Hello everyone!
Here's an early update! Yup! I actually finished the whole chapter in lightning speed two days ago, thanks to the motivation of the reviews and followers (and of course, to those who added it to favorites! :D). I was so happy reading your comments and reactions and seeing the number of views, follows, and favorites went up!
I hope you enjoy this chapter!
…
Twelfth Wish:
Please Don't Fall In Love With Someone Else
"The princess is getting married."
Natsu's world stopped. The wind blew at them, but he didn't hear the rustling of the leaves as tree branches bend to its will. Only those five words echoed in his mind. His heart beat faster, thumping against his chest as if it wanted to get out.
"N-Natsu?" Happy paled as he looked at his friend. But his words might have as well been an air.
"W-What? The p-princess . . . That's a lie" he tried to get the words out. It should be a lie. Please let it be a lie . . . But he long knew that it would have come to this someday. She's a princess. She's bound to marry a prince or another noble of her equal standing.
Loki smirked. "I told you, I don't lie. If you want proof, you can go to the central plaza. They're announcing it right now. You can make it if you hurry" he told him, enjoying the look on his face.
"Natsu, don't!" Happy warned, he knew it was the trap.
Without second thought, he ran. He didn't hear Happy's protest or Loki's laugh, not even Lucy's calling made him stop in his tracks. The bet, Loki, contract, everything else were forgotten. The only thing on his mind right now was the princess.
No . . . no . . . please, don't . . . He begged, fear dominated deep inside his heart.
"Natsu!"
He ran to the asphalt road of the streets, side stepped the passer bys and the guards. He didn't even stop to say sorry when he bumped to someone on the streets. He couldn't care less about that. He couldn't care less about anyone.
,*,
"Erza-san! Are you alright?" Levy, a petite young woman with short blue hair, ran to the red-haired woman. She put down her violet hood as she reached her. She glared at the direction the boy with pink hair ran off to. "What's up with that guy? Not even saying sorry. You should have taught him a lesson, Erza-san."
Erza just brushed it off. "It's fine. It's not like he's a thief or anything. Besides, we shouldn't raise a commotion" she told her. She wasn't wearing her usual armor today. Instead, she wore a white and blue combat dress underneath the violet cloak.
Levy sighed. "You're right. We should make sure that no commotion happens as they announced Her Grace's betrothal."
"Anyways, let's continue the search for the High Priestess" Erza started to walk on a different direction.
"Ah, wait! So you have any ideas where Mavis-sama went?" she asked hopefully. Erza always know what to do in these situations.
"Hm, let's just walk around and eat cake. She'll show up when needed" the dependable Erza answered nonchalantly.
"EH!? So you have no plans!?" Levy's face darkened with worry. "Ack! She should be performing the blessings!"
"It'll be fine, Yukino can do it if push comes to shove" Erza assured her.
Levy only sighed. "You just want to eat cake . . ."
,*,
The plaza was crowded. Everyone was looking up with admiration at the terrace of the bell tower where the noble family stood. The bell continued to toll merrily as it called all the town's folk to come.
"So that's the Blessed Family . . ." one of the people commented.
"The princesses are as beautiful as they are divine . . ."
"Their silver white hair is definitely the gift of the gods . . ."
People continued to talk excitedly to one another as this was a rare occasion for the Strauss children to come and show up in public. Like very precious gems, they were kept inside the castle, away from any harm or any forms of danger.
Then the trumpets blew, and everyone kept silent as a small old man climbed up the platform.
"Mama, who's that?" a little child asked as she pointed at the old man.
"Shh. Don't point, that's rude. The man you see standing over there is the King's right hand, Lord Makarov Dreyar" her mother told her.
The small old man smiled. He was wearing a purple cloak with golden trimmings over his general uniform, small clothes that could fit a child. Even though the design of his cloth was a bit weird with its high collar and tight fitting in his body, the fabric it was made of was extremely of high quality.
