Lucy glanced over her shoulder at her beloved guild hall, ensuring that no one was watching her movements. The first heat of members, also referred to as the "Older Generation" had already left for home, leaving the second heat to fend for them in the vicinity. And of course, by fend, she meant party, drink, and destroy. And by destroy, she meant friendly fighting between old friends. She sighed as she slowly stepped farther away from her home—or, her second home in the very least. A smile flickered at her lips. It had only been a few months ago since she'd joined the Fairy Tail guild, but at this present moment, she couldn't imagine her life without it. With this thought, the smile faded quickly.
If you love it so much, why aren't you there?
The familiar pang of her thoughts sent Lucy's feet even faster, rounding the cobblestone corners as quickly as possible. She hated it when her thoughts sent her into the oblivion of such doubt. It was as if her father crept into her head and taunted her, begging her to return. She clasped her head with both of her hands at the thought. Hadn't she made herself clear to him the last time? Her feet pounded the streets as she neared the waterfront. Seeing as dusk was nearly upon the city of Magnolia, the beach was fairly isolated, with only a few sailors amidst the street. Being alone at such a late hour made her nervous, but there was nothing she could do, was there? She needed some peace and quiet every once and a while. And that was impossible to find with Gray, Natsu, and Erza around constantly.
Carefully, Lucy set foot on the dock, which levelled off into the soft ivory sand that so defined the coastlines of Magnolia. She slipped off her sandals, hiding them behind some beach plants, before stepping onto the cooler, wetter sand closer to the water. For once, her hair ribbon was absent in her golden locks, allowing the gentle breeze to sift through her hair. Sinking to her knees, she sat by the water's edge, watching it lap over her legs. The soothing sound, combined with the serene glow of the buttery sun setting over the sea was enough to take all her stress and fear away.
Sighing blissfully, she lay down on the sand completely, letting the ocean touch nearly all parts of her skin. The stars slowly began to come out, before being obscured by shadows. All sense of calm drained from Lucy's veins. Before she could even react, numerous calloused hands were on her arms, dragging her with them. Whirling her body frantically, Lucy could see the blood-shot eyes of drunken sailors. Before she could even scream, another hand clamped over her mouth.
"Hey, this is the Heartfilia girl, Vlad. Do you know how much we could get from her?"
"I don't even care about that. Look at her—" His voice paused sharply as the jangle of Lucy's Celestial Keys broke the conversation.
"Shit, she is a wizard. Good thing it's not one of them ability types."
"Look at her brand! 'Course she's a wizard, you dummy! What'd you think she was, a waitress?" At the silence of his partner, the second man yanked the keys from her torso. Lucy panicked, and clawed for them, but it was too late. They were tossed into the sand without another thought. Lucy clamoured to get the man's hand off her mouth.
"Let go of me!" She screamed. "I won't let you take me to my father. I won't allow it! I have a lot of powerful friends, and they won't be afraid to—" The second sailor sneered at her words, sending a jolt of fear through her bones.
"Here's the thing, kid. You may be some fancy-shmancy Celestial twat, but we're the real thing. We study the real stuff, how to dispel noise, and how to meet little girls," He licked his lips, emphasizing the last words. Her hands shook, as the man continued.
"We put a sound barrier around that guild hall of yours. The dragon kid, or whoever the hell else is in there, won't be able to hear a peep. You're ours, baby—"
"STOP!" Lucy shrieked. "Someone is going to hear me, and when they do, they'll never—"
"Don't waste your breath," The first man cackled. "They'll think you're a runaway slave girl." Lucy's eyes widened in fear once more. She really was trapped. Normally, she relied on her friends or her spirits to get her out of trouble, but it looked like now both were out of commission. Wait...
Lucy's head swivelled to the sand patch where her keys lay. While they all were dishevelled, one was slightly more apart than the rest. Squinting, Lucy could see the ancient symbol on the loose key—the symbol of Leo, the lion.
Her pursuers were picking up speed in dragging her, and Lucy couldn't hold them back for much longer. She had only one option left, one that would probably never work. But the last hope inside of her prayed that it would.
"LEO!" She screamed, her voice echoing in the night air, "I summon you from your gate to my side. Please, help me!" Her cries seemed to dissolve into the air, and she could soon see a knife being held to her throat.
"That's enough, Lucy Heartfilia," The one sailor said. "I told ya, we're sound wizards. We can control all the sound barriers. Besides, even if we weren't, you kinda need to be with your keys. Your attempts are pointless." With a final dramatic pull, the two men yanked her onto the dock. A ship seemingly materialized out of nowhere. Frantically, Lucy gazed at the sand that was increasingly far away. There was no point. She was as good as dead. Closing her eyes, she prepared to surrender.
Out of seemingly nowhere, she heard both of her attackers collapse onto the wooden deck, moaning in pain.
"You don't dare touch her." A voice threatened with steely ferocity. Lucy's eyes popped open, in both hope and anxiety. To her astonishment, Leo stood right before her, a sceptre glowing in his hand. His glasses were shaded, but she would recognize her friend anywhere.
"Leo!" She sobbed, struggling to stand but collapsing. The men were out cold, but Lucy was still frozen in terror. Leo caught her gently in his arms, and cradled her for a tender moment before sliding onto the sand once more.
"I...thought they w-were gonna kill me..." Lucy sobbed, her tears openly beginning to fall. She hated being so vulnerable, yet at the same time, there was no place she wanted to be more. Leo hugged her tight, before setting her on the ground next to her keys. He kneeled down as well, right in front of her.
"Are you OK?" He asked, concern profusely flowing from his darkened eyes. "When I saw those creeps attacking you, I lost all sense of control. I heard your screams Lucy, and..." He fiercely clasped her shoulders. "If they had harmed a hair on your head, I would've had no problem in killing them." Lucy's blue eyes widened for a moment, surprised at the feelings that were violently pulsing through her heart.
"I don't know what I would've done, Loki..." She whispered, her eyes locked intimately with his. He said nothing in response, but instead wrapped his arms around her, gently bringing her lips to his. For one fleeting moment, pure passion erupted between their lips. Salty tears mixed with pure adoration as the two hearts conjoined once more.
"I love you more than anyone I've ever met, Lucy..." He whispered in her ear softly.
"I love you... too..." She whispered. As all remaining light faded away, all Lucy could remember was wanting this moment to last forever.