It'd been ridiculously easy to get Sevoir to accept their half-assed explanation for how they'd come by the amulet. When Laxus had handed over the stone, the older man had been too overjoyed to ask questions, praising their talents and thanking them for returning his prized possession in time to make the transport for his buyer. His compliments made Natsumi's skin crawl. All the casual things that she'd never noticed before, or hadn't minded, now grated on her nerves, and she had to clench her fists more than once to stop herself from singeing off all his facial hair.
After coughing up the cash he owed them, he'd readily agreed to take them on as a security detail during the days leading up to the exchange, chattering on about how lucky he was to have two of them helping him out of the goodness of their hearts. To her surprise, Laxus took it all well, full of charming smiles and professionalism. Natsumi envied him, having to keep herself from gagging every time Sevoir looked at her. She'd make him pay for trying to trick them.
Despite their efforts to get Sevoir to slip up and say something incriminating, he remained charming and amicable every morning, spending the next three days chatting with them about their various adventures and pumping them with a nearly endless supply of snacks. Natsumi figured that was the one bearable thing about all this waiting and sitting around. If she was stuck here for one more afternoon, she'd spend it trying to eat Sevoir out of house and home. It was the least she could do besides take the cheating bastard's money. Looking beside her at the man in question, she found him looking as bored as she felt, though his face hid it well. She stifled a giggle. It wasn't like Laxus to fake being nice to someone he hated, and judging by the way his eyes tightened every time he fielded another one of Sevoir's questions, he couldn't stand the old guy after what Priscilla had told them. She watched as one of his hands moved in the pocket of his pants, knowing he was toying with the recording lacrima he'd had there since they'd agreed on the plan. As time went on, however, it was clear that they'd have to strike once the buyer came to pay for the Amulet Shard.
Natsumi watched with eagerness as the sky outside grew orange and yellow with the impending sunset, knowing she and Laxus would soon be free.
"What time should we be here tomorrow to supervise the exchange?" Laxus interrupted her thoughts with his question.
Sevoir looked up from where he'd been sketching on the fainting couch opposite them. He adjusted the collar of his immaculately tailored coat, a smile on his face.
"Judging from her letters, no later than noon. My associate's reputation rather precedes her. She's been said to be very punctual as well as...discrete. It can be risky business when transporting such valuable objects. I'm sure you understand."
Laxus nodded. "I take it she will have her own security to ensure its safety?"
Sevior laughed, though his smile lacked the warmth they'd grown accustomed to. "Of course! Baroness Jia has always been a stickler for safety. She'll no doubt have top of the line security, so there's no need to be concerned. I'm actually hoping you'll be kind enough to not mention this whole business to her, as she would be extremely...upset to hear that I'd managed to muck up," he said bashfully, all high-class grace, but Natsumi could see the sheen of sweat that beaded on his neck.
He was scared, she realized with a jolt. She wondered what kind of person this Baroness was to make someone as unruffled as Sevoir nervous. Probably no one good.
"Don't worry," she smiled at the man, ignoring how her gut twisted, "We've got your back."
The tightness around the older man's eyes relaxed, but she noticed how they seemed dim. "I thank you for that, Natsumi. And you as well, Laxus."
They departed soon after that, Laxus throwing an arm over her shoulders as they walked through the gates of the Sevoir estate.
"That jerk better not be feeling guilty now, of all times," she grumbled. "I wanted to personally teach him a lesson." She hit a fist into an open palm for good measure.
"It doesn't matter how he feels," Laxus said, leading them down the road towards their hotel. "This time tomorrow, it'll be over regardless."
"But still. He was acting weird. Even weirder than he already was," she said, remembering how the aging man had looked.
Laxus just shrugged
the two woke early the next morning, wasting no extra time getting ready and heading back over to the Sevoir estate.
Natsumi was confused when they walked up to the gate. Every day they'd come to see the head of the house except for the first one, the gates had been open and they'd gone straight to the door to be let in the house. Today, the large, wrought iron gates remained firmly shut, even when Natsumi called out a loud "Hey! It's us!"
