Here we are at long last. I've been itching to get to this, so I hope everyone enjoys!
Chapter title taken from the song of the same name by Opeth.
KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 36: THE GRAND CONJURATION
Lucy stood speechless, staring up at the grotesque amalgamation of steel and shadows. The sheer unnaturalness of it sent chills down her spine. She wanted to turn and demand answers from Natsu. She couldn't fathom why he would want to use something so horrific.
However, before she could, someone else spoke.
"It's... ugly."
Lucy turned to find Zeref staring up at the tower, wide eyed. The raw emotion in his voice startled her. He almost looked... distraught.
His fists clenched at his sides. "This... wasn't my design." He murmured, unhappiness clear in both his expression and tone. "I envisioned the R System as something regal, divine- like an old gothic cathedral. Something reverent to match its purpose. Not this... twisted steampunk monstrosity."
Natsu scoffed. "You an art critic now? I swear, you can be so overdramatic, Zeref."
Zeref shot him a look- half exasperation, half resignation. "I suppose it's a matter of taste." He sighed. "However, in the end, I guess it really doesn't matter. As long as it achieves its purpose, I'll be satisfied."
Lucy didn't notice the members of the Spriggan 12 who were present gathering around them until she felt Natsu's hand on her shoulder. Before she could react, the air around them suddenly warped.
Blinking, Lucy took in their new surroundings. They were now in a vast circular chamber, dimly lit by the glass dome above them. No doubt, the control room at the top of the tower.
Against the far wall sat a throne, where Rusty and August, stood beside a levitating, still unconscious Mavis. In the center of the room was a large, irregular shaped lacrima, towering over them and casting eerie shadows in the dim light.
Zeref strode toward the throne, his gaze lingering on Mavis for a noticeable moment before turning to August. "How long until the charging is complete?"
Using his free hand, August swiped the air, and a set of runes materialized before him. A pleased smile spread across his face. "According to my readings, less than ten minutes."
Zeref smirked. "Amazing what infinite magic can do."
Before Lucy could question them, Natsu stepped forward, irritation written all over his face. "Hey, why do you get the chair?"
Without missing a beat, Zeref sank onto the throne, a smug smile curling his lips. "Because I'm the emperor, of course."
Natsu made a face. "bEcAuSe i'M tHe EmPeRoR, oF cOuRse," he mocked.
Lucy had had enough. This was not the time for banter.
"Natsu- what- why- how could you support using this spell? You helped destroy it once! Did you forget how much Erza, and Jellal, and everyone who built the tower suffered in its construction?"
Natsu exhaled deeply, rubbing the back of his neck again, looking quite exhausted. "I've changed my mind, Lucy. What happened to Jellal, Erza, and the others was evil. But the R system is just a spell. It's the mage using it that decides if it's good or bad, just like all magic. The cultists, and Jellal- sure, they had their own twisted vision for the tower. But that's not what it was originally meant for when Zeref created it."
"Lucy," Zeref said, his voice unexpectedly gentle, "I understand your apprehension." There was no mockery this time, no condescension- he sounded genuinely patient.
"The version of this spell you saw with Natsu all those years ago... the one your friends suffered for... well," he gestured to the structure around them, his expression darkening, "you can tell just by looking at this place that it was corrupted. Its true purpose was lost in those cultists'... devotion." His face twisted in disgust as he mentioned the cultists, but he quickly schooled his expression back into neutrality.
"But the R system's true purpose was never meant to evoke fear or despair. It was meant to evoke hope... and life. It is, at its core, a resurrection machine. One I designed to bring my family back." His expression hardened, filled with determination- a look that mirrored Natsu's. "And that is exactly what we intend to use it for."
She was momentarily speechless, her mind scrambling to process his words. Then she shook her head, and said, her voice trembling and desperate, "No... this is wrong. People shouldn't play God like this! Zeref, you're putting everyone here in danger- Natsu included! You're playing with the same magic that ruined everything for you before!"
Zeref sighed. "I thought the same at first... this wasn't actually my plan. It took some... convincing for me to agree to attempting this." His gaze drifted toward Natsu.
