Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Warm water caressed her skin as she brushed her fingers through her blonde wet hair, spreading the vanilla scented shampoo and conditioner. Showers were a great invention, she reflected as it washed away the soap and left her feeling clean and sleepy. Stopping the flow of water she dried herself with one of their towels and slipped into sleep wear. Her toothbrush waited next to the mirror and she was treated to the sight of her little sister making funny faces at her reflection. Smiling wider and giggling a little she grabbed the toothpaste and pinched the fourteen-year-old’s cheek. 

She got a wide sparkling grin in answer. 

“You brushed them well”, she commented as her own toothbrush found itself in her mouth. “Did you floss too?” 

The girl’s brown eyes sparkled teasingly as she glanced at her, “Not yet, Mom. ” 

She chuckled and elbowed her for that. It was a big sister’s job to take care of the younger, wasn’t it? That didn’t make her a mother. She felt a pang of regret that their real mother wasn't here to do this anymore. Her sister started taking care of the rest of her teeth anyway, so she counted it as a success. 

A few minutes later both blondes were done and checking each other’s progress. 

“You’re good to go, Lu-nee”, her little sister nodded in satisfaction. 

Lucy smiled brightly and smoothed the girl’s white nightgown before patting her on the head, “You too, Chel.” 

It was a nickname the fourteen-year-old had had for many years. She'd insisted on it being a nickname when she first heard it. She wrapped one hand around the shorter girl’s shoulders (Chel was the perfect height for that) and they steered themselves out of the small bathroom and towards the only bed. 

One bed was cheaper than two and they were used to sleeping next to each other anyway so it was convenient. Slipping under the nice and warm blanket they laid their heads on the two pillows and sighed in content. They were alike in more than just looks. Though looks were a big part of that. 

Chel’s hair was wavy, longer and just a shade darker than Lucy’s straight locks were. Both their eyes were brown and shaped the same way. They weren’t too picky about clothes, but Chel’s favourite colors were purples and violets. Lucy just picked what looked good together. Right now they both wore identical sleep gowns and were wrapped around each other. 

“...Mi-chan?” Lucy asked through a yawn. 

“Hmm?” was the sleepy reply. 

“Where should we go next?” 

The other girl was quiet for a moment before mumbling out an answer. 

“Harujion Town”, her voice was sure. “I think we'll meet someone important…” 

Lucy's eyes widened and a slow smile spread on her lips. “It's starting…?” she couldn't keep the excitement in. 

A nod against her shoulder, “Yeah… I think it is.” 

Humming happily the older sister couldn't wait for tomorrow to come. It was finally starting! Their adventure! Though she didn't know what it would be and how it would happen she knew it was time now. 

Their world would never be the same after. And she was thrilled. 

xXXx

Michelle sat outside the town's only magic shop and pretended she didn't hear what her sister was doing inside. It didn't take too long for the blonde to come out, humming happily. 

“It was cheap!”, she chirped, “Thirty percent discount!” 

Chel smiled awkwardly and shot a meaningful glance at her sister's rather revealing shirt that's zipper was lowered to show off her bosom. She still didn't know why Lucy was so comfortable using her 'sex appeal’ to get her way. It was times like those she gladly pretended not to know her, though that didn't do much good with how similar they looked. Lucy giggled at her mischievously but tugged the zipper up. Two centimeters. Chel felt like groaning and averted her eyes from the taller blonde. Harujion had all kinds of new things she wanted to see anyway. 

Huh. There was a crowd there. 

‘Salamander-sama’ according to the gushing girls going over to see the man. Chel stared for a moment longer as she worked through a familiar yet foreign feeling of deja vu. She felt like the person they were meeting was somewhere around there. Lucy followed her little sister's gaze to the crowd and smiled. 

“They're there, aren't they Chel?” she asked excitedly. 

Without giving her sister a chance to respond the older sibling took off. Chel smiled lightly and followed, though she was feeling uneasy too. It must be because they were meeting the one who would change their world. That must be it. 

Her stomach twisted, telling her she was wrong. 

Lucy had caught up with the crowd quickly and looked to the man standing in the middle, stars in her eyes. This must be the one they were meeting! Salamander. A popular guy if the crowd was of any mind. She didn't notice that Chel was frowning at something she felt was foul and recoiled a bit when the man turned to them. 

His magic was vile. Like a smelly and slimy frog with a liking to human flesh. Lucy was enamored by the strange feeling in her chest as Chel looked for something causing this. It was the magic that seemed to seep out of the rings on his hands. And it was affecting her sister . 

“Sis…? Snap out of it!” she whispered forcefully. Lucy didn't hear. 

She was just about to grab her hand when a pink haired boy barged into the circle, calling for Igneel. Her hand froze as the feelings swamped her, as well as a warm and fuzzy tingle. This was the boy they'd been waiting for. He had to be. And Lucy was out of her stupor, staring disgustedly at the man who dared manipulate her and the other poor girls. Chel was still looking at the spiky haired pinkett who was now leaving with a signature from the fraud. She tugged Lucy along and ran after him. 

“Heeey!” she called out, waving at him cheerily as he turned to stare at them. “Thanks for saving my sister!” 

Lucy let out an indignant squeak as she stuttered out a protest, “Ch- Chel!” 

The pinkett just went 'huh?’. And that's how they ended up treating him to lunch. 

xXXx

Lucy chatted nervously as they watched the newly introduced Natsu eat messily. She talked about how the two sisters would love to join a guild and they were looking for the right moment. Chel was a little embarrassed at the older girl's poorly hidden hints. She elbowed her to the ribs when she started blabbing about adventures dreamily. 

“Sorry 'bout Lucy-nee”, she said to the pinkett and his cat. “She talks a lot when nervous.” 

“Hey!” Lucy protested, pouting a little. 

“But you do ”, Chel rebuffed without mercy. “Anyway, you're looking for someone?” 

Natsu slowed down in his eating (a miracle for sure) and nodded. 

“Aye! It's Igneel”, the blue cat, Happy, told them. 

Two pairs of hazel eyes blinked in puzzlement. Because… that sounded just a teeny tiny bit familiar. Especially to Chel who had probably blurted the name out in the first place. They traded looks, Lucy's gaze searching for confirmation. Her sister nodded just slightly. She felt the familiarity too. Lucy smiled with excitement because that meant Natsu definitely was the one to change their lives. 

One comment caught them off guard though. 

“Igneel looks like a salamander? ” Chel enquired, because that didn't sound familiar at all. 

Natsu just kept eating, “Yeah. He's a dragon.” 

In Chel's opinion that sounded much more like it. A dragon was way bigger and tougher looking than a salamander. Lucy's mouth dropped open in shock before she recovered, frowned, and sweatdropped. They… did they even consider…? 

“But why would a dragon be in a city like Harujion? I meant, aren't they… you know, massive ”, she waved a hand out to emphasize her point. 

The two looked at her like she'd dropped a bomb of realization. Which she might as well have. Chel giggled quietly behind her hand. Lucy trembled with suppressed annoyance. Blowing up at the person who would change their lives wouldn't be a good idea. Or so she told herself. Food started flying around again as Natsu ate with unholy speed. 

A splatter on her forehead. 

Her brow twitched. 

Nope. Not blowing up. 

Another minute went by and the twitching intensified. 

Finally she snapped. Though not noticeably. She rose, taking Chel with her, and put money on the table. 

“We have to go now. Take your time!” she said and started dragging her frowning sister with her. 

Of course it couldn’t be that easy. Natsu and Happy rose from their seats and bowed to them in the middle of the restaurant, thanking them for the food. Lucy seemed flustered beneath her smile and awkward deflection. She took the ‘Salamander’ signature offered as thanks with an annoyed twitch in her eyebrow. To be honest, she felt kind of disappointed. Or let down. Chel waved a goodbye as they left, throwing her sister a slightly worried look. 

The two walked in silence and contemplated the meeting. Their feet led them towards a park. Chel waited for her older sister to talk. 

Lucy stopped. She was trembling. 

“ Gah! I’m such an idiot! ” she threw her hands up and flopped down to sit on a bench. The signature was forgotten and tossed to the side. 

Chel didn’t agree but she just tilted her head to indicate she was listening. The seventeen-year-old sighed and once again marveled at her sister's patience. She still continued to rant her pent up emotions. 

