CHAPTER 14
"He wants us to wait." Racer tapped his foot impatiently, sparing a glare towards the dark corner of their cave hideout where the disembodied voice echoed. Before he had a chance to respond, the voice said, "We follow his orders. Don't worry, you'll be able to kill some fairies soon. Everything is going according to his plan."
Huffing, Racer zoomed out of the cave, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. The man in the corner did not try to stop him, having heard his partner's intentions already and knowing the speedster was falling in line with their master's carefully laid out plans. The man emerged from the shadows, a sly smile parting his lips. He listened closely, hearing his prey from hundreds of miles away.
Soon.
Soon, they would strike the very heavens and rattle the stars.
-ooooo-
"Gramps, I don't see why we need their help. We've got this covered! I can protect her," Natsu whined, wisps of flame dancing up and down his arms. Lucy rolled her eyes, for the thousandth time that morning.
"Natsu, we barely handled Phantom Lord, and now a much more powerful dark guild is after my powers. We need all the help we can get," Lucy said, crossing her arms.
"Lucy is right, Natsu. We hardly know what to expect. Meeting with representatives from other guilds, combining all of our intel, and making a plan is our best course of action." Erza stated, joining Lucy's side.
Makarov sat atop the bar, his legs dangling over the side, with a pensive look on his face and his fingers stroking his mustache. "We are attending this meeting, no ifs or buts about it. This Balam Alliance has grown enough to involve the rest of the Council and threatens our very existence with humans."
Natsu huffed, blowing smoke into the old man's face. Lucy pursed her lips. She couldn't understand why Natsu was so opposed to meeting with other guilds to form a team to fight the Oracion Seis. Yes, any dark guild getting their hands on the power of her Stardust would be terrible for her, but the human world learning of the magical underbelly that lived parallel to their own existence? That would be catastrophic. Surely, the overprotective, aggressive, always looking to fight, fire drakon she knew would be on board with their plan.
"Natsu, this is our plan. Whether you like it or not." Erza reached over and gripped his shoulder, "So you better get on board if you want to tag along." With a dramatic roll of his eyes, Natsu nodded and grunted in agreement before stomping off to the portal and disappearing with a flash.
Lucy raised a brow in surprise at her friend's drastic exit and looked over at Erza for an explanation, only to receive a shrug from the Valkyrie in return. Lucy sighed, and joined Levy at the bar to continue their research into Starchildren and the history of Stardust on Earth. It was slow going, considering that any reference to a fallen star was entangled in a web of metaphor and folklore, making it nearly impossible to tell myth and exaggeration from fact.
Luckily, Levy was more than happy to help and her skills at translating and understanding ancient dialects was perfectly suited for the task. So far the duo had only read about things they knew already from Lucy's own experiences and the knowledge passed on by her spirits.
Tomorrow, they would be meeting representatives from Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale-the two most powerful guilds following Fairy Tail. Hopefully, her partner would be in a better mood, otherwise it would be a very long day.
-ooooo-
"What do you think you're doing? You useless child! Why do I even keep you around? You murdered your mother, you are nothing but trouble and I regret even bringing you into this world!"
Shattered glass rained down, cascading across the tile and sinking into the flesh of her feet. She tried her best to keep the tears from spilling from her eyes, but despite her efforts a single droplet rolled down her cheek and dripped from her chin and onto the floor, landing on a sliver of glass.
"Do you cry now? Stop being so weak. Heartfilia's don't cry. Get out of my sight, you disgust me!"
She turned and calmly walked out of the office, knowing that if she ran she would disappoint Him again. Proper ladies did not run from rooms or slam doors. Proper ladies did not cry or complain. Proper ladies listened to their fathers. She stepped into the dark hallway, ignoring the stinging pain in her feet.
The hallway extended longer than she remembered. Her breath fanned across her cold face in a puff of vapor as a chill swept over her and through the darkening hall. The shadows deepened, bringing a soft echoing whisper with them. The voice caressed her skin and entered her mind, bringing the cold and the dark along. Shivering, she turned around to see how far the study was but saw only the bloody imprint of her footprints on the alabaster tiles lining the endless hallway.
The voice was a constant hum in her mind and all around her, encasing her entirely and swarming her senses. A shiver crawled down her spine and she shuddered as the air chilled. The pain in her feet numbed, and the voice slowly grew closer and closer.
