Tail Of A Fairy

28.

Lucy and Natsu faced the house. It was a small cabin made of wood. One story, with only a few windows that faced out. Natsu walked up to the door and knocked. Loudly.

"Hey!" He kept knocking. "We're the wizards that answered your job request!"

"Natsu," Lucy sighed. "Let him come to the door without fearing that you'll accidentally knock on him!"

Natsu pulled back his hand and crossed his arms. He didn't like waiting. But soon enough, someone opened the door. It was a young man, about twenty years old. He had stubble on his chin which matched his unkempt hair. His clothes were ill-fitted as well. The man motioned for Lucy and Natsu to enter the house. The house itself was neat. There were a few wooden chairs and a table. He sat down and invited them to sit too.

"So." He started. "I am Laith Cavern. The job will pay twenty thousand jewels. The village and I want you to take care of the Vulcans that have been disturbing the town."

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu jumped in. "Where have they been lately? What have they done? "

Lucy elbowed her husband, but he didn't react. Natsu just looked over with a quizzical face.

"You wanna ask something, Luce?"

Both Laith and Natsu looked towards her. She groaned inwardly as she tried to think of a quick question she could ask. As Lucy felt her mind drawing a blank, she could feel Natsu's smirk. She elbowed him again to move on. Natsu asked his questions again, however more politely this time around.

"They've been taking over villagers and stealing supplies. They normally live way up in the mountains, in their ice caves. I can get you a guide if you -"

"We've been there before, thanks." Natsu stood up, pulling Lucy with him. "Now, we're going to go deal with those Vulcans, if you don't mind."

As they left the man's house there was little talk. Lucy could feel the excitement of a job in her stomach. It twisted and turned, but in a good way. Unconsciously, Lucy intertwined her fingers in Natsu's own. A faint smile traced his lips. Lucy and him were on a job again.

"I guess we should probably find a carriage to take us to the mountain." Lucy pondered.

"Please no....." Natsu begged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Natsu laid sprawled out in the carriage, with his head resting on Lucy's lap. His eyes were glazed over in sickness. Lucy chuckled at her husband and gently began to pet his head. This job was so similar to when they saved Macao. Except the weather was different. Then, it had been a blizzard in July, but this time the mountain was calm. The sun reflected off the snow in a blinding brilliance. The snow was slowly melting under its heat, and a cool breeze blew by. It calmed Lucy. This time her magic wouldn't be used up by Horologium.

In a start, the carriage stopped. Once it did, Natsu shot up. "It stopped!!!"

"Are we there?" Lucy asked.

As soon as Natsu and Lucy were out, the carriage driver turned around and left. He didn't want to be there when the Vulcans showed up. Lucy and Natsu walked through the melting snow to the ice caves, Lucy grasping at her keys. The last time she was there was the first time she was there. Natsu had fallen out one of the holes in the walls. Happy had saved him, but Happy wasn't here this time. It would be up to Lucy if anything happened.

The cave itself looked exactly as it had years ago. A large ice room, with giant holes in the walls for windows. The cracks in the wall and floor from Natsu's fight were still there. It was as if time hadn't changed in the cavern.