Next morning, Lucy's apartment:
As Lucy wakes up she sees that again Natsu hadn't visit her in the Night, the only thing that 'visited' her where her Nightmares. So she get's her clothes for the day and goes to take a relaxing bath.
Ahh.. that's exactly what I need. I have a feeling something is going to happen to day, whether good or bad I really don't know.. But after everything that happend lately it has to be something good! The whole Guild can't bear more bad things. Maybe Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe will finally wake up, that would definitely be good news..
I hope Natsu isn't to angry that Erza and Gray left without saying goodbye to him, well can't change that now. Hopefully he is at the Guild today, I want to now when we start the search for the Dragons. If I'm lucky, I can find new Keys on the way. I'm so excited for this journey, this is exactly what I need after everything with Aquarius... No Lucy! No crying! That isn't what she wanted! She wanted me and my family to live! But I miss her so much..
Lucy can't stop the tears drop from her eyes. But as she said, right now is no time to cry.
So she shut down her thoughts and just relaxed for a few more minutes in her strawberry bubble bath. Lucy loved the scent of Strawberries, that's why when ever she has the chance she get's something with the fruit, like Mira's Milkshake.
When Lucy noticed that the water slowly turns cold she finishes to wash her hair with her honey shampoo. After drying her body, putting on her new clothes and wrapping her hair in the towel, she exited the bathroom.
To satisfy her Hunger she goes to the kitchen to make some breakfast. But stops dead in her tracks, when she spots the box on her table.
First she just looked warily at the box, thinking that this is some kind of prank from Natsu and Happy. Slowly Lucy approached said box. It's just a plain little brown box, nothing special about it. I wonder where that box is coming from.. Well better open when I want to find out.
Lucy reached for the box and raised the lid. The first thing she noticed is the letter on top. Who would send me a letter? So she takes the envelope and opens it to read the content and ignores the wrapped little thing underneath. Opening, she finds three individual letters in one big letter. Putting aside the three smaller letters she begins to read the bigger one.
Luce,
the other Slayers, the exceeds and I are on the journey to find our Dragons. Sorry that I don't take you with us but I already take Lisanna with me and I can't protect you both at the same time. This search will be really dangerous. And since Lisanna is possibly my Mate and she promised me to help find Igneel before you, I'm taking her with me. So stay save at the Guild and wait for us. You still have Erza and Gray so you won't be alone.
We'll be back in a year or so.
Natsu
P.S.: These other letters are from the other Slayers. And the other thing in the box is a little surprise so that you won't forget us.
After the first few words the tears flow down Lucy's cheeks, she just can't stop them. She rapidly blinks just so she can read the rest of the letter.
They just left me behind. How could they? How could you Natsu? You promised me! Doesn't this mean anything to you?! How could you betray me like this? You should know that I don't need your protection! How can this search be more dangerous than the mission we had?! Couldn't you at least tell me goodbye in person? Why does everybody just leave me? And Wendy, you too? Without a goodbye? No stop, don't accuse Wendy before you have read her letter! She is just to cute to just leave me behind without a goodbye! My little sister...
So Lucy sets the Letter aside and reads the other three.
Lucy-nee,
please don't be mad at me! I'm so sorry! We all tried to convince Natsu to take you with us, but he would always say no. He even didn't allow us to tell you goodbye in person. I'm so sad to leave you behind! I just don't understand him! I really don't know why he believes that he needs to protect you and why this journey is to dangerous for you, I just don't understand.
I really wished you could be here with me Lucy-nee, this journey will not be the same without you here. Even so I have Carla with me, it isn't the same. She isn't my nee-san. Hopefully the search doesn't take us to long, I don't want to be so long away from you and everyone else from Fairy Tail! And I would have love to introduce you to Grandeeney. I'm sure she would have love to meet you!
I'm going to miss you Lucy-nee!
Wendy
Just by looking at the letter you can see how sad Wendy was to leave Lucy behind, there are a few dried tears.
Bunny-Girl,
Ash-for-Brains is an Asshole to just leave you behind! Nobody from us can understand his decision! Especially to not say goodbye in person. To take Lisanna with him is understandable, as she is his possibly mate, but to leave his best friend behind just because she comes with us doesn't make sense at all. I really don't understand why he believes he needs to protect you, you're strong! Don't believe everything else! Never let you tell otherwise, this is just not true!
I'm really sorry to leave you behind! And I'm even more sorry to take Levy with me. I know she is you're best friend and you need her.. But I can't leave her behind. She is my mate, so there is no way to leave with out her for me.
But please don't be mad at her. She didn't know. We're going to get the girls after leaving the box at you're place.
I hope you can forgive us when we're back! Be strong Bunny!
Gajeel
Lucy-san,
we are really sorry that we could't convince Natsu-san to take you with us. We know that we know each other not for a very long time and that we really didn't have a good start.. But we are happy that we have become such good friends after the GMG and we hope that will not change over the time we're searching for our Dragons.
I am really sorry too, to take Yukino with me. I know you two have become even better friends then you are with us. But as she is my mate I need her by my side and can't let her alone when I am so long away. I'm sure Gajeel told you to don't be mad at the girls, since they them self didn't know that we take them with us and are going tonight, until we pick them later.
Again, we are really sorry for not taking you with us and telling you in person that we leave!
Sting and Rouge
To say that Lucy is shocked is an underestimation. She is so shocked that the tears stop and she just stares at the letters. It is as if she doesn't feel anything at all. She feels just dead inside.
