Morning my lovelies! Kytrin here with your update today. We're really sorry we didn't update yesterday like we should've. To be honest, there's no real excuse for it. We just straight up got caught up working on one of our current projects and forgot lol. That said, I hope the chapter itself makes up for it. Enjoy!
CHAPTER 29
Tear Squeezer
A sad story.
Lucy whined a little in protest as she slowly surfaced from sleep to find herself staring at a window that was far too bright for her taste. She shifted to bury her face back into her pillow, and gasped a little as two things immediately registered. One, she was as bare as the day she was born. And two, that she was sore all over.
She sucked in a breath as the memories flooded back and she waited for her various muscles to stop screaming at her, particularly the ones between her legs. The pain, however, did not stop the warm smile from curling around her lips as she carefully shifted to look at her lover.
Who was staring back at her anxiously through sleep fogged eyes.
"You okay?" Natsu croaked, blearily reaching out for her, and Lucy felt her heart melt as she slid into his arms, "Did I hurt you?"
"Mmmm... just really sore is all." Lucy murmured in response, leaning close to press her lips gently against his, "I'm not really used to the kind of workout you gave me last night."
He chuckled a little at her, but a moment later she felt his body temperature rising as he gently rubbed his hands over her.
"I'll take care o' ya Lucy." He murmured as he gently massaged her, and she smiled back at him, hardly able to believe there had been a time when just his presence in the room had irritated her.
To be fair, she couldn't exactly blame herself for that thought as he did still irritate her on a daily basis. But now for certain she had a bit of affection with her exasperation of his antics. She watched him work and smiled softly. Maybe more than a bit.
He pulled her towards him, his knuckles ghosting into the muscles of her back to knead and press where she was tender. Lucy giggled when he peppered light kisses against the back of her neck, his smile pressing into her skin.
They could have stayed like that easily, Lucy relaxing into him as her body warmed and the soreness ebbed away. It would have been all too easy to spend the day locked away in their room.
But she knew just as much as he did that they had to keep working and moving.
Once her limbs had turned fully into fluffed sweets that could rival the kind her aunt made, Lucy twisted around to press her lips into Natsu's.
She pulled him towards her, encouraging him to shift his weight up and off the bed.
"Come on Natsu," she grinned when he whined in dismay, "We have to get up. Levy and your brother have waited quite a while now if the sun is creeping into our bedroom like this."
"But Luuuuucy!" Natsu pouted, only to be diverted as she crawled out of bed, seemingly not the least bit ashamed of her state of undress as she stretched.
"C'mon now." She smirked over her shoulder at him, "It's not that bad. And besides, you can't very well get a bath with me or eat if you stay here right?"
Natsu blinked a little at the implications as she walked into the bathroom, her hips swaying enticingly, only to tangle himself up in his sudden haste to get out of bed. He yelped a little as he got caught in the blankets and toppled to the floor with a thump.
Lucy turned to look at him and burst into laughter at the disgruntled expression on his face from where he'd landed. She walked back over to him and helped him untangle himself between giggles.
"Not quite what I had in mind when I envisioned you falling at my feet you know." She told him wryly as she helped him up, a grin playing at her lips.
Natsu huffed a little sulkily, but let himself be led into the bathroom with Lucy. His brother could wait a little longer.
-::-
Elsewhere, Acnologia stared broodingly into the lacrima before him, uncaring about the time of day.
"Hades screwed the pooch Zeref." He growled darkly, "Between Heartfilia and her father they put together too much. Ain't a surprise it led 'em straight to Hargeon. An' those idiots I sent didn't help." He growled softly, "Did you find out how they screwed up?"
"Yes." Zeref replied, a cold glance shifting off the screen for a moment, "It seems they neglected to pay attention to your warnings about celestials. Nor did they realize your brothers were traveling with not one but two women."
Acnologia's eyes widened, "They what?!" He demanded, "Since when? Who's the other queen?"
Zeref slid an amused glance towards Acnologia, his eyes dark like pitch and burning into him with an intensity not normal for a typical human. Acnologia merely met his stare with a flat one of his own, hardly intimidated.
"Why Acnologia, you're taking a surprising interest in the love life of your brothers," Zerefs voice was thick with amusement that left the dragon scowling.
