#natsu is just chill and/or trying to focus on learning

[nalu-gifs]

[bloodys44]

Silence and Cigarette Smoke

-Original story and bonus content found here! ↓↓↓↓

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13289933/1/Silence-and-Cigarette-Smoke

Prolog pt. 2 - Meeting The Boy Who Smokes

785

Lucy's POV ~

When Lucy awoke for the second time, reality was a cold plunge from the warmth she had previously been enveloped in. The scorching heat that dripped off her skin was replaced with cold stark hospital sheets, folded and constricting over her delicate frame. The smell of antiseptic swarming her nose, fogging her senses. Her own limbs felt foreign to her body, weighted and disconnected. She gave her head a slight shake, attempting to put her thoughts into a coherent line before pushing her eyes to open. Fluttering lashes peeled back to reveal blistering white, bright and gleaming. She was in a hospital room of sorts. The area spacious yet cluttered, stacked with recognizable medical tools and equipment. Three more beds lined the wall to her left, neatly folded green sheets perched at their heads. Their equipped side table decorated with delicate assortments of flowers. To her right, a grand mosaic styled window, allowing rays of warmth to comfort her chilled skin. Most of her vision, however, was obstructed by a large pearlized sheet, hung limply on ceiling hooks. A rather hideous pattern embroidered over the fabric. Lucy let out a slight huff as she shifted her weight, squirming to peer around the offending curtain. Her eyes blowing wide when her strained neck allowed her to peer over the hem. Across from her were two figures, seemingly unknowing of her newfound consciousness. A woman, with her back turned towards her, hips swaying as she tended to the man perched on the gleaming countertop to her front. Her hands precise and trained as they cleaned and stitched his open wounds. The man, she recognized to be her saviour from the previous night. He looked relaxed, leaning his head against the tiled wall with his eyes closed. Even during her state of haze the evening prior she had thought he was beautiful, but looking at him now she was almost breathless. The mid-morning sun casting over him like a golden aura. The rich tan of his skin stretched over the spance of his bare chest. Pink tendrils crowned his scull obnoxiously, demanding some of her attention. His ears were lined with multiple gold piercings, a few hoops and studs littered across the cartilage in uneven numbers. The first and second holes at the bottom of his lobe matched, decorated with small golden dragon heads and smaller diamond studs respectively. Lucy had never seen a man like him before, pieced together so flawlessly. His features so strong and pronounced one would never be able to forget his face.

"You've really done a number on yourself this time Natsu." The woman finally spoke, her voice sweet, dripping with honey. She pulled away a step, her hands continuing to hover slightly over his chest. "Mira's going to pull such a fuss that you stitched some of these yourself, your handiwork is atrocious."

"Damn, and here I thought I'd be coming home to compliments." Natsu's face stretched into a wicked smirk as he spoke, an amusingly playful tone pouring from his throat. His eyes stretched open slowly, revealing deep rich obsidian. "Least I made it home in one piece."

The woman snorted, placing her hands on her hip."I suppose that could be considered an accomplishment for you." She shook her head lightly, stepping away from him to rummage through drawers. "What am I supposed to do when you come home in a multitude of pieces? I won't even know where to start."

This time Natsu snorted, leaning forward to remove his head from it's resting place. His long arm swung forward to loop around the woman's neck, stringing her into him with a noticeable force. "Ah Lissana, you worry too much. I'll always make it home to you." The woman giggled slightly, pushing up against his arm in a playful manner.

It was sweet really, their out front care for one another. Lucy couldn't help but feel she was spying, a dirty feeling pooling in the depths of her stomach. She leaned back slowly, only to freeze when her elbow connected with a glass that was apparently on her side table. In a swift movement, she tried to capture the glass between her fingertips before it shattered with an obnoxious clash. She most definitely had the other attention now. Nervously she glanced up, meeting their fixated gaze. They both looked a little stunned, eyes wide and gawking at her. "Oh, I wasn't expecting you to be awake so soon." The woman mused, tossing her head slightly to remove short tendrils of white from her view. She stepped away from Natsu, brushing his arm off her shoulder. She was a rather petite woman with a dainty exterior to match. Pale skin complimenting the blunt white locks that hugged at the edges of her skull. Her features were soft, melting into her face with refined opulence. And god, the most demanding electric blue eyes Lucy had ever seen. She looked almost whimsical, gliding across the tiles beneath her. Dressed in a light blue tunic that fell slightly past her full hips, a snowy cloak trailing over her shoulders. Pure crystallized beauty radiating off her skin. An unmatched goddess donated by the clouds themselves.

"W-who are you?" Lucy croaked, wincing at the crack that travelled down her throat. The uncertainty in her voice almost thick enough to peel away. The woman glanced up quickly, batting dark lashes that curled upwards towards her brow.

"My name's Lissana." She exhaled sweetly. "And yours?" Lucy simply shook her head, eyes never leaving their fixture on the woman. The panic thrumming through her blood was etching its way into her skin. She had enough people searching for her as it was, and with no actual knowledge about her current position, cautiousness was something she couldn't afford to overstep. "I suppose that's fair." She sighed in response. "Natsu-san said those awful royal guardsmen were giving you a fairly rough time." She tossed her head upwards softly, granting Lucy a kind smile. "I'm sorry you had to go through that... Those men really are despicable, taking advantage of a lady like that." Lucy nodded slowly, allowing her eyes to bounce back towards Natsu. He was staring burn holes into her skull. His expression firm and curious. She wanted to dive into his mind, unravel his thoughts and learn the story of the god-like man presented before her. She couldn't understand the magnetic pull towards him, why he stood out so much against the world. Her head was still throbbing and trying to focus on the persistent questions that were pouring from Lissana was such a hassle when all she wanted was to look at him. Lucy tried to refocus her mind, she looked back towards Lissana who gave her a sad smile when she realized Lucy hadn't been listening to any of her medical history questions. "Not to fret," She sputtered, taking a seat at the foot of the bed. "Let's just start with how you're feeling?"

Lucy turned to her leg, attempting to roll the limb under the restricting sheets. It screamed at her, a pulsing shot knawing at her nerve endings. The pain in her leg was understandable, the spasm a constant reminder of her miss-step the previous evening. But what truly caught her off guard was her wrist. The revolting snap still fresh against her eardrums. And yet, it was completely fine. A simple bandage sealed her skin away from the light of day, but the immediate pain had subsided, leaving an ignorable dull ache. She held her arm up in front of her, examining her joint with concentration as she unwove the silky fabric binding it. She looked back at Lissana, who was staring patiently with a hopeful grin. "How long have I been asleep for?" She questioned instead of granting an answer. The miraculous healing of her wrist throbbing at the back of her mind.

"Only for a few hours actually, it's fairly surprising considering that forceful head injury you endured. Not to mention the amount of smoke you inhaled." A look of confusion overtook Lucy's features, her eyes darting downwards to her wrist. She lifted her limb softly, holding it out towards the snowy woman while gesturing towards it with a slight nod. Lissana smiled weakly, opening her mouth to answer before a loud screech wafted from the hallway.

"ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE NATSU!?"

Lucy perked up instantly, keening onto the words that slipped through the gap of the doorframe. Lissana looked startled, gripping the edge of the bed while muttering under her breath. "WHY WOULD YOU BRING AN UN-REGISTERED MAGE HERE?!" The large wooden door that capped the far end of the room flung open, creaking hinges echoing down the hall. She found herself almost frustrated by the fact that everybody here seemed to be uncharacteristically good looking. The new figure rolling in on a chilled breeze. He was tall, lean and sculpted, the muscles rippling down his arms and over the plane of his stomach. Everything on show from his lack of shirt. Dark jeans strung casually over his defined hips by a flimsy belt, a black chain complete with a jewelled cross hung in the same manner around his pale neck. A structured 'V' definition peaking from above the metal clasp of his buckle. His face carried a grim but soothing expression. As if he was sweet yet unapproachable at the same time. A deep scar split the skin between his brow bone and the black hair crowning his head. He looked a little dishevelled, stunned at the three pairs of eyes now focusing solely on him.

"What was I supposed to do? Just leave her there with those filthy bastards to burn in the forest?! Fuck off you over masculated ice cube tray." Natsu retorted back, sliding himself off the counter.

"YOU BURNT DOWN A FOREST?!"

Natsu raised his brow slowly, moving to grab his previously discarded sweater off the far chair. "Not the whole forest dumbass, just most of section 8." He slid the black crew-styled sweater over his head, sliding it down his ridged abdomen mindful of his new stitches. "Would ya quit yelling, you're gonna wake the whole guild."

"The magic council's going to string you up alive when they hear about this." Natsu shrugged at the man, apparently unfazed at the mention of a council Lucy didn't even know existed. So they were all mages? It was strange, the way they spoke so openly about magic. It, being a taboo topic in their modern culture.

"I-I'm sorry... Did you say magic council?" Lucy half-whispered, curiosity getting the better of her. The two men almost jumped at her words, as if they were so focused on one another they forgot about the other woman in the room.

"Wait, is this her?" The second man muttered under his breath, casting a weary wide-eyed glance at Natsu who nodded casually. "Uh... Good morning?" He tried, looking slightly disgruntled about how he was supposed to approach the situation. Lucy gave him a confused expression which only seemed to make the newcomer more uncomfortable. "My name's Gray, and this," He swung his arm back to point beside him. "Is Natsu." She nodded slowly, her confused expression still on display. Gray looked uneasy, shifting his weight to his other foot. It was odd, his lack of confidence in the current situation, considering his brash reaction a few moments ago. He ran pale fingers through his dark locks slowly, eyeing her from head to foot. It was almost like he was sizing her up, seeing if she would leap out and bite him.

"God, you really have a way with a woman." Natsu mocked in a teasing manner. She almost had to hold back her own giggle, Lissana doing the same off to her right. Gray scowled at Natsu, deep cold eyes a contrast to the slight flush in his cheeks.

"It's not that it's just the matter of.." He paused, trying to string together a coherent sentence to ask her.

"I think brain freeze is trying to ask what type of user you are." Natsu finished, a creamy laugh following his words. Gray let out an exasperated sigh, nodding slowly in defeat.

She raised a brow, confusion painting her face. Lissana had now stopped her busy-work, listening intently with a pointed expression. Lucy felt like shrinking under all the scrutiny. It wasn't that she wasn't used to all the attention, just that their gaze was firm, boiling her blood with the intensity. Her lower lip began to tremble, biting it being the only way to stop its quiver. If these people knew of her enchanted blood already she was screwed. If these people really weren't mages, her beheading would be scheduled before the days light slipped past the horizon line. The laws of the land were firm, and those who opposed them were treated just as poorly as the ones born against them. She pulled her lip into her mouth harshly, sucking in a shaky breath and tried to muster her most confident expression. "I'm not a witch." She deadpanned, deciding blatant denial would probably serve her the best in this situation. "Why would you accuse me of such treason before you even knew my name?"

Natsu's face contorted, his pupils blown wide for emphasis. A scowl blooming over his expressive features. "What are you talking about? I knew you were a witch from the second I saw you." He leaned in closer, studying her with exact precision. Lucy's breath caught into her throat, letting her lip fall from between her teeth with a careful whimper. "Drop the act, I hate when people play dumb with me." The temperature spiked in the room, like his onyx gaze was melting her organs into liquid fire. He was so intense, his presence alone petrifying when it needed to be.

How could he have known? She hadn't used her magic in years, let alone in front of this man. She was very particular about when she would let the enchantment rise to the surface of her skin, fairly certain that only her parents had ever witnessed it. And after her father's reaction, she wasn't too keen on letting a random stranger in on the secret. "H-how could you tell?" Natsu's expression faltered for a mere second before a smirk ebbed its way to his lips. Violently pointed canines peeking past the tan flesh.

"I could practically smell it on you from the forest line. Royal blood tends to reak." His smirk grew wildly, giving her an open few of the rest of his teeth. Placed perfectly with accurate precision and gleaming white. She could have sworn she witnessed a stream of smoke sneak past his teeth. His statement snagged the attention of everyone in the room, all their jaws hanging open slightly. Natsu didn't seem to notice the others, entertained completely by the flustered mess he had created out of the blonde. She was baffled. In a matter of two minutes, this man had ripped apart her most guarded secrets. Ones that she had dedicated the last three years of her life protecting. "Judging by your reaction I would even go as far as guessing that you just might be our one and only lost princess." He leaned in closer, gaging her reaction. His ridiculous smirk never leaving his quirked lips. This time she was certain of the smoke, a deep gray whisp forcing past his lips. "So I'll ask once more, what type of user are you?" His voice had dropped at least three octaves, the latter of the sentence losing the playfulness he had begun to pick up.

"Natsu, stop. You're scaring her." Lissana moved forward, placing a delicate hand over his rough shoulders. She was eyeing Lucy tenderly, the glimmer of her irises silently asking if she was alright. Natsu didn't retreat, keeping his stance firm as he loomed over the edge of her mattress. if Lucy thought her blood had been pushed to boiling under their original gaze, she figured at this point she was utterly evaporating.

"I'm n-not sure."

The room temperature spiked fiercely. Natsu's face contorting as his patience was ground down. Gray stepped forward, looking at her rather unpleasantly. "Look, I understand this is probably a lot to take in just after you woke up. I know you didn't ask for any of this, but because of this morons antics," He shoved his finger towards Natsu's chest from across the bed frame, earning a displeased scoff. "You ended up here. We really don't mean you any harm and we promise to help keep you safe if your willing to work with us. So please, just answer his question." Lucy nodded before tossing her head down, letting the bedsheets take up her vision. Gray certainly was kinder with his words, and she did feel a little less uncomfortable now. But the panic at the back of her throat had yet to subside completely.

"I'm sorry... I really don't know." She exhaled her words carefully. "I have almost no knowledge of magic, or how any of it works." She could feel the redness of her cheeks overtaking the rest of her face and crawling down her neck to splay over her chest. The embarrassment of her lack of skill taking over. "Really the most I can do is make my hands glow a little bit."

"Can you show us?" This time when Natsu spoke, his voice was calm. Soothing over her worry like a milky glaze. She tossed her head forward again, wincing at the slight throb just above her nose. His eyes were soft and endearing as he peered forward, waiting patiently for her to make her move. The contrast of his quickly changing moods almost giving her whiplash. She closed her eyes in focus, inhaling harshly as she forced all the heat in her chest to the tips of her fingers. A gentle hue of flaxen light coating over her palms and down her fingertips. She ripped her eyelids open when a forceful hand connected with hers. Natsu eagerly pulling them towards himself.

"No way..." He muttered, his words slipping out under his hot breath. The sultriness drizzling over her fingers and causing her light to spark recklessly before going out completely. He tossed his head to the side, catching Gray's stare. "Do you really think we found one?" Gray shrugged his shoulders slowly, eyes darting back towards Lucy's hands. She exhaled shakily, pushing her lips apart to question the two men, only to be caught off guard by the oak door swinging against its hinges violently.

"You," The newcomer lashed, striking a finger in Natsu's direction. "Have a hell of a lot of explaining to do."

Natsu's POV ~

Natsu dropped Lucy's hand instantly, casting his attention to the figures in the doorframe. It appeared their Guild Master had returned from his trip unexpectedly early. And if the annoying expression plastered over his features was anything to go by, he wasn't too pleased by his own extravagant entrance. One might think after years of burning various things into pillars of ash, that people would get used to it. Sadly the reaction stayed relatively the same."So, what have you got to say for yourself?" Their headmaster practically spat, waving a stack of folded envelopes above his head dramatically. His small exterior greatly decreasing the intimidating aura he was obviously going for. The crevasses of his ever defining wrinkles scrunching as he contorted his face further. "You've really done a number this time Natsu. The council is furious with me for letting you galavant around so carelessly!" His voice was rough, the old man almost shaking with intensity. Natsu let a puff of smoke roll of his lips, deciding to focus instead on the figure beside their Master.

"I think what he means to say is good morning." The words rich on her tongue as they slipped past pearlized teeth. A soft chuckle capping her speech. Mirajane. A woman of utter sophistication. The elder sister of Lissana Strause, their resemblance uncanny as they stood across from one another. Her complexion held the same pale exterior but with such a rosy undertone one might believe she bathed only in the finest rosewater. Unlike her sister, her snowy locks fell in long relaxed curls that billowed at the extreme curve of her hips. She exhaled a sweet harmony over the gloss of her full pink lips. Working them into an amused pout while she raised her remaining hand to wrap her cinched waist. A dress coloured of deep coral donned her figure, the neckline deep, complimenting the dip of her defined collar bones. Her every movement felt calculated, meticulous even. Her only goal to radiate complete and utter perfection. She released her hold on the Headmaster's shoulder with a slight pop of her wrist, sweeping forward across the tiles to circle around Natsu. A glorious smile overtaking her pout as she pinched his cheeks. "It's so good to see you back, you've been gone an awful lot lately." Natsu jerked his head backward ungracefully, detaching the abused flesh of his cheeks from her slender fingertips. "You look older, more filled out even." She tapped his chest pointedly, smirking up towards him. "And you need to shave."

Natsu shifted his weight to his other foot, rubbing the underside of his jaw self-consciously. "Good to see you too Mira." He utterly playfully. She had easily become one of his favourite people over the years, kindness basically radiated out of her pores. Her motherly figurative a welcoming beam of light over his shambled life. Although he still found it rather perplexing that she was engaged to one of the most hard-headed men he had ever met. His daunting personality alone was 'shock' enough. "How's Laxus been?"

"Well enough I suppose." She hummed gently. "I'm sure you can ask him for yourself when he catches up to you later. I've already asked him to have a word or two with you." Natsu raised his brow suspiciously as Mira crossed her delicate arms across her ample chest. "I mean seriously Natsu, gone for months and without letting a single person know you were even leaving. How irresponsible of you. Had me in such a worry. You know what they do to us if we're caught out there." She flicked her wrist softly, waving it in the air in front of her. "Not to mention you seem to be the least inconspicuous out of all of us. We've been tracking damage reports all over the content, trying to pin down your location."

"Ah Mira, you worry too much." He chided, giving her a wild smirk. "Lissana already gave me the same lecture."

"Wait until you see the mess of stitching he's done to his chest." She piped in for good measure, to which Natsu couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Mira shook her head, mid scoff. "How could you be so reckless? That fire was far to close to home. Think of all the attention you've drawn this way. Elfman was on watch last night, said he spent the whole shift diverting royal guardsmen away from our enchantment line." It was rare to see Mira look anything but overwhelmingly cheerful. The worried expression plastered over face felt foreign and wrong. He really did feel guilty for causing such a commotion, but he stood by his actions. He truly believed he did the right thing.

"Not to mention you've breached all of our safety restrictions by bringing an unregistered here." Lucy jumped slightly, realizing that the short man's attentive gaze was now pointed in her direction. Mira shot the man an aggravated look at his aggressive words. Typically preferring to keep a calm mind about things.

