Chapter Fourteen
Awakening
Lucy pressed her lips into a grim line as she leaned her back against the door to close it, not taking her eyes off of the blue haired girl doing laundry at an open-top washing machine in the corner of the room. The blonde had been meaning to find the other girl since she'd quite literally bumped into her in the hallway the other day, but with her short absence from the church and all of the fuss over her return, she hadn't got the chance until now.
She'd made sure that she hadn't been followed on her way down, and now, she was finally alone with the girl, and free to question her all she wanted without worrying about those who may be listening in. The sounds of the several washing machines and dryers in Zentopia's laundry room would insure that their voices would be muffled beyond intelligibility to those beyond the room's walls.
Lucy didn't waste a second once the door had clicked closed behind her, not bothering to announce her presence before she was firmly pressing, "Who are you?"
The girl dropped the shirt she'd been folding in surprise at the sudden sound of her voice, obviously not having heard Lucy enter over the thrum of the dryer she'd been unloading. Her eyes were wide as she turned over her shoulder to look at the blonde, her voice borderline fearful as she asked, "P…pardon?"
"I saw everything," Lucy held firm despite the girl's supposed obliviousness. She wasn't leaving until she knew exactly who this girl was, and whether she was a foe or an ally. "You stopped that guy from helping me earlier," she accused, thinking back to when she'd seen Gray in the congregation. To say the least, she'd been shocked to see his face amongst the worshipers at first, but when she'd thought over it in retrospect, she berated herself for thinking that Natsu and his friends would let her go it her own. Gray being here was part of their plan, she knew without a doubt, and to have someone she could trust so close by, even if she couldn't talk to him for the time being, brought her more comfort and reassurance than she'd ever known she could feel whilst still in Zentopia's walls. It meant that while she was fighting from the inside, they were still people fighting for her from the outside, and together, she felt that they might really be able to take down this wicked place.
The blue haired girl only laughed nervously and lightly at the accusation, her eyes anxiously darting to the side before focusing on the blonde once more, "I…I don't know what you're talking about."
Her nervous giggling ceased when Lucy's pinning stare intensified, the blonde's eyes narrowing, "Do you really believe in this place?"
"Of…of course."
"Bullshit," the blonde hissed, refusing to give up. She knew that something was up this girl, that she wasn't like the other members of Zentopia. "You know everything, don't you? You know that this place is all fake. So why are you pretending?" The girl's blank stare only drove her to further reaches, her desperate need to know that someone else in this place felt the way she did bringing tears of frustration to her eyes, "You've been quietly observing this place, just like I have. I realized it when you asked me why I hadn't left Zentopia. I've asked myself that question a million times…I've been here for over three years, but nobody else ever asked me why I stayed."
There was silence for a few moments, and Lucy's chest grew tighter in the silence as the doubtful side of herself decided to speak up once more and whisper thoughts into her mind that she'd been wrong.
But the girl was soon letting out a heavy sigh, her seemingly clueless demeanor dropping in an instant and giving way to an aura that Lucy recognized with startling familiarity. It was the same way she looked when she talked about how much she hated the church, the very same glare she gave Precht when she was hissing insults in his direction as he tried to offer her a sermon.
"You're right," the girl conceding a heavy tone, her eyes shining with a sort of cold intelligence, "I don't believe in a single word of this place's teachings."
Without her volition, a single tear slipped free of Lucy's eyes, a new form of doubt taking her over her mind as she sought for reassurance, "R…really?"
The girl's suddenly cold demeanor softened as she saw the tear streaking down the blonde's face, her lips quirking in the tiniest of grim smiles, "To be honest… I'm a journalist from Magnolia Daily. I couldn't find anything out about this place from the outside, so I disguised myself as a believer to gather information. I've only recently managed to get close to finding out anything, but-"
"I'll help you!" the blonde suddenly professed, inhaling sharply to calm herself and keep her tears of relief at bay. Finally, she wasn't alone in this place, and she had someone she could trust. She didn't know how the tides had changed so suddenly, what with Gray and this girl showing up out of nowhere, but she was sure as hell going to take advantage of the situation while it was laid out before her.
"What?" the girl stuttered out shock.
"I'm going to destroy this place, no matter what," Lucy passionately divulged, "And since you know what this place is really about, you must want to take it down too."
"Are you sure about this?" she mumbled apprehensively, "I only came here to gather information, and you're special to Precht. He's not going to let you go easy."
"I have friends on the outside who are helping me," the blonde reassured, "That boy you stopped earlier, he was one of them. And now," she gave the girl a small, grateful smile, "I have you, too."
The blunette grinned back, nodding her head with vigor as she pledged, "Alright. I'll help you. We'll take this place down together."
Natsu tucked his hands into the front pocket of his red sweatshirt as he followed Gray out of Loke's house, both of them making their way to their bikes, which they'd parked side by side.
