*NatsuxLucy*
Summary: Lucy had always wondered if her extraordinary habit of getting herself into some peculiar form of trouble would ever bring her to the face of death. She was proven horrifyingly right when a series of unfortunate events transport her to Dragnof, the realm of Dragons. NALU.
Link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13486422/1/
Word count:18k(COMPLETE)
Chapters:3
Part I
She was going to kill Evergreen. No qualms whatsoever.
That green wannabe Medusa was going to find a death worse than being dipped in a pool of boiling liquid iron.
Lucy hid behind the bush and humans would generally say that's the worst place to do but hey a fae is gotta do what she can do to survive.
Even if the odds declared the opposite.
The breathing space she had for a short time, hiding from any who realised her presence and was trying to capture her. It gave her a while to remember exactly how she got into this position.
And for the record, it wasn't her fault.
It all began one week ago when Ever-fucking-green found her essence.
An essence is what makes the magic of a fae. At least the type of magic they commanded. For example, a water fae would find her essence in the first drop of rain or the furthest depth of an ocean or in a mineral water bottle, the kind humans use.
Every race had its kind but faes were different. Very different. For Faes, two days were the most important ones in a Fae's life. The day they were born, from the first laugh of a newborn and the second was when one would find their essence.
Because that's when their life really started.
Many Faes wouldn't find their essence until they grew a few hundred years, some would find it in their first fifty. Until they would find their essence, they would have to be interns and could use small magics under the guide of their mentor. Until then they have to be in Intern quarters, each quarter had about nine interns and was scattered all across Magnolia.
Lucy had been an intern for six thousand five hundred and seventy-eight years. And Evergreen who was born hardly a decade ago found hers immediately.
It was not fair!
Evergreen being Evergreen, of course, waved her essence (which was a spectacle, her magic was eye magic, able to petrify anyone. Hence the term wannabe Medusa) right in front of Lucy's face out of the god-given bitchy attitude she had. She had always hated Lucy's guts and was a crappy person in general.
Lucy, however, knew that deep down Evergreen was a nice person, there were rare moments of it but even deeper down, she was still a bitch.
"Aww, Lucy, see I got my essence, it feels so good to be out of this shithole honestly." Evergreen had said, before stopping abruptly and looking at Lucy like she was some human, "oh but how would you know, Lucy. You've been here for so long right?"
"Ever, cut it out." Levy, another intern said.
Lucy didn't even feel the need to answer, Evergreen's blunt statement had hit close to home so she just took off running without looking back. Interns weren't supposed to cross the threshold of the quarters and Lucy accidentally enraged and a little more than broken crossed it.
Which resulted in her being punished by the Fae Superior of her quarter.
"Lucy, I really don't like doing this, especially since it is you," Eclair said, the crystal ball shining a glint lower in the corner of her room.
The blonde simply nodded nonchalantly.
Punishments were harsh, Lucy was to have no contact with anyone for a month and she was to stay in the Wayward Woods in this duration.
It's not fair. A small voice whispered in the bleak of her eyes.
C'mon old mum, she thought to herself, knock it off, how long are you going to sulk like this?
Lucy took a deep breath, finding hope even though she was standing in front of an old rickety cabin that seemed to have creepers hanging and propping out of the side making Lucy wonder how old this house exactly was.
She walked inside and made herself comfortable before wondering if she should grow a few chocolate sunflowers or sedums in the garden. The trees around her had already begun to show brightly green and that made Lucy smile.
Maybe it was okay if she didn't find her essence after all.
Little things in life made it worth it anyway.
Lifted to a more jovial mood, Lucy began to furnish her cabin. God, which woebegone creature even lived here? She removed the creepers that were in a disgruntled mess, raising her hands as tips of her finger released magical waves damping the ugliness away.
That's when she saw a white circle of twirled mushroom tops, without thinking and out of severe curiosity only she touched it.
And the world turned around before Lucy could blink twice.
When she did, her heart glazed cold.
No way.
And a crackle of the burning fire was heard.
No fucking way.
The faint smell of ashes clouding around her.
God help me.
With a swish cutting the winds, a red dragon flew above her.
It didn't notice her as she regulated her breathing in half fear and disgust. Dragons were mortal enemies of Fae, it went both ways and their enmity wasn't the loud kind, no, no fae would admit to being impolite to any creature even if it was a dragon. But Dragons... .they preyed on Faes.
