Ch. 6- Haru's Secret Garden

Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima

Story and OCs © Me

"Haru, where are we going?!"

"You'll see! Trust me!"

Lucy glanced over her shoulder, tentatively as she held onto Haru, both girls still riding atop the back of Blue Fang. The silver wolf panted as he ran as fast as his paws could allow him, not stopping to rest for even a moment. Like Haru, he also knew what took precedence, and that was protecting Lucy from Phantom Lord.

The trio had arrived in the East Forest not three minutes ago, and yet, Blue Fang continued to run, not stopping until Haru said otherwise. As for the Beast Wizard, herself, her eyes were intense and focused. She was searching for something here, but she didn't quite say what it was, to Lucy's growing confusion and concern. All she knew was that Haru said there was a safe place here... she just didn't know what it was.

"Haru?" Lucy asked. "Are you sure everyone's gonna be all right?"

"Them?" Haru asked. "I'm not too worried about them. Cana and Loke are still holding the front lines, and Mira's disguised as you so they had to have taken the bait. Plus, Natsu, Gray, and Elfman are fighting, too. Those guys are pretty formidable in their own right." She smiled as she glanced back. "Don't worry about a thing, Lucy... one way or another, we're gonna win this war and you're still gonna stay with us. There's no way I'll let that creep take you back to your dad."

Lucy smiled gratefully at Haru... and yet, uncertainty still weighed down heavily in the pit of her stomach. She didn't know why... she just felt like things were going a little too easy.

She just didn't realize how right she was.

"There it is!" Haru suddenly exclaimed as Blue Fang finally came to a stop in front of a rocky wall that was covered in long ivy. "Here we are, Lucy! Our little safe haven!"

"This is our hiding spot?" Lucy asked. "I just see a wall covered in vines!"

"Aha!" Haru exclaimed. "At first glance." She then pulled the ivy away... revealing a hidden tunnel behind it. "Ta-dah!"

Lucy's mouth gaped wide open in surprise at the tunnel's revelation. It was almost like one of those secret entrances she read about it in storybooks back when she was a child. So this was why Haru brought her all the way out here: who would think to look for Lucy in the forest?

"Well?" Haru asked. "What are you waiting for, an invitation? Hurry up and get in!"

"Oh, right!" Lucy replied as she entered the tunnel while Haru turned to Blue Fang.

"Blue Fang, you stay here and keep watch," she told him. "If you see or hear anybody suspicious, bark twice as a warning."

Blue Fang nodded his head before he sat down on his haunches, keeping a lookout for any intruders while Haru entered the tunnel, making sure the vines would keep the entrance hidden. As she walked in... she found Lucy standing in the middle of an open chamber, surrounded by many flowers of different colors, and a little bed made out of old straw. The Celestial Spirit Wizard stared in awe as she stood within this secret garden... and all the while, Haru stood next to her, smiling fondly as she sat down on a hollow log.

"What is this place?" asked Lucy. "It's beautiful!"

"...This is my grotto," Haru answered, causing Lucy to look at her. "Back when I was a feral child... I'd always come here to hide from people who wanted to beat me up."

"You mean... this place was your hideaway?" asked Lucy.

"Yeah," Haru answered. "This is also the place where Natsu found me."

Lucy's eyes widened while Haru smiled warmly, reminiscing about the day when the boy who would become her brother found her here in this little garden... how she tried to chase him off with barks and snarls... and how she tried to protect him from the bear that she inadvertently called. Even now, despite what happened that day... she looked back on those moments as the greatest memories of her life.

"This place is very special to Natsu and I," Haru replied. "Sometimes, whenever things get to be too much to the point where I feel like I can't even be at the guild... I come here to be alone... and after a while, I forget why I'm so upset."

"I see," Lucy smiled as she looked up at all the flowers. "It does have a bit of a calming atmosphere. I can see why you like coming back here now and then."

"...Aside from Natsu, you're the only one who knows about this place," said Haru. "No one else in the guild knows... not Gray, not Erza... not even Master Makarov or Elektra know." She smiled up at Lucy, fondly. "I'm glad I could share my secret garden with you, Lucy."

"...Thank you, Haru," Lucy replied, causing the Beast Wizard to chuckle... but then, their mirth was quickly interrupted by the sound of a pained yowl, causing them to look back.

"Blue Fang?!" Haru asked before she got up and headed out. "Lucy, wait here, and don't come out, no matter what!"

Lucy made a soft, worried noise as Haru went out the tunnel to investigate, stepping out warily as she parted the curtain of ivy... but the moment she did, she gasped in horror at the sight that lay before her eyes: Blue Fang, lying on the ground in a crumpled heap, bloody, battered, and bruised. His breath was coming out in ragged pants as pained whimpers escaped him.

"BLUE FANG!" Haru cried as she ran over and hugged her best friend. "Blue Fang, are you okay?! What happened?!"

"Gihi..."

Haru tensed up before she raised her head... and there he was: Gajeel Redfox, wearing that same smug, fang-toothed grin as he stood there, glowering at her.

"You...!" Haru hissed as tears of anger and sadness welled up in her eyes, remembering how the Iron Dragon Slayer had also beaten and humiliated her friends, as well as injured Elektra. "What did you do to Blue Fang?!"