The raven haired boy had just returned from his second day at the church, and with two pieces of good news. First and foremost, Lucy was alive, and doing a lot better than they'd all assumed if Gray's words about her appearance were anything to go by. And second, they had a new ally, and a very useful one at that. Levy McGarden had hurriedly shoved a paper into Gray's hand before he'd left Zentopia for the day, a warning not to come back scrawled across the crumble page, accompanied by a brief explanation of her words. It turned out, she was a journalist from Magnolia Daily, and she'd discovered things while in Zentopia that were enough of an incentive for her to try and keep others away from the church.
Gray's returned with this new information and the four boys had set to work, sketching a map of what they knew of Zentopia's grounds and researching every name the raven haired boy had brought back with him.
During their planning, Natsu had also offered a new piece of information, one that rattled them all.
Precht was going to kill Lucy after he'd had his way with her.
His confrontation with the preacher in Wendy's hospital room had made him want to bust down the church's doors and steal Lucy back right away, but he knew that that wasn't at all what the blonde wanted anymore. Once, she may have desired to run away, but she'd told him about her dedication to her mother and how she refused to leave Layla there to suffer. Escaping the church wasn't enough anymore. The torture they'd both endured in Zentopia had made it so, and he knew well how much the blonde wanted to tear it from the ground herself. She wouldn't be satisfied until it was wiped off the map and all of its leaders had received their just punishments, and now, that was what Natsu wanted, too. He couldn't sleep, couldn't even rest for a single moment when he thought about the fact that people like the preacher and the Zentopia apostles existed, people that would willingly and devotedly consent to the rape and murder of a girl who was practically still a teenager. He'd make sure that they all got what they deserved in the end, even if he had to break more than a few laws to do it.
And after meeting Precht, he was even more reluctant to keep sending Gray to Zentopia again and again, fearing that one day, he wouldn't return safe and sound. The second they found out who he really was, Gray could be locked away just like Lucy had been, or even worse, killed and dumped somewhere in the woods. Natsu couldn't attest to Gray's acting ability given the fact that they'd never felt the need to be anyone but their genuine, conflicting selves around one another, but he knew that it must hard to keep up the act for an entire day, no matter how persistent his rival was.
The salmon haired boy swung his leg over his bike just as his best friend did, settling onto the seat with a heavy sigh, allowing himself a moment of contemplation before he huffed out, "Frosty."
The raven haired boy paused just as he was about to slide his helmet onto his head, setting it back in his lap with a brow quirked in irritation as his gaze shifted to his rival, "What, ashface?"
"I'm sorry for making you go in there all on your own," he admittedly heavily, twiddling his fingers in his pockets. He wasn't normally one to apologize, but he felt he'd certainly done enough wrong to the raven haired boy, and therefore his rival was fully deserving of his apology, no matter how much it hurt his pride to do so. Gray had even quit both of his jobs to fully dedicate himself to saving Lucy, a task that Natsu had taken upon their group, and the salmon haired boy was sure as hell going to make sure that his rival knew how much that sacrifice meant to him, because he could never know when the last time he was going to see his best friend would be.
"Out of all the stupid things you say, you know what I hate the most?" Gray quirked a brow as he glanced at his rival, his lips curled in a hint of a snarl as he ground out, "Whenever you say 'I'm sorry.' You always act like this whole thing's your fault, but you know just as well as I do that it's not." He let out a heavy sigh, placing his hands on the edge of his seat and leaning back on them, "To be honest, it's no surprise that you, Lucy, and I ended up like this. It's all because of our shitty families. Mine and Lucy's dads…your brother…they all really fucked us up."
Natsu licked his lips as he nodded his head slowly, his voice heavy and slightly choked, "I thought that Wendy would get better once Zeref got elected again. He promised he'd do everything he could." He shook his head in regret as he hissed, "I was such a fucking idiot."
"None of that matters now," Gray grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest, "You still have faith in Wendy, right? That she'll get better?"
"Of course."
"Then forget about Zeref," the raven haired boy advised, fiddling with the straps on his helmet and preparing to put it on his head once more, "and forget about all of your past regrets, too. You remember what you said to me when I got expelled, don't you? And when you came chasing after the prison bus?"
Natsu furrowed his brow as he thought about what he possibly could've said in both of those situations, two words that had meant a lot to both him and Gray bubbling up from a long forgotten part of his memory, "I…I said 'stand tall.'"
The raven haired boy gave him a smug nod before sliding his helmet on, as if to say, 'then that's all you need to remember,' before kicking back his stand and speeding off, leaving his rival to stare after him in silence.
When Lucy had asked him why he and Gray called each other best friends when they fought so much, Natsu had replied honestly, stating that they knew the other well enough to communicate without anything having to be said.
His conversation with his rival had just reaffirmed that fact, and proved to Natsu that even after all he'd done and their three years spent apart, they were just as close as they'd ever been, and nothing wasn't going to change that.
"You find anything?"
"They have a nursing home, and they do a lot of volunteer work. All of the articles are super positive."
Natsu buried his head in his hands as he let out a heavy sigh in response to Loke's findings, his head pulsing with weariness. It felt like he hadn't got even a wink of sleep last night, his mind too preoccupied with the seemingly inevitable trials Lucy would have to face if they couldn't get her out in time.
He ran his hand over his face in an attempt to wipe away his drowsiness before grumbling out, "That fucking preacher even has the police and the reporters on his side. It's sickening how easily people will bend to money's power."
