Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.
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~Lucy's POV

After we saw the message in the library, Makarov concluded it would be the best to just go home for now. He will get the magic council informed with the new threat. I bet the magic council hates us, with all the stunts we did.

But nevertheless, we weren't the bad guys.

So now we ended up in my house... again. Like always. I meant Erza, Wendy, Gray, Natsu, the exceeds and me.

They are acting like they own the place.

"So what now? We have to stay alert during the night, too?" I asked, crossing my arms while frowning.

Erza sipped her tea and looked up. "Master said it would be the best to just stay alert all the times. So I guess yeah."

"Let me watch over tonight," Natsu said, sitting on the ground and crossing his legs. He smiled slightly when I rose my eyebrow at him.

"I doubt I will get some sleep tonight, and of course Happy and I can play games."

"Aye!" Happy piped in, high fiving Natsu.

I snorted loudly. "So you can lose like always?" I questioned Natsu mockingly. Wendy giggled and Natsu gave me a scowl.

"Practice makes perfect," he mumbled, having an adorable pout on his lips. "A game?" Erza asked, her face lighting up immediately. "I want to play, too."

We all looked away. Erza was a sore loser, way worse than Natsu was. It wouldn't be any fun, but like always, we can't say no to her.

"Eh... okay," Natsu said, the doubt in his voice clear. I walked to my desk, letting them do what they want. I grabbed my novel and thought about my next chapter. I guess I should move the plot a little forward, I'm drawing out a part after all.

"What'cha doing, Lucy?" Gray asked, lying almost naked on my bed. My bed.

His stripping habit is a pain in the ass.

"Remember to clean the sheets afterward," I mumbled loudly. He shrugged, giving me a lazy smile. "I'm clean, I swear."

"Do you believe yourself?" Natsu asked, giving him a snarl. His tone was arrogant and his look just says so. He has cocked his eyebrow, checking Gray out. The way the end of his lip tugged upwards just finished the look.

Gray got off of the bed and walked over. "Cleaner than you, dickhead."

Natsu rolled up his sleeves. "What did you say?" He quirked a brow plastered on his face. I could literally see the ice and the fire coming off from them.

"You heard me, you dirty slimeball."

"Don't make me hurt you, pillock," Natsu sneered and swung his arm back, a fire magic circle appearing.

"It's on, milksop," Gray said and did the same but with an ice magic circle.

"I'm not a coward!" Natsu roared and delivered the first blow to his jaw. Gray rubbed his jaw while punching him back.

"Sorry, you stupid dipshit of an ugly cow," he taunted.

"You're an arsehole of a stupid fucking bimbo!"

"Fucking lame," I muttered under my breath, looking at Erza for help. She just sipped her tea, watching them fight. There was annoyance in her eyes by the way she rolled her eyes and looked down on them. I guess she was tired of stopping them.

"I'm not even a girl or blond," he said and got in his face.

Thanks, Gray. I rolled my eyes at them.

Natsu snorted. "Sorry, could have fooled me."

The angry breaths rolled out of their mouths, their hands tight and ready for a fight. But anger was not the only emotion in them. I could make out a little smirk and their eyes sparkled. They so love to fight each other. They want to show off who's the best.

Guys are always the same. And they say girls are weird.

They began throwing punches and kicks at each other. I let them stay, 'cause there is no way for me to stop it. I wouldn't survive between them.

But then they knocked my cupboard over. It crashed on the ground and the pictures shielded by glass, my books I stored there and some glass bottles shattered.

Anger boiled up inside me. I felt every muscle in my body get tense. How much I love these boys, I won't allow any of my friends destroy my house.

"That's enough!" I yelled, getting their attention almost immediately. I should give myself a pat on the back for that. "Get out! Now!"

There eyes widened as they looked stunned at each other. I swear I heard one of them swallowing as they looked at me in... was it fear?

Damn, was I that scary?

As if acted, we all turned our heads to the door. Someone was behind it, holding something powerful.

