Chapter 5: Ice Boy and Armoured Lady

Previously...

"W-what about the money?" She asked.

Happy shook his head smugly. "Lucy, you're too greedy."

"We need the cash!" Lucy yelled back.

"Thanks anyway!" Ramza stifled a laugh.

"Bye!" Natsu waved.

"I need it to pay rent!" Lucy demanded.

"Yeah, let's just go home." Ramza said.

"That means you too, Mr. Melon." Natsu looked back. "Go back home."

Currently...

The sun had sunk down, making it night time. The team was walking down the road, returning to the Fairy Tail Guild. Lucy was slumped over from exhaustion, but Ramza and Natsu seemed fine.

"I can't believe you guys..." Lucy groaned, "Who would turn down that amount of money?"

"Us, of course!" Ramza laughed.

"If we got the money, it would look bad on Fairy Tail's reputation." Said Natsu.

"But he was happy!" Protested Lucy. "We did the job! We're not supposed to walk home..."

"They didn't have much anyway." Ramza chirped in. "Taking money from them who only rented out the house and the clothes would be cruel."

Lucy's stomach growled. "I'm getting hungry..."

"Yeah, me too..." Said Happy.

"Then let's go there." Natsu pointed in a clearing of trees, next to a river. "We'll also sleep the night there."

The team then made camp at the specified spot. While Lucy and Natsu made the campfire, Ramza took a short trip to the river to do some fishing. He quickly returned with a decent amount of fish, his wakizashi slick with fish blood. They impaled the fish upon some sticks and set them over the fire to cook them. Once they were good enough to eat, Natsu and Happy immediately grabbed to each and began digging in.

"By the way," Asked Lucy, "How'd you know that it wasn't their house?"

"Oh." Natsu looked up from his meal. "They smelled different from the house, that's all."

Ramza bit down on a fish. "I could tell too. Their awkward movements and unfamiliarity with the place was a red flag."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Maybe for you guys," Her expression suddenly turned dreamy, "But I still hadn't taken my mind off that book."

"You like books?" Asked Natsu. "Must explain why you're writing a novel."

"Cool, Lucy." Ramza smiled.

Lucy scrambled back towards the river bank, covering her blushing face. "Promise you won't tell anybody?"

Happy raised his hand. "Why not?"

Lucy then shook her head, still covering her face. "'Cause I'm a terrible writer! If anyone read what I was writing, I would die of embarrassment!"

"Don't worry," Natsu tried to console her. "Nobody's going to read it..."

Lucy looked aside. "That doesn't make me feel any better..."

Ramza had finished his fish and tossed the stick aside. "You seem like a good writer, Lucy. Perhaps your stories are better than you think." He smiled. "I should know, I've read a lot of books."

A chuckle twitched at the edge of Lucy's mouth. "Thanks Ramza..."

And on that note, they curled up in their sleeping bags and snored away the night.

The next day, the three of them were trudging through a murky swamp lined with some very tall trees. Natsu was just walking through the sludge no problem, with Happy sitting on his shoulder. Lucy was inside her Celestial Spirit Horologium, safe from the dirty waters of the swamp. She sighed feeling content, until a leg dangled from the outside of the glass.

"Ramza! Your leg!" Shouted Lucy through Horologium.

"Oh, sorry." Ramza replied.

He put up his leg, removing it from Lucy's view. He was perched on top of Horologium, holding on for dear life as he despised the murky waters below.

Horologium spoke up again. "'Are you sure this is the right way?' Lucy asks."

"Happy says this is the way home so this is the way we're going, I answer." Natsu grumbled.

"I'm a cat! I have a great sense of smell!" Said Happy proudly. "My nose will lead us home!"

"You sure?" Ramza said with discomfort, "I mean, don't dogs have that sense of smell?"

They then reached dry land and Ramza hopped off Horologium. "Thanks for the ride, I guess." Ramza then looked at Happy. "And what correlation does smell have with direction?"

Happy ignored him. Natsu glanced at Lucy still inside Horologium. "Hey, Ramza got off so why don't you walk?"

Horologium spoke on behalf of his master. "'Because I'm tired.' she replies."

The bush in front of them suddenly shuffled. Natsu suddenly leaped forward and went into the bush, while Ramza took a defensive stance, grabbing the hilt of his blade. Was it a monster? An enemy?

