Must we speak through a door, Juvia? I come bearing joyous news."
The door opened more, and Jellal strode in. "Crack open some champagne, Love, for I have come to introduce you to my adoring fiance!"
"Fiance?" Juvia perked up, and the rain outside lessened, "you mean... you finally asked her? After all this time away?"
"I do believe you've met." Jellal smiled and turned to introduce Lucy—who had not yet walked in, who was still standing out of view. "Come now, Darling, don't be shy." Through a flamboyance Lucy had not known this man possessed, Jellal took Lucy's wrist and spun her into his arms.
"THE JUICY!?" Juvia clambered, "but, but, but-but-but!"
Lucy began trying to pull away from Mr. Grabby, but stopped when he spoke through a forced smile. "Come now, Juicy-dear, explain to the lovely woman here how happy we are so she can be happy for us."
Juvia was looking at them sideways, "But... um... Lord Time! Juvia thought that you and the—"
"Are you saying that you will not grant us your blessing, Rain Woman? Must we wed in the rain?"
The rain lessened more, and Lucy started realizing what Jellal was doing, at least she hoped she was. "Oh it'd be such a shame too, my love." Lucy forced out, trying to sound sincere, "My dress will not have the same sparkle without the sun shining down on it." Same... sparkle? Come on Heartfilia, was that the best you could do?
"Never!" Juvia cried out, and the rain stopped altogether. "Juvia would never let rain spoil a day for love! But, Juicy... Juvia had hoped—"
Suddenly the door burst open, admitting a half naked, stunning slice of mankind. The gentleman from before, what was it, the Knight of Diamonds? "Juvia! Is everything alright? I..." Gray trailed off as he noticed Juvia's visitors—in each other's arms. "Lord Time? Juicy?"
"Gray-sama! They're getting married!" Juvia was bouncing now. "Do you think they might let us into their wedding bed? Oh! Juvia could—"
"WHAT?!" Lucy cried out, completely mortified.
"Too soon," Gray frowned at the Rain Woman. "Now you're scaring the chick off!" He turned to look at Jellal with a frown. "Queen Erza's not gonna like this, Time."
"Then do the same as us," Jellal cocked a brow at him, "and don't tell her."
Gray frowned and began to lead with a retort that most likely would have ended badly had Juvia not intervened. "A secret romance! Oh Juvia will do anything she can to assist! Why at Juvia's wedding, it was the Red Queen herself who escorted her down the isle!"
"Wait," Lucy was finally released from Jellal's embrace. "You're married?"
Juvia flashed the wedding ring she wore. It looked to be made entirely out of ice, then pointed to Gray, "Isn't Juvia's husband the most handsome man you've ever seen?"
Lucy looked to Gray, and was blindsided by the wink he gave her. The two of them had fought over her, and they were married?! Life here in Fairy Tail must be very different indeed.
"Okay, look Jellal." Gray frowned, "I'll keep your secret for now—for Juvia and Juicy's sake, but if the queen asks me straight out, I'm not gonna lie. Your secret isn't worth my head."
The three of them jumped at Juvia's happy squeal. "Oh Juicy! Juvia will plan the best wedding! You must let Juvia help!" The blunette took Lucy's hand and began tugging her to a desk further in the room.
"Many apologies, Juvia," Jellal called out, "but we have prior engagements that will be much easier to see to now that you've cheered up. I cannot begin to tell you how excited we are to have your blessing however."
Juvia looked deeply into Lucy's eyes, with a stern expression that, quite frankly, made Lucy nervous. After a moment though, Juvia smiled once more and squeezed her in a giant hug. "The Juicy really is in love! She can see it! Oh Juvia wishes you all the happiness!"
Jellal and Gray both frowned, but fortunately they did not look at each others' face, or this whole ruse might have died with the rain.
