CHAPTER FIVE
LETTER HOME
One might say someone of Lucy's upbringing would loathe sleeping outdoors. With the strict rules, ladylike expectations, and regal status she had grown up with, it wasn't often Lucy Heartfilia had the chance to get 'down and dirty'. But her time with Fairy Tail had shown her the experience she'd been missing out on.
Some wizards and their teams would rent motel rooms in the town they were in business at. Purchasing rooms by the night was pretty cheap if you knew where to look, and free breakfast was the ideal scenario. But ever since she started going on jobs with Natsu, she's taken a liking to sleeping close to the earth with nothing but a sleeping bag and a sky full of stars. A month ago she might be complaining about her back hurting or the cold wind, but now she only felt a comforting sense of belonging and a painful yearning for the friends she didn't deserve.
As she lay in her sleeping bag with the constellations staring down at her, she couldn't help the mixed feelings swirling in her head.
She had a plan, a very loose and fragile plan, but it was better than nothing. Now that the sun didn't feel like it was scraping her body every time she showed her skin, she found venturing into the town much easier. She was able to reveal her face enough to speak with the townspeople without them fearing her, and gathered the information she was searching for.
Although she and her team had failed the mission, the majority of the dark guild Valcona was put out of commission and shipped off for the magic council to deal with. As a result they hadn't caused much commotion within the town. Rather than seeming angry with Fairy Tail, the residents were actively praising them and their work. They were determined that the wizards would come back to finish the job eventually, even if they needed time to recoup.
She wasn't sure if that reassured her that her guild wouldn't be ridiculed because of her actions, or bothered her that they were so confident in them; so confident in her.
She managed to narrow down the areas in the forest that the remaining wizard who hadn't been recovered by the magic council would be hiding. There was only one left, but he was the most powerful in the guild, easily rivaling S-Class status in Fairy Tail. He was the same man that led Lucy into the predicament she was in today.
Her and Loke had devised a plan of action, one that she thankfully had well thought out. She was positive that with Loke's help, this man would be stopped. What she had the most trouble with was figuring out how to inform the magic council to come collect Jonathon Barsoni once she had defeated him without outing herself as Lucy Heartfilia.
She raised her hand above her head, shielding her view of the stars with her bandaged hand. She both dearly missed her guild mark and hated it at the same time. She missed her home and her friends, the place she made her fondest memories. But she also feared it. The memories of laughter and happiness were tainted with a bittersweet agony. She couldn't get Gray's sneering face and Natsu's lifeless body out of her mind.
She figured he had to have woken up by now. He was probably aware she had left. She refused to imagine his reaction, because whether it was good or bad wouldn't change her decision. All it would bring were negative emotions that would dampen her already rotten mood.
"You've been glaring at your hand for a while."
The brunette didn't startle, growing accustomed to the familiar voice of her spirit. Loke was resting beside her on his own makeshift bed. He had refused to return to the spirit world for anything longer than a few minutes, meaning he had taken to sleeping beside her.
"Just thinking," Lucy responded calmly as she lowered her hand.
Loke made a questioning noise, encouraging her to continue her thought process.
"About tomorrow, the plan."
"Ah," He clicked his tongue against his teeth, "Are you worried about something? You know we'll catch the guy. We have a badass plan."
"It's not that," She remained focused on the stars above, with emotion void from her voice, "It's about after. How do we turn him in?"
"What do you mean?" Loke pushed himself to a sitting position as he leaned back against his hands, "We just call up the magic council and report it to-" He stopped mid sentence as his mind caught up to his words, "Oh."
"Not without telling them my affiliation with Fairy Tail. Then this is all for nothing."
Both remained silent with their mind churning for ideas. Lying to the magic council was never a bright idea, but did she have a choice? The only other option was the truth and that didn't seem too appealing.
"What if I turned them in?"
Lucy blinked in confusion before finally landing her eyes on Loke, "What do you mean?"
"I'm technically still a member of Fairy Tail, and I can finish the job and claim I was sent in place of the original team who took it," Loke smirked as his idea unfolded, "I'm sure they won't recognize me since I've been gone for awhile. I turn him into the council, then we can report to the mission sender to ease their worries by telling them the last member has been retrieved."
Lucy pondered his idea as her previous anxiety seemed to flutter away with each passing second. She quickly agreed to his plan, causing his ego to soar much to her displeasure. She could semi-handle a worrisome Loke as she had all week, but a flirty, egotistical Loke was someone she tried to avoid.
"Wow darling, you make my heart burst with pleasure!" He raised his hands dramatically with a sparkle in his eye, "Your beauty is radiant in all its glory! I'm so lucky to have such a gorgeous lady by my side!"
"Oh shut it!" She shouted as she ducked her head inside her sleeping bag.
"Hm, playing hard to get I see," He rubbed his chin with his two fingers, "I like a challenge."
"I wonder if you'll like my foot up your ass," She muttered to herself, though the other party seemed to hear her clearly.
"Well I'm not a masochist," He chuckled, "but I like a girl with spunk!"
"You're on thin ice pall!" She warned with a louder voice, "I'll send you back to the spirit world, don't test me!"
She took a moment to realize and appreciate the fact that she could even threaten him in such a playful way again. The fact that she had enough magic energy to force his gate closed was comforting, though she tried to avoid doing that to her spirits as it caused trust issues and insecurities. Her magic had been restored as was her skin. She kept the bottle of lotion from Aphrosilia sealed in her bag in case of emergency, though she hoped she never had to use it again
Loke let out a fake gasp, "You would abandon me? How could you?! After all we've been through!"
By now Lucy couldn't hold back her giggle, "I know what you're doing Loke."
Loke dropped his act and returned to a calm persona with a small smile, "Is it working?"
It was moments like these that made her cherish the bond she had with her spirits. Although she's been a hassle to deal with, now and all her life, they've stayed by her side. They're determined to help her even when she's an ugly mess. They don't leave her to suffer alone, and do their best to cheer her up, just like Loke had done right now.
His distraction was just what she needed, just a taste of normalcy and happiness. It was refreshing.
"It is," She responded as she pulled her head back from its hiding place, "Thank you."
"How are you holding up, Natsu?"
Mira's cheery voice was mellow as she approached Natsu's slumped form at one of the larger tables in Fairy Tail. He had a map of Fiore laid out across the wooden surface with various pins in possible locations Lucy could be headed to. He had Levy to his right, assessing the map as she tried to help him determine where Lucy's next destination may be.
He couldn't relax since he had returned to the guild hall, only taking short breaks to nap and eat when he was forced to. He, Erza, and Cana had gone through Lucy's entire apartment for any clues she may have left behind, but all that stood out were the dead lilies wilting over a vase and bloody glass shards in her trash can. Those had brought Natsu into a state of panic which Erza had to knock him out of.
