Chapter 11: The search
As Levy walked along with Lucy, the blunette was busy fumbling with her phone until she was done with it. Throughout that pace, the petite girl could notice the sudden silence of the blonde. Glancing at her, she tried to figure out what was the problem, but then the blonde just looked straight ahead but sighed endlessly.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Levy suddenly asks, snapping the blonde out of her thoughts.
"Oh, uh…" Lucy looked at her only briefly before turning away and huffing, "It's probably nothing…but, Natsu wants to talk,"
Levy remained quiet. Thinking about yesterday, when she saw Gajeel, she knew that he knew something that he wasn't sharing. She had bombarded him, teased him, and even outwardly flirted it out of him, but unfortunately, he kept mum.
Now, hearing from Lucy that Natsu wants to talk to her, she has this inkling that whatever Gajeel knows is related to what Natsu has to say to Lucy. Suddenly, she is nervous too, not for herself, but for her best friend.
"Do you have an idea what it's about?" Levy finally asks, pulling her friend first to the nearest bathroom before heading to the field.
Lucy shook her head, "No…but I think it's serious,"
The two then entered the comfort room, which was slightly filled with other girls they didn't know. As Levy and Lucy stood before the large mirror, waiting for a cubicle to be free, they heard some of the girls murmur.
They were students from Sabertooth Academy and had come to see Natsu Dragneel and Sting Eucliffe. Surprisingly, Rogue Cheney is popular in their school, and when they heard that he was a previous student of Fairy Tail High and that his best friend was still studying there, they wanted to meet him. To their surprise, the blonde basketball player was just as handsome as their Rogue.
Soon enough, those girls left. But Lucy noticed how they had whispered softer while glancing at her quickly. Lucy didn't want to give meaning to that and so, she shrugged it off while she waited for Levy to be finished.
When the bathroom had become relatively quiet, Levy and Lucy continued their conversation.
"Lu-chan, if I may just ask," Levy starts, and Lucy then hums positively, "What do you think if Lisanna and Natsu…got together?"
Lucy was quiet as expected, "…I don't think I should have any comment about that Levy-chan. I can only hope for the best for the two of them,"
"But, what about being Natsu's best friend?" Levy inquires.
"Nothing," Lucy shortly answers, looking down at the sink as she felt that tugging feeling in her chest, "They want to get together, then…good for them. They are good people…good for each other,"
"Lu-chan—"
"I'll step outside for a bit, Levy-chan. I'll wait for you outside,"
Lucy's footsteps were then heard leaving the comfort room. Levy suddenly felt guilty for putting her friend on the spot. She had this strong guts about Natsu telling Lucy about Lisanna. She wanted to prepare her, but then, she probably did the wrong thing as no one can truly prepare themselves and make oneself feel okay.
When Levy was done, she swiftly came out of the comfort room and expected to see her blonde friend standing in the hallway, waiting for her. But the corridor was empty and it was erringly quiet compared to the time they dropped by.
"Lu-chan?" Levy called, wondering where her friend was. Raising a brow at the sudden absence of her friend, Levy cautiously looked around the corridor, hoping to find the blonde sulking somewhere.
Levy calls the blonde numerous times, but no response ever came. She passed by some students and quickly asked if they had noticed Lucy around. But none of those students saw Lucy.
As she sees the SC room, Levy thinks that maybe Lucy has hidden inside the office. It was a common place for them as they usually hang around there. But as she approached the office, Erza suddenly came out and prepared to lock the office.
"Erza?" Levy called, making the redhead girl turn, "Have you seen Lucy? Did she drop by?"
"Lucy?" Erza then shook her head, "I thought you were together watching basketball?"
"Yeah, we did. But then we were supposed to head towards the field after we went to the bathroom. She stepped out first, but then I couldn't find her anywhere after." Levy fumbles with her hands, suddenly anxious about what happened to her friend.
"Did you check the field?" Erza then slings her purse across her body before looking around the area, "Maybe she went ahead,"
Levy huffed, "I haven't checked yet. Do you mind coming with me?"
"Yeah, sure," Erza then wrapped an arm over Levy's shoulder as they headed towards the baseball field.
When the two arrived, they immediately saw the baseball team was already warming up. A few watchers were on the bleachers, chatting among themselves as they waited for the practice game to start.
The duo looked around and found no familiar blonde. Levy couldn't help but whimper when she still couldn't find her friend.
