2 2/3

"It's not that far from here," Romeo began to shout, tears filling the edges of the boy's eyes, "so why won't anyone here bother to go look for him?"

"You're old man's a wizard, Romeo!" Makarov said sternly. "And like any Fairy Tail wizard he can take care of himself just fine! Now go home, have some milk and some cookies and wait patiently!"

Bambietta could see it then, uncomfortable expression forming on the faces of those around her, Mirajane especially. The Quincy herself was unsure of how to feel exactly. She could understand from Makarov's perspective that the wizard in question no doubt could handle himself in a pinch, otherwise he would not have become a part of this guild, but she could understand where Romeo was coming from as well. He simply wanted the part of his family that he had lost back.

"You jerk!"

Bambietta looked up then, catching sight of Romeo punching Makarov suddenly, leaving the master visibly stunned. Much as the others did, Bambietta covered her mouth, trying to hide the surprised gasp that was escaping from it. Romeo ran past her then, tears staining his face as he left the guild hall.

"I hate all of you!"

Bambietta felt her fingers begin to flex on instinct, slowly curling into the palms of her hands. Makarov had a point, she understood that much at least, but was this what Fairy Tail was all about? Was it all too good to be true? Had she been fed honeyed words to coerce her into joining and nothing more? "Is this," Bambietta hissed, "what this 'family' is all about?"

"That poor kid," Lucy said under her breath. "It's got to be rough."

A moment of silence hung over the air then, Bambietta lost in thought. She had been abandoned once by her own comrades and now she was seeing it from her new home as well. The Quincy could only wonder then how she could have found herself here if it was similar to her previous allies in one of the worst ways?

"I know the master came off sounding harsh," Mirajane suddenly said, catching both Bambietta and Lucy off guard, "but I know he's really worried. He just knows that-"

Bambietta and the others all but jumped then, hearing the sound of cracking wood, as if a sudden force had struck a wall. The Quincy looked over then and could see Natsu walking away from the job request board, a dent lodged in its frame. Bambietta glanced closer at the Dragon Slayer, taking note of his right hand, it having closed into a shaking fist. Without another word both he and Happy walked out of the guild hall, Makarov breathing a low sigh as he watched as well.

"When's that kid ever going to cool off?" one of the mages asked.

Another joined in the conversation. "Just going after Macao is going to do nothing but wound his pride."

Bambietta flinched slightly then, her hands balling into fists. The Quincy had finally had enough now, her temper flaring. She knew better than to let it spill out among those she was trying to trust and earn the trust of but she was unable to control it under such circumstances. "To hell with a man's pride!"

The wizards of Fairy Tail all turned towards her, taking note of the Quincy's outburst.

"I've got more than enough pride for this world and the next," Bambietta continued, unable to stop herself, "and last time I checked it got me nothing in return! Do you have any idea how much of my own pride I would have thrown away if it meant my friends would have come to help me when I needed it the most? Do you have any damn idea? So to hell with a wizard's pride if means one of his own guild mates will save his life!"

Bambietta began to breath deep then, trying to get herself under control. Her fists were shaking, her teeth all but rattling inside her clenched mouth as she felt her anger begin to dissipate slightly.

Lucy had a question she needed to ask then. Bambietta had clearly explained her own irritation, yet one other had not. "Why did Natsu get so mad?"

"I guess he sees a lot of himself in Romeo," Mirajane explained. "Even if someone becomes a member of Fairy Tail, it doesn't just mean any personal issues they possess simply go away after all. We've all had our fair share of loss and suffering."

Bambietta looked towards Mirajane then, those words tugging at her own feelings, ones that she was unwilling to speak fully of. She had touched on them briefly with Levy but to explain in great detail would prove too painful. Yet even mired in carefully chosen words she could not deny how she felt deep inside. Yet, despite her own internal agony, the Quincy could feel it, sense it, in Mirajane's own words. The pain born out of the death of her younger sister. "Mira..."

"I'm going with Natsu," Lucy suddenly said. "He was so kind to bring me here, to save me when I was in trouble, so helping him now is the least I can do."

Bambietta watched then as Lucy walked out of the guild without another word. The Quincy considered following her, to help both the newcomer, the man she wanted to fight, and the missing boy's father. Yet first she had something else to take care of. Bracing herself, Bambietta began to approach the man in charge of Fairy Tail.

"Master Makarov, I wish to speak with you."

