AN: Thanks to all those who favorited and followed!
SistershoOk - That's the idea ;-)
valerioux - Yeah, but Lucy doesn't get mad thanks to Happy. He's their little sneaky cupid.
Guest - Thanks! Hope you enjoy this one too.
LovelyLovelyLove - No problem! This question actually comes at a really good time - you'll see there's a time-skip mentioned in this chapter. After the time-skip, Lucy and her age group friends would be around 15, Natsu and his gang - 16, while all the others (Cana, Erza etc) - 18+. These are approximated - I'm trying to spread out this 'part' of the story over their teens. By the time the war ends, (and Part 3 begins) all of them would be in their early 20s.
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Gajeel took a deep, shuddering breath.
He could never unsee what he had seen. However much he wanted too.
The attack on Draca had been everything Natsu had promised… and worse. Gajeel couldn't forget the blood and gore he had been a front row spectator too. It shocked him that it had been far worse than the worst sights he had seen in his months of battles so far. As much as he hated to admit it… for the first time since he had begun battling in this war, he had felt dread - far worse than the fear that enveloped him before the beginning of each fight he entered. He had watched his cousin mercilessly incinerate demon after demon and level all the buildings in the entire town with a magical blast so fierce that the after effects reached the magical alliance's camp at least a thousand yards away. Gajeel had barely survived the aftermath, his high fairy magic coming to his aid at the last minute by adding a protective coating to his steel hide. The handful of allies who had been sent closer to Draca to 'spy' on him and Natsu had not been as lucky - they had been destroyed in the wave of black heat that had enveloped the town and every living thing in its vicinity.
Natsu had not been jesting when he had said they would know when he destroyed Draca. The only thing left of the demonic village now, was a charred, barren landscape covered with black ash.
As unnerved as their superiors had been by Natsu's destructive display, they had been thrilled with the outcome. Their demonic enemies were now far more wary of them, and had even stumbled a bit, allowing the magical alliance a few crucial wins. Mostly with Natsu's heavy aid. As a reward for his services, Natsu had been promoted to Colonel, whilst Gajeel had been promoted to his Lieutenant.
It would have all been well, if only… Gajeel could have forgotten the horror of that day.
The being responsible for it all sat beside him, calmly eating his midday rations. Seemingly oblivious to the looks of disgust, fear and awe thrown his way…
"Are you going to eat that?"
Gajeel looked away, avoiding Natsu's eyes.
"Nay. Take it."
Natsu shrugged, snagging the metal dragon's plate and dumping its contents onto his own. With a mournful sigh, he began digging into the mostly-unappetising meal. His cousin shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glancing askance at his fire-breathing brother.
"Hey, Natsu?"
Natsu hummed, not bothering to look up from his plate.
Gajeel rose from his spot on the bench, scanning the densely populated mess tent with a critical look. "We need to talk. Privately."
Natsu raised a brow, but rose from his seat as well, tossing his now-clean plate onto the pile of unwashed dishes in the corner as he followed his cousin outside.
Gajeel led him a good distance away, not bothering to glance back as he deftly navigated the rugged and rocky terrain that surrounded their camp. Natsu kept pace with him easily, his footsteps soft and stealthy as he navigated the rocky terrain. The two reached an outcrop of rock before Gajeel abruptly halted, whirling on his heel to face his cousin.
"I need to know how you really feel about what you… Fuck, my hands are trembling. You know what I'm asking you!"
Natsu did not look Gajeel in the eye. He fixed his gaze on a point in the distance, as he forced out a mocking, weak smile.
"First you wanted to talk 'privately' and then you ask me what my feelings are? Why Gajeel, I didn't know you swung this way. Honestly though, even if you weren't my cousin and the ugliest fucker I've ever met, I don't think I'd ever be interested in a romantic relationship with you…"
Gajeel groaned, glaring at the fire-dragon in front of him. "Stop joking! This is no laughing matter! You… you were terrifying out there, during the battle of Draca. Everyone around you now either hails you as a God or shuns you as a monster. Yet you carry on as if you don't care - heck, you didn't even seem to care as you annihilated the inhabitants of that village! Why? Is that the truth of your feelings? Have you turned into a cold, heartless beast? For if you have, I will put an end to you. Cousin or not. I will not stand by and watch as you descend into darkness…"
Natsu cut him short with a sigh, returning his gaze to his cousin's, grief rampaging in the depths of his emerald eyes. "You've grown quite dramatic, cousin. Or that might be your high fairy magic talking, it has a tendency to make you more touchy-feely. As for your assumptions… I understand why you think I'm a cold, heartless beast. And if you wish to put me down for good… Please do. Fuck it, I might beg you to do it anyway at some point in this bloody war, so you might as well do it sooner than later."
