Author's Note:
It's so late and I really apologize to my readers! :'( .. I've been busy the past few days taking care of college stuff..
Natsu's POV over here! And thank you for all your reviews!
Not really sure on how good this chapter is but I'll make it up to you guys!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Fairy Tail characters, they all belong to the awesome Hiro Mashima. :)
Warning: This Fanfiction is Rated M for a reason. Violence and language not suitable for kids out there! xD
NATSU'S POV
Though I knew Luce was safely out of the guild hall, I can't help but worry so much over her. Every guild member I was fighting, I didn't care who they were or what the fuck is their power, I only cared about how much I wanted this to be over with just so I could be by Lucy's side. Just like how it's always been and just like how it should be. I needed to get every single fight done because I knew she needed me and by her scent, I had to finish quickly. Thankfully, everyone had finished their own fights and the others had already tied down the guild members. Freed had already contacted Gramps that the situation of the dark guild had been taken care of and that only left matters with Luce. Everyone was worried. Everyone wanted to know she was safe. I wanted to rush to her side but Erza warned me about Lucy's condition. She told me how broken she looked and that was enough to make the redhead's voice falter even just for a second. The moment I heard that, I should've rushed and ran to her side as fast as my feet could take me. But I couldn't bring myself to do that. My feet remained rooted to the floor, contemplating upon Erza's words. I couldn't even begin to imagine how Lucy looked right now, but I knew she'd be fine. She always pulls through. She's Lucy after all; she wouldn't let anything bring her down for long. Soon enough, she would forget this whole ordeal and she'd be back to normal and I could only grin at the thought. That's right; soon enough, she'll be normal. Right?
As soon as we were done with Fear Pythios, all of us walked back to camp in silence. Vaguely, I noticed the absence of Wendy and the ice prick so I should have figured that they were already back in camp. That was certainly a good thing. That meant that Lucy was being taken care of by Wendy and Gray would be well on his way to cheering Lucy up by now. If I had to guess, Luce would grinning and smiling by the time the rest of us gets back. "What are you grinning about Natsu?" Erza asked, her tone covered in seriousness, "This isn't the time to be happy. We should be worried on how she's currently doing," Alzack followed and my brows furrowed at their words. "What are you guys talking about? It's Lucy we're talking about here, she'll be fine!" I grinned, very confident in my words but the rest of them remained silent saved for Mira and her words were the least I expected, "I wouldn't be too sure of that Natsu," the demon mage whispered that wasn't left for deaf ears. I can't say that I wasn't shock at her words. Usually Mira was so optimistic, finding a way to assure everyone that everything would be alright. But right now, she was the one who dismissed the idea of Lucy being fine. I looked at her for a brief moment and I saw her looking at Lucy's keys with tears brimming her eyes. I know what they saw, hell I even smelled Lucy's blood. But Wendy was healing her right? And Lucy never lets despair gets the best of her, so I had to believe she'll be alright. She's one of the strongest persons I know after all, even if it's not about magical capabilities. My thoughts lingered in my mind for a moment too long as we remained to walking in silence and soon after, we neared camp and Lucy's blood-tainted scent hit my nostrils at full force.
I wasn't the only one who smelled it. Even Metalhead did and both of us made no move to rush to camp. It would worry the others and it wasn't long after that we saw Gray just standing, staring into space. He looked as if he had just seen the most horrifying thing ever, he looked as if despair was eating him alive. I looked at him with a meaningful gaze that I knew he understood. He refused to answer though with just our gazes and it was only Gajeel who had enough courage to ask. I knew I should have asked but I couldn't bring myself to speak while smelling all the blood that was inside the tent only a few feet away from me. I knew Laxus was inside and Wendy wasn't. Metalhead knew that so he asked, pretty much in behalf of all of us. We wanted to know Lucy's condition and it took him a moment to respond. He shook his head and rage instantly welled up inside of me. What did he mean by shaking his head?! Did he mean to tell us that Lucy wouldn't survive this?! That Luce was as good as dead?! Hell no was he going to tell me that shitty crap. Without a moment to spare, I grabbed him by the collar, his face dangerously close to mine as if I was ready to kill him if he so much mutters a word that would not satisfy me. "What the hell do you mean by that Gray?" I asked and he answered with a tone that meant he was serious and that there was no joking about my nakama's condition.
