Lucy giggled. She curved one golden curl of hair behind her ear, creeping on her tiptoes towards the next room of the castle. Playing hide and seek with the sky dragon hatchlings was one of the most challenging yet fun things she had ever done!
A soft jingle accompanied each step she took, the numerous golden bangles adorning her wrists (gifts from her stubborn fire dragon best friend) twinkled in the sunlight streaming through the massive stained glass windows lining the hall. Lucy paused, glancing over her shoulder as she smoothed down the dragon style gown she wore - an elegant, figure hugging, halter-neck, ankle length dress with an open back - the swishy material fluttering a little in the pleasant breeze threading through the hall. Her garment was a beautiful pristine white with light blue edging that highlighted her ethereal beauty. The gorgeous raiment was a gift from Queen Grandine and Princess Wendy, being one of the favoured dresses of the sky dragons, and Lucy had not had the heart to refuse them. Especially after they insisted she wear it on her first official trip to Grandine's childhood home deep within sky dragon territory. Seeing her succumb to their entreaties emboldened Natsu to insist that she accept his own trinkets - golden baubles, of course, that now encircled not only her wrists, but her dainty ankles as well. Once done and given the chance to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror, Lucy had gawked at the image she made - the light, flowy dress moulding to her curvaceous shape along with the sparkly, elegant trinkets made her look like an exotic dancer. She had felt her cheeks heat up at the sight, more so when she caught the hungry look in Natsu's eyes as he had looked her up and down when he thought she was not paying attention. He had grumbled a complaint about the fact that his mother and sister had claimed her for a whole day away from him (receiving much chiding from both for being a grumpy, unfair, Lucy-hogger himself) and had threatened to seek her out in Grandine's castle before the day was done. With an excited shiver, Lucy hoped he made good on his threat, her traitorous mind descending straight into the gutter. It was with great effort that she focussed once again on the innocent game of hide-and-seek. She dared not encourage her lascivious thoughts, but she was certainly no saint - there was no way she could completely stop them. Natsu was the most delicious male she had ever met, after all.
"Ready or not, here I come!"
The youngest hatchling playing the game trilled out her warning as she hovered in the center of the ballroom a few rooms down. Lucy heard her loud and clear, stifling another giggle as she deftly slipped into the abandoned chamber behind an ancient, ornate curtain. She waited with bated breath for the little dragon to discover her hiding spot - all the hatchlings so far had found her out first, thanks to her 'distinctive sweet scent' as they put it. It had forced her to get creative with her hiding places, although - in all honesty - she loved being discovered even more. The expressions of pure delight that the sky dragon younglings sported each time they sniffed her out, thrilled her to no end.
Lucy grinned, leaning back against the wall as her eyes adjusted to the dark chamber she had ventured into. She wouldn't have to wait long. The current seeker was the youngest of the players, and therefore Lucy had opted for an easier hiding place. The old musky smell of the dilapidated curtain enclosing the room would do little to deter the young hatchling's keen sense of smell. With a relaxed chuckle, Lucy let her gaze wander the chamber as she pushed away from her reclined position.
She had wandered into a secluded, abandoned part of Grandine's childhood home. The few cobwebs dotting the room proved as such - for she knew first hand just how fussy and clean dragons were about their surroundings and belongings. Lucy's fingers idly traced the dusty sheets covering the objects lining the edges of the room. She hummed a soft tune, hoping to give her tiny pursuer a subtle hint as she drifted atop a raised platform towards the back of the room. A bigger, bulkier object lay hidden beneath graying sheets, the layer of dust covering the mysterious object the thickest of all. Lucy let out a gasp when one of her bangles caught the edge of the sheet, her panicked, frantic tug causing the cover to flutter off its hidden treasure.
The merry tune on her lips died as she gaped at the object before her.
On the stage she had wandered upon stood a harp - the most beautiful, majestic instrument she had ever laid eyes upon. It was easily one of the most intricately crafted and rich-looking harps she had ever come across, even considering her access to the finer things in life as a Princess. Even more intriguing than its exquisite beauty was the soft, golden glow it emitted - the warm light drew Lucy closer like a moth to a flame. She ran her fingers against the taut strings, surprised by the harmonic, in-tune sound the instrument emitted despite having been in storage for heaven-only-knows how long.
