A/N: Sort of Manga Spoiler here. TEEHEE.
Chapter 2
"Here, have some coffee." Loke said, handing Lucy a warm cup of Joe. "Thanks." Lucy said. It was four in the morning when Lucy seemed a bit okay, so they just went out of the apartment to see the sunrise. "Loke?" Lucy said, staring into her cup. "Hm?" Loke sipped on his cup. "Do you really have to sit this close to me?" Lucy asked, scooting an inch farther. They were not close, but they were really close. Loke was pressing his side on Lucy's side and his arm was slinging around her shoulders. "What? I'm perfectly fine with this position." Loke said. "Well, I'm not so please don't." Lucy said, removing Loke's arm on her shoulders and scooting away from him. Loke pouted like a dog. "B-but.."
Lucy laughed at her friend's antics. "Whatever, Loke."
"So Lucy, are you sure you want to move to Crocus because of your job?" Loke asked. Lucy nodded. "Yes, I am. I've been dying to have a job like that for ages and I won't let the chance pass. Besides, Magnolia doesn't seem like the place I really loved before." Her answer was half the truth, though. She did want a job like that but she felt as if she could never come back to Magnolia if she left. "So that means you're leaving everything behind?" Loke asked. Silence dawned over them both. Lucy didn't know how to answer that. Was she ready to leave everything behind? "Well…I...I don't know."
Lucy had her most wonderful and worst memories here in Magnolia. Was she ready to leave them all behind? Her worst memories, yes. But the good ones? No, of course. She wanted to treasure them all the time but every time she treasures them, she can't help but feel pain. Those good memories of her reminded her that her guild, her family, is gone. The truth was crystal clear and she didn't like it. She wanted to forget. She wants a reset.
"You know, you don't really have to forget them." Loke said. Lucy looked at him "Huh?" Loke sighed. "Look Lucy, moving out of Magnolia doesn't necessarily mean resetting your life. You can move and take your memories with you. Don't be an idiot and leave them all behind just because the people you shared them with aren't with you right now."
Lucy was fazed. She couldn't believe herself. Did she actually think of forgetting them?
What is wrong with me?
"Well, I hope you feel better now Lucy. I'm gonna go back to the Celestial World and I'll tell Virgo to help you move your stuff to Crocus. See ya." Loke said and disappeared in a shower of golden light.
Lucy stared at the sky. Does she really want to reset everything?
Please don't.
Lucy looked back. The voice was like.. "Natsu?" She stood up. "Natsu, is that you?"
Silence.
The wind blew past her. Lucy hugged herself and whispered a wish to the air. "Natsu, please come back."
"Natsu, help!" the celestial mage cried. "Hang on, Luce!" Nastu said, but it was too late. The rope snapped. Lucy, who was holding the other end, fell into the abyss, crying out the name of the pink-haired boy.
"NA-TSUUU!"
"I'm awake! I'm awake!" The dragon slayer exclaimed as he jolted out of his sleeping bag. "Geez, Natsu. Start waking up early or we'll be wasting our training time because of your sleeping." The blue cat said, walking away. Nastu shook his head. He was having nightmares again and it was always the same. He can't help but worry and have that nagging voice in the back of his head telling him to go back, be more demanding. He can go, alright. But something is holding him back. It's as if he's stuck and the only way to be free is to complete his training. He shook his head once more. Please be safe, Luce.
"Natsuuuu! Help!"
Natsu looked up, his senses sharpening up again. "Happy?" He stood up and ran, following the scent of his partner. "Happy?! Where are you?!" Natsu sniffed the air. Happy's scent ws still lingering but it was fading and another scent was present. "Happy?!"
"Natsu! Over here!"
Natsu ran to the source of the voice. God, Happy please be safe. Natsu emerged in a sort of a cave-looking place. "Happy? You here, buddy?" Natsu sniffed the air once more. It was a familiar scent and it was a really strong scent. He lit his fist on fire as he walked towards the cave. "Hap-!"
"Who are you?!" the attacker said. He had Natsu under him, his arms holding off Natsu's. Natsu sniffed him. "Wait a minute-Gildarts?!" Natsu said, holding up his fist to illuminate the attacker's face. It was indeed Gildarts. His brown hair and scar wasn't mistakable. "Natsu?" Gildarts stood up. "My boy, ha! Haven't seen you in awhile, huh?" He reached out a hand to help Natsu up. "What are you doin' here, Gildarts?" Natsu asked. "Well, I'm off to a journey to anywhere." He said. "Now, let's have some decent reunion, shall we?"
…
"So, how's traveling, Gildarts?" Natsu asked, stuffing food inside his mouth. "It's great. Got some new stuff in my bag, new adventures, and a lot of women to meet!" Gildarts told him with a grin. "Your such a pervert, Gildarts." Natsu said, rolling his eyes. Gildarts laugh.
It has been more than a year when Gildarts left for his journey and needless to say, Natsu was overjoyed to his father-figure again. "So Natsu, my boy. How's Fairy Tail?" Gildarts asked, picking up a chicken leg. "Dunno, haven't seen them in seven months." Natsu said, stuffing more food inside his mouth. Gildarts choked, wheezed, and gasped. "WHAT?!"
