Revenge of the Season

Natsu's Birthday

It was another hot summer day in Magnolia. The sun shone so bright, you could see the heat waves coming from the sidewalk. Lucy felt none of this heat because she was so used to Natsu's flames which almost burned hotter than the sun itself, sometimes. Still, Lucy decided to wear her hot pink halter top with blue jean shorts and her long, brown boots. After getting dressed, Lucy locked up her apartment and made her way towards the guild, her second home.

Lucy reached the guild hall in no time, with its large red roof and golden ascents, it was hard to miss. Lucy walked through the front doors and sat down at a table with her best girl friend, Levy McGarden, who was caught up in another book. Levy didn't notice when Lucy sat down across from her, so Lucy leaned across the table to peer at Levy's book from the top. This irritated Levy and Lucy both, so it was entertaining to do it to each other.

Levy laid her book down, placing a page marker in between the pages.
"What's up, Lucy?" Levy asked, attention now fully on Lucy and not the book laying flat open between the two girls.

"Oh, nothing. You know how it goes," was Lucy's basic response. Levy, being the best friend she was, tried to decipher Lucy's meaning.

"Yea, it gets pretty boring when there aren't that many job requests available," Levy commented, tapping her fingers on her current book.

"Its not just the job board," Lucy began to complain, "I never get to take any jobs without Natsu and Happy. And when we do take jobs, its my money that gets spent on things like food and train tickets," Lucy grumbled, with a thunk of her head on the table.

Levy let a sweat drop before patting her friend on the head. "There, there, Lucy. Things will get better," Levy tried before a light bulb went off in her head.  Levy took a quick glance around the guild hall, double checking before whispering to Lucy. "Why don't you take an easy job right now, while Natsu isn't here?" Levy suggested.

Lucy shot her head up and exclaimed, "That's a great idea, Levy! Why didn't I think of that?" Lucy slapped her forehead and ran to the job board, looking for a simple task that wasn't too far of a travel. Lucy was just about to reach for a request from the board when something came up behind her and scared her.

Not something, it was someone.

"Whatcha got there, Luce?" Natsu asked. He and Happy had just walked in when they saw Lucy, they're teammate, at the request board. They had snuck up behind her because they thought it was fun to scare Lucy.

"Ugh, Natsu! Would you stop doing that to me!" Lucy demanded, but Natsu and his flying blue pal only smiled at her, Happy giggled behind his paws.

Lucy turned her back to the pink-haired boy and his annoying cat. She had wanted to pick a task that wasn't too difficult for her and her spirits, but she also didn't want to travel too far away. There was a sheet posted to the board that asked for a simple errand girl, someone to run around the town and do menial tasks. It paid 55,000 jewel, so it wasn't a bad offer. Lucy grabbed the paper and ripped it off the board.

"Alright! We're going on another trip!" Natsu hollered, pumping his fists in the air and high-fiving Happy.

"No, I'm going on a trip." Lucy announced, rolling her eyes at their excitement. When Lucy turned around, she froze in her tracks. Natsu and Happy were pouting, their heads slumped and their arms dangling. Lucy heaved a big sigh before looking at her friends.

"I'm sorry, you guys, but I want to take a job by myself this once," Lucy explained.

"But, we always take jobs together, Lu-shee," Happy cried to her.

"I know, but I promise I won't be gone long. We have to celebrate Natsu's birthday next week," Lucy reminded them, and herself. This would be the perfect chance to get Natsu a birthday gift without him finding out.

"You promise, Lu-shee?" Happy asked, Natsu finally looking up from the floor to stare at Lucy, waiting for her promise.

"I swear on my spirits, you guys. I will be back in the just a few short days, okay?" Lucy assured them, walking over to the bar to sign the request with Mira, who acted more like guild secretary rather than just a waitress. Lucy walked out of the guild hall, waving everyone goodbye, and made her way to the train station.

After Lucy left the guildhall, Happy had flown over to try and flirt some more with Carla, the white cat who never strayed too far from her dragon slayer. Natsu slumped himself down in the nearest booth and just sat there, staring at his hands. What was he to do now? Natsu had thought to convince Lucy to go on a hike with him, but now that she was gone, what was he supposed to do with himself.

Thoughts of the blonde mage kept reeling through his mind like a movie. The first time he met Lucy. The first job they took. How she had gone along with him and Happy to save Macao.