Chapter 18: Ch 16: Lucy Heartfilia
Sharon, once again on his search for Lucy, made his way to her apartment.
"Where did she go this time?" He muttered as he made his way inside her apartment.
He looked around until he saw a bunch of letters. He looked around, noticing how she had written so many letters to her mother but hadn't sent them yet.
'I wonder why she hasn't sent them ...' Sharon thought as he saw a single note on her desk.
"WHAT??" He screamed as he read the note.
[I will go home.]
*Scene Change*
A blonde woman approached an estate, a somber look on her face.
'It's been a whole year, huh?' She thought as she walked closer.
"O-OOOOH!! LUCY!" A middle-aged woman screamed in shock as the others nearby ran over with smiles and tears of joy.
"Lucy ... thank the heavens you're safe!" The middle-aged woman said with tears streaming down her face as she hugged Lucy.
"Master Lucy!" "Lucy!" "Welcome home!" "Where were you the past year?" They asked as Lucy laughed and talked with them.
"Well, she's at that age, ya know? Surely she's had a man or two to visit." The chef said with a grin. Lucy slightly blushed as she shook her head.
The rest of them began to talk as she was filled with a feeling of nostalgia.
'They never change ...' She thought with a smile.
"Lucy, your father asked that you come to the main study!" A man said as he rushed over.
'Even after I had run away for a year ... it's still the same "I'll be waiting in my room?' She thought as she sighed.
"Come, come! We can't have you meeting your father in those rags!" One of the ladies working there said as she rushed Lucy into the mansion.
A couple of moments later, she walked out with a red dress.
"Hello ... father." She said as she walked into the main study.
"I'm glad you came back, Lucy."
"I apologize for leaving without a word, I deeply regret my actions," Lucy said with a slight bow, as her father glanced at her.
"You've made a wise choice. If you had been in the guild any longer ... I was on the verge of using my wealth to destroy it."
"You've finally grown up, Lucy ... it seems you've learned an important lesson on just how destructive your selfish actions can be."
Her father spoke as she kept her head down.
*Scene Change*
Sharon was gasping and panting as he ran from the train and toward the estate.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" A few guards asked as Sharon slowed down and looked at the mansion.
"I knew she was rich, but damn." He muttered as he walked over.
"I'm here to take Lucy back." He said confidently as he saw the other workers at the mansion turn to him in surprise.
"Take her back? Who are you to make such claims?" A guard asked as he had his hand on his sword.
"Sharon Savant of Fairy Tail." He said boldly as the middle-aged woman from earlier approached him.
"Follow me." She said as she led him into the mansion.
"By marrying the Julenelles, the Heartfilia Railways will be able to expand ... also, you must give birth to a son to continue our family name." Lucy's father said as Sharon opened the door.
The attention was directed to him, as Lucy was confused but a slight blush could be seen. Meanwhile, Lucy's father had a cold stare.
"Who might you be?" Lucy's father asked as he stepped toward Sharon.
"I'm Lucy's friend, Sharon Savant." He said as he glanced at Lucy.
"Sharon ... why are you here?" Lucy asked as she gazed at him.
"I saw the note." He replied as she was a bit confused.
"You said you were leaving and that you were going home!" he said with a conflicted expression. "I came to take you back!"
"Young man, I suggest you watch your tone. You have no right to take my daughter anywhere." Lucy's father said with a serious tone as he stood face-to-face with Sharon.
"Lucy is my daughter. She will do as I say. She will be getting married to Prince Sawalu of Julenelle. Understand?" Her father said as he looked Sharon in the eyes.
Sharon clenched his fists as he glanced at Lucy who took a deep breath.
"Father, don't misunderstand me." She said as her father jerked his head toward her.
"The reason I came back was to make myself clear. I know it was wrong to run away. That's why this time, I came to express my feelings ... I'm leaving this house!" Lucy said as her father and Sharon were quite surprised, both for different reasons.
'Ah, so that's why she said she was leaving ... guess I jumped to conclusions.' Sharon thought as he chuckled a bit.
