°• T W E N T Y - T W O •°
•••
"How is he?"
Wendy sighed, lowering her hands. Erza sat on a chair opposite to her, while Natsu just observed it all from the doorway, arms crossed.
"He should be fine." she sighed, yet the small hint of uncertainty in her voice didn't go unnoticed by either of the mages or the exceeds. "I've done everything I can."
"How did this even happen?" Erza asked, distress clearly showing on her face. "It doesn't make sense."
"He is one of the strongest. For him to just be like this.."
"Did you have a premonition as of late? Probably about a strong foe? Or something? Anything?" Erza asked, desperation evident in her voice.
"No." Carla mumbled, dejected. "Although.."
"Carla!"
Everyone except the said exceed turned to look at Wendy, who had just cut off her best friend warningly. Carla continued to stare at her paws, wearing a crestfallen expression.
"Wendy..what do we achieve by hiding it?"
As soon as those words were heard, the bluenette's hard look fell, replaced with one with that of utter hopelessness and sadness.
Deep down, she knew.
It would achieve nothing.
"What is all of this about?" Erza questioned, shaking her head. "Just tell us what happened. We need to know."
"Wendy.."
The sky maiden shifted her gaze to her lap, clenching her fists. Natsu calling out her name was just as much as she could take.
What should she do?
She didn't want to hurt him.
Telling him would hurt.
But he had to know.
Why was life just so difficult?!
Why did they have to make choices?!
"You found him." Happy began, his voice already quivering. "Only you know what happened."
She couldn't hide it.
Not anymore.
She had to tell.
No matter how difficult it was.
Maybe, this is what life was meant to be after all.
Choosing between what was right and what was easy.
"Carla and I.." she began, her voice quivering just a little. "We found Gray-san near the town square."
She clasped her hands, desperately trying to stop the shaking.
"When we first saw him he was already down on his knees, in a coughing fit. And.."
"And?.."
"And..Lucy was there, watching him."
Wendy didn't dare look up, clasping her hands even tighter. She didn't want to see their faces. Their reactions.
She didn't want to face the consequences of her decision.
"All we did was just stand there. Too shocked to move!"
Her throat hurt, her heart hurt.
"Before we could do anything.." Wendy sobbed, finally letting it out, unable to hold it in any longer. "Lucy fled. Leaving Gray-san just like that."
Everyone fell quiet, Wendy's sobs filling the silence in the room. "All we could do was watch her go. We did nothing! We could do nothing."
"I don't even know what to think of all of this." Carla spoke up, her own voice quivering. "Was this always her intention? Hurt one of-"
"You're wrong."
His voice was uncharacteristically cold, and there was a sharp edge to it that made the others stare at him wide eyed in disbelief. Wendy gasped as she directly came under his hardened gaze, and immediately looked down, her blue bangs covering her eyes.
"She would never do such a thing. And you know it."
"But what we saw-"
"You saw wrong." Natsu's curt voice swiftly cut the exceed off, his angry footsteps following it soon. "And I'm going to prove it."
"Natsu!" Erza call out, getting up herself. "You can't just-"
"Yes I can. And I will."
Giving one last look to everyone left behind, Natsu slammed the door shut and walked off into the night, to wherever she was.
To wherever his Lucy was.
•••
Cold.
Dark.
Lonely.
This is all that she felt.
Nothing else. Just emptiness.
But this emptiness was okay. An escape. And Lucy would've done anything to stay that way.
However, life, like always, had other plans.
Little by little, as each moment passed, her senses returned, and with it so did the utter hopelessness, anguish and guilt.
It was evading her darkness, seeping in her emptiness.
"Finally awake I see?"
It was that voice again. The same deep voice that she heard in the woods before collapsing. It was here.
Lucy struggled to open her eyes, despite the terrible pounding in her head. The ground was cold and hard, and a dull sliver of the silver moonlight seeped in through the barred window, barely illuminating the place she was in.
She tried to sit up straight, however found her movements restricted. The cold chains clanked against the wall, binding her with them.
"What the-"
"Don't bother." the same voice said from a distance. Looking around, she noticed someone standing in the shadows, against the wall, arms crossed.
"Why-"
"Are you chained? Well couldn't risk you running out on me, could I?"
The clouds shifted, and the chains binding Lucy shined silver. Dried patches of crimson blood surrounded her, some of it even on her dirty and ruffled blonde hair. But that was the least of her concerns.
For, he was finally out of the shadows.
"Y-You-"
"Yes, me." He stepped forward, his green eyes cold and uninviting. He tilted his head to the side, the ghost of a wicked smile on his face. "Missed me, Lucy?"
She could feel bile rising in her throat, her panic getting the best of her. She thought the spell had finished everything off that day. That they were all gone.
Then how was he here?!
Was it all for nothing?!
Her breathing became heavy and tears prickled her eyes at just the thought of that. Was she really that weak, that even after sacrificing so much, she could still not do it right?
