ADL OLD CHAPTERS

16. Mission Success

"I can't be the only one who thought he was kind of hot right?" Y/n asked as the group of Earthland mages wandered down the Royal City's streets.

"What?" Lucy turned to the h/c girl, a brow raised questioningly.

"Edolas Natsu," she replied. "He was hot,"

"But he looks just like our Natsu," Wendy said.

"Yeah," Lucy smirked, wiggling her brows. "Does that mean you find our Natsu hot?"

Natsu's face burned at the blonde's words. His heart stuttered and his stomach flipped. He turned to look at y/n as Lucy's question hung in the air. She was staring right at him. Her e/c eyes scanning his face and then his body, slowly taking in the details. Natsu squirmed under her intense gaze, uncomfortable. His breath caught in his throat when y/n looked up once more and their eyes met for a fraction of a second.

"I guess," she shrugged. "But there was something about Dragion that was just... I don't even know how to describe it,"

"What does he have that I don't?" Natsu asked, a bit of a bite behind his words. "The fact that he doesn't get motion sick or that he's a total scaredy-cat?"

"I thought it was endearing," y/n defended. "And I don't know... Something about the way he acted behind the wheel, all cocky and cool..."

"I can be cool!" he argued.

"Why do you care so much Natsu?" Happy asked, looking up at his friend with a smirk. "You jealous?"

"What? No! Shut up Happy!" Natsu sputtered, his cheeks stained red.

"Hey what's that over there?" Wendy asked, putting an end to the previous conversation. She pointed to a crowd gathered in the town square. "Looks like something is going on,"

Lucy watched the people curiously. "Are they having a parade or something?"

"Like their version of Fantasia?!" Natsu's eyes glowed as he took off towards the mob, Happy trailing not far behind.

"We are here for serious business not fun!" Carla shouted at their retreating forms. But the pair either didn't hear or didn't care.

"Hold on Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed, running after the pink-haired mage.

Y/n couldn't suppress her groan as she followed her friends, ducking and weaving her way through the crowd. Sometimes she wished that they were a little more mission-oriented. She hissed as she was knocked back by a cheering citizen. Y/n was not a fan of crowds. They were cramped and tight for space. They made surveillance incredibly difficult. Not to mention how easy it could be to lose oneself of others.

"What the heck are you gawking at?" y/n grumbled as she reached her friends. They didn't answer. She followed their gaze and when she registered what she was seeing, her jaw dropped and her blood ran cold.

A lacrima. A giant blue lacrima stood but a few feet before them. Y/n clenched her jaw, a feral sort of growl rumbling from deep within her chest. How could the people of Edolas celebrate something like that? Did they not know what it was? Y/n saw red as she took a step forwards. The roar of blood in her ears drowned everything else out. The crowd's cheers. The king's declarations. Her friends' words. Nothing.

Rage. All she could feel was rage. It was white-hot, burning through the initial cold sting of fear. It flowed through her body, through every vein, every cell until it consumed her. Her entire being burned with rage and she was glad she didn't have magic. If she did someone would have died. Of that much she was certain.

Y/n took another step forward but a hand on her wrist stopped her. She spun around, the fire in her eyes softening slightly when she met Lucy's tear-filled gaze. The blonde shook her head no. Y/n nodded, agreeing to the unspoken plan. She cast one more glance at the lacrima before joining the Earthland wizards and vanishing into the crowd.