Dreams and Nightmares (a Nalu story) chapter 9

                        

***Lucy's POV***

It was about sundown when the magic mobile broke down (yep just one of those days). So we set up camp near the car, which of course,was in the middle of no where.

"Well, this is just perfect," I plopped down, folding my arms. We were all sitting around the fire that Natsu had made.

"There's nothing that can be done," Erza said "We'll just have to walk to rest of the way tomorrow. It shouldn't be too far now."

I sighed, "I guess that's a good thing."

"WOOHOO!" Natsu jumped in the air spitting fire from his mouth, "NO more vehicles!"

Gray rolled his eyes and leaned back on a boulder, "You're way too happy about this."

"You don't understand what it's like for me!"

"Aye," Happy mumbled while eating a fish that just came from nowhere.

We all eyed him, realizing none of us had eaten all day.

"Happy???" Grey said in a creepy tone, "Where did you get that fish??"

The blue exceed looked at him and answered nervously, "Um...I always carry a fish?"

Whether or not this was true, it wouldn't surprise me.

"Haven't you ever heard of sharing???"

"Gray, leave him alone," Erza ordered, "I think there is something in the safety box in the mobile."

And sure enough there was...well, beef jerky but whatever.




I was a little worried to fall asleep that night but somehow I was the first on to drift off. It was exactly like I hoped it wouldn't be: a nightmare....



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I was a little girl again at my old house. Mama and Papa were there along with all the servants. Everyone was smiling.
    "Happy Fifth Birthday, Lucy," Mama said in her warm voice.

       "We hope you like your new friend," Papa smiled and handed her a doll with wavy brown hair and a pretty blue dress.
           It was Michelle.

"Wow, I love her," I held her up, smiling, "Thank you for my little sister, Mama. Papa."

    Everyone was laughing cheerfully. I went up and gave Mama a hug and she hugged me back. I could feel her warmth and kind aura around her. 
    
    "Oh, Lucy," she said in a silky tone.

    "Yes, Mama?"

    "Why did you leave me?"

    I looked up at her and saw the kindness leave her eyes and her smile into a frown. Her body turned cold as ice and white as a sheet. Blood dripped from the corner of her lip then I felt something wet so I stepped away. I was covered with my Mama's blood; warm and sticky. I froze when I saw the hole in her stomach. Deep, red blood was pooling out, already soaking her dress.

    "Why, Lucy?" her voice became raspy as her chocked and spat blood everywhere.

"M-Mama...I-"

    "Lucy?" Papa speak in a tired and old voice, "Why did you never visit me?

        His skin shriveled up like a raisin until he was no more than skin and bones. His hair went white and began falling out. His suit became nothing but tattered rags. And his face...his blue eyes was sunken holes with one eyeball popped out, his nose all but melted off like putty, and his lips peeled away showing rotten teeth.

        "I said I was sorry," Papa wailed, "I wanted things to be better between use. Did you hate me that much?"

"No, Papa! Let me expla-" I cried out but froze at the soft voice of Michelle

    "Nee-san,"

"Michelle?"

    Suddenly her voice was the same at the girl's from her favorite childhood book. Her eyes too became a set of large, swirling holes of intense darkness with pin point lights in the center. Slowly, she became the girl herself.

                                                                              For those who don't know what I'm talking about, watch this:

I really don't want to do this in a middle of the story but....god don't make me write this.

                                warning: DON"T watch this in the 

     "Why, Nee-san?" she cried, causing me to shiver and terror, "WHY DID YOU FORGET ME???"

I had no answer for that.

    Then the servants too began to change: all wearing old rags, their eyes and cheek deflated and were sunken, their hair withered into wiry strands, and their rotten teeth fallen out.

                "Why did you abandon us, Lady Lucy?" they screamed, all of them sounded like they were drowning.

I couldn't take it. I bolted away from everyone. I needed to get away but the ground disappeared and I couldn't move.
They surrounded me and continually screamed questions at me.

"How could you leave me alone?"

"What did I do to deserve this?"

"Did we do something wrong?"

"Why did you leave us?"

"Why?"

"WHY???"
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***Lucy's POV***

"STOP!", I half screamed in a rushed inhaled, shivering. I sat there, panting, trying to lower my heart beat. 

'It was just a dream' I thought to myself.

It was still pretty dark and everyone else had fallen asleep.

I walked over to the fire pit and blowed at the dying coals. 

I heard someone moving, turned, and saw Erza standing there.

"Lucy?"

I smiled, "Hey, Erza. I couldn't sleep."

"Why are you crying?"

Crying? I pulled my hand up to my face and felt that it was wet. How come I didn't notice that before?

"Oh, its nothing. Don't worry about it," I reassured her.

The scarlet haired wizard frowned at me, "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? You know you can tell me anything?"

"No, No, I am fine."

She didn't believe and sat down next to me.



After a few minutes of awkward silences I said,"Erza?"

"Hm?"

I gulped, "When you left the R system...did your friends feel like you abandoned them?

She was quiet for a minute.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked," I bow my head down.

"No, its okay," She finally answered, "Yes, they did, specially Sho, but that was also because they were misinformed. Though, it is true that I did leave them...why do you ask?"

I bit my lip, "Well, um...its just...when I ran away...I never thought anyone would care and things wouldn't have changed..but if I had stayed...and married that man my Papa wanted me to marry...would the servants who cared for me..and Michelle and Ma and Papa have been happier?"

"Lucy," I looked at Erza, "If they truly cared for you, then they would be happy with the decisions you made."

"Sometimes I feel like my actions were selfish," I continued, "When my Mama died, I took it out on everyone and then I just ran away..."

"It's too late to change was has happened. All we can do is learn from our mistakes. You already have confronted your past and made peace. You don't need to torture yourself again."

I gave her a small smile, "Thanks, Erza."



TBC...