This update is going to be relatively fast compared to anything else I'll be able to manage: I do have school and that'll hinder me quite a bit in regards to this. If anything, chapters should come faster during weekends. Otherwise, I apologize if this chapter seems a bit rushed. I'm going to try to slow down my pacing, and if anything these parts will probably just seem the fastest because they're from the first episode. Basically: first episode is the necessary hurtle to jump over. So now that that's out of the way, I have a greater deal of liberty I can take with this and go a little slower. Otherwise, please, let me know if you guys have any suggestions for little things to add in!

"Sheesh, Fairy Tail's causing trouble again? 'Devon Bandit Clan Wiped out, Seven Homes Destroyed'?"

Lucas eagerly flipped through a few magazine pages, lounging back on the bench with a childish kick of his feet. He'd decided to clear his mind of anything about Natsu ,Salamander, or basically all of the other chaos he'd had to put up with today.

He was going to stick back to his fun, normal life of writing books and mooching off people. Then, of course, he'd become an all-powerful magician and have Fairy Tail begging to let him in. He proudly had all his priorities straight and there was no way he'd let a stupid dragon-loving scarf jerk consume his thoughts like a pink-toned disease.

The blond sneered as he scanned through a hysterically emphasized article of a Fairy Tail mission gone wrong. "You'd think they'd write a decent article at least once in a while...I wonder how you're supposed to get into that guild anyway? There's gotta be like an interview or something, right?"

He sighed half-heartedly, closing the magazine as it tediously went on to numerous sections of busty, scantily clad models. Not that they weren't pleasing to look at. He just didn't care for them.

Lucas grinned to himself in a giddy, dream-like state as he imagined the high life in a guild full of fame, fortune, and authority. It would be nice for people to take him seriously every once in a while. "Damn...what I wouldn't give for a spot in Fairy Tail..."

"Oh? You want to be in Fairy Tail?"

Lucas recognized that voice. Oh, did he ever.

Smooth spikes of dark, silky hair popped out from behind a bush while a glamorous face followed suit with its matching, blinding smile.

Lucas almost want to scream.
His eyes narrowed in bitter annoyance and he held a hand in front of his face as a pheromones-shield. "What the hell do you want?!"

Salamander's dazzling grin continued to beam at its target who was more irritated over the fact that the man had just appeared from no where of a shrub.

The charmer laughed seductively in a low, husky tone as he took a seat near Lucas. "I've been looking for you everywhere, you know."

Why is this happening to me...why...why...

Lucas scowled, scooting as far away from the creep and his choking flower perfume (of which he clearly had no sense of taste in). "Forget it. Your little charm isn't going to work on me: I already know about it."

Salamander was no less confident in his approach, watching Lucas with lewd eyes. "I knew from the moment our gazes connected that you were indeed a wizard! Ah, yes, but it matters not! You must come to my party!"

Awkward in any situation involving advances (especially of the pervy, creepy type), Lucas made what he could of clinging to the edge of the bench like a cornered cat, complete with a scrunched up expression of distaste. "Yeah, right, you sicko. Like I'd ever go to any party of yours."

He pursed his lips in mock offense, waving a hand dismissively. "See, you've got me pegged all wrong, my feisty blond friend! The charm was only formality; I simply want to feel like a celebrity during my party. Is that really so wrong?"

"Uh, yeah?"

The man only seemed to appear smug. "What if I told you I could get you into Fairy Tail?"

This definitely caught Lucas' attention. His jaw dropped before he slid off the bench, crashing down to the cobblestone road with a thump. He scrambled back up to something of a sitting position while he stared aghast at the caped seducer. "You're in Fairy Tail?!"

Salamander rested a pointed hand under his chin, leaning back with a sly smirk that could outdo a fox. "You bet. If you want to join, I can put in a good word with our master."

Time for a tactic change, Lucas thought, putting on as sincere a winning expression as he could muster, sliding gracefully back on the bench with Salamander.

"This sound like it'll be a really nice party, you know!" The heavy scent of flowery perfume was stinging his eyes but he'd be damned if that was going to stop him. "Mister Salamander, you're really cool for inviting me and all! Wow! I'm so excited! Really excited! Excitement! As an orphan I never got the chance to-"

"Uh, yes, that is uh, quite wonderful." Salamander's tolerance now seemed entirely forced as he held a hand up to stop Lucas' emotional ramble.

