It was the day.
Lucy stared down wistfully at the sheet of paper Lisanna had given to her the day after she broke into the infirmary. She sighed, putting it out of her mind, or at least trying. The thought still remained, mentally screaming attention.
Lucy looked back at the paper, but she'd read it so many times that the words were permanently stuck in her mind. "Today, Prince's Gajeel, Rogue, Sting, and Natsu will be choosing their brides! Come and see this once-in-a-lifetime experience!" The bandit scowled, only noticing now that Michelle had finished drying the dishes and sat next to her.
"Lucy, are you okay?" she asked, noticing the poster beside her and connecting the dots. Her sister had been staring at it all day.
Lucy had come back home safe. With a dislocated arm and a scorched suit, but fine nothingless. The arm was bandaged up, (a very painful experience for Lucy, who, surprisingly, had not ever injured herself that badly,) and was supposed to heal in a few days, but until then, Mira had put it into a cast, even if Lucy argued it was unnecessary and too bulky for her.
Michelle looked up at the bandit, smiling faintly. She was acting... not cold. She'd seen her sister around other people, over the last two weeks she changed with the introduction of a certain pink-haired prince in her life. Michelle noticed her smiling, (and crying) a lot more, but the little girl was old enough to have an idea of what that meant.
"You liiiiiiiiiike each other," she sang coyly, stretching out the 'i' in 'like'. Lucy's head spun towards the smaller blonde. "Lucy and Prince Natsu, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes—!" She exclaimed when the bandit made a lunge for her and started chasing her around the house. After awhile, Lucy stopped, sitting back on the bed.
"You gonna see him or what?" Michelle asked, coming back to the bed. Lucy sighed, but shook her head.
"I said my goodbyes, and now we're going. Once my arm heals, we're leaving the country." The bandit explained sadly, looking down at the paper. The smaller blonde's jaw dropped.
"We're leaving? You're leaving Natsu behind?" Lucy nodded.
"I told you before. After I'll get you out we're leaving to a country where nobody had ever heard of the Golden Spirit and we'll never hear the word 'Dragneel' again." she told her. "The arm is just a setback."
"But Natsu loves you! And you love Natsu!" Michelle exclaimed. Lucy rolled her eyes.
"There are plenty of beautiful girls in that competition. We may have kissed but that was once."
"He blocked a bullet for you." The girl said incredulously. "You Love Prince Natsu."
The blonde's eye twitched. "I do, I'll admit that, but no one will accept us and I'm not worthy to love a prince." She said. "I've lied and stolen and I'm a bad person."
Michelle deadpanned. "Because you had to. You are a good person, you were just forced to live this way!" she shouted. "I am living, breathing proof that you are a nice person! I would have been eaten by wild animals or starved to death if you hadn't taken me in! I bet your Spirits appreciate being well cared for, too." Lucy's Keys hummed in response, all, for once, agreeing with each other. The owner smiled softly in response, but shook her head.
"Natsu wouldn't even want to see me. Nobody would accept me. I've lived in the shadows all my life and I plan to stay that way." Michelle scowled.
"Lucy, stop being a coward and running away!" she yelled, startling Lucy. She recoiled fast, looking down at the floor.
"I'm sorry." She muttered. Lucy smiled half-heartedly, in slight awe of how much she'd grown.
"You don't have to be sorry. You're just trying to make me see better. You're a big girl now. You're right." Michelle looked up in surprise. "I can't stop running now. I'll... find out who Natsu's going to marry from the sidelines. I at least owe it to him."
It was the day.
Natsu swallowed, looking at the girls in the Grand room behind a curtain before pulling back quickly, hoping he wasn't seen. He bit his lip with a pointed canine when his stomach wound flared.
Natsu had spent the last few days in the infirmary, and the other girls had gone to visit him. His parents had sent Gray to keep him company and have more protection, once Spirit had busted in again, they would take no chances. The Prince hated the thing wrapped around his stomach, because he couldn't bend that much without being blocked. Igneel had made sure it was fireproof and tough to break too.
He turned around and caught Grandine odd gaze again. He frowned at her; she smirked back, and turned back to talking with Metalicana and his father. Natsu had been getting these looks for the last five days, these coy, all-knowing looks, and every time Natsu was unnerved. The prince huffed and turned around to the hallways.
Lucy scowled, disliking the new form she was in.
Mira tutted as Lucy fingered the dress she was in. "Look, we need a... bigger form to hide your cast." Lucy scowled. She had to change into this fat, old... she didn't even know if it was a man or woman, making one arm, the arm with the cast on, skinny so it didn't work like she'd actually broken her limb on first glance. Unfortunately, Transformation Magic didn't fix dislocated arms feel any better.
She sighed, scowling in her new form and looking up in the mirror one last time before giving up. She looked horrid. Mira had found an old dress that only just managed to squeeze around Lucy's fat body while having long sleeves. Her shoes barely fit the, Lucy groaned when she saw the things she was supposed to Transform into, monstrous things she had to call feet. Her head was bald and her eyes were beady.
The guards wouldn't want to touch someone as ugly as her, so they would let her pass through quickly though without too much inspection or hassle. They hoped. Lisanna would accompany her in the background, because Lisanna miraculously disappeared the day Spirit did, so there was likely to be some suspicion. Michelle would stay at home with Elfman. Even if he wanted to see 'Natsu turn into a Man,' he was equally torn and eventually persuaded by his sister that 'taking care of little kids was even more Manlier.'
