HAI! this is my first ever fanfic so please be nice =D
Disclaimer! Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima
A BIG BIG Thanks to Lazybutt-Chan for doing an awesome job at editing and polishing my chapters! XoXo
Another Big Thanks to RiMi-chan for helping us polish Chapter 1! XoXo
Enjoy!
Foreboding reminiscence she can't run from. Even he who's strongest have fears of his own. Who was responsible for Layla's death? Will Lucy's cryptic past destroy her? Can Natsu overcome his fears in time to save her? As they face their corrupted pasts, will they be able to see the light of truth, strength and hope breaking through the cracks of their journey?
Unveiling Memories
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.
-Dr. Seuss
11 years ago...
"Mama!" The agonizing cry was drowned out by the pounding rain.
Two lone figures stood out bleakly in contrast to the storms scenery.
Tears streamed the smaller one's flushed cheeks, as she held on desperately to the larger one's hand.
"Lucy..." Layla slowly brought her charred hand from her wounded chest to her daughter's face, her shaky whispers barely audible.
"Sweetheart, my angel, "she whimpered. "I'm sorry... I couldn't-"
"Mama, please..." she sobbed, "rest now. You'll be fine. We'll be okay..." The girl hopelessly tried to convince herself.
Layla smiled warmly at her beloved treasure, and then winced at the pain that enveloped her entire being.
The harsh rain only added to her pain. While the downpour extinguished the fire that surrounded them; it eased the severe burns that covered every inch of her body, and washed away the blood that had been spilled during the massacre.
Fear and guilt drenched the little ones being. 'This...,' she looked at her maimed mother, then the fallen knights that had lain down their lives to protect her.
'All of this is...,' their blood that once pumped through their veins, have now been spilled for her sake.
Her mother's blood now stained her clothes, her hands; her heart. 'This is all my fault!' Tears came pouring down her swollen eyes faster than the fierce rain.
Lucy cried in anguish as she realized what she has done. Guilt overwhelmed her, as Layla's blood covered her face, as well as her tainted heart.
Fear struck Layla, 'She's too young…' she thought. 'She's only six. She's still too innocent; too ignorant to realize what's really going on.'
She began weeping, 'I can't let her carry this kind of burden... I can't let her live her life in guilt, pain and regret.'
Determination over took her fear and agony. Drawing in a shaky breath she chanted the spell, her daughter's cries were gradually muted, and every moving object decelerated.
"Moments imbedded in our hearts, from clear skies to the down casts of rain. Memories that wander in our minds whether bathed in joy, love and comfort or drenched in misery and loneliness."
Lucy froze in horror; she knew this spell.
"Mama! NO, MAMA NO!" She wailed. She raised her arms to place her small bruised hand onto her mothers'.
"I DON'T WANT THIS! PLEASE MAMA NO!" A blur of light surfaced Layla's hand.
"Abate abhorrent emotion, thoughts, sounds and images that play in our hearts, annul and perish!"
Rays of light was now peeking through Layla's fingers.
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS MAMA!" Lucy pleaded desperately, "I DON'T WANT THIS! PLEASE!"
Layla gazed into her daughter's eyes. 'I want you to live a life full of happiness and laughter. I want you to find friends who will care and accept you for who you are. Friends who will protect you, love you, and treasure you. Go on and set out on adventures you've always dreamed about. Find someone whom you will cherish and protect; whom you are willing to live for, and die for. Go… go and live the life we've always dreamed of together. The life I never had.'
She smiled once more, "I will always be watching over you."
A mystical light engulfed them both as Layla ended her chant.
"Lucy LockHeart."
"MAMA!" The blonde sat up in her bed. Sweaty, startled, and panicked, she scanned her apartment.
'Just a dream,' still breathing heavily, she ran her fingers through hair. 'Adream, but why-!'
She grit her teeth in frustration as her head fell back onto her fluffy pillow, sweat trickling down her face.
She bitterly laughed to herself. She's been having this dream quite often. Though strangely enough once she opens her eyes she can't remember anything about what she had dreamt about.
The only thing she did know was small snippets of the dream and that she hated it. The insides of her stomach twisted into knots as an image of a woman engulfed flames flashed through her mind.
Frequently, she's been having visions of that woman, either screaming in pain or smiling kindly at her.
'What does this mean? The dreams I can't recall, the visions... Why is this-?'
She paused her thoughts to look at the empty space next to her.
'That's strange... usually when I wake up, he would-,'her pink headed Nakama who would usually barge into her house and pester her was not there.
Her eyes widen in realization, 'Why is it whenever Natsu's around, I don't have these visions?'
Slightly blushing she thought, 'Why is it that whenever Natsu sleeps with me, I don't get nightmares like these?'She turned crimson red when she realized what her thoughts had begun to sound like. 'When Natsu sleeps with me…'
"MORNING LUCY!" A familiar voice pulled her out of bizarre train of thoughts. An unknown blue projectile launched itself onto her. "Eh? Is there something wrong?" The flying feline said, noticing she looked stressed as he unhooked himself from her.
"Um, no it was just-" She began but was cut off by her hot headed intruder.
"DAMN THAT STUPID ICE FREAK!" Pausing mid-rant he looked towards the celestial mage and waved casually; as if it was normal to break into people's houses without their consent. "Oh morning Luce"
"Did ya cook breakfast? I'm starving!" Natsu asked brightly; he suddenly clutched his head in pain.
