Lucy Heartfilia has never been fond of lightning and thunder.
Every time she hears or sees it—during a thunderstorm or whatever—the celestial wizard wants to roll up in a ball or lock up in a cupboard or her closet. She just hates them with a passion.
Ever since the time after her mother's burial, when she spent the afternoon under the rain and eventually left Michelle—in her original doll form—alone, she'd long been afraid of not the rain, but rather the lightning and thunder.
Right now, Magnolia was experiencing one of its strongest thunderstorms in the past two decades. The blonde covered herself up with her thickest blanket, her ears guarded by her pillows. The lightning that struck every now and then illuminated the now-dark room. Sure, she had candles and match sticks somewhere in her apartment—maybe in her kitchen?—but Lucy was too damn scared to move from her place. Also, she felt really numb from the cold air coming in from the window Natsu and Happy usually use.
She sighed. I wish Natsu was here to warm me up, Lucy thought. She suddenly stiffened because of that inner musing.
"What the hell, Lucy. Just shut up," she chastised herself. After a long period of self-silence, she added, "But it would be nice to have my personal heater…"
Lightning shot from the distance and the sky rumbled, rain continued falling down hard.
"Kyaaaaaaa~!" she squealed and tightened her grip on the blanket. Apparently, the pillows over her ears were of no use. Why, oh, why did she lose her music lacrima, just when it was needed the most?
Deciding that she needed at least some warmth, she unraveled the covers over her body and removed the pillows from her ears. Slowly she got off her safe haven—meaning, her bed. Lucy tiptoed to the kitchen, legs slightly trembling from the previous phobia attacks. She danced in victory when she finally reached the kitchen.
Opening one of her drawers, the wizard got two candles and a box of matches. She also retrieved the handy baseball bat she always kept behind the refrigerator, as a weapon of some sort. (Of course, she still has her keys and whip, but now, a baseball bat is the weapon of choice for her.)
She tiptoed again, returning to her trusty and comfy bed. But, when she was by the kitchen-and-bedroom divider, something happened. And by something, it meant lightning and thunder. The loudest and strongest of the night.
Lucy jumped and shouted in shock and fear. She started to cry and curl up on the floor; the candles, matches, and bat temporarily forgotten.
She didn't want this cursed phobia. She didn't want to spend her alone time—her only time away from her destructive teammates—crying and, well, acting like a kid instead of a seventeen-year-old woman.
Oh, grow up, Lucy! Her inner self said. What if someone sees you like that?
"Psh. Like someone would break in my house in the middle of the storm," she muttered to herself.
The blonde took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. When she finally got over her panic attack, she stood up slowly and got the discarded items. Once again, she tiptoed for the rest of the distance to her bed. And, for the third time that night, Lucy screamed.
Natsu didn't feel well.
No, it wasn't motion sickness or any of the sorts. It was like someone he cared about was in danger.
