"Lucy, what have I said about leaving your room without permission?" Her father's cold voice called. Lucy, who'd just reached her fourteenth year, froze, clutching at the old telescope in her arms.
"Where on Earth did you get that?" Jude screamed, snatching the telescope from her small arms. Lucy made a noise of protest, which was met by a fearsome glare. The girl shrank in on herself, and stifled her cries. She tried not to cry, but the traitorous tears fell from her eyes anyway.
She'd found the telescope in the attic, behind boxes and crates of her mother's old possessions. The long dark wooden case had caught her attention, and she'd dusted it off and opened it up to see a shining metal telescope embedded in velvet. She'd hoped to go out and look up at the stars on the anniversary of her mother's death.
"Don't cry, it's unseemly. You're too old for this behavior," Her father snapped when he saw the tears streaking down her cheeks.
"But I just wanted to look at the stars, like I used to with mama," Lucy stuttered, her voice small and quivering with fear. Her father stilled, his face going blank for a moment before rage overtook his features.
"Your mother was a foolish woman, and now she's dead because of it. You need to grow up!" He screamed. He raised the telescope with one arm, and Lucy cried out and leapt up to try and grab the precious heirloom. She was too small and helpless to stop her father from smashing it against the floor and stomping on it for good measure. Lucy screamed, a horrible deep scratch that crawled from the depths of her chest. She pushed her father away from the crushed metal and shattered glass, then fell to her knees- ignoring the pieces of glass that dug into her skin.
She was too focused on the broken telescope to notice how her father went stumbling a few feet back from her shove, her vision too blurred from tears to note the fear in his eyes. She cradled the twisted metal in her arms as her sobs wracked her body.
"Get up this instant!" Jude spat, grabbing her arm and lifting her from the floor. Lucy cried out as the telescope was knocked from her grip, clattering against the floor again. She reached out for it as her father dragged her away, her fingertips just barely brushing the cool metal.
"I think you need to be locked in the Room again. You are out of control," He growled. Panic spread through the girl, and she fought even harder against her father's grip. She screamed her protests, reaching out to the servants as they passed by, but none came to her aid. Instead, her potential rescuers stood as stoic witnesses to her humiliation, as always. Her father dragged her down to the basement, and unlocked a sturdy metal door with a key from his pocket. Lucy was sobbing, begging for her father to show mercy. He just wrinkled his nose in disgust and tossed the girl into the dark, small room.
"You will stay here all night as punishment," He said sternly. Lucy rose to her feet and ran at the doorway, but her father just slammed the door shut in her face. She blinked uselessly in the dark as her vision tried to adjust to the inky black room. Crying, she banged against the door with clenched fists and kicked until her skin was bruised and bloody. She finally stopped when her hands throbbed in pain and her screams became hoarse croaks.
She curled up in the corner of the room, unable to even see her own hand in front of her face. Silent tears streaked down her cheeks as she stared blankly out into the darkness.
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When Lucy felt the pounding in her heart subside, she pushed away from Natsu and bit her lip. She looked over at the distant castle, wincing every time an attack rattled the building and sent more and more debris collapsing to the ground. Clouds of dust filled the air. She looked up at the looming peak of the tower, where she'd literally taken a leap of faith. The feeling of helplessness as she plummeted to her doom was not one she ever wanted to feel again.
"What's happening in there?" She whispered. Natsu rolled his neck and stretched, rising to his feet. "After what they did to Team Shadowgear, and after they took you-" his voice deepened into a rumbling growl, "-Master decided it was time to go to war."
"War?" Lucy exclaimed. Natsu shrugged and motioned for her to follow him towards the front gate, where most of the battle was taking place.
"Phantom Lord has been out to get us for decades, I guess Jose finally grew the balls to come at us," Natsu explained. She stumbled and felt her heart drop out of her chest. If Jose hadn't been driven into an all-out attack before she joined Fairy Tail, she- or rather her father- must have been the tipping stone on the scale that made Phantom finally decide to come after her friends. That meant that everyone's injuries were her fault, all the pain and suffering brought on by this war was her fault. She felt as though she was drowning in guilt. If she hadn't run away from home, or joined Fairy Tail, everyone she'd begun to care for would be perfectly fine.
As though he could hear her anxious thoughts, Natsu bumped her shoulder and said, "Don't worry, we've got this."
Lucy gave him a weak smile. The wind rustled the grass, creating a low hum in the valley. She tucked the stray hairs flowing in the wind behind her ear and gently covered her keys with her hand. The enchanted metal pulsed with heat, as though her spirits were welcoming her back. Smiling, she absentmindedly stroked Leo's key with her pinky as they walked. She looked back up at Natsu, who was a few strides ahead of her.
