Hello, here is your updated Chapter 1, as promised! It now has 4,041 words, which is about 1,700 words more than before. Thank you for sticking with me even through the unfortunately long break when I completely lost inspiration and motivation. I hope this will make up for that. Enjoy, and please review and give your feedback!
Year: X785
Location: The Abandoned Heartfilia Estate
As the sun sank into the mountains in the distance, painting the sky the color of pumpkin's a quiet, grim argument was happening. Five figures hurried forward in the fading light, the silhouette of an abandoned mansion behind them as they paced through a garden long gone, barren save for the weeds thriving among the desolation. "Oi, Bunny Girl, are you sure you want to do this?" A man, appearing to be in his early twenties, with wild black hair and piercings glinting dully in the light of the fading sun narrowed his red eyes intently at the blonde teenager in front of him. She stormed forward, not even bothering to even glance over her shoulder as she hissed the word:
"Yes!" She strode with more attitude and purpose still, trampling weeds and branches in her wake, but it wasn't like he could blame her after what they'd all been through. But despite that fact that it was easier to hold back her tears, despite the fact that she was now finally able to push back the worry eating away at her heart, she was never one to sit back and let her friends do everything. And she wasn't alone. The three kids trailing behind them, stumbling over the complete mess of a lawn, never deserved to be involved in any of this, and yet they were willing to do anything it took. Just like that annoying Salamander, he thought sourly.
The girl suddenly stopped. "Right here," she declared with certainty. It was a tranquil spot in the garden, with a dying willow and flowers shriveled into faded husks, the small pond nearby drier that a desert. Right by the willow was a cracked gravestone, the weathered statue of a now faceless and cracked angel still guarding the decomposed remains of Layla Heartfilia. The spot she tapped with her boot had a very slight dip in the ground. Without even bothering to see what they thought, she hefted the shovel half-covered in rust and crusted dirt, and began to dig furiously, all the anger and pain showing in her eyes, which were beginning to look black in the dusk. It seemed she traveled all of it into her hands as she began to dig up the earth and weeds with a fervent effort. Her four companions stood dumbfounded for a moment; the man was the first to snap out of it. He reached forward to stop her. "I don't want help!" she snarled, and the man recoiled, "I have to do this by myself!"
"No you don't," he growled back, "I'm pretty sure that moron wouldn't want you pushing yourself to extremes just because he couldn't haul his ass out of there on time. Where's the Bunny Girl that was always positive, huh? The one the idiot worked so hard to bring back?" He kicked a dandelion full of seeds, scattering them a few feet out before they settled back into the overgrown grass crookedly. Secretly, it pained his to speak this way; it always had. But it was the only way to help other people right now without breaking down from the wight of his burden.
"You don't understand!" Shit, she's starting to cry again, "How would it be if it was you and Levy? My best friend might be dead, and I might never know either way!" Tears were streaming down her face, her eyes blazing like the fires that her beloved pyromaniac friend would start. "A-and he's practically your sibling-g! How can y-you n-not care, Gaj-jeel?" Bunny Girl could say some cruel things when she was angry, or when she was worried about her friends, and seeing as she was both... shit. Gajeel could feel the rage building up, but he decided that provoking a fight would not be the best idea. She did have a shovel at her disposal. She stomped forward, crushing the dandelion seeds Gajeel had scattered moments before.
"Believe me, it's agonizing," he spoke gravelly, but with desperate urgency, "but is anger going to bring back the dead? No! Levy wanted me- no, she wanted us all to live! And Salamander wants you to be happy! Nothing brings back the dead, and all five of us know that too well! And besides, that moron is too stubborn to die! Believe me, I know my stupid cousin..." he added as an afterthought. For a reason unknown to him, he had reached forward and seized a branch of the decaying willow, waving it around for emphasize. He felt foolish after his rush faded.
