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March 26th, X778
Lucy couldn't sleep. Enclosed in a decent house without having to worry for Vhalis…it was too much like a dream. A dream Lucy didn't dare trust. It felt like one she'd wake up from and find herself back in the position she'd been in before Natsu had fallen into her life.
Instead, Lucy made a cup of hot chocolate. She may or may not have cried from the joy of cradling the warm mug between her hands and sipping at the drink she'd not enjoyed since before the Fall. She sat on the front steps to the small townhouse, watching the stars with her mug clutched to her chest as if someone would come and steal it from her. She occasionally messed with the scarf around her throat.
"What is that?"
A smile danced to life as Natsu dropped to sit beside her, his nose wrinkled as he tried to puzzle out what she might be drinking so late at night when she was supposed to be sleeping. Lucy didn't mind his company at all, grateful for it even. He'd been away for a good section of the evening, reluctantly having gone to meet with Erza and Gray. His presence soothed some of the anxiety that had swelled in her chest throughout the rest of the day.
"Hot cocoa," she answered, offering him the mug. Lucy doubted he'd ever tried it, and she was willing to bet he'd like it. Natsu sipped at it cautiously. The joy that blossomed on his face made her laugh softly, and she let him have the rest of it. She turned her gaze back to the stars.
Natsu sipped at the mug again, smacking his lips happily before telling Lucy, "Gray thinks he might have sensed another god's diale." Lucy snapped her gaze towards him. Natsu was careful not to look her in the eye as he continued. "I'm going to go with him and see if we can find another god."
Lucy didn't need to ask for clarification on whether or not she was invited. She didn't answer for a long while, mostly because she wasn't sure how to. She felt guilty about it. The longer she kept quiet, the more nervous it seemed to make Natsu. He began to fidget with the mug he still hadn't given back.
Finally, Lucy reached out and took it back. She lifted it to her lips, pretending her hands weren't trembling as she murmured, "I hope you find whoever's out there." It wasn't a lie. Lucy did hope he found whoever Gray thought he'd sensed. Her heart ached, however, and she ended up having to put her mug down so she didn't accidentally dump it in her lap, electing to tuck her hands away and hide their shaking.
Natsu missed nothing though. Plucking up the mug and letting it dangle in his fingers, Natsu told her with a mischievous grin, "I'm coming back, Luce." She glanced at him, flustered that her worries had been called out. He met her gaze as he added gently but firmly, "You haven't said you like this place yet. We haven't even been here a full day yet. Besides, like you said, I'm not entirely a god right now, right? I might be immortal, but I can't do anything if I'm attacked. It's safer to regroup here. I'll come back." He sipped the hot cocoa again, and then pushed it into Lucy's hands, as if he was hoping it would make her feel better.
So, Lucy did, and she found that it did make her feel better. "Good," she said, admitting to herself that his promise to come back eased the fear from her. "How long do you think you'll be gone? When do you leave?"
"We're going to leave in the morning, and probably only for a few days. Gray thinks they might be chasing the same rumors of a safehouse as we were." Natsu leaned back and propped himself on his hands, tipping his head in thought. "Jellal and Erza are going to help us look, too. We'll find something." His confidence wavered, as if he wasn't sure he believed his own words.
They passed the mug of hot chocolate back and forth between them after that, chatting about their thoughts regarding the safe zone. Lucy admitted she still wasn't sure about it; Natsu agreed, stating that they'd only been there a few hours and that he trusted her thoughts on it. Lucy had been pleased to hear it. She was grateful he sat with her, too, not questioning once why they were still sitting outside in the freezing cold. She only left her seat once, and that was to fetch them some more hot chocolate.
Lucy still hadn't slept a wink when the dawn began to creep across the sky, bringing a beautiful frost to the small fishing town of Hyacinth. Lucy grimaced as she looked out at it, her fingers numb and her breath curling before her face. She regretted every complaint she'd ever made about the summer heat. Maybing boiling alive in the late months of summertime wasn't so bad after all.
Despite the promises that Natsu would come back, Lucy's stomach tightened and churned when Natsu sighed and set aside the empty mug he'd brought out for him. He rocked to his feet, stretching his arms over his head for a moment before propping his hands on his hips and playfully puffing out a cloud of smoke. "I better go find Gray before he shows up and annoys me."
