Chapter 11: S-Class Aftermath

Previously...

It was a good night. The village was now freed from their curse. Deliora's defeated. Enemies became friends. And yet, Ramza felt uneasy, as if something were over him and his friends.

"Majestic Mocha Choco Master Sprinkle." Ramza smiled at his drink, and took a sip. He could worry about that another time.

Currently...

Ramza awoke to sunlight pouring on his face. He sat up and rubbed his eyes awake, and looked around him. Seems that he was inside one of the tents and someone had placed a cot and blanket for him to sleep with. He glanced to his side and found his bag. One peek inside and he was relieved to see all his things were intact.

He sighed, thankful that nothing bad had happened to him. He scratched his head, trying to recall what had happened last night.

'Oh, right!' Ramza remembered.

He had eaten too much food at the feast, making him feel drowsy. Lucy had noticed and offered him a glass of cold coffee to wake him up, but it was useless. As far as Ramza knew, coffee did nothing to sate his sleepiness. Giving him caffeine to stay up at night was as effective as trying to empty the ocean with a tiny cup.

He took the coffee anyway, but it somehow made him even more sleepy. The energy that the drink had given him had condensed in a sort of ball and made him feel wobbly and unfocused. At this, Ramza's head fell on the table. He tried blinking his eyes to stay awake, but they were already closing on their own.

He hazily remembered Lucy sighing and carrying him to the tent, where she placed him down on the cot and put a blanket over him.

"Kinda like what I did for her back then, huh?" Ramza wondered aloud.

He smiled to himself, finding her gesture sweet. She must be a really good friend...

"Oh, you're awake!" The tent flap opened to reveal Lucy.

"Speak of the devil." Ramza smiled, then rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry to trouble you for last night."

Lucy waved her hands in front of her. "Oh, it's no big deal."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." She sent him a small smile. "You ready to go?"

Ramza frowned. "We're leaving the island already?"

"Yeah." Lucy said. "Everybody's packed up and stuff. Erza's just talking to the village chief about something."

"Well, that's a shame." Ramza stood up and grabbed his bag. "I really liked their food."

Lucy snorted. "Yeah, the same ones that you ate too much of."

"Hey!" Ramza protested, "It was a feast!"

"Alright, whatever." Lucy said.

They then exited the tent, finding Gray and Natsu outside. They had their things packed up next to their feet. They perked up when they heard the two push through the tent.

"Oh, hey." Gray greeted.

"You're up!" Natsu grinned.

"Yeah." Ramza said back. "So, we're leaving?"

"Yup. We're just waiting for Erza to finish up talking to the chief over there." He pointed to her over his shoulder.

"By the way," Ramza looked around, "Anyone seen Yuka and Sherry?"

"I'm guessing that like typical party guests, they stuffed their faces and took off." Happy answered.

"I doubt that." Ramza deadpanned, then looked around again. "Though there doesn't seem to be a better explanation..."

"Hey, Gray..." Lucy pointed to his forehead, where a wound from his battle from Lyon had scarred. "I think that scar'll stay."

Gray grunted. "Whatever. It doesn't matter to me."

"Yeah, but it's on your face!" Lucy said worriedly.

"I don't mind having a few scars as long as I can see them. It's the ones you don't see that sting." Gray said in a sagely tone.

Lucy giggled then winked at him. "Well, aren't you a smooth talker?"

Natsu made a face at Gray. "So you've gotten visible scars now?"

"Shut up, Natsu! Every time I say something cool, you gotta ruin it!" Gray snapped.

"How is that cool?" Natsu questioned.

At this, Gray punched Natsu in the face. The Fire Dragon Slayer responded with a punch of his own. In no time, the two were throwing fists at each other while shouting insults that were getting worse with each exchange.

"Ah." Ramza closed his eyes in acceptance. "It's happened again."

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

Lucy sighed. "C'mon guys. You aren't little kids."

"Flame brain!" Gray shouted.

"Stripper!" Natsu retaliated.

"-the quest was taken by wizards who were trying to prove themselves." Ramza caught Erza say.

The chief of the village chuckled. "Foolish as they may be, but if it weren't for them we wouldn't have been saved! What if I gave you the money not as reward, but as a gift? It's the least I can do for everything you've done for our village."

"How much was the reward again?" Ramza asked.

"A few million jewels..." Lucy said, almost in a whisper.

"W-what!?" Ramza reeled back. "That's a lotta money!"

He looked at Erza again and mentally said, 'Accept the money!'

She let out a small smile. "If you put it that way, you make it hard to say no."

"She's really taking it!" Gray grinned.

"Sweet, sweet cash! Come to papa!" Ramza whooped.

"We're rich!" Lucy daydreamed about all the things she could do with the money.

Natsu's nostrils expelled flame in his excitement. "Alright!"

Erza wasn't done. "I'm sorry, but accepting the money would be contrary to our guild's principles. However, we'll be grateful to take the gate key you offered with it."

"Say what now?" Ramza exclaimed.

"The gate key!?" Natsu and Gray shouted in unison.

"It's mine!" Lucy said, half happy about the key, but half sad about the money.

"Well, at least let me take you back to Hargeon." Pabo offered.

Erza shook her head. "Thank you, but I have a boat waiting sir."

The Fairy Tail wizards soon returned to the shore, where the ship that Ramza and Erza took to Galuna island stood waiting on the water. The captain of the ship rang bells when he noticed Erza arrive, gesturing the crewmen to honk the horn. It let out a deep rumble that shook the waters near the boat.

"P-pirates?" Gray stepped back.

Lucy shot a look at Ramza. "Did you guys hijack it?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure if it was hijacking." Ramza said, remembering what happened when they first boarded the boat. "Me and Erza beat them up, and they kinda just fell in to help us."

