A/N: Okay sooo I have a ton of excuses as to why I am taking sooo long to update but I won't bore you with that. You are here to read a good story thou I believe that I am still a mediocre at best but I really appreciate the support that everyone is giving me and honestly I did not think I would get this many reviews. I will try harder to update in the future. :D
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail does not belong to me . . .
'Blah' thinking . . .
"Blah" talking . . .
Chapter 2
It was so bright and so warm. A foreign yet familiar feeling wash over Lucy and she smiles; a true smile. The reason was simple; her nakamas was right there with her. They were smiling, laughing even.
Natsu causally drapes his arms around Lucy with Happy perch on her head as they made fun of Gray. Gray pouts but smiles none the less. Erza was there too with her arms cross and her eyes closed; content with the moment. Everything was so warm and so right but it didn't last.
One moment her nakamas were there with her laughing and joking, then the next thing she knew they were in front of her. Their backs turn and fear bubble up inside of her.
Hesitantly, Lucy reaches out to them but stop as she saw her hands. It was cover in a sick sticky red substance, blood. Lucy jerks back in shock and saw that it was not only her hands that were cover in crimson but herself as well.
Slowly team Natsu turns her way and scowls at her in disgust.
"You didn't have to kill him." Gray snarl as he dare look at her in the eye.
"I've thought better of you Lucy." Erza looks at Lucy, her eyes fierce and piercing with her arms cross.
"How could you do such a thing Lushi?" Happy quickly blurted out as he peeks over from behind Natsu.
"So this how you really are Luce." Natsu spoke in a tone reserve only for his enemies.
"You are a MURDER." All of team Natsu stated at the same time and turn away from her. Lucy numbly watches as her nakamas walk towards the rest of Fairy Tail that had already begun distancing themselves from her.
"No, wait-" Lucy quickly scrambles after them, tears evidence on her face. Suddenly a hand grabs her ankle and made her fall.
Looking up, Lucy made one last painful wail "EVERYONE WAIT!" But her nakamas, her family continues to advance forward without looking back, quickly fading away with the light.
Lucy brought her hands to her mouth to muffle her snobs as she whispers "please, wait . . . everyone . . . Natsu . . ."
As soon as Lucy utters his name, Natsu suddenly stops where he stands and he began to slowly tilt his head towards her but the grip on her ankle tighten which made her wince in pain and this cause him to flinch ever so slightly.
Natsu stood there for second then just like everyone else, he trails after them and walk out of Lucy life and faded from her sight along with the light, leaving her in complete darkness.
Just like that, Lucy collapses. Her cries echoes endlessly around her, but a painful sensation on her leg brought her back to her senses. Ever so slowly, Lucy turns her head to see the source of her aches to find a corpse.
However, it was not just any rotting corpse but the very man that she had end with her hands. Paralyzed with fear, Lucy could only watch as it tightens its grip on her ankle, and proceed to drag itself towards her. The man reaches out towards Lucy with his other hands only centimeters from her face and screeches out "You Killed Me!"
Lucy snaps her eyes wide open, and dash to the side of the boat to empty what little content that was in her stomach. Tears had once again mare her delicate face as she chokes back a snob and then slumps down to her knees in an unfashionable manner, barely able to hang onto the railings.
Quickly trying to calm herself, Lucy bit her lip and lift up her head to look at the sky. Maybe it was because she was at sea, but the lights it the sky seems to slimmer a bit more brightly than usual.
Was her spirits trying to comfort her in their own little way? That she didn't know, but it brought a small smile to her features none the less.
Slowly, her eyes began to wander to the wall beside the door which she had so abruptly burst out from earlier, and rest her eyes on the lone forgotten bag that lay ever so innocently beside the door.
With a deep breath, Lucy willed her ever so tried body towards the fallen object as she wobbles unceremoniously to the wall with the help of the railings, of course. The moment she lets go of the cold metal surface, Lucy fell forward with the force of gravity.
"Mama, tell me what I should do?" Lucy just stayed there on the board waiting for an answer, but it was one question that will never be answered as she gazes towards her bag and reaches for it. Grasping the strap in her hands, Lucy brought it towards her as she forces herself to sit up straight with the wall to support her.
Bringing her knee closer to her body, Lucy silently buries her face in her bag to make her appear smaller. In the mist of the night, she dares to look up longingly into the dark skies with the stars as her only companion.
"It's quiet." Briefly scanning the empty haul, Lucy closes her eyes and allows the sea's gentle wave that was rocking the boat to lure her back into a restless sleep as the clouds above perceive to shield her only solaces from view.
The sun was already high past noon and the boat had already reached its destination. Many have left and some was already boarding; however, one lone person slept through it all. Luckily, one of the sailors notices the small presence hiding in the corner and proceeds to inform her, but it would just prove to be his undoing.
Deep asleep and high on alert, Lucy's eyes snap open as a hand settles itself on her shoulder. On auto drive, Lucy pulls in her target and swings herself upward at the same time. In mid-air, Lucy kicks the wall to propel herself knee first on her attacker as she grips his right arm, pinning it to his back to restraint him onto the ground with her weight firmly press on his back. With her free hand, Lucy posed her key in an offensive form as it burst into a blinding light. All that was left to do was finish her incarnations but it never came.
It was only when Lucy held her keys up high and ready to attack that she realize what she had just done. ". . . Sorry." Quickly releasing the poor man, Lucy scrambles for her bag that was recklessly thrown aside in the whole ordeal and rush pass the crowd that was forming.
