The guild was destroyed.
Lucy walked back with her Nikora spirit, Plue, beside her.
"Phantom Lord," Lucy muttered.
After the S-Class job, which was a stolen request, Lucy and her team went back home. Of course, they finished the job by doing as the chief of the village asked: destroying the moon. Lucy accepted the request after asking the villagers questions such as "Why haven't you guys investigated the temple?" and "You got that appearance three years ago, right?"
They reluctantly told her the answers she needed. When Lucy was asking questions, she saw Erza wearing a knowing expression. Gray was even freaking out about Lucy, whom he thought was the sanest in his guild, accepting such a ridiculous request.
Lucy asked Erza's and Natsu's abilities to destroy the moon. Knowing the blonde's plan, Erza immediately wore her Giant Armor, a golden armor with a barbaric appearance that increases the user's throwing strength. She had golden animal-like ears as a helm. Blue ornamental stripes adorned the armor pieces.
The plan was simple. Lucy explained that once Erza throws her spear Natsu will boost it with a flame-infused punch on its back. Natsu's explosive power would help the spear reach the purple moon. Gray was even skeptical of the idea.
The plan was set to motion. Erza threw the spear, Natsu punched it from behind, and it took off to the sky. Gray was flabbergasted when he saw the moon cracked.
The moon didn't shatter though. The cracks on the moon continued to the sky until they shattered, revealing the silver moon. Questions were exchanged until Lucy gave her explanation.
"Since moon drip has been going on for three years, the exhaust fumes caused by the spell gathered in the sky and crystallized, creating a layer. That's why the moon was purple. Of course, this layer isn't even harmful to humans. In fact, it only affects demons, which the villagers are supposed to be. Fortunately, this only affects their memories. They being demons cannot enter holy places such as the temple, for instance."
The job was done, and the reward money wasn't accepted. The team only took the additional reward, the golden key, after Lucy convinced her scarlet-haired friend to take it.
Returning back home, Lucy knew the next event to happen. She and her team got back to Magnolia to see their destroyed guild with large iron poles piercing through the building. Angered and hurt, her team along with the rest of the guild wanted to retaliate against the people who harmed their home. The master of Fairy Tail, however, ordered them to stand down.
Lucy looked at her little companion beside her. "What do you think will happen in the future, Plue?"
Her companion replied with his usual 'Puu-puun!'
Lucy smiled. She grabbed Plue and hugged him against her chest. "Everything will be fine, right?"
"Puu-puun!" Plue said.
Lucy chuckled as she walked across the bridge. She stopped when she felt drops of rain falling from the sky. She looked up at the gray sky.
"It wasn't supposed to rain…" Lucy whispered.
Her eyes widened as realization hit her. Lucy turned around. She was about to grab one of her keys until a sphere of water trapped her. The keys dropped on the cobblestoned ground. Plue faded away with a shimmering light.
Lucy didn't realize how much the future can be altered. The confrontation with the water mage was too early. Lucy saw a figure in front of her, but she couldn't see the person clearly due to the water. Still, Lucy knew who was in front of her.
"Do not worry. Juvia will not kill you, for it is Juvia's duty to bring you back, Lucy Heartfilia-sama," the figure said.
Lucy thought of Natsu. She stopped struggling, knowing that he would save her.
Her vision blurred, her consciousness slowly fading. She moved her lips, muttering a prayer.
"Please save me again, Natsu…"
Natsu was bored. With his arms crossed in front of his chest, he sat on the floor cross-legged. He screamed and then laid his back on the wooden floor. Happy was on the table, munching on a fish.
"Natsu, what are you doing?" Happy asked after swallowing his food.
"Happy! I'm bored!" the teen replied. "You're bored too, right?"
Happy nodded at his statement.
"Let's go to Lucy's place," he said.
Immediately, Happy stood up and flew around the air. "Aye sir!"
Along the way, Natsu and Happy met Gray and Erza. Coincidentally, all of them had the same idea of visiting Lucy's place.
