You guys have no idea how much your words mean to me. Honestly, it warms my heart every time I get a sweet review. Anyway, here is the last update of 2015. Next time i see you will be in 2016! Wow, it feels like it's still 2012...
Enjoy!
Chapter 24: The First Advisor
Natsu
"Lucy is dead because of you!" Levy's voice echoed in my brain and all I could picture was her face. Lucy's calm, sweet face. The face that had been so angry with me so many times, and yet still held that beautiful elegance and poise. Those eyes that were so big that I could see all the emotions. Those lips that I wanted to ravish every time I looked at her.
How could she be dead? My fault?
"W-what?" I let out. It wasn't possible. She couldn't be dead. I had seen her not three days ago. Granted she was furious with me, but she was alive. She was very much alive.
"You know, I thought you were different I thought maybe you actually cared for her. But I was wrong. I never should have trusted her with you. I never should have allowed her to be near you. You're a monster, Natsu Dragneel. You're a plague that brings death and destruction to all who come in contact with you. You deserve every inch of your punishment in the fiery pits of hell." Levy's harsh words stung as I was forced to take a step back, my eyes wide with fear. Gajeel grabbed her hands and pulled her back behind him, obviously trying to protect her.
Trying to protect her from me.
"S-she's not… she can't be…" I stumbled backwards, clutching my forehead. It was unfathomable. How was I reacting in such a way? How was I even reacting at all? How much did I care for this girl? The thought of never holding her again, of never having her yell at me, of never having her kiss me, of never having her look at me again… No, god, she couldn't be dead.
"H-how do you know?" I questioned gruffly, my voice cracking. Levy's tears continued to flow as she stepped out from behind Gajeel, anger still obvious in her stare. She thought I did it. I didn't do it. I never could have done it. I would never do it. Never…
"Zeref told me. She tried to escape and he told me that the order for her execution had been given by his first advisor. You're his first advisor! I know it was you! Don't play dumb!" I gasped, staring at her in shock.
"S-she tried to escape?" I whispered dully. "What was she thinking?" my hands shook as Levy's words replayed over and over again in my head. Something about execution and… the first advisor. My eyes almost bugged out of my head in fear.
"No…" I whispered. "It wasn't me. I'm not his first advisor…" I lifted my head up and looked Gajeel right in the eyes. "He's back, Gajeel…" I whispered. Gajeel stared at me in confusion until realization lit his features. He put his hand on Levy's shoulder and stared at me in terror.
"Oh god…" he whispered. We both knew who was here. The man who had been gone for over a year. He said it was a vacation, but he was only supposed to be gone for a few months. After a year, he still hadn't returned and I was hoping that he had given up on this life for good. But that obviously wasn't the case.
"Who?" Levy asked, glancing between the two of us. I gulped and cast my eyes to the floor, gritting my teeth.
"It wasn't me." I said again. "I'm not Zeref's first advisor. This man has been gone for over a year. I can't believe he's back…" I trailed off, staring at the ground, hard. I lifted my gaze back up to Levy who was still staring at me like I'd gone crazy. "If this man captured Lucy as she escaped, then he wouldn't have killed her. It's not his style to just kill. He likes to experiment and toy with his prey. So she'll be alive… but in what condition…" I clenched my hands to fists and turned around sharply.
"Gajeel, stay with Levy. I'm going to see if the rumors are true. I'm going to get her back." I commanded. I turned on my heel and all but marched away, anger seeping through my veins. If I was right, then Lucy wouldn't be dead. But maybe death would be a much more merciful punishment for escape if my thoughts were correct.
I was terrified of him. Of the one person who could destroy everything for me. There was a reason that I never stepped out of line. There was a reason that I always did what Zeref asked. There was a reason that I become this cruel. Zeref had laid it on the table for me before I had even had the chance to consider my options. You are my heir. But if you fail, he will take your place.
I could be replaced. Everything Lucy had been saying to me was true. I was Zeref's son and I should have more say. But she didn't understand. If Zeref deemed me weak, if he thought I was at all unworthy, he cast me aside and use him instead. He was loyal, he was reliable. But I had to prove that I was more than him. If I couldn't that, then I would be nothing. There would be nothing left for me. I'd be trapped in a prison that I'd been a part of too long to escape.
