Here you all go, a good 5K chapter! Thank you again to everyone that faved, followed, and reviewed! You all make me so happy to see how much support this story has gotten! To aliciacevbra: I actually have decided on an update schedule, finally XD. I'm planning to update this story every Sunday starting next week! If any of you are into Sousei no Onmyouji (Twin Star Exorcists) plz check out my other story Red Wings & White Claws! If you haven't heard of it, I highly recommend you consider reading the manga (Anime isn't too good - sorry if you might think otherwise that's just my opinion) Welp, enough from me. Hope you all enjoy this chapter!
A freshly bandaged Natsu found himself lounging on the couch as he watched Lucy move from the kitchen to the foyer to clean up his 'bloody mess'. She shot a glare in his direction, probably for making himself at home on her plush cushions.
His ears perked at the sound of an approaching vehicle. The occasional choke that the engine released suggested that the driver had yet to bring it in for maintenance in a while. A truck? It sounded like an old truck. The automobile would pause every few seconds, but that didn't stop its driver as it sped up the icy road and slowed to a stop outside the house. The driver stepped out of the car and worked his way up to the house through the piled snow in extended foot falls.
Smelling no malicious intent, Natsu let out a light sound that was as close to a bark as his larynx would allow before the doorbell rang. The blonde kneeling on the carpet paused in her attempts to remove his blood stains from the floor covering before calling for the ginger-head to open the door.
Natsu watched as the door opened to welcome who he supposed was named 'Scorpio'. The man was fairly tan with two sides of his hair dyed red and white respectively. He seemed friendly enough, greeting Loke with a giant smile before calling out to the blonde. "Yo, Lucy! How ya' been?"
'Lucy' smiled and stood to her feet. "Scopio, it's good to see you. How's Aquarius doing?"
"Al'ight. Loke an' I jus' got called back to Hargeon for another job; so, I'll get to see 'er sooner than I hoped."
Lucy frowned. "I wish you two would quit working for that traveling agency. I rarely get to see you guys nowadays."
Natsu watched as Loke moved to wrap an arm around her shoulders in a side-hug. "Aww~! Don't be like that Princess. We'll be back before you know it. Besides, the boss is pretty lenient about giving us time off every now and then. Unless, you'd like me to check for any fancy resorts to…check you in?"
The black wolf had to hold back a gag less the raw chicken he ate this morning come up. That would just be a waste of food.
Lucy rolled her eyes and stepped out of his hold before making her way up the stairs. "I'm going to go change and then we can go. Watch Coal while I'm gone." And she left.
The atmosphere immediately tensed, the two men stared at one another before turning their gaze on him. He held their stares, not backing down.
Scorpio spoke first. "Do you think…?"
"Yeah." Loke nodded.
"Shouldn't we tell…you know…him?"
The ginger sighed and scratched at his head, ruffling the spikes. "No, he hasn't done anything to suggest he's a threat. Lucy's fine when she interacts with him. I just get the feeling –"
"What feeling?" Lucy re-emerged from the top floor and was making her way down, clad in navy blue medical scrubs.
"That I must be in heaven because you're an angel." Loke quickly answered, actually skipping to meet her at the bottom of the stairs. Scorpio continued to stare at Natsu longer than he would have liked before turning away. "Okay! Let's get this guy loaded up on the truck an' head out!"
What?
Lucy wasn't too surprised that they weren't able to convince Coal to ride in the dog crate. But it did take a lot of convincing to persuade the wolf to go anywhere near Scorpio's old semi-truck. In the end, Loke and Scorpio had worked together to toss the squirming wolf onto the bed of the truck, despite Lucy's loud protests.
"Watch his leg!" She hopped onto the truck next to the wolf and did a quick scan to ensure his wounds hadn't reopened. They'd been doing a lot better when she had changed the bandages this morning.
Lucy watched as Coal remained slumped on his stomach, not moving. That was odd, she half-expected him to jump off the truck and run away into the forest. She shrugged it off to being exhausted from having been wrestled onto the truck and took her seat beside him.
