CHAPTER 5
For once in his life Natsu was actually grateful for the nausea riding around in Lucy's father's death trap gave him. Even with the medicine they gave him to help his gut still churned enough to distract him from the utterly mortifying lesson he'd gotten from Jude before they left.
The man had been quite thorough, and just the thought of doing any of that stuff with or to a girl made him wish the ground would swallow him up. It was incomprehensible that his parents, or anyone for that matter, could've done that to make him.
It was even weirder to think Lucy's dad had done it with her mom.
A shudder rippled through him and Lucy shot him a sympathetic look as she reached out to rub his back.
"Just think about the trip." She said softly, "We're almost there and we'll get to meet Miss Lilica and learn all about elemental summoning!"
He shot his mistress a grateful look and nodded, "Yeah." He managed, "I can't wait!"
He burped a bit and nestled his head into the crook of his arm while Jude's car jostled down the road.
It did give him a certain awareness of what other demons did in hell. There was a lot of what Jude had just described to him going on in hell, and that might help Natsu know what to avoid.
He jerked up when Jude pulled the car into a parking spot. Lucy practically shoved him out of the car, which Natsu was relieved for when he groaned and uncoiled himself onto solid ground.
"Sorry Natsu," Lucy helped him up, "you were looking kind of rough."
"It's okay, thanks Lucy," Natsu got up while Jude locked the door and stepped in front of the kids.
"This is Karen Lilica's guild. It's an off shoot of Blue Pegasus, a light aligned guild," Jude frowned and squared his shoulders.
"Alright guys, let's go in. But stay close to me," Jude said seriously, his eyes turning to Lucy and his charge, "Karen is waiting."
Lucy took Natsu's hand, and he squeezed it back.
She sensed something was wrong with her dad. He seemed very stressed and unhappy being there. And by the way he kept her locked to his side and a careful eye on Natsu.
Still she didn't know what it meant as they were lead into a fancy looking guild hall with lots of cheerful looking people dressed in nice suits and dresses.
They waved to Lucy cheerfully, and even Natsu perked up in excitement over all the new humans he was getting to see for the first time.
He buzzed with excitement, and Jude had to give him a firm word every now and then to get him to stay by Lucy's side. Natsu gave her dad a mutinous look, but remained by Lucy's side when he sensed her nerves and excitement.
He approached the counter where the guildmaster sat, setting a hand on the counter, "Jude and Lucy Heartfilia, here for Karen Lilica."
"Ah of course!" The Master peered over the counter and studied Natsu, "and this is?"
"My familiar!" Lucy said in excitement and wrapped an arm around Natsu's shoulders, "this is Natsu!"
The guildmaster just gave her an amused smile and nodded as if playing along, "I'm sure he is. Alright, follow me then. Karen is in the back with her elementals."
Lucy beamed and gripped Natsu's hand as they followed the guildmaster into a private room where a very elegant looking woman with a bored expression was sitting with a couple of small elementals.
"Karen, this is Lucy and Jude Heartfilia." He said with an odd formality that had Lucy shooting him a sideways glance. Were they supposed to be formal here?
"Ah very good. Thank you Master Bob." Karen replied as she stood to greet Jude, "It's a pleasure to see you at last." She offered Lucy a smile that was supposed to be warm, but somehow came off as weirdly cold.
Altogether, Lucy wasn't sure how much she liked her teacher.
However, that didn't stop her from remembering her manners, or her excitement, so she beamed back and bobbed a little in a curtsy, "The pleasure's mine Miss Lilica." She replied, "Thank you for agreeing to teach me."
"I'm happy to oblige." Karen replied lazily and shot Jude a shrewd look, "The agreement is still four weeks or when she's mastered all the basics?"
Jude nodded stiffly, "Yes. With the option to renew should there still be lessons left to cover at the end of the four weeks."
"We're not gonna need 'em!" Natsu spoke up proudly, "Lucy's gonna master everything in a week!"
"Natsu!" Lucy hissed, her cheeks heating up, "I think it may take a little longer than that."
"And who are you?" Karen asked frostily, "I agreed to teach one kid, not two."
Lucy lifted her chin at that, "Natsu's my best friend and familiar." She replied firmly, "Where I go, he does."
"I think he's adorable." Bob spoke up with a little sigh, "I remember my first familiar. That was so long ago now. She was a little pixie named Mia. Oh you should've seen the trouble she got me into!"
Lucy giggled a little but Karen's expression was thunderous, "There is no way he's her familiar!" She hissed, "That's advanced magic and no kid her age could do it!"
"Well perhaps young Lucy here is more special than we realize." Bob replied before Jude could, a razor sharp note entering his tone, "It wouldn't be the first time someone her age was a prodigy with the power to back it up." He gave Karen a firm look, "And in any event, it hardly matters does it? If Lucy says he's her familiar then who are we to argue?"
