We were still in the carriage, and we hadn't arrived yet. Natsu was holding on, looking completely nauseous. Happy sat beside him like a stuffed toy, and I was silently praying he wouldn't throw up. Lucy watched Natsu with a sympathetic look, like she was watching a wounded animal.
Lucy: "You and vehicles don't mix at all, huh? I feel bad for you in so many ways…"
Natsu: "What's that supposed to mean?!"
John: "It means you and vehicles just don't go together. You always get motion sickness. She just feels bad that you can't enjoy the scenery or relax like a normal person. Honestly, you look so pathetic right now, I bet even Lucy could beat you in this state."
Happy: "Aye!"
Natsu: "Happy, don't agree with him… Uugh, I'm so dizzy. Let's stop talking—I might actually—UURGH."
John: "Okay, okay! Just hold on—please don't throw up. I didn't bring a bag."
After a while, the carriage finally stopped, and Natsu perked up like he had been brought back to life.
Driver: "Sorry! This is as far as I can go!"
Lucy: "We've arrived?"
As soon as the carriage stopped, Natsu jumped up, suddenly full of energy.
Natsu: "IT STOPPED! YEAH!!"
Happy: "Aye!"
They celebrated like they had just won a battle. I sighed and looked out the window.
John: "Looks like we did. Hope you brought something to keep you warm."
Lucy: "Huh? Why?"
She looked out the window and gasped. A blizzard raged outside.
Lucy: "Wh-Whoa...! What in the world?!"
We opened the carriage door and stepped out. Lucy immediately started shivering.
Lucy: "I'm freezing! I know we're on a mountain, but it's supposed to be summer! This blizzard isn't normal!"
I took a sip from a flask of whiskey I pulled from my coat.
John: "Ahh... That hits the spot. Oh, right—I forgot to explain. Mt. Hakobe's climate is always like this. It's a high mountain with year-round snow, constant blizzards, and access only up to a certain point by carriage. After that, it's all on foot. There are lots of caves up here, too, full of wild creatures and strange flora."
Lucy: "You couldn't have said that earlier?! I could've prepared!"
John: "I thought you already knew. Oh well—forgot you're still a newbie. My bad."
Natsu: "That's what you get for wearing light clothes."
Lucy: "You're not dressed any better! Give me your blanket!"
She quickly snatched Natsu's blanket.
Natsu: "Hey! You didn't even ask!"
Lucy: "It's an emergency! Besides, you don't even need it right now."
She wrapped the blanket tightly around herself, though she still shivered.
Lucy: "It's still cold…"
Natsu: "Man, she's annoying."
Happy: "Aye."
John: "Want a sip? Might help with the cold."
John (thought):I think...
Lucy: "No thanks. I'm not really into alcohol."
John: "Then how about using your magic? You're a Celestial Spirit Mage, right? Got a spirit that can help you stay warm?"
Lucy: "Oh yeah, I do! Wait… how did you know I'm a Celestial Spirit Mage?"
John: "I mean, it's pretty obvious from the keys hanging on your waist. Those are Celestial Spirit keys, right?"
Lucy: "Oh…"
John: "Actually, I think I'm the only one who noticed. Everyone else was too busy brawling. If Loke found out, he'd probably run for the hills."
Lucy looked like she wanted to ask something else, but the blizzard grew stronger, and she shivered even more. She quickly grabbed a silver key.
Lucy: "Open, Gate of the Clock Constellation! Horologium!"
A large, brown grandfather clock with black arms, a glass case, Roman numerals, and a small mustached face appeared. Lucy immediately jumped inside.
Natsu: "Oh! A clock!"
Happy: "Cool!"
Lucy spoke inside, but none of us could hear her.
Natsu: "Huh? I can't hear you."
Horologium (Lucy): "I'm staying in here," she says.
John: "Welp, better than freezing to death."
Natsu:"If you had something like that, why didn't you use it against that Bora guy back on the ship? Can't that spirit fight?"
Horologium (Lucy):"This one can't fight, but I do have a spirit that can. Bora took the key before I could summon it," she says.
Natsu:"Sounds like an excuse to me."
Horologium (Lucy):"It's not! Ask Happy—he helped me look for it!" she says.
Happy:"Aye! She's telling the truth. But still… kinda sloppy for a wizard."
Lucy just sulked, hugging her knees a little.
John:"Welp, just don't let your guard down next time."
Lucy nodded quietly, then looked up wanting to ask something else.
Horologium (Lucy): "What job brought Macao to a place like this?" she asks.
Natsu: "You came along without knowing?"
John: "You didn't even ask Father or Mirajane for information before tagging along? Reckless… kinda like Natsu."
Horologium (Lucy) : "He and I are not the same!" she says.
Happy: "He was gonna subdue a Vulcan. A vicious monster."
Horologium (Lucy Panic) : "I want to go back," she says.
Natsu: "Be my guest." I reply.