"Citizens of the Kingdom of Magnolia!" he called out through the crowd with such a loud and strong voice. "I have called you here today to tell you of a very important and joyous announcement . . ."
Meanwhile, Natsu ran to the crowd, shoving people out of the way. Please . . . No . . . Not her . . .
"Hey! Watch it!"
"Don't push!"
People glared and angrily yelled at him but he paid them no attention as he continued to push his way to the crowd of people.
The old man continued his speech. "Over the past year, the kingdom was peaceful and prosperous due to the governing of the great Strauss family. With the blessings they received from the gods, they helped this small country regain to its own feet. . ."
"Hey!" one of the people Natsu shoved grabbed him by the collar. "Don't push people around to get to the front! I want to see the princess better too!" the man was two times bigger than him and very muscular. He pulled Natsu and threw him to the back on which he landed on his butt hard.
No . . . I need to get to her . . . I need to stop this . . .
Stop what? The marriage? What can you do? You're just a lowly man, a penniless thief on the street with no power. The rational part of his brain reasoned at him.
I don't care. She's my princess. I . . .
She's the princess. You're no prince, nor are you her knight in shining armor. You knew from the start that you couldn't have her.
Even so . . . even so . . . I . . . I love her . . . Even little men like me have the right to love. We are free to love anyone. That's why . . . that's why . . . it should be alright for me to at least wish for her, right?
Cruel as it seemed, even though his mind was in a mess and panic, the world continued to move on. The king's right hand continued his own speech. "That is why, as our dear princess came of age . . ."
Please don't . . . don't belong to someone else . . .
"I have come here to announce that her hand . . ."
His hands shook. For the longest time, you're the only one . . .
". . . Will be given to a marriage . . ."
His chest tightened along with his words. The world slowed down, as if he was watching and hearing everything in slow motion. He couldn't breathe. It seemed the air was being sucked out of his lungs to the cracks of a bottomless abyss in his heart. Please . . . if gods exist . . . don't belong to anyone . . . please . . . don't fall in love with someone else.
And the final words came.
"To my son! General Laxus Dreyar!"
The crowd cheered as Natsu could only crouch down in frustration and regret. If only he was rich. . . If he had high status and money then he could have gone to her, talk to her. He could have the chance to become her hero, her knight, her dream prince.
But in the end, he had neither of those.
Lisanna is a princess someone like him could never have.
If only statuses never existed.
Now, his world became dark again. Just as when he thought the sun finally came up to illuminate his night, dusk came. His only light left him, leaving him alone to stand against the darkness.
He wanted to scream. He wanted to shout his lungs out. But no one would hear them anyway, his voice left him. He felt heavy as if the sky itself had been pulling him down.
The town's folk continued to cheer as they continue to scream the princess name and the oh-so-great general.
"Hooray! Rejoice for the Strauss family!"
"Bless the Dreyar family!"
"Long live Sir Laxus and Princess Mira!"
. . . Huh?
Natsu looked up, unsure if he heard it right.
. . . Did they just?
Makarov grinned proudly. "That's right folks! Rejoice for my grandson is getting married to our great and beautiful princess Mirajane!"
He stared at the terrace, unable to believe it. On the terrace stepped out a tall and well-built man with yellow hair the color of hay and a young woman with beautiful curly long white hair. They smiled and waved at the crowd.
Behind them was the Strauss siblings, a large man with spiky white hair and the younger princess. The woman he loved. Even from this distance, her beauty shines to him. With the sun shining down on her short white hair as smooth as silk, and deep blue eyes twinkling as she smiled, she glowed like the moon as she cheered for her older sister.
Natsu smiled in complete relief. She wasn't getting married . . . Lisanna wasn't getting married! He almost jumped in joy at the thought of that.
Men whistled and cheered, women clapped their hands or waved their handkerchiefs in salute, and children throw flower petals in the air for blessing.