Lucas continued to ogle the caped man, bright eyes full of mirth. "Say, can you really get me into Fairy Tail?"

Salamander nodded in boastful arrogance, wrapping a tight arm around Lucas' petite shoulders. "But of course! You see, I consider the two of us friends. And friends can keep secrets, right?"

Lucas grew a bit tense, now aware of the arm encasing him, but did not drop his cheerful facade regardless. "What do you mean?"

"Let's keep all this 'charm' business our little secret, ok?" The man chuckled smoothly, pressing a finger to his own lips in gesture to the idea.

Lucas didn't like that, but he sure as hell could pretend he did, pumping his fist in the air and cheering jubilantly. "Yeah! Sure! Whatever you want! Whoo!"

After taking a furtive glance around, Salamander stood back up and bowed courteously, winking at Lucas as he rose back up. "I'm glad. I'll be seeing you at the party then."
Lucas laughed airly and waved in a robotic manner to Salamander, who used his magic to disappear into thin air or whatever such exits could be classified as. Not that it mattered to Lucas anymore.

He jumped off the bench, letting out a victorious cry before he made a hurried sprint back towards the town.

This was finally it! He was going to get into Fairy Tail!
His lips curved upward into a cocky grin as he ran.

He just had to be nice to this jackass until then.

His scarf caught the nighttime breeze, rustling across his chest in a peaceful manner. Natsu gazed up at the moon from his spot on the bridge, paying little attention as his tired cat friend found comfort in the warmth of his hair.

It was odd: he didn't feel nearly as disappointed over the phony Igneel as he thought he would have.

He'd been so distracted by the dinner and satisfaction of a full stomach that he didn't even have time to get pissed over it. He definitely lucked out by meeting that talkative blond guy with all the money.

What was his name again? Natsu vaguely recalled it starting with a Lu-something: he'd always had a terrible track record when it came to remembering names.
He still felt guilty over taking advantage of a free dinner like that, not that he had meant to in the first place. In the least, he wanted to meet with the guy again and offer an apology. He didn't really seem to take Natsu's boyfriend joke as well as he had hoped; that was evident from the still burning in his gut.
Unless it was just his magic going haywire on him.

The wizard yawned, leaning against the railing with a nostalgic smile. Hopefully the guy wasn't too far off in town; it'd make it all the more difficult to find him again. This time, he figured it was best he return with a real apology gift too.
Natsu wasn't willing to test out how fierce those mesmerizing brown eyes could really get.

"Look, look, that's Mr. Salamander's boat!"

A couple of girls- Natsu recognized them as a former part of the mob- were pointing out at a showy cruise liner and giggling between each other.

"I wish I could've gone!"

"I heard he's a member of Fairy Tail!"

What?
Natsu raised an eyebrow, his mouth twitching into an irritated frown. Fairy Tail? Now that was ridiculous; as if a creeper like that would be in Fairy Tail.

"Did you see the boy that was walking with him?"

"Oh, yeah, the blond one! I wonder what he had to do with Mr. Salamander."

"Who knows! I kind of remember seeing him in our group though...weird..."

Oh, now he really didn't like the sound of this.
Wasn't that guy snapped out of the charm when he walked in and interrupted?
But then again...if no one was there to interrupt and the fake Salamander found him again...
This was bad, this was definitely bad.

Natsu muttered a curse, prying Happy off his head before rushing down the stairs. If someone was going to save Luigi, he'd be the one to do it.
Wait, Luigi didn't really sound right; the guy had a nicer name than that. Natsu could distinctly remember the way it rolled off his tongue, just not the sound that went along with it.

Though, god, did he ever hate boats.

When this party was over, Lucas was going to take a five hour bubble bath and scrub every single part of himself that even remotely reeked of flowers.
And fish.
But moreso the flowers.

Lucas had run all the way back into town just to rent a tux for this, and while he had no issue admitting he looked attractive, his current scent was another issue.

Lucas' face was starched and ironed with a dazzling smile as he sat at a table across from Salamander, who took to making little droplets of wine fly in the air as a display of his fine magical abilities.

