AN: Enjoy the chapter folks! Be sure to leave a review when you finish!
EDITED 5/25/18
Berserk
Chapter Thirty Five
{i'll ask of the Berserks, you tasters of blood}
Lucy can only watch in horror as Natsu bolts towards the tree line, murderous gaze locked on the ranger slinking out of the shadows, cloaked in earthy tones. It's no surprise they didn't notice him earlier. Fiore's Rangers have always been stealthy, practically ghosts. No one sees them until it's too late and there's no running away. She's never known them to attack like this before, however, and she's stunned unable to move as she watches Natsu rush towards the stranger, his teeth bared threateningly.
Only it isn't a stranger, it's Jellal. She can't see their face, but she knows. Those blue feathers leave no room for uncertainty. Jellal is the only one that uses blue feathers on his arrows, dying them carefully. It started as a joke, Laxus always used to call him a bluebird, the birds the same shade as Jellal's hair. Jellal never liked the name, but adopted it as his own eventually, turning the mocking joke into something powerful.
She stares at the ranger, so sure that it's her friend, but he doesn't even look her way, eyes on Natsu, and she's struck by the startling thought that he doesn't know it's her. All he sees is two strangers—and a Berserk at that. She'd forgotten how much people in Fiore despise people like Natsu, shoved it to the back of her mind and ignored it, hoping her family would be different. She was terrified of what they might do, but she wasn't expecting a reaction like this.
"Natsu!" she calls after him, hoping to gain his attention. "Natsu, stop!" He doesn't hear her, Lucy's voice lost to the wind whipping around her, her own magic stealing away her voice. Hissing in frustration, she struggles to her feet, her sore arm wobbling beneath her, still stiff from being bled out days earlier. She ignores the linger twinges of pain, knowing there are more important things to focus on, and shoves herself upwards, biting back a wince.
Her eyes widen in horror as she realizes she's too late. Jellal rushes forward, cowl pulled low over his face, his eyes barely visible as they glint in the light, so dark they're nearly black. So quickly that Lucy almost doesn't notice, Jellal slips a knife into his palm, coiling like a snake prepared to strike, poised as he waits for Natsu to come in close, hoping for a quick fight.
Her breath catches in her throat, the blades glinting in the light, and Lucy calls out to them one more time, begging them to stop, but they don't hear her. She has to stop them, she knows, or they'll kill each other. All Jellal sees is a Berserk, a monster that could rip him apart, and Natsu's anger has been sparked, Jellal making the mistake of nearly killing the two of them. She's learned that Natsu won't forgive that.
This won't be like her fight with Natsu so long ago. There's no way to simply turn off this anger boiling beneath his skin, and Jellal is stronger than her. Lucy couldn't kill Natsu, couldn't overpower him, but Jellal could. It would cost him his life, but she thinks Jellal could do it.
They collide halfway across the small field, a small pocket in the forest, a steam bubbling as it winds through the tall grass. The trees tower over them, shading much of the clearing, the chill of winter curling through the air. Everything goes horrifyingly quiet for a moment, not a sound for what must be miles.
Natsu roars suddenly, the sound piercing the air, low and thunderous, so loud that Lucy winces, her heart stuttering in surprise. Her eyes widen just the slightest, the color draining from her face as she hears the violence in that sound, the anger and misery. Even Jellal hesitates when he hears it, just barely perceptible, but Lucy catches the way he stiffens, going far too still for a moment too long.
Jellal hesitates and suddenly Natsu is upon him, lashing out with a white-knuckled fist, Natsu unflinching. Reacting quickly, Jellal ducks out of the way, barely avoiding a blow that would have knocked him senseless. He swipes at Natsu with a knife, but Natsu was expecting it and side-steps just in time, the blade missing his eye by a hair. Lashing out with his foot, Natsu nearly catches Jellal's knee, but he stumbles back in time.
Lucy winces, knowing just how much it would hurt, and scrambles for her own weapons, knowing she can't get between them empty handed. Jellal clearly hasn't noticed her yet, and there's no guarantee that he would hesitate and ask questions first. Not that she would blame him. She knows how dangerous Berserks can be, she's seen it—felt it. She could never blame Natsu for what he did, but she'll never forget the brutality of it, how terrified she was that he'd kill her.
