**A/N: Hey! Pretty miffed about not being able to post this up sooner but I won't bore you with the details of that. This chapter ended up being super long so I cut in half. I actually couldn't find a good stopping point, so I just picked at random. I hope that you find it worth the wait and since all I have to do is edit the second part of the chapter I should be able to have it up no later than this weekend as part of my procrastination of my homework. thanks so much to those of you who recently decided to follow along btw and for the messages/reviews. i super appreciate it...now on with the story!**
Book One: Lucy's Slumber
Chapter 7: The Storm Part One
"How long are you planning to hide away, boy?" inquired a gruff voice.
The boy in question was busily preparing his fishing pole and stubbornly ignoring the voice.
"You can't keep away forever. She'll think you died or something," the gruff voice continued.
The boy paused for a moment but settled himself on the cold ground and cast his line.
"I suppose it don't matter. She's sick, isn't she? She'll just sit in her bed crying about her only friend leaving her alone…by herself…slowing fading away..." The owner of the voice studied the boy as he tried to make out the level of the boy's anger. "Maybe she will be lucky to live long enough for a nice young lad to come along and marry her. She can be happy and she can forget all about you…"
"No!" the boy thundered as he let go of his hook and pounded his fist into the hard ground creating a small hole.
"Oh? That little lass finding a new friend is more upsetting to you than her death?"
Natsu jumped up to his feet and glared at the man who had been cruelly taunting him "Don't talk about her like that anymore!"
"If you hadn't been ignoring me I wouldn't have said those things! Don't you care about her, boy?" Natsu shook his head furiously. "Then why did you save her? Why did you go to the school? Answer me!"
"Take it back, old man!" Natsu roared.
"Natsu, we can't keep playing this game! Why did you run away? Why are you still hiding?"
But Natsu didn't answer him and instead he ran off with angry tears burning his eyes.
"She's going to ask you, boy! She'll want answers! You know that, don't you?" the man yelled after him.
Natsu refused to accept that Lucy would leave him that way; she made a promise after all. He hated that she could be moving on and that she could be happy without him. He hated that she was attending that school probably forgetting him. The problem was that he didn't have any answers to give Lucy. He argued with himself day after day that hiding was better than facing her empty handed.
And so Natsu ran.
"You're learning assassin skills!" cried Lucy.
"Not exactly…." started Mirajane. "It's not like I am going to go off killing people or someone is going to find me for a job. I learn the art of being incognito; that part is quite fun. I am training to use different kinds of throwing knives, particularly ones that can be easily hidden away. I kind of favor variations of shurikens because I can use several at once," she added somewhat shyly. "I mostly use knives though…"
"Oh my stars!" Lucy exclaimed shaking her head in disbelief. "I thought that my mother hired you."
Mirajane gave her a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I know how protective my father is," Lucy began to explain, "and it would make sense for him to hire a young girl who happened to be skilled with weapons. Although that still does not make sense since I am always home… Anyway, my mother certainly would not have been thinking about that though."
Mirajane burst into a fit of giggles at Lucy's reasoning. "What an imagination you have! This is why I did not want to tell you anything."
"I thought you said it wasn't a secret," Lucy countered.
"It's not but that does not mean that I wanted to tell you. Now, let's head back it's getting late."
After club practice, Lucy finally gave in to her curiosity and asked Mirajane what she was studying at the Academy. She could not help but notice that Mirajane never actually did anything but stand off to the side smiling or sometimes fist fighting with Erza; also, the boys were peculiarly friendly towards Mirajane as if out of fear. Lucy did take into account the more amiable friendship she had with the brooding, angry-at-the-world attitude Laxus. The boys behaved oddly towards Erza, and Lucy had seen Erza in action so she knew her former nurse must be equally, if not more, skilled. Mirajane did not say exactly what category it fell under but when she began explaining her studies, Lucy immediately came to the conclusion that she was studying to be an assassin of some kind. She could tell that Mirajane was holding back something but she did not push the subject.
"Well, can you tell me about the other members?" Lucy asked accepting Mirajane's response, for now.
"Why haven't you asked them for yourself?"
"For one thing, they treat me like they treat you and Erza." Mirajane laughed heartily. "And, well, I am still a little shy talking to others. How could I ask them stuff like that?"
