CHAPTER 2 – HIDING EMOTIONS
A/N: Hi everyone, it's my first attempt to write a fanfiction. English is not my first language so I am sorry for the grammar mistakes and for some errors. Please bear with me please.
I want to clear that this happens after the Battle of Tartarus but in my story the guild did not disband. I can do anything with my story right?
I do not own Fairy Tail.
….….
She woke up in unfamiliar surroundings. She guessed that it is still evening from the way the moonlight illuminates the room. Somehow being in this strange place does not scare her. She let her eyes roam around and noticed that the room is surprisingly big and neat. 'At least I am not sleeping in a garbage dump of a room unlike that of Natsu-.' She shakes her head and sighed. 'This is no time thinking of that idiot of a dragon slayer.' She smiled sadly just thinking of him. She noticed that her whip and keys are placed in the bedside table and came to pick it up. She walked in the door leading to the balcony that she saw earlier.
She stares in the moon forlornly while stroking her keys to reassure them that she's okay. She can feel her spirits restlessness. Just then, she felt someone stand beside her. No one dares to speak though. They just stand there in silence and just like her look in the sky above. It is as if they know that just being with her gives her comfort. A minute or two passed and she decided to break the silence between them.
"Loke. Virgo," she said.
The two spirits just stared at her waiting for their master to continue. Worry and relief laced their faces.
She smiled reassuringly to both spirits. "Please do not worry so much about me. Please tell others that I am safe and okay," she said touching each of her keys gently.
"But Lucy, just tell us what –," Loke was interrupted when he felt Virgo touched his arm to stopped what he's about to say. "Nii-san," Virgo's silent plea.
She gave a silent thanks to Virgo. "Loke please, I don't want to talk about it yet. You see how beautiful the moon and stars tonight? Stay a little longer and watch it with me please?" With that she gave her undivided attention to the objects above them as if really fascinated by it.
They saw their master's calm demeanour. They don't know what she is thinking or if she's even thinking something at the moment. She just stood there and gazed nonchalantly. They can't even read her. Her eyes do not held any emotions but it is not blank, they just can't decipher what it is. Her face is far from stoic unlike her spirit Virgo.
Loke studied her for a moment and frowned at what he saw. He doesn't like it. Her master used to be a mirror of emotions. He doesn't like this fake calmness that she's emitting. Not being mean but he prefers to see her breakdown to tears just like a crybaby that she is. He knows that crying it out will help her ease her sadness and anger. If she continues to be like this, her frustrations will build up overtime. 'Lucy I hope you talk to us sooner. Please don't shut us out. I know you are stronger than this,' he thought still looking at her thoroughly. He decided not to push the matter for now but it doesn't mean that he will tolerate her crazy antic.
"I want to know where I am," she inquired a moment later. It is ridiculous but she only realized now that she is at some stranger's house.
"Hime you are at Laxus-sama's house"
"Hmmm…," she just said and sighed. It's funny how she ends up at her nakama's house. She sighed again and softly chuckled thinking how much sighing she's been doing now.
Her chuckling earned an amuse glare from her two spirit.
"Hime-sama is sure weird."
"Yeah Virgo, she is weird."
With that, the three shared a hearty laugh breaking the cold atmosphere earlier. The two spirits are now relaxed thinking the same thing. 'There is hope to this.' She even earned their deepest respect. Their master is truly strong. They are happy for this little moment for they are not sure when it is going to last. With both smiles, the two spirits returned to the spirit world.
'You know Luce you are really weird.'
'Aye. As in realllllyyyy weird Lushi.'
Her earlier happiness was replaced by a tiny pinch at her chest for that brief memory. She shakes her head repeatedly to stop her memory.
"Open Gate of the Lyre! Lyra!"
"Open Gate of the Canis Minor! Nikora!"
"It's good to see you Lucy." Lyra said with smile on her face. She knows what is happening and the leader of the zodiac informed everyone to act normally with Lucy. She's glad that her master called her at a time like this that means she will be able to somewhat help her.
