All rights to Hiro Mashima
~ Part One: Embers ~
Noun: a small live piece of coal, wood, or another fuel source, also known as a dying fire
On the eve of her twenty-first birthday, Lucy found herself again on a long trek through the never ending lifeless halls, feather duster and broom in hand. It was a Saturday after all.
Cleaning day.
The eyes of the portraits of her long dead ancestors followed her everywhere. Up and down she crept, treading carefully on the marble floors, the oriental rugs under her feet muffling her steps. Almost in reverence of the old, cold, dead house, Lucy tried to make as little noise as possible.
She didn't want to wake up any demons.
Standing on the balcony, just like every Saturday this past summer, she breathed in deeply picking out specific scents as she went.
Grass.
Lilacs from Momma's garden.
Detergent from the washing.
Then she paused, eyes opening in confusion because there was a new smell in the mix tonight that she couldn't quite place.
A cross between the smell of rain as it hits stone and the darkness from the night that was slowly creeping up on her. And something else…something…familiar. Something that smelled more amazing and homely than this huge house ever could. It smelled like the night was excited.
It reminded her of her mother in a way, as her mother was home to her. So in a sense, because her mother was with the stars, the night sky was now her home as well.
She would join her mother one day, of that she had no doubt. But for now, she was mostly content with her documentation and school and her sister's.
And waiting for him. Hopefully, it wouldn't take too much longer.
Lately, she had a strange…itch…that she couldn't scratch. One that she hadn't had since she was a young child running and playing and exploring.
She was ready for an adventure.
So like every other Saturday at twilight, she greeted her stars bidding them a good morning. She hoped that they would watch over her still, just as she would guard them jealously.
Like a dragon guards its horde of gold and silver and gems.
Oh Gods. She was starting to sound like FireSalamander.
Giggling loudly in the night air at that thought, Lucy closed the doors of the balcony and rushed down through her routine to get dinner ready for herself tonight as Yukino and Sorano were out on the town, and her step-mother didn't need to eat three square meals a day, opting for a wetter diet.
Only dry martinis for that Madame.
Once when Lucy asked her how she could live off of only booze, her step-mother just stuck a toothpick with a cocktail onion and an olive in said martini…for the vitamins and gave Lucy a sharp look that stopped all other conversations on the topic.
Tonight's chicken and garden salad was fresh and light, perfect for an end of a long day and not too heavy to give her weird dreams. Seeing as there was no leftovers and the minimal dishes were cleaned and the counters tidy, Lucy deemed it time to make her way back to her room.
-ooo-
FireSalamander: Do you believe in magic?
Now, this was a typical way to start a conversation with her mysterious best friend. He asked her anything and everything. He had no filter at all and no topics, save his real name, were truly off limits.
She remembered a conversation a few weeks back about the correct size of dragons and another one about whether or not animals could understand everything that humans said to them, but just lacked the means to answer us back properly.
So the belief in magic? Not that extraordinary a topic. So Lucy decided to answer as truthfully as possible. He deserved the truth at least.
ChildoftheStars: I believe in it. To an extent. I believe that everything has a certain magic to it. A person's smile has magic that lights up a room. That one kiss that makes you tingle is magic. The night sky in all its glory holds magic. And I believe that all people hold magic within them, it just needs an outlet…a way to come out and be seen by others.
FireSalamander: I can see that. I know that magic is real. I can see it all around us. I can feel it everywhere.
Lucy could see what he meant. Magic…was a tricky concept to her. But she didn't know why. She wanted to believe in it wholeheartedly with all the wonder of a small child on Christmas morning. But she was twenty-one in thirty minutes, she was growing up, and she was beginning to give up hope about certain things.
One was the return of her father. She was sure he was coming back. But every day he was gone it was getting harder for Lucy to believe the fact that he would return completely unharmed.
There was also the belief that her life should hold more than just this…researching and school, cooking and cleaning. There was something on the horizon for her, something just out of reach. But it seemed to be getting farther and farther away every day.
Deep down in her bones, she could feel it. Something exciting and amazing and terrifying. It was creeping up on her like a shadow, looming over her. But at the same time too far away to be seen clearly.
Soon. She hoped. So she asked her friend.
ChildoftheStars: Do you ever feel like your life is missing…something? Like it's not complete? Like part of your very existence has been cut off?
She had to wait a whole five minutes for his answer. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully; the typing icon had been flashing the whole time she had been waiting eagerly for his reply.
But it was a little disappointing.
FireSalamander: Yes. Everyday.
While she believed that his was the truth – she hoped – Lucy knew that this wasn't the whole truth. But she couldn't fault him that. Some things are had to talk about. So she prodded.
ChildoftheStars: Like what?
Now his answer came even slower this time. Lucy decided to type up a little more about the stories about Leo her mother told her when she was small. Half way into describing the personified Leo would be a man but would keep his mane of glowing fur, cat ears, and twitching tail…she heard the 'ding' that signalled that she had a message.
