Ballet isn't a sport. Ballet is an art, and in art, you strive for perfection or nothing.
Meet Lucy Heartfilia, a world famous ballerina at the age of 17, daughter of a ballet legend, and of course, a perfectionist. When she lands a role in Juilliar...
Lucy buried her face in her hands and let out a deep breath. Will he ever get better? She had just come home from the hospital, and her Father's face was still the sickly pale color, with even more tuffs of hair gone. Dark eye bags lined his bloodshot eyes. The chemotherapy was taking longer than expected, and it was more damaging than they thought. Doctor Mark said they would continue for a few days and that if things didn't get better, they'd have to try something else. The thought of trying something new, something stronger and dangerous, sent chills down her back. How powerful would something have to be to cure the sickness?
The tension was still there. Though she was no longer sick and was back at rehearsals, the switch leap still gave her difficulty. Her father scolded her again, but this time, she didn't cry. She just stared at the floor and told him she'd work harder. But when was the effort going to pay off?
At practice, they rehearsed scene four when Siegfried begged Odette to forgive her and they threw themselves in a lake, breaking the spell and being reunited in death. It went smoothly, but the lift between Natsu and her before they jumped into the lake needed to be better. She saw that coming, though. They only practiced the Cheshire Cat Lift a couple times. Although the lift was suppose to be in the ballet, Alice in Wonderland, Igneel wanted to incorporate that in Swan Lake to show off their talent.
Someone rang the doorbell and she lifted an eyebrow. Was it another letter from Natsu? She opened the door and choked on a breathe. Her heart gave a leap. Oh my gosh. A stack of presents stood in front of her. But why? It wasn't a special da—she deadpanned. It was her birthday! How could she forget that? She was turning nineteen today!
She hauled the presents inside and ripped the wrapping paper off as fast as she could. The first one was a box with a letter taped on top.
Dear Birthday Girl,
Happy birthday! I hope you'll like my gift, it has to do with ballet!
Thanks for being a great friend, Erza and I treasure our friendship with you very much. I know you'll nail the leap sooner or later so don't give up! ^^ Don't forget that you're Lucy Heartfilia!
All the best wishes, your friend, Levy McGarden
She lifted the lid. "Woah, Levy!" Inside was a pair of new pointe shoes, the material shimmering underneath the light. The laces were already sewed on and as she picked it up, their airy weight sent shivers of excitement down her spine. She could fly away, dancing in those shoes.
She unwrapped the second box. Erza gave her a cake—the cheesecake she had when they were at Cheesecake Factory—with the words, Happy 19th Birthday! written on the top using red gel. She'd eat the cake later. Erza also sent a sweet letter that Lucy read with a smile on her face. It made tears prick her eyes and her face warm up. She wouldn't have been in this position without her friends. They were the ones who truly deserved the attention after all they had done for her.
The last gift was from Natsu. She held her breath as she opened it and took out the white envelope.
To Odette,
Happy 19th Birthday! We wanted to throw you a party, but the schedule was thrown off since you were sick.
My present is pretty cheap compared to Levy's and Erza's, but I hope you like it. I saw you eyeing it when we went to the carnival that day. ;)
From, the Prince
She laughed and eyed the tissue paper that enveloped her present. Images of the carnival flashed through her head, but no memory stirred in her mind that could fit the description in Natsu's letter. As she pushed the tissue paper away, a beautiful plush swan looked up at her and jolted her memory. There was a game she played where when the time was up, she didn't have enough points to get what she wanted. Instead, she got the stuffed penguin. She reached out to touch the swan, its smooth feathers slipping through her fingers. You sure know how to surprise a girl, Natsu. I'll give you that.
Looking around at the torn wrapping paper, stashed birthday cards, pointe shoes, cake, and then at the adorable swan, she smiled, happiness surging through her veins. If Father knew about this, he would be proud of her being surrounded with such great people. Though he'd probably also want her to practice ballet instead of gushing over it. But that could wait.
Hey, hope you guys are all great. Sorry the chapter is short & sorta boring, bear with us, please.
What do you think of this chapter? Do you think Lucy's father will get better or worse? What do you think of her surprise "party"? Did you like it? ;) Did you like the letters and presents? How would you be feeling if you were Lucy? Do you think her emotional state will go up or go down? Comment your thoughts we'd love to know!
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