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xanvasofxords · 1 year

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Winter Wonderland Day 1 : Cookies & Warm Drinks

“Baking Love”

It has been a month since Lucy started taking classes and she thinks it’s about time she put her baking skills to test. Decides she’s going to bake cookies. Enough for all of her friends, and of course Natsu and Happy.

It’s pretty fun actually. The blonde glances at the clock once before quickly making a list. First checks off the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and chocolate chips. Then the wet ones - eggs, milk, flavorings and chocolate. She has all of them. And a jar of marshmellows, Natsu likes them.

As she sets the bowls, spoons and mixer on the counter, a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist from behind and a head nuzzles into the crook of her neck. She almost squeals for a second but dissolves into a fit of giggles at the ticklish feeling. It makes Natsu chuckle.

“Natsu,” she huffs, “Hey, it tickles!” He spins her around and presses their foreheads together. “Were you baking cookies without me?” “Mhm, I thought I’d surprise you.”

Natsu hums, “How about we do it together?” He smiles when she nods. It’s always more fun when they’re together anyways.

With Natsu, it’s rather easy. He’s better and faster than the stove or the oven. It doesn’t take him more than a few seconds to melt the butter and a large bowl of chocolate and marshmellows. Though the pinkette doesn’t get much liberty in using his powers to keep the house from being destroyed. It obviously won’t be the first time.

Although, Lucy definitely didn’t expect him to be so efficient in cracking eggs. Heck, even better than her. She watches in awe as he mixes the wet ingredients carefully, without spilling at all. The batter turns out to be perfect. The blonde wonders if he has been secretly taking classes.

“Who knew you’d be so good at this,” Lucy teases while stirring the dry ingredients. “Maybe you could teach me someday.”

Natsu puts the mixer away and laughs. “I suppose it’s a compliment?”

“It is.”

They discuss their holiday plans while Lucy slowly pours the dry mixture into the batter, shows him how to properly stir it with the spatula. They share looks every once in a while, smiling and enjoying each other’s company. Natsu insists on adding extra melted chocolate and marshmellows, hmphs and pouts like a child when Lucy refuses. She says they already had enough.

Once they’re done, Lucy moulds the dough into flat disks and puts them in the fridge.

“We’ve to chill it for sometime.”

Natsu nods in understanding, although with a mischievous look, but before she can ask him about it, war ensues. He throws a handful of flour at her, Lucy accidentally gets it on her hair trying to escape. Some of it enters her mouth. She cringes and returns the favor by throwing some at him. However, he successfully dogdes it. Making her groan in frustration.

“That’s not fair! And don’t laugh at me!”

Natsu presses his lips together to hold back his reaction, “You look beautiful Luce.” The blonde scowls and throws another fistful of flour. This time it hits the side of his face and earns him a victorious grin.

“Now who looks better?!” The blonde sticks out her tongue playfully.

The pinkette gives her a sly look before swiftly grabbing her under the arms and setting her on the counter. Lucy gasps from the abrupt movement. Her breath hitches when he eases into the gap between her legs, placing his hands on both sides and smirks at her. Her face turns red at the close proximity and his intense stare.

“Natsu, what-” He cuts her off, moving further close and rubs his cheek against her own. Lucy exhales when he pulls away, calming her heart. She glares at him, now there’s flour on her face too. Natsu chuckles, “Now we both look the same.” “Natsu!” She smacks him in the shoulder. They keep bickering for nearly an hour, before calling it a day.

“Okay, how about we make some hot chocolate?” Natsu’s face lights up at the idea, his enthusiasm makes Lucy giggle. She brings cocoa powder and the bag of chocolate chips while he takes out the saucepan.

“Is he staying over at Fairy Hills again?” The blonde asks, heating the milk in the pan. Natsu hands her the spatula, hums. “Carla is all he needs.” “Right.” She laughs, whisking in cocoa powder, sugar and chocolate chips. She decides to leave him to watch over it as she fetches some other things.

“Please add some vanilla extract, it’s over there. I’ll bring the cookie sheet and cutters.”

“No worries. Don’t you need that paper too, for the cookies?” He reminds, not removing his eyes from his work. “I forgot the name.”

She raises a brow. “You mean parchment paper?”

“Yes! That one.” He seems relieved to have remembered the name, further fueling her previous theory that he probably sneaks off to baking classes when she’s not around. If that’s even possible.

“I’ve watched Mirajane since I was ten, she used to make me and Gray sit there while she experimented with all sorts of food.” Now that makes sense. She watches him shake his head at the memory, fondly. “Guess it benefited me in the end.”

“Yep, Mister Baker!” “Hey! Don’t call me that!”

They break into a laugh together.

After a while, Lucy takes out the dough from the freezer and flours it before spreading it out. “I should move into the dorms, it’s cheaper that way. What do you think?” She muses while preparing the baking sheet. The pinkette frowns and shakes his head, continuing to stir the liquid.

“I won’t like that.”

“And why’s that?” “I won’t be able to crash at yours so often unlike now,” he admits, “Erza would just kick me out.” It makes her giggle. Because he’s right.

