Chapter 20: Et Emergo

Lucy was uncertain how much time had passed. She estimated about three days, maybe four, but it was hard in the windowless cell. She could only keep track by the changing of guards and the two daily bland meals, but after a while she kept herself in the corner of the cell, and the only thing she watched was the dust in the air. So went the days until she was startled by the runic wall coming down.

"Princess…erm…Lucy," said the blue-haired rune expert, blushing a little at the slip of the tongue, "the Council demands your presence for judgement by the king."

She pushed to her feet, swaying a bit with how little energy remained, and ghosted after Levy and her guards. She finally caught a glimpse of Natsu, set in a cell parallel to the blond dragon, Sting she believed. Natsu had his back to her but Sting was looking in their direction as they passed. She met eyes with him, and Sting gave her a bitter smile before turning away. Even a dragon is pitying me.

The journey to the council room felt even longer than the last time. Her steps were uneven, and she was so nauseous it was hard to stay upright. This time there were no old fogies passing their verbose judgement; the large room held one body draped in a deep purple cloak, and his disapproving look spoke volumes more than they ever could. Lucy was pulled to a halt several feet away from him, then her shoulders were shoved until she was kneeling on the cold tile. The guards retreated behind her until the door shut on just the two of them.

"Father," she whispered to her hands, dirty and bruised on the ground.

"Don't call me that!" he snapped back, startling her. "You have not only disgraced your name, but the Heartfilia line as well. Layla must be turning in her grave. You, who turned around and colluded with a criminal and aided in his escape… And you had the audacity to say you aren't a traitor." The words came out like acid and Lucy recoiled from him.

"He's not…I'm not…a criminal. He—we never were. I only want what's best for the kingdom—"

"What's best is for you to be nowhere near the light of day," he interrupted, turning away from her. "I'd worried over you, Lucy. I cried at night knowing my only child was taken from me. Now I find you enjoyed the experience like a wayward whore, and you're willing to slander the royal family in the path of getting what you want. You want to be with him so badly? Fine then, your wish is granted. You can spend the rest of your lives together in the next world."

"You don't mean—" Her blood ran cold at the thought of the gallows. "Father. No, Father. Please, you know more than anyone, sometimes you have to do what the people don't understand in order to protect them."

"I know that! But there are still lines you should never cross!" He started to turn, then paused as if an errant thought occurred to him. He shook it off quickly and send a deep scowl in her direction. "Do you know how many humans dragons have burned, eaten, disemboweled? How many towns were flattened in an instant? How many times we have shuddered in the dark in fear of demons, Vulcans, any of the slew of magical creatures many times our force? I, as the king, seek to assuage the citizens' worries, not multiply them with the thought that their Crowned Princess can turn traitor, that any of us Heartfilias may turn our backs on them. I have found the end-all, be-all solution for every enemy who may oppose us, something so basic even non-magic users can do it."

She hesitated. Her father had always been visibly self-conscious at his lack of magical ability, even though less than forty percent of people in Fiore were wizards. Perhaps because she and her mother were both Mages and shared a bond through that. Nonetheless, a magical solution for non-wizards? It almost sounded too good to be true… But that maniacal glint in his eyes was disconcerting. She didn't think she wanted to know the answer…but she had to.

"Father," she began slowly, "what is your solution?"

Normal people would have shied away even a bit at admitting the fact. He seemed bolstered, puffed out his chest a bit. "Some time ago, a certain Mage approached me. In exchange for amnesty from those who pursue him, he promised me ultimate power, a power which has been lost to the centuries. I am already on the precipice of unlocking it, and it takes only one more key to do so. Once I find it, whatever it may be, we will have the force to combat even Alvarez."

Something about that didn't sit right with Lucy, but before she could question it further, the doors opened again, allowing Halloumi inside. She gave a deep bow before speaking. "Your Majesty, the guards are awaiting your judgement."