"Lucy?" Her father asked as she was shocked at her words.
"I will walk my own path! You have no right to decide who I marry! AND DON'T YOU DARE LAY A FINGER ON FAIRY TAIL AGAIN!" She shouted as she tore her dress.
"The next time you even try to touch us, I ... no, the entire guild will see you as our enemy!" She said as Sharon watched, a proud smile on his face.
"If you hadn't interfered, maybe this could have been a civil conversation ... but you've caused too much harm to my friends." She said, her emotions flaring.
"I don't care about money or beautiful clothes! I want a place to respect who I AM! Fairy Tail is my other family and they're much more caring than this one ever was!" She yelled as a tear fell from her eyes.
"I'll admit, because of the memories I made with Mother, it was painful to leave this place. Ms. Spetto, Grandpa, Belo, Libon, and Eido ... it was difficult to part with all of them ... but if mother was still alive ... I know she would have told me ... to follow my heart." She said as a pained smile filled with nostalgia spread over her face.
"Farewell ... father." She said as she walked away.
Sharon watched as he saw the man shiver.
"This might not be my place to talk, but ... " Sharon began as he looked at Lucy's father. Lucy, who was nearby, also stopped and turned to face them.
"But what?" Lucy's father asked ... his expression was a mix of anger and a slight bit of curiosity.
Sharon took a deep breath before continuing, "Love is not something that can be forced or bought. It's a choice that should be made freely. Lucy has her own dreams and her own desires, and she deserves the right to chase after them. Marrying someone she doesn't love would only lead to a life of unhappiness for her."
Lucy's father scoffed, "You wizards and your ideals. Love won't put food on the table or secure the family legacy."
Sharon replied firmly, "Maybe not, but it gives life meaning, and it's worth fighting for. Lucy chose to come back here and face you head-on. If you truly care for her, you should consider her happiness above all else."
Lucy glanced at Sharon, an expression of relief mixed with gratitude.
" ... If I care for her, I should consider her happiness, huh?" Her father muttered as he glanced at a painting that was hung on the side of his desk.
"I see ... so this is what you meant ... Layla." He muttered as he looked at Lucy and Sharon.
"Take care of her ... young man." He said as he turned away, as Lucy and Sharon left the study room.
Sharon glanced at Lucy as she looked away.
"You should probably change clothes ..." He said as he chuckled and ran out of the mansion, leaving her a blushing mess.
A few moments later, Lucy returned with a slight blush as she was wearing her usual clothes again.
"There's the Lucy I know," Sharon said as she looked at him.
"Sharon ... thanks for showing up. I didn't think you would come." She said as Sharon laughed.
"Fairy Tail's not the same without you, Lucy. Besides ... that note you left behind, I needed to know what you meant."
"Hahahaha," She laughed as the two walked over to a large garden nearby, where there was a gravestone with an angel statue behind it.
Lucy smiled softly as she placed a bouquet of flowers that she had brought and gazed at the gravestone.
'Layla ... and the year X777 ... is she ...?' Sharon wondered.
The next moment, three panting breaths could be heard as Sharon and Lucy turned to see Natsu, Gray, and Erza running toward them, Happy flying above them.
A few moments of explanation later, they all laughed as they were glad Lucy wasn't leaving.
"Sorry to worry you guys," Lucy said as she looked at them.
"Man, I got anxious over nothing," Gray said as he walked beside them.
"Just drop it already, it's our fault for jumping to conclusions," Erza said as she glanced at Sharon who was walking ahead, deep in thought.
"Gotta say though ... this city is huge!" Natsu said as Lucy giggled a bit.
"Ah, well, this is just the garden. My family owns all the land up to those mountains." Lucy said as Natsu, Erza, Gray and Happy froze and began speaking gibberish.
Meanwhile, Sharon was still in deep thought.
'Layla ... the name is familiar too.' He thought as they left the Heartfilia estate and headed back to Fairy Tail.
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I'm sorry for the long wait everyone! I had a few problems irl, and it was a pain to get through.
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