Slowly, Lucy turned to look at her friend, her heart sinking. Natsu's expression was solemn. Unwavering.
"It was mine." He confirmed.
The weight of his words crashed over her. "Natsu..." she whispered, almost pleading.
He sighed but his gaze didn't waver. "Zeref's original plan for Fairy Heart wasn't an option, to put it lightly. I had to come up with something drastic to change his mind." He took a step closer, his voice steady, as if he had already accepted the potential consequences. "This... this will set everything right, Lucy."
She stared at him, stunned. "You know first-hand how many people suffered- how many died- because of this spell! And you're still trying to justify using it? That's selfish, Natsu!"
"What went on regarding the construction of Jellal Fernandes' tower is irrelevant to what we are doing here today." August said, his words cold and clipped. He glared at Lucy, as if daring her to challenge him. "No one is ignoring their suffering and sacrifice. But that is not what's happening here. His Highness originally lost his life to a fire dragon. He now uses that same magic to protect those he cares about. Is he wrong in doing so?" He shook his head. "Refusing to use the R system now will not undo what has already been done to the victims of Jellal's tower."
Natsu nodded, his expression darkening. "I spent the last year watching Igneel die over and over again in my head. Once I remembered everything, I watched my mom and dad die over and over again alongside him. And then, this past year, I saw so many good people slaughtered- all to satisfy some power-hungry nobles and their backers from the Magic Council."
He clenched his fists. "There is no justice in death, Lucy. And I'm not content in just getting stronger so I can lose people a little less often. I'm tired of just losing and getting even."
His voice was steady, unshakable. "I'm taking back what fate stole from me and my brother. I'm undoing the damned tragedy that started all of this in the first place. If that makes me selfish, then so be it."
Me and Zeref... we're actually a lot alike.
Natsu's words from earlier repeated in her mind.
"You... really have changed." It wasn't a biting accusation like before. It was a horrifying realization.
For a fleeting moment, Natsu looked wounded. Then his expression hardened once more. "Maybe so. But so be it."
Desperation clawed at her. "Natsu, please..." she pleaded, "You'll end up cursed, just like your brother-"
"I won't. I know I won't."
His absolute confidence sent a fresh wave of unease through her. "How could you possibly know that?" She hesitantly asked.
It wasn't Natsu who answered. "Because we have inquired of the gods themselves."
Lucy's blood ran cold. She turned sharply to face the Wizard King, the weight of his words sinking like stones in her chest.
"They revealed the truth to us," August continued, his voice steady and resolute. " The curse that doomed His Majesty was not some immutable law of nature. It was an act of vengeance, wrought by a deity driven by arrogance and lust for power. Ankheseram's pride was his downfall."
He glanced around the room, taking in the vast structure they stood in. "As for the R System itself... It does not defy the laws of life and death. It participates in them."
Lucy looked back at Natsu, searching his face for any hesitation, any doubt. But there was none. His expression was resolute.
In truth, that wasn't surprising how determined Natsu was- he had always been stubborn and steadfast once he set his mind on something. However, Lucy never could have guessed he would make choices that would lead him to this path.
To think… he'd go this far…
Looking up at Zeref, she could see his eyes carried the same conviction.
She saw it now. They really are alike...
August's voice was calm as he continued, yet it carried the weight of unshakeable belief. Lucy didn't know why, but the sharp conviction in his eyes... he wasn't merely a soldier following orders of his emperor. She couldn't fathom why...
...but this was personal to him.
"I have always found the argument that using powerful magic is 'playing God' to be rather flimsy." He mused. "If you intervene to save someone who was meant to die- say, someone about to drown, or be struck by a carriage- are you not altering the natural course of events? Their fate? The will of God? Or perhaps, if everything is predetermined, then we are already walking the path set before us and no action we take can truly defy it."
He looked at the tower around them again. "Yes, this magic is powerful and will alter the world we live in as we know it. But consider this- say a non-mage is trapped in a burning building, and a powerful water mage extinguishes the blaze, saving them. To that person, their reality has been rewritten by a force beyond their comprehension. Is that unnatural? If not, what is the difference here?"
