Chapter three
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Jellal woke up with the sun setting and a hungry stomach. He could smell something tasty and when he opened his eyes, he saw Lucy covered in bruises eating a sandwich. She noticed him awake and passed him the plate so he could eat too. They finished their meal in silence and then she pointed to the waterfall. He noticed that there was a circle of rocks and it seemed like she had created a bath tub in the waterfall.
"You can take a bath in there and I'll get you some clothes."
Jellal smiled in relief, he could feel the dry blood on him and he was pretty sure he smelled of sweat and blood and bath sounded like heaven.
Lucy turned away from the waterfall blushing slightly when she caught a glimpse of his muscular back as he stripped out of his torn shirt. She then fled into the forest as fast as she could. There were several berry bushes which Virgo had found and told her that were not poisonous so while he bathed she was going to pick berries and try to get the image of perfect abs out of her head.
Lucy nearly wanted to hit herself. She had seen plenty of handsome men in her life. Hell Gray would walk around practically naked and he was built, she had seen Natsu shirtless as well as Laxus, Gajeel and several other members in the guild. It wasn't anyones fault that clothes often got torn or burned off and at some point she had seen nearly everyone naked but bloody hell why was she getting so flustered over him. She did muse that this was the first time she had actually seen him. She didn't think she saw him at the tower of Heaven and she did not fight with him during the Oracion Seis incident. She had known that was he around but she only met up with him just before he could go to jail. Lucy bit her lip, she was probably reacting like a love struck girl because he was practically a stranger. She did not know him well and he was handsome. Lucy actually did slap herself at that time. If Ezra heard her now, she was sure she would kill her. Lucy assumed that Ezra had a crush on him and the two had a lot of history. Her thoughts turned back to him and why he did not ask for Ezra or even if she was alright.
Jellal dried himself on the blue towel that was left near him and then found that he even had new clothes. He wore black pants, combat boots and a shirt. He even had a new cape. Lucy had told him that her spirit would bring all this stuff for him and he knew that he would have to thank the girl. Then he noticed the tied up members from the dark guild he had been chasing and laughed.
Lucy came back with a basket full of berries, hearing his laughter and it sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. It was a deep laugh full of mirth something that she never thought she would hear from him. Lucy turned to see what made him laugh so much and then she giggled as well.
"What else was I supposed to do with them?" she giggled.
Jellal laughed, "Thanks. I'll take them back into town and leave them with the mayor. He can call the rune knights."
Lucy bit her lip, "I'll come with you. I haven't been back to town for two weeks and if they give you any trouble I can help you get away."
Once they reached town, it was getting dark and the streets were full of drunk men all of which leered towards Lucy. The girl however seemed lost in thought and did not pay them any heed. The two made their way to the mayor and Lucy did all the talking. The man insisted on giving her the reward and when he turned towards him, Lucy broke in and told him that her partner was shy and then thanked him and left.
Jellal told her he would walk her back and then he would need to go back to Ultear and Meredy. This time, Lucy was aware of the stares she was getting and moved closer to him when they came to close. Jellal got annoyed at the men trying to get close to the blonde and let his magic free, scaring everyone who was approaching.
"Why do you dress like that if you don't like it when people stare?"
Lucy hummed and replied, "It's a long story."
"We've got time." He replied.
Lucy was stunned, she hadn't really expected him to insist but since he did she started the story, "Before we lost the seven years and before I joined the guild I was the Heartfilia heiress. We were a family that built our wealth by creating railways and we were probably as rich as the royal family. When my mother died, my father retreated into his work and I was terribly lonely. I tried to be perfect thinking that if he saw how well I was doing he would praise me or something. There were so many rules and many of them were absolutely ridiculous. Don't smile to wide, its not lady like. Don't laugh too loud. A lady doesn't run. Then there were rules for dressing. Not a single piece of skin could be seen ever. The gown I was to wear was to come to my wrists, my hands to be covered by gloves; my dress was to stop exactly half an inch above my boots. My cleavage covered even my neck was to be adorned by a lace chocker. Don't even get me started on the corset. It was tight, my breasts suffocated and it stopped me from slouching. I dressed that way from the time I was 13, and every day I was suffocating in that place. Nothing was real when it came to money. Everything was about money and greed, there was nothing real, no emotions just people treating other people like chess pieces to advance themselves. Then I turned 17 and my father wanted to arrange a marriage and I remember that so clearly. There was this big ballroom and everyone was dancing and all I could hear was the blood pounding in my ears and I couldn't breathe anymore. It was like I was screaming and no one could hear me so I ran. The next day I was gone, I ran away from the mansion."
Jellal was shocked. He didn't realize that Lucy had been related to that family. Everything she described though it sounded horrible but she still hadn't answered his question, "What happened after that?"