Both mages were shocked when Sevoir himself emerged from the doors of his mansion, crossing the expansive courtyard while carrying an intricately carved box that undoubtedly contained the Amulet Shard. When he reached them, he waved a hand in front of the stone pillar attached to one of the gates. At his gesture, they opened lazily, and he joined them out on the grounds before they slid shut, closing with a solid clank of metal.
"Good morning, you two. Lovely day, isn't it?" he asked, as if it was completely normal for him to meet them this way.
"Is there any reason why we're out here instead of inside?" Laxus asked, quirking a golden eyebrow at the aristocrat.
Sevoir laughed, but there was an edge to it. "Well, the Baroness is a very busy woman. I didn't want to waste her time with unnecessary dalliances. Also, my wife has actually been paying her a social visit these past days, and I'm excited to see her again. I simply couldn't wait," he smiled, tugging on the lapel of yet another expensive duster.
Natsumi stared at him. As usual, he didn't have a hair out of place. His facial hair was neatly trimmed, his dark hair combed elegantly to one side. But the way he kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other definitely didn't match the ease with which he'd moved before. Both mages also didn't miss how he clutched the box he held tightly, his knuckles white.
"Your wife is friends with the collector you're selling the rock to?" Natsumi asked him, cocking her head to one side.
"It's common that those running in the same social circles would share common interests. The Baroness was very excited to have Celeste's company," he coughed, crow's feet growing more prominent at the corners of his eyes.
Natsumi didn't have time to question him further when the sound of neighing horses in the distance alerted her to the presence of an approaching carriage. Sure enough, an elaborate carriage pulled by two black stallions appeared at the foot of the private drive. From this distance, Natsumi could see two men sitting on the outside bench. The one directing the horses was a big and bulky, with long black hair pulled back severely. Beside him sat a smaller man with a head full of red curls.
She saw Sevoir stiffen out of the corner of her eye. Looking up at Laxus on her other side, they exchanged looks. He hadn't missed their employer's strange behavior, either.
To their surprise, the carriage didn't meet them at the gates to the mansion, but stopped about fifty feet short. The two men hopped off, the taller one moving to stand in front of the horses while the shorter of the two went around to the door of the carriage, helping out two women.
The first was obviously the Baroness Jia, Natsumi thought. The woman was very old, but solidly built, her gray hair piled on top of her head in an elaborate knot. Her black dress looked fancy, all lace and silk as it draped from the woman's neck to her ankles.
The second must have been Celeste Sevoir. She was younger than the Baroness, though still middle aged. Celeste was very pretty, with a large, decorative hat covering the brunette hair that was styled in a bun at the nape of her neck. If her similar age to Sevoir hadn't given away her identity, the excessively embroidered fabric of her gown definitely did. What stuck out the most to the small dragon slayer, however, wasn't how the aristocrat's wife was dressed, but the look of fear on her face as the redheaded man didn't let go of her elbow when he helped her from the carriage.
Sevoir inhaled a large, shaky breath as he saw his wife, clutching the box closer to his chest.
"I thought we agreed that discretion was of the utmost importance, Mr. Sevoir," the Baroness called, her voice surprisingly strong as it carried over the distance. "It wouldn't do for more people than necessary to know the whereabouts of such a valuable artifact."
"These people are merely here to ensure that the Amulet Shard is delivered safely into your hands, Baroness," Sevoir called back. "How are you, darling? I trust the Baroness catered to your every comfort during your visit," he smiled at his wife from across the way.
"You can speak with her after our business is concluded. Bring me the box, please," the Baroness commanded, and Laxus and Natsumi exchanged another look. This didn't feel right.
Sevoir stepped forward, crossing the distance between the two groups. The wizards went to follow him, but the Baroness held up a hand. "Only Mr. Sevoir's presence is required. I would appreciate it if you remained where you are."
Natsumi glared at her. "What's the big idea, lady? You got a problem?"
Sevoir turned to her, smiling. "No need to worry, my dear. I've got it quite in hand," he reassured, smiling. His hands shook from the force of his grip on the box.
