~Lucy~
"So this is her, eh?" growled a voice. My eyes felt like they were glued shut. I didn't remember losing consciousness, but apparently I had. After all, the grogginess still ruled over me.
"This is her," said a different voice. This one was gentle. It slid over me like warm honey. Another man, but he didn't sound nearly as intimidating as the first had. "Ridius wouldn't fail me," said the gentle voice. Listening to him almost made me want to fall asleep again. I reminded myself that I couldn't do that.
"Of course, Boss," said the gruff man. Boss?
"Bring her," said the boss.
"Yes, sir." I heard a shuffling of footsteps. A door slammed shut. More footsteps, getting closer. I could hear someone breathing near me.
"The Boss said to bring you," said the man. I decided it was wise to remain 'unconscious'. I wasn't sure where I was or what situation I was in. I wasn't going to do anything until I'd figured it all out.
I was engulfed in the man's horrible smell and he slung me over his shoulder. I tried not to gag and actually—astonishingly—managed to keep it in…my lunch, that is. The disgusting man whistled as he carried me through was seemed to be a series of doors, (I could tell because I heard them opening and closing). We walked through one final door and the man stopped, "This is where we part ways, Girlie." I won't lie; I was relieved. He threw me down and I expected the unpleasant sensation of unforgiving concrete, but was instead greeted by a warm, comfortable mattress. It didn't smell, either! The door shut and I slowly opened my eyes.
I stared up at the ceiling. It was a warm pastel color, the walls the same. The walls looked like they'd been freshly painted. It was bright; light poured in through the large windows on the wall to my right. The bed I sat in was a princess bed, elegant red curtains dipping down from the elegantly carved mahogany frame above. Other than the bed, there was an evident lack of furnishing in the room. Somehow that made the room seem colder.
I eased myself out of the bed and felt a sharp stinging sensation on my right arm. I looked down to see that the fabric that previously covered my shoulder was ripped open and a large, red gash stared up at from beneath the rip. I winced and touched the reddened, agitated skin beside it, "How did this happen?"
I looked up, and, more carefully this time, walked to the window. I looked out and saw something I didn't expect. A large, bright green lawn spread out for as far as I could see. There were a few groundskeepers—or at least that's what they seemed to be—who were milling about, tending to the vast expanses of brilliantly colored flowerbeds. People roamed the grass almost as if they were zombies, occasionally stopping to stare at the flowers or look up at the puffy clouds that drifted by.
The view shocked the remaining exhaustion out of me. As I started to return to myself, I realized something. There was something in my hand. I'd been clutching it so tightly that my knuckles were white and the object was digging into my skin. I lifted my arm and slowly opened my fist.
I gasped and clapped a hand to my mouth. Tears welled up in my eyes as the memories all flooded back to me. I'd been talking with Jacin, my heart pounding. Then, all of a sudden, I was ripped away from him and lifted into the air. Something like…a giant bird, maybe, had snatched me up. That must have been how I'd gotten the angry red marks on my shoulder. He'd grabbed me, but it was no use. I'd reached for him, but I'd barely touched him before I'd lost consciousness.
That was probably when I'd ripped the chain that held Othos's key from Jacin's neck. That was why I was holding my one connection to Jacin in my hand. Uneasiness flooded throughout me, but it was coupled with relief. I was comforted, reassured, by the presence of Othos. It felt like Jacin was there with me, even though he was most likely far away.
I heard the door open and immediately stuffed the key into my pocket. If I were in a hostile situation, they definitely wouldn't let Othos stay with me. Hiding him would be safer. I didn't want to part with him, so I hid him. I turned slowly once I was satisfied that the gate key was properly concealed.
My back pressed against the warm window, the sun dully heating my skin. I stared at the man before me. He had midnight black hair, stick straight, that was cut short. He had pale skin that highly contrasted with his hair. What I couldn't stop staring at, though, was the eyes that were partially concealed by his hair. They seemed like they could go on forever, just like a black abyss. He looked me directly in the eye, not afraid at all.
"You have…sad eyes," I said quietly. He looked surprised. Heck, I was surprised. Why had I just said that? I'd just blurted it out like an idiot.
He gently shut the door behind him and sighed deeply, "If you were to ask me, 'sad' would not be the word I would use to describe myself." I watched as he walked across the room and closing the distance between us. I pressed myself against the window. "You needn't be afraid. I won't harm you."
"Tell that to your bird," I shot back. He looked troubled.
"I'm truly sorry about that, but sometimes he doesn't know his own strength," said the man with a smile. It didn't reach his eyes. That made me uncomfortable. "This is for you."