The old man put down his drink once more, glancing at Bambietta with one open eye. "Does something trouble you, Bambietta?"

"Yes." The Quincy was brutally honest. "I understand that that you have faith in your Fairy Tail family but I take issue with you leaving someone out there when it seems obvious they need help."

Bambietta sighed then, realizing that she may very well be standing on thin ice now. Still did the Quincy continue to step harder on it then, realizing she was already putting herself in a bad position potentially.

"I'll be honest, master, but it really ticks me off!"

"You've got a hell of a lot of nerve talking to a guild master like that, rookie!"

Bambietta heard it clear as day, though the words belonged not to Master Makarov but another. They had come from a deep commanding voice, one accompanied by the sound of heavy footwear walking down a staircase. Bambietta shifted her attentions towards it and could see a rather tall man walking down from the second floor of the guild hall. From his shoulder hung a long black coat, one adorned with white fur as a trim. His hair was cropped upwards into a spiked style but it was the rather arrogant way he carried himself that truly got Bambietta's notice.

"And who the hell are you supposed to be?" Bambietta was far from polite with this individual, even if she could sense a familiar form of power within him. It was most similar to Makarov's own, yet distinctly its own at the same time. While one was simply restrained for the most part, this one almost seemed to project itself outwards, as if it wanted to be noticed at all times. Yet still it seemed to be hiding something within itself. Bambietta could not tell what it was but she knew that this man could very well outclass her. Still she did not care to play nice with her words.

"Oh, aren't you just a bundle of love," the man responded as he stood not a few feet away from Bambietta, folding his arms across his chest as he did so. The Quincy could see then that several other wizards were giving this individual a wide berth, leaving her to wonder just what she had gotten herself into. "The Fairy Tail guild is really falling apart if a disrespectful piece of trash like you is allowed to join."

Bambietta stepped forward then, glancing up as she began to truly take notice of this individual's height advantage over her. Still she refused to let it phase her and flashed the man before her a cocky smile all her own. "And here I thought I was upping Fairy Tail's cuteness factor."

"Cute, huh? You'll be blushing a pretty shade of pink when I kick your-"

"Laxus, that's enough!"

The blond haired man glared suddenly at Makarov, his teeth grit together. "You've grown soft, old man. It's going to be the death of this guild."

Laxus turned away then, marching back up the stairs from whence he had come. Bambietta glared at his back until he left her view. "Well, he's certainly not going to win any awards for being the nicest guy I've met since getting here."

"I wish to apologize for my grandson's attitude," Makarov said softly.

Bambietta nearly choked, despite not having eaten or drank anything. "Grandson? Him? Oh, I'm so sorry."

"He has a good heart," Makarov simply said. "Though it is hard to find it buried underneath all that he is outwardly. Though I suppose that applies to you as well."

"I did speak out of turn, didn't I?"

"You misunderstand," Makarov replied. "Did I not say earlier that if you spend all your time worrying about what those in power thing of that your magic will be unable to grow? That applies to yourself as a person as well. Though we may have a difference of opinion I am glad that the likes of Natsu and yourself are willing to do what you feel you must in trying times. And yes, the same applies to my grandson. No family is perfect, no family agrees on every issue, but they do what they must for each other nonetheless."

Bambietta listened well, yet she had one last question. "Would you do what was right if your guild, your family, was in trouble?"

"Yes."

Bambietta heard Makarov's answer well, yet still was there a slight shred of doubt within her soul. She spoke again, though not giving voice to that concern. "I'm going to help save this Macao guy. The last... the last thing I'm interested in is seeing that kid of his upset anymore."

Bambietta turned then, her cloak fluttering behind her as she did so. She stepped out into the daylight, leaving behind those in the Fairy Tail guild. It was quiet for a moment. Then did a prolonged series of loud screams suddenly cry out from the Magnolia streets.

"Oh for crying out loud! Why does there always have to be a problem?"

Then there was silence once more, one that lasted a few minutes. Then, quite suddenly, did the doors to the Fairy Tail guild hall open again, Bambietta walking into the main room with an aggravated purpose.

"Okay," she began to say, as if she had not just lost her temper outside, "so apparently while I was busy speaking with the master and his charming grandson... Natsu, Lucy and that cute little flying plush took a carriage to Mount Hakobe. At least that's what everyone outside was saying. So... Levy?"

The blue haired mage timidly stepped forward, having gotten an earful of what Bambietta had said outside. "Yes?"

