Fairy Tail: Falling Towards the Chaos

Chapter 32

Lucy yawned, stretching her aching bones, cursing under her breath at the small bursts of pain she felt at the motion.

She was growing a bit tired of the four brick walls she was confined to, and Porlyusica wouldn't let her leave the room for a minute, claiming that she was on strict bed rest until further notice. So, Levy and Natsu took turns visiting, occasionally Cana and Mira as well. However, the games were important, and Lucy almost always quickly shooed them away.

"Natsu," Lucy murmured, pulling the blanket up her cheeks.

Porlyusica had checked on her five minutes ago, before slinking off to deal with other patients, barking at her to relax and rest until she made her way back.

Hearing footsteps approaching her room, Lucy quickly shut her eyes and rolled over onto her side, ignoring the pain from her bruises. If it's Porlyusica, she would nag and fuss over her, which was not what Lucy wanted to hear right now. Plus, she felt the sleeping pills she'd taken, thirty minutes ago, start to kick in.

Enjoying her restful sleep, Lucy was pulled from the void as hands grabbed her, bursts of pain exploding throughout her body. She groaned weakly, pushing away, still drugged from the effects of the sleeping pill Porlyusica had instructed her to take.

The hands were relentless. They grabbed and squeezed tight without any regard for her injuries -- she knew it wasn't anyone from her guild, and she started to thrash despite the intense pain rocketing through her body at the harsh movements. Why the hell couldn't she rest in peace?

She choked as she slammed back onto the bed, feeling handcuffs snapping onto her wrists. She began hyperventilating, thinking of ways she could get away or get help.

At a loss, still drugged up and frail, Lucy did the one thing she knew would catch the attention of Natsu.

She screamed and retched, as a hand came down hard on the back of her head to send her thoughts spinning.

"Natsu," she whimpered as the world went dark.

-----

She was gone. Again.

Natsu knew he heard her scream through the layers of the Domas Flau, but Erza refused to let him move from the balcony because of the games.

He punched the wall, surrounded by the guild, gathered in the small pub awaiting orders and details of what was to come. Natsu didn't care about that; he just wanted to see Lucy; comfortable and safe.

Natsu didn't pay much attention to the splinters he'd attained from the hole, just focused on taking deep breaths, waiting for Master to speak.

"I can't believe Lucy got captured," Wendy whispered, eyes downcast.

"Could it be Sabertooth?" Happy asked inquisitively.

"No, it can't be, she's far from here, and her scent is pointing me in the direction of the castle," Natsu corrected grimly.

"Lucy... kidnapped by the kingdom? It just doesn't make any sense," Erza shook her head in disbelief, "what could they possibly want with Lucy?"

"Chaos is right, Lucy's somewhere in the castle, we scouted earlier after the games ended, and her scent is all around the palace," Gajeel added, stepping forward from his place beside Levy.

Master looked wistful, a hand on his chin, pondering their options. Everyone felt uneasy, the tension in the room, murmurs circulating as to the circumstances revolving around Lucy's capture.

"Alright, here's what we'll do," Master concluded.

-----

"I just attract bad luck," Yukino cried quietly to herself, seated at the back of the cell. Lucy held onto the bars tightly, surveying the hallway for any exits or weapons they could use.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself," Lucy chided her, eyes narrowed, "use that energy to figure out ways to escape, hell — I don't even know why I'm in here!" She sighed loudly, exasperated.

"Lucy, I'm sorry, you're right," Yukino murmured, moving off the wall and shuffling towards the blonde.

"Don't be sorry, it's not your fault," Lucy shook her head slightly, "we just need to focus on getting out of here and finding our keys."

"I fear we have much more to worry about than just our keys," Yukino informed the blonde, voice laced with regret, "Caught in the middle of internal strife between the kingdom and whether the Eclipse Project should proceed. I mentioned your name and dragged you into this mess. For that, I'm truly sorry." At those words, Lucy paused, turning her head just enough to look over her shoulder at the white-haired mage.

That was how Lucy got introduced to the intricacies of the Eclipse Project; traveling back in time, changing the past, and altering the present.

They were planning on going back in time to kill Zeref.

As Yukino sobbed over the loss of her sister, Sorano, in the back corner, Lucy focused on finding ways out of the cell. Her mind spun with countless thoughts, trying to make sense of an impossible situation.

Suddenly, goosebumps appeared on her skin, and a gust of wind blew down the corridor as the silent hallway was shrouded in darkness; candles blown out.

"I knew you would come," Lucy spoke softly, making out of the faces of her guild mates and dearest friend. Natsu melted the metal bars with haste, and Lucy stumbled into his arms, content with being surrounded by her family. She pets Happy's head as the Happy flies into her chest, sharing smiles with Mira, Wendy, and Carla had also come along for the rescue mission.

"We were worried about you, Lucy!" Happy chirped.

"Good to see you in good shape," Mira smiled.

"Okay, let's move! We don't know how long it'll take before the guards take note of our presence," Wendy advised with a slight frown, holding Carla in her arms.

"What about her?" Happy asked, peering over Lucy's shoulder at Yukino sitting in her corner of the cell, wide-eyed at Lucy's entourage.

"She comes with us," Lucy said firmly, as everyone seemed to agree.

However, a small crash at the end of the hall startled them all. Natsu pushed Lucy and Happy behind him, as Mira shielded Wendy and Carla. A singular candle in a connecting hallway formed a silhouette around the figure; average-height and cloaked, with shadows cascading around its frame.

With a swish of his hand, Natsu lit the candles in the hallway with furrowed brows, nose twitching.

"Natsu -- " Wendy started, a look mixed with confusion and disbelief on her face as her nose began twitching. The figure started trembling, dainty hands furiously rubbing at her face as faint sniffles could be heard.

"I'm... s-sorry, l-lend me your strength again," the figure spoke, and Lucy froze at the sound of their voice. Lucy stepped away from Natsu and towards the figure, slow and careful steps, batting away Natsu's attempts to hold her back.

"You are...?" Lucy trailed off, careful with her words.

"I am you," a teary voice exclaimed, and the figure pushed its hood back to reveal a carbon copy of Lucy's face staring back at her.

To be continued...