He offered me a snow-white flower, a rose. I didn't take it. "It's my policy to not accept gifts from strangers…or kidnappers, for that matter. You are both," I said, inching away. Something about his presence made me uncomfortable. A quiet voice in the back of my head told me to run from him, that he wasn't nearly as friendly as one might think. The flowers and false smiles wouldn't fool me. Not one bit.
"That's awfully rude," he stated, looking a bit disappointed.
"Not particularly," I said in return. He slowly backed away and gently placed the rose on my bed.
"I don't mean your policy. I think that's quite reasonable," he said. He then looked at me and I was struck with a sudden sense of déjà vu. He was suddenly somewhat familiar. "I mean the fact that you don't remember me. That's rude," he said, "Lucy Heartfilia."
"I-I don't know you," I said, but it sounded like I was trying to convince myself. Was I trying to convince myself?
He stepped closer to me, but I didn't move away. "Lucy Heartfilia. The little girl who saw it all. I've been looking for you for a long, long time. Luckily for me, you created a link between yourself and that boy. It made it easy for me to find you," he cooed. He stroked my cheek and I recognized his touch.
"Wh-Who are you? What do you mean? Boy?" My voice was weak and the words rushed from my mouth.
He eyes shone, "You poor thing. So you really don't remember anything? What a pity."
I crumbled to my knees and looked up at him, tears forming. He knelt beside me and put a hand on my head, "Don't worry, I'll take care of you. You'll get to see her soon." I didn't care about any of that. I suddenly longed to see Jacin. I need him. I wanted his warmth, his arms. I pressed a hand over my pocket, the presence of Othos reassuring me.
"See who?" I asked quietly.
He stood and walked to the door, opening it. He turned and looked me in the eye briefly, "Your sister, of course."
~Jacin~
The wall had a scuff on it. It was about the size of my thumb and an ugly greyish-black color. It also had a dent. That was probably from someone colliding with it at an unusually high speed. I'd seen that happen in this guild before. I glanced up and realized that some of the paint was peeling. I stared at it. A sharp shadow was cast by the curling paint, creeping down the wall in the afternoon sunlight. I bet it'd been a while since this wall was painted. I wanted to reach forward and smooth the paint back into place, but I couldn't bring myself to move. My arms felt heavy.
"…cin." I kept staring at the paint. "Jac…" I decided that the scuff had actually been more interesting, so I directed my stare there instead. "Jacin!" shouted a voice. I jumped and tumbled from the chair I'd been sitting in.
"What?!" I shouted, "There's no need to be so loud. I'd actually like to retain my hearing ability!"
"I've been calling you for a while now, but you've been off in la-la-land." I got to my feet and staring at Mirajane. I averted my gaze and shoved my hands in my pockets.
"I'm sorry," I said under my breath. Gentle hands took hold of my own. I looked up.
"We're all worried, Jacin," she said with shimmering eyes, "But we'll get her back. We always do. She'll be alright, I just know it." Her words practically went in one ear and out the other. I nodded numbly. "The Master wants you," she said. I nodded again and shambled out of the door. My energy had been really limited lately. Simply walking seemed to drain me.
I eased the door open only to meet eyes with Makarov. "Master," I said respectfully, bowing my head and sitting down.
"Jacin," he said back, his eyes following me as I eased into the chair. I leaned heavily on the armrest, relying on it to keep my upright. "You seem unwell."
I glanced at him and buried my fingers in my hair, nodding slightly, "Yeah." That was the longest response I could manage.
"Perhaps now is not the best time to have this discussion," he said skeptically. I summoned my energy and sat up.
"No. I'm alright," I said. Whatever this was, I wanted to get it over with. I needed to get some rest so that I could find Lucy. I knew she'd be waiting for me, wherever she was. Unfortunately, getting rest is hard when you're being plagued by unrelenting nightmares. I'd relived Abigail's death and Lucy's abduction over and over again in my sleep. It had gotten to the point that I avoided beds of comfortable surfaces so that I wouldn't have to see those things again.
The Master sighed and nodded his head, "Very well, then." He opened his mouth to tell me something, but was interrupted.
"What is it? I've got something to do! I don't have time for this!" Natsu shouted as he barged into the room, "What are you thinking?! I have to go get Lucy!"
"Sit down, Natsu," the Master said sternly. Apparently it was enough to force Natsu into the seat beside me, even though some grumbles accompanied him.
"Now that both of you are here, I can get to the point," said Makarov. He looked at Natsu and then to me. "It's about Lucy." I froze. Suddenly, I was wide-awake. I sat up straighter as Natsu squirmed in his chair.
The Master hesitated. "Well!? What is it!?" Natsu shouted.