She can't tear her eyes away from the fight as she sees Jellal's knife swipe across Natsu's collarbone, drawing a thin line of blood that only serves to anger Natsu more. He drives his knee upwards, snarling and baring his teeth, and Jellal isn't fast enough to avoid the blow this time. He wheezes, knife nearly slipping from his hand as Natsu catches him in the stomach, knocking the breath from his lungs.
Natsu doesn't give Jellal a moment to regain his breath, lashing out with a fist that Jellal throws himself backwards to avoid. The ranger falls backwards into a roll, putting space between himself and the Berserk, and slips into a crouch, keeping himself low and away from Natsu's fists.
Jellal sneers, readying his knives, and this time he's ready when Natsu springs towards him, aiming a well placed strike towards Natsu's throat.
Lucy's hear seizes in her chest, her breath catching in her throat as panic wells inside her, too far away to stop them as Jellal strikes.
Strong fingers lock around Jellal's wrist, halting the blade only a breath away from Natsu's skin, the silver tip of the knife kissing his skin, so sharp that it pricks his skin, a droplet of blood slipping down the side of Natsu's neck.
Baring his teeth, Natsu leans in, snarling in Jellal's face as the ranger attempts to free himself from the Berserk's grip. Jellal struggles violently, hand caught, and he winces as Natsu's grip tightens, the thin bones in Jellal's wrist threatening to snap. Lucy can imagine his bones grinding together, straining not to break, and she knows it's only a matter of time. Natsu only needs to squeeze a bit tighter.
Jellal's grip tightens around the knife in his left hand, and he swings that one as well, Natsu shoving him backwards to avoid the strike. It puts distance between them, several feet stretching between them, and Lucy takes the opportunity to end the fight before it can really start.
She won't allow them to kill each other.
Scooping up her bow, Lucy bolts towards them, stumbling slightly as she runs, hoping to get to them before they go after each other again. Jellal catches her eyes, the cowl still covering most of his face, enough revealed for her to see the frown twisting his expression, gaze locked on her. She's still a dozen steps away when Natsu lurches forward, taking advantage of Jellal's distraction.
Lucy chokes back a sob as she lurches towards them, running as quickly as she can, but it isn't fast enough. Natsu's fist cracks across Jellal's jaw, knocking him onto his back and Natsu rips the knives from his hands, leaving Jellal defenseless on the ground, his chest heaving as he scrambles backwards, hands searching the grass for his bow, anything to fight back the Berserk looming over him.
His cowl slips backwards, revealing Jellal's horrified expression, his pupils blown wide in fear and his dark blue hair a mess, strands falling into his eyes. He shoves them back with one hand, the other still groping for something to fight back with, and Lucy is momentarily confused as to why he only brought two knives. Jellal always carried more than her, at least a dozen.
Shaking her head, Lucy shoves the thoughts back, not wanting to dwell on it. Her boot catches on a rock, something sharp digging into the bottom of her foot, but she ignores it, determined to put an end to the fighting.
Natsu towers over Jellal, a dangerous, looming figure, and Jellal spits out blood onto the grass, his lip split on one side and an ugly bruise forming along his cheek. He glares up at Natsu, daring him to come closer, but Natsu hovers just out of reach, waiting to see what Jellal will do next.
She remembers this game, how Natsu toyed with her during their fight, as if it were a game. He'd never seemed more like a predator to her than in that moment, all teeth and claws, eyes blank. He can't control it, he told her that, and she promised she would help.
Lucy doesn't break her promises.
The muscles in Natsu's back flex, his shoulders pulling back, and she knows he's about to strike, ready to finish what he started. She doesn't know how far he'll take it, if he'd kill Jellal or not, but she knows he's been struggling. He hasn't told her, but she knows he's been wound tight since before they left Bosco. He couldn't do anything while she was sick and she knows that must have killed him inside, he's been angry, jumpy, and she while she wants to believe he would stop himself, she doesn't know if he can.
