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No One p.o.v.

The three walked with languidly fluid motions towards the town, bare torches lighting their path every 200 yards. The blonde woman held the Exceed in her arms, to quicken the pace, as the abnormal black cat galloped along at her side. Mary-Lou galloped, teeteringly, along the top of the fence that stood at hip level with Lucy. The communicating was done funnily, like Mary-Lou had done before; mind mixed with mouth. As they became closer to town the words became silent for all as Lucy did not want the villages to think that she had gone mad, and was speaking with cats. "I think w-I mentioned that the swords of Oydian are - were - more of a legend than they are truth. A lost tale to people other than scholars," Mary-Lou paused to scratch at a knarl in the wood, "I believe there were many ballads at one time." The voice she spoke in was soft, hesitant with the words that seemed to come so easily. The accent she held slurred the words together, in a way that had Lucy suspecting that the language of Fiore was not one Mary-Lou had known her whole life. "It did become quite hard for me to know things about them, most of it was written in languages foreign to me. But I will share what I know." The accent was endearing, but immensely humorous.

There was a sigh in their minds, and Happy continued to devour his fish. "I wonder if I coulds take on Natsu with Fire Whip." The tone was wistful, the accent distinctive and clear. But to Lucy, there was a chink in it like there had been in Mary-Lou's – perhaps the telepathy picked up on the fact he was from Edolas.

Lucy tried to hold the snort within her mind, "You only wish you could, Happy." With a hand rubbing between his ears Happy purred contently, "Fire Whip may be strong, but as Dragon Slayers go," Lucy looked towards the town, more visible through the depleting forest in that moment than it had been before. "Natsu is invincible."

Mary-Lou chuckled into the small piece of fish-flesh she had saved, raising a paw and giving it a crude waving, "Neion, neion, neion!" There was no need for the others to ask for them to know what it meant in her language, "This 'Natsu' person you speak of, he may be strong – as all Dragon Slayers are – but uh," Mary-Lou lowered her paw, and with a giggling grunt began her pacing over the fence, Lucy following shortly after, "There is no one alive who is truly invincible." Jumping over a branch that overgrew the fence, Mary-Lou gave another chuckle, "Is it not true that there are Mages names God Slayers? If this Natsu of yours is invincible," There was a Cheshire-like grin on the cats face as it looked back to them with intelligent eyes, "Then he will have surpassed even Gods."

There was a glint to Happy's eyes, and Lucy let a little of her smile fall at the sight of it, "So you say it is possible?" Lucy began to stroke his crown, hoping it would calm him. "But... Natsu is very strong." It had calmed him a little.

"Even if you are strong than Natsu in power," Lucy began a light jog, hoping that they would not be too late from that meandering pace, "Natsu has the power of feelings." Lucy watched as Mary-Lou tried to stop herself from chocking on her left-over's as she ran; there was a gracefulness to her failure. "Even if he has no control with his Magic."

Mary-Lou had at some point dismounted from the fence, and ran through Lucy's legs to gain attention, "You can use feelings too – anger and revenge are the most potent." There was a smile in her voice, but none on the cat's face. "But when it is friendship orientated it is best. If you think about the good times, not whom you were with, take those feelings and used them – outwardly though, be calm." Lucy let an answering smile occur on her face as Mary-Lou turned away. "There is a perfect state, I read, where you are calm and let the feelings overflow you. And then poof, let it all out." Mary-Lou paused in her strides to look into a darkened field. "Think of it like the person you fight is trying to steal it all from you." As the walked Mary-Lou looked upon the buildings of Udina, which towered over her. "No one is invincible; some are just harder to overcome."

Lucy nodded to a person who was walking past them, "Those are wise words, Mary-Lou." Happy screamed into their minds as he finished the fish flesh. Happy threw the carcass down to Mary-Lou who took the bones in her mouth and let her sandpaper tongue search the bones as they walked. "Do you like fish?" Happy let joy overcome his face, seeing as there was no one are to see them.

"Neion," Mary-Lou huffed as she kept walking it, and Lucy marvelled at her navigation skills in the unknown town. Happy seemed to regret accepting the girl into their group, but Mary-Lou tossed him a wink before slinking along the side of a building, "Ieh adben poisch." Mary-Lou seemed to give an apologetic cough into her paw, "I mean, I love fish!" Happy dove from Lucy's clinging grip, and attached himself to the cat. Happy began to mumble audibly about things, none of which Lucy could understand.

As they came to a stop in front of the shop, Lucy held the door open to let Mary-Lou prance in like a prized pony, with Happy on her back – well, he was sprawled really. "Mister Audis?" Lucy glanced around the silent shop, thinking that it was oddly silent, but the man had simply fallen asleep at the counter. "Mister Audis, we're back." Lucy placed a hand on the man's shoulder, shaking him slightly; it was ten minutes to eleven; the time he was to leave for his event.

