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Chapter 13: Breakthrough

Lucy

That afternoon, I left Levy's room in a haze of thoughts. She hadn't pressed me further, but I still felt mortified and humiliated. I had reacted much worse than I thought possible. Did I actually have feelings for Natsu? How was that even possible? It was true, I found myself thinking about him for most of my time nowadays. But that was only because I had to think about him, right? My mind didn't unconsciously think about him did it?

Here I was, walking back to the rooms, feeling oddly excited. It felt like I was in the middle of an adrenaline rush even though I had done nothing to warrant such a rush. I ran my fingers along the wall as I pictured Natsu's face in my mind. I dispelled his anger and frustration that he had been wearing for the past couple of days and replaced it with a grin. I pictures his sharp, white teeth and the way his eyes sparkled with amusement and laughter. I sighed internally.

This was an ordinary reaction. He was a very attractive young man who had been nice to me on several occasions. In any other circumstance, I would be reacting the same way. His muscles were a sight to behold and his fiery yellow-green eyes could have any girl swooning. It was only a stupid crush. It was an infatuation, a school-girl crush. I would get over it in no time at all. I had had many infatuations before, including Gray himself, and this one was no different.

I still remember when Gray and I had first met. I had expected a snobby, spoiled brat, but instead I received a prince-like figure with drool-worthy looks. Gray was built like a Greek god and I knew that it would have been abnormal for me not to have a crush on him at some point. During the first year, I was a hypnotized little girl who always wanted to please him. I wanted him to notice me because he was so attractive. Yes, it was shallow and stupid, but it was inevitable. I had gotten over it almost instantly after the first year.

My 'feelings' for Natsu were no different. As soon as I escaped, as soon as I got out of this hell, I would forget all about him. He would only be a bad nightmare. A fleeting memory I would think about I would have from time to time over my next forty years. Nothing of importance. Nothing lasting. When I was old, I would tell this story to my children about how I had helped locked the bad men in jail. There would be no regret, no questions of 'what if…'?

What if I was just a girl and he was just a boy? What if I wasn't the slave and he wasn't the master? What if things had turned out differently?

None of that…

I was so immersed in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed where I was going. I ended up in the hallways that would either take me to the main hall or the slave quarters. I blinked, peering around me. I internally cursed myself, knowing that I had been walking in the opposite direction of where I needed to go. I turned to start walking in the correct direction when I heard a call from behind me.

"Lucy!" I turned around to see Lisanna with another woman with long white hair and blue eyes, identical to Lisanna. She ran to meet me with the woman jogging behind her. I smiled as she embraced me quickly. She pulled back and gestured to the woman with her.

"This is my older sister Mirajane. She's Master Laxus' personal serf." Mirajane smiled and shook my hand. I smiled back, instantly liking her. She was several years older than me and Lisanna but she still had a childish spark in her eyes. Her cool blue eyes were full of kindness and gentleness that I hadn't seen in anyone in quite a while.

"So you're Lord Natsu's personal serf. It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard all sorts of rumors about you." She said cheekily, grinning, her eyes twinkling. I blushed and shook my head.

"I bet most of the rumors were false, but thanks. I'm actually supposed to go back, but I got sidetracked." I explained, jerking my thumb behind me. Mirajane laughed and nodded her head.

"It's so easy to get lost in this place. I've been here for years and I still couldn't tell you exactly how to get to my own master's chambers." She said cheerfully.

"Mira just got back from one of Laxus' missions. You said they brought back a girl right? It looks like you're not the newbie anymore, Lucy." Lisanna said. I frowned, peering at both of them. A new slave? Could they afford a new one? They already had enough trouble with me as it was, how could they just bring in a new one just like that?

"She's actually not a slave. She's a prisoner, but Lord Zeref wanted her to labor with the rest of us instead of sitting in the dungeons. She's with Lord Zeref right now and I can only imagine the number of scars she'll have when she gets out." Mira said softly. I gulped, thinking about what had happened to Erza. I knew how cruel Zeref could be. If what Mira said was true, I knew that this girl was not going to walk without a limp anytime soon.