"Hah . . . that's right. There were two princesses" he sighed, as he realized and thought through of what happened. Damn that creep, he cursed at him. He got him completely fooled. For him, there was only one princess in his heart, and that was Lisanna. That was why when he heard that the princess was getting married, he could only think of her.
Speaking of which. . .
His eyes widened in realization.
He looked behind him and found that not one of the people he knew was there.
,*,
"You see, Lucy? Humans can't even follow through their words. How do you think he'll follow your contract?"
Loki sighed as he watched from the rooftop the scene that transpired. They were far behind and above the ground. Normal people wouldn't be able to see or hear anything from that height aside from the strong wind and little dots that were people, but they were celestial so hey, they got the clear view of everything.
Lucy pouted at him. "That was pretty low."
He looked affronted. "Hey! I didn't threat him to it or anything. He pretty much got lot of choices to make. It's his fault for just assuming and not asking which princess is getting married. Besides, he can just walk his way through the town and ask the people about it. But nooo, he chose to run and leave you alone" Loki put his hands up for dramatic effect.
She scoffed at him. "Oh come on, who would stay calm if they are in his position? The princess is very important to him" she defended Natsu. Although I don't understand why 'marriage' is a big deal.
"He still left you even after all the talk he said that he won't. He abandoned you for the princess" he pressed on at her.
Why does he insist on degrading Natsu to me? Sometimes, she can't understand what this guy was thinking. "Just to remind you, he didn't completely left me alone" she pointed out.
Back to the time when Natsu ran . . .
"W-Wait! Natsu!" Happy called out to him.
Loki was laughing his heart out after seeing his reaction. "Gahahaha. You reacted like I expected! Now then, I'll take my time with . . ." he looked and found that Lucy was not there anymore. Natsu had instinctively grabbed onto her as he dashed away from him.
Tick marks appeared on Loki's head as he gritted his teeth in anger. "That thief . . . We agreed on leaving Lucy alone with me! How dare he not let go of her!"
He flew and followed them immediately.
"N-Natsu!" Lucy called out to him, his grip on her was so hard it was almost painful. Happy tried to call to him several times but he didn't seem to hear them. They could only watch as he wildly ran to the central plaza where the announcement was being made.
She watched him in wonder. What could possibly make him panic this much when it's just marriage? That was just partnership between man and woman. Surely he could still love her, right? She couldn't understand.
His hands were getting cold and sweaty but his grip remained strong, it was almost digging through her skin. She bumped into many people, unable to maneuver by herself.
Luckily, he bumped to someone hard, forcing him to release her wrist from his hand. Unfortunately, that was the time Loki caught up to them. He grabbed Lucy's other wrist. "Where are you going?" he asked as he held her firmly.
"Lucy!" Happy called out as he jumped away from Natsu to help her. Loki evaded his tackle with a side step. "Well, that makes me the winner of the bet. Come with me," he pulled her closer as he flew up.
"Lucy!" the blue cat called worriedly as he stretched out his paw.
She tried to grab it but they were too far away already so instead, she yelled at him. "Don't worry about me, Happy! Go and look for Natsu! He needs your support more than me!"
Natsu didn't even seem to notice anything as continued to ran, leaving them.
". . . So he still tried to follow through his words despite his panic. I'd say that's rather impressive" she told him. She was quite glad that he grabbed her with him even though it hurt. If he didn't, she would have felt a bit lonely and sad for being left alone. Although it would be a bit dramatic to say so, she would have felt abandoned. Friends don't leave each other, after all.
Loki only sighed, he rubbed his head. "Why are you defending him? So no matter what I say, you're gonna stay with him?"
"I'm only stating the truth, and I think that's obvious" she answered his questions respectively.
He clicked his tongue, obviously annoyed. "You're favoring him over me, even though we know each other longer."
"Hey! Don't play that guilt trick on me. I'm not going to fall for that" he used that trick to her when they had a competition on whose story was better and she was the judge. "I'm only stating the truth" she repeated at him.
