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September 14th, X778
Clutching her keys like a lifeline, Lucy wondered how she'd let herself agree to this. No one had actually convinced her of anything, so it was entirely her own fault. Gajeel had suggested it cautiously, and Lucy had finally agreed because it was the first thing he'd actually suggested versus demanded. It wasn't a terrible idea either, especially when they'd not had many others. It wasn't like they could actually formulate an honest plan to help Levy when they didn't know more about what was waiting inside the barrier Levy had created.
So, Lucy would go in by herself (just as she'd argued against in the first place), simply because Gajeel had asked. Her only help would be a ring of keys only as powerful as she made them out to be and a scarf that would tell Natsu if something was wrong, though he couldn't do anything to help her.
Natsu, walking her to the fallen tree, looked far more serious than he usually did. She'd much rather have had him goofing around to settle her nerves. Instead, he was entirely silent, which made her more nervous than anything else. She hoped he was thinking about what he and the other two would be doing in the meantime and not all the ways Lucy could end up killed.
It had been Wendy's suggestion that while Lucy investigated, the three of them check the area for other runes and see if they could maybe trick some into letting them pass. There were a multitude of runes, if Gajeel's theory was correct, and they'd not be doing much of anything if they couldn't understand Levy's defenses better. Lucy admittedly wanted to learn such runes for future use if they freed Levy.
It was certainly interesting.
Lucy spotted the fallen tree, signaling the small walk with Natsu had come to an end. In an annoyingly small, hoarse voice, Lucy asked, "You'll know, right? If…if something goes wrong?" She tugged pointedly at the scarf she wore to show him what she meant. Natsu was terrible at tracking diales – even his own – but if he'd at least know if something went wrong, Gajeel might be able to track her.
Natsu caught her hand with his own and squeezed it. "I'll know immediately," he promised. "As soon as something's wrong. You have the keys?"
Lucy purposefully jingled them in her pocket, and it eased some worry from Natsu's face. "Yep," she said. "And I have a pack of matches, so I can commit necessary arson if the situation calls for it." It was a joke, one that came out with a nervous, awkward laugh. She was terrified, and wanted to smack her head against a wall. Natsu had definitely wrecked her self-preservation.
As they neared the fallen tree, Lucy considered abandoning her coat to keep it safe. Giving it to Natsu would ensure she didn't lose it if she got too hot with the warm weather she'd be entering, but at the same time…it'd look suspicious to anything or anyone that might be hiding within the barrier. If she came across anyone, she wanted to look like a lost traveler – not someone looking for a god.
Natsu stopped beside the log, scowling at the small rune etched into its bark. "I'll meet you just over there," he told her fiercely, pointing to a thicker section of trees. "At noon. If you change your mind, just wait–"
"Natsu," interrupted Lucy, unable to help the warm smile that curved her lips. "I didn't say what I did because of you. Gajeel was being rude, and I didn't like it, so I told him off." Though Natsu could learn to remember a few of the comments she'd fired off. He seemed relieved to hear it though, telling her he'd really been upset about what she'd said the previous night. She straightened her coat with one hand and lifted her chin. "Now. I'm going to go get this over with, and I'll see you later."
Natsu shifted his weight, opening his mouth to speak. He decided against whatever he'd been considering saying. Instead, he tightened his grip briefly on her hand, which she'd not realized he still held, and reluctantly let go.
Admittedly procrastinating just a little, Lucy reached up and fished beneath the collar of her coat and Natsu's scarf. "Before I go…could you take this for me? Keep it safe, okay?" She undid the clasp of her beloved necklace and handed it to a startled Natsu. "It's only fair since I'm walking into an unknown situation with your diale that you have something of equal value to me. Plus, I really, really don't want something to happen to it if things go south. So don't lose it."
There was a worried edge to Natsu's voice when he said, "Nothing's going to go south. Just…be careful."
Deciding she wouldn't go at all if she didn't force herself to now, Lucy spun away. "Right back at you!" she called over her shoulder, sighing at the immediate warmth that met her on the other side of the fallen tree. She at the very least unzipped her coat and tucked her hat into her bag as she walked.
If she was going to risk herself in a stupid, risky way, then she'd sure as hell at least enjoy the heat.
The forest was thicker the further she went over the next hour or so, dense and green and far too quiet for her taste. Not even a bird chirped here. It didn't take long for Lucy to doubt she'd be able to easily find her way back to where she'd left Natsu. She ought to have left a trail of breadcrumbs, like Hansel and Gretel.