“I mean, first you made me seem like a fool. A damsel to be rescued. And then I’m a nervous wreck at that lunch and he was so… messy at eating and- and- Who thinks that something that big could be in a city this small?” she dropped her head into her hands. “…I guess I was just imagining he’d be a bit… more . So I was disappointed and wanted to get away.” 

The younger mage stayed silent for a moment, organizing her thoughts. She hadn’t even thought that she might be making Lucy feel like she had to prove herself. That was bad. 

“I didn’t realize… I'm sorry”, she started but Lucy just leaned to her side to tell that it was okay. “And I understand he seemed like an idiot. But I know there’s more. I can feel it. He’s like a torch in the dark. Someone you can believe in. Remember Pierro?” 

Lucy huffed out a laugh. As if she could forget. The lovable idiot main character of Escape Chronicles , one of her favourite book series. Her heart felt a bit lighter at the reminder. Perhaps… Perhaps it was still salvageable. Only she had… 

“...I shouldn’t have left”, Lucy said regretfully. 

Chel smiled that secret smile. “Hmm. We’ll meet again. You can count on it. Maybe we'll hear more about Fairy Tail too”, the age old mystery words of their lives; the guild both of them dreamed of joining. 

And just like that everything was alright. 

Wait. Chel closed her eyes and concentrated. There was someone coming from behind. Someone with… slimy magic. Familiar slimy magic. She frowned. 

“Sis. Salamander behind us”, she whispered. 

Lucy stiffened. Her expression settled into determination and the two sisters rose to greet the fraud. He came out of the bushes which definitely wasn’t creepy, not at all . It made Chel’s skin crawl. The following conversation was tense on their part and pushy on Salamander’s part. He really seemed to want them at his yacht party. 

Both sisters traded glances. This should really be checked out. 

“You sure you don’t want to come?” the guy asked with that silky-slimy voice. “I am the Salamander from Fairy Tail…” 

Chel’s hackles rose. That was a lie. She somehow knew that was a lie. One she didn’t like. At all. She forced a smile of wonder on her face. 

“Really?”, she gasped. It sounded fake to her ears. And Lucy’s. But only to them it seemed. 

The wizard gave a ‘charming’ smile, “Why yes. You’re unaffiliated mages, no? Who knows, I could get you in.” 

Lucy played along, “Please? We’ll come!” 

It didn’t last long after that. They got a place and a time before the fire wizard went away. Both stared at his back with unreadable expressions. 

“He’s not from Fairy Tail, is he?” the older girl murmured. 

Chel shook her head slightly. Definitely not. Then they were off to alert authorities (not that it would do much since they didn’t have proof, only their word that he used illegal magic to charm girls) (yeah, for some reason authority wasn't very reliable here) and looking for dresses to the ‘party’. Truthfully, they were also keeping an eye out for Natsu and Happy. Because he might want to help, at least if Chel’s feelings were to be trusted. 

Usually that was the case. 

xXXx

They had found some old dresses for the occasion. Both were easy to move in and looked fine for a yacht party. Chel’s was a shade of lighter purple and the hem’s length was to her knees. It was decorated with flowers. She wore black mini-shorts under it if (more like when) she had to fight. Lucy once again was revealing much more than Chel was comfortable with. She was dressed in a dark violet gown that reached her mid-calfs. But the dress had a cut up to her hip. Which allowed her to reach for her keys. 

Even Lucy knew better than to wear tall heels. As for Michelle… You wouldn’t get her to wear heels if you paid. 

The two hadn’t seen Natsu anywhere. Well, until they checked back at the restaurant. He was just getting out, smiling happily and patting his stomach. Chel giggled. Lucy gaped. The boy had been there for three hours! It was pretty dark now. Seven o’clock. The yacht would leave in half an hour. Then he noticed the two of them. Well, the blue cat pointed them out. 

“Cherry! Luigi!” the pinkett greeted with a wave. “What’s with the outfits?” 

Lucy puffed up in annoyance, “It’s Michelle and Lucy! ” 

The younger sister smiled, not minding at all. She liked cherries. Though she could understand why her sister didn’t want to be called Luigi. 

“We’re going to the yacht party”, she informed him before frowning. “Salamander’s pretending to be from Fairy Tail, and we’re investigating.” 

That definitely got Natsu's attention. His demeanor shifted to serious and he frowned. 

“Fairy Tail?” he asked. 

Lucy and Chel nodded in sync. Those two words gave the younger girl a warm and fuzzy feeling again and again. She wondered if she'd find out why soon. Well, plenty of time for that later. Natsu turned towards the port. Both sisters jumped in surprise when he abruptly turned around, looking sick. Lucy was immediately asking if he was okay and was met with a ‘happens all the time’ from Happy. 

Motion sickness , Chel’s mind whispered and she winced. Both because of the sudden information nugget at the back of her head and because that didn’t sound fun for the other mage. 

Speaking of, she stretched her senses out to feel Natsu’s magic. The sudden overpowering sense of warmth and flames swamped her and gave her a pleasant shivery feeling. It was fiery and burned hot but not unpleasantly so. Like a playful bonfire ready to burst into an inferno in someone’s defence. Chel let out a shaky breath to look at the pinkett with awe. Her lips curled into an amazed smile. 

“Chel…?” Lucy asked the girl, slightly perplexed by the glowing expression. 

She immediately looked to her big sister, eyes sparkling, “Hm?” 

Lu-nee sweatdropped, “...Nevermind. We have to go, Sis.” 

Chel turned serious in the space of a blink and nodded. Her eyes flickered to Natsu who had crossed his arms and was staring towards the port with a scowl. 

"Um, Natsu?" she started awkwardly. "Lucy and I will be at the boat party. I… uhh, got the feeling you'd like to help? So you could come with us. If you want to, that is." 

Her rambling was cut short when Natsu turned to them with a fiery look in his eyes. He was in. 

(Natsu asked them why they wanted to stop the imposter at some point. The girls looked to each other and simply told him that they would one day like to join Fairy Tail because it was amazing and they didn't want the guild's name tarnished. It would feel wrong to just leave it.) 

xXXx

Okay, they had severely underestimated Natsu’s motion sickness. He could barely stand! Lucy went to get some water for him (from their bag and not the ship), looking worried. The little sister had her thinking face on (slight frown, fist to her chin, index finger curled over her lower lip). She brightened a little before walking to Natsu and grabbing his elbow. 

The boy instantly stopped looking green and onyx eyes blinked her way, bewildered. 

Chel sighed in relief, “Good, that works!” 

Happy’s mouth had dropped open, eyes wide like saucers. 

“How did you do that!?” he asked in disbelief. 

“I casted gravity magic. He’s floating”, the girl explained. 

Natsu immediately straightened with a happy shout, dislodging Chel’s hand and making her yelp in surprised alarm. He dropped to the ground immediately, mumbling something about cruel boats and unfair mages. The sickness was back. 

“Err… It only works with contact”, Chel sweatdropped, hand still halfway held out where Natsu’s elbow had been. 

Lucy came back with a glass of water just as Natsu’s violently shaking hand grabbed Chel’s again and he pounced up. He was once again immediately full of energy now that gravity wasn’t working. Unfortunately, gravity wasn’t working and he was left floating in midair. It was good they were out of sight right then. Natsu still definitely looked like the cat that got the cream. Well, fish if the cat was Happy. 

“Whew! Much better”, he said, eyes sparkling like Chel’s had earlier. “Thank ya, Cherry!” 

“It’s Chel , not Cherry”, Lucy corrected with a sigh and put the water forward. “Here you go.” 

The water disappeared in seconds and an empty glass was handed over. She took it back with a bewildered blink and looked at Natsu. His grin was bright and wide. 

“Thank you too, Lucy!” he said happily. “I’m all fired up now!” 

Chel watched, fascinated, as her sister’s cheeks flushed pink. Happy’s quiet giggling drifted to her ears and she turned to the blue cat. The 14-year-old tilted her head questioningly. 

“Her cheeks are cherries!” the cat declared. 

“A- Are not! ” Lucy protested. Vehemently. 

“Oh. They really are”, Natsu noted with wide, fascinated eyes. 

