11| LUCY
It was like the air was punched out of Natsu's lungs with those last four words that escaped his partner's lips. Four words that held so much sadness, so much pain, and in that moment, so many emotions passed though Lucy's brown eyes. To many for Natsu to catch, but she suddenly halted her attacks when Gajeel was able to pin Ayato with his iron and Erza's swords surrounded Shuu from every direction.
She suddenly halted in her movements as well when Wendy moved to stand in front of her. The younger girl that Lucy had missed had grown maybe an inch or two in height, and she seemed physically stronger. She looked more grown up, and her blue eyes showed it. Of course, Lucy had known Wendy joined Lamia Scale with Sheila, the Sky Sisters.
She had been happy Wendy was going good, so she never bothered the youngest dragon slayer with a visit knowing she'd reek of despair and the brothers.
"Lucy." Gray's voice was the one her caused the blonde's attention to move away from Wendy, away from the pinned vampires who had her subconscious attention as well.
The emotions she had been trying so hard to repress were fighting to resurface. The emotions of missing her friends, the anger, the sadness, and the loneliness with everything in between were all there. She wasn't sure what to say, what to do because in reality what could she do or say?
Not the truth about her arranged marriage, not that she had to pick a brother to marry or that they were from another world that had vampires and they sometimes fed on her and the others. Not only that, but they could be pushy and abusive to a certain point, some days were better than others.
Only she had decided, after looking at Ayato and Shuu with a look of defiance they did not like, she decided that if she was going to be bound to a man for the rest of her life because she had made a vow to do so, then she would be selfish this once. She deserved it, this once and they could get mad and throw their pissy fit later. Spoiled brats they were sometimes.
"Whatever this mission is, I want to help." Lucy suddenly said, causing multiple eyes to look her way surprised, including the wide blue and green eyes of Shuu and Ayato.
"Lucy." Ayato snarled.
The blonde whirled on Ayato, scowling. "For once, shut up and behave."
The red head knew she felt empowered with her former guild here, that she would be harder to control and peg down. She was in her element, and that made the blonde more dangerous than she ever was this past year they had been with her being.
It was the first time Levy or any of the others seen Lucy act in such a way, that it was a bit unnerving how she didn't flinch back when the man growled. Instead, Lucy looked at the other blond who sighed and gave her a pointed look. A silent communication.
"What makes you think we're on a mission, Bunny Girl?" Gajeel questioned the blonde, studying her. Everyone was different after that last battle, the changed and the aura of mystery around Lucy Heartfilia thickened. What exactly had she been through up until the point he had jumped in to defend her?
They all saw the Celestial Spirit King, who striked down their enemy, but how had he gotten there? Why hadn't he asked this question before? If Lucy had his key, she would have said so, because the dang blonde would have been excited having a new spirit. Yet she said nothing, just giving that smile and saying she was glad everyone was okay.
Lucy turned to look at him, her brown eyes just knowing, "Stella is a bit of a travel from Fiore, and I'm more than sure you aren't here for me. You'd never think I'd leave Fiore, so you have to be here under a mission."
Erza frowned, not liking the way Lucy believed they weren't looking for her. They had been searching for the past few months since the guild was back together for her, but they just never found a trace of her anywhere. No matter where she went, Erza never saw anyone who had a lead on Lucy, never heard anyone mutter her name.
The redhead had made sure to look into different reports on anything about Lucy, or could be about Lucy. Anything on celestial magic, job offerings, magazine modeling shoots she could have been in. Any little thing, Erza had checked out and found nothing. She only found the small pin board with leads on them, and it made her wonder why exactly Lucy abruptly stopped.
If she was being honest, it was a bit too much of a coincidence that Lucy happened to be here. Where Dragon Cry was.
"How long have you lived here, Lucy?"
Lucy looked at Erza, how she looked at her with relieved yet unsure eyes. Now that offended her, the fact that Erza seemed unsure if she could trust Lucy herself. For a single moment, a cynical smile wanted to play on her lips, but she refrained that.