"Honestly, why the hell do I have to see your face again…?" Gray said.
"Shut it, Ice Princess. I don't even want to see your ugly face anyway," Natsu replied.
"What did you just call me, Flame Brain?"
"Huh? You wanna fight." Natsu raised his fists and imbued them with flames.
Gray was in his magic stance. "Bring it!"
Before the two would engage in combat, a woman's voice stopped them. "Enough!"
The two froze and began to hug each other. They didn't want to face the wrath of Titania, whom they cannot defeat. The consequences of angering the scarlet-haired female was not to be taken lightly.
"Yes!" both Gray and Natsu exclaimed.
"I expect more from you two. We are going to Lucy's apartment immediately, so no fighting, am I understood?" Erza said, her voice menacing as she emphasized the word 'understood'.
The two boys couldn't voice out their words of agreement because of fear. Instead, they nodded, knowing a punishment was upon them if they didn't give any sign of agreement.
Erza shook her head. She then passed by the boys, who later followed after her to Lucy's apartment.
Natsu sighed. He was hoping to be alone with the Celestial Spirit Wizard. He wanted to hang out with her. He was so curious about her. She was smart, fun, and strong. Her weird magic was even interesting. Natsu wanted to know his friend a bit more. When he first met Lucy, she gave an impression of being protected, but he was wrong. For the past few days, he found out so many sides of her.
Sometimes, he would often see her mind wander. Her eyes would have that dull gleam as if watching a sad scenario. Natsu knew that his friend was reliving sad memories. Everyone in Fairy Tail had a sad past. Natsu never imagined the cheerful Lucy to have one as well. Then again, Fairy Tail had the knack of adopting stray people carrying dark pasts.
Natsu would wait. He had a lot of time to know about his friend. He would wait for her to tell her tale, her burden, and her pain to him.
He was brought out of his thoughts when a smell of iron hit his sensitive nose. "This is…"
He turned his head to the direction of the scent. With his keen eyes, he saw people gathered around the Southern Entrance Park.
"Guys… there are people gathered over there." Natsu pointed at the direction.
"Hmm… we don't have time for any detour," Erza said, "but seeing a crowd gathered over there piqued my interest. Let's go."
The two males and cat followed the scarlet-haired mage.
As they neared the crowd, they saw what garnered the attention. In front of them, team Shadow Gear that consisted of Jet, Droy, and Levy was nailed on a large tree. Levy had an insignia of Phantom Lord etched on her stomach.
The image made Natsu's blood boiled. Natsu couldn't hear anything except the thumping of his heart. He didn't realize that his flames covered his skin. His flames flared, expressing the emotion he felt. Natsu gritted his teeth, his eyes glaring at the obscene and wretched insignia marked on Levy's stomach.
Natsu was furious.
Lucy woke up in a familiar place. She was in a barren room. The walls and floor were made from concrete stones. Rubbles could be seen here and there. In front of the blonde girl, there was an iron door. It had a small window with iron bars. Lucy knew that she was captured by Phantom Lord.
She turned her head to look behind her. The rope tightly tied her wrists. The fiber vehemently rubbing against her skin, possibly marring it.
"My wrists would definitely have marks for a few days," Lucy whispered.
"Are you awake, Lucy Heartfilia-sama?" a voice said.
The iron door opened, and it revealed a tall, slim man with straight, black hair that reached his shoulders. He wore a hat that clearly resemble from those worn by fictional sorcerers from fairy tales, a coat with bat wings over a simple shirt adorned with a red ribbon that had the Wizard Saint medallion pinned, a pair of baggy striped pants, and a pair of pointed shoes.
"I'm Phantom Lord's master, Jose. I apologize for tying you up and putting you in this filthy jail…" the man said, "… but you're still a captive. Please try to understand."
Lucy utter a word.
"That's a nice behavior," the man commented. "If you keep that up, we might treat you as a 'VIP' instead of a captive."