August shook his head. "We could deliberate such matters endlessly, but the fact remains- at the end of the day, good and evil are subjective constructs. Love however…" His expression softened ever so slightly. "Love is absolute. And the love His Majesty and His Highness bear for their parents will triumph."
Lucy's stomach tightened. She had expected the worst when Jackal had kidnapped her, but somehow this- seeing Natsu at the heart of it all- was far worse than anything she had imagined.
And worse still…
She had no counter to August's argument.
That was, until her gaze drifted to the center of the room. To the giant, pulsating lacrima in its center.
Realization struck her like a lightning bolt.
Not just a lacrima... an altar!
Lucy' breath caught. A chilling horror coiled in her chest.
"No..." she whispered, dread rising like bile in her throat.
Her hands clenched into fists as she turned back at Zeref, her voice trembling with fury. "The R- System- it doesn't just take a massive amount of magic to function! It needs a life! A human sacrifice!"
Zeref's expression darkened slightly, but he nodded slowly. "Yes..." he admitted, his voice carrying a trace of regret. "An unfortunate stipulation. But when you think about it, it makes sense. After all, what else in this world could equate to the value of a human soul... but another human soul? It is a fair exchange, if not an ideal one."
Lucy spun toward Natsu, ignoring Zeref's justification entirely. She was desperate for reason, for sanity in all of this. "Natsu, you cannot seriously be okay with this!"
But when she met his gaze, her breath caught.
Not a flicker of doubt. Not an ounce of hesitation.
"I am." His voice was firm.
Lucy gasped but before she could protest, Zeref cleared his throat. "Perhaps I can shine some light on why Natsu is so unbothered." He turned to the man with the skull tattoo on his forehead. "Jacob, if you would. The sacrifice, please."
The assassin nodded. "Of course, Your Majesty." With a single clap of his hands, a woman materialized before them. She didn't look much older than Lucy. She was bound and gagged, clad in an orange prison uniform, her close cropped dirty blonde hair was unkempt.
But it was her eyes that struck Lucy the most- cold and sharp with sheer, unfiltered hatred as she glared at Zeref.
Zeref gestured to her. "Lucy, meet Korey Sammett. A serial killer on death row here in Alvarez." He turned to Invel. "Could you list her charges?"
Invel stepped forward, his glasses catching in the dim light. "Miss Sammett has been charged and found guilty of, including but not limited to: multiple counts of first-degree murder, aggravated sexual assault- including against minors and the elderly- desecration of human remains, destruction of public and private property, terroristic threatening, conspiracy to commit felony offenses, obstruction of justice..."
Invel adjusted his glasses with a sigh. "There's more, but must I continue?"
With every charge Invel read, Lucy's horror grew. She had wanted to feel sympathy. Had wanted to protest this barbaric exchange of life.
But faced with the weight of this person's crimes- too many, too horrific- settled over her, as the sheer monstrosity of it became undeniable- all she felt was anger. Disgust.
And a question whispered at the back of her mind:
Does it really matter if this woman dies?
Zeref must have seen the conflict in her face, because he smiled knowingly. "I actually do want to believe every life is sacred..." he said as he toyed with the darkening fabric of Natsu's scarf. "But there are people who put that to the test. You understand now, don't you, Lucy?"
Her anger faltered, replaced by quiet realization. As much as she hated to admit it…she saw his point.
Next to her, Natsu crossed his arms. "Why should our parents- a corn farmer and a housewife, who never hurt anyone- stay dead, while this piece of shit gets to live a second longer after everything she's done?"
August nodded. "I know you clearly think little of us, being 'His Majesty's evil minions'" he mockingly said, before continuing with a more serious tone, "but I did not lie when I said we had exercised extreme caution to get here. She has been tested by psychologists, as well as mages skilled in probing the human mind. The only regret she has, Miss Heartfilia, is that we stopped her before she could kill again."
"Indeed." Irene said, addressing Lucy for the first time. "Her fate is sealed. She will be executed regardless of what happens here today. Why not let her wretched life serve a greater purpose?"
