Kasumi: Wings and the Ocean

Chapter 1

The train whistle blew loud as they pulled into the station in the small town of Hargeon. People called to the friends that had been waiting for them to arrive, others got onto the train to return to the city it had come from, and everyone was eager to make their departure.

Well, everyone, but one boy, who felt that moving could be an issue in his current state.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Natsu! We made it to Hargeon!" The conductor of the said train watched as a small blue cat with a little green backpack and a girl with pale pink hair wearing black pants that swung around her skinny legs, a loose grey tank top, and a long purple coat with sleeves would cover her small hands if she didn't pull them up tried to pull their friend off of the floor.

"Natsu, come on!" The girl, Kasumi, pulled on the boy's arm, trying to get him off of the ground.

However, Natsu felt as though the world was still spinning around and the very thought of moving made him want to barf up his lunch.

"Come on, get up already!" Happy yelled.

"Is he alright?" The conductor asked, Happy waving his paw to wave the conductor's concern away.

"He's fine! This always happens when he travels!"

"Never. I'm never riding a stupid train again." Natsu grumbled, before catching himself before he threw up.

"If our information's correct, then we should find that Salamander somewhere in this town!" Happy reminded them, his little paws on his hips as he looked out onto the town, Natsu hanging his head out the window. "Let's go!"

"Just... give me a sec, wouldja?" Natsu grumbled, and Kasumi rolled her eyes.

"Natsu, if you don't get off the train now, you're going to get taken away with it!" She reminded him, making him jump up, before flopping back out the window. She rolled her eyes, before grabbing him around the middle, making him yell out as she squeezed his stomach super tight, and the three of them ran off of the train in a rush as it took off, Natsu groaning as they ran. "Thank me later, you big lug!" She grumbled, heading towards a bench.

FAIRY TAIL

"What?" Across the town, sweet blonde Lucy had made a terrible discovery for herself. "You mean to tell me that there's only one magic shop in this whole town?"

"Fraid so." The shop owner told her. "The people round here are more fishing folk than they are magic folk. I reckon most people in town don't even know how to use magic. I built this shop to sell to the wizards who happen to be passing through." Lucy sighed, stepping back and putting her hands on her hips.

"Oh, man. I came out all this way for nothing." The shop owner could feel the disappointment that she had, and tried to find ways to make it better, digging through the few things he kept behind his counter.

"Now, now, don't say that, little lady. I have all the latest goods. Let me show you a few." He then held up a small card. It was pink, with a small pearl like ball and a mirror on it. "This colors magic is popular. All the young girls really seem to like it. It lets you change the colors of your clothes anytime to want." He started sorting through the colors, swiping at the mirror, the small pearl glowing and he lifted his finger over his head. "Purple!" He shouted joyfully, his robes changing into the flowery shade. 

But Lucy wasn't satisfied. "I already have one of those. What I really want are some powerful gatekeys." That got the shop owner's attention as his outfit changed to green.

"Gatekeys, huh? That's a rare request." Lucy's eyes went wide and she was already grinning from ear to ear as he spoke, watching him early as he pulled out a small box, and opened it reveal a small silver key!

"Oh wow, it's the little doggy!" She squealed with delight. 

"Yes, but that one's not very powerful, you know." The owner tried to warn her, but she didn't care. 

"I know, but I really, really want it." She quickly took the box and gave him her sweetest smile. "So how much?"

"20,000 jewel." Lucy faltered, but didn't fall apart at the answer.

"I'm sorry, but how much was that again?" The owner didn't falter either.

"I said 20,000 jewel." Lucy dumped out her purse onto the counter, realized just how little she had, and sat on the counter, lifting one knee so that her skirt rose a little, putting one hand behind her head so that her back arched and extenuated her chest, and winked at the owner.

"Aw, come on. How much is it really worth?"  She asked sweetly, trying her only other way of payment: flirting. "Surely, you can cut me a deal." 

And that was how Lucy left with 19,000 jewel less than when she had entered the store. "Ugh! I can't believe he only knocked off a thousand jewel!" She grumbled as she stomped through the city. "That stubborn old geezer must be blind! That trick usually works. So much for using my feminine wiles." That was when she heard a bunch of women cheering, and peered over the end of bridge she was crossing to see a bunch of girls had gathered around one man on the street below. 

"Are you serious? He's really here?" Two girls were running past her eagerly.

"It's Salamander!"

"Salamander?" Lucy murmured, and her excitement from before returned. She knew that name! "As in the wizard who uses fire magic you can't even buy in stores? Wow! He's in this dead-end town?" She couldn't believe it, and ran down to the square, her heart pounding more and more as she grew closer and closer. She felt her face grow warm and legs start to shake as she grew closer and closer, his dark hair and gorgeous face coming ever closer and closer as she moved.