Hey guys. Hope everyone's well. I don't know about you guys but I just had a week break, because of the semester change. So that was nice, spent a lot of time watching anime and playing video games.
Anyways, some people had some questions about a couple of the previous chapters. Question 1: How does Makarov know all this? Where did he get this information on Lucy from? Answer: Makarov is the most powerful wizard well um EVER. And he has he's own resources and hidden secrets. Makarov's involvement will become clearer as the story draws close to an end.
Which it is! :,( I know, as much as I hate to say it I'm thinking my story should be close to concluded around chapter 30. And this is chapter 22 so yeah it's close.
I don't want to reveal too much but my OC Rouge, which I mistakenly gave the same name as an already existent Fairy Tail character. (whoops, I wasn't thinking) has a bigger part in the story then you would think he would. (I'll let you perceive that as you like) AND I'm thinking Raven is going to make another appearance, maybe not in Angel's place this time.
That's all the spoilers I'm giving for now! Please enjoy!
2015: Revised
Chapter 22: Deeper
Lucy didn't like the look in Rouge's icy eyes, they seemed to taunt her teasingly. She felt like prey, like she was a small bunny being toyed mercilessly by a skilled fox. Goose bumps covered her flesh, she tried to steel herself, make herself appear like she was unaffected by his predatory gaze.
Rouge shifted in his seat, leaning closer to Lucy, a devilish smirk on his lips. "I know you may feel like you're the only one who knows about your horrific curse. I'm sure you feel you know everything and you're the isolated one, no where to turn and no one to trust."
Lucy tensed, heart hammering in her chest, her blood pounded in her ears.
Rouge's eyes flickered over to Eve momentarily, as if testing her, seeing how far he could take this. Eve did nothing, her blue eyes worried and anxious, unable to meet Lucy's. "For the past month it's been you against everyone, you fought the one's you love, you fought yourself and everything you believe in." Rouge paused for effect, his angular teeth digging into his lower lip. "No one told you what Angel will do to you once he gets a hold of you did they?" Rouge sneered.
Lucy barely managed to shake her head, fingers trembling and sweaty, bile rising in her throat.
Rouge smirked again, "I didn't think so. I guess they didn't want to scare you or they thought they were protecting you or something stupid and idiotic like that." Rouge waved it off, "but I'm not afraid to tell you, because you need to know. For if Angel gets a hold of you, and at this rate he definitely will, it will cause chaos everywhere."
Eve flinched, as if Rouge had struck her, ducking her head and shivering in the corner.
"Chaos?" Lucy whispered, throat parched and lips numb. "What do you mean?"
Rouge leaned back, suddenly at ease, eyes still fixated on Lucy. "I don't think you understand Lucy. When Angel captures you he still owes a great debt to the Devil, for his life, for his resources for his youth. He's in deeeep. He'll have no choice but to hand you over to the Devil, his contact is very binding. He really has no choice in the matter." Rouge's ice like eyes burrowed into her mind, reflective and evil. "When the Devil gets his nasty hands on you Angel's contract will become annulled and he'll be allowed free roam of both the Spiritual Plane and the Earth Plane. A power he doesn't yet possess. For once his debt is paid he's free." Rouge reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a slender white stick of a cigarette, and lighting it miraculously with the snap of his fingers, he took a deep drag, puffing out a elegant cloud of smoke. "Although Angel is no Devil, and I mean that jokingly, he has quite a pull on the Other side. He has many followers and allies and if the Devil gets his hands on you he won't hesitate to use his amassed army against him. For on the Other side there is no such thing as loyalty." Rouge inhaled again on his cigarette, letting out a sigh of contentment, the smoke wafting out his nostrils.
"What does that mean for people here?" Lucy asked testily.
Rouge looked at her sharply, as if it was quite obvious. "With so much conflict going on down below you don't possibly believe that there won't be some repercussions here as well? The whole world is held together by the delicate scale of the Balance, Lucy. If these metaphorical scales are tipped everything as we know will change."
Lucy felt that familiar weight of the entire universe settle once again on her shoulder blades. Her lungs tightened.
Everything, everyone was relying on her to play her cards right? One mistake, one slip up and, Lucy cringed, the awful imagery of unbelievable carnage and bloody masses spreading out as far as the eye could see erupted in her mind.
So much death.
