3,536 words! Whew! *Wipes sweat from her brow* Just warning you, a lot of important stuff happens in this chapter. Prepare yourself, because it's the setup for what will follow in later chapters!
~Jacin~
"Stalking is frowned upon in most societies," Cross said crossly, ever the strict one.
I eyed him, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Let me explain," he said as he casually walked behind me, "It is extremely rude to a lady to follow her, no matter what she's doing."
"I'm not just following her…I'm also following Natsu," I growled.
"You're still following her," Cross said, "Besides, you're still not acting within the law. I understand how much you care for this girl, but that doesn't make this morally correct."
"I don't love her," I insisted, not quite sure why.
"I never used the word love…you did," Cross pointed out. I scowled because he was right.
"I'm just following them because I'm worried," I repeated for what seemed like the thousandth time.
"I do understand why you're acting so brutish and idiotic, though," Cross said.
"Brutish and idiotic?" I questioned, a little hurt.
"I, of course, wouldn't act that way if I were in the same situation," he said. His silver hair shone in the moonlight and he glanced furtively at me, "Definitely not."
"You don't know anything, Cross," I growled.
"You're right, I know very little about your past. Honestly, if the girl I cared for were to kiss me there'd be no chance that I'd reject her like that. You've really screwed up, for lack of a better term," Cross said. That did it.
"Stop!" I shouted. I covered my mouth immediately and shrunk into the shadows, forcing Cross back into the spirit world. I had to stay quiet, otherwise Lucy and her idiot companion would hear me. I slumped against the wall. This was really out of hand. I was doing things that didn't make any sense. My brain yelled at me, telling me I was being an idiot, but I couldn't help it. As soon as I heard that Lucy—because she was the subject of every one of my thoughts as of late—was going on a dangerous job with him it made me instinctively follow them. I'd reacted just like a cornered cat, puffing myself up and hissing…figuratively, of course. And yet…I still hurt. I couldn't help but wonder if Lucy would ever trust me again.
Every time I started giving it a lot of thought, I remembered something. She'd mentioned something before she'd left me that day. Something that confused me: 'I'll fulfill my promise to myself.'
My mind spun every time I thought about it. She'd even apologized to me! What for?! I couldn't stand it. I was restless…angry, confused, hurt, lost…pained. I was mad at myself. I think, deep down, I knew where all of those less-than-desirable emotions were coming from, but at the time I didn't want to admit it.
"Natsu, you're such an idiot," Lucy said. Happiness shone in her voice. I hated the way she called him an idiot. It was so painfully clear that she didn't think him an idiot when she called him one. It was most likely that she thought I was an idiot. I was one, after all. That was enough…I had to stop wallowing in self-pity.
"Am not!" Natsu protested playfully. I slumped against the wall. They'd stopped walking—something I was only aware due to the lack of their footsteps resounding throughout the alleyways—and were now just standing together, not far from where I was.
"I just wanted to say thanks," Lucy said quietly.
I peeked around the corner. Natsu places one hand on her head and she looked up, her eyes watering. Natsu smiled and I grimaced, "You know I'd do anything for you. You don't have to thank me."
"Yeah, I know. I didn't expect this…any of this, though."
"What do you mean?" Natsu questioned. He looked legitimately concerned about her. It only served to anger me further. I attempted to clamp down on that particular emotion; I didn't succeed.
"You're talking about what he said…that he didn't want you?" Natsu asked grimly.
Lucy looked up abruptly, "Not that!" I stared. "I could care less about that! Well, that not wholly true. I'm just as selfish as any other person when it comes to these things, but that's not what surprised me. I…he told me that he'd lost everyone he knew. Everyone except for his brother! I only lost my parents; it nearly ruined me! Can you imagine how he must feel? How he's been feeling this whole time! That's what I didn't expect. I didn't expect him to be in so much pain. I asked myself: can I help him? Can I take that pain away?"
Natsu waited for her to continue. So did I. "But I know that such a pain, a pain like he's known and experiences, it won't fade away completely. Even if he's happy on the outside, he won't truly lose it. It will always be with him. A memory of what's happened to him. A memory of the girl that he loves." I froze. My heart was pounding. I clutched my painful chest. She knew. I kept repeated it in my head like a mantra: she knows, she knows, she knows. Why!? Why did I care?! Why did this bother me!?
"And I can't…" she broke down, leaning heavily on Natsu's chest. To my surprise, my vision blurred. I touched my cheek. It was wet. "I can't ever be better than that girl! Someone that he loved, the Jacin loved…I can never be better than her! I can never beat her! And…that means that I won't be able to help him!" I wanted to leap out of the shadows, to tell her that it was alright…that everything was alright. I didn't want her to cry. I didn't want her to take my pain. I clenched my hands into fist and gasped for air. My chest hurt. My head hurt. Worst of all, though, Lucy was hurting.