Natsu's fist rears back, a low sound tumbling from his chest. Jellal braces himself, raising one arm to cover his face and curling in on himself. Natsu's arm swings down and Lucy doesn't think, she simply reacts.
Lucy throws herself between them, unafraid, and reaches blindly for Natsu, fingers wrapping around one of his wrists. Her magic swirls around her violently, whipping her hair around her face erratically, blocking her vision. There's a rush of air that's not her own, and Lucy steels herself, eyes squeezing shut as she waits for the blow she's more than prepared to block if it means keeping Jellal alive.
"Natsu, stop!" she shouts, hoping to get through to him, hoping he'll listen. "Please," she begs, the word coming out choked, Lucy unsure how to stop him.
The hit never comes, however, and Lucy's eyes snap open when warm knuckles graze her cheek, startling her. Natsu pulls back sharply, flinching as if she's struck him, but he doesn't go far. Lucy leans into his touch, letting his knuckles brush against her cheek once more as she glances up at him, finding him already staring back at her, his eyes blown wide with horror. Natsu's hand trembles as he touches her, sliding a lock of her hair away from her face.
Lucy relaxes against him, her magic calming and the wind cutting off abruptly. She smiles up at him, but Natsu doesn't return the look, his gaze hard as he glances between her and his fist, something like disgust clouding his green eyes. His hand hovers just over her skin, fingers bumping against her cheek slightly.
Natsu stares down at her, breathing heavy, and there's an apology in his eyes, some quiet horror that she didn't expect to see. "Lucy," he murmurs, barely loud enough for her to hear him. He shakes his head, wincing when her left hand curls around his wrist, pulling him down to press his knuckles flush against her cheek. His fingers uncurl slowly, Natsu hesitating before cupping her cheek, his palm warm against her. "Lucy," he repeats, almost panicked, "I didn't—"
She hushes him gently, nosing at his wrist and pressing her lips against the thin skin there, ghosting a kiss across his palm. She leaves his hand there, her own coming up to cover his, fingers threading through Natsu's gently. She sends him another reassuring smile, pressing up on her toes slightly to reach his height. She considers kissing him right then, but knows it's not the right time. "I know," she coos, murmuring the words against his palm. "It's okay," Lucy promises, hoping he can hear the honesty in her words.
He doesn't look convinced, glancing at his hand like it's something awful, but nods regardless, relaxing slowly. Lucy's hands slide up his bare arms until she's cradling his jaw gently, thumbs rubbing circles into his skin. She pulls him down to her, Natsu's forehead pressing against hers and he exhales shakily, breath fanning across her face.
Lucy smiles up at him again, nose bumping against his, and this time Natsu manages a smile back. It's faint, barely a quirk of the lips, but he smiles regardless. One of his hands settles on her hip, pulling her towards him slightly, and Lucy comes willingly, letting him take as much time as he needs.
She figures he might be upset with her, considering she put herself between him and an apparent enemy. He doesn't like seeing her hurt as much as she hates seeing him in pain, and she knows he wouldn't forgive himself if he'd hurt her, but she doesn't know any other way to stop him when he's frenzied.
Behind them, there's a soft scuffle, Jellal pushing himself off the ground. He moves slowly, as if Natsu might snap again, but the Berserk only has eyes for her, his gaze going soft as he stares down at Lucy. Natsu's fingers brush against her cheek, so light it tickles, and she releases a breathy sound that isn't quite a laugh.
Behind her, Jellal gasps suddenly, a sharp inhale reaching her ears. "Lucy?" Jellal murmurs, a quivering note to his voice, as if he can't believe it. She would be surprised to, if she saw someone she thought must be dead. "Lucy?" he repeats, louder this time, taking a step forward, hovering just behind her.
Natsu stiffens, a warning sound rumbling in his chest, but Lucy quiets him, grip tightening on either side of his jaw. He relents, sighing, and Lucy smiles as she pulls back, patting his cheek softly. Lucy worms out of his grip, but doesn't turn around, not yet.