"Three and a half months." Lucy replied without missing a beat. "It was obvious something was happening or going to happen with how King Animus seemed to have amped up the guards in town. Putting those pieces together and seeing Fairy Tail, a guild from a rival country, it was easy to figure out."
Gajeel could see exactly why they said Lucy was the brains and strategic one of Team Natsu, with how she pieced that together so easily. Yet he could also see that Lucy's eyes were shielded, guarded in a way he never seen them around them. As if she didn't trust her own family, not completely.
Levy wasn't an idiot, she saw the way the blond male was looking at Lucy, and the way the redhead looked like he could rip her head off. The aggression in that green eyed one, Ayato, waffed off him in very strong waves.
"I'd appreciate it greatly if you released my companions, Gajeel, Erza." Lucy spoke so formally, in a way Lucy never spoke of before while Shuu and Ayato suppressed a groan at Reiji's damn etiquette class. It always kicked in at the wrong time.
"Will they stand down?" Erza questioned, watching Lucy look at the two males.
Shuu wouldn't act up, knowing damn well these mages could hand him his ass if they felt like it. Looking at Ayato, Shuu gave him a look to not do anything and stand down. If anything, if these people got a whiff that something was more wrong than it already was with Lucy, they would have more issues than they already have.
"We aren't going to harm anyone." Shuu reassured, which was something odd to do.
"But Lucy. She deserves punishment." Ayato mouthed off, earning glares.
"I say release Shuu and Erza can cut your damn head off Ayato. Both of your heads." Lucy shrugged, and at the mere mention of castration, Erza wasn't sure to blush at the sudden lewd thoughts she had of what Lucy could have been doing or angered that Lucy could have been touched.
Ayato rolled his eyes, "I promise I won't bite."
Lucy sighed, watching as the iron disappeared from Ayato and Erza recalled her swords from Shuu. Oh, she knew she was in for it later.
"I want to help." Lucy repeated, looking again at her guild mates. "I know this place better than you, and I can help. Like old times. One last adventure."
Shuu caught that, he caught that double meaning and he could see some others had as well. Yet he couldn't help but grow annoyed at that damn pink haired friend she had, who offered a grin of acceptance for Lucy, one she didn't acknowledge.
He couldn't help but smirk at that, seeing that Lucy still held hurt and anger in her heart. She was mad at the one she used to love, and hopefully someone else would piss her off so she would leave for good willingly.
"Alright, we'll fill you in once we get our inn." Erza says, and Lucy frowned.
"There's hardly any inns. Shuu-" Lucy glanced at him and he actually groaned. He knew what she was asking.
"Reiji will hardly be happy."
"I could care less about what Reiji has to say or think." Lucy says, rolling her eyes rather hard. "If anything, I should be allowed this with what I have to put up with you, and your brothers."
"Hey, your cousin and his brothers aren't a walk in the park either." Shuu reminded, getting another eye roll. He was actually getting annoyed with this attitude.
"You're all difficult. Period." Lucy declared.
"Cousin?" Gray cut in, glancing at Lucy. "I thought you had no family."
Lucy sweatdropped at their slip, "Yeah, we fell out as kids because of my father. He didn't really care for Mama's sister and her son, thought they were leeches trying to use us for money. We lost touch, reconnected recently. I didn't know he lived here in Stella until I ran into him at the train station."
What an elaborate lie, Ayato was slightly impressed, with how quick she was to lie without a hitch in her heartbeat. Okay, there was a slight flutter in her heartbeat telling the lie, but Natsu was too stupid to realize that, The other two, he was able to see they had heard that flutter. The studded one, his ruby eyes narrowed on Lucy.
What are you hiding Bunny Girl that you have to lie to your family? Gajeel thought, glancing at Wendy, who also frowned as she held Carla for comfort.