“That’s fair, I guess.”

They continue to chat and tease each other for fun. All the while Lucy cuts different shapes - starts, hearts, fishes, bears, flowers, snowflakes and some round ones as well and covers them in chocolate chips and sanding sugar. Then puts them into the preheated oven. And Natsu pours the hot chocolate in the mugs.

“Now’s time to decorate!” She says. That’s the best part. Natsu bumps his fists together, “I’m all fired up! Let’s do it!”

They decorate their respective mugs with chopped chocolates, whipped cream and of course, marshmellows. Lucy rolls her eyes as he tries to sneak some into his mouth. He sheepishly smiles. They look at each other, excited, when the oven beeps. It means the cookies are all ready. Finally.

Natsu sets the tray on the counter meanwhile Lucy turns off the oven. Takes a brownish cookie and breaks it into half then dips both into the hot chocolate. She pops one into her mouth and lifts one to his. Natsu doesn’t waste any time, takes it into his mouth. After finishing his bite, he moves forward to press a kiss to her forehead and Lucy leans into him.

The best evening in a while. She raises her mug for a toast, “Cheers Natsu!”

“Cheers Luce!” Natsu beams, briefly bumping their glasses together and the clinking sound fills their ears. “We should do this more often!”

She agrees, “We should.”

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emiebritonstudio · 9 months

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youtube

It's funny to see how love can come from nowhere... And touch us 💞

#youtube #fairy tail #nalu #hiro mashima #manga #fairy tail nalu #nalu day #naluforever #the nalu archive #amv nalu #nalu amv #fairy tail amv #amv fairy tail #natsu x lucy #lucy heartifilla #natsu dragneel

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dragomaster312 · 2 years

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Nalu Songfic. A Whole New World.

DISCLAIMER!!!

I do not own the image used and the song and the characters!

Red stands for Natsu!

Pink stands for Lucy!

Natsu and Lucy were walking home after having dinner for their date in Hargeon, Lucy wearing a black mini dress with white trims, and Natsu wearing an open flanneled suit. However, what was supposed to be a romantic date, turned out to be anything but, much to Lucy's disdain. Natsu, however, didn't seem to care as let out a satisfying burp.

"Whew! Man, that was some good eating!" Natsu said, patting his stomach.

"Good grief, Natsu. You're such a glutton! We're not at the guildhall, you know!" Lucy scolded crossly. "Honestly, you could show a bit more class. Then again, this is you we're talking about, so it figures that you wouldn't have any manners."

"Aw, come on, Lucy! Lighten up!" Natsu spoke with a grin. "Besides, it's not every day that I get to try some fancy food with you. Live a little."

Lucy sighed. "How did I end up falling for this guy again?"

"Easy. I dragged you into Fairy Tail, went through a lot of crazy stuff with you, you flashed yourself a couple of times, and you even saved my life by writing in some freaky book," Natsu said. "After that, everything else just came afterward."

Lucy then stared at Natsu dubiously. "Well, when you put it like that..."

Natsu then laughed, and Lucy couldn't help but laugh as they continued walking through the streets of Magnolia, enjoying each other's company. As they did, while walking across a bridge, Lucy caught sight of a particular building below. It was tall and yellow, appeared u-shaped from above, and was about three floors high. Upon seeing that building, Lucy stopped and pointed.

"Hey, Natsu! Check it out! Recognize that building there?"

Natsu glanced over at the building as remembered after a few seconds. "Of course I do. That's where we first met each other," he said, grinning. "Back then, you were obsessing over that Bora guy thinking that he was me."

"Hey, that was because he was using Charm Magic, okay?!" Lucy huffed. "And how was I supposed to know that Salamander was your nickname?"

"I don't even know how I got that name in the first place either," Natsu chuckled. "But, I'm happy that we ran into that guy. Because if he didn't, then we never would have met, and you wouldn't have joined Fairy Tail."

"And we never would have gone through all those crazy adventures," Lucy added. "And, we never would've ever ended up together."

Lucy then gazed up towards the sky, a nostalgic look crossing her features. "Natsu? Let me ask you something. You know how I ran away from home to get away from my father and stuff? Well, have you ever wondered the reason why?"

Natsu quizically looked at the blonde and shook his head. Lucy then responded.

"Well, aside from the fact that my dad didn't want me around yet have me cooped up, I'd always read books and fairy tales," Lucy said. "Those stories talked about how the princess end up cooped up in their home wanting to be free from rules, their parents, or some other thing, only to be whisked away by their prince charming and see the world."

Natsu paid attention to this story as Lucy looked back at him with a dazzling smile.

"Those stories made me want to experience something like that, too," the blonde went on. "I wanted to join Fairy Tail not only because of how I was saved when I was little, but I also wanted to see the world, meet people, and see different lands. Thanks to you, I was able to do those things and more. If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't be the person I'd be today. But even after everything that's happened, I still want to see more. I want to know what's beyond Magnolia and Fiore and go on more adventures with you."

Natsu then smiled back. "Is that so? Well, whatever you want to do, I'm all for it, as long as we're together. Speaking of which, I've got a surprise for you."

