Secrets, part 23
As hours passed, the solemn air clinged all of Serpent Wing. When Jasper found out what had happened, his thoughts immediately went to Yona, but she wasn't in the sanctum. "The beach", he thought, heading through the winding caverns toward the surface. Meanwhile, Yona was not alone. She asked the twins for some space as she often did when upset. They stayed close enough to keep an eye on her without being bother. Their small ears perked at the sight of Lucy approaching.
Silently stepping near her mourning friend, the spirit mage looked for the right thing to say. "Hey, Lucy", sighed Yona glumly. Noting the lack of 'princess', Lucy knew Yona had been badly shaken by the day's events. Stepping closer, Lucy leaned to see her friend's face. "I wouldn't sit there...I threw up", stated Yona in a low tone. Carefully finding a new place in the moonlight, Lucy sat beside the saddened dragon slayer, listening to the waves and waiting for her to open up. "I'm glad it's you and not the guys", said Yona absently. Her face was red and swollen from her tears and she hated to appear to weak, but it would be all right if it was just Lucy.
"I'm so sorry...Are you okay?", uttered Lucy, gently grasping Yona's shoulder. Yona tried to grin weakly, but it barely showed. "I'm not supposed to cause you worry, princess...I just need some time", she replied, clearly fighting a new wave of tears. A few minutes of silence passed as Lucy let Yona gather her nerves. "You and Van were pretty close, huh?", she ventured. Yona nodded slowly. "More than you know", sighed the dragon slayer...More than anyone knows...", she trailed. Lucy lilted her head at that sentiment. It was pretty clear Van's affections had always been one sided. Yona curled even tighter into herself. "He was a great person...and now he's dead...because he insisted on trying to defend me...that idiot...", she said, her voice cracking. "It wasn't anyone's fault. It was Noctis", assured Lucy. "You're saying the whole thing was a set up?", asked Yona stiffly. With no definitive answer, Lucy sighed.
"Can I tell you a secret?", uttered Yona after a long silence. Lucy nodded with a soft smile, glad to trusted. Wiping her eyes, Yona scoffed at herself. "Remember how much we used to hate each other?...Now you're my closest female friend besides Rani...But even she doesn't know what I'm about to tell you", she said. Lucy grinned wryly at the first part of it, but was rather intrigued that Yona kept any secrets from her exceeds companions. Yona took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "Jasper doesn't know either", she said meekly. Now Lucy got a little nervous. Did Van and Yona date or something? With a bitter laugh, she added, "Hell, even Van didn't know...He thought it was all a drunken dream...I just let him keep believing that...We talked about it once, but he was shocked that it really happened...Still, I only let him remember part of it...Selfish, I guess..." Lucy listened closely. "What are you saying?", she asked, confused.
Steeling her nerves, Yona glanced around to make sure the twins were out of ear shot. She mumbled something quick and low. So much so that Lucy didn't catch it. Seeing the 'what?' look on her friend's face, Yona squirmed uncomfortably. "We...kinda got together after we started hanging out...Just once...", said Yona a bit louder. Fighting off a blush, Lucy asked, "You kissed him?". Nervously rubbing her arms, Yona stared into the sands. "More than that...Van...", she began. Another deep breath, she blurted out the truth, the one thing she never told Jasper. "Van was my first", she stated, staring at Lucy with a longing for acceptance or forgiveness, even being yelled out would be something. She just couldn't hold it in anymore. Lucy's eyes shot wide open at the statement. "F-first?! You mean - ...?!", she stammered. Quickly hiding her red face in her knees, Yona sternly said, "You can't tell anybody! Promise me!" Lucy nodded quickly. "Ok, I promise!", she swore, still reeling in shock.