Natsu winced and covered his ears. "What the hell, Gildarts?! Do you really have to shout in my ear?!" Gildarts picked him up by his collar. "Why'd you leave, kiddo? Huh? Did you wreck some building again and now you're on the run? Tell me, boy!" Natsu struggled to get put down. "Put. Me. Down." Gildarts sighed and put down the dragon slayer. "What happened, boy?" Natsu huffed and buried his face in his scaly scarf. "I'm too weak." He muttered.
"What was that?" Gildarts said, moving closer to the pink-haired mage to hear him speak. "I said I'm too weak. I lack power and strength. " Natsu said, looking at the ground. "Weak?" Gildarts said, confusion clouding his face. Silence dawned over them both until a loud laughter erupted from Gildarts. "Oh Mavis. That is the best joke I have ever heard throughout my life!" Gildarts said, wiping away tears of joy from his eyes. "What's so funny, old man?!" Natsu said, surprised by the man's sudden outburst. Gildarts laugh died down but his smile remained. He put a hand on the dragon slayer's shoulder. "My boy, you are not weak." He said. "You battle the stongest foes you've come across, won a lot and for Mavis' sake you did the most dangerous things that not I could have the courage to do! " Natsu glanced at the S-class mage. "Natsu, you are far more stronger than me. You have that burning passion that glows in a bright light. You may not be the brightest-"
"Hey!"
"But you are the most wonderful person the guild has ever met. You have saved our butts a lot of times and we all owe you for that. Hearing you call yourself weak is a disgrace to all of us. Strength isn't about power or magical abilities. It's about how you could protect those dear to you even if you have nothing to fight with. That is what matters, kiddo." Gildarts said, patting Natsu at his back. "You're right, Gildarts. But that aside, I still don't have enough power to protect everyone. I want to be able to protect each one of the guild's members." Natsu said. Gildarts sighed and shook his head. Man, this kid is so stubborn. "Well, I ain't stopping you on achieving that. Got anymore problems, boy?"
"I have loads. Although, there's one that's really bothering me. It's about Lucy." Natsu said, running his fingers through his hair. "Lucy? Is that the blonde girl with the big rack?" Gildarts said, racking his brain to remember the image of the girl. "Shadap, pervy old man." Nastu grunted. Gildarts chuckled. "Okay, so what's your problem with her?" Natsu sighed. "I keep having these nightmares about her..dy-getting hurt." Gildarts looked at the pink-haired mage. "Well there's a simple solution for that: Go after her. Where ever she is." Nastu let out a frustrated sigh. "I could right now but I fell like..like I can't."
Gildarts sighed. "Still worried that you might not be enough to protect her?" Natsu nodded. It was scary to admit but it's the truth. Natsu never saw the day when Lucy would be by his side, unscathed because Natsu protected her. It felt to him as if he was the reason Lucy kept getting hurt.
"Get it out off your head, kid."
Natsu looked at the S-class mage. "What?" Gildarts smiled at him. "Whatever the crap you're thinking about how it's your fault. Get. It. Out. Off. Your. Head. Besides, it's not true."
Natsu smiled. He's right. If I haven't brought Lucy with me all the time, I would have never seen the prettiest smile in world.
"Thanks Gildarts. I'm fired up now! Fight me and I'll beat you to a pulp!" Natsu exclaimed, returning to his usual jovial attitude. Gildarts laughed. "Now that's the Natsu, I know!"
After their mini-reunion, Natsu and Gildarts bid each other farewell and went their own ways. "Have some faith in yourself, Natsu." The S-class mage told Natsu before he left. Natsu nodded, taking Gildarts' word to his heart. "I will."
"Hey Natsu?" The blue cat asked. "Yes, Happy?" Natsu said, standing up and gathering his things. "Why are you packing up?" Happy asked. "Well...I don't know. I just feel like I need to see Lucy." Happy looked at his partner, confused. "Did, Gildarts tell you to go back?" Natsu nodded, rolling up his sleeping bag. "He made me realized that I was strong and I can protect Lucy." It was true. Throughout the night Natsu was wide awake thinking about his blonde friend. He wanted her and the guild to be safe, that's why he left. To train. To be stronger. But within the past 7 months, he didn't feel like himself. He felt as if there was a hole inside of him. Leaving his family was one thing, but leaving Lucy… was like torture.
He was confused. He didn't know why he thinks of Lucy like glass. One slip then she'd be broken and leaving her like that, it felt as if she already cracked her.
"Natsu?" the blue cat said. "Yes, Happy?"
"I think Lucy's gonna be so happy when we come back! Even the guild with be overjoyed!"
"Yeah, I think so too, Happy."
…
"The preparations are ready, my Lord." The servant said. The Black Wizard smiled. "Good. Three more months and we will be reunited, little brother. I await your presence, Natsu Dragneel.
…
HELLO!~
GAH! 1868 words for the chapter!~
So this Chapter is dedicated to LoneStorm cuz she is such an amazing author! HI!~
Okay, so hope you guys love the 2nd chapter and BEWARE cuz I will be dropping plot-twist that would literally make you curse my existence so stay tuned.
Leave a review if you want guys cuz I need some constructive criticism right now to get my creative juices flowing!
Stay tuned and have a good day/night!
~Mee
