END ACT 3
SPECIAL THANKS TO FAINTTWINKLING FOR NOT ONE BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART, BUT TWOOOO! I JUST REBLOGGED THEM ON MY ACCOUNT ON TUMBLR. SO GO TAKE A LOOK!
49
The Return of the King
"His grief he will not forget; but it will not darken his heart, it will teach him wisdom."
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Lucy sighed in frustration as she set down her book and slammed her fist into her hapless pillow. She was still confined to bed, despite her burns having been healed, and it was starting to feel like the walls were closing in around her.
The last few days had seen her running through an entire gauntlet of emotions. From crying in despair, to wanting to rage at Natsu for being stupid, to wanting to scream at the feeling of helplessness that had engulfed her while she was recovering.
Because despite the agonizing Natsu shaped hole in her life, nothing else had actually changed.
They were still preparing for war. She was still wanted by the dark guilds they were preparing for. And one day soon they would try to come for her. Her friends and family would fight for her, and she could no longer keep back the worry that they might not all survive it.
And there was nothing she could do to stop it.
The feeling was driving her mad, and she itched to get up and do something. It didn't matter what at this point. She just needed to not be helpless.
She was a Heartfilia. She didn't do helpless very well.
"I know how you feel."
Lucy jerked her head up to find Mirajane standing by her bed holding a tray of food, and giving her a smile that was at once understanding and heartbreaking.
"Mira..." She blinked, scrambling to remember when the other woman had even walked in, "I..."
"It's okay." Mirajane soothed as she closed the distance and set the tray down at her bedside, "Believe me I know." Her smile shifted into something more amused as she sat down in one of the chairs next to her, "I'm not sure what details your book covers, but you know what happened to my powers for a while right?"
Lucy blinked again and nodded as the memory of that chapter clicked, "That's right! After Elfman's takeover went wrong when you were younger..." She checked herself a little, a blush coloring her cheeks, "Sorry. I didn't mean..."
Mirajane just laughed, "It's alright Lucy!" She hastily assured the younger mage, "I understand." She cocked her head slightly, "All I'm trying to say is I know how frustrating it is to feel helpless. Especially when you're hurting. You want to lash out, but you can't, and you wind up going in circles until you feel like you're going to crack."
She curled her hand around Lucy's, "But it's going to be alright. You won't be stuck in bed after today, and we will find Natsu. Just try to hang on a little longer. Okay?"
Lucy looked up at Mirajane with watering eyes, but forced a smile to her face. After taking a few, steadying breaths, she was able to clear the weight from her lungs and hold onto her guildmate's hand with a little more steadiness than before.
"Thank you Mira, I really appreciate it," Lucy sighed and gestured to the stack of books beside her, "Levy gave me a few of these to read, and Virgo stopped by with a text on celestial magic."
"I've been trying to keep myself occupied, trying to study one of the next forms celestial magic can take," Lucy knew she was babbling, but it helped her feel a little more human, "It's called the Stardress."
"What's it do?" Mirajane asked with an indulgent smile, and Lucy was grateful for the distraction as she explained the curious details about it. In fact, she was a little curious if Mirajane could shed some light on some of the more difficult aspects of the magic that relied on transformation.
So they ducked their heads together, and soon Lucy was laughing and even relaxing a little as Mirajane teased and helped her figure out the new steps to advanced levels in Lucy's magic.
They stayed like that together for a while until around midday, when a strange humming noise pulled them from their studies.
"What's that?" Lucy asked, craning her head to the side to get a better look at out the window.
Mirajane frowned as she looked up, "I'm not sure." She replied as she got up and headed to the window, "It doesn't sound like an animal or magic mobile..."
"Well whatever it is it's getting louder." Lucy frowned and stubbornly got out of bed as well. She wasn't so much an invalid she couldn't handle a walk to the window at least.
"Lucy..." Mirajane said, the shaking tone making her pause before she'd gotten three steps, "Stay back from the window."
"Why?" Lucy asked in concern, "What's wrong?"
Whatever it was it had to be bad. Mirajane sounded frightened, and generally there wasn't much that could frighten the she-devil. That alone made her nervous. The look on her face when she turned back from the window sealed the deal though.
"Mira... what is it?"
In a flash Mirajane was striding from the window and curled her hand around Lucy's wrist, "C'mon." She said tensely, "I know you're still recovering, but you staying here isn't an option."
