Meanwhile, above Lucy, the massive "Vulcan" roared, smoke pouring from its jagged maw, as it swung its arms wildly at Natsu and Happy. The two of them were worn from battle, but they were determined to finish it.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu shouted, unleashing a torrent of fire that sent the creature staggering back.
The "Vulcan" faltered, injured, but it wasn't done yet. It seemed to brace itself before suddenly turning, running at a surprising speed for its size.
"What the—?!" Natsu growled, watching it retreat.
"Hey, it's running away!" Happy cried, his wings flapping in confusion. "Are we letting it go?!"
"Not a chance!" Natsu said, charging after it. "We're finishing this fight!"
However, as the Vulcan fled, it quickly disappeared into the shadows of the cave, its form becoming a blurry silhouette until it vanished entirely. Natsu and Happy skidded to a stop, watching the darkness where the beast had just been.
"Where'd it go?" Happy asked, his voice puzzled.
"It's gone..." Natsu muttered, scratching his head. "Huh. That was weird. It just... ran off."
"Guess we scared it off," Happy said, flapping his wings. "Lucky for us."
"Yeah..." Natsu frowned, still feeling uneasy. "We didn't even finish it off properly. I don't like this."
"Me neither," Happy added, glancing nervously around. "But I guess it's over now."
Natsu grumbled, looking over the cave one last time. "I don't know... something feels off."
As the duo stood there, the illusion of the Vulcan flickered, then silently faded into nothingness once the creature was out of their sight. Aurelius, still hidden in the shadows, quietly dispelled the illusion.
Now, there was no Vulcan. Nothing but the quiet, frigid cave air.
Natsu and Happy, still processing the retreating Vulcan, turned their attention to the hole where they last saw Lucy.
"Lucy?" Natsu called, his voice echoing in the cavern. "You okay down there?"
Happy flapped his wings anxiously. "Lucy?!"
The sounds of Natsu and Happy's calls echoed in the vast cavern, but there was no immediate answer.
"Lucy!" Natsu's voice echoed again as he leaned over the edge of the crevasse. His brow furrowed with concern as he peered into the darkness below. "Lucy, are you down there?"
"I'm here…" came a faint voice, barely audible over the chill silence of the cave.
"She's okay!" Happy exclaimed, flapping his wings anxiously. "Natsu, let's go!"
"Yeah!" Natsu agreed, stepping onto the edge of the crevasse. "Happy, you got this, right?"
"I've got you, buddy!" Happy replied, puffing out his chest.
With a mighty flap of his wings, Happy grabbed onto Natsu's scarf and began the descent, albeit shakily. "Whoa! You've been eating too much, Natsu!"
"Just focus on getting us down there!" Natsu barked, flailing his arms for balance.
Happy's wings fluttered furiously as they made their way into the lower chamber. After what felt like an eternity of awkward maneuvering, the duo landed with a soft thud.
"Lucy!" Natsu called out, immediately rushing to her side.
Lucy was sitting on the icy ground, her celestial keys clutched tightly in her hands. Her normally vibrant expression was replaced with exhaustion and frustration. Her breaths came in shallow gasps, and her cheeks were pale from the cold.
"Lucy!" Happy cried, flying to her and hovering by her shoulder. "Are you okay? Did that Vulcan hurt you?!"
Lucy looked up, offering a weak smile. "No… I'm fine. Just tired. Really tired."
"You don't look fine," Natsu said, crouching next to her. His sharp eyes scanned her for injuries. "That Vulcan's gone now, but what happened down here? Did it do something to you?"
Lucy shook her head. "No… it wasn't like that. I just… I couldn't stop it. I wasn't strong enough."
Her words were quiet but laced with frustration. She stared at the ground, her hands gripping her keys even tighter.
Natsu frowned, his expression softening. "Hey, you don't have to fight that thing alone. That's what we're here for, remember? We're a team."
"Yeah!" Happy chimed in, landing on the ground beside her. "We'll take it down together! No problem!"
Lucy let out a small, tired laugh at their encouragement. "Thanks, you two. I'll do better next time."
Natsu stood, brushing the frost from his scarf, and extended a hand to her. "Come on, let's get back up. Macao's still out there somewhere. We need to find him."
Lucy hesitated but eventually reached out, gripping Natsu's hand as he helped her to her feet. Her legs wobbled slightly, and she nearly stumbled, but Natsu steadied her with a grin.
"Careful," he said. "You don't need to push yourself so hard, y'know. We've got this."
"I'll try to remember that," Lucy replied softly, her lips curling into a faint smile.
Happy flapped his wings and hovered beside them. "Okay, now let's get out of here! I'll carry Natsu first, and then I'll come back for you, Lucy!"
