Rave Master Fan Fiction ❯ Upon a Shooting Star ❯ Chapter 10: Trancendent Bonds ( Chapter 10 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Silverserpentdragon 
Lucy and Co. infiltrate the Junelle Estate...and come across resistance.
Anime/Manga: Rave Master Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 01.15.2015 | Pages: 6 | Words: 5.3K | Visits: 188 | Status: Completed
Lucy and Co. infiltrate the Junelle Estate...and come across resistance.
Anime/Manga: Rave Master Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 01.15.2015 | Pages: 6 | Words: 5.3K | Visits: 188 | Status: Completed
Author's Corner :
SSD: Okay, I'm here, I'm getting to *crack* Ow! Dammit, Lucy, I'm writing, alright!?Lucy: *snaps whip* You had a day off yesterday, I'm just making sure you really are. Now get writing!SSD: *Yelp!* When did you get possessed by your Edolas-self?!Laxus: *laughing* Not a bad side to ya, blondie. *backs away from a whip crack, perplexed* It's nice watching, but leave me out of your dom-play or you'll regret it.Lucy: *glare* What, you'll spank me?Laxus: *blink* *pervy grin* That doesn't sound like a bad idea. *chases Lucy*Lucy: *blink, stare* *drops whip and starts running* Pervert!SSD: *snicker and hides dice* Told her I'd get them to admit it eventually.Lucy: *distantly* Laxus...don't you da-KYAAA! *smack*Laxus: *also faint* Huh, not bad...let's do that a...SSD: ...we'll leave them to their fun...pent up sexual frustration and all that. I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only ones I do own are those you don't recognize from it. Steal them without my permission and I will sue you, I've put a lot of time in creating them. Please enjoy!
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SSD: Okay, I'm here, I'm getting to *crack* Ow! Dammit, Lucy, I'm writing, alright!?Lucy: *snaps whip* You had a day off yesterday, I'm just making sure you really are. Now get writing!SSD: *Yelp!* When did you get possessed by your Edolas-self?!Laxus: *laughing* Not a bad side to ya, blondie. *backs away from a whip crack, perplexed* It's nice watching, but leave me out of your dom-play or you'll regret it.Lucy: *glare* What, you'll spank me?Laxus: *blink* *pervy grin* That doesn't sound like a bad idea. *chases Lucy*Lucy: *blink, stare* *drops whip and starts running* Pervert!SSD: *snicker and hides dice* Told her I'd get them to admit it eventually.Lucy: *distantly* Laxus...don't you da-KYAAA! *smack*Laxus: *also faint* Huh, not bad...let's do that a...SSD: ...we'll leave them to their fun...pent up sexual frustration and all that. I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only ones I do own are those you don't recognize from it. Steal them without my permission and I will sue you, I've put a lot of time in creating them. Please enjoy!
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Chapter 10: Transcendent Bonds
Lucy hunkered down outside the Junelle Estate
gate, looking down where Roger waited eagerly to prove himself.
"Alright, Roger. Go in there and look for a little blonde girl,
she'll be about six years old right now with blue eyes, wearing
fancier clothing than what anyone else in there might be wearing.
You got that?"Roger squeaked in confirmation and bounded between
the bars on the gate.Lisanna watched the bunny in worry. "Are you
sure it's okay for him to go alone?"Lucy grinned and gave her a
thumbs up. "He's perfect for the job. Besides, it'll only be for
the day that he's in there, more than likely. And I told him
earlier that if he doesn't find anything before dinner, he's to
make it look like he escaped back to the wild and go back to spirit
world. Like I said, it doesn't take much to keep him out."Lisanna
nodded, refraining from peeking round the corner to check on the
little bunny.
Roger was on a mission...the nice Miss Lucy had full confidence in him. Roger. He wasn't going to let down the nice lady that fed him juicy, crunchy carrots. Nope. Now...blonde girl...blonde girl...The little bunny sniffed around, hopping forward as he looked around, squeaking a bit. He crawled forward on his belly past a guard and let out a sigh before making it into the house proper through a luckily opened door. He hopped around, looking for his target while also trying to find anything Miss Lucy would find useful. Before he could go much farther, his quarry picked him up and held him in her arms.Curious blue eyes looked at the odd feeling creature. She turned the bunny around and tilted her head, peering into his eyes. "Hello, Mr. Bunny. I'm Allison, are you really a bunny? You feel kind of weird."Roger internally panicked and started miming a dance. That's what Plue do in this situation...right?Allison giggled as the strange not-bunny danced in her hold. "It's okay, the other kids think I'm weird since I seem to know everything. But what are you looking for, Mr. Bunny?"Roger paused, not sure what to make of this other human. Hm...blonde...all blondes are like Miss Lucy and are nice. Roger nodded as he came to this conclusion and squeaked out that he need to find bank records.Allison blinked and nodded along, seemingly understanding him. "Okay, Mama and Papa keep everything in the Records Room, is that it?"Roger nodded vigorously. This human was so smart!Allison smiled shyly. "If I help you, will you come and visit?"Roger tilted his head and tried to get across that he wouldn't be able to.Allison's smile saddened. "Oh, I guess I understand...I'll still help you though, you seem nicer than the other kids." She hugged the rabbit to her and walked further into the mansion, tensing as they hurried past a green haired woman talking to the Lady of the house. "I don't like her...she feels...sticky and weird, like I've got mud all over me..." she muttered softly. The girl padded softly across the hall, Roger paying close attention to the path. She finally stopped in the middle of the hall.The door to the room was open, revealing a room that was easily the size of Jude's study and lined top to bottom with shelves. In the center of the room was a cluster of four desks all connecting to face each other and each one with an accountant, even if said accountant wasn't at the desk.Allison looked down. "Why did you need to know?"Roger hopped out of the girl's arms and started miming the whole situation with squeaks interspersing it. Allison nodded along and gasped."I can't believe Mama or Uncle would steal like that...okay. Umm...I will see you again, right? I can take you back outside." She picked the bunny back up and left the hallway.Roger squeaked and gave her a thumbs up, as best as a rabbit can, and disappeared back to the spirit world.Allison sighed sadly and sat down on the stairs, looking dejectedly at her feet. "Bye, Mr. Not-Bunny..."
