Ch 16 - They found an old blue ribbon
- Strong language later in the chapter but does it matter? -
-A day earlier, around 5:00 pm-
-Sandra and Rimo-
Rimo scuffed his worn sandals on the dirt path.
"Why did we get off at a stop too early?"
"I thought you wanted to get off?"
"That is a different story. I know you'd rather ride on the train. Now tell me, why did we get off at an earlier stop?"
Sandra's cherry red lips froze on her face. "I… don't want to lie to you, Rimo."
"Then don't lie," he said weakly. Sandra looked at him, long and hard. She saw his worsened posture and the drag in his step. For the first time, the woman realized just how broken he was. Broken because of her selfish wants.
Sandra frowned. Rimo was the only person, aside from her dead parents, that she would never intend to hurt. "I… I have eyes in the guild."
Rimo stopped walking. His eyes went dark. "You have a mole in Night Pythoness?"
Sandra nodded. She kept walking.
"Who?" It sounded more like a demand then a question.
"Excuse me?" Sandra stopped walking and turned to face Rimo's fixated figure.
"Who. Is. It," Rimo demanded, stepping closer.
"Does it matter to you?" Sandra purred. "It's not like you know any of them anyway."
Rimo stiffened. He resumed his pace. "Well, why are we getting off at an earlier stop? What did your… informant… say? You can tell me that, right?"
Sandra smiled. "The woman wants to fight me for the guild," she said with a toss of her silky hair.
Rimo scowled. "So? Isn't that what you wanted?"
"Yes, but I thought why not save her the trouble and just gather up my girls without having to hurt her physically in any way?" She turned around and began walking away, feeling sick in the stomach.
Sandra felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders from behind.
"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me. Really." His voice was muffled by Sandra's jacket.
Sandra smiled.
A real smile.
Of course, she didn't have to tell him that nothing would hurt her more then having Night Pythoness being taken away from her right under her nose. Physical pain was nothing compared to that pain. Sandra knew first hand. Her alibi on the other side had told her that she treated her guild mates just like family.
Sandra knew how much it hurt to have your family taken away right in front of you, when there was nothing you could do to help it.
Oh, god, that feeling would harden your heart and then it would shatter it into fragments so small there was no chance of ever bandaging it back up.
Just like it had done to Sandra.
- Magnolia, present time, around 12 am -
- Gray, Erza, Levy, Happy, Wendy, Carla, Mira, Lissana and Elfman -
- The east forest -
"Lucy!"
"Lushee!"
"Lu-chan!"
"Oi! What's goin on, Happy?" Natsu called, strolling down the pathway. Something about his voice seemed… robotic. "Why're you all in the forest? It's really late. Or early. Whichever," he muttered. "And I heard you guys calling for Lucy," he said suspiciously. "Why're you lookin' for her? Where did she go?"
Levy shuffled her feet nervously. "Uh, hey Natsu," she greeted.
Happy flew up to the man nervously. "Natsu… You're not going to like what you're about to hear," Happy whispered. "Lushee…. never came back from the train station."
Natsu eyed the guild members. "What are you saying? Spit it out." His movements were jerky, and he avoided everyone's eye contact, as if looking into their eyes would kill him.
"She never came back," Grey repeated.
Erza quickly reequipped and drew her sword, knowing he was about to blow.
Instead he started laughing. Laughter that was born in his throat and died before it reached his lips. The forced, distorted type of laughter. "Of course she never came back! Obviously, she defeated the wench and is now resting with those girls! She's gonna be tired. Leave her alone, jeez, everyone needs their rest. She's probably just bragging about her victory to the girls," he yelled, being louder then he intended. "Why do you guys worry so much?" He hollered, feeling something weird deep in his stomach.
"Natsu… She's not in the apartment," Gray said gently, knowing this wasn't the time to joke around. Natsu stared at the dark haired mage.
"O-Of course she is, don't fool around, Ice Princess," he stammered. He scuffled around uneasily.
"Natsu-san… We went to the apartment to check on the guild and see if Lucy was maybe done because it was getting late and… well, we were getting worried," Wendy piped in. "We found… this…" Her tiny hand opened to reveal a blue ribbon.
Natsu snatched it away, and he turned his head. He smelled it. "I can't smell anything. How do you know it's hers anyway? She doesn't wear that type of stuff anymore, it could be anyones."
Erza looked down. "It's hers, and you know it," she said harshly. "We can assume she kept it for… memories."