His companion stopped her work, a stunned and ashamed look on her face. She deftly wiped her tears away. "Y-your right. I'm sorry..." she muttered.
"It's alright, Lucy!" The girl with dark blue hair tied up in pigtails with faded, moth-eaten ribbons stepped forward. "Natsu will be back. And then we can finally be a family with you!" Then she turned slightly red and looked down shyly. The smaller girl beside her sighed affectionately and shook her head.
"You must liiike him, Lucy!" The last member of their party teased, smiling cheerfully despite the situation.
"Stupid catboy! Just because I'm feeling better doesn't mean you can keep saying that stupid thing! Who even taught you that crappy line anyways?"
The mood was much lighter as the five took turns digging the hole, talking with an only slightly subdued cheer. When they were finally done, the placed the box with the clue and the notes to Natsu from all of their friends, then the pseudo-gravestone. "That's it then- I guess it's time," Wendy sighed.
"Yeah," Lucy confirmed, taking her pack from Gajeel, "the most difficult part of our crazy-and-probably-stupid escape plan begins."They all had mixed feelings about the next part of their adventure to redemption and freedom. To Carla and Happy, they were being forced to grow up because the world would need their help to make it the bright place they couldn't even remember from so long ago. To Gajeel, he would have to leave the guilt behind and learn to live happily. For Wendy, she was beginning to learn how to fight her own battles, for her family and friends, both living and deceased. And for Lucy, it would be a trial larger than carrying the guilt of the person she had killed, alone, for seven years. It was the pain of leaving a loved one behind.
But none of them were afraid as they walked away from the abandoned manor without so much as a glance back. As they faded into the night, back into the world that hated them, they came to terms with all of the trauma, and allowed themselves to become stronger than ever before.
They would all need it for the journey ahead.
Time: X777
Location: The Heartfilia Estate
"Lucy, child. It's time to wake up." Lucy's eyes opened slowly, to find the Heartfilia household's maid, Ms. Spetto, gently shaking her awake, the room bright as the morning sun filtered through the light blue flower patterned curtains. "Good morning! Hurry child, your father requested you and your sister in his study before he goes out for an inspection." Ms. Spetto helped the young heiress out of bed and walked over to wake Lucy's younger sister, Michelle. Lucy quickly ducked through the door and made her way to the bathroom through the boring creme colored halls with portraits of Lucy's family that made her wistful for her now dead mother- as much as she liked the servants employed during the day, and as young as she was... she wanted to be independent. She refused to accept any help from her father who was only faking things. She had to be strong for Michelle, seeing as their mother had died several years earlier from a mysterious cause.
As Lucy walked out, feeling fresh and clean, Michelle wandered in, curly caramel hair messy and sticking up everywhere, her blue-green eyes drooping sleepily and doll clutched tightly in her arms. Michelle smiled, and for a moment Lucy saw how much Michelle's smile was like their mothers, small bittersweet grin. "Lucy, we get to see Daddy today!" Lucy internally sighed, not wanting to tell her sister that it wasn't that they finally got to see him, it was more like he was willing to see them for once.
"Yeah!" Lucy returned the grin as she hurried back to their room and put on a nicer set of clothes, knowing all too well if she didn't, her father would disapprove and send her that chilling, belittling look that made her feel like a tiny mouse.
()-()-()
Before she knew it, she had helped Michelle tie her shoelaces, breakfast had been eaten in a hurry, and they'd been rushed in front of the huge, ominous white door leading to their father's study. Both girls gulped as Ms. Spetto opened the door. "Mr. Heartfilia sir, your daughters are here."
"I would like to speak to them alone," came their father's reply; after that, the two were gently nudged into the study. Lucy and Michelle walked in, Head's pointed slightly downwards, as the very much feared desk came ever closer. The room itself seemed cold, with the tall bookshelves filled with endless black volumes. The study was long, the carpet plain gray, with a single ornate rug as a fanciful path towards the doom known as the desk. Lucy winced as she remembered the bad memories associated with it: it was the place where they were told of Layla's passing, it was the place where Michelle was always called worthless, it was the place where Lucy found out that her father didn't care about either of them anymore.