He was bustling with barely contained energy, his muscles tensed and ready for fighting. His attention was locked onto the distant fighting, his jaw clenching when a particularly intense attack sounded from the fortress. He was itching to return to the fight and to help his friends. Lucy was tempted to let him, to tell him to go running right into the fire and burn away their enemies, but she was weak and did not want to be left alone again. She'd been in that dark, cold cell for what felt like days, but was probably only hours.
As a child, she'd been isolated from the outside world, kept restrained in her father's manor house with only the servants to keep her company. Her father hired private tutors to educate her, and until she ran away, Lucy never knew what the outside world was like. To say it was a rude awakening was an understatement. She learned quickly that the world could be just as cruel as her father.
She was jarred out of her thoughts by an explosion that sent the earth rolling beneath her feet, causing her to lose her footing, and the towers from above crumbling down around them. Natsu shouted and dove towards her, grabbing her with one arm and waving his other to send a wave of fire to defend them from a chunk of dark stone plummeting down from above. The intensity of the blaze singed her skin and made her cry out. Natsu's arm tightened around her and he shot her a concerned look. He pulled her along, dodging the debris left and right, until they were near the front gate. They skidded to a stop just before the gate, eyes wide and mouths agape.
Erza stood with the guild behind her, the group slowly backing out of Phantom Lord's fortress. With her scarlet hair whipping in the wind, Erza- donned in a brilliant silver winged armor- defended her companions with hundreds upon hundreds of blades that appeared out of thin air around her.
"Take the Master and go!" She shouted. Natsu stepped forward, but paused and glanced over at Lucy. She nodded to him, telling him to go and fight. If she could, she would summon Leo, but her magic was still replenishing after being drained away by that cell. Nevertheless, she ran up to where Mira was kneeling with Master Makarov's small form cradled in her arms. Elfman deflected any attacks targeted towards them, screaming incoherently. Lucy stopped and joined Mira, a shocked gasp falling from her lips when she saw the kindly old man.
His skin was sallow and pale, with a blue tint overcoming his features. More wrinkles than she remembered creased his skin and were it not for the slight rise and fall of his chest, she would've believed him dead. While Lucy still couldn't sense aura's very well, she knew there was something wrong with Makarov's. He had no presence. He seemed like an empty shell that had its life-force sucked out until nothing else remained.
"What happened?" She asked. Mira, with tears running down her cheeks, just shook her head. Lucy felt a wave of heat as Natsu entered the fighting and heard his battle cry echo in the courtyard. Erza called for a retreat to the guild, her voice strained. There was a burst of light and ice and a wave of cold air washed over the courtyard as a frozen shield encased the large doors of Phantom Lord, preventing any of their enemies from pursuing them, for a few moments at least.
Lucy helped Mira to her feet, and together they followed the flow of people running down to a distant growing doorway of brilliant light.
The portal. She spared a glance over her shoulder, hoping to see a familiar flash of pink in the crowd, but was swallowed up by the transportation magic before she spotted Natsu.
She stumbled across the floor as she landed in the guild tavern and crashed into the bar top. Nausea swirled in her gut and dizziness blurred her vision. She really hated that damned portal. When she finally regained her footing, and managed to focus on her surroundings, the portal closed behind Erza, who was the last to travel through. Mira was still crying, the tears dripping down her cheeks and onto the Master's clothing. She carried him into the infirmary with most of the guild hot on her heels. When the crowd bottlenecked at the door, Mira hissed and sent everyone away. She slammed the door shut, but not before telling Happy to fly off and bring Porlyusica to the guild as soon as possible.
The Exceed had stayed in the safety of the guild with Charle, Wendy, and a few others whose magic wasn't suitable for battle. Wendy was pushing her way through the crowd, scanning for injuries and helping where she could. Erza waved away the small girl, saying her wounds would heal, and told her to go try and help the Master.
As the panic and adrenaline faded away, a gloomy atmosphere clouded the atmosphere. Many were sitting with their heads in their hands, or pacing across the floor. Lucy knocked on the infirmary door, asking Mira if she could see Levy.
The white-haired woman called for her to enter, and Lucy gasped in horror when she saw her friend. Levy, and the rest of her team, were heavily bandaged from head to toe, and had an IV hanging next to their sick beds with a strange glowing liquid swirling inside the bag, flowing slowly down the tube and into their arms. Blood-soaked rags overflowed in the trash bin and Lucy could see dried bloodstains on the floor. Levy's normal glowing aura was dark and faded, her breathing shallow.
