Change of Fate
Lady Countryrose
Ch. 3
The next morning; on their way to the guild, they found a commotion in the park. It was enough for them not to ignore. Hanging on a tree was three people from Lucy's guild; who one of them that Grace remembered to be Levy. Lucy's closest friend outside of her team. It was enough to make Grace sick. She was so lost in her own mind that she missed out on what many people were saying, except knowing that Natsu was angry.
Makarov made his presence known and he was louder than all the rest. Making Grace to focus. "I can allow our guild being destroyed but I won't allow my children to be harmed." He glanced around, as he saw that he had everyone's attention. "TIME FOR WAR!"
Everyone but Lucy, Grace and those that are headed for the hospital had gone running off. Lucy turned to Grace with sorrow in her eyes. "Go to the guild hall, Grace. I'm going to the hospital and be with Levy."
Grace nodded, she hated being in small, tight places like a hospital. "Alright, but please keep your eyes and ears open."
"I will," then Lucy ran off to be with her friend.
Grace walked towards the guild hall, "Then why do I have a feeling to not believe you." She found her way into the basement to find Mira down there alone. "Why haven't you gone off?"
Mira smiled sadly, "I have confidence issues when it comes to magic." It was enough for Grace not to push her, knowing something close to that being the truth in her eyes. She had lost something the last time that she had used it. "What can I get you?"
Grace sighed; she knew that something else would happen. So she needed something that would not drug her. "Oolong tea, please."
Once her drink was in front of her; Mira asked, "Why Oolong?"
The Auburn woman; who had sashayed herself into the guild and into most hearts in some ways, gave a smile. "It calms me." She knew she was not telling her everything, but it does calm her. "It even helps with the monthly pain."
Mira had a surprised look in her eyes, "Really? I didn't know there was a tea that would help."
After Grace took a drink, a thought came to her. "Mira, can you tell me if Lucy likes Natsu; other than friends that it is?"
Mira smiled, showing hearts in her eyes. "I always pictured those two together. With babies . . ." She wrapped her arms around herself. "What a great picture!"
Grace sighed, "Please Mira." Causing the said woman to look at her with an unusual focus. "Since father had tried to force an arranged marriage on two of us, against our will. Please don't do this to Lucy or me." Then another thought came to her. "From what I can see from most people, not even most people here. Let us find love in our own way. We were all forced to grow up and not really live our own lives. Allow this one thing to do on our own, since we will have to live with that kind of choice forever."
Mira sighed, looking so down that Grace thought that she had killed something of hers. "I see your point, Grace. I really do, but I just want people to be happy."
"I can see that you have a good heart, Mira. But let us find our own happiness for ourselves and be happy for us when we do." She saw the light in Mira's eyes, she was glad that she had not killed her in a heartbreaking endeavor. "I'm sure that many would be happy if you did that."
"You are wise beyond your years, how old are you?"
"Nineteen, while Lucy is seventeen." She gave an evil grin towards Mira, after a flash of something coming into her mind from the other day. "You have the hots for Laxus, don't you?"
Mira gasped, seeing that she was glad that no one else was there. "Who told you?"
Grace smile with warmth in her eyes. "You did after I put him in his place. I noticed your scent sweetened." Mira's eyes popped out after hearing Grace. "Don't worry, I won't say anything as long as there is no more matchmaking to be had."
"Oooooh," Mira glared at Grace with a little heat. "You're a party pooper."
Grace glanced around, "Lucy should have been here about now."
It was at that moment that guild came back, storming down the stairs with wounded and those that were able to move. She glanced around the basement and noticed after the last one had come down that Natsu was not a part of them. Then Erza came running towards Mira and Grace.
"This is bad, really BAD."
"What's bad Erza," Mira asked calmly.
"Master is drained of most of his magic and Lucy has been kidnapped by the Master of Phantom Lord." This brought Grace to look around and sure enough, everyone was down on their luck from the looks of things. She even saw that Natsu wasn't there either.
"We should go and found where she was taken to," called out Gray in anger.
"Don't worry," Grace smiled with calmness in her eyes. "Natsu is on his way in doing so."
"How do you know that," demanded Erza.
"He isn't here," causing everyone to look around. "If I know what I know about him so far. He is almost to the place where she's being held." She took another drink of her tea.
"NATSU IS THE MAN . . ."
"If anyone finds anyone, it's Natsu."
It was one thing that Grace had learned that day. Natsu was the hope of the guild. The one man army of a Dragon Slayer, who would take down monsters for his friends. 'Go find my sister, Natsu.'
Hours passed before Grace was able to see her sister again. Once Lucy was down in the basement and saw Grace, she ran towards her wrapping her in a lighter hug than the day before. Grace noticed that Lucy wasn't crying, just seeking someone for comfort. It was something that she can handle better.
Erza spoke with calmness but with authority behind her words. "I think you owe us an explanation, Lucy."
The blonde within the arms of the Auburn sister pulled back and looked at her sister. "Please, I can't do this. They'll hate me after hearing the truth."
Grace gave a heated glance, "So what!? So what if we're the daughters of Jude Heartfilia, who wants to wed us off to the highest bidder!"
This caused many within the guild to look at the two girls. "Say what again," asked a brownish haired looking man with a pipe.