He sighed. He was sighing a lot lately. "Fine. I don't want to spend my time with you talking about him anyway."
"Oh right. Why do you want to talk to me?"
"About that . . . I wanted to ask you," he looked at her seriously. "You said that the reason you came here was because you made a promise. What promise is that and to whom?"
She frowned, why is he asking that question now? But then again, it wasn't like she was hiding it. Actually, he might even understand if she told him. "The promise I've made . . . I told that child that I'll come back and meet him. I don't remember who that child is though."
Loki held his chin in thought. He looked frustrated.
"Loki?" she called out to him.
"Then, if that promise is fulfilled, you'll come back home with me, right?" he asked her, the hopefulness in his voice was so evident.
"You're going to return my memories?" she asked in surprise.
"No," he immediately answered her curtly.
"I see . . ." she deflated. "Well, even if the promise is fulfilled, I won't return. I still have a contract I need to work with."
"The contract . . . can you cancel it? I'll help you fulfill the promise instead" Loki suddenly offered.
She looked at him like he had gone crazy. "Are you serious? That's a golden contract! It won't break until you fulfill it!"
"Golden contract?" he frowned, then his eyes widened as he processed the words. "You made a golden contract with him!?" he asked, aghast.
Loki was so agitated about "the kiss" that he didn't realize the golden chains. He didn't realize the kind of contract she made. Now that he thought about it, it would make much more sense. Simple contracts don't make that bright of a light.
"Yeah, what other contracts are in there?" she looked at him like it should be obvious.
"You idiot! Why did you make a contract directly under the Golden Laws!? You could have made a contract under the laws of men! Golden contract is only used in the celestial realm! Do you know what will happen if you break it!?" he yelled at her, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her.
"I know . . . don't call me an idiot! If I break the contract, I will be kicked out of the celestial realm. Worst case scenario is that I'll die. The golden contract makes me bound to him by eternity unless stated otherwise."
Why didn't you choose a simple contract!? He wanted to yell at her. But then he remembered that Lucy had little knowledge of the earth, so she wouldn't know how much different the two realms were. "Argh! So this is why the King didn't want you to come! You're so clueless!" he grabbed his head in frustration.
"Hey! That's mean!" she yelled angrily at him.
"Argh, forget it! Tell me the conditions of your contract, all the details" he stressed the last words heavily.
She answered immediately, "I'll fulfill his wish and he'll help me with mine . . ."
"And . . .?"Loki prompted her to go on.
"That's it. His wish is to win the heart of the person he loves, while he helps me to stay here with the contract" she told him.
Lucy knew she was in trouble with the look he was giving her. Gyaa! His angry!
"You idiot . . . what do you mean 'that's it'!?" his face darkened at the thought of what she had done.
She scratched her cheek with her finger as she looked away, "Eto . . . It's just that . . ? It's not like it's a big deal . . ."
"What do you mean it's not 'a big deal'!? Why would you make the conditions so vague!? Huh!? Have you gone out of your mind!?" he yelled as he drilled his fists at both sides of her temple. "Think of your actions! Where can you see a Golden Contract that simple!? You didn't even state the offering. It's not even an equivalent exchange!"
"It's an equivalent exchange! A wish for a wish! And it's clear as day that we just have to help each other out" she told him after getting out of his grip. She held her aching head with both hands.
"And you really are an idiot if you think like that" he looked at her with such a pissed off face. "There's a big difference on the size of your wishes! He already sort of fulfilled yours with just that contract! Meanwhile, you still have to work hard to fulfill his. Do you even have any idea how tricky human hearts can be!? You can't force someone to fall in love!"
"I-I can do something about it. And you won't know until you try. I want to help him!" she yelled back at him.
"And if you fail? You're still bound to him for life! If he dies without the contract being fulfilled, you'll either be pulled along with him or be kicked out of the Celestial Realm!" Thank goodness I didn't kill him. "Why didn't you state that you could change the contract terms or cancel it if both parties agreed? You should have stated other terms that can terminate the contract! That's common sense! You should have made it so that you could possibly get out of it if worse comes to worst!"
