13. Halloween at the Heartfilia Manor.

HOLY FUCK! Zeref is….. Dude! I never thought that was the answer. I mean sure I figured he created him, but I never thought they were….! OMG!

..Just in case you are wondering, I am freaking out over a very revealing chapter of Fairy Tail.

And I swear I have typed this one particular chapter ever and ever again. It just wasn't going the way I wanted it. But now I think I've got it right.

Well anyway, please enjoy and please don't hate me for never updating this.

Thursday, October 30:

Lucy P.O.V.

It's been almost a month since my so-called dad decided I needed to surround myself with a higher class of students to learn how to fit into my given life. Even though I had only been there for four weeks, I could give you an accurate explanation of my days.

Complete bullshit.

The other girls loved being the materialistic rich kids they were. They didn't care to explore out of the roles they had been given. They accepted wearing a plain black and white uniform every day. They accepted being told what to do and when to do it. They accepted being told what to like and what not to like. They accepted being told how they should act, how they would grow to be to perfect housewife and do as their husband sees fit. They didn't dare actually think of running the family business after they graduated college. They were the future of trophy wives. It was my hell on earth and I actually was ecstatic to see Capricorn every evening to take me home. However when I placed the heel of my shoe on the marble floor to the entrance of the gigantic mansion I was holed up into every day, I realized it was no home. No real family and just paid-help bustled around the otherwise lifeless void.

I only ever talked with my real friends my phone and texts. Occasionally they would meet at the cornfield and video chat with me but that was the closest I ever came to seeing their faces anymore. Sadly I didn't even know what was really going on with any of them. I didn't know if Levy and Gajeel were getting any closer or not. I didn't know what the latest fights between Gray and Natsu were about. I didn't get to see the flustered look on Erza's face whenever Jellal got too close or said something romantic. I didn't get to smile warmly ever Gray's secret niceness towards Juvia, his deep down love for her.

In this time, I have acquired this unexplainable anger. Sure my father has done some bad things before and I still looked at him as a heartbroken man separated from the love of his life way too early, but now it was different. I just didn't care what my father thought anymore. Whenever he was actually home, I didn't hide from him anymore. Instead, I forced myself to at least sit in the same room and when conflict rose –and it did endlessly due to our rubbing, fighting personalities- I yelled directly at him. But that solved nothing inside. Whenever I did raise my voice at him, he sat calmly and put me in my place without even an emotion on his face. That just feed me more hostility.

Yet, today I had the feeling that something was different. Something was about to happen that would change my new day to day life. When I was at the academy, I couldn't quite place the disturbance in my surroundings but the moment I walked up the front steps of the mansion, I understood the feeling.

A brown suitcase was leaning against the doorframe and a briefcase beside that. The large door was left open and I could hear my father's muffled voice just beyond the door, most likely coming from the den. I followed Capricorn into the room where my father was calmly talking on the phone, clearly patching up some last minute details, and I stayed by the doorframe. I may be curious as to where he planned to go but that doesn't mean I was willing to get any closer to the man than I already was.

As soon as he placed the phone back on the end table by the love seat, I arched a brow at him, thinking he might understand my question without having to speak it. Clearly the message wasn't comprehendible for him for he just stared at me quizzically.

"Where are you going this time?" I asked after releasing a gigantic sigh of annoyance.

"Where I go is of no importance to you. You just worry about your studies." Jude replied.

He strode past me without even glancing at me.

"It is important to me. I'm still technically a minor and like it or not, you are my guardian. You can't just up and leave without telling me." I spat as I followed him into the foyer.

He looked back at me coolly. "I don't have to answer to you. I am the adult here and I'll do as I please. You are the child and you are to listen to me. That's it. Not questioning what I do."

I balled my hands into fists at my sides.

"I'm not a kid anymore!" I screamed.

"Didn't you just say you were?"

I had no clue way I was even yelling at him. I knew it wouldn't help at all; with our relationship or my boiling anger inside. But I could feel the words spilling out of my mouth and I didn't know where they were coming from. But when I wanted to yell back, scream that I am not a kid and that he wouldn't know what I am anymore, my mouth wouldn't open. It was clamped down in anger with my teeth digging into my tongue.