As with most things, Zeref had a sharp edge hidden in his voice. Almost as though he knew things others didn't.
"It doesn't matter now, they have enough information to find us now if they were determined enough which we know to be true," Zeref continued lightly.
"It's time we put this game of chase to an end. Laxus and Erik do not make for easy prisoners, and each time they attempt escape they put the plan in jeopardy. It's time we open the Eclipse Gate once and for all," Zeref's words caused a flare of hope to well in Acnologia's chest.
"My nest," He breathed.
"Mavis," Zeref echoed, a soft smile on his face. One which showed the genuine remnants of a broken heart.
"Don't forget Acnologia, with your siblings, we will finally be to harness the power of the Gate and go back in time," Zeref gave him a steady glare, "Now isn't the time for an unsteady hand. Not if we want to change the crimes of the past."
Acnologia flashed a glare back at him, unintimidated by the look he was getting, "Those bastards'll answer alright." He growled, "That ain't changed in four hundred years."
And maybe it would mess everything up so Anna, or his current siblings, are never born, but as painful as it was that was a price he was willing to pay. He would have his precious brothers and sisters back, and this whole miserable future without them would be erased.
Though that would hardly stop him from caring about his baby brothers and sister now. They were, after all, family. And if Zeref had a problem with that too damn bad. He would deal with this however he saw fit until all seven of his siblings were together and relieved of the stars their father had hidden in them.
He snorted a little as Zeref nodded, seemingly placated by his flash of anger, and shook his head. Draco had been cleverer than he'd imagined. The dragon spirit had actually figured out how to hide from him and Zeref in the human world. Though the process must've been excruciating.
He wondered idly if it would hurt putting himself back together to power the gate.
Either way he was resolved not to care. Draco was the reason this farce had dragged on for so long. He would not feel sorry for a father he'd long since lost respect for.
He shook his head a little and turned to stomp out of the room. He was getting broody just sitting here. Maybe some air would help clear things up.
Stuffing the darkening lacrima into his pocket now that his conversation with Zeref was over, he stepped out into the blinding Magnolia sun. Construction was moving along nicely, and he watched the bustling town expand.
He had stayed in this place far longer than he intended and Acnologia was becoming far more impressed with it the more he watched it unfold.
The humans were slow creatures but they showed a perseverance that he couldn't help but admire. Magnolia was becoming greener by the day now that it had joined the other town nearby, sprawling out and growing.
It really was beautiful.
Acnologia stepped slowly out onto a dusty road, edging by a number of people talking excitedly to one another.
There was a girl standing by a watering trough, long cut stemmed flowers in a basket looped under her arm. For a moment Acnologia merely observed her.
The flowers were pretty, if a bit foreign to him. He was unfamiliar with this species from his long sleep, but the flower had white petals that reminded him of rarely seen snow. He approached the little girl, his eyes turning towards the tiny figure with dirty feet and wide eyes. She looked so small and frail, but her cheeks were rosy and happy.
Wordless, she held up a crooked looking flower to him and flashed him to wide smile. He noted she was missing a couple of baby teeth and his lips quirked at the corner.
Amused, he reached into his pocket, accepting the flower, "How much?"
The girl shook her head, braided pigtails flopping along her cheeks, "No money sir! You just looked sad!" She said cheerfully and moved on.
Thoughtful, he studied the flower between his fingers. It was pretty, but slightly rumpled from being in the girl's hands.
And it reminded him of Anna.
He sniffed it, the sweet scent making him bite back a purr. He looked down at the hatchling and smiled a little at her, "Thank you little one."
The girl beamed back at him and scampered off to sell or give more of her pretty flowers away. He chuckled a little at the sight, silently envying her youthful energy, and stared at the flower again. It really did remind him of Anna, and his heart ached to see her again before everything changed.
He looked up, gazing down the street that would take him to Anna's house, and sighed as his feet began walking without any conscious control on his part. Though he made the trip with some trepidation. Anna had, after all, made her position on his secrets very clear. She might not want to see him when he was still unwilling to tell the truth.
Still, seeing her for a moment would do much to ease the ache, and he could at least give her his flower.