"When I saw what those bastard guardsmen were doing to her, taking advantage of her like that, I guess I kinda lost my temper." Natsu shrugged, brushing the situation off. "Anyway, when I went to go check if she was alright she kinda just grabbed on to me. And I could have sworn her hand was glowing gold, I just got excited that maybe I found a real celestial. I mean her blood is definitely that of royals, so I brought her back with me." He cast his eyes toward the very flustered and confused looking blonde, his lips curling into his famous smirk. "And get this Gramps, I just got her to do it again."

The Headmaster raised a brow, folding his arms across his chest. "Out of all the excuses to choose from, you pick the most outlandish and expect me to believe you?"

"Master, I think he's really telling the truth. I just saw her do it myself." Lissana spoke up, moving to join the circle of people around Lucy's bed. "I really don't believe she holds any threat over us. She hasn't even been taught how to control her energy." She raised her pale fingers to cup the underside of Natsu's jaw, her frame continuing to face the older man. "I know his actions may have seemed uncalled for, but above it all, he did save a life. Not to mention the fact that Freed's barrier charm has never been stronger. Attention to the area or not, I don't believe they'd be able to actually find us here." She giggled, crouching down to match his shorter height. "I think you should let her stay. If she really is a celestial, we could help unlock her potential. Plus, I don't believe she has anywhere else to go. Would you really kick a child to the street?" She gestured towards Lucy, who (if possible) looked more confused than before.

"Ah, Lissana, ever fateful with bailouts." The Headmaster snorted, crossing his arms roughly. She smiled genuinely, nodding her head slightly before standing again. He turned to face the recovering blonde, raising a brow in curiosity. "I suppose I can deal with Natsu's destructive behaviour later. For now, let's start with your name?"

Natsu once again let his sightline fall to her, the pretty blonde woman wearing a perplexed expression. She was easily one of the most stunning women he'd ever come across, entrancing him from the second she fell in his peripheral. The way she was sitting, sprawled in the tall grass while those vile men encircled her. Moonlight basking over the expanse of her creamy skin. Expression firm even in her bleak situation. The way she had clung to his jaw when he finally approached her. Chocolate irises reflecting the golden light of his flames. Chest heaving, searching for lost breath. Her body, so delicate against his rough arms. When she had called him an angel in her disorientated state, it did more than stroke his ego lightly. And even now, wrapped up in a starch hospital gown, a grayish bruise dusted over the slope of her elegant nose. Blonde tendrils dancings over the small of her back in effortless curls. Shorter strands framing the heart shape of her face and dipping under the graceful curve of her chin. The way her words poured like thick cream from her slender top lip, pooling over the plumpness of her bottom one. "Lucy." Fitting, he almost snorted. Of course, she would have a beautiful name to accompany her opulent exterior. "It's Lucy Heartfilia." She was nervous, quivering slightly under the scrutiny.

"A Heartfilia? Looks like I guessed right then." Natsu snickered, raising his arms to cross behind his head. Lucy nodded, casting her eyes back towards the sheets.

"I thought all the Hearfilia women had passed?" Their Headmaster questioned. "Seem's only yesterday the Queen was executed before the public."

Lucy flinched, her fingers toying with one another absentmindedly. "S-she helped me run away. I think my father was embarrassed he wasn't able to find me. So he announced that my own execution would be private." She looked up, sad eyes locking with the old man who nodded in return.

"How did you end up in the forest?"

"Somebody must have recognized me while I was travelling through Magnolia." She mumbled, trying to hide the twitch of her lower lip. "The local guardsmen chased me from town." Their Master seemed satisfied enough with her answer, moving to the end of her bed before hopping up to perch on the fabric.

"So you knew nothing of what was located in this forest before your arrival?" He questioned, his tone was light while his eyes were serious. Lucy shook her head, golden locks bouncing with every sway. "I suppose that means our cover has yet to be blown." He nodded in approval before shifting his arm forward, offering his hand towards the young woman. Natsu winced slightly. This was their Master's final test to gauge if she was a threat or not, and it most certainly wasn't a pleasant one. At least in his case, it hadn't been. Headmaster Makarov Dreyar was an exceptional man, with abilities unmatched by the common mage. He had spent years of his life dedicated towards the magical arts, earning the title of Wizard Saint early on in life. One of his wondrous abilities was that of mind searching. Rare in its own right, giving the caster access to the memories of their chosen victim. A complete unlocking of one's mind. Or in Natsu's opinion, a complete invasion of one's most sacred and darkest memories. Forcing the victim to relive them while he searched. He turned away when he heard the breathy gasp escape her lips. Closing his eyes against the dull sapphire glow. When he finally peeled them open again, Lucy was sitting with a hurt expression over her features, clutching her previously extended hand against her chest. Neither of them spoke for a moment, allowing her to catch her breath before moving on. Natsu knew their Master would never utter a word about another's memories, but the thought of him having all this knowledge of someone was still rattling to him, despite the ample trust he had for the man.

"I'm sorry about that." Makarov apologized gently, tapping the blanket cast over her uninjured leg. "It's vital I dismiss any doubt of your character before allowing you access to my home and family." Lucy nodded slowly, her puzzled expression returning. Natsu let out a shaky breath, relief pooling in the pit of his stomach at her acceptance. "This place," The old man gestured around, "Is sector three's mage compound, code dubbed Fairy Tail. A completely self-sufficient guild created for the safety of mages like us." He smiled, the grin almost childlike against his aged exterior. "It was founded many years ago as a resource for mages to find work and housing and continues to provide that to this day. After the announcement of criminalization against those with magic blood, Fairy Tail, along with other guilds on the continent created a hidden network to aid witches and wizards in their daily life."

"That's amazing," Lucy whispered breathily. Natsu was scanning her again. His lips twitching into a smirk as he watched the light begin to slip back into her eyes. "Nobody ever speaks of it anymore, but I just knew there must have been a sanctuary of sorts for the enchanted." She was grinning now, a sheepish curl overtaking her mouth. "I knew my father would never be able to wipe magic away completely, it's far too strong for the likes of him."

Makarov nodded, hiding his own smirk behind the white mustache coating his top lip. "I am Headmaster Makarov, the keeper of this guild. I dedicate my life to the grounds and those who live here. In my opinion, there is no safer place for a mage to be in today's world."

"It's really more of a fact than opinion," Gray added, crossing his arms. "If you have any life ambition as a mage, a guild is where you want to be."

"And as a mage in need, I offer with complete sincerity a place of residence for you. There is no pressure in my offering, only available aid. We can train you here, help you to develop your skills in all things including magic. You can work for your keep as the other residents do, through listed quests and job postings as well as more clerical jobs around the base. I can offer you safety if you agree to live by the code and rules of our guild." The headmaster spoke evenly, keeping his attention on the blonde. Her excitement seemingly growing with his every added word. "It's up to you, child."

Lucy was beaming, glistening straight teeth on show for the group. "This really is like a dream." She hummed. "I think I would be insane to decline such an offer."

Makarov nodded approvingly. "Well Miss Lucy, on behalf of our guild I would like to offer you a warm welcome, as well as an apology for the situation that brought you to us. I hope you will come to love it here just as I do." He slid off the edge of the bed, now making his way towards the door. "For now child, you should rest. Come tomorrow morning we can see about housing arrangments for you." He peered over his shoulder at her, granting a kind smile, then turned towards Natsu. "And you," he spoke sternly, pointing a finger at his chest. "Come to my office, I believe we still have much to discuss about your recklessness.

"And I am most certainly will be having a look at those stitches Natsu. Let's not add more than we must to that collection of scars." Mira scolded firmly. Natsu let out a smoky huff before following the older man out the door. Only sparing a single glance back towards Lucy before turning down the hall.

Lucy's POV ~

Everyone continued to file out of the room after Natsu, leaving her alone with an overly beaming Lissana. "I just know you'll love it here. Fairy Tail has become a home for so many others like you, I have no doubt you'll fit in." She hummed, her glorious smile never leaving her lips. Lucy nodded happily, her own smile crawling across her lips innocently.

"Is everybody here proficient in magic?"

"Almost all the current members are yes, but others were like you when they were recruited." A dreamy look overtook her blue orbs as she seated herself at the foot of the mirroring bed. "If I remember correctly, even Natsu-san struggled to make sparks when Gildarts came across him." She let out a breathy giggle. "And look at the powerhouse he's become! I'm sure you'll progress quickly enough."

"Did he really burn an entire section of forest away?" Lucy couldn't help herself from prying about the boy, still overly curious about everything he had to offer. "How did he manage that?"

Lissana snorted, rolling her shoulders back carefully "One does not simply explain how Natsu manages to do half the things he does." She huffed, tossing her bangs with a flick of her neck. "Although, as disastrous as his methods seem to be, he always manages to save those who need saving." She was smiling again, a goofy-looking grin plastered over her lips. She stood slowly, turning to dig through a drawer in the desk across from the bed. "He comes across a little brash sometimes, but I promise you he's rather amazing."Lucy relaxed lower into the bedsheets, deciding that the woman ahead of her was just blatantly that nice. Maybe she really would be safe and hidden here. The thought was charming, having a solid place to stand on for a while. Even the clean sheets of the infirmary a considerable upgrade from the cheap rooms she had been renting.

"He saved me too, ya know. A long time ago, when we were young and foolish." Lissana spun on her heel gracefully, leaning against the worn wooden siding of the desk. Her cloak rippling around her legs with pure grace. "I owe him everything." Her lips curled upwards slightly, smiling at the ground as if it would respond to her sincerity. It was almost endearing, hearing her speak so highly of somebody. "It really isn't that terrible being indebted to somebody like him." She was beaming at the floor foolishly now and this time it was Lucy's turn to snort, amused at how this woman was so clearly drooling over Natsu. Though she could hardly blame her, he had been astronomically beautiful. Even the gods seemed uncomparable. She nodded slowly, returning Lissana's warm gaze.

"Now," Lucy spoke softly, trying to regain her confidence. "Can you tell me what a celestial is?"

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Hope you enjoyed this one :) Let me know what you think!

[splendidlyimperfect]

Sting’s entire life changed when he was eleven years old and his best friend Rogue told a secret that he’d promised to keep. Taken away from the father who abused him and the best friend who’d tried to save him, Sting tried to start a new life with his uncle. But the trauma wasn’t easy to escape, and eventually Sting turned to drinking to forget the things that hurt.

Now he’s an adult, and he hasn’t been sober in years. But when drinking nearly kills him and a near-stranger saves his life, Sting has a chance to turn his life around, and maybe become the man that Rogue deserves to love.

Chapter Summary: Things get worse, and Sting tries to find ways to cope with his anger.

Chapters (9/?): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Rogue Cheney/Sting Eucliffe, Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster, Natsu Dragneel & Sting Eucliffe, Sting Eucliffe & Weisslogia Characters: Sting Eucliffe, Natsu Dragneel, Rogue Cheney, Gray Fullbuster, Weisslogia (Fairy Tail) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Past Child Abuse, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Trans Character, Trans Sting, Friendship, Childhood Friends, Sting-focused story, Sting is a disaster, Natsu’s a great friend, Rogue tries to do what’s right, Tumblr: FTLGBTales Series: Part 2 of i’m still standing

**TW for underage drinking and sexually suggestive content with teens

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im·​paired | \ im-ˈperd adjective : being in an imperfect or weakened state or condition

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vii

spring age thirteen

.

After that, the nightmares start.

Sting wakes up crying in the middle of the night with blood under his fingernails from scratching at his arms. He can’t remember what the dream was about, but afterward, he can’t fall back asleep. His stomach hurts, and there’s a part of him that wants to wake up Uncle Wes and ask for a hug. But then he hears his dad’s voice, so he hides in the closet instead.

Grow up

Stop crying

Don’t be such a baby

Sting squeezes his eyes shut and covers his ears, shaking his head and pressing himself as far back in the corner as he can. “Stop it,” he whispers. Everything is blurry and his head hurts, and all he can think about is shouting and broken glass.

The next day at school he can’t eat, and halfway through third period he gets a headache so bad that he has to run to the washroom and throw up. He manages through the rest of the day, and when he gets home, Uncle Wes tries to ask what’s wrong.

Sting ignore the question and hides in his bedroom, refusing supper and eventually falling asleep in his clothes. He wakes up in the middle of the night, crying and sweating and eventually throwing up again.

“You don’t look good,” Uncle Wes says the next morning when Sting drags himself downstairs for breakfast. “Do you want to stay home from school today?”

Sting can’t even look at him. Even when the police had showed up with Sting in tow at four in the morning, Uncle Wes hadn’t been mad. He hadn’t yelled at Sting for using his phone, or stealing money for the bus, or sneaking away to see his dad. Instead he’d thanked the officer, then pulled Sting into a hug and told him it was going to be okay.

Sting shakes his head, pushing away the cereal Uncle Wes made for him and leaving the house without a word.

It’s not going to be okay. 

Continue reading on AO3

~

Things get worse.

The nightmares don’t stop. Sting’s stomach hurts every day, and food becomes a fight. He can’t pay attention in school, and nothing sticks because he’s never really there. When he starts failing tests, Uncle Wes tries to step in. He meets with Sting and his teachers and it’s just like when Sting had come out and they’d all talked about pronouns and bathrooms like he wasn’t even there. This time, the teachers look at him with pity instead of curiosity, and eventually Sting shoves his chair over and storms out of the room.

He doesn’t go back to school.

Uncle Wes gets him into this online program for ‘alternative learning,’ which Sting knows is a fancy way for saying ‘kids that are fucked up.’ At first, he tries because Uncle Wes is so good to him, and Sting doesn’t want to make him upset. But eventually, it’s too much. He can’t focus on anything, and he doesn’t want to.

Sting knows Uncle Wes is disappointed, but he never shouts, and sometimes Sting wishes he would. Nothing makes Uncle Wes mad, so Sting gets angry instead. He yells and slams doors and tears his notebooks to pieces, but it doesn’t help.

Sting never feels better, and he starts to think he never will.

~

The first time Sting gets drunk, he’s sixteen.

He’s sitting on the street in an unfamiliar town, staring up at the streetlights and trying not to cry. It’s been hours since he ran away from the guy he’d hitchhiked here with – hours since the words you owe me for the ride were accompanied by a hand around his wrist and a sharp stab of panic. Sting had never run so fast in his life, and now he’s desperately, terrifyingly lost.

Uncle Wes has probably realized he’s gone by now, but it’s the fourth time Sting’s taken off in the past two years, so he probably hasn’t even bothered to call the police this time. Part of Sting wants him to, wants to be found. The other part knows that he’s not worth saving.

You’re never gonna be anything.

Sting shudders. Fuck you, dad, he thinks, wrapping his arms around his knees and pulling them close to his chest. It’s November and he’s freezing – he’s wearing two sweaters but the chill on the cement is soaking through his jeans and he can barely feel his fingers.

“If you stay there, you’re gonna get picked up.”

Sting looks up to see a guy a few years older than him leaning against the bus stop down the street. He’s got hard, dark eyes, and Sting thinks he should probably run away, but he’s just so fucking tired.

“Fuck off,” he growls, trying to sound tough. He’s sure he just sounds pathetic.

The guy shrugs, tipping his head toward the end of the street. “Cops tend to come by here. It’s too close to the fancy neighborhoods.” He shoves his hands into his pockets and takes a step toward Sting. “You’re not from around here.”

Sting doesn’t answer. He pulls his knees closer to him, digging his fingers into his palm to keep himself from trembling. Last time he ran, it had been July, and he’d been able to sleep in the park for a couple nights. This time it’s freezing, and he has nowhere to go.

The sharp blip of a siren makes Sting jump. Fuck. If he gets picked up again, he’ll just end up being Uncle Wes’ problem again, and that’s the last thing he needs. Red-and-blue lights reflect off the wall further down the street, and Sting hears a door slam as an officer gets out of the car.

“You need a place to crash,” the guy says, and it’s more of a statement than a question. He reaches out a hand and Sting shies away from it.

“Why the fuck do you care?” Sting asks.

“I was there,” the guy says, shrugging. “We’ve all got sob stories. Look, it’s not the fuckin’ Hilton, but it’s warm and sometimes people have shit to eat. You look hungry.” Sting stares at the outstretched fingers, then slowly reaches out and takes them. “I’m Ryan,” the guy says once Sting is standing.

“Sting.”

“Interesting name.”

Sting doesn’t say anything, but when Ryan starts walking down the street, Sting grabs his backpack from the ground and follows him. It’s starting to snow, heavy flakes drifting through the dirty light of the streetlamps, and Sting shoves his hands deep into his pockets, shivering.

“Where you from?” Ryan asks as they walk.

“Not here,” Sting replies.

Ryan looks at him sideways, eyes searching Sting’s face before he says, “how old are you?”

“What difference does it make?” Sting snaps, staring down at the sidewalk. He’s tempted to just tell this guy to fuck off, to try and find a quiet corner to sleep in until he can figure out what to do, but Ryan doesn’t pry, so Sting keeps following him.

~

Ryan’s place turns out to be a shitty apartment in a building with a busted door and a broken elevator. Everything smells like cigarette smoke and the wallpaper is peeling, and when Ryan kicks the door to his apartment open, a cloud of smoke wafts out around him.

“C’mon,” Ryan says, grabbing Sting’s arm and guiding him inside. Sting immediately tries to pull away, but Ryan’s grip is tight, and he doesn’t even seem to notice Sting’s panic.

“Ryaannn!” Some guy from the living room calls out and holds up a bottle of beer from his spot on the couch. “Who’s the new kid?”

“Sting,” Ryan says, nudging Sting forward through the kitchen. “Grab him a beer, yeah?”

The next few minutes are a blur of unfamiliar people and names Sting won’t remember, and a low, thrumming panic in the back of his mind that whispers, get out, get out, you aren’t safe. When someone eventually pushes a beer into his hand, he stares at the bottle for a long time. All he can think about is his dad, sitting in the recliner in the living room, downing drink after drink until he passed out and it was finally safe for Sting to leave his room.

I’m not like him, Sting thinks, swallowing back tears. But then he remembers last night, when he’d been so angry that he’d thrown his plate on the floor and shouted at Uncle Wes across the broken pieces. The whole time, Uncle Wes had been calm and patient, and it had stoked the aching, terrified fury that was always boiling in Sting’s chest.

I’m just like him, Sting thinks, and takes a drink.

~

It doesn’t take long for Sting to start feeling it.

At first, it’s like bubbles. Sting’s cheeks flush and his fingers tingle, and the hurt that he’s been carrying around for so long starts to fade into a sort of numb haze. Then Ryan gives him a couple shots of something that tastes horrible, and then a cup of something pink, and after a while, Sting feels like he’s floating. Every time he blinks it’s like falling asleep – soft and hazy and a little bit unreal.

Sting’s not sure what time it is, but it doesn’t seem to matter. People come and go, laughing and drinking and making out with each other on the couches or against the walls. Every time Sting closes his eyes and opens them again, it’s like a shifting dream where everything’s out of sync and nobody is real.

“You okay?” A soft voice drags Sting out of his haze and he looks up. A girl that he doesn’t recognize stares down at him, and he realizes that his head is in her lap and she’s running her fingers through his hair.  