Lucy lifted her head up. "That was quick, Roger's already back to the spirit world."Natsu jumped up and pumped his arm in the air. "Alright! Waiting time is over! Let's-"Erza pulled him back down. "Not so fast, Natsu. Going in now would be idiotic. We must wait for the right moment to strike."Gray nodded. "Right, we should take shifts keeping watch and keep track of their movements, patrol is probably the same each shift.""An excellent idea, Gray. I shall keep first watch. Lisanna, stay here and I shall observe the other side of the manor, it is best to have an alternate escape method handy." Erza closed her eyes and requipped into a...rather scanty outfit with a halter tank top, short shorts, a long scarf, sneakers, and a pair of daggers on each hip. Over her arms were detached sleeves, held on her arm by individually tied ribbons in yellow. She then quietly snuck away to the other side, surprisingly not getting caught despite the brilliant colors.Gray blinked. "...all of us saw that was eyesore coloring, right?"Lucy sweatdropped. "...I think she had the warm side of the color palette down pat...well, nothing to do now but wait."Natsu let out a loud groan and plopped on the ground with a pout. "I hate waiting...I say we still go in there and just butt heads!"Cana rolled her eyes. "Sure, let's do that..."Natsu jumped up. "Now we're talking!""If we want the Rune Knights called on us for breaking and entering a high society place like this. And give them time to, you know, doctor the records so Lucy can't prove anything."Natsu blinked. "Oh."Happy blinked. "Why would the records need a doctor?"A lightbulb went off for Natsu. "Aha! So the records are broken...no...sick?" The pinkette scratched his head as his teammates facepalmed.Gray glared at him. "It means changing what the records say.""Oh.""Yeah. Sit down, Natsu."Natsu nodded and sat down, face soon morphing back into a sulking pout.Lucy sighed. "Just take a nap, Natsu...we won't be doing anything until nightfall anyway.""...fine..."
Lucy and her cohorts crept down low behind the hedges framing the Junelle Manor during the dead of night, following the yellow and tan spirit named Roger. The bunny turned his nose up to the air snd sniffed, hopping forward a few more paces as the group followed. Natsu fidgeted, an irritated look crossing his face."This is-""Shh!" The teens all rounded on him, even the bunny holding a paw to his mouth.Lucy glared at him. "Quiet, are you trying to get us caught?"The Dragon Slayer sulked as he followed along behind them. Roger waved them over and past another break in the shrubbery. The group hunkered down, waiting for the next signal.The Celestial Mage turned to her friends. "Alright, everyone knows the plan right? Once we're inside, we follow Roger to the Records Room, after that, take a section and start looking. Cana, Kalia, you're on watch duty, put anyone who comes near to sleep and then put them somewhere...comfy. Happy, Lisanna, Natsu, you will look through the right side of the room. Gray, Erza and I will take the left."The mages all nodded in agreement and followed the not-white rabbit into the manor. Roger hopped along, causing diversions enough to let the group pass relatively unnoticed. Lucy jiggled the handle of the door and panicked a bit."It's locked."Erza, in her ninja Requip, gently moved the blonde to the side. "Allow me." She knelt down and took out some picks attached to her thigh.Everyone present blinked. "Erza...you know how to pick a lock?"Erza swung the door open. "Not at all, this outfit is enchanted for all manners of stealth and covert operations. Should I actually know, it would be...dishonorable."Lucy sweatdropped. "...right..."They entered the room and Cana and Kalia swiftly took care of the accountant before stepping back into the hall. Lucy shut the door behind the two, leaving it open just a crack."Knock if you hear or see anyone coming. Although if see them, it's probably too late and we'll have to run."Cana grinned and gave a thumbs up. "We got this."Lucy nodded and went back into the room. The rest then split up and went about the room, scouring the records for evidence.
After a couple hours passed, Lucy started getting frantic. "The change of shift is in a few minutes, we have to find those records now."Lisanna wandered over to the desk and blinked. She picked up the book the accountant was working on read through it quickly. She gasped. "Lucy, I think I found them!" She took the journal and jogged over to Lucy, showing her. "See the dates? This is this month's log."Lucy blinked. "This date...Sunar just made a deposit last week."Gray's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "That matches up to the time frame he would have received reimbursement."Lucy trembled. "So they are stealing from my dad. We need to get this ba-""Good work, I had a feeling my dear brother was getting too arrogant." The group turned sharply to the door, seeing a woman dressed in green finery and adorned in extravagant jewelry. Beside her stood a woman with long green hair in more...scanty clothing and a man in his thirties with fading dark brown hair, a dead look in his eyes as a crown weighed on his head. At their feet were Cana and Kalia, both turned to stone.Lucy stiffened, seeing the blue guild stamp on the second woman's stomach and clenched her fists tightly. "Karen Lilica..."Karen brushed her hair back, looking confident. "Well, well, this job is easier than I had thought it would be, just a few scamps who don't know what their own home looks like." She fingered her belt that held two gold keys and three silver. Her eyes homed in on Lucy's own keyring. "Oh? Another Celestial Mage, you know the rules of combat, loser gives up their keys." She grinned sadistically.Lucy bared her teeth, outright glaring at her. "Actually, that's just a human practice. Although seeing how you ignore your spirits, it's only fitting you believe in that load of tripe. Also, aiding and abetting criminals is a violation of YOUR contracts to your spirits."A brief light of rebellion flickered unnoticed in the man's eyes before dimming when Lady Junelle waved her hand. "All I am doing is accepting a...generous donation. I will contact the Rune Knights to take care of this rabble. Do show your worth, Karen. Come, Cepheus." She turned on her heel and left the room, Cepheus following after her.Lucy frowned in thought at that. [Cepheus...but that's...is she?]Her time to think was cut short as Karen held out her key. "I'll end this quick. Open, Gate of the Golden Lion, Leo!"Lucy snarled as the others moved to battle the man that appeared. "No, leave her to me. I'll show her...what a True Celestial Mage is capable of!" She held out two gold keys, earning a mocking laugh from Karen."Leo, finish this child, she clearly overestimates her own ability." She smiled cruelly.Leo stayed where he was, not budging. "No."Karen stopped and stared at him in fury. "What did you just say? You will fight her or next time it's Aries AND Lyra!"Leo tensed at the threat, growling lowly as his eyes narrowed before he reluctantly slid into a fighting stance. "...I apologize for this. You seem like a good person."Lucy stalled, not hearing Leo as Karen's threat reverberated in her ears. [She has Lyra?] Her grip on her keys turned white, hand shaking as her righteous fury mounted. "You...despicable...heartless...BITCH!" Lucy's magic flared into being, a brilliant gold that surprised and shocked her guildmates behind her, especially as she pulled out a third key. "Scorpio, Aquarius, Cancer!"Karen paled, Leo's eyes widened as all three Zodiacs