Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail
Sorry, I re-uploaded this chapter with a more grammatical and spelling correct one. Sorry again!
A Dragon's Mother
Chapter 1: Silent BetrayalIt's been 8 months.
8 grueling months of silent torture from my owm nakamas, from Fairytail. But who was I to deny them the pleasure of spending every minute of their time treasuring one of their own who supposedly died? Yes, 'died', for Lisanna Strauss, never died just transported into another world, well no one knew that so it's all very understandable as to why everyone was giving her their undying attention, even if it meant ignoring another...
You see, after our adventure through Edolas and back, my team and everyone else in Fairy Tail especially the Strauss siblings, discovered very happily the return of their 'thought to be dead' guild member and sister, Lisanna. So it was no surprise at all that Master announced for a party in honor of her. Everyone cheered, drunk, fought and mingled with each other, more so with Lisanna and Team Natsu minus me.
I didn't know why, but whenever I tried to talk to her she would always say a reason to excuse herself and talk with the other members of the guild. At first, I thought she was just shy and nervous to talk to me since I was new face to her, but as days pass I could clearly catch her having small talk with Juvia, a little advice sharing with Wendy, heck even passing a hello or comment towards Gajeel! I keep telling myself that it was nothing, that maybe she was more comfortable with them. Yet still, days turn to weeks, and not once did she try to talk to me, I even try to start the conversation myself! But as always, she excuses herself again. So I gave up trying, maybe you can't befriend them all, and so I turn myself back from befriending Lisanna to my day-to-day routine within the guild. However, I never realized or even dreamt of it that Lisanna wasn't the only one brushing me off.
It started small of course, I never even noticed it but I could slowly feel it, Mira would forget my order of shakes or food, Cana would rather ask Lisanna to drink with her or chat with, and Levy would no longer comment about my novel and would rather ask if I've seen Lisanna anywhere. I paid no heed to these of course, Lisanna's return was still fresh from everyone's mind and with that I continued with my day by telling myself everything will go back normal. But oh, did I regret those words, because only did weeks turn to months did I finally see and feel the greatest change of all, no one acknowledges my presences anymore. Mira completely ignores me whenever I try to order and just turns away, Cana would look pass me as if I were see through image and just turn back to her barrel, Levy would either be too immerse with a book or ogle Gajeel to even give me a passing glance, Jet trying to impress Levy would pass me by not noticing at all how he practically shoved me aside as if I were nothing but trash, Droy with his excessive eating brushes me off with his leftovers, Macao and Wakaba no longer ogle my body or make any comments regarding about my civil status, heck, all the other guild members no longer ask or inquire about my state of health and mind regarding Team Natsu...
Team Natsu, they were the most painful impact of them all.
It all happen after two months of the guild ignoring and passing me off as mere wind. First it started with ignoring me and talking with Lisanna instead, then turned to forgetting about me before and during their leave for a missions, and soon it turn to me being replaced as member.
No matter how days may pass, I probably would never forget that day...
¤¤¤¤(Flash_Back_Start)¤¤¤¤
I was sitting on my usual stool in front of the bar trying very hard not to let the guilds silent mistreatment get to my head when the call of my name jolted me from my thoughts. As I whipped my head towards the caller, weeks of not hearing my name being called made me a little excited, my pained frown instantly melted and a soft thankful smile graced my features, there not ten feet away from me, was Team Natsu. They were heading towards me and that hopeful spark deep within me grew every step they take and my smile quickly grew into a grin as they finally reached me.
"Hey you guys!" I said, a little too cheery but who's to blame me? Two months of being forgotten, I should be mad and cold towards them but who was I kidding, I truly missed them and the thought of returning to my beloved team again meant forgiving them of their cold treatment then bygones be bygones! Before I could ask them what's wrong, Natsu cuts me off with a raised hand not too far from my face.
"We need to talk to you about something important." He said with a tone I never thought the cheerful, lovable, and caring Natsu could produce, cold, as he lowered his hand and looked me dead in the eye.
"O-of course... Wha-what is I-it?" I stuttered, fear was creeping within me. I didn't know why, but I was getting scared, horrified even, of the next words Natsu was about to say. If only I knew beforehand what they were, I would have stopped him and just ran away; the pain it inflicted was too much to bear. He suddenly then grins at me, his signature grin, oddly enough though it didn't comfort me like it usually does, but instead it somehow intensified the foreboding feeling inside me.