Happy and Carla had accompanied Gray, Gajeel, and Wendy who spent each day scouring the town for information. They had interrogated nearly every person in town until eventually everyone was aware of Lucy's disappearance. As imaginations began to wander, rumors had started as to what happened to the celestial spirit mage. Tales of kidnap and ransom were thrown around, some even said she ran away.
Those in particular were hard to swallow, as the truth tends to be.
Though for the past three days, nothing has come up. Not a single clue as to where she took off to. No one saw her leave, nor have they seen her around. It was as if she vanished without a trace.
Natsu chose not to answer Mira's question. Not because he wanted to ignore her, but purely because he didn't have an answer. He couldn't say he was good, okay, or even fine. His brain was running with every idea and scenario that crossed his mind. His protective instincts were urging him to jump out the window on a rampage until she was spotted, but his logical side was fighting to stay put until he had a starting point.
Complex emotion wasn't entirely common for the dragon slayer. He preferred life simple, and attempted to keep it that way. He avoided situations that led to him emitting anything other than happiness or anger. Maybe some excitement or hunger if that could be constituted as an emotion. Anything other than that just wasn't his forte, neither was it the guilds. He detested seeing fear, sadness, or any other abnormal trace of negativity on their faces.
So this whirlwind of grief, despair, passion, rage, and sorrow was foreign territory. He'd felt fear before, a lot of anger, and even sadness. He'd seen dark things in life that have made his mind flare with a few of these emotions, but never has it affected him quite like this. It was suffocating, like it was drowning him
The only time he's ever felt like this was when Future Lucy was murdered right before his eyes.
Though even then, it was different. Because while that was traumatizing in it's own right, at the end of the day he still had Lucy within his reach. He'd lost a fragment of the future, a future he helped save. And he knew in his heart that even though it was a close call, even though it was technically Lucy who was struck and killed, the Lucy of the future was safe now in her own time.
Present Lucy was lost, hurting, and most definitely heartbroken if the guilds explanation of what happened that night was anything to go by. He had no leads, no information. He was a sitting duck, waiting for answers.
Natsu groaned in frustration as he ran his fingers through his pink locks. Levy tossed him a sympathetic glance while Gajeel, who had returned from questioning Magnolia and sat himself across the solid script mage, didn't give much acknowledgment.
"Is everything alright?" Mira asked again after not receiving a response from earlier.
"No," Natsu snapped, though quickly calmed his tone before he could offend the woman, "Nothing's alright. Lucy's gone and I can't find her."
"Don't give up hope yet," Erza announced as she approached the table with a heavily bandaged Gray trailing behind her, "Maybe we need to run through the story again. There could be clues we're missing."
"I'm not sure if that's a great idea," Gray suggested quietly as he eyed Natsu.
Though Natsu hadn't taken his time destroying Gray for his actions, things between them were still cold and distant. The Ice Mage never minded the cold, but this is a time he would prefer the flaming inferno of their brawls to heat things up between them. The guild seems to have forgiven him for the most part, but Natsu and Lucy are who's mercy he craves. Until that happens, Gray will let Natsu and Lucy choose where their friendship stands, even if that means they want nothing to do with him
"Ice Princess is right," Natsu sat straight, crossing his arms over his chest as he let narrowed eyes run across the map, "I don't know if I can hear that mess again. It'll just rile me up."
Erza nodded in understanding. She silently agreed with his sentiment, though wouldn't share that. The night they came back from that mission showed how dreadfully immature they could be. On Gray's part for attacking Lucy, on Erza for not stepping in, and on Makarov for ordering her home and refusing to allow anyone to speak to her.
However, without any information, they had nowhere to start. Lucy left nothing to find her with, and with a week head start, not even a scent to follow. They've exhausted every avenue and all of their wizards. As much as she wanted to comb through the harsh details of the night once more, she knew there wasn't much waiting for her. Lucy was practically mute for the entire day back to the guild, what could she possibly have done or said to point to a sign?
"Hey Natsu," Wendy, who had joined the group shortly after Erza, sat herself by his side, "You haven't told us your part yet."
When each set of eyes landed on the young girl, she nervously curled into herself. In her haste to get the many stares off of her, she blurted out without much thought, "You know, what happened before Gray got there? With him and Lucy?"
Everyone curiously glanced at each other, aside from Natsu who was burning holes with his eyes into the map below with a pensive look.
"That's true," Levy agreed with a tense frown, "But I'm not sure if him telling us will do any good."
"Well what's the harm in trying?" Gajeel grunted, earning him a scowl from Levy that he ignored, "Salamander might be overlookin' something. Best course of action would be to have an extra set of ears to help him sort through it."
"Don't push him Gajeel!" Levy pushed against the table into a stand with a defensive posture, "This is hard enough for him as it is!"
"Calm down, Shrimp," Levy's growl was out of character, though Gajeel didn't seemed bothered by it, "It could give us a lead, it's just a suggestion."
"I agree," Erza turned towards the dragon slayer with a hopeful glance, "It may be beneficial."
While Natsu could see their point, and even agree with it, the memories in his head are nothing pleasant. He'd been blocking them out ever since he woke up and had no intention of facing them again. It was his own faults that got him in the situation he found himself in, regardless of whatever the others may try to convince otherwise. Even though Fairy Tail avoids killing those who commit crimes, the regret he felt for not ending that pathetic dark wizards life was heavy.
The thirst for blood he was feeling was terrifying, but oddly comforting.
The group surrounding him were bickering between themselves, trying to make their voices and opinions heard. Levy and Gray were against Natsu reliving the event, while Erza and Gajeel were adamant it was crucial to go through every detail. Wendy leaned away from Natsu and towards Mira with shame tainting her features for even suggesting anything in the first place.
The shouting grew louder, and even with Natsu trying to drown it out to think things over himself, their shrieking was becoming too much. They were attracting wandering eyes from those who weren't involved in the search and the situation was getting out of hand. By the time Juvia joined in to back up Gray, the heated argument was nearly turning into a physical fight.
The dragon slayer sighed before raising his voice to break up the shouting happening around him, "Everyone shut up! It's my choice so stop your whining!"
Everyone froze in place, only seconds away from starting a massive feud that would definitely end with a repair bill. As their minds caught up with their fists, they let their guards down and sunk into their seats. Levy and Gray had the decency to give Natsu an apologetic look, but Gajeel and Erza remained stoic as Natsu stated his decision, "Even if I don't want to remember what happened, I have to in case it can help Lucy."