"You heard me," stated Grace. "We're the daughters of Jude and Layla Heartfilia, the owners of Fiore's railroad." She gave a looked towards everyone and saw the hurt and anger in their eyes, but none towards Lucy or even her. "After mother died, father stopped loving and caring for us. It wasn't until Lucy became seventeen that he started talking to us. It was when we would be forced into marriage. In order to build more of his railroad into other countries."
"That's harsh," stated Gray. "Why would any man do that to their daughters?"
Lucy gasped a bit of air. "That's not all, Phantom Lord is trying to get more money out of father." She glanced towards Grace. "They have been trying to find you but they don't know what you look like."
Grace smiled with a laugh in her eyes. "After running into those thugs before coming here. I ran into someone who was willing to cast a permanent spell to change my hair color." Causing many within the guild to laugh.
Lucy gasped, "I didn't realize!" She growled at herself. "I knew that there was something different about you. But I pushed it away thinking it's been three months since I last saw you. But I would never believe that you would color your hair!"
"Sorry sis," Grace rake her fingers through her own hair. "Blonde hair was like a flag, saying come get me." Seeing Natsu next to Lucy, warmed her heart knowing that he was there for her. "You might want to think about doing it too."
"And leave behind everything about mom, I don't think so." Lucy had a determined look in her eyes, making Grace feel bad about what she said to her. "I ran away from home to get away from him but I will not dye my hair when it's the only thing I had gotten from her. While you have her eyes."
Grace sighed in defeat. "Lucy, you know I didn't mean to say that." She glanced around, seeing that things would have been better if she had not come. "I guess I should leave town then since I've been nothing helpful." She was about to raise onto her feet when Lucy grabbed her hand.
"Don't Grace," she had a hard look in her eyes. "I know you're trying to be helpful and I took it the wrong way. But please, don't go."
It was at that time that Mira and someone, who Grace had heard the other being Cana talking to a crystal-like ball. "Laxus! We need your help . . ."
"Why would you need my help, when you have the blond's sister there?"
"You don't understand, Laxus. Your grandfather is unable to help, not when Phantom Lord is after Lucy and Grace!"
This caused Laxus to look around the room, "Where's the tiger lady?"
Grace made her way to his floating head. "Yeah."
"Why is Phantom Lord after you two?"
"Daughters of Jude Heartfilia with a bounty on our heads. He wanted us to marry for his business endeavors."
Laxus' eyebrow raised after hearing that. "Shit, you two know how to spice up the dull life." He looked like he was in deep thought. "If you get your sister and yourself into my bed in a night, I'll come home and deal with the issues at hand."
"LIKE HELL THEY ARE," yelled the woman, Grace believed to be Cana. "WE DON'T NEED THIS SHIT."
Mira cried out, "Laxus, how can you?!"
It was the end of the call to the master's grandson. Everyone knew from that moment that the S-Class wizard was not going to come on his good morals. They were on their own.
THUMP, THUMP . . .
A man came down the stairs at the moment; yelling, "Everyone, outside!"
Once outside; it was a nightmare that Lucy and Grace would ever experience. A walking building making it's way to them. With a voice calling out to them, causing Lucy to lose all sense of composure that Grace had ever seen.
"GIVE ME BACK, LUCY HEARTFILIA BEFORE ANYONE ELSE GETS HURT . . ."
The voice alone was enough to cause shivers to run down her spine and it wasn't in a good way. She wanted to hurt the man. She could see the anger, pain, and lost within her sister's eyes. It made Grace wonder what else the man had said or done to her.
Many within the guild; called out to the building before them, "NEVER!"
Grace leaned down to Lucy; to where she could whisper into her ear, "You got yourself a good guild." They glanced around. "They're willing to keep you safe."
Natsu fired up at that moment, "YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET THROUGH ME." Seeing the man fly off with his blue cat towards the massive things before them.
After the building had fired onto Fairy Tail, was when how serious Phantom Lord was with getting Lucy. Mira hauling the two women away from the battle. Putting them to sleep, before they left the living world behind.
When Grace woke up, she found herself in a warehouse without any sign of Lucy. She found a big sphere in the room and an injured chubby painter. She made her way to him and saw that none of his injuries were life-threatening.
"Grace," he gasped as he saw her moving around.
"Where's Lucy!?"
"Taken," the man gasped. He pointed towards the sphere, "Loke's in there."
It was enough for Grace to dibble and dabble with things. She ran up to the sphere, placing her hand in an area, hoping he could since her energy enough for him to move. After a moment, her claws grew and smashed them into the sphere. Allowing Loke free again, he glanced around and knew who he was looking for.
"She's not here, Loke."
He gave Grace a glare, "Then why are you here? Shouldn't you be looking for her?" He glanced around and tried to give Grace, Lucy's keys but she shoved them back.
"Enough, Loke! I won't be able to give them to her, not while I'm middle of a war." He started to stutter with her but she had enough. "Loke it's time for you to lion up and be the lionheart of a man that I know that you can be."
"H. . .how," he wanted to know but she wasn't listening to him.
Grace sighed, "Love you too, brother." She walked out of the warehouse, seeing the two men following her. She called to the wind, "BIRDS OF THE AIR . . . COME TO MY AID." Within moments a cloud of large hawks came swooping down and grabbed her. Taking her to the air before continuing on. "Just don't drop me . . ."
Loke gasped, "Wow! Who would have thought she could do that?"
"Wii," the painter gasped. "More to her than Lucy."