Remember That Time I Faked Amnesia?

Digging your own grave

{LUCY'S POV}
The grass is green, the sky is blue, and the rapidly moving scenery is beautiful outside the train. I've never been more uncomfortable in all my life.

Natsu's been out of commission the entire train ride, but Happy, Gray, and Erza keep pressuring me with questions trying to help me recall memories I never truly lost in the first place. Mostly about my baby.

Considering that his or her father is seated across from me, knocked unconscious from one of Erza's signature heavy metal hugs, I'm not inclined to suddenly start remembering anything.

My hope was that forgetting would allow me to have a breath of fresh air, but instead I'm suffocating under the weight of my own lies.

This is called digging your own grave, isn't it?

"You really don't remember our first fight together?" Erza looks like she's about to cry. "At Oshibana Station? The two of us fought side by side against all the Eisenwald members."

Of course I remember. Erza completely demolished them, and Cancer dished out some deadly haircuts. That was the first time I saw Erza's requip magic.

"W-Wow." I scratch my cheek awkwardly. "That sounds dangerous. Did we win?"

"Naturally!" Erza puffs out her chest proudly.

"But we were trapped in Oshibana Station by Erigor!" Happy says desperately. "You got us out, Lushi! Don't you remember? I gave you Virgo's key and she dug underneath the Wind Wall."

I clap my hands. "Amazing! So you had Virgo's key before I did, Happy?"

Happy looks hurt. "No, Everlue did."

"And Everlue-san gave Virgo's key to you to give to me? How nice!" I force a smile. I think I just barfed a little in my mouth. That slimy boy-oy-oy-oy-yoh bastard deserves no honorific.

"Everlue was a jerk!" Happy stands in my lap, waving his paws rapidly, trying to make me understand. "That was the first job you, Natsu, and I took as a team! We had to break into Everlue's mansion and burn the book titled Daybreak by Kemu Zaleon!"

I gasp, faking horror. "Burn a book? By Kemu Zaleon?! I would never!"

Tears well up in Happy's eyes. "You insisted on reading Daybreak before Natsu burned it, and discovered the book's secret. Kemu Zaleon was actually Zekua Melon, and Daybreak was a letter to his son, Kaby! Everlue imprisoned him to write it!"

Gray chimes in. "After we sorted out the mess with Eisenwald, you and Natsu stole an S-class job and went to Galuna Island."

"And after that, we discovered that you were the heir of the Heartfilia Konzern, because your father hired Phantom to kidnap you." Erza says.

"Phantom?" I ask, suppressing a shudder as I remember being locked up in the sky tower by Master Jose. Until Natsu came for me. I heard his voice and it was like all my fear evaporated.

"Phantom Lord." Erza elaborates. "A rival guild, until they were disbanded."

"Because they started an inter-guild war and threatened Magnolia with Abyss Break. But we managed to beat the Element Four. That was when I met Juvia." Gray smiles nostalgically.

"But then Gajeel kidnapped you again and Natsu went on a rampage to go save you in a clash of two dragon slayers!" Happy gesticulates a huge explosion. "You helped Natsu out by summoning Sagittarius to blow stuff up so Natsu could eat fire!"

They take me on a trip through memory lane, talking about our adventures together: the Tower of Heaven, Edolas, Nirvana and meeting Wendy, Tenrou Island, the Grand Magic Games, Alvarez, and beyond.

It's hard pretending like I know nothing. My heart is bogged down with guilt, but I chose this path. Now I have to stick to it.

We get off the train, almost forgetting to retrieve Natsu. As soon as his feet touch motionless ground, my goofball dragon slayer is revived.

"I'm all fired up!" Natsu shouts, although he doesn't seem as enthusiastic as normal. We go to meet our employer, the mayor of the town.

The monster subjugation goes smoothly. I don't even have a chance to do anything. Natsu is being even more protective than usual.

One of the bad guys' magic is called Drop. He uses it to drop buckets, pans, and other assorted knickknacks on our heads. He tries to drop a calendar on me, and Natsu literally goes berserk.

It becomes charcoal in 0.02 seconds, which kinda sucks because I actually need a calendar. Natsu sends that poor guy flying so far, I doubt he's still in Fiore.

"Try it punks, I dare you!" Natsu snarls. "I'm not letting any of you lay a hand on Lucy!"

My chest tightens, and I feel all warm and mushy inside. I can't suppress a huge grin. Natsu just makes me feel so safe.

I can't just sit back like a damsel in distress. I summon Loke, almost forgetting to call him Leo.

Loke joins Natsu, Happy, Erza, and Gray in beating the enemy to a pulp. By the time I've pulled out my whip, the battle is over and I feel like an idiot.

"Lucy," Loke adjusts his glasses, smirking smugly. "You may not remember me, but..."

"But..." I prompt, leaning forward. I'm intrigued by his suddenly serious tone.

Loke uses his Regulus magic to write I LOVE LUCY is multicolored light.  "I love you!"

I'm going to murder him.

Natsu looks back and forth between us, eyebrows pinched. He wouldn't think that Loke is the father of my baby, would he? Firstly, I'm ninety-five percent sure that's not even possible.

Secondly, Loke and I both know that his 'love' for me isn't any deeper than the me being the owner of his key. And frankly, I wouldn't want it to be. As a spirit, Loke is immortal. It would be cruel of me to let him love me only to leave him with a broken heart.

I, of all people, know how much Loke suffered from the death of his previous key holder.

Sometimes though, Loke takes the flirting too far, and right now I want to Lucy kick him into orbit.

Natsu has indeed gotten the wrong idea. He grabs Loke by the collar. "You bastard! You—You—"

"I'm not the one who put Lucy in danger." Loke snaps, shoving off Natsu's hands.

Natsu recoils like he's been stabbed.

"If it weren't for—" Loke cuts himself off. I know what he's about to say. If it weren't for Virgo, I really could've been seriously injured.

The weight of my situation finally seems to sink in.