Song: Lullaby
   By: Matt Cupelli

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The mission was supposed to be easy for them. While being away a few days to head into the largest mountain in Fiore, Team Natsu needed to find a special herb that only grow in the caves of Mount Hakobe. Of course there were what Natsu called 'snow monkeys' that were actually large gorillas that could easily throw them like pebbles. So going through the obstacles of the gorillas to reach the herb they ran into a little trouble. A large crack seemed to have erupted overhead on the roof of the cave, and no one seemed to have noticed.

After the gorillas were wiped out the team continued to walk down the path of finding the herb. Lucy, sadly had already used Horologium to get to the mountain, was shivering to death. "I knew this coat wouldn't be enough to keep me warm! Why did I leave my gloves at the hotel?!" Lucy muttered cursing at herself as she continued to walk. Erza and Wendy giggled at the poor Celestial Mage for how she was acting. "You can borrow my gloves Lucy-san. I'm warm enough to not need them." Though Lucy was considering accepting Wendy's gloves, she couldn't think of taking her gloves from her. "I'll be okay Wendy. The sooner we find the herb the faster we can get out of here!" Lucy smiled as her teeth chattered. Wendy put her gloves back on and gave Lucy a warm expression. "Don't worry Lucy-san! We'll find the herb before you know it!"

"Yeah...about that." Gray said when the two boys that were bickering at each other stopped walking. The girls caught up with them when Lucy gasped at the sight. In front of them was a pool of blue water that was frozen, and underneath the ice was the herb they needed. "Are you kidding me?!" Lucy yelled while swinging her arms at the pool. "Please don't tell me we have to actually swim to get it!? The water is freezing none of us could survive that!" Erza walked on top of the ice and slammed her foot down. "As I thought, frozen solid. Lucy's right, no one can swim down to get it. It would be too cold even if we got out of the water; it's below freezing as it is."

The teammates were now at a stump. Their client needed the herb, but how can they get it without risking their own life? Everyone was now in their little corner, thinking of what they could possibly do to get the herb. Time passed, and the temperature was dropping more and more. They could tell because Lucy's shivering was getting worse. As everyone talked amongst themselves, Lucy looked down at her keys. Then a brilliant thought came to mind. "I got it!" Lucy said snapping her fingers when she picked up one of her keys. Aquarius's key to be exact. "Erza, do you think you can cut through the ice so I can reach the water?" The swordswoman called a sword to hand and nodded. "Easy enough." With a few strokes of her wrist there was an opening while a cube of ice was picked up and pushed away. Lucy rolled her coat sleeve up and sighed. "Open Gate of the Water Bearer: Aquarius!" With the sound of a church bell the gateway to the Celestial Realm opened, and behold Aquarius with her urn in her hands floated above Lucy. "You little brat!" Aquarius growled chopping Lucy with her hand. "Ow!" Cried Lucy. "It's freezing down here and you decide to summon me!? You must have a death wish!"

"I'm sorry Aquarius, but I need your help!" Lucy said as she held her head. "I need you to go down this pool of water and get a special herb. It'll be red with orange thorns around the stem." Aquarius looked down at her Celestial Mage and stuck her nose up. "No way." The wizards jaws fell to the floor. Lucy was flabbergasted at her spirit. "No!? Please Aquarius you're the only one I know that can do this!" The spirit shook her head. "No. Even spirits can freeze you stupid brat! I'm not going down there to get a plant." Just by Lucy's expression she felt hopeless. She wanted to help the client, and her spirit wasn't doing anything to help her. Aquarius noticed Lucy's face, and tched because of it. "But, I can give you the ability to breath underwater. As long as I stay in this realm then you should be able to get the plant quickly."

