Hey everyone! I'm back with a brand new rewritten version of Lucy's Light! I've modified the plot and changed a few minor things in hopes that you find this to be a more enjoyable and interesting read than the original version. I may or may not change the LaLu ship, or I might have a few pairing options. Let me know what pairing you guys think I should do! Please leave a review and tell me what you think of the new rewritten story. As always, thanks for your support!
XOXO, neko
NARRATOR'S POV
The sun filtered through the large windows of the guild hall and glistened down on Lucy's long blonde hair. She sipped her smoothie and looked around at the guild, basking in the pleasantness of this warm Saturday morning. She and the rest of team Natsu had just returned from a mission last night so she was all set for a day of much-deserved rest and relaxation. She was lost in her blissful thoughts of warm baths and sappy romance novels when a woman's voice pulled her from her daydreams.
"Hey Lucy, how was your mission?" A small blue haired woman grinned at her from the barstool to her left.
"Oh, hey Levy!" Lucy smiled brightly in return. "The mission went pretty well, only minor damage to the town so I still have enough money to cover my rent!" She described the previous mission to Levy in deeper detail. It had been a simple enough task, ridding a small mountainside town of cat-like beasts from the forest. It went pretty smoothly until Natsu started arguing with Gray and the two lost sight of the task at hand and started full on brawling, leaving Erza, Wendy, and herself to finish the job and clean up after them. Thankfully, Erza was able to stop gray and Natsu, but not before they had brought several houses crumbling to the ground. To make up for it, Erza had made the boys rebuild all that they had destroyed, which meant they'd had to stay in the town for an extra four days. Even with all that, it was one of their least destructive missions.
"That's great! Sorry for the boys though, I know how much it bothers you when they fight like that." Levy sighed apologetically.
"It's alright, it does bother me but I've found it's best to just let them work it out on their own, even if that means fighting." Lucy frowned and stirred her drink. "Besides, it's not like I could stop them from fighting even if I wanted to. I'm just not strong enough…" she trailed off into silence, stirring her drink a little more slowly.
She placed a comforting hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Oh Luce… don't think like that. You're one of the strongest people I know. Strength isn't always physical; you've got one heck of a mind! Fairy Tail is lucky to have you."
"Thanks Levy, but having a strong mind isn't going to beat my opponents. Brains can only get you so far without the brawn to back it up." Lucy pushed back her stool and fished in her purse for a moment before tossing a couple jewels on the counter. "Tell Jet and Droy hi for me, I'm gonna head home. I feel like I need some time alone to unwind and process some stuff."
"Okay Luce, I'm just a call away if you need anything." The small mage stood up and embraced Lucy tightly. "Don't let it get to you, Lucy. You're a very capable, strong woman just the way you are. I'm proud to call you my friend." She whispered, pulling back.
"Oh, Levy… you're too kind. That means a lot." She gave a watery smile, embraced her friend one last time and made her way out of the guild waving goodbyes to several guild mates she bumped into along the way.
LUCY'S POV
I hummed softly to myself with my arms outstretched while I balanced on the ledge along the canal. It was a beautiful day and I couldn't wait to get home. I shivered in anticipation at the thought of the wonders a steamy bubble bath could do to my sore muscles. I was almost back home when I heard a loud crash in the direction of my apartment.
I wonder what that could b-
BANG!
A large fireball exploded mere inches away from me, snapping me suddenly out of my thoughts.
Shit. This can only mean- I dodged to the left just in time, I would've been crushed by the flaming piece of debris.
Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit. I raced as fast as I could towards my apartment- or what used to be my apartment. There was a hole blown out of the roof, it looked like the front wall was about to collapse, and massive icicles were protruding from my shattered bedroom window. I could hear yells and more explosions as I ran up the front steps. I already knew exactly who was responsible for this. I could only hope that I made it in time to salvage some of my belongings.
I shoved open the door and fell right into a battle scene that looked like it belonged in an action movie-definitely not my living room. There they were, just as I suspected, Natsu and Gray yelling and hurling attacks at each other nonstop.
"NATSU, GRAY, STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" I screamed as loud as my lungs could manage. Nothing. They continued battling like I wasn't standing right there watching the demolition of my home. I'll try once more, and if that doesn't work… well, that's gonna mean violence.
