Shadows
Chapter 7: Strength

Days past without a sound or hint from whomever the man was or what his intentions were.

Things on the other end were just a quiet. The guild had found barely anything. Leads turned up cold and there was no witness or files on the case. Also, without an identity on their attacker, there wasn't anyway to get the reports on the incident. There was also the fact that the government had destroyed and covered up the entire thing. The man was a ghost. Not only that, but their only lead, Issac Silver, the notorious Silver Fox and former associate of the man in black, known as Jaedou, had escaped from his top-security cell and gone missing.

During everything, Lucy began to recover small fractions of her memory. Sadly, all were insignificant and couldn't help in their search, leading them back to square one. "We're getting nowhere!" Gray growled, plucking his buttons on the white shirt he wore in frustration.

"And I really want to kick his ass!" Natsu sulked with his head laid on the table.

"Don't worry, Natsu. We'll get him!" Erza encouraged, putting a heavy gauntlet on his shoulder, grimacing at Natsu's distorted expression.

"Maybe it's a good thing we haven't found him. I bet he realised how strong Fairy Tail was and ran for the hills." Lucy joined in, half-enthusiastic, half-something else. The smile on her lip settled into a straight line as she turned away, looking out into the dark night of the wintery sky. Natsu and everyone quieted, watching her sorrowfully. Until Natsu decided to do a somersault on top of the table and pick a fight with Gray. Gray lunged for the dragon slayer and the two went rolling in a heap of flying fists and kicks. Lucy watched them with amusement.

"Lively as ever, eh?" Erza commented mildly.

"Yeah," Lucy laughed. "I'm glad."

"After all this, we need to go for a picnic." Erza suggested.

"Yeah. Let's invite the whole guild this time." Lucy added, looking around the homey building.

Make-shift bed's scattered around on floors, tables and benches for those who wanted to stay. Many of those who did stay, slept in the Fairy Tail dorm. Spare rooms were made for those who lived outside the guild. Mages made regular trips in and out the guild; tracing leads, following inquiries or helping out with the general chores of the guild. Everyone took turns going out and completing emergency and immediate jobs. Many other wizards from guilds of Fairy Tail's allies came to visit and help out. Lucy was pretty amazed by the entire work force they had accumulated, and it was all for her.

Lucy went along with Erza for a while, helping Mira deliver rounds of tea, coffee and food for the working guild mates. They mindlessly chatted about nice places to go when the weather turns warmer. Maybe the cliffs? It had a great view of the ocean. Though, Lucy would have to make sure none of them idiotically falls of the edge. Who knows? A strong current like Magnolia's sea could drag you off to some random island somewhere. She could bake a cake! It had been a while since she last made one. They endlessly chatted and worked until Levy came galloping over.

"Lucy!" She called in her sweet little voice, coming up beside her.

"Hey Levy, want some tea?" Lucy asked, holding the last cup.

"Ah, no thanks." Levy rejected kindly. A passing hand plucked it from Lucy's hand and floated away. Cana downed it like a shot, rushing through guild members and calling out raged insults. "Wow, Cana's been sober for a few days now. I didn't think she'd be doing so well." Levy commented, genuinely surprised. Lucy, a little shocked too, nodded in agreement. Levy scooted in the closest empty booth and cleared an area out of all the scattered paper, books and folders and boxes of information. Lucy slid in next to her and looked inquisitively at the book in front of her.

It was a small hard-back edition book with a wrinkled spine revealing its long years of age and wear. The pages were yellow and gave the musty kind of smell Lucy loved in old books. Apparently, if you sniff a lot of books like that you can get high, like you were on drugs. The white italic writing had faded into a dull, chipped and fading grey on the wrinkled pages, making the title illegible, except for the writing at the bottom. Lucy read, cleaning off dust remaining on the book. "Written by Zeron Amire. That name rings a bell." Lucy noticed.

"Zeron Amire wrote fictional stories based on non-fiction events happening during his time of work." Levy added.

"So, what's so special about this one?" Lucy asked giving it a dull, uninterested stare.

