Lord Igneel looked up as blue rope and metallic keys were dropped on his desk. He looked up at his son Natsu, who had walked into the room and was the one who deposited the items.
"Hey, good job son, catching the Golden Spirit." Igneel let out a mighty grin.
The Prince stiffened. "I'm still mad. Those are her weapons, keep them somewhere or other, I don't care." He stomped out of the room.
The man frowned, but lifted up the rope and keys. The rope wasn't rope as he'd thought as first glace; the material was smooth and at the end it had a small heart, the edges sharp like a razor. It was a whip. The other he was quite surprised to see. Celestial Spirit Gate Keys. Ten Golden, and some others. He wasn't interested in the others. The Golden Keys were quite rare and of worth. One alone could get millions of Jewels on the black market. Igneel wondered how the Golden Spirit got them all.
But, Igneel liked shiny things and kept many on display and in his collection. So, he opened a drawer in his desk and dropped the keys inside, closing it shut with a dull thud.
Lucy had been waiting for ages, but finally she got tired. She blinked lazily, trying to stay awake. She wouldn't fall asleep until the guard did, showing him just who was boss.
On the other side of the bars, Gray was trying to stay awake also. He could tell the thief wasn't weakening; no sign of slouching even though her back was to him. He sighed, mentally slapping himself awake. But finally, his breathing slowed and his eyes shut reluctantly. Lucy turned around, hesitantly, but sighed when she saw him asleep. She didn't know how much longer she'd last.
She stood up, and moved to the small foam sheet and moth eaten blanket that was her bed. Forget the pillow. Spirit got down on the uncomfortable bed and made herself as settled as she could. She was sore, but was so tired she fell asleep almost instantly.
Unfortunately, Lucy woke up too soon, feeling incredibly tired. Plus she was hungry.
She gave the guard a minute, letting herself stretch and get the morning frog out of her throat so her voice wasn't rusty for what she was about to do. "Hey, guard." She called out to the sleeping Gray.
"Yoo hoo!" she scoot up closer to the bars. They hadn't given back her boots, which bugged her because Gray had them right next to him. She had nothing left to throw either except her clothing, which she was not taking them off of to wake up a guy.
"Hey, I'm hungry!" she shouted. The guard woke up in a start, eyes boring into her sleepily.
"What?"
"I'M HUNGRY!" Lucy screeched. Gray clapped his hands over his ears.
"Ya ya, I'll go get you some food." the Ice mage said. "Did you know you're really loud when you wanna be?"
She smirked. "When I wanna be. I'll promise I'm gonna make your life hell, Gray the Ice mage guard. You are not gonna enjoy yourself."
The look in her eyes was feral. He inwardly shivered, mentally preparing himself for what was to come. Including—
"Why are you taking off your pants?" Lucy screamed. Gray looked down. He was already out of his uniform, but he was lucky enough to catch himself before he pulled his pants down.
"Pervert!" she cried. He worked to put his clothes back on. [He found it strange that it was much easier getting out of his clothes then in them.]
"Eh, sorry. It's a habit."
"Stripping?"
He flushed. "Y... yeah."
Lucy wrinkled her nose. "That is just gross." She turned her back on his again.
"Now go get me some food. I'm hungry," she snapped. He rolled his eyes but went to get her something to eat.
A few minutes later, he returned with a plate full of leftovers. They weren't exactly warm, a lump of chicken breast, corn, and a cold potato. Gray shoved the metal tray under slit at the bottom of the bars, it scraping against the concrete with a screech.
Bleh. Well, at least it's food, Lucy thought. And at least I'm getting fed. She took the fork and hesitantly took a bite, remembering that she shouldn't look so pleased. Narrowing her eyes at the guard, she spun around, sat down cross-legged, and ate in peace.
Smiling, she chowed down happily. It wasn't half bad, even cold.
A few hours later; or what felt like it, there were no clocks down in the dungeon, Lucy heard footsteps. And giggling laughter. She blinked and turned around, seeing Michelle and Wendy come down the stairs.
"Lucy!" the smaller blonde cried. She put on a scowl. Now that she was healed, looking happier than she'd ever looked before, it was time for Lucy to be a parent and tell her what she did wrong.
Michelle was wearing, what Lucy thought, was one of Princess Wendy's shirts, as it was very good quality and a little too big for her. The girl was a giggling bundle of joy though, practically jumping down the stairs and running up to Lucy's cell. Her eyes softened though, when she saw the conditions that she was placed in, wrinkling her nose.
