A/N: this chapter is a little shorter than the others because it's paving the way for a bigger chunk of the story. I've also been feeling a little under the weather, so I didn't want to push myself too much. I hope you enjoy it all the same. We're getting closer to the end now!
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: HAND IN HAND
I wanna be with you every moment.
I love you; I need your love.
The only one, it has to be you.
Only, only you.
Baby, I think about you every day.
I won't beat around the bush.
Be with me, my love. Love, I wanna love only you.
I wanna think only about you. I wanna look only at you.
My love, I wanna hold you in my arms and kiss you.
Oh, every day, every time, with you.
Dreamless nights guarded Natsu like demons watching the gates of Hell. Sometimes, on colder nights, he thought they might offer him a glimpse, but all he saw now was fire and nothing. An endless void awaited him beyond the darkness. A reminder that he was nothing. Nobody. Just a host for Zeref's wicked magic. All he could do was sit and wait, trammeled by fear and remorse. Throbbing guilt festered like gaping wounds, rotten, bleeding, excruciating. Reality and sleep blurred together.
He stared vacantly at the ceiling, inhaling shadows and suspicions. Ever since he and Lucy shared themselves completely—bodies and souls—Zeref visited him less and less, creating these meaningless voids where night and day served only time and nothing else. It bothered him. And he hated that it bothered him.
Had his brother abandoned him?
Natsu cursed inwardly. What a stupid thought. Zeref abandoned Natsu long before they clashed in wars and dreams. He'd turned Natsu into a monster. A puppet with strings so black and broken he could barely move a finger, let alone the course of destiny.
Rolling onto his side, Natsu stole a glance at Lucy's dreaming face. She breathed softly, smiling beneath skeins of loose blonde hair. Natsu touched a tender kiss to her forehead, gentle enough that he wouldn't wake her, but firm enough to reach her beyond the veil of dreams and deceptions. He mussed Happy's fur and climbed out of bed, tiptoeing across the bedroom floor. He closed the door successfully behind him.
He made a beeline for the fridge, his midnight salvation, and swung it open to find it empty. He sighed. That's right, their lease ended today. He located their packs assembled by the door and acquired a sneaky tub of leftovers.
Natsu popped the lid and stole a quick handful of rice peppered in spices. He sneezed. Frozen, Natsu's head whipped to the doorway. He listened, waited. Silence joined him in quiet solidarity.
Safe!
Natsu stood nimbly, executing long strides across the floor. He'd almost reached the kitchen when a voice whispered his name: "Natsu Dragneel."
Floorboards creaked in the low light, darkness shivering across that god awful carpet. Natsu paused mid-step. His back to the voice, he lowered the tub of food slowly, recalling with distinct clarity Lucy's warning: We're leaving early, so don't unpack anything. Arms raised in surrender.
"Lucy, I can ex—"
"What are your intentions with my daughter?"
Natsu whirled on his heel. "Your what?"
Loke hopped onto the arm of the loveseat, one leg propped over the other, his expression hard. "What are your intentions with Lucy?"
"Why would I have intentions?"
"I know what you've been up to." Loke half-smirked, clearly torn between his friendship with Lucy and the suave reputation he'd built in Fairy Tail. "Should I repeat myself?"
Natsu's brain reeled for answers. He searched so deep into the back of his mind he uncovered memories of the womb, incubating slowly with flashes of a life he'd forgotten. Words failed him.
"I'm so jealous!" Loke yelled suddenly.
"Keep it down. Lucy's asleep."
"Lucy is special to us," Loke said.
And by us, of course he meant the other spirits.
"I know that," Natsu said, mildly insulted.
"But don't be fooled by her smile," Loke said. "Until you've felt the true extent of Lucy's feelings, you won't be able to protect her. Some things are buried so deep in the soul not even the gods can retrieve them."
Now he was really insulted. "Are you saying I can't protect her?"
"The bond we share as Lucy's spirits comes from a magical place. The raw essence of magic thrives on love, and Lucy's feelings determine our strength. Our weakness. When her magic fails, we sense it immediately. She is the crux of our power." Loke smiled wryly. "And now you're hers."