"A surprise? What is it?" wondered Lucy.

Natsu took a couple of steps back and punched his hands together, igniting them on fire. He closed his eyes and concentrated as the fire spread throughout his body, and receded to his back. Then in a burst of flame, a pair of wings made of flame, sprouted forth from Natsu's back, causing Lucy's eyes to go wide with surprise as the fire dragon slayer grinned.

"Natsu! You - You have wings?!" exclaimed Lucy. "When the heck could you do that?! Or rather... how did you do that?"

"Easy. I developed my fire magic a bit, and I came up with this," Natsu said. "I can even fly with these. Check this out!"

Natsu gave his fire wings a couple of flaps, and he was soon airborne. He flew over to the yellow building below, gliding like a bird riding the wind. He then curved around, heading back towards Lucy, and landed on the ground. Lucy couldn't help but be amazed.

"That's amazing! But what about Happy? Won't he be kind of useless to you now that you know this spell?" wondered Lucy.

"Yeah, but this eats my magic power a little, so there's only so long I can maintain it," Natsu explained. "Besides, I prefer Happy over these any day, but tonight," He then extended his hand towards Lucy. "You wanna go for a ride with me and test these babies out?"

"Wait, is that even safe?" wondered Lucy worriedly. "I mean, I'm not going to be too heavy, am I?"

"Don't worry. It'll be fine," reassured Natsu, smiling casually. "Don'tcha trust me?"

Lucy stared at Natsu, contemplating. After a few seconds, a smile worked its way to her face.

"Of course I do," she quietly spoke as she took his hand in earnest. "I've always had, and I always will. But if you drop me, I'll reap a new one!"

Natsu laughed as he pulled Lucy close and lifted her into his arms bridal style, making her squeak in surprise. "Then you'd better hang on."

While carrying Lucy, Natsu bent his knees as his wings of flame spread out wide, preparing to flap. Then with a mighty burst of fire, Natsu rocketed into the sky while carrying Lucy, causing the blonde to wrap her arms around his neck, desperately clinging to him so that she wouldn't fall. However, Natsu gave Lucy a reassuring squeeze letting her know that she was safe and wouldn't let her go as they soared high above Hargeon. As they rose higher, Natsu smiled at Lucy as he began to sing to her as they flew over the many buildings of Hargeon.

I can show you the world

Shining, shimmering, splendid

Tell me, princess

Now, when did you last let your heart decide?

As he sang, the two flew over the ocean, the moon illuminating the water below. Lucy looked down and saw a pod of dolphins leaping about in the water. As Natsu got closer, Lucy couldn't help but hold out her hand, letting it drag across the water, making a trail, feeling enchanted. Natsu then pulled up as they came to Akane Resort, its theme park ablaze with lights. As they flew over the Ferris wheel, Lucy noticed a couple in one of the cars looking up at them, pointing and staring with wonder.

I can open your eyes

Take you wonder by wonder

Over, sideways and under

On a magic carpet ride

Natsu then sharply pulled up, going higher than ever before, Akane Beach shrinking below them. They soon were up so high that they were above the clouds, a sea of stars twinkling and a giant full moon glowing. Natsu then stopped flapping his wings and spread them, using his feet to rocket him forward into a glide as he was now holding Lucy by her hip while she still had her arms wrapped around his neck.

A whole new world

A new fantastic point of view

No one to tell us, "No"

Or where to go

Or say we're only dreaming

Lucy now starts to sing with Natsu, feeling a bit scared from being so high but also exhilarated as they continued to fly through clouds, shooting through one after another, until they come to a flock of birds migrating. As the two flew by, they all gawked in disbelief, not expecting two creatures like them to be up in the sky.

A whole new world

A dazzling place I never knew

But when I'm way up here

It's crystal clear

That now I'm in a whole new world with you

(Now I'm in a whole new world with you)

Natsu put more power to his feet, making him shoot forward in a barrel-roll as they pierce through more clouds. Natsu then threw Lucy into the air and quickly flew back, getting behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and went in a loop-de-loop. Then Natsu suddenly began to drop, divebombing straight towards the earth below, heading for the treetops of a forest. Feeling a bit frightened, Lucy covered her eyes, thinking they were going to crash.

Unbelievable sights

Indescribable feeling

Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling

Through an endless diamond sky

At the last minute, Natsu pulled up and flew over the treetops while still hanging on Lucy. The blonde uncovers her eyes, and when she realizes that she's safe and watches the passing trees below, she looks up at Natsu, who smiled at her while they sang their little ballad. Lucy grinned back and spread out her arms, pretending to be an airplane as she starts to enjoy herself again. Then a giant, long-necked dinosaur-like beast emerged from the treetops, making Natsu and Lucy fly over the creature, going along the neck and into the sky once again, as the beast let out a lowing sound.

