TO MY READERS: Well, here it is! The last chapter of Love Amongst the Stars! I cannot thank you all enough for being so amazingly supportive of this story. I can't believe I actually finished this and I owe it all to every single one of you guys. And, as I have said before, I hope you all chose to stick around for the other stories I have in mind. It has really meant the world to mean that you guys have decided to share this journey with me and I would really love for you all to be here for the next one. Rant over, okay? I love you all and here's the final chapter.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN any of the characters or places mentioned in this story. It all belongs to the original creator, Hiro Mashima.
XXI - A Proper Goodbye
The carriage the men had Lucy escorted in stopped at the front of the Heartfilia Mansion. Looking at the floor, Lucy refused to look up once her door was opened by one of the men. He attempted to let her get out herself but when she refused to move, he grabbed her arm and pulled her from the carriage. Her hands cuffed behind her, she struggled to regain her balance after being yanked on her feet so harshly.
"Lucy!" Her head snapped up from the ground at the sound of her name. Standing in front of the mansion's giant doors was Ms. Spetto with a few of the other servants standing beside her. At the sight of Lucy, Ms. Spetto rushed down the cement stairs to meet her and the men.
"Lucy, dear," she gushed, taking in Lucy's frazzled expression. Her blonde hair was messy from the wind, sand, and ocean mist blown into it from the breeze. Her eyes were still puffing from her tears and she was slumped in on herself like a real prisoner. It made Ms. Spetto's heart hurt.
"Take these damned handcuffs off her!" she commanded the men.
"I'm sorry, but we only take orders from Mr. Heartfilia," the leader of the men said, snapping his fingers for his goons to guide Lucy into the mansion. Ms. Spetto stepped in front of the men, blocking their way. She stared up at them with angry eyes and they looked slightly terrified of the old woman, despite her size.
"Mr. Heartfilia is busy making last minute arrangements for the wedding tomorrow. I have been instructed to retrieve Lucy. Now, release her this instant." The leader grumbled but nodded his head for the man behind Lucy to grab the key. Once the cold metal was removed from her wrists, Lucy began rubbing the red flesh.
"You're free to go," the man behind her said, giving her another rough push right into Ms. Spetto's arms.
"Where're the jewels?" the leader demanded. Clutching Lucy tightly to her small frame, Ms. Spetto glared angrily at the rude man.
"Mr. Heartfilia did not give me anything. And I'm sure there will be a fairly large reduction in your reward when he finds out about the mistreatment of his daughter," she hissed.
"Listen, you old hag!" the leader shouted. "We did our job. We got your precious princess and now we'd like to be paid. Go talk to the man himself and tell him we want our money. Now." Not wanting to further anger the delinquents, Ms. Spetto turned to one of the servants and nodded for them to send for Mr. Heartfilia.
A short while later, the front doors of the mansion swung outward and Jude Heartfilia stepped outside with the servants beside him, hands behind his back. He stepped down the stairs and the demeanor of the men immediately changed in the presence of such a powerful man. Jude came to stand next to Ms. Spetto and Lucy who was now shaking from seeing her father. She had no idea how angry he might be and she was not eager to find out. He stared at the men for a few moments before glancing down to his daughter and Ms. Spetto.
"Are you unharmed?" he asked Lucy. Too terrified to answer, Ms. Spetto spoke up for her.
"For the most part. These men handcuffed her like she was a prisoner!" she hollered, shifting her eyes to the group.
"She resisted us," the leader said, shrugging his shoulders. Jude scrutinized the men but reached inside his coat pocket where he retrieved a heavy sack of jewels. Tossing it to the men, the leader hungrily caught it, gripping it tightly to his chest.
"Leave," Jude thundered. A chill shivered up and down Lucy's spine at his tone, knowing it all too well. The men quickly retreated into their carriage and sped off. Jude sighed and shook his head, staring down at Lucy again.
"You see the ne'er-do-wells I had to hire in order to bring you back here?" he asked her furiously. With her right hand in full view of her father, Jude's eye was drawn immediately to the Fairy Tail emblem. He sneered. "What filth have you been living in for the past two weeks to make you think a tattoo is making of a wife and mother?" Lucy glanced self-consciously at the insignia and quickly brought her arm behind her back.
