"Where's mommy?" Mizuki asked Erza, while holding onto her hand tightly. "Mama's at the guild, getting better." Erza replied with the most calming voice she could manage.
Of course, Lucy's daughter is going to ask to see her mother. But.. She can't. Lucy still hasn't fully recovered. In fact, there's been no sign of her body even attempting at recovery at this point. How does one explain that to a four year old, with them knowing it was completely their fault? It would just make the situation worse, with an extra emotionally unstable child running around.
For some strange goddamn reason, Lucy keeps coughing up blood, and her wound keeps opening. And to make things worse, she doesn't even have the strength to call for Loki for answers.
"You mean mama still isn't good?" Lucy's daughter asked, on the verge of tears.
God, Erza hated kids.
"I-I mean, mommy's all better. She's just resting." Erza snuck a glance down at the small child, and saw that she was smiling. The requip mage shook her head. Such a quick change in attitude.
As the duo was about to enter the guild, Erza summoned one of her swords.
"Ooh! Kenshin had one of those!" Mizuki exclaimed, pointing to the large sword. The woman raised an eyebrow. "Oh, did he now?"
Erza didn't wait for the small girl to reply, instead opening the large doors to the guild hall.
Immediately upon entering, almost every single head turned to them, and Erza held out her sword. "Come close and you're going to get hurt." She didn't want the eager guild members to swarm the child, and possibly frighten her.
Mizuki was looking around in amazement; she's never witnessed so many people in one area before. Then, she laid her upon a familiar face.
Pulling her hand out of Erza's loose grip, she then childishly ran over to the bar.
"Daddy! Daddy!" She yelled, then latching onto Natsu's leg. Startled, he looked down with wide eyes. Noticing it was only his daughter, his eyes softened, and a grin appeared on his face. "Hey you. Erza get you here alright?" Natsu looked over to the scarlet-haired woman, and they both nodded at each other.
"Mhm!" Mizuki nodded, reaching up to indicate she wanted to be picked up. Natsu obeyed, lifting her up and placing her on his hip.
"Is that your..?" Mira asked, placing down the glass she was cleaning. "Yep! Mizuki Dragneel." Natsu said, kissing his daughter's forehead.
"WAIT!" Mirajane exclaimed, holding up her hand. "Dragneel, you said?"
Natsu raised an eyebrow, and nodded his head hesitantly. Mira leaned over the bar and began to speak in a hushed tone. "Look, I know you may not want all the attention right now because of Lucy's recent return.. But.. Are you guys getting married?!"
Natsu grinned, and nodded his head happily. "Sure are. I proposed to her at her apartment."
Mira then flung her hands to her mouth, muffling her squeals.
Mizuki wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck, and rested her head against his scarf, closing her eyes. "She must be tired from the train ride." Erza stated, sitting down at a bar stool.
The first group to walk over was Levy and Gajeel, followed by Jet and Droy. "So this is your daughter?" Levy asked, standing on her tip-toes to get a view of Mizuki's resting face. "Yep."
Gajeel's attention went from Natsu, to Mizuki, to Natsu once again, and he smirked. "Never thought ya had it in you." Natsu narrowed his eyes, and moved so he was right under the long-haired mage's nose. "I'd be fightin' you if I didn't have my daughter in my arms, Screws-fer-Brains."
Gajeel also narrowed his eyes, and scowled. "Watch what you say. You better be a good father to 'er, or there'll be trouble between us. Got it, Flame Brain?"
Levy's heartbeat increased upon listening to Gajeel's dark and...demanding tone. Maybe Gajeel acted like that because of Igneel and Metalicana leaving them when they were young. Levy didn't know.
Before things got out of hand, the petite mage dragged Gajeel away, returning to their table. Jet and Droy also returned shortly after, but sitting at a different table than the Iron Dragon Slayer.
As the next hour or so passed, four more groups of guild members visited Natsu, and the sound asleep Mizuki.
As Natsu was sitting at the bar, drinking a glass of water, his sensitive hearing picked up something...strange?
What...is that?
It sounded like ragged breathing, but no one around Natsu was breathing like that. He also smelled Lucy, but.. Mizuki smelled like Lucy, so he thought that was the reason for the scent.
