Lucy laid on the soft bed in the room she rented for the night. It was a total luxury compared to sleeping under the stars. She, again, was forced to be the strong and independent woman, one that had to use her mind more than anything else as it was the only way to make quick money. The past couple of years, since the disbandment of Fairy Tail, took away her dreams of what life could have been and now she was forced to make ends meet.
Instead of being with a family, she was alone.
Natsu, the fire dragon slayer and her one-time partner, took her to Fairy Tail. He was the reason she was alive. His overwhelming strength saved her from enemies that could have easily snuffed the life out her. From those tough times he protected her, she thought she loved him.
But as she stared at the peeling ceiling of white crusted with black mold, she knew she had been naïve. She had spent years opening herself to people, blindingly trusting them, only to find out it was all for nothing. Her friends, once she called family, abandoned her. Her parents were long gone and she was left to fend for herself.
Now, she was laying on a soft mattress rather than a hard ground. Her blond hair, a halo around her as her fingers splayed out on the smooth surface of the bed sheets. At least she didn't have to worry about critters crawling all over her while she slept. That kept her itch free for one night.
However, tomorrow she had to look for another place to crash. With no apartment, no furniture, no friends, she had nothing to tie her down. And because there wasn't anything holding her back, she been in more places than she could count. Some included Clover Town, Cedar, Crocus, and Shirotsume Town.
Perhaps she could stay one more day in Crocus, explore the place as she never fully got the chance to experience it since the Grand Magic Games two years ago had too many dangerous events. The big town was getting crowded by the day. The new arrival of the previous magical guilds promised one hell of a year. Fairy Tail, Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, and Blue Pegasus were going to participate. But Lucy had to be out of the bustling town before they arrived. The dragon slayers had good noses and her scent was one thing she couldn't change. Natsu and Gajeel would be the ones to sniff her out.
That meant she had three days to spare before their arrival. According to the Sorcerer Magazine, there was going to be a huge festival for Fairy Tail's revival. The Grand Magic Games the previous year was a bore without their involvement.
Lucy expected the streets to be crowded but at the same time she didn't mind the distraction. One would be astonished how she was able to blend easily with a group of people compared to being on a street with one or two of them. It was better to be right under their noses because no one was expecting her to be out in the open. That was how she discovered the job advertisement on the bulletin for her whereabouts. Apparently, Fairy Tail was searching for her and they were willing to pay handsomely for her return.
Her lips stretched across her face, amusement flashing in her dark eyes. There was no way in hell she was returning to a guild that abandoned her. All that talk about family was a line of bull!
At least she could say she learned not to trust people. She lifted her fingers and with her pointers and thumbs she created a triangle. The three-sided shape represented her world. Whatever her one eye could see, she stuck with it. Objects, she could handle. Living things on the other hand, she ignored them.
Just then she heard a noise and quickly, she sat up on the bed. Her eyes darted to the window and then the door. Outside, the sun had retired for the day. The room she rented was quiet and still. The lamp on the nightstand was the only thing on. She scooted off the bed and moved to the direction of the noise. Just beyond the door, travelers moved to and from their cheap rooms. But Lucy knew from experience that one could never be too careful. The job ad made watchers more observant and with Lucy's blond hair, brown eyes, and a busty build, she would still be noticeable.
Slightly shaking her head, she went to her backpack with only a few essential items she carried with her. Her hand brushed across cold metal and she sighed in relief. Her keys were her most treasured items. They reassured her that everything was going to be okay. If alerted of danger she could mentally call for Loke or Capricorn. Either one of her spirits would come instantly to her aid.
She zipped up her bag while grabbing her keys and she shoved them into her pants pocket. She had gotten a smaller key ring to fit her fourteen keys. Aquarius' key, she liked to keep that close to her at all times. She wore a golden chain with the key as a pendant to be a constant reminder of what she sacrificed.
Nothing, now, could return her dear friend to her.
She inhaled a deep breath while putting a fist to her mouth. Slowly, she exhaled as she tried to control the guilt that swamped her.
She wasn't perfect. She betrayed her keys, she turned her back on her most-dearest friend.
Lucy wasn't going to make the same mistake again.
Resting her arm at her side, the blond picked up her bag from the bed to toss it on the wooden floor next to the bed stand. Just because she found herself in luxury tonight didn't mean she was going to get comfortable. Wearing a long baggy sleeve white shirt that fell to her rounded hips and dark blue skinny jeans, she was going to sleep fully clothed. Call her paranoid, but if someone tried to break in while she was sleeping, she could quickly jump out of bed, grab her bag and toss herself out of the window. Aries' wool would be waiting to greet her at the bottom of her fall.
Tossing herself on the bed, she bounced a bit. She breathed in air into her lungs before closing her eyes.