Lucas didn't even try to listen to what the lecherous babble the man was purring into his ear.
This was all just beyond creepy and Lucas swore it'd be a miracle if he got out of this place without committing suicide. Nevertheless, he laughed stiffly and played along with the little game, taking in the fresh scent of champagne.

And sleep magic.
Ok, now that he was definitely not putting up with.

Lucas growled and stood up, slamming his hands down on the table. "Hey, what gives?! I could tell that was sleep magic! Look, if there's one thing I'm not doing, it's getting knocked out and letting you have fun with-"

"Ooh, you're a tough one, aren't you?" Salamander remained collected for a moment before his mouth twisted into an empty, delirious simper.

Lucas hitched a breath, taking a step back. This smile was leagues creepier than the other, more blinding ones.

Salamander made a quick snap of his fingers before various large and imposing guild members appeared from behind curtains, the unconscious bodies of victims slung over their shoulders like freshly killed prey.

Assessing the situation, Lucas turned forward, a defiant, disgusted glare crossing his features as he held eye contact with Salamander. "You're not from Fairy Tail."

The caped man immediately burst into a sickening, sharp laughter, crossing his arms across his chest. "Splendid, really. You finally figured it out! Good job. Favorably, though, you were mindless enough to actually get on this ship. So much for your Fairy Tail dream, huh?"

"What are you planning on doing with all of these people?" Lucas seethed, reaching into his pocket to feel the dangling of his Gatekeys.

"Oh, that won't matter much once you're knocked out, now will it, my friend?" Salamander snickered, summoning an air of fire magic around himself. "You're all Bosco merchandise now."

The fire hissed, curling around Lucas' arm and snapping his open key set out of his hands. Lucas yelped, shooting Salamander a spiteful look as he clutched his own throbbing arm.

Salamander loftily clutched the keys in his hand, jingling them around in mock interest. "Gatekeys...so you're a celestial wizard? Whatever. These keys are useless to me."

His lip curled up in delirious delight as he tossed the keys out of an open porthole. Lucas felt a lump rise up in his throat when he heard the disheartening clunk of keys hitting the water.

His magic...the keys he'd spent years collecting just to be strong...strong enough to be a wizard like this guy...

He was sickened by it all. Even worse, he was nothing without his keys. There was nothing that could even remotely classify him as a wizard now, all thanks to the sick bastard that dumped his keys into the ocean.

There was nothing unique about Lucas.

"Are you going to cry now?" Salamander laughed derisively, grabbing onto Lucas' chin and forcefully pushing his head up to look at him. "You're nothing but a kid. You actually thought you'd have a chance of getting into Fairy Tail? No one would want a useless magician like you. Not a single guild, not a single person."Lucas could feel the man's sharp fingernails digging into his cheeks. "You're just a little boy."

It all happened in less than a second.

The ceiling began to cave in and damp brown eyes slowly focused on the cracks spreading in the wood above them. Debris began spilling from the pressured barrier above and before long the entire ceiling collapsed on itself, kindling a thick dust cloud along with the destruction that followed. Lucas choked, suffocating on the smoky air that became trapped in his lungs. He felt the held back tears spilling out of his eyes and there wasn't a thing he could do to make them stop.

He was going to die here.

He was going to die here as a good-for-nothing, stupid kid.

His hand still covered his mouth and his face still streamed with tears in the moment he decided to look up.
He found dark, flaming eyes ablaze, their heat sending an exhilarating chill down his spine.

The eyes weren't angry.
They were scared. The eyes were scared until the moment they met his own, whereupon they softened, their internal fire dimming to a dull ember.

Lucas bit his lip to keep it from trembling, the words shakily escaping his mouth as soon as he regained his voice.

"Natsu."

Natsu's face relaxed into a soothing smile, his eyes reflecting a message that said everything would be okay.

Lucas didn't hesitate to believe him.

Natsu held the smile for a minute before it completely disappeared and his face went sickly pale. He groaned unintelligibly as he crumbled to the ground, looking as if he'd lose his entire dinner in a short amount of time.

Lucas gaped, blinking at the pathetic sight of the once dramatic hero in this mess. Salamander and the other guild members seemed as nonplussed as Lucas.