Lucy stood up, hand on her hip and the other pointer finger sticking out. "Michelle..!" she girl shrunk, knowing what she did.
"When I say let go of the Prince's leg, I mean it. The only reason you're here is because you did that, and—" she looked up at Wendy for a split moment before continuing, "—we'd like to thank them for that, but you can't stay here forever, you know? Then you're gonna have to make the long walk back to Magnolia which is the nearest town to here, but most of all you didn't listen to me."
She pouted. "But I can't let my sister go." She whined. "You're like a mom to me."
Lucy faltered for a moment. "Y-yes, but I'm gonna be living the rest of my life in a cell, and you are not gonna be living yours like that, you hear me?" Michelle nodded slowly.
"But Michelle can live in the castle with me!" Wendy declared, moving up next to her friend. Lucy already saw the bond between the two, how Michelle was staying close to Wendy, even though the girl was usually very shy around other people. Lucy guessed that it was because she'd never really had friends before.
"I don't think your parents are gonna let you do that, Princess Wendy," Spirit said to her. The girl pouted.
At that moment, Lucy heard more footsteps and everyone turned towards the noise. Prince Natsu appeared around the corner, looking slightly surprised. "Hey, why is everyone here?" he asked.
"Uh, cause it's my job, Spirit's here because she's a criminal behind bars, Michelle's here to visit Spirit, and Wendy followed Michelle." Gray pointed out.
"Oh," was all he said.
"Why are you here, Natsu?" Wendy asked. Natsu's eyes slid past her.
"I'm just here to ask L-Spirit some questions." The named girl in response sat back down, her back facing him, not saying a word except for a disapproving 'humph.' Natsu sighed.
"Okay kiddies and adult, visiting hours are over." He pointed them towards the exit. Michelle reluctantly left with a final, 'see you tomorrow,' Wendy left beside the younger blonde, but Gray remained.
"You'll be fine on your own?" he asked, patting him on the shoulder.
Natsu stared at him. "I'm the one who caught her in the first place. I think I can handle a girl behind bars."
Gray shrugged. "Just checking. Watch out, she was be really noisy when she wants to be." With a final clap on the shoulder, Gray followed the girls up the staircase. Natsu took his seat.
"So," he began. "I gotta just ask you some questions, yadadada..."
Lucy scoffed. "What do you want to ask me? It'll be my decision whether to answer it." he rolled his eyes.
"How long have you been stealing things?" he said, already bored.
"Eight years."
"How did you stumble across ten of the Golden Gate Keys?"
"My first three were handed down to me from my mother. Most, I just happened to do jobs for. I look out for them, hide my identity, and do whatever it takes to get them."
"Including stealing?"
"One, but she had a horrible owner that mistreated her. I had no choice."
He leaned forwards, "So you just stumbled across ten Golden Gate keys?"
"Ya. You can stop with the 'Bad Cop' act, you know. Whether I answer the question or not, truthfully, I might add, is my choice."
"So you've been lying to me?" he didn't mention that he could tell if someone was lying by their heart rate, but he kept quiet.
"The first four I haven't lied."
"Okay. Can you use any other type of Magic?"
"Yes." She lied, just to scare him. It didn't work, because even though she was calm, Natsu detected a faint rise of her heartbeat.
"Has Michelle actually stolen anything?"
"No."
"How'd you find her in the first place?" Lucy looked around her, because Natsu didn't say it in his formal voice, more like asking a personal question.
"None of your beeswax." She huffed.
He went onto the next question. Spirit was slightly surprised that the Prince didn't pry into her personal business anymore than that. "You said your mother handed her three keys down to you. Where is she now?"
"Up there." Lucy didn't like thinking of that. Her kind, sweet mother died from an illness just when she was seven. She ran away two years later, because her father neglected her. It was all their fault too.
"Your dad?"
"I don't know if he's dead or alive or where the hell he is. I don't care. He can go die in a hole for all I care." She snorted. Natsu frowned.
"Have something against him?" she stood up roughly, whirring around on the pink haired boy.
"Okay, just because you and your family healed my sister, don't go around prying into our personal life. We're not friends. Don't even pretend like we're even close to it. If I could get out, I'd gladly leave this castle, skipping and singing and happy as hell."
He recoiled. She definitely had something against her father. "Okay. I'll leave you be now." he stood up hastily and left. She collapsed on the ground. She hated the Dragneel family, and not because they put her behind bars. For a moment, she thought about her previous connection with them.
