Choosing Fate 2
"We have to get you both to safety right away!" Levy started.
"The kingdom is under attack." Loke finished.
"Under attack?! By who?"Gray questioned.
Levy and Loke glance at each other briefly.
"Dragons!" Levy hollered.
Lucy's eyes went wide and she could swear her heart leaped.
xoxo
"Please we must not delay any longer! Queen Layla and King Jude are holding them off as much as they can, until we get you two safe." Loke informed impulsively
"Loke!" Levy gasped. "We weren't supposed to say that in front of Lucy!"
"Wait what?" Lucy blinked, then suddenly filled with worry. "My parents?! Why are they out there!?"
"Lucy... try to understand, the king and queen are just protecting the castle, to ensure you two get to underground safely. Let's not put them being out there in vain, alright?" Levy reasoned.
Lucy went quiet.
"Why are they even attacking?" Gray asked. "Are they trying to come after Lucy or I?"
"We're not sure what they're after" Loke admitted.
"But we won't risk your safety." Levy added.
Loke sat on a near by ledge to catch his breath. "We made it."
"Yes, thankfully we made it with almost no problem" Levy puffed.
"Good." Gray turned around. "Hey, you okay Lucy?"
"Lucy?" The prince knitted his brows together, when he noticed Lucy wasn't with them. Then suddenly, panic flooded over the black haired man. "Where's Lucy!?"
"I'm sorry Gray... Levy... Loke..." Lucy ran quickly.
"But I refuse to sit back and wait, knowing my parents are out there!"
"STOP IT!" An unfamiliar voice screamed, grabbing the attention of the princess.
Lucy craned her head over her shoulder, and stopped running. "What was that?"
"What the hell Loke! Why can't we go after her!?" Gray hissed.
"I'm sorry, but I have sworn protection over you. Not Princess Lucy. Levy is going to find her, please understand"
"No! No I don't understand Loke! My fiancé is out there; where the dragons are causing massive destruction, and you're saying we can't go and help her!? What is the matter with you?" Gray fumed. "If something happens to her, I swear!"
Loke narrowed his eyes and felt a churning in the pit of his stomach. Of course he was just as worried as Gray; but his duty was clear. They're just gonna have to leave this to Levy.
The blonde walked in the direction the scream came from.
"If I'm not mistaken, it came from over this way."
The princess slapped her hands over her mouth as she watched a man get kicked, and rolled over several times; causing a large dust cloud to engulf him.
Within seconds, the dust cloud began to expand and clear up, allowing the man to become visible.
Lucy scanned the stranger carefully. Starting at his feet, going up to his head. By the looks of his dirty and ripped up clothing, he must have been fighting for a while. This questionable pink haired man stood tall; but only for a moment, because he was soon punched, and kicked once again by two men.
-Two slim, yet muscular, toned young men of average height, one with spiky blond hair, which is kept in strands jutting outwards in every direction, and a smaller, frontal cowlick of hair partially hanging over his forehead. And the other with rather messy black hair, which almost reached down to his shoulders, along with some strands pointing upwards on top of his head, and a prominent tuft obscuring most of his forehead.- Lucy subconsciously noted.
"W-What in the world is going on?" The girl felt unexplainable tears form in her eyes, watching this ominous act.
This man had been forced to the ground so many times, and yet he still has the will power to stand.
Just who was this guy?
Just when Lucy felt like she couldn't handle watching anymore, the two men suddenly stopped attacking and started to walk away.
Like nothing even happened. The princess felt enraged.
"They're just gonna walk away like that?! How cruel!"
"Where do you think you're going!?" The weakend man stumbled back a bit. "I can still take you cowards!"
Lucy's heart stopped when the man's eyes closed, he started to fall back; there was a large crater behind him, which looked unsafely deep.
Acting on instinct, the blonde ran towards the falling man, diving down; catching the pinkette by his wrist. Then with all her might, Lucy pulled the boy back onto his hands and knees, holding him steady by the shoulders as he panted.
"Hey... are you alright?" Lucy asked.
"My name is Lucy" The busty blonde said with a smile.
The boy ogled blankly for a minute before flashing a wide toothy grin. "I'm Natsu."
The two fell silent for a moment.
"Why were those men after you?" Lucy paused a bit hesitantly. "You're not some criminal, are you?"
Once again the new friends fell silent, and after a long pause, Natsu smirked devilishly.
The man slyly slid behind Lucy. "Hey, who knows! I could be the most wanted murderer in town. But I always get away to hunt down strange blonde girls." He spoke in a creepy tone.
"eeeeeek" Lucy instantly felt chills run down her spine. "A-A-A murder?! N-No way!"
Natsu broke out into a fit of laughter. "Man~ haha~ You sure are gullible aren't ya! haha. I'm just teasing you"
The blonde puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms into her chest.
Tsk who does this guy think he is?!
Teasing someone he'd only just met?
"Truthfully though" Natsu began. "I'm not really sure why they attacked me. What I do know is that they betrayed us."
Lucy lifted her brows in surprise. "Betrayed? How?"
Before anything else was said, the clanking sound of heavy metal running their way caught the immediate attention of the pair.
"Over there!" A large group of men said.
"The Army?" Lucy uttered with confusion. "What are they doing here?"
Natsu instantly got in front of Lucy in a protecting manner.
"Get the both of them" One man ordered, and the rest of the army did as they were told.
Within a flash of a second, and no time to react; the men in the armor grabbed a hold of the pair, pulling their hands behind their backs.
"Ouch!" Lucy hissed. "Hey that hurts! What is the meaning of this?! Let go!"
The three men that had Lucy, tightened their grips, and the blonde found it harder to move around.