Jude stared down at Lucy with a burning intensity. Then he swept past her, the tail of his cloak brushing her shoulder. He smelled familiar, like her childhood. "We can't kill the dragons, but at least one traitor will die by sunrise. And if she has any honor left to her name, she will give us their weaknesses before then."

Lucy's mind whirled as she was brought to her feet and practically carried by the guards to a separate room. There, she was stripped down to the nude, yet she had no time to be embarrassed before she was dressed in prisoner's orange. The next room she was taken to was smaller and held two chairs. One was already occupied by a guard of Era, an unfamiliar woman with long red hair and striking features.

"Have a seat," she offered, waving at the only other chair. As if Lucy had any option. After Jude's verdict, the guards had lost any pretense of handling her delicately and forced her into the seat as any common criminal. "I'm Captain Erza Scarlet," she said, folding her armored hands onto her knee. Her posture spoke volumes of poise and strength, an indication of why the guards felt free to take their leave from the two women. "I suppose I'll be one of the last faces you see…Princess." She scowled a bit at her own words. "I'm sorry, it is a hard pill to swallow."

"You should try being in my shoes," Lucy mumbled bitterly. "I don't have any weaknesses to give you, Captain, so you might as well lock me up again."

"Is that so?" She adjusted herself slightly and Lucy realized after a moment that Erza shifted closer. "Because you don't know any, or because you don't want to say?"

"Does it matter?"

"To me, yes. I would like to understand you, not in the least because I know you. Your mother, at least," she amended. "Layla Heartfilia enacted the law which abolished slavery and incarcerated any who participated in it. This meant the destruction of the Tower of Heaven."

"I read about that once. A tower meant to draw enough ethernano to summon Zeref. It was built by his acolytes who made a cult of worshipping him."

"Indeed. But what the public kept hidden was the real strength of the tower: child slaves." Lucy's eyes, which were on her hands, snapped up to Erza, whose expression remained neutral. "Several hundreds and I were imprisoned and kept as cheap laborers for years. With Layla's law, the grey area the Tower managed to skirt around in was dispelled, and all of us were freed. So," and she leaned forward, bearing into Lucy with a gaze like steel, "I have to wonder why the daughter of such a woman would go on to commit high treason. Humor me."

"It wasn't high treason! Natsu is not a criminal!"

"Maybe that's what you think. Maybe that's the truth," Erza conceded, "but as long as the lawmakers don't see it that way…well. You and I both know what it's like to be cogs in a machine. We can interrupt the processes, but ultimately things can and will move with or without our input. Giving us tips on how to deal with dragons would help in the event of another attack like Sabertooth. Protecting the people, isn't that what you stand for?"

"Natsu is one of my people. By not divulging his weaknesses, I am protecting everyone."

"Yet what about those who fear the dragons?" She gestured towards the constant crowd outside of the council building. "If he, or another dragon decides to run rampant, they can die quite easily. It's our job to protect the innocents."

"Protecting the humans…protecting the dragons…why must there be two classes? They were both born on Fiorian soil—the dragons, way before we were—so they're all people in need of protecting."

"Would you say the same about demons? The ones from legend who laid waste to the land?"

"Of course not," Lucy snapped. "A demon is mindless, bred from a curse to cause destruction."

"Then what of the person who creates those demons?" Erza said calmly. "A Dark Mage who does so…would they still warrant protection, or are they made an outlaw?"

"They deserve a second chance! A chance to change their ways, or…"

"Or imprisonment, or death?" she finished to Lucy's chagrin. "That's what you were thinking, correct? That's how the kingdom has handled affairs for centuries. Natsu Dragneel had a chance to change long ago: the kingdom wanted to train him to work for them, him and his brother dragon. Both refused and fought every step of the way, and they injured several guards in the process. And that was before he captured you." She spread her hands. "How many chances does he get? How do we even know his assistance in the War isn't a ploy to fool us?"

"It's…you don't know him," she said, clenching her fists.

"Not that he's given us a chance. There's been no conversing with him, nothing but short and vague answers. But, anyhow, this is about you. Why you would turn against us and to his side."