"Ms. Spetto," Jude said.
"Yes, sir?"
"Make sure my daughter is wearing a pair of gloves to cover that hideous mark," he stated. "I don't want Duke Sawarr to discard of her." Ms. Spetto simply nodded and Jude spun on his heels, heading back into the mansion. The doors were kept open until Lucy, Ms. Spetto, and the rest of the servants were ready. Looking down at Ms. Spetto with wet eyes, Lucy's lip began quivering as she fell into sobs. Ms. Spetto held onto her, wrapping her arms around Lucy's shaking body as much as she could.
Welcome home…
"So it's true?!" Silence was Natsu's answer as he stood in the Master's office with Cana and the rest of the gang. After waking up with a pounding headache on the beach, Natsu rushed to tell the Master and the others about Layla—Lucy's—kidnapping. But he needed to know everything that the Master and Cana knew.
"Tell me!" Natsu shouted, banging his fist on the desk, making everyone jump.
"Yes, it's true," the Master admitted. "Lucy Heartfilia was staying here under the alias of Layla. When we sentenced her to staying with the circus, her father must've sent out a search party for her. Apparently, she's the only heiress to the entire Heartfilia line so her father must've spared no expense in finding her."
"And you knew all this time?" Natsu asked, turning his anger to Cana who sat in the chair behind him. "Of the danger she was in?"
"She swore me to secrecy," Cana said, raising her arms in surrender. "I couldn't betray her trust like that. Plus, who knew those stooges would've ambushed you guys." Natsu's fist tightened on Lucy's wig and his anger seethed.
"We have to go after her," he said.
"Are you out of your mind?" Cana asked. "If Lucy really meant all that trouble to her father, he would throw all of us in jail for trying to break her out. There's nothing we can do, Natsu. It's over."
"It's not over until I say it's over!" Natsu shouted again. He was so enraged; not just at Lucy but at himself. He wasn't strong enough to stop those men from taking her. He could've fought harder and protected her but he fell short. And now she was gone.
Unless they did something.
"Natsu," Erza began, coming up beside him. "Lay—I mean, Lucy, meant a lot to all of us. But we can't just barge into this man's home and demand he relinquish his own daughter. It's not going to happen. We have to think logically about this." Fire seething from his glare, even Erza was taken aback by it as Natsu stared her down.
"She's my partner," he hissed.
"She's a Heartfilia first, Natsu," Cana said, standing from her seat. "I'm telling you, doing something to bring her back will only make things worse for her and us. From what she's told me her father is relentless. Even if we did manage to get her out of there, he would stop at nothing to bring her home. He's not someone to screw around with, I've heard." Needing to wake off his rage, Natsu threw Lucy's wig down on the desk and stalked out of the office, leaving everyone shocked in his wake. Cana instantly followed after him, slamming the door behind her.
"Natsu," she called after him, jogging down the steps. "Natsu!" He continued to saunter away, stomping in the sand with hands clenched in fists. "Have those flames affected your hearing as well as your brain?! Stop!" Huffing, Natsu turned around to Cana who was running towards him. She stopped only inches from him and grabbed him by his vest.
"You never think before you do!" she shouted. "You think you're the only one who misses her? That you're the only one who wished you could've stopped those guys from taking her away? She was my friend, too! I loved her! You are not the only one!" Shocked at her raised voice, Natsu met Cana's teary eyes and realized how selfish he was being. She was right. As usual.
Sighing, Cana released his vest and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I wish I had been then with you guys," she whispered. "I wish I could've seen it coming, but I didn't." Then she looked back up at him. "But we need you, Natsu. If you go marching in there, they will have you arrested. We need you. If Lucy really wants to be a part of Fairy Tail, to be with us, it's all up to her now. Do you understand me?"
Though his anger was still there, it wasn't as prominent now. He knew what Cana was saying was true. If he got arrested, it would be anyone's guess how long he'd be there. The circus needed him; Fairy Tail needed him.
It would have to be all Lucy now.