Hot tears trailed down her cheeks as Lucy sat at Levy's side, too scared to grab her hand for fear of hurting the demi-fae. Mira was similarly positioned next to Makarov.
"I'm so sorry," She murmured. Guilt and shame rolled in her stomach, and she was sure the nausea she felt was not from the portal. If only she'd done something sooner. Maybe if she left for the Heartfilia Manor already, her friends wouldn't be lying unconscious and barely alive in a sick bed. Makarov wouldn't be dying, and the guild wouldn't be at war with Phantom Lord.
The thought of Jose or any of the scum from Phantom Lord coming after the members of Fairy Tail again turned her vision red and made her blood boil in anger. The image of that vile man smirking at her and taunting her behind the safety of her cell haunted her whenever she closed her eyes. Breathing heavily, Lucy rose from her crouch and stormed out of the infirmary, violently slamming the door shut behind her.
The guild was now a flurry of activity. Erza hovered above the swarm, directing the chaos. She was still donned in the shining silver armor from the battle, the glorious silver wings spread wide and taking up most of the available space granted by the high ceilings of the tavern.
Lucy's fists clenched tight enough for her nails to pierce her skin. She distantly felt the warmth of her blood soaking the pads of her fingers. The hustle and bustle of the guild faded away; the shouts and clamoring fading to the dull ringing in her ears, the smell of blood and sweat clogging her nose, her vision blurry. Soon she saw just imprints of color as people walked by. She felt numb. Her anger drained away, leaving nothing but emptiness in its wake.
If she went out and fought Phantom Lord, how would she know they'd leave Fairy Tail alone? Jose made his hatred of the guild very clear, along with his lust for her powers. She knew if she told Erza or Natsu or anyone what Jose revealed to her that they would fight for her, even die for her. Despite the short amount of time she'd spent at Fairy Tail, she knew how deep the ties of friendship went in each and every member's hearts.
She couldn't fight Phantom Lord without risking retribution against her friends, nor could she simply surrender and hope Jose would leave Fairy Tail alone. Plus, she had her spirits to think about. How could she willingly subject them to Jose's whims? Her heart sank. None of her options were good.
"..y…cy…Lucy!" A voice called. Lucy felt hands shaking her shoulders, and then the world rushed back into focus with an almost audible snap. She jerked back and blinked, relaxing when she saw a familiar pair of dark green eyes staring at her with concern.
"Are you hurt?" Natsu asked, looking her up and down to assess for injuries. She shook away his concern and rolled his hands off with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'm fine."
Natsu raised a brow and she knew he didn't believe a word she said. Lucy hugged herself and avoided his gaze. She knew that if he asked about what Jose did, she'd tell him. Despite barely knowing him, Lucy's trust in Natsu was ingrained in her very soul. He had saved her life more than once, and had become a good friend in the weeks since she joined Fairy Tail.
"It was a dark cell, is all," She muttered as he inched closer, his shoulder brushing against hers and his breath fanning across her face. Memories of how her father would punish her by locking her in a tiny, pitch black "panic" room flitted through the forefront of her mind. Residual panic and fear bubbled up her throat and she felt her heartrate quicken.
Natsu smiled down at her and slung an arm across her shoulder, pulling her along into the chaos. Lucy stumbled, but Natsu's grip remained steady. "No need to worry about that now. My flames will always light up the darkness, and you're back home. I promise we'll protect ya," he said brightly as he dragged her towards where Erza was directing the traffic.
Lucy's shoulders shook with laughter and she bit back a smile. Of course Natsu would have such a simple opinion. With her mood somewhat better, Lucy willingly plunged deeper through the fray until they stopped right below Erza.
Before Natsu could call out to her, the portal flashed and a terse woman stalked into the guild. Her pastel pink hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and she wore deep red robes. Lucy noted that since she'd joined the supernatural world, the concentration of those with wildly colorful hair had significantly increased. The woman grimaced and glared at the guild members. Everyone had stopped what they were doing and instantly cleared a path to the infirmary.
Mirajane thrust open the door, as though she could sense the woman's arrival. She waved the woman over, and muttered her thanks with a respectful bow. The healer, Porlyusica, just sneered and shook her head, muttering about old men with too much foolish bravado, then disappeared into the infirmary and slammed the door. A moment later, the portal flashed again as Happy flew through the doorway and crashed onto the floor.
