Chapter 11: A game of time

Hello, minna! ♥

omg, guys, I've had an idea! Wanna hear? Okay, I think you'll like hear it! So I'm planning on writing TWO other NaLu fanfictions, if this one gets okay popular (jk, I'm gonna write them anyway) So how does that sound? Wanna hear the names? I've been working on some names, but I'l probably change them a bit later...

The first on is: The Lost Brother 

And the second one is: Tortured souls

How does they sound to you? ^^

Also, did you read chapter 396? HOLY HECK MY GAJEVY FEELS JUST REACHED IT'S LIMIT.... AND CROSSED IT! OMG MY SECOND OTP!! I won't spoil anything, but you... go read it if you haven't! Might add a tiny bit of Gajevy/Gale in this chapter (gihee)

Well, enjoy this chapter!

//тнeвιѕcυιтqυeen♥__________________________________________________________________________________

By Haichi and Delore, Lucy got a plate of breakfast. As Haichi had promised it was French toast and baked beans. It actually tastes pretty great. Is it like this to be held as hostage?

She had been so relieved when she was allowed to eat without her hands attached to the wall. All her body parts felt sore and numb, but she ignored it as she ate her breakfast.

"Wow, you must've been hungry!" Haichi exclaimed, smiling in amusement. Lucy just nodded, stuffing her face with the well-prepared breakfast. When she was done, she sighed and looked up at the two girls.

"Do I have to hang up there all day long?" Lucy asked, showing desperation in her voice. It quite amused Delora.

"Actually no," Delora said as she took Lucy's empty plate. "Not today, at least. Master Zeref wants to speak to you. Don't worry, he's a decent man, but don't say the wrong words to him... and don't even think about being rude." Lucy looked shocked. Delora had hissed the last part out, which quite scared Lucy.

"C'mon, let's go meet Zeref-san!" Haichi cheered, lifting Lucy in the right arm. She then took out a pair of handcuffs. Not normal handcuffs, but instead of an iron chain in the middle, it was magic. Golden magic, that couldn't budge. Lucy looked skeptically at Haichi. "I-I'm sorry, but you have to wear these. Zeref-san demands so..."

"And I understand," Lucy secured her. "Really! You have a job that you have to do, so I guess I'll obey." Haichi smiled a big smile, that went from ear to ear. She then put the handcuffs around Lucy's wrists, so both of her hands were secured behind her back.

"Plus, you didn't have a choice." Delora pointed out as she walked past them, with the empty plate and cup. 

"So, let's go see Zeref-san!" Haichi exclaimed, exited. She held Lucy's wrist with her one hands, though the already were in handcuffs. __________________________________________________________________________________

"S-Save... me..." Natsu whimpered, stretching in his seat, trying to get his aching to go away.

"Natsuu~" Happy exclaimed, sitting on his partners back. "Pull yourself together. We have to be in our best shape to save Lushee~!"

Natsu tried to respond, but every time he opened his mouth, liquid float out of it. The same with Gajeel, who was currently curled up in a ball next to Levy, who patted his head as she tried not to get vomit on her. The seats on the other side of the aisle were taken by Wendy (and Carla), Erza, Gray, Juvia and Loke. Juvia was clenching to Gray's arm. Gray wasn't resisting, he knew she wouldn't let go, so why even bother?

They had just switched train to another one after five hours of riding one, or more like five hours of torture according to Natsu and Gajeel.

"S-Scrimp..." Gajeel muttered, weakly. "How long... did you say it would take... from here?" Levy giggled of Gajeel's weakness.

"From here?" she repeated for herself. "About an hour from here, so... get a hold of yourself, will ya?" Natsu let out a whimpering sound from his seat.

"I still don't understand why Makarov picked me to go save Lucy, though." Levy continued.

"Levy, you are really important for this mission," Erza secured her. "It was you who tracked her down after all! If anything goes wrong, I'm sure we can rely on you."

