Ruthless Winds and Raging Seas

Chapter 20

Natsu once again found himself watching Lucy who was staring out at the sea. Other than himself, he had never known anyone more infatuated with the sea and sailing. He never thought the wealthy, pampered, daughter of the governor would be most content on board a pirate ship.

"It's so incredible out here." She told him.

"Yes it is." He agreed.

"You know when I was little, after my mother died I used to wish that I would be turned into a golden fish."

"Why?"

"Because then I could swim away from my lonely life and be apart of the sea where I was most happy."

"What about your father? Could you really just leave him forever?"

"My father." She sighed. "He's never really been there for me. All he's done is send me to etiquette classes, teaching me to be a proper lady. But worst of all he would never let me go near the beach or the sea."

"How come?"

"He hated the sea. He hated it because it reminded him of my mother. Just looking at it seemed to deepen his anguish."

Her hand went to the medallion around her neck and she started to move it between her fingers. She always did that whenever she was in deep thought. Natsu happened to take notice of her pendent and realized something familiar about it.

"Hey what's that?" He asked.

"Oh it's my lucky medallion. I've had it since I was a child."

"May I see it?"

Lucy unhooked the chain around her neck and handed it to Natsu. He looked at it very carefully and instantly recognized where he had seen it before. This medallion was given to him by his father on his tenth birthday but he had lost it years ago.

"Where did you get this?" He asked.

"I found it."

"Where? This used to be mine. It was a birthday present from my father."

"I think there must be some mistake. This belonged to a boy I met once but he lost it. I tried to return it to him but I couldn't find him. I didn't know what else to do with it so I kept it."

Natsu began to remember the last time he saw the medallion. It was when he and his father were trying to steal a new ship. While his father searched for a suitable vessel, he had wandered off to look for food. He had sneaked into a mansion where a feast had been served and a little blonde girl had given him food.

"Lucy." He said.

"Yes."

"This little boy, was he dressed in rags and starving?  And did you give him food?"

"Yes." She answered as she remembered those events. "How did you know that?"

"Because I was that boy."

"You were? Oh..." She said. "Wow twelve years have done a lot to you."

"I could say the same thing for you."

"So this means that medallion rightfully belongs to you." She said. "Believe me, I did try to return it to you but I couldn't find you."

"That was because I had left on a ship with my father." He looked down at the medallion in his hand. "Funny I thought that I would never see this thing again. You know this is pretty much the only thing I have left of my father?"

"Then I guess it's a good thing that I've saved it for all these years."

"Why did you save it?"