"Not all police are like that, ya know," Elfman defended from his place on Loke's bed, his arms folded over his chest.
Natsu bit his lip and nodded, a silent apology on his face as he lowered his head to avoid Loke and Elfman's glares. With the way his encounters with law enforcement had been going lately, it was hard to remember that two of his best friends had older siblings who were police officers. It wasn't like he thought that Mira and Laxus were grouped in with that bunch, those who would toss law and their morals aside for money, but it was very obvious that the cult had some connections with the higher ups. And that meant that their subordinates, like Laxus and Mira, couldn't be trusted in this case, or at least not until they had solid evidence.
And Natsu was anxiously anticipating that day, the day where he'd be able to watch on smugly as Precht and his apostles finally paid for their crimes. Because no matter how hopeless things seemed at the moment, with Gray scouring every inch of that church and now that that journalist was on their side, he had confidence that it was coming, and he'd be able to see Lucy again soon.
Gray caught his bottom lip between his teeth, biting on his own flesh and tightly clenching onto the edges of his food tray to take out some of his anxiety. He'd returned to the church for his third day in a row, and unlike the past two days he'd spent at Zentopia, his phone had been confiscated first thing, only to be returned to him upon leaving for town at the end of the day. It felt like he was really in the thick of things now, with his ties to the outside world diminishing more and more the longer he stayed within Zentopia's walls.
Also unlike the previous two days, Lucy was one of the first people he saw, the blonde standing in the middle of a line of Zentopia sisters serving breakfast in the cafeteria, right beside the blue haired journalist he'd met the day before. She carried herself like one would expect of the girl who'd been given the title of Spiritual Mother, her appearance simple yet well maintained and her features bright, a gentle smile on her face as she used a spatula to scoop piles of hash-browns onto the trays of those passing by.
It didn't seem like she'd caught sight of him in line yet, or if she had, she was good at hiding it, her eyes staying devotedly attached to those she was serving and her pleasant expression never faltering.
He had to admit, she was good at playing her part, seeming genuinely happy as she scooped hash-browns onto the tray of those in line again and again. He supposed that maybe part of her really was enjoying the small act, knowing from the brief time they'd spent together, both in high school and after Natsu had rescued her, that she was the type of girl who had no problem with giving all she had to others, and that service, even if she was being forced to do it, was something that suit her character.
When he finally reached her, he thought she might just treat him like she'd treated the others, placing a lump of hash-browns on his tray before sending him off to continue down the line with a pleasant grin.
While she did give him a warm smile, her eyes held another, more urgent message, her hand quickly and discretely dipping into the pocket of her apron and her voice bright as she requested, "Could you bring your tray a bit closer?"
Gray remembered that just like she couldn't let her true feelings show, he couldn't drop his own act either, returning her pleasant smile to the best of his ability, "Yeah."
The blonde gripped his tray with her left hand, seemingly to steady it as she piled hash-browns into one corner, her fingers skimming against his. He felt paper brush against his knuckles, so he shifted his hand, catching the note between his middle and index fingers before drawing his tray back and giving Lucy a small nod of his head, "Thanks."
"Of course," she hummed, nodding her gently in return.
Gray followed the rest of the 'new recruits' to a table in the corner of the cafeteria, setting down his tray before tucking his hands beneath the table. He slipped the note into his back pocket, not daring to open it where prying eyes could see.
Levy said she'll help us from here on out. If you have a message for me, give it to her. I can stay strong here because I have people helping me now. Thank you all.
-Lucy
Gray folded the paper once more and tucked it safely into one of the pockets of his backpack, knowing that it wasn't meant just for him, but for the rest of the guys as well. He was sure that Natsu in particular would be thrilled to hear from the blonde, even if it was just a few short sentences.
He'd found a quiet bathroom stall to tuck himself into, the restroom void of any other occupants. Despite its cleanliness, it wasn't the most pleasant place be, though it did guarantee him the privacy needed to read the note and grant him a moment of reprieve from his act. It gave him a place to think for a few seconds too, to process all that he'd heard and figure out what to do with it.
While part of him wanted to keep Lucy oblivious to the fact that Precht was planning to sacrifice her so she could maintain that strength she'd written of, the other half of him wished he had a direct way to get the word to her himself, if only so she could be prepared to fight back if things went south.
Maybe he'd have to find a way to talk to Levy so she could deliver the message, but for the time being, he'd focus on his task, doing everything he could to make sure that the blonde wouldn't have to worry about the threat of death in the first place.
Lucy made sure to sit impeccably straight in the wooden chair Ultear had instructed her to settle in, her hands clasped in her lap and her chin held high. Even if she'd shifted gears and steeled herself to endure everything the people of Zentopia put her through, she was still going to submit with strength and independence. She wasn't going to show them another moment of weakness, and she'd hold firm, waiting and watching until her moment to strike back came.
"You will begin your preparation for becoming Spiritual Mother today," the dark haired apostle stood before the blonde, with Levy at her left flank, a pleasant grin on her painted red lips as she informed, "From here on, Sister McGarden will stay by your side at all times, acting as your personal aide."