FireSalamander: For years now. I have felt like there was half of my life missing. Like half of my being was scraped away before I could remember and the nerves are still raw. It's hard to describe.
Lucy the realised that he was telling her the truth before. It was just hard to put into words. So she mentally apologised to her friend for thinking he would be holding something back from her.
But what struck her was the similarities between his situation and hers. He seemed to describe how she felt ever since her father disappeared accurately.
No before that. Since her mother passed away.
Had it really been that long? Almost fifteen years she had been missing…something.
FireSalamander: Why the inquisitive nature today? Does it have anything to do with your birthday in nine minutes?
ChildoftheStars: Maybe. I don't know. I feel like something is going to happen soon. But I couldn't tell you what it was, or when it will occur. It's like I'm a ship at sea at night and the horizon is blurred and foggy. I can feel that something is there but being able to navigate is complicated and confusing.
FireSalamander: So use the stars to navigate your way. You said they would always be there for you. Trust in them.
His answer floored her. Of course. It made perfect sense.
The stars. Her trusted friends. They had never steered her wrong yet.
So Lucy decided to believe in the stars once again. Whatever happened, they would be there for her.
Smiling, she looked up at Cygnus and Pisces. "Thank you, my stars, please. I need your guidance more than ever. Watch over me tonight."
ChildoftheStars: Do you like adventures?
FireSalamander: More than anything in the whole world. I can't wait for the next one.
His simple reply had her snorting in amusement. She glanced at her clock on her bedside table she saw it read two minutes after midnight. "Happy Birthday to me…" she sang into her empty room.
FireSalamander: Happy birthday. Enjoy your day tomorrow; I have a feeling it will be a good one.
She didn't know why. But she could only agree with him. Saying goodnight and logging out of the chat room, she rubbed her arms. The air was getting cooler the later she was staying up. Deciding to light the fireplace in the corner of her room, Lucy placed wood and tinder in a teepee fashion and waited until there was a merry fire crackling away. It was time for her to get ready for bed.
-ooo-
Showered, teeth brushed, Lucy sat in front of the now dying flames braiding her hair down her back ending in a shower of gold near her tailbone. She loved her hair. It was the same shade as her mother's. Just another thing that reminded her of happier, livelier times. Lucy refused to cut it off. It was too precious.
She sat in one wing back chair and just stared up at the stars, listening to the silence of the night.
"Goodnight my friends. Enjoy your day; I hope you have fun. Goodnight Momma. Good night Papa. I love you both so much."
The still air felt stifling, so she made her way towards her bed, taking a glance at her dark blue comforter.
Something about what she was seeing wasn't right.
Oh, it was the package sitting on her bed. An early birthday present? Lucy gingerly picked up the innocuous parcel examining the standard brown packing paper and the bold block letters of her name and address printed on the front.
That was it. There was no return address, no name, and no identifying marks.
Shrugging the blonde assumed that one of her sister's brought it into her room for her before they left for the night.
Excitement and adrenaline coursed through Lucy's system. Her eyes sparkled at the thought of the present. It had been so long since she genuinely had looked forward to something other than her nightly talking sessions with her online friends and the odd conversation with her sisters.
Ripping off the paper like a silly child, Lucy was left with a small wooden box. Mahogany that was lacquered within an inch of its life. Gold plated metal sat on each corner in a swirling pattern.
Overall it was a beautiful box. It looked well taken care of and seemed to promise an undiscovered treasure within.
Hinges opening smoothly, Lucy eyed the contents of said treasure chest. When the lid opened all the way, she gasped.
A strange feeling swept over her at that moment, as if a river came through her room tumbling and swirling over and around her.
It was electric; the very air seemed to crackle and sparkle, lighting up from within.
Then as fast as it came, it was gone.
"What in the hell was that?" An empty question for an even emptier room.
Lucy could now focus on the contents of the box. Six beautifully crafted keys sat on a deep emerald satin cushion. Three were gold, three were silver, and all had symbols at the very top.
Moving closer to the dying fire, Lucy dropped to her knees on the rug and checked each key individually. She recognised them all. Cancer, Aquarius, Taurus, Horologium, Crux, and Pyxis.
She reached for one with a slightly shaking hand, Cancer, the light of the embers in the grate reflecting off the polished surface. Lucy gently lifted the key from its place.
A feeling of deep peace and contentment washed through her. And joy. So much joy she could hardly stand it. The emotions she was feeling weren't her own, though. They seemed to be coming from the key in her hand. Her earlier conversation immediately came to mind.
Do you believe in magic?
At this moment, alone in her room with only the night as company, Lucy could honestly say that she believed completely in magic. This was a turning point in her life.
She could feel it.
Her twenty-first birthday was shaping up to be very exciting. A brilliant smile split her face. This was the start of a crazy adventure.