"As it so happens," Levy began, swiping the book into her arms, protecting it from Lucy's cold stare. The stellar mage gave her a soft roll of her eyes. "This book, was written about twenty years ago. If we believe Silver's story..." Levy drifted, setting the book down in front of them.

"Then it will contain clues during the time people went missing." Lucy finished her off. "But I thought the public didn't know about it."

"Those who knew Zeron claimed him to have been a very resourceful man." Levy slightly purred.

"But the government hid everything." Lucy protested.

"The government didn't realize this book contains clues relating to the crime." Levy countered again, her voice showing her growing irritation.

"But they have to have read it, right?" Lucy argued again.

"They just don't know how to read between the lines like we do!" Levy announced proudly opening the cover.

"But-" Lucy whimpered.

"Lucy!" Levy snapped, turning on her quickly. Lucy flinched, shutting her mouth closed. Levy sighed. "It's okay, I know you're worried, but finding him is a good thing. You don't want to be running from him forever, do you?" Levy softly reassured the girl, squeezing her hands tightly around Lucy's. Relinquishing her fight, Lucy gave up and nodded. With that, Lucy was handed a pair of wind reader glasses and began to read.

A few moments later, Lucy slipped of the glasses, setting them softly on the table. Levy held the book and continued flicking through. Slowly, Lucy lifted her body up out the booth. Leather creaked under her tight grip and the table moaned. Levy stopped and looked up. "Lu? What is it?" Levy asked, setting down the book, staring at the back of her golden head.

"The monster that l- lurks." Lucy's voice faltered, her shoulder shaking. Quickly levy drove back to the little book, remembering where she had seen it. She found it; Page 132.

"The monster that lurks does not hide in solitude, but stalks in the dark. For where there is darkness, there is a-" Levy recited slowly.

Suddenly Lucy slumped to the floor. Her hands cradled her head, as her body shook. She managed to push herself up onto her hands and knees. White teeth gritted down, fighting the pain in her head. "Natsu!" Levy called frantically across the guild. Lucy's arms drained of energy and she buckled under her weight.

Strong arm caught her before she face planted the floor, dragging her into a warm embrace from behind. Natsu leaned back against the back of the booth, holding Lucy up against him.

Finally, Lucy's body caved and relaxed, sinking into Natsu's strong chest. Sweat trickled down her face and breaths became hard to grasp with her racing heart beat.

Mira fetched a mug of coffee with milk, cream and two sugars, crouching down besides the pair. Using his body as support, Natsu pushed Lucy up to sit, holding her steady with his arms. Mira put the mug and gave her little sips that she could manage. Wendy had figured out a recipe for a drink to boost Lucy's energy and mixed it with her mostly milk coffee. Normally she would pass out after her headaches, but this helped keep her conscious.

Headaches came often when Lucy remembered something about her past. Natsu, Mira and sometimes Wendy or others, would help Lucy during and after each one. In turn, she told them everything she could remember. Until the headache completely subsided, Lucy couldn't tell them anything.

Lucy began to regain her energy and Natsu helped her up to a table, settling her in beside Levy. A worst than normal headache still throbbed in her head and a wave of dizziness and nausea swept over her. No matter how much Mira persuaded Lucy to drink the water, she refused. Just looking at it made her stomach churn. Water helped with her headache but she couldn't relieve herself that way this time. Not feeling as sick as she did.

"Natsu." Lucy grumbled, burying her head in between her arms.

"Yeah, what is it, Luce?" Natsu asked, innocently eager to help.

"You're too hot!" She snapped, a foot sending him flying across the guild. Lucy moaned and sank back into her arms on the table.

Happy flew cautiously up to Natsu as he crumbled out of the man-shaped pit in the wall. "You okay, Natsu?" Happy whined.

"I forgot how strong sick-Lucy is." Natsu groaned from the heap of bruised limbs on the floor.

"That was stupid of you, Natsu." Happy bluntly stated, earning an irritated growl from the Natsu pile on the floor. "Need a hand?" Happy changed to sympathetic, reaching him a paw of aid.

"Aye..." Natsu grumbled.