"Luce," Natsu said quietly, stroking her hair as she cried into his chest. I seethed. "Luce," he repeated. She squeaked. "I know that you love him, but maybe you should let him go. If it's really as bad as you think it is, then…maybe you can't save him from his past. There are other people here for you. You're not alone in this." The rage was building.
"You expect me to leave him like that? To let him be?" Lucy shouted. More tears.
Natsu was silent for a moment before he looked away, "He's hurt you, Lucy. I can see it. I know you, so I can see it clearly. Clearer than anyone else." That wasn't true. I knew. I knew that she was hurt; that the fault was mine and mine alone. Who was he to say something like that, that he knew her the best. "I don't like it. I don't like him. You're hurting yourself, trying to save him. And have you ever considered that he doesn't want to be saved?" he questioned.
To be saved. Did I need that? Did I want that? I didn't even know what that meant. It confused me. To be saved. Was I in danger? Was I in need of saving? What did that…even mean? I was lost. I was angry. I couldn't take it anymore. I started to step into the light, but froze when Lucy spoke.
"Natsu, I love him!" Lucy shouted. She wasn't crying anymore. Her eyes were furious. She was determined. Somehow, she seemed more beautiful than she ever had before. She was…glowing? I'm not sure how to describe it. It was really those eyes, though, that got me. She was full of life, her eyes sparkling like fire. They were sparkling for my sake. My chest panged with her words.
"But he doesn't love you!" Natsu yelled back. He'd lost his temper. Lucy flinched back and he realized his folly. He tried to take it back. She looked away. He reached for her arm. That was where I drew the line. Who was he to say that I'd hurt her, that he hated me for it, when he'd just done the same? The darkness wasn't where I belonged anymore.
Natsu flew backwards. He slammed into the wall, his body crushing several crates along the side of the canal. He almost tumbled into the water, but I caught his shirt and pulled him back. I pressed my blade to his neck, the curve of the sword curling around his throat. "You don't have any right!" I yelled. He stared at me in shock. That satisfied me. I didn't like him thinking he was better than me. This was better.
"J-Jacin?" Lucy said quietly, her breath caught in her throat. I looked in her direction.
"How did you know?" I growled.
"Know?" she asked. She took a step back. I realized I was probably glaring at her and attempted to soften my expression. She eased a bit.
"How did you know about Abigail?" I said again, my voice a bit calmer.
"No right for what?" Natsu shouted. I turned to him and stabbed him with my glare. He stared back angrily.
"Shut up, Natsu," I spat his name out like it sickened me.
"Othos told me," Lucy said quietly. I made a mental note to punish him later. Not that he would care. He'd brush me off like he always did. You're just a little boy, he would say. I'd remind him that I was his key-holder. He'd shut up.
"No right to what?!" Natsu shouted.
"To lie!" I shouted. I could hear Lucy trying to calm me down, trying to tell me to stop. My vision was blurred by anger.
"I didn't lie!" he yelled back, shoving me off of him, "About anything!"
"You lied!" I said, reaching for my keys. Natsu's fists began to glow.
"I didn't!"
"Stop saying that!"
"I never said a lie!"
"You said I didn't love her!" I screamed. I froze. My words had surprised me. I didn't know that I loved her. I didn't think that was true at all. I'd had real love. It wasn't anything like this; the anger, the frustration, the pain, and the jealousy…wait, jealousy?
"Jacin?" said Lucy. I couldn't look at her. I'd just said something that…might not have been true. This certainly wasn't anything like what I'd had with Abigail. It was worse than that…it hurt me. Abigail had never hurt me like what was happening right then was hurting me.
"What did you just say?" Lucy asked. I didn't have time to answer that question.
"Stop talking!" Natsu roared as he lunged for me. Sparks flared and fire roared. I can't say his eyes weren't intimidating, but I was angrier than he was. I was sure of that, at least. I wasn't sure about anything else, but that was one thing that I was fairly confident about.
For a moment I thought I wouldn't make it in time, but I was just quick enough. I pulled a key off my ring and called forth a spirit, Grentha. Darkness oozed around us, a familiar darkness. I suddenly felt cold. Natsu's eyes went wide as he plummeted towards me.
"You dare assault my key-holder?" hissed a voice. It echoed in my head. I felt it in my chest. I can remember the first time I'd met Grentha. I'd practically run away.
A cloud of darkness swirled in front of me and suddenly exploded. The force knocked Natsu back, but he landed on his feet. Grentha wasn't my most powerful spirit, but she was certainly intimidating. Green eyes flashed in the darkness and a head and shoulders emerged. She was wearing her dark, shredded cloak as she always was; it concealed her face, but her eyes still glowed in the darkness where her face should be. I wondered to myself if she actually possessed a face.