"Hey!" Natsu thrashed around. "Let her go! What's with you people!?"
"Wait a minute men." The leader paused the group. "The woman"
The military man studied her harder. "There is no doubt. Let her go! She is princess Lucy!"
"Princess!?" Natsu looked at her in shock.
"My apologies your majesty." The men let the woman go.
Lucy rubbed her wrist lightly before turning to Natsu; whom was once again, being forced to the ground; this time by five to six men.
Jeez, was he ever going to get a break?
"What are you doing? Let him go as well."
"Sorry Princess. We can not do that."
"And why not?! I demand you"
"Again I'm sorry but you have no power to do that. We have orders to take him away"
"Orders from who?"
"All I can say, is that we have reason to believe, this man is running with the dragons."
Lucy stilled. "Sided with dragons?"
"Take him away men" The commander ordered.
"What? Wait! Where will you be taking him?"
"That's classified information even for you princess. Now go back to the castle. It's not safe for you out here on your own"
"Lu-chan! There you are!" Levy ran to the blonde with tears in her eyes.
"Levy chan?" The friends embrace.
"Thank goodness you're alright!"
Levy pulled away and lifted her index finger ready to scold. "Now Lucy. I am going to say this as your best friend. Don't you ever disappear on me like that again! You had me worried sick!"
Lucy smiled softly. Levy scolding her, reminded her just how much Levy cared about her. This is why they're such good friends.
"I'm sorry I worried you Levy-chan. I just wanted to go after-" Lucy's eyes went wide.
"-My parents!" How could she have forgotten such an important mission?
"Hey! Lemme go!" Natsu snarled as he got further and further away.
Lucy jerked her head towards the men, carrying the loud pinkette away. "Natsu!"
"Say, Levy-chan, you were once in the army. Do you know where they are taking him?"
Levy blinked curiously. "Who?" she ogled down the street to the army men walking away. "That man?"
The guard then placed her hands on her hips redirecting her eyes to the princess. "I'm sorry Lu-chan. You are my very best friend, and you know I would tell you anything, but if the army is taking him; I can't reveal locations."
Lucy lowered her eyes to the ground feeling helpless, causing Levy to press her lips together feeling a tad guilty.
. . .
"Come on Lu-chan. Things are starting to settle down. Why don't we go look for your parents."
The blonde nodded slowly. "Okay"
"Leo-san" The pink haired woman said softly.
"Aries? Hey, what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry, I came down here to inform you and the prince that it is now safe to come out of hiding.
"It's about friggen time!" Gray grumbled. "I'm going to find Lucy!"
The prince aggressively brushed past, a sighing Loke, and ran out of the hideout.
Aries watched the prince until he was out of sight, then turned her attention back to Loke. "Is... everything alright Leo-san?"
The orangette put his finger tips on his forehead. "Let's just say, I'm just going to have to deal with Prince Gray hating me for a little while. It's just not my mission to go after Princess Lucy!"
Aries ambled to the stressed man, then placed her soft hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure what happened between you two. But sometimes as hard as it may get, your duty is to keep prince Gray safe under any circumstance. Seeing as he is still in one peace, I say whatever you did; keep it up."
Loke and Aries share a longing smile.
"Just give the prince time, I'm sure he'll come around sooner than you think"
"Thanks" He whispered.
Lucy and Levy walked the streets, both their hearts falling heavy from the immense destruction around them.
"I can't believe the dragons would just do something like this, and out of no where..." Levy shook her head.
Lucy bit her lip lightly, remaining silent.
The young guard and princess eventually made their way back to the castle. When the friends got past the gate, they noticed Jude, standing in the ravaged family garden.
"Father!" the blonde hollered in relief.
Lucy started to run up to her father, but the moment he turned towards her to show off his grief-stricken features; Lucy's heart sank and she slowed her pace down.
"Lucy..." He mumbled hoarsely.
Levy caught up to the two, and instantly slapped her hand across her mouth, as tears wasted no time welling up the blunette's eyes.
Lucy's eyes landed on the bloody, beaten up woman, who laid motionless on the garden ground.
"M-Mother?" The princess shakily whispered.
Lucy studied the woman she adored, with shocked and mixed emotions; feeling paralyzed, and numb.
"Take a good look Lucy..." Jude started slowly. "This is all the works of those dragon's you obsessed over."
Lucy shook her head, feeling the need to throw up as she felt her body grow cold and pale.
No...
No... this...
This couldn't be.
There... there is no way...
There is a side... to every... story...
Right?
"Look what they've done!" Jude raised his voice. "THEY KILLED YOUR MOTHER!"
Levy recoiled a bit from the sudden out burst.
"I hope you're happy you defended these things for so long Lucy" Jude stormed off.
Twenty minutes went by and Lucy still stood frozen in her place.
"Lu-chan..." Levy spoke brokenly, never leaving her side. "Are... are you alright?"
The blonde slowly rose her head to the sky.
The need to cry was there.
But strange enough, the tears felt... stuck.
"Hey... Don't listen to your father alright? He is just upset. None of this is your fault." Levy tried to comfort. "I hope you know that."
Silence for just a little while longer.
"Lu-chan?"
"Levy..." The blonde finally spoke.
"I'm right here"
"I... would like to go for a stroll." Lucy forced a smile. "I would like to be alone for a while too, if that's alright"
Levy widened her eyes. "Lu-chan... I can't do that right after an attack like this, it's against my royal duty"
"Then forget your royal duty now, and look to me as a friend and please understand. And please be sure to inform Gray, I'm unharmed.
Levy's eyes softened, then narrowed off to the side.