appeared in a shimmer of gold, the three picking up on Lucy's anger and glaring darkly at Karen. The blonde held her hand out to Erza silently and the Requip mage brought forth the whip she had promised on their first mission. "My spirits...they are my friends and family, I won't hide behind them..." She walked forward to stand in the line up, snapping the whip tightly in her hands. "I fight beside them!"An envious look crossed Leo's face before a look of mixed wonder, hope and awe. Karen trembled, both furious and terrified that this pubescent girl was stronger than her. She fumbled her keys and held out another gold, a cocky expression twisting her face."Ha! Let's see you try this! Open, Gate of the Ram, Aries!" The air shimmered in front of her...and then Karen dropped to the ground, shaking like a leaf as the action consumed the rest of the magic she should have used for attacking. "N-no...how...no!"Lucy lashed her whip out and the end coiled around Karen's keyring. "To the victor go the keys, isn't that what you said? You made a mistake in overestimating your own abilities, while underestimating mine. Celestial Mages are supposed to be intelligent, using and managing their contracts so they can fight more effectively. Lady Junelle is a better mage than you as she incapacitated Cana and Kalia to catch us off guard. As for you...instead of using Lyra to try and sing us to sleep at the door while we were occupied, you instead wasted that opportunity and went for brute force. A Spirit is only as strong as their Contractor believes them to be. I tried to forgive you for your arrogance when I first heard what you do to your spirits, especially your female ones...hearing you threaten not just Aries but Lyra too...you make me sick." Lucy tugged the keys out of Karen's hold and into her hand. She looked down at them fondly, equally, as she set her whip down and caressed the keys. "I promise, on my word as a True Celestial Mage, you will never have to suffer like that again while I'm still around."The Fairy Tail mages looked on at Karen in disgust, Erza boring holes into the woman with her glare.They then heard a delicate sniff from the door, Lady Junelle and Cepheus returning. "The Rune Knights will be here shortly, yet I see the rabble is still before me." She pulled out another keyring, surprising everyone.Lucy gasped. [I didn't count on her being back so soon!] She grimaced, starting to feel fatigued. To hers, and everyone's surprise, Leo rounded on Lady Junelle. "I don't think so. Contract transfer." He glowed briefly, Lucy gasped as her levels dropped to dangerous levels, making her sway on her feet."Open, Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus." Lady Junelle looked completely unconcerned as she summoned a second spirit.Erza gasped. "Two spirits at once?"Lisanna bit her lip. "But she's not on Lucy's caliber, right?"Natsu growled. "I don't like how this is turning out. Let's help Luce!"Gray held his arm out as Natsu tried to join the fight. "No...this is a matter personal to Lucy, she'll only be upset if we interfere before she's ready."Lucy frowned in confusion as, instead of the customary "MOOOO!" she was expecting...she gaped at the steel bull mask and tux, handkerchief neatly folded into the left breast pocket and a book propped open in the spirit's hand."Taurus, be a dear and dispose of these intruders."The book snapped close and vanished, a small, double-headed axe appearing in his hand. "As you wish, Mistress." The tone was dull, not like Taurus' usual response.Lucy trembled. "Wh-what did you do to him?" Her eyes flicked to Cepheus. "To both of them!"Lady Junelle hummed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a gleaming sapphire that contrasted her other adornments. "What any trainer does: break an animal's spirit so it may be tamed."Lucy's and the others' stared as the spirits started quaking in fury.Leo snarled at her. "The Save Obsequio...Gem of Obedience...how did you get a hold of that?"Lady Junelle smiled calmly. "You obey me. Ignore your contract." She turned her gaze on the other three, the spirits freezing up from the Gem's influence as they were immobilized in fighting it off."Force Gate Closure!" Lucy cried out, sighing in relief as some of her magic returned in the spirits' departure. She straightened up and glared. "I won't forgive you...what you have done...you robbed them of their being!""Cepheus, take care of the other rabble, I wish to watch this little mage quake in despair."Cepheus faded into the ground and rose up behind the group. They turned to face him, getting in fighting stances...then his eyes glowed and they froze, turned to stone.Lucy turned back, trying to call out to her friends and stopped as she saw them as stone, like.. [He has the same ability as Evergreen?!] She then jumped to the side, dodging Taurus' axe as it cleaved down where she had stood. Lucy grit her teeth, glancing down at her arm to see a thin trail of blood leak down. Her eyes immediately shot back up to watch Taurus and she danced out of the way. She cracked her whip out, not at Taurus, but at Cepheus, catching him across the eyes. Cepheus cried out in pain and hunched over, dispelling back to the spirit world. Lucy smirked in triumph as she ducked another attack from Taurus' axe, but yelled in pain as his follow up kick connected, sending her into a bookcase.Lucy groaned in pain, grimacing as her back screamed at her, and looked up, seeing Taurus come closer. She bent her head, tears of frustration coming to the fore. [Taurus...you were the first Zodiac I met outside my mother's spirits the first time. This time...you're my enemy. No...I won't let it end like this.] She stood up and held her arms out to the side, a gaze of fierce determination set in her face as she held back tears. "Taurus! You can throw her influence off! Subverting your will like this is a violation of the contract you hold. You're free to choose! TAURUS!" She closed her eyes as the axe came closer...and stopped less than an inch from her nose.Chink.Lucy's eyes snapped open as she looked up, and saw a crack running down across the mask."I am..."Junelle's eyes hardened. "What are you waiting for, insolent bovine? Kill her."Taurus' arm trembled. "I am..."Chink. Chink.The mask cracked more."KILL HER!""I am...FREE!" Two bursts of steam erupted from the mask and it shattered, revealing the Taurus that Lucy remembered. He tore the axe away from Lucy and gave a withering look to Junelle as he reversed his grip on the axe and drove it into himself, forcing him to dispel.Lucy let out a sigh of relief, not sure if the feelings she had felt for her spirits, even those now not hers, had reached him. She did feel a twinge of guilt at Taurus harming himself to protect her, but she had something else to focus on now. She glared at Junelle as the older women sent her a baleful glare. Lucy quickly bent down and picked up her whip, lashing it out at her.Junelle twisted away into the hall. She ran to a decorative suit of armor and tugged the sword away from it, holding it up to deflect another lash as Lucy gave chase. The two traded glancing blows, Junelle tiring out quicker than Lucy as the Lady wasn't used to active combat. Lucy managed to get under her guard and kicked upward, channeling her fury into the blow."Lucy Kick!"Junelle went flying and crashed into the wall, her pinned up hair springing loose. The woman turned with a dark look and froze, as on the stairwell, a sleepy Allison holding Roger was standing there and rubbing her eyes. Allison blinked awake and trembled, eyes fearful as she looked