"That really sucks. I'm so sorry." I said softly. Mira smiled, but didn't look fazed.

"There's really nothing to apologize for. You can't do anything about it, and neither can I, so might as well let life take its course, right?" She said. I smiled and nodded. I turned to look at Lisanna who was staring at me, her lips parted slightly.

"Lucy… you've only been here for a couple of weeks right?" she said, breathless. I nodded, slightly confused. "The last time anyone mentioned any form of injustice to you, you spouted a fire that I had never witnessed before. You had such a passion for changing the course of the future and you made me believe that there was hope for us slaves to escape. The Lucy I knew would have never just accepted something like this. How much have they changed you?" I pursed my lips and took in a sharp breath.

Before I could respond or even react to her words, a shrill shriek rang over the hall, piercing my eardrums with fire. I gasped and whirled around, staring at the direction it had come from. I looked back at Lisanna and Mirajane who were giving me the same look of complete and utter astonishment and a slight hint of fear. I turned back around as a flack of servants began to run towards the source of the scream, murmuring to each other, everyone in a flurry of panic. I began to jog after them, following the crowd out to the main hall.

I pushed my way through the large semi-circle of slaves that was forming. I reached the front of the semi-circle and stared wide-eyed at the scene in front of me. On the other side of the hall, all the masters, including Natsu and his entourage, were standing with their hands clasped behind their backs, looks of harsh indifference on their faces. In front of them, in the center of the circle, Lord Zeref was standing over a girl with dark brown hair and brown eyes who was laying on the ground with a bloody back.

Zeref raised his whip and snapped it down, opening another bloody gash in the poor girl's back. She let out another piercing yell, and I felt my knees buckle. I was frozen in place as Zeref kicked her down so that she was on her stomach instead of her knees. The side of her head was bleeding and she was only wearing a bikini top and capris pants. My heart clenched and my hands started shaking with fear.

She yelped again as he snapped the whip down again. I stepped backwards, colliding with the person behind me. An overwhelming amount of fear rose within me as I stared at the horrible scene enveloping in front of me. I stood paralyzed in place, unable to do anything but stare. I didn't want to get involved. I didn't want to get hurt like she was getting hurt. I felt an overwhelming pass of sadness for her, but I still stood rotted to the spot.

I lifted my head and locked eyes with Natsu across the room. He was giving me a strained look. His eyes were screaming but the rest of his face was completely calm. He was trapped, just like I was. Immobilized, unable to do anything but watch. He was a caged animal and he accepted it. He had already bowed his head in surrender and allowed the chains to hold him in place. He had stopped struggling long ago. Could I say the same for myself?

Suddenly, a shock went through my body as Lisanna's voice echoed I my head: How much have they changed you? I realized then that she was absolutely right. The Lucy then would have stepped in to stop this injustice. She would have felt anger, white hot fury, not this paralyzing terror. Had I really changed this much? Was I really so different that I could no longer stand up for a helpless person. Did I even like this change about me?

I watched as Zeref smirked and kicked the girl in the side. He was enjoying this. He was enjoying every second of torture. He loved the way she screamed. He loved the audience that had formed. He loved that he could put so much fear over everyone that shook them to the core. He thought he was all powerful. He was proving that he was all powerful. Was I just going to allow him to think that? Was I just going to stand there doing absolutely nothing as he tortured the innocent?

You just stood there! You coward! You could have done something! She was suffering! He was torturing her! Why didn't any of you do anything? Why did you just stand there? You could have stopped him! He was killing her and you did nothing! He could have killed her and yet you still would have done nothing.

None of you will do anything because all you care about is yourselves. You don't give a shit for a poor defenseless girl who has no choice but to fight with nothing but her bare hands against people who will kill her if she takes a step out of line. I don't understand how any of you can live with yourselves.