"You're just gonna leave me down here alone?" Lucy said, crossing her arms.
"It's faster that way!" Happy replied with a sheepish grin. "Just hang tight!"
Before Lucy could protest, Happy grabbed onto Natsu's scarf and started flapping furiously. "All right, buddy, hold still! We're going up!"
"Hey, watch the scarf!" Natsu protested as Happy struggled to lift him.
Slowly but surely, the two ascended out of the lower chamber. Lucy watched them go, feeling a pang of nervousness at being left behind, but she shook her head. They'll be back for me. Just breathe.
Above, Happy finally reached the upper ledge, dropping Natsu unceremoniously onto the frosty ground. "Phew!" Happy exclaimed, wiping his forehead. "You're heavier than before, Natsu!"
"Maybe you're just weaker!" Natsu shot back, standing up and brushing himself off.
"Now for Lucy!" Happy said, diving back into the crevasse.
Lucy waited as Happy returned, grabbing her by the arms. "Hold on tight!" he said.
She nodded, gripping onto him as they lifted off the ground. Happy struggled more this time, the extra effort evident in his tiny frame, but after a moment, they made it to the upper level.
Natsu caught Lucy as Happy gently lowered her to the ground. "You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Lucy said, brushing off her skirt.
"Good." Natsu straightened and looked around. "Now let's find Macao and get out of this creepy place. I've had enough of caves and Vulcans for one day."
Lucy nodded, and the trio began to make their way deeper into the cavern system, the echoes of their steps the only sound accompanying them.
...
Meanwhile, in another part of the cave, Aurelius leaned casually against a jagged wall, his visible eye focused on his guildmate. Across from him, Macao Conbolt sat slumped against a rock, his arm cradling a covered part along his side. Despite his injuries, he wore a lopsided grin as he glanced at Aurelius.
"Didn't know you were testing newcomers again," Macao said, his voice tinged with amusement. "Thought you and master gave that up after the last batch."
Aurelius's expression remained composed, his tone measured as he replied, "This one's... unique."
Macao raised an eyebrow, the grin turning skeptical. "This one? Who're we talking about?"
"Lucy" Aurelius answered.
Macao blinked, his face a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "Lucy? Wait—when did we get someone by that name? She new?"
"Yes," Aurelius said plainly, his eye flickering toward the tunnel where Natsu and Happy had disappeared. "She just joined recently."
Macao let out a low whistle. "No kidding. So, you're already putting her through one of your tests, huh? Poor kid. Guess she doesn't know what she's signed up for." He chuckled, though it was cut short by a wince as he adjusted his position. "I still remember the last time you 'tested' someone. Didn't that scare off two new recruits? And one of them couldn't even look at straight someone at the eye without trembling for a month?"
Aurelius's lips twitched slightly at the memory, but his tone remained serious. "Lucy seemed to be different. She won't scare easily."
"Big words for someone you just met," Macao replied, a hint of teasing in his tone. "What makes her so special?"
"She's resourceful," Aurelius said, his voice thoughtful as he recalled her reactions earlier. "Quick-witted. Stubborn. And she doesn't break under pressure."
Macao laughed, shaking his head. "Stubborn, huh? Sounds like a perfect fit for Fairy Tail."
Aurelius didn't reply immediately, his gaze shifting to the flickering shadows on the cavern walls. "She's got potential," he finally said. "The kind that needs to be challenged if it's going to grow."
"Well, if anyone knows about pushing people to their limits, it's you," Macao said, smirking again. "Though I gotta say, I didn't think you'd still care about stuff like this. You've been keeping your distance from most of us for a while now."
Aurelius's smirk faded slightly, his expression growing more neutral. "I'm not completely out of touch."
Macao chuckled. "Could've fooled me. You've been ghosting everyone except the S-ranks and the old man."
Aurelius crossed his arms, his voice cooling. "I help where it matters."
Macao held up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I'm not judging. Just saying, it's nice to see you getting involved again. Even if it's in your... mysterious, 'Aurelius' kind of way."
Aurelius didn't respond to that, his gaze flickering toward the tunnel leading back to Natsu, Lucy, and Happy. "They're coming."
Macao nodded, his tone sobering. "Good timing. I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep my eyes open."
"You should've stayed at the guild," Aurelius remarked, his words more observation than reproach.
Macao grinned, though it was weaker this time. "Yeah, well, tell that to my kid. He's the reason I took this job in the first place."
Aurelius regarded him quietly, his expression unreadable once again. "You did what you had to."
Before Macao could reply, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the tunnel, signaling that Natsu, Lucy, and Happy are getting close.
"One more thing," Aurelius said quietly.
"What's that?" Macao asked, adjusting his posture to sit upright despite his injuries.
