16 | Our Little Secret
Unknown
"I told you we've should've confronted them today!" A young girl with pink hair shouts at another girl with blonde hair, who appears to be about the same age.
The girl with blonde hair just shakes her head, "We've been through this already, we have to wait...it's not like I want to!" She retaliates back at the other girl, "You think I like waiting?! Huh?! Watching those I love get teared to shreds?!"
"It's not like you or your father ever cared much for us, Lexi," The girl growls darkly.
"Cut it out you two!" A girl with dark blue hairs says, walking into the room they were all currently staying in.
"She's right guys," A new voice says, creeping out of the shadows is yet again another girl only with black, spiky hair, "Stop fighting, we need to figure out how were going to approach this.
The girl with blonde hair, Lexi, sighs, "I just hope they believe us,"
"They will," The girl with dark blue hair says, "They have to."
"C'mon the games are about to start soon, I wanna at least see some butt get kicked before all hell breaks loose and we have to meet up with the others," The girl with pink hair says, then leaves the room, the others close behind her.
Natsu
I look out at the arena...more specifically...I look at the Raven Tail and Phantom Lord headquarters just across from ours. How lucky we are. We get to see every move, every breath they make. I look at them, their smirks burning in the back of my mind.
I can't say that chocking was the worst part...because it wasn't.
It was Lucy's screams.
I feel my fist clench.
They will pay.
Lucy
"Nastu?" I call out, my voice quiet and gentle as I look at the dragonslayer staring at Shadowalker's headquarters.
I let out a sigh, "Natsu, please don't do anything rash," I plead, he must of heard the distress in my voice because he turns around to look at me. His beautiful black eyes staring back into my brown ones, "Let's just make it through today, okay?" I say, offering a weak smile.
"Ok," He says, and I see the corners of his mouth tilt up.
Ok then, let the games begin.
Gray
"What do you think they're talking about?" Erza asks me, as we stand side by side watching Natsu and Lucy who are on the other side of the room.
"I'm not sure," I say as I look at the two, "But I am sure of one thing, and that's that the pyro can hear us,"
As if on cue, Natsu turns our way and gives me a big grin.
I return it, "Told ya," I say, turning to Erza who is currently shaking her head.
"That darn dragon hearing," She mumbles under her breath.
"I heard that!" Natsu shouts from across the room.
"Good!" I shout back, "Then get your lazy butt over here!"
"You wanna go ice princess!" Natsu shouts, as he nears me and Erza, a spark of challenge rising in his eyes.
"Now now, let's not do this minutes before the games," Erza says, keeping a good amount of distance between me and Natsu.
"I agree with Erza," Lucy says, then looks around, "Where's Wendy?"
"I'm right here!" The young girl shouts from the door of the headquarters, Happy and Carla flying above her.
"Nastuuuuu!" Happy shouts, crashing into his best friend, tears falling down his face, "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you!" He says, crying into Natsu's shirt.
Natsu just looks down at his friend and pets him, a soft smile gracing his face, "It's okay little buddy, it wasn't that bad."
"B-but," Happy stutters, "Everyone told me that y-you w-w-ere chocking and-," Happy cuts off, breaking into tears.
Natsu just continues to pet him, comforting Happy.
It's a wonder that the pyro can even be gentle, let alone comforting.
Huh? Who would've thought?
Lucy
I watch as Natsu holds Happy, a soft smile on my face. That is, until I hear the announcer's voice.
"Hello everyone and welcome to the Grand Magic Games!" The announcer yells through the speakers, "We apologize for the long wait, but considering not all the teams were here we couldn't start. However, now that they're all here we can finally begin!" The announcers says, but not before he is cut off by the loud, enthusiastic screams from the crowd throughout the stadium.
"That's right folks, the Grand Magic Games are starting now!" The announcer says, "And starting us off today we'll be the Tide Turners as a quick warm up round for our contestants! This game isn't too difficult whatsoever, at least, that is if you're a water mage." The announcer says, slightly slyly. "For those of you who are not a water mage...have fun! The rules of this game are simple, each contestant will simply have to move water from one bucket to another, sounds simple enough right? Not necessarily, not only are the buckets extremely large, but...we added a couple of surprises in there for the contestants. Each contestant will have exactly 3 minutes to complete this task...oh and one more thing, a little hint for the contestants," The announcer says, "This may be a warm up round, but it's just as important, if not more, as the others...Good luck! Each of the teams have 2 minutes to decide who will participate in this event, then we will begin!" The announcer says, then a countdown timer appears on a lacrimas in the middle of arena.
"Well it's obvious who Fairy Tail Team B are gonna pick," Gray says.
Natsu nods in agreement, "This is the perfect task for Laxus,"
We look at him as if he's lost a couple brain cells, which is entirely possible.
"Not Laxus, ya idiot!" Gray says, smacking him upside the head, to which Natsu responds by glaring daggers at Gray, "Juvia!"
"Geez, I know that!" Natsu responds angrily, rubbing the spot that Gray hit, "I'm not that stupid, I'm just trying to lighten up the mood."
"Well you suck at it!" Gray shouts.
Before Natsu can respond, Erza cuts him off by saying, "Enough! We know who they're going to pick, but who are we going to pick?" Erza asks, questioningly.
None of us are water mages, but I know someone who can control the water.