Lucy bit her lip hard and set her own mug off to the side. She felt like a child, she realized with some irritation. She didn't want to be alone again, even if there were dozens of other people around in Hyacinth. She knew it wasn't impossible she'd find some new friends among the people here – she already quite liked Yukino Auguria – but none of them understood what it was like to live outside of their town. She would have bet a significant amount of money that most of Hyacinth's residents hadn't experienced the lack of safety that she and Wendy had. They hadn't helped watch her back like Natsu had.
"Hey, Luce," said Natsu suddenly. He offered her his hand. She hesitated before taking it. Once she was on her feet, Natsu stepped closer and invaded her personal space without much care. He flipped her hand over so that her palm faced upwards. Lucy furrowed her brow as he pressed something into her hand, curling her fingers around the object with his own.
"Keys?" Lucy muttered, startled as she studied the simple ring of golden keys.
Natsu bent his head near hers with a laugh. "Yeah, and not just any keys either." He touched a key, and Lucy gasped when it warmed against her skin. "Each of these keys belongs to a minor god. They tend to help some of us out when we need it. This one belongs to Capricorn. He's usually pretty helpful. Aquarius can be a little cranky sometimes though." He glanced up at her from beneath his lashes, onyx eyes shining. Despite their dimming with each passing day, those little suns seemed to grow just a little brighter the higher the sun rose.
Lucy hastily looked back down at the keys, tightening her fingers around the ring. "You're…leaving them with me?"
Natsu nodded. "They'll help you stay safe while I'm gone," he said firmly. "If Mavis hadn't kicked us all out, then they could have shown up and introduced themselves to you in person, but they're probably weakened like the rest of us. They're probably stuck somewhere, too. I don't think they'd be stuck here where we are though, not if their keys are still working." He curled her fingers around a particular key. "Scorpio's pretty nice. If you ask him nicely, his key becomes a dagger."
Sure enough, with Natsu's light touch, the key began to shift and alter in her palm. It became a sturdy dagger in her hand. Lucy nearly dropped the ring of keys in response, her lips parting in a soft gasp. It was a beautiful dagger, with an obsidian blade that seemed oiled with something dangerous. It was warm – alive. It thrummed in her hand. "Wow," she breathed, shocked. "This is…thank you, Natsu, but I don't know if this is something I should be allowed to have. I'm more likely to hurt myself than anybody else with something like this. I'm not exactly trained in using weapons, you know."
"Not all of 'em are weapons," he replied cheerfully. "You'll figure it out." As he pulled his hands away, the dagger became a key once more. Lucy carefully reattached it to the ring, pocketing them swiftly. She hoped none of them transformed in her pocket. "They'll give you some help while I'm gone."
"Thank you, Natsu." Lucy's heart ached as she gave him a small, sincere smile. She blinked when in addition to the keys, he chose to unwrap his scarf from his neck and fussily wrap it around her own instead. "Natsu–"
He cut her off, catching her off guard when he pressed his forehead to hers, making her meet his gaze. "I'm going to come back," he said firmly, his voice almost fierce. He spoke sharply, daring her to believe otherwise. "Okay?"
"I believe you." The diale heavy on her throat made her certain of it, erasing any lingering worries. Lucy found herself flustered by his proximity. Blinking back a flurry of tears, Lucy gently pushed him away. "Now, go," she said affectionately, "before Gray comes looking and starts complaining."
Natsu grinned as he stumbled back a few steps. "See you later, Luce," he said, and then spun around. In what Lucy presumed was a final attempt to tease her about everything regarding his status as a god, he decided to use up whatever godly abilities he had left and disappeared without a trace, as if he'd never been there to begin with. Between one blink and the next, Natsu was gone.
And despite the fact that Lucy was alone, she touched his diale, reassured he'd come back.
Lucy was lost. It annoyed her beyond belief, seeing as she'd lived in a much larger town before the Fall, but Lucy was indeed lost in the tiny village of Hyacinth. Lucy supposed she wouldn't learn her way around the safe zone she'd be calling home for a while, if not permanently, without getting a little lost, but still. It was annoying. She put her hands on her hips and frowned deeply as she looked up and down the gravel road she'd been trying to follow. The sun glared weakly from the sky, and Lucy estimated it to be around noon, which meant she'd been wandering for at least a few hours.