"It's an honor, Spiritual Mother," the blue haired girl bowed to Lucy as if before royalty.
The blonde fought to keep the joy from showing in her features, internally rejoicing at how her luck had changed so suddenly. Not only did she have the boys on the outside fighting for her, but now she had Levy too, and the Zentopia apostles had unwittingly given them the means to scheme together during their every moment of solitude.
"In order to be Spiritual Father's bride," Ultear continued, "you must read the Book of Salvation daily and begin the Prayer of Purification. The Prayer will cleanse your body of any worldly filth that still lingers inside." Her focus dropped to the basin of water on the table before the blonde, "This is Living Water that has been blessed by Spiritual Father. You must dip your hand inside and confess all of your sins in order to cleanse your soul."
Lucy glanced down at the glass bowl, placing one hand on its rim and slowly dipping the fingers of her other hand into the water, thinking over how she was going to go about this.
"Stir once," the apostle instructed, "and then confess a sin to the Almighty."
The blonde slowly ran her hand in a circle, the water gently churning with her movement. She let out a heavy sigh, lifting her gaze to firmly connect it with Ultear's, her voice unwavering, "Dear Almighty, I doubted your divinity and called you a fake. Please forgive me of this sin."
The apostle nodded her head in affirmation, signaling for her to continue.
She stirred the water with her hand once more, her focus never leaving Ultear's, "I resented my dad for bringing my family here. I cursed his name. Please forgive me of this sin."
"Good. Keep going," Ultear broke their eye contact, as if it made her uncomfortable, turning away from the blonde and clasping her hands behind her back.
Lucy took satisfaction in the way her stare had impacted the apostle, uncaring as water spilled over the rim and slapped against the floor as she churned her hand around the bowl once more, her voice harsher as she hissed, "I resented Apostle Milkovich and Spiritual Father. Please forgive me of this sin." Water hit the ground once more, "I called Spiritual Father and his apostles murderers. Please forgive me of this sin."
Ultear kept her focus on the ground as Lucy's confessions continued, her jaw clenching tighter with every word that slipped through the blonde's mouth.
"Lucy."
The blonde glanced up from where she'd been reading Zentopia scripture by the dim light of a candle on her desk, catching sight of her father's head poking through the door to her room, a warm grin on his face as he asked, "Is the training going well, dear?"
"How's mom?" she threw out her own question, not finding her father worthy of another lie. Her two days spent locked in the basement hadn't made her forget about how her mother had been lucid in the chapel, and Layla's whereabouts were more important to the blonde than giving her father her reassurances.
"Apostle Milkovich is doing her best to take care of her, so you needn't be worried," her father hummed.
His words weren't a comfort, and if anything, they only served to add to her concern. She was still determined to get her mother out of here, and returning to the church to find her mother acting somewhat rationally had been great new source of drive. It was proof that her mother wanted to fight back too, and that she could see the horror that was hidden in Zentopia's walls.
Lucy didn't want Ultear, or any of the apostles for that matter, anywhere near her mother, feeling that they were the ones to blame for her mother's three years of insanity.
"Mom…"
"Sting?"
"Mom, you need to get out of here! Lucy…she's going to die if you stay! You need to get out here, now!"
Layla jolted from her mattress, instinct flipping her from her back to her stomach as bile rushed up her throat, the acid spilling from her mouth and splattering to the tiled floor as she heaved over the side of her bed.
When she'd first come to a few days ago, everything had been a haze, her mind too frazzled to process much other than the fact that she'd walked in on Zancrow beating her daughter while her husband and an entire crowd did nothing but watch on. She'd acted before thinking, her motherly instincts driving her forward and screaming at her to protect her dear daughter.
Since then, she'd been confined to her hospital room once more, left to sort through her thoughts in a haze of ignorance.
But now, it was if every last lingering bit of confusion had left her body with that bile, and everything suddenly became clear, her dear daughter's frantic protests echoing in her mind once more.
"This is all lies, mom! It will only encage us and bring us ruin! Please, don't do this anymore!"
Images ran through her head, her brain now only processing things that she'd seen long ago. That same blonde apostle that had beat Lucy had lustfully run his hand across her daughter's cheek right before her eyes in the hallway outside of the prayer room, purring into her ear.
"Three years have passed, and your skin is still very, very soft."
That old man, too, the one who'd approached them so kindly at first, offering them a home and taking them in when they lost their son. He'd also made Lucy suffer, an image of her daughter with blood running down her wrist as she stared at the preacher appearing in her mind.
"If you do not believe in my words, and refuse to abide by them, I shall take away from you that one thing which you cherish the most."
Tears burned Layla's eyes as she wretched once more over the edge of her bed. How many years had she spent just sitting by and doing nothing while her daughter suffered right before her eyes? How many years had she sat with her mouth open, dutifully waiting for Ultear to place that little red, glossy pill on her tongue?
She had to find her little girl right away to apologize, and to do as her son had asked of her.
She had to save Lucy.