After a moment of absorbing it all, something previously said was bugging Lucy. "What did you mean Van didn't know? Wasn't he...kind of...you know..there?", she asked lamely, bright red and stuttering in her shyness. Yona half sighed and half chuckled. "Yeah, of course he was", she replied. Suddenly meeting Lucy's eyes, she added, "Don't get the wrong idea! It wasn't forced from either side!..A-and he wasn't even drunk!...I just told him he was because I panicked the next day!" Lucy's wide eyes softened a little. Seeing this side of Yona was strange, but it was almost cute seeing her act girlish for a change. It felt like they just deepened their friendship a lot. "It's okay. I'm not going to judge you. I was just...surprised", she offered.
Suddenly mad at herself, Yona send a huge wave into the distance out of frustration. "Damn it!", she yelled at the top of her lungs. Flopping back into the sand, she sighed heavily. "He died thinking I never loved him...Thinking that way, he still gave his life to save mine", she said meekly. The twins had hurried over at her outburst. "Yona!", cried Rani, approaching at full speed. Catching her tiny body, Yona cradled her close to her chest. "It's all right, Rani...I'll be all right...", she said softly. Trying to cover their previous topic, Lucy ventured, "I heard about his magic. He probably didn't think it'd up this way...Still, even if he did, you know Van still would've stood between you...Not to see you cry, but so that you could keep smiling." Rani was nearly crushed by the force of the hug Yona had dragged Lucy into without warning. "Thank you", she whispered, tears streaming. Ronen stood nearby with a soft grin.
The sound of approaching footsteps grabbed the group's attention. Jasper and Natsu were quickly nearing. "What happened?!", asked a panicked Jasper. "You guys okay?", added Natsu. "We heard yelling", added Happy, seemingly appearing from nowhere on his partner's shoulder. At first, Yona and Lucy stared at the boys with reddened faces. Then glanced at each other and ended up laughing as if they shared some kind of inside joke. Wiping her face, Yona put on a brave face. "Just letting some things out. Lucy's got me feeling a little better", she said, getting to her feet. Jasper immediately hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry I wasn't there", he uttered softly. The fact he'd missed such an awful event when she needed him most hurt deeply. He'd selfishly gone into the deeper parts of the caves to vent his own frustrations.
Jasper blushed brightly at the sound of Natsu clearing his throat. He'd forgotten they weren't alone and his shyness came flooding back. Still, he didn't want to let go. Carefully pulling back, the incubus tilted Yona's chin to look her in the eye. "If you need to talk, I'm all yours", he said sincerely, casting his own problems aside. True, he'd have to drop the another bomb onto his love eventually, but for now, she was stressed enough. Yona gently lowered his hand away and nodded softly. Taking a deep breath, she said, Come on. Let's go see him one more time." No one dared argue. Thus the group headed back to the sanctum.
Somewhat a distance away, an eye focused on the mages. Wink sighed to himself as he lowered his gun and scope. "Looks like Judd got Patch after all. Too bad he got nailed, too. Still, it's one less stitch in my side not having the ass-hat around. Damned wannabe cowboy always thought he was better than me. Oh well." Getting to his feet, Wink looked down at the guild hall. "Blythe, get out there while you can. They'll be here sooner than you know...What are you gonna do when you're the last mage standing?" Throwing his spent cigarette, he cursed under his breath. "What'd you have to be baron anyway?!...It should've been the other candidate..." An eerie laugh erupted from a nearby tree. "Candidate? Is that all you think of me as?", asked an off kilter voice. "I wondered when you were going to come out", said Wink wryly.
The shadow overhead solidified and a slim built man gracefully landed on his feet. "You're an agent of Noctis. Discard those ridiculous sentiments. Blythe's not your cousin; He's simply a vessel, a lump of clay to be molded into our messiah", he said coldly. "Always so cheerful, Dubhan. Sure you're not just jealous?", teased the sniper. Dubhan's face contorted into a nasty sneer. "Don't push me, Wink", he warned. Shrugging him off, Wink once again lifted the massive weapon onto his shoulders. "Where's the old man?", he asked with a yawn. "So sorry to keep you from your beauty sleep", spat Dubhan, still annoyed about the jealousy comment. "In town. We attack tomorrow...Why did you spare those mages just now?" Wink shrugged as if uninterested. "Why did you?", he smirked.