Sure. The animosity between the two lay in the differences of their race.
No Fae would ever do a good turn of kind heart to a Dragon
No Dragon would ever suffer the loss of feasting over a Fae.
Which is why Lucy realised she was quite in a pickle here. Imagine a Fae lost in the Dragon realm.
By the looks of it, it seemed like that she had just touched a Gluasad circle, nasty things really. They are known for transferring you to places you would never go willingly and only take you back to where you are from when you've gained something substantial.
She never knew how a Gluasad circle ever looked like because she was daydreaming in Miss Porlyusica's Pixie studies class( for which she received detention and a proper earful from Eclair)
But this was the worst possible way she could get to know how it looked.
God, she wished she hadn't touched that thing.
Lucy looked up to the dragon who was circling around what she presumed was its territory. She looked at her Fae form, they would know immediately if she stayed in it any longer, heck they would smell her out, drag her down by her wings and claw her heart out or at least that's what she heard they did to wayward Faes.
Lucy groaned this couldn't possibly be her life.
But it was and now she had to deal with it. The more time she used in bickering and wailing at her fate, the more time she lost.
She looked at the emerald ring on her hand, the first she had ever made with her magic. She kissed it and hoped for luck
"Hey, you!"
She snapped her head at the sound and was greeted with the sight of a human. No, a dragon in its human form.
And Lucy realised its brows were made of Iron. You're kidding me, she thought with a sigh. Lucy put her hand on the trunk of the tree, willing it to do the biddings of her silent command.
"I'm sorry I was lost," Lucy spoke out loud.
"I can see that, bunny girl."
"Bunny girl?"
"You sound like a bunny girl, human."
Huh, Lucy thought.
"You say I'm human like you're not."
Gajeel grinned, baring his canines, heavy footsteps crisply sounding as he approached her hiding place.
"Cuz I'm not."
"Well, that's good." Lucy stepped out of the bushes in her Fae form. "Because I'm not either."
Gajeel's eyes widened with familiar suspicion rising in them before he could move to probably capture her, a twig that had been wrapped around his leg swung him up and about and he was looking at her in reverse.
"Look," Lucy gestured gracefully, "I didn't mean to do this—"
"But you did, Fae."
"Yeah, cause otherwise you'd kill me or do whatever it is that humours you Dragons these days." She shrugged as if it justified everything.
"You couldn't have known that!" He protested trying to get the twig to unwind.
"Oh umm, you were going to behave civilly and have a merry drink with me is it?" Lucy asked, drily.
"No." He replied just as coldly.
"Umm, listen err . . .what's your name?"
"Gajeel Redfox."
"So Gajeel, look I accidentally come here, really didn't wanna for obvious reasons but I gotta find a way back home." She paused taking in the doubtful look in his face. "No, I'm not plotting against your race—"
"And yet I find you in the private territories of my realm."
Lucy jerked her head up, genuinely surprised. "These are . .err uh, private territories?"
"Yes," Gajeel said, folding his hands as calmly as he could with being upended.
"And if you've heard anything about us Dragons then it comes true in the form of one who owns these territories."
Lucy clenched her teeth. Luck. What fucking luck.
"Mr Gajeel Redfox, I did not mean to offend you in any way except that which uphold my self-preservation. I apologise for the inconvenience caused." She bowed her head politely before she turned.
"Hey! you can't just leave me here."
"I apparently can," Lucy said.
Gajeel had to stop for a moment, he had never seen a Fae for all his blessed life but now that one was before him he found that he was short of words, are all of them this beguiling? He thought in dismay. She didn't seem like she was lying because he could find a liar as natural as he could find iron. So she was saying the truth. Something about Bunny girl inspired a feeling in him, was it pity or was it mercy?
Her innocence? Could it still be that pure?
"Run, little Fae." He said out loud, catching her unaware.
"I won't pursue you but I can't speak on behalf of others residing in my realm, I could give you a heads up but that's the most I could offer because I will report this." He stated and Lucy turned swiftly to face him, eyes widening in gratitude.
"Thank you, thank you so much." She said, smiling thankfully before raising her hand stretching the tips of her fingers as she elevated uttering words that sounded like a melody to Gajeel and she was done.
"What did you do?" He asked, confused.
"I blessed you for your good turn done unto me." Lucy waved at him, "See you later, iron eyebrows."
