*Some mistakes were revised as of 1/8/15*
Thank you "someone" for pointing out my mispelling of 'onee-san'! Don't worry - you weren't rude at all.
I appreciate your correction! ;)
I present to you - my second fanfic: Past and Present!
I somehow got the inspiration to write this from reading a bunch of other fanfics, listening to my friends rant, and then connecting the dots. :)
Anyways, enjoy! Hope you read and review - can't wait for compliments, comments, critiques, suggestions, or complaints! ;)
~Nora
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any other already copyrighted material. Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail *what a genius!* I only own my own words, ideas, thoughts, and imagination. And ice cream! I like ice cream!
"No! Don't leave me!"
"S-s-st-stay s-s-st-strr-strong m-m-my g-g-girl…" Her voice faded and the heat gradually died down. Soon, the body did not radiate any warmth. It sat there, cool, still, silent, unmoving – dead. Just like her mother. Just like her dear mother.
She sat there, staring. Staring with unseeing, tearful, crying eyes at the body. And soon, it dissipated, crumbling into dust. Hysterical, she grabbed for it.
"NO! At least stay with me for a little bit longer!" It didn't hear her and continued decaying. Then, there was nothing left except for the pale ground, the swaying trees, the shining moon, and the gleaming stars. That was where she looked next and when they glowed, she knew.
"Stay there at least…" Finally collapsing, the blonde-haired girl crumpled to the ground and sobbed herself to sleep. Up in the brightening sky, a dragon rose and shined. Free from the boundaries of the earth, it flew upwards into the stars and rested there - for eternity.
That was the day the earth rumbled and the sea roared. The wind howled and the stars seemed to dim. That was the day dragons disappeared from Earthland.
July 7, X777.
Did it really seem so long ago? She wondered. Waking up on the hard, cold ground in the bright sunlight, she thought that she had dreamt it all. But when she found no dragon lying besides her, she knew it had happened.
Funny, wasn't it? Six days after her birthday, they'd died. And what was even more hilarious was that they'd both died on the same day.
Her heart wanted to shatter into a million tiny pieces like a crystal, but she refused to let it do so. It was disgraceful.
My mother and her would never have wanted me to be like this. She thought. Wiping her tears away, the girl stood up.
She looked up at the morning blue, the sun already high up in the sky. She's not dead - I know she isn't. Dragons were nearly immortal creatures. They had a long life span and didn't die easily. She's probably out there, somewhere. Flying around the sky – just waiting for me. The thought brought a smile to the girl's face.
But her mother… she was definitely gone. Her smile trembled and vanished. She had seen the dark coffin lid enclosing her mother. The pit in which her mother had been lowered into flashed into her mind. Dirt, dark, damp dirt covered the coffin – covered her mother. Tears slid down her face as she tried to repress her memories and sobs.
I can't. The girl thought, shocking her tears away. I can't do this if I'm crying. I promised them both. She shook her head furiously, shaking off the tears and marched on back home.
To be stronger and be able to protect the ones I love. Her retreating back was silhouetted against the emerald green leaves of the forest.
As a student of Celestia, a celestial spirit mage, and a Heartfilia, I promise to not break my promise.
The angel stood over the grave, wings outstretched as if it guarded the grave from all evildoers. The girl hugged the gravestone that read:
Layla Heartfilia
X748-X777
"Mother, I'll make you proud." She whispered to the grave. The angel statue hovering over the grave seemed to gaze at her with approval. Turning away, the ten year old strode down the stone pathway towards the mansion. She fumbled with her keys, and finally finding the one, she unlocked the door.
"Lucy!" Mrs. Spetto called out teary eyed. The old maid rushed to the girl and embraced her in a warm hug.
"I was so worried about you! You disappeared for a whole night…" She sniffed. Lucy patted Mrs. Spetto's back. "I was okay, Mrs. Spetto." She pulled back from the woman. "But," She hesitated, debating whether or not to tell her.
"I have to go…" Lucy looked away from Mrs. Spetto. To her surprise, the old woman just asked softly,
"Why?" The girl sighed and guided Mrs. Spetto up the winding stairs into her room. She closed the door and sat down on the bed.
"Father's gone as well- not physically, but mentally." She told the woman sadly. "Mother's death has taken its toll on him." "But Lucy," Mrs. Spetto stood from her seat in the chair and rushed to the girl. "Wait a year- you're only ten right now. You'll see – he can change!" She pleaded to the girl. Lucy smiled sadly.
"I hope." With that, Mrs. Spetto turned and headed for the door. As she stepped out however, Lucy's voice called to her.
"Because I'm staying here." Her heart leaped in joy and she turned around as fast as she could to embrace the blonde-haired girl once more. Tears of relief fell down her face as she blubbered.
"M-my, m-my, y-y-you're g-g-growing u-up s-s-so f-f-fast… M-m-m-making y-y-your own d-d-decisions a-al-already." Lucy grinned.