at her mother, specifically at her earring. Roger, sensing his little friend's fear, jumped out of her arms and started shifting, bulking and bulging grotesquely, sprouting serrated teeth in his mouth and his paws extending with claws as his fur grew and spiked out, and his ears growing longer to flop in messy spikes.Roger growled at the felled woman as he crouched ready to defend."Th-that's enough, Roger..." Lucy twitched, not really believing her adorable bunny spirit could morph into...that...That was also the sight that the Fairy Tail mages woke to as the Stone Eyes spell wore off."WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"Natsu! Don't let it eat me!" Happy wailed and clutched to the freaking out boy.Gray and Erza twitched. Cana stared, wondering if she was actually drunk. Kalia...still found the rabbit adorable. Lisanna..."I wonder if I can use that as a Take Over?"They got into a ready stance as Junelle stood up, using the wall for support.Roger shrank down and bounded back in Allison's arms, nuzzling her with a worried squeak.And, typically, following this scene, the sound of marching feet echoed up the hallways. The same leader glared at the Fairy Tail kids."You again. I have you this time...breaking and entering an esteemed citizen's home, terrorizing children, assault and battery." The Captain sneered at them as he stepped forward.Erza strode forward, picking up the forgotten journal. "Correction, Knight-Captain, we were on a job to investigate the theft of copious amounts of Jewels from the Heartfilia Konzern's accounts. The falsification of receipts intended for business use, embezzlement and corporate espionage. The Junelle's were in the know, marking down the transactions as "donations from a mysterious benefactor". A benefactor that so happens to be Lady Junelle's own brother. According to records, you were from a middle-class family, correct? Your brother could support himself well with his pay and the stipend you send to him. Except...if that stipend was a pay-off for his work in smuggling four trillion Jewels into your own accounts for the past three years."Lucy nodded. "Quite, my father finally broke down and consented to a personal accountant to oversee the books. She noticed the discrepancies and falsified receipts immediately." She reached into her satchel and pulled out the contract Jude wrote as well as documentation of their findings.The Captain looked over both sets of information before scowling as, once again, Fairy Tail got off scott-free. He tugged up Lady Junelle and removed her keys. "These will be going to a shop then."Cana cleared her throat. "Actually, Lucy defeated her before you arrived. Or did I imagine the Lady getting up from a crumpled heap? And don't Celestial Mages get the other's keys on defeat? Oh, plus Karen there was hired on to help guard Lady Junelle, so shouldn't she go with you?"Karen, trying to sneak away, froze as the Knights grabbed her. "You can't do this to me! I'm Karen Lilica!"The Captain pursed his lips like he ate something sour and roughly handed the keys to Lucy. "Very well. Any OTHER things I should be aware of?" He glared at them, daring to speak up.Kalia poked her fingers together. "U-umm...th-the s-sapphire L-Lady J-Junelle has...I-is a G-Gem of O-Obedience?"The Captain turned sharply to Junelle and stalked forward, examining the earring and removing it from her. "...so it is. Theft from the Magic Council on top of the previous charges...this will not go lightly. Your husband will also be under investigation for the charges brought to bear." He gave the woman a look of distaste as the Knights left. He paused as he felt a light tug on his cape and looked down, face softening as he saw Allison look up at him tearfully."Mister...are my mommy and daddy in trouble?"The Captain sighed and knelt down. "Very much so. As is your uncle."Lucy blinked and smiled at Allison as she walked over and knelt as well. "You're Allison, right? Roger told me about you before we came here. You really made an impression on him. If you want...if he wants as well..." She unclipped the Lepus key from her keyring and held it to the rabbit. "It's your choice, Roger. I know we have a contract, but I'm leaving the choice to you on who you want. Allison will need someone to look after her, and I know I can trust you to do that while her parents are gone."Roger blinked and squeaked, looking between the two girls before nuzzling Allison. The Captain watched this stoically, wondering what Lucy's game was.Lucy nodded. "Alright. Go back then." Roger faded away, Allison looking disappointed and the Captain started getting irritated...then Lucy picked up the fallen key and gently placed it in Allison's palm. "He doesn't cost a lot of magic to keep out, but you have to be sure to send him back to the spirit world so he can rest, otherwise he'll fade away forever." She smiled sadly, sad to lose a friend, but glad that it wouldn't be forever.Allison blinked, staring at the key, and slowly looked back up at Lucy before throwing her arms around her neck. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you!" The little girl sobbed, burrowing her head against the older girl.Lucy gently returned the hug. "I'll show you how to summon him first thing tomorrow, alright? I'm feeling just a little tired and need to go back to my room to rest, something you should be doing."Allison nodded vigorously before yawning, clutching Roger's key tightly to her chest. "Thank you, Lucy-nee...you really are as nice as your aura...it's so...warm..." She nuzzled closer and curled up, falling asleep.Lucy blinked and looked pleadingly at one of the Junelle guards that accompanied the Rune Knights up.The Captain snorted as he stood. "I suppose...not all of you Fairy Tail riff raff are that insufferable."Cana went up to Lucy to help her stand, the Celestial Mage swaying on her feet. "Thanks...but...I really I am exhausted right now...and we should be getting back to the Konzern."Natsu groaned and sulked. "Aw man! We missed the whole second fight! I bet it was awesome, too!"Cana scowled a bit before smirking. "Yeah, but did you see the look on Lilica's face when you pulled out three spirits? It was so priceless."Lisanna sighed in relief. "I'm just glad it's over. Although...Lucy...didn't you have five spirits at the end? Because of Roger?"Lucy blinked and tried working her jaw as she swayed. "I...I did...didn't I? I had five spirits...four Zodiacs..." She looked down at the two extra keyrings in her hand. "And...all these keys...these friends..." She held them to her chest in a loving and protective hold. "I won't be defeated, our Contracts, no...our bonds will hold, even through the rules humans try forcing on you." [Even though our bonds were stretched thin by time...Taurus, Leo, Aries...it still held firm in the end.] "Let's head back now, the Junelle's staff will probably not be happy with us staying here much longer." She took a step and swayed, almost falling before Gray caught her with a faint blush."I'll carry you, Luce. You did all the fighting on this."Lucy blinked and blushed. "Thanks, Gray. But I don't think I could've done it without all of you offering me support. And thanks for the whip, Erza."Erza nodded. "I did not get an accurate assessment of your skill, but you seem proficient enough. You may keep it, it was a present for you anyway. You handled yourself well."Cana coughed. "Support? We got knocked out right off the bat."Lucy smiled and yawned, laying her head on Gray's shoulder as he scooped her up bridal style. "I still fought...to protect my nakama."