The Exceeds wings vanished, and he collapsed in a heap near the doorway. Natsu dashed over to his partner and carefully lifted the cat, cradling the unconscious creature in his arms. She walked over and touched Natsu's elbow, asking if Happy was alright.
"He just used too much of his magic at once, is all. He'll be begging me to take him fishing again in no time," He said with a gentle smile. Lucy felt warmth bloom in her chest at the adoration she saw in his eyes and the cautious hold he had on the feline creature.
"Lucy! It is good to see you again," Erza said, startling the blonde. Erza had snuck up behind her, somehow silent with her bulky enchanted armor and swords.
"It is good to be back," She said slowly. While she was extremely glad to be free of the dark cell and reunited with her friends, Lucy knew she was putting all of Fairy Tail at risk.
"Do you mind telling me why Phantom Lord's master kidnapped you? It would help me understand his future strategy," Erza asked, stepping closer to Lucy and looking her up and down for any clues. Lucy blanched at the question. Now was the time to tell the truth, she supposed.
"Well, it's complicated," she began, "but it all comes back to my father." At the mention of her family, Natsu's attention was pulled away from Happy. Except for what Leo revealed, and the memories of her childhood that Lucy shared with him, Natsu knew close to nothing about her family.
"My real name is Lucy Heartfilia, and my father is Jude Heartfilia, head of Heartfilia Co. I ran away from home a little over a year ago. My father is a horrible, abusive person. Jose told me he was hired by my father to kidnap me and take me back to our family estate," Lucy explained with a shuddering breath. "Unfortunately for me, Jose decided my magic was worth more than my father's reward and he decided to 'keep' me, to use as he saw fit. I don't know what he planned to use my magic for, but I know it was nothing good."
Natsu growled low in his chest and stepped closer to her, his shoulder bumping hers. Erza stared at her with a fierce intensity, then nodded.
"Thank you. Your celestial magic is rare, so that makes sense. Now I know Jose will attack us again to try and get to you," She said, but her gaze told Lucy that the Valkyrie would want to know more about her family and why she lied. Lucy was grateful for Erza's patience. She had no desire to delve into her painful past anytime soon.
Every night, she was plagued by nightmares, each one depicting another terrible memory of her childhood. She'd wake drenched in a cold sweat, her sheets soaked, and a scream crawling out her throat. Most nights, she could prevent the screaming, but others she'd wake with her throat hoarse and the echo of her cries in the air, her body shaking.
Erza returned to the air to shout out more orders and prepare for an attack while Natsu draped an arm across Lucy's shoulders and tucked her against his warm body. Lucy tried not to melt in his arms. Now that she was finally free from Phantom Lord's prison, the exhaustion she'd fought off with adrenaline was starting to seep in.
"Don't think that just cause Erza didn't ask questions that I won't. I don't know why you lied, but just know you can trust me," Natsu said, his breath tickling her ear. Lucy tensed, but nodded.
"I do trust you, now at least. Please believe that. I just didn't want to risk my father finding me, which doesn't seem to matter now," she said glumly. She turned her head to peek at his face, and met his burning gaze. He inhaled sharply, narrowed his eyes at her, then exhaled and nodded. His breath fanned across her face, and her mouth quirked in discomfort.
"Fine. I do trust ya, Luce. And don't worry, we'll keep ya safe," He said brightly. Lucy smiled up at him and tilted her head to rest against his shoulder.
"Oh, did you ever find out what happened to the master?" She asked as she glanced over at the infirmary door.
"Apparently during the fight, he went to confront Jose and was causing chaos when a wizard, one of the Element Four, used some spell that sucked all the magic energy out of his body and caused an intense kind of depletion sickness," He explained. Lucy pursed her lips in thought. After feeling the side effects of a mild case of magic depletion, she couldn't imagine how Makarov had survived having every last drop of magic drained away.
"Element Four," She mumbled, "Hey is there some kind of water woman in the Element Four?"
Natsu tensed, and she felt his skin grow hot as his magic boiled beneath his skin. He must've put together the same thing she did: that a member of the Element Four abducted her.
"I think so. Someone might've mentioned it before, but I wasn't really listening," He said softly. She just hummed to herself and strummed her keys with her fingertips. While her guilt and anxiety over what path to take regarding Phantom Lord were temporarily lightened by Natsu's kind words and presence at her side, the intrusive thoughts remained hovering at the back of her mind.