Grentha hovered a few feet above the ground, tendrils of darkness teeming around her like snakes. Grentha extended her hand, her pail, delicate fingers grasping one of the tendrils. It solidified and became a deadly looking scythe. Lucy gasped and took a step back. "You think this'll scare me away! You're dead wrong!" Natsu shouted. He lunged for Grentha, but she easily deflected his blow.
"Fool!" she growled. She swung at him, but he hurled himself backwards, narrowly dodging her attack. He was faster than he looked. Grentha stood—or rather floated—still, staring at him. She waited. This was something I'd seen her do many times before. I readied my swords, drawing them from their sheathes at my waistline.
"Jacin, don't hurt him!" Lucy shouted desperately.
"I can't promise that," I said under my breath. "Don't hurt him!"
Natsu apparently wasn't the patient type, but I'd seen that coming. So had Grentha. She glanced at me briefly as Natsu ran towards her, fists blazing. I nodded subtly. I'd seen this before. Such a naïve opponent as Natsu would definitely…
"How about…this!" Natsu shouted as he bolted past Grentha. Grentha simply watching him run. I tensed, but grinned. He noticed that I'd been expecting this at the last moment.
"Nice try, but I can see right through you," I said. I leapt into the air, flipping right over Natsu's empty head, and slashed out. Natsu yelled out as I landed easily on my feet. Natsu turned and stared at me. "Natsu!" Lucy shouted. I barely registered it.
"Wh-what did you do to me?" he asked. He stood completely still, but it wasn't like he could move. I smiled and sheathed my blades. This idiotic duel was over.
"Grentha has the ability to see your weakest point. Your soft spot, so to speak. I simply had to target that spot with…"
"My help," said a voice.
"…his help," I finished. Gallego stepped into the light. Natsu's eyes narrowed. Lucy gasped, "When did you…"
"Same time I summoned Grentha," I said calmly.
"You can do that?" Lucy asked, "I summoned one of your platinum spirits and it nearly drained me! Two at the same time?" I stared at her and then turned away. I still wasn't comfortable looking directly at her, much less so when she was staring at me in wonder.
"I paralyzed you," I said.
"What?!" Natsu shouted, "How?"
"Why don't you find out?" I asked, grinning, "It's not like it matters, though. You still lost. Why? Because you're cocky."
"Cocky?" Natsu shouted. I nodded to Gallegos and he frowned.
"But I—" he began.
"Come on, we can't keep him like this forever," I interrupted. Gallegos nodded as if he was just asked to jump off of a cliff. Natsu suddenly collapsed to his knees.
"I'm not cocky!"
"You have a very large ego, and thus you got sloppy. You truly believed that you'd tricked me, and didn't even remotely doubt that I knew what you were about to do. That's what left you wide open." I knelt beside him, "You shouldn't been more careful. Maybe I wouldn't have been able to get that onto you."
Natsu looked confused and then lifted his shirt. Right above his right hip was the subject of our conversation. "A gear," I said. Indeed, what I was pointing at was a gear. It hovered over his skin by about half an inch, a slight green glowing casted down in Natsu' stomach. "Get it off me!" he shouted.
"It'll disappear after a few minutes."
"That's how you controlled him?" Lucy asked. I straightened up and stood. I could practically feel her standing beside me.
"Usually its harder than that, though," I said honestly, "You mind is very susceptible." With that I turned and walked away. Gallego walked beside me. I didn't remember being so aware of her before. It surprised me.
"We could have had more fun with him," he said.
I frowned, "Sometimes you scare me."
"I scare you and she doesn't?" Gallegos questioned as he pointed to Grentha who was silently floating beside us.
"She might look scary, but she's not on the inside. I think it's your sadistic tendencies that really worry me," I said.
"Sadistic?" he huffed. Yeah, it was what was inside the gearmaster that scared me. On the outside he looked relatively normal. He had wavy, silver hair that reached his shoulders a matching set of metallic eyes. The only odd thing about him was the giant gear that stuck out of his head and the screws that littered his body. He crossed his arms, "Sadistic."
"You are a sadist," Grentha said in her usual monotone voice. I tried to hold in my laugh. This was one of the most hilarious spirit combinations I had, and I did use them together quite a bit.
"Jacin! Wait!" Lucy shouted. Grentha and Gallegos took the cue and vanished at that very instant. Thanks, guys. Abandon me, why don't you?
I kept walking. I felt like I couldn't face her after saying…what I'd said.
She grumbled something and grabbed the back of my shirt. I stopped walking and she didn't let go. I shivered at her touch, suddenly wanting to shrink away. "Don't leave," she said quietly. "Don't leave."
"Why not?" I asked softly.
"I…know that you didn't really mean it," she said. I recoiled. "I understand," she said. Her hand slid off my back and I suddenly felt cold. Should I…deny it? Say that I had meant what I'd said? But…did I?