Gajeel's tense stance relaxed, as he regarded his cousin. Natsu's tone was callous and indifferent, but the misery in his eyes and the defeated slump of his shoulders told another story.
"Now who's being dramatic?" Gajeel gave his cousin a wan smile that was not returned.
"Look, I just wanted to know if you realized the immensity of what you'd done…"
"OH DRAGON GODS, OF COURSE I DO!" Natsu took a step back, pulling at his hair and desperately trying to contain the scream that threatened to escape. "What I did there has haunted my dreams every single damn day since it happened! Every being I care about can no longer look me in the eye… even Happy! But no one understands that I didn't want to destroy all those innocent beings, but it was either them or… When the opportunity to purge Draca came about, I grabbed it because I HAD NO FUCKING CHOICE!"
Gajeel frowned. "... What do you mean by 'you had no choice'?"
Natsu clenched his hands, closing his eyes as he took deep breaths in an attempt to calm his frame which trembled with rage and self-pity.
"My demon magic is maturing. Rapidly. As it matures it is… 'normal' for it to seek out destruction. At first, the demons I destroyed in my battles were sufficient to keep this 'need' sated, but as time progressed it started clamoring for more. I tried denying it, but… then it just started overwhelming me, and there were times I almost hurt my friends and allies without even realizing it. So, to keep everyone safe from what I was turning out to be, I fought in the battle of Draca. It has helped… mostly. The 'urge' to destroy is manageable now. Though it grows stronger again, day by day. I will need another 'Draca' soon, and this time even that may not be enough, for the final stage of my maturity is far, far worse…" Natsu trailed off, his dead eyes gazing at a point in the distance, an air of defeat and hopelessness ensconcing him.
Gajeel stared at his cousin, his mouth agape, and his gaze filled with pity.
"Have you told anyone else all this?"
"No." Natsu returned his gaze to Gajeel's, his look beseeching. "And for now, I don't wish anyone else to know. Especially not Happy. Or… my Father."
Gajeel sighed but nodded. Happy was distraught as it was - the little exceed would only worry incessantly and make mistakes in battle due to his distraction. As for King Igneel… he would probably drop everything and drag his son back to Alagesia - war be damned. Gajeel frowned as another thought hit him.
"Hey, Salamander. How do you know so much about your demon magic?"
Natsu frowned as well, considering the question. "I-I think whoever 'experimented' on me also implanted the knowledge of demon heritage in me. But this knowledge was locked away by my dragon, and I'm only able to access it now because my demon magic is triggering it. Well, a little of it. I have a feeling there's a lot more…"
"Hmm. Makes sense, I guess. Errr… I suppose I've got to ask this… what's the last stage of your demon maturity?"
Natsu, who had been relaxing considerably after getting so much off his chest, stiffened once again.
"Let's try to end this blasted war before you find out."
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Two years later
"General Natsu."
Natsu stood straight and tall, his gaze rooted on the tent wall behind the Field Marshal.
"Some of our men have noticed a variety of birds flying away from your tent on a fairly regular basis. A few weeks ago, we intercepted one such bird, and retrieved this."
The Field Marshal pulled out a sheet of parchment, waving it mockingly in Natsu's face. Natsu's blank look had him withdrawing it a moment later with a frown.
"Who is this 'strange one' you've referred to? Is that a code name for a demon spy?"
"No sir."
"Well then, who is this?"
Natsu remained silent, his hollow, lifeless stare still locked on the empty space before him.
Herschel let out a hiss of frustration, crumpling the parchment and throwing it into the fire pit crackling away at the center of the tent.
"Whoever or whatever they are, you are to halt all correspondence with them effective immediately. That is an order. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
"You are dismissed, General."
Natsu exited the tent after a low bow to his superior, ignoring the whispers and sneers of the lower officials gathered in the vicinity outside. He made his way through camp, weaving through the maze of temporary abodes, deftly avoiding contact with any beings he knew. He was only in the mood to talk to one being right now, and he knew where to find him.
He halted in front of a campfire, around which a cheery group of dragons sat, the center of the gathering being two polar opposite draconic lads - one with a head of light yellow hair, the other with longer, silky, raven black locks.
"Sting."
The light haired dragon shot up from his spot, whirling around to face his commanding officer. He almost tripped over the bench in his haste to offer a salute, a nervous yet excited look upon his visage.