Loke and Scorpio sat at the front - Scorpio at the wheel - started the engine, and they were off. As the truck began moving down the makeshift road into Magnolia, Coal keeled over and started gagging. Lucy looked over in concern and wasn't prepared when bits of chicken leg and bile splattered across the bed of the semi-truck. She was able to piece together Coal's reluctance towards going near the truck and his vomiting fairly quickly and called for Scorpio to stop.
Beside her, Coal groaned as the truck lurched to a halt. Loke stepped out and moved to the side of the vehicle with a frown. "What's the problem?"
"Coal has motion sickness."
The ginger paused to process the information before asking, "What do you want to do?" She pursed her lips in thought. They couldn't walk, not on Coal's bad leg, and he was too heavy to carry. Scorpio and Loke barely managed to lift him onto the truck in the first place.
Coal's head rolled to the side and he let out a pathetic whimper. Feeling guilty, she lifted his head so it would rest on her lap. She made sure to go slow so that he would track her movements, but he seemed too listless to care. Turning back to Loke she said, "Let's go. Just tell Scorpio to take it slow, okay? And try to avoid the bumps." He nodded and went to relay the message, the truck was moving soon after.
Coal let out another pained whine and Lucy set her hand on his head to rub in what she hoped was a soothing gesture. The wolf quieted, but would release a low groan every now and then. The rest of the short ten minute trip was made in relative silent, Lucy getting lost in the passing scenery of snowcapped trees and the rising sun. Breathing in deeply, the smells of the forest pervaded her senses and she felt that she could have gotten lost in the beauty of the surrounding nature.
Soon the trees began to become sparse and the snow path began to blend into snow-covered concrete. Sounds of other vehicles and the bustling of the town overpowered the noises of the forest critters and Lucy waved and called greetings to familiar faces as people started their day.
"Morning, Lucy!"
"Morning, Ms. Heartfilia! How you doing?"
"Hey, Lucy! Found yourself another stray?"
Lucy laughed at the last comment and called out a short response before Scorpio could drive too far away. "No, more like he found me." Glancing down at the wolf in question she noticed that Coal wasn't a completely black wolf. Dark brown, almost red, furs reflected in the sunlight overheard along the undercoat of his thick fur. It was while she was inspecting his form that she noticed the change of alignment in his leg. It appeared as if the bone had never been sticking out in the first place. She wouldn't be sure until she un-bandaged it though, but Coal was either an abnormally quick healer or she wasn't paying as much attention as she should have to the wound. Lucy frowned at that last thought and quietly admonished herself. She couldn't afford to be careless in this type of field. She'd make sure Coal healed up as quickly as possible and be released back to his home as soon as he was able.
Before she knew it, the truck was rolling to a stop in front of a building she considered her second home. Magnolia Veterinary Hospital was, for a word, small. In such a small forest town, there really wasn't a need for a large one. Most of the businesses that dotted the land were primarily restaurants and hotels for anyone that tended to be passing through. Everyone knew everyone in Magnolia; they were a tight-knit family and worked to support one another every step of the way, no matter the problem. That's just how they were.
Though tiny, the establishment stood proud with the words 'Magnolia Veterinary Hospital' displayed in large, bold letters across the top of the entrance. It was decorated with white paint and red bricks on the outside, much like its neighboring buildings: 'Magnolia Tea & Cakes' and 'Crimson Hair Salon'.
Lucy lifted Coal's head from off her lap and slipped from under him to jump off the truck. Figuring out the vehicle was no longer moving, the black wolf scrambled to his feet. Lucy never got the chance to protest before Coal threw himself off the truck and landed in an ungraceful heap on the floor. She sighed before squatting next to him, "Are you trying to make your leg worse?"
Loke moved around the truck to see what happened before jerking his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the building. "I'll ask Aries to bring out a stretcher." Lucy nodded in appreciation. Scorpio exited the truck to stand next to her as they waited.
Growing bored, the large black wolf attempted and managed to stand to his feet, broken leg lifted off the ground. He scanned his surroundings and eyed the forest at the edge of town. Probably thinking about heading off soon, Lucy thought.
"At least let me check it out first, okay?" She told him. Coal paused in his search and turned to face her with an impatient expression. For some reason, she felt that he understood what she was saying. His eyes screamed intelligence and his body language wasn't like that of any average wolf. It almost reminded her of….a human?