“Yeah,” he mumbles, running his hand over the fabric of the couch. The sensation is wildly unfamiliar, sparks prickling on his fingertips as he explores a ragged cigarette burn on the cushion. Every time the girl touches his face, it’s electric, and he stares at her. “Your eyes are green,” he says, reaching up and running his fingers across her cheek.

“You’re wasted,” the girl giggles. “Why’re you here? You’re too pretty for this place.”

Sting stares at her for a minute, then shakes his head. His hands are tingling now, and he can’t feel anything except a deep sense of relief. The room around him is warped and fading, and he wonders why he’s never done this before.

“How’re you feeling?”

Sting looks up at someone vaguely familiar – Ryan, he’s pretty sure – whose face is swimming in front of the blurry living room lights. It’s like a halo around him, making him bright and warm and something Sting wants to touch.

He does, reaching out and running his fingers over Ryan’s jeans. The fabric is textured under Sting’s fingertips – it’s like he can feel every fiber of the denim against his skin.

“You’re wasted,” Ryan laughs, pulling the girl up and taking her place on the couch next to Sting. A tiny flash of panic runs through Sting when Ryan touches his hair, but the feeling starts to fade when Ryan’s fingers start combing through it. “Feels good, hey?”

Sting hums. He’s so tired, suddenly – keeping his eyes open feels next to impossible. Maybe if he sleeps like this, he won’t have nightmares.

“Y’know what else feels good?” Ryan asks, his voice dropping as he keeps playing with Sting’s hair. His other hand slides up over Sting’s stomach and starts to move in gentle circles there. Sting tenses.  

“I don’t—”

“It’s okay,” Ryan says, sliding his hand a little lower until his fingers are brushing Sting’s belt. A jolt of panic makes its way through the haze in Sting’s mind and he pushes Ryan’s hand away clumsily.

“No,” he mumbles, forcing himself to sit up. As soon as he’s vertical, everything starts to spin, and he groans, putting his head in his hands.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” Ryan says gently, putting his hand between Sting’s shoulder blades. “This your first time?”

Sting’s not sure if Ryan’s talking about drinking, or whatever he was planning on doing with his hands and Sting’s belt, but either way the answer is ‘yes.’ “I should…” Sting frowns, looking around the room for his backpack. Everything blurs together into a mess of light and color, and he sighs, leaning back against the couch.

“I told you that you could crash here,” Ryan says. His thigh is touching Sting’s, but his hands aren’t, so Sting lets it slide. “’s my fault you’re wasted.”

Sting wants to argue, but he doesn’t have anywhere else to go. “’kay,” he says quietly, leaning back until he’s lying on the couch again and staring at the water stains on the ceiling. He shouldn’t be here. His phone is in his back pocket, and Sting knows that if he called, Uncle Wes would come get him.

Ryan squeezes Sting’s knee and stands up, giving Sting an unreadable look and then heading away into the kitchen. The sounds of the party around him fade away, and Sting’s hand drifts down to his phone.

But then he thinks about the broken glass and the awful words he’d shouted, and he shakes his head, curling up so he’s facing the back of the couch and letting himself slip back into a numb haze.

Sting can survive on his own, and Uncle Wes is better off without him.

[impracticaldemon]

A little ErLu for the inimitable @sassyhazelowl in honour of Femslash February ♥ in under the wire on February 28! This is almost entirely fluff and fun, but why not? Hope you enjoy it!

~ Imp

No-Longer-Valentine’s-Day Day

What do you give a woman who already has the ultimate wardrobe of expensive dresses and fine armour?  Not to mention accessories ranging from hand-painted fans (with steel reinforced edges) to pennant-decked horse lances.

Lucy was flipping morosely through a catalogue of swords that included everything from Japanese katana (second blade 50% off!) to Scottish claymores (for life with a little extra swing—ideal for beheading your immortal enemies), trying to pick out the perfect No-Longer-Valentine’s Day gift.  They’d agreed that Valentine’s Day could be overdone, although it was still a good opportunity to pick up strawberry-creme chocolates.  Plus, they’d stocked up on bath bubbles and scented candles the day after at a significant discount.

Not that they hadn’t supported their friends.  Nothing wrong with celebrating Valentine’s Day in traditional ways, or on the traditional date.  Juvia had gone all out, and foregone her usual—as in every single day of the year usual—blue in order to dress up as the Queen of Hearts, complete with tiny red velvet miniskirt, gorgeous, lacy, black bustier, thigh-high black and red boots, and a crown.  Cana had adored it, even though Juvia had muttered that it looked odd with her blue hair, and the two of them had gone off laughing into the night, on their way to both an extravagant masquerade ball, and a waterfront dive.

Lucy hadn’t been envious.  By celebrating Valentine’s Day in their own way, she and Erza could make it more personal, and less commercialized.  …At least, that was the theory.  She flipped the magazine closed with more force than necessary, and managed to give herself a nasty paper cut across the tip of one finger.

Okay, okay, we can do this.  Ignore massive PAIN radiating from little finger, focus on being creative and different!  Juvia dressed up for Cana way outside her comfort zone, wrong colours and everything.  Cana bought tickets to a fancy party, even though it’s not really her crowd–and she’ll behave perfectly, too, just for Juvia.

The sound of familiar footsteps brought Lucy up off the couch in a bound.  It wasn’t much, but maybe there was something she could do for Erza today.  And after that she would make a suggestion.  More of a recommendation, really—a firmly-worded, emphatic recommendation.  Next year, they would do Valentine’s Day with everybody else, and wallow in commercially-induced, over-priced froth. They were both far too addicted to following advice from magazines, and the “celebrate on a different day!” advice had sounded better in principle than in practice.

Fortunately, Lucy knew exactly where to find what she was looking for, and after several years around Team Natsu she was an expert at dressing quickly.  Mentally, she ticked off the list of preparations that were already done:  candles—lit; sparkling wine—chilling; chocolate-raspberry cookies—baked; window—locked against unwanted guests.

She emerged into the living room just as Erza was hanging up her coat and turning to admire the sights and smells of Not-Valentine’s-Day.

“Lucy—this is amazing!  I really appreciate—”  And then Erza stopped, having finally gotten a good look at her girlfriend, who was lounging against the door to the bedroom.  “…Oh Lucy…”

After the fateful Grand Magic Games, Lucy had brought home their uniforms, and washed, and scrubbed, and gotten help patching up rents and tears and scorch marks.  Their victory on that last day of the Games had come at a high cost, but they’d been a team, and she knew how much that had meant, and still meant, to Erza.

“Glory days?” Lucy asked, softly, but with just a hint of provocative hip, and her best I-think-you’re-gorgeous smile.  The indigo-purple uniform, emblazoned with the Fairy Tail crest, hugged her torso, and swirled around her thighs, leaving most of her legs bare.

“Eh, yes—I suppose… You look so pretty!”  Erza was an affectionate, demonstrative lover, and she hurried over to Lucy now, and gave her a tight hug, before pressing a happy kiss to her lips.  Lucy melted into Erza’s warmth, returning the kiss, and reaching out to twine her fingers into one, calloused, strong-fingered hand.  A moment later, she winced.

Erza drew away, concerned.  “Lucy?”

Embarrassed, Lucy laughed.  “Just a paper cut!  Funny how the smallest things can really hurt, you know?”

“This, from the woman who survived Minerva at her worst!”  Erza’s words were gently teasing—she’d spent many long nights, and days, too, helping Lucy cope with the aftermath of her least pleasant experiences of the Games. At this point, they’d both come to terms with what had happened—and with Minerva of Sabretooth.  Erza lifted Lucy’s hand, and examined the thin red line across the top of the pinkie.  “I suppose I’ll have to kiss it better…”

Lucy hummed happily, and then with a little heat, as first her ‘injured’ pinkie, and then her other fingers, were caressed by Erza’s soft lips and attentive tongue.  It took an effort to pull away.

“Why don’t you get changed, and I’ll pour the wine?  And I made your favourite cookies…”

Erza was always—almost always—surprisingly compliant when it came to doing things as a couple.  Lucy suspected that her beloved enjoyed being able to relax out of the ‘leader’ role when they were together like this, although of course it depended on the day, and whatever else was going on.

When Erza got back, shyly holding a small gift wrapped in white lace and fancy red ribbon, Lucy was waiting for her on the couch.  She let Erza set down the gift, and handed her a glass of wine as she took her place on the couch beside Lucy.

“Now then,” said Lucy, “I have a gift for you, too, but I didn’t get to wrap it.”  She cleared her throat.  “I left my shopping a little late, you see.  But then I realized that I can give you something much better than just a new weapon to add to your… collection.”  They grinned at each other, since Lucy usually referred to Erza’s assortment of weaponry as her ‘freakishly insane personal armoury’.

“Well I can think of several better things, actually,” Erza told her, raising both of her elegant brows.  Then she blushed.  Erza was still endearingly embarrassed by physical intimacy at times, despite the very racy novels she read in private.

“Ahem!  I’m trying to make a grand gesture here—don’t interrupt!”

“Sorry, sorry…”

“As your very special It’s-Not-Valentine’s-Day present, I, Lucy Heartfilia, will help you to choose a new weapon.”

Erza blinked, obviously confused.  “But, Lucy—”

“Seriously, try me!  It just occurred to me that I haven’t spent years with you—not to mention the last four weeks with your favourite catalogues—without learning how to speak the language of sharp metal things.  Bring it on!”

Still puzzled, Erza tried to comply.  She rarely discussed weapons with Lucy, since it wasn’t an interest they had in common, and Lucy didn’t even really like weapons much.

“I was thinking, recently, that I should improve my range of middle-to-long-reach swords—”

“Sure, no problem—I would suggest something in either the medium-heavy end of the katana, or possibly the true longsword of the Europeans, which was originally more like the katana, in the sense of being a sword requiring two hands to heft and direct with precision.  This type of longsword was also referred to as a hand-and-a-half sword, or bastard sword—although that seems like a rather rude name, to me. 

“Anyway, let me draw your attention to page twenty-three of this catalogue, and we can start by discussing the relative merits of the katana they have in stock at the moment.”

“Lucy?”

“Talk to me baby!”  Lucy reached out and pressed Erza’s hand, before handing her the catalogue.  “I know I’m not always up to talking sword dynamics, but that doesn’t mean I can’t.  I’ve got a surprisingly good memory, you know!”

“…Are you sure?”

“Yep.  This attractively-attired celestial mage is here to get serious about blade curvature and tang length.  Feel free to debate speed versus power with me—or more likely yourself—to your heart’s desire.”

Erza’s astonished expression finally relaxed into a very soft kind of smile.  “This could end up being a very… invigorating… discussion.  After all, what person doesn’t like being asked to talk about herself, or her favourite interests?”

“I’m counting on it,” Lucy responded, eyes bright with humour and anticipation.  She set down her wine, and patted her lap invitingly.  “Come lay your head on my lap, and talk dirty to me about your favourite grips, and the benefits of real leather over synthetics.”

Much, much later, a sleepy Erza murmured to a sleeping Lucy:

“Next year, I want to celebrate Valentine’s Day and No-Longer-Valentine’s Day…”

[END]

tags:  @shell-senji @nalufever @eliz1369 @lockandk3yfiction @furidojasutin @miss-zei @strawberryliaelleth

[an-upset-librarian]

Stardust & Fire -- Chapter Thirteen

I bring you, after a short hiatus, the next chapter in this series! I had some writer’s block issues, but now everything is back on track! I know updating at 2am is not the best plan but whatever. 

Please enjoy this brief preview of this chapter (a 6300 word monster)  the full one is on one of the links below. Thanks for reading!

FFN   AO3

Lucy wiped her brow and breathed in deep, filling her lungs with fresh air. Another bead of sweat rolled down her temple and a shudder pulsed down her spine.

             “Good Lucy, concentrate.” Capricorn’s voice said. She gritted her teeth and tried to focus on her task.

Capricorn, her most recent spirit acquisition, had been very agreeable in joining her and helping her train and learning how to contain her Stardust. She had to pay a hefty sum for his key at the shop in Basta, but it was more than worth it. Capricorn had told her some old stories of her mother, and was more knowledgeable in Starchildren than anyone else, or any book she’d found.

“Your magic is a part of you, but it is also born from a fallen star. A part of that star wants to return to the heavens, but you are the one in control, remember that,” Capricorn said. Wincing, Lucy nodded. Her first training lesson was all about keeping her magic under control, so there would be no more glowstick explosions. To do this, she was keeping her aura exposed and making herself glow at a steady rate for as long as she could.

Oh, just keep glowing, it’ll be easy. Don’t worry. Lucy bit her lip. Bullshit. She was drenched in sweat, and every single muscle in her body was quivering from exertion. She must have been keeping her aura ‘on’ for hours. She was sitting on the floor of her bedroom, with the curtains drawn in the hopes that no humans would see her shining through the window from the street.

             “Concentrate, you’re losing control,” Capricorn said in his calm and monotonous voice. She bit her lower lip and tried to reign her thoughts back under control. Another droplet of sweat rolled down her back, bringing goosebumps rising along with it. Her skin felt like it was burning, and her magic was aching to run free and shine brighter. She reminded herself to think calm thoughts, and not about a nice warm bath to soothe her aching muscles. Or food.  Or water for her aching throat.

             “Lucy, focus,” Capricorn repeated. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. She was focused. Sort of. He told her that she could last a few more minutes, and she tried her hardest to keep up with his demands. Her magic bubbled beneath her skin in protest, the Starlight trying to tempt her into bursting free to dance across the sky.

             With a wild curse, she lost the hold on her magic and there was a blaze of golden light before the room went dark. Ears ringing, Lucy hesitantly opened her eyes, one at a time, to assess the damage. Luckily there were no more burns on the carpet, or the drapes, but the light in her ceiling was blown out. Sunlight drifted through the taupe curtains, casting a warm glow over the quiet room.

             “Well done for your first try.” Capricorn rose to his feet and straightened his sunglasses, despite the low lighting. Lucy rolled onto her back and splayed her limbs out like a starfish with a tired groan.

             “My entire body hurts. My brain hurts. How long did I last?” She asked. Capricorn cleared his throat and answered, “Three minutes and forty-two seconds.”

             She leapt to her feet with a cry of surprise. “No way it was only three measly minutes!”

             He just shrugged. Cursing, she pulled at her hair and groaned again. And here she thought she was doing well, all things considered. Exhaustion pulled at her eyes and the all too familiar chill of magic depletion near her heart grew.

             “Considering you kept me summoned during that time, I’d say you did quite well. But yes, there is a rapid need for improvement,” Her spirit commented. Sighing, Lucy thanked Capricorn for his help and promised to summon him again tomorrow for another session, then sent him back to the Celestial Spirit realm.

             “I think I deserve a nice, warm, calming bath,” she mumbled to empty air. Maybe she should get a house plant to keep her company. She hoped Capricorn’s teachings would help her catch up to the skill levels of her team mates, having felt left out and weak during their last couple of jobs. Erza could always finish off any enemy in one or two strikes, Gray was always thinking ahead with his spells, and Natsu had enough raw destructive power and enthusiasm for the three of them. Even Happy had a bigger role than she did, able to scout ahead and swoop down to scoop up Natsu and carry him off into danger.

             She drew her bath while she mused, eager to spend the next hour or so encased in warmth and relaxation. She poured in a special bath salt Wendy cooked up for her, letting the herbal scent fill the air. The salts were imbued with Wendy’s healing magic, and meant to help replenish one’s magic aura, and help soothe aches and pains. Despite only having a small jar of the miracle stuff, Lucy decided she deserved to use them after her brutal three minutes of agony.

-ooooo-

             “Luckily this job is in Magnolia, so Natsu, you won’t have to deal with any transportation,” Erza said, casting the gleeful fire drakon a smile, “however, we will need to be careful of exposure to humans.”

             Lucy nodded and straightened her ponytail. Their job today was simple, but dangerous. The Magic Council shared confidential information with Makarov of a deadly dark guild alliance, known as the Balam Alliance. The combined forces of numerous powerful dark guilds were causing chaos and raising the possibility of the exposure of magic to the human world.

             Makarov instructed their team to go out and find a lower level dark guild involved in this alliance and capture them for questioning.

             “Remember, it is vital that none of our targets escape and warn other guilds of our attack, understood?” Erza said sternly, fixing every member of their team with a deadly glare.

             “Are we sure that Happy has to stay here?” Natsu asked. Erza responded with a stiff nod, then started to march towards the portal. Gray followed their fierce Valkyrie, and Lucy pulled Natsu along by his arm.

             “Don’t worry about Happy, he’ll be fine with Wendy and Charle,” she said with a smile. Natsu huffed but followed her through the portal and into Magnolia. She smiled as the warm sun lit her skin, complimented by a nice cool breeze. It was already October and the seasons were beginning to change, cool air replacing the sweltering heat of summer and the leaves beginning to change color. She was looking forward to the famous Fall Festival in a couple weeks, during the last days of October. Magnolia was well known for three things: Rainbow Sakura trees, the Cardia cathedral, and the Fall Festival. The entire city would celebrate the days of the last harvest with a parade and parties that lasted days and nights. Feasts would be shared as the last sun festival came to a close and the city began it’s winter preparations.

             Erza quickly reequipped out of her armor and into a simple white blouse and blue skirt to blend in with the human population. Lucy was dressed in a plain t-shirt and a pair of white shorts, with a baseball cap on her head to try and hide her pointed ears. Natsu and Gray had their usual clothes on, each sticking out like a sore thumb no matter what.

             The group marched through the bustling streets of Magnolia and she had to try very hard not to get distracted as they passed through the market district, full of pretty shops and delicious food. Natsu, unsurprisingly, was distracted by the sweet scents filling the air and the tempting calls of food vendors lining the streets. Luckily, Erza kept them on track as they trudged through the crowds, at least until they passed a cake shop and they stopped inside so the fierce Valkyrie could purchase a slice of sweet strawberry cake.

             Lucy had to admit, she was no longer used to being around so many humans. She was incredibly self-aware, always adjusting her cap and her hair and trying her best to keep her aura disguised. She even had to focus on not moving too fast, especially after she accidentally bumped into a tall, wide set man with no regards for those in his path and sent him sprawling on the ground on accident. From a near brush against her shoulder.

While in the guild, surrounded by her friends and colleagues, she could let a little bit of her light shine through, leaving her skin and hair with a faint glow. It was strange to keep her power so subdued and bottled up inside. How she survived nearly twenty years without it astounded her.

             “Weird, isn’t it?” Natsu commented, bumping her out of her thoughts with his shoulder. She tilted her head in confusion. “Being around normal humans again and havin to keep your magic all bottled up.”

             Nodding, she let loose a deep sigh. He slung his arm over her shoulder and said, “No worries, Luce, cheer up! We all suck at fitting in with the humans.”

             Smiling, Lucy had to agree. Erza stuck out with her fierce personality and tendency towards violence, Gray was always losing his clothes, and Natsu had his pink hair and draconic attributes to draw attention.