"Mira will you please tell me why?" Lucy pleaded, "What's going on?"
Mirajane glanced at her grimly, "That sound is the sound of Grimoire Heart's airship approaching. We're under attack."
Her eyes lifted towards Lucy and gave her a very subdued look.
"They've come for you."
-::-
"Happy we can't just leave them!" Romeo exclaimed over his shoulder as the blue kitten frantically flew him away from the explosions and sounds of battle going on behind them.
"We have to!" Happy cried back, trying not to let his tears actually fall and blind him, "Lucy said we gotta protect Asca, and Natsu's lair was the best place to do that!"
"But-!" The boy protested, and Happy met his eyes firmly, "We have to do what Lucy said!" He repeated, and something in his face must've bled through because Romeo quieted down and then nodded.
"Right. We'll protect Asca."
The blue kitten tried not to let his relief show as he continued flying, determined to at least make it to where Lucy said Natsu's lair was before he started crying. He had a job to do, and Lucy was counting on him.
Just the thought of her had fresh tears stinging in his eyes. She was like a surrogate big sister to him, and the thought of what might be happening to her now was killing him.
There had been two days of complete quiet after everyone had gone looking for Natsu, broken only by Lucy's depressed tears and the other's attempts to cheer her up, when an airship had appeared on the horizon. One that had quickly been identified as belonging to Grimoire Heart.
That fact alone had been enough to terrify him, but with so many of their strongest fighters gone, and unable to get back in time, they hadn't stood a chance.
Not that everyone hadn't fought hard, but when it became clear they were going to lose, Lucy had pulled him aside and given him directions to Natsu's lair with a plea to get Asca, Romeo, and Carla there safely in case her plan didn't work.
A plan that had consisted of her handing her keys over to Yukino and walking out onto the battlefield unarmed to give herself up on the condition they left Fairy Tail and Magnolia alone.
Happy didn't know if her plan worked or not, and he didn't know which scenario terrified him more. He just prayed with all his might that everything would be alright.
He managed to stumble through the magical barrier, small arms finally unable to support Romeo as he tumbled forward into a stack of glittering coin. Carla came to a stop closer to him, far more gracefully than Happy.
"Good we made it," Carla bit her lip, looking very concerned. Sweeping her eyes around, she took stock of the entrance of Natsu's cave.
"Yes, a dragon's protective spells, I think we'll be safe and hidden here," Carla murmured sadly, setting her hands on Asca's shoulders.
The girl looked frightened, but her lip trembled with bravery typical of a member of Fairy Tail.
"We wouldn't have been able to even find this place if Lucy hadn't told us about it," Romeo looked around in shock, unable to believe such a place even existed.
However their relief was short lived when the sliding of metal skittering across another metallic surface caught their attention.
Rising over a heap of jewels, Natsu stared blankly at the strange group greeting him.
He blinked blearily, the remnants of sleep and exhaustion clinging around his eyes. Slowly, his head tilted and he registered who the intruders were that woke him from his sleep. Normally he would have had a much more violent reaction to people invading his nest, or hell - even finding it, but he had been lacking so much energy as of late he hadn't been able to summon up enough to care.
So the sight of the gathered group pulled him up short.
"Happy...?" He voiced in confusion, slowly making his way down the mountain of treasure towards where the kitten was curled into a ball of misery.
Natsu quickly took stock of Happy, his expression clouded with worry, "Happy are you okay?"
"Natsu?" Happy whispered, hardly able to believe his eyes, and suddenly a burst of energy he didn't know he had hit him as he pounced on his best friend crying and screaming at the same time.
"Natsu! You dummy!" He shouted, pounding him on the chest even as his dragon's arms curled comfortingly around him, "You stupid, stupid, dummy! I thought I'd never see you again, and now Lucy's gone, and I don't know what to do!"
Natsu felt his heart freeze at Happy's words, and opened his mouth to ask him to explain when Romeo stepped forward.
"Grimoire Heart attacked." The boy reported grimly, "Everyone was out looking for you, and they showed up before they could come back. Lucy, Yukino, my dad, and everyone there tried to fight them off, but we weren't strong enough."