Maybe it wasn't much, but it was all he had at the moment.
A few minutes later he found himself standing outside her door trying to muster the courage to knock. Was she even home? He couldn't tell, and she was often off doing things during the day. He raised his hand, feeling somewhat stupid, and tapped on the door.
To his relief he picked up the sound of someone moving suddenly and footsteps rushing for the door. She'd probably been absorbed in one of her books then. The knowledge brought a small half smile to his face just as the door was flung open.
She nearly walked directly into his chest, her squeak filling in the space between them loud enough to make him hum in amusement.
Anna stumbled back, juggling a thick looking book and almost falling over her heavy skirts until Acnologia caught her by the elbow.
"Ah!" Her cheeks reddened at the sight of him, her lips parting in a way he found most delightful. A smile spread over her face when she saw him, one he couldn't help but reflect. If in a more restrained way.
"Acnologia, you're back," She breathed, her eyes looking a tad bright.
"Aye, I am Anna," He acknowledged, his fingers rolling the stem of the flower before he lowered his gaze and quietly offered it to her.
In truth, he hadn't gone farther than down the road from her.
He found purposes for him to stay in Magnolia for the smallest of reasons but he knew the truth. He hadn't wanted to leave Anna. He wanted to watch over her.
She was a small sliver of warmth in the darkness he had faced since his nest was killed. And he was selfish enough not to want to part from her.
"Thank you." She murmured as she gently took his offered flower, her fingertips brushing his as she did so, "Would you like to come in? I've got a honey cake just about to come out of the oven..."
He looked up at her in mild surprise and met her gaze. Entire conversations passed between them as he read her, determination, and an understanding that both confused and pleased him. He bobbed his head, his nose twitching at the delightful scent filling the house, and he had to fight back a sudden lump in his throat as he remembered his little sister.
She'd been born of Igneel's star, as Natsu was, and she'd delighted in ruling the nest as only a queen drake could. There wasn't anything he and the others wouldn't have done for her. They'd practically worshiped her, and she'd returned their affection a thousand fold.
"Acnologia?" Anna murmured, breaking his thoughts, "Is something wrong?"
He cleared his throat a little, though it was far shakier than he liked, "Sorry. I just... that smell... it reminds me of my little sister." The lump returned, "She used to make honey cake on special occasions. It was the only thing she could cook without burning, but she did it very well."
He turned his head, ashamed that he couldn't seem to stop the tide of emotions engulfing him, only to start in surprise when he felt a delicate hand curl into his.
"Will you tell me about her?" Anna asked with a gentle smile, one that was just sad enough he knew she truly understood.
Of course she did. She'd lost her own sister.
Something in him crumbled. A resistance he'd held up ever since that day. His shoulders shook a little and he found he couldn't resist as she gently tugged him into the kitchen and sat him down at the table.
"Her name was Freya..."
-::-
Sting squinted up at the blinding sun, sighing happily at the feel of it beating down against his face. His lips were parted as he took in deep breaths of air.
Yukino curled up firmer against his back at his stretching motion, and Sting just about melted against her happy touch.
"Try not to fall off my horse while sunbathin'," Yukino teases, voice light and airy.
"Don't go askin' for the impossible darlin'" Sting rumbled out a laugh, his eyes flashing over his shoulder, amusement glittering in a blue eye.
Yukino laughed and straightened the back of his shirt. Her hands dragged across the expanse of his strong back, taking secret enjoyment out of feeling the way his muscles moved under her touch.
"I think I'm asking for just the right amount don't you?" Yukino whispered back at him. She delighted in the way the back of his ears reddened.
"Oh get a room you two!" Sorano huffed.
"I'd be delighted were one around." Yukino replied with a saucy grin, and laughed at the look her sister shot her.
She wasn't concerned about her sister's sulky glares however. Ever since Sting had come into her life she couldn't remember a time she'd been so happy. She'd laughed and smiled more in the time the dragons had been staying with them than she could remember doing in years. Once they'd gotten over their suspicion they'd both warmed up to her considerably, and had been willing to lend a hand with her chores.