"How do I stop this?" Lucy gasped, hands cradling her head, voice barely audible.
Rouge cocked an eyebrow curiously, crushing his cigarette butt between his fingers. "You think you can? You truly believe you actually have it in you to do it?"
Lucy looked up at him, brown eyes steely and hard, lips a disciplined line on her face. "I've got to try."
Rouge's metallic eyes swirled, thoughtfully, lips pursed. "You've got guts, I'll give you that." He shook his head in amusement, "but you've only got a week to stop this. Not to any mention you don't have any allies or partners or skill or the foggiest clue what you're up against."
Lucy raised her chin, a muscle along her jaw feathering stubbornly. "I have allies."
Rouge scoffed, "who?"
"Me." Eve stepped forward, finally daring to talk, her deep blue eyes glared down at Rouge. "And damn me to hell if you're not going to help too Rouge."
Rouge looked up at the beautiful ghost, face impassive and lips wordless. Finally he cracked a small, crooked smile, "I suppose you're right there."
"And what about that odd pink haired fellow, you and him are awfully close aren't you?" Eve asked.
Lucy, blushed furiously, turning her face away, "I suppose we are."
Eve smiled at Lucy mischievously, giving her a knowing look. " Anyways Lucy it's getting late, you're going to miss dinner and we can't have that, you hardly got enough meat on your bones as it is." Eve looked at the clock above the fireplace, it was nearly six. "You better get going. We'll talk soon, I'll assemble everyone, we need a strategy too. We'll be keeping our eyes and ears open for trouble on the Spiritual Plane."
Rouge rolled his eyes, "Eve you make it sound so simple, it's only the entire Underworld we're fighting here." He said sarcastically, "but she's right, take care kid."
"Kid?" Lucy asked hotly.
"Well yeah," Rouge said, "I am turning eighty two next month."
Mystified and dazed Lucy stood, giving Eve a quick hug and a brief nod of farewell to Rouge, shuffling out the door and up through the musty, damp tunnel.
Once outside Lucy realized how cold it was and she instantly regretted not bringing a jacket with her earlier. A thick mist had settled throughout the forest, moist and musky, Lucy trudged through the forest, stomach growling in protest.
She had so much on her mind that it felt like her head was about to explode. Everything ached and she wasn't even sure why, her bones seemed to grate against her joints in protest.
Lucy sighed, taking a moment to stop and collect herself, breathing heavily. All she really wanted to do was fall onto the ground and curl into fetal position and let the soothing, cool air of the forest lull her into an eternal sleep.
But that would be too easy wouldn't it?
So Lucy kept walking, it was the only thing she could do.
OoOoOoO
Lucy wished she had eaten more at dinner but she just couldn't seem to swallow the food. But this time she wasn't the only one finding it hard to eat. All of the students chewed slowly and prodded at their plates, faces pale and tight. Everyone was feeling the after effects of this morning, the worry and exhaustion obvious on everyone's faces. The second year, who's named turned out to be Katherine, was sent home earlier today. Lucy had watched the girls mom pull up in a old Volkswagen, her face tense and anxious. In fact almost everyone watched at the traumatized second year drove away, her other friends waving sadly. Mika on the other hand, no one really wanted to think about her, her body had been swiftly removed from her dorm and a long, thin black car had showed up soon after, men in black loading a simple coffin into the back. The whole thing had been very hush hush and Makarov talked in hushed tones to Katherine's parents, his face impassive.
Everyone believed it had been suicide. A unfortunate accident and a sob story of a girl who thought she couldn't continue living her life a day more; but Lucy knew the truth and it burned her.
OoOoOoO
Lucy dropped her toothbrush with a sigh, looking at herself disdainfully in the mirror. Large black bags hung under her eyes like depressed rain clouds and she couldn't help but notice her hair looked less shiny than usual.
"Hey Lucy are you okay? You seem really worried about that poor girl. It's so sad, she was young." Levy stood in the doorway of the bathroom, leaning against the door frame. Her blue hair was tied back messily and she seemed just as tired as Lucy.
Lucy tried her best to smile, or at least look like she was indeed fine. "Yeah it's just . .." she paused, "scary I suppose."
"Scary?" Levy asked.
"Yeah," Lucy turned the tap on, letting the cool water pool in her cupped hands then splashing the frigid water against her face, in attempt to wake herself up. "It's scary to know how easily someone can take their own life or the other way around."