"Yeah," Loke started, smiling tiredly. "I'm also sure that Lucy will be happy to see you!"

Levy smiled sadly. "I doubt so," she said, sighing, looking out of the window. "She only met me once after she woke up. Also my power aren't even so powerful. I'm too small and w-" She was cut off by Gajeel, again.

"If you call yourself weak, you're going to regret it!" he exclaimed, and after he said it, he uttered vomit sounds into plastic bag. Erza, Loke Gray oppressed a smirk. Juvia, that had a good view to Gray's face, couldn't tell if it was because of Gajeel being cheesy, or if it was because of Gajeel being weak on a train. __________________________________________________________________________________

Haichi and Lucy had been walking in silence for a while. Haichi had used up all of her soothing comments, whilst Lucy just walked in her own thoughts. What should she expect? What answers would she get? Would she ever get her memories back?

After a while of asking herself questions, Haichi stopped, and since Lucy was held back by Haichi, she did the same. Lucy looked up and saw a big door made out of an iron of some sort. It had big engravings in it, like dragons fighting, stars falling to the ground. It was nearly as if it moved, but Lucy reminded herself that her mind still were dancing.

"So," Haichi said, awkwardly. "In here you'll find Zeref-san. Are you ready?" Lucy thought about for a second, but came to the conclusion that she was. She nodded quickly, and not shortly after that, Haichi knocked on the door.

"Zeref-san!" she exclaimed with her high-pitched voice. "Lucy-san is here to talk to you!" The door slowly opened. A big room appeared. It was full of long tables with benches under. From the ceiling a bunch of chandeliers hang, with red candles lit. The room it self had a black and red theme. The floor was black and white checkered, and a red carpet ran from the door to the end of a platform, where a chair with a man was placed. The man had black hair swept around his head. His eyes were also black, and his face seemed calm and... friendly in some way.

Zeref...

"Haichi," he exclaimed, standing up. "Remove the girls handcuffs, if you would be so kind." Haichi nodded, and did as she was told. Before she left she put a hand on Lucy's shoulder, and pinched it slightly. A last comforting thought sent.

"Lucy Heartfilia," Zeref said, walking down of the platform. He then gestured to an empty bench. "Sit down, please." Lucy did as she was told. The benches were cold against her only shorts-covered legs, but she shook it off.

Zeref sat down on the other side of the table. "So tell me, Lucy Heartfilia," he said with a too-friendly voice. "Do you despise me?" Lucy looked up, shocked. She was shaking, unwillingly.

"N-no, I would never..." she stammered, nervously. His eyes widened.

"Really?" He asked, amused. "I took your memories, kidnapped you and attached you to a wall. You are indeed a naive person if you don't despise me."

"A-About my memories..." Lucy started, covering her eyes with her hair. "Why did you take them? And... can I get them back again?"

"I took them for my plan A," Zeref said, sighing. "I didn't want to take you here with force, but it turned out that I had to. I wanted to turn you against your friends. In that way, Elimar would've build a bond with you, and taken you that way." Lucy looked confuse, so Zeref sighed. "Look, I might seem like your average villain, but I'm not. I don't like taking people by force. Also... I'll be giving you your memories back as a 'farewell gift' before the sacrifice."

The sacrifice? Lucy repeated in her head. Oh, that's right. I'm a living sacrifice. Unconsciously, she bit her under lip as if she was about to cry.

"Oh, don't be like that," Zeref muttered. "You want to help our world, don't you?" Lucy just nodded, too fast, and wiped the unwanted tears away.

"O-Of course I will, but..." she looked down on her clenched fists, laying in her lap. "...what is wrong with this world right now? I don't see the bad thing about this. I... I actually consider it rather beautiful, of what I have seen." She looked up, expecting him to look annoyed or mad, but he looked quite amused.

"Believe me," he started, smiling entertained. "For people with their mind in the right place, this world seems rather 'beautiful', but... persons with so much more then sanity... they can see what the world needs."