Sting more than Rogue, but then Rogue had spent the majority of his time convalescing from his nearly fatal heat sickness. And she hadn't minded either way. Sting's antics alone had made her chores seem that much easier and faster.
A smile curled her lips at the memory of a few nights before their departure, and she rested her head against his back to breathe in his warm scent. He'd taken her out to watch the sunset. Just them and a picnic basket he'd somehow packed up with out her knowing. It had been wonderfully romantic as they'd watched the colors morph slowly into night. He'd held her close and confessed that he cared about her as more than a friend, and asked if she would let him court her to be his future queen.
It still boggled her mind that the devilishly handsome man before her had chosen her as his queen, and he'd been very clear about what that and courting her meant, but she was certainly not going to argue. She'd come to care about him quite a bit in their time together, and was not at all averse to the idea of getting to know him better with an eye towards one day marrying him.
"Yuki, you tryin' to turn me into a tomato?" Sting whined, though she could see the amused glint in his eye as he glanced over his shoulder.
"Maybe." She giggled, "Is it working?"
She heard Rogue snort a laugh from where he was perched on their spare horse, and blushed a little. She'd somehow forgotten he was there. Though she wasn't going to take back what she'd said.
Sorano made a gagging sound and shook her head, "Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick."
Yukino stuck her tongue out at her sister but turned her blushing face into Sting's back.
"Thank God. There's Magnolia," Sorano breathed out in obvious relief, "Didn't think I was gonna be able to handle much more of this."
Yukino snorted over her sister's words and rolled her eyes. As much as Sorano complained, it was obvious how happy she was for Yukino. After so long being by themselves, the trickle of love that had made its way into her life was welcome.
Even knowing the dangers it could mean, Yukino was ready for it.
They headed into Magnolia, trotting through the town which seemed much larger than it had in the past.
Sorano even gave a whistle, "Looks like Jellal sure has been busy. It's a wonder he didn't call me back sooner. Stubborn fool."
She looked a bit proud over the progression readily taking foot in Magnolia. Right before their eyes it was blossoming into a beautiful town.
Sting and Rogue even looked awed.
"You okay?" Yukino asked, reaching up to tap on the point of Sting's slack jaw.
He blinked and shook his head
"Yeah, I'm fine!" He grinned at her, his eyes flitting around somewhat nervously, "It's just my family and I usually stay away from towns this big. I thought Magnolia was smaller..."
"It used to be." Sorano replied, pride creeping into her voice, "However, thanks to Jude Heartfilia's backing and resources we've since been able to merge with the coastal village nearby, and tap into their water supply. The canals you see are a result of draining the delta and re-directing the water."
Sting blinked as he processed that, and looked around with renewed awe. He'd known in the abstract that humans were incredible builders and capable of extraordinary feats of engineering, but it was something else entirely to see it in progress.
It made him wish that he'd known about this sooner. Of course, if he had he probably would've taken it as a reminder of just how dangerous organized humans could be, so it was better this way.
"So where're we going?" He asked curiously, wondering idly if he looked as nervous around so many people around them at once as he felt. It was impossible to distinguish an individual's scent around here unless they were practically on top of you, and a person could easily get lost in the bustle of the crowd.
Not exactly the most favorable conditions when he and his brother were probably still being hunted.
Unfortunately, they didn't exactly have a choice.
Sorano shot him a measuring look, "The sheriff's office for now." She replied, and smirked, "Don't worry. You ain't under arrest. Just need t' check in with Jellal."
"Just go ahead and keep your hands to yourself an' I won't have enough of a reason to bring out my cuffs," Her gaze flashed between both Yukino and Sting.
As the group laughed, feeling the blanket of unease over being in a town of people and going to the sheriff's office no less begin to lift, they disappeared into the crowd.
But not without being spotted by the sharp eyes of a brooding shadow, standing by a stall of inkwells.
Acnologia watched his little brothers disappear into the crowd, accompanied by two women. One of which wore the star of the law. A deputy.
It seemed the Sheriff had called for reinforcements. Not that Acnologia blamed him. If he hadn't called for his deputy to return before, he certainly would have after discovering the bodies of two high profile dark wizards in the cells.
But Acnologia hadn't had a choice but to handle Hades.