In the one month that she had to work alone, Lucy had pushed herself past her limits into improving her overall fighting capabilities. She had improved vastly; however, it would always lead to over exhaustion on her part. On an unconscious level, it was exactly what Lucy was trying to achieve. She didn't want any time to think about her pitiable situation.
A little while after the incident, Lucy boards a coach to her final destination as she quietly watches the scenery that pass her by with indifference, but her mind was always back home with her nakamas, her family.
Seemly to no one, Lucy whisper to the wind "I won't lose hope. I'll just keep on trying when I get back so please wait for me." A thought quickly pass through her mind 'everyone . . . I won't give up so please don't give up on me.'
Unconsciously gripping her hand that bore the Fairy Tail emblem, Lucy let loose a pitiable smile but a smile none the less, and leans her head on the window as she resume to gaze at the passing greenery until . . .
Suddenly a loud but assuring voice declared "Don't worry Luce, I'm sure they'll come around, we are nakamas!"
Snapping to the voice beside her, Lucy saw an illusion of Natsu and his goofy smile surrounded by his aura of endless confident. He was beaming at her like the sun. "Natsu . . ." Lucy brought her hands to muffle her snobs as she weakly nods her head.
Natsu grin at her and bump his fist at his chest to gain her attention once more "Believe in us."
And just like that, Natsu vanish without a trace but Lucy continues to cry to seemly to nobody yet if one were to look closely then they would catch a rare smile that was thought to be lost in the past month.
Behind her tears was a genuine smile as Lucy mutters a silent "Thank you Natsu." 'Funny, you always seem to know how to cheer me up even if you aren't really here.'
It was short lived cause Lucy crumple onto the seat as she tightly grasp the soft covering. Her emotions were pooling out of her like there will be no tomorrow as she mumbles "I believe in you so . . ." Lucy clench her teeth as she shakily pleaded "please, hurry up . . ."
Unknown to Lucy, her driver had heard her silent tears and couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor soul. What could be burdening her so? He had no clue but he will help her get to where she needs to be.
Minutes or was it hours later she didn't know but when the carriage came to a stop, she knew she had arrive. Exiting the coach, Lucy was greeted by her driver as he offer her a smile "Miss, you sure this is where you need to go?"
Quickly scanning her surroundings, Lucy gave him an assuring smile. "Yes, this is the place." Lucy pulls out some money and places them in his hands. "Thank you for taking me here."
The man gladly accepted the money as he glances at her. "It was no problem at all so what brings you all the way out here?"
"I'm here to fulfill a mission request." Lucy stated as she proceed to take out a map to read.
"Oh so you're in a guild?" The man was mildly surprise as he gave his coach a through scan.
"Yes, Fairy Tail and I believe you have heard of it." Lucy stated as she quickly roll up her map to show her guild mark on her right hand.
"Ah, that notorious guild! Last I heard they had managed to blow up half a city." The man let out a loud hearty laugh at mentioning one of the guilds most recent activities.
"Yes but I assure you that it is the best guild in the world." Lucy stated as she gave her bag a once over before strapping it over her shoulder; however, the man miss how Lucy had stop midway when a thought cross her mind. 'One I am unworthy of.'
"Well, I won't keep you waiting then. Good Luck on your mission." The man said as he walks over to the driver's seat.
"Thank you, I will so I bid you farewell too." Lucy gave the man a slight wave as she made a turn to leave however . . .
"Ah, wait up miss!" The man's voice call out to her made her stop halfway and return her attention to the said man.
"Yes?" She asked as she waited for the man who looked like he was searching for something.
When the face on the man brightens, he looks over to her and tosses the bag to her. "Here, it's on the house so cheer up a little kay?"
Looking at the bag, Lucy couldn't help it but feel emotionally content. It had been a while since anyone was kind to her sooo. "Sir . . . thanks you."
Upon seeing a tear roll down her face, the man panic as he frantically wave his arms around in weird fashion. "H-Hey don't cry on me now. For whatever reason it is, I'm sure your guild is waiting for you to come home."
"Yes you're right so once again thank you." His words were strangely comforting to her as she bows to him this time around to show him her appreciation and disappear into the swamp.
He watch as she walks further and further away until she was out of his sight that he decided that it was time to leave. "What a nice girl. I sure hope she cheers up soon . . ." Taking another look at the direction that the girl had left "Fairy Tail huh? Well with a girl like her, I'm sure it is a wonderful guild." Now with his attention on the road ahead, the man silently mused 'Maybe I'll send in a few requests too.'
The walk was a smooth and the swamp was eerily quiet as Lucy stroll pass the trees. Yet she paid no mind to it, her body was on the mission, but lately her mind was always somewhere else, home.
To take her mind off of her family for even a minute, Lucy took out the mission request and thoroughly reads it. Sure Lucy scan through it earlier, but she just have to double check in case she miss any details.
It was a simple mission really, to investigate the recent abnormal activities in the swamp and fix the issue so that the villagers can freely enter the swamp again.
Forcing her way through a bush, Lucy found herself looking down at the small village.
With a small smile pasted on her face, Lucy looks up into the sky with determination. "Alright Lucy, you can do this. Finish it quickly so you can go home sooner." She quietly coaches herself as she walk towards the village below.
A/N: I am not sure if anyone notice but I subtly use a time skip at the beginning. It's been two days of non-stop transportation for Lucy to reach her destination.
