Capítulo 3: Chapter 3 - Guild Life
Holding up the borrowed mirror in front of my left shoulder, I couldn't help but smile at the ice blue, official Fairy Tail guild mark that now adorned the skin of the front of my left shoulder. Satisfied with my new guild marks location and color, I then moved the strap of my black tank top back into place as I returned the mirror to Mirajane. Or Mira for short. As I went to drop my arms back to my sides though, Lucy wasted no time in latching on to me.
"We did it, Icelynn! We finally got to join Fairy Tail!" Lucy gushed, as she jumped off of me, and ran over to Natsu and Happy to show off the pink mark that was on the back of her right hand.
Shaking my head at my sister's antics with a small smile on my face, I turned to sit down at the bar.
"Oh my, I guess she is really excited to be here, huh?" I heard Mira ask, as I glanced up at her.
"Yeah, she sure is." I agreed, as I looked Lucy's way once more. "We left home about a year ago, traveled around a bit. All while dreaming about joining Fairy Tail." I said, as I faced Mira once more.
"Well, the both of you finally made it here, so… Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Mira said, as she gave me what I could only call a motherly smile. Nodding my head in thanks, Mira turned away to set a mug of beer in front of the master, who had just hopped up on the bar to sit down just a few seats away from me. Once he had it, Mira hurried back over to me with an open notebook.
"Oh, and before I forget. I need to make a note of your and Lucy's magic types for the guild's records. I'll also need to know where you two live in case of emergencies." Mira said, as I hummed in understanding.
"Well, we haven't found a place yet. Luce and I were planning on going to look for one after we joined up with the guild." I answered, as Mira nodded her head in understanding.
"That's alright. When you girls find a place, just let me know the next time you two come to the guild." Mira said, as she made a note.
"Okay. As for our magic, Lucy is a celestial wizard." I said, pausing long enough to give Mira enough time to jot it down. "As for myself, I'm the ice dragon slayer." I finished, as Mira and Master Makarov, who had overheard me; both looked at me in surprise.
"So that makes you like Natsu then? Were you also raised by a dragon?" Master Makarov asked, as I nodded my head yes.
"My dragon's name is Storm. He even disappeared like Natsu's dragon, Igneel." I answered, as I looked down at the bar. Studying the pattern in the wood as I fought the feelings of anger and sadness that tried to surface. It was clear that the topic made me really uncomfortable, and thankfully, neither Mira nor the master pressed any further down that road.
"Well, regardless of where you and Lucy came from, you both are welcome here at my guild." Master Makarov told me, as he picked up the mug of beer that sat next to him and took a drink. Smiling at the little old man, I couldn't help but feel grateful.
For the next couple of hours, Lucy and I decided to hang out at our new guild and have lunch while we were there. We were even discussing picking a quick job to make some extra money for apartment shopping, but before we could even get up to go to the request board, I notice as a little boy walks over to where Master Makarov still sat, nursing another beer. Seeing that I was no longer paying attention to what she had been saying, Lucy turned to observe the little boy too.
"How come my dad hasn't come back yet?" the boy asked, as the master sighed heavily, sitting the beer next to him as he did so.
"You're beginning to get on my nerves, Romeo. You're a wizard's son, so you just need to have faith in your father and wait patiently for him to return." He told the boy, Romeo.
"But sir," Romeo protested. "He told me that he would be back in three days, but it's been a whole week now!" he said, as Makarov sighed again.
"If memory serves, then he took the job on Mt. Hakobe." Makarov said, as I froze up where I sat.
Mt. Hakobe is a very familiar place to me. That's because it's the mountain where Storm raised me and taught me my magic. The home I abandoned in search of Storm seven years ago. Last I'd heard, Mt. Hakobe had become home to Vulcans. Huge ape like monsters who have the nasty ability of taking over humans to become more powerful. After I was taken in by Lucy's father, I swore I'd never go back to that mountain. The happy memories of the cave I shared with Storm are overshadowed by the horrors of what happened after I left it behind anyway.
Don't get me wrong, I really do want to help that boy out, but the possibility of me becoming frozen over a bad memory is too great for me to be of any help. Even if the kid's dad was still alive, or not taken over by a Vulcan, I could end up getting one or both of us killed that way. Not to mention that Lucy and I only have until tonight to find a place to live. All of the inns and hotels around here were booked up when we got into town anyway.
"That's right! It's not very far from here, so can't you send someone out to go and find him!?" Romeo shouted, becoming desperate.
"Listen kid!" Makarov snapped back at him. "Your father is a wizard, and like all of the others in this guild, he can take care of himself! Now go home, have some milk and cookies, and wait!" he told him, as tears welled up in Romeo's eyes.
"YOU JERK!" Romeo shouted, as he jumped up high enough to punch Makarov in the nose. As the master fell back onto the counter, a few glasses and such hit the floor and shattered. "I HATE YOU ALL!!" Romeo continued to shout, as he turned and ran right back out of the guild.
As he disappeared from sight, everyone close enough to have heard the commotion held a somber expression on their faces. Turning to face the bar again, I took several deep breaths to calm myself. I needed to chill out, before I put the entire guild into an early winter after all. Besides, it's not like Makarov was really telling Romeo off. If anything, I'd say that Makarov is also worried about the situation.
Needing to let off a bit of magic, I reached over and grabbed an extra hand towel from behind the bar. Once I had it, I grabbed the glass of water I had been sipping on from lunch and poured a bit into my hand. Stopping just before any of it would spill, I then froze the water solid. I placed the ice cube on the towel and made a couple of duplicates. Once they were made, I folded the towel over, and punched it a couple of times to break the ice up.
