Chapter 6
Trees blurred by as she ran gracefully through the tangled forest, creating a wall of evergreen and brown. Soaring over thick uprooted claws, digging their way out of the earth. She effortlessly caught ahold of vines, extending the lengths of her jumps. Her heavy, even breaths were the only thing she could hear. The path she took was worn with heavy traffic these days. An unfamiliar rumbling could be felt from the ground as she trekked closed to the opening of the trail. Boulders tumbled downhill towards her as she pressed on. Light began to encompass her right hand as she formed it into a tight fist. With the fast-approaching boulder, she increased her speed to match the tempo in her head. At the last possible moment until impact, she thrust her alit fist forward, splintering the boulder as she passed by. Several similar rocks barreled down the hill, each one meeting its own unfortunate demise as she swiftly broke through them. Making sure not to fall into the well-hidden traps scattered among the course, she slowly made her way to the finish line. Jogging to the edge of her training camp, she slowly eased her body to a walk, stopping at the literal ledge of the mountain they were currently occupying.
Lean arms extended above her head, stretching out her well worked muscles. Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, trying to calm down after the difficult course. Toned thighs quivered with energy while sculpted calves burned from exertion. Her pink shirt inched up with the rise of her arms, revealing the faint outlines of her newly achieved abs. No longer was she the squishy, soft girl who had little knowledge of physical combat. Now she stood, a strong, swift woman who could take on three of her toughest spirits in combat and win. Here, overlooking the valley that stretched from the mounts summit, she gazed, hoping that her family was safe and well. Not a day went by without a thought of them. Not a night passed that she didn't lie awake in her cot, wishing she could be with them again. But she couldn't, not yet at least.
Eight months. Thirty-two weeks she has been away from those she loves. Two hundred and twenty-four days she has trained, determined to be stronger; to be all that she could be, hoping it will be enough in the end. Having the guidance from her faithful spirits, she mastered the caster form of Celestial magic, Celestial Body. As well as learned the fundamentals of elemental control. The King disclosed crucial information about the keys they sought after, divulging that they were elemental spirits taking on the properties of the main four earthly elements: Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. With this new knowledge, they started on her elemental training, hoping to get the most basic of control over them.
Every day began with meditation, trying to expand her magic vessels, she would need as much as she could get in the grand scheme of things. Obstacle courses were made daily thanks to Virgo and Gemini, each day being harder than the last. Training lasted all day, there was no rest for her weary soul. Each week she learned a new spell or technique thanks to Crux. Loke and Taurus covered her combat training, with the occasional help from Capricorn. He always challenged her strategic abilities and stressed the importance of fighting alongside her spirits, while using her own caster abilities. His goal was to drain her of her magic and build her up to be stronger for the next onslaught.
As the sun descended in the western horizon, Lucy sat on the mountains ledge embracing the reverie from the past eight months. She gazed out at the sprawling valley and the small villages and towns scattered about in the distance. The sky was painted with vibrant oranges and wisps of salmon. She missed that color and what had accompanied. Now, with dimmer memories, his smile seemed duller now as she thought back. She couldn't see the spark in his eyes anymore. Salmon, a color she never thought that she would have longed to see. She smiled, to engrossed in her thoughts and the warmth they brought to notice the change in colors.
With the last sliver of sun lingering above the horizon, its orange nature turned a menacing red. Comfort washed over her as she bathed in the ominous glow. She was never intimidated by the shade, but instead felt compassion. Relief swallowed her in a warm embrace, silencing her troublesome worries. She knew her family was in safe hands, she had no doubts about that. With a content sigh, she lay back on the grass, relaxing from this rollercoaster of emotions.
Slowly opening her eyes, she stared at the night sky. The stars clearly shining from the altitude she resided. She felt, weary, something just didn't sit well in her heart. When she looked at the galaxy presented before her, she didn't feel at home like she once did. She stirred to motion, stretching her laxed limbs before slowly making her way towards camp; conflicting emotions plagued her mind all the while. She weaved her way through the site, unconsciously guided to her tent. Once in the safety of her temporary abode, she stripped herself of her soiled garments from today's training. Still lost in her thoughts, she redressed herself, not caring about of her appearances. Finally relaxing onto her makeshift bed, Lucy came to her conclusions.