"-nkle little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high," voice whispered directly into her mind, sending a bolt of stinging cold through her. "-like a diamond in the sky."
"The traveler in the dark, thanks you," the voice paused, and she saw a shadow shift in the distance. Her home had faded to inky shadow, leaving her in a void of darkness. She curled her arms in and whimpered as the shadow shifted closer and closer, until it was standing before her. She could see only the imprint of a man's form, hovering above her. The shadowy figure extended his hand and stroked her cheek, wiping away the streaking tears.
"-for your tiny spark." He finished, a flash of a smile appearing in the darkness. The frigid hand against her skin moved down, curling around her neck for a moment before sliding down to her chest. A finger poked at her sternum, and her chest began to glow. Before the light grew enough to expose the man standing before her, it was ripped from her chest and into the man's waiting hand.
"I'm so glad you are all alone, my little star," shining, silver ichor dripped onto the ground, pooling together at the man's feet, "and I am so grateful that you will break my curse. I'm coming, my little starlight, so bright."
Screaming, she fell to her knees as pain wracked her body. Her voice faded away until she was left silent, her mouth dropped open as the pain spread throughout her body. Her vision went white, and she saw the man lift her shining heart to his smiling lips, and the last thing she saw was him open his mouth wide and take a bite of her heart, the sound echoing as silver starlight rolled down his chin and sinister laughter filling the air.
-ooooo-
Lucy woke with her voice hoarse and her sheets drenched in sweat. She jolted up and gagged. Stumbling to her feet, her knees gave out and she collapsed and rolled out of her bed, dragging her sheet tangled in her legs with her to the ground. She crawled over to her bathroom, pulling the sheet with her, and threw open the toilet lid and emptied her stomach contents.
Coughing, she tried to catch her breath and twisted to let her forehead rest on the cool porcelain side of the bathtub. She absentmindedly flushed the toilet and wiped her mouth in between gasps. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Her heart was a pounding beat pulsing through her entire body, and shivers wracked her body. She lay, shaking and sobbing on her bathroom floor until she calmed enough to lift her head and breathe deeply.
She could still feel the lingering chill from her nightmare. She pulled herself up onto shaky legs and hobbled over to turn on the bathroom light. She hoped the light would help with the chill in her bones, but it did nothing. With a hoarse cry, she grabbed the sheet from the ground and wrapped it around her, but the shivers persisted.
She made her way through her apartment and turned on every single light she owned, bathing every room in warm light. She fell into her bed and grabbed the quilt folded on the end and pulled it over her, hoping to stop her shivering. She shook in her bed, refusing to close her eyes any longer than a blink, and cried. Her hand pressed against her chest and she counted every beat of her heart, which was still beating inside her body.
She was alone. Loneliness pervaded her soul, an aching pit of emptiness that seemed to expand endlessly, swallowing every bit of her it could. She was a little girl, locked in a dark closet with no one to hear her screams or hold her close, whisper sweet reassurances in her ear. She was completely, and utterly alone. The silence of her apartment was overbearing, the stillness in the air strange and perverse. She was unwanted, an outcast. Her magic was too strong and would likely kill her before she truly had a chance to live, unless some dark shadow came and ate her heart first.
When the panic refused to fade, and the cold became too much to bear, she blindly reached for her phone and called the only person she trusted to help her.
"Luce? Why're ya calling me so late?" Natsu's voice rasped through her phone. She opened her mouth to speak, but a whimper fell from her lips instead.
"Luce? What's wrong?" His voice called. She could hear his concern, and she tried to speak again, but only managed to stutter, "Please, help."
She heard rustling over the speaker and knew he was getting dressed. She knew she could hang up, but she couldn't bring herself to break her connection with him, be it only through her phone. She heard him speak but couldn't focus on the words. She only saw the shadowy man bite into her glowing heart and hear his gravelly laugh.
Lost in her nightmare, she hardly noticed when he burst through her front door, her name echoing down the hall. She saw him frantically throw open her door and suddenly slide to a stop upon seeing her curled up in her bed, crying and shaking.
He said nothing, only walked over, making sure she was aware of his every move, and slowly climb under her blankets and join her in the bed. He slowly wrapped his arms around her quivering body and drew her into his chest, until her face was buried in the crook of his neck. He hissed when he felt how unnaturally cold her skin was and gazed down into her frightened eyes with only comfort and concern.