"Don't worry about me, Mrs. Spetto! I'll go take a walk now." Lucy Heartfilia headed out the door of her room, past her father's closed study door, and out the mansion to take a walk in town.
"Ugly!"
"Shorty!"
"Baby!"
"Blueberry Hair!" The insults continued to echo in her ears. The sticks, pebbles, and clumps of dirt they threw relentlessly hit her. She curled up into a ball on the dirt street as the bullies tormented her.
What did I do to deserve this? All she had done was walk through the streets asking politely if anyone had seen a dragon around here. There was nothing wrong with that was there? A clump of dirt hit her head and she sobbed.
"Owie! It hurts…" The bullies cackled and continued tormenting her.
"Freak!" "I bet your parents left you because you were so dumb-"
"STOP IT." Momentarily, the torture paused as an angry female voice protested. The little girl looked up with tears in her eyes to see a girl standing back facing her, shielding her.
Her blonde hair shined like gold in the sunlight and for a second, the little girl thought she was an angel. My own guardian angel… The girl's voice startled her out of her thoughts.
"What are you doing?" The blonde-haired girl angrily questioned the bullies.
"Oh, we did nothing."
"Yeah, it was an accident." "This was a misunderstanding."
"Oh really?" The blonde girl turned around and crouched down.
"What do you say?" She asked the little blue haired girl. The little girl sniffled and tried for a watery smile.
"It's all right. It was just an accident." The older girl narrowed her eyes and the younger, blue haired girl stiffened slightly but still kept the smile. Nodding, the blonde straightened up and turned away.
"Okay then, I'll go now." The little girl wanted to scream and call her back. She wanted to tell her savior the truth and stop her from leaving.
But she was too kind, and couldn't settle the blame on the other kids for bullying her. The blonde's figure soon retreated and the bullies circled her once more.
"Hmmm, we got to thank you for saving us there." A boy who looked like he was ten grinned meanly at her. He cracked his knuckles and tossed a rock up into the air menacingly.
Languidly, he threw it at her face knowing that she wouldn't block, and the little girl couldn't help but whimper in fear. She waited for the impact of the hard, solid rock to hit her, but it never connected.
Carefully, she opened an eye to see the blonde-haired girl standing above her. A gash cut along her right arm, but other than that, she seemed fine. The murderous look on her face and the threatening aura around her spoke volumes, though. Slowly, the older girl looked up and the bullies and the boy who threw the rock flinched.
"An accident, eh?" She tilted her head and smirked slowly. "I don't think so, liar." She took a step forward and they all fled.
"I'm sorry!" "Please don't tell my mother!" "My father would kill me!" "I'm too young to die!" The bullies' voices faded away as they drew farther away and the blonde girl sighed in frustration.
"Humph. I was hoping they wouldn't leave so I could beat them up and then report them to their parents…" She trailed off and noticed the little blue-haired girl still staring up at her in shock.
"O-o-oi, are you okay?" She questioned the little girl. There was no answer. Then, she suddenly burst into tears.
"H-h-hey, don't cry!" The little girl continued to sob. Silently, the blonde crouched down and hugged the little girl. "C-c-come on, please tell me what I did wrong." She panicked as the girl kept crying.
"Y-y-you did nothing wrong!" The little girl soon stopped crying, wiping at her face with dirty hands.
"Here," The blonde handed the blue-haired girl a cloth. Upon closer inspection, it was ripped from the blonde's sleeve.
"Arigato," She sniffled and wiped her nose.
"Come on, I'll patch you up." The blonde stood up and held out a hand for the blue haired girl to grab on. She took a hold of the older girl's hand and followed her obediently to a tree.
The two sat beneath the shade of the expansive oak tree as the older girl treated the younger one's wounds. From the belt at her side, she drew a bottle of alcohol and using another sleeve cloth, she gently dabbed at the young girl's wounds and bruises.
Underneath her breath, she chanted something quietly as she dabbed at the wounds and the little girl felt a cool, fresh wave of energy flow through her. She gasped as a green glow surrounded her wounds and mended them.
"Wow! You're so cool. What's your name, onee-san?" The blonde almost stumbled.
"O-o-onee-san?" She asked the girl curiously.
"Yep!" The young girl beamed. "You're like my older sister!" The blonde's curiosity was aroused.
"You have an older sister?" She asked the young girl incredibly. The younger girl's face fell.
"No, I don't even know my parents…"
"Ah," The blonde sighed. "Well then, I can be your older sister!" She looked at the girl's bright face.
"And, my name is Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia." The blue-haired girl smiled sweetly.
"I'm Wendy. Wendy Marvell." Lucy smiled at Wendy.
"How old are you, Wendy? And who've you been staying with if you don't know your parents?" Wendy's face saddened slightly.
"I'm," She counted slowly on her fingers, Lucy watching amusedly. "Five!"
"Wow," Lucy gasped. "You talk so fluently!"
"Grandine taught me well." Wendy nodded proudly. "She was my adopted mother – and she's a dragon!"