"Who sent you to attack my guild?" Lucy asked.
She already knew who sent them, but precautions were necessary, especially when altering the future.
"Our true objective was to get hold of a certain individual," Jose continued. "That certain individual happened to belong to Fairy Tail, so we thought why not kill two birds with one stone."
"That certain individual is me," Lucy stated.
"Of course," Phantom Lord's master said. "As expected of the daughter of the Heartfilia Family, Lucy Heartfilia-sama."
"So my father requested for you."
"Correct again."
Lucy let out a sigh, showing reluctant compliance. "I see…"
"I didn't think for you to let yourself get captured so willingly."
"I have no ways of defeating you. My keys are not even with me, so chances of an escape are limited."
"Smart girl…"
"Since I've been in my best behavior, would you mind showing directing me where the bathroom is?"
The man laughed. "That's a classic excuse you know. You're a smart woman, you should have been able to come up with something original."
"I really meant the bathroom excuse."
"Very well." Master Jose placed a rusty bucket beside Lucy. "Go ahead."
Lucy stood up and walked to the bucket. "Beggars can't be choosers, huh?"
"You're actually going to do it?" the man shouted before he turned to look away, exposing his back to the now grinning girl.
Lucy didn't expect for the same tactic to work. Then again, she was back in the past. The man in front of her wouldn't even know about the plan. Lucy was actually anticipating to harm the man. She wanted to hit him for the destruction and pain he would bring upon her guild. She lifted her behind and swung her leg, hitting the man's precious jewels.
The man crumpled to the floor, his hands placed on the part between his knees. He groaned loudly from the pain.
"The classic excuse can be effective if you put a twist in it," Lucy said as she walked towards the exit.
She stopped. Looking down, she saw the ground a hundred meters or possibly more away from her.
"Pity, isn't it…" the man crumpled on the ground behind her said, "… this is our sky prison…"
Lucy spun around to face the Master of Phantom Lord. She gave him a smile. "I'm not going back."
Lucy closed her eyes. She knew that she will be saved once she falls. She trusted her Fire Dragonslayer, whom she fell in love, to save her once more.
She leaned back as the wind brushed her hair to the side, and she fell. She heard the man yell out an indignant and strangled cry of 'What!'
The sense of falling was nothing new to Lucy. When she fell, her hair would be pushed upwards from the air pushing against her. Quickly and rapidly, her heart would thud against her chest. Lucy would usually scream out before being caught by safety arms. Memories of her life would flash on her mind before her body splattered on the cold, hard ground.
Now, she neither screamed out nor conjured memories in her mind. Her heart beat at a steady rhythm. Lucy had a smile on her.
Her smile only got wider when she felt arms under her back and legs, and the sensation of vertigo stopped. She opened her mouth to speak out the words.
"Thank you, Na…" the words stopped. They wouldn't come out of her mouth as she stared at her savior, confusion and hurt evident on her face.
"Lucy, are you alright?" he questioned, his grey eyes held concern.
Her savior wasn't Natsu. It was Laxus.
Lucy almost got herself killed.
A/N: Hello readers. A new chapter has been posted. I've been writing during my breaks from studying. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I had been ecstatic to know that my story is liked by many. I hope I will be able to meet your expectations for future chapters. I'd like for you to share your opinions about this chapter, especially the end. Then again, the title must have been a giveaway. I'd been reading many Fairy Tail fanfics, and the 'Lucy being kicked out of the guild' concept seems to be abundant. Because of that overused idea, I motivated myself to write this work, which I hoped was something different and unique. I also have a question to you readers. Did Laxus even call Lucy 'Blondie'? Was that naming even canon? From my knowledge, Lucy was always called 'Princess' by her celestial spirits and 'Blondie' by Flare. I appreciate the answers given. My exams will start in a few days, so I apologize once more for the temporary break in this work. I hope that you readers would still consider reading this work by the time I post a new chapter. Be sure to fave, follow, and review this chapter.