Neither Levy nor Gray challenged his choice, instead giving him a nod of acceptance. Mira, who had remained by Wendy's side, lowered herself to the bench next to the Sky Dragon Slayer. The older wizard took the younger's hand which prompted Wendy to reach for Natsu's in a silent sign of support. Natsu jumped as her hand touched his, causing her to retreat, and eyed her in confusion. After seeing the girl shrink into herself in disappointment, the fire mage softened his features and took her hand in his.
Sometimes he forgets just how young Wendy is, especially in the heat of battle when tensions are high. She's just a little girl, and the weight of this situation was obviously a lot of her to handle. The least he could do is make sure she doesn't feel the need to walk on eggshells around him.
Wendy instantly relaxed with both of her hands encompassed around her friends. Mira smiled softly at the little girl next to her before turning to Natsu and mouthing a simple "thank you". Natsu returned her gesture with a faint smile of his own before bringing his attention back to the group staring at him.
Happy, Carla, and Patherlily had joined the rowdy bunch and sat beside their respective dragon slayers. Happy sat himself directly on Natsu's lap with a paw gently clutching his pants. He grinned down at his longtime companion in appreciation. He was grateful to have such a great friend to call family, just like the rest of Fairy Tail. They just need to get their missing family member home.
"We had split up for the mission," Natsu began, "Gray and I were supposed to chase out the dark wizards towards the back of the warehouse where Erza was hiding. Luce stayed in the front in case any came out a different way."
His grip on Wendy's hand increased, "When we finished at the back end of the warehouse, I could hear fighting from the front so I went to make sure everything was okay. Four wizards were already down, but Lucy was fighting one more. He was a complete asshole," Natsu growled as the memory invaded his mind but persisted, "His magic was super weird too. He wrapped her up in this black light. She couldn't move."
"She was screaming," His voice was strained as he held back angry tears, though no one dared to mention it, "It must have been painful. I don't know what it was doing but I knew it wasn't good. I beat him up until he lost his connection. When I went to see if Lucy was okay, he blasted me from behind. Then I woke up here."
As if he was slapped from behind, Natsu jolted to awareness. His eyes were wide with panic as he struggled to speak. He was suddenly standing as he grasped at the wooden table to stabilize himself, causing Happy to fall onto the bench seat beside him. His head whipped to face Mirajane's concerned expression. The group of wizards eyed him in confusion at his sudden change in demeanor.
"Natsu?" Mira questioned as her hold on Wendy's hand turned into a cradled hug.
"Did anyone check Lucy's injuries?" Natsu's voice pleaded Mira to answer his prayers.
Lucy couldn't have not been affected by that magic. If the wizard could do as much as incapacitate a dragon slayer with one hit, then who knows what he did to her. He needed to know she wasn't suffering somewhere in the wilderness on her own, that she was checked over by Wendy, Mirajana, or Porlyusica as everyone was at the end of a dangerous mission.
However, his horror was realized at Mirajane's eyes began to mist over. Her hand shook as she covered her mouth and the trailing mumbled words falling from her lips. A glance to the rest of the group only solidified the hopelessness he was now feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Natsu?" Happy, who had flown to the table top after his comfortable chair attempted to launch him across the room, grabbed a handful of Natsu's tunic with a timid voice, "What's wrong with Lucy?"
Natsu had no words to comfort his long time friend. His mind was lost in the vortex of her fears. His eyes were distant as flashes of Lucy hunched over a broken tree with bloodied skin infiltrated his thoughts. Could he really have saved her life only to possibly lose her again? Was she in pain? Or was she still hurt from the guilds words? Would she have gotten help if she was injured?
The unknown really did suck, he decided. He felt he knew his friends, his family, well enough to say that even if no one had checked over Lucy, she must have visited a doctor herself. But that logic was no longer valid in his head. His team had divided in a time or crisis, throwing blame like a dodgeball. The guild had sent Lucy home alone and allowed her to flee the city during the week it took him to awaken. He couldn't be sure of anything anymore, especially knowing Lucy's stubbornness. For all he knew, she was still suffering.
"Does anyone know what type of magic that wizard used?" Levy broke Natsu from his trance.
He found himself seated yet again with Happy on his lap and Wendy around his arm. Both were holding onto him as the table's search for Lucy continued with even more vigor than before. At some point during Natsu's breakdown, Levy must have run to the guilds library to grab one of the largest books Fairy Tail owned.
Master Makarov had joined his children to oversee the progress and offer his assistance. He and Freed deliberated with Levy as Gray supplied them with the limited information he knew about Natsu and Lucy's attacker.
"I don't know, you'll have to ask Coal For Brains when he comes back to the present," Gray sat across from Levy with the master beside him, "I just know it doesn't sound like a standard, or legal, kind of magic."
"Dark wizards ain't the type to go the legal route," Gajeel adorned his own pair of reading glasses matching Levy and Freed as he attempted to make sense of the words he was skimming over her shoulder.
"Had anyone heard of this guild, Valcona, before the job was posted?" Erza shuffled a pile of endless papers that were once neatly filed in the masters office; Natsu should know considering his last punishment for damaging guild property was to organize them.
"I haven't," Jet chimed in as he awkwardly stood at the end of the table between Gray and Levy, trying to decide what he could do to help, "Maybe they're new?"
"This wizard seems overly qualified for a small time dark guild," Erza murmured with creased brows, "With this kind of Magic, he seems more on the level of the Oracion Seis."
"I've heard of Valcona before you lot went on your job," Master Makarov scratched at his chin with stress pulling on his features, "The posting mentioned the unruly wizards committing petty crimes like theft and vandalism at first. Eventually they turned to arson and even murder."
"Murder?" Wendy's loose grip on Natsu returned to a nearly bone breaking strength, "But why?"
Makarov shook his head in disappointment, "I will never understand the vile acts committed by the wizards who choose to walk the path of evil."
"Murder," Natsu attracted the attention of his friends as he broke free of his mental torment. His pupils were glossed over in unshed tears with creased brows threatening to pour them over, "Do you think his magic killed her?"
"Natsu!" Mira scolded from next to Wendy, "Don't jump to conclusions, you said it yourself to Gray!"
"We can't afford to think of the worst case scenario," Erza kept her gaze off of her friend, both out of guilt and sadness. Instead she bore holes with her eyes into the papers below, "If we think too negatively we may begin to act irrationally."
"If I know anything about Lu it's that she won't give up too easily," Levy grinned at the dragon slayer, "If she got hurt, I'm sure she visited a doctor!"
"C'mon Salamander, you really gonna give up on Bunny girl like that? Dontcha have a little faith in her?" Gajeel's bait seemed to do the trick, causing Natsu to glare at him with annoyance and abandon his previously distraught self.
