Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.
Again, you all never cease to blow me away. Per usual, thank you to the reviewers, the additions to their favorites and alerts lists or those who simply read it!
So… all of you could probably guess since his first appearance that Nazo would come out a bastard. No shock there then huh? Well, I do hope you enjoy this chapter! The next one will be more action-packed! Also, we're getting closer to the end, so stick tuned!
I forgot to add this in the last chapter, which I realized once it was posted. Shame… I now present to you all Chapter 11 of To What We Once Were
Chapter 11 – Her Uncontrollable Anger
Anger.
Unfathomable anger.
She had passed the despair and anguish stage, and all she was left with was a fierce burning anger. Somewhere in her, murderous intent cried out for blood. He wasn't allowed to be spared. He was never going to be forgiven.
He had taken her daughter away.
And no-one could underestimate a mother's love.
..O..
They were already aboard a train, their destination familiar to Lucy. She had visited it before of course, with him. The small, eerie town that would give a person chills; how unexpected that it would be a town where a dark Guild would lurk.
A Guild that had something against her.
She was surrounded by her old team, sans Natsu and Lisanna, to no surprise. After Lucy had realized that her daughter was missing she remembered quite well that the first person that she had told was the fire-eating dragon slayer. But, she then recalled his foolish betrayal, and quickly backed away towards Loke.
They had searched hours after, trying to find her in every dangerous nook and cranny in the town. Their attempts were fruitless, no trace of the little girl ever being there with the exception of her items back in their apartment.
Closing her eyes, the memory of the meeting they held soon after that played like a movie.
..O..
Her eyes were red, the tears that flowed from them stinging. She couldn't believe it. It couldn't have been real. It couldn't have happened.
But it did.
Her daughter was gone.
And she knew full-well who they blame as the perpetrator.
She could almost laugh at her stupidity. They had all warned her about it; her nakama. Whether silent or obvious, they all didn't trust him, yet she was foolhardy enough to. He had lulled her into a false sense of security. He had lulled her into trusting him.
And where did that trust lead her to?
On a hunt for her kidnapped daughter; that's where.
Master was standing on his place at the stair's banister, looking down upon his 'children'. All eyes were on Lucy, who was sitting at her usual spot, head bowed down in shame. To their surprise, Natsu was standing quite far away from her, also with his head bowed down. If anyone had seen him up close, they would have been startled by the look of complete concentration on his face.
Makarov coughed, gaining their attention. Mouths shut and heads turned as they all obeyed his silent order. Master's eyes scanned the room, lingering on both Lucy and Natsu. "All of you will already know what has happened," he began, his tone even – though they all knew that he was trying to cover his rage. "And if you have not figured it out yet, it means that we fight."
Lucy looked up, taking off from her seat to look at them all pleadingly. "Please. Don't go into so much trouble. I'll find her. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of my poor judgment."
A small hand was placed on her shoulder, and Lucy glanced backwards to see a determined-looking Levy. "Lu-chan. Please stop telling us to not help. When someone that we all care for is in trouble, how can we not help you? And don't you remember what happens when a part of Fairy Tail is hurt?"
As the words sunk in, her eyes widened quickly, her gaze flaying around the room. All her nakama were smiling, already getting prepared for battle.
"When a member of Fairy Tail is hurt, then all of us are hurt. So when a single member is attacked," Master began, his tone matching Levy's.
"Then all of Fairy Tail will fight back," they all chorused, finishing the sentence. Moved by their conviction, her eyes blurred in fresh, grateful tears.
She rubbed at her eyes, not wanting to look like a weakling in front of all the courageous people that stood in front of her. Her sniffling gone, she narrowed her eyes and nodded, clenching her right hand into a fist. A fiery grin lit her face. "If it's a fight with Fairy Tail they want, then it's a fight with Fairy Tail they'll get. No-one takes my Ember and gets away with it."
..O..
There was a knock at the compartment door, which took Lucy out of her reverie. She stood up and opened it, meeting face to face with the one person that she hadn't wanted to see since that night.
"Lucy. Please. We need to talk," he stated, and she was somewhat surprised at his pleading tone. She dreaded the last four words, knowing that nothing well ever came out of it. She looked back at Erza, Gray and Happy – who had wanted to stay by her side. She knew that they all had mixed feelings, but at seeing Happy's encouraging smile, she turned back to him.
"We can talk outside."