There was another sound toward the door area. Eyes snapping open, Lucy dove out of bed and reached for her bookbag. Grabbing a handle, she lugged the bag on her back before she mentally called for one of her trustworthy spirits. Aries already got an image of what the blond wanted. She opened the window, climbed over the sill and let herself fall out into the open the air.
The cold wind crashed against her cheeks, disheveling her hair further. Her rear-end was the first to hit the many stacks of feathery wool. Next was her back and legs and before she knew it, her body was heaving air heavily into her lungs.
Her spirit, Aries, stood at the side. The pink haired spirit bowed while she apologized. If anyone should apologize it should be Lucy. Instead, Lucy flashed her a small smile before standing up on wobbly legs. Already there were spectators on the scene. Some guys moved to help her but she raised her hand to stop them. Then one of her hands patted her bottom while the other was shoved recklessly into her unkempt hair.
Aries flashed out of sight, giving her a piece of mind. The blond grabbed her bag, which had fallen from her shoulder during her way down. She put it on and swiftly made her way through the crowd. A hand unzipped the small pocket of her bag where she dug for a hair tie. Hazardously, she grabbed sides of her hair and secured it in a ponytail.
She could still feel eyes on her while she strolled down the street. Cursing inwardly for being noticed, she rezipped her bag and turned a corner. The alleyway was dark, dirty and reeked of urine. She could return into the open, risk danger while she planned a way out or she could make her way through the alleyway and lose whoever was watching her. Her foot hit a glass bottle, causing it to roll noisily on the floor.
"Shoot!"
A same sound came from behind her. When she turned around to look, there was nobody around.
Turning and picking up her pace a little more, she tried to occupy her mind. Her distress would only alert Loke or Virgo and she didn't want to have to needlessly summon them. She remembered when she saw how Crocus was rebuilt from the last time she and the other Fairy Tail members saved the town, her heart was light, her pulse pounding with adrenaline and excitement. She couldn't wipe the eagerness off her face with the prospect of being one of the mages on the list of names for the memorial of the Grand Magic Stadium. The memorial commemorated a difficult but well-earned victory to save Crocus.
However, a day later, she returned to the sight and it didn't hold her interest anymore. She sat down on the steps staring at it, unseeing. Instead, the days when she worked hard with Team Natsu to be someone significant but failed at it filled her mind. She remembered being tortured and humiliated by Flare and Minerva during the Grand Magic Games. There was also the time when Fairy Tail was facing the dragons, Lucy was naked and was soaring vulnerably through the air in hopes someone would catch her.
Those days depending on others no longer existed.
The only ones she trusted were her spirits.
She craned her neck over her shoulder to where she'd come from, trying to see if someone was following her. She couldn't see anything but the dark sky, the new moon, and the poorly lit streetlights. She felt the cool breeze hit her face and smelled the rotting garbage in the air. She hugged herself as she reminded herself that she was almost at the other end of the alleyway.
Maybe there was a journalist following her? They could be just as resourceful as mages. They followed, photographed and questioned people. Once upon a time, she wanted the Sorcerer Magazine to interview her when she joined Fairy Tail. But now, those days were just her living on a whim. She wanted to be recognized like the other members of Fairy Tail. But in the end, she wasn't strong like them. She wasn't special.
She'd been hurt, so hurt, that she slammed Team Natsu out of her apartment when she realized that she could never be special. She would have to spend years training the way Erza, Natsu and Gray did and by the time she caught up with them, they would far succeed her. It was hopeless.
But it didn't stop her from trying. After spending a few months in Magnolia, Lucy made a personal request to Loke to speak directly to the Celestial King. She wanted to see if there was an alternative route for her to get stronger as a celestial mage. To her utter shock there was one; however, it meant that she had to disappear for some time in the celestial world. She accepted and went there to spend severe time training with Loke, Capricorn and Virgo. The food and clothes granted her access to that world but with time her body began to change. The Celestial King warned her that if she chose to spend more time in their world, the changes in her body would be disastrous to her health. So she tried her best to train with whatever time she was given. At least not to the point she was dying.
The end of the alleyway was in reach. Looking around her, she felt relieved that she hit the main pathway of town. Already, there streets appeared to be empty, signifying the late night. The wood of the planks beneath her feet creaked. She could barely see the lights ahead of her, causing her to stumble. She must be really tired.
A floor board creaked behind her causing her to still. Was someone following her?
Fear started vibrating throughout her entire body. Her hands shook as she held onto her backpack, and her breaths was coming in quick bursts. She felt like running, but didn't want to seem like a crazy woman who was running and screaming from a small noise.
When she reached the clearing of the first brightly lit streetlight and her feet were in view, she started to relax. But the feeling of safety was a disguise as suddenly a black bag was tossed over her head and she was grabbed by several large hands.
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