"Of course I have faith in her!" He defended, "She's one of the strongest women I ever met! She's… Lucy!"
"Then you know she can take care of herself," The Iron Dragon Slayer crossed his arms over his chest and turned back to the book Levy had in front of her, "Now quit bein' lazy and help us figure out what type of magic this idiot uses."
"What is figuring out his magic going to do to help us find her?" Natsu asked with almost laughable confusion.
Almost laughable if the current subject wasn't about their missing guildmate.
"Possibly nothing, but also possibly something," Gray answered with a sincere stare, "But it's worth a shot if it can point us in the direction of the guy who hurt you guys. We can see if Lucy may be injured from his magic in a way we didn't see, but it can also help us find him. He's still out there, and could attack Lucy again."
That was enough to send Natsu to work.
Lucy could confidently say she hardly slept a wink last night. Her mind was reeling with probabilities and calculations that blocked her from falling into a soothing slumber. She wasn't sure if she was relieved that she was able to avoid a night of dreaming nightmares or annoyed with the fatigue that weighed her down.
"Man, sleeping on the ground is seriously starting to mess up my spine."
Loke massaged his back muscles as best as he could on his own in between his complaints. Due to their circumstances, comfort was not a priority.
"You can always go sleep in the spirit world," The brunette offered bluntly.
"And leave a beautiful lady alone in the woods? That's not very chivalrous."
Lucy didn't give him any sort of acknowledgment other than a roll of her eyes as she folded up her sleeping bag and attached it to her packed bag. The ground was still cool from the nights lowered temperatures and the dark clouds in the sky showed signs of rain by the end of the day. She had a bit of money to head to town and buy food, but she doubted she had enough to buy a tent to protect herself from mother nature.
"We're going to have to find a cheap tent in town," Lucy informed her companion as she secured the bag to her back, "It looks like it might rain tonight."
"Humidity," Loke stated in disgust as he dusted off his suit jacket before he shrugged it onto his shoulder, "It's awful for my hair."
"You know? I don't think I care," Lucy's monotonous tone led Loke to scoff at her.
"I thought Lucy Heartfilia knew everything about fashion and beauty," After buttoning his jacket, he placed his hand on his hips in a playful manner.
Lucy mimicked him with narrowed eyes, "I'm not the same Lucy Heartfilia you knew a week ago."
Before the stunned lion spirit had a chance to respond, Lucy began her walk towards the town. Loke stumbled forwards until he fell into step with her quick stroll. She was right in her statement, this definitely wasn't the same Lucy, from her physical features all the way down to the way she carried herself. He saw sparks of who he knew as the same person that rescued him by the waterfall all those months ago, but they were gone as soon as they arrived.
She used to be an optimist with a carefree attitude and a friendly aura. She was a bubbly blonde that dressed in cute clothing and spoke fondly of her friends. Lucy loved writing, and chatting with Levy, learning new things, and reading new books. Her guild mark was her pride and joy, as was the guild itself. Her best friends were her life, even if they annoyed her occasionally.
Loke almost never saw her without a smile on her face.
Now as she marched down the hiking trail that led to the town circle, she hunched in on herself. She doesn't hide her head in her cloak hood, but she still cowers behind the fabric covering her body. Her dark hair covers the almost permanent scowl on her face. She hardly laughs, and she covered up the mark that seems to only bring her sadness now.
She was absolutely right, she wasn't the same Lucy. And he wasn't sure if he should be trying to turn her back into the old Lucy, or help her embrace the person she wanted to be.
The town was already bustling with people picking up their daily groceries. There was a large crowd for a town with such a small population. The two received a few strange looks from those who recognized them from the day before, but neither paid much mind to them.
Lucy lead them through the stream of bodies with ease until they were walking away from the larger retail stores and found various stands of freshly baked breads and plucked fruit. The residents further from the main circle usually don't have their own market, and instead sell home goods straight from their doorstep. The carts were filled with delicious looking delectables and smiling faces. Each small street shop sold their own selection of goodies, but a particularly cheap food cart caught Lucy's attention. There was a small line which Lucy politely waited in while Loke browsed the other shops in search of a tent.
Soon enough, Lucy was at the front of the line. Though as she approached the cart, a slender woman with white hair tied up in a high bun greeted her. It was like she'd entered a different reality, one similar to Edolas with counterparts that exist for every person, because this young lady was the spitting image of Mirajane. She had heard of the myth that everybody had seven doppelgangers in the world, but she'd never truly believed it may be true until this moment.
"Hi miss, what can I get for you today?" Even her voice, sweet and loving, sounded so much like the She-Devil back at Fairy Tail.
Lucy must have been staring too long when the cashier bent forward to repeat her question. The woman eyed her curiously as she recovered from her mental shock. Her brain malfunctioned as she blanked on what she was planning to order. Was it the muffins? Or the danish? Maybe she planned on getting fruit for the road? The wide variety of food suddenly seemed to overwhelm the brunette along with the growing impatience from the customers waiting behind her.
"Will ya hurry up lady?!" Lucy winced, best not to agitate a hungry local.
She cast an apologetic look at the women, hoping she wouldn't find her actions rude, "Sorry to hold you up," She'd just have to find her breakfast somewhere else.
"Wait!" Just as Lucy was turning to leave, the woman called out to her. Her voice was almost bitter-sweet, and Lucy couldn't hide the sudden moisture in her eyes or the burning in her throat at the thought of her friend.
The white haired woman retrieved a young boy from behind the cart to appease the waiting customers. Once the boy was at work, the woman waved for her to return. Lucy couldn't help the longing she felt to follow this woman and pull her into a hug. She resembled her friend so closely that it was almost painful. She couldn't imagine what she might do if she saw someone who looked like Natsu.
Ah yes, there's that ache again, deep in her heart. The one she's come to recognize as the pain of loss, heartbreak, and guilt.
The Mira Look-alike seemed to notice Lucy's apprehension, and skipped over to her instead. Her dainty hands held her light blue dress above her ankles and her high bun bounced on top of her head as she bounded on her heels. She seemed carefree yet also well mannered, something Lucy often wondered she may have ended up like had she stayed with her father and married a man she'd never met.
"Hi," The woman greeted with an outstretched hand, "My name's Stephanie!"
Now that Lucy got a better look at Stephanie, she noticed the small freckles that dusted her cheeks and the green speckles in her eyes. One of her front teeth was longer than the other, only by maybe a centimeter, and her smile created a singular dimple on one side of her face. The sleeves of her dress only went down to her elbows, and on her forearms were no scars of battle but instead more freckles scattered around lightly.