Lucy looked between the adults, sensing there was something going on under the surface, but she couldn't quite tell what it meant, "Um, you're still going to teach me right Miss Lilica?" She asked timidly after a moment.
She didn't want her father to have to go hunting for a new teacher just because the lady didn't believe her about Natsu. It had taken so long just to find one to work with.
The stareoff continued for another moment before Karen sighed and turned her head away, "Of course I'll teach you." She replied, a little resentfully Lucy thought, "But don't get any ideas about us slowing down so your 'familiar' can keep up you got that? This month will be intensive and I expect you to keep up."
"Yes ma'am!" Lucy replied crisply, deciding then and there that it didn't matter if she liked her teacher or not. As long as she could learn what she needed to study her mother's work then she would do whatever she had to.
Karen twisted her wrist and beckoned an elemental to form within her palm. Natsu and Lucy watched in awe at the sight of the magic coalescing into her hand.
It formed into a swirl of wind and she breathed out.
"The magic of spirits is very close to life itself. If you keep this in mind while forming your magic you will maintain control over it," Karen began.
Lucy and Natsu settled down in front of her as the wind spirit breezed by them. Lucy eagerly took notes while Natsu reached his fingers out for the air that twirled through the space above his head.
The lesson went smoothly all things considered, and despite the rough beginning it seemed like Karen was begrudgingly starting to like Lucy.
By the end of it, Lucy was able to learn the concept of how to connect to the nature around them and reach deeper down to the spirits nearby.
It was fun, and tiring, but Lucy was feeling heartened by the end.
Natsu was starting to look tired too though, so they turned in shortly afterwards.
Natsu groaned as he crawled into Lucy's bed and wrapped himself around her. He sighed and breathed into her neck. Vaguely remembering Jude's words about puberty, Natsu grumbled and twitched.
"I'll see you later Lucy," he whispered into her neck, knowing he had to leave before he got too tired. He was still on the run after all, and he didn't want to be too weak.
"Bye Natsu, see you tomorrow," Lucy smiled at him.
Natsu opened an eye, smiling back before he disappeared.
—::—
The lessons with Karen were progressing well, and Lucy was beginning to improve quickly. She could hear the whispers of spirits now, talk to them and understand what they were going through.
Lucy sat in front of Karen, her expression bright with happiness.
"Mrs. Lilica, what are we learning today?" She asked the cool lady, who gave Lucy an amused look and lifted her hand.
"You've got a good grasp of life and communication with the spirits. Over the past few weeks you've progressed a lot. So I'm going to show you the elemental spirit which best represents that life and is the foundation of which all life grows from," Karen's fingers snapped.
A flame clicked to life above her fingertips and Natsu straightened up like he was on strings. His eyes zeroed in on the dancing fire, his mouth dropping open.
"Is that... a fire elemental?" He breathed reverently.
"It is." Karen replied haughtily as the elemental seemed to freeze in place, "The most difficult of the elements to call and control, it's also the most powerful next to water." She looked at Lucy, "Now, as I was saying... the fire element is also the best representative of life itself among the elements-"
She was cut off as the elemental let out a terrified scream as Natsu lunged for it.
"Natsu no!" Lucy gasped, "What are you doing?"
"What's it look like I'm doing?" He asked distractedly, "I'm hungry, and it's here already."
The elemental let out a jangled screech again, like a bunch of metal pipes being scraped together, and tore off for another part of the room.
"Natsu!" Lucy huffed, "You're not allowed to eat Miss Lilica's elemental! We talked about that!" She chased after the demon as he stalked the fire spirit, not really listening as it chattered hysterically in the language she was only just now beginning to understand.
Behind her Karen's face went from confusedly stunned to positively murderous however.
"You!" She thundered at them, causing both children to freeze in what they were doing, "You dared to bring one of those into this guild?!"
"What?" Lucy asked in a small voice, caught somewhere between surprised and confused. She hadn't done anything bad had she?
Karen stood from her chair, "I can't believe I was duped by one of your filthy kind!" She snarled, "You and your disgusting familiar are going to pay for this!"
At last cottoning on that there was a real and present danger to his mistress, Natsu jumped protectively in front of Lucy just as the door burst open and Master Bob and Jude surged through.
"Karen is everything alright?" The man asked anxiously, "We heard your elemental scream- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"I'm dealing with this situation Master." Karen growled as a much larger elemental began to form.
"Stop!" Jude roared as he rushed to Lucy's side, and Karen shot him a pitying look.
"I hate to break it to you Mr. Heartfilia, but your daughter is quite dead." She informed him, "She died the moment that thing devoured her soul. Now, kindly step aside and allow me to put her and it to rest permanently."