"If there's one thing I've learned way too well the last time I went into enemy territory, it's a good idea to have some more people with you. Preferably ones who won't disappear at the drop of a hat. Are you willing to tag along with me?"

"If you want me by your side."

"There's no one here I'd trust more." Bambietta smiled then as Levy began to walk towards her. "Okay then. So who's the strongest guy here? Besides the jerk with the fluffy coat?"

"Well I hate to brag," Loke said as he began to step forward from the others, "but I like to think I'm pretty strong."

"Wait a minute," Bambietta said, furrowing her brow in confusion. "Didn't you practically just leave with two ladies? And now you're already back and trying to flirt with me again? Next!"

Loke shied away then, another Fairy Tail wizard moving forward. "This sounds like a real man's work!"

"Oh. You." Bambietta scowled. "Yeah, no, I am not going to be called manly over and over again on this trip. You know what? Let me do this myself."

The Quincy wished she could simply ask Mirajane, knowing of her reputation thanks to Levy, but she knew better after hearing of why she had stepped away from the life of job requests. Bambietta reached out with her senses, trying to catch a glimpse of someone's hidden power. She slowly shifted her focus from wizard to wizard, stopping on one in particular. She opened her eyes then and found herself staring at the one she felt the most potential in.

"You'll do, Gray." Bambietta sighed. "I can't deal with having my allies disappear on me but I guess I can put up with your clothes doing that sort of thing."

"I don't know," Gray said as he approached, "I'd rather not take another punch from you if you change your tune about that last part."

Bambietta sighed as Gray stood beside herself and Levy, the trio stepping outside. "I promise I won't punch you."

"That's rather specific," Levy interjected. "Hey, Gray?"

Bambietta glanced to her side and was greeted by the sight of a shirtless Gray. "Well that was quick."

"What was?" Gray glanced down and took notice of his bared chest. The mage backed away slowly then, retrieving his shirt from the ground and slipping it back on. "No punching, right?"

Bambietta's right hand tightened into a fist but she forced herself to relax and release. "Yeah, no punching. So then, transportation..."

Bambietta waved her arm then, trying to get the attention of a carriage driver. It did not take much and soon enough one pulled up to her and the rest of the group.

"And where would you three be off to?" the driver asked as they boarded.

"Mount Hakobe and on the double!" Bambietta all but shouted as she got in the carriage and shut the door behind her. She sat next to Levy then, staring at Gray. The Quincy could only hope that as long as she did not take his eyes off him, the wizard would remain fully clothed.

"So is this only about saving Macao?" Levy asked quite suddenly.

"What are you saying?" Bambietta asked, turning slightly with a rather off-putting expression on her face. "I can be nice... sometimes. Maybe, depending on if my mood is right. But I just... I hate seeing kids that upset. It just doesn't sit well with me, all right?"

"Oh, so you do have a heart of gold underneath that rough exterior!" Levy giggled. "And here I was worried you just wanted to get away from the master so you could pick a fight with Natsu without getting Makarov upset."

Bambietta said nothing for a several seconds. She simply blinked multiple times until Levy's statement soaked in and she got over her own disbelief. "Well now, I hadn't considered that. Two birds, one stone. Thanks, Levy!"

The Solid Script mage very nearly dropped her face into the awaiting palms of her hands. "Oh, don't mention it."

"Wait, you want to fight Natsu?" Bambietta heard Gray ask. "Oh, this I have to see."

"Well, if I can knock your block off, then I bet I can-" Bambietta suddenly shrieked as she turned her attention back to Gray. "Pants! Now!"

To the untrained eye, Mount Hakobe was nothing more than an uninhabited wasteland, unfit for life. They would, however, be quite wrong. Prowling the frozen peaks and numerous caverns were many types of indigenous creatures, the Blizzardverns and the Vulcan being the most likely to be encountered. The latter however were the more dangerous. The Vulcan were known far and wide to be deadly creatures, ones that lived long and prospered by using their variety of Take Over Magic on any humans that crossed their paths. As fate would have it, that had been exactly the circumstance that had befallen the Fairy Tail wizard known as Macao Conbolt.

The mage had taken the request to slay the Vulcans that roamed the lands and he had very nearly completed his task, only to fall prey to the very last one. If not for Natsu, Lucy and Happy's intervention he would have spent the rest of his days trapped in the form of a beast.

Now the trio were helping the battered older man down the mountain side, intent on bringing him home to Magnolia.