Loke returned from the hospital carrying a stretcher, a shorter, pink-haired woman following after him. Aries was fairly pale in appearance and equally as shy. Lucy was still having a hard time to convince her to call her by name outside of work instead of…
"Dr. Heartfilia! Go-good morning. I'm sorry."
Dr. Heartfilia.
She didn't bother to correct the young woman, it'd only make her feel guiltier in the end. Instead, she smiled and waved in return. "Good morning, Aries. No, need to be sorry. Thank you for helping Loke." A blush bloomed across Aries face and Lucy bit down on her smile. She was just too cute sometimes.
Loke laid out the stretcher for Coal to lay in and called for the wolf. Coal took one look at the stretcher, peered at the hospital, then at her and huffed. Limping forward, the wolf bypassed the stretcher and headed for the entrance to the Veterinary, turning to face them when he reached the doors.
Definitely not a normal wolf.
Loke broke the silence. "Well, guess you don't need me and Scorpio anymore. We'll start heading out now." He turned to the passenger side of the truck, missing Aries disappointed frown. Scorpio gave a two-finger salute and hopped into the driver's seat. "See ya, Lucy! Aries! I'll let Aquarius know you said 'hi'."
Both women waited as the truck backed out of where it was side-parked against the sidewalk and headed down the street and out of sight. Turning to the impatient wolf, Lucy sighed before opening the door for him to limp through.
The hospital was not what Natsu expected. From a human's perspective, it was like any other veterinary. There were people sitting and standing in the waiting room, their pets sitting by their sides or in their laps, some whimpering in fear and others sniffing around curiously. But the place smelled, dare he say, nice. The scent of death and medicine didn't pervade the air like normal medical centers did. It sort of reminded him of how Lucy smelled. He couldn't really describe the scent she carried around with her, only that it reminded him of home. It reminded him of how the early morning airs at Fairy Tail would smell of early dew drip and how the forest surrounding their campgrounds would smell of fresh pine and magic. He shook his head at the notion, this wasn't his home. There was one waiting for him once he got back. But...it was hard to ignore that something about the blonde woman whose house he stumbled into didn't intrigue him a little.
Natsu turned to see as Lucy was greeted by everyone in the lobby, everyone attempting to make quick conversation before her attention was stolen by another person. Everyone was vying for her attention, but she didn't seem agitated in the least. She embraced it and returned the same affections she was rewarded. They were all captured by her radiance and optimism, and gravitated towards her like she was the very sun itself. He couldn't find it in himself to worry that he was becoming much the same.
Finished with her conversations, Lucy gestured for him to follow her behind the front desk. He obliged her. People whispered and pointed as he walked past, but he paid them no heed. Limping past the doorway that blocked the lobby area from the rest of the building, Natsu stopped to peer curiously as the blonde doctor kneeled down just behind the desk. Natsu could sniff out the old-timer before he could see him.
Laying on an old cot to the side of the desk was an old German Shepherd. White fur speckled across its tired body and were easily picked out from the rest of its black and brown fur. Sniffing the air, the old dog lifted his head in Natsu's general direction and it was only then that its most notable feature was revealed. Two murky gray orbs gazed to the slight left of Natsu's own dark onyx eyes.
The dog was blind.
Lucy finally broke the silence when she saw that the two animals wouldn't be barking or tearing at one another's throats. "Coal, this is Plue. Plue, this is Coal." Plue, even with his blind eyes, regarded him with an uncertain expression, but after turning his attention to Lucy's general direction and then back to him, he seemed to come to a consensus.
Natsu could see the message Plue tried to convey through his murky grey eyes. 'Protect. Please - protect'. There was no question on the subject of who Plue was referring to and the intent of the plea was clear: he was too old to look after his blonde owner anymore.
"Plue's been with me for a long time now, but there was an accident and he lost his eyesight." Lucy explained, reaching out to pat the dog's head. Plue gave a happy whine in response. "He stays at the hospital now since he can't walk home with me anymore and I can't watch him at home when I'm at work."
Finished patting him, Lucy stood to her feet and continued down the hallway. "Let's get that leg checked out, yeah?"