The short man spluttered into life, much as an old Magic Vehicle would. "Ah yes," The beady little eyes of the man ran over her body, "Hello Lucy." As if as an after though, the man looked down to the black and blue cats. "Hello Happy, and friend." Mary-Lou gave a nod, and the shop-keeper noticed her intrusive gaze. "Who is your friend?" Audis gave a nervous chuckle, unnerved by the intelligence held by the animal. Though, the laugh turned genuine when Happy threw items at the cat and she ducked to avoid them.

Lucy gave a stammering jog over to the pair and scooped Mary-Lou into her arms, carrying her back to Audis. "This is Mary-Lou." Lucy gave the girl a rub with her knuckled between her ears, and the cat purred. "She's my pet." Lucy tried not to let her panicking for an explanation show, "She's been staying with a friend of mine, he lives in the nest town over." Lucy did indeed have an acquaintance there, but she was trying too hard not to notice the slight leer in Audis' eyes. "It's been a while, and I decided to visit him. When I got there, I decided I missed my wittle kitwy." Lucy took a cutesy tone as she rubbed at the cats paws with an absent hand, smiling nervously. "It is alright if she stays here, isn't it?"

Audis gave an approving nod, "Of course, we have room." Looking over to the clock by the door Audis gave a surprised sound, "It's gotten late." The elderly man jumped the counter with zeal and ran through the door, "Remember, my wife is in the house, and she's a very light sleeper! If you need anything, give her a shout." Audis had paused by the door to rug his cap onto his head, not even waiting for them to lock the door before he ran down the murky street.

Lucy set Mary-Lou onto the counter. "Sorry for calling you a pet," She thought for a second before asking, "Is the women in the house asleep?" Lucy looked down, almost at eyelevel, at 'her' black cat, waiting for an answer that would come. The cat moved from the counter to the stool, and curled up soaking in the warmth the man left behind.

There was a sigh in Lucy's mind as she waited for an answer, the eyes of the cat opened, and the sparkling gold looked to the door that sat ajar. Happy flopped down next to the she-cat, and Lucy found herself looking into what of the startling eyes she could. "Jai, she is asleep." Mary-Lou rubbed a paw over her nose, in an action that on a human would be to appease a sneeze. "And that man lied," The silken ears tweaked backwards, and seemed to swirl towards the door, "She is a very heavy sleeper." The accent seemed to slip, and Lucy found herself narrowing her own eyes to silently question the actuality of such a thing. "I am from the other side of Earthland - far to the East." Lucy's eyes moved sharply towards the she-cat, "I am from a country called Deuark: I am Deauarkan." The sight of a cat touching the side of its face would have been funny, had Lucy not been alarmed. "My friend says you were curious."


Lucy p.o.v.

I found Mary-Lou to be pleasant company; she was funny in some sense of her actions, but other times she was just, just so very serious. The blending of her Deauarkan and Fiorian together had a couple of hilarious results. The girl was so nonchalant about the mind-reading powers, and the sword stuff, but at some points it was not hard to tell that she was panicking – even without the voice in the back of my head. Mary-Lou was calm on the inside and the out, but as she talked there was a sense of alarm in the undertones of her words. "Are we supposed to use our swords like Lucy's Spirits?" Happy held such a confused tone that I wanted to laugh, but I was just as confused as he.

There was consideration in her gaze, and I could tell that she did not really know the answer. "Jai, these swords have names, and work better when we pay them – attention. Acknowledging they are not just tools." I watched the flexing in the muscles of her paw as it rubbed her forehead, and I knew that she did not want to mention the voices that whispered to us. "They will likely stick with us until we are dead. Companionship of the highest order, so to speak." There was a bitterness to her words as she smiled, she was curled up and flicking her tail above her head – as if to say she was content. "When we are training, we thinks we should be able to use small versions of major attacks and defences without the swords in this world – that's all I remember from the books." There was laziness to the blink she gave.

Happy had his back turned to us, but I saw him swinging his legs, "Is that all you know?" There was a menace to the aura that encased Happy, without a second his wings sprouted and he gave a 'Eureka!' shout. Happy flew very close to Mary-Lou, hovering in her face with a troubling grin. Mary-Lou only yawned in return, her sharp teeth revealed. "Are there legends about it you have found? Mythical stories?" Happy rocked back to his perch, and looked triumphant. Leaning against the counter I remained un-blinking in order to catch any response, my chin resting in one palm.

I liked the question, and it seemed to catch her own attention too, because her head seemed to raise simultaneously slow and fast, her tail flickering slower that before. "There was one, the only one I have ever found." Mary-Lou hauled herself to stand on all four paws, a creaking in her bones. "I remembers it saying each had an element, or something of the ilk." Mary-Lou lowered her head into her front paws, almost as though she was submitting to the air beside me. "And two of the swords control something extra." Mary-Lou raised her head once more, using her teeth to adjust her twisted cuffs.