When it was done, I slid the ice over to the master. Giving me a silent look of thanks as he crawled back up on the bar, Makarov then placed it on his sore nose.
"Geez, that's got to be tough." I heard Lucy mutter, as she cast a sympathetic look in the direction Romeo had gone.
"I know that the master sounds like he doesn't care, but he really is worried." Mira said, apparently having the same thoughts as I was.
Yet, before she could say anything further, the sound of wood being broken drew all our attentions towards Natsu and the request board.
"What the hell Natsu! Be careful, you almost broke the board!" A tall guy with a skull necklace exclaimed, as Natsu ignored him. Picking up the green backpack he had placed next to the board, Natsu then turned to leave the guild with a determined look on his face, and Happy floating behind him.
Knowing what he was doing, I turned to look back at the job request board, and sure enough there was a hole in it; and in the hole was the job request Natsu and Happy were considering taking before the whole scene with Romeo happened. Upon seeing this, I both felt like kicking myself in the ass, and relieved that at least someone was going to go and help the poor kid out.
"This doesn't look good, Master." The man who had been standing at the board with Natsu said, as he moved over to the bar where Makarov sat once again. "You know how he can be. I bet you he's on his way to Mt. Hakobe to save Macao." The big guy said, as another guy sitting close by sighed heavily.
"That kids never going to grow up, is he?" the other guy asked, as the big guy shrugged his shoulders.
"Who knows… Either way, he's only going to hurt Macao's pride." The big guy said, as I rolled my eyes at their ignorance.
'Better Macao's pride than his life.' I thought bitterly. Sure, I can understand having pride on being a member of a guild, or a part of a family, or an accomplishment that took a lot of time, blood, sweat, and tears to achieve. However, if you have something you need to live for, you're better off swallowing that pride and doing what needs to be done.
Romeo is something Macao needs to let his pride go in order to live for.
"Remember Nab, we cannot choose another's path. Just let Natsu be." Master Makarov said, naming the big guy, and closing the topic between them.
As they went quiet, Lucy turned back to face the bar and Mira.
"Why did Natsu get so upset like that?" Lucy asked, as I turned back around as well.
"If I didn't know any better, then I'd say that Natsu knows how Romeo feels." I said, as I placed my elbow on the bar, followed by my cheek into my hand.
"Icelynn's right, I'm afraid." Mira said, as she began rearranging some of the bottles of booze that sat on some shelves behind the bar. "I think that Natsu sees himself in Romeo. His father also left and didn't come back. Well, technically, it wasn't his real father, but the one who raised him." She continued, as I perked up a bit at that.
"You mean Natsu's dragon, Igneel?" I asked, as Mira turned around to face us.
"Yes… Seeing as Natsu is the one who brought you and Lucy to the guild, I guess he already told you about him; seeing as you're a fellow dragon slayer, of course." Mira said, as I nodded my head once. "And from what you said earlier, I think you can also understand Romeo's situation about as well as Natsu."
"Oh yeah, your dragon disappeared on you too, didn't he Icelynn?" Lucy asked, as I nodded my head yes again.
"He did. Seven years ago." I answered, as I looked away from Lucy's and Mira's sympathetic eyes. "However, unlike Natsu, I haven't spent the entire time looking for Storm either. I did at first of course, but after a while, I said to hell with it and stopped looking. To me, if Storm wants to bring his scaly hide back, then he can go through the trouble of tracking me down. If anything, it'll teach him to at least leave a note the next time he disappears." I said, as I felt a bit of anger rise within me.
It was short lived though, as I fought to make myself neutral to the whole thing, instead of giving way to the anger and sadness the subject usually brought up. Besides, Storm could have been forced to leave me for some reason. Whatever sort of reason it might have been, I have no way of knowing what it is until I do see him again.
Feeling a bit better about the whole thing again, I then turned to see Lucy eyeing the door wistfully. Although Jude didn't disappear on her, he still wasn't there for Lucy. Always letting the Heartfilia Railway have headway over his daughter, and me, his ward. When he was around, he was always belittling us for not studying the various languages he required us to learn, or the etiquette of business, and how to keep a mansion and estate's day to day operations running smoothly all while keeping the mannerisms of a noble lady.
According to Lucy though, before the death of her mother, Jude wasn't anything like how I know him. Back before Miss. Layla Heartfilia passed, Jude was an actual father to Lucy. He doted on her and her mother and made time to spend with them away from his work. The day he changed, it was as if the Jude Lucy knew as her father had just up and abandoned her.
"If you want to catch up to Natsu, you might want to grab a coat and head out now." I told Lucy, as she turned to look at me confused.
"Wait, are you sure Ice? We still haven't found a place to live yet, and we only have a few hours of day light left." Lucy said, as I shrugged my shoulders.
"I'll worry about that. A big town like this should have a lost item job or a runaway brat I can track down within a day. Just be careful, will you? Oh, and stick by Natsu so you don't get lost. The blizzards that mountain gets would even get Pyxis lost." I warned her, as Lucy nodded her head once.
"Got it. Do you mind if I leave my stuff with you?" Lucy asked, as I nodded my head once.
"Sure. When you get back to town, meet me back here at the guild." I told her, as Lucy gave me an okay. Waving bye to me, Lucy then hurried out of the guild doors.
Once she was gone, I hopped up off the stool I'd been occupying for a while now and got ready to head over to the board. However, I found myself pausing when I saw the thoughtful expression Mira had on her face.