Natsu gave one more glance to Plue's aging eyes, his silent plea still present. 'Sure, old man.' He shrugged it off and hurried after the blonde. Like he could go around making promises to watch over every human he met. Sorry.
Lucy was stopped one time by a passing nurse in pink scrubs before she led him into a room. The room itself was like what he guess would be found in a vet's exam room, but it still gave him chills and flashbacks of memories he preferred to keep buried far into his mind, where they wouldn't be able to escape and haunt him.
There was pain…
Stop! Leave me alone!
…and it was cold,
Natsu...my little brother...
so, cold…
I'm not your brother! Monster!
…but his throat was scalding for… something
Something to quench the thirst.
"Hey." Lucy's voice snapped him out back to the present and he shook his pelt out to get rid of the chill that climbed up his spine.
She kneeled in front of him and directed her pointer finger to the ground. "Can you lay down? I need to check your bandages." He huffed but obliged her, sprawling himself on his right side in a way where he'd be able to watch the door.
Lucy smiled and started cutting away at the bandages across his torso and then his leg, humming that same song quietly again. "Everything looks good. Really good. You must be a fast healer, Coal." He let out a huffed laugh. That was an understatement.
"Your leg kind of concerns me though. Even if you do have fast healing it couldn't have recovered this much in such short a time." He tensed.
"It's...abnormal. Almost supernatural." She frowned down at him with an analytical mind. Great, just what he needed. Erza would kill him if a human found out their secret, and that was saying something coming from an immortal. 'Clean-up' was always so hard to do now that social media came into existence. Whatever happened to air mail?
"What happened to you before–" His reached out to anchor his mind to her own before she could break eye contact. Mind compulsion wasn't something he enjoyed doing, it meant tapping into powers that Zeref gifted him. But no matter how bittersweet it proved itself useful, combined with his own werewolf healing, he could feel the limp in his leg repair itself and the rest of his bites and scratches finished stitching themselves up till there was nothing left.
He never broke contact with Lucy's brown orbs, compelling her to relinquish hold over herself to him. The concerned look she was directing at him faded to a dull brown and he felt a tiny twinge of regret for creating an expression that didn't match her uplifting personality.
'My injuries are all healed. I'm just a regular wolf you found. In fact, forget that you ever saw–'
"Dr. Heartfilia, you're needed in room three." That same nurse from the hallway walked into the room. Lucy shook her head and snapped out of the trance he had her under to turn and respond. Humans had the most impeccable timing.
Clamping down on his other side, Natsu stared in awed, suspicion at the blonde woman in front of him.
That wasn't possible. Even if he hasn't used Compulsion in a long time it was still almost impossible to break from. This was going to be harder than he originally thought.
"I'll be right there, Rebecca. Could you have a look at Milo in room two? I think we're about ready to take his cast off soon." Rebecca nodded and left after handing Lucy a manila folder.
She opened the folder and the light seemed to drain from her eyes as her lips twisted into a slight frown. From his position, he could see the picture of a grown Golden Retriever clipped to the front. The name 'Wilson, Teddy' was printed in the top corner.
Rising to her full height, Lucy said with a strained smile, "Stay here, okay? I'll be right back." She headed for the door, opened it, and left, leaving it slightly cracked open. Whether it was on purpose or not, he didn't care. Natsu waited for the sounds of her footsteps to disappear into another room before he rose to his feet. Fully healed, he moved to the door and waited for any noise of movement down the hall before nosing the opening wider for him to squeeze out.
As he made to move down the hall a sob filled with pure anguish had the furs at his neck standing on end. Looking around, he found that the sounds were coming from room three. The one Lucy had entered.
Natsu shifted his gaze from the front of the veterinary - towards freedom - and the wooden door with a bronze '3' hanging from the top, center. Curiosity overruled his need for freedom and he moved to sit to the side of the closed door. Listening, the sob had quieted to the blubbering cries of a little girl.
"Don't! Please don't take him away, Dr. Heartfilia! He's a good boy! Don't take Teddy away!"
"It's okay, Kathy. Teddy is going to be in a better place. He'll be happy there." A gentle, but strained, voice tried to soothe the child. The mother, he presumed.
"But I don't want to lose him." Kathy sobbed. "I love him, mommy! I don't want to lose him."