"Please, Lord Dragneel, anyone!" Jude Heartfilia pounded on the door with his free hand, the grown man next to tears. Next to him was a little, wide-eyed, seven-year old girl. They had ridden on a horse to get here, something that they didn't have money for, and what they were about to ask for would likely put them into more debt.
"Please open the door!" Finally, the giant gate opened slightly, and a small, pink-haired boy peered through.
"Who is it?" he asked. He wore a cute, blue and yellow t-shirt, looking through the door with one large, onyx-coloured eye. There was a scaly scarf wrapped around his neck.
"Prince Dragneel!" the man almost cried his relief. "Can we speak to your parents? My name is Jude Heartfilia."
The small boy, even though he was about a year older than the girl, 'hrm-ed.' "Well, my parents and most of the servant's are out on business, they said they'd be back in a few days." Jude cringed.
"May we talk to the head servant?" the little boy nodded, seeing the state of distress around the two, and closed the door. He ran off to go find him. Jude and the girl waited impatiently for the Head Assistant to come out. Finally, what felt like hours later, a green haired man came out, wearing a long, black waistcoat.
"My name is Fried. How may I be of assistance?" the man was barely in his adult years, with long green hair and two zigzag-like antennae poking out of his head.
"We heard that the Dragneel's had a potion of some sort that could heal Pneumonia. Please, my wife, and her mother is dying right at this moment. She won't make it if we don't bring back a cure, or at least something that will hold it back." Jude pleaded to the man.
The Head Assistant thought for a moment. "Well, we only have one in stock. And I'm not sure if Lord Igneel would appreciate giving it to some strangers. It is of worth... but he won't mind if I give you a little bit." Fried left and came back with a small vial, handing it to Jude."I wish you luck." Jude thanked the man, and took the girl in his arms, careful not to drop the glass.
The man put her on the horse, and it reared, nearly throwing them back, but galloped off. Fried gave them a final wave, closing the door behind him.
"Layla, Layla! We came back." Jude burst through the doors, the little girl following behind eagerly. They stopped though, eyes widening.
A single nurse, dressed in a black uniform, was holding the woman's hand. She looked up as they came in, shaking her head. The vial clattered to the floor, but didn't break. "she died... a few minutes ago."
They were too late.
Jude's wife was on the bed, dressed in a white gown, head over the side, skin pale and her chest unmoving. The little daughter burst into tears, running up to her and hugging her arm.
"MOM! Mommy, come back!" she wailed. The little girl was told the effects of pneumonia. Severe coughing, infection of the lungs. It wasn't usually deadly, but it got worse and worse, and finally she had to be taken to the hospital. They had tried everything, but to no avail. The only choice was to go Dragneel Castle, where there was supposedly a cure. But the vial lay on the floor, abandoned.
They were too late.
The little girl cried, wailing into her mother's shoulder.
Lucy shook her head. It was all their fault that Layla died, and her father neglected her, and she ran away, Lucy becoming the Golden Spirit.
She hadn't noticed she was crying. Lucy wiped the tears away quickly, refusing to break down. She hated the Dragneel family, and nothing would ever change that. Spirit dug into her brown suit, reaching in, hand clamping over something. She pulled it out.
It was a tiny bottle, with a slightly glowing green essence in it. The top had a hook stuck on it, and a thin piece of cord was stuck through the hook, tying it around her neck. In the darkness of the cells, the neon green liquid gave off a slightly eerie effect.
She hadn't even told Michelle. Tucking the vial back between her breast, Lucy crawled to her bed, tucking herself in. She was emotionally and mentally fatigued, so she was going to take a nap.
A single tear traced down her cheek.
AWWW, I'm a sadist. Lucy's got a secret hatred for the Dragneel family! mwahahahaha..!
31 FOLLOWERS!? *dies a little* Thank you so much guys! [Only on the first five chapters!?] I love you all. 3
To my EPIC reviewers: [!]
AngelTheSwordMage: oh, you'll have to continue reading to find out!
1fairytaillover: hehehee. Well, she's always hitting them in the series, so, I thought I'd add that in too. Just because she's behind bar's doesn't mean she can't throw stuff! [but now she's lost her boots...]
HalloweenDemon: Here you go! I hope you like this chapter!
Doctor; Wow, I updated barely thirty minutes after you post your review... how's that for fast? :3
Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but press the review button, and review, maybe?