Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima
She was prepared for it, but she still couldn't help but be slightly freaked out.
She'd already packed her bags before she left for the guild, so she had grabbed them, looked around her apartment, and left.
Then, she'd headed for the town of Lupinus.
It'd been a long ride that'd taken about 2 days on the train, giving Lucy the time to plan out her next steps.
She'd gotten off the train and gotten a room at the inn when she reached her destination, and had fallen asleep that night, worry creasing her brows.
Then, on the present day, she'd gathered her things and started her journey up the large mountain.
She'd researched many different towns with uninhabited forests and she'd been drawn to this one- the Imperial Flora Covert, a massive woods that could've been in one of the largest top 3 in Fiore, if not for the danger it held.
Town talk informed her that, whoever went in, never came out.
They were eternally lost until the day they died.
The words had sent chills up her spine, but Lucy braved onwards and had gotten to the forest a little past sunset.
It was funny, really, considering the fact she'd started an hour or two before sunrise.
Completely drained and exhausted, Lucy clambered up the last few steps of the mountain and her jaw dropped at the sight.
The forest was absolutely breathtaking.
The trees were a lush green and flowery vines wrapped themselves around every trunk, the light aroma floating throughout the air.
Lucy looked on in awe.
If only Team Natsu could be here…
The thought immediately snapped her out of her stupor and she clenched her teeth.
Fairy Tail would have to wait.
She was taking a gamble on her life at the moment, and she needed to use her head.
She gripped the brown sack she held in her hands to her chest and took deep breaths.
The bag held the other items she'd found in the box, besides the amazing amount of jewels she'd used to keep her apartment for the next 2-3 years.
It held a crystal key, the edges decorated with a pure gold design and the key part covered in a sparkling silver.
Next there was a necklace, it had a gold chain and a heart shaped pendant that was also gold, but covered in silver magical circles.
The inside held a stone, tiny and smooth, shining as white as the moon.
Her eyes snapped open and for a few moments, she glared at the forest, as if challenging it.
Staring at the gleaming moon, she nodded her head to herself before entering.
An hour or so passed after that, and Lucy somehow found herself lost.
In the large and slightly suspicious forest.
Wait.
Lucy turned and looked to her side, squinting.
Hadn't she passed that tree like half an hour ago?!
Her eye twitched and her heart rate accelerated just the slightest bit but she shook her head and marched forward, determined.
Half an hour later, she found herself at the same tree.
Narrowing her eyes, she brought out her ink quill pen and marked the tree with a star.
Maybe the trees just looked similar.
An hour later, she found herself at the same tree with the star she'd drawn.
Lucy stared at it as if it was unreal before slumping down in defeat, her large handbag landing with a thud.
She sunk her head into her hands, trying to ignore the trembles her arms had.
Was she going to be eternally lost?
Was she really going to die here?
Alone?
Lucy smoothed her hair back with quivering hands, closing her eyes and counting to ten in an attempt to keep her cool.
Her brain felt hazy and, suddenly, the breeze felt so good against her skin.
The blonde's skin was tingling with sensation and she felt her eyelids start to droop as she breathed in the floral scents of the forest.
What was this smell?
She definitely needed to get a perfume in this scent once she got back home.
The celestial mage slowly lowered her arms and slumped her head down onto the cool forest floor, savoring the feeling of the cold against her sweaty skin.
Maybe she should just forget and take a quick nap, after all, it wasn't like she needed to rush, right?
She could always continue later…
Just before the darkness overtook her, she opened her eyes one last time in protest, and they widened at what they so, her body tensing up as panic overrode her system.
A few yards away stood a giant beast of 7 feet, covered in rocky looking scales, his hands extending out to be long claws with little thorns covering them.
His scales were a deep rosy red and his claws were forest green.
He stood on two legs that were hidden under black fur, the shape looking like those of a goat- a giant muscled goat.
His face was also red, and his snout looked like a alligators, puffing out a yellow colored smoke that trailed up and circled around his light gray and outward curved horns.
Lucy stared at the thing, terror paralyzing her body.
Wait, no.
It wasn't from terror; it was from the yellow substance protruding from his snout.
A sweet yet sharp smell that rendered her body useless.
Lucy desperately tried to move her limbs, but it was to no avail.
She managed to raise her head an inch, though, and gaze up into the creatures bright yellow eyes.