Lucy's throat was dry. She could feel her conviction slipping.
"Two wrongs…" she finally managed quietly. "Two wrongs don't make a right. This is crossing a line there's no coming back from."
A chuckle- sarcastic and sharp- followed. "Right."
Lucy turned to the blonde man Natsu had silenced earlier. His smirk revealed sharp canines, eerily reminiscent of Natsu's—and Zeref's.
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, something like that?" He titled his head. "Perhaps. But turning the other cheek to someone like her? That only guarantees more people will die by her hands."
"She is the archetype of unmagnificence!"
God Serena interjected, standing in a ridiculous pose. However, his face darkened as he added, voice free of dramatic inflection, "She deserves punishment of the highest order. To be made an example of."
Then brightening again, he grinned. "And if in the end, it benefits His Majesty and His Highness, then all the more magnificent!"
To the side, Jacob, Brandish, and Jackal all nodded in silent agreement.
"This... just feels wrong." She said quietly.
She didn't know what else to say.
"Hmph." Rusty scoffed. "THAT is nothing but the Magic Council's conditioning toying with your mind."
His voice rose, gaining fervor. "They want us to fear magic like this. To deny us the power to truly reshape the world, to correct its injustices. But we must cast off their mental chains-"
His eyes gleamed as he looked at the altar, evidently excited for what was about to take place. "-and press forward."
Zeref nodded, before turning from Rusty back to the prisoner still glaring defiantly at him.
"Korey Sammett." His voice was cold with authority. "You have been found guilty of the crimes listed against you. On behalf of the citizens of the Alvarez Empire, as Emperor, I will now see your sentence carried out."
He exhaled, before a smirk formed on his lips. "May God have mercy on you. Because I will not."
With a snap of his fingers, dark magic appeared in his palm. He flicked it toward Sammett like a bullet- evidently, not to harm her, but to shatter the chains and snap the gag binding her.
For a moment, she looked stunned. Then, a deranged grin formed on the woman's face, and she let out a blood curdling cackle.
"You dumb motherfucker!" She spat, her eyes glinting with savage glee. "You think I was just gonna roll over and do your bidding? Shouldn't have freed me, dumbass!"
With a wild scream, she lunged at Zeref, dark magic of her own forming in her palm.
"You just gave me an open-"
The present members of the Spriggan Twelve reacted instantly, their bodies tensing to strike. Yet, Zeref didn't so much as blink. He simply watched her, head tilted in amusement.
Because something else in the room had already moved.
The altar.
The massive lacrima groaned against the floor, as if a beast stirred from slumber, shifting with unnatural precision. It loomed over Sammett, seeming to lunge for her like a predator going in for the kill. Ether infused crystal surged forward, latching on to Sammett's limbs midair. She shrieked as she thrashed violently against the lacrima as it ground back across the floor back to the center of the room.
Zeref arched an eyebrow in surprise, before looking over at Rusty, a knowing smile forming on his face. "Why thank you, Rusty. That was quite ingenious."
The ex-Grimoire Heart mage smirked as he bowed slightly. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Happy to be of service."
Zeref's gaze returned to the still screaming and struggling Sammett, now firmly bound to the altar. He leaned back in his throne, resting his face against his fist. "Did you really think I would allow my own mother to be returned to life bound and gagged?"
Sammett continued to struggle against the altar, her face contorted in pure hatred. "You'll pay for this, you fucking tyrant! Your empire will fall!" She shrieked.
Zeref let out a small chuckle, dark amusement dancing in his eyes. "Somehow, I doubt that." He turned to Irene as he gestured to the altar. "Irene, if you would?"
Irene lifted her hand, weaving an enchantment through her fingers before casting it toward Sammett. The effect was immediate. Though the convict continued to scream, no sound emerged. Her mouth moved, fury evident, but she was silenced.
August's fingers traced through the air, illuminating the runes he had observed earlier once more. The shifting golden script reflected against his face as his lips curved in satisfaction. "The R System is fully charged and operational."
A hush came over the room as all eyes turned to the emperor. Zeref's focus, however, was on his brother. "Natsu, would you like to do the honors?"