When I didn't say anything back, my father turned on his heel and walked out of the house. He grabbed his bag out of the doorway and climbed down the stairs. He didn't say another thing as he left and Capricorn closed the door between us. That also didn't help calm my buzzing nerves. I felt like I had to have the last word or the upper hand. My brain whizzed about trying to feed my need to best him, my father. Then when the perfect plan -or what I figured would be the perfect plan- came to mind, I pulled out my iPhone and my fingers flew across the touch screen keyboard. I sent the message to everyone.

Not just my Fairy Tail friends but even the study group I had at my new school and Yukio from Sabertooth. She never meant to hurt me at the soccer game back then and I couldn't hold it against her. She was sweet.

Soon the message would be spreading like wildfire. A smirk spread across my face at the pleasing thought. With the message out in the world, quickly whizzing about to flash on hundreds of screens, I needed to go get some supplies. This was going to be a big one.

….

Friday, October 31, Halloween.

Lucy.

I woke up this morning with surging anticipation for my plans for the weekend. I could barely contain myself as I brushed my teeth and straightened my hair. However I gave myself up when I was pulling on my plaid school skirt. I danced around my room and turned on the radio as loud as it would go.

I was still dancing when I made my way downstairs. Virgo and Aries noticed my lifting mood this morning and laughed at my behavior. I didn't care though. I felt so light. We could still hear the music booming from my room clearly and I moved through the flowing beat to the kitchen. Fresh muffins and fruit were already laid out for me and I immediately began eating. As I ate, I looked at my phone. I had requested a special ride this morning and I was dying to know when it would get here. I had given specific orders for him to text me when he arrived and not already seeing the message was seriously dampening my mood.

I placed the phone back on the table surface as I finished my breakfast. It was hard to not pick up the device every two seconds but I knew he would text me when he arrived. After I had ate everything I wanted, I stood up from the chair and smoothed my skirt and by the time I leaned over to pick up my phone, it dinged. I didn't even have to read the message or even look at the screen to know what it was.

It was the message I was waiting for all morning. He was finally here.

I raced to the front door, picking up my school bag on the way, and slung it open to reveal Natsu casually leaning against one of the pillars on top of the staircase. The biggest grin stretched across my face when I saw him. It's felt like forever since I last saw him.

Upon seeing me, he straightened up and gave me one of his lopsided grins that made me feel a bit… odd?

"Nice uniform." He teased.

He motioned at me, taking in the black blazer, white blouse, red tie, black and red plaid skirt -that I did hike up so it stopped mid-thigh instead of the knee, there was no way I was going to look like a middle school dork-, the white stockings, and finally the black pumps with hells so high and sharp they could pass as daggers.

I mockingly glared at him, kind of regretting letting him, my best friend, see me in this ridiculous outfit.

"What took you so long? I've been waiting forever."

Natsu just chuckled and turned to head back to his car. I rolled my eyes and followed him closely, as if he would disappear. Once at the car, Natsu took by bag like he used to and tossed it gently into the backseat before walking around and sitting in the driver seat. Then he fiddled with the radio and put it on the only station I hated listening to in the mornings. I gave him a very real, very deadly glare before quickly switching it to just any other station.

"I have missed driving you everywhere." He smiled while looking at me then turned his attention to driving.

The rest of the ride consisted of catching up and once again fighting over the song selection. I learned that Gajeel had grown closer to Levy. So close that she couldn't go anywhere alone. That Lisanna would be coming back for Christmas. And so much more was happening and my brain was struggling to keep up.

Then before either of us knew it, Natsu had pulled up in front of the tall intimidating gray building that was my school. A small whimper escaped from me and I didn't even try to hide it. Natsu, of course, heard and immediately tried to fix it.

"Hey, if you don't want to go, we could always skip today. Like we used to."

I looked over at him one more time before this incredibly long day began. "Sadly, I have to go in." I slowly opened the door and leaned into the back seat to grab my bag, then climbed out of his car. "See you this evening right?"

"4:30." He reassured me.

I could feel him watching me as I walked away.