"Don't mention this was a test," Aurelius instructed. His tone was calm but left no room for argument. "And forget I was ever here."
Macao raised an eyebrow, a lopsided grin forming despite his confusion. "Still keeping up the mysterious act, huh? Fine, fine. My lips are sealed." He mimed zipping his mouth shut.
Satisfied, Aurelius gave a slight nod before turning on his heel. Without another word, he disappeared into the shadows of the cave, his footsteps utterly silent against the rough icy floor.
As he walked further away from the others, his thoughts began to drift.
"This could've been a disaster", he mused, his expression stoic but inwardly tense. "If Natsu or Happy had even the slightest bit of awareness, they might've put things together."
He allowed himself a faint sigh, though it carried a trace of amusement.
"Thankfully, those two are too... preoccupied to notice. They'll chalk it up to dumb luck, like always."
Aurelius adjusted his cloak as he emerged into a quieter, more isolated part of the cavern system. The chill of the air helped clear his thoughts.
"Lucy handled herself well, considering the circumstances. She's stronger than they think." He though
With that, Aurelius quickened his pace, his figure vanishing into the labyrinthine tunnels, leaving no trace of his presence behind.
As Natsu, Happy, and Lucy made their way deeper into the cave, the faint sounds of footsteps echoed ahead. After a tense few moments, the trio rounded a bend in the path and saw a familiar figure sitting against a rock in the distance.
"Macao!" Natsu shouted, rushing forward.
Macao looked up, his expression a little worse for wear but still managing a grin. "You guys actually found me," he said, voice rough. "I guess I owe you one."
"You've got a lot of explaining to do," Natsu said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he scanned Macao for injuries. "Where the heck did you disappear to? We've been looking all over for you!"
"Yeah, and you didn't even answer our calls!" Happy added, flying over to Macao with an exasperated look on his face. "We thought something happened to you!"
Lucy stayed back, her arms folded as she watched Macao cautiously. She was still trying to catch her breath after the battle, but there was a curiosity in her eyes. She had only just joined Fairy Tail and had no idea about the missions or jobs that the guild members were involved in. But something told her there was more to Macao's disappearance than he was letting on.
Macao gave a tired chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wasn't exactly hiding, but I had some… business to take care of." He winced slightly as he adjusted his position. "It's a long story."
Natsu raised an eyebrow, still suspicious but willing to hear him out. "Business? What kind of business?"
Macao hesitated before responding, glancing at Lucy and then at Natsu. "I was on a job... eliminating Vulcans. Twenty of them."
Lucy blinked in surprise. "Wait, twenty?! That's... a lot. How did you manage that?"
Macao chuckled again, though it was a bit weak. "Well, I took down 18 of them. But the last two were a different story. They were tougher than I expected. I had to hide out here and wait until I was sure I could get away."
Natsu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Eighteen? By yourself?!"
"Yeah, but it wasn't easy," Macao admitted, his voice growing more serious. "I've been doing this kind of thing for years. Experience helps, but even so, it was a close call with those last two."
Lucy looked at him with newfound respect. "That's... really impressive, Macao. You must have a lot of skill to take down that many."
Macao shrugged, trying to downplay his achievement. "I'm just a guy who's been around the block. It's nothing too special."
Happy buzzed around Macao's head. "Still, that's amazing! I didn't think you had it in you!"
Natsu grinned, clapping Macao on the back a little harder than necessary. "Well, you didn't make it easy on us, huh? We've been out here looking for you for ages!"
Macao winced but couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to keep you guys waiting. I just didn't want to risk anything with those last two around."
"So, what now?" Natsu asked, looking around the cave. "We've got to get out of here, right?"
"Yeah, we should head back to the guild," Macao said with a sigh, finally trying to stand up. "I could really use a break after that. Not to mention, my kid's probably worried about me. He's the one who insisted I take the job in the first place."
"You're right about that... Romeo's worried sick.." Happy muttered.
Macao smiled, though it was tinged with fatigue. "He's probably waiting for me to come home and make sure I didn't get myself killed on some wild job." He glanced over at Natsu and Happy. "You guys are gonna help me out of here, right?"
"Of course!" Natsu said, already grinning. "We're a team, remember? You're not getting off that easy!"
The trio began their journey back through the winding caverns, with Natsu and Lucy keeping Macao steady as they moved. For Lucy, the rescue had been more challenging than she'd imagined, but seeing Macao's determination and skill made her feel a little more at ease about her own place in the guild.
As they finally made their way to the exit, the cool air of the outside world greeted them. It was now time to return home.
Happy sighed in relief. "I think that's enough excitement for one day. Let's get back to the guild and call it a night."
Natsu grinned. "Sounds good to me!"
And with that, the group made their way back to the warmth and safety of Fairy Tail.