“Cherry cheeks, cherry cheeks!” Happy sang cheerily. 

“Ugh! Shut up, stupid cat!”

“Uwaah! Lucy’s being mean to me!” 

“No- Happy, I didn’t mean-” 

“ Natsuuuu~! ”

“Eh? But Lucy’s nice! ” Natsu absently pet the crying cat. 

“Aww, thanks”, Lucy had a hand on her cheek and a wide smile now, though her cheeks still burned. 

Something Natsu didn't wait to point out. 

“Pfft! Cherry cheeks! ”

Aaand so on. 

Not many people got a rise out of Lucy. Usually, she was calm and collected. Even if she was shouting or screaming inside. Chel should know. Her sister had ranted about stupid people to her many times behind closed doors. Yet Natsu and Happy could bring true reactions out of her. A slow smile spread on her lips. They could all be great friends in the future. She liked them. Much. 

But they had things to do here right now. 

“Guys! Let’s focus on why we came here. Salamander’s doing something fishy-” (“Fish! Where?” “Shht!”) “-and we’ve got to find out what”, Chel reminded them all. 

For some reason, everyone listened to the youngest person in the room, discounting the cat. Even though she was still holding a floating Natsu’s hand. Who would really need to act normal if they came out from behind this curtain. Why did the people have a curtain acting as a wall anyway? 

Then she froze. People were coming closer. From the other side. She opened her mouth to say so but the retort died in her throat as the curtains were flung open, muscular thug-like men leering at them. So fast! 

Lucy yelped as her arm was grabbed by one and guns were now pointing in their direction. Chel gulped fearfully, chest constricting. 

“Hehehe. Clever girl”, one of them sneered. 

Natsu let out a growl, “Let her go!” 

The effect was somewhat lost because he was still holding Chel’s hand and floating. Salamander’s slimy magic drifted from behind the thugs and his cruelly smug smirk was firmly in place as he came around. 

“After all the trouble I went through to get her here? I think not”, he told them, gaze drifting to Chel. “Release your magic, young lady , or your sister suffers.” 

Happy gasped in horror. Some thug cocked a gun towards Lucy’s leg and the younger girl grit her teeth, eyes flashing with anger and stubborness. Playing reluctant, she let her magic guide Natsu down to a normal standing position, though he was still floating just a millimeter above the floor. He was steaming, magic simmering just beneath the surface. Her hand felt sweaty and hot against his but she didn’t let go. 

“Good girl ”, Salamander crooned and the tone sent a shiver down her spine. 

Natsu was all but radiating rage. 

But… outwards, he looked calm. Dangerous . 

“You’re a Fairy Tail wizard?” he asked with a low voice. 

Salamander cocked an eyebrow, smug face still plastered on his face, “Yeah. Why?” 

The anger skyrocketed, flaring, but Chel was afraid for her sister so she squeezed his hand hard. His eyes flickered to Lucy and he grit his teeth. Chel ignored it. She was trying to figure out how to get Lucy out of the hostage situation without possibly hurting any of them. The other girls at the party were most likely charmed to believe that whatever Salamander did was okay. Those rings were a nasty piece of work. 

“W- What are you going to do to us?” Lucy ground out, hands behind her back and eyes on the gun still next to her thigh. 

“Oh? Didn’t I tell you? Welcome aboard my slave ship”, their captor laughed. 

Chel’s eyes widened before narrowing. That… wasn’t very surprising, actually. His flame magic was so slimy . She still recoiled at the thought of all those girls, bound and serving masters that thought of them as something to buy . As cargo . She shivered slightly, anger and fear boiling in her gut and magic. Her sister’s rising magic snapped her out of it and she started gathering her own while unconsciously maintaining the one on Natsu. They locked eyes. The message flashed between them. 

There would be a window of opportunity soon but she had to time it just right . 

“...Open: Gate of the Crab, Cancer!” Lucy whispered and the familiar ring of a bell signified the appearance, though only to Chel's ears. 

At the same time Chel intoned two words, palm thrown forward, “Gravity Thrust!” 

With yelps and shouts of surprise the thugs were smashed backwards, away from her hand, even as Lucy (who had apparently snached Cancer’s key and hid it to her fist) was held in place by the crab who had dug one of his scissors to the floor boards. Salamander’s enraged yell came from the direction he and the thugs flew and it wasn’t long, not even a second, before flames were racing towards them. Chel felt fear constrict her chest again and prepared to dive to the ground with Natsu, who had been way too silent, but instead the wizard pulled her back with a deep scowl on his face. 

“I’ve gotcha!”, he told her and proceeded to inhale the wall of fire . 

The intense heat left Chel feeling dry and exposed but she still gaped at the sight. That’s… not how magic usually works. You don’t just go and eat other people’s magic attacks . You don't go eating fire, period. 

But… it feels right somehow. 

“ W- What!? ”, the thugs were picking themselves off the floor now. “What is he!?”

Some were reaching for their guns. Chel couldn’t let them. But Lucy beat her to it. 

“Cancer, the guns!” she ordered, out of the shock of seeing Natsu eat fire . 

The Celestial Spirit snapped his scissors and gave his agreement with an ‘ebi’ at the end, leaping forward and proceeding to zigzag between everyone. Their yelps and sounds of surprise and anger were punctuated by the guns falling to the floor in pieces. Lucy smirked lightly and proceeded to give a happy thank you to her Celestial Spirit. 

Happy was staring at the crab spirit and… salivating. Right. Chel didn’t want to know. She turned her attention back to Natsu. 

“Man, that was very nasty!” he complained before his gaze sharpened and he started taking his cloak-coat thing off. “Fairy Tail wizard, you say? That’s funny. I’m a Fairy Tail wizard and I ain’t seen you before in my life!” 

Unfortunately, he let go of Chel’s hand in that moment. And keeled over feeling sick. There was a bright red guild mark on his shoulder. The girl sweatdropped. 

“Er. It still doesn’t work without contact”, she told him as she kneeled beside him. 

Lucy had all the thugs in check. She didn’t have to worry about them. But Salamander … She gulped. Time for a quick plan. She put her hand on Natsu’s shoulder, casting another Ground Zero on him. Immediately he was better and staring at her with an odd look. Then he grinned. Mischievously. 

“Want a piggyback ride?” 

She blinked. Then grinned back. 

In a moment she was clinging to Natsu’s back like a monkey as the fire wizard punched his fists together in determination. She felt his muscles harden even as they floated slightly. 

"Time to put you fakers down! " 

The next few moments were filled with screams and fire and oh . How had she not seen it before? Natsu was the real Salamander of Fairy Tail! Chel clung on, directing them away from attacks and forward, even though it was getting almost unbearably hot on his back and sweat poured from her skin. 

In the end it was over quickly. The roof of the ship got blown off by a stream of fire and doused by a wave from Aquarius who berated Lucy-nee for summoning her in a cup of water. 

“I was out of options!”, the Celestial mage protested to deaf ears. 

Natsu was laughing at it all, magic flickering like flames, and Chel was still on his back because she was very comfortable now that it wasn’t so hot. It helped that they were weightless. Happy cheered and flew around them. 

Wait. Flew? 

“YOU HAVE WINGS!?” Lucy shouted in disbelief and Chel gaped. 

“How come you didn’t do this for Natsu!?” the Gravity mage asked, flabbergasted. 

Happy paused to flap his white wings proudly and started explaining. “Because-”, but his expression froze. Like he didn’t actually know why not. 

Natsu was hit by a hammer of realization. He lamented all of the train rides and transportation hurdles ever and Chel sweatdropped. Though, she supposed the wings took quite a bit of space and wouldn't work on trains, or for long, anyway. If she felt the magic correctly, Happy didn't have enough to maintain it for hours on end. 

After a bit of confusion and hysterical almost-slaves' questions they got back to town with all the other party goers' and Aquarius's help. The authorities came and took the slave traders away with evidence from the passengers and the rings. Natsu had dragged the Heartfilia girls away the second he saw the royal guard. 

"Wait, wait, where are we going!?" Lucy protested as they rounded a corner. 

"To Fairy Tail! You guys wanted to join, right?" 

Immediately they both felt their eyes widen, their hearts flutter, and felt wide grins spreading across their faces. 