Gray escorted them out through the same window, however this time they were lowered down by an elevator he'd formed completely from ice. The Knight of Diamonds certainly had impressive talent. He walked with them until they were out of the castle proper, and as he bid them farewell, he warned Jellal to be good to the Juicy, and promised Juicy she'd always find the door open. Lucy covered a new blush behind a curtsy and walked away from both of them in an effort to hide her embarrassment. And all this time she'd thought the men at her debutante had been bold!
Once Jellal matched her pace again, she looked to him and asked, "So what now?"
"We must reach the Inbetween before the sun sets. She'll never accept a challenge after tea time."
"The Inbetween..." A smile grew that Lucy could not control as she gathered damp skirts. "We just have to follow the red tiles, right?" Her smile grew when her comrade nodded, "I'll race you!" She yelled, already bolting into a run.
Jellal blinked in surprise, but took off after her. No one could out run Time.
Lucy laughed as she ran, occasionally glancing over her shoulder at the pirate chasing after her. It really had become a lovely day for running. The air was just the right combination of humid and cool that made the best sort of weather. Right around when Lucy began to feel the need to catch her breath, she caught glimpse of the fountain, and she hoped, the finish line. As she urged her legs forward, Jellal gained on her, smirked, and surpassed her, stopping at the fountain's edge. Lucy stopped, bent over with hands on knees and breathed deeply. "Damnit!"
"Not the kind of language one hears from a lady. Perhaps we'll make a pirate of you yet." Jellal said as he watched his reflection in the water.
"Oh shut up, Jellal!" Lucy breathed, not angry, just too tired for his quips.
"Fair enough," Time hummed, then cleared his throat to call out in a clear voice. "Cheshire Cat! I need answers! I challenge you!"
A voice purred out from many different directions that had Lucy looking everywhere, "And what do I get when I beat you this time, Lord Time? Your boots?"
Jellal frowned, and kept his eyes pointed at the statue as the voice continued. "Or that coat maybe? It really is a nice coat. I wonder if you have a pocket watch in there? Or maybe..."
The Cheshire woman finally manifested, curled around Lucy. "you'll hand over this delicious child who ran off with a butterfly."
"Four years." Jellal answered, turning to them, his expression stern.
"Oooooh..." The cat purred into Lucy's ears, shooting chills up her spine. Cana's form remained transparent, colored in pink and purple strips as she floated towards Jellal like an intrigued child. Lucy couldn't help but remember a time when she was young, that she could swear she thought her cat could fly. Cana continued as she drifted around Jellal, sporting a smile only the Cheshire could pull off. "Four whole years, huh? Interesting. Though why not just wager the girl? Surely that's why you've returned with her in tow."
"Don't pretend you know me, kitty." Jellal gripped his fists. "You've got answers that I need, and I need to know that you speak truthfully. So take the deal already."
"Fine, fine," the cat replied, sounding less than interested now. "But let's do it tomorrow. It's almost drinking hour now."
"Tonight, or my wager gets cut in half."
The Cheshire Cat's tufted ear twitched, "Have you forgotten that you're speaking with the Card Master, Lord Time? Are you really in such a hurry to give me so many tocks?"
"Do you accept?"
Cana rolled her eyes and disappeared. Lucy looked around for a moment then turned back to Jellal, "So is that it? She doesn't accept?"
Jellal squinted at the top of the fountain, where a pearly white smile still perched. "Get down from there! Have you no respect?"
"For a mother that abandoned us?" The Cana Cat replied, reappearing atop the fountain statue, "not likely." Now fully corporeal and ivory skinned, the woman jumped down with the kind of agility one might expect from a cat. "I'll accept, but we'll play during tea. A little change of pace might be nice."
~.~
Natsu sat in his comfy chair at the head of the table, reclining in it sideways as per usual. Content to butter his bread out under the pink canopy now that the Rain Woman had finally stopped crying. This would be the first proper tea time they'd had in nearly a month! Natsu always had a feeling that Gray didn't know how to keep a woman happy, and considering the ongoing downpour, he'd obviously been right. He should have tried to find her a better mate back before they'd met. One that would always make sure the sun shined. Things just weren't as fun around here when the sun was drenched. The thought had him smiling like a cat who'd caught the mouse when his favorite mouse came scurrying onto his plate when he started to snicker.