Lucy wound her fingers in Natsu's scarf, taking comfort in it as she walked. She recalled what she'd learned about the goddess she sought. Gajeel had reluctantly described Levy's diale: a flower crown that alternated between being a thorny, prickly thing or something beautiful and covered in wildflowers depending on Levy's mood. Natsu had helped him come up with a handful of things they knew regarding her habits. It would be hard to physically confuse her with someone else; not many people were as short as they'd described with blue hair.
All in all, Lucy knew as much as she could about Levy without actually having met her, and she hoped it would be enough.
Why are you in my forest?
Lucy whipped around, her heart skipping a beat and her fingers curling into a fist, gripping Natsu's scarf. She searched the trees, though it did nothing to help her find the source. The voice had come from several directions at once. It was everything and nothing, young and old, masculine and feminine, and Lucy hated that it seemed to echo in her skull, as if whispered directly into her mind. She'd have preferred Juvia's monstrous form.
It took her a moment to spot it, standing amongst the shadows of a particularly thick shadow. The creature was tiny – shorter than Lucy for sure, and petite. No, not just petite; it was skeletal, every bone sticking out starkly against leathery gray skin that wasn't unlike the Vhalis. Thorns sprouted from its skin in a variety of places, including the creature's lips and eyes, which appeared to have been sewn shut by the tendrils. Stringy locks of what might have been hair hung in uneven clumps around its face, and a ragged, dirty white summer dress hung from its starved body.
Lucy could hardly breathe, terrified when it peeled away from the shadows and stepped towards her. It was only when she saw plant life wilting and dying beneath its bony feet that Lucy realized what she was looking at. "You're her," she breathed, recalling Gajeel's massive, snarling canine body. "You're Levy."
She was going to kill Gajeel for not warning her about this.
The goddess stilled, her attention caught by Lucy's words. Barbed tendrils began to poke through the ground around Levy's feet. Her head slowly tipped to the side as she studied the human before her. You are one of the Favored.
Lucy fought the urge to retreat when Levy danced forward a few steps, each movement unnaturally quick. "Yes," she admitted, gesturing to the scarf she wore. "Natsu's."
Levy's caved-in nostrils, not unlike those of the Vhalis, flared. She seemed as if something else interested her, but she kept it to herself, unsteady telling Lucy icily, You shouldn't have come here.
"I didn't want to," Lucy retorted drily. "I don't think your boyfriend was keen on any of the other suggestions we could come up with though. Gajeel's kind of crabby that you won't come out and talk to him, you know." Her words were a little more biting than she meant for them to be, and there hadn't really been any other kind of suggestions that would have worked, but still.
The name seemed to break some kind of curse that had been cast over Levy. Dead flesh flaked away, turning to flower petals as it fell. The thorny tendrils painfully unstitched themselves, allowing Levy's lips to part and her eyes to open, revealing a pretty hazel color. Before long, a woman with tangled, matted blue hair stood before Lucy. "Gajeel's here?" she rasped, and Lucy was unprepared for the fear lacing her voice. "Why would you bring him here?!"
Lucy blinked a few times. "I…he's not here here, he's–"
Levy hissed at her like a serpent, silencing her as any emotion on her face fled. Lucy was confused until something suddenly jabbed her in the back of the neck, making her yelp. A hand tangled in her hair and yanked sharply, nearly tugging her off balance and forcing her to still entirely. Lucy's heart took off in a sprint as she heard the safety of a gun click off.
"An intruder," crooned an unfamiliar voice, and Lucy swallowed nervously, wondering just what the hell she'd been thinking when she'd come out here by herself like this. She'd meant to investigate and go back as quickly as she could – not actually come in contact with Levy, get distracted, and then get caught unprepared by a man with a gun, when she knew to always look over her shoulder. "And a pretty one at that. Turn around and put your hands up. Do you have any weapons on you? Don't talk," he added angrily, letting go of Lucy's hair so she could do just that. "Just shake your head yes or no."
Lucy shook her head and, hands lifted, turned around slowly. The man was young, maybe a few years older than her, with dark hair and eyes, and a nasty expression on his face. He didn't wear a coat, which told Lucy he might be the one behind Levy's supposed imprisonment. That theory had definitely been right then. Levy drifted closer, expression blank. The lack of motion must have been her form of self-preservation. If they didn't get a response, they wouldn't know what truly bothered her.
"Is there anyone else?" demanded the man. Levy's attention lingered on Lucy's face, watching warily. Interest sparked when Lucy quickly shook her head. It was like she'd expected Lucy to give Gajeel up. "Why are you here?"