"YES!" the sisters cheered. 

Happy and Natsu grinned back at their enthusiasm and the four continued onwards, towards the next adventure and the place that would become the sisters' new home. 

("Natsu, stop for a sec! We need to get our stuff first!" Chel, ever the rational one, pointed out. 

Lucy froze. She couldn't believe she'd forgotten. Natsu froze too and laughed sheepishly. Happy froze and looked very, very surprised at the idea that they had stuff. Chel felt like facepalming. It was like she was the oldest. 

Eh, things worked out. She was fine with this.) 

xXXx

Chapter Text

Fairy Tail… was amazing. 

Chell breathed in, almost euphoric in the magical mess and emotions of the guild at its liveliest. Her sister got caught up in it too, marveling and geeking out while being aghast at the fight just escalating and escalating in front of them. Gray, Loke, Elfman, Mirajane, Cana… All these people they'd just read about in the magazines. 

All these people that made Chell feel choked up with how familiar and warm she was feeling around them. These were her people. This place was her home. She knew it. She would know it, again. This was what she'd set out for. This was the place her unknown scars would mend better, surer, to never be taken advantage of by others. 

The master stopped the rampaging destruction before it got too far, then shrank down noticing them, and Chell met his eyes with a wide smile. He stared at her for a single moment, a little smile on his face too, before jumping back upstairs to begin a speech. 

Lucy was taken with it. Chell was feeling too full to fully appreciate it. 

Honestly, she wondered if this is what it was like to be drunk. Theoretically for her, as an extraordinarily sensitive mage, getting drunk on sheer magic power floating around her was maybe possible. After the speech, they were herded towards the guild master, and Chell barely remembered the conversation as she let Lucy lead it. 

"I am going to love this guild," she vaguely remembered saying. "It feels like I already know you all, after just a few minutes of being here!" 

Her sister laughed. "Well, it has been our lifelong dream at this point!" 

Lucy got her mark in pink on the back of her right hand, Mirajane happily placing it. Chell thought for a moment, then turned around to ask it to the back of her neck in light lilac. The magic took her wish into account, giving her the exact shade she wanted, exact size, exact placement. A shiver ran down her spine as the magic integrated and took hold, to be there for the rest of her life if she so wished. 

The rest of the day was a blur. Lucy dragged her around, looking at places they could call home, and they found a lovely one bedroom apartment with a nice bathroom, a fireplace, and a stove in the kitchen. The girls had already decided to just have a larger than normal bed for two people to share since they'd gotten so used to it. Rent was alright for the two of them and the landlady seemed a strict but nice enough woman. 

With that settled, and having gotten a bed while moving most of their other rather meager belongings in they slipped into a nightly routine and went to sleep with content smiles on their faces. 

xXXx

Michelle liked taking walks early in the mornings. New places, new faces, new sights, they all got her even more pumped for the relaxing feeling of stretching her legs as she took in the quirks of her environment. Of course, her own quirks dictated she didn't necessarily go to the places most people would for their walks. No, she liked parkour too much for that. 

Vaulting over a fence to jump and run on the side of a building, she laughed as she hopped on the roofs with Moon Walk to see the canal from further up. The alleys were thrilling obstacles to jump over. Zone Flip on herself ensured she could walk under the gutters to see everything upside down too when she wanted to switch things up. Hiding from anyone who would object to her activities was also a priority, so she observed her surroundings carefully too. 

It was good training. And it had helped her locate a few sticky situations to interfere in before. 

Case in point, there was a street being used as a playground for some boys, but one of them was clearly upset and sat more to the side. She tried to get a read on the situation, moving closer by hopping as silently as she could into a nearby tree from the roofs. 

"See, it's stuuupid, Fairy Tail wizards just aren't competent if he's not back yet," one of the boys said. "You said three days, right? It's been waaay longer!" 

Instantly, her hackles were up. What? 

"Shut up! My Dad's a good wizard and he will be back! It's only been a week!" 

Oh. Oh no. That must be so harrowing to wait. Suddenly she was glad she could go with her sister to missions when they took those. One boy, with a ball he now stopped bouncing, squinted at him. 

"I dunno, Romeo, aren't you worried? He could be dead." 

Ouch, that was way too blunt. 

The boy stood, eyes blazing, and Chell thought she could feel a fraction of a fire wizard he could be in the future as his untrained magic sparked. 

"Shut up!" Romeo yelled, and started stalking off. 

The others looked after him, looked at each other, and one shrugged. Another shook his head. The one with the ball was clearly of the mindset they should forget about him and just start playing something. Chell stared at the situation for a little longer, thoughts racing, before dropping down from the tree to stare at the startled group disapprovingly. 

"That was too far. And super rude. Learn to be better," she sniffed, and power walked after Romeo. 

She ignored their incredulous shouts and the surprised 'who that' and 'oo, he got a girlfriend?' she could hear. Chell was pretty sure she'd never be anyone's girlfriend. She just liked people and having friends. Romeo seemed like someone she could befriend is all. A little brother maybe. He did look about half her age. 

Catching up with him was easy, and for a moment she debated if she should say anything at all. 

"Hey! Romeo!" she called out, taking a few hurried steps to get to his side. 

He startled, looking at her and to her alarm there were tears in his eyes. When he realized she was a stranger and a girl, he quickly wiped at her eyes, frowning at her. 

"What do you want?" he said morosely. 

Sighing and sympathetic, she tilted her head to show him her new mark at the back of her neck, ponytail on one side of her head keeping it in easy view near all the time. He inhaled sharply. She lifted a hand to rub at the mark and looked down at him apologetically. 

"Uhh… I kinda heard the commotion about a Fairy Tail wizard being missing. Your Dad. Did he say where he went?" 

Romeo stared at her, some form of wary hope in his eyes. "Are you… gonna go after him?" 

She shrugged self-consciously but smiled. "If I can get some others to come with me, yeah. I'd like to. I'm a newly minted Fairy Tail mage, after all!" 

And she listened to him, and went with him as moral support when he said he wanted to go ask Master Makarov to send someone after his father, Macao. 

She hadn't really imagined Makarov refusing, Natsu deciding to go of his own volition, and Lucy being very easy to convince to tag along after Mirajane told them about Natsu having endured a similar thing in his childhood. Only, Igneel didn't come back like she felt sure Macao would. 

xXXx

"Lucy!" she screamed, activating Zone Flip, letting gravity take hold sideways to chase after the- the monkey that kidnapped her sister.

The snowstorm bit at her, making her eyes water and the figure near impossible to see. She changed her falling direction twice, trying to keep track of the magic signatures she felt, but a particularly strong wind coupled with falling ice from the mountain in their wake left her dodging and being clipped by something sharp. The burn of a new wound down her arm contrasted greatly with the harsh cold, joining the swirling white hot panic growing in her chest. 

She slowed, breathing sharply, too fast, and was forced to dodge to the side at another falling ice block. Her grip on her magic flickered, and falling- a wheeze was forced out of her lungs as she crashed into a snowbank, staring up at her failed attempt to save her sister as wind howled and icy snowflakes whipped at her now bare head, and the wheeze turned into a whimper. 

They'd taken this mission to get Romeo's father back. Not so she could lose sight of her own closest family!

"Chell!" Natsu's yell sounded muted but became clearer as she focused on it. "You okay?" 

Shakily, she breathed again and sat up, looking at the torn sleeve of her jacket with slowly freezing blood at the elbow. His sandal clad feet stopped near her and he crouched. She looked up, fear stabbing deep in her heart. 

"Not until Lucy's safe," she said, wavering, scrambling to stand up. 

Happy jumped in front of her. "Waah, you're bleeding!" 

Michelle shook her head, fear already turning into determination. The dull pain was easy to ignore and she'd assessed it as not serious anyway. More a flesh wound than anything. She closed her eyes to try and feel again, tapping into magic and searching for her sister's familiar starburst-glow-sky anywhere within range. 

Natsu grabbed her good arm and she yelped as she was tugged forward before she could catch more than a spec of a residual path. 

"C'mon, the wind's gonna carry their scent too far if we don't move!" 

Oh. She had the equivalent of a tracking dog with her, but even better. His unswerving determination to go with her bolstered her own confidence and she started running. The cliff face they were going for was way too steep to climb though. 