"NATSU. GRAY. I SAID CUT THIS THE HELL OUT." I screamed, again, to no avail. They simply wouldn't hear me over their own concentration and fury. Looks like I will have to get involved. I quickly grabbed my keys and summoned Leo. He would know what to do. A golden light shone brightly and Leo appeared.
"How may I help you Lu-"He stopped abruptly as he took in battle before him. He quickly shook off his startled look and narrowed his eyes. He leapt into the air and gave both Gray, and Natsu swift uppercuts to the chin. They collapsed to the ground grunting in pain, still completely oblivious to the smoldering wreck of a house they had made. I nodded my thanks to Leo and he disappeared with another flash of light.
"Ooohh why'd you do that-"Natsu's groaning was quickly cut off by the fuming blonde.
"Why did he do that? Why did you do this?!" I shrieked, gesturing wildly to the site of mass destruction.
"Lucy I can explain, Natsu was-"
"I don't want some stupid explanation! I want my apartment back!" Steam was practically shooting out of my ears while I shouted at them. I stormed around looking for any and all undamaged belongings. "You two had better fix this or-"I tripped on a twisted piece of silver and fell to the floor. My heart froze and my whole body went cold.
"It can't be…" I whispered and reached out to it with a trembling hand "please… don't let it be…" I tenderly picked up the delicate, charred lump. A thin half- melted chain dangled from it, just barely hanging on. A tear slid down my cheek as I held the last fragments of my mother's locket. Besides her keys, it was all I had left of her. And now it was just a hunk of melted metal.
"Lucy are you okay? We'll clean up this mess, we promise. Right Natsu?" Gray elbowed Natsu in the ribs.
"Oh yeah, right. We're really sorry Luce. There's a perfectly good explanation for this." Natsu apologized.
"Please…just-just get out. You two have done enough." I trembled and I pointed to what was once the front door. "Just leave. I can't look at you."
Gray's voice was full of concern as he and Natsu rushed to my side. "Lucy what's wrong?"
"I said get out!" my voice grew harsh.
Natsu peered over my shoulder to see what I was cradling so gently in my hands. "What's that Luce?" he asked softly.
"It was something very, very important to me." I whispered. Tears were dripping down my face and onto the ash covered floor. "Go. You have to leave NOW." I shouted and turned to face them. They were no longer welcome in my home. They had gone too far this time.
1 hour earlier
GRAY'S POV
I was heading over to the guild hall and decided to stop by Lucy's house on the way to see if she wanted to walk with me.
Maybe I'll finally be able to talk to her. Recently, it felt like the dynamic in our relationship had shifted somehow, especially after our last mission. We'd been spending a lot more time together and I felt like we'd gotten a lot closer. I also had a hunch that I wasn't alone in my feelings, either. Hopefully, I'd be able to suck it up and just ask her about it. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, (I'm not exactly notorious for sharing my feelings), but it was worth a shot.
I stopped outside her door and hesitantly reached forward to knock. My knuckles had barely touched the door when I heard a muffled crash from inside.
"Uh Lucy? It's me Gray. Are you alright in there?" I called. Nobody answered. I was getting suspicious, so I decided to just go on in; Erza had given me a spare key a while back. I cautiously pushed open the door and looked around. No sign of her. "Lucy?" I called again. "Are you home?"
I silently stepped through the living room and into the kitchen where- aha! There was Natsu rifling through Lucy's fridge and humming a soft tune to himself. He slammed the fridge shut and turned to face me with a towering stack of food in is arms.
"Oh, hey Gray." He said casually, his voice muffled by a mouthful of food.
"What are you doing here eating all of Lucy's food?" I demanded.
"I was just popping by to see if Luce was home, and she wasn't, so I figured I'd just grab a quick snack before I headed over to the guild."
"Well hurry up. It's creepy to be hanging out in her house when she's not home."
"What are you doing here then?" Natsu questioned distrustfully.
"I was just- Lucy- that is-seeing if she wanted to-" I stammered, desperately searching for an explanation to cover the fact that I was here to tell Lucy I had feelings for her.
"Put your shirt back on, ya perv! You shouldn't be getting naked in Lucy's house."
I looked down at my bare chest and groaned. My stripping habit always got worse when I was nervous. "Sorry, this always happens when I'm tired."
