Sorry for the delay in an update! It sort of snuck up on us! That being said, Kytrin and I have great news! Golem is totally finished! We have ALL the chapters pre-written! So hurrah!
THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post (if one of your authors just can learn to be punctual for once.)
CHAPTER 12
Wyvern
This creature is often mistaken as a bad omen. It is actually very rare and is considered a good omen and very lucky.
It wasn't hard for Jellal or the others to follow the sounds of fighting after finding the last of Natsu's marks. The demon hadn't exactly been subtle in either his passage or in the obvious explosions happening further away.
Of course, arriving on the scene it was clear that if nothing else Natsu would have no problem fitting in with the rest of Fairy Tail. The street looked like a war zone, and though Lucy was doing her best to protect the civilians caught in the middle the primary combatants weren't making it easy for her.
To make matters worse, they were attracting attention in the form of more Rune Knights. They needed to nip this in the bud, and quickly, or they'd be overrun.
"Erza..." Jellal murmured, and his girlfriend nodded as she stepped up and requipped, "Come Gajeel!" She commanded, "Let's help Natsu finish this!"
"Tch, runt's doing fine on his own." Gajeel grumbled, but followed after her anyway, a slightly impressed look on his face now that he wasn't the one on the receiving end of demonic fury.
Jellal, meanwhile, made his way over to where Lucy was working frantically against the Knights that had gotten past Natsu's defenses.
He walked calmly, which was perhaps even more terrifying than the puffing and posturing going on all around them, and paused just outside the cluster of Knights. He cocked his head slightly as he considered them, looking completely unconcerned about the potential danger, and turned his attention to Lucy.
"This is becoming a habit Ms. Heartfilia." He told her with a hint of amusement as a bright magic circle flared under his feet and the Knights began to converge on him, "I think after this we should sit down and have a nice long talk about some things. But for the moment..."
Lucy blinked and suddenly Jellal was a flash of light as he sped through the ranks sending them flying. Lucy had never seen a spell like it, and she nearly jumped out of her skin when he suddenly appeared next to her with the Knights all on the ground groaning.
"Let's deal with the trash trying to capture you and Natsu shall we?" He asked her, a slightly mischievous smirk tugging at his lips.
The Knights who had all gathered, suddenly found the tide of the fight shifting out of their favor. Even with Natsu and Lucy fighting on their own, and the additional help of Fairy Tail, there was a factor none had taken into account.
The people, who had all been drawn out by the sounds of fighting, began to flood in the streets at the sight of Fairy Tail arriving.
And suddenly, it wasn't just a fight against a demon, a rogue guild, and a traitor the Knights were dealing with.
No, instead they were forced to contend with everyone from the lower slums as they rallied around Fairy Tail.
They weren't the most effective against the well equipped guard, but the people grabbed whatever weapon they could fashion and took to the streets. Where they were lacking in skill and magic, they made up for in numbers and sheer determination. Especially with a magical guild backing them up.
Soon, Lucy was stunned to see the Magic Knights unable to progress any further out of fear of being overrun. Having no other choice, they abandoned the fight and broke ranks, fleeing back to the safety of the Upper Quadrants.
Lucy had no words for what she had just witnessed, even as Natsu approached her, dragging the body of Bora behind him as he prowled forward.
He dropped him in front of her as if he were presenting her with a present. Natsu looked a little grumpy still, but she suspected it was because she had prevented him from going all out on their enemies.
His eyes were falling over her, trying to pick out whether she was hurt and he reached out with one hand to touch her shoulder.
"You okay?" He growled quietly.
Lucy nodded, a myriad of emotions rushing through her. Relief that the battle was over. Worry about Natsu even though he looked fine. Shock that the Knights had been driven off like they had. And bewildered fear over Fairy Tail's appearance.
"I don't think you really are Lucy." Jellal murmured, catching her wide eyed look with a gentle, and knowing, look of his own, "You look like a woman who has had far too many shocks recently."
"I..." Lucy started, but trailed off, not really sure how to reply.
Jellal nodded and gently nudged her towards Bora's charred and groaning body, "You should relieve him of his orders and other documents now." He told her, "While you can verify with your own eyes that they haven't been tampered with by any of us."
