Hope you guys like this chapter! I got some great reviews and I appreciate them! I know there aren't many people who like my break, but trust me, I need this. I'm too stressed think of more ideas and this is how I'll get my stress released...oh, God that came out wrong.
Anyway! Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail in any way whatsoever~
CHAPTER 3
Then the laugher of a psychopath stopped. Euphoria screamed in pain as brown and gold filled Lucy's orbs.
"Ice..." said Lucy. Not Euphoria, Lucy. The Lucy he knew. Gray felt stupid afterwards. Of course, ice. If ice was supposed to take the curse away, why can't it stall it? Ice can even freeze the time of life itself.
"Ice Make: LANCE!" Gray said. He looked away as the ice pierced Lucy's body. Screams of pain mixed with Euphoria's voice and Lucy's voice. Gray looked back at Lucy and saw that the ice had melted into her body and she was collapsed on the floor. No one had noticed that a murder had nearly been committed. He ran over to her side, shaking her shoulder.
"Luce! Wake up," Gray said worried. Her eyelids fluttered. Gray sighed.
Brown.
"And that's pretty much what happened," Gray said. It was dead at night and Lucy was shivering on her bed. Gray was sitting on the swivel chair at the desk staring at Lucy, quite worried. What had happened afterwards? Well, Lucy woke up, her skin cold. She changed quickly into her old clothes, then rushed to the counter to pay for the dress, maybe so that Euphoria would stay calm, no matter how much they didn't like it. Gray then rook the blonde's hand and rushed into the inn. Lucy had used Virgo to cook them some dinner, before Lucy decided to take a nap.
Lucy didn't know what to do. If she was going to happy, or extremely happy as the definition states, Euphoria would come out. It was her happiness at stake here. Her body quaked no matter how many blankets she piled up on top of her. Madness.
"Gray...what if we don't stop the curse?" Lucy asked quietly. Gray looked at Lucy, suddenly quite intrigued.
"I don't know, Luce. We gotta think positive or that shitty demon will erupt for the rest of your life. And if that ever happens, I swear on my life, I will stop it," Gray said confidently. Lucy's brown eyes met the onyx ones and Lucy saw doubt and worry, but also confidence and determination. Lucy kept shivering. Damn it all.
"I...can you please stay next to me?" Lucy whimpered. Gray nodded slowly, getting up from the chair and slowly placing himself to the right of the Celestial Spirit Mage. The coldness of his body soothed her as she put all her weight on his toned chest. Her shaking slowed down a bit and she started breathing slower. Gray wondered if the ice would calm down the euphoria. Suddenly, he felt something warm fall down his arm.
"Lucy...it's okay. Everything will be alright, I promise," Gray said, putting his arm around her. Lucy's silent tears mixed with his nervous sweat as they sat there silently. Following the recent events of what had happened, Lucy's eyes had blurred and she closed them. This time she would have a peaceful sleep...
And she found herself back into the black space.
"Oh, fuck. Not again," Lucy sighed. She screamed and the sound resounded as if she was in some kind of punishment cell. A slight maniac laugh echoed along with her scream. The laugh was Euphoria's.
"Oh, you little girly. I absolutely adore the dress!" Euphoria said, taking form of Lucy's shape. Lucy, the real one, felt as if she was back in Edolas, looking at the slightly different her.
"I...we thought that-"
"You thought it would calm me down? Why, sweetie, there are so MUCH more things I want to do in the world. You're just the gateway. You're my gateway into heaven."
"But why? Why me? Why couldn't it be someone else? I want this to stop. I want YOU to just STOP for God's fucking sake," Lucy glared, a clash of brown and gold, fighting for each other's control.
"Because I LIKE you. You're the perfect host, in my eyes. And you're the daughter of Layla Heartfilia...absolutely perfect," Euphoria cackled.
"What does my mother have to do with this?! Leave her alone! And me alone! Just go away!" Lucy screamed again. Once again, the crazy laugh of a psychopath resounded through the darkness's acoustics. And then Euphoria dissolved, but left another poem. Another poem to keep Lucy haunted.
Dare to taste the poison of your dreams?
Works as a drug: it feels like a dream.
But when the dream ends, where will it lead?
Again, a never ending quest into
A Gluttonous Euphoria
Lucy's eyes shot open. Gray was shaking her furiously. Lucy looked as if she was in a trance, worrying Gray.
"Lucy! You turned cold again and I thought I lost you...was it...her?" Gray asked. Lucy nodded glumly and told her about the story/death view.
"That bitch..." Gray muttered.
"I believe that Euphoria will work through me more as well. Also, have you noticed that the first poem was about Greed? Now it's about Gluttony? I think she's working the Seven Deadly Sins through me," Lucy muttered.
"Greed. Gluttony...um...what comes after gluttony?" Gray asked. Lucy sweatdropped.
"Baka. Greed. Gluttony. Jealousy. Wrath. Sloth. Lust. Pride," Lucy said.
"Well, sorry! I'm not a genius, like you," Gray scoffed. Lucy gave him a smile, but then faltered. Gray noticed almost immediately. He decided not to question it at the moment, because with one glance at her eyes, they look almost fragile as if it had one touch, it would break. Gray pulled her into a hug, leaving Lucy in a shocked but relieved state. Gray was still there. Gray was Gray.
"Lucy-hime. The food is ready," Virgo said, popping out of nowhere. They broke the hug quickly and looked back at Virgo. "Hime. I have sat the food onto the table. If you need anymore, do not hesitate to ask. Must I get any punishment?"
"Um...no Virgo. You're fine," Lucy said. Virgo got onto her knees as the two mages sweatdropped. "Virgo, just go!" And so she did.