Her head pounded in protest as she shoved herself from her mattress, desperately untangling herself from her sheets and wrapping an arm around her middle as she stumbled towards the door, her stomach lurching violently once more. But still she pushed forward, shoving the door to her hospital room open and making to charge through it.
She stumbled to a stop when she realized that her vomiting seemed to have drawn some attention.
A dark haired woman stood in the lightless hallway outside, her lips painted red and pressed into a displeased, almost furious line.
"You…you're…" Layla mumbled as her eyes widened in recognition. She frantically waved her free arm in front of herself in defense, stumbling back into her room, "Go away! What have you done to Lucy? Where is she?"
Ultear let out a heavy sigh, quirking a perfectly manicured brow in annoyance as she sourly remarked, "It seems like the drugs have worn off."
Layla's face crinkled in pain and confusion, huffing out, "What…what kind of drugs have you been giving me?"
The apostle began striding towards the blonde woman, her heels clacking on the tiled floor, "The kind that will allow you to stay in paradise for eternity."
"What are you trying to do Lucy?"
"We're giving her eternal life. She'll be the first to board the Ship of Salvation," Ultear avowed, her expression not flinching even the tiniest fraction as the woman before her began to sob.
"Why us? Why our family?"
Ultear tsked, letting out a bitter laugh, "You're still blind to your own daughter's blessings. She was chosen to become our Spiritual Mother. Because of her sacrifice, we'll all be able to reach paradise."
More tears streamed down Layla's cheeks, her head anxiously shaking in denial.
"Now, Mrs. Heartfilia," Ultear took a step closer, a threat in her voice and her eyes cold, "Why don't we get you back in bed?"
Layla shrieked through the cloth that's been tied to around her head to cover her mouth, her body exhaustedly tugging against the restraints that two of Ultear's underlings had strapped around her wrists and ankles. Her hospital bed had confined her for the past three years, but it was truly her prison now, a place of torture with no means of escape.
The dark haired apostle stabbed the needle of a large syringe through the soft lid of an unmarked vial, not an ounce of sympathy in her voice or expression as she filled the barrel of the syringe, "Do you know what this is? It's a tranquilizer strong enough to bring down an elephant."
She admired the greenish-brown liquid in the cylinder for a moment before she leaned down, stroking Layla's arm as it thrashed against her restraints, her voice light as she hushed, "Don't worry, Mrs. Heartfilia. I won't give you much. We still need you alive, after all."
Layla screamed as the needle penetrated the skin of her inner forearm, fire rushing through her veins, followed by an eerie, invulnerable feeling of calm. She couldn't fight against its weighty pull, her head lulling to the side as the tranquilizer spread through her body.
Her weary eyes drifted to the far, dark corner of the room, finding her son standing there, with tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Sting…" she weakly breathed out through the cloth in her mouth, "I'm…I'm sorry…"
Ultear stroked the backs of her fingers across Layla's sweat-covered forehead as the woman fell into unconsciousness, softly humming, "That's right…get some rest."
Lucy's heart sunk as she entered her mother's hospital room, having come to set her concerns at ease by seeing her mother's condition herself. She wanted a chance to talk to her, to really talk to her mother instead of the dazed, confused woman that she'd been for the past three years.
But what she found in her mother's hospital room provided her with no relief, her heart rate spiking and anger rushing through her veins.
Ultear was crouching over her mother's body, and upon Lucy's entrance, the apostle turned to face her, hiding her hands behind her back and giving the blonde a sharp look.
"What are you doing to my mom?" Lucy spat, not all concerned with keeping up her pleasant act for the moment.
"Can't you tell just by looking at her?" Ultear quirked a single brow, "It seems that your mother's condition has gotten worse. The devil's working hard to dissuade you since you've started your training to become Spiritual Mother. You must complete your training faithfully in order for her to recover."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
"If you don't," the apostle's voice cut sharply through the air, her tone stone cold and completely lacking sympathy as she threatened, "we'll have to perform an exorcism on her, and she may not survive. Would you prefer that route instead?"
Lucy swallowed heavily. Ultear was getting her back for the way she'd acted during her confession earlier. She'd taken advantage of the situation to spout a few of her genuine thoughts at the apostle, and now, that charged decision had cost her.
Her brown eyes swiveled to her mother's form, her bottom lip beginning to quiver at how still Layla's body was. She was so pale, her features so thinned and sunken in that she looked almost dead, the only thing proving her viability being the heavy rise and fall of her chest.
The blonde slowly turned her focus back to Ultear. She knew what the woman was asking of her; what she had to do to make up for the way she'd acted and the things she'd said earlier.
So she slowly sunk to her knees, her long skirt billowing out on the ground around her, her hands clenched in her lap as she quivered out, "I'm…I'm sorry, Apostle Milkovich."
"Sorry for what, Lucy?" the woman urged, obviously wanting her to outright admit her wrongs as a form of harsh repentance.
"For everything," the blonde shakily breathed, her fearful tears for her mother slipping free. She used them to her advantage, shifting her features to aid in her act of regretful remorse and penitence, "I'm so sorry. So please, let my mom go."
