a/n: I have the next six chapters done, but I'll be editing and touching them up before I put them up. Keep asking questions! Even though your answers to the plot won't come until a little later, they give me motivation. :) Thank you for reading and reviewing! And thank you to you all who followed and favored, it makes me really happy.
The Forgotten
Chapter Four
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Sometime in the night, Lucy woke up and found that she couldn't go back to sleep. She sat there for a good hour watching Levy sleep—not creepily of course—before she decided to roll herself out of the bed they made and headed for the front door. After slipping her shoes on, she opened the door as quietly as she could before slipping outside, closing the door securely behind her.
She found herself shivering to the chill of the night, so she started walking down the same path her and Levy walked last night. Some fresh air will do, she thought. It could help her set her thoughts straight.
"We'll head out bright and early tomorrow towards where Levy had said."
Erza's words rung through her mind from what she had said hours earlier. Why were they setting out? Were these sudden marks that much of a threat or worry to them? She thinks there would be a reason why only her, Levy, Natsu, and Wendy are able to see them.
From the stories Mafalda and the other prisoners told her, her imagination lead her to have a thought of them being ancient spells—can't pin point if they could be for the good or not. Everyone seemed stiff upon the mention of it, but Natsu seemed to be the only one—besides Erza and Levy, to act like he wasn't a big deal. Heck, it seemed he forgot about it soon after.
"The Forbidden Woods, huh?" She mumbled to herself thoughtfully. Her hands rubbed over her arms in effort to warm herself, nearly cursing under her breath for not bringing some cover up with her. For a place that is pleasantly warm during the day it sure gets annoyingly cold at nightfall.
Levy said the woods by the Kingdom were said to be cursed and that no living thing made it out alive. But she also recalls her saying that she remembers waking up outside of them, meaning they got out alive right? That would make the three of them the only ones known to survive it—unless… something or someone got them out.
This thought made Lucy furrow her brows towards the ground before she stopped walking. She looked up to the sky where she found comfort, scanning her eyes over the billions of dots that scattered the darkened sky. Immediately her tensed muscles relaxed and ceased her shivering, but she was still cold.
She looked around her and noticed she had walked a great distance from Levy's home and thought she should turn and go back. And as she was, she noticed a speck of light from the corner of her eye coming from the hill next to the Guild.
Her eyes narrowed. A fire?
Like her legs had a mind of their own she began walking towards it as she was craving the warmth it would bring. And she thought who would be crazy enough to be outside at this time of night—though she has no place to talk. It was a bit cold so she had the right to complain to herself and be double standard about it.
She came close enough to make out the two figures seated next to the flame and she stopped in her tracks. And much to her dismay, a twig crunched under her footing making her panic when the too froze alertly. Quickly as she could, she hid behind the closest tree in hope that they wouldn't come looking—just the thought made the air around her thick and herself a little nervous. Then she thought to herself—why is she hiding? Why is she nervous? This isn't the prison or the cell she grew up in where she does one wrong thing she would find herself being punished—brutally.
The feeling over her heart picking up filling her as she became wrapped in the terror thoughts—too wrapped in them that she didn't even think to notice or hear the cautious steps coming towards where she was. And she was so caught up in her ridiculous thoughts that she didn't take notice to the male who poked his head out beside the tree and was staring at her until a few moments later.
She jumped, feeling her nerves shoot up from her arms and shoulders.
"Hey—It's Lucy!"
It was Natsu and his partner, Happy. It took her a few seconds to register the both of them before she placed a hand on her chest to calm her raging heart. She smiled, "Hi."
He stretched his arms and folded them behind his neck before walking back over to where he was, nudging his head for her to follow, "What are you doin' here, Lucy?" He gave her a toothly grin as he flopped down in a crossed legged position next to the fire and waited for her to sit down next to him. "Miss me?"
Her heart skipped, "I couldn't sleep, so I.." How can someone look so innocent and goofy like he is now? But she's happy he's comfortable around her like she is with him. She feels she can be comfortable with everyone here if what Levy said was true—everyone here is treated as family.
The one she might have to earn trust from is Happy, since she slapped him when they met. She still feels horrible about that. One would think from all the stories she heard and the types of creatures she knows exists—a talking and flying cat wouldn't surprise her.
That apparently wasn't the case then.
"I can understand that." Natsu said, breaking his stare on her and diverting it to the fire snapping in front of them. When he found her she was about to be hung to her death. Her ankles and wrist were in shackles and chains and her arms were tied around her. "Say," His brows furrowed, "what was someone like you doing in jail?" Natsu asked. He noted she didn't seem to be a mage or hold any magical talents. Why was she there?
Lucy frowned and brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, "I don't know." She whispered but loud enough for him to hear. "I was there most of my life—I may have been born there for all I know." She swallowed thickly.
Natsu listened and took in what she said carefully. There must be a reason, but if she doesn't know—.
"Are dragons really real?" Lucy suddenly asked, her tone dripping in the curiosity she holds. Natsu seems to be an adventurous man who has seen and experienced many things, and this was a question she has always wanted to ask someone.
There was a moment of silence between then before the toothy grin spread across Natsu's features, "Yeah! They're real!" This was certainly a change of subject for them—something they can enjoy talking about.