My knees couldn't hold me any longer. I wasn't tired, in fact I was brimming with energy. It was because I could barely hold the information within me. Lucy has always been strong but this wasn't a battle that she could easily win. And now I am just so useless. I've always been there to protect her but now it was my fault she's suffering this badly. Physical damage, which was nothing to the Celestial Spirit mage. No matter how badly bruised, no matter how badly wounded she was, she would always find the strength to get back up and keep moving forward. Emotionally, Lucy was just like any human being. Capable of feeling pain and suffering but she could always manage, she could always pull through. She was the strongest among all of us, always finding the light in every darkness, though losing hope, in a matter of seconds, she would smile with her resolve stronger than ever before. Gray and I knew that better than anyone. We were with her the longest. We knew her so well. But now, the ice mage claimed that Lucy was broken. He wasn't joking. He was telling the truth and all of us understood that and no one could do anything but be strong for her. But how could we be strong knowing that the strongest was the one who was most broken right now? "Lucy, what would we do without you?"was the only thought I could form before the all the sobs stop.
I looked at the reason and saw Laxus standing outside the tent, holding a barely conscious Lucy in his arms. That was the first time I saw her in two weeks. That was the first time I looked at her clearly. And that was the first time I saw her in the worst state possible. She was bandaged up, but still, blood seeped through. All around her there were bandages, even in her delicate hands. Her face was bruised up and I could barely recognize her the way she was now. She was wearing Laxus' shirt and even that was soaked with blood and my face hardened on why the hell was she not healed yet when Wendy was already here. "Where are you going? She isn't healed yet," Gray asked with much caution that I hadn't seen before. It was like he was barely containing the rage and he was trying to keep his voice down. I kept my gaze on Lucy though, and her gaze shifted to all of us. She flinched upon seeing me and she held on to Laxus as if her life depended on it. "We're going back to Magnolia," Loke emerged from the tent looking exhausted and tired as he spoke calmly. "Why?! At least get Wendy to heal her first! She's in no condition to travel! Look at her!" Erza couldn't help but yell, I couldn't blame her. Lucy was still battered and bleeding and yet they wanted to go back to Magnolia. I was about to speak as well but I could see Lucy trembling with her eyes shut firmly closed. "You're scaring her. Wendy tried already but her wounds are too deep. I'm taking her to Porlyusica," Laxus said and immediately turned into lightning and leaving us without hearing our complaints. "Don't worry. He won't just leave her, he'll take care of her," Evergreen said, "Yes, you can trust Laxus and now we must finish up here to go back to the guild immediately," Freed nodded lightly before starting to prepare to move out of camp. "The Raijinshuu assures the safety of the cheerleader," Bickslow said after patting my shoulder and only nodded before standing up and looking at Loke. He looked back at me with more intensity as if he was trying hard to not kill me right then and there and he shifted his gaze to Mira who spoke after a few moments. "Loke, we've got Lucy's keys. Will you give this back to her?" the white-haired mage cautiously approached the lion. He nodded and took the blonde's keys in his hand before looking back at me. "You will pay for this Natsu. This is all your fault," he told me, his gaze colder than ice before he disappeared back to the Spirit World and I was left to think about his words.
He's right. It's all my fault. I'm sorry, Luce.
THIRD PERSON POV
True to his word, as soon as Laxus had bandaged Lucy up, he picked her up with much gentleness. He was going to take her back to Magnolia regardless of what the rest thought of his idea. He nodded at Loke and he knew the point had come across the lion. Nobody would be able to stop him from taking the blonde back home. Lucy just had her arms on his shoulders and though he knew it was painful for her to move, he made no move to deny her of what she wanted. He knew she was holding on to him for comfort and assurance and he was not one to say no. He knew just how much she needed it in her situation. As soon as he deemed them ready, he headed out of the tent, leaving Loke for a few moment and the sight that greeted him wasn't the least bit surprising. Everyone had already returned and was contemplating about Lucy's current condition. Most of the girls were in tears and Gray was one of the first to speak up upon seeing the Lightning Dragon Slayer. He didn't see the need to answer and it was Loke whom had answered for him, but it was obvious that Erza didn't agree with the plan. Her shouting was doing no good for Lucy either as she started to tremble. The Celestial mage didn't recognize them at the moment, she was too terrified of the number of people surrounding her and the forceful tone of the redhead wasn't helping either. And so, Laxus merely gave them a short answer before using his lightning to get them back to Magnolia.
