Just Misunderstood
Chapter 14
Running Makes the Heart Beat Faster
I'm not really happy with the end of this chapter, and you'll see why. It was really wordy at first and kind of droned on. I shortened it and now it seems really quick. I shoved a lot of emotion into a small place, but it was the best I could do at the moment. There doesn't seem to be a happy medium.
"Would you protect me? If I was going to die, would you save me? Even if it costs your life?"
Lucy blinked and rolled the question around. It was a dumb question, of course, she would. It was the only thing she knew. The only thought that drowned out the emptiness of her mind, "Yes."
The man coughed, almost like he was scoffing but the sound got caught in his throat. His face fell into his hands. "Holy shit. That son of a bitch. Oh my fucking-," he groaned as he sat back on his heels. "He's fucking with me!" Lucy watched as he laughed but even she could tell he was just trying to process the situation.
Lucy looked down, to his eyes.
"He bound the spell to me!? That sadistic bastard! Jesus Christ! Why me?! Why now!? Why couldn't of he just do this since the beginning so you wouldn't have shown us you! Your personality! The way you speak and the way you move! The things you do and say! To me, to Angel. To all of us! Why did you have to make us care! To show us so much kindness and trust even though we never deserved it!" He stood up quickly, his hands waving angrily and she stepped back to escape the poison.
His chest was heaving, and he stood silent for several moments before the anger fled from his features. He took a shaky breath before his mouth opened again.
"You showed us you. The beautiful, witty, spitfire woman that was you," he looked away from her and he smiled fondly at the trees. "You made us care, you made us feel a bitter resentment for a man that we all trusted and followed. In all my years I have never defied that man, but I just did. By trying to get save you. By trusting, caring about you."
A wave of faint emotions crashed onto her, her chest constricted suddenly and she stepped back. Her hand went to her chest as he turned away from her. She clenched her shirt to help the pain that settled deep within her heart.
-they trust me-
An indestructible dam cracked. It cracked like a solid lacrima on concert. And tiny slivers of what was held behind slipped out.
-they care about me-
She wanted to speak but when her mouth opened nothing came out. A dry lump formed in her throat and she touched her face as tears leaked from her eyes.
She looked up to Cobra when he turned around. In a painfully slow sec, nd his eyes widened and her knees buckled and she fell to them. He was there before she even hit the ground. His face was under hers and he looked up, his eyes darted from one eye to the other. His palm rested against her lower thigh the other went to her neck.
"Lucy?"
Her breath left her lungs and her heart leapt into her throat, every organ in her body leapt into her throat. She couldn't breath, she couldn't think. She heard every single sound but also heard nothing at all. She saw nothing but his face. His beautiful eyes. Light purple, with swirls of dark pigment. Little flecks of gold, like most eyes had. But she couldn't help but think they looked like her magic.
-he said my name-
That thought silenced everything in her world. She had never heard that name fall from his lips. But she wanted to hear it again. From him. It was her, not Lucillia. Not Princess. Not anything else but her.
Cobra watched her eyes, they were solid brown, but he saw the golden light glowing dimly behind the dark color. Her mind was cloudy, he could tell even without her necklace off. He could see it in her eyes.
"Lucy?" He whispered again.
She closed her eyes. Tears leaked out from under the lids and she clenched them tight.
Her head filled with pain and she held it with her hands.
"Please make it stop," she looked at him. Brown faded into the background and she rocked back and forward. She fisted her hands into her hair and sobbed.
Cobra pulled her into his lap, he went to say something but was cut off when she stopped rocking. She inhaled deeply and hugged him. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and her face was buried into his neck. "I'm so sorry," she whispered painfully.
Cobra almost smiled. "You have nothing to be sorry about."
But again, Cobra realized that anything you say has the chance to become a reality.
She pulled her head back and gold met his eyes. Her face was passive, nothing showing in her features.
"You're right," her voice came out quiet.
Cobra looked back in shock.