"Erza, I don't like what I'm feeling," Levy anxiously says, turning away from the field.
"Hey, calm down. I'm sure Lucy is fine. She's probably walking around and soul searching or something," Erza then smiles, trying to reassure the blunette. But the girl couldn't be appeased.
"Erza, I asked questions to Lucy that she probably hated," Levy wrings her fingers, getting nervous by the second, "She walked out on me when I started asking for her thoughts about Natsu and Lisanna,"
Erza's shoulders sagged in defeat, "Levy, why would you even ask that?"
"Because I feel that Natsu's going to tell Lucy something that would really break her heart!" Levy exclaimed, causing her to be out of breath. "I just wanted Lucy to be prepared for it,"
"I know you mean well, but sometimes, the only best way to help a friend is to be there, not saying anything," Erza then places her hands on Levy's shoulders, "Don't worry, we'll find Lucy, and you can talk to her about it. Okay?"
"Okay," Levy sighs, looking down.
The two then enter the school again and begin their search elsewhere. They passed by the swimming pool area and Juvia resting. The blunette swimmer immediately greeted them, but when Juvia saw their faces, she instantly knew something was wrong.
Juvia told them that Lucy hadn't passed by. She was managing the training on land as their coach left for a moment. Throughout that period, she didn't see Lucy at all. When she heard that Lucy had suddenly vanished after a little mishap conversation, she wanted to help. But given she was still training, she promised the two to update them if she ever saw Lucy or heard where she was.
Soon, Erza and Levy are walking back towards the gym when they see Natsu coming out of the sports faculty office.
"Natsu!" Erza called, startling the pink-haired student.
"Oh, hey Erz," Natsu approached the two. As soon as he noticed the furrowed look of the two, he quickly stood in attention, "What's wrong?"
"Have you seen Lucy?" Levy quickly asks.
"No, I thought you were with her. She said she'd be watching the baseball team with you," Natsu then scowls.
"That was the plan," Levy said remorsefully and then looked away, "But then she suddenly walked out on me,"
"Walk out?" Natsu shook his head in confusion, "Why would she walk out on you? Did you fight or something?"
"No, not really," Levy suddenly bites her lip in guilt, "I…I asked her some things,"
"Things? Levy, can you please straighten your sentence?" Natsu scratched his head, "What is going on?"
"They both had a little personal conversation that made Lucy upset." Erza clarified before glancing at the blunette, who sighed in defeat.
"Upset? Why would Lucy be upset—"
"Because it was about you," Levy interrupts. She then huffed in beat. Prolonging the pretending act was helping no one, "I asked her what she thought if you and Lisanna finally got together,"
Natsu gawked, "You told her already?"
Erza and Levy were suddenly stunned. Levy gasped as she eyed the pinkette, "What did you say?"
"Ugh, nothing!" Natsu groaned as he turned away from the two, "Where is Lucy?" his face was mad, but it wasn't directed at any of the girls. Instead, it was more with himself as he clenched and unclenched his fist, "I have to find her,"
Natsu then runs off, making the two baffled by his sudden departure. But before he disappears in the corner, he looks back at Levy and Erza, "Go to the gym and tell Gray to help out!" with that, the girls nod as they see Natsu runoff.
Natsu headed back to the building where Lucy was last scene. Having no care for modesty, he went inside the girl's bathroom and persistently called Lucy. But she wasn't there.
He then thoroughly checked every room on the ground floor before he went to the second floor. But before he could go further, a maintenance man bellowed at him to go down the building.
"How many times do I have to tell students to keep out of the classrooms on Saturdays?!" the old man exclaimed to himself, shaking his head in disappointment.
"Wait, you mean there were other students who came here?" Natsu curiously asked as he turned to look at the man again.
"Yes!" the old man shouted, "Bunch of girls that I think don't even go to this school," the old man sighed, "They are loud! One was even shouting,"
"Shouting?" Natsu then walked towards the old man, "Did she have blond hair?"
The old man raised a brow before he thought for a moment, "Actually, thinking about it, I think she was being blindfolded. But yeah, I think she was blonde,"
Natsu suddenly gasped at the old man's fragile shoulders, "Jiji-Ken, you've got to help me find those girls! I think that was my friend who got blindfolded!"