She could always try turning herself in, but what would she do with her keys. If she gave them to Natsu, he'd figure out her plan and try to stop her. She'd stay put, for now at least. Maybe Erza had a brilliant attack plan and maybe Porlyusica would come out of the infirmary with Master Makarov hot on her heels, ready to return to the battle. Or maybe Phantom Lord would just leave them alone and her mother would come back from the dead.
Porlyusica burst from the infirmary door, her expression even surlier than before. Erza and Gray and Elfman ran up to the healer to hear any news, and Lucy was dragged along by Natsu.
"I'm afraid it isn't good. The mage literally took his aura somehow. Unless we find it and return it to Makarov, he'll die within hours," Porlyusica grumbled. Gasps of shock and unease spread through the hall. Gray cursed and turned and punched a wall, sending crystals of ice shooting across the room. Erza showed no physical reaction, save for a slight frown. Natsu just pulled Lucy closer and growled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest.
Porlyusica muttered some more about what needed to be done to save Makarov, then returned to the infirmary to try and keep his body alive long enough to have his magic restored.
"Finding Makarov's stolen aura and returning it to the guild is now our primary goal. No matter what happens, we must save the master." Erza lifted a clenched fist and stared at the closed infirmary door. Sounds of affirmation and agreement flitted through the hall as the news passed through the guild.
Before anyone had a chance to sound a plan of action, the upper levels of the guild and the roof disappeared in a sudden flash of purple light, the resounding boom of the magical canon deafening and the rush of air sending everyone sprawling.
A wave of energy and heat enveloped the guild as the focused magical energy ripped through the guild. Natsu tackled Lucy to the ground and tucked her protectively under his body to protect her from the falling debris, and screams of alarm filled her ears. Lucy peeked out past Natsu's arm and her eyes widened in horror.
In the distance, near the riverbank a few hundred feet from the guild, stood- or rather walked- the Phantom Lord castle. The castle was perched on a chunk of earth with enormous metal limbs sprouting from below the fortress. In the center of the castle was a large canon barrel with smoke curling from the end. Lucy looked up in horror at the carnage around her. Luckily, not many were injured from the attack. The attack had vaporized most of what it touched and the only debris was from the backlash of such a powerful force ripping through the air.
Erza was the first back to her feet, and her armor disappeared in a flash. When the light died down, she was donned in a black armor with silver accents with large bat-like wings protruding from her shoulder. Her legs and arms were covered in thick plated metal, and her stomach was left bare.
"Good evening, Fairies!" Jose's voice called out from the castle, magnified by magic, "That was a warning shot, courtesy of our lovely Jupiter canon! Next time, I will not miss. Bring me Lucy Heartfilia, or perish. You have 15 minutes."
Lucy felt everyone's eyes turn to her, and she felt her mouth drop open in shock. It seemed that her choice had been made for her. She had no other option but to surrender herself to Jose's whims. She wriggled out from underneath Natsu and rose to her feet, her head held high. She marched out of the guild doors, the portal broken and useless from the blast. She could feel the flickering energy of the wards surrounding the guild as she neared the edge of their protection.
A hand grabbed her arm and yanked her back. Lucy whirled around and was about to yell when she saw Erza standing behind her, with Natsu and Gray at her sides. The three bore equally furious expressions.
"You are a member of Fairy Tail, and no matter your past, you are family. We do not allow our family to be threatened," She stated firmly. Erza smiled softly and released her arm.
"Jose Porla! We will never give up one of our comrades, and you shall feel the wrath and might of Fairy Tail!" Erza screamed, the rest of the guild cheering behind her. Lucy felt her eyes well up with tears at her friend's actions. Never before in her lifetime had anyone fought for her as valiantly as the members of Fairy Tail now did.
"Hmm. Unfortunate. Nevertheless, I will take the girl. Sending you cursed Fairies to the netherworld is only a bonus." Jose's voice called. A large circular sigil appeared at the front end of the Jupiter canon, and a robotic voice said, "15 minutes until Jupiter canon activation."
Dark energy pooled in the center of the symbol and slowly started to grow larger with each passing moment.
"Pshh, we've got 15 minutes to take that castle down? No problem!" Natsu laughed. Right after the words left his mouth, a horde of dark shades poured from the towers of the distant castle, each cloaked soldier streaming towards the guild.
"Goddammit Natsu!" Gray cursed, unbuttoning his shirt.
"Ah, well, now it's really a party. I'm all fired up!" Natsu shouted, punching his fists together with an explosion of fire.
Here's an update! I hope it's to your liking, and please review! I love to hear from you guys! I just moved into my new dorm and finally finished this chapter.
Thanks, hope y'all enjoyed!
