#orlu

CULTURE SUMMARY: IGBO

By IFI AMADIUME

ETHNONYMS

Ala Igbo, Ani Igbo, Ibo, Ndi Igbo.

IDENTIFICATION AND LOCATION

Igbo is the language spoken in Ala Igbo or Ani Igbo (Igboland) by the people who are collectively referred to as “Ndi Igbo”; their community is known as “Olu no Igbo” (“those in the lowlands and uplands”). Before European colonialism, the Igbo-speaking peoples, who shared similarities in culture, lived in localized communities and were not unified under a single cultural identity or political framework, although unifying processes were present via expansion, ritual subordination, intermarriage, trade, cultural exchange, migration, war, and conquest. Villages and village groups were generally identified by distinct names of their ancestral founders or by specific names such as Umuleri, Nri, Ogidi, Nnobi, Orlu, Ngwa, Ezza, and Ohaffia.

There are several theories concerning the etymology of the word “Igbo” (wrongly spelled “Ibo” by British colonialists). Eighteenth-century texts had the word as “Heebo” or “Eboe,” which was thought to be a corruption of “Hebrew.” “Igbo” is commonly presumed to mean “the people.” The root - bo is judged to be of Sudanic origin; some scholars think that the word is derived from the verb gboo and therefore has connotations of “to protect,” “to shelter,” or “to prevent”—hence the notion of a protected people or a community of peace. According to other theorists, it may also be traced to the Igala, among whom onigbo is the word for “slave,” oni meaning “people.”

Igbo-speaking peoples can be divided into five geographically based subcultures: northern Igbo, southern Igbo, western Igbo, eastern Igbo, and northeastern Igbo. Each of these five can be further divided into subgroups based on specific locations and names. The northern or Onitsha Igbo are divided into the Nri-Awka of Onitsha and Awka; the Enugu of Nsukka, Udi, Awgu, and Okigwe; and those of the Onitsha town. The southern or Owerri Igbo are divided into the Isu-Ama of Okigwe, Orlu, and Owerri; the Oratta-Ikwerri of Owerri and Ahoada; the Ohuhu-Ngwa of Aba and Bende; and the Isu-Item of Bende and Okigwe. The western Igbo (Ndi Anioma, as they like to call themselves) are divided into the northern Ika of Ogwashi Uku and Agbor; the southern Ika or Kwale of Kwale; and the Riverrain of Ogwashi Uku, Onitsha, Owerri, and Ahoada. The eastern or Cross River Igbo are divided into the Ada (or Edda) of Afikpo, the Abam-Ohaffia of Bende and Okigwe, and the Aro of Aro. The northeastern Igbo include the Ogu Uku of Abakaliki and Afikpo.

Today Igbo-speaking individuals live all over Nigeria and in diverse countries of the world. As a people, however, the Igbo are located on both sides of the River Niger and occupy most of southeastern Nigeria. The area, measuring over 41,000 square kilometers, includes the old provinces of Onitsha, Owerri, East Rivers, Southeast Benin, West Ogoja, and Northeast Warri. In contemporary Nigerian history, the Igbo have claimed all these areas as the protectorate of the “Niger Districts.” Thus began the process of wider unification and incorporation into wider political and administrative units. Presently, they constitute the entire Enugu State, Anambra State, Abia State, Imo State, and the Ahoada area of Rivers State; Igbo-speaking people west of the Niger are inhabitants of the Asaba, Ika, and Agbo areas of Delta State.

Lucy sat on the red covers that lay atop her large bed. The black curtains that hung from the corona above her canopy bed were pulled closed. The blonde teenager looked up from her book at the curtains and smiled. They were a gift from her mother before her death. The black curtains had a starry design on them, all eighty-eight of the night sky's constellations mapped out with golden threads sewed into the black, mesh fabric. Lucy reached out to one of the slits on either side of her bed and pulled back one of the curtains. Her brown eyes looked towards the large window that sat across from her.

She could see the full moon.

It was time.

The young woman sat her book down, stepped out of bed, and walked across her expansive bedroom to her large closet. Opening it, she reached in and pulled out an outfit that she had stashed in the back of her closet. She quickly walked back to her bed, laying the outfit down. She quickly slipped out of her nightdress and into the sleeveless, white-and-blue shirt, the short blue skirt, and tall, black leather boots. She fastened her brown leather belt around her hips, making sure that her whip and three keys, two gold and one silver, were fastened to her belt.

She made her way over to the large window. The pushed it open, looking down at the grassy ground below her. Steeling her resolve to escape this lavish prison, she walked back inside and grabbed a rope that she had managed to sneak away from the gardener's shed. She tied one end of the rope to her bedpost. Once secured, she went back to the open window and through the other end of the rope outside, watching as the end reached just a few feet above the ground. Lucy smiled, happy that her calculations were correct.

She took the rope in her hands and stood upon the window sill, turning her back to the outside world. Taking a deep breath, she began scaling down the mansion wall, going slowly so as to not lose her footing or grip. Once she reached the end of the rope, she let go, allowing herself to land on her feet. Lucy looked around, making sure that none of the guards had appeared. When she ensure that the coast was clear, she made a break for the forest that surrounded the estate.

She knew where she was going.

For she had long been planning this.