She definitely wasn't Mirajane, Lucy could see that now, but that didn't make it hurt any less.
"Hi, I'm Anna," Lucy awkwardly extended her hand to meet Stephanies, who's handshake was so vigorous it caused Lucy's body to sway side to side unsteadily. Stephanie let out a bubbly laugh as she cupped Lucy's hand between her palms.
"Anna!" She repeated in a high pitched voice as she gently pulled Lucy back towards the cart of food, "You look hungry, don't leave without some food!"
Although she allowed herself to be led forwards, Lucy cautiously glanced around her towards the townspeople who weren't paying much attention to her, "I'm sorry," Lucy mumbled.
"Don't be, Silly!" Stephanie assured.
When they appeared at the front of the line, Stephanie pulled Lucy behind the wooden cart and quickly disappeared into the small house that must belong to her and the boy. The boy only casts a small smile towards the two before returning to helping a mother and son pick out muffins.
His voice was much softer than Stephanies, barely above a whisper. His physical appearance was the exact opposite of the white haired women with a pale complexion. He had a darker skin tone and slick brown hair that was around Gray's length. He wore normal clothes that fit in with the current generation, some cropped jeans with a loose shirt. If Lucy had to guess, he seemed to be about Romeo's age.
"You remind me a lot of him," Stephanie stepped outside of their home carrying a small leather satchel. She settled herself beside the brunette, content with watching the interactions the boy was having with a smile on her face.
"What do you mean?" Lucy doesn't look away as the mother and son leave with a happy purchase and a young man walks up to order a scone.
"You act just like he did when I found him four years ago," Stephanie turned to Lucy with all her previous happiness replaced with a worried expression, "Lost and scared."
Lucy wasn't sure how to respond. Being called out was always a slap to the face. The only thing Lucy could think to do was deflect with a fake cheery voice and a forced grin, "Oh I'm fine, no need to worry!"
Stephanie doubted her, that much was obvious, but she seemed to let it go. She couldn't expect a stranger to open up to her just because she asked. Instead of pressuring the newcomer to vent to her, she returned to her happy self and flashed her toothy smile, "Whatever you say! How about I grab you some food for the road!"
"Oh no that's-" Lucy attempted to decline but Stephanie waved her off before filling the leather satchel with various goodies. As Lucy watched the bag fill up with enough food to last a week, the guilt piled up inside her chest. Her wallet was scarce and she still needed to find a tent… she wasn't sure she would be able to repay Stephanie for her hospitality.
People really needed to stop being so nice to her, she didn't deserve it.
"Here you are, Miss Anna!" Stephanie jumped on her heels in excitement as she forced the satchel into Lucy's arms, "That should help you get through at least a few days."
A few days? This can last a month if she rationed everything…
"Thank you Stephanie," Lucy nervously spoke, "But-"
"Oh, you can call me Steph!" The woman added on.
"Steph," Lucy corrected, "Thank you, but I'm not sure I have enough money to pay for all of this."
"No worries, it's on the house!" Stephanie reassured rather loudly.
"What?" Lucy asked incredulously, "No I can't just... take it."
Stephanie placed her hand on Lucy's forearm, causing her to stare into her green-speckled blue eyes, "Please, I can tell you need it more than I do."
Could she really accept this act of kindness? Every inch of her was screaming to resist and back away. This friendly woman was giving her too much credit, she wasn't anything like whatever she may have imagined. She's not a girl who lost her way or someone living on the streets after being forgotten by someone she loved. She wasn't anyone worthy of her treatment, or Aphrosilia's praise.
She was a disgrace to the Fairy Tail Guild, a poor excuse for a wizard and a weak tag along on missions. Her friendships were broken because she relied on them too much to carry her dead weight. She practically killed her friend, and if he ended up having an early grave because of her then Lucy very well may have ended her own life with him.
"Luc-uuuh, Anna!"
Lucy jumped at the sound of Loke's frantic voice, returning to the present concern on Stephanie's face and the jealous faces of customers eyeing her free food. Ignoring the woman's curious eyes, she scanned the crowd for her companion. Even with her short stature, Loke's mane like hair stuck out above the dull browns and pale blondes roaming the town.
"Loke!" Lucy called out, waving over her spirit after he spotted her.
Soon a suited figure was trotting up the road until he stood next to the cloaked figure that was a disguised Fairy Tail Wizard who was speaking to a... "Wow, hello Pretty Lady."
When Loke added a wink and smirk to his face, Lucy slapped his shoulder with a glare, "Shut it!"
Stephanie giggled at him with amusement, "Nice to meet you, Loke. I was just gifting some food to Anna. I hope it can tide you two over for a few days!"
"I appreciate your hospitality Miss!" Loke offered before gesturing to Lucy, "As does my friend here."
Lucy hadn't much of a fight anymore, and instead of refusing the gifts she gave a flat smile that she hoped showed gratitude. Her mood was at an all time low, and she felt awful for accepted food she didn't pay for, but she accepted it nonetheless. Loke finished up her conversation with Stephanie and guided them both away from the busy street and towards the forested trails. Loke retrieved the satchel from her arms and secured it along his back.
Under the protection of the trees once more, Lucy's racing heart began to calm. The passing voices diminished into chirping birds and dirt crunching under their shoes, which Lucy was grateful for.
She used to love shopping, but now all of the people just put her on edge.
"You kind of freaked out back there, didn't you?" Loke questioned in a soft voice.
Lucy didn't respond, she had nothing to say. She couldn't find any way to lie to her spirit because he already knew the answer. He felt her mental degradation, there was no use trying to hide it. But that didn't mean she had to talk about it, she wasn't ready to. The only thing she could do was apologize.
Apologize for causing her spirits to worry so much, for making them babysit her and watch her like a wounded animal. For treating them like crutches instead of the powerful spirits they are. For keeping Loke from the spirit realm and out in the real world. He was away from his friends and real life, and using his own power to be here. He was probably in pain, all because of her.
"Lucy, stop," Loke stopped his walk, causing Lucy to halt beside him, "You can't keep thinking like this."
Lucy refused to meet his gaze, instead she stared at the ground. She glared to herself, in horror and disgust, "I'm going to kill you if you stay out here too long."
Loke sighed, "Seriously? You're still worried about that?" Loke turned to her and leaned further into her personal space, "I was out here for three years Lucy, a week isn't going to kill me."
"But it hurts you, Loke!" Lucy shouted with tearful eyes as she faced him making the lion spirit recoil, "I'm going to kill you!"
"No," he argued with a much compassion in his voice as he could muster, "You aren't going to kill me, because I am in control of me being here right now."
Lucy stubbornly crossed her arms and turned away, "You know what I mean."