"You know, I'm surprised you didn't go with them." Mira said, as I looked at the guild doors again. "How do you know so much about Mt. Hakobe anyway?" she asked me, as I turned to look back at her.
"It's the place Storm raised me." I began, as I looked away. "And the place Storm left me behind." I answered, as I began making my way to the request board.
At this, Mira let me go wordlessly. To which I was grateful for.
Looking the job request board up and down, I was impressed by just how many different types of jobs a wizard guild could be petitioned for. Monster slaying, bandit and minor dark guild take downs, book translating. Hell, there were even jobs you could easily complete without really having to use magic in the first place.
It took me a few minutes, but I was able to find a job like I was looking for. It read:
'FIND LOST ITEM
100,000J
For any wizard who is able to locate the antique locket that belongs to the wife of the mayor of Magnolia. Head to city hall to speak with the mayor to accept this job, and to collect the reward money once the locket has been found and delivered to the mayor himself.
Please Note: The mayor's office is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM.'
Without a second thought, I took it off the board, and walked back over to the bar where the master still sat. Back behind him was Mira.
"Okay, so how does taking a job work?" I asked them, as Mira patted the top of the bar that sat next to the master. Taking it as asking me to place it down, I did just that. As I did so, both master and Mira both took a quick look at it. Giving a nod, then watched as Mira reached beneath the bar for what looked like a stamp.
Stamping the page, she left behind a small red Fairy Tail emblem with a circle around it, and the word ACCEPTED just below it.
"There you go, your first job as a member." Mira said, as she put the stamp away. "Usually, the master of a guild would approve and stamp it. However, seeing as the master is rather lazy at times or just not here; and being a former S-Class wizard, I'm able to handle it for him." Mira explained, as I saw the master flinch at being called lazy from the corner of my eye.
'Then again, this crazy guild, I'm not entirely surprised that this happens.' I thought with slight amusement.
"S-Class wizard, huh?" I said, feeling a bit intrigued as to how Mirajane went from being an S-Class wizard to the guild's bar maid and bikini model for Sorcerer Weekly.
"It's just how things worked out." Mira answered, as a faraway look entered her eyes.
Taking that as my cue to shut up, I picked up the job request from the bar.
"Oh, and you can leave you and your sister's bags at the guild while you go out and do your job and find a place. I'll just keep them back behind the bar with me. The guild hall stays open rather late." Mira offered, as I grabbed the bags to hand over the bar.
Muttering a thanks in her direction, I then turned and headed out of the guild myself. According to the lacrima clock that sat above the bar, it was already 2:30, so I've got about four hours to meet the client, get the job done, and turn it in.
XXX
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly as I made my way back towards Fairy Tail. That lost item job only took me about forty-five minutes to complete. Turns out that the mayor's granddaughter had taken the locket to play with outside in their garden and dropped it as she got up to chase after a butterfly. Luckily for me, it was easy to follow the scent of the mayor's wife and grand baby to where it was located since it hasn't rained in the last couple of days.
Mrs. Mayor was happy to get it back too. Apparently, it was a family heirloom from her husband's side of the family. Given to her mere hours before she married the man by her future mother in law.
That was a few hours ago though. What I just came from was the apartment I was able to snag off the market. It was small, and the land lady seemed to be on the stern side, but it was an affordable place for seventy thousand jewel a month. Funny considering that the job I just finished gained me a hundred thousand jewel, leaving Lucy and I thirty thousand to spare. Which was nice, considering I'm going to have to buy another bed to go into the apartment. Not to mention sheets both for the new one, and the one that came with the place.
Lucy and I can go shopping for that later though. It's not like Lucy and I didn't have our own blankets we can use for tonight; and I have no problems sleeping in the standing freezer that sits next to the refrigerator. To be honest, I was rather giddy about being able to for once. Back on the Heartfilia estate, it was a rare thing indeed. The estate had a nice big walk in freezer too, big enough to house all sorts of things for the galas and parties Jude would hold from time to time. It was a crying shame that Jude ordered to have it locked up tight when no one was getting something from it or restocking it.
If only I hadn't let myself sleep longer than usual, I'd never have been caught…
On that note, I'd better swing by a store and pick up some plastic wrap. Especially seeing as Lucy's going to want to use it to stock up on food.' I thought, as I added it to my mental check list of things to do.
By this time, I had finally reached the upper level of Magnolia, where the guild hall sits high on top of the town. Turning back around, I looked out over Magnolia as the golden rays of the sunset bathed everything in sight. Even Kardia Cathedral shone brightly in the light. Taking a deep breath, I pause as a slightly familiar scent reaches me. Looking back at the stairs I had just climbed to get up here, I saw that the little boy, Romeo, sat on the opposite side I had been on. He had his arms wrapped around his knees, and his face buried in his arms. The poor kid didn't make a sound, but I could still smell the salt of his tears as he cried.
Feeling a pang in my heart, I tried to think of what I could say to him. Finding the task of looking for words to be too tricky and worrisome, I sighed once more as I walked back down the steps towards him. Romeo didn't notice my approach until my shadow fell over him. Wiping his eyes, only then did Romeo look up at me.
"You're that lady that just joined up with the yellow haired lady, aren't you?" He asked me, as I nodded my head once. Walking down two or three more steps, I sat down next to the boy.
"I sure am. I'm Icelynn, you're Romeo, Macao's kid." I said, as Romeo nodded his head, only to look away afterwards as more tears began to pool in his eyes.