School couldn't have ended soon enough. All day in each of my classes, I was an anxious mess, tapping pens against the fine wood of my desk, tapping my foot, and wiggling in my seat. Then the last class was the worst. It seemed to drag out forever. But at last, the bell tolled signaling another long day had come to an end and I was the first person into the wide halls. I jammed my unwanted notebooks and textbooks into my locker then raced for the front entrance. I was hoping Natsu was a little early so I wouldn't have to stand outside waiting for long. Luckily he was already outside, parked under a massive tree full of orange and red leaves making it difficult to make out the red car. I almost didn't see him there. A smile adored my face and I skipped down the steps and toward his car. As I got close, I could hear the crisp crunch of leaves beneath my feet and could see Natsu sleeping in the back seat.

I swung the back door open and kneeled down beside him and poked his cheek with my finger. "Natsu, wake up." I whispered. He softly swatted my hand away and rolled his head over, exposing his other cheek.

"Natsu, Come on. Wake up." I tried again, poking at his other cheek. He grumbled a little bit and I figured this shy approach to waking him wasn't going to work. With a sigh, I stood up from my kneeled position and gently tossed my heavy school bag into his abdomen. He jumped up clutching the bag that was dropped on him. He looked around bewildered, completely lost for a moment and I couldn't hold back my laugh. It was just so funny. At my laugh, Natsu turned and faced me. I placed my hands over my lips, only muffling my giggles.

"Why'd you do that for?" Natsu moaned, his voice thick.

"I'm sorry." I chuckled. Natsu grumbled a bit as he climbed out of the back seat and into the driver's seat. I closed the back door and sat in the front seat beside him. "Why were you sleeping in the backseat anyway?"

"I got bored of waiting for you to come out." Natsu shrugged and started the car.

"Got bored? You only had to wait ten, twenty minutes tops."

"I was here longer."

"How much longer?"

"I never left."

"Why?" I yelled. Not from anger but confusion. Why would he just sit out here all day?

"I don't know." He muttered as he turned onto the highway.

I stared at him like he just told me a duck was breakdancing on the dash board. Why didn't he knew? Shouldn't he of all beings know why Natsu Dragneel decided to stay outside in his car all day waiting for one person to come back?

"So what are you going to be tonight?"

"What?" I asked. He was clearly trying to change the subject but I had no idea what he was trying to say.

"I swear if I show up dressed in something stupid because you said we had too and you're not wearing a costume, I'm going to throw a punch bowl on you." Natsu threatened.

"You wouldn't dare!" I gasped.

"Wanna bet?"

We came to a stop at a red light and Natsu gave me a challenging stare, like he was considering doing it now just because I said he wouldn't.

"I'll be dressed up as well but you don't get to know until you show up."

….

The mansion was packed within thirty minutes. The word had spread that the heiress of the Heartfilia business was throwing a raging Halloween party. This fueled mostly their curiosity of what was out here. Not many people have been invited here in some years. I didn't know so many people could be in here and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't even know half of these people. Probably because they all went to different schools around the area.

Last night I told Virgo I was going to have a small get together with my friends so all day the staff had been decorating every inch of the Heartfilia estate in Halloween festivities. It looked so cool and creepy, it was hard to picture it as my lifelong home. Strobe lights had been strategically placed in odd places, lighting up the whole house in flashes. Jack-o-lanterns on every staircase step, bats hanging from the ceiling, cobwebs stuck to every corner, and it looked like they painted all the walls black but I doubt it was that far. Probably black paper to tear down easily. Spooky, eerie music played through the speakers and a giant punch bowl had been placed in the center of the foyer.

This is what I was greeted with when I walked through the front door earlier. I had sent Natsu away telling him to get a good costume. I didn't want him to see anything until tonight. Virgo was waiting for me at the bottom step of the grand staircase dressed as a mummy and she shuffled me up to my room immediately. Inside Aries was waiting for me with a couple of material swatches in hand and a sketch book on the bed.

The two spent several hours on my costume and makeup and they hadn't finished until now. They would have finished sooner but they wanted to dress me as a princess but I politely declined. It was Halloween, I was going to be something other than myself. By this time, the party had already been in swing for an hour and I could hear the muffled sounds of everyone enjoying themselves.

"Okay Princess, everything is done now." Virgo smiled.

"You don't have to call me princess." I replied and turned around to face my vanity mirror to see what they had dressed me as. My mouth fell open in amazement.

