Open, Gate of the Star Child, Lucy (A NaLu Fanfiction)

Chapter 14 - This Other Side of Her

[Unedited]

<>Lucy<>

Hiss.

I winced, the sound sending shudders up my spine as the soles of my boots heated up, responding to the fervor of the mountain. My feet began to burn, but I clenched my jaw and took another step; backing out was not an option. The wind screamed in my ears, tearing at my hair and clothes, biting my skin with sharp stings.

After a few more painstaking feet forward, I turned back to the small town nestled in the distance. Magnolia looked so quiet and content, only a collection of quaint buildings that housed the bustling population of wizard and non wizard folk alike.

I bit my lip and looked back up at the golden globe atop Mount Yoogan. The destructive magic emitting from the summit was beginning to overwhelm me; I could feel it seeping into my own magic, tainting it with its need for obliteration. Above the sphere, a hurricane was forming. The rapidly growing swirl of clouds centered on the top of the extinct volcano.

What had Ava done?

My journey up the mountain was a long and tiresome one, and by the time I could see the top I was hot and exhausted. My breath came in heavy, drawn out pants, the air so thick that I had to start up a mantra; inhale, hold, exhale, inhale, hold, exhale. Sweat popped up all over my skin and I shivered, despite the intense heat.

‘Come on, Lucy,’ I psyched myself up through gritted teeth.

I knew what lay ahead of my at the peak of Mount Yoogan. In two words, certain death. With the giant dome looming in front of me, I knew that now was not the time to doubt Ava’s words. Flawed though her intentions may be, her heart only felt betrayal. And that was what was leading her on.

I shook my head sharply, not knowing why I was so keen to defend her after everything she’d done. The only that seemed to stick with me was that hurt that glistened in her eyes like a sheen of ice.

Shaking steps led me up to the summit where the air was turning gold and mist began to snake around my legs, tiny auric wisps darted towards me, zipping from all around. I stiffened, but they didn’t seem to want to harm me, they were only attracted to life. I smiled faintly; this was pure magic.

My expression hardening, I regained my resolve. I set my shoulders firmly and scowled into the mist.

‘Ava!’ I shouted. ‘Stop hiding from me! I’m here!’

The celestial wizard didn’t respond. Was she ignoring me? I growled lowly and grimaced.

‘Ava!’ I waited a moment for her to call back. ‘Ava! It’s Lucy! You told me to come here, didn’t you? I’m here! So come out!’

Movement directly in front of me caught my attention. A startlingly black figure within a sea of curling white, a tattered cloak blowing in the strong current. I raised my hand in hopes of blocking the wind, but it did little.

‘Ava?’ I hollered.

She didn’t respond, but who else would it be? As Ava drew closer, I felt my hands tighten. The brand on the back of my hand began to burn painfully until my eyes watered, but I didn’t shed a tear. I stood my ground until Ava was only a few feet away.

She threw back her hood and glared at me. There was nothing of the girl I once knew in those blue eyes; only coldness and fury. There was no getting through to her now.

‘You’re here,’ she said. She didn’t shout, but her voice still carried.

I glanced nervously at the hurricane above, ‘Yeah, I am. Now what do you want with me, Ava? What is all this? Don’t tell me you’re planning to attack Magnolia.’