"Because however it may seem, that's the right thing to do at this moment. I can't…do anything from here. I wanted to go and abate the people's worries myself. He was there as a protector and friend. Yet we couldn't even get through Era!" Lucy buried her face in her hands, fighting back the sting of tears. "I wasn't strong enough. I deluded myself into thinking I was. I could barely even face my father. If I get the death penalty, so be it, but I won't be damning another person, that's for certain."

Erza sighed. "I don't like this situation either, you know. We've all heard the stories how you fought the Twin Dragons with your life. I wouldn't wish death on you, personally, but…don't go making His Majesty any angrier. Don't make this any harder."

"Or what, he'll ground me? Lock me up?" She straightened her back and brushed her hair back. "I have nothing left to lose."

She got a certain scowl on her face which quickly turned resolute. "It doesn't have to be you."

"What?"

"You're attached to Natsu Dragneel, that's no question. His imprisonment can be much more unpleasant without your cooperation."

"What can you possibly do to him, if not kill him?"

"I," she said, her voice strong but her eyes averted, "know more than I want to about how to break a spirit and not the body. And with what I hear of a dragon's healing factor, there's a lot we can do to him."

Lucy wanted to say Over my dead body, but that was a moot point. "So be it," she said, ignoring the painful twist in her stomach. "Natsu is more resilient than you think. But no matter what you all think of me, I will not die a traitor to my friends."

Erza tried bantering for a few more minutes before deciding it was a lost cause and ordering the guards to take Lucy away. "For what it's worth," she said as Lucy was hauled up by her forearms, "I still don't think of you as a traitor, Princess. Nonetheless, the duties of our titles are unavoidable."

"I understand," Lucy said. "Yet this situation is far from okay."

Erza simply bowed her head as Lucy was taken away. The new room was larger, with a double bed, ornate rug, and a window looking out onto the city. As the guards took their leave, the thought struck her that this room was the last that many other prisoners saw and would now be the last one she saw. Her anti-magic shackles were removed also, but she could feel the draining material in the walls and door. She sat on the edge of the bed and drew her knees to her chest. In this environment she couldn't even summon a Spirit.

"Is this it?" she whispered. No one was there to answer, but she already knew.

Sunrise came and so did the guards. Lucy hadn't slept a wink and rose to greet them immediately. One of them seemed cowed as she shackled Lucy for the last time. "I'm sorry things had to end this way, Princess," she muttered. Lucy held her tongue as she was taken outside of the Magic Council building and to a stone dais surrounded by Rune Knights (Captain Erza Scarlet included, who did not shy away from Lucy's gaze) and palace guards alike. Still atop the hill, she had a clear view of the ever-present crowds below, who burst into an uproar at the sight of her. She was ushered to a wide stone dais which held all the Council standing behind a wooden guillotine. To her surprise, her father had joined them as well, although he wore a different blue cloak almost like a disguise. His expression was no less severe as Lucy was forced to her knees at the base of the guillotine.

"Here, we witness the execution of the former Crowned Princess, Lucy Heartfilia," Halloumi called. There must have been an enchantment on her that magnified her voice across the city. "Her crime was assisting in the escape of one of our prisoners…the very dragon who ravaged the castle not so long ago. For her high treason against Fiore, Lucy will pay the ultimate price." She gave the high voices a moment to go down before turning her gaze to Lucy. "Have you any last words?"

"I've said all I want," she replied, refusing to cower at this moment. Still with the anti-magic shackles, her head was forced down into the stocks, which were promptly clamped onto her neck and locked. In this position, all she could see was the skyline and green mountains beyond.

"Your Majesty, have you anything to say?" Halloumi's words were directed to Jude who, to Lucy's surprise, agreed.

"As a matter of fact—"

"Lucy!"

There was a bodily slam to the side and Lucy strained to turn her head enough to see. Two burly Rune Knights had someone pinned to the ground, and after a few more cries, her face paled. "Loki, no, stop it!"