As they were walking off the grounds, Gray started struggling a bit which let Natsu take a turn carrying her. The pinkette blinked and hefted a bit. "Hey, Luce, what've you been eating? You weigh way more than Lisanna does."The girls all blinked and stared at Natsu incredulously. Lucy fumed and punched him, rolling out of his hold. "I can walk on my own from here, thanks!" She stormed off to the nearest station.Lisanna fumed behind Natsu and added another lump to his head. "You NEVER comment on a girl's weight, Natsu." She followed after Lucy with the rest of the girls.
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Author's Postscript :
SSD: Another chapter complete! And we got to see what sent Laxus running earlier. *snicker* Speaking of...*looks at a disheveled Lucy* How'd your little "punishment" go? *smirk*Lucy: *blush* ...I still hate you...even if I was totally kick ass this chapter.Laxus: *smug* Still complaining? I can fix that.Lucy: *blushes more and smacks him* Pervert!SSD: Glad to see you getting along better now. So, Lucy...how do you feel after that chapter?Lucy: Amazing. *glares at Laxus* Not a word. Still, that's 11 new keys, I have more now than I did after the fight with Zeref!SSD: Yup. I figured since...most of the Celestial Mages are turning out to be upper class...let's roll if Junelle is one. Sure enough. Anyway, I'll do another chapter when I get out of work, but this is good for now, right? And Lucy won't be gaining anymore keys for at least a year, story wise, I promise.Leo: My lovely Princess, you saved us from the cruel clutcges of that witch. I am forever in your debt. *kisses Lucy's hand*Lucy: Loke, cut that out.Leo: Loke? I like that. From now on, I am Loke! As my Princess wishes.Laxus: *growl*SSD: Uhh...later guys! Don't forget to review and see you next time!
Roger was on a mission...the nice Miss Lucy had full confidence in him. Roger. He wasn't going to let down the nice lady that fed him juicy, crunchy carrots. Nope. Now...blonde girl...blonde girl...The little bunny sniffed around, hopping forward as he looked around, squeaking a bit. He crawled forward on his belly past a guard and let out a sigh before making it into the house proper through a luckily opened door. He hopped around, looking for his target while also trying to find anything Miss Lucy would find useful. Before he could go much farther, his quarry picked him up and held him in her arms.Curious blue eyes looked at the odd feeling creature. She turned the bunny around and tilted her head, peering into his eyes. "Hello, Mr. Bunny. I'm Allison, are you really a bunny? You feel kind of weird."Roger internally panicked and started miming a dance. That's what Plue do in this situation...right?Allison giggled as the strange not-bunny danced in her hold. "It's okay, the other kids think I'm weird since I seem to know everything. But what are you looking for, Mr. Bunny?"Roger paused, not sure what to make of this other human. Hm...blonde...all blondes are like Miss Lucy and are nice. Roger nodded as he came to this conclusion and squeaked out that he need to find bank records.Allison blinked and nodded along, seemingly understanding him. "Okay, Mama and Papa keep everything in the Records Room, is that it?"Roger nodded vigorously. This human was so smart!Allison smiled shyly. "If I help you, will you come and visit?"Roger tilted his head and tried to get across that he wouldn't be able to.Allison's smile saddened. "Oh, I guess I understand...I'll still help you though, you seem nicer than the other kids." She hugged the rabbit to her and walked further into the mansion, tensing as they hurried past a green haired woman talking to the Lady of the house. "I don't like her...she feels...sticky and weird, like I've got mud all over me..." she muttered softly. The girl padded softly across the hall, Roger paying close attention to the path. She finally stopped in the middle of the hall.The door to the room was open, revealing a room that was easily the size of Jude's study and lined top to bottom with shelves. In the center of the room was a cluster of four desks all connecting to face each other and each one with an accountant, even if said accountant wasn't at the desk.Allison looked down. "Why did you need to know?"Roger hopped out of the girl's arms and started miming the whole situation with squeaks interspersing it. Allison nodded along and gasped."I can't believe Mama or Uncle would steal like that...okay. Umm...I will see you again, right? I can take you back outside." She picked the bunny back up and left the hallway.Roger squeaked and gave her a thumbs up, as best as a rabbit can, and disappeared back to the spirit world.Allison sighed sadly and sat down on the stairs, looking dejectedly at her feet. "Bye, Mr. Not-Bunny..."
Lucy lifted her head up. "That was quick, Roger's already back to the spirit world."Natsu jumped up and pumped his arm in the air. "Alright! Waiting time is over! Let's-"Erza pulled him back down. "Not so fast, Natsu. Going in now would be idiotic. We must wait for the right moment to strike."Gray nodded. "Right, we should take shifts keeping watch and keep track of their movements, patrol is probably the same each shift.""An excellent idea, Gray. I shall keep first watch. Lisanna, stay here and I shall observe the other side of the manor, it is best to have an alternate escape method handy." Erza closed her eyes and requipped into a...rather scanty outfit with a halter tank top, short shorts, a long scarf, sneakers, and a pair of daggers on each hip. Over her arms were detached sleeves, held on her arm by individually tied ribbons in yellow. She then quietly snuck away to the other side, surprisingly not getting caught despite the brilliant colors.Gray blinked. "...all of us saw that was eyesore coloring, right?"Lucy sweatdropped. "...I think she had the warm side of the color palette down pat...well, nothing to do now but wait."Natsu let out a loud groan and plopped on the ground with a pout. "I hate waiting...I say we still go in there and just butt heads!"Cana rolled her eyes. "Sure, let's do that..."Natsu jumped up. "Now we're talking!""If we want the Rune Knights called on us for breaking and entering a high society place like this. And give them time to, you know, doctor the records so Lucy can't prove anything."Natsu blinked. "Oh."Happy blinked. "Why would the records need a doctor?"A lightbulb went off for Natsu. "Aha! So the records are broken...no...sick?" The pinkette scratched his head as his teammates facepalmed.Gray glared at him. "It means changing what the records say.""Oh.""Yeah. Sit down, Natsu."Natsu nodded and sat down, face soon morphing back into a sulking pout.Lucy sighed. "Just take a nap, Natsu...we won't be doing anything until nightfall anyway.""...fine..."