"So, what are you doing all the way out here?" Romeo asked me, as I rested my elbows on my knees.
"I was on my way back to the guild, but you looked so lonely that I thought I'd keep you company for a bit." I answered him, as Romeo turned to look at me with confusion.
"Why would you even bother?" Romeo asked, as he looked back at the part of the town that sat below us. "My dad has been gone for a long time, and it's probably still going to be a long time before he comes back home. I know that the master said to go home and wait for him, but I don't want to go back to that empty house. It seems like Natsu and Happy are the only ones out of Fairy Tail that cares." He said, as I listened patiently.
Giving Romeo a thoughtful look, I then looked up at the sky.
"Romeo, do you know why Master Makarov told you what he did?" I asked him, as I saw Romeo shake his head no from the corner of my eye.
"No. He's said about the same thing each time I've asked him since the three-day mark passed." Romeo answered me.
"I see what you're saying. However, do you want to hear about how I see things?" I asked him. At Romeo's nod, I continued. "Well, from what I noticed today, Master Makarov sees the members of Fairy Tail not just as family, but as if they were his own children." I told him, as Romeo's confused expression came back.
"Wait, if he sees the members as his kids, then why hasn't he sent someone after my dad?" Romeo asked.
"Only Master Makarov can answer that one for you. However, if you look at this whole situation from a different angle, you can kind of speculate it." I said, as Romeo tilted his head to the side.
"How so?" He asked me.
"Well. Did your father tell you what job he took?" I asked Romeo, who nodded his head once.
"He went to Mt. Hakobe to slay some monsters." Romeo answered, as I nodded my head once to show that I understood him. "Some of the other kids around town were teasing me about how my dad just sits around at the guild all day. I begged him to take a job to help make the teasing stop, and the vulcan job is the one that my dad picked. With how long he's been gone, I shouldn't have begged him to go."
"Romeo, you know that feeling you have in the pit of your stomach right now. The worry?" I asked him once more, getting another nod of yes from him. "That's more than likely how the master feels every time one of our members goes out on a risky or dangerous job. Or is gone longer than planned without contacting the guild." I told him, as Romeo looked up at me with wide eyes.
"Really?" He asked me, as I nodded my head yes, this time.
"I'd bet money on it, although I doubt Master Makarov would ever admit it." I answered. "However, despite all this worry, he tries his best to have faith in us. Faith that we will return to our family at Fairy Tail, and to our own families. It's because that he is guild master, that he has to feel this way about all of the members, and not just one of them. As master, it's his job to also help grow and guide his members along their own paths. Just like how your dad's chosen path was to take that job for you; or how Natsu chose his own path that's taking him up to Mt. Hakobe to check on him for you. It's also how my own sister, Lucy the yellow haired lady, chose to tag along with Natsu and Happy to help them out.
Right now, at this moment, Master Makarov has faith that those four can take care of themselves and come back home. Besides, your father has even more incentive to come home than anyone else, do you know why?" I asked Romeo, who shook his head no. "It's because the most important thing to your father is sitting right next to me right now. That's how I know that your father will come home to you. Even if he did end up needing Natsu and Lucy's help." I explained to him.
Taking a few moments to let my words sink in, Romeo then gave me a big smile. Hopping up on his feet, Romeo then latched his little arms around my neck to give me a hug. Not expecting the kid to go that far, I wasn't sure what to do for a moment. Resolving to gently pat his back a couple of times, I waited for the brat to let go of me. Once he did, he wiped the lingering tears from his eyes as he sat back beside me.
"Thank you for talking to me Miss. Icelynn. And for helping me understand." He thanked me, as I gave him a cringing smile.
"You're welcome kid but lay off the miss part please. Icelynn is just fine." I told him, as a gentle breeze began blowing past us. However, on it were three very familiar scents, and one that smells almost like the boy who sits beside me.
Looking down the steps, I spotted Natsu helping a slightly taller man in a white coat walk towards us. Beside him walked Lucy, who had Happy floating about shoulder high beside her. Noticing that I was no longer looking at him, Romeo looked up at me, then in the direction I was looking. The moment he did though, and saw the man Natsu was helping, Romeo shot off like a bullet before Natsu could even call out his name.
"DAD!!" Romeo shouted, as he tackled his father to the ground. Cringing a bit at the aches and pains the guy I'm guessing is Macao, will have later in addition to the ones he currently has, I got up to head back down the steps myself. Making my way back over towards Lucy, I couldn't help but smile at the reunion of the father and son before me.
"Daddy, you came back! I'm so sorry!" Romeo cried, as he clung to his father who hugged his son back.
"No buddy, I'm sorry for making you worry so much." Macao said, as he pulled Romeo away from him just enough to look at his face.
"I can handle it! Because I'm a wizard's son!" Romeo declared, as I felt tears of my own beginning to burn behind my eyes.
"The next time those bullies tease you, here's what I want you to say." Macao told Romeo, as I noticed Natsu turn to start walking away, feeling like his job was now done. However, he didn't turn fast enough for me to miss the far away look he had in his eyes. He too felt pent up emotions of both happy and sad in this moment as well it would seem. "Can your dad defeat nineteen monsters, because mine can? Can you do that for me?" Macao asked, as I turned to follow suit, Happy and Lucy falling into place with us as Romeo nodded his head yes.
We only made it a few feet away though, before Romeo called to us.
