Hiya All! Thanks for the support, reviews and good wishes for this story. I will warn you all as of now... Lucy is going to suffer and a lot. I hope you all enjoy, I loved writing this chapter!
P.S. Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.
"Hey Demon-witch, get me another!" Gajeel barked harshly at Mira, who glared back murderously as she threaten to cut him off from the bar. With much apprehension and concern for her guild mate, Mira reluctantly slid another mug of amber beer down the long granite counter, where Gajeel's quick hand stopped the filled mug before it slid off. The white-haired mage was accustomed to rowdy drinkers, she thought to herself as she giggled in the direction of both Laxus and Cana who were just starting their night of debauchery, but Gajeel wasn't a rowdy drinker, he was drowning his worries in the double-edged liquid.
As Mira worried for the usually solitary dragon slayer, Gajeel was starting to feel the numbing effect of the alcohol. 'If only you could make me forget.' The raven-haired man thought as a cold shiver traveled down his spine. Laughing quietly to himself, he wondered what exactly he was trying to forget, because he couldn't quite remember either, all he knew was it had something to do with bunny girl. Running a guilty hand through his dark hair, he wondered what he did to run her out of town; not even when he had tormented her in Phantom did she run away from him, and yet now she was no where to be found. 'When did I start to drink?' The man stared at the amber fluid radiantly shine from the dark corner of the bar.
What no one knew was that ever since Lucy mysteriously left, his alcohol consumption had been skyrocketing. Life was starting to get complicated and he was soon to marry his guild sweetheart, yet he felt inexplicably miserable. Instead of enjoying his engagement party, he was starting to feel nauseous, as his body convulsed in unreasonable sorrow. No one seemed to notice as he was slipping ever so slowly into the dark abyss of insanity.
Lately, his senses were constantly playing tricks on him, he saw things that were only visible to him and he could swear, that every once in a while, he could hear Lucy scream. Sometimes the familiar voice would wail in agony for him to save her, other times all he could hear was her non-stop crying. Not only was he seeing and hearing Lucy, but his shadow magic was starting to become extremely chatty and sleep was becoming close to impossible.
"Oi, didn't I tell you to shut the hell up!" Gajeel yelled with a clubbed limb, swinging it violently at shadows only he could see.
Looking up at the large clock hanging above the guild doors, Mira's patient was starting to run thin. One thing is allowing Cana and Laxus to drink and cause a ruckus until the wee hours of the morning, but Gajeel attacking the air was starting to frighten the new comers. Blocking his famed, but drunken Iron roar, Mira decide that now was a good time to cut him off. Taking a huge breath, she decided it was time the Iron Dragon Slayer should go home and tend to a bottle in solitude, because obviously he wasn't going to play nice. Ripping the half filled mug from his clumsy hands, the demon lady smirked viciously as she kicked the man out of the guild.
"Oi I was still drinking that you witch!" He said pointing to the mug as he laid uncomfortably on the cobble-stone ground, accusing the barmaid of stealing. With a raised eyebrow, she unconsciously shifted to her demon form and drank the rest of the beer. Shaking the mug upside-down she asked what was he drinking, because the mug was obviously empty. Cowering in fear at Demon-Mira, he apologized and ran towards his home, where at least Lily would be waiting.
Trying to focus his red eyes, Gajeel stumbled through the streets of Magnolia until he found himself in front of Lucy's apartment complex. Where was his bunny girl and why would she leave him with all this guilt? Did he actually do something to his beloved friend? His busy mind tried to remember what the alcohol couldn't make him forget, but it was useless.
Poor Gajeel. We remember what you did to Lucy, but we'll never tell. The raven-haired man heard the maddening chanting of shadows torment him.
'Tell me!' Gajeel demanded at the shadows looming around him, but only to be answered with maniacal laughter.
We only listen to Rogue. The voices reminded Gajeel, who they felt was forgetting his place as their tool and not their master.
As the voices ate away at his strength and sanity, Gajeel succumbed to tiredness and collapsed in front of Lucy's apartment building.
Meanwhile at Sabertooth, Sting was caught in the awkward position of scolding his best friend.
