Sweet Starry Shadows

Soon

Sweet Starry Shadows

Chapter 28: Soon

Lucy stood there panting hard as felt her sweat slowly run down her forehead and down to her chin. Her eyes focusing on Sakura as she created a large ball of water, she watched as the girl then lifted the ball high into the air where she slammed it down towards Ace and Yuuto who jumped out of the way. Intently watching, she focused on every single movement done by the scarlet.

Once Sakura directed the ball towards her, she jumped high into the air where she took in a sharp inhale of air. "Celestial Dragon's Roar!" she boomed, destroying the sphere where it began to rain.

Sakura smirking, she spun on her heel where she used her magic to curve the droplets of water. Purposely attacking slowly, she watched Lucy's imitating body as she too did the same thing as before.

The blonde's mouth moving as she raised her arm up into the air, she gritted her teeth as she gathered her stars into one certain place - Her palm. With time running out since Sakura didn't like to train her the easier way, she glanced down to the incoming water droplets before she went back to focusing on her sphere of stars. "Celestial Dragon's Celestial Sphere!" she chanted as the words flew out of her in ease before slamming the ball of raging stars down onto the ground where her body flew upwards to prevent herself from getting caught into the impact.

Watching as Sakura's water evaporated, she dropped onto the ground with heavier pants raging through her body. Within each pant stabbed her in the chest. It was painful, but it just had to be.

Training with Sakura wasn't easy. She had to fight with all she can unless she wanted to be severely wounded. Sakura warned her about the aftermaths of her training, and she couldn't care less when she's getting stronger to begin with.

The fact that she was training with someone stronger than her was something to marvel at. To get stronger, you must fight with someone who's stronger and more experienced in battle - Finding a weak would be the opposite - Nothing would be gained by choosing the easy option.

"We should have a break..." Sakura said, snapping Lucy out of her trance. The blonde dropping to her knees, she wiped away her sweat and shook her head. "No... Not when I'm getting used to it..." she whispered which made the crimson raise a brow.

Sakura shaking her head, she glanced over her shoulder to see a worried Rogue and an annoyed Sting watching by the door. Looking back to Lucy, she smiled and went down on one knee to place her hand on top of her hand. "Lucy, we've been at it for roughly five hours. Everyone's awake and on edge since we're making too much noise. Besides, you need to eat and rest properly - Just look at you," she said.

"I... I just don't want to stop now… Just when I just learnt how to do Celestial Dragon's Celestial Sphere," Lucy reasoned as she tried to steady her breathing. Her eyes glancing up to Sakura, she pleaded. "Please, just one more spell, or when I’m able to master Celestial Dragon's Celestial Sphere and use it without a mistake following..." she whispered which made Sakura sigh. 

"How about you eat and rest for half an hour? Then I'll point out anything you need to improve on before you start on another spell?" Sakura said.

With sparkling eyes, Lucy nodded her head. "Roger that!" she beamed before hurrying into the cottage.

Sighing Sakura shook her head as she stood up. "So, she's a Celestial Dragon Slayer then," a voice said which made her turn to face Sting. Nodding her head, she watched as Lucy appeared at the door again to only pull Rogue into the cottage as well where suddenly both of them emerged from the place with plates in their hands.

"The spells are in her heart so it's easier for her to learn them since they just flow out of her mouth without her even knowing. With her being a Dragon Slayer, they won't be able to hurt her when we get to Fairy Tail," she replied where she began to play with her fingers. "I have to admit it, but I do miss the idiotic bunch over there. It makes me see the youth and freedom that we dragons once had when we were younger… Free and away from those tamers..." she whispered before smiling over to Lucy who was biting into her sandwich.

"No one deserves to her hurt by her friends. Traitor or not, we have bonds that we cannot physically destroy where that was one thing Fairy Tail had forgotten. They never got to hear Lucy's side of the story and just went into things without thinking straight. They don't even know who was the one lying in the first place and assumed things their way based on how long they've known each other..." Sakura spat before turning to look at Sting.

The boy watching as Sakura's eyes narrowed at him, Ace and Yuuto walked over to stand beside her. Their body straight as their eyes swirled with various emotions, the two wolves vanished once she shook her head. "Lucy will not be the one with the short end of the straw. She will lead us to victory, and she will learn her true value once she overcomes her past," she said.

"I thought that she already did by joining," Sting mentioned as his eyes met with Rogue's.

Sakura frowning, she turned her back to the two eating and looked up to the clear blue sky. "It takes time to heal they say..." she hummed. "Time won't heal anything as you can see happening here. You must be the change to heal yourself," she whispered before forcing a smile as she walked back to where Lucy sat, leaving Sting behind stunned by her words.

As she walked over to Lucy, she was greeted with an excited Lucy biting into her sandwich hungrily. Her eyes glistening in satisfaction as she looked up to the crimson, she quickly swallowed and glanced over to Sting with a raised brow. "Why is Sting left standing there with that face?" she asked.