Lucy and her cohorts crept down low behind the hedges framing the Junelle Manor during the dead of night, following the yellow and tan spirit named Roger. The bunny turned his nose up to the air snd sniffed, hopping forward a few more paces as the group followed. Natsu fidgeted, an irritated look crossing his face."This is-""Shh!" The teens all rounded on him, even the bunny holding a paw to his mouth.Lucy glared at him. "Quiet, are you trying to get us caught?"The Dragon Slayer sulked as he followed along behind them. Roger waved them over and past another break in the shrubbery. The group hunkered down, waiting for the next signal.The Celestial Mage turned to her friends. "Alright, everyone knows the plan right? Once we're inside, we follow Roger to the Records Room, after that, take a section and start looking. Cana, Kalia, you're on watch duty, put anyone who comes near to sleep and then put them somewhere...comfy. Happy, Lisanna, Natsu, you will look through the right side of the room. Gray, Erza and I will take the left."The mages all nodded in agreement and followed the not-white rabbit into the manor. Roger hopped along, causing diversions enough to let the group pass relatively unnoticed. Lucy jiggled the handle of the door and panicked a bit."It's locked."Erza, in her ninja Requip, gently moved the blonde to the side. "Allow me." She knelt down and took out some picks attached to her thigh.Everyone present blinked. "Erza...you know how to pick a lock?"Erza swung the door open. "Not at all, this outfit is enchanted for all manners of stealth and covert operations. Should I actually know, it would be...dishonorable."Lucy sweatdropped. "...right..."They entered the room and Cana and Kalia swiftly took care of the accountant before stepping back into the hall. Lucy shut the door behind the two, leaving it open just a crack."Knock if you hear or see anyone coming. Although if see them, it's probably too late and we'll have to run."Cana grinned and gave a thumbs up. "We got this."Lucy nodded and went back into the room. The rest then split up and went about the room, scouring the records for evidence.
After a couple hours passed, Lucy started getting frantic. "The change of shift is in a few minutes, we have to find those records now."Lisanna wandered over to the desk and blinked. She picked up the book the accountant was working on read through it quickly. She gasped. "Lucy, I think I found them!" She took the journal and jogged over to Lucy, showing her. "See the dates? This is this month's log."Lucy blinked. "This date...Sunar just made a deposit last week."Gray's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "That matches up to the time frame he would have received reimbursement."Lucy trembled. "So they are stealing from my dad. We need to get this ba-""Good work, I had a feeling my dear brother was getting too arrogant." The group turned sharply to the door, seeing a woman dressed in green finery and adorned in extravagant jewelry. Beside her stood a woman with long green hair in more...scanty clothing and a man in his thirties with fading dark brown hair, a dead look in his eyes as a crown weighed on his head. At their feet were Cana and Kalia, both turned to stone.Lucy stiffened, seeing the blue guild stamp on the second woman's stomach and clenched her fists tightly. "Karen Lilica..."Karen brushed her hair back, looking confident. "Well, well, this job is easier than I had thought it would be, just a few scamps who don't know what their own home looks like." She fingered her belt that held two gold keys and three silver. Her eyes homed in on Lucy's own keyring. "Oh? Another Celestial Mage, you know the rules of combat, loser gives up their keys." She grinned sadistically.Lucy bared her teeth, outright glaring at her. "Actually, that's just a human practice. Although seeing how you ignore your spirits, it's only fitting you believe in that load of tripe. Also, aiding and abetting criminals is a violation of YOUR contracts to your spirits."A brief light of rebellion flickered unnoticed in the man's eyes before dimming when Lady Junelle waved her hand. "All I am doing is accepting a...generous donation. I will contact the Rune Knights to take care of this rabble. Do show your worth, Karen. Come, Cepheus." She turned on her heel and left the room, Cepheus following after her.Lucy frowned in thought at that. [Cepheus...but that's...is she?]Her time to think was cut short as Karen held out her key. "I'll end this quick. Open, Gate of the Golden Lion, Leo!"Lucy snarled as the others moved to battle the man that appeared. "No, leave her to me. I'll show her...what a True Celestial Mage is capable of!" She held out two gold keys, earning a mocking laugh from Karen."Leo, finish this child, she clearly overestimates her own ability." She smiled cruelly.Leo stayed where he was, not budging. "No."Karen stopped and stared at him in fury. "What did you just say? You will fight her or next time it's Aries AND Lyra!"Leo tensed at the threat, growling lowly as his eyes narrowed before he reluctantly slid into a fighting stance. "...I apologize for this. You seem like a good person."Lucy stalled, not hearing Leo as Karen's threat reverberated in her ears. [She has Lyra?] Her grip on her keys turned white, hand shaking as her righteous fury mounted. "You...despicable...heartless...BITCH!" Lucy's magic flared into being, a brilliant gold that surprised and shocked her guildmates behind her, especially as she pulled out a third key. "Scorpio, Aquarius, Cancer!"Karen paled, Leo's eyes widened as all three Zodiacs appeared in a shimmer of gold, the three picking up on Lucy's anger and glaring darkly at Karen. The blonde held her hand out to Erza silently and the Requip mage brought forth the whip she had promised on their first mission. "My spirits...they are my friends and family, I won't hide behind them..." She walked forward to stand in the line up, snapping the whip tightly in her hands. "I fight beside them!"An envious look crossed Leo's face before a look of mixed wonder, hope and awe. Karen trembled, both furious and terrified that this pubescent girl was stronger than her. She fumbled her keys and held out another gold, a cocky expression twisting her face."Ha! Let's see you try this! Open, Gate of the Ram, Aries!" The air shimmered in front of her...and then Karen dropped to the ground, shaking like a leaf as the action consumed the rest of the magic she should have used for attacking. "N-no...how...no!"Lucy lashed her whip out and the end coiled around Karen's keyring. "To the victor go the keys, isn't that what you said? You made a mistake in overestimating your own abilities, while underestimating mine. Celestial Mages are supposed to be intelligent, using and managing their contracts so they can fight more effectively. Lady Junelle is a better mage than you as she incapacitated Cana and Kalia to catch us off guard. As for you...instead of using Lyra to try and sing us to sleep at the door while we were occupied, you instead wasted that opportunity and went for brute force. A Spirit is only as strong as their Contractor believes them to be. I tried to forgive you for your arrogance when I first heard what you do to your spirits, especially your female ones...hearing you threaten not just Aries but Lyra too...you make me sick." Lucy tugged the keys out of Karen's hold and into her hand. She looked down at them fondly, equally, as she set her whip down and caressed the keys. "I promise, on my word as a True Celestial