Natsu inhaled an arctic breath. "How long have you known?"
"It's not my place to meddle. As much as it pains me to sit back and do nothing, after Karen, I'm unable to..."
"It's okay," Natsu said. "You don't have to explain."
"For her, there is nothing I won't do, Natsu. Even if it means fighting you."
Natsu's fists clenched tight. "I know."
Loke tipped his head towards the packs littering the floor, his eyes never leaving Natsu's face.
"Running away?" he asked.
"Lucy and I got another job."
"Wait, really? How come she didn't tell me about this?"
"Because you're not really her father," Natsu jibed.
"Hey, Lucy is my one and only owner," Loke said. "I'll protect her like a father, brother, and a lover if I have to."
Natsu bristled. "Owner, huh? What are you, Lucy's pet?"
Loke flashed teeth. "Jealousy's your colour, Natsu."
So he wanted to play games, huh? Natsu could play games. As long as Lucy didn't wake up. And nobody told her about it. Actually, on second thought, Natsu didn't feel like playing games anymore.
"What do you want, Loke?"
"How is Lucy feeling?" he asked seriously.
Natsu laid down his ire and brandished sympathy instead. "Why don't you ask her yourself? Are you two fighting?"
Loke smiled to himself. "Fighting? You wish. Lucy and I are closer than ever."
The way he said it set Natsu's heart racing with an odd medley of frustration and amusement. He knew Loke was teasing him, knew it deep down in his bones. After what happened in the Domus Flau, Loke frequently tested his connection with Lucy, popping in and out of the apartment with little notice. Even though he knew this, pieces of Natsu's body, the parts of him well acquainted with Lucy, tensed in silent protest.
Loke grabbed his arm. "Stay close to her," he said. "She's going to need you."
The faintest chill tiptoed across Natsu's spine. "What's wrong with her? Did she say something to you?"
Loke shook his head. "You know how Lucy is. She puts her whole heart into something and then..." He made an explosive gesture with his hands. "It breaks her."
Natsu didn't need Lucy's smarts to know he was talking about Aquarius. He'd thought something was off from the start. Loke's insistence on sending them to that waterfall, the vague clues and runaround. He'd given Lucy hope, but at what cost? There was no guarantee that Aquarius's key was even available. And if it was, whose to say it'd be easy to get.
"You know something," Natsu said.
Loke's brows tented. "Of course I do."
"Then you should say something to Lucy."
"It's against the rules, you know that," Loke said. "Besides, Aquarius doesn't want Lucy to find her."
"What?"
"Sometimes, when we spend too long living in the past, we lose sight of the future," Loke said.
"What the hell does that mean?" Natsu reached for Loke, fingers passing through air. "Damn it! Don't just disappear like that."
Natsu's chest stiffened with threads of worry pulled much too tight. What was the right thing to do? Should he tell Lucy to stop searching? If Aquarius didn't want to be found, what were the chances she ever would be? He didn't wanna see Lucy hurt. But this was her journey.
And it was her choice.
Natsu stared at the flyer on the coffee table. Lucky for them, Old Man Sun still needed someone to make the trip, though it was a different round of supplies this time. Southeast of Crocus, Lotus Village sat low in the mountainous region, surrounded by caves and bumpy terrain, making it impossible for wagons to access. Natsu had never even heard of the place.
"Who were you talking to just now?"
Natsu started.
Lucy rubbed her eyes, half-leaning against the bedroom door. She shuffled into the room.
"Nobody," he said.
Her adjusting eyes snapped to the floor. "That better not be food."
Natsu cleared his throat. "You're dreaming."
"If that were true, you'd be standing over here right now." She beckoned with a single finger.
Swallowing hard, Natsu stepped across the room, leaving his prize on the floor behind him. He stepped within arm's length, edging closer with every bend of her finger. She grabbed his scarf and pulled him closer. She leaned in as if to kiss him, her lips ghosting his cheek. Warm breath tickled his ear.