She pursed her lips as she glared at him, she had turned stubborn. "Stop blaming me! Why are you angry? It's my contract, not yours!" she yelled defensively. "Besides, it's not my fault if I don't know that. This is my first one. . . It's not like anyone had ever taught me how to make a contract!" her hands were shaking. Tears begin to show at the corner of her eyes as she remembered how everyone denied her to pass the gate.
"L-Lucy?" he paled as he saw her begin to cry.
She angrily rubbed off the tears with her arm. "Is that all you wanted to say? Then I'm leaving" she turned away from him.
"Wait! That's not all!" He grabbed her arm.
She glared at him. "What else do you want?"
He looked panicked. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I know it's selfish but please. I want you to promise me something. . ."
Her expression softened after he apologized and seeing the desperate look on his face. ". . . What is it?" she asked reluctantly.
He looked at her with serious eyes as the wind blew hard at the two of them.
"Please, promise me that you won't fall in love with someone."
,*,
Natsu ran as he searched for the blonde genie and his partner in crime. He tried to go back to the place where they met the creep but he found that they were not there anymore. So he ran around town, searching of places where they could possibly be.
"A song that dictates her end
Left a broken bond to mend
A vow made make the laws bend
A great power shall be lend,"
His ear caught the soft and melancholic song being sung at the beat of a wooden drum. He looked at the source of the voice and found it came from the opposite side of the street where three children dressed in rags were making a performance as they begged for money.
Beggars . . . Natsu thought. Yet he had never seen these three children before in these streets. He was sure because those three children have a particular trait that was very eye-catching. All three of them have bandages wrapped around their heads.
The one in the left who was holding the money cup have bandage wrapped around her ears. The one in the middle, who was playing a small wooden drum strapped with cloth and rubber, have bandaged wrapped around her mouth and throat. Finally was the girl who was singing, she had bandages wrapped around her eyes.
These three children together, dressed in rags and bandages, made a very sad and pitiful picture. Even Natsu would have given them a few coins if he wasn't in the same situation as them, homeless and penniless. What made it even sadder was how they were ignored by the people who passed by. No one even spared them a glance as they continue to walk on their own way. They might have as well been invisible.
Natsu would have walked away since he couldn't help them anyway, but then he caught the eye of the one in the middle, the one who was playing the drums. She stared at him intently and he felt drawn to her for some strange reason. And so his feet moved and walked to them, being pulled by a strange force and the soft voice of the one singing.
The song was melancholic, like a mother telling her child a beautiful sad story through a lullaby. Yet there was a strange power on it, like the songs the choirs sing at their churches. His feet stopped as he found his self in front of them, as if being called.
The girl with the bandage on her ear looked up at him and stretched out her cup as the other child continued singing.
"Heart goddess beware of men
Their heart's desire knows no bound
Thou shall fall to one again
And hidden truth shall be found"
"Ummm. . . I have no money" he told her. The child only smiled as she waited for him to drop something. The one playing the drums continued to stare at him.
"I have no money" he said again, louder this time. In reply, the child only shook the cup to him. Tick marks appeared on his temple, his patience running low at the persistent child. He had no money to give and he meant it.
The blind girl kept singing in a strange language he couldn't describe.
The one playing the drums pulled on the sleeve of the persistent girl and shook her head. Finally, the girl put her cup down and slightly bowed her head in a manner of apology.
"I apologize for her. My sister is deaf and cannot hear you" the blind girl suddenly spoke, she had stopped singing.
Natsu looked at her, "oh". So the bandages weren't just for show. He doubted at first since there were the kinds of beggars who would act like their disabled just to get the pity of others. Besides, he couldn't think what kind of accident this three had faced to have such different particular injuries.
"How did you like my song?" the blind girl asked him.