Lucy was pulled out of her memories and replied, "I wore that ridiculous dress in a town slightly smaller than this one and everywhere I turned people stared and I realized that they knew I wasn't supposed to be there and if I didn't blend in then I would be dragged to my father kicking and screaming so I dashed into a store and bought the first thing my hands touched, then I changed and I was horrified at what I chose. A pair of tiny shorts and a tube top. I still put it all on and then I went out for a walk in the park and for the first time in years, I felt the sun on skin and wind and I could breathe. I sat under a tree in the sun just enjoying the feeling of wind and sun on my skin. I dressed like this ever since."
Jellal smiled at the story. She was strong. She turned her back on everything she ever knew for a life so much harder. Many woman would have tried harder to find something that was worthwhile in the life of luxury, maybe more clothes or jewels but she ran away from the only life she had ever known for a life of blood sweat and tears.
"You should dress however you want but if it makes you uncomfortable then there had to be some sort of style that lets you feel free but also doesn't draw too much attention. How many keys do you have?"
Lucy was shocked at the sudden turn of questions, "10 keys. I don't have Libra or Pisces."
Jellal thought if over, even worried his lip a little, he didn't know why but he wanted to help her, "I could train you for a little while. Our magic is very similar and I have studied celestial magic."
Lucy felt her jaw drop, here was a wizard saint asking if she wanted to train with him, "You studied celestial magic?" she was supposed to agree to train with him, why the hell did she ask him that?
Jellal chuckled at her expression, it seemed she surprised herself just as much as he had was when she asked that question, "When I started to learn Heavenly body magic from Brain he told me it was closely related to celestial magic however learning that type of magic would take me much longer. I was in a hurry to learn, I had no patience for making contracts and such but I grew more curious about it as time passed. During my training I dedicated myself to learning but once I had mastered my magic, I grew curious once again and when I had the time I started to research the magic. I'll give you your first exercise now, tonight I want you to think of each of your spirits and tell me of their magic and how you use their magic. I also want you to explain how you use your magic. Once I understand how you use your magic I'll tell you of what I know."
Virgo had put out another tent for him so he went straight to bed while Lucy stayed up well into the night writing and trying to explain how she viewed her magic and how she used it. Lucy also realized that this was the first time she actually sat down and thought of how she used her magic and the types of magic her spirits used.
Jellal woke up at the break of dawn, he decided that he would spend the day exchanging information with her, give her a few exercises then return to Merdy and Ultear. He couldn't stay away for much longer without the two women worrying for him but he also desperately wanted to see exactly how far he would be able to push her. He admitted that she was physically attractive and she seemed to be a very complex person. On the first glance she seemed to be a naïve, cheerful girl. She obviously had a lot of compassion and kindness qualities while not uncommon in women there was no reason to be drawn to her the way he was but she also seemed to be very understanding. Then there was their conversation about his guilt at the past. He did not expect her to understand him on such a deep level something that no one else had ever tried to do or even when they tried they could not fully understand.
Then was her determination to get strong. She already had a vast amount of magic power but it seemed that she didn't even realize much she had or how far she could actually go if trained properly. Celestial magic had been something that had deep curiosity for not only because it was similar to his own magic but because of the endless possibilities and now he had a chance to fully explore this magic. He just could not pass up the opportunity especially because this was the only chance he would get but also because this magic was the only thing that he remembered that he never tainted. In his insane ways, when he researched this magic he never used it to harm anyone nor did he use it for his own purposes it was one memory that he had that was free of pain and suffering. He could honestly say that the only good thing he did when he was lost in the darkness was that he did not hunt down celestial mages nor did he interfere with their magic. It was the only peace he found in his demon infested mind, a quiet corner dedicated to celestial magic.
He hoped Ultear and Meredy would not mind him staying with Lucy for a little while, but then again they had been working hard these last few months, a few weeks where they separated for a while and got some rest would do them some good especially since all three of them being together attracted a lot of attention, maybe they could use the time to lie low and gather information if his memory served him right then the Grand Magic Games would be held in about 6 and a half months and there was always dark energy surrounding that event.
He looked at Lucy maybe if he helped her then she would help them with tracking the source but for now he had about 6 and a half months to see if everything he read was true especially with the amount of magic she kept in her body was true, he could push her as far as possible and enjoy every second of it. He watched her train with the Lion spirit. He was sure that if he showed her he was serious about training her then she would not complain when he pushed her hard.
The guild
Lucy had only been gone for three days when Team Natsu plus Lisanna had returned and when Natsu had kicked open the door calling out their return, the master left his paperwork, a part of him glad to be away from the paperwork but the more dominate part wondering exactly how much damage they would bring before he could get them to heel. It was not exactly uncommon for Team Natsu to be protective over their blonde but he also knew it was more than that. She was the glue that held them all together, she brought them together and she took care of them, Lucy was their light and if anyone dared to harm their light none of them had any problems completely crushing whatever stood in their way and for her to be gone without any protection, it was going to be a long, painful journey until the girl returned.