"I know," He said with a playful smile, "but you're wrong. We all love you and care for you. I go back to the spirit world long enough to maintain my form and strength out here. There's no reason for me to return back any longer than that."
Loke pulled the satchel off his back, reaching in to grab two muffins that sat along the top of the packed food and handed one to Lucy, "Here, you need to eat."
Lucy wordlessly grabbed the food and absentmindedly ate as they resumed walking towards their destination. Loke kept up a stream of conversation if only to fill the empty silence, and Lucy listened with a few hums of acknowledgment every now and then. She may not be participating much in the conversation, but the normalcy of the whole thing was… comforting.
Their walk continued for a few hours, making small talk about the different trees and bushes and whether they were poisonous or not. Loke had taken the time to inform Lucy that tents in Carbume were rather expensive, which prompted Lucy to remind Loke that he was, in fact, walking around in a suit. And if you're wearing a suit, you're probably rich, which in turn means people try to up their prices.
"So, tents aren't supposed to cost 40,000 jewel!?" Loke shouted in surprise as he nearly tripped on a large rock that seemed to be strategically planted to purposely attack roaming campers.
Lucy felt a laugh bubbling up in her chest, but it wouldn't rise past her throat, "No, maybe 5,000 at the most."
Loke scoffed with betrayal plastered on his face, "I even flirted with the owner! She loved me!" he buried his face into his hands with a mock cry," Oh Margaret, how could you do this to me?!"
"Seriously?" Lucy deadpanned before shaking away her dismay at her spirit, "Anyways, we may need to find you some new clothes if you continue to refuse to go back to the spirit world."
"Hey, I said I'd go back when necessary," Loke defended with an accusing hand pointed towards Lucy, "It just so happens that I don't need to be there any longer than a few minutes in order for me to regain my strength!"
She could feel her annoyance creeping back up, which usually led to her and Loke having another intensive argument which she never seemed to win. Rather than continuing to bicker with him, Lucy dropped the conversation in favor of a far more appropriate one, "Hey, I think we're getting close."
"You're right," Loke agreed, "Do you think you're ready?"
Lucy nodded as she raised her hood, keeping her head straight as the forest seemed to drop in temperature. The sun was still out but the dark clouds covering the orange sky mixed with the bustling tree tops created enough shade to classify as near darkness. They were approaching the warehouse her and her team were just at only a week ago. Her hands were jittery as she tapped her finger tips together methodically.
She hadn't fully prepared, though she wasn't sure how much she could actually prepare herself in the first place. Time wasn't a liberty she could take at the moment, not with a rampaging dark wizard threatening people's lives hiding out in the woods. Not when Jonathon Barsoni got to ruin her life and run away like a coward.
Both of them had fallen into an uneasy silence as the top of the warhouse peaked out between the leaves. Lucy could see the clearing where she had her battle, it was only a few yards away. The damaged building was coming into view between the branches. Grays ice was cold and steady as it was coating the holes and piping sticking out of the charred walls that Natsu burned black.
She was sure on the back side she would find chunks of the building flung into the forest from Wendy's breath attack and large punctures in the metal plating from Erza's swords. She could enter the inside and find abandoned weapons scattered among the floors from wizards who tried to escape to safety.
The brunette had stopped in place, only a few feet from the clearing where she battled five dark wizards alone. Four lackys and one evil Son of a Bitch who was still roaming free.
The blood was still there, she knew it was. If Gray's ice was still here, Natsu's crime scene was too.
"Lucy, you don't have to do this," Loke reached a hand for her shoulder only to be shrugged away.
Her face was stoic and void of tears, almost completely emotionless. Aside from the quickening tapping from her fingers, she looked… calm and collected. Yet Loke knew she was anything but; she continued to shoulder the blame and doubt her abilities even when all evidence said otherwise. But a facade might be what she needed to get through this, at least enough to convince herself she was capable of taking on such a daunting task.
Loke had faith in her, as did every spirit contracted to her, every wizard she'd fought alongside with, and every innocent person she'd rescued. She just didn't have faith in herself.
With one last deep breath, Lucy was stepping out of the shadows and into a dried puddle of blood. Had it really happened so close to the bushes?
The stain was larger than she remembered, and much darker. She could see the skid mark from where she'd dragged him across the grass, which only helped him distribute more of the thick substance across the ground.
She can almost see him, limp and helpless. The smell of burnt flesh invaded her nose, which still eludes her. Natsu is a Fire Dragon Slayer, so he can't burn. At Least that's what she always believed. But this magic isn't fire, and can be just as deadly as a flame.
Can a person even lose this much blood without dying?
"Lucy," Loke shook her arm, making her come to the realization she was staring at the scene for far longer than intended.
The brunette tore her eyes from below, immediately leaving the horror that would probably haunt her dreams for the next few nights, and slowly walked over to her discarded whip lying on the floor. In their scurry to get Natsu back to the guild hall, she had forgotten all about her handy weapon. The handle was cool in her palms and speckled with the mornings dew. With her weapon secured to her hip once more, she felt another piece of her missing puzzle fall into place. Another thing was right in the world.
"He's probably around here somewhere," Lucy murmured, Loke standing guard behind her.
"Leave it to a bad guy to be uninteresting and predictable, staying by your home base even after it's been ransacked," Loke shook his head in disappointment.
"I don't care, it makes my job easier," Lucy shrugged, motioning for Loke to follow her along the sides of the destroyed building.
Both had their backs to the walls as they shimmied across the small field, barely avoiding creaking burned wooden pillars or clinking metal against metal in the process.
"You know," Loke softly grunted in order to avoid making any noise to spook their target, "Natsu wouldn't like this, he always looks for a challenge."
Loke barely had time to stop before he ran face first into Lucy's hooded skull. The impact made him silently curse in pain as he rubbed his nose before silently shouting, "What the hell?! What happened?!"
Then he noticed the tremble in her shoulders and her scrunched nose as she tried to hold in either a few tears or a scream of terror.
"Don't," She growled in a low and threatening voice, "Don't talk about him."
It didn't take long for Loke to get the not so subtle hint, "Got it."
Talk of Natsu was off limits.
Lucy took a few deep breaths to collect herself before her focus was back on track. She had wanted to secure the safety of the building, because knowing Fairy Tail they could have left it on it's last leg for someone to come along and wind up being crushed by a severed beam. By the looks of it, the structure was still intact and likely to survive a few harsh rainstorms. It might be wise to offer some money and volunteer time to fix this place up so it doesn't wind up in the hands of another dark guild.
Maybe a magic library, so the townspeople could learn some magic to defend themselves.