"I know, honey."
The sobs continued before he heard Lucy's voice. "It's alright, Kathy. Teddy's just going to fall sleep so that he won't feel any pain. He'll dream of you and all the memories you share together."
Kathy sniffled some more before blubbering, "B-but wha-what if he– *hiccup* he gets nigh-nightmares? I wo-won't be th-there t-to wake hi-him u-up." She burst into more tears.
Lucy cooed the child softly. "Would it be alright if I sang Teddy to sleep then? That'll help him keep the nightmares away."
"Co-could you? Pl-please?"
"Alright." Lucy said softly. "Do you want to tell Teddy anything before he goes to sleep?"
"Ye-yeah." Natsu heard the girl shuffle to her dog. He could hear the animal's shallow breathing, but there wasn't any fear tainting his scent; he had accepted that his time had come.
"Te-teddy? I love you, ok-okay? Yo-you're a re-really go-good boy, an-and I'm go-going to mi-miss you. Ha-have go-good dreams, okay? *hiccup* I'll ne-never for-forget abo-bout you. So, do-don't forget abou-about me, pr-promise? I lo-love you, Te-teddy."
The mother gave the daughter a few words of encouragement before giving her own words to Teddy. When the mother was done, Lucy said, "You don't have to be here for this next part, Kathy. I can call one of the nurses to watch you in the waiting room."
The girl refused. "I wa-want to b-be he-here when Te-Teddy goes t-to sle-eep."
"Alright" she replied and she started singing. It was the same tune she was always humming under her breath, but the soft words she added had something in Natsu's heart clenching.
"Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby
Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay
And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow
Bless you with love for the road that you go"
And as her soft lullaby continued, the sound of the dog's heartbeat began to beat slower and slower. But never once did Natsu smell fear as the dog passed. Teddy was at peace.
Lucy's scent became more pronounced as she sang and he could have sworn that he sensed...magic. It was a miniscule smell when he had entered the building, but it was more pronounced as Lucy was finishing her song.
There were only three heartbeats he could detect behind the door of room three, now. Natsu had to hold back the urge to howl for the passing animal. The wolf in him demanding that he pay his respects to the fallen.
Back in control, Natsu left behind the quiet sobbing and continued his journey down the hall. Passing by where Plue lay, Natsu stopped momentarily at the confusion the dog was telegraphing into his mind. He tried to ignore the seed of guilt that had taken root and moved pass the German Shepherd, across the waiting room, and pushed out the doors to freedom. He ran.
He ran from the mystery that was Lucy Heartfilia. Ran from the guilt, murky gray eyes instilled within him. He ran like he did back then. He ran just like he always had from things he couldn't solve with his fists and strength alone. He ran.
Natsu ran down the trail leading back to the cabin, eventually passing it, and back into the forest. By the time he stopped outside Fairy Tail's borders it was dark out and snowing again. Lucy had to be back home by now.
He roughly shook his head. She wasn't his responsibility, he didn't need to assure a part of himself of her whereabouts. It was only when his mind was thinking back on the blonde doctor in the cabin at the outskirts of Magnolia that he remembered he'd left his satchel back at the house. Shit. He gave his home one more glance before turning around to run back from whence he came.
The satchel itself wasn't really anything important. Natsu had had the thing for ages now, but what it held was too important to leave behind. It was the only thing he had to remember the parts of his past before Fairy Tail not plagued with memories of Zeref and his cruel mind games. He wasn't leaving it behind.
When he made it back to the house, he had to clamp down on the small hint of fear that sparked when he didn't see any of the lights in the cabin on. She wasn't home yet? He wiped the thought from his mind as fast as it arose and hunched down to enter through the doggie door...again. Once again, he found it was open. Lucy had to learn to lock this thing. Who knew what kinds of animals could enter her house at night?
The inside was the same as Natsu had last seen it except, it wasn't entirely quiet. He crept through the kitchen steadily and strained his ears. The sounds of a violin and light singing could be heard from the top floor. Natsu tried to ignore it as he moved to where he stashed his bag to find the hiding spot bare.
His frustration was immediately soothed by the music from above that beckoned him forward. Like a fool, he obliged and followed its sweet melody up the stairs and across a hall. Lucy's scent reached his nose and he sighed in relief.