"Rogue what the hell is going through that tormented head of yours?" Sting yelled in his office at his confused friend.
Clenching his jaw shut, the one-eyed dragon slayer refused to defend himself, he knew he had lost control. Lowering his head in both disgrace and apology, he just let the silence speak for him. He didn't know what had come over him, he could care less for the blonde woman, but the child and the promises it brought were what drove him. Sting didn't understand, he has always considered normal, and his only vice was emulating his beloved hero Natsu, a cocky little troublemaker, but all were willing to accept him. Rogue on the other hand was starving for human affection, but his magic and cold attitude drove everyone away. Lucy's child was his last attempt to have a meaningful relationship with fellow human, and none would steal this opportunity from him. Lost in thought, Sting continued to scold him, but most of his incoherencies fell on deaf ears.
"When the Sky Dragon come arrives, which should be at any hour now, how were you going to explain yourself? Isn't it enough that Blondie was wrongfully raped and now having that iron idiot's bastard?" Sting yelled frustrated, pacing nervously around his guild mate and friend when he heard a low growl.
From the abyss of his darken face, his blood eye shone maliciously. What did he call our son?A malevolent voice whispered quietly into Rogue's alert ears. Aren't you his destined father? Sting just called him a bastard. Are you really going to let that slide?The voice enticed him further as his claws dug into his palms, itching to draw blood.
Blue eyes glared with authority at the murderous exposed red eye, and the darkness surrounding him slowly dissipated. Breathing in the saving grace of Sting's magic, his dark features soften and he stared back with a light smile, trying to apologize. Sighing at the surge of the malevolent power emitting from his darker counterpart, the Sabertooth guild master understood that it was probably best to keep his hands of Lucy.
'If only she was further along in her pregnancy, if only she was ugly;' Sting thought as he contradicted himself, but the curves on that woman were driving him mad! Rogue was extremely aware at the lustful feelings his friend housed for the mother of his child, but once the child no longer needed its mother, he would willingly give her away. The silence between the two had transition between apologetic, malicious, accepting and now just plain awkward, but the men were caught in their own selfish thoughts excluding each other from their individual goals.
After a few more glares, the door suddenly caught their attention. Rufus came in remembering the beautiful Evergreen and delightful Wendy of Fairy Tail, and alerting them that they had just arrived. Relieved for Lucy they ran to the main corridor and greeted both woman joyfully, but the younger of the two had puffy red eyes, 'Was she crying?' Sting thought quickly as they walked the two to the infirmary. Opening the door, Wendy ran straight for the bed where her beloved guild sister struggled to breathe. Tears cascaded from her golden eyes and both dragons slayers, thought the kid was going a bit overboard. Lucy was still alive and she had the power to heal her, so what was with all the water works? They were going to bring the child back to reality, when Evergreen's eyes literally froze them in place.
Wendy was engulfed in so many emotions, and the last thing the child needed were two intrusive men asking irrelevant questions and worsening the situation. The child had witnessed her beloved sister, be raped by the man she considered a brother and a mentor. She ran to look for Lucy after Charle calmed her down, but it was too late, she had disappeared and it had been all Gajeel's fault. Holding unto Lucy's pale hand, she circulated her healing magic to reduce the fever. Holding the digits to her cheek, her dragon slayer tears washed away the magical poisoning. Tender fingers cupped her cheek as her golden eyes opened and met the familiar warmth of chocolate that she had missed for such a long time. Lucy mouthed 'thank you,' to her beloved little sister, as her hand petted her Levy-remisicent blue hair.
"Good morning Lucy." Golden eyes were opaqued by the even more brilliant smile of her petite savior. Behind stood Ever, who exchanged a small nod and two stone dragon statues. Laughing lightly, Lucy sat up and hugged the small child as she greeted Ever who was on the verge of tears. It had been weeks since she had known anything from the blonde woman and guilt had been eating her alive. Upon further inspection, Ever noticed that Lucy was pale, thinner than what she remembered and dark circles adorned her chocolate eyes, and marred her once perfect porcelain skin. Her magic was abysmally low and just sitting up seem to put a strain on the woman, was Gajeel's unwanted brat really causing her so much harm?