"Princess the Spi...", Loke pops out but stops dead in his tracks as he sees Lucy's state. In order to not startle her he slowly goes to her, as he stand in front of her Lucy slowly lifts her head and looks at him. The look in her eyes scares Loke to no end, they completely lost their shine, they just look dead as if all happiness has left her.
It's the same look she had after the war with Tartaros was over and she broke down at home because of the loss of Aquarius. But this is worse, there are no tears, just this dead look in her eyes. Loke has no idea what to do and what could cause such pain to her but before he could try she begins to speak.
"How could he?", she whispers and breaks down crying, letters long forgotten on the floor.
In an instand Loke knees besides her and hugs her. He slowly lifts her in his arms to carry her to the couch and sits down with her in his lap. Loke just let her cry.
In her trusted Spirits arms she slowly calmed down until she just sobs. The warms of his arms and body helps to stop crying and push the pain aside to tell him what happend.
"Loke? Why does everybody leaves me? Is something wrong with me? Am I really that weak? Why doesn't he want me by his side?", Lucy murmurs in his shoulder.
"Who left you and don't want you by his side? And nothing is wrong with you! Why would you believe something like that? And weak? No way!"
Lucy just points to the letters on the floor. So Loke lifts her up to set her at the couch alone and read the letters.
To say Loke is shocked as he reads the letters is not quite right, you could say he ist seething with rage. At least with Natsu, you could exactly tell wich letter he reads, just from his expression. As he finished reading he takes the letters and the box and settles back on the couch next to Lucy. There he sets said objects on the coffee table and gently takes Lucy back in his arms.
"Oh Lucy..", Loke speaks up after a while, "I really don't understand what is wrong with Natsu to do this! At least you know, that the others didn't wanted this. And I have to say it again, you are not weak and there is definitely nothing wrong with you!" Lucy just silently sobs in his shoulder for a little while longer.
When she calmed down enough, Lucy sits back in his arms to look in his eyes, "Thanks Loke, I'm feeling a little better now. I just don't understand why he would break our promise to search together for Igneel... Or why he would think he need to protect me... Soo... was there a reason you showed up?"
"Well yeah, there was a reason but that can wait for now. What do you want to do now?", he asked curiously. "I think at first I will look what the other thing in the box is." And with that she grabs said box and open the little present. Inside is a bracelet with different charms on it and a little note.
Luce,
it's me again. Since I and the other Slayers are not by your side to protect you, this bracelet will do the job. I know how often you get in trouble and always need saving. The charms on the bracelet represent our elements, such as a Flame for me, and should protect you to a certain degree against our elements.
The others at first didn't want to give you this, cause they said that you don't need the protection, but I know you better than them. So I convinced them...
Natsu
Sadness now gone, Lucy threw the bracelet in her anger across the room. "How fucking dare he?! I need protection because I'm always in trouble? Most of the times I'm in this trouble because of him!", she growled. Loke is equally shocked and angry, he just can't believe what Natsu thought, apparently, of his Princess.
"I think I know now what I want to do next Loke, but I need your help and the help of all the others!", Lucy said full of new found determination.
"And what is it? And with what do you need our help", Loke asked.
"I have decided that if they don't want to travel with me I'm going to do it an my own. Now that all my best friends are gone I can finally go on a search for more Keys. Just like I did before Natsu brought me to Fairy Tail. And I want all your help to train me on the way, I know you said that I'm not weak but I can always get stronger. And I will under no circumstances just wait for them to get back, as Natsu said. Who knows how long they will be gone."
With that Lucy stand up to pick the bracelet up and puts it back in the box. Next she goes to her desk and starts a letter of her own.
"I think that is a wonderful idea, Princess! And remember, you will never be really alone, you will always have us by your side. I'm positive the others would happily agree to help you train. When will you start and what are you doing there? Oh and I will make you some breakfast.", Loke too stand up.
"Thanks again, Loke, you have no idea how much that means to me!", Lucy smiled lovingly at her Spirit, "And I think I will leave today. Right now I'm writing a few letters of my own as an answer of some sort for when say come back to the Guild. If they come back before me that is. After breakfast I will head out to the Guild and discuss this with master and right after that, leave Magnolia. Do you have any suggestions to where I could go?"
"Then you may call Virgo out to help you and store your belongings in the Spirit World. You could ask Master if you can go to Tenrou for a while, a few months maybe. I think that's a pretty good place to start training. And after the few months you can just travel and search for Keys." "Hmm.. Tenrou I like the idea, I will definitely ask Master about it. And I just thought maybe I should take some jobs at first so I can save a little money for necessaries. If I'm lucky they have jobs that offer Silver Keys as a reward. I'd seen them there often but Team Natsu never let me take them cause they always wanted the monster missions. Do you think master will allow me to keep my Guildmark until I'm finished with the jobs? Don't think I will leave permanently, but I would like to get a new mark when I get back as a sign of a new start.", she explained.
After Lucy is finishend with her letters and had put them in the box from the Slayers together with the bracelet, as a sign what she thinks of this, and eating, she packs all her belongings. While packing she finds all the presents she got from her dad while they where frozen in time. Lucy had totally forgotten about them but decided they could wait a little longer and sends them to the Spirit World with all her other belongings.
Finished, Lucy tells her Landlady that she will be moving out and walks one last time her normal way along the canal to the Guild.