A/N: I AM SOOOOOOOO SORRY! *sobs* I know I haven't updated in like 6,000 years! But I promised I would NOT abandon it, and I always keep my promises! I am going to TRY to get another one out next week, but not promises on that one. I do kind of know what I want to do next and I'm pretty excited to get there, so I don't think it will be too much of a problem, but we'll see! I love you all for sticking around and not abandoning this story in my absense! You're the best! Please forgive me!
Fairy Tail High
Chapter 21: Arc of Time
"Reincarnation," Mira repeated, eyebrows pulling up in surprise.
"It must have been unlocked when you kissed," Makarov mused.
Lucy and Natsu both just gaped, neither able to do so much as utter a single syllable as Jellal continued to explain the unbelievable.
"No one can really prove if reincarnation is real or not," Jellal was saying, "but in cases of a Bonded pair, there are always signs that lead to the belief that it is, in fact, real."
"How can we be certain?" Mira asked.
Jellal gave a vague gesture toward Lucy and Natsu. "The proof is standing right in front of you. Only a Bonded pair would be able to do what Lucy just did with Natsu. I don't think there is any question that these two are the reincarnation of their former selves—lovers destined to be together for eternity."
"That's so romantic!" Mira gushed.
"Or creepy," Gray muttered.
"I don't understand," Lucy spoke up, still confused. "What exactly is a 'Bond'?"
"A Bond forms when two people have been destined for each other since the beginning of time," Jellal said. "Two lovers who are reborn again and again, and in each lifetime find each other, no matter what."
"Can you feel it?" Makarov asked, eyes on Lucy.
"Feel what?" Confused? Yes, she definitely felt confused. Afraid? Maybe a little.
Confused? Yes, she definitely felt confused. Afraid? Maybe a little.
Afraid? Maybe a little.
"Can you feel the connection you two share?"
"I have," Natsu cut in before she could speak.
Everyone turned to the pinkette now, who was looking only at Lucy as he spoke.
"I felt it the first day we met at school. As soon as I saw you… I don't know, something just sparked inside of me. It awakened something I hadn't even known I possessed until that moment."
Lucy recalled the strange look he had given her when he'd run into her in the hallway that first day. Had he really felt such a strong connection just by seeing her one time? Was that why he'd asked her to sit with him after just meeting her? When they'd kissed under the moon… Lucy had felt something, a stirring inside of her being, something she couldn't quite describe, but that felt right somehow.
"I think…" she began slowly, "I think I know what you're trying to describe."
"Very interesting," Jellal mused.
"I still don't understand what any of this means, though." Lucy sat on the sofa next to Mira, suddenly too tired to stand, and put her head in her hands.
"I might be able to help, I think," Jellal said, his tone almost reluctant. Everyone turned to look at him, but his gaze was fixed away from them all. "I… have a friend who specializes in Arc of Time Magic. I think she can help you two in recovering some of your past memories, if I am correct about your reincarnation."
Lucy gasped but didn't comment. Mira, Makarov, and Erza all had similar expressions of understanding. Natsu and Gray looked confused, but it was Gray who finally broke the silence.
"Who is this friend of yours?" he asked. "And what the hell is 'Arc of Time' magic?"
"Arc of Time is an ancient magic," Makarov explained. "It is also considered to be a forbidden magic."
"Isn't all magic technically forbidden anymore?" Lucy interrupted, frowning at the man.
He nodded. "Yes, that is true also, but this is a magic that was never trusted or accepted. In fact, this young woman is the only person I have ever known to have possessed this power. It's very dangerous, even if used correctly."
Lucy shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't think I like the sound of that…"
Mira put a reassuring hand on her arm. "Don't worry, Lucy, I'm sure she isn't a bad person; she won't let anything bad happen to you."
"And we will be there to protect you," Jellal added. "Nothing bad will happen to either of you."
Lucy sighed. "I don't know… This is a lot to take in."
"You're right, child," Makarov agreed with a smile. "Let's not concern ourselves with this matter tonight. We can all take some time to process. I do suggest that all you kids take the day off from school tomorrow, though. Perhaps you should all stay together, just in case."
Natsu's eyes bugged. "Just in case of what, old man?!"
It was Jellal who spoke, in a tone that suggested indifference. "In case our enemies decide to attack us all in our sleep, Salamander."
Lucy groaned. "That is not reassuring, Jellal."
He shrugged unapologetically.
Erza rolled her eyes. "Jellal is right. We will all stay here tonight."
Lucy gaped. "Wait, why here?!"
Erza cast a glower on Lucy that had her flinching away. "Because we are already all here. There is no need to trek across town to our base—"
"BOO!" Natsu cut in.
Erza continued as if he hadn't even spoken. "—and risk running into anyone this late at night, when we can all be safe here, together. Makarov," she turned her gaze on the small man, "you will stay as well."
He didn't look pleased by this but didn't go against Erza's command. Lucy found it almost comical that not even a grown man would dare fight against Erza, though she kept this thought to herself, of course.