Lucy stared at him for a long moment, confusion written on her face, "You're..." She licked her lips, "You're not going to drag us back to Fairy Tail?"
Indignation crossed Gajeel and Erza's faces, but Jellal held up his hand to cut off their comments, "No Lucy." He replied softly, his eyes meeting hers intently, "We aren't what you think we are. We will not force you and Natsu back if you don't want to go. We came because Gray is frantic with worry, but wouldn't break his promise to you."
Tears sprang up in her eyes at the mention of Gray, "Then what do you want from me?" She asked, a hint of hysteria in her voice, "I don't understand! Don't guilds always want something?"
"We would like to be your friends." Erza spoke up, a smile lighting her face as she understood what her lover was doing, "Truly. We've heard a great many stories about you, and we've seen your efforts. You don't know how much your charities have been appreciated here."
Lucy flushed and shifted awkwardly, "I wanted to help." She mumbled, "That's all."
"We know that." Jellal spoke up again, his voice still soft and gentle, "Which is why we helped you in turn. It was the least we could do. And you have a place with us for as long as you want one. You and Natsu both." His lips twitched, "Just please, the next time you decide to leave for a while, let Gray know?"
Lucy glanced at Natsu, who was grinning broadly, even proudly, at her, and she shook her head, "I don't understand Fairy Tail." She sighed, a hint of a smile on her lips, "You don't do anything like I expect, and you make no sense."
She hesitated for a moment, visibly gathering herself, "But..." She looked at Natsu again, "Maybe I could try to understand?"
She was too wary to commit herself fully, but maybe... just maybe... Fairy Tail would prove to be the exception.
Of course she was saved from making any real decision when she noticed Natsu picking Bora up by his ankles and shaking him upside down.
"What's the runt doin'?" Gajeel asked, crossing his arms as loose change and papers fell out from Bora's cloak.
"Natsu what are you doing!" Lucy grabbed onto the distraction with both hands, "Let him go!"
Immediately she regretted the order as Natsu released Bora in mid-shake, causing the Knight to land face first on the cement.
He pouted at Lucy, looking a little affronted over being stopped, "I was trying to find a souvenir!"
Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose, suddenly feeling very tired now, "And why exactly would you need one?"
Natsu just opened his mouth and closed it, a flicker of confusion flashing over his face before he frowned and shrugged. He shook his head, not really having an answer for her.
"I don't know," He grumbled.
Gajeel's eyes narrowed on Natsu as he picked up a shiny necklace from the ground and wrapped it around his wrist a couple of times. He cleared his throat sharply, his eyes flickering away from the demon and back to Lucy.
"Alright girlie, we're heading back to the guild. You know where to find us if you want a piece of us," He flashed Natsu one last look before he took his leave.
Another portion of Fairy Tail took after his example and departed as well, leaving only Erza and Jellal.
Erza lifted her hand to Lucy and smiled at her, "Best of luck to you, whatever you decide."
Lucy stared at them in confusion. Hadn't she agreed to go back with them? Why were they saying goodbye?
Jellal chuckled softly, "The fact that you're considering giving us a fair chance doesn't mean you're forced to stay with us. Most of us don't live at the guild hall either." He flashed her a knowing look, "You're a wealthy, intelligent, woman Lucy. I'm certain you don't need us in every aspect of your life now that Natsu is healed."
Lucy's head spun. They were giving her freedom? Despite what had happened just now? She could really come and go as she liked?
"I... understand." She said slowly, and a slow, genuine, smile curled at her lips, "So... uh... we'll see you tomorrow? I guess?"
She felt more than a little awkward asking that, but she'd dealt with structure her whole life in one form or another. Having freedom, real freedom, was a strange and almost alien concept to her. She almost didn't know what to do with herself at the idea she could come and go as she pleased. Knight patrols not withstanding.
Erza and Jellal both smiled broadly, "We look forward to it Lucy." Erza replied as they headed off.
Lucy looked at Natsu, "We should go too." She told him, "I don't want to tempt fate before we get home."
Home.
Her safe house wasn't meant as one, but she could very easily see it becoming one, and the idea felt good. Better than she'd ever expected.
She bent down and picked up all the stray papers Natsu's unorthodox searching had produced, "I'll just be taking these Bora." She told the man primly and stepped over his body.
