Phoenix Storm || Fairy Tail [2]

➝ 𝐯. 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧

𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜: 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙯𝙖𝙮𝙙𝙚 𝙬ø𝙡𝙛𝙚 (𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙙𝙮𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙭)
❛ 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘶𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘺 ❜

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"Your room keys? Yes, just a moment, please," the receptionist smiled at Erza, who nodded appreciatively.

"Thank you."

Natsu yawned, resting his arms over the top of the luxurious sofa. "Well, Erza seems to be in a way better mood than usual."

"I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the wedding dress she bought earlier," Wendy murmured.

"What?!" everyone in the group (aside from Éclair) exclaimed with wide eyes. Rose shot a glance at the requip mage, who glanced at them from her position in front of the front desk.

"Problem?"

"Uh... nothing!"

◊

"I'm all done in there if you want the shower," Lucy said as she stepped out of the bathroom. A white towel provided by the hotel was wrapped around her, and she was using another to dry her hair. Éclair remained silent, her gaze focused on the view of the city from outside her window.

"Éclair..." Momon said warningly, glancing back at Lucy worriedly from his position on the bed.

"Look, I'm sure that I can get another room if you don't want me staying in here with you."

"I don't mind sharing." Éclair looked away from the window. "You and I are alike. We both have the same look in our eyes."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Your eyes... they serve as a window into your past. They tell me that you've known sadness... I never thought I'd see that in a magic-user."

"My eyes? They tell you that?"

As the girls conversed, the shadows in the far corner of the room twisted and warped. A cloaked figure appeared from the darkness, face covered with a mask, somehow standing upside down on the ceiling.

It was at that exact moment in time that Rose decided to open the door. Brilliant timing, as always.

"Hey, do you think that—"

Rose paused at the threshold of the room, squinting at the two girls having a moment, before shifting to the creeper lurking on their ceiling like a killer from a cheap horror movie.

"Uh.... right, so, I'm guessing you guys didn't invite this..." the phoenix slayer cocked her head to the side, adding uncertainly, "gentleman?"

It was kind of obvious that she'd been planning to say something very different and certainly not suited for children, but that was beside the point.

Rose side-stepped a flying dagger, hand reaching for the vase perched precariously on the table beside the door. She wondered why this particular group seemed to attract such nasty people (herself included, naturally). Were they that magnetic?

Her jaw dropped melodramatically as she flicked her wrist, managing to smash the vase right beside his head.

"I finally got it!" Rose slapped her fist against her open palm, as though she couldn't contain her excitement. "I see you guys as children! That explains the weird 'mother bird' thing Cylene's been going on about lately!"

"Interesting time... for an epiphany..." Lucy managed to get between attacks, pushing Éclair away, "now could you please... help get rid of this guy?"