A whole new world

(Don't you dare close your eyes)

A hundred thousand things to see

(Hold your breath, it gets better)

I'm like a shooting star

I've come so far

I can't go back to where I used to be

Natsu and Lucy flew back up into the air, curving to the right as they came to the town of Onibas. As they flew past the buildings, Natsu noticed a tree filled with beautiful white flowers, so while holding onto Lucy with one arm, he reached out managing to grab one, and gave it to Lucy. The blonde blushed as she accepted the token.

A whole new world

(Every turn, a surprise)

With new horizons to pursue

(Every moment, red-letter)

I'll chase them anywhere

There's time to spare

Let me share this whole new world with you

As the two reach the last lyrics of the song, Natsu and Lucy gaze into each other's eyes, and the blonde gets closer to Natsu, nuzzling her cheek onto his shoulder, and Natsu wrapped his arms around Lucy, enjoying her warmth as they both flew slowly home.

A whole new world

That's where we'll be

A thrilling chase

A wondrous place

For you and me

After a while, Natsu and Lucy soon arrived back at Magnolia at Lucy's apartment. Natsu slowly descended until he landed safely on the ground, finally letting Lucy go and dispersing his wings.

"Wow. Now that was an awesome flight, Natsu," Lucy breathed. "For someone who just learned how to use those wings, you sure flew like a pro."

"Well, to be honest, I was just doing whatever," Natsu spoke with a grin. "But thanks for the compliment." He then wrapped his arms around Lucy in a hug. "If you ever want to do some flying again, don't be afraid to tell me. My wings are yours to use. Just don't tell Happy."

Lucy looked up at Natsu and giggled. "Yeah. Knowing him, he would probably feel useless if he found out about your wings," she then leaned in close and gave him a smooch on Natsu's lips. "But don't worry. I can keep a secret."

Natsu was surprised, then he leaned in and gave Lucy a long and tender kiss holding her tightly, of which the blonde returned in earnest. After a few seconds of kissing, the two pulled away and looked into each other's eyes in silence until Natsu finally broke it.

"Say, Lucy? Do you mind if I stay here for the night?" he asked. "I'm feeling a bit tired, and I could use some fire in my belly right about now."

"Sure, you can," smiled Lucy. "But try not to take over my bed when we get to sleep. I'm getting tired of sleeping on the couch."

The two then went inside the apartment, shutting the door behind them as they went to bed.

#fairy tail #natsu x lucy #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #a whole new world #aladdin #songfic #nalu fairytail #lucy x natsu #ft nalu #nalu fanfic #naluforever #fairy tail nalu #the nalu archive #nalu

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millennial-star-gazer · 2 years

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Not to rain on your parade but the naluarchive already does that?

Hey anon 😊!

We ‘re already aware of the existence @thenaluarchive And it’s lovely mods😊! By no means are we trying to steal their other exist blog’s thunder but are Trying to create another blog for Nalu-related contentWith the original ship and all its variations (Nalu , Edo nalu, Endlu , Nakkux Lucia/Lusha). In fact, we would partner with the other blogs and also help promote them if successful.

Anyways, feel free to reach out to me @loveheartneel / @nat-sul-ucy or Any of the other current mods If you have any more questions😊! If you’re also Interested in joining our growing ranks for the upcoming blog , then great ! Just please make sure You turn off the anon button when submitting a ask or messaging us.

Oh and you can also call me Sarah 😊.Thank you and have a great day!

#hope this clears things up #the nalu archive #Fairytail #nalu #natsu x lucy #anon asks #millennial star gazer answers #millennial stargazer

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scarletgray · 25 days

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fairydares · 1 month

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Well I have finally discovered specifically what All This is about 💀

I'm very much a "ship and let ship" person. Nalu's the closest thing to an "OTP" I'll probably ever have, but if people aren't into Nalu or prefer them platonic etc. it's whatever. Like I really don't want to get into the Disk Horse.

However, this is just...so random and unexpected. I actually laughed out loud even though I had a vague idea what it was before I read it. Girl what 😭

#nalu #fairy tail #farmlu #fairy tail archive #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #WHAT FARM BOY

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teleiapotami · 5 months

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WIP Wednesday!

Here, have some Demon. I can't get him out of my head, so I will just put him into yours too.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“So, what is it like when you become E.N.D.?”

Natsu looked over at her. Lucy was lying on her stomach, waving her bare legs in the air as she read through a book. She was sitting up on her elbows now, looking up at him. “What’s got you thinking about that all of a sudden?” he wondered.

Lucy ran a delicate finger along the page of her book. "Something I read here reminded me of that Tartaros guy, Jackal. He was able to choose between his forms at will, remember? Can you do that? Or is he something separate from you entirely?”

Natsu hummed thoughtfully, trying to remember the feelings he’d experienced in his limited transformations. “I think I could learn to do it….I remember what happens when I take that form, so it’s not like I’m….gone or anything."

Lucy nodded and tapped her lip thoughtfully. “Well….I think you should try. It’s way better to know you can do it before you need to, right?” She crossed her ankles in the air and rolled onto her side. Natsu smiled slightly, tracing the line of her nose with his finger. She licked his fingertip as it traced her lip and he chuckled

“You want me to try right now? What if I destroy the room? It was expensive you know,” he teased, knowing it would get a reaction. She poked him in the chest. “You said you know what’s going on, so you better not! I need the whole reward to pay my rent.”