Natsu stepped forward, the conviction in his eyes burning hotter than ever.
Lucy's breath hitched as she reached for him, fingers trembling. She wanted to say something- anything- to stop this madness, to convince Natsu not to do this. But no words came. All the arguments had been spoken. Lucy had nothing to offer him that would deter him from bringing his mother back. Her arm fell limp as he continued to move forward.
Natsu stopped just before the altar, exhaling heavily.
"Did you forget the incantation?" Zeref said, with a smile unbefitting the situation on his face. Likewise, his tone was teasing, lighthearted. "I'd be happy to remind you-"
"I didn't forget smartass; I was calming my nerves!" Natsu snapped. Zeref just chuckled.
Natsu raised his hands, and the room seemed to hold its breath.
Then he spoke, his voice low and steady, in a language Lucy did not understand.
"Pulvis et umbra sumus."
[We are but dust and shadow.]
The tower rumbled, as if something ancient had begun to stir.
"Non est ad astra facilis e terris via."
[There is no easy way from the earth to the stars.]
The walls around them pulsed with light.
"Alea iacta est."
[The die is cast.]
Magic thickened, pressing against the air, an invisible force settling over the room like the weight of inevitability.
"Redi ad me quod ablatum est."
[Return unto me that which was taken.]
At that, the Tower of Heaven answered.
Magic raced throughout the room, ether pulsing in the walls, its steel panels groaning as they peeled away, revealing the glowing lacrima beneath. The room itself trembled, like a beast breaking from its chains.
A massive magic circle flared into existence beneath the altar, and shortly after, a second one formed beneath Natsu. Finally, a link between the two formed.
The tower's magic climbed up Natsu's body, lighting his veins with an eerie, blue white glow. His eyes, consumed by the ethereal radiance, burned with purpose.
"R System!" Natsu's voice roared over the surging magic. "Take the life I offer for the one I name! Return my mother to me! Revive Ruth Dragneel!"
For a moment, the world stood still.
And then, once again, the tower answered.
A violent discharge of 2.7 billion edeas of pure magic energy erupted from the altar, the beam splitting the skies as it disappeared into the darkened clouds… and beyond.
Sammett thrashed against the altar, her silent screams becoming a wail of rage and terror. The altar responded, its crystalline form shifting, growing, consuming- until the woman had been enveloped completely in a crystalline sarcophagus.
After what felt like an eternity, the beam of magic power returned to the altar, and the room fell into absolute darkness.
Save for a small, glowing light in the center of the altar, that is.
After a few moments, the light began to grow, its blue-white hue spreading across the chamber like the first rays of dawn. As it intensified, it took shape- a humanoid figure emerging from the radiance.
Everyone stared, breath caught in their throats, anticipation tightening their chests.
A sharp crack suddenly split the surface of the lacrima, the sound reverberating across the chamber. Then another. And another. The jagged cracks spread across the lacrima like lightning, weaving a fragile spiderweb through the crystal, its collapse inevitable.
Natsu bolted to the base of the altar just as the entire edifice shattered into pieces. From the wreckage, a body fell forward—straight into Natsu's waiting arms.
Lucy sucked in a sharp breath. The dim light made all the woman's features difficult to see, but one thing was instantly clear. Though still clad in the same orange prison uniform, the woman now cradled in Natsu's arms was not Korey Sammett.
Across the chamber, an audible gasp filled the heavy air.
Turning, she saw Zeref lurch forward, his wide eyes locked on the unconscious woman. His lips parted, trembling- he seemed to be struggling for breath, for words.
However, when he finally took a staggering step off the throne, he found them- "Mom."
It was barely more than a whisper, but it carried through the chamber like a declaration, like an undeniable truth crashing down upon them all.
Lucy's chest tightened. They did it. They actually did it.
Natsu, still kneeling, clutched his mother close, fingers pressed against her neck in frantic desperation. The whole room seemed to hold its breath.
Zeref approached slowly. "Is there-"
Natsu's hand fell limply to his side. He stared up at the ceiling, unmoving. For a terrifying second, he didn't react. Then—
A grin. Wide. Disbelieving. Overwhelming.