Turns out it was Gray, who jumped out of the bush with Natsu. Sighing, Ramza released his tight grip on his sword. For some reason, Gray wasn't wearing his clothes. The two who jumped out of the bush stood multiple meters apart, as if to duel.

"Gray!" Exclaimed Happy.

"Dude, where are your clothes?" Ramza asked.

Gray grunted. "I was going to use a bathroom."

"Why would you strip down before you found one?" Natsu questioned. "And who finds a bathroom in the forest anyway!?"

"I was hoping for some peace and quiet," Gray muttered. "But then you came in and ruined all of that!"

The two of them argued back and forth for a little while more, but they all settled on a cliff on the edge of the forest. Gray had found and worn his clothes and Happy was fishing for some fish. The rest of them settled on boulders to sit on.

"So you're coming back from a job?" Clarified Lucy.

"Yeah." Gray answered. "There's a shortcut here that will lead back to the guild in no time."

"I told ya!" Happy smugly said. "My nose is right!"

"But how come you couldn't smell Gray who was in front of us?" Asked Lucy.

"There are some things you don't wanna smell." Said Happy.

"What'd you say?" Came an angry Gray.

"I agree." Natsu said with a taunting smile. "So go on home and we'll smell ya later!"

Gray stood up. "Yeah, I will. And unless you want trouble, you should too."

"Hang on a sec." Ramza put his palm to the side, as if to ask a question. "Why?"

"Because Erza is coming back anytime now." Gray stated.

The effect of that statement was like a bombshell on Natsu, who froze as still as a statue. Ramza shook his head, because he has never heard of this Erza.

"Erza?" Ramza raised the question. "Who's that?"

"You mean you don't know Erza?" Asked a wide eyed Lucy.

"I really don't know who she is." Ramza turned to Gray and Natsu. "What's she like?"

"Scary." The two said in unison.

Lucy stood there poker faced. "Really?"

Gray crossed his arms. "How about wild animal?"

"A vile beast?" Added Natsu.

"More like a full on monster!" Happy said.

Ramza sweat dropped. "Okayyyyy... She sounds nice..."

"Also, she's huge!" Happy put in.

"Big enough." Natsu agreed.

"One thing we all agree on is that Erza is just that scary." Gray said. "Well, maybe a little scarier."

"Yeah, scary enough to destroy a mountain!" Natsu raised a finger to raise the point.

"No man," Gray disagreed. "She'd take out three mountains with a kick!"

"You don't need to exaggerate like that, Gray." Ramza breathed a sigh of relief, but Happy wasn't done. "She would more of take out two."

Lucy looked to the side, visibly spooked. "Y'know, even if she could blow up one mountain, that's already too scary."

Gray pointed towards the town. "That's where Magnolia is. Let's go."

"Hurry, before Erza's there!" Said a worried Natsu.

Suddenly, the earth beneath them shifted to sand with a big dust explosion, trapping them waist-deep in it. Everybody coughed out the sand in their mouths. Ramza then realized that Happy was no longer with them. He was being held by a bunch of shady-looking guys, who propped a rope-tied Happy by some sticks.

"Oh man, we'll finally get some protein!" One of the lackeys said.

"No berries tonight!" Another one rejoiced.

Happy was shaking from the thought of these guys eating him. "P-please let me go..."

The one who looked like a troll spoke up. "Relax. We'll eat you before you even know it."

The chicken among them quacked, then lit a branch on fire. "Cook him already!" Said the troll.

"Nah, I'd rather not!" Came Natsu's voice. The four of them were up on a small cliff overlooking everything that just happened.

Lucy cupped her hands. "Happy! You alright?"

"That's our friend you're trying to eat there." Natsu cracked his knuckles. "Sorry, but settle for something else!"

"You're all wizards, aren't you?" Gray realized. "What guild are you with?"

"That's a secret." Answered the troll. "Attack!"

The troll's group then leaped into battle. Ramza drew his bow and shot a few arrows, but they dodged it. "Guess my sword's gotta do..." He then unsheathed his wakizashi, engaging the two guys who looked like twins.

"Gray, we can't be late for the party." Natsu said.

"Fine, but you're not telling me what to do." Gray snorted back.