"Happy!" Natsu called. 

"Aye!" the cat manifested wings but paused. "Wait, which one!?" 

Chell kicked off the ground to float a little, saving her more of her magic for fighting the monkey by not casting Ground Zero on Natsu too. Happy let out an amazed sound before grabbing Natsu's scruff and flapping them upwards, Chell weighing nothing. Up, up, until Chell's senses could find her sister's magic within the icy mountain. 

"There!" she pointed at an entrance and Happy flew them through and out of the wind. 

Lucy, we're coming!

xXXx

Michelle was right and Lucy should've taken even warmer clothes with her. But in her defense, they were in a rush to catch up with Natsu and their last 'cold' stop had been a windy seaside resort where a wind jacket and leggings under her skirt definitely would've been enough. Forgive her if she hadn't expected a snowy ice cold mountain! 

Nor had she expected to get kidnapped by a monkey obsessed with female humans. 

So now she sat inside her grand clock Celestial Spirit, trying to figure out if she could take the pervert on by herself or if it'd be easier to wait for Chell to tag team with. She decided it'd definitely be safer to wait for Chell but if the worst came to happen she could try to get herself out of this. 

Lucy wasn't really looking forward to that. She never was as fond of fighting as her sister, even if she thought it cool. 

Alas, Horologium's time ran out and she was left crouching in front of the giant monkey. 

"Get away from me!" she screeched, gathering her star magic in her legs to jump away. 

Mr. Monkey looked starstruck, which she'd normally take as a compliment, but from this creature it was just creepy. She huffed a little and readied herself to react if the thing lunged. She could either dodge or try to block with her Star Shield. Which, the strength of this thing was way more than some thugs she and Chell had encountered previously. The movement speed she had on with Light Step it was, with Star Shield at the ready. She wouldn't be able to keep any golden Gates open if she kept both of them up for too long though. 

Something to work on, Chell would say, with disgusting enthusiasm. 

"Lucyyy!" 

Speaking of her adorable workaholic sister. 

"Yo, Vulcan, where's Macao- AAAAH!" 

Aaand Natsu, who went tumbling down on the ice. How uncool. But they came for her! She didn't have to fight alone now! Chell landed on her feet and let the momentum carry her on the slippery surface, straight to Lucy's side, taking a stance near identical to hers. 

…Was Happy snickering at them? He was. Ugh. 

"Two woman!" the monkey Vulcan thing cheered. 

Chell shivered in revulsion. "I'm never gonna get used to people looking at me like that."

Lucy hummed, understanding her sister's perspective while not completely sharing it herself. She herself could stand it from attractive and nice people, or when she wanted to get her way. It was an advantage to look beautiful… Though, not when idiot monkeys were considered apparently. 

But Chell's dislike went above her own views on the matter and she'd protect her sister from those gazes however she could. 

"Hey, creepy Vulcan, where are you keeping Macao!?" 

Natsu's yell startled her out of her concentration and Light Step faded. 

"What- Natsu, that's completely-!" 

She never got to the end of her sentence. The Vulcan was already chucking Natsu away from itself through a hole in the wall- and lunging towards the girls. Uh oh! Wait it was a lunge, a jump, that meant- 

Chell bumped their shoulders together and she unconsciously leant into the movement, pushing their palms forward in sync- 

"Gravity Thrust!" 

"Shooting Star!" 

The Vulcan stopped mid-air and got hit with a shiny ball of light and weight, pushing him away in an impressive series of flips and yelps, as he crashed into the icy wall. It left a dent. Lucy didn't think they'd managed this type of power before. Chell breathed out shakily. 

"Oooh, good hit!" 

Natsu's cheering made her grin as she realized that yes, they had gotten a good hit in! That's for staring at them! Then she took a double take as she realized Natsu had gotten back in and was flying. Of course, Happy had wings! He dropped down in front of them. Lucy relaxed a little. 

"I still don't get how you don't get sick when Happy is the vehicle!" she said. 

He gave her a weird look. "Are you crazy? He's not a vehicle! He's my friend!" 

Yes…? That was obvious- he backed away from her!? She didn't mean to be insensitive! The Vulcan stirred and her attention was immediately on that. Natsu didn't react. He instead spread his arms wide. 

"Listen up, you two! Everyone at Fairy Tail is considered a friend!" 

"Na- Natsu the Vulcan-!" 

He didn't react. "That means the Old Man, Mira, the annoyance that is Gray…" 

Lucy looked at Chell and found her glancing back, hand up and steady as she gathered more magic. She immediately gathered up more of her magic and reached for Tauros' key. 

"...Elfman, and Happy and both of you!" 

She felt a ba-dump of a synced up beat in their hearts, in their magic. And he finally turned. Fire flared to life over his boot. And Lucy, feeling so warm inside it must've escaped outside of her too, instantly knew what would happen before it did. 

Natsu kicked the Vulcan in the chin, Chell punched it with gravity back into the cracked ice wall, and she summoned Tauros to hold an ax to the monster's neck, effectively pinning it in place. 

"So we'll get Macao back, no matter what!" Natsu yelled, then marched towards the pinned up monkey as though this was all normal. 

As if he hadn't just made Lucy's heart catch on fire with his declaration. She walked closer, thanking Tauros absently as blood rushed through her, now certain they could do exactly as they set out to do but not sure how. Chell's hand slipped into hers as they stared. Natsu and the Vulcan glared at each other as Natsu interrogated him and the Vulcan stubbornly struggled against the giant bull and gravity. 

This was what she'd been looking for. What they had been looking for. And it was here, alive and full, in Fairy Tail, burning bright in Natsu of all people. 

And she knew with certainty she was right where she belonged. 

(Then Chell gasped and Lucy was left gaping as her little sister blabbered on about feeling takeover magic and fighting it and with a good punch to the stomach from Natsu the Vulcan dropped unconscious and… poofed into the man they'd been looking for. 

And then they were busy tending to injuries. And then Lucy realized Chell's jacket sleeve was torn and bloody and her sister had forgotten she got hurt and Natsu laughed at her fussing but it might leave a scar- 

But hey, such is life as a Fairy Tail mage, apparently.) 

xXXx

He read quietly, sitting outside their home, about magic and monsters and knights and order. The road was one they'd take to the guild and the reading was a distraction. In all the time he read he hadn't gotten past page ten. Sentences kept being unreadable as he worried, chewed on his lip, images of an empty house and dreadful silence and blame swimming in his mind. 

"Romeo!" a voice shouted. 

It took a moment to register as familiar, the voice he'd been imagining all this time. Then his head snapped up and he saw four figures. Two girls, both of whom he recognized as new Fairy Tail members who had gone looking for his Dad, with Natsu who was supporting… 

"Dad!" 

He stood immediately, wanting to rush over, but then he remembered why his Dad was gone for so long. He knew why he was injured now. He had needed to tell his friends it was good to be a Fairy Tail mage. And he'd almost lost his Dad because he wanted to brag. 

Then Dad hugged him, was sorry about worrying him, and he was okay, and Romeo was okay too. 

"Next time those brats make fun of you tell them 'Can your old man defeat nineteen monsters all alone?'" 

And Romeo would. He got his Dad and Dad was amazing! He turned around to see the ones who went to save his family walking away. He shouted his thanks to each and every one of them. 

Fairy Tail really was a guild that cared. He'd never doubt that again. 

Chapter Text

Chell woke up much earlier than Lucy, as was usual. But she'd also had a nightmare, which wasn't in their routine. Probably from the shock of Lucy getting kidnapped so suddenly on their mission. Still, yesterday had been exhausting and cold because of the mountain trip and all, so she wouldn't ruin her sister's sleep just yet. She'd leave a note for her and go on a walk to calm down. 

It wasn't really early by most people's standards, in fact most people were just waking up, but her and her sister had a tendency to sleep late after hard days. Or Lucy did. Chell liked being out and about earlier and come back for breakfast after. 

Her feet took her over rooftops and meandered the alleys into a familiar street. She wondered why, before she realized the home she was walking past was one where they'd returned a wayward guild member last night. She smiled a little as she realized what they'd done, feeling bubbling happy emotions from inside. It was good to feel, so she paused for a moment. Then continued. But before she could, rushing footsteps approached and she startled when the front door slammed open in front of her. 