Lucy burst into terrified tears at that, "I'm not dead!" She wailed hysterically, "I'm still me! My soul's still here! What did I do wrong? I don't understand!"
Her teacher's face twisted in hate, but before she could actually unleash the elemental a meaty hand connected to her neck dropping her like a stone.
"Oh dear." Bob sighed as he lowered his hand, "This is far worse than I imagined."
He knelt down in front of Lucy, who instinctively cringed away, "Easy child. I'm not going to hurt you. And I won't let anyone else do so either."
"I don't understand." Lucy sniffled and he nodded sadly, suddenly looking far older and more world wise than she'd ever seen him,
"I know you don't honey." He soothed, "And I'll explain it all, but before that you need to get out of here before Karen wakes up. Can you do that for me?"
Lucy sniffled again but nodded and clung tightly to her father as Natsu was still alert for danger, a fireball in either hand to protect Lucy with.
"Master Bob?" A timid voice asked from the doorway and Bob straightened up, "Don't just stand there gawking!" He barked, "Ichiya! You and your team take care of Karen while I'm gone. See to it she's comfortable, and if she tries to follow after us restrain her. I'll deal with her when I return. Until then the guild is in your hands. Am I clear?"
"Yes Master Bob!" Ichiya saluted smartly, "Are you certain you wish to..." He trailed off and glanced at Lucy.
"She's an innocent girl." Bob replied, "I've been watching since the moment they arrived, and the situation is not nearly as black and white as it appears on the surface. I won't allow blind prejudice and fear to destroy what could be an extraordinary miracle."
"I trust in your judgement sir." Ichiya replied and turned to the ones behind him, "Alright! You heard the master! Make some space, and then we'll see about cleaning up this mess!"
"Come on." Bob told the small family, "You have my word no harm will come to any of you."
Lucy warily crept forward, one side plastered to her father's side and the other equally plastered to Natsu as they made their way out of the room and then out of the guild hall at large.
"Allow me to come with you to your hotel." Bob told Jude, "Now that your secret's out I don't trust the others not to react rashly if I leave you alone until you're out of town."
Jude nodded stiffly, "Of course. I thank you for your help."
"I'm only sorry it's needed." Bob sighed as they got in.
Despite his best efforts, Natsu immediately turned into a puddle of barely contained vomit the moment the car started and Bob chuckled a little at the sight, "Motion sickness already huh? You must be powerful."
"Mrphble." Nastu replied and Lucy relaxed a little to smile wanly as she carded her fingers through his hair, "He's always had it."
"Born powerful then." Bob mused, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. How long has he been your familiar?"
Lucy glanced at her father and looked down when he nodded in the rearview window, "Two years." She admitted, "It was kind of an accident that I summoned him. I was trying for one of my mom's spirits to play with not long after she died. I think I mixed something up and wound up summoning Natsu instead."
"And you made a deal?" Bob asked, "What was it?"
"To always be friends no matter what." Lucy murmured, "And he promised to protect me too."
Some of the tension bled out of Bob's body and he smiled in relief, "An older demon would never go for a deal like that." He breathed, "They would insist on a clause involving her soul or some other favor."
"He seems in every way to be the same age as my daughter." Jude informed him, "His voice is starting to break and I had to give him the talk before we came to your guild."
"Then I was right." Bob nodded as they arrived at the hotel and got, or oozed, out of the car and hurried into their room. He looked at Lucy seriously, "There's some things I need to explain to the both of you before you leave, and I want you both to promise you'll pay close attention because it could mean the difference between life and death alright?"
Lucy gave him a scared look but nodded as she and Natsu settled down and Bob sat across from them.
"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this," Bob sighed and looked at Lucy, "but Natsu is a demon that is a special kind."
At the way Natsu's shoulders slumped, Bob smiled, "so you already know?"
"I guess?" Natsu muttered, "I just know even other demons avoid me. I was hatched alone and demons are scared of me..."
"But he's just a child," Jude protested, staring at Natsu in confusion.
"Be as that may, he is not just any normal kind of demon. There is only one other like him, born a millennia ago," Bob crossed his hands in his lap, "Acnologia, the demon of the apocalypse. He is a nasty devil capable of shattering the very earth and unhinging the doors of hell."
"The type of Devil dragon Natsu is, is one of the apocalypse," Bob sighed, "They were hunted down to near extinction because of their predisposition to go down a very dark path and destroy indiscriminately. However they can only be easily destroyed when they are freshly hatched. Because of their power, they are trapped in hell," Bob gave them the honest truth.
"Not unless someone powerful opens the door for them," his eyes turned to Lucy, "Then as the demon ages, so does their hold in the human world."
"One of his kind has never been in the human world for that reason," Bob said softly and patted Lucy's hand, "many in the magical community won't understand why you brought him here."