Levy sat with Lucy until she felt better and managed to give her some water with pain-killing effects from Wendy. Sadly, the poor air dragon slayer couldn't do anything about Lucy's headache other than create the water. Poryluscia paid a visit to investigate Lucy's headache on request. Apparently it was psychological, not physical. It's Lucy's brain's reaction of shock from the suppression of the memories surfacing.

"You feeling any better, Lucy?" Wendy asked with concern.

"Good enough." Luce sighed, finishing the glass. Emptied to the bottom, Lucy set it down on the table with a silencing clink. Team Natsu, Levy, Mira and Makarov sat around the table. They became the team of relaying Lucy's memories. Levy insisted too many people would be too much pressure and shooed away the rest of the guild.

"I was in a cell with another girl. She was a friend I knew from my father's business. Lilianne Honda. I heard she had gone missing a few days ago before I was taken. We promised to stick together, that we'd make it through but-" The hint of hot tears began to well in her eyes as her voice faltered. "She died." Quiet gasps echoed from the parts of the guild as they stared in shock and disgust.

"That matches Silver's story. Lilianne must have died a few days before you were chosen." Erza interpreted softly, weary of how to put her words.

Natsu sat close by close by, not saying anything, just there. Makarov gave Lucy a small, grateful nod and regathered the guild members, going back to work. Mira set off to brew more tea with Levy's, along with Juvia's assistance. Team Natsu dispersed, leaving just Natsu and Lucy.

Tears still sat in the corner of her eyes with Lucy willing them not to fall. Natsu calmly waited next to her. Dark eyes staring calmly forward.

Spontaneously, Natsu grabbed Lucy's wrist yanking her suddenly out of the booth. His grip was gentle but forceful. "NATSU!" Lucy exclaimed in surprise. Natsu didn't hesitate and continued moving, ignoring her. The tenderness of his unmoving grip from his warm hands pulled her all the way through the guild doors.

In the guild, everyone stood still, watching the door's shut close. "Lucy?" Wendy whimpered curiously. A soft, pale hand laid gently on her shoulder. Small blue eyes looked up to the silver-haired mage behind her, smiling reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Natsu knows what he's doing." Mira said softly, handing her a hot chocolate with whip cream, chocolate shavings and miniature marshmallows. Wendy cupped her hands around it gratefully, bringing it to her face. Hot, moist steam brushed up over her chilly cheeks.

"That idiot may be pretty stupid, but, he knows Lucy best." Gray mumbled reluctantly.

"Gray..." Juvia whined girlishly. "It's secret boy love!" She squealed going into a world of her own.

"Oi! Don't go making things up on your own." Gray snapped, obviously embarrassed. But, he didn't take back what he said.

"Gray's right." Erza spoke proudly, looking at the shut doors with confidence. "Natsu can handle Lucy better than any of us."

"Natsu! Natsu!" Lucy whined as she stumbled after the pink-haired boy. Freezing winter winds skated over her skin, cutting goosebumps up her arms and legs. Where the hell was he dragging her? His wide shoulders moved swiftly under his vest, fluttering violently in the winds. Pink hair waved and shook, blown back by the breeze. Dark eyes hidden ahead of her. Did they look mad? She couldn't tell. He moved forward with long, wide strides. Lucy had to take two steps to his one. He was moving so fast, so fast that she couldn't catch up. "NATSU!" she snapped.

Natsu came to an abrupt stop with Lucy almost slamming into the back of him. His grip dropped her wrist, his hand falling to his side. Those wide shoulders didn't turn to face her. Dark eyes didn't turn to look at her. He just stood there. Tingling still vibrated around the skin on her arm, his warmth lingering from his touch. It was like a bracelet of smoothness compared to her goosebumps jacket.

Suddenly, he turned. Lucy jumped in surprise, dropping her wrist. Big arms folded over his chest, and a pout sat on his sulking face. Dark eyes traced the cracks in the pavement. "...You don't need to be strong all the time." He grumbled refusing to meet her eyes.

Lucy let out a gentle laugh, moving forward. "Natsu, don't be silly." Her hand reach out to touch his warm, strong arms, wrapping like a protective shell against the cold. Lucy knew better than to think Natsu was ever cold. As her fingers went to touch him, he took a step backwards, avoiding her touch. Hurt slammed into her face, knocking her breath out of her.

