XXX
December 19th, X778
Lucy had become well-accustomed to the smell of smoke. She supposed it might have had to do with the number of campfires they'd made while traveling, but also because she'd spent so much time around Natsu. Despite being a god of the sun, she'd caught a whiff of smoke on him here and there, particularly when ash spewed into the air during instances in which he was upset. It never bothered her; in fact, she'd even come to like the smell.
Unfortunately, Lucy wasn't sure she ought to be smelling it at the current moment.
She paused in the midst of doing her final check. She'd been put in charge of making sure the backpacks she'd stocked were ready to go for her and Loke. She reminded herself to thank Yukino for the medical supplies she'd freely given her. "We aren't staying either," Yukino had reminded her, "and I can't carry it all, so someone might as well use it."
"Hey," Lucy called, unsure. "Rogue!"
Rogue peeled himself away from where he'd been raiding their own kitchen for foods to take. He stopped further down the hall, watching Lucy and waiting to see what she wanted. He'd been wary enough of her and Loke that he'd kept a decent distance from them both. Lucy understood; she'd have wanted to stay far, far away, too, but it still felt somewhat insulting that he thought she was out to get him.
Occasionally, Lucy wondered if it was how Natsu had felt when she'd first recognized the truth of what he was and had feared him.
"Do you smell smoke?" she asked.
Rogue stilled, and Lucy saw him take a deep breath. Like a bullet from a gun, Rogue darted for9 the door. He disappeared outside. Slowly, Lucy abandoned what she was doing to duck into the front doorway, where she stopped and gaped at what awaited her. She couldn't blame him for freezing in horror on the front porch. She was terrified by what she saw, too.
No more than a block away, smoke billowed into the air. There were shouts, screams, and general commotion in that direction. The nearby houses surrounding Yukino's stood abandoned, as if the residents knew something they didn't and had fled long ago. She wondered if they'd left them behind on purpose, hoping the outsiders might be caught up in whatever was happening. Regardless, the sight told her all she needed to know.
She spun around and dashed back inside, hollering at the top of her lungs, "Loke!"
He flew down the stairs as Rogue echoed her, shouting for Sting and Yukino. Yukino popped out of her medical room, having been selecting what supplies to take with her, while Sting appeared at the top of the stairs, bewildered. Rogue studied each of the three with a grim expression and said, "Time to go. Get what you have. Two minutes."
No one asked questions. They all took off to grab their things. Rogue definitely knew more about what was happening than Lucy, but she didn't bother to try finding out. She could get answers later. She had other things to do – like cram everything she could into their bags with Loke's help.
By the time they'd finished, Yukino and Rogue were already waiting at the door. "Sting!" barked Rogue impatiently when he took too long.
"Coming, coming!" Sting flew down the stairs, skipping two at a time. He shoved a heavy coat at Yukino, and she simply threw it over her shoulder. They'd have to make sure they were properly dressed for the cold later, when they were safe.
When they left the house with only one small backwards glance on Rogue's behalf to signify the loss of his home, things had gone from bad to worse. The smoke was so thick it choked their lungs, making even Loke cough. Lucy's eyes burned. She could hardly see the people beside her, let alone across the street. The house three doors down seemed to have burst into flame, and more fire was creeping along cold, dead grass towards the next. Lucy flinched at the crack of gunfire that exploded in the same direction.
Yukino turned and darted away from the sound. Rogue was hot on her heels. Loke snagged Lucy's wrist to tow her after them, and Sting was only a few steps behind. They spilled onto the next street over. Gajeel's warning had been accurate, but not nearly specific enough about what kind of dangers had formed in Hyacinth, however, for Lucy had expected one of the differing groups to be the biggest danger to watch out for.
Instead, Yukino screamed bloody murder as a creature ripped itself from the body lying prone on the pavement and launched itself at her. She threw her hands up to stop it from burying its teeth in her throat as it crashed her down onto the ground beneath, screaming again when it furiously snapped its jaws. The Vhalis was a newly made one, realized Lucy, shocked. Rogue cursed, lurching forward with his gun in hand. He fired off shot after shot, but it did nothing but make the Vhalis angrier.
"Move," barked Loke, shouldering his way past Rogue and a desperate Sting, who looked terrified for his friend as she sobbed beneath the Vhalis's weight. HIs eyes flared with bright, silver light as he reached for the Vhalis.
Lucy recalled that she'd always had a rule before Natsu had come into her life, one she'd often forgotten to follow when he was able to watch her back for her: always look over your shoulder.
She had enough time upon doing so to shove Sting aside, towards the others, as the second Vhalis descended upon them. Sting barked out a protest, but stared wide-eyed as it screamed a challenge in response. It planted itself between Lucy and the rest of her group. Loke paled when a third one appeared, lurching unsteadily in their direction as if it were still getting used to its body. Lucy's stomach churned. How were there so many? She snagged the first key her fingers came in contact with.