His gaze followed uncertainly after his twin brothers, reminded so similar to his older siblings that shared the same bright smile as Sting did. Or his fraternal sister, who was bookish and quietly amused by her surroundings.
"Sir? Which color did you want?" Acnologia's attention pulled back to the small merchant, sweat beading at the bald patch on his head. It looked as though he were perspiring through all his layers of clothing.
His eyes flickered back to the bundles of thick stationary and the inkwell he was in the middle of picking out. A gift for Anna. So she could write to her beloved niece or put pen to the ideas floating through her head.
He closed his eyes.
"Blue," He spoke softly, "it's her favorite."
"Of course sir!" The merchant beamed happily as he deftly plucked a thick sheaf of the blue paper from under his counter, "A special gift for a lady friend hm? Perhaps she would also enjoy one of these lovely quills?"
He gestured to a selection of finely made quill pens with metal tips, "Made from the finest materials, and magically charmed against breakage or blotting. Guaranteed to last your lovely lady many years without needing replacing!"
Acnologia considered them thoughtfully for a moment. He wasn't sure he trusted the man's claims about the magic on them, but they were pretty. And certainly they'd last a lot longer than an ordinary quill. His decision was made as soon as he spotted one with a feather that had been dyed indigo and decorated with gold designs.
He plucked it out of its place with the others and laid it with the inkwell, pleased at how well they went together.
"How much?" He growled softly, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"For you good sir, I will give you the entire package for ten thousand jewel." The man replied, and Acnologia immediately smirked.
It wasn't a horrible price for the quality, but clearly this man had never dealt with a dragon.
Ten minutes later he paid the man eight thousand and picked up his very nicely wrapped package. There was a part of him that felt a little guilty about getting it considering what he was planning to do, but at the same time that made it even more important. Especially after the way Anna had sat with him and let him pour his heart out about his family.
Granted he hadn't told her their true nature, or anything else, but he still felt better after it. Like something had been drained from him, and the area left was still tender, but no longer raw and painful.
He glanced back in the direction his brothers had gone, and sighed as he ducked his head and headed towards Anna's. He would have to deal with them, but now wasn't the time. He had little desire to tangle with the sheriff and his deputies in the middle of the day. He would wait until later to pay them a visit.
He made it to Anna's home, his thumb brushing over the parcel he packaged with care. He looked around and set it in front of her door.
While it was true she had soothed his heart, Anna had also inadvertently buried a shred of doubt in his heart. It was in a place he hadn't even known still existed.
The bitterness he lived with all his life was being chipped away little by little. And Acnologia feared his already trembling resolve would break apart
Why did he get to save his nest while Anna lived without her sister?
It almost wasn't fair, and he was beginning to feel an increasing amount of guilt for what he was doing.
Ultimately he would lose Anna. He would even lose himself. They would be in two different timelines if everything went according to plan.
Him in the past and her...
Here. Where she belonged. Without him.
And that's the chapter! I wanna give a shout out to everyone who reviewed this chapter! You definitely made your preview, and we love you for it! I did notice a few reviews that I think were meant for this chapter, but set on chapter 1 or other numbers for whatever reason. Please be careful about that as we only count what's actually under a particular chapter number towards previews. It helps avoid confusion. That said, I hope you enjoy your preview and we'll see you Sunday! :)
Lucy's lacrima chimed at that moment, jolting her out of her contemplation, and she looked down at it in mild surprise before setting her pen down and picking it up.
"Lucy here." She responded, and was greeted by a broadly grinning Wendy, and a rather more grim looking Erza and Gray.
"Lucy!" Wendy exclaimed, "You're not going to believe this! Sting and Rogue escaped Tartaros!"
The words hung in the air for a long moment before finally sinking in, and when they did she surged to her feet, inadvertently slamming her hand down on her desk, "They did WHAT?"
"Wait no!" Lucy gushed out in a second and fluttered a hand, "Just a second!"
She sprang to the door and ripped it open, rushing across the hallway to where Gajeel, Levy and Natsu were gathered. She burst into the middle of what looked like an arm wrestling match over a discarded game of cards.
Levy, looking bored, still had a few cards in her hand and was merely waiting patiently for the men to finish their measuring competition.