"Hey, Lucy. Um...maybe you shouldn't eat too much because-" Gray said.
"Yeah. Gluttony. Euphoria. Shit," Lucy growled. But then her stomach growled, leaving Lucy red-faced. Gray started laughing, but then was kicked by Lucy to the other side of the room. He rubbed the side where her heel dug into his body.
"Well, are we going to eat?" Gray asked.
"As soon as you put your clothes on, you stripper," Lucy said, "Don't strip before you eat with a lady. Dating advice right there."
"Well, you might as well give me a practice date," Gray teased.
"What? Are you asking me out?" Lucy smiled.
"Maybe. Maybe not. I'm asking for your advice, Miss Heartfilia," Gray said, cracking a smile. Lucy giggled.
"I'll be sure to, Mr. Fullbuster. Sit on the table. And put on your clothes," Lucy laughed as he tossed him his clothes. Gray put them on quickly and took a seat. Lucy looked at him.
"Well, what?" Gray asked.
"You're supposed to pull out my chair if you want this practice date to be a success," Lucy said, pointing at the chair.
"It's a practice date. Why don't you ask someone else to do it like-"
"Like me!" Loke had appeared out of nowhere, the Celestial Spirit he is. Loke was the spirit of the Lion, also known as Leo. He was wearing his regular suit and red tie.
"Oh, shut up and go away. Gray's the one on the date," Lucy said, as she force closed the gate. Once he disappeared however, Lucy had quickly sat in her seat, leaving Gray stunned.
"It's a practice date, ne~" Lucy said, winking. Gray burst into laughter and so did Lucy as they began the meal. Gray piled up almost all the food on his plate, just so that Euphoria doesn't appear again, as Lucy took a small portion.
"Itadakimasu!" they said. And so they dug in. The food was a success, as usual, thanks to Virgo.
"I need to ask your spirit to cook for us more often. This is fucking delicious," Gray said. Lucy smiled, but also feeling slightly stupid. Why didn't she think of that?
"Anyway, do you feel, you know, her trying to get out," Gray asked. Lucy's face turned stony.
"I can feel Euphoria inside me. She's struggling to break through, but I don't know anymore. Euphoria isn't something that I want to worry about now. I just want to sleep. The meal is making me sleepy," Lucy said.
"There's not going to be another attack then?" Gray asked.
"I doubt it. Unless something else happens-"
"If something else happens, you better call me again. I heard you, you know. You were calling to me in the Heart Kreuz store. You helped me and I never properly thanked you for that," Gray said softly.
"You did?"
"Thank you, Miss Heartfilia. Without your help, we may all be dead by now," Gray said. Gray kicked her legs softly as she smiled back at Gray.
"You're welcome, Mr. Fullbuster. Now help me out of this chair and the practice date will be complete," Lucy winked.
"Ah. You tease me too much, Miss Heartfilia. I'm not that much a gentleman to do that. I think I'll just dress back into my boxers and sleep."
"AT LEAST DON'T STRIP!" Lucy yelled gurmpily. Gray chuckled as he stripped down into his bed. Lucy sighed as she got up and walked toward the bathroom to take a nice warm shower. Though she didn't feel quite safe with an exhibitionist in the room. Oh well.
Once her feet hit the tiled floor of the bathroom, she sighed. Minus the small incident involving a near murder, she had broke through and saved the day along with Gray. She stripped off her clothes and sighed again. She could feel Euphoria inside of her and she shivered. The feeling that she could lose control at any moment bothered her. But once the steaming hot water fell onto her glistening skin of sweat and worry, all those thoughts were washed off and she felt as if she was back home as normal Lucy. Whatever normal Lucy meant.
But sooner or later, her vision started to blur. The water was too comforting. She could just sink into the water, like Juvia...but she couldn't. Euphoria was acting up again, damn it. She rushed out of the shower, panting, and rushed out completely naked. There stood Gray.
Or rather a very embarrassed Gray.
"L-Luce..." Gray said, blushing.
"SHIT! MY TOWEL!" Lucy screamed.
x.X.x
"Ahh...that's not going to help my reputation as a stripper and exhibitionist, no?" Gray said, resting on his bed.
"Nope. Nope, nope, nope," Lucy said, "But I swear I won't tell anyone."
"You better fucking not," Gray said.
"I'm tired..." Lucy said.
"So am I. So try to make sure you don't have another...attack," Gray replied.
"I'll do my best," Lucy sighed. As soon as her head touched the pillow, she heard Gray's voice softly call, "Good night, Luce." She meant to respond, but her eyes had closed and there was no stopping her then.
She was back in the darkness. Like the shower, it felt as if she was floating in a never-ending river of warmth and security, but altogether she knew that this river wasn't going to lead her to safety.
She had to get out, but she could smell something up ahead. Something with the scent of...cake. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent. Now the river felt like whipped cream and icing, as thick mix of yummy fluid surrounding her.
Opening her eyes she found herself in a land of desserts.
Back in reality, Gray had woken up, feeling troubled. Lucy was too...quiet. After sleeping with her (and the rest of Team Natsu) she knew that Lucy had always tossed and turned around. She was too...still.
"Luce? Are you alright?" Gray asked. He went over to feel her temperature.
Ice cold. Her heartbeat was slowing down.
Euphoria.
It didn't act just through reality. It worked through subconsciousness and dreams. Lucy. She was dying right at his hand.
And he made a promise to stop Euphoria no matter what happened.
x.X.x
This was a bit of a GraLu chapter, and I hope you liked it! Remember, once my finals are over, I'll be sure to catch up on The World of Fanfiction, but bear with me please!
Love you all! R&R!