"Ever could you please?" Lucy smiled as she pointed to the two frozen figures in the background.
Bowing her head slightly, the Fairy Medusa complied to her friend's demand and freed the two dragon from their statue states.
"What the hell was that for? I show you hospitality, invite you to my guild and this is how you treat us?" Sting complained, while stretching his stiff muscles, but Rogue just nodded and kept sporting his poker face.
After enjoying the warm embrace of her beloved guild sister, Wendy stood up and demanded silence as she focused her attention to the unborn child. Eating the air around her, the child closed her eyes and focused on the energies in the room. She felt the small tug of Lucy's diminishing Celestial magic, Ever's earth, Rogue's overwhelming shadows and Sting's warm light. Sweat trickled on her brow slightly, as the young mage's mouth opened and closed, gasping for more air as tracking down the traces of iron grew exceptionally difficult. Placing a direct hand on Lucy's abdomen, she could only feel darkness with a faint hint of metal.
'What's this?' Wendy thought as she felt the child eat and repel Lucy's celestial magic, here she saw light and celestial magic merge and hurt the fetus. This caused the child to grow confused, wasn't this child Lucy's? Why are the only things it want darkness and metal? Opening her eyes she looks as everyone around her looks concern for the young dragon slayer. Rogue pulls out a chair and whispers quietly into her ear something that causes her deep concern.
"Lucy are you sure this is Gajeel's child?" The child asks seriously to a bewildered and slightly distraught blonde. Opening her mouth, words refused to come out. Gajeel was the only man to touch her, did her guild sister believe that she was some kind of harlot, did everyone think she had become a questionable woman? Her body trembled, she had never confessed with her mouth the great wrong Gajeel did to her and now here she was being question and she was lost for words.
"Child, you know Lucy, how dare you ask such a horrid question!" Evergreen slapped the girl across the back of her blue head.
Apologizing and not understanding that she was being intensive and quiet rude, she thought maybe she should explain herself.
"I took a look at the the magical cycling of energy from the child, and it does not like celestial or light. I was scanning for iron, but the faint amount is clouded in Rogue's shadows; thus making him as much the progenitor as Gajeel." The child finished as all eyes widen in shock at the declaration.
Everyone was stumped, Rogue and Sting both poured their magic, once, but that would not compromise so much of the child's magic. Something was a miss, and none could resolve it.
"Maybe Poly-" Wendy contemplated out loud when both Lucy and Ever refused. There were just too many people involved and eventually someone would sport the colors of a stool pigeon, indirectly informing Gajeel.
Sting had a bright idea and ran off. Everyone stared at each other scratching their heads, wondering what was running through his usually accessory of a brain. After a couple of moments, he came back with his communication lacrima. 'No...' Lucy thought frustrated as Master Makarov's face showed on the crystal blue orb. Wendy and Sting explained the situation to the sage amongst the greenhorns. With a face of disbelief and with the answers right there he answered indirectly so no one in his guild could decode his observations.
"Obviously it is what it is, but another had consumed darkness, but most of you were not present." Lucy and Wendy were stuck on the parable-like answer, Ever was stuck trying to remember and Sting wanted to cheat using Rufus, but Rogue just grew a sinister smile as his shadows danced possessively around Lucy.
What few in the room knew or remembered, during the Grand Magic Games the former Phantom Lord dragon slayers had battled fiercely. Gajeel, taking a chapter from Natsu's playbook, had consumed Rogue's questionable shadows. Instead of submitting to Gajeel's genetics or magical fingerprint, they worked in a symbiotic relationship, waiting for the impertinent man to lower his guard and consume him in the name of their true master. None controlled the shadows, they only allowed their vessels and slayer to wield their power for their own egotism. Rogue was their favorite puppet and if they could steal from Gajeel and drive the shadow dragon into their possessive control, then they would use the child and Lucy to their malicious advantage.
Rogue you should tell them, we are the father. Gajeel only transferred his genetics, but magically it belongs to us. The voices in his head echoed in the room.