"Me, Gray and Erza, have all agreed to remove you from the team and add Lisanna instead to increase our team's teamwork and power." He proclaims rather happily, not even taking a glance at my shocked and pained face. Maybe he couldn't, it took a few seconds to register his news and I quickly used every ounce of willpower I had to mask the pain so surprise was probably the only thing he could notice, IF he notices.
"Think of this as an opportunity, Lucy, to go on solo missions and train yourself and become more proficient in battle. That way, no one has to save you all the time and render you from possible battle experience." Ezra states this time as she walks forward, standing beside Natsu and looks at me, her eyes serious.
I wasn't sure whether Erza was purposely trying to minimize the hurt in her statement for my sake by stating that or this was always her way of kicking someone out, to look at everything as an opportunity to train, either way, the hurt of abandonment was clearly there.
"That and you don't have to complain anymore about your rent money whenever we wreck some things, since now we'll be taking higher paying jobs to balance reward with repair. You'll only get hurt if you keep joining us." Gray says in a matter-of-fact tone as he too stands beside Natsu on his left. His face indifferent, eyes neither cold nor caring just, bored.
'Not get hurt'? Can't they see they were practically ripping my heart little by little and the fact that they can't even feel it just intensifies the pain.
I couldn't reply, how could I? The way they said as if it didn't affect me at all. I just blinked and slowly nodded, fear that any words I might say could trigger the tears that were threatening to fall in great amounts, but I had a painful inkling feeling that they would mistake it for tears of gratitude rather than pain.
"Good you understand, Lucy! We'll be off then, we're going to look for Lisanna and tell her the great news!" Natsu yells as he and the others run off towards the guild doors and finally, disappear.
That's it? I ask myself. That wasn't so hard to take in at all. I keep repeating in my head, unaware of the tears finally streaming down my face. I just keep staring at the doors hoping it was all just my imagination a dream maybe, but the fact no one was talking about a girl who's crying by the bar was all the evidence it took to shatter my hope. The tears keep streaming but I made no sound, no wail, nor curse or even a tiny squeak as I just stared at the guild doors, not even when a rough arm pulls me from my stool, quickly yet gently pulling me towards the back doors and out behind the guild where the peaceful garden of Fairy Tail was, and finally into a hard chest.
I was like a broken doll, not feeling nor caring. I didn't know who pulled me or was literally hugging me and burying my face into his hard toned chest, I just didn't care, my mind and body was still in complete shock after what Team Natsu had just announced to me, whether I was to be killed or murdered there and now hardly fazed me, that was of course until I heard him and two others speak. I never noticed at all the one small group who still cared.
"Just cry it out, hell, yell it, damn it. Do it or you'll really turn broken... Bunnygirl." A gruff and annoyed voice calls out above my head. My eyes widen with realization as tilted my head up slowly and meet Gajeel's indifferent look but his worried eyes betray his I-don't-care face. Before I could recover from my discovery shock, a small trembling body hugs me from behind and with a trembling voice filled with unbearable sadness, the little body spoke.
"D-don't b-be sad anymore (sob) Lu-lucy-san (sob) we-we won't ever (sniff) (sob) le-leave you.. (sniff) (sob)" Again my eyes widen with realization as I turn my head and see a trembling blue headed little girl clinging behind me. Wendy...
"Please Lucy-san, let it all out. Juvia always lets her tears be full and real to prevent Juvia from dying inside (sniff) I'm so very so-sorry... (sniff) (sob) Lucy-san!" It was pretty obvious who it was, the third person call practically gave it away. Even in my current state, I still giggled mentally, as Juvia hugs me from my side resulting in hugging both me, Gajeel and Wendy at the same time which also means getting drenched with her waterfall tears. I hear Gajeel complaining but still not letting go of me, Wendy still clinging and Juvia crying her heart out.
Somehow, along the way, my tears stop being sad ones and turn into happy ones as I finally hug Gajeel back. He seemed to stiffen at first but no sooner did he relaxed and responded with tightening his hold on me as I wail my heart out and finally let out a full blown cry, not caring who might hear them.
¤¤¤¤(Flash_Back_End)¤¤¤¤
It was on that day did I know that I wasn't completely alone nor was I completely forgotten. Gajeel, along with Wendy, Juvia, Pantherlily and Carla, had somehow notice the guild's aloof attitude towrads me. They also thought it was temporary and would soon revert back to normal. So the five continued with their time but with a lingering suspicion still present. That was until two months finally passed and the sudden incident with Team Natsu confirmed their thoughts, "Lucy had been forgotten as their nakama.".