Happy: "Aye."
They started walking ahead.
John: "Sigh… Look, I get it—you're a newbie. But you can't just give up halfway. Still, it's your choice. If you want to head back, feel free."
She paused for a moment. Then her expression changed.
Horologium (Lucy): "I'm sorry—I'll keep going. This was my choice. I can't just back down," she says.
John: "Now that's more like it. First step to being a real guild member is facing your fear. Don't worry. If it gets too hard, just hang back and watch us."
Horologium (Lucy): "I can fight too," she says.
John: "I never said you couldn't. I said if it gets hard. Anyway, let's catch up—Natsu's probably halfway up the mountain by now."
Horologium (Lucy): "Yes," she says.
Then we caught up with Natsu and Happy.
Natsu: "Macao! You there?!"
Happy: "Macao!"
John: "Slow down, you two."
Just then, I heard something—movement above. I looked up.
John: "Wait—above you!"
A large shadow leapt from the cliffside. A massive figure came crashing down toward Natsu.
John: "Watch out, Natsu!"
Natsu: "Huh?"
He glanced up and barely dodged in time. Dust exploded around the impact. When it cleared, a massive beast stood in front of us.
Happy: "It's a Vulcan!"
Lucy: "It looks really strong…"
Without wasting a second, I summon a flashbomb from my bracelet and hurled it at the Vulcan. It detonated on impact in a burst of blinding light.
Natsu: "Oi! It hit me too, you know!"
Happy: "Aye! My eyes!"
John: "Deal with it."
I drew my revolver, ready to finish this quickly. I took aim at its head—but then I remembered something: Vulcans can use Take Over magic to possess humans.
John (thought):Wait… what if this one took over Macao? If that's him, I can't risk a headshot.
I adjusted my aim and fired two quick shots—bang, bang—straight into the Vulcan's legs. It roared in pain as the shots hit their mark. As the flash faded, Natsu saw its injuries.
John: "Now, Natsu! Knock him out!"
Natsu: "Tch—hey, I could've handled this myself, y'know. What's with the backup?"
John: "Just knock him out. That thing might be Macao."
Natsu: "What?! You're saying that Vulcan is Macao?!"
Horologium (Lucy) : "What?! That ape was him?!" she says.
Happy: "Natsu, John might be right! It could be a Vulcan that used Take Over on Macao!"
Lucy: "Take Over?"
Happy: "Yeah. It's a kind of possession magic. Vulcans survive by stealing human bodies and taking them over."
Natsu: "But we don't even know for sure!"
John: "Just knock him out and we'll find out."
Natsu:"Tch... fine."
He slammed his fists together, a magic circle flaring as flames surged across his arm.
Natsu: "If you really are Macao... I'm sorry! Just hang in there—Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"
With a blazing punch to the face, Natsu knocked the Vulcan flat. It groaned, then its form shimmered—and transformed. In its place lay a heavily injured man.
Horologium (Lucy): "'It really was him!'" She says.
Happy: "Yeah… Looks like Macao put up one hell of a fight before he got taken over."
John (thought):Phew… I was right. Thank god I didn't pull the trigger on his head.
Natsu (shaking Macao): "Macao! Come on, man—don't die on us! Romeo's waiting for you! Open your eyes!"
John (pulling Natsu back): "Are you crazy? Don't shake an injured man like that. Back off and let me check on him."
I knelt beside Macao and quickly assessed his condition. Digging into my coat, I pulled out a potion and helped him drink it. It eased his pain a bit, but it clearly wasn't enough.
John: "He's alive, but badly injured. Natsu, can you make a snow cave? Think you can manage that?"
Natsu: "Of course I can—leave it to me!"
John (thought):Wish Gray was here. He'd whip up an ice shelter in no time. Oh well… we'll make do.
While Natsu got to work, I turned to Lucy, still sheltered inside Horologium.
John: "Lucy, sorry to ask this… but could you step out for a bit? Macao needs the warmth more than you right now. Think you can bear it?"
Horologium (Lucy): "I understand. He needs it more than I do. I'll step out." She says.
Lucy exited, shivering again as the blizzard howled around us. We gently moved Macao inside Horologium's protective case.
Natsu: "All done over here!"
Lucy: "That was fast!"
John: "Good. Let's take shelter in the cave and tend to Macao."
We settled into the snow cave. I took charge of treating Macao's injuries, while Natsu sat near the center, using a small flame from his palm to keep the Macao warm kinda like a human campfire.
John: "Don't worry—he's fine. Not in critical condition. He just needs to rest a bit."
John carefully removed the bullets from Macao's leg. Natsu, watching, frowned.
Natsu: "You really didn't have to shoot him. I could've handled it myself."
John: "This was the better option. Who knows what might've happened? He could've run off, or worse—tried to kidnap Lucy. I heard male Vulcans really like human women. He probably showed up because of her."
Lucy: "Hiiiee?! Seriously? Then that Vulcan was a total perv!"