Still not win?
"Judging by that, it's a no." he walked towards her, chuckling humorlessly. Squatting down to her level, he gently grazed her cheek with his fingers, still wearing a smile. "But I certainly did miss you."
"How are you even alive?" Lucy spat, turning her head aggressively. He withdrew his hand, however, did not get up. "And..And..how do you even remember me?"
"Well, I fled. That's about it all really. And as for remembering you..the spell failed. You were not ready."
Stab.
"But I destroyed everything! The place was in ruins! How could it have failed?!"
"Yet here I am." he shrugged, falling back relaxed as if they were both having discussions over tea. "And I am here to have my revenge."
His demeanor changed in an instant, and he grabbed Lucy by her hair, causing the mage to yelp in pain.
"I may be alive, but you destroyed me that night Heartfilia. You ruined me! And all of my hard work!"
His eyes glowed as he grabbed her hair even more painfully, rage practically ebbing out of him. Lucy couldn't help but endure it, bound by the shackles and his grip.
"I saw my whole life destroyed in front of me! Each one of those creations that I spent years on to perfect! Everything destroyed by a stupid girl like you!"
"Y-You did?" Lucy asked, shocked, her eyes pooling with tears. "It was never Wilfred! I-It was you-"
"Winston. Yes. It was always me. And that is why the spell failed."
He aggressively thrust her to the side, and Lucy hit her head hard against the wall, yelping in pain. Her hands behind her back ached to be free, to do something about all of this, but as pathetic as it all was, she didn't have a chance.
"He was just an old fool with insane magic power who I tricked. That bastard, he never realised how strong he really was. And he was always your target. Not me. If only I had that type of power, would then anyone ever realise the full potential of magic."
"W-What do you mean?" Lucy whimpered from the pain, looking at him. She was exhausted, and she just wanted to sleep. Go back in the darkness where there was nothing.
Nothing at all.
Why can't she just go back there?
"I have, for some reason never been able to master the craft of magic. Get stronger. No matter how hard I trained. Or how strong my resolve was." He said as he got up, leaving her side. "It was always feeble. And the wizard guilds didn't make it any better either-me surviving."
"So I decided to work on creating something much more amazing than magic. And what was more amazing than magic you ask? The very embodiment of demon curses."
"H-How did you even find out about Tartaros?"
He looked at her, a joyful grin on his face. "Nothing is impossible when you have access to the largest magical library to ever exist. You know about it don't you Heartfilia? You've been there."
He was talking about the magic library that she went to with Levy and Natsu during the eclipse rebellion.
Back when they knew her and cared about her.
Back when she wasn't forgotten.
Back when she had them.
"What do you have me here for?"
"Oh you know.." he replied, smiling cheekily. "To get back what's mine."
"What?!"
He kneeled down again, Looking at her. However, all Lucy wanted was to sleep. She didn't care anymore. She was way too exhausted.
Way too tired.
And she just wanted to rest. Forever.
"You use holder type magic. And your magic has memory of my creations. Everything was destroyed that night. But the souls remain intact." He brought up his hand to her face again, grazing her blood stained cheek. "I might be the creater, but I can't create it the way it was three years ago. But you and your magic can help me create it into something much more.."
"W-What?"
It was like she was suddenly thrust back in the real world, all of it before just a dream.
"Your spirits of course." He said, starting to get up and leave. "And you."
Like ice cold water washing away all of her delusions.
That she didn't care. That she was done.
Because they were all lies. She knew it now. She cared. Nothing will ever change that.
And she'd make sure that Winston would know that.
Without thinking, she leapt and pushed him hard, catching him off balance. He looked back at her, anger and shock evident on his face, while hers just held one.
Rage.
"What was that about?" he chuckled, kneeling down and grabbing her by her hair again. "Feeling brave? It's no use. You're stuck here. Nobody will come to save you. You made sure of that, remember?
"I know that." her voice was raspy, fierce. "I don't care what happens to me but you will never, and I mean never touch my spirits. And my friends. I will make sure that you will suffer."
"Oh?" he smiled, grabbing her hair tighter. "I'd like to see you try. Let's see how long that fire in your eyes lasts Heartfilia."
Staring into his cold, cruel eyes with the fierceness of her own, she didn't even realise when suddenly everything was just a blazing blur. Hot air swooshed right past Lucy, and before she could even comprehend what had happened, there was a sickening 'crunch' and Winston went flying to the right, hitting hard on the stone wall.
Fire.
Lucy blinked, unable to believe it.
There was fire. Blazing flames erupting from his fist.
Natsu's fist.
"Keep your filthy hands away from her"
•••
Ahem.
So..it's me..after a month. Haha
*Insert awkward laugh*
Soooo...I'mma be going now. Idek if y'all are even gonna read this shit but I promise I'll finish it.
Until next time!(Which I don't know when is)
Belle🌸
🔥♥🔑
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