             “You’re right. I think I fit in the most out of all of you,” she teased, looping her arm around his waist. Natsu just rolled his eyes and dragged her along beside him. They soon left the busy market behind and the further they walked, the less people they saw. The buildings became more rundown, each looking more abandoned than the next. After the last experience she had in a similar neighborhood, Lucy was glad to be surrounded by her friends and to have Natsu next to her, sharing another one of his ridiculous stories.

             “Oi, lovebirds,” Gray called, “we’re getting close.” Lucy nodded, choosing to ignore the flush creeping up her neck at his comment, and stepped out of Natsu’s arm to reach down and grab Virgo’s key. Out of most of her spirits, Virgo and Leo were the only ones that could pass for human, but Virgo’s talents were less flashy. She separated from Natsu’s side and jogged down into a deserted alley and away from any prying eyes to summon her spirit.

             “Would you like to punish me, princess?” Virgo asked the moment she appeared. Lucy rolled her eyes.

             “I need you to scout out towards that dark guild’s hiding place and make sure nobody leaves. Use your pitfalls to contain them until we can get there,” she explained. Virgo bowed, then tunneled into the ground and disappeared.

             She returned to her companions and relayed what she told Virgo. Erza complimented her on her strategy, and quietly reequipped a pair of daggers into her hands. Gray tossed his shirt aside and cracked his knuckles, sending a wave of frost through the air.    

             “I’m all fired up!” Natsu said, smoke curling out from behind his sharp canines. Lucy glanced around, making sure the few people lingering on the street had gone, and quickly summoned her short sword made of Stardust. The blade hummed, and flecks of light fell around the sword, burning the air and the concrete. She prepared for the drain of having a golden gate open and her sword summoned, but it didn’t come. Maybe those few minutes of training over the past week were working after all.

             The dark guild had taken over a small cluster of crumbling warehouses in the abandoned corner of Magnolia. They could hear the ambiance of laughing and talking, and as the sun began to set, strung lacrima crystals lit the walls leading closer to the heart of the dark guild’s camp, each bobbing softly in the air, casting a soft glow along the stone and concrete as the sunlight faded away. Her sword sung as the stars began to appear in the darkening blue sky, each light twinkling as though to answer her sword’s calling. She saw Erza take a curious glance towards her weapon, the Valkyrie no doubt able to sense the power her sword summoned through her gifts.

             Lucy bit her lip to hide the smile threatening to creep along her features. Excitement for the fight ahead bubbled within her, bringing her magic to the surface of her skin, the Starlight desperate to break free and remind the world of where it came from. She breathed in the smoky scent of Natsu’s fire and reminded her Starlight that they had other more important matters at hand, and no one would be returning to the heavens anytime soon.

             Natsu’s grin was unhidden, his canines bared. Erza motioned for Gray to join her in going around the main warehouse to attack from the left flank and gestured for she and Natsu to attack from the right. The Valkyrie’s fierce warning about letting any of the mages escape echoed in her bright stare. Grinning like a fox with its prey caught in its trap, Natsu lunged ahead, leaving Lucy to leap after him while Gray and Erza disappeared into the darkness.

             She understood why Erza left Natsu to attack the main corridor and draw the attention of the force within. The drakon was anything but subtle. The moment his feet passed into the lighted path cast by the floating lacrima’s, all hope for a secret attack was lost. He sent a bursting spiral of flame cascading through the hall, spiking down into the side rooms and alerting the dark guild to their presence.          

             Howling, he burst through the remnants of his fiery attack, smoke curling from his snarl and fire burning in his eyes. Lucy was happy to let her partner draw the majority of their enemy’s attention. She crept into the side rooms along the main corridor leading into the main hangar of the warehouse- which likely held the main gathering hall for the guild- and dispatched any lingering foes hiding away.

             She dodged a blast of dark energy from a fierce looking mage with swirling black tattoos covering their entire body, parried the next blow with her sword, somehow knowing the magic within the blade was enough to counter the attack. The bolt of dark magic rebounded off her blade and struck the ceiling above the caster, cracking the old concrete and sending it crashing down upon the unsuspecting mage below. She quickly used one of the rope charms gifted to her by Levy to tie the assailant up, then continued her path down towards the bursting arcs of flame and the laughter.

             Lucy ran into chaos. One half of the hangar was covered in ice and the other swarming with flame. Erza soared above the crowd in her Heaven’s Wheel armor, sending volleys of swords down upon the guild. A few brave souls dared to join the redhead in her domain above, but quickly learned why that was the worst possible idea they could have come up with.

             Before she had another moment to observe, a man with glowing daggers came roaring towards her at unbelievable speed. She noted his pointed ears beneath the russet curls that identified him as demi-fae and swung her sword up to deflect his first blow. His first blade bounced off the Starlight with a piercing ring, but the second swung from below towards her gut. With a growl, she twisted her hand and blocked that attack, but before she could even think about taking the offensive, his second blade slid past her defenses and sliced her upper arm.

             She bit back the scream in her throat as the magic within the blade burned her. It was not a hot burn, but rather the burn of something that was too cold. Her left arm went numb as the freezing magic swam down her blood and she reached for her Stardust to keep the poison from reaching the rest of her body.

[hannahsfanficsforyou]

A Whole New World pt. 7

*A 1 month time skip occurred, also I’m changing it to take place after the war and Zeref and Acnologia are dead already but it’s before team Natsu leaves for the 100 year quest, so the ghost origin magic creators brought us to get read to fight the White Mage as the big bad trying to destroy everyone* 

Me and Aaliyah sit at a table laughing and chatting with Levy and Cana, over the course of this past month we’ve done plenty of jobs and our magic has grown significantly, from jobs and independently training. Also we have grown to know everyone in the guild and it feels like a second family, although still no one in the guild knows about our origin magic except Master, and we hide our Lacrimas on our forehead with bandanas. We also hide our guild marks since they change shades of the mark’s color, Aaliyah wears finger-less gloves and I wear shirts or outfits that cover mine on my shoulder, just so no one asks unnecessary questions.

“Hey you’ve been looking down lately what’s up?” Cana asks and I shrug giving a pouting look “Ohh, nothing... Just I hope Laxus and uh his whole team obviously is doing okay, they said it would be like a month for their job and well it’s been like three days past a month so I just hope everything went okay... Stop looking at me like thatttt, I don’t like Laxus hes weird and egotistical and ugh fine as hell but I don’t like him” I say glaring at the three women all looking at me with grins on their face.

Mira comes and brings me my drink “well there isn’t anything to worry about because we got word they are going to be home tonight, maybe you can even welcome him home.” She giggles as she goes back to the bar and I roll my eyes and give a big sigh. “You guys are impossible besides pester Aaliyah shes probably worried about Freed, they totally have their own thing.” I say in defiance.

“Wow you two really have a thing for the thunder legion huh I mean Evergreen has Elfman poor Bixlow, he’s gonna be all alone” Cana says snickering. “Hey I heard Lisanna and Bixlow might have a thing going on.” Levy says leaning in closer to all of us.

We all giggle “I mean personally I wouldn’t mind seeing what that mouth could do, I mean the dude has the longest tongue I’ve seen, he shows it off all the time by sticking it out too.” I say trying to hold my laughter in, and right as I finish my sentence the doors bust open and “well well speak of the devils” Cana says tipping her cup back and drinking the whole glass in one gulp. I shake my head at her actions never ceasing to be amazed by how much that woman can drink.

I turn my attention back to the group of four who strolled in and Laxus doesn’t even turn his head to look at me, but his face looks angry, “geez, I hope their job went okay, Laxus looks pissed..” Cana points out and I don’t say anything, I just furrow my brows. “well, me and Aaliyah are gonna head out I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” we both stand up and wave at our friends and I turn past a pillar to head to the door and bump into of course, “um, hey Laxus, good to see you guys are okay, so, how did the job go.” He eyes me with a stormy look and my body gets chills just from his look “it went fine” he says as he breaks away and strides out the door not giving me one smirk or even another look.

My heart clenches, “what the hell was that, Jesus is he bipolar or did one month away make him hate me.” I mumble trying not to look too mad. Freed walks up to me and Aaliyah “I’m not sure what’s wrong, Laxus was fine even pretty happy to be coming home and the job went perfect, but a few feet from walking into the guild he got that look on his face, I don’t know what changed.” He says with his arm folded  but then turns his attention to Aaliyah “it’s good to see you again Aaliyah, I hope you have been well, maybe we could get that dinner sometime now that I’m back.” He says smiling sweetly with a hint of something else behind it and Aaliyah replicates it “I would like that, and I’m glad your job went good and you are all home safe.” 

I smile softly at them besides my upset nature at the moment “you two are cute, come on sorry Freed we are having girls night tonight.” I say waving bye to him as I drag Aaliyah along with me. “For real though Laxus is just wow, can’t believe I was worried about that jerk, he obviously got over whatever weirdness he had towards me, probably got tired of messing with me I guess.” I say my eyes growing dark and I felt anger boiling in my veins. 

“Hey hey, we don’t know whats up with him it could have been something else that just had him pissed off and you caught him at a bad time, just give him some time.” Aaliyah says to me trying to calm me down. I give an aggravated yell “yeah fine, look I need to go to a hot spring hotel spa and calm down, I’m paying, we’re staying the night” 

We get to the hot spring hotel and check in for the night. After putting our bags in the room we head to the hot spring. We both take off our robes and sink into the hot spring. I put my wet towel on my head and let the hot water soak into my bones. “God, I could stay in here forever, it helps that there is the magic rejuvenation to it as well, I always feel so good afterwards, like I could take on the world.” I sigh and add “hey I have kinda formed a plan over this past month, it’s dumb but I was bored, and it will be a good way to put our increased magic power to the test and get a butt fuck ton of money.”

Aaliyah gives me a suspicious look “okay... It probably is dumb but I’m here for a ton of money so spill it.” 

I grin evilly and sit up in the spring “okay so, I’ve been practicing my camouflage powers and I’m gonna sneak up to the second floor and snatch an S class job request, it’s harder than the regular quests but I think we can do it.” I explain and Aaliyah laughs “oh yeah that’s dumb, you know dragon slayers have enhanced senses we learned that from Natsu, he’ll probably smell you and point you out, and those requests are usually super dangerous, do you want to get us killed and then risk the chance of the world I don’t know, dying because we aren’t here to stop the threat?”

“Pfffff I think we can do it and you are coming with me, look if it helps I’ll grab one that doesn’t look toooo dangerous, but we need to push ourselves, we still aren’t super strong and we need to be to take on the evil whatever is coming. And I’ll just grab it when no dragon slayer is in the room, then boom easy” I say confidently with my arms crossed. 

We relax in the hot spring until late at night when we head back to our room. We spend the rest of the night snacking, laughing and looking through magazines about hottest wizards. We fall a sleep late into the night, feeling the best I had in weeks. 

In the morning we head back to the dorms and I tell Aaliyah to stay here and pack while I go in early before a lot of people arrive and I’ll sneak in and grab one. She agrees and starts packing for both of us with two bags while I make my way down to the guild. 

I focus my magic energy on blending in with my surroundings and becoming invisible and camouflaged. I open my eyes and look down to find I was successful. I smile and sneak into the guild. Good good, no dragon slayers yet, I better hurry though get up and get out. I move along the side of the guild avoiding tables with early morning people sitting at them and I slowly make my way up the stairs. I take the third step and I hear the doors open, I freeze and turn my head my shoulders slump as I release my tension because it was only Laxus, not a dragon slayer (I still don’t know hes a [fake] dragon slayer I just think he has lightning magic and advanced hearing)

 I turn back towards my goal and take a few more steps but as I look over towards Laxus again I realize hes stopped moving and is staring right at where I am. I freeze, my blood running cold, but no I’m still in camouflage it must just be a coincidence. Then he starts to make his way over to the stairs and my eyes almost bulge out of my head, shit shit he’s an S class guild member fuckkk he’s probably wanting to get a job request. I slowly take a few more steps hoping to calmly get up the stairs and hide on the second floor before he makes it up. 

He stops at the bottom of the stairs as I reach the top and he looks once again right where I’m standing and glares like hes trying to see, something that’s not there... But turns around and walks back to the bar before taking a seat. I let out a quiet sigh of relief and continue my way to the S class request board. I look over them quicker, this is a smaller board so it’s easier to read them all.

I see one that has a request for someone to come heal their village because all the plants and greenery have been dead for a few months and no crops will grow. I contemplate it since I would be doing most of the work on this one but then I shrug and take it, I’ve been practicing my regrowth magic and healing of plants and restoring life in nature so this is perfect to test how far I’ve come. Let’s just hope I can do it, I mean the reward money is 500,000 jewels, I’m sold.

I snatch the job request from the board and put it in my shirt and take another breath before making my way back down to the first floor. Laxus is having a drink and doesn’t look my way again as I make my way out the door. I take a deep breath as I’m outside the guild and let myself return to being visible and make my way back to Fairy Hills into my dorm room.

Aaliyah is done packing and I show her the job “I don’t think I can do anything for this job you sure you picked a good one?” I wave her off “Bah, there weren’t many good ones and I figured I could just take the lead on this one, I’ll still split the money with you just be moral support.” She shrugs at my words and we make our way to the train station and take off towards Koa village. 

When we arrive it’s late so we decide to stay overnight before starting the job so I can get a good nights rest and store up my magic energy for preparations.

                     ___________________________________________

*Back in the guild after we arrived in the village*

Mira comes down from the second floor “Master! Master one of the S class job requests is gone and no one signed off with me for it, I think it was taken by a regular guild member!” She says in a panic.

“Hmmm, this is troubling, does anyone have an idea of who took it?” The Master says and everyone who is there just shrugs and looks around. Laxus lets out a big sigh and has that nonchalant look on his face as always, the Master looks at him “Do you know?” He asks

“Yeah, I think so, I didn’t peg her for a trouble maker, I was sure I smelled her scent though, tch should have trusted my senses but I didn’t see her.” Laxus said taking a swig from his drink.

“What do you mean you didn’t see her, you smelled her scent but didn’t see her?” Mira questioned.

“Yeah that’s what I said wasn’t it” Laxus snarked back. “Hm, she must be developing new aspects of her magic if we couldn’t see her, I bet she look Aaliyah with her” The Master said in deep thought, and Laxus gave him a questioning look about the ‘other aspects of her magic’ comment but didn’t say anything. “Mira give Laxus and Freed the location of the job request and have them go after Hannah and Aaliyah, when they bring them back they are going to be in for their punishment.” The Master says and everyone shivers at his last comment.

Laxus rolls his eyes but stands up and Freed who was sitting next to him follows suit, getting the location and going back to gather things for their journey before setting off on their own train ride towards the village Hannah and Aaliyah were staying, Laxus holds his mouth, struggling to not look sick “they are gonna owe us big time” he grumbles but then decides to keep his mouth shut for the rest of the train ride.

                   ___________________________________________

*Back to Hannah POV*

I wake up and stretch at the sunlight coming through the windows. “Alright time to get to work.”

[lil-smolpubby]

Tw: Drug mention First of all, the canon is from an au. Everything was canon I think until a bit after the grand magic games?? Somewhere around there, I don’t know. I was born sometime after that I’m that timeline So I was the youngest child of Natsu and Lucy. I had a brother who was 2 years older than me. Unlike pretty much all my family, I didn’t practice magic. I simply just didn’t want to, and I also knew that being a wizard and practicing it and all that probably wouldn’t be good for my anxiety. So I lived as normal as a life as I could. Uh, I had general anxiety disorder, and took medicine and saw a therapist to help with my anxiety. I also had marijuana that was prescribed to me for medical reasons to help with my anxiety, so yeah I was a pretty chill and laid back person. When it came to anger, I was mostly passive aggressive. I didn’t like dealing with drama or stupid people, which sucked since my school was full of them. I didn’t like fighting or violence. I would if I had to, like self defense and stuff, but that’s it. I was also pretty lazy and procrastinated a lot- I liked to sleep and draw. I mean, I would bring a pillow and blanket to school and keep it in my locker just in case. I was pretty much tired 24/7. I was also kinda chubby. I would like to buy those big bags of mini candy for myself and hide it in my room so my dad or brother didn’t eat any- I had a part time job at one point in my high school years, and I hated it. But it made me money, until I was fired cause of some stupid lady. Uuh, I would sometimes drink alcohol. I did that a lot on middle school due to having a lot of issues then, but that changed when I went to high school. I would sometimes drink if I was really upset and just kinda wanted to drown myself in alcohol, or sometimes for celebratory and religious reasons. The celebratory and religious reasons were allowed by my parents, as it was usually just wine. I really liked that punk kind of style. I would always wear my black leather jacket. I had part of my hair shaved and a lot of piercings. I also or tattoos when I got older, the first at 16 with my parent’s permission. I became a tattoo artist when I was an adult, and always dreamed of being one when I was younger. I drew with pen a lot and would give people fake tattoos with markers and pens and stuff if they paid me. I was also Hellenic, and worshipped the Greek gods. I had a few altars for some of the gods I worked with. I guess that was the closest thing to magic I ever did, was talking to and working with my gods. I didn’t like Zeus due to bad experiences- I also just really liked Greek culture in general, or at least the equivalent to it in Fairy tail- I educated myself on it pretty well, and would talk about it all day if someone asked me about it. I had a bunch of books on Greek mythology and culture. I also learned the Greek language. I started in middle school and continued studying it from then on. When I went to college I took business courses and stuff to help me start my own tattoo business, which I did. I opened my own shop and stuff Uh, I kinda liked to do illegal things. I mean, I liked to go into abandoned buildings that were usually private property. I would usually hang out with my friends in places like that. There was one place we usually hung out, I think it was an old prison or hospital or something, that was probably haunted. We stopped hanging out there when we ended up accidentally coming across a dead body and a cult that practiced there- Yeah, we found another place to hang out I also had a girlfriend who I ended up marrying. Her names was Roxanne, or Roxy for short. She was the kid of Gajeel and Levy. She was a wizard. Apparently she had this magic deficiency thing, so she had to use this big metal drill and fist thing to use her magic in cause I guess her body couldn’t output it naturally? It kinda looked like the stuff in bioshock. I though it was cool. She was also short, but strong. I loved her a lot. When we got married, we ended up adopting a kid and we named him Apollo I would kinda visit the guild. Mostly I would have to come there after school of my parents were there so they could keep an eye on me, so I didn’t sneak out. I could stay at home if I asked them though, usually for homework reasons for peace and quiet. I usually felt left out cause you know, magic stuff and me not knowing really anything. And sometimes I would have to step out cause it’s really loud and anxiety- I really loved my family and I always got anxious whenever one of them went out on a mission. Is all three of them went on a mission for more than maybe a day or two , I would usually stay at a family friend’s house I remember that I usually didn’t care to remember my family’s friends names so I thought up nicknames for them. Ezra was ‘Anger Issues’, Gray was ‘Nudist’, Gajeel was ‘Edge Lord’, Juvia was ‘Desperate’ and uuuh, that’s all I remember for that thing- I also really liked puns and memes. I would annoy my brother with them cause he didn’t like it. My brother’s name was Kasai. I’m also still salty cause he broke the guitar that I had, and I had it since middle school and screeech So I did have a guitar that I liked to play from time to time. I used to be in my friend’s band in middle school, though I dropped out of it to try and focus on my own stuff for a future career. I still played in it sometimes if they needed a substitute and stuff. I also had a snake and a tarantula. The tarantula was named Rose and I forgot the name of the snake.

