A/N: this is part I of the intended chapter. It grew to epic proportions, so I'll be splitting it up. Which means Part II will only take a day or two, hopefully (editing, ugh). You have all been so kind, and I look forward to reading what you leave me. I tried to put a little humor in here, for some of you (wink, wink), I love humor in the face of seriousness! I apologize for not responding to all of my reviews from the last chapter--I had an exam, so I was behind :(
Anyway, my readers and reviewers make my world go 'round! Love to hear from you! Welcome to all of my newer readers/adds/reviewers! Even if I'm on Chapter 234324 (won't get that long), I love reading reviews from earlier chapters--it makes me go back and re-read them, so don't be shy!
Thank you all, as always. Happy reading & enjoy!
Disclaimer: don't own FT, only the OCs--though Happy has a family! Cute chapter, though not super eventful :D
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"I-I still don't believe it," Lucy murmured, hiding her hopeful excitement as her fingers stretched for Veleda's open palm.
"How..." Adie croaked, her voice strained and her eyes still wide with shock. Her look was a mixture of disbelief and horror.
"Who cares? She's alive!" Natsu studied the newly arrived spirit with mild interest. His lips parted, revealing a smile of relief as he looked around. "That means Lucy didn't kill her!"
Lucy winced at Natsu's statement while Adie ignored his interruption altogether. The blacksmith took a hesitant step toward the former demi-spirit, her fingers gripping the seat headrest so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Pale wisps of hair were matted to her forehead and a sheen of moisture glistened from her skin. Lucy thought she could see Adie shivering.
"You were killed!" Adie spoke as if she were holding back. Though her tone was harsh, her eyes betrayed her demeanor.
Veleda calmly turned toward Adie, her eyes narrowed as she studied the blonde. A slight smile still played upon her purple lips. It was as if she had expected this reaction—this chastising—from Adie. After a few moments of intense looks, and a few puzzled glances from the surrounding group, the purple lips slowly parted.
"You are not well, child." It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement. Her head turned, ever-so-slightly, as she reached out to touch Adie's shoulder.
Adie quickly swatted the searching fingers away, more harshly than Lucy had expected. Her expression remained stony as she spoke. "Answer me."
Veleda said nothing, her amber eyes filled with concern—looking almost torn between what action to take next. Her purple lips were pursed as she slowly turned her deep, warm gaze back to Lucy. Adie took another step toward.
"Answer me, dammit!"
"You know the answer," Veleda replied softly. "You felt it already."
Adie's eyes widened at the spirit's words and her hand trembled as she sunk her fingers into the cheap, leather-like seat coverings. The material cracked, digging into her pale, clammy skin. Lucy watched, concerned about the discord between the two women. She was tired of the half-answers and aversions. She was tired of not getting answers of her own.
"Screw that answer!" Lucy interrupted, the realization of the current situation suddenly slapping her in the face. Her face flushed at her outburst, but she forced her thoughts from her mouth. "You made me kill you! You owe me an explanation, as well! Perhaps even more!"
She stamped her foot, thrusting her hands onto her hips. She knew her behavior was hovering around childish, but the initial glee of Veleda's presence had waned. Now....now, she wanted answers. She had to endure the pain of knowing she had murdered someone. She had been forced to watch that horrible vision.
Happy had, too, though he seemed less interested in answers at the moment. Lucy frowned as she watched him toying with the billowy cotton stuffing of the seats as he continued to pull it from the seat.
What is wrong with him? she wondered. Is he avoiding all of this?
The train rocked and Lucy toppled into the row of seats, her legs flying over her head. She heard Natsu snicker and she rolled over to shoot him an angry glare.
"That's the first time we haven't seen Lucy's underwear, aye," Happy sat there, blinking innocently as fluff clung to his fur.
"Hey! Stop talking about my underwear!" Lucy hissed, kicking the back of the seat, knocking Happy backward. A cloud of cotton hovered above the seat before following the flailing cat.
"It's true!" came the muffled voice. "You're always wearing a skirt!"
