Chapter 7
I open my eyes with a groan from the soreness that covers my body. What happened? Why am I so sore? The last thing I remember is Jack, Titan, and Renny fighting over me and then I felt a sharp pain then. . . nothing. What happened?
I suddenly hear the sounds of happy yips and purrs from atop my chest. I look over to find Shayshay and Maymay wiggling joyfully at me. I also notice that the wolves surrounding me and wagging their tails energetically as they scoot closer to me.
Mother! I glance over and see Nezera rush over towards me with an expression of relief on his face.
"What happened?" I question.
You take our wounds. So when our new brother got stabbed... He looks over at this monstrous wolf covered in horns that is being held back by the others. Damn. I made another one in my sleep. This one is aggressive. The wound ended up on you and you passed out. Shayshay and Maymay have been healing you while the wolves kept close.
I look around and notice that a few are missing. "Where are the others?"
Nezera instantly gets nervous. Um… others? What others?
I give him a suspicious look with a raised eyebrow. "You now exactly what I'm talking about. Jack, Titan, Renny, Sunny, Ember, Esserna, and Lasber. Where are they?"
He got all fidgety and nervous. Something is up. Something I'm not going to like most likely. Suddenly, a soft crack sounds that can only be heard in this kind of silence. I look up as see Lasber flying towards us with something in his claw. It was peaceful until an all too familiar sound cries out, "Stupid bird! Fire dragon roar!"
Could it be? Could it really be him? I watch as Lasber drops the person he was holding. I watch as the falling person – hopping it is who it is – comes closer and closer to the trees that he uses to land safely on the ground. He sees the demons and prepares for a fight but I whisper his name, knowing that he can hear me, "Natsu?"
The pink hair fire dragon slayer looks at me with his onyx eyes filled with surprise and happiness. A smile spreads across his face. "Luce?"
A smile spreads across mine as I run to him and jump into his arms that he instantly wraps tightly around me. Tears roll down my face and I felt my shoulder gets wet as he sniffles. "You're okay. You're okay. You're okay." he keeps whispering as a way to reassure himself that I'm not a dream. I squeeze him tight to me and dig my hands into him to remind me that he is here. We pull back just enough to look at each other. We both have some water in our eyes but we don't care. We're both too happy seeing each other again to care about anything else.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt? I swear to Mavis if any of them touched you they are dead!" he roars, his worry and protective sides coming out. "Are these demons keeping you here? Are they why you haven't come back to me? Who took you? Where are they so I can kill them?!"
I could see his anger rising so I jump in, "Natsu! Natsu, calm down. I'm okay. No, I'm not hurt anymore. Yes, the demons are keeping me here but not for the reasons you think. I don't know who took me but they are already dead so they can't come for me again."
His breathing slows as he calms down but then confusion sets in. "What do you mean you aren't hurt anymore?"
Oh. I can't believe I said that. I sigh. I was going to have to tell him except now it looks sooner rather than later. "Lets sit down. I have a lot to explain to you."
I pull him to a nearby tree where we sit. Natsu instantly pulls me into his lap, refusing to letting me leave his arms for more than that moment. Hey, I am not complaining. How would you feel if your best friend and the man you love with your very heart and soul refuses to let you go because he doesn't want you to disappear from his sight again? That's what I thought.
The demons gather around us. I'm not sure why but this is the first time they're seeing someone from my past so maybe they're curious about him. I take a deep breath as I begin to tell my tale. "They took me in the night while I was asleep because I woke up with a headache in a place I don't know. They take me to this magic circle where all six of them surround me and chat a spell. I'm suddenly surrounded by shadows and transported me to a dark place where I saw the eyes of the creature that forced this new type of magic on me."
"A new magic? What magic?" Natsu asks. I felt that familiar surge of power pulse through me. I look to my left and we watch as another demon is born. Dark shadows twist and dance around until it creates a creature unlike any other. It has the face of a wolf but the body of a fox with the tail of a reptile. On it's face it wore the skull of a bull making its silver eyes stand out. Its tongue drops out when it lays its eyes on me and happily wags its tail.