She had her question answered with a forced smile to which she frowned. She hated being the odd one out of the group, and it hurts to know that she wasn't being let into the conversation even though they were close friends.

Turning to Rogue, she saw his head go left to right to her silent question. Not knowing what to do, she had no other choice but to drop it as the crimson sat in front of her and took a sandwich of her own to nibble on. As the girl sat there in silence, the blonde felt somewhat guilty to see her friend in a worrisome state.

Even though she knew that Sakura was now in deep thought, she had to find a way to get the girl back on track before something terrible happens such as her remembering about her mother's death.

"So now I have to rest right?" she asked.

Sakura looking to her, she blankly smiled. "You can go and practice your Dragon's Roar and Celestial Sphere if you'd like. I'll just sit here and guide you whenever you need some tips," she replied before looking back to her bitten sandwich.

Frowning, the blonde nodded her head. "Oh. Alright then... I'll just do that while you recollect your thoughts," she said where Sakura looked back up. "I'm just trying to find the right answers to things that I don't know of yet, like what are we going to do when we arrive to Fairy Tail and whatnot. Our plans are just not clear yet, and Sting's not helping one bit by saying we should just knock out the man and throw him down a cliff," she stated before biting into her sandwich.

"We have four months to decide. Let's just focus on training Lucy," Rogue suddenly said where Sakura nodded. "That's what I've been telling Sting but no, he's just stubborn to think at times," Sakura replied before smiling to Lucy with eyebags evident under her eyes. "Go and tra-"

"I think you should rest," Lucy interrupted. Her attention on the surprised crimson, she nodded her head. "Yes... You should rest. Tell me Sakura, did you sleep a wink last night?" she asked.

She got no reply in return which made her overly suspicious. "Don't worry about me Sakura, I have Sting and Rogue to help me train. Why don't you get some shut-eye and come back later tonight?" she pushed on making Sakura sigh and run her fingers through her hair tiredly.

"Your stars better improve. Remember, you must visualize them and create them using your magic and energy. If you don't think about everything, they'll be dull and useless in battle," the crimson said as she got up. 

Heading to the door, she pointed to the blonde looking at her with worried eyes. Sighing, she rested her hand against the door frame and tiredly smiled. "Don't worry, you have potential. It'll take roughly a month for you -"

"You guys need to go now," Rosette suddenly said as she poked her head out of her home with Laxus walking around.

Lucy standing there in confusion as Laxus easily picked up Sakura to allow her to rest her head against his chest, she looked at the demon in confusion as Chaverine came walking out with fear etched on her face. "Wha-What's going on?" she asked, looking at the two of them.

Rosette sighing as she scratched the side of her head, she turned to look at Sakura. "Don't tell me that you're too tired to notice them coming," she said where Sakura bit the inside of her cheek.

The crimson focusing on the air around them, she closed her eyes and tuned herself into the nature surrounding them. Hearing the trees cry out in panic as loud rustling noises erupted in her mind, she gasped. 

Snapping her eyes open, she turned to look back at Rosette in shock. "Don't tell me that they're reinforcements for..." She glanced over to the door before back onto her friend.

Rosette simply nodding, Lucy raised her guard as Sting and Rogue stood beside her defensively. Their body tense as they waited for Sakura's call, they shifted in their spots when Sakura turned to look at them in panic. "We must head to Fairy Tail right away before they come here. Chaverine will transform into her dragon form and fly you all in that direction. Laxus and I will remain here to take them out before we get over there," she said where Lucy nodded in response.

The demon throwing the tied-up man towards Sting, she scowled. "This is why I hate visitors at times," she hissed before looking at Chaverine. "You heard what Sakura had just said, change into your dragon form and take them to Fairy Tail. You should know where it is considering your conditions before," she instructed coldly where Chaverine hastily nodded.

Chaverine quickly shifting, she gave out a stretch before lowering her neck so the three of them could climb on. Lucy looking down to Sakura as she got down from Laxus's hold, she bit the bottom of her lips. "I don't want to leave you behind," she whispered, fearing what may happen once she gets there to the guild.

Sakura looking back up to her weakly, she smiled. "You have two princes right there beside you. Don't let their words -" She stopped midway and narrowed her eyes over to the trees. Without looking back to the four, she harshly growled. "Go! Chaverine, don't fly near the canopy!"

"Please be safe!" Lucy cried out as Chaverine immediately stood up and flapped her wings. The dragon hovering above the ground as she kept her eyes on the crimson, she furrowed her brows when Sakura looked up to her with a sad smile.

"You are strong and you control the skies, the heavens and space itself!" Sakura yelled out before she, Laxus and Rosette jumped into the air to avoid the barbed wires which came ramming down into the ground.

Before the blonde could say anything more, Rogue pulled her inwards as Chaverine sliced through the air. Soaring through the sky where all she could see were magical spells being thrown all around the place deep in the forest, she sighed as she looked straight ahead.

"Ne, Chaverine... How would it take to get there?" she asked. "Roughly ten minutes or less..." Chaverine replied.