Chapter Text
CHAPTER 1: Fairy Tail
Word Count: 19794
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The year is X781.
All at once, a few things happened.
Cana was making a delivery to the orphanage with the two older Strauss siblings, but as they crossed the church gates they found themselves not surrounded by stone walls-- but in a large, carpeted hall. The doorway vanishes behind them.
Levy was with Lisanna and Erza. They had just finished a delightful supper of desserts, and were about to stop by a bookstore on their way. Levy walks backwards, excitedly reciting the synopsis of this new book she justhadto get-- then suddenly they weren't walking on the street anymore.
Laxus was with his Thunder God Tribe, of course. They weren't even in Magnolia. They were ready to ambush a certain dark guild they've been commissioned to take down. When a huge magic circle spread out beneath them, they initially thought they'd been discovered. Imagine their surprise when they emerge to Erza pointing a sword at them, equally shocked on both ends.
Gray was coming back from a late job, and was ready to just conk out in his house. He finds Loke at the doorway of the guild, and they begin talking. Loke's just recently joined, and Gray wanted to know if he was comfortable here. They enter the guild together-- and find themselves nowhere familiar.
Happy and Natsu... were fishing. Then suddenly the lord of the pond scoops them up, they nearly get eaten, and somehow they're here. Yeah, weird.
"What's going on here?!" Laxus is first to spark out with irritation. Dammit! Did they get tricked or found? He was in the middle of a job, dammit.
"I suspect this is some sort of space magic," Freed observes his surroundings, "but I don't see any magic circles of any sort."
"Aren't you supposed to be all the way north, working in the West Forest? Why are you here?" Gray points out, alarmed.
"Huh? What's everyone doing here?" Natsu gets up, very confused, "Laxus? Laxus, fight me!"
"Wait, Natsu!" Lisanna rushes over, "now's not the time!"
"Aye, Natsu, you're just going to lose in a second so let's save the word count and omit that pointless interaction!" Happy agrees.
"Huh? Lisanna? I thought you were going to the cake shop with EeeeeerzAAA?? What're you doing here? Wait, where am I?!"
"God, get a clue, Natsu," Loke sighs. "We're all confused here."
"I don't know what's going on," Evergreen speaks up, "but it's clear that all of us, all over the country, just suddenly got transported here."
"Don't you think it's Phantom again?" Bickslow asks, and his wooden dolls echo in agreement: "Phantom! Phantom!"
"With this many Fairy Tail members here, it's definite that we're the target of this, whatever this is," Mirajane surmises, turning herself into a Satan Soul, "let's bust out."
Laxus spikes into a fury of electric sparks, and Natsu grins, firing up a fistful of Fire Dragon's Iron Fist. They were going to aim for the nearest wall and--
"No, it's hard to say we're even in Fiore," a new voice interrupts.
Everyone swirls around in alarm, "Gildarts?!"
All at once, everyone quietens, the sudden horror of the situation dawning on them. Gildarts was supposed to be out in his job, a hundred-years quest. He was down in a whole other continent-- why would he be here except for a magical phenomenon?
If this was an enemy, they'd have to be formidable if they caughtGildartsof all people in the mess. But why this crowd?
"Let's all calm down," Cana raises her hands between the two-- three hotheads, being Laxus, Erza, and Mirajane who all had a hand on weapons or magic, pointed at each other. "Let's assess the situation calmly."
And the three turned away, obliging.
"Isn't it amazing how Cana has authority over them?" Lisanna whispers.
"Cana joined first, so she has lots of dirt on their baby days," Levy explains, "they listen to her out of respect for that meager seniority, if not for anything else."
They calm down.
The hall isn't very big. It's a comfortable size for their amount of people, and it's full of chairs, from sofas to loveseats to benches. There are soft rugs and plenty of pillows, all lined up spaciously along a huge white wall.
There's a door in the other direction, but when they split up to search, they found a lot of rooms along a labyrinth of hallways, all comparable to suites in a high-class hotel. There's also a kitchen, a dining hall, and a communal bath.
But no windows, no doors out of here.
There's a stairs upward, but it leads to a big, forest-like training room that restores itself once it's damaged. There's an infirmary and medical supplies all around the place as well, in case anyone gets hurt.
A few of them ran around punching walls to no avail. Even Gildarts couldn't shatter a wall, which meant everything was reinforced with Magic Cancellation. That meant they were out of escape options.
They gathered back in the hall, and only Levy found anything useful.
"There was a Lacrima Vision Crystal under the coffee table," Levy shows them the little device first. She picks out a box beside it, filled with little USB-shaped items-- "and there are a lot of used memory drives. They're even numbered."
"There's a few hundred of them," Loke looks at them, slightly appalled. He sifts through each identical one, trying not to mess up the order.
Levy then shows them the one that's numbered X.
"But this is the only odd one out among them," Levy explains, slotting it into the device and setting it up before the wall so it'd project well. "I'm going to play it."
"Hey, is this recording? Hope it is, cause I've always kinda sucked at this videoing business." A man shows up on the screen, dressed in a full-bodied cloak, with his face covered. "My name is Yuri."
And Laxus' eyebrow raised. Gildarts' reaction is similar.
"Yuri is the name of Master's father," Gildarts mentions, and a few others gasp at the information, "and a founder of the guild, as well. It could be that they have the same name, but..."
The man gestures around, the fingerless gloves and leather clothes underneath making it rather evident that he was a mercenary, not just some weirdo in a dark long cloak.
"I'm leaving behind this message, this recording, with very valuable evidence," his tone dulls from his cheerful greeting, sounding stern and serious. "To make it simple-- approximately ten years from now, Fairy Tail will disband."
The silence that permeates is deafening.
"What sort of bullsh*t--" Laxus snaps first, but Natsu is the first to blow.
"Don't be ridiculous!" he shouts, crushing the table under his enraged fist, "that's impossible! Fairy Tail would never--"
"Calm down, Natsu!" Erza commands sharply.
No one in the room looks anything other than utterly furious at this point, so Levy sits around the Lacrima crystal in case anyone tries to destroy it. This was their only lead out of it, so he can't afford for the hotheads to ruin that.
"I can assure you I'm not lying," Yuri says emptily, "it's why I have gathered you here. I'm here to show you the future, because this story is a long one."
Yuri pulls down his sleeve, and shows the screen his guild mark.
Almost everyone straightens, a few gasping but all eyes were wide with alarm. If a Fairy Tail Wizard is making such a bold claim-- they can't possibly be lying.
That means Fairy Tail will really...?
"I'm one of Fairy Tail's founders, I guess. Yuri Dreyar," he introduces himself,
"Dreyar?" Gray gapes, "then he really is Gramps'..."
"So that's Laxus' great-grandaddy?" Bickslow asks, pointing curiously.
Laxus shrugs. "Never met 'im, so I don't know."
"and I don't know who this message will be sent out to, but there's one thing I ask of you guys-- watch the future, and save Fairy Tail!"
The screen flickers shut.
There's silence.
Levy moves down to retrieve the memory drive-- but she squeaks when the screen abruptly flickers on again, showing a few lines of text.
[You may use any of the facilities in this building, and the exit will open upon completion of the viewing.]
[Time is stopped outside of this building, and you will be returned to your rightful spots once this is over. Take as many hours as you need.]
And this time when it flickers out, it stays off.
It's another minute later when anyone says anything. It's Cana, sighing as she makes herself comfortable with a barrel of booze (that she somehow got from the kitchen?)
"Cana?" Lisanna asks.
"There's no sense in thinking about it," Mirajane explains, angrily settling down, "this Yuri person... we don't know what the heck's going on, but we can't get any answers from him if he's apparently a bloody fossil and we can't go rob his grave or get out."
"But, Nee-san, all this sounds so ridiculous!" Elfman argues, "seeing the future? Is that even possible?"
"It's a Lost Magic," Freed says,and everyone turns to him. "Accurate visions of the future... it's definitely possible. Cana's fortune telling is a watered-down version of that ancient skill, that's been lost in time."
There's silence again, and no one really knows what to say.
"Oh god, look at how many there are," Levy mourns, "if these were books we could get through it quickly with the Wind-Reading glasses... but we'll have to watch all these one by one. It might take days, weeks, or even months."
"No, I don't wanna spend a month in this place!" Evergreen whines.
"Yeah, it'll get so stuffy!" Elfman agrees, "I wanna train, too!"
"Don't worry about that, there's a huge forest upstairs to keep us all fit," Erza looks strangely excited by that, I'm looking forward to training with you guys again."
"No!" Gray whines.
"Yes!" Natsu cheers.
"You idiot, do you want to die?"
"It's a fight withErza!"
One by one, they gave in to the situation. If Gildarts couldn't destroy a building in here, no one could. Let's say Yuri wasn't lying, then they have no demerits to staying here and watching the future.
In fact, it'd help save Fairy Tail, which is something everyone wants right now.
"So it's decided, we'll watch it," Gildarts says. And everyone nods.
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Everyone settles down after that, taking off their coats and dressing comfortably as they were in for a long ride. So everyone curled around the seats, and Levy rummaged around for the first recording.
"There's a note here!" she announces, picking out a piece of paper under the stack of boxes. "It reads,to tell you the end, I must tell you of the beginning. And the beginning was a girl called Lucy."
"Lucy?" Natsu repeats, curious, "who's that?"
"Is she the cause of whatever ruins Fairy Tail?" Gray asks, and a few narrows their eyes at the suggestion.
"It's likely," Erza agrees, "we don't have a girl called Lucy here..."
Laxus tenses. Is that the girl that'll ruin his guild?
"In every way, she is a Fairy Tail mage," Levy reads, and everyone's shoulders loosen in relief, "and she will be the reason it rises again."
Everyone lifts.
"That means she's what we need to save Fairy Tail!" Levy realizes, "guys, keep an eye out for this Lucy, okay?"
And the video plays.
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"The Kingdom of Fiore."
Clouds part from the center of the screen, pulling away from the middle and revealing a map of their land.
"Eh?" Loke says, confused, "is this a documentary? Levy..."
"This is really the right one!" she panics slightly, "this is weird. It should be showing us the future, so what is this?"
"A neutral country of 17 million people. This is a world of magic."
The land is shown in a fortune teller's orb, spiking with a purple spark of energy.
The scene fades out into a rustic series of sketches, like a documentary showcasing the daily commodities provided by magic. The images depict magic-run express trains, stoves lit by lacrima fire, SE-Plug energy cars, and a lesson conducted through the use of a light pen.
"Magic is bought and sold there every day. It is an integral part of people's lives."
"Wait, something's weird," Erza tells them, stopping the chaos of commotion coming from the few, "it's--"
"It's speaking as if Magicisn'tcommonplace to begin with," Freed says, "it's explaining the concept of magic-- a normal documentary shouldn't need to go into this much detail. And half of those are outdated forms of Holder Magic."
And that causes a wave of realization.
"Isn't it because this was made long ago?" Mirajane asks, "maybe Yuri had some weird hobbies and decided to make an amateur documentary outta our futures, y'know?"
"Yeah he kind looks the type to mess around with weird stuff," Bickslow laughs. His dolls echo with their ominous laughter.
"And there are those who use magic as their occupation. Those people are referred to as mages."
Black silhouettes form in the center of the screen, their outlines wavy as if seen through a water's surface. They begin to take a more solid shape, and soon a crowd of mages, all wearing strange hats or hoods of some kind, could be discerned.
"The wizards belong to various guilds, and perform jobs on commission."
The scene zooms in on the mage at the front, and goes black for a moment. The screen fades in once more to show scenes of wizards in battle, in their travels, and scavenging for treasures.
The map of Fiore overlays once more to show guild buildings in Fiore.
"It's pretty long," Natsu pouts, then complains, "c'mon, c'mon, show us already! It's taking so long!"
"Aye!" Happy agrees.
"Now we know why there's so many," Levy chuckles, "each memory drive can't hold a lot of information, so this must have taken up quite a bit of data."
"There are a large number of guilds within the country. And in a certain city there lies a certain guild."
Happy appears on screen, flying through the mountains until Magnolia came over the horizon, the city overlooking the sea, and Kardia Cathedral standing proudly as its biggest, tallest structure.
"It's Happy!" Natsu beams, "look, Happy! Wait, what're you doing flying across the mountain like that, anyways?"
"How would I know?" Happy wonders, "but aye, it's me! I'm the main character!"
"I highly doubt that," Mirajane giggles with an evil denotation, "I mean, you're just a cat."
"What do you mean, just a cat? Say sorry to Happy!" Natsu bolts up angrily, but shrinks like a crumpled tissue when Mirajane glares at him.
Erza turns to them. "Hey, Mira, pick on someone your own size," she sneers.
"What, like you?" Mira taunts, sneering cheekily as she put her hands on her hips, smirking with devilish joy.
Erza boils with anger, drawing a sword out of her space. She stands up, and the tension boils between them.
"Woah woah, they're gonna fight!" Bickslow quickly runs out of attack range.
"Erza, Mira, stop that!" Gray yells, "this place is too small for you to--"
An explosion.
"A guild from which various legends were once born... or rather, will continue to be born long into the future..."
The camera follows Happy into the town, closing in on his bag-- and parts before the gild building, sliding up to the sign before focusing on its proud guild mark.
"And it's name is: Fairy Tail!"
Natsu emerges from the rubble first, and magic circles pop up around the place, fixing the area to its original form. Judging from the hole in the ceiling, Erza and Mirajane have decided to take a shortcut to the forest ground for their inevitable showdown.