Growing up, I'd always been taught to be tough as nails and as hard as iron as I could. But Zeref wasn't the one who taught me that. He was too busy running his gang. No, I was taught everything I knew from him. He was like an older brother to me, someone I could count on. For a time, anyway.
By the time I was fourteen and had started taking on real leadership roles in the gang, he had become my opponent, my enemy. We competed in everything. I knew it wasn't healthy for our relationship, but I didn't care. He knew how to push my buttons and how to make me so furious that I had to compete just to keep my dignity. Our relationship turned south as I started to hire advisors for myself. He was always Zeref's best friend and first advisor, but the sight of me assembling my own team threatened him. So, a year ago, he took action.
It was him that started our negotiations with the Fullbusters. He started the ongoing relationship with the company. We monitored their profits while they gave us funds. We were their body guards, their protectors, and they were our sponsors. Together, we flourished. At least we flourished until the Fullbusters hit a wall. The Heartfilia Corps. He had left us a year ago for negotiations and had not come back. Zeref had assumed he was taking a vacation. I wasn't so sure.
Now that the Fullbusters and the Heartfilias were over, it was only natural that he came back. I should have known that this wouldn't be the end of our feud. It shouldn't have come as that much of a surprise that he was back. My brother, my mentor, my teacher, my competitor, my rival…
I took a deep breath as I stopped in front of Zeref's office. I only had bad memories of this place. I gritted my teeth as I put my hand on the doorknob. I really hoped I was wrong about all this.
Pushing the door open, I stepped inside and came face to face with him. The one and only person who posed an immediate threat to my entire lifestyle.
"Mard Geer." I whispered softly. He was standing in front of Zeref's desk with his hands tucked behind his back. In front of him, in rags and chains, was a slave who seemed very familiar.
Mard was still sporting his long cascading black hair partly tied in a ponytail with a long black trench coat. His face was a beacon of cruelty, with a smirk permanently etched onto his lips. His eyes were narrow and he had small irises. Unlike my eyes, his were always calm and collected. He was cunning, able to mask away any and all emotion. He considered emotions weaknesses. I considered emotions fuel. It was only a first of our many differences.
"Natsu Dragneel. It's been far too long, brother." Mard stepped around the kneeling and panting slave as he walked over to me. I frowned and narrowed my eyes as he held out his hand. Only hesitating for a slight second, I clasped his arm in greeting.
"Never expected to see you again. What brought you back?" I asked as Mard turned away from me and walked back to his toy. I glanced at the slave girl who was silently crying. Her blue hair was disheveled and matted and her face was ashen. It seemed to me like Mard had been torturing her for quite some time. Her brown rags barely covered her chest and hips as her chains dug into her skin. Glancing to the side, I saw a whip tainted with blood, which explained why her back was a mess of gashes and gouges.
"Lord Zeref formally asked me to return. He asked me to look after the castle while he was away." Mard replied, smiling down at the slave girl. I cringed as he lifted his leg and whacked the girl's face with his knee.
"Lord Zeref is away?" I managed to rush out, turning Mard's attention on me, and away from her.
"He didn't tell you? He's gone to clean up some messy business. I assumed he would tell you, of all people. You deserve to know where he is going. You know, he told me he was worried about you. You've been acting up, acting out. It's not like you, Natsu. I suppose that's why he entrusted his castle to me, instead of you." My blood boiled as Mard's smirk widened. Gritting my teeth, I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down. I wasn't here to squabble with him. I was here to find my buttercup.
"My slave." I said sharply, causing Mard to glance up in interest. "She tried to escape. What did you do with her?" Mard blinked at me as I stared him down, hard. He then smiled and let out a light chuckle.
"Oh, you mean the blond bimbo? I had her executed. The penalty for trying to escape is quite straightforward, you know. She's lucky I decided to be merciful" I felt a huge weight on my heart as my chest started to burn at his statement. I took a deep breath and pushed away all negative thoughts. I looked up and stared directly into Mard's narrow eyes.