"Yes."
A choked, breathless laugh spilled from him. "Yes!"
Zeref's expression shattered into something raw, something utterly unguarded. A strangled, disbelieving laugh tore from his throat as tears welled in his dark eyes.
The next thing Lucy knew, the brothers were clinging to each other, to the mother they had lost and reclaimed, their bodies shaking with pure, uninhibited joy.
The chamber filled with laughter, with gasps of wonder. The Spriggan 12 watched their emperor, their prince, overcome with the kind of happiness none of them had ever seen in Zeref in all the years they'd known him. Even Invel, usually so composed, let his lips curve into an uncharacteristically warm smile.
Victory.
After centuries of suffering, of clawing against an unforgiving destiny, they had won. Zeref and Natsu had denied fate. Denied death.
Lucy, though, stood frozen, heart hammering against her ribs.
Her heart pounded violently in her chest, her breath uneven, her fingers curling into the fabric of her skirt.
She wanted to be happy for Natsu. Even for Zeref. She wanted to embrace the overwhelming emotion in the room, to let it sweep her away in its tide.
But she couldn't.
Her gaze flicked around the chamber, taking in the expressions of triumph, of reverence, of unshakable belief. No one—not one of them—seemed disturbed by what had just happened. By what had been sacrificed.
Lucy swallowed hard.
Korey Sammett had been a monster. No one would mourn her.
But she had still been alive.
And in the end, her life had been taken to fuel this miracle.
She turned her head slightly, eyes landing on Rusty. The architect of this reality, the one who had restored the tower, who had made this resurrection possible.
He was smiling, utterly content.
Was he right?
Lucy's nails bit into her palms. Is my hesitation, my unease… really just because of what the Magic Council decrees?
The laws that labeled this magic as forbidden—were they really absolute? This ritual had taken life, but it had also given it.
Her gaze flicked back to Natsu and Zeref, still caught in their unfiltered joy.
Can I really call this evil?
Her spiraling thoughts shattered as Natsu suddenly threw his head back, grin unwavering, voice ringing through the chamber.
"Do you see us now, Ankhseram?! We've burned your grand designs to ashes! AND YOU'RE NEXT!"
His words cracked through the air like fire, blazing with the unbreakable defiance Lucy had always known from him.
And yet—
The cold dread curling in her stomach did not fade.
Zeref, regaining control of his emotions, turned to the group, voice steady. "Gather close."
Lucy, numbly following the others, stepped forward.
Once again, Zeref ensured their contact, then—with a flick of his fingers—transported them all back to the desert floor, where the command ship was waiting for them.
And without Rusty and August sustaining its existence, the tower had already faded into nothingness, as if it had never been there at all.
Zeref turned to August. "Take Mavis back to the infirmary," and then turned to Natsu, "Take Mom there too. Dr. Williams needs to examine her immediately."
Natsu nodded, gently cradling their mother to his chest as he followed August aboard without hesitation.
Lucy's legs carried her forward, up the ramp, into the ship—though her mind was far, far away.
She barely registered anything around her, barely noticed who walked past or where they went.
Her feet found their own way, leading her to the place most familiar.
Natsu's room.
Without thinking, without conscious effort, she collapsed onto his bed.
Eyes on the ceiling.
Heart pounding.
Mind racing.
It feels so wrong... but Natsu's mom is alive again.
If it were me... would I have made the same choice?
Honestly, could I have looked at the chance to have my mom back and said no- just to spare a vile criminal?
She squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her hands to her forehead.
It's the mage using it that decides if it's good or bad, just like all magic. Natsu had said.
Am I wrong in feeling so disturbed by this?
The door creaked open. Footsteps, slow and hesitant, crossed the floor. Then a sigh.
"Luce... are you alright?"
She almost cried at the sound of his voice.
Its warmth that had been missing earlier today had returned- but everything felt different now. She forced herself to sit up and meet his gaze. His smile faltered when he saw her expression.
