Vivi arrived at the train station the next morning with one bag thrown over her shoulder. She found Natsu and Gary bumping heads as Lucy and Happy were sitting off to the side. Vivi tilted her head at the odd snowman looking creature in Lucy's lap.
"Lucy, why are you joining us?" Vivi asked curiously.
Lucy gasped looking over at Vivi surprised to see her all of a sudden because she hadn't heard her arrive.
"Ah, Mira, asked me to come to watch Natsu, Gray…and you." Lucy admited. "She was hoping I could keep you all from fighting."
Vivi blinked then looked over to the two fighting boys…Lucy isn't doing a good job, is she? Vivi shrugged not really caring.
"Keeping Vivi and Gray from fighting won't be hard while Erza is around." Happy said. "Because Gray is too scared to anger Erza, and Vivi is too busy getting annoyed by Erza to care about Gray…Well, as long as he keeps his clothes on."
Lucy nodded her head while praying that Erza and Vivi didn't get into a fight. She definitely won't be able to break them up. Vivi sighed as she stood beside Natsu and Gray as they continued fighting with a troubled look on her face, which didn't go unnoticed by the members of her guild. Natsu could see that she was on edge. She's been like that since Erza mentioned something about a Lullaby.
"Hey, Vi, you okay?" Natsu asked.
Vivi gave Natsu a smile as she reached out to ruffle his hair in a fashion a big sister would do to her little brother.
"I'm fine, Natsu." Vivi said. "Let's just get this all taken care of. The less time I have to deal with Erza the best."
Natsu nodded though he was still a bit concerned about his best friend.
"Hey, don't go pissing her off." Gray said. "The last time you both fought the guild had nearly been destroyed. You can't beat her anyway, so I don't see why you try."
Vivi punched Gray right in the face, which had Lucy jumping. They weren't going to fight now, were they?!
"Speaking of that pain in the ass, where the hell is she?" Vivi asked acting as if she didn't just punch Gray.
"Sorry, I'm late." Said woman said as she showed up. "Have you been waiting long?"
Gray and Natsu jumped in fright as everyone turned to look at Erza. Before they put their arms around each other as if they were best friends.
"No, not at all." Lucy said.
Lucy's mouth then dropped open in shock when seeing all the luggage Erza brought. Vivi opened her mouth probably have to make some rude quip. However, Gray grabbed her before she could, and brought her close in his arms, so her back was pressed against his chest.
"Don't piss her off." Gray whispered in her ear.
Vivi frowned while trying to ignore how her face heated up when Gray's lips brushed against her ear.
"Gray, personal space." Vivi said.
"Yeah, let her go." Natsu hissed under his breath.
Gray frowned at Natsu looking ready to start a fight, but when Erza, who was speaking with Lucy, glanced back at them, they both hugged Vivi, which squished them together. Vivi's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Once Erza looked away, Natsu and Gray started butting heads with Vivi still in between them. Gray even still had his arms around Vivi. Erza glanced back at them again, and they were back to buddy-buddy with Vivi getting more annoyed by the second. When Erza looked away this time, Vivi punched Gray in the face again . He fell backwards onto the ground as Vivi dusted off her clothes.
"Anyway, shouldn't we get going?" Vivi asked nonchalantly.
She wanted to get this show on the road as soon as freaking possible. She wanted to get Lullaby under lock and key again if these guys did manage to get their hands on it, and she didn't want to work with Erza any longer than necessary.
"Yes, I suppose we should get going." Erza agreed.
"Actually, Erza, I'll come with you, but only on one condition." Natsu said.
Vivi blinked curiously as to what Natsu might want from Erza. Said woman also looked curious as well.
"Shut-up!" Gray hissed at Natsu.
Natsu ignored Gray as he waited for Erza to reply.
"Alright, let's hear it." Erza said.
"Kay, let's have a rematch once we get back to Fairy Tail." Natsu said grinning.
Vivi smiled with a small laugh leaving her lips as Gray looked at Natsu as if he was crazy.
"What's wrong with you?" Gray asked as he placed his hand on Natsu's shoulder. "You got some kind of death wish?
Vivi grabbed Gray's wrist to pull his hand off of Natsu. Gray looked at Vivi curiously, and she shook her head at him to tell Gray to butt out. Gray frowned though stayed quiet.
"I'm a lot stronger than I was last time." Natsu said. "This time it will be way different cause I'm going to beat you."
"Yes, I can tell you've improved." Erza said. "As whether you can beat me, we'll just have to see. I accept your challenge."
"Oh yeah," Natsu said. "I'm fired up!"
Vivi, who was sitting in between Natsu and Gray with Happy in her lap, looked at Natsu sympathetically as he groaned while holding his stomach.
"I swear, you're totally pathetic, Natsu." Gray said. "One minute you're picking a fight, and the next you're like this."
"I think your little problem is more pathetic." Vivi quipped. "At least Natsu's condition isn't mental."
Gray frowned at Vivi though said nothing, so he wouldn't bring down the wrath of Erza on them.
"Must be tough on him getting place to place." Lucy said.
"Don't worry." Erza said. "Come sit next to me."
Vivi frowned thinking that was a very bad idea. Lucy and Natsu traded places, so now Lucy was beside Vivi and Natsu beside Erza.
"Now just relax." Erza said as Natsu leaned against her.
"Aye." Natsu said weakly.
Erza then punched Natsu right in the gut to knock him out. Vivi looked ready to attack, but Gray put his arm around her to stop her from jumping up.
"That should make the trip a little easier on him." Erza said smiling.
Vivi's eye brow twitched in annoyance as Gray prayed she didn't start a fight with Erza on the train.
"Erza, I think it's about time you start filling us in." Gray, who still had his arm around Vivi, said. "I mean, what kind of mission are we going on here? You mentioned something about Lullaby?"
Just the mention of the thing had Vivi stiffening beside him. He looked down at her as her hands clenched into fists in her lap.
"Of course." Erza said. "I have reason to believe that the dark guild Eisenwald is planning something big. I'm not certain what exactly, but it has something to deal with a magical item called Lullaby."
Erza then looked to Vivi since the bluenette seemed to know so much about it.
"You seem familiar with this device, Vivi." Erza said. "What can you tell us about it?"
Vivi sighed as she reached back with one hand to scratch the back of her head.
"Lullaby…my grandfather told me about it." Vivi said. "It was made by a disciple of Diva d'Autriche, the creator of Melody Magic—my ancestor."
While Lucy was shocked to hear Vivi's ancestor had created a form of magic, the others nodded already knowing this.
"Diva's disciple made this cursed flute to kill his enemies by lulling them into eternal slumber." Vivi explained. "However, the flute was taken and turned into something much more—something much darker. By what my grandfather once told me when I was little, Lullaby is capable of mass murder."
Everyone froze looking at Vivi with wide eyes. Something like that existed?
"Are you certain of this, Vivi?" Erza said.
Vivi nodded her head while remembering the story her grandfather told her quite vividly.
"Diva had been enraged at what her disciple had done, and went to destroy the flute." Vivi said. "However, it was too late because by then the Black Wizard Zeref, who had heard of the boy's creation, took the flute and turned into something more… he turned it into some kind of demon."
Lucy shuddered looking more freaked out by the second. A demon flute? Could such a thing really exist? Vivi then looked to Erza.
"Now tell me, Erza," Vivi began. "Are you certain these wizards were talking about Lullaby?"
Erza nodded her head in confirmation making Vivi frown. This wasn't good. That thing in the hands of a dark guild could only spell disaster. They needed to hurry.