"All in all, I would really like to invite you all to come and stay with us in our home for the mission to rest." Lucy offered, and there it was again. The insinuation she wasn't coming home, that she was staying here.
Gray wasn't having any of it, "You're coming home with us to Fairy Tail after this mission. Right Lucy?"
Lucy offered a small smile as she turned to lead the way back to what she would now dub the Mukami residence, not offering a direct answer to his question.
It wasn't something any of them liked, nor how the other two males that grabbed her and watched seemed to flank her. Putting a wall between them and her.
She was there, but she was still out of reach.
Upon arriving at the Estate, there were different reactions from everyone but Lucy, Shuu, and Ayato. The one from Fairy Tail were surprised to see where Lucy had been living and how many men were actually in this house. Meanwhile the brothers saw them as a threat, that much was obvious.
Luckily none of them actually acted, like the impulsive Subaru, or the crazy Kanato and Azusa. No, instead Shuu pulled both Ruki and Reiji aside to tell them what was going on. The others knew better to expose themselves point blank. To bring more problems than what they had.
"Lucy!" Yui's voice caught the attention of many, causing her to pause in her step and grow shy.
Yet Lucy couldn't help the softness return to her eyes and the smile to see Yui was safe. That was what mattered most. "Yui." Lucy greeted the girl with a smile, one that hadn't been on her face seeing her guild.
A smile they had noted was missing.
Gajeel watched intensely, how the two girls interacted.
"Then Yui will be meeting her maker sooner than later."
He had heard the red head say that to her, to Lucy. Seeing how Lucy embraced the other girl, how she looked meek and timid, it was clear now- Lucy was protecting this girl. She had been threatened that if Lucy didn't attack them then she would be killed, as it was insinuated. What the hell was going on this house? Who the fuck was Lucy living with?
"I made sure Yui was placed somewhere safe in the spirit world for now." Loke said softly.
Carla's eyes widened seeing the girl Lucy had protected in her vision, why Lucy was torn. Carla knew these men were not human, not exactly. Lucy was in a situation, and knowing the blonde, she was not going to ask for help, but Carla didn't have proof yet that these men had hurt her. Other than the brute of a redhead had manhandled Lucy.
"Minna, I want you to meet someone very dear to me." Lucy says, pulling Yui along, who hid behind Lucy shyly.
For a moment, Levy was a bit envious and blushed at that fact and turned her head away. Her friend had every right to make new friends, it wasn't always going be her. Yet Levy was determined to stay as Lucy's best friend.
"Yui, these are the people I've told you about, from Fairy Tail." Lucy says, and it was noted how fast the shorter girl perked up with something that looked like hope in her pink sherbert eyes.
One by one Lucy introduced them by name, and Yui nodded her head with a more welcoming smile. Gray had noted that Yui kept glancing at Lucy, and seemed some what relieved. Weird.
Juvia on the other hand was taking everything in, so she could tell Jellal exactly what these men were up too but it was all just too confusing with Lucy being in the middle. Juvia knew, she knew that Lucy was indeed hiding the truth from her family. That these men were from another world, and that they weren't completely human.
Not with how fast they moved, but then again maybe in their world they had mages as well and they were in the skill field of air and speed. Juvia bit her lips, analyzing everything, she would just watch for now. They were close to Lucy, and if these men were a threat then they could quickly intervene.
It's then that a taller male catches Gray's attention, who leaned against the door way watching them. More specifically, watching Lucy as he glanced at the rest of them. There was a protective aura around him that put Gray a little more at ease, but with the way he narrowed on them, it made it seem as if they were some type of threat.
"Who are these people, Lucy?"
Lucy looked up at Yuma, and for the first time he saw her smile a heartfelt smile. Even if the sadness was still in her eyes, the smile was real, "These are my friends from Fairy Tail." Looking over at the said people she nodded her head towards Yuma. "This is my cousin, Yuma."