"Lucy sent us here." Happy sniffled, "She said you might hate her, but you probably wouldn't mind us hiding here." He looked wetly up at Natsu, "Natsu, why did you leave? Lucy's been crying ever since you left. She says it's all her fault you hate everyone now." His lip trembled, "You don't really hate everyone do you?"
Natsu swallowed tightly, his fingers curling into Happy's wet fur. Never before had he felt so cold. Not even in Lucy's strange world.
"I was angry," Natsu cradled the cat against his chest, "And I was ashamed."
He met Happy's eyes and hugged the sobbing cat to his chest, "I don't hate you or Lucy."
But because he had wasted time like this moping - Lucy was off doing something as foolish as fighting an entire dark guild with just a handful of guild members by her side? What a complete idiot!
The news others had gone off looking for him came as a surprise. After what he did, Natsu didn't think he would even be welcome back at the guild. Much less have the other dragons and guild members searching for him. Why would they bother?
Not that there wouldn't be punishment.
No.
Natsu shuddered to think of what would happen to him when Erza got her hands on him. Nothing he didn't deserve though.
Happy's earlier words belatedly caught up to him though and Natsu stopped still as every other thought flew from his mind.
"Wait, Lucy is gone?" Natsu demanded, his heart crawling up into his throat.
Romeo nodded, his arms wrapping around the trembling Asca, who was shifting closer to curl her fingers into Natsu's pants leg.
"She gave herself up without her keys to buy us time to get here," The boy said gravely.
Natsu felt as if the ground shook out from under his feet.
She did what!?
Rage and disbelief burst back into his chest, pouring more life through his veins than he had felt in what seemed like a small eternity.
He set Happy down and gently detached the children from his legs. One hand on each of their heads, he looked them in the eyes, "I'm going to fix this."
His resolve hardened in his chest.
No matter what he felt about Lucy, or how she felt about him, he was going to have to do something to save her. Because this wouldn't end with her surrender. It couldn't.
He loved her too much to just give up.
Romeo nodded as he took Happy from Natsu and curled him into his chest, "Grimoire Heart was still attacking the last time we saw Magnolia, but we don't know if it still is, or what happened after Lucy went out there."
Natsu nodded, his determination increasing. There was still a chance, however slim, that he could catch Grimoire Heart before they left the area.
"Alright. Follow the caves straight back." He said pointing in the right direction, "There's a bed and food and things in the very back. Stay there until I get back alright?"
He got four nods, and managed a small smile at their bravery, "I promise I'll be back with Lucy."
With that he turned and sprinted for the entrance. He reached inside as he ran, trying to touch that reluctant core that controlled his transformations, desperate to at least get his wings back. He was going to need them if he was going to keep his promise.
However, to his complete shock, the magic that had been fighting him for so long practically leapt into his mental hands and spread eagerly through him. It was different from his other changes as the magic was warm and seemed determined to help him succeed.
It had never done that before.
The effect was instantaneous though. He had red scales forming before he'd left the cave, and his body quickly followed in what was easily his fastest transformation ever. Within moments he was soaring towards Magnolia, a challenging roar bursting from his chest. His Fairy Tail emblem gleamed visibly against his scales as he took off after Lucy.
He was going to find her.
And when he did he was going to give that jerk Hades and everyone else a beating they wouldn't forget for taking her.
Then he was going to take Lucy home, and... well he wasn't sure what was going to happen then, but he was sure it would be something.
And maybe, just maybe, it would be possible for him to regain a little of what he'd lost and stop being the monster.
He knew he wasn't a hero. But he didn't have to be the villain anymore. Maybe after this it would be okay to just be Natsu of Fairy Tail.
That was, if they would still let him.
He roared out again, landing heavily in front of the battle-worn looking guild. His head swung from side to side, fighting to catch a wiff of that scent he knew so well.
The remaining guild members looked shocked at his sudden appearance, especially as that of a dragon. Natsu couldn't blame them, but aside from making sure he didn't accidentally step on one, he didn't care about them for the moment.
The wind shifted and Natsu's pupils dilated, catching the soft vanilla aroma that could only be Lucy. Even through the smoke and flames he could pick it out.
His talons dug deep trenches into the ground and he opened powerful wings, flapping off once again without so much as a word to the guild members gathered.
He had her scent. And Natsu knew with his sensitive nose, he could track her to the ends of the earth.
-::-
Lucy didn't know help was on the way, but that didn't make her any less defiant as she glared up at the master of Grimoire Heart.