"I'm sorry, Natsu," Macao said weakly as he continued to force his way forward. "I should have done better to end this mission myself. But I want to thank you."

"Don't sweat it, pops," Natsu replied. "I'm not going to leave behind any member of the guild, you can count on that!"

Lucy continued to do her part to help the bandaged and battered Macao continued to move forward as well. She could not help but smile a bit, Natsu's enduring desire to help those in need warming her heart.

All the while did Happy fly around them, keeping his eyes peeled for the end of the snowy region. Then did the cat suddenly catch sight of something, hovering back by his best friend's side. "Natsu! Somebody's coming! A lot of somebodies!"

Acting on instinct, Natsu's nose began to sniff at the air, his Dragon Slayer senses picking up something familiar. "Oh, I know that scent!" Not thinking for a moment, Natsu let go of his hold on Macao, leaving Lucy to carry that burden herself. "Hey, Natsu!"

"You think you're pretty sneaky, huh, Gray!" the Dragon Slayer cried out. "I bet you think you can totally beat me in an environment that suits you! Well bring it on!"

"Man, you're so obnoxious!" a voice cried back as the one it belonged to drew closer. "Believe it or not but I didn't come here to fight. But if it's a battle you want-"

"Gray! It's freaking cold out here! How the heck are you fine without a shirt? Good grief! I can still kick you, you know!"

"This is what I've had to deal with the entire time coming here..."

Over the snow bank did three figures appear then, two of them quite familiar to Natsu. "I knew it was you, Gray! And... Levy, what are you doing here?" Natsu glanced then at the woman in white, squinting slightly. "And who are you?"

"I'm Bamb-"

Natsu's nose flared up slightly then as he moved closer. "You don't smell familiar. Hold up..."

The Dragon Slayer moved circled around Bambietta then, sniffing at the air around her. The Quincy grit her teeth then, bringing up a shaking fist. "What in the heck are you doing, creep?"

"You don't look or smell familiar," Natsu explained, a wide eyed expression on his face. "Guess you must be new to Fairy Tail!"

Bambietta tried her best to control her anger, glancing back at Gray and Levy. "Is he like this all the time?"

"Only when he doesn't recognize somebody new to the guild," Gray replied. "At least you took it better than Bisca did."

Levy could not help but sigh, past memories returning to her then and there. "It took so long to fix all the bullet holes in the guild, even with Master Makarov's help."

Bambietta turned back to Natsu, only to catch sight of Lucy in the back, struggling to hold up an injured man. "Hey there!" the Celestial wizard shouted. "A little help?"

Bambietta was about to move when Gray shot past her, taking the bandaged man's other side to help her. The Quincy watched then and turned back to Natsu. "So I guess we were a little late to the party if that's Macao."

"Oh, you guys were coming to help?" Natsu asked. "Well, that's nice of you all but Lucy, my little buddy and I had it all under control!"

"If you mean 'Lucy had to summon a hormone controlled bull spirit that lusts for her,' then yes, we had it all under control!"

Bambietta raised both eyebrows at that statement, glancing over Natsu's shoulder towards Lucy. The blonde simply shook her head then, as if it was a subject she had no interest in discussing further. Bambietta turned back to Natsu then, the Quincy happy that even if she missed the adventure, at least Macao was safe. That would no doubt cheer up his child waiting for him back home in Magnolia.

Content, the Quincy turned away then, smiling broadly. She had all but forgotten the idea to challenge Natsu to a fight so far away from both the guild and Makarov himself.

"Wow, that was awfully big of you," Levy whispered. "I thought for sure you were still going to pick a fight with him."

Bambietta stopped dead in her tracks then. She slapped her forehead and flashed a smile. "Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me, Levy!"

The blue haired mage dropped her head forward in response. "Oh bother."

Bambietta turned then, fully intent on demanding to test her mettle against Natsu here and now. This time she would not hesitate or be distracted. She would fulfill her lust for battle and gain her opportunity to prove she was stronger than one of Fairy Tail's best. It was as simple as that.

Imagine Bambietta's surprise then when she found Natsu already behind her and not a foot away, a serious expression on his face. The Quincy very nearly leapt back in surprise but Bambietta held her ground despite that momentary lapse in confidence. "Natsu?"

"Gray just told me you beat him up pretty good yesterday."

