Sweet Starry Shadows

Stronger and Better

Sweet Starry Shadows

Chapter 10: Stronger and Better

She found herself enjoying her new hopes and dreams developing in her mind like a slide show. They somewhat warmed her up as her clothes began to change into a formal-looking black dress with a hairpiece on her head.

The new expectations were providing her with a new insight into her changed self.

The hope of becoming stronger to protect herself. The desire to jump into the middle of a fight to stop two people from hurting themselves even worse. The courage of her facing her fears with a smirk on her face rather than eyes that showed nothing but fear. The dreams to see Sakura smiling as she would secretly watch over her from time to time just to see how her progress was.

Did you all think that those were the only things that she could see happening in the future? Well, guess what, you're wrong.

She saw herself working at a bar of a guild with a bright smile on her face. She saw the happiness and life in her eyes as she would talk to her spirits that would show up to talk to her. Everyone surrounding her was happy, and somehow, she found herself having a new love with a new family there to protect and aid her when danger came near their loved ones.

Her lips grew wider as she smiled at the happy, yet vivid images that she was seeing in her mind. Reaching out to it, she managed to grab onto the hopes and dreams that were right in front of her where Loke and Virgo high-fived each other at her awakening.

"Our Lucy is back..." Loke whispered as he felt a closing connection with the blonde. Virgo nodding, she entwined her fingers together with hidden glee. "We should let her return back to Sakura now..." she said before Lucy opened her eyes.

Surrounded by nothing but trees and nature, she gasped when she saw Sakura on her knees panting heavily as she tried to push herself back up. As if confused about the situation, the blonde realised why the girl was so drained as tens of people laid scattered on the lush grass beneath their feet. "She can't use too much of her other elements since it drains her. She's been protecting you and the house while you were with your spirits," Ace explained as he twisted a man's arm back to hold him down.

Lucy nodding, she took in a steady breath and watched as people began to charge towards her. Letting go of that certain inhale which seemed to have calmed her, she threw back a fist as it began to glow. "Say hello to the new me!" she cried out as she punched the man that jumped towards her.

With her fist making contact with the man’s stomach, she grinned in satisfaction as she watched him fly back along with some other people. "So, this is Star Dress," she whispered in awe before kicking upwards to push away another opponent.

"So, you finally got it," Yuuto said in amusement as he stood facing outwards with his back to hers.

Nodding, she fought using melee with the power of Regulus. And as if she lost herself within this new experience of her being able to fight without her spirits out of their gates, she found herself standing with steady breaths as the criminals and trespassers began to retreat for their lives.

"Get out and stay out!" Sakura bellowed before throwing the man that she was holding into the shrubs where he couldn't help himself but to squeal in horror. Shaking her head, she thanked Ace and Yuuto as they helped her stand properly.

The three of them looking over to Lucy, they couldn't help but smile as she looked down to her open palms in awe. "I don't feel as tired as much as I used to..." she whispered with her eyes open. Her head snapping up, she grinned in delight before giving out an excited squeal. "I can't believe I was able to fight alongside with you without any problems!" she cried out before dropping to knees to cry into her hands.

Finally! It was finally the time for her to prove herself, and them, that she wasn't what Lisanna had claimed her to be. For so long, after all the pain and suffering, she was able to see the goods in her life and be able to move on from her heartbreak...

Heartbreak... The pains of having a broken heart...

She shook her head and looked up to Sakura with widened eyes. "What heartbreak?" she questioned herself before accepting Sakura's open hand in which the girl chuckled. "You’ve moved on. It may still be there but the new you won't allow it to overtake your emotions and heart like before," she explained where Lucy found herself smiling.

"I'm not weak, am I?" she asked. The crimson chuckled to her excitement and nodded. "You're no longer weak, but powerful and better than before."

"I'll teach you how to use some of the -" Before Sakura could even finish her sentence, Lucy got up and shook her head in interruption. "No, I've been holding you back from your mission for too long," she said where Sakura looked at her in confusion.

"But I told you that I'll train you..." Sakura pressed on where she smiled at her, making her shut up and sigh. "Indeed you have become stronger," she chuckled.

Lucy nodding her head, she pulled the tired crimson into a loving embrace where she sniffed. "Thank you so much for everything. Because of my whims, I made you delay yourself just to train me," she thanked before pulling back to smile at the two knightly wolves standing beside their master.

"Protect her for me, alright?" she whispered where the wolves looked at her sheepishly. "Actually..." Yuuto began where Sakura chuckled and shook her head.

"Yuuto will be staying with you," she deadpanned where Lucy widened her eyes in bewilderment. "But he's your spirit," she said where Sakura could only smirk in reply to her shock.

She crossed her arms and leaned her weight to the side. "Indeed he is, but I believe that he'll be capable to protect you while I'm not there by your side," Sakura reasoned where she shook her head. "No Sakura, I can't take him from you. I just can't," she said as she gave the girl a pointed look.

Sakura holding both hands up in surrender, she chuckled. "He'll protect you. Come on Lucy, you don't know what's lurking in these woods whereas my wolves know what you don’t," she replied where Lucy shook her head yet again in refusal which made her sigh. "You know that I can't leave you all alone here. I know that I've been stayed here before and know this place from top to bottom, but I need to be sure that nothing like what had just happened before will repeat itself in the future," she continued.