"Pun-pun!"
"Hello Plue. Hello Lyra."
She hugged Plue to her chest and kissed the top of his head. She is with Plue that night and felt relieve that Plue returned to the spirit world safely. Then she talked to Lyra. "Let's go seat at the bench over there. I am little tired standing up here."
When they are seated. "Ne, Lyra. You know Mama used to sing for me when I was a child. Somehow, it always makes me calm. Can you sing for me Lyra?" she said as she gently laid her head at Lyra's shoulder.
"Anything for you Lucy. What do you like me to sing?"
"Hmmm, anything you like Lyra." And then she closed her eyes as she waits for Lyra to start.
Then she begins to stroke her harp. Playing a beautiful symphony in the air. It is the same melody that she plays when they are in the Galuna Island guarding Deliora.
A lot has happened now. Hearing Lyra's beautiful voice makes her remember her adventure with Fairy Tail.
-From her fist day joining her dream guild.
-Her first mission with Natsu and Happy.
-The time Team Natsu's were formed.
-How they stole an S-class mission and Gray's reunion with Lyon and the frozen monster Deliora.
-The Phantom guild's attack leading to their fateful meeting with Gajeel and Juvia.
-The return of the fallen star Loke. Earning his friendship with him and meeting moustache man. She smiled remembering the Spirit King.
-Meeting Erza's old friends and the first time she saw Erza cried and so lonely.
-Battle of Fairy Tail. Laxus excommunication. Fantasia's parade.
-Nirvana and battle with Oracion Seis wherein they formed an alliance with the other guilds. Their sad goodbye with Cait Shelter who raised Wendy and Carla.
-Return of Lisanna from Edolas. Return of Mystogan to Edolas. She also smiled as she remembered that Gajeel finally owned his exceed Pantherlily. They can see how really frustrated he was when he saw Natsu and Wendy with their own exceeds.
-S-class exam at Tenrou Island and attacked of Acnologia.
-The seven years' time skipped. Leaving their nakamas behind whom patiently waited for their return
-Winning at the Grand Magic Games and returning Fairy Tail to its former glory. Their battle with the dragons.
-Their last battle with Tartarus. The dragon slayers meeting all their dragons. And…. Losing Aquarius. She tears up upon remembering her spirit but she stoned herself not to cry.
She's the happiest when she is with Fairy Tail.
(A/N: This is the English version of that song. Please also note that the song lyrics is in italics)
-Words are born into air
-And quickly fade out in the wind
-But they find their way inside you
-Wherever they live on forevermore…
-When the skies are dark and full of rain
-Look inside your heart
-The light, so warm will come and glow
-Shining just like the sun…
And this night…
She started singing with Lyra. She doesn't care if her voice is not as good as her.
"-Y-you can see, just how much you've g-grown… H-how s-strong you are….," and with that she started shivering still trying to control her emotions but slowly feel that she does not have a hold in it anymore. She released a soft sob. She continues to sing while sniffling. She embraced Lyra while burying her face at her shoulders.
"-You can see, just how much you've grown. How strong you are." Lyra slightly looked at the form of the shivering girl with teary eyes but continue singing and harping. She looks at her directly saying these words while thinking, 'Yes Lucy you've grown so much. You've faced challenges, a lot of it, and you never give up. We, your spirits, are witnessed to that. You've come this far. We know that you are strong enough to overcome this.' "-A love will open up to you. And it starts from the day that you, first heard those words-."
"…A l-love will open up to you. And it starts from the d-day that you, first heard those w-words," she can't helped but breakdown into tears embracing and holding onto Lyra for her dear life. Plue looks up at her crying while shivering. She let all her sorrows go with that cry. She didn't know that Lyra's song will have this effect on her. She just wanted to calm her nerves when she summoned her. But now, she can't pretend anymore. She cannot pretend that all this events do not affect her. Who is she kidding? Even her spirits, being the faithful spirits they are, felt it, but did not bug her to it. She felt a lot of emotions right now.