She blessed me? He thought with a daze before snapping out of it.
"Who do you think you're calling iron eye—"
"Gajeel, where the hell are you?" a quiet and squeaky voice called out.
"—I'm here!" He looked back to where Lucy was standing and she was gone before another word was uttered.
"Gajeel, not that I have questioned your abilities of simply being weird but honestly, do you enjoy hanging upside down from a tree?" Sol asked raising a brow.
There were many cruel kinds of dragons but Sol was straight up an asshole. What Igneel even saw in him to appoint him as the manager of the guards was beyond him.
"And where is he?"
"Salamander was in the skies the last time I saw him."
"Huh, alright." Sol nodded, looking upwards.
"Oh, by the way, our borders have been infiltrated."
"What?!" Sol asked, "why didn't you say so before?"
"You didn't ask me," Gajeel said, crisply.
Sol quick on his heels, ran back to most likely to inform the patrolling guards and knights.
Gajeel watched his retreating form before he caught a glint of a red wing withdrawing from the terrain of the skies. He should get to him quick enough.
Now, Gajeel thought curiously, how the hell am I gonna get out of this thing?
-•-
Lucy looked around in the market, she had draped herself in a hooded dark cloak, the warm woollen kept her warm only for so long. Dragon markets were different than she had initially imagined them to be, they were just like the Fae ones she had seen during occasional weekend trips. All of the people surrounding her were in their human forms- obviously because shops weren't built to accommodate eleven-foot dragons- which made her comfortable enough to think that she would perhaps manage to get away without being noticed.
Maybe there wasn't much difference except that the people here, Lucy thought looking around the shops lined orderly with colourful varieties of clothes, food and objects selling, were much rawer as compared to the Fae counterpart.
She shook her head.
She needed to find her way out and possibly more information on Gluasad circles, a library would be ideal at this point so she entered the first one she spotted.
Stark heights of the books that seemed to go on endlessly on the endless shelves. Her heart yelped of joy at the smell of ink and paper, smiling her heart out before she recognised the place around her.
"Is there anything you're searching for in particular?" A woman behind the counter asked, her hair tied in a red bow, "I'm Laki, the librarian and wood designer, is there any way I can help you?"
Lucy blinked before answering, "A book on Gluasad circles?"
The woman raised a curious brow.
"Third aisle, shelf no 6, the third book on your right."
"Umm, thank you," Lucy said, before marching to the instructed place.
A book bound in emerald green covers, the velvet would have seemed so satisfying if Lucy wasn't in a situation that triggered her existential crisis.
Gluasad Circles are peculiarities in our age. They appear on the will of a whim and vanish as if they commanded its own existence although in rare cases if the magical outlet is strong enough then it can force a Gluasad circle to open to command. While these creatures tend to be very mischevious, they actually exist for a purpose—
"Which is to get me killed or mutilated," Lucy muttered.
—they help an individual find an object, idea or even a person of substantial gain in their life. For instance, the Great Queen of the Mermaids was once transferred in the form to a world of Phoenixes, where she would meet her beloved—
"Yeah, lol, sure. I'd rather not have a beloved at all." She rolled her eyes before going back to reading.
—Usually, they find such things in the duration of a day precisely from when they first touched the Gluasad circle and if they have strong magic, when it is time to go, the same Gluasad circle appears to take them home.
Lucy shut the book close.
Well, she found a way out so all she had to do was wait and try not to get eaten as a side dish to the dinner of a dragon.
Huh, that should be easy right?
"Oh have you heard?" a voice from the shelves behind her said as Lucy held her breath.
"No, what?" another voice perched in a satin asked.
"They say he has returned."
"He as in who—oh, oh my stars, he has returned from that quest, oh, our warrior has returned home."
"Yes, he was seen flying over the Northern hills." The voice said, smiling coy. "God, I can't find one person in this world who'd resist touching those glossy scales."
Lucy almost blanched, for real? She thought. half confounded and half weirded out, y'all have a thing for glossy scales? Ah well, must be a Dragon kink then? She shook her head, let's not get there.
"Indeed. Do you think my Rafaella could bag him?"
Bag him? As in the trophy kind? Lucy already felt sad for the poor soul.
"I wouldn't be so sure, Esmeralda. Dragneel is said to not be intrigued by female or male around from here."
"What a pity. My Rafaella would be such a match for him."