"Great!" Natsu stretched his arms over his head. "Well, if we're all done here, I'm gonna get going! Let's go to bed, Luce!"
Lucy blushed. "Wh-What?! You are not sleeping in my bed again!"
Mira giggled. "Oh, come on, Lucy. You two are Bonded, after all!"
Lucy turned a glare on the woman, but she was pointedly looking somewhere else.
"I just wanna talk…" Natsu murmured. Lucy glanced back at him and found his eyes fixed on hers. His expression looked sincere, she thought, and maybe a little wary. She wondered why that was.
Finally, she sighed. "Fine." Curiosity was getting the better of her.
"That is hardly appropriate, Natsu!" Erza remarked in disapproval.
"Yeah, man." Gray folded his arms across his chest. "You shouldn't be the only one that gets a bed tonight."
"I don't think that's what she meant." Mira giggled again.
Lucy groaned and stood from the couch. As she neared a sheepishly smiling Natsu, she narrowed her eyes. "This better be important!" she hissed.
His smile fell and was replaced by a look of seriousness. He nodded and followed her up the stairs to her bedroom.
Lucy closed the door behind them, then turned with an expectant look.
Natsu sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Luce, I'm sorry."
Lucy's face softened at that. "For what? You didn't do anything."
He looked away, frowning at her dresser. "I… felt something, that first day."
"You just said—"
"I know," he interrupted, not unkindly. "Just listen a second, okay?" He turned back to her and waited for her to nod before continuing. "I should have said something that first day. I felt this weird connection, but I couldn't figure out what it was; I didn't know what it meant. I knew you were a wizard right away, I felt that the moment I bumped into you," he gave her an apologetic smile, "and at first I thought that's all that it was."
"When did you start to think it may be something more?" Lucy asked quietly.
Natsu turned thoughtful. "I think… I think it was that second day, when I ran into you again? When I offered to help you up and you took my hand…" he closed his eyes and exhaled a long breath. "I don't know, I felt it. It was different from your wizard signature."
The butterflies, she recalled. She had felt them when they'd touched but had contributed them to a natural response to a good-looking guy.
"I think I know what you're talking about," she whispered. He opened his eyes and looked over at her. She continued. "When we touched, I felt this… fluttering feeling inside of me, like butterflies."
"Yeah," he agreed hoarsely, "that's exactly what it feels like. Only for me, it was more like a freaking storm of butterflies." He laughed.
Lucy grinned, but the smile quickly faded. "What are we going to do, Natsu?"
"What do you mean?"
"About us, about all of this." She gestured between them. "I mean, Jellal thinks it will help if we go see his friend and learn more about our past, but what if it doesn't? Natsu, what if we don't like the things we find out?"
"Hey." He pulled her into his arms and rested his head on the top of her head. "Don't worry about that, 'kay? If this is true and we keep finding each other in every lifetime, over and over, then it has to be because we're something special, right?"
Lucy smiled into his chest. "Yeah, I guess you're right. If we hated each other, we probably would have avoided ever meeting again in another life."
He snorted. "Like anyone could hate you."
She smiled wider and wrapped her arms tighter around him. "I hope this answers some of our questions."
"Yeah," he kissed the top of her head, "me too."
…
The next day, Lucy found herself trekking through the forest in wedges of all things, silently cursing Jellal for not warning her to wear different shoes as her feet sank repeatedly into the damp earth. Jellal, Erza, and Mira walked up ahead and were talking in hushed voices amongst the three of them. Lucy wondered what they were saying, but was too tired to try and find out. Gray walked alone between them, hands stuffed in his pants (the only article of clothing he still wore), and occasionally kicked at a fallen rock or tree branch with his toe when one got in his path. Lucy and Natsu were only a few paces behind him, walking close but not quite touching. Still, Lucy could feel the heat emanating off of him as if they were pressed completely together. Principal Makarov pulled up the rear, humming to himself as if they were on a casual stroll through the woods and not on some weird mission to talk with a stranger who worked an ancient magic that may or may not reveal Lucy and Natsu's past life.
Just the thought made her tired.
Lucy sighed heavily without realizing it. Natsu glanced over at her with a frown. "What's up, Luce? Yer feet getting tired?" He arched an eyebrow at her wedges.
"No," she lied. "I'm just wary."
"About?"
"About… all of this." She threw her arms up in the air. "About us, meeting this 'friend' of Jellal's, and what happens when or if she manages to uncover some truth about our past. What will that really accomplish, anyway? So we know what our past selves went through. That doesn't help us now."
Natsu frowned deeply and tilted his head to the side. "Hmm. I guess that's true. But what if you're wrong?"
Lucy frowned. "What?"
"What if this woman can help us? What if our past has led us to where we are today, without our even realizing it?"
"Like… a chain of events?" she asked.
