The Skull Hidden in the Sand

One Down, Many to Go

A/N: Flaming Beast Takeover Mage. For @AnimeAddixition <3

"Where'd he go?! Where'd that bastard go?!" Natsu's fists flamed as he whipped his gaze around the pool in search of the shapeshifter. "COME OUT AND FIGHT!!"

"Forget that! We need to go back to the room RIGHT NOW!!" Mira and Elfman were frantic. But Natsu wasn't listening, for he had spotted a familiar tailed figure coming through the door.

"AH-HA!! THERE YOU ARE!!" The pink-haired Mage took off in a sprint.

"WAIT FLAME-BRAIN!! I DON'T THINK THAT'S-!!"

"Huh?" The Flame Beast Mage looked over in surprise at the pink missile headed her way. "Eh?!"

"I GOTCHA N-OOP!!" In a millisecond, Natsu's sprint had turned into a slide, courtesy of the slippery floor. Instead of running up and punching as intended, he ended up skidding and colliding with her knees, knocking her onto her backside, and his outstretched hand ended up snagging on the poor girl's black bikini top.

"Goddamnit, Natsu." Gray face-palmed.

Natsu pulled his head up from between her thighs, leaned extremely close to the extremely embarrassed girl's face, and sniffed. "Nope, not you. My bad." He stood up and went to scratch the back of his neck until he realized he was holding part of a swimsuit, which he stared at like it was an alien life form.

"Ky-KYAAAAH!!" The girl covered her chest with one arm and hurled a nearby flowerpot at Natsu with the other hand.

"D'OOF!" The flowerpot hit Natsu in the face and the girl snatched her top back as the dragon slayer staggered backward.

"You. Fucking. PERVERT!! FLAMING BEAST: BURNING KICK!!" With a motion like she was punting him, the girl sent Natsu sailing through the air in a vortex of blue flame.

"Ice Make: Pillar!" Thanks to Gray's assistance, instead of sailing all the way across the room and through the windows at the opposite end, Natsu conveniently smacked face-first into a tower of ice and fell into the pool with an enormous splash. "Of course you'd pull this sort of shit..." Gray muttered as he fished his guild mate out. "C'mon, up and at 'em." He started smacking Natsu repeatedly. No luck. "Hmmm... Oi, Natsu. Lucy just said that I'm the strongest, waaaay stronger than you."

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Natsu shot up immediately.

"It's about time." Gray helped him up. As they walked up to their guild mates, the girl stalked past in the opposite direction, sucker-punching her assaulter in the gut as she went.

"Wh-what was that for?" He spluttered. Erza just sighed.

"Can we go now? Please?!" Mira was halfway out the door.

"Yes, yes, let's go."

**********

Bang, bang, bang!

"LISANNA!! LISANNA, ARE YOU IN THERE?! OPEN THE-!!"

"Yes?" The door to the girls' hotel room creaked open and Lisanna poked her head out. "What's wr-?"

"LISANNA!!" She was immediately tackle-hugged by both her sister and Lucy.

"Ack! What're y-?!"

"Juvia is so happy!" The water Mage squeezed in.

"MAN!!" Elfman nearly lifted all four women off the ground.

"Guys, relax! I-I can't breathe!" Everyone but Mira let go. She cuddled her sister instead, resting her chin on the younger's head. "Now, what're you so riled up about? Is it because of the pool thing with Asuka that Wendy told me about?"