Natsu chuckled, then frowned. “What if I hurt you?”

Lucy sat up on her knees beside him. “You never have. Do you want to? When you’re like that, I mean?” Natsu scoffed and gave her a look that made his answer obvious. “Okay then, why not try it?”

Natsu shifted his feet to the floor and stood up, dropping his scarf to the bed. “All right, but I…. I don’t know how well I’ll behave without a battle to distract me from you.” Before Lucy could ask what he meant, she felt the room warm as magic power welled up within him. There was so much that it caused the hair on her arms to stand on end. Natsu screwed up his face in concentration as the power within him reached its peak.

The level of energy dancing around him created strong waves of hot air that gusted off of him, blowing Lucy’s hair wildly. She snatched his scarf up as it started to blow off the bed and bit her lip watching him. Something in the well of power around him seemed to snap and all the magic vanished in a flash. Lucy started forward in alarm. She could barely feel any magic in him at all! Had something gone wrong?

Natsu’s body shuddered, and dark red scales began surfacing along his arms and up the sides of his face. His hands cracked as claws sprouted from the tips of his fingers. Massive crimson wings sprouted from his shoulder blades with a sickening crunch, and twin horns grew out of his pink hair.

“Etherious Natsu Dragneel….” Lucy murmured, studying him. The form usually dissipated whenever she got close to him, so it was her first chance to really look at him.

“Ugh, Natsu works just fine.”

#talking teleia #wip wednesday #fairy tail #fairy tail nalu #natsu x lucy #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #fairy tail fanfic #creative writing #ao3 fanfic #archive of our own #ao3 #e.n.d. x lucy #endlu

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tikapaprika · 5 months

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My first attempt at fairy tail fanfiction.

Fairy tail + actual fairies + my little made up fantasy world.

What would happen if someone else depended on human emotion?

In a world where fairies are the ones powered by how much people on earth feel many of them are faced with the cruel fantasy of death. That world is full of rules that must be followed, one of them is to not fall in the hands of the enemy.

But they fell in love.

#fanfiction #fairy tail #nalu #gruvia #gajevy #jerza #ao3 #archive of our own #fanfic #lucy heartfilia #natsu dragneel #Them as fairies #Every couple is in focus eventually

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genavere · 7 months

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Fairy Tail - RE:Script

Episode One: Hargeon

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter Two

“Miss Lucy, are you certain this will be enough?”

While Capricorn tended to enjoy his tailored suits and proper manners, he could understand why she had asked him to change his clothes for this particular mission. And why she had not asked Taurus to assist her.

“As long as we keep your head hidden and we keep a low profile, I think it will work perfectly. There! All set.”

The young woman stepped back and nodded in approval of the hood that covered most of the ram’s inhuman looks and the ragged clothes that he donned. They matched hers quite well, which he was pleased with.

“What form of mission will we be performing today for such appearances?”

She attached her key satchel to the belt that held up her three-sizes-too-big torn jeans and swiftly covered them with an even larger sweatshirt. They were not the most flattering of clothes, but literal beggars could not be choosers in this world. “Well, the owner of the magic shop said that the docks needed some help moving cargo boxes.”

“Are you certain you will be capable of such manual labor, Miss Lucy?” Concern for his charge left him wondering if she had been pushing herself too hard the last couple of months. Without the protection or clearance of an official guild, she could not get jobs that would have fit her caliber of a Celestial Wizard. But with the threat of being found hovering over her head constantly, he understood her reluctance to approach any.

They had discussed many times several options of guilds, but her heart would only settle for one. “But how do I even get into an official guild? Is there a test? Do I have to tell them my last name? What if they reject me?”

Such needless worries his young mistress fretted about when he knew the value of a Celestial Wizard, especially one of her bloodline. Since the days of her ancestor, Anna, he had served the Heartfilia women through all their struggles and achievements. Any guild she deemed worthy to have her would be honored for such an esteemed line to enter their ranks.

Convincing her of that high praise remained to be the difficult part.

While she held grace and beauty like those before her, she also had a brilliance none could deny. Unfortunately, her lack of confidence and traumas of the past held her back from a greater purpose.

Lucy lifted her arms and flexed, the sleeves of her sweatshirt hanging down like stretched skin made the action rather unconvincing. “I’m fit as a fiddle and ready to prove that I have what it takes to be on my own!” The smile on her lips died before they could reach her crinkled eyes, and they both knew it.

Neither said anything, and to keep her bravado up, he flexed his own arms and offered a smile. “Then let us tackle this challenge together-r-r!”

Gathering the bag that held all her belongings in it and her own cloak, she led the way out of the rundown inn they had managed to stay at for the night. It had been the cheapest, and they required no documents, both of which they were short on—the documents due to her current status, and the jewel after the purchase of a silver gate key the day prior.

Even after working in the magic shop, translating several books that the owner had been scammed to purchase, and getting a large discount, they had just enough money for food and a place to stay for the next couple of nights. It had been like this since she had called upon her spirits for help to run away from the place she had once called home.