The blonde ran until she reached a town that had a train station. She stopped on the platform, leaning back against it as she breathed heavily, beads of sweat sliding down her pale skin. She waited a few minutes to catch her breath before walking over to the booth where she bought a ticket with the money she had tucked into her boot. She boarded the train and waited for it to take off towards Crocus.

Looking through the window, she could see the sun peeking above the horizon, just slightly. She knew that her father would notice her disappearance soon. She laid down as best could on her seat, closed her eyes, and tried to get as much sleep as she could.

"Now arriving at Crocus!"

The loud boom of the conductor's voice woke Lucy. The blonde sat up and rubbed her eyes. With a yawn, she stood up and walked off of the train. She exited the train station and stepped into the warm sunshine. Looking up, she squinted and saw the sun was directly above her in the sky. She looked back at her surroundings.

Crocus was the same as when she last visited a couple of years ago. All around her were large houses, stores, and restaurants. Lucy smiled, excited to be away from the mansion that her neglectful father had trapped her in. She began walking, searching for a magic shop. She hoped to not only buy a few new keys, but to also found out where the nearest apartments are.

After searching for some time, the blonde finally came upon a large magic shop. She dug out the money that she had tucked into her boot before entering. She was greeted by a middle-aged woman behind a counter as she scanned the shelves and glass casings, her brown eyes peeled for any keys.

By the end of her search, Lucy had found two silver keys. Happy that she was able to find any, the young mage walked to the counter to pay for the keys. "Ah, a celestial spirit mage, I see." The woman observed. Lucy nodded, smiling broadly. The older woman gave her a warm smile before asking, "Which ones are those?"

Lucy answered, "Horologium the Clock and Pyxis the Compass."

The woman nodded as she spoke, "that'll be forty-thousand jewel, dear." Lucy handed over the money, knowing that she had saved up enough for her first week in Crocus. That was enough time to find a place to live and a job.

Just before she turned to leave, Lucy asked, "do you know if there are any apartments for rent nearby?"

The woman nodded. "Just two blocks north, dear." Lucy thanked the woman and with a wave of goodbye, she walked out of the store and headed north. By the end of the day, Lucy had successfully found a place to live. Now with that done, she had to find a job. She sat in a bakery that also functioned as a cafe, sipping her iced coffee, and looked through a newspaper, looking for jobs that she was qualified for. Eventually, she sighed and set the folded newspaper down on the table she was sitting at.

The owner of the cafe approached her, folding her arms across her chest and donning a kind smile. The woman had greying brunette hair pulled into a tight bun. She was plump and clothed in a blue dress and white apron. Lucy looked up at the woman, raising an eyebrow. The woman spoke, "if you're looking for a job, then I can employ you. I've been looking for an employee for some time now." The woman pointed to a "help wanted" sign that sat in the window.

Lucy mentally face-palmed. How did she not see that sign? She looked up at the woman, asking, "what would I be doing?"

The woman answered with a bright smile, "you'll be taking orders, serving pastries and drinks, boxing to-go orders, making drinks, making deliveries, and running various errands."

Lucy sat her iced coffee down. "I won't be doing any baking, will I?"

The woman shook her head. "I will be doing all of the baking."

"So, basically, I'll be a waitress and a gofer?" The woman nodded her head at the blonde's question, causing Lucy to smile. It sounded like a job she could do. She decided to ask one more question, "how much will I be paid?"

The woman answered, "100,000 jewel a week."

Lucy raised her eyebrows at that. It was definitely enough to pay her rent and groceries. She nodded her head, accepting the job offer, as she questioned once again, "when do I start?"

"This Monday."

"So, Lucy. Do you plan to join a guild?"

Lucy turned from where she was wiping down a table to see her boss, who insisted on being called by her nickname, Minnie, standing behind the counter, leaning against it, with a pleasant smile on her aged face. The cafe was empty, not a surprise since they were about an hour away from closing time.

The blonde teenager continued cleaning the table in front of her. She answered, "yeah, I plan to eventually. I'm not sure when I'll do it though, or which guild I'll join."

The older woman chuckled lightly. She responded, "I know two mages myself. One is from Fairy Tail and one is from Sabertooth."

Lucy sat her rag down on the table. She turned around to face her boss before raising an eyebrow and inquiring, "Sabertooth? Isn't that the new guild that was just created late last year?"

Minnie nodded her head. She stated, "It's grown at a surprising rate, I must say."

Lucy nodded. "I've heard of Fairy Tail, kinda hard not to, honestly." The women laughed, both knowing how infamous Fairy Tail has become for its wild guild members.

Minnie gave a silent sigh as she spoke again, "anyways if you're interested in joining either of those guilds, I'd be happy to invite one of my friends to come here for a visit." She then added, "in case you have any questions, of course."

Lucy smiled. "What are your friends' names?"

"The one from Fairy Tail is Makarov Dreyar. The one from Sabertooth is Clover Lore."

Lucy's brown eyes widened. She sputtered out, "D-Did you j-just say that y-you are friends with Fairy Tail's guild master?!"

Minnie chuckled while she nodded. She walked around the counter and approached Lucy. The older woman studied the table that her new employee had just finished cleaning. After giving a nod of approval she picked up the rag and walked back over to the counter. She sat the rag on top of the counter and turned to Lucy, finally giving a verbal response to her shocked employee, "Yes, Makarov and I are good friends. He came in here several years ago with his grandson when the boy was still a toddler. Being the child-loving woman that I am, I just couldn't stop gushing over the kid. Makarov and I got along quite well. Since then, the old geezer comes by every now and then to complain about his guild to me, although he says that he's just visiting."

