Kasumi: Wings and the Ocean

Chapter 8

Later that day, Lucy found herself in a carriage, watching Kasumi rubbed Natsu's back and her own stomach while he lay across the seat and she sat on the floor next to him, both feeling very ill from their motion sickness. Lucy sat across from them, as the carriage they rode in took them towards Mt. Hakobe.

"Why'd you come with us?" Natsu asked, cringing as his stomach groaned.

"I thought maybe I could help." She told him in her cheerful voice as he groaned with his stomach, Kasumi wincing and covering her mouth when the carriage bounced. "Wow, you really do have a serious case of motion sickness, don't you? It's just another reason to feel sorry for you." Natsu jumped up at that, Kasumi tilting her head.

"What's that supposed to mean?" They both asked at the same time, and Lucy jumped, forgetting that Natsu and Kasumi didn't know that she knew about their past.

"Oh, nothing. Forget I said anything." That was when the carriage thudded, and stopped. "I guess we're there." 

"All right!" Natsu jumped up at once, flames flying from his mouth in his excitement. "We stopped moving!" 

"I'm sorry, but this is as far as I can get you." The driver of the carriage told them as Natsu and Happy danced on top of the seat, Kasumi standing up slowly as her own stomach settled down, but Lucy was a little concerned about why the driver couldn't take them any further, until she opened the door, and was nearly blown away by the howling winds. She could barely see any further than her extended arm due to the snow and fog that constantly filled the air. The whole area was covered in a massive snowstorm.

"Whoa!" Kasumi had to reach out and grab for Happy as he nearly flew out the door, Lucy using the other door to shield herself from the wind, Natsu standing there as though the wind blowing around him didn't bother him at all, his arms crossed as he looked around.

"Where the heck are we, Natsu?" Lucy asked, looking at the twins, a little nervous. "It's a frozen wasteland!" Natsu completely ignored her as he jumped out of the carriage, taking his backpack and throwing it over his shoulders and hurrying out into the storm, Happy at his shoulder, while Kasumi helped Lucy down so that the carriage could drive away. 

"Why is it so cold?" Lucy asked her as they walked away, wrapping her arms around herself. Kasumi had her large coat on her, and Natsu wasn't bothered by the cold. "I know we're on a mountain, but it's summer right now. There shouldn't be a blizzard like this anywhere!"

"That's what you get for wearing light clothing." Was all Natsu had for her.

"Oh, please! You're not dressed for it! Now hand over that blanket!" She tried to pull the rolled up blanket off of Natsu's backpack, Natsu unbothered by her actions.

"Oh, she just keeps on talking, huh?" He murmured to Happy.

"Aye."

"Lucy, it's Mount Hakobe." Kasumi reminded her. "It's cold like this year round up here." That was when Lucy got an idea.

"Oh, I know!" She then pulled out one of her silver keys, and held it out. "Open Gate of the Clock  Constellation!" She raised in the air as a magic circle appeared like a portal. "Horologium!" Immediately, a load of clock parts appeared, and a grandfather clock with skinny little arms and legs and a face appeared.

"Tick Tock." He called as the other three stared in awe at him. 

"A clock. Whoa." Natsu murmured. 

"She pulled him out of nowhere!" Kasumi added. Neither of them had seen her do it before with Aquarius, but even Happy who had seen her do it before was still astounded.

"That is so cool." But they were unable to hear Lucy's response, as she had climbed inside of the clock with Natsu's blanket, her voice silenced.

"Wait, I can't hear you." Natsu told her, a little frustrated.

"She says, 'I'm staying in here and I'm not coming out." The clock, Horologium, told him in his calm voice.

"Then why'd you tag along?" Natsu asked her.

"Yeah, you didn't have to come with us, Lucy." Kasumi added, but Lucy was thinking about something else.

""What kind of crazy job would force Macao to come to a place like this?" she inquires." Horologium told them.

"You should have asked that before you came with us. He went to slay a Vulcan. It's a big monster." Lucy felt her heart drop as he said that, watching as the other three kept walking, Horologium staying behind a little.

""I want to go back to the Guild." she proclaims." Horologium informed them.

"Go ahead and be my guest, I say back." Natsu said, really starting to get frustrated now.

"Aye." Happy agreed, but Kasumi went back and took Horologium's hand to lead him through the snow. 

"Come on, you two." She said. Horologium had trouble walking through the snow with his large, boxy body, so she helped him along. "Think of this as your first job with Fairy Tail, Lucy." She told her. "We have to make sure that Macao is okay!" 

"Macao! Where are you?" Natsu called loudly, hoping to hear back from the older man. 

"Macao!" Happy's squeakier voice called. All of a sudden, a pile of snow followed by a terrible looking creature came flying down on top of them! This creature was the Vulcan, a terrifying monkey like creature that was three times the size of the team, with large arms covered in white fur, a black chest and face, and a horn on his head. And he looked fairly cocky as Natsu got ready for a fight, Happy terrified. 

"That's a big Vulcan!" The monkey, however, looked unimpressed with Natsu and Happy, and took off running towards Lucy, Horologium, and Kasumi.

"Hey wait!" Natsu called after him, but the Vulcan was much more concerned with picking up Horologium and laughing at a terrified Lucy!

"Me like human woman." He said in a low, growly voice, Kasumi having been knocked over  and was on the ground.

"Lucy!" Kasumi called, as Natsu prepared himself, his fists already flaming. 

"So it can talk, huh?" 

""Don't just stand there. Hurry up and save me." she yells furiously." Horologium told Natsu.

"Lucy!" Kasumi jumped up at once, grabbing onto the Vulcan's tail. "Let go of him!" She yelled, the Vulcan turning around and grinning, making her quake in her boots. "Crap!" 

"Two woman!" The Vulcan laughed, wrapping his large hand around Kasumi and picking her up as she tried to fight him, but her hands were so cold, her water would freeze instantly if she tried to use magic. 

"Let go! Drop her!" She shouted as the Vulcan carried them away.