"Lucy?" Called a feminine voice from outside her tent. Lilisaundra tentatively entered, searching for the young adult. Upon laying her eyes on her, a small grin spread on Lilisaundra's face. "If I could steal a moment of your time Miss Lucy. I have been meaning to talk to you about this whole ordeal. I noticed that you seemed rather distant these past few days-"
"I feel as though the King has made a mistake in picking me." Lucy interrupted, taking the chance to voice her concerns in her abilities.
Lilisaundra was silent for a couple of minutes as she decided her words carefully. "Do you know much about your lineage, Lucy?" Lucy shook her head solemnly, ashamed that she didn't know more about her mother and grandmothers. "Let's go for a walk then." Answered Lilisaundra.
They strolled around the perimeter of the training site set up by the spirits. Nearing a ledge that overlooked the valley below, they slowed their pace to a halt, admiring the vista.
"You come from a line of fiercely strong mages Lucy." Started Lilisaundra. "Your great great grandmother, or something like that, was the start of it all. Centuries ago, Anna single handedly wielded all twelve zodiacs. She was the strongest Celestial mage of her time. It is told that she had defeated the dark mage by the name of Acnologia on several occasions, before he turned into a dragon and sorts. She was a remarkable person with a heart of gold and an unbreakable will. This is where your lineage began Lucy. Now your mother, Layla was almost as strong as Anna, but there were physical limits that she could not overcome. Her untimely departure was unfortunate, and I am sorry for your loss, but she gave way to something magnificent. You, Lucy." Lilisaundra spoke never once looking at Lucy. Keeping her gaze steady on the horizon.
"What the legends don't tell of is Lynne, Anna's younger sister." She continued, not missing a beat in her storytelling. "Lynne was an exceptional requip mage, her expertise was the knight, but was able to use many weapons, much like your friend with the scarlet hair. Those two were an unbeatable duo, doing everything together. Until one mission went slightly awry. From my knowledge, Anna's gates wouldn't completely close for an extended period of time. It wasn't until they were in the middle of a particularly hard battle that she couldn't use some of her gates altogether. Severely injured, Anna slipped into a comatose state. Months had passed before Lynne found help from an unexpected source. It's rumored that the Celestial King appeared to her late in the night, begging for her help. Speaking of dark unknown forces attacking their world. Also, explaining that if Anna remained in her current state any longer, she would expire. Lynne, willing to do whatever it took to save her sister, accepted the Kings request to save the Celestial Realm. That night, Lynne was transported into the realm. The king bestowed his trust in her and gave her the title of The Celestial Knight.
"With her new title and enhanced power granted by the stars themselves, Lynne gave her life in order to restore Anna's." pausing to look at Lucy, Lilisaundra took a deep breath. "You are immensely strong for such a young mage. You have the capability of surpassing Anna, eventually. We didn't make a mistake in choosing you. I know you have the passion, determination and abilities to get this done. If not for you and your want to get stronger; but to protect the ones you love. Look at me Lucy," she said. Emerald eyes pierced into Lucy's chocolate ones, trying to convey all the emotions she felt to the young girl. "You can do this Lucy. Believe in yourself."
Lucy didn't pay attention to the tears silently making their way down her stoic face.
Deep, heavy breaths were the only sound within the infirmary at Fairy Tail. Natsu, along with the rest of Team Natsu were sleeping soundly in medically induced comas. Porlyusica was bustling around hurriedly, making sure her patients had the proper doses of her remedies. Master Makarov sat quietly on a spare chair, waiting for Porlyusica to finish her rounds.
"Sleep would be a good thing for you to do instead of pestering me with your questions." Porlyusica stated from across the room while recording Erza's temperature.
"No."
"Worrying about them now is absurd. They aren't in danger any more. Your other members need you Macky. Go see them." She sympathized.
Nothing had been easy these past months. Hours after the statues reveal and memorial, Natsu rushed to tell Master of what he remembered. Though it was little, it was the sign they were looking for. With Lily and Charle charged with informing Porlyusica, Master had Warren contact the rest of Team Natsu and send them to the infirmary immediately. Once the entire team was present Master and the recently informed Porlyusica entered the room.
