***I do not own Fairy Tail, nor its characters or its storyline. I once got a review from someone wanting more from this depressing little story. That was about one year ago, and the dear individual is likely elsewhere and reading other fantastic stories by other fabulous writers. There sure are many of those.
But for those that bother to check this out, I welcome you. For those that have been here before, welcome back and sorry for the wait***
And indeed did we end up shocking the little odd lady as we turned up at her doorstep looking like victims of mud bombs, a furry blue flying creature by our side. Actually Happy didn't cause too much ruckus, he had been seen around Natsu often enough in the general area to be considered what was called Fairy Tail normal. We were still ushered up to into different room so we could change into something dry before we started working.
His black shirt was too big for me, but it was the pants that caused the most trouble. It would NOT, by any means, keep itself on my waist. Damn. It wasn't like I could just keep holding it up while carrying heavy boxes around.
"LUIGI!" Natsu called from outside my room, obviously done changing, and I panicked for a second before the name he had used truly reached my ears.
"LUCY!" I yelled back, opened the door with a bang.
"The name's LUCY, and these are too BIG."
"That's what I said, and the pants aren't too big. YOU're too small!" he countered.
"AM NOT!" I yelled.
"ARE TOO!" he yelled back. We stared each other down, and then, without another word he handed me a belt.
"But since you're too small anyways I brought you a belt. Client's downstairs, so hurry up." he turned on his heel and went downstairs. I remained. He had the NERVE to usher ME? It was MY job, damn it! Then I paused. Why was I mad at him at all? Was this not what I wanted? Someone to just.. linger. Someone that wouldn't just write me off as mean and leave.
While engrossed in my own thoughts I secured the belt around my waist, and hung my keychain on it as a sort of afterthought. Didn't I USE to have a... This was MY belt. Since when..? Should I feel thankful or creeped out about the fact that Natsu had my belt? Now when I thought about it.. it might've loosened and fallen off somewhere in that mud-fight earlier. It wasn't like I normally used it to keep my pants on anyways, so I guess I missed it. A good thing it was then, perhaps, that I today had chosen to clip my keychain directly to my shorts. Or wait... When I CHANGED. AHA. I hadn't taken the belt as I changed to sweatpants, since sweatpants hardly required a belt.
As I went downstairs and we got assigned to our tasks, we kept insulting each other, or rather, he kept insulting me and I kept denying it. I was too skinny. To heavy. Too loud. And I soon came with insults of my own. Was he NOT too loud? He certainly was TOO destructive. TWICE the old woman called us lovers with twinkles in he enlarged eyes that stared at us through thick glasses, and twice the claim was denied. Close friends then, perhaps, had she said, though that smile from earlier did not falter, as if she knew something we did not.
I do not know what it is to be a friend, much less a lover. Since I am one of those who run... A COWARD.. I never got to feel the closeness of another. And as such, even though I felt that I by principle needed to deny her claim, I could not rightfully claim anything. What was a friend? Was this what friendship was? Natsu and Gray seemed close even through all the insults thrown between them. But they fought too, physically. Beat each other to a pulp. Was that required of me too? If it was, then the friendship demanded too much. I had seen Natsu fight, and knew I stood no chance against him. Gray was of similar strength, if not completely equal. Erza was even stronger.
But still. Even though we fought. Even though he called me skinny, annoying, loud and heavy. Even through all that... I felt happy. It was a warm feeling existing every so slightly within me, even reaching for the dark corner of my being, the place where I hid all my tears and the memories I did not want to face. Like a gust of spring after a long winter. And though it felt SO good, that little spark of warmth, it scared me senseless. A person once told me, I have long since forgotten who, that a person cannot heal before one has stood up and faced ones darkest memories and ones greatest fears.
I am a coward. Only earlier today I had failed to find the strength to just end it all. The fact that I almost did kept gnawing on me now, when the initial shock had passed. I was a coward. I was a runner. A lone runner. But I had not known before today, that there somewhere deep within existed a strong will, a dark being, that wished everything to end. That was tired of running. Tired of hiding. Tired of fearing the dark corner within myself.
"Lucy..." but I had stood up for myself today. I had stopped to stare this being down, a being I would just bow my head and follow before.
"LUCE... HELLOOOOO," I tuned back into reality and saw Natsu waving a hand frantically in front of me, looking at me questionably.
"Hm? What?" I asked, almost cringed when that word came back. The word that had earned me a slap to the face inly hours before. But I held it back, the cringe.
"We're done, and I'm hungry. I bet you are too, since I haven't seen you eat at all today." he said, and his stomach rumbled in agreement.
"Aye SIR!" Happy the cat chimed in.
"Oh. Okay." was my reply, and I followed the boy, said goodbye to the old lady where she stood just outside the door.
"Hang on a minute, dearie, I have something to give you." the woman said.
"Okay. What is it?" I asked, and the woman handed me a note.
"A friend of yours came by with it earlier, but you were busy working so she asked me to give it to you after the job was over and done with. A real pretty girl, with almost white blonde hair down to her waist. You know who it is?" the woman handed me the note, and I nodded thoughtfully before I smiled brightly at her.
"I do. Thank you." I replied, and then followed Natsu once more, clutching the note in my hand, keeping the trembling at bay. I knew who it was, yes. Claire. It was Claire.
He was gobbling on his food, sending food debris everywhere, as per usual while I nibbled on my food, not the least bit hungry at the moment. The note remained in my palm, getting all sweaty from the stress I felt for having it without having read it yet.