"Princess Lucy! Pray, do not touch that! Queen Grandine has forbidden all dragons from entering this chamber - she would not take kindly to its items being disturbed in any way!"
Lucy jerked away from the harp, whirling around to face the gaggle of scared-looking sky dragon hatchlings, a guilty expression on her face.
"Ah, I apologize little ones! I meant no harm… I will personally inform Grandine of my transgression, so do not fear her wrath…" Lucy stammered, hopping off the platform as she briskly made her way to the doorway of the chamber where the wide-eyed dragon hatchlings were gathered. She stopped abruptly when an elder sky dragon appeared out of nowhere behind them, his look of intense interest arresting her on the spot.
"That won't be necessary, dear Princess of Pergrande. So it twas you who strummed the celestial harp just now?"
Lucy blinked, glancing back at the instrument in surprise.
"Celestial harp? It has celestial magic origins then?"
"Yes." The elder continued, his solemn look softening into an indulgent smile. "And therefore it has powerful protection charms in place - it would have been impossible for just anyone to play it. If you were permitted to touch its strings, that means it very much wanted you to do so."
Lucy relaxed further, a soft smile creeping up on her own visage. "Oh, that's a relief. Grandine cannot be too cross with me then…"
"Does that mean you could play a tune for us, Princess?" The youngest sky dragon hatchling piped up, her eyes sparkling hopefully. The other hatchlings voiced their pleas and excitement as well, gazing upon her with eager expressions.
"We've heard your voice surpasses that of the high fairies themselves - our Princess and Prince have told us as such. Surely you could grace us with just one song, your majesty?" One of the older male hatchlings queried, a slight blush staining his downy white scales as he gazed at the beautiful human maiden.
Lucy's smile widened, her expression soft as she regarded the dragon hatchlings. "Did they now? They flatter me - I am not sure I can live up to their high praise. And I dare not touch that harp if it is as dear to Grandine as you all claim it to be..."
"You need not worry about that, your majesty." The dragon elder interjected gently. "The harp has chosen you. Her majesty would encourage you to follow your instincts." The elder fixed her with a keen, piercing look. "The instrument called to you in a fashion, did it not?"
Lucy nodded slowly, her spine straightening automatically as she turned around to face the beautiful, mysterious harp once more. With slow and steady steps, she ascended the small stage, uncovering the harp's matching seat with one swift tug at the cover encasing it. She brushed a little stray dust off the low stool, gracefully taking her seat. She turned her attention to the harp, drinking in its loveliness as she absently caressed its spine - marveling at the shimmering light that only seemed to grow with each touch she bestowed on the magnificent creation. An excited murmur attracted her attention back to the dragons gathered at the entrance of the chamber.
"Please, dragon elder, would you allow the hatchlings to enter this chamber? If it is a matter of getting Grandine's permission, I am sure we can do it after this impromptu concert."
The dragon elder shot the human Princess a genuine, broad grin. He nodded encouragingly to the younger dragons, watching them as they shuffled into the room hesitantly.
Lucy returned her attention to the instrument, strumming the strings once again as she familiarized herself with the sound and feel of the new harp. She wracked her brain for the perfect song, but found herself drawing a blank. With a frown she paused, staring at the harp a little absently as her hands stilled on the strings of the instrument.
A soft tingle in her fingertips snapped her out of her confused musings. She gasped as she felt a strange sensation invade her, a powerful shot of emotion - an odd mixture of ecstasy and despair - shooting through her, causing her to shudder in its wake. Her fingers automatically began to play a tune, one that she had never heard before in her life, as her lips moved of their own will to accompany the melody created by her inspired digits.
She closed her eyes and allowed the music to take over.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Natsu grumbled once again, shooting his parents a disgruntled look.
"If the dragon council agrees, I still can't see why we can't extend Lucy's invitation to stay here! Why are you two being so difficult?!"
Grandine huffed, reaching the end of her tether with her mutinous offspring. The family of four soared through the cool evening air, coasting the breeze as they made their way to her childhood home. Grandine tightened her grip on her husband's right side - the couple having perfected the art of pair-gilding to compensate for his missing appendages. She shot a glare at Natsu.
"Because, Natsu, her Kingdom needs her! Laxus has already sent a number of messages requesting her to return as planned, and we heard that Loke will be visiting Alagesia within the next few days to escort Lucy back to Pergrande. It is obvious that she is needed back home. To extend our invitation now would be to ignore her importance as a ruler and would force her to refuse us."
