Drawback of summer break? Chicken house work... 'nuff said.
The second Lucy rolled into Fairy' House she muttered a quick thank you to Natsu before excusing herself to take Mira her groceries. She didn't turn back to steal a glance at Natsu and she was certain if she did she her resolve would snap.
She rolled quickly to Mira's office and slammed the door behind her. She flicked her head back to catch Mira and Gray's odd looks as she had interrupted their session. Out of breath and in a pannic she held out the plastic bags filled with groceries to the white haired woman. "Here's the things you asked for, Mira." She panted out.
Mira's gaze was concerned, noting the panic clear on the blonde's face. "Are you alright, Lucy?" She said softly. "You seem panicky." Lucy took a moment to breathe, calming herself and her tongue from blurting out everything.
"We may have a problem, Mira." Lucy breathed out, rolling closer to the elder woman. "Natsu found out."
Mira immediately stiffened, her eyes wide. "How?" She said softly. "What happened?"
Gray began to rise from his seat, excusing himself. "Sit down, Gray." Lucy said without even casting him a glance, effectively freezing him in place. "I assume you've told Levy and Gajeel what little you know? I have no desire for further discrepencies, now more than ever." Gray froze further and robotically resumed his seated position, his already pale face whiter than snow.
"I-I'm sorry," he said softly. "Gajeel thought you were abducted by aliens. The stupidity had to end somewhere." Lucy sighed and nodded, returning her attention to Mira. The white haired woman kept her gaze on the blonde.
"Are you alright?" She asked first, making sure of that before delving any further. Lucy hesitated a moment before nodding, "Somehow." She answered, "I feel slightly relieved, actually." Mira flipped a page in her notebook and began to jot things down. "Now, tell me what happened."
Lucy gulped a calming breath and responded softly, "We ran into a classmate."
Mira's eyebrows rose. "One you both knew?"
Lucy shook her head. "I didn't know her very well. She was one of the popular students, cheerleader and all. She was Natsu's girlfriend-"
"Flame brain had a girlfriend!" Gray interjected, going unnoticed or rather ignored by the blonde.
"-so he knew her better. I was hoping she wouldn't recognise me when I ran into them. I had one class with them, AP Chemistry of course, so the likelyhood of her recognising me was small."
"But she did," Mira finished for the blonde, smiling sadly. Lucy grit her teeth and her knuckles turned white as she gripped the arms of her wheelchair. "Of all people he could've run into. Of all people it had to be her. Had to be Lisanna."
Mira looked up from her notebook, pen mid stroke. "Lisanna?"
Natsu listened as Lucy rolled away, sighing once the sound of a door slam hit his ears. Slowly he picked his way towards his room. Lucy's was closer, and softer, and he had a feeling he'd be visiting that nightmare again, so he recalculated his internal GPS to her room instead. He passed Levy's room and heard two voices inside, murmuring something he didn't bother to desipher.
He closed the bedroom door slowly as he entered, shuffling carefully to the bed and making sure to keep to the new layout. He flopped onto the bed, not even bothering to cover himself seeing as he was out the second his nose was filled with the scent that lingered on her pillow.
"Natsu?" Dream Lucy cooed from behind him, he spun and smiled at her. "Hey, Lucy." But Lucy wasn't there. All that met him was darkness.
"Natsu?" she said again. "Can't you see me?" Her voice was sultry and sweet, purring at him. He shook his head. "I can't see you, Lucy." He said as he reached his hands out to feel for her, if she was even there. "Where are you?"
"What was that, Natsu?" She said, her tone darkening to a grim growl. "I can't hear you, Natsu." She said. "But you knew that, didn't you? It's your fault, anyways." The darkness evaporated until he was looking straight at Lisanna. She sighed in relief and smiled.
Not this.
"Oh good," She said. "I was about to worry for a moment there." She smiled again, returning her attention to the experiment in front of her. Carefully she began measuring again, the clear lab goggles distorting her crystaline eyes.
No.
"What are we doing again," He asked slowly, hopeful the answer wasn't what he though first. Lisanna giggled lightly as she poured the measuring cup into the beaker, a flash of light answering his question.
No, not this.
"Oh, cool." He said against his will, "What happens if we pour more in?" He quickly grasped the bottle from Lisanna, not even bothering to read the label. He quickly swirled it, judging the bottle to be half full.
No, don't.
He searched for another bottle, finding it easily. Lisanna made a move to stop him, shouting a warning, but he didn't listen. In a flash, literally, the two mixtures came together, a brilliant flash finishing what years of staring at flames had started, effectively beginning the cycle to blindness. He heard screams as other experiments went wild, concussive blasts assaulted his ears as chemicals mixed and reacted.
I'm sorry.
Then everything went black.
"See what you did to me?" Lucy demanded, her voice soft again.
"I'm sorry, Lucy." He bawled. "I'm so, so, sorry. But why didn't you tell me, Lucy? Why don't you hate me?"
Lucy's voice was gone, though, and he was left in the darkness.
"You know Lisanna, Mira?"
Mira closed her mouth abruptly. "Doesn't matter," She snapped, her voice clipped. "We were talking about you. Why don't you want to tell Natsu, Lucy? He seemed much more at peace with the incident. I believe he should be able to take it."
Lucy shook her head. "That's what he wants you to think. Gray," She turned to him. "Never tell him I said this, alright?" Gray nodded eagerly and she returned her gaze to Mira. "Natsu, as you know, would come to me whenever he had the dream. I assume he's told you he has it once a week, maybe less?"
"Twice to three times a month." Mira supplied, curiousity clear in her tone.
"Of course," Lucy scoffed, more to herself than anyone else. "I assumed he would." Returning her attention to Mira she smiled sadly. "In truth it's more like every other day. He always comes in after midnight but before three. He cries every time. I couldn't bear it if those tears were over me, Mira. I just couldn't."
Lucy's eyes filled with the tears she's held for Natsu, every tear he shed made her shed two, but she never showed them. She had to be strong.
But even bulletproof glass had to crack.
Hahahahahahahahahaha... what next? I don't know! It fels wired not having to write chapters since I already had them writen.
Oh. My. God. If you haven't read Ch. 334 (I think thts the #) stop reading now.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH ! GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! IF GRAY DIES, THE WORLD WILL BURN IN JUVIA'S AND MY WRATH! WHO'S WITH ME?