With the warehouse checked over, Lucy led Loke south through the forest to search the surrounding areas. Once out of the clearing, she swiftly sprinted over tree stumps and around bushes with Loke easily keeping up behind her. The past week she felt severe pain if she tried walking, let alone running. To have free movement once again was liberating.
Her internal map was generally on point, and after 10 minutes they slowed to a stop. The sun was beginning to set, making the bright fire in the distance stand out. The smoke cloud was dwindling further into the trees, masking the scent of pine with ash. Aside from the large fire, Lucy couldn't see a thing.
"Are you sure that's him," Loke whispered, "and not a random innocent camper?"
Lucy nodded, "It has to be, it's too close to the warehouse for anyone to be comfortable camping here."
"This guy ain't smart," He crossed his arms as he began poking fun at the man, "Making a fire in the middle of the night is like creating a beacon to be found."
A beacon?
"Do you think he did it on purpose?" Lucy asked suddenly.
Loke was caught off guard by her sudden worry, "Uh, well… I don't know."
"The answer would be yes."
A dark husky voice startled the two wandering wizards. Lucy whipped her body around to face the same man who haunted her nightmares every night. His greasy black hair and overgrown beard framed his grungy face and menacing smile. His clothes were torn and stained with mud and dirt, and his fingernails were coated black from likely digging through bushes for food. Having no place to call home and no guildmates to have your back must have taken him by surprise when it came to daily necessities.
"Looks like you've been struggling out here alone, Jonathon," Lucy tried her hardest to sound threatening, which Loke could agree she was succeeding at, "With a guild nearly destroyed and a town that despises you, I'm surprised you've lasted this long alone."
"Wow, the little lady knows my name!" He laughed with a confidence Lucy couldn't match, "So I suppose you know the rest of my history as well?"
"We know enough," Loke answered for her with his own harsh tone.
"Then you know I like to have fun with my victims," Heavy footsteps slowly approached the girl, only to stop just short of a foot away when Loke stepped between them, "And you just happened to interrupt my attempt at finding my next one. Why don't you step up to the plate and take the role on yourself?"
"How about you keep your distance." Loke sneered as his stance turned defensive.
Jonathon ignored Loke, keeping his intense gaze on Lucy, "Did you know I took out that little guild that Carbume was relying on to stop Valcona? Fairy Tail ran away with their tails tucked between their legs!"
His cackling laughter was intimidatingly loud. Lucy cringed as drops of spit landed on her cheek but she refused to back away from this lunatic. Even if his words cracked through her resolve, she needed to be strong if she was going to bring him to justice.
For Natsu's sake.
"You know, you remind me of that girl," Jonathon tried to lean closer but was met with Loke's shoulder shrugging him back and harsh glare, "Lucy Heartfilia, Fairy Tail's celestial spirit mage. She's probably dead by now, right next to her pink haired boyfriend. The Salamander."
"What makes you so sure they're dead?" She challenged, earning another terrifying show of teeth from her enemy.
"Because that's what I do, Sweet Heart!" His hands were thrown behind him to cradle the back of his neck, "No one crosses me and lives. My magic makes sure of that. They're deaths will be in the paper soon."
"You're real cocky," Loke shot back, "You think Natsu and Lucy can be taken down so easily?"
"It only took one hit!" Jonathon removed his hands from his neck and threw them up in the air in celebration, "That damned Dragon Slayer has caused so many dark guild grief, and I took him down in one hit! And the girl had the honor of giving me the power to kill him!"
He twirled around, landing face forward and leaning towards the brunette in open mockery of her. He didn't see her as a threat, "Tartoros should be begging for me to join their ranks! I killed Natsu Dragneel!"
Hearing the insults drip from his lips caused something to snap in the brunette. She could have been classified as broken, distraught, and traumatized, but now she was furious. Every inch of her body was itching to punish the poor excuse for a human being in front of her. There was fire coursing through her veins and for a second she wondered if this was how Natsu felt when his power exceeded even his own emotions. She was burning from the inside out with pain, anger and the need for revenge.
Lucy gripped her hand around her whip handle. She allowed him to brag on for a second before her whip came cracking down on his head, surprising both Loke and Jonathon. It only took Loke half a second to jump into action with her by launching his Regulus beam into Jonathons chest
He stumbled backwards and nearly fell into the bushes behind him. He wiped a line of spit that dribbled down his chin with a curse, "Oh so now we're gettin' down to business."
Lucy could tell by his stance what his plan was, it was helpful that she'd fought him once before. Before his arm could raise above his hips, her whip was encased around his forearm and she was flinging him over the treetops. He landed 20 feet back and before he had a chance to get back up, Loke and Lucy were splitting up to. They each took to one side making the dark wizard panic for a moment over who he should be more worried about killing first.
After deducing that the orange haired guy was likely the most dangerous he turned to his right to face the man head on. He grinned as he watched the suited man run to his doom without a clue. As he got closer a dark light engulfed Jonathons body. Though the light itself was dark, it still illuminated the area around them. It made watching his victims suffer so much easier.
The girl's partner was only five feet away when he fired at him. A string of light shot towards the man, but to Jonathan's surprise he didn't seem fazed. If anything, he seemed relieved. Something here wasn't right.
When Jonathan's light was sucked into a ring on the man's finger was when the confidence he felt began to drain away. None of his attack landed on his skin, "Impossible…"
"Surprised?" The girl appeared behind him.
He tried his hardest to not let his fear be shown by masking it behind his cocky front, "You think a measly ring will stop me?"
Now it was Lucy's turn to laugh at his grasps for control, "By all means, try breaking it."
Her taunting worked in her favor as Jonathon seethed in between the two wizards. In a desperate attempt to gain the upper hand, he blasted a larger string of light at Loke. Every bit of it was sucked away and encased atop his finger. After a third attempt, large drops of sweat were rolling against the whip mark left on his forehead. His hands were shaking and his legs were weak. It was obvious he'd exerted a large amount of power, much like he did with Natsu. He'd already used up his magic supply.
When Lucy cracked her whip along his back, he fell forward. He barely caught himself with his hands when Lucy was beside him pressing the end of her whip handle along the jagged cut across his back. He hissed in pain and felt his knees give out behind him. Her hand was replaced with her foot keeping him in place.
"Isn't it true that the power you possess costs too much magic energy for you to attack someone head on without taking some from someone else?" Lucy more so stated than asked the paling figure beneath her, "Is that why you attack defenseless people? To steal their magic to fuel your own and leave them to die?"
"I ain't tellin' you shit!" Jonathon spat out with a trail of blood sliding down his face.
"Where'd that cocky attitude go?!" Loke grinned from beside Lucy, "Are you embarrassed you got schooled?"