John: "Exactly. And don't worry—I didn't aim to cripple him. When he was in his ape form, the bullets didn't even pierce all the way. I made sure to hit a non-lethal spot."
Natsu: "If you say so…"
As John continued treating Macao, he looked over at Lucy.
John: "Too bad, Lucy. I didn't get to see you in action. But hey—your Horologium helped us big time. Thanks to him, we don't have to worry about the blizzard when carrying an injured Macao on the way down."
Lucy: "I didn't really do much…"
Natsu: "No, you were helpful! If you hadn't come, the Vulcan might've never shown up."
Happy: "Aye! I guess you're not that annoying after all."
Lucy: "I'll take that as a compliment."
John: "Well then, congrats, rookie. Your first quest is a success."
Lucy smiled, cheeks pink with pride.
Lucy: "Still, you handled everything like a pro. You reacted fast, acted even faster, and treated Macao without wasting a second."
John: "Eh. Just experience, that's all."
Lucy: "What kind of magic are you using? I didn't sense any mana… except from that Lacrima you threw. Though, now that I think about it, I did sense a bit coming from your wrist..."
Natsu: "Nah, he's not using magic at all."
Lucy: "What?!"
John: "It's true. I don't use magic. Everything I do comes from tools, instinct, talent, and hard work. Surprised? As someone with no mana—who can't use magic at all—I had to learn everything I could just to keep up."
Lucy: "I'm… both surprised and impressed."
Soon after, Macao stirred and opened his eyes. He blinked, seeing familiar faces.
Macao: "Natsu… John…"
Natsu: "Macao!"
John: "Don't move. You're still recovering."
Macao clenched his teeth.
Macao: "I'm pathetic… I took down 19 of them… but the 20th got me. Damn… I can't face Romeo now…"
Natsu: "Don't say that! Taking out 19 is amazing on its own!"
John: "Exactly."
Lucy watched, eyes wide in shock.
Lucy (thought):There were more than one of those monsters?! And he fought them all by himself?
John noticed her stunned expression.
John: "That's the strength of a Fairy Tail wizard. Impressed?"
Lucy: "Incredible… I can't even compare…"
She smiled in admiration.
Happy: "Why are you smiling like that, Lucy? You look creepy."
Lucy: "Keep talking and I'll yank your whiskers, furball."
After a while, Macao's condition stabilized. Though still injured, he was safe inside Horologium. We made our way back down Mt. Hakobe, and once we reached the carriage, Lucy unsummoned her Celestial Spirit.
Back at town, as the carriage came to a stop, Natsu offered to carry Macao.
Natsu: "Let me carry you, man."
Macao: "Nah. I wanna walk on my own. I don't wanna look weak in front of Romeo."
When Romeo spotted us from afar, he ran straight toward his father.
Romeo: "Dad!"
Macao opened his arms, but Romeo leapt into him with such force they both fell over. Lucy gasped, but quickly smiled as the two embraced.
Romeo: "I'm sorry, Dad!"
Macao: "I'm the one who's sorry… for making you worry."
Romeo: "It's okay! I'm a wizard's son!"
Macao smiled and set Romeo back down, resting his hands on his shoulders.
Macao: "Next time those punks try to pick on you, ask 'em if their dads can beat 19 monsters alone!"
Romeo: "Yeah!"
John: "Technically, it was 19 Vulcan monsters."
Natsu: "Shut up, man. Don't ruin the moment."
Natsu gave John a playful punch.
John: "Just being accurate!"
Lucy: "Let's head back to the guild. Let them have their moment."
John: "Agreed."
As we walked away, Romeo called out.
Romeo: "Natsu! Happy! John! Thank you!"
John: "You're welcome."
Natsu: "No problem!"
Happy: "Aye!"
Romeo: "And thank you too, Lucy!"
Lucy turned and waved with a big smile.
Once we neared the guild, I turned to the others.
John: "Since this was your first successful mission… how about a party? My treat."
Natsu & Happy: "Really?!"
Lucy: "But—"
Natsu quickly put a hand on her shoulder.
Natsu: "Just take it, Lucy. This guy never pays for anyone but himself. He hoards his money like a dragon."
Lucy: "Really?"
John: "It's called saving. And hey, I do pay sometimes—just not for everyone. Like that time I bought you a ticket, remember? Anyway… I'm in a good mood. Just this once. Besides, this money came from catching Bora back then."
Lucy: "In that case… I accept!"
When we returned to the guild, we were greeted with cheers. I gave a full report. Macao expressed his gratitude, and while Makarov sighed, he smiled in relief. Mirajane beamed as always.
When I said I was throwing a party on my tab, everyone in the guild froze.
Mirajane: "Wait… you're paying?"
Elfman: "Now that's a manly gesture!"
I just shrugged.
John: "Yeah, yeah. Just this once."
They all cheered. A party was exactly what Fairy Tail needed that night.