Mirajane placed an arm gently around Lucy's shoulders stopping her for a moment. "Lucy, we are students of Magnolia Academy. This means so much as you will come to see, but most importantly, we are like a family. There is nothing to be afraid of and certainly no reason for you to feel uncomfortable. You can be your own person here, Lucy." Removing her arm, Mirajane reached down to grab Lucy's hand and began to walk towards the girls' dormitory. "Where should I begin?"
"Um… Well, I know that Erza is studying to eventually join the Queen's Knights like her parents. Her specialty is swords, particularly dual blades, but she can use almost any weapon if necessary. What about the other girls? What are they like? I don't really see them do much. Evergreen used to practice with her fan, but not anymore."
"Elfman joined," Mirajane explained.
"So?" Lucy said in confusion.
Mirajane smiled at her. "Evergreen studies the art of flower arrangement, and she joined the club to improve her skill with her fans. She is incredibly proud of herself and will happily tell you as much in a variety of ways, but she is a very good friend. Levy is a history scholar and she is very gifted with languages. It seems like she knows everything so Cana and Juvia often go to her for help. Cana is probably the most mature out of everyone and I am pretty sure she is the only one your age." Lucy thought about this for a moment as she thought Mirajane would be the most mature but then she reminded herself of Mirajane's outrageous behavior during club meetings. "She is pretty serious most of the time, but she likes to have fun just like the rest of us. Her gift is very rare; she uses tarot and studies divination, it's kind of like fortune-telling. You should have her read your fortune sometime. I am not too sure about Juvia, I will have to ask her, but I know that she is very quiet and an excellent swimmer. I am fairly certain she can fight, too, but I have never seen her do it. They are usually doing research of some sort during club meeting so that's why you never see them practice. No point in asking about the boys; they're pretty open about their skills."
Lucy laughed at the truth of this statement. "Wow, everyone sounds so amazing! I cannot believe they let me join their club! I have to catch up to them somehow."
"Lucy," Mirajane began as they made themselves comfortable on the couches in the common room, "you are very talented. I am sure they all see it, too. You just have not had a chance to explore it, that's all. Just give it time."
"Yeah, I guess so," Lucy relented.
"Hey, what are you up to?" called a voice.
Lucy turned at the sound of her roommate's voice. "Erza! Mira was just telling me more about the club and the club members."
Erza pouted slightly. "You could have asked me."
Lucy blushed. "It just came up…"
"Lucy doesn't think she's good enough to be a part of the club, Erza," commented Mirajane.
Erza's pout deepened. "No reason to be shy about asking questions. Besides, everyone is a beginner at some point. We can work together, just us if you want, until you are comfortable. No one thinks poorly of you, Lucy," Erza offered.
"Really?" Lucy asked unsure of Erza's words.
"Yes, of course. They are eager to see you practice but they understand that you must have a lot to do as Porlyusica's apprentice."
Mirajane glared at Lucy and Lucy blushed at being caught in her lie.
"I just don't want to look bad in front of everybody," Lucy said in quiet defense.
"Let's go practice now!" Erza eagerly said in need of a good "practice".
"Wait, what? We just finished—"
Lucy was cut off as Erza roughly yanked her off the couch and practically carried away back outside to their field. Mirajane just looked out after them in astonishment before getting up herself to work on her assignments in the privacy of her room.
Three months later…
"Mira, why do I have to go home for summer break? No one else seems to be going." Lucy was lazily sitting next to her half packed luggage complaining about leaving school. Erza claimed to have errands to run leaving Mirajane and Lucy alone to pack. "And it's a whole week early!"
Mirajane gave her a look. "I thought you would be happy to finally return home."
"I would be happier if I was not going to be missing out on all the fun here. Plus, it's tiring explaining to everyone why I have to leave before the break actually begins."
"You know your mother wants you to be home for your birthday and it's quite a few days journey from here. Don't you miss her? Don't you miss being home?" Mirajane asked, sincerely confused about why Lucy was complaining so much.
"My birthday is still ten days from now." Lucy frowned and tears began to well in her eyes. "I like who I am here," she said quietly.
Mirajane gently placed the clothing she was holding on top of a chest, and walked over to Lucy engulfing her in a warm embrace. "Is that what you are worried about?" she huffed. "I promise you, little one, everything will be okay."