"Tch, I don't get why you're being so forgiving." Yuma scowled at nothing in particular in front of him, "These are the people who left you-"
"Yuma." Lucy hissed, watching her cousin cross his arms in a stubborn matter.
"No, I don't care. After everything you went through, they left." Yuma glared at Natsu, knowing damn well who he was. "They weren't here for you the past year."
Now this caught their attention again, and Yui winced inwardly at the stare Lucy was giving Yuma. He didn't have a right to push her into this corner, but Yui understood he was trying to make them understand what they had put Lucy through.
"What is he talking about, Luce?" Natsu asks, frowning at the thought of Lucy hurting the past year. Hurting more than he knew she was.
It was then Gejeel stepped in with his own question seeing an opening, "How did you save us in Tartaros? You did something, Bunny Girl."
Lucy took a deep breath, ignoring the fact that Loke had reopened his own gate and stood by her. It didn't matter how much he pushed to save her from this contract, how much it annoyed her because at the end of the day, Loke was the one who had stood by her side through everything. Her most loyal spirit and friend. She could never stay mad at him for wanting her safe and happy.
"I recall the Spirit King being there." Erza piped in, nodding her head. "I wasn't aware you had his key."
It was quiet for a moment, and Lucy finally looked at her, "That's because I don't."
Now they grew confused and Levy frowned at this, knowing that something was wrong. Yet before anyone could ask how she did it, Lucy continued knowing she was finally going to have to say the truth.
"You all got trapped in Plutogrim, a spell that immobilized you all. Crux, he saved me from it but he left me to face the Nine Demons, who were given the task of hunting me down after Mard Geer put a bounty on my head." Lucy took a deep breath, her hand going up to grasp the broken key she kept on her being all the time, still out of sight to the others.
"We didn't know." Erza whispered, hands forming into fists. "You shouldn't have been left like that."
"The situation was out of our control." Lucy says softly, looking at Gray now. "Torafuzar came, so did Lamy, and then Jackal."
"I defeated that bastard." Natsu interjected.
"He was revived." Lucy says so simply continuing as Loke put a hand on her shoulder. "I already had Loke and Virgo out, my magic was running low. I was defeated rather easily, suffered some torture from Jackal's explosions, but I couldn't give up. I wasn't dead yet, so I used my remaining strength to call Aquarius out."
Loke felt her body shake, and took notice in how his master needed a pause in her story telling. He decided to take over, "I was sure it was going to kill her, opening three golden gates and maintaining them while in battle. It would have effects on her body in seconds, but she has a lot more will and kept us there even if Virgo and I begged her to close a gate."
"Aquarius came then," Lucy took over, her eyes now falling to the floor. "After she chaste me about my recklessness of opening three gates, she held me while I was physically too weak while she fought for me, for us. Loke and Virgo, they had been forced back into the Spirit World while Aquarius had taken damage. We both collapsed."
"Lucy." Wendy whispered, not liking this story at all.
"Jackal had sent Loke and Virgo back to the Spirit World, and killed Lamy while Torafuzar walked away, why- I don't know. I knew Jackal had every intent on killing me, hell I couldn't even move. I was at his mercy, and then Aquarius swept him away with water and got to me. He was able to force his way through the water, and that's when she told me."
"Told you what?" Happy asked now, seeing the distant look in Lucy's eyes since he was so close to the ground.
"How to summon the Celestial Spirit King." Lucy reached behind her, unlatching her necklace and kept her grip on it. "None of my spirits would be able to defeat the demons, but the Spirit King could. In order to actually summon him, the mage needs to use a golden zodiac key to open the gates-."
"Easy enough for you Luce!" Natsu grinned, but he received a glare from Loke.
"No, not easy Natsu, because opening that gate requires the mage and spirit to have a strong bond of trust." Lucy then opened her hand, grabbing the chain and let the broken key swing in the air, in their faces. "It breaks the key completely, cutting the connection of the spirit to the human world. I sacrificed Aquarius at her request, my mother's spirit, my first friend. The last thing I had of my mom."
