Heartfilia Empire

Oath


Starlight's POV

After Lucy dismissed herself from the table, we all finished eating so we can go do our own things. As I walked around the garden with Ji, I stared at all the flowers that we passed by. That is, until we suddenly stopped. There were several bushes blocking the way, it was shaped in a way that it made half a circle; us currently being in the middle. Even though, the fact that random bushes happened to be in the middle of the walkway did not bother me at all, it was the flowers that were bothering me. Begonia's. Now, I was never the one to believe in omens and signs despite being raised in a village who lived their lives according to signs and omens. I was always the odd one out in my village, I guess you can say I was the problem child. However, the bushes surrounding us just heighten my suspicions of Lucy's plans. I was already getting a bad feeling about this and the Begonia's only make those feelings worse, considering that those flowers are basically a big beware sign, according to my village. I can feel Ji tugging on my black sleeve.

"Are you ok?" She asks, looking up at me.

"Yes." I answer simply.

Then she puffs her cheeks and looks away. "Lair." She mutters.

"How am I lying?"

"Your tail is swishing. You only do that when you're scared."

"Scared?" I scoffed. "I've dealt with worse situations. I'm just… uncomfortable."

"Yet you say you're ok."

"Don't test me child." I hissed as my tail started to twitch with annoyance only to have her run off laughing.

"Ah, Star-san. Juvia has been looking for you." I turned around to see her walking up to me. "Lucy says she requests our presence in the dining hall right now."

I nod as I motioned Ji to follow us. "So, how are you and Wendy doing?" I ask as we walk towards the dining area.

"Juvia is doing ok. Juvia is a little concerned about Lucy though…"

"At least I'm not the only one having second thoughts on this." I mutter. "Perhaps there is a way to convince her to not go with this. After all, in the end we all are going to get in big trouble for this…"

"Hmmm… Juvia has never seen Starlight so worried. Starlight seems to care a lot of Chujitsuna."

"Well, she views me as her mother figure, in other words her step mom. If that is how she sees me, then that is how I intend to take care of her. Therefore, as her 'mom,' I do not wish to see my child die, much less executed for something as silly as revenge."

"If Starlight feels this way, then why did she decide to join us?"

"Well, Ji sees Levy and Lucy as her close friends and if I'm correct they did save her from getting killed by a mysterious creature. So it's only natural that she feels that she owes Lucy and Levy for saving them so she will always be loyal to them. As her mother figure and protector, wherever she goes, I will go as well." I said, before the three of us walk into the dining room. Everyone was already there except for Lucy. After a few minutes of sitting in an awkward silence, Lucy finally entered the room holding the amulet by the chain out in front of her like it's going to bite. I sigh inwardly. I wonder if Carla has gotten any premonitions.

"I'm sorry I gathered you guys while you were busy." Lucy apologizes as she makes her way to her seat.

"It's ok Lucy-san. I'm pretty sure it's important." Wendy reassures.

"Actually it is. Anyway, I found out that the amulet can do something that can be deemed useful."

We stared on silently, waiting for Lucy to continue. Instead she opened the blinds an exposed the amulet to the sun. Then something unexpected happened, the chains seemed to mold together without heat and it started to form a sword. No wonder Lucy held the amulet out like that… Exposure to a single ray of sunlight and the chain she thought she was holding could quickly become the black of her sword.

"It looks like Lucy finally found out about that." Juvia loudly whispers to Wendy who giggles.

"Wait, you already knew?!" Lucy pouts as the water mage and the dragon slayer nod.

"Unlike Lucy, Juvia and Wendy experimented with our amulets while Lucy laid on her bed snoring."

"I don't snore." Lucy protests.

"Lucy must be deaf."

"I'm not deaf and I certainly don't snore."

"Juvia thought the mansion was going to collapse."

"This house is a lot stronger than you think. Me snoring would not have any effect."

"So, Lucy admits she was snoring?"

"W-what?! No!"

As the two argue on, I got up and attempted to quietly sneak into the kitchen along with Wendy, Carla,

and Levy. I would have been successful if Chujitsuna wasn't clinging to my leg.

'I really don't know when this habit started…' I mentally sighed as I half walked and half dragged myself to the kitchen. When I opened the door, the three were already there, enjoying icecream. I lift my leg (the one Ji is clinging on to) as high as possible so I can address her properly.

"Will you let go? You're in the kitchen now." I asked, not changing my expression.

Instead of answering or letting go, she pretends to sleep. Of course. They always do that. I gave a sigh of defeat as I grabbed two ice-cream sandwiches from the fridge. Handing one two the little alligator who insists on choking my leg, I start a conversation.

"How did you and Juvia figure out the amulet could transform?"

"It started when Juvia accidentally dropped her amulet into the fountain in the garden. Then, mines turned into a sword when I breathed on it." She answered. "I was trying to polish it."

"Well, if you plan to use it again, which I highly advise not to, you should be more careful." Carla says sternly.

"Hai."

"How about you Levy? How have you been managing?" Ji asks.

"I've been doing great. The spells are a bit difficult but I'm a lot quicker at mastering it than I originally expected."

I nod. "I've been wondering… Carla, have you gotten any premonitions?"

She shakes her head. "I don't need a premonition to know that something big is going to happen." She states simply.

"I guess that's true…"

Our conversation came to a hold when Lucy stepped in with Juvia.

"You guys went to get ice-cream without me?" Lucy complains almost immediately.

"Lu-chan don't be a complainer." Levy playfully scolds.

"Yeah a complainer." Ji happily repeats.

"I'm not a complainer, nor do I snore." Lucy replies, glaring at Juvia who flashes an innocent smile.

"Anyway, hold out your palms." She says taking out a tiny rock that probably found in the garden.

"Are you really planning to…" Levy sighs.

"Yeah. Just an extra precaution."

"Isn't that a sign of paranoia…?" Carla asks warily.

"When you think about it, her worries do make sense. If we actually pull this off and actually make an empire, loyalty is one of the most important factors for it being successful." I reply, moving Ji's outstretched hand from the middle.

"If you're in, put your hand in the middle." Lucy says putting hers in the middle first.

I hesitate for a moment before I eventually put my hand in the middle while keeping Ji from participating, much to the little kid's frustration. Lucy went first, cutting the middle of her palm, the red liquid rising slowly like an overflowing river. Then she proceeds to make the same cut of the rest of our palms.

"I swear on my blood that I will stay loyal to my friends to the end. The very end. And, I will not do anything that may hurt my friends or our common goal…" Lucy chants.

'I swear on my blood that I will stay loyal to Chujitsuna to the end. The very end. And, I will do anything I can to protect her. That was my promise to her parents.' I thought to myself as Lucy continues to chant.


Author's Note:

Heh. It's been a while huh? Well, I still have a bunch of tests to do plus I need to practice since I'll be going to festival band very soon ^.^ That doesn't mean I've given up on this though.

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Sparrow-senpai out~