LUCY
"Natsu..." I balanced one foot in front of the other, tip toeing on the edge of the path next to the river. The boatmen called from my right and I smiled, waving at them. Plue was with me and copying my actions. "he's feeling sick again. Ever since Igneel..."
"Kya!" I waved my arms around frantically as I wobbled, before regaining my balance. I'd been distracted by my thoughts. That had happened a lot recently. I just hoped Natsu would get better, I understood exactly what he was going through.
"That's it!" I got an idea and jumped off back onto the path, grabbing Plue before he fell off and hugging him to my chest. "I'll go visit him! I should bring a gift..." I wondered what I should give Natsu that would cheer him up and express my gratitude for all the times he'd cheered me up.
"Aha!"
Two hours later and I'd found it. The silver locket in the shape of a five-point star, that my mother Layla had given me at the age of six. She told me to cherish it but after her death I'd kept it as a memory of her, stowed away in a drawer somewhere. I held it dearly but I hadn't worn it since, which was why none of the guild members had ever seen it. It was one of many gifts I'd received being the only daughter in a rich family, but I wanted Natsu to have it because of what was engraved inside.
We lose our soul to find our purpose.
Although the cursive font was beautifully difficult to read, and despite the fact that I didn't really understand at six, it had become my motto until my mother's decease.
As I approached the rundown home of Natsu and Happy, which they still didn't know I knew the location of, I became anxious. What if he didn't want me there? What if he hated the gift? What if he didn't let me help him? My eyes darted everywhere, and I tried to steady my breathing but it was no use. I turned around and went to leave.
"Luce?"
I spun around to see an exhausted Natsu as rundown as his house. "I knew it was you that one time." He grinned and I remembered the time I'd been there before, when I'd cleaned for him, and suddenly felt very embarrassed to have been caught. "What're you doing here?"
"Natsu... I just..." I struggled to find the words and gave up with a sigh of frustration, running up and engulfing him in a close embrace. I slipped the locket into his hand as I did so, and closed it around it. He looked at me in confusion. "Have it." I whispered. "I want you to."
As he inspected the item, I ran a hand through my hair and turned to leave once more. He stepped in front of me. "Luce, I swear I've seen this before." I froze. "Yeah. In your-"
"Natsu, did you go through my stuff?" I said, laughing. I'd be mad at him, but the bags under his eyes and his tatty clothes told me I shouldn't. He nodded guiltily. "It's something... important to me, so take care of it okay?"
"Luce, can you... stay?" Natsu said. I wanted to shake my head and run away, but instead I did what was right and walked inside. Happy was taking a nap again.
"Did you read it?" I asked, making his bed for him. It was a mess, honestly. I understood now why he was always at mine.
"Read what?"
"Inside. It opens, you know." He opened it and read with squinted eyes, his cute little fangs poking out of his mouth as he concentrated. I loved that fact about dragon slayers; the elongated canines.
Another warm hug almost attacked me, a sudden action from the Salamander before me. "Luce, thank you." He shook violently, pressed tight against me.
"No problem, my little fire dragon." I said, ruffling his hair with a motherly smile. "You're welcome."