"Listen to your master, little girl," the old woman smirked, looking down her nose at the dragon slayer. Natsumi started forward, but Laxus put a hand on her shoulder.
"Leave it," he whispered. "Just watch."
She turned back to the scene in front of him. Sevoir approached the Baroness's party. The black-haired man stepped forward, taking the box from the aristocrat before handing it to the old woman, who opened it up with a smile.
"Very well," she said. "You've done your part. You'll receive your payment in full." Closing the lid, she nodded at the smaller man, who released his hold on Celeste and pushed her forward, into Sevoir's arms. The man didn't waste any time. He took his wife by the wrist and hurriedly pulled her back to the gates. Only once they were behind the dragon slayers did he embrace her, not caring how her large hat bent with the action.
The Baroness also moved quickly. She folded herself back into the carriage, not waiting for help from either of her companions. The two men resumed their post at the front, and with a sharp crack of the reigns, the large raven-haired man turned the carriage around, sending the Baroness back down the road.
"I'm so sorry, Celeste. Will you ever forgive me? Did they hurt you?" Sevoir cried as the carriage disappeared down the hill, holding his wife close.
"I'm alright. They left me alone...for the most part. The redheaded one enjoyed letting me know exactly what was in store for me if you didn't comply, but now I'm home. Thank you," she said in a soft, wavering voice. Natsumi knew she was about to cry.
"Wait a minute," the pink haired girl interjected, interrupting the reunited couple. "Wasn't that old hag supposed to pay you for that stupid thing? What happened to that?"
Sevoir wiped at his eyes, laughing. "She did pay me. She gave me my wife back. I wasn't sure that I'd ever see her again,"
"What?!" Natsumi yelled, throwing her arms up. "Then what was the point of all of that?!"
"They kidnapped her." Laxus interrupted the beginning of her tirade. "They threatened to hurt her if you didn't give them what they wanted, right?"
"They said they'd kill her," the aristocrat hung his head, but kept a solid grip on his wife, as if to reassure himself that she was still there. "Baroness Jia is an elite member of the dark guild Crimson Arrow. She caught wind of the expedition I'd been planning with the local archeology guild in search of a valuable magical artifact rumored to have been lost in the mountains thousands of years ago. A few nights before I was scheduled to leave on the dig, the two men you saw there broke into our home and kidnapped Celeste. They told me if I didn't bring them back the object or if I alerted the authorities, they'd kill her. I had no choice. I'm not proud of myself for what I did. I was too afraid to tell anyone, so I schemed to make sure I could take possession of the Amulet Shard. I lost a dear friend in the guild master of Eagle Eye, but I really thought I was going to lose Celeste when it was stolen, so I took a risk and sent out a request to Fairy Tail, hoping you could help me without arousing undue suspicion."
"So, you didn't want to steal the rock from Eagle Eye?" Natsumi asked slowly, blinking.
"No, of course not. I'm a collector, yes, but something that rare belongs in a museum where someone much more qualified than myself can care for it. It's too precious to not share with the world. But when it comes to my wife, I would have done anything, even betray my colleagues." He smiled at his wife then.
"Then we went through all that trouble of planning to steal that stupid rock back from you for nothing?!" she yelled, tugging on her hair.
"Excuse me?" Sevoir asked, eyes widening.
"When the granddaughter of Eagle Eye's master took it from you, she thought you were just going to pawn it off to the highest bidder, so we told her we'd get the damn thing back so it could go in a museum and you'd stop holding it over her old man's head! You were supposed to be the bad guy!" she waved a finger at him, scowling.
"And now we just gave it to the real bad guy!" she covered her eyes.
"Relax, Nat," Laxus told her, "it's under control."
"What?" she wheeled on him, glaring.
The blonde mage rolled his eyes. "I told you to stop taking everything people say at face value. That girl was telling the truth, yeah, but she didn't know the whole story. I figured there was more to it, since it was fucking weird that Sevoir never asked us any questions about how we found it," he glared at the couple, seemingly over his polite affectation. "So I wanted to wait until the exchange to make sure nothing was up before we got the hell out of dodge, and it was a good thing we did."