-I'm so sorry-
She was apologizing for leaving again. For being taken away again.
She stood, breaking free of his grip.
"Logically we should make our ranks stronger," she said calmly.
Cobra stood slowly.
-you see a future-
He shook his head.
-painted in silver and gold-
He shook his head.
-you're more than you were-
He watched Lucy walk away, like everything that had happened in the past ten minutes…. didn't happen.
"Damn, I'm one strong anchor. That spell holds well," he laughed.
-then just break it-
He followed after her.
-follow the light-
~JM~
I stood alone. Darkness surrounded me. I turned in a circle, panic filled my heart. Where was I? My eyes narrowed on the tiniest piece of light. So far away. I ran towards it. I sprinted, I have never moved so fast. But I had no idea why I was running to it. I had no idea what I was running too, but every nerve in my body screamed at me. I ran faster. It grew brighter and stronger, then just as I reached it, it folded in on itself. It was a little orb of light, dim and in pain. I could tell. It seemed to scream and whimper, little flares of purple left it. I was hesitant but I reached my hand out.
I had to touch it. It was painful urge inside of my chest. I had too. I needed too. I felt a swelling in my chest, one could call it respect, inspiration, caring, love. I shook my head at the last one. I didn't know what that felt like.
As my hand got closer the orb glowed a little brighter, but when I touched it. Holy fuck, when I touched it. My entire body exploded with warmth as the orb filled the entire space with light.
"Cobra!" A harsh voice woke him. His eyes snapped open and he looked down as his body held another to the ground. Lucy's gold eyes met his and he snapped to the side as Angel called his name again.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
He looked down again, his right hand was tangled in Lucy's hair and the other one rest on her hip. His eyes widened as he sat up, his hand brushing against her keys.
Then suddenly, he was on his back, the wind knocked out of his lungs. A small hand was on his chest and he met gold. Her eyes shone with anger and hate. Her hand held her keys in them and Cobra put his hands up.
"Jesus Christ! Calm down!" He snapped at her.
Her breathing was heavy and Cobra could hear her heart beat rapidly. She stood violently and turned away from him.
Cobra's eyes widened and he stood. "Lucy? I thought you weren't supposed to feel anything," he whispered in her ear, "Why are you being so protective over your keys?"
Lucy turned around angrily and her eyes burned. She growled at the man and ripped her keys off the chain, in one swift movement they were lying at Angel's feet. Seven little pieces of gold and silver shone in be dimming light.
"Keep them, not like I need them anyway," Lucy said before she walked away.
Cobra whistled. Angel picked up the keys. "What was that?"
Cobra smirked, "That my little Angel was anger, resentment, pride," he stopped for a moment, "That was emotion."
~JM~
"Well maybe if you weren't sleeping all the time," Brain reprimanded.
"What the hell? I took two naps. Fuck off. Midnight is always sleeping," Cobra huffed. He walked beside Brain, the rest of the Oracion Seis following closely behind. They walked towards the pillar of light they knew was Nirvana.
"Nevermind that, they have their healer back. Jellal is crazed, Fairy Tail is released and Racer is injured. We do not need any more setbacks."
"Erza is in love with Jellal. Natsu and Gray can hardly fight me, Wendy is weakened. And three are so injured that not even the sky maiden could heal them in time to help," Lucy said as she stepped up to walk with them.
Brain's eyes widened, "So maximizing the spell completely voided emotions and allowed her memories to return."
Cobra choked on his spit and coughed. "Yeah," he groaned out, "Her emotions are gone, checked without the necklace," he locked eyes with Lucy and she cocked her head.
He looked away. "Completely empty."
Brain glared at the snake charmer and his magic sparked under his skin. "How long are you going to resent me? I did what I had to do to get Nirvana. She is an asset, but her emotions are a problem."
Cobra wiped around and caught himself before he punted his master into next year. He calmed the fury that sizzled in his chest and looked away.