Romeo stared up at her with sparkling eyes. "Michelle-neechan! Did you come to visit?" 

"Uhh," she said intelligently. 

Macao stepped up behind his son, smiling. "Offering breakfast is the least we could do for you. What say you?" 

She was caught unprepared. She didn't know what to say. But a response was expected. 

"Sure?" she said, a little high pitched. 

Romeo cheered, so she couldn't be very wrong in doing this. Maybe this was good. Lucy probably couldn't prepare breakfast before she got back home, and neither of them had a very filling evening snack because ugh, cooking after a mission was too much effort. And if she did cook breakfast, well, there would be lunch leftovers for her? Yeah, she could accept this. 

They were having scrambled eggs and toast, with fresh tomatoes thrown in. Simple and filling. 

She stuck to one word answers as Macao filled her plate to her preferences, mostly just saying yes or more or enough, thank you. It felt awkward. She hadn't been a guest in anyone's home in… so long. And never this… casually. This felt like sneaking into the kitchens and chatting with maids and cooks in servant quarters, and she wasn't used to that anymore. Even then there had been a distance between them, since she was a Heartfilia and they were on a job. Everyone knew that should she be caught, there would be some form of punishment for all of them from Jude. 

This was… not that. She wasn't doing anything 'wrong' by being here. 

"What was the mountain like?" Romeo asked, barely remembering to swallow. 

He was excited to have her here, and excited to hear more, she guessed. And that was a topic that could distract her well enough, probably. 

"Cold and windy. Have you been in a snowstorm before?" 

The kid shook his head, vibrating in excitement. 

"Well, there's little icicles in the wind. And it feels like tiny little needle pricks, constantly, if you have exposed skin anywhere," she said, trying to remember the feeling. "My nose felt very numb by the end of it. And Lucy-nee's cheeks had white splotches in the middle of the pink, and 'cause she didn't bring gloves her fingers wouldn't bend fully anymore until she warmed up. Cold's kinda dangerous in the long run." 

"Whoa. But Dad was there for a week!" 

"Yeah, but the beast's takeover magic gave him fur to keep warm. And he's a fire mage! Natsu didn't need any warmer clothing, like, how is that fair?" she complained cheerfully. 

Macao coughed a little. "Actually, Natsu's a special case, even amongst fire wizards. Sure, we can keep warm for longer and use our fire when that won't work, but he doesn't have to think about it. That kid's been rolling in the snow in nothing but shorts and melting ice slides everywhere since he came to us!" 

"Like I said, how is that fair!?" 

Both her table companions laughed and offered more examples of the guild members' unfair magical conveniences. They both felt like they were having the time of their lives talking with her, and she glowed under their emotional feedback. An hour rolled by quickly, and she only noticed when Macao grunted as he rose from the table. 

"It's about time to head into the guild, to figure out the payment," he said. 

She looked at the time and jolted to attention. "Oops, I need to get back to my sister. Thanks for having me, see you there!" 

Romeo hopped up too and opened the door for her, waving happily as she disappeared behind the corner. She heard his 'See you!' and couldn't stop smiling for the rest of her run home. Home. How quickly that slotted into place here, in this town. She already had friends! And her nightmare was all but forgotten as she barged in through their window, startling Lucy who was in the process of dressing up. 

"Chell!" she snapped, hand over her heart. 

She'd get over it, so Michelle didn't acknowledge the reaction. 

"You'll never guess what happened!" she said, before launching into a happy retelling of everything she'd found amazing about her morning. 

Lucy's annoyance melted fast, leaving behind only contentment and happiness. It only bolstered Chell's good mood, and by the time the sisters started heading for the guild they were both giddy and ready for anything! 

xXXx

In the next half an hour, the Fairy Tail guild hall had descended into a brawl. Lucy was almost bowled over but Chell grabbed her and Zone Flipped them into the ceiling. From there they watched the chaos like a tennis match, seeing Natsu get thrown through the entire hall while Elfman shouted about men in the other corner, only to get flying kicked over a table by Cana who was mad about her spilled barrel of alcohol. Gray sat dignified on a table, half naked, as though he hadn't just launched Natsu away after being attacked by the pink head for a perceived insult. 

Honestly, Chell was a little peeved at the comment that implied they should've brought Macao back in a better condition. Especially since the man looked like he took offense for them and was about to jump in, despite his injuries. 

Luckily, Romeo was there to keep him in his seat, instead laughing at the boisterousness of everyone. Mirajane walked over to give them celebratory dessert, and more than one person congratulated them for getting back in one piece. More or less. 

But then Gray got bodily thrown towards their table and Chell decided it'd be better to get in the way, actually, dropping them both down on the table and Gravity Thrusting the flying young man into a standstill. Then letting him hit the ground. Gray barely noticed, getting up to march back into shouting in Natsu's face. 

She sighed and sat next to Macao, watching the chaos unfold for a moment more. 

"Guess I'm defending our corner from flying debris, today," she said idly. 

Lucy sat on Romeo's side, laughing sheepishly. "Sorry to intrude! I owe you for giving Chell breakfast so I guess we're bodyguarding your lunch." 

Macao barked out a laugh, then winced as it pulled at his ribs. 

"I'm not complaining. It would be interesting to have a peaceful meal this time of day for once!" 

Chell chuckled too, then got an idea and leaned around the man to catch Romeo's eye. He tilted his head in question. She smirked. 

"Do you want to commentate this sports event?" 

The kid smirked back. 

By the end of lunch their corner was very well defended, Team Shadow Gear had introduced themselves before jumping into the fight and the commentary in turns, Mirajane and Happy had joined their ranks, and Macao was complaining about busting a rib laughing. The whole thing ended once Master Makarov yelled at everyone to pipe down and started doing his paperwork on the upstairs railing, giving the evil eye if anyone started something. 

It was around that time that Natsu came by and wondered why they were looking at him like that, causing everyone a spontaneous try-not-to-laugh challenge and not explaining that he'd been at the center stage of their entertainment. 

Lucy and Chell had been ready for anything, but this certainly exceeded their expectations. In a good way. 

xXXx

The next day Natsu showed up inside their house while Lucy was bathing and Chell cooked breakfast inspired by Mirajane's recommended recipe for porridge. Both girls freaked out on them for not following expected guest behavior, like knocking or not letting Happy scratch furniture, but everyone calmed down soon enough and had a good time talking about magic and their last mission together. 

In fact, Natsu was so blunt and sorta unflattering with them about his observations and thoughts on their magic and compatibility with him and Happy as a team that they were completely blindsided on being swindled on a mission where being blonde and pretty was advantageous. 

On the plus side, his sudden appearance pushed Lucy into finally summoning Canis Minor, Nicola, and naming the little snowman-like spirit Plue. 

On the minus side, Chell was so peeved about being tricked into a promise she spent half their carriage ride flat out refusing to help his motion sickness while Lucy needled him with 'practicing maid language' and calling him 'master'. Chell had trusted him to understand she didn't like being judged on appearance! Boundaries were a thing! 

But he was their goofball destiny friend, so she forgave him soon enough and let him float along for the other half. It seemed he was genuinely apologetic about it too once she explained, and Happy cleared everything up by telling them they were only trying to prank them both with the maid thing, so it was easy to joke around with them for the rest of the trip. 

Still, the incident stuck to her head for a while. 

Kaby Melon and his wife were a kindly couple who set up the job, although it was a rather weird one. Sneaking in to burn a one-of-a-kind book seemed… odd. But Chell wasn't here to judge rich people's hobbies. She knew how odd they could get, and was only glad her father hadn't indulged in many to her knowledge. Only to impress other nobles and get their cooperation. There was shrewd calculation behind their father's money management. 

She shook the thoughts away once it came to light that Kaby was offering two million jewels for the job, having upped from the previous 200 thousand. 

Lucy shared a glance with her, because that wasn't a normal amount by any means, for a book of all things. 

But they left it at that, because suddenly they were at Duke Everlue's mansion via an over-excited Natsu's dragging and Happy grabbing Chell into flight. And then got treated to Natsu's idea of a plan. 

C for Charge. Full frontal assault. To get a book destroyed. 