A hint of a victorious smile quirked the apostle's lips for a moment, but her features were soon hardening back into a look of cold indifference, "You know that I want you and your mother to be happy more than anyone else in Zentopia. I pray for you both daily." She strode past the kneeling blonde, knowing she'd made her point as she called over her shoulder, "You can have a moment with her, but don't expect much of a response. I'll wait for you outside, then we'll go back to your room to study and pray."
The door slammed shut behind her, Lucy flinching at the sharp sound.
Her tears fell unrestrained now as she stood before falling to her knees once more at her mother's bedside, clasping one of Layla's cold, limp hands between her own. Acting strong when she was the only one at stake was easy, but when her mother was before her, nearly dead and obviously suffering, it felt nearly impossible to remain defiant. Her own wishes and desires meant nothing when compared to her mother, and she'd give whatever parts of herself were necessary to insure that Layla was safe.
She rested her forehead against her mother's knuckles, quietly breathing out, "Just hang in there a little while longer, mom. I promise, I'll get us out. I promise."
'They're all fucking insane.'
Gray watched from the back of the chapel as a few members of Zentopia went about cleaning the up the space following the service they'd just held, and the raven haired boy was absolutely disgusted by what he'd witnessed. During his first few days, there hadn't been much that set Zentopia apart as a stereotypical cult, but the second he'd walked through the chapel doors an hour ago, he'd known right away that that was going to change.
The members were kneeling before the stand just like they always were, but today they were mindlessly mumbling wordless prayers, bouncing up and down and shaking, even contorting their bodies as they lost themselves in their heads.
He and the other 'new recruits' had been ushered into the back corner instead taking their place amongst the congregation like they had the previous two days, and Gray was grateful for it, wanting to be as far away as possible from the insanity happening on the floor before him.
The man they called Spiritual Father had performed an 'exorcism ritual' on a young woman who was supposedly possessed by her dead father-in-law, the girl shrieking and spasming as if she was having a seizure whenever the white-haired man so much as spoke in her direction, collapsing to the floor when he rested a hand atop her head. After about ten minutes of her screaming, her flailing limps pinned to the floor by a blond apostle and a hulking brute of a pale man, the room had gone silent, and the girl stood, miraculously healed and free of her pains, and apparently free of her father-in-law's spirit.
The congregation had applauded her and their Spiritual Father, and Gray had clenched his hands into fists at the absurdity of it all and the gullibility of the people in the room with him.
'They're all fucking insane.'
He'd repeated it time and time again in his head since his first visit to the church a few days ago, and what he'd just seen only strengthened his belief in their insanity.
Apostle Milkovich was suddenly appearing out of the crowd of those cleaning up, her hands clasped in front of her as she questioned the group, "So, what did you think?"
"I didn't think ghosts were real," the boy next to Gray mumbled, his face pale giving away how the event had shaken him.
The raven haired boy bit his bottom lip to keep himself from saying anything about his own feelings, disgust now filling him as he thought about the gullibility of his fellow 'new recruits.' Of the seven that had come with him on that first day, only three had returned today, a boy and two girls, so at least he knew that there were still some decent-minded people in the world. But the three that remained with him were obviously enthralled with what they'd learned about the church so far, and the enticing teachings of the church had had their desired effect.
But he still didn't understand how anyone in their right mind would stick with this place, especially after what they'd just witnessed. It been terrifying and absurd all at once, the girl's shrieks obviously faked or a product of delusion.
His thoughts turned to the other actor in the scene he'd just watched, staying true to the clumsy and somewhat dimwitted character he'd created for himself as he shoved Loke's glasses further up on his nose and blurted out, "When will we be able to meet Spiritual Father?"
Ultear's lips quirked in a pleased smile, "Were you impressed?" She sighed heavily, "Unfortunately, those weak in spirit like the four of you won't be able to meet him face to face for quite some time. His divinity is truly astonishing, and if you were to approach him, you might be blinded by his brilliance."
Gray stared at her blankly in silence for a few moments before remembering his act and nodding his head, dismissing the idea of having a chance at meeting the supposedly 'divine' man. The preacher certainly didn't seem like he was anything special, just a twisted, sick old man who was perfectly content with manipulating people's mind in their moments of weakness to get what he wanted.
Needing a moment to drop his act, the raven haired boy excused himself from the group to go to the bathroom, Ultear instructing him to meet them in the seminar room once he was done, which he acknowledged with a nod of his head.
He was planning on heading to the same restroom he'd ducked into before, but as soon as he stepped out into the deserted hallway, he heard a muffled shriek. He froze in his steps, unsure of whether he'd imagined the sound, but when something akin to a moan sounded out again, he turned to head down the hallway in the direction opposite that of the bathrooms, his brows furrowing as he pinpointed the sounds to a door labeled 'Private Prayer Rooms.'
His fingers wrapped around the knob, adrenaline shooting through him at the thought of finally finding some solid evidence. He shot down the dimly lit, concrete staircase without much hesitation, the unsettling aura of the stairwell and its black double doors at the landing doing little to deter him. He glanced through the glazed windows of the doors once he was before them, unable to seem much other than the faint green glow of fluorescent lights on the other side.
He gripped the handle, and pulled the door open only a fraction, the hinges squeaking raucously as he did so.