"No." She spat at the man who had once been Fairy Tail's second master.
She felt a moment of supreme satisfaction at the surprise that flickered over the old bastard's face before scowled at her and the rest of Grimoire Heart closed in around her.
"That was not a request little girl." A dark haired woman that Lucy vaguely remembered from her initial arrival and who, up close, reminded her of Gray sneered at her, "That was an order. And you would do well to fulfill it."
Lucy transferred her glare to her, "I don't care what it was." She growled, "I'm not opening a gate!"
She could see the fury cross over their features and smirked, "Go ahead. Attack me. It won't change anything. I won't make your stupid gate for Zeref."
She might be heartbroken and depressed over Natsu, but there was no way in hell she was going to give Zeref the satisfaction of waltzing back into this world. He could rot in her old one for all she cared.
"This was not what we agreed upon when you surrendered yourself." Hades growled.
Lucy turned her best superior smirk on him, "Then you should've listened more closely. I said I'd give myself up without a fight. I never said I'd actually do what you wanted."
There was a scoffing shout of laughter at Lucy's defiance, a man with wild hair and blazing red eyes pushed into her personal space, "Wowwwww, girlie here is really kinda dumb."
"She really thinks she has a single card to play," He cackled madly, leaning back with his hands on his hips to laugh harshly.
"You may have stopped the Oracian Seis and tamed them, but I think you'll find Grimoire Heart is a bit of a different kind of animal," He taunted her cruelly.
Lucy didn't budge in the face of the man's laughter. Although she couldn't help the strange thrill of fear shiver down her spine.
"You need me to open your gate. You can't risk hurting me," Lucy's jaw locked, "And I won't open it unless you make me."
She nearly flinched back when temper flared to life in his furious eyes, but managed to hold onto her tongue. Just barely.
"Enough Zancrow," Hades ordered, his hand stroking down his beard, "Ultear. You know what to do."
He directed his whispered instructions over towards the woman by his side. Lucy remembered her from before, and Ultear's painted lips lifted at the corners and she disappeared for a moment.
"We have ways of making you do what we want," Hades sighed, "Although I hadn't wanted to resort to such nasty measures. Fairy Tail did use to be my old guild after all."
"Kain," He said with a snap to his fingers.
The large man that had attempted to carry Lucy off when she first landed, appeared. In his hands he was a small doll. Next to him Ultear reappeared, the familiar figure of Yukino struggling beside her. She was forced into Kain's hands and he dropped Yukino down in front of Lucy. The combination of their golden keys chimed together on a ring which dangled from one of Kain's large fingers.
"Did you really believe we wouldn't know what you did?" Ultear sneered, lifting the crystal lacrima up above her arm. It levitated through the air, leaving an image of Lucy playing backwards across its surface.
"We've been watching you and your plannings," Ultear chuckled, "And we weren't going to take you at your word that you would simply behave."
Yukino's eyes were wide and apologetic on Lucy, sitting stiffly in the chair thanks to whatever spell Kain had seemingly placed over her.
Lucy stared at Yukino in horror, "Yukino..." She breathed, "Are you alright?"
She obviously wasn't, but Lucy couldn't help asking anyway. She didn't see any visible wounds on her, and her clothes were intact beyond the damage taken when they were fighting. Which was a huge relief.
"I'm sorry Lucy." Yukino whimpered, "He caught me by surprise."
"It's alright..." Lucy began, but yelped when Yukino was jerkily forced to her feet.
"Oh I'm afraid it's not alright at all." Hades purred with a dark smirk, "Kain, have our lovely guest attack Lucy." His dark smirk widened at Lucy's startled look, "Let's see how well you do when you're fighting your friend. It will only end when she is dead or you agree to open the gate."
Lucy and Yukino stared at each other in horror before Lucy suddenly found herself having to defend herself from her friend.
"I won't hurt Yukino!" Lucy protested, but yelped when a crystal ball from the one calling herself Ultear, suddenly whizzed through the air, missing her head by an inch. It blew right into the other Yukino's side without any cushion between the impact.
Yukino let out a harsh cry of pain, and Lucy could practically feel the crack when the blow connected. Her friend crumpled to the ground and Lucy ran straight for her, forgetting about Kain's influence for the second it took to see if she was okay.