What is that sound?
"Is something wrong, Natsu?" Mira asked curiously, noticing his strange movements.
Then, Natsu's suspicions were made clear once Mirajane turned her head to the side, and widened her eyes. The Dragon Slayer could also hear whispers in the background, and the breathing seemed to get closer.
"L-Lucy?!" Mira exclaimed, moving out from behind the bar.
"Lu..cy..?" Natsu whispered, turning in the direction Mira was looking. He shot up from his stool, surprisingly not waking up his daughter. "Take her!" Natsu commanded in a hushed tone to Mira, who was standing next to the pinkette. The white-haired female nodded and took the sleeping child, worry written on her features.
Rushing over to the female, he examined her smiling, but pained face. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He asked, angry. Natsu then took one of her arms and wrapped it around his shoulder, guiding her to a nearby table.
Once sitting, she laid her head down on the wooden surface. "I just," Lucy coughed, holding her stomach, "I just wanted to see her.." The Celestial mage closed her eyes, and inhaled a sharp breath.
"Baka! You're not supposed to be out of bed!" Lucy opened her eyes to reveal watery orbs, and she bit her lip. "I want to..see her..Natsu..please."
The pink-haired mage nodded his head sadly, and then walked over to Mira to retrieve his daughter. While he was gone, Lucy moved her hand off of her wound, and examined her hand. It was stained in fresh blood, and she cursed under her breath.
"L-Lu-chan..?" Levy asked, hesitantly, sitting next to the blond. Lucy shot her head up, and hot tears fell down her face. "Levy... Levy."
"Lucy?" Natsu asked, refocusing Lucy's attention back on him. She reverted her gaze, so she was looking up at her daughter in muscular arms.
Lucy hardly managed a smile, and lifted her non-bloody hand up, in hopes of touching her daughter. But, she wasn't able to, because coughs ripped at her throat. Lucy's hand shot to her mouth, eyes going wide.
"Sh-shit! Wendy, Erza! Get Lucy to the infirmary!" Natsu frantically yelled, waking his daughter. "H-huh..?" The little girl rubbed her eyes, confused.
"L-Lu-chan!"
Crimson liquid escaped Lucy's lips, and she began choking on her own blood. Air didn't seem to want to enter Lucy's lungs, and because of that, she hacked even harder, sending more blood flying from her mouth.
"Erza!" Natsu frantically called, giving Mizuki back to Mira, and sending them away. Erza ran up to the blond, and helped her up, then, sweeping her off of her feet to carry her up to the infirmary. Wendy was already running past them, heading upstairs.
After Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, and Erza were upstairs, and Mizuki and Mira secluded in the back, the guild members in the guild hall began to whisper around.
"So Lucy really is back, huh?"
"She didn't look too good."
"I hope we don't lose her like last time."
The next day
"Wait. You can summon Leo the lion?" Levy inquired Mizuki. The little girl nodded her head, and continued to fill her mouth with her sandwich. "How is that possible? She's not a Celestial Spirit wizard.." Wendy wondered, tapping her index finger on her chin.
"Mhm! I can just call out his name like Mommy does!"
Levy and Wendy looked at each other, and nodded their heads.
After the night before, and Mizuki being taken to Fairy Hills with Erza, each member was filled in on Natsu and Lucy's current situation. Many had theories as to why Lucy wasn't healing, but no one could directly pinpoint the reason.
"Could you... Call him right now, Mizuki?" Levy cautiously asked, leaning towards Lucy's daughter. "Sure can!"
"Leo the lion, I'm calling youu~!" The brown-eyed girl called gleefully, kicking her legs back and forth underneath the wooden table.
Wendy raised her eyebrows once light began to shimmer next to the trio, and Loki himself appear in front of them.
"What's wrong? Where's Lucy?! Why haven't I been able to pass through my gate?!" The lion spirit frantically asked, looking directly at Levy.
"U-uh, she's upstairs with Natsu, in the infirmary. He'll explain everything to you." Levy stated, knitting her eyebrows together.
Loki then rushed up to the guild's infirmary, and to Lucy's bedside.