"Really!" Lucy said already hopeful again. "Wait a second," Gray said when he suddenly stepped closer. "The water is freezing. Is there another way to make sure none of us humans have to go down there?" The Spirit glared at Gray, which caused the Ice Mage to get chills down his spine. "Sorry bud, but as I said I'm not going down there. Not only can I freeze but I have a date to go to shortly. And I can only give one person the ability to breath underwater. So...who'll it be is up to you." The comrades fell silent. All of them looked at each other with pure concern. Natsu crossed his arms, and sighed. "I'll do-"

"I can do it." Lucy said while looking down at the water. Her reflection stared up at her when she knew she had to be the one to do it. Not because she wanted to be the hero, but because if anything were to happen, if anything went wrong, she would be the one to pay the consequences. "Lucy, you're the one that's been bickering about the cold! You are the one person that should not do this!" Erza exclaimed stepping closer. Lucy shook her head. "It's okay. Besides, I'm sure I won't feel it when I come back up from the water. Plus I'm a good swimmer, and I know what I'll be looking for since I read about medicinal herbs." Natsu walked forward until he was next to Lucy. Just standing next to the Fire Dragon Slayer, Lucy was already warming up again. Natsu's eyes were unbreakable when he kneeled beside her. "You don't have to do it Lucy. I don't mind doing this for you." Lucy smiled when she gave him a thumbs up. "I'll be okay! I can do this Natsu. Besides, I rather it be me than anyone else." Natsu didn't understand that last sentence, what she meant by it. But he respected her decision, and gave her a childish smile. "Then get back to us quickly eh?" He said when Lucy nodded. "You can count on it!"

As Lucy undressed herself to only her bra and panties, Erza made sure the boys were staring the other way. Wendy held Lucy's pink coat, red turtle neck sweater, jeans, and boots when Lucy took her earrings off. "T-Thank you for help-ping me Wendy." The Sky Maiden smiled at Lucy. "Just be careful while you're down there Lucy. You can get lost under the ice." Lucy knew that, but she wasn't so worried about it thankfully to Aquarius's spell that'll help her breathe underwater. But with Lucy only being in her undergarments, the cold ate through her skin and reached her bones. She tried to stop her shivering, but failed miserably when she seemed to be freezing mid steps to her Celestial Spirit. "S-Start whenever y-y-you like, Aquariu-us." Lucy said with her teeth chattering nonstop. Erza allowed the boys to look when both of them blushed at Lucy's lacy pink bra. Natsu had to loosen his scarf because of the sudden heat hitting him.

Aquarius put her middle and index finger over where Lucy's sternum laid, as her eyes hue a blue glow. Lucy's eyes did as well grew a blue glow over her brown orbs when she quickly sucked in air. Aquarius pulled her hand away and stared where the opening of the pool was. "Make sure you don't panic stupid brat. If I disappear then you will lose the ability to breath underwater. Got that?" Lucy nodded in agreement, and slowly walked across the ice covered pool until she made it to the big entrance Erza cut out. The Celestial Mage sat on her butt when she hissed at the ice freezing her bottom and thighs. Lucy slowly put her feet in the water when a quick and painful gasp escaped Lucy from the sensation of the water. It was so cold it was burning her skin. 'You can do this.' Lucy thought putting the rest of her legs in the water. 'You have to do this.' Lucy looked up at Aquarius and her comrades, showing them a grin. "Be back i-in a m-m-minute." Using her arms to lift her, Lucy submerged into the frozen pool. Her comrades ran to where the entrance was and watched through the foggy ice as she swam to the bottom. "Please find it quickly Lucy." Natsu muttered not even realizing he said it out loud.

Lucy was paralyzed inside. All she wanted to do was swim back up to the surface and call it quits. Her skin burned from the cold water when she finally stroked down to move further below. As Lucy inhaled the water in her lungs it got even worse. Though she could breath, the way how water filled her lungs was not pleasant. She wasn't sure if she was even breathing right. Another stroke with her arms and finally Lucy was getting used to it. At least that's what she thought. The feeling of the cold was fading away, or was it numbing her? Lucy didn't care at that point, she just wanted to find the medicinal herb. Another stroke and Lucy was reached the plant life at the bottom of the pool.