Lucy looked confused as ever, putting her arm on the table. Zeref used the opportunity to grab it tightly. "I want to bring back chaos," he exclaimed, still clenching her wrist tightly. "You see, the natural order is disorder. Chaos is what makes humans free. Don't you want to set our people free?" Why did he have that glimpse in his eyes? Totally insane looks were sent.

Lucy began to take her hand back, slowly. She looked terrified as she spoke. "C-Chaos isn't what makes people free," she yelled. Lucy herself didn't expect her voice to raise, neither did Zeref. "You are completely insane!"

Zeref let out a giggle. "But how do you know that you aren't the insane one here?" he sent her a sharp look. "After all, you were just "re-born"... and if you want it or not... you will cooperate!"

Lucy shook as a wild animal, unwanted of course. She wanted to toughen up and talk back at him, but she couldn't. You shouldn't be a genius to feel all the dark magic coming out of Zeref. It even hit her when she walked into the room, right before. The dark magic was strong.

She began to rise from her seat, and walked backwards, seeking the door. But because she was half paralyzed by her fear, Zeref was faster and grabbed both of her hands and secured them on her back.

"Don't be a fool, Lucy Heartfilia," he whispered into her ear. He then stroke her hair, which sent the chills down her spine - the bad kind of chills! "You can't escape from here. You will be the sacrifice, whether you like it or not." He pulled her with him to the door, where he knocked and called for Haichi. Half a minute of silence went by and Haichi pushed open the door.

"You called, Zeref...san." Haichi said, innocent. She widened her eyes when she saw the terrified look in Lucy's eyes.

"Yes, please hang Lucy Heartfilia back at the wall," Zeref demanded. Haichi nodded and grabbed Lucy's hand, this time without the handcuff. "Don't forget the handcuffs." Okay, with the handcuffs, then. Haichi did as she was told and secured Lucy's hands with the handcuffs.

"Come on, then!" Haichi said, trying to sound bossy, which didn't worked very well. Lucy obeyed and started walking. As they walked out of the big hall, the just as tall door shut - the last they heard was Zeref laugh. __________________________________________________________________________________

The rescue team left the train, which was like a dream come true for Natsu and Gajeel. Erza had found a cheap hotel to stay on over the night. When they first arrived it was about 9 PM, so they had been hungry. They took what they could get at the hotels buffet, because they needed to go early in the morning. Natsu had eaten as he usually did, but he hadn't enjoyed the food as he usually did. His thoughts were on his best friend being held captive somewhere that they wouldn't reach just yet.

After dinner he walked out on his hotel room's balcony. It was surprisingly big considering the size of his tiny hotel room. He was sulking on the railing, thinking about the most horrifying thoughts. What they did to Lucy, for example. The thought of her in pain ached his dense heart.

"There you are," a familiar voice said from behind. Natsu turned his head, and sighed of the sight. It was Erza and Gray. "We are here to cheer you up."

Gray uttered some kind of crossing between a sigh and a grown. "Or she is, I am just here because she said I..." He then shut it when he received a death glare from Erza.

Natsu had turned his head again, looking at the sky. Erza chose to walk up besides him. "We all miss Lucy, you know that, right?" Erza asked.

"Yeah, I know that," Natsu mumbled, avoiding eye contact. "I just can't help, but think of what horrible things that Lucy's dragged into."

"I'm sure that Lucy's fine." Gray growled, from behind Erza. Erza then looked at Gray with an amused look. It wasn't very often Gray comforted Natsu. She then sweatdropped when she looked closer at Gray.

"Gray, clothes." She said, annoyed.

"When did this happen?!" Gary exclaimed. Well, that moment was just ruined, but when she looked back at Natsu she heeded a smile on his lips. She couldn't help but smile calmly herself.

Lucy would be fine. She had to! __________________________________________________________________________________

But will Lucy be okay?

Stay tuned for the next chapter: Are we there yet?