"You don't know that she would refuse!" Natsu exclaimed. "Perhaps she could be reasoned with? I'm sure Happy and I could talk to her, once you both make an official offer! She is one of the guardians of the vow, after all, and it would be entirely under our purview to offer her extra protection."
"Natsu." Igneel interrupted wearily. "Is this truly about her position as a Guardian, or something else entirely?"
Natsu clamped his mouth shut, shooting his sire a warning glare before glowering at the rapidly receding land below them.
The royal family were on their way to Grandine's childhood home in the sky dragon district, the Dragon Queen intent on checking in on her young human patient. Lucy's treatment was mostly complete. All the horrific scars on her back had been successfully removed save one - the young Princess had insisted that the scar of the first strike remain on her otherwise flawless flank, as a reminder to herself and sundry of the frailty of even the most 'powerful' of humans.
"Natsu, why don't you ask Lucy yourself? Surely the same argument would work if you approached her directly?" Wendy, ever the voice of calm reason, interjected with a sympathetic smile directed at her elder sibling.
Natsu sighed, his shoulders slumping a little in defeat.
"I've already tried. She either laughed it off, or evaded the topic - she never even gave me the chance to justify my reasons…"
"Then perhaps that is her way of letting you off as gently as possible." Grandine returned curtly, signalling to her family to begin their descent.
Natsu did not respond, sullenly following his mother, father and sister as they gracefully descended in the main courtyard of Grandine's old castle. Soft strains of the most melodious sound they had ever heard reached their ears, the keen-eared dragons straining a little to catch the glorious tune.
"Can you hear that?" Wendy whispered.
Grandine and Igneel nodded, but Natsu was far ahead of them. He strode into the palace, his pace brisk as he followed the enticing sound to its source.
He paused at the doorway of one of the castle's oldest chambers.
There, on a raised platform, sat Lucy in front of a beautiful harp. Her golden braid swayed with her as she sung her mesmerizing tune, her eyes closed and her hands moving deftly across the slippery strings. A gentle golden glow seemed to surround her and the harp, the exquisite sound of her voice combined with the intricate instrument serving to heighten the glow every passing second. Natsu let his gaze wander over her delicate figure, a fire in his gut beginning to burn as he observed the beauty before him. He took a few jerky steps into the room, pausing behind her captivated audience. A few more dragon elders had wandered into the room after the song had begun, as did a few more hatchlings. Even some of the middle aged working dragons had paused their work and drifted over to listen to the entrancing song.
"Layla…" Grandine's voice was a choked sob, not discernible by her son and daughter. Igneel stood by her side, his own face pale as he took in the sight and sound of the young human playing. Wendy cast the pair a mystified look before passing by them to stand next to her brother. She observed his flushed face and racing heartbeat with satisfaction. Unable to resist teasing him, she leaned in closer.
"Lucy looks like a vision on that stage, doesn't she? I wonder how many other beings in this room have fallen in love with her now?..."
Natsu promptly scowled at the dragons gathered in the chamber, causing the few who had ventured to offer him a respectful nod to look away hastily. He glowered ferociously at the room in large until an exasperated giggle distracted him, and he felt his kid sister poke him in the cheek.
"Natsu, what does it matter how many love her? She loves only you, am I correct?"
Natsu relaxed, a wane smile hovering on his lips as he turned his attention back to the mesmerizing sight on the stage.
"I hope so, sister."
A little behind them, Grandine struggled to catch her breath. And for the first time in her life her faithful element evaded her. Tears blinded her vision as memories flooded her, phantom laughter ringing in her ears as she remembered the last time she had heard this exact same song…
With a strangled gasp, she shifted her attention from the player to the instrument being played. She squinted, her keen eyes still struggling to discern the shimmery figure floating on the other side of the harp. It was with a sudden burst of light that the apparition hovering opposite to Lucy suddenly came into view. Grandine gazed upon it with tears of joy and grief, answering its wordless, reassuring smile with a watery one of her own. From the confused looks of all the other dragons in the chamber, she knew the vision she beheld was hidden to all the others. A low gasp of shock from the being by her side caused her to amend her thought - her beloved bonded could see the phantom too.