"C-c-co-old," she stammered. Nodding, Natsu tucked her head down into his chest and tightened his grip around her, encasing her in his warmth. She felt his arms on her back and his hand stroking her hair, and soon his warmth penetrated the chill that was been present since her nightmare began. Sighing, she wrapped her arms around his waist and burrowed closer to his hot body. She felt her shivering slow and stop as Natsu created a bubble of calming heat with his aura.
His fingers stroked her skin and his breath fanned over her head. He didn't ask why every light in her home was turned on, or what had frightened her so. He only held her and hummed a low melody until she stopped shaking and her breathing returned to normal. She didn't dare close her eyes yet, despite the comfort she now felt. When she felt calm enough, she pulled back far enough to meet his gaze, but stayed within the confines of his arms.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. Lucy shrugged. She didn't know how to describe the nightmare. It didn't seem like one of her childhood memories come to haunt her sleep, but it wasn't a normal nightmare either. It felt real. The dark man had been in her head, somehow.
"I think someone wants to eat my heart," she whispered, scared that if her voice was loud enough, the words would bring the dark beast back to finish what he started. Natsu stilled but remained silent. Slowly, she told him what happened in her dream and felt a knot in her stomach loosen as the words left her mouth.
Natsu's eyes darkened and she felt a growl rumble in his chest. So, he believed her when she said it wasn't just a nightmare.
"I'm staying," He said, his tone leaving no room for argument, not that Lucy wanted him to leave anyway.
"I don't think I ever want you to leave," she murmured. Natsu just hummed, his low voice replacing the slimy laughter ringing in her ears. She did not fall asleep- not that she thought she ever could again- and instead just breathed with Natsu and held him tight. She knew tomorrow would be a big day, filled with questions about the Oracion Seis, and her nightmare after she told Gramps and Levy about it.
But none of that mattered, in her warm bubble in her bed.
She didn't think Natsu slept either, and they held each other as daylight returned and the sun's rays filtered through her curtains and fanned across the room, highlighting the planes of Natsu's calm face and filling the bright room with its radiance. She took a moment to mourn for how high her electricity bill would be for the month.
"That meeting with those other guilds is in a few hours." Natsu's voice was rough and deep, and Lucy smiled to herself. She was being spoiled. Her mornings would now be ruined if he was not with her at this rate.
She groaned and nuzzled into his chest, refusing to get out of bed just yet. When they got out of bed, reality would return, and their bubble would burst. She would have to face the nightmare, and what it meant for the guild. They would have to go meet with three other guilds to deal with one dark alliance hell bent on stealing her Stardust for some nefarious purpose and find out who was out there sending her visions of a heart eating psychopath.
Lucy Heartfilia did not want to get out of bed, but she had to. Before she had a chance to wriggle free from Natsu's arms, her window burst open and a flash of blue streaked across the room.
"Lusheeee! Have you seen Nat-" Happy froze, hovering in the air beside her bed, his eyes wide. Lucy felt Natsu freeze and heard his breath catch. The exceed leered down at the couple and purred, "You liiiiiiike each other!"
Sighing, she sat up in her bed and grabbed the nearest pillow, then chucked it violently at the flying cat with all her might and shouted, "Go away, stupid cat!" Happy just dodged the projectile with a cheerful grin and began chanting about how she an Natsu were in love and were going to make babies together. Her chosen weapon smashed against her closed door and burst, feathers exploding through her room.
Screaming, she leapt from her bed, hopping over Natsu's form, and started chasing the cat around her apartment, waving another pillow as a weapon. A few floating feathers got trapped in her hair, but she was too tired to worry about the mess right then. Eventually she gave up on trying to catch the annoying bastard of a cat and locked herself in her bathroom to take a quick shower before having to leave for Fairy Tail.
She quickly cleaned up her spill from a few hours ago, although it felt like days, and pushed the haunting visions to the back of her mind. Today, she had to convince three guilds about the dangers of the Oracion Seis utilizing her magic, and hope Natsu didn't start a brawl that ended in their tentative alliance crumbling.
Once she finished and got dressed, she left Natsu to nap in her bed and quickly whipped up a simple breakfast with a chatty Happy. She had to promise to buy him as much fish as he wanted for two weeks to keep him from telling anyone what he saw that morning. She could already feel the strain in her wallet. It looked like she would be eating cheap cup ramen and canned food for the foreseeable future.