"No," Chell said, voice flat. "I refuse. We're going to be smarter about this." 

Natsu looked unreasonably pouty about his plan being subverted into a stealthier one. But he had pretty good ideas once Chell started asking questions. Like where the book was likely to be, how the layout of the mansion looked from the outside or how they could find out, what they'd do if they were found out, should they employ a distraction tactic and split into two man teams to look for it or go all together… 

In the end they decided to go through the upper floor windows because it'd be the oddest place to guard and they happened to be able to get there pretty stealthily. Also because Chell had a celestial spirit called Telescopium and literally scoped the place out with a telescope until she got to windows through which she could see bookshelves. 

…They might have sold the ninja idea to Natsu a little too hard though. He'd wrapped his scarf around his head like a mask and said 'nin nin' a lot. It took quite a lot for Chell to not laugh when he did that after he slipped around a corner on tiptoes while doing that. They got into the private library without much issue. 

Unfortunately, their stealth plan only worked until two very plump blonde maids opened the door and stared straight at their search efforts before screaming bloody murder and charging them with cleaning mops and a spear that came out of nowhere. Chell and Lucy screamed back and kicked and punched the mismatched weapons away before Natsu literally dropped on them, threw them out the double doors, and locked them behind the two. He turned around, leaning against the door, fingers together in a hand sign. 

"Nin nin!" he said. "Speed search!" 

And as though luck altering magic was on their side, Happy found it that instant. Daybreak. By Kemu Zaleon. Lucy squealed at the revelation of one of her favorite authors having written a book she hadn't read. Chell stared at the name, an inkling taking root in her brain. 

But then they didn't have time to think because Duke Everlue burst through the floor and demanded they die for trespassing. Which they weren't a big fan of. 

Except Lucy got it in her head to read the book before they destroyed it. And Chell knew her well enough to see she wouldn't let that go. So she resigned herself to defending her sister as she dug out her speed reading glasses. Two mercenary bodyguards stepped through the doors to be their opponent, and suddenly Chell was very glad Natsu was with them as well. These two weren't a joke to face alone. 

Then Lucy revealed the book held some form of secret and got Duke Everlue's undying attention. 

Oh boy, Chell sighed as she followed after her older sister. Why did I even bother with planning if we're not following a single thing? 

xXXx

They ended up in Everlue's office, Lucy sitting in his honestly comfy chair and Chell securing the door before rummaging through his files in hopes of finding some leverage over the situation. And what do you know, she did find documents hiding some rather underhanded deals the Duke had made under the table. She took all those she could find on a quick timetable, planning to use them as a defense for their actions if anyone looked closer at them. 

"How horrible…" Lucy mumbled. 

Chell looked up, seeing she was at the end and trembling somewhat in anger and horror. Her mind flashed to the title, and the inkling grew. 

"So, is it actually anagrams for Zekua Melon and Dear Kaby?" she asked. 

Lucy looked at her, surprised, but nodded. "How did you…?" 

"The book's magical, and not malicious. I can feel that. And if it's important enough for a job, then… Well. Possibilities are a little limited." 

And this one just… felt right. As always. 

"Heh. You're a smart cookie, Mi-chan, you cheater~!" 

She glowed at the praise and joke, but they once more got interrupted because Everlue could dig through walls. And straight up grabbed her into the lower floor, clearly intending to use a hostage. She screamed, panic coursing through her because she couldn't be restrained, not again, no- 

And she blasted pressure into all directions. It was startling enough for the perverted scumbag to let go. But she was still panicky. And failing to call upon any proper magic spells. So she just… scrambled. Backwards. Stumbling and falling and he loomed. 

"Shooting Star Kick!" Lucy fell on his mostly bald head with a shining ball of magic enhancing her landing force. "Chell, get up!" 

She couldn't. Lucy threw the book at her and took a defensive stance, hands on her keys, while Chell clutched the book to her chest like a lifeline. Chell couldn't keep up with the ensuing argument, mind spiraling into not-memories that had haunted her all her life. Helpless terror. Pain upon pain, again and again- It was almost worse that these flashbacks hit with no direction to understand them, these impressions that didn't leave her any idea how to prevent it from happening. 

Her mind reached for comfort, latching onto Lucy's light-starburst-stellar-stalwart-protection and shying from greed-dig-plunder-tear-asunder before the disgusting magic surged and summoned celestial-gold-grounded-steady- 

And Natsu! He was here too. How? She missed some conversation again, eyes open and finally seeing the huge maid from before (celestial spirit!!) and the boy who felt so warm she could cry. 

"Get away from Michelle you disgusting freak!" Lucy yelled, and brandished her whip. "You're the worst kind of villain!" 

Natsu took in the situation more, and because she was looking at him, met her frightened eyes. His magic blazed, and she'd compared them to a bonfire that would flare in someone's defense. Well, now the one defended was her. Soon the enemy's celestial spirit was slammed into the ground with a blaze before both of the older mages were in front of her and the precious book, giving her a presence to anchor herself into. 

She could finally stand up, claw her way out of the residual fear. 

There's nothing to be afraid of, she told her stupid brain. He's not whatever hurt me (or will hurt- shut up!). He can't, because I'm good at magic and my family protects me. 

She wasn't calm, but she was collected enough to engage in the takedown and alter their weight for when Happy flew them out of there. She watched dispassionately as the damage Everlue and his bodyguards did made the whole mansion collapse under its own weight. Okay, they were all involved because it was a fight and their opponent could go through walls, but still it was mostly their fault. 

Chell was still clutching the book. And the documents. 

"Hey," Natsu clapped in front of her nose and she flinched back into the present. "Did he call you ugly too?" 

"...Probably," she said, still dazed and honestly unable to remember. "But his opinion doesn't matter." 

"Neither does anybody else's, right?" he said, quirking a smile that was more of a smirk, a callback to their conversation on the way here. 

She felt a rush of fondness for him. He'd listened, when she tried to explain her problems with appearance on the ride here. Namely how everyone seemed to care more than she did, and it made her uncomfortable when she was scrutinized. The realization that he truly cared for her did wonders to dispel the sticky phantom feelings of getting pried open and peered at under a microscope. 

"Yeah, you get it," she smiled back and let him help her up. "Now let's get this book back to its rightful owner." 

Lucy took up the argument for why once it became clear Chell wasn't up to the task. She'd rather bask in their presence and get home. This day had started so well, too, yet now she was completely exhausted emotionally. 

If they took a vehicle home she'd float Natsu along until her reserves ran dry. He deserved it as thanks for being so grounding. 

xXXx

"Welcome back! How was the job, Lucy?" 

"Mirajane! It went well enough… That is to say, we brought a mansion down." 

"Oh my, any change in the reward?" 

Lucy sighed, deep and tired, then started recounting how the parameters changed in the middle and Natsu had pity on the client who was actually not that rich at all. There went all of the 2 million jewels. At least they insisted on covering the fees for their trip, and Natsu was hard pressed to refuse when Chell looked so dead on her feet, so there's that. 

Mirajane hummed cheerfully as she passed a meal down the counter, straight to Natsu who immediately perked up and dug in with loudness befitting of him. Happy ordered fish. Lucy watched with amusement, leaning a cheek on her palm. Her gaze drifted from the food to Natsu's enthusiastic gestures. 

Then she blinked. 

No way. She hadn't thought this might happen, she was used to it but it was new for Fairy Tail, and maybe she should've known better since they got attached so quickly but- 

"Uhh-" 

"So good! You should try this Luce!" 

She stared past the forkful of meat in her face, at Chell's blissfully tired face that was tilted at an angle to almost lean on Natsu's shoulder. 

"...It's too spicy for me, Natsu…" 

"Hm? More for me," he stuffed his cheeks like a chipmunk. 

Lucy waited, unsure. Should she grab Chell? They could go home and curl on their bed for a nap. But this wasn't just tiredness, Chell was also feeling. 

Their friends would eventually have to get used to it too, she reasoned, watching as Chell's head lightly thunked on Natsu's shoulder. Natsu seemed oblivious. Should she warn him? 

"Your tea is getting cold, Lucy," Mirajane commented. 

"Ah, right!" 

She took a sip, mind racing, and realized Mirajane was staring at her contemplatively. 

"Is something wrong?" 