"S-sir!"
"Follow me."
Natsu marched away from the gathering, a fidgety Sting in tow. Rogue shared a worried glance with his companions, before slowly starting up the conversation again.
Once they were sufficiently far away, Natsu whirled on his heel, facing his subordinate.
"Are you and Rogue still a part of the security detail assigned to guard the next weapons shipment from Alagesia?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Then I have a task for both of you. Something I feared would happen has occurred - I need you to deliver a message to a friend back home. It must be done with the utmost discretion. Can I trust you to handle this?"
Natsu crossed his fingers behind his back. It was a huge risk bringing the twin dragons into this affair, but he had no other choice. Neither he nor Happy could afford to run this errand themselves, they were being monitored far too closely.
"Of course! I will not let you down, sir."
Natsu let out a sigh of relief. At the very least, the dragon lad was eager. Despite the increasingly monstrous battles Natsu was an instigator of, Sting had surprisingly maintained the same level of hero worship he had always had towards his childhood idol. A fact that Natsu had no choice but to exploit now.
"Very well. Find a good excuse to talk to Happy before you depart tomorrow - tell him 'the strange one said hello' and he will give you the letter, along with further instructions. Please don't fail me, Sting."
"I'll make you proud, Natsu. I promise."
Natsu did not respond. He glanced around furtively, ascertaining that they had not been overheard. With a brisk nod to the light dragon he stalked away, each step he took further cementing the wall he began building around his heart.
He could not tell how his golden haired friend would react after reading his letter, but he was prepared for the worst. His fingers automatically brushed the key shaped charm still attached to his wrist band. It was one of the two ornaments he always wore, the other being his dragon medallion on a chain, that all dragons wore into battle. The memory of the fire in her eyes when she had gifted the little ornament to him still stood fresh in his heart. The strength of spirit and passion she had exuded that fateful day had been contagious - the mere memory of it had been enough to sustain him during some of his lowest moments in the war. His promise to her was sometimes the only thing that prevented him from just ending his miserable existence. Surely she could help him, the way she already had when they were younger? His heart ached from the way he missed her, and he hoped he had done the right thing…
In asking her to come away with him.
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Loke raised his hand, fist poised to knock on the door. And then he dropped it. Taking a steadying breath, he raised it again… only to drop it to his side at the last instant.
Why was it so damn hard to just knock.
Loke let out a frustrated hiss, running a hand through his stylishly disheveled orange locks. If he was being entirely honest with himself, he knew exactly why it was so hard. He was nervous. He was angry. But most of all, he was worried. Something had happened in the time he and the other Celestial spirits had been forced to attend an urgent meeting in the Celestial realm. Something that had the usually gentle and happy Yukino biting back harsh replies and sobbing inconsolably in her pillow at night. Something that had the entire castle in a flurry of scandalous and sleazy rumors. Something that had changed their Princess.
Loke had tried getting to the bottom of the mystery by approaching Lucy's friends, but found that apart from Yukino, none of the others had been by her side for the past month either. Erza was on a tour of the provinces, doing her duty of guarding her bumbling, simpering and pathetic leige lord. Makarov was still far up north leading his troops into battle, and Lucy's other magical friends were either MIA or up north participating in the demon wars. Well, except for Cana. He had run into the perpetual drunk just the other day, but when he had tried probing her for details, the sly girl had merely shrugged her shapely shoulders and had told him to 'mind his own fucking business'. In less polite terms. She knew something, but she wouldn't open up either, the witch…
Loke gazed at the door, his heart giving a pang as he thought of the beautiful, lively, spirited young woman who resided on the other side. Who, just a short month back, had been so full of light and laughter. Who now walked the halls of her castle with her head held high in haughty aloofness. Who never laughed anymore, and seldom even smiled. Who answered him and the other spirits with unerring politeness - a far cry from the mischievous sauciness she always used to accost them with. Even Lady Aquarius, who usually bemoaned her student's un-princess like behavior, had been caught with a worried look upon her face when her former pupil had responded to a question with a perfect princess reply. She was… far too formal. Too detached. As if she had locked away her heart and could no longer react like her normal, joyful self…
Loke sighed. He raised his fist yet again.
"Sir Loke?"
Loke whirled around, bringing him face to face with the person he had been both eager and dreading to meet. Eager to get to the bottom of her strange mood. Dreading the fact that something he would say or do could drive her further away. His previous attempts had been far from successful, after all, and if it weren't for the fact that Lady Aquarius had threatened him with her favorite punishment of waterboarding, he would not have ventured this last attempt. That, and he was very worried about Lucy.