She glanced at her aching arm with a scowl. She'd been trying to find her way back to Yukino's home in the hopes that she might have something for pain, but so far, Lucy had only been capable of wandering and scaring herself with shadows and figures that weren't there. It only frustrated her further, and Lucy sucked in a ragged breath to try and control the angry tears building in her eyes.
She'd not cried so far, and she would not cry now.
Determined, Lucy set off again, this time towards the coast of the isolated island. If she made her way up to the docks, maybe someone could point her in the right direction.
Lucy eventually found a small rocky shore and began following the water that lapped gently at her boots. She peered into the channels across the way as she walked. She shivered when she spotted a large shark's dorsal fin cut through the surf. She wondered if it was actually Juvia. Lucy hoped she never saw Juvia again after seeing her in her full glory. She was positive she'd have nightmares about Juvia for the rest of her life.
Lucy wished she'd asked Natsu why the gods and spirits seemed to have alternate appearances – well, at least why Juvia did.
"Lucy, right?"
The call made her jump, and for just a moment, Lucy had to figure out if she was hearing things or if it was actually a person loping down the shore to join her. She chose to believe them to be a real person when she recognized them. Sting, she recalled. Rogue's friend. He flashed her a playful grin as he reached her. "We were showing Wendy where your new place was and she got worried when you weren't there," he said.
Lucy grimaced. "I was actually trying to find my way back to you guys so I could get something for my arm," she admitted. "I got lost and figured following the sea back to the docks was my best chance at finding you."
Sting's blue eyes gleamed with mirth as he shoved his hands into his pockets. His breath curled around his face. "Good thing I found you then. C'mon, I'll show you where to go. You'll learn the town quickly enough. It's not big like Crocus."
As they set off, Lucy twirled a lock of golden hair around her finger, tugging anxiously at it on occasion. She watched Sting out of the corner of her eye as he whistled happily. Lucy thought that given time, he and Natsu would be good friends. "How's Wendy doing? Did Natsu tell her where he was going?"
Sting furrowed his brow. "Your other friend, right? No, we didn't see anyone come by. Did he leave already?" When Lucy nodded, Sting grimaced. "He made a mistake, heading back out. The undead are really thick in this area. They know we've got a good number of people here. They try to cross the channels all the time. The sea life seems to think they make nice snacks though, so they've never reached the shores. We've been thinking about starting some walls around Hyacinth, just to make sure."
Juvia's work, thought Lucy. She didn't state as such aloud. It was hard not to say such things when it was her normal for the last few months. Feeling a breeze bite into her, she tucked her hands into her pockets and played with the ring of keys Natsu had given her. The weight of them was comforting. She was truly grateful for Natsu's gift.
Sting led the way back into Hyacinth, and they fell into conversation about their lives before the Fall and how they'd handled the Vhalis – or the undead, as Sting called them, a term Lucy found herself stumbling over when she tried to use it. After learning what she had about the Vhalis, "undead" simply didn't fit them. They weren't zombies; they were lost souls. But she said nothing, focusing instead on asking, "Have there been any other safe zones that you've heard of, Sting?"
He shook his head, looking troubled by the idea. He messed with the zipper of the jacket he wore, glancing skyward. "No," he admitted. "We've not heard anything. We've been looking, too. To see if there are other survivors. But there aren't many. Your group was the first one to get here successfully in months, actually. It's like the undead keep growing in numbers and getting more violent when we do get out. We've stopped letting people scout for supplies. You saw what happened with Rogue, and it doesn't look like spring's coming anytime soon. We have other problems starting, too."
They turned onto the street Lucy knew Yukino's home to be on, and Lucy felt guilty when she spotted Wendy anxiously waiting on the front steps. She jumped to her feet when she spotted them and sprinted over with relief evident on her face. Lucy caught her with a faint laugh when Wendy tackled her in a tight hug, wrapping her arms tightly around Lucy's waist. "Sorry, Wendy," murmured Lucy, "I got a little lost trying to find my way back here."