She wets her lips, sighing, and steps back, releasing Natsu. "Is that any way to greet a friend?" she asks, teasing. It must come across as more scathing, because Jellal doesn't respond. The smile slips from her face, and Lucy turns on her heel slowly, until she's facing him directly. Natsu settles against her back, a protective presence, but she pays him no mind as she stares at her longtime friend. "How've you been, Jellal?"
He gapes at her, shocked, and he looks her over once, as if she's a stranger. "I didn't recognize you," he murmurs, clearing his throat and shoving his dark hair away from his eyes. His gaze flicks from her to Natsu, his lips pressing into a tight line, but he says nothing else, always a person of few words. Jellal shifts awkwardly, unsure where to look as he straightens his jacket.
"I can't say the same," she tells him, smiling slightly. He looks the same as she remembers, nothing has changed for him in over four months, possibly longer. She can't remember the last time she saw him. After he joined the Rangers he stopped coming around as much, too busy.
She considered joining the Rangers as well, at one point, but she's glad she didn't. She wouldn't be standing here now if she did.
As if sensing her thoughts, Natsu shifts a bit closer to her, his chest pressed up against her back, and she leans into him, relaxing against his touch. Jellal's sharp eyes follow the movement, though Lucy can't tell from his expression if he's bothered by it or not. He's always been hard to read.
Jellal shrugs, lips pressing into a thin line. "Four months is a long time," he tells her, head tilting to the side curiously. "Your hair is longer," he comments, gaze sliding from her to Natsu, something in his stare almost challenging. Again, he says nothing about the man standing behind Lucy, merely watching.
Natsu fidgets behind her, clearly uncomfortable with Jellal's staring, and Lucy reaches behind her, catching Natsu's hand in hers and lacing their fingers together, giving him a reassuring squeeze. Jellal's eyes snap to their connected hands, more curious than anything, and she doesn't think she has anything to worry about. Jellal isn't going to hurt him.
"I haven't had much time to cut it," Lucy replies, glancing at the tangled strands of hair falling around her, nose wrinkling when she sees the grass clinging to the golden strands.
He nods, lips curving up at the edges. "It looks good on you," he tells her and Lucy thinks he might be joking. She frowns back at him, unsure what to make of his comment, but Jellal only shakes his head, releasing a breath through his nose. "You got what you were looking for then?" he asks, head cocking to one side curiously. He hooks his bow over his shoulder, tracing the wood lovingly. Lucy nods, raising a hand to her throat, fingers sliding over the gem resting there. She hasn't taken it off since she woke up from her sickness. "Of course you did." Jellal nods, a spark of pride in his gaze. "You've always been determined."
Lucy snorts, unsure what to make of that, and simply watches as Jellal stoops down, gently lifting his knives off the ground, strapping them back into place beneath his jacket. "That's not always a good thing," she murmurs, soft enough for only her to hear.
Determination nearly got her killed several times, after all. She thinks determination is going to get a lot of people killed.
"You're with a Berserker," he says simply, a statement more than anything else. He stares, casual if not for the glint of iron in his gaze, knifelike. He shifts on his feet, keeping one knife in his hands. Jellal tosses it into the air, letting it spin twice before catching it again in a way that might be considered threatening.
She doesn't let it intimidate her, eyes narrowing as she stares him down. She's had enough of men threatening her over the course of the last two months. If Jellal thinks he can get away with waving a knife in her face, he's sorely mistaken.
"He's a friend," Lucy responds coolly, a slight hiss to her words. She was expecting a response like this, but that doesn't mean she has to like it. She's not going to tolerate anyone hating him for merely existing, not when Natsu hasn't done a damn thing to any one of them. He deserves better than that.
Jellal seems to consider her words, his eyes narrowing in thought. He glances at Natsu again, no traces of disgust in his eyes, but nothing friendly either. "Laxus won't like this," he comments lowly, putting his knife away when Lucy sends him a nasty look. He hesitates, staring pointedly at Natsu, but complies anyway, knowing he has more to fear from her than the Berserk.