"Lucas!"

The blond turned his head to the call, eyes locked on the curious blue cat hovering above them. "Happy?"

The feline nodded and cocked his head to the side. "What are you doing here?"

"I was tricked!" He growled, kneeling down by the miserable pile of Natsu on the ground. "Salamander said he'd get me into Fairy Tail...some idiot I was for believing that bullshit..."

"Nevermind, you can talk later!" Happy chirped before swooping down and wrapping his abnormally strong tail around Lucas' waist. He looked severely dumbfounded before the cat lifted him up into the air, carrying them both far away from the ship.

"Wait, wait, hold on!" Lucas panted, still trying to process everything that had just crashed into his life, quite literally at that. "We have to get Natsu!"

"I can't carry two people." Happy stated plainly as they soared farther and farther away from the boat.

"Are you serious?! Look, we have to do something!" He begged, frantically trying to peek back at the disaster. "There are tons of people trapped in there and we can't just leave Natsu to fend for himself either!"

"Hey, Lucas."

"What?! Do you have an idea?"

"My transformation is over." Said Happy as they both began plummeting down into the ocean.
Lucas was never again allowing a flying cat to rescue him. Ever.

He sputtered when the salty ocean water burned his throat, weighing him down through his now soaked tuxedo. Bringing himself to an adequate swimming position, he tread forward, catching sight of a golden, shining object beneath his feet. His eyes lightened in hope and he took a deep breath before he went under. He scanned through the murky currents, finally spotting his Gatekeys hooked on a jutting rock formation. Lucas surged forward, quickly swiping the keys and popping back up with a relished breath.
His arm struck forth with a selected key, hitting the water with a smack as he chanted. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer!"

A regal, blue haired mermaid appeared from a bright light, floating in the air above them as if she were about to be bored to death.

"Aquarius!" Lucas spat in a panic, motioning his arms toward the ship. "Use your power to push that ship back to the port!"

Aquarius scowled. Her only response was a flick of the head accompanied by an irritated 'Tch'.

Lucas' eye twitched and he clutched his own wet hair in frustration. "Look, this isn't the time for your games! Natsu needs help and if anything happens to him I-"

"Heed my words, annoying child." Aquarius' icy gaze remained focused on the gaudy, broken ship ahead. "Drop my key again and I will not hesitate to kill you."

Lucas gulped and forced a sheepish smile, deciding it'd be best to remain on the mermaid's good side. "I'm sorry, ok? But please, hurry. There's someone I need to save."

Aquarius paused shortly, meeting Lucas' eyes with her piercing stare. She then nodded, stirring up the surrounding ocean in a massive current that effectively- and perhaps terrifyingly- washed up everything and everyone back to shore. The event itself looked more like a short lived hurricane than anything else.
Lucas now lay sprawled on the sandy shore, coughing up water and shooting Aquarius a less-than-amused glare.

"You swept me up."

"Oops. The ship was accidentally caught in the wave."

"You were aiming for me?!"

Aquarius scoffed, turning away with a sly twitch of the lip. "Don't call me for a week. I'm going on a trip with my boyfriend."

"Of course you are."

"With my boyfriend."

"I heard you the first time!"

Aquarius smirked as she disappeared back into the key, leaving a sandy and soaking wet Lucas on the beach with the shipwrecked aftermath of a natural disaster. The townspeople chattered worriedly as they crowded around the destroyed ship and the endless clusters of unconscious partygoers it housed.

Lucas rose up and made quick survey of the disaster zone. His attention fell on a pink haired mage standing on top of the ship wreckage, his scarf blowing fiercely in the turbulent ocean wind. Natsu looked down on Salamander with an vacant, hardened expression, his voice lowered, into a clipped, threatening growl. "You're a Fairy Tail wizard?"

Salamander attitude went untouched by this and he simply regarded Natsu with an arrogant flip of the hand. "Yeah, so?"

Within a split second, Natsu charged forward, his arm itself on fire as his grabbed Salamander by the collar of his torn up, soaked cape. The man looked increasingly pale, his once cocky, arrogant eyes bulging in fear. The smell of expensive fabric catching on fire lingered in the air.