Levy looked at her incredulously, a long pause. "I suppose you're right." Levy finally said.
Lucy just continued to wash her face, taking careful ease, eyes still focused on her reflection.
"You know Lucy me and the others are there for you, whenever you want to tell us what's going on we'll listen to whatever you have to say. We're seriously worried about you, lately you haven't been yourself."
Lucy slowly turned the tap off, grabbing at a towel and drying her face before responding. "Thank you Levy, and tell the others thank you for me as well." Lucy smiled tightly, "I just have a lot on my plate right now."
Levy nodded stiffly, Erza's proposition ringing in her ears, 'ask Lucy to come hang out with us for Winter Solstice'. "Ermm, Lucy." Levy began, fiddling with the hem of her tank top nervously.
"Yea?" Lucy asked, hanging her towel on the rack and looking at Levy curiously.
"Erza and I were wondering, well mostly Erza, was wondering if you'd like to go to her family's estate for the holidays, tons of people are coming and it'll be super fun!"
A blank look crossed Lucy's face before she replied, "I'll have to talk to my father about it first."
"Of course!" Levy blurted out, "Gray, Cana, Lisanna, Erza, Natsu, Loke, Juvia myself and a whole ton of other people are going," she explained hurriedly. "We're leaving on Friday, that's two days from now, if you want to come."
Lucy nodded again, eyes distant, "I'll ask as soon as possible," then she brushed past Levy, "good night Levy." She said quietly, pulling back her blankets of her bed and disappearing under the covers.
Levy just stared at her amassed pile..
Whatever she was hiding Levy knew her best friend would pull through, she had to believe that.
OoOoOO
Lucy didn't know what she was doing but she found herself standing outside the boys dorm. It was way past midnight and the sky was as black as tar, not a star to be seen in the swallowing emptiness. Lucy knew where room was Natsu's, it was the one missing curtains because he had accidentally set them on fire in his fourth year. The window was closed and the room was dark, obviously everyone was asleep.
Lucy was cold. She was wearing booty shorts, which was an incredibly stupid thing to do in the winter, a large t shirt and no shoes. She didn't know what compelled her to come here in the middle of the night, but here she was. The fiery taste of Natsu's lips might have been part of it, his passion had robbed her of sanity. She didn't really want to admit that she missed kissing him but she couldn't face anymore lies in her life, and Natsu was the only person in her personal life who slightly understood what the hell was going on.
So without really thinking about it she leaned over, picking up a handful of coin sized rocks, shifting them in her palm.
Picking up the nicest, roundest one in her right hand she recoiled and threw it upwards, aiming for his window. Her aim was true and the small rock dinged off the window, rocketing back down.
Nothing stirred inside the room.
Lucy selected another rock and whipped it at the window once again, it again bouncing off and fell to the ground beside her. This continued for another three minutes, before Lucy got so frustrated she was about to Enchant a boulder and chunk it the window right as Natsu stuck his bedraggled head out the window.
"Lucy?" He croaked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
Lucy tapped her foot impatiently, hands on her hips, "what took you so long?" She hissed.
"Well I was kinda sleeping." Natsu barked down clearly annoyed, "what do you want?"
Lucy blushed suddenly, hoping the cool air would calm her heated face, "just to talk."
"You want to talk? To me?" Natsu scoffed disbelieving, hardly believing what he was hearing. "I've only been begging you for some sort of answer for the past three weeks and now you want to talk. While I'm in my boxers!?"
Lucy chewed on her lip, she had been unfair to him, always keeping him out of the loop but right now she needed to talk to someone. Relieve some of the weight that crushed down on her and she felt Natsu was the only one who'd truly believe her.
The only one she could trust.
"I'm sorry Natsu. I'm sorry I've been so terrible to you, but," she smiled shyly, not actually believing she was about to say this, "I was a little taken aback at how good of a kisser you are."
Natsu's jaw dropped, eyes bulging, Lucy giggled, he looked adorable.
"You can't be serious? You left me out of the loop because I'm a good kisser?" He moaned.
Lucy let out a loud laugh, a real laugh.
That's exactly how she expected him to respond.
That's it for this week, hope you liked it.
Please review, favourite and follow and PM any questions or concerns about where the plot is going.
I luhv you guys. XD
Till next time . . .
3 Suicidal