Lucy relaxes once the knife is gone, lip curling as she thinks about his comment. She already knows her cousin won't be pleased with what she's brought home with her, she's known it since the very beginning. He's a lot of things, but welcoming is not one of them. "Laxus will have to deal with it," she tells Jellal, snapping at him slightly. She doesn't mean to be so harsh, but she won't let her cousin tell her what to do.
Jellal stills, shoving an arrow back into his quiver. He raises a brow her way, but doesn't look at her long, turning back to his work quickly. There's a secretive smile on his lips, one that makes her curious, but she doesn't ask. "You're picking a fight so soon?" he asks.
"Are you going to stop me?" She squeezes Natsu's fingers gently, and his thumb brushes against her knuckles softly, soothingly. His free hand settles on her hip again, holding her to him loosely. His fingers tap against her side in a slow rhythm, and she leans into his chest further, aware of how they must look to Jellal.
Thankfully, he says nothing about it, turning away from them, facing away from them. "You shouldn't make an enemy of your cousin," he remarks casually, lifting his things and glancing back the way he came, peering through the trees. He shifts his weight from side to side, then looks at her over his shoulder.
"I don't see how that's your business," Lucy says, pursing her lips. Her free hand clenches at her side, Lucy frowning at him.
Jellal sends her a wry smile, a glint in his eyes. "Lets get you home," he murmurs, gaze flicking between the two of them. Jellal doesn't look back at them as he heads in the direction of Magnolia, gesturing for them to follow him.
They walk for several hours, a tense silence blanketing the three of them, Jellal and Natsu eyeing each other warily, unsure what to make of each other. They walk on opposite sides of her, neither speaking, and though that's normal with Jellal, the man more silent than most, a quiet presence, but she's become used to absent chatter with Natsu, the pair of them sharing stories, anything to keep the silence from consuming them. She's gotten used to it over the last few months, and she almost wishes he would talk, but knows he won't, Natsu unsure what to make of Jellal.
They need to talk, she knows, about what happened earlier, before Jellal found them, but it's not the time, not with Jellal around them. Lucy needs to be sure that he meant it, what he did, what he promised. She needs to know what it all means.
The symbol on her arm is bright against her skin, and she can feel Jellal eyeing it as they walk, trying to make out what the symbol means. She's been trying to figure out the same thing, if she's being honest with herself. Lucy isn't sure what to make of the symbol on her skin, knowing it's meaning in a broad sense, but not what it means to Natsu. And she needs to know, she needs to know what that symbol means—what she means—to him. She thinks she has an idea, but she needs to be sure.
It's not something they can talk about with Jellal so close, it's too personal.
Lucy glances up at Natsu, catching his eye, and his expression softens when he sees her, a small smile lighting up his face. She can't help but grin back, her hand bumping against his gently. He glances down at her fingers, his own twitching slightly, as if debating whether or not to grab them, but then he looks at Jellal and his expression sobers, his eyes darkening slightly.
Sighing, Lucy rubs at the painted mark on her arm, tracing the symbol absentmindedly, humming to herself as she walks. Jellal slips ahead of her, speeding up to walk several paces ahead, and she smiles at his back, feeling Natsu relax beside her, the tension slipping from him now that Jellal isn't staring.
Lucy worrying her lip between her teeth, thoughts drifting towards her family, her excitement building with every step they take closer to Magnolia. She's missed them more than realized, her heart aching when she thinks about close they are, nearly within reach but still so far off.
She can't imagine they'll be happy with her for being gone so long, but she thinks they'll forgive her. She'll be home in time for Romeo's birthday, three days early, if she has the date right. Maybe that'll make up for being gone for so long, or maybe it won't, but she knows Romeo won't hold a grudge. It's Laxus she's worried about, if she's being honest. He's always been the less forgiving of the two of them, and she doesn't know what he'll think of her coming with a Berserk in tow. As much as she'd like to say it doesn't matter what he thinks, it does.
Him snubbing Natsu, Laxus getting angry with her for it, those are things she knows would break something inside her. She loves Laxus, and she knows he loves her just as much, but that doesn't mean he can't be disappointed in her. That disappointment will hurt her more than most things, and she can only hope he'll understand where she's coming from, even if it takes time.