"You could have just told me the truth!" Natsumi yelled at him, fire in her eyes.
"If I'd have told you, you'd have blown our cover. You're even worse an actor than this guy," he gestured to Sevoir, who looked affronted. "It's not like I told anyone else. It could've just as easily been like that girl said and we would've just done the first plan. But if it makes you feel better, I'll clue you in next time," he grumbled, scratching the back of his head.
She huffed, but nodded.
Sevoir, however, was as confused as he was relieved. "So you're saying you knew of my involvement with Eagle Eye? And that the guild master's granddaughter was responsible for the theft of the shard? But why didn't you-?"
"Yes and yes. I didn't trust you enough to tell you and you aren't a good enough liar to pull it off if I did. Happy?" The aristocrat only blinked at the lightning mage, still processing.
"We don't have any more time for this. We've already given them plenty of a head start." Laxus turned to look at the dragon slayer. "Feeling fired up enough for some action?"
She cracked her neck, bearing her teeth at the tall man. "Oh, yeah. These guys better be worth it."
"Get going, I'll catch up with you." He gestured down the hill with a nod of his head. He silenced her protest with a scoff. "You know I'll beat you there anyway. Go."
With a last glare, she took off like a shot, running full tilt down the hill in a blaze of fire, eating up the distance between her and their quarry with a speed that should be impossible for someone of her stature.
With a smile at her retreating figure, he turned to the shell-shocked couple, face going serious once again. "I'd contact the Magic Council if I were you. Tell them everything, give them this," he took out the recording lacrima that he'd used to record everything that had happened, "and we'll do the rest. Understand?" At their nods, he smirked at them, stepped back, and activated his magic, his body disappearing in a shower of sparks.
The reunited couple stared at each other for several seconds, processing the sudden departure of the two mages.
"We should go inside and do what he says," Sevoir told his wife, moving to open the gates once more.
"Have they been like that all this time? I knew Fairy Tail used to have a reputation for theatrics, but that seemed a little excessive, don't you think?" Celeste asked as they hurried inside to the communication lacrima.
"If you think that's dramatic, darling, you should've watched the Magic Games with me this year. Compared to what those two can do, that didn't even qualify as a parlor trick. Now," he said, pecking her on the nose, "let's go make that call."
Baroness Jia sat peacefully in the belly of her carriage as it departed from Shirotsume, inspecting the Amulet Shard. The stone was beautiful: a deep, clear blue that reflected the afternoon light that came in through the carriage window. It may not have any remaining capabilities in its fractured state, but it would fetch an unimaginably large price. She was lucky that spineless excuse for a man had come through, despite being such a waste of space with too much money on his hands. She had been in favor of taking the shard and killing his simpering wife, anyway, but the presence of additional witnesses had complicated matters.
She was confident she and her men could have handled what looked to be the lumbering blonde and his waif of a companion, but the Baroness disliked dirtying her hands when she didn't have to. Precision and adaptability was what had gotten her this far in life, and she wasn't about to compromise herself now.
As she continued her musing, the carriage came to an abrupt halt. The old woman cursed softly, sticking her head out of the window.
"What's going on, Holger? Why did we stop?" she snapped at the black-haired man driving the carriage.
"I don't know, ma'am," he rumbled, snapping the reigns, but receiving no response. "The horses are spooked, but Christoph says the weather's supposed to be clear all day."
The man beside him nodded. "I'm not sensing any storm systems. There's no reason for them to be acting up."
"Well un-spook them! We don't have time to waste," she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am, but—look out!" Christoph yelled, throwing himself off his spot on the carriage as a bolt of lightning struck the place he'd been sitting.
The Baroness slid back in the carriage, repacking the Amulet Shard into the box and sliding it beneath the seat. She then opened the door, stepping out to face the threat.
The tall young man from earlier stood smirking at them, electricity dancing along his ridiculous fur-trimmed coat as it fluttered in the breeze of the open field. Holger was yelling curses at him, but he didn't seem to hear the dark-haired man, if the large, spiked sound pods covering his ears were anything to go on.
What an arrogant little brat, she thought. She'd enjoy teaching him to know his place.