His groan of, "Not fair..." was ignored.
"So... where are we going?" Natsu asked curiously as they moved away.
"I have a place." Lucy admitted quietly, "It's a safe house I built a while back. I never thought I'd actually need it, but..."
So it turned out her original plan was the same one she would be sticking to. Tucking the papers she got from Bora under her arm to look at later, she grasped Natsu's hand, eyeing the golden chain he had picked up with vague interest.
With as much as had gone down, she wasn't about to scold him for stealing. Especially not from a creep like Bora.
So she guided him out of the lower quadrant of the city and closer to the upper crust. Strawberry Street was a distinct step up from the slums where Fairy Tail was located even if it wasn't quite the level she was used to.
Lucy had been born and bred in the upper class after all. But as far as safety went, this was a perfect location for their needs since it was neither too wealthy nor too poor.
She found the key easily and stepped aside for Natsu to walk in first. Immediately he took to sniffing every surface, his head swiveling around him as he looked at his surroundings with rapt attention.
Lucy smiled at the action, a lot of tension bleeding out of her just by being in her own space. She wasn't a prisoner of Fairy Tail, and yet was somehow still on good terms with them, and that alone did a lot to ease her mind about their intentions.
She giggled a little as Natsu began inspecting the kitchen, "It's fully stocked." She told him in amusement, "Theoretically I have enough non-perishable supplies for the next six months. Though with your appetite that's debatable."
She stretched a little, something resembling actual happiness creeping into her, "How about some chicken and rice?" She asked as she wandered in to join him, "It may not be up to Mira's standards, but I snuck all the cooking lessons I could from the chef when I was little."
She smiled as she nudged him aside and began rummaging through the cabinets and freezer. She'd spent a small fortune replacing frozen meat and things as they'd gone bad, but at the moment it was entirely worth the effort.
She dropped the frozen packet in his hands, "Can you thaw that out without cooking it?" She asked hopefully.
Natsu snorted at the implied order tugging at him, and wandered over to the sink, "Yeah, yeah... use me as a heater why don't you?" He mock-grumbled.
"You shouldn't give me ideas." Lucy smirked, "When you're done there's a bunch of matches by the fireplace and some logs. Feel free to eat while this cooks."
Natsu's excitement of getting to eat flames made him almost set the meat on fire. It was only because of Lucy's temperature control in her order that he didn't roast the chicken.
Instead he ran his hands over the chicken to defrost and let the water drip in the sink as the ice melted away. He snuck a glance at Lucy every now and then, almost surprised by her good mood.
He had to admit, this was a very nice place. Much better than her quarters in the Knight Halls even if those were exceedingly more lavish.
Natsu felt more at home in the rough grit of Fairy Tail, after all he had spent the better portion of four hundred years trapped behind a stone wall - or so Lucy said.
But this little home seemed just right for Lucy.
She looked happy, which was more than he could say to her mood when they had left.
Or since he had turned her entire life upside down.
As much as he liked his mistress, he wished he wasn't bound to her. Lucy's life had been thrown into so much turmoil and danger just because of him. As much as he would have happily remained at her side, he couldn't help but feel a guilty twist in his chest over how things were so wildly out of both of their control.
This seemed at least a little normal for her.
Natsu was grateful for the small miracle for what it was.
Lucy paid little attention to Natsu's eyes watching her as she cooked, though she was aware of them. When everything was finally set to simmer she quickly cleaned up and looked over at him, "You must think it's odd huh?"
Natsu cocked his head curiously mid-bite, "What do you mean?"
Lucy shrugged as she prowled over to join him, "I mean me." She clarified as she sat down, "I know I haven't exactly been the easiest to get along with lately. I resented being bonded to you, and I know that I haven't exactly been rational where Fairy Tail is involved either."
Natsu noticed her use of the past tense, and felt a small surge of hope that maybe she didn't resent things now. It was hard to tell with her. He could sense powerful feelings from her, but she was disciplined enough that he couldn't always tell what she felt, and so what she wanted.
"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Bora's papers contained confirmation of what you told me." Lucy continued oblivious to his thoughts, and sighed a little sadly, "You're about the last person that has any reason to lie to me. It's hard thinking that something I dedicated my life to could be that corrupt."