Lucy bit her lip, fighting back tears. "No." She admitted at last. "I... I don't know how to feel. I just watched you use what I thought was one of the worst black magic spells in existence..." She hesitated, and then whispered, "But now you have your mother back."
Natsu was silent for a long moment, gaze falling, hand on his chin. Finally, he muttered, "One of the worst black magic spells in existence...that was originally designed to resurrect me ."
His words crashed over her like a tidal wave. Again. She had lost count of how many times that had happened today.
Natsu's expression darkened with sorrow. "I don't even know what black magic is anymore, Luce. Everything I've ever done since I was four-every moment of happiness I've had since then- everything with you, with the guild, our friends... all of it only happened because Zeref brought me back with his magic."
Part of her wanted to argue, wanted to tell him it wasn't the same. That he was different...
But was he?
She was lost for words yet again.
Natsu sighed. "If it were up to the Council, I know what they'd say. That 'I'm unnatural, an abomination of evil magic' or something like that. They wouldn't hesitate to put me down- or worse, tear me apart to see how Zeref did it. Because in their eyes…" His voice grew quieter. "Everything I am is 'black magic'."
The dam broke. Tears spilled over, silent but relentless.
Lucy refused to believe that. If that was true, it would mean everything they'd ever done together- every battle, every victory, every laugh- every precious moment between them…
Their very bond would be wrong.
Unnatural.
In no world could I accept that.
Natsu hesitated, then quietly asked, "After what you saw... Do you hate me now?"
A choked sob forced its way from her throat. "I could never hate you." She managed. "But this-" she gestured around them, at the airship they were currently on, "-everything today- it's just… too much. I can't keep up, can't process it fast enough."
Natsu exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I get it. I do. And I'll be honest Lucy, I'm not sorry for what I did. But I am sorry you had to find out this way." He looked away, his voice softer now. "Once we get back to the palace… just let me rest for a bit. Then I'll take you home."
Home.
Her heart leapt.
A few hours ago, she had been almost certain she'd never see Magnolia again. She had thought she'd spend the rest of her life trapped in Zeref's empire, bound to a demon's will.
The idea of being back home in her own bed by the end of the day felt like salvation.
But then, a sorrowful thought entered her mind.
Going home means leaving Natsu.
Swallowing hard, she dared to ask, "What about you? Will… you come back with me?"
Natsu sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I want to. I want to see everyone, celebrate, and have fun again... but there's too much I need to do here first."
Her throat tightened. "But... what am I supposed to tell everyone about you?"
He shrugged, looking away. "Tell them whatever you want."
His answer made her see red. "How can you not care?!"
"I do care!" He shot back. "But... I don't know what to say. I won't ask you to lie or keep my secret, Lucy." He ran his hand across his face, frustration leaking into his voice. "I hate that I had to break into the guildhall. I hate that I had to steal the First Master's body. But... I don't regret it. I can't. Not when it means I get to see my mom again."
Slowly, Lucy nodded her head. "I understand that. I really do." Though she added, "Still… Fairy Tail isn't the same without you."
Natsu smiled faintly. "My life isn't the same without Fairy Tail."
Hope bloomed in her chest, but it slightly withered when he continued, "but it wouldn't be the same without Zeref, the Twelve, or the empire now, either."
She stared at him. "So... what are you going to do now?"
"We'll figure something out." He said. "Now that the war is over, Zeref will probably write to King Toma and see if we can start negotiating a peace treaty."
Lucy almost laughed at the absurdity of the idea, but quickly reconsidered- if the world's most powerful empire, one that had just quite clearly proven it couldn't be stopped, offered peace... Well, only a fool would refuse.
The airship jolted as it touched down again. Lucy instinctively turned toward the door, ready to leave, but Natsu simply cleared his throat. She glanced back, only to see him extending a hand toward her.
She blushed. "Uh... Natsu, thanks, but you don't need to hold my hand."
Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah, I do."
Her heart rate increased. Where is this coming fro-
Before she could finish the thought, he simply grabbed her hand.
"Hey, don't just-"
The air around them warped. A rush of energy engulfed them, disorienting her. It felt eerily similar to the teleportation spell Zeref had used earlier. Then, just as quickly as it had started, the sensation ended.
