Starchild (Fairy Tail) (NaLu)

Chapter Two: Burning

As always, special thanks to everyone who reads, votes, or comments! Also as a heads up - I won't be updating tomorrow because I am going to the amusement park with my family! Enjoy!

XOXOXO

Lucy could feel the hole that had begun to burn in the pit of her stomach as she walked back down the path she had taken to get where she was. The doll was in her backpack, along with the shards of its broken arm, and despite her dejected attitude, her guard was as high as ever. Her keys were in her hand, and she held a tight grip on their ring, ready to use any one of them at a moment's notice if need be. 

Yet so many thoughts swum through her head. She felt like a robot that somebody had put on auto-pilot; she felt sick to her stomach - a mixture of guilt and sadness having crept over her.

The tears were gone, though. She'd gotten rid of them quick - she couldn't cry in front of the others, she hated it. It made her feel weak and she'd hate to have to explain everything.

Deep down, she knew that she could trust them with what she had found out, and she knew that it would probably be smart to let them in on it, but it hurt her. Elara had been her friend, and Lucy had forgotten all about her.

And now, it seemed, she ran about with dark guilds.

Lucy shuddered, not wanting to believe it. There was just no way. Elara had never been like that when they were little. She had always been nice, caring. She had been someone Lucy had looked up to; someone she saw as strong.

Elara was someone her mother had trusted.

That's why, deep down, Lucy believed that Elara was in trouble.

Gnashing her teeth together, Lucy stopped, taking a deep breath. The rumbles of the others' fighting was gone now, she realized. They must have beaten the rest of the wizards.

Slowly, she climbed over the tree that had fallen, sliding over its bark, and broke out into a light run, eager to get back to her team, but also to run away from what she had just witnessed.

It seemed that, for the time being, the darkness fell off of Lucy's shoulders the further she went, and by the time she had reached the clearing where she had left her comrades, she almost felt like she was back to normal. Almost.

"Lucy!" Happy was the first to notice her, and went flying straight into her chest.

Lucy caught him noticing that he had accumulated quite a few gashes.

"Happy! Are you alright?" She looked around, noticing that Erza and Gray were missing, "Where are the others?"

Natsu sat in the middle of the field, his back to her, a small fire lit in his palm. He hadn't turned to see her, yet.

"They went to turn the bad guys in!" Happy exclaimed, "They should be back any minute now! Natsu toasted all of them!"

Lucy smiled, not at all surprised. Still carrying Happy in her arms, she made her way over to the dragon slayer.

She sat down next to him, "You toasted them, huh?"

He looked at her, his eyes mulling over what seemed to be every inch of her body, "You're alright?"

She looked back at him in confusion, pursing her lips, debating whether or not she would lie to him.

"I'm fine." She decided, not liking the way his eyes were snaking over her, "What's wrong?"

"One of the guys said something," Happy answered for him, "About a celestial wizard they were hunting. Natsu got really mad."

Lucy froze. Elara.