"I'm going to the bathroom," I declared, and a grunt told me he had received my message, so I got up, walked calmly across the room, into the ladies room were I locked myself into a booth, and finally took a look at the folded note. I wonder what it says...
"Run, run, as fast as you can. I'll still break your arm." a voice said, and I heard the creaking as someone outside leaned against the door to the booth where I was sitting.
"That's what it says, since I doubt you'd be reading it with the idiot around," she continued.
"Claire..." I muttered, and she laughed, a high pitched laughter, but not too loud. She was never one to laugh loudly since she never could know who might be nearby.
"You got that right, Lady Coward. I heard you spoke up for yourself today, though. Nice job, HE likes me better now when Miles failed him." she said. Claire Hughes, a girl around my age, with blonde almost white hair, usually kept in a braid that made it all the way down to the butt. Other than that she would be seen wearing a white tank top and a pair of loosely fitted military trousers. Sandals completed her outfit. Oh, and she got one green eye and one blue, eyes filled with sadistic amusement or laughter. Claire was one that usually remained in a good mood, and that was a good thing since she could be a true demon upon being angered. She also happened to be the closest thing I had to a friend. I think.
"Are you here to get me too?" I asked her, and another giggle could be heard.
"Depends, Lady Coward, on your perspective. I am here to persuade you, yes. HE is not very pleased with you. Personally I find this new pace entertaining. He lets me out more, you know. I get cagey when I have to remain inside all the time." she said. So.. basically, she was willing to give me a chance.
"Look. I got something you need. You got something I need. Let's trade. A house for an arm." she said.
"What?"
"I'm giving you a fucking opportunity here, so you better appreciate it. I got a house. Remember the lady you helped move out earlier. That house happened to be on the market, and I just happened to have the money to pay for it. It's yours, if you can help me maintain my reputation. I won't take you back, but I will have to break your arm. Sends and appropriate message, if you ask me. I'll be quick, and the break will be clean. Promise." she stopped talking, and I sat there in silence for a moment, considering her offer.
"Not here."
"Fine. Tonight then." she laughed, and was gone. I exited the door, went to the sink where I splashed some water on my face. Calm down. Calm down. I wondered what arm she'd break. Would I get a choice? Depended on her mood, I figured.
I walked into the eating place again, where Natsu had already finished his meal and now sat leaned backwards looking content while he rubbed his stomach. I sat down in my seat in front of him, looked at my food. The food that used to be there, but that was gone now. Only an empty plate remained. Probably for the best.
"It's late. I think it's time for me to go home now," I announced, and Natsu suddenly sat up, looked at me with suspicion in his eyes.
"So where do you live?" he asked.
"I used to live just outside town, but since we managed to empty that house in such a short time we could move into today," I said, truthful up to the part where I said WE. Unless Claire had a sudden urge to settle down, which I strongly doubted, only I would live in that building. Well, I guess the living outside town part would be stretching the truth slightly out of proportion as well. That I didn't use to live IN this town was true enough, but my old home was more than just JUST outside town. More like a few hours with a train. At the least.
"Mama doesn't allow visitors after nightfall though. Sorry about that. But I can put you on a train before I.. Natsu? Are you motion sick ALREADY? Really?" I looked at the boy as he turned green by the mere mention of the word train.
"I think we'll just walk, Lucy, but we can walk you home first," the cat said, and I nodded. I guess they needed to see me enter that house.
And so they did. We walked to the house, the one that lay just outside the city center, not far away enough from the town to be reckoned outside it, though not in the middle of it. It had two stories, plenty of space for me and my mother, which wouldn't be there. The light was on in the second floor, as if someone waited up there, and I managed to rid myself of the Dragon Slayer for the second time in a row. Perhaps now would both he and the barmaid leave me be.
I am a coward. A spineless piece of nothing without a brave bone in my entire body. At least that was once the case, before I stood up to Miles and denied one of the orders given by HIM. But even as a coward, I maintained a certain amount of pride. It was what led me up the stairs, into the only room where she awaited me. It was what made me swallow my scream as she broke my left arm between my wrist and my elbow before kissing me on the cheek and wish me luck with my break from HIM. She didn't congratulate me on my escape, since she hardly saw it as permanent. I guess I shared that view. There was no running away from him. This was NOT a permanent solution.
"Open, the Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius." I declared where I sat in the tub, my clothing still on in the freezing water I had filled it with. In a flash of bright light she appeared, the fury that so often complained about me summoning her whenever she was on a date with her boyfriend. And this time she complained as well, but not before demanding me out of the bathtub, and then while bandaging my hand, muttering about the bitch that dared make me like this and thus forcing her to come out in order to fix me up.
"WHY did you go into the bathtub with clothes, fool?" she asked as she finished the job.
"I can't undress with one hand while not moving the other," I answered sullenly, and Aquarius sighed, then proceeded to drag the water out of my clothing and into her vase.
"I will not be disturbed any further tonight, got it? Bloody take care of yourself for ONE night." she said and then disappeared. I just dragged my feet over to the bathroom door, sat down with my back against it and fell asleep. Dry or not, I was still cold, and my arm stung. My face stung. The tears that kept streaking down the sore half of my face did not help.
***I am cursed with too many stories, but at the same time I am unable to live off one at a time. My Muse loves diversions whenever one of my stories seemingly dries out. Writing is my addiction. Whenever I stop, even for the briefest of times, I face withdrawals. I lose sense of time, and reality is partly replaced by the vivid images of imagined battlefields, scents of fictitious feasts and the taste of fine beverages in illusory parties.
Well, enough of my rantings. I hope you enjoyed the short field trip through my imagination. I might be back with more in a not too distant future.***