Lucy followed up her first kick with another one, this time aimed at the back of the actual seat. She heard a satisfying cry, followed by a thud as Happy was knocked onto the floor.
"Luce! Why'd you hafta be so mean to Happy?" Natsu whined.
"Kids," Morpheus grumbled under his breath, shaking his head as he adjusted his vest.
"Shut up!" Lucy groaned as she tried to pull herself upright as the train continued to rock. For a moment, she wanted to make Natsu aware of his surroundings, but the slight grayish tinge of his face told her that he was well aware that he was on a moving entity.
Veleda—who had apparently not heard the entire debacle—closed her eyes and nodded, her expression solemn as she spoke, "Yes, I do owe explanations. It's the least I can do, I suppose...."
"You damned well do, after putting Lucy and Happy through that!" Natsu pointed out as he took a wary step toward her.
Morpheus' hiss warned him to keep his distance. He shot a threatening glare at the feline spirit, though he clenched his jaw, keeping his thoughts to himself. Veleda looked down, as if noticing Morpheus for the first time.
A warm smile spread across her ruddy-hued skin as she rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "My dear Pheo....do not act like this. We are comrades—equals."
"Pheo?" Lucy and Natsu echoed in unison, their eyes meeting and identical smirks on their faces.
"I owe you my life," Morpheus replied hastily, refusing to tear his eyes away from the floor.
Veleda reached a hand under his chin, cupping it and pulling it upward so that she could see his eyes. "We are equals, Pheo..equals. No more of this. I will be offended if you keep this up."
She smiled at him, her eyes slightly misty. Morpheus returned her look with the love of a child. He reached up and wrapped his fingers around her wrist. "Your sight...."
"Yes," she smiled, a lock of red hair falling against her cheek. She reached a hand up to her face to brush it away, holding it there as she inspected the creases of her hand. "A rare gift."
Morpheus said nothing as he slowly stood. Lucy knew that the two had some sort of history, and she thought it prudent not to pry. Morpheus' undying loyalty to the former demi-spirit was astounding, and Lucy suspected that Morpheus felt as if he owed an unspoken debt to the woman.
"Wait....You knew this would happen!" Lucy scratched her head, as a sudden thought came to her. She eyed Morpheus suspiciously, remembering an earlier conversation with the feline—about a 'hunch' in regards to returning to Wisteria.
Morpheus said nothing, avoiding Lucy's interrogating gaze. Adie cleared her throat, her eyes squeezed shut."This was all....part o f some plan? Your plan. Already foreseen?"
The question was directed toward Veleda. She, too, had apparently picked up in the subtlety, remembering the conversation Lucy was referencing. Veleda glanced at Morpheus before stepping past him, her back to the blacksmith.
"I saw something akin to this...yes."
"Bar's death?" Adie asked through a tightly clenched jaw.
"Yes." Veleda answered solemnly.
"Your rebirth?" the pale-haired woman murmured, as if she were confirming her silent considerations.
"Not entirely," Veleda admitted. "In regards to me, my visions were always hazy."
"Explain." Lucy demanded, her arms crossed over her chest as leaned into the row of seats ahead of her.
Any and all of her earlier relief was slowly being replaced by anger from Veleda's betrayal. It was a strong word, but Lucy did not take it lightly that they were being toyed with this entire time. It was as if they were puppets in some sort of game. She despised being a puppet—having her freedom taken away. It was akin to something she thought Celestial Spirits felt when they were thrust into the hands of a new owner.
"I do owe you answers, yes," Veleda murmured, glancing around the cabin. "But I warn you, it won't be what you wish to hear."
"Eh? What is that supposed to mean?" Natsu crinkled his nose in confusion.
Veleda closed her eyes, leaning against an aisle seat as Morpheus cast an annoyed glance at Natsu. "I suppose you could say that this was all pre-ordained. All planned before you were even born."
She opened her amber eyes, her gaze steady as it studied Lucy's face. Lucy shivered as the hairs on her neck began to prickle. It was the same feeling she had been experiencing more and more lately. As if she had seen or experienced all of this before. Was there some greater force playing at her fate? Was Veleda speaking directly to her? What could all of this mean?