"She is for your eyes only, Grandine and Igneel. Although you both hardly deserve it."
The low, bitter voice from the doorway of the chamber easily reached the royal pair's ears. Igneel whirled around with a low growl rumbling from his chest, but his angry retort was halted by his wife's gentle hand on his bicep. Grandine turned around far more slowly, the motion graceful and regal. She offered their new guest a gentle smile as she guided her husband towards him, motioning to the orange-haired visitor to follow them.
"Sir Loke, to what do we owe this early pleasure? Surely you are not here to deprive us of Lucy's company so soon?" Grandine tried to keep her tone light and teasing, but the underlying strain shone through. Loke scoffed, his eyes narrowing.
"Nay, she would not allow it. She loves you all far too much to voluntarily cut short her time here in Alagesia. As a matter of fact, I returned to Alagesia to seek out you and Igneel."
Grandine shot Igneel a worried look, which he returned.
"That doesn't sound promising." Igneel grumbled, glaring a little at Loke. He still hadn't quite forgiven the audacious spirit for his impolite entry.
Loke glared back fearlessly. "We've lost track of the third celestial maiden. Yukino's sister in Alvarez. Since you were the ones to successfully rescue Yukino, I hoped you could give us spirits a hint of where to look for her…"
"Now that's more like it! Your grumpy attitude makes much more sense." Igneel snickered. "I'm afraid we won't be of much help there, Yukino was separated from Sorano long before we were able to reach her. The only place we could suggest you look is their hometown - but I'm sure you've already searched there."
Loke let loose a frustrated sigh, opting to stare morosely out of one of the stained glass windows rather than respond to the teasing dragon king. Grandine's gentle voice pulled him out of his reverie.
"We're sorry to hear of your troubles, Loke. I will look back through my notes of that time to see if there is anything we missed."
Loke's grumpy look softened, and he shot Grandine a weary glance. "Nay, your husband is right. We never had much on Sorano in the first place, which is a blessing and a curse in a way. If we can't find her, I suspect that any negative elements won't be able to find her either. We'll just have to keep our eyes open, and wait…"
Grandine offered him a hesitant smile. "I do wish you had stayed in Alagesia with Lucy as had first been planned. I understand that Laxus and Freed needed you in Pergrande but… perhaps if you had stayed, we could have resolved a few of our differences and improved our relationship for Lucy's sake..."
"Believe me, Grandine, had I stayed here for a decade, no such miracle could have occurred." Loke spat out, his tone bitter. "As much as I appreciate your love for Lucy and all that you do for her, I'll never forget how you betrayed Layla. And by extension, us spirits. If it weren't for the both of you, Layla would not have married that blasted Jude in the first place."
"Do not blame Jude for this entire mess." Igneel growled menacingly. "Yes, he has many faults and has turned insane of late - but I will always remember him for what he once was. An honorable, good, intelligent man with a fiery spirit that he has passed on to his daughter."
"So was Layla the one at fault then?" Loke countered. "Do you honestly believe she wanted to break his heart so thoroughly that the man would go mad? Was she as calculating and cruel as that? Don't fool yourself. We all know well who tricked her into that hapless situation…"
"Another word, you foolish spirit, and I will rip that pretty boy head clean off your shoulders!" Igneel snarled, his good hand flexing menacingly, ready to make good on his threat.
Loke glared back, equally as incensed and ready to retaliate, but the pair was halted by a soft sob.
"Trust me, Leo her faithful Lion Spirit. No one can ever punish me enough for the role I played in Layla's life. I deserve all your censure and more. It is my fault she married Jude instead of following her heart and being with… the other. It is my fault she betrayed Jude, and attempted to run away... It is my fault that she died…"
Grandine's tears flowed freely, her eyes closing in a futile attempt to stem her grief. Igneel and Loke watched her in pin drop silence, the former making a sound of distress, whilst the latter's look softened into one of more empathy.
"I cannot forgive you, Grandine, but that does not mean I wish you ill." Loke began abruptly. "For at the end of the day, I realize that all your actions were motivated by your intense love for Layla. I cannot truly hate one who loved my old mistress so much."
Loke's look grew cold once more, his voice slightly menacing as he turned away from the royal pair, taking his leave with a jerky bow.
"Just don't repeat those mistakes with Lucy."