After a brief stare down, the tension broke. "Just don't forget the fey are MINE", warned Dubhan. "And don't forget Blythe is off limits", replied Wink. Resuming his shadow shape, Dubhan faded into the night. "Just get to the meeting place. Aerona will be waiting with the master", he said, seemingly evaporating. "Yeah, yeah", sighed Wink, "What a pain.." He glanced at the guild one last time as if lost in thought. "Tomorrow...Damn..."
Deep in the sanctum, Yona a small group of friends stood around Van's remains. He'd been covered for posterity, but it did little to create a calmer scene. Yona grimaced at the sunken space in the sheet where Van's ribs used to be. He'd been so drained of blood, there was none on the shroud. Yona nodded briefly, prompting Ronen to reveal Van's face. Jasper held her hand tightly, in awe at her strength. "Are you sure you're all right?", he asked meekly. Ignoring his concern, Yona studied her fallen friend. "He's so pale", she uttered softly. So many eyes were on Yona, no one paid any attention to Lucy's clenched eyes. For some reason her hand was throbbing badly. She held her bandaged palm close to her body, trying to avoid drawing attention.
"Look at you...Who's going to send money home to Camille now?", ventured Yona. Stepping closer, she released Jasper's hand. The incubus watched in silence as his beloved removed Van's single earring. Clutching it her palm, Yona took a deep breath. Jasper shied his gaze as she gently kissed Van's forehead. "You're such an idiot...a loveable idiot...but an idiot", said Yona. "He was a good guy", offered Natsu. They hadn't known each other long, but what he knew of Van, he liked. "He really was", added Ronen with a wan grin. "Even though you always said 'no', he still kept asking", said Rani, citing the multiple proposals. "Yeah...Fool's with his true fiancee now", replied Yona. Seeing the confused look on Natsu's face, she briefly explained Van's past. Looking to Lucy, her eyes narrowed. "You ok, princess?" Everyone turned at once to look at her. Lucy's bandaged hand was starting to bleed.
"Lucy, let me see!", ordered Natsu. He yanked her by her good hand near Van's body where the light was. Pulling the bandage aside, the dark spot under her skin seemed to pulsate with a strange light. "The Hell is that?!", asked Yona in shock. Collapsing in agony, the only thing Lucy caught herself on was the stone slab in front of her. As she did, she managed to tug Van's sleeve, dropping his hand over the side. "I'm sorry!", cried Lucy, scrambling to right her accident despite the pain. Natsu held her shoulders. trying to steady her stance as Yona reached for Van's limp arm. However, the second both Yona and Lucy touched Van's chilled skin, that strange pulsating light from Lucy's palm flooded into Van. "What's happening?!", cried Rani, looking to Jasper for answers. He was the expert on the supernatural out them. Natsu's nose twitched. "Nova?", he uttered. Yona took a whiff. "That light smells like her", she confirmed. "What does that mean?", inquired Happy.
Gently placing Van's arm back at his side, Yona returned her focus to Lucy. Grabbing her hand, she inspected it carefully. "Where'd that spot go?", she asked aloud. Natsu peeked over her shoulder. "Lucy, the scale...It's gone", he stated. "Scale?", repeated Jasper. There was no real time to explain it, so hurriedly, Natsu said, "Nova was actually a dragon. When she died, that scale went into Lucy's hand." Jasper's face flickered through several expressions as he tried to put the pieces together. "Guys", said Ronen. "Just a minute", snapped Yona. "Yona!", shouted the exceed. Everyone turned to look at him, following his eyes to Van's translucent body. "What the Hell's going on?!", panicked Yona.