Natsu's big arms tensed, wrapping tighter over his chest. Hands clutched the fabric of his vest into his fists, almost tearing through his clothes as he held as tightly as he could. All he wanted to do was giver her a hug. A simple hug. She was his best friends! However, it was because she was his best friend that he couldn't.

"Natsu?" She whimpered. Brown eyes fluttered all over his face, looking desperately for an explanation. A flicker of realization jumped across her expression. "Natsu, I- I need to be strong, because if I don't, I- I-" Lucy stumbled, words slipping uncontrollably from her mouth. Her body shook, not from the cold, but the emotions. Emotions she had suppressed for so long were bubbling over the edge. Pale hands wrapped around her arms anxiously.

Suddenly, her knees buckled, making her legs give way weakly underneath her. Natsu's body involuntarily leaped out to her, catching her safely in his arms.

Lucy twisted out of his grip quickly, pushing him back. Brown eyes fell to the floor, looking at it like reflective glass, as if she was looking right into herself. "I remember. I remember being that weak, little girl. I couldn't do anything while people died. While she died! Do you know what that's like Natsu?" Lucy stopped, her body slowing and her voice softening. "No...You've always been strong. Not just physical strength." Cold, chocolate eyes made their way up to Natsu's blank, upset, shocked face. "I admired that. I wished that I had you back then. But, I didn't." Lucy's soft voice turned sharp, turning colder than the winter air. "She died right in front of me. They- they all...died." Finally, the painful, unwilling tears began to pour from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. As they dropped onto her hands, Lucy looked at them with alienation.

Big arms quickly wrapped around her, dragging her in as close as he could. "You're strong, Lucy. So...It's okay to cry. It's okay." He whispered, burying his head into her neck. Tears flooded faster down her cheeks, her heart squeezing them out. Slowly, her arms wrapped around Natsu gripping onto him with all her strength, her small face burying into his warm chest. Finally, she let it all out; the pain, the sadness and sorrow...everything. All she could do was hold Natsu. Hold him, and let all the tears in her heart fall.

For a long while, Lucy cried. Eventually, she calmed and began to fully recite everything in her dream, every detail.

"Natsu," Lucy whimpered softly, Natsu's arm sat gently around Lucy's shoulder, his warm protecting her against the winter's nipping cold. Dark eyes focused vaguely on the glowing city of Magnolia. Brown eyes wandered over the darkness, thinking of the bright orb in the sky.

"Yeah Luce?" Natsu replied, taking a deep, freezing breath in.

"Can we go somewhere?" Lucy asked calmly.

"Yeah, sure." Natsu replied, getting up slow enough for Lucy to move politely off him. "I'll go get Happ-"

"No." Lucy spoke sharply, letting it fade softly. Big brown eyes looked into his earnestly. Pink botches were fading around her eyes as the winter air worked to reduce the puffy inflammation. "Just you and me?" she asked. Onyx eyes stared at her for a long moment, scanning from her eyes to her chin. Natsu noticed Lucy's nose turning a little red at the cold like Rudolph the reindeer. That thought was a little amusing.

"Fine," Natsu agreed with a weak shake of his head. "Better wear this." he decided, pulling the white scaled scarf from around his broad shoulders. Silk fabric settled softly against her small neck, instantly bathing her in warmth. A scent of something burning dispersed to her nose. It was familiar and calming, like Natsu was right beside her. "There!" Natsu smiled with his goofy grin, his eyes showing the childish and simple-minded happiness that was Natsu. An unnoticed tensed knot inside her unraveled, letting relief flood through her. Natsu was strange that way. He always knew just how to reach her, even when she didn't know she needed saving.

"Thanks, Natsu!" She smiled a big goofy grin. There it was; that ease to smile around him.

It seemed that it wasn't only his smile that could relieve people. She didn't know how important and special her smile was. Especially to Natsu. They both were naive when it came to knowing how much they truly needed each other.


Awh! Natsu~ how adorable :'(


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-A-ccentric