But, it was all dead.

Lucy searched around only seeing brown grass and brown stems with dead leaves drifting through the water. That should be the herb, but it was dead! 'No. No there has to be one that's alive! I have to find it!' Lucy pushed further down to where the water was growing darker for her to see. Back up to her comrades and Spirit they watched as Lucy swam further down to where they were beginning to lose sight of her. "Can anyone see her!?" Erza said when she put her head down to see closer. Wendy did the same as she shaped her hands like binoculars around her eyes. "She's going further! Lucy-san hasn't found the herb yet!" Natsu's hand began to bubble the ice from worrying over Lucy. "Come on Lucy..." He muttered clenching his fists to stop melting the ice.

The numbness was growing worse as the burning was fading. Lucy started to see dark spots in her vision when she slapped her hands over her face. 'Come on Lucy! You're getting closer! You have to finish this!' Lucy swam deeper into the water where light could no longer reach. Lucy was out of sight for her comrades as she could only use her sense of touch. The herb would have a waxy texture if it isn't dead. So, when Lucy reached the bottom, despite her anxiety of touching the long grass, she searched throughly until she could feel the waxy plant. Her comrades were starting to panic when they no longer had sight of Lucy. "What if there is something down there?! Does she have her keys with her?" Erza yelled as she tried to push her head through the ice. Wendy unfolded Lucy's jeans showing her comrades Lucy's key pouch. "No..."

"Come on Lucy hurry up!" Gray shouted with his hands going through his hair. Natsu was getting hotter by the second as he could only keep his focus on the water. "Lucy..." he growled not with anger, but frustration of how he could easily have allowed her to do this. This was Lucy's life on the line. There may be a possibility she won't come back up. "Where are you!?"

'Found it!' The waxy leaves caressed Lucy's skin when she scooped the roots out of the soil. With the herb still intact of its roots, Lucy could finally get out of here. Lucy began to swim thinking of how she actually did it. Even with the pain of the cold, and the numbness escalating, she was proud that she believed in herself. That is until she realized she was covered in darkness. Lucy was so focused at her task she didn't even noticed that she was no longer in water she could see. Where was she? Where was up?! Was she going to the surface? Or going deeper?! 'I don't understand? Which way is up!? Where is the surface!?' The one rule Lucy needed to follow, was starting within her.

Back at the surface Aquarius began to phase in and out. The Spirit gasped when she cursed. "Oh no. The little brat is panicking! If she doesn't calm down then she's going to drown!" The Fairy Tail Wizards looked up at the mermaid. "WHAT?!" They all yelled in unison. Without thinking they called out to Lucy and bashed their fists into the frozen ice. All they could hope for what that Lucy could hear them call for her. "LUCY WE'RE RIGHT HERE! LISTEN LUCY PLEASE WE'RE UP HERE!" Their voices carried throughout the cave. And it was starting to shake from the echoes.

Lucy screamed what were bubbles out of her mouth. She was lost and had no sense of direction. Every thought came to mind that she was going to drown any second if she doesn't calm down. This is what she was afraid of if one of her comrades did this. If Lucy began to panic then she could accidentally send her Spirit back to the Celestial Realm, and cause one of them to drown. That is why she did this, was so only her blood would be on her hands. Not one of her nakamas. 'Wendy, Gray, Erza...Natsu! Please help me!'  Lucy let out a stream of bubbles in fear, swimming in circles as she was losing time. Her comrades watched bubbles fly until it was trapped under the ice, causing them to stress even more. They continued to hit their fists in the frozen ice as they screamed for her name. The cave was shaking more and more as dust fell from the ceiling. "Lucy!" Her nakamas screamed as the Spirit was phasing in and out more frequently.