They were no longer on the airship. Instead, dark stone walls loomed around them. This has to be the Imperial Palace, but if that's the case-
"Did you just teleport ?!" Lucy said in absolute shock.
Natsu grinned like he hadn't just pulled off a technique that took others a lifetime to master with effortless ease. "Oh yeah, guess I didn't tell ya- I made Zeref show me some of his tricks. No way was I passing up a chance to never ride a train again!"
Of course. She pinched the bridge of her nose. That sounds like typical Natsu. Despite everything, she found herself smiling. Somehow, even after the most insane, emotionally exhausting day of her life, he was showing he could still be the same reckless idiot she knew.
"Requip."
She blinked as Natsu said that word for the second time today, a small badge, shaped like the Alvarez crest, appeared from a portal. Teleportation and requip magic?! How many new things has he learned?
"Look, I'm sorry to just... up and leave you alone here Luce, but I'm beat. No way I can teleport us back to Magnolia like this. So..." He gestured at the door beside them, "You can use this room here. It's for important guests- you're right under me and Zeref, so if ya need me, just take the elevator upstairs. I'm the third door on the left."
He held out the badge for her. "Also, this will get you into any non-classified rooms in the palace. Free food in the cafeteria, too." He held the badge out for her.
Lucy hesitated before taking it, running fingers over the crest. Seems he's really thought of everything... Now that's unusual. I swear, just when I think it's the same old him, he does something that makes me wonder if he's the same person at all...
"Alright, well, I'm going to lay down." He stretched, waving lazily as he walked toward the elevator. "Bye, Lucy."
"Um... bye." Lucy said, her voice coming out quieter than she intended as he disappeared onto the elevator.
Once he was gone, she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and stepped into the room she had been loaned. The moment the door closed behind her, she collapsed onto the bed.
On the plus side, she wasn't a prisoner after all. That was something.
She could leave. Go back to Magnolia, put all of this madness behind her.
And yet…
A part of her actually didn't want to leave.
Not if it meant leaving Natsu.
She exhaled sharply, rolling onto her back to stare at the ceiling. She hadn't been there for him today—that was an understatement. She had been overwhelmed, confused, hesitant. But if she stayed… maybe she could be a constant he could rely on. Maybe she could help him carry the weight that was pressing down on him.
Like I should've today…
Guilt gnawed at her, but she shoved it down.
She sighed. She had a feeling if she did stay... a lot of what she knew about the world would be challenged and changed- even more than it already had today. It would certainly be a lot.
...
But that's what friends do for each other, right?
...
Maybe, friend isn't the right word for it anymore...
Heat rushed to her face. She didn't know if she could face that part of herself yet, along with everything else going on...
...
But then again, the idea of Brandish, or one of the 'millions of other women' in the empire who were apparently swooning over Natsu, being there instead of her made her blood boil.
She groaned as she grabbed a pillow, shoving her head under it.
She had absolutely no idea what to do.
Or where to even begin figuring it out.
Well, there we go! What did you think? I can't wait to get into Ruth's character! I hope y'all will like her.
I also hope Spot of Tea won't think I've been stealing her ideas! If you've not checked out her latest series, The Dragneel Family Shenanigans, I highly recommend it! Natsu's mother (named Aya there) is a central character in it! It will become apparent our ideas regarding Zeref and Natsu's mother are... quite similar lol.
Oh, and a bit of bad news- after this little arc, which I am tentatively titling "Lucy's Crisis of Revelation Arc", this story will go on hiatus.
I'm not tired of writing it, but after this my outline gets real skimpy for a bit again, and I want to take my time in creating the best possible story instead of forcing myself to meet weekly deadlines (this is supposed to be fun, after all!). So yes, I'm actually going to rebuild my buffer XD. If I don't, I know I will burn myself out...
But the good news is we still have a few chapters til then! So I'll see you next time for Chapter 37, "My Enemy Is Human, Too"
Also, I know I still have comments I haven't responded to! I didn't forget about y'all, promise! :)