My Roman Fairy Tail

Back to the Pool

Natsu woke up, dazed and confused. The past night of drinking and partying a blur in his mind. He sat up and scratched the back of his neck. He was still half asleep.

The fire dragon slayer got up and collected his things. He was going to renovate his old home. It was a rundown, old fortress deep in the woods. He and Grey lived there for a few years when they eight to thirteen years old.

The old fortress needed walls repared, cleaning done, and new furniture. He had asked Captain Makarov about it and if he could have it. The captain met with leaders of military on Natsu's request and, after much discussion, was granted permission.

Natsu made his way back out into the forest. He knew his way to his new home by heart and decided to take a detour past the hidden pool. He followed the streaks he had left on the trees, wiping them away as he went.

He reached the waterfall and began the walk up to the pond. He noticed that there were water drops on the entrance to the pond this time. There was also a trace of a footprint entering into it. It was small and definitely feminine.

"Hello?" Natsu asked. No one responded, but that didn't mean there wasn't potential trouble. He stepped in and sat down. Nothing had changed, not that it should have.

Taking a closer look around at details, Natsu saw how florescent lacrama lit the cave. It was like stars, dotting the dome ceiling.

Natsu began humming an old song that he would use to entertain the other kids. It was a melody that was well known throughout the empire.

He listened to it bounce on the walls and sound as if it were coming from the cathedral. The longer he hummed, the more it sounded like someone else was humming along.

To test his theory, Natsu abruptly stopped. At first, he noticed no change. As the echo faded, he heard it more clearly. There was a girl in the cave, singing the notes acapella. Her voice was smooth and clear, like honey. The voice stopped a bit after Natsu had.

Natsu sang, has she had, bit by bit, so that the strange voice echoed his. Soon, they were singing in perfect harmony. The song ended and Natsu smiled.

"You're pretty good," he said. "We should duo again sometime. We make a good pair."

"Y-you think I s-sing well?" the voice stuttered.

"Yeah, though, I wish I could put a name and face to your music," Natsu replied.

The voice, then, said, "Do you promise not to tell anyone about this place or about me?"

Natsu didn't even have to think. "Of course not. This will stay between you and me. My name is Natsu, by the way. Natsu Dragneel."

"I am Lucy. Lucy Heartfillia." As she said that, her head came around the side of the rocks. The same place he had seen something, yesterday. As Natsu looked her, he couldn't help, but stare. She was beautiful. Lucy had pretty, brown eyes and long, golden hair that shimmered with water droplets. Her skin was pale, but not completely.

Lucy propped herself up by crossing her arms on one of the rocks. She had two separate gold bands on each arm that curled around her like delicate vines. Natsu raised an eyebrow at the leather-bound straps on her braw. They were clearly enchanting to resist water damage and chafing.

"What are doing here, Lucy? Shouldn't you be in the town? You're of age, so shouldn't you be tending to kids?" Natsu inquired.

"I live here... and I don't have children. I don't belong in town. I'm not like you, Natsu," explained Lucy. She added a hint of sadness to the last sentence.

"Why would you say that?" asked Natsu, compassionately. He looked at her and she looked back. She seemed to be considering something and decided to take a chance on him.

Lucy disappeared behind the rocks, again. She reappeared and swam out to the bank, keeping her legs hidden from his gaze. She held something in her hand.

"Here." She extended her hand to him. She dropped something in his hand. When he looked at it, he saw his ring. He slid it back on. He thanked her for its return.

"And, do you know why I'm different from you?" asked Lucy. "Because of this." Lucy proceeded to jump out of the water and sit on the bank. Natsu slowly scanned her... scales!

Lucy had a pink, scaley fish tail. Lucy definitely was different, but Natsu didn't care. He saw her for the beautiful girl she was. In her was true beauty.

At her waist is another piece of enchanted leather, in the form of a pouched belt. In one, keys are seen and Natsu pointed them out.

Lucy explained that they are her Celestial Spirit Gate Keys. She is a mermaid and a Celestial Spirit mage. Natsu could feel his jaw hanging slighty ajar.

Natsu shook out of his stupefied trace and wondered, "If you are a mermaid, who is in here that made the footprint on the entrance?"

"There is a way," answered Lucy, "for me to come and go if I please. Sometimes I can control it, but not well. When I am in contact with a large amount of water, I am as you see me now. But when I am on land..." Lucy slid her tail between them. The scales almost seemed to melt away, revealing long, nimble legs. She was human.

The tail left Lucy's waist in a short, veil skirt that wrapped around and tied off on her left hip. She tucked her legs close to her and stared at her, freshly transformed, feet.

"Are you okay? asked the worried dragon slayer.

"Yeah," the mermaid muttered. "It's just that some stranger seeing me like this is a bit intimidating. You're actually one of the first."

"Huh?!" Natsu gasped, making him cough. "What do you *cough cough* mean 'first'?"

"I've never let myself be seen before today. You don't really get to have friends when you are a girl who lives alone and can, and will, be sold as a slave." Lucy was shrinking farther into herself.

Natsu didn't have to think, before he leapt over to Lucy and hugged her. She flinched as he wrapped her in his arms. She had never had human contact fro  a male and was unsure of herself, but she warmed up to him. She hugged him back.