The Celestial Princess

Chapter 15

"Zeref, please..." The young Mage collapsed to her knees and begged, her eyes became glassy as the tears threatened to fall.

"We made a deal, did we not?"

The Mage, Lisanna, clutched her face with her hands, shaking so much you'd think an invisible force had swept out of no where and was trying to shake the dust out of her. But no, she was just sobbing silently.

"I'll do anything. I don't want to kill Lucy!"

Zeref scoffed and looked away from Lisanna, as if it hurt just to stare at her pitiful state.

"You humans...always so weak." He spoke with a deep hatred.

"And you don't want to kill Lucy because you don't have the power to, yes?"

"No, I--"

"It's settled then."

Suddenly a dark light erupted from Zeref's hand--and collided with Lisanna's body.

She let out a scream of pain as her eyes glew a dark red, almost black, light and her entire body began to shake violently.

Zeref drummed his fingers on his chair, almost bored.

When she had finally settled and the shaking and tears had stopped, Zeref grinned. "And now, my pet, you are much stronger."

~

(Lucy's P.O.V.)

"LLLUUUCCEEE!"

I turned around, but it was too late. Natsu and Happy had tackled me to the ground, each breathing heavily.

"We have been looking...for you..." Natsu managed to mumble between gasps for air.

"Aye...sir..." Happy agreed, lacking his usual enthusiasm.

I pushed them off me and they landed in a mangled heap as I stood up, dusting the dirt off of my skirt.

"I do not wish to speak with either of you," I hissed, and was about to spin on my heel and leave, until I felt a slight tug.

On my skirt.

Natsu was tugging on my skirt.

"YOU PERVERTS!" I screeched, blushing at least 50 shades of red.

I then proceeded to do what any normal women with dignity in my situation would do--beat the crap out of them.

With one final kick, I was once again about to turn around, until I was interrupted. This time by a voice, not by nearly having my skirt tugged down.

"Luce, we had just wanted to talk..." Natsu explained weakly.

"About what?" I asked, making sure to show the utter annoyance in my voice.

"You left your purse at the bar."

Natsu held out his hand which held my purse, the very purse Natsu had once given me for my birthday, so long ago.

I had kept it in good shape after all these years, no scratches or spills, but after awhile the color had worn out--the once hot pink now a more faded tone.

"Thank you." I said, and without another word, snatched it from his grasp and left.

Seriously, could a girl just get some peace?

~

"I've been expecting you."

My mouth fell open. No, no, no, no.

Laila sat in a chair, y'know, one of the spinny ones, and was stroking a stuffed cat that oddly resembled Happy. She had also drawn a goatee on herself, was wearing a monocle, and her hair was a crazy shade of pink.

What. The. Hell.

"What?" Was all I managed to say.

"I've been expecting you," she repeated, still stroking the Happy clone.

"What happened...?"

She looked at me with a straight face. If I wasn't so confused, I would've laughed.

"Natsu told me you'd laugh..." She whined in a kiddish voice, dropping the Happy and standing up, obviously disappointed.

"So this was Natsu's doing." I said in a flat tone, and suddenly all the humor had been drained out of it.

I tossed my purse to the side and flopped down on my bed, and motioned Laila to lay on hers.

"Games are tomorrow, lets rest."

Laila let out a sigh. "Natsu honestly isn't that bad, your highness..." She whispered softly.

I stared at the ceiling, willing the tears not to fall. And in a hushed mumble I replied.

"I know."

~

I awoke to a loud knocking on my door.

Opening it, I was face with Erza, her stern and bossy look still there even after I'd humiliated her all those times.

Master was right beside her, wearing more of a disappointed frown.

"Lucy, we wish to speak with you and...Laila."

Laila shot up at the sound of her name and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and although we had managed to wash -most- of the pink dye out of her hair, the marker goatee was still a dark smudge on her chin. In short, she looked ridiculous.

"Yes...Master?" She said between yawns, trying to look as dignified as someone with pink/blonde hair and a smudge on her chin that looked as if she had bathed in mud could look.

"May we come in? We wouldn't want to discuss this in the doorway. It's more of a private matter." Erza smiled curtly, although it was bitter.

"Why of course..." I said, inviting them in and returning Erza's smile.

I had a feeling that this would not be good.

~

"We are afraid we have to remove you from the the Grand Magic Games." Master said with a sigh.

"Wait, what?!" I screeched, alarmed. "We are so kicking butt out there! Our team is in first place!"

Laila remained silent, and Erza was staring, if not glaring, at her.

"We cannot have a dragon on our team, or even in our guild."

The color then disappeared from my face. "H...What?"

"We know Laila is a dragon, Lucy." Erza stated, folding her hands and resting them on the table. "At first when she transformed I brushed it off as transformation magic, but soon realized that that was not the case." She said all this as if she was speaking to me, but was instead watching Laila, perhaps waiting for a reaction.

Laila, however, had her head hung low and hadn't uttered a word.

"If Laila isn't in the GMG, then I'm not, either!"

Master looked as if he was about to say something in protest, but I cut him off. "You may leave now! And take your sorry excuse for a guild with you!"

Erza got up and promptly left, Master alongside her.

When they left, though, I crumpled up into a tight ball onto my bed and cried.

I had done it.

I had lost my family.

Again.