She glanced down the hall and into her room, where Natsu was lying tangled in her blankets, sound asleep. She felt bad about keeping him up most of the night and was extremely grateful for his presence. How she survived this long without him was a mystery.
"Happy, will you go wake Natsu, so he can eat, and we can go to the guild?" She asked, flipping the bacon out of the pan and onto a plate. Happy giggled.
"I guess you two didn't get much sleep last night, huh," he said with a suggestive wink. Lucy threw a dish towel at him and yelled for him to do as she said and stop making such perverted assumptions. She knew her face was bright red, and she shook her head and groaned. She and Natsu were just friends. Good friends, but nothing more.
Or so she told herself.
By the time they made it to the guild, everyone else had gathered near the portal. Gray somehow still had a shirt on, Erza was in her traditional armor, and Gramps was sitting on the bar counter, a pipe smoking between his lips. Upon seeing her friends, a wave of relief broke through her and Lucy had to grip Natsu's elbow to keep on her feet.
She was not alone, not anymore. A lump formed in her throat and she smiled, wide and brilliant. She saw Gray give her a questioning look, the ice user somehow recognizing the darkness in her and sensing something was off. She just kept the bright smile on her face and let go of Natsu's arm.
"You will be meeting with members of Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus at a neutral location in the forests outside of Crocus. Remember that we need their help in taking down the Balam Alliance-" Makarov pointedly glared over at Natsu, "and to play nice with them. We all want the same thing."
Erza nodded her head, and grabbed the door of the portal, activating the magic pathway. Lucy swallowed past the lump in her throat and inhaled sharply. She glanced at Levy, who came to say goodbye and was sitting, a sleepy smile on her face, at the bar with a hot mug of coffee in her hands. Lucy hardly noticed her own exhaustion with the adrenaline still coursing through her veins and the anxieties about the meeting looming before her.
Gray stepped closer to her, bumping her arm with his, and casting her an inquisitive look, his brow raised in question. She just let out a sigh and bumped him back, telling him she would tell him later with a small shrug and a faltering smile.
Gray just rolled his eyes playfully and pushed her towards the portal. Lucy's grin was more genuine as she stepped through the shimmering doorway with a laugh tickling her lips. She emerged, the usual nausea and vertigo from portal travel only a fraction of what it used to be. She still stumbled over her clumsy feet. Before she had a chance to right herself, Natsu grabbed her arms. She mumbled her thanks and took a minute to take in her surroundings.
They had appeared in the meadow of a forest, the towering trees at the border of the smooth grass and colorful flowers nearing the clouds. Birds sang and chirped from their perches in the branches, and bees peacefully flew from flower to flower. Lucy smiled. Never had she seen anything quite as beautiful so far in her lifetime. Soft morning sunlight glittered through the tree canopy and skittered across the leaves and petals, making them shine like precious gems in the soft rolling grass.
There was no way this meadow was not magical.
A cottage sat in the middle of the clearing. It was small, but quaint. The thatched roof had a smoking chimney, signaling that they were not the first to arrive. All at once, the wonder of the meadow faded as the reality of their situation set in.
Erza marched ahead to the cabin, throwing the door open with her usual confidence and energy. Natsu followed her soon after, but Lucy took another few moments to breathe in the sweet balmy air. Someday, when everything had calmed down, she would return to this meadow with nothing but a journal and a pen and just write for hours and hours with the birds and forest critters to keep her company.
Gray hovered at her side, his concerned eyes staring into hers. She linked her arm in his and started walking to the cabin, where she could already hear Natsu's raucous laugh and Erza's fierce voice echoing through the open doorway.
"Don't forget that I'm here too," Gray whispered, as if not wanting to disrupt the peace and tranquility of the meadow. Lucy stiffened and stumbled.
"I will. It was just a nightmare," she said, her tone making the statement sound more like a question. Gray just hummed and bobbed his head. In that moment, she knew Gray had seen the same slimy darkness. Felt it's oily touch. Her grip on his arm tightened and she leaned into his body. The hidden part of her where the nightmares flourished recognized the torment in Gray's dark gaze.
She patted his arm and felt a little of the crushing weight on her shoulders lift. They strolled through the open doorway together and paused at the sight before them.