My own words echoed in my brain as I stared right at Natsu with an intensity that I couldn't fathom. This was not who I was. I was not a coward. I would not allow this injustice to follow through. They could do whatever they wanted to me. They could flay me alive, they could whip me for hours on end. But I would be damned if I allowed someone to be tortured in front of me by a man with no remorse.

A new found energy surging in me, I bolted forward, diving in front of the girl and raising my arm as Zeref snapped the whip down again. I grimaced as the whip snapped y forearm, opening a gash in my skin. Silence followed as Zeref stepped back with an amused smile on his face. I stood up, clutching my arm to my chest.

"Stop this." I whispered menacingly. "You're killing her." Zeref laughed as I knelt and stroked the girls shoulder. She turned her head to focus her big brown eyes on me. She gave me a panicked look as I unbuttoned my shirt and pulled it off my body, leaving me in nothing but my undershirt. I wrapped my shirt around her shoulders as she pushed herself onto her knees. She gave me a look of gratitude as I stood up to face Zeref again, my body in front of the girl's protecting her from Zeref's wrath.

"It's no less than she deserves, little girl." Zeref said calmly. "No one gets away with trying to make a fool out of me. Now if you please…" he spread his arms out, shaking the bloody whip. "You are in the way of my punishment. I would advise you to move." I stood my ground, even though I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole hall could hear how loud it was beating.

"She doesn't deserve this, no matter what she's done. I will not move. You'll have go through me if you want her." Zeref laughed again, sending chills down my spine. He took a step closer to me and my breath hitched. He smirked, shaking his head.

"Natsu!" he yelled. I gulped as Natsu stepped forward.

"Sir?"

"I thought you said your little pet had been tamed quite thoroughly."

"This is her first outburst in quite some time, my lord, I can assure you that—"

"You can assure me of nothing. Obviously, you didn't do as thorough a job as you claimed. I am getting quite sick of your little mishaps." Zeref snapped. Natsu bowed his head in shame. I felt a twinge of guilt but I pushed it away. Nothing would persuade me to move at this moment.

"I suppose I'll have to tame her myself." I gulped as Zeref turned his attention back to me. "I'll make you a compromise, little girl. You can stand your ground and allow me to torture you until you go blind, but I will move on to the prisoner after I'm finished with her. Or, you can please me by submitting your loyalty in the one way I know you'll mean it." I sucked in a quick breath as he lifted his chin dramatically.

"Kiss my shoes." My cheeks warmed as my eyes flickered down at his boots. I couldn't make this better. I could have to get on my stomach to do it. I looked away, already feeling humiliated.

I took a deep breath and swallowed my pride. This was my only option. I turned my head back and looked Zeref right in the eyes who was smirking at me. I turned my head to see Juvia and Milliana both staring at me with wide eyes. I turned the other way to Natsu staring at the ground. I took a deep breath and kneeled on the ground in front of him. You could hear a pen drop as I lowered my face to Zeref's shoes.

I was only inches away from hit boots and I had already started puckering my lips when Zeref drew his foot back and brought it back with such a force. It slammed against my nose and I jerked backwards, feeling pain erupt from my nose and echo through the back of my head. I let out a yelp as I fell backwards, my hands drawn to my nose. It was throbbing and I couldn't breathe out of it. I started panting as my hands dampened, which told me that my nose was bleeding. Tears welled up in my eyes and I let out a gurgled sob.

"Clean this mess up." Zeref said harshly. I whimpered as footsteps began moving in all different directions around me. My head was spinning and my nose was burning, but most of all, I was wounded on this inside. My pride had been harshly stabbed and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to heal it anytime soon.

I felt a steady stream of tears fall down my face as a large shadow appeared over me. They knelt down and stroked my cheek before lifting me off the floor bridal-style.

"You've really made a mess of things this time, buttercup."

Little intense now, dun dun dun... Leave a review, telling me what you think!