Everyone sighs. "Not again..."
Music begins to play.
Their attention is turned back to the screen, and everyone watches.
"What's this? An opening?"
"Probably Yuri's weird hobbies."
"Dude that sounds kinda wrong."
"Just you mate, just you."
"Aye."
A white fairy's silhouette takes a step in the air, hopping off on its wings. Another follows-- then another, and another, until the frolic of fairies fill the screen glistening like stars in the night sky.
"A fairy!" Cana brightens up, "guys, look!"
"They have tails!" Lisanna gapes, "Natsu, Natsu, look, they have tails! Elf-niichan, are you seeing this? There are so many of them!"
"They look like stars!"
"Wooah!!" the younger ones huddle around the screen in awe, eyes sparkling with excitement. Even the Thunder God Tribe are gathered around to study them closely.
"We need to tell Master about this when we get back! Hey, Laxus! Look!"
Laxus scoffs, but his eyes are open to look.
"Come to think of it, fairies are our guild's namesake, right?" Loke asks.
"You're pretty new, huh?" Gildarts chuckles. He gestures at the kids, "they actually went around looking for fairies for a while when they were younger," he gestures at them. "The whole point of the name is to never find it, but I think they didn't quite understand that part. They just think it's cool."
"An eternal mystery, an eternal adventure," Loke remembers the guild's tagline and vision. He can't help but smile a little at the sight. "It's sort of like Blue Pegasus'."
"Oh, so you know them well?" Gildarts asks him.
"Kinda. It's a long story," Loke chuckles.
They shine over the Kardia Cathedral, their shimmering fairy dust fading in the moonlight. A ship sails the seas, with the fairy's lights guiding its way.
"Fairy, where are you going, we'll gather the light along the way."
Natsu stands in a clearing, the wind blowing against him. The lights swirl around him, and when the camera pans to the moon, the lights wrap around the stars.
"And make it shine upon a brand new day."
"It's Natsu!" Lisanna points excitedly. "Hey, do you think the rest of us will show up?"
"I'm sure we will, it's about our future, after all," Gray says.
The title 'Fairy Tail' sets itself in the center, grand and proud as the scenery behind it changes from night to day.
"...and there's our guild name," Evergreen says, "I guess it means we're the stars."
"Oh yeah."
The camera pans sharply, and settles on a cliff, where a blonde girl stands by a tree, looking down towards the town. A white, vaguely human-shaped thing stood by her feet, standing only a head tall.
Everyone straightens a little. "Who's that?" Natsu asks, trying to sniff the screen before realizing he can't smell pictures, "she doesn't look familiar."
"I've never seen her before," Cana says. She's been around this town longer than many others except Gildarts, so she knows a lot of people. If she didn't know anyone... "She's probably not from Magnolia."
"But if she shows up, surely she's important?" Evergreen says, "do you think she's Lucy?"
Loke's eyes narrow on the little white figure beside the girl.Is that a...?
"Can you hear this voice that's calling you now?"
She's shown closer next, and the little fairy silhouette jumps over her back. As if startled by the fairy, the girl turns around. A heart-shaped earring jostles by her ear.
"She's pretty," Loke's eyes glint with attention, and Gray facepalms.
"Is that all you think about?"
"Hey, it's important, okay?" Loke pouts, "she's a cutie. If you say you don't think so, you're lying to yourself, Gray." And Gray blushes, turning away with a hmph.
"Oh, so she's Gray's type?" Lisanna teases.
Cana jumps on the bullying bandwagon, "so Gray's the shy type? Oooh."
"Shush, Lisanna!" Gray flusters, then panics, "don't you dare tell Mirajane! Don't tell--"
"Don't tell me what?"
Everyone screams.
Mirajane and Erza are back, full of bandages and wounds, but tired from their brawl. They seem to have come to some sort of truce in lieu of coming down to watch the show with the others.
"Mira-nee! Welcome back!" Lisanna greets her. Gray's face grows pale.
The girls settle back down where they were, turning back to the screen.
"So what's this I shouldn't know?" Mirajane chases, a mischievous glint into her eyes.
Gray gulps. If Mirajane getsanydirt on you you're in for a life of a lot of pain. So he points furiously at the screen and says, "look! Fairies!"
There's a fairy beside Lucy on the screen, and that successfully keeps the two girls very interested.
Crisis successfully averted, Gray thinks.
"Oh yeah."
The camera pans again, this time to the ruined rubble of what was probably once a building. To the side, leaning against a piece of debris, Gray stood shirtless, looking out toward the horizon where even more rubble lay.
"Oh, it's me!" Gray sits down quickly, excited.
"And as usual, your shirt does the disappearing act..." Cana mumbles.
Gray realizes, belatedly. "Ack."
"It's raw and hoarse from screaming after you."
The little fairy silhouette soars over Gray too, and he lifts his head, alarmed. The Fairy Tail mark on his chest stands out against the view.
"Wait guys-- have you been listening to the lyrics?" Erza says.
"It's just a song, so I don't think it's important..." Elfman mumbles, "they're interesting, though. Not very manly, but--"
"It's an adventure story!" Levy twinkles, "doesn't it kind of sound like a bright love story? It's kinda romantic."
"Levy and her fiction tropes again..."
"I don't get it," Natsu broods, arms folded.
"Aye," Happy says, "that's because you don't read, Natsu."
"Oh yeah."
This time, the camera pans to a long and scaled magic beast's horn, then narrows in upward to show a red-haired female knight standing by the downed beast, a proud sword brandished in her hand.
"It's Erza!" Lisanna leans into the girl's shoulder, "look, that's still your favourite armor!"
"Wait... how many years into the future is this?" Gildarts asks, "Erza looks a little bit more like a lady there..."
"That's true, you've got a bunch of wrinkles on your brows cause you keep frowning," Mirajane snides at the girl, "old hag."
"You wanna go, Mira?" Erza growls, smashing their foreheads together with fury.
"Cana, couldn't you go stop them?" Levy asks.
Cana downs a barrel of beer. "That's just how they get along, so leave it be."
"But it won't give up until you can answer it."
The fairy silhouette skids past her eyes, and she opens them, glancing in that direction for a deep, meaningful moment.
The wind blows past, and a leaf obscures the screen.
"Oh yeah. Oh yeah."
Natsu and Happy stand by the mountains, looking toward the forest. They turn around and smile, Happy leaping up to fit into the screen, both grinning brightly.
"And there's me again!" Natsu cheered, "it's settled, I'm the star of the show!"
"No, it's me!" Happy argues, pointing, "that's me over there and I've showed up more than you thus far!"
And they began arguing over who has more importance in the show.
"Is that seriously something to make a fuss over?" Gray gives them a side-eye, exasperated.
Lisanna chuckles, "c'mon, Natsu."
"But judging by the flow of things, I think the main character is Lucy," Levy says, "if she's important, we're probably going to follow her side of the future, don't you think?"
"Though all this time has passed I still remember."
The train appears on screen, before it changed into the inside, where the four of them-- Natsu, Gray, Erza, and the girl from before, Lucy, sat together.
Natsu is evidently motion sick, something like his soul or dead air coming out of his mouth as he suffered. Happy flapped a piece of paper as a fan to his face, trying to ease his suffering half-heartedly.
Lucy reads a map, and Gray listens intently. Erza is also listening, but alf of her attention is turned to the cake in her hands.
The previous, slightly human white thing-- was on the ground, making weird dancing movements.
"We're travelling together?" Gray perks up with interest, "what is that unholy combination? I really can't see it happening."
"Yeah, who the hell wants to team with you, ice princess?" Natsu mutters.
"The problem in the combination isyou,you burning moron," Gray hisses.
Levy holds herself away from the mess, chuckling nervously as she deposits herself with Lisanna, further away from the strike zone.
"But, I wonder how this teaming happens," Lisanna wonders, "after all, if they're together..."
"Towns burn down, somehow," Elfman says, paling. "Master's gonna be mad."
Mirajane laughs boisterously, "oh, I really have to see this!"
"It'll be a really cool team, don't you think?" Bickslow laughs, "two idiots, Titania, and the blondie for some reason."
"Hey, I'm there too!"
"Oh, my bad, Happy."
Freed considers the image. "If it's this combination..." he hums, "don't you think Lucy's the smart one in this group?"
"She's reading the map," Happy agrees, "I can positively assure you that Gray and Natsu don't have enough braincells to understand maps."
"To be precise, they share one braincell and Happy has it," Lisanna says very bluntly.
"Oohs, they certainly need the brains," Mirajane takes the opportunity, "Erza's just a lump of muscle, after all. She'll need help."
"Alright, Mira, let's take this upstairs."
"The sun and moon and how they shine together."
The scene changed to a mountain view, where Erza manned a carriage led by a purple boar. Natsu was saggin out of the back window, his soul flying from his mouth. Gray and Happy are on the top of the carriage, and Lucy is looking out from the window, worried that Natsu would fall off.
A few of them laugh at that.
"Oh, look at yourself, Natsu!" Gray points, "you look so lame!"
"S-Shut up, Gray!" Natsu blushes, turning to Mira who's laughing her ass off in the corner, "stop laughing at me! You know I'm motion sick!"
Levy wipes a tear out of her eye, clinging to Lisanna as they laugh their energy out. "Why is Gray on the roof, anyways? There's definitely enough space in the carriage."
"So Lucy's the type to worry about Natsu, huh?" Loke says, "that's kind of like Lisanna, isn't it?"
And Lisanna chuckles, "that makes me want to meet her!"
The scene changes again, to a nighttime camping scene, where Natsu and Happy are wolfing down meat and fish by a fire. Gray is reading something off a piece of paper, and Lucy is giving him quite a judgemental side eye. Behind them, Erza is sleeping by her luggage.
"Happy's eating something in like, almost every scene," Bickslow says, "how much fish do you possibly have in your sack?"
"A lot!" Happy says, "I love fish, after all!"
"I wonder what Gray is looking at," Levy brings that side of the image to attention. She snickers in amusem*nt, "Lucy's giving him quite a nasty look."
"Isn't it because he's half-naked?" Cana says.
"Oh, I'm so used to it I didn't even notice," Lisanna blinks in surprise. "When did that happen?"
"Whatever it is, are you guys sure you should be making that much of a ruckus? Erza is sleeping back there, y'know?" Evergreen says.
"Why is she sleeping, anyways?" Natsu wonders, "we haven't even set up sleeping spots yet. She's sleeping in her armor? Yikes."
"She's probably tired from manning the carriage, don't you think?"
"It feels so strange when you are not here with me,"
The human-shaped white doggy shivers in the gray, rainy scenery. Lucy sits by a bridge, her legs shaking over the edge as she looks into the water.
"It's that weird thing again," Natsu says, "what even is that thing anyway? A human? A bug? An alien? Is it edible?"
"It's always beside Lucy, so maybe it's kinda like Happy," Lisanna says.
"Huh? I'm the same as that humanoid weird thing?" Happy gawks, "I think I'm offended! Aye!"
Loke chuckles at Happy's minor distaste.
"It's a Celestial Spirit," Loke offers as an explanation, "gate of the Canis Minor-- it's called Nikora. It's something like a small dog."
"It's a dog?!" Happy blanches, "but it doesn't have ears! Or a tail! Or even fangs! How is that a dog? It's everything a dog isn't! It's an insult to dogs and I hate dogs!"
Happy runs up to Loke, patting his kene at every point, trying to prove something, and Loke only chuckles at how desperately whiny the little cat was.
"You sure know a lot about it, Loke," Levy says with interest, "Celestial Spirit magic... it's that thing where you summon creatures from another dimension, right?"
"I've never heard of it..." Erza mumbles.
"I heard it's pretty rare," Mirajane says, "and there are only twelve of the gold, really strong ones, right?"
"I used to know a Celestial Spirit Mage, you see..." Loke turns away, a sadness taking his eyes, "...well, that's beside the point. I just... learned a lot from her, I guess."
Natsu scrutinizes the screen. "So Rucy's an Extraterrestrial Bullsh*t mage?"
"Celestial Spiritmage," Lisanna corrects. "How on earth did you hear a more difficult word instead?"
She turns around, and her pained, saddened expression lifts slightly.
A hand raises in the distance, in the clearer skies.
"Huh? That's the flower bracelet I got for Mira-nee that she never wears!" Lisanna perks up quickly, getting closer to the screen, "Mira-nee, I think you're going to show up!"
"Huh?" Mira blanches a little, "isn't it too girly for me?"
"For the last time, it's not! It'll look cute!" Lisanna whines. "You used to wear them all the time."
Mirajane flusters at her little sister being so persistent. She turns away, fiddling with her fingers, "but cute flowers and butterflies aren't verySatanof me..."
"Oh, you and your typical punk girl image!" Lisanna whines. "We all know you'd look amazing if you wore a skirt, you know?"
Mirajane blushes madly, "I amnotwearing any fluttery monstrosities! I'm not Erza!"
"And yet, Erza can rock a dress or three and still look badass," Lisanna says, eyeing her sister skeptically.
Erza snorts, "looks like Lisanna's on my side, Mira."
Mira throws a table at Erza.
"It's like I need your smile to keep me going."
And Mirajane, Natsu, Gray, and Erza stand there, calling for Lucy. Lucy smiles in relief, blinking away the tears before brimming into a grin.
Everyone in the room freezes shock still. Even Laxus' jaw drops.
"Oh my god, is that you, Mira?!" Gray points out, screaming in horror.
"This is the first time I've ever thought Mira was genuinely beautiful," Loke mutters.