She couldn't say that the twin pair of short swords were her best choice. She definitely couldn't wield a knife, let alone two swords, but they were better than nothing as the second Vhalis lunged for her again. She swung, wincing as black blood splattered them, stinging and burning wherever it touched their skin. The Vhalis retreated a few steps with a furious cry, inspecting its wound. The swords practically vibrated in Lucy's hands, their golden hilts hot to the touch.
Loke lurched forward to try and help her, his hands burning with starlight, but the Vhalis lashed out before he could do anything. He recoiled, cursing, as the Vhalis turned on him, unconcerned about the third Vhalis still barreling straight towards them.
Lucy made a decision that she hoped she'd not live to regret. "Go! I'll meet you at the docks!" It couldn't be too hard to reach them, even in this chaos. Without waiting to hear Loke's response, she bolted back in the way she'd come from. Lucy dared to glance over her shoulder. She saw Loke herding Sting, Yukino, and Rogue away, ensuring they stayed close together. Yukino was hand-in-hand with Sting, her face streaked with tears.
Then, they were gone, and Lucy zipped down an alleyway, taking a sharp right as she shoved Cancer's key back into her pocket. The Vhalis screamed as it flew past her, missing her by a hair. It shrieked, clawing its way back towards the alleyway she'd slipped into. If she could just get to the beach, Lucy decided, terrified. If she could just get to the water–
The Vhalis crashed into her, sending her tumbling head over heels. Pain flashed up her arm where its sharp claws scored it. For a moment, Lucy was stunned by the sight of gold. The Vhalis screamed its triumph as it leaned its weight into her. Lucy desperately tried to snag another key.
The hair on the back of Lucy's neck stood on end as she closed her hand around one. Gemini took form, a baton in each hand. She shoved it blindly over her shoulder, jabbing the Vhalis hard enough that she could actually wriggle free. By the time she was on her feet, Lucy held the batons at the ready, even as her feet nearly slid out from under her.
It wasn't until her breath puffed in a visible cloud, until hoarfrost crept over the grass, that Lucy knew. A smile crept over her lips as the temperature plummeted, as the Vhalis faltered and began looking about to figure out which way the danger came from. Lucy couldn't help but laugh breathlessly. She wasn't surprised. Of course Death and those that helped her would appear here in Hyacinth at a time like this.
Gray practically appeared out of thin air, merely feet away from the Vhalis. He threw himself at it when it tried to flee. It slid on the ice – a tactic, Lucy guessed, to prevent it from doing so – and was unable to escape. In a matter of seconds, Gray's hand had pressed gently over the creature's head.
Lucy had seen the process before, but she still winced when chunks began to fall away from the Vhalis's still freshly human face. A middle-aged man stood before Gray, tears streaming down his cheeks. Gray's vicious look faded into something sympathetic before fading entirely as the lost soul vanished, sent to where it should be.
Lucy couldn't stop another breathless, humorless laugh from escaping her. Why was it that Gray seemed to show up whenever there was a Vhalis out to get her? When Natsu wasn't around? Not that she was complaining. In all honesty, it was quite the opposite, because out of all those she'd met while with Loke…Gray was the one who'd seen Natsu most recently as far as she knew.
Gray glanced her way at the sound, stilling when he realized who he looked at. Lucy fought the urge to flinch away from him when something skittered over her flesh like a spider she couldn't see. More frost bloomed at his feet as he said, narrowing his eyes, "You."
Lucy held her hands up in surrender. "I had no part in anything you think I did, Gray."
He went to fire back a retort, only to be cut off by the sound of a very human scream for help. Gray's face twisted with guilt. They both knew that he couldn't help them. That he wouldn't make it in time, even if he could help them. "Get off this island," he told her. "The lost souls are going to come hunting otherwise. Don't think about going very far though. We need to chat."
Figuring she had nothing to lose, Lucy said hastily, "Loke's here, too. Somewhere by the docks hopefully." Gray threw his hands up, infuriated. "And how do you expect me to get out of here? If you have suggestions, I'm more than welcome to hear them."
"You're apparently a god now, do you could just…I don't know, will yourself away like the rest of us do–"
Lucy swallowed thickly. "I'm not though. I'm not 'like the rest of you.' Loke said I'm like Jellal, whatever that means."
Gray was taken aback, and Lucy wondered if the gods could even tell the difference between Jellal and the rest of them – if he was so much like them, that they often forgot he was different. She bit her lip when a Vhalis shrieked somewhere, the sound close enough to make her nervous. Gray cursed under his breath and glanced over his shoulder, reluctant to leave. "Can you swim?"
Lucy's mouth dropped open at the suggestion. "One, it's freezing, and two–"
"Fine, fine, just remember, it's not my fault you're going to be cold." Gray grabbed her wrist, towing her forward. "Juvia will make sure nothing touches you, and she'd probably even guide you along if I ask nicely enough."
