What do you do when you think you are in love with your best friend? So many people have said Natsu and I like each other, or we would make a cute couple. Even Happy thinks so! But I don't know how I feel. I know I blush a lot when we talk, and sometimes there are butterflies in my stomach and we're together, but I don't know what true love feels like. I've never had a serious boyfriend before, never been on a date. How would I know anything about that kind of stuff?
Hi! I'm a celestial mage, Lucy Heartfilia, a member of the greatest guild Fairy Tail. I'm also a part of team Natsu, the strongest team in Fairy Tail (if I do say so myself). Along with Erza, Gray, Happy, and, of course, Natsu, we work together to help people in need with our abilities. Over the months that I've been here, I've recently started feeling different when I'm around Natsu. Mirajane giggles every time I bring it up and mimics Happy. "You llllllllllliiike him."
But do I?
"LUCY!" Natsu yelled from across the guild hall now. I sighed and turned away from the counter towards his voice. "I FOUND A JOB FOR US!" he screeched, running towards me. Gray stepped into his path at the last second, causing them to bonk heads and fall onto their butts.
"What was that for, squinty eyes?" Gray hissed. Natsu hooped back up and slammed his head against Gray's.
"Why'd you get in my way, droopy eyes?" Natsu steamed.
"Cut it out," Erza said, shoving them away from each other. I sighed again and laid my head on the counter. Typical Fairy Tail. "And about that job, it will just have to be you and Lucy. Gray and I are needed here."
My heart fluttered a little, and then settled back down. "Fine by me! Now I don't have to hang around with the Ice Princess for a while!" Natsu laughed. Before Gray could punch him, Natsu ran towards me and shoved the flier into my hands.
"Mystery Mage is giving us Nightmares, Please Help. And the reward is 100,000 Jewel each!" I read. Just enough for this month's rent! I squealed in my mind. "Let me pack and we can head out! Let's hurry!" I said, speeding back to my house. A half hour later and we were off to….
I mentally kicked myself. I was so excited to be able to pay my month's rent that I didn't notice what town we were going to. Acalypha. The place where my father is living. I kept quiet most of the walk there. Natsu looked over at me a few times, and Happy tried to break the mood, but it didn't help me. Eventually, Natsu and Happy started blathering on to each other about something that happened the other day, realizing that they couldn't cheer me up. Neither of them realized that my foul mood was caused by the town we were now standing outside of.
"Hello, sir, we're here from-" I started, but immediately bit my tongue. The man that opened the door to the place we were told to meet was none other than my father himself. I jerked my gaze away and stared at the ground. My heart plummeted. Of course.
"We're here from Fairy Tail to get rid of that evil guy!" Natsu finished after glancing at me.
"Ah, I'd hoped Fairy Tail would be the one to take this job. It's good to see you, Lucy," my father said. I did not reply. Natsu stared at me again.
"Who's this guy we're looking for?" I sighed, looking up at my dad. He'd cut his hair and shaved his beard, and for a second, the only thing I could see was the man that was so cruel to me my entire childhood. I gasped. No, I scolded myself. He said he changed. But, can anyone really change that much?
He stared at me a moment longer before ushering us inside his home. "We don't exactly know," he admitted, shutting the door behind us.
"Then how are we supposed to find him?" I snapped. Natsu looked shocked.
"Lucy," he whispered. Happy looked at me worriedly.
"He only appears at night. When I said he gives us nightmares, I meant it literally. He plagues our dreams with haunting images and sounds. Half of the town has been too shaken up to work properly.
"He dresses in all black and floats in through our front gates at midnight. We've tried barricading it, but he bursts right through. We've tried staying up all night, but he made us fall asleep. If you look into his eyes, it's over for you. He will sense your deepest fears and turn them into a nightmare."
"He'll be easy, no problem at all!" Natsu grinned, giving a thumbs up. I stood up from the couch we were sitting on and headed for the door.
"We'll be back tomorrow, after the job is done," I said curtly.
"Lucy…." My father started. I ignored him and walked out the door, Natsu following behind me.
"Lucy, what is going on? Do you know that guy?" he asked. He didn't realize that the man that was now standing in the doorway, staring after me sadly, was my dad.
"It's nothing, promise!" I forced a smile. Natsu didn't look convinced. "Let's just go to a hotel and sleep until tonight, we don't want to be tired."
Natsu snored loudly across the room from me. Happy slept on the pillow beside his head. I was laying on my side, staring out the window at the slowly setting sun. Why did it have to be this town, of all places? Why my dad, of all people? Right now, I'd rather be anywhere else than here. The only thing I can think of when I look at that man is a monster. He's the one that ruined my childhood. He's claimed to have changed, but that can't change what he did to me in the past. I closed my eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep. Let's just get this job done and get out.
"You pesky little girl," Umidjon purred. I panted. Natsu was lying on the ground a few feet away. I had to protect him. Having used all the magical power I could, I pulled out my whip slowly. I was so tired. So….tired….. "Oh, you poor girl. Sleepy, are you? Look into my eyes, and you can rest," he murmured. I stubbornly shook my head. "Ah, and I hoped I could have ended this peacefully," he sighed.
I flicked my wrist towards the spot he had been standing in a split second before. There was a tap on my shoulder behind me, and I spun, keeping my eyes on the ground.
"Look UP, darling," he cooed. "Tell me how exhausted you are. Let me take care of you," he whispered. Maybe….
"Your father was lying, my precious. I don't give people nightmares, I only let them sleep peacefully, the way they deserve to." He kept moving so quickly, I couldn't keep up. Would giving in be so terrible? Maybe he's telling the truth.
"Yesss, believe meeee," he hissed. My dad lied. This man is good; he's the bad one. He tricked me. My movements slowed even further. Umidjon pushed me backwards so that I was laying on the ground. He stood above me and stared into my eyes. Such a pretty purple color….
"Loke," I whispered. "Please help me." I was being sucked into his beautiful eyes. I couldn't stop myself. "Nat…su…"