The old man's eyes grew wide suddenly, "Wha-wait, are you sure? They could be—"
"I'm certain! Lucy had some strong lungs if she was shouting. She suddenly disappeared on our friend, and that was about an hour ago,"
"Oh my," the old man shook his head again in disbelief, "You're probably right. I found those girls roaming here almost an hour ago before I shouted at them to go back down." He then turns around and points at the other end of the hallway, "They exited that way. There is an old storage room before you get to the first floor. I'll get the keys, go check it,"
"Thanks!" Natsu then bolted the hall and immediately ran to the staircase heading down to the ground floor. He was feeling anxious that Lucy was stuck in that storage room. He was pissed at whoever those bunch of girls were. He would find them and ensure they knew what was on his mind. But for now, looking for Lucy was the immediate concern.
When he saw the padlocked storage room, Natsu's heart pounded harder, and suddenly, he leaped from the five-step stairs to kick the lock. As he landed on his feet, the lock was still intact.
Natsu groaned in annoyance. He then banged on the metal door, "Lucy! Are you in there?!" he leaned to the door to listen closely. Soon enough, he heard movement, "Lucy! Are you there?!"
"N-Natsu?" a faint voice spoke behind the door, making Natsu ecstatic, "I'm tied up here inside! Please help!"
"Luce! It's me, Natsu! I'll get you out of there!" He then looked down at the lock again and inspected it. It was a heavy-duty padlock, and kicking it didn't work. He then looked back at the hallway to check if the elder was anywhere, but the hallway was soundless.
Grumbling in frustration, he banged on the metal door again, "Hey, Luce, step back a little, okay?" he said calmly, trying to make the situation a little less scary for his best friend, "I'll be kicking this padlock so, this will get loud,"
"Okay," Lucy whimpered before she moved away from the door.
Natsu walked back as far as he could before he sprinted and kicked the lock to try to knock the lock loose. But it only swayed and remained the same.
"Fuck!" Natsu angrily shouts, "Gahh!" he starts pulling the lock, trying to get it unhinged. When suddenly, the elder shouted.
"What stupidity are you doing?!"
Natsu looks back at the man, walking up the stairs. Natsu was fuming in anger before he ran to meet the old man halfway, "I'm getting frustrated, keys!"
The elder then handed the ring of keys and told him which one to use. Natsu quickly grabbed it and unlocked the lock. As soon as it did, Natsu unlatched everything and pulled open the metal door.
Light quickly flooded inside the dark storage room. Soon enough, it illuminated Lucy, sitting on the floor with tears flowing down her face while still blindfolded.
"Natsu!" Lucy cried as soon as she felt someone close by.
Natsu quickly went to work and pulled down the blindfold. He stared at her for long seconds before cupping her face and wiping her tears. Soon enough, he untied Lucy's wrists and feet. He was scowling throughout the process, getting angry by the second.
"Who the hell did this to you?" He growled and said, "I'm going to kill them,"
"I-I don't know. They-they were girls that I wasn't familiar with," Lucy whimpered as she watched Natsu finally unfree her feet. Natsu then checked on her arm and knees. Lucy had scratches on her arms and then wounds on her knees as if she was pushed down to the asphalt and grazed her skin.
"Does this hurt?" Natsu asked as he pointed at Lucy's bleeding knee.
"A little," Lucy then pulled her knee close and blew on it, "I fell on the ground when they were dragging me somewhere. But my head hurts more," she then brushed her hand through her hair, and suddenly she felt a firm lump, "Ah!"
Natsu, alerted, checked, and gently touched Lucy's head. She had a big bump on her head, making him even more angry, "I'll take you to the clinic,"
Lucy nods her head and attempts to stand. But she wobbled immediately, making Natsu catch her swiftly. Without waiting, Natsu scooped Lucy in his arms, under her knees and back.
As they stepped out of the storage room, Natsu gave a grateful nod to the old man and quickened his pace towards the clinic. Lucy felt weak and tired and just wanted to sleep.
"Don't sleep, Luce," Natsu warned as he looked down at the blonde in his arms, "You might have a concussion,"
Lucy snorts, "How'd you know?" she asks, faintly teasing, before lulling her head back to Natsu's shoulders.
"Luce," He warned, jumping her in her arms, "Don't sleep—"
"I'm not…just closing my eyes a little," she softly said.
Natsu sighed and just fastened his feet, "I got you, Luce," he quietly whispered before he kissed her forehead.
To be continued…