Lucy craned her head back to look over her shoulder. "Yukino, Rogue, and Sting were with Loke. If you find Loke, will you make sure they're okay, too?"
"I can't interfere with anything if Erza's come for them," he warned.
Lucy hadn't expected him to. She simply hoped that wasn't the case. Within minutes, they reached a beach. Lucy's heart ached when she realized how few boats were out in the water. "They couldn't repair them all," she said hoarsely, watching as one began to sink in the middle of the half-frozen channel. She could hear the people in it screaming and shouting. "Juvia's storm destroyed so many of the boats…they don't stand a chance."
Gray watched them with some sorrow before focusing on the situation at hand. He dropped into a crouch at the water's edge and dipped his fingers in. Ice slowly, but surely and beautifully began to craft a crude-looking boat, sticking to his frostbitten fingers. It wasn't unlike when he'd crafted a ladder for them to access the Borealis with so long ago. When it was finished, he stood and shook the water from his hands, waiting. Something large crested the water nearby a few moments later. Lucy recognized Juvia instantly.
Confident, Gray told her, "Juvia will make sure you get to shore."
Lucy wasn't sure she believed him, but she nodded. "Thanks," she said regardless.
"Don't thank me." Gray shoved a hand through his dark hair, smiling bitterly. "I promised to make sure you got to Jellal, and I clearly couldn't follow through. I don't know what happened, or how, or why, but I'm sorry about that, Lucy. Erza and I…we thought it'd help. If I went ahead of it all, to try and stay on top of the situation so that when Erza came, I'd be ready. There'd be no lost soul. I didn't even have the chance to try and guide your soul."
Lucy told him quietly, "Loke said it was him and the other gods like him. I don't think you had anything to do with it, Gray." He felt guilty, she realized. Guilty enough to hesitate tracking down so many souls before they scattered, though they'd be trapped on Hyacinth for the most part.
"Doesn't matter. We don't promise things we can't follow through on." Gray shrugged, then began to retreat. He threw her a sharp, narrow-eyed look. "When you get to shore, don't go far, like I said. I might not have been able to make sure your soul wasn't lost, but I can do the next thing and help you like Erza, Juvia, and Jellal helped me when Mavis dragged me into all this. Or, at least, I can help you find Natsu. Preferably before he realizes what I did."
Despite the dangerous situation at hand, relief sparked. Lucy knew without a doubt that she'd have a better chance at finding Natsu with Gray than with Loke, who was prioritizing Mavis's location even over the key he claimed Lucy needed to retrieve. "Thank you," she said hoarsely.
He spun away after flashing her a quick smile. "Just don't get yourself killed again, got it?" he called back.
"Likewise!" Lucy yelled back.
Lucy spun around, grimacing as she took in the cold gray water that began to shift in odd ways, as if something lurked beneath it. "Please don't try to get me killed again," Lucy told Juvia, echoing what Gray had said and hoping that Juvia heard her. "I really, really want to find my friends before you do."
She could have sworn Juvia grinned back at her from beneath the surface of the water.
Shivering, Lucy did her best to dry her things, clustered as close to the fire she'd built as she could get. She'd managed to track down the shelter she and Loke had used before they'd managed to make their way over to Hyacinth. She was grateful the runes she'd made him help her carve remained untouched. They would keep her safe until she could figure out her next few steps.
For now, Lucy's primary focus remained a simple one: getting warm. She'd had to trudge through some water after clambering out of the ice boat Gray had made for her. She shivered uncontrollably in the freezing temperatures despite the weak sunlight still beaming down on the world. The spray from the water that had lapped at her occasionally had dampened her things, including the blanket she usually would have used as a replacement for her wet coat. She'd stretched them all out as close to the fire as she could to help dry them.
At least she'd gotten out of Hyacinth. It continued to burn. Occasionally, she'd get a particularly strong whiff of smoke, or hear a far off scream that made her shiver. She wondered how many of the Vhalis there included the children that had wandered the streets the first time she'd been there.
Lucy took a shaken breath at the thought and loneliness speared her heart. She wanted nothing more than to turn around and see Wendy warming herself by the fire, Charle curled in her lap. She wanted to see Natsu nearby, watching over them and asking curious questions about human things. She missed Happy's loud purrs and his soft fur beneath her fingers, the way Wendy had chatted to the breeze, and how Natsu smiled at her like she was the best thing in the world even when she was being the worst.
Tears welled and fell before Lucy could stop them.
For the first time since a man thinking himself the sun god had crashed into her life, she was truly alone, and this time, she didn't know if Natsu was coming back to find her.
Gray's here again! Oof, I'm so excited for what's coming.
Thanks to reviewers (InWonderl4nd, hopelesskar, DREAMCHASING, MayTylers, stranger1999, FranFranWriter, Sir Sasquatch, Slayer Queen Dragneel, & Jellal Frenandes!) as well as those who favorited and followed!