"Where's your little friend?" she sneered at him, remembering the pink-haired girl from earlier.
The boy only smiled at her. So he could hear after all. How irritating. When he opened his mouth, however, his deep voice only uttered one phrase.
"She's busy losing."
"It doesn't count if you cheated!" a shrill voice screamed out from behind her, and the Baroness didn't have time to react as she saw an inferno engulf the carriage, causing both her and Holger to throw themselves forward to escape the searing heat. The horses screeched, terrified by flames licking so close to them.
The old woman scrambled back, crawling away from the blaze as she looked over her shoulder.
Standing on top of the carriage amidst the flames was the pink-haired girl from before. She stared down at the three dark guild members, a feral smile growing on her face. Dear God, did she have fangs?
"Be careful, Nat. Don't melt the damn thing before we even have a chance to return it," the man behind her warned.
"Worry about yourself, Laxus!" she yelled at him, tearing her gaze away from the shocked faces of the Baroness and her underlings.
"Laxus?" Christoph called from somewhere to her left, "Laxus Dreyar?! Holy shit, these guys are from Fairy Tail, Baroness!"
"I don't care if they're Wizard Saints! Put out that fire and take care of them!" she screamed and she stood up.
They didn't need to be told twice. Christoph immediately shot a hand, clouds forming above the little fire mage's head. As he closed his fist, a torrent of water fell from the sky, extinguishing the flames she stood among, soaking her to the bone.
"Nice trick, but you might want to do your research before you try to use flames against a weather mage," the redhead told the dripping girl.
To his surprise, she started laughing at him.
"You should do your own research," she cackled, and his eyes widened as her skin began to steam. "You knew who Laxus was, but I wonder if you know me?"
She tilted her head back, then, and before his incredulous eyes, the carriage erupted again, a pillar of red-gold flame extending heavenward.
It dawned on him, the pieces clicking in his head.
"Salamander," he whispered, voice nearly inaudible over the roar of the flames.
The flames extinguished all at once. And the girl beamed, completely unharmed save for a slight singe to her clothes. "That's right. Now get ready."
He was unable to defend himself when she leapt from the carriage, screaming out a "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack," that sent him flying backwards.
Holger's jaw dropped as he saw the small girl leap into the sky and bring down twin waves of fire onto his partner. She landed like a cat in the place Christoph had been, righting herself to go stalking after where the redhead landed.
"Don't just stand there, Laxus!" she called over her shoulder as she descended upon the weather mage, who was busy trying to scramble backwards.
Holger's eyes shot to where the other wizard still stood, not having moved since his initial assault. The blonde sighed and rotated his neck. He raised an eyebrow at Holger, shrugging.
"She's a pain, but I can't say no to her."
The dark haired man barely had time to activate his own magic before the younger man shot out a bolt of lightning that hit him square in the chest.
"Huh. That's actually pretty cool," Laxus remarked as Holger stood unmoved, his body covered from head to toe in segmented stone.
"Thanks," Holger bit out before rushing him.
Laxus dodged the haymaker, countering with a blow on his own. The force of his electrically charged fist against Holger's face shattered the protective layer and sent his opponent staggering back.
"What the..." the dark haired wizard stuttered, looking at Laxus in shock.
"I said it was cool, not practical," the blonde said, before connecting with a roundhouse that sent Holger flying in the same direction Christoph had flown moments before.
Baroness Jia watched as the Fairy Tail mages joyfully took her subordinates apart, raining down blow after blow as Holger and Christoph struggled to provide even a mediocre defense. She trembled with rage, knowing that their attackers were toying with them.
Well, it suited her purposes fine if they were arrogant enough to ignore a seemingly harmless old woman. While the Fairy Tail wizards' backs were turned, she crept toward the burnt husk of the carriage. The bench seat was all but ashes, but the magically reinforced box had managed to withstand the inferno. She opened it and removed the Amulet Shard, wrapping it in the shawl that had been draped over her shoulders.
