Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Fairy Tail. The former is owned by Tite Kubo, and the latter by Hiro Mashima.

Heritage

Chapter 2

"That's really shameful you know." Lucy said in a slightly mocking fashion, sitting in a carriage with Natsu. "A Dragon Slayer, wielder of a magic that goes back to the ancient wars between dragons and Humans, getting motion sickness. I can't help but worry about you, you know?"

"W-w-what?" a wasted Natsu gasped out. And he looked terrible. His skin was pale, he was sweating heavily while suffering from a constant chill, and had completely lost all of his strength, judging by the way he was flopped down on his side of the carriage. "Who am I again?"

Lucy could only sigh in exasperation.

"Don't worry about it, Lucy!" Happy cheerfully reassured her. "Natsu gets like this a lot of times, but he always gets better after."

Lucy was silent for a moment, and then she smiled and nodded. "Well," she said. "You know him better, so I guess it's fine leaving it to you."

"Aye!"

"Ha, always cheerful aren't you?"

"Aye!"

Lucy shrugged and looked out the window as the carriage continued to climb up the slopes of Mount Hakobe. "By the way Lucy," Happy began. "Thanks for coming along with us. Natsu could probably find Macao by himself, but your help is welcome too."

"Hmm…?" Lucy hummed before giving a small laugh. "No, it's nothing. To be honest I understand how that Romeo boy feels. I'm guessing his dad is his only parent left. To lose one is bad enough, but both…?"

Lucy trailed off, and Happy's smile vanished. The cat stayed silent for several moments before continuing. "Lucy, aren't your parents around anymore?" he asked softly.

"Hmm…? Oh no, my father's still around." Lucy replied before looking away with a veiled expression. "It's just that, we um, drifted apart, after mother died."

In the end, not even Blut Vene was any good against wasting sickness.

Lucy's hands twisted into fists. "Power to split the heavens…?" she thought bitterly. "What a joke. It couldn't save my mother's life, so…"

Lucy shook her head clear. "No," she thought. "There's no point in blaming our powers' fallibility. Blut Vene can increase a person's endurance and durability, not just against enemy attack but also even in the face of serious injury, but it doesn't actually heal you. It let mother live longer, but it didn't actually make her better, or counter the disease. If anything, after a certain point depending on Blut Vene to keep herself alive, death would be more merciful."

Lucy sighed, and turned back to Happy who was apologizing for bringing up the topic. "It's fine." She said. "And don't say sorry. You're not at fault. Though it seems harsh, the most helpful – in a way – thing ever said over it was 'these things happen'. And they do. She got sick, and though everything and everyone tried their best, it just wasn't enough."

Lucy sighed again, and looked out of the window with hard eyes. "But," she said. "There's still something that can be done over Mr. Macao's disappearance. Hopefully there's no need for Lord Ormuzd to welcome him to the next life yet."

"Who's that?"

Lucy blinked and shook her head before smiling at Happy. "Just a god I believe in." she said. "Well, we should be there in a bit, so let's just sit tight for now."

Natsu groaned as the carriage jolted after striking a stone, and nearly emptied his stomach on the floor. As Happy busied himself with helping Natsu keep his stomach under control, Lucy turned her attentions back to the mountain landscape outside.


"I AM REBORN!" Natsu bellowed triumphantly, golden flames erupting from his mouth and around his hands as he stomped around triumphantly outside of the carriage. Lucy was busy conferring with the carriage driver, and confirmed this was as high as he was going to take them, and while he'd wait for their return, if they were to go further, they'd have to do it on their own.

"Now then," Lucy began, shielding her eyes from all the snow in the wind that the mountain blizzard had kicked up. "How do we go about looking for Macao in this weather? Damn it, I should really have brought a cloak."

Shivering in the cold, Lucy activated Blut Vene, black patterns briefly flickering over her skin over and over as snow struck it. The cold receding, she looked at Natsu, and shook her head.