Lucy nodded with an amused smile. She then asked in curiosity, "does his grandson ever come by as well?"

Minnie nodded. "Not as often as his grandfather, but every now and then when he has a job nearby he, and often times three of his friends, will stop by for some coffee and pastries."

Lucy smiled at that. She would love to meet Fairy Tail's guild master, as well as this grandson of his. She hasn't heard much about Makarov's grandson, in fact, she only knows his name, but she was sure that if he was anything like his grandfather, then she'll like him. She's heard quite a bit about Master Makarov, him being very kind and warm-hearted being the most prevalent thing she's heard about him.

Minnie then asked, "how much do you know about Fairy Tail, dear?"

Lucy leaned against the table behind her as she answered, "I don't know what any of them look like, and I haven't really heard all that much, but what I do know is that they have a very kind guild master, they value their guildmates, and they're a very wild guild."

Minnie laughed. "Yes, that's all correct."

Lucy decided to change the topic to the other guild that had been mentioned previously, "what about Sabertooth? Since they're new, I don't know anything about them."

Minnie gave a small smile, answering, "I admit, I don't know much either. Clover doesn't talk much about her guild. All I've been able to get from her is that it's much like Fairy Tail, except Sabertooth isn't filled to the brim with wild mages." After the two women chuckled at that, Minnie asked, "would you like to meet with Makarov or Clover? I'm sure they can answer any questions that you may have. Maybe Makarov will bring his grandson and Clover might bring her boy."

Lucy grinned at the offer. It sounded like a great idea, especially since she had no idea which one she would join. "If it won't be of any trouble for either of them, then that'd be great, Minnie. Thank you."

Minnie nodded. She walked back around the counter and into the kitchen as she said, "I'll contact Makarov and Clover to tell them about you tomorrow, then." She then poked her head out of the kitchen to add, "also, you can go on home, dear."

"Are you sure? I can still help out around here before closing." Lucy was eager to go home after a long day, but she didn't want to leave Minnie with a lot of work in preparation for closing for the night.

Minnie waved her hand dismissively. "Yes, I'm sure. Go on now. Hurry home."

Lucy decided to not argue. With a "goodnight" to her boss, she took off her apron and placed it in its place on the coat rack near the front door. She exited the bakery that also functioned as a cafe and began walking home.

As she neared her apartment, Lucy heard a pair of footsteps behind her. She sped up, but as she did so, the pair of footsteps behind her sped up as well. The blonde mage turned around to see a green-haired woman rapidly approaching her, with a cold look on her face. Before Lucy could react, the black-clothed woman grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a nearby alleyway, slamming her against the hard brick wall. Lucy winced. Her front was being pressed against the wall, the side of her face stung, she definitely got cut. Her arms were pinned painfully behind her.

The other woman snarled lowly in Lucy's ear, "running away from home? Naughty girl."

Lucy began to struggle while screaming for help. Her attacker pulled her away from the brick wall before slamming her against it again, causing Lucy to yelp in pain. Lucy asked while gritting her teeth, "who are you? Why are you doing this? How do you know that I ran away?"

The green-haired woman chuckled. Lucy could feel the woman's hot breath on her ear as her attacker pressed her body against hers. The woman then whispered again, "you can call me Kit. I was hired by your father to find you and bring you back to him."

Lucy's eyes widened. She couldn't go back to that mansion. She had to escape this woman. Kit then pulled Lucy away from the wall and kicked the back of her knees, causing the blonde to fall to her bare knees. Kit held Lucy's arms tightly behind her back with one hand as she stuffed a couple of sleeping pills down the blonde's throat. Lucy was forced to swallow the cylindrical pills as she struggled and tried to scream for help. However, her screams were muffled by Kit's hand.

Lucy finally managed to push herself backward as hard as she could and on top of her attempted kidnapper. Kit groaned in pain causing her grip on Lucy to loosen and the celestial wizard managed to stand up and run out of the alleyway. She ran past her apartment and into a 24/7 bar. She walked to a vacant table at the back and sat down, trying to get her heavy breathing under control and calm her rapid heartbeat.

Her thoughts were jumbled and she was attempting to comprehend what had just happened. After several minutes, she finally steadied her breathing and her heart was no longer hammering away in her chest.

Suddenly, Lucy realized that Kit had drugged her with what she assumed were sleeping pills. The blonde jumped up and rushed out of the bar. Once outside, she stuck a finger into her mouth, forcing herself to throw up. After making herself vomit a few times, she spotted the two pills that had been forced down her throat. Lucy sat down on the sidewalk with a sigh. She looked around, fortunately not seeing Kit nearby.

As she thought about what to do now, she heard a voice behind her speak, "are you alright?"

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Who do you think should be the first suitor to appear?

Options: Erza Juvia Gajeel Cana Mira Cobra Midnight Freed Bixlow Levy Gray

I excluded Rufus, Laxus, Sting, Rogue, Loke, and Orga because I already have something planned for them. Plus, at this point Sting, Rogue, Orga, and Rufus would be like twelve or thirteen, so why would they be at a bar at night?