He stepped to the side, giving her enough room to pass by him. She gave him no second glance, already heading down the carriage. She could feel his gaze burning into the back of head and was tempted to just stop in her tracks and shout at him for all he was worth. But, she kept composed as they entered an empty, isolated compartment.
As he slid the door shut behind them, she gave a heavy sigh and turned to meet his face.
Shocked she was to see grim determination on his face. Almost reverting back to her normal self, she took a cautious step forward, her hand stretched out. When her hand's touch barely gazed his shoulder, she felt him jolt. "Natsu…"
"Even though I can't say I don't like this, I remember you being thoroughly pissed at me a little while ago…" he murmured, his eyes hidden by his pink hair. Lucy retracted her hand, now feeling guarded against the man that could swing her emotions in a second.
"Why did you ask me here?" she asked, her voice sounding steely. He chuckled a bit, amused by her bluntness. When she narrowed her eyes, he stopped.
"I came here to apologize. You probably won't accept it, but it's worth a shot, right?" he asked, almost jokingly, feeling some relief when he saw gaze softening. His tone then changed to a serious one. "I'm really sorry about all this. If I hadn't just left, this might not have happened…"
Lucy bit her lip, finding the floor interesting. How could she reply? Yes, she was seething in her anger. Yes, she couldn't forgive anyone who might have taken part in the acts leading to the incident. But, she knew that because of her emotions, that she could never hold a grudge against him. Her feelings be damned.
"I accept your apology," she began, taking a pause to inhale a breath. "But, I don't think that I can forgive you that easily Natsu."
And with that, she brushed past him, not bothering to look back to see his dumbfounded expression.
..O..
After what could have been seconds, minutes or hours; he left the compartment. He felt dazed, confused at the new assumptions he was making. Being so close with Lucy, actually talking to her, felt like something that he needed.
The jumbled mess that he could call his mind, like a puzzle, was slowly arranging itself… And, he was scared at what he might discover.
But he didn't want to show his fear, because he was always a pillar of strength to his nakama; and he knew, even if she says that he won't be forgiven, that he needs to be there for her.
Lisanna shot him a questioning glance when he entered their compartment. They were originally meant to be staying with the team, but Erza and Gray had vehemently protested against, saying that it would be better for Lucy if he wasn't there.
He crumpled onto the plush seating, completely exhausted from thought. Where had all the good days gone? Where things were simple and he barely needed to think during the day; how he actually missed it. Lisanna shuffled, letting him lay his head on her lap, using it as a pillow.
"Hey," she began, threading her fingers into his hair. "You okay? You seem troubled. Is Wendy's Troia spell wearing off?"
He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to calm for a second before answering. "Don't worry. I'm fine. It's just…"
She smiled warmly, hoping that the mere action would make him loosen a bit. "You're troubled about all this, aren't you? I know that you were close with Ember, and now you're on edge about seeing her disappear. It's alright to be stressed because of that. But, they'll need you to feel better when they storm this place, right? So calm down a bit. Everything is going to go fine, and soon enough, everything will be all back to normal."
He tried to feel some type of comfort from her words. He only managed to calm a smidge, but thoughts of mysteries kept cropping into his mind, halting him from getting any sort of rest for the rest of the trip.
..O..
"They're coming as we speak. Just as planned. Unsurprising really, considering their stubbornness, don't you agree?" a man asked amusedly, his wicked grin reflecting his attitude. Another man, sitting in a lower chair merely nodded, taking a sip from a wine glass.
The room was considerably large, to the point that it was really a hall. It was magnificently lit, with chandeliers decorating the high ceiling every few feet. One could believe that they were in a royal palace, with the similar furniture and decoration to one. Though, they'd all be discouraged after seeing a shadow-manifested throne placed upon a raised dais.
The man sitting on the throne stood up, brushing away his ebony hair. He walked towards another odd piece in their glorious hall; a floating orb, purely made from shadow.
His grin never faltered when he approached the orb, peering into it as if it were simply glass. Inside, a girl was trapped, punching against the barrier to find a means of escape. Even though she was young, she looked so similar – almost identical – to her that he felt sadistic pleasure to see her in such a state.
"I commend you. To think that it was that easy to get within their ranks and accomplish this feat. I'm quite impressed by you, Nazo," the ebony-haired man stated, directing his words to the seated man. Nazo grinned and took another sip.