Nine days later…
Lucy was staring up at the sky nestled up in a soft blue knit blanket resting beneath a large cherry tree. All of the happiness that she had been experiencing in Magnolia seemed to have vanished not too long after she had arrived home. Her father had not even been home to greet her as he had been "away on business" according to her mother, who had been bursting with joy to see her daughter. The maids were equally excited to see her and had expressed that they would be preparing all of Lucy's favorites during break from school. Aries had screamed in panic when she saw Lucy up close exclaiming that Lucy had grown while away at school and now had "pressing matters to attend to".
On her first morning home, her mother had dragged her out of bed early in the morning not even allowing her to change clothes. Lucy was grumpy up until her mother presented her with the fully bloomed garden that they had worked so hard to prepare. Lucy marveled at the sight of the many colors of their garden; she drank in with joy the wonderful scent the flowers exuded. Lucy and her mother had breakfast underneath the large tree in the center of the garden in their nightgowns much to Lucy's delight and Layla's belated embarrassment. They passed the entire day together sharing stories about the days they had spent apart. The first few days had been wonderful and Lucy forgot why she was reluctant to return home.
Until on the third day Lucy realized that she was confined to her home again and this time she was on her own as Mirajane had stayed at the Academy to finish the term. Then on the fourth day, her father returned home and he had proceeded to make it clear that even though Lucy was allowed to go to school she was not allowed to wander about the estate; it was to be as it was before. Except it wasn't; Lucy was healthy and fully of energy and she desperately wanted to be outside having fun. Instead, she hid herself in a corner of the garden and wrote letters to the friends she wished she still had during the day. In the evening, after dinner she would fussily make her way up to her room, slam the door, cry and then read. Her mother was incredibly alarmed and her father was furious at Lucy's behavior, even once commenting that school was having a terrible effect on her and that he should take out of there before she became even more ill-mannered.
All of these thoughts ran through Lucy's mind the eve before her birthday as she stared up at the starry sky. She thought she had felt lonely before but now that she had made friends, she felt the true weight of loneliness and felt broken inside. In the darkness of the night with the cool breeze on her, Lucy felt the isolation of her days at home and she questioned if the past few months had been nothing but a lofty dream. The pain of this thought set in and cool tears flowed freely from Lucy's somber brown eyes as she curled up in a ball and hid herself beneath the cover. Without realizing it, Lucy fell into a fitful sleep.
"Lucy?"
Lucy sniffed and sleepily wiped at her face but did not quite register the voice calling her name.
"Lucy? Lucy?"
The voice kept calling out to her but it sounded so far away that she just ignored it. The voice became more urgent and somehow became increasingly familiar…
Is that…? Lucy blinked rapidly still huddled beneath the cover and curled up even more tightly. Did I cry myself to death? Surely, that's the only way…
"Lucy is that you? Please, answer me. You're kind of scaring me. Lucy?" the voice begged.
Lucy refused to believe her ears. She reasoned that in her emotional state she was just hearing things. Maybe I can hear ghosts now.
Suddenly, Lucy felt a chill come over her as the blanket had been pulled away from her. She closed her eyes in reaction and wrapped her arms around her legs.
"Lucy! Why didn't you answer me? Didn't you hear me calling you? I thought you…"
"Who are you?" Lucy whispered.
"What?"
Lucy opened her eyes but she didn't move. "Who are you?" she said more firmly but just as soft.
"Lucy…" the voice said in shocked disbelief.
"I must be going crazy. I am imagining voices, hearing people that are gone now. Am I dead? Are you a ghost?"
"What? Lucy, no! Why would you say that?"
Lucy closed her eyes again and stretched out in the grass reaching for the blanket that she felt next to her. "Those are the only reasons that I can think of as to why I would hear his voice after all this time. Something must have happened to him and that's why he never came back to me."
"Lucy, I—"
"That's the only reason why he would leave without saying good-bye. Did something happen to you Natsu? I have imagined so many horrible things that could have happened to you that kept you away. After months had passed, I simply thought that you must have died but no one wanted to tell me. You would have never left me otherwise, right, Natsu? You promised me."