"Natsu! Happy! Thanks for your help!" Romeo shouted. "Lucy! Thanks for bringing my daddy back to me!" he thanked the three walking with me. Hearing him, Lucy turned around long enough to wave back at the boy. "Icelynn! Thank you for waiting with me!" Romeo shouted at my back. Looking over my shoulder, I gave him a big smile of my own as Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and I made our way back to the guild.
XXX
'Dear Storm,
Today was a crazy first day of being a member of Fairy Tail, but everything worked out in the end. I was even able to complete my first solo job with success. Too bad I couldn't have done it with Lucy. While I did this job to get us some extra money to buy us an apartment, Lucy went with Natsu and Happy to look for one of the older members of the guild. His name is Macao, and he took on the job of slaying the very vulcans who had taken our home on Mt. Hakobe for their territory. This job came to my attention in the guild today when Macao's son, Romeo came to the guild to try and get Master Makarov to send someone to find his father; who had been gone for over a week at this point.
To be honest, I wanted to go, but I can't bring myself to go back home. Not after you leaving, and what transpired after I left home to try and find you.
Anyway, Macao managed to slay nineteen of the monsters before the last one managed to take him over. Natsu had to rough him up a bit to exorcise the vulcan from Macao's body, but he was able to reverse the takeover. While this was going on, I kept Romeo company while we waited. I even helped him come to understand why the master told him to go home, wait, and to have faith in his father. Romeo was so happy when he saw his father again. He even echoed what Master Makarov had told him earlier in the guild, so I know what he learned today went to heart.
After that, I went with Lucy, Natsu, and Happy back to the guild to grab my and Lucy's things before I guided her to the new home I had found after I completed my job. Tomorrow, Lucy and I need to go shopping so I can have my own bed, and to get Lucy some proper sheets for the bed she's going to be taking. Lucky for me, I get to sleep in our empty freezer tonight. I really can't wait to be honest. It's been so long since I could last get a good night's sleep in a freezing environment. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind sleeping in a bed, but every once in a while, I do need to sleep in sub-zero temperatures. Then again, you already know that. Whenever I got sick as a kid and got a fever, putting me in colder temperatures was the only thing you could do to help me recover.
Well, I'm off to bed. Lucy and I have some errands to run over the next few days in order for us to move in. After that, we need to go on another job. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to try and get ahead on our rent. Hence the life of being in a guild I suppose. I'll write to you later, Storm.
With love,
Icelynn.'
XXX
Over the next week, Lucy and I finished moving into the apartment I had found us. We were even able to find me a decent bed for an okay price, along with the sheets Lucy and I wanted to get as well. Between the two of us, we really didn't have that much to unpack and put away. Whatever we didn't have though, we also had to go out and buy. Still, it was nice to finally have somewhere Lucy and I could call home, and with a guild that treated its members like family. This was our fresh start, and we're finally living it.
It was with this thought in mind that I opened my eyes to the early morning light that streamed through the window that sat above my sister's sleeping form. Giving my body a nice stretch, I then flipped the dark blue covers off my body to get up and start the day.
Seeing as Lucy was still fast asleep, I took the first turn in the shower. It didn't take me long to get clean, and before I knew it, I had dried myself off, and dressed in my normal street clothes. A solid black tank top, dark blue jeans with the brown belt I wore with them, and my brown knee-high leather boots. Lucy and I were planning on going to the guild to look for us another job today. A job we also planned on heading out tomorrow to complete. Otherwise, I'd have chosen to wear something a little different.
Now finished with the bathroom, I threw my night clothes into the hamper before heading back out into the main room. Soon as I pass through the curtain, I step to the side so that Lucy can get by me on her way to the bathroom.
"Morning." She mumbled, as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.
"Morning." I replied, as Lucy disappears into the bathroom to get ready for the day herself.
Giving myself one more stretch, I then make my way into the kitchen to begin making a quick breakfast for Lucy and me before we head out. Sausage and cheese omelets with some spinach would do nicely. While I was in the process of getting the ingredients prepared, I heard the window in the main room slide open.
'Okay, either we have a poltergeist, or Lucy took an unusually quick bath.' I thought suspiciously, as I went completely still, and opened my senses. Soon enough, I smell a cat, and an ashy dragon smell. There were only two people that would come uninvited into my and Lucy's place smelling like that.
'Well, more like a dragon slayer and his cat.' I thought a little sourly, as I went back to the fridge to pull out extra ingredients for my sudden guests. I can only hope that Natsu and Happy don't make too much of a mess until I get the food ready. Heaven above only knows how much patience I'm going to need once Lucy discovers them here.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY BEDROOM!" I heard Lucy suddenly shout, followed by a loud bang on the wall as I poured the egg mixture, I had finished making into the fry pan I had heated up on the stove with some butter. Sighing heavily, I listened in on the conversation in the other room while I worked on making the omelets.
"Get the hell out of here you jerks!" Lucy shouted again, as I heard the three shifting around.
"Jeez Lucy, we just came over to check out your and Icelynn's new pad." I heard Natsu explain, as Happy gave Lucy a rather sore sounding aye.
"Natsu, when you want to check out a friends place, you ask them before you come over and barge in! Or breaking and entering as the rune knights would call it!" Lucy lectured them.
"Come on, we were just trying to be friendly." Natsu muttered, sounding a little nervous.
Chuckling in amusement, I finished making the last of the egg mixture into several omelets. Turning off the stove, I reached back into the cabinets for four plates. Stacking them up, I placed the serving plate on top of them before placing them on a tray. Once I was sure they weren't going anywhere, I grabbed enough silver ware for everyone before taking it out to the main room.