A giant of a man, his head completely bald save for a pair of impressive eyebrows, was hunched in the small cottage, accompanied by a woman with long, bright pink hair and a white-haired man that exuded a chilly aura. Gray stiffened next to her and glared at the white-haired man. "Lyon."
"Gray." The man crossed his arms and wrinkled his nose. Lucy glanced between the two, wondering why they were so standoffish. Before she had a chance to ask, two men appeared at either side of her and knelt, grabbing one of her hands to kiss gently.
"My, what a beautiful woman you are," the one with tousled mousey brown hair said with a sparkling smile. His companion, a shorter and younger blonde, nodded in agreement and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the tall, dark skinned companion standing a few feet away. "Tch, she's not that beautiful, well, except for the sparkle in her eyes."
Confused, Lucy gaped at the three handsome men lavishing her with their attentions while Gray was participating in an icy staring match with Lyon and Erza was nowhere to be seen. The tall bald man huffed and rolled his eyes.
"What lovely parfum!" A voice rang through the cottage. Lucy turned, and felt her spirit shatter into a million pieces and her eyes roll back in her skull. Erza was standing near the tall man, a short and strange ginger haired creature clinging to her legs. He sniffed up her calf and towards her thigh. Erza scowled darkly and shook her leg with enough force and speed Lucy couldn't see the movement. The pervy man flew from her leg and crashed into the wall, still moaning about her parfum.
The three men harassing Lucy gasped and ran towards the man, calling out for their master and digging him from the rubble. Erza's cheeks matched her hair and she looked the most flustered Lucy had ever seen. She stifled her laugh, knowing Erza would not hesitate to turn her wrath to onlookers.
Lyon and Gray rolled their eyes at the antics. Lucy looked towards Natsu, who was standing against the far wall opposite the front door, pensively staring at the open doorway. She learned why when a few seconds later when there was a high-pitched squeal, and Wendy came tumbling through the door and fell into the cottage. Her long hair fanned around her head and the girl groaned.
Lucy was the first to reach her and she helped Wendy back to her feet while asking, "Wendy, what are you doing here?" The sky drakon dusted off her patterned dress and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Master Makarov sent me at the last minute. He said you guys would probably need my healing skills."
Lucy pursed her lips. Despite Wendy's powerful healing powers, she was too young and inexperienced to handle such a dangerous mission, in Lucy's opinion. The girl was too precious to be put in such a dangerous position.
"Good, we could use a healer." The tall man said. Lucy bit her lip but refrained from voicing her opinion on the matter. If Makarov believed Wendy should be a part of their team, she would just have to trust him.
"Welcome, I am glad everyone has arrived," the tall man said. "I am Jura of Lamia Scale, and this is Lyon and Sherry, my companions."
"Good to see you again, Jura. I'm sure you all remember Natsu and Gray, but our newest member Lucy has joined the team, and now Wendy," Erza said, pointing to each of the Fairy Tail mages in turn. Lucy waved nervously at the others with a small smile.
"I am Hibiki and these two are Eve and Ren. We are from Blue Pegasus," the brunette from before said with a bow. He dropped to one knee, his two companions joining him, and pointed towards the ginger man with proud smiles. "And this is our master, Ichiya!"
Ichiya bowed and smiled. Lucy felt her smile morph into a scowl when the man fixed his lecherous gaze on her. Natsu appeared at her side, a growl rumbling from his chest and for once she was glad for his overprotective instincts. If that pervert came near her, she would not hesitate to use deadly force, if necessary.
"Good. I am glad to meet you all. Now, to business," Jura said. He turned his piercing gaze to Lucy, and his brow furrowed.
"I understand you are the source of all this trouble, young miss. Would you care to explain why every dark guild ever known is hunting for you?" He asked. Lucy gulped. She glanced at her teammates, relieved when they smiled and nodded encouragingly. She cleared her throat and began to tell her tale from that fateful night in the alley to their recent discoveries about her heavenly heritage.
-00000-
It's currently 2am for me and I'm supposed to be studying or sleeping but instead I finished up this chapter for you all. So please forgive any mistakes, I'm very tired lol.
Anyway, I hoped you all enjoyed this next chapter and I hope you're getting excited for this arc! As always, reviews feed my motivation and I love hearing from you all! Thanks for reading!