"Hey ya Natsu!" Levy spoke, looking up at him on her hind legs. "You look chipper! Happy that the cat's outta the bag?"
"The fresh air is great, the toast is warm, and the tea is fresh! What more could a guy ask for?"
Mousy ears angled down for a slight tick before perking back up again, "Cheshire should be here any second now. Hard to believe that she's actually running late!"
"There's still time yet, my tiny friend. I'm sure this particular feline friend is just as hard up for Tea Time as the rest of us. Ahh." Natsu kicked his feet up as the light of his life strolled in wearing the smartest crimson gown he'd ever seen. Bordered in even darker red blossoms that accented cleavage that went on for days, his blonde was a delight to behold. "Well, perhaps not as much as my beloved plus one."
Levy looked to where the Hatter was smiling, then back to him. Tilting her head curiously as he dusted the chair off and offered it to... no one. Natsu seated himself in the chair next to his and glanced about the room with an annoyed twitch. "March Hare! Where is my hat? I require it if I am to sit next to such a delicious appetizer!"
"I already told'ja a thousand times, damnit!" Came Gajeel's gruff voice, "I ain't seen it. Ya probably left it out somewheres with the Whites. And don't ask me to check, cuz I ain't fuckin' doin it again! Those Tweedles get on my last nerves."
"So hard to find good help these days." The Mad Hatter pouted falsely. Levy watched as her friend offered his imaginary friend a cup of tea, and poured it out onto the table, smiling all the while. Soon she scampered back to where Gajeel had plopped down, also watching Natsu with a frown. A frown he turned on her when she came to stand on the platter before him. "How much longer you gonna let him indulge in this shit? It's startin' to affect work. You know that the guy actually thought that Juicy went with him when he put those fish in Mira's bed? Fuck if I know what else happened in that bed." The March Hare cringed.
"I know Gaajie, I know, but it's not the first time Hatter's been off his rocker..." the mouse glanced back at their leader before adding, "more than... usual... He'll over come, he always does."
Gajeel huffed, "Not so sure 'bout this time, Shrimp. Parta me thinks I'd be doin' the same thing if you went and disappeared."
"Awww..." Levy cocked her mousy head, scampered up Gajeel's thick arm and nuzzled his cheek.
"Yea, yea, cut it out!" Gajeel grabbed her gently and placed her on the seat next to him, trying to cover up the red materializing on his cheeks.
Levy grew into her true form and latched onto his arm though, with her own cat like smile.
A few short ticks later, what they had waited for came, and boy did it. A decent portion of trees vanished, and in its place manifested a stage, complete with lighting and smoke machine. Cana's voice boomed from a non existent microphone as she made introductions from the empty stage. "Ladies and gentlemen! For the long awaited reunion of the Inbetween Tea Time, the one and only Cheshire Cat has brought you with nothing short of the most fabulous surprise you did not know you were waiting for."
Natsu, Gajeel, and Levy looked about, noticing many of the Nobodies were already out and about around the stage, while others had chosen seats at their table; all of them cheering for the Cat's grand appearance.
"But first, the moment you've all been waiting for... Cana Cheshire and... CHEEEEEEESE CAAAAAAAAAKE!" In several gigantic streams of colored fog, The Cheshire Cat appeared, center stage as Levy cheered loudest of all. Truly the mouse must have missed the cat's specialty cakes. She clambered up onto Gajeel's shoulders and let out cries of elation that would make the March Hare's ears ache long into next week. With a snap of Cana's fingers, a three tier cake floated onto the table right in front of Levy and she dived right in, sloshing cake all over Gajeel which sent Natsu into an unadulterated laughing riot.