"Unpack our things again," she whispered, "and I'll make sure you never eat again."
Natsu shuddered. "Yes ma'am."
"Now come back to bed."
"Were you feeling lonely?" he teased.
She rolled her eyes in mock frustration, but Lucy's sweet voice answered, "Of course I was. Did you learn nothing from our year apart, Natsu Dragneel?"
Natsu's heart skipped a beat. His only intentions were to love her until the universe ceased to exist.
No. He'd love her even then.
A day's ride from Crocus, Lotus Village emerged like a mystical mirage, veiled in silken clouds and soft shimmers of dawn. Tiers of waterfalls cascaded like glittering curtains from the distant skies, parting to reveal caverns of twinkling lights deep within the horizon. Light scintillated off clear waters, blushing pink amidst the wakening sunrise. Scant few houses dotted the lush terrain, summer flowers swaying in waves of bright colours and fragrant kisses.
"It's so beautiful," Lucy said.
Natsu grunted beneath the weight of his pack. This delivery sure as hell better be worth it. He'd never carried so much crap before. Lucy saw it as just punishment for his role in the steady decline of their rations.
Happy soared higher to gain a better vantage. "Do you think anybody lives here?"
"The delivery is for his brother, isn't it?" Lucy said. "Somebody must live here."
"It's the total opposite of Crocus," Natsu put in.
Where Crocus was all stone and crowds, Lotus Village had few houses, populated by luscious fields and dazzling waters. Natsu felt like he'd stepped into one of Lucy's favourite stories.
"I see a path," Happy yelled.
They followed Happy's shadow until they reached an opening in one of the falls. They traversed flagstone pathways, meandering between vast gardens and beautiful houses made of veined marble and pure stone. Vines and moss clung to wooden overhangs, overlapping walls and balconies, weaving an endless blanket of green. Everywhere he looked, Natsu saw hues so vibrant it hurt to stare too long.
"It's like a daydream," Lucy said, swinging her arms as she walked.
"They must have lots of yummy food," Happy said.
"An inn would be better," Lucy said. "My feet hurt."
Natsu adjusted the pack on his back and swallowed an eager retort. His conversation with Loke clung like webs of spiders, skittering across his mind with every quiet opportunity.
Lucy stretched her arms overhead and yawned. Natsu caught a glimpse of the ring on her finger, a small smile edging onto his lips. It wasn't uncommon to find her playing with it these days, as though every thought, every feeling, lived within their promise.
They crossed a magnificent stone bridge into a bustling marketplace. Families and friends wandered in and out of tiny stores. It seemed they were used to tourists, offering only polite smiles and hellos as they passed. It was no surprise. Everything about Lotus Village coruscated magic and miracles. One of Earthland's many hidden gems.
Pathways converged into one great plaza, performers dancing and singing to gathering audiences. They stopped by a nearby pond.
"This place is like a painting," Lucy said. "I can't believe how..."
Natsu followed her gaze to where a single well sat in the middle of gargling streams and randomly apportioned ponds. Fish of all colours swam in the crystal waters. Happy skimmed the waters with a paw, toying with the fish. Lucy motioned for him to stop.
"Lucy?" Natsu pressed.
Happy touched a paw to Lucy's forehead. "Does something hurt, Lucy?"
She touched her chest almost reflexively, and Natsu's mind ached with horrors of nightmares long past. He shook the images from mind, burned away terrors of red threads and oozing lifeblood.
"Do you wanna make a wish?" Natsu offered.
Lucy brightened at the idea. "I don't think we should trespass. It looks kind of old, doesn't it?"
Now that she mentioned it, the stones were noticeably cracked. It was probably the oldest thing in the village.
Natsu offered his hand. "Let's keep moving, Lucy."
She took the hand, a soft smile warming her eyes. In times like this, all he could do was hold her hand.
'Don't be fooled by her smile.'
"Hey, you'd tell us if you were feeling unwell, right?" Natsu said.
Happy glided along between them. "Yeah, Lucy. Don't hold it in if you have a tummy ache."
"I'm fine," she said.
A lie.