"So it would seem."
Lucy shook her head, not that she had any business eavesdropping.
She walked through shelves, tenderly covering all parts of her as she thanked the librarian for their service before leaving.
"Wait," Laki said.
"I've not seen you from around here, are you new to Dragnof?"
"Umm, yes." Lucy replied, "I'm a uh a baker."
"Oh is that so ?!" Laki reaching out to Lucy's arm who sharply stepped back.
"I'm sorry, I don't like people touching me."
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that you're the exact kind of person I was looking for."
"I am?" Lucy asked, wondering how pathetically miserable her luck could be.
"Oh yes, umm your name?"
"Luna Heartley."
"Oh, not a very conventional name huh?"
Lucy almost felt like taking all the books in the library and dumping it on her own head, if only stupidity had a contest. Jeez, that name had sounded more Fae like than her own self.
"But that's not the point. It's just that I'm in huge trouble. Help a fellow dragoness out will you?"
The blonde raised a brow which in Dragon language must have meant consent because she was dragged out of the library by the arm that was still thankfully clothed.
"So my friend returns today. So of course, he has a welcome party and everything is fixed except for his favourite food which is Angel food cake."
"Your friend likes human food?" Lucy said.
"Yes. So you know how to make it I presume?" Laki asked, clapping her hands in satisfaction.
"Yes," Lucy said because she actually did, three thousand years gave one enough time to take personal cooking classes, both human and fae.
"Amazing. Wait here, please." She smiled before calling out loudly, "Mira!"
And Lucy wondered what kind of a chaotic mess had she invited herself to.
"Are you sure we can trust her?" The silver-haired woman whispered to Laki.
"Yes, Mira. Plus we could always make her take the traditional first bite to make sure it's not poisoned." And then with thought carefully put, she continued, "Really, Mira, we don't have time."
Mirajane Strauss stared at the woman cloaked darkly from the top of her head to the edge of her toes before she took a deep sigh. "Alright."
"I have a small favour to ask though," Lucy whispered loud enough for them to hear. "May I please be left alone when I am making this cake? I will take the first bite of every cake I make to swear I have no ill will towards you or your family."
Mira cocked her head to the side, the request sounded genuine enough but she would hold her to her word.
"As you wish," she shrugged, "I'll give you three hours before the kitchen doors open again."
"Mira. Where are you? It's hardly a nice way to greet a friend you haven't seen from ages." A masculine voice called out, breaking into the temporary defences that Lucy had put up.
"Natsu!" Mira ran out to jump into the arms of the person who owned the voice as Lucy turned away, her back facing them as Laki went to greet the dragon.
"Natsu, it's been so long!" Laki grinned as he ruffled her hair up and his gaze slipped into the kitchen, landing on a cloaked figure.
He took a deep breath, muscles sinking at the scent that seemed to be faintly cast into the air, almost bewitching. "Who is that?"
Laki followed his line of sight leading to the kitchen and she felt like there was something amiss.
"Secret!" Mira said, reaching out for the door handles.
Listening to the conversation reduce in its volume, Lucy felt an irresistible urge to turn around so strong that she had to, she had to glance over her shoulder and just before she did, the doors shut close.
She stared at it a little longer thinking what was that? before snapping out of the haze, after all, she had a cake to bake.
-•-
Natsu Dragneel was resting himself in an unconventional position on a comfortable chair, staring at the bleak in the high ceilings and the chandeliers that hung down from them. Now, that he had survived the worst of monsters and accomplished the quest which brought him great power, honour and glory, he wondered what he was to do.
He had heard there were some troubles brewing in the borders, illegal trespassing and then there was this thing with the Goblins. But those were things he could deal with later.
Funnily, though he had found rest the moment he stepped into Mira's place.
"Why aren't you dressed?"
"I don't want to," Natsu whined and he absolutely cherished the fact that Mira would let him if it was Erza, she'd plainly chuck the closest thing at him.
"Natsu, this party is for you."
"Something which I actually do not need."
"But we do since it's to celebrate your victory, the victory of our warrior."
Natsu looked at her, "Jeez Mira, the things you make me do. I doubt anyone else can force me to a party."
"I'm fairly certain Erza can."
"Well, Erza can make anyone do anything she wants them to do."
"Point but I suppose you'll find someone who'll make you want to do things just to see them happy." Mira grinned at him, patting his head lightly.