Mage, you will never have to suffer like that again while I'm still around."The Fairy Tail mages looked on at Karen in disgust, Erza boring holes into the woman with her glare.They then heard a delicate sniff from the door, Lady Junelle and Cepheus returning. "The Rune Knights will be here shortly, yet I see the rabble is still before me." She pulled out another keyring, surprising everyone.Lucy gasped. [I didn't count on her being back so soon!] She grimaced, starting to feel fatigued. To hers, and everyone's surprise, Leo rounded on Lady Junelle. "I don't think so. Contract transfer." He glowed briefly, Lucy gasped as her levels dropped to dangerous levels, making her sway on her feet."Open, Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus." Lady Junelle looked completely unconcerned as she summoned a second spirit.Erza gasped. "Two spirits at once?"Lisanna bit her lip. "But she's not on Lucy's caliber, right?"Natsu growled. "I don't like how this is turning out. Let's help Luce!"Gray held his arm out as Natsu tried to join the fight. "No...this is a matter personal to Lucy, she'll only be upset if we interfere before she's ready."Lucy frowned in confusion as, instead of the customary "MOOOO!" she was expecting...she gaped at the steel bull mask and tux, handkerchief neatly folded into the left breast pocket and a book propped open in the spirit's hand."Taurus, be a dear and dispose of these intruders."The book snapped close and vanished, a small, double-headed axe appearing in his hand. "As you wish, Mistress." The tone was dull, not like Taurus' usual response.Lucy trembled. "Wh-what did you do to him?" Her eyes flicked to Cepheus. "To both of them!"Lady Junelle hummed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a gleaming sapphire that contrasted her other adornments. "What any trainer does: break an animal's spirit so it may be tamed."Lucy's and the others' stared as the spirits started quaking in fury.Leo snarled at her. "The Save Obsequio...Gem of Obedience...how did you get a hold of that?"Lady Junelle smiled calmly. "You obey me. Ignore your contract." She turned her gaze on the other three, the spirits freezing up from the Gem's influence as they were immobilized in fighting it off."Force Gate Closure!" Lucy cried out, sighing in relief as some of her magic returned in the spirits' departure. She straightened up and glared. "I won't forgive you...what you have done...you robbed them of their being!""Cepheus, take care of the other rabble, I wish to watch this little mage quake in despair."Cepheus faded into the ground and rose up behind the group. They turned to face him, getting in fighting stances...then his eyes glowed and they froze, turned to stone.Lucy turned back, trying to call out to her friends and stopped as she saw them as stone, like.. [He has the same ability as Evergreen?!] She then jumped to the side, dodging Taurus' axe as it cleaved down where she had stood. Lucy grit her teeth, glancing down at her arm to see a thin trail of blood leak down. Her eyes immediately shot back up to watch Taurus and she danced out of the way. She cracked her whip out, not at Taurus, but at Cepheus, catching him across the eyes. Cepheus cried out in pain and hunched over, dispelling back to the spirit world. Lucy smirked in triumph as she ducked another attack from Taurus' axe, but yelled in pain as his follow up kick connected, sending her into a bookcase.Lucy groaned in pain, grimacing as her back screamed at her, and looked up, seeing Taurus come closer. She bent her head, tears of frustration coming to the fore. [Taurus...you were the first Zodiac I met outside my mother's spirits the first time. This time...you're my enemy. No...I won't let it end like this.] She stood up and held her arms out to the side, a gaze of fierce determination set in her face as she held back tears. "Taurus! You can throw her influence off! Subverting your will like this is a violation of the contract you hold. You're free to choose! TAURUS!" She closed her eyes as the axe came closer...and stopped less than an inch from her nose.Chink.Lucy's eyes snapped open as she looked up, and saw a crack running down across the mask."I am..."Junelle's eyes hardened. "What are you waiting for, insolent bovine? Kill her."Taurus' arm trembled. "I am..."Chink. Chink.The mask cracked more."KILL HER!""I am...FREE!" Two bursts of steam erupted from the mask and it shattered, revealing the Taurus that Lucy remembered. He tore the axe away from Lucy and gave a withering look to Junelle as he reversed his grip on the axe and drove it into himself, forcing him to dispel.Lucy let out a sigh of relief, not sure if the feelings she had felt for her spirits, even those now not hers, had reached him. She did feel a twinge of guilt at Taurus harming himself to protect her, but she had something else to focus on now. She glared at Junelle as the older women sent her a baleful glare. Lucy quickly bent down and picked up her whip, lashing it out at her.Junelle twisted away into the hall. She ran to a decorative suit of armor and tugged the sword away from it, holding it up to deflect another lash as Lucy gave chase. The two traded glancing blows, Junelle tiring out quicker than Lucy as the Lady wasn't used to active combat. Lucy managed to get under her guard and kicked upward, channeling her fury into the blow."Lucy Kick!"Junelle went flying and crashed into the wall, her pinned up hair springing loose. The woman turned with a dark look and froze, as on the stairwell, a sleepy Allison holding Roger was standing there and rubbing her eyes. Allison blinked awake and trembled, eyes fearful as she looked at her mother, specifically at her earring. Roger, sensing his little friend's fear, jumped out of her arms and started shifting, bulking and bulging grotesquely, sprouting serrated teeth in his mouth and his paws extending with claws as his fur grew and spiked out, and his ears growing longer to flop in messy spikes.Roger growled at the felled woman as he crouched ready to defend."Th-that's enough, Roger..." Lucy twitched, not really believing her adorable bunny spirit could morph into...that...That was also the sight that the Fairy Tail mages woke to as the Stone Eyes spell wore off."WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"Natsu! Don't let it eat me!" Happy wailed and clutched to the freaking out boy.Gray and Erza twitched. Cana stared, wondering if she was actually drunk. Kalia...still found the rabbit adorable. Lisanna..."I wonder if I can use that as a Take Over?"They got into a ready stance as Junelle stood up, using the wall for support.Roger shrank down and bounded back in Allison's arms, nuzzling her with a worried squeak.And, typically, following this scene, the sound of marching feet echoed up the hallways. The same leader glared at the Fairy Tail kids."You again. I have you this time...breaking and entering an esteemed citizen's home, terrorizing children, assault and battery." The Captain sneered at them as he stepped forward.Erza strode forward, picking up the forgotten journal. "Correction, Knight-Captain, we were on a job to investigate the theft of copious amounts of Jewels from the Heartfilia Konzern's accounts. The falsification of receipts intended for business use, embezzlement and corporate espionage. The Junelle's were in the know, marking down the transactions as "donations from a mysterious benefactor". A benefactor that so happens to be Lady Junelle's own brother. According to records, you were from a middle-class