"Oh, if you're tired just go take a nap in Lucy's room. She always lets me come into bed with her, so I'm sure she won't mind if you borrow it for a bit."
I froze. "Wait, you sleep with Lucy?" I asked slowly.
"I mean, yeah. It's really comfy and she's actually pretty nice to cuddle with." Natsu grinned sheepishly.
My heart dropped. Does this mean- are she and Natsu really-? Guess there was no point trying to tell her my feelings now. Looks like she and Natsu already have something going. As quickly as it had come, the sadness was overcome by anger. Why did neither of them tell me? I thought Lucy trusted me. I guess I was wrong about a lot of things. I gritted my teeth and yanked my shirt on aggressively.
"Uhhh, Gray? What's wrong?" Natsu asked cautiously.
"What's wrong with you? Why didn't you tell me?" I seethed. I was losing hold of myself. This could get ugly.
"What are you talking about?" Natsu's voice rose angrily.
"I mean all the 'sleeping' you and Lucy have been doing. Why didn't either of you tell me so I wouldn't make an ass of myself?"
"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, but you'd better watch yourself." Natsu growled warningly.
"I think it's you that should watch out. I have no tolerance for liars." I sneered.
"Call me a liar one more time."
"You. Are. A. Liar." I repeated. "Was that slow enough to get through your thick skull or should I say it again?"
Natsu cocked his already flaming fist and aimed it in my direction. "The hell is wrong with you today? And why are you dragging Lucy into whatever problem you seem to have with me?"
"My problem is that I- I think I'm fucking in love with her you idiot!" I roared. There it went. Any last calm within me snapped. The sound of shattered dishes crashing to the floor echoed around the room as a large mass of icy spikes burst from around me, impaling everything except my intended target. The nimble dragon slayer had swiftly dodged around my ice blast and into the living room.
Natsu hurled fireball after fireball towards me in hopes of slowing me down. "Gray, you've got to calm the fuck down and let me explain-"
"You've said enough already!" I had to shout at full volume to be heard over the sound of Lucy's house being destroyed. Neither one of us was paying attention to the damage we were causing; we were both too preoccupied with dodging each other's attacks.
"Gray, it's not what you think, yeah I care about Lucy, but that's all it is!" Natsu dodged another icy blast that shattered her window.
"And how do I know you're not just lying?" I demanded, easily blocking another round of fireballs and sending them crashing through the roof. I knew I was being irrational and hotheaded, but I didn't care. I was too caught up in my emotions to listen to the sensible part of my brain.
Natsu gritted his teeth and slammed his fist into my stomach with incredible force. "Because. I'm. Not. A. Fucking. Liar." He spat.
Rage was pouring out of every inch of my body. I had to get him back for that one. Here we go; one more blast should do it. He won't be able to dodge this-
A powerful fist slammed my jaw, knocking me to the ground and leaving me stunned long enough to hear Natsu groaning a few feet away from me and Lucy's hysterical shouting. Immediately, guilt washed my anger away. Lucy was back, and we had destroyed almost her entire home. Fuck. This is all my fault. Why the hell did I let my temper take over like that? It's going to be a long time before Lucy forgives me for this…
Present time
NARRATOR'S POV
"I'm so, so sorry Lucy. This is all my fault." Gray apologized over and over. "I understand that you're upset, but please come talk to us when you're ready okay? At least give me a chance to explain myself."
"Yeah, Luce. Were really sorry for fucking your house up." Natsu muttered with shame evident in his tone.
Lucy didn't say another word. She simply raised a quaking finger and pointed at the singed door. Natsu and Gray hung their heads and marched slowly out of her wrecked home. The petite blonde mage sat like a wilted flower for hours lamenting the loss of her most treasured possession. It was like losing her mother all over again, and she was once more helpless. There was nothing she could do to fix it.
It all boils down to the same thing: I'm not strong enough. She thought. I'm not skilled enough, I'm not talented enough, and I'm not smart enough. I'm just not enough. And unless I make a change, I never will be enough.
With these thoughts racing through her mind, she made her decision. It was time to go.
Alright, there you have chapter one, I hope you liked it! I'll try my best to update regularly, but I'm planning on making longer chapters so it may take more time for me to get them done. Let me know if you have any questions or comments, and please leave a review! Thanks for reading!