"Aww, is the little girl sad that I beat up her puppy?" asked Gajeel in a tone of mock concern. "Maybe if you kept him on a short leash, I wouldn't have had to teach him who's boss... but I'm not here for him, or you." His grin fell as he lumbered toward Haru, who glared back at him in defiance. "So... where is she? The blonde one."

"And just why should I tell you?!" Haru questioned.

"Because if you don't," Gajeel began, "Salamander just might find you pinned to a tree." He smirked again. "Just like your three pals... and this time, I might just leave you in your underwear."

"Go ahead and do your worst!" Haru shouted as she shot up to her feet. "I'm not afraid of you! I'd sooner die than tell you where Lucy is! You're not gonna get a hold of her, that easily!"

"Is that so?" Gajeel asked as he cracked his knuckles. "You know, I almost don't wanna kill you. The last girl who talked to me like that was that shrimpy girl... I gotta hand it to you Fairy Tail wenches... you got spunk."

Haru only growled at Gajeel, baring her teeth at him. Even if she wasn't in Beast Mode, right now, she wasn't going to let him intimidate her. Gajeel may be bigger than her, but she was still smaller and more agile, and Natsu had taught her to use her size to her advantage against larger opponents.

If she could just tire him out, then hopefully she could buy some time for her and Lucy to escape.

"Take THIS!" Gajeel roared as he threw a punch at Haru, who swiftly dodged his fist as she rolled to the left, then reeled back her own arm to deliver a punch of her own.

"Feral Beast FIST!" she shouted as she punched Gajeel in the stomach... but when her fist connected, it was like she had hit an iron wall, causing her to grunt as she clutched her hand, then stumbled while screaming in pain. Meanwhile, Gajeel gave her another smug smirk.

"Is that really the best you can hit, Beast Girl?!" he asked.

"Damn you...!" Haru cursed, only for Gajeel to punch her across the face, which ended up sending her flying a few feet away before she ended up hitting a tree.

"Gihi! Amateur..." Gajeel gloated before he turned to the wall of ivy. "Now then..."

"NO!"

CHOMP!

"YOWCH!" Gajeel yelled as he looked down and saw Haru biting his arm, growling like a feral animal as she clawed at it with her nails. "Why you little-!" He then punched Haru in the face, again, but that only made her bite down harder. When that didn't work, Gajeel raised his arm and bashed Haru against the ground, causing her to scream in pain, and that's when the Iron Dragon Slayer began to deliver a merciless walloping on the Beast Wizard, punching her and stomping on her prone form, and all she could do was scream in agony as she found herself unable to fight back.

"You're no beast!" Gajeel shouted as he punched Haru again. "You're nothin' but a FLEA!" He delivered another punch as Haru lay helpless on the ground, her blood soaking the earth. "Come on! Tell me where Blondie is! It'll make it easier on you!"

"N... never!" Haru shouted. "I'LL NEVER SELL OUT A FRIEND!"

Behind the curtain of ivy, Lucy watched with horrified tears welling up in her eyes as Gajeel kept beating on Haru.

'She's gonna die... she's gonna die, and it's all my fault! She's risking her life to protect me!'

"YOU'RE STARTIN' TO PISS ME OFF!" Gajeel yelled as he punched Haru one last time, causing her to cough up blood, then he stamped his foot against her face, grinding the sole of his boot on her skull. "All right, look... my patience has been wearin' pretty thin! So... I'm gonna ask you one last time. WHERE IS SHE?!"

Haru opened her mouth, letting out a choked sound.

"What?" Gajeel asked as he leaned in closer.

"I said..." Haru muttered... before she spat in his eye. "SCREW YOU!"

Gajeel growled as the spit dripped off his face. That did it. He had finally had enough of Haru's defiance.

"THAT DOES IT!" he shouted as he raised his right arm, turning it into an iron club. "YOU'RE DEAD KID!"

"STOP IT!"

"Huh?" Gajeel muttered as he turned around... and saw Lucy, panting harshly as she finally emerged from her hiding place, then took a deep breath as she straightened her posture.

"...That's enough," she said. "Leave Haru alone." She then bowed her head. "I surrender."

"Gihi," Gajeel smirked. "Well... look who decided to finally wise up."

"Lucy, no!" Haru cried. "Get out of here! Run!"

"...I can't do that," Lucy replied. "I... I can't stand by... and let people I care about continue to get hurt because of me! I have to do this!"

"But... but Lucy...!" Haru stammered.

"...I'm sorry, Haru," Lucy said as tears formed in her eyes. "I can't let you get killed because of me. Natsu would be so sad if something happened to his little sister." She then gave a forced smile. "Tell him... tell everyone... that I'm sorry... and thanks for everything. It was a lot of fun... while it lasted."

"...Lucy...!" Haru whimpered as she teared up, as well. "No...!"

"Tsk!" Gajeel sucked his teeth in annoyance as he approached Lucy. "I've had all I can stomach of this bull!" He then punched the blonde teen in her gut, causing her to cough as the wind got knocked out of her before she passed out with a groan.

"LUCY!" Haru cried.

"There," Gajeel said before he leered at Haru. "Now... she won't see what I do to you."

Haru let out a shuddering gasp of horror... the realization of what Gajeel planned to do setting in as he gave a dark snicker, his shadow looming over her menacingly.

Don't worry, it's not as bad as you think... still pretty bad, though.

Review, please!