Moving back around, she made short work of the nearest horse's harness. She hoped that it wasn't completely crazed from the shock of the Salamander's attack. However skilled of a rider she may be, she was still elderly and didn't fancy getting thrown off the damn thing. She had a foot in the stirrup when the deep voice of the blond imbecile interrupted her.
"You probably don't want to do that."
She turned, frozen, to look at the two mages, standing feet from her. Looking past them, she saw her unconscious companions, tied together with what looked to be the remnants of the cloaks they'd both been wearing.
"Useless," she spat, and took her foot from the stirrup to face the two young people head on.
"Just give us the rock, lady." The Salamander prompted, stretching her arms above her head. "I don't want to fight an old hag."
"You don't?" Baroness Jia sighed, dropping her shoulders. "Because this old hag really wants to fight you!"
Before either Laxus or Natsumi could react, the old woman shot out webs from her fingertips, grabbing the dragon slayer around the waist and dragging her forward.
"Ah!" the Baroness stopped Laxus short as he lunged forward. "I wouldn't do that. You take another step, and my spider ropes will crush her ribcage." She spun Natsumi around so the girl's back was to her. "Look at that pretty face, Laxus. I'd surely hate to be responsible for it to stop being so lovely."
Laxus straightened, looking at the old woman with a blank stare.
Natsumi struggled against the bonds, and the Baroness shook her roughly.
"Don't bother, little girl. My spider ropes are impervious to most elemental spells, including fire. So if you're friend doesn't cooperate, I'm afraid I'm going to have to punish you." She punctuated the threat by tightening the ropes, making the girl's breath hitch.
"Do you understand?" she asked the lightning mage. He put his hands up in surrender, glaring at her.
The Baroness smiled. "Good boy. You're quite obedient. I don't know where those nasty rumors get their information."
"S-Shut up, hag." Natsumi ground out.
"What was that, dear?" she asked, tightening the ropes once more, the pink-haired girl's breathless gasp music to her ears.
"Just be quiet, Nat." Laxus said in a level tone, not taking his eyes off the old woman.
"No!" she choked out. "I'm not going to lose to some crusty old lady!"
Baroness Jia laughed as she felt the girl's temperature rise from beneath the restraints.
"I already told you it was useless, you stupid girl! My ropes are resistant—"
"To most elemental attacks!" Natsumi screamed through the increasing pressure of the ropes on her lungs. "You took me instead of Laxus for a reason, then. Which means—"
Laxus laughed. "You're a genius, Nat."
"Lightning Flame Dragon Mode!" Sparks broke out along the girl's body, and the Baroness gasped, struggling to maintain her hold on her.
"With the flames of my right hand, and the thunder of my left," the dragon slayer gasped out, "Lightning Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"
The resulting cataclysm slammed the Baroness against the remains of the carriage, immediately knocking her unconscious. Even Laxus, who'd been prepared for her attack, was moved back several paces. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking away the stars that danced in the corners of his vision from the sheer brightness of the explosion.
Natsumi stood, unmoved from what had been the epicenter of her attack. Laxus approached her, ruffling her hair with a smile on his face.
"Was the look on her face hilarious?" Natsumi asked him, a huge grin engulfing her face. "I bet it was great."
"I don't know. You sort of lit the place up. I'm sure it was awesome, though," he agreed. "That was a really good idea, by the way."
She beamed. "Thanks. I saw how worried you looked, so I figured I'd pull out the big guns."
"I wasn't worried."
"Sure you weren't," she laughed, going over to the limp form of the Baroness and picking up the lump of fabric that barely clung to the Amulet Shard.
"I wasn't. I knew that you'd be pissed off if I jumped in, so I let you take her."
"Uh huh. Right."
The blonde knew she wasn't going to let it go. So what if he had been worried? It'd been a knee-jerk reaction, uncontrollable. It had passed after a few seconds, however, when he reminded himself how stupid worrying about her capabilities was. She may not be the greatest mind out there, but he hadn't been lying when he'd called her a genius. Natsumi was a genius at what she did, and he was glad he hadn't stepped in for more reasons than one. Not only did he spare himself Natsumi's lecture on respecting her abilities, but it was a joy to watch her in her element, displaying her talents as she dispatched opponents.