"Dude no, that can't be her!" Bickslow exclaims, in denial, "maybe it's Lisanna! Just look how ladylike she is and look atthat!" he points at the two in comparison, "it's heaven and hell!"
"Ooh, look who grew up to become a hottie," Cana says, giving Mira the suggestive side eye, "puberty hit you hard, sweetie?"
Mirajane gets irked.
Erza glints with honest interest. "That's a very pretty dress," she says, "so even Mira can look this gorgeous, huh..."
"Yesss!!" Lisanna squeals, holding Levy's hands, "look! Didn't I keep telling you guys Mira-nee's a goddess?"
"My sister is the most beautiful girl ever!" Elfman cheers, "oh, of course I'm including you too, Lisanna."
"Are yousurethat's Mira, not Lisanna?" Gray asks again.
"That's definitely Mira, look at the forehead," Erza says.
"Yeah, and the hair is all wrong, too," Natsu says. "It's definitely not Lisanna."
"Aye."
Laxus stares at the screen, looking various forms of horrified, but then he looks to the side. Gildarts slings and arm around him, snigg*ring suggestively. Laxus punches him, and Gildarts dodges.
It's a second later that Mira goes around punching everyone on the head ("I didn't even say anything!" Freed and Levy whine) then she and Erza leave to go and fight.
Along with the mess with Laxus and Gildarts, the building was rumbling with aftershocks of magic. What even is all this? The show hasn't even started yet!
"Snowing, keep going, just honestly smile like your best,"
Natsu bursts out of the cliff, carrying a treasure chest above his head with a green wyvern hot on his heels. Happy screams behind him, rightfully flustered as he clung on for life.
"Natsu, what are you doing?!" Lisanna looks horrified at that.
"I'm gonna die!" Happy freaks out.
Natsu laughs, "in your face, wyvern!"
Erza observes the wanted poster, very calmly noticing that her other friends are wrapped within the vines of the very creature they are after. Natsu holds the probably dangerous flower away from his head, Lucy is screaming, and Gray is vainly clinging on for dear life, somehow only in his boxers.
"Please save us Erza," Gray fake sobs, "we're dying there."
"Erza's just so calm even when her friends are in danger there," Levy chuckles.
"Being calm is the key to victory!" Erza glints scholarly.
Lucy and Natsu run away from a huge hornet's nest, equally large hornets right behind them. Happy is nowhere to be seen.
Natsu and Gray fight, heads butted together angrily. Mirajane watches with a contented smile, Happy eats a fish with a slightly resigned expression, and Lucy laughs.
"Oh god, it's so weird. Look at Mira, she's actually smiling nicely," Natsu says, because he's an idiot and one punch wasn't enough to make him understand shut up.
Everyone turns stiff when Mira goes over to give him another two punches on the head.
"But all things aside, it's weird," Erza admits, "this isn't that far into the future, looking at all of us. It's probably only a handful of years down the road-- I don't even change that much. Mira's transformation is pretty drastic."
"So you think something might've happened?" Freed asks.
"That... or that isn't the Mirajane we know," Laxus mutters to himself, talking for the first time in a while.
"Together, it's warming, as fate is linking your time with mine,"
Erza shows on the screen, and Siegrain's face takes over the large of the screen. They look in different directions, but evidently think of the same thing. Something is shattered in the backdrop, like glass.
"That's Erza..." everyone draws the scene to attention, "who's the blue guy?"
Erza's fist tightens. "That's Siegrain," she tells them, "he's a member of the Magic Council. Like Master, he's a member of the Ten Wizard Saints."
And everyone gapes, shocked.
"You know such an important guy?" Bickslow asks.
"No," Erza says, looking down and narrowing her eyes, "I do not."
And no one chases for an explanation.
Then the scene changes, and the rest of the guild's core members are shown, from Master, to Macao, Wakaba, and Romeo, to Cana, Elfman, Mirajane, Loke, as well as Levy, Jet, and Droy.
"That's us!" Cana says, "Loke's there too, but I guess the Thunder God Tribe aren't around?" she wonders.
Lisanna pouts, "I haven't shown up yet?"
"Don't worry, Lisanna! I'm sure you'll show up soon!" Levy assures her.
"Fairy, where are you going,"
Lucy shows on screen again, sharply swiping something across the screen-- and in a burst of blue, and three figures conjured to life. A blue-haired mermaid, a bipedal cow, and a large grandfather's clock with a human face.
A few more figures cut past very quickly-- a man wearing sunglasses with orange claw-like structures coming from his back, a maid with pink hair, and then the Nikora.
"Woah, what's that!?" Lisanna says, "is that Celestial Spirit magic, Loke?"
Loke's eyes are sharpened on the familiar figures-- Taurus, Aquarius, Cancer, and even Virgo? That's impressive-- but when Lisanna speaks to him, he quickly morphs back into his gentle familiarity, "yep. Pretty cool, right?"
That little action doesn't miss Gildart's eyes.
"We'll gather the light along the way,"
Fire fills the screen, and is sucked into a dark figure.
A shimmer, and the energy bursts forth, causing a large explosion across the mountainous field. It extends to the sky.
"Oh my god Natsu, not again!" Lisanna squawks, holding hands before her as if she'd be burned, but she wasn't.
Natsu and Gray laugh.
"And make it shine upon a brand new day."
The guild members are shown again, this time looking at the destruction with a sort of pride or awe.
A monster takes the screen, and the four main characters stand before it. The scene cuts to Natsu, looking fierce and serious.
"Woah, what the heck is that?" Bickslow says.
"Yuck!" Evergreen shoots away, "It looks utterly repulsive. Why are you fighting such a thing?"
"It looks strong!" Natsu grins, "I can't wait to fight that thing!"
"Don't say goodbye."
A scene of little Natsu clinging to Igneel's snout flashes across the screen.
And a number of people squeak at that.
"Oh my godd," Lisanna fawns, "little Natsu is so cute!"
"He's so tiny and adorable," Mirajane smiles snidely at Natsu, and Natsu blushes madly, screaming in embarrassment. "He's not even wearing a shirt. Mini jungle boy with dragon daddy."
"No, don't look at it!" Natsu yells.
Beside them, Levy turns to Gray. "So apparently no one's surprised about the dragon."
Erza comes in, requipping into Heaven's Wheel armor. Natsu comes through with a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist-- and they cross each other in a duel, grins on their faces.
"Wait!" Gray shouts, "why are you two fighting each other? Are you suicidal, Natsu?!"
"OHhh!" Natsu turns brightly, "look, Erza! I'm finally gonna beat you in a proper duel!"
"No, Natsu, the winner will be me," she says, "we can always test this theory upstairs. Shall we?"
"...uh, maybe next time."
"Now don't be shy, Natsu."
The scene turns white before any other conclusion can be seen in that battle. Happy takes the screen again, and this time he parts to show the four in front of the Fairy Tail building, posing grandly.
That's where the song ends.
"Ah, it's finally starting," Levy says, "buckle in, guys, we're finally going to see it."
At this point, everyone is lounging around the hall. Most are on the floor, laying on the carpets and hogging the pillows. Laxus is sitting at the back with Gildarts, though Mira, Evergreen and Lisanna are lounging comfortably on the couch.
Cana found herself sharing her booze, and a few others had gotten drinks and munchies as well. They were calm, focused, and the room's magic had healed Erza and Mira's wounds.
Assured, Levy let the video continue playing.
-
"The port town, Hargeon."
"Ah, that's the port I just came home from," Gray says, a sigh at his lips. He leans back against the couch, his back against Erza's leg.
"Speaking of which, you'd just returned from a job, right?" Erza remembers, leaning forward, "you must be tired."
Gray yawns, and Lisanna mirrors it.
"Yeah, it was pretty late back there," Cana notices, "there's no sense in hurrying our watching pace, so how about we go to sleep after this?"
"Agreed," Levy raises her hand, "better to watch this when we're more awake, right?"
Mirajane rubs a rubbing hand over her sister's shoulder, and just then, Bickslow and Loke walk over from the kitchen, holding enough mugs of hot chocolate for everyone.
"We only brought enough for the girls," Loke says, masterfully setting a row of drinks for Erza, Mira, Lisanna, and Levy, "the boys can go get their own from the kitchen."
"Don't worry, I brought enough for Laxus and Freed, too," Bickslow says, putting a few down for the two. His little dolls carried a mug over to Evergreen and Cana. He then pointed at Natsu and Gray, "but the rest of you can go get your own."
"Is this discrimination?" Gildarts says.
"How did you guys even have enough hands for that?" Happy asks the important questions.
The very familiar town is shown, and the scene changes into the train station.
"Um, sir?" a man says. From the polite language, one can discern it is a train worker, probably a ticket collector.
"Natsu, we're here! Hargeon!" Happy sticks his face uncomfortably close to the pink-haired boy's, sounding obnoxiously excited. "Get up! Get up!"
The boy in question is seen collapsed, presumably very dead, right by the door of the train. His face is planted in the crooks of the train's walls, like he wanted to fuse there and just die or something.
Gray chokes on his drink. (Yeah, he went to get one.)
Everyone busts a gut laughing, except a few that just snickered fondly. "Oh Natsu, not again!" they say, and Natsu blushes madly.
"Oh, he's blushing," Mira teases him, "he hasn't changed at all, huh?"
The train worker looks very troubled. "Is he okay?"
"Aye!" Happy turns around immediately, unaffected. "It's a normal thing."
Natsu groans, "I can't take it," he sounds like he wants to throw up, face pale, "I'll never take the train again..." then his face bloats from the incoming hurl.
"Look, even Happy is tired of needing to take care of you so often," Elfman tells him.
"Aye, it's honestly a pain!" Happy says, brightly.
"Never again," Natsu mutters darkly, "I'm never taking public transportation again, never again never again never ag--"
"Woah, he has trauma," Levy says in awe.
Behind them, Laxus turns away, pretending not to silently empathize with Natsu's predicament.
"If the info is right, 'salamander' should be in this town. Let's go," Happy trn to him to see he has taken refuge at the side window of the train. Happy looks incredibly used to it, expertly calm.
"Salamander?" Gray asks "That's a fire dragon, right?"
Natsu comes to life, "could it be Igneel?!" he yells, "it has to be, right? Happy, we're looking for Igneel! This is amazing!"
"Wait," Erza stops him before he gets too excited, "dragons are extinct. This doesn't sound right-- why would there be rumours of one in such a populated town?"
"She's right," Freed says, "I'm suspecting it's just a nickname. Like 'Demon' Mirajane or 'Titania' Erza."
"But who would have a nickname like Salamander?" Bickslow says, "like, except Natsu that is."
They turned to the screen.
On the other side of the train, the coal loaders are filling in the heat. One worker pulls on the bells to inform that the train is going to move.
"Save meee!!!" Natsu whines, sobbing like the world's end as the train begins to move with him still on it.
Everyone chokes out laughing, howling madly. Gray even beats the couch, stomach hurting from how hard he's laughing.
Natsu screams in horror, "Nooo!!" he curls up, "never going on a train again, never going on a train again, never going on a train again--"
"Someone's scarred for life," Cana snorts at that, wiping a tear from her eye.
"That's gonna haunt him in his dreams," Lisanna mutters, and Levy agrees.
"This issounmanly," Elfman says.
Happy watches the train go, without a reaction, but clearly dumbfounded.
It takes a while for Happy to say, in a very exasperated tone: "...it departed."
The real Happy is similarly dumbfounded.
"It's astounding how dumb Natsu is, sometimes," Evergreen says, chuckling, "even Happy doesn't know how to react."
"I'm not dumb!"
"Dude, look at what just happened."
Natsu shuts up, making a whimpering noise.
-
The title screen comes up, the words 'Fairy Tail' written in red.
-
Cheerful town music plays.
"Huh? There's only one magic store in this entire town?" Lucy looks rather disappointed, hands on the counter as she learns the fact from the clerk.
"It's Lucy!" Happy recovers from his stupor.
"Since she's in a magic store, she's probably a Holder-type mage..." Levy observes, then stumbles, "oh right, she's a Celestial Spirit mage, right? I forgot for a second there."
"For a trading town, Hargeon really doesn't have a lot of magic stores," Cana says, "it'd really help if I could get new cards from their trade sometimes."
"I guess it's a problem only Holder-type mages have?" Gray asks, "I've never been in a magic store other than to ask for information."
"I've never been in one at all," Natsu mutters.
Loke chuckles, a hand moving to his ring and twirling it around, "you should go sometimes, you know? They have some useful things."
"Like yummy fire?"
"Nevermind."
"Yes, this town lives off the fishing business rather than magic," the clerk explains. "Not even a tenth of the people in this town use magic, so this store specializes in selling to travelling wizards."
The interior of the shop is shown-- it's a small store with a bunch of gods, some looking rather sketchy and others looking decently cheap. It seems more like a souvenir store than a proper magic store.
Lucy sighs. "I guess this was a total bust then."
"Now, don't say that, have a look. I have a lot of new merchandise, you know." the clerk assures her, leaning down to pick up something from behind the counter.
"Girls just love this ColorS magic. You can switch your clothes to whatever colour you feel like that day," he demonstrated on the gadget, changing his green clothes to a light purple. "Change! Like this!"
"I already have that one," Lucy replies immediately, sounding very uninterested. She was already looking elsewhere in the store. "I'm searching for some powerful gate keys," she says.
"So Lucy's a travelling mage?" Cana wonders, "I wonder if she's in a guild yet."
