The Shadows of Tragedy

Chapter 8

Natsu watched as Lucy got in the car with that scum bag boyfriend of hers Dan Straight. He didn't understand what she saw in that steroid addicted jerk. She was intelligent, caring, gifted, a really special girl. Okay so she tended to be a little bitter and snappy but that was only because she felt that she had been cheated from her dream of going to college. A guy like Dan didn't deserve a girl like Lucy. Not that Natsu saw himself as better catch. He barely made ends meat, he dressed like a hobo, and he lacked a spine. Still that didn't stop him from crushing on Lucy and hoping that one day she would find a better guy than Dan.

When the car drove away he went to meet his girlfriend Daphne. Their relationship was a complicated one. Back when Natsu thought that he had a chance with Lucy he had gone out with Daphne to make Lucy jealous. Not only did that plan failed but Daphne turned out to be very domineering not mention greedy. Sometimes she would swipe his pay. He considered breaking up with her but tended to be very easy to push around by other people. While Erza and Lucy always treated him respectfully, Laxus would treat him like he was no better than dirt. He never stood up to him because he was afraid of losing his job.

"You're late." Daphne said when he arrived.

"Sorry I had to pick up someone that my bosses hired." He said. "So what's so important that I had to come see you so late?"

"This." She said handing him a bunch of old documents. "I found them in Erza's desk during my last visit over there."

"You stole from Erza? Do you have any idea how much trouble I could get in for this?"

"Shut up. That's not important. Read what's on the documents."

"I can't read cursive writing."

"They're notes that the family historian wrote down. You know the mausoleum located just a little ways from the old house?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Well according to these notes there's some treasure in there. A fortune in gold and jewels stashed away in one of the tombs."

"So they probably burned right through it years ago."

"Maybe not. There are directions on how to find it."

"And you wanna go into a mausoleum to find it? Tonight?"

"Duh."

"But that's private property. I can go in there."

"It's the middle of the night Natsu. No one's going to see us."

"But what if we break something?"

"They'll think it was just a couple kids trying to pull a prank."

"And if I get caught I can kiss my job goodbye."

"Who cares? We'll be filthy rich."

"How can you be so sure that there is any treasure down there? It's probably just another myth like the hundreds of others this town makes about the family."

"Only one way to find out."

"I'm not doing this. Erza will kill me if she finds out I grave robbed one of her dead ancestors. You know how she feels about her family history."

"You're such a coward you know that? Now let's go before it gets light."

Natsu was very reluctant to do what Daphne wanted but he ended going with her to the mausoleum. They brought with them two flashlights, a crow bar, and the directions to where the treasure was. When they were sure that no one was around to see them they stepped inside the stone mausoleum that so many graphic carvings on the walls and pillars.