Hi Everyone! It's me again!
Thanks for Chibi Waru-Chan, nya, Princess Happy, FRefugee and LizzyWasHere! I'm so glad for the reviews!
So far, I'm only relying myself on Word spellcheck and my own grammar but anyone have a recommended program for spell checking?
AGAIN, I DON'T OWN FAIRY TAIL!
Chapter 2: Suspicion and The Stellar Spirit Mage
A smile of satisfaction was formed on the blonde girl's face as she finished counting the amount of money she had. With this, she wasn't only able to pay her monthly rent but also to buy something she really wanted. Lucy put her money reward back to her wallet and hid it in safe place, hoping no one would know and rob it.
She laid her back on the bed. The place the client provided for her wasn't as big as her bedroom but it's clean and comfortable. The wall and furniture were mostly made from bamboo plait and ornamented with colorful tribal painting and beads. From faraway she could hear nothing but the wave gloriously washed the shore and the wind caressing the houses and tress as it passed by.
They brought peace to her troubled mind.
In fact she was proud with herself. Since she went on the solo quest, she rarely cried at nights. The girl was glad she made a right decision considering how her friends objected her wish at first.
"Lucy. Are. You. Serious?" Erza pronounced every word slowly with her eyes locked on the brown eyes "I afraid you must take Gray and I with you."
The blonde mage jerked backwards and her hand directly rose in front of her face. To have the Titania glared at her with their face inches away sent chill down to Lucy's spine
"But Erza, I have signed my own name for the quest."
"But this will be first time you do a hard job alone." Juvia asked with her brows furrowed, something everyone rarely saw when the water mage talked with the stellar spirit mage "Juvia is worried something will happen."
Lucy raised a brow in amusement "I thought you are happy if I'm suddenly gone, Juvia?"
"Even Lucy is Juvia's rival Juvia doesn't want anything happen to Juvia's nakama."
"Lu-chan, did you do this because of Natsu?" the blonde mage stoned on her place, unable to react. Her brown eyes were locked at the floor with a sorrowful look while her lips were sealed shut. The script mage sighed, she knew it already.
"That fire head?" the ice mage cracked his knuckles, veins popped on his head "I gonna beat the shit out of him!"
"Let me help too." Erza unsheathed two swords. Her body was engulfed in bright light before she changed to her Heaven's Wheel armor "No one should ever hurt your feelings, Lucy."
"Gray! Erza! NO!" she immediately lunged and grabbed their wrist "I want to buy a surprise Valentine gift for him, that's why I'm doing this.."
The duo turned at her and shouted in unison "Then take both of us with you!"
"I need time to be alone guys. And this may improve my power as well.." Her fringe covered her eyes by now and her hands slightly shook "Please.."
Levy's hand reached out for the blonde mage, "But Lu-chan.."
"Please!" Lucy bowed her head deeply, "I beg you guys!"
"Then promise us you will be home safe and sound before the festival." Erza sighed in defeat to the blonde mage and shrugged. Everyone wanted to object as well, but they realized Lucy's decision was final when they saw her face. Only the ice mage was still stubborn with his opinion.
"Erza!"
"I promise." Lucy put a hand on Gray's shoulder "I will be fine Gray, don't worry."
"What about Natsu? He definitely will notice if Gray and Erza are here but you are not." Mira asked with a concerned look, her eyes stole a glimpse of the fire dragonslayer "Not to mention how often he breaks into your house."
"Lately he doesn't do it anymore and.." she glanced at the pair before turning back to them "With his state now, I bet he won't even realize. Just don't tell him anything if he asks."
She in fact never knew what crossed the pink-haired boy's mind. He was proved to be quite a perceiving one when it was about his nakama feeling. But why didn't he realize what he had done?
He was lifting her hope up to the sky only to slam it back to the ground.
No one could explain how happy she was when Natsu remembered her 'birthday' or uprooted a sakura tree for her sake. In times she needed him the most either as a knight in shining armour, a shoulder to cry on or someone to make her laughed, he was always ready beside her. They shared a lot of moments that brought them closer, some made her wanted to punch him directly and other made her either smiled in happiness or crying in pain and fear.
From their first meeting, in Earthland it had been nine years including Tenrou Island Time Spell. Lucy never knew from when exactly she had crossed the line of friendship and seen him in a new light. Now when she had no choice for turning back, he and Lisanna began to get closer again.
Her heart felt like it was stabbed with thousands of blades whenever she saw both of them together. In many occasion, she had to turn her face away and gathered all her will just to hold herself from crying. The fact Natsu began to stop doing quest with them made everything even worse. At first she was consoling herself with the thought that she would earn more pay since less damage would be done without the pink-haired boy. Without the dragon slayer, the chance of destroying things was low especially with the Titania around.