"This is a nice place you and Icelynn have here." I heard Happy say, as I spotted him extending his claws, and inching towards the wall.
"Thanks for the compliment Happy, but if you so much as touch that wall, I'll declaw you." I told the little blue cat. Hearing the cold threat in my voice, the little cat withdrew his claws from the wall in the blink of an eye with a nervous chuckle of his own.
"Oh, hey Icelynn! Wow, you have food!" Natsu greeted me, as his mouth began to drool at the sight and smell of the omelets. Now that the issue of the clawing of the apartment walls was settled, I continued my way to the table to set the tray of omelets down.
"I made enough for everyone, so come get a plate you two before it gets cold." I told them, as they wasted no time in moving to the table.
"Wait a minute, did you invite them in Icelynn?" Lucy asked me, as I turned to see her still in a towel.
"No. They came in through the window of their own accord. I just recognized their scents from the kitchen and made enough to accommodate them." I answered, as I looked back at the table; and just like the restaurant back in Hargeon, the two were eating like food was going out of style. "Speaking of which, I think you'd better go and get dressed before the boys eat it all." I told Lucy, who turned to look at our table as well. Seeing the rate that they were eating, she let out a small squeak before rushing over to her dresser and pulling out the first matching outfit she could find, then race to the bathroom to get dressed.
Luckily for Lucy, she was able to make it back to the table in time to claim the last omelet for herself. Once we were all finished eating, Lucy took the dishes to the kitchen, and brought back a tray full of tea. Not before she ended up kicking Natsu in the face for finding and reading the secret novel Lucy was writing though. Once everything had settled down, Lucy began to give Natsu and Happy a pointed look.
"Look, Icelynn and I just moved in, and we're not exactly ready for guests yet. So, just drink your tea, thank us, and get out of here please." Lucy asked them, as Natsu gave her a pouty look. Getting the feeling that this might not end well, I slowly sipped on my much cooler tea.
"Wow, you're so cold-hearted Lucy." Natsu said, dejectedly.
"Yeah, real icy." Happy agreed, as Lucy let out an annoyed huff.
"Watch it you two." Lucy warned, as Natsu suddenly got excited.
"Wait, can you show Happy and me those key guys you like to collect?" Natsu asked, as Lucy narrowed her eyes at him.
"For starters, they're called Celestial Spirits." Lucy corrected, as Happy held up one of his paws.
"How many of them do you have so far?" he asked, as Lucy reached into her pocket to pull out her key ring.
"I'm contracted to seven so far." Lucy answered, as she pulled the keys off the key ring to lay them out across the table to show happy. "These silver keys are the ones you can buy in the magic shops. So far, I have (I know she doesn't say Pyxis, but I don't remember watching or it being mentioned where Pyxis comes from, so I included him here.) Pyxis the Compass, Horologium the Clock, Crux the Southern Cross, and Lyra the Harp. My gold keys on the other hand, are rare and very hard to come by. I have three of them, Taurus the Golden Bull, Aquarius the Water Bearer, and Cancer the Giant Crab. These three along with the other nine out there open the gates of the Zodiac spirits." Lucy explained, only to pause when she noticed the drool on Natsu and Happy's faces at the mention of Cancer the Giant Crab.
"Giant crab!" Natsu shouted, standing from his chair while Happy stood on the table.
"Giant crab legs!" He shouted, as I rolled my eyes.
"I swear, you two are completely obsessed with food." I told them, only to be ignored in favor of the thought of a delicious dish of buttery crab legs.
"Oh wait, that reminds me." Lucy said, as she hopped up from her own seat to go to her dresser. Pulling open the top drawer, she pulled out the box I remember her buying in Hargeon. "I almost forgot that I bought this. I still need to make a contract with this key. That being said, do you guys want to see how it's done?" Lucy asked Natsu and Happy, who nodded their heads yes curiously.
"Alright then, pay attention." Lucy instructed, opening the box and pulling out her newest silver key as I began gathering up the now empty teacups back onto the tray Lucy had brought them in on. I'd seen her do this about six out of the seven times she's contracted a spirit. By the time I had met her, Lucy had already made a contract with Aquarius.
"I call upon thee in the world of the celestial spirits! I beckon you to my side at once, pass through the gate!" Lucy chanted, as the scent of her celestial magic increased throughout the room. "Open, the gate of Canis Minor: Nikola!" she said, as a little trembling snow man spirit appeared before her.
I had to admit though; he sure didn't look anything like a dog. Still, despite being weird looking, the little guy was still cute. As for Happy and Natsu on the other hand, they looked a little stunned, and not in the good way. It took them a moment to snap out of it, but when they did, they both simultaneously gave Lucy a sympathetic look.
"Nice try." They said in unison, as Lucy glared at them.
"Shut up! I did that on purpose!" she snapped at them, as she tucked her annoyed face away to look at her new spirit. Squeaking at how cute she found him to be, Lucy wasted no time in squatting down to hug the little guy to her chest and rub her cheek against the top of its head. "He's such a cutie!" she said, as Natsu gave them a slightly weirded out stare.
"Is that right?" Natsu muttered, as Lucy looked up from her spirit.
"Well, yes. These little guys don't require a lot of magical power to get them through the gates, or to hold the gate open for them. It's because of this that a lot of celestial wizards keep them as pets." Lucy said, as she continued to cuddle the little dog spirit.
While she did that, Happy floated up as high as Natsu's ear and held up a paw to whisper loudly into said ear.
"This whole pet thing doesn't really sit well with me." Happy said, as Natsu nodded in agreement.