"Mark this as a day for the histories, ladies and gents, for tonight we have nothing short of miraculous for you lucky souls to be the first to witness. For as you know, it has been a very long time since the Card Master herself has been challenged—but believe it or not, tonight it's happening! So without further adieu, allow me to reintroduce a guy nobody ever missed-none other than Time himself, JELLAAAAAAAL FERNAAAAAANDESSSSSSSSS!"
Another, less impressive stream of fog went up, and suddenly Jellal stood next to Cana.
"Wait, what?" Levy poked her head out of the cake. "Jellal's back?"
"Geheh," Gajeel smirked, licked a chunk cake off her lips and whispered, "I think you're gonna wanna stay awake for this, Shrimp."
Levy grinned at him, crouched, and pounced, knocking his chair down as they both went straight into the grass. Cake was just... everywhere now.
Natsu sat up, his nose twitching. "Juice...?" He turned to look at his comfy chair, only to see it Juice-less. He could smell her... where did she go?
As Cana's voice kept right on talking, despite that the Cana they watched no longer spoke, another person walked up onto the stage—awkwardly. Dressed in a provocative, fish-netted bathing suit with ribbon tied heels, bunny tail and ears, a blonde beauty sat a large hour glass onto a card table that was raising up from the stage. "As the challengers..." the blonde bunny spoke in choppy, poorly rehearsed lines, "we offer you and your house this gift. Please accept it as we, uh, accept your hospitality."
The Cheshire Cat smiled at her gratefully and sat down at the table. Jellal nodded to Lucy and seated himself as well. Cana smiled at him smugly as the voice called out, "AND LET THE MATCH... BEGIN!"
"Hey..." Levy peered up from where she'd been nibbling cake off of Gajeel's face, "Juicy's dressed like you, Gaajie!"
"What the HELL is Juicy doin' up there?!" Natsu slammed his fist onto the table, "and why'd she change clothes?"
"Uh..." Levy replied hesitantly, "girls... um... like... changing...?"
"No way..." Gajeel sat up, Levy still in his lap. "I see her too. She really here this time?"
"Juicy!" Levy cried, bouncing up and down on Gajeel, "Juicy! We love you Juicy! We're all rooting for you!"
In a higher pitch than Gajeel should speak, he caught the Dormouse and moved her down a notch, "I'm gonna need ya ta stop that, Shrimp."
^.^
Lucy stood there, between the Cheshire Cat and Time, just as she'd been instructed to do. At first, she tried paying attention to the match, but the game they played didn't seem to make any sense. Or maybe it was because her mind was racing too much already to be able to keep up. Honestly! Who did Cana think she was? Dolling her up in this... this... entirely inappropriate outfit! This was not even close to what she'd wanted to look like when she met up with the Inbetweeners again! Coming into the forest in damp clothes never sounded so good. But the cat, and Jellal's damn game had taken it from her!
Was... was Natsu down there somewhere? No... not going to think about that. Besides... there was like, slim to zero chance he'd even recognize her. Really! It had to be something similar to hiding in plain sight, right? There was no way she looked even a little like her. Not in this ludicrous get up~no way, no how.
Too many lights. She couldn't see a thing past the first row of silhouettes, many of which cheered with pink and purple flags.
"Ha!" Cana chortled, "the hand is mine, chump!"
With a frown, Jellal tossed his cards down when Cana laid down a hand with a five cards of all the same suit. At least, that's the only thing Lucy noticed when she was motioned to grab the cards and deal them out again.
"Come on! I even let ya have your own girl as the dealer! You're tellin' me this is all the fight I get outta ya? What have you been doing all this time, Time?" Cana gloated, raising a hand as a glass drifted to its waiting embrace.
After downing the cup's entire contents, Cana lowered her gaze back to her opponent, who watched the cards being dealt out meticulously from Lucy's not-so-deft hands. "Really?" She frowned, "you're not even gonna trash talk back? Yeeesh, give the people a show man!"
As Jellal sorted his cards, he merely murmured, "I did not come here to be a spectacle. I came here for information that you're going to be giving me."