Loke brushed aside his musings, adorning a jaunty, cocky grin as he addressed his pretty princess.
"Your majesty! Just the exquisite royal I wished to talk too…"
Lucy fumbled with the scrolls she was balancing in her arms, walking past Loke and pushing open the ornate doors of her ante-chamber. She waved him inside after her, barely sparing him a glance as she spread the collection of scrolls on a plain round desk at the center of the room.
"You wished to speak to me? What about?"
Loke coughed delicately, clearing his throat as he pondered. He had already tried teasing her and using his suave charms to coax an explanation from her. Neither had worked. His only recourse now was to be completely honest - as her friend, he could not bear to see her so unlike herself.
"Lucy, did something bad happen when the rest of the Celestial spirits and I were not here last month?"
Lucy did not look up from her serious perusal of the parchments scattered on the table, but Loke noted the slight tremble of her hands on the spread out sheets.
"Oh. No, nothing out of the normal, Loke."
"Really? Lucy, I can't help but feel you're hiding something…"
Lucy looked up at this. Her chocolate brown eyes, devoid of their usual sparkle and mirth, locked onto his steady gaze.
"I'm fine, Loke. Just… tired. If I haven't been myself, I apologize."
She plucked one of the parchments out of the pile, turning around as she rolled the paper back into a scroll. Before she could take a step towards her inner chamber Loke's cool, light hand fell on her shoulder, the motion inadvertently shifting the sleeve of her dress slightly off as his fingertips accidentally brushed through her golden strands. Lucy screamed, throwing herself backwards and away from the offending touch, her eyes wide with fear and anxiety. She whirled around just in time to catch the stunned, grief-stricken look on Loke's face.
"Lucy…"
Lucy followed his eyes to the bruises he could make out on her collarbone. She frantically corrected her dress, refusing to meet his eyes. She whirled back around, but before she could take another step away, a crushing wave of grief overwhelmed her, bringing her to her knees as her sobs finally escaped. Loke knelt down beside her, his own slender and fit form shaking with suppressed sorrow and rage as he spoke low words of solace to his master. After her sobs had subsided a bit, he gently helped her to her feet, steering her to the cushion-laden sofa in the corner of her chamber. He sat down next to her in silence, as she took deep stuttering breaths, attempting to overcome her momentary lapse of poise. At last she seemed to settle, her breathing easier and her eyes less panicked - but still haunted with a deadened, soulless look.
"Lucy… What… happened?"
"No, Loke." Lucy placed a single slender finger on his lips, her eyes tired and pleading. "Do not ask me. Trust me when I say, you do not want to know."
"That's ridiculous! Tell me what hurt you, Lucy! I'll make sure to inflict a punishment so fierce that…"
"No. Whatever happened has already been… handled. These wounds are nothing. They will heal soon enough. I-I could find no other way. I had to pay a price to protect a dear friend, and though it was a little steep, I have no regrets."
"You speak in riddles, little one. Why won't you just tell me what has injured you so?…"
Lucy shook her head, her gaze fixed on the rug at her feet. Loke sat beside her completely motionless, stubbornly refusing to move until he received a response. At last Lucy relented, raising her head again to face the anxious lion spirit.
"I-If I promise to return to my usual self within a fortnight, will you allow me to keep this secret and not ask me about what transpired last month ever again?"
Loke frowned. "Why don't you trust me, Lucy? Why must you keep this a secret in the first place?"
Lucy's gaze returned to the rug as Loke waited once again, this time his impatience getting the better of him.
"Okay, fine! If you are so determined to be quiet… then so be it. But remember, we are always watching you, dear Lucy. Your spirit friends all care for you. We would do anything to protect and help you, if only you would trust and confide in us. If you truly wish to keep a secret… then we cannot force you to open up. If ever you should need us, though, remember that we are right here." Loke hesitated. "I suppose Yukino knows your secret. Is that why even she is acting out of character?"
Lucy stiffened, turning her face away from Loke. "You surmised correctly. And she has made a promise to me to keep whatever transpired last month solely between ourselves, so do not bother harassing her for details." Lucy turned back to her spirit friend, her gaze considerably softened. "That being said, I know she has not been herself either, and that is yet another cause for concern for the spirits. I will speak to her. We both shall endeavor to return to our normal selves soon."
With that Lucy rose from her seat, entering her inner chambers as she closed the door behind her, effectively dismissing her spirit friend.
Loke stared at the closed door, his mind a whirl with thoughts and worries.
What could possibly have happened?!