"Especially with a weird master like Loony." He said, as my sister looked up from her new spirit to give the two the stink eye.
"I think you guys better start using Lucy instead of Loony before she decides to kick you into the wall again." I told them, as I then gave them a pointed look. "And you do realize that she can hear you two, you know."
At this, Natsu and Happy both could only shrug their shoulders in indifference.
'Their funeral, I suppose.' I thought, beginning to feel a bit indifferent about the whole thing myself. Luckily for them though, Lucy just began to ignore them as well.
"Well, lets work out our contract." Lucy said, addressing the little snow man doggie spirit. Pulling out a notepad and pen from the same drawer she had pulled the key from. "Are you free on Mondays?" she asked him, as the little guy shook his head no. Lucy went on throughout every day of the week until the little guy had answered for each day. When they finished, Lucy closed her note pad and tucked it back into the safety of her top dresser drawer before shutting it again.
Meanwhile, Natsu and Happy just finished their own tea with a very bored expression on their faces.
"Alright, that just about does it." Lucy said, as she squatted back down to address the little spirit.
"Wow, that was really easy." Natsu said, as Happy gave an aye in agreement.
"I know that it seems silly to others, but the initial contract between a celestial wizard and their spirit is really important. It's a bond formed between the two that's based off the promise that they made. Due to this, I make a point to keep all of my promises." Lucy explained, as Natsu and Happy nodded to show that they understood. "And now that, that's settled, I need to come up with a name." Lucy said, as Happy got a confused expression on his face.
"Wait, I thought his name was Nikola?" Happy asked.
"I'm not a celestial spirit or anything, but I think that's the little guy's species." I answered for Lucy, who nodded her head in agreement.
"Icelynn's right. From what I've read in books, there's a lot of gate keys for the little dog spirits out there. So, I think a name would be beneficial in case I were to run into any other celestial wizards out on a job or something who also has the same kind of key." Lucy said, as she put a finger to her chin in thought. "Oh wait, I know!" she suddenly said, as she held her arms out towards the spirit.
"Come here, Plue." Lucy called to the little spirit sweetly.
Upon hearing his new name, Plue tilted his head to the side for a moment before he then went to Lucy's awaiting arms. Apparently, the name Plue was alright with him.
"Plue, huh?" I heard Happy echo, as Natsu gave Lucy and Plue an odd look.
"Are you sure he's cool with that?" Natsu asked, as Lucy gave him a confused look of her own.
"Well, if he hadn't been cool with me calling him that, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have come to me." Lucy answered, giving Natsu a pretty logical answer.
Giving Lucy one more cuddle, Plue suddenly jumped out of her arms to run and stand in front of Natsu to do a little excited dance of some sort. Making what sounded like pun pun noises at the fire dragon slayer.
"What on earth is he doing?" Lucy asked, as we all looked at him in confusion.
After a moment, Natsu gave Plue a smile and a thumbs up.
"Oh, man. You're right about that Plue!" he said, as I felt my jaw drop. Looking over at Lucy, I could see that she also wore the same expression.
"You can understand Plue?" I asked him, only to be ignored once again in favor of Natsu giving Lucy a serious stare. After a moment, Natsu turned to give me the same look for another moment before turning back to Lucy.
"Okay, what's your deal Natsu?" Lucy asked him. At her question, Natsu finally dropped the serious stare to give Lucy, Plue, and I that goofy grin of his.
"Alright, it's settled then. You three are going to be a part of our team." Natsu declared, as I lifted an eyebrow in confusion at this fast pace creation of a team Natsu was talking about.
"A part of your team?" Lucy echoed, as Happy hovered a little higher in the air.
"Aye. Even though everyone in the guild is allied to each other, some members who get along really well form teams in order to complete jobs that are too hard to take on alone." Happy explained, as Lucy gave the two an excited smile.
'Hmm. Makes sense. It would also cut down on the risk of death if someone on the team would get hurt.' I thought, as I considered being on a team with Natsu and Happy.
"That's so cool!" Lucy exclaimed, as she turned to look my way. "What do you think Icelynn, do you want to form a team with them?" Lucy asked me, as I tilted my head to the side.
'Well, we did work pretty well together in Hargeon. Despite being sea-sick, and destroying half of the port…' I continued to think, as I felt a bit uneasy on the department of destruction. 'Speaking of which, I'd better think of another way Lucy and I can get a steady source of income. If Natsu's destructive ways in Hargeon are a by product of him working jobs, then the rewards are bound to be constantly cut or revoked to pay for damages. Maybe I can take an extra job I can do solo. Lucy might not like it, but from what I've seen so far, Natsu likes to get a rise out of her. So, I could make her my 'Natsu Bait'. Not to mention the extra experience doing that would give me…' I thought, considering the offer. In the end, I couldn't help but return Lucy's excited smile.
"Why not. Sounds like it could be a lot of fun to me." I answered, secretly smiling at the look I know Lucy's going to make when she finds out my plans for her in the future.
"Well, since Icelynn's in, so am I." Lucy told Natsu, as the two made up their own friend handshake of some sort. Thankfully for my own sanity, Natsu just held up his hand for a high five. Returning it, Natsu turned back around to give Lucy a toothy grin that I recognized from the first day Lucy and I went to the Fairy Tail guild hall. The one he wore when he started that brawl. The look of trouble…
"Cool! So, you girls are going to work with us?" Natsu clarified, as Lucy nodded her head yes.
"Yep! You have my word." Lucy agreed, as I felt myself cringe a bit.