Well, I'm sick. I am not experiencing Covid symptoms, so I don't believe I have that. I feel like garbage and it hurts to get out of bed. I am coughing every five minutes and just took a NyQuil pill, HOWEVER, that will not stop me from posting on schedule. If God wants me to stop writing, then He's gonna need to try a hell of a lot harder.

On another note, I actually really like OrLu. There aren't a lot of fics about these two, which is pretty sad, in my opinion. I have read a few, and I really like the ship. This shouldn't be too much of a surprise. I can't say why exactly I really like OrLu, I just do. I guess I like it because you can do quite a lot with them in fanfics and not be restricted by canon. I hope that made sense because I don't know any other way to explain it. 

I hope you enjoy!

Unexpected Partner (Orga x Lucy)

Lucy sat at the bar, sipping on her favorite strawberry milkshake. She glanced at the request board and then at her team, seeing that Natsu and Gray were arguing while Erza was eating her strawberry cake and getting increasingly annoyed by her two male teammates. Lucy needed to go on a job for rent money but didn't want to deal with her team's destructive nature. Every time they went on a job together, Natsu would burn stuff, Gray would freeze whatever isn't on fire, and Erza would break whatever was left. This would leave Lucy to apologize for the destruction and lose what amount of the reward money was required to fix the damages. 

She loved her teammates, she really did, but she couldn't go on every job with them. She had rent to pay, after all. She sighed, finishing off her cold drink and walking over to the request board. She looked at the reward money first, singling out the ones that offered the amount of money she was looking for, and then looking at what exactly the job request was about. She was still analyzing the pieces of paper when an arm wrapped around her shoulders. She knew who the arm belonged to. 

A familiar voice greeted her, "Hey, Luce! Looking for a job we can do?"

Lucy looked over at Natsu, answering, "Sorry, Natsu, but I'm going on a solo job."

The dragon slayer pulled away, giving his best friend a look of shock and hurt. "What? We're partners! We go on jobs together!" 

Lucy sighed. At least Gray and Erza weren't joining Natsu in his complaining. For now, at least. She shook her head and responded, "no, Natsu. Just because we're on the same team doesn't mean I'm obligated to go on every job with you. I am allowed to go on solo jobs. I have decided to go on a solo job." 

She ignored Natsu's pouting in favor of turning her attention back to the request board. She quickly found one that paid three-hundred-thousand jewel. Enough for three months of rent with more than enough money left over to buy food. She read the request. Whoever sent it wanted a mage to take out a small dark guild and rescue the woman that had been captured by them and was being held hostage. It sounded like a job she could handle. Taking it off of the board, she headed over to Mira to get it approved. 

Once Lucy reached the bar, Natsu began whining again, "come on, Luce! Let me go with you! It's been a whole month since I've taken a job!" 

Lucy didn't look at him. She watched as Mira approved the job request and walked out of the guild to pack as she replied simply, "Go on one with Gray and Erza, or with Lisanna. I'm sure she would love to go on one with you." 

She didn't listen for a response as she walked out of the guild and headed for her apartment. She wasn't sure how long she would probably stay in the town the job was in, but it'd probably be a good idea to pack for two weeks. That was quite a bit of packing, maybe she'll have Virgo help her.

Lucy bought her train ticket and sat on a bench, waiting for the train to arrive. She was staring off into space when a loud voice called out to her, "Hey! Fairy!" Lucy broke out of her empty trance and turned her head to see a large man walking toward her, a welcoming smile on his face. He was tall and muscular, with green hair, shirtlessness, and warpaint-like markings on his upper body and face giving him a wild look. She wracked her brain for a name to put to him. She watched him approach her and come to a stop next to her, looking down at her with a smile. 

She stared up at him in confusion before recognition hit her. She stood up and smiled up at him. "Hello, Orga. It's been a while."

Orga nodded, saying, "yeah, Fairy. About a year, I think." 

Lucy gave him a look of annoyance. "Fairy Tail and Sabertooth are friends now. Could you please stop calling me 'Fairy'?" 

Orga gave a humorous laugh before answering, "sorry. Habit, I guess. Hey, Lucy."

The celestial wizard went back to smiling back, responding, "that's better." She then asked, "are you on your way to a job too?" 

Orga nodded. "I just finished my first job here in Magnolia. I'm heading to my second one." 

Lucy raised an eyebrow, asking, "you took two jobs? And you took a job here?" 

Orga nodded. "My first job was pretty easy. Just helping to move a bunch of heavy stuff for some reason that wasn't explained. Nothing big. I decided to take two so I wouldn't be too bored. My second job is in Gardenia Town."

Lucy gave him a look of disbelief. When the Sabertooth mage raised a confused eyebrow. Lucy noticed his confusion by saying, "my job is in Gardenia Town." 

Orga's facial expression changed into one of mirrored disbelief. He held out his hand, silently asking for her job request. Lucy reached into the pouch on her hip, pulling out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and handed it to him, allowing him to read it over and compare it to his own job request. After reading the job request from the Fairy Tail request board and comparing it to his, Orga looked down at the blonde mage, his eyes wide with shock and slight confusion. He spoke, his voice mirroring the feelings his face and eyes were displaying, "we have the same job request."