Leaning across the expanse of the countertop I scratched her lower back, and a purr came forth like that of a contented kitten. "Do you know that they are?" It was easy to butter her up, but there was no doubt she would tell us – that voice whispered in my mind. Happy moved closer, throwing himself onto his stomach, and I scratched Happy as well; if only to try and calm the aura that had yet to disappear.

Mary-Lou gave a huff when I pulled my arm back to my side, "You have no idea as to how good that feels." Both paws were brought up to rub behind her ears, "Earth's Horn, he uses Darkness Magic. Or was it Blindness?" Mary-Lou licked her paw, as if indifferent, but I could feel the shaking that came internally from fear. "Fire Whip is a Disguise Magic. Blending, stealth." The eyes that landed on Happy's back watched as I did as he shook with contained mirth, "Royal Baton has Wind Magic, was the translation." Pointing at me, Mary-Lou's 'toes' spread apart languidly, "Death Eater is with Water." There was a shrugging to her joints as she rolled. "Steam Soul contorts Weather." There seemed to be an apologetically smug look to the upturned cat, "There is water, wind, earth, fire, and weather."

Bring a hand up I clicked my thumb nail against my two front teeth, pondering how long I had until they needed cut. "That is quite, remarkable." I breathed out, "Almost like a plot for a story." One that was far too obvious in ending. Mary-Lou nodded as she regained her footing, and Happy looked dreamily over his shoulder – but I could only give a half-smile in response. "Do you know why they were in the river?" I cast a glance to the clock behind me to hide my disappointment as she shook her head solemnly. "It is almost half nine, Audis should be back soon." The clap my hands made was satisfactory and moved to sit on the stool, "Positions!"

I felt like a director at the theatre.

No One p.o.v.

At the time Lucy clapped Happy projected himself to the armour section at the back of the shop, pulling the wooden sword out to pelt the practice dummy; prodding, poking and spinning with imagined lustre. None of them counted how long it actually took for Audis to come for his shop, but only that it took a little while. Lucy had sat back as far as she could comfortably, and began to write the next chapter for her own novel, stopping every now and then to scratch her chin with the feathered quill. Mary-Lou, by far, gained the easiest job; lazing in the display window, sprawling in the morning sun that dipped over the buildings across the street. Mary-Lou had stayed in her cat form, and as the instincts came with it, she was mighty happy with her position.

At some unknown point in time Audis came bumbling through the front door with his own Keys, "Well Lucy, Happy, and Mary-Lou, any trouble to report?" Mary-Lou the 'cat' looked up at him with dulled eyes, before letting her head plop back onto the ground. Happy discarded the swords, and tumbled over to Lucy, who in turn just shook her head with a yawn. "Good, well I'll go find you that reward of yours." There was a stumbling drunkenness to his walk that Lucy could only scowl at, but he moved without much fault to the vault that stood obvious at the back of the shop, before tumbling back with a bag and a Key. Lucy had collected her bag from her side, as well as placing a note beside the breakfast Missus Audis had placed by the bedside. "200,000Jewels and one Animatic Key. Oh, are you leaving so soon?"

Lucy nodded, "We'd like to get ourselves home before sun down," Referencing the long train-journey, "To inform our Guild of our mission completion." Lucy opened her purple bag for Audis to drop the items into. "Goodbye Mister Audis!" Lucy gathered a Key into her hand, and gave him a faint wave as she walked out of the shop – once again holding it open for her 'pets', who lumbered together through the door-pass. Lucy headed quickly through the early morning crowd, hurdling herself into an ally as they came close to the train station. "Mary-Lou, they likely won't let you on looking like that, so could you," Lucy gave an embarrassed wave of the hand, ruffling it over the expanse of her body. "Change?"

Mary-Lou gave an understanding bob of her head, "No problems." There was a flashing over silver, and just as quickly the newborn girl held the Exceed to her stomach. "On we go!" Mary-Lou grabbed onto Lucy's elbow as she pulled herself towards the ticket box, "Three to Magnolia, please." Mary-Lou reached her hand into Lucy's pre-offered bag, pulling the 4000Jewels out, "Here you go, Sir." Mary-Lou flicked a thumb over the money, before handing it over, and taking the three tickets and pushing them into her pocket before walking on. "Off we go! I will turn into a cat once we get off the train, jai?"

"Yes, if you would." Lucy answered as they three boarded the train, walking until a compartment as found to be empty, and Mary-Lou entered first. "How about we spend our time the Arbol-hru Key?" Mary-Lou nodded her ascent and woke Happy to join them, explaining what they were doing. "After we look, we can sleep."