"Figures a Fire Dragon Slayer wouldn't be affected by cold." She thought wryly. "And of course Happy's got fur."

"Hey Natsu!" Lucy said loudly to be heard over the storm.

"Hmm, what? Lucy? What are you doing here?" Natsu ground to a halt, pointing at her quizzically.

Lucy fought the urge to palm her face. "I said I was coming along to help look for that Macao person, remember?" she said.

"Oh yeah." Natsu said, and scratching at a cheek. He then grinned at her. "Anyway, thanks for coming along! We'll be able to deal with this really quick!"

"Good to see you're in high spirits." Lucy said with a small laugh. She crossed her arms. "So? How do you plan to look for him?"

"Obviously we're going to look for him."

There was complete silence apart from the howling of the wind. And then Lucy coughed. "Let me get this straight," she said. "You're planning to scour every nook and cranny on this frozen pile of rock, until you find Mr. Macao?"

"That's the idea!"

Lucy's eye twitched. "Do you have any idea how long that is going to take?" she asked testily.

"Of course!" Natsu said. "That's why we should get started right now. MACAO! MACAO, WHERE ARE YOU? MACAO!"

"Hey wait! Natsu!" Lucy shouted, but it was too late. Natsu and Happy had already rushed off, shouting and bellowing at the top of their lungs.

Lucy fumed. "Those idiots are going to set off an avalanche bellowing like that." She growled as she ran after them. "And running off like that, despite accepting my help? I don't even know how Macao looks like…or even, what he was doing on this mountain in the first place."

Lucy slowed to a halt, warily looking around her. "It shouldn't be too dangerous, but…" Lucy thought, her body tensing by instinct. And then she flickered with Hirenkyaku moments before something a large and heavy slammed down into the ground she'd been standing on moments ago.

"What the…a giant monkey?" she said, clutching her cross.

"Woman, woman, woman!" the monkey bellowed repeatedly, pumping its fists into the air. "Me like woman!"

Lucy felt her eye twitch and was about to form a bow in her hand when Natsu ran up with Happy. "Lucy, what's…a Vulcan!" he said.

"It's a Vulcan!" he shouted, pointing a finger at it.

"It's a Vulcan!" Happy also shouted.

"A Vulcan…? That's a Vulcan?" Lucy echoed. She briefly ran through what the beasts were, and then something clicked, especially over an unusual sense coming from the beast.

No way…

"Hey you, monkey!" Natsu shouted at the Vulcan, and causing it to look in his direction. "Yeah you! A friend of mine went out here for you and yours, so you wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"

Lucy, who was about to make a move to confirm her suspicions, couldn't help but freeze in shock.

What? Just, what?

And the job was over hunting those beasts down? Well that explains things somewhat, assuming I'm right.

The monkey nodded several times, and stomping over to a ledge-like protrusion on the mountain road that looked out over a sheer drop below, beckoned Natsu over and pointed at something in the distance. Natsu ran over, and looked out. "MACAO!" he shouted. "WHERE…!"

The Vulcan kicked Natsu over the edge, the Dragon Slayer shouting in surprise as he was sent flying. "Natsu!" Happy shouted, sprouting his wings and quickly following after the Dragon Slayer.

"Me no like man!" the Vulcan triumphantly, jumping up and down. "Me like woman!"

Lucy flickered over, and with a Blut Arterie-empowered blow to the chin (but not too much – she needed to be strong enough to knock the towering ape out not to knock its head and by extension potentially Macao's off) sent the Vulcan spiraling through the air to fall unconscious on the ground several feet away. After a moment, magic flashed, and two bodies were on the ground.

There was a middle-aged, rugged-looking man with dark hair and a scraggy beard that looked rather beaten, and the ape from before. Lucy's cross flashed and she crafted a small, automatic crossbow instead of her usual longbow. Without a word she rapid-fired several Heilig Pfeil into the beast, leaving its corpse lying in a pool of its own blood.