Lucy opened her mouth only to see Loke appearing in front of him with a smirk. "Hmmph, did you think that I'm not strong enough to protect my princess?" he questioned as he struck a pose.

The crimson rolling her eyes to his attitude, she dropped her arms to only give him an unquestionable look to his actions. "Have I ever mentioned that?" she asked where he struck another pose but this time flexing.

"I have the full potential for protecting my future bride! Remember us almost getting married?" he cried out where the crimson face-palmed. Balling her fists, she gritted her teeth. "Continue that stupid married thing and I'll literally plummet you into the ground," she threatened where Loke gasped in horror. "Oh, you wouldn't!" he said in a dramatic tone where Sakura and Ace glanced at each other and smirked.

Sakura gasping as if she caught someone doing something scandalous, she placed her arm over her eyes and faked a sob. "As much as it pains me to hurt someone as handsome as you, I must do it to protect my princess!" she cried before leaning over to Ace where she clutched onto his clothes. "Please, tell him that he can’t take away our princess!" she continued where Ace widened his eyes and snapped his head over to Lucy and sighed dramatically.

"Why must you run away with a pervert like him?!" he questioned where Loke gasped out loud and placed a hand over his heart. "Hey! For your information, women find it very sexy when handsome men like me, tell them that I'll protect them as if we're married!" he exclaimed where Sakura scoffed.

"Seems like it doesn't work on every woman. Guess we're men Lucy," Sakura mocked where Lucy slapped the back of her spirit's head. "Loke's right though, he and my spirits are there to help me when I'm in danger. Don't you worry Sakura, please continue your mission without worrying about me too much," Lucy said where Yuuto sighed and shrugged his shoulders to which he then smiled to his master. "Can't argue with my suppose to-be master then," he said.

He then turned to look between the blonde and the crimson where he settled his eyes on Sakura, "Seems like you're stuck with me again." Shrugging, Sakura smiled. "You've grown over the past four months, and I'm honoured to be the one that has watched over you," she said where the blonde smiled. "What are you saying? You're the one who has been training me during those months," she said where Sakura chuckled.

To be honest, the blonde really didn't to let the crimson go just yet, but her duties were calling. When Sakura thought that she was asleep when she wasn't; She would always hear Sakura discussing some things to someone and would often hear how they'd miss each other and wish that they were together like before.

Not wanting her heartbreak to ruin another's romance life and even work-life, she had no other choice but to accept what she developed over the past months and let her go to reunite with that boy that she would always hear roughly every night.

"I'm fine Sakura. I have everyone with me, and maybe one day, I'll move out and live in a town or something," she continued where Loke nodded. "We have everything under control. You taught us everything, and if anything happens, there's always the train station to leave the place," he supported.

Sakura's smile dropping a little bit, she shakily let out a sigh. "Well, I guess you being able to use Star Dress is another reason for me to let you off of my training," she said before scratching her head. Tipping her head to the side, her smile went back to its original state and nodded. "Alright, even though I haven't taught you much on weapons, you still do have some experience on wielding a blade when we were testing out some things. With that, I guess it's all up to you training with your spirits while using Star Dress," she continued before lifting her head back up.

"I have packed up everything," Ace said as he appeared beside Sakura.

Lucy sadly smiling to Sakura, she pulled the girl into an embrace where she felt her stiffen. "Thanks to you, I was able to regain my footing," she said where she held back her tears. Tightening her hug, she burrowed her nose deeper into the side of Sakura's neck. "I'm so sorry for making you watch my weakest side of me," she apologized before feeling the girl return the hug.

"There's nothing wrong with tears. They're just there to make us realize what's hurting us. Having tears isn't a sign to tell us that we're weak," Sakura whispered before pulling back. "If you ever meet him, or them, and they hurt you till you can't stand on your feet; Know that since we've been spending time together, your bond with Ace and Yuuto are like yours with your spirits. Call them and we'll come running over to you - No matter how the far the distance is," she said before nodding to Ace and Yuuto where they nodded in agreement.

“Or you can tell Loke and he will relay the message to us,” Yuuto suggested before their gates opened and closed where they both returned into their gates.

The blonde meeting eyes with Sakura's, they both forced themselves to smile in happiness to prevent the other from crying. Watching the crimson take a few steps back, they waved their silent farewells before the girl sprouted wings in which she had never gotten the chance to see.

So that was how Sakura was able to reach to her when she called. To finally see another secret from the crimson, it was indeed the best farewell gift that she had gotten.

Biting the bottom of her lips, she soon watched Sakura fly off into the distance where the trees cut off her sight within seconds. Waiting just a few more seconds just to confirm that she was gone, a stray tear fell where Loke turned to sadly smile at his princess. "She hasn't had enough of us yet - She'll be back soon," he reassured where she nodded.

"Watching her leave felt like I was watching my younger sister depart at a port," she replied where he chuckled. "Technically, she's older than you. If that never happened then you would've been older than her," he said where she opened her mouth to form a perfect 'o'.

Smiling, she wiped away the tear. "You're right, but in a way, I'm right as well," she retorted before she heard a familiar roar echoing through the darkness.

"Well that must be Sakura telling us to get ready for dinner," he said as he began to lead the way. Lucy nodding, she looked up to the dawning sky and thanked the girl for spending all of her time here for her sake.