Fairy Tail: Homecoming

The Blind Date

Author's Note 1: So after four chapters of action, why don't we take things slow with comedy and romance?

Chapter 7: The Blind Date

Two weeks had passed since the Battle of Fairy Tail, and things had gotten back to normal in Magnolia. Or as normal as they can get. After the Fantasia Parade, Lyle officially inducted Kageyama and Hoshi into the guild, with the Shadow Wizard receiving a black guild mark on the back of his left hand while the Staff wizard got a golden guild mark on her right forearm. There was also some earlier tension with the remaining members of the Thunder Legion, but the four wizards made it a point to get along with their fellow guildmates rather than isolate themselves. Freed cut his hair to show his dedication, Bickslow allowed Romeo and a few of the other kids to play with his 'babies', Evergreen volunteered to be the muse for Reedus' next painting (although she did see it as an excuse to fault her beauty), and Reginald was working overtime as a bartender.

Yup, everything had gotten back to normal in Fairy Tail. But with normalcy can come boredom, which is what Lucy felt as she ate lunch at the guildhall. Team Morningstar had recently gone on a monster hunting mission in honor of Alexander (who had been under trial membership due to his criminal record) and Hoshi (who Natsu insisted should join them) becoming full-fledged members of their now seven-member team. The Staff Wizard had a calm persona in contrast to her younger brother and could be a bit awkward at times. But in the heat of battle, her focus hardened like steel. And with her and Alexander's help, Team Morningstar managed to slay the monster (a fang worm in case you were wondering) that was terrorizing the town of Vero, earning a substantial reward (Lucy's cut allowing her to pay off her rent for the month).

Back to the aforementioned blonde, she sighed as she rested her chin on her hand. While she was thankful that she managed to pay her rent on time, it also meant that there was no rush to go out on another job. And as much as she often complained about her team's tendencies to go, at least was never bored when she was with them. In her boredom, Lucy decided to look around and see what her guildmates were up to.

The first people she saw were Natsu and Alyssa. The couple was sitting at a table with various books and info lacrima spread across it. After things had calmed down, the two decided to study up on their recently unlocked Second Origins. So far, they had managed to discover the names of their magic, what they represented, and some of the basic chants that went with them. Natsu's Second Origin was Beast Aura Magic, which calls upon the hidden animal instincts of the caster and manifests aura that can shape itself into animalistic traits (like the claws he had conjured up during his battle with Laxus). Alyssa's was called Soul Armor Magic, which allows the caster to manifest armor created from their magical energy to enhance their strength, speed, and durability.

After mentally chuckling that Natsu of all people was hitting the books, Lucy turned her head in another direction and saw that Zeke and Juvia were enjoying one of the Rain Woman's homemade lunches. Zeke had also done some research into his Second Origin and learned that it was Fighting Spirit Magic, which allows the caster to summon a manifestation of their inner soul to aid them in battle. In the present, the brunette took a bite of the casserole his new girlfriend had made, beaming with joy at the taste.

"So delicious!" He practically sang, causing Juvia to get a bashful smile. "This is way better any restaurant food!"

"Oh, stop. You're just exaggerating." Juvia said, holding her hands to her cheeks as a blush appeared on her smiling face. Zeke then held her hand, causing to Juvia to look into her boyfriend's eyes. And at this moment, Lucy could've sworn that the air around the new couple began to sparkle.

"I'm exaggerating one bit." The archer said with a smile. "I can tell that you put your heart and soul into this dish. And the fact that you made for me just makes it even more divine."