"Four years versus your four questions. I got it, Lord Boring." Cana grumbled, collecting her own cards. Upon seeing them, she grinned like the cat she was. Perhaps she lacked a poker face, or was she bluffing? Lucy could not tell with her and judging by how quickly Jellal had lost the first round—he must not be able to tell either. As the two began laying cards down, Lucy looked up, back into the crowd again. Please don't let them notice me... These lights were getting hot...
As the round continued, Lucy noticed that the crowd's fervor had lessened. She might be mistaken, but it seemed that some of the shadows were serving drinks. Why couldn't she go down and have a drink with the others? Suddenly the flask of refreshing water Jellal had given her sounded delightful. Oh no... it had vanished with the rest of her clothes! What had Cana done with them? Terrific. Another reason to be nervous. Why not just pile them on? What's next? Falling in these uncomfortable heels?
"I believe this hand is mine." Jellal said lowly, laying his hand down.
Cana raised a curved brow at her opponent's cards, "Well I'll be damned."
A hush grew over the crowd as they witnessed the first time their renowned Card Master loose a hand. Lucy found herself stunned by their pause, and Time had to nudge her foot with his to make her pay attention again. Right! Yes! Pick up the cards and shuffle them, Gods but she didn't know how to do this! With fingers that grew more and more clumsy, Lucy managed to deal out the third, and final hand. Jellal watched how shaky her hand was as she dealt his final card and put his hand over hers. Their eyes met and he gave her a reassuring look and a nod that had to mean, not long now.
"Who's it gonna be?" Cana purred as she sorted her cards. "You don't really think anyone's going to buy this... engagement you're telling people. You may have settled things with the Rain Woman, but you opened the gate to something far worse."
Jellal narrowed his eyes, "Did I? What are you hinting at, Cat?"
"Me?" Cana looked at him, positively aghast, "nothing at all... that is, unless you want to burn one of your questions now, for say... another year?"
Jellal grimaced, "Just put a card down or forfeit. You'll be getting no raise of stakes from me."
^.^
"Did you see that?" Natsu flew back to his feet. He'd already been redirected back to his seat over twelve times. One does not interrupt a game against the Cheshire. "He... he touched her..." Natsu stared in awe. He hadn't been able to touch the Juicy in weeks. Maybe even an entire month! Every time he'd tried, his hands, arms, anything—everything—would go right through her! The Hatter had had to learn to appreciate from afar. And yet, there, right before his eyes, this jackass could feel the Juicy's luscious skin? Oh hell no. that was it. He was up, out of his chair, away from that blasted table, and marching right up to the stage.
As he progressed, the Nobodies began to crowd around him. Press against him, hinder his advance. Right when he nearly reached the stage, there were so many shadows crushing around him that one of them caught his ankle and made him loose balance. Oddly, the Nobodies gave him enough space to fall to the ground. So, when the many Nobodies began to step on him, Natsu cursed under his breath, his patience at an end.
"DAMNIT CANA!" Natsu yelled as a plume of fire erupted from within him. Nobodies went flying, while others went running. With his personal space finally clear, Natsu jumped, landing directly onto the table where the hourglass had been. Fortunately, Lucy had grabbed it once the fire erupted; therefore rescuing it from being crushed by the Mad Hatter's feet. Speaking of feet, his were still flaming, lighting every card on the table into tiny flames of their own as he pointed at Jellal. "Just who the hell do you think you are? Showin' up here, stealin' Ju—ack!" Cana fwapped him on the back of the head hard enough to send him crashing where he stood.
"Natsu!" Lucy cried, quickly setting down the hourglass and fussing over a dazed hatter.
Now with Natsu crumbled on the table, Cana smiled at Time and purred. "Looks like our game has been ruined. And in the laws of a tie, as you know, the house always wins."
"Indeed. With the third round forfeit, the game does end in a tie." Jellal agreed, oddly contemplative.
"So if you'll just dole out those years, I'll be off for my catnap." Cana said smugly.