[edo-salandria]

Last Of Her Kind

Part of the Myth Creations Fairy Tail Event. This work is for @stardresss !  Please be sure to look up #mythcreationsfairytail for more works!

Creature Assigned: Vampire Rated: K+ for language Word Count: 9995 (per google docs) Summary:  Lucy never felt like she fit in, on the night of her 25th birthday a pink haired man came into her life and she learned why she never fit in. 

Lucy stared down at her notebook, trying to outline the next chapter of her novel.  The idea well had just run dry and she tried her best not to distract herself with useless Pinterest posts or Reddit rants.

An agitation was building within her as if something was absent or there was a comfort missing. Lucy paced around the room in an aimless state, stopping to look out her window at the darkening sky; the only stars visible were the brightest and strongest ones.

The city drowned out the rest of the beauties that were too shy to shine.

She frowned momentarily at the thought of those obscured stars before turning with an annoyed huff, gathering her notebook, laptop, and favorite writing utensils. She tossed the items into an oversized tote, a cute little bag that looked like it was straight out of a 90’s hippie store.  

After securing her keys in her hand, she exited the apartment, deciding a nice evening stroll would be good to clear her head, and maybe even get a better look at the stars. They were always her best source of inspiration along with those vivid dreams that played out every time she shut her eyes.

Her mind wandered to her strange sleeping habits of late. Her nights have started to become the time where she feels the most awake and alive. The moment the sun peeked over the horizon she would feel the gentle pull of exhaustion and sleep.

No amount of espresso or coffee would help combat the crippling tiredness, and by noontime, she was usually asleep. Lucy chalked it up to stress of meeting her various writing deadlines and her terrible eating habits.    

She walked down the quiet streets of Magnolia just past 6 pm, slowly beginning to relax slightly. She let her instincts direct her down the sidewalks of the city before a chilling sense began to creep into her senses as if someone was following her.

Lucy stopped and turned, but found nothing out of the ordinary. There as no one in sight as she stood there scanning the houses and trees surrounding her. Although she saw nothing with her eyes, she still could not shake the feeling of being watched.

It certainly wasn’t the same watched feeling she gets when she was at home.

No, that’s a different feeling altogether.

It feels almost like she is being watched over as opposed to being watched. She then realized that maybe that's what agitated her earlier, the missing presence of something watching over her. She shook off the chill down her spine and quickened her pace.

She was unconsciously weaving in and out of streets that were well lit and highly visible, her destination unknown to her. As she turned onto one of the main roads that led to Magnolia’s “Main Street”, she knew exactly where to go.

Her favorite cafe was 2 blocks down the road, open 24 hours and with free wi-fi, it was the perfect place to settle into one of the oversized comfy chairs with a latte and work on her novel. She briskly walked the two blocks, noting the ominous feeling only dissipated slightly when she reached a more populated area.

She walked up to the counter and was greeted by a warm smile from the barista.

“Hi Lucy, what can I get you tonight?”

Lucy returned the warm smile, adopting a friendly tone, “Hello! Can I get a medium caramel latte with whole milk… and oh, a slice of double chocolate cake!”

“Chocolate cake?” She replied in surprise, as Lucy nodded, prompting him to continue, “What’s the occasion, you never order food!”

She smiled sheepishly,  “It’s my birthday, so I thought I would treat myself.”

The surprised look vanished into a wide smile, “Well Happy Birthday Lucy, your order is on the house tonight!” With a wink, the barista turned around to begin her order.

Lucy tried to object but realized quickly it was pointless, she just yelled “Thanks!” after her and left her a tip that was at least the cost of the latte. She turned making her way over to her favorite brown leather chair hidden in the back corner of the cafe where she knew she wouldn’t be disturbed.

Her order came out a few minutes later, the barista setting it on the side table next to her as she set up her laptop to begin her work. Glancing up, she nodded again to the barista and thanked her warmly for the cake and latte.

Lucy took a sip of the delicious warm drink and began typing away. She had drawn sufficient inspiration from her walk and the sensation that she was being followed.

The time passed quicker than she expected. Her latte was cold and her cake was half eaten as she slowly nibbled at it for the past 2 hours. The sweet barista who gifted her the delicious treats left about an hour ago.

The next shift was in and lazing about before the zombie shift came in. The zombie shift catered to all the club and bar goers that were suddenly released onto the streets of Magnolia when the clock struck 2 am, they were not to be envied.  

Lucy was wrapped up in reviewing her last few paragraphs. Her brows were knit together in concentration as she raised her cold latte to her lips. It was then that she felt what she had missed all evening, like someone is watching over her. She felt like she was wrapped in an oversized fleece blanket, savoring the feeling, she let out a small hum of satisfaction.

Her eyes glanced up as if she would spot the person or thing that she sensed, but as always, she saw nothing. Refocusing her attention, she went back to reviewing her recently written words. After she mumbled her last sentences under her breath to see if they sounded alright, she let out a puff of air as she sat back stating to herself quietly, “So friggin’ cliche”.

“I agree, Igneel would have never talked of freedom to rally his forces, it just sounds so Braveheart-ish. Then again Braveheart wasn’t even made 400 years ago, neither was TV or movies for that matter.” Lucy nearly jumped almost spilling what was left of her latte. She glanced up at the person who was rambling on with commentary on her novel.

“Excuse me?” was all she could muster looking at the man with a puzzled expression.

“Sorry, sometimes I ramble on. I happened to overhear you re-reading your last paragraph.” The strange man gave off an innocent enough grin.

Skeptically she asked, “How exactly did you overhear me? I was barely talking out loud.”

“I happen to have excellent 20/20 hearing.” She giggled at his misuse of terms and it was then that she made direct eye contact him as he stood over her. She flustered as she realized just how handsome he was, her voice betrayed her as she smiled up at him “Please, have a seat.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” He held out his hand to her, “My name is Natsu, and you are?”

It took everything in her power to squeak out a reply. “Um… Lucy?” The tone in her voice wavered as she shook his hand.

“Are you sure about that?” He chuckled softly as he sat down opposite her.

Lucy had lost herself, drinking in the person who sat before her. She had started by admiring how rough and strong his hands felt when they shook hands. She couldn’t help but wonder what they would feel like caressing her skin.

This wasn’t normal Lucy behavior so she tried to shake it off, with little-to-no success. Her eyes trailed up his arms noticing how well-defined the muscles were as they led up to the black t-shirt sleeve. Her focus continued toward his sculpted shoulders that showed through the trim fitting t-shirt.

She imagined what he would look like shirtless as he pinned her down on her bed.

Mentally chastising herself, her eyes landed on his neck the faint outline of his jugular vein looked deliciously sinful. She fought the overwhelming urge lick the length of the vein up to his prominent jaw line. When her eyes came to his face, she was too caught up with her wildly lewd images of him to even notice the devilish smirk he wore. After noting his well-defined cheekbones, she noticed the most stunning feature he had.

Spiked pink hair loosely framed his face, how she had not seen it before completely escaped her. As she trailed over his lightly tanned face her eyes met with his, they were a dark shade of green that made her think of moss growing on a tree deep within the forest. It was then that she realized what she was doing and she was caught frozen like a deer in the headlights.

“Are you undressing me with your eyes?” Natsu asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice. In that moment he understood the alternate definition of “meat market”.

“Oh god yes.” The instant those words tumbled out of her mouth, her eyes widened in horror, shaking her hands wildly, “No-no-no, I meant, oh god no. I didn’t mean - I’m not saying you're not handsome as hell but I - Oh just shoot me now.” Lucy’s hands flew to her face to hide her embarrassment of being caught.

She peeked through her fingers when she heard him laugh loudly, watching Natsu relax back into his seat, “I am so sorry.”

“You are a strange one, I’ll give you that. I don’t think I ever saw a woman get flustered over me. Now that I think about it, I've never been ogled by a woman before, they actually avoid me like I have the plague or something.”

Lucy lowered her hands, surprised at his words, “Can we start over again?”

“From what point are we starting over exactly?” He asked, tilting his head.

“How about the handshake?”

Natsu leaned forward and offered his hand once again “Hey, my name is Natsu Dragneel, and you are?”

Lucy grabbed his hand, shaking briefly, “Lucy Heartfilia.” She felt his grip tighten slightly when he heard her name but thought nothing of it.

“Well, nice to meet you Lucy Heartfilia.” Natsu gave his brightest toothy grin.

“Nice to meet you Mr. Dragneel, so tell me, what brings you my way this evening?”

Natsu relaxed back, “Well I happen to be here for coffee and noticed this stunning blonde in the corner of the café looking a little frustrated and in need of a break.”

Lucy blushed at the compliment, “Thank you, assuming you're talking about me.”

He nodded back, “Indeed I was.”

She shifted in her chair, “So you felt compelled to listen in on me and then bold enough to throw your two cents in? It was awfully presumptuous of you to think I wanted your thoughts.” She smiled slyly at him.

Lucy knew at this point there was no way she could hide her attraction to her new acquaintance so she might as well practice her flirting skills. They were a little rusty since she was almost never approached by anyone who had truly caught her eye.

Natsu shrugged his shoulders “I try to help where I can.”

Despite always feeling guarded and uncomfortable around strangers and people in general, she felt surprisingly at ease with Natsu. She didn’t feel compelled to throw up her typical off-putting facade and she played her hand.

“I don’t suppose you would like to help me with something else?”

Natsu grinned, “I would be glad to assist you, Miss Lucy, how may I be of service?”

“You see, today is my birthday and I am rather hungry, would you like to accompany me to Hakobe for some sushi?”  

“Hell ya I would!” His excitement was evident which bolstered Lucy’s confidence. She quickly gathered up her items spread around her and took the hand he offered her to help her up. Her heart fluttered slightly at the contact.

Natsu was a good head or so taller than her, which caused her to look up into his dark eyes. Instead of releasing her hand, he brought it up to his lips.

“Happy Birthday Lucy,” he spoke softly as he gently kissed her hand.

He then turned her around and with the enthusiasm of a teenager, pulled her out the door, missing the deep blush that spread across her face.

As they were walking the few blocks it took to get to the Hakobe restaurant, they carried on with the typical getting to know you conversation.

Lucy began to sense the same eerie feeling of being watched again. She immediately tensed as Natsu stopped suddenly in his tracks. She peered up at him as he looked around sniffing the air.

Shrugging off the odd behavior, she spun around looking to see if she could detect anything unusual.

She leaned into Natsu, whispering loudly “So it isn’t just me then?”

He glanced down at her, “Do you smell it too?”

Lucy shook her head “No, but I sense something that doesn’t make me feel comfortable, it’s been like this all night.”

He looked down worried “Have you noticed it before tonight?”

Again she shook her head, “No, not this feeling.”

Her choice of words was not lost on Natsu but it wasn’t the time to chat idly out in the open. Since there was no obvious threat and only a faint smell in the air, he decided it was time to hurry the pace to their destination. He grabbed her hand once again, intertwining their fingers and walked directly to the restaurant.

The moment they entered the restaurant, Lucy’s tension eased slightly. She was now focused on just how hungry she was and she was anxious for her double order of Beef Tataki and Sashimi.

As of late, she had noticed her hunger has grown insatiable, almost like a craving that has yet to be satisfied. What the craving was, though, was a mystery. The closest thing she could compare it to was her more alarming desire for raw foods.

Her diet usually consists of a raw meat dish at least once a day, her favorite as of late being Steak Tartare. This was on her laundry list of odd things to discuss with a doctor if she ever got around to making the appointment.

Natsu grazed his hand down her back gently urging her forward to the waiter, breaking her from her train of thought and entering her into a new one. She blushed slightly, aware of how touchy-feely a person he was.

She wondered how someone can come out of nowhere and feel comfortable enough to hold her hand so willingly or place his hands on her in a way that implies familiarity. Then again, she also wondered why she was so accepting of it.

Maybe she accepted it without a thought because it was something that she wanted. This type of connection was something absent in her life for a long time and she quickly discovered it was something she craved deeply.

They were seated in a quiet area of the restaurant, the main dinner rush has already passed so there was no need to wait for a table. Being handed each a menu Natsu opened it with a childish enthusiasm while Lucy didn’t even bother opening it.

Natsu noticed this, peering over his menu, questioning the blonde, “I thought you were hungry?”

She smiled sweetly at him and responded “Oh, I already know what I’m getting. I come here at least once a week so I feel like I know the menu front to back.”

Natsu chuckled “A girl who knows what she wants, I’m impressed.”

Lucy raised an eyebrow and her eyes fell on his lips, “Yes, yes I do.”

Before any further comments could be made, the waiter came to take their orders.

The waiter tilted his head toward Lucy, pen and paper at the ready, as she ordered: “Yes I will have 2 orders of Beef Tataki and a Sashimi Combo.”

He nodded his head before turning his attention to Natsu, “Uh, hmm… Can I have a Hakobe Boat, Spicy Maki Plate, Spicy Edamame, Sashimi Taco Trio and Ooh! Dragon Maki!”

The waiter nodded again, glancing up, before asking, “Are you expecting more people?”

Lucy giggled and Natsu looked sheepishly “No, just us.”

The waiter nodded again and left quietly to put their order in. Natsu and Lucy stared at each other for a beat before Lucy spoke, “So, I was planning on buying our dinner since I asked you for this favor but, I think we are going to have to go dutch if you don’t mind.”

She smiled to soften her words in hopes she didn’t offend him. Natsu simply laughed “Like, I would let you buy dinner. Especially if we are out celebrating your birthday.”

Natsu’s tone changed slightly, “So, Luce what’s your deal?”

“Uh, what do you mean?” Lucy was puzzled by what he was trying to ask.

“Well, you asked me to join you for dinner on your birthday, which you're spending with someone you just met in a coffee shop instead of family or friends.”  

Lucy fiddled with her chopsticks mulling over what to say about the matter. She felt compelled to tell him the truth, but she didn’t want him to look at her like others so often did. She was tired of the pitiful looks people would give her, like she was fragile and about to have a breakdown.

Natsu noticing her quietness spoke up, “Hey, I'm sorry if I touched on a sore subject. I didn’t mean to bum you out.”

Lucy looked up and him and spoke what was on her mind “No, it’s fine actually, I was just debating on what to tell you.”

She shifted nervously “Whenever the subject of family or friends comes up, I either avoid it or tell some pretty and sensible lie.” She looked up at Natsu who had a look on his face that told her to go on. “So the truth of it is, I don’t have any family and as for friends, well, I don’t make those easily so I guess you could call me a loner.”

Natsu took in her words carefully. He had a strong idea of why she avoids the truth on this subject. He offered the only thing that he could think of, “So, my father disappeared on me ages ago and I never knew my mother. I was taken in by what you could call a foster home of sorts. They are like my family, but outside of them, let’s just say I don’t have a large contact list on my phone.”

She smiled at him, understanding why he offered that information. She paused as the waiter approached and set down their food. They took their first bites and she noted he ate like a ravenous beast, giggling at his sloppiness.

She decided to continue with the truth about her parents knowing that he wouldn’t give her the same look she so often got. “So, I was an only child just like my both my parents had been, they are gone now so it’s just me. My mom had died suspiciously when I was small, my father was always suspected but no real evidence was ever gathered. After she died, my father became detached and angry, which didn’t help the suspicion surrounding him. He died of an unknown illness about 5 years ago. Doctors truly had no idea why, all his testing came back as him being a healthy man.” She shrugged it off as she took another bite of sashimi.

Natsu stopped with his mouth full, “I’m showwry about your pawents.”  

Lucy laughed at the sight of Natsu looking like a stuffed chipmunk, “Thanks, it means so much to me when you say it with your mouth full.” The sarcasm dripped off her words.

He laughed heartily, “Usually I get smacked upside the head for talking with my mouth full.”

“Would you feel better if I did?” She asked lightheartedly.

“I’d feel better if you smacked me alright, but not upside the head.” Natsu winked at her.

Lucy blushing slightly from the implication but turned the tables on him instead, “Anyways, what’s your deal? You always talk to random chicks in coffee shops and go out on dates with them?”

Natsu beamed, “So this is a date?”

Lucy nodded, “I guess it is.”

“Sweet! I’ve never been on one before. It’s fun, I like it.” His grin was so wide it split his face in half before continuing, “Honestly, I just felt compelled to say hi to you. It’s not like I go around stalking women waiting for the right opportunity to say hi and take them out for their birthdays.”

Lucy looked up from her plate, “You certainly are a unique person, I am surprised you haven’t dated or have a girlfriend.”

Natsu didn’t even bother looking up from his plate, “Ahh. Icetard says I am too dense to find a girl and Master says my kind have extreme difficulty finding someone.”

Lucy raised her brow, curious and confused, “Your kind?”

Natsu blushed at his mistake and tried to cover as best he could,“Um. Ya, you know people who have pink hair.”

“I think it’s rather handsome on you.” She informed sweetly.

Natsu scratched the back of his head, “Thanks.”

Natsu and Lucy continued chatting about various topics including work and taste in music and movies over their dinner, laughing and having a great time. Lucy was the happiest she felt in a long time and she was sad to see that dinner was over.

At the same time, however, she was OK with it since she was beginning to not feel well. She couldn’t quite place what it was, it wasn’t the food, her stomach was fine. She felt almost as though her senses were at their peak limits.

She focused on the clinking plates and glasses, the lights felt brighter than they were when they arrived all adding to her feeling slightly off. She mentally shook herself free of the ideas that she smelled blood. It was a smell she wasn’t revolted by, it actually intrigued her.

She was always sensitive to the coppery smell when someone near her would cut or hurt themselves. As a kid playing with the few friends she did have, she would always eagerly help them clean up their scraped knees.

The waiter broke her thoughts as he brought over their check. Natsu quickly swiped it up and handed it back to him with his credit card before she could argue.

“Thank you for coming out with me tonight. I appreciate it, this was way better than going home and spending my birthday curled up on the couch writing or watching a crappy movie.”

“Honestly, I wanted to say thank you for inviting me out on this date.” As Natsu signed his slip and stood up offering his hand to Lucy he added, “Let me walk you home.

Lucy took his hand as she got up, “Thanks for the offer but that's OK, I walk by myself all the time.”

Heading out the restaurant they stood and paused ready to part ways. The gentle breeze ended up bringing back that ominous sensation that something was following her.

Feeling her muscles tense, she glanced up at Natsu to take him up on his offer but Natsu beat her to it.

“I’m walking you home, there is something in the air tonight that doesn’t sit right with me.” His voice was commanding with an edge of concern and it made Lucy want to curl into him and be protected.

“Ok,” she responded simply, as her feet began taking her toward her apartment.

Their walk was quiet as they were both focused on their surroundings and the feeling that someone was following them seemed to be increasing.  Shortly after passing one of the dozens of darkened alleys near Lucy’s apartment they both sensed a figure behind them. Both spinning around simultaneously, Natsu stepped in front of Lucy in a protective stance.