Clearly Michelle also remembered all of this, as her sweaty hand smacked Lucy's palm, grasping a few fingers for reassurance. Lucy smiled weakly at her sister as they approached the desk. They hesitantly looked up to see Jude's dark eyes glaring down at them as usual. "I will be going to the Institute to help discipline those brats that are even worse than you. The servants will be gone, and I expect that none of you will try anything. You don't want to be more terrible than insane, murderous children, do you?"
Lucy and Michelle nodded frantically. Jude didn't even bother to emphasize anything this time, he just continued as if they weren't worth it. "The servants have prepared your food, and that is what you will eat. That is the only thing you may eat. And if I find out that you have been anywhere near my study, there will be severe consequences. Understood?" Once again they nodded. "If only I had been blessed with sons, but instead I got pathetic daughters..."
Lucy and Michelle dismally waved goodbye to the servants of the house as they slowly began to stream out of the house, amiably chatting about their plans for the short holiday. All except for one: Ms. Spetto. Lucy had no clue why; they probably looked just as miserable as they always did after the short meetings with their dad. The belittling lectures hadn't been any worse than usual, and the only blow dealt through the entire exchange was when Jude had realized that Michelle had brought "that grubby, useless toy" into his study and had slapped her, the doll gracefully sailing out of her bright pink sleeved arms as she reeled back, silvery tears flinging into the air as she hurriedly rushed to grab the doll. Lucy could understand- it was one of the only things their mother had left them. According to Layla, Jude had even gotten the supplies for that doll, even throwing in suggestions, back in his better days.
Lucy had learned that the things you wish for don't always come true. So the only sorrow she had felt was seeing her sister's tears silently slide down her bruising face, tracing glimmering trails as they splattered upon the cloth curls of the Michelle dolls faded stitch smile and embroidered blue eyes.
Jude gave them one last deathly glare before exiting the house. I really wish the servants knew that Dad isn't out for an inspection, Lucy thought sourly. But despite that, she turned cheerfully to Michelle. "Why don't we play?" she asked her sister, who's eyes immediately lit up.
"Yay!" Michele tapped the bandage one of the maids had put over her bruise after applying some ointment. When Lucy began to leave, the kind maid demanded to know how that had happened. Michelle had fumbled with her words, so Lucy had quickly stepped in, using an excuse that had probably already been used, but whatever. Lucy wouldn't worry about that, when she had a full day- hopefully- to spend time with her sister without Jude interfering.
It was great fun for two small children- running around the empty mansion's creme, portrait filled halls, screaming nursery rhymes and exchanging random jokes and riddles. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star!" Michelle joyously screeched. "How I wonder what you are!" Lucy responded eagerly. It didn't matter if they were hoarse for days afterwards, as long as they had fun while they could. The knocked over mahogany bookshelves, frantically placing the bland looking black volumes. They played with the various flower patterned curtains and draperies, trying to name the plants on them.
And indeed, their voices did become hoarse afterwards. So they settled down, braided each others hair, then untied it and had a contest to see who could have the most ridiculous hair. They ended up snapping hair ties, snapping clips, and bending the teeth of combs, evidence of their wreckage surrounding them. Lucy took some strands of hair and pulled two strands on her face, on top of the skin between her nose and lips. After that she adopted what she hoped was a mean, scary expression and turned to her sister. "Look Michelle! I'm Dad the meanie!" Michelle giggled and imitated her, but failing to adopt a scary face.
Afterwards, they browsed through the few picture books while eating the delicious food they had been left. The dining room had cheerful lemon walls, and a strangely simple light fixture. "And so," Lucy spoke dramatically, "the little mermaid and the prince lived happily ever after as fair rulers of the magnificent kingdom by the sea." She closed another book and added it to the pile of the ones they had already read, realizing that that had been the last one. Michelle clapped, cookie crumbs spewing from her mouth. "You know, Michelle..." Lucy trailed off.
