Chapter Ten: Feelings for One Another
YASEIKA POV
I could feel Lucy's and Happy's eyes on me as I took out member after member of this "dark guild". Though really, what is considered dark at this point? Some look at me and see hope and the future. Others look at me and see nothing but a creepy presence, capable of nothing but darkness. So really…am I light or dark?
Fighting alongside Natsu did not stir any kind of emotion within me, slightly surprising I must say. No nostalgia, no happiness, nothing. Instead, all that I noticed about Natsu was that my theory was correct. It's strange to think, had I stuck around, I might instead be in Natsu's place, but there isn't anything I can do about it now. All I need to do is focus on my own task. All I need to do is not lose control. I want to be myself when I complete my mission.
Natsu appears to be incredibly protective of Lucy. After we fought the guys, I realized that he did not want to leave her side until the medics arrived as she was bleeding. I could see myself that she was going to be fine. She wouldn't be able to fight as well for a couple of days, maybe up to a week, but after that, she'll be good to go. Natsu himself should know that. But for him to get so worked up over someone like her…this could be very problematic.
After spending a couple of hours in the hospital, both for Lucy and the girl that we were after, the girl was reunited with her family. It was a long, overdramatized and really just too long of a reunion. We didn't need to be there for that. Why stick around if you know something like this is going to make you cry? Humans are strange, purposefully doing things even though it will make them cry, happy tears or no. Seeing Lucy tear up at the sight of the reunion caused my stomach to churn, and not in a good way. Turning away, I walked straight out of the hospital, only to realize that the sun was going down.
LUCY POV
After spending some time in the hospital, as the doctors were checking me over, Natsu and Happy explained what had happened when I disappeared. Apparently the darkness had immediately dissipated, in fact the entire building vanished. When I mentioned how I heard them calling out to me, Natsu immediately denied it, but I thought I maybe noticed a faint blush as Happy insisted that Natsu "likes" me.
They said that they were really starting to freak out when Yaseika had actually said that I would be fine and that I would show up soon. I started slightly and looked towards her, but didn't say anything. It was odd just how much she seemed to know things that others didn't. Was that merely just through observation? Is that what happens when a human is raised to adulthood by a fire dragon? Yaseika still sat there quietly, her eyes continuing their dull look. It was shocking to see her eyes in the same state when she was fighting. She wasn't like Natsu in that case. She didn't seem to get "all fired up".
According to Happy, less than a minute later, I appeared out of thin air, shocking them beyond belief. I knew what happened afterwards.
When I explained what had happened while in the alternate space, I could see Natsu tense slightly, his hand clenching into a fist, knuckles turning white. But he smiled as he said, "Well I'm glad you are going to be okay Luce!" His eyes twinkled, yet I could still see some other emotion lingering faintly below the light. Anger? Guilt?
We were eventually visited by the Kimuras, and explained the whole thing to them. When they were finally reunited with their daughter, the emotion and relief in the room was potent. Tears threatened to fall down my face. I gasped slightly at the sight of the beyond happy girl that was in the adults arms. The gratefulness in her eyes was enough of a reward for me. What I didn't notice until later was that during this long-awaited reunion, Yaseika had slipped out of the room, and apparently out of the building according to some people in the front.
I asked Natsu about it and he frowned and said, "Big Sis said that she doesn't like hospitals." He wrinkled his nose, "I don't blame her. The smell here is overpowering. She said something about going back to get some sleep." I was confused and he said, "You were kind of out of it when she told me, so I'm not surprised you didn't hear."
He let me hang off of his shoulder slightly as we left the hospital, where we were welcomed by the brisk night air and the small sliver of the moon just visible. We got our tickets, with Natsu looking a little green about it, but he didn't complain this time. We found our compartment and settled down inside. Somehow, despite lying down in bed for most of the evening, I felt exhausted, and Natsu felt it. He said, "Train leaves in a few minutes. Get some sleep. You've been through a lot today. I'll wake you up when we get back to Magnolia." I nodded and my head fell, straight onto his shoulder. A moment later, I was out like a light.
NATSU POV
Seeing Lucy fall asleep peacefully on my shoulder caused unfamiliar feelings to sweep through me. When the Lucy from the future had been murdered by the Rogue from the future, similar feelings swept through me. Except those were angrier. These were just relieved and happy. Those feelings seem to be popping up all the time ever since I met Lucy in Hargeon.
I don't understand it, but something that Igneel told me about came to mind. He had mentioned it after Yaseika had "died", about how one day, I will come to want to protect somebody more than anything. It didn't matter if I was injured in the process, just as long as that other person was safe. I think I'm feeling that way about Lucy.
I looked down at her, her breathing actually bringing me peace and calm. She had scared me to death earlier today when she disappeared into thin air. But during that madness, Yaseika had remained calm about it. Maybe she knows what I'm going through. I should ask her about it tomorrow.
LUCY POV
I jerked awake as the movement of the train stopped suddenly. Sitting straight up, I stretched my bones, only to find Natsu staring at me intently. I blushed and as soon as I did that, he looked away. What was he looking at me for? He outstretched his hand and I took it, him supporting me slightly as we made our way off the train.
Natsu led me to my apartment. I opened the door and expected him and Happy to barge in behind me, but I was surprised to see him looking at the ground. He said, "I want to see if I can find Yaseika. She really shouldn't be sleeping out in the woods, not while I have a house myself that I don't use." He turned away, "I'll see you later Luce. Don't stress yourself out too much." With that, he walked away.
I felt my spirits fall slightly at his words. For once, I think I wanted him to stay with me. Just to make sure that I was okay. Natsu appearing caring about me so much caused warmth to flutter in my chest. Sighing in resignation, I went upstairs into my bedroom, and sat down at my desk, confused until I realized that the ancient book that I had been reading yesterday was open to the page titled, "The Fire Dragon Heiress". I remembered then that there had been a lot of writing in this section, but I hadn't read it yet because I was distracted.
Curious, I began to read, reliving the past day's adventures in complete detail. It even captured Erza's reluctance and the guild's own feelings about Yaseika perfectly. Like Mirajane for example, the book said that Mira was hesitant about the girl, but recognizes that Yaseika has been going through an awful lot. I didn't even know that. How could this book possibly capture something that is supposedly conjured up in my mind when I had not considered it to begin with?
Finishing the last sentence, I turned the page to find yet another chapter that had filled in the once empty pages. This one was titled, "Job for Dragon Children". Not a particularly interesting title if you ask me, but I quickly became engrossed in the story-telling of today's events. It even described what Natsu and Yaseika had been experiencing in their own heads. This was just getting too weird.
It was late, and I was finally about to put the book down when I saw the next chapter, "Magic." That was when I became confused. How could this book come up with a chapter of my life that hadn't happened yet? Intrigued, I read for a little bit, only to realize that it stops in the middle. It doesn't finish. Still, through this reading I found one interesting idea…
"Entering the guildhall, I find that Yaseika is actually there before me. Nobody was sitting anywhere near her, almost as though there was an invisible wall around her. Then Natsu showed up. Of course, the first thing is screams is, "Big Sis! Fight me!" He charged towards the girl, only to find himself shoved into the opposite wall harshly. I winced at the sound, and gazed in fear at Yaseika: she had simply shoved him away, almost as though it was child's play."
"'Hey Yaseika, why don't you use your dragonslayer magic?'
'I can't. I can't figure out how.'"
Things were getting interesting when the pages stop. Still, how can this book come up with this story, for something that hasn't ever happened? Is this book telling the future? I guess all there is for me to do now is to wait until tomorrow to see. Who knows what could happen?