Natsu and Gray then jumped, following Ramza into the fight. Natsu threw a few punches toward the twins, while Gray landed a kick on the chicken guy. The troll then stepped back, casting a magic circle. "Sand Ball!"

Suddenly, a huge pile of sand appeared before Natsu. "The heck?" He said before being incased in it.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled.

"We gotta get him outta there!" Ramza said.

"He's good!" Gray assured. "Just focus on the other guys first!"

"Alright!" Lucy replied. "I'll go untie Happy!"

The twins attacked again, but Ramza knocked one away with his blade and Gray punched the other, knocking him out. Lucy was now removing Happy's binds, her hands moving frantically to free him.

"Help!" Happy cried. "Lucy's gonna eat me!"

"Shut up!" Lucy concentrated on the ropes, but a shadow appeared next to her.

It was the chicken man. "Squack!" The chicken man raised a burning stake, aiming at Lucy.

"Please don't kill me!" Lucy squealed. Ramza came and conked the chicken out with a blow from his blade hilt. Lucy and Happy then ran to cover.

"Haaaaaa!" The guy with the crystal ball chanted. Ramza and Gray braced for impact, but nothing came. "I see something special, but the stars point to a great trouble with water and women."

"You predicting my future?" Gray deadpanned. The crystal guy nodded, before passing out from an elbow from Gray.

"Woah, they're strong..." Lucy marveled.

"Yo Gray. Your clothes." Ramza pointed out.

"Crap!" Gray exclaimed.

The troll guy's face twitched in frustration. "Where did these guys come from anyway?"

Suddenly the sand ball that he made exploded, and Natsu jumped out. "Man, that ball sucked. Now there's some sand in my mouth!" Natsu spat out said sand. "You'll pay for that!"

Natsu then made a magic circle, lighting his right hand on fire. He leaped forward, punching the troll in the face. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

After a while, the enemies were tied to a thick tree with some rope. This way, they can't attack or do anything.

"Don't you think you've gone too far, Natsu?" Quipped Gray.

"So what?" Natsu shot back. "We took them out, and that's what matters."

"Hmph." Gray crossed his arms. "This is an embarrassment to our guild."

A vein on Natsu's forehead twitched. "What did you say, ice breath?"

"I said you're an embarrassment, pyro!" Gray responded angrily.

"Well," Ramza sighed. "They're bickering again."

"Is it always like this?" Said Lucy.

"Urghhh..." Groaned the tied-up troll.

"Wait," Lucy said, "I think he's trying to tell us something."

"Lu-lulu..." He muttered.

"Lulu what?" Ramza narrowed his eyes.

"Lul-by..." Managed the troll.

"Lullaby?" Apparently, Gray had overheard them talking.

As fast as Gray had mentioned the name, a dark shadow knocked everyone to the ground. It then took on the form of a hand, grasping the captured foes and whisking them away somewhere. In their escape, Ramza noticed a look on their faces: fear.

"What..." Ramza sat, bewildered.

"Who was that?" Natsu asked.

"Well whoever it was," Gray had already recovered and was standing up, "They're fast. I couldn't even sense their presence..."

"What does this mean?" Lucy brought up.

"And what does the word 'Lullaby' have in all of this?" Ramza added.

The team soon arrived at the Fairy Tail guild, and the news of their job's success went around. Lucy, Happy and Natsu were sitting on a table, bored out of their minds.

"We should find another job soon." Said Natsu with his head on the table.

"Aye!" Happy sat contentedly on the table, munching on a fish. "Our food money is running low anyway!"

"I agree on that." Ramza sat on one of the bar's chairs, holding an empty mug. He then lifted it up, opting to ask for another drink. "Mira, can I have another glass of coffee please?"

Mirajane smile warmly. "Of course!" She said while taking the mug.

"Y'know, you are going to die from an overdose of that one day..." Lucy commented.

"Nah, I'm fine." Ramza grinned. "This is only my sixth mug today!"

"Hmph." Lucy pouted. "At least you're using your own money for this."

"I owe it to myself."

"But if we had taken the two million jewel reward, we wouldn't have to go on another job now would we?" Lucy glared at the pink haired dragon slayer. "And still have to pay for my rent next week..."

"Guess that settles it." Ramza took the glass from Mirajane and took a sip from it. "We're going on another job!"