Gray and Natsu turned all serious. Erza summoned her sword and Wendy looked ready to help.

I saw the door being destroyed and someone with a mask held out his arms. He put on a spell on the house. I felt it getting hot in here. I saw the floor getting an orange glow.

My brows shot up. The floor is melting!

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled and embraced me tightly. I clutched unto his arm before a magic fire wave came from the ground, everywhere around me.

The fire ate away my furniture, destroying everything. My heart rate increased and my mouth felt dry. This couldn't be happening right now.

"Is everyone okay?" Natsu yelled, trying his best to eat the fire. I I felt a strange magic wave from him coming as he uses his magic. I swallowed before I concentrated on that magic, nostalgia flowing through me. It felt like celestial magic.

That's right, Natsu wasn't fully human yet. One wrong move and mustache man would send him back.

Does that mean... that I could still use Natsu's power for my own. Sure he isn't my spirit friend, but he is still connected to me.

I need to figure this strange thing out, it could give me an advantage sometime. Why didn't I feel this earlier?

Maybe because we're now closer than before.

I saw a hole in the fire coming from Erza's sea armor, the fire being blown away by Wendy's roar and another part freezing because of Gray.

That bastard of a man.

"Get your ass back here!" Natsu thundered and run straight out of the house, Gray following behind.

The fire was extinguished, and I looked around. It happened all too fast for me to comprehend. My appartment was destroyed.

I never thought they would go and find my house. I wanted to cry because some of my best memories were shared here, but I didn't. The people I shared those memories with are by my side. I don't need a house to make me remember who I had fun with.

Gray and Natsu came back, pissed off looks on their face. Natsu's eyes softened as he looked at me.

No one was hit, obviously. They wouldn't let themselves be beaten by fire.

"He got away, but if was definitely from the same guild as the night of the sleepover," Gray said, his eyes drawing in all the damage.

"This is all stupid," Erza said, looking angry at herself. "We should have felt that a long time." She clenched her teeth and looked at the ash.

"Don't push yourself," I replied, bending down to touch my burned novel. "It's done, let's go on." I held up my novel with shaking hands. It fell apart the moment I lifted it up. All my hard work of the past months... destroyed, just like that. All my thoughts, imagination I poured on the paper, gone. And I would never get it back again. I could try making the same plotline again, but it would never be the same.

I felt Natsu walking behind me and he put a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. My emotions were all over the place. Anger for the man and guild, sadness because my house is gone, relief to know I'm not alone in this, and something warm inside me, knowing I have Natsu by my side.

"We obviously can't sleep here now," Wendy said. She grabbed a broom and swept the ashes on the floor, trying her best to be helpful.

"Wendy and I live in Fairy Hill, for females only, obviously we can't let you sleep there either," Erza said, shrugging her shoulders pathetically.

"No way I would let flame brain sleep in my house," Gray piped in. I gave him an annoyed glance before looking at Happy and Natsu.

He raised his eyebrow as we all looked expectantly at him.

"Fine," he drawled out, looking irritatingly at Gray. "But I swear, Gray, if you destroy our new house I will kill you."

"Aye!" Happy agreed with Natsu.

"I'd like to see you try, buddy," Gray retorted.

"Thank you, Natsu," I said. I don't know where I would be without him. And even though I shouldn't be excited, I am. I'm so excited to see Natsu's new house.

"But what if they find out you live there? Wouldn't they do the same as with Lucy's house?" Wendy said, her face into thinking modus.

"They wouldn't," Natsu assured, "Happy and I have a secret spot in the woods they wouldn't just find out."

"Lu~chan!" I heard voice say. There was only one person who called me that. I turned around to the place where my door was supposed to be. Her mouth stood open as she inspected my house.

"What happened?" she asked. The worried look on her face as she glanced at every single one of us.

"The guild tried injuring us," I shrugged, hiding the sadness when saying it. Natsu picked up immediately that I didn't want to talk about it. He stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Why are you here?"