Lucy let herself pause for only a moment to craft a believable story. "I was looking for somewhere safe. The creatures out there…" She trailed off, letting her words settle. "I heard there was a place around here that might offer some shelter." It was a long-shot. If he pressed her on how she'd heard…
The man cursed a name Lucy didn't recognize, and she almost cursed aloud herself. She'd grossly miscalculated the level of the situation. There were multiple people involved – not just one. That didn't bode well at all. Especially for her, for the man suddenly grinned at her. "Then welcome to your new safe haven."
"Hey," said Gajeel, breaking Natsu's thoughts from their worried path, "what's the purpose of carrying this around?"
Natsu snapped his head around and was horrified to find Gajeel seated on the chilled earth with Natsu's bag in his lap. He'd been digging through it like it was his own. He now studied a familiar silver necklace, which Natsu had previously stored in the most secure pocket of his bag. "That's not yours," barked Natsu. He darted over and snatched the necklace away, smoothing a thumb over the metal before pocketing it again. He'd thought it safer in his bag, but apparently not. Lucy would be incredibly hurt if he didn't keep it in pristine condition. "Why are you back already anyways? Shouldn't you be looking for other runes?" They'd taken Wendy and gone to look for other runes, but Natsu had returned as noon crept closer and closer, Wendy in tow.
"Found 'em," replied Gajeel, dumping Natsu's bag aside. Natsu's lips twitched when Wendy grabbed it and muttered an excuse about inventorying their items now that Gajeel had messed with it. Wendy had definitely been hanging around Lucy for a while. Gajeel stared long and hard at Natsu, and Natsu knew precisely what he was going to say before he spoke. "You're awfully close with Lucy, aren't you?"
Natsu hadn't thought Gajeel even remembered Lucy's name. Usually, he just called her "You" or "Lady." "So?" he challenged with an annoyed sigh. "Look, I've already had this talk with everyone under the sun, so I'm sure as hell not about to have it with–" He broke off, twisting as dread surged through his chest in an uncomfortable twist. His gaze searched the trees, darting briefly to the sun to ensure he'd not somehow missed their meeting time. It wasn't noon yet.
"Natsu?" said Wendy sweetly, concerned.
"Someone touched my diale," he nearly snarled, fisting a hand over his chest. Perhaps he wasn't great at tracking them, but he knew Lucy's nervous touch from another person's. Frustration bubbled in his gut. He shouldn't have let Lucy convince herself to go. Should have ended the conversation when it began the night before. The light, shaky touch nearly gutted him a moment later. "Lucy's in trouble."
Gajeel forgot about whatever rant he'd been planning on. He hopped to his feet, cracking his knuckles with an excited grin. "That was fast." Natsu only shot him a dirty look, waiting to see if he'd actually prove to be useful. Much to Natsu's relief, Gajeel elected to work with them rather than against them. "We can't get to her, Salamander. Not with those wards up."
Natsu hissed irritably at him. "I know that." He raked his hand through his hair, frustrated – and stilled when a soft, delicate breeze caressed his cheeks, whispering something he couldn't understand. Natsu rounded on Wendy, hopeful, and found her listening with a startled expression. "Wendy?" he prompted.
She flashed a smile. "Grandeeney found a hole in the wards. Someone made a mistake in one of the runes to the south. We can get through there; we just have to find it. She thinks Levy, herself, might have done it." She shot to her feet, hoisting her bag onto her back and tossing Natsu's in his direction. Natsu hefted it onto his shoulders, relieved. He'd never been more grateful that they'd found Grandeeney's daughter, hidden away from the dangers of the world in a little cave.
"We shouldn't have let her go," Natsu muttered as Gajeel rocked to his feet, eyes sparkling with anticipation. He'd not gotten a good fight in a while, and he was looking forward to it. Natsu was usually right there with him, but not when Lucy was in danger. Lucy had insisted on going out that morning after they'd spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to come up with alternative options. He thought it might have been in part because she just wanted to get a move on with something to stop Gajeel's complaints, but he knew there was more to it than that.
Lucy liked to think she was selfish, that she cared only about staying alive in this post-apocalyptic world she now lived in because of him and the other gods. He knew that. She'd told him as such, time and time again stating that she refused to put herself at risk for strangers, but that wasn't entirely true. Lucy was the weirdo who'd let the guy who'd destroyed her home tag along with her, simply because she didn't think he could survive on his own. Lucy was the woman who ensured Wendy was taken care of before herself every second of the day and even diving headfirst into danger on her own to save her when Wendy had been abducted by a man out to kill them both. She'd complained a little about it, but it was Lucy who'd gone into the house to help a stranger trapped in the attic, not knowing what awaited them.