"You stop it! You can't just—why are you—" His breaths were coming short and strained and there was blood streaming down his face from where she assumed he hit the ground. "Let her go!" he growled, and light shone from beneath his skin. "Regulus—"

"Luuuucy!" A golden light shone from a separate spot as several bodies went flying through the air. Taurus manifested with ax swinging and eyes alight. "You won't harm Lucy's beautiful body. I won't allow it!"

"Neither will I." The stone under Lucy's knees sunk inwards before the guillotine exploded into wooden shrapnel. She almost fell into the new hole before soft hands brought her into black and white fabric. "No matter how you humans see her, Lucy will always be my—our—princess," Virgo said. As the guards closed in on their disruptions, more and more lights appeared.

"I'm sorry!" Aries cried as she shoved men away with a massive puffball. "But I want to protect Lucy too!"

"It's my duty to serve her." Capricorn easily batted away a Rune Knight's oncoming sword.

"Step away please!" Sagittarius warned before loosing a volley of arrows at the Knights' raised shields.

"Whatever you think of the princess is wrong! She doesn't deserve this!" Gemini shouted before dealing a Natsu-strength fist to the face. Tears streamed down Lucy's face and she turned into Virgo's warmth.

"Please stop," she whispered. "This is my judgement. This is what I deserve."

"Lucy, you haven't done anything wrong." Virgo stroked Lucy's matted hair and she cried harder. Then:

"Enough of this nonsense."

Lucy looked up to her father to see he had pulled a thick book from his cloak. He flipped it open to a seemingly random page and began to read. What he said exactly went over her head; all she could saw was the words left a terrible taste in her mouth like sulfur and brought a chill to the summer air. There was a sudden silence to what was previously wrought with battle cries, and finally the silence was broken by the sound of Taurus' ax hitting the earth.

One by one, all of Lucy's Spirits fell.

Loki was last to go, and though there was agony in his eyes, his lips formed Lucy's name before he disappeared. Lucy's back hit the stone hard and the breath left her with a whoosh. She drew herself up to her elbows and looked to her father with wide eyes as he closed the book decisively. Even a few of the Councilmen appeared ill after his…whatever he did.

"As I told you," Jude said with a smug look, "my solution is the end-all. And this is only a portion of the power."

"Your solution…that was a curse," she said. "Dark Magic. That's—you can't use that!"

"I am the king!" he snapped. "The fate of this country falls to my best judgement! And you have no further say in the matter." He pocketed the book and, reaching for the Rune Knight closest to him, snatched the man's sword. He approached Lucy with slow purposeful steps, the tip throwing up sparks as it dragged on the stone. "This execution will happen one way or another even if I have to do it myself." Seizing Lucy by the hair, he forced her head back, baring her neck to the sun.

By my own father? she thought, watching the silver blade rise to the sunlight. No, I—no, I won't go out like this. Her hands shook against the shackles and they in turn clanked against the ground. The steel sang as it made a beeline for the delicate skin of her neck. Time slowed at that moment—she could feel the warm air, see the cold resolution in Jude's eyes, watch the clouds lazily roll by… And she noticed a heavy weight in her hands. How she hadn't noticed before, she didn't know, but she was certain it only appeared after Virgo took her from the guillotine. After a moment of feeling with her fingertips, she realized it was a Zodiac Key. A memory suddenly rose in her mind.

"You know, Lucy…"

"Mama, shh, don't aggravate the fever."

"I won't be here to protect you anymore. Please, you have to listen. If you're ever in danger, if you have no other option…there is an old way to summon the Celestial Spirit King. Listen…"

"No, I won't do that! I can never do it!"

Couldn't she? This was certainly a no-option situation, as Mama had described. But…to do that to one of her friends…no, her oldest friend… would she be forgiven? There wasn't time to think, the blade was centimeters from her Adam's apple. Lucy closed her eyes.

Aquarius, please forgive me.

She snapped the Key in her hands.