"She ought to be in one, if only to find work," Freed says. Being previously a rogue mercenary, he knows more than anyone how hard it is to find work without a proper affiliate... "but she's going to join Fairy Tail, right? Or that's what everything thus far has been implying."
Loke shifts in his spot, uncomfortable.
"Gates, huh?" the clerk hums, "those are rare..."
Lucy beams, a heart floating from her as she stumbles upon a great find. She picks up a box with a silver key, "this is the white puppy, White Doggy!"
"That one's not powerful at all," the clerk informs her.
"It's fine, I was looking for it," Lucy looks very satisfied. Excitedly she brings it to the counter, "so, how much?"
"Twenty thousand jewels," the clerk says immediately.
Natsu spits out his drink. "I can buy like," he stops for a second, "five meals for that!"
"You can buy sixteen, Natsu," Gray corrects him. "And that old fart, he definitely raised the price because Lucy said she wanted it."
Levy chuckles nervously, "yeah, it happened to me before, too."
"And me..." Cana mutters, pouting, "they always raise the price when we accidentally get too excited about it. Corrupted salesmen, all of them."
"Really?" Lisanna asks, "why do they do that?"
"Because if we really want something, and it's rare to find, we'd be willing to pay more to get it," Erza explains to her. "Especially if we've been looking for it for a long time, we'd rather buy it overpriced than search around longer."
"It never happens to me and Erza, though!" Mirajane grins, "we'd punch a hole in their wall if they tried."
"Miraa!" Levy cries, "please follow me to next week's book fair! Please! The old lady there is always so mean to my wallet because she knows I want the books!"
"Sure!"
They stare down at each other with a slightly dark look. A salaryman's greedy grin brims on their faces, though evil intentions are clear across the screen.
"How much might it be again?" Lucy asks again, her tone lilting.
"Like I said, twenty thousand jewels," the clerk very firmly reminds her.
There's a moment of silence.
Lucy sets herself on the counter, and straightens her back so her bosom sticks out. "Oh come now-- tell me how much itreallyis, wonderful old mister?" she sang, her voice slightly higher, her posture curved to emphasize her figure.
She even winked for good measure.
Everyone in the room laughs.
"Well that's certainly one way to get around it!" Gildarts snorts out in laughter.
"We should try that next time," Cana's eyes glint with interest. "I wonder how many free meals I could get with it."
"If only I had boobs," Levy mutters softly, putting her hands over her chest, a little sad.
Lisanna chuckles, patting her on the shoulder, "don't mind, Levy. We're still growing."
"I'm certainly going to try that," Erza says with interest, "just as market research."
"For what?!" Gray sputters.
"Want to see who can get more free meals, Erza?" Mirajane challenges.
"I'm sure the men have better tastes than your vulgar fashion, Mira."
"And your stiff and blocky armour can apparently attract more men?"
"We'll see when we get out of here, Mira."
"You'reon, Erza."
"He only knocked off a thousand jewels? So my looks are only worth a thousand jewels?" Lucy seethes, marching angrily down the street. "That's worthless! It pisses me off... if that's all I can realistically get, then--"
There's a commotion in the distance. Lucy looks down from the bridge, and down below, by a huge building, a crowd has formed around someone.
"You say a famous wizard's come to town?"
"It's Salamander-sama!"
Two girls run past with rather loud gossip, and Lucy finds herself wondering. "Salamander?" she repeats curiously. Then she realizes, very excitedly, "the one they say can use Fire magic that you can't buy in a store? He's in this town?"
"I told you!" Natsu bolts up, "it's gotta be Igneel!"
"No, idiot, why would a dragon be in the middle of a town, much less have a group of fangirls?" Gray retorts, "it's obviously a guy."
Natsu stops, suddenly realizing that he was right.
"Argh! Dammit!" he yells, holding his head, "this is so far in the future and I still can't find Igneel?! Where can such a huge dragon evengo?!"
"That's the thing, Natsu," Gray sighs, "you ought to give up soon. Even if they still exist, they're not going to show up out of nowhere. They're called extinct for a reason."
"They'renotextinct!" Natsu snaps back, standing up with fire in his fists, "Igneel raised me!"
"And he went missing! End of story!" Gray yells back. "Get over it!"
"You take that back!" Natsu grabs Gray by the collar.
"No I won't!" Gray pounds his forehead against Natsu's, "how many years do you think it's been, Don't you get that it's pointless? He'll show up when he wants to!"
"Both of you, sit down!" Erza yells.
Natsu and Gray don't stop. And when they don't stop, even if Erza is yelling-- that means it's just that serious. Erza falters, knowing it's not her place to interrupt.
She does, anyway. "Enough, both of you!" She stands between them, throwing them forcefully to opposing sides of the wall.
They spent the rest of the time sitting on different ends of the couch, brooding.
-
The scene changes back to Natsu and Happy, walking through the streets.
"Oh, it's me again!" Natsu says, looking slightly cheered up, "looks like I survived the train ride, after all."
"Aye," Happy tells him, "though you still look kinda dead."
Lisanna giggled at that. "Poor Natsu, huh?"
"Damn, I ended up taking the train again," Natsu complains, moody.
"You're bad with transportation after all," Happy says.
"Not to mention I'm starving..." Natsu groans.
"And we don't have any money," Happy says.
"He certainly sounds dead," Erza says, amused.
"Aye, Natsu tends to ramble when he's trying to recover from motion sickness," Happy tells them, "he doesn't always recover immediately."
"Really?" Elfman says, interested, "I just thought he was weird like that."
"I mean, Natsuisweird like that, just sometimes there are exceptions," Happy says.
"Ow," Natsu tells them.
"Are we not gonna talk about how Happy finishes Natsu's sentences?" Levy mumbles, "no? Just me? Okay then."
"Say, Happy... this 'salamander' they're talking about should be Igneel, right?"
"Yeah! He's called a fire dragon, so only Igneel comes to mind, right?"
This time, Gray doesn't say anything, so no one says anything either.
The two stumble upon a noisy crowd-- probably the same one Lucy was overlooking before this.
"Salamander-sama!"
"You're so wonderful!"
"Burn me!"
Seriously, that crowd of people had problems.
Natsu and Happy turn to each other. Seems like a stroke of luck, because they've stumbled upon what they were looking for so quickly.
"Salamander!" they recognize the name quickly, and make their way over. Natsu grins, excited. "See? Speak of the devil and he appears!"
"Aye!"
In the next frame, a very flamboyant, blue-haired man wearing a cape and an obnoxious amount of rings shows on the screen. The crowd fawns over him, heart in their eyes.
Everyone in the room collectively lets out varying degrees of exasperation. Some sigh, some facepalm, and the others just sat there, mouths agape.
"Awh man, it's a playboy type," Gray mutters, "hate those kinda people."
"Eh? What about me, Gray?" Loke says, faking hurt.
"You're on thin ice," Gray responds easily.
Lisanna chuckles softly as Natsu sits there, inevitably shocked with his jaw on the floor. "Guess it's not Igneel after all, huh?"
"But I wonder why," Evergreen mumbles, "he looks sort of familiar."
"Were you hit on or something?" Bickslow chuckles.
"No! Why would I remember someone like that?" Evergreen swats him with her fan.
"I've seen him in the news," Laxus says, "something about Titan Nose. Didn't read the rest of the article, so I'm not sure."
"So he's a guild mage?" Levy ponders on the idea, "but for a famous wizard, he doesn't look very... how do you say..."
"He looks weak," Mirajane says, very bluntly.
"Amazing!"
"You're so cool!"
And Lucy stands in the midst of the crowd, her heart palpitating rapidly and her cheeks flushed.W- Why is my heart beating this fast?There are small hearts in her eyes, and her jaw hangs agape as she's enchanted by the man before her-- hey, what's gotten into me?
"You're kidding me," Loke says, "that's her type of man?"
Lisanna chortles, "let's not judge her tastes..." then she turns to pat Natsu on the head, because he still looks kinda dejected about it not being Igneel, "...but as this situation goes, Lucy will meet Natsu soon, won't she?"
"This will be one hell of a strange meeting, then," Elfman looks away, feeling the awkward already coming.
The Salamander smiles at a girl lovingly, hand held out. He chuckles, "captivated, aren't you?"
He glances at Lucy.
He looked at me!!Lucy freaks out internally, squealing in her heart as those eyes pierce lovingly into her very soul--am I this excited because he's a famous wizard?
The heart swims in her eyes, and she's charmed.
"My, my," Mira muses, "someone's in love."
"She's pretty frivolous, don't you think?" Levy mumbles, "so much, it's kind of unnatural."
The room comes to a silence.
"Are you implying--" Loke looks closer at the screen, "--that's right. The guy had a lot of rings. One of them could be."
"What's this about rings, Loke?" Gray asks, leaning over.
Loke raises his hands, showing the rings on his finger. "Ring Magic is among the most common Holder-type magics. There's lots of varieties, and they're not that pricey on the market. It's common for mages to have a few on hand, because you can use lots of simple spells at once."
"Like Sleep, Bind, Record," Freed says-- then he realizes, "or Charm."
Erza and Evergreen straighten with attention.
"Wasn't Charm outlawed last year?" Evergreen says, baffled.
"Exactly," Levy tells them, "that means this Salamander guy is breaking the law."
"What a despicable man," Erza says, crossing her arms and looking away in disgust, "to take advantage of a maiden's heart like that..."
"Erza, you understand a maiden's heart?" Mira teases.
Erza blushes, "of course I do! I'm a girl!"
Like a spell, she hovers closer, blending in with the crowd of fangirls as they go gaga for the man.Could it be? Is he the one...
Natsu bursts through the crowd, exclaiming, "Igneel!"
Laughter roars in the room again.
"What a way to meet!" Gray guffaws, "you make the best entrances, Natsu, seriously!"
"What a way to make a first impression on a girl, Natsu," Lisanna pats him on the head, "you're amazing at this!"
All movement pauses, and the hearts in Lucy's eyes shatter unnaturally. She gasps-- and a sudden realization sinks in.
"Ah, look!" Levy snaps out of her laughter first, "the Charm failed to activate fully!"
"That means Natsu essentially accidentally saved her?" Cana turns to the boy, "good going, Natsu!"
"Huh?" Natsu looks, not too sure, "uhm, yeah!"
Natsu deflates immediately. "Who the heck are you?"
Gray snorts. "Figures."
The Salamander squawks, personally offended. But he recovers quickly, raising his hand with the rings, showing them off proudly. "If I said Salamander, would that ring a bell?"
But Natsu is already gone, walking off without a care.
Salamander yelps, flabbergasted. "He's already gone!"
Natsu isn't spared, though. Two particularly nimble fangirls rocket in his direction, kicking him to the ground and subjecting him to various forms of physical torture, from biting to strangling to suppression holds.
"You rude imbecile!"
"Yeah! Salamander-sama is an amazing wizard!"
"Apologize to him!"
The room roars into laughter again. Even Laxus is chuckling this time.
"What's with this? It keeps showing my lame sides!" Natsu points accusingly at the screen.
"You're always lame, Natsu," Gray says.
"What was that, ice princess?!"
Mirajane hlds her stomach, enjoying this a tad too much. "Oh Natsu, this is so cute," she says, "don't you think so too, Lisanna?"
Lisanna nods eagerly.
"Et tu, Lisanna?!" Natsu squawks, offended.
Natsu is thoroughly defeated in the blink of an eye by four rabid fangirls, and Happy just watches with a sigh, cold sweat running down his back in bewilderment.
"What's wrong with you guys??" Natsu asks croakily, confused.
And Salamander in the distance waves them off, now, let's leave it at that. It's not like he meant any harm to it," he says to his fangirl army, who all look like they've lined up to pummel Natsu.
Lucy's eyes narrow on him, a sort of fury in the way her brows furrow.
"Look, her demeanor is completely changed from before," Elfman notices, "guess it really was Charm after all."
"Looks like she shares our sentiments on how awful that man is," Erza huffs, satisfied, "I think I might like this Lucy girl."
"I can't wait until we all meet her properly!" Lisanna beams.
"This is my autograph. Feel free to show it off to your friends," Salamander hands the boy a board of his signature.
"I don't want it," is Natsu's immediate response.
Immediately, he's thrown into the trash, and Happy smiles at the screen, slightly defeated. "I guess we got the wrong person, eh?"
"Those girls are brutal," Natsu whines, "motion sick or not, they literally ravaged me."
"Girls are scary," Loke pats him on the back, "even the non-wizards."
Natsu buries his face in his hands and fake sobs. "Erza and Mira are scary enough! Why is even my future like this?"
"Now then, I have business at the next port, so..." Salamander bids his fans, snapping his fingers. "Red Carpet," he casts a fire spell, and he rides a purple spiral of flames like a transportation tornado.
"Oh, so hedoesuse Fire magic," Cana mentions, "but it's purple, like Macao's. It certainly explains the Salamander nickname to some degree..."
"Why is it called a Red Carpet if it's purple?" Happy asks.
"Let's not question what people call their magic," Lisanna chuckles, "Laki has weird names for her magic too, right?"
"Her naming sense is a whole other world, so I'm not sure if we can compare that."
"I'm having a party on my ship this evening! Everyone is invited, so please do attend!" he declares before soaring off on his flaming ride.
Natsu watches him leave, slightly surprised. "Who the hell was that guy?" he wonders.
"What a scumbag, eh?" Lucy's voice responds to him. Natsu turns to the girl. Lucy smiles, "thanks for just now."
"Huh?"
-
"I'm Lucy. Nice to meet you!"