"Lucy.." He solemnly whispered, examining her sleeping face. "L-Loki?! How did you.. How did you get here?!" Natsu asked, standing up from the chair he was resting in.
"Mizuki summoned me."
...
"What?"
Loki raised an eyebrow. "What, you didn't know she could? She does have Lucy's type of magic."
"How is that possible.. You're Lucy's spirit.. You have a contract with her, not Mizuki."
The Celestial Spirit shrugged his shoulders, unsure himself. "I don't know, honest, Natsu. It's strange. None of the other spirits have seen anything like this before."
"Mizuki.. I don't know. Light came out of her and...impaled Lucy's stomach..and she's not healing."
"Please..Loki. Help her."
The look in Natsu's eyes wasn't his normal flame. There was so much desperation, and pure need.
Loki nodded his head, and then returned his attention to the female in the room. He removed the sheet off of Lucy's body, and began to look over her wound.
"Celestial bandages should work just fine."
Natsu's eyes widened at how Leo made it sound so easy. "B-but! Wendy's been trying to heal her but nothing' has worked!"
The spirit shook his head, "No, regular healing magic won't do any good to this. I can't explain it really.. Mizuki has some type of Celestial magic.."
"Alright. I'm going back. Have Mizuki summon me here in one hour, Natsu. If Lucy's wound is left alone, it could turn into something much worse."
A few hours later
"I feel...so much better." Lucy sighed, placing her hand over the bandages that covered her waist. She rolled her head so she was facing Natsu, and smiled. "Remind me to thank Loki the next time he's summoned."
"Mommy?" Mizuki hesitantly called from the doorway of the infirmary. Natsu helped Lucy sit up, while she squeezed her eyes shut in slight pain.
"H-hi, honey. How are you?" Lucy ushered her daughter closer, and Natsu plastered an encouraging smile on his face.
Once Mizuki was next to the bedside, Lucy placed her hands under her daughter's shoulders, and lifted her up onto the bed.
Mizuki then wrapped her arms around her mother's neck tightly, and began crying. "I'm s-sorry mommy!" She wailed, feeling complete and utter guilt.
Lucy wrapped her arms around Mizuki's small body, and squeezed, while closing her eyes. "It's okay sweetheart. Shh." The blond began rubbing circles on the pink-haired girl's back, while hushing her cries.
"I don't blame you, Mizuki." Lucy pulled Mizuki back to look her in her teary eyes. A soft smile formed on her lips. "All we need to do now is help you control your magic."
The little girl wiped the liquid off her delicate cheeks, and nodded her head.
After Mizuki left the room, Natsu sighed. "How are we going to train Mizuki, if we don't know her magic ourselves?"
Lucy hung her head. "I don't know. We'll have to wait until she's older to completely find out what she does, and Loki will have to aid us."
"And it's not like she even knows, either!" Lucy finished, throwing her arms down.
"I could always teach her Fire Dragon Slayer magic!" Natsu enthusiastically offered, lighting his fist on fire, and flexing his muscle. Lucy giggled, and her smile actually reached her eyes; the first time in a very long while.
Natsu then climbed into Lucy's bed with her, and wrapped his arm around her slender shoulder, bringing her into his chest.
Lucy frowned, but intertwined her and Natsu's fingers. "I really miss how things were four years ago."
Natsu sighed, and rubbed his thumb over hers. "But now we can look forward to the future, right? Just me, you, and Mizuki."
The blond looked up to view Natsu with a grin on his face. She smiled too, then leaned up, and kissed his chin. "You're right."
Eyes closed, and slowly drifting to sleep, Lucy decided she wanted Natsu to know something that she's been wanting to say for the past few days.
"Natsu." She whispered, listening to his slow heartbeat.
"Hm." He said from within his throat, earning his chest to heave a little.
"I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you," Lucy began softy, "even after everything has happened. I may not forget it, but I'll be glad to move on from it."
Natsu smiled contently, and nodded his head. "I love you, Lucy Heartfilia."
"And I love you, Natsu Dragneel."
Review!
Alright, I know this chapter is pretty boring.. But, I'll try to get the next chapter up as fast as possible.
Again, thank you all very much for your support c:
(Definite thanks to Ally-chan, by the way. Yes, I followed you on Twitter.)