Dispersing her bow, Lucy knelt down beside Macao, and quickly ran a check of his injuries. It all seemed superficial, but that was only on the surface. From his aura it was clear he was at the least very exhausted, and seeing as she was no expert, they should probably get him to a proper doctor to check him over first.

Movement and an approaching presence drew her attention, and Lucy sharply looked over a shoulder. She relaxed when she saw it was only Natsu and Happy, the latter dropping the former before retracting his wings. "Macao!" Natsu shouted, running over to Macao and Lucy.

"Relax," Lucy told him. "He's just out cold. Apparently, he got taken over by a Vulcan. Fortunately, all you have to do to break the hold is to knock the Vulcan unconscious."

"Wow Lucy," Happy chimed in. "You're strong enough to knock out that giant ape? Amazing!"

"Well, not really," Lucy said modestly. "I just have a couple of tricks up my sleeve, that's all."

"I have no idea what that means, though that probably means you used magic." Natsu said in all seriousness.

"What the…? That doesn't…you contradicted yourself in the same sentence!" Lucy spluttered.

"Really?" Natsu said blankly.

Lucy sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Never mind," she said, grabbing one of Macao's arms and partly-hoisting the man over a shoulder. "Come on, let's just get Mr. Macao out of here before more of those damn things show up."

"Let them." Natsu said darkly, but helping Macao regardless. "I'll pay them back with interest for doing this to one of our guild-mates."

Lucy looked at him in surprise, and then smiled and nodded. "I understand how you feel," she said. "But right now we've got to get Mr. Macao to help. You'll just have to be satisfied with that one beast over there."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Natsu agreed with a dark look at the dead Vulcan. Something flickered over his face, but he shook his head and looked away. "Let's get out of here."


It was already sunset by the time they reached town, and Macao had woken up halfway there. "I'm really sorry for causing this much trouble to both of you." He apologized for the countless time, as Natsu and Lucy helped him along the street. "Especially you Lucy, seeing as you're just a new member and all."

"I told you already," an exasperated Lucy said. "It's no trouble at all. I'm fairly sure guild-mates are meant to help each other out in cases like this, and you'd do the same for me in the same situation."

"Even so," Macao said wearily. "I can't help but feel ashamed. To think I couldn't even finish such a simple job, and I was taken advantage of by a Vulcan to boot…how could I face the guild now? How could I face Romeo?"

"Hey Macao!" Natsu said angrily. "Do you really we'd actually treat you like that over such a small thing? Do you really think Romeo would? Did that Vulcan suck away all your sense or something?"

"But, I…"

"But nothing!" Natsu shouted. "There's no way any of us, and especially not Romeo, would look down on you for losing to that oversized monkey! You're alive, and you're back safe, and that's all that matters! It should be all that matters! Isn't that right, Lucy?"

Lucy blinked, and glancing at Natsu, nodded. "Yeah," she said.

"What do you mean, yeah?" Natsu said. "Come on, say something! And you Macao, don't even think any more about feeling ashamed over what happened. If you do, I'll really kick your butt!"

Macao was silent, fighting back tears, while Lucy was also silent, though she eventually broke her silence a few moments later. "While I can't speak for the guild seeing how new I am," he said. "And I'm probably overstepping my bounds just saying this much, no matter how badly beaten up they might be, no matter how they've lost, I could care less so long as my parents come home to me at the end of the day."

"That's exactly it!" Natsu said in agreement. "It doesn't matter that you lost, what matters is that you're back, safe, and can go back home with Romeo. Just make up the score later on!"

Macao sobbed, and nodded. Lucy glanced at him and Natsu, and then with a sigh looked back at the road ahead. She blinked and turned back to Natsu and Macao. "Heads up," she said. "Romeo's here."

"What?" Macao breathed.