Natsu sat cross-legged with his hands curled up in fists on his knees. His face was twisted with anger and—shame. Igneel had warned him but he didn't fully realize the truth until he was with her in person.
Lucy finally sat up to look at him and Natsu could see it. He saw the hurt in her eyes and he could sense the pain in her tear stained face. He had been thinking about which would be worse; seeing her for the first time in months happy or hurt. This… This was worse because he was responsible for causing her pain which caused an uncomfortable feeling in his gut.
"Natsu, why? Why did you leave me?" she said softly her voice laced with teary sorrow.
"Lucy, please, I made a terrible mistake. I have nothing to say to you. I just…I don't know what I was thinking. I never meant to hurt you, I swear. Please…please, can you forgive me, Lucy?" Natsu pleaded kneeling with his head buried in the soft grass.
Lucy studied him for a moment not sure what to make of the situation. She was still half asleep and almost certain this was a dream. She looked up at the stars and then closed her eyes for a moment before looking back at the boy who was still bent over, softly pleading for forgiveness over and over again.
"Oi," Lucy snapped standing up leaving the blanket on the floor, "Get up."
Natsu didn't respond right away but eventually he got up to find that Lucy was standing facing away from him. He slowly walked up behind her and reached out a hand to touch her shoulder… Lucy eyes shot wide open as she grabbed his arm with both hands and threw him over her shoulder roughly. He landed with a hard thud on the grass and Lucy yelled "Don't move!" in case he had any ideas (moving was not one of them) before landing two swift, powerful punches on his stomach. She got up taking a few quick steps away from him and turned her head back to glare at his figure still lying on the grass behind her.
"Don't you ever leave me again!" she fumed. When he didn't answer right away she spun her body around fully to face him. "Got it?" she demanded forcefully.
"Yeah," he grunted weakly.
"Let's go!" Lucy ordered.
Not wanting to further upset her, Natsu scrambled to his feet clutching his stomach and followed Lucy towards the manor.
"Why, Miss Lucy! What are you doing out and about so late?" cried a maid as she saw Lucy making her way towards the back entrance to her home.
Lucy just pointed a finger over her a shoulder at a struggling Natsu in response. "Could you carry him up the stairs for me, please? He doesn't seem well."
The maid took note of Natsu with a disapproving look having heard that he had suddenly disappeared. She called the other maid who was working late with her to carry the boy upstairs claiming to be too weak to do so herself. She did offer to carry up some hot buttered rolls and warm milk for the children to enjoy.
"Where will we be going, miss?"
"My bedroom should be fine. Not a word to anyone, please, not even to my mother," Lucy added.
Natsu blanched at the news of their intended location. "Um…are you sure that's a good idea?"
Lucy glared daggers at him and Natsu made no further argument.
After the maids safely delivered the children outside of Lucy's room, Lucy quietly opened the door to her room careful not to make too much noise. She carried in the tray of the midnight snacks into the room and waited for Natsu to follow her inside before closing the door with her foot. She started making her way across the room to another door when Natsu felt dumb enough to speak again.
"Where are we going? Isn't this your room?" he asked taking in his surroundings.
Lucy looked at him slightly confused. "I thought you stayed with me last time? This is just a sitting area; my bedroom is in here." With that, Lucy nudged open the half-opened door to her bedroom. She placed the tray on her nightstand before dragging Natsu towards her bed. "Lay down and stop pretending that you're hurt. You're pushing it."
Natsu struggled with that for a moment as her punches had actually hurt and he had wondered where Lucy had found such strength. However, it was more like a quick sting and had not hurt as much as he made it seem but he had wanted to put on a good show for her thinking it would make Lucy feel better. He hesitantly removed his hands from his stomach and slowly climbed into the bed, lying on top of the very soft pink comforter and overly fluffy white pillows. He winced at the softness at first but then he relaxed into the comfort of the bed.
"Comfortable?"
He nodded.
Lucy pulled over Mirajane's rocking chair and placed it next to the bed so that she could look at Natsu without being too close. She had no idea why she had brought him upstairs to her room of all places, but she half thought it was because she was scared he would run away again and the other half of her still thought she was imagining things.
"Well, is there anything that you want to tell me?" she asked him softly going for a more gentle approach.