"Oh, it was just a love tap," Bambietta replied, unsure of what Natsu was getting at. Was he upset that she had hit a fellow Fairy Tail member? No, that could not be it. He had done just the same to another when she had first seen him; he had started the brawl that Makarov had broken up after all.

"Only myself and Erza have done that, so you've got to be pretty strong!" Natsu all but shouted, a smile spreading on his face. "Can I see?"

Bambietta blinked. "Huh? You want me to punch Gray again?"

"You specifically promised me no more punching!"

Both Bambietta and Natsu ignored Gray's shouting from the distance, fully concentrating on each other. "Oh no," Natsu said to the Quincy, "I just want to fight you myself and see what Fairy Tail's newest member can do!"

"Hey!" Lucy cried out. "I just joined today! Or did you already forget?"

"That's Natsu for you," Happy exclaimed as he fluttered around Lucy.

Macao grinned a little bit. "The boy always did pick a fight with any new guild member if he heard they were strong. It's his way of saying hello to them. Some things never change."

"Come on, guys," Levy said as she approached Natsu and Bambietta. "This isn't the time. Look at the climate we're in."

Bambietta began to undo her cloak, handing it to Levy. "Wrap that around Macao, okay? That should keep him a little warmer." Bambietta took off her hat then, gently handing it to Levy. "And keep that safe for me, okay? Hold it tight."

Levy sighed as she took from Bambietta the cape and hat. She walked over to Lucy and the others and gently began to wrap the cloak around Macao's shoulders. The group then kept their focus on Natsu and Bambietta.

The Dragon Slayer and the Quincy took a few steps back from each other, both of them grinning with satisfaction at what was about to come. Bambietta was the slightest bit upset that she had been unable to initiate the discussion of their impending scuffle but she could live with Natsu beating her to the punch since she knew that was not going to happen a second time. This fight was hers to win.

Natsu's mind was elsewhere however. He had no interest in losing, no, but mostly he was interested in having a little fun. It had been a while since he had been introduced to a new member of Fairy Tail like this and he could just tell he was going to have a fight on his hand. If this woman could take out Gray with a solid punch they she could very well be a force to be reckoned with.

"You ready?" the Dragon Slayer asked as he walked to the side, his eyes locked on his upcoming foe. "Because I've got a fire in my belly now and I'm just itching to go!"

"Oh, I've got the eye of the tiger, kid," Bambietta retorted with a wink as she walked forward and matched Natsu's pace. "Let's dance!"

Natsu stopped in his tracks, confusion sprawling across his face. "I thought we were going to fight?"

Bambietta shook her head. "It's just a saying. Okay, how about this? Let's get ready to rumble!"

Natsu's bewilderment faded then, replaced with a smile hungry for a battle. "Now you're talking!"

The Dragon Slayer and the Quincy stepped forward then, the fingers of their right hands curling inwards to create fists. They then sent forward simultaneous punches.

Bambietta screamed outwards as she moved forward. "Natsu!"

Natsu was about to return the favor but the Dragon Slayer realized he could not and stopped his attack. "Oh yeah! What's your name?"

Bambietta withheld her punch then, relaxing for a moment. "It's Bambietta Basterbine."

Natsu smirked and began to throw his punch again. "Bambiet-"

The Dragon Slayer's battle cry was cut off then, Bambietta's knuckles dragging across his face and sending Natsu into a spin before he hit the ground.

"Hey!" Natsu shouted as he lifted his head up, snow falling away from his hair. "You're supposed to wait until after I shout my battle cry before you hit me! It's common courtesy!"

"Oh I'm sorry," Bambietta replied with a grin. "Your face was just crying out 'punch me' and I couldn't resist." Bambietta let her fingers splay out from the fist they had formed, only to curl back in as she rotated the arm a little bit. "Man, two times in as many days. It's been so long since I fought hand to hand. I feel so out of shape..."

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"You're kidding," Lucy whispered. "This is Bambi not even at her peak?"

"I didn't... didn't even see her throw that punch." Levy blinked a few times, rubbing her eyes with her hands. "So fast..."

"Well either way I win," Gray added in. "Either Natsu gets beat up or the girl who nearly knocked out my teeth does. Works for me."

Natsu began to pull himself up from the ground, rubbing the side of his face slightly. "Okay, so this really is going to be fun."

Bambietta stuck out her chin a little bit, tapping it with an index finger. "Come on, give me your best shot!"

Natsu paused, the Dragon Slayer unaccustomed to an opponent giving him a free opening to attack. "Are you serious?"