Lucy's eyes widen, "Have you ever seen one?"
Natsu nodded but kept his mouth shut, but the wide smile remained. He places his hands on his kneecaps and rocked back and forth in place.
They didn't notice, but Happy was ignoring them and was trying to sleep.
Lucy beamed, "Really? What did it look like? What did you do?" She moved closer to where their arms were nearly touching, "How big was it?"
"It was HUGE!" Natsu exclaimed, stretching his arms out beside him to exaggerate his point, "He was red and covered from head to tail in scales—"
"'He'?"
He nodded.
"What did you do when you saw him?" Lucy asked but only received a shrug. Maybe he doesn't remember? How long ago was this? Though she smiled, she can't remember if she's ever had a conversation like that with someone.
"Things used to be different." Natsu narrowed his eyes to the ground, "We didn't have to hide our magic or deal with this war."
"War?" Lucy snapped her head to him in shock, "There's a war?"
"There's gonna be I'm sure." The fun in Natsu's voice and in the air was thinning as they reached another thick topic, "Don't know what that bastard thinks he's doin'—we're not gonna take this forever."
A Kingdom of Magic, Lucy recalls Mafalda calling it before the Queen was killed and the King disappeared along with their son—she assumes. Any mage caught using their magic is arrested and some are executed. Others are either placed in cells or slaved. And the dragons disappeared also. She heard a few guards talking about them one time she remembers, saying the King sent countless men out across the Country to find them. Why, she didn't catch the rest.
She looked back up to Natsu and opened her mouth to speak, feeling that things were too silent between them. Her words were lost in her throat when his fingers pressed against her lips and he shushed her to be quiet. Natsu steadily stood from the ground and held his hand down for her take to help her up. His attention was towards the Guild where Lucy noticed people were running outside from.
"I smell a cat," He muttered with his head tilted and his nose in the air. Lucy blinked and looked down to Happy in confusion—also noticing he was as alerted as Natsu was.
There was a sudden erupting roar that shook the air and the trees around them and without further delay; Natsu was already halfway to the Guild by the time she took notice.
What on Earth was that?
As she ran after him in fear of someone being hurt, she thought the sound sounded similar to an animal—maybe that's what Natsu meant by he 'smells a cat'. And the feline that came barging into view when she caught up proved that.
In front of everyone was a lion—and not some regular lion, this wild creature was larger than the tallest man in the Guild. It was white with a golden mane and piercing gold eyes to go with.
In all honestly, he was beautiful and seemed spiritual in her eyes. But what was it doing here?
"Lucy!" Levy came running up to her, "I've been worried—where have you been?"
Lucy sputtered and became instantly distracted when Natsu ran passed them
"NATSU!" Gray and Erza came sliding to a stop beside them. She assumed they were running to stop him, but he was too quick. The sword Erza was holding was slipped into the sheath it goes in.
The lion started pacing as Natsu stopped in front of it, sizing him up and down before stopping, digging his claws into the gravel and growling. "Heh," Natsu glared, reaching his hand over to the sword he kept at his side off his hip.
"Lucy?" Levy mumbled, noticing the girl was trembling.
Never in her life has she seen such a large animal. There were a few used as guard animals around the chambers and work grounds at the prison, but nothing this huge, and she feared it would launch out and attack him at any moment.
Levy gripped her hand, both not noticing the glow their wrist gave off to the fear leaking in their emotions.
Natsu seemed to take notice as he looked at them from the corner of his eye, hearing the rapid beat of one's heart pound in his ear—he can hear fear being pulsed through the veins. He grunted and mentally shook the thoughts aside; he needs to rid this cat. But as he looked back towards his opponent, he took late notice that the feline had already moved and launched at him—causing him to drop his weapon to the ground as he was pinned down.
"Natsu—no!" Lucy yelled without a thought about it, pulling away from Levy and running towards them. She had a hard time balancing since her legs were still weakened and a few Guild members grabbed her before she got too close. She watched in horror as the feline raised his claws, getting ready to lash at the struggling man. She knows they can't use their magic to help—everyone around seemed hesitant on running in. Her breath left her as the lion growled, "No—Stop it!" She screamed, squeezing her eyes shut.
Everything stopped.
No one moved.
Not even the stars twinkled.
Lucy fell to her knees and looked up to the lion and looked him in the eye, giving him a silent plead not to hurt anyone—especially him. Both her and the animal heaved to catch their lost breath and Natsu was freed from the hard grasp—jumping up when the lion started moving towards her.
"He—Hey!" He yelled seeing Lucy not moving to get away. Though the lion didn't seem to be approaching her as a threat so he hesitated. His sword shook in his hand. He was getting an unsettling feeling.
Lucy watched as the large paws stepped up into her view and the feel of hot breath of the lion hit her. She stiffened and swallowed silently, trying not to make a sound.
She's afraid but looks up to the face of it.
He nudged his nose towards her and she reached a shaking hand up to place her palm on him. A shock ran through her when contact was made, and suddenly she felt relieved.
"Leo.." She smiled, reading the silver tag she found hanging loosely around his neck.