Lucy stopped struggling. She heard it...she heard her name. It was faint and far away that she almost didn't catch it. Lucy closed her eyes and held in her breath, listening closely. Her heartbeat was quick and loud in her eardrums, but she heard it again. "Lucy!" Her nakamas were calling for her, they were helping her find the way back to them. Lucy pushed herself to the direction of her comrades, focusing on staying calm and listening to their pleas. 'I'm almost there, I can make it!' The herb that was tightly in her hand managed to slip from her grasp. Because of this, hell broke loose. Lucy lost her calmness.

"Lucy..." Aquarius whispered and disappeared back to the Celestial Realm. The wizards above the ice were struck with fear. The Celestial Spirit was gone, meaning Lucy has lost the ability to breathe under water. Almost instantaneous Lucy's lungs burned with fire. As the Celestial Wizard was drowning she snatched the herb and swam in distress. Her vision was fading as a warm light entered her line of sight. Lucy didn't know if it was the light of the cave, or the light of her passing away. She hoped it was the first option. As Lucy's time was running short, Natsu put his arm in the entrance of the pool and searched frantically to reach Lucy. Just with his arm in the water it made him shiver of how cold it was. "Come on!" Natsu screamed reaching further to see if he could reach her. Natsu's heart was beating out of his chest. Every second felt like a minute as he helplessly and frantically shoved his arm deeper into the water. Natsu was ready to just dive down there and get her.

The light to Lucy was growing brighter, when she saw an arm reach out to her. Was it the arm of an angel ready to take her to a new home; back to her parents as she would forever be lost in the mountain? The last remaining bubbles left Lucy, when her body became too heavy for her to swim anymore. The only sensation she felt was the death grip of the herb she held in her hand as her body drifted back down to the floor of the pool. If Lucy was going to die, then she was going to reach the angel. With little strength she mustered, Lucy used her right arm and stretched her hand out. Her vision was completely gone, her chest no longer fighting to breathe, when a warm hand roughly and tightly grabbed Lucy's wrist.

Lucy felt her body being pulled up until her body resurfaced from the water, but she didn't gasp for air. She felt out of body, floating on what must have been clouds. The rays of the sun bathed her in warmth when in the distance she heard screaming and crying. She tried to mute it out, to ignore the heartbreaking sobs, but it grew louder. And louder. Until she was being pulled back to it.

"Lucy! Oh Gods Lucy-san please!" Wendy cried when Natsu pulled her out and laid Lucy on her side. The Celestial Mage didn't make a sound when she resurfaced, alarming the wizards when Erza put her ear over her mouth. "She isn't breathing. Roll her on her back I'll do chest compressions!" Natsu did as he ordered with dilated eyes. He never felt so...helpless. He could easily protect Lucy from bad guys, but he couldn't protect her from this. Natsu couldn't protect her from drowning... Erza balled her fists and pushed down below Lucy's sternum as she counted to herself. Lucy didn't move as her blue lips grew worse, and pale skin making her garments pop out in color. Natsu grabbed Lucy's cheeks and gently shook her. "Wake up Lucy!" He begged when he looked up at Erza. Not even the sounds of Wendy's cries could be heard from Natsu. The only thing Natsu could hear was his heart smashing against his ribs. The sight of Lucy...not breathing, but only lying down motionless, has scarred Natsu. "What should I do Erza!?" The Fire Dragon Slayer cried as his hands wiped Lucy's blonde strands off her face.

"Give her mouth to mouth! Slightly tilt her head up, pinch the nostrils and seal your lips together. Two breaths and I'll continue the compressions once you're done!" Natsu nodded and did Ezra's instructions. The Fire Mage leaned down and closed his lips over Lucy's and blew warm air back into her lungs. He did it twice when Erza continued. "Again Natsu! Gray take Wendy away and calm her down!" Natsu kissed Lucy again when he closed his eyes. He didn't notice, but warm tears slid down Natsu's face when he gave air to Lucy two times again. "Please come back Luce..." The Dragon Slayer begged when his tears landed on Lucy's pale cheek.