Lucy gaped at him. "What?" She took back her job request, also snatching the large man's request to compare them herself. She silently gasped. They were the same, right down to the reward. She looked back up at Orga, saying with a small shrug of her shoulders, "I guess the requestor is desperate."

Orga nodded, adding, "should we team up?" 

Lucy looked back at the job requests in her hands before handing the one from Sabertooth back to the god slayer. She answered simply, "I guess we should. It'll make this job easier and faster." Orga nodded, sitting down next to Lucy after she sat back down. The newly partnered mages sat in silence for the train to arrive. 

Lucy and Orga stepped off the train, still engaged in a fit of laughter. The train ride had lasted five hours, and the two mages managed to pass the time with conversation about their individual guilds, eventually devolving into talking about their friends, whom they typically team up with. Lucy wiped a stray tear away while asking, "why did you decide to take solo jobs?" Her cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling so widely, but she ignored it. 

Orga looked down at her as they walked to the requestor's house, a just as big smile on his own face, and answered, "Sting is the guild master, so he can't take jobs. Rogue has been pissy lately for some reason, so I'm not going on a job with him because I don't want to be Shadow Dragon's Slashed again. Rufus never was fond of partnering on jobs unless you bribed him. Yukino and Minerva have been going on jobs together a lot lately, saying that they liked the 'girl time' they got to have while on jobs. If you ask me, though, I'd say that those two are using jobs as excuses to go on dates without anybody knowing, even though the entire guild suspects that they are together." 

Lucy let out a gasp. "Yukino and Minerva? I wouldn't have guessed." She then smiled and added, "I'm happy for them. Mira is going to flip out when I tell her." 

Orga laughed, muttering an "oh no" under his breath, before asking the smaller mage, "what about you?" He placed a large arm around her shoulders, hoping that she wouldn't find it weird. 

Lucy felt warmth creep onto her cheeks at the small contact. She turned her head to hide the blush from him, looking instead at the quaint houses they passed. She answered, "I wanted a break from my team's destructiveness." 

Orga chuckled before he responded with an amused tone, "I don't blame you. I heard stories." 

Lucy paled at the last part. She mumbled, just loud enough for the other mage to hear, "that doesn't sound good."

The pair fell back into a laughing fit, stopping and leaning against each other so they could avoid falling over in their uncontrollable laughter. After a few minutes, they had gained control of themselves and resumed their walking to their requestor's home. 

They quickly arrived at their destination, walking up to the wooden door of the two-story house. Lucy raised her fist to knock lightly. They waited a few moments, but nobody had even yelled an answer, making Lucy wonder if she should knock again. Just as she was about to knock louder, the door creaked open, revealing a man that looked as though he was homeless. He peeked his head out of the opening that was just big enough for him to stick his head through. His green eyes were panicked and he looked as though he was expecting to be attacked at any moment. Lucy and Orga gave each other a mirroring confused look, a feeling of alarm mixed in.  Just what had this dark guild done? 

Lucy turned her attention back to the man and spoke in a soft and slow tone, not wanting to scare him, "we are here to answer your request." She slowly reached into her small pouch, pulled out her job request, unfolded it carefully, and held it up for the man to see. She then asked, "is there anything you can tell us about this small dark guild? Where it is and how many members, perhaps?" 

The man answered so quickly that Lucy and Orga almost didn't catch his words, "ten members! At the abandoned warehouse! Bring back my Crimson safely!" He then pulled back into the house and slammed the door closed.

Lucy and Orga looked at each other again in confusion as to what exactly happened to this man. Orga finally made a guess, " maybe this Crimson person is his wife." 

Lucy shrugged. She and Orga walked away from the house. As they walked, Lucy realized that they had no idea where the abandoned warehouse they had to go to was. She stopped walking, Orga coming to a stop next to her. He questioned as he watched her take out a silver key, "what are you doing?" 

Lucy ignored the question, instead, she pointed the blade of her silver key at the ground in front of her and called, "Open! Gate of the Compass: Pyxis!" 

A flash of light caused Orga to shield his eyes. When he looked back, he saw a red and white bird thing with a compass on its head resting comfortably in Lucy's arms. He raised an eyebrow at it, lifting his fingers and poking the celestial spirit's beak. Lucy giggle at the act, causing Orga to look at her with wide eyes. He thought that she had a great laugh, but her giggle was just beautiful. He felt warmth on his cheeks, knowing that he was blushing. He looked away, hoping that the Fairy Tail mage hadn't noticed. He then asked, "Which one is that?" He hoped that his voice didn't give away how flustered he had become by simply hearing her giggle at such a small action. 

Lucy smiled up at him sweetly. She sat the bird spirit on the ground and spoke to it, "Pyxis, could you point us in the direction of an abandoned warehouse?" 

The bird squawked happily before the compass on its head began spinning. It quickly came to a stop and the spirit pointed towards a forest that sat nearby. Lucy mumbled, "of course, it's in the forest." 

She picked up Pyxis and began walking in the direction it was pointing in, Orga followed, muttering, "a spirit that can give you directions. Yukino should find one." 

The two mages eventually came to a warehouse. Lucy dismissed Pyxis and crouched beside Orga behind some bushes and trees. They watched as a couple of dark mages conversed right in front of the entrance of the four-story warehouse. The blonde mage turned to her partner and whispered her plan, "I'll go find the woman while you and a couple of you spirits fight the dark mages." 