Lucy and Ramza then approached the job request board and scanned it for any one of those that they can do.

"Finding a magic bracelet, breaking a curse on a magic cane..." Lucy muttered.

"Reading a love horoscope," Ramza read, "Hunting a volcano demon..."

"These jobs really differ, huh." Lucy rubbed her chin.

"Well let me know if you'd like to take one!" Mirajane appeared, "The master is away, so I'm currently in charge of those who want to take jobs."

Ramza frowned. "He's away? For what?"

"The guild master conference." Mirajane said. "He'll be there for a couple of days."

"Is it like the magic council?" Ramza asked.

"Kind of..." Mirajane borrowed a magic pen for a moment as she drew a sort of diagram. "The council, named Era, is the most powerful organization in the entire world, just below the government. It has ten members, and they are the ones that make sure all the laws are upheld. They are also the ones who will oversee the trial if one breaks the law."

She then drew smaller boxes below the diagram. "Then there are the guild master leagues, which consist of local guild masters and work together. Then there are the individual masters who watch over their own guilds."

"Woah," Lucy said. "That must be pretty stressful for them."

"Yeah." Ramza nodded. "Cooperation is important."

"And then the guys in black will show up!" Natsu suddenly put in with a scary face.

Lucy jumped back. "That's not real, is it?"

"They do." Ramza answered. "They're the dark guilds, I think?"

"Yes, you are correct." Mirajane agreed. "They aren't part of any group here. They are the odd ones out and are usually involved in some sort of crime."

"Uhm..." Lucy fidgeted nervously.

"Just pick a job, would ya?" Natsu said impatiently.

Lucy glared at him. "And why would I do that?"

"'Cause we're a team, aren't we?" Natsu answered.

"Yeah!" Happy said. "Since we picked the job last time, it's your turn to pick one!"

"What about Ramza?" Said Lucy.

Ramza looked up from his coffee. "Ladies first?"

"You're not helping." Lucy sighed. "As far as I know, we're disbanded. Besides, you guys only needed me because I fit in the description!"

"Y'know that isn't true." Ramza said.

"Yup!" Natsu said with a grin. "We chose you 'cause you're a good person!"

Lucy's face implied that she doubted that statement.

"Hey Lucy," Gray's voice came from another table. "I wouldn't stay with Natsu if I were you, you'll get plenty of offers from other teams. Same goes for you, Ramza."

Natsu snorted. "Jerk."

Suddenly, him and Gray locked heads as if there was glue in their hair. Gray sent a furious gaze at Natsu. "Did you just call me a jerk?"

Natsu sent the look back. "So? What are you gonna do about it?"

Happy's face was frozen in a bland smile. "They've done it again."

"You said it." Ramza agreed.

"How about joining my team, Lucy?" A man with orange hair slid up to her. "Just the two of us."

"Uhhh, no thanks." Lucy shooed him away, but the man did not budge.

"You're just as beautiful as the sun," Loke flirted, "I have my shades on, just for you."

Ramza blinked. "Dude, that was..."

"Terrible?" Lucy supplied.

"I was going to say quick, but that works too." Ramza said.

Loke was about to make another move, but he then noticed the set of keys on Lucy's waist. "Y-you're a Celestial Spirit wizard?" He stuttered.

Lucy frowned. "Yeah. What about it?"

"Sorry, I can't date you! Goodbye!" Loke then ran off.

"What was that about?" Lucy muttered.

"Well, they say that he tried to go on a date with a celestial wizard before." Mirajane explained. "It didn't go so well."

"Guess that explains it." Said Ramza.

"So which job here should we---Ahhh!" Lucy screamed as Natsu collided with her. She was now on the ground, with Natsu on top of her.

"Looks painful." Mirajane commented.

"Oh, can't you two just be friends already?" Lucy said irritated.

"Not a chance!" Replied Natsu.

"He started it!" Said Gray.

"Your clothes, Gray." Ramza pointed out.

Gray looked down to see his dressings in absence. "Dammit!"

Natsu then stood up. "Yeah I started it, but only 'cause you were provoking me!"

"Oh, so I provoked you? Who provoked me then!?" Gray glared.

"And they're at it again." Ramza looked at Mirajane. "How long were they like this?"

"Oh, just their entire lives." She said with a smile as the entire guild laughed with her.