"I'm flattered, but compliments won't lower the price for this," Nazo replied, his tone bemused. "Though, it was easier than what I had originally expected. That woman, she was the easiest to fool. Though, surprisingly enough, it was her daughter that hated me the most. Oh. Not to mention her father."
The ebony-haired man chuckled. "Do tell about this girl's father, though I already have a hunch. And if I am correct, then…" he glanced at the little girl again, who was looking straight at him even though she could see nothing but darkness. "This girl will be a valuable asset. Layla Heartfilia, I wonder what you think will happen to your granddaughter now…"
..O..
The train pulled into a stop at the station. The Guild wanted to cause as little fuss as possible, but they were all anxious to get their matters settled; Lucy especially. Boarding off along with the few other passengers, they grouped at the entrance of the train station.
Erza spoke out first, taking charge. "Now, do we all remember the plan?" she asked, most nodding in reply. "For those who don't remember, we will be splitting off into teams exploring the town until we've found where they are keeping Ember. Others will be on the lookout for any enemies, got it?"
They all nodded once more, before marching onwards out the station. They all froze in their step when they saw a man standing in front of the town, as if protecting it from their siege. He ruffled his brown hair and walked forward, meeting with the blonde woman who stood petrified.
"I believe that plan will not work this time my dear nakama," he said, his voice as sly and cocky as ever remembered. The Fairy Tail members felt provoked, already preparing to attack the single man. Lucy quickly raised her arm up, halting them from committing any harm.
"What have you done with my daughter?"
Her tone was low, reflecting her anger. Nazo smirked, stepping closer to her. Their bodies were only inches apart, which aggravated her and her nakama – specially a specific dragon slayer. He tilted his head to look down on her, which made her feel inferior. Not wanting to show her weakness, she put on a hard façade.
"My dear Lucy," he began, his eyes flickering to the dragon slayer for a brief moment. "How wonderful to see your beautiful face once again. I do hope you forgive me after all this is resolved. We can return to having our friendly relationship, like before."
Something flashed in her eyes, as her hand made a dash to grip Nazo's bicep. She smiled, a charmingly fake one that reminded her of the ones she made six years before. "Nazo, I believe that I'll only be able to forgive you once hell actually freezes over. So until you see the devil wearing a winter coat, there is no way I'll forgive you for this. So I'm going to ask again; what have you done with my daughter?"
He chuckled, which made her seethe. Her grip went tighter, just so that he remembered their conversation. He ceased his laughs, motioning his head to something behind them. Lucy's eyes slowly followed the direction, grip dropping immediately at the sight.
Behind Nazo, the entire town had disappeared, and in its stead, there laid… a labyrinth.
A shadow labyrinth.
"What in the hell?" they heard Gray question, the statement mirroring their view. The labyrinth seemed to be shrouded in total darkness, the walls made of swirling shadow. They heard a noise, and all turned to Lucy, said mage on her knees, quivering in fear.
The shadows – how they reminded her so much of the nightmare in the Guild. The labyrinth looked like where it took place. Flashes of the mysterious figure slashing her nakama down blared through her mind, making her cower and whimper.
"Lucy!" her nakama cried, those near her moving to help her. She raised an arm up again, her whimpers turning into shrieks of sheer pain.
"Please! Stay away from me! You all might get hurt!" she pleaded, her hands returning to her head. The nightmare began enveloping her, the pain searing through her body. She felt someone grab a hold of her arm, assisting her up. She tried fighting the grip, afraid that it was one of her friends that helped her.
A hand brushed her cheek. Opening her eyes, she saw Nazo, and the lack of distance between them. She felt too weak to fight him back, so she stayed in the position. She saw him smile, and wondered that if things had turned out differently, would she have given him a chance?
"Lucy," he murmured, almost affectionately. She noted that his face was gradually getting closer to hers. "Your daughter is somewhere in that labyrinth. Somewhere in that darkness. Do you think yourself brave enough to find her?"
Before she could reply, Nazo had closed the gap.
..O..
Darkness.
All she could see was darkness.
She was running, finally free from the orb. But, she couldn't see where the exit was. She couldn't see where the light was. She was afraid of those who had captured her. She was afraid of going back. She was afraid of not seeing her mother anymore.
She stopped and fell to her knees, her sniffles morphing into desperate cries.
"Mama! Mama! Please find me! Please!" she called out, a flicker of hope telling her that someone will find her. She sat in a ball, hugging her knees. She was so frightened. "Mama… D – Dada… Please find me…"