Natsu turned his head towards her but did not move his body. The gentle tone of her voice bowled him over, making him feel even worse. He was quiet for a long time before he finally spoke again. "I don't want to lie to you," he said turning away from her again. "I can't tell you why I left and I have no excuses to give you. Do you trust me?" he asked looking at her again.
"I did once." She watched Natsu's eyes grow somber. "Maybe…I might learn to trust you again given time."
"Can you trust me that I never meant to do anything wrong? To do anything that would hurt you? Can you trust me, Lucy? Just this once, just let it go and trust me."
Natsu waited patiently for Lucy's response. He saw from her facial expressions that she was struggling with his plea. Eventually, Lucy's face fell into her hands. If Natsu had chosen that moment to blink, he would have missed the almost imperceptible nod of her head. She jumped out of the chair and threw herself at him in a way that caused her to land on top of him. She held herself up with her hands and stared at him for a moment studying his eyes, before throwing her arms around his neck and resting her head into that perfect little place on his shoulder that was made just for her (yes even as kids). When she started to cry Natsu froze unsure of what to do.
Hold her! a voice inside of him screamed. So he did.
And that's how Natsu and Lucy first slept together.
"Honestly, that boy is slower than a snail!"
"Some boys do not handle tears very well, my Queen," remarked a companion.
"I know! Still, I am glad I checked in on them when I did or else her emotional burst could have been too great. It was much stronger than last time; can you believe between the garden and her room she was practically a beacon for him again? At least, Lucy will convince Layla to come visit her during the break instead of being subjected to that awful treatment again. I do not want to think of the possibilities…"
"Then don't," the companion said cutting Mavis off.
"You're right, I know. I just…" Mavis shook her head in frustration. "I still cannot believe that this is the boy that will capture her heart one day."
"I think he already has."
Mavis gave a wave her hand saying, "No, neither of them quite realizes it yet. He did hurt her and even though she is soft it will take time for that to heal. Besides, she has new friends and so he will fall into the friend category because the feelings are the same. Oh, I want to play with them some more!"
"I don't think we have time for that," boomed a loud voice as it echoed in the vast empty room. "Your powers are growing more limited."
"I never get to have any fun!" Mavis pouted.
"You cannot forget your role now. It's most critical that you perform your tasks," he lectured.
Mavis let out an exasperated sigh. "Honestly, Capricorn, you are so serious all of the time. It is a little hard to go against my natural ways; mischief is part of my nature after all."
Suddenly, a soft gust of wind was heard in the hallways and Mavis looked towards the sound seeing only a soft golden glow coming from the direction of the breeze. The empty room filled quickly and quietly with the other ten of Mavis's companions wearing dark blue cloaks, and a few other friends of hers. Mavis studied all of them somewhat gravely as she remembered what her true duty was that evening as well as the fact that time was growing short.
"I forgot how limited time is here," she whispered. Some of them looked at her as if to question her but she just shook her head.
"Why did we meet here?" asked a companion. "There is no water to be found here."
"Aquarius, it is not as if you are going to wither and die. This is the safest place in all of Fiore, perhaps all of Earthland. I created it when I first came here so no one can find us here, it is easier to sense intruders and no magic can occur within here. Why else would I be standing?"
Aquarius nodded in annoyed acceptance.
Clearing her throat Mavis announced: "It's time to set our plan into motion. My powers grow weaker and there is still much we must do before the time comes. I still know very little but I cannot put off planning any longer. Have you handled the enchantment of the chest?"
"I asked another of our allies to take care of that particular matter. Rest assured any and all possibilities have been accounted for," said Capricorn.
"Thank you," she said in acknowledgement. "How goes the training?"
Several black hooded figures nodded by way of response. Only one spoke. "I think we are all making excellent progress with our young ones. By the time we take our leave, they should be well prepared. They will have the skills necessary to continue to grow and to be of help when the time comes. You are aware of Grandine's situation."
"Yes, of course," she responded. "What of the others?"
"Princess, what are you putting off telling us? What has happened? What did you see?" probed a shorter figure in a golden cloak.
Mavis smiled at the figure. "I am Queen in this world!" she corrected. "But, yes, you know me too well, little brother."
"As it should be!" he retorted.
"It is true. I have seen perhaps the start of the most important event of our time here."
"Is it like before?" her younger brother asked.