"You saw this—er, you knew this would happen?" Adie asked, her hands trembling slightly.
Though she asked the question, Lucy was sure it was merely a confirmation of what Adassandra had already suspected. She was the least trusting of the group, and Lucy was finding that woman's initial hesitations were often more reasonable than their blind trust. Perhaps she should become more cynical, more wary of others' intentions....
Veleda looked over the demi-spirit, studying her for some time. "It would be unfair for me to argue that statement, I suppose. The vision of my future was always difficult to see—foggy at best. But I knew that by being alive, I would put the world at the greatest risk. That was a certainty. What became of me after was an uncertainty. I suspected, I suppose, yes...."
"Confusing," Natsu grumbled.
Morpheus sighed, offering his own point of view on the matter. "There had always been an unspoken debate about the fate of demi-spirits after death. Their existences are rare—or rarely spoken of, we do not know. But rumor always existed as to whether they return to the Celestial World after death."
"So you're saying that by dying, here, in this world, you can become a spirit?" Grey pieced Morpheus' answer together, though his face still showed his hesitancy to believe the argument.
"It's purely hypothetical--" Veleda began.
"But didn't we just prove it?" Lucy interrupted.
"You are right, you have proven it," Veleda agreed. Lucy caught the slight inflection of the spirit's voice as well as the soft intake of Adie's breath.
"I-I don't quite get it..." Lucy trailed off, unsure of what she was about to hear. Why was she suddenly such an integral part of this.
Morpheus sighed, leaning back on seat and scratching his brow. "This is getting too long-winded for me. That ring there, girl. Veleda had long ago told Freya to leave that ring behind—though I think you already know that."
Lucy felt her face flush pink as she avoided Adie's confused look. She traced over the cracked stone with the pad of her finger. "I have some idea, yes."
"Do you think that's purely coincidence?" Morpheus asked.
Lucy said nothing, her eyes downcast. She could feel every pair of eyes on her at that moment. She had noticed the subtle pulsations and odd color changes from the ring, but she didn't put much thought into it, as her mind was needed elsewhere.
"Heartstone," Veleda murmured. "A piece of a soul. It's said that a soul can remain in inanimate objects, waiting for someone whose heart's desire is pure and strong. Only then, can the soul's remaining power--intent--be unleashed."
"Heartstone?" Lucy echoed, her finger tracing over the oval stone. Someone's soul was somewhere inside of this?
"What does it do?" Erza asked, glancing at the ring.
"It tells the wielder the strength of what their heart is searching for," Veleda explained. "Lore says that it aids the wearer, feeding them whatever strength is locked within the ring. It seems that whatever Lucy desires, she has still not found it."
"How do you know?" Gray asked, his dark hair shadowing his eyes.
"Because the stone is still intact. When she realizes what she truly wants, the stone will disintegrate, though what happens after that..." Veleda shrugged her uncertainty.
"What if the desire is not pure?" Erza asked, picking up on Morpheus' subtle cues. The feline-like spirit glanced at Veleda, who nodded.
"They die," he told her, nonchalantly.
"What?" Lucy wailed, "Y-You mean I could have died! Barsky didn't tell me that!"
"They had no idea, I'm sure," Adie answered, her voice strained as she lowered herself onto her knees, so that her head was barely visible above the seat.
"So what does this ring have to do with anything?" Lucy shot back, feeling as if she were losing control of her own free will.
"All part of Freya's plan," Morpheus murmured, shooting a sideways glance at Adie, who remained silent, her eyes silently scanning the seat, as if she were remembering something.
"Wait!" Lucy scoffed, trying to keep the hysteria from bursting forth. "You are saying that this ring was specifically left for....for me?"
"Well, for someone," Veleda mused. "Someone I had seen in a much-earlier vision. A face. An unmistakeable presence that can move spirits between worlds at their own will."
"Like a shaman or something?" Natsu asked, his face registering its amusement. "Are you saying Lucy's a shaman?"
"Shut up, you dolt!" Lucy hissed, angrily waving a fist at Natsu.