"What Wucy?" Michelle asked, still chewing on a cookie.
"If we ever get to go out there I think... I want to write a story like this!" Lucy beamed excitedly. If she thought about it, the idea really appealed to her. With her only company being Michelle and her books, it was like her imagination was budding into something truly wonderful.
"Really?" Michelle grinned back, "you should! And then maybe Daddy won't call us useless anymore."
"Yeah... that's true. That's my goal then! To show Dad that we can be great! Wait!" Lucy held up a hand, "I just realized! What if there's someone new!"
()-()-()
"Guess what, Michelle? There is a new one!" Lucy plopped down next to Michelle and set an open folder on their laps. "Five people!"
"Wow... I feel really really bad for them..." Michelle trailed off thoughtfully.
"Yeah," Lucy's eyes skimmed the papers, "I do too." Careful to keep the papers in the correct order, they looked through them, read their story, which was much darker than the fairy tales that they had read earlier. "Look Michelle," Lucy said, "that little girl, Wendy is the same age as you."
"She must be really strong to have been through that..."
"Strong where?" Lucy looked at her sister and smiled when she saw Michelle point to the left side of her chest. It was a heartwarming feeling, to see that her five-year-old sister had become such a thoughtful person at her age rather than crumple under the cruelty. "You're right. If she's anything like you, I'll bet she's super strong!"
Michelle's face flushed proudly, and then suddenly darkened. "Lucy?"
"Yeah?"
"We've read these stories of all these other kids that Dad calls crazy... will they get a happy ending?"
"I hope so Michelle... I really do."
The bathroom was full of chatter as Lucy sopped up the water Michelle had dripped as she exited the tub, too impatient to wait for a towel. The walls gleamed immaculately, a blue stripe running around the four walls, a fancy light fixture dangling cheerfully from the ceiling, casting bright light that reflected off of the multi-colored bottles of soap and shampoo."Ah, I'm so glad that's finally done. Michelle, can I never do that again, please!" Lucy huffed as she got up and squeezed the excess water out of the rag she had used to clean up the soapy water on the floor of the bathroom into the sink. "Next time, please wait for a towel."
"Okay!" Michelle agreed cheerfully, before yawning loudly.
"Are you tired?"
"I guess," she rubbed her eyes, "can we go to bed now?"
"Sure, it's pitch black outside, and I'd rather not be awake when Dad gets back." Lucy pulled the blanket over Michelle's sleepy form, then clambered into her own bed. She stared up at the ceiling for a while before falling asleep. Not long afterwards, Michelle too, fell into a pleasant dream.
It would be Michelle's last.
Lucy woke up to a peculiar noise, yet familiar noise. As her ears cleared, she registered what it was, and she leaped out of bed with fury in her heart. Sure enough, in the corner of the room she shared with her sister, Michelle was being beat- with a metal cane. Why would he even have that? Then Lucy saw another detail that made her blood pounding furiously in her ears, Jude's raging screams and Michelle's wails defined by the resounding boom calling for her very soul to take notice- her father was waving a knife.
It was like a dagger from one of the stories she would read with Michelle, like the weapon of a valiant pirate. But this dagger, almost silhouetted by the dim light bulb, hanging from a dull, dusty red wire looked evil. Lucy could see the serrations in the blade, reminding her of the teeth of a monstrous man-eating shark. It gleamed darkly, almost looking black. The blade was straight. Lucy could sense the coldness coming from the blade, the very sight of it made Lucy think of all the evil words that could describe it.