"No, it is strange. With our new allies, all of the events are very different as you may have noticed. Things are moving much slower than I suspected they would."
"Does he awaken?" asked the figure in the black.
"No, and I hope that this lack of vision does not change. I just wish I knew who was causing all of this so that we could return…" Mavis trailed off lost in thought.
"It must be the war."
"Leo, how did you know about that?" Mavis said turning on him.
"If you were more attentive to your duties as Queen of Fiore you would also know of it." Mavis just puffed out her cheeks but gestured for him to continue. "I am sure that many of you have heard that Bellum and Desierto have become an allied force and they are currently at war with Minstrel. I hear that it is only a matter of time before Joya is taken over by Bellum for the use of its vast wealth. Iceberg is sparsely populated so will likely become a place of refuge. Minstrel has already asked for aid from Caelum but they refuse to get involved. It is only a matter of time before they ask for our aid as well, likely after seeking aid from Bosco for materials. Bellum and Desierto are growing increasingly stronger but I am honestly uncertain what their intentions are since peace has existed in Earthland for some time now. It is also a wonder that those two countries have now become allies."
"This is true," Mavis commented. "They have never had good relations and I cannot imagine what common goal they have that would bring them together. I vaguely recall a report about Joya being raided but I had no idea it was war related. Perhaps this is what my vision relates to after all."
"And what was it exactly?"
"It may not seem like much but with the new information that Leo has provided us, I think we should take this much more seriously. This situation could have completely changed and someone could still be the sole cause of all of this. We must solve this puzzle!" she said forcefully raising her hand above her to cast an illusion of her vision. "Right, no magic in here… I suppose I could just tell you about it. No, that would take too long and detail is too important." She marched out into the tunnel and cast the illusion spell careful to block herself and her image from any possible spies.
After Mavis shared her image with her allies, they all looked at her with deep regret and were quiet for several minutes before speaking about what they had seen.
Two years later…
"Mama, do I always have to come home for my birthday?" Lucy complained.
"Why, of course you do! But this one is a most special occasion," her mother responded playfully.
Lucy rolled her eyes. "You say that every birthday is a special occasion."
"Well, it is always a blessing to live to see another year!" Layla paused for a moment to take in Lucy's figure. She had wanted Lucy to wear a fuller dress but this summer was already starting off particularly warm. She had asked Aries to design a simple pink flowing dress with a golden glittered sash around her waist and golden ribbon for straps on her shoulders. The back of the dress buttoned together with tiny buttons made of white pearls. The bottom layer was made of a light silk that was cut to Lucy's ankles while the top layer was a sheer fabric that sparkled in the light that fell to the floor. She wore pale pink plastic flats that made it seem as if Lucy was not wearing any shoes at all. Lucy's hair fell down in loose curls to her shoulders with only a single blossom holding up her hair on the right side. To put it simply, Lucy looked like a fairy princess which was the first thing that Lucy had said when she had looked at herself in the mirror.
"Mama, what's wrong?" Lucy asked. "Why are you crying?"
Layla quickly brushed away at the tears with her white gloved hands, not realizing when she had started to cry. "You just look so beautiful, my lucky star." Layla sniffed a little and smiled at her beautiful daughter. She had grown so much in the past few years in ways that Layla had once only dreamed could happen. Lucy looked like a healthy, normal ten year old girl as if she had never once been frail or sickly. She had many friends and it sounded as if she enjoyed her days at the Academy.
"How come I have to wear such a pretty dress for a family dinner anyway?" Lucy asked pulling Layla away from her thoughts again. Secretly, Lucy was furious that no one would see her looking like this, particularly a rowdy strawberry haired boy. "It's not like I have to look nice for anyone."
"Oh, Lucy, don't be silly. I'll send Aries up to put your outfit away for tomorrow. Straight to bed, okay? We have a busy day tomorrow!"
"Okay," Lucy smiled.
The following early evening…
"Layla, I am surprised that you have decided to grace the rest of us with your presence! This event must be quite important for you to host it. I haven't seen in you years!" remarked a woman with a brash but surprisingly soft voice.
"Why, that is high praise coming from someone who would name their home after themselves, Scarlet," shot back Layla.
Scarlet laughed heartily in response. "To think, that my Erza would become friends with your daughter. Who would have thought?"