"I'm Natsu of Fairy Tail." Natsu spat through clenched teeth, his sharp canines poking out over his cracked lips. "And I've never seen you before in my life."

Lucas didn't move, letting the smell of smoke filling his lungs as he stared at Natsu. The fire mage was no longer bound by his jacket and his muscular arms were free, flowing with the tremendous amount of magic their owner had previously suppressed. Lucas watched on in awe as Natsu began to take down the bulky guild members attacking him, the Fairy Tail insignia proudly displayed on his shoulder with each fluid movement of his body.

Lucas had never seen anything as breath-taking as Natsu had been in that moment.

He took three careful steps down, each followed by a broken creak of wood.

With each step, drops of blood followed, spilling onto the red-stained sand below.

"Natsu." Someone called.

He looked up, his face dirtied and scratched with red. "Hey."

The boy stepped forward and he felt a soft, moist cloth pressed to his forehead. The wounds stopped throbbing. "They beat you up, didn't they?"

Natsu laughed heartily, running a hand through his own tousled hair. "You kidding? I completely owned them."

The boy sighed, pulling the cloth back. "I meant on the ship when you got sick."

"Oh." Natsu shrugged, walking forward. "It's no big deal. I heal pretty quick, you know."

"...I'm sorry."

Natsu blinked, biting his bottom lip. "Sheesh, what do you have to be sorry for?"

The boy seemed uncertain, shaking his head in a discreet manner. "You're right. If anything, I should be thanking you again."

"You don't have anything to thank me for. We're even, remember?" Natsu's eyes gazed up at the midnight sky. "Listen, you...you're not useless."

Chestnut eyes widened, looking at nothing but one. "What?"

"What that bastard fake Salamander was saying to you before." Natsu kicked at the ground absently, feeling a great deal less confident under those eyes. "He was wrong."

The boy lacked a response. Natsu continued.

"Hey..." He inhaled, turning back around to face the boy. "You wanted to join Fairy Tail, right?"

The boy nodded, slowly and surely.

Natsu nodded back, a warm, toothy grin filling his face. "Let's go."

Lucas trudged along, feeling more exhausted emotionally than he ever had before in his life. All in the same day, he had almost gotten kidnapped and killed by a man who reeked of lilacs. He had wasted 1000 jewel on food for an idiot that he swore he'd have nothing else to do with. He was now on a full-out journey to Fiore with said idiot. He was now in a guild, and not just any guild, he was now (unofficially) in Fairy Tail.

And to top it off, he was still freezing cold in a soaking wet tuxedo that he would probably never get around to returning.

He now had no idea whether to classify this as the best or the worst day of his life.

"Hey, you look really nice, Luigi."

Lucas blinked, then deadpanned at Natsu through his dripping wet bangs. "Lucas. My name is Lucas!"

Natsu held up his hands defensively. "Sorry, Lucas. I was only trying to compliment you, geez..."

"Learn my name first!"

Natsu sighed, folding his arms behind his head as he walked. He peered over at his traveling companion as he rolled the name of his tongue. "Lucas, Lucas, Lucas..."

Lucas facepalmed, a flustered coloration to his cheeks. "Stop that!"

Natsu look abashed, scrunching his nose up in discontent. "Touchy, touchy. Is that the thanks I get for saving your ass and getting you into Fairy Tail?"

Lucas said nothing, staring down at the ground beneath them. Natsu bent his head down, observing him for a minute. He then took off his scarf and carefully draped it over Lucas' neck. "It's dry. I mean, I'd try warming you up with fire but I think you might get burnt."
The gesture didn't go unappreciated by Lucas, who nestled the scarf closer around his own neck. "Thanks, Natsu."
Natsu chuckled and trotted forward, starting up conversation with his flying cat.

Once his hero's attention went elsewhere, Lucas bundled the ends of the scarf in his hands, burying his nose in the soft, fuzzy fabric. Natsu's smoky, calming scent filled his senses, coursing a distinct warmth through his veins.
That alone could've served as an endless source of heat for Lucas altogether.

He ultimately decided that this day wasn't his worst.

Unbeknownst to his companion, Natsu watched the scene from the corner of his eye.

A tender smile made its way across his lips.