-her emotions aren't a problem-
Brain caught the look of hate and brushed it off. "Choose your actions well, Erik. Don't let a little girl ruin everything you've worked for."
"You've worked for, I was just following orders because I owe you my life. I by no means like you Brain. And I think you've gotten the wrong impression. I'm not here for you anymore." Cobra scoffed and walked away from his master, his pace quickening when a flare of green shone in the trees.
"Then for whom?" The man ground out.
Cobra's eyes caught Lucy's and then Angel's. Then Racer's, Hoteyes', Midnight's. All of them, he thought about it. But his eyes latched onto Lucy's again, "For myself," his breath caught, "For the little light I have left."
"Oh, please. You have shadows inside of you that even the light can't reach."
"But he also has light and brilliance that the shadows can't touch."
Everyone's eyes snapped to Lucy, who spoke quietly, Cobra nearly tackled her but stopped when he saw the gold strong in her eyes.
He thought she was going through another flicker, but no brown was there. Thank god, Brain did not need to know that she was fighting the spell. But then the words truly settled within him, she wasn't saying that just to say that, she wasn't begging for her life, or trying to get something from him. That was the truth, in her mind.
Cobra exhaled a shaky breath and turned away before he let Brain see how the words had affected him.
They continued to walk in silence and it was several minutes before they began to feel the rumbling of the pillar under the ground. They stopped when Brain raised a hand, his other holding a finger to his lips.
Suddenly a frozen arrow whistled through the air, Cobra stepped away and it landed harmlessly in the dirt. Several pairs of eyes turned to see a wall of fire roar towards them. Lucy was gone with a deep breath and reappeared in between her guild and the wall. A roar sprung from her mouth to rival the burning flames. The two elements fought in the air for several moments before the mages had to come up for air.
Natsu emerged from the smoke, he smirked. "Nice, Luce. So what Erza said was true. You're a dragon slayer now."
A block of ice appeared above Lucy and all she had time to do was look up before it dropped, panic filled her and she covered her head.
A hand wrapped around her arm and the familiar smell of poison filled her nose. She looked up and Cobra stood over her, his hand covered in his magic as a cylinder shaped hole kept them safe from the dense block.
Lucy rested her hand against the cold surface as the rest of the ice melted away in seconds.
"Go Brain, we'll handle this," Lucy said to her master.
"Racer, stay with them," he commanded as the rest of them disappeared into green sparks.
The speed mage joined the other two mages and they faced the Fairy Tail wizards. "Three against two? We've already won," Cobra smirked.
"Yeah right, now you might actually stand a chance," Gray chimed.
Lucy pulled her cape from her shirt and dropped it, she pulled her detachable sleeves from her shoulders and they slid off her arms. Cobra smiled and shrugged off his cost, his shirt now exposing his arms. Racer rolled his eyes, "I'm wearing a bodysuit."
Cobra rolled his eyes back, "Your own fault."
Natsu smiled, his eyes meeting Lucy's, "I've kinda always wanted to have a serious fight with you."
Lucy nodded, "Me too."
Cobra's smile widened and he clapped her on the shoulder. "I'll take Gray," he stepped forward and Cobra was gone in a blur of movement, his knee connected with Gray's stomach and they both were hidden as he flew into the dense forest.
A sudden wave of heat reminded Lucy about the flame mage that stood a few meters in front of her.
"Racer, go and see if Cobra needs any help, I hear the other ice mage coming closer," she looked back at him, "Two versus two."
Racer nodded and was gone.
Natsu physically relaxed and a heavy breath left his mouth. "I was talking to Erza, after you sent her to the spirit world," Lucy chose not to dwell on the fact that one of her spirits betrayed her and continued listening, "She said that Brian must have tied another person into the spell. She said a spell this strong needed a living anchor. A person." Natsu stepped forward. "Someone you will protect with your life."
Lucy stepped back as he took another step.
"Is it Cobra?"
Lucy didn't say anything.