"Ugh, Mira, no, I have just returned. Please don't send me on those horrid things you call dates."
"Natsu, how else will you have anything in relation to your love life?"
Natsu rolled his eyes, "I don't—"
"Are we talking about Dragneel's non-existent love life? Cause that's a discussion I wanna be a part of." Gray said, interrupting the flow of a conversation with intrigue on his face.
"Shut up, asshole."
"Hey, who do you think you're calling asshole?!"
"Your lame ass obviously—"
"Is that an invitation to a fight, Fire brain?"
"You bet your life it is—"
"Boys!" Mira chided but it took the effect of squashing water. A hand on her shoulder silenced her, she looked at Gajeel with a brow raised and he gestured to Erza who had just entered.
And Natsu or Gray accidentally threw a vase at her direction which did not miss its aim.
The silence that followed was deafening and a roar was heard about three seconds later.
Mira shook her head.
Really, what kind of people had she adopted into her family?
An hour later, the ostentatious banquet had been prepared for and a highly agreeable people gathered wrapped in dramatically detailed fabrics. The candlelit hall glowed in resplendent shine, the whole occasion had been impressively organised, of course, it was Mira after all. Her event planning skills were practically the mark of a legend. In the human world, they would rival Gatsby's.
And for all the glamour, all these parties had, Natsu could never hold a candle to his reflection in it.
He stayed in the balcony, looking out to the Northern hills, he always assumed his home was there, in the skies that encompassed them in particular. But he failed to draw comfort even from there.
"For someone who the entire party is dedicated to, you sure look lonely," Gray said, carrying a plate of Angel food cake, "Mira asked me to give this to you."
"Shut up and thank you," Natsu said, taking the plate.
"Why aren't you out there?" Gajeel asked, joining them.
"Don't feel like it."
"Huh, well." Gray said, not knowing what to say to that and it didn't look like Natsu wished to talk about it either so he went in favour changing the topic. "Speaking of not liking things, Gajeel there was a border breach today?"
"Ahh, yeah. A Fae."
Natsu's interest piqued.
"A fae? In Dragnof? Were they suicidal or was there a plot?" He said, using the fork to cut out a light piece of the cake.
"Neither but I didn't have much time to inquire because I was hanging upside down from a tree because Faes are annoying that way and then Sol found me and immid-"
Gray choked on his drink as Natsu chuckled.
"—wait a minute, a Fae hung you -the great, mighty, impenetrable Iron Dragon of the Metalicana house- upside down. From a tree?"
"Damn fucking hell, I can't believe I missed that." Natsu mourned.
A vein popped at the side of Gajeel's head.
"It. Is. Not. Funny."
"Sure, mate."
Natsu gave a dismissive nod to him and continued to eat the cake and he almost stopped all movement as he tasted it. Vanilla in faint tones and hints of sweet almond flooded his senses, no Angel cake he had eaten was that fluffy and light, sweet without being distasteful. It felt warm and incredibly nice.
"Who made this?"
"I didn't."
Natsu stared at him consequentially.
"Tch. I'll go ask Mira."
He stopped, remembering the cloaked figure in the kitchen and the recollection of that lovely scent.
"Never mind, I'll do it myself." He waved off and hurriedly walked into the banquet only to collide into someone drunk enough to spill all of his drink on Natsu's robes. Annoyance washing up in waves, he glared at the man before he continued to search for Mira.
"Natsu," Laki exclaimed. "Where are you rushing to?" She looked at the leftover on his plate.
"Oh, did you like it?"
"Laki, where is the person who made this?" Natsu said.
"Oh umm, she left. Pretty girl with blonde hair, her name's Luna Heartley. Why do you ask?"
He sighed with relief, a name, he could work with that.
He'd find her.
"You ought to go change your robes, though." Laki suggested, "at least before Erza or Mira spots you."
He smiled, tired.
"Thanks, Laki. But I think I'm retiring for today, it's been a rather stressful day."
"I understand, I'll handle Mira, but knowing her, she would most likely understand too. Erza on the other hand,"
"Yeah no worries, I'll reach my room quicker than you could blink."
Laki blinked.
"You're still here."
Natsu laughed before he walked up to his room.
He entered his room, brightly lit in fires around the corners and an ambience of shimmering gold and orange hues that warmed the air surrounding it. Natsu removed his robes and after a quick shower, he wore his nightclothes before yawning and it was when he noticed an aureate object on his night table.