I looked so…. Beautiful. Sure I am aware that I'm not exactly a bridge troll but Virgo and Aries did an incredible job. My long blonde hair had been bound tightly under a wig of long, loose silver curls with what looked like a lavender-blue mixed in. The hair was held back with a few large grey roses on one side. My face had been painted like a skull. It wasn't that crazy kind with the pure white faces. It was simple just a few black lines to mark as teeth on my lips and my nose blacked out to look like it was missing. My eyes had been painted a sheer blue with silver, black, and blue rhinestones placed all around. My chin had been framed with a faint black fading down into my neck and into a blue body glitter down to my chest.

I wore a black corset with a lacey black tank top over it and a black skirt that stopped mid-thigh with black and white stripped stocks on underneath. It was the complete opposite of me in a way and I was odd yet enticing. I never pictured myself to look like this. I stood up onto my blue pumps and twirled around to thank Aries and Virgo for all their hard work.

"Oh, thank you! Really. It's absolutely perfect." I complimented their hard work as I stared at my reflection, barely believing it was me under there.

"Come now. If you don't go downstairs now, you'll miss your party." Virgo rushed me out of the chair. She handed me a pair of electric blue heels and pushed me out of my bedroom. I blinked at her behavior, confused. Why had she just thrown me out like that? She's the one who said it's okay to be a little late.

"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

I looked to my right where I saw Levy standing on the top stair with a wide smile on her glitter covered face. I knew she would make an absolutely adorable fairy. We have been working on her Halloween costume for a week now. Originally she had plans to spend the night trick-or-treating with her brother but I could see she bailed on that idea.

On her head, she wore a flower crown made of daisies and pansies with a pink ribbon looped around carelessly. Prosthetic ears were placed on hers to give them the pointed elf look. Her skin was covered in body glitter and a few rhinestones here and there. But her dress was the best part. It was a blue, purple, and green dress with a tight bodice and layered skirt. The dress was sleeveless and over it she wore a tan vest. Best of all was the wings. We hand made the wings for her desired effect. We molded and twisted wire clothes hangers for hours to the exact shapes we needed, little circles inside ovals and whatnots, then grabbed some sheer, thin, blue and green fabrics to fit over the metal, making wings.

"I'm right here." I smiled.

"You look amazing. But why that I thought you were going to be a princess or something."

"I wanted to try something different."

"Well it works for you. Now come on, there's a party downstairs."

….

When we walked downstairs, my first thought was it would be hard to find my friends in the crowd of goblins, ghouls, witches, and monsters. However, due to my friends' rambunctious attitudes, we found them pretty quickly in the den. They were seated on the overstuffed furniture of the room, deep in argument over something, their voices rising steadily. I saw Erza, Gajeel, and Gray shouting towards one another with Jellal, Juvia, and Mira looking very uncomfortable beside them.

"What's going on here?" I asked and stepped down into the room.

They paused for a second seeing me. Erza held up one finger and turned her attention back to the two boys. "We'll continue this later."

The boys sat back in their chairs, looking a little disappointed, but silent and no longer pushing the matter like they were when Levy and I walked into the room. Levy ran past me and sat beside Gajeel, who was costumed as a pirate making me think of Neverland and Fairies.

Seeing his costume and realizing it was a costume party forced my curiosity to find out what the others were dressed as. Gray held a long wooden staff and a blue hoodie with swirls of ice painted on. Jack Frost. Juvia had a long mermaid skirt with green scale pattern and a purple calm shell bra. Little Mermaid. Erza and Jellal both wore classy outfits, Jellal a clean cut suit and tie and Erza a long black sleeveless dress with a cut up her left leg where a gun holder was strapped on. Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Clearly Gajeel and Levy were Captain Hook and Tinkerbell inspired. Mira sat straight in her seat with angel wings stripped to her back and a red cocktail dress clung tight to her body. She also held a bow in her hand. With a closer look, I could see a sheath of heart shaped arrows between her wings. Cupid?

"Where's Natsu?" I asked.

"Not here yet." Gray answered.

"But he just texted a little while ago saying he was on his way." Mira added.

"Okay." They started talking about how natural it was for Natsu to be late and guessing what his costume would be. My throat felt a little dry and my stomach felt like it dropped a little. I was starting to feel strange. What was happening? "I'm going to get something to drink." I felt their stares on my back as I walked away until I rounded the corner.

….

