Quest for the Eighty-Eight Keys

Chapter Forty-Six: A Simple Talk

WARNING: REFERENCES TO TORTURE!

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Lucy stood right outside of the hotel room where Rufus and Nyx were staying in. Nyx had yet to wake up. She was planning to check on him, but couldn't make her go further than approaching the door. As she stared down at the doorknob, her heartbeat was loud in her ears and she could feel a sense of anxiety beginning to rise from within her. She sighed and rested her head against the door.

She hated this.

She could barely even be in the same room as Nyx for more than a few minutes, and even then, she was unable to be next to him or touch him. She knew why she felt this way, but she still felt like she was being pathetic. Nyx was unconscious and had magic-canceling bands on his wrists. He had no way of fighting even if he wanted to. He posed no threat. So, why was she still like this? She wasn't in danger. Why was she unable to calm herself and remained scared of him?

Lucy stood there for an unknown amount of time before she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She jumped and whipped around to see Loke and Columba standing behind her. Loke was giving her a comforting smile while Columba stood behind him, as if trying to hide from Lucy.

Lucy took a deep breath, an not entirely successful attempt at calming herself, before giving Loke and Columba a smile. "Hey. Do you two need something?"

Loke was the one who answered, "I sensed your panicking, so I decided to check on you. Plus, Columba wants to talk to you." He takes a step to the side and gently pushes Columba closer to Lucy.

Columba looked anywhere but at Lucy, clearly uncomfortable and troubled by the way that she was pursing her lips and wringing her gloved hands. Her eyebrows were also scrunched together, pulling together a look of distress on her face.

Lucy's smile fell at this. She didn't like seeing any celestial spirit like this. She stepped closer and slowly took Columba's hands into her own, giving her enough time to pull away and refuse the touch if she wanted to. Lucy held Columba's hands tightly in her own and smiled. "what is it, Columba? What's wrong?" She had a feeling that Columba was worried about Nyx, but wanted to hear it from her.

Columba sighed and stared down at their joined hands. "I wanted to talk to you about my wizard." Her voice is soft with what Lucy could only identify as anxiety.

Lucy nodded, trying to keep her smile on her face. So, her suspicion was correct. "What about him, Columba?"

Columba continued to stare at their joined hands. She bit down on her bottom lip, as if she was thinking about what she wanted to say. Lucy wanted to comfort her, but wasn't sure how. She waited with bated breath for Columba to speak.

Eventually, Loke gave Columba a light nudge from behind, causing her to jump and begin speaking, her gaze still down and her words coming out a little fast, "I know that what my wizard did to you and your friends is horrible and unforgivable, but you can't let him go back! You have to let him stay with you! Please!" Columba had tears in her eyes, which surprised Lucy.

Lucy was silent for a while. She thought about what Columba said, working the words through her mind. She was surprised to learn that at least one of Nyx's spirits liked him enough to do this. She had thought that he, Terra, and Lust were horrible to their celestial spirits on account of somehow separating them from the other spirits in the Celestial Spirit World, as well as, their current plot to take over the Celestial Spirit World.

When Lucy finally spoke, her voice was quiet and strained, "why are you taking his side like this?"

Columba's head lifted and she looked Lucy in the eyes, tears still in her eyes. "He's not as evil as he seems! He's kind to me and his other spirits! He respects us and doesn't make us do anything that we don't want to! He loves us, like you love your spirits!"