Ahh, the keys.
When he had initially duelled a powerful goblin during the course of his Quest and won against him, he was allowed to pick a few things as his keepsakes for his victory. While he had Gajeel pick anything he likes, there was something about these lustrous keys the blinged right at him.
He thought it was special but then again he was a Dragon, by virtue of his race, he was attracted to pretty shiny things and hoarding them.
Natsu dropped them at his night table and plopped himself onto the bed next to it, he commanded all the fires to go out from the lamps in his room and a fall of darkness drowned his room except for the little candle on his bedside table.
And he would have most definitely fallen asleep had the tiniest creak of the door not woken him up.
What the hell? He thought, anyone who knew him respected him enough to not enter his room unannounced and those who didn't wouldn't dare.
But he couldn't hear any footsteps, it was too quiet. Even his dragon sense couldn't pick anything up.
Natsu didn't act upon it until a hand reached out, not to him but the keys next to him.
For real? He thought, stealing the property of another dragon was quite literally an invitation to a fight unto death, whoever this dumb kid was in for a miserable sad time.
And just as it clasped its fingers around the keys, Natsu caught its wrist earning a gasp from it and pulled it closer, an emerald ring gleaming at him.
Well, shit.
The illumination from the candle gave light to the face of his offender.
Striking brown eyes, like freshly turned earth after summer rains, they stared at him in part fear and part surprise. Her face was far too captivating to be possessed by a Dragoness and that's when Natsu realised, she wasn't a Dragon at all.
"Who are you?"
-•-
"You're a blessing if you must know." Laki appreciated, smiling widely at Lucy who nervously shuffled her feet. "These cakes are so delectable, it would be an honest sin not finish the entire thing in one sitting."
"That's too high of praise," Lucy said, dismissively.
"Oh, but I must give you something, in gratitude of course."
"Umm," Technically it was traditional of Faes to accept gifts from people who they did a good turn to but Lucy was on the opposite spectrum of traditionality.
But Laki didn't seem to be taking any explanation. She simply asked Lucy to follow her and Lucy did.
The room was quite an old one and God alone knows what it had, a lot of sparkly things attracted Lucy's attention but she paid no heed to them. She couldn't risk getting her cover blown.
Laki opened a cupboard and the sound of a drawer being pulled materialised as Laki procured a silver-coloured badge with engraving embedded upon it.
"The goodwill of the Strauss household rests upon you, anytime and anywhere you seek protection, it will be offered to you by every member of our house."
Lucy's eyes widened.
"This is seriously not necessary. I understand that you'd like to thank me for my services but a simple thank you will suffice."
"Absolutely not. You will not be disrespected or dishonoured in our house."
Lucy giggled uneasily.
This had to be the most ironical situation she had ever been in.
"It's not that I'm being disrespected or dishonoured-"
"-Luna, please!"
Lucy was confused at the name mentioned for a moment before she realised.
Laki pinned the badge on the left-hand side of her chest, it sat well on the hoodie and made Lucy feel terribly guilty.
"Umm, Luna if you don't mind, can I see your face?" She asked and Lucy stiffened, fearing what she might think.
After some thought and consideration, Lucy removed the hood, revealing her face which still looked in its human form. Laki's silence was almost deafening to her ears before she broke it.
"You're beautiful."
"Uh thank you? Okay, I really need to leave, Miss Laki." She smiled before bowing low and turning hastily she walked out of the room.
"Goodbye, Miss Laki."
Lucy touched the walls right after she left the kitchens, "May this household never see a setting sun that does not bring them comfort and hope." and then she released a protection spell bounding on every person in the house.
It was the least she could do.
Lucy was going to leave before she heard a familiar voice.
"—is that an invitation to a fight, Fire brain?"
"You bet your life it is.
And immediately hid as she heard a vase break. To her utmost surprise, Gajeel walked out with Mira. The streak of coincidences was going to blind her by this point.
"They're such kids."
"Not that I intend to offend," Gajeel shrugged. "But it's Natsu and Gray after all. What'd you expect?"
"Good point. Umm, Gajeel could you keep these keys in Natsu's room, the last room from the right on the second floor."
"Ahh yeah, okay."