Orga nodded, adding, "don't waste your magic. I can take them all on by myself." 

Lucy shook her head, reaching into her pouch to take out two keys. "I don't doubt your fighting ability, but I think it would be better if a couple of my spirits help you, just in case." 

Orga tried to say no but found that he couldn't. He sighed and nodded his head in acceptance of the plan. Lucy smiled. She raised a hand, all five fingers up. She slowly put each one down as she readied her two golden keys in her other hand. Orga shifted, prepared to jump out and start blasting dark mages with his lightning. 

Once Lucy put down her last finger, the pair bolted out of their hiding spot. The celestial wizard raised her two keys and shouted, "Open! Gates of the Maiden and Golden Bull: Virgo and Taurus!" The pair of Zodiac spirits appeared and immediately began attacking the dark mages that ran out of the warehouse, being quickly joined by Orga. 

Lucy managed to sneak past the fighting mages, slipping into the warehouse and beginning her search for Crimson. After what seemed to be forever, her searching led her to a single jail cell on the top floor of the broken-down building. She ran to the cell, finding that a woman, appearing to be only a few years older than herself, was huddled in the back of the cell, her head buried in her knees. Lucy spoke softly and slowly to the woman, just as she did to the job requestor, "hey, are you Crimson?" 

The woman lifted her head and looked at the mage, allowing Lucy to see that she had a head full of red hair, similar to Erza's hair color. Lucy guessed that her red was why this woman was called Crimson. The woman nodded her head in response to Lucy's question. 

The blonde mage spoke again, "I'm going to get you out, okay?" 

Crimson nodded again. Lucy looked at the lock on the cell's door. She knew that she couldn't break it, so she reached into her pouch and pulled out Cancer's key. She raised it as she summoned the spirit, "Open! Gate of the Giant Crab: Cancer!" 

The celestial spirit appeared beside her, asking as he snipped his scissors a few times, "what do you need, baby?"

Lucy pointed at the lock. "I need you to unlock this cell!" 

Cancer nodded, unlocking the cell with a pair of his scissors. Lucy thanked him before he returned to the Celestial Spirit World. Lucy flung the cell door open and rushed inside, helping Crimson to her feet and assisting her in walking. 

The pair reached the entrance of the warehouse after a slow descent down several flights of stairs. They stepped out to find Orga standing among the defeated dark mages, Virgo and Taurus having already returned to their world. 

Orga smiled, exclaiming, "Hey, Lucy! You found her, I see!" 

Lucy nodded. "Come pick her up. We'll take her back and then come and get the dark mages." Orga nodded, walking over to the two women and picking up the red-haired woman bridal style. They walked back to the town, intending to also find a doctor for her. 

Lucy and Orga sat on the train, on their way back to the respective towns that they lived in. They had returned Crimson to their job requestor, who turned out to be her husband. The couple had a tearful reunion and the man happily gave the two mages their reward money. Lucy and Orga quickly agreed to split the reward money, one-hundred-fifty-thousand jewel per mage. They then turned the dark mages over to the Rune Knights that quickly arrived after being contacted by the two mages via a communication lacrima. 

The pair now sat in comfortable silence. Lucy looked up at the large man, seeing that he was staring out of the window. She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. She wanted to ask Orga if he wanted to hang out sometime, but didn't know how to ask, or even if he was interested in her the way she was interested in him. 

The train then came to a stop and the conductor's voice sounded, announcing that they had arrived at Magnolia. Lucy looked back at Orga again, seeing that he was smiling at her. She returned the smile and stood up. She waved goodbye and began walking out of the compartment when she was stopped by a hand gripping her wrist. She looked back to see Orga was still smiling at her, a light blush painted across his cheeks. Lucy waited for him to say something, silently hoping that he would say what she wanted to say to him. 

The man then said just loud enough for Lucy to hear, "um...would you like to hang out sometime?" 

..Sam Sochukwuma Okwaraji, died on the field of play on this day August 12, 1989 playing for Nigeria Vs Angola in Lagos. Hailed from Orlu, Imo state. Sam was also a trained Lawyer from University of Rome ..Okwaraji died on the field of play of heart failure, aged 25. He did not die playing against India after scoring a goal in 99-1 final score as erroneously told..33 years after, forever in our…

Lucy walked through a meadow, looking at the cows and windmills that she passed by. She was lost in thought, questioning if she wanted to join a guild anymore. She loved Crocus and working for Minnie. Living with the older woman was great too. She truly felt like she had found a home and even a mother already. She didn't think that staying was a bad idea. 

However, there was a part of her that still wanted to join a guild. She had heard a lot about how guilds were like large families and that by joining a guild, you could find a place where you belong. 

Lucy wanted that. She wanted a family and place where she felt that she belonged. But, was that in Crocus with Minnie? Or was that with a guild in another part of Fiore? She felt as though part of her wanted to stay with Minne, while the other part of her wanted to join a guild. She didn't know which one she wanted to do. 

Should she talk to Minnie? She didn't want to make the older woman feel as though Lucy didn't care about her. The celestial wizard was at a loss. It was like she was battling with herself, trying to make a decision. 

Lucy heard a cow moo and looked over at it as the black-and-white animal lazily walked toward her. She stopped walking and held out her hand, watching as the cow rubbed its head against her outstretched hand. She smiled as she began petting the friendly animal, running her hands down the cow's sides and scratching behind its ears. 