Natsu yelled to just beyond the darkness, “Who’s there?”

A man walked into the light, Lucy noticed he was oddly dressed in a strange yellow and black hat, reminding her of something Egyptian style. The coat he wore was black on top and faded into a bright yellow that matched the hat. He spoke with a deep timber in his voice “None of your business who I am.”

“Alrighty then, what the hell do you want,” Natsu asked smartly.

“Again, none of your business Pinky.”

“The name is NOT pinky, it’s Natsu.” A slight growl could be heard, Lucy noted to never call him pinky.

The man howled with sadistic laughter, “Oh this is good, you're the Fairy Tail fuck up they told me about. This should be an easy snatch and grab.”

Lucy raised her voice, staring at the man, “What are you after?”

The man raised his eyebrow and gave her a menacing look “Why you, ya vampy little bitch.” with that he lunged toward her.

Natsu tossed her aside and she landed a few feet behind them. She watched as the man tossed Natsu against the brick wall slamming his head hard enough to hear something crack. Lucy immediately looked around her for something to protect herself with.

She found a large chunk of brick and grabbed it quickly. Standing up she noticed Natsu backing away from the wall cracking his neck from side to side. Her jaw dropped as she noticed the dent in the wall behind him. She seriously wondered how anyone could still be conscious after an impact like that.

Natsu pulled his fist back and made contact with other man’s face. Stumbling back the man returned the punch and hit Natsu squarely in the jaw. They exchanged many punches before the man decided to sweep his leg out tripping Natsu.

They continued their fight on the ground as the man pinned Natsu and smashed his head against the pavement. Lucy wasn’t even thinking as she ran toward the man mounted on Natsu as she heard him screaming, “You fucker, you broke the great Rayule’s nose!”

Her instincts knew he was too distracted to notice her approach and she caught Natsu smiling as she raised the large brick above her head and smashed it down on the head the man. Rayule slumped over to the side unconscious.

“Awesome job Luce!” Natsu beamed at the blonde who was starting with the brick still in her hand.  

“Yo, earth to Lucy!” Natsu yelled as he jumped up from the ground gracefully.

She looked at Natsu, “Did I kill him?”

Natsu chuckled at her innocence, “No, you just knocked him out.” He started to fish for his phone, “Just give me a minute and let me call someone to come handle this.”

Natsu stepped just out of hearing distance. Lucy looked down at the unconscious man and she felt a strange wave of energy come over her. She kneeled over him starting at the blood on his face, the smell overwhelming her, in that moment she wanted to taste it.

Her hand began to stretch out to touch it but she was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder and Natsu’s voice “Hey, let’s get you home.”

The next block was walked in complete silence, Lucy replaying what happened over and over in her hand. Her brain started to piece together oddities scattered throughout the night. She was trying to form a conclusion of sorts but none if it made sense to her.

Why of all nights did she meet Natsu?

Why did he make her feel so at ease?

Why are her senses so sharp?

Why did Rayule call her a vampy bitch?

Why did she want to taste his blood?

Why, Why, Why?

Just as her brain felt like it was going to combust Natsu turned to her, “We’re here.” Coming to her senses again she realized they were in her apartment. Then it struck her, “How do you know where I live?”

Natsu had to think fast since for the second time this evening he wasn’t being cautious. He almost lost complete control when he had the altercation with Rayule, thankfully Lucy had put him down before he did.

“You mumbled it on our walk here.”

Lucy nodded seeming to buy the response as she walked over to her sink to wash her hands, inhaling slightly she became overwhelmed by the smell of Natsu as he came closer. It had the familiar coppery undertone of blood but there was something else about it that she had a hard time figuring out.

It made her think of cinnamon hearts and it smelled absolutely delicious. She noticed that Natsu was bleeding from his knuckles and his face. She snapped out of it and walking off to her bathroom; she called after him “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

Natsu leaned on the counter across from Lucy in her small bathroom, feeling like the tension could be cut with a knife. She was focused on her task of searching for her first aid supplies.

“You know it’s nothing really, you don’t have to.”

She turned and looked determined “It’s the least I can do for you since you saved me.”

He chuckled looking down at her, “You saved yourself, Luce, you didn’t need me.”

Lucy’s response shocked the both of them when she uttered, “I’ll always need you Natsu.” She had no idea what possessed her to say it but instead of trying to backtrack over her words she simply blushed and went back to her task as if she never said it.

Natsu also ignored the statement opting to examine the cut on his finger as he felt a warmth for the blonde jolt through his system. Since he first laid eyes on her months ago he had fostered feelings for her.

He had suspected she was the one he was supposed to watch over before he lost the Heartfilia line. To this day he still blamed his brother Zeref for what everyone at Fairy Tail called his “monumental fuck up”. Her smell was so familiar, like the young girl he used to watch over.

The smell had matured since then and especially in last month, it began changing. He couldn’t deny it was something he wanted to wrap himself in and treasure. Natsu was thoroughly convinced he found the last of the Heartfilia Clan which meant he found the last of her race.

His thoughts were broken when he heard her exclaim “Ah-hah!”

“I finally found the first aid kit. It’s been so long since I’ve used it.” She turned around to face Natsu who was looking up at her from examining the side of his finger in detail. He was about to put the finger in his mouth to clean the blood away like he typically did but was startled when Lucy dropped her supplies and grabbed his hand away from him quickly.

“Don’t,” was all that came out of her mouth.

She held his hand, looking at the blood slowly seeping out of the small cut and wrapped her lips around his finger. Her mouth made contact with the blood on his finger and her eyes fluttered shut. She swiped her tongue gently over the cut and her mouth exploded in flavor causing her to hum softly as she felt small crackling sensations travel across her tongue and throughout her mouth, she even felt it in her teeth.

It reminded her of the pop rocks candy she ate as a kid and she savored the sensation. It wasn’t long before she started gently sucking on his finger.

Natsu’s body shifted as he felt an overwhelming surge of power in the air. He watched her in awe as she seemed to be in a whole other world. She let go of his finger and without even opening her eyes she inhaled and moaned softly as she took a step closer letting her sense of smell guide her to where she wanted to be.

She got onto her tiptoes leaning into Natsu’s body and the tip of her nose skimmed the length of his injured jaw. She could smell the cinnamon coppery goodness and a thirst washed over her senses as her tongue darted out to lap at the blood from the injuries on his jaw.

She could taste something else now aside from the metallic cinnamon flavor, it was almost a sweet smoky flavor. She wanted more and without even realizing it her teeth nicked his skin and a burst of sweet flavor exploded in her mouth. Her knees buckled and Natsu caught her in his arms breaking the contact.

She was in a drunken daze and unable to stand so he picked her up and carried her into her living room placing her on the couch. He went back to the bathroom to finish cleaning up and splash a good dose of cold water on his face.

Lucy felt like she had a massive hangover when she opened her eyes then rubbed them gently. Feeling disoriented she glanced at the clock on her cable box, the time read 12:19 am. She heard rummaging in her kitchen and became alarmed as to who was in her house.

She peeked over the side of her couch, spying Natsu in her kitchen and immediately relaxed.

Lucy watched what he was doing, her curiosity piqued as Natsu had her favorite mug out along with the tea. He filled the mug with water and tossed a teabag in, lifting it with one hand, he held the other hand under it and a small flame appeared. Lucy quickly shifted back, her eyes not believing what she saw. As much as it puzzled her she discovered, she wasn’t surprised or scared, it just felt as if it was something almost normal.

Natsu turned the corner of the couch to see Lucy was awake.

“Well hello there sleepy head,” He handed her the tea and she sighed as she took it.

“How long have I been asleep?”

He thought for a second, “Not long, maybe an hour?” He took a seat next to her on the couch and turned to face her, “Look, we have to talk.” But before he could continue she interrupted him.

“What are you?” she asked quickly. Natsu grinned widely and it was then that she noticed his sharper than usual canine teeth.

“I’ll get to that, don't worry.” He started to become a little nervous, “How do you feel right now?”

Lucy thought a moment as she blew on the steaming mug. “I feel like I had about 10 shots of tequila.”

Natsu chuckled at her response, “Well you’re dehydrated, that’s for sure. Do you remember what happened in the bathroom?”

Lucy raised her mug and went to take a sip when her eye bumped the mug and caused her to spill a bit of the tea, “Ahh, what the hell?”

She placed the mug on the side table so she could touch her teeth. They felt larger and pointier than normal, similar to what Natsu’s looked like. Her memories of the bathroom flooded her and she immediately flushed a bright red and pulled the blanket on her lap over her head.

“Oh god, oh god, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me. Oh god.” Natsu laughed at her exclamations and labored breathing. The covers flew back over her head and revealing a very unhappy Lucy, her hair floating around her head full of static electricity, with a shot of anger she yelled, “You’re laughing at me!”

He laughed even harder at her appearance as she continued, “What is so damn funny, you… you… Flaming Flamingo!”

Natsu had completely lost it then, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.

“Flaming flamingo? Gray’s gonna love that one Luce!” Lucy had also chuckled at her lame insult. They both calmed down a little and she looked dejectedly at Natsu “Natsu, what is wrong with me?”

Grabbing her hands in his, he looked her in the eyes, “There is nothing wrong with you Lucy.”

She sniffed hard, trying not to let the few stray tears fall.

“I’ve never felt like everyone else, I tried to fit in but, so many strange things have occurred in my life. Bizarre recurring dreams almost my entire life, the type that when you wake up from them, you have to take some time to come back to reality. I’ve started sleeping all day and staying up all night, no matter how I try I can’t break that cycle. Strange cravings that I have never felt comfortable telling anyone about ever since I can remember. I tried telling my dad all this one time after my Mom died, a mistake I never made again. Hell, even the way my parents died was not normal and hey let’s top this all off with what the fuck happened to my teeth.”

Lucy’s rant was interrupted by Natsu’s soothing voice, “Hey, I told you there is nothing wrong with you, trust me on that one. There are just things that haven’t been explained yet.”

Lucy nodded, she believed his words but she wasn’t sure how she would find her answers “Where do I even begin Natsu? Doctors will think I am nuts and that will lead down a path I’d rather not go. Been there done that, if you know what I mean.” She huffed a breath of air and sunk further into the couch.

Natsu smirked at her, “I know just where to start Luce.” She raised her eyebrow in question.

“Get your stuff, let's go.”

“Where exactly are you taking me?” Lucy inquired as she got up collecting her belongings. The night was just so strange that she figured, why bother fighting it. He obviously means her no harm and honestly, she was all out of reasons to object.

“I’m going to take you to Gramps at Fairy Tail.” He stated, his tone a matter of fact.

“I’ve never heard of Fairy Tail, what is it?”

“It’s been my home for the past century or two.” His smile betrayed the insanity of his statement.

Lucy rolled her eyes, “Ya, sure. Between you and me, you’re the one that needs the help!”

Lucy found they were walking in the darker part of town where businesses were few and far between. She inhaled the night air deeply and looked up at the stars as they walked. Admiring how brightly even the shyer stars shined, she absentmindedly reached for the warmth of Natsu’s hand that was near her own. Their fingers entwined yet again, “They’re so beautiful.” was all Lucy said just under her breath.

“Not as beautiful as you.” Natsu said as he squeezed her hand.

She looked at him feeling embarrassed and slightly amused “Dork.”

“What! I was just stating a truth.” He smiled down at her, “Jeesh, don’t know how to take a compliment.”

The blonde tensed slightly, “Sorry, no one has ever called me beautiful. It was still dorky though.” She squeezed his hand playfully.

Natsu stopped in front of a darkened dilapidated shell of a school built at the turn of the century. “We’re here!”

Eyeing him skeptically, “Seriously? Are you messin’ with me?”

“Nope, although, it is fun messing with you.” Before Lucy could respond, he dragged her through the front gate.

Lucy’s jaw dropped once they passed the gate. The same dark night was above but the building now looked lively, in excellent repair, and well lit. The grounds were superbly manicured with gorgeous moonflowers blooming all along the length of the iron fence.

She ripped her hand out of Natsu’s running back out of the gate and turned to look at the building again. It was as it appeared before, abandoned. There was also the lack of the pink haired man she knew was present on the other side.

She ran back through the gate, slamming smack dab into the solid mass that was Natsu.

Laughing heartily at her reaction, “Yup, prettier on the inside for sure.”

Lucy rolled her eyes “Yup, total dork!”

Lucy was taken aback when they entered the building, there was a lively mix of what seemed to be ordinary people surrounded by a grand ambiance at first glance. Upon further inspection, however, the blonde realized none of these people were what she had originally thought of as normal.

The sights before her were quickly digested, accepted, and understood with ease by her brain which shocked her more than what was displayed before her eyes.

Surely the man and woman creating a miniature live snow-globe for the child sitting across from them should set off alarms.

She should be cowering in fear from the display of aggression and testosterone on the other side of the building as two large men stood poised to attack one another. Especially since one seemed to have scales that shimmered gold across his arms as he wielded a small ball of electricity in one hand.

The other appeared to have studs protruding from all around his face with fists, that looked to made of iron, raised and ready to strike. She should be backing out and running away screaming like a lunatic as the woman with fiery red hair clad in armor and a menacing look quickly approached them.

Quickly the small blond scurried behind Natsu which seemed to be standing tall with the biggest grin and not a care in the world by the surrounding chaos.

“What is the meaning of this?” The scarlet maiden bellowed. The entire room fell silent and focused on them.

Suddenly aware that eyes were on them, Natsu nervously scratched the back of his head, “Hey Erza, you look quite menacing this evening.”

“Enough sweet talk Natsu, what possessed you to bring this… this civilian into the guild? Have you gone insane?” The red haired woman gave Lucy a look of such disgust, reminding her of how her father had always regarded her.

From somewhere near the bar a female voice could be heard, “He was never sane!” This comment prompted a few chuckles.

“Quiet Cana!” Erza commanded. Turning her attention back to the two nervous people at the entrance she continued with her barrage, “You know the rules Natsu, we are to refrain from mingling with civilians and we are never to bring one to the guild.”

The two large men who were fighting a moment ago were approaching fast, Lucy tensed up as she heard the blonde one gruffly state, “She isn’t a civilian.”

“Ya, flash-face is right, what the hell did you find Salamander?” The dark haired man leaned toward her inhaling deeply, flinching away, she tucked herself closer to Natsu’s back.

Under the dark haired man’s breath, he muttered to himself, “I’ll be damned Salamander.”

He then stood up tall, yelling over in the direction of the two people that had been making the snow globe “Da fuck Gray? You freeze hell over?”

Gray stood up abruptly, almost knocking over the blue-haired woman sitting next to him. “What the hell are you talkin’ about man?”

The blond haired male spoke up after sniffing toward Lucy as well, “It seems our fuck-up pyro finally found the little blood sucking princess he lost!”

All the destructive players in the room were getting heated, tension steadily growing in the room. Finding the animosity almost palpable, Lucy began feeling the prickling of tears in her eyes. She always hated crying, but had little control over it.

The threat of tears coupled with the unfriendly attention and total disregard for her only caused her anxiety to escalate.

Instinctually she pressed herself impossibly closer to the man in front of her who had taken on a more serious and protective stance. Sensing his newly found friend’s unhappiness, he grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.  

Gray eyed the blonde cowering behind Natsu, “Bullshit, those damned leeches died off decades ago!” The blue-haired woman beside him frowned at the harsh words and smacked him upside the head. He ignored the slap as if it never happened, staring directly at his idiotic rival.

Lucy sobbed almost inaudibly, flinching at Gray’s harsh words. Natsu, having heard the quiet sob set him off and a deep growl washed away any traces of the light-hearted demeanor in him.

“Shut the hell up!” he roared loudly, “She can hear you and she has feelings, you assholes. Right now she has no idea what the hell is going on or what she is. I brought her here for answers, not fucking insults.”

Erza’s demeanor shifted to something less menacing at those words and looked toward the blue-haired woman standing next to Gray, “Juvia, please go get Master immediately.” Her eyes then slipped to Gray next, “Apologise now.”

Gray scoffed, “Why should I?”

“Because you’re making her cry,” Natsu growled loudly.

Gray raised an eyebrow in a challenge, “So?”

A wave of magical heat swept the room and Erza’s eyes widened as she regarded the pair in front of her, “Natsu, please calm yourself.”

The edge in Erza’s voice along with the magic filling the air brought everyone’s attention back to Natsu and Lucy with audible gasps heard throughout the room.

Lucy felt a warm wind surround her, tossing her hair wildly. The effect was immediately calming and she closed her eyes. Letting her hand slip away from his, she brought her arms around his waist hugging him from the back. She hummed in contentment while he growled in anger. A gruff gasp forced her eyes open as she saw the blonde and black haired men both back away slowly.

Finding the action curious she looked over the part of the room she could see and saw a similar reaction from everyone else. Puzzled she looked up toward the man she was hugging and discovered they were engulfed in flames. The flames felt warm and gentle reminiscent of her teenage sun worshiping days.

She shifted to Natsu’s side keeping her arms circled around him, raising his arm to accommodate her shift. Looking down at her, he smiled warmly, she noticed his eyes were an odd golden red color.

His attention shifted back to Gray, “Apologize, you ice-prick.”

Gray looked downward, “Sorry there, Blondie.”

Natsu growled, “Her name is Lucy, not Blondie.”

Gray glanced up annoyed “Sorry Lucy”

Lucy heard a giggle from the bar, a tall white-haired woman was smiling brightly as she spoke, “I think Natsu found a girl.”

Lucy blushed at the words and implication.

“Alright! Shows over!” Bellowed a small older man who entered the room from a door just on the side of the bar.

“Natsu, you idiot, you're going to burn the building down,” and just like that all the warmth was gone, shut off as if it were a light switch. She cleared her throat and stepped away from Natsu with embarrassment, realizing how intimately they embraced for two people who only met that night.

The small man walked up to Lucy and held out his hand to guiding her toward his office, “Hello child, I hear you’re here for answers. Please, won’t you join me in my office.”,

“Well, aren’t you coming?” Natsu smiled brightly when the older man included him and followed them into the office.

As the old man shut the door behind them, he gestured toward the chairs, “Please have a seat kids.”

Lucy settled, taking in the surrounding room. It was warm and inviting with books lining the walls. It smelled of Old Spice, dust, and old paper. She barely noticed as the man hopped onto his desk and sat in front of them cross-legged.

Clearing his throat, the squat old man officially introduced himself, “My name is Makarov Dreyar and I am the Master of this Guild.”

Lucy’s brows knitted slightly at his words, which prompted him to grin, “Think of it like a boss, sort of. Except I have little to no control over this lot of fools.” Ignoring the small chuckle from Natsu, Master Makarov continued, “Most people call me Master, some refer to me as Gramps. You may call me whatever you are most comfortable with.”  

Lucy nodded her head in understanding, “Thank you Mr. Dreyar.”

The blonde’s head was swimming with a million questions but before she could even begin the Master continued.