Lucy blinked again, eyes wide, and shook her head quickly. Mirajane frowned. Lucy felt her traitorous eyes swivel towards Chell again and saw the moment Mirajane spotted the classic Chell-is-content image when the woman's eyes sparkled with surprise and 'adorable'. She didn't say anything. 

…Maybe she really should warn them. 

"Natsu," she said, glancing at them to find Natsu staring at her with a mouthful of fire. The poor meat. 

Chell was now completely leaning against him. She knew from personal experience how innocently it started. 

"Yea?" 

It took a moment for Lucy to decide what to say. She nodded towards Chell. 

"Erm. This is your last chance to push her off. For at least, like, ten minutes." 

"Who? …Oh, Chell, ya tired?" 

The only response was an incoherent happy noise and a hand landing on his bicep. Happy hopped on the counter to poke at Chell's ponytail. Lucy bit her lower lip to keep from laughing as her warning was ignored and Natsu continued eating and smiling at Happy's questioning of a blissful Chell who gave vague hums and single words as answers. 

Lucy knew Chell hadn't let go of his arm. He didn't seem to care. She waited and sipped her tea. 

Natsu was done eating. He rose. Chell rose with him, hovering off the ground like the weighless limpet she was, wrapping both arms around his bicep in a hug. He took three steps before stopping and lifting said arm to stare. Chell rose with it, eyes closed and a small content smile on her face. Happy flapped his wings to hover above her, blinking wide eyes at her. 

"Are you coming with us, Chell?" 

She didn't stir so much as flopped her head into a different position on Natsu's shoulder. 

"Hmmh? Comfy…" 

Natsu shook his arm a little. Nothing changed. Lucy left her empty teacup to the side, watching intently to see if he figured out what was happening. Natsu slowly pushed Chell off his arm with some difficulty, only for her to plaster her back against his as gravity pulled her close again. Her head was leaning against his shoulder still, legs floating weightlessly below her. 

The boy whirled around to look at Lucy with wide eyes, Chell floating around in a half circle to attach herself to his other arm. He pointed at her, eyes still on Lucy. 

"She won't let go!?" 

And Lucy couldn't help but laugh. Happy started trying to pull her away but she was firmly stuck to Natsu's arm. Mirajane joined her giggles as Natsu and Happy managed to pull her away a couple meters only for her to orbit around him to yet another side and get stuck on his chest this time. The others in the guild were starting to notice. 

Natsu managed to deposit Chell to his right forearm and started shaking it frantically, managing to only make her flap in the air like a flag. He yelled something Lucy was too busy laughing to hear. Then he set his arm on fire and she was done laughing, yelping to scramble towards them and get Chell away but… 

"WHAT!?" 

"No way…" 

"She's fireproof! How is she fireproof!?" 

Many people started screaming questions and profanities as Chell held on unbothered. In fact it seemed like she was… nuzzling the flames? Lucy knew her sister sometimes seemed untouchable but this was a new level. Was she… unconsciously pushing his magic away with hers? How did she not feel the heat? 

Natsu stopped his fire and whipped his arm around to point at Lucy accusingly, Chell rolling around the anchorpoint that was his arm in a funny sort of flip. 

"Get her off!" 

Lucy held her arms up in surrender. "I can't! She's fully latched on now!" 

"Why!?" 

"She likes the feel of your magic!" 

Silence. Natsu stared at Chell, still snuggling the point where he'd tried to torch her off, breathing deeply and steadily. 

"Ten minutes, you said?" he asked. "I'll make it five!" 

And he lit his whole body on fire, watching as Chell flew off and started orbiting him instead of grabbing on. Lucy stared as she realized he might've found a way to make her unbind someone as a central point of gravity. Maybe. Lucy had her own trick that worked… Well, most of the time. 

Then ice swept through the floor and Natsu tripped up, Chell bouncing higher in the air and then plopping back down to curl up next to Natsu's stomach. 

"Stop burning the floor, Flame Breath!" 

Natsu sat up fast, Chell slowly lifting off the ground and landing diagonally upside down on his back. "Shut up, Ice Brain!" 

Gray rubbed at his hair in exasperation and walked closer to grab Chell's ankle, ripping her off Natsu's back in a flourish. She still floated like a balloon, magic pulling her towards Natsu. 

"Really, it's not that hard," he snapped, and stalked towards Lucy. 

But, he slowed. His expression went from confused to blank as he realized he was pulling against gravity. He started leaning against Chell and they basically got stuck in place. 

"J- Just how strong is her magic?" 

Lucy shook her head, having no clue. Well, she knew something, but this was new territory. As far as she knew, only she had been subjected to Chell's idea of cuddle time before. 

Chell let out a noise of discontent. Uh oh. 

Suddenly Gray yelped as the counterweight disappeared and he was rolling backwards on the floor, Chell rolling with him. When they stopped, Gray was laying on the ground and Chell had captured his arm. Natsu pointed at him and laughed. 

"Oh come on!" Gray groaned. "Lucy, how do you make her let go?" 

Lucy, not having seen Chell switch targets like that before, decided to take pity on Gray and walked over to them so she could lay a hand on Chell's back. 

"Michelle, you're being rude," she said, then tried out pushing magic through her palm. 

After a few tense seconds Chell sighed and went limp, and when Lucy moved away she was floating towards her instead. Smiling slightly (a magic feeling Chell was an adorable Chell) she opened her arms and trapped the floating girl in a hug. Then she slowly, gently, poured all the love she had for this slip of a girl in her magic for her to sense. Just as slowly and gently Chell became heavier and heavier in her arms until her feet hit the floor. 

"Mm… Lucy-nee?" Chell mumbled. 

"Welcome back, Chell!" Lucy grinned, pushing to make Chell take on more of her own weight. 

Chell rubbed at her eyes, blinking blearily as she came back to herself. "Oh. Sorry, was it annoying?" 

She jumped when it wasn't Lucy that replied. 

"Are you kidding? That was the most hilarious thing to happen all day!" 

Warren and Max were leaning against each other, Max being the one who hollered their thoughts and Warren chuckling under his breath. Natsu launched himself up to his feet and pointed at Lucy accusingly. 

"You said you didn't know how to get her off!" 

Cana started full on belly laughing, leaning against a barrel of alcohol. Lucy couldn't let go of her good mood even as Chell squawked in embarrassment as she realized it wasn't Lucy she latched on to. 

"I didn't! Others have tried getting her to let go of me but that never worked!" 

"Then, why didn't you tell us your method?" Gray was standing now and threw his jacket behind him. 

Chell groaned and buried her face in her hands. And Lucy realized she was in a bind. To reveal this information or not to. She squeezed Chell's shoulder in question and got a half shrug in reply. Chell was apparently embarrassed enough that one more 'secret' thrown in wasn't going to bother her. 

"Well…" she started. "It's a bit weird. Chell senses magic, right? Exceptionally well. And that includes feelings that go with it. So… when she starts getting overloaded with magic senses she latches onto someone's magic, a magic she likes and a person she likes, I think." 

"That doesn't explain why she's so sticky," Happy said. 

Lucy snorted. Sticky was an apt but incorrect description. She put an arm around Chell's shoulders so the girl could hide against her side and not look at anyone. 

"She's 'sticky' because she's overwhelmed and being closer to a safe feeling helps. I found that if I channel my emotions to my magic and make her feel as safe as possible she'll slowly come back to herself!" 

"Ah, I get it now." Gray said, having a revelation. "There's no way the fire clown could do that." 

"What? You take that back, Popsicle!" 

This started yet another Natsu versus Gray insult match and eventual brawl. Lucy wondered why she even tried explaining sometimes. Chell was shaking against her and she glanced down, suddenly concerned. A small giggle escaped the girl and she smiled, realizing the two had just made Chell feel better about it all. 

"We should get home and rest. You're exhausted," she said and rubbed Chell's arm with her thumb. 

Chell hummed in quiet agreement and lifted her head to smile up at her gratefully. She turned towards Natsu and Gray and waved a goodbye neither noticed. She frowned in thought before brightening up. 

"Happy, tell them we said bye and thanks, okay?" Chell said to the cat that was munching a fish as he watched the fight. 

"Aye!" 

And then they were free to go. 

xXXx