Quest for the Eighty-Eight Keys

Chapter Five: The Rescue

WARNING: TORTURE!

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The mages of Fairy Tail sat within their guild, drinking, laughing, and talking. It was a strangely calm day for the destructive guild. Perhaps it was because several Sabertooth mages and Crime Sorciere were visiting. Jellal and his friends had decided to drop by before they went off to continue fighting dark guilds. Sting had decided that the perfect way to celebrate his miraculous freedom from paperwork was to drag Rogue, Rufus, Orga, and Minerva to Fairy Tail for the purpose of hanging out.

All were calm. That is, all were calm except for three certain mages.

Freed sat with Laxus, Evergreen, and Bixlow, his arms crossed over his chest and his leg bouncing as he glanced over at the guild's doors every minute. It had been a full week since Lucy left. He wasn't upset that she had missed their lunch date. Instead, he was worried. Mira had told him that the blonde was going to Poppy Town on a job with Yukino and Sorano. Poppy Town was only an hour away and since there were three of them, they should've been finished by now. So, where was Lucy?

Worry bubbled in his gut as he struggled to calm the distressing thoughts that ran through his mind. His usually logical brain was jumping to the worst of conclusions like how Natsu jumps into fights. He tried to tell himself that he was being ridiculous. That Lucy was a more than capable mage and could take care of herself on a job. He tried to tell himself that she was fine. But, was she? He couldn't help but wonder if maybe she had run into trouble and was in danger.

Freed looked over at his closest friends. They were talking with each other, seeming to not notice his worrying. His sea-green gaze moved to the first floor of the guildhall. His eyes roamed over the mages, trying to find at least one other person that noticed the strangely long absence of Fairy Tail's Light.

He didn't see anything out of the ordinary with his guildmates. As the green-haired man was distracted, he felt someone tapping on his shoulder. Freed looked to his side, seeing Laxus staring at him with a raised eyebrow. The dragon slayer asked, "are you okay, Freed?"

The rune mage looked down at the table he was sitting at. He furrowed his brow as he answered, "Lucy should be back by now, don't you think?"

He kept his eyes on the table, listening as Laxus answered, "I guess a week is a bit long for her."

Evergreen then spoke up, "she went with two Sabers. I agree that they should be back by now."

Bixlow suggested, "they could be staying in Poppy Town to shop, or something else that women do." His babies echoed the word "women" as they floated around the small group.

Freed nodded. It sounded reasonable. Evergreen responded, "for a week? Not even I shop for that long."

As the small group continued to debate if Lucy's absence should be cause for worry, Rufus looked around the guildhall, searching for a certain celestial wizard. The only reason he had allowed Sting to drag him to Fairy Tail was so he could finish what he had started and ask Lucy on a date like he was trying to do before Yukino dragged her away.

However, the blonde woman wasn't present. He looked over at Natsu, who was having an argument with Sting. The memory-make mage tapped on the pink-haired man's shoulder, getting his attention. He then asked, "I would like to inquire as to where Lucy is."

Natsu stared at him blankly, probably trying to figure out what he was asking. The dragon slayer then suddenly exclaimed, "oh! You're asking where Luce is! She went on a job with Yukino and Sorano!"

Rufus nodded and Natsu returned to his argument with Sting. He looked over at the guildhall's doors as if Lucy would just burst through them at that moment. He guessed that he'd have to wait for her to return to ask her out. As he stared at the entrance to Fairy Tail, he remembered when she had visited Sabertooth and he flirted with her before trying to ask her on a date. The memory of the lovely blush on her radiant face made Rufus smile to himself and he felt a bit of heat creep onto his cheeks. He wondered how much he could make Lucy blush. Would kissing her have the same effect? He frankly couldn't wait to find out.