Mira flew in her (Lucy now understood the lady's dangerous side, seeing her Take-Over,) Satan Soul, Lisanna ran, and Leo carried Lucy by bouncing around, precariously perched on tree branches a second before he jumped off, making the bough spring back. Lucy would squeal every time, holding onto Leo's suit tightly, which made the Lion Spirit smirk. They went the long way, taking the empty road from Magnolia, and walking for a bit more until they reached the line for the Big Event. The Bandit changed into her ugly form just before they got there.
Lucy winced at the amount of people in line. This was obviously a very big event... she thought, mentally scoffing. Inwardly, it kinda stung.
Soon, the line started marching forwards, and Lucy was in front of the line. She inwardly smirked when she saw Gray. "W-What is your name and your purpose in the Dragneel Castle?" he said, trying to keep his cool. Lucy could tell he was unnerved by her form.
"Oh aren't you such a pretty face?" Lucy squealed, pinching the man's cheek. Gray stiffened, and Lucy had to hold back a laugh. That was so worth it.
"My name is Bob. I come from a bar called Blue Pegasus; it's honestly a wonderful place. Call me if you want to chat for a bit, 'kay?" Lucy winked, walking past him. Gray seemed stunned into silence. He turned around to look at her retreating figure, but only stared at a hairy back, making him gag and turn back to his duties, not wanting to talk to that horrible— woman or man, he didn't know, or want to.
"Lisanna?" he blinked, staring at the face of Mira and Lisanna. "Hey, Lisanna, Mira." The two women smiled.
"So, how are you?" the smaller Take-Over mage asked.
"I-I'm good. What happened to you? After the night of the ball you disappeared along with... Lyra, I think her name was." Gray frowned. Lisanna frowned.
"Elfman caught a really, really bad cold so I decided to drop from the competition." He opened his mouth to speak, but the girl cut him off, "It's really contagious so don't go to the cabin." She warned. "I assume we can go see little Natsu go pick a girl?" she asked. Gray nodded and let them through.
Lucy slipped past the guards and changed back to her regular self. She growled when her cast hit the curtain she was hiding behind, making it ripple, but no one seemed to notice. The bandit pressed against the wall and down the hallway, heading for the upper balconies of the Ball Room, where the event was to be held.
The blonde heard footsteps, so she hid behind a suit of armour.
Natsu scowled, walking down the hallways. He didn't like the restriction of movement, whenever he tried to turn around or back. It felt so awkward, trying to twist his hips, and he wasn't very happy.
Big shocker; Natsu had been fairly awake when Lucy had visited him. He smiled unconsciously at the thought. Her past was sad, but the prince was happy that he could melt through that ice she'd hid behind. Ironic, since he was the Fire Dragon Slayer, but she'd kissed him. Willingly. He was sure, if he ever saw her again, he would tease her that she'd taken advantage of an unconscious man, and what he wouldn't give to see her. His heart gave a little squeeze at the thought. He hadn't been able to exit the castle until his wound had healed fully.
While this wound should have taken at least two months to heal, Dragon Slayers had abnormally fast healing capabilities and Grandine's Healing Magic would make it mend faster. He was lucky to have a mother like that. He was sure to have gone insane and rip the stupid thing off he'd had to wear the cast for two months.
He was going to choose a bride today. Natsu swallowed, trying to keep his head high. He didn't want to marry a girl. The pyromaniac didn't want to settle down because he was always up and moving, he didn't want to be the heir because that meant he had to do actual work, and certainly didn't want to be here, right now, where he was being forced to choose a bride.
Natsu walked for a bit longer, peeking through a decorative window into the Ball room. He was on the second floor, so he could see everyone's heads. On the right, up on stage, was rows of ten (or in his case 8, since Lisanna and Lucy left,) girls, all dressed up with their hair done and giggling to each other like excited children. Natsu rolled his eyes.
Lucy wouldn't have dressed up like that. Natsu's eyes widened and he shook his head. With being in the infirmary for so long, he knew the bandit would be gone. Far off, possibly past the borders of another country, where Natsu wouldn't be able to catch her. He scowled.
Give it up, she's gone.
Natsu pouted, and started waking faster, when he caught a particular scent on the air. The prince couldn't believe it. He blinked, frowned, then grinned.
So that's how she wants to play, eh? He thought mischievously, turning on his heel, walking down a flight of stairs but tripping on the next, falling down and hitting his head hard. He yelped, looking up at a certain green-haired mage, waiting for him at the bottom like last time.
ALLO peoples! Sorry this chapter took so long, I just started Taekwondo again (in the adult classes) and they're hard as *insert swear here.* Seriously, I was ready to collapse yesterday. I almost seriously did. BT, the poll for 'what stories should I write next' are still on my page! go check it out! Thank you Dog's Paw Burning in Hot Ash, HikariYume, Talia, BlossomsCherry, and Feathers!
LiLyRoSe, Elodie, and NatsuandLucy4ever: Such a shocker this chappy, that he was awake, right? *rolls eyes*
Sofia: YOU, MY GIRL, DESERVE THE BIGGEST APOLOGY. I'm sorry for making you wait so long!
PrettyKitty: *whimpers* O-Okay... I'll write ASAP! I feel accomplished with your statement. Trust me, NaLu is awesome, random person I don't know that is friends with PrettyKitty! (and somehow, my cousin ships... NatZa... *shudders*)
The Grammer Queen, GoldenRoseTanya, and MythandFairyTailLover: Yeah, thought I'd add that in for laughs. IT IS TRUE, he can be. XD
Can you guess what Natsu's gonna do? take a guess! in THAT little box down there! Rest, relax, and review! (and hope I stay alive next Taekwondo class so I can write a new chappy!)