He grinned over at her. "Yeah. Exactly like that. Maybe… something we did in the past—"
"Caused a ripple effect to our future," Lucy realized. "Wow. I didn't even put that together." She grinned. "I don't think your friends give you enough credit, you're actually pretty smart."
"Thanks!" He grinned proudly.
"Great," Gray muttered from a few paces ahead, "it's all your guys' fault we're stuck in Hell."
Lucy rolled her eyes, but Natsu looked like he'd just been slapped. "How could you say that?! That's not true!"
Gray shrugged without looked back at them. "You never know with your dumb ass."
Natsu balled his hands into fists. "You better shut up, you—" One scathing look from Erza had him literally swallowing back the words with an audible gulp. "Never mind," he muttered, then scowled at the ground.
"Up ahead," Jellal called back to them.
Lucy looked up and could just barely make out the vine-covered house, hidden behind so many trees and shrubs she would never have spotted it if Jellal hadn't pointed it out. She thought it might be white underneath, but the greenery surrounding it was so thick it was impossible to tell. It could have been painted rainbow for all she knew.
They all slowed and walked close together as they neared it. Lucy wondered how they would even find the front door when Jellal suddenly stopped. The rest of the group stood around him, all silent and waiting. Lucy was growing anxious and chewed her lip so hard she was sure she tasted blood. After an endless moment, she couldn't take it anymore.
"What are waiting for—"
"Shh." Jellal shushed her.
A moment later, the vines clinging to the house began to glow a bright green, illuminating the trees and forest around them. Lucy gaped, half-horrified, half-mesmerized at the sight. The glowing vines seemed to burn with a green fire and slowly began to recede upward.
"Cool!" Natsu hissed in an excited whisper beside her. "I've never tasted green fire before…"
"Don't even think about it, flame-brain," Gray snapped, glowering over his shoulder at him.
"That expression is really creepy, Natsu," Lucy whispered. His creepy grin only grew at that. She rolled her eyes and returned her attention back to the sight before them just as a dark wood door with thorny vines crisscrossing the surface appeared. She braced herself for something to jump out at them, horror movie style, only this was real life… and in the magical world, the horror was often worse than any movie.
The door creaked open a crack, revealing nothing but darkness beyond. Instinctively, Lucy reached out and clutched Natsu's hand in her own. She wasn't usually the type to seek out safety from others, but she had seen enough terror in the last few weeks that she felt it was totally justified in that moment.
Natsu didn't call out her weakness. He squeezed her hand and gave her a determined smile. "We're in this together," he mouthed. It made her smile.
The door was suddenly pulled inward as if a gust of wind had pushed against it. A figure stepped out, crouched at the waist and hobbling out clutching a wooden cane. A silver bun of hair sat atop her head and she looked… ancient. That was the only word Lucy could use to describe the woman. There were so many wrinkles on her face, it was nearly impossible to discern the smile that lifted up pale lips, or the twinkling in her dark eyes.
"Very funny, Ultear," Jellal deadpanned, not sounding amused in the least. "It hasn't been that long since I've visited you."
Lucy glanced between the old woman and Jellal, confused. "This is Jellal's friend?" she murmured. Beside her, Natsu shrugged, seemingly just as confused as she was.
"Children these days have no respect for time," the woman chastised him, but she was still smiling.
"Ultear." Jellal's tone said business.
The woman sighed audibly, rolled her eyes, and began to straighten her posture. As she did, her frame began to change right before their eyes. Her body became slender and lithe with curves in all the right places—much to Lucy's annoyance. Her silver hair fluttered out of its bun and cascaded down her back into long, raven tresses. Her wrinkles disappeared in an instant, but the smirk remained.
"So nice to see you again, Jellal, Erza." She greeted them each with a nod, then turned her attention to the group behind them. "And what have you brought with you today? Have you joined one of those pesky guilds?"
Jellal snorted. "You and I both know there aren't any guilds left," he told her seriously.
"Unless you count the dark guilds," Mira chimed in helpfully.
"That's true." Ultear sighed almost wistfully. Lucy wondered if she had ever been in a guild, before they were all but nonexistent.
"May we come in?" Jellal asked politely, gesturing behind him at the others. "We have important business to discuss with you."
"It's always something with you, isn't it, Siegrain?" Ultear shook her head, tone implying exasperation.
Jellal scowled. "Don't call me that. That's not who I am anymore."
Siegrain? Lucy hadn't heard that name before.
"Still so sensitive." Ultear tsked. "Alright, come in, Jellal and friends. This better be worth my while," she warned.
"Don't worry," Jellal said with a smirk, "I think you'll find this to be a most intriguing visit."
A/N: Okay, so not TOO cliffhangery, right? *nervous laugh* I promise I wasn't trying this time. I was trying to leave it so it wouldn't be too frustrating for you guys! So... what do we think about this chapter? Does anyone have any thoughts and/or theories about what will happen next? Theories are always fun XD
Again, I plead for your forgiveness for my lack of updating this story! I hope this makes up for some of that!
Stele.