It wasn't wrong. Before long, Romeo's happy shouts could be heard as he ran up the street towards them, the little boy smiling widely and waving a hand in the air as he ran forward. "Romeo…" Macao whispered, and then with a jolt Natsu pushed him forward.

"Well?" the Dragon Slayer asked. "What are you waiting for?"

Macao didn't need further encouragement. Fighting back the painful protests of his muscles, he forced himself forward, to meet his son, and refusing to fall to his knees until he was holding him in his arms.

"DAD!"

"ROMEO! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY I TOOK SO LONG, I'M SORRY…"

Natsu and Lucy looked on, and after a moment Lucy sighed. Natsu glanced at her. "Thanks for helping out." He said. She glanced back at him.

"What?" she said with a small smile. "I'm part of Fairy Tail now, aren't I? I did what I had to do."

"Yeah, I guess you did." Natsu agreed. "Though, thanks for saying what you said back there too."

"I…I'll probably have to apologize for that." Lucy said. "I probably did go too far. I don't really know the details and I…"

Natsu laughed, and slapped Lucy hard on the back. The girl cringed and glared at him. "Don't sweat it." Natsu said, already heading for the guild house. "I think you got what you wanted to say through so I'd say its fine."

Lucy stared after the Dragon Slayer for a bit, trying to rub her back, and then smiled a small smile. "Idiot," she said. "But I understand."


"You don't look like you're having much fun."

The party to welcome Macao back was in full swing, everything loudly enjoying themselves. Macao himself was sitting at a table with his son and closest friends, eating and drinking and chatting, punctuated every so often with loud bursts of laughter. Which was pretty much the same story all over the guildhall actually.

Lucy sat at the bar, nursing a glass of juice and watching people coming and going in front of her. She looked up at the person who asked and saw it was Cana. "Not really," she said. "Or rather, I guess I'm just not used to parties like this."

"Oh?" Cana said with clear interest. "You've never gone to a party before? I find that hard to believe."

"Well," Lucy said with mild embarrassment. "It's not so much I haven't gone to parties before, it's just that they were usually more…sophisticated than this."

Cana was briefly at a loss. And then she nodded slowly. "I see." She said.

Lucy scratched at her head. "Though," she said. "I actually prefer this to any party I've gone to before."

"Oh? That sounds interesting." Cana said with a grin, sitting down beside Lucy. For once, Cana wasn't drinking out of a keg, rather out of an ordinary (if rather large) beer mug. It was probably because a keg couldn't be dragged around easily around the crowded guildhall tonight. "So what do you mean by that?"

Lucy laughed softly. "In comparison, our guild-mates are rude, uncouth, unsophisticated and inelegant, and the celebrations are simply barbaric." She said.

"Ouch," Cana said, but she was grinning. "But?"

"But they're honest." Lucy said with a wink. "Everyone in those parties I went to as a child, well most of the people there, were all lying through their teeth. And everything was so damn stuffy, to the point I'm not sure if they were really enjoying themselves. I certainly didn't."

Cana laughed. "Yeah, we're a rather rowdy bunch aren't we?" she said. "But we certainly enjoy life. And you should too. You're one of us now."

"Thanks…"

"No really," Cana insisted. "You helped save Macao, and I'd say that puts you out of the newcomer category a long way."

Lucy smiled, and raised her glass. "Thanks," she said. "It'll take some getting used to, but thanks."

"Take your time." Cana said, clinking glasses with Lucy and draining them together. "AH! That hits the spot. So how about it? Enough with the children's drinks and have something for the grownups?"

"I'm not old enough for alcohol yet." Lucy said primly. Cana pouted.

"Oh come on." She said. "It's just for the night. Enjoy yourself. Indulge."

Lucy laughed at that. "What are you supposed to be?" she asked in jest. "The tempting devil on my shoulder?"

Cana laughed as well. "I guess I do sound something like that." She said. "Well I guess I'll have to play the role of a 'responsible' adult for now."