"I…believe I know where she is," said the Master. I stared. Why had he waited so long to tell us this? It was concerning to say the least. "But you won't like it, Jacin." That was much, much more than concerning.
"Tell me," I said, staring defiantly at Makarov. I would overcome whatever he thought would upset me. I would overcome it for Lucy. I owed her that much.
"First I must tell you something." He was directing his words towards me. "For months, we've been watching one man. The Magic Council considers him to be a significant threat, and I wouldn't argue with them on the matter. His name is Drau Cagliari."
"What sort of name is that!?" Natsu shouted. It seemed he was incapable of controlling the volume of his voice. I waited for the Master to continue.
"He's a powerful mage, and he's planning something. We're not sure what."
"What does this all have to do with me?" I asked. I was a little worried about what he would say.
"You've…encountered his wrongdoings before," said the Master. I tensed. A lump formed in my throat.
"He used to be the leader of a posse of bandits. They went around stealing and pillaging…murdering. But they were always looking for something, searching. I believe they found what they were looking for."
"Don't tell me—"
"The attacks stopped after your village, Jacin. I'm not sure what they wanted, but they found it there. Drau is responsible for the siege on your home." I felt weak. The man who'd murdered my friends and family, who'd destroyed everything I held dear, had also taken Lucy from me. Anger rose within me, boiling over. No. I wouldn't let him have her. I wouldn't let him take her from me. The only girl left who could make me smile…I wouldn't let her be taken by this Drau person.
"All the more reason to take him down!" Natsu said, getting to his feet and heading for the door, "Come on, Jacin. Let's go get Lucy back!"
I didn't move. I was immersed in thoughts of the man on the dark horse. The one who had killed Abigail. This Drau person…Drau must have ordered him to do it. He was probably part of the group of bandits, so he must have been under orders from Drau...to kill her.
"Jacin, I don't know what happened to you, but I know you'll come. I know you'll face your fears. Because you love her," Natsu said. His words sounded like they pained him, like he didn't want to say them. He walked out the door. I'd barely heard his words, but they were clear to me. Natsu thought that I loved Lucy. I couldn't imagine it. Loving someone seemed impossible after Abigail. I'd lost my ability to love anyone in that way…forever. Right?
I stood up and turned to Makarov. He gave me brief directions and then told me, "I'm only sending you and Natsu. It's the only way you'll be able to get in." I didn't question that.
I stepped out of the room and shut the door behind me. My mind was filled with Lucy, Abigail, and Drau. Someone tugged at my pants. "Jacin, are you leaving?"
I looked down to see my little brother. He was staring up at me expectantly. My thoughts softened a bit. "Yeah, buddy. Sorry about that. I'll be back, though."
"Wh-Why?" he asked. I hugged him so that he wouldn't cry, picking him up so that his feet dangled high above the ground
"Lucy's far away, so I have to go and get her. You miss her, right?"
"Uh-huh," he replied, nodding against my shoulder.
"Then I really have to go. Since you miss her so much. I'll bring her back. She probably misses you, too." I set him down gently and led him to the guildhall. Natsu was waiting for me, leaning against the doorframe. He glanced up when I entered the hall and shot me an impatient look. I figured that it was a miracle that he hadn't run off by now. The only thing keeping him here was the fact that he'd left the room before learning the whereabouts of Drau.
I knelt beside Roawin and smiled, "Stay here while I'm gone. I'll see you soon, little brother."
"Bring Lucy back. She misses me," Roawin said. He reached up and brushed the hair from my eyes. I kissed him on the forehead and turned away. It briefly dawned on me that, if this guy was really as dangerous as Makarov had said he was, I might not come back to him. I brushed the thought aside. There was no way I would leave Roawin alone. Not ever. I wasn't going to die.
"Took you time," Natsu mumbled as we stepped outside.
"Be quiet," I grumbled back, "Let's just go get Lucy back."
Natsu grinned and slapped my on the back painfully, "I've been waiting for you to say that!"
As they always say: the plot thickens! Are things starting to connect in your head? It's sort of complicated, and a little strange, but you'll understand it for sure. Yes, in case you were questioning my judgment and or sanity, I did give Lucy a sister. She had a sister in my story. Sorry if you don't like it, but its necessary to the plot. It's almost starting to look like a mystery at this point, isn't it? If you haven't figured it out, you probably freak out when you do. I sort of made it up as I went along, so if there are any holes in the plot, don't blame me!
Leave me a review, please! (I feel like there was a disappointingly minimal amount of romance in this chapter. I feel romance-deprived. Sob.)
Your ever-present OC List (as requested):
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)
Drau Cagliari - the leader of a dissolved bandit organization. Responsible for kidnapping Lucy and killing Abigail, (indirectly on the latter, it seems)
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.