“Miss Lucy.” Capricorn kept his voice low as they moved through the darkened streets of early morning. A quick glance down the alleyways showed those who were down on their luck or had slept where they passed out from whatever pleasures they had sought out the night prior. Having his young charge so close to such realities soured his pride. “You did not explain to me why you are not going back to the magic shop.”

In the chill of the morning air, the baggy layers she wore to keep warm and the hat hiding her hair kept him from noticing each of her body movements from behind. But he had been by her side from the day of her birth even as he served her mother, and the slightest rise in her shoulders caught his attention.

At the magic shop, her spirits had stopped coming out while she worked on translating and working in the back after she promised each of them that she could handle it. With translating, she needed all her energy to stay focused and concentrate on the task. Even after years of tutoring and study, learning different languages and translating them had been a stumbling point for her.

“I did everything I could do there,” her reply came, soft and tired. “All the books he needed had been translated, the accounting books had been cleaned up, everything had been organized and set up in a way that would make things easier for him.”

Under the weight of her bag, he watched her shoulders shrug. “He said he would give me a good word to other shops, and suggested the docks until others asked for help.”

Knowing her tutelage and her attention to detail, none of what she explained surprised him. Being trained to take over the family estate when she grew up had left her with knowledge most in the small harbor town would never receive. Taking a page from Aquarius’ page, he straightened his back and strolled faster to walk beside her. “Then, might I suggest we make haste to the docks?”

Her eyes lifted and met his. The smile that had refused to surface in the brown eyes earlier finally made an appearance. “Sure!”

#####

A belch escaped Natsu and he held his stomach in desperation. Still green from the train ride, he leaned against a wall and took several deep breaths. “Never,”—he fought back another belch that he knew would not just be air— “I am never riding the train again.”

“You always say that.” His companion, a blue cat named Happy, looked up at him and offered a handkerchief. “It has peppermint on it. Teach said it would help the nausea.”

“Gettin’ rid of transportation would do the same…” He pressed the piece of fabric against his mouth and nose, fighting the urge to throw up. Then the strong scent of the crushed leaves in the fabric hit him. “So…strong…!”

Tears welled up in his eyes and he itched his nostrils.

“You weren’t supposed to shove it against your face like that, Natsu,” Happy said and shook his head.

“You could have told me that before I did!”

“You didn’t give me time!”

High-pitched squeals caught their attention as a pair of women took off running in a direction away from them. While people running from them, mostly due to Natsu’s actions, occurred frequently enough for them to not think much of it, the giddiness of the sounds they made did. They shared a look and decided to head toward the commotion.

Outside the rows of buildings on the cobblestone streets, a courtyard with a large flowing water fountain had a large group of people huddled around it. With keen eyesight, he could tell that most of the people in the group were women, though there were men, too. They all stared upwards at a man dressed in a bright violet cape standing on the edge of the fountain.

Arms stretched out wide with the sleeves of an immaculate white shirt rolled up to his elbows, purple flames bounced between his open palms and swirled around in spectacular fashion. The crowd ate it up, cooing and cheering. When the fire disappeared, he would reach out to adoring fans and touch their outstretched hands. Many of the women let out a breathy scream, fainting against their jealous friends

“I don’t get it,” Happy frowned, having flown his way up onto Natsu’s shoulder to watch the scene. They could see he had fairly tanned skin from their advantage point, but that made it harder to discern if there were identifying tattoos or guild marks. “Why are they so happy?”

“I dunno, buddy,” he frowned.

“Do you think he’s our target?”

“Heh,” he cracked his knuckles and grinned, “only one way to find out! Let’s get closer.”

As he ran down the cobblestone roads towards the crowd, another figure stalked towards the preening male from the opposite direction.

Fists clenched, the anger boiling inside had set her on the path of violence. Before he had ventured back to the Celestial Realm, Capricorn asked her not to do anything she would later regret. No promises had been made. They both knew in her current mood, there would be no other choice than to confront the pompous asshole who stole a day’s work and pay from her.

When Lucy arrived at the docks that morning, the lack of ships concerned her. For a harbor town, fishing and trade ships were in and out of port all year round. If there were no ships, that meant no products to fill the shops or for merchants to take inland to the other cities. And if the vanity products were not important, produce certainly was! But along the large harbor, only small fishing boats came in using the smaller docks on the far edges.

She shared a concerned look with Capricorn before going to a couple of men who looked like dock workers. “Excuse me, I was sent here by the gentleman at the magic shop in town. He said there would be work to do?”

The men looked her over and shrugged. Travelers usually came looking for side jobs to fill their wallets until the next city. And the docks were the best place to go that always needed more hands. “I’m ‘fraid yer luck is just rotten, miss.”

She looked at the dock worker who spoke to her, meeting his squinted eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” he scratched the back of his balding head, “if ya had come by yest’rday, yer’d been in luck, but some wizard threw in lots of jewel late yest’rday and rented up the ‘hole place.”