"Natsu..." The blonde whimpered when she could hear him in the distance. The invisible force pulling Lucy back to her comrades became stronger. The warmth was slipping as it was turning darker every second. Lucy closed her eyes, screaming for all of this to end. "NATSU!!!" She yelled when a force slammed Lucy back into oblivion.

The Celestial Mage coughed up water as it escaped her nose. Lucy tried to inhale air when she choked on water. A cough made Lucy choke even more when she turned to the warm being to allow the water to easily escape her. Lucy heard sighs and felt arms hugging her waist when the remaining water left her lungs. Loud, uneven breaths Lucy breathed in when she opened her eyes. She was freezing and was in a cave made of ice. "Oh thank the Gods! You're okay!" Lucy heard when she saw Natsu hugging her close to him. Erza laid down and covered her face with her armored hands while the Sky Maiden ran across the ice to tackle her in a bear hug. "Lucy-san!" Wendy sobbed as she hiccuped. "We thought we lost you!" Lucy wrapped her arm around Wendy when her breathing was back to normal. "W-What hap-p-pend?" Lucy's voice was soft and scratchy.

"You drowned that's what happened! What the hell happened down there you nearly got yourself killed!" The Ice Mage screamed with angry eyes. Erza wiped her face and silenced Gray. "Stop it Gray. You're not helping." The swordswoman sat back up and sighed. Wendy nor Natsu didn't let Lucy go when Erza sniffled from her abrupt tears. "Are you okay Lucy?"

The Celestial Mage did not feel well at all, but she pushed aside all the pain in her body and nodded. "I'll b-be fine. I n-n-need my c-clothes." Wendy pulled away and rubbed her eyes. "I'll get them for you. Wait here." Lucy leaned into Natsu's chest. The warmth he was radiating made Lucy feel safe and secure; she was close to falling asleep. "Here Lucy-san. Do you need help?" Lucy shook her head as she tried to stand up. Her limbs felt like hollow glass as pain seared into her muscle. Before she could even stand upright she fell back down when Wendy caught her. "Lucy-san!"

"I-I'm fine..." The blonde mage whispered when she grabbed her clothes. "Can y-you help me u-u-up Wendy?" Wendy nodded and placed Lucy's arm around her shoulders soon heaving Lucy up to stand. Lucy hunched over as she was suddenly dizzy, like the blood in her brain fell to her feet in a matter of seconds. "I'm so tired." Lucy didn't even realize she said her thoughts out loud until warm hands wrapped under her elbows. "I can help her stand. Erza, Wendy can you get Lucy dressed?" Natsu asked while Lucy leaned back into Natsu. Her head was dozing and hanging low as the blonde was falling asleep. Lucy felt her arms being brought above her head to put her sweater over her, tight jeans hugging her thighs and her warm fuzzy socks back on her feet again. As her coat was wrapped around Lucy she was near close to falling asleep. "Don't go to sleep Lucy-san. You have a very slow pulse due to your extreme hypothermia. Natsu-san, do you think you can keep her warm long enough until we're back in town?" Natsu didn't even say a word when he picked Lucy up bridal style in his arms. One of Lucy's arms hung off as her head rested on Natsu's bicep. "I c-can walk."

"Sure you can Lucy. Once you're all warmed up again then you can walk everyday. Just stay awake for our sake okay?" The salmon-haired mage said. Erza, that took the herb from Lucy, placed the medicinal plant somewhere in her armor and looked back at her nakamas. "Come on everyone. We've been so loud I haven't realized how fragile the cave is now. No one make a sound."

This was going to be a long and ruthless journey for the Fairy Tail wizards. They believed their journey was over, but it has just started when the roof of the cave began to fall upon them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part Two coming soon. Maybe in a week or two. Gotta finish up the Third Book of the Series.😊

As always...love you all!❤️