"And with your own magic leaning towards the dark, you face a very difficult... transition," Bob said regretfully, "necromancy is believed to be a Dark art, and many necromancers have similarly been hunted down for raising the dead."
"You two make a very risky pair, you'll be seen as a threat. And as Natsu grows and develops his demonic instincts and cravings, many people will suspect as Karen did that he devoured your soul," Bob told the horrified children, "you must be careful and vigilant in your practices. But also be wary of those who wish to lead you down the path of darkness. There will be many."
"But I don't want to eat Lucy's soul!" Natsu protested hotly, "the only thing I want is fire!"
"Perhaps for now," Bob said gravelly, "But there will be a time where your body will require something more than fire. You will need to feed on other things to satisfy your instincts, it will be up to you to determine what that will be."
"I'm afraid not a great deal is known about the particulars of your species as a result of its rarity, however I know a great deal about the development of demons in general and can give you a few pointers to keep an eye out for," Bob said kindly as Natsu looked horrified at the idea of wanting to rip Lucy's soul from her.
"You have a good heat Lucy, and you saved Natsu from a very lonely fate," Bob gave Lucy a smile, "You've done something short of a miracle!"
Lucy, however, was frowning, "I got the ritual from mom's magic books." She said slowly and looked at her father, "Maybe I didn't do it right, but I got it from there, and she was a necromancer. Why did she study necromancy if it's so bad?"
"Because it isn't." Bob said quietly, "I assume you're referring to Layla Heartfilia?" He asked, and nodded when Jude inclined his head.
"Layla's family is matriarchal." Jude replied, "And even though she, and now Lucy, are the last of their lines she asked that I take her name when we married."
Bob nodded again, "I thought that might be the case when I heard your last names." He looked at Lucy, "Your mother, and now you, come from a long line of necromancers Lucy. I had the privilege of working with her many years ago before you were born, and she taught me quite a bit about how a necromancer views the world. There's nothing inherently evil about it. Just like there's nothing inherently evil about Natsu. And, indeed, there are some things that only a necromancer can properly handle. The problem is, a lot of them get pulled in by the power being able to control life and death possesses."
He leaned back a little, "They lose sight of the balance and as a result work only for their own selfish gain."
"Would it be better if she never learned it at all?" Jude asked seriously, "We could simply leave it as things are and keep it quiet."
Bob shook his head regretfully, "I'm afraid that isn't an option either Mr. Heartfilia. Even if you kept Lucy and Natsu mewed up on your estate for the rest of their natural lives, Lucy's power will continue to grow as she ages. If she doesn't learn to control it properly then sooner or later she'll become a beacon for those who would take advantage of her. Nor is another path of magic open to her. With Natsu as her familiar she's already committed to the same path of magic as her mother. At best she could learn secondary magic such as elemental summoning, but that can't take the place of real training."
Lucy stared down at her hands quietly for a long moment, a faint tremble visible as she fisted them, "Then..." She said lowly, before snapping her head back up to glare at Bob challengingly, "Then I'm going to learn it all!"
She surged to her feet, "If the world wants to think badly about me, about Natsu, just because of what we are and the kind of magic we practice then I'm going to prove how stupid they really are!" She declared, "Even if it takes me my whole life I'll prove to them there's such a thing as a good necromancer and a good demon dragon! If the white mages can't see that for themselves then I'll shove the truth in their faces until they have to admit they were wrong!"
"It won't be easy," Bob warned her, but he looked pleased by her fire, "but you'll do it. With the same tenacity your mother had, I'm sure of it."
"We'll do it!" Natsu growled, his eyes burning fiercely, "I'll do anything to protect Lucy!"
Bob's eyes lingered on Natsu. He gave him a hard look that was weighted heavy on the young demon, "see that you do young Natsu. You will need to be strong for her while she learns her magic. But make sure you know what lines not to cross."
Natsu's eyes narrowed in displeasure, his lips thinning and his smile falling from his face.
"Anything," Natsu repeated firmly, scooting closer to Lucy and wrapping his arms around her. He dipped his head in the back of her neck, taking a deep breath and growling strongly.
"We'll be a good team," Lucy curled her fingers through his rosy hair to soothe his temper.
Natsu let loose an agreeable noise. Bob nodded back at them and he wrote down his number to pass over to Jude.
"This is my personal number. I'll do my best to protect you and provide you the best knowledge I can. I can't teach you any magic either, but this is the best I can do," Bob said humorously, "the rest is in your very capable hands Lucy."
"Then I can do that!" Lucy smiled back at Bob. She gave him a firm look and sighed, "thank you. For helping us. I won't forget it."
"You're very welcome Lucy, Natsu" Bob stood up and moved to the door, sensing the end to the conversation, "And if you need any help learning about yourself Natsu, please don't hesitate to ask."
And with that, he disappeared through the door.