The next morning, Lucy lay in her bed, dreading the day before her. She had been unable to sleep all night despite her long shower and her own clean clothes. She stared at the wall across from her bed, a sickening feeling rolling around in her stomach.
In just a few hours, she would become the wife of a grotesque Duke simply for the sake of keeping the Heartfilia family line a rich one. She wasn't marrying for love. She was marrying for money and she hated it so terribly, she wanted to spit or scream or fight.
But that wasn't the making of a young woman. She was to be trapped in a world of refinement and it was killing her. Unless she did something.
Breaking her gaze from the clean, white wall, Lucy shifted her eyes down to the Fairy Tail mark and smiled. She still had another home to run to. She still had a place other than this suffocating place she once called home before her mother passed. Fairy Tail was scheduled to leave Acalypha that afternoon. If Lucy could figure something out in time, she could still escape. There was still time.
A knock came on her door.
"Come in," Lucy said, throwing her covers to the side and sitting on the edge of the bed. Ms. Spetto entered the room with a tray of breakfast items, attempting to comfort Lucy with a smile.
"Good morning, my dear," she said, walking over to Lucy as she stretched. "I've brought something light for you to eat before today. I figured you wouldn't be terribly hungry giving the events." Lucy nodded as Ms. Spetto laid the tray on her lap. Looking down at the tray, Lucy saw a bowl of fresh cut fruit, a plate of toast, and some cooked sausage. It was such a sharp contrast to the greasy food everyone at Fairy Tail was used to eating. She forced herself to eat some fruit despite her nausea.
"How are you feeling?" Ms. Spetto asked. Lucy avoided answering to question by shoveling more fruit into her mouth. Ms. Spetto sighed and patted Lucy's knee. "Whatever you chose, I will stand behind you. But I urge you to follow your heart. Your mother would've wanted that for you." Ms. Spetto stood up and headed back for the door.
"The seamstresses and I will be back in another hour to get you ready. Hopefully, you'll have made your decision by then." Staring at her food, Ms. Spetto left the bedroom and closed the door, leaving Lucy alone again with her thoughts.
After an hour and a half of primping and pampering, Lucy stood in front of her full-length mirror, the picture of a wife-to-be. But her heart felt so heavy, it was sickening.
"Thank you, ladies," Lucy said, trying her best to sound sincere. The two maids and Ms. Spetto stepped to her sides, the young girls smiling proudly at their handiwork. Ms. Spetto on the other hand only looked serious, a sharp contrast to the giddiness shared between the young maids.
"That will be all," Lucy said to send the maids on their way. The girls smiled and headed out the door, closing it shut behind them. Ms. Spetto was the only one who remained.
Before Lucy said anything, she took a good look at herself in her full-body mirror. Her long, blonde hair was tied messy but tasteful braid bun adorned with blue butterfly hairpins. The veil she had hanging behind her was very plain with only a few diamonds skirting the edges. When her eyes came at last to her dress, Lucy thought if it weren't for the occasion, she would have loved the gown she wore.
In her absence, Jude Heartfilia asked Ms. Spetto to choose the dress Lucy would wear on her wedding day. And she had chosen very well. The lace collar dipped down into a V-neck and from the low neckline, bell-styled sleeves came down to just above Lucy's wrists, the ends folding over each other elegantly. The bodice was snug and tight-fitting, giving her a nice figure as the V-shaped waist led down to a large, gorgeous skirt. On top of the soft silk cover underneath the bottom of the dress, the skirt was decorated with lace flowers which fanned out on the top and grew in abundance towards the train.
Lucy found she was in love with the dress. But she hated the reason for which she was wearing it.
"Ms. Spetto?" she asked, stroking the pink Fairy Tail emblem on her right hand. It was the only thing offering her strength she so desperately needed.
"Yes, Lucy?" she replied, looking sad for her.
"I need to speak to my father," she said.
"Of course," Ms. Spetto replied. She knew what was about to happen between the father and daughter she loved so much. And she knew she shouldn't stand in Lucy's way. Ms. Spetto took a moment before nodding her head and offered her hand to Lucy to help her down from the raised platform. She opened the door to the bedroom and escorted her down the hallway.