"I'll show you," Jonahton growled as he let his last bout of dark magic seep out from his hands and caress the skin of Lucy's shin. He knew he likely didn't have enough power to extract any of hers, if she even had any of her own, but at the very least he'd cause a bit of agony to these two. Even with such a small fraction of his magic, he had expected to hear her gasp or scream in pain, though he heard nothing.
He glanced at the suited man to see if he had interfered yet again, but he was only looking at her in concern. The ring that stole his magic laid still on his fingers, meaning his magic must have reached the girl, but…" Why the fuck aren't you reacting?!"
Lucy had grown accustomed to this pain after having to live with it for a week. This was only the beginning, nothing like the pain she experienced towards the tail end of her injury. The magic dissipated as the man beneath her used what was remaining of his magic energy. With him unable to fight back, she used her whip to restrain his hands before handing him over to Loke. Loke forced Jonathon to walk forward, "Let's go see your buddies in prison."
At first he tried to fight back, if only to keep his reputation in tact. But that was hard when all of his empty threats fell through. Eventually he resided to glaring at the ground with Loke humming embarrassing tunes behind him, "Would you cut that out? It's annoying."
Loke shoved him forwards with his own cocky grin, "You're not in a position to make demands, Mister."
The magic council was easy enough to contact, and they were there to retrieve the convict moments after being summoned. Ah, the perks of a transportation wizard.
Lucy had hidden herself behind a few trees during their encounter. Shortly after beginning to apply Aphrosilias lotion to her lower legs, sprinkles of rain droplets landed on her nose. She didn't have the energy to be annoyed, in fact she found herself calmed by the cool water beginning to lightly sprinkle on her face.
Loke met with the council a mile away from where Lucy was hiding. He explained he came to take down the last member of Valcona after the Fairy Tail team contracted to defeat them was unable to complete the job. Along with the captured criminal, Loke turned over his extra ring he had obtained from the spirit world entirely for this mission. He explained the ring had captured the magic he was using to kill people, handing it over to them as evidence.
The council members were surprisingly less hostile than they have been in the past. Instead of ridiculing them for being reckless or taking too long, they were offering their condolences, "I'm sorry about your friend, Miss Heartfilia. It's a shame she went missing, hopefully you guys can find her soon."
Loke awkwardly thanked them as they left, staying put until the council members disappeared. When he returned to Lucy, she was staring at the ground in a daze with her fingers rubbing her legs. He spent time filling her in on his encounter with the council, letting her process the words he was giving, "They're looking for me."
Loke nodded softly, "Yeah, they are."
He decided not to interfere with her thought process, even if he wanted her to return to Fairy Tail. He would always follow her, her whims, and her desires. Whether he liked them or not, because he trusted her. If this was what she needed, then he would support her.
"They didn't talk about Natsu," She mumbled distantly.
Surprised that she brought up the Dragon Slayer, Loke blinked before collecting his thoughts, "That means he's alive. They would probably have apologized for my loss or something if he wasn't."
Lucy licked her lips as she continuously bobbed her head and twitched her eyes around the ground, "Yeah… he's okay."
Without warning, Lucy contained her momentary emotional outburst and stood. Loke wobbled up from the ground while dusting his suit jacket, "Man, I really need a change of clothes."
Lucy mumbled an agreement as she started her path towards the town once more. Loke walked beside her with a few glances here and there. She was closed off again, much to his displeasure. He could tell she was burying her sadness beneath a mask still.
When they arrived in town, they found a small town house dedicated to the mayor's office. Once news of Jonathon Barsoni's arrest hit town, Lucy and Loke were rewarded handsomely. Lucy tried to turn down the payment, but the mayor insisted she take it. After much deliberation, she accepted gratefully. Before leaving town, Loke bought a change of clothes: a simple black hoodie and some blue a less wealthy looking outfit, he was able to purchase a normal costing tent.
Lucy made sure to stop by Stephanie's home and left a gracious amount of money in her mailbox as a thank you for offering her food. Even without knowing each other, her generosity touched Lucy's heart.
As they departed the busy town, it was around midnight. Lucy still had one more place she wanted to visit, and Loke had no intention of denying her the right to visit. They arrived at the homey looking cabin, feeling lighter that they left. With Jonathan in prison, there was something accomplished. Lucy felt like she was able to face Aphrosilia once more after having completed her job.
After knocking it didn't take long for the black haired woman to open the door and squeal in delight at the brunette, "Lucy! You're back!"
Lucy smiled as she was pulled into a hug, and Loke was yanked in shortly after, "I'm guessing you defeated Jonathon Barsoni?!"
Lucy pulled away with a nod, "Yup, he's with the magic council."
Loke grinned at Aphrosilia with a sparkle, "Yours Truly handed him over!"
Lucy rolled her eyes playfully as Aphrosilia giggled along with his flirtatious attitude, "How'd you do it?"
"Well Lucy led us to where we had heard he was hiding," Loke began, "Our plan was for me to wear an empty lacrima ring to trap his magic in when he used it until he lost magic power."
Loke continued to recount each moment to the woman who was listening to every syllable intently. Some parts he talked up more than they were, which Lucy made sure to interrupt and speak the truth, but for the most part everything was intact. Aphrosilia was thrilled to learn the entire Valcona guild was brought to justice, "Thank you both and your team for saving Carbume."
Lucy lit up at the mention of her team, which caught Loke by surprise. Usually the mention of them brought her into a depression or a panic, but to see a positive emotion cross her face gave him hope for recovery.
"I almost forgot," Lucy began in a rushed voice, "Do you have any envelopes? I need to mail something!"
"Of course!" Aphrosilia said happily as she skipped away further into her home, "One second!"
"What do you need to mail?" Loke questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Erza, Gray, Wendy, and Natsu helped with that job," Lucy stared at the ground with an emotion Loke couldn't place, "They deserve some of the reward."
Wow am I glad to have this finished lol. My month has been wild and this chapter has been the death of me. I'm currently job hunting and every time I sat down to write I felt huge writers block and couldn't justify time away from searching for jobs. I had the hardest time writing the transitions between scenes in Lucy's part, and I'm not sure if I pulled off the mini fight scene very well. I wanted a mixture of Lucy being a pissed off badass and also Loke being a protective spirit. Lucy is gonna start real training soon, and Natsu is going to find his first clue as to where Lucy is. After that I want more of Lucy entering battles and learning new techniques. Thank you all for the continued support, and I'm sorry this took so long! I hope you enjoy it :)
EDIT: Thank you to Lady Of The Sphinx for telling me about the miss-spelling of Jonathon at the end! All fixed now!
My Socials
Twitter: Reltic_
Instagram: _reltic_