My apologies for not updating in almost two months, school has stolen all of my time and so forth. Anyway, I would like to extend my greatest appreciation for everyone who has supported this fanfiction, Thank you guys soooo much, I'm very happy.
Special thanks to Kizerain who has been consistently encouraging!
Please drop a review and as always...Enjoy!
She was the little girl alone in the corner that used to cry for her parents all the time in the nursery. The boys would pull at her two pigtails and call her straw-hair and she would immediately burst out into sniffles. Thinking back now, Lucy realised that she had been a pathetic child; weak and totally dependent on mommy and daddy.
Levy was the complete opposite of her. Even though she was extremely small, even for a child, she was fiery and not afraid of anything. She was always the first one to poke the weird looking creatures that children discovered. Eventually, through Levy's intense tutorage, Lucy finally learnt how to stand up for herself. She remembered the first time she slapped Sting Eucliffe after he had yanked the blue ribbon that her mother had wrapped in her hair for her ninth birthday, Levy in the sidelines clapping and cheering her on.
She was the first friend Lucy ever had. The only friend Lucy ever had. The only person who dared rouse Lucy from a dramatic romance novel or another date with The Notebook, the only person who cared enough to drag her out of her room after she submerged herself in tons of books after realising the weight of the future Heartfilia corp rested on her shoulders, the only person Lucy let close to her when she found out about her mother's cancer.
Now Lucy felt like crying. Her mindless actions had reduced Levy to a shivering girl, finally seeming as small as her stature. Her arms were bravely stretched out in front of Levy, acting as a barrier to the two approaching men, but she knew that she was only prolonging the inevitable.
"Run Levy," she whispered, voice cracking.
She felt herself breaking out into a cold sweat, beads preparing to trickle down her forehead. Levy hadn't moved. Vaguely Lucy thought that maybe Levy was trying to move but couldn't, almost as if her legs had suddenly turned into jelly.
"Give it up, Princess," Gajeel sneered, mouth twisted into a smile that screamed how much he was enjoying her panic, "We're getting the shrimp."
He licked his lips, eyeing Levy, "I'm getting the shrimp."
Lucy's heart plummeted at the crazy desire practically oozing from his voice. She swallowed the rising tsunami of fear and disgust, opening her mouth to speak again, to plead for her friend.
"Do what you want with me," she tried to say, but her voice broke. She gulped, attempting the words once more but as before, to no avail.
Coward! Lucy screamed at herself. I'm a coward!
She felt horrible; her stomach was queasy and her body trembled, a chill creeping into her muscles. She was helpless and weak. She hadn't changed a bit from that snivelling little girl. She couldn't do anything but beg.
"Awww," Natsu cooed mockingly, "Is the princess gonna cry?"
Lucy felt her nose burn as the tears that were brimming in her eyes threatened to spill over. She opened her mouth to say something, anything.
"St-."
"What's going on here?" an authoritative female voice demanded, shattering the tension that had enveloped the room for the past ten minutes.
Natsu's eyes widened, pupil's dilating in fear as he gulped. Lucy didn't dare turn to see who had entered that could manage to make even the almighty Salamander unnerved. She vaguely recognised the voice but was unable to remember where from.
She heard the click of shoe heels as the woman approached. Lucy didn't dare hope that it was someone to save them, hope was the worst of it all in times of need: to have a rising tide of emotion, praying that things will be alright just to be squashed, splattered like something so inconsequential; as if it meant nothing.
"Natsu? Gajeel? Gray?" The woman continued, "Why are you all here? Is this a meeting that I'm uninformed of?"
"N-no," replied Natsu, eyebrows furrowing at his stammers.
"And who are these two young ladies? What are you doing?" she queried, sounding more curious than angry to which Natsu and Gajeel let out little sighs of relief.
"They're...guests; they wanted to join Fairy Tail so we decided to make sure that they weren't from any of the other gangs before telling you about it, you know, to save you all the work. We don't want the same thing happening twice so we were just taking precautions," Natsu said smoothly, sounding incredibly truthful although he was just spouting lies.
Lucy opened her mouth to protest, almost refuting Natsu's statements before he shot her a warning glare briefly. She got the message and immediately clenched her jaws, locking her mouth shut.
Talk and you're dead.
She swallowed and slowly let her arms drop back to her sides then stepped back to support Levy who still seemed to be drowned in fear.
The mystery woman continued to walk forward, then stopped in front of Lucy and Levy, umber eyes guarded and observant. Her hair was long and smooth, shimmering scarlet as it cascaded around her face gently. Her posture was perfect, chest upright and back straight.
Lucy's eyes sparked with recognition, this was Erza Scarlet, the Erza Scarlet one of the only persons who could stop Natsu on a rampage. Her heart almost stopped.
"Are they clean?" Erza asked coolly, believing Natsu's lies easily.
Natsu pierced her with his dark eyes, a small, vindictive smile playing on his lips. Lucy peered back in disbelief, he was not doing that to her, he couldn't be doing that to her.
"Yes, they are."
He did it. Oh dear Lord.
Alrighty then, in the following chapter most of the confusion (if there is any) should be clarified. I am being deliberately obscure for some parts, they will be revealed in due time.
Anyway, once again, please drop a review!