His eyes looked human.
No, more intelligent than a human.
Those two orbs seemed to read her soul, itself, scanning her from head to toe.
Lucy let her narrowed eyebrows relax, and she stopped struggling, looking into the eyes with more curiosity than fear this time.
This being was not some sort of monster, she realized, once her mind was calm.
Looking at him again, she realized he was actually mystical with the way his aura radiated power.
She was not afraid.
The flowery scent started to wear off, and soon enough, she was able to move her body.
Lucy slowly got up and was about to approach the mysterious creature when he threw her a sword.
Her eyes widened, her hand catching the handle.
It was absolutely beautiful, its handle made of what looked to be ivory.
The sheath was made of gold, its outer shell decorated with silver roses connected by a silver stem that worked its way around the sheath from top to bottom.
The handle had a blue ribbon at the top, which morphed with a chain and had a beautiful star and moon decoration linked at the bottom of it.
Slowly unsheathing the sword, Lucy gasped at the sight of it.
It looked like diamond, being a slightly transparent white silver shade that glimmered in the moonlight.
The sword was roughly about 2 and ½ feet long, including the handle.
Grasping it in her hands, Lucy marveled at the feel of it.
It just felt so right.
She held it up to the sky, watching as the moon glinted off of the blade and created the colors of the rainbow.
A snort interrupted her trance, and she looked to see that the creature had come a bit closer, now standing about 5 feet away.
Suddenly, he attacked.
Lucy cried out in shock as he charged towards her, shoving his head and sharp horns into the place where'd she been standing a few seconds prior.
Her legs trembled and her face twisted in horror as he swiped down at her with his large and powerful hand, having almost taken off her head if she hadn't blocked with the sword he'd given her.
He seemed to almost snort in approval before swinging down his other hand onto the blade.
A cry escaped Lucy's lips as the pure strength of the being weighed down on her, the only thing separating his claws from her face being a sword and her own strength.
She swung the sword upwards, flinging his hands away before jumping back in an attempt to create more distance.
Why was he doing this?
The creature had seemed so peaceful, so wise before storming up to her and trying to rip her head off.
She barely had a chance to think though, because the monster ran towards her again.
He began swinging his monster claws at her, and with some luck and new bruises, the blonde managed to barely evade every swipe.
Rearing his head back, Lucy thought he would charge at her once again so she jumped to the right, only to have her path be cut off by a large hand.
His claws grazed the middle of her calves, creating blood to appear from the new gashes.
Lucy screamed out in pain before swinging the sword out in front of her and slightly cutting his arm.
She ran back as far as she could and he stopped, as if giving her a chance to attack.
Lucy whimpered in pain when she stepped on her injured leg.
Narrowing her eyes, she stared at him, both of them unmoving,
Sweat ran down her face and her breath came out in short, harsh pants.
This was her chance.
Raising her sword, she charged towards the beast, adrenaline pumping throughout her veins.
So many questions buzzed through her mind in those short ten seconds.
Why was he just standing there, watching her come at him?
Why did he attack her, even though his eyes had seemed so kind?
And, finally, why did they have to fight?
She made it to him, jumping high up, her sword pointed towards to sky.
Letting a war cry rage from her mouth, she was ready to swing down when she looked into his eyes.
His eyes seemed to tell of a painful past filled with bloodshed, but, they didn't have a hint of bad intentions in them.
Instead, they seemed to be glazed with sorrow.
Her grip on the handle loosened and she grit her teeth.
.
She couldn't do it.
.
Lucy collapsed on the ground, the sword lying limp in her hand.
Tears lay in the corner of her eyes as a bitter smile grazed her lips.
"Why do we have to fight…?" choked sobs came with the words.
The being stared down at her in shock.
"I can't kill you…! Not when your eyes look so sad…!" Tears ran down her cheeks.
This would be her end.
The creature before her would end it once and for all and she'd never make it to her mother.
Her head tilted down in defeat, the young Heartfilia tried to control her tears when she felt his hand come down onto her.
DUNDUNDUN. CLIFFY. Hope you guys enjoyed that! Please review, follow, and fave! New chapters should be up every week or two. I may get a little random on the updates, though... If you want to pm me, pleaaase do go for it, I will be glad to chat with aybody be it ideas, questions, or just random shit in general. With that said... bye for now! ;)