She let out a gargle of pain when Yukino lashed upwards, puppeteered by Kain to strike her right in the throat. Tears stung at Yukino's eyes as she attacked, leaving Lucy scrambling away and gasping for breath.
"Do not forget Lucy, we need you alive to open the gate," Master Hades said softly, "No other requirement is needed - and we certainly don't need to treat your friend as delicately as you. So the pain she endures is entirely up to you."
"I-I'm fine Lu-Lucy, j-just get out of here," Yukino gasped.
"Not for long," Ultear laughed, the crystal ball descending once again onto Yukino, rooted where she stood. Lucy let out a scream of warning as she raced the ball to her friend, knowing no matter the outcome, they were both going to be in for some serious pain.
-::-
Behind the ship, and closing as fast as he could, Natsu tried to focus his worry about Lucy into more speed. He knew what those Grimoire Heart bastards were capable of. He'd fought them more than once, and they were no match for him in this form.
He just hoped he got there before they started getting sadistic.
He didn't even want to think about Lucy at their mercy when they were feeling creative. Her indirect encounter with one of them had left her raw and hurt for the better part of a whole day afterwards.
A direct encounter might break her.
Rusty Rose still needed to pay for what he did to Lucy and pitting Midnight against her. But it wasn't just him. No.
No matter what their threats were, the love this dark guild held for Zeref would outweigh any threat to Lucy's life.
But that didn't mean they still couldn't torture her. Midnight on his own evil devices had made sure of that.
The ship came into view, and Natsu flattened his wings down, hurtling towards it like a bullet.
This was it. He might have been on his own. But if there was one thing he knew, it was that this guild couldn't do anything to harm him like this. However, if Tartarus showed up, things could get complicated...
But all he had to do was get Lucy now.
He wrapped his claws around the tail of the airship, mindful of the fact Lucy was somewhere within. As much as he would have loved to just smash it down to the earth, the chances of him retrieving Lucy unscathed were too minimal for him to take the risk.
Metal grinding, Natsu wrapped his jaws around the side, slamming down against the propellers to drag the ship grindingly back to the earth, lowering it bit by bit until it was grounded.
He stood over it to prevent its take off, knowing any damage done to the ship itself would only be temporary. They had ways of repairing it, no matter how many layers of metal he stripped away.
He dug trenches around it with his claws, burying it in enough earth to at least dissuade them from being able to take off immediately. Natsu chomped down on the propellers, ripping them out for an added measure.
Slowly, he tromped around the ship, golden eyes sharp and reptilian, anger coming off him in a wave.
"Hades, I want Lucy!" He snarled down into the ship, talons digging into the sides. Natsu knew the Guild Master could hear him from where he stood. But only silence greeted him from within the ship. Impatience licked at Natsu's throat.
He knew he would be unable to crack the airships hull open like an egg and just shake Lucy out. And Hades wouldn't be stupid enough to get out of the ship while a furious dragon was breathing down his neck. Which just left one option.
The hard way.
It was a good thing Natsu loved the hard way.
He shifted down, releasing his hold on his transformation. As frustrating as it was to give up this shape when he could stomp the whole guild at once, this was the only way of rescuing Lucy safely.
He couldn't fish with hand grenades after all.
The strange way his transformations seemed to just work for him now was fascinating, he felt everything in vivid detail, but Natsu didn't give himself enough time to truly enjoy being able to shift at will. He knew it had to do with his focus. He had a purpose, a drive, and a steady goal.
Natsu's thoughts were no longer in flux.
He could do this.
Natsu just hoped the ship would remain grounded long enough for him to get Lucy and get off the ship. Because the last thing he needed was for it to take off while he was still standing on it.
He dropped down onto the balls of his feet, landing on the deck, his scarf fluttering back around his shoulders, flapping in the wind. His eyes caught it, lingering over the blackness in the scales. They weren't the color of pitch anymore, but they still were missing the gleaming white luster he had grown accustomed to.
It showed every doubt and insecurity he possessed, burning it into the gray fabric like a reflection of his own heart. Natsu wanted to tear it off from around his neck, if nothing else than to prevent others from seeing it in such a sorry state. Before he hadn't known what it meant. But now he understood.
He was ashamed to know how close his scarf had come to completely unravelling.