"Aye!"
They're at a restaurant. Natsu is wolfing down the voluminous food on the table while Lucy and a few other guests stare at his dreadful table manners, laughing nervously.
"Lucy," Natsu tries to pronounce it, "so she's the one that's so important to Fairy Tail's future?"
"She doesn't look like much, frankly," Evergreen says, "and Celestial Spirit magic isn't known to be overwhelmingly powerful or anything, either."
"You shouldn't look down on Celestial Spirit magic," Levy tells him, "like Dragon Slaying magic, it's among some of the oldest magic that's been around. It's not as rare as Natsu's, but it's certainly strong with the right user."
And Loke nods, slightly smug for some reason.
"That aside, Natsu, stop pigging out!" Elfman points at the screen, "greet the girl! Show some manners!"
"When has Natsu ever learned manners?" Gray sighs.
"Natsu and Happy, was it?" she asks.
"You're really nice," Natsu enjoys a moment of a mouthful of food, looking pleased like he'd been blessed by the heavens.
"Uh, I get it, just uh, take your time..." Lucy holds up her hands, evidently tring to slow the rapid eating pace somehow. Food is shown flying around, including sauces, juice, and all sorts of bones. "I'm kinda in the splash zone, here."
A lob of orange sauce sticks to her face, and she solemnly thinks to herself,and there goes the one thousand jewel I saved with my looks.
"Natsu, you're eating her wallet dry," Mirajane laughs. "Poor Lucy!"
"When you get free food, you enjoy it!" Erza says, encouraging.
"See? Erza gets it!" Natsu says defensively, "she probably didn't say no, either."
"Next time we see her, let's treat her to a proper meal, okay Natsu?" Lisanna settles on a compromise. Natsu huffs, but he hums in approval.
"Aye!"
"See, that Salamander guy was using a type of hypnosis spell, called Charm," Lucy explains, and an image of the rings on Salamander's hand comes up. "That kind of magic makes people attracted to you, but trading this magic was banned years ago. He'd go that far to be popular? What a creepy jerk."
"Oh, so she knew," Loke notes, "so we're right in thinking she's the smart type."
"Finally, some more brains in the guild," Freed mutters mournfully to himself. "No offense to you, Levy, but this guild haswaytoo many nutcases."
"None taken, I agree," Levy says back.
"But thanks to you barging in, the Charm was lifted on me. So this is my way of saying thanks," she says.
"I see," that made sense.
"And I may not look like it, but I'm sort of a mage myself!" she introduced herself cheerfully, "I haven't joined a guild yet, though."
"Look at her, she's the definition of polite," Lisanna gestures at the screen, "she's jobless but she still spent money on your food to say thanks."
Natsu pouts, "I get it, okay? Can people stop scolding me for things I haven't done yet?"
"Nope, we're still gonna scold you," Erza glints with mischief. "So you won't do it.'
"Aye!"
Natsu 'urk's.
"Oh yeah, guilds are places where mages gather to share information and take on jobs," she explains, obviously not realizing that Natsu is a wizard himself. "You can't be said to be a full-fledged mage unless you've joined a guild."
"But, but," she continues excitedly, "there are guilds all over the world, and it's really difficult to get into the popular ones!"
"My, my," Cana sighs fondly, "she's rambling."
"You haven't told her you're a mage yet, Natsu," Gray points out, "she's thinking you're a civilian."
"Huh, speaking of which, I'm wearing a shirt," Natsu notices, "that's weird."
"You haven't worn a sleeved shirt since you were... twelve, or something," Mira mentions, then he looks over and teases him, "once Gildarts got you that vest you've never taken it off. Have you grown at all?"
"I have!" Natsu barks, "I got like a bunch of these in different sizes."
"Whydon'tyou wear a shirt, though?" Cana steals a look at Gray, "you learning from our resident ice mage by wearing less clothes?"
"No!" Natsu snaps.
"Aye, Natsu still wears a shirt sometimes," Happy tells them, "the Fairy Tail mark catches a lot of attention from Phantom and other Dark Guilds, so when we go to tourist spots like Hargeon, Natsu covers it up."
"So you guys actually know how to be stealthy?" Elfman asks, "are we seriously talking about Natsu here?"
"In our defense, it was actually Reedus' idea."
"Ah, that explains a lot."
Her cheer is very endearing to witness, despite everything. Natsu already knows the information, but the way the girl explains it, so enthusiastically, just had Happy and Natsu staring at her rather amused.
"The one I want to get into, see, has like a ton of amazing wizards, and," she squeals, "oh, what am I to do? I want to join up, but I bet it's really tough..."
Natsu and Happy share a defeated look. Then they sigh and look at Lucy with a sort of resignation. Natsu continues slurping on his ramen, and Happy chews on his fish.
"She reminds me of Laki and Levy once you get them going about something," Gray mumbles.
"Freed does it too," Bickslow says, "must be a nerd thing."
"She says there's a guild she really wants to get into," Lisanna points out excitedly, "she must be talking about Fairy Tail! I think this is how she joins, Natsu. You must've brought her in."
"That sounds about right, but I don't see it," Gray hums, "Natsu can't find a time to even tell her he's a mage."
"I have a feeling me and her will get along really well!" Levy cheers, "we both nerd out!"
"Yeah, you definitely will, Levy."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just blabbering on about the world of mages and all that, this is all gibberish to you, isn't it?" she calms herself down, leaning over the table as she eased out of her momentary fangirl phase.
"But I'm definitely going to join that guild," she says, her voice serious and full of resolve.
"You sure talk a lot," Happy comments, no offense intended, no offense taken.
"Ah, he said it." Bickslow chided.
"He definitely said it." Happy echoed, referring to himself proudly.
"Speaking of which, you guys were searching for someone?" Lucy brings up.
"And she ignored it," Bickslow said, slightly in awe.
"She's got amazing ego," Happy muttered.
"Aye! We were looking for Igneel!" Happy tells her.
"We heard that a salamander's come to this town, so we came all the way here, but it seems like it was someone else after all," Natsu says, still upset. He chews a bite off a pizza, then swallows the rest of it whole.
"Geez Natsu, did you even taste it?" Gray chides him, "if you're going to eat on someone's money at least enjoy the food."
"I eat to live, not live to eat," Natsu retortes.
"Who's teaching Natsu idioms? He's using the dumbest ones and somehow sounding smart," Mirajane asks, turning to Levy.
Levy raises her hands, "not me!"
"It was me, when I was teaching him how to read a while back," Erza admits, and everyone shoots away exaggeratedly. "He tends to remember phrases when he's experienced them."
Everyone gulps.
Natsu looks down, feeling a little traumatized now.
"He didn't look like a salamander," Happy says.
"They're fire dragons, so I thought it would definitely be Igneel this time," Natsu sighs, crossing his arms. Where did his deduction this time go wrong?
Lucy stalls, "what kind of human looks like a fire dragon?" she asks, evidently confused.
The two turn to her.
"He's not human, Igneel's an actual dragon," Natsu tells her.
An image of a fire-breathing dragon shows up, and Lucy looks ragged, very, very confused. A huge 'huh' shows up on the screen with a question mark. The dots just didn't connect there.
"Aye! He's a real dragon."
"Huh?!"
The narrator takes over to explain, "Even in this world of magic, dragons are extremely rare creatures that are hardly ever seen."
Silence.
"Something like that wouldn't be in the middle of town," Lucy says.
And like thunder, the realization strikes the two, because the pink-and-cat combination has literally never thought that factor through.
"You just realized?!"
The room bursts into laughter.
"It's deja vu," Loke tells him, very unhelpfully, "glad to see you don't change in the future, Natsu."
"Why does that feel like an insult? Are you insulting me, Loke?!" Natsu asks, slightly offended, but very confused.
With a sigh, Lucy leaves a small pile of bills on the table. She picks up her bag and starts walking away. "Anyways, I have to get going, so take your time."
"Ah, she's leaving without Natsu ever telling her he's a mage," Gray says.
"You suck at picking up girls, Natsu," Loke says.
"I'm not you!" Natsu snaps back.
She walks toward the door.
But she turns around, and Natsu is prostrating himself, on his knees and head on the ground in the highest form of sincerity. Happy does it too.
"We appreciate your kindness!" he yells, truthfully and dramatically.
"Kindness!" Happy echoes.
Mirajane chokes on her hot chocolate as a bunch of them started laughing again.
"Look at Natsu, guess he did learn some manners after all," Cana says, "you taught your boy well, Lisanna."
Lisanna flushes, "why are you praising me?!"
"I'd say it's more of an Erza-Mira combination that scared him into manners, to be honest," Gray says, "they used to have fights on who could teach him more stuff, remember?"
"Ah, I do," Erza reminisces, "I taught him words and history, and then I--"
"Let's not forget thatIultimately won that battle, Erza," Mirajane challenges her.
There's a stilted pause.
Then Erza gets up, fuming. "Oh, it looks like you're missing some of your memories, Mirajane. Let me help you remember who therealwinner is," she cracks her knuckles.
"Both of you, no!"
"Go upstairs!"
"This is the third fight already and we're barely fifteen minutes into this!"
And Lucy screeches, "stop that already! You're embarrassing me!!" she yells. Then in a calmer, more desperate tone, she assures them, "it's fine okay, you saved my life back then so we're even now, okay?"
"But we weren't trying to save you or anything."
"Aye, so it doesn't seem fair."
It's clear the two want to repay her somehow, so Natsu lights up with an idea.
"That's it!" he says, a lightbulb in the background. He lifts the Salamander's signature. "You can have this."
"I don't want it!" Lucy snaps back.
"That's awesome, Natsu! You made her angry enough to tsukkomi at you," Lisanna says, impressed, "and she was so kind to you just now, too."
"Natsu's got a talent at pissing random people off, definitely," Gray snickers, "even someone as patient as this Lucy."
"Let's just hope this doesn't put her off joining us," Erza sighs.
-
Lucy sits on a bench, reading an issue of the Weekly Sorcerer.
"Oh my, Fairy Tail's caused trouble again? The Devon thieves gang wiped out along with seven residences... man, they just go overboard!"
Lucy laughs as she reads it, lying down on the bench as she reads.
"We're in luck," Mirajane throws her hands up in defeat, "she apparently loves the crazy in us."
"It's like she's joining us because she knows we're ridiculous," Loke chuckles.
"Perfect, she'll fit right in!" Cana cheers.
"Ooh, a photo spread of Mirajane!"
Lucy flips through the pages of Mirajane modelling in bikinis, looking none more beautiful than the other.
Everyone in the room gawks, head swirling so fast some neck bones crack.
Jaws drop, including Laxus' and Erza's. Actually,especiallyLaxus' and Erza's-- they've known the Satan girl the longest, after all. Is that seriously Mirajane, posing sensually in bikinis on all those major photo spreads?
"Holy," Loke looks away when his nose starts bleeding, "heck I want that issue."
Mirajane just scowls at it, "are you kidding me? No way that's me."
"It's totally you, Mira-nee!" Lisanna beams, "look at those curves!" When she says that, Levy looks slightly dejected.
"I miss the days when I could call you flat as a board, Mira," Erza says, then her eyes glint with mischief, "but even I have to admit that you've got some crazy curves there."
Mira grins, "yeah, I've totally got a hotter bod than you, Erza. Just look at me."
Elfman starts screeching, "all of you perverted men get out! I'm talking to you Gildarts! Stop leering at my sister! Out! Out, out, OUT!"
"Hey, Elf, you've gotta admit, little Mira's grown up into one amazing lady right there--"
"Dude, she's in a magazine! I have a right to look!" Loke complains.
"I'm not lookin', I'm blindfolded!" Bickslow pipes up, his dolls echoing 'bikini! Bikini!' like the traitorous little gremlins they were.
"But how exactly does one join Fairy Tail? I wonder if they have an interview or something."
She sits up, closing the magazine. "The mage guild, Fairy Tail... they're just the coolest!"
"So you want to join Fairy Tail?"
"Salamander?!"
The man pops up from the bushes, and Lucy skirts a little away.
Everyone stops messing around and turns their attention to the screen.
"That scumbag is back?" Mirajane mutters. "Is he going to do something to Lucy? If he's as much a mage as he's apparently renowned to be, he probably hasn't missed out how the Charm didn't work on Lucy."
"She's already in trouble?" Lisanna sighs.
"It's fine like this," Laxus says, "if she's wanting to be a Fairy Tail mage, she should show that she's strong enough to deal with a sh*tshow like this easily."
"Laxus, mind your language," Erza chides.
"But he has a point, doesn't he?" Cana says, "she's a mage. That title ain't for show."
"Still..." Lisanna trails off.
"I was looking for you," Salamander says, brandishing his rings-- "I wanted to personally invite you to the party on my ship."
But Lucy is firm. "Your Charm won't work on me! That magic's weak point is awareness-- it doesn't work on people who knows it's being used."
And Salamander hmphs. "As I thought," he says, "I realized the moment I saw you that you were a wizard."
"And somehow he didn't quite notice Natsu was one, too," Loke says.
"Well, Lucy didn't either," Happy says, "maybe it's because she was resistant against the Charm?"
"With Natsu's little jokeshow just now, I'd be surprised to find he was a mage, myself," Freed sighs. "It's all about the situation, perhaps."
"No matter, as long as you come to the party."
"There's no way I'd go!" Lucy turns away sharply, "not to a party thrown by a scumbag like you!" She emphasizes the words, and they form an imaginary arrow that jabs straight into his pride.
