A/N: I feel like this is slightly shorter than my others, just wanted to update everyone on what was going on in the guild. ;) WILL BE UPDATING AGAIN TODAY, DON'T WORRY! :P :) xx
Lucy's POV
It took me just over an hour to reach the centre of Tenroujima. The enormous tree roots that towered high into the air now blocked the sun from sight, yet I was still warm.
As soon as the tree roots had completely obscured the sun and it had become dark, green lights seemed to appear at the sides of the path, illuminating the way for me in the darkness.
When I looked closer, I noticed they were just rocks covered in a type of glow in the dark moss.
I shrugged, and carried on down the path, knowing deep in my stomach I needed to go this way. As soon as I felt the magical pressure double around me, making it harder to move, I knew I was right. I forced my body onwards, gasping for breath. It felt like I was forcing my way through treacle the way the magic pressure seemed to be repelling my body.
I gritted my teeth and narrowed my eyes as I powered down the path.
Suddenly, I saw an archway in front of me, and I managed to ignore the magic pressure around me as I stood in surprise at what was before me.
I'd reached the base of the tree, but it wasn't on the ground, it was suspended into the air, and supported by several stone pillars that rose out of the ground. Beneath the tree was a paved circle, with various inscriptions on every single stone, making it appear to be a giant permanent magic circle placed beneath the tree. At this point, the pressure pushing against me was almost unbearable, but all I had to think about was what would happen to the people I cared about if I failed, and I knew I would make it to the exact centre of the circle before me.
It took every single fibre of my remaining energy to force each foot to move forwards, making my way towards the archway painstakingly slowly. I felt sweat running of my body in waves, and the temptation to turn back was almost overwhelming. My keys were vibrating and levitating with the magic surrounding us, and my hair thrashed about in the air violently.
I made one last ditch effort, and managed to step beneath the arch.
Suddenly, the pressure abated to an easily manageable push and I sucked in air, desperate to replenish my aching body with oxygen, collapsing to my knees on the floor.
Gradually, I felt like my legs would move again, and began to stand, carefully testing out my stability and finding it to be ok. I looked around the stone circle below the giant tree, before looking up and gasping in surprise.
Hovering within the hollowed out tree trunk was a giant ball of pure magical energy, blue sparks flying at different angles randomly before being absorbed by the tree and shooting along the roots.
I smiled at the beauty of it, before focusing, and walking so that I stood directly beneath the ball of energy. I could feel it pressing against my skin, making my hairs stand on end, and my hair begin to lift, levitating gently around my face as I sat on the floor.
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes, and began to go into my meditative state.
I forced all of my thoughts and stress to leak out of my body, gradually emptying my mind of everything. Next, I shut off the receptors to all of my senses; sight, touch, sound, smell and finally taste. I felt nothing, focusing completely on the rhythm of my breathing and the beat of my heart.
Finally, I forced my heart to slow down to a sluggish, quiet pulse while keeping my long steady breaths constant.
Gently, I released my magic so it created a bubble around me, before I forced it to expand further and further, taking in and absorbing the magic around me.
I felt energy bolting through my body somewhere in my subconscious, but in my meditative state all I knew was the pattern of my breathing and the steady beat of my heart.
Thump... Thump... Thump...
Gray's POV
I glared at Natsu, and was sorely tempted to smack him, before I recalled what Erza had said about reining in our destruction and clenched my hand into a shaking fist as I held back the urge to kill the pink headed ash tray.
Though the mission was supposed to take months, we'd completed it in just over two weeks, and was making our way back to Magnolia.
Throughout this mission we'd all had a gloomy and depressed mood, and at every turn there was someone or something that reminded us of Lucy.
As soon as Erza told me what was in that box, I felt my heart seize.
I'd remembered seeing her writing every night on missions and having Virgo take care of whatever was written. I hadn't thought about it, just considered it as one of her quirks.
My stomach churned at the thought of seeing her again, and my anger at Natsu's stupidity faded to be replaced by my own guilt at the part I'd played in destroying something so valuable to her.
I loved Lucy a lot, she was like a sister to me and I'd sworn to make sure I acted as a brother should, protecting her from everything I could.
I knew Natsu felt the same way, even though Mira had been trying to pair them up ever since he'd dragged her into the guild to join. We both considered ourselves as her protectors, her family.
The thought of us hurting her made me sick down to my soul, and I shivered as I remembered how angry she was at us, wondering if she really could forgive us this time.