Third Person P.O.V

Erza, Mira, Gray, Juvia, and Levy stared as Lucy's face slowly turned down and as she left the room.

"What was that?" Gray muttered.

"We talked about that pink haired idiot and she reacted oddly." Gajeel pointed out.

"I think she is beginning to see something." Erza observed. She looked over at Mira and they shared a glance.

"Now to see about Natsu."

…..

Natsu P.O.V.

I can't believe I actually dressed up for this party. I can't believe I dressed up this well for this party. When Lucy told me last night about her idea for a Halloween costume party, I thought just dress like Gray. It's a scary enough costume and all I had to do was wear some jeans and paint on his creepy raven tattoo. But when it actually came to getting ready for the party, I changed my mind. I asked for Mom's and Wendy's help and at the end, I was the pumpkin king. My face painted white like a skull and a pinstriped suit. Wendy even added a pumpkin mask to the side of my forehead. I looked weird but I had this nagging feel that I had the best costume. Even the nagging didn't make sense. I have never cared this much about going to a party. But when I got in my car and the closer I got to Luce's house, the more nervous I got. I almost pulled over or turned around three times, and I kept thinking this is stupid! Why was I acting so strange? What was wrong with me? Maybe I was getting sick.

Finally I pulled up the long drive to the Heartfilia mansion but I wasn't feeling any better. Maybe I'll just go lay down in Lucy's bed for a few minutes. I opened the front door and was amazed by all the people that was crammed in the space. Also the place looked so much smaller due to all the black decorations everywhere. To my left I saw Erza and the gang sitting in the den and to my right I saw the hallway that lead to the kitchen. My stomach rumbled a little when I looked that way. Maybe I wasn't even sick just hungry. I couldn't even remember the last time I ate. And I did spend the entire day in my car waiting for Lucy to get out of school. Now that I think about it that was stupid on my part. It was boring. And I'm surprised the cops wasn't called on me for being creepy.

I pushed past people and gave short apologies if I bumped them to hard, and eventually I arrived at the massive kitchen with a few people loitered here and there, and food piled on the counters. I dug into the food instantly and it actually made me feel better but I still had this nagging pit in my stomach and a stinging in my veins, like my blood was turning to lead. I wanted to run to the sink and wash my face in cold water but I couldn't because of this stupid face paint I just had to do!

Since the food wasn't completely working, I left the kitchen. I decided to go with Plan A a.k.a. laying down in Lucy's bed. Walking down the hallway was easier this time, a lot of people had cleared the area. I wasn't paying too much to where I was going after a while and I accidently bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry." I muttered looking at whoever I knocked into. Lucy.

She looked different, not like herself but not in a bad way. Just different. Covered head to toe in black and electric blue, even her blonde hair was hidden. You could hardly even tell it was her. I'm surprised I even knew it was her at first glance.

"Is this really how we're always going to meet?" Lucy laughed.

"I can't promise it won't." I joked back.

"Come on, everyone's waiting."

I followed Lucy to the den where everyone was waiting and without hesitation, we were enveloped in conversation. Even though it had been at least a month since Lucy had seen any of us, she still felt at ease here and it was like she hadn't been missing really at all.

Oddly, however, my uneasy feeling of nagging pits and lead blood had all disappeared and it was like it hadn't happened at all. When did that happen?

Lucy P.O.V.

The party had died down around 1 or 2. Yet, of course, my friends were still wired and wide awake. When most people had left, I went upstairs and showered, cleaning off the stress of the day and a ton of makeup. Walking downstairs in jammies to see about a small snack before going to bed, I saw not a one of my close friends had left. Instead I saw that Levy and Natsu had also already changed into more comfortable attire. Matter of fact, Gajeel was currently complaining to Levy that he was still stuck in a costume while she and Natsu were mocking them with their freedom.

"What are you guys still doing here?" I asked as I reentered the den.

"Didn't you hear? We're staying the night." Erza informed me.

In fact, I never heard anything like that. I was about to open my mouth to tell her this when she gave me a glare and Jellal scuffed.

"It was actually just decided." He muttered lowly, most likely out of fear of what his girlfriend might do to him.

"Wrong. I decided when I saw the text about the party." Erza corrected.

"Fine. But I was going to watch a movie and go to sleep." I pointed towards the stairs to let them know I was going back upstairs.