"Lucy has a rare gift that appears only once in a handful of centuries. Her power was pre-ordained. It was a risk I was willing to take," Veleda cryptically continued. "It was only after she had stabbed me--" her hand slowly drifted to her left breast.
"Don't say it like that!' Lucy squealed at the harsh description of the past event. "You made me! And you hurt Happy, too, with those visions!"
She hissed the last part, her mind reeling from the memories of that scene. She met Happy's gaze, as he nodded slightly, his expression grim. He, too, remembered what he had seen, his face paling at the thought.
Veleda nodded, understanding Lucy's anger. "It was only after that," her voice was a low whisper, "that I momentarily saw you. And I knew...I knew then..."
"You knew what?" Lucy replied, on the verge of hysteria.
She did not like to feel as if her own choices and actions were not actually hers. She had noticed something odd about the ring ever since she slipped it on her finger, though she never imaged it would be like this. A piece of someone's soul, brought together by fate, and slipped into her hands for some...some bigger purpose.
"That our guardian existed." The answer was simple as it slipped between purple lips.
"Guardian?" Happy echoed.
"The only human in hundreds of years to have laid eyes on the King, or am I mistaken?" Veleda asked, her warm, amber gaze steady as it bore into Lucy.
Lucy inhaled sharply as Veleda glanced at Adie. A guardian? To spirits? She thought it was only a fairy tale! She had read about such lore in the books referencing spirits, but she never thought it to be true.
"I—yes...that much is true," Lucy admitted. "But I do not have some amazing power like you are making it seem."
"What does....a guardian do?" Natsu interrupted, his eyes watching Lucy's body shudder with shock.
"For one, she's a virgin," Morpheus answered, his tone brisk.
Lucy blinked, realizing the spirit's words. Her face turned red as she angrily thrust her forefinger into the air toward him.
"Don't say such things! Who told you I was a virgin?" her voice was shrill as her ears burned.
"You just did," Morpheus replied, shrugging his indifference as a sly grin spread across his face.
"Wha? I-I--" Lucy sputtered, incredulous at the spirit's vulgarity.
"Lucy's a virgin, aye!" Happy quipped, enjoying the light-hearted turn of conversation. Lucy reached over the seat, pushing Happy down by his head.
"Shut up! Shut up!" she hissed, her ears now burning with embarrassment.
Veleda sighed tsking lightly, "Morpheus."
"Eh, you gotta lighten this place up. Too depressing," he argued, his arms crossed over his vested chest.
"Lucy, a virgin?" Natsu replied softly, as if he had never thought about it before.
The truth was, he hadn't. Sure, he had indecent thoughts about her on various occasion. Recently, however, they had been becoming more numerous, often when--
"NOT YOU TOO!" Lucy growled, her face crimson with humiliation.
"That is not a prerequisite," Veleda sighed. "Pheo is starting trouble, as usual. Perhaps I should have left you with that mage, years ago."
Morpheus' eyes widened, as he quickly bowed his head. "My apologies, Mis—erm, Veleda!"
Lucy looked from one to the other, wondering what had just passed between them. She wanted that kind of power over him. It would be nice. Satisfying, even. She met Natsu's gaze, quickly averting her eyes. She could see Erza shifting on her feet beside her, and Gray was silent, as usual.
"As I have said, having the power to see the King—no, summon him--"
"I didn't summon him!" Lucy quickly protested.
"He doesn't just appear before anyone," Adie interrupted briskly. "Whatever you had done, you summoned him."
Lucy gaped at Adie, realizing that it was the first real inkling of belief in her that he blacksmith had ever shown. Had she really summoned the King? The King? She was only trying to help save Loki's life.
"But, Loki—I mean Leo, was dying! I couldn't just let him be banished for trying to protect Aries!"
"It's said that an emotional vestment can be enough to draw raw power from one's heart, Lucy," Veleda's voice was soft. Encouraging, even.
"So...what you're saying is that this ring...it was a test of my heart's purity? Its dedication?" she asked meekly.