'Eugh...' Natsu groaned as the train swung around a sharp bend, making his head loll against my shoulder. I grimaced as I drew in the temptation to punch him out of the stupid window so he could walk, and shoved him so his head smacked against the cold glass.
'Luuccyy...' He mumbled in his semi-conscious stupor. I shut my eyes and sighed before opening them to look at Erza.
She'd barely slept throughout the mission, worrying about Lucy, and had finally allowed the train to lull her into a light nap.
I looked down at the bracelet Ur had given me. It was the last thing that linked me to her, and I knew that if one of my friends destroyed it, accidentally or not, I would struggle for a long time to forgive them.
I sighed and smacked my head against the head rest, frustrated.
I saw Happy stir in Natsu's lap and open his eyes blearily at me, before shutting them and mumbling beneath his breath.
'Gray, clothes.' I looked down to see I was only wearing my boxers, and swore as I got up to search for them, ignoring the glares from the men and the stares of the girls a I pulled on my shirt and trousers.
Stay safe Lucy, wait for me. I thought, gritting my teeth tightly as I stared out of the window at the scenery flashing past as we travelled home.
No-one's POV
The guild was quiet, the only sounds coming from people eating or drinking but even then the noises were suppressed.
Even Cana just sat there, staring at another barrel of alcohol before slowly taking sip after sip.
The loss of Lucy's presence seemed to have taken the energy out of everyone, and Mira felt tears running down her face as she dried a glass at the bar.
'LUCYY!' Natsu shouted as he crashed open the doors of the guild, breathing heavily. He'd ran all the way from the station so that he could see her before Erza or Gray, who both entered close behind him, looking for their team mate.
They noticed the quiet demeanour of everyone and they all felt a deep clenching within their stomachs.
'Where's Lucy?' Erza asked quietly, searching her out.
'She's not here, obviously.' Laxus called out from the Raijinshuu table, glaring at the members of Team Natsu.
'Well where is she?' Natsu asked, frowning at how seriously Laxus looked at them.
'She's on Tenroujima. She's powering up for some spell she needs to do to find a stupid key for something going wrong in the celestial world, but she can't tell anyone about it because of some stupid fucking law-' Laxus's voice had been rising as he got more and more agitated, lightning surrounding his body.
'Laxus, chill.' "Chill! Chill!" Bickslow placed a hand on his friends shoulder, ignoring the pain the lightning caused him, and pulled Laxus back into his seat, handing him another glass of vodka.
'Cosplayer's got some problems, and can't tell anyone; even you guys. But she could die if she does this spell without enough magic, so she ran off to Tenroujima without anyone so she could meditate and power up.' Bickslow's babies hovered sadly behind him, not even bothering to repeat his words.
'And none of you tried to stop her?' Gray shouted, looking around the guild, his eyes resting on Mira, who had begun to cry again.
Freed stood and walked across to her, pulling her into his arms as he glared at Gray.
'She left with Master Mavis. We didn't even know she'd gone till it was too late, so don't blame anyone for this.' Mira clung onto Freed's coat, letting lose her tears at the thought of Lucy alone.
'So Lucy's all alone out there? Don't any of you realise how much she hates being alone?' Natsu said quietly, his face devoid of emotion.
'Calm down Natsu. Lucy's fine, in fact, she should be finished in another couple of hours.' Mavis grinned down at her guild from the second floor, her feet dangling over the balcony railing and Master standing beside her, his arms crossed.
'I'll be going to fetch her soon, or she'll over absorb and then we'll be having problems. Either way, she'll be much stronger and can cast the spell she wants without danger to herself. Trust in her ability, she's perfectly capable of this.' Mavis smiled gently down at the guild members, filled with worry for the blonde mage.
She slipped over the edge of the balcony, and descended to the ground, walking across to them, looking straight into their eyes with her own deep, dark green ones.
'Trust in your nakama.' She whispered, grabbing Natsu's and Erza's hands as she stared at Gray, before turning to look at the worried Raijinshuu.
Ever finally burst into tears, and clung onto Bickslow's shoulder desperately, as he looked away from First's penetrating gaze, unable to quench his worry for the girl. Laxus stood and walked out of the guild, yanking his sound pod over his ears angrily, trying to disguise his own worry for Lucy with his anger for her leaving without telling them.
At that moment, only one thought echoed in everyone of the Fairy Tail members minds:
Lucy, be safe.