"You know if it is, we will find a way," he stopped to watch her expression. "To kill him."
He barely had time to watch her expression flash into a pure rage before she came flying at him. Deep swirls of purple swallowed gold and he pulled up on some flames that were burning on the ground. The fire flared up at her but just when the flames touched her she was gone.
Natsu inhaled deeply and found her scent completely gone, he whirled around and put his hands up as a furious orb of magic was thrown at him. It hit his forearm and he felt a screaming pain as the spirit world summoned him. He reacted quickly and covered his body in flames. His eyes were wide as her magic bubbled and melted under the intense pressure of his own.
His flames vanished as he blocked a kick, where her foot touched his arm, magic was left dancing on his skin, the gold burning at the flesh. He cried out and covered it with a flaming hand.
"So this is what being burned feels like," he inhaled, "Got to admit, not a fun experience."
Lucy almost smiled.
Lucy watched as he inhaled and she disappeared to do the same. They roared, the magic swirling where it met and burning each other out of existence. Natsu flew towards her, his body covered in the fire of his father. Lucy did the same, her body glowing until gold and purple prominences danced along her skin. She rose to meet him and they clashed. Purple burned the orange and orange devoured gold. A strong arm pulled her down and fire burned her arm. A short cry left her mouth and pulled away from him. She crashed to the ground and Natsu went to jump on her, she rolled to the side and kicked him, his fire dispersing and his body colliding with a tree. "Are you pulling your punches?" Lucy asked once she stood.
"Just a little bit," he smiled as he threw a ball of fire at her, she stepped to the side and Natsu used the diversion to tackle her. She cried out as his hands gripped her wrists hard, he pinned her to the ground. "So tell me, please Luce, why did you join them?"
Lucy stopped struggling and looked at him. "Because when I got back you weren't there," Natsu flinched, "I got back to Magnolia. I was so excited. And you weren't there. I thought you guys were dead."
"We were in Edolas, a different world, Mystogan was really Jellal, Gray wore clothes, Erza was the bad guy and you were a leather-cladded guild master," he smiled, "I was so happy to see you again. To hold you again," he looked up as tears built, "I felt so awful, Lisanna came back and all I could do was wish she was you. Do you know what that feels like? I hated myself."
His eyes moved down to hers, the unnatural gold flickered slightly. It flashed to brown, then to gold, brown, gold, brown.
His eyes widened.
-JM-
Cobra coughed as cold mist dried his throat. "Racer!" He yelled when the mage was thrown into the ground, he didn't move.
The dragon slayer growled at the two ice mages. They stood tall and proud, both were badly hurt. But arrogance shone on their faces and they looked down on the snake charmer.
"Ah, don't get so cocky just because you found out Racer's magic," Cobra stood and winced as his frozen joints cracked. The cold sucked ass.
"You got me last time, Cobra. Not again," Lyon spoke. Cobra listened, and his smile widened.
"But it seems I already have."
Lyon flinched as he held his poisoned arm, the purple was rapidly traveling up as it moved through his bloodstream.
Gray clapped his hands together and ice spikes flew towards Cobra, after dodging he was flung to the side by another ice dragon.
Motherfucker, ice doesn't think.
He jumped up and rolled as a sword was plunged into the ground where he had been. Gray yelled as he pulled the sword out and swung at Cobra. He dodged over and over again.
His eyes darted to the other mage as he gripped his arm in pain and fell to his knees.
"Hey, might want to get your friend some help?" He added as he broke the ice sword.
"Fuck," Gray muttered, his gaze fluttered between Cobra and Lyon.
Cobra put his hands up, "Hey I won't it against you. I gotta go stop Lucy from killing the fire slayer."
Gray stood there for a moment processing, his eyes mimicking his mind's confusion. "I'm serious, get him some help. The poison is fast-acting and I don't want to give Brain the satisfaction of killing one of you."
Gray smiled. "What is with you? You've gotten Lucy to trust you, Brain resents you, we saw that when he put the spell on Lucy, and now you're letting your enemy walk away because they're injured?"