"Not just that, but a judge of your worth," Morpheus explained. "That item is not just any soul. It's the soul of the last Guardian. The one that sacrificed herself hundreds of years ago."
"From Portunus' last visit?" Lucy asked, her eyes narrowed in question.
"A war between Spirits and humans? She sacrificed herself to protect something?" Erza murmured, her eyes narrowed as she considered the implications.
Morpheus remained mum. Veleda glanced at him, as she rested a hand on the adjacent seat. He nodded softly, almost imperceptibly, "Something like that, yes."
"So how does this being a, er...Guardian work?" Natsu growled, suddenly fearful that it meant Lucy would have to follow her predecessor's footsteps.
"It's not a set-in-stone title," Morpheus explained, "More like what she's referred to in our world. The Spirit World."
"I protect your existence. Your well being," Lucy whispered, her eyes staring ahead. "It's that simple."
She blinked, glancing around the cabin, her eyes finally falling on Veleda. "What I did---er, you know," she flushed pointing to Veleda's chest.
"Stab her?" Morpheus raised a brow in amusement.
"Stop being so vulgar! I swear I'll hit you. I'll hit a spirit!" Lucy threatened. She heard Natsu snort.
Veleda smiled, as if already understanding Lucy's question. "Demi-spirits are not fused beings—meaning were are two entities existing as one: a spirit attached to the human body by the one thing we sacrifice to humans in our world."
"Your heart," Lucy whispered in understanding.
"Yes, and that attachment can only be released by someone with pure intentions. Someone like...you, Lucy."
"Like me?" she whispered, more to herself.
"Someone who would protect a Spirit with her life," Natsu replied, his voice betraying some deeper feeling.
He drifted off to an earlier memory—one where Lucy had faced off against Angel, the odds against the Fairy Tail mage. Even then, Lucy had sworn to protect any and all spirits, even if it had meant losing her life...
"You guard our existence. You are the door to our world, Lucy. You released me. I would not have been so sure that you could have done it, had I not seen it earlier. A century before."
"Doesn't that just mean that if you stab a half-spirit in the heart, they can go to your world? Not that this....this Guardian has to do it..." Natsu trailed off using his fingers to emphasize 'Guardian'.
Lucy watched him carefully. Did he not believe she was as Veleda had said? Did he think she was weak—not strong enough for such a title? Lucy could feel the slow ebbing anger and resentment she always hid rising to the surface. Natsu was always the strong one. Always the protector. He was always there to help her when she needed him. And she always needed him.
"A Guardian or someone with the ability to directly release a Spirit's attachments in this world. They can directly call upon spirits without using the keys to the gate. They can also send them back to the Spirit World." Veleda nodded, her voice nonchalant as she spoke. Her glance toward Adie as not missed by Lucy, Gray or Erza.
"Technically, someone with such knowledge could do it," Adie admitted, her eyes meeting Natsu's. "If a demi-spirit would die here, before being released from their human body or without being released.....then they get no second chances. They don't make it to the Spirit World."
Lucy watched Adie carefully as she spoke. It seemed that such knowledge is not often shared. She watched the blacksmith's expression, noting the sadness in her voice as she answered Natsu's question.
So you outlive everyone you love, only to move onto the next world, she thought sadly. It didn't seem like a favorable outcome for anyone's life. No wonder Adie envied Lucy and her friends. Being human was a gift.
"But the only way to release a half-spirit is to stab them?" Natsu opened his vest, pointing to his chest. "Here?"
"Stop with the million questions, will ya!" Morpheus snapped as he glared up at Natsu. "Did you not hear what Lady Veleda had told Lucy earlier?"
Natsu towered over him, returning the angry glare, "I'm allowed to talk, you mangy cat! Especially when it involved my friends and Lucy!"
And Lucy?
Morpheus hissed, his arm swinging out toward his side as he unleashed a set of razor sharp claws. "Boy, I'll slice you to pieces, and I won't feel bad about it. Not one bit."
"Bring it," Natsu challenged, his forehead pressed against Morpheus' furry brow.
"Would you assholes cool it?" Gray asked as he leaned against a row of seats. "I'm starting to think you two have a crush on one another."
