Fairy Tail - Twilight Empire

Chapter 34 - The Heartfilia Foundation

Lucy's mind ached to write. The universe had given her daily reminders that she hadn't in, technically, over seven years. To her, it was only about a month, which was enough to make her head spin. She had so many thoughts and ideas to add to her novel, but those pages were probably burned away with the rest of Magnolia.

She sat on her bed, legs folded, while she buzzed with ideas. Whatever story she had before was gone forever. She wouldn't get it back. Maybe she could rework it, or try to hit on the same beats as before, but Lucy understood that those tiny changes would snowball into changing the entire ending of the book.

Most days, thinking about writing was all that kept her from going bananas. In the morning she'd finally been allowed out, but she was on an invisible leash. She could peruse the courtyard just outside the tower and that was all. Nobody was around for her to visit, save for some stoic, silent guards that resembled more the automaton Quartum Army than any real person.

She strolled the place for about an hour, getting to see some ancient statues and stonework from the kingdom when it was allied, or at war with, dragons. Lucy wasn't too clear on Fiore history in that regard, and the Dragon Civil War wasn't really something people talked about. Her heart ached at the thought that maybe Natsu or the other Dragon Slayers knew, and she wasn't going to ask Axel about it.

He wouldn't be too interested in it. He was interested in her just agreeing with whatever he said, going along with what he wanted. If she showed resistance, he'd decided he wasn't above striking her.

Lucy, in bed, absently rubbed a bruise on her shoulder. He hadn't hit her directly there, but she'd violently slammed into the threshold of her room when he did lay his hand on her again. He always apologized afterward and promised he'd make it up to her. Then, he wouldn't return for hours, hopefully getting his jollies off with some other woman besides Lucy.

She jumped as the door to the house opened. She balled her fists, and let out a breath.

Axel eased the door to her room open. Sunlight was pouring over her, but shadows bathed over him. He smiled at her.

"We're going to have a special guest at dinner tonight, Lucy," Axel said. "I've just completed the arrangements. Don't worry, I won't keep you up here, and we won't be going to anywhere with the Twilight Division. There's a little spot deeper in the city I think you'll enjoy, it has a wonderful view of the castle at night."

"What'll I wear?"

Axel's smile widened. "You'll look lovely in whatever, my dear. We'll head out in a few hours, I have to finish my parol. But I needed to come tell you so that you can start getting ready."

Lucy nodded, and Axel hesitated as if waiting for her to thank him or kiss him or hit him back or whatever. He slowly eased the door shut. The lock clicked on the other side. Lucy pursed her lips and bowed her head into her lap.

She'd figured out how to unlock the door a long time ago, but the problem was that there was nowhere to go within the house. She couldn't get her keys, though she so yearned to. She'd tried to summon her spirits without making contact with the key, but it was a level of magic she hadn't trained for yet, and she doubted Axel was going to let her read up on becoming a more powerful Celestial Spirit Wizard until she started truly proving herself an asset to the Empire.

Lucy opened the door to her walk-in closet filled with clothes that'd make a younger version of her drool. And yet all she could think, as she sifted through each dress, was of her different friends.

Specifically, which friend it was that was with her in Crocus?

Certainly, nobody that'd been at the Games, nor Laxus, the Thunder Tribe, or Makarov. If it was any member of the Thunder Tribe, they wouldn't be alone, so it wasn't going to be a member of Fairy Tail. If it were Laxus, the same deal, and Makarov would likely be killed instead of captured.