However, the thought was soon proved to be useless. Every time he's not around, her mind couldn't help but wishing he was there with her. Her eyes would always search for his figure even though she knew he wasn't there. Sometimes, the blonde mage would dart to her bedroom upon hearing his voice which too bad was only an illusion.
With each days passing, the view of both of them just disturbed and hurted more and more. If only she were egoist, she would beg to him to do quest with them again and stop talking with Lisanna. A lot of times in this month she ran to the bathroom or her house to hide her teary brown eyes, her heart was torn between her jealousy and her mind that telling her she shouldn't hate the white-haired mage.
That's why she had decided. A confession had to be done soon before everyone got hurt.
In order to do that, she wanted to buy him something he could keep. Something that would left a deep meaning.
Her choice fell on a necklace with protective charm. Its pendant was made from a rare red magic stone that shines in crimson color. From that, a wizard carved a dragon that curled its body together with every detail from a big one to the smallest. From it, Lucy could sense a strong magical power so she didn't mind to spend jewels to buy it. Natsu despite how strong he was one day would need a protective spell for himself with his careless attitude.
"I hope he will like it.." she muttered under her breath as she imagined how he would look with her gift "But how if he reject it? Or Lisanna has confessed to him first?"
Immediately she shook her head. It's not the time to think about that,
She shifted her body, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep. Shoving as many negative thoughts as possible, her eyelids slowly closed. When the blonde mage finally drifted to sleep, a name escaped her lips as she dreamt.
"Natsu.."
,,,,,,
Now with Valentine celebration coming in two days, Magnolia was preparing for Louvelle festival. It is basically celebration of love and mostly couples will attend this every year. Like every festival, there will be booths offering snacks, games, fortune tellings and souvenirs. And of course, everyone is waiting for certain events in this festival.
Love Serenade and Valentine's Ball.
In Love Serenade, people would go to the stage then giving a short details to who they will sing the song for, but without revealing his/her identity. After they finished, the singers have to say 'I love you' with the name of the person they dedicate the song to. This event is of course is always the main attraction every year and invited most of the crowds.
After that, there is the ball where you will dance with your couple until you drop. Everyone will be dressed in formal attire and the song varied from music for slow dance until a very fast one. For them who have lovers to dance with, they will never miss this one. As the night getting late, the light of the place will slowly but sure dim until it gets really dark, letting the couples do passionate things they won't let other see.
In town, most women were busy walking from store to store looking for dresses, shoes and accessories. People from other city had begun to come and now they're under checking from local authorities to make sure they carried nothing that might harm people. Most men had been busy to build and paint the decoration and stages while some others check the rope and tools needed for tomorrow.
The guild remained unchanged with the upcoming festival, of course.
Most people didn't even show that they were interested. So far, the couples confirmed to join the ball were only Bisca and Alzack together while Mirajane would sing in Love Serenade. However, Gajeel, Natsu and Gray were rumored to participate in the singing competition and after that would take their partner to the ball. The people mentioned of course were oblivious to the spreading news.
While everyone was busy with themselves, two S-class female mages were having talk among themselves. With their reputation as the scariest in the guild, no one dared to get close moreover eavesdropping on their conversation. Gray and Natsu of course took this chance to land fist on each other guts, feeling great that no one would beat the shit out of them.
"Lucy hasn't come back.." Erza slammed her fist at the bar table, sending chills that was more than enough to make people who still stood nearby walked away "I should have gone with her!"
"Maybe something happened with her transport, the sea is rather unfriendly these few days." Mira tried to calm her ex-rival "She will do anything to come back here. We must not get panic."
"Yeah. I know." the Titania sighed, taking a deep breath. "Anyway, how's Natsu?"
"Oh yeah, I almost forget!" Mira exclaimed, almost causing Erza to jump from her seat "Speaking about Natsu, I want to comfirm something"
Erza raised a brow in question. "What is it?"
Mira lowered her voice "Are you sure it has been only one month since Natsu began to keep his distance with all of you?"
"Well one month is actually the time when he stopped doing quests and talked with Lucy. It's also the start when he and Lisanna seemed so close. If they ever contacted before that, I don't know then." Mira's expression instantly changed "What's wrong?"
"Natsu, well with his character, it's normal to see he's freaked out to find Lucy's house is empty and since that he constantly asks me if I have seen her. But I just notice his fingers today.."
Erza blinked in confusion, clueless about where this conversation would lead.
"Fingers?"
"You know if people play guitar, the tip of the fingers will get calloused then the skin will hardened?" the Titania nodded "Natsu's fingers are like that."
Erza had her eyes bulged out and her jaw dropped. Were her ears deceiving her?
"Y-You are kidding right?"