Standing in front of the towering door to her father's study, Lucy had to breathe deeply in order to calm her nerves. I can't back out of this now, she thought. This is my future. I refuse to live my life in misery like him. Finally having built up the courage, Lucy raised her right fist, stared at the insignia and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" bellowed Jude Heartfilia.
"It's me, father," Lucy replied. Her father was silent for a moment before he spoke again.
"Enter."
Sliding her arm out from Ms. Spetto's Lucy pushed the doors open. It had been years since Lucy learned not to go inside her father's office but she found very little had changed. The large, mahogany desk sat in front of a large bay window looking over the entire estate and each wall bore a bookshelf. Though the room seemed incredibly vast, Lucy felt like she was trapped in a very small closet.
"Lucy," her father said, half-sitting on the edge of his desk. His arms were crossed over his chest, his face contorted in confusion and impatience. "You do realize your wedding ceremony commences in just about five minutes, do you not?"
"Yes, I am aware," she said, surprised at how sturdy her voice was.
"Don't you think the Duke has been waiting on you long enough?" Despite the harshness of his tone, Lucy refused to be swayed into walking back out the doors and towards a future she had no say in.
"Father," she began. "I came here to first tell you I'm truly sorry for what happened. My intention was not to run away and I apologize for that."
"Lucy, there is no time for this," her father said sternly. But Lucy gave no pause.
"The second thing I wanted to talk to you about concerns my marriage," she continued. "There isn't going to be one." Her father's face showed his shock but Lucy went on.
"Ever since mother died you've been cold and reclusive as if you were the only one who lost someone that day. But I lost more than a mother. I lost my best friend and the only woman figure I had in my life. A piece of me died with her that day.
"I needed you to be there when she passed. You were supposed to help me but you were gone! You locked yourself up in your own grief and sorrow and neglected me, your only child!" As her anger rose, Lucy felt her throat closing and her eyes brimming with tears. But she forced herself on.
"For a while, I just wanted to give up. To go be with my mom again who I knew loved me. But Ms. Spetto guided me through such a difficult time. She was there when you weren't! And for that, I am forever grateful to her." Lucy stopped a moment to clear her throat and her father suddenly found his own voice.
"Lucy Heartfilia, this is no time for your pity party! You will get married today and there is nothing more to discuss." Jude shot up from her desk and marched towards his daughter, grabbing her arm and twisting her around forcefully towards the door. Stuck in his grip, Lucy tried to yank away from her father and dug her white heels into the carpet.
"Lucy!" Her father's voice resounded throughout the large room and Lucy felt the red hot pain of her father's hand on her face. His hand loosened around her wrist as she recoiled from the slap, falling all the way back to the desk behind her. Sniffling and trying to ease the pain with her cold hand, Lucy's wet eyes met her father's astonished face. Even he was surprised at his action.
"I may be sorry for escaping during the ball, but I don't regret staying with the circus for so long," she said, straightening herself up and bringing her arms down to her side. She wanted to red handprint on her face to show. "I loved it there! I was able to make friends and even find a family. It may seem strange to find a family in such an odd place but it's a much more compassionate one than ours. I love my new family. I love Fairy Tail! They gave me the courage to live when I thought I couldn't stand to be on this earth anymore!
"So now I'm here, standing in front of you to let you know I'm leaving. For good this time. I'm going to join Fairy Tail and become part of their circus. They're my family now and I'm going to live the rest of my life with them." Taking a rattled breath, Lucy smiled despite the sharp pain she felt on her cheek.
"I wanted to let you know this because I didn't want you to look for me again. Once I leave for the circus, I am no longer your responsibility. There'll be no need for you to look for me anymore."
"Lucy…"
"Father," she interrupted, looking at Jude with pleading eyes. "If you every thought about what's best for me, this is it. I would never be happy living this life you've picked out for me. My future is something I need to find for myself." Sighing, Lucy raised her hand up to her veil and carefully removed it from her hair. Laying it out across her arms, she walked back towards her father and looked up to him, stretching her arms out to him for him to take it. Glancing back and forth between his daughter and the veil, Jude finally reached out his arms for Lucy to place it in his hands.