They arrived in front of the guild doors within a couple of minutes and though it almost drained his magic, he couldn't bring himself to care. It was the only way to get Lucy back in order to avoid most of the pain. "We're back," he whispered to her and she merely nodded and kept her hold on his shoulders. Laxus wasted no time in opening the guild doors and upon seeing the two of them, the members could barely hold back their gasps and stares. Everyone stopped with their usual business due to worry of Lucy's condition. Laxus couldn't blame them, there was blood in the bandages and the blonde girl had her face buried in the man's chest while she trembled slightly. His blue orbs instantly found the old man he was looking for and Makarov could only look at them, rage evident in his gaze. "Jet, go get Porlyusica and I don't give a damn if she complains or not. Get her here immediately," and Jet didn't need another second to waste before he was out of the guild doors to look for the healer. Laxus, on the other hand wasted no time in getting Lucy to the infirmary and setting her down on a bed. As he settled her down though, she held on to his arm. "D-don't leave me, please," she said in a soft, trembling voice that used to be foreign for her. He only nodded in understanding and sat himself on the bed beside her, stroking her hair to calm her down.
It was not long after Porlyusica arrived within the infirmary with a scowl on her face. "Now what is this emergency?" she asked harshly and caught sight of an unconscious Lucy in the bed. "What happened?" the healer asked, already starting to work quickly to healing the blonde mage. "She was on a mission but she was captured. She's been tortured for four days," Laxus explained yet remained seated on the bed for even asleep, Lucy didn't relish her hold on the dragon slayer. "This much damage in only four days?" Porlyusica asked astonished as she continued to work, "The girl is naked underneath the bandages and shirt," the healer plainly stated while nobody noticed the master entering the infirmary. "Can you tell us what she has gone through by her injuries?" the old man asked, seriousness was all that can be heard in his tone and the woman merely looked at him seriously for a few moments before looking at the unconscious girl and setting a hand on her forehead. The old woman closed her eyes for a few moments and went back to working with potions. "She's beaten up, that much is obvious. The marks are from whips, possibly went on for hours. She's been cuffed on her wrists and ankles for days, she's a bit dehydrated too. Probably without food and not much water. She was naked but nobody had sex with her. Mentally is the most damaged. She was probably showed illusions beyond your imagination," the woman explained and slowly made the unconscious girl drink up a potion. The potion's effect was immediate. The bleeding had stopped and the wounds were closing while the bruises had faded. Mostly, Lucy looked like she was back to normal but everyone knew that was far from happening.
"The lashes will leave scars and that is something I will not be able to help with," Porlyusica said as she started to clean up, preparing to leave. "Makarov, it would be wise that you limit the people who visit her. The girl was made to believe the illusions were real. We do not know what they had shown her. Rape, death, destruction, suffering. Anything is possible. Right now, it will be hard for her to believe anything," she said as she looked at the unconscious girl seriously. Anyone could see how much Lucy had suffered in the past few days, yet nobody knew the extent of her damage internally. Though Porlyusica knew that the blonde girl had suffered mentally through illusions, the extent of that damage was unbeknownst to her. The only thing she was sure of that they do not want to shock and terrify the girl or it'll be worse for her recovery. The only help that the guild could provide the girl right now was to be strong for her and leave her alone unless it was she who called out for them. "I will come back to check on her," the woman said before heading out the door leaving Makarov, Laxus and an unconscious Lucy in the room. "What do we do now, Gramps?" the lightning dragon slayer asked and the old man remained silent for a few minutes. They were at a loss for what to do. They knew not what really happened saved for the fact that Lucy was made to suffer brutally. Though there was a lingering thought in Makarov's mind that payback for Fairy Tail was not the only reason that Lucy was captured. The old man had a feeling that there was more to it than meets the eye and that feeling was not something that he would let go so easily. Someone had hurt his child and he'd be damned if he just let it get away. There would be hell to pay should he discover that there was someone else connected to Lucy's suffering. "We'll investigate the guild's affiliation with Lucy. There must be something else connected to this," the old man replied his gaze stone hard and his grandson merely nodded at his decision, partly because he knew that there was no stopping the old man and partly because he wanted to know if there was someone else to blame for Lucy's suffering. He would kill that person.