"What?" Natsu and Morpheus roared in unison.
"Gray's right," Erza agreed. "You are acting like children. We will treat you as such."
"Huh?" Natsu whined, pointing at Morpheus. "But he—he started it!'
"Baby," Morpheus muttered under his breath.
"Cut it out!" Lucy yelled, her eyes squeezed shut.
She was having enough of a time digesting what she was being told, and now she had to deal with those two idiots fighting over....over nothing. She leaned over supporting herself on the seat in front of her, her chest heaving with each breath.
"Lucy, are you alright?" Happy asked, jumping onto the seat next to her. He patted her on the back as the masked tears silently dripped onto the carpeted floor between the row of seats.
"Luce, I'm...I'm sorry," Natsu offered as he took a few steps closer. Veleda put out an arm to stop him, shaking her head softly.
"It's a lot to share with you, Lucy, I know. I deceived all of you, and I apologize," Veleda's voice was calm as she spoke. "I had asked Portunus to bring my key to you, so that I could tell you all of this in person. You needed to know your potential, girl. You need to know what the Spirits will soon be calling you. They will search you out. They will find you."
"Find her?" Erza asked, glancing at Adie.
Veleda nodded. "Hundreds of years ago, a mage sacrificed herself to protect the spirits from falling into the wrong hands. She may have died, but her blood line still lives on." The amber eyes studied Lucy's expression.
"Lucy is our hope and the hope for this world. I can't tell you much, but I do know this: a darkness is spreading across the land. A darkness that hasn't been seen for centuries."
"Zeref," Gray muttered under his breath.
Veleda nodded, taking a deep breath. "The Guardian sacrificed herself as the Council watched on--merely reinforcing her prison. But, they took credit for it, as her name was lost to the whispers of those who lived through the war. It was despicable, to say the least, fueling our King's desire to avoid human problems. Perhaps that's why he looks down up on those of us who are not pure Spirits...."
"So Zeref...he's responsible for what happened hundreds of years ago?" Natsu asked, wanting to know more about the dark mage's intentions, though he knew it was not the time.
Morpheus nodded. "Luckily he was locked away but the prison is not full-proof. Most of the keys were not hidden well, being forgotten and passed between hands numerous times. All of them should have been sent to the Celestial World. That would have prevented all of this!"
"What's g-going on?" Lucy asked, referring to the 'this' Morpheus was talking of.
"Another key had been destroyed," Veleda shared, her gaze solemn.
Lucy's head shot up, her eyes wide with fear. "No!"
Morpheus nodded. "It is so. I'm sorry to say. The King has decided to take no part in the mess that you humans had created centuries ago. Enough were lost in the last battle, and too much was sacrificed."
"Though...." Veleda interrupted. "Though there is something else. Something even he fears."
"What is that?" Happy asked, staring up at Veleda.
She looked down on him, smiling sadly. "That I cannot tell you. Even I do not know the source."
"So if you're here now, and you have your vision back...what is it that you do?" Happy asked, scratching his ear.
"Do?" she echoed, arching her eyebrow in amusement. "Yes, I supposed there's that."
"Happy, that's not polite," Lucy whispered, wiping her eyes. She looked at Adie, who appeared to be hearing nothing she hadn't already known or suspected.
"Why did you come here?" Adie asked, her weary eyes on Veleda.
"To help Lucy, of course," Veleda answered.
"How?" the blacksmith whispered, momentarily meeting Lucy's gaze.
Veleda looked at Lucy, her palms outstretched toward the mage, "I can lend you my sight."
"Huh?" Gray and Natsu retorted in unison. Natsu wore a slightly more disgusted look.
Veleda reached her palm toward Lucy's forehead. "Just tell me what you want to know. What you want to see."
"Huh?" Lucy whispered, confused.
"Well, within reason, of course. Do not ask me to give you the meaning of life or other magical powers. I, too, am with limitations. I can show you anything within my realm of knowledge or abilities: Guild locations, sparse musical abilities, memories and visions, Spirit names based on the ability of your choice, history, fighting--"
"Ha!" Natsu interrupted, quickly realizing that he was the only one that found anything funny. "What? Fighting blind can't be very effective!"