"Let's check the flyer and see if we can find this guy," Natsu said, rummaging in a pocket. He withdrew the flyer and scanned the address scrawled on the back. What difference did it make? The signposts here made no sense. Every house looked the same.
"Miss Heartfilia?"
Lucy stopped walking. Surprise and awe shifted on Lucy's face, but not the kind of shock requiring flames and fists. It took her a moment, but she recognised the man walking their way, her eyes lighting up with sudden joy.
About Gildarts's age, the man that greeted them wore pants covered in dirt, his shirt torn from hard labour.
"You know this guy, Lucy?" Natsu asked.
"I don't believe this," Lucy said. "That's him. The man who told me about the key merchant."
"The guy from Onibus Town?" Natsu recalled.
Lucy nodded.
The man approached them eagerly. He held up a filthy hand, so bashful it left Natsu feeling moderately guilty for suspecting him of bad intentions.
"What are the chances we'd meet again so soon?" The man grinned. "What brings you to my humble village?"
"There's nothing humble about this place," Lucy said.
"Yeah, it's pretty impressive."
"There're so many fish!" Happy exclaimed.
"I'm honoured you think so," the man said. "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Kaito Sun. It's a pleasure to meet you again, miss Heartfilia. And company."
"Please, call me Lucy," she said, following with brief introductions of said company. "Actually, we're here to deliver supplies from—"
"Oh! You're right on time! Tending gardens is difficult without the proper tools. Hard to buy supplies when you live in the middle of nowhere. Living here can be tough without the right connections. Travelling's the only way sometimes."
That's right, Lucy had mentioned something about the man at Onibus Bar being a seasoned traveler and collector.
Natsu dumped the pack on the ground, relieved they'd found the right person. Or, rather, that the right person had found them. Kaito took the supplies gratefully.
"Please, come with me to receive your payment," he said.
They followed Kaito along a series of narrow paths leading through fields of crops and people, all of them waving fondly whenever they saw him pass. It was clear to Natsu that this man was beloved, and perhaps more important than he gave himself credit for. Whatever fate had in store for Kaito and Lucy, it was strong enough now that they'd met twice by pure coincidence.
They stopped at a beautiful stone house with arched windows surrounded by rippling grasslands filled with unkempt weeds and flowers. People didn't live in this place. Nature did. They were simply visitors, at best.
"Daddy!"
A young girl emerged from the grass, clad in stained overalls and scuffed trainers. Kaito plucked her from the ground and twirled her overhead. She squealed delightfully, blonde hair twirling around her cherubic face. She couldn't have been much older than ten or eleven.
Kaito lowered his daughter to the ground. "Alina, there's someone here that I'd like you to meet."
She turned with the motion of his hand. Natsu registered confusion, then surprise, then something so close to elation it brought Alina to tears.
"Lucy?" she dared to ask.
"Don't be shy," Kaito said. "Miss Heartfilia is delivering supplies to our village today. You should say thank you."
Alina shuffled closer, reticent, blue eyes fixed to the ground. "Thank you," she whispered.
Lucy bent forward, palms on her thighs. "I hear you wanna join Fairy Tail when you're older," she said.
Alina's head snapped up. "Do you think I can?"
Lucy beamed. "Of course you can."
Natsu couldn't help but feel a little left out. It must've shown, because Happy dropped onto his shoulder to offer a comforting smile.
"Don't worry, Natsu. I'll always be your biggest fan," he whispered.
"Thanks, buddy."
The girls chatted for a while, talking about magic and guilds and family. Nobody dared to intrude on what could only be described as a sacred conversation.
"Oh." Alina reached suddenly for Aquarius's key dangling loose between them. "It's the same."
Natsu's blood froze solid in his veins.
Lucy didn't move. Alina twisted the broken key between her fingers, gently admiring the smooth patterns. After a moment, she removed something from the pocket of her overalls. Held up in the light, the object sparkled solid gold and shimmered with crushed hopes.
Aquarius's key.
Song: LOVE - Lyn, HanHae.
COMING SOON—–
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: AN ETERNAL BOND