"I'm sending people to investigate. Meanwhile, you stay with Lucy. It's obvious that she doesn't want you leaving anytime soon," Makarov stated as he looked at the unconscious girl still holding on to Laxus' arm and that made him give his grandson a knowing smirk. "Damn old man, this isn't the time to joke around," the blonde man grumbled and the old man merely released a small laugh before his features turned serious once again. "You heard what Porlyusica said, did you not? Not everyone can visit Lucy. I'm pretty sure you'd be one that cannot leave her side and her spirits would be rare to come by as well," he said as his eyes bore through the blonde man's. Laxus merely shrugged while he contemplated on who could visit Lucy. Her team was definitely out of the question and even his own team would be too much for her to handle. He could only scratch the back of his head in annoyance as he was having a hard time thinking about who could watch over Blondie while she was recovering. The old man however was only grinning at his grandson's expense. Who would've thought that he would put so much thought and consideration over deciding who would watch over one girl. It was certainly amusing for him despite the situation they were in. They were Fairy Tail after all and they would always find hope even in the darkness, he hoped Lucy would be the same.
After minutes of thinking, Laxus finally groaned and glared at the old man. "Wendy, Gajeel and Levy," he stated plainly and the old man couldn't help an eyebrow from raising. "You're not letting her team in?" Makarov asked, obviously amused and the lightning dragon slayer only muttered in annoyance, "Damn old man, just couldn't shut his mouth," and nodded at his grandfather's question. "Erza scared her by yelling. She's terrified of Gray and I am not letting Natsu anywhere near Blondie. It's his fault she went on a solo mission in the first place. Maybe Happy can visit her, but not those three," Laxus explained before his gaze shifted to the blond girl resting a bit more comfortably in the bed. She was exhausted, and he was going to take care of her until she recovers completely. His free hand stroked her hair gently and without him noticing, the old man had already left the infirmary with a knowing smile on his face. They knew not when Lucy would be fine, but surely, she would be with Fairy Tail continuing to support her all the way. Especially since Laxus was dead set on helping her though he knew it would be troublesome as soon as the fire dragon slayer comes back. He wouldn't take the news lightly after all, since it concerned Lucy. Though the old man knew that his grandson was right, if only Natsu had not been dense enough to ignore the blonde mage and acknowledge his own feelings earlier on, then Lucy wouldn't have felt ignored and neglected. She would not have felt that she was a replacement for Lisanna. Makarov sighed at the mess his children had gotten themselves in that now, they all had to learn the hard way. They had to pay for the consequences of their mistakes. It was saddening that the price was too high.
Replies to Some Reviews:
mromero18: Probably LaLu.. I don't really have anything solid planned but it looks like it's gonna be LaLu instead of NaLu.
Anonymous: Lucy wasn't raped.. :) .. It could be clarified in this chapter that she only experienced an illusion..
millervaleriecamille: I agree with you that Laxus having a tender side is hard to see, but that's what makes this challenging and fun to write.. I hope I am reaching your expectations with him though.. :D
Anonymous: Well, I've been busy with college stuff since I'm an entering freshman, but no worries, I still try to update as soon as I can.. :D
Taira Kaiko: I'm really glad that you like it though I can't really answer your questions since I don't really have anything planned.. xD But perhaps as the story progresses we will know the answers.. xD
It's really, really, really late! I know! Do you forgive me?
Your reviews are amazing! So why don't you give me more? :P xD
What do you think about Natsu? Suggestions on what could happen next?
You could give me a review or send me a PM if you want to help me.. :P
Thank you for the everlasting support and I'll see you all on the next chapter!