Lucy felt it before she saw it. The call, for what she had waited for three thousand years of her life, her purpose calling out to her, beckoning her to reach out to her essence. The golden keys invited her to stake a claim. Lucy bit her lip before removing clouds of hazy desire to possess her, she had to wait until she could retrieve them into her possession. Now, it all made sense, the Gluasad circle had sent her to finally find her essence.
She looked back at the room and heard them still engaged in fighting. Without looking up to either of them, she flicked her wrist and all pieces of the vase integrated back into its initial state and it stood on the table as if nothing had happened.
Lucy stayed long enough only to hear them say in bewilderment,
"Hey, wait a minute wasn't that broken?"
She left until it was a better time to return, perhaps amidst the banquet when everyone would be enjoying their wines and conversation would be a good time.
And so Lucy waited, as quietly as she could.
When it was time, she slipped across corridors from the backdoor and kept chanting, second floor, last door on the right. It wasn't tough to find it at all, and judging from the lights that didn't seep outside she assumed it was safe to traverse into uncharted territories.
The keys lay on the bedside table and soundlessly she headed to it, failing to notice the figure in the be next to it.
She felt a chill of excitement wondering what her magic would be like and she even picked it up only to have her wrist grasped by another hand, drawing her closer.
Lucy didn't mean to exaggerate but holy shit!
Her gaze fell upon a pair of dark eyes, bottomless like the ocean would seem to be dragging her into them. A powerful glare embedded in the way he was staring at her, she had to take a deep breath to normalise, he was too close for her liking, she could feel warmth making her drowsy enough to feel safe.
"Who are you?"
And Lucy snapped the hell out of it.
"Who are you?" She repeated, amusing him.
"Natsu Dragneel. You're in my room and you better give me a good reason why I shouldn't burn you to crisp right now."
Lucy had to look away, she stared at the keys in consideration.
"I'm a Fae."
That loosened his grip on her wrist which she used to snatch away and move four steps back.
Natsu stared at her absurdly before it started making sense to him, the vase, the cakes, the breach at the borders.
Lucy couldn't ever do awkward silences.
So she coughed gaining his attention.
"Mister Dragneel, I'd really like to chill around for a while but like I need to rush so," She bowed elegantly and bid him goodbye, "after a while, crocodile."
And she ran out of the room.
That's when Natsu realised she had stolen his property.
"Hey, wait!"
God damn it! She was fast on those nimble feet.
"Jeez, stop following me, creep." She yelled back.
"Then stop running away with my keepsake!"
"No, can't do."
Lucy sprinted like the wind, Faes were quick on feet. She was already on the roads and the idiot was still chasing after her, look if he thought she was going to give up her essence after three thousand years because it's some weird trinket then oh boy, was he in for a surprise.
She made things fall in his path as barriers but Natsu was swift enough to avoid them, agile like he was trained in combat.
Well, a small part of her said, he is their warrior.
You're not helping! She uttered back.
People moved away in intrigue and questioning, they ran for quite some time, enough for her to realise that there were trees all around now.
Lucy finally stopped.
"Wait." She said, huffing and puffing, as she leaned against a very familiar tree.
"I can't run for so long."
"Yeah, no shit." Natsu glared, crossing his arms being a little out of breath.
"Look, I didn't mean to run from you-"
"-oh but you did a damn good job at it, didn't you?"
"Don't be rude, asshole,"
"Says the person who stole from me."
"Not that I meant to, I can't help it."
"I don't care. Return it to me now."
"Fuck you."
"Get in line, little bird." He rolled his eyes and Lucy jaw dropped, this absolute piece of shit.
"God, if you don't sound like those human jocks hitting puberty."
Natsu stepped forward, "Look Fae, we can sort this out, you return to me my possession and I'll take you to Igneel and we can peacefully go our separate ways, okay?"
Lucy felt magic channelling through the keys and that's when she observed a very familiar circle of twirled mushroom tops.
She looked back at Natsu, grinning like the world was hers to conquer.
He arched a questioning brow,
"Sure, I'll answer that question when you find me again." She smiled, mischievously.
"That is, of course, if you find me," Lucy said.
"What the hell—"
"Also, just so you know Natsu Dragneel, you're an annoying jerk."
Lucy touched the Guasad circle before Natsu could blink she vanished and it was as if he was merely conversing with the wind.
He stared at the place she had been only a moment ago and there lay a forgotten blue ribbon.
Well, a part of him said as he picked it up, let's see how far she'll run.