"Boy, you have a lot to learn. How can one sustain if they can't protect themselves, first and foremost? Fool!" Morpheus spat, visibly annoyed. Natsu's mouth dropped open, as Lucy shot him an angry glare.
"They may not seem like much, but they are effective when utilized by the right person," Veleda agreed, smiled knowingly. "But, I warn you, I will be useless until my sight returns."
Lucy asked, her brow knitted in confusion. "You l-lose your sight temporarily?"
"I will transfer it to you, child!" she laughed. "Blindness isn't something new to me! I lived centuries with it--you'd be surprised how much you can see without it!"
"I didn't mean it like that!" Lucy protested, waving her and in front of her.
Veleda's purple-stained lips curved upward, "I might add that if you wish for an ability, your body will be able to perform it for as long as my sight is intact within you. After that, the ability will slowly fade. I am unsure if anything residual will remain with you, that will have to be something we determine later."
Lucy could tell that Veleda was enjoying her newfound freedom. The blonde mage had so many questions going through her head, but she knew that they would never be answered. Some of them she wished to ask in private—despite how much she loved and trusted her friends. Lucy glanced at Morpheus, then Natsu. Her eyes wandered over to Adie as her mind furiously debated on what to ask for.
What could I learn? she asked herself as images flickered through her mind. Fire magic? Ice magic? No, Veleda couldn't offer that. Lucy looked between Natsu and Morpheus again, a slow smile spreading across her face.
"Uh oh," Natsu muttered, "this isn't good."
"No shit," Morpheus agreed, his pupils growing rounder with each passing second.
Lucy met Veleda's gaze, her chestnut eyes meeting the smiling amber ones. "I want to see how to fight," she replied calmly.
"The more specific, the better the outcome," Veleda informed her. "Archery, perhaps? Suitable for a lady."
Archery? Natsu mouthed to Gray, dumbfounded. He suddenly had a comical vision of a blind Veleda dangerously shooting arrows around her cave. He chuckled at the thought, earning him another annoyed look from both Morpheus and Lucy. Even Adie shot him one this time. He sobered, realizing that perhaps he was underestimating the woman.
"With my hands?" Lucy hopefully whispered. It sounded easy enough. Basic. Safe.
"Ah, my favorite," Veleda nodded, a faint smile on her lips as her eyes suddenly grew milky white.
From an early age, she had to learn to protect herself. Children quickly realized that she did not age as they did--making her stick out like a sore thumb. Her differences often made her a target of jokes and fights. It hadn't been easy, but she had managed. She had been through a lot, and she had grown. Her spirit powers were unique and focused, but it did not prevent her from gathering other abilities. She had never truly mastered any sort of magic, and she considered it a curse of her race. Perhaps it prevented demi-spirits from becoming too powerful. She couldn't imagine Lilith or Adie with magical powers in concurrence with their Spirit abilities. Thus, Veleda sought out training to protect herself from those who sought out her power for reasons that were evil, and often, she had no one to rely on but herself. She relished in Natsu's disbelief, and she knew Lucy's intentions for asking for the ability.
Veleda lurched forward, her palm connecting with Lucy's head; her warm skin felt delicious. The sudden surge of energy that passed through her caused Lucy to gasp. Swift visions passed before her eyes, and Lucy began to feel as if her body could easily perform any and all of what she was seeing. Suddenly, the visions ceased, and her sight grew black as Lucy's thoughts resounded in her head.
"Lucy?" came the faint reply. "Luce, you alright?"
It was Natsu. He was worried. About her.
Lucy opened her eyes, feeling oddly refreshed. The light didn't bother her as much as she expected. She was laying on the seat, staring at a sea of familiar faces. She blinked a few times, slowly sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She could see Veleda slumped over in the seat next to her, as Morpheus supported her. She was staring ahead, blank eyes scanning the cabin.
"Did you see it?" the spirit whispered, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.
"Yeah," Lucy replied, as she sat up, slowly stumbling past Veleda.