So he let her think that he'd been worried about her, knowing it made her happy.
"Whatever. Let's focus on dealing with them, though," he motioned to the old lady and her cronies. "Sevoir was going to contact the Magic Council while we were gone, so we'll probably have to drag the bastards back, since someone thought it was a good idea to spook the horses half to death," he glared at her.
"You're just mad that I took out more of them than you," she sniffed, throwing her nose in the air.
Laxus and Natsumi got lucky. On the way back to the Sevoir estate, they were intercepted by a detachment of the 6th Magic Council Custody Enforcement Unit who told them that they'd been sent this way by the aristocrat.
After initial explanations, and the bearing of all three suspects' Crimson Arrow guild marks, the soldiers took the dark wizards into custody.
"Our captain is waiting at Mr. Sevoir's estate. I understand that matters extended past a simple kidnapping case," one of the arresting officers told them as they made their way back to the mansion grounds.
Once there, Natsumi was surprised to see not only Sevoir and his wife, but Priscilla, Trini, and their grandfather sitting at the Sevoir's enormous dining table. Along with them sat a man not much older than Laxus, with close-cropped brown hair and glasses, who she assumed was the captain of the Magical Enforcement Unit.
"Please, have a seat, you two," Sevoir said, looking much more animated now that his wife wasn't in immediate danger.
They did as they were told, and the captain cleared his throat.
"First of all, thank you for apprehending the dark wizards," he said, nodding to Natsumi and Laxus. "I gather that you were able to recover the object in question?"
Natsumi held up the blue stone and set it on the table, sliding it towards the center. The captain nodded once more, reaching over to take it.
"I'll see to it that this object is turned over to the proper department. Now as for the matter of the object's theft..."
"I'm afraid that would be my fault," Sevoir admitted. "I wrongfully seized the object from Eagle Eye's guild master, then threatened him with the loss of his guild hall property. Crimson Arrow had abducted my wife, and I felt compelled to do whatever I was able to ensure her safety. Miss Priscilla was only acting in her grandfather's best interest when she became involved, so if there is punishment to be had, it should be for me."
The captain leaned back, a thoughtful look on his face. "Priscilla wouldn't face punishment. Since the lawful owner of the stone was her grandfather, unless he desired to press charges, there'd be nothing I could do. You, on the other hand, are liable."
Sevoir nodded, resigned.
"It wasn't his fault!" Natsumi defended, ignoring Laxus's warning hand on her shoulder. "He was only doing it because he didn't think he had a choice!"
"Quiet. I don't need to be lectured by the likes of Fairy Tail," he held up a hand to silence the pink haired mage.
"As I was saying," he continued. "You are responsible. However, I do understand that you were under extreme duress when you acted."
"Master Croft, has Mr. Sevoir rectified the situation with you to your satisfaction?" he asked the elderly man.
He nodded. "He returned the deed to the land our guild is built on as soon as I got here. I don't blame him. If it had been my wife, I would have done the same. Now that the Amulet Shard is in the proper hands, I can't say I have anything to complain about."
The captain looked between the two men, then sighed.
"It's not exactly protocol, but in light of the events, I'm not going to take you in for illegal seizure of a magical artifact. You seem contrite, and though your reparations are out of the scope of the Magic Council's concern, I see no reason to believe you'll be a repeat offender."
The aristocrat brightened. "Thank you, officer. I appreciate your consideration."
The captain stood then, Amulet Shard in hand. "Then I believe this concludes matters. I'll see myself out. Have a good day, all of you," he bowed slightly to the table, then departed, followed by two subordinate soldiers that had been standing at attention in the doorway.
"Thank you all," Sevoir said when the Enforcement Unit departed. He turned to Natsumi and Laxus. "Without you, I would've never seen my wife again. Who knows what horrors those monsters would have inflicted upon her? I'm in your debt."
"And I am, as well. I owe my life to you," Celeste nodded, a gentle smile on her pale face.
Natsumi shrugged. "It's our job to take out creeps like that. Plus, it's not like you didn't already cough up some major dough—ow!" she glared at Laxus, who'd stepped on her foot to shut her up.