The others nodded and added to the conversation. “I heard he even flew in. Big cloud of flames under him.”

“Yeah, and the dock mister got so mad. Face just red! All thought he’d have a heart explosion,” another added, laughing. She did not know exactly why the thought of someone dying would bring laughter, but in that moment, it did not matter.

“But why would there be no work?”

“Yeah, with that guy renting up the docks, no one but the army can use them,” the dockhand shrugged. “We were all told we’d be given part of a day’s work of pay, so that’s nice.”

That was nice for them, she thought bitterly. Who had the power and money to do such a—An icy hand gripped her heart and caught her breath. Had he found her? Did he send a wizard to track her down and they were limiting the escape routes?

A hand rested on her shoulder and squeezed. The pressure calmed her as Capricorn stepped next to her. “Excuse me, gentlemen, but do you happen to know why they rented the docks out, and if they have a name associated with them?”

Not for the first time since she had received Capricorn’s key did she realize how blessed she was to have him by her side. Being a runaway would have been near impossible without his patience and steady nature.

The first dockhand pushed his lips out, she thought it resembled a pout or a duck-face, and nodded slowly. “’Ell, this ship’s ‘is.” He motioned to the large ship in the dock. Lights were strung around the decks and boxes of crates labeled ‘Wine’ sat on the upper decks. A party ship. Great.

“Yeah, and from the rumors I heard,” the third dockhand leaned in, ready to tell them a secret, “he went around boo-sting he’s some famous lizard from a fairy place.”

A famous lizard? Fairy place? Rolling around the words in her head, the latest edition of Sorcerer’s Weekly had mentioned the great success Salamander of Fairy Tail had achieved with destroying an abandoned village that needed to be cleared. It briefly mentioned other points of damage he had done that had not been requested, but they tried hard to keep those as footnotes near the bottom of his article.

“Do you mean, Salamander of Fairy Tail?” They had to have heard wrong. Why would such a renowned wizard come to a place like Hargeon to throw a party? Fairy Tail was located on a giant lake that near resembled an ocean. He could have stayed there and not disrupted people trying to work.

“That’s it!” The other dockhand gave his friend a narrowed look. “Really? Lizard from a fairy place? You drinkin’ on the job again?”

“Yeah—no!”

If Salamander of Fairy Tail was here…she worried her lower lip between her teeth, zoning out the arguing of the dockhands. Fairy Tail held all her dreams of becoming a wizard. If there were any guild strong enough to protect her, it would be them. But could she convince him to let her join?

“”Ey, miss?”

She blinked rapidly and looked at the first dockhand. “Sorry, I was thinking a bit. What did you say?”

“He said that you might want to steer clear of that guy,” the second answered.

“Why’s that?”

“Yeah, well…he was saying that he will only accept the most beautiful of men and women, and you lookin’ a bit young,” the third shrugged.

Brows furrowed, she glanced at Capricorn and then the men. “I don’t understand…”

The three men leaned in closer to her, and instinctively, her and Capricorn did the same. It felt like they were sharing secrets with her, and if there had been work available, she felt that they would have been some great personalities to pass the day by faster.

“’Hat guy’s a snake,” the first hissed.

“He’d ruin you any chance he got. Don’t let him even look your way,” the second warned.

“Yeah, he bad news! Gonna try sleepin’ with all the women,” the third shook his fists.

“Listen to your uncles,” the second pulled her attention back to him. “Don’t approach him and don’t go on that ship.”

Their warnings had been sincere, and even Capricorn agreed with them, but the thought that someone she looked up to turned out to be such a creep clouded all rationale.

Anger flushed her cheeks, and her footsteps quickly turned to huffed stomps on the cobblestone. Salamander of Fairy Tail or not, the fact he threw around his reputation and ease of money in the face of those who had to work for theirs added to the fire building. He was an entitled jerk who looked down at those less fortunate. Just like those from the life she ran away from.

It had not taken long to find where he had been gathering his potential ‘guests’ for the party; one only had to follow the giddy laughter and excited squeals that led her directly to him. He stood high and mighty on his water fountain throne, using his magic in a way no respectful wizard should.

Her eyes narrowed. He had ruined her plans to earn enough money and potentially find additional work, and he dared to dress like some half-baked noble. That shade of purple had been out of fashion in the upper class since she had been a child!

Whether it was from the fury she exuded or her ragged appearance, the crowd parted easily for her. The disturbance to his show caught his attention, and she saw the way his nose wrinkled and the judgement that passed over his features. Fine by her. He was certainly no looker himself.

A perfect showman, the look disappeared in a blink and he smiled at her. “My, what a lovely—!”

Without a thought, her legs had taken the step up onto the fountain right to him and mete out her vision of justice. Water splashed over the edge of the fountain from the mass of his body falling into it. The skin of her knuckles burned and instantly turned red from the abuse of meeting the thin flesh under his chin.

Shoulders shuddered with each breath. Every fiber screamed that it had not been enough.

“You uncultured swine!” her voice rose above the murmuring of the crowd. From her raised perch on the edge of the fountain where he had been, she shoved her fists against her hips. “Using your magic like it’s some paltry magician’s trick and taking away work for those who need it!”