"Ssh! Not so loud!" Layla hissed. "It's still a secret remember? I should have known from Lucy's stories that the fierce red headed girl was your daughter but I never put two and two together. I can only imagine what stories Lucy is hiding from me…"
"Come now, Layla, is it truly any wonder that our daughters would become such close friends. Is that what the occasion is about then? Presenting Lucy?" Scarlet took a quick scan around the room from behind her maroon silk fan. "What made you decide that?"
"Actually, it was Jude's idea. He just came home one day and said and I quote 'Layla, it's time for Lucy to be properly presented to her friends and their families. She can no longer be hidden away here. Simple, intimate dinner.' End Quote. He was very emphatic about that last point."
Scarlet's face fell in shock and then she laughed. "It's about time he came around; best decision he's made since marrying you, love." She began to look around the room again. "Makarov, Gildarts and that cranky hermit already know, don't they? I remember Macky writing to me about the incident their first day of school. Twenty ninja assassins is pretty impressive for a seven year old. Now she's ten…imagine the havoc our girls will wreak!"
Layla blinked rapidly at her in surprise. "Twenty…ninjas…" she stuttered.
"You even got Igneel in on it?" seemingly not catching Layla's reaction or perhaps just purposely ignoring it. "Well, makes sense seeing as he lives here and all. I can't believe that the day has already arrived," Scarlet sighed. Not wanting to focus on the darker events coming she said, "I hear that you care for Mira like a daughter? She must have picked up your old spitfire personality."
"My, my Scarlet, you always have a comment ready on the tip of your tongue. I guess that's better than tonight's dinner. I should probably go make sure that there is still some left for the rest of us…" Layla said peering around her own midnight blue silk fan.
"Why you pretentious little…" started Scarlet.
"Now, now ladies…" cut in a classy looking woman with long, straight brown hair. "We don't want to cause a scene."
"Cornelia, you may remind your friend of her manners," spat Scarlet.
"I, at least, know what it means to be a lady!" snapped Layla.
And so the trio continued their "conversation".
"What made you and Layla change your minds about your secret? Or rather, what made you come to your senses?" inquired a calm, deep voiced man.
Jude crossed his arms in a serious gesture and closed his eyes for a moment. "You probably know more than I do, Walker. Honestly, I am following you-know-who's strict orders. I am surprised that the secret has been kept for all this time, but I must say I am both glad and relieved that it will be revealed in this manner."
"Does it bother you at all?" asked Walker.
"The secret is safe and happy; what more could I ask for?" said Jude gravely.
"No, I meant about the company she keeps. You know, that bunch of children over there; particularly, the red-haired girl and more interestingly, the pink-haired boy." As he asked his question, the man studied Jude's features.
"Pink-haired boy, eh?" Jude said seemingly uncaring.
The man laughed as Jude fought for control. "I am sure my daughter's stories are exaggerated," he said waving as a red-haired girl caught his eye with a wild wave. He raised his hand in a polite wave, certain that she was talking about him. "Perhaps we should be a little more concerned about our wives' behavior?" he said nodding his head in their direction.
Jude and Walker began to make their way over, when a bell rang signaling the start of the evening and drawing everyone's attention to the gentleman ringing the bell.
"Thank you all for coming this evening. Lord and Lady…" he cleared his throat. "Forgive me, I forgot myself. The Duke and Duchess Heartfilia, as are their most formal titles, are honored that you could attend this gathering. Some of you may be wondering what exactly the occasion is for, and I am here to explain this reason. Several years ago, you may recall that the young daughter of this estate became very ill much to everyone's surprise. After one year had passed and the girl showed no signs of recovery, the Duke came to a very difficult decision. He told everyone that his daughter had not made it, and that the disease had claimed her life. On this occasion he wishes for me to express that this story was false and this is the reason why you have all gathered here this day. The daughter and heiress of the Heartfilia estate did not die all those years ago. She is very much alive and is fully recovered." The man waved a hand at the large heavy doors, motioning for them to be opened. He moved off to the side so that his body could not be seen by whoever was standing behind the doors and motioned with a quick movement of his hand for someone to step forward.
Everyone watched in silent awe as they waited for someone to appear at the entrance.
