Fairy Tail Rewind (Completed)

Chapter 1 Part II -- An Early Death (Revised)

Every piece of Lucy's bones snapped; every inch of her innards squirmed. The pain was too much for her to endure. Her eyes finally closed, her consciousness slipped. Darkness engulfed her, together with memories which she struggled to bury deep in her heart. Those dark memories which had been constantly haunting her childhood, she heard and saw them now.  Unwillingly, her mind was being brought back to the orphanage, seven years ago.

"Leave it alone!" Little Lucy dived in front of a puppy, blocking the attacks of the delinquents. 

"How dare you! You always oppose to my instructions! I don't need a minion like you!" The Kingpin, the one with artificial tattoos drawn with a marker pen on his face, hawked a wad of spit onto the ground in front of Lucy. Before Lucy could attack, he roared, "Destroy her!"

Punches rained on Lucy's body. How she wished she possessed some magical power so that she could deflect their assault. Those bastards! she howled inwardly. As her rage towered, she felt a sudden jolt of pain, as if something tremendous inside her was struggling to get out of the shell.

"Cry out, maggot! I want to hear your cry of pain! BAHAHAHAHA!"

Lucy bit her lips. She didn't cry. Her fingers gripped deeper into the soil, snapping her nails. Alas, her body couldn't withstand their brutish strength. Her will was about to rupture, when a blinding flash appeared, setting as a barricade between her and her opponents. Amidst the slashing of lightning, she heard the boys scream. Her shock soon morphed to bewilderment as she saw them all lay spread-eagle on the floor. Their hair singed, their skin scorched. 

Where did the lightning come from? Little Lucy thought quietly. She didn't dare question aloud. She'd had enough shock for the day. The thing she needed now was finding a proper shelter but still, she couldn't refrain her curiosity and stole a look at the opening.

In the whiteness, stood a lithe figure with specks of grey highlighting her hair. She looked like one that could be blown away by the wind. But her voice was soothing, like the whispering of the creek. "How are you feeling, child?" Crouching down, she held Lucy up. "You're safe now."

She brought Lucy and the puppy to her house. It was a modest apartment looking over the river. After lighting up the fireplace, she treated their injuries. "You can call me Aunt Marge. What's your name?" She asked as she applied some cooling turquoise ointment on Lucy's forehead. 

The salve relieved Lucy's pain, and she opened up to the stranger in front of her. "I-- I am Lucy."

"Well, Lucy, what name will you give to this beautiful creature?"

Lucy's fingers ran through the white fur. Her eyes rolled mischievously. "Let's call her Snowball!"

"Well, Lucy, from today onward, Snowball will be your friend. Together, you'll live as one."

Lucy looked at Snowball, who was now coiling on a rug near the fireplace, fast asleep. The way the puppy's body softly heaving up and down comforted her. Lucy held her fist to her chest as she said, "I'll protect you from now on, Snowball. That's my promise."

I'll protect you, Snowball. That's my promise. Please don't leave me!

Lucy's eyes popped open, and she jolted upright from a... bed. Her body was bandaged nicely. She glanced around, perplexed. A dozen beds lined vertically next to her. Mild sunlight showered through the windows, making the walls shine like tapestries of pearl. The floor was polished wood, inlaid with chips of glass and marble and bits of semiprecious stone. Lucy sniffed the air. It didn't smell like the sweaty street outside where she used to roam around.