The blonde woman muttered, to nobody in particular, or maybe to the cow, "I don't know what I want to do anymore." It was true. She didn't know if she wanted to join a guild or stay in Crocus with Minnie, nor did she even know which guild she wanted to join. 

Sabertooth or Fairy Tail. 

Both were equally as appealing. Fairy Tail offered a close-knit found family and acceptance. Sabertooth offered the same thing, along with the chance to grow stronger alongside mages that were on the same level of strength as her. 

However, staying with Minnie in Crocus offered a quiet and peaceful life that would allow her to become stronger at her own rate, should she decide to do so. What about her spirits, though? If she decided to continue working for Minnie, what would she need her spirits for? She would have to give up her keys. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to part with her spirits. 

The cow moved away as it resumed grazing, mooing as though it was thanking Lucy for petting it. Lucy smiled and answered it, "you're welcome." She then chuckled lightly before she resumed walking through the meadow. 

Her mind then turned to her Kit problem. It had been a week and yet she hadn't met Kit or her spirits even once. That was a bit strange. Had the dark mage given up? Had her father retracted his request for Kit to capture her and return her to him? Lucy scoffed at that thought. She knew that her father hadn't changed his mind. The simply didn't ever change his mind. 

She knew that if she wanted to live her own life, either in a guild or Crocus, she would have to defeat Kit. She would have to stand up for herself and ensure that Kit would give up and stop trying to capture her. Lucy sighed. She had no idea where to find Kit, so she would have to wait for the next attack. She hated this waiting. It was making her anxious and hypervigilant. 

The celestial wizard stopped in her tracks when she realized that she wasn't alone. Several yards ahead of her was what looked like a young boy. His back was to her, though, she was still able to see that he was fairly tall, causing her to wonder if he was a child, had wild, light green hair, and wasn't wearing a shirt, only baggy, black pants. 

Wondering what he was doing here, Lucy made her way over to him. As she walked, she unhooked Cancer's key off of her keyring and kept it held tightly in her hand. 

Orga wandered through a meadow, sounded by cows and windmills. He sighed and came to a stop, finally admitting to the obvious. 

Lost. He was lost.

He looked around at his surroundings. Everything looked the same to him. He had been sent to Foxglove Town, to join a guild there called "Sabertooth." He didn't know why his parents wanted him to join a guild or this specific guild, but he decided to not argue and simply be as instructed. He had to cross through this meadow in order to get to Foxglove Town, however, he somehow ended up getting lost. 

What made his situation worse was the fact that he hadn't seen a single person in this meadow. The only living things that he found were cows, and he was sure that they couldn't give him directions. All these animals wanted was to graze and maybe be pet. That's not very helpful. 

The green-haired boy sighed once again as he ran his hand through his hair. He turned around and look in the direction he had been walking. Was that the way he had come from originally? He had no idea. 

As he was distracted, Orga heard a feminine voice call from behind him, "Hey! Are you alright?"

He turned around to see a pretty, blonde, young woman walking toward him. He answered, "um...I'm lost, actually." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked away to the side, strangely embarrassed. 

The woman chuckled and came to a stop in front of him. She responded with a smile that made Orga's cheeks warm up, "that's not a surprise. Where are you going?"

Orga answered, "Foxglove Town." He watched as the blonde tilted her head slightly to one side. He suppressed a chuckle at the cute action and instead smiled at her. 

The woman then asked, "why are you going to Foxglove Town? Do you live there?"

Orga shook his head. "My parents sent me there. They told me that I had to join Sabertooth." 

The blonde gasped and exclaimed, "you're a mage? That's awesome!" Orga flinched at her sudden increase of volume, causing the blonde to lower her tone to how it was and add, "sorry. What is your magic?"

Orga raised his hand in a fist and engulfed it in black and yellow lightning. He watched as the blonde gazed at his small show of magic with interest and answered, "I'm a Lightning God Slayer." He then realized that he and the blonde hadn't introduced themselves to each other, causing him to add as he stopped the show of magic and stuck his hand back into his pocket, "I'm Orga."

The blonde smiled at him again and reached toward her hip, unhooking a keyring and raising it for him to see the several keys that were on it. She then responded, "I'm Lucy, a Celestial Spirit Mage." 

Orga questioned as his grey eyes roamed over the silver and gold keys, "what's that? I've never heard of Celestial Spirit Magic."

Lucy hooked her keyring back on her belt as she answered, "it's a type of magic in which I use these keys to summon celestial spirits. They can perform all sorts of tasks and use all sorts of magic." She then gave him a questioning look before she asked, "I've never heard of God Slaying Magic. Is it like Dragon Slaying Magic?"

Orga was surprised to hear that she knew about Dragon Slaying Magic. It wasn't typical that somebody would hear about a type of Lost Magic. He nodded, answering, "yeah. It's like Dragon Slaying Magic, but instead of having been used to slay dragons, God Slaying Magic was used to slay gods." 

Lucy nodded, seeming to understand. She then said, "well, I'll be glad to help you get out of this meadow and off to Sabertooth." 

Orga frowned slightly at that. He wanted to continue to talk to Lucy, not say goodbye so soon. He felt drawn to her and wanted to hear more about her magic. In an attempt to do this, he asked, "can you tell me about your celestial spirits?"