Mama! Mama mama! He yips. Interesting creature. I smile at him and rub his ear. "Hello Thanatos." I look over at Natsu with his wide shocked eyes. I take a deep shaky breath before I announce, "I can create demons now and I have no control over this new magic." I take another breath before I continue. "When I create them while I'm awake they have a piece of my 'light' as they call it and it makes them kind and gentle." At that Jack flies over and snuggles into my neck while Thanatos curls up on my lap. "But when I'm asleep they are evil and beastly until I can give them my 'light'." I pull him with me as I stand and I lead him to where the beast is being help inside a cage with some of my good demons on high alert.
"Hey! That's that demon Erza, Ice Princess, Happy and I fought. But I thought Ice Princess stabbed that thing." Natsu states. All of the demons snarling ferociously at him. I know they would attack if he wasn't holding me. He squeezes me tighter and growls back at them just as ferosiously. Jack flew right up to his face and shouts, "So it was your fault Mother was hurt!"
This snaps Natsu out of it. "Hurt? What do you mean Lucy was hurt? Who hurt My Lucy?!"
I ignore the fact that he called me his and explain, "I have a connection with them. When they get hurt, I get their wounds. So when the beast over there was stabbed, I was the one that the wound appeared on." I explain. The shock on his face morphs into sorrow. He buries his face into my neck as he squeezes me tight and whispers, "I'm sorry Luce, I'm so sorry."
I run my fingers through his hair and massage his scalp in order to calm him. "I don't blame you Natsu. Everything's okay." I point over to Shasha and Maymay. "They healed me. That's what they do." His eyes move over the rabbits fluttering nearby. A small smile appears on his lips and he says, "Thank you." He nuzzles his nose into my neck, taking a deep breath, before pulling back.
He looks over at the beast and asks, "So what do we do with that dog?"
"I give him some of my 'light'." I smile and walk towards it with Natsu close behind me. He watches as the beast stops fighting and focuses his attention on me. I know Natsu wants to move me behind him and protect me but he also doesn't want me to get hurt so he's getting fidgety. I place my hand on his and say, "Just watch me. Everything will be okay. I promise."
That seems to help calm him since he knows I never break my promises. I cautiously approach the beast and reach my hand out. The beast continues to growl as he slowly moves towards me. Then he lays down in front of me and presses his nose on my hand. We both gasp as our bodies shine. My white light spread all around the beast until it changed his black light to be both black and white just like with the other one. Then the lights fade and his white eyes fade until amber wolf eyes are looking back at me.
Mother. It is very nice to meet you. The beast greets in a deep voice as he stands. He turns his attention towards Natsu and says, I am sorry for attacking you and your friends the other day. I was just born and was very hungry.
I notice Natsu's confused expression as the beast – I should give him a name – apologizes to him. "I don't know what you're saying." That's weird.
Only you can understand us Mother. After all, I'm the only here who can speak human words. The others are speaking in their natural tongue. Jack flies over and explains to me. I didn't know that. So they were speaking in another language. I never noticed.
I turn to Natsu, point to Ken – the beast's name – and say, "He was apologizing for attacking you."
"Oh! That's okay dog!" Natsu smiles and pats Ken on his head. Then he turns his attention back to me and asks, "Were you able to get any clues on what happened to you?"
That reminds me of the book Jack found. I whistle and Lily flies low enough to drop the book in my arms before flying away. "I have one clue. This book was kept where I was." I point to the symbol on the cover, "Jack, the demon exceed over there, said that this is the sign of their father. I have the same mark on my stomach." I lift up my shirt to show him. My skin twitches when his rough fingers gently brush over the mark. He growls. I look up at his face and see anger. I take a deep breath and continue talking. "But the only problem is that I can't read it so I'm wondering if you wouldn't mind giving this book to Levy so she can translate it for me. There might be some answers in here."