He sounds offended when he says, "I'm a scumbag?"
"Aw, she hurt the poor man's ego," Evergreen sneers behind her fan, "she should give him a good smack across the face for taking advantage of girls like that."
Erza and Lisanna nod in agreement.
"Charm was outlawed because of this, after all," Loke chuckles at their unity, "I'm sure Lucy or Natsu will get it off him soon."
Lucy turns around, glaring. "You'd go as far as to use a Charm to be popular?"
"That's all just a ceremony, you see," he insists, "I just wanted the party to have a celebrity as a host, see..."
Lucy sighs. "I can't believe a famous wizard is such an idiot."
"Oh? You wanted to join Fairy Tail, didn't you?" Salamander taunts and it gets Lucy's attention very quickly. "Haven't you heard of Fairy Tail's Salamander?"
Natsu spits out his drink. "There's a fire dragon in Fairy Tail?!"
"No, you doofus, he's implying he's from Fairy Tail," Loke immediately corrects-- then he pauses. "Wait."
"That nutcase is a Fairy Tail mage? You've got to be kidding," Gray points, "there's no way we'd accept some scumbag like him!"
"There's no way I'd let that happen with Lisanna and Levy around," Mirajane seethes.
"No no, not that part," Loke dismisses them, waving, "a fire dragon in Fairy Tail, that's gotta be..."
"...Natsu!" Lisanna realizes, "I'm pretty sure theSalamander of Fairy Tailis you, Natsu!"
"Huh?!" Natsu reacts, "why would they call me that? I don't look like a dragon!"
"Oh trust me Natsu, you do."
"I have!" Lucy is baffled, "you're a Fairy Tail mage?"
"That's right, if you want to join, I'll put a word in with the Guild Master."
Lucy's composure crumbles, the hearts blooming into her eyes again. "Well," she sinks into enchantment, immediately morphing into a buttering-up mode, "that party sounds like it'll be wonderful, doesn't it?"
"Aaaaand she's back in seducing mode," Mirajane facepalms. "She sure changes modes quickly."
"She's funny!" Lisanna giggles, "I like her!"
"Me too," Evergreen says, "she's not as beautiful as me, of course-- but if you have assets, and you have a goal, you use them!" She pumps a fist. "It's how we women live!"
"No it isn't," Mirajane balls a fist.
"Not everyone is a violent punk like you, Mira," Cana huffs, "we need brains, y'know!"
Even Salamander has to take a step back and say, exasperatedly, "you're very easy to figure out, you know?"
Lucy's eyes sparkled with excitement, "hey, do you really think I can get into Fairy Tail?"
"Of course, but in return, keep quiet about the Charm, okay?"
"Sure thing!"
"Well then, we'll meet at the party!" Salamander turns away, snapping his fingers and riding off in his strangely purple red carpet again.
"Yes sir!" Lucy says, but as soon as the guy leaves, she snaps out of it, "ugh, he used a pseudo-charm."
She switches again, and calms herself from that ordeal. "But, all right! I can join Fairy Tail!" she cheers. Snickering devilishly, "until then, I'll have to play nice with that dumb oaf!"
"Isn't this pretty bad?" Gray says, seriously, "I don't think any of us would use Fairy Tail as a bargaining chip. She's being deceived."
"Where's this party again?" Loke asks.
"A ship, I think," Levy says, "there's plenty of cruise parties in Hargeon-- they're a trend. But why would someone use so much money to boost a fake ego?"
"Something's wrong," Cana says, "I hope Lucy gets out of this well."
Natsu frowns at the screen.
-
The scene changes to nighttime.
"Ah, that was a great meal!" Natsu says, very delighted, patting his stomach in satisfaction.
"Aye!" Happy sits on the ledge beside him.
All the tension escapes the room for a moment.
"You've been eating this whole time?!" Gildarts reprimands him, half laughing half exasperated, "on someone else's money?"
Natsu complains very defensively, "but she was footing the bill! What was I supposed to do, pocket the change?"
Happy spots a galleon out in the sea, and he points at it. "Oh yeah... is that the ship Salamander's party is at?"
Natsu's face turns green at the mention of a ship.
Happy waves dismissively at him, "don't get queasy just thinking about it."
"Hey hey, you're going to throw up all the free food," Loke backs away, slightly disgusted, as if the vomit could come through a screen.
Natsu looks away, "I'm bad with what I'm bad at."
"Hey, look! That's Salamander-sama's ship!"
"I wish I had gone!"
The crowd of fangirls are there, gossiping about the same view.
"Salamander?" one of them asks, not recognizing the name.
"You don't know? He's the famous Fairy Tail wizard that came to town!" her friend explains to her.
The mention of Fairy Tail makes Natsu and Happy turn to them full of attention. His eyes narrow on the conversation.
"Fairy Tail?" He frowns, tone deepening into an angry low.
"Looks like that's where you find out about him," Levy says. "Does that reaction mean he really is faking his status as a Fairy Tail mage?"
"So are you going to go save her?" Lisanna leans over.
"Don't ask me," Natsu's eyes narrow in a pout, "how am I supposed to know what future me is going to do?"
They turn back toward the ship. He crouches down, keeping a sharp, scrutinizing eye on the ship.
"Fairy Tail..." he whispers, nothing but skepticism in his gaze.
-
On the ship, a glamorous ball is held. Girls are dressed up in their best, sipping on wine or juice.
"Lucy-wucy, was it? What a pretty name."
"Thanks..." Lucy's voice is evidently forced out of her, and she sounds clearly uncomfortable with the nickname, among other things.
"She has a lot of self-control," Cana chuckles, "I'd have kicked him in the face already!"
"Woah, I can see her goosebumps!" Levy says, amazed.
In a room on the ship, Salamander courts her, setting down a bottle of wine on the table. "Let's start off with a toast, shall we?"
And he snaps his fingers. Droplets of water bubbles from the glass, rising like orange spheres into the air-- and they drift along the way to Lucy's mouth.
"Now, open wide, and savour the fruit flavoured gems as they enter your mouth..." he whispers, in a low and seductive tone.
Everyone in the room shudders with unimaginable cringe.
"Where does this man get his flirtation courses? He's awful at this," Loke says, "I'd be caught dead before I said something like that!"
"So you consider your own playboy lines not as corny as that?" Gray focuses on that part.
"I have tact!" Loke says, "I know shame, contrary to popular belief! And I'm no poet."
Lucy freaks out internally, utterly disgusted by the cheesy line and cringey tone.But now, I've got to deal with this, tolerate, tolerate--
Her eyes open, filled with a serious realization.
She stands up, swiping the droplets away with her hand.
Playtime's over. She wipes the smile off her face, facing Salamander with a scowl. "What's the meaning of this?" she demands, voice low and no longer caring about trying to sound cute. "That's the magic to knock people out, Sleep."
The crowd in the room reacts from a range of 'oooh' to 'yess! Go girl!'. Erza humphs with pride, and Mirajane goes 'ooh, burn baby'.
"So she isn't just a bimbo after all," Bickslow says, very amused.
"It's the least you can expect from a Fairy Tail mage," Evergreen says.
And Salamander smiles, very amused.
The camera zooms in on the second ring on his finger, in the markings of a moon. "You're pretty sharp to realize that," he praises her.
"Don't get any ideas," Lucy warns him, "I want to join Fairy Tail, but I have no intentions on being your woman."
Salamander chortles, turning away. "You're such a handful, girly."
The curtains are pulled aside, revealing mobs of big, muscled men, all holding the party guests in their arms. The ladies were all knocked out by Sleep, and the men had obviously planned this all along.
"Ah," Loke buries his face in his hand, "should've guessed."
"What, what's going on?" Natsu jerks up, alert, "what's with all the dangerous-looking guys there? Is Lucy in trouble?"
Laxus frowns, "slave traders, huh."
Gray rolls his eyes, "what era are they in? Human trafficking of all things..."
"It's still fairly common outside of Fiore," Levy informs them, "illegal, of course, but there are less guilds out there, and many more dark guilds that specialize in it."
Gray narrows his eyes. He was from Isvan, two continents over-- and he couldn't count the number of times he's had to face people like these on his way to the West.
They're still at large, huh.He wonders what Pause is doing these days.
"What the heck is this?" Lucy asks in disbelief.
Salamander smiles victoriously, "welcome to my ship. Please be good until we reach Bosco, Missy!"
"Bosco?" Lucy realizes-- that's the next country over! "Wait! What about Fairy Tail?"
"Give it up. You're our merchandise now," Salamander tells her.
"That's--" Lucy gasps, realizing just how deep in trouble she's in, "then the other girls..."
"As expected from Salamander-sama!"
"We got quite a haul this time!"
"If this guy's a Fairy Tail mage..." Gildarts grumbles.
"There's no way he's one of us, he's got to be lying!" Natsu raises his voice.
Slave trading. That's what this is-- and they're clearly veterans in this black market business. How could this happen?
Lucy picks out her keys from under her skirt, "why you--!"
But Salamander is faster. A red magic circle and a spiral of purple flames, and the keys are knocked out of the girl's hands, into Salamander's.
"Ack!" Loke winces.
"There it goes," Cana sighs, "all hopes of victory."
"Impossible! Impossible!" Bickslow's dolls echo mockingly. "Victory! Impossible!"
"What's with them?" Gray asks.
"For Holder-type mages, their weapons are everything," Erza explains, "if they lose their conduit, they can't do a thing. The same, of course, goes to Lucy."
"Hm? Gate keys," Salamander observes, "so you're a Celestial Wizard? This magic can only be used by contract holders. In other words, they are useless to me."
And he tosses them out the window, to Lucy's horror.
"Wait--" Loke freaks out, reaching for the screen, then he sighs.
"Those keys are really precious, aren't they?" Levy bows her head, "poor Lucy..."
They land in the sea-- and Lucy's face scrunches with fury.
What's with this guy?She thinks, shivering with anger,what a horrible thing to do... is this... is this what a Fairy Tail wizard does? Using magic for evil, deceiving people...
"You're the worst kind of wizard there is!" she sneers, tears running down her cheeks.
"Look, her admiration for Fairy Tail is all busted," Mirajane sighs, "this Salamander guy needs to be taught a very big lesson."
Erza and Laxus look pointedly furious.
It's not a matter of Lucy's wellbeing in particular-- sure there's that, but the fact that this man is sullying Fairy Tail's name-- that is something neither of them can tolerate.
And from above, a figure dives from the sky onto the ship. Crashing through the roof of the very room Lucy is in-- Natsu scowls.
Lucy's tears break into a smile, "Natsu!"
But the ship is moving, so in a second, Natsu is bloated and wants to hurl. "As I thought, this is impossible--"
Lucy gawks, disappointed and exasperated, "lame!"
Gray facepalms, "couldn't you make like,oneactually cool entrance?" he chides at the boy, who looks away blushing.
"Not my fault these assholes keep going on some form of transportation!" he whines, "what's wrong with staying on dry land? Dry land is amazing!"
"But, yay!" Lisanna cheers, "Natsu is here! Now go save her."
"Like a prince on a white horse, just in the nick of time," Cana teases, looking suggestively at Natsu, "kinda romantic, eh?"
Natsu doesn't get it.
Above them, Happy looks in from the hole in the ceiling. "Lucy, what are you doing?" he asks, hovering in the air on his wings.
"Happy!" Lucy is more delighted to find him. Natsu is still dying from motion sickness in the corner, so she ignores him and talks to Happy. "I was tricked. He said he'd helped me join Fairy Tail."
Salamander and his goons stare at them, utterly baffled by the nonsensical situation before them. What are the chances, really? This is all so stupid.
"Wait, since when did you have wings?"
"I'll tell you about that later!" Happy runs down and scoops Lucy up with his tail before soaring off. "We're running away!" he says.
"Huh?!"
"Oh, I think the prince is actually Happy, not Natsu," Lisanna corrects.
"Natsu's pretty useless thus far, huh," Erza agrees.
"Aye!" Happy echoes.
Natsu snaps, "why are all of you teaming up to bully me?? My pride is broken already, okay?!"
Salamander snaps out of his stupor. He clicks his tongue and turns to his grunts, "after her! We'll be in trouble if the council gets wind of this!"
High above the sky, Lucy asks, "hey, what about Natsu?"
To her surprise, Happy just dismissively says, "I can't carry two people, so."
Natsu fake sobs, "Happy, I trusted you!" he whines, "you abandoned me!"
"But if I leave without Lucy it'd defeat the purpose of us going there in the first place," Happy responds.
Natsu stalls. "Gah! You have a point!"
Back on the ship, Salamander fires his magic. "You think you can escape? Prominence Whip!"
A flurry of purple fire pillars burst out, cornering the two in the air very quickly. It narrowly misses, colliding into a firework in the sky.
"That cat's quick!"
"No, your aim just sucks," Happy says, "I'm not even flying at Max Speed."
"His fire's really nothing compared to Natsu's, huh?" Lisanna chuckles, "he looks stronger than Macao-san, but Macao-san has the better control, I think."
"So he's a mediocre mage at best?" Gray asks. "How did he even get a nickname like Salamander?"
"Which further strengthens our theory that he is not the actual Salamander of Fairy Tail," Freed says.
"What on earth?"
"Hey..." Natsu croaks out, crawling out of the room breathing heavily from how queasy he felt. The group turns to him.
Back with Lucy, she reaches for Happy. "Wait, we have to go back to save Natsu and the other girls!"
Happy raises his hand and talks to the screen. "Trust me, Lucy, you can leave him be."