The door to her room was wide open and he peered inside. Sheets of music and art decorated the walls and floors of the room. Much of the art was of natural seems from just outside and others were of animals in scenic backgrounds and of patients from the veterinary hospital. Seated on top of the only bed in the room was Lucy, eyes closed as her hands and fingers coaxed sweet notes from the violin in her grasp. The same song from the veterinary played from her lips in accordance with the instrument.
He didn't realize he'd even stepped into the room until his paw stepped on a stray music sheet across the floor, crinkling the paper. Lucy broke from her song and stopped to stare in his direction. She didn't seem surprised to see him.
Reaching for her nightstand, she brought out a familiar leather satchel from one of the compartments to show him. "You seemed really possessive of this the first time. I figured you'd want it back." She laid it at the edge of the bed for him to take.
He warily walked forward to the end of the bed, but didn't reach out to take the bag. Lucy smiled softly at his hesitation. She seemed so sad. "I wish you hadn't left the hospital like you had, Coal. But I guess wolves don't like being in captivity for too long, huh? After all, you are just a regular wolf." The way she said the words made Natsu stiffened. Compulsion hadn't worked?
"But I'm glad your wounds are all healed." She continued. He couldn't tell how much his mind had compelled her to forget. He should be taking this chance to get the job done right; make her forget ever meeting him; let her get back to her normal life before he had interrupted it. It was his duty as a member of the Fairy Tail Guild to ensure the safety of the rest of the supernatural community. No humans could learn of their existence.
That's what a part of himself was saying, at least. His wolf wouldn't hear of it, and he wondered if he was the one that had been compelled when they locked eye contact for not wanting to be erased from this mysterious human's life.
Instead, he moved around the bed to nudge at the violin she cradled in her lap. If he was never going to see her again, he felt obligated to hear her song at least once more.
She gazed down at the instrument with a sad look in her eye. "It's a memento from my mother. Or at least...I think it is. I don't remember much about her." Lucy lifted her head to stare into his eyes. "She would hum the same song to get me to sleep every night, saying it would chase the nightmares away, but I can't ever remember what she looks like." She dragged her fingers along the body of the violin to caress the tiny stars carved into it like constellations.
"I don't remember the full song; so, I'm trying to fill in the gaps." Gesturing to the sheet music scattered across the room, "I thought it might make me feel closer to her if I completed the whole song." She chuckled bitterly to herself and Natsu had to hold in a wince at the unnatural sound.
"Seeing that little girl and her mother…" Shaking her head she sent him a shaky smile. "You want to listen?" Natsu seated himself next to the bed and laid his head down on the pink comforter, never taking his eyes off her.
She nodded before bringing the violin to rest on her shoulder. Taking a deep breath, notes filled the room once more before her soft voice joined it.
"Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby
Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay
And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow
Bless you with love for the road that you go
May you sail far to the far fields of fortune
With diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet
And may you need never to banish misfortune
May you find kindness in all that you meet
May there always be angels to watch over you
To guide you each step of the way
To guard you and keep you safe from all harm
Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay"
Natsu didn't know how he knew, but his spirit seemed to settle more comfortable within himself, relaxing his mind and body as her song began to lull him to sleep. Losing grasp on reality, he noticed the single tear that trailed a path down Lucy's cheek. For a reason he couldn't describe, he felt the tear was for the Golden Retriever – Teddy Wilson – she had to put down, and not for a mother she couldn't remember. She really was too selfless for her own good, crying for someone else's pain over her own.
And as her song continued to voice her silent anguish, Natsu watched as her hair began to slowly whisp upward by an invisible force of anti-gravity, golden swirls caressing the tresses and showering the room in soft, gleaming light.
This close, there was no mistaking the magic rolling off her in waves. Lucy was a witch. At the moment, the thought didn't concern him as much as it should have.
Maybe, just maybe, he'd be keeping his word to the old dog after all. One more second of the sweet song and Natsu knew no more.
I know, I know. This story is going very slowly, but things will begin to pick up soon. I promise! Also, if any of you are interested, the song that Lucy sings is called Sleepsong by Secret Garden :)