Cobra rolled his eyes, "Why don't you just take the gift and let me go. This isn't about you. This is about me, Lucy and the slayer," he almost growled before turning sharply back into the forest.
Gray watched as he left. His first thought was to go after him, finish him, get Lucy and bring her back. But a deep nagging settled within him, almost like he knew she would be safest with Cobra. Gray quickly shook that thought from his head and picked Lyon up, the deep, angry poison ate at his pale skin and the ice mage groaned.
"I got you, everything's going to be fine."
~JM~
Cobra heard the sounds of battle cease and his pace quickened. His heart raced, Natsu's inner turmoil reached his ears, desperation, sorrow, devastation, regret. He wouldn't kill her right? Cobra broke out into a run.
No thoughts from her.
That was usual though.
That doesn't slow your heart.
Running causes the heart to race.
So does something else.
Cobra broke through the heavy brush and into the clearing he knew he had left the two in. Pink. Blonde. Onyx. Brown. Brown.. Brown…
Brown.
Unspeakable joy swelled in his chest, a light weight that settled on his shoulders and made him feel safe. Then unbearable sorrow filled his stomach, a heavy presence that developed in his throat and made him feel sick.
Her arms were wrapped around his neck, his face buried in her hair. A tight embrace that was filled with emotion, her eyes were wide and watching him as he stepped forward. Natsu picked her up, his arm under her knees and the other supporting her back. Cobra looked down, his ears catching the sound of fire burning wood. He tried to focus on it, to look at anything other than them. His eyes slid to the small fires that were scattered throughout the clearing. He looked at the dry grass, the ants, the flowers. Natsu stood straight, Lucy clung to his neck. She was weak and tired, anyone could tell. Onyx green met purple.
"I don't know what happened," he whispered.
"A flicker. It has happened once before," Cobra's voice was quiet.
Natsu nodded, "I'm taking her back."
Cobra just stared at the ground, he shook his head. "Fine. Just. Jus-," he ran a hair through his hair, "Just watch her okay?"
He nodded. He turned. Lucy's half open lids opened fully. Her head perked up as she saw Cobra getting farther away, but she soon realized she was being carried, while he was staying still.
Why would he let me go?
She threw herself against Natsu's shoulder and he stumbled a bit, "Lucy?!" He yelled in shock. She struggled away and fell on her knees, her legs not holding her up. She reached for Cobra as she felt gold pulling on brown. She crawled and Cobra met her halfway, his knees hitting the ground and his arms pulling her up to sit. She tried to ignore the calls of Natsu and focused on Cobra. Tears filled her eyes and she grabbed something out of her pocket, the metal was cold in his hand as she pressed it into her palm.
"Please, help me," she whispered.
She wiped her tears away, and turned to Natsu, his own were teary and confused. She pointed at Cobra, "Let me stay with him until I'm better again, Natsu. I'm so sorry. Only he can figure it out, no one else."
He stepped back, and what felt like centuries was actually seconds as his heart clenched. He choked out a confirmation and wiped his face. "I'll be waiting for your return. I'll leave her to you, Cobra. She trusts you, I don't. But I don't know what to do. But for now," he looked towards Nirvana. "I have to kill Brain." In a little gust of movement, he was gone.
Cobra closed his eyes.
I let my emotions get the better of me.
He looked down at Lucy, who was trembling. Her skin was cold but sweat coated her body. Her eyes were glazed and wide, shuffling between gold and brown. He laid her down in the grass and pulled his jacket and her cape over to cover her. He stood violently as he watched her eyes close.
He paced, his mind going over his lack of control. He had never had this problem before. He had always been good with emotion, able to conceal it or even completely obliterate it if necessary.
A vibrating warmth drew his attention to his clenched hand, the piece of metal still buried.
Cobra's breath shook as he opened his hand, and in the light of the sun, a single golden key sparkled.