'Mama, will you also sing to me this way if you were here? Will you hold me in your arms and comfort me? I miss you Mama.'
Lyra stopped harping and just stayed in her arms. She gently caressed the girl's hair giving her the comfort that she really needed. She did not ask questions. She just sat there and pats her back from time to time. Finally, she heard her cries turns to soft whimpers then to sniffles. A moment later, she feels the gentle rise and fall of her chest.
"I think she must have fallen asleep," sensing the man standing just behind them.
He acknowledged Lyra with a nod and took the sleeping form of Lucy from Lyra. He put her gently in the bed and tucked her blanket just under her chin. He does not have the heart of stone to not feel pity to the girl lying in the bed. He thought once that crying is a sign of weakness and hated everything that signifies it. But he thinks differently now. Though, he knows that seeing her cry is far from showing her weakness.
Earlier, when Laxus heard a movement in the adjacent room, he knew that Lucy had woken up. He didn't go immediately to her but tried to observe for a moment. With his sensitive hearing, he wanted to know what she's going to do next. Then, he just heard gentle movements but not walking through the bedroom's door to walk out of the stranger's house. He did not even sense panic in her. That's when he decided to get up and walked to her room.
The room is empty. But he saw the silhouette of the girl in the room's balcony. He's torn if he's going to approach the girl or not. To talk to her or let her think for a while. He moves a little closer to look at the form of the girl. She is looking at the dark night. And he slightly blushed seeing how the moon illuminates her face and hair creating a halo just above her head. She looks ethereal. Her golden locks are shining in the moonlight. Her hair and loose white dress (care of her spirit) seem like dancing from the gentle breeze. But he frowned, noticing how her eyes are lacking light from it. That's when he noticed that two of her spirits joined her in silence. He leaned in the room's door, arms crossed at his chest and observed further. There's no real communication happened between the three. Most of their time was spent in silence.
And then he heard her chuckle or did he? He's not really sure.
"Hime-sama is sure weird."
"Yeah Virgo, she is weird."
Seeing the three laughing together tugged a string in his heart. He proudly smiled. 'Somehow, I know you will be able to pick up the pieces of yourself one step at a time Blondie. If that chuckle and laugh is evidence that light does not totally leave you, then I know you're going to be okay.'
That is when the two spirits took their leave but not long after she summoned another two of her spirits. One is the little shivering snowman that he always saw with her every morning when she walks through the guild. 'Sure thing, she has weird spirits. Maybe that is why Salamander often calls her weird.' And another weird looking girl sporting a pink bonnet and blue dress. He sweat dropped. 'She looks like a human Happy. With Happy wings and Happy face with two round blush marks. Weird,' he murmured.
This spirit girl sure knows how to sing and what to sing. He listened for a while to that sweet voice. Every word brought a sense of nostalgia. '-When the skies are dark and full of rain... Look inside your heart… The light, so warm will come and glow… Shining just like the sun…' His lips formed in a small smile. Then he heard Lucy sing with her spirit. Singing then sniffling then singing then sniffling. Then he heard it. Her soul-shattering cry. He immediately approached the group and saw how the girl is holding on for her dear life while pouring her emotions to her spirit. And he, he just stood there behind them frozen. He doesn't know what to do with that kind of situation. He let the spirit comfort her and wait for the girl to calm down. He knew that he should do something but also perfectly knew that it is better to leave the girl as she is.
He gently caresses her hair. She looks so peaceful now in her sleep. Lyra walked slowly with Plue in her arms and as she approached the bed, she gently put him beside their master and bid a silent goodbye. Plue hugged Lucy instantly.
"So are you staying with her for the night small guy?" Laxus asked.
"Pu-puun," Plue nodded.
"Watch her and don't make her cry, okay?"
"Pun-pun," he once again nodded.
"Okay Blondie, seems like you have your little bodyguard here. Good night again." Laxus tapped the shivering snowman's head. He then looked at Lucy and gently patted her head and leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss in her forehead. "No more worries for the night," he whispered in her ear and left the room with a heavy heart.