As if on cue, Puck bursted into the chamber with Veda close behind him. "What did you do?!", he demanded. Jasper quickly relayed the events. "Laniakea...", trailed Puck. He inspected Lucy briefly. Her hand looked as it always did with no odd marks or strange light. The light seemed to cling to Van like an aura. "What have you done?", asked Puck under breath. "I'm sorry!", cried Lucy. "It's not your fault, dear", assured Veda. "Everyone out. Lucy, you stay", ordered the elf. "Like hell!", spat Yona. Too involved to argue, Puck simply nodded as Veda escorted the others from the small cavern.
"Lucy, I need you to use your magic", said Puck. Reaching for her keys, Lucy was still steadying herself from the ordeal of the scale disappearing. A quick grasp on her wrist caught her attention. "Here", said Puck, motioning toward Van. "What?", gasped Lucy, confused. "Just do it. Hurry!", he snapped. "Just do what he says!", cried Yona, knowing Puck wouldn't steer them wrong. "O-okay!", nodded Lucy, pouring her mana toward the fallen mage. The group outside covered their eyes at a flash of bright light. Peering inside the cavern, everyone was gone - even Van.
Lucy slowly opened her eyes. "This is...?", began Yona. "The celestial plane", answered Puck. "I wondered when I'd see you", said a familiar voice. Lucy turned on utter shock to see Nova standing with a soft smile. "N-Nova-sama?!", she gaped. "You've done well to get this far. Let me take it from here", said Nova coolly approaching Van's corpse. Softly stroking his face, her smile widened. "He'll do nicely", she said to herself. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What do you mean by that?!", demanded Yona. Puck sighed deeply. "Nova, what have you done?" The demon offered a kind grin. "Just a gift. I know what you've done for me, for your family, and your guild, Puck. I may not be able to help you directly, but I can help your wards", she replied.
Yona suddenly turned pale. Lucy called her name in question. "Okay, I've definitely hit my head or something...", said Yona. A girl looking similar to the dragon slayer was standing with a serene smile. "You've grown so pretty, imouto", said Kaur. Fighting tears, Yona hugged her sister tightly. "I don't have the slightest idea what's going on", she stated. Kaur chuckled gently. "You did great finding someone so nice to look after Valentine. He's really happy now...He's waiting for me. Laniakea asked for my help and after she gave back the love of my life, how I could I turn her away?", said Kaur. Puck's eye narrowed as he let a sigh of relief out. "Are you sure about this?", he asked. Nova grinned toward Yona. "The choice is hers", she replied calmly.
"What?", uttered Yona. She and Lucy were still lost. Kaur held out her cupped hands with a glowing orb of light perched gently inside. "This is Valentine's power. If you wish, we can use it revive your friend. He'll be a spirit just Valentine, but I know you can trust Lucy to look after him. You have to decide", she explained, carefully setting the precious orb into Yona's hands. "You're joking...I can't make that kind of choice for him! You have to ask Van!", replied the dragon slayer. Lucy turned to Puck and Nova. "You mean if we accept, Van will become a spirit with Valentine's power?", she inquired. "Perhaps. The power may manifest differently, but he will become a spirit, a companion, and guardian. He guarded you in life, Yona. What do you choose?", said the demon.
"I don't understand any of this! We watched Valentine cross over! The other spirits consumed his power; This can't be real!", shouted Yona. "The guardians removed the celestial essence from your friend. It wasn't simply consumed. I managed to hold it within myself with the last of my power", explained Nova. "And then you put it in the scale so Natsu could give it me...and ultimately...to you, Yona", uttered Lucy, linking the puzzle pieces. Nova nodded softly. Kaur wrapped her hands around Yona's. "I know you don't want this kind of responsibility, but bringing me here was hard. We can't bring Van, too. You have to decide. Believe in yourself the way we all believe in you", she said. "Valentine asked for this", added Nova. Puck nodded briefly as if confirming it. After all, he did set a lot of runes and enchantments for the ceremony. "You saved Valentine. You defeated Xenophon. I have faith in whatever you choose. Do you want Van back or will you let him rest?", said Kaur encouragingly. "We don't have much time. You must choose", said Nova, her final spells fluxing. "What will it be?"
To be Continued...