"That's hijacking!" Lucy shouted.

"Look over there. That's the part that made me unsure." Ramza pointed toward the ship where the crewmen and the captain were waving enthusiastically at them.

"Ahoy, mebeauty!" The captain of the ship hollered.

"Mebeauty?" Lucy sweatdropped.

"That's right." Erza said. "They've become quite fond of me."

"Despite you beating them up." Ramza said quietly so no one could hear.

"That's the great Erza for ya!" Happy said.

"Jeez, you're such a suck up." Lucy said, sighing.

"Ahoy! Come aboard my ship, mateys!" The captain invited happily.

"Mateys?" Gray wondered aloud.

"I don't wanna! I'm not riding that creepy boat!" Lucy complained.

"If ya wanna swim, I'll join ya!" Natsu grinned at Lucy.

"Are you insane!?" Lucy yelled.

In no time, the wizards from Fairy Tail boarded the pirate ship. The captain raised the anchor and opened the sails and soon, they were drifting into the open ocean. The villagers had followed them to the shore, and were now shouting their goodbyes to the Fairy Tail crew.

"See ya!" Pabo yelled through cupped hands. "You're welcome to come back some day!"

"Yeah! You betcha!" Lucy said back as she waved to the villagers.

...........................

Erza, Gray, Natsu, Happy, Lucy and Ramza were now back in Magnolia. They strolled through familiar streets as they made their way back to their guild, Fairy Tail. Ramza swung his hands exaggeratedly high, like if he was a child. Lucy hummed a happy tune on her lips as she walked down the cobblestone path. Gray put his hands in his pockets, seemingly pleased to be back somewhere he knew. Erza pulled the cart that carried her mountain of luggage, but she wasn't deterred by its weight since she smiled to herself. Natsu pumped his fist into the air, with a very wide grin on his face.

"We're home!" He celebrated.

"Aye sir!" Happy swooped into the air.

"I'm bummed." Gray sighed, breaking his pleased demeanour. "All that time and hard work for a lousy gate key."

"Yeah." Happy agreed. "And that S-class reward was big time money."

"Well I'm sorry, but it wasn't an official job." Erza said, "Just be glad that you got something."

"She's got a point!" Lucy said cheerfully. "Now quit your complaining, guys."

"You're biased 'cause you're the only one who benefitted from this mission, y'know." Ramza quipped.

"Ooh! Let's sell it for some money!" Happy suggested.

"How can you even say that, Happy!?" Lucy stepped back, as if scandalized. "You guys don't get it. These keys are hard to come by! Sure, there are a lot of silver gate keys, but there are only twelve Zodiac keys. And I'm lucky enough to have five of them." She ended proudly.

"Too bad they're all crazy." Natsu mischievously said.

"You had better watch your mouth, you punk. Me and my Celestial Spirits will become stronger than you one day!" Lucy declared.

Ramza tripped and nearly fell to the ground at her words. He luckily caught his balance and continued to walk as if nothing had happened.

"So," Ramza said, still unfazed by his near stumble to the ground, "What spirit did you get?"

"Oh, it's Sagittarius the centaur!" She answered.

"It's a horse man?" Gray exclaimed.

"Yeah. He's got a body of of horse, and the body of a man." Lucy said.

"And he wields a bow." Ramza finished.

Lucy nodded. "You surprisingly know a lot of stuff for a 14 year old, Ramza."

He just shrugged. "I read a lot."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Oh, do you think he's better than you in archery?"

"Uh, maybe?" Ramza rubbed the back of his head, looking down at the ground. "I mean, he's probably got a bunch more years of experience than me..."

"Hmph." Erza had stopped pulling her trolley of luggage. "You're all so carefree. It's almost as if you've forgotten that you'll face punishment when we get back to the guild."

Ramza whistled. "Dang, you guys are in trouble, huh?"

"But why?" Natsu wailed.

"But everything worked out in the end!" Lucy protested, "Can we just forget the whole punishment thing?"

"You're right, everything worked out. But only because Ramza and I came and finished the job that you could not." Erza steely said.

"Yeah right, you're the one who did everything." Ramza muttered.

It was clear that Erza did not hear him as she continued. "Stealing an S-Class request is a serious offence."

"But we said we're sorry..." Lucy said, guilt in her voice.

"If you promise that you'll never do it again, then I don't think that you need to be penalized by the guild." Erza sighed, then looked at them straight in the eye. "Unfortunately, I don't have any say in the matter. Your fate is in Master Makarov's hands, so I'm sure you'll be facing punishment."

"Now I'm scared..." Happy's flight turned into a frantic bob, going up and down in nervousness. "Do you think that he's going to make us do... That?"

"Just kill me now!" Gray sank to the ground, head in his hands. "I don't think I can live through That again!"

"You guys are freaking me out!" Beads of sweat poured down Lucy's back as she thought of whatever That was.

"Relax." Natsu put a comforting hand on Lucy's shoulder. "I'll talk the old man outta punishing us! That guy loves me!"

"I dunno if you should do the talking..." Lucy said.

"Natsu." Erza said with a small smile on her mouth. "You can't talk your way out of this one. Good luck with that."

"Ehehe..." Natsu chuckled, but sweat poured down his face like a waterfall in mere moments. By the time Erza was bringing him back to the guild, he was practically squealing for Erza to let him go.

"Save me!" Natsu pleaded as he was dragged to the guild by his feet.

"Oh boy." Ramza sweatdropped. "I do not want to think what happens to Natsu when he gets back."

"Would somebody please tell me what That is? I'm totally freaking out!" Lucy yelled into the sky.