"Hey Mira, did Lucy come to the guild? We told her we were going, we asked her to come but she wouldn't leave her room. Is she feeling better yet?"
Mira had noticed that Lucy stopped coming to the guild but she thought that she went on a mission but she should have been back by now. Lucy usually only went on solo requests that would take a day or two max.
"She came in three days ago. She spoke with Master and me but she never came back. I thought she took a mission but there isn't anything in the book."
Gray immediately tensed, did she hear that they took Lisanna and thought they were going to replace her? He also dismissed the thought, Lucy knew better than to think like that.
Makarov saw their expressions and decided to get it over with before all hell broke loose so he shouted out, "Listen up brats. Lucy won't be around for a few months."
Before he could finish talking there was a loud shout of WHAT from team Natsu followed by Natsu losing his shit and shouting, "Where is she? Where's my Nee-chan? She can't leave me too."
Makarov let his giant fist pummel him into the ground before he could start tracking her scent, "Lucy has decided to further her knowledge of her magic. This is a journey every mage takes at least once in their life. Lucy will be back in a few months Natsu. She simply wanted to train on her own with her spirits help. She never had any formal training of her magic and has found that her lack of knowledge is unacceptable. When she returns she will be stronger, all we have to do is be patient and if she needs help she will call us."
Natsu immediately placed his head in Lisanna's lap and started to cuddle her and Happy grumbling about kin not supposed to be so far away. Gray was just about to leave when he pulled him and Ezra into a puppy pile and started to cuddle them all.
Gray turned red and tried to push him off, "What the bloody hell flame brain?"
Natsu didn't answer with words, he growled like a freaking dog and nipped Grays ear as punishment. Gray was so surprised he stopped moving and watched his friend be absolutely weird not knowing what the hell to do until he heard Wendy giggle.
"He is reassuring that his kin is near, without Lucy Natsu-san is going to be very touchy with you all and also very protective."
Ezra unsure with what to do with the pink haired boy in her lap looked helplessly at Wendy and asked, "Kin? What's going on?"
Wendy started to pet Carla, "Dragon slayers take on characteristics of dragons. When we choose a mate, we bite them to claim them, it a much deeper bond than just marriage, however we also do something called nesting. We create a family and we mark our family with our scents. One day when I find my mate, I'll claim my kin as well. Gajeel will claim kin once he stops resisting and starts the mating ceremony with Levy-san."
Levy on the other hand flushed bright red at the way Wendy so casually declared that she was supposedly Gajeel's mate and thanked Mavis Gajeel wasn't in the guild.
Master Makarov listened very intently to the little girl and then started asking his own questions, "Mating ceremony? Why do you say when you find a mate you claim kin?"
Wendy was blushing horribly throughout the discussion, "Like how two normal people start to date and then get engaged and then married, it's a process and it takes time. For dragon slayers, when we choose a mate we do it the way normal people do, we meet people, like them and want to develop the relationship but instead of just normal dates we start to scent mark them, they start to smell like us so other dragon slayers know that these people are off limits and once the person is ready to become a mate which is the equivalent of a wife or husband, they bite them which creates a mental bond and its our version of married.
We only start to build the rest of the family once a mate is chosen. The nest mates will fight to the death for hatchlings that's why we prepare only when the mate is chosen. Natsu-san was always knew that Lisanna-san was going to be his mate so when he found Lucy-san he found the last member of his nest and when Lisanna-san returned he started strengthening the bonds of the nest mates. Lucy-san was to Natsu-san the elder sister or mother like figure because of her caring nurturing attitude. She took care of everyone, feeding them, caring for them, seeing to their injuries, giving advice all of it. Ezra-san is the young sister and guardian. She would fight and challenge him but also care for him. Ezra-san was not as easily approachable as Lucy-san that's why she is younger sister, she's also a warrior. Gray-san is the calm of the nest, big brother or father like figure. He would fight Natsu, put him in his place, give advice and support the elder sister. Gray and Lucy-san work well together because they both think a like and are able to support each other without Lucy here Natsu will keep his nest mates close and constantly reapply his scent. He will be possessive and territorial and he will need constant physical reassurance that you are all okay.
Try to make sure that no other dragon slayers scents are on you. It won't be pleasant and try to stick together as much as possible. Natsu will also know if Lucy is in danger and that would be and because he will likely tear through everything and anyone in his way until she returns to him. Its not a good idea to just separate a nest mate without prior warning especially since Natsu-san has not completed the process."
The guild then spent a lot more time questioning Wendy on nest mates and everything else she could tell them about Natsu's weird behaviour while Natsu had created a puppy pile with his nest mates and every time someone tried to move him, he would growl and bite them. Eventually they all gave up and took a nap hoping that he would let them up later while Gray cursed the day he met the idiot