Silence filled the room. It was a shock to them but Gajeel got his answer. This was what she lost in the battle, a difference loss than them. They lost something, Gray and Natsu being their fathers. Lucy, she had to make a choice. Them or her spirit that had been the last thing she had in connection of her mother. She had made a sacrifice.
Loke felt her tremble, and rubbed her back, proud that Lucy wasn't crying. He sensed her sudden anger, and he wanted to comfort her, but it was too late now. The band aid was ripped open on her tight emotional jar, it was inevitable really.
"I thought after, that everything would be okay. I had received the ability to use star dresses from the Celestial King himself, and that we would go home as a family." Lucy looked at them with brown eyes so full of hurt, of pain, and a sense of loneliness. "Instead I got a stupid note from Natsu and Happy, and then the guild was disbanded and you all left."
"Lucy-"
"I'm not finished Gray." Lucy cut him off. "I understand why everyone left, why everyone went their own ways, and I don't blame you for it, but you can't expect me to jump to go back to the Guild. You all found a path, you all found a way to deal with the losses you had, but I haven't. I grew up in a very lonely home with my father, and all I had was Aquarius. I sacrificed her! For what!? For you to leave and send me back into that loneliness I thought I never be in again!? This time with out her."
"Lucy, we didn't know." Erza took a step forward. "If I had known, I wouldn't have left you, I thought Natsu was with you. We all did, you didn't reach out."
Lucy's eyes snapped up, and Erza took a step back. "You didn't reach out. It's my fault then, that I didn't reach out to you? No, you don't understand anything."
"You aren't helping us, Lucy." Gajeel's gruff voice interjected. "Like how you ended up here with all these men."
Yuma then stepped up, standing behind Lucy and helping her put her necklace back on, "Which would be my doing. I was told my uncle, Jude, passed away recently. I thought Lucy would be okay, seeing as she had her guild but then word got out you disbanded. I knew she'd be alone, so I traveled to her, and luckily caught her at the train station. Offered her to live with me and my brothers."
"You're all brothers?" Carla asks, amused when Yuma looked at her with an alarmed face. Apparently he wasn't from around here if he was surprised with exceeds, meaning this was an elaborate lie.
"Adoptive." Yuma states. "My mother married their father, suddenly had six step brothers and then three adoptive brothers."
"And Yui?" Carla pushes, and Yuma remained level headed.
"She's Ruki's fiancée." Yuma stated simply. "This house is a family house, so I asked Lucy to live here with me."
Erza frowned. It wasn't adding up, this time line. Lucy was gone for a year, but lived out here for three months. Why leave Crocus so abruptly?
"You left Crocus rather fast." Gray seemed to have the same idea as the redhead. "Where have you been for the other twelve months?"
Lucy frowned, so they had kept some tabs on her. "Here and there, missions." She shrugged, and that was the final answer.
Natsu wasn't having it though, not liking the fact that Lucy had been through so much and said nothing. Acted as if it wasn't nothing now. She lost Aquarius and didn't shed a tear telling them. Why didn't she cry? He understood why she was angry they left, they all understood but it was a bit unnerving when all they got was this anger. He wanted her to cry, to show that she was grieving the right way, not bottling it up.
"I'm tired, Yuma and Yui will show you your rooms and in the morning we'll talk the mission." Lucy says, turning to leave before anything else could be asked.
Loke understood Lucy was emotionally exhausted seeing everyone and explaining that painful memory all over again. He didn't blame her, but looking back he could help but sigh at the mixed emotions of their faces.
"Take the night to process it all before asking questions." Loke says.
"What's the truth, you over grown cat?" Gajeel asks, looking sharply at the spirit. "What the hell is going on behind these walls?"
"Why is she different?" Natsu's question was soft, but it made Loke's blood boil with the anger he suppressed for so long.