“I sense your many questions child, I will happily answer as best I can. First, let me tell you both a short tale that may hopefully shed some light on why you are here now.” Lucy settled into her seat ready to hear the Master’s words.

“There are many facets to this world, some we know and some we do not. There are people that believe magical beings and creatures walk this earth, that they hide themselves among humans and animals alike. There are also people that don’t believe in any of the sort. The truth is, magic exists and this world was once filled with all the creatures you read about. Fear, however, has been diminishing the magic in this world. The decline of magic, as we know it, began about 500 years ago with the great war among the creatures and beings in this world.”

He stopped, checking to see if she was still listening, which she was.

“We were once ruled by the Celestial Governing Body, all species, creatures, and beings were represented by their Clan’s Stewards and led by the Celestial Governess. Peace had prevailed under their rule until a faction of Dragons and Demons calling themselves the Etherious Alliance became too greedy for power and slaughtered the Celestial Governess. The Stewards became divided, allowing the Etherious Alliance to gain allies and thusly tipping the world into war and chaos.”

“That war lasted three centuries and laid waste to many of the creatures we read about today. Sadly, some lost with no known record of their existence. The Etherious Alliance was defeated when their leader, Acnologia, went missing and his second in command, Zeref, tried to take over and lead. The war ended unceremoniously with no formal conclusion aside from Zeref’s defeat. There is still an Etherious Alliance today, but the Celestial Governing Body never re-formed. Most clans went underground, hiding their magic, fearing another war that could lead to the death of their kind. Magic has been diluted over the past few centuries since the bloodlines and creatures that carried it have been either wiped out of existence, in deep hiding or have been bred out.”

“Today in the world, people are born with latent magical abilities or creature attributes but with no knowledge or belief in their heritage. That is where the role of guilds comes in, we are a loosely organized network of people whose goals are to seek out and help those who have come into their abilities. This is an important goal for us to reach these people before those in the Etherious Alliance can corrupt them and bring them into their ranks. Our guild, Fairy Tail, is the place where those in the city of Magnolia can seek out help or work.” The Master sighed and took a sip from his large mug beside him.

“That brings us to you. I have no doubt that you have recently reached the age of 25, have you not?”

Natsu piped up, “You bet, I took her out to celebrate her birthday just earlier tonight!”

The Master chuckled softly at Natsu’s obvious excitement.

“What does age have to do with it?” Lucy inquired.

“Well, that is the believed age of maturity for most magic creatures. For some, it’s a gradual build up and for other’s it’s a sudden unlocking of ability. Tell me Miss Heartfilia, do you know anything about your heritage?”

Lucy looked down at her hands fiddling with her nails, “Honestly, no, my mother died when I was young and my father died a few years ago without ever speaking of anything… unusual.”

Makarov nodded understandingly, “Tell me, have you ever craved to taste anyone’s blood before?”

Lucy’s sucked in a small breath, eyes nervously searching for something to focus on other than the two other people in the room. “I… well I...”

Makarov interrupted her stuttering, “Neither I nor Natsu will judge you, nothing you say could shock us and what you say in here is kept in confidence.”

Lucy smiled meekly, “Blood has always smelled good to me. I’ve never had the urge to drink it or anything like that. Although I do prefer raw beef over cooked but that’s normal, or so my mom told me. I knew it wasn’t though, from how people reacted when I told them.” Lucy paused and cleared her throat as both men watched her intently, “Sorry, I’m rambling. The first time I have ever truly craved what I knew was blood was tonight. It smelled so delicious and overwhelming, my body just went on auto-pilot, the blood just tasted so good and it was soothing and filling. I had never tasted anything like it in my life. It was strangely sweet with a smokey cinnamony coppery taste and a...” She paused momentarily when she realized they were both watching her with a curious expression on their faces. “What? What did I say?”

The short old man chuckled under his breath and reached into his drawer to grab a mirror, handing it to the blonde. She took it and looked into the mirror curiously; she was met with a pair of brown eyes that bled gold and deep garnet. She inhaled suddenly “My eyes they’re…”

“Gorgeous” Natsu replied before she could finish her sentence.  

Makarov cleared his throat, looking at the two, “Is it safe to assume you are describing Natsu’s blood?”

Looking down bashfully she responded with a quiet, “Yes.”

“Oh come now Miss Heartfilia, it is only natural for your kind to crave blood.”

Lucy looked up, “My kind?”

“Why yes, vampires are widely known for the peculiar eating habits.” He chuckled jumping off his desk and walking to his bookshelves.

Lucy’s head turned quickly toward Natsu, “VAMPIRE? Like “I vant to suck your blood” vampire?  Wait, you knew? How did you know?”

He gave her a sheepish grin, “Umm… Ya.” But he didn’t offer any other answers.

As Makarov collected a few select books from around the room, he interrupted Natsu before he could get into trouble,  “You are not full blooded my child, but you are the last known of your kind. Natsu was tasked with watching over the Heartfilia Clan long before you were born. However, just after your birth we lost track and have been searching for you before the Etherion Alliance could find you.”

“So was that why that man attacked us?” Lucy inquired innocently to Natsu, who cringed instantly.

“When did you plan on telling me this, boy?” Makarov seemed to have grown in size, towering over a skittish looking Natsu.

“I didn’t get a chance to yet Gramps! You decided to tell your little story and I figured it was more important for Luce to get her answers first.”

Seemingly satisfied with his answer the old man calmed himself, “You are to stay by her side, under no circumstances is she to be left alone. They will send more men after her and she cannot be left unprotected. Also, in light what transpired between you two, she will certainly need you by her side from now on.”

Lucy quirked her head “Why are people after me and why do I need him for something other than protection?”

Makarov sighed, “There are many things to discuss with you, my child, first though you must educate yourself on your kind.” He handed her a small pile of books, “Please start with these, over time you will certainly learn more about your heritage. There are those out there that wish to wipe the vampire clans out completely and those who wish to use you as a pawn.” He walked back to his desk to take another long gulp from his mug, “Your situation with Natsu here is a unique one. He will be the one who can sustain your craving for blood. You can try to feed from others but they will not satisfy as deeply as him.”

Natsu snickered, about to utter a crass remark about satisfaction but Lucy glared at him, “Don’t even go there.”

“Oh but I will, when you’re ready.” He winked at her with a devious smile.

Their banter was interrupted “Well kids, time for a refill and to collect my winnings from Cana! Remember son, don’t let her out of your sight and my dear, those books should give you a good amount of answers. Sadly, I don’t know much more than what those books can provide.”

Natsu cocked his head, “Winnings? What’s being bet on this time?”

Gramps made his way to the door, “Whether you would find Miss Heartfilia and whether you two would… hit it off so to speak.”

“Oi! For real! At least you had faith in me! Thanks Gramps! Hope you made out well.”

“No worries boy, I cleaned house!” He smiled back at the two as he exited.

Lucy turned to Natsu after the door clicked shut and sighed heavily, “I think my brain is going to combust. I don’t know if I should be more alarmed at what I heard or that what I heard made sense.”

She chuckled softly and added, “What are you?”

Natsu boasted proudly, “I’m a fire dragon.”

“Makes sense, with the fire and all. I thought dragons were part of the bad guys?”

“Not all of us are. My clan disagreed and didn’t believe in the goals of the Etherious Alliance, well most of them anyway.” Natsu tone held a sliver of hurt.

“Wait, how come I didn’t burn when you were lit up like a roman candle?  Oh, and thank you, by the way, for everything.”

“It’s nothing Luce! I would do anything for you.” Natsu walked over to a bookshelf on the far side of the room, skimming the titles searching for one in particular.

“Hah!” He exclaimed as he plucked the book from the shelf, “I’m shit at explaining things so we should add this to the pile of reading as well.”

She took the book he had handed her, a rather thick and heavy one, reading the title aloud, “Dragon Mating Encyclopedia. What the hell?” She glared up at him to catch the pink haired dragon winking at her with a lascivious grin.

“You should probably read it first since you kinda claimed me or whatever corny thing they want to call it.” Lucy gasped at the implication of his words.

His eyes grazed over her form, “If you don’t feel like reading, I could always...” he leaned in close to her with his lips ghosting over her ear, “show you.”

She inhaled deeply, smelling the sweetness of what flowed in his veins, momentarily lost in her craving. She hummed and then playfully pushed him away, “I prefer reading, you’re shit at explaining, remember?” She refocused her attention on placing her new reading materials in her bag.

Natsu leaned back with a chuckle and when she was finished stowing her books, he held out his hand to Lucy. She grabbed it without hesitation and they walked back out the office.

They made their way to the main entrance he waved them all goodbye and took Lucy back to her apartment.

After the two exited the building, Cana turned to the main area of the guild where people gathered and yelled, “Attention! I’m now taking bets on when Natsu pops her cherry!”

[willofhounds]

Alone ch 1

Newt's POV

Newt always knew he was different from other children. Even from wizarding children. His magic lashed out against anyone who came close to him.

He felt drawn to the creatures of the world. Humans held little interest for him. If anything they made him wary and suspicious. Not even his older brother or his parents were exempt.

By the time he was seven he spent more time out by the bowtruckle tree than in his house. When his parents came looking for him his magic would hide him.

It was on his way back to the manor that he felt a pull on his magic. Subtle but strong pull that made him curious enough to follow it.

Later he would learn that he stepped through one of the pathways. That if he focused on the untamed magic inside him while stepping through it would lead him to those like him. Celestial Spirits made from the hearts of men. Living in their own world to allow their magic and life force to renew. Some came and went between the human worlds but they were few and far between.

It seemed as if Newt had simply blinked. A completely different forest surrounded him. His magic no longer pulling trying to lead him elsewhere. Neither did he feel he could find his own way back.

Surprisingly he didn't feel any worry about not making it back. Even at the tender age of seven he knew he would not be missed. Nor did he feel he was in any danger here. His magic would protect him as it always had.

After a few minutes of wandering he heard a rustling to the left of him. Newt turned curious of what creature he might find. Instead of a creature it was a pink haired boy.

Onyx eyes met green and for a moment they just stared at each other.

Newt thought the boy was about his age. The way he dressed was strange. His shirt barely covered his any of his torso and there weren't any sleeves. He was also wearing shorts that came down to his knees. A scale like scarf was wrapped around his neck.

Newt had to wonder if the other was cold. While it wasn't winter out to be wearing so little clothes had to be chilling. Right?

The boy's name turned out to be Natsu. He was a wizard from the guild known as Fairy Tail. Having never heard of such a thing he thought the other was lying.

He was proven wrong by the other when he was dragged through the forest and out onto a road. Everything about the world felt different. This was not his own. Even at his young of an age he could tell.

Natsu dragged him to a giant building in the middle of town. The same symbol on his shoulder lay on a banner.

There he met Makarov. The old man had gentle grey eyes. When Newt explained his situation in private Makarov promised to look into it. Until then he was welcome to stay with the guild.

There were several orphaned children that called Fairy Tail home. Natsu, Gray an ice wizard, Erza who specialized in weapons and Cana. One more was welcomed greatly into their ranks.

Makarov even let him join the guild. His guild mark was on his upper right bicep. It would be easy to hide or to show if he chose to. It was two days later that they recieved an answer.

An old woman came to visit the guild with an orange haired man. The man's hazel eyes widened at the sight of him. They widened even further at the sight of his guild mark.

He introduced himself as Loke of Blue Pegasus another wizarding guild in front of the wizards. When they were alone he was told the truth.

Loke was in fact Leo the Lion. He was the Leader of the Zodiacs. Then he explained that this was not Earth. Not the one that he knew.

Leo explained that he was coming into his abilities as the 13th Zodiac. Officially he didn't exist to the wizards. Officially there were only 12 of the Zodiacs.

Unofficially there was a 13th gate. As Leo the Lion was the light. Lupus the Wolf was the darkness. They were polar opposites of each other.

Despite being the darkness Leo did not treat him any different. He taught Newt how to sense the magics around him. How to pass between the gates so that he could travel to the Celestial World. Finally how to return home.

Almost a month passed between when he left his world and when he returned to it. His magic was stronger than before his life force renewed. Due to his and lack of training his life force drained slowly.

As he grew older he would have to visit the Celestial World more often to regain his life force. Though it wouldn't be the only reason.

When he returned home his parents bombarded him with questions. Where had he been? Didn't he realize how worried they had been?

Newt honestly didn't consider the possibility that he would be missed. His parents always liked Theseus better than him. They only got worried when he didn't come back.

When they tried to ground him he just ignored it. Even the manor wards couldn't keep him from coming and going. Though he was careful not to spend so long away a second time.

The only other issue they had was with his guild mark. They couldn't believe that he had gotten a tattoo. Trying to remove it with magic had proved to be futile. The magic of the guild and his heart was far stronger.

Leo introduced him to the other spirits. He and Aries were quick to become friends. Currently she and Leo were contracted to the same wizard.

According to Aries away from the sharp ears of Leo she told him of the wizard's unkindness. It was strange to get used to hearing that a person of magic was called a wizard no matter their gender. Newt being the person he was couldn't stand to see his new friend hurt.

Newt trained hard with Leo learning about his magics. Like all Celestial spirits he had two kinds.

His beast magic that connected him to creatures and his own inner gate. It was the most difficult to control.

The second was illusion magic. Mainly used as a defense mechanism he could also magic his magic tangible to be an attack.

When he wasn't training with Leo he was learning to fight. Gray and Natsu had taken it upon themselves to teach him. It turned out both boys were a year older than him. They decided to unofficially adopt him as their brother.

For four years this went about in the same pattern. He would spend most of his time in Earthland only leaving when it would become obvious that he was missing.

By the time he was eleven he was allowed to take nearby jobs on his own. Unlike Natsu and Gray he did have a family. While they didn't really care about him like the guild did Makarov made sure that he was never far.

It was in the rare morning in early June that he recieved his Hogwarts letter. Excitement and dread filled him. He wasn't sure if he could juggle his trainings, taking jobs, and school.

It was comforting when Makarov assured him that even if he was gone for long periods of time he would always be a member of the guild. They were family. It was then that he realized what that word truly meant.

He agreed to go to Hogwarts but still wore his wizarding guild emblem with pride. Whether it was Earth or Earthland there was no way he could be ashamed of his guild.

People who had known him when he was younger didn't recognize him. Unlike most children his age he was chubby or having lots of baby fat. He was tall and lean with muscle.

Theseus was excitedly talking about classes next to him. The older Scammander was a Gryffindor, brave and true. Newt only listened with half an ear.

His main focus was on getting the books he needed. Plus the few extras the world might have on illusion and wandless magic.

In both cases they were few and far between. An interesting however had been on Celestial Spirits. It was tucked away in the myths and legends sections.

Like always his parents had begrudged him his few extra books. They weren't poor but it always seemed to put them out if he wanted more. Theseus always got what he wanted no matter how extra it was. It made him feel jealous at times but he always remembered that it was he who was welcomed in Earthland. Not his brother.

His wand surprised everyone. It was ash and shadow wolf fur. A rare combination seen only once every couple hundred years. Olivander had a knowing looking in his eyes. He warned him to keep it safe and to hide his abilities.

Once he had everything they returned to the manor. Newt holed himself up in his room to read the book on Celestial Spirits. To his disappointment there was nothing new. Though it did seem that at one time Celestial Spirits did stay on this world.

Likely due to the humans lack of knowledge they left. He wasn't surprised by it. The wizards didn't have the same acceptance that they did in Earthland.

Two months later he was on the train to Hogwarts. He met Leta Lestrange on the train and they quickly became friends. She showed interest in creatures in a way that no one had before.

Despite their quick friendship he kept his secret of Celestial Spirits close to the chest. Olivander's warning rang in the back of his mind.

He was neither offended nor surprised when he was sorted that night into Hufflepuff. Theseus who was a seventh year Gryffindor clapped for him but he was the only one.

Newt found that the Forbidden Forest held the appropriate ley lines to lead him back to Earthland. Whenever he wasn't in class or looking after the creatures of Hogwarts he was with his guild.

Fairy Tail members listened to his stories of the school with interest. To them the whole other world was exciting.

Their trainings continued as usual but he saw less and less of Leo as time passed. When he did see the Lion his friend was exhausted. It seemed Karen his wizard was pushing all of her Celestial Spirits to the point of exhaustion.

That made him weary of Celestial wizards as a whole. There had to be good ones to outweigh the bad but he didn't want his key falling into the wrong hands. For the moment he wore in on a chain around his neck. It was disillusioned using his magic. Only the strongest of his wizards would be able to detect it. While wizards on Earthland could they tended to be less nosy.

Right before the Christmas holidays he was pulled aside by Professor Dumbledore. The man had begun to notice his abrupt disappearances. How no one could find him when he decided to disappear.

Newt tried to placate the man by saying he was just good at hiding but he knew it didn't work. Dumbledore seemed to watch him even more from that day on. It became increasingly difficult for him to get away.

Before he knew it however five years passed. Despite his watcher Newt found time to visit Earthland. His magic grew faster than the other children's and thanks to his training he was able to control it.

Every professor knew him by name and reputation. They tended to look the other way when he would bring creatures in. Most of them were small and injured. He would nurse them back to health and release them.

He had done well on his OWL's and was working to do the same on his NEWT'S. It would be out of love for his friend that he wouldn't see his schooling through to his seventh year.

Leta unleashed a runespore onto another student. Newt knew of the fear she held for her father. How he would likely kill her if she was expelled. So he took the blame for the attack.

Things had begun to get more heated between Aries and Karen. More than once he was called to help her heal because the wizard had beaten her within an inch of her life.

He and Leo made a pact after the last time. If it happened again they would step in. No matter the cost.

In the end he was expelled from Hogwarts but was allowed to keep his wand. Newt didn't return to his parents after that. Instead he chose to travel. A final parting gift from Dumbledore was a suitcase that had an undetectable expansion charm on it.

[edo-salandria]

FanFic: SENSORY OVERLOAD

SUMMARY: Natsu and Lucy have been targeted. A mysterious tattoo appears on both of them that changes their relationship in ways they could never have imagined.

RATED: M

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Also can be read on: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12234990/1/Sensory-Overload  (Up to Chapter 16)

Prologue ; Chapter 1 ; Chapter 2 ; Chapter 3 ; Chapter 4 ; Chapter 5 ; Chapter 6 ; Chapter 7 ; Chapter 8 ; Chapter 9 ; Chapter 10 ; Chapter 11 ; Chapter 12 ; Chapter 13 ; Chapter 14 ; Chapter 15 ; Chapter 16

 CHAPTER 8

'I'm getting sick of this shit. If these people weren't family I would pound their faces into next week. What gives them a right to talk about her like that.' Natsu followed the path leading away from the guild hall with no real idea of where he would go. He played the incidents over in his head 'Freed thinks I'm a idiot, hell, everyone thinks I'm a damned idiot… Hah, like I don't know what a woman is, I know more about the women in this guild then any of those horny bastards. They're the idiots who get their asses handed to them when they're too stupid to know when to steer clear.' Natsu snickered to himself as he walked to the eastern edge of the city still lost in his thoughts.