She came back to reality, seeing her sweet, innocent little sister bloodied and bruised like never before, her small from heaving with sobs, blood and water running as one like a war-stained river down her face that was plastered with sweaty, messy caramel curls. Her eyes were dark and sorrowful, pleading for the torture to stop. Her nightgown was torn in several places, blood trickling down the light pink cloth, staining it crimson. Her lip was cut and puffy, and their was an almost vertical slash of cruelty below one of her eyes, trickling the substance of life. The bandage had been smacked off, leaving a bruise of a sickly purplish color.
Ignoring Jude's expression that promised a murder in the most brutal method, Lucy ran across the room and shoved Michelle out of the way, closing her eyes so tight she could almost see scarlet splatters like those on the carpet dancing through the nothingness. The metal struck her shoulder and she cried out, hand flying to the injured spot, wincing as she scrambled out of the cane's way.
But her father merely ignored her as he continued screaming at Michelle, while Lucy shouted for him to stop. The air was mingled with the sounds of shattered peace, shout and screams full of hatred, and wails of complete agony. "What did you tell that wretched servant?" Jude screeched furiously. He brought down the cane again.
"I-I'm so-sorry, Dad-dy..." Michelle wailed, her arms reaching up to block the blow, only for the bloodied sleeves of her nightgown to get shredded more. She must have told Ms. Spetto, Lucy realized, which was why she was looking at us that way... Lucy's mind blanked to a single, ominous thought: We're dead tonight.
"I could kill you! I will kill you!" Their father screeched, a vein throbbing violently on his temple, as if white hot rage was coursing violently through his veins rather than his blood. Horror seized Lucy, freezing her in place in absolute terror as that dark, glinting evil sailed down in a drastic, deadly arc as it sunk hilt-deep into her beloved's little sister's chest.
Time seemed to move along like a slug as Lucy saw a crimson flower of blood bloom among the silky pink of Michelle's nightgown. The blood was roaring in Lucy's ears so loudly that the anguished shriek that her sister gurgled was muted as if Jude had smacked a pillow over Michelle's face. Lucy stood in horror as she saw tiny, glistening droplets of blood gush out of her sister's mouth, like a fountain of murder. But once she saw the tears streaming down Michelle's face, the look in her eyes dark and glassy with despair as her small hands twitched around the blade sunk into her convulsing body, the timeout ended.
The scream that tore itself from Lucy's throat was unearthly, a wild beast of trauma and grief and hopelessness desperate to run rampant. To Lucy, it seemed that her mind had blackened completely, as pure instinct took over. Her feet pelted forward at the speed of sound her eyes filled to the brim with cold fury, she was a comet of vengeful sorrow. With another unnatural shriek, she rocketed into Jude, forcing him to the ground. "I'm sorry, Michelle, but this is for you!" she shouted furiously, and Jude's eyes widened when he saw she had also grabbed the knife he'd impaled his daughter with. With a final cry, she plunged the knife into his form, not caring about the blood that splattered her, she just continued stabbing, again, and again, and again. She couldn't here anything except for the sickening plunge of the slippery knife into ragged flesh.
She only realized the magnitude of what she'd done when she realized her father had stopped breathing. Her first thoughts were abject terror at the terrible sin she'd just committed. Her father blood completely covering the knife, her hands, and her nightgown. She felt a sudden surge of pounding guilt, swallowing her whole like a tsunami. Bile was forced up her throat as she saw the sight of a torn dress shirt, entangled with flesh and muscle torn as if it was gory shredded paper. Remembering her sister, she rushed to Michelle's side. Her sister's once brilliant blue-green eyes ha dimmed and darkened; now they were the shade of a dusty sapphire that they had seen in a fairy tale. Michelle's beautiful caramel curls were matted with her own blood, her breathing quiet and ragged. Lucy's tears and the blood on her nightgown gently rained upon the dying little girl. The only thing Michelle could do was utter in a barely audible voice, "t-take... doll..." before the small bit of life left inside her took flight, her eyes still open, still the cover of that mysterious old treasure that she and Lucy had seen only earlier in the day...