"Lucy," I started. I knew what to say. It wouldn't cover everything, but I could at least do this much for her, "I don't dislike you. I actually like you a lot. I'm just not sure about anything. And…I'm sorry. So, so, sorry." My voice cracked and I lowered my head, "I hurt you. I know that. I didn't mean it…anything that I said."
"Yes, you did," she said. My heart pounded and I couldn't help myself any longer. I turned and grabbed her face, turning it towards me. I stared at her, into her brown eyes.
"No!" I shouted. I suddenly felt weak. My head slumped against hers, "No." Lucy was silent. I looked up and saw something I didn't expect. Her face was bright red and her eyes were wide. I suddenly felt hot. I panicked and snatched my hands back.
"Sorry!" I said, surprised. She stared at me.
"I'm…not angry at you," she said, "I want you to know that." I stared. How could she not be mad at me? "I should apologize. I've put you through all this…pain. I didn't want to hurt you, but I had to. I wanted to pull you out of all that darkness, and to do so I caused you pain."
"What are you…talking about?"
"You're in so much pain. I haven't known you long, and there's so much I don't know about you, but I know that much. I knew that moment I saw you, you know. That you were in pain. That I didn't want you to be. Somewhere along the way, I grew to love you. I'm sorry for that as well. I know that hurt you."
Hurt me? "Don't apologize!" I said desperately. She looked up at the sudden change in my voice. I stared at her. She clutched herself for comfort. I glanced at my palms, "You…look like her."
She took a sudden breath, "Like Abigail?"
"I didn't realize it when I first saw you. You…remind me of her. You eyes. Your laugh. Your smile. They're so similar."
"I'm sorry," she said. I looked up and saw tears on her cheeks. She tried to hide them with her hair, but it didn't work. I reached forward hesitatingly and wiped them away.
"Don't cry," I said. She sniffed. Something caught my eye and I looked up. "What the—"
"Lucy, watch out!" Natsu shouted. He was running towards us, having rounded the corner we were behind. I clutched Lucy's wrist only to have it ripped from my grasp.
A beat of wings. A screech. Sharp talons. Terrified brown eyes. I shouted. "Lucy!" It was too late. She was gone.
I felt emptier than I ever had before.
THERE'S SOME IMPORTANT STUFF HERE! READ IT?
Confusing, yes? Sorry, sorry. Next chapter, I promise! I can't promise, however, when that chapter'll be published. Sorry, sorry again! Anyways, leave me a review and give me feedback. Yay feedback! I do like me my feedback. ;)
What do you think just happened in those last few words? Sparks your curiosity, doesn't it? *Evil cackle* You'll have to wait!
PS
My goal is to get 100 reviews. You think I can? I'm personally a doubter, but telling your friends about my story would help…not that you have to. Just saying. Putting that one out there. I could always blackmail you and say that unless I get 100 I won't write another chapter.
…
JUST KIDDING! I wouldn't do that to you guys. Besides, I love writing so much that I doubt I could just stop doing it with a snap of my fingers. Welp, leave me a review if you'd like. I'd certainly love that. Goals are made to be accomplished, right?
ONE LAST THING!
I know that Natsu sort of lost pretty easily, like…really easily. Like I always say, (I feel like this should be my catchphrase), it'll be explained later.
Aaaaaand, here's the OC List:
Jacin - Lucy's dream guy. Two years older than Lucy. Celestial wizard with both platinum and silver keys. Some troubled past that led to his little brother and himself living on their own. Looking to join Fairy Tail.
Roawin - Jacin's little brother. Four years old. Bubble magic.
Abigail - A girl that Jacin loved and lost. (You'll find out more eventually)
Jacin's Spirits:
Rouge - Platinum celestial spirit. Able to change her size at will. Sassy.
Fleure - Silver celestial spirit. Flower magic. Is fond of Roawin.
Agwo, Fuegia, Terro, and Cilo - The four elemental spirits, (silver keys). Water, fire, earth, and wind, (respectively).
Venra, Shiea, and Exxos - The three platinum key fox spirits.
Mayla and Diedos - The twins, platinum key. A strange duo who are somewhat catlike in appearance.
Grentha - The Grim Reaper, platinum key. Very intimidating appearance. Also very protective of Jacin.
Lupiyah - The Wolf-Woman, platinum key.
Gallego - The Gearmaster, platinum key. Is able to paralyze people and is slightly, (or maybe very), sadistic.
Crossman - Also called Cross. Nice and strict. Platinum key. Disapproves of stalking.
Brezza - The Strong Woman, who is pretty scary, (well, Jacin thinks so). Platinum key.
Othos - The Blindman. Caused Lucy to faint. Is actually blind, but able to 'see the truth'. Can read memories and thoughts. Special to Jacin because Othos was his first spirit. Kept around Jacin's neck on a necklace. Platinum key.