"Agh! My freakin' head hurts! Lucy, make it go away! I want milk! Where's the freakin' milk!" He continued to whine as he rummaged through her apartment.
"Damn are we all out of freakin' towels too! I WANNA TAKE A BATH! Lucy-!" Before he could continue his rant, Lucy's angry fist sent him flying through the window.
"DON'T DISRUPT PEACE IN OTHER PEOPLE'S HOUSES YOU STUPID MORON!"
She stood at the foot of her bed, her fist proudly hung in the air. 'IDIOT SALAMANDER DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO BE AT LEAST REMOTELY CIVIL!' He didn't even stop for a second to look at her condition. 'Even a cat knows how to be more considerate than that flame headed idiot!'
Happy stared terrified at the furious Lucy. 'Well at least she's back to acting normal…' The blue cat sweat dropped.
"C'on Lufshee, I se' I wa' sowwy!" Natsu -try as he might- couldn't seem to get his words out properly because of the large swelling purple bruise on his cheek.
"Hmph!" Lucy turned her head away from the pouting Natsu.
"C'on!" He begged as she continued to ignore him. "Lufshee!"
"Oh boy," Happy sighed, "not again, they're gonna go at it all day."
As they walked side by side to their guild, Natsu eventually got tired of apologizing, and found some way to blame Lucy for what happened.
Of course, this could only set Lucy off. By time they reached the guild, Natsu was half beaten to death.
Everyone in the guild stared at the strange trio, the blonde who had an extremely angry and dangerous aura (which made them all cower in fear, Elfman would be ashamed given any other situation.), a hammered fire Mage and a frightened cat.
"W-what happened here?" asked Elfman, who was seated next to the drunken Cana.
"They were fighting the whole time on our way here!" Cried Happy, -dramatic music and all- as he flew to hug his red haired friend.
Erza gave Lucy and Natsu a deathly glare, and Natsu quickly took initiative to hide behind the frozen blond.
"Natsu, Lucy…" Erza began angrily.
"Eeeek!" Natsu shrieked (in the background Elfman shouted he was being unmanly), "Lucy started it! I swear!"
"WHY YOU-!" Furiously, Lucy whirled around to give Natsu another power fist to the face, but was blocked by the fire mage's quick reflexes.
Natsu was surprised of how well he knew his Nakama. Though Lucy found openings to land her punches, Natsu would always predict her movements in time to block her blows. Their fight was interrupted by a dark haired mage.
"HAH! Pathetic Ash Brain! Picking a fight with a woman; you low life bastard!" The shirtless ice mage hollered directly at Natsu.
"You wanna say that again you stripping addict!" Natsu turned; the look of annoyance was clearly shown on his face.
Gray grinned as he motioned his hand for Natsu to come at him.
Before Erza could release her wrath, Natsu was charging at Gray in full speed, knocking her down in the process.
It inevitably causing a chain reaction; first it was Erza, who fell into the arms of the unsuspecting Wakaba, who on sight of the armoured mage fainted onto Macao.
Macao, unable to withstand the extra weight fell onto Nab, who efficiently knocked Evergreen over onto to Elfman. Screeching, "Unmanly!" the walking bulk somehow managed to tip over Cana's drink.
"Idiots! Look at what you did!" Cana shouted as she started to beat her guild mates uncontrollably, initiating a massive brawl between the guild members.
While they burned, froze, broke and blew up their precious guild for an indefinite amount of time, other members who wouldn't normally participate in these kinds of activities eventually grew frustrated with boredom and joined the rumble.
Eventually, Erza finally regained her consciousness (shocked at how strong Natsu was becoming) to separate her two troublesome friends.
Once the fire and ice mage sensed Titania's fearsome aura, they immediately enfolded into a hug and opted to singing merrily.
"Yes, Of course, it's only natural for good friends to have disagreements." Erza nodded; pleased with both of them.
She turned her back only to find Gajeel ( Your guard is down, Salamander!") attack Natsu and Juvia ("Gray-sama!") 'hug attack' Gray.
The ferocious Erza grew angrier as she watched Natsu and Gray brawl it out with their new opponents. Normally, the whole guild would freeze once they see Erza preparing to attack, but they were all to caught up with their own brawls to notice.
Lucy stared dumbfounded at her friends. She and Mirajane were the only ones not engaged in the rumble.
"Well aren't they lively this morning?" Mirajane smiled nonchalantly. Both were hiding safely behind the beer bar.
"Way to miss the point." Lucy sighed, and then smiled back. 'Not a day of peace and quiet went by ever since I joined Fairy Tail.'
She looked back at her friends whom she'd become extremely fond of.
Reckless and carefree, always smiling and laughing, (albeit, most of the time they were covered in cuts and bruises) forever living their lives to the fullest.
'But, every day I am surrounded by their love and support, filling my life with laughter, taking me away from…'
Her thoughts were cut off when she witnessed Mirajane being struck by a broken beer bottle.
"Are you okay?" Lucy asked worried, while trying to tend her wounds.
Mirajane simply laughed. "This is nothing, thanks Luce."
Unfortunately she was still pissed, and despite Mira's reassurance; Lucy jumped over the table and shouted at the very top of her lungs, "BASTARDS YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"
Everyone turned and grinned as she pulled her whip joining in the action. She laughed heartily with her friends. 'No, they're not just my friends, they're my family.'
Living her life to the fullest, smiling till her face ached, laughing 'till she's out of breath, and fighting alongside the people she loved.
Forgetting the past that haunted her in her dreams.
That's all for Chapter 1! =D
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