And Lucy was the one who'd ultimately made her mind up to enter an unknown area to see what could be done to help a goddess she'd never met – one who might kill her without a second thought if there truly were other people involved.
Natsu had promised she'd be safe with him. But now, Lucy wasn't with him, and he'd ensure he'd ensure her safety anyways – even if it meant losing their chance at saving Levy from a fate she'd somehow twisted herself up in
Levy was a goddess.
Lucy was only human.
And Lucy came first.
It turned out that the man with the gun wasn't likely to be the one who had Levy's diale. It also turned out that Levy's fears about the situation being a little worse than anticipated were coming true. He definitely wasn't the only one living in the isolated cul-de-sac that looked as if it had once housed a few families. Five horses lined the circular section of pavement buried deep in the mountainous woods. At the center of the street, standing atop old, cracked cement, was a wooden platform with a small pyre for bonfires built in front of it. The houses looked relatively new, as if they'd only been recently built before the Fall, and there were quite a number of people outside them, watching with interest.
Lucy didn't bother to try fighting back when she was shoved forward, stumbling as she tried to keep her balance. She was shivering despite her coat and the warm, spring breeze on her cheeks. She dared to look back and see if she could spot Levy, but the goddess was nowhere to be found. Her stomach dropped. She was completely alone now, in a community of strangers – one of which still held a gun to her head. She gripped Natsu's scarf with a shaking hand, her other buried in her pocket, where the keys lingered. One burned at her fingertips, tempting her to use it.
The man who'd brought her here looked relatively proud of himself as another came marching out of a large blue house with an annoyed look on his face. Lucy thought he seemed relatively familiar, though she couldn't recall where she'd seen his face before. "What's this?" he asked, stopping a few feet away from them. The black tattoos inked into the skin beneath his eyes stood out starkly to Lucy.
"Found her," said the man with the gun. "Alone in the woods, caught by the guardian. Claims she wants a safe place to hide from the nightwalkers. I told her she'd come to the right place."
Lucy felt very much that she'd definitely not come to the "right place" when the man who was clearly in charge skimmed his gaze over her. "She'll do." Lucy's fingernails tore into the skin of her palms as she curled her hands into nervous fists. She felt ill, not sure what he meant by that. It couldn't be anything good. "Anyone with her that might come looking?"
Yep. Definitely not good. Rather than insisting on trying to leave, Lucy kept her mouth firmly shut.
"Nope. On her own, looking for safety, just like I said."
The leader looked at her again, and Lucy forced herself to meet his gaze steadily. She wouldn't fully attempt something, but she refused to cower before him. He had silver hair that contrasted sharply with his tattoos, and he wore a simple T-shirt and jeans. He wasn't the only one. No one seemed to be wearing a coat. "Looks like you did something right for once, Kageyama. Put her away and we'll start prepping for the ceremony. We'll do it at dawn."
Lucy really, really regretted deciding to explore. "Ceremony?" she couldn't help but demand, voice rising uncertainly. "What ceremony?"
The leader clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Don't ask stupid questions," he warned, and the simple tone he used had Lucy reeling back a little, wary. This man unnerved her almost more than Jerome had when he'd begun searching for her and Wendy in the neglected house in Hyacinth. Something about it was a lot colder. As if where Jerome had felt rage towards his victims, this man felt nothing at all.
It scared her.
So Lucy didn't say anything in return. She didn't argue, only grimaced when he rasped, "Put her away." She didn't try to fight it when Kageyama pushed her towards the big blue house the man had come from initially. She would escape, she decided. She had to. Something told her that she didn't have a choice – that it might be a matter of life and death.
Lucy observed everything she could, gathering information that she could relay later if necessary. They bypassed the house entirely and started towards a pair of cellar doors at the back of the house instead, sending a surge of dread through her chest. Behind the unfenced backyard was a demolished house. Trees had grown right through it. Wildflowers bloomed everywhere, even in a rocky flowerbed behind the blue house.
Kageyama pried the doors to the cellar open and Lucy grunted when he shoved her through them. She yelped as she tripped forward, tumbling down the handful of steps that led down into it. She spun around her knees, face pale. "Wait–"
The doors slammed shut, blocking her shout as the lock clicked into place.
And so it begins! ;)
Thanks to reviewers (Guest #1, marn-marn, stranger1999, hopelesskar, Meow Orbit, 3825Doll, nerdalertwarning, & TaraPasty!) as well as those who favorited and followed!