"We don't know where she of the guild are. The only thing we can assume is… the woman must have won," Erza said, for once feeling helpless. She stared down at the ground, not feeling the courage to look into the man's broken eyes.
He knew it, but he forced himself not to believe it. "Don't say it…" Natsu muttered.
"She's…" Erza choked out. Gray turned away. Mira and Lissanna buried their heads in Elfman's chest. Levy hugged Wendy, who was covering her ears, forcing herself not to hear the words that she knew Erza was going to say.
Just two simple words had the power to cut them open where the flesh was the most sensitive. Nobody wanted to hear the words being spoken.
Somehow… it made it seem all the more real.
Natsu fell to his knees, his eyes burning. He felt like throwing up. "Don't," he whispered brokenly.
Erza knew she had to get it out. "She's dead, Natsu," she stated flatly. It was like someone shot a bullet right to his chest. Her words were stone cold. She said it like she was reading it from a script, expressionless and wooden. Her eyes were lifeless, but tears flowed freely down her cheeks, dripping to the floor.
Wendy began sobbing uncontrollably into Levy's dress. Levy held the girl tightly, crying silently. She didn't want to make the girl feel worse.
Mira and Lissanna both weeped into Elfman's chest. Elfman's eyes were glassy and he was whispering to himself, 'Men don't cry, men don't cry, men don't cry…' He repeated the same phrase, like a chant.
Then Gray. Standing alone, facing away from the party. He tried desperately to remain stoic, but his eyes were a dam that threatened to burst. One hand over his mouth, and the other shoved in his pocket. A wooden statue.
And then there was Natsu.
Crouched in a ball on the ground, trying desperately, so hopelessly to control his emotions.
He didn't remain that way for long.
"You don't have to be dead…" he whispered, "to be dead inside."
Erza wiped the tears from her face, but her eyes remained glassy. "…What?"
Slowly, he looked up. His eyes glowed red. Tears flowed freely down his angered face; his eyes looked like a melting sun. "Shit…" Gray muttered.
Instantly, the guild braced themselves, drying tears from their eyes. It wasn't the time to cry, not yet.
None of them expected it to be that strong.
It was like his entire heart exploded, razor-edged tiny fragments flying everywhere.
"I TOLD YOU. I TOLD YOU NOT TO SAY IT," he roared, fire spewing out of his mouth.
"Natsu! Control yourself!" Erza demanded as Mira transformed into her Satan's Soul. 'Natsu is broken hearted… He's fuelled by his anger,' Erza thought.
"Why? Why? Why!? WHY?!" He screamed. His body burst into flames. "I'll kill that bitch! I'll fucking kill her!" He bellowed. He began shooting flames everywhere blindly. Levy and Wendy quickly got out of harm's way, with Happy's help.
"Natsu…" Happy exclaimed worriedly.
"Natsu! Get yourself together!" Mira yelled, going in for an attack.
Natsu's head snapped up, looking like a rabid animal going in for the kill. Mira suddenly realized that this was a fight that she couldn't win. Not with this form, at least. She barely managed to dodge his enhanced attack.
"Ice Make: Cage!" Gray yelled. A large cage materialized around Natsu. Natsu screamed in anger, bashing himself repeatedly against the ice cage.
"Shit… That's not gonna hold for long," he muttered, noticing the cage rapidly melting as cracks bloomed across the ice. "Erza! You gotta do something!"
"I have a plan!" She assured him. "Mira, do it now!" Mira nodded firmly, starting her transformation.
Natsu wasn't just an animal.
He was a caged animal, and he wanted to get out. He screamed incomprehensible words and phrases, throwing himself against the cage, unaware of the bruises and cuts he was getting while doing so. Tears bled from his eyes.
"Mira…?! Whatever you're gonna do, you better do it now!" Gray shouted, eyeing the splitting cage.
Mira nodded quickly and began to transform.
'She's gonna transform into Lucy,' Grey realized. 'Damn… it feels slightly immoral but it's a good plan… It's really the only thing we can do for him right now…'
The cage gave way just as a familiar voice began to speak. A woman with short blonde hair and a dark leather jacket appeared. 'Jeez, transformation is pretty handy,' Gray snickered, despite an enraged Natsu on the verge of killing them all.
"I'm here, Natsu."
The flames dispersed almost as instantly as it started. "Lu…cy…?" He choked out, his voice sore from the constant screaming. He breathed heavily. He dragged his way up to the blonde woman. The glow in his eyes slowly died out.