"It's not my time yet, father," she said, her eyes sparkling with tears and affection. For the first time, Jude looked at Lucy the way he was always meant to see her. She had grown into such a beautiful, smart, and confident young woman. He had missed out on raising that woman. His eyes fell then on the already bruising handprint he'd left on her beautiful face. He felt his own eyes fill with tears for having raised a hand to his own daughter and her placed his hand on Lucy's other cheek.
"Your mother would be so proud of you," he whispered. Lucy choked out a laugh and leaned into her father's palm.
"I love you, papa. I always have and I always will," she said, her left hand covering her father's. "Thank you." Gently pulling her father's hand off her cheek, Lucy stepped around him and headed towards the door to leave.
When Lucy came back out from the study, she expected to see Ms. Spetto waiting for her. To her relief, the old woman wasn't standing on the other side. She's probably trying to create a diversion, she thought to herself. Walking down the hallway, Lucy returned to her room and began moving quickly. She retrieved the two suitcases from her closet and began packing only the clothes she believed were fit to wear outside of the Heartfilia estate. Not wanting to leave without saying goodbye, Lucy grabbed a piece of stationary from her dressing table and wrote only what she needed to say.
Laying out her wedding dress on her bed with the note placed atop it, Lucy gathered her belongings and headed to the front doors. Stepping outside, she called for a carriage to take her to Acalypha once again. The driver headed her orders to get her there as quickly as possible as she leaned into the backseat with her luggage. Unable to keep her eyes straight ahead, Lucy found herself swiveling in her seat to take one last look at her old home. She expected to feel guilty about leaving her father all alone, but she knew their resolution would be enough. She had to believe he would be alright.
As her carriage trotted further and further away, Lucy missed seeing her father staring after her from his study's large windows. In his right hand, he still clutched the veil.
Once the tall gate securing the circus had been dismantled, all of Fairy Tail started collecting a few last-minute possessions. Everything was set and ready for the trip back to Magnolia, all the trailers having been attached to their respective vehicles. Natsu was the only one who stood at the edge of the beach, staring down at the ocean as he recalled his last few moments with Lucy.
"Natsu." Cana had come to stand next to him, staring out at the sea as well. "We've gotta go," she said in a melancholic voice, glancing at him.
"She'll be back. She has to come back," he said, wanting to wait a few moments longer. Cana sighed.
"I know how you feel. I miss her, too, Natsu, but we've gotta get moving," she said. Natsu slowly turned to Cana with sad eyes.
"Can't we wait a little while longer? What if she comes back and we're not here?" Cana felt her heart break at Natsu's despair. But she knew Lucy wouldn't be returning.
"I'm sorry, Natsu."
"I just wish she was coming back," he said. Cana sighed again and clamped a hand on his shoulder.
"Me, too, Natsu. Me, too. C'mon, we have to get going." Gently pulling on him, Natsu reluctantly turned around to head towards the vehicles.
"Natsu!" Natsu and Cana's head moved around slowly to the sound and saw a carriage rushing towards them. Lucy was hanging out one of the windows, waving to them vehemently. The driver stopped and Lucy hurriedly rushed out with her luggage, running to an astonished Natsu.
She's actually here, he thought. And by the gods, he just couldn't ignore how beautiful she looked. Her short black hair he remembered was now replaced with her natural blonde hair which was tied up with blue pins. And her simple pink dress ruffled in the wind as she sprinted towards him, making her seem almost celestial; completely otherworldly.
"I was hoping I would catch you guys," she said. Cana smiled and back up, watching excitedly as the events unfolded in front of her.
"What about your marriage?" Natsu asked, trying not to get his hopes up.
"It's been postponed," she replied, grinning mischievously.
"Lucy," he said, stepping towards her. Her breath caught in her throat at how close Natsu had gotten and his eyes widened when he saw the bruising hand mark on her cheek.
"It's okay," Lucy said. "I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere." Natsu smiled and held out his hand.
"Then what are you waiting for?" he asked. "Welcome home, Lucy." With a smile and happy tears in her eyes, Lucy laid her hand into Natsu's as he guided her to her bright, new future.
Dear Ms. Spetto,
I'm finally following my heart.
Thank you for everything and I love you.
-Lucy