She briefly broke off at that, but then she carried on so quickly like it was just a passing thought. "Well I did say you should take time getting used to things," she said with a wink. "But at the very least, would you care to make a bet?"

"I'm not exactly rich right now," Lucy said apologetically. "So it depends on the bet. And what does it involve, exactly?"

Cana grinned. "Let's bet on how long until this party turns into a brawl." She said.

Lucy whistled, and knocked on the wooden countertop. "Should you really be saying something like that?" she asked, and Cana laughed again.

"Trust me," she said. "It happens so often that it's practically inevitable."

"It doesn't like a good bet then…" Lucy was saying when an alarmed shout cut in.

"WATCH OUT!"

Lucy and Cana turned their heads, just in time for Lucy to take a pie to the face. A hush fell on the guild, the pie plate slowly falling off to clang against the floor. And then slowly, deliberately, Lucy raised a hand, and wiped strawberries and cream off her face.

"Alright," she said coolly, still wiping pie off her face. "Who's the funny guy? If you come out now, I promise I won't hit you."

Cana knocked on wood. For a long moment there was silence, and then another pie swished through the air and hit Grey in the face. Natsu exploded in laughter – though considering where he'd been standing at the time he probably wasn't the one who threw the first pie at Lucy – only for a furious Grey to jump at him and sock him in the face.

"Bastard!" Grey shouted.

"You want a fight, you've got it!" Natsu said, punching Grey back. He tumbled back against a table, spilling beer bottles, plates, utensils and food, and scattering the people around it. Wiping at his lip, Grey threw himself back against Natsu, while behind him the brawl exploded further as one drunk Fairy Tail wizard punched the closest guy in the face for no reason whatsoever. And everything just proceeded to snowball from there.

"I told you so." Cana said smugly.

Lucy wiped more pie off her face. "I think I'm just going to go and find someplace to sleep right now." She said.

Cana shrugged and made to say something when a stray piece of wood knocked her full mug out of her hand, causing it to fall and break on the floor. Cana's eyes flashed to where it came from, and she was up in a moment, leaping across the floor fists swinging. "Bastard!" she shouted. "I wasn't finished with that!"

A right and then a left sent two wizards flying, and then dodging a third's blow replied with an uppercut. She felt someone approach from behind, but the first two from before came at her leaving him with her hands full.

Damn…

The wizard coming from behind was punched clear by Lucy, who'd tied her hair back. "I thought you were going to look for a place to stay." Cana asked.

"You said this was practically inevitable." Lucy replied, standing beside Cana in a momentary standoff with their guild-mates. "Might as well start getting used to it then."

Cana grinned, and Lucy smiled back. And then pulling their fists back jumped forward to resume the brawl.


Laughter echoed through the cool night air as a pair of young women made their way down Magnolia's streets. Their clothes were dirty and in places ripped, more noticeably so in the blonde woman's case, considering her clothes were predominantly white as opposed to the darker shades preferred by her companion.

"You fit perfectly with us fairies." Cana said before laughing some more. The two of them had quietly slipped out after the brawl had died down, either because the brawlers had been knocked out (such as in the case of Grey and Natsu), or had gotten worn out and either left or started making up over more alcohol.

"I'm glad to hear that." Lucy said. "Though, with that said I'd still that not happen too often."

"It happens often enough." Cana said. "Though not so often you'd get tired of it. Thanks though, for backing me up there."

"No problem." Lucy said with a shrug. "Apart from Mirajane and Natsu, you're pretty much the only person with there that sticks with me regularly…so far."

"We girls have to stick together after all." Cana said, and she and Lucy shared a laugh. For several moments afterwards they walked in silence, but eventually Lucy spoke up.

"Grey and Natsu," she said. "Is there anything between those two? I mean, from what I've seen of those two they seem to push each other's buttons a lot."