"How are they?" Lucy asks Jellal, glancing up at him briefly before staring straight ahead, watching Natsu walk along the side of the dirt path, off to her left. He drifts back to her side, glancing down at her, and Lucy flashes him a small smile before turning back to Jellal, awaiting an answer.
Jellal quirks a brow, smiling "Good," he tells her, sighing as he turns his gaze to the sky. They walk in silence for several seconds, Lucy wanting to push for more answers, needing to know how they've been after so long, but she knows she won't get anything out of Jellal that he doesn't want to give. "They miss you," he murmurs, sensing her desperation for information. His gaze softens when he looks at her, and Lucy releases a slow breath.
"I've missed them too," she murmurs, swallowing. Guilt prickles at her skin, Lucy ashamed of how long she spent away from them, knowing they must have been crawling out of their own skin, as her grandfather always says. He's always been a firm believer that a restless soul with eventually just slip away, off to search for what it yearns for. "Makarov?" Lucy glances up at Jellal once again, leaning into Natsu's side, seeking his warmth as they trudge through the winding path to Magnolia.
Jellal hides a smile as he sees he press against Natsu's side. "As flighty as ever," he says, rather than teasing her about her friend. He's already caught them in one compromising position, one she doubts she'll be forgiving him for anytime soon, and she'd much rather Jellal keep things to himself. "He's been working on something, I don't know what." His eyes narrow in thought. "He's been getting ready for the next market."
Lucy glances up at him, surprised, and her lips twist into a frown. "It's coming this soon?" she asks, confused. Makarov rarely starts working on anything until only a few months before the markets open, claiming he crafts better under the pressure of time. But the markets rarely start this close to winter, only active in the spring and summer months when travel is easier. Not once in over twenty years have they come this early. Not that Lucy's known.
Jellal hesitates before responding, voice clipped. "They wanted to get an early start this year."
He sends her a meaningful look, and Lucy's stomach twists. She knows what he means.
There might not be a market come summer.
AN: As previously stated, I should be catching up with the rewrite by around Friday next week, so new chapters will be starting soon (~6/02/18).
Glossary of Gods/Terms/Creatures:
Djehl: Fire God from the northlands that granted the Berserks their strength/inner fire. His battle axe is called Bran.
Djerda: Goddess of night and the mother of Djehl.
Estra: Sister of Djehl and Daughter of Djerda. Goddess of the Stars. pulled the stars from the sky and gave them life, proving her devotion to Ieyar, a chaos god, and creating the Fae, their magic gifted to them by Ieyar.
Ieyar: God of Chaos. Gifted the Fae their magic after Estra pulled the stars from the sky for him.
Ashtacar: Berserker word meaning "safe travels." Traditionally used between friends and family, it has since become a way to honor the dead, granting them "safe travels" on their way to the next life.
Ulfræder: Berserk word for "blood traitor." It's a relatively heavy insult. Being a "blood traitor" is an unforgivable act.
Descæter: Berserk word for "deserter." Follows the same vein of Ulfræder, but is less insulting. Blood traitors abandon their homes and families, white a deserter abandons their post/army position.
Velsigna av Branna: Berserk word for "blessed by fire." As Vesigna means "to bless." "Branna" comes from "Bran (Braun)" an old word for fire, and the name of the God Djehl's battle axe.
Velsigna av Strakaz: "Blessed by Stars" From "Estra," a Berserk Goddess of the night sky, daughter of Djerda, Goddess of night, and sister to Djehl. Term for Faeborne and a reference to their scent.
Mae Strakaz: Literally "my stars."
Valkyr: An untranslatable word of admiration and love.
Ellyra [El-eye-rah]: Formal name of the fairy trees. Rumored to house the souls of slain Fae within their trunks. The trees are semi-sentient, and can speak, though only to those who they want to hear. The trees are tall, with pale colored bark (white, to a light grey as the trees grow old) and red leaves. The trees bleed red sap, and in the Northlands they are commonly called Azgetta meaning "the bleeding" or alternatively "the weeping."