"Well, you have to admit it is entertaining." Ramza said to Lucy.

"Yeah, there's that..." Lucy grudgingly agreed.

Then the doors of the guild suddenly opened. Loke held them with an unreadable expression on his face. "This is bad!" He said. "Erza's coming!"

The guild visibly trembled and shook from fear. "Wow." Lucy said. "Just the mention of her sends the guild into a panic."

"As the guys have said, she's scary." Ramza said grimly. "This is evidence of that."

"She is the strongest female wizard in Fairy Tail, after all." Mirajane said. "She's more than a bit intimidating."

Then the sounds of heavy footsteps filled the guild hall. "That must be her..." Said a purple haired member.

"The sound of her steps are scary in itself..." Said another.

"The air's gone still..." Said Macao.

"From these reactions, you'd think that she's some demon or something." Lucy laughed nervously.

"Welp." Ramza saw a figure approaching. "Here we go."

The figure entered the guild hall with a large item on her back. She was dressed in full iron armour and held a piercing gaze. Her long crimson hair flowed like a waterfall.

"Woah," Lucy had to catch her breath. "She's beautiful."

"You kidding?" Ramza grinned. "She looks so cool!"

"I have returned." Erza Scarlet declared. "Where is master Makarov?"

"Welcome back! Master is at a conference right now." Answered Mirajane cheerfully.

"I see." Erza responded.

"So, what's that large thing you've got there?" Asked a guild member.

"It's the horn of the monster I defeated. The locals decorated it and then gave it to me as a present." She then glowered at the guild member. "Got a problem with that?"

The guild member stiffened. "No ma'am!"

"I think she's heard about what happened on Mount Hakabe." One whispered to Macao.

"Is that so?" He sweatdropped. "I'm dead."

"She... Isn't what I thought her to be." Ramza stated.

"Same here." Lucy looked at the redhead. "I thought she'd be like a huge monster or something."

"Now listen up!" Erza raised her voice so that everyone could hear. "While I was doing my mission I heard a few things about Fairy Tail. They say that our guild is causing trouble and I'm not liking it. The master may not care, but I do."

She then directed a look at the girl at the bar who was drinking from a barrel. "Cana! You need to start controlling your alcohol intake!"

She then looked at a man in a black jumpsuit. "Vijeeter! Take your dancing outside!"

Next, a man who was smoking. "Wakaba! Get rid of that filthy habit!"

A man who was looking at the job board followed. "Nab! I thought I might find you in front of the job board. Stop dawdling and pick a job already!"

"Macao!" She looked at him with disdain, then sighed.

"Just say something!" Macao whined.

"I don't even know where to begin with you..." Erza shook her head.

"She's brutal..." Ramza sweatdropped.

"It's like she owns the place!" Lucy whispered.

"That's Erza for you." Happy said.

"Well, at least she's not crazy." Lucy said.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that..." Ramza pointed at Natsu and Gray embracing each other, as if nothing happened between them.

"O-oh hi Erza!" Said Gray with forced cheerfulness. "The two of us are just hanging out, just like good friends do!"

"A-aye!" Natsu stuttered.

"Why's he acting like Happy?" Asked Ramza. He was ignored.

Erza smiled at the two. "Well, that's nice. But even good friends tend to fight each other at some time."

"Nope!" Gray said quickly. "Us friends never fight!"

"Aye!" Natsu followed up.

"We don't need another Happy!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Why're they so afraid of Erza?" Ramza asked.

"A few years back, Natsu challenged Erza to a fight." Mirajane said. "Needless to say, he lost that one hard."

Macao chuckled. "Yeah. After that, she found Gray walking around naked. She beat him up too."

"Then there's Loke." Cana put in. "He tried to date her, but got a punch to the face instead."

"I dunno if they're stupid or brave for doing that..." Ramza muttered.

"They're stupid." Lucy answered. "Definitely."

"Natsu. Gray." Erza singled them out. "I've a favour to ask of you two."

"What is it?" They asked in unison.

"When I was traveling, I heard some things that worried me. Usually, I'd ask about these sorts of things to the master, but he's not here." Erza faced the two. "You are the strongest wizards here. I could really use your help."

"Wait," Mirajane put a hand to her chin. "Natsu, Gray and Erza working together? This could be the strongest team Fairy Tail has seen!"