Her annoyance only grew when she turned to the crowd of overzealous women who returned her glare. While they outnumbered her, she knew that if they decided to jump her the water in the fountain would play a huge role in washing them all away—herself included.

“Do none of you have any self-respect? Why are you throwing yourselves at—” Words caught in her throat as arms wrapped around her chest, pinning her arms tightly against her sides. At first, she tensed at the thought that she would be thrown to the ground. If she managed to roll as Capricorn had taught her, she would be able to walk away with only a few scratches.

Then, she tensed for a completely different reason. The arms around her loosened enough that one of them began to move upwards in a way that sent a shudder through her. Through the fabric of her clothes, she felt an arm pressed up into her breasts and a breath of air slithered across her cheek.

“What is this hidden under these clothes?” His voice, only a whisper, echoed loudly in her ear. With a wince, she tried to pull away from him, but the movement against her side brought a strange sensation over her. Her heart pounded against her chest, but it fluttered at the feel of his arms wrapped around her. Heat rose up in her chest, spread over her cheeks and to the tips of her ears. What…what was happening to her?

A new face broke through the crowd, pulling her attention to it. No, she realized, it was not a face, but a shock of pink that adorned the head of the person rushing toward her. The heat that pooled in her chest diminished and a different sort of heat fixated on the wrist the newcomer grabbed.

Inside, something shattered and left her breathless as she was dragged through the crowd.

“Come on, weirdo!”

They ran through the courtyard and down a few back alleyways, dashing around each corner until she felt she would be sick from how fast they were going. Still, through the entire way, not once did the grip on her wrist loosen or tighten to the point of pain. And the heat from him traveled all the way up her arm. Just that touch alone felt warmer than the chill of Salamander.

When they finally came to a stop somewhere in the back alleys of the port city, he let her wrist go and fell forward. She followed suit and gasped for breath. It had been a long time since she had to full-out run like that.

After a few mouthfuls of oxygen, she pushed her hair back from her face and combed her fingers through it. It always got unruly under her hat to the point that it often took an hour to get the knots out. Her eyes widened.

Patting the top of her head, she looked at the ground for any sign of her hat, but only sludge and garbage filled the narrow space between the buildings. Panic surged upward. Without her hat, anyone hired to track her down would have an easier job of it. The last time she had been found, it had been nearly the end.

Hands grabbed her shoulders, jolting her from the panic clawing at her sanity and back to her surroundings in the alleyway. A shaky breath filled her lungs and she focused on the noise coming from the person who had dragged her there. Blinking, the corner of her lips tugged down as the person in front of her…laughed?

With his head bent downwards, all she could make out of his features were the pink locks she noticed earlier and his shoulders that bounced along with his laughter. A large travel pack with a bedroll gave her some clues that he was also a fellow traveler looking for work in the area.

Maybe a wizard down on his luck, or someone also on the run.

“That…” he took a deep breath and threw his head back with more laughter. With his mouth wide, she took notice of the sharp fangs. “That was great! You really socked him!”

Except for her self-defense training with Capricorn, she had never been praised for punching someone. That had been something completely frowned upon. She still remembered the stern talking to she had received as a child after hitting a boy who had pushed her.

A familiar warmth covered her cheeks, and she realized it felt really nice to be complimented by someone with no obligations to praise her.

“Thanks.” She offered him a smile and scratched her cheek in embarrassment, “I wouldn’t have normally done that, but…he really made me mad.”

“You looked ‘bout ready to end him,” he cackled, wiping his eyes of tears. “I know a few others who are just as scary as you. I bet they would be thrilled to meet you.”

It felt like a bucket of cold water had been dropped over her head and the bucket followed soon after. Had this been a trap to lure her away from a public place and kidnap her? Anyone could have been hired by her father, or someone who wanted to use her for ransom.

Self-consciously, she tugged on her hair and looked up and down the alleyway. Were there others who were around there? Waiting for the signal to jump out and grab her? She reached down with her free hand toward her keys.

“By the way,” he pulled back from her and held out his hand. The grin on his face startled her at how large it was. If she were to describe it, she’d say it was encompassing, spreading over his entire face from his crinkled eyes, his revealed dimples, and the slight crunch of his nose. It made her reconsider her previous misgivings and feel a spark of hope. “My name’s Natsu Dragneel, what’s yours?”

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Author's Note:

I realized after publishing the first chapter that I completely forgot to thank my betas for what they were able to do so far to help me on this.

Kiri and @legendoftheotherside did fantastic while dealing with life. Sorry that I love screwing up dialogue and action beats!

My favorite part of this chapter (besides Lucy punching Bora) are the Uncles at the dock. They came out of no where while writing this and they became my favorites. I hope you all enjoyed them, too!

At some point, I hope to actually have a banner for this series. Will need to work on that. Until then, I will use Fairy Tail gifs!

Reminder that chapters come out every two weeks! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will see you on October 6th!

Links: AO3 (Is locked to registered AO3 users) | FF.net

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