Wendy pulled back to smile faintly at her. "That's okay. I was just worried that the Vhalis found you."
Lucy smiled back and patted her shoulder. "We don't need to worry about them here, remember?" She lowered her voice so Yukino, who was hovering in the doorway, and Sting couldn't hear her. "Juvia said it was safe, and I think we can trust her." Lucy felt like she was reminding herself of that. She couldn't convince herself they were safe yet either. "Sting said Natsu didn't talk to you about him leaving?"
Alarm sparked in Wendy's gaze. "He left?" she cried, and Lucy threw her arm around Wendy's shoulders, smiling reassuringly.
"He's coming back," she reassured, showing Wendy the scarf she wore. She ensured to lower her voice so the others didn't hear what she said. "He left his diale with me, see? I guess Gray thought he sensed another god in the area, so they went to check it out. He's coming back."
Wendy still seemed upset, but not as horrified as she'd been initially. She leaned into Lucy's side. "I'm glad you're still here," she told Lucy, which warmed Lucy's heart. She liked to think she and Wendy had become fairly close since Wendy had tagged along with her and the others, and it was good to hear that Wendy seemed to think the same.
"Me, too," murmured Lucy. "Now. Did Yukino teach you enough to help fix up my arm again? It's hurting, and I think I might need a bandage change."
Wendy lit up like a firework. "Yes," she said excitedly. "Come on!"
Chuckling, Lucy let her lead her inside.
Lucy repeated the directions Yukino had given her over and over again under her breath as she and Wendy walked through Hyacinth. Wendy appeared rather amused with Lucy's attempt at remembering the way to the house Natsu had claimed for Lucy, and they both cheered when they successfully found it. Lucy beamed as she let them into the house, immediately seeking the mugs she'd abandoned in the sink to start making some tea Yukino had given to them before they'd left. Wendy went to explore, eager to claim a room for herself on the second story. There were only three rooms to choose from, and one was an office, so Lucy didn't expect Wendy to take too long.
Smiling to herself, Lucy quietly washed the mug out, then set about preparing hot water for the tea. Before long, the tea was steeping, and Wendy had thundered back downstairs, declaring she'd taken the master bedroom, which Lucy was more than willing to let her take. She was simply happy Wendy was even around to take it.
As afternoon faded into the evening, Lucy ushered Wendy off to bed, deciding they both needed a full night's safe rest. Lucy hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours, and she was exhausted. Wendy seemed rather sleepy herself. Lucy had no doubts that Wendy hadn't gotten any sleep the night before either. Once Lucy was sure Wendy was asleep, only then did Lucy head to the second bedroom, pausing to take it in.
It was small, but comfortable. It overlooked a massive chunk of channel, which sparkled beneath the setting sun a few miles off. There were no neighbors to make noise. It was relatively quiet, which unnerved Lucy a little after getting used to the sounds of the outside, the crackling of fire, Natsu's eerie hum here and there. She was even unused to the lack of cold. While the heat was hardly working in the townhouse thanks to some rickety old generators Yukino had described to them, it was still there, and Lucy didn't even need to sleep in a jacket.
After fishing around in some empty drawers, Lucy successfully found some pajamas. They were too big, but she didn't mind. They were still comfortable. The pants even had strings that she used to prevent them from falling off her hips.
Once she was comfortable in the bed, Lucy curled up beneath blankets that had likely been used by other people who were no longer there. She wondered what kind of life these people had lived in the days before and after the Fall.
As she closed her eyes to sleep, she thought she heard the familiar piercing scream of a far off Vhalis, and hoped that the likes of Juvia and Erza hadn't led them right into a trap made of false safety and hope.
An update! Two/three weeks late, but an update! I did end up taking a break. I got burnt out and wasn't writing. I'm glad I took the break, I'm feeling much better now. :)
On another note...the keys! Bubbles and I spent so much time deciding what kind of item/weapon each key would become. My personal favorites include Aquarius and Scorpio's dagger. ;)
Thanks to reviewers (Meow Orbit, TheAngelicPyro, Sele de la Luna, marn-marn, SheWhoLeavesCrappyReviews, SSD, MPrime, Brooke0315, Tara Pasty, and takeagamble27!) as well as those who favorited and followed!