After watching grains of sand fall through the hourglass for a tick, Jellal smiled back at Cana, "It is true that the house wins in the case of a tie... but the real question is this:" Jellal leaned over the table to stare directly into the Cheshire's eyes. "Who's house is it?"
Cana's smile lessened as she slowly looked to the hourglass Lucy had saved. "You clever little bastard..."
Jellal leaned back and tented his fingers. "Will you announce my victory? Or shall I?"
Raising her hands to clap slowly, Cana nodded to him. "How delightful it is to see you again, Time. Finally... a formidable opponent."
"How hard did you hit him!" Lucy protested, looking into Natsu's eyes and slapping his cheek gently.
Jellal and Cana both frowned at the man who'd spoiled their game. Then Cana replied, "Guy's lucky that's all he got."
"JUICY!" Levy cried, tackling Lucy to the stage floor. While she squeezed her tightly, she began ranting out a hundred questions, mostly relating to where had she gone and how much they'd all missed her.
Gajeel approached next as the Nobodies began dispersing, "We done here? I need more drink after a shit storm like that."
"More drink! Yes!" Cana's ever present smile widened, and suddenly all of them were seated back at the original table with all evidence of a stage and show gone. She'd even put Lucy back in her normal apparel. As Natsu began lurching over in his large chair, Lucy yelped and reached over to catch him, soon leaving her chair to sit on Natsu's armrest so that he could lean on her.
Jellal stood and shot the Cheshire a look that showed his displeasure. "There is no time for more games, Cat. You owe me answers."
"Relax!" Cana waved him off, "there will be plenty of time for that in the morning. Deal or no deal, you'll not get any more truth from me tonight—and that's the truth!" She pouted theatrically as a teacup floated to her hand, "I'm far too torn up from the deceitful gift Lord Time gave me."
"Oh yea." Gajeel shot Jellal a grimace, "where'd that damn hourglass go anyway? It ain't welcome here. Us Inbetweeners got a reputation to maintain."
"Oh don't worry about that," Cana replied, smiling smugly at Time. "It's tucked away. This is not your house anymore."
"I would have expected nothing less," Jellal agreed.
Lucy frowned, more than confused. None of what had happened had made any sense to her, but what she did know was this: Jellal had somehow played the part of a master manipulator, and they all, even her, had been his puppets.
The mouse was the first to retire, cuddling up in her favorite sugar bowl, soon followed by the March Hare, who just leaned over the table and slipped into blissful unconsciousness. And despite Jellal's objections, Cana disappeared with a promise to hold up her end of their gamble upon her return. This turned Time's sour expression squarely at Lucy, still sitting on the plush armrest, cradling Natsu's head. He contemplated the curious nature of the human girl's relationship with the Hatter, and recalled how the Rain Woman had agreed that she'd fallen in love. Could it be? Had this hatter, of all people be the one to have stolen a believer's heart? With a sigh, Jellal stood and strode around to them and placed a hand on her shoulder. Her head rolled as she looked up at him. "Hmm?"
"It appears that now we must wait on the Cat before I can repay you for what you've done for me. I apologize, but I dare not leave before she returns. The answers I need are too important."
Lucy granted him with a kind, if drowsy smile, "It'll be fine. I just wish I could tell my spirits not to worry."
"I'm sure, for the most part, they've figured it out." Jellal replied, trying to sound kind in return. It had been many, so many years since he'd been inclined to be so kind to a person.
"Hey Jellal?" Lucy's gaze sharpened, "why are you so focused on finding this Mavis woman? Was she special to you?"
With a short shake of his head, Jellal offered a hand to her. "Come, you'll need some rest. I will watch over your Hatter while you sleep."
As Lucy took his hand, she couldn't help but smile inwardly, repeating his words internally.
My hatter.
I spent a while fretting that this chapter wasn't exactly what you wanted—but as the story teller, it's what I had to give. I still love ya though!
Love to lick ya that is!
Seriphia
aka
Lick
*~.🐈.~*