Lucy paced back and forth in a long dimly lit hallway that led to the more intimate ballroom and dining room. She was told to sit and wait until someone came for her, but it felt as if she had been waiting for hours. She was wearing the specially designed dress that her mother had had her try on the previous evening, and she loved the way the dress moved with her. She was burning with curiosity as to what her parents were planning, and was increasingly intrigued every time the maids would smile and giggle at her before whispering softly amongst themselves. She had been confined to her room all day; her parents had even stationed an overly serious guard outside her door to ensure that she never left.
Lucy was beginning to grow impatient when the door at the end of the hallway opened to let in a bright light from the ballroom. She saw a shadow of a hand beckon her forward and Lucy slowly made her way towards the entrance.
What's going on? she wondered to herself. As she came closer to the large, heavy double doors Lucy became aware of something strange. Are there people in there? It's strangely quiet. Just before Lucy walked through the door, Lucy closed her eyes as she took the last few steps forward.
She lifted her hands up to her face in shock. Lucy stood in shock at the top of the stair case, which had a short set of stairs curving both to the right and to the left of her. She looked out over the small balcony entrance and quickly took in her surroundings. She saw her mother off to the right wearing the most beautiful pink gown Lucy had ever seen her mother wear before, as well as a golden charm bracelet around her wrist. This evening she had her hair tied into a tight, elaborate twist and Lucy felt comforted by the familiar white gloves adorning her hands. Layla stood stiffly with soft tears falling steadily down her cheeks clinging on to her father's arm, who was dressed in a very formal but simple brown suit. Standing to their right was her club leader Gildarts, standing with a classically beautiful brunette who Lucy thought must be his wife and Cana's mother. She seemed to catch Lucy's eyes and nodded at her with a smile on her face. Standing to her parent's left was a strikingly powerful looking couple. The woman was tall and wore a cream colored, form fitting gown that boldly revealed her curves. Her fire red hair was a loose, curly mess that seemed to be dancing around her. She stood with a strangely mischievous smile on her face as she held hands with a tall, dark handsome man. Lucy noted the passion and fire burning in the woman's eyes and the calm features of the man standing next to her. Lucy thought she had seen such features before; she had seen that look before. Instinctively, she looked around for that familiar face and she found it; it was staring at her with a look that she had never seen.
Lucy face twisted with worry as she took notice of her friends, her mentor, and her headmaster all standing together on the left. Although Headmaster Makarov and Healer Porlyusica had serious almost grave looks on their faces, Lucy was not troubled by this. It was her friends' expressions that worried her. They were all staring at her as if she had grown two heads. Lucy's chest started to heave in panic as she began to realize that almost everyone was staring at her with surprised, expectant faces. Her face grew pink and she slowly started to back into the hallway.
Her mother, concerned but unsurprised, began to make her way to her daughter but Scarlet stopped her with a shake of the head. Layla looked at her ready to explain herself, but the woman simply tilted her head towards the staircase. When Layla turned around she saw a flash of pink bound over and up the stairs in Lucy's direction.
Lucy had just turned away from the crowd, when she felt the pressure of a hand on her own. It was a familiar warmth that she had come to cherish. She angled her head only slightly, not fully turning around.
"Did you know?" she whispered.
"No," answered Natsu. "I promise."
Lucy's head fell in disbelief. She wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. Natsu seemed to sense this and said to her, "Hey, everyone came all this way to meet you. You should at least say hi or something."
As if waiting for this prompt, the gentleman in the black suit announced: "It is my great pleasure and honor to introduce to you this evening, the young lady and heiress of the house, only daughter of the Duke and Duchess, the Lady Lucy Heartfilia."
Lucy's ears perked at hearing her name announced. Is this what my parents were planning to do? Why didn't they at least tell me so that I could prepare myself? And announcing my identity in front of all of my friends like this? How could they! Lucy's feet began to move to run in desperation to hide her shame.
OMG! I know right? lolz anywho...i need a little help for the upcoming book two. trying to think of nicknames for gajeel, levy, juvia and gray. maybe cana too. i will probably ask again in the second half of this chapter since i'll have a better idea and because i'll forget that i asked here. anywayz so what do you think? will lucy be shunned? dun dun dun find out this weekend! thanks for reading 3
o and promise to write back to pm's/reviews this weekend!