She held up a flyer, pushing it in my face. Our team made a circle as I grabbed the paper.

My eyebrows were drawn together in confusion. How did she get this?

"It's... an invitation for a GMG for dark guilds?" Natsu asked and tilted his head.

Levy nodded. "Mira found it when she invaded a dark guild. So we thought, that if a group of our members participated and show them what we got, they would stop trying to take us down. SO if we win, they know our message, 'Don't mess with us.' "

"Hold up," Gray interjected, "you want us to participate?"

"Does Makarov know?" Erza questioned.

Levy nodded. "He agreed we could try."

"There is no way he approved of this," I yelled frantically.

"He only needed to see the award and he was sold." My eyes went to the paper, it said award is 20 million jewels.

"He's an idiot," Natsu said with narrowed eyes. "He thinks those kind of guild keep their word? It's a GMG for dark guild, that alone says enough. They're going to play dirty."

"Aye!" I love how they're backing each other up most of the time.

"That's the point, stupid fire clown," Gajeel said and walked in, didn't look like he cared what happened to my house. Asshole.

"If they play dirty, we do the same. They think they are the best playing dirty? Please, they're not. We are."

Soon we stood in front of the guild, everyone already being there. I stomped angrily at him. "You can't be serious. This plan of yours is so stupid." I gritted my teeth after lashing out.

"Now calm down, Lucy," Makarov said calmly. I could hear it, he made up his mind. We're participating.

Well, not me, them. He is crazy if he would include me in the team.

"I want the best for my children, and this is the only way. The magic council is useless. We have to take the matters into our own hand. Our strongest members will participate." Objections were thrown into the air, but none he paid attention to.

Makarov cleared his throat. "Laxus," he said first.

"Fine," Laxus said. He looks ready to fall in sleep.

"Erza."

"If I must," she said, not particulary happy with the plan either.

"Gajeel."

"Gihi, you can count on me."

Sure, sure, Gajeel. I rolled my eyes.

"Gray."

"Let's do this!"

Why is everyone suddenly hyped up with the plan? It's ridculous.

"And last but not least, Natsu."

He scowled. I was actually surprised he didn't want to go on with it. He was carefree and reckless.

"Why me?"

"Because you're strong, now shut up. Give all or go away."

"If this is to protect the guild, then fine," he began. "but if I see a single one of us injured while not participating then we're out."

Makarov nodded. "That's fine."

"The back-ups are Mira, Juvia, Wendy, Jellal and Lucy."

"Jellal," Erza shrieked. Everyone laughed except me.

"Why me?" I imitated Natsu. "Choose Max or anyone stronger than me!" I wasn't in the top 10 with power, and I wasn't afraid to admit that.

"Stop it," Makarov said. "It isn't even sure if we need back-ups at all."

I clenched my hands. My eyes were flaring but I still nodded. I walked away with angry breaths. I heard Natsu following me along with the Erza, Wendy, Gray and the exceeds. They stayed on a good distance though.

"I can't believe him! Why me?" I yelled at Natsu. I felt sorry that he was taking my blows while having nothing to do with it.

"Relax, maybe we don't even need you," Natsu tried to assure me.

Ouch. That came out different. He noticed my fallen face.

"Wait! No, I don't mean it like that. But maybe we only need the five ones who participate directly. Maybe five people are enough to destroy them."

"I hope so," I whispered and inhaled deep.

"Let's look at the positive side. You get to spend more time with us when we are training for it." He grinned at the thought of that. And I can't say I didn't do it too.

I wanted to spend time with Natsu. With them. I mean with them. Not just Natsu.

Obviously.

But I loved the thought of doing things together. It's always fun.

What is wrong with me?

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How can people learn a new language and be awesome in it? I mean I get high grades with German, but when we learn our read and listen skills... mean I'm so bad at that.

I want Natsu and Lucy be together already. Argh!

Comment some awesome animes for me to watch in the future!