"Nonsense. We could watch a movie down here." Mira suggested. "I'm pretty sure we all could use a movie to really calm down with."

"Or, we could watch a slasher flick with psycho killers and screaming blondes!" Natsu screamed from behind me causing me to jump. He walked away laughing and tossed a pillow at him. He was such a jerk sometimes.

"I don't know..." In truth I didn't like horror movies. At most I avoided them. I knew logically they were not real but my overactive mind thought they would come through the TV screen like in the ring.

"You don't have a choice."

Erza and Mira both linked arms with me and forced me into a seat on the floor and Gajeel picked a movie from out of nowhere and placed it in the DVD player. Virgo had walked into the room and Gray politely requested blankets and pillows. That was when I noticed Juvia fast asleep on the couch with her head on Gray's lap. One by one, all got comfortable in the room. Erza revealed that she had packed clothes for mostly everyone, letting us know that she had planned this all along.

Eventually everyone besides Gray and Juvia had changed out of their costumes and were sitting on the floor in a mountain of fluffy pillows and yards of blankets. For the time being, most had paired up and cuddled up to watch the movie and I was stuck with Natsu. That's when they started the movie. It was fairly good beginning. But like all horror/slasher flicks, the bad thing comes, chasing some poor girl and terrorizing her. And don't forget the jump scenes. On cue, I jumped right along even though I knew it was coming. And every time this happened, I felt Natsu laughing beside me. When the demonic guy jumped out of the baby carriage, I had had enough. I sat straight up and tried removing the blankets but a pair of tanned strong hands gripped me.

"It's okay Lucy. It's just a movie." Natsu whispered in my ear.

"I know but I don't want to watch it anymore." I whimpered.

"Here, if it gets too bad," Natsu wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him. "I'll protect you."

…..

Erza P.O.V.

This movie made no sense. Why was there a demon chasing an innocent mother? And why was she running? Why wasn't she fighting back? This was why I personally didn't watch these movies. I couldn't comprehend them. The only thing good about them was cuddling close to Jellal. My head rested on his shoulder and his head on mine and his arm wrapped around my shoulder. It felt nice.

Randomly, I felt a tapping on my shoulder but I summed it up to Jellal but when it kept happening I realized it wasn't Jellal. I picked up my head and looked towards the tapping. Mira smiled at me and pointed to my left. I gave her a quizzical glance but she insisted look. Sighing, I leaned forward, peaking around Jellal, and saw Natsu holding a terrified Lucy who was burying her face in his shoulder. Quickly, I turned back to Mira. Oh, how I wished I had telepathic powers now! We needed to discuss this! More importantly, I needed to separate them. Why? I didn't know. But the need to protect my friend was overwhelming me.

"I know, I know." Jellal whispered and kissed my forehead before removing his arm. I gave him a real kiss and stood up. I rushed to the TV and turned it off. There was a collective groan around the room but I hushed them.

"I'm tired and I'm not sleeping on the floor." I insisted, grabbing a handful of cotton. "Lucy, show us to your room?"

Lucy's cheeks were darker than my hair but she jumped up from her seat and ran towards the staircase. I told Gray to follow us with Juvia and we girls went to sleep in Lucy's room. He gently placed her on the bed and because she had such a large bed, most of us could fit.

"I'll sleep on the couch." I strode to the furniture and started removing clothes.

"No, no. you sleep on the bed with the others. I'll take the couch." Lucy said.

"It's okay. I'm fine with the couch."

"No guest nor friend of mine will sleep on a couch." Lucy insisted.

"Fine. Goodnight Lucy." I smiled and climbed into the cloud Lucy called a bed.

….

Natsu P.O.V.

It got cold when Lucy left. I had laid on the floor and tried to sleep but I couldn't. I kept thinking about her and what it was like holding her like that. My chest was tightening and my stomach burning with fire.

"Dude, what was that?" Gray, who was only five feet from Lucy and I a little while ago, asked.

"What?"

"You know what." He hissed.

"I don't know."

It was a vague answer but it was the truth. I don't know what came over me. I just had to protect her. But why? Why did I care so much? Shouldn't I have teased her like before? She was my best friend. Of course I cared about her and wanted her safe.

What was happening to me?