Natsu groans, "I'm glad you trust me, Happy, but you're hurting my feelings."
Happy returns immediately, "that's fine!"
"Lucy, listen up," Happy says.
"What is it now?" Lucy groans, really annoyed now.
Happy's wings vanish.
"My transformation ran out," Happy says, very unhelpfully.
"You damned cat!!" Lucy screams as they plummet into the sea.
A wave of laughter spreads across the room. "Oh Happy, you really have to warn people when you do that!" Lisanna holds her stomach, laughing too hard.
"She actually screamed, 'you damned cat' at you," Elfman wipes a tear out of his eye, "oh this is a riot."
"I would scream too if I was suddenly dropped from the sky like that," Levy tries in vain.
Instead of panicking, Lucy lands cleanly in the sea, and without any hesitation, she begins to swim in a clear direction. Happy lands headfirst onto a rock, a crude difference to Lucy's elegant form.
Another wave of laughter roars.
Lucy sees something glint on a jagged rock-- and it's her keys. There they are!
"But, look," Loke says, "she's calm now. She knows how to adapt to changes and take advantage of it."
"For a Holder-type mage, she's got spunk!" Cana praises, "but unlike mine, she probably can't just replenish her keys when she loses one, right? Her keys must mean a lot to her."
Loke smiles at that. "I'm sure they do."
Natsu is getting beaten up by the grunts on the ship.
"It can't be helped," Salamander says, "we'll hurry on to Bosco, first."
Natsu blocks a kick with his forearm. "Fairy... Tail," he gets up shaily, glaring daggers when Salamander turns to him. Natsu scoffs, "...you?"
"Ooh, Natsu's angry," Elfman says.
"Too bad he's still on a ship, though," Lisanna chuckles. "But since this Salamander guy is beating up Natsu of all people, I think it's pretty clear that he's not a Fairy Tail mage."
"That's a relief," Erza says, her shoulders loosening, "he would have gotten far more than banishment if he was one of us."
"Yeah, I'd probably rip his hair out," Mirajane says.
"Mind if I remind you, flower bracelet, gravure magazine, and long pink dress," Erza chants the list like a practiced line of mockery, "that you don't look like much anymore? I'll do the hair-ripping. You stay out at your tea party."
"Shut up, armor-fashioned hag."
"Meet me upstairs later, Mirajane."
"Of course, Erza."
Lucy surfaces, ascertaining the location of the ship, and Happy floats up, probably dead.
And Lucy grins. "Here I go!"
A key shows up on screen, brimming with the symbol of two waves.
Loke shrinks back, cold sweat dripping from his neck, "no way! That's Aquarius' key!"
He realizes too late that everyone's staring at him curiously, asking for an explanation. He composes himself, clearing his throat.
"Uh," he stumbles, "it's a gold key. One of the strongest, I've heard."
And Levy sparkles, "a gold key?" she looks at the screen again, "woah! That means it's a really strong one, right? Look guys, I told you not to underestimate her!"
Spinning the key, Lucy grabs it out of the air, shifts it around her fingers before swiping it against the air horizontally, then vertically into the sea's surface.
"Gate of the Water Bearer, I open thee!"
A bell rings, and a magic circle spreads out.
"Aquarius!"
A vortex of water bursts out, and a mermaid with long, light blue hair emerges, holding a jug between her hands.
"Oooh! A fish!" Happy says.
"Uhm, no," Loke chides.
"A fish!" Happy drools, alive now.
"Uhm, no," Lucy retorts.
"Woah, deja vu!" Lisanna sparkles with interest, "that was perfect." She lifts a thumb up in awe.
Loke chuckles nervously at that, "uh, thank you, I guess."
"A mermaid!" Erza says, impressed. She turns to Loke, "you say she's one of the strongest keys?"
Loke nods, "well, you'll probably see. The problem is..."
"That's cool," Happy says.
"I'm a celestial spirit wizard, see," Lucy boasts a little, "I use gate keys to call celestial spirits from an alternate dimension."
Happy is evidently still fawning over the fish part of the girl.
Lucy turns in the direction of the ship, switching to her battle-mode voice as she dramatically commands, "Aquarius, use your power to sweep that ship back to shore!"
"Tch." Aquarius clicks her tongue right at Lucy, making sure the girl sees it.
Everyone in the room deflates. "Eh?"
"...she's a little, uh, temperamental," Loke finishes his sentence, "as you can see." He shared the title of strongest with her, (though Leo would always be considered the Leader,) so he knew best. Scorpio had it so good, really.
"She reminds me of Erza," Lisanna says, turning to the scarlet-haired girl, "super pretty, super strong, never smiles, kinda scary."
Erza raises an eyebrow at that, "I'll take that as a compliment."
"Did you, perhaps, just say 'tch' to me?!" Lucy blows.
"What an annoying girl you are," Aquarius says, frankly, "let me just tell you something--" a watery mist blows around her, and her side glance is horrifyingly cold, "--the next time you drop my keys, I'll kill you."
"Scaarrryyy!!!" most of them in the room curl back on instinct.
"I don't ever want to cross her," Levy says, shuddering.
"Same here," Cana says, looking pale.
"Me too," Gray agrees.
"Me neither," Elfman echoes.
"Aye."
"I wanna meet her!" Mira says, brightly, "hey, who do you think would win? My Satan Soul or Aquarius?"
"I don't know and I don't want to know!" Natsu shrieks.
"S-Sorry!" Lucy and Happy whimper in unison, looking down with fearful guilt.
That seems to satisfy the mermaid, so she calls upon a wave of water into her jug, gathers in around in a swirl, and in a very manly roar, she sends the ship on a miniature tsunami all the way back to the town.
Naturally, Natsu, Salamander, and all his mob are swept away as well, screaming on their way.
Lucy spins in the center of the whirlpool, with Happy just a little further out, "don't sweep me away, too!!"
Bickslow laughs, "guess you were in her way, huh?"
"Aquarius is brutal," Gildarts says, impressed, "and efficient. I like her."
Loke wants to warn him that more than his well being is in danger if he even tries-- but he holds back. Yeah, maybe Gildarts can survive it.
The tsunami hits the town (poor people), and it eventually eases, the ship overturned on the shore. Lucy lays exasperated on the sand as Aquarius stays just slightly afloat in the air, glancing back at her owner with no sense of shame.
"What were you thinking? Do youhaveto sweep me up too?"
"Alas, I failed. I accidentally swept the ship up, as well."
"You were aiming forme?!"
At this, everyone either looks surprised or just laughs.
"I like her!" Cana says, "she's scary, but she's got a sense of humour!"
"She's cool," Lisanna agrees, smiling.
Aquarius turns away, a smile on her face. "Don't call me for a while. I'll be on vacation for a week with my boyfriend," she tells her. For good measure, she turns around and repeats herself, "with myboyfriend."
"You don't need to say it twice!" Lucy snaps as Aquarius fades away, returning to her realm.
Freed looks on, interested, "I've never expected a Celestial Spirit to be so... individualistic," he says. "Are all of them like this?"
"They're like humans, act like humans-- so just because they're summoned doesn't mean they're animals," Gray points out, "I've seen Beast Summoning before, but Celestial Spirits are nothing like it."
"Is this your first time seeing a spirit?" Loke asks, genuinely curious.
"Is it for me," Cana says. And the others echo this. Though not everyone says t, it's clear that none of them have seen a Celestial Spirit before this-- except Gildarts.
"We don't have a Celestial Spirit mage in Magnolia, after all," Erza says, "they're rare."
"I've heard silver spirits are popular as pets or guides, so I thought they were more like talking magic with forms," Mirajane admits, "Aquarius is, how do you say... surprisinglygirly. She's got a boyfriend, she's mean, and she teases Lucy. She's sohuman."
"And is that a bad thing?" Loke wonders.
Mirajane looks at him dumbly, "no, why would it be?"
Loke is taken aback by that answer.
People were beginning to gather around the shore, alerted by the sudden tidal wave.
"What is this?"
"A ship was swept to port!"
Salamander gets up, nursing his aches, "damn it! What on earth--"
Above him, Natsu stands up, face shadowed with rage. He's out of the sea, so he no longer feels queasy.
"Natsu's revived!" Happy cheers.
"Took you long enough," Gray laughs, "now go beat him up, Natsu! Show him your stuff already! We're all tired of your lame act!" he cheers like a lousy supporting act, "let's get this over with!"
"That's right!" Lisanna shouts at the screen too, "look cool, Lucy's looking!"
"Go, Natsu, make fried lizard!" Cana echoed, just for fun.
"Natsu!" Lucy calls out to him in the distance, but she stops when she sees the boy's serious expression. It's uncharacteristic of him.
Natsu stares the man down. "You're a Fairy Tail wizard?" he asks, and his voice is an interrogative low.
"And what's it to you?" Salamander yells back. He commands his grunts, "get'im, boys!"
"Yes!" they respond.
Natsu reaches for his coat, and pulls it off. "Let me see your ugly mug a little closer, then," he says, and his tone was more of a threat than anything.
The group of men run closer toward him, and Salamander grins.
Natsu tosses his coat aside, waiting for them to come to him.
"Don't worry," Happy says, eating a fish and relaxing on Lucy's shoulders, "I should have told you earlier, but Natsu's also a wizard."
"HUH?!"
"Oh,that'show she finds out?" Levy chuckles dryly, "talk about a shock."
Natsu smacks them aside, without even using his magic. His guild marks bares clearly across his left shoulder, and his next lines are filled with fury. His gaze turns dark, and he glares at the fake Salamander as if he was scum.
"I'm Natsu of Fairy Tail!" he says, "I ain't never seen you before!"
"Ah, the dramatic entrance, of course we need it," Loke says.
Lisanna giggles, "best time to show off his guild mark, huh?"
"Go, Natsu!" Happy cheers.
"Haven't seen Natsu that angry in a while," Erza says, smirking.
Fake Salamander and Lucy are both shocked.
"Fairy Tail?" Lucy gawks, "Natsu's a Fairy Tail wizard?"
That's when Salamander notices the red insignia on Natsu's shoulder. "That... That mark..." one of his goons realize, "he's the real thing, Bora-san!"
And Salamander, now known as Bora, panics, "idiot! Don't call me by that name!"
"Bora... Bora the Prominence," Happy says, remembering news from years back-- "he was thrown out of the Titan Nose guild a few years back."
"Ah," Laxus suddenly says, "I remember now. It was a few weeks ago, this guy got caught messing around so Titan Nose booted him to save their own reputation."
"Oh, I remember that too," Levy recalls the newspaper now, "I thought he was sentenced to community service?"
"Probably escaped?"
"When we get out, we should lug him back to the cell he belongs in," Mira folds her arms.
Natsu marches down the deck of the ship. "I don't know if you're a good guy or a bad guy, but I ain't gonna let you get away with wearing Fairy Tail's name like a decoration!"
"And what do you plan to do about it, you brat?" Bora says, not at all thinking he could lose. He summons a vortex of fire, "Prominence Typhoon!"
Natsu seems surprised for a moment before he's engulfed by the flames.
"Natsu!" Lucy yells, but Happy flies up to stop her from approaching. The fire's burning bright and dangerous across the very flammable wood, and Happy's eyes are resolved, trusting.
"Hehh," Mirajane hums, "so once he gets caught, he burns them? That's attempted murder, ain't it?"
"It sure is," Erza says, "the mindset of a wizard that's turned to darkness, indeed."
"Isn't that what Natsu does all the time, though?" Gray asks. He's ignored. "Am I the only one that thinks Natsu's a pyromanic psychopath? Just me? Okay."
The girls that were on the ship have successfully escaped in the mess.
Bora stands in the wreckage. "I take no pleasure in defeating big-mouths like you," he says, then turns away, prepared to leave.
"Gross!" Natsu says from within the flames.
Bora whirls, shocked.
"Are you really a fire wizard? I can't believe how gross this fire tastes!" Natsu says, inhaling mouthfuls of fire before chomping down, and taking another deep slurp until all the flames were consumed.
Everyone squawks, many forms of terrified. Including Lucy.
"Following that logic, does Macao's fire taste better or worse?" Gildarts asks.
Natsu ponders upon that. "It tastes sticky. Kinda like natto but it's mochi."
"What the hell does that mean?" Bickslow retorts.
"Does fire actually taste better when a better mage wields it?" Cana asks, "what about the fire from my cards or lacrima lighters? Or your fire meals, or lamps from matches?"
"Huh? Those taste normal," Natsu says.
Everyone stares at him, slightly appalled.
"Yeah, leave it to Natsu to apparently have a normal standard for how fire tastes," Lisanna says, trailing slightly exasperated, "just normal Natsu things, y'know."
"I don't know why I'm still surprised," Erza says, palm on her face, "we've known him for years. Why am I surprised?"
Natsu huffs. "Thanks for the meal," he smirks.
"I thought you said it tasted awful?" Gray raises an eyebrow.
"Hey, food is food," Natsu clarifies. "It's still energy."
And Bora shrieks. "Wh-W-Wha-What the HELL is he?!"
"Fire isn't going to work on Natsu," Happy says.
"I've never seen magic like that," Lucy says, surprised.
"Now that I've eaten, I'm all revved up," Natsu says, each of his footsteps loaded with the steam of sheer heat. He punches his fists together, calling forth the magic circle. He fills his mouth with the fire of his core, and lets it blow. "Here I go! Roar of the Fire Dragon!"
His roar explodes on the ship, sending all the grunts flying off their feet. Only Bora himself remained, riding on his purple fire trail, high above ground level.