Porlyusica strode to the fireplace located on the right side of the room without a single word. There she started boiling water in a sizeable cauldron, adding seemingly random ingredient to all but her. While all eyes were on her back, Master paced before them.
"Due to Natsu's break through, Porlyusica and I have decided on a course of action, which she is concocting as I speak." Master stated. "First, you will all drink whatever she gives you, no questions asked. Then, you will all lay down in a bed in this room. That is all we ask of you."
Questions rose at Masters request. Though odd, this was their only foreseeable option to find Lucy. Each face set with determination as they reached their own conclusion. "We trust you Master. If this brings us one step closer to finding Lucy, we will do it." Erza settled.
"Please, go settle any lose ends that you may have today. Warren will be in contact for when you all must return." Master dismissed them, grateful that they were being cooperative. "How long will they be under?" he quietly asked Porlyusica, hope the answer to be relatively short.
"Four months." Stated the healer, not fazed by Makarovs dismayed sigh. Even though they cause an outrageous amount of trouble, He worried about their wellbeing while sedated. This was not the ideal way of going about unlocking their memories, but it was the only one that came.
Makarov steeled his nerves, they are strong, they will pull through this. They will find Lucy, no matter what. He strode out of the infirmary toward his office, Mest needed to know what was taking place. Busying himself with mindless tasks was his coping mechanism, needless to say, a lot of overdue paper work will be done in the next four months.
As Makarov sat behind his desk working on the latest requests and missions, Mira strode in with a tray in hand. Bringing Master his lunch became a normal thing over the last four months. "Porlyusica said that they should wake up any day now. It will be nice to hear their voices again. Four months is too long without a full out guild brawl." She chattered. The silence was always defining in Masters office. She felt compelled to fill it with mindless chatter as a distraction. With the most recent news however, talk about the team had been nonstop.
"I ordered about three large strawberry cakes for Erza and doubled everything in the pantry just to quell Natsu's extreme hunger. I can already tell the rest of the guild is buzzing with questions and excitement. Juvia can't wait to-"sudden cursing and the sound of water rushing stopped Mira mid rambling. After a missed beat, both Makarov and Mira sprang into action, heading straight for the infirmary.
The door blew off its hinges as a sudden gust of wind and extreme heat flooded out of the room. Both mages stood stock still as the door flew by. Peering around the corner, half expecting the team members to have awoken in a fury, they were not disappointed. AS they stepped into the room, they gazed at the sleeping figures. Each glowing their own specific color. Porlyusica stepped towards the door, joining Makarov and Mira who stood speechless.
"I can't easy this process, I can't alter their emotions. We are just gonna have to ride this phase out, let them work it out of their systems." Porlyusica spoke, sharing all that she knows about their current situation. Bright lights encompassed the room, revealing blades stuck in ceiling. Creaking was heard from the opposite side, steel frame melting under Natsu from the tremendous heat he exuded. Whirling wind threw objects across the room at random intervals, all originating from where Wendy lay. A thin sheet of ice instantly covered the floor, even extending out of the infirmary room. "At this rate the room will be destroyed in a matter of minutes. I'm not sure what we can do to contain them." Murmured the healer to no one in particular.
Just as sudden as it appeared, the commotion stopped. Within a minute of no power surges, slowly the mages started to wake up. Wendy and Gray bolted upright first, panting heavily as reality slowly set in. Erza woke shortly after, panic written all over her face. These new found memories were not joyous ones to say the least. But rather perplexing in nature for the awake mages.
Dark red flames licked the frame and wall in waves, not caring who was near. Natsu lay, eyes wide open, tears flowing steadily out of them. He sat up slowly, easing himself over the beds edge. Sadness coated every inch of his expressive face. His hands trembled with fear and anger. All the while his flames growing brighter and bigger. Natsu trudged his way out of the infirmary, not hearing the calls of his family. Making his way down the staircase into the large hall, all eyes fell upon him. Natsu did not recognize the faces he saw. Pleadingly, he gazed at the faces looking for one in particular. When no golden locks were to be seen, he realized that his worst nightmare was true.
Slowly, Natsu disregarded the calls of his family. Looking forward, he made his way out of the guild, closing the doors behind him softly.
