Hot and Cold

Lucy Heartfilia

~*****~

When we get back, the others are already trying to come up with a plan of attack. "Don't worry, we'll get them back for this," I hear Gray comment as he stares at Lucy's disheartened figure.

Lucy whimpers. "I know. I'm not worried about that. It's just... all my fault..." She murmurs.

"Being targeted by dangerous people is just one of the downsides of being rich." Elfman comments.

I snort. "Yeah, I can very much confirm that." I mention irritably. I rub at my head and sigh.

Elfman beams. "At least you're protected by a real man like me." Elfman states.

"WOULD YOU GIVE IT A REST?!" I snap.

"I gotta say, I was shocked when I heard the news." Happy mentions. "Why'd you hide the truth from us, Lucy?"

"I wasn't trying to hide anything. I mean, there's no way to bring up the fact that I'm a runaway in a casual conversation." Lucy explains. "I've been gone for a year and my father hasn't cared. Now all of a sudden, he wants to force me to come home? He's done all those horrible things just to get me to go back. I hate his guts!" I gaze down at her. I couldn't stand seeing her like this. "Still, if I hadn't run away in the first place, none of this would have ever happened..."

"Come on, don't be ridiculous. Your dad's the one to blame." Elfman snaps.

"Idiot!" Gray hisses.

"I- I mean, it's Phantom's fault!" Elfman tries correcting himself.

"No, I'm the one who brought trouble to the guild, and it's all because of my own selfish choices." Lucy explains sullenly. "I'm so very sorry. I'm just gonna go back home, and hopefully all this will be over with."

I snort. "No way," I say firmly. "You're gonna stay where you want to be. Playing the part of a pretty princess isn't you." I smile and I kneel down to gaze at her downturned face. "Why the hell would you go back to a place you don't wanna be? You're Lucy of Fairy Tail. So no more running. You belong here with us." Tears well in her eyes. "And don't start crying, that makes me feel all sorts of awful!"

"I'm sorry--" She stammers through her sobs.

"Yeah, now you're starting to sound like me--" Ballad comments as she perches on Lucy's head. Lucy lets out a horrified giggle before going back to crying.

~*****~

The building begins to shake violently, causing me to leap to my feet. Ballad leaps down from Lucy's lap, and once again attempts to fly up, but her little wings refuse to support her. "Ballad, I want you to stay with Mirajane. It's safer there." I snap to her before we run upstairs and out the guild hall.

"What is that thing?!" Natsu shouts.

"It's a guild hall with ginormous legs!" Happy cries.

"Is it Phantom?" Loke asks in a breathless tone.

"How do we fight that thing?!" Wakaba asks.

"I never anticipated this!" Erza shudders. "I can't believe they'd go to such extremes to attack us!"

The hairs on my neck stand on edge as a large cannon pushes from their guild hall and powers up. "Run!" I shout.

"Erza!" Mira shouts.

"Don't be stupid!" Macao shouts as Erza requips into one of her most powerful armors.

"What are you doing?!" Loke exclaims.