He watched with a smile as Lucy's brown eyes brightened as she gave a wide smile and began naming each of her spirits, telling him about their personality traits and what purposes they serve. Orga couldn't help but admire how beautiful and bright she was as she went on and on about her spirits, a topic that she clearly felt strongly about. He felt his cheeks become warmer and his heartbeat picks up its pace as his gut became filled with a fluttering feeling. 

He became lost in space as he stared at Lucy, only snapping out of it when the blonde woman said, "anyways, I've been keeping you long enough. Let's get you out of this meadow." 

Orga reluctantly nodded. Maybe he could think of something to talk to her about before he would have to say goodbye to her and leave for Sabertooth. As Lucy began walking away in the direction she had come from, Orga looked back at the direction he had been facing previously, wondering again if that was the way he had come from originally when he saw something shiny glisten in the sun. 

He locked his eyes onto the spot and called a question at Lucy, "what's that?"

He heard Lucy hum questioningly as she walked back toward him. Orga shifted on his feet and moved his head around, seeing that the object was still glistening in the sunlight. When Lucy came to a stop next to him, the god slayer pointed at the spot and said, "that."

Lucy looked over at what he was pointing at. Orga looked at her to see that she had narrowed her eyes and was searching for what he was pointing out to her. Lucy eventually said, "I don't see anything." 

Orga walked over to the shining object, searching through the grass for a few moments, before he found the object. He held it in his hands, finding that the shiny object was a golden key. The blade was shaped like a double ax and the handle seemed to resemble a bull's head. Also on the handle was a strangely shaped symbol. 

The young god slayer turned around and ran to Lucy, thrusting the key into her hands. The blonde looked down at the object and gasped with a smile on her face, clearly delighted to see this golden key. Orga raised an eyebrow, wondering which spirit this key belonged to. 

Lucy looked at him and exclaimed, "this is the key of Taurus!" She then took a few steps past him and asked, "would you like to see me make a contract with him?" Orga smiled as he nodded, taking an extra step back to make sure that Lucy had enough room to summon this new spirit.

He watched Lucy hold the key close to her chest with both hands as she proclaimed, "I connect to the World of Celestial Spirits! Head my call and pass through the gate!" She then pointed the blade of the key outward in front of her and continue, "I summon thee! Open! Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!" She then turned the key, as though she were unlocking a door, and was followed by a flash of bright, golden light that caused Orga to look away and a loud chime of a bell.

After a few moments, Orga looked back and stared at the celestial spirit with his mouth agape. Standing in front of Lucy was a large, muscular,  humanoid, black-and-white bull. He wasn't dressed in much. If Orga had to guess, he'd say that this celestial spirit, Taurus, was a melee fighter. 

Taurus mooed before he gained hearts in his eyes and wooed over Lucy, "wow! I've never had a wizard as beautiful as you!" He then looked closer at the blonde's breasts and continued, "you sure have large boobs!" He drew out the double-O's into a moo sound. 

Orga cringed at the pervertedness of this spirit as he clenched his fists, wanting to punch this cow-man. Looking at Lucy, he could clearly tell that she was uncomfortable. The celestial wizard said in an unsure tone, "I'm not sure about this."

Taurus then pulled back and smiled confidently as he pointed at himself and responded, "if you contract me, then I'll always protect your perfect body." 

Orga turned his gaze to Lucy as she went on with the contract-making. He knew that adding this celestial spirit to her collection was her decision, one that she most likely would have made no matter what kind of personality the spirit had, he personally probably wouldn't have made a contract with Taurus if the bull spirit was going to be perverted every time he was summoned. Who would want to have a celestial spirit that would just spout perverted comments when he should instead be doing what he had been summoned to do? However, he wasn't a celestial wizard, so what would he know?

He was brought out of his thoughts when Taurus disappeared in another flash of golden light and Lucy hooked his key onto her keyring and turned to Orga, saying with a smile, "alright, let's go!" Orga blushed slightly as he nodded with a smile and followed Lucy in the direction that they had been walking in previously. He hoped to meet her again in the future.

Lucy waved goodbye to Orga, watching him walk down the dirt road in the direction of Foxglove Town for a few moments. She then turned around and began making her way back to Crocus. She hoped that the young boy would make it to Sabertooth safely. She knew that he would make great friends with the other mages of Sabertooth that were the same age as him. 

As she walked, she looked down at her new key. He was a pervert, but she knew that Taurus would be a great help when she encountered Kit again. A melee fighter was always good to have in a fight. Besides, she was always glad to expand her family of celestial spirits. She was also glad to have a second combat spirit that wouldn't attack her along with attacking her opponent rather than only one combat spirit that wouldn't do that. 

Lucy felt both ready and not ready for a fight with Kit and her celestial spirits. She knew that if she wanted to live her own life, whatever kind she decided it would be, she would have to fight Kit and defeat her, allowing the Rune Knights to finally arrest her and stop her spree of crimes. 

Resolving that she wasn't as scared anymore as she was before, Lucy smiled confidently to herself. She knew she could do it. She just had to wait for the green-haired woman to launch another attack. 

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I decided to make it relatively short compared to the others. I'm excited to get this story done so I can move on to the next one. 

Here is a hint for who is next: Lion.