He blinked at her question. "Uhh . . . I guess it's good?"
"Good?" the little girl smiled. "Are you fine with it?"
She meant the meaning of the song, Natsu realized. Her song was mostly sung in a different language actually, so he couldn't have fully known what the whole song was about. "Sorry, I didn't understand it. I don't know the language."
The blind girl turned her face towards him, smiling as if she could see something he couldn't. "Oh but you did. You got the gift."
He looked at her strangely. What on earth is she talking about? The girl was definitely weird and sort of creepy. She spoke as if she was years older than him.
"Uhh, sorry. I don't understand what 'gift' you're talking about, or the song's meaning."
"Really? But you knew, you understood. But I guess it isn't clear to you yet."
Natsu stayed silent, examining the girl and her words. Yup, she's definitely weird and creepy. She spoke like she knew everything about him although they never met. And why does she keep on asking him about the song? All he knew from what he heard was that it was sort of melancholic, with a heavy tone as if it spoke of a warning or telling a legend. Huh. It was like it's at the tip of my tongue but I couldn't put it. It was as if I understood the meaning but not the words.
Now that is definitely strange . . .
The three children smiled at him.
"Well, we've done our job. The song's already etched in your heart for you to remember. You will understand fully when the time comes. Though I'm afraid it might be too late for you if you did."
"Hah? What are you talking about? I can't even . . ." he was a bit perplexed at them.
"Don't worry about the one you're searching, they'll come back to you in due time. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Oi . . ."
"You'll meet us again. Next time, I expect some offering . . ."
"Natsu! I've been looking for you!" Happy called out from behind. He instinctively turned toward him. "Ah, Happy, wait a sec" he looked back at the three children only to find them gone.
He blinked.
"Hey, Happy, Where did those kids I'm talking earlier with went?" he asked him.
Happy frowned and looked at him curiously. "Kids? What are you talking about? I haven't seen you talking with anyone."
"Huh?"
. . . * . . .
The pieces were set. The song was sung.
The wheels of fate began to turn.
And destiny smiled as things unfolded as they should be.
. . . * . . .
End of Chapter!
It was the other princess marrying general Laxus! Now relieved of one thing to worry about, Natsu started to search for Lucy! Who are those three kids and what will be Lucy's answer to Loki's request!? Find that out next chapter!
NOTES:
As already stated, there are other kinds of contract. Golden Contracts are made under the laws of Heaven itself, the Golden Laws. This is very absolute. Gods and goddesses are bound to it. Heavy consequences will be given if it is broken. It's rarely made even in the Celestial realm since gods don't lie anyway. This is only used for very important agreements.
Gods and goddesses are very careful on making Golden contracts, they made list of terms and agreements and it's pretty much a protocol to add the terms of termination. Just one small slip, and they'll be doomed or trap forever. This is why Loki's very agitated and anxious reaction to Lucy's very simple terms is very understandable.
Simple contracts, or just "contract", are the contracts that are made under the laws of earth. While Spirits, gods, and goddesses are still bound to follow it due to their nature, it's still a lesser kind of contract that they can break. The rules of earth have less deadly punishments for immortals since they were aimed more specifically for mortals. Also, they could just ask for alternatives of the punishment by asking that world's god/ruler. In other words, it's safer. This is the one usually used when making contracts to people from other realms.
Some interesting Notes:
It may not be evident yet, but the ending of Wish of a Lifetime will have a connection to the manga-verse, as the World of Sorrow (another story from A Never Ending Tale Series) does.
With that being said, Celestial Spirit contracts that celestial mages, like Lucy Heartfilia, use is made under the Golden Laws. It's a Golden Contract (Remember when Leo had his gate closed to him for indirectly causing the death of his contractor, breaking the rules/ contract terms?).
That's all! And yes, I love putting twists and fore-shadowings in stories. The prophecy will be revealed bit by bit (I hope I find my missing notebook).
Have a fun day!