family, correct? Your brother could support himself well with his pay and the stipend you send to him. Except...if that stipend was a pay-off for his work in smuggling four trillion Jewels into your own accounts for the past three years."Lucy nodded. "Quite, my father finally broke down and consented to a personal accountant to oversee the books. She noticed the discrepancies and falsified receipts immediately." She reached into her satchel and pulled out the contract Jude wrote as well as documentation of their findings.The Captain looked over both sets of information before scowling as, once again, Fairy Tail got off scott-free. He tugged up Lady Junelle and removed her keys. "These will be going to a shop then."Cana cleared her throat. "Actually, Lucy defeated her before you arrived. Or did I imagine the Lady getting up from a crumpled heap? And don't Celestial Mages get the other's keys on defeat? Oh, plus Karen there was hired on to help guard Lady Junelle, so shouldn't she go with you?"Karen, trying to sneak away, froze as the Knights grabbed her. "You can't do this to me! I'm Karen Lilica!"The Captain pursed his lips like he ate something sour and roughly handed the keys to Lucy. "Very well. Any OTHER things I should be aware of?" He glared at them, daring to speak up.Kalia poked her fingers together. "U-umm...th-the s-sapphire L-Lady J-Junelle has...I-is a G-Gem of O-Obedience?"The Captain turned sharply to Junelle and stalked forward, examining the earring and removing it from her. "...so it is. Theft from the Magic Council on top of the previous charges...this will not go lightly. Your husband will also be under investigation for the charges brought to bear." He gave the woman a look of distaste as the Knights left. He paused as he felt a light tug on his cape and looked down, face softening as he saw Allison look up at him tearfully."Mister...are my mommy and daddy in trouble?"The Captain sighed and knelt down. "Very much so. As is your uncle."Lucy blinked and smiled at Allison as she walked over and knelt as well. "You're Allison, right? Roger told me about you before we came here. You really made an impression on him. If you want...if he wants as well..." She unclipped the Lepus key from her keyring and held it to the rabbit. "It's your choice, Roger. I know we have a contract, but I'm leaving the choice to you on who you want. Allison will need someone to look after her, and I know I can trust you to do that while her parents are gone."Roger blinked and squeaked, looking between the two girls before nuzzling Allison. The Captain watched this stoically, wondering what Lucy's game was.Lucy nodded. "Alright. Go back then." Roger faded away, Allison looking disappointed and the Captain started getting irritated...then Lucy picked up the fallen key and gently placed it in Allison's palm. "He doesn't cost a lot of magic to keep out, but you have to be sure to send him back to the spirit world so he can rest, otherwise he'll fade away forever." She smiled sadly, sad to lose a friend, but glad that it wouldn't be forever.Allison blinked, staring at the key, and slowly looked back up at Lucy before throwing her arms around her neck. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you!" The little girl sobbed, burrowing her head against the older girl.Lucy gently returned the hug. "I'll show you how to summon him first thing tomorrow, alright? I'm feeling just a little tired and need to go back to my room to rest, something you should be doing."Allison nodded vigorously before yawning, clutching Roger's key tightly to her chest. "Thank you, Lucy-nee...you really are as nice as your aura...it's so...warm..." She nuzzled closer and curled up, falling asleep.Lucy blinked and looked pleadingly at one of the Junelle guards that accompanied the Rune Knights up.The Captain snorted as he stood. "I suppose...not all of you Fairy Tail riff raff are that insufferable."Cana went up to Lucy to help her stand, the Celestial Mage swaying on her feet. "Thanks...but...I really I am exhausted right now...and we should be getting back to the Konzern."Natsu groaned and sulked. "Aw man! We missed the whole second fight! I bet it was awesome, too!"Cana scowled a bit before smirking. "Yeah, but did you see the look on Lilica's face when you pulled out three spirits? It was so priceless."Lisanna sighed in relief. "I'm just glad it's over. Although...Lucy...didn't you have five spirits at the end? Because of Roger?"Lucy blinked and tried working her jaw as she swayed. "I...I did...didn't I? I had five spirits...four Zodiacs..." She looked down at the two extra keyrings in her hand. "And...all these keys...these friends..." She held them to her chest in a loving and protective hold. "I won't be defeated, our Contracts, no...our bonds will hold, even through the rules humans try forcing on you." [Even though our bonds were stretched thin by time...Taurus, Leo, Aries...it still held firm in the end.] "Let's head back now, the Junelle's staff will probably not be happy with us staying here much longer." She took a step and swayed, almost falling before Gray caught her with a faint blush."I'll carry you, Luce. You did all the fighting on this."Lucy blinked and blushed. "Thanks, Gray. But I don't think I could've done it without all of you offering me support. And thanks for the whip, Erza."Erza nodded. "I did not get an accurate assessment of your skill, but you seem proficient enough. You may keep it, it was a present for you anyway. You handled yourself well."Cana coughed. "Support? We got knocked out right off the bat."Lucy smiled and yawned, laying her head on Gray's shoulder as he scooped her up bridal style. "I still fought...to protect my nakama."
As they were walking off the grounds, Gray started struggling a bit which let Natsu take a turn carrying her. The pinkette blinked and hefted a bit. "Hey, Luce, what've you been eating? You weigh way more than Lisanna does."The girls all blinked and stared at Natsu incredulously. Lucy fumed and punched him, rolling out of his hold. "I can walk on my own from here, thanks!" She stormed off to the nearest station.Lisanna fumed behind Natsu and added another lump to his head. "You NEVER comment on a girl's weight, Natsu." She followed after Lucy with the rest of the girls.
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Author's Postscript :
SSD: Another chapter complete! And we got to see what sent Laxus running earlier. *snicker* Speaking of...*looks at a disheveled Lucy* How'd your little "punishment" go? *smirk*Lucy: *blush* ...I still hate you...even if I was totally kick ass this chapter.Laxus: *smug* Still complaining? I can fix that.Lucy: *blushes more and smacks him* Pervert!SSD: Glad to see you getting along better now. So, Lucy...how do you feel after that chapter?Lucy: Amazing. *glares at Laxus* Not a word. Still, that's 11 new keys, I have more now than I did after the fight with Zeref!SSD: Yup. I figured since...most of the Celestial Mages are turning out to be upper class...let's roll if Junelle is one. Sure enough. Anyway, I'll do another chapter when I get out of work, but this is good for now, right? And Lucy won't be gaining anymore keys for at least a year, story wise, I promise.Leo: My lovely Princess, you saved us from the cruel clutcges of that witch. I am forever in your debt. *kisses Lucy's hand*Lucy: Loke, cut that out.Leo: Loke? I like that. From now on, I am Loke! As my Princess wishes.Laxus: *growl*SSD: Uhh...later guys! Don't forget to review and see you next time!