"It really wasn't a problem," he told them.
Sevoir only laughed, then turned to Eagle Eye's master.
"And thank you, old friend. I didn't deserve the kindness you just showed me, but I thank you for it anyway. I do sincerely apologize for my actions against you, and I hope that we can move past this in the future. There's no finer expedition partner than you."
"Water under the bridge, John. I understand," the old man smiled.
"And apologies to you girls, as well. I didn't mean to put undue stress on your family," he nodded to Priscilla and Trini.
"I didn't even know that 'Cilla had done anything," Trini shrugged. "I was just worried about Mistress' wellbeing. I'm glad you're safe," she smiled.
"It ended up working out, even if Natsumi did sprain my ankle," Priscilla threw a halfhearted glare in the dragon slayer's direction, who was still busy scowling at Laxus. "Though I'm sorry for taking it in hindsight. I wanted it in a museum and I was scared Grandpa was going to lose his guild, but it's not worth anyone's life. I'm glad I wasn't responsible for anything bad happening to anybody."
"Then I think this calls for a celebration!" Sevoir rose from his seat. "Tonight, the entirety of Eagle Eye is invited here to celebrate not only my lovely wife's return," he batted his eyes dramatically at Celeste, who giggled, "but the successful donation of the Amulet Shard to the Museum of Magic! Will you make the necessary arrangements, Trini?"
The girl in question rose, curtsying. "Of course, Master. I'll get right on it."
"You two will stay as well, won't you? After all, you're the guests of honor," he winked at them.
The Fairy Tail mages exchanged a look, then turned back to their former employer. "We really should be getting back. We've got a long train ride tomorrow," Laxus said.
Everyone visibly deflated.
"But it'd be a sad day when a Fairy Tail wizard gave up the chance to party!" Natsumi exclaimed, and everyone let out a cheer, excited they'd get to the opportunity to see the two dragon slayers in their natural habitat.
Sometime in the early hours of the morning, the two mages stumbled back to their hotel room, drunk and stuffed from the night's celebrations.
They'd shown Eagle Eye what a real party was, alright. From Natsumi's impromptu fire displays to Laxus's stories of his travels, they were the center of attention, everyone wanting to know the details of the Amulet Shard's 'daring' recovery.
"That was so much fun," Natsumi giggled as she kicked off her sandals and fell face first on their bed.
Laxus followed her, shucking his jacket before joining her.
"Yeah, but getting up tomorrow is going to suck ass. Between that, the hangover we're both going to have, and the train ride, we'll be lucky if we make it back to Magnolia in one piece."
She groaned, rolling over onto his back, slapping his bare shoulders halfheartedly. "I don't want to think about that. I just want to enjoy the rest of our last night here."
He turned his head, trying to look up at her and failing. "I thought you'd be dying to get back to see Happy and everyone else."
Natsumi sighed and moved to kiss him. She gently moved her lips with his for a few moments, before pulling away. "I am, and I do miss them, just like I know you miss the Thunder Legion," she pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "But..."
"But you've gotten used to this?" he offered, finishing her sentence.
He felt her nod against him.
"I like being around you all time, and when we go back, we're going to be with our own teams again. I did miss Happy and Lucy and Erza and even Gray, but who knows when the next time we see each other will be after we get back?"
Laxus rolled over, then, knocking her off his back. Once he turned over, he pulled her back to him so he could look her in the face.
"Who knew you were a sentimental drunk, huh?" he smiled up at her, leaning up to kiss her chin. "Sober Nat would make fun of you."
"Shut up," she groaned.
"I'm serious," he kissed her again, on the mouth this time, long and lingering. "I'm not going anywhere. Sure, we'll both be out on jobs, but it's not like we're never going to see each other again."
"I'll miss you, too, you know," he went on. "Not that I'm ever going to say that again. But it's true, and no matter how long I'm gone, I'll always be back."
"Promise?" she mumbled, snuggling up to his chest.
"Yeah, I promise," he laughing, stroking her hair, still soft even after the day's exertions.
"I promise, too," she whispered.