I look down at my key pouch to grab my key, but then a frown overcomes my face.
After years of looking for it, you'd think I'd remember I haven't found it yet.
"I can do it," Wendy says, looking at all of us confidently, "I may not have any water magic like Juvia, but I can use the air and wind to move the water sort of like a hurricane over into the other bucket!" She says, a smile on her face, then falters, "That is, if any of you don't wanna do it,"
Erza smiles at Wendy, "That sounds like a brilliant idea! I don't know why I didn't think of it! Very well then, Wendy will be the one to compete in the first event!"
"C'mon we'd better get you to the starting place and let the announcer's know you'll be the one competing," Gray says, looking down at Wendy.
"I'll come with you, what about you two?" Erza asks, looking at me and Natsu questioningly.
"I think I'll stay here and wait for you guys to get back," I respond, still not quite over the gloom of remembering that I don't have Aquarius with me.
Natsu looks at me confused.
"And you Natsu?" Erza asks, expectantly.
"I'll wait here with Luce, I don't trust those guys on Raven Tail and Phantom Lord," He says, glaring at their headquarters.
Erza's eyes narrow into focus, "Good idea," She says, then walks away with Gray and Wendy.
Once they were gone Natsu turns to look at me.
"What's wrong Luce? Is this about earlier?" He asks, his eyes filled with concern.
My heart warms at his concern, honored that I'm one of the very few people who get to see this side of Natsu, "No," I reply, not fully ready to tell him about Aquarius.
Natsu looks at me, his eyes softening in understanding, "Talk about it tonight?" He asks.
"Tonight," I respond, surprised by his suggestion. We hadn't talked about that in months.
By "that" I mean the talks he and I shared on the nights after the war with Alvarez and Zeref. When Natsu first found out he was E.N.D. he was in complete denial. He didn't want to believe he could be someone rumored to be so evil and terrible. For the first couple nights, he would sleep at his house, but not without nightmares and flashbacks of what he thought were his childhood. It wasn't until the fourth night, however, that I woke up in the middle of the night to see him sitting on my bed in front of me, looking completely torn up. It was the first time I had seen him in four days.
I remember it so well...
"Natsu?" I whispered softly, fear edging my voice, "Is that you?"
He looks up at me, and it was here that I noticed tears streaming down his face.
"Oh Natsu," I said, quickly sitting up in my bed to bring him into a gentle embrace, holding him close to me. Hoping to bring to him what he always brings to me: warmth and comfort.
"I can't do it Lucy," He finally says after moments of silence, his voice breaking, "I can't do it," His voice falls into a whisper, "All I see is my father and my mother running with me and Zeref, trying to find shelter but not making it fast enough. All I hear are my mother's screams and my father's shouts to get out, and run as far away as you can," He says, sobbing, "Then it moves and suddenly I'm awake, only something feels wrong. I don't feel human anymore, all I feel like...is a monster," He says, his voice going into a whisper, "As if a monster is all that's let of me...maybe I am a monster," He says, finally lifting his face up to look at me.
I'd never seen him this bad.
His face was blotchy and red, his hair was a mess, and his clothes were crumpled and torn up as if they had been burned. However, his eyes were what got me.
Usually filled with happiness and laughter, were now filled with sadness and something else that I couldn't quite place my finger on.
"What do I do Lucy?" He ask quietly, looking into my eyes as if they held all the answers, "What if I am a monster?"
That snapped me out of my daze.
I held to me even tighter, willing him to feel what happiness and joy he brings to my life, "Natsu, you are not a monster. A monster wouldn't protect his friends as if they were all he had to live for. A monster wouldn't give up his life so others could live. A monster wouldn't help a complete stranger just because he felt like it was the right thing to do," I say then gently lift his face with my hands so I can look into his eyes, "A monster wouldn't be loved by so many people, wouldn't be cherished by so many people, and wouldn't be missed if something were to ever happen to him."
He doesn't say anything after that, and he doesn't need to. His eyes say it all. They hold everything I need to know: Gratefulness, and maybe even a little bit of love.
We both fell asleep like that, me holding him in my arms as if my very life depended on it.
Everything changed after that, Natsu would come to my apartment during the night and we'd talk to each other. I'd tell him more about what happened during the year he was gone and he'd tell me more about what his nightmares were about, then he'd return back to his place before Happy could wake up. It was our little secret. One that I didn't intent to share anytime soon.
Natsu looks at me, mischief shining in his eyes, as if he knew what I was thinking, then he smiles brightly at me, which I respond with one just a bright if not more.
Yep, I definitely won't be sharing it anytime soon.
A:N
Heyy My Lil' Donuts! Long time no see!
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I promise we will get into some action in the next chapter, and I really do mean that! I just needed to get back in the swing of things! ;)
Anyway, what do y'all think?
Did you like the Nalu moment? What do you think of the first event? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY!
Who were those characters in the beginning of the chapter?
Let me know what y'all think in the comments below!
Thanks for reading!
Ps: Shout to dam_snackbar (on a03) ,their comments are the reason as to why this fanfic is still going to be honest. Their comments never cease to put a smile on my face. You guys have no idea how much it means to know that people are reading my stories and actually care about them enough to comment or leave kudos! Those little factors are really important! They're what keep the story going! So thanks to all of you who take the time to read as well as leave comments on my fan fiction! Again, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!
Rissa