Cana laughed at that. "Oh yeah, those two go back a long way." She said. "They've been going at it since they were kids. It's practically a bad habit for them. Literally: I'd swear at least half the brawls in the guild are set off by those two going at each other."

"But they are friends, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they're friends."

Lucy raised a wry eyebrow. "Vitriolic best friends?" she asked, and Cana looked at her curiously.

"What's that?" she asked.

Lucy shrugged. "Basically friends who constantly argue and fight with each other." She said. "But when it matters, then it can't be doubted that yes, they are friends."

Cana laughed. "Yeah, that pretty much describes Grey and Natsu to a T." she said, and she and Lucy shared another laugh. "Those were pretty big words."

"Yeah, I guess they were."

Cana stayed silent for several moments. "You'll probably get along well with Levy then." She eventually said. "She knows a lot of big words too, considering she reads a lot. Though, she's pretty friendly for all that."

"Is that so?" Lucy asked. "I can only hope then that she wasn't caught up in the trouble earlier."

"Nah," Cana said with a wave of her hand. "She was out on a job with the rest of her team. Though, if I remember correctly they should be back by tomorrow. I could introduce you if you want."

"Hmm, tomorrow, eh?"

"You have something else planned already?"

"Yeah," Lucy said sheepishly. "I'm going to have to take a job soon or I'll be out of money."

"Oh I see."

The two women walked some more in silence for a while, until Cana stopped before a certain door. "Well," she said. "Here's my stop. What about you?"

Lucy shrugged. "I'll figure something out." She said.

Cana blinked, and regarded Lucy for several moments closely. It wasn't so much that she was haggard or anything that could be taken as her in dire straits, but there was something off about her, like…

…like she couldn't go back, or had nothing to go back to.

As though Fairy Tail or wherever or whatever she was doing at present was all she was or had.

Cana sighed, and made a decision. She wouldn't pry, while she liked the new girl they didn't know each other all that well yet, so it was best to let things come out at the right time.

"Come on," she said, unlocking her door and turning the lights on. "You can bunk with me for tonight."

Lucy looked surprised and taken aback. "I don't want to impose or anything…" she began only to be interrupted by Cana.

"Nah, you're not." She said. "And besides you said you'll figure something out didn't you? It'll probably cost you though, unlike here. And you did say you're running out of money too. So come on in. We're friends aren't we?"

"Friends…" Lucy echoed, and then she smiled after a small pause. "Yeah, I guess we are."

Cana smiled and nodded, letting Lucy into her apartment. "Make yourself at home while I run some hot water for you." She said, showing Lucy into the living room before heading deeper into her place. "You got hit by that pie remember? It's probably for the best you take a bath before going to bed."

"Now there's a thought." Lucy said, sitting down on the couch. "Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it."

"No problem." Cana called from up a set of stairs. "What are friends for, after all?"

"Yeah," Lucy echoed wistfully. "Friends…what a nice word…"


A/N

If you want to know who Ormuzd is, use Google.

AFAIK, no one among the main characters has actually killed anyone yet. BUT, somehow, I get the feeling that missions that involve people getting killed fall into the S Class category, which is one reason – apart from the dangers involved – why only S Class Wizards (for all Fairy Tail's rule bending tendencies) are allowed to take them. Erza certainly seems to have the resolve to kill if she NEEDS to, at least that's how I see it. And pre-character development Laxus is certainly capable of killing. After character development though, and in Erza's case as well, killing is an absolute last resort.

Also, I'm fairly certain that the implied 'no killing' rule of Fairy Tail only applies to Humans and other sapient beings (and Mavis during the Eclipse Arc was troubled by the Dragon Slayers failing to kill any dragons). Macao's job in canon literally is to 'get rid' of Vulcans on Mt. Hakobe. So no, I don't think Natsu would censure Lucy for killing that Vulcan.

Yes, AU Lucy is capable of killing. She's a Quincy after all, and even with their AU background, well, you'll see.