She eyed him, "About as hard as thinking maybe I was wrong about a guild. But now we're here, and we have the freedom to decide for ourselves what we want to do and how we want to do it despite all the problems around us." She smiled, "And that's what makes me happy. This place is ours and we can work freely now."
She shrugged a little sheepishly, "I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm starting to see things aren't what I think they are, and maybe we could start over a little?" She held out her hand to him, "As friends and partners?"
Natsu looked at her with such an odd expression on his face she was certain she had said something strange.
"But we can't," Natsu said in confusion that seemed to deepen on his face. He stared at her hand like it were a foreign appendage.
"You're my mistress," Natsu said as if that explained everything, "I'm not-..."
His frowned deepened as he struggled for the words he couldn't quite grasp.
"I don't know how?" He asked.
Lucy's expression cleared after Natsu was finished fumbling. She kept forgetting thanks to how much progress he had made in such a short amount of time, that there was much he didn't know.
And even more than what he was allowed to experience.
Lucy wondered how deeply Natsu could feel.
She set her hands on his wrists, knowing he was a physical person and leaned towards him, "I know you have this innate desire to protect me, but I'll fight right by your side."
"Even though you have to listen to me, you and I are equals. Okay? And that makes us friends," Lucy said with a patience that made him blink.
He smiled, hesitance in his eyes that followed a flicker of hope.
"Friends," he repeated.
Lucy nodded, happy he seemed to be understanding, "This is your home and I'm your friend."
Natsu looked mystified at that, his lips curling into a dopey smile.
"I've never had anything before," he breathed in awe.
Lucy's heart clenched a little at both the sight of his amazement, and the fact that he was wearing it over something so small and basic. Had she really been so caught up on her own prejudices and problems that she'd missed that?
How ironic was it that having the simple option to come and go as she pleased had done more to shake the blinders from her eyes than all of Gray's pleading over the past few days?
She silently resolved to do better in the future and smiled at him, "This only the beginning." She promised him, "I'm going to do my best to show you everything you've been missing."
She plucked at his shirt playfully, "Maybe tomorrow we can do some clothes shopping with the other stuff we have to pick up, and you can learn how to pick out clothes you actually like!"
Natsu cocked his head in confusion, "Why does it matter what I like?" He asked innocently, "You're my mistress."
Lucy nodded, "Yes, but that doesn't mean you're my clone Natsu." She tapped his temple gently, "Your thoughts are your own. Your knowledge is your own. And your perceptions are your own. You might try to cater to my perceptions and needs, but that doesn't mean we align."
She smiled, "You're allowed to have your own tastes in food or clothing or anything really. I won't punish you for liking something different from me." She smirked, "Though I reserve the right to give you my opinion, they're still your preferences and you have a right to them. Do you understand?"
Natsu wasn't sure that he did. The concept of having his own preferences for anything was strange. He didn't know what he liked and what he didn't except for Lucy and maybe Fairy Tail.
"How do I know what I like?" He asked confusedly, and Lucy laughed softly.
"You only find that out by experiencing something." She grinned, "And we'll get started on giving you new experiences tomorrow."
She could tell she would have to take this slow. She remembered how confused he'd always appeared over the concept of a want. Maybe by helping him figure out that he liked some things would help her shift into the idea of did he desire one thing over another.
It was only one more problem to add on top of an already hefty pile, but to her it was perhaps the most important one. She'd defied, and even betrayed, the Knights because he'd proved he was a sentient being under the blank exterior. And she knew the if there was any hope of them surviving in the days and weeks ahead until the problem with the council was dealt with one way or the other... he would have to become the most complete person he could.
Which meant it was up to her to teach him what everyone else took for granted.
Maybe that would be a good test project for Fairy Tail to help with?
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30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK
When Lucy woke up the next morning, all she could see was pink.
Natsu, with all his wild hair was crouched down next to her bed and watching her sleep with such an intensity she thought her head was going to explode.
To her credit, she didn't scream.
"Natsu what are you doing so close to my face at-" she stole a quick glance at her clock, "six in the morning?"
His smile only widened on her, his eyes obscured by the long fringe of his hair that fell in untamed locks around his face. He really needed a haircut soon.
"You said we were going to do fun things today. I've been waiting for you to get up!" He breathed in an energetic rush.