Within a blink of an eye, Loke was in front of Natsu and punching him point blank in the jaw, causing the rest of Fairy Tail to tense up and Yui and Yuma to step back. Yuma wasn't dumb, knowing he could get hurt but he wouldn't hurt these people because his damn cousin was fond of them. She was already sad enough, so he'd bare with their annoying asses.
"You left her." Loke spat out at the fire dragon slayer, then looked at the rest of them. Ignoring the fact Yuma was there, he knew when Yui gave him that hopeful look that they had to hint at them to help Lucy. Yet he disappeared in a golden shower.
Yui now stepped up, helping Natsu up, "She isn't the same as she was all those months ago." Yui said softly so Natsu could only hear. "Please get her out of this house, Natsu-san."
Yui let Natsu go, who looked at Gejeel with a frown on his face. Yuma on the other hand said nothing about Yui warning them to take Lucy, because he'd rather have her away from these idiotic brothers. They wouldn't bring her anything but harm, anywhere but here was good for her, away from this darkness that was snuffling out her light.
"Let's get you all situated." Yuma muttered, realizing that the rest of the idiot vampires were all being filled in on what not to do.
Nothing was said as Yui and Yuma lead them, but Natsu and Gajeel were lost in thought wondering what the hell Lucy was actually doing here.
Oh Bunny Girl, you can only hide the truth for so long.
He heard her walking down the hall, footsteps lighter than normal. He could tell she was tired, but her night wasn't over yet. Luckily the rest of his brothers had been informed on the situation and how to act. They could not bite Lucy or Yui, due to the heightened smell of the Dragon Slayers. Lucy would try to put up scent blocking runes in one room, where they could have blood bags.
They weren't happy that they had to act normal or nice, but it was what it was. Reiji was not happy Lucy decided to make the choice of doing a mission or acting on her own, and he saw it then. Why she was so unhappy here. They didn't allow her to actually be a person, the way Reiji had been talking was like an owner mad at a dog.
Step.. step... step.
Shuu pulled Lucy into his room when she had close to his door, knowing she had been on the way to hers. Silently waiting for her to walk past, like a predator waiting for it's prey. He hadn't been happy at all with the sudden turn of events of the day. With the sudden house guests and this mission she was going to part take in.
No, he wasn't happy about it at all. Not when he stood a chance to lose Lucy to that damn pink headed male. Even if she was to marry one of them for a contract, it didn't necessarily say she had to stay once she gave a hire. No, but the honest truth from him was the fact was that with her, he felt human. She was his humanity.
He had to remind himself that she was a person, who saw something in him now one had seen before. He would treat her good, fair, and better than any of his stupid ass brothers. He promised to be better.
"Shuu, what is it?" Lucy huffed out, tiredly. "I want to go to bed and I don't have time for this. You can't feed here with the dragon slayers- mmhp!"
Shuu had once again shut Lucy up with sealing her lips with his own, pulling her close to his body and ignoring her little pushes on his chest. Pulling away after a few moments, Shuu went to stare down at the blonde with an intense gaze, "I want to offer a new deal Lucy."
Lucy tilted her head to the side, silent as she looked up at the man in front of her as she bit her slightly swollen lip where his teeth had tugged at ever so gently. Yet she said nothing, staying silent as she waited for him to finish what it was he wanted to offer.
If only she had been ready.
"If I allow you to do this mission, the minute it's over you say goodbye to Fairy Tail and Natsu, forever." Shuu lifted his hand up to cup her cheek.
She expected it, this possessiveness to keep her away from those she loved. It was their nature, but she had planned it all. She had planed for one last mission, one where she hoped to get the bitterness out of her heart. Where she could forgive, love and find a piece of her old self.
Where she could be Lucy of Fairy Tail, the best version of herself, one last time. She had expected this proposition, but she had not expected Shuu kiss her forehead and ever so softly mutter the next four words that would stop her heart in her throat,
"Then you marry me."
Gah! Thank you for the support! Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! Sorry if it's a bit boring, promise the next chapter will have more action!
Please review!