'Oh, shit. Lucy took the bait…' I thought, becoming worried. Only to have my feelings increase when I saw Natsu pull a job request with a familiar approved stamp from his back pocket.
"Alright team, its time for us to get to work, and I already have our very first job!" Natsu declared, as he held the job request out to Lucy.
"Really. Let me see what you got there." Lucy said, as she took the job request from Natsu. Quickly reading through it, I watched as Lucy's eyes sparkled a bit. Probably at the reward amount if I had to guess.
However, as her eyes approached the bottom of the page, her eyes went from sparkling to horrified. Not feeling particularly fond of that look on her face, I rose from my chair to go over to my sister. Sensing my approach, Lucy simply held the job request out for me to take. Taking it from her, I quickly read over it.
'I Hope Please.
This request is to steal a book from the Duke Everlue of Shirotsume. We will handsomely reward the wizard who takes and completes this job. Please head to the address below to accept the job and claim the reward of 200,000J.
Please Note: Duke Everlue is a perverted old man looking to hire a blonde maid.'
On the upper left half of the request held a picture of a squat man with a mustache growing from his nose. A star on the bottom of the picture indicated the man to be this perverted Duke Everlue.
In that moment, it became really clear as to why Natsu had baited Lucy into forming a team and promising to work with him and Happy. It was because Lucy was a perfect fit for the description of the maid this duke was looking to hire. The clever little bastard already had a plan in place, and even managed to get Lucy to word her promise in such a way that even I can't back out of this job. He did include the both of us in his original question after all.
"We know some one with blonde hair, don't we?" Natsu mockingly asked, as he and Happy shared little evil smiles.
"Yep. And I bet we can even find her a maid's uniform. If we find a blonde wig and an extra uniform, Icelynn would be able to get in too." Happy said, as I narrowed my eyes at the two.
"You sneaky little… YOU TRICKED ME! THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Lucy freaked, as Natsu just waved her whining off.
"Good thing celestial wizards never go back on their word. Looks like you two are stuck with us." Natsu said, as I turned a droll stare his way. At his words, Lucy became stuck beneath her own little dark cloud.
"But you tricked me!" Lucy protested, as Natsu turned to face her once more with that same toothy grin of his.
"Oh, lighten up a bit, won't ya Lucy. Now why don't you two try getting into character and address Happy as your master." Natsu said, as he pointed to his little buddy.
"No way!" Lucy refused, as Natsu looked my way to see if I would follow his suggestion. Giving him a look telling him exactly what I thought of doing that, I watched with satisfaction as Natsu began to look a bit nervous.
"Clever pyromaniac bastard." I muttered under my breath, as I went to sit back down at the table. Laying the job request out on its surface.
"Alright, seeing as Lucy and I are in due to a celestial promise…" I stressed, as I gave Lucy a pointed look for not choosing her words carefully. "How about we all meet up at the train station tomorrow at Nine AM and take it as far as Onibus. Then take a carriage the rest of the way to Shirotsume." I suggested, as I looked at my other team-mates.
At the very mention of the train, Natsu began to get a green look about him. It only ended up getting worse when I mentioned taking a carriage in addition.
"Or we could just walk?" Natsu countered, as Lucy nervously grabbed the trash can from the bathroom and placed it beside the queasy dragon slayer.
Giving him a little evil smile of my own, I shook my head no at my new team-mate.
"I guess you should have thought about that before tricking Lucy into giving her word that the two of us would work with you." I told him, as Natsu gave me a look telling me how evil he thought I was. Waving it off, I picked up the job request again to see if there was a time limit. "Well, now that, that's settled, why don't you two go home and make sure you've got everything packed." I suggested, as Natsu and Happy had a small silent conversation. After a few moments, they nodded at each other before they began making their way to the window they had entered earlier.
"She's got us there on that one, little buddy. We need to make sure we have enough stuff for the trip." Natsu said, as Happy gave him an aye in agreement.
Without another word, or so much as a goodbye, the two exited the apartment through the window.
"Geez! Learn to use a door you two!" Lucy called after them, as she ran to the window. Letting out an angry huff, Lucy closed the window before turning to sit on her bed with her arms crossed in her annoyance.
"I can't believe those jerks." Lucy said, as I looked up at her from my chair.
"Devious jerks at that." I agreed, as I dropped the job request once more. "However, it's a pretty decent job from the looks of it. My one concern his how destructive Natsu is going to be."
"Can't argue with you there." Lucy said, as she flopped herself back on her bed. "I think I'm just going to take it easy today, maybe work on my novel some more. What are you planning on doing for the rest of the day Icelynn?" Lucy asked me, as I got up from my chair at the table.
"I'm thinking about heading for the guild to pick out a secondary job. Just in case Shirotsume ends up like Hargeon." I answered, as I turned to head for the door.
"That's not a bad idea, but I'll probably just be ready to come home to take a break after dealing with Natsu and his cat for an entire day or two." Lucy answered. "Or who knows, maybe I'll come along just to get away from those two."
Chuckling at my sister's spoken thoughts, I made my way for the door.
"Whatever floats your boat. I'll see you later Luce." I told her, as Lucy waved bye at me from where she still laid on her pink comforter. Leaving through the door this time, I made my way towards the guild hall.
Thinking back on how the day started, I couldn't help but feel that guild life so far has suited me and Lucy pretty well. We may have only had once job between the two of us, but Fairy Tail still seems awesome. I can only hope that Lucy and I will be able to continue making our own place in the family Fairy Tail has created…
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