"You're lying." I said sharply. Mard's eyebrows raised slightly as I took a step forward. "I know you, Mard Geer. You wouldn't have just executed her like that. You are anything but merciful. What did you do with her?" Mard narrowed his eyes, his smirk ever-present.
"Why do you care so much? Quite the bold claim for someone who hasn't seen me in over a year." He said smoothly, twirling a strand of his long black hair through his fingers.
"Because she is my slave and therefore, my responsibility. I dictate how she will be punished, and you will return her to me now." I commanded, not giving him a reason to argue. He had to obey me. I was of higher rank than him, even now. Mard's smirk never faded and his eyes glinted in amusement.
"Ah, now there's where you're wrong, young Master. The slave is under the jurisdiction of the lord of the house. Lord Zeref appointed me as lord, therefore, I shall do whatever I please with her." I wanted to lash out at him, but I held my composure. Now, I knew she was alive. He talked in the present tense, that meant that Lucy was still alive, somewhere, somewhere in this castle. I sighed and lifted my chin. I would have to concede if I ever wanted to save her. I started to plan my departure as my eyes drifted back to the slave girl.
"Who is this?" I asked abruptly cursing myself for being so blunt. Mard glanced down at the girl and rolled his eyes as she whimpered. He crouched down to her level and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up. He smirked at her helpless expression and looked back over at me.
"This little slave tried to help your precious serf and a prisoner escape from this castle. Treason is punishable by death, but I'm having too much fun watching her suffer." He grinned, leaning forward and sniffing her hair. I closed my eyes and tried to repel the disgust that was rising in the pit of my stomach. I knew Mard was a sadist, but sometimes I forgot just how messed up he really was.
"Too bad." I whispered gruffly. Mard stood up and looked at me as I lifted my chin and smirked, cruelly. "I was quite looking forward to punishing that blond slut." I could feel the cold side of my personality leap into action as I licked my lips, as though I was thinking about her punishment. "Now that you've taken her from me, I have no one left on whom to… unleash." I mustered a sadistic grin and glanced hungrily at the slave.
"You've had your fun, Mard." I whispered in angst. "Would it be against your nature to deprive me of the same pleasure?" Mard's eyes never left mine as I stared hungrily at the girl, trying to make myself look as sadistic and psychotic as I could. Mard looked at me skeptically before bursting out laughing.
"You never did get over your addiction for blood, did you Natsu?" He said, laughing some more. I cringed at the repressed memories of the things I had done to impress my father. Mard's laughter calmed as he began to wipe tears from his eyes. "Go on, then, take her. I can see just how much you want to devour this one." Bowing my head in respect, I stalked over to the slave girl and roughly yanked her to a standing position.
"Lord Geer." I said, bowing again. Mard nodded his head in return, still chuckling at me. I pulled the girl out of the room with me as fast as I could. As soon as we were outside, I pulled her aside and scanned her wounds.
"You're okay." I said softly. As soon as she heard my gentle voice, tears started spilling out of her eyes and I had to look around me nervously, afraid that people would hear her. "Hey, look, I know what you just went through was painful, but you have to pull yourself together." I ordered softly. She whimpered and tried to stop her tears for my sake. Sighing, I pulled my scarf out of my pocket and handed it to her to wipe her tears. She stared up at me in surprise, but immediately her eyes changed back to desperate as she took the scarf and sobbed into it.
"T-they're dead… G-gray and Lucy are d-" she could barely finish her sentence before she was racked with sobs again. I grabbed her shoulders and shook them sharply, causing her to look up into my eyes in shock and a little bit of fear.
"Listen to me. They aren't dead. Unless you saw Mard Geer kill them yourself, then I know they aren't dead. We will find them. We're going to save them." I cupped her cheek with my hand as she tried to stop her tears.
I sighed and looked up past her. I narrowed my eyes and cracked my knuckles. Maybe my life wasn't clear at the moment. Maybe I wasn't sure what I really wanted out of life and I was confused and scared. But one thing was certain. I was going to save my buttercup, even if it meant giving my own life.
Ok guys, so I need you to be patient with the next update. I don't know when I'll get the chance to post again, so just know that I'm trying my best and I'll get a nice episode up as soon as I can. Thanks for understanding!