"What do you think you're doing?"
His head whipped around the new voice, his eyes widening as he caught sight of the white suited man standing on the stairs behind him, a few steps from the bottom and his features cold as he clasped his hands behind his back and pinned him with a hard stare.
Gray let out a small, nervous chuckles that he supposed might fit his character, "I…I heard a weird noise coming from the other side of this door after I came out of the bathroom."
The preacher slowly descended the steps to stand before him, and Gray fought to keep a nervous smile on his face as he dropped his focus to the floor as if in shame and apology for doing something wrong.
The act seemed to work, the preacher's face and voice both softening, though his tone was still heavy as he explained, "That weird noise was the sound of believers crying in pain. They're in the process of repenting from the deepest part of their hearts."
Gray nodded his head, lightly claiming, "Ah, I see."
The preacher let out a heavy sigh, "The modern world often refuses to listen to those in pain. They only listen to those who are rich and powerful."
The raven haired boy swallowed heavily, his focus still on the floor. He hated this man with every fiber of his being for what he was planning on doing to Lucy. He was sick and twisted, and he deserved to suffer for his crimes.
So why…why was he saying things that struck a common chord within him? Gray wholeheartedly agreed within his last two sentences, and he'd suffered gravely because of the truth they held. His three years in prison for a crime he wasn't guilty of were proof of the world's ignorance to those in need, and how easily people were manipulated by power and money.
"You seem to have a lot of anger and despair bottled up inside of you," Precht spoke from deep within his throat, sorrow weighing down his tone. "I can only imagine how tortuous and painful it must've been to carry your burdens on your own."
Gray bit his lip and shook his head, trying to get the man to just stop; to stop feeling sympathy for him and saying all the things he'd been desperately craving for. No matter how much he wanted to hear them, he was loathe to hear them from the man he'd envisioned as Lucy's assaulter and murderer. He didn't want to fall victim to the same enticements Lucy's father had, no matter how appealing and emotionally invoking they were.
The raven haired boy froze in place, his eyes widening as the preacher reached forward, resting a hand on his chest, directly over his heart. The old man had his eyes closed as if sensing through feeling, his voice heavy, "Your heart is very cold. If keep neglecting all of the sorrow and resentment that resides within you," his eyes slid open and they found Gray's, "you'll end up destroying yourself and everything around you."
Gray stared at the man blankly, having given up on his charade of clumsiness and gullibility.
"You should surrender everything to the Almighty," the preacher urged, "that's the only way your soul will be free of its weight."
The warmth of the man's hand withdrew, and he turned to head back up the stairs, having taken note of the impact his words had had, "Come along now, boy. This place isn't for those who have yet to complete their process of becoming a full-fledged believer."
Gray numbly nodded his head, following the preacher up the stairs without so much as a word, his head ducked in thought all the while.
Zeref let out a pleased sigh as the reporters were ushered from Wendy's room, the governor having just completed another successful press meet, one in which he claimed his devotion to his adopted little sister for the umpteenth time. The ploy had worked like a charm just as it always did, and he remained in the press' good favor, their articles after the fact always adding to his prestige.
"All flowers wither before they meet their end," he quietly remarked as he lowered himself into a chair at Wendy's bedside, his gaze sliding to his adoptive sister's blank face, "But you are still very full of life, even though all you do is sit there, staring off at nothing." He chuckled to himself, "Do you know why I still take care of you? At first, it was for Natsu, but now…you're like a flower to me, a flower I can show off to others. Your usefulness hasn't withered." He reached forward to stroke one of her cheeks, "So please, stay dead like this until I'm done using you."
"Governor."
Zeref glanced up at the call, having almost forgotten that his assistant was still in the room with him.
Dimaria's features were cold as she looked over the limp girl in the bed before returning her focus to her boss, "What are you planning on doing now?"
Zeref swiped his suit jacket from the back of his chair, sliding his arms through the sleeves and adjusting his collar once it'd settled onto his shoulders, "I think it's time I look into Precht Gaebolg myself, and figure out just what kind of place Zentopia is. I want to know how I can use them if they really have as much power as everyone says."
The blonde woman's lips quirked in satisfaction, "Of course, sir. I'll set up a schedule."
The two turned their backs as they exited the room, the flickering of the lights as they were shut off catching in a single tear that streaked down the face of the blue haired girl lying limp in the hospital bed.
Levy anxiously glanced around the hallway to make sure it was free of any possible eavesdroppers before ducking into Lucy's room, quietly closing the door behind her.
She turned to find Lucy curled into a ball on her bed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The blue haired girl's eyes widened as she hurried to take a seat beside the blonde, "What happened?"
Lucy quickly swiped at her cheeks, sniffling to pull herself together, "Ultear…I think she did something to my mom. She was hiding a syringe behind her back when I went to her room earlier."
Levy's brows furrowed, though her features were quickly hardening in determination, "Really? I'll look into it and see what I can find." She bit her lip, hesitation slipping into her voice, "Also, Lucy…"
"What is it?" the blonde turned to face her new friend, urgently pressing, "You can tell me. We're allies now, right?"