"Awh man, you missed!" Elfman accuses, "be a man and aim straight!"
"Wha--" Natsu squawks, "hey, future me! Aim properly!"
"B-Bora-san," one of his grunts calls out to him, "I've seen that guy before..." Natsu emerges, his eyes gleaming red like a monster. "Pink hair, and a scarf that looks like scales... it's got to be him! He's the real deal!"
And Lucy realizes it too, "he's the real Salamander!"
"Look!" Lisanna cheers, "see what I told you? You're the Salamander of Fairy Tail, Natsu!"
Natsu sits there, flabbergasted, "is that what I look like?"
"Don't worry, it's kinda cool," Bickslow pats him on the back. "You're famous, dude!"
Natsu gathers up the flames in his hands.
"You better remember it well," he says, "this is what a real Fairy Tail Wizard is!" he charges forward.
Bora panics. "Red shower!" he screams, sending pelts of fire magic downward.
Natsu doesn't even need to dodge them. They're sent so willy, none of them would hit him. He plants a foot on the ground, and a red magic circle spreads, giving him a flaming boost into the sky.
He knocks the fake out of the sky.
"He eats fire, and punches with fire?" Lucy observes his magic with interest. It's certainly different from usual fire magic. "Is that really magic?"
And Happy explains it for her. "A dragon's lungs to breathe flames, a dragon's scales to dissolve flames, a dragon's claws to wrap around flames... it's magic that transforms your body parts to that of a dragon's, an Ancient Spell."
"What's that?"
"It's originally magic used to deal with dragons."
Bora sends a devastating wave of magic in the direction of the town, destroying a row of buildings in the process.
"It's Dragon Slaying magic," Happy tells Lucy, "Igneel taught it to Natsu."
"Hey, isn't it sort of weird how Dragon Slaying magic is taught by dragons?" Loke wonders, "like, dragons teaching humans how to kill dragons."
"Yeah," Gray agrees with him, "wouldn't it make more sense if it was called, I don't know, Dragon Apprentice Magic or something?"
"Magic that turns part of your body to a dragon's..." Erza hums, "Dragon Transformation Magic?"
"Then he'd turn into a literal dragon!" Lisanna retorts, "Natsu can only look impressive, his features are still human... right?" she turns to Natsu at the end.
"Huh?" the boy is confused to suddenly have the room's attention. "It's called Dragon Slaying Magic because in order to become an adult, you have to defeat your dad."
Silence.
"HUH?!" everyone squawks. "Wait! This is the first I've heard of this, Natsu!"
Natsu waves them off, sipping on his hot chocolate, "It's aSmite of Passionor something."
"You meanRite of Passage!" Freed corrects sharply, hating that such a sacred word was butchered like that. "And wait, seriously?"
GIldarts casts a look at Laxus.
"Hey, I'm Lacrima-infused. Don't look at me," Laxus responds, pushing the big guy away.
Cana gives them a weird look when Gildarts shrugs at Laxus.
"Nah, that thing was kinda outdated," Natsu says, "it's just the r- uh,rendition?"
"Tradition," Lisanna corrects him, "sometimes I don't understand your vocabulary range, Natsu. Are you dictionary-smart or just horrendously dumb?"
"Anyway!" Natsu blushes, "Igneel told me I'd be an adult if I could beat him in a fight. I don't have to kill him like the name says or whatever, that's dumb."
Mirajane hums, impressed. "So even Dragons have morals and changes in traditions?"
Natsu just looks confused, "of course they do. Why wouldn't they?"
A few snicker at this, appalled.
"So after Celestial Spirits, we find that Dragons are actually pretty human too?" Gray leans over the couch, chuckling. "What's next, sentient dolls?"
Bickslow's dolls take offense to that. "Sentient! Sentient!" They chant.
Gray finds himself apologizing to four very angry-sounding ghosts.
Natsu catches Bora's huge orb of flames, and sucks it right up into his stomach.
"I'm getting quite a good meal here!" he says. He punches his hand together again, and this time, he soars. "Listen up, jerk, I'm gonna smoke you into a smoldering crisp!"
Bora screams.
"Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!"
Natsu punches him in the jaw, and Bora goes soaring through a row of buildings, before finally knocking into the bell, sending its rings through the town.
"Natsu, you don't smoke things directly with fire," Happy says.
"Huh? I don't get it," Natsu says, "you don't smoke things with fire? Then what do you smoke things with?"
Everyone stares at him. They don't even know where to begin with that.
"Ah," Gildarts makes a noise first, "he's only ever eaten fish completely fried."
"Then we should make smoked fish for once!" Lisanna says, slightly excited by the prospect of going fishing with the two again. She's been on jobs recently, so it'll have been awhile since the three of them last hung out. "Don't you want to try that, Happy?"
"Aye!" the cat agrees, "but where can we get fish in this building?"
Natsu protests upon the idea of eating 'smoked fish' (he probably equates smoke to ash, in hindsight), but Lisanna and Happy are absorbed in their conversation.
"Hmm, let's check the forest upstairs, they might have a pond."
"Wow," Lucy says, in awe. "This is amazing... just, wow, but..." she looks at the burning city, "this is way overboard!" she squawks, assessing the damage.
"Aye!"
"Don't just 'aye' me!"
And with a march of footsteps, there comes the knights.
"The military?!" Lucy is surprised.
A few facepalm at that. "Not again, Natsu!" came the exclamations.
Natsu pouts, "not my fault things just break so easily."
"You punched through buildings. That's overkill for one overrated man," Freed chastises him. "I could've finished that guy in two minutes and handed him to the jury."
"Though in his defense, this Bora guy is kinda running really fast everywhere," Levy says.
"Whowouldn'trun with Natsu firing at them?" Cana asks rhetorically.
Natsu pouts, turning away. Why does everyone keep blaming him for things? He finally got to look cool, but then he's getting scolded again.
Natsu grabs her by the wrist and they start running. "Crap, let's get outta here!"
"Why are you taking me with you?!"
"Yeah, Natsu, that's no way to drag a lady," Loke chastises, "poor Lucy."
"I mean, you wanted to join our guild, right?" Natsu smiles at her, chuckling in assurance. "Come with me!"
And somehow, the crazy infects her too.
"Sure!" she says.
And they run off, the military hot on their heels.
Levy's sparkling by the end of it. "Look! Lucy's really joining us!" she says, taking Lisanna with her in her excitement. "Natsu's really the one that brought her in, after all!"
"So this is the story of how she joins," Erza surmises, "I suppose the rest of the Lacrima Crystals are the event leading up to whatever causes Fairy Tail to fall."
That causes a realization to pass over the crowd. "Then we can just watch the last one!" Mirajane says, "get straight to the point, and let's not waste our time watching all these hundreds of this nonsense!"
"No!" Levy interrupts, "look at how many there are. If there's so much detail, there has to be a reason. We wouldn't understand a thing if we just skipped over them."
"Levy has a point," Freed tells them, "we're not losing anything if we watch them all. Information is important-- we need as much as we can."
"And as we've seen," Cana takes over, "we're learning what happens in our own, personal futures as well. Though indirectly-- this is important for all of us, personally."
Cana's fists are tight. She casts a firm glance on Gildarts once before she looks back at the floor, pretending like she's always been.
Loke's eyes narrow on the screen. There are at least two years between them and this future on the screen. Lucy's a Celestial Spirit mage-- maybe... He shakes his head. He shouldn't have hope like this. He'll just be disappointed in the end.
-
Cheerful music starts playing.
"Take me out somewhere! Riding on a tin horse, just the two of us."
A cartoon figure of Lucy lays on the grass, dreaming leisurely about something. A little white horse trails past them, a typical white prince leading Lucy out somewhere away.
"Oh, an ending theme," Bickslow speaks first, "look, Ever, it's all so cute and cartoony."
Evergreen flutters her fan, "I will acknowledge it's cuteness, but it's nothing compared to my own," she says, "but I'm personally a fan of the little prince character."
"Go go! let's go! Romance!"
Lucy looks at the screen.
Four figures raise from below, cheering. From the left, it's a bipedal cow; a guy with crab arms behind him, holding scissors; the mermaid from before; and a human-faced clock.
Then a pink-haired maid shows up, quickly replaced by Lucy eating a chunk of meat.
"Are those spirits?" Gray says, "that's a lot."
"That's a lot," Loke echoes, and softer, he says to himself, "an awful lot of gold keys for one mage..."
"The drawings are so cute!" Lisanna says, "and kinda funny. I wonder what that clock is?"
"My doll for my unrequited feelings can't speak to me, so I'm sad."
Lucy looks out into the sunset, sitting on a rock.
"Go go! Let's go! Romance!"
The four figures pop up again, followed by the pink-haired maid.
"I'm a crybaby coward,"
Happy sheds a tear, miserably chewing on his fish on a rock in the middle of a pond.
"Oh, it's Happy!" Natsu says, pointing, Look at you, you're itty bitty!"
"Are you crying over fish?" Gray asks.
"Hey, fish is important!" Happy declares, very defensive.
"I think of you all the time,"
A shooting star falls, and Happy thinks about a fish-- then he thinks about an Octopus.
"If Happy was a normal cat, yeah, that's exactly the kind of worry that keeps a cat awake at night," Cana says, and Happy squawks, offended.
"On the nights, (on the nights) when the moon is out, (when the moon is out) I'm always, (I'm always) Looking for the Rabbit"
The Nikola pops up, making a subtle dance. Aquarius shows up next, giving an excited thumbs up. The rest of the spirits pop up in succession, making a hollering gesture.
"I'm totally at a loss for words (Hey! Hey! Hey!) As if someone cast a spell on me... I'll never wake up from this dream, Love is like talking to yourself."
The screen changes to Lucy, running through an empty field.
"I'm totally at a loss for words, (Hey! Hey! Hey!) Black and blue with how much I'm in love... What spell can I chant To let you know?"
Lucy sits by the riverbank in melancholy. She wanders down the walkway-- and leans out her window, thinking solemnly to herself.
Levy and Lisanna are swaying to the rhythm, entranced.
"It's such a lively song," Levy says, "it's kinda cute, don't you think?"
"I'm perfectly at a loss for words."
Lucy and the Nikola are in her room, looking into a mirror, when three chibi figures of Gray, Natsu, and Erza show up, cheering the last 'hey hey hey'. She turns back at them, shocked to find them there.
"A chibi Erza!" Mirajane says.
"Look, a chibi Natsu!" Lisanna says.
"And Gray is there too," Cana adds on as an afterthought, "look at the three of you, so adorable."
Gray blanches, "no way!"
"I'm at a loss for words, with this and that, I'm totally in love with you! Someday, I want to do the same to you..."
The scene changes back to the open field. This time we see Lucy from the back as she runs through the field.
"Watch you flounder at a loss for words right back to me!
Lucy grins at the screen, turning her fist around in a cheeky thumbs up, showing off the pink guild mark on the back of her palm.
"Ah, the Fairy Tail mark!" Lisanna spots quickly, "she put it on her palm! That's rare."
"It's in a spot you can't hide," Mirajane says, grinning, "she's in theproudly showing offgang! High five, Cana!"
Cana humours her while Natsu and Gray scowls, slightly peeved.
"It's a necessity, okay!" Natsu says, in vain.
Mirajane leans over to give the Thunder God Tribe a high ten. Freed looks sort of smug that they have their marks in the same spot, albeit on different hands.
"Are you really considered the showing off gang anymore, though?" Erza says, you have a one-piece dress in the future, you know?"
And everyone freezes.
Mirajane screeches, "dammit, future self! Why are you wearing a godforsaken floor-length dress!!"
Lisanna chuckles at that.
The song ends as Lucy finishes her daydream, suddenly finding Natsu, Erza and Gray in her room, making themselves right at home. Happy is eating a fish, Natsu is eating meat, Erza is eating cake-- and Gray is shirtless, enjoying a cup of tea.
"I'm completely at a loss for words!!"
Lisanna laughs at that. "Look at you guys! You're raiding her house!" she says.
"It's a nice house," Erza says, a glint in her expressions. "And there's cake."
"You're evidently not welcome there, if her reaction is any say," Mirajane snickers, "and look, Gray, you're half naked in a girl's house."
"Oh, shut up about that!" Gray blushes.
"Shh!" Gildarts suddenly interrupts.
All of them pause, and look toward where he's pointing. Elfman and Loke are curled up near the edge of the couch, asleep. Happy is with Levy near the screen, curled up around her own pillow. Somewhere further, Cana has her arm around Evergreen and Bickslow. They're all out like a light.
"Oh, I wondered why they were so quiet," Natsu says.
Gray yawns, finding a spot next to Loke and getting himself comfortable. "It's probably pretty late, anyways. Let's call it a night."
Erza hums, approving.
"We're not going to use the rooms?" Freed asks.
Lisanna curls around Levy and Happy. "You should go. I'm pretty comfortable here," she says, punctuating with a grin, "it's like a big sleepover! Isn't it fun?"
Laxus sighs. He leans back against the wall, closing his eyes.
Mirajane raises a brow at the scene. "I guess it's our job to get enough blankets for everyone?" she asks rhetorically. She turns around, and Erza is already at the doorway.
"You may not admit it, but you're such a mother, Mira," Erza says.
Mirajane groans, "I need a shower, so I'm not going to take that bait this time," she says, picking up a few mugs to bring to the kitchen. "Freed and Gildarts, a hand?"
They're already standing.
"Looks like the rooms provided were pretty pointless, eh?"