"There is more." Mira took two glasses and poured water for both of them "Lisanna stopped clinging to Natsu after Levy slapped him. But they still keep contacts outside the guild"
"Sudden closeness, calloused fingers and now ceased contact?" Erza took the glass and let the water slid down her throat in one gulp "Something is going on here."
"I know right! And I bet my sister has her share in this."
Both of them just exchanged gaze before in a lot of way they knew what's contained in each other mind.
"Then should we check this matter?" the Titania offered with a smirk on her face "You go interrogate Lisanna while I'll try to make everything look normal."
"All right, but how will you do it?" the white-haired mage raised her brow before she realized what her ex-rival would do when she turned her head to the fighting boys. If not for her important conversation with the scarlet-haired mage, they might have been dead on floor since second ago.
"Gray, Natsu, stop this in instant!" she ordered sternly while her eyes emitted her deadly glare. Her aura was so murderous that both of the boys directly shuddered and out an arm around each other, assuring the S-class knight how they're on good terms. Mira smiled from her place, shaking her head at the scene.
"Well that is good. Now, where is my sister?"
,,,,,,
Lucy walked with her hands wrapped around her cold body. Thanks to her dream about a certain guy, she missed the only ship that sailed to Magnolia that day and had to wait until the day before the festival. When she finally arrived at the port, two drunken man accidentally drenched her and her bag with beer as they carried it in a big wooden barrel on their shoulder clumsily.
The only thing that made her happy maybe was the necklace which hidden beneath her pocket. Tomorrow for sure, she would give it to him.
"Open a gate to the clock. Horologium!" she summoned and directly went inside the clock. The snow began to rain heavily and she knew she needed to change her wet clothing soon. It's not like the snow would show any mercy at her if she walked without the spirit.
Suddenly an idea popped in her mind.
"Maybe I can drop by on Mira-san house, it's nearby if I'm not mistaken." she thought while her spirit walked to the direction his master wanted. Inside the spirit, Lucy wrapped her arms around her knees, shielding herself from the biting cold.
As she approached the right place, she was about to knock until she heard a familiar laughter coming from inside of the house. The girl thought to herself.
"Of course, Lisanna's here, she's Mira-san's sister. Lucy just bell the door, come on!"
She was repeating those words in her head until she heard a voice she missed so much. In instant, she dismissed her spirit and tiptoed to the window. Her feet was cold against the snow, but Horologium would make her too easy to be noticed,
And there she saw him.
His eyes never ran from her during their movement and their moves were perfectly synchronized to each other. One of their hands were locked in each other while others were placed in their respectful position. As he raised his hand, she twirled gracefully before she put her hand on his shoulder once again. There were times when Lisanna protested to him for unknow reasons, but they just laughed then continue again with smile on their lips.
Then suddenly she kissed his cheek.
Lucy quickly turned her back to the window. The brown eyes were widened in shock while she covered her mouth. Her body began to shake uncontrollably as her back slid down against the wall. Her knees slowly gave in to the cold snow.
It's over for her.
She wrapped her arms around her knees, burying her face there and letting her emotion out in her tears. Her lips gave up after they tried to seal themselves shut, letting a broken and desperate cry came out from them with short pant.
"Lucy, calm down, calm down. Natsu is your nakama, you must be happy for him!" She wiped her face roughly "Damn it, why hasn't it stopped already!"
She knew her words were a fail in consoling herself. The blonde mage of course knew exactly why her eyes didn't stop shedding tears.
The tight and painful feeling in her heart.
Even it only throbbed in her chest, it was excruciating. The feeling made her body and mind went numb and helpless. She couldn't think about anything else and didn't feel the cold around her anymore. It's like she suddenly forgot the world is still revolving around her while she just sat there with the snow freezing her like a meat in the fridge.
She kept trying to comfort herself, but it had no use. Waves of memories kept rushing to her mind and forced the tears out of her eyes. It just torn her heart so much after every hope he gave to her now he..
"Please, just forget what happened tonight, Lucy. Just forget it.."
How much time has passed? Minutes, hours?
Like the hell she could even think about it.
Her sight began to blur when she lifted her face upon hearing a voice.
"Who is that?" a voice asked from afar. Her eyes bulged out for a while before she smiled weakly, recognizing whose voice it was.
"No way it's him.." she thought to herself "It must be a dream. Or maybe I have died."
The only thing she remembered before anything went dark was two figures running to her, shouting her name together. They shook her body in panic before a taller figure carried her in his strong arms, running to a certain direction with her name kept escaping from his lips.
Except he mentioned her name, please don't let me remember about anything from tonight.. Please..
And that's chapter 2.. Now everything get suspicious eh?
RATE AND REVIEW PLEASE! Tell me if the pace is going too fast!