"Whoa, Lucy, take it easy," Natsu warned, reaching out to steady her.
Lucy tried to remember why she had wanted that vision. As she concentrated, her earlier thoughts came flooding back—as did her anger at Natsu's constant quarreling with Morpheus. Before she could really register her movements, she had spun around, taking Natsu down with a swift punch to the stomach and a crushing blow to the side of the face. He twitched on the ground, cupping his cheek in shock.
"Wha? Wha was thash for, Wuce?" he mumbled through the pain as tears sprung to his eyes.
"That was for acting like an idiot!" Lucy hissed, clenching her fist. She was amazed at how lithe and natural her movements felt. She felt invincible—as if she could never be stopped.
"That's what you get, boy. Need to grow up--" Morpheus began, though he was interrupted by a high kick to his face.
He managed to dodge the blow, catching her foot mid-air. Lucy kicked off the ground, bringing her other foot higher and twisting her body to land a blow. He was unable to block it, taking the forceful kick to the shoulder. Lucy nimbly landed, crouched on the ground, prepared for a counter attack.
Morpheus grabbed his shoulder, staring angrily at her. "There was no need."
"No need?" Lucy squealed, straightening herself. "No need? You were making ungentleman-like comments about me!"
"I--" Morpheus' mouth opened in protest, before immediately snapping shut.
"Besides," Lucy huffed, flipping her hair off of her shoulder in nonchalance. "I told you I'd hit a spirit!"
Lucy met Gray's wide-eyed stare, noting how he took a step away from Natsu. Erza's smile was lopsided, as she crossed her arms over her chest. Adie was shaking her head, a small smile of amusement on her lips. Lucy suddenly felt ridiculous. Her face began to turn pink as she watched Happy stand above Natsu, looking between him and her.
Morpheus slowly began to chuckle, his deep and purring. Lucy was taken by his sudden good-humor, "What's so funny?"
"You," Morpheus pointed out. "Just going around taking revenge, huh? Does it feel good?"
"Actually," Lucy began, tapping her chin with her finger. "It does. I should do this more oft--"
Her thought was never completed as the sudden jolt of the train sent her tumbling backward--toward the front of the cabin. She flailed her arms outward, reaching out to grab onto the seat as the train lurched again. The roaring squeal of metal on metal stung her ears as the brakes attempted to grab the tracks. The train rocked from side to side as the confused mages rolling along the seats.
Erza's eyes were wide as she stared out the window. "Brace yourselves! We won't stop in time!"
"Stop in time for what?" Natsu growled as he was flung against a row of seats, his eyes searching for Lucy.
"That!" Erza pointed out the window as she crawled across a few seats, her hands steady against the glass pane.
Lucy squinted, seeing the dark outline of a something on the tracks up ahead, around the slow-curving bend the train was heading toward. She couldn't be sure, but the obstruction looked almost human-like. It was impossible, she knew, but whatever it was, it was large.
"What the hell is that?" Gray yelled.
Another lurch as metal squealed on metal. "Hold on!" Adie screamed as they approached the giant mass. "Lucy! Veleda and Morpheus!"
"Close the gate!" Lucy hollered, hoping the two spirits weren't terribly injured from the train's sudden movements. She hadn't noticed that she didn't use her keys, as she was too busy staring out the window as the giant blob grew larger.
Grew more foreboding.
What was it?
"Lucy, hold on!" Natsu screamed, as he tried to pull himself toward her.
"Stay there, idiot!" she growled before glancing out the window again. "Oh shit."
They were definitely going to wreck. That much she was sure of. I can't die. Not here. Not now. Not like this!
The train continued to lurch, this time more violently than before. Lucy knew, up ahead, that the first car was connecting with whatever was blocking the tracks. The sound of the impact reached them before the energy of the impact slowly spread along the train cars as they crashed into one another.
"Lucy!" Natsu screamed, as he attempted to leap toward her.
She stretched out her fingers toward him, feeling them interlace. She looked into his eyes, his face was full of terror. It was the last thing she felt or saw before everything grew dark.