She nodded her head, taking a deep breath, "About your mom…the medication they've been giving her…It's definitely been keeping her from getting better. I'm still looking into it, but…I think it's a psychotropic drug, and I don't think your mom's the only person they've been giving it to." Her voice suddenly lost its weight, sounding a lot more hopefully, "This could be it though, Lucy. If we can prove that they've been giving patients unidentified medicine illegally, they'll be subject to legal punishment regardless of the fact that they're a religion."
Lucy forced her shock at the new of her mother's treatment aside for the time being, deciding to take the time she had with Levy to scheme using the information while they had it, "We should let the guys know. Can you help me get in touch with Gray?"
"Of course," Levy vigorously nodded her head. "It'll be easier for him to go wandering around since he's a newcomer, but…a lot of believers will have their eyes on you because of who you are. We'll have to be careful."
"Drugs? Seriously? What else are these people hiding?" Gray huffed out a heavy breath, folding his arms over his chest, "What do you need me to look for?"
Levy bit her lip, her own brows furrowed as she wrapped her arms tighter around herself. Maybe asking Gray to meet her at the prayer houses in the middle of the woods at night hadn't been the best idea on her part, but it was the only place where she knew they'd be alone, "Forged drug prescriptions, any unmarked bottles. Drug ledgers and medical charts would help, too. It won't be easy though. They'll all probably be hidden somewhere since they're illegal. These people may be insane, but it doesn't meant that they're not smart."
"Any drug in particular I need to be on the lookout for?"
"Lucy said the syringe Ultear used on her mom had a greenish-brown color. But really, anything you can find might help."
"Greenish-brown?" Gray mentally took note of the information, giving the journalist a quick nod of his head, "Got it. I'll start looking tomorrow."
"So…I met the cult leader today."
"Seriously?" Natsu hissed from his spot beside Gray on the bench at their usual spot on the shore of Magnolia's lake, his eyes wide. The raven haired boy had just returned from his third day at the church, and with Loke and Elfman still busied with doing research, Natsu had been the only to come out and greet him. But Gray was glad for it, not in the mood to deal with Loke and Elfman's eccentric bickering after the day he'd had.
"What happened?"
The raven haired boy shook his head as if in shame, a small, barely there bitter grin splaying across his lips, "The second his hand touched me, I seriously couldn't move an inch. I met so many monsters in prison…but I've never met anyone like him. His face didn't show any emotion, so I had no idea what he was thinking."
"Yeah," Natsu let out a heavy breath, "When I met him in Wendy's hospital room, he was the same way. He didn't react to anything."
"When I made eye contact with him, you want to know what I thought? I thought that I was the only one who'd had to suffer in prison for three years," Gray shook his head bitterly, "But when I looked at that man I realized Lucy's been going through the same thing. I spent no more than three minutes with the guy, and every second of it was terrifying. She's had to face him for three years."
The salmon haired boy softly nodded his head, once more feeling sorrow for the blonde and how the last years of her youth had wasted away in Zentopia. He'd never felt so bad for someone in his life, and the fact that it was Lucy, the girl he'd fallen in love with at first sight, only made him grieve for her more.
"You're the same way."
Natsu's gaze lifted to his rival's at the sudden comment, the raven haired boy's voice suddenly a lot softer, and uncharacteristically so as he admitted, "I think I get it now, flamebrain. I always thought you had it easy, but…now I know that you were suffering to."
The salmon haired boy could do nothing but stare at his best friend, having not expected to hear such a sentiment from the raven haired boy. Gray rarely got sympathetic, not because he lacked the emotion to do so, but just because he'd had it so rough himself that it was hard for him to spare the pity for those who weren't suffering as much.
Nevertheless, Natsu felt somewhat relieved by the fact that it seemed like Gray was starting to understand his side of things, even though their trials were drastically different in both makeup and impacts.
"So now that I've been set free," Gray continued, giving his rival a bit of a confident smirk, "I think it's time for you and Lucy to get out of your own prisons. What do you say?"
The salmon haired boy snickered in response, giving his best friend his bright grin, "Sounds good, frosty. We'll get out of this together."
AN
When you're watching the new FT episodes and Gray and Levy both sneak into Avatar like they do in this fic and you realize that you could've named the cult Avatar and it probably would've made more sense than Zentopia: ლ(ಠ益ಠლ) …I read the manga while it was coming out, so it's not like I didn't know about Avatar but I just kinda forgot about it in all honesty…Oh well, guess it's too late for a change…
Anyways, I'm glad that y'all are excited about Levy and Wendy! I'm super excited about them becoming more important to the story too and their upcoming scenes! Other characters that have been more or less background characters that you might've forgotten about, like Gajeel, Jellal, Erza, Juvia, and Cana, will be back in the future too as we approach the climax, and they'll all have a role to play!
Nothing super super exciting this chapter, but the tides turn in the next chapter a bit, though I won't say whether it's for better or for worse ;) Just know that a certain character may or may not start to switch sides
I've also been working on a Christmas gift in the form of a fic that I'm super excited about, so I hope you'll give it a read when it comes out :D
Thanks for reading, and see ya next Friday!