As the shadows conversed on the paternity that Rogue had over Gajeel's son, the others continued to press Makarov for a more accurate answer, when the group saw Laxus barge into the office with Gajeel hanging over his strong shoulder. Immediately, with the sense of doom, the old man terminated the communication, but it wasn't quick enough; Lucy saw the face of the man who had stolen her heart.
Quietly Lucy looked down at her tightening fists. When was the last time she saw him? When was the last time she felt his body against her? And instead of confronting her problems, she ran away from the man who made her heart beat violently for him. Was it fair to use Rogue, when her heart belong to another? She only needed the man for the long gestation period, where she could not provide the amounts of magical energy the child needed; afterward she would disappear with the child and her Celestial Spirits.
Growling loudly, everyone turned their attention to a rather agitated Rogue.
"Hey Rogue, what's up buddy?" Sting asked his angered friend.
With few words, the raven-haired man demanded that everyone leave as he talked privately to the puzzled Celestial Wizard. Once everyone was gone, Rogue locked the door and glared at a now terrified Lucy. Was this quiet indifferent man, the same person she had conversed and ate with a few days ago? What happened in the couple of moments they talked with her guild master? Clueless and curious, she stared in confusion, and he started to laugh uncontrollably.
"You think I can't hear you Ms. Heartfilia? Do you think I'm stupid?" Rogue questioned her as she nervously shook between her sheets. What was he talking about, she hadn't said anything, she only thought about how her life would have been with Gajeel.
Grabbing her wrist tightly, he pulled her off the bed. Staring at her incredulously, he thought she was taking him for a fool. He could hear her thoughts through the darkness and he didn't appreciate her ideas of stealing his child. Whining in pain, Lucy begged to be released and all he could do was stare at the woman who hung from her reddening wrist.
Take her now! If you give her any time, she'll run into his arms. Many voices screamed into his head as her neck seemed to invite him for a quick meal. 'If you don't want me, I'll take you.' Rogue thought seriously as he pinned her to the wall. Lucy's chocolate eyes were filled with terror and fear as she tired to talk sense into the man she was starting to consider a friend. Trembling, and sobbing violently, she felt as his moist tongue ran up and down her neck.
"No! Stop! Please!" Lucy yelled from the top of her lungs as she felt him rip the fabric from her top and cup her right breast as he dug into her neck, injecting her with his shadows.
Busting through the door, Ever, Sting and Wendy tore the ravenous Rogue from the terrified blone. Smacking his friend as hard as he could, Sting growled furiously as he stared at the trembling woman. 'Not again.' Lucy rocked from side to side in the arms of the older woman, who did her best to cover her exposed body, while her heart broke even further into a million fragments.
Glaring at the blood red eye, Wendy concentrated her wind and gave him a powerful blow to his ever smiling jaw. Disgusted with the trickling of her sister's blood on his face, she asked Sting to remove the man from her presence. The Sabertooth guild master lowered his head in apology as he dragged his flailing friend out of the infirmary.
Wendy and Ever were confused at what triggered the man's sudden outburst. Tenderly paying their attention back at the frazzled blonde, Wendy brushed her bangs away and kissed her forehead. Ever picked her back up and placed her on the bed and stared at the mark on her slender neck. Feeling uncomfortable with the staring, Lucy unconsciously brought her shaking hand to the fang marks on her neck. 'What does this mean now?' Lucy quietly thought to herself, as invisible shadows infiltrated her body and fed her hungry child. 'Was this because of Gajeel?' She thought further as her tears cascaded from her chocolate orbs, staining her rosy cheeks.
The young sky dragon was engulfed in rage at the selfish actions of Rogue. Gajeel, could have still righted this wrong, and now she belong to him. Sighing, she patted the blonde head as her heart broke realizing that she had failed to protect her sister again. Ever took her fan out and waved it frantically as she paced and tried to analyzed the situation at hand, but they were interrupted in their awkward silence, by the boisterous activity outside. Apparently Sting didn't have the greatest hold on his friend as they thought.
"Gajeel will never want her now!" Rogue screamed from beyond the door, as Lucy collapsed from the realization she was never born to be loved.