"I'm here…" She repeated.
His mouth turned up in a relieved smile. "Th… Thank Mavis… I… I thought you were really gone for a while there," he chuckled sadly, placing both hands on the woman's cheeks. He pressed his forehead against hers. The woman smiled sadly.
"I'm going to have to leave soon…" She murmured. "I'm sorry, but I have to do this…"
"Eh?"
He fell to the forest floor, knocked out cold.
Gray gulped. He squatted down in front of the mage, peering at him suspiciously. He poked his forehead and then braced himself. Luckily, the man didn't stir. Gray breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god we got rid of that dumbass," Gray muttered.
He hopped up and turned to face Lucy, or Mira. "Thanks Mira. You really saved our hides back there. I think he's out, you can change back now," he said, throwing a limp Natsu over his shoulder.
She looked down to the ground.
"Mira-nee? What's wrong?" Lisanna asked worriedly.
"Guys…" A silvery voice whispered from behind them. Lisanna recognized the voice instantly.
She would know, because it was her sister.
"Guys…" She said again. "I'm over here…" Mira said numbly, standing behind everyone.
Gray, Erza, Levy, Happy, Wendy, Carla, Mira, Lissana and Elfman turned toward the silvery voice.
Gray slowly turned toward the blonde woman as realization hit the guild members.
"I'm not dead, you idiots."
- Shortly after -
"Wow. We really are idiots," Gray blurted, dropping Natsu. Erza stomped on his foot, noticing the distressed look on Lucy's face.
"We're glad to have you back, Lucy," Erza smiled.
"Lushee…!" Happy wailed. "I thought you were gone! I'm so happy, Lushee!"
Mira wiped tears from her eyes. "That was quite surprising."
Carla smiled, hugging Wendy. "We… We really thought you were gone for a sec there."
They continued their ecstatic rejoicing until Lucy finally let her façade crack.
"Why're you so… happy?" Lucy whispered.
Levy smiled brightly. "O-of course we're happy! I mean, you're here now, right?" She said desperately. "Everything's gonna be grea-"
"My guild is gone," she muttered. "So tell me: Why the hell are you so happy?"
Levy stopped. "H-huh?"
Lucy looked up, tempestuous rage boiling in her eyes. "Get out of my way," she whispered.
They were shocked at this sudden change of attitude. She wasn't even crying.
Happy laughed nervously. "What's wrong, Lucy?" He shuffled his feet on the forest floor.
"I lost them! Right under my fucking nose!" She screamed. "They depended on me, and I lost them!"
Gray grabbed Lucy's shoulders, shaking her. "It wasn't your fault, Lucy. Somebody in Night Pythoness must have been working with whoever that lady was," he insisted. "It wasn't your fault," he finished firmly, but her ears were deaf to his words.
Lucy threw him off with surprising force. "Stop feeding me your sympathy! I know all you ever did was pity me! Right from the fucking beginning!" She cried. "It was all my fault! Everything is my fault," she shouted.
Levy let her slim shoulders slump, already feeling defeated. "It's not your fau-"
"SHUT UP," Lucy shrieked. "Stop saying that it's not my fault! I wanted to get back at her; I wanted to fight her! We should have just fucking ran! Oh, my god, what have I done?" Her voice cracked. Her legs collapsed beneath her as she buried her face in her hands.
"I gotta go get them back…" She mumbled. "I gotta save them…" She was no longer explosive mess she was a couple seconds ago. She was just… broken.
Nobody dared say anything, and all you could hear was the occasional tweeting of birds and the breeze whistling in your ears.
Until a sharp, high whistle severed the blanket of silence.
A pair of emerald eyes appeared.
Erza knew what this meant. "You can't go looking for them in that state!" She exclaimed.
Lucy stared right into Erza's eyes. Erza blinked, disbelief clouding her.
Why? There was not one ounce of emotion in those eyes. They were a cold, dead brown.
She silently climbed atop Emerald, who looked slightly confused.
Levy started to protest but Gray stopped her. "She's done," he whispered.
"We can't just give up on her!" Wendy exclaimed. "We can get her back!"
Erza stepped in. "We're not giving up," she muttered.
"We're letting her go," Mira finished.
A breeze blew on them as Emerald streaked away.
"W-what's going on…?"
Gray glanced at the body on the ground. How were they going to break the news to him?
"Natsu. You feelin' alright?"