Natsu pushed the thought to the side as he strode into Hades' lair. He could think about that stuff after he rescued Lucy and found out just what the hell she'd been thinking when she did this. Among other things...
He was surprised to find little resistance when he smashed his way inside. Hades tended to keep his ranks swelled with a bunch of weaklings he used as cannon fodder, but not one was to be found. In fact, the corridors were disturbingly empty.
His eyes narrowed as he reflexively went on high alert. In his experience easy tended to equal trap, and he'd learned the hard way that it was never a good idea to barrel into those blindly.
However, as he moved deeper into the bowels of the ship he heard the sounds of cheering, jeering, and fighting ahead. What the heck was going on? Were they making Lucy fight or something?
The thought made his heart freeze for a moment, and he swore softly as he sped up. That was exactly the kind of thing these sick bastards would do. Especially with Lucy unarmed, and probably being stubborn and defiant like she always was.
He followed the sound until he tracked it to Hades' throne room or whatever the hell he called it only to have his sight blocked by the backs of those stupid robes the lower level members of the guild wore.
He caught Lucy's scent, and the scent of blood, over the other scents crammed in the room and just like that what little restraint he had snapped.
"Hey jerkface!" He snarled, grabbing the nearest minion as his fist lit up, "Get out of my goddamned way!"
A moment of supreme satisfaction rushed through him as he smashed his fist into his first victim. Now this was more like it!
The impact was enough to blow a hole straight through the ranks and give him a clear view of the 'arena' they'd been gathered around. The sight of which froze his blood solid.
There, huddled in the center of it, beaten and bloody, were both Lucy and Yukino. It was hard to tell who had been beaten worse, but both women were crying, and that was more than enough to enrage him.
"Hades!" He roared, fire erupting from his body, "You're going to pay for this you bastard!"
He stormed forward, molten metal left in his wake, and terrified minions scattering, but Hades only smiled, "Welcome Natsu." He said calmly, "I was hoping you would arrive in time for the big event."
He gestured to the mostly formed gate he hadn't noticed before, "Lucy is nearly done with her gate. She agreed to create it to spare her friend any more pain."
"And it would be such a shame for you to miss your reunion."
Natsu stilled, his jaw going rigid. He dropped down next to Lucy, not daring to touch her when she was so bruised and battered.
"N-Natsu..?" Lucy looked at him with wide, teary eyes. She choked off as the gate finished glowing to life behind Natsu, but he paid no attention to it. His hands lifted and gingerly cradled the black and blue marks blooming across her pale cheeks.
"Y-you came?" She shook her bruised face, drawing a sob from the back of her throat. One that was echoed by Yukino.
Natsu's jaw twitched, hating the fact she would doubt him coming to her aid, but supposed that he gave her more than enough reason to be concerned.
"Yeah," Growling in the back of his throat, Natsu rose to his feet to confront the gate, "Don't worry Lucy, Yukino. We'll get out of this."
He didn't know how.
But that hardly mattered as a shadow began to emerge from the opposite side of the gate.
It was a figure Natsu remembered. A shape that began to grow with increasingly more clarity as he stepped through a swirl of beautiful colors cast by Lucy's magic.
The very sight of him sent a shiver of dread roaring through Natsu's veins.
Zeref.
End Act 3
HERE IS THE SNEAK PEEK BECAUSE HOLY SHIT GUYS. YOU GUYS CAME BACK IN FORCE. FOR OUR 2000th REVIEWER, WE WILL DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOU GUYS. A ONESHOT (maaaaybe illustrated. MAYBE) from within the parallels universe focused on whoever you want :) We will let you know if you take that spot!
He eyed Kain contemplatively for a moment and a black orb appeared in his hand, "I do not approve of anyone upsetting my brother by hurting his lover." He stated calmly, but the look in his eyes spoke of a boiling rage that convinced anyone looking he and Natsu really were related.
Lucy ducked instinctively as the orb sailed over her head in a blink and smashed into Kain. She flinched at the sound of his pained screams, not daring to look up, and cringed even further back when she heard footsteps approaching them.
Zeref, however, simply bent over and picked up the keys before dangling them in front of Lucy, ignoring his brother's warning growls, "Here." He said gently, all traces of anger gone, "It would be a shame for you to lose these."
Lucy stared at the dark wizard she'd heard so much about in shock, not able to believe what she was seeing. Surely it was all a trick?