'You know what, the girls aren't any different. If only the guys knew what those ladies talk about. Maybe the Master should install a fresh pantie dispenser in the women's room. Hell, while he's at it he could install a used pantie dispenser in the guy's room and friggin' recycle.' The cold wind picked up a bit but Natsu barely felt the chill, he was too angered and frustrated to feel it. He continued to follow the path into the woods knowing it would eventually lead him home. 'And then there is Lucy, that woman will be the death of me. She thinks I haven't figured this out, that I couldn't handle knowing. Maybe she is the dense one who doesn't understand love. Why has she been hiding her feelings for me, I just don't understand. Ya I know she has always been physically attracted to me, she could never deny that without lying. The smell of her gives everything away. But why hide any of it?' The truth of it was that he was tuned into her heady scent of amber and vanilla with a little bit of something that reminded him of the forest, it told him everything he needed to know. When to give her space, when to have Mira make chicken soup for the colds she was on the brink of getting, and even when to leave chocolate covered shortbread in her cupboard before she even realized she craved them.

Natsu's train of thought was broken up by the sound of a growl just at the path's bend up ahead of him. "Well hey there, sounds like you wanna play!" Natsu squinted to see what kind of beast was behind the low growl. Out from the undergrowth stalked a single wolf, eyes glaring yellow. As if on cue the Dragon Slayer's hand fisted up and effortlessly produced brilliant flames. He could feel the fire spread through him like a wave of calmness that focused his scattering thoughts and emotions. For Natsu the destructive behavior of combat was what made him feel at peace. It was how he learned to cope with his troubles, his magic soothed him and quieted his mind and that is just what he needed at the moment, a good fight. Natsu and the wolf were assessing each other and for every growl the wolf made he returned it in kind. They stalked around each other waiting for the other to initiate the fight. The wolf started baring teeth and in an instant lunged at Natsu. The beast let out a yelp when he landed a solid blow the wolf's chest as he twisted out of the way. The dance continued for a while, he could have ended it quickly but he need the fight, he was focused. So much so that he didn't even sense Happy flying at mach speed toward him.

"STOOOOP! YOU'RE HURTING LUCY!" at the sound of Lucy's name Natsu whipped his head around toward Happy's voice from behind him. Before he could respond the wolf took the opportunity and charged Natsu. Heeding Happy's warning he stopped using his magic and instead used sheer physical power to wrestle the wolf. He met Happy's eyes quickly with a look that told the cat he needed to elaborate and fast "SHE CAN FEEL YOUR FLAMES". It was at that moment the wolf decided to bite into his forearm that was protecting his neck.

Lucy watched through blurry eyes as the cat raced off to find Natsu. She laid on the ground trying to focus and take control of her situation. 'I am not actually on fire… this is just a ghost of his magic.' Despite the searing pain she felt in her hand and throughout her body she eventually managed to rise from the ground and slowly get herself standing upright again 'I have to find that idiot and tell him to stop before I melt from the inside out!' she stumbled at first trying to compose herself. Gingerly she made her way to the forest edge and into the woods, she knew she was going the same direction as Natsu and then Happy since she could smell their scents intermingled. As she started moving a little more easily she finally felt the intense burning heat die out in her body. She was only momentarily relieved because no sooner did she let out her sigh of relief the she felt a very sharp and very intense pain in her forearm. She clutched it with a painful scream and she paled at the realization that Natsu got hurt almost like something bit him she felt her adrenaline kick into high gear and she bolted toward the new scent of blood.

As Lucy rounded the corner she quickly assessed the scene before her. Natsu was wrestling a wolf and he looked like he had the upper hand despite the blood that was covering his forearm. At their back was another wolf running toward him about to attack, there was no time to call one of her spirits so she went on pure instinct and charged at the wolf and with all her weight she tackled the wolf before it could reach its intended prey. 'What the HELL was I thinking!' was all she could ask herself as she found herself tangled with a stunned wolf. She managed to scramble to a position where she could effectively kick the wolf back. Yelping at the swift kick it ran back a few hundred yard to regroup. She looked toward Natsu to find that the wolf he was wrestling was doing the same thing.

Scrambling to Natsu's side Lucy yelled toward Happy who was hovering with a dumbfounded look on his face, "GO, GET HELP AND MAKE SURE THEY BRING WENDY!" the cat snapped to attention and flew off, he was still to shocked to even reply after seeing Lucy tackle a wolf. Natsu was panting heavily and wincing at the pain in his arm when Lucy grabbed it gently to look at the wound. Throwing her and unconvincing smile "I'm fine Luce, barely a scratch" she looked into his eyes and huffed "You can't lie to me you know." He was going to retort with a snide remark but they both realized that the number of wolves cautiously surrounding them swelled from two to five. Glancing at her injured partner, she started to feel the familiar warmth building up "Natsu, don't - I can't handle the pain of you goin' all out on these guys". She felt the anger and frustration that his face reflected and rapidly tried to think of something that would beat the wolves without making Natsu feel like he couldn't protect her. She understood that it was one of his weaknesses, and he always took it very hard when he couldn't protect someone he loved and cared for. She quickly remembered the sensation she felt as they had entered the guild hall earlier and she knew the answer.

With a wide grin on her face she looked him in the eyes and raised her eyebrows a little "So, you wanna try something a little different?" Natsu looked surprised and wasn't sure what to answer but he didn't have to, Lucy started talking rapidly "Look, I am super sorry and I should have told you earlier. Our senses and emotions are linked. Remember earlier when you wanted to throw up sparkles? Ya, that was my magic you were feeling. I'm really sorry I just thought you would torture me to no end and… I'm sorry"

"Luce, what do you take me for?" a devious smile spread across his face "So wait, you get all tingly and vibrat-y when you use your magic?"

"SHUT IT, this is not the time or the place"

"Does that mean there could be?"

"Damnit Natsu - the wolves are getting closer and all you want to do is tease me?"

With perfect timing he managed a wink and responded "Always!" he paused a moment "So, does what you want to try get rid of these wolves?"

Lucy was exasperated at this point "YES now FOCUS. We can feel each other's magic right? Which means we can be in sync with it, like a Unison Raid."

"AWESOME, so what do I do?" he could barely contain his excitement at trying to use his magic in a new and unusual way.

Lucy let out a brief sigh "I don't know - but it will work. I know it will. I'll call Taurus and as I do that you focus your magic to his Axe, got it?"

Natsu nodded firmly, believing that they could pull this off. The wolves were starting to get closer and their time was running out. He watched as she made quick work of removing Taurus's key from her ring. She leaned over him and grabbed his hand lacing their fingers together. Awkwardly she tried reaching over to place the key into their joined hands. She looked over their eyes locked onto each other but neither one of them looked away. Without even thinking or breaking his gaze he wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her into a straddling position on his lap. Lucy flushed instantly at the compromising position and she saw it reflected back at her in his face. She looked down as he took the key from her hand and watched and slid between their connected palms. He reached back around her waist and pulled her in a little closer adjusting her weight more comfortably. He gently intertwined his fingers with hers and she gasped as she instantly felt the warm signature of his magic build and mix with the hum of her own. Her concentration broke only momentarily when she heard him suck in a deep breath as a result of him feeling the mixing of their magic.

Natsu couldn't help but stare at the beautiful woman in his lap, he was enthralled with the sensation that was snaking out from his core. The fire in his belly mixed with her ethereal hum was almost too much for him to handle. He ran through a gamut of emotions from amazement, love, devotions and lastly desire. In that moment he wanted to close the distance and and brush his lips against hers.

Lucy looked down at the man in front of her, the play of emotions she felt and saw run across his face was too much for her to handle so she shut her eyes. She could no longer be distracted and had to call her spirit before the wolves attacked. "Gate of the Golden Bull, I open

thee! Taurus". In that moment the combination of magic created vortex of wind and fire that surrounded them as the Bull started to materialized. As the initial burst of magic died down she was afraid to open her eyes, she feared that what she felt in those moments would not be reflected genuinely in her Dragon Slayer's eyes and that it was only her own feelings she experienced. She felt him pull her down closer to him she held her breath anxiously. There was a warm breath near her ear, he whispered "That was amazing." Her body's response was immediate as she felt the low familiar stirring of arousal and froze.

"Lucy you're lookin' pretty hoooot today. My axes isn't the only thing on fire for youuuuuuu." Lucy leaped to her feet and saw that Taurus's axes was glowing and engulfed in flames. She welcomed the rush of adrenaline that pushed away her embarrassment and commanded "Taurus get rid of these wolves." the oversized spirit looked over his shoulder "Anything for you miss Luuucy." As the wolves approached and lunged toward the bull they were each taken out with a swift blow from Taurus's flaming twin-headed axe. Natsu watched with envy, as the humanoid bull dispatched the wolves, the mix of fire and celestial magics made fast and easy work of it. With the last of the wolves lying at Taurus's feet he looked to Lucy with his lecherous eyes "I'm ready for my reward Miss Lucy, hows about a little smoooch?" She could only roll her eyes "Not happening you perv!" and with that Taurus's gate closed and he dematerialized.

Lucy's attention went immediately back to the wound on Natsu's arm. She knelt down in front of him grabbing a piece of his torn waistcoat, she was ready to rip a piece of fabric loose to wrap his wound "Luce, I told you I'm fine. Wendy's probably on her way so no biggie."

She went ahead and ripped a length of fabric anyway and began wrapping the gaping wound in his forearm "Ya I know, but the smell is just making me nauseous. I don't know how you ever put up with it." she gave him an almost sorrowful look "how do you even manage it all?"

"Manage what?" Natsu had knew exactly what he met but but he played dumb as always.

Lucy sighed as she was collecting her thoughts, as she was going to elaborate on her question she smelled someone coming. Quickly looking at Natsu with a questioning eye he nodded at her as if he was reading her mind and he confirmed "It's Wendy."

"Let's talk later then." Lucy looked back toward the curve in the path and saw the petite little bluenette running toward them with Happy and Carla flying closely behind. She felt a wave of relief both for the help that was coming and the distraction from answering the questions and talking about the inevitable.

[willofhounds]

Alone ch 1

Newt's POV

Newt always knew he was different from other children. Even from wizarding children. His magic lashed out against anyone who came close to him.

He felt drawn to the creatures of the world. Humans held little interest for him. If anything they made him wary and suspicious. Not even his older brother or his parents were exempt.

By the time he was seven he spent more time out by the bowtruckle tree than in his house. When his parents came looking for him his magic would hide him.

It was on his way back to the manor that he felt a pull on his magic. Subtle but strong pull that made him curious enough to follow it.

Later he would learn that he stepped through one of the pathways. That if he focused on the untamed magic inside him while stepping through it would lead him to those like him. Celestial Spirits made from the hearts of men. Living in their own world to allow their magic and life force to renew. Some came and went between the human worlds but they were few and far between.

It seemed as if Newt had simply blinked. A completely different forest surrounded him. His magic no longer pulling trying to lead him elsewhere. Neither did he feel he could find his own way back.

Surprisingly he didn't feel any worry about not making it back. Even at the tender age of seven he knew he would not be missed. Nor did he feel he was in any danger here. His magic would protect him as it always had.

After a few minutes of wandering he heard a rustling to the left of him. Newt turned curious of what creature he might find. Instead of a creature it was a pink haired boy.

Onyx eyes met green and for a moment they just stared at each other.

Newt thought the boy was about his age. The way he dressed was strange. His shirt barely covered his any of his torso and there weren't any sleeves. He was also wearing shorts that came down to his knees. A scale like scarf was wrapped around his neck.

Newt had to wonder if the other was cold. While it wasn't winter out to be wearing so little clothes had to be chilling. Right?

The boy's name turned out to be Natsu. He was a wizard from the guild known as Fairy Tail. Having never heard of such a thing he thought the other was lying.

He was proven wrong by the other when he was dragged through the forest and out onto a road. Everything about the world felt different. This was not his own. Even at his young of an age he could tell.

Natsu dragged him to a giant building in the middle of town. The same symbol on his shoulder lay on a banner.

There he met Makarov. The old man had gentle grey eyes. When Newt explained his situation in private Makarov promised to look into it. Until then he was welcome to stay with the guild.

There were several orphaned children that called Fairy Tail home. Natsu, Gray an ice wizard, Erza who specialized in weapons and Cana. One more was welcomed greatly into their ranks.

Makarov even let him join the guild. His guild mark was on his upper right bicep. It would be easy to hide or to show if he chose to. It was two days later that they recieved an answer.

An old woman came to visit the guild with an orange haired man. The man's hazel eyes widened at the sight of him. They widened even further at the sight of his guild mark.

He introduced himself as Loke of Blue Pegasus another wizarding guild in front of the wizards. When they were alone he was told the truth.

Loke was in fact Leo the Lion. He was the Leader of the Zodiacs. Then he explained that this was not Earth. Not the one that he knew.

Leo explained that he was coming into his abilities as the 13th Zodiac. Officially he didn't exist to the wizards. Officially there were only 12 of the Zodiacs.

Unofficially there was a 13th gate. As Leo the Lion was the light. Lupus the Wolf was the darkness. They were polar opposites of each other.

Despite being the darkness Leo did not treat him any different. He taught Newt how to sense the magics around him. How to pass between the gates so that he could travel to the Celestial World. Finally how to return home.

Almost a month passed between when he left his world and when he returned to it. His magic was stronger than before his life force renewed. Due to his and lack of training his life force drained slowly.

As he grew older he would have to visit the Celestial World more often to regain his life force. Though it wouldn't be the only reason.

When he returned home his parents bombarded him with questions. Where had he been? Didn't he realize how worried they had been?

Newt honestly didn't consider the possibility that he would be missed. His parents always liked Theseus better than him. They only got worried when he didn't come back.

When they tried to ground him he just ignored it. Even the manor wards couldn't keep him from coming and going. Though he was careful not to spend so long away a second time.

The only other issue they had was with his guild mark. They couldn't believe that he had gotten a tattoo. Trying to remove it with magic had proved to be futile. The magic of the guild and his heart was far stronger.

Leo introduced him to the other spirits. He and Aries were quick to become friends. Currently she and Leo were contracted to the same wizard.

According to Aries away from the sharp ears of Leo she told him of the wizard's unkindness. It was strange to get used to hearing that a person of magic was called a wizard no matter their gender. Newt being the person he was couldn't stand to see his new friend hurt.

Newt trained hard with Leo learning about his magics. Like all Celestial spirits he had two kinds.

His beast magic that connected him to creatures and his own inner gate. It was the most difficult to control.

The second was illusion magic. Mainly used as a defense mechanism he could also magic his magic tangible to be an attack.

When he wasn't training with Leo he was learning to fight. Gray and Natsu had taken it upon themselves to teach him. It turned out both boys were a year older than him. They decided to unofficially adopt him as their brother.

For four years this went about in the same pattern. He would spend most of his time in Earthland only leaving when it would become obvious that he was missing.

By the time he was eleven he was allowed to take nearby jobs on his own. Unlike Natsu and Gray he did have a family. While they didn't really care about him like the guild did Makarov made sure that he was never far.

It was in the rare morning in early June that he recieved his Hogwarts letter. Excitement and dread filled him. He wasn't sure if he could juggle his trainings, taking jobs, and school.

It was comforting when Makarov assured him that even if he was gone for long periods of time he would always be a member of the guild. They were family. It was then that he realized what that word truly meant.

He agreed to go to Hogwarts but still wore his wizarding guild emblem with pride. Whether it was Earth or Earthland there was no way he could be ashamed of his guild.

People who had known him when he was younger didn't recognize him. Unlike most children his age he was chubby or having lots of baby fat. He was tall and lean with muscle.

Theseus was excitedly talking about classes next to him. The older Scammander was a Gryffindor, brave and true. Newt only listened with half an ear.

His main focus was on getting the books he needed. Plus the few extras the world might have on illusion and wandless magic.

In both cases they were few and far between. An interesting however had been on Celestial Spirits. It was tucked away in the myths and legends sections.

Like always his parents had begrudged him his few extra books. They weren't poor but it always seemed to put them out if he wanted more. Theseus always got what he wanted no matter how extra it was. It made him feel jealous at times but he always remembered that it was he who was welcomed in Earthland. Not his brother.

His wand surprised everyone. It was ash and shadow wolf fur. A rare combination seen only once every couple hundred years. Olivander had a knowing looking in his eyes. He warned him to keep it safe and to hide his abilities.

Once he had everything they returned to the manor. Newt holed himself up in his room to read the book on Celestial Spirits. To his disappointment there was nothing new. Though it did seem that at one time Celestial Spirits did stay on this world.

Likely due to the humans lack of knowledge they left. He wasn't surprised by it. The wizards didn't have the same acceptance that they did in Earthland.

Two months later he was on the train to Hogwarts. He met Leta Lestrange on the train and they quickly became friends. She showed interest in creatures in a way that no one had before.

Despite their quick friendship he kept his secret of Celestial Spirits close to the chest. Olivander's warning rang in the back of his mind.

He was neither offended nor surprised when he was sorted that night into Hufflepuff. Theseus who was a seventh year Gryffindor clapped for him but he was the only one.

Newt found that the Forbidden Forest held the appropriate ley lines to lead him back to Earthland. Whenever he wasn't in class or looking after the creatures of Hogwarts he was with his guild.

Fairy Tail members listened to his stories of the school with interest. To them the whole other world was exciting.

Their trainings continued as usual but he saw less and less of Leo as time passed. When he did see the Lion his friend was exhausted. It seemed Karen his wizard was pushing all of her Celestial Spirits to the point of exhaustion.

That made him weary of Celestial wizards as a whole. There had to be good ones to outweigh the bad but he didn't want his key falling into the wrong hands. For the moment he wore in on a chain around his neck. It was disillusioned using his magic. Only the strongest of his wizards would be able to detect it. While wizards on Earthland could they tended to be less nosy.

Right before the Christmas holidays he was pulled aside by Professor Dumbledore. The man had begun to notice his abrupt disappearances. How no one could find him when he decided to disappear.

Newt tried to placate the man by saying he was just good at hiding but he knew it didn't work. Dumbledore seemed to watch him even more from that day on. It became increasingly difficult for him to get away.

Before he knew it however five years passed. Despite his watcher Newt found time to visit Earthland. His magic grew faster than the other children's and thanks to his training he was able to control it.

Every professor knew him by name and reputation. They tended to look the other way when he would bring creatures in. Most of them were small and injured. He would nurse them back to health and release them.

He had done well on his OWL's and was working to do the same on his NEWT'S. It would be out of love for his friend that he wouldn't see his schooling through to his seventh year.

Leta unleashed a runespore onto another student. Newt knew of the fear she held for her father. How he would likely kill her if she was expelled. So he took the blame for the attack.

Things had begun to get more heated between Aries and Karen. More than once he was called to help her heal because the wizard had beaten her within an inch of her life.

He and Leo made a pact after the last time. If it happened again they would step in. No matter the cost.

In the end he was expelled from Hogwarts but was allowed to keep his wand. Newt didn't return to his parents after that. Instead he chose to travel. A final parting gift from Dumbledore was a suitcase that had an undetectable expansion charm on it.